Disclaimer: I do not own FFVIII or any of its characters. They belong to
Squaresoft.
A/N: Be prepared for lots of POV changes. I wasn't going to explain who's
who, but when I'd marked POV changes with a border they didn't show up. 3
kilos is 6.6 pounds and candy floss is cotton candy for any Americans
reading this.
// // is thoughts. This is a YAOI fic don't like leave.
Moving On
[Seifer]
I looked up to see Squall coming towards me. //Is that Jamie behind him? Figures. Her mom was always one step behind me. //
She had Fuu's build. My hair though. Now that they were closer, I could see she had my eyes too.
She wore flared jeans with a yellow stripe running down the seams, a sleeveless purple top, and a black lacy-knit cardigan with flared sleeves that stopped just above her wrists. I saw her glance at mine and Squall's clothes as I stood to greet them and as Squall and I sat down. The look of disgust on her face made me want to laugh. She had been brought up by Raijin and Fuujin. One wore the worst clothes I've ever seen, and the other never changed out of her uniform, which came from some long extinct military force. Despite this, the kid still managed to care about clothes. It was plain she didn't think much of mine or Squall's dress sense.
There was no look of disgust when she looked at Storm, however. There was an air about her as if she had been pleasantly surprised, and a faint glint in her eye that I recognized from Selphie as the 'female-planning- something' look. However, you always knew what it was Selphie was planning, because she'd tell you sooner or later, usually sooner.
"Hello Jamie. I ..." I looked at Squall. He saw the look in my eyes and laughed. "Don't look at me for help. What was it I said on the train yesterday? Storm?"
Storm looked up from her bread roll and fresh fruit and said, in an all too familiar monotone, "'So, your name is Storm. We're going to Balamb Garden. You'll be studying there.' Then your leg cramped up and you muttered under your breath 'Why'd I have to inherit this stupid nervous cramp? Damn Laguna.' After that I stopped listening."
She then returned her attention to her breakfast. I just laughed. Once Squall and I started dating, he'd loosened up a lot, and he and his father now got along much better. I hadn't known about the leg cramps though. //Guess he's never been nervous enough. A small child makes him more nervous than I ever did. Guess that's not much of a compliment. //
It was a tense meal. Storm wasn't in a talkative mood, which wasn't really a surprise. After all, her father had been like that for about 17 years, ever since Sis left, and from all observations Storm was taking her mother's death the same way he had Ellone's disappearance. Squall and I had no idea what to say to either of the girls, and Jamie didn't seem to care, concentrating on her muesli and yoghurt mixture.
I vaguely heard the tail end of a question Jamie asked Storm, but Storm just gave one of those "......" silent noises and Jamie just shrugged and grabbed a piece of toast.
I don't know how Squall was feeling, but I was out of my depth and sinking fast. //I'm gay, have loved Squall since practically before I hit puberty, what experience do I have with girls? //
We were walking back to Garden, not bothering to stay on the road since Squall had Diablos and Enc-None junctioned. Jamie was walking ahead with Squall. I didn't mind, since this left me with Storm, and I knew how to deal with Leonhart moods. Although, my tactics might have to change a bit.
"Hey kid... Hey Storm, snap out of La-La-land, and pay attention for a minute."
That had the same effect on her as it did on her father – the head snapped up and an icy glare met my gaze. Of course, her glare wasn't as effective as Squall's; Storm didn't have the eyes for it.
"Listen. While you're at Garden as a student or SeeD you'll have to call me Commander, but in private call me Seifer, or Seif, okay?"
She flashed me another of those brilliant smiles. "'Kay. That's another way of saying you guys aren't gonna go easy on me 'cause of Dad, isn't it?"
It really surprised me how bright this kid was for a six-year-old. "Yep. Your Dad's probably telling Jamie the same thing."
"Seif... I'm gonna have to learn about the second Sorceress War aren't I? Will you guys tell me the truth before I learn whatever fairy story you guys are feeding the world?"
Now I was really shocked. "I guess so. Let's leave it for a while though."
