~* II – How It Went From There… *~
Irvine Kinneas wasn't having a good week. It started with his foot getting caught in a bear-trap, and then he had triggered some kind of incendiary device. Had it not been for Fujin, he could have been seriously hurt – or even worst, his hair could have gotten singed. It was thought that Squall had been the intended victim, but the Commander dismissed the whole thing, and most of the evidence had burnt anyway.
Whoever was behind the incident were obviously amateurs, clever ones but still amateurs, using common appliances to set their trap. Security was reinforced around Garden, and life went on as before. The sharpshooter also vowed to look where he walked, instead of checking out girls in the future.
Fujin Kazeno, on the other hand, was quite content. She had found a way to take revenge on Selphie, and it was a simple one: take Irvine away from her. Unfortunately it was easier said than done, even if he was grateful for her timely help, as she didn't know where to start. Her first plan was to kidnap the cowboy, take a picture of herself kissing him, and send it to the brunette. The flaw in that scenario soon became evident; as did all the others she came up with.
To complicate things further, Fujin was sent as a bodyguard (as a precaution after the aforementioned incident) on a diplomatic mission with Squall, Xu and Selphie to Esthar. She decided then to take extreme and draconic measures, and as soon as she got some time off she went shopping.
Irvine spent the rest of the week checking girls out as he walked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wasn't his a great idea, Squall?" exclaimed a cheerful Selphie.
"Whatever."
"Just look at the light as it touches everything," she continued, "The sunrise is so beautiful seen from up here."
It was 5h15AM, and the brunette had managed to drag him to the top of Esthar's Presidential Building. He hadn't been sleeping anyway, and he had to admit that the view was breathtaking.
"The day always comes, even after the longest night," was saying his energetic companion, "Light always triumphs over darkness…"
If Squall had had a good night's sleep, if his mind hadn't been so foggy, and if she hadn't been standing so close to him, then things might have been different. As it was, he felt drawn to Selphie and kissed her softly, to which she responded before pulling away with a shocked expression on her face.
"Er, hum, I guess we should get back." She managed to blurt out.
"I… sorry…" he apologized.
'Don't be…' thought Selphie, "It's all right, don't worry about It.", she offered and smiled to her companion.
"I better go and check my messages." Said Squall, and then made his escape.
Selphie just stayed there, trying to figure out what had just happened.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday, April 01, 4002 08:00 PM
To: whatever@balambgarden.org
From: owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb
Subject: Talk to me
Squall, please, answer me. It's all a horrible misunderstanding. I Love you. Rinoa
---
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Tuesday, April 02, 4002 05:23 AM
To: whatever@balambgarden.org
From: owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb
Subject: re: Talk to me
Squall, listen, I know you have been abandoned and hurt in the past. Just give me a chance to explain. Rinoa
---
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Tuesday, April 02, 4002 11:46 PM
To: whatever@balambgarden.org
From: owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb
Subject: re: re: Talk to me
Why exactly are you avoiding me? Quistis says it's because of what happened when I was with Seifer in the Quad this Monday. I don't understand. Rinoa
---
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Wednesday, April 03, 4002 02:16 PM
To: whatever@balambgarden.org
From: owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb
Subject: re: re: re: re: re: Talk to me
All right, you are getting on my nerves Leonhart! Stop answering all of my messages with 'Whatever' – It's annoying! Rinoa
---
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Thursday, April 04, 4002 08:59 AM
To: whatever@balambgarden.org
From: owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb
Subject: re: re: re: re: re: re: Talk to me
Listen, you're being childish. I heard the rumors, and I want to set the record straight. Rinoa
PS. And I told you to stop answering to all of my messages by 'Whatever' :(
---
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---------------
Squall didn't even check the rest of the messages in his inbox, and he logged off and sighed. He knew that he would have to face Rinoa sooner of later, for the situation had to be resolved. Furthermore, Quistis had also written to him, and insisted that he should talk to Rinoa. But he just didn't feel up to it, for the past few days had forced him into serious self-questioning.
The fact was that he was having a great time with Selphie. They had arrived in Esthar last Tuesday, and would be leaving for Balamb early tomorrow morning – just in time for Saturday's Ball. Squall didn't understand what was happening to him, but all he knew was that the petite brunette made him relax and laugh. She had a way of seeing beauty in all things, and most importantly she went shopping only when pushed by necessity.
And there had been the kiss… Why had he felt attracted to her like that? Was it because she had been so nice to him, or was it something else? Squall didn't know what to make of the incident, but something had shifted inside him. He just couldn't act on it, for Selphie was Irvine's girlfriend, thus off limits. Furthermore, what would such a lively person have to do with a guy like himself?
