Watching You
Chapter Five: Out of the Ordinary
By PasifikStar

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the positive comments and stuff! I reallly appreciate it. Thank you for waiting on the chapters, too. I'm sorry to have to make you wait. I've just been so busy. And yes, Squall is not 'infatuated' (he's in love). ^_^

* All standard disclaimers apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.


"Rinoa, just have a seat," Irvine said, getting off her chair and offering it to her as he stood up. Seifer sat up on her bed and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees as Rinoa passed. "So where'd you run off to?"

Rinoa sat down on the chair and looked up at him. "Just around..." she said, her voice uneven.

Irvine glanced over at Seifer. The blond suddenly shot up, an angry glare on his face. "You went out with HIM, didn't you!?" Seifer shouted. "What did I tell you about him! Don't get involved!"

"Seifer, relax-" Irvine said casually as he leaned against the wall. Seifer turned around to glare at him.

"Don't tell me to relax-"

"Well, you're not going to get anywhere if you just yell at her-"

"What the hell are we supposed to do!?" Seifer growled. "I've already tried to tell her not to get involved and she doesn't listen!"

"Seifer, Irvine, please..." Rinoa said tiredly from where she was sitting. The two tall males turned to her. She was hunched over, her face in her hands. "I really like Squall..." she admitted quietly.

"Oh, Hyne, we're dead." Seifer sighed, throwing his arms in the air as he fell back on the bed.

"It's not YOUR problem!" Rinoa gasped as she lifted her head and looked at them. "It's mine! I know I'm not supposed to be getting involved with him."

"Then why ARE you?" Irvine asked. He knelt down next to Rinoa. "Rin, do you know how much trouble you can get him into if you continue seeing him."

"I do know," Rinoa said. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. "That's why we've decided not to...get involved until after I graduate...it's just a few months away, right?"

She looked up earnestly at Irvine. The cowboy looked at her and then looked over at Seifer. "What about singing?" Irvine asked as his eyes fell back on to her. "What about your career?"

"I'm not going to give it up, Irvine," Rinoa said with a weak smile. "I'm just going to start seeing Squall after I graduate. When it's nice and legal."

Seifer raised his hand to his face and ran his hand down his face. "Rinoa...that's not the point." he mumbled. She tilted her head to the side and looked over at him.

"Seifer, you said that I can't see him if I'm a student," Rinoa insisted. "And my father won't let me drop out of the Garden, so I might as wait until I graduate, right?"

Irvine let out a heavy sigh. He nodded. "She has a point." Irvine said. Seifer looked over at the cowboy with a shocked face.

"What?" Seifer snapped.

"If Rinoa doesn't want to get involved with him right now, that's FINE," Irvine stressed. "At least she'll OUT of the GARDEN later."

Seifer drew his head back and nodded subtly. "Right..." He mumbled. He looked over at Rinoa. "Rin, you know what will happen if you two are caught. Try not to be."

Rinoa smiled and nodded. "I know." she said.

Irvine stood up and leaned over Rinoa. He put his hands gently on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Just be careful, Rin," he told her. Rinoa nodded once more and stood up as the two men headed for her door. "Good night."

"Night." Seifer said, merely lifting a hand to wave as they exited her room. Rinoa closed her eyes and fell back on her bed.

She put her left fore arm over her eyes. "That was close..." Slowly, she lifted her arm back up and moved it over her neck. She felt around for a thin silver chain that had been tucked under her top.

Her slim fingers lifted up the chain to where she could see it over her head. Her right hand ran along it's length, lifting up two rings that were hanging around the chain. As the room's dim light glistened off the silver bands, a smile caressed her lips.


"That solves the problem for now," Irvine said as they walked swiftly down the hall. "At least she'll stay away from him for the time being. That won't arouse suspicion."

"As long as Caraway doesn't find out," Seifer said as they turned a corner. "Our only problem now is what we're going to do once she graduates."

"When's the graduation?"

"Five and a half months..." Seifer mumbled. "If we can get her to focus on her career, she won't be able to see him. But you know how stubborn she is."

"At least for now we're out of the fire," Irvine replied. "I kind of feel bad for her."

"Why?" Seifer grumbled, almost annoyed at the thought.

"I've never seen her like that before," Irvine stated. "She must really like the guy. Too bad he's President Loire's son. I bet it would've worked out."

