Notes: Oh, none really. Just another little adventure in the weirdness that are my stories.

Slipping Away

Prologue

By Sniffles

//She's beautiful.. but then she's always been beautiful. I remember when I first saw her... gawd.. she took my breath away. She still does to some extent.//

Squall mentally groaned, placing his elbow on his desk and leaning his ear against his hand. Just what he needed. 'Those' thoughts again. Right in the middle of class when he should be concentrating. /Go away./ He begged, /Just .. go away./

But the thoughts persisted, as they always did. They were not his own thoughts. At first he'd thought they were, but they just weren't. He had no control over them and most of the time they made absolutely no sense to him. He was afraid that he was going crazy. He must be, after all, who had private conversations going on in his head? Conversations that made no sense to even him.

//She's waiting for me. I still find it hard to believe. She.. is waiting for -me-. It feels so good. So good to have her eyes on me again.//

/Go away... go away./ Squall chanted mentally as he tried hard to focus on the instructor.

//She's smiling at me. Oh wow... oh wow.. at -me-... It's been two weeks and I still can't believe that she's here... she's really here. Meeting me every night...//

/Counter psycali poisoning with-/

//Oh! Oh wow. She.. She just kissed me.//

Squall's stomach knotted, almost painfully, at that thought line. He rubbed his temple, giving up. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate on class anymore. Not now that the voice had started. And certainly not with the track the voice was taking. Normally he could ignore the voice, but that was when it was being boring. Right now it was definately NOT being boring.

//Julia... Julia I love you.//

"Since you're new here, I'll stick with you and show you around." Zell smiled at Irvine, who as of today, shared his desk.

Irvine smiled back at Zell, "Hey thanks." He said, his drawl lazy. He shifted in his seat to get comfortable.

"So, any questions?"

"Yeah, what's the proticol on same sex relationships?" Irvine asked rather bluntly.

"Uh." Zell coughed, startled by that question, "Actually, it's okay. I mean, nobody really cares wether a person is attracted to the opposite sex or not. That's not what matters around here."

"All right. Who's he?" Irvine nodded at the only student sitting alone.

"Him?" Zell looked across at the broody brunette in question. "That's.." Zell's voice lowered, as if he didn't want anyone nearby to hear. "That's Squall Leonhart. He's a loner. Sticks to himself. Real whacko if you ask me. He has these... seizures..."

Irvine's eyes narrowed a bit at this, "Seizures?"

"Yeah. Sometimes, he'll just, well... collapse. He'll be unconscious for awhile. Sometimes minutes, sometimes days. When he wakes he acts as if nothing at all happened." Zell's voice was still hushed and he kept glancing at Squall as he spoke.

"So.. you think he's a whacko because he has a medical condition that causes him to frequently fall into comas?" Irvine's disdain was clear in his voice.

"Well.. w-well no. I mean... no! It's just that.. he's not like everyone else."

"Neither am I. And neither are you." Irvine said, a bit coldly.

Zell bit his lower lip, "Well anyway.. it doesn't matter. He's made it quite clear he isn't interested in friends, or being friendly."

"Whatever. How about her, who is she?"

"That's Selphie. Crazy chick that one." Zell chuckled fondly.

And so it continued. Irvine asking, Zell explaining who everyone was. But Irvine's eyes kept moving back to the brunette. The loner.

The voice was starting to fade. Squall rubbed his cheek nervously. He glanced around quickly, not too many people were near. Should he just walk to the clinic? Or to his room? When the voices came, so did the seizures. It was when the voices started to fade that he always had the attacks. And he knew any minute he was going to have one. He started to rub his cheek harder as he tried hard to decide. His face rarely showed emotion. He'd learned to wear a mask of cool indifference all the time, so his emotions were protrayed through his actions.

Like rubbing his cheek. He did that everytime he couldn't decide what to do. Squall sighed, looking around again. He had to move fast, the voice would be gone soon and he had to decide what he wanted to do about the upcoming seizure. "You don't look so well. Are you feeling all right?"

The voice was so close that Squall turned his head, only to find that the one who had spoken was standing right beside him. He glanced around quickly, but they were the only two in sight. "Yeah, I'm talking to you." Irvine said with a smirk, seeing Squall look around. "You're Squall Leonhart, right?"

Squall's eyes narrowed, he looked at Irvine suspiciously, "Who are you?" He responded.

"Irvine Kinneas. I'm an exchange student from Galbadia, just got here today actually. So, about my question, you don't look so well kid."

