Another one.

Full of snow, bits of fluff. Gave them winter coats for the Trabia garden part. Cause honestly, I don't think selphie would have lasted an hour there in that mini skirt.

Inspired by 'Suspension' by Mae, 'Where I belong" from the ff viii soundtrack, and 'Something There' from the beauty and the beast for the last part ;)

Love!!!

R&R plz! kthxbai


Love Grows

Struggles

I let out a heavy sight as I sat on a pile of rubble that was once some part of Trabia Garden. I had asked everyone in B-Garden to help cleaning the mess, mostly to get Selphie off my case before she ripped my arm off.

I also needed time to figure this mess out.

Matron is Edea.

The woman who raised me as a child was now the one person SeeD had been created to defeat. I could probably laugh at the irony, but being chin deep in this shit of a situation while the whole damn world expects you to make everything better kinda takes the humor away.

And the fact that I was stuck on an ice cube with roughly 4 hours of sleep in my system trying to rebuild a gigantic flying school wasn't helping what-so-ever.

At least it was giving me time to think.

Heading for the orphanage seemed like the best option, mainly 'cause the place was haunting my thoughts like a ghost.

I had in my mind somewhere that going there tomorrow would make it feel real, or just make the washed up memories go away by proving them wrong.

I wished for the latter, then mentally slapped myself.

Don't get your hopes up, Leonhart. The universe just loves to fuck you over lately.

Conscience one, hope zero.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, simply staring in front of me while my face was getting cold, the sound of the SeeDs and cadets from both Gardens working together, Selphie yelling orders around.

I snapped out of my fruitless reflection to find myself gazing at Rinoa, crouching in the snow a couple of meters away, surrounded by a dozen of the younger cadets, Angelo happily jumping around them.

I knew the pose too well for my taste. She was planning something.

It would probably be stupid.

And by the swift glances she was giving me from time to time, I would probably be involved.

... Hyne help me.

I thought of taking the initiative by getting up and telling them to get back to work.

It was too late though, as she was getting up with an enthusiastic hand clap before heading towards me, the cadets spreading out behind her.

Keep dreaming.

Conscience two, hope zero.

The crackling sound of her white parka was getting closer and I was running out of ideas to escape my imminent doom, so I went for the safest bet.

Ignoring her should be enough.

As if.

She stood in front of me with a mischievous smile before making her mock of a SeeD salute.

-" Representative for the Angelo Squad, here to present our requests, your Highness!" She said in a playfully serious tone.

I should have never gone along with that one.

-"Don't start that again."

Conscience three, hope zero.

-" Alright, fine. Rinoa Heartilly, representative for the Angelo Squad, here to negotiate with Commander Leonhart of Balamb Garden." She kept playing along, ignoring the death glare I was giving her.

-"... The Angelo Squad?"

Some morbid curiosity pushed me to ask.

She simply gestured to the young cadets, who replied with somewhat of a war cry.

-" We demand the abolition of the working law, the liberation of the underage slaves, as well as the right to play as much as we want. Oh! and hot chocolate too."

I sighted and gave her an annoyed glance.

-" I don't have time for this, Rinoa."

She did not flinch, her smile simply widening.

-"But you have time to sit and worry uselessly about things that are out of your control?"

Touché.

She was starting to know me a little too well.

It was a bit scary, yet it somehow made me smile, slightly.

-"... Why are you doing this?" I asked seriously.

-" Because I am a rebel, sir. It is in my heart to fight what is unfair and help those in need." She said in her playful tone.

I wondered for a second if she deliberately ignored the meaning of my question, or if that was her actual answer.

Help those in need, uh?

I did not though of myself in that category for one instant, but I was getting to know her well enough to know she usually tells more that she lets on.

-"We are still waiting for you official reply concerning our demands, sir."

My eyes rolled in their sockets.

Alright, fine!

-"... What if I refuse?"

-"Then I am afraid it will be a declaration of war." She kept on, her wide smile betraying the seriousness in her voice.

