Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Dreaming of you ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Dreaming of you

 

“Seifer?” suddenly called him Danielle. When he looked at her, the first thing he noticed was the look on her eyes, full of fear and sadness. She was standing in the doorframe of her room when she suddenly stretched her arms towards him, as if she asked for her hands to be held.

 

“Help me” she said. She suddenly let herself fall backwards but the floor wasn't there anymore. It was as if Hell was making his way to the human world, and Danielle was falling towards that abysm. Seifer suddenly jumped from his seat and tried to grab her hands but he didn't reach and the last he saw, was the tears that from her eyes that fell on his hands.

 

That's when he woke up. He looked around and recognized the Garden's room. Other than his boots and vest, he couldn't see any other of his stuff. He then remembered what had happened and why he was there.

 

Seifer lay on the bed again to renew his sleep but he couldn't. The dream he lately had set his mind to work. He barely knew the girl... what could the dream could mean? He got out of the bed and out of the room and as soon as he did, he saw that Danielle was sleeping at the sofa, totally oblivious of Seifer's presence. He didn't know exactly why, but he suddenly saw himself approaching towards her and he sat at her.

 

“Why do I feel I know you?” he asked as if she could hear him “Where have I seen you before? Do you know me, Danielle? Do you know who am I not as the Sorceress's Knight?”

 

Seifer couldn't suppress to touch her face. He lifted some hair from her face to get a better look. If he could only keep that image forever... he couldn't remember the last time he saw so much peace in one single place. The last memories he had were of dying people under his sword, expressions of horror and sadness. Now he was surrounded by expressions of anger and revenge.

 

Seifer slid his hand to her cheek and she seemed to lean to his touch. He froze at this action, he was almost ready to see her eyes opening but it never came. He looked at Danielle for some more moments, he definitively wanted to memorize her face like that.

 

He felt he couldn't stop watching no matter what, sleep or awake. He wasn't even sure why he was feeling like that. Seifer felt as if anybody could come now and kill him and he will die with no regrets.

 

He got on his feet and saw the sign on the door again. Seifer ripped it off the door and throw the paper to the trashcan. He then look at Danielle again and sighed.

 

“Maybe my only regret” he whispered “would be that I ignore who you really are”

 

*

*

*

 

“Yo, guys! Open up!” said Zell knocking hardly on the door that morning, but he never received an answer. He then realized that the door was open so he took his own permission to get inside.

 

The young blond now had the dilemma of which room Seifer could be in. Knocking didn't seem to work, that was already proved from the outside, and still, both of them seemed to be asleep since the place was too quiet. He finally opted for the first door that got on his way and opened it. And he get in the right room, Hyperion's chest was just leaning to the wall, just as his trenchcoat was resting in the back of a chair and his gloves on the nightstand..

 

“Still asleep, huh?” said Zell when he saw the figure still under the covers. Well, it was something he could fix. He sat on his heels facing what he thought was the face.

“Hey, wake up. Its morning already” he said, only to receive a growl in response. “C'mon, man!! We're waiting for you!!” he insisted now shaking the figure but he still didn't receive a response. Zell had only one idea left of how to wake up the blond. Hyperion wasn't close for him to grab... he got on his feet and stand by the bed.

 

“HEY!” he heard the moment he landed on top of the bundle that rest on bed, seeing a spot of black hair. Seifer was blond…

“This is the way they wake up cadets usually?” said Danielle as she got from under the covers. She looked somehow confused of being in a room, from what she knew, she had fall asleep in the couch.

 

Zell in the meantime couldn't speak. What was SHE doing in SEIFER'S room?! He grabbed the covers and pulled them, almost waiting to see Seifer besides. But Seifer wasn't there

 

“Lost something, Chickie?” they suddenly heard. Seifer was standing in the entrance carrying his boots and shirt.

“Why did you guys slept on the other's room?” asked the martial artist

“He stole my room”

“You had the option on sleeping on your own bed”

“As much as I am 100% heterosexual, I don't sleep with guys I barely know”

“Uh, as much as I like to interrupt this conversation... They will be giving you your uniforms today and schedules, you better get there early in case you got any doubts”

“Hey, wait. There's no dress code in the place” went Seifer

“Rules change. Students and Instructors must use respective uniforms at least during classes” said Zell “And my job here is done. I'll then see ya' later, guys” and he walked out.

 

Danielle got on her feet and stretch, feeling Seifer's eyes on her. She couldn't suppress the nervousness that he caused her by watching her so fixedly, so she just walked out of the room looking for her boots, which were actually besides the couch, right where she left them last night. She grabbed them and was about to go to her room, but the moment she turned around, she realized Seifer had been following her and hadn't stopped watching her.

