Standard Disclaimer Applied.
The night felt eerie, and it slowly crept across the hallway. Two figures loomed by the far end; one was uncharacteristically giggling and babbling while the other was trudging without much protest.
But Squall Leonhart protested anyway still.
He inwardly grumped as he carried one beautiful instructor, whom was trying so hard to tear his ears off with her endless rambles, with two arms ala bridal style. Of all things to happen, this had just swept a landslide victory to be the most unexpected. Befuddling, disconcerting and…quite amusing even.
"…and then he asked me to dance! Oh by Hyne, I swore by the cafeteria chickens he smelled not too much far of decays and soil," said Quistis Trepe, not even caring if she was going to fall from the commander's arms with her pent-up hype and enthusiasm in such an awful state.
The commander just looked at her.
"…so, being the good miss prim that I was, I politely declined but he had the tiniest of nerves to ask me for a drink! It was the third, or fourth—oh maybe third, that I actually declined!—"
"We are in a secluded hallway—"
"—but that last chance, I gave him a shot, and drank…until I got drunk," said Quistis, giggling and the moodily turning into a dead silent mode.
"So, finally you admitted you're drunk," was the commander's monotonous reply.
A moment passed.
"You were saying about a secluded hallway, right?"
Squall smiled that of sweet surrender. "And you're incoherent."
He balanced her off in her arms and tried to recall what made the instructor drunk. Yes, it was the highly anticipated "Attention: Garden Officials Night" which was in history the ultimate, wildest, and craziest gala night straight-faced officials could have, but he had never expected Quistis to go that far. Maybe it was really because of the still unidentified human she met that asked her for a drink, while he was gone.
"The place suddenly turned cold, or this dress was just a little too revealing?"
Quistis' voice interrupted him in his trance and looked at her like she had suddenly grown a beard. That was just… utterly blunt.
"……Are you trying to seduce me?"
The instructor wiggled in his arms and used his neck to chain her arms with to keep her half-upright. She giggled and amusedly asked, "Are you seduced?"
Right. She had to remember that he was still a man, no matter how much he resembled a rock.
So he decided to play. Squall was positive she wouldn't remember a thing tomorrow anyway but an impending head ache.
"…Not in the hallways."
She laughed, hard, that it was impossible for him to keep her mouth shut. The commander then paced a little bit faster than normal so as to reach her quarters in the shortest possible time.
She was still laughing when they arrived at her door. He immediately punched in the security code, into which not only he found hard to do, but he was rewarded with a taunt he had not expected.
"Squall, I believe someone's rather impatient to get to bed."
Maybe he should have decided to drop her at the infirmary instead. Quistis was getting naughtier and naughtier by the minute, and he could swear by his cemented grave that he was suffering the most hurricane-ous emotional and mental predicament at that spot.
He successfully opened the door and proceeded to go directly into her bedroom. He placed the laughing instructor by the foot of the bed, but he was not able to release from her grasp when her arms were still chained around his neck.
She was intoxicating, Squall thought. And intoxicated, he added as an afterthought. He bent down on one knee in front of her and started working to release her feet from her heels but Hyne, was her dress just…that…for the lack of words, revealing?
Quite the contrary, the room was not just that cold as the hallway.
Squall averted his eyes to the floor and continued to work on her heels when unconsciously his hand moved by his neck and scratched the bow that was digging his grave for him in its unconscious effort of suffocating him. As if the woman in front of him was not enough.
Immediately, her hands found the attention-seeking bow and loosened it up for him. She unbuttoned the first three afterwards.
They just looked like a perfectly married happy couple.
The commander looked at her and narrowed his eyes.
Quistis flashed a wicked smile.
"So…you are seduced." The instructor noted, the obvious amusement found in her voice.
Hmmm.
"…We are no longer in the hallways."
She laughed. "Are you alright?"
"Just tired. You're fat."
"Hahaha. Do you think it's a good idea if I neglect your presence for a week?"
Squall sighed. He kissed her forehead to indicate that, "I think it is best if you sleep."
But the energy was just not going to be defeated in a kiss, especially if it was not even in the lips. She pointed at the paperwork sitting beside her bed. Quistis took a small pile and waved it in front of him.
"Yoo-hoo? I'm done with these; was it not just fairy tale-y perfect that you came here now?"
He looked at the rest of the paperwork in her bed while Quistis fell into the bed. He was now free from her grasp and he came closer in her form to which he found deeply asleep at last.
And he stared for a very long time.
Hyne only knew how long as he fell asleep just as sudden by her side.
Entry 11 (So there is a Hyne!)
