A/N: Suppresses immensely high-pitched squeal This story has reached more than 300 reviews… Wow… I honestly can't thank you guys enough for the support. You're all awesome!
On a different note, title for the chapter is borrowed from the fantastic opera piece 'Liberi Fatali'.
Enjoy!
Last chapter summary: After his mysterious disappearing, Seifer is brought to face his companions as the Sorceress's Knight. Having to choose between his future and his past, Seifer is torn and makes a decision that might have proved to be fatal…
A second chance
By: Sickness in Salvation
Chapter 26: Arise from your sleep, children of Fate
It's been a long time since we've spoken…
I didn't think you wanted me to interrupt…
No, you did well…
So… Anything you wish to say?
I… I don't… I honestly don't know…
Take your time…
I… I just… So much has happened…Seifer's present… The kiss… The battle… It'll take
a while for it all to sink in…
I understand…
But…
But, what, Quisty?
I still don't know why he did it, Ellone… Why he felt he had to protect her and
betray us all in the process… I mean… I understand he meant well, but… I can't
believe he didn't tell me… I'd understand… After all… After all we've been through together…
Have you forgotten? He did tell you…
Sigh I know, I know… But he didn't let me believe how much he truly meant it…
I thought… I thought it would go away in time… I thought he'd see the truth…
He tried to save her and look what it did to him… He was torn apart; both mentally
and physically… And… I know I wasn't truly there, but… It ached to see him suffer like that…
A tall figure walked stealthily among the empty corridors, searching.
The light steps he took, echoed among the walls until the sound vanished into thin air.
- "Wake up… Please, wake up…"
His green eyes looked around in desperation.
'Time… No time… There's no time…'
They could be there any moment now… He shouldn't be found at any cost.
He couldn't look at them straight in the eye from now on. Especially her…
- "Don't leave me alone… Please wake up…"
It was too late to turn back.
"Looking for someone?"
He turned around.
The source of that hauntingly familiar voice had appeared out of nowhere, creeping out of the shadows almost snake-like.
The mephistophelian grin on her face… Her long, gloved claws touching his skin… An intoxicating sensation taking over him…
- "Please, Hyne… I won't ask for anything else ever again… Just wake him up… Please…"
He kneeled down to her.
"Your wish is now my command, my lady."
"Rise." she commanded.
Timidly, he rose up to full height, easily towering her, but his head hung down.
"Rise and follow me into a fantasy beyond your imagination… my Knight."
- "Sob Wake him up…"
With a sharp intake of breath, Seifer opened his eyes.
Even the dim light of the lamp that stood by, made his eyes sting like mad. He quickly shut them again, rubbing them in comfort. He made an attempt to open them again, blinking as he did so. The blurry image of his surroundings began to get much clearer with each passing second, as he stared around him bewildered. He tried to sit up on what was apparently a bed he was lying onto, but found that to be extremely hard. The moment he tried to, a shooting pain came right from his abdomen, causing him to hiss and fall down on his back again.
Grasping the sheets beneath him as he winced, he realized that a minor, dull ache was coming from his right arm. His wrist to be more exact. It was the first time he realized he was 'hooked' into an IV.
His clothes were nowhere to be seen, his bare chest was only covered by a fair amount of bandages at the area of his lower torso and only a few were covering his right arm and shoulder. In fact, the only clothing on him aside from the bandages was a pair of underwear. Shivering, he pulled the light blue blanket that had been covering him back up to his chin.
But of course…
The infirmary… Where else could he be?
He closed his eyes for a second, urging his mind to backtrack a few steps and remember the reason he was in there.
The fight with G-Garden… Squall left to help Rinoa and he was left to lead the attack… Was Rinoa OK? Had Squall made it in time, or had she –Seifer shuddered- fallen of the cliff she'd been hanging from? What about the final battle? Had they won? Had the Sorceress been taken down? Edea… He'd tried to protect her and came face to face with everyone… But only Squall fought him. And he'd won. Not in the most honorable of manners, but Squall didn't fight completely 'clean' either… After that Fire spell he'd cast on him, he'd lost it and gone berserk. He almost didn't remember how it came that Squall was on his knees and he was leering above him.
Would he have really killed him? Would he, if it weren't for…
Quistis.
Quistis…
Quistis…?
What had happened to Quistis?
