Good Enough (FFVIII, Quistis & Irvine, unrequited QuistisxSquall)
This is for megmurry; if it's not quite what she asked for, I hope it's a reasonable substitution.
Selphie and Zell, laughing, chased each other inside in search of something -- Quistis wasn't quite sure what, as she'd stopped paying attention to that particular part of the conversation several minutes before, captured once more by the beautiful picture Squall and Rinoa unknowingly made, leaning in to one another. There was part of her that wanted to hate the other girl, much as she liked her the rest of the time. She wanted to blame her for stealing Squall -- but she knew Squall had never really been hers to begin with, and it was reemphasized every time she saw him look at the sorceress.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Quistis startled, and realized that Irvine was watching her watch them, a lazy smile tickling the corners of his mouth.
She shrugged, and tried to come up with something that didn't sound stupid. "I was thinking about being in love," she said, and immediately wished she'd said something else. "Or not, as the case may be."
"Are you still in love with him?" he asked, "Or is that too personal?"
Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she shook her head, denying anything. Everything. Because it was too awkward, being in love with Squall when he was clearly, painfully in love with Rinoa; when she was absolutely everything he ever needed. Or at least it seemed that way. "I'm -- he's like my brother." It was easy to say that, even if it wasn't quite true. Except that it was, except that it wasn't; except that she wanted it to be true, and damn it, why wasn't that enough? What she had wanted had shaped her world every time before... except where it concerned Squall. Former Instructor Trepe, in all her glory.
"Complicated, isn't it?" Irvine leaned back against the stage.
"Yeah." Which was a very un-Quistis-like word, but damn it, if they could change, couldn't she?
Couldn't she?
"It -- well, it was never easy, with Squall. But it used to be so much simpler. I used to think, if I just learned enough about him, he'd -- I don't know. Love me back?" It felt stupid.
He didn't laugh. Didn't even smile; just nodded. "There's something magical about love, you know? It's why people write about it all the time. And there are these fairy tales, where the guy performs these incredible feats and the girl loves him. Just like that. Or the girl does something amazing, and the prince falls in love with her."
"And who defines amazing? I mean, I'd... not speak for seven years, or find someone to spin straw into gold, or whatever." She half-laughed at her own use of Squall's favorite word. "But it's not like I was given the chance. Here's the prince, silent and brooding, and all you have to do is figure out how to lift the curse on him. Except what can break the spell is... a kiss from a princess. And I'm not a princess."
"I think you're a princess," Irvine said. "Maybe not his, but definitely somebody's."
It was enough to make her smile. "Thank you."
He smiled back. And maybe he didn't look at her like she brought the sun with her in the morning, but it felt good to be smiled at.
For the moment, it was good enough.
Selphie and Zell, laughing, chased each other inside in search of something -- Quistis wasn't quite sure what, as she'd stopped paying attention to that particular part of the conversation several minutes before, captured once more by the beautiful picture Squall and Rinoa unknowingly made, leaning in to one another. There was part of her that wanted to hate the other girl, much as she liked her the rest of the time. She wanted to blame her for stealing Squall -- but she knew Squall had never really been hers to begin with, and it was reemphasized every time she saw him look at the sorceress.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Quistis startled, and realized that Irvine was watching her watch them, a lazy smile tickling the corners of his mouth.
She shrugged, and tried to come up with something that didn't sound stupid. "I was thinking about being in love," she said, and immediately wished she'd said something else. "Or not, as the case may be."
"Are you still in love with him?" he asked, "Or is that too personal?"
Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she shook her head, denying anything. Everything. Because it was too awkward, being in love with Squall when he was clearly, painfully in love with Rinoa; when she was absolutely everything he ever needed. Or at least it seemed that way. "I'm -- he's like my brother." It was easy to say that, even if it wasn't quite true. Except that it was, except that it wasn't; except that she wanted it to be true, and damn it, why wasn't that enough? What she had wanted had shaped her world every time before... except where it concerned Squall. Former Instructor Trepe, in all her glory.
"Complicated, isn't it?" Irvine leaned back against the stage.
"Yeah." Which was a very un-Quistis-like word, but damn it, if they could change, couldn't she?
Couldn't she?
"It -- well, it was never easy, with Squall. But it used to be so much simpler. I used to think, if I just learned enough about him, he'd -- I don't know. Love me back?" It felt stupid.
He didn't laugh. Didn't even smile; just nodded. "There's something magical about love, you know? It's why people write about it all the time. And there are these fairy tales, where the guy performs these incredible feats and the girl loves him. Just like that. Or the girl does something amazing, and the prince falls in love with her."
"And who defines amazing? I mean, I'd... not speak for seven years, or find someone to spin straw into gold, or whatever." She half-laughed at her own use of Squall's favorite word. "But it's not like I was given the chance. Here's the prince, silent and brooding, and all you have to do is figure out how to lift the curse on him. Except what can break the spell is... a kiss from a princess. And I'm not a princess."
"I think you're a princess," Irvine said. "Maybe not his, but definitely somebody's."
It was enough to make her smile. "Thank you."
He smiled back. And maybe he didn't look at her like she brought the sun with her in the morning, but it felt good to be smiled at.
For the moment, it was good enough.