Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter.

I never do get these out fast enough. I'm disappointed at the speed of the last one, and this one. If I only told you the things I'm putting up with right now. sigh :p just read it silly-heads.

Remember. Website and stuff. :D

www(dot)freewebs(dot)com/roymustangsbabe/home.htm

Chapter 14 - Take it off

"Well, I realized something today. We've been in a gambling city all vacation, and we haven't even been gambling yet."

"I still can't believe you went to the airport to get me." Rinoa stated, leaning on Squall's shoulder on the drive home.

"I told you, I'd go to the end of the world for you. I just went to the airport. Isn't that love?" He laughed and laid his head on hers. This was how he wanted things to be.

"Squall, be serious now, you don't love me."

"Of course I do."

"We haven't known each other long enough for you to be in love with me." Rinoa giggled. She would admit it, she did like him, but love? She had misused the word one too many times to decide that so rashly now.

"It doesn't matter how long I've known you."

"But I'm just the spoiled brat from the plane." She said, poking him.

"And I'm the annoying man in the window seat. Funny we should meet on such ridiculous circumstances. But it doesn't matter how long I've known you, it matters how much."

"You don't know that much either. . ." She was making fun of him showing emotions, he knew it.

"But what I do know of you, is absolutely fantastic." Squall wasn't joking, but it did feel ridiculous, telling someone his feelings so easily. Rinoa looked up at him and smiled.

"I just think you were lonely." Rinoa laughed at the peaceful argument. How could they stay so calm when arguing, not even mad at each other? It seemed different from the disagreements her and Seifer always got into.

"What gives you that impression?" He solemnly replied.

"You know metaphysics like the back of your hand, you were forced to come to a gambling capital, you're taking on the task of being a doctor, and apparently you talk to taxi-drivers."

"Hey, I was drunk. And so were you, or else I don't think you would have married me." She blushed and nodded, resting on his chest.

"How did that happen anyway?" Rinoa politely requested the information. Squall put his arm around her, as it felt natural to do and started.

"You were drunk. . . okay, really drunk, because this silly adolescent man kept ordering you drink after drink. Then it looked like he was making the moves on you, so you were looking around for help - Thank Hyne I was there. You told him I was your boyfriend, and he backed off. . ."

"And then what?" Rinoa pushed impatiently. She wanted to get to the interesting part.

"We talked, that whole night, and you impressed me, Rinoa, you really did. Hell, I thought you were incredible. You were smart, decent, not at all like the sober you." Squall felt Rinoa hit him. "I'm kidding, but you let your mask go, you didn't care if people were looking at you for once. I've never met someone so charming in my life."

"You must've not known a lot of people, to think a drunk girl was charming."

"I wasn't aware you were that drunk. But you are, in a sense right, I didn't know a lot of girls, and the ones I did know were snobs who only cared about money and reputations. You've made it very clear you only care about the first half - " He felt another hit.

"I have a good reputation. Now keep going." Rinoa eagerly awaited to hear the rest of her escapades.

"Well, I was thinking to myself, maybe I can really get to know this woman. A marriage. . . well, that means that you're officially tied to me, now doesn't it?"

"Clever on your part. What an ice breaker, a diamond ring." She spun hers on her finger. She enjoyed playing with the ring. "But what do we do now?"

"What do you mean? Isn't there always a happy ending for romance novels." Squall was still joking around with her.

"But I don't see an author around here, I think we have to write our own story. What do we do now that we're. . . ya know, married?" Rinoa felt the anticipation build during the prolonged silence.

"Rinoa. . . about that-" Squall put his hand on the back of his head.

"Because, you know, we're stuck to each other for a while now, what do we do when I have to go home?" She interrupted, but he held up his hand to stop her.

"There's something I forgot to tell you." She watched him pause and look to see if she were listening, which she was. "Remember when I said our marriage was completely legal?"

"Of course." Rinoa said, very assured.

"Well. . .I. . . lied." Rinoa's head shot up and she looked Squall in the eyes.

"What!?" She exclaimed, hoping he could clarify into more acceptable terms.

"You see, we didn't get a marriage certificate or anything. . . It was just kind of a meaningless ceremony that nobody but a 'church' employee witnessed. . ."

". . . So all of this time. . . I was by no means tied to you!? This WHOLE hassle has been just because I was positive that I was married to you?!"

"It's not like - "

"I haven't been SLEEPING because of that! I've been so worried about how my life will be, for NO reason! How could you have lied to me like that?"

"Does it even matter?! Because of that, you dumped Seifer, the biggest ass in the world, may I add, and if I do say so myself, you found something much better." He tried to kiss her but she pushed him away.

"I'm mad at you." She pouted, looking out the window.

"Come on, Rin, do you really care about it that much?" He smirked. She looked at him with a dropped jaw, completely in awe.

". . .Are you serious right now?! Of course I care!" She shouted at him, but he still seemed indifferent to her protests and complaints.

"Listen, Rinoa, I'll make it up to you. I really didn't think about how much it would hurt you, I only thought about myself. I was selfish. Give me a chance to make it all better?"

". . ." She glared at him, and he just let his cold blue eyes return with a melancholy look.

"Please?"

". . .You're too cute for your own good, you know that?" She snapped, only giggling a minute later.

"You have one chance to make it all better. So don't screw it up."

"Then how about I pick you up at seven, and we enjoy a wonderful night out?"

". . .No boats?" She responded, with chocolate puppy eyes.

"No boats. Just you, me, and the city." He put his arm around her one more time and gave her a flat look.

"As long as the next day, I get to take you wherever I want." Rinoa laughed at her own conditions. She would make him pay for his mistake, she was sure of that.