She was the last face he'd seen before passing away. He had talked to her… But he wasn't sure she'd listened. He remembered feeling the hot, salty tears that had slid from her eyelids to his face as she tried to keep him alive…
His forehead ached.
Where could she-?
It was right then that he realized that it wasn't his own breathing sound he could hear right now. Opening his eyes once again, he turned to his side, only to notice for the first time that in a chair a bit behind him sat Quistis.
Asleep.
Clad in her battle gear, a jacket thrown over her shoulders haphazardly, hair loose and dirty, bare arms slightly injured, face drained from the last droplet of color and 'stained' from still humid trickles down her cheeks.
And she still took his breath away.
Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't expect to find her there. Perhaps it was the fact he thought he'd never see anything ever again period, not just her. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
'You think too much, Almasy…' Seifer thought to himself, shaking his head in disbelief 'Just shut up and enjoy the view…'
Glad to see you've recovered, master.
'Now there's a voice I haven't heard in ages…' Seifer spoke back inwardly, feeling surprised that the usually annoying presence of Ifrit now felt unnaturally soothing. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd have missed Ifrit…
Likewise, master.
'Damn you…' Seifer chuckled 'You heard that, too?'
Of course I did.
Seifer sighed. Of course he had. He knew about every dirty little detail that passed through the cerebral cortex of the unfathomable being that was Seifer Almasy.
Quite a complex way to put it, but yes, I do.
Seifer's gaze fell back on Quistis again 'She alright?'
She's fine, master. Just exhausted.
'How long has she been sitting there?'
If I remember correctly, tomorrow it'll be seven days.
'Excuse me?'
Seven days.
'I've been out for a week?!'
That is correct.
'And she's been here the entire time?'
Affirmative.
It took Seifer's sometimes slow-processing mind a bit of time to comprehend what he'd just heard. He ran a hand through his hair 'So, she hasn't even-?'
- "Don't wake her up."
The blond turned around, only to find Dr. Kadowaki, smiling back at him, leaning against the doorframe. Seifer grinned.
- "Wasn't gonna…" he replied in a whisper.
- "Glad to see we have you back." she replied, slowly walking towards his bed "How are you feeling?"
- "Been better…" Seifer replied with a quiet chuckle "It hurts when I stretch. But only then."
- "Good, good…" said the doctor "Get some sleep now. You'll get a bollocking about your stupidity tomorrow, OK?"
Seifer stared at her awkwardly, as she disappeared behind the door again, with a smirk on her face.
Sighing, the blond buried his head in his pillow. He craned his head up to look at Quistis again. He turned his glance back straight again and slowly, sat up on the bed. Slowly and very carefully, he twisted on the spot, until his bare feet touched the cold marble floor. Hissing both from pain and coldness, he made an attempt to get up.
A failed one.
Falling back onto the bed, he realized that he hadn't used his legs in a week, so this could take a while…
He grasped the railing of the bed, easing himself up. With his free arm, he peeled the blanket away from the bed, leaving it with only a white sheet aside from the one covering the mattress. Steadying himself straight, he covered Quistis up with it, making sure no cold air would be sneaking underneath it.
Quistis felt the warm covers envelope her body and shifted, never waking up though.
- "Seif… No… Don't… don't leave… don't leave me… alone…"
Her muttering died down as she tucked her chin under the blanket. Seifer ginned somewhat poignantly and leaned down to her. He brushed aside a lock of unwashed hair, wiped her cheeks dry tenderly, resting his lips on her temple 'I should be hating you for turning me into a sissy, but I just can't seem to hold anything against you, can I?' he thought, looking at her as if she could peer into his thoughts and listen to him.
He made his way back to his bed, pulling the sheet up to his shoulders. He took one last look at her, before closing his eyes.
- "Good night, Quisty…" he whispered.
As exhaustion and slight drowsiness –apparently from the drugs- overtook him, he could heave sworn he heard her whisper back 'Good night' to him…
The next morning…
- "Oh, that looks cute…"
- "I bet you'd look better in it…"
- "Awww… Irvy…"
Seifer rolled around in bed and slowly slid his eyes open. He came face to face with a sight that wasn't exactly his idea of a good first morning view. Selphie was sitting on Irvine's lap, arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him deeply. Irvine was holding her waist with one hand, while the other one held what looked like a magazine.
