Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Like a Bracelet ❯ Bandaid ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Irvine Kinneas raised his right hand when hearing a tone sound in his right ear. He raised it again upon hearing it a second and third time from the same ear. Then he raised his left hand when the sound went off in that one. Each term he, and other marksmen in Galbadia Garden, undergoes a hearing test to ensure they're not going deaf by the sound of firing a weapon often or even a bit. Normally one wears noise cancelling earplugs to dull the consistent loud boom.

But, such things aren't permitted on the battlefield as it would hinder their alert of themselves and others' safety.

Irvine removed the headphones. Smiling at the nurse, he asked. "How'm I doin'? Do I need a hearing aid, or can I impress a dog?" he joked.

The nurse, an elderly man, huffed a laugh. "If that were possible, I'd send you to a science lab and make a cool few millions to retire on in Winhill."

"And miss out on all this?" He spread his arms to show the grand scale of the infirmary.

"I'll not miss a thing, right down to your deaf behind." They shared a laugh. "You only missed three out of the twenty. But those were the lowest. No, you still get to hear every scalding burn of a turn-down from the ladies."

Irvine snickered. Standing from the seat, he grabbed his hat, popping it back onto his head. "When are you gonna retire?" He saluted then made for the door.

"Not until I expire, I'm afraid. You'll have to just suck up admiring this unmarred Black beauty until then."

"Ahaha. OK. Galbadia doesn't need two delusional people under one roof."

The sniper walked out with the wheezing laughter following him, after Dr. Forester proclaimed that Irvine should step aside since he was on the planet first. He can't with that guy. Checkups were always fun because of him. It's actually not far off, the man's retirement. He spied the replacement a couple weeks ago. He'll miss him.

He removed his phone from his jeans pocket when it buzzed against his rear. "Hey," he greeted Squall.

"I don't know why they forced me to do it, but Seifer and Zell wanna see a movie and told me to invite you."

"Should I be touched that you listened?" he raised his brows.

"No."

"Heey, none of that clipped replies with me. I'm not a mainland friend. I don't do fish-bones." He looked around, suddenly missing Balamb Garden's more relaxed vibe, because nowhere in Galbadia does it invite casual relaxation in the halls with benches scattered here and there. He ducked into the auditorium and took a seat. "Talk to me for a bit. Do you have time?"

Squall looked as though he wondered could he hang up should he reply that, no, he does not have the time? But, he instead set his phone down on the bed, laid back and rattled off whatever was good enough to satiate the sniper's need for inclusion with his friends, now that they're back together although without daily being together.

"The cafeteria put a limit to how many hot dogs can be taken. Nobody who wants them misses out anymore."

Irvine admired how Squall spoke sometimes. He never ad-libbed. This is this, that is that. No, "They should have done it ages ago" as most people would have. He doesn't over share what he doesn't find of key-importance. Where Irvine would be on about toppings by now.

"This isn't a report, ya know. We're friends. Loosen up a bit." He sighed. "Do you still feel like we're strangers?"

"A little." He replied honestly. He sighed audibly through his nose. "But.. It's not in a rude way. I just don't know."

"Right. Anyway," he requested that he go on without directly asking.

Squall seemed to be trying, because when he mentioned training with Seifer a few days ago, he added that he's trying to learn how to fuse magics. Although, it's not working at all. It's hard to cast a spell then add to it.

"I don't have much else going on." He meant to end it with that, but then he added something. "Wait. I saw there was a new set of Triad cards coming out. Are you buying any?"

"Of course! Maybe ten of 'em."

"That's a lot considering how they're random and you get doubles instead of new cards."

"That's the fun of it. Don't you wanna do that instead of buying direct?"

"No. It's a waste of money, and pretty soon my living arrangements won't be free."

"That's boring. Buy three." He was happy that he had earned a smile. Squall is not easy to put at ease to expose his true self. But, now and then he does come to the surface.

"I'll get one random pack."

"Good." Irvine then said. "I wanna see The Internet. I hear it's good."

"Seifer wants to see Live Alive and Zell wants to see-"

Finishing his sentence, he said. "Beast of the Golden Fist, of course." He paused before asking. "What about you?"

"Whatever."

"I haven't seen that trailer yet," joked the sniper.

"What have you been doing these past two weeks?"

"Mostly trying to avoid doing heaps of work. Matron is a great headmistress, and she's trying to get a more Balamb Garden functioning of the school, but it's mostly still strict Galbadia. Work. Study. Eat. Repeat. We get breaks now, but with no real place to do it, we just hangout on the basketball court or library yammering."

"Things take a while to change."

"I see." He asked when remembering. "Anything on Quistis and her new boyfriend?"

"It's not my business. Ask her for yourself, they're gonna be there."

"Really? I didn't think they'd reached the meet-and-greet stage. They've only been together for a month."

"Less than that, they don't see each other every day."

"Even a little is an ocean for Quistis. I wonder if she's nervous?"

