Chapter Fourteen: Movies 'n Stuff

"Whew!" Selphie exclaimed, drawing the back of her hand across her forehead as though to wipe away sweat. "Thank goodness that turned out so well! And I'm soooo glad we didn't have to fight her!"

Squall simply grunted his agreement as the elevator took them back up to the first floor.

"Hey, have you eaten yet?" she asked, turning her eyes on her friend. "I was about to, but…"

Squall gave her a sideways glance. "Irvine?"

"Yeah," she replied, casting her gaze to the floor as the doors opened.

He sighed as they exited the elevator, stopping briefly to think; he'd wanted to eat quietly by himself, but if she went into the cafeteria by herself and came across Irvine… He sighed again. "Did you want me to come with you?"

"You don't have to," she replied as they made their way down the stairs to the main hallway. "I know it'll be a late lunch. I just… I don't want to go in there by myself if he's in there."

"Fine," Squall grunted, feeling way outside his comfort zone. "I'll…eat with you."

"Thank you," she said in an uncharacteristically quiet tone as she studied the floor. "I'm sure this isn't easy for you, but I really appreciate it."

"Whatever," he said, reflexively starting to cross his arms before remembering that he needed them for stability. "As long as you're happy, then it's fine."

She smiled softly at him – until she felt an arm THUMP across her shoulders, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. "Hey, you two!" Zell greeted with his typical exuberance. "I heard it through the grapevine that you're going to a movie!"

"Who told you that?" Squall asked as he shrugged off the martial artist's arm from his own shoulders.

"A little bird called 'Selphie'," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows at his stoic friend.

"Th-That's weird," Selphie murmured, trying to ignore a twinge in her chest. "I didn't know I told you."

"You didn't," Zell cackled, shifting his wiggling eyebrows to her. "I heard you talking about it when you left the big HM's office."

"It's not like it was any big secret," Squall remarked as they turned the corner to head down the hall to the cafeteria. "HM just thought that some time away from our stressors would do us some good and suggested a movie."

"Oh-ho, are you talking about the ones that they'll be showing at Trabia's party?"

"That's right," Squall confirmed. "But apparently I'm too much of a wet blanket to pick one."

Selphie's jaw dropped in shock. "I never said you were a wet blanket, Squall!"

He glanced over at her with a puzzled look. "I never said you did."

Zell looped his arm around Squall shoulders, more carefully this time. "Dude, normally when something is said with that kind of timing, it's implied that you're saying something about what the other person said…or something like that."

"Oh." Squall's pace slowed, absently shrugging Zell's arm off again as he pondered the idea. "Sorry, Selphie," he said as he started up again. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine," Selphie giggled. "I guess I'm still not used to the way you talk, even after all this time." She then caught Zell's meaningful look and quickly waved her hands. "Not like I think it's a bad thing, not at all! I like it! It just takes some getting used to!"

"Um, okay…" Squall replied, thoroughly confused by the exchange as they entered the cafeteria. Zell, however, fell back and studied the pair briefly, his expression one of uncertainty, before jogging to catch up with them again.

The trio collected their lunches before heading to a table toward the far corner of the room; it was relatively secluded, so they could talk with a reasonable expectation of privacy.

"So, you're having problems with picking a flick?" Zell asked between bites.

"It's just that Squall's not really into movies," Selphie replied before Squall could open his mouth. "It's not really a problem."

"Yeah…" Zell murmured as he noticed that she'd gently patted their mutual friend's arm as she spoke. "I think I get it. Do…" He cleared his throat. "Have you seen many movies, boss?"

Squall shook his head. "Not many, especially since becoming commander; not enough time."

"Are you, like, backed up or something?" Zell followed up.

"I think you mean 'backlogged'!" Selphie laughed as she gave Squall's arm a couple more pats. "And you know Squall; he has to-"

"I don't mean to be rude," Squall interrupted, "but could I answer the question?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Selphie squeaked, unconsciously withdrawing her hand to make a zipping motion over her mouth. "Mph mph mph."

He chuckled as he shook his head at her antics. "Thank you."

