Four Way Stop

(It's short, but at least it's here, right? -_- I'll try to work on it over my break. Email me if you feel like talking/flaming/suggesting anything at all. Get in touch: hado_koa@hotmail.com. I hope to hear from you.)


      "Why didn't you tell him after dinner like you said you would?" Quistis asked over coffee, extending a second mug to the creature huddled on the corner of the couch.

      Rinoa's fingers slipped into the handle and she brought the beverage to her mouth, blowing delicately across its surface. "He seemed so ridiculously happy, Quisty. All of us together like that, him actually smiling... I couldn't bring myself to do it."

      "Noa..."

      "I know, I know. I made things worse. I have a talent," she moaned.

      "I'd call it an anti-skill," Quistis commented, sitting down at her side. A wall clock counted the seconds, the silence incomplete. They sipped their coffee.

      "Do you think he'll tell everyone?" Rinoa said quietly. The concern held a tangible weight in the room. Until her words it had gone unspoken, and now it demanded focus.

      Long orange hair was whisked to the side. "I don't think he's that kind of person, but—
      "But he'll tell Selphie."

      "And she'll tell Irvine, because she can't keep secrets from Irvine," Quistis reasoned.

      "And that's that. We're out." Rinoa ditched her drink on the table. "God, why does he have to be such a gossip whore?" she lamented, frowning. "You know he started that one rumor about himself, remember?"

      "What? The gratuitous shower room nudity that made a legend of his manhood?"

      Rinoa went blank. "I hadn't even heard that one."



      Zell bobbed quietly down the hallway: his third pass in less than ten minutes. The heavy dorm doors glinted under the lighting, some of them open and most with soft music or the sound of movement pouring under the frame. Student chatter filled the air, intermittent giggling dotted with fragments of conversation. The blond had to fight to contain his nervous urge to shadowbox.

      He won't want to see you. Hey, shut up brain, whaddyou know. More than you, idiot. You're the last person he'd want to talk to. Come on, you're so negative! Maybe he'll just be happy that he's got a friend, huh? Right. Well, don't expect any sympathy here. Hmph, fine.

      Zell approached and raised his fist to tap on the sleek surface, pausing inches from impact. He pulled away, sidestepping and running his fingers over his pointed bangs.

      You chicken. You can't even knock on his door. Oh yah? We'll see about that!
      He planted himself on the carpet and raised his chin defiantly, letting his hand collide in a series of solid thumps. Suddenly his eyes widened and the action dawned on him.

      Hey! Ha ha, now you've done it. You tricked me! I tricked you? I am you! Better hope he's feeling charitable, basket case.

      Footsteps fell on the other side of the entrance, and the panel slid aside. Zell prepared his explanation, a flustered hand on the back of his head. Instead of the expected somber brunette, a much smaller, more redheaded individual stood in front of him.

      "Selphie?" He questioned, blinking. Her fingers wound in his shirtfront and he was tugged over the threshold with a squawk. They ducked into the kitchen alcove, Zell's confusion turning circles in his skull. "What the–

      "Shh, I'm glad you're here," she breathed in a sigh. Her green eyes fixed on his face. "I've got a class to talk to in twenty minutes. You'll watch him for me for an hour or so, won't you?" she pleaded.

      "I, I guess so," Zell accepted in a stutter. "But I don–

      "Thank you sooo much," came the coo, her arms wrestling him into a hug. "He's pretty bummed, I don't think his lone wolf attitude will do him any good right now. He's in the there," she gestured at the doorway to the rear of the dorm, "just keep him company and I'll be back as soon as I can!" The instructions were tossed over her shoulder as she jumped into a pair of boots and dashed for the exit. "See ya!"

      The bedroom was swathed in darkness, heavy black curtains drawn over the windows. "Uh, Squall? Knock knock," Zell intoned delicately, peeking inside. "Mind if I come in?" Silence provided no objection, so he tiptoed onto the carpet. "Where are you, man?"

      He started when a hand grazed his abdomen, "Jeez! Lurk much?" he twitched, cursing the outburst.

      "Where's Selphie?" The voice was hardly recognizable. Too soft, too charged with sentiment. He reached in the murky gray and his fingers encountered a pointed collarbone connecting to a solid shoulder. Bare skin. The immovable warmth was disconcerting, and he pulled back.

      "She had to step out for a bit, but I'm gonna hang around if that's no prob," he offered. Another silence. Clenching his jaw, he sat down on the edge of the bed. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly.

      Squall's weight shifted, and an arm, roped with lithe muscles, pressed against his own. Zell snapped his head sideways and realized he could feel the other boy's breath.

      "I'm fine," the voice reassured, wavering and thin.

      "Whoa, no undercover assignments for you," the blond teased. "You're an awful liar."

      There was a sigh. "So I'm not fine. Whatever."

      Zell rolled his eyes and flopped backward, noting the high temperature of the nest he'd toppled into. Selphie must have been sharing this spot before she left. He frowned slightly, inhaling her scent on the blankets. A thought entered his mind and he opened his mouth in disbelief. Had they been... cuddling?

      Heh, that cowboy would be so damn jealous if he knew. Oh man, I wonder if maybe— No, they wouldn't. You're right. Not after what happened to Squall.

      "Sorry to intrude on you like this," he felt compelled to apologize. The privacy of the situation was only beginning to become clear to him. "I mean, I didn't realize you and Seph were all like, snuggly an' stuff." The leader was, as usual, without words. "Like, if I'd known I would have totally—

      He swallowed his speech as the heat of flesh settled down at his side. Hair dusted against his throat, and he stiffly adjusted his position to accommodate his charge. Squall's decision to use him as a pillow sent a shiver through the core of his spine.

      Well. Well? That's all you've got for me at a time like this? Didn't see that one coming.


      Irvine's cheek rested heavily on his palm. His cafeteria harem surrounded him, the young women all pressing close and preening. In spite of the jostling and short-skirted attractions, his violet eyes were trained on vacant space. His auburn bombshell had been in flight since Squall had appeared on their doorstep late the evening before. The wayward affection was enough to make him despondent, no matter how valid the reasons. The boredom would have to be alleviated.

      "Say ladies," he drawled pleasantly. All gazes fell to him. "Have you heard about what happened to the commander last night?"