A/N: I have yet to proofread this series of unrelated sketches. Title from the "Boys Do Fall In Love" song... though I was listening to the Parokya ni Edgar version whilst writing this.
The melancholy of a schoolboy.
It was not a date no matter what the midget said. Not the smaller she-midget, but the tailed-midget that sang choruses of catcalls accompanied by a troupe of wagging brows and boisterous slaps on his back.
Squall Leonhart knew what a date was, of course. As a stellar example of all that is SeeD, Squall had, in his younger years, poured into books lending knowledge of seduction and the feminine mind. And, once more, no; it was not the hormones coursing his veins, making his stomach squirm whenever that blonde girl a year ahead of him chuckled melodically, that drove him to the aforementioned books, indeed, but schoolwork!
Objective, emotionless, schoolwork.
Which, as it so happened, was precisely what he was doing with the she-midget presently.
"Oi!" His companion's loud call brought him out of his self-conscious musings and forced his seemingly unflappable gaze down. Her hands were on her hips as she gazed up at him imperiously. Squall, for his part, tilted his head to the side; one could only be so intimidating at barely chest-level.
Realizing that Squall casually dismissed her mood, she stomped her foot in irritation. "Are you even with me?"
Squall frowned at the silliness of her question, and remarked, "Where else could I be?"
She blinked, her normally non-verbal companion's rather blunt reply knocking her off guard. Still, when his words finally sank, she could feel the widest grin of her life light up on her face.
"Awesome!" She skipped to his side and tugged on his arm impatiently, "Then let's go! I'm hungry and my food won't slay itself!"
Squall stumbled after the much smaller and exuberant warrior. "You're skipping a couple of steps, midget."
Prishe threw a cheeky wink back at him. "And you're moving too slow, bastard!" The Elvaan monk candidly declared and pulled him even harder. "C'mon, faster! Move faster!"
Inwardly, Squall shook his head.
Most definitely not a date!
-0-0-0-
Unfortunately, the pirate cannot fly.
Vaan was prepared.
When the dainty girl spoke of a hollowness inside her breast, Vaan, in a stroke of once-in-a-blue-moon luck, realized that there was only one way to fill it: love.
Love. Simple, and sweet, and innocent, and clean.
Unfortunately, Vaan's naivety meant that while he had stumbled upon the true reason that bothered the fair lady, he completely misinterpreted the point as well.
Thus, Vaan planned to surprise her. Much as he loved the idea of freedom, his love was intangible; it was not something he could bestow. Fortunately, hers was a simpler, physical sort-of love.
"Are you sure about this, kupo?" The moogle asked in a dubious tone.
Vaan grinned back. "Positive."
"Well, so long as you're sure, kupo…" The moogle trailed. "I expect my payment in full afterwards, kupo."
"I've got all the goods as promised." Vaan reassured with a smile and patted the bulging pouch on his belt in reminder that the gil and KP were ready. "You've counted it and you've agreed to this; no holding back now."
"Very well, kupo." And with that, the moogle made itself limp on the sky pirate's hand.
Vaan grinned and mentally patted himself on the back. After all, he had stumbled upon her guilty pleasure, and he had the full intent of using her love to wash away her doubts.
Every single bit of white fluffy cuteness of it.
"Terra!" He called to the sulking young half-Esper, whose gaze was cast somewhere only she could see. She was sat on the precipice overlooking the Sanctuary. The girl was still, like a beautiful but poignant statue, with the only sound and movement coming from the quiet waltz her cape danced with the wind.
Vaan remained unfazed and his smile only brightened, "I'm glad you made it!"
Terra Branford turned to him slowly, her blue eyes, though somewhat dull, receiving him with curiosity.
"Oh, Vaan. Yes, hello." She nodded at him curtly, the warmth inside her at seeing his bright smile sprouting a tiny smile of her own. It was difficult not to smile, but she wondered if it was sincere… "I came as promised."
The sky pirate offered his hand to the lovely girl, whose blue eyes turned affectionate as they trailed from his hand and towards his smile. Gratefully, Terra accepted his courtesy and allowed her friend to pull her on her feet, floating slightly to assist him.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long." Vaan sheepishly apologized, "How are you feeling?"