"Galbadia?" Squall ignored the question, his mind still wondering on his upcoming seizure. He definately had to do something now. He certainly didn't want to collapse in front of a complete stranger.

"Don't change the subject kiddo. Do you want me to get a nurse or somethin'?" Irvine asked, his concern for the loner increasing as all the color drained from Squall's face.

"I'm fine." Squall said softly, but his voice wavered, as did his body. Suddenly he was falling. He would have hit the floor if strong, thin arms hadn't reached out and grabbed him. He numbly realized he was now being held by this strange new student, Irvine Kinneas, when the seizure grabbed him and he was no longer aware of anything.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he awoke. All he knew was that his head hurt and he felt really weak. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. /What the..??/ Seated beside him was none other than Irvine Kinneas. Irvine grinned when Squall's eyes met his. "Mornin'."

"What are you doing here?" Squall growled, wary and yet... strangely pleased. He had never woken from one of his seizures to find someone by his side.

"Well... seein' as everyone else was ignorin' you I only thought it was right of me to visit you." Irvine said with a smile, "You've been here two days and three nights, includin' the night you collapsed."

"How many times have you been here?" Squall asked, carefully sitting up.

Irvine shrugged, "Every day.. for a few hours." He grinned and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together over his stomach.

"Why?" Squall gasped, truly surprised by this. He doubted it was true, but part of him... a small part of him almost wished it was.

"Somebody's got to care." Irvine stretched his arms over his head and yawned, "Man, I'm not used to gettin' up so early. My brain is protesting."

Squall didn't answer, he was too busy trying to decide wether or not Irine was lying. /Why would he come here to... stay with me? Does he think he can get something from me? Does he think I'm so desperate for attention that I'll try to give him something to thank him for coming to see me?/ He sat up.

"Woah there, you sure you should be sitting up?" Irvine immediately leaned over and grabbed Squall's arm, a concerned expression crossing his face.

Squall pulled his arm away and frowned at Irvine. "I'm fine." He said sharply, "I'm not an invalid." He swung his legs off the bed.

"Yeah well... how do you feel?"

"Well rested." Squall said wryly, placing his hands on either side of himself on the bed and glowering at Irvine.

Irvine smiled, "Well, I'll walk you to your room.... or wherever you're going."

"No." Squall stood, watching warily as Irvine also got to his feet, "Goodbye." He made to move around Irvine but found his flight path blocked by the cowboy.

"I'll walk you." He repeated, stubbornly. He smiled and lifted his hand to knock his hat a little to the side.

Squall stared at Irvine for a long time before reluctantly nodding. Irvine moved aside and Squall walked out of the room, Irvine at his heels. "You know Zell Dincht?" Irvine asked as they walked.

"No." Squall responded absently.

"Selphie Tilmitt?"

"No."

Irvine raised his brow at this, "Do you know anyone in this school?"

"I know you."

Irvine chuckled, "You're witty. I like that. And you've got a subtle sense of humor, that's refreshing."

"Whatever." Squall shrugged, trying to act as if he didn't care. But he did. There was something about Irvine that made his stomach twist and turn, and his palms sweat.

"So why don't you know anyone Squall Leonhart?" Irvine questioned, his voice oozing with charm.

Squall started to shrug but stopped himself. He glanced at Irvine, "Not interested."

"In making friends?"

"That's right."

Irvine smiled, "I don't believe you Leonhart. Everybody needs friends."

"I don't."

"You're lying."

Squall stiffened, feeling irritated. His eyes narrowed, but he refused to look at Irvine. He just walked faster. Irvine matched his pace easily, smiling but not speaking again. They reached Squall's room and Squall hesitated. The doors slid open when he gave the command, then he turned. "Thank you." He said softly, raising his eyes to look at Irvine.

Irvine grinned, pushing his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels, "My pleasure." He said, "I'll see you in class tomorrow Leonhart. Stay cool." He turned, and walked away.

Squall found himself staring at Irvine's back until the cowboy turned a corner and was out of sight. He shook his head and walked into his room, the door sliding shut behind him. /Who is he?/ He walked to his bed, sitting down and clenching his hands into fists, /He saw ... he saw and he didn't run. He didn't make fun of me.../ He glanced up, eyes resting on the silver case that held his gunblade. It lay on the floor at the foot of the bed. /He waited for me to wake up./

He closed his eyes.

"I don't understand." He whispered to the empty room.

Return to Archive | next