The blond rolled his eyes and yawned.
- "Hyne, get a room…"
Selphie immediately 'unglued' herself from Irvine and turned her gaze onto Seifer.
- "Hey! You're up!" she squealed, face illuminated with glee.
- "Welcome back…" Irvine said with a grin.
- "Thanks…" mumbled Seifer.
He noticed that he was covered up with the blanket he'd placed upon Quistis's sleeping form the previous night. He also noticed that the chair she's been sitting on was now occupied by Selphie and Irvine, while she was nowhere in sight.
- "How are you feelin'?" Irvine asked him.
- "I'm OK I suppose…" he said, shrugging feebly "Listen, I, uhh…"
- "No need to explain." Selphie interrupted him, shaking her head "We all understand."
- "You do?" Seifer asked, creasing his forehead; that was the last thing he'd expected to hear.
- "Yeah, man…" Irvine said "I went through the exact same thing when I was ordered to shoot Edea. Freaked out big time…"
- "But still, I…" Seifer went on "I tried to…"
- "Would you have really done it?" Selphie asked.
- "Honestly? Dunno…" Seifer replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
- "All that matters is that you're OK now." Irvine said "You gave us quite a fright, you know…"
Seifer looked at both of them incredulously. He had no idea he'd be missed had he…
- "It's a good thing Quisty pushed the blade away, even for a tiny bit." Selphie said, matter-of-factly.
- "Yeah, Dr. Kadowaki said you're damn lucky it didn't hit any vital organs." Irvine added.
- "Ooh, yeah… Lucky me…" Seifer mumbled sarcastically.
- "Don't tell me you're not happy you're alive?" Irvine asked him, arching both eyebrows.
- "Maybe I should have just died and get it over with…" Seifer replied sighing.
He closed his eyes and rested his head against the railing of the bed.
- "Quit saying stupid things!" Selphie protested "Do you have the slightest idea how much everyone was worried about you?!"
- "I really can't tell you how much I appreciate you two being worried about me, but I think that's as far as it goes…" Seifer replied, looking at them meaningfully. Irvine rolled his eyes.
- "Hyne, will you stop being a damned whiny bitch?!" Selphie said exasperated.
Seifer's eyes went wide saucer-like at the girl's outburst 'So much for the sweet and innocent façade…' he thought.
- "Everyone, and I mean everyone," Selphie went on "Was really upset! The six of us, the doctor, the headmaster, the students… Even Xu came by to visit you!"
- "Really?" Seifer asked, screwing his facial features into an utterly surprised grin.
- "It took some great deal of guts to pull what you did…" Irvine said "You might have thought of it as betrayal and, quite frankly, almost everyone else did at as well at first, but once we all spoke to them…"
- "Spoke to them?" Seifer asked.
- "There was this big rally…" began Selphie "People protested because they thought you'd sided with Matron, but when we explained your, our, background history with her, everyone understood."
- "I see…" Seifer said, nodding "So… everyone's OK?"
- "Zell's still a bit sour about it, but he understands, too." replied Irvine "Well, you know how Zell feels about you. You're not exactly crazy about him either…"
- "True…" Seifer replied, chuckling "Squall not mad at me for tryin' to take his head off?"
- "Wouldn't be the first time, anyway…" Selphie said, grinning.
- "Heh, right…" Seifer said, grinning. His expression shifted into a much more awkward one, as he lowered his head and spoke again "Umm… How's Quistis?"
Selphie grinned broadly at his discomfort. She could have sworn his cheeks looked quite flushed as well.
- "She's OK. Tired." she replied.
- "From taking care of you…" Irvine added, meaningfully.
- "So umm…" Seifer said, raking a hand through his hair "She around?"
- "She left early in the morning. We sent her back to her dorm to get some rest." Selphie said.
- "More like forced her." Irvine added, matter-of-factly.
- "Sides, she had to take a shower and peel off those clothes… She's been wearin' them for almost a week!" exclaimed Selphie "Now don't get me wrong; the girl's always fresh like a meadow, but she's been reeking the past days…"
Seifer chuckled. He felt really bad that he'd put Quistis under so much trouble. Breathing deeply, he opened his mouth to ask something else. He dreaded the answer, but he had to know…
- "What about… Matron?" he asked "Did you… Did you guys…?"
