Secret Passages- Chapter Three: Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
It had been over two hours since the elevator had suddenly dropped to the MD level. Squall noted such, as he looked at his watch. He sat on the elevator floor, Selphie lying across his lap, still asleep. At first, Squall had thought it would be a bad idea id she had fallen asleep, but as he was shaking her earlier, he could tell that she was only exhausted. She wasn't kidding when she had told him everything was a lot of work with the Garden Festival.
Squall looked down at Selphie, making sure his jacket served her well as a blanket of warmth to her bare arms. Getting rid of Irvine was for the good of Garden, but to Selphie it was putting more stress on herself, trying to meet the requirements for everything she had planned and trying not to push back the date of the Festival since she had done so already a million different times.
When Squall felt the sudden jolt of the elevator, he knew it was up and working again. Gathering Selphie up in his arms, he stood and stepped over to the panel with all the floor numbers. He hit the first floor button and sighed in relief as the elevator did as it was told and ascended to the main floor of Garden.
After only a moment's time, the elevator doors slid open and Squall stepped outside and looked around. What was he looking for? Maybe a technician from Fisherman's Horizon that had been called to help fix the broken elevator. However, it seemed to work fine now, as he heard the light ding of it as it ascended to one of the higher floors. Squall followed it with his eyes before readjusting Selphie in his arms and setting off to the infirmary. It was best to have the doctor tell her that she needed rest.
Upon entering, he interrupted a conversation between Quistis and Dr. Kadowaki. The two of them had to take in who is was at first glance, but as soon as it sank in who it was, they gasped and hurried over to him.
"What happened to her?" The two women spoke in unison as Dr. Kadowaki began to examine Selphie, still in Squall's arms.
"…She's really kind of heavy." Squall wasn't weak, but not eating since he and Rinoa had gotten into an argument just the day before- No. It wasn't that. I was just being a jerk to her. I know I should open up to her, she tells me to so much, but I just… Can't.
"I'm not sure she'd want to hear that. Good thing she's asleep, huh?" Quistis covered her mouth to hide a smile.
"Actually… follow me, Squall. You can set her down in this bed." Dr. Kadowaki slipped into one of the rooms and Squall followed. He glanced at the large pane of glass that served as part of a wall, remembering when he had first seen Ellone.
"Gently now, don't hurt--" Dr. Kadowaki stopped speaking after receiving a harsh glare from Squall.
"It's not like I'm throwing her on the bed or anything."
"Oh— Squall! You're actually talking out loud! That's beautiful!"
"Selphie? Don't forget she's knocked out." Squall directed the unwanted attention away so that the Doctor would both leave him alone and help Selphie. "I'll sit outside."
Quistis entered the small room just as Squall stepped out of it. Se looked to Dr. Kadowaki would pulled a tiny capsule out of her pocket.
"You can't wake her up any other way?"
"I'm afraid not. The walk to the infirmary alone should have done it, but this should do the trick." She broke open the capsule and waved it just underneath Selphie's nose.
"She's going to go ballistic."
"Ugh! That stuff reeks! Disgusting!" Selphie shot up straight, rubbing her nose violently, trying to rid herself of the stench. The other women in the room laughed openly at her reaction. Remembering what had taken place only a moment ago for her, Selphie raised her hand to her forehead, searching for the bump that should have been there, but wasn't. She dropped her hands to her lap and looked back and forth between Dr. Kadowaki and Quistis.
"Where's Squall?"
"He said he would sit outside." Dr. Kadowaki sat down at the head of the bed on one of her small rolling stools. "Quistis, would you get him? I might need him for a moment."
"Certainly." Quistis nodded and excited the room.
"So, do you have a headache?" Dr. Kadowaki began her questioning her patient so that she could begin with her diagnosis.
"Anyone would after smelling that crap." Selphie motioned a hand toward the capsule that the older woman had dropped into the trash can beside her. "I was looking for a bump though."
