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 AU. Theme 10: Outside the Norm.

Every Story

With a sigh Quistis set down her bags. She wandered over to the window and took in the breathtaking view of the sea. This little bed and breakfast was to be her home for the next month or so. The woman flopped onto her bed. At twenty-five, Quistis Trepe was a highly successful author. Her first book had been published at eighteen and was an instant bestseller. Now, seven years later, she had had published twenty-five books spanning several genres and seven series. Mostly she wrote trilogies, but a couple of her series handed ended up being longer.

The problem was Quistis currently had writers block and was under pressure to produce a new series. Her most famous books, an urban fantasy quintet about a sorceress and a knight, where being turned into movies, and her last book was due to come out in paperback soon which meant a book tour. It also didn't help that her personal life was not exactly stunning. Quistis could write wonderfully about romance but couldn't find it for herself. Oh, she had a great circle of friends, many of which had helped inspire some of her books, but really except for the infrequent get together or girls' night, all she did was work.

And all of the stress had gotten to her. Quistis had passed out in a local coffee shop and then been rushed to the hospital. She had been released quickly, but only after her doctor prescribed a month's worth of vacation, including no writing unless she just felt like it. Dr. Kadowaki had even threatened to hire a nurse to come live with her if she didn't leave town just to make sure Quistis was actually resting. Instead Quistis had booked a room at a seaside bed and breakfast for a month. It was the off season, so she didn't have much of a problem getting a room.

Now Quistis just needed to figure out what to do with herself. She hadn't really been on a vacation since, oh Hyne, since her second year of university. And even then she had spent her vacation visiting libraries looking for material for her Honors' Thesis. With a sigh, she turned away from the window. Quistis would admit she was something of a workaholic. Her free time was most often spent catching up on her house cleaning or dealing with things she forgot while writing, like grocery shopping. With absolutely no obligations, responsibilities, or tasks to complete, Quistis was at a loss.

She ended up wandering around the waterfront. It felt so odd to her to be out on her own with nothing to do. Quistis sighed, maybe she did need to get out more. After getting a glass of ice tea at a little bistro and making a lunch of a raspberry Danish, Quistis meandered down to the marina. All of the various boats were interesting to look at, and she began considering writing a maritime novel. It would be something new for her, and the research could be interesting.

"Hey, Quisty, what on earth you doing here?"

Whirling around at the familiar voice and her old nickname from her orphanage days, Quistis found herself looking into a pair of green eyes. She blinked, but Seifer Almasy was still leaning over the rail of a sailboat smirking at her.

"Seifer?"

He laughed. "Who else? I thought you were off being the famous author."

Seifer and herself had been the oldest of the crew at the orphanage. They hadn't exactly been friends, but they had been close. They had lost touch after Quistis had entered university though.

She shrugged. "I was, and then my doctor prescribed a month of vacation. She claimed I was too stressed."

"Of course, Quisty never knew how to have any fun," he teased.

Her hands automatically went to her hips. "And Seify always knew how to have too much fun."

Seifer just laughed. "So, basically you're stuck here for a month with nothing to do. Does Quisty need someone to show how to have a good time?"

"Are you offering?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

And so her vacation took an interesting turn. Seifer definitely knew how to have a good time. He dragged her in beach picnics and gave her tours of the town. He took her out dancing and taught her how to sail his boat. Quistis found herself relaxing and enjoying herself, and oddly enough, the more she found herself spending time out with Seifer, the more she found ideas for her writing. Nothing had really solidified into a novel yet, but she was well on her way to having something.

So when two weeks into her enforced vacation Seifer dragged Quistis out to the beach one evening, she went willingly. They wandered along the shoreline enjoying the moonlight and the solitude.

"Reminds you of the orphanage, doesn't it? That's why I moved here in the first place. I missed being by the sea all the time."

She could understand that. The orphanage they had been raised at had been an old lighthouse keeper's home. They both had grown up with the sound of waves as a constant lullaby. Something wicked sparkled in Seifer's eyes.

"Fancy a night swim?"

Quistis shook her head. "Not a chance, Seifer."

"Come one." He smirked at her. "I won't tell anyone you don't have a suit."

"No way."

The next thing she knew Seifer had scooped her up in his arms and was dashing into the surf. Wading in up to his knees, he let go, dropping her into the water. Quistis spluttered and rose to her feet to tackle him. Things got wetter from there, and it was nearly twenty minutes later that they left the water. Quistis collapsed back onto the sand with a sigh. Seifer leaned over her with a grin.

"I told you the water was warm."

"You dumped me in the ocean."

"You know you enjoyed it." He leaned in closer, brushing his lips against her own.

Quistis sighed and smiled up at him. "True."

She was having the best time she had in a long time. Quistis hadn't really realized how much she had been missing. Most of her friends were now married, and they didn't see each other as much any more, and they had always been the ones to drag her out with them. Seifer had filled that role so far during her vacation, and she couldn't really complain. His presence almost felt normal anymore.

That was probably why she didn't shriek and throw things at him when he snuck up behind her in her room, covering her eyes.

"Seifer."

The hands over her eyes were moved, and, Seifer peered over her shoulder. "What are you working on?"

She sighed, leaning back into him. "I'm trying to block out a new series, but either I have two separate narratives or I'm missing something major in the plot."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Then come sailing with me. I'm just going out to the islands and back. It'll only be a few days, and you only have about a week left."

Tilting her head back to meet his eyes, Quistis smiled up at him. "Okay."

It was with great reluctance that she left the bed and breakfast. The month there had been much more than Quistis had expected. She felt relaxed and happy, and she had the beginnings of a new book. Things were looking much better. Her only regret was going home would mean not seeing Seifer everyday. She would have to make an effort to get out her more often.

Three months later, Quistis' study was full of warm sunlight, and she was on a roll. Three or four more chapters and her newest book would be complete.

"Quisty," Seifer leaned through her window, "come out and play."

She laughed, pushing back from her computer. The diamond ring glinted on her finger. His proposal had come barely a month after her vacation. "Just let me finish this chapter."