War Story
Chapter Two: Preparation
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: A little Squinoa in here for my SquallxRinoa people...but most Seiftis. :D
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
"Miss Trepe? Miss Trepe, are you awake?" A gentle knocking echoed through the cramped metal lined room that was Quistis' quarters. "Miss Trepe?"
Tiredly, blue eyes fluttered open at the sound of a female's voice. Turning her tousled blond haired head towards the door, she squinted in the pitch darkness. "I am awake? Who is it?" she asked, wincing as she heard her voice crackled from being dry.
"I am Officer Xu," the female voice said. "I was instructed to come and wake you and your photographer by Commander Leonhart. He requests your presence in thirty minutes."
Quistis frowned as her hand reached out to look for her watch. She had placed it by her pillow and found it with ease. "Did he say why?" Quistis' tired and slightly annoyed voice asked as she turned on the dim light over her head.
"You will be receiving some equipment and be giving your first weaponry lesson, miss." Xu told her from behind the door.
Quistis looked down at her watch and sighed heavily. She had been asleep for about five hours and in thirty minutes it would be one o'clock. "All right," Quistis said as her head fell back on to the pillow. "Where do I go?"
"I shall be back in precisely thirty minutes, Miss Trepe. If you need anything, there is a phone against the wall by the door. Please feel free to call and ask for me if you need assistance." Xu offered.
"I shall, thank you," Quistis replied once more. She couldn't hear Xu leaving as she sat up slowly in bed and looked around. For a second she had almost forgotten where she was. Suddenly, memories of her assignment, her trip there with Zell, and meeting her new teammates flooded her mind. An annoyed frown settled on to her face as she remembered the last human contact she had before she escaped into her room. "Jerk."
She stood up and headed for the small shower built into her wall. She grabbed one of her towels with her and hung it by the shower door before stepping in under a steaming stream of water. Anger bubbled up as she flushed at the thought of that blond man's actions towards her.
How dare he touch her so intimately when they just met? And then he mocked her! She gritted her teeth as she scrubbed shampoo in her head. As she felt her head shout out with pain, she drew her arms away and rinsed off before grabbing her towel. It wasn't long before she was sitting on the edge of her bed dressed in comfortable worn jeans and a pale pink, ribbed tank top. She had a half zipped hooded sweater over it as she looked down at her white running shoes.
'I wonder what we're going to be doing?' she thought to herself. She was about to reach out and get the notebook she had brought with her when a knock sounded at the door. Her head jerked up. "Yes?"
"Miss Trepe, are you ready?" Xu asked. Quistis found herself nodding as she stood up and headed towards the door.
She opened the latch and stepped out to find a pretty young woman dressed in the same uniform she had first seen Selphie wearing. "I'm ready."
"Hey, Quistis!" another voice said cheerfully behind her. She looked over Xu's shoulder and saw Zell waiting for her, dressed as he was earlier that morning and with a camera case around his neck, as usual. "Ready for our first day?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Quistis sighed.
"Follow me, I'll lead you to the supply room to get your uniforms." Xu told them.
Quistis frowned. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked, slightly annoyed. She had gone shopping before she left specifically to buy clothes to help her 'train'.
Xu didn't turn around. "It's standard regulation, Miss Trepe. You are now officially acting like part of the military and we have to give you uniforms," she looked over her shoulder and smiled. "But don't worry, as part of Commander Leonhart's squad, he's not going to enforce your wearing them."
"That's still pretty cool, though," Zell said as he kept up with Quistis as they walked behind Xu. "What else do we get?"
"Afterwards, Selphie is going to take you to a training room. The Commander will be there and you'll try out three or four of our standard guns. He'll judge which one is best for you and then assign you to that particular one." Xu explained.
Quistis chuckled as she looked over at Zell and saw the look of excitement in his face. She shook her head, having known that he would act that way. When they had met when she just started, Zell had just been kicked out of his job as a studio photographer and Quistis had seen his work. So she urged him to apply to Balamb Times.
She was already a promising young journalist and with her recommendation, Cid hired Zell. Whenever she felt there was a meaningful story, she requested for Zell to assist her. He had never let her down before and she was sure that he would always try his best. They were a team and she had come to look after him as if he were her own flesh and blood.
