"I already told you. No mistletoe." Squall lectured up at Selphie.
"Awww. But it's mistttletooe." She whined, struggling to keep her balance on the ladder while hanging up the lights. "You have to have it!"
"Selphie." He grit out warningly.
The brunette pouted. "Mega bummer. Sheesh."
A few years ago, there had been an incident with mistletoe. A very big incident. One involving our favourite grumpy brunette and a more than willing reporter. Needless to say, it was around Easter when the magazines finally stopped printing articles that had the title that said: LEONHEART AND MS. SHELLY HOT UNDER MISTLETOE.
It hadn't been a good couple of months for the household.
"Whaddabout holly?"
"Holly?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who's she?"
The girl sighed in disbelief. "Not a person! You know, deck the halls with balls of holly?"
He shook his head. "Falala, 'tis the season to be jolly?" She asked hopefully. Again, he shook his head. "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus?" She asked weakly. The brunette shook his head.
"You're hopeless!" Rinoa called from the other ladder. "Why throw a huge party if you don't even like Christmas?"
"Mr. Scrooge!" Added Selphie, grumpily.
"I like Christmas." He protested weakly, before deciding it was a lost battle and turning on his heel. "Make sure you get this up before tonight."
"Yes, sir! -Whoa!" The sounds of a ladder falling to the ground and tinsel flying in all directions left him with little hope that the house would be anywhere near ready for all the guests Irvine had invited.
o o o
"It's like, the biggest event all year!" Selphie said, clapping her hands together.
The raven haired girl beside her nodded, while trying to fix the hair barrettes with the snowflakes on them she had been assigned. "Everyone always comes to it! The house it always packed."
"I take it this is a big deal?" Quistis asked, calmly; secretly voicing the I-don't-want-to-go-please-make-me-go opinion.
"Yesh!" The brunette said, punching her fist in the air. "Mega big deal! We have lights and streamers, hot chocolate and Christmas trees!"
"C'mon, it'll mean a lot to everyone if you go." Rinoa pleaded. Ever since the whole hotel fiasco things had been a bit awkward. And a bit, meant a lot. No one knew what happened. No one asked. Except for Rinoa and Selphie who pestered (in their books, it didn't really count as asking.) But it was assumed things went either really, really well. Or really, really bad. But neither spilled so it remained a mystery they were still trying to crack.
"Plllleeeaaaassseeee?" Selphie pleaded over her shoulder. "Besides, Mr. Leonheart told everyone you'd be there already. Tones of people want to meet you!"
Great. The blonde sighed. Either way, it didn't look like she was going to stand a chance of not going. "I… suppose." She said quietly.
Truth be told, things had been awkward between them since the whole hotel fiasco. They done anything, of course. Not that she would let him get within fifty feet of her naked again after the whole marriage while drunk disaster, to start with but... And it wasn't the talking that had gotten things awkward. It was the being in bed with him while sober for once that got her. Sure, the whole birthday thing had been cute. But it had gone down hill from there. It had gone silent and awkward. Oh so awkward. So, in hopes to save herself a very uncomfortable night, she had volunteered to go to bed early.
Only to wake about two hours later practically on top of him, with his arm around her. Needless, to say; she stayed on her side of the bed for the rest of the night.
For the rest of the night she was awake thinking about how being in a room with Trepies watching her probably would have been less uncomfortable. That and getting up and the morning and having half the hotel lobby looking oddly at them and then having to calmly explain that was the room beside them and have no believe them wasn't spectacular either. Not to mention the fact that she was sure it was only a matter of time before the limo driver and Squall killed each other. In short, the whole hotel idea hadn't been successful. At all. Whatsoever.
But anyways, back to the story at hand, here.
Selphie patted her back reassuringly, with a grin. "Don't worry! It's gonna be tones of fun!"
"Yeah. We've got this huge Christmas tree they're bringing in!" Rinoa added, trying to sound convincing.
The blonde smiled. "Alright, alright. I'll go." She'd go even if was just for those two. It had been about a month now and she was beginning to get a bit comfortable with most of the people; most of the maids knew her by name now; and she had finally figured out where everything was. But she was no where near being content or happy. She missed her family still, her friends, her job. Pretty much everything she was used to and no amount of publicity or fame could replace that same feeling for her.
She sighed as Selphie began on her hair (an ordeal that usually lasted an hour if she lucky). To be honest, she was used to spending the holidays with her family, not four hundred strangers that looked at her like a zoo specimen rather than a person.
