Only the Lonely- Part 1

        The teacher with hair of the sun seemed to be not up to her usual vigor. Most of the time, she was filled with an untamed spirit, but Quistis Trepe seemed to have finally been broken. Broken with the weight of losing the man she loved to a girl she resented and barely knew. Broken by the weight of never finding that special someone that almost everyone of the Orphanage Gang did. Broken by the weight of... loneliness.
        With empty electric blue eyes, Miss Trepe watched as her students sat in the usual order- the Trepies, the 'geeks', the 'normal' kids, and the trouble makers- and do their work... But back to the troublemakers, as if there actually trouble makers in her class again. Ever since Seifer Almasy had finally returned to Garden and became a SeeD, the classroom had lost it's luster and challenge in her eyes, even if she received back her job from Headmaster Cid Kramer to fill her empty time.
        Climbing onto her black booted feet, Quistis surveyed the classroom with false interest as the approaching the bell that would ring through the learning Halls of Garden. Picking up a dry-board marker, she wrote slowly on the board with her neat, and almost in too-small hand writing that day's reading and writing assignment.
        Center with cat-like grace, the lengedary Quistis turned back to her class with a small smile. Her eyes swept the classroom, as the Trepies hushed the class for the daily closing speech. Pushing back her glasses with her index finger, she took a deep breath, and addressed the class.
        "Some of you might have known, but the SeeD exams are soon approaching, so if you haven't made your way to take the entrance exam, see Xu and she'll set up appointment for you to make," her breathy voice rose slightly over the slightly shifting of weight in the chairs.
        "Most might of heard the entrance is extremely hard, it isn't. It's just takes a lot of skill to make you are personally ready for SeeD," Quistis informed the worried students.
        Taking a deep breath, she continued, "the threat of Sorceress still out there, even if Sorceress Riona is an ally. Who knows if there are truly other Sorceresses are out there or not.
        "So it is important we keep the Tradition and power of SeeD to full strength," she added. Rolling lightly on her heels, she added, "White SeeD, an elite Sea-Class group of Garden, is accepting new members. So those who do extremely well may, if requested, a recommendation to join their ranks."
        Several students perked up at this with great interest, but none were of the infamous fanclub of Quistis Trepe. They, for sure, would follow Quistis to whatever Garden she went, since she wasn't leaving Balamb, they weren't either.
        The bell rang and Quistis unconsciously stiffened. Looking up at the clock, she rushed on, "you have your homework assignment. I expect it by Monday. Have a nice weekend."
        The twenty-year-old teacher watch the classroom empty out, as she began to grade the quizzes. Quizzes in which she graded, recorded in the computer, went to her dorm and cried. Only when someone came to get her for dinner, did the quizzes came into her mind. They had filled her empty life with some meaning.
       Some meaning, she thought bitterly, and now is the time to do it. The whip-mistress opened her drawer and pulled out an object. An object that was to be the answer to all her problems. A gun. The same gun in which her best friend, she remembered, used before she was killed, four days after Quistis became an instructor, in a SeeD mission.
        Placing the cold, steel barrel to her head, Quistis sighed sadly. Closing her eyes, she went to release the safety and-
        Warm, firm hands jerked away the gun away from her. The warm hands took her gun and set it on a desk, then rested themselves on her heavily burdened shoulders. Even in her darkest moment, those warm weren't welcome, yet were.
        "Oh why, Quisty, why?" The deep, throaty voice inquired thickly with emotions.
        Meeting the cobalt blue eyes of Seifer Almasy, Quistis felt tears well up in her eyes. Turning away, she bit her lower lip, sobbing softly, and tried to fight off the wave of guilt that rode through her body.
        The former knight pulled the woman into a tight hug, brushing away her tears, and whispering full-hearted comforts in her ear. Over the last year, they have grown close, but he sensed something she always hid and know he knew: her heart still bled from Squall Leonheart.
        "It's okay, Quisty, to cry. I know you hurt from that bastard; he hurt me too," Seifer whispered, cradling the woman in his muscular arms. Sweeping her silvery-blonde hair from her eyes, he kissed her forehead softly, "he and Riona both hurt us."
        Looking up to meet the golden knight who saved her in her time of need, Trepe nodded sadly and choked out, "I know... I can't help but bleed, to be be alone, and drown in this emptiness."
        Seifer ran a finger down her fine chin and smiled bitterly, "same here, Quisty." A glint of regret and something more appeared in his eyes and he continued, "but you have me now! You're part of the posse now."
