Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the characters in this chapter, or several of the others (a few minorities mentioned in a few chapters ARE names I made up, and one character I set up for a quick apperance, but that's it!Oh, and that one other in this chapter, but YOU'LL SEE!!!) Square is the awesome company that funded the genius who created the Final Fantasy games, and, for that, THANK YOU!!! :D
Chapter 10
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly, but didn't reply. It was almost as if he hadn't heard her. She pulled away and looked up.
" Squall?" she asked quietly, " Did you hear me?" He nodded. " Well, then," she said, " Were you planning on saying something?"
"...I'm...speechless..." he said, " There's so many things I could say, but I don't know which one is the right one. I don't want to screw up."
Rinoa giggled. " Why would you be so worried about something like that?" she asked. 'Don't tell me he knows...?'
His face softened. " Because nothing is too good for you," he replied, " And I don't want my reply to be anything less than perfect."
Rinoa didn't let on exactly how puzzled she was. 'Okay...' she thought, 'I've never heard...that response before...it's actually...kinda sweet, when you think about it.' She kissed his neck. " You are too sweet."
Squall laughed. Dr. Kadowaki, who was about to come in the room to check on her patient, backed out of the doorway in shock. 'That was almost scary...' she thought nervously, finding something else to keep her busy.
Rinoa laughed too. " Besides," she added, " At least you could've said, 'You're welcome,' or something like that!"
Squall's face turned pinkish. " Yeah, well..." he stammered, and Rinoa found this cute. She put her finger up to his lips.
" You don't have to say anything else." she said, grinning. He nodded in agreement. " Besides," she said, " I think you're starting to get cabin fever. Maybe you should...take care of all the paperwork you carelessly left waiting in your office?" He shook his head, and set his forehead against hers. They both were grinning. " Well, then..." she sighed, teasingly, " What ARE we going to do?"
" Save all the cutsey stuff for later, and let the doctor check on her patient?" suggested the woman in the doorway.
" For how long this time?" Rinoa asked.
" A few minutes," Dr. Kadowaki replied, " I want to run a couple of tests. It'll only be about five minutes."
" Okay..." she groaned, getting up. She kissed Squall's cheek. " I'll only be gone for a few, okay?" she promised, but he didn't let go of her waist. She chuckled. " Come on..." she begged, " Just for a little while; I am coming back, you know."
Squall refused silently for a moment, then, finally he said, " You'd better come back, or I'm coming in after you." He let her go, and she giggled.
" And you need to do some work." she replied, " Think of all the mess there is right now because a SeeD didn't get their vacation request looked over and approved in time, and they can't go visit their sick aunt. It'll all be because the Commander was too busy staying in the infirmary with an injured cadet."
He grabbed her hand. " But it wasn't just any cadet," he replied, " It was his better half."
" Stop!" Rinoa teased, " I have to go. You go do some work, and you can come visit later, okay?"
"...Okay." he replied, almost sounding like his old self again. " I'll come back soon, though." he added, stepping out into the corridor.
Dr. Kadowaki shook her head. Rinoa gave her a look. " What?" she asked.
The doctor's face looked slightly red, but gaining color, and her sides were shaking. " You two...are so..."
" 'So' what?" Rinoa asked.
" So funny." she replied, calming down long enough to finish the sentence.
Rinoa put her hands on her hips. " Very funny!" she replied, " You're just being mean."
" I promise I'm not trying to be mean," she replied, " I think...I think it's just jealousy, really."
" Jealousy?" Rinoa echoed.
" I never had a sweetheart," the woman explained, " And, to this day, I'm still alone. You're lucky, you know." She paused. " Actually, the Commander is. He used to be this stuck up tight-wad before you came along. Now..." She thought carefully. " Now, he's human. He's whole, I suppose."
Rinoa was in the middle of a daydream. Was her coming to the Garden THAT big of a difference? She thought it was for hre benefit, but was she really making a difference there as well?
" Rinoa?" Dr. Kadowaki said, " Hun? This way, please." She walked toward the laboratory, and Rinoa came to her senses. She followed her in the small room.
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Irvine was sitting alone in his dorm. Even if he wasn't alone, he didn't notice. He was in pain.
'First, Selphie leaves for the mission, then, she had me worried sick, then, she goes for Zell, and, to top it all off, my sister...' He stopped short. That was the most painful of all. Elaine Kinneas, his younger sister, was the one person he had cared for the most. He thought she would always be there, a shinig ray of light in this overcast and gloomy world, until she was killed during a mission. She, too, was a sharpshooter, and must have, in some way, inherited Kinneas' knack for getting nervous on the job. Her most important mission was going along smoothly, when the worst happened. Nerves took over her, and she missed her most important, as well as most dangerous target. She was killed by a sorceress; he couldn't remember her name. What he could remember was the feeling he first got when the call came to tell him the news. Now, sitting in his dorm, on the bed where he had dreams that he and his sister didn't have to assasinate anyone ever again, he was feeling the harsh pain of reality, as the words echoed through his head, " Elaine is dead, you'll never see her again, it's all your fault..."
" Kinneas?"
Irvine didn't want to look up, but he decided the sudden distraction might help him forget. When he looked up, he came face to face with Zell. He sighed, trying not to let him see the hurt he felt. He didn't speak, for fear that his voice might crack.
" Kinneas," he repeated, sitting down next to his friend, " Selphie and I were worried about you. We've been gone all week, hadn't heard from you, and when we come back, we only get the cold shoulder. What's up?"
Irvine still was silent. 'Go away,' he thought. 'Go away and leave me alone.'
" Irvine." he said, trying to get him to speak. " Please, tell me what's wrong." He paused, and tried a different approach. " C'mon, man, we're compadres! You can tell me anything! I don't care if you think it's sappy, but cry all you want!" He paused, seeing no positive effects. " Look, I've found that telling someone dulls the pain." He said, " I mean, when I lost my dad, I thought that, if I didn't tell anyone, I could pretend it never happened. But, even a year later, the pain got worse. I still didn't tell anyone, until, one day, someone threw it in my face." He paused, sighing. " I ran home, so mad, and so upset, because someone shot my father down. 'How dare they talk about him like that!' I cried. But, when I got home, my mom saw my face, and told me that the best way to feel better is to talk to someone about it. Really gets it off of your chest." He looked at his friend. " So, what do you think?"
Irvine looked up, and turned to his friend. He spoke up. " It all started with that damn phonecall..." he started, and he didn't stop. The friends talked for hours, and, in the end, both came out feeling better.
Zell practically was strutting down the hallway when Selphie ran up to him. " So," she asked him, a bit worried, " What happened?"
So, Zell walked her to her dorm, and told her the entire story, staying up late into the night telling it. He didn't leave out a single detail.
" Hyne!" Selphie exclaimed, " How awful!!! Poor Irvy..."
" I know how he feels..." Zell sighed, and Selphie put an arm around him.
" Hey, you, don't forget that all her needs is time. Oh, and a little encouragement from the posse!!" She giggled softly.
Zell grinned, and nodded. " Yep." he replied. " It just takes time and care."
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Rinoa was dreaming of a field. It was a beautiful field, one that stretched for miles upon miles. It was full of flowers; pretty, white blossoms that spread open like clouds. The sky was filled with similar white clouds, only a few, but they stood out in contrast to the beautiful, rich, blue sky. In her dream, she was all alone, but she was waiting. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was waiting for something.
Or someone.
Squall walked into the infirmary late that night. He didn't expect her to be awake, but he was still disappointed nonetheless, seeing her dreaming when he walked in the doorway. He quietly pulled his chair to the bedside, and sat, waiting for any sign of her awakening. ' Maybe I should sleep a little...' he thought, 'I am tired...' But, he shok his head, resolving that, at any momoent, thebeautiful girl with the silken hair would wake up from her dreaming, and not make him wait until morning to hear her sweet, singing voice again. However, not even the strongest of resolutions can keep an extremely exhausted commander awake all night long. His head soon fell on her stomache, and he dozed off.
Squall's dream was actually quite similar to Rinoa's, but neither of them would ever know that. In his dream, he was in the exact same field, covered in the same white blossoms, with the bright blue sky above him. But, instead of waiting for something, he was running, running fast. He didn't know why he was running, just as Rinoa didn't know why she was waiting, but he knew that he was trying to find someone-before it was too late.
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Author's Note: I actually wrote this chapter the same day as the last chapter, just that this one was (is being) written late at night, when I SHOULD BE SLEEPING!!! I have work tomorrow, and I don't do well when I stay up late. Anyway, enough about my troubles...is my writting getting good, or what? The dream sequence is the most detailed description I have ever written for a story before! pats back I'm so proud!!! Oh, and now I'm the same age as Rinny!!! I turned seventeen on the 26th of June!!! Yessssssssssssss!!!!! . Well, time to thank the awesome folks who R&Red me, and also, first, to my #!: Gracie!!! Hiya! If you need any help with that ficcie of yours, you let me know, okay? Hope you're lovin the fluff! It'll continue to spread, I promise! Well, LYL, avid fans, and I'll keep on typin! ;) Trinity
Disclaimer: I did not create any of the characters in this chapter, or several of the others (a few minorities mentioned in a few chapters ARE names I made up, and one character I set up for a quick apperance, but that's it!Oh, and that one other in this chapter, but YOU'LL SEE!!!) Square is the awesome company that funded the genius who created the Final Fantasy games, and, for that, THANK YOU!!! :D
Chapter 10
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly, but didn't reply. It was almost as if he hadn't heard her. She pulled away and looked up.
" Squall?" she asked quietly, " Did you hear me?" He nodded. " Well, then," she said, " Were you planning on saying something?"
"...I'm...speechless..." he said, " There's so many things I could say, but I don't know which one is the right one. I don't want to screw up."
Rinoa giggled. " Why would you be so worried about something like that?" she asked. 'Don't tell me he knows...?'
His face softened. " Because nothing is too good for you," he replied, " And I don't want my reply to be anything less than perfect."
Rinoa didn't let on exactly how puzzled she was. 'Okay...' she thought, 'I've never heard...that response before...it's actually...kinda sweet, when you think about it.' She kissed his neck. " You are too sweet."
Squall laughed. Dr. Kadowaki, who was about to come in the room to check on her patient, backed out of the doorway in shock. 'That was almost scary...' she thought nervously, finding something else to keep her busy.
Rinoa laughed too. " Besides," she added, " At least you could've said, 'You're welcome,' or something like that!"
Squall's face turned pinkish. " Yeah, well..." he stammered, and Rinoa found this cute. She put her finger up to his lips.
" You don't have to say anything else." she said, grinning. He nodded in agreement. " Besides," she said, " I think you're starting to get cabin fever. Maybe you should...take care of all the paperwork you carelessly left waiting in your office?" He shook his head, and set his forehead against hers. They both were grinning. " Well, then..." she sighed, teasingly, " What ARE we going to do?"
" Save all the cutsey stuff for later, and let the doctor check on her patient?" suggested the woman in the doorway.
" For how long this time?" Rinoa asked.
" A few minutes," Dr. Kadowaki replied, " I want to run a couple of tests. It'll only be about five minutes."
" Okay..." she groaned, getting up. She kissed Squall's cheek. " I'll only be gone for a few, okay?" she promised, but he didn't let go of her waist. She chuckled. " Come on..." she begged, " Just for a little while; I am coming back, you know."
Squall refused silently for a moment, then, finally he said, " You'd better come back, or I'm coming in after you." He let her go, and she giggled.
" And you need to do some work." she replied, " Think of all the mess there is right now because a SeeD didn't get their vacation request looked over and approved in time, and they can't go visit their sick aunt. It'll all be because the Commander was too busy staying in the infirmary with an injured cadet."
He grabbed her hand. " But it wasn't just any cadet," he replied, " It was his better half."
" Stop!" Rinoa teased, " I have to go. You go do some work, and you can come visit later, okay?"
"...Okay." he replied, almost sounding like his old self again. " I'll come back soon, though." he added, stepping out into the corridor.
Dr. Kadowaki shook her head. Rinoa gave her a look. " What?" she asked.
The doctor's face looked slightly red, but gaining color, and her sides were shaking. " You two...are so..."
" 'So' what?" Rinoa asked.
" So funny." she replied, calming down long enough to finish the sentence.
Rinoa put her hands on her hips. " Very funny!" she replied, " You're just being mean."
" I promise I'm not trying to be mean," she replied, " I think...I think it's just jealousy, really."
" Jealousy?" Rinoa echoed.
" I never had a sweetheart," the woman explained, " And, to this day, I'm still alone. You're lucky, you know." She paused. " Actually, the Commander is. He used to be this stuck up tight-wad before you came along. Now..." She thought carefully. " Now, he's human. He's whole, I suppose."
Rinoa was in the middle of a daydream. Was her coming to the Garden THAT big of a difference? She thought it was for hre benefit, but was she really making a difference there as well?
" Rinoa?" Dr. Kadowaki said, " Hun? This way, please." She walked toward the laboratory, and Rinoa came to her senses. She followed her in the small room.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irvine was sitting alone in his dorm. Even if he wasn't alone, he didn't notice. He was in pain.
'First, Selphie leaves for the mission, then, she had me worried sick, then, she goes for Zell, and, to top it all off, my sister...' He stopped short. That was the most painful of all. Elaine Kinneas, his younger sister, was the one person he had cared for the most. He thought she would always be there, a shinig ray of light in this overcast and gloomy world, until she was killed during a mission. She, too, was a sharpshooter, and must have, in some way, inherited Kinneas' knack for getting nervous on the job. Her most important mission was going along smoothly, when the worst happened. Nerves took over her, and she missed her most important, as well as most dangerous target. She was killed by a sorceress; he couldn't remember her name. What he could remember was the feeling he first got when the call came to tell him the news. Now, sitting in his dorm, on the bed where he had dreams that he and his sister didn't have to assasinate anyone ever again, he was feeling the harsh pain of reality, as the words echoed through his head, " Elaine is dead, you'll never see her again, it's all your fault..."
" Kinneas?"
Irvine didn't want to look up, but he decided the sudden distraction might help him forget. When he looked up, he came face to face with Zell. He sighed, trying not to let him see the hurt he felt. He didn't speak, for fear that his voice might crack.
" Kinneas," he repeated, sitting down next to his friend, " Selphie and I were worried about you. We've been gone all week, hadn't heard from you, and when we come back, we only get the cold shoulder. What's up?"
Irvine still was silent. 'Go away,' he thought. 'Go away and leave me alone.'
" Irvine." he said, trying to get him to speak. " Please, tell me what's wrong." He paused, and tried a different approach. " C'mon, man, we're compadres! You can tell me anything! I don't care if you think it's sappy, but cry all you want!" He paused, seeing no positive effects. " Look, I've found that telling someone dulls the pain." He said, " I mean, when I lost my dad, I thought that, if I didn't tell anyone, I could pretend it never happened. But, even a year later, the pain got worse. I still didn't tell anyone, until, one day, someone threw it in my face." He paused, sighing. " I ran home, so mad, and so upset, because someone shot my father down. 'How dare they talk about him like that!' I cried. But, when I got home, my mom saw my face, and told me that the best way to feel better is to talk to someone about it. Really gets it off of your chest." He looked at his friend. " So, what do you think?"
Irvine looked up, and turned to his friend. He spoke up. " It all started with that damn phonecall..." he started, and he didn't stop. The friends talked for hours, and, in the end, both came out feeling better.
Zell practically was strutting down the hallway when Selphie ran up to him. " So," she asked him, a bit worried, " What happened?"
So, Zell walked her to her dorm, and told her the entire story, staying up late into the night telling it. He didn't leave out a single detail.
" Hyne!" Selphie exclaimed, " How awful!!! Poor Irvy..."
" I know how he feels..." Zell sighed, and Selphie put an arm around him.
" Hey, you, don't forget that all her needs is time. Oh, and a little encouragement from the posse!!" She giggled softly.
Zell grinned, and nodded. " Yep." he replied. " It just takes time and care."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rinoa was dreaming of a field. It was a beautiful field, one that stretched for miles upon miles. It was full of flowers; pretty, white blossoms that spread open like clouds. The sky was filled with similar white clouds, only a few, but they stood out in contrast to the beautiful, rich, blue sky. In her dream, she was all alone, but she was waiting. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was waiting for something.
Or someone.
Squall walked into the infirmary late that night. He didn't expect her to be awake, but he was still disappointed nonetheless, seeing her dreaming when he walked in the doorway. He quietly pulled his chair to the bedside, and sat, waiting for any sign of her awakening. ' Maybe I should sleep a little...' he thought, 'I am tired...' But, he shok his head, resolving that, at any momoent, thebeautiful girl with the silken hair would wake up from her dreaming, and not make him wait until morning to hear her sweet, singing voice again. However, not even the strongest of resolutions can keep an extremely exhausted commander awake all night long. His head soon fell on her stomache, and he dozed off.
Squall's dream was actually quite similar to Rinoa's, but neither of them would ever know that. In his dream, he was in the exact same field, covered in the same white blossoms, with the bright blue sky above him. But, instead of waiting for something, he was running, running fast. He didn't know why he was running, just as Rinoa didn't know why she was waiting, but he knew that he was trying to find someone-before it was too late.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: I actually wrote this chapter the same day as the last chapter, just that this one was (is being) written late at night, when I SHOULD BE SLEEPING!!! I have work tomorrow, and I don't do well when I stay up late. Anyway, enough about my troubles...is my writting getting good, or what? The dream sequence is the most detailed description I have ever written for a story before! pats back I'm so proud!!! Oh, and now I'm the same age as Rinny!!! I turned seventeen on the 26th of June!!! Yessssssssssssss!!!!! . Well, time to thank the awesome folks who R&Red me, and also, first, to my #!: Gracie!!! Hiya! If you need any help with that ficcie of yours, you let me know, okay? Hope you're lovin the fluff! It'll continue to spread, I promise! Well, LYL, avid fans, and I'll keep on typin! ;) Trinity