Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. To tell you the truth, I didn't think anyone would read, much less like my fanfic! You guys are awesome, thanks for reading and thanks for being patient with me. I've just gone to college for my first year, and I'm still getting settled, so it will take me time to update. But, I'll try my hardest.
The next chapter isn't the best chapter….but I promise the next one will be awesome. So bear with me.
Laguna came into the kitchen around six in the morning wearing a robe, his long hair all mussed up. He began to make coffee when he saw something in the corner of his eye. Turning suddenly he saw Squall looking at him with a somber face. Laguna squinted at him.
"What are you doing up so early?" he asked in a scruffy, morning voice. Laguna looked closer at his brother. Squall was still wearing his dress shirt and pants from the previous night. Laguna pointed the coffee pot at him. "Why in god's name, are you still wearing last nights' clothes? Did you get any sleep?"
Squall looked at the rose he was holding with a strange smile playing on his lips. He looked up at his brother in a self mocking look.
"I, dear brother," he said not taking his eyes off his sibling. "have a crush on Rinoa Heartily."
Laguna immediately dropped the coffee pot.
Both of them stared at each other for a good two minutes before the other spoke.
"Oh," Laguna said simply. He then turned around ignoring the chattered glass on the floor, went to the cupboard, and took out the tea pot and started making tea. Squall shifted in his chair.
"Aren't you going to give me any advice?" Squall asked sardonically.
"Listen, I don't care. If you like-" Laguna suddenly stopped mid-sentence, dropped the tea he was making, and grabbed his brother by the collar. "Are you crazy! You hit this girl with your car! And then you said you hated her! What is wrong with you! You really ARE CRAZY!"
"I know," Squall said, his eyes steely.
Laguna let go, poured himself a cup of tea, and then started his way back upstairs. Squall just simply looked after him.
"Squall, do me a favor," Laguna said not turning around, or stopping. "Don't bring things like this up in the morning."
"Then when should I bring it up, dear brother?" Squall said sarcastically. "In the evening?"
"No. At my grave, if you please."
Rinoa came down the stairs drying her just washed hair. From the kitchen she could hear Ellone talking. Rinoa stepped in the kitchen and saw Ellone was talking on the phone.
"No, it won't be any problem! You're coming now? … Alright see you in a few hours then. … Ok bye."
Ellone hung up the phone smiling at Rinoa.
"Well, good morning," she said in her quiet voice. "Did you enjoy the party last night?"
"I did!" Rinoa smiled. "The whole celebration was amazing. So, I bet you were really surprised!"
"Oh I was," Ellone said tearing up. "Laguna is so sweet. I can't believe he pulled something like that off. He's never been the responsible type. I'm surprised he even remembered I was getting married."
"Well," Rinoa said, trying her hardest not to laugh. "Laguna is full of surprises isn't he? More so than the other brother anyway."
"More so than Squall?" Ellone said frowning. "What do you mean?"
Rinoa started drying the ends of her dripping hair.
"Well, Laguna is so sweet and charming. Full of surprises and gifts and, you know. The real romantic type. But Squall? The only sweet thing he's done is not completely run me over when he hit me with his car. I mean, he could have kept going, but the great guy stopped."
Ellone laughed at that.
"Squall is sweet." Ellone said softly, "It's just... after our parents died in that accident he-"
"Accident?" Rinoa asked startled.
"Yes. Didn't Zell tell you?"
Rinoa shook her head.
"Oh. Well. It's not a fantastic story. It was during the winter, crossing a bridge," Ellone said taking a deep breath. "My parents were coming from a dinner party. My father lost control of the car. I'm sure you can fill in the rest."
"That's awful!" Rinoa gasped. "You're an orphan?"
"Yeah," Ellone said sadly. "It was, of course, devastating to all of us. We all handled it our different ways. I handled it the girly way. I was emotional and cried for weeks. Being the middle child, I needed the attention I suppose. Laguna became a comedian. As the oldest, he knew he couldn't show any tears, so he just laughed. He's what finally brought me around from my weeks of grief."
Rinoa shifted in her chair.
"And Squall?"
"Squall, took it the hardest I think, and Laguna agrees. He simply went quiet. As a boy, he was, believe it or not, the hyper type." Ellone said now smiling.
"Hyper?" Rinoa said finding it hard to imagine.
"Yeah! He'd jump around like he had a squirrel up his behind."
Rinoa burst into laughter.
"Seriously!" Ellone said chuckling. "He was just like any other boy. Happy. Open. But after the accident. He closed his doors and went quiet. Laguna and I leaned on each other for support. But Squall didn't want anyone to console him. He wanted to be alone. And that's what he did. We thought it was a phase. But nothing has opened him up."
Ellone sighed when she went finished. Feeling awkward, Rinoa didn't say anything, and just followed suit and sighed as well. This whole story affected her image of Squall. She suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. Just then Laguna came into the kitchen.
Feeling the tense air, he snorted.
"Jeez, who died?"
Ellone rolled her eyes and smacked her brother at the back of his head.
Squall looked up from his papers and rubbed his eyes.
"Ugh, I should take a nap."
