Disclaimer: I don´t own Final Fantasy VIII...
Unexpected Destiny
Chapter 21: Laguna
By CelestialRage
Squall´s eyes opened.
Instead of the wooden walls of the luxurious SeeD cabin, he was surrounded by trees.
Where am I?
He could smell the forest´s fragance all around him, hear the birds' chirping and even gunfire far away from his position. His head turned to his sides, though not on his will, it was as if someone else was controlling his body. Squall could feel his body aching due to physical exersion, though he didn´t recall what he had been doing in order to feel that way.
His right hand came to his face in order to shake a fly away, the brunet immediately noticing his black leather gloves had been replaced by ones made out of cloth. Something around his arm caught his attention: it was a galbadian arm armor.
"Uh... Laguna?" a soft male voice said behing him.
Squall spun around, his gaze fixed on a dark-skinned man wearing a galbadian armor. His long hair was arranged in slim tresses, visible because he had no helmet on. The strange-looking man was wielding a pair katals, short but very sharp blades with a handle at the end. The SeeD was surprised, normally g-soldiers only wielded short swords of rifles.
The man´s voice was heard again "Are you sure this is the right way?"
Squall shrugged involuntary and he felt a grin forming on his lips.
...What the..?!
"Oh, boy, not again!" a deep loud voice said, this time on Squall´s right. His head turned, his eyes meeting those of a bulky tall man. The SeeD was surprised to see there was a g-armor that fitted his massive size. The heavy-set soldier was scarred across his face's left side, the mark running from his temple all the way down to his chin. He wore a blue rag tied around his head, while his hands held what appeared to be a huge heavy-looking black harpoon. "We´re lost, righ?" asked the bulky man.
"'Course not!" replied Squall, his lips moving on their own will. He was surprised by the sound of his voice, it was completely different. Not even his accent was the same. "C´mon!" he said as his legs started their way across the deep forest that surrounded him.
Is this a dream?
Squall´s steps carried him all the way towards a small river. He turned around and watched the men accompaning him, his alien voice was heard again "Let´s get some rest." The men nodded as they approached the river, the clear water easing their thirst. The brunet bent down, his hands extending to take some of the liquid in them. Finally, the SeeD could see his reflection on the water.
He was not Squall.
He was older, mid-twenties more or less. His long, shoulder-lenght hair was black, kind of reminding him of Rosie's, though the texture was much like his own. His eyes were green, his nose a little thinner. His eyebrows and mouth were like his own, except this "Laguna" guy had a tendency to smile a lot, habit Squall lacked. As his companions, he was clad in a galbadian uniform, a heavy machinegun hung from his right shoulder while the belt around his waist held many hand grenades.
A sudden rustling of nearby bushes, made him spun around, his hands bolting towards the weapon, holding it ready for attack. Squall stood up, noticing he was taller too.
A brown-greyish tail was seen quickly vanishing between the nearby foliage. The dark-skinned man relaxed his ready position.
"Just a Geezard." he muttered.
"Hate those little buggers." said the bulky man. "Besides, we got more important things to do, like fighting the Timber army."
"Yeah, if we can find it." replied the dark-skinned smirking, he looked at Squall and added "So, mighty white hunter, which way do we take?"
Squall´s head turned to the sides, his arm raising to indicate a path between a thick portion of trees. "That way." He said.
The dark-skinned man snorted "You didn´t even look at the map!"
The bunet's alien voice was heard again "Kiros, I´m going with my gut, man!" Without even letting any of the men reply, Squall started running down the path "C´mon!"
"Hey! Laguna, wait!" said Kiros before he and the other man started their way after him.
ooo ooo
Rosie´s eyes wandered across Squall´s face.
The weight of the male SeeD when he collapsed had almost knocked her down. The raven-haired girl had tried to support him, but wasn´t strong enough to carry his entire weight, although she had managed to slow his fall, thus preventing him from hitting the floor hard. Now, she was sitting on the floor, her legs crossed as she rested Squall´s head on them. Her left hand stroke his soft copper bangs as her right one traced every feature of his face.
A complete hour had passed since her friends went unconscious, and she wasn´t sure how many more time they were going to remain like that. She took Squall´s right hand and looked at his watch. It was only 8:00 pm, which meant they were still 12 hours away from Timber more or less.
