Miracle
by Phantasy_Starlight
Author’s note: Hello everyone! My first Final Fantasy VIII fanfic. Plus, it’s my first official one-shot. I know Seifer and Quistis might be a bit out of character, so I apologize in advance. I got the idea for this fic while I was listening to my mom’s ‘Vertical Horizon’ CD and came across the song ‘Miracle’. After listening to it for about twenty times (yes, I know. Sad, isn’t it?) I couldn’t help but think about it being about Quistis being Seifer’s ‘Miracle’ if that’s what you want to call it. ^.^ So without further ado, ‘Miracle’ by me!
Disclaimers: *is holding a piece of paper appearing to be a contract* What do you mean I don’t own Squaresoft or any related characters OR that I don’t own the song ‘Miracle’?
Business Man: Um, ma’am? You wrote that yourself. And faked a signature.
*looks at paper* Hey now. That signature’s authentic. You’ll wish you had my signature when I become *strikes a pose* famous.
Business Man: Get it through your head! You don’t own anything in this story (except the storyline. But that’s another story.) Security!!
*is dragged away* Wait! Can’t I at least bid on Seifer Almasy?
The rain soaked through his grey trench coat and slid from his blonde hair. Seifer could barely feel his feet take him to somewhere unknown. His whole body felt cold and numb. Lightning blinded his eyesight temporarily while thunder caused his eardrums to pound and his head to ache.
Just like his heart.
**It’s taken much too long**
. Where had he gone wrong? It always seemed like that even now after everything with Ultimecia and being the Sorceress’ Knight he was always screwing up. After he’d sworn total allegiance to Balamb Garden; swore to never commit such horrible crimes again, somehow his life was thrown for another loop.
**To get it right
Would it be so wrong**
He remembered sometime during his first week back at the Garden walking into the dark classroom on the second floor of the school. The computers were off for the night and the curtains were drawn shut. He eased his way into the back of the room and slid into his former seat. Leaning forward, he placed his head in his hands and exhaled slowly. Nights seemed to be the only time he could truly be alone. Everyone always had one eye on him, keeping track of his whereabouts.
“Seifer Almasy. Its past curfew. You should be in your dorm room,” a voice quipped coldly. Seifer snapped his head up to see his old instructor, Quistis Trepe leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. Even in the dark Seifer could see she wasn’t pleased. That wasn’t such a surprise. Even as far back as he could remember Quistis wasn’t the person to particularly enjoy his presence, so to speak.
**To maybe find someone**
“My favorite Instructor. Funny you should say that. Shouldn’t you be in your dorm room as well? After all, you lost your instructing license last year. Students aren’t allowed around campus. Looks like I’ll have to put you on the list seeing as I’m on the Disciplinary Action Committee.”
Quistis pushed herself off the frame of the door and stalked towards the teen that was already beginning to place his feet on the desk and recline back in his seat. She towered over him, her hands on her hips. “You are so lucky Headmaster Cid allowed you back in here. In fact, I’ll bet it was Matron who persuaded him to let you come back. So here’s a little advice coming from someone who’s got inside access with the Garden’s administration. One screw up, just one tiny little mistake, and your ass is outta here,” she hissed, her nose practically touching his. He smirked and stood up, placing his hands behind his back.
“Instructor, I’m appalled. Are you saying you’re going to turn me in? Moi? Your favorite student in all your entire years of teaching?” he replied sweetly.
She could only scowl and roll her eyes. “Please, Seifer. You’re practically the last person I’d like to see right now.”
“Well, I never said your favorite student as of now. All I said was I was your favorite student during your teaching years. Or, was it Squall that you wished to pass with straight A’s and good marks on his exams? Hm?” he pressured, moving ever so slowly away from the fuming woman in front of him. Seifer winked and strolled away, pleased with himself. He’d made it his life mission sometime in the past to make former instructor Quistis Trepe’s life a living hell.
That was before everything changed.
