Their lips parted. Squall's ears started to transmit again. He heard the music again. Somehow it seemed to sound better than before. The starry night. the smell. The taste of Rinoa's lipstic. And Rinoa. Everything was perfect. He had been so afraid when he couldn't find her after they had defeated Ultimecia, one month ago. but that was the past. It seemed to Squall that everything between Ultimecia's death and the kiss they just exchanged was but a dream. A dream that was sometimes nice, and sometimes scary. Everything before Ultimecia's death seemed real, but very dark, like he had never seen the sun shine. Now the sun was shining. He looked at Rinoa's happy face. His face felt funny. He was probably smiling. It felt odd and wonderfull. His brain that had finally started working again read the message in his heart and started to form the feelings in words.
"Rinoa...I...I like being with you... I want it to stay this way..."
Rinoa looked at him amazed, her mouth fell open. Squall's heart was going nuts. "I already gave you my ring Rinoa... I have no ring that's worth more to me... I'd ..ask if you'd... if you'd..." His training as a SeeD surfaced and grabbed his tongue.
"I would like to ask you, Rinoa Heartlilly, If you'd want to marry me?"
Rinoa inhaled and exhaled, her eyes streaming as a raincloud. She jumped him as she had done when they met for the second time in Timber. Squall was less secure on his feet this time however and fell over. She sat upon his chest and covered his face with her lips. "Yes...Squall...I want that...More than anything..." They stopped suddenly. Looking aside they saw people looking at them. Irvine cursed. "WHY do batteries always run out on times like this?" Rinoa and Squall smiled. They couldn't care less whether this was filmed or not. They would never forget this moment.
...
"Good day sir." Squall saluted Cid in the usual matter.
It had been four months since the third sorceress had concluded. Balamb Garden had been restored in it's old place, but this time built so that it could become mobile again without to much damage and cost. Trabia garden would be back in full operation within months, as mobile as balamb garden, since the underground machinery wasn't damaged. Irvine had taken the command of the reconstructing of Galbadia garden, while Selphie was in Trabia Garden, but they spend more time calling eachother on telephone and videophone than bossing people around. Quistis had taken her old job again as instructor. Zell was working hard as a SeeD, honing his skills even further. Seifer and his Posse had... dissapeared. Nobody really seemed to care. To everyone's surprise Squall had eased down on the training. This was unheard of. Squall used to be in the Training center for hours on end. He had been to concerned with Rinoa however. They had hardly left eachothers side. And than of course, there was the wedding. Squall didn't feel bad. The wedding was merely the formalities. He hadn't been a 'free' man sine... since that day they fought Galbadia Garden. When Zell had said that she had fallen Squall's heart that felt like ice most of the time had felt a crack. He hadn't wanted to admit it howeer, and tried to act like it didn't matter. And tomorrow he would marry her. He had been summoned to Cid. Cid had taken back the control of Balamb Garden, 'to give Squall a chance to enjoy his love.' Squall hadn't said anything. The first month everything seemed to go fine. Than Cid began to give Squall responsebilities. Squall had taken them, one by one. but while he did that, he had also been busy making sure that he shared his experience. Many of his 'pupils' full fledged SeeD's were allready shaking their heads when he misorganized things. Than he started preparing the wedding, and had another good reason for 'weaseling' out of the 'leader's role'
Cid saluted back. "At ease Squall." He sat down in his chair. He sighed.
"Squall, I've been thinking. Over the last 4 months I've been realizing that running this Garden is to tiring a job. I've become an old man Squall."
This was true. Cid was rapidly losing his last hairs. His walk had gone slower, and he seemed forgetfull, though some of that was undoubtly a show to get Squall to take over. It seemed so strange. To Squall Cid had always seemed so... eternal.
Cid continued. "I know you're a man of short words Squall, so I'll make it short. Your marriage tomorrow is the last official activity I shall be present as Headmaster. Tomorrow, I retire. Old men should live in old houses, with their beautifull, yet ripe wife and with old books. Garden needs a new, strong man. a man like you Squall."
