I Love You, Too: Bet You My Heart
written by: KawaiiKaoru
rating: PG-13
summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.
Vick330 Happy to inform you that YES, there is an explanation to Rinoa's behavior and NO, this won't bash Rinoa. Rinoa bashers get on my nerves. Squall might lash out once or twice, but I think that's somewhat understandable.
-== ** Chapter 2: GAMBLE ** ==-
Selphie was drawing a picture of a woman she found in a magazine. The woman was very pretty- petite, black-haired and pale. She reminded her a lot of Rinoa. Selphie sighed as she thought some about what just happened. It was really, really sad.
She loved Irvine. Really. And she took love very seriously. But Irvine had betrayed her.
Her eyes welled with tears. Selphie blinked them back as she sketched the left eyebrow of the girl. She wondered what Rinoa had that she didn't. Why had Irvine gone to Rinoa? Was he really a player like that 'Anonymous' said he was? Selphie sniffed.
Truthfully, Selphie wasn't happy about Irvine cheating on her. Only a crazy person would be! But why sulk about it? She decided the moment she walked out of that hallway that she wasn't going to let Irvine break her stride. She was going to go on without him. It would be easy. Sure, she loved Irvine, but if she couldn't satisfy him, then she just couldn't and she wasn't about to let that challenge her happiness.
So even though she wasn't happy, she would act like it until acting happy made her happy. It didn't make sense in Selphie's head either, but she figured it would work anyway. Time heals all wounds, right? She smiled to herself. A knock at the door caused Selphie to start. She ran to the door and answered it.
"Quisty!" Selphie greeted. Quistis embraced Selphie.
"I just heard about Rinoa and Irvine," Quistis declared.
Selphie sighed, "News gets around fast. Is that really the only thing people have to talk about around here?"
Quistis nodded with a smile. "So...you're not going to let it get to you, right?"
"You know me. Of course not! Irvine was a player anyway...Do you want to go to Balamb with me tomorrow? It would be a lot of fun!" Selphie suggested.
Quistis clucked and declined, saying, "I would love to, really, but I've got some meetings with Xu and Cid. I might be getting a raise."
"That's great, Quisty! And they only gave you your license back a few days weeks ago! Sheesh! No wonder why you've got your own fan club!" Quistis blushed.
"Ha ha."
There was a firm knock on the door, and Selphie ran to answer the door. Zell entered the room, shaking with anger.
"Man, Selphie! I just heard about Irvine and Rinoa! I'm going to pound him-" Zell declared.
Selphie placed a hand on his arm. "Zell? It's OK. Really."
"No! I'm going to-"
"Zell? Shut up!" Quistis said. Zell sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed his arms.
"Well, you're taking it well," Zell said to Selphie, "Squall was really angry. I could tell by the way he just ignored me."
"Squall always ignores you," Selphie teased, "Just kidding. Hey Zell, do you want to go to Balamb with me tomorrow? See your Ma?"
Zell took a deep breath in through gritted teeth. "As much as I'd love to check in on her, I've got an exam tomorrow. If I ace it, I might get promoted a rank. I need the money. Sorry though, Selphie."
"Don't worry about it," Selphie replied, sitting in her desk chair. Quistis was leaning against the wall, looking over the two of them.
"Squall's taking it hard, huh?" Quistis asked Zell. He nodded.
"Yeah. He walked down the hall- I swear I felt a chill wind blow through the place before I saw him."
"Gee, someone really needs to get that guy to warm up. Rinoa was doing fine, but she decided to go off and mess it all up. He's too serious! He needs to learn how to have fun! And put things behind him! Like...me!" Selphie exclaimed, giving a wide smile to her two friends. They sighed.
"I know what you mean! Why don't you take him to Balamb tomorrow, Selphie?" Zell suggested, "That guy hasn't had anything to do for the past week. I see him readin' in the library all the time. You think he would get bored o' the place."
"He should've been working on the Garden Festival with me, but no...Heeeeey! I have an idea!" Selphie exclaimed. There was a long pause as Quistis and Zell looked at her expectantly.
