Chapter 11 – Unsettling the frenemy two
The flickering lights, soft dull roar of the other patrons accompanied by the pulsating music gave the club a rather unique atmosphere. The Senton Bombwas especially lively that night.
Squall and Zell were stationed at the table. The martial artist was nursing a coke. When he received a rather questioning glance from the waitress he made it known that he'd rather not poison his body with the foul liquid. Squall, however had no such qualms, but he too ordered a non-alcoholic beverage. Truth be told, the Commander of Balamb was slightly torn between drinking. A drink could settle my nerves. All these people are making me uncomfortable. He pulled unconsciously on the white shirt collar. Feeling the chocker as his hand ran along his neck, he debated on taking it off; it felt like it was suffocating him.
Meanwhile, Selphie was lost amongst the crowd of people dancing to a particularly fast paced song. Every once in a while, he caught a glimpse of Quistis. The rest of his friends, Seifer and Irvine were on the prowl. Squall glanced around the room and found the shorthaired blonde chatting it up with two rather curvy women. Should I expect anything less from Seifer? When his eyes landed on the dark black cowboy hat bobbing up and down in a secluded corner of the club, a plot began to form in his mind. As he subtlety followed the Cowboy's movement, he decided against getting a drink. I have to do this and I can't allow any drugs to affect my behavior. I've come this far on my own. I don't have anything to worry about. Taking a deep breath. He stood up and walked into the throng of people, before coming up behind Irvine. He leaned casually against the wall to better observe his interactions with the girls.
The lady's man had no idea that Squall was behind him, since his senses were slightly dulled due to the alcohol he consumed. Besides, in such a place, there was always someone or something invading one's personal space. The twins he was talking to were quite stunning with their bright blue and purple hair. Flashing his best smile, Irvine continued to charm the two women, by fabricating a tail about his exploits as a Solider in the Galbaldian army. They ohhed and awed at the appropriate time according the supposed acts of danger and heroism.
Not being able to stomach anymore of the scene. Squall mentally prepared himself. I would rather be fighting T-Rexsaurs than talking to those two. I take that back. I'd rather be doing that than being in this club period. ::sigh:: But the show must go and I've all ready made too many sacrifices to back out now. Pushing off from the wall, he ran a pale hand through his dark red and black locks. As he did this he made sure to make eye contact with the purple haired twin. As a slight smile graced her lips, he winked at her for added effect. Walking up to wanna-be player, he casually placed his arms around his shoulder in a brotherly hug, before introducing himself to the two as Irvine's friend and colleague.
He leveled a cool unnerving look at the two bubbly women, before gracing them with an equally chilling smile. The two giggled nervously under the intense gaze. Their eyes moved back and forth between the two men that were obvious contradictions in action.
In an effort to dissipate the awkwardness of the moment, Irvine easily shifted gears and wrapped his arm around Squall's neck in a seemingly loose headlock before releasing him.
"Ladies, this is my good friend Squall. He…"
Squall cut in an eerily quite voice that seemed to carry well despite the noisy atmosphere. "I was with him in the war."
The two girls nodded once and flashed deceptively sweet smile.
The violet haired vixen spoke first. "So do you have any scars big boy?"
Momentarily he frowned before, taping the scar on his forehead. "Though some scars aren't always visible."
The pair looked at each other as their eyebrows arched and their eyes met in silent communication.
Irvine looked at Squall but the only thing he saw was 'Mood Killer'. I have to get him out of here. I know I'll go get some drinks, and try and find Zell or someone to distract him. What does he think he's doing anyway? This is so unlike him, yet he really hasn't been himself since…Shaking his head grimly for a second, he turned to both girls.
"Would you like anything to drink ladies?"
"We'll both have a rum and coke."
Turning to Squall in question, the man in question just shook his head and turned back to the girls.
"Right, I'll be right back."
Out the corner of his eye, Squall waited till Irvine was out of ear range, before going forward with his plan.
"So when you said something about hidden scars, what did you mean?"
"Yeah, do you have one on you're a…" The violent haired girl never got a chance to finish the question as her twin clamped a hand over her mouth.
A mournful look appeared on his face, causing the blue haired twin to gasp while the other just looked on growing ever curious. Gesturing for them to come forward. He made a show of glancing around the room for Irvine. Leaning forward a bit so that he was a few inches from the girls' ear, he began to whisper.
On the approach back with the drinks, Irvine felt a spark of jealously form. From his vantage point, the twin were standing against the wall with Squall standing between them, his head was low and covered by his hair. His right hand was resting lightly on the shoulder of the azure haired twin. His left was supporting his weight upon the wall as he leaned forward.
Marching forward, he cleared his throat loudly and shook the iced filled drinks, to get their attention. Squall's hand froze momentarily, and Irvine took some small pleasure in the apparent situation of being caught in the act. Show time…However it was short lived as the commander rose to his full height and turned emotionlessly toward him.
"What's going on?" Did they dump him or something? The unpleasant air from earlier was gone replaced by a feeling of melancholy.
Looking past Squall he noticed the perplexing looks the twins were giving him. One was looking at him with a look of awe and pity, while the other was sniffling quietly, and rubbing her arms self-consciously.
