Once more, with feeling! ^_^ I don't own anything final fantasy cause I'm
just a poor little gamer otaku with nothing. (sigh) Square owns FF8 and
all it's characters, unfortunately for all us ladies.
At this point, I have to say thanks to David and Dragon for all their help in making me understand Squall's angsty nature. ^_^ THANKS GUYS!
Chapter Four: Taming the Lion
Squall's upstairs office was flooding with the dim light of dusk, casting long shadows of orange and pink hues across his desk. It was getting hard to see. Then again, it wasn't like he was doing much. He'd managed to get everything together for Selphie by almost four, so all that was left was a particularly messy stack of transfer files and exam proposals from the instructors. His eyes hurt just looking at the stacks of paper in the darkening room, and as he sat back with a long sigh and tried to blink the haziness from his eyes, his mind drifted. When the hell had life changed so much? When had all…this…become a routine? He swiveled his chair to look at the students on the main floor. Most of them were headed out. This was their hour, dusk, this was when they were allowed to be normal kids, go have fun, hold one another. One such couple downstairs had caught his eye, and he watched enviously as the young boy slid an arm easily around his lady's waist and drew her in for a long, slow kiss. They looked perfect in the golden glow of sunset as it filtered through the windows, young, innocent love leading them Hyne knows where. Did they know what that could lead to? Did they know it could rip their hearts out and stomp on them in front of their very faces? Didn't they understand that a promise was nothing more than a shallow attempt for comfort?
No, he had to admit with a wry grin, probably not.
"Squall?"
The voice jolted him from his musings and he turned quickly in his chair to face the slim figure in the doorway. Selphie stood there with her trademark grin on her face; in the same clothes she'd had on before, but with a long black sweater added to the ensemble and the loss of the hat. He smiled as she walked in and over to the window at his side. "Ah, now there's what Garden's all about," she said with a giggle, totally missing the cold stare Squall was giving the two youngsters. She looked over at him with an eager clap of her hands. "So, you ready to get down to business?" Squall nodded, turning his chair back and pointing to another chair like his across the room. "Grab that and just sit next to me. I hate talking over this stupid desk." Selphie obeyed his orders and took a seat as he instructed, then reached over and turned on the desk lamp. Squall visibly winced as she grabbed a pad of paper from in front of him and snagged a pen from the holder on the edge of the large desk. "Was that completely necessary?" he asked through squinted eyes. "Yes," she said nonchalantly as she skimmed the note pad. "You'll get bad eyesight reading in this light every night." He blinked a few times to regain his vision and sighed.
She looked over at him for a moment with a puzzled expression. "What's this part here? Sponsorship?" Squall shrugged, taking off his jacket and setting it on the floor next to him. "We were running short on funds and most SeeD missions don't pay half of what we need." He ran a tired hand over his eyes. "I've been losing sleep over this fucking budget." Selphie smirked, making a few adjustments to the figures. "That's cause you're going about it all wrong, stupid," she said showing him the change. "You're not charging half of what SeeDs are worth. We pay to train them; people have to pay to use them. It's a standard, and a good one." Squall frowned at the paper. "But the budgeting for classes Selph. Think about just what kind of training they'd have to deal with without that extra flow of supplemental income to the school." Selphie nodded. "Good point,' she added eyeing him, "but we're gona have to make some sacrifices if you expect this place to live. Cid used to charge admission fees for transfers. Why aren't you cashing in on that?" Squall shot her a dirty look. "I don't know about you, but Garden's all I've ever known. To ask someone to pay to live here and study is absolute bullshit to me. Think about all of us. Where would we be without Garden?" Selphie aimed her pen at him pointedly.
