Disclaimer- I need everyone's attention please. I don't care if you're just scanning through this chapter with no intentions of reviewing. You have to read this. I, Twin-lance, hereby denounce all rumors that have been circulating around that claim that I own the rights to Final Fantasy VIII.
Author's notes- If any of you that are reading this have me on your author alert list, can you tell me if you're getting alerted when I update? I only ask because I haven't been recieving any lately and I usually get a few a week. I'm just wanting to see if all the authors I'm watching are slacking off or if I'm just experiencing some other kind of problem.
JadeAlmasy- Again another one review chapter....hmm. Kinda depressing. Oh well. Guess all of my fics can't be like Darkened Ice. (shrugs) Guess this chapter is for you. Sorry it couldn't be quicker.
Midnight Visit
"No way!" Zell's voice rang out for everyone in the hallway to hear. "There is no way you beat me!"
"I so whooped you man," Nida laughed as Zell playfully swung at him.
"Psh. Whatever," Zell argued.
"Dude! You never stood a chance!"
"I went easy on ya." Nida just rolled his eyes. "C'mon let's get somethin' to eat."
"You buying?" Nida asked as he followed Zell into the cafeteria.
"In your dreams," Zell joked as he stepped up to the counter and paused. Nida and the lunch lady behind the counter stared at him quizzically. "I've never been able to just walk up to this counter before. There's always a line," He looked up at the lunch lady suspiciously. "You're not serving mystery meat today are you?"
"The menu called for meat loaf," Nida said.
"There was a mishap in the kitchen this morning," The lunch lady spoke. "We had to serve tomorrow's menu."
"Tomorrow?" Zell's eyes lit up. "Hot-dogs?" The lunch lady nodded. "You've still got hot-dogs?"
"Can I assume you'd like to buy some?" The lady asked.
"Heck yeah!" Zell exclaimed. "I'll have eight."
"Eight?" Nida asked. "Share the wealth man."
"Don't worry, for once we have plenty," The lunch lady assured them.
"Oh...In that case, give me nine."
"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Zell eyed Nida suspiciously. "Are you trying to outdo me?"
"Maybe," Nida grinned.
"Gimme ten then," Zell declared as he slammed his palm down on the counter. Unfazed by his demand, the lunch lady put two more hot-dogs on his tray.
"I'll have the same," Nida changed his order and then took his tray over to the drink cart.
"You may have beat me this one time in training, but you are not out eating me," Zell forewarned him.
"I don't expect to," Nida confessed as he picked up two bottles of juice.
"Good thing," Zell started walking over to the table next to a group of seated treppies. Nida eyed the occupants of the neighboring table as he sat down. "I can eat eight for sure. You in?"
"Yeah...I think I can eat that many," Nida picked up the top hot-dog from his pile and began eating.
"Well I know I can," Zell licked his lips hungrily and then practically dove into his plate of hot-dogs. Nida grimaced at Zell's eating habits. Zell looked up at him and swallowed his mouthful with only a little difficulty. "So, how are things going?"
"What do you mean?" Nida asked as he picked up his juice bottle.
"Oh come on! There's no way a guy that's dating Quistis Trepe wouldn't have something to say about it," Zell answered. The conversation at the treppie table next to them ceased. Nida glanced over at the table's occupants and then back at his plate.
"She's an amazing person," Nida spoke. "Everytime I'm with her, it's like all my problems go away and then there's just her. She's my angel."
"Wow," Zell said as he picked up another hot-dog. "Sounds like things are going pretty good."
"Yeah," Nida answered as he watched Zell stuff his face. "I hope she thinks the same way."
"That's cool," Zell coughed and then took a drink of his soda. "So are you two doing anything anytime soon?"
"No," Nida answered as he played with the loose material of his fighting gloves.
"Why not? Me and Fuu are always doin' stuff," Zell looked down at his remaining hot-dog and then at Nida's remaining six.
"I don't know," Nida shrugged.
"You should call her and set somethin' up," A treppie in the background choked on his water.
"Where could we go? We're on a floating garden in the middle of the ocean," Nida said as he bit into another hot-dog.
"I don't know. You're the creative one. We're supposed to be at Fisherman's Horizon in a few hours," Zell paused at his comment. "Is there any place to go there?"
Nida quit eating and remained silent.
"What'd I say?" Zell asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking."
"Oh," Zell quickly finished his last hot-dog and then glanced at Nida's plate.