Zell's normally-perpetual grin faltered at the exchange; was he seeing what he thought he was seeing…? "Hey, uh…you two; how about Meg and I help you out? We've caught a lot of flicks, so we know what's good, what's pretty good, and what sucks."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Selphie chirped, her expression brightening as she looked over at her friend. "What do you think, Squall?"

"That's…not a bad idea," he mused, his eyes briefly losing focus as he nodded thoughtfully. "When would you want to do this?"

"We could hook up with you tonight," the martial artist offered. "We're gonna be figuring out what we'll want to do at Trabia's shindig anyway, so…" He grinned as he raised his hands in a shrug. "That cool? C'mon, you can't be that backed up."

"It's 'backlogged', Z," Squall chuckled, then rubbed a hand across his face. "I guess I could take an evening off from my deluge of paperwork; it's been a pretty long day, anyway."

"Really?" Selphie exclaimed, her eyes twinkling. "Great! What time should we meet? Where should we meet?"

"Well, Meg and I were gonna meet at my pad, but it's too full of stuff to hold all four of us," Zell mused. Then he looked around the room. "Hey, the cafeteria's open pretty late; why don't we meet up here?"

"That's fine," Squall sighed, irked at losing another meal to himself.

Selphie noticed his expression and smiled sympathetically. "Why don't we meet up at my quarters at seven? All of us are off at five, and it'll give us enough time to eat dinner before meeting up."

Squall blinked in surprise before slowly nodding approvingly. "I could do that."

"Sounds good," Zell agreed, also nodding. "Meg and I can get some 'us' time and then meet up with you two."

"Then it's settled," Squall decided, collecting his tray and getting up as he noted the time on a wall clock. "I need to get back to the office, so I'll see you later. Selphie, Z," he said in farewell before heading over to the drop-off counter to deposit his tray before heading out of the eatery.

Zell noticed a small smile form on his friend's face as she watched their friend depart, and he made a mental note to talk with Sally about it later.

Squall grumbled under his breath, checking his watch yet again as he stood across the hall from the door to Selphie's quarters; he'd arrived about a half an hour earlier than he'd intended but couldn't bring himself to press the call button. After checking the time he lowered his arm, only for it to absently rub at his abdomen; he'd noticed an uneasy feeling in his stomach since lunch. He'd initially chalked it up to eating too fast, but the sensation had intensified the closer he got to the end of his shift. "Should've drunk more water," he grumbled as he forced his arm to his side.

"Yo!" greeted a familiar, friendly voice, and Squall looked to find Zell and Sally heading arm-in-arm down the hallway toward him, each of them carrying what appeared to be copies of the event flyer for the upcoming celebration. He was dressed in his usual T-shirt and jacket with denim cargo pants, while she wore a black top and a dark blue skirt, causing Squall to briefly wonder if she was intentionally trying to match her man's color scheme. "She lock you out?"

"No, I got here little earlier than expected and didn't want to be rude," Squall replied, his hand going to his stomach again.

"Are you okay, sir?" Sally asked in her usual timid and slightly breathy voice.

"I'm fine," Squall replied reflexively. "I think I just ate too fast earlier."

"Well, if you need some stomach meds we'll take you to the Doc," Zell replied as he shook his friend's hand. "Maybe you should ask Sylph for some water?"

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

Zell sent him a wink and a grin before turning his attention to the small panel next to the door to Selphie's quarters, pressing one of its buttons. "Yo, Sylph! You gots company!"

"Zell…" Sally giggled.

The door opened a minute later, revealing their hostess in her usual dusty-gold overall dress. "Hey, guys!" she chirped. "Come on in!"

Zell cackled as he exchanged his customary fist-bump with her, drawing another giggle from his girlfriend, who opted for a more formal greeting. "Good evening, chief."

"Oh, please; call me Selphie," the bouncy-haired girl told her in a mock-exasperated tone as they exchanged a brief hug. "We're off-duty right now, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"O-Okay…S-Selphie," Sally giggled before stepping further into the room.