"Not every student is you, Squall. Do you know what percentage of kids that go to garden are orphans? Ten. Ten lousy percent." Squall rolled his eyes in a frustrated fashion. This wasn't his idea of 'talking'. "Look, Selphie," he said gritting his teeth ever so slightly, "You've got to understand, most of these kids don't have anything else to go on." Selphie frowned. "And you've got to understand," she retorted, "that you asked me to come back here to fix these problems. You have to trust me enough to listen to what I have to say before you shoot the ideas down straightaway!" She set the pen down on the desk as he regarded her with those cold eyes. "You called me back to give me a job, at least that was the understanding. Now, if you don't want my services," she said steadily, "then send me back to the field. Because I didn't leave my last job by choice." Selphie had to wonder what had come over her. When in the hell had she grown to be such a stern businesswoman? She had never been like this when Laguna argued a point to her. Or Quistis, or Zell, or anybody? What was it about that cold gaze that just seemed to be ticking her off? But maybe, just this once, this was what he needed to hear. This wasn't just some stupid business decision. The entire future of Balamb Garden was all relying on her ideas. Why? Because Squall, while an excellent soldier and commander, was a lousy Headmaster. Garden was suffering, and Selphie knew herself that desperate times called for desperate measures. Her ideas were the last ones he would hear as Headmaster if he wasn't open to new suggestions. And Hyne would damn Selphie Timlett if she was going to let Squall Leonhart and his stupid walls fuck that up.
Squall stood and angrily grabbed his jacket from the floor. This was ridiculous! Why was he fighting her? Was there any purpose to this? Selphie had done nothing wrong. Hell, if nothing else she had made a good point. Then why, if it made sense, did it piss him off so damn much? Because you fucked up, and now someone else has to pick up your pieces. He angrily slipped on his jacket and headed for the door. "Go back to field work," he said with a cold tone in his voice. "I'll have the papers signed by morning." The door slammed, leaving her in a sea of now near purple light.
She stared at the door while the anger took over. He walked away. Just like that, without even giving her a chance. Why? Because he was stubborn? Because he was a pain in the ass? Why, of all people, would he pull this on Selphie? They had been friends for over five years now. Why the hell of all people couldn't he talk to her? There was something deeper than just the school going on here, something that gave Selphie the impression that she could fix it. For a friend to not be able to tell her something was wrong. Dead, flat out wrong. And to her, that was a personal insult. She stood, setting the pad on her chair and walked in a steady pace to the door and opened it just in time to see Squall heading into the elevator.
"Squall," she said a bit louder than she had intended. He looked up at her with his typical silent loathing and walked calmly into the elevator, leaning against the back wall and folding his arms as she jumped in just before the door was closed a bit too much for her to slip past. She stared at him. "You know, I have to wonder why you're doing this." He gave no response other than to broodingly stare at the floor. Selphie shot him a cold look. "For cryin out loud Squall, what the hells your problem?" She could feel her patience slipping rapidly every second he refused to meet her gaze. "You drag me from my job, my good job, all the way back here just to shoot down my ideas before you've even had a chance to hear them? Where's that comin from anyway?" The door opened and he stormed out of the elevator angrily, Selphie in hot pursuit. "Turn around and talk to me!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the now dark central lobby of Balamb Garden. That shout, that one simple raised comment, made Squall's mood snap, and he wheeled on her like a caged lion.
"You wanna know?" he shouted, advancing on her suddenly, taking her slightly by surprise. "You really wanna know? I fuckin HATE MY LIFE!" he screamed, his face inches from hers. Selphie, somewhat in shock at his outburst, only managed to keep eye contact and not back up. She was scared, that much was apparent, but damned if she was going to back off. Squall's eyes narrowed in cold fury. "Day in and day out I sit up in that stupid office and watch as this place falls apart! I watch as these kids come and go, nowhere else to call home! I watched Rinoa walk out on me because she 'just didn't love' me anymore! And you know what?" His voice cracked slightly with emotion as his fists clenched. "I fuckin HATE it!" His anger seemed to shake the very walls and he turned stealthily on one heel, heading in a fast pace for the dorms. Selphie swallowed.
One wall down, three to go.
