heyz! i know i haven't updated in such a long time, but teachers are EVIL and have been giving lots of homework lately. and writing this fic is something i do when i have time, so yea. sorrie for the delay tho... ~Tenshi and thanks for all the reviews!!!

***Black Rose***

**Chapter 12**

Seifer closed the door to Squall's room, a smile still lingered on his lips. He

turned around and found himself facing an angry doctor.

"What do you think you're doing here?" asked Quistis, her tone stern. Seifer

flashed her a confident grin.

"Just a little exercise. I never did like staying in one place," said Seifer. Quistis

frowned, but then sighed.

"Just get back to your room and rest," said Quistis.

"Sailor!? Is that really you!?" exclaimed Selphie, who was behind Quistis.

"Oh, dear Hyne...Not you..." said a frightened Seifer, backing away. Selphie

pounced on him, giving him a huge bear hug. Seifer fell with Selphie on top of him.

"Oh, Sailor, I missed you SO much!" cried Selphie, tightening her grip around

him.

"First of all, my name is SEIFER! Say-fur! Secondly, if you haven't noticed,

I'm in CASTS!!! And lastly...You're c-cutting off my a-air c-circ- culation!" yelled

Seifer, his face giving out a tinge of blue.

Selphie immediately got off and gave him an apolegetic smile.

"Sorry, Seifer! I just missed you so much and I haven't seen you in such a

long time!" explained Selphie.

"Ok...Just don't EVER do that again! Hyne...Say, Trepie, you got any

painkillers on you? I think Selphie there broke my already broken bones," said

Seifer. Quistis administered the medicine and helped Seifer up. Selphie saw

something that caught her eye.

"Zellie!? Is that you!?" cried Selphie. Zell, who was on the other end of the

hallway heard her and turned. He was holding two hotdogs in his hands and one in

his mouth. As soon as he remembered her, all that came out in his mind was: RUN!

"ZELLIE!!! Where are you going? You dropped your hotdogs!" shouted

Selphie, running after the spiky-haired boy.

"I better go after her. She might get hurt, or worse, get someone else hurt,"

sighed Irvine before running off.

"She's still as hyperactive as she was years ago..." said Quistis, smiling.

"Did she almost kill you too?" asked Seifer. Quistis laughed.

"Almost; I pointed a needle at her and she hid behind Irvine," said Quistis.

She sighed. "Irvine and Selphie were always together when they were younger. It's

the same now, but their bond is deeper now..."

Seifer looked at Quistis worriedly. She had a glazed look and it seemed as if

she was no longer in the hospital with him.

"Quiz? You ok?" asked Seifer in a concerned voice. Quistis snapped out of her

reverie.

"Yes..." She then smiled. "You called me 'Quiz.' You remembered." Seifer

grinned.

"Of course I remembered. I was the only one who could call you that," said

Seifer. Quistis' cheeks gave a light blush.

"I have to check on Squall now. Go get some rest, Seifer."

Seifer just smirked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Selphie stopped in the middle of the street, panting hard.

"Zellie got a lot faster than before," gasped Selphie. "I wonder why he was

running away from me?"

"Sefie!" called Irvine, running to her side. Selphie turned around.

"Irvy! You were following me?" she asked. Irvine nodded.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Wouldn't want a pretty lil' thing

like you to get hurt," flirted Irvine, grinning. Selphie gave him a huge bear hug.

"Aaawwww, Irvy!" cried Selphie, tightening her hold on him. Irvine just smiled.

"C'mon, now. We better check on Rin," said Irvine, in a serious voice. Selphie

let go and nodded.

As they were walking, they passed a florist shop. Selphie stopped to admire

the beautiful flowers displayed. She was particulary interested in the azure forget-

me-nots.

"Gorgeous, aren't they?" commented Selphie.

"Yea, but not as much as you," smirked Irvine. Selphie just giggled.

"Do you remember?" asked Selphie, turning to him. Irvine gave her a

confused look.

"Remember what?" he asked. Selphie pouted.

"You mean you don't remember? It was your last day at the orphanage..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What did Matwoyn say?" asked a young Selphie. The boy in front of her

stood silent.

"Irvy? You alwite?" asked a worried Selphie.

"Matwoyn says I'm adopted..." whispered Irvine. Selphie looked at him with a

perplexed expression.

"What's 'adopted' mean, Irvy?" asked Selphie. Irvine sighed.

"It means I'm gonna go away tomorrow," explained Irvine. Selphie's eyes

glistened.

"...Going away? But, t-that means I'm g-gonna be all a-alone!" cried Selphie,

tears appearing in her eyes. Irvine forced a smile on his face.

"You're not gonna be alone, Sefie! You have Seifer-"

"He's a big MEANIE!"

"Well, there's Zell-"

"He cries too much!"

"What about Quisty-"

"She's too bossy!"

"Squall?"

"He won't play with me!"

"Is there anyone else-"

"NO! I only want YOU, Irvy! You're my only friend...You're my bestest friend!"

exclaimed Selphie. Tears dropped to the ground, but they were not Selphie's...

"And you're my bestest friend! But I have to go away, and you're gonna have

to, too!" sniffed Irvine. He wiped his tears tears before continuing, "...But, the worse

thing is...I might never see you again!"

"NO!" cried Selphie, launching herself at Irvine. They both fell, but Selphie

still held Irvine in a tight hug.

"I want you to be with me forever!" whispered Selphie into Irvine's ear.

"Me too..." Selphie noticed the forget-me-nots growing nearby. She got off of

Irvine and went to the patch of blue flowers. She plucked a flower.

"Irvy, let's make a promise..." said Selphie. Irvine got up and went to her.

She gave him the flower.

"Let's promise that we'll see each other again. Can you do that, Irvy?" Irvine

smiled.

"I promise," he said. Selphie hugged him again.

"And promise not to forget! Or I'll be really MAD!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Irvine smiled at his childhood memories.

"I remember, Sefie," he said. Selphie smiled and hugged him.

"Good, because I was getting angry!" she giggled. Irvine smiled.

"Irvy?"

"Yea?"

"Who adopted you?" Irvine remained silent. His face was twisted in anger.

Selphie backed away a bit.

"Irvy...Are you ok?"

"...Yea! Nothing to worry about!" said Irvine, forcing a smile.

"Ok..."

But it's not ok! I was adopted by a criminal who raised me as an assassin! He

was cruel as he was ruthless! That was what Irvine wanted to say. But he looked at

Selphie and her innocent smiles. He couldn't take away her smiles...Her smiles was

what kept him alive.

"C'mon, Irvy! We gotta talk to Rinnie!" cried Selphie, walking backwards.

"Just a sec, Sefie!" said Irvine. He turned back to the forget-me- nots. Then

he looked back at Selphie.

"I love you, Sefie..." he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

wellz, what do you think!? yea, i know, there's hardly any squinoa action, but like i said before, i wanted to develop the other characters' relationships! next chapter is gonna focus on seifer and quistis!! sorrie, squinoa fans!! ~Tenshi