"I might not be the right one.
It might not be the right time,
But there's something about us I've got to do.
Some kind of secret I will share with you."
President's Meeting Room:
Laguna smiled warmly as the two Seeds stepped in. Quistis returned the smile, while Squall just canted his head slightly.
"I'm so glad you guys could make it!"
Even though he was paying a pretty hefty price for these two, he was acting as though Squall was doing him a favor. In a way, he was... Because he had actually come, instead of assigning someone else.
"Well, I know you wanna get right to work, so please... Sit down, and I'll tell you guys why you're here, ok?"
They sat, while Laguna shuffled through some papers on his desk, then scratched his head thoughtfully. "I coulda sworn..." Pause.
"Well, as you two know, you'll be my bodyguard for a series of functions this week. The main one is the ball at the end. We're trying to achieve peace with Galbadia."
"Have you received any threats?"
Laguna frowned for a moment, then shrugged slightly. "A few calls, but nothing that seemed really serious."
"You should take everything seriously."
"I try to tell him that, but he never listens."
Kiros walked in, smiling at the two Seeds.
Squall fixed his gaze on Laguna. "I'll need to go over your schedule for this week."
Laguna nodded. "We can do that in the morning. Say about ... Nine? I want to get you guys settled in first."
Squall nodded, rising. Quistis followed suit. "Kiros, can you show Squall to the rooms? Quistis, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."
Squall frowned, but followed Kiros out. Quistis glanced at Laguna, wondering why he needed to speak to her, and not Squall.
"First, thank you for coming, Quistis. Uhm, the reason why I wanted to talk to you.... I don't have any females on my staff, ... to go shopping for you..."
Quistis tilted her head to the side slightly. Was he apologizing for not having anyone to shop for her?
"It's alright, Mr. President. If it's a formal ball, I'm sure I can mange to find something."
He nodded. "Well, you'll have the run of the shops. I can call them, and let them know you'll be going... Can you do me a favor though?"
"What's that?"
"I know Squall will want to wear his uniform. Think you can bribe him into a tux for me?"
"...."
"Plllllease?" Laguna begged, using the best "puppy eyes" that he had. Quistis tried to fight it, but those blue eyes were too similar to those of the boy she loved. So, she gave in. As Laguna figured she would.
'Tsk...' "...Alright."
"Yes! Thank you!" Laguna did that 'cha-ching' motion with his arm, and they both laughed.
It was hard to believe that three days had gone by already. Laguna was a great host; always treating them as friends rather then employees. Quistis could see why he was so popular; he genuinely cared for the people of Esthar. It seemed that he was winning over the new President of Galbadia as well. Squall had been monitoring the phones for the past two days, and they both went through the mail Laguna received. So far, nothing new had popped up, but they were always alert.
Of course, they only went with him to the more public functions, though Squall had joining him on a few meetings. This morning, however, Laguna told him to stay put, and have breakfast with Quistis. He'd have Kiros and Ward with him, should anything happen.
Besides, they had discussed it the other night, he didn't think it was any of the Galbadians that had been invited. Perhaps it was a citizen, who didn't want peace.
"You have to remember, we've been hidden away for eighteen years. It'll take people some time to realize that they are part of this world again, even if they don't want to be. Even if my country doesn't embrace this idea as a whole, the government must. This way, we can all work together to stop any future threats before they get out of hand."
So now, Quistis was looking across the table at Squall, wondering what he was thinking. He'd gone quiet last night; perhaps he was thinking that Rinoa could be considered a future threat. With a sigh, Quistis played with the syrup on her pancakes, making little designs with her fork.
"Squall."
He glanced up at the sound of his name, having been reading over a paper printout of the calls Laguna have received before leaving.
"Yes?"
"Laguna has the dinner tonight, right? We have a few hours of free time before then, don't we?"
Squall nodded, then could have smacked himself. Although she was speaking to him, she wasn't looking at him; so she didn't see the nod. "Yes. The dinner begins at eight." There was a slight pause, while Quistis continued toying with her food. Finally, she looked up, and smiled.
"I'm going to call Selphie, and see if she wants anything. Want to go..." He waited. "Want to go shopping with me?"