Taking a deep breath she ran after him, gently grabbing his arm in an attempt to slow him down. "Squall-"
"WHAT?" His eyes seemed a little less cold as before but by no means any less angry. Selphie narrowed her own eyes in irritation at him, her voice slightly raising in the dark empty halls. "You're running from me," she stated matter-of-factly. He rolled his eyes, yanking his arm back. "Whatever…" he muttered as he turned to walk again. She kept up her pace just behind him, her hands going instinctively to her hips as they rounded the corner and reached the dorms. "Don't you 'whatever' me, Squall Leonhart! Hyne dammit I've known you long enough to know when you're being stubborn, and that's exactly what you're being. Stubborn!" He continued to walk as if she wasn't there, his hands clenched into tight-gloved fists. When he reached his room just down the hall from her own, he opened the door quickly and shut it in an attempt to keep her out. But simple doors weren't enough to keep out an Angry Selphie Timlett, and she flung the door back open with a loud noise of disapproval that sounded something like a squeak. Squall rolled his eyes and flopped face first down on his bed in the next room, mumbling into his pillow. "Hyne, Selphie, is nothing sacred to you? Go the hell away!" Selphie walked in and sat on his bed as if she owned the place, yanking him back up with an angry gruffness in her voice. "Talk to me!" she shouted.
He stared at her coldly, flinging her hand away roughly. "Give me one fucking reason why I should!"
"You give me one fucking reason you shouldn't!" she shouted back, folding her arms. He was looking at her at least now. Two walls down, two to go.
"Selphie what the hell do you WANT!"
"A goddam answer to my question!" she yelled. Squall growled somewhere deep in his throat and Selphie poked him roughly in the chest. "What," she said loudly, "is your PROBLEM?"
"I'm Fuckin LONELY, okay?!?" he screamed.
She didn't notice her fist close around the heavy down pillow next to her. "SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, YOU BIG BABY!" And with that, the rather solid pillow connected with a deafening thud. All Squall could do was sit there slack jawed staring at her as her lower lip protruded into an angry pout, his cheek burning in the cool air.
Suddenly, the silence in the room was deafening.
His eyes blurred in rage and Selphie half expected him to slap her right upside the face for that. She was way out of line, smacking her commanding officer like that. What was she thinking? That she'd break down the walls he'd so carefully put up single-handed? That she'd be the one to make him talk? This was Squall Leonhart, the Headmaster, and her BOSS! Squall Leonhart, the man with the cold reputation and even worse attitude. Squall Leonhart, the…man who was grabbing the pillow from her hand roughly?
Selphie felt the pillow connect with her face, almost exactly as she had used it on him, and she stared at him in shock. Now his face was in a tight- lipped frown, and his usually calm eyes were dancing with emotion. "You…Jerk!" She yanked the pillow back and took a hard swing at his head. He took the hit and growled, yanking it back in turn. But Selphie, being quicker, ducked, and shot him a dirty look. She managed to get her hands on another pillow and began her vicious assault. And somewhere amidst the chaos and the loud 'thud' noises, something made her stop.
Squall was laughing!
It wasn't a loud laugh by any means, more a deep throaty chuckle that he seemed to be holding back, as if he feared to let it escape. But she stopped and took the brunt of another smack in the head before looking him dead in the eyes. "You laughed," she said simply. Squall cleared his throat and stood, trying to coax his frown to return. "I did not," he said softly, but his voice betrayed him and Selphie grinned as his mouth turned back upward. "You did so!" she chimed in, poking him in the side. His eyes bulged out for a moment and he fell back onto the bed with a loud, genuine laugh. Selphie stared at him in awe. Ticklish? He was ticklish?!? This was too good to be true! She advanced on him with all the grace of a tiger and held out her hands threateningly as Squall shot her a sincerely pitiful and pleading look.
"Selph, no, don't!" he said quickly. But she pounced and began her assault, delighted when his deep laugh filled the room. He was laughing so hard he looked as if he could cry, and she was just about to congratulate herself on a job well done when he turned the tide, rolled her over, and pinned her to the mattress with a smirk. A very rare, playful smirk. "You," she said sticking out her tongue, "are a complete ass!" Squall's hand ran threateningly to her side and she snorted loudly. "Take it back," he said carefully. Selphie shook her head. "No way! You're acting like a stupid little twerp and I've had it!" Squall, freshly hurt from the insult, started tickling her roughly and refused to let up. Selphie couldn't take it after about five solid minutes, and managed to scream "Uncle!!!"
