Strawberry Chapter 2: Sweet Outside, Bitter Inside, a final fantasy viii fanfic

Part two: Sweet Outside, Bitter Inside

It was quiet. The rest of the Garden residents were fast asleep.

Selphie lay in silence, in her sofa. She couldn't sleep. Her mind shifted back and forth, to the man who had been sleeping inside the bedroom and herself. She wondered about her own luck, how she ended up with insatiable love.

She would have spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling of her living room, if the knock on the door hadn't pulled her away from her own monologue. She sat up and turned to the door.

"Selphie!" Rinoa's voice. "Selphie, are you there? Are you awake?"

She made her way to the door. Opening the door, Selphie let Rinoa in.

"Sorry I woke you," her guest said, glancing around the room. "Is Irvine still up?"

She shook her head. Her boyfriend had been fast asleep before ten. After what he had admitted yesterday, the girl had been hesitant to sleep next to him. She'd long been curious as to why Irvine hadn't hugged her or touched her when they were asleep on the same bed. Now that she had understood the reason, she couldn't bring herself to sleep in the same bed with him. Irvine had no idea about her thoughts, and had been sleeping better than he ever had since she moved in. The girl sneaked out of the room and lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling for hours.

"He's sleeping. What is it, Rin?" Her black-haired friend looked tired and sad. Selphie inhaled. "Squall?"

Rinoa nodded.

Sighing, Selphie motioned to the sofa. Every time Rinoa had a fight or anything concerning Squall, she came to her. Selphie listened and gave out soothing words; Hyne knew she was a good listener and tolerant friend. But sometimes, it was hard to be nice when you had your own problem.

"He fell asleep without even talking to me." Rinoa sat down on the sofa, brought her knees up and embraced them. "I don't understand. Am I that boring?"

"I think he's just tired." Selphie leaned on the wall near the sofa. "Did he tell you that you're boring?"

"He didn't even say anything!" Rinoa sulked. "He went to sleep as soon as he went out from the shower!"

"Then how come you think he thought that you're boring?" Selphie frowned. "He thought that you thought that he thought you're boring too?" That settled it. She had lost her mind. She needed sleep, fast.

Rinoa glanced at her. "Huh?"

"Umm..." Selphie scratched her temple. "Never mind… What is it about the shower? Did he just get back now? I thought his office hour is just until six?"

"It is. But he always went home after midnight! I don't understand. Why can't he come home sooner?"

He will if you stop waiting and start giving him some space. He's a loner by nature after all. If you stop bombarding him with questions and just stay with him when he needs it, he won't act like that.

Whoa, wait a minute... I wasn't judging Rin's action just now, was I?

While Selphie frowned to herself, Rinoa kept talking, "I can't understand! I mean, I thought he'd be different after the whole ordeal!"

"What ordeal?"

Rinoa gave her a strange look. "You know it! The whole Ultimecia war! I thought he'll change his attitude after that."

Selphie frowned. Why does Squall have to be different after the war? "I don't understand."

"After we—" Rinoa stopped for a second, waving her hand in the air, to clarify her point. "Kissed in the party and all that we've been through, I thought he'd at least prioritize me over his work. But no, he just has to work. I was just staying in that room, waiting for him to come home, every single day."

"I thought you were his assistant?"

Rinoa looked sheepish. "I got fired." She shook her head when the girl was about to ask 'why'. "Don't ask, please."

Selphie arched her brow. I don't think it's necessary for him to change who he was for someone else. Squall is Squall, he shouldn't change himself. Of course, the thought barely echoed out from her lips.

"So…" Rinoa stood up. "I guess it's time for you to sleep, huh? It's morning anyway. Thanks for listening to me, Selph." She hugged Selphie before leaving.

Selphie closed the door and crossed her arm, thinking. When she realized how her pose made her looked like a mini Squall, she rested her arms to her side.

No use thinking about it, I guess. She put her hand to her hip, looking down to her side. I'll go and help him out, so Rin can have plenty of time with him. It's not like I have any mission anyway.

When she recognized her pose as, once again, belonged to Squall, she scowled and muttered. "Whatever."

The rest of the hour before dawn were well spent, posing in ways that she figured wouldn't be marked as Squall's pose.

