A/N: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, or any of the characters from that game.
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Balamb Garden was rooted in its usual spot near the sea, close to Balamb. The moon hung high in the sky overhead, giving the massive airship an aura of light and a long shadow. Next to the sea and nestled in the hills, the Garden looked serene. Gentle sounds reached the academy: rolling waves, a breeze through the grass, crickets making music. It was a peaceful night.
Most of the Garden was dark, people inside sleeping or at least in the process of trying to. Few people moved around the corridors, and most of them were late night security. Most students and SeeDs were in their dormitories, resting up for another long day of studying, classes, and odd jobs.
Not all SeeDs were asleep. One SeeD in particular was wide awake, with no intentions of sleeping. Up on the third floor, he was isolated and unaware of the time. It could have been twelve in the afternoon for all he knew.
His bedroom was dark, fitting the rest of Garden, but there was a small band of light coming from under the closed bathroom door. It did little to illuminate the spacious condominium. The curtains were drawn in every room, blocking out any moon or starlight. The condo was quiet, no sound heard from anywhere within. Everything seemed still, just as the sleeping Garden. Everything seemed as it should be for the late hour.
However, inside the well-lit bathroom, Squall Leonhart looked questioningly at his reflection in the mirror. Frowning, he poked his cheek. He let his finger linger on his pale face, relishing the cool feeling of skin on skin.
'Too fat...too round.' He thought, pinching the smooth, pale cheek roughly, digging in his fingernails. The skin quickly reddened under his touch. He turned his head to the side, giving himself a profile view. 'My neck is huge too. Look at all that fat hanging off...I'd better train some more tonight.' He grabbed the skin on his neck and jiggled it, making a noise of disgust in his throat. He let go with a definitive nod, eyes never leaving his body.
He turned his whole body to the side, taking in his full body in the tall mirror. Turning his gray eyes downward to continue the inspection of his body, he pinched his stomach. He forced himself to get a grip on the little excess flesh that was there.
"Disgusting." He voiced aloud, pinching so hard his skin began to violently color. "Everything about you is disgusting." With a horrified look, he turned away from the mirror, flicking the light switch angrily, and storming out of the bathroom, breaking the silence in the home. He grabbed a worn black hoodie and threw it over his head, maneuvering his unruly hair through the opening. A pair of gray workout pants was slipped on over his boxers. Grabbing Lionheart, his most prized possession, he quickly left his condo and made his way for the Training Center.
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