 

“Why are so starring so much?” she dare to ask

“I have the sensation I've seen you before”

“I was in the Galbadian army, under your command. We were so many soldiers, there's no way you can remember me” she said as she walked into her room and closed her door.

Seifer only shrugged his shoulders and went back into his own room. He chose the clothes for the day, a pair of jeans and a plain blue t-shirt and then he decided to take a shower before he went to the cafeteria. However, he wasn't expecting to find Danielle in the bathroom about to do the same thing it seemed. She noticed his presence, but none of them speak for a moment

 

“Yes?” she finally said

“You can get out now. There's nothing else to see here” said Seifer

“Wait for your turn”

“You're not the owner of the shower. Out”

“You get out! I got here first-!”

 

Danielle suddenly regret raising her voice when Seifer approached to her in a menacingly manner. She was more than ready to kick if it was necessary, when the blond suddenly pinned her in the closest wall, holding her hands over her head with just one of his and pressed his body against hers immobilizing her completely.

 

“I knew you would stop arguing” he said lowly grinning

“Let me go” demanded Danielle

“Since we can't agree on who will take a shower first, then why not shower together, hmm?” said Seifer and suddenly Danielle felt a hand sneaking into the front of her shirt “Need help to take it off?”

 

Not really knowing how she did it, Danielle released from Seifer's grip and got away from him as hard as she could, almost tripping with her own feet. Seifer, in the meantime, started to laugh.

 

“You stupid bastard, that was not funny!” she said sounding really mad, feeling the strong blush that was creeping to her face.

“You should have seen your face” he went “The look was priceless”

“Asshole” she muttered as she got her things and walked out slamming the door behind, still hearing Seifer's laughter. “Hope he dies of air deprivation” she said to herself. She walked back into her dorm and waited for her turn to shower.

 

He did catch her off guard. She expected a menace from the blond, probably grab her and throw her out, but never to pin her in such way. It felt strange to have him so close, and the tone of voice he used…

 

“He was not trying to sound seductively” she told to herself “even thought he did”. Going through the last though, Danielle shook her head. But her mind won in making her remember everything that happened, the way that Seifer look at her, the way he hold her, since it wasn't really in an aggressive manner, the way he touch her... she almost felt she could jump of her skin when he felt the rose of his fingers touching her, she felt the electricity on the touch.

 

“I've felt that before with other guys, but it now felt strange `cause its been a long time already, ok?” she insisted “It felt different, though” Danielle took hold of the pillow and lay down placing it over her head when once again she thought about what had happened.

 

“Stupid bastard, what was he waiting for?” she muttered. She decided to think of something else.

 

Ok, the dream of last night, a dream that had been with her for years. She was a three-year-old child, inside a room with another girl who was older than her, who was her sister Lin.

 

“I hate you! I don't want to see you ever again!” she would always scream at her. Her father would then come for her and took her out the room. She then would see a woman of black hair standing in the entrance of a house, to whom her father handed her to.

 

“Daddy?” would call Danielle, but he never look around as he walked away

“Daddy, don't leave me! I'll be good, I wanna go with you!” she said, her eyes overflowed with tears. But he never looked around at her.

 

She would then be surrounded with children and then they disappeared, finding alone in the corner of a dark room, crying until she fell asleep.

 

Danielle suddenly felt the pillow being removed. Not really thinking what she was doing, she jumped towards the figure that was standing besides, landing over it with a loud thud.

 

“Hey, take it easy!” she heard. She raised her head and saw on top of a blond man with bright emerald eyes. She looked around and then remember where she was and with who.

 

“Aw, shit. You scared me” she said

“I thought you were mad at me” he grinned putting his hands on the back of his head. Danielle tilted her head to one side questioning about the commentary. She then realized Seifer was only dressed with a towel, her hands actually were resting on his bare shoulders.

 

“See something you like?” he questioned

“Oh, fuck off, will you?” went Danielle trying to hide her blush at the present situation and tried to get up.

 

She was just about to get on her feet when Seifer spoke up again saying “Quite a view from here”

“What the-?!” she went knowing what he meant for the position, but Seifer in that moment sat up so she now was in his lap and he placed his fingers in her lips to hush her. Danielle felt trapped by his eyes. Yeah, they had a beautiful color, but there was something in them she couldn't place her finger on what was it…

 

“Hey, partners! Better hurry to the cafeteria before...”. Irvine opened the door of the room to find Danielle sat on Seifer's lap and he just dressed with a towel. Time seemed to freeze for the three of them. Nobody move and speak for what felt like hours, but the cowboy got his senses back first.

 

“Sorry for the interruption” said Irvine, not being able to suppress a surprised and shy smile “I-I should have knock first”

“Oh, God” whispered Danielle very embarrassed as she got on her feet, and walked out of the room and lock in the bathroom. Seifer got on his feet making sure he wouldn't loose the piece of fabric he was wearing. Then he saw that Irvine's smile was wide.

