Disclaimer: Every character in this fic belongs to Squaresoft. Any questions?

Author's Notes: FFVIII is probably one of the best games ever. I love it so much that I finally decided to post this story. It's a short piece that deals with the beginning of Squall and Rinoa's relationship (no, it's NOT what you think!) All right, I know that I changed a couple of facts here and there, but it doesn't really matter. Enjoy!

PS: I like Quistis very much, I really do! It's just a story, ok? ;)

PSS: Me a foreigner. My English bad. You be tolerant. Me beg. ;)))

"Almost Midnight"

by Lucrecia LeVrai

It must have been the biggest city she had ever visited; it was so much different from Balamb. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to see much from the third floor of Galbadia Hotel. Quistis sighed, turning her back to the window.

She couldn't help but think about their next mission, trying to comb through her long hair at the same time. She was anxious about the whole thing. No, not about retrieving a lost ID number from a mysterious tomb, that would be child's play, or so she assumed. Quistis was worried about the Sorceress… there was definitely something wrong about this mission, even though she couldn't tell what exactly it was. The very idea of assassinating anybody in cold blood was unpleasant. Nevertheless, Quistis was a paid professional; she also realized that she had very little choice. The SeeD had to follow Martine's commands, because these orders agreed with Cid's wishes.

Tomorrow they were finally going to meet General Caraway - one of the most influential men in Galbadia… and Rinoa's father, as it turned out, much to the mercenaries' surprise. Rinoa was reluctant to go; it puzzled everybody as well. Rinoa… Quistis bit her lip. She didn't like the girl. The general's daughter was energetic, good-hearted, full of hope… a very nice person, indeed. However, something in her behavior infuriated the blonde instructor - it was Rinoa's attitude towards a certain handsome mercenary…

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Right, Quistis thought. Tonight I'm supposed to share a room with her…

"Come in!" she said.

"Where did everybody go…?" Rinoa asked, entering the room. "Where's Squall?"

Quistis shrugged. "Some time ago he went shopping with Selphie and Irvine. They should be back quite soon."

"Whaaat?" Rinoa pretended to sound devastated. "And he didn't take me with him?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Quistis ineffectively tried to conceal her mockery.

Rinoa gave her a strange look. Then she smiled, clasping her hands together. She obviously didn't notice the warning in Quistis' eyes. "You know…" she started "…he's so mean sometimes. But I've seen how Seifer's…" her face grew serious "…execution moved him… and it really made me think. I'm not so sure anymore. Oh!" she exclaimed, grabbing a pillow and squeezing it tightly. A small heave escaped her lips; her dark eyes shone with genuine emotion. "He's sooo handsome, don't you think? And cool, and everything! I think I may be in love!"

Quistis smirked, putting the comb aside. "Forget it."

"Why?" Rinoa blinked, dropping the pillow.

The young woman composed herself, pushing the glasses up her nose with an index finger. "He's not interested in some silly love affairs."

"Hm…" Rinoa frowned. "And how would you know?"

"Even though he keeps to himself, I happen to know him quite well. Besides…" Quistis voice was slightly malicious, but she didn't let her jealousy become evident "…he certainly won't be interested in you."

"Why?" Rinoa was truly puzzled; Quistis had never acted so hostile before.

"You're not his type, haven't you already noticed?"

"You sound very certain," the girl narrowed her eyes.

Her calmness was infuriating. "You're just an immature child who tries to manipulate everybody, playing the heroine at the same time," Quistis said angrily. "Squall has more important things to do than to hang around in your company!"

"Well…" Rinoa raised her voice as well. "As it turns out, he hangs around me all day!"

"Because you paid for it!" Quistis exclaimed, wondering if she had said too much.

Rinoa fell speechless. "…How dare you!"

"Oh, did I say anything unpleasant? Face the truth, he doesn't like you! You're too loud for his taste…"

For a brief moment Rinoa considered doing something drastic, but she composed herself. "You're mean!" she shouted.

"Hey, what's the screaming all about?" Zell said, opening the door.

"You did what?" Squall's expression was cold and dispassionate as ever.

"Well… you heard me. I told her to get out," Quistis admitted reluctantly.

"And she left." Zell, truly puzzled, scratched his blonde head. "I wanted to go after her, but she was running so fast that she disappeared from my sight."

"It's almost midnight and you let her go?" Squall asked in a mixture of barely concealed irritation and disbelief.

