Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII because it already belongs to SQUARESOFT … clear?  CLEAR!

POV: Squall

Chapter I

I love Fridays.  Hyne, who the hell doesn't?  The wonderful opening to a great week-end where stupid people don't come up to you screaming, "Commander, commander!  Oh NO!  Johnny got his head stuck in the toilet again!" or "Commander Leonheart, a nine-year old has soiled himself in the training center again!"

When they gave me this job I thought I was going to love it.  Unfortunately, they gave me the dumbest staff that has ever existed so when a problem surfaces, BOOM, Commander Leonheart has to be to the rescue.  Any time, anywhere … no matter what I'm doing at the time. 

Ah, but Fridays!  Fridays, everything changes.  I go to my dorm, above all the other dorms, and look out my picture window where I overlook all the Garden's territory, my territory.  I change into comfortable cargo pants and sweatshirt … and await the love of my life, Rinoa Heartilly. 

That's the way my wonderful Friday begins.  With her warm body next to mine, a bowl of popcorn on the table along with a beer, watching a movie.  Ok … 'watching' a movie.  I don't remember the time where I literally watched a movie with her.   It's more along the lines of … we put on a movie just to say we watched a movie but if you ask us what it was about we'll just describe you the pretty picture that was on the movie box … because we really weren't paying attention to the actual movie itself … get my drift?

I love Fridays but this Friday was specifically different.  There was an interruption.  We sat there  'watching' a movie.  The one with the big evil robot on the cover.  And then some asswipe decided to knock on the door …

"Answer the door …" She broke off our kiss after the third knock.

"No …" I whined and tried to resume what we were doing but she pushed me away.

"Squall, go answer the door." She sighed slightly and so I had no choice … but to go answer the door.  Ready to shoot the fuckface who had interrupter our … uhm … 'movie watching' I opened the door wearing my best 'What the hell do you want?' look.

It was a delivery guy.  I think the only reason his job was invented was to get a few kids off the street.  All they do, besides take coffee breaks, is walk around Balamb island (and it's not a very big island) delivering packages.  You know … the usual clean underwear from mother and the chocolates from Suzy the fiancée.  Well, usually my packages contain floppy disks containing important information but anyways.

He was slouching, stupid and fat.  And seemed suspiciously interested in what was in my dorm.  "What?" I asked him brusquely.  I knew he was trying to get a glimpse at my girlfriend.

"Uh … delivery for Commander Squall Leonheart." He said suddenly, checking for the first time the label on the package.

"Who the hell do you think I am … your Aunt Marge?" He was seriously trying to peer over my shoulder.  I grabbed the package from his hands and snapped at him once again, "Do I have to sign a paper?"  No response … only his piggy face trying to look inside my domicile.  "Hyne, you want to come in for a drink?" I asked sarcastically.

"That'd be nice, thanks." He said goofily and tried entering except I pushed him back.

"Here's what we'll do.  You're going to give me the papers, I'm going to sign them, I'm going to hand them back to you … and then I'm going to slam the door in your face." I held the package under one arm and I leaned on the doorframe to block his view.

"Oh … right." He seemed slightly disappointed as he handed me the papers.  I signed them, and stayed true to my word.  I handed them back and slammed the door back in his face.  I guess my relationship with Rinoa wasn't all that great … it had its problems.

For one, it seemed to have gotten around that I was dating the General's daughter.  Amongst the male students some pretty nasty things were passed along.  Some included her being 'a pretty good fuck, apparently.' (Well she is but that's beside the point.) And amongst the females other rumors sprouted about me 'being totally blind to her charm' or 'I heard she's dated millions of others'. 

Some people who weren't too fond of me passed along some info that got to Rinoa's ears … like … 'The guy is HIV positive.' Which is utterly false … and … 'He thinks he's so hot because he's got her ass.' … And not to mention something that scared both her and me half to death … 'I bet if we planted a camera in their bedroom we could sell it off for millions on the black market or to reporters.'  That one completely paranoid us.

And of course, there were always certain old ladies who came up to us saying 'You two make the sweetest couple alive, darn those stupid youngsters who have nothing better to do than bad mouth other people …' For these I had practiced my polite laugh.  Well … life wasn't all that bad.  There was worst.  Like having a delivery guy trying to peek at your girlfriend in your own dorm. 

