Disclaimers: Not mine
Author's notes: Tenses confuse me sometimes. Quistis only makes a small cameo in this chapter but she will be featured more prominently in the next.
And they lived happily ever after.
Rinoa smiled at that thought and leaned into Squall's chest as he tightened his hold around her waist. It was a nice night in Fisherman's Horizon, the island breeze cool and calm against her skin. Squall ran his fingers up and down her arm absently, sending shivers down her spine even though it was a warm, humid night on the docks.
Catching his hands and entwining her fingers with his, she looked into his steely grey eyes and asked the question that had been on her mind since the first day of their vacation.
"Are you happy Squall?"
He squeezed her fingers and planted a kiss on a forehead.
"Yes."
The vacation had been Quistis' idea. She'd convinced Headmaster Cid that Squall deserved a break before he took over the position of the new SEED Commander.
"After all, he saved the Garden and the entire fate of mankind," was her argument. She had also volunteered to fill in the position while he was on leave.
Cid couldn't say no to that offer and gave him a one month break much to Rinoa's delight.
In the initial stages of their trip, Squall had been awkward and stoic; Rinoa assumed that he had never been on a proper vacation before. He wore his leather jacket and boots to the beach and carried his gunblade with him.
Eventually, after much persuasion she managed to convince him to take of the jacket and walk on the sand barefoot.
Squall and Rinoa spent their days walking on the beaches hand-in-hand as most new lovers do; Rinoa doing the talking and Squall the listening with a barely noticeable smile on his face. At nights, they would sit in silence at the docks, wrapped in each other's arms.
It was pure bliss.
She can tell that he is getting restless as the month came to a close. It would seem like he is always in a daze whenever she talked to him.
When she lies next to him at night, she could almost feel his mind turning, working on different strategies to better the Garden.
He had also started wielding the gunblade again; she had caught him practicing his swings on the beach before dawn. She would ask him to go back to sleep and his response always be, "Just another minute."
She would not see him again until breakfast.
When they walk past a public phone, she could see his eyes lingering a little too long on the machine. He thinks that she doesn't notice it so he gives her a small smile and pretends to listen when she talks.
It was at that moment when she finally understands that in Squall's list of priorities, she would always be behind the Garden.
But she is happy, and so is he.
For now.
Streamers were pouring down on them as they walked into the main gates. Rinoa is 99 sure Selphie organised the welcoming party that greeted them.
"Welcome back!"
And she was right.
Selphie, complete with a party hat, bounced out of the bushes and gave them both a hug. Even with all the commotion around them, Rinoa knows that Squall is relieved to be back. If he was anything like Zell, he would be bouncing by the balls of his feet in excitement now.
But Squall is Squall. He stands steadfastly next to her as she greeted and waved at her friends, muttering an occasional "thanks" or "hello".
Amidst the excited chatter, Rinoa sees that his lips are set in a firm line and his eyes clouded over; a sign that he is conflicted with something. She didn't need to ask him what it was, she knows him well enough.
"Where's Quistis?"
At the mention of Quistis' name, Squall turns to Rinoa and smiles appreciatively. Her heart skips a beat, as it always does when she receives his rare smiles.
"Quistis? She's pretty tied up in the office at the moment with some work stuff. Says she will catch up with us later," Selphie shrugged.
Squall nod his thanks and turns his attention back to the adoring crowd, seemingly satisfied with the answer. From the way his right hand tightened around the handle of his gunblade and his fists clenching, Rinoa knows that he is anxious. She stands on tiptoes and whispers into his ear.
"Go."
Then, ignoring the cat-calls and wolf whistles, she pecked his cheek. Squall smiles and turns to leave.
She couldn't help but notice that he did not hesitate to leave her as soon as duty calls and her smile falters.
Always second.
"Aw! Do you have to leave so soon?" Zell whined one week later as he helped her load the bags into the buggy. Rinoa ruffles his hair and says yes, she has to because the General wants her home.
Granted, she and her dad don't have a great relationship but he says he is willing to try if she does.
Her one week in the Garden had been uneventful. Selphie, Zell and Irvine kept her company when Squall is occupied, which is almost always because he had to catch up with lost time. But he tries; he makes sure they have a dinner date every night, just the two of them and she is happy with that.
Tapping her feet on the ground, she waited for Squall; seems that she has been doing that a lot lately. Other people had said their goodbyes and gone.
Everyone except Squall.
He finally caught up with her fifteen minutes later and handed her a red rose apologetically. All the doubts she had evaporated with that simple gesture.
Not caring if Zell was watching, she pulled him down for a kiss. Squall responded more enthusiastically than what she'd expected; wrapping his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss.
At the end of it, breathless and face was flushed red from happiness, Rinoa said her goodbye.
With his arms still on her waist, Squall pecked her on the lips on last time and promised that he will visit soon. He waved as the buggy left the parking lot, never stopping until she finally lost sight of him.
Five minutes into the ride, Rinoa looked wistfully into the rose in her hands.
She wonders if Squall knows that white lilies, not roses, are her favourite flowers.