"Well..." Selphie continued finally, "Why don't I set Squall up with someone? I know a lot of people here. Girls that I know wouldn't hurt him like Rinoa did. I could find his Cinderella for him!"
"Yeah. I'd like to see you try!" Zell snorted.
"Zell is right, Selphie," Quistis agreed, "Trying to set Squall up with a girl is like trying to mix oil and water."
Selphie replied thoughtfully, "So you think he needs a guy...?"
"No!" Quistis shouted, "Squall's not gay."
"It would be ok if he was!" Selphie said, obviously fascinated with the idea.
Quistis responded, "Of course it would be. But I'm saying that Squall isn't open for a relationship. I don't know how Rinoa managed it! Getting Squall hooked up with someone is impossible!"
"Wanna bet?" Selphie challenged, head tilting to the side.
Zell stood up off the bed. "Yeah! As a matter of fact I do!"
"Alright then, on what terms?"
"Loser has to be the winner's slave for a year. And I get that Force Armlet you've got locked away somewhere," Zell declared.
Selphie extended her hand. "Fine. Loser has to be the winner's slave for a year, and if I win then I get...your Ehrgeiz gloves."
Without a moment's hesitation, Zell put his hand in hers. "Deal!"
"Selphie, do you know what you just got yourself into?" Quistis asked.
Zell laughed, "Footrubs and tons of homework, that's what!" He looked at her smugly.
Selphie replied, "Of course I know, Quistis. I get a vacation- no more homework or working on the Garden Festival. I'll just leave it all to Zell." She snickered.
Zell snorted. He stood and stretched. "I'm going to go to the cafeteria. If I'm lucky, they'll have some hotdogs. Wanna come?"
Quistis accepted his offer, but Selphie said, "Nah. I'm going to finish my drawing." She gestured toward the picture on her desk. "Maybe I'll catch up with you when I'm finished."
When the door slid shut and she was alone again, Selphie collapsed onto her bed. She waved her arms, like she was making a snowangel. Then she rolled over and propped her chin up on her elbows. She sighed, and tears began to flow from her eyes. It was beginning to set in...
Irvine had practically told her that he didn't feel the same way about Selphie as she did about him.
Ouch.
She rolled over onto her back and wiped away a few tears sliding down her cheek.
I wonder what he feels like...I wonder if he feels guilty? I sort of hope not. Irvine's a good guy, he just...goes astray every once in a while. And if he happens to like Rinoa, then he happens to like Rinoa. I love him to the point that I want him to be happy. Even if it's not with me. Though I could've only hoped...And so Selphie cried.
-----------------------------
an hour later
-----------------------------
Squall slashed at the Grat, bitterness fueling his moves. That unhappy twinge in his stomach inspired rage and he unleashed a limit break. The Grat was finished by the second stroke, but Squall shredded the lifeless body anyway. He stood for a moment, Lionheart still partially sheathed within the dead Grat. He took deep breaths. Finally, he lifted Lionheart out of the dead animal. Squall wiped the purplish blood on the grass and walked away from the spot.
How could she do this to me? She told me she loved me...I know why I never wanted to fall in love in the first place. EVERY DAMN TIME! He swung Lionheart with such a force that it flew out of his hand and landed in the trunk of a nearby palm tree. He stared at it for a while. He heard footsteps coming toward him. Squall spun around, and there she was.
Rinoa...
Squall's hand rose to his forehead, he closed his eyes and he fingered his scar for a second. When he reopened his eyes, Selphie was standing there, nunchakus in hand, looking up at him expectantly. His eyes flitted behind her, searching for Rinoa. Selphie snapped to get his attention.
"What was that?" Selphie asked, looking behind her.
"What was what?"
"That. You were looking behind me. No one there. Are you seeing things?" Selphie teased. He was amazed at how normal she was acting. She just...stuck it behind her, huh? I guess that's what's great about Selphie. She always manages to see the brighter side of things. But is there a brighter side?