Rosie sighed as she carefully placed down his arm, her fingers caressing his hand slightly, half hoping he would wake up, half hoping he wouldn´t. Her eyes fixed on the emblem resting on his chest. Her right hand made its way from his hand to his chest, grabbing the silver lion shape, her fingers tracing every curve as she smiled.
It was a forbidden priviledge to be this near to him, to hold him like she was doing. Not to mention the way she had touched his face or was stroking his hair. She knew the brunet would go ballistic if he happened to wake up to find himself like this...
But she couldn´t help it.
Rosie´s eyes shifted from Griever to Squall´s face. Her smile widdened as he took a deep breath. He looks so cute when he´s sleeping! His frown is gone and he seems so peaceful... Her fingers caressed his cheek very softly, as though she was touching a butterfly´s wings. His skin was barely coarse, Rosie guessed he had shaved that morning. Her thumb traveled to the corner of his lips and brought it up slighlty, forming a little smile on his face.
Rosie giggled.
He´d look even more handsome if he smiled more often.
Her mind suddenly played the last scene of the game, when Squall smiled to Rinoa. The raven-haired girl´s smile vanished. Remembering the events of the Inauguration Ball, her heart ached and tears formed at the corner of her eyes.
We´re almost in Timber... you´ll see Rinoa again.
She closed her eyes, a single tear escaping her right one and rolling all the way down her cheek. Rosie opened her eyes and focused them on Squall´s face.
If it´s destiny... then.. She gazed at his lips, the raven-haired girl moved slowly, closing the gap between them as she closed her eyes again.
I want to know how this feels... even if it´s just once...
Her lips were mere inches away from his. Rosie could feel his soft breath against her skin.
She stopped.
... If I do this... it means I´ve already given up on him...
Her lips were barely separated from his.
But, what if I don´t have the chance to do this again?
What if I lose him to Rinoa?
He danced with her in the Ball, after all... If he doesn´t like me, then it´s useless... all my efforts would be futile, just like Quistis´s...
She sighed...
But if I get him to like me, wouldn´t it be wonderful if he was the one that kissed me instead of stealing this kiss from him?
Squall deserves better.
I want him to choose... but in the process I could lose him...
Should I give up now and enjoy this little moment? Or should I keep going and risk to lose it all?
... and moved away.
Dark eyes opened and focused on his slumbering face as tears rolled slowly down her cheeks.
Even if you choose her... I won´t regret the time I´ve been given with you.
Ever.
"But I won´t give up on you, not without a fight..." Her soft voice was barely above a whisper. "I promise."
ooo ooo
Laguna squeezed the trigger, sending another burst against the upcoming monsters. Kiros spun around, his katals slicing a Geezard´s head off.
"Ward, on your left!" yelled the dark-skinned man as he made a somersault to avoid a fire spell.
The bulky soldier turned, bringing his weapon up, the sharp end of the harpoon piercing the Geezards abdomen as he halted the monster's jump towards his throat.
Laguna released a hand grenade, the explosive artifact rolling between the horde of monsters. "Take cover!" he yelled to his comrades as he aimed the device. He pulled the trigger lightly, controlling the weapon´s blast. Three bullets left the cannon, hitting the grenade, followed by a massive explosion.
"Yeah!" yelled Laguna as a dozen Geezards blew to smitherens.
Kiros sliced open another Geezard´s chest as Ward finished off the last monster of the pack. The dark-skinned put away his weapons and dusted his uniform free from Geezard's intestines.
"Damn, that´s going to leave a stain." he muttered sneering.
Laguna reloaded his machinegun and said "Finally had some fun, uh?"
"Barely." replied Ward smirking "Those Geezards are hardly a challenge."
"Indeed." said Kiros "They just served as a warming up."
"You´re right." said Laguna. "We didn´t even break a sweat."
"Well, how are you supposed to break a sweat if you just squeeze a trigger?" replied Kiros sarcastically "I don´t see how much exercise you can do."
"Hey!" exclaimed Laguna indignated, gaining a chuckle from his buddies at his reaction.
