A/N: The scene with Fujin and Squall discussing their past hit too deep when Make Me Complete by BoA came on while I was writing it. The fact the song can work for them both ways? Ngl, I hurt my own feelings.

In fact, listen to that song while reading it. Hurt your feelings too.

In the mirror's a reflection of the brightest star
But her only imperfections are why she waits so long
To say the words you never say
Tell me now, whisper loud
Show me how, you feel the same way

I'm a victim of your uncertain love
Afraid to show my heart and it's because of you
I'm not giving up, so don't be the one to close the door
You only have to turn the key to
Make Me Complete

"What was the reason we broke up?"

Honesty was always something that benefitted the relationship, especially when emotionally opening up had taken approximately about eight or so months into their relationship to occur for Squall. To say Rinoa did that in about half the time was astounding or insane.

"Your selfish choice in remaining emotionally unavailable until it was too late."

Squall's eyebrows flew into his brunette hairline and he had the look of someone that had been sucker-punched, both in the face and stomach.

Yeah, that hurt more than he expected, but it should've been expected. Squall was busy trying to preserve his emotions but took in all of Fujin's love and affection when she felt comfortable in displaying them. It was so many months in their relationship that he chose to reciprocate, and by that point, he was busy playing emotional catch-up. This threw off the balance. When they decided to take their relationship to the next level intimately, he found it helped but it opened up the fact he was going to be baring more of his soul to someone. That realization at the time caused him to panic and almost shoved Fujin away—if she hadn't confessed similar fears, they wouldn't have survived the leap of intimacy together. Teenage insecurities were a bitch to handle. While it matched the intensity he wanted in someone close to him, but that very intensity scared him. If Fujin's comforting words in private was anything, it told him that maybe he could withstand that emotional hurdle that he tripped over and almost gave up on.

In the end, Fujin's gentle and relatable prodding failed where Rinoa's barrage of meddling and inability to understand, succeeded. Squall finally understood where the deep-seated issue resided.

"Ouch." He mustered, recovering from the truth. Blinking, he found himself grasping his next choice of words, "I wasn't like that the whole time…Was I?" Squall grimaced, already disliking this form of self-reflection.

"No, but enough of the time we were together you were," The silver-haired woman turned her sensitive eye towards the sun before gradually casting them down. "You were so insecure in opening up that it was draining. When you finally trusted me and started to lower your defenses? I felt we were at our happiest, Squall."

Squall knew he was difficult, but hearing it was a challenge.

"When you closed yourself off—shutting me out? That was the most damaging moment in our relationship and that's when I had enough." Shifting her positioning to turn towards Squall, the man was seeing the very face that instantaneously broke his heart and spiraled him to shove everyone out again. Seeing it after a over a year tugged at him for the fact, he did not want to fail Rinoa as he did Fujin.

"I was so patient with you; you were my first in everything Squall." She emphasized when her gaze landed on him, despite her posture already facing him.

There was nothing he could say because she was correct. Their end was as quiet as their beginning. A pensive look took over his face, he wondered…

Squall remembered being in the Training Center, preparing himself to leave to take his Fire Cavern exam. Ensuring his Revolver was cleaned off appropriately, he heard footsteps and they were coming fast. On reflex he guarded himself with his gunblade, only to have it kicked out of his hands and a swift punch to his left cheek.

Raising up carefully, cocking his head to the side he observed how Seifer was standing over him. The signature silver trench coat Almasy loved so much, billowing behind him. The fire in those cyan eyes only reserved for when Squall offended him after the blonde finished antagonizing him. Coupled with Ifrit's emulsified presence in the back of his mind and eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" Squall was irritated and his fight senses brought to the forefront.

"Don't use that tone with me, Leonhart. Consider me bein' gracious." Bringing Hyperion to Squall's face, threateningly. "Training Simulation Room in five. I ain't coming out here lookin' for ya either." Turning swiftly, he strode out of the area he found Squall. The brunette was confused and wondered what wild hair crawled up his ass.

That brief memory triggered Squall to ask, "Did Seifer find out what happened to us?" For the longest time, he always wondered what drove Seifer to be so relentless in that spar before the war even was a war.

Fujin hesitated. Squall had no reason to brace himself, months-long passed since their romantic fall out. "It was a few months after. My parents wanted me to invite my friends to their vacation house. They didn't question why you didn't show up… until afterward," She needed a cigarette for this story. Squall had fond memories of Fujin's adoptive parents inviting him. He remembered being so nervous about being introduced to his girlfriend's parents. They were kind and it was interesting that they looked like Fujin, or in this case, how Fujin looked similar to them since she was adopted.