"Don't look at me," Irvine protested. "I was with you all the time!"

"Yeah," Selphie muttered, "…and you were driving me mad with your silly commends." She giggled, grinning at him. Irvine blinked innocently.

Quistis' lips were pressed into a thin line. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."

"She was born here, so she has to know the city pretty well," Zell nodded. "But… I'm worried about her. Instructor, you shouldn't have treated her so harshly… By the way, what was the fuss all about?"

"None of your business," the young woman replied. Zell, taken aback, gave her a blank stare. What happened between the two? He wasn't able to figure it out, no matter how hard he tried.

"Squall?" Selphie frowned. "Where are you going?"

The dark-haired boy said nothing, reaching for his gunblade. Quistis repressed a pained sigh. She sat down on a couch, lowering her blue eyes to the ground. She was already feeling guilty, regretting everything she had done. Despite her harsh and presumably pointless argument with Rinoa, she was a sensitive person… just a bit hot-tempered, hysterical, not always controlling her emotions, unable to deal with them.

"Yeah, knowing her, she's probably already into some trouble…" Zell shook his head. "Do you want me to come with you, Squall?"

"No. Stay here. We'll be back soon."

"But…" the blonde mercenary glanced at his watch "…it's so late!"

"…" Squall shrugged, silently closing the door in front of Zell's face.

Rinoa knew that this wasn't the most pleasant of districts, and yet she had no choice if she wanted to find a cheap hotel - she didn't have much money with her. In fact, she had never seen a large amount of cashsince she had decided to run away from home. She hadn't asked her father for support back then… and she certainty wasn't going to give it up; the desire to remain independent was much stronger. Not only was she proud, but also very stubborn, almost to the point of acting immature sometimes.

However, the financial problems and Caraway, as she used to call him, were the last things on her mind right now. Every thought instantly led to the brief confrontation with Quistis. What's wrong with her? The girl kicked a small can out of her way. She was so mean all of a sudden! I didn't say anything improper, right? It's not my fault... She had already cooled down; the anger vanished, leaving her puzzled and with this little mystery to solve. However, she was tired, therefore unable to concentrate.

She turned into a narrow alley, without even noticing a ginger cat that crossed her path. The streets were almost deserted. Mannequins in shop windows stared at her with their empty, frightening eyes. The evening air was cool and crispy; Rinoa didn't even have a jacket. She took another turn, almost bumping into a scary homeless man who gave her a toothless smile. She trembled. Was it really because of the cold?

The next thing she saw - unfortunately a bit too late - was a small group of young men. They sat on the pavement, chatting, laughing like a drain, occasionally sipping from a flat bottle. Rinoa quickly looked away and tried to pass them unnoticed. It didn't work.

"Hey, babe!" one of them measured her with a slightly clouded gaze.

"A hot chick!" somebody whistled through clenched teeth. "Just look at these legs!"

She paled, instantly speeding up, however, it was useless, as one of the men suddenly leapt to his feet and crossed her path.

"How about joining us, honey?" he casually offered. Still, his tone of voice was firm and demanding; Rinoa knew that the guy wouldn't take a simple 'no' for an answer. She hesitated, not quite sure whether she should risk a fight, or just run away as fast as possible, but before she could do a thing, the man grabbed her wrist. She tried to wrench herself free, but he was obviously much stronger. Rinoa cried out in pain, as he nearly crushed the bones of her slender hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Let go of her," somebody said calmly.

Rinoa instantly recognized the chilly, authoritative voice, for she would have recognized it everywhere. Her brown eyes widened in surprise.

Everybody - including the girl - turned around to see a dark figure jumping off a motorcycle. The person removed a helmet, revealing many strands of brown hair and a rebellious, handsome face that belonged to a teenager.

"Squall!" Rinoa had never felt such relief before. "Help me!"

"Oh, you know each other?" the guy that held her shrugged. "Sorry, but we have no time for you." He smirked. "Get lost!"

Squall narrowed his cold eyes. He carried no weapon, but something in his expression was unnerving, he looked dangerous. "…I don't like repeating myself."

"My, my," the young man mocked him. "What have we here? A guy who thinks he can mess up with my friends… Hey, amigos, get rid of him!"

