The blonde woman stirred, blue eyes lazily opening and a smile curving her lips as she found herself staring at bronze well-muscled chest. No wonder I can’t move, she thought, noticing the arms of steel wrapped around her. Resigning herself to another two hours in bed before the man next to her woke up, she allowed her eyes to drift up to his handsome face, framed by golden hair that was beginning to curl at the bottom because it was getting too long. The stubborn square jaw, relaxed in sleep. The full lips, passive and not smirking arrogantly at her. The strong straight nose above that, topped with a scar going diagonally down to the left across the top. Brilliant jade green eyes. She blinked. Brilliant jade green eyes that were open and staring at her. He smirked at her.
     “Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he jibed, pulling her even closer to him. She closed her eyes contentedly and nestled closer to him.
     “Mmmmm,” she agreed, before shooting him an arch glance. “But a picture isn’t nearly as warm.”
     He laughed and released her, tucking his hands behind his head to study her as she got up. “Good morning, beautiful.” And she was, even clothed in those huge red and white striped flannel pajamas. Her blond hair tumbled around her face, and her blue eyes were wide and alert, lovely even without the added effects of make-up.
     Unsure of how to respond to such an endearment, she replied with,”And to you.” She gave a small smile and went to the window to open the curtain that looked out on Balamb Garden. Sunlight poured in, showering her in a pool of gold, and not for the first time, the man felt his breath catch in his throat. Quistis Trepe was a goddess.
     The goddess leaned against the wall of Seifer’s room, resting her head against the window jamb, watching the SeeDs go on their daily rounds. The cadets laughed and talked with each other, sauntering easily to class or the cafeteria, while the actual SeeDs walked with much more purpose, often stopping to chide a cadet or answer a question or converse with an especially eager student. Quistis felt her lips curve. This was her life. Satisfied that the new day looked bright, she raised her arms above her head and stretched.
     The spasm of pain was nothing new, but it still hurt and she quickly lowered her arms, sucking in air through clenched teeth. Her hand unconsciously moved to the skin over her heart where a white star-shaped scar now rested. Her life, and she had almost lost it. Pasting a fake smile on, Quistis turned to once again find herself staring at her love’s chest.
     Her love. Seifer Almasy. Who’d have thought? She laughed inwardly. But she didn’t doubt that she loved him. Squall was long forgotten and her future-what she could have of it-lay inside herself. She raised her eyes to Seifer’s, and caught her breath at the look of concern in them. “How is it today?” he asked softly. She sighed. He saw everything.
     “I’m fine,” she reassured him. “It only hurts if I strain too much.” Like that stretch, she added to herself.
     “You okay to train today?”
     “I said I’m fine,” she snapped, ducking around him and striding to the door. Her dorm was only across the hall, but it was much easier to sleep where she had help in case her scars were particularly bothersome.
     “Quistis…”
     She turned, ready with another reassurance on her lips, but all he did was toss her the card key. Silently, she looked down at it, then caught his gaze. “Thank you.” Biting her lip, she opened his door and shut it behind her.
     Seifer stood there, staring at the door until he heard her door open and close. Then he went to the window, glaring, but not really, out at the campus of the military academy. She was growing distant.
     Knowing Quistis, she probably was angry about the help she needed. Usually a self-sufficient woman, she had to rely on others to get things down from places for her, she had to rest frequently after training, and, on the orders of the Headmaster, must use a wheelchair to get around. Not that she did.  Stubborn woman. HIS stubborn woman.
     The stubborn woman he’d almost lost. Even at this point, six months after her return, Seifer didn’t know how she’d lived. She had been dead when he left, then suddenly appeared alive and well, the holes in her body mended. No one else had been that surprised however, and when he demanded, they all just traded knowing glances. And according to Quistis, she was just as clueless as he was on the whole thing.
     Shaking off the melancholy, he smirked at the blue sky and, grabbing a towel, strolled to his bathroom whistling.