Seifer snorted. "He's bad news. I don't like how attached she is to him."

"What, jealous?" Irvine asked, grinning.

"I heard that Leonhart races motorcycles," Seifer stated with a shrug. "Do you think a guy who lives a fast paced life style like that would understand how it feels for Rinoa to live with the burden of being a sorceress? When he breaks up with her, she'll fall apart. That's when she's the most dangerous."

"What if he doesn't break up with her?" Irvine asked.

"Are you really willing to risk it?"


He swung his gunblade, cutting his opponent in two as he ran forward. He was making good time during this session in the training room. Suddenly, he heard someone yell and saw a flash of light. He turned his head just in time to see someone run through on the path across from him.

All he saw was a flash of baby blue and black and he knew who it was. Immediately, Squall cut through the foliage and headed over to the next path. Up ahead he could see the young woman lifting up her arm before sending an iron weapon flying into her enemies.

Her dark hair flew over her shoulders as she ran. The hems of her baby blue duster floated behind her. Rinoa ran forward, completely unaware that she was being followed. She had merely wanted some time to practice before dinner that evening and Selphie helped her schedule some time in the training room.

She quickly slid to a stop as she was confronted with a sleeping T-Rexsaur. *Opps...* her mind thought to herself. She took a step back, debating on the best way to leave without waking it.

She began to walk back slowly and didn't watch where she was going. A hand clamped around her mouth as her back pressed against something. Her eyes were wide as she was pulled against another body.

"Don't scream..." a deep voice whispered into her ear. "Unless you want to wake him..."

She felt the hand loosen around her mouth and she turned around. "Squall!?" she hissed in a low voice. He nodded and nudged his head to one side of the area. Rinoa tilted her head to the side, not sure if she was being invited somewhere or not.

"I'll see you there." He whispered in a low voice.

Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the forest. Rinoa opened her mouth to yell for him to wait, but stopped before she could. Her eyes turned back to the sleeping reptile and she slowly backed away.


Squall sat around a hidden glen in the training room. He looked around as his gunblade laid next to where he was sitting, silently hoping that she could find him.

*Maybe I should've given her more instructions than just a nod of my head.* he thought to himself.

"Whoa!" a voice sounded at his left and he turned around. Rinoa stumbled from the shrubs and fell forward. She quickly caught herself before she fell and began to pick off the branches and leaves that had attached themselves to her clothes.

"Rinoa." Squall called out. He began to stand up, brushing off his clothes as she looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm glad I found you!" she said with a slight laugh as she walked towards him. She had a few leaves stuck in her hair. "I thought I got lost in the shrubs or something."

"It looks like you brought it with you," Squall said. He raised his hand as he approached her and removed a small twig from her hair. Rinoa blushed as he dropped the twig and brushed back her hair. "Am I bothering you?"

"No!" she gasped, her eyes wide. "I was just practicing. It's no big deal, really."

He smiled slightly. "It's been two weeks," he said softly. "How are you doing?"

Rinoa smiled and sat down on the ground. He slowly took his seat next to her. "Okay," she said with a bright smile as she pulled her legs up to her knees. "School is pretty easy. I guess it's because I don't have to take those hard SeeD general requirement classes."

"Those aren't that hard," he assured her. He was sitting next to her, his legs stretched out in front of them as he leaned back against his arms. "Has anyone asked?"

"Hmmm?" Rinoa looked over at him and thought for a moment. She shook her head. "Not really... but Seifer and Irvine have been keeping an eye on me. Seifer won't let me go anywhere by myself."

"You're here by yourself," Squall stated. His eyes narrowed. "Is someone else here?"

"No," Rinoa said, shaking her head. "Selphie said that this was the only time she could schedule me in and Seifer and Irvine and the others couldn't make it."

Squall raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. *What a coincidence...Selphie had me switch times with her this week...* he thought to himself. "So you're here alone."

Rinoa nodded. "Well, not anymore, anyway," she said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"I miss you," he stated simply. Rinoa blushed furiously as she turned her head away. Suddenly, there were butterflies in her stomach as she tightened her hold around her knees. "Are you all right?"