"Did you get some sleep, Zell?" Quistis asked as they walked down the steel corridor.
"Barely," Zell chuckled. "I was so excited, I kept wanting to burst out of my room!" he said with a broad smile. He didn't feel like bothering Quistis with news of his meeting the other blond male.
"I knocked out as soon as I hit the bed," Quistis admitted with a smile. "That trip must've tired me out more than I thought."
"I thought I was really tired, but I guess I was just too excited. I can't believe I'm actually on a military carrier! Do you know that we are the first civilians on this ship EVER?" Zell piped.
Quistis chuckled and nodded. "I kind of figured that, Zell. But I'm glad to see that you're as passionate about this assignment as I am."
"I can't thank you enough for getting me as the photographer!" Zell told her, all smiles. "If not, I'd be in Balamb right now working on those photos for the drainage problem at the Deling Zoo."
Quistis grinned and shook her head. "Don't thank me, yet, Zell. This isn't going to be easy."
"Okay, here we are," Xu said as she stood in front of an open door. "This is our general supply room and you'll get your equipment here. But you won't get your weapons until after Commander Leonhart authorizes it."
The two blondes nodded. "Understood." Quistis said as she and Zell stepped into the room.
"Just go and check in, they're expecting you," Xu said kindly. "Officer Tilmit will be here to pick you up and take you to the lower training room."
The two nodded as Xu left them in the supply room. They turned around and saw someone sitting at the front counter and told him what they were there for. Everything had already been prepared and they were handed one formal uniform set, one combat uniform, boots, and belts. They were then handed two chains and two dog tags on each one.
"We get our own dog tags?" Zell asked, his face nearly gushing with joy.
"Yes, sir," the person at the front desk told them. "Dincht, Zell ID 555-949-001. Trepe, Quistis ID 555-949-000."
Quistis slowly put her chain over her head and looked down at the two metal tags as they rested over her chest. She frowned. If she was shot on the field, the dog tag would be used to identify her body. Not the best thought associated with the accessory, but definitely a useful one.
"Hey!" a loud voice shouted behind them. With their uniforms still in hand, they turned around and saw Selphie standing there, wearing her uniform from that morning. She grinned from ear to ear. "Got your stuff? Great! Let's go!"
"Don't we have to change into them?" Quistis asked. Selphie shook her head.
"Nah, that's just a formality," Selphie assured them as she lead them back out into the corridor. "The formal uniforms are for formal meetings, like any state function. In this squad, you'll probably use them most often."
"Aww..." Zell frowned. "I kind of like the idea of wearing the combat uniform..." he mumbled as he lifted up the dark colored clothes.
"Squall's really lax on the uniforms, as you can tell from how he and Irvine were dressed. Seifer usually wears his uniform, but under a gray trench coat he loves so much." Selphie told them.
Quistis nodded. "That's good to hear. I kind of have something that I'd feel more comfortable wearing."
"That's good. Go for it!" Selphie said. "Squall says that the more comfortable we are in our clothes, the better we'll be when we fight."
"What about you, Selphie?" Zell asked the petite brunette. "Do you always wear your uniform?"
"I'm wearing my formal one," Selphie said. "I have a yellow thing I wear when we go special ops just because it's a lot more comfortable for me to use. I just thought I should look like a REAL soldier when I met you guys. Usually, no one believes I'm a soldier until they see me in my uniform."
Quistis nodded in agreement as they stopped before an elevator. The doors slid open and they followed Selphie inside. As the doors closed, Selphie informed them that it was in the lower levels. When the doors slid open, they were faced with another long metal corridor.
"Where exactly are we going?" Quistis asked as they walked through.
"To find Squall. I think he's at target practice," Selphie said. They entered a through a door and heard numerous gun shots fire. Quistis jumped at the sound and Zell's eyes widened. "It's okay, you'll get used to it."
"I hope so..." Quistis mumbled. They walked into the back part of the room and behind a semi-sound proof Plexiglas wall. There they saw a series of targets hanging at the far side of the room while two men were standing one space away from each other, shooting at their respective targets.
