I'll make it quick this time. I don't own FF8, Square and Sony do.
As promised, here are the goods. ^_^ Enjoy.
Chapter Eight: Something Beautiful
Awkward. That was the only way Squall could describe it. Clenching his fingers shut reflexively over and over again, he grimaced. His palms were sweaty underneath the thick leather gloves he usually wore, and though they did their part in serving multiple purposes, he was beginning to regret wearing them at all. He focused his thoughts on Griever, his ring, for a moment, trying to clear his racing nerves. His skin was so warm that it was hard to tell where the platinum began and ended. All he could feel was the dull weight of it on his finger. Stupid idea, wearing those gloves, but there was almost nothing he could do about it now. He was almost at her dorm.
He turned the corner a little too quickly and had to catch himself when a couple of students shot him a questioning look. Slowing his pace, Squall raked a nervous hand through his hair. Why the hell was he so nervous anyway? It's not like he was completely daffy. He knew very well how to please a woman if it came down to it. His cheeks flushed scarlet at that thought. Hyne, it had been so long. He'd almost forgotten what it was like. When he was with Rinoa it was easy. But that was a good three, four years ago, and all he could do was hope and pray that they wouldn't wind up in any compromising situations. Though he had to admit, he wouldn't exactly complain in they did wind up in any "compromising situations."
He knocked on the door and half grinned when he heard her mumbling something to herself from beyond the door. It sounded as if she'd stubbed her toe, but he couldn't be sure. When she opened the door, it was all Squall could do not to stare. There stood Selphie, eternally perky Selphie, donned in the most unbelievably unstereotypical outfit he had ever seen her wear. She wore low black suede pants with a tight burgundy shirt that seemed to meld right into her features. It was stunning, and as he tried to breathe again Selphie managed a laugh. "Stubbed my toe," she said sheepishly as the two stared at one another for a moment. She was the one to break the silence by turning around and clearing her throat.
"Give me a couple of minutes, okay Mr. Punctuality?" she asked, wandering back into the dorm and heading for the bedroom. Squall was almost glad to watch her get out of his eyesight. He was feeling hungry all of a sudden, and not for food. He leaned uncomfortably against the arm of the couch and let out a long sigh. "I thought you said you'd be ready by eight," he called out, trying to make general conversation. Selphie poked her head out from the hall. "I did. Unfortunately you've never heard of being fashionably late." Squall found that amusing. He'd never been late for anything in his life, and Selphie'd probably be late for her own funeral. When she emerged again, eh walked over to him and peeked into his face, stirring him from some strange little daydream. "Hullooo, mission control to Squall," she said teasingly. "You ready?" He couldn't see any visible change in her. What the hell did women do in the bathroom anyway? He nodded as she handed him her bag.
"Good gods, Selphie, what the hell's IN this thing?" he asked, tugging the already taut straps a little tighter on his shoulder. Selphie only shot him an innocent look and smiled sweetly. "Just the essentials. Don't worry about it." He tried to shrug and followed her out, then the two headed for the garage. Squall cleared his throat. "So…I have to say thanks for the…uh…gift. I wasn't expecting it." Selphie tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. "No biggie. I told ya, you need it." Squall gave her a sideways glance. "Are you suggesting that I can't take the pressure?" Selphie wasn't sure if that was a hit at sarcasm or a joke, so she opted to take the safe way out. "No," she persisted, "I just think some time away would be good for you." Squall nodded as they rounded the curving walkway of Garden and headed down the hall to the garages. They got into the car without another word. Even Selphie seemed a bit nervous, but once they were outside the grounds and driving to Balamb, she spoke up a bit.
"Squall, I have to ask…are you comfortable with…you know…all this." She waved her hand in a gesture that clearly meant "us" and watched his response with eagerness, biting her lower lip. It was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen her do. "I'll level with you Selphie," he said softly, "I'm a little…surprised. I wasn't expecting this." Selphie's gaze went to the window, where she promptly hid her frown. Just when she thought things were going so well, he went and killed it. Though, she had to admit, that was a very Squall thing to do. She'd have to add that to her list. Squall sensed her hurt and nervously set one hand on her thigh, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "I'm not complaining, mind you," he said in that oh-so-parental tone, "just wanted you to know that I wasn't expecting it." Selphie smiled, but didn't turn to look. Just feeling his touch on her leg answered a thousand questions she's always asked herself in her own head. "Just as long as you want this," she said. Squall nodded, squeezing her leg slightly. "I think so," he answered. Sighing, she knew that would have to be good enough for now. So he was no Don Juan. That was to be expected. Hell, after Irvine, it was almost refreshing.
