The door slowly opened and from the bed Zell could see, in the doorframe,
stood Quistis, clad in her nightgown.
Zell's anger slipped a notch. Quistis smiled at Zell and Zell returned the smile.
"Can I come in?" Quistis asked quietly. Zell nodded.
"How are you?" Quistis asked trying to make small talk.
"Just a little.ah.tired." Zell said, faking a yawn as he spoke. Quistis nodded.
"Me too." Quistis said. Quistis shut the door behind her. The window was open letting a cool breeze of ocean air filter into the room. Quistis walked towards the bed. Zell laid there silent and eyes closed.
"Is it alright if I get in?" Quistis asked quietly. Zell didn't even look at Quistis. He stayed in the same position and his eyes were still closed.
"Sure, I hope you know I'm only in my boxers." Zell commented. Quistis pulled back the covers and got into the bed. She shivered as the cold covers brushed her bare skin. She scooted over to Zell and put her body against his, soaking up his body heat. She softly put her arm on his chest. Zell shuttered.
"What's wrong Zell?" Quistis asked, hoping he wasn't uncomfortable about them being so close together.
"Your hands are freezing." Zell said dramatically. Quistis laughed and placed her hands on his face.
She could feel the hair barely protruding from his cheeks and tiny patches of peach fuzz signifying that it wasn't completely developed hair that blessed his face.
Zell quickly reached up and grabbed her hands, then softly rubbed them until they warmed up and then placed her hand back on his chest. He then entwined his fingers with hers.
Quistis loved the feel of his hands. Sometimes they felt hard as a rock, in perfect condition because of his training. Right now though, they felt gentle and loving. As if he was holding a beautiful bird in his hands.
Quistis softly laid her head down on Zell's shoulder. Zell leisurely wrapped an arm around Quistis.
Quistis smiled as she reminisced. It was as if they had switched roles. When they were younger Zell was the one who snuck to her room to come talk to her. Edea told her that she would always find them in the morning, Zell wrapped in her arms, both Zell and herself asleep peacefully. Now she was the one wrapped in his stout arms.
"Zell." Quistis started. Zell didn't acknowledge her. "I'm sorry about today, I didn't mean to ditch you." Quistis said in her soft, glowing voice.
"Quistis, you didn't ditch me, you just went and talked to our friends, I left cause I was .tired." Zell said matter-of-factly.
"Oh Zell, you're the greatest. I knew you'd understand." Quistis smiled hugging him tightly.
"Um Zell, about what we were talking about earlier today, you still up to talking about it?" Quistis asked sweetly. Zell nodded. There was an awkward (for Zell) and comfortable (for Quistis) silence for a few minutes before Zell spoke.
"It's just that, sometimes at night, I get these feelings that I didn't even know were inside me. Sometimes I'll get into a fit of rage that puts me on the verge of tears. Other times I'll be so depressed that I can't even get out of bed. Emotions fly every which way. Sometimes, in retrospect, I can't even think of a feasible name for what I'm feeling." Zell said releasing some of the tension he felt in his body.
"Zell, I'm so tired, so tired." Quistis sighed.
"Then go to sleep." Zell said trying to act as if he didn't know what Quistis meant. Quistis saw through the act.
"Zell, you know what I mean, I'm tired emotionally and I'm tired.so tired.of being alone." Quistis said dejectedly. Zell didn't respond but Quistis knew Zell felt the same. His silence told her that. Zell suddenly broke the silence.
"It seems like everybody is already with someone and happily in love." Zell said openly. Quistis nodded sadly.
"I know, everybody but us." She whispered.
"Are you happy for Selphie and Irvine and Rinoa and Squall?" Zell blurted.
"Absolutely. Occasionally, I'm bitter towards them being in love." Quistis said in a diminutive voice. "Zell, do you love me?" Quistis asked seriously. (I can't believe I just said that!) Quistis thought.
"What do you mean?" Zell questioned.
"Just.do you love me?" Quistis repeated her question. (I'm not even sure what I mean by that.)
"I've always loved you." Zell said and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"You'll always be my man, right?" Quistis said laughing slightly.
"Of course." Zell said smiling.
"You'll always be there for me?" Quistis asked.
"Always." Zell said.
"Promise?"
"I Promise." Zell said solemnly putting his hand over his heart.
