"Angelica... Seifer." She kicked Seifer in the leg as his eyes shot open and he looked up to her aggravated.
"I think we should start trying to find another exit." She suggested as she looked over to the sleeping Angelica and smacked her teeth.
"I found an exit last night," He retorted as he looked down to his shoulder at Angelica and couldn't help but smile.
"Seifer please tell me you di-"
"No I won't tell you anything." Seifer cut his eyes up to her and nudged Angie awake. It wasn't, as if he cared what she thought about him, it had to do with a lot of other things like his privacy and being professional. But starting a relationship with another SeeD was not exactly being professional so Seifer had decided last night that they should keep it under wraps. But he didn't tell Angie that yet. She stood up and looked at Quistis and then back to Seifer as she picked up her Gunblade and let out a weary yawn.
"Seifer.... Let's go." She stood there beside Quistis as Seifer stood up and carefully put his coat back on. Moments later they were following in Seifer's footsteps through the thick, green foliage. It didn't take them long before they reached a wall of large rocks and Seifer had begun to climb it, regardless of Angelica's concerns about his arm. Quistis hadn't done very much talking because she didn't want it to sound like all of her concerns were about Angelica and Seifer's apparent relationship. Seifer helped Angelica to the top of the cliff and when he turned to Quistis she just rolled her eyes at him and climbed to the top by herself. He hated the fact that most of the time he was trying to please someone he ended up being hated by someone else.
"If we keep on climbing up these we'll eventually end up back in the plains." He pointed to some steel stepping bars that led up to another trapdoor. He climbed it first, ignoring the protests and comments that Angelica made as she climbed behind him. He gritted his teeth as he opened the metal trapdoor and felt the hot gust of wind and sand hit him in the face. He climbed out and turned around, extending a hand to help Angelica up as she smiled back up to him and climbed out. Quistis climbed out and fell against the ground.
"I'd never thought I'd be this happy to see sand in my life." She stated as she looked over to Seifer and Angelica, reaching for her battle meter. Quistis' eyes broadened as she stood up and began to smile piously as she walked past the two as Seifer turned around to See Squall and Irvine standing behind them. Seeing that damned Squall again made Seifer's blood boil. He stood there as Quistis headed straight towards the Ragnarok, passing Squall and Irvine as they looked to Seifer. Seifer couldn't really say much on the subject of Irvine, sure he had the slight remembrance of him when they were children at the orphanage but that was about it when it came to him.
"Hey there Seifer. That's a pretty nasty injury there, but I wouldn't mind if I got that bandage. " Irvine had commented as he looked to Seifer and then to Angie. Seifer had to admit this was and odd situation, but then again life was filled with nothing but odd situations. Squall looked lost and confused, his usual as he scanned Seifer over and turned around heading back to the Ragnarok slightly frustrated. Squall didn't really want to come, if he had it his way he would have left Seifer out here to die. Seifer was actually going to become a SeeD and he couldn't really say that Seifer didn't deserve it but he wasn't exactly Mr. Lovable.
"Hello Irvine," Seifer greeted as he began to follow Squall to the Ragnarok, leaving Angelica and Irvine behind.
"So I hear your going to be a SeeD, I wouldn't have chosen a better profession. We need more women in SeeD.... Especially attractive ones like you," Seifer heard Irvine begin to talk to Angelica as Seifer turned just in time to see him swing his arm around her.
******************
Seifer wasn't all to psyched about the annual Celebration Ball. But Angelica wanted him to go and a promise was a promise. He hated how he looked in the uniforms they were permitted to wear to ball. Dr. Kadowaki had bandaged his arm up and had Quistis' bra sent back to her in a plastic baggy. He had to get 46 stitches and Dr. Kadowaki did nothing but brag about how lucky he was to have an experienced person such as Angie there to help. He now had to wear a sling for the next couple of weeks until he was to have them taken out. Maybe he could take a vacation but he was anxious to go out on a mission. Cid had came to the infirmary and lectured him on how to be a responsible SeeD. He was just basking in the afterglow of passing his first SeeD exam. He still hadn't seen Rinoa and he wondered how she was doing. Squall had mentioned that she would be there at the ball tonight.... With him. He walked over to his suitcase and shut it. He was preparing to move into his new Private SeeD room with his very own bathroom. His mind was so mixed up right now. He didn't know whether to feel happy about all of the changes that were going on with him at the moment. His dream job, and the prospect of a new girl. He opened up one of his windows to air out his new living space and lay out on the bed, going once again into a deep sleep.