- "No." Irvine replied, grinning. Seifer looked at him in disbelief.
- "She's back, Seifer." Selphie said, smiling broadly "Our Matron's back."
- "What?" the blond asked somewhat disdainfully, afraid to get his hopes up.
- "She's OK now. Back to her old self." added Irvine "She snapped out of it."
- "Snapped out of what?" he asked.
- "Ooh, that's a long story…" Selphie said "You make sure you recover fully and we'll fill you in. Just keep in mind that she's not evil anymore."
- "Alright…" Seifer said, nodding "So… Everything's good now?" he asked, grinning.
Selphie and Irvine looked at each other. The copper-haired girl bit her lips awkwardly.
- "What?" Seifer asked.
- "Well…" Selphie began.
- "Matron's OK, but…" Irvine added.
- "Everything else is pretty much messed up." Selphie finished for him.
- "Meaning…?" Seifer asked, arching an eyebrow.
The couple looked at one another again.
- "Blunt or sugar-coated version?" Selphie asked. Seifer sighed.
- "Just hit me with it…"
- "Alright…" Irvine said, taking a deep breath "After what happened to you, some of us were forced to fight Edea while Quistis and Zell carried you back to Garden. Evidently, we won and Edea went back to her old self."
Seifer sat up on the bed, crossing his arms 'Typical… I faint like a pussy and Commander Puberty saves the day…'
- "Anyway… After the fight," Irvine went on "Something… 'happened' to Rinoa."
- "What?" Seifer asked, creasing his forehead "She didn't get herself in trouble again, did she?"
- "It's more like… Trouble got her…" Selphie replied.
- "She's… she's in a coma…" Irvine uttered "We don't know what's wrong with her and Matron doesn't either."
The blond stared at them, bewildered. Why would something happen to Rinoa all of a sudden?
- "Squall's a wreck…" Selphie said "He can't get over what happened to her, he's been swamped with work…"
- "We tried to help him with his office work at the very least, to take a bit of the burden off his shoulders, but he won't let us." Irvine added "Our priority is to find Ellone right now, but we're trying to work something out about Rinoa as well…"
- "Ellone?" Seifer asked, frowning "What does she have to do with anything?"
- "Oy…" Selphie sighed "This could take a while… Sweetie, why don't you go get us some coffee or something, while I tell Seifer the whole story?"
- "OK…" Irvine said, as Selphie got off his lap "How do you drink your coffee?" he addressed Seifer.
- "Black. Tiny bit of milk." he replied laconically "And…" he added, as Irvine approached the threshold "Pack of cigarettes wouldn't be too bad…" he said, rubbing the back of his hair.
Irvine shook his head in disbelief.
- "I'll let the doc know you're awake." he said, walking out of the room.
Irvine walked inside the crowded Cafeteria, heading towards the surprisingly small queue behind the counter. While waiting for his order to get ready, he scanned the room in boredom. He spotted Quistis sitting alone on a table, poking the contents of her plate with a fork in boredom. Grabbing the plastic bag with his order, Irvine walked over to the table.
The girl shifted her bloodshot blue gaze up to him and smiled, returning back to her breakfast.
- "You alone?" Irvine asked.
- "Zell was here a while ago, but went up to the bridge to help Squall out." Quistis replied.
- "I thought we told you to get some rest…" Irvine said, sitting across her, raising an eyebrow.
- "I did… I just felt hungry. I'll go back after I'm done." she replied.
- "Glad to see you took a shower at any rate…" Irvine commented, touching one of the fair damp locks that fell in front of her face. Quistis chuckled "I'm betting your shower floor will need some serious scrubbin' to get all the dirt out now, eh?"
The blonde laughed even harder.
- "Thanks. You make me laugh…" she said, grinning.
- "Cheer up, won't you?" Irvine said "He's awake you know…"
Quistis looked up at Irvine for a second eagerly, then looked back down.
- "Oh…" she muttered.
- "Aren't you gonna come see him?" he asked.
- "Not… Not now…" she said "I just… I feel…"
- "He was only doing what his heart told him to." Irvine interrupted her. Quistis didn't speak. She just kept poking her egg, which had now filled the plate with orange yolk "He asked about you."
- "So…?" Quistis asked, shrugging feebly.
- "Oh, come on." Irvine said, exasperated "You know you want to see him."