"Ladies is something the matter?"
There was no response, just more intense scrutiny.
"Did he say something to hurt you? Did I get the wrong drinks?"
Finally the more dominate violent twin spoke. "You poor diluted soul."
"Sarah! You don't have to sound so harsh." Her watery gaze turned to the clueless cowboy. "You're stronger than any man I know. I don't know how you survived those atrocities… and t..t.there effects…"
Sarah wrapped an arm around her distraught twin. "Look, thanks for the drinks and sorry about your disability… We have to go."
She briskly walked away, dragging her sister along.
Irvine stood stock still for a moment before setting the drinks down on a near by table and turning to Squall with a glint of anger in his normally peaceful eyes.
Stalking forward, he reached out and roughly grabbed Squall by the collar of his shirt before immediately releasing it and taking a small step back. He made a placating gesture with his hands before looking up at his stoic friend.
"What in the blue hell was that all about?"
Willing his face to become impassive, he shifted his eyes to the floor. "I was protecting you."
His eyes narrowed in confusion at his friend's behavior and answer. "Why are you trying to protect me? And from who?" Looking around the club, he didn't see anything that was remotely suspicious. Returning his focus to Squall. "Look I don't see anything wrong. Are you all right did you have too much to drink or something?" A small smirk graced his lips. "I'm guessing you're a light weight when it comes to consuming mass quantities..."
The floor still held Squall's attention.
Irvine was becoming worried. He brought his hand up to snap his fingers, when another pale hand snaked out and intercepted it inches from his face. Okay, that was just plain weird.
Squall held onto the Cowboy's wrist in a rather firm hold. Irvine looked at the man clinging to him, but his eyes remained focused elsewhere.
"I had to do it. I have to protect you from yourself."
"Do you think those girls were spies or something?" When no answer was forthcoming, Irvine used his other hand to lift Squall's face toward him. "What is going on here?"
"You shouldn't engage in such self destructive behavior…"
Finally conceding to Irvine's request. Squall looked him in the eyes. "I envy you, but I'd rather see you happy than hurt. You have your memories but you lack common sense. You're risking loosing it all, so I told them something to make them want to forget you. Like you need to forget them."
Torn between anger and ever-blossoming confusion, the Cowboy kept silent.
Leaning forward, Squall's voice dropped by a few octaves. Time to go in for the kill. "I'll tell you this once, stop flirting and look at what you have and could have with Selphie." Suddenly Squall jerked back and released Irvine's wrist, before wrapping his arms defensively around himself. Swaying slightly back and forth, his eyes slowly closed and all motion stopped.
Fearing for his friend's sanity or lack thereof, Irvine looked around the crowded club hoping to spot a familiar face in the crowd. His search turned up empty so he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, half expecting him to shrug off the contact. However, he was quite shock when he felt the body beneath him begin to tremble slightly. Rapidly becoming concerned, Irvine instinctively pulled the young man in a loose hug, before releasing him and sitting him down at the table.
He quickly wracked his brain for reasons behind the odd behavior. "Squall, what's wrong?"
When no answer was forthcoming, Irvine hurried off in search of one of his companions. We have to get out of here. Maybe somebody did slip something in his drink. As he weaved his way through a sea of people, he ended bumped into a petite girl.
"Selphie! Come quick, I need your help!" Grabbing her hand, he quickly pulled her to the table where he had left his troubled friend.
Elsewhere in the club, Instructor Trepe was finding it difficult to shed her professor persona and simply allow herself to have fun. Glancing over to Zell, he was currently chatting it up with a rather buxom red head. Well someone seems to be having a good time. Flagging down a waiter, she started to order another soda but decided to try a shot of Trabian Flag instead. Irvine was going on and on about that one a while back.
In seemingly no time the waiter was back with the drink. She stared at it for a moment noting the odd mix of colors. Green, white and brown didn't equate to a rather appetizing drink. Shrugging her thoughts aside, she brought the drink to her lips and hesitated for a mere moment before throwing back the shot. A small grimace appeared upon her face only to be replaced by a rather small smile. That was actually pretty tasty… but it does have quite a kick. She could feel the liquid heating up her insides as it traveled down to her stomach. Looking up from her drink, she caught a glimpse of Irvine dragging Selphie off to a rather secluded corner of the bar. Her smile grew a bit larger. She could feel the alcohol dulling her senses. She was far from drunk just a bit tipsy.
"Having fun Quistis?"
The startled women whipped her head around to find Squall standing before her, looking nonchalant as ever.
Deciding to forego formalities, Quistis sized up her sometimes friend and opponent. Mimicking his movements from an earlier in encounter, she stalked forward and leaned in until her lips were mere centimeter form his ear. "Listen Squall, I don't know what kind of games you think you're playing here, but you're attempts to seduce me into going out with you are juvenile and…" Stopping for a moment, as a rather wicked idea came into her head. "If you insist on continuing them I'm just going to have to take you up on your previous offer of retribution." Smirking, she backed away from him and sat at the table.
Oh very clever Quistis but this is my game after all and I call the shots.