I smirked.

-" Garden does not negotiate with terrorists."

-" It is war then." She concluded, sticking her tongue out before turning her back on me and walking back to the rest of her 'Squad'.

Zell chose that exact moment to jump in.

-" Yo! Squall! If you're not doing anything, we could use a hand back in there."

Zell, offering me an escape door as wide as two ruby dragons. And I just stood there.

I must be getting dumb or something.

-"Can't do that."

-"Why not?!"

-"B-Garden is officially at war with a faction called 'Angelo Squad'." I said, falsely serious, my eyes fixed at the group of cadet who started to run around.

I figured I must have sounded rather ridiculous, but you can count on Zell to let that fly six feet above his head.

He chuckled, then gave me the official SeeD salute.

-"Sounds serious Commander. Do you require any support?"

-"A three man team should be more than enough for this mission."

-"I think I know just the man, sir."

-" Zell Dincht!!!!" Selphie's high pitched voice echoed from the ruins of Trabia Garden. "You better bring your ass back over here presto, or I'll..."

-" Forget it Seph! We're at war!"

-" War?!" There was a blur of chocobo yellow parka, and she was standing next to me, eyes sparkling. I don't think I'll ever understand that girl.

I was getting more and more embarrassed as Zell was briefing her on the situation, but to my amusement she played along right away.

Maybe I was making too much of a deal out of this.

Maybe I was just surrounded by people with a twisted sense of normality.

I considered the fact that I was standing between a guy with a tattoo covering half of his face and a girl who loved to sing songs about trains and blow up stuff, and voted for the latter.

This was definitely absurd, but I figured winning this war would be the quickest way to end it anyway.

So the three of us stood there for a moment, readying ourselves for whatever Rinoa's 'Squad' had in store.

-" Any idea what to expect, sir?" Zell asked.

I honestly had no idea.

I was about to tell him so when I saw it coming. A snowball, headed right for my face. I ducked it easily, but another one caught me straight on the head.

I wiped the snow off to find the dozen of cadets cheering, a wide smile stamped across Rinoa's face.

-"Aim for the leader!" She shouted to her troops.

Basic war strategy.

Bring down the king.

This had just gotten personal.

I crouched to avoid the rain of snowball fired at me.

-" Take care of the kids!" I ordered Zell and Selphie, who jumped in the fray with a war cry.

I followed them, dodging most of the remaining snowballs aimed at me, when I got hit square in the face once more.

I could hear her laugh from a far.

Damned projectile weapon users.

The girl had aim. And a good swinging arm.

I took cover behind a pile of debris, and stared at the snow.

What now? Throw a snowball?

This was ridiculous.

My aim wasn't that good, and I wouldn't be caught dead playing this children's game.

I quickly analyzed my possibilities.

I could simply remain there, and wait for them to get tired of it, but it would make this absurdity last way too long for nothing.

And besides I had a score to settle.

I could try throwing one of those stupid snowballs, but it wasn't my forte, and I would end up playing by her rules.

I was a close range fighter, and there's not much you can do with that stupid snow in close range.

Besides being humiliating when slammed in the face and cold on the skin, the thing was pretty much useless.

Then, the answer became rather obvious, and I blamed the child I used to be for not participating more in those activities, and the orphanage by the sea for not having any snow.

I peeked out of my hideout for a split second, just long enough to locate Rinoa, her raven hair contrasting with the blinding whiteness of the snow. I ducked back right in time, for a projectile brushed the top of my head, missing me by a hair.

Time to bring down the king.

I grabbed some snow in my gloved hand and leaped out of my cover, then rushed towards Angelo's Squad's leader and representative, who was still in the process of making herself more ammo.

I ran to my new found objective, dodging most of the snowballs thrown at me, when a cadet cried out to Rinoa, making her look up.

I was only halfway there.

So much for the surprise attack.

But Hyne, the look on her face was totally worth it.