Squall studied her for a moment. They'd only spoken of business matters the past few days; it seemed she was still avoiding him. Or was he avoiding her, because of his fear of rejection? Maybe now, was the time to find out. And besides, he'd wanted to pick up a few things from the shops himself.
"Alright." A small smile. Quistis blinked. "Thanks for inviting me. Shall we leave in about... an hour?"
Quistis nodded, returning the smile. Oh, he didn't know what he'd just gotten himself into...
They'd ended up in a formal wear shop, after about four hours. He never thought that Quistis had an odd sense of humor, but after seeing some of the stuff she'd bought for Irvine... Of course, his birthday was coming up. But... glow in the dark handcuffs? Squall shook his head, laughing inwardly at the look she'd receive from Selphie for a few of her gifts.
"Hmm... I wonder if any of these will do..." Quistis mused aloud, walking over to a rack of dresses. That was when Squall realized where he was. The most horrible spot for any male in the world to be in. The woman's section of a dress shop.
"Squall." He looked at Quistis, who was holding up a pink dress. "What do you think?"
'I hate pink.' Was the first thought that came to mind. He thought he said it aloud for a moment, when she smirked. "Hate it, right? Well, I'm going to look around."
"... Why?"
"The ball is in two nights. And, I need a dress for it. You know, while we're here... Why don't you look for a tux."
"A tux..." Squall wondered why he was he was not briskly moving towards the store's exit. Just as that thought entered his mind, a saleswoman walked over to them.
"Good afternoon! Do you two need help with anything?"
Quistis smiled at the older lady, while Squall felt like a deer trapped in headlights. He was stuck now. However, if he was going to be stuck wearing a tux.
"I'll make a deal with you."
"Hmm?" Quistis glanced at him, wondering what he was trying to cook up. "I'll wear a tux, if I get the final decision on your dress."
The saleslady laughed. "Oh, that's much nicer then some of the boyfriend's who have come into this shop. Let me know when you are ready, and I'll set aside one of the personal dressing room for you both."
"...Personal dressing rooms?"
She pointed over to left, their gazes followed. Along the wall, were sets of booths. "Those are for the singles who come shopping. For couples, it's a whole room. There's a sitting area, and then the dressing room itself. This way, he can wait while you try on your gowns, and then you can wait, while he dons his tux."
"That'll be fine, thank you.. Miss..."
"White. Ms. White, dearie."
Quistis started sniggering at the thought of Squall modeling a tux for her. This would be too rich; oh she wished she had a camera. While he sounded totally nonchalant about the whole thing, his eyes told her otherwise. In fact, if looks could kill, she'd be dead.
Actually, dressing up for Squall had been fun. And the lady, thinking they had been a couple, was a silly thought, yet bittersweet. Quistis wished that they were, but he loved Rinoa. What had been truly amazing about this shopping trip, though, they had picked the same gown for her. Quistis, liked it because the color reminded her of his eyes. Squall, though... Squall hadn't voiced his approval too well, but the look in his eyes when she wore it.
"I don't... "
"Hey, I modeled for you. Your turn."
"Why can't I just wear my uniform? Much easier then this... thing!"
"Oh Squall. I'm sure you'll look fine." Quistis wanted to laugh. Who knew that Squall would nervous about modeling a tux. And in front of her, of all people.
"Whatever." She did laugh at that, it slowly fading as he stepped out the dressing area. Squall had the ability to look good no matter what he wore. In fact, he'd been getting looks while walking around the store with her.
Squall brushed back his bangs, blinking as Quistis just stared at him. Why? Did he leave something unzipped, untucked, or unbuttoned? He looked down, scowling at the over polished shoes he had on.
The shirt was the color of Trabia snow, and contrasted with the somber blackness of the tux. The lapels of the jacket were dove gray in color, almost matching the silver buttons on the shirt. He turned for a moment, showing that the coat has tails, which fell to about the back of his knees. His hair had also grown the chestnut locks a little past the collar of his jacket in the back. When he was sure that nothing was out of place, he spun around to face Quistis again.
"So, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing. You look..." She paused, and he glanced at her. Before she could start again, he just held up a hand. "Are we done here?"
