Okay, I got my JuJuBees, so here's chapter Eleven. I, unfortunately, don't own Final Fantasy 8 or any of the characters.
Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reading on a regular basis. I love reading your reviews. ^_^ Thanks everyone!
Chapter 10: Where Do We Go From Here?
The ride home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence that both Squall and Selphie agreed on. Selphie seemed lost in her own little world, and Squall looked relaxed, which was saying something. It was really the first time he'd truly felt relaxed in almost three years or so. He just kept his eyes on the road, window down, enjoying the weather as one of his hands came to a comfortable rest on Selphie's thigh. She started from her daydreams long enough to shoot him a lazy smile, then returned to her cloud gazing.
When they arrived back at Garden, Squall tried not to let the irritation return, though he knew over time it would. Selphie didn't look phased in the least though, and she stretched once the car had come to a stop. "Back to the grind, huh?" she asked with a loud yawn. Squall nodded, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back before he muttured his response.
"I suppose."
"Hey," she said, looking at him, suddenly awake. "You have to promise me that you're going to at least try not to let things get to you anymore." Squall rolled his head in her direction with a sigh. He couldn't help but want to grin at her serious expression. It was funny. "Yes ma'am," he said. Selphie nodded in satisfaction and gave him a quick peck on the nose before jumping out of the car. Squall groaned. "How can you be so energetic after two days of relaxing?" Selphie laughed as she opened the trunk.
"You do realize how stupid that question sounded, right?" Selphie yanked her bag from the trunk as Squall finally dragged himself from the car, slinging his jacket over one shoulder. He yawned loudly.
"It's early," he said with a frown, "I'm not awake yet." Selphie snickered as she closed the trunk.
"You seemed plenty awake earlier," she said, shooting him a crooked grin. His eyebrows raised in amusement, though his expression was still one of seriousness. He reached out and in one swift movement, poked her in the side and swiped her bag, then continued walking. Selphie, in a fit of giggles, caught up with him and tried to look as irritated as possible, but all she wanted to do was laugh. "Did you run over a small child or something on the way in, cause I swear to god you look way too chipper to be the same Squall I know." Squall kept that cool controlled expression as they entered the Garden, a cool breeze whipping his hair back as they passed through the sliding doors.
"No children," he said suppressing a smirk, "just the Disciplinary Committee." Selphie burst out laughing. "That's it, where's my Squall?"
He couldn't hold back anymore. "Your Squall?" he asked with a grin as Selphie nodded.
"Yeah, you know. The one who can't give anything but one word answers." She made a nasty face and lowered her voice. "Whatever..." she mocked as Squall's frown returned and he rolled his eyes.
"Funny," he said with a sigh. Selphie blinked and grinned up at him as they walked past the training center and headed for the dorms. "Lighten up," she said. They continued on to their rooms at the amusement of several students. No doubt about it, the rumors had started. Then again Selphie didn't care much. Anything Squall did was usually laced with rumor. At least now the student body respected him. Let them talk. She could care less. Squall on the other hand seemed to be squirming at the sight of students staring at him, and he cleared his throat as that same young girl with the bright yellow ribbon in her hair came up to the couple nervously. Selphie smiled.
"What can I do for you today Stellah?" she asked, leaning over slightly. Stellah shuffled her feet nervously, her sneakers squeaking on the floor loudly. "I....um....well some of the kids said...you were leaving." Selphie shook her head.
"No way," she said much to Stellah's very obvious relief, "I'm here for good." Stellah smiled, nodding, then looked up at Squall with another fit of nerves. "G-good morning, Headmaster," she stammered, her cheeks turning bright red. Squall shifted uncomfortably. The formality of his post bothered him still, and Selphie couldn't help but wonder who was more nervous at that exact moment. Stellah, who obviously had some sort of crush on the current Headmaster, or Squall, who seemed to have no idea how to handle a puberty-ridden thirteen year old. "Good Morning, Stellah." He knew this girl fairly well, though he almost never spoke to her. Selphie patted Stellah on the shoulder. "We've got to get going," she told the young girl, "but we're still on for the Festival Committee this afternoon. Come see me after four or so." Stellah grinned and rushed off as Selphie and Squall resumed their trip to the dorms.
"She's sweet," said Selphie fondly. Squall rubbed the bridge of his nose in slight frustration. "She's a pain in the ass," he said blankly. Selphie hauled out and smacked him on the arm.
