His breath could be seen in the wintry air. His gun's magazine half- empty,
his kevlar vest riddled with various calibres of ammunition and his hair a
filthy mess. He stood over the body of an enemy he had defeated in combat.
It was unusually quiet…
The voice of a comrade burst over the radio: "Man down, man down, need backup!"
"Damnit" he thought to himself. "We've been spotted…"
He rushed along the surface of a building, attempting to insert a fresh magazine into his rifle, while running at the same time. He barely had it back in, when another voice boomed over, more serious…"Man down, need some backup Now!"
"This ain't good" ran through his head. He had to save his comrades before it was too late. He dashed down the side, through open an emergency door, and barreled down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he paused for a moment, to catch his breath. Removing a flash bang from his belt, he pulled the pin, counted to three, and opened the door slightly, enough to push it through, and shut the door.
The flashbang detonated, a blinding flash could be seen under the crack of the door, which was the signal to get in there. With the man's submachine gun in both hands, he busted open the door. But as soon as he made his way into the hallway, a gunshot was heard, as the round from a sniper rifle dug into the man's head, the body falling to the body limp as a Raggedy Ann doll. The man was dead…
"Daaaamn Irvine, you're really bad at this!" Zell proclaimed, setting aside a can of cola.
Slightly frustrated, he responded…"I don't care if this is the best SeeD simulation on the market, you can't kill a man with a controller!"
"Ah lighten up man, I had trouble with that level too." Zell proclaimed, taking another sip of his drink
It was Zell's dormitory at Balamb Garden. Zell had invited over Irvine, being the resident firearm expert of the bunch, to test-try the computer game "SeeD Special Forces – Rebel Blade". Zell and Irvine had become better friends recently, seeing as Squall was usually either off on assignment, on a date with Rinoa, or sometimes both. Which left the two of them to do whatever they wanted.
"Is it true they even made a level out of Balamb Garden?" Irvine asked. God knows he couldn't possibly lose that level. He'd been over nearly every square inch of the place; he knew where a bad guy could hide.
Zell nodded. "Operation Dove Flight. Supposed to free the hostages being kept in the Training Zone, namely the Headmaster and a few SeeD cadets."
Irvine tossed his hat aside onto the floor…"Interesting. Any memorable appearances?"
Zell pointed to something else on the screen. A photograph of Irvine inside the game…"They put you in as a sniper. They did after all buy some authenticity rights, and they wanted to put some of the best SeeDs in as bonus people."
There was a knock at the front door.
Zell got up, which caused Irvine to steal the computer chair. "I ordered a pizza, hang on a sec."
He went to the door, peeked through the peep-hole, and stepped back a second…"What's he doing here?"
Irvine looked left to check…"Who's 'He'?"
Zell opened up the door to reveal Squall at the doorway. The two of them walked inside the room, and sat on Zell's bed, while Irvine remained in the chair…"Wassap man?" Zell remarked.
Squall shrugged…"You guys busy tonight?"
Both Irvine and Zell shook their heads.
"I was just gonna stay here and play the game until I fell asleep…"
"So was I" Irvine added
Squall nodded at that…"Well, can I interest you two in something?"
Zell shrugged…"Like what?"
"Well…" Squall started…"Rinoa and I wanted to set up the gang up on blind dates. You two, Selphie and Quistis…"
Irvine's eyes gleamed…"Who'd we be dating?" Irvine never passed up the opportunity to go out with someone. Zell seemed pretty interested too.
Squall smirked…"That kinda defeats the purpose of it being a blind date."
Irvine nodded…"Well, where do we meet everyone?"
Squall got up to leave…"Seven at the front gates, we'll be there."
Just as he was about to head out the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and guys? Dress nice." With that said, Squall shut the door behind him, and left.
Irvine got out of the computer chair, and picked up a can of soda and his hat from the floor. "Well, if it's in two hours, I have to go get myself ready."
"Two hours early?" Zell raised a brow…"What are you gonna do? Call up every woman in the Garden and ask if they're your date?"
Irvine shook his head. "Like Squall said, that would defeat the purpose. And I do a lot more than you think…"
He took his leather trenchcoat, and took his leave as well…
Zell was making his way towards Irvine's dorm, at around quarter to seven. He did actually try to dress nice, although the suit screamed the word "Budget". He wore a pair of jeans, a light blue shirt, black tie, a red vest he had borrowed from Headmaster Cid, and a blue polyester jacket, that couldn't have cost him more than ten bucks (bucks, gil, whatever). He knocked on Irvine's door, then let himself in.
Irvine was in the center of the room, his hair not in a ponytail just yet. He was wearing a pair of beige pants, his leather boots, a pink shirt, and the string tie thing that all Texan people wore. His hat and his jacket rested on his bed, neatly laid out.
"So man…" Zell started…"You got any idea who Squall and Rinoa had in mind? It couldn't be Selphie and Quistis…"
"Yeah I know…" Irvine responded, trying to get his hair into a ponytail. "It'd be way too obvious. Maybe we'll catch a train to Galbadia Garden, perhaps he's found someone there who wants a blind date."
Zell nodded. "I dunno. Would Squall have made us come for seven to take a train all that way? It'd be about nine when we got there…"
"You do have a point there…" Satisfied his hair was just about right, he then picked up the jacket from the bed, and slipped it on, letting it hang open, to reveal his belt, which had a sniper's crosshair engraved into it.
Zell eyed the belt…"Man, how do you afford these things?"
Irvine placed his hat on his head…"Bought it with my paycheck back when I was a level five. Not all of us spend our money on gaming equipment" He checked his watch. Ten to. "We ought to get going now, we don't want to be late."
