Author's Note: I don't own anything from FFVIII. This is my first FFVIII fanfic. Please review if you like it. I would like to write a full Seiftis but that will depend on whether or not this is received well...

Missing The Lost One

Two months, one week and three days after the defeat of Ultimecia...

She sighed, removing her glasses and squeezing the bridge of her nose.

"Well then...good luck Seifer."

"Add Instructor Trepe to the list."

The blond woman sighed as she stared down at the test exam in front of her. She had been trying without success to grade this particular one for the last half hour.

"I wouldn't expect a mediocre instructor such as yourself..."

She squeezed her eyes shut. She. Would. Not. Cry.

"What do you think your doing Seifer? You can't just..."

"They could end up facing the whole Galbadian army and all they send are three rookie Seed's? I'm going to Timber."

Her attempts to control the rushing emotions were proving futile. Salty tears streamed through eyes that were squeezed shut.

"But Instructor aren't I you're favorite student?"

"Not anymore"

The blond woman was weeping. Painful sobs wracked her chest; the dam against her grief cracking, fracturing.

"Only babies cry, Quisty!"

--

It hadn't taken long to find him. He was, after all, the most notorious war criminal in recent history. He was also a freelance mercenary in high demand. Quistis left her hair down and wore a pair of dark denim jeans and a black tank top. A few simple changes gave her the anonymity to travel without being recognized.

He was on the coast of Dollet nearby the docks when she found him; sitting in his usual crossed leg position, Hyperion resting next to him. An aching longing flooded her then, erasing the carefully prepared speech she had intended to deliver. Instead she froze, drinking in his profile as he sat facing toward the ocean. He was still tall and broad-shouldered, his golden blond hair cropped close, the jagged planes of his face reminiscent of the sculpted ideals of the gods.

"Come to kill me, Instructor?" Seifer turned to regard her with his trademark smirk, his jade eyes burning with dark intensity.

Quistis snapped out of her acute observation of the man before her. She hadn't even realized that he had seen her. She forced herself to move, closing the distance between herself and her former student...her former enemy...her former brother. Seifer rose as she approached, one hand tightening on Hyperion. Holding up her hands in a placating gesture she slowed her approach.

"I just want to talk Seifer," she said calmly.

He snorted as his eyes roved over her narrowing at Save the Queen coiled at her side. Slowly he loosened the steel grip he had on Hyperion.

"Tch. You couldn't take me by yourself anyway," he shrugged and seated himself again.

The familiar flash of anger and irritation was accompanied by a bone deep sense of relief so strong that Quistis felt strangely dizzy from the conflicting emotions. Her mouth curved into a wan smile and she crossed her arms and tipped her head slightly regarding the blond mercenary.

"I see you haven't lost your charming way with words, Seifer," she countered.

"It's why the ladies love me, Instructor..."

"Stop calling me that! I'm not your instructor anymore!" she said waving her hand dismissively.

She could feel her anger rising, her emotions spinning out of control. He always got past her defenses. Even after he stopped talking his cocky jade eyes would follow her; sure in his power over her. He could see right past all her pretensions straight to her insecure, terrified core.

"Don't get your panties in a knot, Trepe. What the hell do you want anyway? Can't you see I'm busy doing nothing?" he said, turning away from her and contemplating the ocean once again.

Quistis fought the urge to connect her fist with his jaw. She took a deep breath and pulled herself and her warring emotions back under the tight, ordered control she was used to.

"I came to apologize."

Seifer's head whipped back around to regard her as his arrogant expression rapidly disintegrated into one of consternation.

"What for Instructor?" he interrupted. "Last time I checked, it wasn't you who allowed a psychopathic sorceress to possess you, killed innocent people, bombed two gardens and tortured your classmates..."

"Shut the fuck up, Almasy," Quistis yelled, her voice cracking. Seifer cut off abruptly mid-tirade at the vehemence in Quistis' tone.

