Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ In Time With You ❯ The situation ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the universe which creates Final Fantasy VIII, no characters and no location was created by me. This is fiction for fun, which means I make no profit from this.

 

...

 

Irvine Kinneas, as well as other cadets from Galbadia, have been situated in Balamb Garden while helping to repair their school as well as Trabia Garden. Galbadia played a major part in destroying the Northern Garden. Helping them restore it would hardly make up for the deaths and PTSD it's caused the survivors; the taint they instilled to the families could not be made clean - not easily, if ever...

 

Life magic was not an option because the bodies were dead for too long, and others were no longer able to even count as a corpse…

 

So, helping rebuild, exhibiting kindness. That is all they can do. That is war and peace. What you did and what you've done, and moving on from there.

 

It was not easy being accepted into Balamb. Not as a Galbadian. Any cadets from Trabia who came over were welcomed with open arms.

 

For several months it was hard for transferred cadets. Even with help from Headmaster Cid to vouch for them as well as apologizing for the damage done by his once possessed wife.

 

Orders. Possession. Madness and confusion.. It helped the change and slow turn-around.

 

Those who had an issue eventually, slowly, let it go. How could they not? The war was won. Everything was coming back to what it once was with the engineering help of the workers from Fisherman's Horizon. The pressure levels causing division lowered. Soon, the rivaling cadets will be gone and back to their own residents.

 

Two months for Galbadia. The coming January for Trabia. All will be as usual. Friendly rivalries with neighboring Gardens. Nothing less, nothing more.

 

Irvine Kinneas is a war hero. So his day before the peace began amongst everyone wasn't as harsh. He greeted each slight with understanding and a cheerful wit. However, he couldn't wait to get back home. And yet… Balamb houses his friends. Once gone, but now they're back together again.

 

He hopes that the resumed distance doesn't change that.

 

"I'll bite. What are you doing?" He finally caved and simply asked the pair rather than figure it out on his own.

 

Selphie replied without turning her attention from the match, she wouldn't want to get cheated. "Trying to decide who gets Squall."

 

"Excuse me?" Irvine quirked a brow.

 

"He's been so down lately," seeing that she has scissors to Zell's rock, she holds her finger up for one more toss. "We figured we'd cheer him up, ya know, a nice little weekend vacation."

 

"Since we have the week off, we figured it's the best time to do it." Zell added. "We tried a couple times before but he brushed us off with the excuse of classes or other business."

 

"That's sweet of you. It's nice y'all have gotten so close over time,"

 

"They're deciding on who's not going to do it - happily." Quistis chimed in from the next table. She's got a ton of folders spread out for her consumption as she's studying for a mission coming up.

 

"Not "happily". Just… Well, you know how Squall can be when he doesn't wanna do something - even if it's for his own good." Selphie's shoulders sagged as Zell threw his hands up in victory. "He's a handful."

 

"But, since you're a girl he won't punch you in the stomach."

 

"He might, Zell. I'm in the military, I can take it."

 

Irvine shook his head. "You're too much." He commented. "I've got time off, too. I'll take him someplace to relax."

 

"Would you?!" She hopped up from her seat, then shrank back down, a hand scratching at the back of her head. "Tee-hee, I mean, if you're cool with it."

 

"Sure! I like Squall," he nods. "And, since he doesn't remember me - allegedly." He snickered hearing Zell laugh at the "Allegedly" part. "I mean, it's kinda odd that he doesn't. So like, we can reconnect. He can take a break, we'll become friends again. Then he'll come back all shiny and new."

 

Selphie chuckled at the imagery of Squall Leonhart all "shiny and new", instead of his usual dark cloud scowling, indifferent self. "What are you guys gonna do?"

 

Irvine shrugged. "This just kinda fell into my lap; what were you gonna do?" He looked between them.

 

"Squall's not gonna go for it." Quistis felt the need to intervene.

 

Zell ignored the peanut-gallery and replied. "I was gonna take him bowling, maybe have some gym time."

 

"Bungee jumping." Selphie beamed.

 

Irvine and Zell looked at her like she'd lost a screw or two, with one dangling for close descent.

