Chapter 12

The Birthday Gift

Squall opened his eyes to the sounds of birds chirping. He felt much better getting to sleep in his bed and not in the chair. As he opened his eyes more, getting used to the light, he felt pressure on him. He looked down. His eyes opened wide. Rinoa was asleep, her head on his chest. He sat motionless, not sure what to do.

A few minutes later she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and looked around the room till her eyes met his. "Morning!" She said cheerfully. "What? I tried to sleep in the chair, but it hurt my back…" She did her innocent smile. Squall then realized that his right arm was wrapped around her. He quickly removed it and got out of bed. "What's wrong?" Rinoa asked at the sudden movement.

"Nothing…" He replied as he walked into the bathroom. She heard the shower water turn on. She sat in the bed and thought to herself.

"I hope I didn't scare him too much. Although, I have to admit…I felt so safe next to him. It was as if the world around me just disappeared and nothing could harm me. It was just me and him." She smiled the more she thought about it. Squall came out a few minutes later, dressed, and ready to go.

"I'm going down to breakfast…" He told her and then walked out of the room. Rinoa got up and got ready herself, attempting to find better clothes. She rummaged around in his closet until she found black pants. Then she grabbed another white shirt and some shoes. She examined herself in the mirror.

"Looks good enough for me!" She said happily to herself. She ran out the door and down to the cafeteria, where the smell of bacon reached her. "That smells so good!" She exclaimed.

After she grabbed her a plate full of bacon she ran over to a table with Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis. "Hey!" She cried out happily.

"Hey girl!" Quistis said. "Today's a special day!" When she said this, Rinoa looked at her with a questionable expression.

"What's so special?" She asked.

Quistis smiled. "It's Squall's birthday!" Rinoa gasped.

"He didn't say anything to me! How old is he turning?"

"He'll be nineteen!"

"Wow!" Rinoa exclaimed.

"We're going to throw a special surprise party for him this afternoon!" Selphie said. She was head of the Garden Festival Committee so she had all the necessary decorations. "You have to come Rinoa! Please say you can!"

"Of course I will! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Rinoa stood up.

"Where are you going?" Zell asked.

"I have to get a present ready! Plus I need to go shopping for an outfit! Hey, Selphie, Quistis, why don't you come along to help me?" The two girls jumped up.

"Okay!" They said together.

Rinoa, Quistis, and Selphie ran from store to store in Balamb. They walked into a store called "Coastal Beauty." Rinoa saw a pair of black knee high boots with a heel on them and rushed over to it. "Oh my gosh, these are perfect!" Selphie ran over next to her.

"Perfect for what?" She asked with a curious expression.

"You'll see later!" Rinoa told her. She grabbed the boots and continued to browse around the store till she found two brown belts and got them, too. As she went on she grabbed a leather mini black skirt and a lion-shaped charm. Then she bought some wrist bands in brown. "I'm all set!" Rinoa said happily as she ran up to the counter with Selphie and Quistis. They gave her curious looks.

"I'm not even going to ask…" Quistis said. Rinoa looked over at her as she paid for her items.

"Well, I wouldn't tell you even if you did!" After everything was put in bags, they ran back towards the Garden.

After everyone had finished setting up decorations in the Quad for the surprise party, they all ran back to their rooms to get ready. Rinoa went with Selphie to her room. Quistis decided to come along too.

Selphie curled her hair while Rinoa pulled her things out of her bag. "Okay, I have belts, skirt, shoes, shirt…crap!" She said. "I still need a jacket!" She ran out of the bathroom and told Selphie and Quistis, who was applying makeup to her face, that she would be right back.

She ran down the hall till she reached Squall's room. She opened the door slowly to see if he was anywhere in sight. The coast was clear. She ran inside and opened his closet. There were four jackets hanging inside, all alike. "I just need one." She grabbed it off the hanger and turned around. She jumped when she saw Squall standing right behind her.

"What are you doing with my jacket?" He asked her suspiciously.

Rinoa stumbled over her words. "I ah…he he…got cold so I decided I would borrow one…so can I….please?" She gave him her best sad face she could muster.

"Fine…" He said. Rinoa smiled and thanked him. Then she ran out the door and back to Selphie's room.

Selphie was on the last few strands of her hair and Quistis was buckling her high heeled shoes. They looked up as Rinoa ran in, but didn't ask any questions.

Rinoa ran into the bathroom and slipped her clothes on, using scissors in the process. She walked out of the bathroom. Selphie dropped her curling iron and Quistis stumbled in her shoes. "Whoa! Rinoa!" Selphie didn't know what to say. "That's awesome!"

"Good! That's what I was going for!" Then she walked a little closer to them and whispered her birthday surprise.

"Got it!" They said, nodding their heads up and down.

About an hour later, when it was six o'clock at night, Irvine walked with Squall down a hallway. "Come on Squall! I want to show you something. It's in the Quad!" They walked down the path until they reached another room. "Here we are!" Irvine said.

