Disclaimer: Roses are red. Violets are somehow blue. Kat only owns Katrin. What about you?
Chapter Three: The Aquallies
"… and this is the basics of magic." Quistis said, finishing her lecture of the Magic Basics. "Remember, study this for your test next week." she added and several groans were heard from the class. She gave them some exercises to do in the class, and her blue eyes fell in the blackest seat, where the bored form of Katrin stood.
SeeDs could attend some class if they wanted, to catch the news of something or to be actualized. But something told Quistis that Katrin wasn't there for neither of the things, and that Paine had something to do with it. And that suspicion only grew when she saw the young brunette glancing at Aquall. And of course, Katrin didn't have a crush on the boy, right?
It's Katrin we are talking about. Sure thing, Aquall has a handsome face, just like Squall, but Katrin doesn't even notice the appearance. It's the inside that matters to her. And I haven't seen her interested in the boy. But she's the only one…. Quistis thought, sighing in the end, and taking a glance at the group of girls that were supposed to be working, and instead were whispering among each other, looking at Aquall, who was seated in second desk counting from the backseat.
"He's so hot, don't you think?" one of the girls, a blond one, asked her redheaded friend.
"Yeah." She answered with a squeal. "And he's much nicer than Squall"
Quistis looked at the said boy and noticed that he was concentrated in doing his assigned exercise. And Quistis noticed that Katrin was looking at him too, looking bored out of her mind, but with a vigilant look in her eyes. As if sensing her, Aquall raised his head and looked straight at her, smirking. Katrin responded by raising an eyebrow questionably and several girls sent daggers at her, looking preoccupied at Aquall. And then Quistis noticed that Katrin looked somewhat different; she had put black kohl eyeliner and was using her hair up in a ponytail, not hiding it anymore behind that fringe of hers. There were only two occasions that Katrin used eyeliner: or she was up to seduce someone, or she was hiding the black circles under her eyes. She opted for the last one.
I mean, she isn't trying to seduce Aquall, right?!
Quistis heard some warnings and threats coming from the girls that were eying Aquall and Katrin. Katrin eyes diverted a little to them and smiled, shaking her head. She had, of course, heard them and found them amusing. Smiling all the way, she looked at Quistis and winked at her. Quistis couldn't help the small smile and chuckle that escaped her lips.
If Katrin was to assist all class that Aquall was going, doing the "special mission" Paine had assigned her, then the classes were bound to be extremely interesting.
*------*
Aquall had intended to talk with her as soon class was over, but she was too quick to leave the room and the girls that had eyed him the all damn class had stopped him. He was walking towards the elevator, trying to be nice to them, trying desperately to escape them, and to reach Katrin before she vanished.
He saw her standing in front of the doors of the elevator, and he was going to dispatch the squealing girls and sprint to her, but the elevator came in that moment and Katrin didn't thought twice before entering the elevator. She turned and noticed him with all the girls around him. The full grin that appeared in her face was mocking his bad fortune. He answered with a scowl and she laughed.
Seeing that he wasn't going to get her in time, he turned to the girls, giving them his most charmed smile, making them squeal.
*------*
She was heading towards the cafeteria to get some lunch before heading to the Training Center and then returning to classes. A hand popped out of nowhere and pulled her into a closet that was nearby. She didn't needed to look to know who it was.
"So? Found anything yet?" Paine asked and Katrin sighed.
"A perfect student.; always quiet, polite and calm in class; has a bunch of girls following him like he's some god; and seems that, apart from the niceness and the charm he uses with all the girls, he behaves just like Squall, only a bit more social. But just a tiny bit."
"I don't want to know anything about it!" Paine almost yelled, raising her hands. "I want to know if he's plotting something!"
"Well I didn't see anything that indicated that." Katrin declared, putting a hand in her chin, thinking. "I mean, if you're right and he's here to plot against Squall, he wouldn't do it in sunlight, right? He's probably doing it outside Garden or in his room…" she thought for a moment and Paine thought about it too. She was probably right. Who, in their right mind, would plot against the commander of the strongest military force in the world and not doing it undercover?
"I still can't understand why Squall doesn't try the blood test to see if Aquall is indeed his twin or not…" Katrin thought aloud
"I think Squall is kind of afraid of know the result. What do you think it would happen if the test was positive?" Paine asked with a small smile, and Katrin smiled back.
"Yeah…. I think he would go into depression!"
And the two girls burst out laughing.
"About the thing of before…" Paine started, whipping a tear, caused by the laughing, of her eye. "Maybe Aquall has his secrets in his room. We gotta enter."
"Yeah, but how?" Katrin asked, frowning a little. She noticed the look Paine was giving her. "What?"
"You gotta do it. Find a way of entering his room, but not by force. Make him invite you. It would look less suspicious."