Rinoa looked down at her and gave her a smile, before passing Selphie the barrette for her hair. "Don't worry, you'll have a great time. We promise."
Famous last words.
o o o
Three hours later, she was crammed in between women who she was sure had plastic surgery a few times over; and men who were drinking wine like it was water. "Hey! Hey, lemme through! Maid comin' through! Gah. Moooove!" Selphie called over the mass of people, finally decided to push through the crowds by force. "Gawd. This is the biggest crowd ever."
Squall managed to take a moment from his interview and quirk an eyebrow at her. "What are you wearing?" He hissed quietly, while the reported fumbled with the note taking sheets.
Selphie stuck her tongue out at him. "It's festive!" She defended, twirling around in the red and green outfit.
"It's ugly." Squall said bluntly, managing to keep a straight face while his wife stepped on his foot. He shot her a glare before turning back to the reporter.
"Now where was I?" The reported asked, absent mindedly clicking his pen. "Oh right. Now what do you plan on doing for the holidays, Mr. Leonheart?"
"I'm staying home." He said simply, with a smile. The whole room went silent.
"What!" Quistis hissed.
"Whaaaat?" Selphie asked loudly over the silence.
"I see." Said the reporter after a moment, awkwardly. "Ah, thank you for your time then."
"What do you mean you're staying home!" His wife immediately reeled on him the second the reporter turned his back.
"We'll take about this later." He said, cooly.
"We'll talk about this now." Great predicament here, Leonheart. Get your wife ready to kill you in broad sight; because you know, the way to a woman's heart is you get her to want to kill you. Wonderful. Any and all chances you just of getting her to like her just flew out the bloody window. Oh, look there they go-
"We're not going to talk about this now." He hissed back.
"Oh yes was are-"
The blonde was cut off by a shrill voice in the crowd. "Squaaallll! Squall Leonheart!"
"Okay. We are." He managed to mutter out, grabbing her hand and pulling through doors outside. Because you know, self; being outside freezing is better than being inside perfectly warm with fan girls his minds snapped sarcastically. He ignored it and briskly walked to the pool house, trying not to just ran like hell and get warm rather than walk dignifiedly.
Once inside, he was wishing he was in below freezing water with a few hundred hungry sharks rather then her. She stared him down and he would have given anything to be invisible at that point. Alright. Say something suave, his mind encouraged. Tell her she's pretty! He had sinking feeling that definitely wouldn't work. See, screwed yourself over here. At least at the party if she killed you could have called 911 and had witnesses! Out here all you have is a pool and brick wall as your witnesses and help, his mind screeched.
"Fine. You wanted to talk about this? Talk." He finally said, crossing his arms. You just signed your death will, his subconscious sang.
"What do you mean we're staying here for the holidays?" She asked angrily, trying to restrain herself from doing something she would probably later deem as stupid.
"I mean that I don't have any interest in seeing your parents again."
She gave him a shove into the pool, and he landed with a loud splash. "It's freezing!" He barked at her.
"Tread water." She snapped at him. "It'll keep you warm for bit." The blonde held back a chuckle at the last part.
He sighed, treading water while trying to look for the ladder. "I never said you couldn't go."
"What?"
"I said-"
"No, I heard what you said." She cut him off abruptly, somewhat standing there looking down at him stupidly. She shifted her weight for a moment between feet before bending down to his level. "Why?"
"Why what?" He asked, somewhat exasperatedly.
"Why would you let me go? You're always the one saying we have to go everywhere together."
Because this is probably the best shot I have at getting myself brownie points? He thought about the answer for a moment, trying to think of one that would get him the most amount of brownie point or something that would get her affection level out of the negative hole. "Because you'd probably want to spend the holidays with your parents."
Wow. Great one. Sounds like you ripped that one off of 'little kitty comes home for Christmas' his mind said sarcastically. "That's it? No catch?" The blonde asked after a moment.
"No catch. Now can you help me up?" She eyed him wearily for a moment before holding out her hands to help him. He gave her a smile before pulling her in with him. Seconds later she submerged, treading water and giving him a rather sour look. "It's heated." She stated dryly, before it finally registered what he had done. "You-!."
He shrugged before cutting her off. "Payback."
She yelled at him for a minute or so and continued to give him a sour look until she final gave up and put those efforts in the treading water. Once the insults died down they were left in silence except for the sound of water. "What will you do then?" She asked quietly after a few minutes.
