The music was playing, a backdrop of pulsing sound for his solitary thought. He was leaning against a wall, across the floor from the main crowd, sweeping his cold gaze across the expanse of couples scattered across the dance floor and along the tables of food. Talking, drinking, laughing and obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves, oblivious to the antisocial scrutiny they were under. In the back of his mind, Squall rattled off the names of the dances as they played: a waltz, a polka, a contra, another polka, another contra, a lively swing, yet another polka, and back to a waltz. He lost count. Squall Leonheart was glad he had passed the SeeD exam, but the graduation celebration was making up for that. He detested celebrations of any kind, finding them to be tediously useless formalities. Squall snatched a flute of champagne of a passing tray, alcohol was legal at any age in the Gardens. Not surprising considering that the average life span of SeeD was twenty seven years. Most of them were orphans, drawn to the security and glory of SeeD, the most feared and respected military organization in the world. They had been trained with more intensity and discipline than men and women twice their age in various standing armies over the globe. They were trained not to feel, to be elite, cold, and heartless. To be perfect at all things, not to question orders. To discard all morals and ethics. To die. Students at the garden were lucky to reach age ten without witnessing death. At eighteen they were fighting as individuals or in small units, commanded by their peers, against monsters, humans and everything else under the sun, and winning. All for money, or so it seemed to the outside observer. The ruthless, evil, mercenaries. But the garden had given them a home when the world had turned them out, Garden offered a well paying job, and security, almost like a family. And respect. SeeD were respected by all.
So alcohol was legal. He sipped the champagne and with the judgment of an expert he savored the beverage. It was excellent, obviously very old and very fine, therefore very expensive. No doubt imported from a long ways away with money taken by charging small, poor, sovereignties an arm and a leg to liberate them from oppressors. Oppressors who would undoubtedly return as soon as the SeeD's left. Way to go Garden. He drained his glass and swapped it for yet another fizzing flute, topped with a strawberry. Didn't they have anything stronger than champagne? He plucked the strawberry from the glass, and as he chewed the sweet delicacy he decided that when he finished this glass he would go find the caterer's drink table and get thoroughly drunk. He had the glass pressed to his lips, was just preparing to upend the flute, just as he had the first, when he saw her. Though grotesquely distorted through the glass and sparkling liquid, she was obviously very beautiful. He snorted, disgusted with his own double take, and downed the sparkling beverage. When he removed the glass from his face she was watching him. A shooting star blazed across the clear night sky. Their eyes met and she pointed up to it and gave him a smile and wink. The floor disappeared. The room seemed to go dark and spin into blurs except for her. She was radiating light from her bright smile, and her shimmering cream colored dress. He could not help but notice how revealing the dress was, nor how it held her slender but shapely body. Get a grip, Leonheart. He ripped his gaze away, and time sped up again, light flooded back to the room, and the music pounded into his ears. As feeling rushed back into his legs, he was thankful that he was leaning against the wall. A tray passed by and he removed yet another glass, tilted his head back, and drained the glass in one gulp, letting the alcohol sear him back to reality. When he removed the flute from his face and brought his head back down she was standing in front of him. "You know, your supposed to sip champagne, not gulp it like a dehydrated camel, silly." Squall did not respond. Just looked away and ignored her. She was not so easily discouraged. "Come on, your the best looking guy here, I'm trying to find someone and I don't want to go out on the dance floor alone."
"I……Can't dance" A lie, of course, SeeD's were required to have a multitude of skills, because they found themselves is many demanding situations. Dancing was one of those required skills. "Ok, let me guess, you'll only dance with someone you like? Look into my eyes You…Like…Me, You…Like…Me…Did it work?" Squall sighed, and attempted to take a drink from his empty glass. For obvious reasons he failed.
"…whatever."
She was relentless. With an exasperated sigh, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out to the floor. He did not resist as much as he could have. The girl hauled him out and placed his hand on her hip, the still other the held firm in her grasp. Still he would not dance, she had to drag him through the steps. In an attempt to discourage her, Squall went through several clumsy steps, and collided with her, then attempted to storm off the floor. The girl grabbed his arm
"Uh-uh, buster, not till we finish this song."
Squall saw that it was hopeless and began to dance halfheartedly. A sudden knock from behind nearly sent him sprawling. He turned to glare at the couple who had just waltzed into them. The girl shot a nasty look at the other couple, and wrenched Squall back into her arms.
As the dance progressed, he loosened up, and finally Squall Leonheart began to enjoy himself.
"So," she said, making a valiant, but unsuccessful attempt at conversation, "are all SeeD's this good at dancing?"
"Its required. SeeD's must posses many skills to fit any situation"
"I see" she sounded disappointed. The lights dimmed and the music slowed, a shooting star arced over the glass dome of the ceiling, and she gasped. Then Fireworks erupted into the sky, a brilliant display of red, blue, green, gold, and silver. She smiled, and put her other arm around his neck, as he wrapped his arms around her. Their faces came closer, Squalls body was tingling all over, he felt like he was going to burst into a billion golden streaks, just like those fireworks. Suddenly, she spotted someone over her shoulder, and giving him a wink and smile, she slipped out of his arms and walked off. Just like that, she was gone. Squall was stunned and disappointed, it felt like someone had just ripped a piece of him out. He showed none of this, however, merely walked off and exited the double doors onto the balcony, letting his stoic features mask his confusion.