It took a moment for Katrin to understand what Paine was implying, and her eyes grew to the size of plates.
"You gotta be shiting kiddin' me!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "No, no fucking way!"
"Oh come on Kat, it's not a bid deal!" Paine exclaimed.
"No damn! I'm not going to do it!" and Katrin stormed off to the cafeteria, Paine hot in wheels.
The cafeteria was, as usual in lunch time, crowded with people. But Katrin, not worrying who she stepped, hurried towards the table were Squall and the others sat, Paine behind her. Katrin hit the table with her fists clenched tight, right in front of Squall.
"Your girlfriend wants me to seduce a boy." She said with a frown. Paine stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the word 'girlfriend' and Squall just stared at Katrin for the same reason Paine stopped.
"What?" he finally said, finding his voice.
"Paine wants me to seduce someone." Katrin remarked again, crossing her arms.
"If the said boy is me, than you have no problem." Irvine remarked in the other end of the table, grinning. Katrin sent him a glare that looked so much like Paine and Squall usually sent, that Irvine's grin vanished from his face and he flinched.
"I don't see any problem with that…." Squall answered noticing something different about her. "Did you caught your head in a ponytail?"
"And she put some eyeliner too!" Selphie squealed and Katrin rolled her eyes.
"I'm leaving." She declared, turning around and leaving.
"What about your lunh!?" Selphie screamed.
"I'm not hungry anymore!" Katrin yelled back, waving her hand dismissively, thinking about what Paine told her.
Seduce Aquall?! I mean SERIOUSLY!!!!!!
Paine sighed and stared at the fading figure of Katrin going through the door.
"Are you sure seducing this "someone" is a good idea?" Zell spoke up after eating his fourth hot dog. Paine turned around surprised to see Zell was even here. When was he so quiet? Every time he eats, someone could hear him a mile away.
"It's the only way." Paine answered back leaving everyone confused. She turned towards the cafeteria door and walked out, forgetting to eat. Squall couldn't help but stare at her retreating figure. He tried his best not to blush. The word "girlfriend" still fresh in his mind. Squall got up and left the cafeteria, trying to find Paine. After a brief silence,
"Anyone gonna eat his hotdog?" Zell asked. Everyone sighed and went back to eating. Zell shrugged and took the hotdog.
*------*
Paine was heading to the infirmary to get her daily checkup. Only she, Katrin, and knew about the incident during the fight against Ultimecia. Paine clutched her hip and sighed. If the others knew what happened, they'll go bonkers. Paine opened the door to the infirmary and was greeted by the smell of herbs and potions. She smiled.
"Oh Paine, you're here!" Dr. Kadowaki called out to Paine from behind her desk. Paine nodded and lied down on one of the infirmary beds. Kadowaki closed the door and started examining her hip.
"How's that hip of yours?" Kadowaki asked.
"It's getting better. It doesn't hurt as much." Paine answered closing her eyes. She felt Kodawki look at her hip for a few more minutes and her footsteps exit the room.
"I'll go get you a few potions, keep drinking those and your hip will get better. But it will not heal." Paine winced at the last words she heard. She really regretted her huge mistake...
*Flashback...*
Paine charged at one of the monsters Ultimecia sent out. She and Katrin were taking care of them while Squall and the others were trying to hold off Griever. Paine looked up to see Ultimecia smirking at her. Paine narrowed her eyes and attacked another monster. She saw blue energy coming out of Ultimecia's hand and Paine silently cursed. She wasn't a huge fan of magic, but she knew that any magic coming from Ultimecia was dangerous. The blue energy became bigger and Paine was surprised that the others didn't notice it. Katrin killed a few monster heading towards Paine.
"Paine! Snap out of it, and start dodging and killing something!" Katrin shouted at her killing a few more monster that seemed to jump out of the ground. But Paine paid her no mind, her eyes were fixed on that blue energy. Ultimecia laughed and raised her hand in the air. She smirked and threw the energy towards Paine. Paine was snapped out of her daze and dodged it. But not entirely. Her hip took the damage. Paine bit her lip trying her best not to scream bloody murder.
"PAINE!" Katrin yelled in concern for her best friend. She sighed with relief when the monsters stopped coming and she ran towards her fallen friend. Ultimecia let out a evil laugh and turned towards the others, she was not surprised to see them still fighting Griever. But Griever was getting weaker. Katrin shouted a few Curaga's at Paine's hip and Paine got up wobbling. Paine spit out blood and grabbed her fallen sword, she smirked and took a battle stance, not caring about the pain in her hip. She wanted revenge.
*End of Flashback...*
Paine sighed and took the potions Kadowaki gave her. She put them in her pocket and left, but not without a polite goodbye. Paine exited the infirmary and looked around to see Squall heading towards her.