 

"What? It's exhilarating and he'd really have fun because he needs to cut loose." She wiggled her shoulders.

 

"Umm," Irvine began until he looked over his shoulder and saw the person in question exit the food service line. "I'll think of something. My mission is the weekend, right?" He cocked his head. "I'm going for the full week."

 

"Where do you get this otherworldly confidence?" asked the martial artist. "You go after girls even when you're constantly shot down, you always play your high cards in Triple Triad, you wear your hair long, and now you're gonna go a week against… Oh, hey Squall!" He chirped when Squall was at the table.

 

Squall furrowed his eyebrows at the spooked, loud, greeting. He took a seat. He grabbed his apple juice and shook it.

 

"Hey, Squall, guess what?" Selphie began.

 

"Selphie, if it's you, there's no possible way I could guess what's on your mind." He commented without looking up from his breakfast. The chef did a good job on the eggs. They're nice and fluffy. He could do without the yellow peppers. He used his fork to scoot them aside.

 

"Irvine has something to tell you." She went on.

 

Squall looked at Irvine and waited. Out of all his friends he can't really say he's ever felt the need to speak to the sniper-for-hire just for casual banter, nor has Irvine gone out of his way to talk to him during the seven months the Galbadian has occupied the same space. He talks, sure, but it's to the overall. He can't even remember Irvine from their shared childhood. And he'd hastily admit that it feels kind of awkward to have a guy say he knows you, but you can't recall him at all.

 

Squall can see young Selphie, Zell, Quisits, especially bratty Seifer. But Irvine? The puzzle is missing his piece yet is somehow complete - at least for Squall, as the others seem to remember the sniper just fine.

 

'Well?' Squall blinked. Waiting.

 

"Can I have you peppers?" he asked. "I noticed you were pushing them aside."

 

"If you want." His expression read: Weirdo. But, if the guy wanted them, so be it.

 

Selphie and Zell wondered what the hold up was? Where was that overflowing confidence from just a few minutes earlier. Irvine silently assured them that he would ask, as he swiped the unwanted bits of vegetable from his target's plate.

 

"Well, I've had enough." The martial artist departed after drinking the milk in his cereal bowl. Selphie left to toss her tray into the waste and wash area, deciding to eat the untouched apple elsewhere. Anything to hasten the situation.

 

Quisits, having not been seated with them, remained where she was. It would be best to supervise the outcome. Irvine may need her to step in and calm the offended lion. After all, Selphie and Zell presumed that Squall was in a funk when really he could be perfectly fine. It's in his nature to be moody. Why try to wrong what the unwilling participant knows to be his right?

 

"So like," the sniper began.

 

"Wanna come to my dorm for cards?" Squall suddenly asked.

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Triad. I know you play, everybody goes."

 

"Sure. I'd like that. But, how 'bout we use my room? My roommate is out for the night. He's goin' home to see his folks over the free week."

 

Quistis honed her hearing over the noise of the cadets chatter.

 

"...For how long?" Squall inquired.

 

"Umm.. half hour, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders. He wondered why he was answering the question of time-spent when Squall was the one who'd initiated it.

 

Squall was quiet for a moment. "This isn't some set up where you'll have some girls waiting for us or something?"

 

"No. Why would you think that?"

 

"It's happened before," he murmured over his shoulder, although to himself and not to Quisits. Despite the fact that she, too, was a part of trying to hook him up with Rinoa seven months ago during the war.

 

Irvine was the worst of the bunch. He couldn't believe that perverted magazine that was left for him at the designated spot. What was he supposed to use it for? That alone should have let his friends know he had no interest in Rinoa, if they thought he needed to see 2D nudes just to get up.

 

"To be fair, I was not in on that set-up." Quistis muttered beyond the cloak of her briefing papers, and attempted not to listen in.

 

If Quistis had her way, Selphie's little concert never would have happened. At least on her end. She felt foolish up there playing an instrument while knowing that it was some ploy to get Squall to "loosen up". Not to mention setting she hated doing that to him so he could fall for someone, when she herself was crushing on him. Too many bad decisions going on during crazy times. A lot like this little plot going on right now. Things have settled, why create chaos?