Morons, Squall thought, watching the five men run in his direction. He swiftly dogged the first blow by stepping to the side, then dived under an armored fist. He kicked the attacker in the stomach, sending him flying backwards in the air, instantly turning to face another man. If it hadn't been for Rinoa's presence, he would have used his gunblade… but he didn't want to kill anybody in front of the girl's eyes. The weapon had to stay strapped to the motorbike's seat.

Even though Squall was no match for Zell when it came to martial arts, he was still good enough to duff some punks up with his bare hands. A couple of minutes later the three of them lay on the ground, unconscious, unable to fight back. The rest had run away.

Slightly bruised and out of breath, Squall looked up. "…Let's leave this place."

"Squall!" Rinoa cried out. Tears of gratitude shone in her eyes. "Thank you!"

Surprisingly enough, she caught him off guard. He attempted to step aside, but the girl he was faster. She run into his arms and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. He froze. Uncomfortable and embarrassed, he didn't return the gesture.

Rinoa finally let go of him and looked up, noticing the boy's nearly panicked expression. She blushed, taking a careful step back. For a painfully long moment they just wordlessly stared at each other. Rinoa was the first one to break the awkward tension. She suddenly remembered Quistis' ironical comments. Absently playing with her mother's ring, she couldn't help but ask: "Squall, why are you protecting me?"

He hesitated. "…Our contract is still valid," he said with his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Ah. I see…" her heart sank. "Is that the only reason?"

"…" Squall frowned. Why does she ask?

The only reason…? The contract doesn't really require me to chase her in the middle of the night… it's funny, I never thought about this before… Tonight I just grabbed the weapon and run downstairs to rent a bike… but I had to, I couldn't sit with my arms folded, something might have happened to her! Why did I feel the urge to follow her? Why do I still feel so?

No, he hastily decided, defending against the very thought, I'm not getting attached. Everything I did was simply my responsibility. A job that needed to be done, nothing else.

Little did he realize that he was already more than just attached…

"It's only your job, right?" the girl asked, irony in her voice shining through. "That's what you wanted to say?"

"Forget it," he said, unwilling to lie, and yet unable to tell her the truth. He didn't even know what was true, not anymore.

Her eyes widened, for Squall was actually blushing a little bit. Rinoa fell speechless, she could only stare at the sight. Am I dreaming? Does it mean that he actually has feelings? Does it mean that I have a chance? Is he hiding something? Too many questions… her head was spinning.

"…It's time to go back," the boy finally said.

"No!" Rinoa exclaimed quickly. "Um… I mean… I don't want to, okay? Let's… let's have a walk!" she didn't feel like returning to the hotel… not yet. Besides, she wanted to stay with Squall as long as possible and this was an excellent opportunity.

"……A walk?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, why not! The night is so pretty!"

Squall checked his watch - it was a quarter to one. He took a quick look around. The street was ugly and dangerous, besides, the three men were starting to regain consciousness. Walk…? Here? He doubted whether this was a very good idea. Then he noticed goosebumps on Rinoa's arms.

"You're cold."

"No… not anymore," she hastily lied.

"…Here," he took off his leather jacket and handed it to the girl, feeling terribly embarrassed as he did so. "Take it."

So unlike of him! So sweet! Rinoa was perplexed. "You know, that's very kind of you… Thank you!" Chilled to the bone, she gladly accepted the jacket. She nestled her cold cheek in its soft fur. "Much better…" she smiled at him.

It was a lovely smile that made Squall feel strange. However, he tried to ignore the sudden lightness in his heart.

Rinoa, with her head still tilted to the side, gestured at the motorbike. "Let's go to a park, it's not that far away. Please? I know it's late, but I really don't want to go back…"

"Why did you leave…?" he finally asked.

They stopped on a small stone bridge. Rinoa rested her elbows on a balustrade, leaning forward. The huge moon floated on the water's surface, occasionally moving a little bit, pulled by some tiny ripples. The girl sighed, throwing a furtive glance to the side. Squall wasn't watching the moon. He was watching her. His eyes held a questioning look.

"I… I had a quarrel with Quistis…" a strange feeling of melancholy overcame her.

The boy didn't say anything. As usual, he kept his all his questions and remarks to himself, calmly waiting for Rinoa to continue. However, it was obvious, even for him, that she didn't really want to carry on with this subject.

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "I didn't have much money, so I just thought of finding the cheapest hotel in Deling and spending the night there… All right, it was a very stupid idea, I suppose…

She admits she has made a mistake… unbelievable…

"What's so funny?" Rinoa raised her eyebrows.