"We better get going, can´t wait to fight the real thing." said Ward as he carried his massive harpoon on his right shoulder.
ooo ooo
Three hours later, the Galbadian soldiers had killed most of the Geezard population inside that Timber forest. The echoes from the battle had died down an hour ago.
"Hey, aren´t we here to fight a war?" asked Ward as he shook his weapon clean of Geezard´s innards. He turned to look at his buddies "You know, against the almighty Timber army?"
"Yeah." replied Laguna.
"Then why are we wasting our time messin´ with these animals?" asked Kiros.
"Well... " said Laguna scratching the back of his head. "You see... it´s just that... uhh..."
Kiros´s voice cut him off "Don´t tell me we´re lost again."
Laguna´s only reply was a shy smile.
Kiros and Ward shook their heads in unison "I can´t believe it!" said the dark-skinned man.
"When were you going to tell us?" asked the bulky soldier.
"Uh.. soon, I guess." Laguna shook his head and said "Anyway, the battle is already over, and we´re should go home." He grinned and excitedly said "Deling city, here we go!"
"Wait a second, Laguna!" said Kiros crossing his arms "Were you avoiding the battlefield on purpose?"
When he remained silent, Ward shook his head and asked "Why?"
Laguna sighed and looked at his buddies. "Look, I know it´s our duty to fight for Galbadia. But I don´t feel like fighting against inocent people just because Vincer Deling wants to get his hands on Timber. Nor do I want to see my friends die for such a silly cause."
"We can´t choose which battles to fight, my friend." replied Kiros.
"Yes we can." said Laguna, his voice determined and full of emotion. "We´re free men, not mattering what Deling says or does... There´s always a choice."
After a couple of silent minutes, Ward sighed and said "So, what now?"
Laguna shook his head "If you want to denounce me, it´s cool. The least I want is for you to get into trouble just because of me."
"And risk having you loose without our supervision?" replied Kiros smirking "No way."
"Yeah, you could cause another Centra cataclysm." said Ward chuckling "We can´t risk that."
Laguna smiled. "What would I do without the two of you?"
"Nothing. Without our backup, you would be dead by now." said Kiros, gaining a laugh from his comrades.
ooo ooo
Squall´s conscience struggled to get free from Laguna´s physical form. But despite his fierce fighting, the SeeD was still stuck inside the alien body. Exhausted, he sighed. He had no choice but to sit down and witness the events unfolding all around him.
What is going on? Am I dreaming?
It didn´t feel like any dream he had ever had. It was far too vivid to be just a product of his mind, he could feel the sweat running down his forehead, the ache of his tired limbs and the heat of the forest surrounding him. Besides, judging for the things the soldiers had said, Squall was seeing the past. The war between Timber and Galbadia had taken place 18 years ago... even before he had even been born.
How could this be?
And who the hell is this guy? Why am I occuping his body?
ooo ooo
Deling City.
The town that never sleeps.
Laguna remembered the turist ads to say something like that about his hometown. He smiled, they couldn´t be more accurate. Even late at night, the city was crowded. The night life was the best in the whole Galbadia continent and many of the wealthiest families lived there, causing the establishments to offer the best quality services available.
The soldier steered the wheel, driving the Galbadian vehicle through the city´s main avenue. He stopped in front of the train station, deciding to arrive to the establishment he had been thinking about by foot. Laguna switched the engine off and stepped outside the vehicle.
"H-Hey! You can´t park in the middle of the street!" protested Ward
Laguna smiled unworriedly and said "Chill man, it´s cool." Much for his friend´s astonishment, the black haired soldier called a trooper guarding the entrance of the station. "Hey, Billy! Could you park this for us?"
"Yes, sir!" the trooper saluted "I´ll take care of it."
"Thanks." replied Laguna as he returned the salute. He turned to see his buddies and asked "So, how´s about a drink?!"
"Like you drink..." said Kiros smirking "We know you´re not in it for the drinking. Why don´t you admit it already?"
"Yeah." replied Ward chuckling "Just drink some juice like a weenie and then gawk at the piano lady."
Laguna folded his arms and angrily said "Don´t call her the piano lady!" He shook his head and turned around "That´s it! Forget it, I´m not going." He said indignately.