They both walked out of the dorm a moment later. Irvine locked the door, and they were both on their way to the front entrance…
"What could be keeping those two?" Rinoa blurted out as the four of them waited by the curb, awaiting both Zell and Irvine, and also the Limo Rinoa's father had arranged for. Rinoa was wearing a familiar white dress; Squall was wearing a white-jacket tuxedo. Selphie was wearing a mangled, yet elegant version of her yellow dress, and Quistis was wearing a red dress with a slit down the left leg, which almost looked too pretty for her.
Squall shrugged…"We're talking about Irvine and Zell here. They'd be late to their own funerals."
Selphie put her hands on her hands on her hips…"Oh be nice you. Maybe they want to make an entrance or something."
They indeed, were making an intro. Zell appeared on one side of the staircase, riding down the banister with his board, while Irvine rode down the opposite banister on his rear end, which thankfully didn't ruin his suit. And as usual, Zell's board was confiscated the moment he reached the ground. The both of then walked to the others.
"We late?" Zell asked. Quistis looked at him funny, thinking "Nice entrance…"
Squall shook his head. "Not legally, but you kept us waiting."
Irvine did a little pose, tipping his hat up slightly…"You can't rush art my friend…"
Zell nodded…"Er…yeah, I was making art too…I think"
The females giggled.
A white limousine pulled up to the curb; the chauffeur held open the back door to allow the party to enter…
Squall waited for everyone else to get in before he did. He stopped Zell on his way in, and looked to his attire…"Thanks for dressing up…"
Zell smirked, and gestured towards Irvine…"Hey, if I saw myself in clothes like those, I'd have to kick my own ass!"
"Niiiiice interior" Irvine thought to himself. Quite an odd placement of people. Rinoa and Squall were of course siting with each other. But Zell was sitting next to Quistis, and he next to Selphie. He wasn't going to ask just yet…
"So…" Zell blurted out to break the silence…"What's the plan Stan?"
Rinoa let Squall answer…"Well, we're going to see a movie at the cinema, and then we're going to drive out to the beach, and just relax with our dates."
Irvine nodded…"Who exactly are the dates, anyway?"
Selphie poked Irvine, and smiled at him when he shifted his glance to her. His eyes went wide, then he turned back to Squall…"You're kidding!"
Rinoa shook her head…"What did you think were going to do? Take a train over to Galbadia Garden?"
Irvine smiled…he was gonna like tonight…"Thought had occurred to us…" He then turned his glance to Selphie, who seemed pretty happy with the arrangement.
Zell was still a bit in shock, having figured out that Quistis'd be his date. He looked to her…"You…and me, on a date?"
Quistis nodded…"What's wrong with that?" She was puzzled…she was a SeeD, just like him. And she rather liked his carefree happy-go-lucky attitude towards life.
Zell shook his head…he tried to act a bit about the situation Irvine would, seeing as Irvine let him read some of the rough drafts for a dating tips book he was putting together…"Er, nothing…Just the thought of dating my old teacher…just its…"
Quistis placed her hand in his…"Can you forget about that?" She didn't want her former position of authority to intimidate her date.
Zell grinned…"Forget what?"
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief, and rested her head on his shoulder…
Their limosine drove down the winding roads until they reached Balamb City, which was the former township of Balamb until it simply became too populated and comercialised to be called a town. The limo parked on a curb, as the driver exited the car, walked over to the back left door, and held it open for the group to exit. Selphie jumped out first, who was followed by Irvine, almost as enthousiastic as she was about the date. Zell dove out of the car, and did a little mock pose as Quistis exited the car after him, eager to spend some time with him. The two masterminds exited the car last, hand in hand…
Squall checked his watch, then looked to the other four…"Okay, it's quarter after seven, you guys have 45 minutes to mill around before the movie starts. Don't be late guys!"
Selphie immediately dashed down the street, as the suited Irvine did his best to keep the pace after her. Quistis forced her hand into Zell's and allowed him to hopefully steer her somewhere more romantic than say, a hotdog stand. And Rinoa rested her head on Squall's shoulder…
"Oh Squall, was it a good idea to set them up with each other?"
Squall lay his head atop Rinoa's, and patted her arm with the arm he had around her…"Yes, it was…now lets go find one of those lifeboats…"
"How many do you want Quisty?" Zell asked as he looked over his shoulder…
Quistis shook her head…"None for me thanks…" She wasn't exactly very happy…Zell, as predicted, had dragged the former SeeD instructor to a hotdog stand. She buried her face in her arms, sitting in a chair on a local restaurant's patio. This wasn't the romantic and fun trip that Rinoa had promised her…
Zell returned to the table with a plate containing four hotdogs. One had ketchup, one had nothing, one was a chili dog, and the last was a corndog. He placed the plate on the table, and perhaps the only remotely romantic thing he had remembered from Irivne's lecturing: A bottle of Bollinger '92. Setting the corkscrew and two champagne glasses next to it, he threw a puzzled look over to Quistis…"What's wrong Quisty?"
She looked up at Zell, trying not to appear as unhappy as she really was…"Oh…nothing, really…"
He smirked at Quistis, and pushed a paper plate with the plain hotdog on it towards her…"Here, have a hotdog!"
She shook her head, eyeing the food…"No, it's okay…"
Zell kept a grin on his face…"Aw c'mon. Hotdogs always cheer me up when I'm down. Now eat it, okay?"
She shrugged, and slipped the hotdog into her slender hand. Raising it to her mouth, she let her teeth chomp down on the hotdog, chewing on it quietly. She actually smiled. Her mouth half-full, she replied…"Hey, these are actually pretty good!"
Zell nodded at that. "Do I lie?" He picked up the bottle and the corkscrew, and being the non-drinker that he was, tried to remove the cork, with success. He poured the wine into the two glasses, and pushed one towards Quistis. He held up his glass, for a toast…"To hotdogs! The ultimate cheerer-upper…thingy!"