**A miracle**
Now that Seifer was back at Balamb, he’d decided to try to become a SeeD one last time. Even though it was pretty much against school rules to allow someone of eighteen to still try to become a member of SeeD, Headmaster Cid allowed it only because of certain circumstances. And for that, Seifer was grateful.
He walked into the classroom he’d visited the night before and frowned. Instead of the tall blonde instructor he’d been so accustomed to seeing at the desk in previous years, a man not much taller than Seifer occupied the seat, shuffling papers and looking over the rims of his glasses from time to time. Not that he was surprised Quistis wasn’t his instructor anymore. He knew her license was revoked toward the end of last year partly because of his actions in Dollet.
Nonetheless, he took his seat and half-heartedly listened to the new instructor drone on.
**And all you really need**
The following week, after classes were finally over, the emerald-green eyed teen made his way to the lunch room, hoping to grab something to eat. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that he didn’t have Raijin and Fujin, his posse, to greet him in the lunchroom’s entrance. He was alone this year. Shrugging off the feeling of loneliness, he proceeded inside the crowded cafeteria and stood in line.
When Seifer finally received his food, he gazed around at the limited seating. There were no open seats and those that were free held students that gave him contemptuous glares. Then his eyes fell upon Quistis who sat in the corner table, reading some book and drinking what appeared to be tea. Growling, he approached her and towered over her table. “Instructor, you wouldn’t mind if I graced you with my presence, would you?”
Surprised, Quistis looked up and then at the chair across from her. Shaking her head and returning her attention back to her book, Seifer took that as a yes and slammed his tray on the table, startling Quistis once more. She glanced at him from over the top of her book and shook her head again. “Rough day?” she asked.
He smirked at her question. “Are you talking to me willingly without a hint of sarcasm, loathing, or just plain evilness?”
Quistis lowered her book and took a sip of her drink. “Is it a crime to ask how a dear old friend is doing, Mr. Almasy?”
“Please. You don’t consider me a friend. For all I know, you want me dead.”
“And what could possibly give you that idea?” Quistis replied sarcastically, removing her glasses from her face and placing them gently on the table. Seifer couldn’t help but stare at her beauty. He’d never really taken a good look at her with her glasses off. It surprised him that not many guys were chasing after her just yet. Sure, there were those Trepies, but did they really count?
Quistis caught him eyeing her and waved her hand in front of his face. “Seifer . . . Seifer are you alright? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He was jolted back to reality and quickly stood up from his seat, catching the chair before it could fall to the floor. “I just remembered. I’ve got . . . homework. Nice to see you again, Instructor,” he stuttered before stumbling through the cafeteria and out the door. Why was it, all of a sudden, he was caught up in her like that? Seifer could feel his face turn a tinge of red from both embarrassment and maybe even Quistis herself.
**Is everything you could never be**
“No way,” he thought aloud as he made his way to his dorm room. “I don’t have a crush on her. How, when I just got back not even a week and a half ago? I’m just overreacting.”
He paused, turning his head to look outside the glass hallway and at the scenery that passed by them. Besides, even if I did have a thing for her . . . she’s way out of my league. I’d only be fooling myself. Seifer couldn’t help but laugh. “Right . . . me . . . a crush on Quistis Trepe. Yeah, and Marlboros are your friend who only want to have a tea party with you and your stuffed animals. Hyne! What am I saying?” he brought a hand to his head and closed his eyes. “I’ve got to get some more sleep. This is really getting ridiculous.”
**And so you’d give it all
For a miracle**
When he opened the door to his room, immediately he found himself flop on his bed and staring at the ceiling. His thoughts quickly fell upon everything that happened in the past. How Ultimecia manipulated him to become her little puppet. How he killed so many innocent people just for the sake of his romantic dream. Just what the hell was he thinking? Was that truly what he always wanted? To be a Sorceress’ Knight and have both live happily ever after in some gigantic castle on a grassy hill?