She nodded slightly. "I just haven't seen you in two weeks," Rinoa said weakly. "I was kind of worried that you'd forgotten about-"

"How could I forget about you?" Squall asked, cutting her off. She turned her head to look at him with large brown eyes. They met his hardened blue ones which softened upon reflecting her. "I want to see you." he said softly as he lifted up his right hand. He had removed his gloves and hardened, callused hands touched flushing cheek.

Rinoa closed her eyes and struggled to keep her breathing under control as his touch sent fire across her body. "I want to see you, too...I'm afraid to go see you."

"I know," he whispered softly. "Just a few more months, Rinoa...just wait." He pressed his forehead against hers and she nodded. His hands ran through her thick hair, pulling her closer to him as his soft lips caressed her forehead. They trailed down to meet her lips as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Why can't I see you?" Rinoa whimpered as she fell against him. Squall turned his body to hold her as she buried her face against his shoulder. "It's not fair...I can't even see you. I never even see you in the school. It's like you're avoiding me."

Squall closed his eyes and gently stroked his hair. "You're going to hear things," Squall whispered. "Things that I'll say that'll hurt you. But I swear, it's only to protect us."

"Things?" Rinoa asked. She pushed away from him. "What things?"

"People have started talking," Squall told her reluctantly. "You know what'll happen if they find out," Rinoa nodded. "I told them that there is nothing between us."

Rinoa nodded once more. "I understand."

"No matter what you hear, don't believe it." he told her sternly as he held her at arms length.

"Squall," Rinoa said quietly as she lifted her head to look up at him. "Do you think that I'm only infatuated with you?"

Slowly he drew his head back, unsure of what to say. Rinoa's eyes looked up at him, begging him to answer her. "I hope not..." he told her truthfully. "I'm not infatuated with you."

Rinoa's lower lip trembled as she closed her eyes. "Then how do you feel about me?" she asked.

Squall's heart stopped in his chest. How was he supposed to answer that question? He stared at her, unsure of how to answer. "I..." he began nervously. As uncertainty filled the air, Rinoa pulled away from him.

"Do you even feel anything for me?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were downcast and she couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

Squall sat there silently. It was more than an infatuation. It was more than just caring about her. It was just more. He did feel something for her, just didn't know how to describe it. "I feel everything for you." he replied suddenly. Rinoa lifted her head to meet his.

"What?"

Squall looked away and stared at the ground in front of him as Rinoa looked over. "I can't stop thinking about you. When I wake up in the morning to when I sleep at night, my first and last thoughts are of you. I sit and wonder what you're doing. If you're all right. If you want to see me, too. I don't know how to describe it."

Rinoa sat there quietly. She sat up on her knees and crawled over to him slowly. As she stopped next to him she sat up once more. Squall was hunched over, staring helplessly at the grass. Two arms wrapped around his shoulders and he felt her body lean against his back.

Her head rested to the right of his and he could smell the scent of shampoo in her hair as the beating of her heart hit his chest. "You don't have to wonder any more," she whispered softly in his ear as she closed her eyes. "I want to see you, too."

Squall lifted his hands and held on to hers as they held him against her. He closed his eyes and leaned back. He tilted his head to the side and kissed her cheek softly. "I'll see you again," he told her gently. "You can see me any time."

"Where?" Rinoa asked, slightly surprised. She pulled away slightly and he whispered something in her ear.


"Rinoa, how was your training session?" Irvine said as he caught up with the young woman. Rinoa turned around and smiled.

"Great! I feel energized. I think I did pretty well in there." she said, fully self assured. Irvine laughed and nodded.

"Good to hear that," he said. "So what are you up to now?" she asked.

"Going up to my room and study," Rinoa said as she pressed the button on the elevator. "Quistis has a test tomorrow."

"Study hard then!" Irvine said. "See you at dinner?"

"Nope," Rinoa said, shaking her head as the doors opened. "I have some breakfast bars. I'll snack on them!"

"That's not healthy, Rin!" Irvine shouted as the doors closed.

"Later, Irvine!" She chuckled to herself as the doors slid closed. Irvine sighed and shook his head. Rinoa held on to her bag as she impatiently waited for the doors to reopen.

When they did, she nearly flew out of the elevator, almost knocking down some other SeeD cadets. She shouted an apology over her shoulder as she rushed to her room. She dug through her pocket for her key card and managed to find it. She slid it through the reader and her door slid open. She punched in a locking code so that Irvine and Seifer, who knew her pin, couldn't enter.