"...Yes."
"Let's go pay for the outfits then, and get back to the Palace." Squall walked back into the dressing room, and Quistis sat back down on the chair, sighing. "You look great, Squall." Softly, to herself.
Evening:
Quistis glanced up from her book at the light tap on her door. It was about eleven, and she was trying to unwind so she could fall asleep. Maybe she just ignore whoever was knocking... "Quistis?" But it was Squall. She couldn't ignore him, even if this was going to be a meeting about business.
She opened the door, not bothering to look at him as she padded away, hopping back onto her bed. She was tired after all. So, he shut the door quietly behind him, then sat on a chair.
"Quistis, I want to ask you something."
"Shoot." She pulled the covers up; finally glancing at him after fixing them the way she wanted.
His eyes locked on hers. "Why did you run, that night on the beach?"
She stilled. Of all the things he could have asked her, he had to ask her that. Did he get some thrill out of tormenting her, or did he not know the scope of her feelings.
"Because...I..."
"You know..." He cut her off, looking down at the ground. "I had originally assigned Selphie and Irvine for this."
It felt like something was sinking... her heart or her stomach, she didn't know which. "Rinoa decided otherwise. She decided that you and I should go." He paused. "In a way, I wish she hadn't..."
She felt her eyes starting to burn, and glanced down at the pattern on the blanket. She'd be damned if she cried in front of him, again.
"But I'm also glad she did." Squall's voice, warm yet soft, sounded far away. She heard him, but she didn't.
"I had wanted our friendship back, but I guess that's impossible. Seeing you in that dress..." He trailed off, collecting what he wanted to say, then continued again. "I care for you, Quistis. More then a friend should. Which is why I wish she hadn't gotten you to come along. It would have been easier on us both to go back to playing friends."
There was a brief silence when he finished, and as Quistis finally got the nerve to explain why she had run, he was gone. In his place, there was a simple white box, atop which lay a red rose.
----
Disclaimer: Square own em. Lyrics are from Daft Punk's -something between us- The part about the dress, will most likely be posted on it's own. So, shall I continue? Yay or Nay?
It might not be the right time,
But there's something about us I've got to do.
Some kind of secret I will share with you."
President's Meeting Room:
Laguna smiled warmly as the two Seeds stepped in. Quistis returned the smile, while Squall just canted his head slightly.
"I'm so glad you guys could make it!"
Even though he was paying a pretty hefty price for these two, he was acting as though Squall was doing him a favor. In a way, he was... Because he had actually come, instead of assigning someone else.
"Well, I know you wanna get right to work, so please... Sit down, and I'll tell you guys why you're here, ok?"
They sat, while Laguna shuffled through some papers on his desk, then scratched his head thoughtfully. "I coulda sworn..." Pause.
"Well, as you two know, you'll be my bodyguard for a series of functions this week. The main one is the ball at the end. We're trying to achieve peace with Galbadia."
"Have you received any threats?"
Laguna frowned for a moment, then shrugged slightly. "A few calls, but nothing that seemed really serious."
"You should take everything seriously."
"I try to tell him that, but he never listens."
Kiros walked in, smiling at the two Seeds.
Squall fixed his gaze on Laguna. "I'll need to go over your schedule for this week."
Laguna nodded. "We can do that in the morning. Say about ... Nine? I want to get you guys settled in first."
Squall nodded, rising. Quistis followed suit. "Kiros, can you show Squall to the rooms? Quistis, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."
Squall frowned, but followed Kiros out. Quistis glanced at Laguna, wondering why he needed to speak to her, and not Squall.
"First, thank you for coming, Quistis. Uhm, the reason why I wanted to talk to you.... I don't have any females on my staff, ... to go shopping for you..."
Quistis tilted her head to the side slightly. Was he apologizing for not having anyone to shop for her?
"It's alright, Mr. President. If it's a formal ball, I'm sure I can mange to find something."
He nodded. "Well, you'll have the run of the shops. I can call them, and let them know you'll be going... Can you do me a favor though?"
"What's that?"
"I know Squall will want to wear his uniform. Think you can bribe him into a tux for me?"
"...."
