Silver and Platinum
By Selphie Leonhart
Part Two : Sorry if you were expecting more detail in the last part....I do know what 17 year olds (and fifteen year olds for that matter) would do in that situation.....
Rating : I think I decided on a 12.....for scenes of nudity!!!! And adult situations....
Disclaimer: All characters used in this story belong to Squaresoft and are used without their permission. Please do not use this story on any other website without my expressed permission.
Selphie reluctantly opened one eye, frowning at the strong sunlight coming through the window. She sat up, her hair sticking up straight and her eyelashes glueing one eye shut. She was still wearing the green skirt and t-shirt from last night, and these were creased. Glaring with one eye at the window where the natural light was coming from, she moaned as she rolled off the bed.
Dragging herself into the bathroom, she got to work on clearing off the mascara and smeared lipstick from last night, finally able to open one eye. She moaned again as she felt the dull throbbing behind her eyes, bringing back memories of the copious amount of alcohol she had drunk last night. She stripped off completely, and stood perfectly still under the lukewarm water of the shower, trying not to set off another explosion of pain in her head.
Feeling a little better, she went back to the main room, and got dressed into her freshly cleaned yellow dress. She picked up a brush, and attempted to drag it through the sodden mass of tangles which was her usually shiny straight hair. She winced in pain, every stroke of the brush set of fresh waves of pain in her head.
She cursed Rinoa's father for providing them with an unlimited amount to spend on drinks. Alcohol was very expensive in Galbadia, to discourage the soldiers from drinking too much. They must have spent almost a million gil in there between them.Selphie giggled, knowing how much Rinoa was looking forward to her father seeing the bill. She would be glad to know she was costing him a lot of money. The rooms he had paid for already were the top quality ones, especially Rinoa's, the Presidential Suite, which consisted of five rooms in total. The men hadn't been so lucky. Her father had made it clear that he didn't approve of Rinoa staying with the young men, even if they were elite mercenaries (perhaps that was why...?)
Thinking of her male friends made Selphie remember how she had been acting last night. "No! No no no no no......" she groaned, thinking about Irvine, and how she had acted. While she was shaking her head in shame, there was a knock at the door. Selphie put away the blowdryer she had been using and answered it. Predictably, it was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. Irvine stood in the doorway, a smug smile on his face.
"No no no no no......" she said, turning away from him and going back to the hairdryer, switching it on full so she couldn't hear him. He went over to the socket in the wall and pulled the plug out. Selphie sighed, and turned to him, feeling mortified.
"Squall didn't come back to his room last night." he said by way of a conversation opener, still smiling. At this, Selphie looked up.
"He didn't? And he was with....her?" Irvine nodded excitedly.
"And you thought you behaved badly." he said wickedly, letting her know he hadn't forgotten.
She blushed wildly, bringing her hands up to cover her face.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. He waved his hand in dismissal.
"Don't be. I've got to admit, I....I felt really guilty this morning. I took advantage of you, and I'm the one who should be sorry." he said, looking at the floor
She smiled, lowering her hands. "It's ok. I did actually know what I was doing. Most of the time. To tell you the truth, it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time." she said quietly, opening her big green eyes imploringly. He smiled.
"We should talk then. But not now. I've got an idea..." he smiled evilly. Selphie moved closer.
"Your room, it connects to Rinoa's, right?" he asked, pointing to the gilded door.
"No, we can't...but I would like to know..." she said, looking wistfully at the door. She ran to it, kneeling, and looking through the keyhole. Irvine knelt beside her. "Can you see the bed?" he whispered. She giggled. "I can see Rinoa's dress," she said. Irvine smirked.
"Well, look on the ground next to it then." Selphie looked, and then gasped.
"Squall's necklace!" she said in hushed tones.
Opening her eyes, Rinoa gazed at the ceiling, covered in dappled sunlight. She realised she was naked, and for a moment she was confused, she never slept with nothing on.
Suddenly she sat up straight, looking down at her side. She raised her hand to her mouth slowly, as the realisation of what had happened last night dawned on her. Squall was asleep beside her, lying on his front. She shut her eyes, trying to remember last night, and then lay back down, pulling the sheet up to cover her chest as she smiled at the sleeping Squall. He looks so sweet, she thought. Peaceful, not like the troubled look he always wore when he was awake. She lay there on her side, just smiling as she watched him.
There was a thud from the connecting door to her room. She sat up straight, the sheet slipping from her grasp as she looked in the direction of the door.
