Original characters, world and backstory belong to Squaresoft, lucky folks.
More adult version (sexual content of various kinds) available on my web site if you're old enough and like that kind of thing (www.scribblemoose.co.uk).
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Chapter 5 – Back Up
Rinoa dug her spoon fiercely into a large tub of ice cream.
"So," Selphie settled down opposite her, brandishing her own spoon, "what's the matter? Was the exam really awful?"
Rinoa shook her head. "No. It's something else. And you're going to hate me when I tell you." She left her spoon sticking out of the ice cream and pulled Quistis' hanky out of her bag. It was pretty much the worse for wear by now.
"I doubt it," Selphie smiled gently, "try me."
"Okay," Rinoa blew her nose loudly. "Today can't get much worse. I had a rough time in training with Zell – fuck knows what's got into him – and I stormed out. Irvine followed me and he was really nice to me and then he kissed me." She paused, watching Selphie's face, which, oddly, remained impassive. "And I kissed him back. I'm really sorry, Selphie. I know you and Irvine…"
"No, Rin. It's okay. I don't feel that way about Irvine."
"What?!"
Selphie shrugged and scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "He's a lovely guy, and a great friend, but I don't want to go out with him."
"Selph, you must tell him. He'd be devastated."
"It's alright, Rin. He knows. We talked about it ages ago. He's cool about it. We're just friends."
"Wow." Rinoa absentmindedly picked up her spoon and joined Selphie in demolishing the Galbadian choc-chip.
"So you see, I don't hate you. OK, Irvine kissed you and you kissed him back. Why so upset? You guys always get on so well together."
"I know, but…"
"You don't fancy him?"
"Well, yes, I do," a slight flush crept up Rinoa's cheeks, "but not like I fancy Squall. Squall's just… different."
"Right. So what happened?"
"I told Squall."
"You're kidding! Rinoa, are you mad?"
"I didn't want him to hear it from anyone else."
"I guess he didn't take it too well."
"No." Rinoa shook her head, fighting the tears again. "He was so hurt. And he said some mean things. And so did I." She went to hold the ring she was so used to finding round her neck, but of course it wasn't there. "Oh Selphie, I don't know what to do. I wish it had never happened."
Selphie watched her thoughtfully. "Are you sure?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Rin, it's not like you to regret stuff. If you kissed Irvine back, there must have been a reason."
"Are you saying I wanted to kiss him?"
"Well? Didn't you?"
Rinoa thought for a moment, licking her spoon. She remembered the moment Irvine's lips had touched hers, the way she had melted; how she had, for an instant, desired him so much that she would willingly have done anything he'd asked.
"Was it good?" Selphie persisted.
"Selphie, between you and me, it was fucking fantastic. It was like rolling in velvet, eating chocolate and drinking honey all at once. Are you sure you don't want him?"
Selphie shook her head. "Not my type," she said, "I like my men a little less smart and a lot more innocent."
"You don't know what you're missing."
Selphie gave a sly smile that suggested perhaps she did.
"But…" Rinoa carried on, "it was only lust. It was lovely, but it was Irvine. And I only want Squall." She sighed. "What am I going to do, Selph?"
"Give him time, Rin. He'll come round. It will have been a big shock to him but who knows? Maybe a healthy dose of jealousy is just what he needs to wake him up to the fact that he loves you."
"Selphie, do you ever get tired of being so optimistic?"
Selphie grinned. "No, never."
"So, Mrs Happy Ever After, you think if I just hold out and wait, he'll come and tell me it's all alright and he loves me and we can be together?"
"Well, something like that. Although not all those sentences at once. We are talking about Squall here." Selphie scraped the last of the ice cream from the bottom of the tub. "I expect it'll come over via a series of grunts and moody glances."
Rinoa smiled, starting to feel better. "Maybe," she sighed. "At any rate, I suppose I ought to get on with the parts of the day that haven't gone wrong yet." She put her spoon in the empty tub and licked her lips. "Thanks for lunch."
"You're welcome. Sometimes only ice cream will do."
"All I need now is a shower and I'm ready for anything."
"A cold one?" teased Selphie.
Rinoa grinned. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll see if I can get myself into any more trouble." She hugged her friend gratefully. "I'll try to be good. Thanks Selphie. I'm so pleased about Irvine and you not… well, not for Irvine, obviously. Are you sure he's cool about it?"
Selphie nodded. "More or less. It's not like I was ever the sole attraction round here."
"Well, no, but…" Rinoa shrugged. "Men, eh? Does anyone understand what's going on in those tiny minds of theirs?"
And with another grateful hug, she left.
Well at least she looks happier.
Humming to herself, Selphie crossed to her bedroom, popped her head round the door.
"Are you awake?" she whispered to the naked body in her bed.
"Yes," said Xu. "Have you got any more ice cream?"