"Did you run into a wall again, Selphie?" Keeping a straight face was easy enough for the Doctor, but Quistis was caught off guard as she re-entered the room and couldn't muffle her fits of giggles with her hands in time.
"Sorry." Both the Doctor and Selphie turned to look at Quistis with questionable expressions. "Squall's not out there. I don't know where he went, but given the fact that his silent reputation was in danger, he'd flee to Hyne's nine hells if he had to."
"Well," Dr. Kadowaki turned to look back at Selphie. "You'll be enough, I suppose." She smiled warmly, getting Selphie's attention. "You look exhausted. How much sleep have you gotten in the past forty-eight hours?"
"Not much… I didn't sleep at all last night because Zell and I were up playing that video game he just got for his new game system. I got detention this morning, too, for three days and I've been working extra hard on those posters for the Garden Festival next weekend."
"Detention? Selphie, you had a perfect record!" Dr. Kadowaki exclaimed loudly, seemingly upset.
"I know, right?!" Selphie was just as angry as she was, only she has taken her anger out on Zell. Quistis smiled and began to leave the room, hearing the door to the infirmary open. "Maybe that's Squall?"
Selphie's question followed Quistis as she left the small room, but when she turned back into the room, she shook her head.
"It's Xu."
:::akuru:::
Squalls first though when he left the small room was to run and hide in his dorm room, but the curiosity of whether or not Selphie was going to be alright had a hold on him. He found himself sitting in one of the comfortable chairs with the arms and back covered in soft fabric with lots of fluffy cushion to keep the occupant of the chair coming back. Squall put his face in his hands, not sitting back in the chairs comfort, but leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Realizing his hands were empty, he shot up from the chair.
Damn it! I left that folder in the elevator.
Squall glanced into the room where Selphie, Quistis, and Dr. Kadowaki were. They hadn't even waked Selphie up yet.
I've got time.
Getting out of the Infirmary was easy enough, but walking down the small strip of the hallway leading to the center of Garden wasn't exactly the same. Students had suddenly appeared and were swarming the halls before curfew and of course, Squall just happened to be in it.
The circulatory hallway, however, didn't have as much hustle and bustle, since everyone was leaving the cafeteria and heading to their dorm rooms; the opposite direction than the one in which Squall was heading.
As he approached the directory, Squall watched as Xu passed him by with a wave. He only nodded, not really caring to stop and say hello, and kept walking. Once up the short flight of stairs, he stood in front of the elevator. When he reached out to hit the button he heard its light ding sound, signaling that it had arrived on that floor and the doors would open momentarily. He stepped back and watched as the doors opened. When no one came out, Squall stepped inside and looked around the small elevator. There wasn't anyone in it, much less the folder.
For Hyne's sake! I just left this thing ten minutes ago. When he stepped out of the elevator, the doors closed behind him. He listened as it moved to the floor it was being summoned to, but when he looked up to watch it ascend to either the second or third floors, he didn't see it in it's glass case. That thing needs to be fixed. It has a mind of its own.
Heaving a sigh, Squall looked down in front of him to see Quistis walking up the small set of stairs and over to him.
"If you plan on using that elevator, you should call the FH Technicians first. It's going hey-wire."
"I'll make sure I do that." She held up a manila folder, packed with papers. "I believe these belong to you, Commander."
"I believe they've found their way into their rightful owner's hands." Squall grinned, walking around the instructor, his pace hardly any different from a stroll. Reaching the stairs, he turned back to look at Quistis, just to give her a fair chance in throwing a sarcastic line back at him.
"I believe a 'whatever' should suffice as a replay to that, Squall." She crossed her arms and watched him turn away, his once wide grin now returned to his fairly annoyed expression.
Your carefully constructed barriers aren't so high and mighty anymore, Squall. Quistis smiled as the thought raced through her mind. Either Rinoa or Selphie have been working extra hard on him lately. Quistis' thoughts were broken by the soft sound of the elevator doors opening. Out of curiosity, she turned to see who was inside, if anyone at all, from what Squall had said a moment earlier. The blonde-haired Chickenwuss met her eyes, seemingly more furious than normal.
