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All I need...
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The day was only holding on by a single thread. With the last of its glowing rays starting to sink into opaque darkness, the air hinted at the changes that soon would occur. The long hot summer days were gradually beginning to shorten, and at night, a sharp bite could be felt in the wind rushing in from the ocean.
As the wind claimed him, Squall Leonhart let his eyes close and focused in on the music of the wild grass thrashing around him. He inhaled the last notes of late summer knowing it would soon be replaced by the crisp arctic air that fall would bring.
"Figures, I'd find you out here."
Only the sound of her voice could make him smile so effortlessly. He turned around to see his wife making her way towards him.
The unearthly beauty's dress billowed from the passing wind, and he felt his breath stagger. The rising moon had made her skin radiant in its light while the dying sunset had set eyes ablaze.
Gods, he loved that woman.
"Is everything ok?" he asked urgently upon seeing her hand on her stomach. "I thought you went to bed."
As he offered her his assistance in sitting down next to him, the corners of her lips quirked up into a gentle smile. The strapless dress did little to stop the goose bumps from spreading across her skin, so he wrapped his arms around her silently, loving the way she fell into his side.
"I really thought it was going to be today," she remarked, further watching the light fade. "The contractions were so strong this morning."
He looked down to the firm bump that threatened to overshadow his petite wife. No matter how often he felt its movement from underneath his hand, the idea of there being an actual tiny person in her amazed him.
Just as the hint of a new season was starting to settle into the world around them, he too was on the threshold of a new chapter in his life. He pressed small kisses into silken strands of her hair before trying to ease her worries.
"Rinoa, she will come when she's ready. All we can do is wait."
Tired, his wife's head leaned further into him and stilled.
"Is it strange to be both anxiously wanting this to happen but being too petrified to?"
He stifled his laugh.
Personally, he seemed to be permanently residing in a state closer to apprehension. They say a woman becomes a mother long before she holds her child, but a man isn't a father until he looks at his child's face. He was hurtling head first into the unknown without there being preparation or training for him first. He had no context for what was about to happen, and it both thrilled him as it did frighten him.
His wife squeezed his hand letting him know that his thoughts weren't as private as he had hoped. He tried his best to hide his worries from her, but despite his best efforts, Rinoa tended to be more perceptive than most- even without the bond.
"I'm sorry, this wasn't much of a birthday." Her apology preceded the heavy sigh she released.
"I couldn't ask for anything more," he assured her while his hand smoothed over the fabric covering her stomach.
She turned to him then and found eager lips waiting. He could have spent the whole night like that, but soon Rinoa forced them to divide with an impish expression.
"You know, we could still have some birthday fun. Maybe it's just what we need to get things started?"
The laugh she let out turned out be a contagious one. He stood up first and aided her to her feet.
Stiffly, she walked a few paces before looking back to offer her hand to him.
It was only then with the heavens slowly appearing one by one in the nights' sky behind her, did realization hit him that there would never be a more satisfied life out there for him than this. While quiet days and sleepless nights with her were now going to mean something else entirely, now there would be more to his world.
Taking her hand, they waded through the field together with her message floating away on the wind.
"Happy Thirty-Fourth Birthday Squall."
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Layla's Corner: SPOILER: DO NOT read this note if you are not up to date on INTO THIN AIR
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Fair warning: I planned to write this piece for Squall's birthday but ended up only having an hour to dedicate to this project. So this is unproofed and probably needs some (A LOT) of work tomorrow. Oh well! It's the thought that counts. The reason I decided to do this piece was because I realized Squall would be around this age when he had his daughter in my story (INTO THIN AIR). I thought this would be a nice sweet look at what could have been. I hope you enjoy my foggy writing. I need some sleep.