"That's so mean!" she said loudly. Squall shrugged. "It's true. She's in my afternoon weapons class. Kid can't even figure out what her specialty is."
Selphie looked amused. "So what? I couldn't decide till I was at least fourteen. It was hard for me! Too small for a gunblade, too weak for fists, too short for a staff and too clumsy for anything pointier than my head. It was a nightmare! Give the kid a chance. She'll come around." They reached her room first and Selphie took her bag with a grin. "You wanna come in for a few? I've got plenty of time to kill before I start." Squall shook his head with an apologetic look. "Sorrry Selph. I've got to get upstairs and check on a few things, then class at ten." Selphie pouted for a moment and Squall reached out, gently running one finger down her cheek as he stared into her eyes. "I'll stop by to see you later though." Selphie sighed, forgetting why she was pouting in the first place, and she smiled up at Squall. His touch was so light, so easy; and his fingers were so soft despite the calluses from handling his gunblade. She nodded at him weakly, lost in those eyes, and offered
him one last smile before he headed off to his own room.
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Alone in the shower, Squall let his mind wander as the water beat down on his shoulders. Where to start...Selphie coming back and like a whirlwind putting him in situations he wouldn't have ever thought possible. That was her style though. Everything was on the fly with her, everything on a whim, on her heart. She trusted her emotions above anything else, and that was why he envied her. He'd never been good at trusting his gut unless it was in battle, and even then he managed to mess up more than the average person. Not to mention he had all the social skills of a mute duck. At least that's how he felt. Squall wished he had half of Selphie's trust in himself.
He shook the water from his hair, wiping his eyes. This was crazy. She was all wrong for him and he knew it. He was Squall, "Mr. Crabby Pants" as Selphie referred to him. He was the guy who couldn't give anything but "one word answers" and lived to be strict. Selphie was bubbly and positive, popular, cute...beyond cute now. She was downright pretty. And she was also everything Squall wasn't. Yet somehow he knew maybe this had a chance of really going somewhere. She had this ability to bring out a side of him he'd forgotten about. Hell, not two nights ago he'd lost himself to her touch and he'd LIKED it. A lot. Maybe, just maybe if he could get his head back on straight, he could keep her around. And he planned on trying.
A loud knocking on the door pulled him from his musings and he knew that banging could only come from one source. Too loud to be Quistis, too soft to be Selphie-had to be Zell. And sure enough when Squall took a peek at the peephole, there stood the blond tattooed instructor with a serious pout on his face.
"Open up, ya moron! I gotta talk to ya!" he shouted at the door, clenching his fists. Squall ripped the door open with a dull look on his face, still dripping wet, his other hand holding the towel closed around his waist.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a voice even duller than his expression. Zell moved inside the door and made an ugly face. "Ugh, go put some damn clothes on or something. You tryin to make a guy sick?" Squall merely rolled his eyes and headed off to his bedroom while Zell took a seat on the couch. Squall emerged a few minutes later in his typical getup, minus the belts or jacket, and he hurriedly began perusing a few items of mail left on his table. "So what can I do for you now Zell?" he asked, opening a suspicious looking envelope with scrutiny. Zell merely smirked from his place on the couch, scrutinizing some piece of crud underneath his fingernail as he talked.
"So...you, Selphie. Spill the beans." Squall didn't react openly, but his eyes did widen ever so slightly.
"There's nothing to tell," said Squall in his usual guarded fashion, bringing out a loud bark of a laugh from Zell.
"So lemme get this straight. The two of you disappear for two days, students all over garden say they saw the two of you walk out together with bags, and then you come sauntering in here this morning with that shit eating grin on your face." Zell looked dead into Squall's eyes from his seat and raised one brow. "You and Selphie. Hyne the world's coming to an end." Squall dropped the letter in his hand with a slightly irritated gesture and moved to the couch.
"So we went away for a couple of days. She thought it would be good for me to get away from work."
Zell's grin widened. "And how many rooms did you get?"
Squall frowned. "That's not your business." Zell stood at Squall's typical comment, his expression easing slightly.
"Dude," he said in a quieter tone, "Relax. I was just askin." Squall shrugged indignantly, taking a seat where Zell had been. "Listen," he said, flipping a damp wisp of his chestnut hair from his eyes. "I don't want you and Quistis giving me the third degree for this. Selphie and I...well...neither one of us really expected it to happen this way, so just keep it to yourselves, okay?" Zell nodded with an easy smile.
