AN: This is a squalphie. I've been reading some of them, and though most were for a contest and were based on the same elements, the couple intrigues me. I really like Squall with Selphie more than I like him with Rinoa, which surprised me a lot, because usually I favor Selphie with Zell. I really hope you guys will take the time to read this and try out this couple.

Selphie Tilmitt was on a mission. Her first true mission alone, actually. Representative Bailey of Timber had received several death threats lately, and Selphie was working undercover at Timber Maniacs to discover who the culprit was. Selphie's job was to investigate the town for anything suspicious as well as to hack into several different computer databases in order to trace where the threats had been sent from. The letter had been rerouted several times. Bailey had several SeeD bodyguards, all above rank ten, protecting him, so he should be perfectly safe, but it was preferred that the responsible party be caught before he made an attempt on the representative's life. Selphie was trying to do her absolute best on this important mission, and she had several leads. But a lot of the facts seemed to be pointing at the Forest Owls, who, as far as she knew, were no longer active. Also, they would have no reason to be against Bailey, as he had been fighting for all they had ever wanted. It didn't make sense.

It also didn't take a rocket scientist to know that the threats were most likely coming from a different city, though of course the assassin would come to Timber. All of the cities were in a political war, had been since the defeat of Ultimecia. Esthar wanted it's own Garden, Dollet wanted disarmament, Trabia and Balamb wanted to keep their Gardens but wanted Galbadia disarmed, Galbadia wanted an apology (who knew what they were thinking), and each and every other town and city had their own say in what was going on. And Timber? Timber agreed with Balamb and Trabia. All of this political 'disagreement' had been going on for a year now, and it was driving Squall crazy.

He was commander of Garden, of course-while Cid lazed away in the rebuilt orphanage with Matron-and he despised politics. Selphie thought, as much as he hated to admit it, that he was very much like Seifer in that respect. They were both true warriors at heart. Seifer had been pardoned, found to be under Ultimecia's control-except for the whole attacking the president thing, of course- and had become a SeeD. And then he had left. Where had he gone? No one knew. As soon as he had become a SeeD he had quit, though technically he wasn't allowed to do such a thing, and no one could say other wise 'cause he had completely vanished. But they knew he was alive, because there were always 'Seifer Sightings', as Selphie liked to call them. And by the time any one could investigate these sightings he had gone again.

Selphie knew that Quistis was sad about this. Whenever Seifer's name was mentioned she would become very quiet, and Selphie was certain that Quistis liked him a lot, though she would never admit it. Quistis had gotten over Squall, which was good because she was best friends with Rinoa now. She had also been reinstated as an instructor. It had been a year and Rinoa and Squall were still a couple, and he had opened up a bit. Everyone was making bets on how long it would be before he popped the question.

Zell was dating the library girl with the pigtail, no big surprise there, and Irvine? He was chasing girls all around Balamb when he wasn't on a mission. He was supposed to be dating Selphie, but since it had taken her a while to agree to see him, and they hadn't technically said they were dating exclusively, he thought it was okay to go out with other girls. Selphie wasn't seeing any other guys, so she had decided that when she got back to Garden she would give him an ultimatum. It was either her and only her, or not her at all. She wasn't even sure she honest to goodness liked him all that much more than a friend. She liked the attention he gave her, no one else gave her any attention (perhaps she was too plain and too short), but she couldn't see the relationship going much further, even if he did stop seeing other girls. She certainly couldn't see herself marrying him, or even, Hyne forbid, sleeping with him just for fun. She wasn't that kind of girl. Selphie was very naïve and childish about such matters and she knew it. But really, was it so childish to wait for the right guy, as well as her wedding night to sleep with someone? There was something so romantic and right about it…

Selphie sighed. Why was she even thinking about such matters? She had to concentrate on the mission at hand, not on her virginity. Sigh. Back to work!

* * *

Squall Leonhart was beyond pissed, beyond upset, but still his blank expression remained, causing both his girlfriend and best friend to wonder if he truly even had emotions.

Squall had just learned that ten minutes ago, five SeeDs had been brutally murdered, and the man they had been protecting had also been killed in the same violent manner. They had all been shot full of pulse ammo. D*** it!

Squall picked up the intercom and turned it on. "Attention, would Instructor Quistis Trepe please report to my office immediately," he said into it, "Instructor Quistis Trepe to my office now," he repeated, then shut the intercom off and looked to Rinoa and Zell. They were both staring at him nervously, but he still betrayed no emotion. Some things, Rinoa thought, would never change. Squall would never truly open up to anyone, not even her.

A minute later Quistis was knocking on his door, and with his permission she entered. "Sir," she said, saluting. Squall's eyes twitched as he saluted her back. "At ease. Quistis, you are to go to Timber with Zell and speak with the authorities there. Representative Bailey and the SeeDs that have been guarding him have been killed." Ignoring her shocked expression Squall turned to Zell. "Zell, you are to return with Selphie and she is to report immediately to me, understood?" Zell nodded. "Good. Dismissed."

Both Zell and Quistis saluted, to which he irritatingly did the same, and then they hurriedly left his office. When they were gone, Squall sighed and slumped forward in his seat. Rinoa went to him, placing her hands on his shoulders, massaging his tensed muscles. He relaxed under her touch, but still did not speak. It had been a year, and while he was still considerably more friendly and emotional than he had been, he was still his usual, gloomy, silent self she had first met. While Rinoa did take pride in the fact that he was more open with her than the others, she couldn't ignore the distance between them.

It had been a whirlwind romance, one that took them both by surprise. She had been naïve and carefree, and he had been mean and depressing. But they had fallen in love with each other. At least, she had fallen in love with him. Sometimes, she admitted, she doubted his feelings towards her. She knew that it had only been an accident that Squall had saved her from falling off of Garden while it was in mid-air, and he had been annoyed with her when he'd saved her from Edea. But he had carried her to Esthar when she'd fallen unconscious, and he'd gone after her in space, then again when she had left him, scared of her powers. And that first kiss… Rinoa smiled at the memory.

But the whirlwind had died out, plain and simple. Slowly, he'd begun smiling less and less so that she hadn't noticed it at first. But he'd still kiss her and hug her, and she wondered if those emotional acts were just, an act. He'd never spoken the words, either. He'd never said, 'I love you'. When she had finally said the words first, several months after Ultimecia, into his chest while she had hugged him, he had only grumbled something in reply that she hadn't understood. And she hadn't asked him to say it more clearly, and she hadn't said the words again. She was too scared of his reply. Did he love her? She often wondered. He was so distant, so very very distant. She thought that maybe, maybe, they'd never been in love at all. Maybe they had only thought they were. She was so confused. Wasn't love supposed to be sweet? Wasn't love supposed to be wonderful? She had to ask him, she had to know.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked timidly, moving out from behind him so that he could see her more clearly. Squall turned his head to look at her, frowning slightly.

"What is it Rinoa?"

She almost lost her resolve. "Squall, do you-do you love me?" Her words were soft.

Squall continued to look at her, still frowning. Did he love her? "Of course I do," he finally replied, then returned to his papers.

Rinoa took a step back. He'd said yes.

Tears filled her eyes. Another step back.

But he hadn't said the words.

AN: I know this is short; usually my chapters are about four pages long, average, in this font type and size on my comp, but I wanted to see if there would be anyone who would actually read this. There are like maybe six or seven squalphies at the most on this site, so I didn't want to waste my time writing a whole lot to have no interest in it whatsoever. So is there any interest? Should I continue? Let me know! REVIEW!