"Paine? What are you doing here?" Squall asked concern. Paine chuckled and started walking.
"I'm fine Lion Boy." Squall ignored the nickname and went up to her, walking at the same pace. He shook his head and answered,
"I'll believe you. For now."
And they walked towards class in silence.
*------*
Paine sighed as their instructor for Weapons gave a huge lecture. Out of all her classes, she hated this one the most.
"This is boring." Paine looked at her Commander in the seat next to her. She chuckled at his words. He usually loved this class. I guess lectures weren't his thing.
"I have to agree." Paine answered back leaning into her seat some more. She was getting sleepy. Squall also leaned back into his chair, not noticing his shoulder was touching Paine. Paine didn't seem to mind.
"Who do we have next?" Squall whispered to her. Squall, surprisingly, always lost his class schedule. For a Commander, he was pretty good at losing things.
"Healing Magic and Potions." Paine answered back closing her eyes. Squall sighed. At least that class was better than this one.
"...And that's the true reason of Weapons." Paine almost jumped out of her seat in joy. Class was finally over. She and Squall packed their things and headed to their next class which was across the hall. They both seemed to forget that Aquall was in that class as well.
*-----*
"Awww, the young love…."
Both Paine and Squall turned in their seats to see Katrin with her head lying down in her arms, eyes closed.
"All you need is love, love,
Love is all you need". She sang, not opening her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Paine asked, sending her death glares. Squall shifted uncomfortable in his seat.
"Oh I don't know…" Katrin said, opening her eyes, seating straight and putting a finger in her lips, thinking like a small children. Her eyes fell in something in front of them and she leaned close to the pair. "Don't you think Aquall is really cute?"
Paine and Squall turned to see Squall almost copy in the classroom door, surrounded by three girls. The charm smile never left his face. Paine turned to Katrin.
"He's in this class?"
Katrin nodded to her friend and Squall turned to her, frowning.
"Don't tell me you're following him?"
"What the hell?! NO!" Katrin shouted, shocked and sent Paine a warning glare, which she ignored. "Anyway, what are you two love birds doing here?"
"Katrin!" Paine shouted, trying hard not to blush, and Squall shifted in his seat again, clearing his throat with a small blush in his face. Katrin couldn't help the mischievous grin that appeared in her face.
"Ah love, love,
Love is all you neeeeed………" she dragged the last part in purpose making Paine glare at her again and turning in her seat, clearly irritated. Katrin smiled in delight. If Paine was going to make her do things, and bringing Squall's brotherly anger upon her, than she was going to make her the most embarrassed woman in the world. She sighed with happiness and laid her head in her arms, closing her eyes.
Ah perfection…….
"May I?"
Katrin opened her eyes and turned her head, coming face to face with none other than Aquall and his charmed smile.
"No." was Katrin's immediate answer.
"Of course!"
Katrin turned her head to her best friend, frowning and sending daggers at her. Paine sent back the stare and a mute talk passed in seconds between them.
"I don't want to!"
"You have to! That was our deal!"
"God I hate you! But I don't want him near me! He brings bad luck!"
"So you will have to live with that bad luck!"
"I hate you!"
"Your friends over there are going to kill me." Katrin remarked, pointing towards the girls that were already looking at her.
Aquall's smile only grew bigger upon hearing that.
"Oh, don't worry about them. They're harmless."
"Like hell they are." Katrin muttered under her breath. Raising her head and voice, she eyed the brunet in front of her. "Here's the deal: you seat next to me, but you have to pay me lunch every day."
Aquall blinked his eyes, astonished. Paine just rolled her eyes.
"Gluttonous." She said and Katrin sent Paine her most seducing and dangerous smile. Paine's sensor "Katrin is going to give me trouble" ranged in alarm.
"I know." She said patting Paine's cheek.
"Your luck is that she doesn't eat much." Paine clarified and Aquall looked a little less livid.
"What about I take you to dinner in Dollet's most famous restaurant, "Spice". How about it?" He asked, sending her another charmed smile. Paine's eyes grew hugger big.
"Whoa, that's the most expensive restaurant in the surroundings!" she exclaimed, looking at Katrin, who just stared at Aquall with a bored expression. She seemed that she enjoyed more the part of free lunch every day, than going to eat in a fancy restaurant.
"Fine by me." She finally said and turned to Paine, smiling a smile that Paine didn't liked one bit. It usually meant trouble. "Then I can see if it's good for you love birds."
Paine turned, trying to hide her blushing while Squall, who had been silent the whole, trying to ignore Aquall's presence, shifted in his seat again and the blush clearly evident in his face. Behind them, Katrin couldn't stop laughing.
"You know what?" Katrin said to Paine leaning a little. The white-haired girl ignored her. "I hate Aquallies."
And that was enough to steal a chuckle from Paine.