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 18: Affair. This is darker than most of my previous works and contains mentions of child abuse and rape. Please do not read if that offends you.

Broken Wings

Quistis rubbed her temples fighting the urge to simply close her eyes and go to sleep. There were only another twenty papers to grade. She was just a little more worn out than usual, but she could do this. With a sigh she reached for the next paper. While she had never been reinstated as an instructor after the Sorceress War, Quistis had been assigned as a general substitute and teaching aid. What it amounted to was whenever an instructor didn't want to deal with something, it fell to her. She was constantly having her hands full with teaching and extra tutoring and grading. The only reason Quistis continued put up with it was the promise of her Instructor's License being reinstated. She just had to prove herself to the adminstration.

It was exhausting work, and recent events weren't helping much. Two weeks ago, Squall had approached her with a project, and she had agreed to help him with it. That was a mistake on her part, but she couldn't back out now. Squall was apparently ready to propose to Rinoa, and he wanted to do it properly. And that involved enlisting Quistis' help to keep the whole thing a secret. However, Garden was known for its grapevine, and their meetings had been noticed.

Squall was oblivious to it all as usual, but Quistis had quickly picked up on the whispers and rumors. Things had been dismissed at first, but now, most of Garden seemed convinced that she was having an affair with Squall. When the rumors had started getting serious, Quistis had gone to Squall about putting a stop to them. He had insisted that she was worrying over nothing and that no one listened to gossip. He was wrong.

She knew that by the way people were stealing glances at her and avoided her. She knew that by the way even her friends had doubt in their eyes and how they didn't seem to have time for her anymore. Yes, Quistis had once had a crush on Squall, and yes, his rejection had hurt deeply at the time. But things changed, and Quistis knew she didn't want Squall anymore. She wanted what he and Rinoa shared: a mutual relationship. She wanted to love someone and have them love her in return.

However, given the state of her social life, that was not about to happen anytime soon, and truthfully, right now Quistis would settle for Garden to stop thinking that she was carrying on an affair with Squall. It wasn't true and it was making her life more difficult. She would be glad when Squall finally proposed and the whole ordeal would be over with. The proposal was only five days away now. She had already make reservations at the restaurant, picked up the ring from the jeweler, ordered flowers, arranged a hotel room just in case, and edited Squall's proposal for content and grammar. She had also been sworn to absolute secrecy on the matter. No one was to know that a proposal was in the works.

So Quistis did her best to ignore the whispers and go about her daily activities. That worked until Squall pulled her aside for a lunch meeting that lasted nearly three hours. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the man was having second thoughts. It wouldn't have been that much of a problem except Quistis was now running late for her class, and she ran right into Rinoa on her way there.

Rinoa took one look at her flustered appearance and nearly growled. Quistis involuntarily took a step back.

"Rinoa--"

"Don't." The younger snapped. "Don't act like you're my friend. I know, Quistis. I guess you finally got what you wanted, didn't you?"

It was easy enough for Quistis to guess which assumption Rinoa had jumped to. "I would never do that to you, Rinoa. You should know that."

"Then why do you keep disappearing with Squall? Explain that, Quistis?"

"I can't, Rinoa. But I promise I'm not betraying you." Quistis bit her lip.

Rinoa sneered. "Right. Are you happy, little whore?"

Quistis froze. Rinoa's word choice had to be accidental. She couldn't know about the incident that had brought Quistis to Garden after she had been adopted. She couldn't know that those were the same words her adopted father had used when he raped her. Rinoa couldn't have known those words would bring back things Quistis had worked so hard to forget.

"I wish you could believe me," she managed to stutter out before hurrying down the hallway.

By the time Quistis got out of class, the rumors were every where. She couldn't escape them or people's accusing stares. After nearly a half hour of it and unwanted memories running through her head, something in her just let go. Quistis found herself walking into the training area without a single weapon. She was too tired anymore, and she just needed it all to end.

Seifer strolled towards the training area with a sigh. Visiting Garden always made him tense, and Matron had suggested he blow off some steam before heading home. He had spent the last year rebuilding the orphanage in Centra. There was a little fishing community near by, and it had been a good place to make a new start. Garden hadn't been about to welcome him back with open arms after the Sorceress War, and to tell truth, Seifer hadn't been sure he wanted to come back. These days his visits here were strictly to see Matron.

He tramped through the underbrush looking for a challenge. Hearing a T-Rexaur ahead, Seifer hurried forward. What he found was the monster standing over a mauled body. Seifer didn't even think. He grabbed the girl and ran. When they were safely out of range, he turned to the young woman in his arms. He nearly dropped her when he realized it was Quistis.

Swearing at her injuries, Seifer cast cure. That would keep her alive until he could get her to the infirmary. Quistis blinked up at him, clearly disoriented.

"Seifer. Hey. You're here. That's kind of nice." She smiled. "I was scared when it was just me, but it's not so bad now. Would you stay until I go?"

He stared in disbelief. She had deliberately walked into this? Pulling her close, he headed for the infirmary.

"You're not going anywhere, Quisty."