        Blinking, Quistis almost forgot the fact she almost killed herself, and startled, she stared at him for a moment. Blushing slightly, she whispered, "what do you mean? Why?"
        Seifer flashed that rare, gentle smile for Quistis and held her close against himself. It felt... right. Better then the times he held Riona close, better then when Matron hugged him as a child... this hug with Quistis was what people who needed each other felt like.
        Though not willing to admit it out loud, Seifer replied, "Quistis, Quisty, you are one of the strongest women I know. Things get to you, yet you don't complain, you don't lash out... Raijin admires that. Fuujin admires you for you level-headness and quick thinking..."
        Amazement filled Quistis' bleak heart. Meeting the former Sorceress' knight earnest gaze, she inquired, "and what about you, Seifer? Why did you let me into YOUR posse?"
        His smile faded into a serious look took over his lovely face. His laughing blue eyes grew deep as he grew silent and slightly with drawn. Seifer knew Quistis needed to hear the truth about how he admired her, how he held a fond place for her- even when he gave her a hard time in the classroom. But he couldn't find the words.
        Mistaking his silence for something else, the hopeful glitter in her eyes began to fade, she pulled back from his arms and stood back away from suddenly. With desperation, the SeeD teacher looked deep within the ocean eyes.
        'You're losing the best thing, Seifer, if you don't make your move now!' a voice whispered to Seifer as he started back with equal desperation.
        "Quisty, I... always admired you and held you in some sort of fondness," Almasy finally blurted out.
        Quistis' moonbeam skin seemed to have faint rose colour it as she heard Seifer utter those words. Quistis looked down, her shoulders slightly slumped forward, looking very tried.
        "I always thought you hated me, the way you called me a mediocre teacher," Miss Trepe confessed softly.
        The golden Knight shook his head, "no. I was just angry you held Squall in a higher place in your heart then me. It made me angry, so I lashed out at you."
        "I don't understand," replied the teacher, looking slightly regretful.
        "You always defended and stuck up for Squall- even when he was cruel to you. I fought with him to be better then him, to win your attention... but I failed," Seifer looked down, clenching his hands tightly.
        Soft as silken petals, Quistis ran her fingers lightly down right cheek. With a smile full of regret and bittersweet memories, the SeeD teacher murmured, "I'm sorry. I never would have thought, I would have never guessed."
        Seifer blushed slightly, "well, I was pretty bad at communicating. I guess I learned that I wasn't good enough for true love because of my parents abandoning me."
        Quistis intertwined her hand with his. Resting her forehead on his, she whispered softly, "you're not the only one. At least you didn't go through the rejection of a family twice. I'm not the one who deserves to be loved."
        Seifer warped his arm around her once more, holding her tightly. Yes, Quistis and him had similar pasts, yet both handled it in different styles. Quistis by becoming the best and youngest member of SeeD; and himself by rebelling and hurting people. It was amazing how different they were, yet how much they had in common.
        Gazing into her eyes for the first time with open feelings, Seifer bent down and took a risk- he kissed her softly on her full lips. A kiss so soft, so yielding, so loving, he felt like he was giving his soul to her.
        Accepting the kiss, Quistis kissed back, more intensely then before, then broke the kiss, and stared at him. Brushing her fingers down his cheek again, she felt something stir deep within side her that she never truly felt before. Had Quistis truly found love?
        "Quistis, I-I..." Seifer sighed softly. He wasn't good with words, but staring into this silver and gold celestial goddess' eyes, he finally felt the right words to express himself. Running his delicate fingers through her silken hair, he spoke, "I great feelings for you, Quisty."
        "Oh, Seifer..." Quistis clung to him. She needed a knight in her darkest moment and she found him. Bringing her lips to his ear, she replied softly, "and I for you."
        Swallowing nervously, Seifer inquired, "Quistis, will you be my Lady? Will you allow me to be your Knight and protect you from not being loved? To love you?"
        With eyes full of adoration, Quistis' eyes filled with tears of joy. Kissing him passionately, she broke the kiss a moment later and replied, "yes, Seifer. I would want no one else. Please, be my Knight and save me from myself."
        The two embraced tightly and passionately. For the first time in their unstable and lonely lives, they had found the one thing they wanted: True Love and companionship.

**************************************
This is a going to be a prologue to a series, ((to help me bounce ideas off of)), called "Blue Magic". It's focusing around Quistis and her Knight, Seifer. =)