Author's Notes:
Hi again, everybody! Now some of you had been asking me how to pronounce my name. Well, it's GEOZ-LIZH. Ok, now and another question: Why Sean? Well, I sort of got something from Selphie and Irvine's name: SE from Selphie and the AN is something like Ian which is similar to Irvine… uh, I don't know! I'm confused. The name just popped into my head. *Tee-hee!*
And of course, thanking all those who took their time to review my story, you guys will never be forgotten. Arigatou! Sie-sie! Thank you!
Modified my name from g3ozL!zh to g3ozLizh!
Disclaimer: Squaresoft's not mine but FF8 is --- JUST KIDDING!!!!
All hail to the creators!
==== denote a flashback / recall
~~~~ denote a change of scene
italics
denote a thoughtU n b e l o v e d
By: g3ozLizh
Chapter Two
Irvine Kinneas earnestly wished that he could turn back the time, that he hadn't given in to his temptation the night before. He didn't know what had gotten into him. All he can remember telling himself was that, he just wanted a booze… maybe two. But never in his mind did he decide to spend the night with --- he didn't even catch her name. Ok, he can go on and on, telling himself that he didn't want last night to happen but sad as it is, he couldn't deny the fact that he pretty much enjoyed it. He can still taste her.
Oh, Hyne damnit! What am I thinking?! He continued to walk back and forth, across that light blue marble floor of the Trabia Hospital. He kept his head down and stuffed his hand into his pockets when he realized that he wasn't wearing his usual attire. Only the faded jeans and the white shirt. Great! Not only do I feel guilty, I also smell one. For the first time since he had been there, he can now detect the faint smell that was booze. Right then, he wanted to change but can't. He has to be there when the results arrive. Fuck! When is that doctor coming out? He stopped to glance at the emergency room door.
C'mon, Selphie… He glanced at his son fast asleep on the chair, a thick blanket beneath him. He was quite fortunate that Sean didn't get hurt, just fazed, crying his eyes out until he fell asleep. Fortunate, my ass! If Selphie… Just thinking about the possibility scared him out of his wits. After all the cussing he had done for the past few minutes, the dam broke.
It's all my fault. He slumped onto the chair, just beside the sleeping child. He leaned forward, elbows on knees, hands covering his tear-streaked face. When he had kneeled beside Selphie's lifeless form earlier, she was already drenched in blood.
"Where's the room?"
"Just beyond there, Zell. Oh, Squall, you think Selphie will be alright?"
Irvine recognized those voices. He immediately straightened up and hastily brushed off the stray tears from his cheeks. He waited to hear Squall's reply, half-hoping to find assertion that Selphie will live.
If Squall did reply, he didn't hear it.
"Oh, Irvine!" Quistis Trepe ran toward him, her usual composure gone. Upon having her face to face, he can see that she had been crying --- hard.
"How is she, is she alright?" Rinoa Heartilly's voice made him turn to her direction. His always smiling, charming friend was having a hard time getting out the words. Her customary vibrancy left her face. Her lips seemed to be parched but red, as if she had been constantly biting on it, the enzymes having been dried up.
Irvine just nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"C'mon, Man!" Zell piped in, anxiety written all over his face. "We traveled all the way here and that's just what we're gonna hear from you? Can't you at least tell us what happened? You promised to take good --- "
"Zell!" Quistis scolded, disbelief written all over her face for his companion's insensitivity.
Squall just merely glared at him.
"I'm sorry." Irvine sat on the chair again.
Rinoa then noticed the baby. "Goodness! Why is Sean here? Isn't he not allowed to be in a hospital at his age?" She hurried forward and caressed the baby's forehead.
Irvine stared at her blankly at first, then as if finally grasping her intention, he replied, "He was checked up himself."
"What? So you mean to say he was with Selphie when it happened?" Quistis queried, motherly concern reflecting in her expression as she kneeled down and felt for the baby's temperature --- like that's gonna tell her anything.
"You can't be serious." Zell was still rooted to where he stood seconds ago, Squall too.
"Don't worry guys, he's out of danger." Rinoa softly said, staring lovingly at the child.
