The next installment will come after this weekend, and the good stuff is
just starting! Thanks again to everyone for the reviews and I promise I'll
do my best to keep this moving as we get into the main plot. ^_^
I do not own Final Fantasy 8, or the characters, or the story….or anything else. (sob)_ I have nothing! ^_~
The bright-eyed boy looked up curiously at his mother's backside jutting out at a strange angle from under the lid of the grand piano as he unceremoniously ran a small toy car back and forth in front of his feet. "Mommy, whatcha doin?" he asked, blowing an unruly wisp of dark chestnut hair from his eyes. Her reply was muffled inside the piano. "Trying to tune the piano sweetie." Junior's head tilted to one side as the small car stopped moving in the child's hand. "Is it very hard to do?"
Selphie chuckled from inside the piano as she worked. "Yes, it is. That's why mommy brought you with. So my big boy can help me." Junior smiled, and though Selphie couldn't see it she knew the boy was grinning from ear to ear. It was an amazing thing, when that child smiled. He was the spitting image of his father, but his smile was as sweet as Laguna's. It was a strange mixture, one that always made Selphie smile. "And I'm gonna help look out for anybody who tried to mess with my mommy! Right?" he said, throwing a few mock punches in the air. Selphie looked over her shoulder with a small frown. "What did I tell you about doing that inside?" The boy sulked for a moment, but managed to occupy himself once again with the car before his mood slipped. Selphie sighed, knowing she'd have to sit down with "Uncle Zell" and have a good long talk. Once engrossed in her work again, she was too busy to notice her husband wander quietly into the hall.
Junior's eyes lit up, but Squall motioned for him to shush with a playful grin. The child nodded, trying not to giggle too loud, and went into his normal act as Squall advanced ever so quietly toward Selphie and the Piano.
"Mommy," said the innocent little boy as the Lion stalked his prey, "Can we go get some ice cream later? I'll be really good, I promise." Squall raised an eyebrow at that one. The kid was getting good. Not only was he covering for daddy, but he was getting something out of it too. Shaking his head, he continued to move forward, his footfalls virtually silent on the floor.
"Sure kiddo," said Selphie cheerfully, "but you have to check with Daddy first." Junior looked at his father with expectant eyes, pleading, and Squall nodded along with a gentle reminder to keep silent. Junior nodded in return and regarded his mother with a pout. "Can we go to the park too?" Selphie laughed. "That I'm pretty sure Daddy won't have a problem with." Junior giggled furiously as Squall neared Selphie.
"Junior?" asked Selphie.
"Yeah mommy?"
"GET HIM!" Selphie whirled around from the inside of the piano and lunged at her husband as Junior rushed at his father's legs. Squall never had time to think, only give both of them an obviously confused and blank stare before hitting the ground. When he gathered his bearings, the headmaster couldn't help but grin as he gathered up his giddy son and hugged him tightly. "Shady…the both of you are totally shady." Selphie laughed, poking him in the nose. "Well the last time you tried that I got a serious bump on the head. That's why I set this one here," she giggled, tousling her son's hair, "on security duty." Squall nodded, placing a gentle kiss on Junior's forehead. The boy couldn't stop giggling. "You're getting sneaky little man, you know that?" Junior nodded, detaching his death grip from Squall's neck. "Uh huh!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm gonna be better than you soon." Squall laughed.
"Is that a fact?" he asked, setting the boy on his feet and taking Selphie's hands to help him up. Junior beamed up at the two.
That's what Grandpa told me!" Squall's reaction was visible, though it only really affected Selphie. His eyes went somewhat dark as he looked at his son. "Grandpa came to see you again, huh?" Junior gathered up his car, oblivious to Squall's reaction as Selphie bit her lip nervously. "Yeah, and we went downstairs, and he showed me all his tr…tri…his cards!" The boy's hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a somewhat battered card displaying a dragon, though the color was so faded it was hard to make out from a distance. "See? He gave me some!" Squall nodded, tucking a lock of the boy's hair behind one ear affectionately. "I'm glad you had a good time kiddo, but…" Selphie's glare said it all as she looked over at the man, and Squall swallowed back his words with a smile. "But I want a rematch on that video game you showed me last night. What'dya say?" Junior giggled and started for the door. "Gonna kick your butt!"
Squall sighed as Selphie mouthed the words 'Thank You' as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She took a moment to kiss him, a slow kiss as always, and when they pulled apart any tension that had been there was gone. She lowered her voice. "I need to talk to you about something later." Squall's eyes showed the slightest amount of very controlled panic, but she shook her head with a comforting smile. "Nothing bad, just want to show you something later. After the munchkin goes to bed, okay?" Squall nodded, placing a small kiss on her nose. "Sure."
Squall moved to catch up with his son and just as the two reached the door, Squall sprinted with a loud "Race ya!" that echoed down the halls. Junior took off after his father with another fit of giggles, his sneakers squeaking on the floor.
"No fair! Cheater!"
Selphie took a moment to soak in the moment before moving to follow the two at her own pace. Tonight wouldn't be easy, but Squall had to see. He had to know once and for all that this couldn't go on.
