Second part of Chapter 1. Again, I own nothing of Final Fantasy.


A hand in his pocket, the other holding his coffee mug, Squall inhaled the steam from the drink along with the ocean air. The balcony outside his bedroom overlooked the desolate shoreline; Balamb Garden could be discerned far off in the distance. Rinoa was still in repose; her raven hair sprawled across the pillow.

What a mess last night turned out to be. He was fine with her sneaking in. He was well into her fervor as well. But the wasted behavior made the whole ordeal so indecent and lewd to him. Sex was never light and frivolous for the young man, the exact same way friendships and relationships never were. The lush didn't even say "I love you", the first time he felt contempt for her.

He sipped the hot black liquid. Looked back through the sliding glass door, the hung-over angel asleep in his bed. Returned his gaze to the sunrise, watched the calm rhythmic waves.

Something stood out though. Something that was not in the pattern. Literally standing out of the water, Squall focused in on the figure.

Human. A human climbing from out of the surf to dry land. He observed, curious, his imagination coming up with this person's possible life story in which they take daily morning swims.

In a sudden twist to his vision the being collapsed to the shore.

The mug fell to the cement flooring of the balcony, shattering the ceramic, the dark coffee splashing and spilling everywhere.

........

He ran and he ran. Squall's heart punched like a boxer's fist inside his heaving chest. The shore. He could see the subject being washed in the tiny waves. Rushed. Approach.

There it was. His heart pounding still, if not more now. He stood there for a moment, confounded; gazing down at a stark-naked girl, wet long auburn hair draped every which way. Snapping himself back to urgency, Squall knelt down and gently pulled the body up from the muddy sand.

"Hey?! Are you alright?" he shook her by the shoulders lightly. Nothing. She was limp in his arms, her body arching and curving, yielding to his body. He put his bare fingers to her throat, searching for a pulse. Steady and calm beating arteries. Wiped some sand from her face, her skin soft and smooth. Her lids settled upon her eyes in complete peace.

The water was soaking his pants but he couldn't care. He was in awe, asking himself how could someone unconscious be so… entrancing? His thumb touched her lip. It was a struggle not to look past her shoulders. Squall grabbed his cell.