Suddenly I heard the metallic twangs of the rotating anti-grav disc that was the main component of Balamb Garden's flight systems. The look on Storm's face as the Garden came into view was a sight to behold. Her eyes went wide and awe was written across her features. // Poor kid's spent most of her life in FH and Deling, neither of which are exactly beauty spots. I can't wait to see her face the first time we visit Laguna. If she thinks the Garden is impressive, wait till she sees Esthar.//
[Squall]
After the war had ended, we had resettled the Garden in the space it had previously occupied. This meant there was a slight ridge on all sides, due to the missiles that had enlarged the crater left behind. As we hit the crest of the ridge at the point where it had been lowered for clients, I noticed a small cluster of figures by the Garden's entrance. The fact that one of the figures wore sunshine yellow led me to the conclusion that Selphie, along with my father and Sis, had been summoned from Esthar on some pretext or other, giving Storm a chance to meet her Grandfather.
I knew that by evening, the whole Garden would not only know of Storm and Jaime's existence, but would also be invited to a 'Welcome to Garden' party. I also knew that I had next to no chance of being able to get out of going to it. I sighed, and Jamie looked at me quizzically.
"What's wrong Squall? Aren't you happy to be back here?"
"Yeah, I am. What I'm not happy about is that." I pointed down the hill. "That yellow blob is my stepmother, Selphie. This means a party. I hate parties. People expect you fun. It also means I have to wear that annoying uniform."
"Poor Squally," snickered Jamie. "We'll just have to find you something else to wear at parties."
Somehow I knew not only was the child unsympathetic, but that I had been volunteered for a clothes shopping trip. This was not good.
[Quistis]
I was beginning to regret calling Selphie and telling her to 'hop on the Ragnarock Mark II and bring Laguna' because Squall 'had a surprise for them'. I hadn't been strictly truthful and the idea of Squall and surprises together excited Laguna and Selphie more than drinking 50 cups of super- strong coffee and eating 3 kilos of candyfloss could. Which they've actually done, so believe me, I know what I'm talking about.
I saw two figures crest the hill just in front of Balamb Garden silhouetted against the skyline, and smiled as the larger of the two pointed towards us. I easily recognized the figure as Squall, and at that moment another two figures appeared as well.
"Quisty, what exactly is this 'surprise'?" Selphie asked, gazing at the four silhouettes.
"Well, you could wait here and find out." Selphie pulled a face.
"C'mon Quisty..." I was about to tell her off when Laguna interrupted.
"Selph," said Laguna, gazing at his wife of five years. "Let Squall tell us."
[Narrator]
Selphie had fallen in love with Laguna the first time she saw him during Ellone's Time-Junctioning, and had relentlessly pursued him. Two years after Ultimecia's defeat, he finally gave in to a date, putting aside his 19-year grief over the death of his first wife, Raine, Squall's mother. It bothered Squall sometimes to realise that he had grown up with his step- mother – and that he was, in fact, 8 months older than her.
[Laguna]
I knew. Sometimes it surprises me how unobservant Selph can actually be. Even from this distance I could tell that one of those children was Squall's. Was my grandchild.
//Itai! Itai! // Quistis was smiling behind her hand as I tried to walk off my cramp. Selph was flat-out laughing, while trying to massage away the cramp. Unfortunately, she kept falling over because she was laughing and I was limping, which was making...Irvine? ...laugh too. Suddenly, I realised Squall was standing a few feet away.
[Seifer]
Storm watched the comical tableau for a few moments, and then she leant towards me and covered her mouth. "I'm guessing the clown is my grandfather, huh?"
I looked at her, surprised. "Yes. Do you mind telling me how you guessed? And Storm... It's not nice to call your grandfather a clown."
She smirked at me – an honest-to-Hyne actual smirk – and said, ticking off on her fingers as she did so, "He looks like Dad. Dad was cursing inheriting a nervous cramp, and he," she pointed at Laguna "was obviously nervous and he was limping, indicating cramp."
She spoke matter-of-factly, as though unaware that other six-year-olds were, by and large, incapable of that kind of deductive reasoning.
"Anyway, he was like a clown. Everyone was laughing."
//Hyne...Point, set and match. // If anyone ever found out that the Commander of the SeeD forces was out-manoeuvred by a six-year-old, they'd hire the six-year-olds instead.
"Are you nervous?" I asked, knowing full well that if I mentioned fear, or anything indicating cowardice, I'd have a volcano on my hands.