"Good morning," came a sarcastic voice from beside her. She looked down, and saw Squall smiling up at her. She smiled guiltily at him, then lay back down. He kissed her, and she pulled away, frowning. "What?" he asked gently. She shook her head.
"I don't remember what happened. Not all of it." she said, frowning at him. He stroked the side of her face, smiling at her. "Are you upset?" he asked, sitting up. She looked up at him, squinting against the strong sunlight. "No," she whispered. "I remember the important bits. And I know that I didn't object to anything which did happen. Of what I do remember, I don't regret. I'm glad we finally came out into the open about how we feel."
She sat up, the sheet around her waist. She smiled at him warmly. "I just hope that this doesn't get back to my father." she said, leaning towards him. He put his arms around her and they kissed again.
"Shhh!" whispered Selphie, giggling as Irvine tried to push her away from the keyhole.
"Don't look, you pervert," she giggled, shoving him out the way. They couldn't actually see anything, just the foot of the bed. They couldn't even tell if there was anyone but Rinoa there.
"Don't push, I'm sure I saw something just then," he replied, pushing her over.
She lay on the floor, giggling. Jumping up, she picked up a key from the dresser.
"Shall we?" she aked, flashing the key, a wicked glint in her eye. He smiled back, taking the small gold key from her.
"One...two...three!" he said, opening the door.
"Rinoa!" gasped Selphie, her mouth dropping open.
"Squall?!" yelled Irvine, throwing his hat at the naked couple kissing on the bed. Rinoa turned and gasped, grabbing the sheet to cover her body. Squall just sat there, too stunned to move. Luckily, his arm was around Rinoa, leaving her at least a tiny bit of dignity. For a minute, the four stared at each other, before Selphie backed out of the room silently, pulling Irvine after her, and shut the door behind her.
They collapsed in laughter on the other side of the door.
Quistis woke up feeling refreshed. Unknown to her, she was the only one of her friends who hadn't fallen asleep with her clothes still on (except Rinoa and Squall...but that was for another reason.) She smiled to herself, enjoying the sunshine through her window. As she walked over to the window, she stretched, taking in the lovely view over Deling City.
She walked to her bathroom, washed and changed, then left her room to go down to the bar, where they had so much fun last night.
Selphie was laughing so hard she thought she was going to wet herself. She was doubled up, one arm out to support herself on the door frame, tears of laughter running down her face.
"I can't believe it! He actually did it!" she yelled. Irvine smirked at the memory.
"He was pretty drunk last night, but not that drunk that he didn't know what he was doing." he said, laughing at Selphie's uncontrollable giggling.
"Did you see his face when we opened the door?!!" she shouted. Irvine nodded, looking a little worried.
"He is going to be sooooo mad at us....." he said to Selphie. She waved her hand.
"No he won't. We'll just say I was going in to see Rinoa and that we had no idea he would be there." she said, calming down a little at the thought of having to face Squall's anger.
"What about Rinoa?" he asked. Selphie smiled.
"She will probably be secretly pleased that we did see. Then she has proof if Squall tries to keep it quiet. But she'll pretend that she is annoyed." said Selphie, who had got to know Rinoa very well.
"Ok. Who shall we tell first?" said Irvine, grinning wickedly.
Sitting perfectly still, Squall could hear the sounds of uncontrollable laughter coming from the other side of the door. He still had his arm around Rinoa, and he turned to look at her. He was surprised to find that she had a smile on her face. She giggled at his startled look, and drew away from him.
"What....what's so funny?" he asked, watching her giggle. She put her hand on his bare shoulder, letting it trail down his chest.
"It was just....they soooo didn't expect to walk in on us doing that! Wearing....nothing!" she said, laughing. "Do you mind?" she asked him. He thought for a second then shook his head.
"I just wish we had had the opportunity to discuss this before getting into a serious relationship. And I know Irvine. He'll tell everyone. And Selphie won't be able to keep a straight face for weeks after this whenever she see's us." he said, getting out of bed. He sat on the edge and looked round to Rinoa, who was staring at him with a smile on her lips.
"Do you mind?" he asked sarcastically. She licked her lips and smiled at him.
"I didn't last night," she said.
"Well, you were in a drunken mess then. This morning you can see clearly." he said, smiling at her. She laughed.
"What are you ashamed of?" she asked wickedly, throwing a cushion at him. He gave her a sarcastic look and went into the bathroom.
She sighed happily. Then she remembered why she was there.
