Right Here Waiting
By: Virulent Enmity
Author's Rambles: This ONESHOT AU was intended for Sweetest Day, but it was put on hold for schoolwork, projects and planning. I realize that this holiday isn't celebrated - or even acknowledged - by everyone, but this fic is just something I thought up recently. Please R&R!
Oh, and excuse anything that you think is 'OOC.' It's an AU anyway, so don't get mad at me. It didn't quite turn out as planned, but I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the song used in this story. They belong to their respective creators/Square-Enix staff/other contributors, yadda yadda, you get my drift.
-- + --
It was a rather cool October afternoon and the halls of Balamb High were empty, since it was the middle of class hours. The school building itself was rather large and constructed in a seemingly random fashion, making it appear to be some kind of maze with its many corners and dead ends. The walls were white, designed with intricate patterns and insignias in murals all around the halls. The many lockers lining the hallways were painted baby blue, others grey. Even the floors were ridiculously clean to say it was a high school building holding your average teenagers. It seemed almost like it was ripped out of some cheesy teen-flick with its absurd fakeness...
But all of that wasn't too important to Squall Leonhart at that moment. In fact, the grey-eyed seventeen year old wasn't paying attention to too much of anything around him. He was sporting a rather grim expression on his face, carrying a tiny white teddy bear in his right hand, and an oversized red, heart-shaped balloon that read 'I love you' in the other. He was way too irritated and felt so drained to say that his job for the day wasn't all that taxing. At that particular moment, he was stalking down the hallway with his companion, Seifer Almasy, who was holding onto the last of the balloons and a special box for a certain little cutie that he would personally deliver his gift to. The tall blond was currently amused over Squall's obvious state of bitchiness.
The two had just left a classroom on the other side of the building; that was Squall's delivery. The girl practically turned to goo in her seat, and it didn't help that her friends, who were sitting next to her, were squealing and blushing as well. This, of course, annoyed Squall. He actually hated how half of the female students would fawn over him like cheap tramps sometimes. Consequently, Seifer found it his place to tease Squall after he was finished, which had only soured the brunette's mood.
"Look, I said I was sorry, Squally-boy," the tall blonde interrupted the silence, "They do it all the time, you might as well get used to it."
"Will you shut the hell up already! I am not in the fucking mood," the brunette bit tartly as he continued onward, ready to beat the living shit out of the green-eyed male trailing merely inches behind him.
"Touché... Lighten up a little, Pubes. Today might not end on such a shitty note, ya know."
Squall snorted scornfully. "Hn, wanna bet?"
"I'm serious! Those girls aren't all that bad, man. I mean, they're just happy that their lil lover boys got them something today. I say: Who better to deliver?"
"That's a rather arrogant way to look at it," Squall stated in cynical tone, "Were you trying to make a point with that last bit, because you failed miserably."
"They love it! I mean, they sit there practically creaming themselves! Why else do you think we were picked?"
Squall glanced over his shoulder at the ornery blonde.
"'Picked?' I actually remember watching you sign us up last week, Almasy, or was I just seeing things again?"
"I've been telling you to get those eyes checked out for years, Leonhart, but you never listen to me."
Squall smiled and shook his head in amusement as the husky chuckle of his friend reached his ears. The two continued down the corridor, turning the corner and coming to yet another hall that didn't look very different from the last. Keeping straight, they eventually reached their next stop: Room C23. Upon reaching the closed door, Squall turned to his eighteen-year-old counterpart, shoving the item in his hands out at Seifer. He took the balloon from him, but left the bear in his hand.
"What?" the blonde asked quizzically.
"You know 'what,' you ass," the other teen bit rudely, "It's your damn turn."
"Oh, nooo, Leonhart. This one's yours."
"But I just did the last one!"
"Your point?" the blonde cocked an eyebrow.
"But--"
"If you do this one, I swear I'll take the last few for you."
"... Are you lying to me, Seifer?" Squall asked as his eyes narrowed and his tone lowered threateningly.
"Nope, Scout's honor," Seifer demonstratively held his right hand up to exaggerate his honesty.
