Yay…plot movement! Something we haven't had in a while, neh? Here's the
next chapter. Things will move a little faster now, so keep those reviews
coming pleeeeeease! ^_^
This one's for Treesh! Just cause she thinks they're soooo cute!
I don't own FFVIIII or the characters.
Chapter 13: The Statue
He never paused to think, even after all this time, that things had moved so quickly. Somewhere he could hear the music playing, somewhat muted, but the melody was easy to make out. Selphie was probably still in there, surrounded by a mass of students and her closest friends, dancing her poor little feet off. It would be a miracle if she'd be able to walk later. Squall knew she was quite capable of losing herself in the music. She had always been like that. He didn't dare stop her, even if the music was giving him sort of a headache. So he gracefully slipped out of the hall when no one was looking, not wanting to tear her from the dance floor for anything in the world. This was her day, after all, and he wanted it to be everything she desired. Squall's footsteps slowed as he reached the newly commissioned fountain in the open air walkways behind the festival hall, and he had to stop and stare at it, just like he had every day that week, just to check it's beauty.
The clean white stone of the statue seemed to radiate in the darkness, the festival hall lighting it from behind. This woman was perfect. He wasn't sure what it was about the girl in the sculpture that made his breathing quicken. Maybe it was the perfect skin, maybe it was the way she so perfectly fell right into place in that spot. Maybe it was the eyes…he didn't know and he didn't care. Just looking at that statue seemed to bring him peace when he was restless, something Selphie had been somewhat confused about. Oh, she joked about it, but he knew it bothered her somehow. But he just couldn't stop coming here, even if it was just to stare at that woman.
Zell's footfalls were just loud enough to be heard behind him, but Squall didn't bother to turn around. When the noise ceased but a foot or two behind him, neither man made a sound for a good two minutes, but Zell was the one to break the silence. "You are the groom, right?" Squall blinked in confusion before turning slowly to face his friend. The calm look on Zell's face did nothing to ease the confusion. "Last time I checked," he said, staring the blond squarely in the eyes. Zell nodded, his eyes falling lazily onto the tall windows of the hall. "Then what the heck are you doing out here when your wife is inside dancing her feet off?" Squall grinned wryly. Zell's sense of humor was not always the nicest thing to deal with. "I don't dance," he said finally, tugging his bowtie loose and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Zell smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Ya know, no matter how many wonders she's worked on you, some things never change." Squall would have been offended, save the alcohol in his system keeping him mellow. Best let that comment slide for tonight. He could always ask questions later.
"You do know you lucked out, right?" asked Zell seriously as he took a seat next to Squall on the edge of the fountain. "Yeah," said Squall with a lazy smile, "I know." Zell stared intently at his friend for a long moment before continuing. "Selphie means a lot to me. As a friend…" Squall looked up and met Zell's eyes, which were as intense as lightning. "just…don't do anything to fuck this up, okay?" Squall's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to ignore the rush of hot blood surging into his brain. "Zell, do any of you know what that girl means to me?" he asked hotly, gesturing to the hall. "She's all I give a damn about anymore! I…I…." He sighed, holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "I can't put it any other way," he said slowly, trying to calm himself down. "…..she's…my life." Three simple words, and yet they put such a grin on Zell's face that the boy looked as though he may split. "That's all I wanted to hear." He held out a hand to assist Squall up, and the darker haired man took it with a small sigh.
"So," said Squall, "that's it? You came here to lecture me?" Zell nodded, yawning loudly as they walked. "Yeah," he said, "and to tell you that your marble girlfriend is now mine." Squall snorted slightly at that. "I just think it's beautiful, that's all." Zell raised one brow, and his grin grew cockier than ever. "I dunno. I thought you came out here for 'quiet time'," he mocked, making a rather lewd gesture with one fist very near his crotch. Squall returned the sarcastic smirk. "'Least I know how to spend quality time with something other than my hands," he retorted. Zell laughed, shaking his head. "So then Ms. Marble belongs to me now, right?" Squall quickened his pace to make sure he had a decent head start before answering. "Sure, since I suppose that's about the only thing that'll fuck you this side of Esthar." The chase ensued, and the statue was left to its peace once again.
