Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8....
Summary: 'Is this pain to much for me? Can I stay the same?' AU!! Squall and Rinoa are forced into unpredicted circumstances that force them to change who they are and what they feel. Can they maintain their sanity through it all? Squinoa!
~* Small of Two Pieces *~
~ Chapter 1: The Rose Collection ~
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"Squall Leonhart?" Rinoa asked her friend Selphie as she placed the picture of a man with unruly brunette hair onto the table. "I've never heard of him." She told her friend.
"Neither have I." Selphie told her friend, picking up the picture in her hands. "At least he's cute!" Selphie said with a smile and wink. Rinoa just glared.
"I'd rather have you. I'd feel more comfortable with you." Rinoa told her friend. Selphie blushed at the comment.
"Oh Rinoa! Stop it!" Selphie said very exagerated.
"Hey everybody!" A girl from behind Rinoa called. She turned to find a girl with blonde hair.
"Heya Quisty!" Rinoa greeted.
"Hi Quisty!" Selphie squealed. Quistis took a seat between them and flicked her hair slightly as it caught in her face and eye.
"Okay," Quistis began as she pulled out a picture of a tall man with blonde hair in a trench coat. "Do you guys know this guy?" She held out the picture to them and they examined it. Selphie snatched the picture from her hand and squinted as if to make herself remember. "His name is Seifer." Quistis told them. "I'm stuck with him."
"I've heard his name before somewhere, but that's all I got." Selphie told her in an apologetic manner as she handed the picture back to Quistis.
"I heard he was kind of a jerk. Sorry." Rinoa said.
"Great. My first mission and I'm stuck with a jerk." Quistis moaned in annoyance as her head fell to the table.
"Selphie!!" Someone called from the entrance to the cafeteria. Selphie looked up from her friends to find a man with a cowboy hat on.
"IRVY!!" She cried with happiness as she ran to him.
"This is gonna be the best mission ever!" He cheered catching her in his arms.
"She's so lucky." Quistis and Rinoa said in unison.
"Irvy, c'mon over here! Sit with us!" Selphie pleaded, already dragging him towards the table where the two girls sat.
"You guys are so lucky." Rinoa said. "It's so not fair!" She cried.
"Aw, well I heard that Squall guy is real quiet!" Irvine said with his trademark drawl.
"Great! That's just wonderful!" Rinoa cried sarcastically. "I want someone interesting, not some dumb brick!" Rinoa said with annoyance.
"Life is wonderful, isn't it?" Quistis said with a smile patting Rinoa on the shoulder. Rinoa just gave her a deep glare, but her expression lightened and she smiled at her.
*
"Sir," a man with brunette hair started to Cid. "May I request a change of partners." He asked.
"Squall," Cid began with an annoyed glare. "I can't just change it, and besides I believe it will be good for you if you work with someone else." Cid told him.
"Sir, she will just slow me down." Squall complained.
"Mr. Leonhart! I'm not going to alter your partner! No matter what you say!" Cid yelled sternly. Squall just glared slightly, turned and walked out of his office.
'She better not get in my way. I'll just do everything myself, it'll be no problem. I'll become a SeeD, I could careless if she did with me.' Squall thought to himself as he made his way to his dorm.
*
"All Students who are to participate in the SeeD test please come to the gate of Garden. I repeat. All Students who are to participate in the SeeD test please come to the gate of Garden." The intercom clicked off and Rinoa and Selphie looked to each other and smiled like giddy cheer leaders. They both made their way out of the library where they were reading up on past SeeD test happenings.
"I'm so excited." Rinoa squealed, jumping about every which way.
"I'm gonna pass this test with rainbow colors!" Selphie squealed, shaking her hips with excitement. They both giggled to themselves.
"I can't wait to meet Squall! He's gonna be like 'Rinoa, you are so hot! Let me take you away on my white stead!' and then I'll faint in his arms and we'll fly into the sky!" Rinoa dreamed. They both started laughing.
"Well, Irvine get a mystical dragon and take me away to Never Never Land!" Selphie squealed.