That was what Squall was, a volcano. Not an iceberg – cold all the way through – because then he'd be calm. No... He was an ice field volcano – cool and calm on the surface – but an eruption would show just how fiery he was beneath that calm veneer of rock and ice.
I had little doubt that this little minx would be the same. She glanced at me, her face composed. Then she glared at the ground. "... Whatever."
[Squall]
I glared at Quistis. It was obvious who to blame for this...debacle. //Students are staring... Where can we go? ... My office?...It'll have to do, I suppose.// I nodded to myself and slipped out of my thinking pose. You know. The one Seifer calls the 'I'm-a-little-teapot' one.
I glanced down at Jamie, who was staring wide-eyed at Garden.
"Everyone, my office. Now. Come along Jamie." Not really knowing why, I held out my hand to her. Almost absent-mindedly, she took it, clutching desperately, though her face showed only the calm, almost disdain, that had been her mother's trademark expression.
[Jamie]
//Wow, its so big...and pretty...I've never seen a building you could 'pretty' before...//
//All the smaller windows have people at them and they're all staring. //
Squall was saying something, I'm not sure what, and he held out his hand, I grabbed hold like I was drowning, and he was my only lifeline.
Pretty soon, we were in the Elevator and none of the students were around. I relaxed my grip a little, and Squall looked down at me and smiled. Everyone else in the elevator except Dad and Storm 'aah'-ed at us, and Squall's back stiffened, his head shot up, and he glared at them.
"Glaring will do you no good at all Squall, we already saw it. You guys are so cute." said the woman in yellow. //What was her name? Selphie?// The elevator stopped and we got off. Squall stalked into his office real fast, he forgot he was still holding my hand, so I had to run to keep up.
He sat down in the chair behind the big desk, and shot a disapproving frown at me, but said nothing, as I perched myself on one of the wide arms of the chair. A quick glance at Storm, and she was on the other arm, and Dad stood behind us. Good. Now we presented a united front. Given that we were behind the desk and everyone else was in front of it, I doubt anyone noticed me squeeze Squall's hand, then drop it.
A/N: After ages I finally managed to break my writer's block! ^_^' I think my trip to Japan two weeks ago helped, since I wrote part of this chapter and part of the next during the 12 hour flight and in the hotel. Japan is great! I went up Tokyo Tower and visited a Shinto shrine! Oh, by the way, the chapter title refers to breaking the writer's block so the story could move on. Read and review, onegai shimasu.
Moving On
[Seifer]
I looked up to see Squall coming towards me. //Is that Jamie behind him? Figures. Her mom was always one step behind me. //
She had Fuu's build. My hair though. Now that they were closer, I could see she had my eyes too.
She wore flared jeans with a yellow stripe running down the seams, a sleeveless purple top, and a black lacy-knit cardigan with flared sleeves that stopped just above her wrists. I saw her glance at mine and Squall's clothes as I stood to greet them and as Squall and I sat down. The look of disgust on her face made me want to laugh. She had been brought up by Raijin and Fuujin. One wore the worst clothes I've ever seen, and the other never changed out of her uniform, which came from some long extinct military force. Despite this, the kid still managed to care about clothes. It was plain she didn't think much of mine or Squall's dress sense.
There was no look of disgust when she looked at Storm, however. There was an air about her as if she had been pleasantly surprised, and a faint glint in her eye that I recognized from Selphie as the 'female-planning- something' look. However, you always knew what it was Selphie was planning, because she'd tell you sooner or later, usually sooner.
"Hello Jamie. I ..." I looked at Squall. He saw the look in my eyes and laughed. "Don't look at me for help. What was it I said on the train yesterday? Storm?"
Storm looked up from her bread roll and fresh fruit and said, in an all too familiar monotone, "'So, your name is Storm. We're going to Balamb Garden. You'll be studying there.' Then your leg cramped up and you muttered under your breath 'Why'd I have to inherit this stupid nervous cramp? Damn Laguna.' After that I stopped listening."
She then returned her attention to her breakfast. I just laughed. Once Squall and I started dating, he'd loosened up a lot, and he and his father now got along much better. I hadn't known about the leg cramps though. //Guess he's never been nervous enough. A small child makes him more nervous than I ever did. Guess that's not much of a compliment. //
It was a tense meal. Storm wasn't in a talkative mood, which wasn't really a surprise. After all, her father had been like that for about 17 years, ever since Sis left, and from all observations Storm was taking her mother's death the same way he had Ellone's disappearance. Squall and I had no idea what to say to either of the girls, and Jamie didn't seem to care, concentrating on her muesli and yoghurt mixture.