* * *
He found her sitting at a table, her shoes off and her hair let back down, sipping some cocktail that was probably having no effect on her whatsoever. He swept her hair from her bare pale shoulder and gently kissed her bare skin. She closed her eyes before smiling as a wonderful shudder took over her body. "Hey you," she said gently as he paused near her ear, his lips lingering there for a moment as he spoke. "Having fun?" he asked, his voice low. She nodded, reaching one hand upward to rake through his hair. "Mmm Hmm. Where'd you go?" He stood back up and ran his fingers over her shoulders teasingly, a gesture he knew would drive her crazy. "Outside for some fresh air," he said casually. "Zell and I had a little chat." Selphie turned to look at him, her eyes defying her smile. "You went to go look at that statue again, didn't you?" Squall shrugged. "Yeah…" Selphie swallowed. "What is it about that thing that you have to go look at it every day?" Squall knelt beside her, looking directly into her troubled green eyes. "It's nothing, Selphie," he said softly. "If it bothers you, I'll have it taken out." Selphie shook her head. "No," she said carefully, "you don't have to. I just…I wish I knew why you liked it so much." He slipped one hand easily over her cheek and smiled, one of those rare smiles that only she would see directly.
"It's beautiful, that's all," he said honestly. "I just like to look at it." Selphie sighed, her smile returning, then forced a goofy looking little pout. "And what am I then? Chopped liver?" Squall's smile slid into a crooked grin as he moved closer to her. "Far from it." Selphie giggled, wrapping her arms around him and sinking into a kiss that, on any other day, would have been enough to stop the passers by in the halls. When they drew apart, the desire on their faces was unmistakable. "Wanna blow this party?" she asked breathlessly, more than satisfied when he nodded weakly and unconsciously moved one hand down her leg.
No one saw them leave, but everyone knew where they had gone. Besides, Selphie was a party animal, and Zell was convinced he could keep the party going until she got back.
This one's for Treesh! Just cause she thinks they're soooo cute!
I don't own FFVIIII or the characters.
Chapter 13: The Statue
He never paused to think, even after all this time, that things had moved so quickly. Somewhere he could hear the music playing, somewhat muted, but the melody was easy to make out. Selphie was probably still in there, surrounded by a mass of students and her closest friends, dancing her poor little feet off. It would be a miracle if she'd be able to walk later. Squall knew she was quite capable of losing herself in the music. She had always been like that. He didn't dare stop her, even if the music was giving him sort of a headache. So he gracefully slipped out of the hall when no one was looking, not wanting to tear her from the dance floor for anything in the world. This was her day, after all, and he wanted it to be everything she desired. Squall's footsteps slowed as he reached the newly commissioned fountain in the open air walkways behind the festival hall, and he had to stop and stare at it, just like he had every day that week, just to check it's beauty.
The clean white stone of the statue seemed to radiate in the darkness, the festival hall lighting it from behind. This woman was perfect. He wasn't sure what it was about the girl in the sculpture that made his breathing quicken. Maybe it was the perfect skin, maybe it was the way she so perfectly fell right into place in that spot. Maybe it was the eyes…he didn't know and he didn't care. Just looking at that statue seemed to bring him peace when he was restless, something Selphie had been somewhat confused about. Oh, she joked about it, but he knew it bothered her somehow. But he just couldn't stop coming here, even if it was just to stare at that woman.
Zell's footfalls were just loud enough to be heard behind him, but Squall didn't bother to turn around. When the noise ceased but a foot or two behind him, neither man made a sound for a good two minutes, but Zell was the one to break the silence. "You are the groom, right?" Squall blinked in confusion before turning slowly to face his friend. The calm look on Zell's face did nothing to ease the confusion. "Last time I checked," he said, staring the blond squarely in the eyes. Zell nodded, his eyes falling lazily onto the tall windows of the hall. "Then what the heck are you doing out here when your wife is inside dancing her feet off?" Squall grinned wryly. Zell's sense of humor was not always the nicest thing to deal with. "I don't dance," he said finally, tugging his bowtie loose and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Zell smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Ya know, no matter how many wonders she's worked on you, some things never change." Squall would have been offended, save the alcohol in his system keeping him mellow. Best let that comment slide for tonight. He could always ask questions later.