"Alright." Terra responded. "I am not unwell, but…" Her other hand subconsciously flew to her heart.
"I know." The sky pirate said even if he wasn't certain. What he did understand, though, was that, "I… there's no easy answer, is there?"
"I am unsure…" She told him with a sad smile.
Vaan shook his head and gazed at her warmly. "I've got something for you, Terra." He began, "It's to help you, I guess…" Vaan trailed, suddenly remembering that her small hand was still in his, and feeling ever more embarrassed because of it, "That is… I hope this will cheer you up."
He gently turned her hand and sat the moogle on her palm. Terra's eyes widened as she stared uncomprehendingly at the marvelous sight.
"I bought him for a day." Vaan sheepishly explained, brushing his nose out of habit. "If you want him longer, I know where to find him."
"Hello, kupo!" The moogle waved at the stunned girl, breaking the enchantment that ensnared her.
"Oh!" Terra exclaimed joyously, glomping and cuddling the fluffy moogle for all its worth.
"Not too hard, kupo!" The moogle complained in vain.
The girl was too far-gone for reason.
"Oh! So very soft!" Terra squealed, unknowingly floating off the precipice in her elation.
Vaan remained silent and watched the girl float away from his reach. In a moment, Terra would return from her paradise and, until then, the sky pirate would always continue watching over the precious jewel.
-0-0-0-
Just this once, fine.
The young woman demanded quite a lot.
Not outright, of course, and never intentionally, Hyne no. Her upbringing made it so, he mused, and her upbringing made things more difficult.
She was very eager to please and earnest to a fault. She placed a lot of effort in everything she did, trying her hardest no matter how unconfident or unskilled she was.
Simply put, her actions troubled him even more so.
"I'm sorry, Sir Squall. I hadn't thought—sorry. I'm really sorry!" Yuna apologized profusely, bowing her head each time. She clasped her hands together and offered him the best smile she could muster in her panic. "Forgive me?"
"…" Squall stared at the summoner. He had wanted a quiet day to himself but, as he made his way out of the Sanctuary, it seemed Yuna had spotted him. When Yuna found out that he was planning to hunt, she quickly offered her assistance—and, reasons beyond his understanding, Squall accepted.
At the time, he hadn't seen the problem. Yuna would get more training while he would have free backup. The brunette's simple delight when he nodded his head also seemed to make him happy with his decision, so that was a plus.
The first few marks were easy: he'd rush forward while Yuna provided long-ranged artillery support with her Aeons. When the manikins came, well, that was when the trouble began.
Honestly speaking, Squall had warned her beforehand that when they came, Yuna would retreat to a tactically optimal location where she would once more commence her mystic bombardment. It was a perfectly worded and easily understandable command, he thought.
Instead, Yuna had rushed to his side in the thick of battle and wouldn't leave him, making retreat all-the-more difficult.
And yet, he supposed, they both left the battlefield alive. It was easy to ponder what-ifs and should've-dones, but only the present was a certainty.
…It seemed he could not stay mad at the earnest summoner for long.
"Sir Squall?" The summoner's blue and green eyes shimmered with her guilt, and Squall internally berated himself for reasons he didn't wish to think about.
Squall averted his gaze. "…I told you to drop the 'sir'."
"Oh!" Yuna blinked, deftly brushing her eyes of the moistness that spilled. "I'm so-"
"And you can stop apologizing." Squall cut her off grumpily. "How many times have I-"
"Thrice today, Squall." Yuna interjected, an amused smile blossoming on her lovely face.
The mercenary looked at her in surprise. "…You've been keeping track?"
"Yes." She nodded her head. "And I… if something's my fault, I must apologize, you know?"
"…" Squall had no reply to that. With a sigh, Squall turned around and marched in the direction of the Sanctuary. "Whatever."
Yuna's smile brightened at his reply and she scurried after him until she was at his side. "Thank you, Squall!"
Squall turned towards the whimsical woman. "Just this once, fine."
Yuna hummed cheerfully.
Both of them knew that he had been repeating that line often, lately.
-0-0-0-
Now and then, here and there.
"And here I thought you would be restless locked up like this."
Vaan shrugged at his nighttime visitor. "I'm used to this." The sky pirate remarked and knocked on the metal bars once for emphasis. "Sky pirate, remember?"