I vaguely heard the tail end of a question Jamie asked Storm, but Storm just gave one of those "......" silent noises and Jamie just shrugged and grabbed a piece of toast.
I don't know how Squall was feeling, but I was out of my depth and sinking fast. //I'm gay, have loved Squall since practically before I hit puberty, what experience do I have with girls? //
We were walking back to Garden, not bothering to stay on the road since Squall had Diablos and Enc-None junctioned. Jamie was walking ahead with Squall. I didn't mind, since this left me with Storm, and I knew how to deal with Leonhart moods. Although, my tactics might have to change a bit.
"Hey kid... Hey Storm, snap out of La-La-land, and pay attention for a minute."
That had the same effect on her as it did on her father – the head snapped up and an icy glare met my gaze. Of course, her glare wasn't as effective as Squall's; Storm didn't have the eyes for it.
"Listen. While you're at Garden as a student or SeeD you'll have to call me Commander, but in private call me Seifer, or Seif, okay?"
She flashed me another of those brilliant smiles. "'Kay. That's another way of saying you guys aren't gonna go easy on me 'cause of Dad, isn't it?"
It really surprised me how bright this kid was for a six-year-old. "Yep. Your Dad's probably telling Jamie the same thing."
"Seif... I'm gonna have to learn about the second Sorceress War aren't I? Will you guys tell me the truth before I learn whatever fairy story you guys are feeding the world?"
Now I was really shocked. "I guess so. Let's leave it for a while though."
Suddenly I heard the metallic twangs of the rotating anti-grav disc that was the main component of Balamb Garden's flight systems. The look on Storm's face as the Garden came into view was a sight to behold. Her eyes went wide and awe was written across her features. // Poor kid's spent most of her life in FH and Deling, neither of which are exactly beauty spots. I can't wait to see her face the first time we visit Laguna. If she thinks the Garden is impressive, wait till she sees Esthar.//
[Squall]
After the war had ended, we had resettled the Garden in the space it had previously occupied. This meant there was a slight ridge on all sides, due to the missiles that had enlarged the crater left behind. As we hit the crest of the ridge at the point where it had been lowered for clients, I noticed a small cluster of figures by the Garden's entrance. The fact that one of the figures wore sunshine yellow led me to the conclusion that Selphie, along with my father and Sis, had been summoned from Esthar on some pretext or other, giving Storm a chance to meet her Grandfather.
I knew that by evening, the whole Garden would not only know of Storm and Jaime's existence, but would also be invited to a 'Welcome to Garden' party. I also knew that I had next to no chance of being able to get out of going to it. I sighed, and Jamie looked at me quizzically.
"What's wrong Squall? Aren't you happy to be back here?"
"Yeah, I am. What I'm not happy about is that." I pointed down the hill. "That yellow blob is my stepmother, Selphie. This means a party. I hate parties. People expect you fun. It also means I have to wear that annoying uniform."
"Poor Squally," snickered Jamie. "We'll just have to find you something else to wear at parties."
Somehow I knew not only was the child unsympathetic, but that I had been volunteered for a clothes shopping trip. This was not good.
[Quistis]
I was beginning to regret calling Selphie and telling her to 'hop on the Ragnarock Mark II and bring Laguna' because Squall 'had a surprise for them'. I hadn't been strictly truthful and the idea of Squall and surprises together excited Laguna and Selphie more than drinking 50 cups of super- strong coffee and eating 3 kilos of candyfloss could. Which they've actually done, so believe me, I know what I'm talking about.
I saw two figures crest the hill just in front of Balamb Garden silhouetted against the skyline, and smiled as the larger of the two pointed towards us. I easily recognized the figure as Squall, and at that moment another two figures appeared as well.
"Quisty, what exactly is this 'surprise'?" Selphie asked, gazing at the four silhouettes.
"Well, you could wait here and find out." Selphie pulled a face.
"C'mon Quisty..." I was about to tell her off when Laguna interrupted.
"Selph," said Laguna, gazing at his wife of five years. "Let Squall tell us."