Quistis's smile grew with size, as she raised her glass to toast Zell. Both of them took a swig after the toast, and set their glasses down on the table. Quistis got up, moved to a chair next to Zell, and rested her head on his shoulder…
Irvine, who had by far, much more romantic experience than Zell, had brought Selphie to the dockyard, at the end of one pier, to gaze at the sunset, and maybe score a few more points with her. She was dangling her feet over the edge of the dock, sitting down on the edge, as Irvine was sitting down next to her in a similar fashion. He tried the best set of pick-up lines he knew…
"Did it hurt?" Irvine asked Selphie
Selphie's face grew puzzled…"Did…what hurt?"
Irvine smiled…"Why, falling from heaven to the earth below?"
Selphie smiled, and giggled somewhat. The famous pick-up line…
Irvine continued…"Is that an astronaut dress? Cause your butt's out of this world!"
Selphie covered her mouth to keep from bursting out in laughter…
Irvine held his hand on his forehead, and looked away…"Now, someone needs to call the police, because this girl just stole my heart…" He turned his glance back to Selphie, who was nothing but smiles.
"I stole your heart!" She giggled out. She narrowed her eyes, and spoke in a playful tone of voice…"And what do you have to do to get it back?"
Irvine smirked, and shrugged…"I dunno, you tell me Miss Ebil Terrorist!"
Selphie hopped up in Irvine's lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck…"Dun let meh fall!"
Zell and Quistis had arrived at the theatre first, but they were quickly joined by Selphie and Irvine. Both couples seemed pretty happy. Irvine checked his watch. It was five to.
"What could be keeping them?" Irvine thought out loud
Sure enough, Rinoa and Squall could be seen walking down the street, hand in hand. When they arrived, Zell threw Squall a weird look…"Man, your shirt's not tucked in…
Squall looked down. Sure enough, it wasn't. He quickly stuffed the shirt into his pants, and buttoned up his tuxedo.
Quistis, who was all nestled in Zell's arms, looked over to Rinoa…"Which movie are we seeing?"
Rinoa pointed to one of the movies on the billboard…"Midgar Forces One. With Sean Brosnan and Matt O'Toole as the lead roles."
Squall nodded…"Wasn't he Paul Millander on CSI?"
Zell, the local TV mastermind, nodded…"Yeah. Come on, lets get in!"
And they did so…
The three couples each sat in a different row, as the movie had been there a while, the cinema wasn't that packed. Irvine and Selphie sat way back, Rinoa and Squall sat in a middle row, and Zell and Quistis sat up front. Irvine and Selphie shared a large coke and a bag of popcorn, Rinoa and Squall had some gummy candies, and Zell and Quistis had surprise surprise! Hotdogs! Zell's like a bad cold or something…
The movie roared to life, the opening credits showing to the tune of U2's "Beautiful Day", before fading away to the Slums of Sector Seven…
A couple entered the theatre considerably late, as they sat just in front of Rinoa and Squall. The female's odd headdress seemed to block Rinoa's vision of the screen…
"Squall?" Rinoa started…"Ask them to move elsewhere, please?"
Squall tapped the male on the shoulder…"Excuse me, sir?"
The man turned around…"Hello chickenwuss…"
"Seifer?" both Rinoa and Squall explained in surprise.
"Yeah, it's me. What the hell do you want? Me and my babe are trying to watch the movie!"
"I just wanted you and Edea to move so Rinoa could see-"
"I paid good money to sit us wherever the hell I wanted"
"Seifer, don't make me ask you again!"
"Do you wanna go?"
Both couples headed for the exit…
Back at the end with Irvine and Selphie, having watched the first action sequence of the movie, Selphie was already clinging to Irvine, scared out of her mind. She burried her face in his chest, leaving Irvine to "Protect" her…
"I'm scared Irvy!"
Irvine patted her on the back…"It's okay…nothing's gonna happen to you…you got Irvine the Great to protect you!"
Selphie nodded, not minding their shared position…"Protect meee!"
Irvine shrugged, but kept watching the movie…"With your pretty face down there, you're missing a good movie!"
Selphie giggled…"That's mah idea!"
Irvine blushed…
Back up front, both Quistis and Zell seemed to be enjoying both the movie, and their hotdogs. Zell had already scarfed down his two, and Quistis was sharing half of her one with him…
"Good movie so far Quisty? Er…can I call you Quisty?"
Quistis nodded…"It's pretty good, and sure!"
In the movie, the head terrorist Vincent, played by Matt O'Toole, was speaking to his set of hostages, when the President's Advisor stepped up to plead with him. It looked like his plan was working, until Vincent raised his gun and shot the man in the head. Quistis jolted, and quickly clinged to Zell, having not expected that. Zell just patted her on the head and smiled…"Relax…it's just a movie…it's not THAT scary! It takes more than that to scare me!"
Quistis looked up…"We're out of hotdogs…"
Zell screamed.
But then he quieted down, hearing something outside besides the movie…"Do you hear sirens?"
Irvine yelled down to Zell…"Dude, that's an ambulance siren man!"
All four people scambled out the same exit that Squall and Seifer took…
There was infact, an ambulance outside. Both Rinoa and Edea were standing side-by-side, apparently not pleased with their boys, who were being carted off back to Balamb Garden's Infirmary. Rinoa sighed, and looked to Edea…"This isn't how I had this evening planned…I'm sorry about Seifer…"
Edea just shook her head…"Ah relax girl. It's not like he didn't have it coming anyway."
Edea and Rinoa turned to confront the other four…Zell was the first person to speak up…"What the heck happened?"
Edea decided to answer…"Seifer's Bahamut summon went out of control…"
Rinoa nodded at that…"I know this evening hasn't gone as we had planned it, but you guys can still wander around the city like we had planned. Be back here around ten?"