His buddies chuckled and started walking pass him.
Kiros turned his head just enough to see Laguna and said "So you say, but we know you will..."
ooo ooo
The bar of the Galbadia Hotel was the most elegant in the city, but one couldn´t expect less from the most prestigious – and therefore, expensive – hotel in town. Famous for its richly decorated rooms, excellent service and its bar´s vast alcohol stores, the Galbadia Hotel was the staying place for many of the wealthy men and women that travelled to that city.
Laguna, Kiros and Ward entered the bar, the stairs leading to the main area were upholstered by a red plush carpet. There were several booths and tables lit by a little chandelier on the center of each table, making the atmosphere even more intimate. On the far corner of the room, stood a high golden stage, the center piece was a beautiful, black piano. Laguna looked at the musical instrument, a dreamy smile crossing his face for an instant.
"Welcome, gentlemen." A pretty waitress greeted them. She smiled and said "Your usual table is ready."
Laguna nodded and was about to answer when he heard a buzz inside his head. It was as though a voice had whispered something he couldn´t quite made out. "What?" he asked.
"What´s wrong?" asked Kiros.
The black-haired man shook his head to clear his thoughts, the buzz was still there but not as loud as it had been mere seconds before. "I... I don´t know..." he replied frowning and placing his right hand on his forehead.
"Wait a second..." Ward looked at his friend and worriedly asked "Is your head buzzing?"
"Yeah, how did you know?" asked Laguna.
"Because I´ve been having the same feeling." replied Ward
"What... you too?" asked Laguna, his eyes widening at Ward´s comment.
The bulky man nodded "Yeah, ever since we were in Timber."
"Me too..." said Kiros frowning. "I´m worried, it seems more than just a coincidence, don´t you think?"
"Hey, we´re just tired, that´s all." said Ward trying to calm down his comrade. The heavy-set man surrounded Kiros and Laguna´s shoulders with his massive arms and smiling, said "We´ll be fine after a drink, or two or three..."
ooo ooo
Squall was surprised his anxious thoughts had some effect on Laguna, apparently the black-haired soldier had heard his voice inside his mind. But how convenient was for the SeeD to let his presence be known?
He decided not to risk any dangerous situation, after all, he had no clue of what was going on and no physical form with which to defend himself. Not to mention, the body he was currently occupying didn´t respond to any of his commands.
His disadvantage and clear helplessness only served to further frustrate the SeeD, who had never encountered himself in a situation in which he was utterly lost. Normally, Squall always worked a way out of his troubles, but this time...
He was clueless.
ooo ooo
A waitress approached the booth Laguna and his comrades were in. Smiling she asked "What are you going to have tonight, gentlemen?"
Laguna smiled back at her "The usual, Sherry. Thanks."
"Me too." said Kiros.
"And keep them coming, honey..." added Ward as he leaned against the back of the booth.
Sherry smiled at them and nodded "Krakka beer coming right away." She turned and walked towards the bar, on the other side of the room.
Kiros turned to see Laguna, whose stare was fixed on the stairs leading to the hotel´s lobby. He smiled knowingly and sent a blow to Ward´s ribs in order to get his attention. He motioned towards their unsuspecting comrade, the bulky man chuckling slightly at Laguna´s reverie.
Sherry returned quickly with their order, Ward and Kiros losing no time to start tasting the bitter drinks. Laguna, on the other hand, contented himself with sipping little by little the glass´s contents, his eyes never leaving the stairway.
A couple of beers later, Ward noticed his black-haired comrade had just drank half of his first glass and his eyes were still waiting for her to walk down the stairs. The bulky man smirked, deciding to encourage Laguna and end his comrade´s suffering once and for all.
"So, Laguna..." he said as he shifted his glass´s contents "Julia should be making her appereance soon." Ward smiled, squinting his eyes at his comrade and asked "You goin´ for it tonight?"
Laguna turned, his face turning red as he looked at his buddies. "W... What?"
"Yeah, go for it." said Kiros before drinking the rest of his glass. He turned to face Laguna and shrugged "You´ve been dribbling about her for months now. Be a man and make your move already!"
"C´mon, Laguna..." said Ward. His eyes suddenly focusing on the top of the stairs. "Here´s your chance..."
