It was not a day he would easily have forgotten. Even as he had memory absorbing junctions placed in his mind, Squall Leonhart was sure that they would allow him to keep this memory for their sheer enjoyment on his sheer embarrassment. It was certainly a memorable occasion, for all the wrong reasons.

Selphie had labeled the incident 'Squall and Rinny's Second Official Date.', and giggled each and every time she caught sight of him. In fact, everyone that saw him, even people he did not know, smirked as he passed. No matter how hard he glared at the transgressors, they would not let it lie and Squall almost hoped that: 1) they would magically forget the entire incident and leave him alone, 2) he would magically forget the entire incident and Hyne would stop looking for inventive ways to make him suffer, 3) he would be called on a sudden mission, that took him far away from Garden and their laughing faces for a long, long, long time. But as much as Hyne seemed to have it out for him, Squall knew that none of these options would occur and he would be forced to try to ignore the situation.

It had started off as an ordinary day, sunny and bright once more. Of course, the only way he knew the day was sunny and bright was by the sun leaking into the windows behind him in his office and spreading a warm glow over him and his paperwork. The large bulk of the sheets lay in stacks on the left side of his desk, the done pile; but there was always more to do.

He had woken up as usual, and as his long established routine stated, he headed to the training center, with his precious gunblade in tow for an hour of so of depleting the monster stock. He was almost sure that the SeeDs sent out to capture more monsters winced when they saw him coming, and the monsters now hid when they learned of his presence and refused to emerge until he left.

Leaving the training center, he ran into Rinoa and Angelo and stopped to say hello. It was then that he was 'reminded' (ordered, was closer to the truth) that he had 'volunteered' (voluntold, if that could be considered an appropriate word) to take her out for dinner later that day.

Squall had no recollection of that conversation in any way EVER taking place the previous day, the day before or in ANY time period involving himself 'promising' something like that to someone else. He had just assumed that his 'promise' had been something that he had said that Rinoa mistook, or she had made it up completely on a whim. Knowing her it was the latter, and she had just decided they were going on a date, where they would be going and made up said 'promise' to ensure his co-operation.

Squall would have protested that he had work that needed to be done and no one else was qualified, but seeing the look in the sometimes scary girl's eyes that threatened his personal space, personal property and his person he did not question the 'promise' he had apparently made to her. With those fateful words he had condemned himself, much to the continued amusement of Garden.

And so he had started to work on the piles of never ending paper work that littered the large desk which he found himself in front of daily. He finished up earlier than usual because of said date and the almost threat in the undertone of Rinoa's voice when she told him not to be late, and to be at her dorm room at 1800 on the dot. Squall left his office and went once more to the training center; where the SeeDs winced and monsters hid once more.

He had been on time, to the second, as was usual for him. He was a SeeD and they could not afford to be late for anything, especially on a mission. He waited for the second hand, on his shiny SeeD watch to exactly hit 1800 hours.

Squall had not been looking forward to the date, naturally. It involved close contact with other people; people he did not know or wish to know; people who wanted a picture or his signature on a paper or book (Squall did not understand the logic behind that, small pieces of paper can easily be lost, and besides, he signed enough things in a day, why sign more?) Of course, there were the people (usually girls…but sometimes guys) that wanted him to sign something that should not be signed (How did wanting him to sign their breasts or asses or…whatever…show their appreciation for him? It would just come off in the shower anyways. Did they not intend to shower after that?). He had mentally shaken his head in disgust and tried to drop that line of thought.

He didn't get it. Squall resigned himself to never understanding other people, especially girls, and had given up a long time ago. And then there were the questions; the stares and them trying to get close to him and him trying not to go for his hidden weapons when they got to close.

He had knocked on the door at 1800; Rinoa answered wearing only a towel with Angelo behind her. She had said she would only be a minute and invited him in to keep her dog company.