Squall had known this would happen as soon as he had been called by the intercom, he hadn't deluded himself by hoping it wouldn't happen. He was prepared. It still wasn't easy. Cid looked in anticipation. Squall sighed. He probably expected an outburst of anger, like when he was made temporary leader, or maybe a stoic thak you for the trust in him. maybe he even hoped Squall would be glad. Squall was going to break his heart.
"No sir, I can't do that" His voice was calm. The emotions wouldn't be coming from him this time.
"What, why not? Don't give me any I'm not good enough hogwash. You and I know that... "
"No Sir, it's not that." He sighed "I had hoped to do this after the wedding." He took a paper out of his inner pocket and gave it to Cid. It had been one of the hardest things he had ever typed, and giving it was even more difficult.
"What is this?" Cid said, as he took his reading glasses. He grew pale."What... What does this mean Squall? Is this a joke? I.. I..."
Squall shook his head. "No sir, I respectfully offer my resignation as a SeeD of Balamb Garden as of tomorow after the wedding ceremionies." There, the words were said.
"But...WHY?"
"It's to dangerous. Sir."
"Dangerous? but you battled Ultimecia!"
"In the beginning I fought because,.. because it was all that I had in life."
The certainty of steel and magic. The clarity that it gave. The battle began and ended. There were two sides. One died. It was always the other. Sometimes Squall thought that he had been searching for death.
"And later on I fought to protect what was dear to me. Now I have other things in life, and I know that all I hold dear is safe. I am not a hero sir. I am not willing to risk my life for their freedom. And I am not a mercenary, I won't do it for money."
"But doesn't Balamb garden means anything to you?"
"Of course sir. It's my home. It became my home right after the orphanage. Should it be in danger, I will gladly come here and fight. But as far as I see Balamb garden will survive without me. There are other students with lots of promise."
"Squall, I've been like a father to you."
"As far as I am concerned sir, you are the closest thing I have to a father." It was a public secret that Squall was the son of president Laguna of Eshtar. He hadn't showed himself however. He was probably to busy rebuilding Eshtar. It was fine with Squall. He was busy too. "But there is a day when a son must choose his own path, and I do not like the path you set me."
Cid fell deeper in his chair. Squall silently left the office.
To be continued.
(edited following the hints in the review)
"Rinoa...I...I like being with you... I want it to stay this way..."
Rinoa looked at him amazed, her mouth fell open. Squall's heart was going nuts. "I already gave you my ring Rinoa... I have no ring that's worth more to me... I'd ..ask if you'd... if you'd..." His training as a SeeD surfaced and grabbed his tongue.
"I would like to ask you, Rinoa Heartlilly, If you'd want to marry me?"
Rinoa inhaled and exhaled, her eyes streaming as a raincloud. She jumped him as she had done when they met for the second time in Timber. Squall was less secure on his feet this time however and fell over. She sat upon his chest and covered his face with her lips. "Yes...Squall...I want that...More than anything..." They stopped suddenly. Looking aside they saw people looking at them. Irvine cursed. "WHY do batteries always run out on times like this?" Rinoa and Squall smiled. They couldn't care less whether this was filmed or not. They would never forget this moment.
...
"Good day sir." Squall saluted Cid in the usual matter.
