Life's Lessons on Stress

by Nona Mae King

  ~*~

  The door slid open to reveal two tall figures. I raised my eyes from watching Sally’s sleeping face and felt my smile warp to a frown. "So what’s the deal, guys? How come we had to vanish?"

  Squall sat on the couch perpendicular to mine while Seifer leaned against the wall to the left of the door, arms closed.

  "That’s on a need to know basis," Seifer said. "You don’t need to know."

  "Tch! I’m supposed to make sure Quistis is left with Zack, Sally’s brother, and you don’t think I need to know?" I looked over at Squall in total and complete confusion. "What’s going on, Squall? What’s the mission? Is Sally in danger?"

  Squall leaned back in the couch and crossed his arms, bringing his left ankle up to his right knee. His expression held reassurance. "Sally’s in no danger, Zell. Why would she be? She doesn’t know anything. No one does."

  I looked to Seifer and then back to Squall. "No one but Zack."

  Seifer smirked. Squall didn’t respond.

  I looked over at Seifer again. "Quis and Zack are going under, aren’t they?"

  Seifer adjusted his crossed arms. "So Regal’s taught you to use your brain."

  "Seifer," Squall warned sharply.

  I smirked and looked over at Squall. "Don’t sweat it."

  Seifer raised an eyebrow.

  Squall’s frown lightened and disappeared. "Zell, we don’t know anything. You don’t know anything. Zack and Quis don’t know anything. They’re hitting it off because they have fun together."

  "Blah, blah, blah," Seifer added.

  "Sure," I said, ignoring Seifer, "I saw that already. I’d rather think it wasn’t plotted, but whatever." I lowered my gaze to Sally and smiled. "Just keep her out of it, okay guys? Keep her at her desk. She likes it there." I looked up again. "So do I."

  Squall sent Seifer a warning glare. He smirked and kept his mouth shut. Squall looked back at me. "There’s no reason to move her anywhere, Zell. Don’t worry."

  "Okay," I said, nodding. And then I looked at Seifer. "And try backing off a little, Seifer. Damn. I get that you’re trying to toughen her up, and I appreciate it I guess, but back off. You and Fujin got her so tied up in knots." I pointed at him. "I mean it. I’ll take steps."

  Squall reached out a hand. "Zell, take it easy. I’ll talk to Fujin. Okay?" Squall sent Seifer a glance. "And he will back off even more."

  Seifer adjusted his crossed arms and moved his gaze away.

  I raised an eyebrow. "Even more? What are you talkin’ about?"

  Squall chuckled as he looked back to me. "I only agreed to allow Sally on Security if Seifer wasn’t his usual self. I know how she is, but I also knew she’d be a great asset to the Security Network."

  I grinned. "Thanks, Squall. I appreciate it."

  Seifer scoffed and straightened. "Commander, we’ve got a meeting in ten minutes two cars down."

  Squall nodded. "Right." He focused back on me and motioned to Sally. "She’s got no idea, even though her report was what hinted at the problem."

  I moved my gaze to her, and I could feel my insides soften. "It would," I said while stroking her hair. "She’s got more brains than she knows what to do with."

  Squall’s lips twitched when Seifer scoffed even more violently and left the cabin. Squall stood and followed, but he paused and turned at the door. "Oh. Tell Sally I said congrats on the newest submission to C.K.. ‘Hell Strike’ looks kick-ass. Good job."

  I looked up. "Thanks, Squall." I grinned. "She’ll blush three shades of red."

  Squall chuckled and shook his head. "See ya later, Zell." The door slid shut.

  I looked down to Sally again, smoothing some hair from her forehead. Sally took in a deep breath and released it slowly, adjusting herself against me with a whisper of "sailing..."

  My lips twitched, and then I pressed a light kiss on her hair. "Yeah. We'll go sailing, Sally." I rested my head back against the couch and turned to stare out the window, my thumb absently caressing the skin of her upper arm. "We'll go wherever you want."