- "Not that crazy really…" she lied, looking down.
Irvine arched a sarcastic eyebrow and took her chin in his palm, making her look at him.
- "Quistis, look at me." he said. The blonde did so "Don't hold a grudge against him for something that's over now. I know where you stand, but frankly, you'll be really stupid to push away what you feel for him over something so trivial."
- "I don't feel anything for-"
- "Yeah, now that's convincing." Irvine interrupted her, voice full of sarcasm. Quistis rolled her eyes "Just go see him later on today. Please. He looked really sad when he woke up and didn't see you there."
Quistis sighed and looked up at him.
- "OK, I will."
- "That's my girl." said Irvine, beaming at her "I'm going now. You go get some rest."
- "Maybe I should… come over now." Quistis suggested "And get some rest later."
Irvine grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
- "Just so you know…" he said in mischievous manner "The beds in the Infirmary ain't that steady, so restrain yourselves a tad, kay?"
Quistis pursed her lips and frowned, pushing Irvine away.
- "Forget it." she said, trying to leave.
Irvine grabbed her wrist, chuckling.
- "C'mon, I was only joking…" he said "Let's go.
The blonde pouted and crossed her arms, following Irvine outside the Cafeteria.
Dr. Kadowaki squeezed some white cream off the tube she was holding into her free palm. She proceeded in rubbing the cream onto an apparent burn wound on Seifer's shoulder. The blonde hissed and pulled away.
- "What's wrong?" asked the doctor "The cream isn't supposed to sting…"
- "The cream doesn't, but the fucking burn stings if you rub on it!" Seifer spat back.
- "Stop being such a baby…" the doctor said, sighing.
- "Do you think it's pleasant for me to be in the damned Infirmary every week?!" Seifer said grumpily.
- "Do you think it's pleasant for me to have you as a patient every week?" the doctor retorted.
Seifer narrowed his eyes at her and muttered an incoherent stream of curses under his breath.
- "Need any help doc?" Selphie asked, grinning.
- "Don't you dare Messenger-girl!" Seifer warned, pointing a threatening finger at her.
Dr. Kadowaki turned and looked at Selphie, smiling.
- "Of course, Selphie." she replied.
The copper-haired girl got up to her feet, walking towards Seifer's bed, who was giving her a murderous glare. She made her way behind his bed and with one swift move, got a hold of his hair, pulling his head backwards.
- "ARGH! MOTHERF-!" Seifer began, making a move to grab Selphie behind him with his non-wounded arm.
Unfortunately for him, this was the exact reaction Selphie was hoping for. Grasping his wrist, she twisted his arm behind his back, rendering him helpless.
- "YOU LITTLE MINX!" Seifer roared, squirming "JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU WON'T COME OUT ALIVE AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU! I'LL-"
- "Well played, Selphie." Dr, Kadowaki said, grinning at Selphie, ignoring Seifer's shouts.
- "Thank you." Selphie replied, performing a small curtsey.
- "I FUCKING HATE WOMEN! CONSPIRING BITCHES!" Seifer went on "WHO THE F-?"
- "Ah, shaddap…" Selphie said, covering his mouth with her free palm as the doctor went on treating the burn on Seifer's shoulder.
- "MTHRFKNG KNTS! YL PMM!"
Quistis stepped inside the Infirmary, closely followed by Irvine. She looked around in curiosity, not seeing Dr. Kadowaki anywhere near. She turned her head abruptly to the side, however, as a flurry of muffled screams caught her attention from one of the rooms. She looked at Irvine with a questioning and bewildered expression.
- "That's Seifer's room…" said Irvine.
- "Good Hyne, what are they doing to him?!" Quistis exclaimed, rushing over to the door.
She twisted the handle, swinging the door wide open. The sight she came across made her arch both eyebrows and widen her eyes in astonishment.
Selphie was standing behind Seifer's bed, clamping his mouth shut with one palm, pulling his head backwards at the same time, while she was twisting the man's arm behind his back. Dr. Kadowaki was rubbing Seifer's right shoulder, which was now covered with a thick layer of some whitish substance. Irvine leaned under the doorframe behind her, staring at the trio, sniggering.
- "Hey Quisty." Selphie said, smiling.
- "Aaaaand we're done." said the doctor, covering Seifer's wound with bandages.