Satisfied, he stood up and straightened his clothing. "Who's stubborn?" he asked with a hint if irritation still in his voice. Selphie, who was seriously irritated by that, grabbed the pillow and chucked it at his head as hard as she could. The next thing Squall knew, he was face first on the floor with a cut lip and a seriously injured ego. Selphie shot up from her place on the mattress and jumped over to him. "Oh my gosh I'm sorry!" she said hurriedly, helping him up. "Squall, I'm so sorry…I was so out of line. I-" But his eyes, now calm and relaxed, looked at her as he smiled a bit. "Don't worry about it. I," he took in a deep breath. He wasn't good with apologies. "I deserved it." Selphie sat him on the bed and ran to the bathroom quickly. Returning with a wet cloth and a pitiful expression on her face, she sighed. "I was way out of line,' she said, dabbing at his cut lip carefully. He winced visibly, and she reeled back for a second before he calmed and she could continue. "If you want me to go in the morning," she said sadly, focusing on his cut, "I'll understand. You won't hear another peep out of me."
Squall looked up at her. "No, Selphie, I want you to stay." His eyes stared into her sad green ones. Why did she look like that? Like she'd just run over a small animal or something? His head tilted ever so slightly to one side as he regarded her. "You made some valid points." Why was he getting so short of breath all of a sudden? "I…I want to give you a chance…" His voice was distant and Selphie blinked.
She had seen this before. She knew that look. Give her a chance? What the heck was he thinking? And yet…somehow…she almost liked that idea. Her hand, tightly clenching the cloth, dropped as somehow their lips met. It was a slow, sweet kiss that seemed to slow everything to a crawl. And when he pulled back, his cheeks flushed a bright red.
"I'm…..sorry…" he said softly, standing to leave. Selphie stood and angrily grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. The wet cloth lay disregarded on the bed. "Oh no," she said sternly, "No way. You don't kiss me and then pretend it was nothing." Squall bit his tongue in nervousness. What should he say? Should he leave, tell her to go to bed? Should he try yelling again? No, that hadn't worked. Should he-
Her lips on his broke his train of thought, and without thinking one arm slid around her waist. Selphie drew back slowly, her breathing ever so slightly ragged. "I'm not usually that bold," she said breathlessly. And Squall, suddenly feeling so much better than he had in over five years, smiled. A pure genuine smile. "Selphie," he said in a low voice, "You never cease to amaze me." She blushed a bit, and he had the sudden urge to kiss her again, but kept himself in check. She'd think he was a total letch!
She backed away with a small grin and retrieved the washcloth, unable to look him in the eyes. "That, um, should clear up by morning." Squall nodded, lost in his own thought as he watched her move nervously around his room, readying herself to leave. It was strange, to see Selphie so nervous. Almost…cute. As she reached the door, her hand stopped on the knob and she turned back to look at him, standing there in his bedroom, his hair a complete mess and his lip swollen. "Squall?" she asked softly, "Do…..Do you wanna see… where…this goes?" Squall nodded, his own face feeling hot and flushed. What the hell was he supposed to say? "Yeah," he managed, "definitely." Selphie couldn't help but smile broadly. She backed herself up, straight into the door with a silly little laugh and opened the door. "Heh…um…well…goodnight," she said quickly and shut the door behind her before his smile disappeared. Squall listened as she let herself out the front and sighed once she was gone. "Same old Selphie," he mused quietly and started to undress for bed. Not that he'd sleep much that night.
She would stay up all night thinking about that one smile. Not for the simple reason that he had smiled, but for the reason that it was she, Selphie, that had made him smile.
Three walls down. Maybe, just maybe, that fourth one could be broken.
