It's ok to be us Chapter 4
The Argument.
The week had passed much faster than the last. Squall had settled into a rhythm with his classes, and excitement about the tournament built with each passing day. It seemed like most students, even those not in a hand to hand combat class, were planning on making the trip to Esthar for the tournament and weapons convention.
Squall felt that he wasn't ready yet, but the competition was tomorrow whether he was ready or not.
"You'll do fine bro!" Zell said when they finished their morning workout. "The first four rounds are only point fighting. One clean hit is one point, and it's best of five per round. That's how they cut it down from 128 to eight in one day."
"Yes I know Zell. You've told me that every morning all week. Then the second day will be the the quarter finals, semifinals, and finals. Six minute quarter, eight minute semi, and a ten minute final match will be scored by the judges."
"Well hey man, it can't hurt to go over the rules again. Remember that in point fighting the only way to get a point is to strike the head, or between the shoulders and waist."
"And you get one warning about significant blows outside of the strike zone before you're disqualified. Yes, I think we got it. Now let's go. I have class in ten minutes"
"How's Rin doing?" Zell asked as they made their way back inside Garden at a swift running pace. "Is she coming?"
"She's fine, I think. I haven't actually seen her much this week. She has a practical field exam tomorrow, so she's not coming, last I checked."
"Oh well, maybe she'll come to see us fight in the finals. See you tomorrow morning!" Zell said, sprinting away towards his own class.
Squall's classes went quickly, with most of the students eager to either be finished with school for the week or just ask annoying questions about the tournament. While he didn't give anyone the day off from their training and education, he certainly understood their reluctance to put forth maximum effort.
When he was finished, he went by Rinoa's classroom as he had last week. When she saw him, she once again announced his presence to the class, who all saluted him. Unfortunately, she was busy explaining the parameters of the next day's field exam, so he did not get the opportunity to speak to him until after class was over.
"So, are you ready for tomorrow?" They said in unison.
Rinoa laughed, and after an awkward moment of hesitation, decided to answer first.
"I think so. The first years will be getting their first experience drawing magic from real monsters in the field. I just regret that we have to introduce them to GFs at such a young age. They're only thirteen; they can't afford to lose their memories."
"A regrettable scenario to be sure" Squall said in a very commander-esque voice. Rinoa was almost bothered by his seemingly apathetic attitude. "At least it's better than when I was brought through the system. We began junctioning around five years old, while still in the Garden nursery."
"I didn't realize it was some sort of horrible competition. But, yes, if it makes you feel better, you win." Rinoa snapped.
"What time do you finish up?" Squall asked her. Apparently he had missed the tone, and indeed point, of her last remark. As much as she loved him, he could sure infuriate her with his stupid, meanie, thick skull. Still irritated, she decided it was best to let it drop.
"Not until late. Even though I'm taking the students out in groups of four, I still don't expect to finish until after dark. And since you'll be taking the Ragnarok to Esthar in the morning, I won't see you again until Sunday when I can get a train into town for the quarter finals. You'll just have to see yourself off in the morning, as I doubt I will have time." She said, hoping to smack him over the head with the fact she was still upset with him.
"It's fine, I'd rather you focus on our mission than this stupid tournament anyway. My students accomplished next to nothing today. I'll be glad when this is all over. What are you doing tomorrow night?" He said, shaking his head.
Damn him. He still wasn't getting it, and that was irritating her more than his stance on the Guardian Forces. She would try one more time to make him understand.
"Oh, Selphie wants Quistis and I to go shopping with her in Balamb tomorrow night. Something about her 'annual shopping spree.' It sounds like it'd be more fun than watching you fight anyway. We'll probably end up at the bars, and who knows what kind of trouble we'll get into from there." Rinoa said, sure she had crossed the line. He would be angry, but at least they'd talk about it. Right?
His expression did harden slightly, but to Rinoa's fury, he merely shrugged.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do. I won't be there to bail you out if you do indeed get into trouble."
Rinoa couldn't take it. She excused herself, mumbling something about needing to go through her reports again. It wasn't a lie, but she needed to get away. From. Him. Immediately. When she made it back to her room in the civilian sector of the dormitory, she slammed the door and sunk to the floor, fighting back tears. He really was thick.