Laguna turned, his face blushing further when his eyes settled on the lady entering the bar. Her slim siluette was enveloped in a large crimson dress, that slid behind her as she made her way gracefully towards the piano. Cheers and claps sounded all through the bar as the beautiful and elegant dark-haired woman settled down at the musical instrument. Her delicate features seemed even more beautiful when she smiled warmily at the audience, catching Laguna´s heart.
Julia´s fingers moved, the piano producing a clear and soft sound as the lady played a lovely tune. Laguna was lost within the beauty of both, the melody and its interpreter, until Kiros´s voice cut off his reverie.
"So, you´re going to invite her or not?"
Slightly annoyed by the interruption, Laguna said "What-ever, man." He shook his head nervously at the perspective of even talking to her "Can´t you see she´s working?"
"Come on, go wave to her at least." replied Kiros.
"Give me a break..." exclaimed Laguna.
"So you say..." said Ward as he emptied his glass "...but we all know you´ll do it."
"Okay, okay..." Laguna took another sip of his beer, hoping the alcohol would help him get through this. He stood up and started his way towards the piano.
Okay, I can´t back up now. If I do it, the guys will call me wuss forever...
ooo ooo
As Laguna walked determined across the room, Kiros turned to see Ward. His eyes were wide as he said "Never thought he´d actually do it."
"Tell me about it." replied the bulky soldier. He smirked and said "Ten gil, he gets a cramp on his leg."
Kiros smiled as he turned to watch their friend "You´re on."
ooo ooo
To be this close to Julia...
Laguna´s heart raced and he was positive his face was as red as a Catoblepas´s skin. Despite his best efforts to try and control his nerves, the beauty of the pianist, along with his own overreacting nature did little to aid his current condition. His eyes focused on her face, Julia´s attention was on the keys she pressed in order to create the melody.
She sure is pretty...
ooo ooo
If there was a way to mentally roll one´s eyes, Squall did it at that moment. He couldn´t believe Laguna was acting like that just for a girl... woman or whatever.
Is this guy serious?
He shook his head.
To lose all your composture just because of a female´s presence? I can´t believe that!
Squall bowed he would never act like that.
Not ever.
ooo ooo
Laguna was close to the stage, his eyes never leaving her form. Suddenly, he felt a very familiar sensation running through his right leg.
He panicked.
Uh-oh! My leg´s cramping up!! The galbadian soldier held his leg fast as the annoying and slightly painful feeling spread through his limb. Argh! Why now?!
ooo ooo
Squall just had one word to describe what he was witnessing.
Sad.
ooo ooo
Laughter coming from the audience could be heard, catching Julia´s attention. She looked up and watched as a tall soldier she had seen in several ocassions in the bar was walking... well, more likely limping, towards her.
He smiled a little and shyly said "Hi."
Julia couldn´t help but smile back.
ooo ooo
She smiled at me!!
Laguna was more than happy and could have jumped excitedly had it not been for the cramp quickly spreading through his leg towards his butt. Deciding to take his leave before he fell flat on his face and embarrased himself even further, the galbadian soldier smiled again at the beautiful lady in front of him and turned around.
ooo ooo
"Okay, pay me." said Ward as he watched Laguna limping towards their table as fast as he could.
"Here ya go." replied Kiros, handing his buddy the promised cash. Once their black-haired comrade was near, the dark-skinned soldier smiled and said "Good work, Laguna."
"Mission successful." added Ward chuckling. Laguna said nothing and took a seat near Kiros. The bulky man drank half of his beer and said "I didn´t think you´d actually do it. Our popularity rating´s gone up one point."
"Yeah, but you cut a pretty pitiful figure up there." replied Kiros, his laughter barely allowing him to speak. "I´d say you´re about a –3 on the manliness scale."
"Say what you want." said Laguna annoyed not only at his friend´s comments, but at his own foolishness. He sighed and took another sip of his beer "Julia sure is pretty..."
"Ahhh..." Kiros´s voice made his head shot up. He looked at his comrades, whose demeanor had suddenly changed and seemed to be searching for something to say.
"What?" asked Laguna, confused by their behavour.