Gunblades up in the air, firing round after round at one of the targets with ease showed their proficiency with the weapons' shooting feature. They were wearing head gear to cover their ears from the continuous sounds of their guns. From where they were standing, Quistis could make out the young soldier in the leather jacket as Squall.
"The other guy is Seifer," Selphie said as she rocked back at forth on her heels. "Lt. Almasy. You haven't met him yet."
Quistis narrowed her eyes as the two men put their guns down and pressed a button on the side of the wall. The targets they had been shooting at were pulled forward as a screen above them noted their percent accuracy.
Com. Leonhart - 98.5
Lt. Almasy - 98.5
"Wow, they're really good..." Zell mumbled in awe.
"Come on," Selphie said cheerfully. "They'll help you guys find the gun you can best work with," She opened the Plexiglas door and stepped out into the shooting range. "Hey, guys!"
Squall turned around from studying his score and nodded. "I see you got your uniforms at the supply room. You won't have to wear them often," he assured them. "Quistis, Zell, this is our other squad member," At that, the tall blond who had been wearing the combat uniform pants, boots, and a white T-shirt turned around. "Lt. Seifer Almasy."
Quistis' eyes widened as Zell's mouth' dropped. Seifer looked at the two new blondes that had just arrived and grinned. "Well, well, well..." he said arrogantly as he put his gunblade down on the counter and crossed his arms over his well built chest. "Who do we have here?"
"You've got to be kidding me!" Zell exclaimed loudly. "YOU are a commanding officer?"
Seifer chuckled with amusement as Squall looked from one man to the other. "Seifer, did you met them earlier?"
"Unfortunately, I have met chicken-wuss here," Seifer snorted. His emerald gaze looked up and settled on to Quistis. A sly smile crossed his lips. "But I did have the pleasure of running into her. You can say I even helped her out."
Quistis' eyes turned into narrow blue slits as she fumed. "You merely directed me to my room," she hissed in a low voice. She turned to Squall, a hardened look on her face after hearing Seifer's comment. "And were quite crude about it."
"Seifer, as of now, Quistis Trepe and Zell Dincht will be our squad members and I expect you to show them the same about of respect as soldiers, not as civilians," Squall ordered the taller man. "We can't coddle them. We don't have room for sheltering them. From now until they leave, they are soldiers, just like you and I."
Seifer snorted. "Right," he said as he looked at Zell. "He looks like he'll cry any minute. How the hell did you become a journalist anyway, chicken-wuss?"
Zell was about to yell, when Quistis stepped forward. "Apparently, you've made a mistake, Lt. Almasy," she snapped, getting Seifer's attention. Her eyes narrowed as she shot him a glare. "Zell is not the journalist, I AM. He is my photographer."
Seifer merely raised an eyebrow, a sly smirk once again coming to his face. "Hmm...now THAT makes more sense," he grinned. He looked back at Zell. "Should've known you couldn't even handle that."
"Hey, watch it! I pull my share!" Zell retorted proudly.
"And I should've known that SHE was the journalist," Seifer told them as he looked back at Quistis. "She looks like the type."
"Seifer-" Squall began, in a warning tone, but Quistis cut in as she turned to look at the blue eyed brunette once more.
"Commander, we are awaiting your instructions." she practically demanded, seething as she gritted her perfect white teeth.
Squall lifted up an eyebrow in question. "All right-"
"Hey, puberty boy," Seifer said as he looked Quistis up and down appreciatively. "I can help, if you need me."
"That's all right," Squall told him sternly. "They're just selecting a weapon-"
"And who better to assist that I?" Seifer cut in. He turned to Selphie. "Get her the Beretta 92fs. She's a big girl and has a strong frame. She'll be able to take it."
"Big girl? WHAT?" Quistis snapped, her face turning red.
"No, he makes a good point," Squall corrected her. Quistis turned to him in shock. Seifer had earlier just insulted him and now he defended the blond moron. "Seifer knows his guns, as do I. I was going to suggest the same thing."
Seifer smirked as Quistis shot him yet another glare. "Told you." he smirked.
Quistis' hands were at tight white fists at her sides. However, Squall apparently was fair to all his squad members. He acknowledged their strong points. He was better than most men she had met, where they would dismiss everything about a man whom they disliked, even if it would cost them greatly. In a mission, where there was no room for mistake, Squall's diplomacy was a strong point.