Squall wasn't thick. He knew she was antagonizing him. Back in his office, he analyzed their conversation. Was it about the Ragnarok? He had to take it; he had to be in Esthar to sign in for this stupid tournament. He couldn't risk being at the mercy of the train schedule. She knew that. Right?
Was it about the GFs? Having suffered the loss of his childhood memories as a result of overuse of the Guardians, he understood her feelings. In fact, Squall reasoned, he understood them BETTER than she did. Didn't she realize that he had championed the new policy? Wasn't starting at thirteen better than five? Guardian Forces couldn't be forsaken all together, they were central to the strength of SeeD. She knew that too. Right?
Squall grunted in frustration and shut down his terminal. He couldn't get any work done with all this on his mind. But whatever, there was nothing he could do now, and the only thing left to do was go to bed, upset and alone.
Two floors away, in a civilian apartment in the dormitories, Rinoa Heartilly had come to the same conclusion.
Squall awoke the next morning before his alarm. After a quick shower, he dressed and grabbed his bag, which was already packed, and headed to the Ragnarok. Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine arrived shortly after he did. They offered their support, wished him luck, and lamented about their respective field exams. Squall wasn't really listening. He was focused on two other people. One he knew would show up.
The other he knew would not.
"YEEAAH! Who's ready to go kick some ass? THIS GUY!" Zell called to the group. "Hey, where's Rinny? She is running later than I am. Probably hasn't had her coffee yet."
"She had to start her field exam early. She's not coming." Squall replied simply.
"... Squall," Quistis said, hesitating. "Rinoa's exam doesn't start for another hour. Are you guys okay?"
"Whatever. We're fine. Just keep an eye on her tonight, you two." He said to the girls. "I am trusting you with my sorceress. You know how damn stubborn she can be. I want regular status updates."
"Is that chivalry, or insecurity? Squall, she's our sorceress too. And we're just having a girl's night. I think we can handle it. I'll let you know if something happens, but it won't. Trust me." Selphie said, in a very serious, un-Selphie, tone of voice.
"Whatever..." Squall said, and without another word, he boarded the ship and left Zell to say goodbye to the others.
Squall barely spoke for the rest of the morning. Even during registration in Esthar, he barely spoke two words. At least Zell was smart enough to leave him with his thoughts for now. Before Squall knew what was happening, he was already in his black gi and warming up.
"Check it out man! We're on opposite sides of the bracket. That means we'll face each other in the finals! Assuming we don't lose to our students first. Cecil is on my side, and Kain is on yours. Should be fun!" Zell said, pointing out their names on the bracket. "Gotta run! I'm up soon! This 'Zidane' kid won't know what hit him"
Squall merely grunted as Zell ran off. He wouldn't watch Zell's fight. He had one himself momentarily.
When his name was called, Squall reported to the ring. After a respectful bow, the match began. And before Squall knew what had happened, he had taken a punch straight to the stomach. The judges called a point for his opponent.
'Damn it! Focus!' Squall thought. He surveyed his opponent. He was an older man, in a red uniform. His long black hair was streaked with grey and tied back into a pony tail. Squall also noticed he had a scar on his face, although over one eye rather than across his forehead.
The match began again, and Squall quickly exploited these weaknesses. The man was slow, but powerful. If he had the use of his right eye, it was limited. Squall moved like lightning to his left and landed a kick with his right foot into the man's solar plexus. The score was now even.
Rinoa had to admit, combat was certainly a wonderful stress reliever. Although none of the students knew she was a sorceress, they all stood in awe of her magical prowess. For the most part, the students were handling themselves well, and were able to draw and stock magic from bite bugs and caterchipillars, before unleashing it against them. Rinoa took different groups to different areas, from the plains, to the beach, to the forest.
It was early evening when her last group encountered a wild T-Rexaur in the forest.
"Everybody run!" She called to her group. The students did as she asked, although hesitantly. As she was checking to make sure her students had fled to safety, a large reptilian tail whipped into her stomach, knocking her backwards.