"That's what the doctors said." Irvine supplied.
Squall finally spoke. "Let's get him to Balamb." He stared knowingly at Irvine's appearance as if to say: "You don't look like in the condition to take care of the child and from what I can see from the situation right now, the house is a mess too."
Rinoa, after noting what Squall meant by looking at Irvine, nodded. She started to take the baby into her arms, slowly as not to wake him up.
"You two go ahead. It will be good for the baby. Zell and I will stay here with Irvine." Quistis helped Rinoa position the baby comfortably in her arms, head on her left shoulder.
"Excellent idea." Zell simply stared meaningfully at Irvine.
Irvine ignored him. "Thanks, guys." He said tiredly.
Squall and Rinoa turned to leave. Squall suddenly turned towards Irvine. "I'll ask you what happened… maybe later tonight."
Irvine has this funny feeling that Squall was getting on to something and that he knew. Outwardly, he appeared to act unfazed. "Sure."
With that, Rinoa and Squall were gone, leaving an uneasy silence hanging in the air.
Zell cracked his knuckles, staring at the far wall.
Irvine nervously tinkered with what apparently is Selphie's bracelet.
Quistis can sense tension in the air. Before she can say anything, the swinging door opened.
~~~~
Squall and Rinoa walked all the way to the parking lot in silence, each within their own thought. Squall unlocked the car door and got in, Rinoa following suit.
"Here, let me carry him for a while." He suggested, noticing Rinoa's hard time getting in.
Rinoa paused and just stared at him at first before the words sank in. Squall, offering to hold a baby? No way! He had made it perfectly clear the last time that Selphie visited that he doesn't want anything to do with babies, let alone hold one. Maybe it was partly because of Rinoa's certain "subtle hints". Before Squall had the time to ponder her reluctance, she agreed. "Okay." She gently laid the baby in Squall's arms and then got in herself.
As she settled in, she decided to tease Squall about his attitude towards babies. Opening her mouth --- the baby was thrust gently back to her arms. "Here."
Squall ignited the engine and they sped off.
In the middle of the cessation of sound, Rinoa spoke up. "Squall, you think everything's gonna be alright with Selphie? I heard that she was greatly injured, her skull…"
"I'm no expert but I think she will be. What's bothering me is what happened." Squall kept his eyes on the road, just taking quick glances out of the corner of his eyes.
"That's what I'd like to know too." She looked at the baby. "For his sake."
"I'm not accusing Irvine of anything" --- not yet, He added silently ---- "But I think he's with his 'vices' again."
Rinoa changed the subject, shifting in her seat, as far as the seatbelt allows, to half face Squall. "Let's stop talking about gloomy things for a while." Her voice was half-cheery. "It's not good for any of us anyway."
"…"
Rinoa slumped a bit, to emphasize that she got his point. "O-kay. Fine. I see you prefer to dwell on it." She turned back to her seat and leaned.
"…"
"Why so… serious all of a sudden?"
Squall glanced at her before replying. "What? I'm always serious." There was a slight implied humor to it that she seemed to have missed.
Rinoa tilted her head to the side. "You know what I mean." Rolling her eyes, she rocked the baby, who was starting to stir. "Okay. Let's change it then. Why are you so uptight?"
"I'm not uptight."
Rinoa snorted. "Yes, you are."
Squall shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, then. If you say so."
"Grrrrr! You're impossible! Isn't there anything that fazes you?"
He turned his head to the side and stared. Just that. Just looking at her.
Rinoa blinked. Realizing that if they don't break their eye contact soon, they might as well commit suicide. So she just turned her head away and pouted. The tiny drops of rain on the window proved to be much more engaging.
Squall didn't say a word after that.
Rinoa was still fuming so all she did was lulled the baby to sleep.
They rode toward Balamb Garden in silence.
Author's Notes:
Okay. Again, I'm so sorry for the long delay. Lots of extra-curricular activities in school I have to attend to. And as much as I hate to admit, I sorta lost my zest in writing this. But, thanks to the ever emails of encouragement, my enthusiasm is back!
