A Night to Remember

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One month later…

Everyone was busy. Everyone had something to do, whether it be a party out somewhere or a business meeting on the other side of the city. Whatever it was, everyone had something to do. The whole loft was empty. Except one room…

Squall was in his room, polishing his Revolver gunblade. It had been a while since he used any gunblade in his training time, or even trained for that matter. He was the only person in the entire loft who had nothing to do.

Once he was finished polishing his gunblade, he walked over to a table beside his bed and turned on the radio, only to decide the next moment to turn it off. He then went to his computer desk and was about to power on the monitor, but thought otherwise. He was about to go and grab another gunblade, but then remembered that he had already polished all of them at least once or twice. So he opted to sit on his bed and look out the windows that took up an entire wall.

He stared at the setting sun that was halfway done with its job.

'That's all it ever does. Goes up, and comes back down. Up and down, up and down. At least it has a job to do. I don't have anything to do and I'm twenty-one for Hyne's sake! I should at least have a job. But then again, all the jobs I've ever had I never liked.'

Squall continued staring out the windows and let his thoughts wander aimlessly around in his head.

'Everyone has something to do, and I sit here all day, thinking about nothing. Okay then. Let's see if I can find something to think about…'

For about three hours, Squall sat and thought, finding nothing worth thinking about, other than his boredom and frustration of finding nothing to think about.

'Over three hours of thinking and even I can't think of anything that would suffice. But then again, what would the others be thinking about?'

Squall had since lain down on his bed, finding it more comfortable than just sitting up all day.

'Hm. I know that Irvine would be too preoccupied with following Selphie around like a little dog with no home. I have never seen that man try and go after someone for so long. Even I thought that man had limits when it came to chasing women. But Selphie seems to be holding her own. It's like she dangling a carrot in front of an anorexic rabbit's face.'

But even then, Squall had found it amusing to see Irvine jump at every request she made. Even if Selphie had made it sound like an order for a slave.

'He would lick the soles of her boots if she told him to. I should get a camera if that ever happens.'

Squall remember what he was thinking about and thought that it was best if he didn't break his train of thought.

'So that's those two, they seem to made for each other. Or he made for her to take orders like a little slave. Then what about Zell? I remember when Xu had come over again a few days ago we were talking about how our lives were progressing in the 'love department'. It was like Zell had retreated into a shell. He blushed like a beet and quickly went to bathroom. That was something else. Zell getting into something with another person? Ha. Never thought that would happen. But then again I remember him talking about a library girl a couple of days before that.'

Squall let out a light laugh at thought. Remembering his friend grow slightly pink in his cheeks after saying something under his breath.

'Then there's Seifer. He's been acting…strange lately. Almost as if he were hiding…something.'

It dawned on Squall that Seifer always acted that way when Quistis was around. It was this way when he came over a week ago. It was almost as if he were—

'—trying to impress her. I can't believe I didn't see it before. Geez, Squall. Way to be dense. But then why does she always stare at me when she thinks I'm not looking in her direction?'

There was a reason why Squall had such long bangs…

'She looks at me like she wants me. Wants. Me. Oh shit. If Seifer finds out about this in the wrong way, I'm screwed beyond all recognition. Now that I know that he likes her but she likes me…ugh. I don't need this.'

Squall placed a hand to his forehead and sighed. 'Not good.'

A knock came to his door during his little state of mental duress. "Come in!"

In walked the object of Seifer's affection: Quistis Trepe. 'Definitely NOT good.'

"Hey there. Just thought if you would like some. Couldn't eat it all on my own."

She held up a small brown bag of Chinese take out. Squall nodded his head and motioned for her to come in. He got up and went to his radio and turned it on, having it play Jet just for the hell of it. He went back to his bed where Quistis was sitting and she had just finishing emptying the bag of its Chinese contents. She held up a box to him.

"Lo mein?" she asked, eyes hopeful.

"Sure. Always liked the stuff." He took the box and sat down in his rolling computer chair, propping his feet up on the desk.

Quistis smiled and opened up another box, this one looking like some more lo mein with little shrimps in it.

They both ate in silence, neither wanting to talk with a mouthful of food. But also neither having something to talk about. Well, at least one of them didn't.

"Squall?" She broke the silence with her whisper.

Squall looked up at her, a mouthful of noodles halfway in his mouth with the other half still in the box. His eyebrows were raised in recognition of her question.

"Drop the food first." She laughed.

He bit through the noodles and placed the box on the desk, dropping his feet to rest them on the ground. He had a profound feeling in the back of his head that told him to pay attention with his life. He turned the radio down so he could hear her speak clearly.

"I have something to ask you."

Squall's head could have frozen stiff and fallen of his shoulders if he didn't prop them on his hands, which he propped on his knees. He looked at her with an emotionless face.

