Life is Waiting for You
Part 2 - Maxin’ and Relaxin’
Disclaimer: Square owns all the characters but I have all the saved files on the memory card ^_^
If you haven’t read Fifth Avenue, please do, because this is a followup to that so it’s after the events 5th Ave.
<blah> - song lyrics
blah - thoughts of whoever is in POV
~~~ - POV swtich/change in group of charas in same scene (if any)
****** - flashback (if any)
THIS IS STILL PART OF THE FLASHBACK AND WILL GO ON FOR SOME TIME.
Life is Waiting for You
Part 2 - Maxin’ and Relaxin’
“Aren’t you jealous buddy?” Raijin asked as he leaned over to Seifer.
“Hmm?” Seifer looked at his tanned friend from his wine glass. “What did you say?”
“Squall is dancing with Rinoa, ya know.”
Seifer shrugged. “So? They dance all the time at the club.”
Fujiin cocked her head at the blonde. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah. You guys arrived right before Squall and I hooked up. He dances with everyone. He danced with you, remember Fujiin?”
She nodded. “Right, it was after Squall finally got better after that fight incident. I figured they were just giving him a treat after that.”
“Nah. You guys didn’t get to go again cause you came back here before you could stop dancing yourselves and watch him and Quistis dance. Man, it’s nothing like the ballroom dancing they're doing now!” Seifer grinned. “Right Quis?”
The young blonde woman approached the table with Zell. “What am I agreeing with? I want to see the fine print.”
“How sexy you dance with Squall,” Seifer replied.
She smiled. “It’s quite fun.” She stopped to think for a minute. “You know, they're putting on more modern music soon. I mean, this is the garden festival. The classical music only lasts so long before the students get antsy.”
“Maybe I should dance with him tonight,” Zell mused aloud.
Quistis laughed. “You’d never do it.”
“You’re right. Watching him is enough to know he’s good.” Zell and the group turned to watch Squall dip Rinoa. The faces of the two were quite solemn but smiles appeared every once in a while. As the classical song ended Selphie suddenly appeared at the microphone. She babbled something about lip-syncing and asked if anyone wanted to participate. As she did this Squall and Rinoa approached the table. Everyone was in his or her respective uniforms.
“I haven’t worn this thing for a while!” Rinoa said as she stretched in her SeeD uniform.
“It was about a year ago when we graduated.” Seifer pulled his jacket straighter.
“Yeah I can’t believe we all graduated together, ya know?” Raijin said.
“I’m glad you all graduated.” Quistis smiled. “I was beginning to think it was hopeless.”
“Well, Rinoa graduated in under a year.” Squall patted with girl’s head.
“That’s because of all the field experience I had with you guys. And for the fact that I helped to save the garden.” Rinoa blushed.
“And for that we’re grateful,” Cid said entering the conversation, “but I think your friend is trying to get your attention.” He pointed to Selphie and the microphone.
“You guys!” She waved at them. “Come up here. Help me sing along to this song!”
They all looked at one another and Seifer led his head fall to the table. “Oh no………”
After the festival, and karaoke had ended, Quistis offered the group sitting space in her expansive administrative room. Raijin and Fujiin declined, not used to staying up so late, but the rest of the group followed her into the dormitory.
Quistis fell onto her bed. “I can’t believe she made me sing Shakira!” she growled.
The two blonde men and Squall followed the exhausted woman to her bedroom as Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa congregated around the kitchen table. Selphie let the other two sit and ambled toward the refrigerator. She rifled around and headed back to the table with some choice sodas and sat with the other two.
Seifer let his gaze move from there to the bedroom as he watched Zell sit beside Quistis on the bed. The blonde stood behind Squall and put his hands on the brunette’s shoulders. He watched as Zell patted Quistis affectionately on the head. She smiled and leaned on his shoulder, tiredly. A small smirk emerged on Seifer’s face as Zell looked back at the two in the doorway. The two blonde men had an exchange in their locked gaze and Zell put a comforting arm around Quistis, confirming Seifer’s smirk. As this took place, Squall was nice enough to mind his own business and find the bookcase across from Quistis’s bed thoroughly fascinating.
It all happened within a matter of seconds and in the end, Seifer grunted his approval. He squeezed Squall’s shoulders and took his leave of the scene. The brunette smiled as Quistis looked up and nodded to the two on the bed, following Seifer to the table.
Squall arrived at the table to hear laughter and see Seifer smile at him. He looked around to see that the four had taken all of the table’s chairs and then his blonde beau patted his lap.
“You have a nice voice Squall,” Selphie complimented as the brunette took his place on Seifer’s knees.
A faint blush painted Squall’s cheeks as he said a quiet ‘thank you.’ Seifer grinned and nuzzled his nose against the brunette’s.
“So, what should we do?” Rinoa asked, fiddling with her pop can.
“We could play strip poker again,” Selphie offered as she took Irvine’s hat.
Squall rolled his eyes. “Oh please Selphie. Last time that we play and everyone had all gotten down to their unmentionables, you and Irvine made out on the couch and didn’t play anymore.”
“You point being?” She grinned and began to giggle.
“Why don’t we all finally get a good night’s sleep before our train leaves…” Seifer looked at his watch, “…this afternoon.”
