Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Like a Bracelet ❯ I wouldn't want it any other way ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Quistis placed her hand over her mouth as she laughed. "You're kidding?"

"Nope. The guy would just sit there, looking sick to his stomach every time he ate the salad." Bailey went on. "I thought we'd be sued at some point."

"I don't think it would hold if he selects it himself each time."

"That's what we figured." He shrugged his shoulder. "I finally mustered up some coherence to ask him, once he paid, what was up."

"What did he say?"

"He said the meal was delicious, paid and then walked out."

"No."

Bailey nodded. "To this day I can't get a straight answer." He stuffed a French fry in his mouth. "I think he's nuts."

"Wouldn't he have to be?"

Bailey smiled at his date, his eyes shining. "I'm sorry for constantly staring, but you look really beautiful. I really feel bad for having you waste it on a diner." He looked around the tiny place, peppered with Timbers' working class who got off their jobs in the late hours, and few people in between stops as they waited for their train.

"It's fine." Replied Quistis.

She could feel warmth in her cheeks from every compliment. She's had people call her pretty; she's heard it enough from the "Trepies" as they refer to themselves. But when it comes from a single person who's giving all of their undivided attention to her, it's a different sort of feeling. It's not admiration, but… an actual complement.

'I should give him a compliment in return. What will he think if I don't?' She wiped her hands as a distraction to give herself time to think of something really good to say.

"Can I see you again?" Bailey asked.

"Huh?" Pulled from her search of what to say to flatter her date, she blinked. "Oh, um, it depends on when this other date is."

"Are you free next weekend?"

"...I am on Saturday."

"Great! Can I see you then?"

Quistis nodded.

"Is it alright if I ask what you do for a living?"

"I'm in the military."

Eyes wide, he asked. "Really?"

"Mhm." She signaled for the check. "I became an instructor but, now I'm SeeD."

"Wow." He leaned back and looked at her in awe. "I wanted to be in the military, but I was scared. I don't wanna get killed." He waved a hand and shook his head. "Oh, not the smart thing to say.. I'm sorry."

"No. Not at all." She nodded. "It's a valid fear, but we're not what you'd expect. We're more like special forces. Apart from the recent conflict, we're mostly hired to help for tasks great and small."

"That's good. I don't wanna lose you before I ever get to know."

Quistis smiled in a way she didn't think she could. It felt nice to hear those words. She's had people worried about her, but not people outside of Garden. She never took with any of the adopted families. They don't keep in touch. Not even birthday cards.

"Can I walk you to the station?" Bailey asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

The pair scooted from the booth they chose for privacy rather than practicality, and walked to the door. The crisp night air cooled their skin causing short shivers to course through them. Quistis was relieved that Bailey didn't put his arm around her. She wasn't ready for physical contact beyond a handshake.

"Do you like being in the military?" He asked as they passed through the city. "Are there any fun things about it?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Fun things?"

"No?"

"No. I was just thinking that I never thought about it that way…" She crossed her arms and tapped her finger against her arm. "Dance lessons are fun - if you don't get paired up with someone who lacks basic coordination. Cooking is nice. I like magic drills."

"What does that feel like?"

"It's different, when thinking about how I was before magic to now being able to use it."

"Does it hurt?"

"At first, when you have your first junction with a Guardian Force, then you draw magic and cast it. The first time you use a cure stings, but it gets you used to it overall. That's one of the basic training drills, we just spend the day using cures, and non-violent spells."

"Cool."

"I suppose it is."

"And, anyone can do it?"

"Yeah. My friend Irvine had to do it during the war. Galbadia never junctioned G.F.s; they used Odine products to draw magic. But, the war was not the place to be without something stronger than a simple spell or two." She muttered absently. "I felt bad for him, he almost vomited."

Bailey nodded. "Are you and Irvine close?"

Quistis nodded. "We've known each other as children, but lost contact through circumstances."

"Oh."

Quistis decided to ask. "How long have you lived in Timber?"

"Umm, since I was 10. My family moved from F.H." A frown bent his soft smile when seeing the train station headed back to the islands. "Have you lived in Balamb town all your life?"

"No. I was born in Dollet, but things happened. It's a story for another day."

He perked back up. "We'll have another day?"

Playing hard-to-get for just a second, she nodded. "I can see it happening."

He earned a chuckle when he pumped his fist with elation. "Have a safe trip home, Quistis."

"Thank you. You have a safe walk back to your place."

"Timbermites are too bogged from the past to be out this late." He reached out for her hand to shake. "I really had a good time."

"Me too."

"Bye."

"Bye." She raised her hand in a wave before the door slid shut.

The next day.

Seifer walked into the third floor office with a folder in his hand. He spots Quistis seated at her desk just staring into space, with a gentle smile on her face. Weird. He thought as he walked over. He placed the folder onto the desk and waited for some sort of reaction. However, when nothing came of it, he cleared his throat.

"Seifer?" She looked up at him. "Did you want something?"

"No. I came to turn in my mission report."

"Oh. Ok."

""Oh. OK"" He mimicked. "What's with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not really like you to just sit here smiling to yourself."

"How would you know? You're not with me when I'm working. You barely come up here, come to think of it."

"It's a good thing I did then, because you'll get fired spacing-out like that."

"She's too valuable to be fired, Seifer." Cid said exiting his office. "I trust he's not disturbing you?" This he said to his secretary.

"Not at all." Quistis replied, then looked at Seifer when saying. "He's always talking to himself."