"What do you think of me?" she asked. She knew what she was doing, she just wasn't sure of how she would react to his reaction.

Squall's reaction wasn't written on his face. It was burned into his eyes with a rusty cattle prod. His eyes went wide, but not wide enough for her to notice right of the bat. He looked down, just incase she did manage to see his eyes.

He got up from his chair and sat down next to Quistis, making her eyes grow wide at his movement. He looked at her, trying to keep the emotion from reaching his face.

"Why would you ask me a question like that? You know you're my friend. Why would you think that I would consider you otherwise?"

He continued to look at her, but she looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet his questioning gaze.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking. Sorry. Forget I ever asked." She whispered.

She tried to dig back into her box of food, but Squall's hands, silenced her motions. She looked up at him, meeting his blue eyes with her own.

"Why did you ask me that Quistis?" he silently pleaded. He was hoping that she would just continue with her excuse, but another side of him wanted her to tell the truth about what was going through her mind.

She looked away, unable to maintain contact with his eyes. But she couldn't completely sever her connection with him. Especially when his hand was on top of hers, preventing her from doing anything else.

She looked at his hand, all the veins and blood pulsing through it. How just one simple movement of his hand could make her freeze in an instant. Her heart had jumped at his contact with her.

She placed the box down in her lap, but not moving his hand away from hers. Once it was down, she took his hand in hers, carefully running her fingers over his, noting how rough and callused they were from his training with gunblades. She continued to do this until she mindlessly intertwined her fingers with his. She stopped when she realized that his fingers were closing with hers.

She looked up at him, his eyes still focused on her being. It was as though his eyes were searching her soul for the answer her mouth wouldn't say. But her eyes were shouting the truth to him, hoping that he would see what she wanted.

Neither of them realized that their bodies were moving closer together of their own accord, until their noses touched. Their mouths closed in on each other, each with a desire waiting to be fulfilled once they met.

But Fate doesn't play that game so easily.

The sound of the Squall's door whooshing open a half second before their lips met made the two separate faster than a cactuar on crack. Squall was already standing at the windows looking out, while Quistis was chowing down on her food.

In popped Selphie, wide smile on her face, with Irvine naturally behind her, hat raised on his head. Behind them stood Zell, mouth full of food, smiling like an idiot with a mouthful of food. Rinoa and Seifer stood behind them, smiling too, just not as brightly as the others. It was as if they had other things on their minds.

"Hey guys! We didn't find Quisty downstairs so we thought that she would be up here with you! Sooooo…we were wondering whether or not you guys wanted to go out with us in the city! It would be sooo much fun! Pleasepleaseplease!"

How Selphie managed to squeeze out that request in less than two seconds and on one breath of air was a mystery to Squall.

"Yeah sure. Why not. I've been couped up in here long enough." Squall said, hoping that would appease the 'energetic-bouncing-ball-of-ruin-your-momentness'.

Quistis nodded her head too, keeping her face hidden from the group. She didn't want them to notice how red her face was. She was as red as the Chinese symbols that were printed on the side of the box.

"YAY! More peeps to have fun with! Heehee! You two can go back to kissing or whatever you two were doing before!"

Selphie bounced down the stairs, smile still evident on her face, with Irvine in tow. Zell quickly bounded down the stairs too, intent on raiding the fridge before he had to go get changed back home. Rinoa and Seifer walked down too, except they weren't bounding or bouncing, just walking normally, each with a smirk on their face.

When the door was closed, Quistis let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. That and her mouth was completely stuffed with food she couldn't digest all at once. So in effect, her cheeks were puffy.

Squall turned around, letting out a breath too, before taking in another one and holding it.

There she was, the woman he was about to kiss, face red as the symbols on the Chinese box and her face stuffed with food that made her look like a chipmunk.

He pursed his lips, trying to keep a smile from forming on his face. Quistis looked up and saw his face, wondering what was making him act like that. She gave him a questioning glare, before he walked over and placed his two index fingers on her cheeks. He poked them both.

"Squishy-cheeks." He said with a lisp.

Her eyes widened before she managed to swallow what food she had in her mouth, then proceeded to slap Squall repeatedly on his arm. He flinched away, hiding himself from her onslaught. He grabbed a pillow and shielded himself from her, while she grabbed another pillow from his bed and proceeded to smack him with that instead.

She continued to pound on him before she knocked the pillow out of his hands. He grabbed her pillow and yanked it out of her hands. He threw it out of the way before he shielded himself again from her hits. He quickly grabbed her and pulled her close, encircling her in a bear hug.

She struggled to get out, but her arms were pinned to her sides and Squall wasn't about to let go. When she looked up she saw his face, smile replacing his solid mask.

She saw his eyes, how they were the ones that told the stories and played the emotions that Squall's face refused to make.

He relaxed his hold on her, allowing her arms to wrap around his waist. He gently pulled her closer, bringing their faces ever so near. Once again, they were about to fulfill their inner desires.