Or could it have been he’d become the Sorceress’ Knight just to prove that he truly was stronger than Squall Leonheart? Did he want to become the Sorceress’ Knight because, in Balamb Garden, he belonged nowhere and being her Knight would give him a sense of belonging? Or did he want to become the Sorceress’ Knight simply to fuel his selfishness inside himself?
He gave up everything that day during the broadcasting in Timber when he followed Matron . . . no . . . Edea in the back room. Hell, he could fast forward a bit and say he truly gave up everything when he pushed Rinoa in front of Sorceress Adel and watched with pleasure as they became one being. There was no remorse as he watched Chicken-Wuss, the Messenger Girl and Puberty Boy battle with the Sorceress to get back their friend or in Squall’s case, the girl he’d fallen in love with. Maybe that was why he pushed Rinoa to Adel. Maybe jealousy got the better of him as he watched his ex-girlfriend and his rival slowly form a relationship between each other.
**Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle**
Then there was Quistis. He saw her as she stood farther back from the battle and apparently not as willing to fight as everyone else was. Seifer knew she had a thing for Squall and she, too, had no desire to watch the unfolding relationship between the Angel and the Lion. Seifer closed his eyes when he thought of her standing there, her eyes half-glazed over with tears that she wouldn’t allow to fall. Yet, when she faced Seifer, he could faintly detect a smile form upon her lips when she spotted him. Or maybe it was his imagination. Either or, the way she looked at him that moment gave him hope that he wasn’t exactly in this ordeal alone.
**And so you wait
And lie awake
For a lonely miracle**
Several months later Seifer stood in front of his mirror, staring blankly at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Just that afternoon he found out that, after much hard work and studying, he had finally become a SeeD. And now he stood, debating whether or not he wanted to go to the graduation ball. Everyone would be there. Not for him, of course, but for everyone else. After meditating on the question for a long while, Seifer gave in and sauntered down to the room where the ball was being held. Music, lights, and laughter greeted him as he walked through the door quietly. Couples were already on the dance floor, waltzing to the music under the moonlit sky.
He found an empty table and sat down. A waiter passed by and offered some champagne on a silver tray. He took a glass without hesitation and drank it in one gulp. Seifer played with the hem of his coat, not used to wearing something other than his grey trench coat. His eyes scanned the dance floor for anyone he knew. There was one couple that stood out. In the middle of the floor danced Squall and Rinoa. The Lion and the Angel. Because Squall was now the commander of SeeD, he was pretty much forced to come to the ball as well. Yet he didn’t seem upset or perturbed by being here. In fact, Seifer noticed, the commander was wearing a rare smile as he talked with his girlfriend while they waltzed gracefully to the music.
He scowled angrily at the man’s happiness. There were other people he knew as well. The people he’d grown up with from the orphanage. There was Selphie off against the wall talking with her new boyfriend, Irvine. And Zell danced with some other girl Seifer recognized at the girl from the library. They all looked so happy even after everything that happened. In a way, it sort of deflated his own happiness at seeing everyone else so cheery.
Yet someone was missing.
**You never really know**
“Well well well. Seifer Almasy finally became a SeeD. I’m amazed. I never thought I’d live see this day,” Quistis said, sitting in the seat across from Seifer.
**What it is
Not until it goes**
“Hello, Instructor. Come over to congratulate me and ask for my autograph?”
“Whatever floats your boat,” she shrugged, tucking a piece of hair, which he noticed was down for the occasion tonight, behind her ear. “Besides classes, what else have you been doing these past few months? I expected you to get kicked out within the first month you were here. In fact, all of us were surprised you even became a SeeD.”
Seifer took two glasses of champagne from another passing waiter and handed one of the glasses to Quistis. “I spent every waking moment in that cursed Training Center. I think I slept more in the Infirmary than in my own bed,” he joked, raising his glass to take a sip of the drink.
“Well, as much as I hate to say it . . . congratulations Seifer,” she forced.
“Why, Instructor. Are you saying you wish I never made SeeD?”
Quistis frowned and took a drink. “Not exactly,” she countered. “I just . . . well . . . I mean it is you. After everything that happened and all . . . I really don’t think anyone in this complex wanted you to become a SeeD. It’s just . . . you understand . . . right?”