The blond pulled his arm abruptly, clutching it with his now free palm in a possessive manner, as if he was afraid of anyone trying to steal it.
- "Selph babe," Irvine called behind Quistis "You wanna go visit Rinoa? We haven't checked her out since yesterday."
- "Coming…" Selphie chirped, skillfully avoiding a rogue blow from Seifer as she passed by.
She took Irvine's hand and walked outside the room with him. Dr. Kadowaki shot Quistis a grin, who was still staring at everyone in awe.
- "I'll come check upon you later." she told Seifer, rubbing his hair before she walked away.
Seifer frowned, straightening his hair as the door closed behind the doctor.
Awkward silence filled the room then. Both blondes weren't looking at each other, turning their gazes to anything else in a failed attempt of faked nonchalance.
- "Umm… hi." Seifer said eventually, looking up at her.
- "Hi." replied Quistis, grinning at him "Erm… What were they-?"
- "Don't ask." Seifer said, shaking his head.
Quistis chuckled. She walked towards Seifer's bed, hands folded in front on her.
- "So… how are you feeling?" she asked.
- "I'm OK, I guess…" Seifer replied shrugging.
- "Did the doctor say when you'll be released?"
- "No, but I don't think it should be long…" he said "And uhh… how're you?"
- "I'm fine." Quistis replied.
- "Good, good…" Seifer said, nodding "Hey, uh, didn't Irvine bring some coffee over or something?" he asked.
- "Oh… Yes, I think he was carrying a bag…" she replied.
- "Dammit…" he cursed "He was supposed to bring me over some cigarettes…"
- "Cigarettes?" Quistis said, arching an eyebrow.
- "Yeah, he left to bring over some coffee and said he'd get me some cigarettes I asked for."
- "So… you're in the Infirmary… and you want to smoke…" Quistis said frowning, crossing her arms "Did Dr. Kadowaki allow it?"
- "What Dr. Kadowaki doesn't know, can't hurt her…" Seifer replied grinning mischievously, winking at her.
Biting the interior of her cheek, Quistis approached Seifer in slow, determined strides. Seifer grinned at her awkwardly, puzzled by her expression.
- "So you're just going to endanger your health like that?" asked Quistis.
- "That's all bullcrap; I'm fine, aren't I?" he replied.
Quistis grinned -in a somewhat weird manner, Seifer noticed- and glared at him. Seifer was about to ask her what was going on, when her palm landed with tremendous force onto his cheek, jerking his head to the side abruptly.
- "What the fuck's wrong with you, Trepe?!" he snarled, clutching his now crimson and stinging cheek.
- "What's wrong with me?!" Quistis yelled "What's wrong with you! You keep the whole Garden worried on whether you're going to live or not, I stay up all night, by your side, for an entire week, taking care of you, making sure nothing will go wrong and that you'll make it and when you wake your sorry ass up what happens?! You don't give a crap about what the doctor tells you, you act like a baby and have the nerve to want to smoke. SMOKE!"
Seifer, who had so far been cowering on his bed at Quistis's outburst, staring at her wide-eyed, let out the breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding.
- "Geez, relax… I'm not dying…" he mumbled.
- "Well, you came damn close to it over the past seven days, didn't you?!" Quistis retorted, the anger still fueling her raging outbreak "So don't you dare tell me to relax you ungrateful bastard! Just be glad I didn't plunge that damned blade deeper!"
And with those words, she turned her heel and swung the door open, ignoring Irvine and Selphie who were standing right behind it, eavesdropping, and left the Infirmary.
Selphie squeezed Irvine's palm tightly and squealed.
- "Awww… She loves him…!"
The pale silvery moonlight slipped into the cold Infirmary room, filtered by the thin curtains hung upon the only window on the wall. The night was unusually chilly for that time of the year; it was almost Spring. But even the hottest of all summer nights wouldn't be able to warm Squall Leonhart's heart.
It had frozen over the moment he saw her hit the ground.
He hadn't realized how he felt before. It had dawned on him when all life drained from her within the blink of an eye, rendering her to… this. This cold, rigid, motionless… thing.
He touched her forehead with his ungloved palm. Cold. Her palm as well. He began rubbing it frantically, as if it would make a difference.
'Rinoa… You feel so cold.'
