Author's note: ok, I'm hoping that this chapter will be better. So little people reviwed last time!! Please please please review!!! It'll help me write faster!!!! ^^ Oh yea, I don't own anything

Chapter 7: Squall Makes a Decision

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Oh yes, everyone thank grrl gamer for this chapter!!! ^^

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Quistis opened her eyes to a white room. Actually, the walls were white, and the bed sheets were a bit white, but everything else was a great explosion of color from flowers, teddy bears, cards, and other things. There was a huge fruit basket next to her that gave off a spicy, citric smell, and she sneezed. Getting up to reach for a tissue, she saw that she had gotten one of the better rooms. It was bigger and not directly in front of the doctor's desk, so it gave her privacy from people passing by.

She looked around. No one was there. 'So I guess no one bothered to visit me.' Quistis sighed inwardly. 'Except for Trepies.'

The door flew open; Rinoa and Selphie came flying in with more flowers, and a thermos. They squealed when they saw Quistis, and Selphie attacked her with a hug.

"Selphie! Get off me!" Quistis gasped. "I can't breathe!"

"Oops, sorry Quisty!" Selphie grinned sheepishly. She sat down on the chair, while Rinoa settled on the bed. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Not bad." She sat up and scooted closer to the headboard so Rinoa won't get on her foot. "Why am I here?"

"You caught the late influenza.." Rinoa smiled. "From being out in the rain last time, and from exhaustion, and from Seifer."

"How long was I here?"

"I dunno, only two days or so." Selphie grinned. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing important you missed." She giggled behind her hand.

Quistis looked from the hyper active girl to the commander's girlfriend in confusion. The two of them were trying to compress their giggling so hard they were turning red. She frowned. "What's going on?"

"I don't wanna be the one to tell you…" Rinoa said; she stopped giggling and sighed to catch her breath.

"Well, who should tell me?"

"Um…." Selphie thought for a moment. "Maybe Dr. Kadowaki… or maybe Squall…" She thought harder. "Probably not…. Maybe – maybe the man himself should tell you!" She giggled again, clutching at her stomach.

"Huh? What happened?" Quistis sat up taller. The two girls ignored her question and shared a 'look'. Quistis scowled in frustration. "Come on! Tell me!"

"Aw… Quisty wants to know.. should we tell her?" Irvine asked form the doorway. He waved at Quistis and leaned against the end of the bed.

Quistis frowned again. "What? What is it? Why does everyone know but I don't? Tell me!!"

Selphie sighed and stared dreamily out the window. "It was so romantic…"

"What was?" Quistis inquired.

"How you were taken cared of in the infirmary!" Rinoa exclaimed. "I swear. Every Trepie wanted to kill him.. except they couldn't… and he came back everyday.. right after class.. right after every meal.. before he went to bed…."

"Yep. You should've seen him." Irvine nodded with a knowing look on his face.

"Yes, I wish I could've." Quistis repeated. "Then I wouldn't have to ask you people! Tell me! Who is it?!"

"You'd kill me again if I told you." Selphie turned her head away with mock seriousness. "Besides, you'll find out later." She got up. "I gotta go now Quisty. Zell asked me help with something!" She giggled, and trotted out of the room.

"You going yet Rin?" Irvine got up. "I came to deliver a message actually from Squall. When you're ready." He tipped his hat to Rinoa once, then to Quistis, then went out of the room too.

Rinoa smiled softly at Quistis. "I envy you Quisty… you should've seen how everyone was when you were sick."

Quistis knotted her eyebrows. "From Trepies? No thanks."

Rinoa shook her head. "Nu uh. Not Trepies.. not just. I have to go Quistis. I hope you're back up soon. Your personal student is still waiting." She got up from the bed and patted the thermos. "This is soup. It's suppose to make you feel better, Selphie helped, but the Matron – " she paused" – Edea – did most of the work."

Quistis nodded, slipping back further into the bed. "I'll take it, don't worry. Thanks for visiting.. I guess…"

Rinoa beamed; she turned around and left, closing the door behind her. Quistis sat back in her bed and sighed. All of the sudden she was tired again. Maybe form Selphie's hyperactive personality, or from the 'man' they were talking about…. Or because Squall didn't bother to visit, and had sent Irvine in to deliver a message rather than come himself.

'He's the commander – a busy man. Don't throw a fit!' She scolded herself, but she couldn't shake off the disappointment. Turning over, she fell asleep.

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Seifer got up from his chair in the classroom and rushed out of the room, knocking over a few students in the process. Not that he cared; they weren't going to kick him out for pushing people, and he had a good excuse this time, one that even the students would accept, especially with all the rumors going on. He headed for the infirmary as quick as possible and almost hit someone turning the corner. Looking up, he saw Squall with Rinoa.

Seifer scowled at the sight of the two of them together, and walked past them.

"Wait! Seifer!"