When the short needle on the wall clock pointed to five, the exhausted, sleepless girl decided to inject herself with a high dose of sugar and caffeine, before finding a genuine pose she could claim as her own; other than bouncing up and down. Tilting head was hers, but the puppy-dog-look was Zell's original. Tipping hat was Irvine's, and she didn't have a hat anyway. Squall had pretty much taken the entire available poses as his own. For one who had claimed to detest attention, their commander had too much trademarks!

-x—

He was signing on the papers when she entered. The commander looked up and frowned when he saw Selphie stomped toward him. "Anything I can do for you?"

The usual happy-go-lucky girl didn't seem content. "You're greedy, you know."

Squall blinked. "What?"

"You stole them all!" She huffed, pointing at him. "There is nothing I can call my own!"

He stared at her. Then, after he gave up trying to understand what she was talking about, he turned back to his files. "Is there anything else?"

Selphie walked to his side, bent down and read his documents. "What are you doing?"

"Basic mission," Squall said. He kept reviewing as she stared at his work. Then, she walked away. He thought she'd leave. Instead, Selphie took some folders out of his cabinets and started reading through them. Squall glanced at her but decided to let her do whatever she wanted. After all, there was nothing the orphanage gang didn't know about Garden's secrets and missions. All of them were basically the high executives of Balamb Garden, only without official titles.

After reading through papers and mumbling something incoherent, Selphie pulled out one folder and strode to him. She handed the paper to him.

"Here you go."

Squall stared at the paper, taking it from her hand. He arched his brow. "Yes, this is what I need. How do you know?"

"Why shouldn't I know? Zell and I were bored to death when that consultant explained it in a meeting." Selphie sulked. "The meeting you were supposed to attend." Three days ago, Squall sent Selphie and Zell in a meeting. She had been sent in his stead with Zell because the meeting was for two, and Irvine was away on a mission. He couldn't send Quistis out of class for two days. Squall had more important things to do than sitting for five hours in front of a Dollet consultant who had been chatting away his precious time every time they met.

"I never thought you were actually listening to anything in that meeting," Squall murmured as he put the paper on his desk. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Selphie glowered. "And what's that 'never thought you were listening' about? I'm a SeeD. In case you forget..." She marched to the front of his desk, waving to him. When he stared at her, she grinned and saluted. "SeeD rank A, Selphie Tilmitt, nice to meet you, Sir! I've been here for a year and three months, you've met me since Dollet SeeD exam, when we both passed it together! I helped you battling Galbadian, Ultimecia and kicked Seifer Almasy's ass! Our room is located across from yours, and you were always nagging us about the noise coming from my Chocobo Series that my boyfriend and I watched every night!"

He couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"So…" Selphie grinned. "Anything else I can do to help?"

Considering her offer, Squall looked around. He did need some help. After Cid left them to live with Edea, his secretary resigned leaving Squall alone with piles of papers. Quistis and Xu helped him a lot for a week, but they too had their own jobs. Quistis was back teaching the cadets and Xu had to leave B-Garden often, her job was to expand their connections to the military higher ups and rich associates. That should've been Squall's job as well, but he managed to convince her that he would end up ruining their connections by saying his one word trademark to the investors, in every kind of situation.

Now, a week and four days after the victory banquet, he was frustrated trying to do everything by himself. He couldn't ask for assistance from people he barely knew. But his orphanage gang had been busy themselves. Irvine and Zell were his two active SeeDs, he trusted them to handle the missions, even though one of them wasn't legally a SeeD. Quistis had to teach more than five classes on her own. And Selphie had been busy with—

Squall frowned. Wait a minute…

He narrowed his eyes to the girl. Yes, Selphie didn't do anything.

He had found 'The Freeloader'.

"What have you been doing after the party, Selph?" Squall's voice chilled the room by ten degrees.

Selphie looked away and mumbled to herself. "Damn it." She quickly raised her hand up, smiling to him. "Didn't you listen to what I said before? I'm volunteering to help you! Aren't you glad?"

Squall didn't buy it. "I mean it. What have you done all this time?"

"Now now." She waved him away, moving toward the cabinet and pulling some folders out. "Let's work, shall we? Okay, I'll review the missions and start contacting those clients for you."

She snatched the wireless phone on his desk and scampered away before he managed to grab her arm. Shaking her head to the commander, she kept her cheery voice, "Play later! Work first!" She sat on the sofa, far away from his desk. Then she started opening up the folders, sorting out the work she had to do.

-x—

Rinoa crossed her arms and glared at the ground. She leaned on a bulky tree in the Training Centre next to the Secret Area. She was waiting for a woman that she loathed.