He was struggling to keep the tears from flowing down his face. He had not once cried in his entire life over anything. Not even over the loss of Sis. But right now… his whole world was falling apart before his very eyes, piece by piece, in slow, torturing movements.
'Are you going to be like this forever?'
No. He'd never make it. He'd never be able to go on without hearing her voice ever again. Who would come wake him up in the mornings, urging him to open up, speak to people about his feelings? Who would come and disrupt his well-organized world with a mere smile, a taunt, a fit of angelic laughter? He had been too stubborn to admit that he yearned for her approach every single day. It always brought color to the so far gray routine he abided by with admirable reverence. The past week had been a rewind back to his old life. His loathsome, boring, depressing, old life. He wanted to feel alive again. But it was only her who could help him.
He fell down on his knees, burying his face in his palms.
'Isn't there anything I can do?!'
The silence of both his inner and outer environment drove him crazy.
'You were so full of life. Now you don't even make a sound… I want to hear your voice.'
He raised his steel blue eyes upon her stiff from. She looked like an angel. An angel clad in white, buried under the baby blue covers, with her raven hair cascading down her pale, porcelain face and shoulders, rosy lips shut tightly.
Just like her eyelids.
'This is like talking to a wall.'
Would she ever open them again? Would she ever bring those mirthful chocolate brown eyes upon him ever again? The mere thought of a negative answer was enough to drive him to madness. Now he understood how Quistis had felt all those days, waiting patiently over Seifer's bed for him to wake up. She cared about him more than anything; it was no secret anymore.
But she had been lucky.
She had seen him again, spoken to him again. And he couldn't think of a person he envied more in the world right now.
The dark spirit that had consumed their loving Matron for so long had destroyed them on its wake, leaving fatal wounds behind its trail. Fatal for the soul.
And most of all, it had destroyed his soul.
'Rinoa… Call my name.'
He rested his head on her lap, shutting his eyes, sighing.
He didn't need to open them to know to whom the footsteps that were now being heard belonged.
- "How is she?"
He slid them open, raising himself up from her lap, not speaking.
- "Stupid question…" Seifer mumbled, approaching the bed.
- "So… You're up." Squall said quietly, never removing his gaze from his sleeping angel.
- "Yeah…" Seifer said, taking Rinoa's hand and cupping it in his palms. He remained silent "You hate me for waking up while she hasn't, don't you?"
Squall looked at his blond counterpart for the first time. He was thankful that the shadows of the night hid them both well, so that he wouldn't read his expression. Yes, he did. He did hate him so much… In fact he hated everyone who was able to walk, talk, laugh when she couldn't…
- "Yes, I do." he replied grimly "But I know it's not your fault." he added.
- "Still, you'd prefer to have me in a bed like that and her walking…" said Seifer.
- "Yes."
- "Can't blame you…" Seifer said, gingerly putting Rinoa's hand back in place "I did screw you all over."
- "I don't care about that." Squall said "I can even say I don't blame you for it. But I hate you and every person on this earth for being able to do what she can't."
- "That's a confession I never expected to hear from you." Seifer said, crossing his arms.
- "What point is there to hide behind masks anymore?" he asked rhetorically, shrugging.
Seifer turned his gaze upon Rinoa, sighing. A tiny smile crept upon his lips.
- "She'll make it." he said. Squall scoffed.
- "And how do you know?" he asked sarcastically.
- "I know 'cause she's a fighter." the blond replied "She's strong on the inside. In case you've forgotten, I know her much better than you do."
Squall took in a deep breath.
- "You never deserved her." he said, frowning.
- "That's right; I didn't." Seifer replied in all honesty "But she didn't deserve me either. We never deserved each other."
- "And I suppose you think you deserve Quistis?" Squall asked, turning his icy glare onto Seifer. The blond remained silent for a bit.
- "That'll be her call to make." he replied, turning his heel.
He made his way to the doorframe, then stopped, back still turned on his fellow Commander.
- "Leonhart?"
Squall turned around.
- "Hurt her and I'll kill you."
The blond left the room to return to his own, leaving Squall alone once again. The brown haired boy pursed his lips and looked at her once again.
'You do deserve Quistis, you son-of-a-bitch… Question is… Do I deserve Rinoa?'
A/N: Alright, no cliff-hanger this time… Key-word there is 'this'. :-p
Till next time!
ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':
The search for Ellone continues…