*******************
As soon as he woke up he looked to the clock. It was nine o' clock and the ball started at seven he was late. He quickly showered and made his way down the dark dormitory hallway to the ballroom, which was located on the classroom hallways. He could hear the sound of his shoes and the sound of the orchestra music as he walked towards the ballroom. He felt the nervous feeling of being watched by all as he entered the ballroom. He didn't see anyone that he remembered at first but then he saw Cid and Matron heading his way. He wanted to turn around and head back to his room but he stood there, waiting for the couple to approach him.
"Oh Seifer, It's so wonderful to see you again, congratulations on finally becoming a SeeD!" Matron told him in that soft sultry voice of hers. She had on a basic black dress that underestimated her curvaceous figure but it was suiting for a headmasters' wife.
"Thank you Matron," He mumbled as he began to look around the ballroom for Angelica. There were so many people there.
"Seifer we should let you enjoy yourself, after all it is a celebration." Matron added, dragging Cid away. He was glad she did if Cid began to talk he would never really stop. The music stopped as Seifer began to edge through people in order to attempt to look for her. He saw her standing against a wall, holding a glass of champagne in her hand. She had on a soft pink dress that shimmered with her every movement. Her brown and gold hair was pinned on top of her head and adorned with some expensive looking barrettes. Seifer's heart somersaulted once again as he looked her over had begun to walk towards her. He stood there patiently until the girl she was talking to motioned over to Seifer and Angelica looked towards him and rolled her eyes as said good bye to her friend and turned to him.
"I waited for you at the door for almost an hour," She looked at him and waited for his explanation.
"I overslept..." He looked back to her not really wanting to become the one who did all the ass kissing in the relationship. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she got upset or the way she formed her mouth when she pronounced her O's. He could smell her perfume and it was driving him wild as he suddenly smiled to her and walked outside onto the terrace, leaving her alone he knew she was going to follow. He turned to her as she stood there highly upset at him.
"What's the matter Angelica..." He quirked a brow to her as he walked over and took her glass out of her hand with his free hand and drunk some of it.
"I should ask you that Seifer. Earlier on the Ragnarok you were acting so damn irritated and you kept on ignoring me when I tried to talk to you or I kept on trying to kiss you and you pushed me away." She answered as she walked over to the balcony and looked down. "I'd think you were ashamed of me."
"What is there to be ashamed of... you're beautiful... Smart....-"
"A Senators daughter who the majority of people at Balamb Garden think is a total bitch."
"Well people are wrong, they have always been wrong."
"But Seifer, people probably would think you are with me because I am who I am."
"Like that can be beneficial to me, If I really thought it was I would have sacked you along time ago." He replied as he looked back over to her and waited for her next move. He looked back into the ballroom as he went behind the door where one could see him as he motioned for her to walk over to him. She did as he began to kiss her, running his free hand along the side of her dress as she stopped him when she heard someone coming.
"What the hells is going on Squall Leonheart?" Rinoa screamed as she pressed him to the edge of the terrace balcony.
"You are pregnant..." He whispered as she stared out to the ocean, obviously frustrated at the news that Rinoa gave him. She looked back to him; he was almost to the brink of tears. There were times that she still had to remind herself that Squall was still a child and that the bravery that was shown months ago was only short lived.
"So what Squall? We can work this out." Her nonchalant attitude made him even angrier by the moment as she gripped his hands on the concrete railing, feeling the rough surface dig into his hands.
"Damnit Rinoa.... You said you were on the pill...You said that you were always careful-" His voice faltered as he spoke.
"You Said you loved me," She retorted as she looked back to him and then to the ballroom.
"Well, I did...I mean...do.... But ya know, sometimes..."
"Sometimes what Squall?"
"Sometimes people say things...because it's what's convenient at the time...."
"So that's all I was...convenience?"
"That's all you acted like... I can't take you seriously..."
"I'm pregnant with your child, how serious is that?"
"Rinoa...this will ruin me..."
"No, it won't Squall, it'll make us stronger...I know you want a family"
"Not With Y-, Not without getting married or spending time with someone I love first."
