Quistis jerked in surprise and looked away also. She blinked several times to clear her head as her heart pounded in her chest. Fujin briskly walked back to the table and picked up the spilled champagne bottle.
Only a few drops remained and she set it back on the table. Quistis meanwhile sat very still for a long a moment then stood.
"Um I suppose we better eat before it gets cold." She said with unnerving calmness as she brushed her hair from her face.
"CHAMPAGNE." Fujin said nodding to the bottle and trying to hide how flushed she was.
"Yeah..I am sorry. The bubbles fly up your nose if you gulp it." Quistis said sheepishly and smiled.
"NOT WHAT I MEAN." Fujin frowned and pointed at the bottle "I APOLOGIZE."
"It's not your fault Fu..." Quistis winced again at the use of the pet name she seemed intent on giving her. Fujin waved her fear aside, she was used to hearing it now.
Quistis composed herself and went to kitchen to retrieve a bottle of simple but classy wine. She quietly sat back down at the table.
Her eyes still burned from the tears but she was feeling a little better. She smiled hauntingly as Fujin joined her then poured them both a new glass. Luckily their plates where undisturbed and the food still warm.
Without a word between them the two started to eat, Quistis stole a glance to her dinner companion trying to read her expression.
Like always Fujin was stone faced, the distress that she showed earlier was no where to be found.
"Perhaps she was tricking me?" Quistis wondered as she sorted the thoughts spinning through her mind.
"No." She told herself Fujin was never one to play games, she was always straight forward. Besides she had nothing to gain by all this.
"I should worry more about myself, two breakdowns in as many days has to be a record."
She'd always prided herself on her steadfast resolve, but she was alarmed how easy she could be hurt now. She thought back to nearly two years ago when she was still in full control of her life.
Then piece by piece the world was pulled from under her. She was dismissed as an instructor and then Squall all but turned his back to her when she wanted someone to confide in.
She had always held a special place for him. Being patient and understanding through all of his antisocial mood swings.
Even when she tried to tell Squall how she felt about him he simply walked away and it crushed her. Later, once things with Edea where coming to a head.
Squall put her in charge of half the squad, where she nearly cost Zell and Selphie their life. Of they everyone forgave her and never told the others. She however never forgave herself.
Then she was sent to sabotage a Galbanian missile plant. It was all but a suicide mission, only by Hyne's grace did anyone survive the mess.
She sometimes wondered, deep down past rational thought if he did it on purpose. She watched in silence as Rinoa swept Squall's heart away. Hell even helped Rinoa sway him.
Finally once everything was over, she tried to go back to the way it was. They even reinstated her as a instructor, but it wasn't the same.
She felt all but useless and out of place and in the way. The few dates she tried to go on where futile as she and the others where to famous to lead normal lives.
The others found love and strength in each other while she was left in the cold, frozen and alone. She never realized how much so until the anniversary party last night, it was the first time they all got together in forever.
During dinner everyone gossiped about how they spent the past year doing this and that. Selphie and Irvine spent the time aiding the rebuilding of Trabia.
Zell and Nicole's love affair was legendary and they traveled the land getting into all sorts of mayhem. Squall and Rinoa even ventured back to Eshtar. Even Cid and Edea had a tale to tell.
Only Quistis was silent, burned out and washed up Quistis. She had no stories to tell, had no purpose, had no love, and had no hope. She remembered no one even noticed she'd left when she walked away from the table.
She had come to realize that for all her life she was always the one taking care of others. Even at the orphanage it was her and Ellone who the other kids came to when trouble started.
Then years later at Balamb Garden she became a SEED, and a teacher Again she took care of others. She was the one people came to with problems.
All the while she herself had no one to confide in, no one to turn to and the one time she did, she was hurt.
Now in her time of need no one came to her rescue. The proverbial last stone was pulled from under her, she fell hard and no one was there to catch her.
"Except Fujin." She thought with a such start she dropped her fork. It fell with a audible ding onto her plate earning her only a curious glance from her companion.
Quistis felt a warm glow in her chest very similar to the one she felt when Fujin touched her cheek.
Such a small gesture had moved her deeply she was unsure of what to do now. She no longer feared that Fujin meant her any harm she settled comfortably in her seat.
Fujin arched a brow as Quistis fumbled her fork onto her plate. She chose to ignore it and delicately sliced into her salmon fillet. She nibbled almost daintily savoring the new taste. It was truly delicious.
She scolded herself for not learning to cook anything but military rations and the odd soup or dried noodles.
The cafeteria food was fine enough to be sure, some of it was even really good but then again some of it was atrocious.
"Your avoiding what happened." Her subconscious chided her.
"Nonsense" she tried to convince herself as she sipped her wine.