Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 8
Disjointed
0 ReviewsSquall does some thinking after the game's events. Rating for language.
Irvine found him sitting on the sand, staring across the orange tinted water. He sat next to his friend and Commander without a word. If Squall wanted to talk, he'd talk. If he wanted to be left the hell alone, he'd get up and leave.
Silence stretched out around them as the sun slid down the sky. Irvine propped his chin on his hands and closed his eyes, the warm sea breeze pushing his hair this way and that. He'd never really been on a beach since he'd left the orphanage, not long enough to enjoy it. He figured he'd enjoy it even more during the day, when there were people dressed in less than what they wore to bed.
"Hey," Squall said.
"Hey," Irvine drawled back. He opened his eyes and tilted his head enough to look at Squall. "You all right?"
Squall took a handful of sand and let it sift through the gaps between his bare fingers. Squall looked different without his gloves on, somehow; more fragile. More human.
"...it's stupid," Squall said.
Irvine shrugged. "It wouldn't be bothering you if it was stupid."
Squall leaned back on his hands and stared up at the sky. The brightest stars were starting to show. "I..." He sighed. "I feel disjointed. Like I don't... fit. Something's off. Like I shouldn't be here, or I'm not here..." He swallowed, the movement noticable with his head tilted back. "Like I... like I really died back there, and this is all a dream. Like I'm dying and this is a dream I'm having before I die."
Irvine shifted over so he could look at Squall's face; the other man's eyes were closed, as if he were holding back emotion that his usual icy facade couldn't control. Irvine grinned and, on a whim as many of his actions were, kissed his friend. It was short, and chaste, and it was over before Squall had a chance to react.
Squall's eyes flew open as Irvine sat back, out of range. "What the fuck Irvine." Squall glared, accusing, of what Irvine couldn't guess.
"Now see, Squall, why would you be dreaming of me kissing you?"
Squall stared at him for a long time, long enough for Irvine to think on what he'd done and come to the conclusion that it had, in fact, been the wrong thing to do; then, unexpectedly, Squall started laughing. It was the uncontrollable sort of laugh that had you squeezing your eyes shut and fisting your mouth and you still couldn't keep it in. Squall doubled over, his body shaking in mirth.
"You have a point," he managed finally, and smiled his little Squall smile at Irvine. Irvine grinned back. Things were right again.
Silence stretched out around them as the sun slid down the sky. Irvine propped his chin on his hands and closed his eyes, the warm sea breeze pushing his hair this way and that. He'd never really been on a beach since he'd left the orphanage, not long enough to enjoy it. He figured he'd enjoy it even more during the day, when there were people dressed in less than what they wore to bed.
"Hey," Squall said.
"Hey," Irvine drawled back. He opened his eyes and tilted his head enough to look at Squall. "You all right?"
Squall took a handful of sand and let it sift through the gaps between his bare fingers. Squall looked different without his gloves on, somehow; more fragile. More human.
"...it's stupid," Squall said.
Irvine shrugged. "It wouldn't be bothering you if it was stupid."
Squall leaned back on his hands and stared up at the sky. The brightest stars were starting to show. "I..." He sighed. "I feel disjointed. Like I don't... fit. Something's off. Like I shouldn't be here, or I'm not here..." He swallowed, the movement noticable with his head tilted back. "Like I... like I really died back there, and this is all a dream. Like I'm dying and this is a dream I'm having before I die."
Irvine shifted over so he could look at Squall's face; the other man's eyes were closed, as if he were holding back emotion that his usual icy facade couldn't control. Irvine grinned and, on a whim as many of his actions were, kissed his friend. It was short, and chaste, and it was over before Squall had a chance to react.
Squall's eyes flew open as Irvine sat back, out of range. "What the fuck Irvine." Squall glared, accusing, of what Irvine couldn't guess.
"Now see, Squall, why would you be dreaming of me kissing you?"
Squall stared at him for a long time, long enough for Irvine to think on what he'd done and come to the conclusion that it had, in fact, been the wrong thing to do; then, unexpectedly, Squall started laughing. It was the uncontrollable sort of laugh that had you squeezing your eyes shut and fisting your mouth and you still couldn't keep it in. Squall doubled over, his body shaking in mirth.
"You have a point," he managed finally, and smiled his little Squall smile at Irvine. Irvine grinned back. Things were right again.
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