I do not own Final Fantasy 8, or the characters, or the story….or anything else. (sob)_ I have nothing! ^_~
The bright-eyed boy looked up curiously at his mother's backside jutting out at a strange angle from under the lid of the grand piano as he unceremoniously ran a small toy car back and forth in front of his feet. "Mommy, whatcha doin?" he asked, blowing an unruly wisp of dark chestnut hair from his eyes. Her reply was muffled inside the piano. "Trying to tune the piano sweetie." Junior's head tilted to one side as the small car stopped moving in the child's hand. "Is it very hard to do?"
Selphie chuckled from inside the piano as she worked. "Yes, it is. That's why mommy brought you with. So my big boy can help me." Junior smiled, and though Selphie couldn't see it she knew the boy was grinning from ear to ear. It was an amazing thing, when that child smiled. He was the spitting image of his father, but his smile was as sweet as Laguna's. It was a strange mixture, one that always made Selphie smile. "And I'm gonna help look out for anybody who tried to mess with my mommy! Right?" he said, throwing a few mock punches in the air. Selphie looked over her shoulder with a small frown. "What did I tell you about doing that inside?" The boy sulked for a moment, but managed to occupy himself once again with the car before his mood slipped. Selphie sighed, knowing she'd have to sit down with "Uncle Zell" and have a good long talk. Once engrossed in her work again, she was too busy to notice her husband wander quietly into the hall.
Junior's eyes lit up, but Squall motioned for him to shush with a playful grin. The child nodded, trying not to giggle too loud, and went into his normal act as Squall advanced ever so quietly toward Selphie and the Piano.
"Mommy," said the innocent little boy as the Lion stalked his prey, "Can we go get some ice cream later? I'll be really good, I promise." Squall raised an eyebrow at that one. The kid was getting good. Not only was he covering for daddy, but he was getting something out of it too. Shaking his head, he continued to move forward, his footfalls virtually silent on the floor.
"Sure kiddo," said Selphie cheerfully, "but you have to check with Daddy first." Junior looked at his father with expectant eyes, pleading, and Squall nodded along with a gentle reminder to keep silent. Junior nodded in return and regarded his mother with a pout. "Can we go to the park too?" Selphie laughed. "That I'm pretty sure Daddy won't have a problem with." Junior giggled furiously as Squall neared Selphie.
"Junior?" asked Selphie.
"Yeah mommy?"
"GET HIM!" Selphie whirled around from the inside of the piano and lunged at her husband as Junior rushed at his father's legs. Squall never had time to think, only give both of them an obviously confused and blank stare before hitting the ground. When he gathered his bearings, the headmaster couldn't help but grin as he gathered up his giddy son and hugged him tightly. "Shady…the both of you are totally shady." Selphie laughed, poking him in the nose. "Well the last time you tried that I got a serious bump on the head. That's why I set this one here," she giggled, tousling her son's hair, "on security duty." Squall nodded, placing a gentle kiss on Junior's forehead. The boy couldn't stop giggling. "You're getting sneaky little man, you know that?" Junior nodded, detaching his death grip from Squall's neck. "Uh huh!" he said enthusiastically. "I'm gonna be better than you soon." Squall laughed.
"Is that a fact?" he asked, setting the boy on his feet and taking Selphie's hands to help him up. Junior beamed up at the two.
That's what Grandpa told me!" Squall's reaction was visible, though it only really affected Selphie. His eyes went somewhat dark as he looked at his son. "Grandpa came to see you again, huh?" Junior gathered up his car, oblivious to Squall's reaction as Selphie bit her lip nervously. "Yeah, and we went downstairs, and he showed me all his tr…tri…his cards!" The boy's hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a somewhat battered card displaying a dragon, though the color was so faded it was hard to make out from a distance. "See? He gave me some!" Squall nodded, tucking a lock of the boy's hair behind one ear affectionately. "I'm glad you had a good time kiddo, but…" Selphie's glare said it all as she looked over at the man, and Squall swallowed back his words with a smile. "But I want a rematch on that video game you showed me last night. What'dya say?" Junior giggled and started for the door. "Gonna kick your butt!"
Squall sighed as Selphie mouthed the words 'Thank You' as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She took a moment to kiss him, a slow kiss as always, and when they pulled apart any tension that had been there was gone. She lowered her voice. "I need to talk to you about something later." Squall's eyes showed the slightest amount of very controlled panic, but she shook her head with a comforting smile. "Nothing bad, just want to show you something later. After the munchkin goes to bed, okay?" Squall nodded, placing a small kiss on her nose. "Sure."
Squall moved to catch up with his son and just as the two reached the door, Squall sprinted with a loud "Race ya!" that echoed down the halls. Junior took off after his father with another fit of giggles, his sneakers squeaking on the floor.
"No fair! Cheater!"
Selphie took a moment to soak in the moment before moving to follow the two at her own pace. Tonight wouldn't be easy, but Squall had to see. He had to know once and for all that this couldn't go on.