"Damn straight I will!" A voice came from behind them. They both looked to find Irvine quite close to them both.
"You were listening!?" Rinoa asked, astonished at her friend.
"You two were talking so frickin loud!" Irvine said with a smile and a chuckle.
"You men! You love listening to our romantic fantasies don't you?" Selphie asked.
"Duh!" Irvine exclaimed, almost as if she was supposed to know that.
"Whatever!" Rinoa said, sticking her palm into his face. Irvine just kissed it. "Irvine!!" Rinoa scolded as she quickly recoiled her hand. "Now I'm going to have to burn the skin off and douse it with holy water!" Rinoa screeched as she ran on ahead.
*
Rinoa arrived out of breath at the Garden's gate to find there were only several people there, including Cid.
"Ah! Rinoa! Just the girl I wanted to see!" Cid said with a beaming smile as he walked to her.
"Hey Cid! How are you?" Rinoa asked with a smile that was equally happy.
"I need to talk to you about your partner." Cid said in a low whisper.
"What about?" She asked, curiosity building.
"Well... come over here." Cid told her as he grabbed her arm, dragging her to the edge of Garden, away from everyone. "
"Yes?" She asked, becoming slightly impatient about the news.
"Well, you partner is exactly the most sociable, he likes to act on his own so if he tells you to back off and let him do it, protest and help him. Got it?" Cid asked, a small smile of hope on his lips.
'Great, I get the loner.' Rinoa sighed to herself. "Okay." Rinoa said, trying to be as cheery possible.
"And one more thing!" Cid began, holding her in place by placing a hand on her shoulder. "One more boy will be added to your team, his name Zell. Do you know him?" Cid asked. Rinoa's face lit up with excitement. She had been friends with Zell since she had first joined Garden.
Rinoa cheered inside. "Yes, I know him." Rinoa told him, trying to keep her excitement hidden as best as possible.
"Good. I see that your happy so I'll let you go back and meet up with your partners." Cid said with a smile as he patted her on the shoulder.
Rinoa did her happy dance whilst walking to Zell who had just coincidentally showed up.
"Zelly Boy!" Rinoa screamed, still doing her happy dance.
"Oh hey Rin!" Zell called. "This sucks, I have no idea who I'm with! Am I gonna be alone!? I'd hate to be alone! What if we get stuck out in the wilderness!? I'd be scared to death!" Zell said, making himself nervous with each passing word.
"Relax! You're with me and Squall!" Rinoa screamed with happiness as she began to do Selphie's happy dance around Zell.
"No way!?" Zell cried with happiness.
"WAAAAYYY!!!" Rinoa yelled with a smile on her face as they congratulated themselves by giving each other high fives.
"Great." Came a husky voice from behind them. They both turned to find the infamous Squall that was on Rinoa's mind so much.
"You must be Squall." Said Rinoa in a cheery voice as she walked up to him. She extended her hand for a greeting, Squall just looked at it and did nothing. "You're supposed to shake it." Whispered Rinoa. Squall just continued to stare at her. Rinoa let her hand fall, disappointed. She turned to Zell and ushered him over to them with a gesture. "This is Zell, he'll be joining us." Rinoa told him.
"Hey! Wassup man?" Zell asked cheerfully as he brushed off his hand and extended it to Squall. He had obviously not seen the incident between Rinoa and Squall just seconds ago. After about 30 seconds of Zell's hand hanging in the air he finally dropped it and asked. "What's wrong man?"
'Oh God Zell, just stop. Please.' Rinoa silently begged. Squall just glared at Zell. Rinoa sighed, this was going nowhere fast. "Can you at least introduce yourself?" Rinoa pleaded to Squall.
"I'm Squall Leonhart, and I intend on passing this stupid test, is that okay?" Squall asked offensively. Rinoa just glared at him.
'What a prick.' Rinoa thought with disgust. 'This is gonna be loads of fun.'
'Loads of Fun'
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A/n: So... how was that!? This is my first fic so please, give as much criticism as possible!