"Don't worry about it," he said, "your secret's safe with me anyway. Truth be told, I was kinda glad to hear it." Squall blinked up at his friend, obviously perplexed.
"Why's that?" he asked. Zell shrugged as he headed for the door. "Just because you need someone around to keep your ass in line." Squall shook his head as Zell let himself out, but the words lingered on his mind. Someone to keep his ass in line, huh?
If it was one thing Squall had never been, it was impulsive. His cool, rational thought-process kept him in check most of the time. But for the first time, he was beginning to see things in a different light. Maybe he needed to be a little more impulsive once in a while. Maybe that's what had been holding him back all these years. It wasn't Rinoa's fault...though he wanted with every bone in his body to blame her for what he'd been through. It wasn't Seifer's fault. Hell, there'd been a time when Squall had actually missed having Seifer around. He'd never admit that openly to anyone, but without Seifer life had grown dull, boring. Seifer had been the one keeping Squall's inner pride stoked all those years, and once he left Balamb Garden, Squall had actually felt almost useless.
He moved to the large bay window of his quarters with a faint feeling of Déjà vu. He'd been here before, standing in this place thinking on his own. Squall leaned against the window frame with a sad smile. He was doing it again, seeing that dark lining in a perfectly white cloud. Sometimes he wondered if he'd ever manage to break free of his melancholy. But maybe, just this once, it was his job to do something about it. Turning to the desk up against the wall, he slowly walked to the side and pulled open one drawer. With a shaky hand, he pulled the small velvet box from the back of the drawer and took a seat in the deep cushions of his chair.
When he opened the box, a world of emotion he'd thought long gone flooded him over. The small platinum band inside seemed so much brighter than its twin now resting on his finger. He looked at the careful etchings within the metal. Amazing how something that once scared the shit out of him could make him feel so calm inside. Rinoa never deserved what this ring meant. But Selphie did. He closed the box gently and slid it gently into the pocket of his jacket. Not now, not yet. The time wasn't right.
But he knew that somehow, right or wrong, that Selphie would wind up wearing that ring.
Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reading on a regular basis. I love reading your reviews. ^_^ Thanks everyone!
Chapter 10: Where Do We Go From Here?
The ride home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence that both Squall and Selphie agreed on. Selphie seemed lost in her own little world, and Squall looked relaxed, which was saying something. It was really the first time he'd truly felt relaxed in almost three years or so. He just kept his eyes on the road, window down, enjoying the weather as one of his hands came to a comfortable rest on Selphie's thigh. She started from her daydreams long enough to shoot him a lazy smile, then returned to her cloud gazing.
When they arrived back at Garden, Squall tried not to let the irritation return, though he knew over time it would. Selphie didn't look phased in the least though, and she stretched once the car had come to a stop. "Back to the grind, huh?" she asked with a loud yawn. Squall nodded, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back before he muttured his response.
"I suppose."
"Hey," she said, looking at him, suddenly awake. "You have to promise me that you're going to at least try not to let things get to you anymore." Squall rolled his head in her direction with a sigh. He couldn't help but want to grin at her serious expression. It was funny. "Yes ma'am," he said. Selphie nodded in satisfaction and gave him a quick peck on the nose before jumping out of the car. Squall groaned. "How can you be so energetic after two days of relaxing?" Selphie laughed as she opened the trunk.
"You do realize how stupid that question sounded, right?" Selphie yanked her bag from the trunk as Squall finally dragged himself from the car, slinging his jacket over one shoulder. He yawned loudly.
"It's early," he said with a frown, "I'm not awake yet." Selphie snickered as she closed the trunk.
"You seemed plenty awake earlier," she said, shooting him a crooked grin. His eyebrows raised in amusement, though his expression was still one of seriousness. He reached out and in one swift movement, poked her in the side and swiped her bag, then continued walking. Selphie, in a fit of giggles, caught up with him and tried to look as irritated as possible, but all she wanted to do was laugh. "Did you run over a small child or something on the way in, cause I swear to god you look way too chipper to be the same Squall I know." Squall kept that cool controlled expression as they entered the Garden, a cool breeze whipping his hair back as they passed through the sliding doors.