[Narrator]
Selphie had fallen in love with Laguna the first time she saw him during Ellone's Time-Junctioning, and had relentlessly pursued him. Two years after Ultimecia's defeat, he finally gave in to a date, putting aside his 19-year grief over the death of his first wife, Raine, Squall's mother. It bothered Squall sometimes to realise that he had grown up with his step- mother – and that he was, in fact, 8 months older than her.
[Laguna]
I knew. Sometimes it surprises me how unobservant Selph can actually be. Even from this distance I could tell that one of those children was Squall's. Was my grandchild.
//Itai! Itai! // Quistis was smiling behind her hand as I tried to walk off my cramp. Selph was flat-out laughing, while trying to massage away the cramp. Unfortunately, she kept falling over because she was laughing and I was limping, which was making...Irvine? ...laugh too. Suddenly, I realised Squall was standing a few feet away.
[Seifer]
Storm watched the comical tableau for a few moments, and then she leant towards me and covered her mouth. "I'm guessing the clown is my grandfather, huh?"
I looked at her, surprised. "Yes. Do you mind telling me how you guessed? And Storm... It's not nice to call your grandfather a clown."
She smirked at me – an honest-to-Hyne actual smirk – and said, ticking off on her fingers as she did so, "He looks like Dad. Dad was cursing inheriting a nervous cramp, and he," she pointed at Laguna "was obviously nervous and he was limping, indicating cramp."
She spoke matter-of-factly, as though unaware that other six-year-olds were, by and large, incapable of that kind of deductive reasoning.
"Anyway, he was like a clown. Everyone was laughing."
//Hyne...Point, set and match. // If anyone ever found out that the Commander of the SeeD forces was out-manoeuvred by a six-year-old, they'd hire the six-year-olds instead.
"Are you nervous?" I asked, knowing full well that if I mentioned fear, or anything indicating cowardice, I'd have a volcano on my hands.
That was what Squall was, a volcano. Not an iceberg – cold all the way through – because then he'd be calm. No... He was an ice field volcano – cool and calm on the surface – but an eruption would show just how fiery he was beneath that calm veneer of rock and ice.
I had little doubt that this little minx would be the same. She glanced at me, her face composed. Then she glared at the ground. "... Whatever."
[Squall]
I glared at Quistis. It was obvious who to blame for this...debacle. //Students are staring... Where can we go? ... My office?...It'll have to do, I suppose.// I nodded to myself and slipped out of my thinking pose. You know. The one Seifer calls the 'I'm-a-little-teapot' one.
I glanced down at Jamie, who was staring wide-eyed at Garden.
"Everyone, my office. Now. Come along Jamie." Not really knowing why, I held out my hand to her. Almost absent-mindedly, she took it, clutching desperately, though her face showed only the calm, almost disdain, that had been her mother's trademark expression.
[Jamie]
//Wow, its so big...and pretty...I've never seen a building you could 'pretty' before...//
//All the smaller windows have people at them and they're all staring. //
Squall was saying something, I'm not sure what, and he held out his hand, I grabbed hold like I was drowning, and he was my only lifeline.
Pretty soon, we were in the Elevator and none of the students were around. I relaxed my grip a little, and Squall looked down at me and smiled. Everyone else in the elevator except Dad and Storm 'aah'-ed at us, and Squall's back stiffened, his head shot up, and he glared at them.
"Glaring will do you no good at all Squall, we already saw it. You guys are so cute." said the woman in yellow. //What was her name? Selphie?// The elevator stopped and we got off. Squall stalked into his office real fast, he forgot he was still holding my hand, so I had to run to keep up.
He sat down in the chair behind the big desk, and shot a disapproving frown at me, but said nothing, as I perched myself on one of the wide arms of the chair. A quick glance at Storm, and she was on the other arm, and Dad stood behind us. Good. Now we presented a united front. Given that we were behind the desk and everyone else was in front of it, I doubt anyone noticed me squeeze Squall's hand, then drop it.
A/N: After ages I finally managed to break my writer's block! ^_^' I think my trip to Japan two weeks ago helped, since I wrote part of this chapter and part of the next during the 12 hour flight and in the hotel. Japan is great! I went up Tokyo Tower and visited a Shinto shrine! Oh, by the way, the chapter title refers to breaking the writer's block so the story could move on. Read and review, onegai shimasu.