Where do they go from here? Trust me, the story hasn't even begun! Much more to come in the following week! Keep those reviews coming and thank you so much to those of you who have told me my stuff doesn't thoroughly suck. ^_^
At this point, I have to say thanks to David and Dragon for all their help in making me understand Squall's angsty nature. ^_^ THANKS GUYS!
Chapter Four: Taming the Lion
Squall's upstairs office was flooding with the dim light of dusk, casting long shadows of orange and pink hues across his desk. It was getting hard to see. Then again, it wasn't like he was doing much. He'd managed to get everything together for Selphie by almost four, so all that was left was a particularly messy stack of transfer files and exam proposals from the instructors. His eyes hurt just looking at the stacks of paper in the darkening room, and as he sat back with a long sigh and tried to blink the haziness from his eyes, his mind drifted. When the hell had life changed so much? When had all…this…become a routine? He swiveled his chair to look at the students on the main floor. Most of them were headed out. This was their hour, dusk, this was when they were allowed to be normal kids, go have fun, hold one another. One such couple downstairs had caught his eye, and he watched enviously as the young boy slid an arm easily around his lady's waist and drew her in for a long, slow kiss. They looked perfect in the golden glow of sunset as it filtered through the windows, young, innocent love leading them Hyne knows where. Did they know what that could lead to? Did they know it could rip their hearts out and stomp on them in front of their very faces? Didn't they understand that a promise was nothing more than a shallow attempt for comfort?
No, he had to admit with a wry grin, probably not.
"Squall?"
The voice jolted him from his musings and he turned quickly in his chair to face the slim figure in the doorway. Selphie stood there with her trademark grin on her face; in the same clothes she'd had on before, but with a long black sweater added to the ensemble and the loss of the hat. He smiled as she walked in and over to the window at his side. "Ah, now there's what Garden's all about," she said with a giggle, totally missing the cold stare Squall was giving the two youngsters. She looked over at him with an eager clap of her hands. "So, you ready to get down to business?" Squall nodded, turning his chair back and pointing to another chair like his across the room. "Grab that and just sit next to me. I hate talking over this stupid desk." Selphie obeyed his orders and took a seat as he instructed, then reached over and turned on the desk lamp. Squall visibly winced as she grabbed a pad of paper from in front of him and snagged a pen from the holder on the edge of the large desk. "Was that completely necessary?" he asked through squinted eyes. "Yes," she said nonchalantly as she skimmed the note pad. "You'll get bad eyesight reading in this light every night." He blinked a few times to regain his vision and sighed.
She looked over at him for a moment with a puzzled expression. "What's this part here? Sponsorship?" Squall shrugged, taking off his jacket and setting it on the floor next to him. "We were running short on funds and most SeeD missions don't pay half of what we need." He ran a tired hand over his eyes. "I've been losing sleep over this fucking budget." Selphie smirked, making a few adjustments to the figures. "That's cause you're going about it all wrong, stupid," she said showing him the change. "You're not charging half of what SeeDs are worth. We pay to train them; people have to pay to use them. It's a standard, and a good one." Squall frowned at the paper. "But the budgeting for classes Selph. Think about just what kind of training they'd have to deal with without that extra flow of supplemental income to the school." Selphie nodded. "Good point,' she added eyeing him, "but we're gona have to make some sacrifices if you expect this place to live. Cid used to charge admission fees for transfers. Why aren't you cashing in on that?" Squall shot her a dirty look. "I don't know about you, but Garden's all I've ever known. To ask someone to pay to live here and study is absolute bullshit to me. Think about all of us. Where would we be without Garden?" Selphie aimed her pen at him pointedly.
