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Magic of Halloween	By : Zierra Category: Final Fantasy VIII > General Views: 678 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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So one dance turned into five and while Zell had been very uncomfortable during the first three, Squall�s enthusiasm was captivating and highly contagious. For someone who - when he by the off chance would attend a party- rooted himself securely by the buffet table, Squall was a decent dancer and not as embarrassing as Zell had feared.

�Squall�, he called over the music, for the moment forgetting that someone else might be listening in. �Drink!�

With a tired smile, Squall stilled and nodded. �Yeah�, he agreed breathlessly and followed Zell off the dance floor.

They found Seifer and Selphie huddled together around a square silver object that Alice in Wonderland quickly hid behind her back with a totally fake innocent smile.

�Having fun?� Seifer drawled as he leered at Squall before passing a knowing wink at Zell.

�Well, we were!� the shorter blond retorted venomously and thankfully accepted the glass of punch that Squall offered without ever ceasing his glare at Seifer. He took a zip and then turned to Selphie. � Did you two come up with something?�

The two blondes (one fake and female) gave each other a quick and completely suspicious look before they vehemently shook their heads.

�Nothing that makes any sense, anyway. Has he turned anything back to normal?�

Selphie nodded towards Squall stood unmoving behind Zell.

�No, he�s just tired.�

�You know�, Seifer interrupted. � I have an idea.�

Selphie gawked and Zell frowned.

�Eh, no thank you, not interested.�

�Oh, come on!� Seifer feigned hurt and grinned at Zell. � Just hear me out. My guess is that all of this happened in his office. I mean, he hasn�t left that place today, has he?�

�Not according to Quistis�, Selphie confirmed. � She was gone for five minutes around lunch and he was still there when she returned.�

�Right�, Seifer said with a sideway glance at their female companion. �And I know for a fact he was normal at 9 AM.�

�So what�s your idea?�

�Take Squall back to his office. Maybe something there can return him to normal. Hyne knows that room is depressing enough to ruin anyone�s party mood.�

Zell was slightly adverse to the idea. If Seifer was right and everything happened there, then maybe bringing the Commander back to his office would have

the opposite effect.

�I don�t know�� he offered hesitantly, biting his lower lip.

�Maybe we should talk to Quistis�, Selphie suggested. �She works with him every day and her office is just across the hall from his. If anything odd happened, than maybe she might have noticed something.

�Not that I�m entirely sure how she noticing something would help us, but do we really want more people to know about this?� Seifer dared a few freshmen cadets to approach them by the punchbowl with a mean stare as he deliberately kept his voice low.

�And here I was thinking you�d want to expose this entire thing and blow it totally out of proportion?�

�Well, I do�, Seifer grinned mischievously at the thought, but after a moment it faded. �But not tonight. I�ve got a situation that Leonheart�s promised to help me with and I doubt he�d do that if I� Hey, where did he go?�

Selphie and Zell both spun around and gasped simultaneously at the sight of a missing Squall.

�Shit!� Zell cussed. �We gotta find him.�

�Oh really?�

�Shut up, Seifer! Selphie, you stay here in case he comes back. I�ll go to his office, in case he overheard us. You go to the Training Centre.�

�Why? You think he�d want a workout?�

�Because!�. Because I can�t think of anywhere else to look right now. And if he�s not there-� Fuck, just look anywhere big enough to hide a Squall, will ya? Now move out!�

***

10.15

Seifer came to a halt outside the Training Centre. The door was - of course - locked but Squall (if he still was such a nit-picker and always carried it around with him) had the master key. But Seifer had something equally as good; a secret passage.

***

10.20

Zell knocked on Squall�s office door with a little more force than was

necessary. He really didn�t believe he�d find Squall here. Hell, the brunette resented his office, so why would he go there now when he really didn�t need to?

No one - as suspected - answered his knocks and no light made its way through the crack under the door. He sighed and turned.

�His apartment�, he said aloud to himself as he sped towards the elevators. �Maybe he went home?�

***

10.25

Seifer sneezed violently when he finally emerged on the other side of the wall, crawling through the air duct above the door. It was a bitch to climb into, a bitch to crawl through and a serious bitch to come down from, since he always came out headfirst. He hadn�t been forced to use this rather pesky entrance in a while now (mostly because he of late had found himself lacking the desire to break curfew and other childish rules), and although he was glad he still was the only one with the knowledge of its whereabouts, he wouldn�t have complained if someone had dusted a little in there.

The glass dome of the Training Centre was a fairly new instalment, since someone *cough* had ruined it a few years back. Seifer hadn�t really cared before, and he didn�t really now either, but at starry nights like this one when the reflections of water bounced off the walls it was really quite beautiful.