She turned on her lights and tossed her duffel bag on to her bed. She quickly unzipped it and pulled out a bag from the electronic store in town. She smirked, almost deviously, as she took the box out of it and set up the small camera on her desk.

She attached it to her laptop and installed the equipment. None of the dorm rooms had phones, but they did have access to the network. As far as she knew, the network wasn't monitored. It was too much of a hassle and besides, most of the Garden was on the network at one time anyway.

Rinoa adjusted the camera around her desk so she could get the best picture of her and smiled. Everything was ready.


Squall put his gunblade by his bed as he removed his jacket. He glared at the pile of papers that were on his desk. He'd have to finish that by the next day and decided to bring some of his work with him from the office. He turned on his desk lamp and sat on his chair.

He looked up at the monitor of his lap top, which he had kept running the whole day. He tilted his head to the side as he saw a flashing message on the screen. He lifted his hand and began to move the optical mouse he had bought. He accepted the message.

"Turn on your camera...?" he said, reading the words that were sent to him in a message. Shrugging, he did as he was told and reached over to the small camera that Selphie had gotten him for his lap top. He adjusted it so it faced him and then watched as his image appeared on the screen.

Another box appeared and he mentally swore. He clicked accept, hoping it wasn't another random pop up ad. Suddenly, a small screen opened and a familiar face smiled back at him. "Hi!" a voice said from the speakers.

"Rinoa?" he asked, surprised. The microphone on the laptop caught it.

She smiled brightly, extremely pleased with herself for having been able to turn set up the equipment by herself. "I missed you."

Squall smiled slightly and enlarged the box. Her picture was slightly fuzzy, but he could see her perfectly. The image was from her shoulders up to her head and it was almost life size. "You actually bought a camera?"

Rinoa nodded enthusiastically. "I went out and got it today!" she said. "What do you think? Now I can see you."

"It'll do for now," Squall said, smiling warmly. His hand rose and touched the screen, as if trying to caress her face. "It's good to see you...and hear you."

Rinoa blushed. "Will this be easier?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded.

"It will do," he told her. "I'll leave the camera on," he told her. "If you ever want to see me, just go on. I'll accept all your connections."

"Thanks," Rinoa said. "This was a good idea. Best hundred gil I've ever spent." Squall chuckled slightly.

"It's still a poor substitute for you," he admitted. "So what are you doing?"

"I just finished setting this up," Rinoa said. "I'm surprised you're not at the speedway."

"I have to finish some work by tomorrow," Squall sighed. "Then I'll go after I turn it in."

"Can I go with you some time?" Rinoa asked. Squall tilted his head slightly and Rinoa blushed. "I mean...once I graduate."

Squall smiled. "Of course."

"I wish I could be there," Rinoa said. "You know...at the G-14 in a few months. But it's too suspicious, you know."

"It's during a break," Squall said. "Are you going to be in Galbadia?"

"I'm supposed to do a concert," Rinoa sighed. "So I might not be." He nodded, disappointed. He took a deep breath and tried to smile.

"As long as you think of me, I'll be fine."

Rinoa smiled. "They broadcast it, right?" she asked eagerly. Squall nodded. "Then I'll watch it!" she asserted loudly. "I'll be watching you, Squall."

"What about your concert?" Squall asked. "Is it going to be broadcasted?"

Rinoa blushed and nodded. "Yes," she said. "It's going to be a live broadcast of my new song."

Squall looked at her image intently. "Then I'll be watching you, too."

"It'll be like we're there with each other," Rinoa said, slightly sad. "Even if we're not. Squall..."

"Yes?"

Rinoa closed her eyes slowly and reopened them. She looked directly at him, as if they were really sitting across from each other. "I want to be with you now."


"Hey, Squall," Selphie said as she approached the brunette who was walking down the hall. The young commander turned around and nodded his head to acknowledge her. "You're going to be at the dance this Friday right?"

"Why?" Squall asked, narrowing his eyes. A dance meant that he would have to dress up and waste his time standing around.

"It's the mid-quarter dance," Selphie sighed. "Everyone's going to be there. You should come. You haven't hung around with us in a while."

*That's because Rinoa hangs around with you and I can't be seen with her,* Squall thought. "I've just been very busy. You know that."