9:07 pm
Seifer's room
Sleep was really a vengeful scum. To think, that he was inviting me just a while ago and now. He perfectly knew that I did not have a very merry dreamland sleep yesterday because the hallway suddenly erupted with voices. Or was I just dreaming? Not.
With proven detective skills, I would say that the best culprit for the entire wake-up-everyone-and-salute-us hallway fiasco yesterday morn-night would be Squall and Quistis. After all, the Balamb Officials, those tight-up men and women who were acclaimed to be better SeeDs, celebrated their annual 'wild night' yesterday. I've heard it was formal, but retired officials had said that that affair had to be one of the most unforgettable gala in the whole Balamb Official life span, because of its wild jungle-close ambience. Squall and Quisty attended that, which would make them the eligible suspects.
Especially, ahem, especially after the whole scenario we all came across this morning…
"Don't you think, it would be best if we give Quisty another surprise visit today?"
"And what, find Squall Leonhart not just on the sofa but on the bed this time?"
"Him now hopefully wholly naked, wouldn't much of a bad sight…right?"
I threw Selphie a pillow right there on the head. It was early morning, around 7, when she bombarded me with her usual perky self and suggested a Quistis visit.
"Stop fantasizing about your not-boyfriend. We've got a situation here, see. I am the ex, and I did not even dare," I said to her, my finger poking her in the head.
"Well, no one really knows. And what other people don't know, won't hurt them, right?" retorted Selphie, with a wink thrown my way.
"Whatever. Better fill yourself in."
I walked in to find a more appetizing type of human food than oatmeal, because I just loathed oats, and came to think about her suggestion.
Maybe Selphie was right. And maybe, him naked---was an inappropriate thought to be thinking of and just meant that I needed to feed my appetite myself as well.
But thinking about it…was equally tempting…
Selphie and I balanced off more food in our hands this time as we went into Quisty's mega quarters, altogether regarding Squall's own share. We were actually quite sure, he was there; I would bet to dance around naked if he wasn't.
Deep in my thoughts, I did not notice that Selphie had stopped in her tracks, and what was so bad about that, was that she stopped directly in front of me, I had to bite her shirt off to pull myself from falling.
"Come to think of it, you're actually an effective post?!" I hissed at her, as she remained rooted on her spot.
"What's the matter now, huh?" I asked, feeling a little bit anxious at the brunette's lack of reaction.
"Rinoa…the door is not locked."
Holy hotdogs! This just could not be…what if, something happened to Quisty?!
Selphie proceeded and stepped aside while she dropped her food by a safe side. I did the same. We were going to raid the room, and find what was happening. Our skills finally put to test.
She nodded at me and made gestures that I did not understand. By Selphie's eye twitch, I must have made various faces of clueless ness that she gave up and whispered to me the plan.
"We go in, I'll check the room, you stay by the door, got it?" she said.
"…Why do I have to stay at the door, I could help you beat---!" I defended.
"…because, you will guard that position for the culprit not to escape—"
"—how about if he used the window instead?—"
"---then guard the window--!"
Selphie was obviously trying to control her temper. Right, I did not know anything about SeeD protocols. I always made sure, I was to be saved. On second thought, I should have brought Angelo with me instead.
Selphie opened the door and checked around with me staying at my position. Fine. She could kill the psycho all by herself, for all I care, and if we would ever die, at least I get to look more presentable than she would be.
Now really, I would not want that to happen.
"Ri-ri-rinoooooa!"
In an instant, Selphie half-whisper-screamed. My heart jumped out of my ribcage, I could swear it fell off in a thud at Quistis' well polished room floor.
Selphie did not stop, or even bothered to stop her screaming. This was it. If we were to die…
Seifer, I love you.
"---aaaaaaaaahhhh!"
I went into the room.
Blood. Blooood. Bloood…
…was rushing into my head all at once at the sight.
Two sleeping bodies by the bed did not wake up even an inch, with all that screaming.
Silence.
They were still breathing.
When all was well enough, and when I've realized that I was still going to live, Selphie puffed out some air and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Definitely…not screaming." I replied.
"…you, are not…you're not…well…?" she asked, with a little more voice power this time.
"Hmmm…," was my only reply.
"Rinoa, did you happen to flush out your brain cells when you went into the bathroom this morning? This is WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR! Hyne," said Selphie as I stood there, at my spot, transfixed. I heard her footsteps fading fast and then…
"Hello?"
I left where I was and turned to see whom Selphie was talking to. I would say that I have not completely gotten over what we saw and that…it was just the beginning.
"Sel."
