Strangers in the Night

An FF8 Fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or the characters. It belongs to Square-Enix. I am not making any profit off of this nor any of my other fanfictions. This is just for fun. Oh, and the song/lyrics to "Strangers in the Night" belongs to the (now late) Frank Sinatra. May he rest in peace. I am merely borrowing them.

A/N: I was flipping through the radio one day and came upon a station playing some old stuff and heard Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" and it got me to thinking of Squall and Rinoa, and the dance scene, and the lyrics sounded perfect for this fic. It's funny because inspiration comes from the oddest places sometimes. If you would, please review. This is my first attempt at an FFVIII fanfic. Tell me what you think, I hope it's good.

Strangers in the night exchanging glances
Wond'ring in the night
What were the chances we'd be sharing love
Before the night was through.

Something in your eyes was so inviting,
Something in you smile was so exciting,
Something in my heart,
Told me I must have you.

Strangers in the night, two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first hello.
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away,
A warm embracing dance away and -

Ever since that night we've been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever.
It turned out so right,
For strangers in the night.

Squall Leonhart gazed into his champagne glass, pensively. It wasn't an unusual sight, and it hardly surprised anyone to see him in deep thought, as always. He was never happy. He could never be truly happy, nor even experience some semblance of contentment or satisfaction for achieving his greatest ambition in life, and that had been to become a SeeD. The new graduation uniform he wore looked rather elegant on him, but he didn't feel completely comfortable. He missed his usual combat attire that consisted of a white T-shirt, his fur-lined leather jacket, leather pants, and the comfortable weight of his Gunblade at his side. He somehow felt…vulnerable without it.

He shifted slightly to ease the tension in his shoulders. Now that his supreme goal had finally been met, he wasn't sure what the future now held for him…he supposed that he would have to leave it up to Fate, or whatever missions Headmaster Cid sent him on. That is, he would have left it up to Fate, if he were a believer in Fate in the first place, which he wasn't. Squall Leonhart was one of those people that didn't leave anything up to Fate, chance or destiny or whatever it was that supposedly ruled the Universe. He was of the belief that he was the master and controller of everything in his life, and he liked that just fine.

On the other hand, Zell and Selphie were having a great time. When they had both approached him and tried to start up friendly conversation, he had ignored them, as he did everyone else. Selphie was happily cavorting about the room and chattering to the party guests and fellow SeeD recruits, trying to get them to join the Festival Committee. Zell on the other hand was off shadowboxing and showing off his muscles, much to the horror of the finely-dressed ladies and elegantly attired men. Squall merely rolled his eyes in disgust at his "comrade's" behavior.

He turned his attention skyward and gazed at the heavens. It was a beautiful, clear night. The stars glittered like diamond dust set against a velvet backdrop, and he felt his spirits lift a little. All of a sudden, a star shot across the vast empyrean and his gaze followed its sparkling path.

That was when he first saw her, the girl in the middle of the dance floor. She was looking at the star as well, then her gaze turned to him, and their eyes met for the first time. When her eyes fell on him, Squall caught his breath in spite of himself and he felt his heart skip a beat in surprise. She was a beauty. She was petite, delicate. Her skin was snowy pale and looked soft to the touch. Silky raven hair with chestnut streaks cascaded just past her slight shoulders. She was wearing a short creamy white dress that flattered her figure nicely and showed off her lovely legs. Her limbs were slender and well proportioned. About her swan-like neck was a ring on a silver chain.

However, the thing that Squall noticed most about her were her eyes. They were a warm, dark brown. They were large and soft, like a doe's, and at the same time there was a certain boldness in them, as if she were daring him to do something. What that was, he didn't know. Her eyes were innocent and at the same time filled with recklessness and daring. There was challenge in them. She smirked impishly at him and her dark eyes sparkled mischievously as her slender index finger pointed up at the shooting star.

In response, Squall cocked his head to the side, slightly. That was when she began to walk towards him, much to his surprise and chagrin. As she approached him, Squall withdrew into himself and hoped she changed her mind and left him alone. Hoped that she would leave him be and not talk to him.

However, his hope turned out to be in vain. She approached him with that smile still upon her face. Squall suddenly became very interested in his champagne glass. He figured that he would ignore her, and trust that she would take the hint and go away. It worked with everyone else, why would she be any different?

She stopped in front of him and spoke. "You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me?" Squall looked at her, and then across the dance floor, trying to pretend that she didn't exist. He would never have admitted it out loud, but she was even more beautiful up close. He forced himself not to look into her warm, liquid gaze. And her voice…her voice was truly something divine. He had never heard a more wonderful sound in his entire life.