"Oh, come on, Squall," Selphie pleaded with large green eyes. "We haven't seen you a while. You're always working or at the speedway. You could at least say hi to your friends."

Squall let out a heavy breath. "Selphie, you know I CAN'T." he stressed.

Selphie looked around and stepped closer. "Is it because of Rinoa?" she whispered in a quietly voice. Squall opened his mouth to disagree, but Selphie continued talking. "Squall, you know we won't say anything."

"There isn't anything to speak of." Squall insisted.

He tired to step around Selphie, but the petite brunette quickly darted in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Squall, you don't have to lie about it," Selphie told him. "Believe me. We want to help."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "Selphie, I don't know-"

"Why do you think I asked you to switch times with me the other week for training room sessions?" she asked. "The only reason Irvine and Seifer agreed to let Rinoa be scheduled that time was because they thought she was going with me."

Squall stood there, his eyes down cast. "I thought you had something to do with it."

"Squall, you must feel something for her," Selphie persisted. "You gave her a ride on your motorcycle...you've never done that with anyone! Remember when Zell's car broke down on the side of the road and you passed by. You didn't give him a lift back to the Garden, you left him there and set for a tow truck."

"Zell didn't want to ride with me." Squall stated.

Selphie sighed. "Just be there," she said. "She wants to see you..." Squall paused. He slowly lifted his head to meet Selphie's gaze.

"How do you know?" he asked quietly.

"Because whenever we're walking down the hall she looks around, as if expecting to see someone," Selphie told him. "Quistis will keep Seifer occupied," she added. "And I'll make sure Irvine is busy."

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Squall asked with icy narrowed blue eyes. "Do you know how much trouble you're getting into?"

Selphie smiled brightly and nodded. "Do you?" she asked casually. Squall drew his head back and Selphie's smile grew. "We'll see you then."


"Selphie, this isn't a good idea," Quistis said nervously as she paced the room of Selphie's dorm. "Seifer will be furious if he finds out!"

"If you keep him occupied, he won't care," Selphie assured Quistis. "Besides, this is fun."

"HOW is risking our jobs FUN?" Quistis asked, her blue eyes wide.

Selphie giggled. "It won't hurt for them to see each other face to face once in a while," Selphie told her. "Besides, no one is going to suspect anything. Almost no one but us knows about them and if Squall sits with us, it's only a coincidence that Rinoa is there, too. She's our friend, too, after all."

"Are you forgetting that Headmaster will be there?" Quistis asked nervously. "What will he say?"

"He probably won't even notice," Selphie said in a relaxed tone. "Besides, what's so wrong with it? Squall's been to dances before and he's danced with students and cadets before... kind of..."

"Being asked to dance and then rejecting everyone doesn't count as dancing," Quistis sighed. "Rinoa's going to be performing, isn't she?"

"Just one song," Selphie said. "That way he'll see her for sure."

"You do realize that if we're caught, we'll be penalized...maybe even fired." Quistis stated.

Selphie nodded. "Yeah, but you've seen Rinoa when we mention Squall. Her eyes get all big and she listens intently. And Squall's been more lively. You said so yourself that he was a lot more attentive at the faculty meeting and has been doing his work on time."

Quistis sighed and nodded. She had noticed that. Ever since Rinoa arrived at the school, Squall had been doing his work on time and at meetings, he was listening and even putting in his impute rather than saying 'whatever' or worse, just sitting there in silence. Several times, she had gone to his office and seen him working on papers.

Sometimes he was even on his computer, doing record checks and writing reports. The strangest part was that he didn't seem at all angry at it. He seemed rather relaxed as he worked on files and mountains of papers. She had also noticed that he had been wearing headphones the last two times.

Regardless, even as his work load increased, he had been turning them all in on time. Xu thought he was sick at one point. Quistis looked down at her hands as she sat on the edge of Selphie's bed. The petite brunette smiled proudly. She knew that Quistis was going to help, even though she protested.

"Let's just pray that it all works out." Quistis sighed.

"Yes!" Selphie beamed. "I knew you'd help, Quistis!"

"I'm not helping-"

"Now that it's decided, let's call Rinoa!"

"Why?" Quistis said. "You can't tell her we're getting involved in this-"

"I'm not!" Selphie said as she searched for her cellular phone amongst the piles of paper on her desk. Selphie winked as she found her phone. "I just want to make sure she'll wear something nice for it."