"Laguna, we´re off." said Kiros as he and Ward stood up and turned to leave.
"Hey! What´s the rush?!" asked the black-haired man as he stood up ready to follow his buddies. Ward turned towards him and smiled.
"It´s on us tonight. So relax and stay a while, Laguna." With that, the bulky man walked away, leaving his comrade alone and more confused than he had ever been in his life.
"What the hell is with them?" Laguna muttered as he scratched the back of his head.
A soft voice was heard just behind him "May I?"
The soldier turned around quickly and was completely in shock when he came face to face with his goddess. Julia was right in front of him, smiling. His mouth said the first thing that came to his mind "Aaaaa..."
Her smile grew even wider.
Laguna gulped and tried to settle himself. His voice betraying his nervousness as he shyly said "P..please.. sit down..." he limped to the right side of the booth, leaving her enough space to take a seat. Julia didn´t take the offering, her gaze fixed for a second on the other two men, who were now sitting at the bar.
"Did I interrupt anything?" she asked worriedly.
"N-N-No! Not at all!!" Laguna stammered. He took a deep breath to try and lower his tone and said "P-please, s-sit down." Julia smiled and obliged, her gaze now fixed on the man at her right, oblivion to his internal panic.
Oh man! Oh, man! It´s HER!!
What do I do?
Kiros?
Ward?
Help!
What do I say? I don´t want to look even dumber than I already have... He watched her out of the corner of his eyes. But man, she´s so pretty...
ooo ooo
Squall sneered, his eyes widdening a little.
What is this guy thinking...?
ooo ooo
"You okay now?" she asked, her soft voice sending chills down Laguna´s spine.
"Kind of..." as always he replied the first thing that came to his mind.
"How´s your leg?" asked Julia, her eyes locking with his, causing Laguna to loose all trace of his surroundings. He had barely heard her question, just remembered the last word, which he repeated.
"L-Leg?" Suddenly remembering his limb´s condition, he smiled a little and said "Oh, this?! Yeah, it´s fine. Happens all the time when I get nervous..." Shit! I shouldn´t have said that last part! Laguna faked a cough, trying to get her attention off his last comment.
"Were you nervous?" Julia asked, a playful smile on her red lips.
"Oh, yeah." Laguna admitted "I´m still kinda."
She bowed her face. "You don´t have to be nervous around me."
"Oh, sorry." replied Laguna a little anxious at her sudden change of demeanor. The last thing he wanted was to hurt or annoy her in any way.
"Say.." her voice made him relax a little. She moved slightly closer to him, her tone becoming lower, almost a whisper "Would you like to talk somewhere private? I have a room here..."
"I-In your room?!" Laguna said more louder than he had intended to, but the idea of being alone in Julia´s room made him even more nervous than he had been before.
She blushed a little and said "Well..." her gaze turned to her left side, watching at the room they were in "It´s kind of hard to speak freely here... Everyone´s listening in." Laguna hadn´t noticed they were the center of attention, he turned and see as everyone in the bar were either looking at them, or leaning closer in order to catch their conversation. Julia´s gaze returned to the man in front of her "If you´d like to, please come by." Her head bowed a little again "I´ve been wanting to talk to you." Her eyes suddenly locked with his as she nervously asked her next question "You don´t want to?"
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Laguna excitedly.
"Then I´ll go ahead and wait for you." smiling, she stood up, Laguna following her example. She nodded and said "Ask for my room at the front desk, okay?"
All Laguna could do was nod dumbfolded and keep looking at her as she turned around and left, flashing him a smile as she walked past him.
Am I dreaming?
ooo ooo
Squall´s frustration was on the top of his limits.
This is a dream... this is a dream... he repeated like a mantra, thinking maybe that way he would wake up from this vivid nightmare.
ooo ooo
No, this can´t be a dream! Prayed silently Laguna as he slowly started his way towards the stairway.
ooo ooo
Squall shook his head.
It´s too weird to be a dream...
ooo ooo
Laguna still was in shock. He couldn´t believe his luck!
Julia... She wants to talk... to me?
ooo ooo
Squall sighed, exasperated at Laguna´s internal conversation.