"I agree. See you at seven." They had arrived at Rinoa's hotel, and she closed the door to the taxi with a wave. She didn't know what she would call Squall right now; Whether he was a husband, boyfriend, savior, or insane man that she was addicted to. Nonetheless, she slipped on a little blue outfit, and set to work on her appearance. A wise woman once said - which was, of course, Rinoa - that looking good was a 24 hour job.

-

"Squall, you must've been pretty dumb to have went all the way to the airport, for a girl who you claim is a pain in the ass." Irvine claimed, putting his hair in a low-ponytail, as he was accustomed to.

"Well. . .she isn't as big of a pain as I thought she was. I wasn't going to let her walk off with the wrong man." Squall replied, buttoning up a Versace shirt.

"So get down to the good stuff. . .Is she a good kisser?" Zell asked while punching the air. Irvine raised his eyebrows in intrigue.

"Zell, that's absurd, ridiculous -"

"Is she?" Zell interrupted.

". . .Yeah, she is." Squall gloated, a completely different attitude now. The other guys sounded just like a gossip group sometimes, but they were still his best friends. However, his main concern wasn't on his friends, but Rinoa. Were things going to be just as flirtatious before, or were they much more serious now? He wasn't even sure if he meant it when he said he loved her. But he did like her, at the very least. And he liked her a lot.

-

"He's late. He's late, I can't even believe this! He's always so punctual, and he's two minutes late!" Rinoa ranted, pacing back and fourth through the hotel room.

"Rinoa. . . that clock is five minutes fast, calm down. What's on your nerves?" Quistis questioned exasperatedly.

"I'm just worried about how things'll go, that's all." Rinoa cleverly reasoned.

"It's not like it's your first or last date with him, Rin. There's got to be a reason you're so nervous."

"Quisty, I dumped my boyfriend for him, what if things don't work out? I've changed too much to go back to the way things were."

"It'll be fine, you worry too much." Quistis said, rolling her eyes. For once, Quistis was the laid-back one and Rinoa was the uptight friend. What had happened over the vacation?! There was a knock at the door and Rinoa's heart skipped a beat. She felt her stomach almost drop, but she opened and let Squall in. Never before had she been this nervous for a date.

"Why hello." Squall calmly greeted, making Rinoa feel a little bit better, but still her usual perky self.

"Hey handsome." She thought to herself, they were at a good start. "Where are you taking me, this evening?"

"Well, I realized something today. We've been in a gambling city all vacation, and we haven't even been gambling yet." Squall tried to act as if gambling was an everyday thing with him, but in all honesty, he wasn't too comfortable with it. Rinoa let out a fake gasp as she closed the hotel door.

"Squall, you know better then that." She then began checking the money in her purse. "I think we can handle it, though."

So in a few minutes, they were on their way to a casino. It had the neon lights flashing, the fancy fountains outside, the whole package. It looked pretty high class. In fact, while sitting at the blackjack table, there was even champagne. Could you get better then the rich life?

Rinoa watched as Squall tried his hardest to gamble and place bets, but he was failing. Miserably. In fact, he was so miserable that he bought a few drinks. Out of all the people she had drank with, Squall had the lowest tolerance, which caused him to make bets he couldn't even succeed in.

"I know what I'm doing!" He could slur, but fourteen of hearts wasn't even a card.

Of course this made Rinoa take immediate action, and buy her own deck of cards, and take Squall far away from the casino, and back to her hotel room. The only reason she took him back to her hotel room, was because her friends would come home too drunk to see Squall under his usual composure. So they sat at the table, playing a mighty mean game of go fish.

"Two of diamonds?" Rinoa doubtfully asked.

"Fish or something." Squall said, taking some chips out of the bag on the table. Rinoa didn't feel too bad because she drew a two of diamonds out of the 'fishing pond.'

"Yes! That means I win, Squall." She triumphantly stated.

"You cheated! Ugh, I hate this game." He threw his cards on the table and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You baby." Rinoa said in disgust as she picked the cards up. He leaned in over the table and his eyes shifted around, as if looking for somebody.

"How about we play a different card game?" Rinoa shuffled the cards.

"Like what?"

"Well, I'll give you a hint. It starts with an 's' and rhymes with Strip Poker. . . Oh wait, yeah, it's Strip Poker."

"That'll be interesting. . ." Rinoa only said this, because she knew the outcome. She would win, of course. How could this belligerent man surpass her skills? "Alright, we'll play."

First hand, Rinoa beat him easily. He had a pair of twos, of course he wouldn't win. Off went his shirt.

Second hand, Rinoa once again beat his pair of sevens. His pants came off next. Rinoa looked at his body, one that she couldn't help but admit, and tried to play the game. She put down her pair of kings - couldn't lose with that. Squall smirked and dropped a straight on the table.

". . . No, wait wait - "

"Off with it." Squall said smiling, and Rinoa hesitantly lifted her shirt. It was embarrassing, but Rinoa hadn't intended on losing. She thought he couldn't even see straight, but he managed to pick a hand with one. Third hand, either Rinoa was seeing the important part of Squall or the room was going to feel a little colder. He looked at her, and then at his hand. She did the same. They met glances, and tried to stare each other down. Who was going to win, and who was going to need a blanket?

The cards went down on the table slowly, it seemed as if time wasn't going nearly as fast as it normally did. She looked at his cards. A pair of aces were laid neatly on the table. Her hand lowered down to reveal . . .

A Royal Flush.

". . .Damn." Squall muttered, reaching his hand for the line of his boxers, about to pull them down, when on perfect timing, Quistis barged into the room, screaming something about forgetting her purse. Squall's eyes widened as he sat down. Quistis had already seen it, and her friend sitting there with a top off didn't help her image of things.

". . .Oh god."