"Hey, I was just kidding!" Selphie said in response to Squall's silence. Squall looked down at her, and noticed that her eyes were a bit red and slightly puffy. She had been crying. Selphie. Crying? It seemed unimaginable...
"You cried?" Squall asked. He hadn't meant to, the words just came out.
Selphie rolled her eyes. She studied at him for a second, then said, "Of course I cried, you big dope." For that fleeting instant, Squall saw the serious and womanly side of Selphie. She was beautiful. "So are you gonna train with me or what? I'm ready to kick some Grat butt! If we're lucky, we'll come across a T-Rexuar." Oh, there it went....
"I would hardly consider that luck." Squall studied her face. She was smiling- smiling. After what just happened. It was so like her to just forget everything, and be happy. How come it was so easy for her? Why couldn't he forget about it? But then, maybe Selphie was passive aggressive...? Squall almost smiled at the thought of Selphie exploding, and he remembered how she looked in the hallway when they first saw Irvine and Rinoa together.
"We could get a spell or two! Come on! Look- a Grat!" Selphie pulled his wrist and dragged him off to fight. He tried to resist, but the little brunette had hidden strength and she managed to pull him away. Squall noticed how happy she looked. But how could she be happy? She couldn't be truly happy, could she?
"Selphie- STOP!"
She dropped his hand and looked at him expectantly. "Stop...what?"
"Stop pretending like it didn't happen."
Selphie stared at him. "Who are you to be telling me to show emotion? And I'm not pretending like it didn't happen. Irvine cheated on me, Rinoa cheated on you, and they cheated on us with each other. There. It happened. Can we train now?"
"No! Why are you so happy?"
Selphie smiled. "Because there's nothing to be sad about! It's a beautiful day today!"
Squall's hand rose to finger his scar again. He began pacing back and forth. "How are you so calm, so happy about all of this? Aren't you angry?!"
"Hey! Cheer up, ok? If Rinoa was with Irvine, Rinoa was with Irvine. There's nothing we can do about it, because, like you said, it happened. Why be sulky about it? Smile for me, will ya?" Squall glared. He shook his head and left the Training Center, mumbling something about not understanding girls. Selphie frowned for a moment, but a smile graced her face again and she set off to train.
Selphie walked a step or two, and then she noticed something odd and shiny sticking out of a palm tree. As she got closer, she recognized Squall's Lionheart gunblade. With some effort, she pulled it out of the trunk. She fell on her tush and nearly cut her foot off, but she picked herself up and lifted the gunblade over her shoulder.
"Whoo...heavy!"
-- ** --
Selphie rubbed her stomach, and her face contorted in near disgust as she watched Zell scarf down a pile of hotdogs. It was...gross. One after the other, almost swallowing them hole. She followed a large lump down his throat.
"He's been at this for over an hour?" Selphie asked. Quistis nodded, grimacing. "Gosh Zell, do you ever have trouble digesting those things? You're a bottomless pit, I swear!"
Zell stopped, for a minute, and took a deep breath. "Yeah. I know." Then he continued eating. Quistis shoved her plate of hotdogs in Zell's direction. She had obviously lost her appetite. Selphie turned to Quistis.
"How much of a raise do you think you'll get?" Selphie asked, taking drink of her raspberry lemonade.
"I'm not sure. I might not get a raise at all-"
"Selphie, can I talk to you for a minute?" a familiar voice said. Quistis watch Selphie stiffen, then relax. Quistis turned her blonde head. Behind her was Irvine, looking like he just kicked a puppy.
The brunette gave Irvine a smile. "Of course." Quistis admired her determination to act normal. Selphie hopped off her chair, giving Quistis a very warm smile. She followed the tall man decked in leather outside of the cafeteria. He stopped and turned around.
"Selphie, about earlier-"
"Look, Irvine," Selphie interjected. Her smile had not faded. "You don't need to explain. I totally understand."
"You do?" Irvine asked, not hiding his surprise.
