Squall was shivering slightly while standing on the deck. He had always enjoyed the cold and fresh night air. Ever since he was a child he had often sneaked outside at nighttime to feel the air of mystery surrounding him, to feel the presence of danger all around him. It was both attractive and scary at the same time but it was the only place and only time where he could concentrate on his thoughts and forget about the rest of the world. To be a lone wolf.
Lone wolf? Yes, many had described him as one. However, he was quickly losing that reputation since everyone had learned that he could be a nice guy. And Squall himself had learned how to be one, thanks to his friends who had fought beside him, supporting him when he had had hard time.
He still could remember what he had thought of them when they had first met. Zell had seemed like an irresponsible kid who later proved to be a valuable addition to the team. Irvine was still a bit unfamiliar to him but he was a good guy, though he could be quite annoying and full of himself sometimes. All of them had good and bad sides but only thing that mattered to Squall was that they were his friends.
Friendship was a word that didn't really fit into Squall's mouth. It was a thing that he had started to value more and more and when he thought how he had deliberately rejected anyone who had tried to befriend with him in the past... well, he could only laugh. He still wasn't very social but he understood how ridiculous he had sometimes been and felt ashamed because of it.
After Ultimecia was defeated, he had found a lot more content in his life. Friends... even love. It hadn't been much of a surprise to anybody when Squall and Rinoa had started a relationship. In fact, it would've been a surprise if they hadn't done that because everyone could sense the chemistry between them.
Suddenly Squall realized that it was well past midnight. He wasn't tired but he didn't want to be sleepy next day.
"Good night, Balamb," he said quietly to himself and headed back to his room.