"You do know you lucked out, right?" asked Zell seriously as he took a seat next to Squall on the edge of the fountain. "Yeah," said Squall with a lazy smile, "I know." Zell stared intently at his friend for a long moment before continuing. "Selphie means a lot to me. As a friend…" Squall looked up and met Zell's eyes, which were as intense as lightning. "just…don't do anything to fuck this up, okay?" Squall's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to ignore the rush of hot blood surging into his brain. "Zell, do any of you know what that girl means to me?" he asked hotly, gesturing to the hall. "She's all I give a damn about anymore! I…I…." He sighed, holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "I can't put it any other way," he said slowly, trying to calm himself down. "…..she's…my life." Three simple words, and yet they put such a grin on Zell's face that the boy looked as though he may split. "That's all I wanted to hear." He held out a hand to assist Squall up, and the darker haired man took it with a small sigh.
"So," said Squall, "that's it? You came here to lecture me?" Zell nodded, yawning loudly as they walked. "Yeah," he said, "and to tell you that your marble girlfriend is now mine." Squall snorted slightly at that. "I just think it's beautiful, that's all." Zell raised one brow, and his grin grew cockier than ever. "I dunno. I thought you came out here for 'quiet time'," he mocked, making a rather lewd gesture with one fist very near his crotch. Squall returned the sarcastic smirk. "'Least I know how to spend quality time with something other than my hands," he retorted. Zell laughed, shaking his head. "So then Ms. Marble belongs to me now, right?" Squall quickened his pace to make sure he had a decent head start before answering. "Sure, since I suppose that's about the only thing that'll fuck you this side of Esthar." The chase ensued, and the statue was left to its peace once again.
* * *
He found her sitting at a table, her shoes off and her hair let back down, sipping some cocktail that was probably having no effect on her whatsoever. He swept her hair from her bare pale shoulder and gently kissed her bare skin. She closed her eyes before smiling as a wonderful shudder took over her body. "Hey you," she said gently as he paused near her ear, his lips lingering there for a moment as he spoke. "Having fun?" he asked, his voice low. She nodded, reaching one hand upward to rake through his hair. "Mmm Hmm. Where'd you go?" He stood back up and ran his fingers over her shoulders teasingly, a gesture he knew would drive her crazy. "Outside for some fresh air," he said casually. "Zell and I had a little chat." Selphie turned to look at him, her eyes defying her smile. "You went to go look at that statue again, didn't you?" Squall shrugged. "Yeah…" Selphie swallowed. "What is it about that thing that you have to go look at it every day?" Squall knelt beside her, looking directly into her troubled green eyes. "It's nothing, Selphie," he said softly. "If it bothers you, I'll have it taken out." Selphie shook her head. "No," she said carefully, "you don't have to. I just…I wish I knew why you liked it so much." He slipped one hand easily over her cheek and smiled, one of those rare smiles that only she would see directly.
"It's beautiful, that's all," he said honestly. "I just like to look at it." Selphie sighed, her smile returning, then forced a goofy looking little pout. "And what am I then? Chopped liver?" Squall's smile slid into a crooked grin as he moved closer to her. "Far from it." Selphie giggled, wrapping her arms around him and sinking into a kiss that, on any other day, would have been enough to stop the passers by in the halls. When they drew apart, the desire on their faces was unmistakable. "Wanna blow this party?" she asked breathlessly, more than satisfied when he nodded weakly and unconsciously moved one hand down her leg.
No one saw them leave, but everyone knew where they had gone. Besides, Selphie was a party animal, and Zell was convinced he could keep the party going until she got back.