"Not every student is you, Squall. Do you know what percentage of kids that go to garden are orphans? Ten. Ten lousy percent." Squall rolled his eyes in a frustrated fashion. This wasn't his idea of 'talking'. "Look, Selphie," he said gritting his teeth ever so slightly, "You've got to understand, most of these kids don't have anything else to go on." Selphie frowned. "And you've got to understand," she retorted, "that you asked me to come back here to fix these problems. You have to trust me enough to listen to what I have to say before you shoot the ideas down straightaway!" She set the pen down on the desk as he regarded her with those cold eyes. "You called me back to give me a job, at least that was the understanding. Now, if you don't want my services," she said steadily, "then send me back to the field. Because I didn't leave my last job by choice." Selphie had to wonder what had come over her. When in the hell had she grown to be such a stern businesswoman? She had never been like this when Laguna argued a point to her. Or Quistis, or Zell, or anybody? What was it about that cold gaze that just seemed to be ticking her off? But maybe, just this once, this was what he needed to hear. This wasn't just some stupid business decision. The entire future of Balamb Garden was all relying on her ideas. Why? Because Squall, while an excellent soldier and commander, was a lousy Headmaster. Garden was suffering, and Selphie knew herself that desperate times called for desperate measures. Her ideas were the last ones he would hear as Headmaster if he wasn't open to new suggestions. And Hyne would damn Selphie Timlett if she was going to let Squall Leonhart and his stupid walls fuck that up.
Squall stood and angrily grabbed his jacket from the floor. This was ridiculous! Why was he fighting her? Was there any purpose to this? Selphie had done nothing wrong. Hell, if nothing else she had made a good point. Then why, if it made sense, did it piss him off so damn much? Because you fucked up, and now someone else has to pick up your pieces. He angrily slipped on his jacket and headed for the door. "Go back to field work," he said with a cold tone in his voice. "I'll have the papers signed by morning." The door slammed, leaving her in a sea of now near purple light.
She stared at the door while the anger took over. He walked away. Just like that, without even giving her a chance. Why? Because he was stubborn? Because he was a pain in the ass? Why, of all people, would he pull this on Selphie? They had been friends for over five years now. Why the hell of all people couldn't he talk to her? There was something deeper than just the school going on here, something that gave Selphie the impression that she could fix it. For a friend to not be able to tell her something was wrong. Dead, flat out wrong. And to her, that was a personal insult. She stood, setting the pad on her chair and walked in a steady pace to the door and opened it just in time to see Squall heading into the elevator.
"Squall," she said a bit louder than she had intended. He looked up at her with his typical silent loathing and walked calmly into the elevator, leaning against the back wall and folding his arms as she jumped in just before the door was closed a bit too much for her to slip past. She stared at him. "You know, I have to wonder why you're doing this." He gave no response other than to broodingly stare at the floor. Selphie shot him a cold look. "For cryin out loud Squall, what the hells your problem?" She could feel her patience slipping rapidly every second he refused to meet her gaze. "You drag me from my job, my good job, all the way back here just to shoot down my ideas before you've even had a chance to hear them? Where's that comin from anyway?" The door opened and he stormed out of the elevator angrily, Selphie in hot pursuit. "Turn around and talk to me!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the now dark central lobby of Balamb Garden. That shout, that one simple raised comment, made Squall's mood snap, and he wheeled on her like a caged lion.
"You wanna know?" he shouted, advancing on her suddenly, taking her slightly by surprise. "You really wanna know? I fuckin HATE MY LIFE!" he screamed, his face inches from hers. Selphie, somewhat in shock at his outburst, only managed to keep eye contact and not back up. She was scared, that much was apparent, but damned if she was going to back off. Squall's eyes narrowed in cold fury. "Day in and day out I sit up in that stupid office and watch as this place falls apart! I watch as these kids come and go, nowhere else to call home! I watched Rinoa walk out on me because she 'just didn't love' me anymore! And you know what?" His voice cracked slightly with emotion as his fists clenched. "I fuckin HATE it!" His anger seemed to shake the very walls and he turned stealthily on one heel, heading in a fast pace for the dorms. Selphie swallowed.
One wall down, three to go.