Dressed, clean and sober, the six friends met up in reception. They decided to go to a local cafe for breakfast, and then go to the Caraway Mansion.
When they got to the mansion, Squall asked the guard to tell General Caraway they were there. Rinoa looked nervous. Squall smiled at her, and she smiled back at him. Seeing the exchange, Selphie and Irvine giggled quietly. Rinoa turned round and glared at them, a tiny smile on her face.
The door opened, and Rinoa recognised the maid who opened the door. The maid didn't smile at Rinoa, instead stated bluntly that her father was waiting. Rinoa seemed a little surprised, the maid was one she had known from childhood. They entered the luxurious waiting room, and the six sat down as they waited for Rinoa's father to join them. Eventually, one of the servants came in. He looked sad, and gave Rinoa a look of pity.
"Miss Heartilly, would you please follow me," he said, opening the door for her. She stood up, and leaving the others, followed the manservant. This was strange, she thought. Why was it so quiet here? She tried to concentrate, but she had a terrible headache, and cursed herself for drinking so much alcohol. She was led up the stairs and down several corridors. Eventually, she was fed up.
"Where are we going?" she asked impatiently. The servant turned round.
"Miss Heartilly, we're going to where your father is." he said gently. She sighed.
"I know that! Where is he?" she asked. The servant gave her the pitying look again, and continued walking. She followed, with an exasperated sigh.
They stopped outside a massive ornate door. Rinoa looked surprised.
"The master bedroom?" she said. The servant opened the door without speaking. She walked slowly into the room and saw her father lying in the bed. He looked pale, and very sick. He stared at Rinoa as she entered the room withot speaking.
"Father, what is this? Are you very ill?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. He nodded.
"Rinoa...I'm sick." he said. She looked at him, feeling confused.
"What do you want?" she asked in a neutral tone. She couldn't bring herself to offer sympathy. He laughed bitterly.
"What made me think I could buy your love? God know's I tried. What would your mother think of me..." he said, looking at his beautiful daughter. She turned her head.
"Don't talk about her." she said quietly. He sighed.
"I need to talk to you, Rinoa. You are my daughter, and you can't change that. You are an heiress. When I die...you will get everything. You have no choice." he said. Rinoa crossed her arms across her chest, looking at the ceiling in annoyance.
"I don't want your money. Did you want me to thank you?" she asked him.
"No. I just wanted you to know.When I die, I want you to have security. I'm not having my daughter penniless. You don't have a job, or a husband, how can you survive?" he asked her.
"Ohhhh! I don't need your money!!! I have friends, we survive!" she said. Her father laughed again.
"Your SeeD friends? Do you have any self respect? They pay for themselves out of their wages. You don't earn anything!" he said, with a hint of sarcasm. She sighed.
"I suppose..." she murmured.
"Look, Rinoa, I didn't ask you to come here to argue with you. I wanted us to become friends, to try and get along. I'm..sorry. I should have given you more independence." he said. She gazed at him.
"You mean that?" she asked. He nodded.
"Then I'm sorry too. I was rash, I shouldn't have kept running away." She said quietly.
Back in the waiting room, Squall and the others were getting impatient. Glancing up, he saw that Selphie was perched on the back of the sofa, watching him, a smile on her face. He sighed, and she giggled, coming over to him.
"I'm sorry. It's just....I saw a side of you I'd never seen before. In fact... I saw more than a side...." she giggled again.
"Very funny." he said dryly. Squall looked down.
"Selph, I dunno...I mean....Rinoa is special to me, and I feel like were rushing things." he said. Selphie gasped.
"A man....saying things are going too fast....are you feeling alright?!" she said jokingly. He gave her a look, and she shut up.
"Sorry, Squall. Look, maybe you two should just talk. I know she feels the same way about you, she loves you. You two are perfect together." Selphie said, her hand on Squall's back reassuringly. He looked up at her.
"Yeah. I'll talk to her once we get out of here." he said. Just then, the door opened. Rinoa entered, looking pale. Squall stood up immediatly, knowing she was upset. Without a word, she crossed the room to him, and lying her face against his chest, began crying softly. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, and wondering what was wrong. The others, seeing how Rinoa was behaving, left the room quietly, leaving the two alone. Eventually, Rinoa looked up. Squall gazed back at her, concerned. She took in a deep, shuddering breath, and the two sat down, Squall still with one arm around her. She leant back, and holding his hand, explained what had happened.