"Zell, you'll work with me today. We'll get you one of the Glocks," Squall was saying as Quistis turned to look at him. Selphie nodded and turned to get the weapons from one of the lockers in the room. "See how they feel, get the hang of them. If you have any problems, tell us."
Zell and Quistis nodded as Selphie returned, guns in hand. "Beretta for Quisty and a Glock for Zell," Selphie said. "All right, guys! Have fun!"
"Wait, where are you going?" Quistis called out as the young female began to bounce out of the room.
Selphie looked back over her shoulder and smiled. "I have to go meet up with Rin. I'm helping her practice for her medic test."
Quistis nodded and turned back to the three men she was left alone with after Selphie left. "All right," Squall said as he gave the Beretta to Seifer. "Assist Quistis with the basic handling of the gun. I'll work with Zell." Squall told the other man.
Seifer nodded and Quistis shook her head. "Wait a second!" Quistis gasped. "Why do I have to work with him?" she growled angrily as she pointed at Seifer.
Squall let out a tired sigh. "Quistis," he addressed her informally, as he did the rest of his team. "It'll be much faster if we split up. Plus you'll both get the attention you need for proper training. Also, despite Seifer's somewhat immature behavior, he knows what he's doing." Seifer shot Squall an annoyed look at the last comment on his maturity level.
"Commander, I must insist-" Quistis began.
Squall stopped her as he directed Zell across the room. "That is an ORDER," he stressed. His cold blue eyes locked with Seifer's green ones. "If I so much as get a single complaint from her that you are acting unprofessionally, I'll extend your lock down while in Esthar."
Seifer stiffened and Quistis studied him. The taller male gritted his teeth. "Affirmative." he said in a low voice. Squall nodded looked at Quistis.
"Seifer knows what he is doing. Also, I believe that he and Zell would only cause each other more problems." Squall informed her. Quistis looked past him at Zell, who was looking up at the screen above him.
Reluctantly, the young journalist nodded. "Affirmative." she echoed Seifer's earlier response.
Squall gave a nod of his head and turned around to instruct Zell. "Let's get started," a deep voice said behind her. Quistis felt shivers run up her back, but didn't outwardly react. Slowly she turned around, a frown on her face. Seifer was holding the gun in his hand, it's barrel facing the target away from them. "Give me your hands."
Reluctantly, Quistis held out her hands and with a swift move, his hardened hands wrapped around them and placed the gun gently inside. The cold metal was in stark contrast to his warm skin and Quistis struggled to keep her face from feeling warmer. "Now what?" she asked in a cold voice.
"How does it feel?" he asked. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, it feels fine," Quistis snapped. "This wouldn't be the first time I've held a gun."
Seifer raised an eyebrow and let her hands go. He stepped back. "All right," he said. He reached down below the counter and took out some head gear to cover her ears. "Put these on while I load the gun. Then we'll see what you got."
Quistis looked up at his eyes and saw the flicker of amusement and interest swirling within. He seemed to be genuinely interested in her ability. "Of course," she replied calmly as she tilted her chin upwards with pride. She made sure the gun's safety lock was on before placing it on the counter. She reached out and grabbed earmuff like things. She placed it on her head and adjusted it to make sure they were comfortable.
Meanwhile, she watched Seifer in front of her. Her eyes shifted over to the gun as slender, yet hardened pale hands began to load bronze colored bullets into it. Slowly, her gaze wandered upwards, following the defined muscle movements under the skin of his forearm and up to his exposed biceps. Mentally, she traced the soft curves of his upper arms to his back and began to wonder if his skin was as smooth and creamy beneath his shirt.
"Stand here. The target is all clear."
Her head snapped up and she saw him wave her over, not bothering to look at her. She nearly flushed, but quickly shook the mental images out of her mind. Seifer moved aside, the loaded gun on the counter before them. Quistis picked it up, feeling it's heavier weight in her hands. She looked up and saw her target ahead of her.
"When do I start?" she asked coolly.