Rinoa stood up, dazed, and smiled a very Squall-like smirk. This would make her feel better. In her rage, she called forth her Sorceress powers. Bright white angel wings erupted from her back as she took flight, and her eyes glowed a deadly amber. In one fell swoop, she cast Stop, Ultima, Meteor, Holy, and Blizzaga. The monster fell against her magical might.
She landed, her wings faded, and her eyes returned to their normal chocolate. Just then, her students caught up to her.
"Wow! That was amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" One of the girls said to her.
"Off course it was amazing Rydia, this is the Commander's girlfriend; she was part of the team that defeated the Sorceress from the future!" Said one of the boys. "Why did you cast float? I've never seen any of those spells before."
Rinoa hesitated, knowing she could be in big trouble if she couldn't come up with a good excuse.
"As far as tactics, you'll just have to wait for advanced class." Rinoa said. Realizing this was a feeble excuse, she tried another tactic. "But if you want some extra credit, you can look up the spells float, stop, Ultima, meteor, and Blizzaga, and then write a two page paper on their practical uses against T-Rexaur. I obviously can't teach you any of those yet, we have a long way to go before we get there. But do me a favor, Rydia, Tidus, Rosa, and Lulu. Don't tell anyone about this. I don't want the Commander getting upset with me for moving too fast, and I don't want the rest of the class to be jealous that you four get extra credit and they don't. Do we have a deal cadets?"
The four students nodded enthusiastically, and Rinoa decided it was time to return to Garden.
Now that Squall had a goal to focus on, he had been nearly unstoppable. His first three rounds seem to have flown by, and in the last two, nobody had scored a point against him. He had only moments before his last point fighting match of the day. He allowed himself the opportunity to glance at the scoreboard which contained the brackets. Kain had lost during the second round, and Cecil during the third. He was proud of both of his students, but his attention was currently on a different name.
"Come on Zell." He said quietly to himself. The scoreboard read that Zell was currently losing to his opponent, some monk named Yang, by a score of one to two. Squall couldn't see the fight, as he was on the other side of the arena, but he could hear the crowd respond as the score suddenly read two to two. The next point would decide the winner.
"Leonhart versus Valentine. Take your positions and bow." The referee called.
Squall stepped forward and bowed. As he took his stance, he sized up his unusual opponent.
'He appears to be in his late 20's, but something about him seems... Older? Roughly six feet tall, gotta watch the range of his kicks. And punches. Damn he has long arms. He seems to have spent his life studying combat. This means he'll be good at reading my movements, and turning my strengths into weaknesses. Therefore, the only way to win will be to do something unexpected. Something he won't be ready for. Something... Improvised.' Squall thought.
The bell rang, and the fighters lunged at each other. Squall ducked a round house kick, dodged the side kick, but the back spin kick caught him on his temple. Point Valentine.
After another bow and another bell, they were off again. Squall went on the offensive. He threw a barrage of kicks and punches, which were parried and dodged expertly. Squall threw his own back spin kick, which his opponent blocked by using his heel. Squall was caught off guard by this move, as Valentine countered with a punch to Squall's face. Point Valentine.
"Ah fuck. Good hit, Vincent was it?" Squall said, wiping the blood from his nose and bowing again."
"That's right." Vincent said.
Another bell, another round. Point Vincent on an elbow to Squall's ribs.
"Calm down," Squall said to himself. He closed his eyes briefly, and let his cold, calculating side take over once more. When the bell rang, he opened his eyes. He had seen this attack before.
'Starts with a round house, side kick, then a back spin kick. He closes the distance with the first, and then won't let me get close enough to counter, his legs are too long and he's just too fast. Moving left or right won't be good enough, and the ground would leave me too exposed... Therefore...'
As soon as Squall had thought it, it became reality. Vincent threw his roundhouse to close the distance, but as he threw the side kick, Squall had leapt into the air, and landed a jumping snap kick to Vincent's face. Point Leonhart.
Bow. Bell. Fight. Squall caught Vincent's kick with his left hand and threw a punch to Vincent's stomach with his right. Point Leonhart.