"Plllllease?" Laguna begged, using the best "puppy eyes" that he had. Quistis tried to fight it, but those blue eyes were too similar to those of the boy she loved. So, she gave in. As Laguna figured she would.
'Tsk...' "...Alright."
"Yes! Thank you!" Laguna did that 'cha-ching' motion with his arm, and they both laughed.
It was hard to believe that three days had gone by already. Laguna was a great host; always treating them as friends rather then employees. Quistis could see why he was so popular; he genuinely cared for the people of Esthar. It seemed that he was winning over the new President of Galbadia as well. Squall had been monitoring the phones for the past two days, and they both went through the mail Laguna received. So far, nothing new had popped up, but they were always alert.
Of course, they only went with him to the more public functions, though Squall had joining him on a few meetings. This morning, however, Laguna told him to stay put, and have breakfast with Quistis. He'd have Kiros and Ward with him, should anything happen.
Besides, they had discussed it the other night, he didn't think it was any of the Galbadians that had been invited. Perhaps it was a citizen, who didn't want peace.
"You have to remember, we've been hidden away for eighteen years. It'll take people some time to realize that they are part of this world again, even if they don't want to be. Even if my country doesn't embrace this idea as a whole, the government must. This way, we can all work together to stop any future threats before they get out of hand."
So now, Quistis was looking across the table at Squall, wondering what he was thinking. He'd gone quiet last night; perhaps he was thinking that Rinoa could be considered a future threat. With a sigh, Quistis played with the syrup on her pancakes, making little designs with her fork.
"Squall."
He glanced up at the sound of his name, having been reading over a paper printout of the calls Laguna have received before leaving.
"Yes?"
"Laguna has the dinner tonight, right? We have a few hours of free time before then, don't we?"
Squall nodded, then could have smacked himself. Although she was speaking to him, she wasn't looking at him; so she didn't see the nod. "Yes. The dinner begins at eight." There was a slight pause, while Quistis continued toying with her food. Finally, she looked up, and smiled.
"I'm going to call Selphie, and see if she wants anything. Want to go..." He waited. "Want to go shopping with me?"
Squall studied her for a moment. They'd only spoken of business matters the past few days; it seemed she was still avoiding him. Or was he avoiding her, because of his fear of rejection? Maybe now, was the time to find out. And besides, he'd wanted to pick up a few things from the shops himself.
"Alright." A small smile. Quistis blinked. "Thanks for inviting me. Shall we leave in about... an hour?"
Quistis nodded, returning the smile. Oh, he didn't know what he'd just gotten himself into...
They'd ended up in a formal wear shop, after about four hours. He never thought that Quistis had an odd sense of humor, but after seeing some of the stuff she'd bought for Irvine... Of course, his birthday was coming up. But... glow in the dark handcuffs? Squall shook his head, laughing inwardly at the look she'd receive from Selphie for a few of her gifts.
"Hmm... I wonder if any of these will do..." Quistis mused aloud, walking over to a rack of dresses. That was when Squall realized where he was. The most horrible spot for any male in the world to be in. The woman's section of a dress shop.
"Squall." He looked at Quistis, who was holding up a pink dress. "What do you think?"
'I hate pink.' Was the first thought that came to mind. He thought he said it aloud for a moment, when she smirked. "Hate it, right? Well, I'm going to look around."
"... Why?"
"The ball is in two nights. And, I need a dress for it. You know, while we're here... Why don't you look for a tux."
"A tux..." Squall wondered why he was he was not briskly moving towards the store's exit. Just as that thought entered his mind, a saleswoman walked over to them.
"Good afternoon! Do you two need help with anything?"
Quistis smiled at the older lady, while Squall felt like a deer trapped in headlights. He was stuck now. However, if he was going to be stuck wearing a tux.
"I'll make a deal with you."
"Hmm?" Quistis glanced at him, wondering what he was trying to cook up. "I'll wear a tux, if I get the final decision on your dress."
The saleslady laughed. "Oh, that's much nicer then some of the boyfriend's who have come into this shop. Let me know when you are ready, and I'll set aside one of the personal dressing room for you both."
"...Personal dressing rooms?"