"Knowing her friends, she has a right to be."

Irvine chuckled. That's true. Poor guy was gonna get worked-over.

At Balamb Garden in the girl's wing of the dorms.

Quistis has her phone on speaker. "What are you wearing tonight?" A male voice on the phone asked.

"Nothing fancy, I told everyone we'd go to the movies with them." She set a hairbrush down on the desk.

Quistis looked at herself in the mirror. It's been a long time since she's worn her hair down, so used to styling it out of the way for combat and professionalism. It's been a long while since she's cared about her appearance as a woman. Her scent as a woman. It's not professional for instructors to give off any sort of humanity. She learned that her first year, when she walked into the room with earrings on. They were clip-ons but that was enough to get the female cadets cackling about her behind her back: She's looking for attention from the boys. Gross, why's she trying to look cute. It goes on.

'I won't throw these away.' She thought before putting on the lovely pair of hoop clip-ons that she bought the other day.

Another new thing about her, now that she's begun returning to humanity. She's spending her money on little things that she normally wouldn't. Soft scented moisturizer for her hands, tinted chapstick; makeup was not going to happen. Bailey says she's a natural beauty. Makeup would spoil that.

The outfit she's wearing is new. It flatters the places she'd like to have noticed. Her neckline. The shirt is a wraparound that ties on the side, but rather than making a bow she simply tied it.

'Why am I so nervous? Everyone is… well, Selphie, Rinoa, and Irvine are nice. The other three are the problem..' A part of her knew Zell would normally be alright, he's friendly and has a great personality. But, he might think he's got to put up a macho appearance just to intimidate Bailey.

"Bailey, are you sure you wouldn't rather wait a little longer before meeting my friends?" She asked. "It's not as if it's something we have to do."

"We've been seeing each other off and on for a month. I think that it's time to progress." He sounded as though he was smiling. "Besides, I've never been to Balamb. I'd like to see it."

"You can still see it, we just won't have it done with the pressure of strangers to you."

"I'm a cashier, my job functions on interacting with strangers." He snickered.

Quistis sighed. She still wasn't sure. "You know, a few of those dates were over the phone lunches."

"Some of the best relationships are when creativity gets involved." He then added. "And, it's fun trying to match meals."

She agreed with that. She felt kind of silly walking the neighborhood with her phone on live video so that she and her boyfriend could hold hands and take a walk together; their palms were on the screen "techno-touching" as he deemed it.

"Come on, pleeease?"

"What if you don't like them?" She shook her head. Grabbing a hair clip, she twisted it up and clipped it against the back of her head. Normal. Usual. Stability. She needs that. If she's going into tonight with confidence then going against the grain would throw her off kilter.

"I like everyone. …Are you.." He went quiet for a moment. "Are you embarrassed of me?"

"No! Nothing like that." She leaned over and grabbed her phone. "I just… I've never been with anyone romantically. I don't know how meeting my friends will affect us when we're not even months into a relationship."

The couple went silent. Then Bailey spoke. "Quist', I can promise you that nothing will change between us. I really care about you, I'll do anything to be likable to your friends."

"I trust you, but my friends can be a handful."

"Quist', you're thinking too much like an instructor. I know how to be one of the boys and I'm not one of your students that you have to watch out for."

Bailey was right. She was treating this situation like he was some new student. One she sees as shy and easily intimidated by the more aggressive students like Seifer or, under the right circumstances, Squall. His silence and gruff personality can harass someone without even trying.

"OK. You're right." She let out a calming breath. "I need to relax. We'll all have a good time."

"Yeah."

"See you in an hour."

"Longest hour of my life." A kiss sounded through the speaker. "No return?"

"No. It's embarrassing."

"So, what, I have to be embarrassed alone?" It sounded as if he was pouting. "Just do it."

"I told you, no." She smiled. "I'll kiss you in-person when I see you. See you later."

"Yeah, later."

Quistis scrunched her brows. That was weird. It kinda sounded like he had a little bit of an attitude. 'I'll be sure to give him a nice kiss when I see him.'

…

"Should we meet him at the train or Fin?" Selphie asked.

"We can go to the theater. He's coming over with Rinoa." Quistis exited her dorm room and led Selphie to the garage. "Where are the others?"

Selphie shrugged. "They might have already left or been in town." She pulled out her phone and texted Zell. "Yeah, they're at Dincht's house. They probably went with Zell when he went to visit."

"Hyne, that's the last thing I need."

With a frown, Selphie cocked her head and asked. "Meaning?" She pulled open the door to the driver's side.

"Meaning, they will see him get off the train with Rinoa, and harass him without me there as a buffer."

Selphie shook her head. "You underestimate how interested our friends are when it comes to our private lives." She paused. "Although…"

""Although", what "Although"?" She looked over the roof of the car but Selphie simply laughed and disappeared out of view inside. So much for boots being pins-and-needles proof. She climbed inside and physically and emotionally strapped herself in for whatever was to come.