"No children," he said suppressing a smirk, "just the Disciplinary Committee." Selphie burst out laughing. "That's it, where's my Squall?"
He couldn't hold back anymore. "Your Squall?" he asked with a grin as Selphie nodded.
"Yeah, you know. The one who can't give anything but one word answers." She made a nasty face and lowered her voice. "Whatever..." she mocked as Squall's frown returned and he rolled his eyes.
"Funny," he said with a sigh. Selphie blinked and grinned up at him as they walked past the training center and headed for the dorms. "Lighten up," she said. They continued on to their rooms at the amusement of several students. No doubt about it, the rumors had started. Then again Selphie didn't care much. Anything Squall did was usually laced with rumor. At least now the student body respected him. Let them talk. She could care less. Squall on the other hand seemed to be squirming at the sight of students staring at him, and he cleared his throat as that same young girl with the bright yellow ribbon in her hair came up to the couple nervously. Selphie smiled.
"What can I do for you today Stellah?" she asked, leaning over slightly. Stellah shuffled her feet nervously, her sneakers squeaking on the floor loudly. "I....um....well some of the kids said...you were leaving." Selphie shook her head.
"No way," she said much to Stellah's very obvious relief, "I'm here for good." Stellah smiled, nodding, then looked up at Squall with another fit of nerves. "G-good morning, Headmaster," she stammered, her cheeks turning bright red. Squall shifted uncomfortably. The formality of his post bothered him still, and Selphie couldn't help but wonder who was more nervous at that exact moment. Stellah, who obviously had some sort of crush on the current Headmaster, or Squall, who seemed to have no idea how to handle a puberty-ridden thirteen year old. "Good Morning, Stellah." He knew this girl fairly well, though he almost never spoke to her. Selphie patted Stellah on the shoulder. "We've got to get going," she told the young girl, "but we're still on for the Festival Committee this afternoon. Come see me after four or so." Stellah grinned and rushed off as Selphie and Squall resumed their trip to the dorms.
"She's sweet," said Selphie fondly. Squall rubbed the bridge of his nose in slight frustration. "She's a pain in the ass," he said blankly. Selphie hauled out and smacked him on the arm.
"That's so mean!" she said loudly. Squall shrugged. "It's true. She's in my afternoon weapons class. Kid can't even figure out what her specialty is."
Selphie looked amused. "So what? I couldn't decide till I was at least fourteen. It was hard for me! Too small for a gunblade, too weak for fists, too short for a staff and too clumsy for anything pointier than my head. It was a nightmare! Give the kid a chance. She'll come around." They reached her room first and Selphie took her bag with a grin. "You wanna come in for a few? I've got plenty of time to kill before I start." Squall shook his head with an apologetic look. "Sorrry Selph. I've got to get upstairs and check on a few things, then class at ten." Selphie pouted for a moment and Squall reached out, gently running one finger down her cheek as he stared into her eyes. "I'll stop by to see you later though." Selphie sighed, forgetting why she was pouting in the first place, and she smiled up at Squall. His touch was so light, so easy; and his fingers were so soft despite the calluses from handling his gunblade. She nodded at him weakly, lost in those eyes, and offered
him one last smile before he headed off to his own room.
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Alone in the shower, Squall let his mind wander as the water beat down on his shoulders. Where to start...Selphie coming back and like a whirlwind putting him in situations he wouldn't have ever thought possible. That was her style though. Everything was on the fly with her, everything on a whim, on her heart. She trusted her emotions above anything else, and that was why he envied her. He'd never been good at trusting his gut unless it was in battle, and even then he managed to mess up more than the average person. Not to mention he had all the social skills of a mute duck. At least that's how he felt. Squall wished he had half of Selphie's trust in himself.
He shook the water from his hair, wiping his eyes. This was crazy. She was all wrong for him and he knew it. He was Squall, "Mr. Crabby Pants" as Selphie referred to him. He was the guy who couldn't give anything but "one word answers" and lived to be strict. Selphie was bubbly and positive, popular, cute...beyond cute now. She was downright pretty. And she was also everything Squall wasn't. Yet somehow he knew maybe this had a chance of really going somewhere. She had this ability to bring out a side of him he'd forgotten about. Hell, not two nights ago he'd lost himself to her touch and he'd LIKED it. A lot. Maybe, just maybe if he could get his head back on straight, he could keep her around. And he planned on trying.