The score was now two and two. The next point would decide the winner. At the bell, Squall had an idea. Maybe he could set a trap, and convince Vincent to react in his favor. Squall jumped, preparing to throw another jump kick. Vincent reacted with a back spin kick, aimed for Squall's chest. Squall, instead of throwing his kick, blocked Vincent's kick with his heel while in mid-air. This forced Vincent to spin back around, and Squall's momentum carried right into his fist, which struck Vincent's cheek.
"Point Leonhart! Match complete! Combatants bow and shake hands." The referee called.
Squall and Vincent bowed and shook hands. Squall said nothing, and Vincent spoke only briefly.
"Congratulations. You adapt very quickly Leonhart." Vincent said, walking away.
Squall, who had been pondering what to say to this man, was pulled back to reality by a hard slap on the back.
"That was a helluva move bro! What a fight! Didn't I tell you we'd both advance? I came over to watch as soon as I was finished with Yang. But DUDE that guy was tough too. He got me first by..." Zell continued speaking quickly, but Squall was no longer listening.
It was evening now.
Rinoa stood by the door, while Quistis casually browsed a rack of shirts. Selphie, however, was bouncing all over the store.
"Rinny! Come back to the dressing room! I gotta know what you think of this outfit. And I found this top I think would look so cute on you!" Selphie said, bounding over to Rinoa. Rinoa half expected to see a cloud of cartoon smoke in her wake.
"Selphie, I'm happy to come see your outfit." Rinoa said as Selphie pulled her by the wrist toward the dressing room. "-but I don't think I'm going to buy anything for myself."
Selphie stopped dead in her tracks. "What?! Why?!"
"Squall and I are kind of in the middle of a fight." Rinoa said. Selphie's eyes went wide. "Not a big fight, just a little misunderstanding between myself and his thick skull. He specifically told me not to do anything he wouldn't do tonight, and I doubt he'd go on a shopping spree. Besides, I still feel weird spending his money on anything besides the essentials."
"Rinoa, that's not just his money. It's yours too. You put in so much work at Garden; you've earned a new outfit or two." Quistis said, catching up to them.
"Besides, we don't have to do what he says all the time! I'm going against his orders by not sending him regular updates about you and -" Selphie stopped, and her hand flew over her mouth.
"What?" Rinoa asked, stunned. "He wanted you to- What?!"
"Rinoa, it's not like that. He was just worried about you. He still doesn't really know how to communicate his feelings. Sometimes he goes about it the wrong way." Quistis said. She would have to try to minimize the damage, to the best of her ability.
"Oh, I KNOW that. I know ALL about that. The man is denser than a rock. Sometimes I just... Ergh I don't know." Rinoa said. She realized she was raising her voice. "Look, I'm not gonna buy any clothes but that doesn't mean I can't stay and have fun with you guys. Can we please drop the subject?"
Quistis and Selphie agreed, and the shopping spree continued. In the third store, the two women could tell that their raven haired companion was beginning to have fun. She even tried on a few things, just for fun. Selphie tried to casually sneak the top Rinoa had just tried on into her pile of things to buy. Rinoa caught her.
"I told you Selphie, I'm not getting anything, even if you buy it. Thank you so much for the gesture. Really, I love you Selphie, but I can't. Not this time. It's not even about him, it's about me. I need to talk with him. And I feel like coming home with a whole bunch of new clothes would complicate things. Next time, I promise."
Selphie, for the first time in a while, was speechless. But she knew what to do. She hugged Rinoa, then, while waiting to check out, pulled out her phone.
Sighing, Selphie pressed send, and began to lay her purchases on the counter.
The women decided it was time for drinks, so they went to the Waterfront, a little bar that was... Well... Right on the water. Front. Selphie immediately expressed her displeasure that nobody was dancing, but Rinoa perked up slightly.
"He said 'don't do anything I wouldn't do,' and now, finally, here is something he would do. Drinking in a tiny little bar sounds very Squall to me." Rinoa said.
"Me too." Quistis said. "What are you drinking?"
