FOREWORD: This is an ongoing fanfic. To start reading from the beginning, click here.
Series: Final Fantasy VIII (8)
Pairing: Zell Dincht & Squall Leonhart
Status: ongoing
Rating: PG
Warnings: shounen-ai, light Rinoa bashing
Search keyword: ff8_floating
Notes: In this chapter, you will see some OBVIOUS Rinoa bashing, so please be warned. :P Anyway, the morning after...
Sometime between Squall falling asleep and morning, Zell dozed off with his head tilted to the side. When he woke up, he found his neck in a massively cramping position and a comforter covering him from his shoulders down. And Squall was missing.
"SHIT!" Zell sprung to his feet, the comforter falling off and he gasped in agony as he snapped his neck upright. The blonde ran to and fro the room and dashed to the bathroom, searching high and low, but his commander was nowhere to be found. Quickly swiping his gloves Ehrgiez and the keycard off his dresser, Zell didn't even bother changing before running out of his room in his oxford and suit pants from the night before.
"Have you seen Squall?"
The students he passed shook their heads apologetically.
"For Hyne's sake, has ANYBODY seen Squall???" The martial artist had been flying in and out of every branch of the Garden, but still no Squall. Then suddenly an icy knot formed in his gut. The infirmary.
"Dr. Kadowski! Have you seen Squall?" Zell burst into the infirmary slightly out of breath.
"Shhh," an older lady in a lab coat and spectacles stepped out of the patient area and drew a curtain behind her. "Yes I have dear."
"Oh shit, how is Seifer???"
"He's resting now, but otherwise, he's fine. So keep your voice down."
"Oh okay, thank Hyne..." he sighed a breath of relief. "Do you know where Squall is now?"
"He's probably in the Headmaster's office right now. There was an announcement for him soon after he left, didn't even stay long. Took off in a hurry."
"Headmaster's office, right? Thanks a lot Doc," and the teen turned to leave.
"Hi Zell," said another female voice from behind.
So that's why Squall took off in a hurry. Zell turned back to face his greeter. "Rinoa, what are you doing here?"
The girl apparently hadn't caught much sleep either, as her eyes were puffy and she was still wearing her torn dress from the dance. Zell would have felt sorry for her, being his friend and all, if the circumstances were normal.
"Would you mind stepping outside for a minute?" she inquired softly.
"Yeah sure.." and Zell lead the way outside to the hallway.
For a few minutes, the two stood in silence. Zell leaned against a pole and stared off at the plants surrounding the walkway, and Rinoa sat down next to him on the white stone railing. After the area was cleared, Rinoa spoke up.
"I'm scared, Zell, more than I've ever been in my life. My boyfriend broke out in rage and nearly killed Seifer. I don't know what's going on anymore."
Zell stared out in silence, what was he supposed to say to that?
"How is Squall? I heard you were watching him last night after the party. Did he say anything about me? Because he ran off when he saw me earlier."
"He's okay, Doc said he's in Cid's office, and since it seems like Seifer's not dead, he'll be fine," even though Zell said that, he wasn't quite sure himself. "But he's confused, Rin. He still loves you, but he needs time." Time would be an understatement, Zell snorted inwardly.
"Really... I like him a lot too, it's not like I like him any less than I used to, but he just can't commit!" She sniffled and the blonde fished for a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to her. "Things were going great between us, but nothing's progressing. We've been at the same stage since.. well since we defeated Ultimecia! I met Seifer a long time ago, but he wasn't like this now. So when I met him again a while ago, we clicked. It worked, and unlike somebody, he isn't afraid of showing me how he feels!" The girl blew her nose into the handkerchief.
"What are you trying to tell me, you like Seifer now? You're just going to give up on Squall because of Seifer?"
"I don't know!" Rinoa whined. "I don't know what to do! I mean I like Squall and all, being with him makes me feel important. I just wish he'd commit to me and open up. It's much better than when I first met him, I have to admit, but it hasn't gotten any better since."