Zell and Irvine nodded, Irvine speaking…"No probono, we'll have our lovely escorts…" He smiled down on Selphie, they were linked arm in arm…"Back in time!"
Selphie suddenly broke free of the grasp, and started to drag Irvine towards an arcade. Zell and Quistis, hand in hand, walked past Rinoa and Edea, but Rinoa stopped Quistis to whisper into her ear…"How is Zell?"
Quistis whispered back…"He's a perfect gentleman!"
Rinoa just stood there and scratched the back of her head as Quistis planted a little peck on Zell's cheek. Zell looked to Quistis…"I think I know a nice place. C'mon!"
The two walked off, leaving Edea and Rinoa to sit on the curb, to think of what fate had in store for their men…Rinoa looked to Edea…"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked you to move…"
Edea shrugged…"Ah relax, you couldn't have seen past me if your life depended on it. Seifer's just so full of himself, isn't he?"
Rinoa sat there for a second, wondering about what to say in response. She then nodded slowly…"Yeah, I guess. Squall doesn't get along well with him…"
Edea started fiddeling with her handbag…"Yeah, I know. Seifer's a loose cannon, and Squall's just so professional. They're like a match and a stick of dynamite!"
Rinoa cracked a small grin…"Squall's way too quiet. I had the hardest time convincing him to go out with me. Isn't the guy supposed to be doing that? If not for Irvine, he'd be about as romantic as an eggplant!"
Edea laughed a little, having retrieved her lipstick…"Yeah…that Seifer's a piece of work…he's great. He can go for hours…I just wish he had a bigger…you know, thing." She started to shorten the lipstick…
Rinoa's jaw dropped, but there was a smile in it…
Edea showed her the lipstick…"It's like this big…no wait…" She shortened it about another centimetre…"This big!" She then started to apply the lipstick…Rinoa burst out laughing. The two continued to share gossip about their boyfriends…
Selphie had dragged Irvine down to the shooting gallery of a local carnival midway, where Irvine was showing off his skills. The person running the event was sweating profusely…he could very well clean him out of stuff!
Selphie's smile broadened more with each precise shot Irvine fired off. He sure was one heck of a shot! She dreamed about her and the shotgun- swinging cowboy, her thoughts leaving the uh…un-censored areas…
The owner pleaded with Irvine…"Please! No more, just take anything you want!"
Irvine shrugged, and handed the rifle back to the owner. He turned to Selphie…"Which one do you want?"
Selphie put a finger to her lips, looking at all the stuffed animals…her eyes rested on a stuffed Mog plushie, which was about three feet tall..."Ooo! I want the Moogle!"
The keeper smiled, finally able to get rid of the two, and handed Selphie the stuffed animal she wanted. Selphie giggled with glee, and hugged Irvine as tightly as she could…"I wuv you!"
Irvine's eyed popped out of his head for a second, but he tried to remain calm and cool…"You…love me?"
Selphie nodded…"Sure do huneykins!"
Irvine smiled…he looked down on Selphie…"Can you excuse me for just a sec?"
Selphie nodded, as Irvine walked away and behind another attraction. She could hear him yelling out with glee…
Zell had brought Quistis to the town square, which had a lovely fountain with a statuette of Balamb Garden in the center. The two were sitting on a bench, Quistis's head lying on Zell's shoulder. He smiled…thinking he and Quistis would be great friends now…
"…So yeah, that's how you boil a hotdog…" Zell was droning on and on about hotdogs. And surprising enough, Quistis was listening in on each word he said…
"Mhmm…I can do that sometime in my dorm…" Quistis murmered, rubbing up gently to Zell's neck…
Zell was sweating somewhat, performing only guess work…"So..er…Quisty…how's your night?"
Her eyes still closed, she gently rested her head on his shoulder once more, her blonde hair shining in the moonlight…"It's wonderful Zell…I couldn't have hoped for more…"
Zell smiled…well, at least he didn't have to worry about the stuff that had already happened…
"Zell…I…" She raised her head, and opened her eyes. She gazed into Zell's eyes…In a soft and gentle voice, she spoke to him…"Zell…I love you…"
Zell raised both brows. Did she just say what he thought she just said? Still shocked, he spoke back…"But…why me?"
She closed her eyes, and looked down…"When they took away my instructor rank and made me a SeeD again, I was so devastated. They were right…I had no leadership qualities. I was so sad…but then I met you…I liked your funny and carefree attitude…it's something I wish I had myself…I wanted to express my feelings for you, but I never had the courage…"
Zell blinked a few times…his face was blank…
"…When Rinoa told me about this date, I just knew it had to be you. I couldn't have been wrong about something so serious. And when I found out I was right, I promised myself that by the end of the evening, I would tell you how I felt…Zell…I love you…" Her eyes were welled up with tears of joy…
Zell tilted his head slightly…"…Quistis…I think I love you too…"
Their faces slowly joined, as they enjoyed love's first kiss…
Rinoa and Edea were enjoying their extensive session of girl talk, not once getting bored…
"…and he said he didn't want to be talked about in the past tense! How paranoid is that?" Rinoa blurted out, laughing. She had never had so much fun!
A waiter with a tray of two glasses walked up to the two…"Another round ladies?"
Edea nodded, and the both of them grabbed a glass…"Charge it to my boyfriend's credit card!"
The waiter walked off…
Rinoa and Edea enjoyed a toast, as they spotted the two couples on the horizon…Rinoa waved to them…"Heeey!"
They all waved back, eventually arriving on the curb with them, the limo arriving only a minute after…
The chauffeur let the two happy couples in first, as Edea and Rinoa entered last.