"Oh, Zell…"
:::akuru:::
The though of how Quistis had gotten her hands on the papers didn't cross his mind until he had entered the Infirmary hallway.
"Oh, hey Squall." Xu stepped directly in front of him, stopping him from continuing his journey to the end of the hall. "Did Quistis find you and tell you about the papers?"
Squall would have walked around the woman, but the mention of the papers caught his attention. He looked down at her and remembered when she had walked by him earlier. He put a gloved hand to his forehead and turned his face from her. She had the folder in her hand and I didn't even notice.
"Are you alright? If your head hurts you should go see Dr. Kadowaki— Oh! I'm sorry, why else would you be in the Infirmary hallway? Of course you feel sick or something. I'll just see ya later." Xu patted Squall on the shoulder as she walked past him.
"Thanks, Xu." Squall half-turned to look at her as she was walking away. She stopped and turned around to say your welcome, but he had already started walking to the Infirmary, so she turned around and continued her own walk.
:::akuru:::
A petite figure, silhouetted by the moonlight that poured into the room from a large window, stirred on the hard and ice-cold bed contained within the small room. The thin sheets did not help keep any warmth, as the Infirmary was always kept at a low temperature, day-in and day-out.
It's mandatory that we keep it so cool. It's more sanitary this way. Selphie's thoughts as she opened her eyes. She took a deep breath and sat up quickly before realizing she was actually in the Gardens Infirmary and no where else. Yet still, the though of being alone at night and in the infirmary was enough to send the chills down your back. She looked down to see Squall's jacket had been laid across her chest while she was asleep, since the soft black leather and the fluffy white-collared bundle of fabric now lay in her lap. Just as she went to touch it, she felt a gloved hand touch her bare shoulder and half-turned to see Squall, outlined by the moonlight. He had stolen one of the more comfortable chairs from the main room of the infirmary and had apparently fallen asleep in it while he waited for Selphie to wake up. The sudden intake of breath from Selphie had waked him.
Selphie brushed the hand off her shoulder and looked back at the jacket in her lap. She grabbed it and handed it to him. He thankfully took it and put it on. If the cold-blooded lion thought it was cold inside the Infirmary then there really was something wrong with the temperature.
"Would you take me back to my room?" As she spoke, Squall stood from the chair and adjusted his jacket.
"She was right then." Selphie looked up at Squall, a little confused by what he said, and tossed her legs over the side of the bed.
"I don't think I'll be able to walk."
"…That's okay." Squall held out his hand and helped Selphie from the bed.
:::akuru:::
With the old faculty gone, most of the rules had changed- if only slightly. Everyone guessed it was because the new Faculty was all mortals and had to get their rest at night, unlike those before them that would have to keep everything perfect for their lord and master, Norg. Whatever the reason, there were no Faculty members trotting around Garden at this hour. They expected the students to have some responsibility and know not to leave Garden or try to cook a few hotdogs in the Cafeteria; at least now they knew, after Zell was caught because he had almost burnt down the kitchen trying to do it on his own.
In any case, the curfew rule was still a rule, yet Squall wandered the halls of Garden anyway. He walked down the desolate, circular hallway with Selphie half-asleep and hanging from his shoulders. The medicine had her body wanting to sleep while she wanted to just stay awake. Yet, she couldn't resist the temptation to catch a few Z's as Squall carried her on his back, much like he did with Rinoa when he walked such a long distance to see Sis.
There wasn't a clock to be found in Garden –unless you were in a dorm room or had a watch- and not being able to take a glance at his watch, Squall figured it was around midnight or somewhere near then. He figured as much since there wasn't anyone in the halls at all, not even for a trip to the secret area in the Training Center.