Quistis Trepe had long since forgotten about Rinoa's childish behaviour. Now, she was about to be reminded again.

"This isn't right," the commander's girlfriend protested as Quistis finished taking Angelo for a leak and ready to lock the dog again. "Why are you doing this to me? What have I done to you?"

Quistis shook her head. "It wasn't my decision. You know whose decision it was."

The girl gritted her teeth. "Are you telling me you lock Carbuncle away in there in his orders too?"

Quistis shooed Angelo inside the secret area and locked the door. She turned to Rinoa. "Will you stop blaming me if I tell you that, yes, it was Squall's orders? I don't see anything wrong with putting them here. He supplied them with a lot of food and your dog has my GF to play with."

"This is wrong!" Rinoa shouted to her. "Angelo is my dog! The decision to do something concerning Angelo is supposed to be mine!"

Quistis massaged her temples. "I should remind you on what kind of place you're staying now. Shouting to me won't work. Begging to him does." She sighed. "Listen, as long as they are happy and healthy, I don't think there's something wrong with it. He tolerated it to a certain degree, but you stepped on the limit. Angelo was lucky he didn't throw it out of Garden."

"Squall won't do that!" Rinoa yelled. "This is my dog! My boyfriend won't do anything to her!"

"Don't yell at me." Quistis began to lose her patience. "If all you can do is shouting, do it to your boyfriend, not to me. I'm just his subordinate." She held up her hand when she saw Rinoa ready to shout again. "Let me explain, I-do-not-care. Good afternoon." She turned around, leaving Rinoa yelling at her.

The fuming girl crouched down, sobbing. Angelo had been her best friend ever since she was twelve. She couldn't let her stay in Secret Area, for Hyne knew how long she'd be staying at Garden. If things continued to be this way, it wouldn't take long for her to go insane. She needed her dog.

Rinoa's eyes flickered to the door. She could do something. She could find someone that wouldn't be afraid to face the commander. Someone, who would do things for her and upset the commander at the same time.

Begging to Squall never passed her mind. She knew how hard-headed Squall was, and how she would lose the debate if all she equipped with was a pitiful beg. Squall would ignore her or worse, kicking Angelo out of the Garden. The dog, even being the one who had been there during their journey, mattered nothing to Squall. He had never been close to the dog anyway, even though Angelo adored him. Rinoa had a suspicion that Angelo would fight Marlboros and Behemoths alone if it was for the gunblader. It was strange that the two of them fell for the same cold-hearted human.

Rinoa stood up, nodding to herself as she walked out of the Training Centre.

She knew right away who would do the job for her.

-x—

-x-

Irvine was relieved. Selphie was surprised when he admitted it, but she smiled, shrugged and said that they didn't need to rush anyway. He felt so relieved.

Eleven days since they became a couple; last night was the first time he slept so comfortably. There was no nagging feeling in his head, forcing him to do things to Selphie—things he never wanted to do to her.

Here he was, sitting on the bench in the fountain area, singing a song. He didn't even know the lyrics and everyone had said he was awful at singing. But hey, there was no one in there (the rest of the student body might have been fleeing from the hall when they heard him singing) and he was happy.

"Irvine," echoed a voice next to him, "…you are amazin'ly shrilly."

Irvine turned towards the voice, smiling when he saw Lucia stood next to his bench. He patted the seat next to him, waiting for his childhood red-haired friend to sit.

The Galbadian SeeD accepted the offer. Since the G-Garden was down, plenty of its G-soldiers and SeeDs fled to B-Garden. The first time Irvine saw her face after the war was five days ago, when she aided him on the mission. The mission itself went fine and well. Squall was pleased with their work.

Lucia closed her ears with both hands when she heard Irvine start singing again. "Irv… stop it."

Irvine shot her playful looks. "Can't a man sing when he wants to?"

"Yes. In his room, alone." A girl passed the edge of Lucia's view. She turned, seeing Rinoa walking to the gate. Irvine noticed Lucia's gaze and watched the blue-clothed girl disappear.

"Where's she goin' alone?" Lucia whispered to him.

Irvine shrugged. Rinoa never went out alone. Squall didn't want his girlfriend attacked by T-Rexaur or other things living on the Balamb coast (Rinoa would never meet T-Rexaur if she didn't wander into the jungle, but hey, this was Rinoa we were talking about…). He always instructed the orphanage gang to accompany her every time she wanted to go out, anywhere. Since everyone was so busy, lately the task had fallen into Selphie's hand.