"What?"
"If I go to my parents, what will you do?"
He paused a second in his treading before continuing. "I just stay here. Usually finish a chapter or two."
The blonde gave him a funny look. "That's all you do? What about Selphie and Rinoa? Do they stay here with you?"
"No." Sympathy points should be coming in soon. Very soon.
She furrowed her brow at him. "Then you're here all alone." Duh. Her brain confirmed. He just said that. She sighed.
Stupid sympathy.
"Do you want to come with me?" Alarm bells in her head went off. You're asking him to stay with you for the week? With your parents? The one week you get alone and you ask him to come with you? You idiot!
The brunette almost forgot to continue to tread water for a moment. He hadn't seen that coming. And he wasn't going to complain. This was the golden opportunity he needed. "…Sure." Good. Don't sound too enthusiastic.
Silence. "Do you know how hard it is to tread water in a dress?"
He gave her an odd look. Obviously not. "Then why are you still here? The ladder's over there."
Her face went a tinge of pink with embarrassment before she began swimming over to the other end of the pool where it was shallow enough so that she could stand without having to tread water. He followed her before stopping for a moment. "Why did you ask?"
She turned around to look at him. "Ask what?"
"Ask if I wanted to come with you. I thought you hated me."
The blonde pursed her lips a moment at the question. "I guess the thought of anyone alone during the holidays is depressing to me. Besides, there's only about two more weeks left." Not that I'm counting or anything.
Two more weeks. Had it really gone by that quickly? She'd starting asking for the papers soon. He pushed the thought aside. It wasn't like he liked her or anything anyways. Just another woman. "I see." He said quietly. Guilt trip, guilt trip, guilt trip. Come ooonnn.
She sighed. "You'd be lonely too."
He raised an eyebrow at her before stepping closer. Amazing how she had sympathy for even him.
"And you'd probably have your obsessive fan girls hunting you down, and stalker calls-" She stopped talking when she noticed how close he was.
"And?"
I-might-possible-under-some-sort-of-alcoholic-beverage-perhaps-miss-you? Pfft. Like she'd say that aloud. "You'd probably get drunk again." She said sternly. "And end up doing something stupid again like…" She trailed off at his look, and sighed. "And despite how frustrating you can be at times, I might just miss you."
Silence.
"Not a lot, though. Maybe just when I have no one to yell at or take my frustration out on, or-"
He cut her off by kissing her.
And surprisingly enough, he didn't get hurt in the process, but he wasn't going to stretch his luck out. He pulled away when she shivered. "Cold?"
"Sort of."
He ran his fingers through his wet hair. "Let's go back then."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "We'll freeze out there."
"Then run fast." He said dryly.
The blonde gave him a flat look, before turning to leave.
Turns out, they did end up running.
o o o
"What do I get them?"
"Get who?"
Squall sighed into the phone. "Her parents."
"I'd be more concerned about what to get her, man." Irvine said, with a laugh. "I'd say mistletoe and lingerie."
He rolled his eyes. "Be serious."
"I am. Just kidding, chill out. Get her a necklace or something."
"A necklace? Then what about her parents?"
The other man held back a snort. "I dunno. Get them like, … Actually, I really don't know. Ask her. No, wait. How about like, a plate set or something?"
"A plate set?" Squall asked, dryly.
"Sure. Parents love it."
"You're sure?"
"Positive, man. They'll love it."
o o o
"A plate set?" She asked with a raised eye brow.
"Yeah." He said quietly, listening to the limo driver laugh.
"…They've got quite a few of them."
He felt like bashing his head against the window. That's what he got for trusting Irvine.
"Annndd a left here, right Quistis?" The limo driver asked.
Squall visibly twitched. First name basis and the directions to her house memorized?
This was not good.
She smiled. "Right."
He narrowed his eyes. This guy had to go. There was no room for a flirty limo driver in the non-existent Squall, Quistis and Squall's ego love triangle.
"And another right here and then we're there, am I right?"
She nodded, and Squall shot a glare at the limo driver. He had to do something about this, or else she'd be eloping with limo driver and leaving him in the cold. Sure. They kissed. Big deal. Maybe they're were on speaking terms without insulting each other too badly. It didn't mean she would be demanding the divorce papers soon though. He sighed. This hadn't been going according to plan at all. She was supposed to fall in love with him, he was suppose to get money, sex and fame, and he was supposed to live happily ever after.