Squall made his way through the main dormitory hall and had stopped when he came upon the area where the hallway divided into the male and female halls. Had Selphie been well enough to walk and reach her dorm on her own, Squall would have left her right there. Yet, she couldn't walk, much less stand, on her own right now. So, Squall started down the female dormitory hallway. Having never been in this part of Garden but once, the many different and strong perfume scents mixed together to form an overwhelming mass of what a guy would think of as 'air pollution.'
Passing many doors, Squall began to wonder where Selphie's room was. He started to ask Selphie the number of her room when he came across a door with a large plastic purple flower and a yellow peace sign to match plastered across the face of it. He stepped closer to it, only to find a few sign-up sheets for the Garden Festival Committee pinned to the cork board that also hung on the door.
"Heeey," Selphie spoke softly, her breath playing with strands of Squall's hair, allowing them to dance on his ear. "You found my room." Her voice seemed a little happy for her current condition. Yet, Selphie closed her eyes and laid her head against Squall's shoulder once more, wanting nothing but sleep.
"Where's your keycard?" He turned his head to the side, hoping she would acknowledge him. "Selphie?"
"What?" Again, her breath played with his hair. He tried his best to keep from jerking his head, ignoring it.
"Keycard?" He blinked softly and lowered his head to look at the floor, waiting for her reply. He noticed she was slipping off his back and took in consideration that if she stayed there, he'd never get her awake. So, he let her slowly descend from his back and turned around to old her up when he was free of her weight.
Selphie stood there a moment, now awake and looking up at Squall. He could tell that she was fighting to stay awake, but let go of her arms to see if she could stand on her own. However, no sooner had he let her go, her legs began to give way and she started to fall. Luckily enough, Squall hadn't run off to leave her on her own, and caught her, this time holding onto her shoulders to give her some sort of balance.
After searching her back pocket for her keycard, Selphie swiped it and the door pushed itself open. Replacing the keycard, she looked back at Squall, sleepily. He hadn't let go of her shoulders yet, but he made no motion of carrying her or helping her into her dorm room. He chose to do the action that would not break any Garden rules and removed his hands from her shoulders, popping off one of her jumpers' shoulder straps in the process.
"I would laugh if I have the energy." Selphie grinned and fixed her strap as Squall stood speechless as to what had just happened.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay, don't worry about it. It's not like it was my bra or anything." Selphie looked back up at Squall and stretched out her arms, embracing him in a 'Selphie Hug.' This hug was like a death grip to most, but Squall and the rest of the gang could handle them. He reached a hand around her and patted her on the back—his was of giving hugs—before she held him at arms length, mostly for balance.
"Thankies, Squall. You're such a great guy." She tried her best to stand on the tip of her toes as she gave Squall a kiss on the cheek.
Squall looked at her as if she were insane when she had pulled away from him. Had she not waved and entered her room so quickly, he would have asked her why she had done that, but he thought it better to just blame it on the medicine and go back to his own room before he died of suffocation in the female dormitory hallway. He stepped away from the door, hoping Selphie would make it to her bed safely, and started his walk down the hallway.
With his face staring at the floor in front of him, Squall heard the sound of a door opening in front of him. He looked up; catching a glimpse, or blur, of light blue a few doors down the hallway. Had he known what door it was, he would have given the scene a second thought, but he looked back down at the floor and continued his walk, tossing the matter aside. He was ready for sleep to take him away as he exited the female hall and entered the male hall, greeted by the familiar and welcoming scent of cologne and deodorant.
:::akuru:::
"Where is he?" Rinoa spoke aloud, but in a whispering tone. She was walking out of the make dormitory hallway, heading to the female corridor. She was walking back to her room, her pace slow, allowing her light blue duster barely a breeze to billow behind her.
For over an hour or so, she had been waiting outside of Squall's dorm room. She knew his usual schedule of work, Training Center, food, work Training Center, and then sleep. The only times she could catch him and get him to talk to her lately were when he ate or slept. The rest of the time, he was either busy or she was confined to her room, not feeling up to trying to talk to the gang with their busy schedules either. Yet, lately, he had been skipping meals and sleep all together. She wondered if he was doing so to ignore her, since that was the only time he seemed to have, but she hated to doubt him.