It had been four months since the third sorceress had concluded. Balamb Garden had been restored in it's old place, but this time built so that it could become mobile again without to much damage and cost. Trabia garden would be back in full operation within months, as mobile as balamb garden, since the underground machinery wasn't damaged. Irvine had taken the command of the reconstructing of Galbadia garden, while Selphie was in Trabia Garden, but they spend more time calling eachother on telephone and videophone than bossing people around. Quistis had taken her old job again as instructor. Zell was working hard as a SeeD, honing his skills even further. Seifer and his Posse had... dissapeared. Nobody really seemed to care. To everyone's surprise Squall had eased down on the training. This was unheard of. Squall used to be in the Training center for hours on end. He had been to concerned with Rinoa however. They had hardly left eachothers side. And than of course, there was the wedding. Squall didn't feel bad. The wedding was merely the formalities. He hadn't been a 'free' man sine... since that day they fought Galbadia Garden. When Zell had said that she had fallen Squall's heart that felt like ice most of the time had felt a crack. He hadn't wanted to admit it howeer, and tried to act like it didn't matter. And tomorrow he would marry her. He had been summoned to Cid. Cid had taken back the control of Balamb Garden, 'to give Squall a chance to enjoy his love.' Squall hadn't said anything. The first month everything seemed to go fine. Than Cid began to give Squall responsebilities. Squall had taken them, one by one. but while he did that, he had also been busy making sure that he shared his experience. Many of his 'pupils' full fledged SeeD's were allready shaking their heads when he misorganized things. Than he started preparing the wedding, and had another good reason for 'weaseling' out of the 'leader's role'
Cid saluted back. "At ease Squall." He sat down in his chair. He sighed.
"Squall, I've been thinking. Over the last 4 months I've been realizing that running this Garden is to tiring a job. I've become an old man Squall."
This was true. Cid was rapidly losing his last hairs. His walk had gone slower, and he seemed forgetfull, though some of that was undoubtly a show to get Squall to take over. It seemed so strange. To Squall Cid had always seemed so... eternal.
Cid continued. "I know you're a man of short words Squall, so I'll make it short. Your marriage tomorrow is the last official activity I shall be present as Headmaster. Tomorrow, I retire. Old men should live in old houses, with their beautifull, yet ripe wife and with old books. Garden needs a new, strong man. a man like you Squall."
Squall had known this would happen as soon as he had been called by the intercom, he hadn't deluded himself by hoping it wouldn't happen. He was prepared. It still wasn't easy. Cid looked in anticipation. Squall sighed. He probably expected an outburst of anger, like when he was made temporary leader, or maybe a stoic thak you for the trust in him. maybe he even hoped Squall would be glad. Squall was going to break his heart.
"No sir, I can't do that" His voice was calm. The emotions wouldn't be coming from him this time.
"What, why not? Don't give me any I'm not good enough hogwash. You and I know that... "
"No Sir, it's not that." He sighed "I had hoped to do this after the wedding." He took a paper out of his inner pocket and gave it to Cid. It had been one of the hardest things he had ever typed, and giving it was even more difficult.
"What is this?" Cid said, as he took his reading glasses. He grew pale."What... What does this mean Squall? Is this a joke? I.. I..."
Squall shook his head. "No sir, I respectfully offer my resignation as a SeeD of Balamb Garden as of tomorow after the wedding ceremionies." There, the words were said.
"But...WHY?"
"It's to dangerous. Sir."
"Dangerous? but you battled Ultimecia!"
"In the beginning I fought because,.. because it was all that I had in life."
The certainty of steel and magic. The clarity that it gave. The battle began and ended. There were two sides. One died. It was always the other. Sometimes Squall thought that he had been searching for death.
"And later on I fought to protect what was dear to me. Now I have other things in life, and I know that all I hold dear is safe. I am not a hero sir. I am not willing to risk my life for their freedom. And I am not a mercenary, I won't do it for money."
"But doesn't Balamb garden means anything to you?"
"Of course sir. It's my home. It became my home right after the orphanage. Should it be in danger, I will gladly come here and fight. But as far as I see Balamb garden will survive without me. There are other students with lots of promise."
"Squall, I've been like a father to you."
"As far as I am concerned sir, you are the closest thing I have to a father." It was a public secret that Squall was the son of president Laguna of Eshtar. He hadn't showed himself however. He was probably to busy rebuilding Eshtar. It was fine with Squall. He was busy too. "But there is a day when a son must choose his own path, and I do not like the path you set me."
Cid fell deeper in his chair. Squall silently left the office.
To be continued.
(edited following the hints in the review)
