Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list iota. This is set after the game and is slightly AU. Theme 24: Meaning of a Flower.

The Language of Flowers

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

Quistis counted to ten and back down to zero. She clenched and unclenched her fists, reminding herself that this was a nice, young man who had been mostly put up to this by one of her well meaning friends.

"No, thank you." She did her best to look apologetic as she turned him down.

She made a quick escape after that, retreating to the relative safety of her office. She loved her friends, and she knew they meant well. But honestly, she was so sick of getting set up on dates. Did they think she was completely incapable of finding a boyfriend on her own? Since the end of the Sorceress War, Quistis had been set up time and time and time again. She was sick of it. Having a love life was overrated. That was her story, and she was sticking to it. From this moment on, she was swearing off romance in any form except for fictional.

And Quistis made that very clear the next time someone asked her out. And the time after that. And after the third time, people stopped asking her out. That could be due to the fact that she lost her temper. Rinoa and Selphie did not understand unfortunately. They couldn't imagine why she wouldn't want to spend all her free time on dates that didn't work out. Of course, they both had steady boyfriends. It got to the point where people even hesitated to mention anything having to do with romance to her. Thankfully, Quistis had found a sympathetic ear in Edea.

Matron had simply smiled knowingly at her when all of her complaints and frustrations had spilled out and said.

"When you're ready for romance, it will find you. It's not something you can really force to happen."

So Quistis went on with her life, and several weeks later, she came into to her office from class to find a tall vase full of irises. She blinked trying to think of an occasion that would call for flowers. Nothing came to mind. It wasn't her birthday or an anniversary of anything important. On a whim, she pulled out a little book that had been tossed in her bottom desk drawer. Quistis didn't know why Selphie had bought her a book on the meanings of flowers for her last birthday, but there were worse presents to get. Leafing through the book, Quistis found the entry for irises. Iris apparently had a number of meanings including inspiration, valor, faith, wisdom, and 'your friendship means so much to me'. They were beautiful flowers, and they made her feel a great deal better about her day. She wrote them off as a random act of kindness and went about the rest of her day.

There were more flowers the next day. This time it was a squat vase full of violets, forget-me-knots, and bluebells. According to her little book these meant modesty and simplicity, faithful love and memories, and delicacy and humility. Once again there was no note or any other indication who they were from. These were followed by daisies then gardenias then hydrangeas then peach and cream roses and then pansies. Always beautifully arranged in vases on her desk without any indication of who they were from. And the flowers continued. Every day there was a new bouquet, and Quistis was beginning to go crazy with curiosity.

Three months of flowers passed, and she was no closer to having an answer. Quistis had done everything she could think of to find out who it was. She owed them a thank you. The flowers had become the bright spot in her days and one of her few constants. She very much appreciated them and really wanted to thank whoever was responsible.

Then she finally got a break. Running back to her office after a meeting that had gone long, Quistis had nearly run right into Seifer whose arms were wrapped around a tall vase of orchids. The vase in his hands wobbled, and Quistis stepped forward to steady it, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you, Seifer."

He shrugged nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about, Trepe."

She felt into step beside, noting that he was also heading towards her office. "You've been the one sending me flowers."

There was a tinge of red across his cheeks. "So."

"I really have appreciated them. They've meant a lot to me these past few months. I've been hoping to thank the person responsible for a while." She opened her officer door for him. "I would like to know why though."

Seifer set the flowers on her desk before turning to face her, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I wanted to do something nice for you. I mean you helped me finally pass the field exam, and you seemed so unhappy with the way things were going, and you were so against anything remotely resembling a date that I couldn't ask you out to dinner or something like that."

Quistis blinked then slid her hand into his and kissed his cheek. Pulling back, she smiled up at him. She knew what Matron had meant now.

"Seifer, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

He grinned at her. "I'd love to, Quisty."

Six months later, Quistis returned to her office after class to find a delicate bouquet of wildflowers sitting on her desk held together by white gold diamond ring bearing a motif of swirling leaves and flowers. The flowers went into a little vase she kept in her desk and the ring onto her finger. Romance had indeed found her after all.