Rinoa wondered, as she had been since the last big argument just a handful of days ago, if she and Squall were really an item. After all, he had never asked her to be his girlfriend, or wife, or anything. And he would hardly ever give any signs of affection toward her in public—which happened to be the only time they spent together.
Since the Timber contract had been fulfilled, Squall hadn't the time to lolly-gag around the Garden with her; He was a SeeD, not to mention the Commander of Garden. The few weeks spent on trying to defeat the sorceress ordeal was just a short amount of time. The kiss could have been just for the hell of it. Would Squall do that?
"…SeeD is meant to fight against the sorceress' that are to come. I am a sorceress, so I'm not allowed to become a SeeD. That would be like fighting myself…" Rinoa shook her head. "And if serving coffee every morning, sorting through papers, or giving important phone calls or conferences to—Ah, Cid can get all that stuff on his own. Honestly, that old man is so lazy." Rinoa went over the possibilities that she could have anything to do with Garden. If she didn't find something to do, she wouldn't be allowed to stay for long, even if she was friends with the Commander.
"I could always teach about my Sorceress powers… but then I'd have to learn about them myself first. Figure out how to harness that energy and everything." Oh, Mom. I miss you. I wish you were here to help me think these kinds of things out. Lifting her arm and taking hold of the rings that dangled from the silver chain around her neck, Rinoa looked up from the floor to see Squall and Selphie down the hall. She smiled, dropping the ringed necklace from her hand to wave and say hello when she witnessed the kiss Selphie had given Squall. From her point of view, the type of kiss couldn't be determined, but Rinoa acted in the moment.
She dropped her hand to her side and looked around before turning back and walking to the nearest door of a person she knew; Quistis' door. She knocked quietly, yet loud enough for the blonde instructor to hear. The tears were already beginning to collect, but Rinoa couldn't seem to help but think the worst of the situation. She looked back down the hall to see Squall walking toward her, looking at the floor. She had hoped he hadn't seen her. For whatever reason, she had hoped he didn't.
As soon as the door before her had opened, Rinoa rushed inside, letting it close behind her. Quistis stood in front of her, PJs and all. She noticed the tears and quickly put her arms around Rinoa, giving her a warm hug and acting the protective older sister she had always tried to be.
"Come on, let's go watch some TV. You can tell me what happened when you calm down." Quistis let Rinoa cry as she took her toward the couch. They both sat down and looked at each other. Rinoa's tears came without delay; continuous as a waterfall. All Quistis could understand from Rinoa's first broken sentence was:
"…Squall..."
Author's Note:
Okay, guess what? Third chapter! xD I'm making it happen. Jeez, I hated the way this ended, but it gets better. - I love Selphie too much to have her coupled with Squall, though it would be a good match and that's how I originally planned, but you shouldn't ask what the coupling is. It's a secret. :D You have to read to find out. :o Although that won't be too hard to figure out after a while.
Just a quick explaination to the whole ":::akuru:::" thing. For some reason, my little spacers aren't working, so I decided to do something a little original(or at least I hope it is -;;) and use a Japanese term for our English 'next' and that's what spit out at me. :D So, I went back and added it to Ch. 1 and all. Ch. 2 didn't need it. xD Hopefully, you can fully enjoy the chapters now. It doesn't just JUMP without any kind of notice.
And I also wanted to explain that Squall is kinda a softy right now, huh? Gee, I wonder why? It's probably because Rinoa has had sooo much influence on him that he's just gotten used to being relaxed with Zell, Selphie, Rinoa and Quistis… Not so much with Irvine, even though you haven't seen him with Squall yet, but that's because of the way Irvine is; he's very… I can't find the word. Lol. I hope you liked this chapter and keep an eye out for the next one. Thanks for reading it!