"Irvy, could you come by Quisty's room please?"
"…in this very hour? What have you been smoking?"
"…Irvy. THEY…ARE…SLEEPING---!"
"—of course, they are! I wonder why you're not love—"
"---TOGETHER---!"
A moment.
"…they?"
Selphie took a deep breath and repeated what she was pointing out a while ago.
"Quistis and Squall. Sleeping together. Camera, here. Pronto."
Now you get the picture.
I was almost certain that Irvine polished his own floor with his jaw by Selphie's statement. And that he would be torn to think about the situation or run off here to see for himself.
Selphie looked at me and winked when someone at the door suddenly knocked.
"Zell?"
"Rinoa, Selphie? Why are you here?"
Hotdogs in hand, folders in the other, we let Zell in. I asked him what he needed Quisty for, and waved the folders in his hand. Someone needed them to be signed by her.
"But…Quisty's not yet awake," protested Selphie as she sat down by the sofa.
"Really? Well maybe, she is now; after all, the door to her bedroom is no longer locked…"
Zell proceeded to the bedroom door Selphie and I both dumbly forgotten to lock after raiding it.
Oh Hyne! I knew I should have exercised more. I could have stopped him with super reflexes…
…and his freshly mouth-pounded hotdogs flying in all directions all over the floor when he spurted it out.
"….wa-wha-whhhat?" said Zell, when we approached him near the bedroom door.
"Should have warned you," I said to him, patting his back while he choked on his food and requested for some water.
Selphie raided Quisty's fridge and I realized we were being sooo nosy. And to think that what we were witnessing was normal. We just had such jumpy nerves to act on our emotions. Time to go? Maybe Quisty and…ahem, Squall would not wake up sooner and that we just needed to get back later, forget whatever happened…
…or maybe not, when I heard someone knocking.
As I opened the door, Seifer and Irvine appeared.
"Seifer?"
"Met this cowboy on his way here. Asked him what's the problem or if he had seen you and suddenly blurted out about sleeping together crap," he told me, as he felt comfy in the sofa and recognized the all forgotten Zell still in his spot, near the very open bedroom door.
"Hey you, Chicken-wuss—"
Seifer! Oh no…! Noooooo. Holy Hyne!
"Wo-ho-ho…!" was Seifer's all too recognizable remark, upon reaching Zell's side.
Too late. At Seifer's remark, and Selphie's reappearance, Irvine followed them in the room. I knew it, we should just all go…and forgot what happened. Right. We should not be doing this. After what I've seen by the hallway last time, I should know better.
I should tell them—
"Is Trepe trying to pose now for a men's magazine with that…dress? Ho-ho, I stand corrected. Piece of cloth, I must say."
"Quisty's not that type of girl, Almasy."
"Whatever Tilmitt. At least, we must all admit, she had the guts and…"
"Seifer! That's about enough."
"Kinneas, I see you're enjoying yourself too…eew, chicken-wuss?"
"Sorry, couldn't help myself from spurting it all out?"
"Could you have at least some…etiquette? Throw your chunks in her room? So graceful—"
"Friends, they should be waking up anytime soon—"
"—Rin, pose like that for me too---"
"Hey, that's a nice idea. Selphie—"
"---don't even think about it Irvy—"
Quistis moved. And we all shut our mouth.
We all looked at each other and Quistis now, moved her arms in her eyes in an effort to wake and tune them up. She looked at her left first, thank Hyne, and saw Squall.
I contemplated our situation. If we moved while she ogled at her lover, we could discreetly move. But we were too many it was after impossible, not even just next to. On the other hand, if we stayed in our spot, we would get caught. Although if we didn't stay, we would get caught still.
Excellent.
I heard someone took a deep breath when Quistis finally sat upright in her bed. She looked at us. And we looked back at her.
Looked and blinked.
"Time to go, folks--" whispered Seifer, who was closest to escape.
"---Hyyyyyyyyyyynnnnnneeeeee--!" screamed Quistis and fell back to her bed.
"—now!" continued Seifer as he caught my hand.
"Stop right there."
Shoot. Bam bam bam. Hyne and holy hotdogs.
We all returned to where we were before.
"I apparently have a headache so don't mess with me. What in Hyne's name are you doing here?" spoke the blonde instructor by the bed.
Silence filled the room.
Selphie cleared her throat. "Uh, Quisty, we wer just… uh…fancy breakfast with you?.…are you mad?"
Quistis sat by the bed again. She finally faced us, dress neckline hanging loose and hair disheveled.
"Well…headache…I can't…I'm not…," said Quisty, trailing off and eyes suddenly bulging out of her sockets. She realized that Squall was with her in the bed.