Inside, everyone but Rinoa stared at Edea, wondering what she was doing there…
Edea decided to break the ice…"Fifty bucks says Squall and Seifer are duking it out in the infirmary with needles!"
Top of Form 3
The voice of a comrade burst over the radio: "Man down, man down, need backup!"
"Damnit" he thought to himself. "We've been spotted…"
He rushed along the surface of a building, attempting to insert a fresh magazine into his rifle, while running at the same time. He barely had it back in, when another voice boomed over, more serious…"Man down, need some backup Now!"
"This ain't good" ran through his head. He had to save his comrades before it was too late. He dashed down the side, through open an emergency door, and barreled down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he paused for a moment, to catch his breath. Removing a flash bang from his belt, he pulled the pin, counted to three, and opened the door slightly, enough to push it through, and shut the door.
The flashbang detonated, a blinding flash could be seen under the crack of the door, which was the signal to get in there. With the man's submachine gun in both hands, he busted open the door. But as soon as he made his way into the hallway, a gunshot was heard, as the round from a sniper rifle dug into the man's head, the body falling to the body limp as a Raggedy Ann doll. The man was dead…
"Daaaamn Irvine, you're really bad at this!" Zell proclaimed, setting aside a can of cola.
Slightly frustrated, he responded…"I don't care if this is the best SeeD simulation on the market, you can't kill a man with a controller!"
"Ah lighten up man, I had trouble with that level too." Zell proclaimed, taking another sip of his drink
It was Zell's dormitory at Balamb Garden. Zell had invited over Irvine, being the resident firearm expert of the bunch, to test-try the computer game "SeeD Special Forces – Rebel Blade". Zell and Irvine had become better friends recently, seeing as Squall was usually either off on assignment, on a date with Rinoa, or sometimes both. Which left the two of them to do whatever they wanted.
"Is it true they even made a level out of Balamb Garden?" Irvine asked. God knows he couldn't possibly lose that level. He'd been over nearly every square inch of the place; he knew where a bad guy could hide.
Zell nodded. "Operation Dove Flight. Supposed to free the hostages being kept in the Training Zone, namely the Headmaster and a few SeeD cadets."
Irvine tossed his hat aside onto the floor…"Interesting. Any memorable appearances?"
Zell pointed to something else on the screen. A photograph of Irvine inside the game…"They put you in as a sniper. They did after all buy some authenticity rights, and they wanted to put some of the best SeeDs in as bonus people."
There was a knock at the front door.
Zell got up, which caused Irvine to steal the computer chair. "I ordered a pizza, hang on a sec."
He went to the door, peeked through the peep-hole, and stepped back a second…"What's he doing here?"
Irvine looked left to check…"Who's 'He'?"
Zell opened up the door to reveal Squall at the doorway. The two of them walked inside the room, and sat on Zell's bed, while Irvine remained in the chair…"Wassap man?" Zell remarked.
Squall shrugged…"You guys busy tonight?"
Both Irvine and Zell shook their heads.
"I was just gonna stay here and play the game until I fell asleep…"
"So was I" Irvine added
Squall nodded at that…"Well, can I interest you two in something?"
Zell shrugged…"Like what?"
"Well…" Squall started…"Rinoa and I wanted to set up the gang up on blind dates. You two, Selphie and Quistis…"
Irvine's eyes gleamed…"Who'd we be dating?" Irvine never passed up the opportunity to go out with someone. Zell seemed pretty interested too.
Squall smirked…"That kinda defeats the purpose of it being a blind date."
Irvine nodded…"Well, where do we meet everyone?"
Squall got up to leave…"Seven at the front gates, we'll be there."
Just as he was about to head out the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and guys? Dress nice." With that said, Squall shut the door behind him, and left.
Irvine got out of the computer chair, and picked up a can of soda and his hat from the floor. "Well, if it's in two hours, I have to go get myself ready."
"Two hours early?" Zell raised a brow…"What are you gonna do? Call up every woman in the Garden and ask if they're your date?"
Irvine shook his head. "Like Squall said, that would defeat the purpose. And I do a lot more than you think…"
He took his leather trenchcoat, and took his leave as well…
Zell was making his way towards Irvine's dorm, at around quarter to seven. He did actually try to dress nice, although the suit screamed the word "Budget". He wore a pair of jeans, a light blue shirt, black tie, a red vest he had borrowed from Headmaster Cid, and a blue polyester jacket, that couldn't have cost him more than ten bucks (bucks, gil, whatever). He knocked on Irvine's door, then let himself in.
Irvine was in the center of the room, his hair not in a ponytail just yet. He was wearing a pair of beige pants, his leather boots, a pink shirt, and the string tie thing that all Texan people wore. His hat and his jacket rested on his bed, neatly laid out.
"So man…" Zell started…"You got any idea who Squall and Rinoa had in mind? It couldn't be Selphie and Quistis…"
"Yeah I know…" Irvine responded, trying to get his hair into a ponytail. "It'd be way too obvious. Maybe we'll catch a train to Galbadia Garden, perhaps he's found someone there who wants a blind date."
Zell nodded. "I dunno. Would Squall have made us come for seven to take a train all that way? It'd be about nine when we got there…"
"You do have a point there…" Satisfied his hair was just about right, he then picked up the jacket from the bed, and slipped it on, letting it hang open, to reveal his belt, which had a sniper's crosshair engraved into it.
Zell eyed the belt…"Man, how do you afford these things?"
Irvine placed his hat on his head…"Bought it with my paycheck back when I was a level five. Not all of us spend our money on gaming equipment" He checked his watch. Ten to. "We ought to get going now, we don't want to be late."