Rinoa pinned the last silver barrette into her hair and stepped back. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Everything seemed in place. She wore a short black dress without any straps and matching black heels. She looked over herself in the mirror as a few stray strands of her bangs fell over her face. There was a knock at her door.

"Coming!" she shouted. She grabbed her key card and slipped it into a small purse as she headed for the sliding doors. They opened and outside was Irvine, wearing a dark suit and his cowboy hat. She began to laugh at the sight.

"What?" Irvine asked, somewhat amused at her reaction.

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you," she said. "What's on your head?" she asked as she stepped out. She lifted her hand and tugged on his hat.

"What does it look like? It's my lucky hat." he laughed. Rinoa merely shook her head and grinned.

"Hoping to get lucky?" she asked casually as she linked arms with her long time best friend.

"Hey, I get to walk in with the infamous Rinoa Caraway," Irvine said proudly as they walked towards the elevators. "How lucky can I get?"

Rinoa merely chuckled and shook her head as the elevator doors opened. "So where's Seifer? I thought he was going, too?" They stepped inside and the doors closed. Irvine reached over and pressed the button. Soon the elevator began to move.

"I think he's going with Quistis," Irvine said. "So I believe he went to pick her up."

"Zell and Selphie must already be there," Rinoa said. "I don't think Raijin and Fujin were going. I think they went fishing."

"Yeah, Seifer wanted to go, but then Quistis said she was going and you know how he is." Irvine shrugged.

Rinoa laughed. "They're made for each other," she grinned. The elevator doors slid open and even though they were down the hall, they could hear the music coming out of the ball room at the end of the hall. "Looks like the party's started."

"It hasn't started until I'm there." Irvine said with a smirk. Rinoa merely laughed once more and headed for the doors. They were greeted by Headmaster Cid who was standing there with his wife. Irvine removed his hat as he greeted them. The middle aged man chuckled and told them to have a good time.

Rinoa and Irvine stepped into the wonderfully decorated ball room. A DJ was playing on a stage to one side as a long table stretched out across one room lined with food and drinks. Tables covered in yellow cloth were scattered around the area except for the dance floor. The lights were very dim, almost dark, as lights moved around the dance floor.

"I was beginning to think you two weren't going to make it!" a voice shouted from the.

"Selphie!" Irvine said, immediately letting go of Rinoa's arm. The dark haired young woman sighed.

*Look how quickly he forgets his best friend for a pretty face...ah, Irvine...you're so simple.* she thought to herself.

"Hi, Irvy! Hi, Rinoa!" Selphie said as Irvine put his arm around her shoulder. "Are you all set to go?"

"Whenever you're ready," Rinoa said. She looked around the ball room once more. "You did a great job, by the way."

"Thanks!" Selphie beamed her a smile. "If you want, you can head up to the stage. Everything is ready for you."

"Thanks, Selphie," Rinoa said. "Any requests?"

"Hmm...what about a slow song?" Irvine asked casually. "That way I can dance with Selphie here," *And know that you're not going to sneak out to see the commander.*

Selphie merely smiled and Rinoa nodded. "Sure thing," Rinoa said. "Have you seen Quistis and Seifer?"

"They're sitting at the table arguing as usual," Selphie said. She pointed to the table to one side of the ball room. Seifer was sitting there as Quistis talked. He'd interject every so often, only to be put into place by Quistis. "You want to put your purse down first?"

"Sure!" Rinoa said. She walked over to the table with Selphie and Irvine behind her.

"Will you just stop pouting?" Quistis snapped at Seifer as they neared them. "You look fine."

"I can't believe I'm wearing this..." Seifer grumbled. He looked down at the shirt that Quistis had made him wear. It was a dusty pink color that matched with Quistis' dress.

Irvine smirked as they joined them. "Hey, I'm going to be singing in a moment," Rinoa said as she reached the table. She put her purse down next to Quistis'. "Are you guys going to dance?"

"Psst...no." Seifer snorted.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll just dance with someone else!"

"You can dance with me, Quistis," Irvine, giving her a charming smile. "You AND Selphie."

Immediately, Seifer shot out of his seat. His hand flew down to Quistis. "Well?"

Quistis looked at him hesitantly. "Well, what?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Are we going to dance or what?"

