After the Night

Time: Post-main, pre-epilogue.
Description: The girl at the library meets two very energetic and determined young boys.
A/N: The pigtailed girl in FFVIII has no name! It drives me nuts. Oh well. I love Kain and Kel. I wish I could have used them more in the story proper, but I'll content myself with using them here.

Twins

The girl behind the checkout desk sighed softly and pulled at a pigtail nervously. So much paperwork. She didn't know where to start. She wasn't even supposed to be working this position. But with the older, more experienced employees receiving promotions and transfers left and right, that meant she had been promoted as well into a position she didn't know if she could fill. Her stomach clenched painfully as she sifted through the papers. She had to try, for the President's sake. She'd never tell anyone but she had a massive crush on the man, even if he was old enough to be her father.

A pile of books crashed down on the counter in front of her, pulling her from the worrisome papers. She looked up and blinked. Two sets of identical brown eyes twinkled at her from mirror-image faces.

"Hi!" one of the faces said. "We'd like to check these out please."

Smiling, she nodded and held out her hand for the card that the speaker had waved at her. Once she had scanned it, she picked up the first book to scan it as well. Her eyes widened at the title. It was an advanced manual on agriculture. Quickly, she ran her eyes over the other books. Architecture, irrigation, engineering. All high-level subjects, far too advanced for the boys in front of her. They looked about twelve at most.

The other one was grinning at her, and now he said, "You're pretty." She jumped a bit and stared at him. Still grinning, he continued, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

A small laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "No," she answered his question, "but I think you two are too young for me, even if you read books like these."

The first boy replied, "Oh, they aren't for us. They're for our friend." His face split into a grin that was an exact copy of the other's. "Our single friend." The two exchanged quick glances before he asked, "Do you like blonds?"

"Yeah," the second added before she could respond. "Not too tall but lots of muscles. Really strong." He cocked his head at her. "Do you like being protected?"

"Sure she does," the first answered for her, punching the other lightly in the arm. "All girls like being protected."

"Yuko doesn't."

"Well yeah, but Yukes is a SeeD and can kick all our butts with one hand tied behind her back."

"She'll definitely kick your butt if she hears you call her that."

"Nah, I'll tell her you did it. She can't tell us apart."

"You do that and I'll tell Reno you tried to spy on Cera while she was taking a bath."

"I never!"

"I know, but Reno doesn't."

"Excuse me," she interrupted them before they could start fighting in the middle of the library. Twin gazes turned to look at her and then at the pile of books she held out to them. "You're checked out and ready to go," she said in a tone that suggested they do so before they got her in trouble.

The first boy took the pile and smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry we were being loud."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she assured them. But then they grinned again, and she couldn't help shrinking back a little.

"When do you get off?" they asked nearly in unison.

"Six."

"Okay. Bye!"

She breathed a huge sigh of relief as the doors closed behind them. Never had she met children with such energy. And identical twins. Their parents must be perpetually exhausted … if they were even still alive. She drew her breath in a bit as the thought hit her. So many children had lost families in the war. She suddenly felt sorry that she hadn't been more friendly to them. If they were checking books out like that, then they were probably part of the reconstruction efforts which meant that they very likely had no family left. She tugged on a pigtail and sighed. What wonderful hearts they must have if they could still be that happy in the face of so much sadness.

The rest of her day passed slowly. She spent her time doggedly working at the mound of paperwork, only occasionally pausing to check out books or direct someone to a particular section. By the time six rolled around, she had nearly forgotten about the vivacious twins and their questions.

Then, the front door opened, and she caught sight of two identical brown heads bobbing along, slowly approaching the front desk. The boys had their backs to her, and her breath caught when she saw why. Each had a muscled arm in a deathgrip, and together they were dragging a blond young man into the library. He wore a confused and mildly irritated expression on his handsome face as the twins tugged and pulled on him. But then, he lifted blue eyes and caught sight of her, and all his struggling stopped.

The boys pulled the newcomer straight up to her at the desk and turned to her with their matching grins. "This is Zell," one said. "He's going to take you out to dinner and then escort you home."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "And he's going to get your name and number and set up another date, too, or he's not getting those books he asked us to check out."

"Yeah. Bye!"

And they were gone, leaving her to gaze wonderingly into Zell's clear blue eyes as their twin laughter echoed away into the silence of the library.

End

Next chapter:

The Infamous Ice Cream Incident: Yuffie just wanted some ice cream. Leon just wanted to burn her to a crisp.