"Zell, I've missed having our talks like this, where we can be completely honest and open with each other. Zell, that's what I love about you, you're such a great listener and no matter what you always support your friends, even when they're wrong. Also, you have such a compassionate, loving heart that makes it so you can be friends with anyone and everyone." Quistis said, sincerely believing what she was saying.
"Quist, you have no idea how much that means to me coming from you." Zell said, tenderly rubbing her cheek.
"Zell, do you think the reason I don't have a boyfriend is because I'm not beautiful?" Quistis asked softly. Zell shot out of bed.
"Don't ever say that. Quistis, you are the most beautiful, caring, sweet girl any guy could ever ask for. Your blonde hair, your icy blue eyes, the cute little nose, the soft rosy lips and that golden smile. Quist, guys fall for you left and right. Every guy in garden knows your name and at least 85 percent of them have a crush on you. If you gave any guy even half a chance they'd jump all over it. So don't ever let me catch you saying that you're not beautiful again." Zell said, happy to give tribute to her beauty.
Quistis sat up and pulled Zell up and wrapped her arms around him. Zell returned the embrace. Quistis didn't want the moment to end, she loved just being in Zell's arms.
"Why don't we get some sleep." Zell suggested. Quistis nodded in agreement. They both laid down again.
About 20 minutes later, Quistis could tell Zell was asleep and she silently got up.
She stood up and stretched. She silently stared out Zell's window and sighed heavily. She watched the wind ruffle through the leaves on all the branches. She was happy she could open up like this to Zell. Zell's little speech boosted her self-esteem. Now, all that was left was to wait for the right guy to come. However, she was seriously wondering if Zell was that guy.
She tiptoed back to the bed and pulled back the covers. As she was about to get in she found herself staring at Zell's sleeping form.
Hyne, she had once been in love with him. He was beautifully built, with a toned chest and a handsome face. The exotic tattoo added to his enigmatic spice. He had a body that just begged to be explored. A young, naive man he had been. Maybe, that's one of the reasons she had loved him so much. She had been inwardly cynical as an instructor.
She crawled back into the bed and snuggled up to Zell, gently putting his arm around her and placing her hand back on his chest. Quistis smiled at the scene, and then fell asleep the smile still evident on her face.
Zell's anger slipped a notch. Quistis smiled at Zell and Zell returned the smile.
"Can I come in?" Quistis asked quietly. Zell nodded.
"How are you?" Quistis asked trying to make small talk.
"Just a little.ah.tired." Zell said, faking a yawn as he spoke. Quistis nodded.
"Me too." Quistis said. Quistis shut the door behind her. The window was open letting a cool breeze of ocean air filter into the room. Quistis walked towards the bed. Zell laid there silent and eyes closed.
"Is it alright if I get in?" Quistis asked quietly. Zell didn't even look at Quistis. He stayed in the same position and his eyes were still closed.
"Sure, I hope you know I'm only in my boxers." Zell commented. Quistis pulled back the covers and got into the bed. She shivered as the cold covers brushed her bare skin. She scooted over to Zell and put her body against his, soaking up his body heat. She softly put her arm on his chest. Zell shuttered.
"What's wrong Zell?" Quistis asked, hoping he wasn't uncomfortable about them being so close together.
"Your hands are freezing." Zell said dramatically. Quistis laughed and placed her hands on his face.
She could feel the hair barely protruding from his cheeks and tiny patches of peach fuzz signifying that it wasn't completely developed hair that blessed his face.
Zell quickly reached up and grabbed her hands, then softly rubbed them until they warmed up and then placed her hand back on his chest. He then entwined his fingers with hers.
Quistis loved the feel of his hands. Sometimes they felt hard as a rock, in perfect condition because of his training. Right now though, they felt gentle and loving. As if he was holding a beautiful bird in his hands.
Quistis softly laid her head down on Zell's shoulder. Zell leisurely wrapped an arm around Quistis.
Quistis smiled as she reminisced. It was as if they had switched roles. When they were younger Zell was the one who snuck to her room to come talk to her. Edea told her that she would always find them in the morning, Zell wrapped in her arms, both Zell and herself asleep peacefully. Now she was the one wrapped in his stout arms.
"Zell." Quistis started. Zell didn't acknowledge her. "I'm sorry about today, I didn't mean to ditch you." Quistis said in her soft, glowing voice.