She gazed at me in chock for an instant, then jumped up and started running away with a small scream.

-" Troops! Assume defensive position!" She shouted to the cadets, but the kids already had their hands full as Selphie had gone into a snow war frenzy, getting a hit from every ball Zell made for her.

Forget it girl, you're on your own, I though with a smirk as the distance between us was getting smaller.

She threw a snowball at me from over her shoulder, but it wasn't nearly as efficient when she was running. I dodged it easily.

She laughed in a scream when she noticed I was only a few meters away, and I couldn't help myself but chuckle under my breath.

My fingers were brushing on the back of her coat when I decided to jump for it, hoping to get a hold on her, but I guess she saw it coming, for she simply crouched, sending me to crash in the snow in front of her. I recuperated with a roll, getting swiftly back up on my feet.

I wasn't up for a second that she jumped on my back, arms around my neck, and my basic self-defense class habits simply kicked in on their own. With a fling of the arm and a twist of the shoulder, I sent her to the floor in a move that would have probably knocked the breath out of her if there hadn't been any snow.

I still felt a bit bad for an instant as she was just lying in the snow, but then she started to giggle.

-" Ready to surrender?" I asked her, slightly out of breath.

She smirked at me.

-"Justice never surrenders." She said right before kicking the legs from under me, getting me to land in the snow with a loud thud.

Shit. Didn't expect that.

-" And neither do rebels." She added as she kneeled beside me, snowball in hand.

We both remained there for a moment, catching our breaths as we laid in the snow.

I tried to think of a way to get out of my predicament, but realized I didn't really want to win the snow war that much, and that just staying there, staring at Rinoa's smiling face, her hair wet from the melting snow, her cheeks rosy and her eyes sparkling, was enough.

-"So what now?" I asked her.

She giggled.

-"You ready to hear our demands once more?"

I chuckled.

-" I'm afraid B-Garden's position stays. We don't negotiate with terrorists."

She gave me a pout.

-" Not even for hot chocolate?"

I considered the option for a moment, and was just about to give in to the hot chocolate when a stray snowball struck Rinoa behind the head, the surprise making her drop the snow she held in her hands... right in my face.

She laughed as she tried to apologize, but I was done negotiating. Sweet smiles would not sway me anymore.

Today would end with complete Balamb victory.

I got up in a swift motion, grabbing some snow in my left hand and Rinoa's wrist in my right. She let out a surprised cry as I spun her around then held her by the shoulders, her back against my chest, firmly enough to keep her from squirming away while being careful enough not to hurt her.

-" What are you doing?" She asked me in a nervous laugh.

-"Negotiations' over. Do you surrender?" I demanded as I lifted my left hand towards her neck.

-" Can't do that." She replied, and I couldn't help but smile.

Time to get even.

-" Glad you said that." I declared before dropping a tiny bit of snow in the collar of her jacket.

And one.

She let out a high pitched squeal as the cold snow came in contact with her warm skin, getting the whole battlefield's attention. She tried to wiggle out of my grip, but there was no way I was letting her go that easy.

-" Tell your troops to drop their weapon." I asked her, but I kind of knew her reply already.

People could say what they want about her, but the girl had principles, and stuck to them.

-"... no." She said, bracing herself as let down a bigger chunk of snow fall in her coat.

Two.

She screamed again, a strange mix between a laugh and a squeal that made me chuckle once more.

She struggled weakly, and I caught the scent of her hair.

Delicate.

Floral.

Sweet.

Damn, she smelled good.

I mentally slapped myself.

Time to finish this ridiculous war and get back to work.

-" Drop your weapons!" I demanded to the troop of cadets, who looked at their leader, confused.

-"Don't listen to him!" She ordered them, and that was my cue.

I let go of the snow I had left in my hand.

Three.

Rinoa yelped once again, and her small troop simply dropped their snowballs obediently.

-" Good. Now get back to work!" I told the younger cadets, who simply laughed as Selphie and Zell chased them back into the ruins of Trabia Garden.