The remainder of the car ride was quiet, and they arrived at the hotel quickly. Squall didn't say a word as they made their way through the lobby; Selphie had the knack with people, so he let her handle all the arrangements. He followed her into the elevator and down one of the halls to their room, and when she opened the door he managed a grin. She had booked one of the nicest rooms in the hotel. Selphie plopped down on the bed with a giggle and bounced up and down a few times, patting the bed next to her. Squall followed suit and sat there next to her as she bounced. "What, you got something against bouncing?" she asked him with a smile as he watched her. He grinned. "No. No problem against bouncing." His eyes wandered. No problem at all Selphie stood up on the bed and held her hand out to him. He looked up at her as if she had the plague, but she persisted. "Up," she said shortly. Squall blinked, looking from her hand back to her. "….why?"
"Because it's FUN. Duh," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him up much to his dislike. She started jumping, up and down, trying to get him to jump too. When he only stood there, she narrowed her eyes, still jumping. "Young man, you will jump or I will beat you with another pillow. And this time I won't go easy on you!" Squall did not respond to this comment, just stood there like a statue and watched her fume. Just when she was about to stop jumping and tell him off, he leaned down calmly and grabbed a pillow, slamming it onto her head. She stopped jumping and yanked the pillow from her sight just in time to see Squall lift her up over his shoulder like a doll and calmly walk off the bed. It was hard to tell, but he might have been smirking. "I can dress you up but I can't take you anywhere," he said in a playfully exasperated tone.
Selphie was busy thrashing about. "Put me down!" she laughed, kicking her legs like a five year old. Squall just stood there with a thoughtful expression on his face. "If I put you down, you'll attack me. Nope sorry." Selphie stopped kicking long enough to give this some thought. "How about we negotiate," she said with a grin. Squall looked thoughtful for a moment. "What kind of negotiations?"
"Well, you put me down and I promise I won't attack." Squall smirked. "Selphie, I know you better than that."
"But I won't! I promise!"
"So what'll you do then?" he asked, setting her down in front of him. She grinned coyly at him, running a finger over his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know." Squall shivered at the sensation. Damn…why did it feel so good? Maybe he was just out of it. He hadn't had a woman touch him in so long that even the slightest touch from her hand seemed like heaven. She could be scratching his back and he would still be shivering. She pulled her hand back uncertainly. "Squall…look, this was…" She turned to look the other way. "Maybe this was a mistake." He looked at her, suddenly feeling that all too familiar ache in his chest. "Mistake?" he said softly. She nodded. "Doesn't it feel…weird to you?" she asked, turning back and looking him squarely in the eyes. "It's strange." Squall nodded. He had to admit, Selphie was the last person he'd expected to wind up in a hotel room with outside of a mission. Come to think of it, he'd never really been in a hotel room outside of a mission. This was getting too serious.
Selphie plunked down on the bed and sighed. "I know it's weird but…well, it's kinda like I've seen this happen before." Squall looked at her, his curiosity peaked. "How so?" he asked. Selphie's face flushed a pretty pink. "I…well think about it. There's not a girl in Garden who didn't daydream about you." It was his turn to blush again. Was that true? If it was, that opened a whole world of embarrassment he'd never even thought about. She smiled, brushing a lock of his unruly bangs from his eyes. "You're cute when you blush,, you know that?" His flush deepened, as he turned his head to look at her. She was smiling again, that wonderful smile that no matter how much he complained about it, he always loved it deep down. But that was Selphie. That's why all the new students loved her, it was why all her friends loved her…maybe he was missing something all those years.
"Listen, Squall," she said gently, "If you don't want to do this…relationship thing…I understand." He thought on that a minute. What would he gain by not giving her a shot? Not much he could think of. Nothing at all. What would he loose?
A lot. A whole, terrible lot.
