Just best friends
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all the characters. I don’t own anything.
Just best friends
Chapter 2
Squall whistled to himself as he dressed in the morning.
He didn’t know why he was so happy. It was Monday morning and he had a desk overflowing with paperwork. He knew it was linked to his dream, it was difficult to remember now. There were little pieces left in his memory and he tried to put them together. He remembered being touched, kissed and loved. Maybe it was a sex dream, but why couldn’t he remember who he was with. He was pretty sure it had been a guy as he remembered being picked up. He had a horrible suspicion it was Seifer. He had tried to get over Seifer, but it was difficult. They were best friends so they were always together and Seifer showered him with affection.
Yesterday at the beach was torture. After their water fight Seifer had fallen asleep whilst sunbathing, and Squall had managed to sit and watch him for at least an hour. He knew this had gone beyond a crush. Quistis knew how he felt for Seifer as she caught him watching his “best friend” sleep. He’d nearly run away, but she stopped him saying she wasn’t surprised anyway. Squall didn’t know what to do. He was almost positive Seifer was straight and he was determined to get over him before he got his heart broken.
I already hurt sometimes.
~FLASHBACK~
It was the New Year’s eve party. Everyone was having fun dancing and waiting for midnight.
Squall stood leaning against a pillar in the same place he was when he’d met Rinoa at least this time he wasn’t completely alone.
Seifer walked up, handing him a glass of champagne.
“Thanks.” He smiled faintly.
Seifer sighed looking out onto the dance floor.
“This is boring. How long have we got?”
“Half an hour. Ya know Selphie’s told everyone to kiss somebody when the clock chimes.” He smiled. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
His friend smirked. “Put an offer out. I’m sure you’ll get plenty of takers.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Come off it, Squall. I know gir- people who would cut off their right arm to be with you.”
“Thanks.” He said awkwardly.
They lapsed into silence.
“Well... I’m gonna go.... See the others.. Now.” Seifer said lamely, walking over to his friends.
Squall sighed hoping midnight would hurry up so he could leave. He prayed Seifer wouldn’t find someone to kiss, not knowing whether he could stomach seeing Seifer and a girl making out.
He glanced up when someone called his name. He smiled to see Rinoa standing before him wearing the same white dress as she had when they’d first met.
“Hey, I thought you’d left.”
“Trying to get rid of me are you?” She joked. “Well I have left, but the headmaster invited me to the party. Who’d you come with?”
“No one.”
“Really. I thought I saw you enter with Seifer.” She smiled wanting to see his reaction to Seifer’s name.
Squall blinked. “Uh...yeah....we came together... but we’re not a couple or anything we’re just friends.” He blushed.
She giggled. Squall always was cute when embarrassed.
“Okay, I believe you. Want to dance?”
He smiled. “You know I’m a terrible dancer.”
“Yeah but..” She leaned in close. “It might make a certain person jealous.”
He grinned. “You’re on.”
Quistis chatted away happily with Seifer and Selphie . She looked over in Squall direction seeing him alone.
“Seifer, why not go and talk to Squall. He’s all alone over there.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Quisty, look, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s always on his own anyway, right?”
She gave him a strange look.
“Are you okay, Seifer? You seem a little on edge.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hmm. Well I’m going to go keep Squall comp-” She turned round to see Squall talking to Rinoa.
“Oh he’s got company.” She looked hard at the girl for a minute.
“Is that Rinoa?”
That got Seifer’s attention. “Rinoa? Where?”
He watched as the girl leaned close to Squall. It looked to Seifer like she kissed him. Seifer’s eyes narrowed involuntarily. She left ages ago. What right did she have kissing Squall? His Squall after all this time.
In mid-dance the clock chimed signalling it was midnight. Everyone kissed somebody. Irvine kissed Quistis, Zell kissed Selphie, even Squall kissed Rinoa brotherly on the cheek. Seifer’s eyes turned green and he grabbed the first girl who offered kissing her hard. When the chiming had stopped and Seifer looked in Squall’s direction only to find Rinoa standing alone on the dance floor. Everyone else had watched Squall flee.
~END FLASHBACK~
Squall’s mood soon plummeted when he made it to his office, which was next door to the headmaster’s. There was so much paperwork that the desktop was hidden. He groaned as he sat down trying to sort it out.
Much to Squall’s relief the intercom beeped.
“Yes?”
“Commander, sorry to disturb you, but I have a complaint to make about a member of staff.”
This piped Squall’s curiosity.
“What rank are you?” He asked.
“Cadet sir. The head of the D.C harassed my friend.”
Squall rolled his eyes, not being able to hold back a smile. Typical Seifer going out of his way to find trouble.
“Tell me what happened Cadet.”
“My friend Zack said some stuff, but he was only kidding and Seifer heard him.”
Squall sighed. Were these cadet stupid or something. Why would you purposely wind up a known bully?
“Send your friend and Lt Almasy to my office I’ll deal with it."
“Thank you, sir.”
Squall stacked his paper while awaiting the arrival of Seifer and this cadet. He was interested to know what was said to anger Seifer. The blonde was more laid back these days so it had to be something he couldn’t ignore. He was always protective. Maybe one of the girls were threatened or something.
Squall jumped as Seifer marched through the doors of his office dragging a short male cadet behind him by the hair. Stopping in front of Squall’s desk Seifer released the boy.
The kid stood pathetically in front of Squall looking like he was about to cry. The commander perched on the edge of his desk. He addressed the kid first.
“I hear you've been winding people up. What did you say?”
The boy flinched and looked up nervously. “Nothing.”
“Now come on, you were more than willing to share your opinion in the cafeteria!” Seifer yelled through clenched teeth. He was clearly pissed paced up and down.
“I didn’t mean any harm. Everyone makes fun of their superiors.”
Superiors? Did the kid insult Seifer?
“So why not tell the commander what you said about him earlier?!”
The kid flinched as Seifer came so close to him.
ME?!
The boy was practically in tears and Squall felt sorry for him.
“What did you say? You won’t get into trouble I just want to know.”
The cadet fiddled with his fingers nervously.
“I didn’t mean it, I know it’s not true.”
“And?”
“I said you were a fag and his bitch.” He pointed at Seifer.
Squall stared at him. Why did everyone think he and Seifer were lovers?
“And the rest!” Seifer sneered.
“I said you must have fucked half of garden you were so easy.”
Squall blushed lightly. Suddenly he was uncomfortable. He glanced over at Seifer who met his gaze. His friend looked angry, sympathetic and concerned.
Squall looked up at the kid again.
“Okay, you can leave.”
Although it had kind of stung it was only a joke so he decided to let the kid off easy.
The boy turned tail and sped out of the room as fast as he could.
“Wait a minute! Why the hell did you let him go?!” Seifer was furious. He stalked up to the desk to stand in front of his friend.
“He’s only a kid, Seifer, he didn’t mean any harm.”
“You can’t tell me that that didn’t bother you, because I know it did.”
“Look, the people I care about know it’s not true and I don’t care what others think of me.”
“Hmmm....”
Seifer closed the gap between them but then he didn’t move, he just stared at his best friend.
Squall was finding it hard to breathe. He was face-to-face with Seifer and all he could think about was how badly he wanted to kiss him.
Hesitantly, Seifer backed away from the desk.
“I’d better go. I’ve got work to do.” he said coldly. He backed towards the door.
“Seifer?”
“Yea?”
“Thanks for defending me.”
The blonde smiled slightly.
“Anytime.”
End of chapter 2.