After a lingering silence and calculating glances thrown from the door to his older classmate, Squall came to a final decision. With a heavy sigh and a few muttered curses, Squall turned towards the classroom and proceeded to twist the knob on the grey door, which was unlocked. Fortunately for Seifer, Squall missed the sly smirk that crossed his handsome features as the two headed inside.
-- + --
All eyes drifted from the current lecture to the teens who'd just entered. Squall stopped a short distance from the teacher - a short, young, chipper addition to Balamb's curriculum staff this year. With a final note on the whiteboard, she turned to the two with a bright smile on her face.
"Yeees?" she drawled out playfully.
'Psychology teacher? Right...' With a quirk of his brow and the mental warning to hold his tongue, Squall addressed the teacher.
"Sorry for the interruption, but is..." his sentence died clean in his throat once he looked at the white tag attached to the bear's left limb.
-- + --
To: Rinoa Heartilly
From: Squall Leonhart
Deliver: Period 5, Psychology
Room: C23
-- + --
"...Rinoa..." he finished quietly, speaking more to himself than the teacher.
"Yuppers, right over there!" the woman pointed enthusiastically to the far corner of the room, front row seat.
Oh, it was her, alright...
Squall's grey eyes traveled over to Rinoa and saw that her expression was a bit taken aback. He suspected he looked the same, seeing as this encounter was nowhere near expected. He glanced back at Seifer, who had made himself comfortable by leaning against one of the front tables that was currently unoccupied. Seifer was sporting a rather smug expression on his face. With a cock of his head and a humored look in his jade green eyes, Seifer motioned to Rinoa, reminding Squall of what he was there to do. With a prolonged sigh, Squall gathered himself over his fluster, turned, and headed over to his ex-girlfriend's desk.
'Fucking bastard!' Squall's mind grumbled. He'd left the job to Seifer to let him know what class they were going to next. If he'd just checked the damned tag himself beforehand, he wouldn't even be here about to embarrass himself!
He felt a quite awkward as he treaded over to her; he felt so out-of-place in his role. He was here, about to sing to his ex-girlfriend! Sure, they had been something last year. Key words: had been, last year. As in not anymore, and the proof was in his hand; the bear he was carrying certainly wasn't from him - despite the fact that his name was clearly printed on that tag.
He knew this was totally Seifer's doing. The idiot had been trying to get them back together for the longest time. Seifer'd probably snuck this tag on the bear when he wasn't paying attention. Sometimes he wondered why he trusted the blonde so much when shit like this just magically happened...
Didn't matter. He was just going to do this, suck it up and get it over with...
... But why was he so nervous if it were truly that simple? His heart was pounding and threatening to burst without shame right within his ribcage! With each step, the pounding increased. Would he even survive this?
His gaze refocused as his body stopped in front of her desk. He looked down at her, meeting her deep brown eyes with his grey ones. She still had that bemused expression, which was now gradually turning into sheer amusement; the tiny smile forming on her full pink lips was evidence enough.
After a brief look at the back of the tag for the song he'd be singing, he handed her the bear that was cradled loosely in his grip, noticing the heat that raced though his body as their fingers brushed. Looking down at the tag, Rinoa's eyes widened as she looked back up to his face, which had now acquired the slightest tinge of pink. The sight of that faint blush caused a huge grin to spread across her pretty features.
Deciding to regain at least an ounce of the dignity he'd lost upon discovering the deliverée, he cleared his throat quietly, opened his mouth and sang...
"I know I've been mistaken
But just give me a break and see the changes that I've made..."
His voice came out smoothly, without cracks, confidently. Rinoa had always known that Squall had a beautiful voice. Hell, she loved to hear him speak, so hearing him sing would make her heart soar every time. He'd sung to her before, last year when they were together. She'd turned to mush, like any other girl would. However, this time would be different.
Rinoa kept her gaze on him, trying to see some sign of anxiety, maybe even to intimidate him for reasons that were childish even in her own eyes. She found no physical signs of fear though. Squall had practically mastered hiding his true feelings, but she could tell he was uncomfortable. The brunette could see it clear as day in his eyes as he held her gaze.
"I've got some imperfections
But how can you collect them all and throw them in my face?
But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting!
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting!
And if you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting!
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting..."