They both walked out of the dorm a moment later. Irvine locked the door, and they were both on their way to the front entrance…
"What could be keeping those two?" Rinoa blurted out as the four of them waited by the curb, awaiting both Zell and Irvine, and also the Limo Rinoa's father had arranged for. Rinoa was wearing a familiar white dress; Squall was wearing a white-jacket tuxedo. Selphie was wearing a mangled, yet elegant version of her yellow dress, and Quistis was wearing a red dress with a slit down the left leg, which almost looked too pretty for her.
Squall shrugged…"We're talking about Irvine and Zell here. They'd be late to their own funerals."
Selphie put her hands on her hands on her hips…"Oh be nice you. Maybe they want to make an entrance or something."
They indeed, were making an intro. Zell appeared on one side of the staircase, riding down the banister with his board, while Irvine rode down the opposite banister on his rear end, which thankfully didn't ruin his suit. And as usual, Zell's board was confiscated the moment he reached the ground. The both of then walked to the others.
"We late?" Zell asked. Quistis looked at him funny, thinking "Nice entrance…"
Squall shook his head. "Not legally, but you kept us waiting."
Irvine did a little pose, tipping his hat up slightly…"You can't rush art my friend…"
Zell nodded…"Er…yeah, I was making art too…I think"
The females giggled.
A white limousine pulled up to the curb; the chauffeur held open the back door to allow the party to enter…
Squall waited for everyone else to get in before he did. He stopped Zell on his way in, and looked to his attire…"Thanks for dressing up…"
Zell smirked, and gestured towards Irvine…"Hey, if I saw myself in clothes like those, I'd have to kick my own ass!"
"Niiiiice interior" Irvine thought to himself. Quite an odd placement of people. Rinoa and Squall were of course siting with each other. But Zell was sitting next to Quistis, and he next to Selphie. He wasn't going to ask just yet…
"So…" Zell blurted out to break the silence…"What's the plan Stan?"
Rinoa let Squall answer…"Well, we're going to see a movie at the cinema, and then we're going to drive out to the beach, and just relax with our dates."
Irvine nodded…"Who exactly are the dates, anyway?"
Selphie poked Irvine, and smiled at him when he shifted his glance to her. His eyes went wide, then he turned back to Squall…"You're kidding!"
Rinoa shook her head…"What did you think were going to do? Take a train over to Galbadia Garden?"
Irvine smiled…he was gonna like tonight…"Thought had occurred to us…" He then turned his glance to Selphie, who seemed pretty happy with the arrangement.
Zell was still a bit in shock, having figured out that Quistis'd be his date. He looked to her…"You…and me, on a date?"
Quistis nodded…"What's wrong with that?" She was puzzled…she was a SeeD, just like him. And she rather liked his carefree happy-go-lucky attitude towards life.
Zell shook his head…he tried to act a bit about the situation Irvine would, seeing as Irvine let him read some of the rough drafts for a dating tips book he was putting together…"Er, nothing…Just the thought of dating my old teacher…just its…"
Quistis placed her hand in his…"Can you forget about that?" She didn't want her former position of authority to intimidate her date.
Zell grinned…"Forget what?"
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief, and rested her head on his shoulder…
Their limosine drove down the winding roads until they reached Balamb City, which was the former township of Balamb until it simply became too populated and comercialised to be called a town. The limo parked on a curb, as the driver exited the car, walked over to the back left door, and held it open for the group to exit. Selphie jumped out first, who was followed by Irvine, almost as enthousiastic as she was about the date. Zell dove out of the car, and did a little mock pose as Quistis exited the car after him, eager to spend some time with him. The two masterminds exited the car last, hand in hand…
Squall checked his watch, then looked to the other four…"Okay, it's quarter after seven, you guys have 45 minutes to mill around before the movie starts. Don't be late guys!"
Selphie immediately dashed down the street, as the suited Irvine did his best to keep the pace after her. Quistis forced her hand into Zell's and allowed him to hopefully steer her somewhere more romantic than say, a hotdog stand. And Rinoa rested her head on Squall's shoulder…
"Oh Squall, was it a good idea to set them up with each other?"
Squall lay his head atop Rinoa's, and patted her arm with the arm he had around her…"Yes, it was…now lets go find one of those lifeboats…"
"How many do you want Quisty?" Zell asked as he looked over his shoulder…
Quistis shook her head…"None for me thanks…" She wasn't exactly very happy…Zell, as predicted, had dragged the former SeeD instructor to a hotdog stand. She buried her face in her arms, sitting in a chair on a local restaurant's patio. This wasn't the romantic and fun trip that Rinoa had promised her…
Zell returned to the table with a plate containing four hotdogs. One had ketchup, one had nothing, one was a chili dog, and the last was a corndog. He placed the plate on the table, and perhaps the only remotely romantic thing he had remembered from Irivne's lecturing: A bottle of Bollinger '92. Setting the corkscrew and two champagne glasses next to it, he threw a puzzled look over to Quistis…"What's wrong Quisty?"
She looked up at Zell, trying not to appear as unhappy as she really was…"Oh…nothing, really…"
He smirked at Quistis, and pushed a paper plate with the plain hotdog on it towards her…"Here, have a hotdog!"
She shook her head, eyeing the food…"No, it's okay…"
Zell kept a grin on his face…"Aw c'mon. Hotdogs always cheer me up when I'm down. Now eat it, okay?"
She shrugged, and slipped the hotdog into her slender hand. Raising it to her mouth, she let her teeth chomp down on the hotdog, chewing on it quietly. She actually smiled. Her mouth half-full, she replied…"Hey, these are actually pretty good!"
Zell nodded at that. "Do I lie?" He picked up the bottle and the corkscrew, and being the non-drinker that he was, tried to remove the cork, with success. He poured the wine into the two glasses, and pushed one towards Quistis. He held up his glass, for a toast…"To hotdogs! The ultimate cheerer-upper…thingy!"