Never being adopted out himself made him feel negative about growing up an orphan. Unknowingly, he grew jealous of people like Fujin and Zell that were able to experience that sort of parental love.

"Raijin brought up how we used to play chicken together at the pool and he wondered where you were and I… couldn't tell him why. So, I ignored it." Lighting the cigarette, she pulled from the pack.

"It wasn't until Seifer called me out on my bullshit and didn't believe for a second that you were busy because he knows you 'ain't got any friends except us'..." The drag she took was deserved. Through concentrated breath, she finished, "After arguing, I told him." The exhale was as rewarding.

That explains the cheap tricks and the aggressive way he was fighting. While Squall was an honorary Disciplinary Committee member through the association of Fujin, Seifer was fiercely loyal over his friends. So much that if he could, he would move the world for them; never get on his bad side. On that day, Squall certainly was on it. To think that it was some months ago.

"I know I can't change the past, but for what it's worth, you were the best girlfriend I ever had." He said honestly, this caused Fujin to snort in an unladylike fashion.

"Don't say that to your current girlfriend, I don't want any part of that mess." She replied tersely, adding a sharp expression towards Squall.

Squall had to admit, he had a lot to process. The silence that Fujin gave him was pleasant, even if it was daunting to be alone with his intimate thoughts. Reaching into his jacket, he took the time to smoke as he mulled over the information he received.

Rinoa was honestly the most resilient and stubborn woman he had met in quite some time. He appreciated everything she had done to get him to this point, but that didn't excuse everything that has been culminating for the past few weeks.

"You haven't answered my earlier question about why you're suddenly smoking again." Giving Squall a sidelong look from her scarlet eye.

Pausing before taking another drag, he briefly frowned. "Rinoa doesn't like it, so I compromised that I would quit for her." Flicking the excess off the end, he continued, "However, I don't like what she's been doing lately. So here I am."

"Ha! Seifer couldn't even get you to stop smoking, and she managed to do that?" Fujin couldn't even believe her ears as she tried to quell the inappropriately timed laughter.

"I don't smoke often as it is, but the fact my nerves have been shot this bad? I need this." He accented with taking a satisfying drag.

Squall added how he felt he was making more compromises than Rinoa. He disclosed that he would try to stop working so late and would arrange his schedule to spend time with her, if possible. She appeared understanding about his workload originally until recently where she expressed that they weren't spending enough time together. He told her that she could easily spend her time helping the library girl, Silivia, organize the index, or help Dr. Kadowaki in the infirmary. Rinoa's day could be easily summed up in: hanging out with friends, basking in the island weather, and napping. The latter being in abundance since any time he went to take a break and enjoy time in the dorm, she was asleep.

Originally, he didn't mind and that goes to show how far he came to realize how much of an issue that was. He expressed to her previously that she needed to find something to do so she wouldn't be so reliant on him being around and she took offense. She made the mistake of asking if she was lazy and he equally made the mistake of bluntly answering with yes. Squall expressed that Rinoa's coddled nature made him realize how much he appreciated having people around him that knew how to take care of themselves.

This wasn't a problem until something triggered for it to be brought to his attention. One day, Rinoa expressed how she was hungry and missed out on her ability to get to the cafeteria before the lunch rush. Squall had gone grocery shopping and she thought it was a great idea to make lunch for them. Unfortunately for Squall, who had been cooking his own meals on and off since he was eleven, he got nauseated trying to choke down her... concoction. He wanted to be proud of the fact she tried, but he couldn't believe she went this long without knowing how to properly prep food. Calling Quistis to tell her he couldn't attend the meeting was embarrassing.

Listing off other issues he previously overlooked, he found that he had more to complain about than he was comfortable in realizing. His eyes widened as he facepalmed at the realization donning on him. Squall felt awful.

"It seems your problem is simple, Commander. Just address it, it's what couples do." Fujin stood up, dusting off the gravel in the process.

"I have to think about how to address everything. Rinoa knows I'm not always soft in my delivery. I don't want to unintentionally hurt her feelings." Seeing her upset because of his poor phrasing or tone has happened a lot recently.

"I've got to say, you never changed your delivery for someone before," Squall flinched at that comment. Was he really altering how he approached issues to placate his girlfriend?

The silver-haired woman continued, "Apply everything you've learned from socializing with women, you'll figure it out." Turning, she shrugged, "It can't be all that bad if you're looking for a solution now instead of festering over it for months."

She had a point there.

End A/N: My friend who has never played FF8 but only knows a little about Squall read these two chapters and asked me "Is he trying to get back together with his ex?"

And I have to say, that wasn't the undertone I was going for but I'll be honest...

Squall looks like the type.