But like I said, Fate doesn't play that game so easily.

The door whooshed open again, this time not giving Squall or Quistis a chance to separate in time.

"I knew it! I knew it! You two do have something going on!" piped an eager Selphie.

Squall quickly walked over to where Selphie was and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was made Selphie's blood drain from her face and nod quickly, before bolting off down the stairs and into Irvine's lap on the sofa.

Squall sighed again before closing the door. He looked back to Quistis who was blushing crazily again. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him with a questioning look.

"What did you say to her to make her look like that?" she asked.

"I just told her that if she walks in again without knocking, I'm going to make sure that Irvine is going to know every single intimate and physical detail about her." Squall said, a small smirk forming on his face.

"You're evil you know that?"

"Maybe. But I know I'm good at it. Squishy cheeks."

"You!"

She quickly picked up a discarded pillow and threw it at him before stomping out the door, all the Chinese food in hand.

Squall got up from ground, where the pillow was now laying on top of his head, looking like a raccoon cap. He sighed before heading to his closet to see he would where on the night out in the town.

He heard a small knock on the door. "Enter!" 'Great…second part of not goodness.'

In walked Rinoa, dressed in a knee length black skirt and a black shoulder-less top. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she had black boots on that came up to her calf.

'What is it with women and always looking so damn good?'

"Hey. I…um…just wanted to ask you something if you don't mind." She asked quietly.

Squall turned his attention back to the closet, pretending to try and pick out something to wear, but each time failing because of the woman standing behind him. He completely forgot about the pillow still sitting on the top of his head, perched like a beaver skin.

"Ask away." He said, still trying to pick out something to wear.

"Well…I don't mean to pry or anything but…"

"But what?"

"Is there something going on between you and Quistis? I mean I saw you and her both looking a little flustered when we all came knocking and such."

Squall kept his attention to the closet, but his face was beginning to glow at the remembrance of what he and Quistis were about to do twice if there wasn't a sudden door opening every time they almost met lips.

"No. Nothing is going on. We were just talking about some private things that's all."

'Yes. Private things. How private is a kiss when you get barged in on all the time?'

"Oh okay." Rinoa let out a small sigh of relief. "Um…one more question? If you don't mind?"

"Shoot."

"Um…what do you think of me?" Rinoa mentally berated herself for even saying that question. It wasn't even in her list of things to ask Squall!

Squall nearly fell to the ground in astonishment, but he composed himself enough to turn around and face the beauty standing before him. If anyone was doing the mental berating, it was Squall. There were some pretty fancy phrases flying around in his head, but chose not to voice them at any point in time.

"Um…um…" Squall stood there, pillow perched on his head, hands by his side, and sweat beginning to bead down his forehead.

'Great time to clam up you nitwit! First off, you get asked this question by one person you like, then right when that's finished, the other comes in and asks the same damn question! What in the hell? Do I have a sign on me that says 'come and ask me what I think of you' on my back? Why in the hell is this happening to me?'

"I understand if you don't want to say anything. I really didn't know what was going through my head at the time. I'm sorry about this."

Rinoa turned on her heel to leave, but was stopped when Squall grabbed her shoulder. She froze in an instant, feeling the rough but gentle hand slowly turn her around to him. She continued looking down at the ground, her right foot slowly making circles on the floor.

Squall brought a finger up under her chin and made her look at him. His ice blue eyes locked with the warm brown ones that belonged to her.

"Why are you asking me this? Is there something you want to say?"

She continued to look up at him, his gaze slowly bringing her in closer to him. Her face came dangerously close, close enough to have them kiss, but not before Fate played her hand.

Again.

The pillow that was perched atop Squall's head came right down in between the two, effectively severing the almost connection between them. Squall looked down at the pillow that was now on the floor.

Rinoa was standing before him, her hands on his shoulders. How she got them there without her noticing them was a mystery. But one she was willing to overlook because his hands were on her hips.

She quickly backed away, but not before her face turned completely red. She continued to back away until she reached his door, and clumsily tried to open it.

"I-I-I'm so sorry…" She quickly opened and slammed the door shut, leaving a stunned and bewildered Squall in her wake.

'Why me? Me! Ugh…I don't think my heart can take much more of this.'

Squall shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts, but was failing miserably, thanks to the two beauties he had almost kissed.

This was a night Squall wanted to forget badly. But he still had to go out with everyone, including the two, which would make this a night to remember.

Whether he liked it or not.

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A/N: Okay, so this is just the intro to the night, but some stuff is still going to happen when they all go out for the night. So tell me what you think of it! Oh…on a side note, I've been having some people telling me to update. Fact is, they think I'm a woman. HA HA HA. Wrong on that count. Last time I checked, I was a full-fledged guy. I just have a knack for romantic comedies. Oh well. R&R!