Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ In Time With You ❯ Human nature ( Chapter 6 )

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

Irvine didn't show up at dinner. Squall figured he'd fallen asleep and would dine in the second wave of meal service.

 

"Well, you were right." Zell mentioned, as if he'd been speaking with Squall for a while rather than having just walked up beside him in his departure from the cafeteria.

 

"About what?"

 

"Seifer. He has a job and everything." He snorted. "I even followed him home. Pssh.. who'd have known." He shook his head. "What's he thinking?"

 

'Guy has a right to live outside of Garden; we're gonna be aged-out soon anyway, then we'll all be living outside of Garden.' Outwardly, Squall gave a shrug of his hand.

 

"You're right. He should at least still be a part of Garden.." He noticed the side-eye then laughed. "What? He seemed kinda lonely going home. I mean, he's my sworn enemy but… I don't think he should feel alone."

 

Squall didn't bother to tell him that Seifer isn't banished, and he also has Fujin and Raijin.

 

"Hey, guys," Selphie waved at them. "If you're planning on seeing Irvine, better wear a mask."

 

"STD?" Chided Zell.

 

Selphie slapped his arm. "NO." Her tongue shot out at him. "He's got a bug. I wanted to go for a movie, but he said he wasn't feeling good."

 

Zell paled. "I hope it wasn't because of the food I brought him?" Seeing the looks he received from that panic, he explained. "Well, when he didn't show up for lunch I asked for a to-go box and brought it to him. I figured he was getting his stuff together to head back to Galbadia. He seemed all right then." He rubbed his stomach, feeling a sudden illness himself as he had the same meal that he'd given to Irvine.

 

"He has been sick since yesterday." Squall mentioned to the paranoid blond. 'At least that's when he started to get sick.'

 

"Phew." Zell relaxed. "I'll send him a 'get well' text." He removed his phone from his back pocket. "Squall, we'll talk later about Seifer, 'kay?" He looked about. "Squall?"

 

Selphie chuckled. "Now you see him, now you don't."

 

Squall knocked on the door then waited for it to open. When it didn't, he knocked again assuming Irvine just didn't hear it. There was no way he'd fall asleep that quickly, Selphie just left the dorms. He knocked a third time before a response through a strained shout hit his ears.

 

"The door is open!"

 

He pressed the open button and it slid open. "No need to get testy. I won't stay. I just wanted to see if you needed anything?"

 

Irvine groaned.

 

Squall looked at the pitiful sight before him. Irvine's got his back to him, he's curled in a ball, with the blanket high enough to cover his exposed ear that isn't snug into the pillow.

 

"You shouldn't cover your face, you need air to get in."

 

"Thanks, doctor, I was beginning to wonder why I was getting lightheaded."

 

Squall scoffed as he could hear the eyeroll that came along with that reply.

 

"Anyway, Selphie already offered. She's gonna get me something from the nurse."

 

"Oh." He took a seat at the desk. "Want some company?"

 

"As long as.."

 

His words were cut short as a cough erupted from his throat. Squall wished he'd bought a mask with him, afterall. He didn't know it was the type of sickness that could be airborne. Selphie's definition of "a bug" is expansive.

 

"I'll do all the talking." He received a thumbs up. He was about to ask when the sickness worsened, but he realized that would involve speaking.

 

Looking around he noted that Irvine took a bite of the food Zell bought for him. What a waste of pineapples. He wondered how long it's been sitting out. He got up from the chair and placed it into the cooler where Irvine kept his drinks.

 

"The pineapple might help. Doesn't citrus fight bugs?" He's pretty sure he's heard that, maybe in health class or on television. Either way, Irvine should try to eat something other than the chicken that was missing from the tray.

 

"I'm back!" Selphie announced. "Hey, again," she greeted Squall as she approached with the bag of flu medicine. "Now, are you gonna take it easily, or do you want the plane?"

 

Something that goes by the name of Irvine sat up with what looked like effort to lift great weight. Squall laughed inwardly at the mess of brown that floated from movement and static and the rest that tried to look presentable.

 

"I can take it myself."

 

"Can you?" Selphie teased.

 

Squall could guess her cheerful mood was not helping the sniper feel any better.

 

"Although, having a pretty girl feed me is always nice."

 

Or not. He shook his head. Yeah, he'll live.

 

"Aahh," the mock junior nurse opened her mouth as if to give an example. When the spoon aimed for Irvine's mouth, she laughed as she moved it just past it. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You look so helpless."

 

Irvine smirked. "You're evil. Remind me to put it in my will that you stay away from my funeral. I don't need you stringing me up like a puppet to fake everyone out that I'm not dead."

 

Selphie chuckled. "As if I'd do that." She gave him the spoon so he could take the medicine himself. "Now, get some rest. Nurse Selphie will be by your side until you're better."

 

The sniper's gaze sent Squall an S.O.S.