 

“Way to go Seifer! I never thought you will act that fast” whispered Irvine

“Oh, come on. You really think I got her laid?”

“What else do you want me to think when I found you in the floor, she on you and you're just with a towel? Or you were about to?”

“Irvine, if you want her, she's all yours”

“How old is she?”

“Seventeen”

“Ah, she's not that young. And Selphie will kill me”. That didn't surprise Seifer at all. He had the memory of both of them as kids getting very well along, their chemistry had been good since then.

 

“Oh, by the way” said Irvine remembering why he had come “Ya' better get to the cafeteria or you won't make it for breakfast. There's something we have to tell ya'”

“I'm becoming a SeeD automatically and I can get out of here?” said Seifer making the cowboy laugh

“Not that good. Anyway, all the orphan gang will be there and we'll wait for ya', ok? See ya', Selphie is waiting for me” and he left.

 

Seifer went into his room and change. While he was changing, he thought of what had happened next door. When he got out of the bathroom, there was too much silence around and it somehow made him feel strange. He peeked in Danielle's room and found her lying on the bed with the pillow over her head. Since she didn't react when he came in, he just wanted to see if she had fall asleep, yet he never expected she would suddenly jumped on him.

 

He just could have stopped her, but he was actually trying to save his towel from falling. And before he even knew it they were already in the floor and Danielle on top of him.

 

“See something you like?”

“Oh, fuck off” Seifer wondered what had embarrassed Danielle more, the way they had end or the way she had reacted. He wasn't even sure why he stopped her from getting up. There was a sudden impulse to hold her, to gaze into her eyes, to feel her close to him. He did get quite a view when she straight up, not exactly of her second pair of eyes (b. k. a. boobs), but because he actually got a peek of her skin. Her reaction gave him time to sat up and hold her before she got away.

 

//And then Irvine came in stopping me from doing something else// said Seifer. He couldn't believe how he was acting with her. Oh yeah, he had been a womanizer, but he had never had something serious. Not even with Rinoa, he never took very serious their relation even thought he did felt something for her. Or that's what he thought.

 

The moment he touch Danielle... he almost ripped her shirt off to only touch that skin, it felt so soft yet strong. He felt her tense but not of fear, it was more of surprise, he felt the jolts of electricity cursing through his fingers as he stroked the skin.

 

“I'm gonna have to get a cold shower if I keep thinking like this” said Seifer to himself and he left the room to make his way to the cafeteria

 

*

*

*

 

Seifer arrived to the cafeteria, immediately spotted by Selphie who waved her hands and called him towards the table they were sitting at and as soon as he walked towards them, she sat again by Irvine. Still, there was missing something in the picture.

 

“Hey, Seifer Thought you wouldn't join us” greet him Selphie

“Here I am” he said grinning “Why do I have the sensation something is missing here?”

“What do you mean? All the gang is here” said Zell

“Zell, I think he means that Rinoa is not around” said Quistis

“As brilliant as ever, my dear Quistis” said Seifer “How come she's not hanging from out fearless commander's arms?”

“She's went to visit her father and friends” said Squall

“That's where you send her when she almost destroys the Quad” laughed Irvine “I had to lock Sefie on a room before she killed her”

“Wanna tell me the whole story?” asked Seifer, imagining what Rinoa could have done

“I had spent more than five days decorating the Quad for the SeeDs ball and Rinoa had the idea of decorating the air with magic glows”

“So it was like “Why not? She's a sorceress” and hell we regret it! She cast the wrong spell and everything started to burn” said Zell

“You're kidding” said Seifer in the burst of laughing

“No” said Quistis “And then she tried to put it out and only make it worse”

“That was the last we could tolerate” said Squall before sipping some of his juice

“So you kick her out?” ask Seifer

“Nope, send her out so we could repair the Garden properly before she destroy it”

“Leonhart, as always, you're over-exaggerated. Were you afraid that the fire caught you leather and ruin it?”

 

Squall send a cold stare at Seifer and said “You were lucky not be here when she was around, so it was for the best”

“You send her out because of that or you were just afraid she would dump you if she saw me?”

“The only thing I'm afraid of is that you become a gentleman”

“Oh fuck!” said Seifer pretending to be scared “Squall made a joke!!” and he pretend to be having a heart attack, which made the others laugh, at the same time Squall only rolled his eyes

Danielle was just entering the cafeteria when she heard a familiar laughter. She looked to where it came from and was surprised to see it was effectively Seifer, but she was surprised to see him sitting with some and instructors and the commander.

 

“Hi” she suddenly heard and realized a group of girls stood right beside her “Your name is Danielle, right?