"I'll be more than happy to offer up my pound of flesh to you. There's an alluring quality to the thin line between pain and pleasure." Clamping a hand down the row of piercing he grimaced as he applied pressure to the nonexistent wounds.
Quistis watched caught between being disgust, worry and intrigue. Taking action, she grasped Squall's left hand around the wrist and applied enough pressure to make him loosen his self-destructive grip.
Their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Squall was the first to break the heated gaze and wrench his arm away from the Instructor. Whirling around he prepared to walk away but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Pulling the young man around to face her, Quistis placed a gentle hand over the site of the piercing before bringing her hand to rest on Squall's cheek. Her hard gaze softened a bit at the broody yet confused gaze. "Squall honey that's not the way…" Leaning forward she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead bringing her lips to his. The kiss continued for several seconds until Squall broke it and looked into her eyes with a soft smile that gave way to a rather disturbing smirk. "You make me violate you."
"What did you just say?"
Wrapping his arms around her, he began to sway them back and forth.
"You make me desecrate you."
Moving his hands lower to grasp her hips, he pulled her forward and flashed a devilish smirk. Before ghosting his lips over the tips of ears. He laughed quietly to himself as her features took on a pink hue. She must have heard the next lyric.
It took her a moment to realize he was singing along with the music playing throughout the club. Closer by Nine Inch Nails, fitting and disturbing at the same time… Instead of pondering over the irony of the song, Quistis allowed Squall to 'avoid' his problems and danced, promising to discuss things in depth upon returning to the Orphanage or Garden.
Upon arriving at the table formally occupied by Squall, Irvine looked around frantically, before cursing softly under his breath.
Sensing his agitation, Selphie put a confronting hand on Irvine's shoulder. "Irvy, what's wrong?"
"That's the same question I've been having all night."
"Huh?"
He gestured to the table and took a seat. Once situated he gave Selphie a run down of Squall's weird behavior, modifying the details about the girls a bit.
"Oh that's awful, what if he was dragged by a goon into the bathroom and robbed or worse they gave him a swirly!"
Chuckling softly he shook his head at her active imagination. "I don't think we have to worry about that. I think we should regroup with the others, find Squall and get out of here.
"Irvy do you think Squall needs an intervention?"
"Selphie darling, I think he needed one about 18 years too late."
Smacking him lightly on the arm, she grabbed his cowboy hat and ran off into the crowd.
He quickly gave chase, but found it hard to get through since the dance floor became more crowded as people started dancing to next song. Spotting Selphie close to where they first met, he noticed her eyes were riveted to someone on the dance floor. Feeling the familiar twinge of jealousy he walked forward and wrapped an arm around her waist and scoured the floor for the mystery man, only to find himself floored when he saw Quistis and Squall dancing.
He was snapped out his daze when the violet hair twin came over and said something to him. However he could barely hear her due to their proximity to the dance floor. Raising her voice a bit she said. "I'm sorry about you being impotent and a virgin. It's a too bad the drugs don't work for you." With that she walked off, leaving a fuming Irvine and a confused Selphie. Luckily she was able to stop Irvine before he punched Squall out despite his problems.
AN: Quote/Thought of the moment: A tender moment ruined by animalistic urges of lust. ::shrugs:: Another chapter down, next up chapter 12. Which I think is the longest chapter by far, so yeah. Stay tuned for the conclusion. Also the name came form a fnisher for the Hardy Boyz back when the WWE was the WWF. It was also know as the Swanton Bomb, JeffHardy was my favorite wrestler next to Edge.
SurvivalHorror: I'm glad you enjoyed the Quall sequences and the fic overall. I was a bit worried about them coming off wrong. About a sequel, I don't actually have one planned out for this story but, I'm willing to do one-shots. There is an oneshot with an alternative ending and such, but it's still in progress. If I ever get the urge to do another full story with Iori/Squall I'll put up an announcement.
FloralBlackMoon: I've been moving and shaking like crazy trying to get these out. It'll probably be slow going for my other fics. Glad you're enjoying it!
Daniel Wesley Rydell: XD keep an eye out for it. I can't give you an estimate because I have to finish Taking Chances prequel and sequel and some other fun fics.
Anonymous: I'm glad you're enjoying it but what story are you referring to with the teacher/student counseling?
Squall-l-l: ::bows:: Thanks. I hoped you enjoyed Irvine's prank. Stay tuned for the conclusion.Griever5: Thank you! More is on the way.
seth8: Thanks. You don't have long now to find out how things wrap up. I'm sorry if some of the humor has disappeared, but I think the next chapter will liven things up.
Zer0 Touma: Thanks for the points! Though I'm not familiar with the fics you mentioned. Sorry, but there's no sequel in the works. I have a lot on my plate and I need to finish the Taking Chances Trilogy and one shots. Rest assured there will be alternative chapters and the like for this story. GothicAngelEyeS: Thanks for the fanfiction love! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter with Irvy. I love how you just described Squall and Quistis in your review. Sad but true.dotdotdot: Glad you like it. I'm not sure what the problem is, there's a chapter 6 called Ruffling Feathers.