Was he serious about all of this? He seemed sincere through the lyrics he sang and the attention he was giving her. More than she could say before. She didn't want to admit it, but she was quickly falling right into his trap once again. They'd been through this once before and he hadn't changed. She had enough after breaking up with him and wasn't planning on giving him another shot. He had his chance and he blew it!
He never paid attention to her like he should have. Sure, she knew he had responsibilities - hell, who didn't? - but he never seemed to have the time of day for her. He was always too wrapped up in other things: working all the time, doing things with other people, volunteering his free time instead of spending it with her. It just wasn't fair!
"I hope you're not intending
To be so condescending; it's as much as I can take...
And you're so independent!
You just refuse to bend, so I keep bending till I break...
But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting!
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting!
And if you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting!
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting..."
Was he "waiting" for her? Asking for her forgiveness? He was never disrespectful to her in the first place, at least, not as she tried to make herself believe.
'He was never intentionally hurting me...' she reasoned.
Whenever he did spend time with her, he was always the perfect gentleman, yielding to her every request. He never mistreated her, he wasn't rude to her and had showed her the utmost devotion; he made her feel so special...
'How could I be so stupid!' she scolded herself mentally.
"I've made a commitment!
I'm willing to bleed for you!
I needed fulfillment!
I found what I need in you...
Why can't you just forgive me?
I don't want to relive all the mistakes I've made along the way...
But I always find a way to keep you right here waiting!
I always find the words to say to keep you right here waiting…!"
Rinoa had always been waiting on him, to come and apologize to her for how he treated her. She was the one who needed to say she was sorry. All the loops she'd thrown him through like a trained circus animal. Every time they tried to talk about their problems with each other, she always ended up telling him about how he needed to change himself and he did, yet it still wasn't good enough for her. She always managed to make herself out to be the damsel in distress and he was the evil one ruining her life and being a "bad boyfriend." She didn't realize just how much of a good person he truly was...
Tears began to well in her eyes as she realized how much hell she'd put him through. It was all her fault that he was changing into a more unresponsive person; she had noticed this over months and placed it under the category of his way of "coping with his loss." How could she be so selfish and ignorant to not notice the harm she was causing to someone she claimed to "love" so much? How could he ever forgive someone like her...?
"But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting!
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting!
And if I chose to walk away, would you be right here waiting?
Searching for the things to say to keep me right here waiting..."
After Squall had finished singing and the applause erupted, she stood from her seat and latched herself onto him like a leech. He looked down at her in surprise. He figured she hated him and a simple song that wasn't even from him in the first place makes her act like a love-sick puppy and squeeze the breath from his lungs?
What the fuck?
He heard her sniffle a few times and felt the wetness seeping through his shirt. She was crying. Placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her away gently, he looked down into her tear-streaked face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs, prepared to ask her if she was okay when...
"I'm sorry..."
She'd spoken and her voice cracked. He wanted to question her, but she didn't look to be in the best shape for conversation. Instead, he engulfed her in an embrace and let her cry on his shoulder. There was no need for words, just silent reassurance...
The loud clapping and cheering eventually registered to their hearing and broke them from their trance-like state as the two moved away from each other shyly.
"Well, isn't that the cutest thing!" the young instructor mused loudly, only adding to their obvious embarrassment.
He was about to take his leave when a tug of his jacket sleeve paused the movement. Turning to look at Rinoa once more, she smiled up at him.
"Can we talk...?" she asked.
"Sure..."
"I'll meet you after school in the Quad, okay?"
With a little smile and nod of his own, he headed back over to the door, Seifer lifting up off the table and following him back out into the hall. As soon as they closed the door, Squall turned to Seifer, trying to hide the smile that threatened to spread across his face - and he failed miserably.
"You sneaky asshole..." he spoke accusingly as he began to head back down the corridor.
The blonde behind him snickered.
"Yep, I am the greatest..." he said as he followed the young man to their next destination.
-- + --
More Author's Rambles: The song I used was "Right Here" by Staind. No, I don't imagine Squall's singing voice to be like that - though Aaron is a nice singer. Anyhow, I like the song, and I thought it fit the scenario I had in mind nicely.
Now, be nice and review, please! :)