He watched in silence as they pulled up to her house, and she got out of the limo and almost ran over to the door. He found himself following somewhat grinning inwardly that she had forgotten that the poor limo driver had to carry all the luggage by himself. The knocking on the door almost gave him sympathy pains for her knuckle since she was so enthusiastic.
The door opened and they came face to face with her shocked mother. The younger blonde smiled. "We're home." Her mother smiled before hugging her close.
"We weren't expecting you! You didn't give us any warning - I don't have anything cooked!" She rambled on hysterically. "Oh dear. What a poor impression we'll give you your husband…"
He stepped in on cue and gave her lady killer smile. Even Irvine would have been impressed. "It's fine, we ate before we came." Which was a lie - but she didn't have to know that. "Besides for that it's nice to see you again.." How he managed to switch from cold-heartless-bastard to sweet-walk-your-little-old-granny-across-the-street so quickly boggled her mind.
Mrs. Trepe blushed slightly and waved him off. "Ma! Who's there?" Zell asked from inside, poking his head from outside the kitchen.
"It's your sister! Come greet her." No sooner had she said that Zell was outside and had his sister in a hug.
"How have ya been?"
"I'm good. What about you? How have you been?" She asked, examining him.
He laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Good, good! I get the week off for holidays, great, eh?"
Squall felt like groaning but resisted. Wonderful. Her over protective brother was here too.
"Okay, okay. Stop standing out here, you'll all freeze. Come in, come in." The older female Trepe ushered them in like a mother hen would to her chicks. "You too, Squall." She called to him, with a smile.
He hesitated a moment before following them, 'accidentally' shutting the door on the limo driver.
The first thing that caught his line of vision was her father, who was hell bent on staring him down. He shifted for a moment before her mother pulled him into living room and told him to sternly sit down before letting in the poor limo driver who was pounding on the door.
"Poor boy." She cooed at him. "Sit down, I'll get you some tea." The limo driver thanked her quietly before sitting down next to Squall who immediately glared at him. Apparently sympathy for over worked and under paid limo drivers ran in the family.
…Damn.
"Sir." The limo driver greeted him with a smile.
The closest Squall got to smile back was perhaps his lip twitching in annoyance. Little son of a-
"Oh Allen. I'm so sorry, I thought someone let you in." Quistis said, walking in with a tea tray; which was Squall's cue to at least try to pull an innocent act. The blonde shot a glare his way. Or not.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure the door just shut by accident." Squall held back a snort of laughter. "Here, let me get that for you." He watched as the driver got up and took the tray from the blonde and set it down on the table. "Would you like some tea, Mr. Leonheart?"
He vaguely felt his eye twitch. Not as much as I'd like you driving back to Esthar right about now. He shook his head. Make a decent image of yourself. "No thanks."
"Quistis?"
"Yes please." She said quietly, getting up to get the milk and sugar.
Okay. Now to fire-
"Allen, I just heard that there's going to be blizzard. Will you be alright driving home?" Mrs. Trepe walked in and sat down beside him, and Squall was extremely close to screaming in frustration. Was everyone in the house on first name basis with the guy!
"I'm sure I'll be fine, thank you."
"No, no. Don't say that dear. Why don't you stay the night just in case. I realize it's Christmas eve is tomorrow but better off safe than sorry, right?" The older blonde persuaded.
"Well…. If you won't mind…"
"Nonsense! You can sleep on the couch, if that's alright with you." Squall withheld a groan.
"It's fine, ma'am. I appreciate it very much." He said politely, bowing.
"Awesome!" Zell grinned, pumping his fist up in the air - only narrowly missing a tea cup.
It was going to be a long night.
o o o
"You shut the door on him purposely." Quistis said flatly.
Squall rolled his eyes on the other side of the bathroom door, before bumping his elbow on the sink while trying to put his night shirt on. "It was an accident."
"Like I'm going to believe that." He winced. She didn't sound very pleasant. Maybe he'd just camp out in the bathroom, he'd have better luck in there than in the bedroom.
"It was. I accidentally shut it when I was holding the door open for your mother." He heard her sigh from the other side of the door. He finished buttoning up the shirt before opening the door and looking at her. She shook her head at him, with an exasperated sigh.
"You're impossible."
Most women like that, his mind retorted sarcastically. He watched her throw back the covers and adjust the pillows before crawling into bed. The brunette stretched before going to flick the lights off, watching her absent mindedly play with the tinsel strewn across the dresser.
