Disclaimer: I don't make money off of this, the characters belong to Square Soft… yada yada yada…
Squall's Birthday
As usual in Garden, students crowded the halls and scurried from class to class. Dr. Kadowaki shared a conversation with a group of students, giving them advice. Xu, Edea, and Headmaster Cid sat in their offices planning out SeeDs next mission. Everything was a normal day except for one thing…it was Squall's birthday.
"What are we going to do!?" Selphie wailed to the rest of the group in the quad, "It's his birthday today, and we still don't have a gift!"
Rinoa sat with her legs crossed and Quistis lightly cracked her whip in thought. The two boys on the other hand were in another world. Zell shadowboxed, and Irvine stared wide-eyed at the group of female students passing.
Whack!
Selphie slapped Irvine on the shoulder to get him out of his daze."What?" he asked totally oblivious.
Selphie narrowed her eyes and her cheeks puffed out.
Irvine smirked. He loved to get her mad. She was just so darn cute that way.
"Oh, Selphie, you know you're the only one for me," he soothed in his best charming voice.
"Hey, you guys," Rinoa caught their attention, "Whatever this gift is, let's make it have something to do with lions."
Zell stopped punching the air. "Yeah," he agreed holding up a fist, "We can make it some kind of jewelry that way we won't have to buy it. I can just make it."
"But what kind?" Quistis pointed out, "He already has an earring, a necklace, a ring, a key chain…"
"Wow," Irvine expressed in awe, "He has more jewelry than Rinoa."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked walking toward him with arms folded.
He held up his hands as if to surrender and backed up as she drew nearer. Suddenly, he hit the wall and Rinoa eyed him. Irvine smiled with hope not to get scratched to death like back in the Galbadian Prison. She let her arms dangle and clenched her fists. Instantly she let out a frustrated growl and stomped the ground.
"That's it!" Selphie exclaimed jumping up and clapping her hands.
"What's what?" Rinoa questioned confused.
"I know exactly what to get Squall!" she told them and they huddled together like a herd of football players.
"So here's the plan," she began.
***
Just great,
Squall thought walking down the hall, It's my birthday. He hated birthdays. He always felt that they attracted way too much attention. He loathed swarms of people gathering around urging him to open presents and blow out candles only to make a stupid wish. I can't wait for this day to over with. Then things can return back to normal…He entered the quad to find exactly what he expected; it totally decorated. Yellow streamers covered every inch of the walls, balloons suffocated the ceiling, and a table in the corner sat with huge vanilla frosted cake. Behind it stood his beloved friends, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, and even Seifer and his posse.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" they all shouted with little Selphie overbearing with jumping joy.
"Open your present," Quistis slightly ordered and handed the tiny wrapped box, "It's from all of us."
Squall slowly took it unsure of what they came up with. He told them it was his birthday last night. He had hoped for no presents, just a small cake.
He sighed and ripped off the pink wrapping paper with the little yellow happy birthday writing on it. He revealed a leather casing. Expensive…Were his thoughts, Now I owe them…
He excitedly opened the box with a smile, only to have it left with a wide-eyed shocked expression of are-you-insane amazement.
He removed the watch. The leather straps were a perfect shade of pitch black, but the watch face was entirely something else. It was it the shape of a cartoon lion like those in the Disney.
Squall was speechless.
"Yo, check out the alarm," Zell urged enthusiastically.
Squall obediently set it, and let it go off.
"Raaaaaaaaoooooorrrrr" it screeched in Rinoa's voice.
Squall not one for expressions, couldn't help but reveal a disgusted oh-my-god-what-are-you-thinking look.
"What do you think?" Rinoa asked leaning her hands on her knees with her head cocked.
"Uhh…" Squall tried to answer, "it's um…different."
Seifer let out a snicker, followed by a bellowing Rajin. Fujin quickly hit the laughing hyena in the shins. Rajin grabbed his leg and began to hop around in pain.
"Cake time!" Selphie yelled throwing a fist high in the air.
The group sat at the table and Irvine placed the cake in front of Squall. Zell clenched his eating utensils, mouth wide open and drooling.
"Don't slobber on the cake!" Quistis scolded, only to be drowned out by Selphie begging to sing Happy Birthday.
The group finished the song.
"Now make a wish!" Selphie shouted.
"Yeah," Irvine agreed with a smirk, "Wish for exotic beautiful women. More than one, so like you can share."
Squall shook his head. He couldn't understand how Irvine could be so obsessive over woman. They were all he thought about besides guns.
Squall blew out the candles and the cake was served. Everyone had a piece or two except for Zell who happily ate seven, and still going. Cake covered every inch of his lower face as he munched happily.
"Hey watch it," Irvine warned, "you don't want to choke like you did last time."
"Last time," Zell mumbled in between bites, "YOU didn't even bother to save me, instead you just taped it, while Selphie and Quistis pounded my back."
"I don't remember that," Squall stated.
"That's because, you puberty boy, were out on the balcony making out with Rinoa," Seifer remarked.
Rinoa giggled and dragged Squall by the arm. He narrowed his eyes in question, but she just led him to the balcony.
"Ya know Squall," she said mischievously, "you don't think we'd give you such a corny gift now would you?"
He just looked at her confused. She handed him another box.
He opened it to reveal another watch with the same black strap. Only this time with the clock face in the shape of a lion like the one on his necklace.
"Check the alarm!" shouted Selphie from the other room.
"Rooooooaaaaaaaaarrr!"
Squall couldn't help but laugh. It was still in Rinoa's voice.
"Sorry we couldn't do better," Quistis explained, "we didn't have time to find a recording of a lion so, we did the next best thing."
"I like it this way, better," Squall commented still marveling at the watch.
"Happy Birthday, Lion," Rinoa told him with a smirk.
Before he could say thanks Rinoa wrapped her arms around him and passionately kissed him. Everybody ooooed at the two as Squall smiled through red embarrassed cheeks.
Maybe birthdays aren't so bad after all.
He thought and turned to kiss her again.The end.
Author's Note: Okay I got bored. And this only took like ten minutes. What do you think? As for "The Eyes of the Lion". It accidentally got deleted so expect it around early September or Late August.