Irvine crossed his arms. Where is Sefie anyway? When I woke up she wasn't there. She left no notes, nothing. Is she working in the Quad? That's strange. She's supposed to be the one to watch over Rin.

Lucia nudged him. "Wanna follow her?"

Irvine arched his brow. "If she knows we're stalkin' her, I'm gonna be in deep trouble, Darlin'."

"Then don't act like we're followin' her." Lucia licked her lips. "I got nothin' to do anyway. It's interestin' to see where the commander's girlfriend went out, all alone." Her eyes widened as she whispered. "Ooooh, can it be? Is she havin' an affair?"

Irvine coughed in shock. "Rin?" He waved his hand.

"Yeah, that's what you say." Lucia stood up. "Okay, bye Irv."

"Hey… you're not serious?" Irvine followed his friend. "Luce! Don't! You're gonna be in trouble!"

-x—

"Nice talking to you!" Selphie put the phone down. She skipped towards the commander's desk. "There! We're done for the day!" She set the phone and her notes on his desk.

Squall glanced up. "Yeah... thanks."

But Selphie didn't go away. Instead, she hopped to his side. "Let's go home!"

"I'm not finished with this."

Selphie bent down to his work, reading it. Squall's brow furrowed in annoyance. Her face was too close to his paper for him to read anything. Then Selphie turned her head to Squall and he had to move his head away; her lips were too close to his.

Ignoring his discomfort, Selphie shook her head. "This is for tomorrow's work! Don't do today what you should do tomorrow!"

Squall frowned. "I think it's the other way."

"Details, who cares about them?" Selphie grabbed and pulled his arm, forcing him to stand up. Squall arched his brow, he didn't move even a bit. "Come on! It's five already! Go home to Rin!"

Squall rested his free elbow against the table, staring at Selphie as she tried pulling him up without success. "She asked you to do this, didn't she?"

Selphie stopped pulling him up and huffed in distress. She hated when someone showed they were stronger than her. He could at least humour her a little, right? "No, she didn't. I do this for her, but she knows nothing. So, now you can go back and hug her and tell her how much you love her and kiss her! Please go home now!" She crouched next to his chair and shot him with Zell's original move, puppy-dog-eyes. "Please?"

Squall sighed. … I don't have much to do anyway. "Alright." He stood up, ignoring Selphie's loud cheer as he scooped his room key and motioned for her to get out. After she went out, he followed, turning off the lamp switch and locking the door.

"There, good boy!" She started bouncing up and down. "I promise you won't regret this!"

The commander rolled his eyes and walked away. She followed him into the elevator shaft.

"You were pretty good at office work." Squall said, pushing the ground button.

"Thanks!" Selphie swayed her body, waiting for the elevator to carry them down. "I guess managing festivals is pretty much the same as managing papers."

Crossing his arms, Squall let out his mind. "I think you should have a permanent job."

Her eyes widened in horror.

Squall glanced at her. "How about it? You want to do missions or paperwork?"

"Can't I just do the weekly festival event?" Selphie sighed when Squall didn't answer. "I'll think about it. If I'm an active SeeD, will you pair me with Irvy all the time?"

"No."

Selphie brood, toddling out from the elevator as it opened at their destination. Squall followed in silence. When they reached the front door of her room, she turned toward him.

"Okay, see you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow?" Squall stared at her. "You want to do paperwork again?"

"I'll do anything to help my friends!" She grinned. "Bye!"

Squall stared at the girl until she disappeared into her room. Then, he turned to his own room across from hers.

What shall I do tonight? He could take Rinoa outside for a dinner. Her cooking wasn't bad, but he couldn't say it was good either. Squall preferred something less...salty. He loved sweets more than any other flavour. They could have some ice cream or pie.

Strawberry and chocolate… Squall went inside. Some marshmallows… maybe I just take her camping on the coast today. The moon looked so bright this past week. Just the two of us… Wait… Squall looked around, this couldn't be… she always told me when she went out…

Maybe she's in Selphie's room…?

He headed to Selphie's door and knocked. "Selph," he said when she opened the door. "Is Rin inside?"

Selphie shook her head. "No."

"Does Irvine know where she is?" Squall put his hand on his hip, wondering why she didn't tell him anything. "She didn't leave me a note."

Selphie frowned at Squall. "He isn't here either." She rested her hand on her hip, mirroring his pose. "He didn't leave me any note either."