"Selphie," he reached one hand over and took hers, "I've been...really horrible to you all these years…" his voice was harsh as usual, but Selphie could see in his eyes that he meant every word. "I want to make that…up to you if I can…Not sure how, but I want to try." Selphie looked up at him easily, that same smile on her face. "You haven't been all that bad." She nudged him a bit with her body, wrestling a small smile from him. "Not like you tried to kill me or anything," she said jokingly. Squall could feel his grin spreading ever so slightly as his eyes met hers full on. "I didn't try to kiss you either," he said slowly. Selphie's eyes widened slightly, her grin taking on a slow, catlike look. "So you wanna try to make up for that?" He leaned in slowly, one hand sliding around her waist as his eyes closed. "Why the hell not…"
His kiss was sweeter than the last ones, and Selphie felt her blood surging through her body as her heartbeat quickened. She smoothly moved one of her hands up his arm as the other cupped his cheek. She didn't want the moment to stop, and suddenly neither did he. The innocence of the kiss melted into a hot, sticky sweetness that seemed to overpower them. Her hands slid down his chest smoothly, begging him to loose the clothing. Before he knew what was happening, he was obliging her physical request, amazed at the total understanding they seemed to have accomplished. There was no need for words at this point. They both knew what they wanted, and right or wrong, they would have it.
He kicked off his boots hurriedly as she tugged at his shirt again with more urgency, a small moan escaping her lips in between kisses. She managed to loosen his belts with quick efficiency, and even Squall was surprise at her deft hand movements. Before he knew what was happening, he had lost everything except his socks and pants, and he decided it was time to even the odds. His hands shakily tugged upward on her shirt, and it slid off her body with exquisite ease. He had never really realized how beautiful her body was, like a finely tuned instrument, curvy and tight, yet soft in all the right places. She was intoxicating, and for the first time Squall could understand why Irine refused to give up on her. Selphie was like a very dangerous drug, and just one kiss was never enough.
They continued their fast paced foreplay and undressed one another with tantalizing movements, feeling more and more like they were being consumed with fire. They knew this night, even if it was the only one, would be unlike anything else either would ever experience. But neither one was thinking about the future, only about one another. And as their hands wandered and explored each other's bodies, they lost themselves in total ecstasy.
Hyne herself would have been jealous of the love that was born in that room on that one simple evening, and neither lover knew what was coming their way in the years to come. Although…neither really cared.
As promised, here are the goods. ^_^ Enjoy.
Chapter Eight: Something Beautiful
Awkward. That was the only way Squall could describe it. Clenching his fingers shut reflexively over and over again, he grimaced. His palms were sweaty underneath the thick leather gloves he usually wore, and though they did their part in serving multiple purposes, he was beginning to regret wearing them at all. He focused his thoughts on Griever, his ring, for a moment, trying to clear his racing nerves. His skin was so warm that it was hard to tell where the platinum began and ended. All he could feel was the dull weight of it on his finger. Stupid idea, wearing those gloves, but there was almost nothing he could do about it now. He was almost at her dorm.
He turned the corner a little too quickly and had to catch himself when a couple of students shot him a questioning look. Slowing his pace, Squall raked a nervous hand through his hair. Why the hell was he so nervous anyway? It's not like he was completely daffy. He knew very well how to please a woman if it came down to it. His cheeks flushed scarlet at that thought. Hyne, it had been so long. He'd almost forgotten what it was like. When he was with Rinoa it was easy. But that was a good three, four years ago, and all he could do was hope and pray that they wouldn't wind up in any compromising situations. Though he had to admit, he wouldn't exactly complain in they did wind up in any "compromising situations."
He knocked on the door and half grinned when he heard her mumbling something to herself from beyond the door. It sounded as if she'd stubbed her toe, but he couldn't be sure. When she opened the door, it was all Squall could do not to stare. There stood Selphie, eternally perky Selphie, donned in the most unbelievably unstereotypical outfit he had ever seen her wear. She wore low black suede pants with a tight burgundy shirt that seemed to meld right into her features. It was stunning, and as he tried to breathe again Selphie managed a laugh. "Stubbed my toe," she said sheepishly as the two stared at one another for a moment. She was the one to break the silence by turning around and clearing her throat.