"My father....he apologised to me. We made up, and he told me he loved me..." she said, her voice shaky. Squall didn't understand why she was crying.
"I leant over, to kiss him, and when I stood up again, his eyes were shut...and...and..." she burst into tears again. Squall hugged her tightly, stroking her hair lovingly. He felt protective towards her, and wanted to shield her from this grief. But he couldn't. He could only support her.
As they sat together, the sun slowly set outside, and Rinoa fell asleep in Squall's arms, worn out from crying.
Selphie was feeling anxious. She was worried about Rinoa. Was she alright? She wanted to know what had happened. And she wanted to hear what had gone on last night.
"Quisty, what do you think has happened?" she asked her tall friend. Quistis shrugged, and seeing a passing servant, stopped her.
"Excuse me, but has anything happened which would upset Miss Heartilly?" she asked. The young female servant looked down.
"Miss, you haven't heard? The Master has died. General Caraway. He was on his deathbed when Miss Heartilly went in to see him. When she came out he was dead. They all say he only lived this long to see her again." said the servant, sadly.
"Oh, how awful," said Quistis, understanding why Rinoa was so upset. The servant passed on, and they discussed what had happened.
Eventually, the door opened, and Squall came out. Quistis and Selphie looked at him with anxious eyes.
"You've heard?" he asked wearily. The women nodded. Squall sighed.
"Rinoa said to make yourselves at home. This belongs to her now. I'll arrange for our stuff to be brought over from the hotel." he said, turning to go back into the room. Quistis grabbed his arm.
"Squall, are you okay?" she asked softly. He looked at her, and saw the care in her face. He nodded, and she released him. He turned as he entered the room.
"Rinoa...she had only just made her peace with her father. It hit her hard." he said, and shut the door.
He sighed as he stood on the other side of the door. He didn't know what it was like to have lost a parent, as he had never had any, but Rinoa had lost both of them now. She was an orphan, like the rest of them.
He looked over to Rinoa, and saw her curled up on the couch, her eyes puffy from crying. His heart ached for her. He felt like she was a part of him now, and whatever she felt, he felt.
He crossed the room to her, and sat beside her, gently brushing away the hair from Rinoa's face. She opened her eyes, and sat up, gazing sleepily at him.
"Rinoa," he whispered, touching her face. She smiled weakly at him.
"I'm ok now. I just needed to rest." she stood up, looking around her. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about paying for another hotel room," she said in a shaky voice. Squall stood close to her, silently offering his support. She turned to him, and shook her head.
"I acted terribly. I was just trying to be rebellious. I never saw that he was really only trying to get the best for me." she said in a low voice. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she sighed.
"Lets go find the others." she said softly.
**************************************************************************
The next morning, it was quiet in the Caraway mansion. Rinoa had already spoken on the phone to several reporters from Galbadia's main newspapers informing them of her fathers death, and that she was the sole heiress of all his wealth. At the moment, it meant nothing to her. She didn't care that she was now the most powerful woman in Deling City. She just wanted some time to think.
The six of them sat in the massive dining hall, eating a luxurious breakfast prepared by the two cooks employed in the mansion. They were talking quietly, and even Rinoa managed to join in the light-hearted conversation. Even so, the mood was depressing, and it was impossible to cheer Rinoa up. Eventually, one of the servants entered the room to clear away the plates. Rinoa hadn't been able to eat anything much, and the servant, who had known Rinoa since she was little, looked at her young mistress in concern.
"Miss Heartilly, are you not hungry?" she asked softly. Rinoa shook her head, and the servant took away the nearly full plate. Squall leant over to Rinoa.
"You should try and eat something. I don't want you getting ill." he said. She smiled at him, touched by his concern.
"I'm just not hungry Squall." she said. Squall shrugged.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked her. "I understand if you want to be by yourself." he said softly. She sighed.
"I would prefer it if you all were here with me. I need some time, but with my friends. Will you stay with me?" she asked them. They all nodded.
"Of course Rinoa! We'll stay as long as you want!" said Selphie. Quistis agreed.
"You take as long as you need Rinoa. We'll be here for you." she said comfortingly.
**************************************************************************
They spent two months in the mansion. Squall and Rinoa spent most of their time together. Selphie,Quistis, Zell and Irvine explored the mansion, and the City. There was loads to do, and despite the fact that they were worried about Rinoa, they had a great time. Squall on the other hand, was deeply concerned about Rinoa. She seemed to be fading.