     The peach battle gear still held too many memories of the last mission. Biting her lip and drying her hair, Quistis peered in her closet for something to wear. The SeeD uniform was too starchy for a normal day of training. The leather jumpsuit with the green eye…She needed to burn that, burn everything that reminded her of that mission. Somehow she couldn’t though. Every time she tried to, something held her back, so she shoved it to the back of the closet and forgot about it. At least until she had to open her closet again. Sighing, she closed the closet door and rummaged through her drawers, finally settling for a black pair of jeans and a red tanktop, tossing them on her bed beside Save the Queen and her black leather gloves.
     Dressed, Quistis stood and surveyed the room. It was so boring, so impersonal. Some serious redecorating was in order. Maybe she would invite the girls for a day out soon, make it a mission. Crossing to her mirror, she picked up her comb and ran it through the long blond hair. Biting her lip, she stared at her red clip and steeled herself, picking it up to glare at it, then at her reflection. The damn piece of plastic was NOT going to defeat her today.
     About five minutes later, she threw the damn piece of plastic down in annoyance. Her arms had to stay up too long to complete her hair, putting too much of a strain on the scar on her chest. Sighing, she flopped down on her bed and waited for the inevitable entrance of Seifer. It didn’t come. Some time later, Quistis rose to a sitting position and stared at her door in confusion. He never failed to show up. And she was not leaving the room without her hair up. Swinging her legs around to the floor, she pushed herself off the bed and strode to the door, yanking it open only to find herself encountering Seifer’s chest for the third time that day.
     She took a step back and glared at him. “What took so long?” she demanded.
     He blinked innocently. “Pardon?” Unable to help it, a mocking grin appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared to grow wider. “Waiting for me, Quistis?”
     “Of course not!” she sulked, refusing to look at him. However, curiosity got the better of her and she peeked at him from under her lashes to find him smirking at her. Her own mouth curved involuntarily and she punched him in the arm. He grunted accordingly, before stepping into her room and kicking the door closed behind him. Without a word, he went to the dresser, picked up the comb and clip and returned to her.
     As people accustomed to routine, Quistis sat on a white cushioned stool with Seifer behind her, neither speaking as he ran the comb through her hair. Strawberries, he reminded himself. She always smelled of fresh strawberries. Quickly, with the ease of much practice, Seifer styled her hair, before moving his hands to her strong shoulders, massaging the tense muscles. Quistis let her head drop forward, the feel of his powerful hands on her lulling her into a dreamlike state. A knock at the door startled them both, and Seifer pressed a quick kiss to the nape of her neck, before striding to the door and throwing it open with a snarl at the person who stood there.
     Paige Chastine, former resistance member, now SeeD cadet, simply raised an eyebrow at him. “Love you too, dear.” The smartass redhead poked her head around Seifer and grinned at Quistis. “Thought you’d need rescuing from this ogre. Joe has some seats saved in the cafeteria, and Lila saved places in line for coffee!” She shot Seifer a teasing glance. “Ogres are only welcome when they are no longer ogres.”
     “Or when the ogress wants him there,” Quistis smiled, rising to her feet, and hooking Save the Queen to her belt, tucking her gloves into her back pocket. Seifer sneered as Quistis linked arms with him, and both followed Paige down the hall.
     Even before they reached it, Quistis could hear the sounds of the cafeteria and checked the clock above the entrance. Sure enough, ten minutes before first class of the day. Thirty before her daily check-up with Doctor Kadowaki. Almost as soon as they entered, Paige checked their orders, pointed to a waving Joe, and went to join Lila near the front of the long line.
     “Hey guys,” Joe grinned cheerfully at both of them. The stubble on his cheeks made Quistis raise an eyebrow. She reached out to rub a knuckle against the fuzz.
     “Forgot where you put your razor, Joe?” she teased.
     “Hey!” Immediately his hand went to his chin. “No, I thought it made me look older.” His quirky half-grin made Quistis smile as she settled into a seat next to Seifer.