"…Nothing," he assured her. And suddenly he remembered something. "Why didn't you…" his voice trailed off, he felt helpless. It's been quite a long time since I talked to anybody in such a casual manner, he bitterly thought. And now I have problems with saying things aloud… He hoped that Rinoa would understand him anyway.

She looked straight into his blue eyes. "Why didn't I come back to my father?"

Squall nodded. The girl started to turn the silver ring in her fingers.

"Because I hate him," she stated simply.

Squall's expression betrayed no emotions, but he was confused. She hates… her own father? How's that possible? It made him curious. The silence prolonged and he suddenly felt the urge to say something… anything…

"Why?" he asked.

"I just despise him, that's all." Rinoa clasped her hands behind her back. "He hates me, too…" her voice trembled slightly. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back to Deling City. Being here brings back many awful memories…" she shrugged and laughed to relieve the tension, but her laugh was half-hearted and insincere.

She went down the bridge; Squall followed her. She passed a small sign that read "keep off the grass" and stepped onto a lawn. Still facing the pond, she sat down and crossed her legs. Squall put his arms under his head and lay down on his back, ignoring the fact that his white shirt would get dirty. Before he could get lost in his thoughts, Rinoa began to speak.

"It started shortly after my mother's death… She died in a car crush many years ago, when I was seven. Her death was the beginning of an end…" she paused. "I'm sorry. If you don't want me to speak, I'll stop here. Just tell me…"

"No," he was surprised to hear his own voice saying that. "I don't mind. Go on."

"I blame him for my mom's death… You see… he was drunk and upset that night, but he insisted on driving. We hit another car… It was a miracle that everyone survived… everyone, except for my mother."

Squall didn't say anything.

"He started to avoid me, stopped noticing me. We became strangers who were forced to share the same house. He would drink a lot and I kept snapping at him every time I had a chance. I nearly ruined his career with my scandalous behavior. Two years ago, I decided to run away…" She frowned. "He thinks that my little resistance group is silly… that we won't be able to change anything. But I'm not fighting because I'm bored, even though you may think so… I care about these people, I really do! Caraway keeps calling me an idiot…" She paused all of a sudden. "What do your parents think of you? About being a mercenary and everything… You know what I mean…"

Squall's eyes were fixed on the moon. "…Didn't Seifer tell you?" he asked quietly.

"Didn't tell me what…?" she looked at him.

"Most people in the Garden are orphans and I am no exception," he finally said, shrugging. "My parents are dead," he stated in a dull, monotonous voice.

Rinoa gasped, covering her mouth with a slender hand. "I… I'm sorry! Really sorry! I shouldn't have asked…"

Squall rolled his eyes. "Never mind. It's something we all got used to a long time ago."

We are people with no past and, most probably, no future, he thought. If I die tomorrow, nobody will miss me… I hate it.

"How does it feel?" Rinoa suddenly asked. "I know it's a silly question, but… aren't you afraid… sometimes?"

"…Of loosing my life? Because I'm a mercenary?"

"…Mhm…" she was deadly serious.

Afraid of death? He wasn't sure. Well… of course he was, it was a natural, human emotion. But, apart from that, he was also afraid of falling into oblivion, that was the thing that frightened him the most.

Why did he care to answer was actually beyond him. "…I wish many things were different. But I am who I am and there is no way to change it… There's no point in talking about it, Rinoa…" he let her name hang on his lips for a few seconds. "Let's go back. They will be worried…"

"I know," she admitted. "Just a little bit longer…"

And, believe me or not, they spent the entire night there, lying under the moon, occasionally talking, until they both fell asleep… And it was the beginning of everything.

Author's Notes: So, how's my first attempt at Squinoa? Please, be so kind as to review! I'd like to know whether I should continue writing FFVIII fics…

Quistis is really malicious in this story, but, like I said, I like her. She's a sensitive and sensible person, very reliable, intelligent… Anyway, I feel sorry for her, because Squall and Rinoa are meant to be together!

Last but not least: I have a mayor problem with violence in FFVIII… well, not with the violence, actually, but with the lack of remorse. Squall doesn't have any conscience, the same deals for everybody else, even for such cute and innocent characters as Selphie… (Remember how she beat the poor technicians in the Missile Base…?) It really scares me. How old are these people? Seventeen? And they feel absolutely nothing when they kill humans…? Is it just me, or do you also have a problem with that?