"Whenever you're ready," he said as his eyes focused on the target. Quistis squirmed slightly. This was weird. The man who had taunted her just a few hours ago was now standing behind her, a war hardened look on his face as he waited for her to shoot. He was being...professional about it. It was almost as if he were a different man. "We don't have all day." he snapped.
Quistis sucked in her breath and focused her eyes on the target. BANG BANG BANG Three shots were fired in rapid succession before Quistis put the gun down.
Seifer looked up at the screen above them. "45.9," he mumbled. His eyes lowered to meet hers. "Not bad for a civilian."
At that, the corners of Quistis' lips curled upwards. "I told you I've shot before."
Seifer smirked back. "But it's crap compared to the rest of us," he added. Quistis scowled. He had just built her up only to knock her down a notch. "You're playing with the big kids now. You better start shooting like one."
"I'm sorry for not being a sniper." she hissed sarcastically as he walked past her and took the gun from her hands.
He lifted up the gun with both hands and shot another three rounds. Quistis glanced up and frowned as she looked at his score. 95.5 "It's not my usual choice of weapon," he shrugged. He looked over at Quistis and smirked. "You still need to get more comfortable with your weapon. It might be the only thing that saves your life."
"In a special ops group that rarely gets called out, I highly doubt my life will be in that much danger..." she whispered under her breath.
"You'd be surprised," Quistis snapped her head up, surprised that he had heard her. "You're on my squad now," Seifer informed her. "And Squall will have me discharged if you or chicken-wuss aren't properly trained. So get this thing out of my hands and into yours."
Quistis narrowed her eyes, a determined look on her face as she reached out for the gun. She grasped it in her hands and felt Seifer's around them. Her entire body stiffened as she felt his body press against her back, his toned arms on either side of her smaller ones. "What the hell do you think-"
"Keep your gun up and your eye on the target," Seifer stated as he held her gun up higher. "Don't get distracted by me. You're pretty, but you're not THAT pretty."
Quistis was about to whirl around and yell at him when his hands squeezed hers. Her eyes automatically focused on the target as she shot out another few shots. Her heart was racing and her face flushed as she battled with her mind to argue with him and her body's ordered movements. She felt her heart slamming against her chest as each gun shot ran through the range, echoing off the walls.
As if on impulse, she looked up to see her score. A lifetime of curiosity once again rearing it's head. 66.7
She had jumped over 10 and her eyes widened in surprise. "How...?"
"Don't think to much," Seifer told her. His hands released hers and he stepped back. The cool air of the room reached the spot where his warm body had been pressed against and Quistis bit her bottom lip. She nodded and looked back down at the gun. "Where'd you learn to shoot?"
"What?" Quistis asked, looking upwards to meet his gaze as he stood to her left side.
"Shooting a gun. Where did you learn?" he asked again.
"It was for a story," Quistis said softly. "Had to go undercover and learn to use one of these." Her eyes lowered and Seifer studied her body movements.
He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. He turned his head towards the target once more, a far off look on his face. "The guy who taught you wasn't that good. You're doing pretty well for someone who had a bad teacher." he commented. Quistis gave him a look of question and shock.
"How do you know that-"
"Start again," Seifer said quickly before she even finished. Quistis jerked her head back. His head turned to look at her and he frowned. "What are you waiting for? This is practice isn't it? Start already!" he ordered.
Quistis let out a low growl and looked back at the target. She lifted up the gun, hands firmly around it, and pulled the trigger.
Quistis collapsed on her bed, Squall's words still in her ears as she let out a groan and closed her eyes.
"We will be arriving out our base in southern Esthar tomorrow morning. Once there, you two will have a week of basic training. After basic training, you will report to us at the shooting range to become more acquainted with your weapon. After that week, you'll be running special operations drills with Selphie and Irvine," Squall had told them. "There is no room for error and we all have to learn to work together, understand?"
Quistis sighed. Yeah, she understood. Understood that for the next few evenings, she would have to report to Seifer to work on her shooting. She had ended the day with a little under 70 by herself and Selphie had told them later that Squall wouldn't let anyone on his squad go out to the field unless they were shooting at least 90.