Her whole body trembling she continued, the words tumbling out of their own accord. "For Hyne's sake I was there. I don't need you to tell me. But dammit I was supposed to protect you," she said, her composure breaking a little more, "You were my responsibility, you were my student, and maybe there was something I could have done if I was just strong enough." Quistis closed her eyes at the wide eyed expression Seifer wore.

She wanted to stop, but her feelings had been pent up so long there was no way to stop them now that she had let them loose. A memory flashed of a jade eyed child falling down and skinning his knee. "I was the oldest and you were always getting in trouble, but I promised myself I wouldn't let anything happen to you," she continued softly, the rush of emotion finally starting to fade to something she could handle. She felt moisture on her face, and to her horror, she found herself crying. Again. She took a deep, shuddering breath swallowing the sobs lodged in her throat.

"Only babies cry, Quisty," his tone was derisive, but his fingers were gentle as he wiped the tears from her lashes.

--

They had talked until after midnight; actually talked and argued would be more precise. He was sitting on the floor across from her laughing as she sat on his hotel bed glaring back at him with a slightly murderous intent in her eyes.

"He really told you to talk to a wall?" he asked and collapsed into another fit of hysterics.

"I'm really glad your finding this humiliating episode in my life so hilarious," she said in a chilly, injured tone. She was having serious reservations telling him about that; but after he had described how painful it had been to fail the Seed exam that last time, sharing the incident with Squall had seemed fitting.

"Aw come on Instructor. What the hell do you think Puberty-boy could have done for you anyway?" he asked, incredulous.

"His name is Squall," she said, irritated at Seifer's moniker. "And stop calling me Instructor," Quistis added halfheartedly. "I was just looking for someone to connect to...I think part of me knew him from the orphanage."

"Hey, I was there too! You never cornered me in the secret area...I can assure you, Instructor, the last thing I would do is tell you to go talk to a wall," he said wiggling his eyebrows in a mockingly seductive manner that made Quistis laugh despite herself.

She shook her head, reflecting. "Not you Seifer, you never seemed to need anyone. You were always so sure of yourself, so confident, and strong enough to back up all your boasting," his eyes were intent on her. She was surprised he didn't interrupt. "Squall, he was alone and really needed someone to help him open up. I thought I could do that, but it was Rinoa he let in."

"Are you still in love with him?" Seifer asked quietly.

"I don't think I ever was, Seifer. Really, I just wanted to help him, so that I wouldn't feel like a complete failure for losing my instructor's license. In the end it was selfishness that drove me to seek him out, not love," she finished.

"Is that why you're here Quisty?" Seifer asked his eyes penetrating hers.

"Yes and no. I" ...had to make sure you were alright...needed to see you again...missed your banter and teasing...crave how you get under my skin because it makes me feel like someone really sees me. She was afraid to articulate why she had abruptly left Garden to find him, it opened her up to realities that she herself wasn't ready to deal with.

Instead she got up and walked to the balcony of the hotel that overlooked Dollet. She closed her eyes as she felt him come up behind her. She flinched and relaxed as she felt strong, warm fingers run across her scalp and slide through her hair.

His breath on her ear sent a shiver down her spine as he whispered to her in a husky voice. "I always wanted to run my fingers through your hair. I used to sit in the back of class and dream about shattering that fucking clip so that I could just wrap my fingers around it."

His declaration left Quistis breathless and unable to move.

Next his lips were on her neck. The heat of his mouth was scorching as he traced light, moist kisses from below her ear to her shoulder. Quistis leaned into him, dragging in a breath as he sucked and bit at the flesh on her neck. She could feel him, hard and strong behind her. She gasped as his hands moved from her hair to her waist, sliding under her tank top and up from her abdomen where he ran his fingers over her breasts. Her nipples gathered at his touch, pressing painfully against her bra.

A low moan escaped from Quistis, snapping her out of her revelry. Tensing she pulled away from Seifer and whirled to face him.