He blindly found his way back to the bed without killing himself and slid under the covers.
Silence.
"She would have liked it here." He said quietly, not really thinking about what he had said.
"Who?"
He hesitated a moment for answering. "My mom."
The sounds of rustling sheets only made him assume she was turning to face him. "Why?"
"It's quiet, and peaceful; and there's a lot of holiday spirit. She loved this season."
"I'm sorry you never got to say goodbye." She said quietly after a moment.
"Me too." He admitted slowly.
And even in the darkest room in the entire house, where it was pitch black, her hand still managed to find his.
o o o
"Merry Chriiiisstmaaasss!" Zell shouted loudly, swinging the door open.
"'Tis the season." The limo driver said with a small smile.
Squall managed to nod, keeping a tight hold on his coffee as if would somehow fly away on him.
"Good morning everyone!" Mrs. Trepe chirped. "Did everyone sleep well?"
Everyone nodded, and it took the brunette a minute for it to finally register and he nodded as well.
"Where's sleeping beauty?" The limo driver asked, pouring milk into his coffee.
Silence.
Both Squall and her father seemed to get the same corresponding idea and glared at the man. Mrs. Trepe laughed lightly. "How sweet. She should be here soon."
As if on cue, the blonde somewhat stumbled in and sat down beside her mother. "Well, everyone's here. Go ahead, Zell."
He grinned. "Yeah!" He crouched down and began to distribute presents.
His father leaned back content with the situation and began to start on his morning coffee.
"Yo, Squall. You didn't get any presents for Quisty?" The blonde man asked, raising an eyebrow at the brunette.
"I'm going to give it to her in private." He answered coolly.
Her father choked on his coffee.
"Anyone know the Heimlich!" Zell asked for the commotion.
"You don't need the Heimlich if he just swallowed coffee!" Mrs. Trepe exclaimed, frantically.
"Put your arms up in the air?"
"Zell, don't act stupid! You're making him laugh! That's not going to help any!"
"He's dying!"
"For God's sake - he'd not dying!"
"Call an ambulance!"
"Gaahhh." Mr. Trepe finally sighed, trying to regain his breathing.
"Oh, honey - are you okay?" Mrs. Trepe asked worriedly.
"Yo, dad! How many fingers?"
Quistis chuckled at the scene before meeting her husband's eye half way across the room. He stood up silently, and motioned for her to follow him.
She took one look at the commotion before standing up and following him to the kitchen. He shifted his weight uncomfortably.
Oh, come on Leonheart. You face bashing reviews, crazed fan girls and you can't even give your wife a present? What kind of man are you! He silently held out the box to her and she looked up at him a moment before taking it and opening it.
A smile crept across her face. "Thank you. …It's beautiful." Buuut…. His mind nagged. "But I can't accept this."
He nearly did a double take.
"We're getting divorced soon." She shook her head almost sadly. "You shouldn't spent this much money on me when we're probably not going to see each other again. You should save it for someone you'll actually stay with." She slowly handed it back to him. "I'm sorry, Squall."
His heart dropped somewhat, something he doubted he had ever felt before.
"What makes you think we'll never see each other again?"
She looked up somewhat surprised. "Well for starters, I live in Balamb and you live in-"
"No." He shook his head. "Not about where we live."
"I doubt you could ever take time out of your busy schedule to visit me, or if you would even think about if for starters."
"You shouldn't assume so much. We haven't even got the divorce papers yet."
She pursed her lips. "True."
"Look, just take it, okay? Even if we get the divorce …I want you to have it." Yes, because you have about the same romantic capacity as a turtle does, his mind nagged. Some Casanova you are, you're practically begging.
Slowly she took it and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She said quietly.
And deep down, part of him wondered if it all really was only for the fame and not perhaps, something else.
You know you can't write when you make characters OOC and then make your OOC characters not even match the OOC ones you had before… if that made any sense at all. Alrighty, 11 pages. Not betaed - don't freak. The sky will not fall, I may be sentenced to punishment for horrible grammer and spelling, but the sky will not fall.
I'm very sorry about the wait for this fanfic, but I'm currently trying to figure out whether or not I'll be able to finish it. I love it dearly, but I'm not sure if I have the time, effort and imagination to continue this successfully. I've been re-reading it, and so far it just seems like all the same cliché ideas are being reused with out of character personalities. Please give me some time to decide whether or not I'll continue this.
- Jill