As he made his way through heavy vegetation while breathing humid air, the blond wondered why the hell he even bothered. Leonheart would be unarmed and dressed up like a cat. No matter what spell he had fallen under; he wouldn�t be stupid enough to come in there. And then Seifer remembered that while he himself was fucking awesome with a Gunblade, he really didn�t have much practice with a pitchfork. He snorted at his own idiocy and sped up towards the secret area. The so called hidden entrance had a well trampled path leading to it and he supposed they still called it Secret because the top dogs idea of a sense of humor was to pretend they�d never heard of the place.

Seifer opened the hatch with practiced ease and snickered as the well-oiled hinges allowed the door to silently open.

�Hey, Leonheart?� he called, shivering at the echo that came bouncing back. Did he really sound so� hollow? He waited a few seconds before trying again. �Commander? You in here?�

He listened hard for movement, since he doubted Squall would jump out from behind a tree with a hello and a welcome committee if he came here to sulk.

�Ok, if anyone�s in here, I�m gonna go take a look around.�

His boots made an ominous sound as Seifer took a sweep of the area and after finding nothing he came to the conclusion that he was all alone.

�Great�, he groaned and made his way back though the hatch. �Now I have to crawl though that rat-hole again!�

***

10.35

Squall�s apartment door was locked as well, but Zell had known the brunette long enough to have the code memorized even before Squall gave it to him. He also knew that the inhabitant of this apartment had no imagination to come up with a new one, even though almost everyone knew the combination.

The door slid aside quietly and he entered a dark room, by no means deterred by that lack of light. Squall rarely bothered with lamps anyway and Zell doubted half of the bulbs even worked. The only light source was the starlit sky that showed through panorama windows. Zell flicked on the overhead lights and nearly jumped out of his robe.

Squall sat curled up in a big armchair, knees drawn up underneath his chin while one hand aimlessly ran through his hair and put it wildly on end. Zell wasn�t worried that the Commander looked very much like a four-year-old boy who lost his mother, but he was slightly concerned where Squall was looking like a four-year-old boy who lost his mother. That armchair had been a gift from President Laguna and ever since it had become a part of his decoration (on Selphie�s inisisting) Zell had never seen Squall sit in it. He treated it like a gigantic pink elephant and would rather stand than use it. Until tonight.

�What are you doing here?�

Stupid question to ask the one whose home you had just �broken into�.

�Just thinking.�

�Yeah?� Zell asked cautiously. Normally he would be out on his ass in the hallway if he had caught Squall at a brooding moment. But he had to remind himself that this was not a normal situation and even though Squall may seem social and all, a guys mind was still a very sensitive topic.

Zell dimmed the lights slightly and made his way over to the sofa. �About what?� he asked as casually as he could manage.

Squall shrugged and untangled himself from his curled up position to put his feet on the coffee table.

�Nothing important. And that�s very nice for a change.�

�I hear ya.� Zell snickered. �Sorry to interrupt.�

�It�s ok. I was getting lonely anyway.�

Zell frowned and leant forward a little, trying to focus on Squall�s eyes instead of his bootless feet.

�You get lonely?�

�Of course�, Squall answered indignantly with a slight huff. �I�m not inhuman!�

His Commander turned to meet Zell�s eyes but it lacked the iron walls and the barbed wire and it was quite comfortable to meet. So comfortable that Zell suddenly preferred Squall�s slightly worn socks.

�But that�s the problem, isn�t it? Most here doesn�t know that.�

�Yeah, guess not.� Zell shifted in his seat, trying to seem calm but feeling rather antsy. �But we always thought you wanted it like that.�

�I suppose I did.�

�Did? Past tense?�

A small curve, there on the right side of his mouth and Zell swore he was looking at the smile the real Squall would make.

�For now, anyway.�

They fell silent together, the peacefulness lulling them both into a comfortable fellowship; all the while they were watching the universe outside like a TV-show.

�Thanks, Zell.�

The blond blinked at the unexpected admission.

�Anytime, baby. But� eh� What for?�

Squall shrugged.

�I don�t know. Dancing with me, sitting here with me. I know this must be weird for you, but I want you to know that I haven�t said anything tonight that hasn�t been true.�

Zell chuckled, remembering Squall�s loud confession about his rash. �Well, while we�re being honest, I had no idea you could be so�entertaining.�

�I couldn�t. Something always held me back.�

�What was it?�

�Beats me. But I took this nap this afternoon and after that�Pfft!�gone.�

Zell nodded even though he didn�t quite understand. Not that it mattered. Even if this change was permanent - which he began to wish more and more - he knew Squall would still be Squall and Garden would always come first.

They both jumped at the rapid knock on the door. Zell made to stand but Squall beat him to it.

A very flustered Seifer appeared in the doorway and upon seeing Zell just coming around the armchair, his vision darkened.