 

"You left that magazine."

 

"Magazine?" Quistis wondered.

 

Irvine smiled. "It was just a joke to lighten the mood."

 

"Ha ha."

 

Irvine realized that came off a little crude. He put his hands together to plead forgiveness of his immature behavior. He thought it was funny. An ice breaker. Why sit there, quietly, angry and uncomfortable, when you can laugh at a naughty magazine? He'd have laughed, if the situation was reversed.

 

"I promise you, no ploy. Not traps. Just playing cards as you asked. My room is just a lot more comfortable."

 

"Fine."

 

"Great. See you at seven." He took a hunk from his French toast.

 

Squall sat quietly having his meal - on the outside. Inside he was deep in thought. The only person he's ever casually hung out with was Seifer Almasy. His rival and friend who's now wandering aimlessly in life until he figures out what he wants to do. Return to Garden life or be a civilian? Leonhart hoped his rival would return.

 

The other cadets don't get it, they find him cruel and almost a bully. And with the way he often chooses Squall and Zell as a target, they presume the rivals hate each other. Seifer is his rival, yes, but they are both top-tier gunblade masters. At the end of it all, the ex-knight is just a regular guy like anyone else.

 

The discipline committee never bothered him. Any cadets who needed it likely earned whatever aggressive nightmare was brought upon them from Raijin, Fujin, and Seifer.

 

'This is gonna be so weird. Why'd I say yes?' Wondered Squall. He watched as Irvine squirted juices from the orange fruit right on top of his French toast slices.

 

Irvine set the fruit down onto his tray. "They don't make citrus syrup." He answered the gaze upon him.

 

Squall returned his attention to his own meal, unable to believe that Irvine does that too. Five years ago, he tried it out after consistently tasting the orange he'd had with breakfast while he was eating pancakes. It was strangely delicious, and he's been squeezing citrus onto his syrup-requiring dishes now-and-then.

 

"You don't have to bring anything." Irvine commented.

 

'Hmm?'

 

"When we play cards, ya know, snacks or whatever," he cut into his food. "I've got plenty."

 

"I don't eat when playing cards."

 

The sniper held up his hands, expressing his relinquish of such an offensive suggestion.

 

Quistis had to admit it, Squall Leonhart and Irvine Kinneas are like water and sand. They can interact through touch, but they don't blend together. She'd actually pay to be a fly on that wall tonight.

 

...

 

"Irvine!" Selphie popped out of hiding beside the directory at the center of the school entryway.

 

Irvine placed his hand to his chest, muttering about how it's probably good for the body to have a couple jump-scares a month. Each one mostly courtesy of Selphie Tilmitt. He hunched down towards her whisper.

 

"How'd it go with Squall?"

 

"We're gonna play Triple Triad tonight. Funny thing is, he asked me."

 

Brows furrowed, she wondered out loud. "He did?" Shaking her head with enough force that her floating hairstyle bounced. "Boy, you think you know a guy..."

 

"Hey. He might just be feeling odd because of our distance since then and now, and has decided to take the first step with getting to know each other."

 

Selphie grinned but her sweet smile clashed with her words. "I think he's just reached his limit with sanity if he's initiating play dates."

 

"I'm just fun to hangout with." He tousled her hair. "I'll see you later, Sefie."

 

"Wait, wait!" She grabbed his arm. "Do you have any plans for keeping him there?"

 

"Figured we'd talk and play cards. Not much more than that."

 

Walking beside him, she asked. "You really think you can spend a week with him on that plan?"

 

"Yup."

 

"Zell's right, you're bold. Either that..." She winked at him. "Or you need a week off, too." Waving good bye, she hurried off to class.

 

Irvine watched her retreat. His gaze moved a bit ahead of her and he spots Squall. 'Why does everything he does look like the most miserable activity in the world? And he's just walking.' He scratched the back of his head. 'What am I supposed to do for a week with Squall Leonhart?'

 

x x x

 

Commentary: This is just something I've always wanted to try. It may work, it may not work. I don't know. Hope you'll enjoy reading it. See you whenever the next update will be, life's been pretty busy. Thank you for reading and reviewing.