Squall. Was With Her. In Her Bed. And We Knew.
With headaches and long gown and exhaustion doomed to hell, she shoved us all five in her door.
But the biggest mistake was that Selphie was the last to leave. And judging by Quistis' statement that she was not mad, Selphie would not dare let her escape since she was not mad…afterall.
So with all five of us out of Quisty's door and Selphie's appendage in the form of an arm sticking in to the room, we pushed against Quisty's lone force of wanting the door closed.
With all the commotion happening, Seifer managed to smile and snicker at me. He mentioned something like doing this when they were in the orphanage. And déjà vu, voila, it was Quisty then, it was still Quisty now.
I smiled back at him and heard the faintest of voice of one Squall Leonhart. Perfect, he was now awake. He was asking what was going on but failed when the door finally gave up and let us all in; Quisty was thrown in the floor in between hey-I-am-not-fully-awake-yet-but-perfectly-awake-now Squall's legs as the rest of us piled nearer by the door.
Seifer stood up and smirked. "My dearest Pubes and Ice Queen…this early?"
Sigh.
When we were finally eating breakfast, Quisty and Squall realized we were not going to leave the issue be, as if it was our business, anyway if they would not tell us even the scoop. They were used to our prodding anyways, and after all, it wasn't really much of prodding…we just happen to come across such a compromising scenario because we found it in our gentle and kind hearts to treat them a breakfast visit.
Excluding Irvine and Seifer's reasons, but what they didn't know would not hurt them anyway right?
"…Way too fast…what are you, three months?"
Selphie interrupted Seifer and replied, "Wrong, four, two weeks and ten days—"
"—you're counting--?" asked Quistis, head laid back on the chair and still clad in her gown.
"Yep, you're not?"
Squall answered, "…no."
Now, that just proved by all means that we were born stalkers. Or fans.
"…still, way fast for such a slowpoke like Pubes—"
"—is it really something you would kill to know---?"
"—and Instructor, never thought of you to be someone…aggressive. I thought you would give yourself up in the convent---"
"—duh, we were fully clothed, blind man---"
"---and miss out the fun of---"
"—is this even an issue--?"
Selphie found her turn to interfere.
"Quisty, you and Squall…doing that, being that would be normal---"
"—and yes, exciting—" That was Irvine.
"---and healthy---" according to Zell?
"—this is utterly ridiculous---" Spot on, Squall.
"—he hasn't even touched me yet---!!!"
And that was definitely Quistis, shutting us all up.
With her dress a shade of pale beige and her skin white, even a blind would almost see the sudden coloration of her cheeks into a deep shade of pink.
"Are you still drunk?"
And then that was Squall.
To be completely honest, I didn't know what to make of his statement. Either, 'are you still drunk you've forgotten I touched you already' or 'are you drunk you've forgotten that was supposed to be a taboo thing to blurt out'?
Quisty stood up and ran into her room, all of us left staring at her leaving form. We all resumed eating, silently this time. Until…
"So she was drunk," said Selphie as a matter of factly.
"…and haven't been touched," said Irvine while grinning at Squall.
"Oh really now huh?" smirked Seifer and Squall just smirked back.
I was completely lost. I didn't know what to believe, maybe females and males have different connotations with the word, 'touch'?
And…
"Zell, your hotdog chunks, gross!"
We all laughed at Quisty's not-so-cheery mood.
Recalling all this back, I would only have to say:
Maybe I should be partial to the 'are you drunk you've forgotten that I touched you already'. After all she was drunk this morning, she could not remember that well. On third thought, I just didn't know.
And what I did not know would not hurt me anyway right?
As if I would. I would actually be thrilled. That would be another tease coming from me to Quisty, with love.
xxxRinoa
A/N: Okay, the A/N above was what I wrote ages ago, yes, because this had been staying in the computer for so long as I was waiting for the 75th review. But what I got was just the 74th. (cries) I am very weird because I like to update on the number of reviews divisible by 5…so you could expect an update most likely on the 85th review. So PLEASE review. (begs) On another note, I am sick; but I don't want to die yet because I got all the rest planned up and I think I am going to end at the 20th chapter. (cries once more, author loves this fic to death) Soooo…I am really hoping that I would have the chance to get to know all those who appreciated, even those who loathed this fic, through your reviews. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING. Long live Quall.
A/N2: This is again, dedicated to Spring's Rose, aka Jill because I was so busy to email her back. (hugs you) and to my very missed friend, Ma. Abigail Moreno! (throws you confetti) THANKS A LOT.