Help: Chapter Three


Squall stayed in his room for another hour, jotting down notes for the upcoming ball. But, one thought gnawed on the back of his mind.
How was he going to find out Selphie's dress size?

He could ask Irvine, but that would be... awkward. To say the very least. After all, Irvine was with his ex. Squall was about to do something for his ex. This sounded like a bad plot for a soap opera.

Unlike Selphie, who stumbled upon them by accident, Irvine had been the one to tell Squall what was going. With Rinoa, there of course. They had cornered him in his office, and told what had been going on.
The reason why she was gone so often. The reason why Irvine had found it harder and harder to help Squall with gift ideas.

Of course, he had told them it was all right, and that he wished them happiness. That night, he stayed in his room and cried. For the first time that he could remember. A week later, Selphie had found out, and they were able to confide in each other.

He didn't feel that he owed this to Selphie. He actually wanted to do it. Wanted to make her feel as special as to was, to everyone...
And to him.



Quistis glanced up at the knock on her door, smiling widely at Squall. He arched a brow, stepping inside.
"So..." A pause, as he sat down. "Hear you need to get a tan."

It was a good thing he was already sitting, but he was unable to hide the rosy tint to his cheeks and ears. Quistis laughed.
"Sorry. So, what do you need?"
"I can't see you just to talk to you?"
"No." She put down her pen. "Anytime I'm grading papers, you need to ask me something. When you just want to talk to me, you call me."
"..." Damn, he was in a rut.
"I need to know. Ah... I need..."
She waited, ticking over things in her mind that he could be asking about.
"Selphie's dress size. What is it?"

Her jaw dropped.
"What?"
"Squalllll! What are you planning!"
"Nothing." Immediately defensive. It was something big.
"I just want to get her a gift, but I don't know her size."

'Rrright. A Gift. Whatever, Squall I know you better then that. You're up to something...'

"Ok. I'll tell you. But..."
"But?"
"You have to sneak into her room, and snag one of her dresses."
"What?" His eyes widened the merest of fractions.
"I don't know her size, Rinoa does."
Squall faceplamed. Why him?


'She will so pay for this.' Squall remarked to himself, watching she lured Selphie away from her dorm room, saying she needed to talk to her about something.
'Oh yes. I remember her comment about Seifer.'
He'd order the custom made fangs when he got back to his room tonight. After emailing a certain someone. Heh heh heh.

He had to trample down the urge to hum the Mission Impossible theme as he calmly walked over to Selphie's door. After all, he was the Commander. And that meant - the Master Key. With a simple swipe, he was in Selphie's room.

He flicked on the light switch, taking a glance around. Pictures of landscapes and friends decorated the living room walls. A cream colored soft and loveseat were grouped around a glass-topped coffee table and a small entertainment center. He moved past, not taking a longer look at any of the photos. Down the hallway, and through the door at the end...

He was surprised. Her room was done in a myriad of greens, not the yellow he'd been expecting. Nor was it as girlish as he'd thought it would be. A few stuffed animals lay upon the desk in the far corner, and knick-knacks upon the shelves. But. It seemed...
Squall felt very bad suddenly. He was invading her privacy, over what? He should have just asked Rinoa or Irvine, and damned his pride. But he was already here; he might as well finish the deed. On the way to the closet, he accidentally knocked over a picture. He knelt down to pick it up, after hearing it hit the carpet. He took a look at the photo.

It was one of them together, snapped by a Quistis a month or so. Selphie had decided to surprise him by plopping down in his lap. Automatically, he'd placed his arms around her, thinking she might fall because he'd jumped. When Quistis had snapped the photo, their noses had been touching. He smiled at the memory, and felt a bit better about what he was going to do for her. However, he had to get out of here quickly, so he just snagged an item of clothing at random - after making sure it was a dress. He then bit a hasty exit out, after turning off the lights.


Quistis and Rinoa were waiting for him in her dorm room, and when he entered, they nearly jumped on him, demanding he tell all. With a sigh, he acquiesced.
"I'm holding a ball for her. Laguna is going to get a dress custom made."
"A... Ball? You mean… Oh my God! Squall! You were listening!"
Rinoa hugged him, and he blinked. "I didn't..."
"Didn't think I'd take it well? Oh Squall. I had always thought you and Selphie would look good together! You're such a blockhead sometimes! Now... do you any help from us with that?"
"Actually... everyone is going. We're all playing a part from the movie. So... dress sizes... and I guess a costume you like in the movie..."
"Do you know when it'll be held?" Quistis asked, taking out a small notepad and pen.
"Laguna said as soon as two weeks. But look, this is going to be a surprise, Selphie can't know about the dress... Or anything. I'll need your help with that, Rinoa."
"What do you mean?"
"I have a plan...."


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A/N - "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."
I couldn't resist. Hehe. ^^ Once again, thank you everyone! (For reading. -feels loved-)
John - No, not all. ^^; I myself think Squall kicks much butt. But a purple streaked, majorly annoyed Squall just makes me want to laugh. He wasn't amused though. =)
Barrett- I agree! Dern it, Jareth needs to be real. Or at least... a Squall wearing Jareth clothes... hmm.. Maybe if I could find Gackt in a frock coat...
effingdoris - Had to make at least one surprise couple in this. =)