"Commit to you? What more do you want? You want him to commit yet you're going off with Seifer? At least he doesn't wander off and look at other girls!"
"That's not the point! He's not giving me what I need!"
"What do you need from him then?"
"He needs to return my feelings!"
"Last I heard he does. You're his girlfriend, you should understand how he is."
"I do understand him, but he doesn't understand me," she whimpered.
"Understand that you're cheating on him with Seifer?"
"Why do you care about my being with Seifer anyway?"
"Because Squall's my friend and I care about him. Don't you see that what you did hurt him?"
"I tried not to let him find out! I was hoping over time he'd be able to commit and everything would work out fine."
"Don't you know that's called cheating?"
"It's not cheating! He's not there for me all the way, why should I have to put up with it? I have my own needs!"
"And so does he!" Zell's tolerance was nearly spent, and he realized his voice had escalated harshly.
"Why are you defending him? He's the one who went crazy last night and nearly killed Seifer," she started bawling.
The blonde lowered his voice with much effort. "You were making out with another guy in public, I don't know what you expected to happen."
"I didn't want to hurt him."
"But you did," Zell sighed. "Tell me, Rinoa, do you love Squall?"
"Of course I do, but I'm not so sure if he does."
"He loves you," Zell bit back his tears. "He told me last night, and even after this, he still loves you. But he's confused. Talk to him, please? He needs to hear it from you too."
"I don't know if I can talk to him anymore," Rinoa looked off as a breeze caught her hair.
"Why?"
"After what he did. I can't believe he intentionally hurt Seifer."
Zell threw his arms up in exasperation. "Seriously, did you think Squall was going to just let you go without a fight?"
"But he didn't have to hurt Seifer!"
"Yeah he didn't have to hurt him, but he did and it's not exactly the right thing to do, but what would you have him do? How would you feel if you were in his position?"
Rinoa narrowed her eyes and pouted. "Squall going out with Seifer?"
The martial artist rolled his eyes; he couldn't believe this was the same girl his Squall was in love with, er, Squall. "Not exactly, but a similar situation."
She thought about it for a few seconds, then shook her head indignantly. "That's not the point here, he was totally out of line!"
"And you weren't?"
"Why are you turning this against me?" Rinoa whined angrily. "Why are you on his side?"
"Because I'm his friend! And you're his girlfriend, don't you think you're acting out of line yourself?"
"No," was her solid answer.
Zell shook his head and stood to face the girl. "Answer me, do you care about Squall?"
"Of course I do!" she pouted.
The boy put his hands on her shoulders and talked straight to her face. "Then talk to him. He still loves you, and I know you do too, right? Don't let him hurt like this. Sort things out with him, and don't let Seifer ruin things between the two of you." When he finished, he let go of her and took a step back.
"All right. I'll try. I'm afraid he's mad at me though.." she looked down and chewed her lip in thought.
"Are you still going to stay with Seifer?"
"Yeah."
Zell stared blankly.
"Until Squall decides to open up to me."
By this point, Zell was ready to give up. Nothing he could say would get through to her anyway.
"But I'll talk to him. Thanks, Zell," and with that, she walked around him and back into the infirmary.
The martial artist walked up to the pole and punched it a few times, his Ehrgiez leaving a few dents in the cement. He didn't know why he felt so obligated to help out Rinoa even when she was obviously at fault here. Perhaps because Squall is still in love with her and he felt obligated to look out for his friend's best interests, which happened to be clearing up things with Rinoa. Despite his own sentiments, Zell tortured himself to great extents to make sure he was doing everything he could for Squall. Why? Because he loves Squall as much as Squall loves Rinoa, or perhaps even more.
Zell leaned his forehead into the pole and cleared his mind. "So, Headmaster's office eh. Seifer's fine so he'll probably get his head chewed off and get detention. At least I know where he is now." And he dashed off towards the center of Garden.