"Give me a couple of minutes, okay Mr. Punctuality?" she asked, wandering back into the dorm and heading for the bedroom. Squall was almost glad to watch her get out of his eyesight. He was feeling hungry all of a sudden, and not for food. He leaned uncomfortably against the arm of the couch and let out a long sigh. "I thought you said you'd be ready by eight," he called out, trying to make general conversation. Selphie poked her head out from the hall. "I did. Unfortunately you've never heard of being fashionably late." Squall found that amusing. He'd never been late for anything in his life, and Selphie'd probably be late for her own funeral. When she emerged again, eh walked over to him and peeked into his face, stirring him from some strange little daydream. "Hullooo, mission control to Squall," she said teasingly. "You ready?" He couldn't see any visible change in her. What the hell did women do in the bathroom anyway? He nodded as she handed him her bag.
"Good gods, Selphie, what the hell's IN this thing?" he asked, tugging the already taut straps a little tighter on his shoulder. Selphie only shot him an innocent look and smiled sweetly. "Just the essentials. Don't worry about it." He tried to shrug and followed her out, then the two headed for the garage. Squall cleared his throat. "So…I have to say thanks for the…uh…gift. I wasn't expecting it." Selphie tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. "No biggie. I told ya, you need it." Squall gave her a sideways glance. "Are you suggesting that I can't take the pressure?" Selphie wasn't sure if that was a hit at sarcasm or a joke, so she opted to take the safe way out. "No," she persisted, "I just think some time away would be good for you." Squall nodded as they rounded the curving walkway of Garden and headed down the hall to the garages. They got into the car without another word. Even Selphie seemed a bit nervous, but once they were outside the grounds and driving to Balamb, she spoke up a bit.
"Squall, I have to ask…are you comfortable with…you know…all this." She waved her hand in a gesture that clearly meant "us" and watched his response with eagerness, biting her lower lip. It was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen her do. "I'll level with you Selphie," he said softly, "I'm a little…surprised. I wasn't expecting this." Selphie's gaze went to the window, where she promptly hid her frown. Just when she thought things were going so well, he went and killed it. Though, she had to admit, that was a very Squall thing to do. She'd have to add that to her list. Squall sensed her hurt and nervously set one hand on her thigh, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "I'm not complaining, mind you," he said in that oh-so-parental tone, "just wanted you to know that I wasn't expecting it." Selphie smiled, but didn't turn to look. Just feeling his touch on her leg answered a thousand questions she's always asked herself in her own head. "Just as long as you want this," she said. Squall nodded, squeezing her leg slightly. "I think so," he answered. Sighing, she knew that would have to be good enough for now. So he was no Don Juan. That was to be expected. Hell, after Irvine, it was almost refreshing.
The remainder of the car ride was quiet, and they arrived at the hotel quickly. Squall didn't say a word as they made their way through the lobby; Selphie had the knack with people, so he let her handle all the arrangements. He followed her into the elevator and down one of the halls to their room, and when she opened the door he managed a grin. She had booked one of the nicest rooms in the hotel. Selphie plopped down on the bed with a giggle and bounced up and down a few times, patting the bed next to her. Squall followed suit and sat there next to her as she bounced. "What, you got something against bouncing?" she asked him with a smile as he watched her. He grinned. "No. No problem against bouncing." His eyes wandered. No problem at all Selphie stood up on the bed and held her hand out to him. He looked up at her as if she had the plague, but she persisted. "Up," she said shortly. Squall blinked, looking from her hand back to her. "….why?"
"Because it's FUN. Duh," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling him up much to his dislike. She started jumping, up and down, trying to get him to jump too. When he only stood there, she narrowed her eyes, still jumping. "Young man, you will jump or I will beat you with another pillow. And this time I won't go easy on you!" Squall did not respond to this comment, just stood there like a statue and watched her fume. Just when she was about to stop jumping and tell him off, he leaned down calmly and grabbed a pillow, slamming it onto her head. She stopped jumping and yanked the pillow from her sight just in time to see Squall lift her up over his shoulder like a doll and calmly walk off the bed. It was hard to tell, but he might have been smirking. "I can dress you up but I can't take you anywhere," he said in a playfully exasperated tone.
Selphie was busy thrashing about. "Put me down!" she laughed, kicking her legs like a five year old. Squall just stood there with a thoughtful expression on his face. "If I put you down, you'll attack me. Nope sorry." Selphie stopped kicking long enough to give this some thought. "How about we negotiate," she said with a grin. Squall looked thoughtful for a moment. "What kind of negotiations?"
"Well, you put me down and I promise I won't attack." Squall smirked. "Selphie, I know you better than that."