Quistis's smile grew with size, as she raised her glass to toast Zell. Both of them took a swig after the toast, and set their glasses down on the table. Quistis got up, moved to a chair next to Zell, and rested her head on his shoulder…
Irvine, who had by far, much more romantic experience than Zell, had brought Selphie to the dockyard, at the end of one pier, to gaze at the sunset, and maybe score a few more points with her. She was dangling her feet over the edge of the dock, sitting down on the edge, as Irvine was sitting down next to her in a similar fashion. He tried the best set of pick-up lines he knew…
"Did it hurt?" Irvine asked Selphie
Selphie's face grew puzzled…"Did…what hurt?"
Irvine smiled…"Why, falling from heaven to the earth below?"
Selphie smiled, and giggled somewhat. The famous pick-up line…
Irvine continued…"Is that an astronaut dress? Cause your butt's out of this world!"
Selphie covered her mouth to keep from bursting out in laughter…
Irvine held his hand on his forehead, and looked away…"Now, someone needs to call the police, because this girl just stole my heart…" He turned his glance back to Selphie, who was nothing but smiles.
"I stole your heart!" She giggled out. She narrowed her eyes, and spoke in a playful tone of voice…"And what do you have to do to get it back?"
Irvine smirked, and shrugged…"I dunno, you tell me Miss Ebil Terrorist!"
Selphie hopped up in Irvine's lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck…"Dun let meh fall!"
Zell and Quistis had arrived at the theatre first, but they were quickly joined by Selphie and Irvine. Both couples seemed pretty happy. Irvine checked his watch. It was five to.
"What could be keeping them?" Irvine thought out loud
Sure enough, Rinoa and Squall could be seen walking down the street, hand in hand. When they arrived, Zell threw Squall a weird look…"Man, your shirt's not tucked in…
Squall looked down. Sure enough, it wasn't. He quickly stuffed the shirt into his pants, and buttoned up his tuxedo.
Quistis, who was all nestled in Zell's arms, looked over to Rinoa…"Which movie are we seeing?"
Rinoa pointed to one of the movies on the billboard…"Midgar Forces One. With Sean Brosnan and Matt O'Toole as the lead roles."
Squall nodded…"Wasn't he Paul Millander on CSI?"
Zell, the local TV mastermind, nodded…"Yeah. Come on, lets get in!"
And they did so…
The three couples each sat in a different row, as the movie had been there a while, the cinema wasn't that packed. Irvine and Selphie sat way back, Rinoa and Squall sat in a middle row, and Zell and Quistis sat up front. Irvine and Selphie shared a large coke and a bag of popcorn, Rinoa and Squall had some gummy candies, and Zell and Quistis had surprise surprise! Hotdogs! Zell's like a bad cold or something…
The movie roared to life, the opening credits showing to the tune of U2's "Beautiful Day", before fading away to the Slums of Sector Seven…
A couple entered the theatre considerably late, as they sat just in front of Rinoa and Squall. The female's odd headdress seemed to block Rinoa's vision of the screen…
"Squall?" Rinoa started…"Ask them to move elsewhere, please?"
Squall tapped the male on the shoulder…"Excuse me, sir?"
The man turned around…"Hello chickenwuss…"
"Seifer?" both Rinoa and Squall explained in surprise.
"Yeah, it's me. What the hell do you want? Me and my babe are trying to watch the movie!"
"I just wanted you and Edea to move so Rinoa could see-"
"I paid good money to sit us wherever the hell I wanted"
"Seifer, don't make me ask you again!"
"Do you wanna go?"
Both couples headed for the exit…
Back at the end with Irvine and Selphie, having watched the first action sequence of the movie, Selphie was already clinging to Irvine, scared out of her mind. She burried her face in his chest, leaving Irvine to "Protect" her…
"I'm scared Irvy!"
Irvine patted her on the back…"It's okay…nothing's gonna happen to you…you got Irvine the Great to protect you!"
Selphie nodded, not minding their shared position…"Protect meee!"
Irvine shrugged, but kept watching the movie…"With your pretty face down there, you're missing a good movie!"
Selphie giggled…"That's mah idea!"
Irvine blushed…
Back up front, both Quistis and Zell seemed to be enjoying both the movie, and their hotdogs. Zell had already scarfed down his two, and Quistis was sharing half of her one with him…
"Good movie so far Quisty? Er…can I call you Quisty?"
Quistis nodded…"It's pretty good, and sure!"
In the movie, the head terrorist Vincent, played by Matt O'Toole, was speaking to his set of hostages, when the President's Advisor stepped up to plead with him. It looked like his plan was working, until Vincent raised his gun and shot the man in the head. Quistis jolted, and quickly clinged to Zell, having not expected that. Zell just patted her on the head and smiled…"Relax…it's just a movie…it's not THAT scary! It takes more than that to scare me!"
Quistis looked up…"We're out of hotdogs…"
Zell screamed.
But then he quieted down, hearing something outside besides the movie…"Do you hear sirens?"
Irvine yelled down to Zell…"Dude, that's an ambulance siren man!"
All four people scambled out the same exit that Squall and Seifer took…
There was infact, an ambulance outside. Both Rinoa and Edea were standing side-by-side, apparently not pleased with their boys, who were being carted off back to Balamb Garden's Infirmary. Rinoa sighed, and looked to Edea…"This isn't how I had this evening planned…I'm sorry about Seifer…"
Edea just shook her head…"Ah relax girl. It's not like he didn't have it coming anyway."
Edea and Rinoa turned to confront the other four…Zell was the first person to speak up…"What the heck happened?"
Edea decided to answer…"Seifer's Bahamut summon went out of control…"
Rinoa nodded at that…"I know this evening hasn't gone as we had planned it, but you guys can still wander around the city like we had planned. Be back here around ten?"