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.
"Wha…? OW!"
A hand reached over his shoulder and grabbed all the papers he was working on. Squall turned sharply and saw a very angry Laguna crumpling his papers.
"What! Have I told you! About working! In this house!"
Squall reached for the papers.
"Laguna," Squall said frowning. "I know. I'm sorry. Look! Stop crumpling those! I want that promotion!"
Laguna stopped.
"Promotion?"
"Cid, the vice president of Seed is deciding to retire. All the managers are working overtime to get the job." Squall tried to grab the papers, but surprisingly his clumsy brother was too fast for him. That greatly offended Squall for some reason. "And this whole wedding business has got me three steps behind everyone. I brought paper work to finish, so when I go back, I'll have some chance."
Laguna squinted at his little brother. Squall began to turn red.
"Lag, give me the papers."
"Alright," Laguna said sighing. "Just this once, I'll let it pass."
Squall quickly snapped his papers away from his brother.
"You know, I let that pass." Squall sat stacking his wrinkled papers. "Cause if I wanted to, I can always just kick your ass."
"Oh really," Laguna said straightening himself up to his full height.
Squall raised an eyebrow and came and stood in front of his brother, looking eye to eye. Though the brothers were the same height, Squalls muscular arms made it clear that Squall, would in fact, kick Laguna's ass.
Laguna cleared his throat.
"Well," Squall said clearing his throat. "Just don't go downstairs."
"Why?"
"You're sister has gone insane." Laguna said frowning. "I went downstairs and she smacked me in the head for no reason."
There was a light knock on the door.
"Come in," Squall called.
The door opened and Zell came in.
"Hey," he said. "Sorry to interrupt, but Quistis wanted to go to the stables, and wanted to know if you wanted to join her. She's waiting in the foyer."
Laguna jerked straight and smoothed his hair.
"Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely!"
Zell nodded and excused himself out of the room. Squall put his papers back in the folder, and started chuckling.
"What are you laughing about?" Laguna said, looking down and straightening his shirt.
"'Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely!'" Squall said mocking his brother's tone. "An infatuation I see."
"Ugh," Laguna spat. "I hate that word!"
"Isn't that what it is?" Squall asked, smiling at his brother.
"It isn't even close!" Laguna said, now beaming. "I love that woman!"
Squall shook his head chuckling.
"I do!" He said, now gasping for air. "She's amazing! She's beautiful, smart and … beautiful!"
"Yeah," Squall said. "But love? That's an awfully strong word isn't it?"
"Look just because you're too afraid to say it doesn-"
"I am not in love with Rinoa!" Squall said angrily. "I said crush! Which implies an infatuation!"
Laguna shook his head and threw a look of disgust at his brother. Wordlessly, he stomped out of the room.
Squall said nothing, but just stared moodily after his brother.
Rinoa was putting up her hair when Quistis burst into her room.
"Oh, don't knock. Please just come in."
"Rinoa, I kissed him."
"Who?" Rinoa asked startled.
"Laguna!" she said breathing deeply.
"Laguna? Really?"
"Oh, he's just so sweet. And, romantic. Oh, the things he says to me, I just. Man."
Quistis slowly sat down on the edge of the bed staring off.
"He, is just amazing."
Rinoa got up and sat next to her sister, and gave her a hug.
"You didn't say rich."
Quistis sighed.
"You know," she said sighing. "If that man lived in a box and had a red wagon for a car, I would still love him."
Rinoa drew back sharply.
"Did you say love?"
"No, I said-"
"Oh Quistis!" Rinoa squealed hugging her sister. Quistis couldn't help but squeal along with her sister. "Laguna is a good man. I can't believe you like him."
"I know. I usually have zero taste in men."
Rinoa sighed.
"Ooh, I'm so jealous."
"You'll get your man one day." Quistis said putting her head on Rinoa's shoulder.
"Yeah, well. I don't want to get my man, as you so delicately put it, when I'm going through freaking menopause."
"Oh. Come on, you'll get a man. And your boobs will still be perky when that happens."
Rinoa rolled her eyes and chuckled.
In the garden, Squall was taking another walk through Ellone's rose bushes. This whole Rinoa situation bothered him. He hadn't really remembered a time when he had a crush on a girl. They all seemed to take an interest in him. And if they didn't, well then he didn't care much. This crush business wasn't in his flow of things. It unsettled and vexed him. But more importantly, made him very uncomfortable.
He was being ridiculous. He was infatuated with her. It's normal for a man to be attracted to a woman. He would just ask her out, like everyone else. Go out with her for awhile, get on each others nerves, and break up. This was nothing serious. Nothing serious. No. Not serious.
Squall took a deep breath and took out his pocket knife. Choosing a couple of choice roses, he cut a dozen of them. Once he was finished, he looked at them and took another deep breath.
"Nothing serious," he mumbled to himself.
As he walked back towards the house, he saw a black car pull up to the front of the house. Approaching the front door, he thought he recognized the parked vehicle. A man with sleeked blond hair stepped out of the car and waved to him.
"Squall! Surprise!"
Squall squinted.
"Seifer?"