* * * * * * *
Irvine came across Selphie some time later by the notice-board. To his dismay she greeted him not with her customary friendly hug but by poking him sharply in the ribs.
"Irvine Kinneas, must you always think with your prick? Because between you and me it has even less of a brain than the rest of you."
"Oh, you've heard, then," he said, bracing himself for the rest of her onslaught on his moral character.
But she saw the genuine pain in his eyes.
"Yes, I heard," she said softly. "What was it all in aid of?"
Irvine shrugged, fiddling with a button on his duster. "It just happened, 'Elf. It doesn't mean anything." It's still you I want.
"You're hopeless," she chastised gently. "Oh well, come on, dick-for-brains. I said I'd find out when Rinoa's due at the Fire Caverns."
"Half past three," said Irvine. "I checked already."
"Good. Did it say who her second would be?"
"No," said Irvine thoughtfully. "Which is weird, 'cos all the others did."
Selphie shrugged. "I guess they had to rearrange in a hurry. You heard, about Chet's student?"
Irvine nodded. "Ryat told me when I went to try and sort out a new door."
Selphie raised an eyebrow.
"Squall took a dislike to my old one," he explained.
"Oh, I see. He found you then."
"Yup. I think we sorted things out a bit, though. He felt better after he hit me on the nose."
"Oh! Are you okay?" Selphie stood on tiptoe and gently stroked his nose, as if suddenly noticing it was red and swollen.
"Yes," said Irvine, locking her eyes to his as her touch sent shivers through him, "but that's helping."
"Down, boy," said Selphie, and took her hand away.
"Selphie, I…."
She put her finger to his lips. "Shh… don't. We're cool, with stuff, aren't we?"
Helplessly, Irvine nodded. "Whatever you say, 'Elf."
"Good. Now, let's go find Rinoa."
"You go ahead," said Irvine, "I'm not sure it would help if I turned up right now. Best let her be."
"Love 'em and leave 'em, eh?" teased Selphie. "Okay. I'll see you at the briefing. Don't be late, or you'll have Quistis after you as well." And with a quick kiss to his wounded nose, which shot to the core of him, she was gone.
* * * * * * *
Rinoa stepped out of the shower, shivering slightly, and wrapped her hair in a towel. She dried her body roughly, rubbed lotion into her limbs 'til they glowed, pulled on combat shorts, bra and vest top. She laced up her boots like a meditation, counting each hole as she threaded, not too tight, tied a double knot. She shook her hair free of the towel, pulled a comb through from the roots and slicked it back in a tight ponytail.
She looked at herself in the mirror with some satisfaction, toned body, flat stomach, strong arms and thighs. After a day of sexual tension, angst and anxiety, it felt good to get ready for battle. She'd worked hard for this. She wasn't going to let anything get in her way, not even Squall.
She checked her watch as she strapped it to her wrist: time to go. She gave Angelo a brief hug, ruffling the soft fur behind his ears, took one last look in the mirror and set out for the Fire Caverns.
* * * * * * *
Squall noticed her before she noticed him, striding up the path he'd trod himself just two years ago. He felt a surge of pride: she was so beautiful, so strong, so determined. When she did notice him she stopped in her tracks, looked over her shoulder as if she suspected a trick, shrugged and continued towards him. He'd never seen her so focused.
"Squall?" She raised one questioning eyebrow.
"I'm your second."
"Oh."
He didn't know quite what to say, not because of any magic in his brain, just because he was Squall and he never found it easy to put things into words. He didn't want to break her concentration, or, on the other hand, have her think he was still mad at her.
"Look, Squall, I don't want to fight with you. I just need to know you're with me. For the next half an hour."
He nodded, giving away little of what, if anything, he was feeling. But she looked into his clear grey eyes and saw his loyalty. That was all she needed.
"Right. Let's do it."
She led him through the cave entrance, her senses alive, nerve endings tingling.
Xian was waiting just inside the first cavern.
"Rinoa Heartilly, do you accept the challenge of the Fire Cavern?"
"I do." Damn, she thought, I never apologised for the Training Centre wall. Oh well, too late now. She'd just have to hope that Xian wouldn't hold it against her.
"And who is your second?"
Can't you see? Rinoa was dimly aware that her pumped up aggression might come across as antisocial, if she wasn't careful.
"My second is Squall Leonhart." Even when she was angry with him, she loved the sound of his name on her tongue.
"You have a time limit of thirty minutes. Rinoa, Squall, proceed."
Xian stepped to one side, and Rinoa led Squall into the darkness.
* * * * * * *
Irvine tried to slink unnoticed into the back of the hall, but he seemed to be all out of slink today. Quistis spotted him straight away and came over to disapprove of him as usual.
At least this time he'd earned it.
"Irvine Kinneas, sometimes I think you've learned nothing from your time here."
"I wouldn't say that," he turned on the charming smile without even thinking about it. "I've learned how sexy you look when you're mad at me."