Taking a deep breath she ran after him, gently grabbing his arm in an attempt to slow him down. "Squall-"
"WHAT?" His eyes seemed a little less cold as before but by no means any less angry. Selphie narrowed her own eyes in irritation at him, her voice slightly raising in the dark empty halls. "You're running from me," she stated matter-of-factly. He rolled his eyes, yanking his arm back. "Whatever…" he muttered as he turned to walk again. She kept up her pace just behind him, her hands going instinctively to her hips as they rounded the corner and reached the dorms. "Don't you 'whatever' me, Squall Leonhart! Hyne dammit I've known you long enough to know when you're being stubborn, and that's exactly what you're being. Stubborn!" He continued to walk as if she wasn't there, his hands clenched into tight-gloved fists. When he reached his room just down the hall from her own, he opened the door quickly and shut it in an attempt to keep her out. But simple doors weren't enough to keep out an Angry Selphie Timlett, and she flung the door back open with a loud noise of disapproval that sounded something like a squeak. Squall rolled his eyes and flopped face first down on his bed in the next room, mumbling into his pillow. "Hyne, Selphie, is nothing sacred to you? Go the hell away!" Selphie walked in and sat on his bed as if she owned the place, yanking him back up with an angry gruffness in her voice. "Talk to me!" she shouted.
He stared at her coldly, flinging her hand away roughly. "Give me one fucking reason why I should!"
"You give me one fucking reason you shouldn't!" she shouted back, folding her arms. He was looking at her at least now. Two walls down, two to go.
"Selphie what the hell do you WANT!"
"A goddam answer to my question!" she yelled. Squall growled somewhere deep in his throat and Selphie poked him roughly in the chest. "What," she said loudly, "is your PROBLEM?"
"I'm Fuckin LONELY, okay?!?" he screamed.
She didn't notice her fist close around the heavy down pillow next to her. "SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, YOU BIG BABY!" And with that, the rather solid pillow connected with a deafening thud. All Squall could do was sit there slack jawed staring at her as her lower lip protruded into an angry pout, his cheek burning in the cool air.
Suddenly, the silence in the room was deafening.
His eyes blurred in rage and Selphie half expected him to slap her right upside the face for that. She was way out of line, smacking her commanding officer like that. What was she thinking? That she'd break down the walls he'd so carefully put up single-handed? That she'd be the one to make him talk? This was Squall Leonhart, the Headmaster, and her BOSS! Squall Leonhart, the man with the cold reputation and even worse attitude. Squall Leonhart, the…man who was grabbing the pillow from her hand roughly?
Selphie felt the pillow connect with her face, almost exactly as she had used it on him, and she stared at him in shock. Now his face was in a tight- lipped frown, and his usually calm eyes were dancing with emotion. "You…Jerk!" She yanked the pillow back and took a hard swing at his head. He took the hit and growled, yanking it back in turn. But Selphie, being quicker, ducked, and shot him a dirty look. She managed to get her hands on another pillow and began her vicious assault. And somewhere amidst the chaos and the loud 'thud' noises, something made her stop.
Squall was laughing!
It wasn't a loud laugh by any means, more a deep throaty chuckle that he seemed to be holding back, as if he feared to let it escape. But she stopped and took the brunt of another smack in the head before looking him dead in the eyes. "You laughed," she said simply. Squall cleared his throat and stood, trying to coax his frown to return. "I did not," he said softly, but his voice betrayed him and Selphie grinned as his mouth turned back upward. "You did so!" she chimed in, poking him in the side. His eyes bulged out for a moment and he fell back onto the bed with a loud, genuine laugh. Selphie stared at him in awe. Ticklish? He was ticklish?!? This was too good to be true! She advanced on him with all the grace of a tiger and held out her hands threateningly as Squall shot her a sincerely pitiful and pleading look.
"Selph, no, don't!" he said quickly. But she pounced and began her assault, delighted when his deep laugh filled the room. He was laughing so hard he looked as if he could cry, and she was just about to congratulate herself on a job well done when he turned the tide, rolled her over, and pinned her to the mattress with a smirk. A very rare, playful smirk. "You," she said sticking out her tongue, "are a complete ass!" Squall's hand ran threateningly to her side and she snorted loudly. "Take it back," he said carefully. Selphie shook her head. "No way! You're acting like a stupid little twerp and I've had it!" Squall, freshly hurt from the insult, started tickling her roughly and refused to let up. Selphie couldn't take it after about five solid minutes, and managed to scream "Uncle!!!"
