Hyne Mass
part eleven

Author's Notes: I had hoped to get this done sooner… no matter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII… or waffles.


"Nah, the make-up looks great on you," the young man said. Rinoa couldn't contain her smile. The girl's cheeks flushed. He was actually rather charming, and he was pretty nice to look at, actually. Blue eyes, short blonde shaggy hair. The way he spoke reminded her a little of Seifer. He seemed to like her. Maybe this guy would make a better companion, since Squall had never once shown an interest in her outside of their business relationship of mercenary and client. Sure, Squall would protect her from physical assault, but he'd never once said a single kind word to her. He barely spoke to her at all. And even then, only when she approached him first.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," the young man said. "Are you a new cadet?"

"No, I'm here from Timber."

"Timber? What? Are you an Upperclassman or something?"

"No… I'm not a student, but I am living here."

"Huh… why?"

"I was involved in… something that went wrong. I hired SeeD to liberate Timber from the Galbadian army. Now I need to stay away until things cool down."

"Got it," the blond remarked. "You're that cute girl that hangs around with Leonheart, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Rinoa confirmed with a grin, accepting the compliment without question.

"Why do you hang around with him?"

"Well, my contract is kind of with him personally. He's still acting under my orders… I think."

"That doesn't mean you have to follow the depressive leather fetish guy around like a lovesick puppy. Why don't you hang with me?" Rinoa's smile began to falter. Even if he were right, Rinoa knew she shouldn't let this guy slander Squall's name like that.

Nobody had that right. Not behind his back, anyway.

"He's not that bad, once you get to know him," Rinoa assured the blond. "I think I'll stick by him for now. The SeeD working for me have become my friends, but you're welcome to join our group, if you want."

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen." Rinoa's eyes narrowed distastefully.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's it?"

"Because he's a bore, okay! I don't know what you see in him. He's gay, anyway."

"Wow," Rinoa spoke, taken aback by the outburst. "Where did that come from?"

"Sorry, but you seem to be fascinated with the guy. Stick with him and you'll only wind up disappointed. That goes for Instructor Trepe, too. Trust me –"

"Oh Hyne, you're not one of those Trepies, are you?" Rinoa asked, eying the young man up suspiciously. "I've been told all about you."

"No, I'm not one of them. But trust me. Whatever you think of him, he's not worth it."

"What's your problem with Squall, Anyway?"

"Let's just say he's not exactly popular in my circle."

"So what are you then?" Rinoa asked, in an attempt to change the subject. "Are you a SeeD?"

"No. I'm an Upperclassman."

"So you're just a regular student then." This guy didn't seem very superior to Garden's Commander, whatever he thought of himself.

"For now, but I'm signing on as a cadet once I graduate as a Classman."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen. You?"

"Seventeen. But aren't you a little old to become a cadet?"

"Maybe, but this way I'll already have my civilian secondary school-level qualification."

"That makes sense… Are you going to become a SeeD?"

"Maybe."

"Isn't the SeeD exam difficult? What if you can't pass?" the blond smirked in a familiarly arrogant fashion.

"Don't worry; I'll be sure to pass it on my first try."

"And if you can't?" Rinoa smugly questioned.

"If Squall Leonheart passed it on his first try, so can I."

"Seifer failed it three times," Rinoa argued.

"True, but Seifer was a moronic hot-head. I, on the other hand, can follow orders to the letter."

"But what if you don't pass? Aren't you cutting it a little close?"

"Perhaps. Garden does release its cadets at the age of twenty. If that happens, I'll simply transfer into the Galbadian Army."

"If you want to be a soldier, why finish your studies as a civilian?"

"It may seem strange, but I have my own personal reasons. Also, I can't run around the battlefield forever, now. Can I? The Garden Classman Diploma is rather prestigious, and with it, I can migrate comfortably into civilian life after I retire from Military duty."

"You think that'll be enough?"

"You're not very familiar with the influence of a certificate from Garden, are you? Garden graduates always become officers in the military. It's the same in business, or whatever other field I might choose. Trust me. It'll be enough. But enough about that. What do you say we talk about something a little more interesting?"

"Such as?" The blond smirked.

"Come on, now. You can't expect me to have all the answers, can you?"

"Well, what do you suggest?" Rinoa asked, beginning to feel awkward. This conversation was heading south.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe if you come walk with me, I'll think of something."