“Yeah, we should probably get to bed so we can make the train. It’s three in the morning.” Irvine patted Selphie’s shoulder.
“You’re probably right.” She sighed and stood. “See you guys later?”
“Yeah,” Seifer replied as Squall nodded.
Quistis and Zell returned from the bedroom. “You guys are leaving?” she asked. “Well I suppose. We do have a train to catch tomorrow.”
“Today,” Zell corrected her and stretched.
“Whatever,” she muttered.
“Hey!” Squall pointed a finger at her. “That’s my line.”
She smirked and eyed the couple. “My, don’t we look comfy?”
Seifer returned the smirk and held Squall tighter. “Jealous?”
Her eyes narrowed but she recovered. “Well, I’m pretty tired so everyone out so I can get some sleep at least.”
Everyone agreed quietly and left grumbling about having to get up and pack.
“Are you coming to my room tonight?” Seifer whispered to Squall.
“Sure.” Squall smiled and poked his boyfriend’s forehead. “To sleep.”
Seifer grinned. “Of course.”
Squall watched Zell run around with Selphie on his back. She squealed and giggled as they scampered around. People readying to board the next train either smiled or glared ruefully in their sleepiness, similar to the rest of the Balamb group. Rinoa and Quistis were standing next to the bench that the last three men sat on. Irvine’s head was back with his hat over it, dozing for the moment. Squall looked around Seifer at the cowboy.
“I wish I had a hat,” he mused aloud.
Seifer patted the chestnut hair. “Don’t worry, you can sleep on the train.”
“That’s true.” Squall shrugged and rested his head on Seifer’s shoulder as the blonde put his arm around him.
“Just remember that we both have to report to your father when we get there.” The blonde poked the skull resting on his shoulder.
Squall nodded and gazed around, thinking about just that. Moments before they had left the garden, Cid called in both Seifer and Squall and told them that they would both be guarding the president from now on. With Seifer having proved himself, he didn’t need the former SeeD commander watching over him, but rather helping him in the future. It was nice for them to know they would be working together.
The brunette’s wandering eyes stopped on two girls who were staring at him, from a bench across the way. They smiled as his gaze rested on them. He frowned and raised his head up from Seifer’s shoulder as they waved.
“What is it?” Seifer asked as Squall stood and walked over to the girls.
“Hi,” he said.
“You’re SeeD Commander Leonhart, right?” one girl asked. Her red hair was in a short bob. Her friend had her hair in the same fashion only it was black.
“I am.” He kneeled in front of their bench, a little shorter than their sitting level.
“We just came to Balamb to become SeeDs.” The crow haired girl grinned. “We’re waiting for our parents, we had to take a different train to arrive in time for entrance exams.”
The red haired girl held a hand out. “I’m Ashley, this is my best friend Dana.”
“Nice to meet you two.” Squall shook their hands. “It’s nice to know you kids still want to be SeeDs.”
Dana nodded. “Sounds like fun, and we know we’ll have to work hard, but it will be worth it.”
“I’m sorry to ask,” Ashley dug around in her bag then pulled out a book and a pen, “but can I have you and your friends’ autographs?” The eyebrows raised on Squall’s face. “I just love getting people’s signatures, it’s a hobby.”
“She even has mine,” Dana explained and paged through the book. “See?” She pointed to her name and smirked. “Boy I need to work on that.”
“What’s going on?” Seifer leaned over Squall’s shoulder to see what they were doing.
“I’m signing my life away to Ashley here,” Squall replied as he scrawled his signature on one page. “You have to do it too.” He held the book and pen up to Seifer, who was standing behind him.
“What?!” Seifer over dramatized sadness as he took the book. “She owns me now?” He sighed and wrote his name on the page too. “Looks like I’m not yours anymore.” He grinned at Squall. “But while you’re down there…”
A less than amused expression crossed the kneeling man’s face and he bared his teeth like a lion.
“…hand the book back?” Seifer tried to recover.
Squall rolled his eyes and took the book and pen. “I’ll be right back,” he told them all and went back to his friends, to get their signatures also.
“Boy trouble?” Dana giggled through the question.
“Naw,” Seifer drawled. “He’s just trouble himself.”
The girls giggled for a while and finally subsided as Squall wandered back.
“Did I make you mad?” Seifer asked.
The brunette shook his head and gave his beau a peck on the lips. “The rest are boarding now.” He turned to the girls and handed back the autograph book. “Well we have to get going now, but we’ll probably see you two next year.” He smiled
“Yes sir!” The girls both stood and saluted. The men waved and followed their friends into the train. Ashley sighed and Dana cocked her head in thought.
“They're a cute couple.” Ashley sat on the bench again, Dana following in suit.
“Yeah, at least its not taboo anymore.” Dana smiled.
“I hope we find guys as hot as them when we’re SeeD’s!” The red head giggled.
Dana laughed. “Hopefully sooner!”
* * *
I kinda needed a filler to the next part and had no idea what to write so that’s why it took so long, I’m so sorry guys ^_^;; hehe. Anyway, I hoped you liked it and the next part will hopefully be out sooner!!~
~Elise Maxwell~