     “Nah. Makes you too pointy. You look like a weasel,” Seifer told him. The eighteen year old blinked, before snarling and settling down to wait for his food. Quistis elbowed her love, but she had to agree. Face fuzz was not a good look for Joe.
     “What’s up, Joe?” Quistis rested her chin on her hand. “Ready for your SeeD exam?”
     As if she’d said a magic word, Joe leapt forward. “Can’t wait! I am so ready, Quistis!”
     “Ready for what?” Plates and cups were placed before those sitting, and three heads turned to see Paige and Lila standing there. There was a scraping of chairs against tile as they moved to make room for the two girls.
     “SeeD field exam,” Seifer informed them. “It’s in two days, right?”
     Both cadets nodded, and Lila tilted her dark head, hazel eyes curious. “Do you know where it will be?”
     Seifer and Quistis exchanged looks. It was Seifer who spoke. “Yes, but we can’t tell you.”
     There was a pause before all three young people bombarded them with questions on the mission and requests for hints. Seifer and Quistis laughed, waving away all such requests and answering the questions to the best of their abilities. Then the bell rang. Grumbling, Paige and Joe picked up their trash and bid farewell to the three still at the table. Seifer watched as the two left the cafeteria, raising an eyebrow at the easy conversation between the two. Things had certainly changed.
     “I better go, too,” Lila pushed her chair back and stood. Quistis took in the gray pants and purple top, vaguely wondering why the young sorceress hadn’t applied to be a SeeD cadet, when it was obvious she needed training. But Seifer broke in before she could ask.
     “What are you up to nowadays, Lila?”
     “I-.” The girl colored to the roots of her hair. “I help where I’m needed. Doctor Kadowaki sometimes needs help with restocking, and Alexya sometimes needs help shelving books in the library…” As if the mention of his girlfriend summoned him, Zell came running into the cafeteria and up to the counter. Before he could ask, the cafeteria lady shook her head. Just as typically, Zell trudged to their table and threw himself into a seat.
     “Morning, Chicken Wuss,” Seifer greeted. Zell shot him a glare, but no longer threatened him with bodily harm, realizing that no insult was meant by the nickname. Quistis, on the other hand, nodded at Zell, but her attention was focused on Lila, who had turned pale at the appearance of Zell. Her lips moved silently as if forming a greeting that would not make itself heard. That’s interesting, Quistis thought. Perhaps the fact that Alexya needed help in the library was an excuse for something else.
     Then Lila turned to go, but Quistis spoke up. “Find us later, Lila, and fill us in! We’ll be around.” Zell looked up and grinned at Lila.
     “Hey Lila. Didn’t see you there!”
     The brunette smiled shyly, and returned the greeting. “Hi Zell. Um…does Alexya need help in the library today?”
     Zell thought for a moment, before shrugging. “I don’t know! But you might as well go ask her!” Lila nodded. “I guess I’ll see ya later then, cause I’ll be in there!” Again Lila nodded, and Zell turned back to the table, sky blue eyes focused on the doughnut in front of Seifer.
    Lila paused a moment, hazel brown eyes meeting Quistis’ blue ones, and she smiled ruefully. Quistis nodded in understanding, and Lila walked out. Very interesting, Quistis thought. Poor girl. Too bad Zell loves Alexya so much. Not that it’s a bad thing, just Lila…And she’s too sweet to do or say anything about it. With the intent of speaking to Lila further, Quistis returned her attention to the table. To find Seifer and Zell in a tug-o-war over the last doughnut.
     “It’s mine!”
     “C’mon, Seifer, have pity! I need something to eat!”
     “Hell no, Chicken Wuss! If you got your ass out of bed earlier, you would have been able to have some food! The doughnut is MINE!”
     “It’s for Alexya! The poor girl never eats! I have to take her food!”
     “What are you going to do, burp it into her when you kiss her?! I said no!”
     Quistis sighed in amusement, and sat back, looking out through the window at the sunny campus.
     Life was grand. Absolutely and wonderfully typical.