Ok, I guess I'm being a little negative.  But I hated the publicity, I always have.  Now my hatred for it is as pure as my love for her.  I wouldn't let her go and just break up because of a few shitheads who had nothing better to do.  She was worth a lot more to me.  The thing is … Rinoa's not a quiet girl who nods at everything I say and those rumors were often times the start of hellish arguments.

"That was rude." She remarked as I came and sat back down next to her.

"Yeah well, he was trying to see if you were lying naked here or something and in my personal opinion that's worst.  Why the fuck can't people mind their own goddamn business?"  I tore the tape off the package like a maniac trying to get to the inside.

"Well, now you gave him something more to talk about." She grimaced, "Now maybe it'll get around that you're a pricky little bastard and that'll evolve into 'he's violent' and then by the end of the month you'll be beating the shit out of me according to half the population of Balamb."

It was my turn to grimace.  I tore some more at the package and finally emerged with floppy disk that I immediately took to my computer.  "You're going to start working now?" She asked and I could distinctly detect tones of disappointment and anger.

"So you want me to sit down with you and watch the movie?" I asked her, turning on the machine.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw her glance at the television screen, make a disgusted face and turn the DVD machine off.

"Next time, I'll pick the movie … ok?" She went to take the DVD out.

"Like it usually makes a difference." I reminded her, now beginning to check what importance this disk had.

"The Revenge Of Roboto?" She seemed to have gotten hold of the movie box, "Squall … what the hell?  I don't even think my brothers would watch this."  I shrugged.

"We weren't even watching it …" I tried to place the reminder lightly, not to piss her off too much.

"You completely missed the point." She snapped and put the DVD back in its case.  "The age rating is eight years old and over!"

"I know, next time I'm going in the adult corner and I'm picking out a better one … like 'Sperminator' … then we could test drive the moves." I tried to apply as much sarcasm as possible.

She answered me the same way, "That would be wonderful … jackass." There are things in our relationship that I've failed to clarify.  When she said 'Jackass' she knew perfectly well that she was practically prodding a raging lion with a wooden stick.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped back. 

"Jack … ass … jack … ass …" She emphasized each syllable.  The reason I don't like being called a 'Jackass' is because it's almost as if I was being compared to Jake Asselin.  And she knew that.

"Yeah, real funny, Rin!" I growled and my grip on the computer mouse increased to the point where I was kind of scared that I was going to break it.
"What's funny?  You think it's funny that I'm calling you a 'Jackass'?  Wow, you must really be a JACK … ASS …" She was having the time of her life.  I could tell without even looking at her facial expression.

"Don't piss me off!" I snapped back.

"Don't piss who off?" She asked and I could practically see her smile.

"Don't piss me off!" I replied.

"Don't piss off … the JACKASS?"

I didn't answer.  She had pissed me off.  Ever since I had begun my life with Rinoa Heartilly Caraway I learnt many things.  One … Not to piss her off.  Two … the world no longer revolves around the sun, it revolves around her.  Three … She could piss me off, annoy me anytime she felt like it.  Because she was the tamer … I was the lion.

I turned around and faced her, she was smirking, right behind my office chair.  Gorgeous … but quite dangerous when you stopped and thought about it.  "Don't … piss off … the jackass?" She asked once more, smirking.

"You seem prone to dating jackasses." I kept frowning at her.

"It flatters my ego." She replied and advanced towards me.  She bent down slowly and softly kissed me.  Me … being me, instantly forgot we even had an argument and in a span of five seconds, she was sitting on my lap and we were resuming our … 'movie watching' (Not that the movie was on, mind you.)

Because she was the tamer … I was the lion.  And everyone knows I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sabam: Yup, that's right … a sequel!  YAAAAAAY!  I hope you like it, it's going to be another 15-chapter story and it's going to go back and forth with POVs.  Squall, Rinoa, Squall, Rinoa … you get the picture.  Well, I hope I get as much support for this one as for Summing Up The Stars.  Thank you all very much!  Please, please, please review!