Selphie's smile faltered, feeling a twinge in her chest again as Squall entered her quarters. "H-Hiya, Squall."

"Hey, Selphie," he greeted as he took in his surroundings. "Um…thanks?"

"For what?"

Squall opened his mouth, then his expression turned to one of confusion as he closed his mouth again. "I'm…not sure."

"Well, come on in," she giggled as she took him by the arm and led him over to an off-white, three-section couch in the main area and nudged him onto it. "Wait here; I'll go get you some water."

Squall sent a surprised look toward Zell, who simply shrugged before wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, who sat in his lap. "I dunno, dude; maybe she just does that for everyone." Partly satisfied with the martial artist's reply, he settled back into the plush cushions.

Their hostess appeared a minute later with a glass of water in each hand, which she set on a low table between her guests. "I'll be right back with the rest of them," she told them as she hustled back to the kitchenette.

Squall picked up the glass that had been placed before him and took a few careful sips; the water was cool but not too cold, and his stomach immediately started to feel better. "Whew," he sighed as he placed the glass back on the table.

"That hit the spot?" Zell asked with a grin.

"Yup."

Selphie returned with the rest of the drinks, and Sally moved to another seat so her man could have his drink without worrying about spilling it on either of them. "So, what kinds of movies do you like, boss?" Zell asked before putting his glass to his lips.

Squall blinked a few times in thought; he hadn't seen many movies in his life, so he didn't have much of a pool to reference. "I'm not sure, to be honest." He snorted. "With the adventure we've been on, any movie would seem boring by comparison."

"I think I understand," Sally giggled. "I could see action moves being uninteresting after everything you've done."

"Yeah, but…" Zell rubbed at his tattoo. "I was on that adventure too, but I still enjoy some action."

"Well, you're more action-oriented than most of us," Selphie pointed out with a giggle of her own. "You're more likely to look for adventure than someone like Squall; he basically had it pushed on him."

"But he still kicked ass like a pro," Zell countered.

"I think she's comparing your inclinations, Zell," Sally told her boyfriend, drawing his attention. "Just because the comm-…er, Squall can handle adventure doesn't mean that he's the type to seek it out."

"Kinda like liking chess versus liking fighting?" Zell asked.

Sally briefly mulled over his question. "Something like that."

Zell rubbed at his tattoo again, his eyes unfocused. Finally he gave a goofy grin. "See, that's why I'm glad we're dating…well, one of the reasons; you understand all this brainy stuff and can explain it to me."

"You're plenty 'brainy', Zell," she replied with a playful swat at his arm, which he easily avoided. "We're just knowledgeable in different areas, that's all."

Squall crossed his arms and looked to the side, away from the exchange; Selphie noticed his discomfort and hid a smile behind her hand.

"Okay, Meg; thanks," Zell said, clearly trying to end that particular topic as he returned his attention to Squall. "Anyway, are you sure you're not into action flicks?"

"I guess I just need a break from the stress that comes with it," Squall replied with a half-shrug.

"Do you mean that you think of the decisions that would have to be made before and during any combat scenes?" Sally asked.

Squall blinked in surprise at the candidate's insight. "Yeah, that's it. I know what can happen behind the scenes; I guess my mind kinda fills in the blanks."

Out of the corner of his eye, Zell could see how attentively Selphie was listening to Squall's answers and tried to not smile; his conversation with Sally earlier had been insightful. "Okay, so actions flicks are out. What else is there?"

It took nearly an hour, but the quartet was finally able to narrow the choices down to three. "And there's nothing saying that we can't watch all three of them," Selphie pointed out, then smirked at Squall's alarmed expression. "I know that HM only suggested that we watch one, but the whole point of it was to relax, right?"

"S-Sure…" Squall admitted as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Zell and Sally exchanged a glance and a smile.

"Then if we watch all three, then we should be three times as relaxed!" Selphie concluded with a fist in the air.

"Y-Yeah…"

"What's wrong, bossa nova?" Zell asked with a barely-perceptible gleam in his eye. "You're not sounding too confident, there."