Quistis frowned at him over the top of her little librarian glasses. Mmm, thought Irvine, why, Ms Trepe, you're beautiful.
"Just try to keep your raging libido under control for ten minutes, if that's not too difficult."
"I'll try my best," he winked at her, "just for you."
She rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible!"
He grinned, and caught Selphie's eye, she was giggling.
Quistis made her way to the front of the hall and grasped the lectern with both hands.
"Your attention, please." The room fell obediently silent. "This is a quick briefing, most of you should already know your assignments for tomorrow: routine manoeuvre pattern B. Red and Cyan teams will be taking the train at 07:00…"
Irvine let himself tune out as Quistis droned on. Selphie was all rapt attention: she could fill him in later.
Safe under the shadow of his hat, he surveyed the room. Zell was sitting in the front row, looking pissed off and scribbling in a notebook. Xu was sitting quietly next to Quistis, hands folded in her lap. Most of the cadets, instructors and SeeDs were listening to Quistis, or at least seemed to be. Inevitably his eyes fell once more on Selphie; she must have sensed him watching her because she turned and winked at him. He grinned lazily at her.
"Due to the problems at the Fire Cavern today," Quistis was saying, "Inspector Chet's classes tomorrow have been cancelled," a celebratory yell came from some of Chet's students, "and finally, I am pleased to report that yesterday's mission to the factory near Dollet was successful. Xu will now tell us what the next phase of that particular operation will be."
Xu nodded, and took over the lectern. She spoke quietly, as was her custom, but her voice was clear as a bell.
Nice breasts, too, thought Irvine. Damn, he was obsessed today. Maybe Quistis and Selphie were right.
"It's vital that we work out what the Dia are up to," said Xu, "these crystals can be dangerous, so please, anyone on these missions take care and make sure you report anything unusual to me. Assignments for the next collection trips will be announced after the break day. That's all. Thank you."
She has the cutest dimples when she smiles.
People started to file out of the room, and Irvine's friends gathered around him. He was starting to feel overwhelmed with disapproval.
"I'm sorry, you guys, okay? Forgive me?"
Selphie smacked his butt. "Just don't do it again," she said.
"OK. I promise. But only if you'll slap me again."
"I hope they'll be OK," Quistis interjected. "Squall and Rinoa."
"They'll be fine," said Selphie. "They just need a new mission. Nothing like dangerous combat to get love back on the tracks. Now, who's up for a trip to the cafeteria for a hot dog before we get the test results and start celebrating Rinoa's graduation?"
"It's not a dead cert," said Zell, with an uncharacteristic indifference to the temptation of hot dogs, "let's not tempt fate."
"Oh, alright," said Selphie. "Let's go eat anyway, shall we?"
Zell and Quistis looked at best marginally enthusiastic. Irvine could sense the tension as they started to imagine the possibility that Rinoa might fail.
"It would be our fault." Irvine was the first to voice their fears. "We all let her down today, didn't we? It was a really important day for her and we all let her down."
Selphie raised an eyebrow at Irvine, challenging him to elaborate.
"Well, think about it. Quistis, what happened between you and Rin this morning?"
Quistis looked unusually sheepish. "Well, I did ask her about Squall. And she did get a bit upset."
That was news to Irvine. "And you told her off about Leviathan," he added.
"That was a bit harsh, Quis," said Selphie, "we were in a tight corner, you know."
"Yes," said Quistis quietly, "I know."
"And then Zell tried to get her killed in the Training Centre."
Zell opened his mouth to protest, but quickly snapped it shut again. Irvine was right.
"And then you tried to seduce her," Quistis added, keen to get her own back.
"Then Squall went ballistic at her," said Irvine quickly, absentmindedly stroking his nose. "The only one of us who hasn't let her down is Selphie."
Selphie shook her head, "no, it was all my fault. If I'd been able to go training with her this morning none of this would have happened. I would have had breakfast with her, not Quisty, Zell wouldn't have lost his rag and Irvine would have kept his dick in his pants so Squall would be his usual icy controlled self."
Irvine looked mildly hurt. "It was only a kiss," he murmured, "practically a peck." He became aware of Zell's eyes burning into him and shifted uncomfortably.
"You're right, Selphie," said Quistis. "What a disastrous bunch of so-called friends we are. All so wrapped up in ourselves we couldn't back her up her today, of all days."
They all considered this for a moment.
"She couldn't even have me to second her," said Zell, "thanks to them changing the stupid rules."
Irvine frowned. "Who is her second?" He hadn't missed anyone at the briefing. Except…
"Oh no." Even Selphie looked aghast.
"Squall," whispered Quistis, "of course."
"He was feeling better," said Irvine, hopefully. "He was going to sort things out. I think."
"Do you think they'll be OK?" asked Zell anxiously.
Quistis shrugged helplessly. "We'll just have to wait and see."
* * * * * * *