"What did you want to show me?" Squall asked him. Just then Zell, Selphie, and Quistis popped out from behind a sofa that was in the center.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all jumped up in the air and clapped.

Squall stood there, not sure what to say. He smiled a little. "How did you guys know?"

"Why would we not know?" Zell said. "You're one of our best buddy's dude! Of course we knew!"

"Let's do PRESENTS!" Selphie yelled, full of excitement.

"Okay Selphie! Chill out!" Zell yelled over her screams.

"Here Squall, this is from me." Quistis handed him a box. He unwrapped it and opened the lid. Inside was a gunblade cleaning set.

"Thanks…I could really use this." He said. Irvine handed him the next gift. It was in an envelope. Inside was money. "Thanks…I know I can find someway to use this." Irvine smiled.

"ME NEXT!" Selphie said, jumping up and down. She ran over and grabbed a huge box off the sofa. "Here!" She said. Squall took the box and looked at it.

"What's this? Five gunblades?" He asked sarcastically. Selphie laughed.

"Just open it!" Squall tore the paper off. Inside the box was a large shirt with a logo across it saying "Garden Festival Committee." He looked in the box some more and found a gift card for one hundred dollars off weapon upgrading.

"Thanks for the gift card…" Squall said. He had no idea what to say about the shirt.

"We'll wear the shirts on meeting days!" Selphie said happily. Squall looked at her, his eyebrow raised. "I'm just kidding. I know you would never wear it!" Selphie started going into fits of laughter.

"Here man!" Zell said, handing him a small box. Inside was another gift card for fifty dollars off of any weapon accessories.

"Thanks." Squall said.

Quistis and Selphie stood up and walked towards a door on the left. "Now, for the main event of the evening!" Quistis said, her hand on the door handle. Selphie was smiling so big and jumping up and down. Zell and Irvine looked at them with curious stares, Squall doing the same. The guys didn't know about the special surprise either. They were as clueless as Squall was.

Selphie and Quistis both held onto a handle of the door. Selphie on the left, Quistis on the right. There was a moment of silence. Then they opened the door. Squall's mouth dropped, along with Zell and Irvine's. There Rinoa stood. She had on the black leather mini skirt with two brown belts across it intersecting one another just like Squall's. Then she had on her black knee high boots. Around her neck she wore her chain necklace with the lion charm at the end of it. She had a white shirt on and Squall's leather jacket except that she had cut off the sleeves up to her shoulders so it had frayed edges. Brown leather straps were wrapped around up to the top of her arms and black gloves. She even had a gunblade tucked into the side of her belt on her left hip.

Rinoa walked over towards the group. Selphie and Quistis ran up behind her, suppressing their laughter at the guy's faces. She came up to Squall. "Looks like I found the Birthday Boy!" She said, a smile curving her lips. Squall didn't know what to say. He sat there, speechless. Rinoa walked over behind his chair. She put her hand on his shoulder and walked around him in a circle. Then she stopped and turned towards Selphie and Quistis. "Hey Girls, do you think he should get his birthday present now or after cake?"

"Oh, I don't know…" They said together. "Maybe…only if he's been a good boy…" Rinoa looked from them to Squall.

"Have you been a good boy?" Rinoa asked him, her eyebrow raised. Squall just sat there with his mouth open. Zell then ran forward to Squall and grabbed the bottom of his chin to make him appear to be speaking.

"Yes I have…" Zell said, moving Squall's mouth. Then he ran back to where Irvine was standing. "Looks like he has been!" He said smiling. He wanted to see what his present was, too!

Rinoa looked from Zell to Squall. "Well, then…it looks as if you'll get you're present then." Everyone's eyes were on her. She walked around him in a circle one more time and then sat down in Squall's lap sideways. Squall's eyes widened. Rinoa looked at him and gave him a mysterious smile. Then, with no warning at all, she put her hands around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Squall eyes got even bigger. After about six seconds, she separated from him.

Everyone was silent. Selphie and Quistis were smiling and giggling. Zell and Irvine had their mouths open. They were shocked. Rinoa had told Selphie and Quistis exactly what she was going to do. They had no surprises.

Rinoa got up off of Squall's lap and walked toward the girls. "Time for cake!" She said. They got up and walked towards the large cake at a table nearby. The guys stayed there staring for a few seconds, and then got up.

Squall was the last one to get any cake. He still hadn't said anything. While they ate he kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. Rinoa just talked to Selphie and Quistis till about seven thirty. Then she stood up to leave. "Well, I should go." She looked over at Squall. "Happy Birthday, Birthday Boy!" Then she turned and walked out, her heels clicking over the tiled floor, the gunblade clanking on her hip. Selphie and Quistis were quick to follow.

Zell and Irvine ran over to Squall. "You're the man Squall! I mean, Wow! I was not expecting that! She looked hot in that outfit. In fact, it looked just like yours, except you know, a girl version…a really nice looking one, though." Irvine told him, throwing his arm around Squall and starting to daydream.

"That's because it was! She made that to look just like his! Duh!" Zell said rolling his eyes. Squall just stared into space…still in shock.