Fatal Misunderstanding

Chapter 2

At twelve thirty, Squall looked up from the request for help he was reading and glanced at the clock. He skimmed the request one more time, then put it in the paper shredder, deciding it wasn't worth the time. Then he stood up and headed for the cafeteria to meet Rinoa for lunch.

As he was approaching the corridor, Selphie walked by. "Hey Squall! Rinoa's in there. What happened to you? You're limping."

Squall smiled a bit and replied, 'If you can believe it, a student actually got one over on me in class. I got distracted for a second, and when I finally snapped out of it and tried to dodge his gunblade at, I tripped. I avoided the slash, but I twisted my ankle. My students will never let me live this down."

Selphie giggled, and replied, "Don't tell Zell. He's already bragging about how he beat you in the training center this morning."

"He didn't beat me," Squall replied, "The battle was over already when he flipped me. And it was a cheap shot too"
Selphie laughed and walked away, heading, Squall assumed, for Irvine's dorm. He brushed a strand of brown hair out of his face, reminding himself to get it cut when they stopped a FH to get the water heater repaired, and walked into the cafeteria.

"Hey Squall!" Rinoa called from the table she was at, "Over here!" Squall was pleased to see that she looked like her usual happy self. She was smiling, and, unlike that morning, she looked really happy to see him.

He went over, and kissed her cheek, then looked around to make sure no one was watching. She laughed, and he asked, "So, did you manage to burn the ends of your hair again?"

One Rinoa's first day teaching advanced magic, she had been so excited that her attempt to show the class a Firaga spell had gone completely wrong. Everyone, especially Squall, never missed an opportunity to tease her about it. Rinoa stuck her tongue out at him playfully, and he sat down.

They talked for a while, and Squall decided she had probably just been really tired that morning. But just to make sure, he asked, "Rinoa, are you feeling ok? You seemed a bit out of it this morning."

She looked at him, and for a moment he thought he saw tears in her eyes, but she just snapped, "Of course I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

She stomped off, leaving her food on her plate, virtually untouched. Squall stared after her, and when she got to the door, she stopped, as if she was going to say something. But she apparently changed her mind and walked out.

Squall got up from the table and left. He was confused, and he figured if anyone knew what was going on, it would be Selphie. Of course, she probably wouldn't want him interrupting her. He paused at the hall leading to the dorms, then shook his head. He'd ask her later.

There was still an hour until lunch ended, so he headed for the training center, hoping to meet a T-rexaur to take out his frustration on. After defeating eight Grats, he finally found one. But while he fought it, his mind wandered, as it had during Gunblade practice, and he found himself thinking about Rinoa, not about the battle. The monster bore down on him, and this time when he looked up, it was too late to dodge. He only managed to cover his face with his arm. It was enough to save his life, and he finished the battle with a Renzokuken, but his arm was pretty badly hurt. He tried casting cure, but it didn't help much. He'd have to head to the infirmary.

As Doctor Kadowaki bandaged him up, she shook her head. "You, Squall, of all people, should know better than to head to the training center with no more than one or two weak cure spells."

"I know," he told her, 'I thought I had some Curagas. And normally, I wouldn't have needed them anyway." He sighed, reminding himself that this was the third time he had lost concentration today. He must need a vacation, or at least a bit of time off.

He thanked the doctor and left her office, heading for the elevator. When he got there, Quistis was just coming down. "I was just coming to see you," he told her, "I hate to ask, but do you think Zell or someone could take over for me this afternoon? I don't have any classes, just that meeting with that representative of Esthar. Nothing major, they just want some SeeD protection at the President's birthday party next month. I've told them they'll get it, but they want a meeting just to go over one or two things."

Quistis looked at his face and said, "Yeah, you do look sort of tired. Sure, I'm sure either Zell or Selphie will take over. You know Selphie, she'll want to know all about how Laguna's doing." Squall thanked her, and began to walk away, but.. "Squall?" He turned back, "Is there anything wrong? I mean, you do look a bit tired, but you mostly just look...stressed, like there's something on your mind."

Squall started to tell her it was none of her business, then sighed. There was no point, it would only prove her suspicions. So instead he asked, "Quistis, you and Rinoa are pretty good friends right?" She nodded. "Well, have you noticed she's been acting a bit strange? You know, not her usual self?"

She looked confused but replied, "No, I haven't really, but I've just been so busy. Why? Did you get in a fight?"

"Not exactly," Squall replied, "Thanks though, and tell whoever takes over the meeting that, if the president requests my presence, which I know he will, I'll attend, but, for the last time, I will not, under any circumstances, call him 'Daddy'."

She laughed, and Squall walked back to his dorm, hoping to get a few hours sleep. As he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, he thought, 'Just let this all be over when I wake up.'

~~~~~~~~~~

He didn't sleep very long. When he woke up, the sun hadn't even begun to set. Looking at his clock, he realized that classes were over, and he wondered if he should go find Rinoa. He wasn't sure what he should do. As far as he knew, asking if someone felt all right wasn't a crime, but he had realized that women, especially Rinoa, expected apologies for everything, even if it was something as simple as leaving the toilet seat up. Then again, he may have changed a lot, but not that much. He wasn't so bad about sharing feelings, he admitted when he cared fore someone, and he even had a pretty good sense of humor. But if there was one thing that hadn't changed- and never would, he told himself stubbornly- it was that Squall Leonhart, was not the kind of person who apologized without good cause.

Then again, the other part of his brain, the part that was hopelessly in love, argued, if he wouldn't apologize to the girl he loved, what was he doing with her? Unfortunately for the stubborn side of his brain, this argument won out, and Squall left the dorm to find Rinoa, who he knew would be at the Quad with Selphie.

As he came down the stairs, he heard her voice and stopped. "I hate to do it," she was saying, sounding slightly upset, "but I've got to let go now before it gets any harder." Wondering what she was talking about, Squall listened some more. "It's pretty much over anyway," she continued, "It's obvious that even if I don't do it, he won't last much longer."

A knot formed in Squall's stomach. He remembered hearing a conversation like this between two girls, right before one of them dumped her boyfriend. But then again, Rinoa loved him, she wouldn't dump him, would she?

Rinoa continued, "We've been through so much together, but it's like, I know it's for the best, and it'll be better for both of us."

Squall had just begun to think that it couldn't be any more obvious he was getting dumped when Selphie replied, "Yeah, I'm not sure Squall will see it that way though."

End of Chapter 2

Author's notes: Yay, soon it will get really angsty. Angst fics are the perfect cure for depression.