My eyes followed them until they disappeared, then landed on the dark haired girl who was still caught in my grip.

-"What am I going to do with you?" I wondered out loud, though my conscience was rather clear about what to do next.

Let go of her you idiot.

She's a girl.

They smell good and look pretty. That's what they do.

Just let her go.

The logic was there, the good sense too, but I stood still. Fucking hormones.

-"... let me have a hot chocolate?" she asked sweetly.

I laughed. For the first time in Hyne knows how long.

A true, honest laugh.

It was the stupidest thing, really.

I couldn't even pin what was supposed to be funny.

And yet she tagged along with her crystal clear laugh, and my body finally snapped back to it's senses, letting her go.

-" Just go see the cafeteria staff if you want it so bad." I told her when the laughter stopped.

She gave me a mischievous smile.

-"Are you giving me permission?"

I smirked.

-"I give you my blessing. Just get going."

She giggled, then started to make her way towards B-Garden.

-" You want one?" She shouted from the distance.

-"No, thanks." I replied, a small smile stuck on my face as I watched her go, staring until she got out of my sight.

So much for my complete victory.

I stood there for a moment, still trying to get her scent out of my mind, when I felt observed.

I turned around to find Irvine and Quistis, staring at me with an annoying grin that simply swiped the smile off my face.

They thought they knew what was going on.

They were getting it wrong.

There was simply nothing happening.

-"What!?" I asked them a bit too angrily, before storming away, hoping a death glare would be enough to stop them from getting ideas.

Futile effort.

Conscience four, hope zero.

- - - - - -

Irvine leaned on a pile of rubble, taking a small break before going back to work. He smiled as he saw Selphie jumping around in the snow, a yellow blur throwing snow everywhere with a deadly rate of accuracy.

She had always been a ball of energy, and he was glad to see his memories of her be approved by her present self.

The crackling sound of a winter jacket shook him of his reverie.

-" Am I the only one left working, or what?" Quistis asked in a falsely annoyed tone.

The cowboy simply smiled as he tipped his hat.

-"Just following the Commander's lead." He said before gesturing towards the battlefield.

The woman glanced at the scene with surprise.

-" They got Squall to participate in a snow fight?" She demanded, her eyes fixed on the younger brunet, who was hiding behind a pile of debris.

-"Seems like it, though he's not doing much for now, 'cept catching Rin's snowballs square in the face." Irvine replied with a laugh.

As if on cue, the said commander got out of hiding and started to run after the dark haired woman under the amused look of his friends.

-" It's funny," Started Quistis in a slightly nostalgic tone as Squall lunged over Rinoa. "I thought it would hurt more."

The man gave the blonde woman a glance then turned back to the struggling duet, his sensitive nature connecting the dots better than any explanation ever would.

-"You think they know?" She asked, and the cowboy knew she wasn't talking about herself anymore.

He shrugged.

-" She probably does. He obviously doesn't. He'll probably realize it after our contract with her will be done and she'll have to leave."

Quistis chuckled.

-" I can see him standing in the rain like an abandoned puppy, the way he did back then when Ellone left."

-" Either that or he'll be man enough to just run after her."

-" You think?"

-" I'd put 50 gil on that, sweetcakes." He said with a smile.

She gave him an interrogative look.

-" What makes you so sure?"

His grin widened.

-" She is one hell of a woman."

The young woman elbowed him in the sides.

-" Pervert."

Irvine just laughed as he grabbed his side.

-" 'Sides, I just saw him smile three times today, which probably breaks all known records."

It was her turn to laugh.

-" True enough."

They both remained silent for a moment, looking at the man that was like a brother to them. Feeling observed, the young man turned around, the smile melting off his face as he yelled angrily before walking away, making the duet chuckle.

-" Let's wait and see." Said Irvine with a wink before heading back to work.

The blonde simply nodded with a smile.

"Let's wait and see."