"Better to stop thinking about Selphie," he said out loud, "And reply to Rinoa's messages."
He logged on to his email account, and sent a message to Rinoa to meet him at the Ball. Yes, he would set the record straight with her and see where things went from there. He closed his eyes and remembered all they had shared together, all she had done for him, all that made her beautiful… her raven-hair, her smile, her way at pointing at the stars, her emerald-eyes, her cute yellow dress…
"GAH!" exclaimed our friend, "Ho man, I am in deep trouble…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~ The night of the Ball ~*~*~*~
Fujin turned this way and that in front of her mirror. She had never considered herself beautiful, but knew that attitude held an important part in the game of seduction. She looked at herself as objectively as she could, and had to admit that she was satisfied with the results. In the past year, she had let her hair grow and it now reached past her shoulders. A cleverly placed silver lock hid her blind eye - It had taken nearly all the fixative in the can, but the result was worth it.
Her sleeveless evening dress was of a light-blue hue, which complimented her fair complexion wonderfully. "DRESSED TO KILL." she remarked to herself, and after one last check up she exited her room. She made a remarked entrance in the Quad, as most people didn't recognize her at first, but soon enough there were interested admirers orbiting around her.
All the attention she was showered with, and to which she was really not used, made her resolve about Irvine falter. Furthermore, she wasn't sure she wanted to get back at Selphie anymore – the girl was just too friendly and nice to be mad at her. After an hour or so, even if several guys were obviously enthralled and/or simply shocked by her new looks, Fujin hadn't received a single invitation to dance. She had decided to leave when…
"Hey there, missy," saluted a familiar voice beside her, "Yah new 'round these parts?"
"NEGATIVE"
"Fujin???"
"AFFIRMATIVE"
"Er… Huh… Care tah dance?"
"SURE"
"Just be gentle, Aw hurt mah leg if yah remember." He warned her.
"WELL NOW?"
"Yeah, A'm OK." Replied Irvine, "An' thank yah again for helping me."
"WELCOME"
----------
Meanwhile, Squall and Rinoa were on one of the balconies. It was the dark-haired man who broke the silence, "Rinoa, I heard you and Seifer… well… you know… last Monday behind that backdrop."
"And what is wrong with that?" She answered.
"I would never dare…"
'This guy is way too proud.' Thought Rinoa before replying, "Well, I admit that it was a little embarrassing, but those cables were way too short and the sockets were not standard issue."
"Cables?" O_O
"Well yes, we were helping Selphie out." Continued Rinoa, "By the way, did you know that Quistis and Seifer are dating? That explains why she was so upset."
"Huh yeah, I saw them together tonight. Say, what about the icky stuff on your duster?"
"Oh, it was one of Seifer's brilliant ideas," she explained, "He greased the connections to make it easier to plug them, I nearly twisted my ankle when I slipped on the stuff."
"And then he caught you…"
"Yeah, but he couldn't resist teasing me and I really wasn't in the mood."
"Huh, what did you tell him?"
"I don't recall exactly, but I think it was along the lines of: 'I would rather die than kiss him, that I wouldn't sleep with him even if he was the only man left in the world, and that I was over him and with you now.' If you heard all that I don't understand why you've been avoiding me."
"I… er… you see… it's like…"
"Stop it, Squall," she ordered, "Relationships are about trust, and you obviously don't trust me. I guess it's better to go our separate ways, I really don't see us working out."
---------------
After Squall had left, Rinoa just stayed there gazing at the stars. Part of her had known that it would end like this, but it still hurt. Someone stepped on the balcony, and for a moment she feared that he had come back. "Rinoa? Huh, you forgot this in the library."
"Raijin? Ho, my poetry book by Jinrai Janbar!" she exclaimed, "I've been looking all over for it, thank you."
"You like that author?"
"Yes, he's very promising, but you know he's a real recluse who doesn't even allow his picture to be taken."
"Maybe he treasures his privacy."
"Maybe," said the brown-eyed woman, and recited from memory, "March my friends with pride and zeal, Swords at rest peaceful at last, Use your might not to slay but to heal… – sorry, you're probably bored by this."
"March oh brothers with honor and zeal." He corrected her.
"What?" exclaimed the young woman in surprise.
"It is brothers and honor not friends and pride."
Rinoa checked in the book, and then eyed the big man suspiciously, "How did you know that?"
"Huh, I had a quick look," explained Raijin.
"That part is near the end." Remarked the raven-haired woman, "And why aren't you saying 'yah know' at the end of each of your sentences?"
"Oh! Yah know, I had a few, yah know, drinks, yah know. Hee hee, yah know how it is, yah know."