"What do you think your doing, Seifer? You can't just..."

He cut her off, his hands reclaiming her waist as he pulled her forward and kissed her. Quistis opened her mouth to protest, but her former student slid his tongue between her lips and every thought in her head scattered. Hyne, she could taste him -- hesitantly, she returned the kiss and Seifer slowed his movements to match her inexperience.

He finally broke the kiss to catch his breath, his jade eyes a little wild. She clung to his arms, her knees felt like water and there wasn't one part of her body that wasn't trembling. In one fluid motion he picked her up and carried her to his hotel bed. His dark eyes were glazed, heated with passion and lust as he laid her against the cool sheets.

Quistis drew in a sharp breath as he bent over her and unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them off her legs slowly as inch after inch of pale flesh was exposed to him. She shivered as the warmth of her jeans left her, pulling her knees together.

Seifer had meanwhile pulled back removing his black T-shirt and unbuttoning his pants. Quistis could not take her eyes off of him as he revealed sculpted, toned muscles that flexed and rippled with every breath he took. Strong tanned thighs and legs stepped out of his black pants and finally he pulled down his boxers.

Quistis bit her lip unable to pull her sight away from Seifer's manhood, already stiff and aroused. All she wanted to do was put her hands on his erection, take him in her mouth, rub herself against him until she could feel him in her pores.

He leaned over her and slid his fingers underneath her shirt, pulling her tank top over her head to reveal her cotton bra, the outline of taut nipples pressed against the plain material. He reached behind her unfastening the bindings pulling it from her and grazed her bare breasts with his teeth. Quistis whimpered and arched against his mouth a throbbing ache traveling down the core of her body. Seifer leaned away his eyes traveling hungrily down her body finally coming to rest on the juncture between her thighs. He reached and pulled her underwear off and placed a hand one her knees. He opened her legs and laid himself between them.

Quistis could feel his erecting against her inner thigh but he made no move to enter her. She looked up at him, the question in her eyes.

"Am I your first, Instructer?" he asked, his voice tight with the control he was holding himself back with.

Her deep blush, evident even in the dark, was answer enough for him. An arrogant, cocky smile spread across his face as he bent and whispered in her ear.

"It's gonna hurt Quisty, but don't worry, it'll be quick."

And then her body ripped open as he buried himself inside her. She cried out as pain assailed her and gradually ebbed. He withdrew and cradled her head in his hands as he kissed her lightly on her jaw. She felt her body relax gradually as the heat of his kisses began to ignite her again.

She felt him thrust again but the pain was overridden by an intense pleasure as her body stretched to take in his large size. He was moving quicker with his thrusts and she began moaning each time he entered deeper. Beneath her fingers she could feel tension in his shoulders as if he were holding himself back, but the observation was banished as every conscious thought became focused on him moving within her body.

Suddenly she exploded. Her nails bit into his shoulders as she climaxed crying his name. He thrust into her again and she felt his shoulders bunch as he joined her.

--

She should get up. She had a train to catch if she was to get back to Garden on time for her class tomorrow morning. She slowly opened her eyes and peered at the man sleeping beside her, whose arm draped lazily around her waist.

Quistis rolled to the side of his bed quietly and picked up her jeans. Fishing around in the pockets she pulled out a cell phone and hit the speed dial.

"Hi. Xu?...Yeah just fine. I'm not going to be back tomorrow. Can you...um..." Quistis turned around and looked at the man snoring beside her. "I'm not sure, I have something to finish. Next week probably...thanks a million."

"Who was that?" asked a sleepy male voice beside her.

"My substitute for next week," she said crawling back into bed.

"Why do you need a substitute for next week?" he asked slitting open his jade eyes.

"Just wanted to catch up with my favorite student..." she said.

He closed his eyes and smirked. "What if your favorite student doesn't want to catch up?"

"Why do you think I carry a whip?"