"Sorry," Squall grunted while running his fingers through his hair. "Just…thinking."

"Uh-oh…" Zell quipped.

"What are you thinking about?" Selphie asked with an attentive smile and curiosity in her eyes.

"It's just…" Squall sighed, slumping forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "It's just that it seems like things are going too quickly here, just like what happened with…with Rinoa."

Zell and Selphie exchanged guilty looks, both of them remembering back to when they worked to all but push Rinoa into Squall's arms. "We're not trying to force anything, Squall," she replied quietly, trying to ignore a sudden ache in her chest.

"It's like… All I heard ever since she joined us was 'Rinoa this' and 'Rinoa that'," Squall fumed as he pushed himself to his feet and started to pace.

Zell opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by Sally's touch to his knee and a shake of his head, and he realized that his friend was venting and simply needed a sympathetic ear. Or several.

"Did you know that during the Battle of the Gardens she actually stopped us so she could talk about my ring?!" Squall continued in a tone of disbelief. "Our friends, our family, were fighting and dying, but she needed to talk about…" he waved his hands, "…more important stuff, apparently."

"Seriously?" Zell blurted. Sure, he'd gotten the ring for her, but still…

"And the idiot that I was, I stood there outside one of Galbadia Garden's side entrances and actually talked about it!" Squall finished, slapping his forehead.

"I don't think you're an idiot," Selphie said quietly.

Squall paused in his tirade, her words letting the air out of his anger. "Thanks," he finally murmured. "I guess I've been holding that in for a while. That and other things."

"I guess I could see why the two of you had troubles after the war," Sally said compassionately. "If she could stop everything for something like that…"

"Rinoa, Rinoa, Rinoa," Squall huffed, running his fingers through his hair as he started pacing again, more slowly this time. "I swear, with the way everyone was going on about us, I was going to start hearing things like 'Squinoa' or something; I've heard the females mash their names up with the names of males that they've liked."

The other three snorted into laughter, only to quickly silence themselves with apologies. "Sorry, boss," Zell chuckled before making a show of clearing his throat. "It's just that I've heard that kind of thing making the rounds. At least, until a few days ago."

"I'm so sorry, Squall," Sally lamented. "I didn't mean to laugh at your pain; I was just surprised to hear that, especially from you."

"Don't worry about it, "Squall replied with a shrug; he then chuckled as well. "It is kinda funny, if frustrating."

Zell sighed as he smiled at his buddy, then his eyes widened before he raised his arm to check his watch. "Hey, Sal Gal; I gotta jet."

She looked at him in concern before checking her own timepiece. "Oh my goodness! And you're administering a couple of exams early in the morning, aren't you?"

"Yup!" he replied, clapping his hands on his knees as he got to his feet. "Sorry boss, Sylph; gotta go."

"That's okay," Selphie replied as she saw them to the door. "You helped us out a lot and we…er, I…" she quickly amended with a glance over at Squall, "…really appreciate it."

"No prob!" he replied with a thumbs-up as he followed Sally out the door. "See you tomorrow, you two!"

"Night, Z," Squall replied with a lift of his hand in farewell. As the door closed headed toward the door himself. "I'd probably better go, too."

"Gonna try to get some paperwork done before turning in?" she asked with a knowing smile as she turned to face him.

"I'd like to have a few things off my plate before the party," Squall sighed with a shrug. "I hate distractions."

"Oh, you can have fun without worrying about that," she giggled, "but I think I understand. I hate having things hanging over my head, too."

He gave a brief smile as she pressed the button to open the door for him. "See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Squall," she replied, then watched as he left her quarters. She started to feel a twinge in her chest again and added, "I'm really looking forward to seeing those movies with you."

He stopped, turned to look at her over his shoulder, then jerked his head in a nod before turning back to head down the hallway toward the main ring.

Selphie leaned against the doorframe to watch him depart. "'Squinoa'…" she giggled to herself as he disappeared from sight; then she gasped as she felt an abrupt and intense longing, tears pooling in her eyes. "Wh-What about 'Squalphie'…?"