Rinoa thought for a moment. What would Squall drink? She couldn't think of a time when they'd ever been to a bar together. Then it hit her.
"Whiskey on the rocks, please, and let me pay. It's the least I can do to thank you guys for putting up with me tonight." Rinoa said, remembering her date with Selphie and Irvine.
Quistis ordered their drinks, a red wine for herself and an apple martini for Selphie, who was currently at the jukebox. When she returned, a happy, catchy pop song was playing over the sound system. The other patrons looked at her in dismay. Selphie's song choice wasn't for everyone.
"Oh good! Appletini! My favorite! Would you believe this is the only good album in the whole jukebox? So I spent 200 Gil and selected the whole album. No more of that boring blues stuff for a little while."
"Only you Selphie." Quistis said, and they all laughed.
As it got later, and Rinoa finished her second (third?) whiskey, she couldn't help but feel her anger slip from her grasp. She was still involved in her conversation with her friends, but each time she sipped the vile tasting liquid, she felt like she was getting closer to Squall. This is what he'd drink, where he'd come, and even her corner seat at the end of the bar would be where he'd sit. It was almost like he was there, and she was merely sitting in his seat for a moment.
"Rinoa?!" Selphie squeaked. Damn she got loud when she was drunk.
"What? Sorry. I was-"
"Daydreaming. Yes we know. You've been in your own little world for the last hour. I can only imagine you're thinking about-"
"SQUALL! Your knight in shining armor! Look Quistis, I just saw she's drinking his drink! That's the cutest thing ever. You really miss him don't you? Too bad you couldn't go see him fight today. Not that we don't like having you here with us, but I bet seeing your man all hot and sweaty really makes you-"
"Want to go see him tomorrow," Quistis cut Selphie off mid-sentence, just as the brunette had done moments ago. "That, Rinoa, is what we were talking about. We're going to have to be at the train station around eight o'clock tomorrow morning if we want to make it in time for the tournament. They posted the scores from today, and Squall and Zell both made it to the quarter finals tomorrow. Irvine already bought us tickets."
"Yeah he's really sweet, when you tell him what to do and how to do it." Selphie said, blushing as she realized her innuendo. Rinoa blushed too, and Quistis just sighed and looked away.
"Rin, are you about ready to go? We got an early start tomorrow, and I'm sure you're going to want to talk to him in private before the tournament."
"Or after. Whatever. Yeah, I'm ready to go."
Rinoa paid their tab, and the three of them made their way towards the shuttle.
Squall reread Selphie's text for what must have been the thousandth time.
-SeeD ID 021709 status report. Subject displaying emotional turmoil, but outwardly abides by the Commander's orders admirably. -
The Commander's orders? What could that possibly mean? Squall understood the emotional turmoil. He was sure he had caused it, though he still didn't know how exactly. Then he had an idea.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said aloud. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He crossed hotel room to the sink, and splashed his face with water. She thought he didn't allow her to have fun. She thought he didn't trust her with his, well, THEIR money. He never spent it, and now she would think she couldn't either. He had enough saved that she could buy a small store full of clothes if she wanted. But she wouldn't, because he wouldn't.
"What have I done?"
Author's notes: Yes, I am still alive. I apologize for the inconsistency of the updates, but it is very hard for me to find time to write with my job. Nevertheless, this story lives on. As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, I have most of this story outlined. My previous chapters were all about them dealing with external issues as a couple, so this time I wanted them to have a fight. While they haven't had it out yet, I thought this was a realistic way to set up the fight, which of course will coincide with Squall's actual fighting in the tournament. Thinking back to my first love as a teenager, I remember fights starting like this. Something small and irritating that snowballs out of control. Being more of a Squall personality than a Rinoa, it was easier for me to write his side, where he just assumes that she sees and understands his point of view. Hopefully Rinoa's attempts to drop hints don't seem too childish (although they are only 17). With her, I believe she would simply want him to ask what was wrong, instead of having to come out and say it herself. I feel like that sometimes.
Sorry to ramble. Thank you all for reading, and please leave your reviews. I'm dying to know what you think of their first argument. Well, their first as a couple. Next chapter coming soon!