"You can't have learned that piece so fast, and this book is a limited edition only available in Timber," she continued, and noticed that he was more and more uncomfortable at her scrutiny, "The author is named Jinrai Janbar, and your name is Raijin Barjan…"
"Huh, yah know, I gotta go… er check if Seifer, yah know, is all right, yah know."
Rinoa suddenly made the connection, "Ho my Hyne! You wrote this book! You just switched your name around, Rai-jin for Jin-rai and Bar-jan for Jan-bar!"
"I… I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Stop pretending," ordered Rinoa, "I feel that you're hiding something. I am not a sorceress just for the title, you know."
Raijin finally confessed, "All right, you found me out. That's my first book, I am working on a second one and I might have a shot at wider distribution."
"But why do you hide that, and why do you act as a clueless dork?" she inquired with obvious puzzlement.
"Because I realized that people are afraid of big guys, but not of dumb and friendly big guys," He explained, "And you know how is in a military institution, if they knew about my poetry it would make things hard for me here. I can't earn my life with my writing yet, and the only other thing I know is being a SeeD."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you, and would you like to see some of my new pieces sometime?"
"I would love to." She replied honestly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Irvine was a skilled dancer, and even his wound didn't impair his performance much. He knew that being with Fujin would get him in trouble with Selphie, but he hadn't seen the brunette all week, not even after she'd been back from Esthar. And he had to admit that things hadn't been all that great between them for a while now. Furthermore, she had been spending a lot of time with Squall, and she had basically been brushing him off. Curiously enough, it didn't really bother him – maybe it was time to move on.
Right now he was in heaven anyway, for he would be known as 'the guy who melted the Ice Queen's reserve' and Fujin was quite an attractive woman. It was also a big plus that she was really nice, and didn't mind fetching him a plate from the buffet and drinks. 'People are not always what they seem…' he mused.
"Yah know, me lady, Aw have a confession tah make." – this declaration from Irvine was greatly helped by the vast amounts of Shiva Lager [cold beer for cool people] he had ingested.
"CONFESSION?"
"Yeah, Aw always thought that yah were attractive, ever since Aw met yah."
"ME ATTRACTIVE?"
"Well, yeah," he continued, "Yah have that 'Femme Fatale' thang going fer yah, but yah always seemed unattainable, and Aw thought that yah was Seifer's woman at first."
Fujin liked tall men, and she also had always thought that the cowboy was handsome – she would never admit it out loud though. Furthermore, he had noticed her and acted on it, which was way more than Seifer ever had. She didn't want to hurt Selphie anymore, but decided that she should take whatever solace she could – the brunette was popular anyway, and would certainly find someone else easily.
"WANT LEAVE?" she asked the sharpshooter.
"So early?"
"BAD FOR FOOT"
"Yeah, ye're probably right," he agreed, "Can Aw walk yah tah yer room?"
"YES"
Irvine Kinneas had just sealed his fate…
----------
Selphie finally freed herself from last-minute preparations, and hurried to shower and change. Fortunately, she had bumped into Quistis and the blonde woman had helped with her hairdo. The brunette was wearing a long evening gown, and yellow roses in her hair that matched the color of her dress.
Squall had been a lot on her mind, quite a lot in fact. Since they had met, and remembered about their pasts, she had been fond of him. The problem was that her feelings for him were really confusing right now, and that kiss in Esthar had been nice... better than nice, it had been honest – it was the only word she could think of to really describe it.
Once in the Quad, she greeted people left and right and shared a few words with Zell and Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo, she also met Rinoa and Raijin – but Selphie had more pressing things on her mind, and didn't question why those two were hanging out together. She still had feelings for Irvine Kinneas, and decided that the whole thing with Squall was just a passing infatuation – she tried really hard to convince herself of that.
She looked around for the sharpshooter, and spotted him walking towards the entrance with a sculptural woman with pale hair at his arm. A thousand thoughts went through the brunette's mind, and she followed the couple.
'Maybe she's not feeling well, and he offered to walk her to her room out of kindness.' Thought the diminutive woman, hoping against hope.
As they reached the corridor to the dorms, Fujin grabbed Irvine and kissed him fiercely – with all the passion she had kept bottled up for so long. The cowboy was totally taken aback, for he had always been in control before and this turn of events was utterly unexpected.
"YOUR ROOM" ordered the fair woman, and he obliged – partially out of concern for his safety.
Tear-filled emerald orbs watched them enter his room, finally understanding that she had been deluding herself, and refusing to see the obvious. The heartbroken girl hurried away, she didn't know where she was going and she didn't care.
She vowed that Irvine Kinneas had hurt her for the last time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~ To Be Continued ~*~