There we were, gazing back at the horizon, a thousand thoughts streaming through our minds as the sky turned to cyan.
Anonymous
When they were younger
"What are you looking at now," she asked with a curious inflection.
For his part he was stunned, momentarily caught off guard though his body betrayed nothing save for a tick along his right finger and the clarity in his usually guarded eyes.
"Nothing much."
"Hmm, I find that very hard to believe Mr. Leonhart," she quipped sarcastically, a small smile playing at her lips.
"…whatever," they replied in unison. He turned to face her, eyebrow cocked in a mock annoyance as she giggled.
"So predictable commander," she smiled, "I think you may just be losing your edge."
"Maybe you're right," he replied stoically after a brief moment of silence, his gaze never leaving its focus in the distance, "I am getting old."
The silence stretched between them for a moment before he turned his eyes to the side to look at her and take in the sight of her lower jaw as it hung down in open disbelief.
"Catching flies Madame Heartily?"
"Y-you…I mean, it wasn't…I was…and…"
What followed was as rare as lightning striking the same place twice; Squall smiled.
"Enunciate your words Miss Heartily," a subtle, subtle playfulness just barely audible in his voice could be heard, "and finish your sentences. It makes it easier to converse with you when you do."
She'd thought she'd been dreaming before, now she wasn't so sure she wasn't trapped in a slip space time warp twilight zone.
"Are," she paused as she lowered her voice, "are you teasing me?"
He leaned forward, just a tad, "…excuse me?"
"No! I mean…, oh I don't know," Rinoa's hands clasped around her rapidly reddening face. "I'm sorry Squall…dear Hyne I could die right now."
Did lightning strike three times?
Squall laughed; neither soft or reserved nor was it hidden behind his hand but shown, without hesitance as Rinoa's head snapped up, her eyes wide open and mouth, once again, catching flies.
His mirth never seemed to fade as his laughter turned into his voice, "too easy Rinoa."
Her face betrayed her intentions as a grin so wide it begged to split her face in two began to form.
"Meanie!"
"Whatever."
(xXx)
Where are you right now?
Squall stumbled to the ground; Lionheart falling noiselessly from his hands and into the soft pad of snow as he drew a ragged breath in and a shaky breath out. His hand clenched tightly around his head, as his vision blurred and he started to become colder then he'd already been since arriving to this Hyne forsaken wasteland.
How many times had he gone through the motions and the result always been the same?
Ten times? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? He'd never really cared to keep track or perhaps it was just that he'd never bothered to as the result was always the same. But then again Murphy's Law
Are you thinking of me?
He sat back, situating himself on his heels, his breathing still a harsh stridor; a deafening sound that pierced the deadly silence that pervaded the land post conflict. The moon hung high in the sky shining like an unblemished pearl its sheen reflecting off the visible white of what little was left of untainted snow.
It shouldn't be like this…he growled internally as his vision began to grey and blur as the cold had already started to seep into the marrow of his bones. He struggled, the warm gout of sanguine that had been steadily dripping from his nose refusing to cease as his head lolled back, it shouldn't be this hard…
He couldn't see straight anymore, the world was spinning on a foreign axis it seemed causing a tilting in his vision like a rusted see-saw as the war drums of a thousand nations beat mercilessly in his head.
You, above all the others, should've, known better…
"…be quiet!"
You are strong mortal! But not strong enough! Not for this!
"I said be quiet!"
Your cowardice is your biggest weakness boy!
"I said shut up!" He cried out into the silent night as he arched over, body bending and hands clenched over his ears consciously trying to block out a sound, the voices, that he knew he had know control over.
"I know," he began softly after several long moments of silence had passed, "I know what I did," he paused "what I'm doing, isn't…the best way."
He reared his head up, looking at the sky, "but it's the safest way…for her."
Its snowing again, Rinoa.
(xXx)
"What do you mean you don't know where he is?"
Its like I said before and like I'm gonna say again Quistis, he didn't come back.
"Well why the hell did you let him go alone?"
He wasn't alone! He was with…
"You know exactly what I meant Irvine! Why didn't you go with him!"
I did! We were just at opposite ends of the same conflict!"
"Dammit Irvine…"
Look Quistis I'm sorry! I hope you know I didn't mean for this to happen and had I known he'd taken ALL of them with him I'd hope you trust I'd have done the right thing.
(silence)
"Irvine its me."
Rinoa, darlin'…
"Can…can you just talk to me…"
Anything for you Rin. How you holdin' up?
"I've been better."
I can believe that…
(silence)
"How…"
(silence)
"How was he?"
He…he wa-is good when I saw him. Was thinking a lot.
"Hehe…sounds like him."
Yea…
(silence)
"Hey Irvine."
Yea?
"Was…was he, I dunno alright? Was he eating right? Did he look. I dunno different? I can't find the words I'm looking for without coming off sounding like some worrisome mother."
Hey Rinoa.
"Yes?"
He was and is fine.
"…"
This is Squall were talkin' about Rinoa. And I know you know better then me, better then Quistis, better then anyone for that matter that he's fine. I don't know what the hell is ever going through that Commander brain of his but I know one thing, he ain't no dumb ass Rinoa. This is Squall we're talkin about. Squall's the best. The best of all of us.
(silence)
"Irvine…"
Yea…
"Thank you…"
I'll see y'all when you get here.
PERSEVERANCE
steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
a/n: Victory in 1000 words! So to speak.