Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I do not own the places. I don't own anything related to FFVIII, all I own is the plot.
- Chapter six: Soft Whisperings -
Selphie let out a loud yawn as she slumped over the table. Irvine laughed and pulled her into a hug. She smiled lazily. Quistis came through the doors and seated herself at their table.
"Good morning." She said.
Selphie and Irvine greeted back.
"So, Selphie...how's your festival idea coming along?" she asked casually.
"Oh, alright. Things are starting to fall into place. We're on schedual."
Quistis leaned back in her chair and picked at her nails. "Does 'on schedual' also mean sticking posters for the show all over the Garden walls?"
Selphie looked up. "Posters? We haven't even designed them yet..."
"So this isn't yours?" Quistis asked, shoving one of the white posters towards them across the table.
Selphie looked at it and read it.
"The Adventures of a Songbird." She read out loud. "Quistis, this ins't ours. Our show isn't called that. What is this?"
Quistis sighed and shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me. We found them all over Garden. I thought I'd ask you if this was yours before we'd start tearing them all down."
"Sory Quistis, but it's not ours. We'd never post advertising without Cid's permission."
Quistis hung her head. "Guess I really will have to go on stake-out duty tonight then. Squall won't be bothered to help, he'll say I was appointed for this so I'm on my own."
"Why don't you put someone else on stake-out?" Irvine asked.
Quistis laughed emptily. "If I did that, then that someone would appoint someone else too, and he'd also appoint someone else and we'd never get anywehere at all. No, I have to take my responsability even if Squall won't."
She stood up an stuffed the paper back in her pocket.
"Well, I'd best be off."
She said goodbye and walked towards the doors. Irvine watched her leave. He leaned towards Selphie and kissed her.
"Why don't you go get us some ice creams. I've just got to ask Quistis something."
Selphie stood up and Irvine quickly followed Quistis.
"Quistis, wait up!"
She turned around. "What?"
"I, eh...I was wondering if I could see that paper again..."
"Oh, sure." She gave it to him and rubbed her sleepy eyes, trying to stay awake as well as she could.
He took it and started to read slowly.
"This story is about a little bluejay." He said quietly.
He read it, his face in a wondrous expression. Quistis wondered why he was so quiet all of a sudden. He clenched it in his hand when he was done.
"So you're really going on a stake-out tonight." He asked.
She nodded. "Yes, it's the only thing I can think of. And Cid is really pressing us to find out who posted it. I don't know why, but he thinks there could be someone trying to get a statement across and he doesn't want to let it get out of hand."
"But it's not really something bad, is it? Why is he so gung-ho on catching the one who posted it? It's just a story."
"I know that it's not that bad. But Cid wants this done. And besides, this guy is littering our Garden with this crap, even though we have a strict policy on that. If we let one person do it, soon everyone will be wanting to vent his opinion on our walls. We have to stop it here."
Irvine nodded slowly. "I suppose that sounds reasonable. You're right. Of course you are. Well, I'd best go, Selphie's waiting for me. Good luck!"
Quistis smiled. "Thanks."
Irvine gave the paper back, but Quistis shook her head.
"I don't need it back. Just throw it in a bin when you pass."
Irvine watched her turn around and leave. He waited until she had turned the corner before he read it again.
'She has been tangled up in a web of her own adventures.'
Somehow this seemed to ring a bell. The sound of those words was familiar to him, as if he had said the same thing once himself. The he remembered that he had said something like it.
He had said Squall was Rinoa's prison, her cage. But how could anyone have known? It wasn't as if they had spoken to each other in public. They always kept their distance when others were around.
He looked at the paper again. Why was he so convinced this was about her, about them, anyway? It could be a coincidence, couldn't it? He started when someone touched his hand. He looked at her.
"Rinoa..."
"I'm...scared."
Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying.
"Rinoa, what's wrong?"
She let go of his hand and stared at the paper in his hand. "You've read it too, haven't you? Someone's watching us. Someone knows."
"It's just someone's imagination. Don't think about it too much."
But Rinoa couldn't understand how calm he appeared to be about it. "I found a drawing of a bluejay, okay? Selphie showed it to me. And someone pushed a note under my door, calling me a doublecrosser! I'm not making this up, I'm not paranoid. Someone knows about us and doesn't like it! I'm scared."