However, she did not go away. Instead she persisted. Seemingly amused, she cocked her head to the side slightly and smirked at him, with a small hand on her hip. "Let me guess. You'll only dance with someone you like."

He continued to say nothing…he really didn't want to dance, though somehow he didn't have the heart to turn her down outright. He would have to come up with a good excuse to let her down gently. For some reason he couldn't fathom, he almost couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her.

Then, much to his surprise, she stepped in front of him, and inadvertently he breathed in the delicate scent of her. She had a natural fragrance all her own, it seemed. It was an aroma he couldn't quite describe, but even the sweetest-smelling of roses could not compare with it.

She smiled enchantingly at him and began to wave a petite finger in front of his face and said in a low, mock-hypnotic voice: "You are going to like me. You are going to like me." Then she stepped back a bit.

"Did it work?" She asked coyly while clapping her hands in glee. Finally, Squall answered her. "I can't dance." That was a lie. Actually, he could dance very well, if he wanted to, but he didn't want to go out onto that dance floor and risk humiliation-or worse. If it got out to everyone else that Squall Leonhart was a good dancer, he would never be able to live it down. He knew that he'd never hear the end of it from Seifer and his so-called "posse", whom were better known as the self-declared Disciplinary Committee of Balamb Garden. Squall felt the wound on his nose throb painfully at the thought of his rival, and the memory of their fight that morning.

However, a small hand grabbing his and all but yanking him onto the dance floor broke Squall's train of thought. For such a diminutive girl, she was surprisingly strong. "Come on, you'll be fine!" She declared. "Besides I can't be on the dance floor alone!" And before he knew it, Squall was literally being dragged across the ballroom floor. That was when a lovely waltz began to play, starting out at a slow rhythm.

Suddenly, they came to a stop, right in the middle of all the dancing couples, all twirling together in perfect unison. Squall felt unbelievably self-conscious. He couldn't believe he'd let her haul him out here against his will. He didn't know why he hadn't yanked his hand out of hers and stalked off to save himself from further embarrassment. However, before he knew it, she was positioning his hands onto her tiny waist and she began to guide him into the dance, slowly. "Just follow my lead." She said, simply.

Squall tried to do as she instructed and failed, miserably. He was so tense that he stumbled around clumsily, his movements stiff and awkward, a complete contrast to the graceful movements of the swirling couples around them. Squall kept looking down, doing his best to avoid stepping on her toes.

Then, without warning, they bumped into another waltzing couple. The elegantly dressed pair glared at them with sophisticated scorn. Squall cringed, humiliated beyond belief. His partner, however, did no such thing. Instead, she audaciously stuck her tongue out at them. "Meanies." She said under her breath. He caught her eye, and she smiled at him confidently, seeming to say Come on, let's show them what we've got! We can do it!

Then, like magic, as the waltz picked up speed and reached a crescendo, he felt himself relax, and showed her what a good dancer he truly was. They moved across the dance floor like a single entity, every step done to perfection, matching the couples around them. The waltz ended with a flawlessly executed spin, her fragrant black hair swishing about her beautiful face as her other arm extended gracefully, like a swan's wing while her other hand held onto his for support, then she spun back into his strong embrace, their fingers intertwining together.

Before Squall could do or say anything, the sky suddenly exploded in a kaleidoscope of color as fireworks lit the night sky in a dazzling display. The pair gazed at the breathtaking spectacle, sharing the moment. The girl had a slight smile on her face, and Squall smiled to himself, inwardly.

But the magic of that moment was interrupted as he felt her shift in his arms. He realized that she was looking over his shoulder. She looked at him, a little sadly. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I hope we meet again someday." She winked at him and left his embrace, almost reluctantly, and thus leaving him alone and confused on the dance floor by her abrupt departure. He thought that he'd be relieved that she had left. Instead, he was disappointed which was strange, considering that he didn't even know her name. She was a complete stranger. He felt a feeling stir within his chest that he'd never experienced before, and couldn't quite explain. He wondered if he would ever see her again. Wondered if their paths would cross once more.

Little did he know that he'd fallen in love that night. Little did he know that they would meet again. Little did he know that he would grow to love her. Little did he know that Fate had stepped in that night, and brought them together with that shooting star. Little did he know that she would be the one to melt the ice around his heart, with her warmth, her laughter, and her kindness. Little did he know that she would become his angel, and he, her knight.

Fin

A/N: All things considered, I think this fic turned out pretty good. It's one of my longer pieces, and I must say that I'm rather pleased with how it turned out. I've had the worst kind of writer's block lately and this is the first thing I've written in a while. Please review! I love feedback! I might do another one in the future.