Library, Tuesday

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa was subdued at the library today. She was going to occupy herself with shelving titles, and hoping no one asked about the white satin gloves she was wearing.

If anyone asked, she was going to claim they matched her outfit. They did. Because she had picked an outfit especially to match satin white gloves.

She wasn't gray any more; most of the physical changes had slowly disappeared. So maybe in a day or two, her fingernails would stop looking so much like talons.

Maybe.

(open/ocd-free)

Comments

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall was too used to Fandom to contradict her on the whole "hurt their feelings" bit. For all he knew, it WOULD, after all.

"Okay," he told her with a shrug. "If it'll make you happy."

He picked up the first book that he came across, which just happened to be one from the Saccharine Valley Triplets series, and started reading where he stood.

And yes, he kept reading it even after he realized what it was. He was just that hardcore.

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa was going to shelve and be happy that Squall was reading. And the next time she got close enough, she was going to take a look at the spine of the book and ...

Rinoa was not laughing at Squall. She was not snickering to herself. Honest. He must be hearing things.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall's manly ego wasn't at all threatened by a book that seemed to be written for ten-year-old girls. And he didn't care what anyone else thought of him, either. At all.

He harrumphed at Rinoa, and kept reading.

[angelo_wings]

"Is that the one where they all switch identities?" she asked, unable to keep quiet any longer. "And Ashley starts dating Lauren's boyfriend behind her back?"

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"..."

Squall blinked at her. "You read these?" he asked disdainfully.

Hypocrisy, thy name is Squall.

[angelo_wings]

"I don't make a point of it," Rinoa laughed. "But I picked up a couple to see what the fuss was about. They're terrible, aren't they?"

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Squall considered that a moment. "The writing isn't bad," he allowed. "But the plot is. It's teaching girls to have misplaced priorities."

[angelo_wings]

Okay, now she was getting close enough to yank down on the book and lean right into his face.

"And what bad priorities are those?" she teased. "Not enough time spent polishing weapons? Wearing make-up and dating booooooys?"

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Well... yes, exactly.

"It's not becoming," Squall grumbled.

[angelo_wings]

"So they should learn to become soldiers?" Rinoa asked. "Since these are ordinary high-school girls we're talking about. Not mercenaries, or resistance fighters. It'd be more appropriate for them to polish weapons than to flirt with boys because ... ?"

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"Well... not weapons, then." Squall floundered for a way to prove he wasn't being irrational. He hated being irrational. "But there are plenty of things that are more important than flirting and gossip. They need to learn responsibility."

[angelo_wings]

"They're learning how to socialize with their peers and date," she noted. With a great deal of amusement. "So that they don't turn into strange recluses who don't understand how to relate to other people and are emo."

Cough.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

She had a really good point, there. It didn't negate the fact that the girls in the book were annoyingly flighty and irresponsible, but her point did hit home.

Which is why he answered her with "Whatever."

[angelo_wings]

"It's not very attractive when you sulk," she reminded him, gently.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't sulking," Squall lied countered. "...Besides, I thought girls like the 'brooding' sort of look."

[angelo_wings]

"Sometimes," Rinoa said. "And sometimes, you're supposed to replace 'whatever' with the far superior admission that I'm right and beautiful and then, you kiss me."

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

"I'm right and beautiful," Squall answered, and leaned in to kiss her.

[angelo_wings]

You know what was more attractive than him sulking?

Him making the rare joke. The kiss might be difficult, with all of the giggling, but she was totally going to commit to it once she managed to stop.

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

It wasn't all that funny of a joke, either. But if it got Rinoa kissing him, then he'd have to remember that. He gave her a grin and kissed her back enthusiastically.