Squall wondered if she knew how long a minute was. For him a minute was sixty seconds; the time it takes for the smallest hand on the clock to go around in a complete circle once, the time it takes for the longest hand to move once. A minute was not the time it takes for the hour hand to move a twelfth of the distance around the clock, not to him at least. First Rinoa had to shower, then change; then change again, and again and again. Then at some signal that only she seemed to know, Rinoa decided she liked the first outfit and changed back into that.

Of course, being the polite SeeD he was, he turned away when she was changing and forgot to close the bathroom door. Then she did her makeup and fixed her hair three times. He had asked why all the fuss, and why was she allowed to take so much time and he was not. Rinoa smiled at him, inclining her head cutely to one side with a faintly puzzled look; he lost that point right there.

Finally she was done, and they left. Squall had wondered if they had missed their reservation at whatever restaurant Rinoa had picked for the date, and had spoken up to ask said question.

"Squall…you set the reservation for 8:30; remember."

"I did?"

"You did…"

Ah, the famous tone that threatened ill for him if he did not agree with what she said. Squall did not miss the smile that donned the girl's features the length of the drive to Balamb town or through the quiet dinner.

He had been surprised that few people had bothered them that night, but seeing the possessive and potentially dangerous look that Rinoa shot those that came in their direction, other than their waiters or waitresses, Squall knew why he was left relatively in peace. He even managed to relax slightly, in the calm atmosphere of the restaurant produced by lowered lights and faintly heard classical music echoing through hidden sources. Of course, Squall had found exactly where the hidden speakers were; searching out their locations with quick eyes. Rinoa kicked him under the table when he apparently failed to comment on something.

He had managed to relax finally, enjoying the time away from his responsibilities at Garden; until he chocked on his coffee, upon seeing the bill.

Somehow he had dragged the giggling Rinoa out of the restaurant and away from the shops on the street without her protesting. She had said she had been delighted at the look on his face, and was the first person laughing at him tonight. Squall knew now, in hindsight, she would not be the last.

They had arrived home, and he escorted her back to her dorm and, much to his surprise, she invited him in. He had gone to refuse, pleading he needed to complete paperwork when she resorted to pulling him in instead. The door slid shut, signalling his fate, and Rinoa pressed against him, kissing him fully on the lips. Rinoa had consumed only one glass of wine, and Squall wondered if her tolerance to alcohol was similar to Laguna's, but being the considerate SeeD he tried to stop this behaviour.

Of course, the considerate SeeD act did not work and Rinoa merely ignored him and he found himself kissing back. Squall went to pull back out of the kiss, moving his head back towards the wall, when Rinoa's forehead collided with his chin.

"Ow!" She burst out.

He agreed, but did not state the obvious pain he felt. Frowning he tried again and her head collided with his bruised chin once more.

"Ow! Squall! Stop it!" Rinoa complained loudly.

"What's going on?" Squall had asked.

"I don't know!" Rinoa started before she suddenly stopped. "Oh…"

"What?" He questioned in a dark tone.

"My chains tangled with yours and your jacket…" Rinoa muttered.

Squall could not deny the sinking feeling beginning to grow in his gut and he knew right then and there that this situation would somehow lead to further embarrassment. He hated his sense of intuition and how it never seemed to be wrong. Just once, especially right now, he wished his instincts were incorrect in their loud warnings. It couldn't get worse.

"Try the clasp."

Rinoa had frowned and awkwardly manoeuvred her slim arms behind her neck. A moment later her eyes told him what he had feared since this Hyne dammed incident had began. As much as Hyne hated him, and had found another way to make him aware of that; the clasp was stuck.

"Let me try." Squall had stated before reaching around the girl.

A moment passed and Squall wondered if Hyne, like Seifer, had some sort of list of people that he targeted, disliked or just wanted to make their lives miserable. The clasp was still stuck and Rinoa was beginning to cry.