"I'm still eating," Nida assured him. Zell drummed his fingertips on the table top. He lifted up his left hand and absently picked at a torn shred of leather from his glove. His gaze shifted down to Nida's gloved hands.
"So do they rub or what?"
Nida raised an eyebrow as he took another bite.
"Do your glove straps rub the skin on your wrists raw?"
"Huh?" Nida looked down at his wrists.
"I just saw your wraps underneath the straps," Zell's face looked curious.
"Oh," Nida looked down at his wrists. "Yeah, the gloves fit fairly tight, but I can never tighten the straps so that they don't move and rub when I fight...I have thinner wrists or something," Nida explained.
Zell considered his answer for a moment and then nodded in understanding. "I had a similar problem with my first pair."
'I'm sure you did,' Nida thought to himself as he finished off another hot-dog and then pushed the rest towards Zell. "My stomach's bothering me. You want these?"
"Heck yeah!" Zell exclaimed. "You gonna be alright?"
"Yeah," Nida answered. "I'm just going to go lay down a while. Cya later man."
"Later," Zell said as he picked up yet another hot-dog. "Yo Nida!" He called to Nida's retreating form.
"Yeah?"
"We should train again."
"Name a date."
"Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock."
"Sounds good."
Zell grinned. "I'll meet ya here. We'll get breakfast and then go to the training center."
-----
The entire way to Squall's apartment, Quistis stayed a few steps behind Seifer. Despite how she tried to fight it, a nagging feeling of dread seemed to keep looming in her mind. In front of her, Seifer stopped walking and then waited for the others to catch up.
"Everyone ready?" He asked. "Hope so." Before anyone could object, he began pounding his fist on Squall's door.
Quistis jumped at the sound. "Seifer!" She cried as she looked to Xu and Raijin for assistance. "Why can't you be halfway civilized and just use the doorbell?" Raijin suppressed a snicker as he put an arm over Xu's shoulders.
"Civilized?" Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Do you think me a savage Dear Instructor?" He laughed lightly. "For your information, the doorbell is louder and they have a baby...which with any luck will be asleep. Now considering the Commander's probably asleep and we're getting ready to wake him to talk about rankings and promotions, using the doorbell and waking the baby may be detrimental to our cause."
"Stop right there!" Quistis exclaimed. "You said he'd be awake!"
"And you believed me?" Seifer laughed. "You know how we get along. All I know of his habits are when he's either a, fighting or b, barking orders." Raijin and Xu remained silent as the two continued on, even when Squall answered the door.
Quistis narrowed her eyes. "I'm not your instructor anymore. I don't concern myself with how you two get along."
"Please," Seifer snorted. "The only thing you ever concerned yourself with was Squall."
"Seifer!" She stared at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you...how could you?" She jumped when she noticed Squall out of the corner of her eye. "You're just jealous because I didn't like you," She rolled her eyes and then turned to face Squall. "How long have you been there?"
"A while," Squall answered in an irritated tone. "Who was beating on my door?"
"I was," Seifer answered and then turned to Quistis. "And what on earth would make you think I would be jealous of him?" He cast his hand out toward Squall.
"Why?" Squall asked.
"The way you act!" Quistis answered Seifer.
Seifer narrowed his eyes but turned back to Squall. "Why what?"
Squall just took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair.
"Its the way you strut around this place like your just the cock of the walk and then get so flustered when someone mentions his name!" Quistis continued her explanation and then she too thrust her hand in Squall's direction.
"What are you two talking about? Its late!" Squall interrupted them. "Why Seifer are you beating on my door in the middle of the night? Why are you at my door at all? And why are you three here with him?"
Seifer held up a hand to silence him. "First off, your grace." Quistis rolled her eyes. "You're apparently reading into my reactions a little too much. And secondly, you're paying entirely too much attention to me. Please, I know its hard, but move on. I'm sort of involved with someone."
Quistis just clenched her jaw and shook her head. "Squall I need to talk to you," She whispered. "And Seifer! Don't you ever assume that I have ever found you even the least bit attractive!" She shouted as she swiftly slapped him on the back of his head. "I have a boyfriend whom I am very happy with." She turned back to Squall. "Sorry about that. Can we come in?"
Figuring the only way to get rid of his guests was to hear them out, Squall stepped aside and sleepily watched the four people enter his apartment. "Do you realize what time it is?" He asked.
"Yes," Quistis wiped at her eyes. "I know its late."
Squall's gaze softened a little as he groggily slumped down in the armchair nearest the door. Raijin was the last to enter and lightly pressed the release button to close the door behind them.
