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 before the game and is AU. Theme 27: Spontaneous.

Whims of Fate

Quistis nervously smoothed her uniform before stepping into the classroom. This wasn't the first class she had taught, but the first day of the term always brought out her nerves. She didn't like teaching the older students very much, but the administration insisted that she would be wasted teaching the younger classes.

"Good morning. I'm Instructor Trepe." With a cool smile, she started the class.

As she went over the first day basics, Quistis took the chance to observe her new set of students. According to the files she had been given, two of them had the most potential in their year. Both Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart showed incredible aptitude. She would have to be careful and do her best to nurture those skills. Truthfully, Quistis knew more about Seifer than she did about Squall. Seifer had apparently taken on the responsibilities of disciplinary committee with a pair of his friends. Squall she knew less about, mostly just the fact that he was the highest ranked gunblader in his class.

Passing out the class syllabus, her finger's brushed against Seifer's. Startled, Quistis looked down and met a pair of very green eyes. There had been something there, a spark of some sort. She finished the class feeling slightly dazed. This term had the potential to be very interesting.

After the first week of classes, Quistis was revising her opinion about the term. It was not going to interesting. It was going to be headache inducing. Seifer and Squall both had their issues. Squall was anti-social and uncommunicative while Seifer was cocky and sarcastic. Neither was a joy to teach. Still, they both had potential, and it was her duty to cultivate that. At least their papers were readable. Rubbing her temples, Quistis turned back to the papers in front of her. She loathed grading with a vengeance.

"Instructor Trepe?"

She looked up from her desk. "What can I do for you, Mr. Almasy?"

He frowned at her. "You're only two months older than me. We're basically the same age. You can call me Seifer."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, Mr. Almasy. Is there something I can do for you?"

His frown remained. "I had a couple of questions about the fire spells you were talking about yesterday. You didn't go into much detail with them."

Quistis smiled. This was something that she could do. "Have a seat. Now what are your questions?"

Seifer Almasy was much more personable in a one to one interaction than in a classroom setting. Quistis had begun to enjoy his semi-frequent visits to her office to discuss class material. More often than not he was still a hassle in class, arrogant and disrespectful, but when it was just the two of them, she could almost call him a friend. He was definitely the most interesting conversational partner she'd had in a while. Now if she could only get him to behave in class as well.

Still, she'd rather be talking to him right now than one of the senior instructors. Instructor Brett had stopped by her office to see how she was doing this term and to remind her not to forget she was the students' instructor, not their friend. She'd been hearing that particular speech since she first mad instructor. It was times like this that she really hated being a young genius. When she was a student her intelligence had separated her from her peers, and now it was her position. The man finally finished talking and left, leaving Quistis alone with her grading.

"So that's why you're such a stickler for the rules. Man, don't you get to have any friends your own age?" Seifer was lounging in her doorway. "No wonder you always seem so serious."

"I have to prove myself to everyone older than me all the time." Her voice was soft; she hated admitting this. "And I can't really spend time with the students because I'm not one of them. Even the SeeDs my age don't really see me as one of them."

A hand tilted her chin up, and Seifer met her eyes. "They're the ones missing out then."

That had marked something of change in their relationship. Quistis wasn't quite sure what they were to one another. Seifer seemed to make it a point to drop by her office and flirt with her, but in class he was a pain more often than not. If he caught her sitting alone in the cafeteria, he would come and sit with her. And she couldn't help but notice that the Trepies seemed much more subdued than normal.

It might have something to do with a conversation they had about halfway through the term. The two of them had been walking through the halls when a knot of Trepies had come the opposite way. She cringed, fighting the urge to duck behind him.

"They bother you much?" Seifer's voice was low and calm.

Quistis shrugged.

"I don't like being idolized. I'm just another SeeD. It makes me uncomfortable to be put on a pedestal." She pressed up close beside him, hoping that she wouldn't be visible from where they stood. "And I can't get them to leave me alone. I've done everything I can think of to discourage them, and they're still at it."

It hadn't been long after that the Trepies had ceased to plague her during her free time, and Quistis couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief at that. She was pretty sure that she had Seifer to thank for the respite.

She approached the last class of the term feeling a little sad. She would have most of the same students the next term, but this term had been special. Seifer winked at her when she handed him his exam. She retreated back to her desk, and the waiting began. Both Seifer and Squall were some of the first students to complete the test. Seifer had handed his in with a smile and another wink, and she couldn't help the warmth that rose up in her chest. This spontaneous little relationship of theirs was really something special.

Several hours later Quistis sighed, slumping back into her chair. The desk in front of her was piled with papers for grading. She was going to be here all night. Reaching for the paper on the top of the pile, she set to work. Seifer's paper was about halfway through her pile. It was a good one, both well written and correct in its answers, and Quistis quickly made her way through it. She reached the last page with a smile. It was clearly A material. Then she frowned when she realized that there was something written after the last question. Seifer's familiar scrawl read: Quistis Trepe, will you marry me?

Quistis didn't know how long she sat staring at the page. Her first reaction had been giddy glee. That had quickly been followed by minor panic. And then shock. And she was still staring at it when Seifer appeared in her officer door. A concerned expression appearing once he saw her face.

"Instructor? Quistis?" He knelt befor her. "Are you okay?"

"You want to marry me?"

"Yes."

"Why? People will say you just did it to get better grades. And really I'm not that great of a choice. Everyone says I'm cold and--"

Seifer's fingers on her lips cut her off. He rose to his feet and kissed her forehead. "Stop worrying about what everyone else expects of you. This is about what you want for yourself."

She took a moment to think before looking up at him. This was something she wanted. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Seifer grinned, lifting her out of her chair. "Great. We have two weeks of vacation. That should be enough time for a proper honeymoon."

Quistis found herself laughing as he tugged her out of the room, her ungraded tests forgotten. This was going to be interesting.