The ex-Knight placed his glass on the table and leaned back in his chair so the only thing supporting him was the two hind legs. “I see where you’re coming from Instructor-.”
“Would you stop calling me that? I hate when you call me Instructor. I’m not your instructor anymore,” she spat.
Seifer paused and placed his hands behind his head. “Well, what am I supposed to call you then if Instructor isn’t sufficient?”
“Just call me Quistis. Ok? I’m no longer your instructor,” she repeated.
“Alright . . . Quistis,” he tried, not accustomed to the name. She nodded her approval and raised her glass toward him.
“Here’s to your accomplishment,” she toasted. Seifer, too, raised his glass to hers and smiled at the ‘clink’ the two glasses made at contact. For the next few minutes there was only the music and chatter of other students. Seifer glanced at the couples still dancing and then back to the woman in front of him.
**And if it comes again
It’s a miracle**
“Quistis, you wouldn’t fancy a dance, would you?” he asked confidently. Quistis’ eyes widened at the question, apparently not really sure what she just heard come from his mouth.
“A dance? With you?”
“You make it seem like I’m a germ of some sort. All I asked for was a simple dance. Nothing more, nothing less.”
She looked behind her and then back to Seifer, pointing to herself. “You . . . I can’t . . . I mean . . . it’s you.”
He stood up and offered a hand. At first she seemed to reject the offer. But after much internal conflict, she placed her hand in his and was led out onto the dance floor.
**But what you miss is love**
Amazingly, Seifer was quite the dancer. He glided with Quistis in his arms rather gracefully, moving to the beat and never going too fast nor too slow. He knew Quistis was staring at him in shock. He looked down on her and smirked. “Didn’t think I knew how to dance, did you? Thought my only strong point was bullying and getting on your bad side?”
When the ex-knight saw her laugh, he couldn’t help but smile as well. Not only did he smile but Seifer could feel the familiar blush spread over his cheeks. He shook his head and tried to force the red tinge from his cheeks with no prevail. Somehow just being with Quistis made him feel so much different. Whenever he even thought about her, his heart skipped a beat. But that wasn’t supposed to happen. This was Quistis Trepe! This was the woman who tried to embarrass him in front of the entire class and tried to make his life miserable.
**In everything below and up above**
So why was it he couldn’t bring himself to just push her away? Why had he even offered to bring her onto the dance floor at all when all he wanted when this started was to become a SeeD and leave Balamb forever? Hyne, this wasn’t what he wanted. But as much as he wanted to convince himself otherwise, his heart told him what he’d wanted to deny ever since he’d set foot back in the Garden.
**And could she bring it all
A miracle**
Seifer Almasy had fallen in love with the Ice Queen, Quistis Trepe.
**Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle**
A few days after the graduation ball, Seifer stood on the balcony just outside the grand hall, his arms resting on the rail and his eyes half-closed as the setting sun shone directly upon him. He’d made it a point to avoid Quistis at all costs. He had until next Sunday to pack his belongings and leave Balamb. It shouldn’t be hard to keep alone for five days. Leonheart did it for ten some-odd years. How difficult could it be?
“Mr. Almasy?”
Seifer jumped when he heard his name. “Sh-,” he paused when he looked over his shoulder at the blonde woman behind him. He cursed silently. “Hello . . . Quistis.”
**And so you wait
And lie awake**
She closed her eyes and joined him at the balcony’s rail. Inhaling slowly, a smile played coyly on her lips as she became lost in her thoughts. Seifer watched her with interest as the sun highlighted her features and the wind blew her hair behind her, causing her look absolutely stunning and graceful.
“What brings you up here, Seifer?” Quistis asked. Since the ball, Seifer noticed Quistis had been much kinder to him.
He continued to stare into the horizon. “I go where I please Instr . . . er, I mean Quistis. That’s not against the rules, is it? Commander Leonheart won’t revoke my SeeD license, will he?”
