Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or anything that remotely relates/belongs to said game. Never have, never will.
Author's Note: Mog-Juice is the FF8 version of Kool-Aid. ;) Sorry about Death's Banquet but I am at a major writing block and can't seem to get passed it. I blame school. Anyway, here's my little ficlet in response to a challenge that I got. Enjoy.
Safety First
By Phoenix DeFuego
"I'm not wearing that," Squall stated firmly.
"Come on Squall! It's part of the rules!" Selphie whined pathetically. Squall's gray-blue eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"No," he replied with finality. Squall shifted his weight to one foot and folded his arms across his chest while glaring at the offensive object in Selphie's hands. Tears filled Selphie's emerald green eyes and her bottom lip began to quiver. Squall was not impressed.
"Ah, let him be Selphie. Maybe he'll get some sense knocked into him if one of those stones falls on his head!" Irvine laughed as he knocked on the bright yellow hardhat he was wearing. The glare that Squall shot at Irvine did not seem to faze the roguish cowboy in the least. Irvine threw off his tan duster and basked in the appreciative glances that Selphie sent his way before slinging a sledgehammer over his shoulder. With a coy wink Irvine sauntered towards the doomed fountain located at the end of the broken hallway. Squall rolled his eyes in disgust.
After the Second Sorceress War had ended Balamb Garden had agreed to assist in the effort to rebuild Trabia Garden. Naturally, Selphie was given the position of Labor Coordinator. At the moment, however, Squall thought that Hyperactive-Headache was a more appropriate title.
Giving up on the pity act, Selphie switched to angry mode and placed her fists on her hips with a venomous huff. The edges of Selphie's short brown hair seemed to curl even more than usual and her emerald eyes sparkled threateningly, promising great pain if she did not get her way.
Squall sighed in defeat.
"Safety first!" Selphie chirped happily as she thrust the yellow hardhat into Squall's hands. Squall gave her a murderous glare before stripping off his leather jacket and donned the stupid helmet. Although he felt incredibly dumb, the pleased gasp and starry-eyed look in Selphie's eyes made Squall feel a little better. Squall shouldered a sledgehammer and joined Irvine in demolishing the broken fountain.
Selphie continued to survey the work being done on the shattered gates, but every once in a while her green eyes wandered over to the fountain. An appreciative little smile would quirk her lips as she admired the way that Squall and Irvine moved as they hammered at the crumbling fountain. After about an hour of smashing the fountain, Irvine walked over to Selphie and wrapped his sweaty arms around her. Selphie wrinkled her nose and giggled as she pushed Irvine away.
"What, no kiss?" Irvine asked in mock pain.
"Eew, gross!" Selphie giggled and violently shook her head. Irvine chuckled at her antics; however, his mirth was soon replaced with a look of sad concern. "What is it?" Selphie knitted her delicate brows and tilted her head to the side. Irvine looked behind him and Selphie followed his worried gaze. Selphie bit her lip when she saw Squall attacking the fountain with desperate strokes. His muscles rippled beneath his pale skin, which glistened with sweat and his white shirt clung to him like a second skin.
Selphie touched Irvine's arm. His blue eyes turned to Selphie and he smiled his thanks when she nodded her head. Selphie went over to a folding table filled with little Styrofoam cups of Mog-Juice and picked one up before walking towards Squall. She had to shout his name three times before he heard Selphie calling him.
Squall removed the yellow helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead in one fluid motion. After setting the sledgehammer down Squall sat down on the edge of the crumbling fountain and gratefully accepted the drink offered to him. Selphie plopped down beside him and watched him expectantly as he gulped down the refreshing liquid.
Squall's brows furrowed and he asked, "Have I had this before?" Squall studied the half empty cup before looking up at Selphie quizzically.
"Yep!" Selphie giggled. "When all of us used to live at The Orphanage, Matron would make it for us after we'd been playing outside all day."
"That's right. She would always make oatmeal cookies and Mog-Juice every afternoon in the summer," Squall reminisced nostalgically.
"Matron's cookies were the best!" Selphie agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically.
"Zell and Seifer would always fight over the last cookie. Seifer always won," Squall chuckled.
Selphie giggled and replied, "Yeah. But, you would always split yours with Zell…"
"Yeah," Squall said in a hushed tone. Selphie turned to Squall's profile and felt concerned when she saw the look on his face. Squall was staring with glazed eyes at the cup clutched in his sweaty hands, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Selphie felt his muscles tense when she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, but Squall forced himself to relax. Why was it so hard for him to relax around people? Selphie was his friend wasn't she? He could talk to her right?
"Squall, what's bothering you?" Selphie asked softly. Squall sighed and Selphie patiently waited as he collected his thoughts.
Not looking up from his cup Squall replied, "Rinoa and I had a fight." Selphie's eyes went wide with surprise, but she quickly covered it up with a look of understanding and she quietly waited for Squall to continue. "She was angry and said I was hiding from her by burring myself in work. I got mad and said things that I shouldn't have. Things I didn't mean."
"It's not your fault Squall–"
"No," Squall interrupted her. "She's right. I don't have to work like I do. It's just… What if she goes away?" Squall looked up at the gray sky and whispered desperately, "What if she's taken from me?" Selphie wrapped her arms around his damp torso and rested her head on his shoulder, the smell of cotton and Squall flooding her senses.
"Squall, nobody can see the future. All we can do is live in the here and now, and be grateful that we have people who care about us," Selphie softly reassured him. Squall's eyes slid shut and a small smile graced his thin lips. He hesitantly wrapped an arm about Selphie's slender waist and hugged the tiny brunette closer to him.
Squall looked down at the small girl next to him and whispered, "Thank you Selphie."
Selphie looked up at him with shining green eyes and replied, "You're welcome." Sensing Squall's uneasiness at their closeness Selphie gently withdrew from his embrace and stood up, arching her back and lifting her hands above her head in a big stretch. Changing subjects, Selphie twirled around and asked cheerfully, "So, what do you think the new fountain should be?"
Squall seemed to think about her question for a few moments before replying, "Leviathan."
"That's a great idea!" Selphie shouted cheerfully. "Leviathan's the GF of water so it makes perfect sense that we make a fountain out of it!" she exclaimed while hopping up and down on the balls of her feet.
Squall nodded his head and said while standing up, "It also serves as a reminder that we shouldn't worry about the future so much and that we should be more willing to go with the flow." Selphie smiled brightly and winked as she gave Squall the victory sign. Squall gave her a lopsided grin before draining the rest of his juice and started to walk away.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Selphie shouted indignantly, her hands on her hips.
"I need to go talk to someone," Squall replied over his shoulder.
"But you aren't finished smashing the fountain!" Selphie screeched.
"Whatever." Selphie just stood there and smiled as she watched Squall walk towards Balamb Garden.