Quistis faded in and out of consciousness during the trip. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to get her to the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki took charge immediately, and Seifer found himself relegated to the waiting area. It wasn't too long before Matron joined him.

"What happened, Seifer? Do you know?"

He sighed. "I think she tried to kill herself, Matron."

Edea frowned. "I hadn't thought things were that bad. I know she's been working too hard, but I was hoping that she was ignoring the rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Oh, the usual Garden gossip. The latest big topic is that Quistis has been having an affair with Squall which is utterly ridiculous. No one with sense would believe that."

Seifer frowned. Matron didn't know the way gossip worked around here. Something like this could easily make a person miserable even if their friends didn't believe, and if their friends did give any credence to the rumors, it could get out of hand very quickly. And Quistis had always been more sensitive than she let on.

It was another hour before they heard anything. Dr. Kadowaki let out a sigh as she approached them.

"Quistis is stable, and she should be conscious in about an hour. Physically, she'll make a full recovery, but it's going to take time. Not only due to the injuries themselves, but she is in poor condition healthwise. I would attribute most of it to exhaustion and stress, and I doubt she has been eating enough." The doctor ran a hand through her hair. "It'll be at least a month before I clear her for desk duty. I'd like her to get some rest and relaxation, but I don't want her to be left on her own with her injuries, so we'll have to figure something out. Would one of you like to sit with her until she wakes up?"

"Why don't you sit with her, Seifer?" Edea rose to her feet. "I'm going to see what I can find out about what may have caused this."

That was how he found himself beside Quistis' hospital bed, her pale hand tucked in his own. Poor Quisty. The two of them had made their peace shortly after the Sorceress War. Quistis had done a great deal of research in order to help with his and Matron's trials, and it had gotten to be difficult if they spent all their time together fighting. He personally thought Garden asked too much of her, but Seifer doubted that much of anything would convince her to quit. Or at least, he had until now.

Her eyelids fluttered, and he leaned a little closer. Sleepy blue eyes peered up at him.

"Seifer? I though that was just a hallucination."

He smiled. "Nope. Just me. How are you feeling?"

"Kinda fuzzy. I'm drugged, aren't I?"

"Yep." He reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why'd you do it, Quisty?"

She bit her lip. "Rinoa thinks I'm sleeping with Squall. She called me a whore. My adoptive father used to call me that."

Seifer doubted she would be this forthcoming if she wasn't drugged.

"I'm just tired. I'm not good enough for anything. I'm sick of being not good enough."

He knew that feeling. Seifer raised the hand that was clasped in his to his lips and kissed its back.

"You're a little idiot sometimes. You are perfectly fine the way you are. Garden just doesn't know how lucky it is to have you."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a nurse. Seifer found himself kicked out of the room while the nurse checked on Quistis and Dr. Kadowaki has a talk with her. Seifer found Matron in the waiting room. The older woman sighed.

"Well, Rinoa admits to having a fight with Quistis, but I doubt that that alone triggered this. I didn't tell her how badly Quistis was injured."

"She called Quistis a whore, Matron. And Quistis said her adopted father used to call her that. I think that was the final straw."

He was utterly surprised when Matron swore viciously.

"Matron?"

She met his eyes. "This goes no farther than the two of us. Only Cid, Dr. Kadowaki, and myself know. Quistis was sent to Balamb Garden because she reported being raped by her adoptive father to a librarian. She was so traumatized that she barely spoke to anyone. She through herself into her school work instead. The GF's dulled the memories for the most part. When her memories of the past came back, she didn't get to chose which ones came back and which ones didn't. Quistis has been dealing with them as best as she could, but she didn't need a reminder."

"Damn." That explained a lot about Quistis.

Dr. Kadowaki joined them. "Quistis will be ready to be released in a day or so. I just need to figure out what do about that month of leave. Truthfully, I'd like to get her away from Balamb. The environment here is not conducive for recovery."

"She can come with me," Seifer found himself offering. "If she wants to, that is."

Both women seemed startled by his offer, but Matron smiled.

"That might be just what she needs, Seifer."

Quistis took a little convincing that she wouldn't be underfoot and that he truly didn't mind her coming along. The truth of the matter was Seifer had been a little lonely himself lately. Fuujin and Raijin were great friends, but ever since they had paired off, he had been something of a third wheel. Once Quistis was convinced, it was a simple matter to pack up her things. Two days later, the two of them set sail for Centra and the orphanage.

Ten months later, Edea found herself having lunch with Rinoa. Quistis had submitted her resignation shortly after her month of leave had expired. Since then, the young woman had not been back to Balamb or had contact with anyone there save Cid, Edea, and Dr. Kadowaki. She was still healing, but Quistis was finding a life that was right for her.

Rinoa looked down at the ring on her finger.

"Have you heard from Quistis at all?" She asked softly.

Edea smiled and handed her a photo. "Just last week. Here."

The picture showed Quistis dressed in shorts and a navy t-shirt, leaning over the bow of a sailboat. Her hair was pulled back in a long braid, and she was turning back to laugh at the camera. She looked happier than Rinoa had ever seen, and a sapphire ring gleamed on her left hand.