She giggled. "Former street-rat, as well. What was the name you were bestowed? The Ratsbane?"
He puffed his chest proudly at the nostalgic moniker. "The one and only."
The two old friends shared a laugh at that.
"It truly is wonderful to see you again, Vaan." She marveled, once more taking in the young man before her. He was taller now—taller than her, with broader shoulders and longer hair. Still, his smile remained, and so did the wonder in his eyes that continuously captivated her so.
His eyes were truly unlike those of his jaded sort-of mentor.
"We met earlier this year, remember?" Vaan cheekily reminded and was met by her pout. He shrugged carelessly and grinned, continuing, "You're looking well yourself. I mean, sure, you could stand to work out more, but duties…"
The woman sniffed disdainfully at the remark. "Yes, well, not everyone can be a renegade sky pirate, can they?"
"Only the best." He teased.
"And yet…" she trailed, reaching a hand past the bars to brush a loose lock of sandy hair past his ear, "You're now here in prison."
Vaan willed his heart still. And yet, he could not help but lean into her tender touch.
"Only because you sent the bastard after me." He murmured.
"Yes, well, my surprise is as much as yours, I imagine." She chuckled. "I made that request so long ago… I honestly thought Commander Leonhart had forgotten."
"Well, that's Squall for you. And Lightning." Vaan shrugged before concluding, "They hold grudges, my lady."
"I'm glad they do…" She smiled, and the moon might as well have been reflecting her smile instead of the sun. Her hand traced along his jaw, caressing his cheek, before slowly running down the bulge of his throat and the strength of his chest.
Vaan caught her hand.
"Ashe… are we really doing this?"
The queen of the desert stilled. She would have withdrawn as well, but the rogue held her with a gentle firmness, bringing her hand up to and just shy from his lips.
Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca quietly cleared her throat. "I remember our agreement that time, and I know what I did afterwards, and what you had done after that… and I know that this is selfish, but…" she trailed, eyes glistening forlornly in the moonlight. There were many times she wished she hadn't—many, many times she wished she could change, but now, "But now… I am willing to try."
She wished, now, for something more with this man, her dear friend. "You and I have since felled gods and crumbled empires. I think, together, we can do anything."
Vaan brought her hand against his lips and kissed each and every one of her fingertips, and then pressed her tender palm against his beating heart. "I… we can… try."
The lord of the skies reached out beyond the prison bars to hold his desert queen.
-0-0-0-
We'll do this right.
"I met someone peculiar recently." Lightning said as she moved the shot-glass marked with an 'X' towards the upper left-hand corner of the grid.
"Peculiar?" Squall repeated, placing his own glass marked with an 'O' at the opposite corner.
"Yeah." Lightning paused, her mind quickly analyzing the number of steps available in their little drinking game. "Kid with a blue wizard's hat. He went on about how the 'records are gone' and how he wanted us to help him 'set things right'."
Squall pondered the odd fellow. "I suppose we could… for a price."
Lightning rolled her eyes. "You mercenary-types. All you think of is money."
In response, the mercenary shrugged. "And you soldier-types work to put yourselves out of a job."
"Sarcasm." Lightning sighed. "You never could take losing to me."
Squall looked at the board and then back again at his lover. "Nobody won this silly game since we started."
"I did." Lightning pointed out. "The very first. It must have been mortifying to lose at a game you brought out."
Squall glared at her. "…you cheated."
To his astute accusation, Lightning merely smirked and sank back into the heavenly cushions. "You really do like this dress, don't you?" She teased, crossing one long, toned leg over the other for his frustration.
Squall averted his gaze. "It's… a good dress."
"Just good?" She leaned forward.
His blush deepened. "Whatever." Squall grumbled before refocusing back on the game at hand. A smirk suddenly formed. "It seemed you made a mistake, Lightning."
Lightning pulled back, brow arching in confusion before Squall placed his game-ending shot.
She frowned at her lover's gloating atmosphere. He craned his head expectantly, and Lightning glared at him before finally obliging. She downed all the shots on the table without hesitation.
"How are you feeling?" Squall asked.
"Honestly? Nothing."
"We're tied now." He shrugged. "Shall we play another game?"