"We can get married and we can spend time together after the baby is born." He just stared at her and watched his life drip away, he knew what marriage did to people and he sure as hell didn't want any kids. What was the purpose of children? All of his close friends were orphaned or at least had one real parent left. Did he really want a kid, just so they could experience the unrequited pain that he once did when he realized that he was alone in this world? SeeD abortions were not allowed but Rinoa was not SeeD and the option was always open.
"Is marriage the only option?"
"Yes, my father would kill me if I had a baby without being married." Squall just sighed lightly as he looked off and away. He was trapped, trapped to someone he didn't really love all because of lust.
*****************
Seifer sat at one of the tables and listened to Irvine sing a drunken Rendition of 'Tainted Love'. The ball was over but some of the girls were helping take down some of the minute decorations. He looked awfully funny with his cowboy hat off; you could see the line where his hat sat across his forehead. He was glad Angie had heard Squall and Rinoa's conversation too because now he didn't have a disciplinary committee to laugh about it with. He didn't know how to feel about the whole thing, Squall had left the ball early, complaining to Cid about an allergic reaction to Balamb Shrimp. Rinoa just acting like Rinoa, except she had this glow to her.
"Touch me baby Tainted love!" Irvine let out another belch as he slumped off the table and onto the floor, giggling like a pansy. It was about one o' clock in the morning and he knew he should be going to bed to recover some of the sleep he had lost but he still sat there, at the table looking up at the stars through the paneled glass ceiling. There were about a billion stars in the sky as he listened to Irvine's whimpering and the giggle of Angie and Selphie in the distance. There had been rumors of an after party in a low ranking SeeD members dorm room and a few hours earlier when Irvine was partially sober and coherent he had mentioned going to it. But now that he was nearly passed out on the floor Seifer had to find other means of enjoyment.
It was morning when Seifer woke up and looked over to his alarm clock. It was about eight o' clock and that meant that it was about time for the first round of classes to start for the day. He had considered going to the training center again but he had his arm to worry about. He knew if Cid had his way he'd probably end up doing paperwork for the rest of his career in SeeD. He didn't really bother taking a shower, he just got up and put his clothes on, rubbing some after shave along his neck with one of his gruff hands. He combed his hair back and walked out of his dorm into the cafeteria, just in time to see all of his friends sitting at a table. Seifer could tell that they had been in the cafeteria for awhile because the remains of everyone's breakfast had been strewn across the table. He sat down beside Irvine and then looked callously back to Quistis, who had looked as if she hadn't had a drop of sleep from the previous night. Irvine then took out a bottle of aspirin and emptied about seven of the tablets into his hand as he tried to chew them while he took a few sips of his coffee. Squall and Rinoa sat beside each other and Seifer watched him pull away as she tried to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Isn't SeeD supposed to be fun and adventurous?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow to Squall.
"Umm, not exactly, it is when you are trying to defeat an old Sorceress and her power hungry, man whore." Squall mumbled as he sat back in his chair and sighed. Quistis stood up from the table and silently picked up her stack of files as she began to walk out of the cafeteria without as mush as a goodbye to the rest of the group. They had probably told, or guessing from the look of confusion on Selphies' face someone had found out. Rinoa hummed a singsong tune as she ignored Quistis' exit and picked the sprinkles off the donut and placed them neatly on a napkin.
"Why the hell do you do that if you eat the sprinkles anyway?" Squall interrupted as he got up from the table and walked away. Rinoa still sat there staring at her donut. A few moments later she continued to eat.
"Any names?" Selphie asked as Irvine almost spit out his coffee and shot her a dirty glance.
"If it's a boy, Squall, definitely Squall Leonheart Jr. if it's a girl…. I don't know…"
"This is bullshit…" Zell interrupted, banging his hand on the table and almost screaming at her. "Squall is obviously not happy with this baby that you are carrying. You should get rid of it." He was so infuriated that you could see veins popping out of his neck. By this time everyone in the cafeteria had begun to pay attention to them.
"Zell, calm down…" Seifer said, pulling him away from the table. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Her," he pointed to Rinoa and ran out of the cafeteria. Irvine got up from the table, still a bit mute as he looked at Seifer and shook his head. He also began to walk, but this time when he walked past Seifer her whispered something to his ear.
"Oh the tangled webs we weave."
