Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII...

Author's Note: This chapter was actually really hard for me to write. I started it about three different times, and basically hated the beginning of every one. I finally stuck with this one, and I hope it isn't too horrible. I'm still not crazy with this chapter as a whole, but it's something, right? Also, I am going to be posting previews of upcoming chapters in my livejournal. For details on that, please see my profile. Thanks!

Midnight Song

Chapter Seven

"I don't know where I'm going

Only know where I been

But you move through my soul like a hurricane wind

We've been so lost for so long

I don't know how to get back again

And we're drowning in the water

That flows under this bridge

When you're fighting the current

You forget how to live

And I wanted to reach you but I don't know where to begin ..."

-"Feel The Silence" Goo Goo Dolls

RINOA blinked, feeling as if she had just been slapped in the face. The world all around her seemed to stop, burning the image of Squall's icy glare into her brain. He was still standing there, as immovable as a rock. How could he be so indifferent? Didn't it mean anything to him that he was breaking her heart?

"How could you?" Rinoa demanded, her feelings of hurt quickly transferring into anger. "What gives you the right to toy with another human being?"

"You thought I was toying with you?" Squall asked, his voice chilled and detached.

"Unless you have another word for it, yes, I do."

Squall shook his head. "I never toyed with you. You saw things how you wanted to, end of story."

"That is such bullshit!" Rinoa exclaimed, glaring at Squall in anger. "You keep saying that this is all just a job to you, but your actions speak differently. What do you call taking me to see Clarissa?"

"I call it my job," he said flatly.

"Fuck you and your job!" Rinoa screamed, reaching her breaking point. "You know what, you're a coward! You could have told me that my father had hired you to be my bodyguard from the start. I would have accepted that. Instead, you had to go out of your way to act like a royal jackass!"

Squall was surprised by her choice of language, but he refused to show it. If he let himself waver now, all would be lost. "Arguing with you is pointless. You know how I feel about the situation, Miss Heartilly. It will be much easier for everyone if you accept the way things are."

Rinoa shook her head. "To think that I actually cared about you. What a fool I was."

"Miss Heartilly-"

"No, I don't want to hear it. We're done, Mr. Leonhart. I never want to see you again."

Squall watched as she turned around and fled from the room, never looking back. Going after her was pointless, no matter how strongly his heart insisted otherwise. Quistis and Caraway had both been right in their suspicions. No matter how hard he had tried to deny it, he could no longer avoid the truth. Squall Leonhart had developed feelings for his student.

"Dammit!" Squall roared, slamming his fist into the wall. What the hell was he supposed to do? A romantic relationship between he and Rinoa was out of the question for a number of reasons. The most prominent one being his employment to her father. What other choice did he have but to put a rift between them? If he hadn't stopped things now, they would have grown out of control.

Still, it didn't mean that he liked the situation. There was no denying that he and Rinoa had come a long way since their first lesson. Now, however, they were back to square one. If she had hated him off the bat, imagine what she would think of him now. Maybe it would all be easier if he just quit. No, Squall thought irritably, That wouldn't work. It suddenly hit him that he didn't want to face the thought of never seeing Rinoa again. No matter how angry she was at him, facing her again seemed like a far better fate than not seeing her at all.

"What is going on in here?" Caraway asked as he entered the room. "I thought I heard screaming."

He thought he heard screaming? Squall wanted to punch the old man in the face for the innocent expression he was wearing. Instead, he simply said, "I told her."

"Ah," Caraway said, chuckling a bit. "I see she didn't take it very well."

"What did you expect?" Squall snapped. "She was lied to."

Caraway narrowed his eyes. "Do not forget who you work for, boy."

"From what your daughter just said to me, I have a feeling that I won't be working for you much longer."

"Let me handle Rinoa. She knows better than to act against my wishes."

Squall highly doubted that, but chose not to voice his opinion. "Whatever. Give me a call when you've straightened this out. I'm leaving."

With a shake of his head, Squall walked out the door, wishing that he could just quit the job altogether. He was sick and tired of being the General's puppet. It was his fault that Rinoa had been hurt. It was also his fault that Squall cared. He was beginning to feel like agreeing to this job had been the biggest mistake of his life.

SITTING alone on a park bench, Rinoa finally let her tears fall. She had refused to cry in front of him, but now she was free to do whatever she wanted. And what she wanted more than anything was to cry her heart out.

