I felt like writing, so I decided to go for a squinoa one shot. Might make more of those little things. Was fun to do anyways.

Set during FF 8, after Squall' promotion as Commander. Squall-centric. Hope I didn't make too many mistakes. And hope that is makes sense somehow. Assuming a lot on Rinoa's past, but nothing that contradicts the game too much so I should be good.

Also, cookies if you find the inspired quote ( not technically a quote, but almost)!!!!

What They Say

I said I just wanted to go to sleep that night, so of course I wasn't able to when I got into bed.

Naming me Commander.

What the hell was Cid thinking?

It's a nice promotion, they all say.

Yeah, whatever.

Putting a 17 years old in the command of the world's strongest military group when on the edge of a full-fledged open war with Galbadia.

The man must be out of his mind.

And I must be surrounded with idiots.

I tossed and turned, my stress and my worries building up with the clicking of the clock until I was just about to puke. I got up, washed my face with cold water. A big green 2:00 AM was flashing on my alarm clock, making me hesitate for a second as I was about to leave my room.

Screw the curfew. The though that I was now commander and that no one who even bother me about the curfew crossed my mind, but, somehow, I couldn't find it funny.

I walked around the silent garden, stopped by the library to find I couldn't even focus on the simple task of reading, then headed to the cafeteria. The buzzing sound of people talking always soothed me, but of course the place was empty, and I was still alone with my thoughts.

Like I needed that.

They say getting what you want isn't always what you need.

I kind of figured it out then.

A mirthless laugh echoed in the empty room.

Alone at last, with no one to bother me and here I was seeking company.

I though of going to the training center, but my gunblade was still in my room, and I didn't honestly think swinging a sword at mutant plants would really help.

I though of leaving. To run away, and escape the pressure and the expectations that would come with the sunrise.

But I didn't.

I had nowhere else to go anyway.

So I simply headed for the balcony, looking for some fresh air, and finding something else.

They also say that you find what you're looking for in the most unlikely places.

The universe seemed set on proving 'them' right on that night.

Rinoa was on the balcony, enjoying fisherman's horizon's salty breeze.

I think the opening sound of the doors startled her, but she smiled when she saw me, and I was left with a slightly surprised look on my face.

-" Good morning," she said as she turned back towards the sea.

I stood in the doorway for an instant, hesitating, but decided to join her, has the fresh air WAS making me feel somewhat better.

-"... couldn't sleep?", she asked me.

-" ... not really..."

-" Neither could I..."

We both remained silent for a moment. It felt a bit awkward to me, as she was usually talking all the time, but I figured it was nothing to her. I am not a big talker after all. She stared at the ocean for a bit longer, the light wind playing in her hair. She took a deep breath, then turned to me.

" So what's keeping you up?"

Nothing I wanted to talk about with her.

"..."

" Alright, I'll start. I can't sleep because I'm worried."

Well that was new. Miss carefree-oblivious-to-reality-princess was worried. I'd have to mark it on the calendar or something.

Still, she had poked my curiosity.

"...About what? Siefer?"

It was the only thing I ever knew her worried for. Him, and her wonderful "mission". Yet she shook her head.

" Us."

... Tell me I'm misinterpreting something here.

" You, me, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, everyone."

...Thank Hyne.

" ... There's gonna be a war soon, isn't it?"

Not as clueless as we seem?

" ... Maybe. I can't say for sure. No one can."

" What do you think?"

" ... within the week."

I mumbled the sentence, but the look in her eyes told me she heard it quite clearly, and I found myself wishing I had replied with a 'whatever'.

" Got myself into quite the trouble, didn't I? " She asked me with a smirk.

" Don't worry."

The words escaped my mouth without thinking about it, and I auto proclaimed myself Captain Irony, cause apparently Commander of Balamb Garden wasn't enough.

" You're gonna protect me?" she added, with a wider grin.

I shrugged. Don't start getting any ideas princess.

" You aren't a Seed, so you don't have to get involved into any of this..."

" You guys are my friends and I'm not letting you down."

" ... and besides you are still under a contract with us so..." I pursued, stopping as she raised a finger.

" Enough of this contract, Seed and military blah-blah! What about you? Don't you have any personality?"

She seemed angry, but it was rather obvious she was faking it, so I shrugged.

" Whatever..."

" ... That's somewhat of a start I guess... Tell me more about yourself." Her demand seemed seriously sincere, and I felt like complying, but I simply didn't know how.

" ... Like what?"

" Anything!" My try only made her more excited." Your likes, your dislikes, your family, where you come from, anything!"

That won't be long. I never was an interesting person.

" ... There aren't many things I like, I dislike pretty much everything. I am an orphan. Came to the garden when I was 12 and have lived there ever since."

Rinoa stared at me with an expression I could only interpret as 'are-you-dumb-or-what'.

" I'll forget you ever said that, and I'll start, so take notes."