He speaks to himself too much.
ooo ooo
His lips formed a wide, dreamy smile as he replayed the last moments in his mind.
And just the two of us!
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
Get it together, Laguna!
ooo ooo
Squall shrugged.
... Whatever.
ooo ooo
I always screw up by talking about myself too much. It´s always been like that... But not tonight! I´m all ears for Julia. He was determined to do whatever it took to help his goddess with her troubles. As Laguna took the first step on what he considered the stairway to heaven, Kiros´s voice was heard.
"Don´t just yap-yap-yap, okay? You gotta listen to her too."
Laguna nodded "Don´t worry, man."
Kiros turned to see Ward "50 gil he won´t let her even say hi."
The heavy-set man smiled widely "You´re on."
ooo ooo
Laguna looked out of the window. Julia´s room was located on the sixth floor and had a very beautiful view from Deling City´s Main Gate.
He was still embarassed. Despite his best efforts, his old habits refused to die and he had ended yapping again. Not only that, he had even fallen asleep due to a glass of wine he had drank very quickly trying to calm the thist provoqued by his never-ending chatter. Julia was very polite, she had never interrupted him, even when he started talking about the missions he had gone off to, or how he´d like to leave the army and start a new life as a world-traveling journalist.
He looked downwards and settled his gaze on her, she was sitting on a chair next to him. "I´m sorry, I have a tendency of talking too much." He apologized.
Julia looked up and smiled, much to his surprise, the galbadian soldier expected her to be quite mad at his babbling. "It´s okay, I like the way you talk about your dreams, how you speak your mind without reservation. You´re a honest person and that´s something you don´t encounter every day in Deling."
Laguna smiled, blushing a little at her compliment. His voice softly said "Tell me about yourself. Like... your dreams for the future."
She sighed. "I... I want to sing." She shook her head "Not just play the piano, but sing too..." Julia looked at him a little embarrased "Sorry, I think that´s not what you meant..."
"No, no." He shook his head and smiling, he added "I think it´s a wonderful dream and I´d love to hear you sing."
Julia smiled sadly "But I can´t...I´m not good at writing lyrics..."
Laguna frowned, his gaze settling on the roof. He had never thought about the difficulty around writing a good lyric "Hm... it must be tough." He muttered. Her voice made him move his face down in order to face her.
"But thanks to you, I think I´d come up with something."
"Thanks to me...?" asked Laguna dumbfolded.
Julia nodded "Yes..." she came closer to him, her soft voice enveloping his senses "The many faces you´ve shown me.. Times when you were hurt, worried... or felt pain deep inside you..." She stopped mere inches away from him, her deep brown eyes gazing directly inside his green ones. "Your smile, your face, your eyes... You´ve shown me something... I think I can come up with a song."
"I must be dreaming..." was all he could answer.
She took his left hand on hers, pinching it softly, making him flinch at the sudden slight pain. "It´s not a dream, is it?" she asked playfully, gaining a chuckle from the tall man in front of her.
Laguna drew a little closer to her, his eyes never leaving Julia´s. He was about to close the gap that separated him from the girl of his dreams, when a sudden knock broke up the moment.
"Hey, Laguna!" Kiros voice was heard "We got new orders. Meet at the presidential residence on the double!"
Julia clenched his hand tighter as her eyes focused on his again "Can we meet again?"
Laguna smiled warmily. "Of course. I still have to come to hear you sing."
ooo ooo
Just as Laguna finished to say this words, Squall´s vision blurred. The SeeD blinked, trying to focus the female face in front of him, but his vision just got worse. Darkness began to engulf him again as he tried desperately to fight the shadows away.
A minute later, he knew nothing else.
ooo ooo ooo ooo O ooo ooo ooo ooo
Author´s note:
Hi again! I hope you liked this chapter.
I know... why couldn´t Rosie just kiss him and keep going as if nothing had happened? Well, I wanted her to stand strong and reject doing what she wanted the most. I think if you really love someone, you have to put his/her interest before yours, and Rosie did just that, giving Squall the chance to choose instead of just stealing a kiss from him, not mattering how tempting the mere idea is.
Besides, being unconscious Squall couldn´t have returned the gesture! Jajaja ;D
Love ya and see ya soon!!