“Hyne, why do you always have to be so cynical? Can’t you ever answer without sarcasm?” she scolded, turning so her back was to him.
“Because it’s what I do. It’s my specialty.”
“See! You can’t even answer me or anyone else with a straight answer. Even in the orphanage you were sardonic. What’s your problem?”
The SeeD began to chuckle. “Do I ask you why you’re like you are? We all grew up in the same house forever. Yet we all turned out different. Seems wild, doesn’t it? But look closer and you’ll see we were all just . . . well . . .” he pursed his lips. “Let me give you an example. Take Leonheart. Before Sis left, he was almost as happy and cheerful as the rest of us. Yet she leaves and he becomes an introvert. Chicken-Wuss. Why is he as jumpy as he is now?”
The ex-instructor shrugged. “Besides the fact that he got a hold of some coffee and hasn’t been the same since?”
“Chicken-Wuss was adopted,” replied Seifer, exasperation hinted in his voice.
“Selphie’s just as hyper yet she wasn’t adopted.”
“That may be so. But Selphie was raised in Trabia, right? Far from Balamb . . . and us.”
“I’m still not following.”
Seifer sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. Let’s look at me, alright? Why do you I’m like I am?”
“Well . . . you always wanted to be like Squall, right?”
“Exactly, though I hate to admit it. I grew up under the same roof as him almost all my life. But one little variable can change everything. You do things based off of your decisions and your outlook on life,” he spoke wisely as if he’d recited it his entire life.
“And, in your case, you’re desire to be as popular as Squall and your ‘Romantic Dream’ is what made you . . . you,” concluded Quistis, receiving a solemn nod from the man beside her. “Why?”
**For a lonely miracle**
“Why what?”
“Why,” she choked out. “Did you want to become the Sorceress’ Knight?”
Seifer winced at her tone. His hands tightened their grip around the rail. “What’s done is done. No use looking at the past. Just drop it.”
“No, I won’t drop it. Look, everyone else may not want to know the truth, but I do! I’m not about to tiptoe around you simply because you tell me to forget about it. Now answer me!”
“Fine! You want answers? Fine, I’ll give you the truth. I wanted a sense of belonging. I had nothing else to lose. You were there Quistis; they were going to execute me! Did you expect me to stand back and take it? No. And Ultimecia was my escape. My way out,” he narrowed his eyes. “People would take me seriously and actually respect me.”
“But all you did was cause everyone to think you were a joke!”
“And you don’t think I know that? Open your eyes and listen to the people around you! They hate me, Quistis! They want me dead and gone! They-.”
The ex-Knight was silenced when Quistis grabbed him by the arms and pressed her lips to his. Seifer’s eyes widened and he stiffened, not knowing whether to pull away or deepen the kiss. It wasn’t long before he relaxed and allowed himself to indulge in the kiss. He pulled his arms from her grasp and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
**All you wanted was a (miracle)**
Just as he was getting into it, Quistis pulled away, tears in her eyes. She ran a hand down his cheek and smiled sadly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, turning on her heels and running from the balcony’s edge. Seifer tilted his head to the side, not knowing what caused her to run away like that. He sighed and turned back to the balcony, reflecting on the past ten minutes.
**All you needed was a miracle
A miracle**
Sunday had come too quickly. Seifer now sat in his dorm room, his luggage placed neatly by his side. There wasn’t much to pack. His clothes and a few photos was all he had. He stood up and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room and picked up the key card and flicked it absentmindedly. For some reason, it bothered him to leave. Yet he pushed those feelings aside, picked up his suitcase and made his way to the door. Quistis had her hand in the air, poised to knock. It dropped to her side when Seifer stood before her. “May I come in?” she asked.
Seifer lifted the suitcase up and pushed by her, half-annoyed that she’d come back like nothing had happened between them. He felt her hand on his shoulder and stopped in his tracks. Placing the suitcase by his feet, he turned and faced her. “What do you want?” he murmured.
“You’re actually leaving?”