"Yes. You...don't love me like you said you did-"
"Hey, now-"
"...instead you love Rinoa, which is perfectly understandable. She's pretty, and she's got a great personality. I'm sure you and Rinoa will be happy! Don't worry about me! I'm doing fine without you, see?" she said honestly. She smiled and did her little 'dance' for him. Selphie gave Irvine a pat on the arm. "So stop worrying, ok?"
Irvine took off his hat and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, ok then. Uh...ok...so I'll let you get back to your lunch." Irvine walked away, still looking awful dejected and a bit confused. Selphie couldn't supress a giggle. Ha! I could so be a heartbreaker! Though as she watched Irvine walk away from her, a frown stopped her giggle and she sighed. It was going to be boring without someone to wreak havoc with. It was just going to be boring without him....She patted the curl in her hair and walked back into the cafeteria, somewhat of a bounce in her step.
"Things go well?" Quistis asked.
Selphie took a look at Zell before answering. He was leaning back in his chair, looking sick. "As well as can be expected. Zell...are you ok?"
Zell inhaled through his nose, and replied, "Yeah. Just a bit, er, stuffed." He groaned loudly.
-- ** --
Selphie was drawing another picture of the same woman in a different pose. The magazine was littered with pictures of the pretty model that looked like Rinoa. She smiled at the coincidence. A hard knock sounded on the door. Selphie could tell the knocker was angry. She slid on her rolling chair to the door and pressed a button. She looked up into the worried face of Squall Leonhart.
"Selphie, my gunblade. It was at the Training Center when we talked-"
"I've got it!" Selphie replied, "Just a second." She rolled her chair back to her desk and hopped out of it. She went to her closet and slid open the door, revealing a shiny gunblade. She dragged it out. The sharp edge made a terrible noise against the tile. With all her might, Selphie lifted up the gunblade. She turned around and bumped into the wall of Squall's chest. She started.
"Whoa! Hey, don't scare me like that!" Selphie exclaimed. She gave him his gunblade.
Squall gave her an expectant look.
"Oh! You left the Training Center, and I found your gunblade. I looked all over for you, but I couldn't find you! So I stuck it my dorm while I went to go eat lunch."
Squall stood still, seemingly thinking about Selphie's explanation. He shrugged in acceptance and moved out of Selphie's way. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned over, elbows on his knees.
"Uh...Selphie?"
"Yes?" She took her seat on her desk chair and started drawing again.
"Sorry about...going off."
Selphie spun around. "Oh! This has been a strange day...First 'The Incident' and now you're apologizing...I'll only accept your apology if you smile for me."
Squall glared. "You're kidding?"
Selphie shook her head. He glared again, shaking his head.
"Fine. I'll just stay mad at you." Selphie shrugged.
Squall rolled his eyes and thought for a long moment. Then, he straightened himself and smiled.
It was one of those so very fake smiles that doesn't reach your eyes. It didn't really look like much of a smile at all...
Selphie grinned back, then bit her lip. Don't do it Selphie, don't do it-
She burst out laughed. She couldn't help it. Squall crossed his arms and looked to the side. He mumbled something, grabbed Lionheart and was about to leave. Selphie grabbed his arm and calmed herself.
"Wait, Squall!" she said, "You have a very beautiful smile."
"Whatever."
"I'm serious. I bet the ladies would love it, so you should try doing it more often."
"Whatever."
"Is that the only word in your vocabulary?"
"No. Goodbye, Selphie."
"Hey...would you like to go to Balamb with me tomorrow?" Selphie asked, standing up and looking hopeful.
Squall started to shake his head and decline, but he closed his mouth and actually considered it.
"Please? Don't try to tell me you're too busy..."
He scratched his forehead and replied, "Sure, why not?"
"That's the spirit!" Selphie exclaimed, "I'll go get you at your dorm around...is 10 good?" Squall nodded. He left.
Selphie shot her fist into the air.
"Whoo-hoooo!"
== END CHAPTER 2: GAMBLE ==
ROAD TRIP!!!!!! J/k j/k. I hope you like it. Review!