Satisfied, he stood up and straightened his clothing. "Who's stubborn?" he asked with a hint if irritation still in his voice. Selphie, who was seriously irritated by that, grabbed the pillow and chucked it at his head as hard as she could. The next thing Squall knew, he was face first on the floor with a cut lip and a seriously injured ego. Selphie shot up from her place on the mattress and jumped over to him. "Oh my gosh I'm sorry!" she said hurriedly, helping him up. "Squall, I'm so sorry…I was so out of line. I-" But his eyes, now calm and relaxed, looked at her as he smiled a bit. "Don't worry about it. I," he took in a deep breath. He wasn't good with apologies. "I deserved it." Selphie sat him on the bed and ran to the bathroom quickly. Returning with a wet cloth and a pitiful expression on her face, she sighed. "I was way out of line,' she said, dabbing at his cut lip carefully. He winced visibly, and she reeled back for a second before he calmed and she could continue. "If you want me to go in the morning," she said sadly, focusing on his cut, "I'll understand. You won't hear another peep out of me."
Squall looked up at her. "No, Selphie, I want you to stay." His eyes stared into her sad green ones. Why did she look like that? Like she'd just run over a small animal or something? His head tilted ever so slightly to one side as he regarded her. "You made some valid points." Why was he getting so short of breath all of a sudden? "I…I want to give you a chance…" His voice was distant and Selphie blinked.
She had seen this before. She knew that look. Give her a chance? What the heck was he thinking? And yet…somehow…she almost liked that idea. Her hand, tightly clenching the cloth, dropped as somehow their lips met. It was a slow, sweet kiss that seemed to slow everything to a crawl. And when he pulled back, his cheeks flushed a bright red.
"I'm…..sorry…" he said softly, standing to leave. Selphie stood and angrily grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. The wet cloth lay disregarded on the bed. "Oh no," she said sternly, "No way. You don't kiss me and then pretend it was nothing." Squall bit his tongue in nervousness. What should he say? Should he leave, tell her to go to bed? Should he try yelling again? No, that hadn't worked. Should he-
Her lips on his broke his train of thought, and without thinking one arm slid around her waist. Selphie drew back slowly, her breathing ever so slightly ragged. "I'm not usually that bold," she said breathlessly. And Squall, suddenly feeling so much better than he had in over five years, smiled. A pure genuine smile. "Selphie," he said in a low voice, "You never cease to amaze me." She blushed a bit, and he had the sudden urge to kiss her again, but kept himself in check. She'd think he was a total letch!
She backed away with a small grin and retrieved the washcloth, unable to look him in the eyes. "That, um, should clear up by morning." Squall nodded, lost in his own thought as he watched her move nervously around his room, readying herself to leave. It was strange, to see Selphie so nervous. Almost…cute. As she reached the door, her hand stopped on the knob and she turned back to look at him, standing there in his bedroom, his hair a complete mess and his lip swollen. "Squall?" she asked softly, "Do…..Do you wanna see… where…this goes?" Squall nodded, his own face feeling hot and flushed. What the hell was he supposed to say? "Yeah," he managed, "definitely." Selphie couldn't help but smile broadly. She backed herself up, straight into the door with a silly little laugh and opened the door. "Heh…um…well…goodnight," she said quickly and shut the door behind her before his smile disappeared. Squall listened as she let herself out the front and sighed once she was gone. "Same old Selphie," he mused quietly and started to undress for bed. Not that he'd sleep much that night.
She would stay up all night thinking about that one smile. Not for the simple reason that he had smiled, but for the reason that it was she, Selphie, that had made him smile.
Three walls down. Maybe, just maybe, that fourth one could be broken.
Where do they go from here? Trust me, the story hasn't even begun! Much more to come in the following week! Keep those reviews coming and thank you so much to those of you who have told me my stuff doesn't thoroughly suck. ^_^