What surprised Quistis was that even Rinoa, a nurse and studying medic, shot an amazing 98 with the same gun she was using. When she commented, Selphie said it was no surprise as Rinoa was a self proclaimed military brat and had shot her first gun at the ripe age of eight, as taught by her father.
Zell, however, was having a miserable time learning and Quistis could tell Squall was frustrated. Zell had ended the day with 23, which was still an improvement, but would be difficult to work with for the professional soldiers.
They had been told that basic training would be from sun up to three hours before sun down, to make room for dinner and shooting practice. They'd be going through boot camp drills and Zell said that he couldn't wait, as he was good with physical activities. Quistis, on the other hand, was dreading it. Sure, her last physical proclaimed her healthy, but she still didn't have that stamina she felt she needed.
"Not bad for a civilian."
Quistis' eyes opened wide as Seifer's comment echoed in her head. She snorted and rolled over on her side. "Of course, I'm not bad...I've had my share of practice." As if to reply, Seifer's other comment responded.
"The guy who taught you wasn't that good. You're doing pretty well for someone who had a bad teacher."
Quistis closed her eyes. The man who taught her was her ex-boyfriend. She was in her last year of college, barely interning at Balamb Times, when she met him. He was good to her, treated her like a queen, and taught her how to use a gun. She didn't understand why, but figured since it was his interest, she should at least try to learn to like it.
A few months down the road, she accompanied him to one of his errands and was shocked to find out that he was smuggling drugs to Galbadian continent. She immediately broke up with him, but not before he threatened to kill her if she ever said anything. But Quistis was a journalist through and through. She reported the smuggling ring and wrote an expose story on it.
Her ex-boyfriend was shot while trying to escape and died at the hospital via drug overdose, but she was afraid for months and would go to the shooting range at least once a week for the next three months to practice. Eventually, her fear subsided, but just in case, she had a hand gun stashed away in her bedroom. Having it there sort of made her feel safe, even if she hadn't used it for over a year.
Suddenly, she felt her heart skip a beat as she laid in bed. His arms had been around her, warm and strong, enveloping her body against his. She could still feel the heat from under his clothes penetrate hers as as a steady heart beat gently thumped against her back. His hands had been so warm. They were callused and he held her firmly, but gently. She felt...safe.
Her face started to grow warm and her eyes flew open, a gasp escaping her pink lips. "Oh Hyne..." she whispered as the horrifying realization reached her. Was she attracted to Lt. Seifer Almasy? The same arrogant bastard who taunted her the night before and consistently looked at her like a lesser being? "No," She shook her head and buried her face in her military issued pillow. "There is NO WAY in hell I am attracted to THAT idiot man."
Seifer stared at the door across from his quarters silently. He knew she was right behind that wall of steel, probably collapsed on her bed after several hours of shooting and bickering with him. He took a deep breath and turned around. He quickly unlocked his quarters and entered before he stopped to stare at her door for another few minutes.
He closed his door and fell back on his bed, arms extended before folding behind his head. He had to admit, she was better than he expected. Couldn't say the same about the photographer, but she definitely knew what she was doing. He grinned, remember the burning fire in her eyes every time she looked at him and dared to sting him with another smart remark.
She was stronger than what he had expected. He had assumed that the press would send some overly curious man who wanted to write an expose on the entire military. Someone they'd have to play body guard to instead of doing their real job. He had noticed that Squall, despite his unwavering stoic look, was pleased that the two were willing to learn and become working parts of the unit.
They might be able to handle it, but Seifer didn't think that SHE wanted to. All of that afternoon's practice was almost as if she were proving herself to him. To show him specifically that she wasn't weak and helpless and that she could carry her own. He found himself respecting that.
There were few people he respected. He respected all of his squad for their respective skills, even if he didn't show it. He even respected Rinoa for working hard to become her own woman, not live under either parents' shadows. Now there was Quistis.
Seifer took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to rest. She was different. She was something else. Brilliant would have been an understatement. Sure she was attractive; soft flawless face, sapphire blue eyes, and those long golden locks of hair that had rubbed against his cheeks as he stood behind her. That slender, fit body that fit against his like two corresponding puzzle pieces. He could still feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest when he went behind her earlier.