"Nice jammies," Seifer teased Squall as he found a seat opposite him in another arm chair.
"..."
Seifer shrugged off his response as he watched Raijin sit down, next to Xu, on the couch. Squall looked over to where Quistis stood looking nervously through the window blinds. No one spoke. Rinoa came down the stairs, the light sounds of her steps being the only give away that she was even there. She stopped walking when she realized she had an audience. Seifer looked as if he wanted to make a comment on her gown but refrained. Squall cleared his throat, earning his rival's attention.
"Why are you guys here?" Squall asked as he brushed his hair out of his eyes and behind his ears.
"We didn't mean to wake you," Quistis apologized. "Its just...." She paused as she searched for the right words.
"We need to talk to you about Nida Roe Sir," Xu spoke up.
"Who?" Squall asked as Rinoa stepped behind his chair and rested her arms on his shoulders.
"Nida," Xu repeated.
Squall looked confused for a moment "The pilot?"
"Yes," Xu answered.
"What about him?" Squall's voice was beginning to have an edge to it.
"He could be in some serious trouble if you don't help him," Seifer said. Everyone in the room turned and just looked at him. "Quistis brought it to our attention."
"This had better not be because his birthday is coming up," Squall warned.
"How did you know about that?" Xu asked.
"One of Cid's memos. Can we continue?"
"It isn't that," Quistis assured him.
"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked as she ran her hands up Squall's chest and then along his shoulders.
"Nida's got some serious emotional problems," Xu answered.
Squall raised an eyebrow.
"He cuts himself," Seifer clarified Xu's response. "He and Quistis have been seeing each other a while now and she found out without him telling her."
"He needs some kind of help or something but I don't want to tell Kadowaki and him be put under more stress," Quistis admitted. "Just tell me, did he make the position."
"Chief Engineer?"
"Yes Squall."
"I wasn't going to release that until after we got Mayor Dobe's engineers out of Garden," Squall paused. "He cuts himself?" Everyone in the room with the exception of him and Rinoa nodded. "Why would someone do that? Even I was never that bad."
"He must be that unhappy," Rinoa whispered.
"We were kinda hopin' that him makin' Chief might brighten his spirits ya know?" Raijin shrugged. "He seems to be a super nice guy. Maybe he just never gets any breaks, ya know?"
"I'm not even going to ask how you all know he got the position," Squall glared at Seifer. Rinoa squeezed his arm. "And I can't promise that Kadowaki won't find out....but I can give him the news tomorrow." The tension that had occupied the room for the entire duration of the conversation lifted. Rinoa lightly hugged her husband. "Can I go to sleep now?"
-----
Nida examined the tan and pink shades of skin on his left wrist as he held his arm above his face. Lying, flat on his back, with his feet kicked up on the wall above his bed's headboard, he pushed the redial button on his phone.
"What am I doing?" He spoke silently as he examined his wrist. He took a deep breath of humid night air and rolled off his bed, landing on his feet. Walking barefoot over to his window, he stared at the illumination Fisherman's Horizon cast onto the water below. 'Just a minor setback. My dream is an arm's reach away. If it takes another seventeen years of suffering I'll make it,' He thought to himself.
"Hello?" Quistis' voice startled him.
"Hey."
"Nida?"
"Yeah. I know its late," He apologized.
"I was still up. I forgot my phone was on silent."
"Oh. Well I um just called because I was wandering if you might like to have dinner with me tomorrow night."
There was a pause. "You mean like an actual date?"
"Sorta yeah," He answered.
He heard her smile. "Sure."
He smiled. "I'll meet you by the quad like last time."
"Alright."
"How's nine?"
"After curfew?" She asked.
"I want to sit something up without the student's bothering it." She smiled again.
"Nine it is," She agreed. "Casual or formal?"
"Casual," He answered.
"I'll see you then," She said. "I have an eight o'clock class tomorrow. I need to get to sleep."
"Okay," He paused. "Good-night Quistis."
"Good-night Nida."
Nida flipped his phone shut and turned around to see two individuals standing in his doorway. He gave them a questioning look. "Can I help you with something?"
The female in the pair eyed him suspiciously. "He is kinda cute," She said to the boy with her.
"Whatever you say," The boy responded. "We should report back."
"Agreed."
Nida watched them leave and then quickly shut and locked his door. He shook off the discomfort the two had caused him and then looked himself over in the mirror. "Darn treppies," He whispered as he placed a pair of pants on top of the vest and fighting gloves he had set out for the following morning's plans. Switching off the light, he fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes.