Chapter IX

Squall was finally going home. The doctor had given him a final examination and allowed his release, with the proviso that he remained on light duty for the next week at least. Ellone had done him the favor of bringing him some clean clothing, along with a small vial of healing elixir. Squall fully intended to take it so that if any lingering effects remained from his injury, they would be dealt with.

"Are you ready to go?"

Squall turned with a frown to reply to the statuesque redhead that had just entered, "Marti? I though you were just going to send one of the drivers down."

"As it happens, I had to come down to the city today anyway, so thought I'd save time and swing by to get you. I hope you don't mind." She answered.

"It's fine. I needed to talk to you anyway." Squall said as they walked out of his room. A nurse had been nice enough to provide him with a bag containing the clothing he'd been wearing when they'd brought him in, along with a small slip of paper with her name and phone number written on it, tucked into a fold of his jeans. He'd snorted quietly to himself upon discovering it.

Most of his belongings and personal effects had been accounted for, including his wallet, watch, and necklace and cell phone. Obviously however, his gunblade hadn't been brought in, and he'd yet to find out what had become of it. Hopefully Eric had picked it up and either brought it back to his apartment or had it locked in the armory at the resort until Squall could reclaim it.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Marti asked him as they exited the hospital and headed for the garage where she'd parked.

"I'd like a leave of absence for about a week, starting tomorrow." Squall answered.

Marti paused as they reached her car to unlock it and get in, with Squall following suit on the passenger side.

Turning to study him for a moment, she raised an eyebrow and commented, "Well, the doctor did say you should be light duty for the next week anyway. Can't get much lighter duty than none at all." She started the engine and reversed out of the parking space.

"I also want you to take me off the concierge list." Squall stated.

Marti stopped the car and stared at him. "Why? Is this about last weekend? I heard you were pissed about getting a client when you were supposed to be off…" She put the car into gear and concentrated on getting them both out of the parking garage, brows knitted in concern.

She glanced over at him as they drove out onto the street and headed toward the resort, wondering at his sudden silence.

Finally Squall answered, "Yes. Partly, anyway."

"Well, I am sorry about that, but she'd requested you specifically and your schedule hadn't been updated when she finally booked her appointment. I understand it came off well in the end, she seemed happy enough when she left. There were no complaints that I'd heard of at any rate." Marti said.

"She didn't request me at all. It was a gift from her friends. But that's not why I want to be taken off the roster." Squall told her.

"Then why? I know it was a slow start for you at first, but you've done well with this and I can't keep ahead of the bookings now. You get far more inquiries than you can possibly handle, let me tell you." Marti said.

"I don't need to do it anymore. And I don't want to do it anymore." Squall said, gazing out the window as they traveled.

Marti glanced over at him again, frowning slightly. As usual, his expression was unreadable, remote. Well, he'd told her at the outset that he didn't want to make a career out of the concierge gig, and truly, it wasn't a long-term type of job anyway. Oh, there were a few men that had been doing it for five years and more, but there were fewer still that made that a part of their lifestyle.

Finally Marti sighed, "Well, when you put it that way, then fine, I'll take you off."

"Thank you." Squall said.

"You'll disappoint many fans. Including the nurses back at the hospital. I had more than a few ask about your going rate." Marti chuckled.

Squall sighed, "I'd wondered why I kept getting asked about getting my blood work done to renew my license."

"When does it expire?" Marti asked him curiously.

"In two weeks if I don't turn in a clean report." Squall answered.

"I see. Well, if you change your mind, let me know." Marti said.

"I won't." Squall said.

He lapsed into silence, and Marti concentrated on her driving with a sigh. Small talk was never his forte anyway, she reflected ruefully. She went to turn on the radio and caught his eye, raising her eyebrows in inquiry. He shrugged indifferently, and she turned it on to her favorite station. Two years as her employee and she still had no idea what kind of music he liked. Squall Leonhart definitely liked to play his cards close to his vest.

Squall meanwhile used the time to sort through his memories. There were still some fuzzy gaps, but he remembered nearly everything now. He remembered that Rinoa Heartilly had in fact been his client. At first. He remembered their first meeting. He remembered the second night, when they'd gone to dinner after Rinoa's spa day, and…Later. When he'd learned she was a virgin and refused to do anything further with her that night.

He remembered refusing his hire, refunding his fee. The source of his confusion regarding her status with him, since she ceased to be his client in that sense the moment he did that.

And then…. their last night together; showing her the sunset, and discovering the meteor shower together. Discovering more than just that, later on in his bed. He'd been careful to distinguish what he did as "just sex" and not romanticize it in their first abortive attempt…. but that night…. it wasn't "just sex" then.

He'd made love with her.

What that could mean to him now, he didn't know. He'd been drawn to her from the beginning, but had tried not to get too caught up in what he was feeling because of the nature of his job. But now that didn't apply in this situation. She wasn't his client; and he wasn't her concierge.

He felt as if he'd left things undone. Unresolved. And he didn't know if that meant that he needed to end things properly between them and move on, or take the time he'd spent with her as the potential beginning of something he'd never had before. He only knew that he wanted to see her again. It was the only way he could find out what that potential could lead to.

But he had to find her first, and in order to do that he had to go to Deling City.

"We're here," Marti's voice broke into his thoughts.

Squall glanced over at her and nodded, "Thank you." He unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, then paused for a moment. Returning his attention to Marti, he asked her, "Did you happen to notice if Eric or somebody picked up my gunblade?"

"No, I'm sorry." She answered.

Squall sighed, "I'll ask him then."

As he got out of the car, Marti asked, "What do you plan on doing for the next week?"

"I plan on flying out to Deling City tomorrow." Squall said.

"Tomorrow? But you've only just gotten back!" Marti said with a frown.

"There's…. something I need to do there." Squall told her vaguely, then sketched a wave at her and left.

She stared after him, then shook her head and got out of her car. She should have known better than to expect an actual answer to that question. Marti was convinced that if she looked up the word "enigmatic" in the dictionary, it would include a photo of Squall Leonhart.


When Squall entered his apartment, he was struck by how lifeless and dead it felt. He knew part of it was because it had been shuttered for an entire week so the air felt stale as a result. But even opening the glass door of his balcony to let in some fresh air did nothing to dispel the profound emptiness of the place.

He'd never before noticed that. He simply went about his business, did his job every day and every evening played with the financial markets in Galbadia and Esthar. Anything really to keep him occupied, keep his mind off of Ellone's illness and try to recover financially now that she was on the way to physical recovery. Aside from his clients, he spent his time completely alone, not even socializing with his co-workers.

He finally began to understand Ellone's concern for him. Up until now, his life had been completely empty, like his apartment. Like his heart. It was easier that way, much easier than trying to maintain a relationship, something that he'd never been terribly good at. The dangerous and rootless nature of his job as a SeeD certainly hadn't helped with that. Even those SeeDs that he'd grown up with fought alongside and graduated with were mere acquaintances at best. Avoiding social interaction had become a habit with him.

He'd spent so much time alone that he'd grown used to the loneliness that came with it. And while the occasional client did help to dispel that a bit, it was work. He had to behave a certain way and had specific duties that he had to perform. He did get some benefit from his clients in the sharing of physical pleasure with them, but for the most part while he was working, his feelings were unnecessary and completely irrelevant. It wasn't about him.

So having someone come into his life that he couldn't push into a specific category and thus avoid getting too close to was unsettling at the very least. Rinoa had reached in past his guards and grabbed him by the heart; the only thing he could think to do about it was to go and find her to see where it led.

He walked out onto the balcony and leaned against the stone barrier, remembering that last night. Remembering how…. magical…. the entire evening had been, from start to finish. Then he snorted and shook his head, thinking, Gods Leonhart, you're turning into a sap all of a sudden. Maudlin fool. If you're going to go after her then do it, and quit mooning about it. But before you do anything, you'd BETTER get your damned gunblade back!

Pushing away from the balustrade, he went back into his apartment and into his bedroom, depositing his bag of clothing onto his bed. Riffling through it, he found his cell phone and turned it on, relieved to find that it hadn't been damaged and still had some charge to it. Scrolling through the numbers, he selected the one he was looking for.

The phone rang, and then was answered and a voice on the other end said, "Hello Squall. Finally back?"

"Yeah. Did you pick up my gunblade Eric?" Squall asked.

"Yeah I did. I stuck it in the armory. It's locked up all safe and sound. You going to come by to get it?" Eric asked him.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes." Squall said, adding, "I'm taking a leave of absence for a week. The doctor wants me on light duty anyway and I need to go to Deling City. I'm leaving tomorrow. You'll be in charge while I'm gone."

"Uh…okay. This is kind of sudden, isn't it?" Eric asked, surprised.

"Perhaps, but I'm certain that you can deal with pretty much anything you run up against." Squall said.

"Thanks. I appreciate your confidence in me. The barriers are all repaired now, and reinforced too." Eric reported.

"Good. Then this should be fairly easy for you to handle." Squall said.

"Well, I hope so anyway. I guess I'll see you in a few minutes?" Eric asked him.

"Yes. Talk to you in a little bit." Squall said, disconnecting the call and heading for the door.

He retrieved his gunblade and went over some procedures with Eric, making sure he was ready to take over in his absence. Squall didn't feel any need to worry however, he'd chosen his people carefully and was fully aware of their abilities. Indeed, if necessary, Eric could easily take over Squall's position as head of security there permanently.

Upon returning to his apartment with LionHeart, he got right to work cleaning off the crusted blood and residue from the pulse ammo he'd used. Fortunately, he'd only fired it twice so there wasn't enough to pit the barrel, but he hated leaving his weapon in such a state, even when he'd had no control over the situation. Once it was properly cleaned, polished and honed, he returned it to its case and got his duffel out to start packing.

Tossing it onto his bed, he started arranging for airline tickets while packing. By the time he'd finished that task, he had a round trip ticket confirmed to leave the next morning for Deling City, had arranged for a cab to pick him up and had only to figure out exactly where Rinoa actually was. Well, he'd been a SeeD, and finding people was part of the job. Hopefully it wouldn't take him too long…that was when he noticed the slip of paper stuck beneath his telephone.

He snorted to himself, realizing that if he'd actually used that phone instead of his cell phone, he'd have found it sooner. Wondering what it was, and hoping, he took it out from under the phone and read the writing on it, unable to stop his heart from thumping heavily as he realized that Rinoa had left her phone number and address.

He stared at it, suddenly anxious. He'd never actually done something like this before, not really. Marti booked his clients, and before…. well…. he'd never had to pursue someone. He wasn't terribly vain but he also knew that his looks had played a large part in that.

There was also the fact that nearly a week had passed and…what if she thought he'd forgotten, had just given her an empty line that he'd wanted to see her again? What if she'd forgotten or worse, had written him off? The sad thing was that within the context of his client/concierge relationships, he was perfectly confident because there were set rules for behavior and certain expectations laid out beforehand. There was a map, a framework to follow.

This was completely different. He was heading into unknown territory and as a result, deep down, he was actually frightened. Because this meant something to him.

He didn't know yet what it might mean, but…. it was important. It could end up meaning the world to him.

He took a deep breath and gave himself a mental kick to get past his momentary paralysis. He had to do this, there was no other way to move forward and figure out where this all may lead. So he dialed the number, and waited, shoving his apprehension aside, and tried to think of what he would say to her.

"Hi Rinoa, this is Squall, remember me? I'm the guy that took your virginity?" Brilliant. That'd go over like a lead balloon.

"Hi, remember last weekend? Sorry I didn't call but I got my ass kicked by a behemoth…" No. Stupid.

Then her voicemail picked up and he swallowed nervously and said, "…Um…hello Rinoa, this is Squall…. I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you off, and that it took so long for me to call you…I…something came up, and I've only just been able to call you. Thanks, by the way, for leaving your number. I still want to see you again. I'm flying in tomorrow and um… do…would you like to meet up for coffee or something? If I remember correctly there's a shop next to the Galbadia Hotel. Give me a call and let me know? Here's my number. I'll be staying at the Galbadia Hotel. I hope to hear from you soon…." He disconnected the call and let out a breath, hoping his message didn't sound as lame as he thought it did.

The next morning he as he boarded his flight, he was assailed by a mixed bag of emotions running the gamut from anticipation to nervousness, eagerness and even fear. But underneath all of this was calmness and a willingness to accept whatever happened from this point forward. And there was also…. hope.


Saturday morning dawned gray, cold and rainy, but that had no effect whatsoever on Rinoa's spirits. Squall had called her, and he was flying in today. Just to see her. She wanted to sing, dance and do any number of crazy, exuberant and silly things. She felt as giddy as if she'd had an entire bottle of wine. It would be hours before he was actually in Galbadia, Rinoa knew that, and she couldn't wait.

The only problem that she could see was the fact that she didn't know what flight he'd taken so had no idea when he'd actually arrive. She didn't want to try calling him back until he was on the ground so they could figure out when to meet.

To work off her nervous energy and stay occupied while she waited, she attacked her apartment with a vengeance, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and dusting, tidying up the clutter and when she'd finished with that, she took Angelo out for a walk. Anything to keep her from losing her mind to boredom and anxiety.

While she was doing all of that however, she couldn't help mentally replaying the previous weekend; from the first moment she saw him half-dressed and glaring at her to the last when he'd kissed her almost desperately before he'd had to leave.

She wondered again why it had taken him so long to call her; perhaps he'd been busy, like she'd speculated. His position as head of security was an important job so whatever it was that had taken him from her side had likely kept him tied up and unable to get in contact with her right away. It didn't matter now, he had called her and within a few hours, she would see him again.

She refused to think about the fact that he'd made no mention of how long he'd be staying as yet, instead resolving to simply enjoy the moment, however long she had with him. She still didn't expect roses and forever. He lived on the other side of the world, and there was no way he'd just drop his entire life in Esthar to move to Galbadia just for her. They'd only just met.

Still, the fact that he was flying halfway across the world just to see her made her wonder what his motivation for doing that was. It couldn't have been because she'd been great in bed; the fact of being a virgin when she'd had sex with him had pretty much guaranteed that she wouldn't be.

Then she mentally kicked herself for letting her mind wander down that path. She'd been trying not to think too much about how things had been between them the first time, and now the memories had returned with a vengeance, igniting a craving to repeat the experience. In short, she wanted him again.

Sighing, she checked the time and decided to try calling him. Maybe he'd finally landed.


He'd forgotten how cold March could get in Galbadia, particularly Deling City. Yeah, it was a coastal city so it rarely snowed, but the rains of winter and early spring were cold enough, even so. Oddly, Balamb was farther north and thus colder even than Deling City. But he'd lived for two years in the tropics and his blood had thinned. Fortunately, he still had his peacoat and had remembered to bring it, though he was wishing he'd worn a scarf and sweater as well.

Ducking his head and turning up his collar against the rain, Squall shivered slightly and headed for one of the stores along the main drag through the city to purchase an umbrella. Once there, he found a nice white scarf to go along with it. Brushing his hand over the soft, fluffy fabric, he checked and confirmed that it was a lamb's wool/ angora blend and thus wouldn't itch.

"Would that be all for you sir?" the clerk asked him when he brought the items to the counter.

"Yes." Squall answered.

"Sixty-eight gil then." The clerk said, then asked, "are you new in town?"

"Why do you ask?" Squall asked in turn.

The clerk shrugged with a smile, "Well, the big tip off is your tan. Nobody's got a tan here by March. And your accent is definitely not local. Where've you come from?"

"Esthar." Squall answered.

The clerk chuckled, "that explains your tan. And the scarf and umbrella. We've also got a nice selection of sweaters farther toward the back, if you need one."

"Perhaps later. This will do for now." Squall said, paying for his purchases.

"Later then," the clerk said with a smile, adding, "enjoy your visit here."

Squall nodded and left, putting the scarf on immediately and tucking it into his coat, then opening the umbrella. As he walked toward the coffee shop, he felt much more comfortable. Even such a little thing as a scarf did wonders for warding off the chill, and the umbrella obviously kept the drizzling rain off him. Of course, by the time he made it to the coffee shop, he'd need a hot cup to warm up.

He checked his watch as he approached the shop. He was a bit early, but had needed the extra time to get the scarf and the umbrella. When he'd landed at the Deling City International airport, it had been raining much harder and he'd gotten soaked before he'd managed to hail a cab to get to the hotel. He'd had to shower and change into dry clothes, and the first thing he'd unpacked had been his coat.

Rinoa had called just as he'd gotten out of the shower, and he'd been keenly aware of the fact that he was naked save for the towel around his hips, as he'd been talking to her. Not that he'd made any mention of it to her. While he wanted things to end up that way between them eventually, he didn't want to put any pressure on her either.

Just because they'd had sex once before, didn't mean that she'd want it to happen again, despite how much she'd appeared to have enjoyed it. Besides, he didn't want his visit to be all about that anyway. He wasn't sure yet what he wanted it to be about, but he intended to spend the week figuring it out. Or at least making a start at it.

It had been nice though, hearing her voice, and his spirits had risen at the prospect of seeing her again.

The bell tinkled as he opened the door to the shop, and he closed and shook the rain off his umbrella as he walked in. He gazed around as he walked toward the counter, taking note of the patrons there and hoping to find a table free. It had fairly standard coffee shop décor; with wooden floors in warm gold, small round tables and chairs the color of espresso scattered about, and a display case with pastries of various types next to the register. He didn't see Rinoa there yet, but there were more than a few people in line, waiting like him to order something hot to warm up with.

"May I help you?" the barrista asked when his turn came up. The bell tinkled again as someone else either entered or left, and Squall studied the board for a moment before answering.

"Regular coffee, black." He said.

"Any particular blend you want?" the girl asked him with a smile.

Squall glanced up at the board again and saw the blend he normally purchased and answered, "Esthar, north."

"Coming right up."

Rinoa entered the shop and shook off her umbrella. Checking her watch, she saw that she was right on time and she gazed around, looking for Squall. There were several patrons seated around the shop, and a sailor at the counter ordering coffee. Well, he looked like a sailor anyway; he was wearing a peacoat that naval personnel typically wore. Then she narrowed her eyes, as she got closer, and got a better look at him.

Tallish, lean, broad shouldered, he had his back to her, and so Rinoa didn't recognize him at first. She blamed it on the fact that it was a gray, rainy day. Without the sun to gild his hair and bring out its hidden fire, it was a medium chestnut brown that was fairly unremarkable. Then he concluded his business at the counter and turned, sensing someone behind him.

Rinoa couldn't help a quiet gasp then as she realized who it was, and then she smiled at him. He seemed to freeze, eyes locked with hers, then slowly started to smile as well.

"Squall," she said breathlessly, heart in her throat. Gods, he was more beautiful than she remembered. His eyes were still a cool turquoise blue, but they seemed to have taken on a grayish cast, a reflection of the gray day and the dark coat that he wore. And the slow, almost shy smile he gave her made her knees want to melt.

"Hi," he managed, then his mind went completely blank and he couldn't think of anything else to say. Or rather, there were so many things that he wanted to say that they crowded each other out and left him mute.

Things like, how have you been? You look more beautiful than I remember. Or, I've missed you. Things that he felt but wasn't yet comfortable articulating.

Rinoa's smile broadened, catching the slight flash of panic in his eyes as he fell into silence, and she asked him, "How was your flight?"

"Long," He answered, his smile turning wry. Rinoa laughed and he chuckled slightly as well.

Gesturing toward the board with the cup he was holding, he offered, "Coffee?"

"Certainly. That's generally what one gets in a place like this," Rinoa said cheekily.

"Well, you could order tea," he said.

"Yeah. Well, I'm going with the coffee." Rinoa said, and he stepped aside to allow her to approach the counter and the patiently waiting (and somewhat amused) clerk.

Once she'd gotten her coffee they found a table, with Squall taking a sip of his after he sat down, and sighing at the warmth that spread outward from his stomach. Rinoa took off her raincoat and sat down as well, sipping her coffee and smiling at him again.

"I can't believe you're here. I didn't think I'd ever see you again; I mean, nobody flies halfway across the world just for…" Rinoa's voice trailed off and she frowned. Then she asked, "Why?"

Squall frowned slightly and studied her intently, wondering if he'd misunderstood her response to him. She didn't appear unhappy to see him, which was encouraging.

Finally he answered her honestly, "Because I wanted to see you again. I'd told you that I did. I thought maybe…that you felt the same way. Was I wrong?"

Rinoa's heart did a funny little flip in her chest and she shook her head vigorously, "No. You weren't wrong. I'm just a little surprised that you followed through. And….And I'm happy you're here."

"I'm happy I'm here too." Squall said softly.

Rinoa took a sip of her coffee, finding it hard to tear her eyes away from him. The dark, almost black peacoat was obviously tailored to fit him, because it looked damn good on him. Likewise with the fluffy white scarf that he'd added; it looked warm and cozy, and very cute as well. Almost like a lion's mane. Despite the shop being heated, Squall had yet to remove his coat, and as she watched, she saw him shiver slightly.

"Cold?" She asked curiously.

Squall nodded, "Yeah. I've gotten used to living in the tropics. My blood's too thin for this."

"Well, you just had the misfortune of arriving right in the middle of a cold snap. It's not usually this cold this late in March." Rinoa said, adding, "The weather reports are saying it should warm up in the next few days." Resting her chin on her fist, Rinoa asked him, "How long are you staying?"

"A week." Squall answered her. I wish it were longer

"And you said you're staying at the Galbadia Hotel, right?" She asked him.

"Right." He confirmed.

"Wrong." Rinoa said, smiling at his confused look.

"I'm…. sorry?" He asked.

"You're staying with me." Rinoa declared, adding, "It's only fair since I invaded your home. I want to return the favor."

"But… It's not the same…" Squall began, but Rinoa waved it away.

"I don't care. Say yes." Rinoa said firmly.

"Rinoa…"

"Go on. Say it! You know you want to."

"Are you sure? I mean, that's not actually what I'm here for…" Squall said.

"Yes, I'm sure. And what are you here for then, if not for me?" Rinoa asked him pointedly.

Squall stared at her, struck by her logic, charmed by her brilliant smile. And he was falling again, falling into her bottomless brown eyes, captivated by the contrast of her white skin and night-dark hair. By the way the powder blue sweater she was wearing hugged her curves.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" Rinoa asked him, grinning.

He laughed softly, "Yes, I'll stay with you. And yes, I am here for you. And I'm also here for me. Because this is where I want to be right now."

Rinoa swallowed, heart flipping over again, and managed to say breathlessly, "you don't have to do anything you don't want to…"

He laughed harder at this, and when he calmed down, suggested, "Why don't we take things one step at a time?"

"Sounds good to me…Um, are we on step one?" she asked him.

"Yes, I believe we are." He answered.

"Then what's step two?" she asked.

"Dinner?"

"Okay. After we get you set up at my place."

"All right." Squall drained the last bit of his coffee and stood up, asking, "Finished?"

"Yes," Rinoa stood as well and went to put her coat on, pausing in surprise when Squall came around to help her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, drinking in the subtle spice of his cologne. She appreciated the fact that he was so sparing in its use, only offering hints of it when she got up close to him, rather than overpowering her from across the room with it.

He dropped his hands from her shoulders after she'd gotten her coat on, but before he could step away she quickly turned and slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him close and leaning her head against his chest. She simply held him then, listening to his heart thumping beneath her ear. She heard him swallow, then felt his arms come around her as well, felt him rest his cheek against her hair.

They stood that way for a long moment, and then Rinoa finally whispered, "I've missed you."

Squall's heart squeezed at that, and he whispered back, "I've missed you too." He held her for a few more moments, counting his heartbeats, listening to her breathe, before gently disengaging from her.

Then he reached down and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers, saying, "Let's go."