He hadn't intended to do anything else but help with her posture. Instead, he found himself zoning off as she moved against him, the scent of her hair flooding his senses. As soon as she pulled the trigger, he had let go and moved away from her. She seemed to suddenly get nervous and he didn't want to mess with her confidence while holding a gun.
Seifer smirked. She was more than a pretty face. He found that he enjoyed her snide remarks and emasculating comments during their little arguments. He admitted to himself that he let a few unprofessional remarks slip through and was relieved that she didn't report him to Squall. But at least he got her attention. He chuckled.
"Congratulations, Seifer," he said to himself as he yawned. "After this, she'll never forget you."
Layered dark hair with blond highlighted bangs was held in a neat pony tail as the young woman hunched over a text book and highlighted a paragraph. She scribbled down some notes on the of the passage before she continued to read.
He stood behind her, watching her head move as she studied underneath a soft yellow light. He had been standing at the doorway of the small reading room in the recreation quarters of the carrier for almost ten minutes. He hadn't said a single word.
Every so often, he would hear her mumble out a phrase repetitively, as if to drill it into her mind. She had been studying so hard for her medic exam and he didn't want to bother her. He was content with just watching her for a brief few moments.
"Squall," her voice finally called out. "You've been standing there for five minutes. Are you going to sit down or just stand?"
The corners of his lips moved up slightly as he began to walk forward. "Sorry, I'm bothering you." he stated simply.
She let out a heavy sigh and turned around to look at him as he approached. A soft, tired smile was on her face he took a seat next to her. "No, I needed a break, anyway," Rinoa assured him. She added to that by pinning her pencil in the text book and closing it. "How was training the new recruits?" she asked jokingly.
Squall smiled and reached for her hand that was resting on the table. "They'll be fine." he told her.
"Did Seifer help out Quistis like I said he would?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded and she beamed a smile. "I knew he liked her. I saw the way he looked at her when he was going to his room this morning."
"They argued most of the time, but she improved her accuracy," Squall admitted. "How about you?" he said as he lifted his hand and brushed back the dark bangs that had fallen over her angelic face. "How's the studying going?"
"Great as usual," Rinoa smiled weakly. "Seems with all the missions you have and my studying, we don't have time for each other."
Squall frowned slightly, a sad glint coming to his eyes as he noticed Rinoa's forlorn eyes, despite her pasted smile. "Rin...you don't have to do this."
His hand reached out and tapped the book she had been studying from. Rinoa chuckled slightly. "Squall, I'm not studying to be a medic so I could go out into the field with you," she told him for the billionth time. "I'm studying for ME. To better myself and make myself stronger."
"You're strong already." he argued.
Rinoa shook her head. "I want as much strength and knowledge as I can," She pulled her hand away from his and cupped his face in her palms. "I want to be able to save you, if I can. I don't want to see you get hurt out there and not be able to do anything about it. I couldn't live with myself if I did."
Squall closed his eyes and grabbed her hands quickly, bringing them against his lips and planting soft, long kisses on the back of them. "If something happens, it won't be by choice..."
Rinoa nodded and pressed her head against his. "You've had a long day...you should get some rest."
"Not without you," Squall said quietly, almost hesitantly. "You need rest, too."
"Squall, I have to study-"
"And I we also land in Esthar tomorrow morning," Squall reminded her. His usually ice cold eyes rose to meet hers with a warmth reserved only for her. "And I won't get to see you as often as I'd like. I have to over see Quistis and Zell's training."
"Their safety and training are more important. I can handle myself and I want to make sure that if they're going to be under my care one day, they'll be able to handle themselves as well," Rinoa told him. "You're a great Commander. Everyone respects you, even Seifer."
Squall rolled his eyes. "Seifer does not respect me."
"He won't say it out loud," Rinoa sighed. She squeezed his hands and smiled. "Come on...he's like a brother to me. I KNOW him...if he didn't respect you, he would've throw a big fit when he found out I liked you."
Squall raised an eyebrow. "He yelled bloody murder."
"I meant a bigger fit," Rinoa corrected. She reached out and caressed Squall's face. "Go get some rest. I'll come stay with you later, I promise. I just want to finish this chapter."
