They don't talk anymore.
It wasn't always like that. The months following the war all they did was talk; about her fears and powers, his annoyance with the press, what they were - where they were going. They decided she would be safe here, in Garden, with him. Rinoa reassured him the press would calm down soon, within a month, maybe more. And together they fell in love and strove to remain that way.
For a while, it was perfect - seemingly perfect. Squall reluctantly resumed his position as Balamb's Commander - which he always said was the code name for Part-Time Headmaster considering Cid left everything to him anyways (he was too caught up being reunited with his wife). Rinoa rebuilt the Forest Owls and traveled to Timber for two weeks out of the month. Sometimes it was scattered, sometimes it was all together. When she was home, she was with him in their apartment in Garden - bringing him lunch to the office, welcoming him home with dinner and a kiss. They would sit in front of the TV, watching the most recent episode of reality TV that they would never admit to watching in public. The things Rinoa would laugh aloud to were the things in which Squall would smirk to himself and shake his head. Days later they would joke about it, in the safety and comfort of their little home.
The year succeeding the war was when things began to change. Squall resumed his studies at Garden, focusing less on fighting and more on diplomacy. He trained first-year students in the Training Center and accompanied future SeeD's on their field exam. Ellone reached out more, desperate to connect physically to the man who was the closest thing to a brother she had. Laguna, to Squall's dismay, did the same - visiting the Commander as well as sending both him and Rinoa to visit in Esthar. Cid left Garden in the hands of Squall, Xu and Quistis, who watched the life drain slowly from his eyes.
Not everything stopped at once. When Rinoa was in Timber, she received less calls and text messages. When she did receive them, however, they were filled with apologizes - too much paperwork, three papers due next week. Sis wanted to go to dinner, Laguna surprised him - again.
Rinoa noticed he ate less, but Squall always thanked her with a kiss to the top of her head. She noticed he trained more, leaving dinner and sometimes lunch completely untouched and cold. He arrived to their home, exhausted, sweaty and irritable - which is when they always fought.
She hated cooking for only herself when he had to eat. She got tired of bringing him lunch when she would come in the next day with something new and the day before's was still covered in plastic. Rinoa missed him, her Knight, who was too caught up in the outside to focus on what was happening on the inside.
But she kept trying.
Squall is now turning 20, and Rinoa finds herself home, cooking his favorite meal with his favorite cake. Angelo lays in the hallway between the kitchen and front door, anxious for him to arrive home. Rinoa didnt dread him coming home, she dreaded the way dinner would look in the morning - a full plate left for the hundredth time.
When she hears the click of the door opening, her heart stops. She meant to change into something nicer but instead she stands with a spatula caked in chocolate frosting in her right hand, her body covered in a Timber Maniacs branded t-shirt. She hears Angelo's tail drumming against the floor and the wall and Squall's shoes squeaking on the tile, "Hey Angelo" he calls, Angelo yapping happily as he strokes her fur.
Not a word is spoken as Squall walks into the kitchen and puts his backpack on the table. It used to be awkward - the silence - but it's become so normal that it bothers no one. Rinoa doesn't turn around, knowing he silently went to shower without saying hello. Then he would lay in bed, fall asleep without dinner. leaving her to eat for one what she had cooked for two.
A morsel of frosting slips beneath her nails and she lifts it to her mouth to remove, or taste. She's alone, so she hums to herself her mothers melody, her heart nearly escaping her chest when she feels Squall's strong arms wrap around her.
She doesn't say anything although she wants to so bad. They don't talk anymore - there hasn't been any decent conversation in the past year, why begin now?
"Quistis yelled at me today."
Rinoa raises an eyebrow before putting the spatula on stand-by. She turns around and rests her lower back against the edge of the countertop, "Why?"
Squall sighs, running his thumbs over the edges of Rinoa's hips, avoiding the eyes he hadn't gazed into for too long, "Because...this hasn't been the best year."
Rinoa nods, knowing what he's alluding to. "No, it hasn't."
He took on everything too much too fast: Commander, pseudo Headmaster, A-Rank SeeD, part-time trainer, Honors Student, brother, son...
Boyfriend and Knight were the last thing on his list, at least, to Rinoa.
He says they should go away, just them. She nods and grabs the icing covered spatula, wiping off small sections to taste.
"Anywhere."
In that moment, he presses his forehead to hers. Silence is broken and Rinoa wraps her arms around him, breathing in the scent of leather, sweat and paperwork that she only smelled in the dead of the night when they were both asleep.
"Happy birthday," she whispers, smiling.
They watch trash TV, utterly confused - laughing and smirking and shaking their heads. Their little home was void of silence, once and for all.
Authors Note: I remember when I was twelve, when I had first joined , I always told myself that no matter how busy I got when I got older, I would always have time to write. Oh how young and naive I was...ten years later and I would do anything to go back to high school when I had time to write, time to myself and time to do nothing. Now I'm 22, getting my Masters Degree in May, an AmeriCorps Member through June, I have two beautiful nephews and two nieces...the baby fever is real, y'all. Trust me. It's a real thing.
Writing is something I miss so much. When I sat down and wrote this, I hand wrote it and it took forever but it gave me more time to think. I liked it, but still, setting the time aside to be alone and be in my space is tough. Hopefully once things calm down, while I'm on school vacations and such, I'll have time, but for now, this is what I got. I'm sorry if it's not the best, but I've been writing so many papers that creative writing takes a bit more effort on my part. Plus there was a teacher in high school in which I credit him for ruining my creative writing spark but that's another story for another time...
Regardless, thank you for reading. And thank you to all of you who participated and created this Successors Challenge. It's the one time a year in which I can put myself back in time and feel like the twelve year old newbie who loves FFVIII.
I mean, that'll always be me but yeah...thank you, everyone.