"Quistis, you didn't ditch me, you just went and talked to our friends, I left cause I was .tired." Zell said matter-of-factly.
"Oh Zell, you're the greatest. I knew you'd understand." Quistis smiled hugging him tightly.
"Um Zell, about what we were talking about earlier today, you still up to talking about it?" Quistis asked sweetly. Zell nodded. There was an awkward (for Zell) and comfortable (for Quistis) silence for a few minutes before Zell spoke.
"It's just that, sometimes at night, I get these feelings that I didn't even know were inside me. Sometimes I'll get into a fit of rage that puts me on the verge of tears. Other times I'll be so depressed that I can't even get out of bed. Emotions fly every which way. Sometimes, in retrospect, I can't even think of a feasible name for what I'm feeling." Zell said releasing some of the tension he felt in his body.
"Zell, I'm so tired, so tired." Quistis sighed.
"Then go to sleep." Zell said trying to act as if he didn't know what Quistis meant. Quistis saw through the act.
"Zell, you know what I mean, I'm tired emotionally and I'm tired.so tired.of being alone." Quistis said dejectedly. Zell didn't respond but Quistis knew Zell felt the same. His silence told her that. Zell suddenly broke the silence.
"It seems like everybody is already with someone and happily in love." Zell said openly. Quistis nodded sadly.
"I know, everybody but us." She whispered.
"Are you happy for Selphie and Irvine and Rinoa and Squall?" Zell blurted.
"Absolutely. Occasionally, I'm bitter towards them being in love." Quistis said in a diminutive voice. "Zell, do you love me?" Quistis asked seriously. (I can't believe I just said that!) Quistis thought.
"What do you mean?" Zell questioned.
"Just.do you love me?" Quistis repeated her question. (I'm not even sure what I mean by that.)
"I've always loved you." Zell said and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"You'll always be my man, right?" Quistis said laughing slightly.
"Of course." Zell said smiling.
"You'll always be there for me?" Quistis asked.
"Always." Zell said.
"Promise?"
"I Promise." Zell said solemnly putting his hand over his heart.
"Zell, I've missed having our talks like this, where we can be completely honest and open with each other. Zell, that's what I love about you, you're such a great listener and no matter what you always support your friends, even when they're wrong. Also, you have such a compassionate, loving heart that makes it so you can be friends with anyone and everyone." Quistis said, sincerely believing what she was saying.
"Quist, you have no idea how much that means to me coming from you." Zell said, tenderly rubbing her cheek.
"Zell, do you think the reason I don't have a boyfriend is because I'm not beautiful?" Quistis asked softly. Zell shot out of bed.
"Don't ever say that. Quistis, you are the most beautiful, caring, sweet girl any guy could ever ask for. Your blonde hair, your icy blue eyes, the cute little nose, the soft rosy lips and that golden smile. Quist, guys fall for you left and right. Every guy in garden knows your name and at least 85 percent of them have a crush on you. If you gave any guy even half a chance they'd jump all over it. So don't ever let me catch you saying that you're not beautiful again." Zell said, happy to give tribute to her beauty.
Quistis sat up and pulled Zell up and wrapped her arms around him. Zell returned the embrace. Quistis didn't want the moment to end, she loved just being in Zell's arms.
"Why don't we get some sleep." Zell suggested. Quistis nodded in agreement. They both laid down again.
About 20 minutes later, Quistis could tell Zell was asleep and she silently got up.
She stood up and stretched. She silently stared out Zell's window and sighed heavily. She watched the wind ruffle through the leaves on all the branches. She was happy she could open up like this to Zell. Zell's little speech boosted her self-esteem. Now, all that was left was to wait for the right guy to come. However, she was seriously wondering if Zell was that guy.
She tiptoed back to the bed and pulled back the covers. As she was about to get in she found herself staring at Zell's sleeping form.
Hyne, she had once been in love with him. He was beautifully built, with a toned chest and a handsome face. The exotic tattoo added to his enigmatic spice. He had a body that just begged to be explored. A young, naive man he had been. Maybe, that's one of the reasons she had loved him so much. She had been inwardly cynical as an instructor.
She crawled back into the bed and snuggled up to Zell, gently putting his arm around her and placing her hand back on his chest. Quistis smiled at the scene, and then fell asleep the smile still evident on her face.