“Uh-yeah”

“Well, I'm Lilly, and these are Kati, Meimei and Nelly” she said signaling each girl “Want to sit with us?

“Sure, thank you” replied the brunette

 

The four girls sat in a table once they got their breakfasts. “You know? I can't really understand how you were confused with a guy” started Lilly

“There was an anonymous informer that told the Esthar newspaper what had happened. Apparently, he or she got confused with my gender or probably got the information wrong”

“And why you didn't try to make it clear before?” wondered Kati

“I didn't even realize that people was talking about me, I never thought it was already known in this place”

“Don't you think also is too much coincidence that two guys that served Edea are in the same Garden and sharing the same room?” questioned Meimei “You're not something like a Knight, are you Danielle?”

“Well, I wasn't call exactly a Knight, even thought it was very similar”

“I would be very scare being with the Sorceress Knight sleeping next door” said Nelly “Who knows when he could go mad again”

“Unless another Sorceress takes control of his mind” muttered Danielle

“What?”

“Nothing”

 

Danielle knew the truth about what had happened, she had witness the war and Edea had tell her everything that had happened, what the other people will never knew. She knew that Ultimecia had been the responsible for Seifer's attitude in the past, but she wouldn't defend him in an argument she would loose for sure.

 

//He wouldn't even thank me if I did// she thought.

 

“Hello! Earth to Danielle” she heard

“Sorry. What were you saying?”

“It's time to go. We need to get our schedules and uniforms” said Nelly

“Uh, yeah, let's go” said Danielle

 

*

*

*

 

Danielle was walking to her dorm alone, carrying her uniform and schedule in hand. //Great, its simply, absolutely fucking great// she kept repeating on her mind. She had been assigned to higher classes than her garden-mates due to her past as a soldier. There had been people complaining about it, but there was nothing that it could be done. //I could fail in purpose to get on lower levels. On the other hand, then I won't become a SeeD and Edea will be disappointed// she sighed. She then realized she had been placed in a class she wasn't told: Art II.

 

//The hell?// she wondered as she re-checked, thinking it probably was a mistake. No, it wasn't, the schedule said her name correctly, and it clearly stated she will be in Art II. Why the hell she needed to take art when she was going to become a mercenary? And why she had been placed in that level? She couldn't even remember the last time she draw something, probably years ago. Oh well, rules were rules.

 

Danielle arrived to her room and noticed it was empty. Good, that way she wouldn't see Seifer. She then started to think about what had happened in the morning. Danielle left her things in the bed and sat on it, starring at the floor, in the exact place where things had occurred.

 

She shivered at the memory. This time he had hold even gentler than before. She once again was caught off guard when he placed his fingers on her lips. The impression did shut her up, and the look in his eyes. What did they have that made them so unique? What was that thing that could easily catch her to wander and get lost in them?

 

“Sweet sixteen; fucking sweet age of hormones” she muttered as she shook her head “I wonder what made me lie about my age…” She decided to concentrate on something else. She hand her uniform in her the closet and actually started to organize her stuff.

 

//What am I doing here? I should have say no// she thought as she worked on it. Danielle suddenly hugged herself feeling to lonely and scared. //If only my parents hadn't give me away, if Lin hadn't hate me, if I had kept at least one of my friends... would I still be here?//

 

Danielle close her eyes to suppress the tears, it wasn't the exact moment to cry. //I'm not a hero... I truly was afraid that Edea would die but... there were other ways to save her. I got in the way... because I wanted to die...//

 

She started to cry like a child. “You're nothing but a burden! That's why your mother left you, because she doesn't love you! Nobody does, nobody wants you! You're a freak!” she heard in her mind.

 

//Was Lin right, mom?// she thought as if she could be heard //Did you left me `cause I was a burden to you? Did dad do the same? Did my friends left because of the same reason?// She paused, now thinking of the most recent. //Edea sent me here... to get rid of me?//

 

Danielle cried more. She didn't even have a good relation with her roommate. Seifer had come up with the plan of faking they got along so one of them was moved from them. Danielle didn't mind all the things he told her... in fact, she admired him in a certain way. She would never be as brave as him, not because she was a girl. He had come back and face the fact he had been the Sorceress Knight, that he had eventually killed people.

 

She would never have the guts to do that. It surprised her to see him in the same Garden as her and that they would be on the same course. Danielle even hope of becoming friends, but she spoiled everything the first day in the T.C.

 

But until now, he was the only person that had really cared for her. She suddenly wanted to be held as he had done it. It had felt so nice… so right. She once again wanted to feel those arms around her, those fingers on her. She needed to feel wanted. Just like the way he had made her feel…

 

//Of all the people in the world,// she thought //I had to be dreaming of you…//