Squall's words still echoed in her head, causing the pain to stab at her chest. How could he have been so cruel? Even when she had first met him, and thought him to be one of the rudest people she had ever seen, she hadn't taken him for a cruel person. In fact, as of late, he had proven to be quite the opposite. Had it all been an act, then? A show put on to earn a hefty paycheck? It was the last thing Rinoa wanted to believe, yet Squall had just made it perfectly clear that it was a reality.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Rinoa berated herself. She had allowed herself to get close to him. Maybe her father was right. Maybe she did set her mind on ideas of a fairytale romance. Had she been so desperate for her own happy ending that she had created a relationship out of thin air? No, it couldn't have been her imagination. The way he had acted around her...he had to have felt something, too.

Stop it! her mind screamed. Again, she was trying to turn fantasy into reality. Squall Leonhart didn't give a damn about her, and the sooner she realized it, the better off she would be. She would tell her father to hire a new tutor, and if that didn't work, she would simply have to endure. She refused to let a jerk like Squall triumph over her. Oh, but she still couldn't turn off her feelings. That was going to take some time.

There was still one thing that she couldn't seem to get over; risking her life for him. Every time Squall had done something nice for her, or protected her in some way, he viewed it as his job. The joke was, she would have died for him on the spot. Died for a man who thought of her as nothing but a means to an end. It had never been serious for him, but it had sure as hell been serious for her. So serious that it hurt. At that, a fresh batch of tears poured from Rinoa's eyes. She realized then that she would have done anything for him. Anything at all.

"Damn you, Squall!" she screamed while slamming her fist into the wooden bench.

"I'm glad you've come to your senses!" an amused voice exclaimed.

Rinoa looked up to find Seifer standing there, smiling down on her triumphantly. "What are you doing here?" she asked wearily, too exhausted to be angry.

Seifer shrugged. "Just taking a walk." He sat down beside her on the bench. "Wanna tell me why you're crying?"

"No," Rinoa said, turning away from him.

"Alright, I can respect that, but from what I've heard, it seems like Leonhart has something to do with it."

Rinoa turned back around to glare at him. "Don't start, Seifer. I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright," Seifer said, smirking slightly, "There are other things we can talk about."

"Actually, I'd rather not talk to you at all."

"Come on, baby," Seifer whispered, stroking the side of her face. "I'm sorry. I was just jealous. I knew Leonhart would try to take advantage of someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Rinoa repeated, suddenly frozen to the spot.

Seifer nodded. "Someone smart," he said, kissing her forehead, "Beautiful," he kissed the tip of her nose, "And so damn sexy." He looked her straight in the eyes before kissing her full on the mouth.

Rinoa froze at first, unsure of what to do. This was Seifer, after all, the man who had tried to kill Squall, not to mention her. As Seifer deepened the kiss, however, Rinoa felt her self control waver, and she allowed her lips to part, making way for his probing tongue. Her hands automatically curled around his neck, drawing him closer to her.

They broke apart for a moment, both breathing heavily. Seifer's eyes were heavy with desire, and what had started out as something to spite Squall had suddenly turned into something real. He had forgotten how beautiful she was.

"I want you," he whispered, easing her onto her back. Rinoa didn't say a word, just closed her eyes in silent compliance.

Seifer began to nibble at her neck, rolling his tongue over the pale, soft skin. Rinoa began to whimper, and Seifer hushed her with a kiss. He returned to sucking on her neck, while his hands found their way under her shirt. He immediately set to work, unlatching her bra, and letting his hands roam over her round, soft breasts. When they had still been together, he had always fantasized of having her, and now that fantasy would be turned into a reality. Rinoa moaned as he began to trace patterns across the most sensitive part of her flesh. For some reason, Squall's face suddenly popped into her head, causing her to sit up.

Seifer gave her an exasperated look, clearly not happy to have been interrupted. "What is it?"

"We're in a park," Rinoa blurted out, looking around her in embarrassment. Luckily, there was no one in sight. "We can't do this here."

"Sure we can," Seifer told her, "We were just doing it."

Rinoa shook her head, quickly hooking her bra back into place. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Then come back home with me. We can finish what we started there."

Rinoa shook her head once more. "I have to go. I'm sorry, Seifer."

"Why are you doing this?" Seifer demanded. "Because of Leonhart? You sure as hell weren't thinking of Leonhart a minute ago."

"It's not that," Rinoa told him, quickly standing up. "It just doesn't feel right."

"Because I'm not Leonhart?"

"Because I don't love you!" Rinoa exclaimed.

Seifer was not to be deterred. "You don't need to love me to fuck me, Rinoa."

Rinoa closed her eyes against the anger in his voice. "I'm sorry," she repeated, and once again, she fled from the scene, never looking back.