Unconsciously Squall went to move once more to comfort her and not only did his chin take another blow, but his head was forced into the only comfortable position it could be, without him practically breaking his neck in the process. There stood Squall Leonhart; pride of Balamb Garden, A Master of the Legendary Gunblade, Commander of Garden, Leader of the forces in the Garden War, The Legendary Hero who defeated not one, but two Sorceresses, The Youngest Sorceresses Knight and The President of Esthar's son with his face buried, completely, in Rinoa's breasts. Rinoa tried to squirm, but that only forced him closer. It had just gotten worse, much worse.

"This is not deliberate!" Squall tried to exclaim, also trying to ignore the blush beginning to heat his face. "Don't worry. Chains can be fixed." He had tried to soothe the upset girl, to his ears to came back muffled.

"No! It belonged to my mother!"

"I thought only the ring belonged to your mother." Another muffled statement from his…um… vantage point.

Rinoa shook her head no to that and continued to cry helplessly.

"We could cut mine." He mused, trying not to think of the only other idea he had to get out of this situation, looking for someone to help them. But that would mean….going out in public, with his face somewhere it should not be at that moment.

"You…You would to that…But you've had that for a long time." Rinoa barely got out between gasps for air.

Squall sighed to himself; he did not want to cut the griever chain and Rinoa seemed to realize it. Moving his arm up so that the device on his wrist was visible, he observed that it was nearing half past 2200. This was as good a time as any for a public spectacle that was about to be put in front of Garden, much to their glee. They would see their Commander, tied in a compromising position to his girlfriend. 'Thanks Hyne.' He thought to himself. 'Whatever I did to you pales in comparison…'

"Let's go." He sighed out finally.

"Where?" Rinoa asked.

"To find help…." Squall could not believe he was about to do this. 'I hope she realizes how much this is going to cost me.'

"Are you blushing?"

'Apparently not…' His thought continued. "No…" He answered.

She giggled, and well…his view increased… "Rin!" Even to him his voice had a desperate undertone to it. "You're going to have to lead…"

Rinoa nodded and soon they were out of the safety of her dorm room, moving sideways down the corridor. Each would move a foot in the direction Rinoa wanted to move and then slide the second foot to meet the first. Thankfully the lights were dimmed and no one was around.

Squall wondered if Hyne had been temporarily distracted. This was poor form for the god, leaving him in a potentially embarrassing situation and no one around to see it. Squall was just beginning to count himself lucky when he rounded the corridor and they almost ran smack into Irvine, Selphie and Quistis. Worse, there was a group of students and young SeeDs walking just behind.

Squall heard a squeak come from Rinoa, and many people recovering from their shock and beginning to laugh at the situation. If he could have he would have raised his gaze imploringly to Quistis for assistance, but unfortunately he was a little busy trying desperately not to look down his girlfriends low cut dress. He scowled when he heard her chuckling too.

Due to Quistis' control over her emotions she was soon helping to untangle the precious chains and return them to their owners. Unfortunately a wrong move forced his head closer to Rinoa's chest and she giggled out that it tickled. Squall was sure his face was as red as the scales of a Ruby Dragon. And it continued to remain that brilliant shade long after they were untangled. Rinoa had a small smile donning her lips, while Irvine helped the collapsed Selphie off the floor. At least someone found this situation amusing. Squall did not find much amusement in life and its jokes and, indeed, the humour of that situation went completely over his head.

He had sworn them all to secrecy and naturally the entire Garden knew the next day. Thankfully he had retreated to his office, where there were no laughing faces and he thanked Hyne that it could not get any worse than even Cid and Matron sharing a chuckle at his expense; which had occurred earlier when he tried to escape the amused population of Garden. The phone rang and he answered.

"Commander Leonhart." He addressed into the device.

It just got worse, much worse. As if Hyne had not given him enough to deal with, now this had happened. Squall knew now that Hyne had a list for people he disliked, people he seemed to want dead and people he wanted to make as uncomfortable as possible; and it was his dubious honour to be at the top of ALL of those lists.

"Hi, Dad." Squall paused, his eyes widening in horror at what the man on the other line had just said. "Don't listen to anything Selphie says!"

He really hated life sometimes.