"Well, actually, I'm kind of comfortable here."

"Don't be such a bore. It won't take long." The blond slipped his arm around the girl's shoulder and slowly began steering her away."

"I don't think that's a good idea." The pair looked over to the source of the intrusion, coming to a halt. "I suggest you leave us, and get back to your associates."

"Whatever you say, Commander," the blond conceded. "If you change your mind, come and find me," he offered the raven haired girl before silently backing away.

"Squall," the girl voiced.

"Before you ask, I heard your entire conversation."

"You were there the whole time?" Squall nodded.

"I should probably apologise, but I don't want you hanging around with that guy."

"Oh yeah?" Rinoa's lip curled in a grin. "Any particular reason why?"

"I don't like that guy, or his friends. And I don't trust them around you." Rinoa's grin widened. This was getting interesting.

"And why is that?"

"Your contract is still in effect, even if we cannot at this point in time act on it. It's my job to keep you safe. An impossible feat if you insist on hanging around with the zealots." Rinoa's grin suddenly dropped.

"That's it? That's the only reason–" Rinoa suddenly stopped, mid-tirade. "Oh, I get it." Squall was hiding his true feelings again, like he did in FH. Like he always did. Rinoa had been around Squall long enough to pick up on his particular quirks. She knew him too well to be fooled the way she was in the beginning. She could see right through him, and his feigned apathy. "You're hiding behind that again." Squall raised an eyebrow. "It's okay, I know you. I know the truth."

"And that would be?"

"I'm not telling!"

"What–"

"Whatever! That's what you were about to say, right?" Squall narrowed his eyes at the girl's childishness, though found himself unable to condemn her for it. It was almost endearing, though he'd never admit it out loud.

"You know, your friend is Alexander's personal bitch."

"Really? Alex seemed kind of disturbing. That guy was actually pretty charming." Rinoa took a strange form of pleasure from the expression that graced Squall's face, though it lasted only a moment, and then it was gone.

"His followers don't need to act like him to be zealous, fanatical sheep."

"I guess not…"

"Zell is nothing like me, and he'd probably do anything I ask."

"You've got that right." Squall had a point. He and Zell were polar opposites.

"Raijin and Fujin aren't like Seifer."

"I guess not."

"The Faculty weren't much like Norg."

"Okay, you've made your– wait… that one doesn't make sense. They were exactly like Norg, weren't they?"

"Honestly… I don't know." Rinoa broke into laughter.

"Don't let the others catch you talking crap like that… so, that guy was one of the religious nuts? Is that why you don't want me hanging out with them?"

"Something like that."

"Humph. I'm a little disappointed, Squall." The brunet looked away. "Don't worry. I wasn't planning on going with him anyway." Squall allowed a silence to pass over them.

"Guess I wasn't needed."

"No, I'm glad you came. Thanks for the save." Rinoa stepped closer and wrapped herself around Squall's right arm, in a sort of awkward embrace.

"What are you doing?" the brunet asked.

"I looked all over the place for you, you know that?" Rinoa spoke, her voice quiet, only just bobbing above the volume of the music like an artificial fly bobbing on the surface of a lake. Squall remained silent. "Where were you?"

"Here…"

"Wow, helpful. Oh well, you've got me for the night."

"What?" Squall's bewildered response struck Rinoa as cute. Despite the tough façade, right now, with enough liquor flowing through him to lower his guard, with his defences lowered and his vulnerabilities on display, he was adorable. He'd probably hate her forever if she said anything.

"Well, you chased away my only other companion, so you'd better look after me all night. I'm counting on you."

"In other words. You want me to keep you upright and be your crutch while you get drunk off your ass."

"Something like that." Squall released a sigh.

"Fine. I can handle that."

"Wow, that was easy… you know I was just joking, right?

"Whatever." Rinoa sighed in disappointment.

"You're no fun."

"Oh well, you're stuck with me for the night." Rinoa's lip curled upward.

"Then again, I could be wrong.


I had to rewrite the ending of this one twice. It wasn't turning out the way I'd planned. Normally, I just go with it when this happens, but this time I wanted to stick with my original plan. I may upload an alternate version of this chapter. I'll probably call it 11.1 or something. Oh, and for those who haven't yet figured it out, I use SeeD as both plural and singular, like Jedi, and Samurai, and Ninja, and Pikachu. (the usual examples as per my standard.)