He didn't know what was wrong with her. One moring, he woke up to find Rinoa standing in the corner of the bedroom, staring at a painting on the wall. He had crossed the room to her, and she had felt cold to his touch. She hadn't spoken to him for a full two minutes before finaly coming round. When he asked her what the painting was, she said it was one her mother had done when Rinoa was tiny.
Then there was the physical signs. Sometimes, Squall would wake up in the middle of the night to find Rinoa curled up in a ball, as if she had severe stomach cramps. Or she would cry in her sleep, and she never knew why. What worried him most, was the fact that she was constantly sick. Every morning, he would wake to the sound of her vomiting in the en suite. He would run in there and hold her hair for her, while rubbing her back soothingly. Often, when she had finished, she would start crying, and they would just sit there on the tile floor, holding each other. He felt like he was losing her.
"Selphie?" said Rinoa quietly as she entered the library. Selphie was standing in there, reading a very old book. She shut it as Rinoa entered.
"Hi!" she said, pleased to see her friend. She was worried about Rinoa, and was glad of a chance to talk to her. Rinoa smiled weakly.
"I needed to talk to someone," she said, her voice low. Selphie led Rinoa to one of the tables, and the pair sat down. Rinoa took a deep breath.
"Selphie, I don't know what's wrong with me," she said. Selphie bit her lip as Rinoa continued. "I feel like I'm losing my mind. I'm over my fathers death, that isn't what worries me. I keep sleepwalking, and I'm being sick all the time...." she said. Selphie cleared her throat.
"Umm....have you seen a doctor?" she asked, knowing Rinoa hadn't. Rinoa shook her head.
"I've kinda guessed what might be wrong....but I'm not sure." Selphie nodded, knowing what she meant.
"You think you might be..." Rinoa nodded quickly. Selphie smiled.
"Well,do you want me to go and buy you a test?" she asked. Rinoa smiled at her gratefully.
"Would you? I'd go, but Squall would want to come with me." she said. Selphie gazed at Rinoa.
"What would he say if you were pregnant?" she asked. Rinoa dropped her eyes.
"I don't know." she said quietly. Selphie stood up.
"I'll go to the pharmacy now. Wait in your bedroom, and I'll bring the test straight up." she said. Selphie left the room, and Rinoa sighed, resting her head on her folded arms.
***************************************************************************
"Two minutes," said Rinoa quietly. She and Selphie stood outside the bathroom. Both of them were feeling tense, and Rinoa felt a kind of nervous excitement. If she was having Squall's baby.....would she be happy? She didn't know. She was too young to have children, she knew that, but she loved Squall, and she knew he loved her. She had her own house, plenty of money....she could provide for a child. It wouldn't be altogether a bad thing.
"It's time." said Selphie, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. Rinoa took a deep breath and went into the bathroom. When she came out again, she was holding them little white plastic tube at arms length.
"Selphie, I can't look at it. Tell me please...." she said. Selphie took it and gasped.
"It's pink." she yelled, hugging Rinoa. Rinoa gasped, and burst into tears.
Just then, Squall entered the room. Rinoa looked up at him, and smiled. He crossed over to her,a serious look on his face.
"Rinoa, look, I've called a doctor. I'm worried about you..." he started. She waved for him to shut up, and led him to the couch and made him sit down.
"Squall, I'm not ill." she said. He looked at her closely. She had been crying, but there was colour in her cheeks, and she looked happier than she had been recently.
"What is it?" he asked her. She took a deep breath.
"I'm pregnant." she said. His mouth dropped open. He put his head in his hands, shutting his eyes. The smile left Rinoa's face, and a feeling of dread crept over her.
"You...don't want our baby..." she whispered, barely audible. Squall looked at her.
"I didn't say that," he said, his voice harsh. She swallowed hard.
"I know it's a shock...but...we should think about this...I...I don't want to have an abortion" she said with tears in her eyes.
Squall took her hand and attempted to smile. "Rinoa, I'm just happy you aren't ill. I don't want you to get rid of our child. You have no idea how worried I was." he said. He looked down. "This is a shock, yes. But I'm not angry. Or upset. It's very strange, to think that I'm gonna be a father....but....if you're happy, then..." he said, smiling weakly at her.
She gasped happily, and threw her arms around him.
"Yes! I am happy!" she said. He smiled back, and it was a genuine smile with warmth.
In the corner, Selphie danced from foot to foot happily watching her two friends embrace.
Part Three