Lightning stared at all the empty bottles of assorted beers, wines, whiskeys, and liquor, and back at the tic-tac-toe board and the empty shot-glasses.
"You know what? This will never work." Lightning concluded. It seemed she couldn't get smashed because of Odin, and Squall wouldn't get drunk unless she could.
"I won't get drunk, so you won't get drunk." She sighed and mentally crossed drunken sex from her checklist. Rising from her seat, she beckoned her lover, "Let's just skip this silliness and head to your bed."
Because, despite the failure, she was touched by his attempt to fulfill her whims.
"Finally." Squall agreed. "I only have one bottle left in the pantry."
"Take it with you." Lightning remarked when another idea formed. She grabbed the two wine glasses on her way out before calling over her exposed shoulder, "And hurry. I like your suit, too."
-0-0-0-
Would you hold it against me?
She flushed brightly at the woman's embrace.
"It really is good to see you again." The green-haired woman said, her voice akin to an angel's melody. "You have no idea how long I have waited to hold you."
"You've mentioned." She told her once-mentor with a warm smile. "But by all means, please, do keep the compliments coming."
The woman giggled. "It is hard to believe you are their daughter."
The rose haired girl shrugged. "I get that a lot."
"Indeed, however…" The woman cupped the girl's face, her gentle turquoise eyes tracing her companion's features with fond affection. "You have your father's eyes…" She commented, tracing her jaw with a finger before resting on soft, rosy flesh. "…and his lips."
The girl blinked at that, her mind quickly drawing the association. She tilted her head with an innocent question, "But aren't you much younger than him?"
How old was she when her they…?
The summoner chuckled affectionately. This girl truly was remarkable.
"He was a complete gentleman which, looking back, is incredibly strange." She recalled, drawing away from their embrace so they could resume their stroll. "Still, he had to, I suppose." She contemplated. "Cecil would not support your father's exploits unless I was satisfied..."
She did see what the Paladin saw—the potential to kill the wrong being, and the turmoil that followed, much like the circumstances that led to her fated meeting with the Paladin.
"And he did." The girl concluded, nodding to herself. "What about us?"
"Hmm?" The woman glanced at her companion, her long green tresses floating with the wind.
"Am I… do I satisfy you, Rydia?"
"You're truly precious." Rydia said with a warm smile. "Averia, you are not your parents."
The girl grinned. "But do I satisfy you?"
Rydia looped an arm around one of Averia's.
"We shall see, won't we?"
A/N: Series of half-baked ideas. I'll be honest: I just wanted something to write. Hopefully, I'll get back in the swing of things.
Now, for some explanations:
- Squall x Prishe: I wanted to contrast Squall's interaction with Prishe from my usual Squall/Lightning. With Prishe, I wanted to depict Squall as less serious and more in-denial that an infuriating woman like Prishe causes stirrings within him. Oh, and Prishe can do savvy but cryptic, too!
- Vaan x Terra: I like this pairing. I've been toying with a Vaan/Terra story, but I'm hesitant to start yet another one. Anyway, for this, I wanted to put Vaan's innocent feelings on display. In contrast to Squall, Vaan isn't prone to introspection or reflection, leading him to impulsive behavior. In this segment, Vaan isn't aware that he likes Terra while Terra is busy contemplating even having emotions in the first place. Enter the moogle where Vaan proves, definitively, that Terra can still feel human.
- Squall x Yuna: I was trying to go with an 'as you wish' a la The Princess Bride without being overt about it. Squall feels he needs to 'put up' with Yuna, never realizing that the reason he gives her so many 'just this once, fine's might be because he actually enjoys her company.
- Vaan x Ashe: This one is a bit closer to home. Vaan/Ashe is frankly my favorite couple of FF12 which, yes, sucks 'cause there are so few stories shipping them. Anyway, for this one, I wanted to depict them slightly older and wiser, but still playful, in a world post-FF12 with some post-World B thrown in.
- Squall x Lightning: This, possibly, should have been part of SCE. Honestly, I wanted to keep it G, but tic tac toe shot-glasses, people! Not much else to say, I suppose, except that I wish there would be more fanworks of these two. And yes, that was an FFRK reference.
- Averia & Rydia: Goggles on or goggles off?!