"But I won't! I promise!"
"So what'll you do then?" he asked, setting her down in front of him. She grinned coyly at him, running a finger over his lips. "Wouldn't you like to know." Squall shivered at the sensation. Damn…why did it feel so good? Maybe he was just out of it. He hadn't had a woman touch him in so long that even the slightest touch from her hand seemed like heaven. She could be scratching his back and he would still be shivering. She pulled her hand back uncertainly. "Squall…look, this was…" She turned to look the other way. "Maybe this was a mistake." He looked at her, suddenly feeling that all too familiar ache in his chest. "Mistake?" he said softly. She nodded. "Doesn't it feel…weird to you?" she asked, turning back and looking him squarely in the eyes. "It's strange." Squall nodded. He had to admit, Selphie was the last person he'd expected to wind up in a hotel room with outside of a mission. Come to think of it, he'd never really been in a hotel room outside of a mission. This was getting too serious.
Selphie plunked down on the bed and sighed. "I know it's weird but…well, it's kinda like I've seen this happen before." Squall looked at her, his curiosity peaked. "How so?" he asked. Selphie's face flushed a pretty pink. "I…well think about it. There's not a girl in Garden who didn't daydream about you." It was his turn to blush again. Was that true? If it was, that opened a whole world of embarrassment he'd never even thought about. She smiled, brushing a lock of his unruly bangs from his eyes. "You're cute when you blush,, you know that?" His flush deepened, as he turned his head to look at her. She was smiling again, that wonderful smile that no matter how much he complained about it, he always loved it deep down. But that was Selphie. That's why all the new students loved her, it was why all her friends loved her…maybe he was missing something all those years.
"Listen, Squall," she said gently, "If you don't want to do this…relationship thing…I understand." He thought on that a minute. What would he gain by not giving her a shot? Not much he could think of. Nothing at all. What would he loose?
A lot. A whole, terrible lot.
"Selphie," he reached one hand over and took hers, "I've been...really horrible to you all these years…" his voice was harsh as usual, but Selphie could see in his eyes that he meant every word. "I want to make that…up to you if I can…Not sure how, but I want to try." Selphie looked up at him easily, that same smile on her face. "You haven't been all that bad." She nudged him a bit with her body, wrestling a small smile from him. "Not like you tried to kill me or anything," she said jokingly. Squall could feel his grin spreading ever so slightly as his eyes met hers full on. "I didn't try to kiss you either," he said slowly. Selphie's eyes widened slightly, her grin taking on a slow, catlike look. "So you wanna try to make up for that?" He leaned in slowly, one hand sliding around her waist as his eyes closed. "Why the hell not…"
His kiss was sweeter than the last ones, and Selphie felt her blood surging through her body as her heartbeat quickened. She smoothly moved one of her hands up his arm as the other cupped his cheek. She didn't want the moment to stop, and suddenly neither did he. The innocence of the kiss melted into a hot, sticky sweetness that seemed to overpower them. Her hands slid down his chest smoothly, begging him to loose the clothing. Before he knew what was happening, he was obliging her physical request, amazed at the total understanding they seemed to have accomplished. There was no need for words at this point. They both knew what they wanted, and right or wrong, they would have it.
He kicked off his boots hurriedly as she tugged at his shirt again with more urgency, a small moan escaping her lips in between kisses. She managed to loosen his belts with quick efficiency, and even Squall was surprise at her deft hand movements. Before he knew what was happening, he had lost everything except his socks and pants, and he decided it was time to even the odds. His hands shakily tugged upward on her shirt, and it slid off her body with exquisite ease. He had never really realized how beautiful her body was, like a finely tuned instrument, curvy and tight, yet soft in all the right places. She was intoxicating, and for the first time Squall could understand why Irine refused to give up on her. Selphie was like a very dangerous drug, and just one kiss was never enough.
They continued their fast paced foreplay and undressed one another with tantalizing movements, feeling more and more like they were being consumed with fire. They knew this night, even if it was the only one, would be unlike anything else either would ever experience. But neither one was thinking about the future, only about one another. And as their hands wandered and explored each other's bodies, they lost themselves in total ecstasy.
Hyne herself would have been jealous of the love that was born in that room on that one simple evening, and neither lover knew what was coming their way in the years to come. Although…neither really cared.