RINOA was exasperated to find her father waiting by the door for her return. The last thing she felt like doing was getting into a confrontation with him. She felt like she had shed every tear in her body, making way for a steady numbness throughout her body and soul. She was utterly disgusted with herself; for believing that Squall was something he obviously wasn't, for allowing herself to be so weak, and most of all, for what had happened with Seifer. How could she have allowed things to go so far? If she hadn't stopped things when she had, would she be lying next to him, naked, on a park bench? Just the thought made her want to throw up. She had tried to use Seifer to dull the pain of her aching heart, but she had only served to intensify it.

Looking at it rationally, she shouldn't even feel such a strong attachment to Squall. How long had she known him, really? A few weeks? You can't possibly come to know someone in so short a time. If you don't know a person, how can you have feelings for them? You can't, Rinoa told herself firmly, You can't. If only uttering the words would make their meaning come true. Life would never allow such an easy way out.

"Rinoa," Caraway said quietly, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I need to talk to you."

She wondered how long she had been standing there, staring off into the distance. Did her father wonder what was going through her mind? Did he even care?

"Rinoa, did you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied, bowing her head, "I heard you."

Caraway nodded. "Good. I have to leave for a meeting in a few minutes, so I will make this brief. Mr. Leonhart informed me that he told you about being your bodyguard. From what I heard this morning, I assume you were none too pleased with the news." He glanced at Rinoa for any sign of agreement, but she remained stoic, "Anyway, no matter how angry you are, you must understand that I am doing this for your own good. I will not replace Mr. Leonhart, so you are going to have to deal with him. Understood?"

Rinoa's turn of the head was so slight that Caraway wasn't sure if he had imagined it. "Of course," Rinoa whispered, leaving no room for doubt.

"I am glad we understand each other. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

Rinoa watched as Caraway retreated, work once again taking precedence over her. Of course she wasn't surprised. She couldn't remember a time when it hadn't been that way. For once, though, she was grateful for it. It saved her the unpleasant task of furthering her conversation with her father, and that was something she couldn't help but be thankful for.

With a sigh, Rinoa turned around and headed upstairs. It was obvious that her lessons had been canceled for the day. Even though she knew that she would have to face Squall sometime, she was immensely relieved that that sometime wouldn't be so soon. She needed time to think and regroup. Most of all, she needed a shower. At that moment, nothing seemed more necessary. Scurrying down the hall, Rinoa prepared to do just that.

THE smell of cigarette smoke mingled with the bitter aroma of alcohol that had become infamous at the Oasis bar in Deling City. Squall Leonhart hated the smell of smoke, but he had had too many shots of whiskey to care. All he wanted was to forget his problems, even if it was just for a few short hours. He needed to erase all his feelings of guilt about what had transpired that morning. He needed to erase the image of Rinoa's pained face.

"You did the right thing, Squall," the voice beside him said quietly.

Squall looked up and could just make out the image of Quistis sliding onto the barstool. "I don't wanna talk to you," he growled.

"I'm sure you don't, but that doesn't change the fact that you have to."

"Have to?" Squall repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Or what? Are you going to come after me, Quistis?"

The blonde sighed. "Why do you think I'm always out to get you? That couldn't be further from the truth. We are on the same side, after all."

"Sure doesn't seem like it," Squall mumbled.

"Oh, grow up!" Quistis exclaimed, suddenly losing her patience. "Are you going to pout all day because little Miss Heartilly is mad at you? Be a man, Squall. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you took this job, so stop acting like I'm the bad guy."

"I need to grow up?" Squall repeated, shooting her an icy glare. "Look at yourself."

"What are you getting at? I have been more than committed to this mission."

"You're telling me that your insistence that I remain detached to Rinoa was motivated purely by professional gain?"

"Of course," Quistis said without missing a beat. "What else would it be?"

"You and I both know very well what it would be, Quistis," Squall told her spitefully.

"I'm not sure that I follow you," Quistis said quietly.

Squall suddenly slammed his fist into the table, having had quite enough of her games. "I'm talking about your crush on me. Are you going to try and deny that one, too?"

"W-what?" she stammered, caught completely off-guard. "That's ridiculous."

Squall opened his mouth to respond, but immediately forgot what he was going to say as he spotted Seifer walking over to him.

"Hey, Squall," the blond sneered. "Drowning your sorrows away?"

Squall was in no mood to deal with a confrontation with Seifer, and therefore decided that it was high time to leave. "I'm out of here," he mumbled as he stood up.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Seifer called after him. "Don't you wanna hear about how I nailed your girlfriend?"