Rinoa sighed and headed for the stage. As she approached, Selphie ran up ahead of her. She got on the stage and waved at the DJ. The music died down and everyone looked up towards the stage as it illuminated.

"Welcome everyone to the Mid-Quarter Dance!" Selphie said. "We have a special performance by one of our students - Rinoa Caraway!"

People began to clap and shout as Rinoa approached the microphone. Selphie quickly ran down the steps of the stage to meet up with Irvine as Rinoa smiled and lifted up the microphone. The lights began to dim around her and she looked around. She couldn't see Squall anywhere, but then again she had assumed that he wasn't coming.

She took a deep breath as the music stared behind her. At the sound of a familiar tune of her most famous ballad, couples began to flood the dance floor. Seifer and Quistis were among them and Rinoa lifted up the microphone to her lips.


He looked at his watch as he strode through he halls to the ball room. He had left early that day to go to the speedway. After going over some paper work for the G-14 with Cloud, he rushed back.

Even though he had been speeding, he was going to arrive at the dance late. He had gone to take a shower and change into his formal SeeD uniform before he left for the actual dance.

As he approached the ball room, he heard clapping and cheering from the inside. Squall saw Headmaster Cid standing by the entrance talking to some faculty members and greeted him before he entered. Just as he did, the sound of familiar music reached his ears.

He looked up at the stage and froze at his spot by the door. A rich, warm voice reached out through the ball room as the ballad swept the crowd away. Rinoa stood several yards from him on a stage, separated by tables, chairs, and people. She held a microphone in her hand as she swayed from side to side, singing.

Her voice wrapped around him like a blanket as he walked closer to the dance floor. He reached an empty table and sat down on a chair, his blue eyes on her the entire time. He envied the sea of couples dancing between him and Rinoa as she sang. Every so often, her free hand extended and moved around her as she swayed and turned her head slowly, in motion with the music.

Rinoa looked around the room once more as she paused for a moment of breath. Her eyes searched the darkened crowds for Squall. She could see nothing but a sea of people. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the figure sitting on a chair and smiled.

Their eyes locked and she raised the microphone higher. Her voice grew stronger and Squall smiled. The faint spot lights on her brightened slightly as looked back at him. Suddenly, it seemed as if the crowd of dancing couples disappeared. For a moment it was just them and nothing stood between them.

Squall's thoughts emptied and focused solely on her as the music rang in his ears. She was singing to him and he knew it. Every powerful note she let out was directed to him. Her eyes could only see him as his only saw her.

As the song came to a close, the crowd began to clap and Rinoa smiled and put the microphone back. The DJ picked up where she left off and Rinoa walked off the stage. The music drew out into a another slow song and the DJ named off some dedications. Selphie, who had been slow dancing with Irvine, looked past the tall cowboy and saw their commander sitting there.

He wore an uncharacteristic smile on his face as he stood up to greet someone who was approaching. Selphie looked back up at Irvine and smiled, trying to keep him facing her. "So...are you sure you don't want to dance with any other girls?" Selphie asked with a brightly smile.

"Oh, c'mon, Selphie," Irvine said with a grin. "You know you're the only girl here for me."

"Sure..." Selphie said.

She glanced past him again and saw Rinoa approach Squall. The young singer smiled and blushed as Squall greeted her.

"So..." Rinoa said as Squall stood across the table from her. "How did you like the song?"

"It's my favorite," Squall replied. "Is it for anyone in particular?"

A shy smile caressed her lips and she looked away. "It is now..."

Squall let out a slight laugh and looked around the darkened room. Everyone seemed to be dancing in the darkened room. He looked back at Rinoa and noticed how she looked around, not really looking at him. He smiled and walked around the table. "Would you like to dance?" he offered, surprising himself.

Rinoa turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. She hadn't really expected to him to ask. Regardless, she smiled and nodded and placed her hand on his extended one. His warm fingers wrapped around hers and lead her to the dance floor.

"I thought we weren't going to publicize this..." she whispered in a low voice as they made their way towards the center of the dance floor.

"I'm free to dance with whoever I wish," Squall said. "It's not like I've never danced before."

Rinoa giggled and nodded. He stopped in front of her and turned around. Rinoa put her hand on his shoulder as he placed his hand on her hip. She lifted her head to meet his eyes. Warm blue crystals looked back at her with a gentle calling, making her entire body heat up.

Squall looked down at her. Her eyes captivated him. They were like deep pools of amber reflecting him. Unconsciously, he pulled her closer to him, but didn't notice the flush on her face when their bodies met. Rinoa gave him a shaky smile as she slowly placed her head on his shoulder.

Squall smiled as she rested against him. He didn't notice the people around them as he gently leaned his head against hers. Slowly, their bodies danced in a small circle amongst the other students.

Quistis was dancing with Seifer, about a foot away from the tall blond. Seifer looked annoyed with the situation as they danced in a little circle. "Would it kill you to get closer?" Seifer asked in an annoyed voice. His green eyes looked around the room. Everyone else was practically pasted to each other except for them.

"Yes. Just shut up and dance." Quistis stated simply. She was holding Seifer's hand with hers and the other was placed firmly on his shoulder, keeping him a foot away.

Seifer grumbled about how stupid they looked. He was rolling his eyes when he saw something to their side. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes. Quistis followed his gaze as she felt him tense up under her hands and mentally swore. He had finally seen Rinoa and Squall. She could see his sudden urge to pull away written on his face and thought quickly.

Seifer nearly stumbled back as he looked down. Quistis was suddenly leaning against him, her arms around his neck. "Quistis?" he asked, sounding completely shocked.

"One dance won't hurt, right?" Quistis asked in a weak voice as she looked up at him, her face burning with a blush. *I hope she knows that sacrifices I'm making for her...*

Seifer looked back over at Squall and Rinoa and then back to Quistis. It didn't take him long to put his arms around the beautiful blond instructor and hold her against him. "You do realize that you can't escape me now." he stated coolly.

Quistis couldn't help but smirk. "Well, it's not like you want me to," She looked up at him, her blue eyes seemingly laughing at him. *Hmmm...I like his cologne...*

Seifer snorted out a laugh and gave her his 'I'm better than you' smirk. "You got that right."


"Selphie's out done herself this time," Edea said as she stood with her husband to the entrance of the ball room. They looked over the dancing bodies and smiled. "Everyone seems to be having a good time."

"Did you see Squall yet?" Cid asked as he held a glass of champagne. "He came by earlier while you were in the bathroom."

Edea shook her head. "No, I barely had time to see the children," Edea said warmly as she played chaperone. "Oh, there is Selphie! She's dancing with that young man from Galbadia. I heard he was quite popular with the female cadets."

Cid nodded and looked around. "Well, there is a first," he chuckled. "Seifer and Quistis aren't at each other's throats."

"Where?" Edea asked, looking over the crowd. She smiled as she saw the two blondes unnaturally close to each other. Her eyes drifted over and caught the back side of a dark haired youth. She squinted her eyes. "Dear, I believe I found Squall."

"Where?" Cid asked. Edea pointed through the crowd and Cid tilted his head up to try and catch the brunette.

They saw him dancing with a pale of pale arms around his neck. Edea chuckled. "I'm glad he's dancing. Usually, he's such a wall flower."

Cid chuckled and nodded. Then Squall and his partner turned around. Cid's amused smile left his face as he recognized the young woman holding on to Squall. "Hyne..." he murmured quietly.

Edea looked over at him and frowned. "What is it, dear?"

"He's dancing with General Caraway's daughter." Cid said.

Edea looked back over at Squall and nodded. "So he is."

"This isn't good."

Edea merely raised an eyebrow in question. "Why not?" Cid shook his head.

"It's just a dance," he said out loud, as if to assure himself. "It's nothing, right?"

Edea looked at him. "Cid...dear...perhaps it's time for you to go to bed."


Unaware of all the eyes on them, Squall leaned over and whispered something in Rinoa's ear. She blushed and nodded. As the song ended he pulled away from her and gave her a formal bow before stepping out of the dance floor.

"Squall!" a voice called to his left. He turned around and looked over at Cid. He saluted him.

"Yes, sir?"

Cid looked at him nervously. "I need to speak to you privately. Please come to my office tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," Squall said. Cid nodded and stepped back. "May I ask as to what it concerns?"

"Eh...?" Cid's eyes darted around and he shook his head. "I'll speak to you about it tomorrow. Have a good evening, Commander."

"Yes, Headmaster," As the middle aged man turned around and headed towards his wife, Squall narrowed his eyes. *He saw us.*