He took her hands. "Don't be. Quistis or the Disciplinary Committee will find the nutter and then it'll stop. Just...I don't know...Imagine flying away with me. Stretch out those wings of yours and leave all this behind, you're a bluejay after all. No more worries or Squall...just imagine that you can go somewhere far away. Perhaps that will make you feel better."
She lokoed at their hands. Perhaps she would feel better if she imagined all that, if she thought of being away with him somewhere where nothing could bother them. She pulled her hands back from his and quickly pecked his cheek.
"I want to see you tonight." She whispered. "Secret Area?"
He nodded. "I'll be there after dinner. About...eleven?"
"Okay." She took a step back. "See you then."
She walked away, leaving Irvine at the entrance of the cafeteria. He turned around and went back inside to find Selphie. She was sitting at their table with two ice cream cones in her hands.
"Hurry up! They're melting!" she said cheerfully.
Irvine smiled and quickly took the seat next to her, giving her a kiss in her neck before taking his ice cream cone."
Rinoa paced around the Secret Area. Irvine still wasn't there yet and he was late. Half an hour late. Ever time she heard footsteps she froze, but there were still some other students doing some last minute practice. Some of them would go on their very first mission soon.
Finally the door opened to reveal Irvine. He was breathing loudly, as if he had been hasting to get there.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He whispered. "But Selphie came to my room and I couldn't get her to leave before now."
"It's okay." Rinoa whispered back. "I just needed to see you again. Please...hold me."
She stepped closer to him and felt his arms embrace her. This was good. This was where she needed to be right now. Irvine kissed the top of her head.
"You're so tense...is this still getting to you?"
She didn't respond. Instead she placed her ear over his heart and listened to the soothing rythmn for a while. Then she looked up.
"Irvine? About what you said today...Could we really just go? You and me?"
He didn't look at her, even though she had really surprised him. He pondered a few moments before answering.
"Would you really want to?" he asked. "Would you be able to leave Squall and Garden behind? Would you be able to do that?"
She was silent.
"No." He anwered for her. "You wouldn't be able to. You still love him too much."
She knew he was right. She loved Squall. But she loved Irvine too. Wouldn't she be able to give up Squall to be happy with Irvine?
"I have to go." Irvine said suddenly.
"What? Why? You just got here!"
"Rinoa, as long as Squall is in the picture, you'll never be mine completely. Yet you fill me with hope that you want to be mine alone. How do you think that makes me feel?"
"Confused..."
"...Yes. And I'm going mad because of my love for you. I can't take this today, not now. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Irvine...I do love you! I want you to know that I do really love you."
He smiled softly. "I know, I know you do. But tonight's not the best time. For both us. That story shook me up too, you know."
He turned around and wanted to walk away.
"Wait!" Rinoa called after him. "Before you go...will you at least give me one kiss? I've been longing for you all day..."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. As soon as his mouth touched hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. He held her tight and then he picked her up in his arms and set her on the ground.
He slowly pushed her back on the ground, even though his mind had been set on leaving a few seconds ago. Rinoa grabbed his collar and pulled him down with her.
Suddely he let go. "...No..."
She sighed.
"No, not now."
"Irvine..."
"...Not now and not here."
She closed her eyes for a second and stod up. "Fine. Not now."
She straightened her vest and left, leaving a confused Irvine behind in the middle of the Secreat Area.
Most of the lights were out in the Training Centre. There were just a few lamps turned on for safety. She walked down the path and passed the drawpoint there, when she suddenly heard a soft mutter from somewhere.
She turned around, expecting to see Irvine behind her, but there was no one there. She looked around but she was completely alone. The muttering stopped.
After standing still for a few moments, casting nervous glances around her, she continued her way out the Training Centre.
When she reached the door, she heard that same soft muttering again. She snapped around, casting another scared look around. Was there someone hiding behind a tree? Another whisper suddenly seemed to come from the other side.
She snapped around again, but still she couldn't see anyone. She felt very small and alone in this darkness all of a sudden and she was fighting the urge to scream.
But instead she used her feet and ran as fast as they would take her, leaving these whispers as far behind her as she could.