All of the noise in the room suddenly came to a halt, as if the crowd sensed that a fight was brewing. Squall stood frozen, stopped in his tracks by Seifer's words. He turned around slowly, fixing the blond with an intense glare the moment their eyes met.

"What did you just say?" Squall said slowly, his voice sounding eerily calm and detached.

"Heh, I knew that would get your attention," Seifer smirked triumphantly. "Why don't you have a seat? Hell, I'll even buy you a drink while I tell you all about my adventure with Rinoa in the park. Damn, she is one wild woman."

The air in the room hung heavily around the two men, as the other patrons of the bar looked on in interest. Bam! In the blink of an eye, Squall's fist had connected with Seifer's nose, resulting in a sickening crunch.

"Squall!" Quistis suddenly exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"Don't ever mention her name again," Squall spat in Seifer's face before turning around and storming out of the bar.

Quistis sighed and then turned her attention toward the other angry man at her side. "Are you alright, Seifer?"

Seifer scowled up at her, "Does it look like I'm alright? And since when do you care?"

"I guess you'll never change, Seifer. I'm beginning to think that you deserved that punch Squall gave you."

"Heh, like you ever really gave a damn about me," Seifer sneered. "Squall was always your number one concern. So go," he said, gesturing towards the front door, "Leave. Go after him, just like you always do. Let me bleed here alone."

Quistis sighed once more, but didn't move towards the door. Instead, she grabbed Seifer's hands, helping him up off the floor. "Come on. We need to get you to a hospital."

"Looks like the Ice Queen has a heart after all," Seifer commented. "Who would have thought?"

"I'm not doing this for you," Quistis snapped. "I'm doing it for Cid. God only knows how the man put up with you."

Seifer just shook his head, but then winced at the pain.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

SQUALL stormed down the street, literally drunken with rage. He couldn't believe the nerve of Seifer to track him down and then say such blatant lies about Rinoa. There was no way that she would ever get back together with Seifer. A small part of Squall's mind, however, felt defeated. What if Rinoa really had gone back to Seifer? Had she cared about him so little?

Squall shook his head, trying to push away such thoughts. Why the hell should he care if Rinoa was seeing Seifer or not? She had experienced how much of a psycho he was first hand, so if she wanted to be stupid and put herself in danger, then that was her prerogative. He was through worrying about her. He had been employed by Caraway to protect Rinoa when she was under his care. Well, she would certainly never be under his care when she was with Seifer, so she was free to do whatever the hell she wanted. If Caraway didn't like it, then that was just too fucking bad. From now on, Rinoa was nothing to him but someone he was paid to protect. That was what she should have been from the start. He was a fool for ever thinking she meant something more.

Feeling slightly more comfortable, Squall continued walking at a brisk pace. Even in his intoxicated state, he could still carry on without too much of a problem. It took an extremely large amount of alcohol to reduce the almighty Squall Leonhart, and unfortunately for him, Seifer had interrupted him before things could get that far. Well, it didn't matter, anyway. He could have his own personal drinking party, sans Quistis and her preachy lectures. That was the last thing he needed.

A sudden scream pierced the stillness of the night, causing Squall to come to an abrupt stop. He frowned, trying to gather his bearings and figure out where the scream had come from. A moment later, there it was again. It was definitely a female screaming. At that realization, a sudden feeling of dread began to bubble up inside of Squall, and he found himself running towards it. The alleys of Deling City were impossibly dark at this time of night, thus making Squall's search all the harder. The alcohol he had consumed certainly wasn't helping, either. It seemed like every turn he made was the wrong one, which only proved to increase his frustration. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a faint red glow appeared.

"The hell...?" Squall muttered, moving in closer. He could just make out three figures in the distance.

"Dammit!" a male voice exclaimed. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Stuff it, Echo. We'll find her if we look hard enough," a harsh female voice piped up. "In the meantime, kill the wench."

The third person was pulled out of the shadows, and for a split second, her face was illuminated. Recognition hit Squall head on. It was Rinoa's friend, Selphie something or other. What the hell were these people going to do to her?

"Hey!" Squall shouted, drawing his gunblade and charging toward the figures, who immediately began to run. By the time Squall reached the end of the alley, they had vanished. "Dammit," he murmured.

He suddenly remembered Selphie and turned around to look for her. She was sitting on the ground, her back pressed up against the hard stone wall. Although the lighting was bad, Squall could tell that she was trembling.

"Hey," he said, approaching her slowly. "Are you okay?"

Selphie looked up at him, eyes wide, with no sign of comprehension. Shakily, she stood up, and Squall reached out to help her steady herself.

"Wow, Rinoa was right," she murmured before passing out, just as the giant clock in the square struck midnight.