“I have no choice. I’m lucky I was able to become a SeeD. Now I’ve got to go,” he replied simply. When he reached to pick the bag back up, Quistis beat him to it and lifted it as if it were nothing.
“Well, let me walk you out then.”
Both walked side by side in uncomfortable silence. The Junior Classmen were happily running around the complex, making Seifer want to tell them they were breaking rules and punish them for doing so. Yet he didn’t have that privilege anymore. Quistis sensed his sadness and smiled at him. “Hey, c’mon. You just got everything you wanted, right? So why are you so upset? Hell, I think even Squall’s happy for you.”
“That’s not it. It’s far from it, actually.”
“Well, then. What is it?” she asked curiously, shifting the bag to her other hand. Seifer snatched it from her and continued walking stoically. Still, he replied to her question, though it wasn’t really what she was looking for.
**And all you wanted was a (miracle)
All you needed was a miracle
A miracle**
“That’s none of your business. You never cared about me until now. So what’s your deal?” he countered.
She rubbed her arm nervously and the ex-Knight could tell she was hiding something. He snorted. “Forget it. Just . . . go back to your dorm and leave me alone.”
“What are you talking about?”
He dropped his bag from his grip and leaned closer to her so they were only inches apart. His eyes were narrowed and his teeth barred. “Ever since that night at the ball where we danced, you’ve been acting a lot nicer to me. Then you go and kiss me on the balcony outside the Grand Hall and leave me hanging. You act like nothing’s happened between us when you know damn well that you can’t stop thinking about me. Yet you leave me hanging and waiting for something else to happen. So, what’s your problem? Are you scared? Are you still hung up on Leonheart? Don’t just stand there, answer me!”
Quistis cowered under him with her head lowered. When she still didn’t respond, he rolled his eyes and stormed off. “You’re right,” he heard her call out to him. When he turned to her, he noticed she was trying hard to keep her composure. “I am scared. I mean . . . you’re Seifer Almasy. You’re feared by everyone simply because of a dream you had. And I can’t get close to you because I’m scared you’ll wind up leaving again or worse . . .” she faded off.
In that instant, Seifer felt all cold feelings toward Quistis melt away. All he wanted to do was run over and hug her. He stalked towards her and crossed his arms, still keeping his aloof expression. Seifer watched as she shied away. “So . . . now you’re saying-.”
“Yes, Seifer. Yes. I have a little crush on you, alright? There, you happy now? Does it make you feel better knowing that I’m completely exposed to you now?” she roared, causing a scene in front of the school. By now there were some onlookers eagerly watching the scene unfolding in front of them. Seifer tore his gaze away from hers and looked around at everyone else. Some didn’t seem so surprised that it was Seifer at all.
“Quistis . . . that’s not what I meant-.”
“You know what? Forget everything I said. Forget everything. I don’t know why I spend so much time on lowlife, egotistical, self-centered snobs like you. So why don’t you just leave? Don’t ever come back. Ever,” she echoed. Seifer shook his head in disbelief, a half-smile on his face.
“What are you saying? That you want me gone? After one argument?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. You even said it yourself. You don’t have a place here anyway.”
He backed away slowly while still shaking his head. “You can’t kick me out of here. I . . . need you.” The words astonished even him. Never in a million years had he imagined that he’d need Quistis. They’d come so close to being together and then he had to go and open his mouth and ruin everything. By now it seemed like all of Balamb Garden was watching the fight. He noticed a disturbance in the crowd and saw Squall and the rest of the Orphanage gang join with Quistis, all rather confused.
He heard himself laugh rather coldly. “That’s fine with me. I was leaving anyway! You’re not worth my time,” he muttered under his breath, brushing his hand in front of him and plodded outside where dark storm clouds were forming above in the sky.
**It’s taken so long to get it right**
Now here he was, walking wearily on the side of the road in the pouring rain. He’d lost track of time and, with the storm overhead, Seifer had no clue what time it was or if it was night or day. He crossed his arms unconsciously and sighed. Deep in the back of his head, Seifer knew that he felt guilty about the argument with Quistis and wished he could run back to Balamb and sweep her off her feet. Yet he knew that wasn’t possible. What was done was done and nothing could undo the damage he brought about.
Another lightning bolt lit up the sky and caused him to flinch ever so slightly. He stopped and stared up at the sky, his vision becoming blurry every once in a while from the rain. Somehow this wasn’t exactly what he thought being a SeeD would be like. A fleeting image of Quistis invaded his thoughts and he couldn’t help but smile. She was sort of the reason he’d gotten so far in Balamb Garden. True she wasn’t exactly nice to him before the second Sorceress War, but without her he would have surely been expelled sooner.
The kiss. Seifer closed his eyes when he recalled their kiss outside the Grand Hall on the balcony. It had been so awkward at first, but after they got past that, everything seemed so . . . perfect. Just like when a prince finds his princess and takes her to his castle, but not before the fairy tale kiss. And that was just how their moment was. Just like a fairy tale. Sure, there was Rinoa last summer. But it was just one of those summer flings where you exchange phone numbers and promise to call every day, only to forget each other within a week.
Quistis was different. Something about her kept Seifer wanting to come back for more. He shook some of the water from his hair and continued walking, his thoughts still stuck on his ex-instructor. Was it so bad to actually find someone you truly loved? After everything he’d done; after all the chaos and the terror he brought upon the population, was it wrong to ask to be with someone? Did he even deserve Quistis at all?
**Could it be so wrong
To maybe find someone**
A car horn honked behind him and Seifer spun around. A red convertible pulled up beside him and the window on the passenger side rolled down. Seifer approached the door and leaned down to see Quistis in the driver’s seat. She looked tense and her gaze was fixed forward. He leaned on the door and frowned. “What the hell do you want?”
“Don’t start. Don’t you dare start. I come out here to possibly save you from the rain (and pneumonia) and you give me that attitude. Plus,” she pulled a suitcase from the back seat and slammed it in the passenger seat. Seifer recognized it as his own baggage. Evidently he’d forgotten it back at the Garden. “I figured I’d give this back to you.”
He yanked it out of the car and dropped it by his side. “Thanks . . . I guess.”
The familiar awkward silence followed. Seifer picked up his bag and waved slightly to her. “Better get going. Don’t want to hold you up.”
“Seifer, wait!” she called out to him. The next moment caught him by surprise as she opened the car door and ran over to him, jumping into his arms and kissed him on the lips hungrily.
**A miracle**
Seifer dropped his bag and embraced her while deepening the kiss. Though he knew that any passerby might immediately think of the scene as one from an old forties flick, at that moment he didn’t care at all. He didn’t care what anyone said about him; he didn’t care about his past or how it would affect their future. He was only concerned about the woman before him.
**Is there a trace
Inside her face
Of a lonely miracle**
When she pulled away, Seifer worried that he was having déjà vu. He worried that maybe Quistis would run again and this time never come back. Instead, she laughed. He felt her run a hand through his hair. “Never in a million years could I see myself with Seifer Almasy. If anyone told me that I’d be kissing you in the rain on the side of the road, I’d laugh.”
“But . . . you’re laughing now. So what’s the difference?” he reacted, pulling her closer to his chest and placing a hand on the top of her head.
“You know what I mean. I had convinced myself that, one day, I’d marry Squall and we’d live happily ever after. When he found Rinoa I was a little upset that I’d be alone. Selphie had Irvine. Zell had that girl from the library, whatever her name was. It’s so bizarre that I ended up with you.”
**And so you wait**
“I’ll take that as a good thing,” he joked. Quistis wriggled from his hold on her and grinned.
“I know this is going to sound corny and all-.”
The ex-knight interrupted her. “Then don’t even think about saying it.”
“I love you,” she whispered, her voice barely louder than the rain.
**And lie awake**
He kissed her softly and rested his forehead on hers. “I love you too, Quistis. You’re my miracle.”
**For a lonely miracle**