�Well, well, well. I don�t know, Chickie. Maybe, just MAYBE you could�ve let me know you�d found him, so I wouldn�t have had to take that detour in the caf and accidentally run into one of the lunch ladies who had had a little too much sherry to drink and thought I came there looking for her!� Seifer took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. �And Squall�, he added. �You really need to get those elevators fixed. The doors take forever to close.�

He stalked into the room, deliberately bumped into Zell on his way to the sofa and flopped down with a loud huff.

�Oh, come off it, Seifer. What would you have me do?� Zell glared back into aquamarine eyes. �Try to find you when we�d probably just run past each other? Or maybe you wanted me to call over the speakers? �Could Seifer Almasy please report to Commander Leonheart private apartments�? What does it matter anyway, you came here eventually, right?�

Seifer snorted but his glared finally relented. �So, what�s up?�

�We were just talking�, Squall explained and made for the kitchen. �You want something, Seifer? Zell?�

�No, thanks�, they responded in unison and Squall smiled as he returned to the living room empty handed.

�Is Selphie worried?� he asked bashfully, leaning his hip against the back of the armchair. �Maybe we should go back to the party?�

�Yeah�, Seifer admitted. �I might have freaked her out a bit before.�

***

11.45

As they walked back to the party, Zell touched Squall�s elbow and fell back behind Seifer. Squall took the hint and followed suit.

�I forgot to ask you before�, Zell began hesitantly. �Why did you leave the party without saying anything?�

Squall coughed and even though the hallways were very poorly lit so late at night, there was no disguising the blush that crept up the brunette�s cheeks.

�Ah� Well. I might have� I wanted to see if you would come look for me.�

�Listen, Squall�, Zell said seriously and stopped. �Normally I might not have, since I would�ve thought you�d bailed to be alone. And I know you can take care of yourself and all that, but tonight is different. You�re not yourself.�

�Don�t worry, Zell. I feel perfectly fine. But that�s the issue, isn�t it?�

�Well, it can�t be a bad thing if you feel fine.� Zell shrugged and continued to walk. �We�re just not used to you being so much like� us.�

Squall snickered and scratched his neck. �I�m not saying it�s bad being you, Zell. Maybe that�s just not who I was.�

�I can live with that. And, Squall? If you want us to come look for you in the future, let us know, ok?�

***

11 PM

�Squall?� Quistis eyed her Commander with ill-hidden fascination. When he gave her a wide grin she blushed and thank Hyne she wore the veil.

�You told her?� Zell accused as Selphie appeared by his side. Her defiant look told him that he was in no way threatening.

�You actually think I would lie to a superior officer? When she asked where Squall was I had to tell her we didn�t know and that you�d gone looking for him.�

�Wasn�t that enough? Did you have to tell her everything?�

�You�re forgetting that asking questions is my job, Lieut. Dincht.� Quistis lectured. �And after seeing you three huddled together all night, I knew something was off. I just didn�t guess that Squall was�� She pointed at the leopard-spotted t-shirt and trailed off. She couldn�t really phrase a nice comment about Squall�s choice of wardrobe for the evening, without sounding judgmental.

And then of course she realized that - being how things were - Zell, Selphie and Seifer couldn�t have found a tactful way of telling her without sounding - and being - judgmental as well.

�Well, now that you know�, Seifer said, helping himself to the rests of the buffet table. �You have any suggestions?�

�About what?�

�We can�t leave him like this, Quis�, Zell whined. �It would totally ruin his reputation. I mean, no offence, but look at President Laguna.�

�The President is awesome!�, Selphie protested. �Why would Squall do a worse job because he smiles at people?�

�But Zell�s got a point.� The fact that it came from Seifer earned him shocked expressions that he promptly ignored. �Part of his success - besides being an excellent officer - is because he�s got the rep of being an ice-cold son of a bitch.� He glanced at Squall munching on candy-corn. � Would any of you take him seriously?�

Quistis was inclined to agree. No matter how lovable Squall was at the moment, Balamb Garden needed its stoic Commander back.

�It�s because we know him before. And so will everyone else.�

�Exactly.�

�I have to think about it�, she said, suddenly feeling determined. �If there�s a way to reverse this�change, we can�t do anything about it tonight anyway. Maybe tomorrow we can go to Esthar and see what the President-�

�That won�t be necessary.� A slender hand was placed on her shoulder and she slowly turned.

While the others gaped like fish, Quistis hoped she maintained some dignity and if she didn�t - well - she still wore the veil.

Ellone smiled brightly at all of them and waved leisurely at Squall.

�Sis?� he asked, handful of candy falling forgotten to the floor. �What are you doing here?�

TBC

***********************

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Magic of Halloween