 

"We shouldn't bother him. He can't talk a lot because of his throat."

 

"I'll talk."

 

"He's still tired. He just told me to leave so he could sleep."

 

"Aww, I'm sorry. I'll let you rest then." She leaned in to kiss his forehead, but thought better of it, since he's been coughing sickness into the blanket, his hands, anything that could touch his face. Instead, she kissed her hand and blew it to him.

 

Irvine smiled and caught it.

 

"Place it anywhere you like - ABOVE the equator." She pointed a don't-you-dare finger at him. She got up from her seat then headed for the door. "Come on, Squall." She said while departing.

 

"I'll go, unless you want me to stay."

 

Irvine shook his jelly-filled head before collapsing onto his pillow.

 

"I'll tell Kadowaki to check up on you."

 

"Thank you."

 

He left the room. He almost locked the door but decided not to bother. He'd be perfectly safe.

 

…

 

"Dr. Kadowaki, can you check on Irvine? He's not feeling well."

 

"Of course. What are his symptoms?"

 

'Sick breath, matted hair, droopy eyelids, and a cough.' He shrugged. "The usual. Selphie gave him flu medicine."

 

"I gave it to her. She said a friend has the flu." She got up from her seat with an intention to go check on him. "She didn't tell me it was Irvine."

 

Squall followed after her. "It seems like that's what he has."

 

"It's been going around. Gisella Portman, Carl Grey, and Daryl Hawes have it." She eyed him. "Were you around him long?"

 

"Not very long."

 

She tisked. "Come see me tomorrow so I can give you a checkup. Tell Selphie to see me, too, if you run into her."

 

"Ok." He made a note to tell Zell, as well.

 

They walked back to the dorms in silence. Kadowaki sent the Lion of Balamb on his way after reaching the destination.

 

...

 

Irvine: Wanna watch TV together?

 

Squall looked at the text and used a quick reply to say: Sure. It's the next day. Early afternoon.

 

Irvine: Correct Price is on. Wanna watch that?

 

Squal turned on the small monitor. Checking the guide he found the show. He texted.

 

Squall: Why do people watch game shows?

 

Irvine: To play along

 

Squall: ...

 

Irvine: It's fun. Just watch.

 

Squall: Feeling any better?

 

Irvine: Still coughing. But I can breathe, so it's a win.

 

The gunblader withheld his own throat distress.

 

Irvine: Wanna make bets? I'll take the yellow and green contestants and you can be blue and red.

 

Squall: And we're betting how?

 

Irvine: Whichever color goes up most.

 

Squall: Ok. Reward?

 

Irvine: ...Oh! How 'bout the winner gets the amount total at the end of the show? Usually the contestants are an amount of dollars off, so we'll wager that.

 

Squall: Ok.

 

Irvine: Other than that we can play amongst ourselves to guess prices.

 

The show was push and pull for a while, but then blue really upped their airtime. The random person on the show may have lost, but Squall won 673 gil from Irvine.

 

Irvine: Good game.

 

Squall: Surprisngly, yeah.

 

Irvine: What are you doing today?

 

Squall: Going to Seifer's with Zell. He wants him back at Garden for what he describes as a "pet project". He thinks he'll have an edge on him if he agrees to come back due to insults about his being better.

 

Irvine: That actually might work.

 

Squall: Selphie said she's gonna scream and buy him a car if he comes back. I didn't realize how much anyone else cared.

 

Irvine: It's been a long time, and all of us knowing what we know, it's easy to drop the nonsense and hatred.

 

Squall didn't think so. Which is why he tried to get Seifer back on his own for so long. The others had some pretty harsh words towards the ex-knight at times. Quistis saying she had nothing but bad memories with him stuck hard in his mind. Zell constantly says he hates him. Rinoa said nice things, but it seemed mostly to compliment herself. Seifer was this and that, which gave her strength. But then she spoke with doubt that he cared about her feelings.

 

Irvine: Good luck.

 

Squall: Thanks.

 

Irvine: He's gonna be impossible to be around, if he comes back.

 

Squall could think of worse scenarios. Seifer could come back completely compliant and withdrawn. He doesn't want a fake Seifer. He wants his crude rival.

 

Squall: I don't want him back for him to be humbled.

 

Irvine: Awww.

 

Squall: Whatever.

 

He rolled his eyes at the cheeky emoji that went along with Irvine's message.

 

Irvine: I'm already stir-crazy. Doc says I might get better in three days, my immune system is strong.

 

Squall: I might be more sick in three days.

 

Irvine: Sorry.

 

Squall: *shrug*

 

Irvine: Let's do a word chain.

 

Squall: Can't. Zell's here. Later.

 

Irvine: Bye.

 

Squall: Text Selphie or Quistis. Later.

 

Zell grinned as the door slid away. "Ready to slay a knight?"

 

Squall just stepped past him. This was going to be impossible.

 

X x X

 

Commentary: Thanks for reading.