Squall sighed. "Whatever." he mumbled, knowing that she would stay as long as she could to finish before actually moving. Rinoa merely giggled and allowed her hands to slip out of his as he stood up to leave. She felt a hand underneath her chin and she tilted her head up, slightly surprised, before feeling warm lips pressed down intently on hers.
She closed her eyes and smiled as the rich, sweet feeling pulled away from her. Squall turned and left without another word and she returned to her studies. She frowned. It was always so hard to concentrate after a moment with Squall. The man was always so serious and stoic in public, but was so unbelievably warm to her, it was strange.
She was used to Squall's conversations with her when they weren't alone, as that was the way he addressed her before they started seeing each other. Besides, it was for the best. She knew he was deathly afraid that she would be hurt and used as a tool against him. As a result, she ended up being his weakness, something she had hated to become.
The last few months, she had worked hard on her fighting techniques just so he could worry less, but she knew that was futile. He'd always worry about her getting hurt. She smiled...at least he cared.
Seifer would always tease her about how her relationship to Squall was pathetic. It was like everyone assumed they were dating, but could never catch them physically or verbally saying or even just implying so. And since Rinoa was the more emotional of the two, she showed her affection for him more, despite her attempts to stay professional.
But the Diablo Squad all knew better. Even when they would be communicating over the radio and Rinoa giving him instructions to bandage Irvine's wound, they could tell he cared about her. There was something that was softer when she was involved, they just couldn't pin point it.
Rinoa smiled and opened her book again. She was happy with her relationship to Squall. She was happy with Selphie and Irvine's playful relationship, as well. All that was left was Seifer, the man she grew up with.
She always felt he was born arrogant, domineering, and cynical and decided that no normal girl would do for him. And when she met Quistis and spoken with her, she knew that Quistis would be perfect. She was strong, confident, and intelligent. Much more so than the green eyed blond man. She giggled to herself. The next week of basic training would definitely be interesting.
"Quistis! Quistis, wake up!"
"Mmm..." Quistis buried her face deeper into her pillow as someone knocked on the door. "Damn..."
"Quistis, wake up! We're here!" an excited voice shouted.
"What...?" Quistis slowly blinked her eyes opened and sat up in her bed. "Here, where? Oh yeah..." She sighed and slid her feet to the floor as she ran her hand through her hair.
"Quistis!" she heard Zell shout.
"I'm awake, Zell!" she yelled back.
"Come up to the deck! You can see Esthar from there!" Zell shouted. Quistis sighed and got up, heading for her sink.
She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into military pants and boots. She wore a shirt and her hooded zipper sweater as she walked out of her room. Mentally retracing her footsteps back to the elevators, she found herself reaching them just as they opened.
She yawned and pressed the button to get to the main level when she heard someone shout for her to hold it open. She glanced out the elevator and saw Seifer running towards her. A sly smirk graced her face as her finger quickly pressed on the 'Door Close' button.
"Hey!" Seifer growled as she grinned and waved. "You little bi-"
Quistis laughed as the doors closed on the tall blonde's displeased face. It quite a pleasant morning so far. When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out and headed out towards one of the open doors. She could smell the sea just outside and felt the cool, crisp morning air fill her lungs. She walked outside and could make out Selphie, Zell, and Irvine all talking as they pointed to the land they were closing in upon.
"Esthar..." Quistis whispered. She walked over to the railing and placed her hands on them as she leaned forward. She inhaled the salty air as the wind swept through her long blonde hair. She smiled as she relished the feeling.
"Enjoy it while you can, it's not going to last." an all too familiar voice grumbled behind her.
Quistis turned around and frowned as she saw Seifer approaching her. 'Great...just when I think I've lost him...' "Good morning, to you, too..." she scoffed as she turned back to the view of Esthar in the distance.
"I'm just saying," Seifer said as he walked towards her. He stood next to her, his hands buried in a long gray trench coat. "It looks nice and safe from here, but there are things you're going to see there that you'll never believed you'd ever left your comfy newspaper for," he glanced down at her. "You better be prepared. War can be nothing short of pure and utter chaos."
Quistis snorted and narrowed her eyes as she looked out towards Esthar. She could see the Galbadian base there and gripped the railing with her hands. "I'm counting on it."