Zell and Irvine nodded, Irvine speaking…"No probono, we'll have our lovely escorts…" He smiled down on Selphie, they were linked arm in arm…"Back in time!"
Selphie suddenly broke free of the grasp, and started to drag Irvine towards an arcade. Zell and Quistis, hand in hand, walked past Rinoa and Edea, but Rinoa stopped Quistis to whisper into her ear…"How is Zell?"
Quistis whispered back…"He's a perfect gentleman!"
Rinoa just stood there and scratched the back of her head as Quistis planted a little peck on Zell's cheek. Zell looked to Quistis…"I think I know a nice place. C'mon!"
The two walked off, leaving Edea and Rinoa to sit on the curb, to think of what fate had in store for their men…Rinoa looked to Edea…"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked you to move…"
Edea shrugged…"Ah relax, you couldn't have seen past me if your life depended on it. Seifer's just so full of himself, isn't he?"
Rinoa sat there for a second, wondering about what to say in response. She then nodded slowly…"Yeah, I guess. Squall doesn't get along well with him…"
Edea started fiddeling with her handbag…"Yeah, I know. Seifer's a loose cannon, and Squall's just so professional. They're like a match and a stick of dynamite!"
Rinoa cracked a small grin…"Squall's way too quiet. I had the hardest time convincing him to go out with me. Isn't the guy supposed to be doing that? If not for Irvine, he'd be about as romantic as an eggplant!"
Edea laughed a little, having retrieved her lipstick…"Yeah…that Seifer's a piece of work…he's great. He can go for hours…I just wish he had a bigger…you know, thing." She started to shorten the lipstick…
Rinoa's jaw dropped, but there was a smile in it…
Edea showed her the lipstick…"It's like this big…no wait…" She shortened it about another centimetre…"This big!" She then started to apply the lipstick…Rinoa burst out laughing. The two continued to share gossip about their boyfriends…
Selphie had dragged Irvine down to the shooting gallery of a local carnival midway, where Irvine was showing off his skills. The person running the event was sweating profusely…he could very well clean him out of stuff!
Selphie's smile broadened more with each precise shot Irvine fired off. He sure was one heck of a shot! She dreamed about her and the shotgun- swinging cowboy, her thoughts leaving the uh…un-censored areas…
The owner pleaded with Irvine…"Please! No more, just take anything you want!"
Irvine shrugged, and handed the rifle back to the owner. He turned to Selphie…"Which one do you want?"
Selphie put a finger to her lips, looking at all the stuffed animals…her eyes rested on a stuffed Mog plushie, which was about three feet tall..."Ooo! I want the Moogle!"
The keeper smiled, finally able to get rid of the two, and handed Selphie the stuffed animal she wanted. Selphie giggled with glee, and hugged Irvine as tightly as she could…"I wuv you!"
Irvine's eyed popped out of his head for a second, but he tried to remain calm and cool…"You…love me?"
Selphie nodded…"Sure do huneykins!"
Irvine smiled…he looked down on Selphie…"Can you excuse me for just a sec?"
Selphie nodded, as Irvine walked away and behind another attraction. She could hear him yelling out with glee…
Zell had brought Quistis to the town square, which had a lovely fountain with a statuette of Balamb Garden in the center. The two were sitting on a bench, Quistis's head lying on Zell's shoulder. He smiled…thinking he and Quistis would be great friends now…
"…So yeah, that's how you boil a hotdog…" Zell was droning on and on about hotdogs. And surprising enough, Quistis was listening in on each word he said…
"Mhmm…I can do that sometime in my dorm…" Quistis murmered, rubbing up gently to Zell's neck…
Zell was sweating somewhat, performing only guess work…"So..er…Quisty…how's your night?"
Her eyes still closed, she gently rested her head on his shoulder once more, her blonde hair shining in the moonlight…"It's wonderful Zell…I couldn't have hoped for more…"
Zell smiled…well, at least he didn't have to worry about the stuff that had already happened…
"Zell…I…" She raised her head, and opened her eyes. She gazed into Zell's eyes…In a soft and gentle voice, she spoke to him…"Zell…I love you…"
Zell raised both brows. Did she just say what he thought she just said? Still shocked, he spoke back…"But…why me?"
She closed her eyes, and looked down…"When they took away my instructor rank and made me a SeeD again, I was so devastated. They were right…I had no leadership qualities. I was so sad…but then I met you…I liked your funny and carefree attitude…it's something I wish I had myself…I wanted to express my feelings for you, but I never had the courage…"
Zell blinked a few times…his face was blank…
"…When Rinoa told me about this date, I just knew it had to be you. I couldn't have been wrong about something so serious. And when I found out I was right, I promised myself that by the end of the evening, I would tell you how I felt…Zell…I love you…" Her eyes were welled up with tears of joy…
Zell tilted his head slightly…"…Quistis…I think I love you too…"
Their faces slowly joined, as they enjoyed love's first kiss…
Rinoa and Edea were enjoying their extensive session of girl talk, not once getting bored…
"…and he said he didn't want to be talked about in the past tense! How paranoid is that?" Rinoa blurted out, laughing. She had never had so much fun!
A waiter with a tray of two glasses walked up to the two…"Another round ladies?"
Edea nodded, and the both of them grabbed a glass…"Charge it to my boyfriend's credit card!"
The waiter walked off…
Rinoa and Edea enjoyed a toast, as they spotted the two couples on the horizon…Rinoa waved to them…"Heeey!"
They all waved back, eventually arriving on the curb with them, the limo arriving only a minute after…
The chauffeur let the two happy couples in first, as Edea and Rinoa entered last.
Inside, everyone but Rinoa stared at Edea, wondering what she was doing there…
Edea decided to break the ice…"Fifty bucks says Squall and Seifer are duking it out in the infirmary with needles!"
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