A loud knocking on the door pulled him from his musings and he knew that banging could only come from one source. Too loud to be Quistis, too soft to be Selphie-had to be Zell. And sure enough when Squall took a peek at the peephole, there stood the blond tattooed instructor with a serious pout on his face.
"Open up, ya moron! I gotta talk to ya!" he shouted at the door, clenching his fists. Squall ripped the door open with a dull look on his face, still dripping wet, his other hand holding the towel closed around his waist.
"Can I help you?" he asked in a voice even duller than his expression. Zell moved inside the door and made an ugly face. "Ugh, go put some damn clothes on or something. You tryin to make a guy sick?" Squall merely rolled his eyes and headed off to his bedroom while Zell took a seat on the couch. Squall emerged a few minutes later in his typical getup, minus the belts or jacket, and he hurriedly began perusing a few items of mail left on his table. "So what can I do for you now Zell?" he asked, opening a suspicious looking envelope with scrutiny. Zell merely smirked from his place on the couch, scrutinizing some piece of crud underneath his fingernail as he talked.
"So...you, Selphie. Spill the beans." Squall didn't react openly, but his eyes did widen ever so slightly.
"There's nothing to tell," said Squall in his usual guarded fashion, bringing out a loud bark of a laugh from Zell.
"So lemme get this straight. The two of you disappear for two days, students all over garden say they saw the two of you walk out together with bags, and then you come sauntering in here this morning with that shit eating grin on your face." Zell looked dead into Squall's eyes from his seat and raised one brow. "You and Selphie. Hyne the world's coming to an end." Squall dropped the letter in his hand with a slightly irritated gesture and moved to the couch.
"So we went away for a couple of days. She thought it would be good for me to get away from work."
Zell's grin widened. "And how many rooms did you get?"
Squall frowned. "That's not your business." Zell stood at Squall's typical comment, his expression easing slightly.
"Dude," he said in a quieter tone, "Relax. I was just askin." Squall shrugged indignantly, taking a seat where Zell had been. "Listen," he said, flipping a damp wisp of his chestnut hair from his eyes. "I don't want you and Quistis giving me the third degree for this. Selphie and I...well...neither one of us really expected it to happen this way, so just keep it to yourselves, okay?" Zell nodded with an easy smile.
"Don't worry about it," he said, "your secret's safe with me anyway. Truth be told, I was kinda glad to hear it." Squall blinked up at his friend, obviously perplexed.
"Why's that?" he asked. Zell shrugged as he headed for the door. "Just because you need someone around to keep your ass in line." Squall shook his head as Zell let himself out, but the words lingered on his mind. Someone to keep his ass in line, huh?
If it was one thing Squall had never been, it was impulsive. His cool, rational thought-process kept him in check most of the time. But for the first time, he was beginning to see things in a different light. Maybe he needed to be a little more impulsive once in a while. Maybe that's what had been holding him back all these years. It wasn't Rinoa's fault...though he wanted with every bone in his body to blame her for what he'd been through. It wasn't Seifer's fault. Hell, there'd been a time when Squall had actually missed having Seifer around. He'd never admit that openly to anyone, but without Seifer life had grown dull, boring. Seifer had been the one keeping Squall's inner pride stoked all those years, and once he left Balamb Garden, Squall had actually felt almost useless.
He moved to the large bay window of his quarters with a faint feeling of Déjà vu. He'd been here before, standing in this place thinking on his own. Squall leaned against the window frame with a sad smile. He was doing it again, seeing that dark lining in a perfectly white cloud. Sometimes he wondered if he'd ever manage to break free of his melancholy. But maybe, just this once, it was his job to do something about it. Turning to the desk up against the wall, he slowly walked to the side and pulled open one drawer. With a shaky hand, he pulled the small velvet box from the back of the drawer and took a seat in the deep cushions of his chair.
When he opened the box, a world of emotion he'd thought long gone flooded him over. The small platinum band inside seemed so much brighter than its twin now resting on his finger. He looked at the careful etchings within the metal. Amazing how something that once scared the shit out of him could make him feel so calm inside. Rinoa never deserved what this ring meant. But Selphie did. He closed the box gently and slid it gently into the pocket of his jacket. Not now, not yet. The time wasn't right.
But he knew that somehow, right or wrong, that Selphie would wind up wearing that ring.