I felt like telling her that I wasn't completly socially retarded, that I just didn't wanted to talk about it, and that I didn't care about her drama of the princessy childhood, but I kept quiet.

" I was born March 3rd, seventeen years ago. My mother was a pianist and a singer, and my father was a general in the Galbadian army. Only child of a well-off family, I had a rather happy childhood..."

" Yeah, very revealing..." I couldn't help myself but add.

" Wait! I was just setting thing up so you'd know. The real thing starts now."

I rolled my eyes.

"... Please do tell..."

" My mother... she was my best friend. Kind and gentle and understanding, I loved her so much."

I was just about to yawn and go back to my silent room.

"... She died when I was seven."

Then I felt terribly bad and awkward. Not only am I not a people person, but hell, what does anyone say to that?

I guess the only thing harder than not having something is to actually have it for a while before it gets taken away.

"... Must have been hard." Was the only thing I could come up with. I simply hoped I didn't sound cold.

" My world ended that day. I lost my mother, my best friend and my father on that day..."

Wait a second...

"Didn't we meet your father in Galbadia?"

She gave me a sad smile.

" You met General Caraway in Galbadia. That man isn't my father. Not in heart anyway. My parents both died in that car crash. We were comming back from the galbadian ballet (my parents had gotten me tickets for my birthday). I remember being so happy and excited, I had asked to sit in the front seat, and my father complied for this one time. My mother sat in the back of the car."

I suddenly found myself staring at her while she stared at the ocean, drinking her every word.

" A truck hit the back of the car, with enough speed to rip the car in two. My father and I got away with scratches, bruises and minor head trauma... but my mother..."

A single tear fell on her cheek.

I felt terribly uncomftable at the moment, and honestly wanted to leave, but couldn't bring myself to move.

With every word she said, I could feel bits sadness and guilt detach themselves from her, and , to my grand surprise, not land on my shoulders, but simply vanish into thin air.

This was much easier than with Quistis.

" I was devastated after the accident. I had lost my mother and needed comfort. But then, my father... he... I guess he just lost himself in the grief, and couldn't see clearly anymore... but... he started to blame me..."

Lost me again.

" Blame you? Wasn't it an accident?"

"I used to sit in the back seat..." Was enough for me to line the pieces up.

And to make me feel like shit to have ever though she was a spoiled princess who decided to leave home cause daddy wouldn't give her a pony.

I also had a terrible urge to punch Caraway in the face.

But that would have to wait.

" It wasn't your fault."

She gave me a smile.

" I know. I decided to see it more like a gift. The first and last gift my mother ever gave me. Life."

And she gazed at the ocean once more, and I think that was the first time I ever really saw her as she was, without having any of those judgmental thoughts I so hated from others.

She turned to me after a while, and asked me again.

" So, why are you up?"

I looked at her, then to the ocean, then back at her and simply sighted, bringing a hand on my scarred forehead and through my hair as the stress and the worries I though I had left behind caught up to me.

"... Let me guess, it's that Commander promotion thingy."

I didn't have the heart to deny it.

" Bingo."

"... I don't know much about Seed and the military and all that, but everyone seems to think it's a good thing." She said without malice, but I think she knew exactly how to push my buttons.

" Of course everyone think it's amazing, they're not the ones stuck with all of this! 'Congratulations, Squall!' 'This is great, Squall!' It is not great! Not amazing, not good either! It's the stress and the responsibilities of thousands of lives put on the shoulders of the one person in this Hyne damned place who doesn't want to have to deal with it!!"

I busted, emptying everything I had on my mind, everything that kept me from sleeping and haunted my steps since the moment I had left Cid's office.

I wasn't really used to such a thing, so I was left a little shaken from what I had just did.

I glanced at Rinoa quickly, a bit worried about how she would react, but she was still looking at me with the same smile she had before.

" I guess that's what they call Karma."

Note to self: get 'them' for the training center, would be a good stress relevant.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh.

" I'm seventeen Rinoa. How can they expect me to do this right? A month ago I wasn't even Seed!"

I opened my eyes to find her face a little too close to mine for my personal confort.

" I think you'll just have to be yourself. And have some trust in Cid. The man sees something in you."

I had a though about breaking the old man's glasses, but then she pressed her delicate finger on the temples on both sides of my head and started to massage gently.

I wanted to take her hands off me but my eyes simply closed by themselves, and I decided I might as well just let her be.

"... And you know what?"

I couldn't respond intelligently, so I kept quiet.

" ... I think I see it too."

And she stepped back, taking her hands off me. I looked at her with a smirk.

"... You should get your eyes fixed."

She laughed, the crystalline sound echoing in the silence of the night.

" Maybe I just need more sleep."

Sleep seemed like a reasonable option all of a sudden, so I headed for the door.

" You're more thoughtful than you seem." I told her with honesty.

She answered with a smile and a wink.

" Better to be smarter than you seem than looking smarter than you are, right?"

I smirked.

" That's what they say."