Seifer stuck out his tongue at her.

The headmaster looked between the friends then shook his head. "Are you prepared for your next exam for SeeD, Mr. Almasy?"

"Although I don't see why I need to retake it, I'm ready."

"Good! Good." He picked up the folder on the desk. "Good luck."

"Luck is for the weak."

"Good luck, Seifer." Cid departed from the common part of the office back into the main room.

"Can't we… fire him? Or demote him to bathroom duty."

"I wouldn't trust a guy that I didn't think qualified as a Headmaster to do a good job with sanitation."

He placed his hands on the desk then leaned over and whispered. "You didn't answer my question."

Quistis, expression bored, asked. "What question was that?"

"Why're you sitting in here smiling by yourself?" He didn't see any earbuds giving her an escape through melody and lyrics.

"I'm allowed to be happy just by myself." She rolled her eyes. "Haven't you ever just been happy?"

"No."

"Well, that's your loss."

"Are you done?"

"In another twenty minutes. Why?"

Seifer shrugged then walked out.

Quistis shook her head. Sometimes she doesn't understand Seifer. She thought he was nice. He was mean. She thought he was a jerk. He turned out to be level-headed and nice. She just can't get a solid definition of him.

Truth is, she was smiling while thinking about her date. It had gone really well, once Bailey had actually decided to come out of hiding and go on it.

He was charming and shared sweet stories about himself. And asked her questions about her life. Admittedly, it was strange talking about herself and her past, but it gradually became easier through a burger and shared fries. The smile on her face returned when the memory of grabbing the same extra long stick of potato surfaced, and Bailey's solution was to have a tug-of-war. He said whoever has more of it gets a free dessert.

She won. It's a wager that will be paid on their next date.

'Hopefully we'll both be less nervous around each other.' Try as they might to relax, she was tense and he was tense, although she could tell he was trying not to show it. Her filing paused and she just stared into space.

She was surprised for sure that her date was not actually Dominic. But, considering things worked out all right, she couldn't stay upset that she was lied to. True, it was a big lie. But, after what Bailey had said for his reason why he'd lied, it was actually sweet. No one has ever thought she's so pretty that she's unapproachable.

She shook away from the distraction then continued with filing. Looks like she'll have to order some more screws for Seifer's gunblade. Sometimes she thinks he goes looking for trouble when he's on missions. He had a delivery job. Most of that should have been in a car, how'd he ruin a screw unless he went looking for battles?

'I guess it makes sense that he wants to stay sharp. He can't always spar with Squall.' Thinking about that scenario, she made a note to order extra, because Squall probably needed some, too.

Out in the courtyard.

Selphie stared into the fountain water that's pooled in the base of the structure. "They should think about filling this with fish."

"Who'd feed them?" Asked her friend Laura.

"Willy."

"Who?"

"The guy at the front gate."

"You know his name?!" She looked towards the school entrance.

"Sure. Doesn't everybody - except you?"

"No."

Selphie shrugged. She learned it when she first started going to Balamb Garden. She greeted everybody. Aside from a few of Norg's stuffy henchmen, everyone was pretty nice and responded back just as kindly. Even the proclaimed school crank Squall was nice enough to help her out - even after she'd bumped into him.

"You know what would be cool?" She didn't give the chatty brunette a chance to question the question. "If they turned it into a drinking fountain."

"That wouldn't work, we move around and the dust would contaminate the water." Selphie scrunched her nose.

"I didn't think about that."

The pair stared into the water. Their attention shifted when the sun was shaded around them. Looking over their shoulder, they see the tall ex-knight behind them. Laura was visibly shaken and swiftly departed after saying goodbye to her friend.

"Why is everyone in a brain fog today?" He asked. Turning his attention to Selphie after wondering what was her friend's hurry. "Get this," he removed himself from the sudden greeting embrace of his pipsqueak pal. "Quistis was in the office smiling, all by herself."

"And this alarms youuuu why?"

"Because it's odd." He took a seat on the edge of the fountain.

"Well," she sat beside him. "Maybe she was just having a good afternoon." She nudged him with her elbow. "My mood brightened just now."

Seifer scoffed. "Thanks, but that's normal for you."

"So. Maybe Quistis has other sides, she can't be all prim and proper all the time. Maybe she.." Her words paused as her brain silently speculated about the situation while they spoke. "Oh! I forgot about that!"

"Forgot about what?" He watched her pop up from her seat as though she'd been shocked. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Quistis!" She called over her shoulder.

He shrugged his hands and shoulders. "Talk to me first."

She didn't hear him. She was already through the gate.

Selphie knocked on Quistis's dorm room door. "Quistis, you in?" She called through the door.

The lock sounded before the door slid open. Quistis looked surprised, then realization hit her. "Selphie, I was just in the middle of studying, I can't talk right now."

"Pleeeaaase. I have Rinoa on the line… That way you won't have to repeat yourself."

"Hope you don't mind." Rinoa said.

Quistis sighed and shook her head in dismay. She stepped aside. "Come in."

"Tee hee, good call." She entered and sat on the standard issued bed. They aren't forgiving at times; it was probably an intended selection of furniture to prevent slacking. "Ok. The wall's ears are plugged, and I'm ready for all the details."

"What?"

"Nobody's listening. Keep up." She set her phone down beside her. "Now, spill."

"Alright."

She told them everything that happened with her date, from the lie to the date. And, she wouldn't change a thing.