Seifer turned around and stared down at the raven haired girl. "What?"

"Before you go out to the training center or something… you should go see Quistis.." She giggled, "you know.. like you've been for the last 2 days or so…"

"You have a point?" he snapped. Squall stiffened and he protectively pushed Rinoa behind him.

"Squall!" Rinoa cried. "Don't be like that." She turned to Seifer. "She woke up, we talked to her earlier."

Squall looked down at his girlfriend with wide eyes. "She did? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sorry.. I kinda forgot.." Rinoa hung her head.

"I'll go see her." Seifer whipped around and started walking. "I wouldn't recommend the same to our Commander though."

Squall frowned, but not fully understanding his words, he turned and walked away with Rinoa trailing behind him.

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Quistis rolled over in the bed. It was miserably uncomfortable in there, considering that she didn't know who had been in these sheets that entangle her body, and the sun was shinning right on her pillow. She sighed. When the doctor comes in, she would b able to go. That was good. She didn't want to spend anymore time in the infirmary staring at the flowers ahead of her. They all seem to be too red.

"Finally you're awake. I thought a little cold really brought down the great Quistis Trepe"

Quistis looked up. Great. Seifer was here. He smirked at her from the doorway.

"You've been sleeping for almost 2 days you know." He came to the foot of her bed and sat down.

"From exhaustion – and from you!" She exclaimed, and sat up.

Seifer frowned and turned his attention to the mound of gifts and flower in the room, as if he finally noticed it. He sniffed the air gingerly, like a dog, and narrowed his eyes. He strolled over to the window and opened it wide, sending in a wave of fresh air. Quistis backed away from it and pretended to be sick.

"Seifer! Close it!"

"It's too stuffy in here!" He said, and sat down on the nearby chair. "So…"

Quistis looked up. "So?"

Seifer sighed, as if he was having trouble. "So…" he sighed again. "So… you .. you know.. feeling ok?"

Quistis smiled, not a genuine one, but more of teasing one. "You're asking me how I'm feeling?"

"… yea.. guess so…."

She laughed, then smiled, a real smile this time. "Better. Thank you."

Seifer scowled. "What? This is why I never do that crappy stuff."

Quistis sat up higher and widened her eyes. "Crappy stuff? No no no! It's not crappy stuff! It's your first step to passing your test!"

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "I don't think being nice to your enemies is going to get you anywhere."

"No, I don't mean that." She settled comfortably in her bed sheets. "Having a sense to being polite is the first step to listening to orders. Someone who has the sense to retain themselves can control their anger a lot better – which is exactly what you need to do."

Seifer smirked, "Your life must be boring. I can't imagine anyone actually spending time analyzing people's behaviors." He got up, said "See ya instrucor.", and left.

Quistis frowned and closed the window. She laid down and fell asleep again.

~*~

Squall sat at his desk looking out the window – highly unusual for him – and sighed. He watched the birds - -the birds!! – fly around the garden and the SeeDs making their way about. He spotted Selphie walking with Irvine, and frowned.

'Should I ask Selphie?'

The over-energetic girl hopped up and down suddenly, and ran off, dragging her companion with her. She jumped over the small flower bed on the grass and jumped up the staircase. Irvine held on and ran after her as fast as he could. Squall sighed in disappointment and leaned back.

'No way I can take Selphie… she's too hyper. Going out with her would be committing suicide.'

He watched some more, and saw Rinoa walk by. Actually, she looked like she was headed this way. Squall frowned. He had to think of something to tell her. Something.. unsuspicious, and something that won't hurt her feelings. 'Hyne knows how delicate she is… or maybe it's just the way I treat her.' He sighed.

Squall sat up and turned his chair around. He noticed the pile of folders on his desk. He had almost forgot about it. Cid had told him to look over the folders of the people who applied for instructor jobs to see if they qualify. Squall didn't remember when it came in, he never kept track of his files if they weren't in a hurry to be seen.

Squall opened the first folder up, and came with the picture of Quistis.

'That's it!' he smiled, not a real big one, but a noticeable one. 'Yea.. I'll ask her when she gets better and wakes up – wait, didn't Rinoa say this morning that she was already awake?'

As if on cue, Rinoa opened the door and came in. She smiled when she saw Squall smiling.

"Hi Squall, what are you smiling about?" She sat down on the couch.

Trying to retain his glee, Squall forced a normal 'Squall' look on his face. He shook his head. "It's nothing."

Rinoa tilted her head sideways in a questioning manner, and opened her mouth to ask more, but Squall suddenly stood up.

"So… are we going to that restaurant?"

Rinoa beamed again, and nodded. She stood up, and Squall turned off the lamp. She made a note in her mind to ask Squall about his pervious smile that strangely appeared out of nowhere, and closed the office door.

'Yea.. I can ask Quistis out….'

AN: I was NOT trying to bash Rinoa with the delicate thing, please don't flame about that.