She pointed over to left, their gazes followed. Along the wall, were sets of booths. "Those are for the singles who come shopping. For couples, it's a whole room. There's a sitting area, and then the dressing room itself. This way, he can wait while you try on your gowns, and then you can wait, while he dons his tux."
"That'll be fine, thank you.. Miss..."
"White. Ms. White, dearie."
Quistis started sniggering at the thought of Squall modeling a tux for her. This would be too rich; oh she wished she had a camera. While he sounded totally nonchalant about the whole thing, his eyes told her otherwise. In fact, if looks could kill, she'd be dead.
Actually, dressing up for Squall had been fun. And the lady, thinking they had been a couple, was a silly thought, yet bittersweet. Quistis wished that they were, but he loved Rinoa. What had been truly amazing about this shopping trip, though, they had picked the same gown for her. Quistis, liked it because the color reminded her of his eyes. Squall, though... Squall hadn't voiced his approval too well, but the look in his eyes when she wore it.
"I don't... "
"Hey, I modeled for you. Your turn."
"Why can't I just wear my uniform? Much easier then this... thing!"
"Oh Squall. I'm sure you'll look fine." Quistis wanted to laugh. Who knew that Squall would nervous about modeling a tux. And in front of her, of all people.
"Whatever." She did laugh at that, it slowly fading as he stepped out the dressing area. Squall had the ability to look good no matter what he wore. In fact, he'd been getting looks while walking around the store with her.
Squall brushed back his bangs, blinking as Quistis just stared at him. Why? Did he leave something unzipped, untucked, or unbuttoned? He looked down, scowling at the over polished shoes he had on.
The shirt was the color of Trabia snow, and contrasted with the somber blackness of the tux. The lapels of the jacket were dove gray in color, almost matching the silver buttons on the shirt. He turned for a moment, showing that the coat has tails, which fell to about the back of his knees. His hair had also grown the chestnut locks a little past the collar of his jacket in the back. When he was sure that nothing was out of place, he spun around to face Quistis again.
"So, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing. You look..." She paused, and he glanced at her. Before she could start again, he just held up a hand. "Are we done here?"
"...Yes."
"Let's go pay for the outfits then, and get back to the Palace." Squall walked back into the dressing room, and Quistis sat back down on the chair, sighing. "You look great, Squall." Softly, to herself.
Evening:
Quistis glanced up from her book at the light tap on her door. It was about eleven, and she was trying to unwind so she could fall asleep. Maybe she just ignore whoever was knocking... "Quistis?" But it was Squall. She couldn't ignore him, even if this was going to be a meeting about business.
She opened the door, not bothering to look at him as she padded away, hopping back onto her bed. She was tired after all. So, he shut the door quietly behind him, then sat on a chair.
"Quistis, I want to ask you something."
"Shoot." She pulled the covers up; finally glancing at him after fixing them the way she wanted.
His eyes locked on hers. "Why did you run, that night on the beach?"
She stilled. Of all the things he could have asked her, he had to ask her that. Did he get some thrill out of tormenting her, or did he not know the scope of her feelings.
"Because...I..."
"You know..." He cut her off, looking down at the ground. "I had originally assigned Selphie and Irvine for this."
It felt like something was sinking... her heart or her stomach, she didn't know which. "Rinoa decided otherwise. She decided that you and I should go." He paused. "In a way, I wish she hadn't..."
She felt her eyes starting to burn, and glanced down at the pattern on the blanket. She'd be damned if she cried in front of him, again.
"But I'm also glad she did." Squall's voice, warm yet soft, sounded far away. She heard him, but she didn't.
"I had wanted our friendship back, but I guess that's impossible. Seeing you in that dress..." He trailed off, collecting what he wanted to say, then continued again. "I care for you, Quistis. More then a friend should. Which is why I wish she hadn't gotten you to come along. It would have been easier on us both to go back to playing friends."
There was a brief silence when he finished, and as Quistis finally got the nerve to explain why she had run, he was gone. In his place, there was a simple white box, atop which lay a red rose.
----
Disclaimer: Square own em. Lyrics are from Daft Punk's -something between us- The part about the dress, will most likely be posted on it's own. So, shall I continue? Yay or Nay?
