"Than I pronounce you man and wife." Edea said.
Squall kissed Rinoa. The shock still hit him as hard as that first time on the balcony. Edea had done the service. Actually Squall had hoped Cid would have done it, but he hadn't showed up. It saddened Squall, but he wasn't about to let it ruin his day. Cid would come around. As he turned around and walked to the rental car he saw his old comrades, that's what they were now, in a flash. Zell, with a hot dog in his hand, was pretending not to have tears in his eyes, Irvine and Selphie were standing side by side, Irvine fearfully seing the gleam of Selphie at Rinoa's bouquet. He didn't see Quistis untill Rinoa threw her bouquet. As all the women and girls went for it, Quistis remained standing, a sad look on her face. The bouquet fell before her. She picked it up, and threw it at Selphiewho catched it. Irvine glared at Quistis. Than Squall went into the limo. He was still dressed in a SeeD uniform, though he wasn't a SeeD anymore. The words hit him. He was not a SeeD anymore. The only things he had now that reminded him where his uniform, the money on his account, and the Lionheart that was in a case in the trunk. Locked. He had said his last goodbyes to each of the GF's he had used, some of them were sad, others had used it as a last resort to abuse him. He looked back trough the back window a last time. "Regrets?" Rinoa asked. Squall knew that she wouldn't be angry if he would change his mind. She knew this place was special to him. Squall turned back to her. He looked at her, dressed in a light blue marriage dress. "No."
They drove over to Balamb, loaded their luggage in the train, and left for their honeymoon. As the train left, a blond man in a white trenchcoat watched the train leave. He didn't cry. He didn't even feel sad. Just very tired. He knew that this had been the only outcome possible. He remebered Edea's coice, back in Timber. He had lost Rinoa there and than, or maybe even when he had failed his SeeD test. In any case, even if he could have done something than, it was to late now. Rinoa was gone. He waived at the leaving train.
"Goodbye, Rinoa... I hope Squall will make you happy. If he doesn't I'll personally slit his throat." He turned around. "Come on Rajin and Fujin, let's go to the hotel room" The two followed.
...
Squall stretched and started to put on his clothes. This had been their first night as a married couple. They had slept together before. Neither of them was particulary conservative about that, but to Squall, this had been a night unlike all the others. Even as he and Rinoa made love, there was a part of him that wasn't busy with Rinoa, even than. A part of him that was prepared to stand up, salute and get into a fight at any time. the SeeD. Squall didn't know if the SeeD was dead, but at least he was asleep, and didn't bother Squall, the man in love. He looked at Rinoa, who was still sleeping. He took the bottle of chapaign and pushed it against the bottom of her feet. She yelped.
"SQUALL!! Don't ever do that again!" She smiled.
Squall smiled back. "You're not gonna sleep away this whole vacation Princess. What do you say we go and see the town.?"
"Hmmm, I'm too lazy."
Squall grabbed her. "I'll carry you"
She giggled as Squall caried her trough the room like a baby. Than she closed her eyes and rested against his chest, still covered in blankets. She felt how Squall softly put her back down on the ground. She smiled. As long as she was in the blankets, she wasn't going to wake up. Than Squall turned on the shower's cold water.
...
Rinoa and Squall walked trough FH with their arms in eachother. It was very late in the afternoon, since Squall had been forced to comfort Rinoa for a long time. But now they were happily strolling. They saw that people startled when they saw him, and Squall noticed that they all looked wondering at his hip. Where his gunblade used to be. They were wandering down the long stairs at the center of the big dish, when they suddenly heard a woman.
"YOU!" They turned around and saw Flo coming at them.
"What are YOU doing here? Bringing more problems? When will you SeeD's and soldiers get that FH is a place for peacefull people?"
Squall and Rinoa exchanged glances and laughed. Flo was flabbergasted. Than, they both showed their hands. The rings with the lions weren't on their neck anymore. Rinoa smiled
"We do realize that. That's why we came here."
Flo mumbeled an apology and left. Squall and Rinoa went further down untill they arrived at the center. Rinoa and Squall walked on the edge of the 'island.' Rinoa smiled.
"Remember when Irvine put that 'magazine' here Squall?"
Squall nodded. He motioned her to sit down.
"Yes, Rinoa, I remember it." He walked back to the building in the center and took something out of a box that seemed to be standing there by coincidense. Than, suddenly, the lights went on music started to play. Squall took the mike and started singing. It was horribly of key, but to Rinoa it sounded as the song from a nightingale. It was a sad song, it sounded pleading, yet had a strange... cold honesty that she had heard from Squall.
If there is a tear on my face
It makes me shiver to the bones
It shakes me, Babe
It's just a heartache that got in my eye
And you know I never cry, I never cry
Sometimes I drink more than I need
Until the TV's dead and gone
I may be lonely
But I'm never alone
And the night may pass me by
But I'll never cry
Take away, take away my eyes
Sometimes I'd rather be blind
Break a heart, break a heart of stone
Open it up but don't you leave it alone
'Cuz that's all I got to give you
Believe me Babe, it ain't been used
My heart's a virgin, its never been tried
And you know I'll never cry
And you know I'll never cry
And you know I'll never cry
Never cry, I'll never cry
Break a heart, break a heart of stone
'Cuz that's all I got to give you
Believe me Babe, it ain't been used
My heart's a virgin, its never been tried
And you know I'll never cry
Never cry I'll never cry
The music stopped. Squall played with the microphone.
"Well, that was it," he said.
Rinoa was speechless. So she just rose and hugged him. Squall kissed her. He than let go of her and jumped of the side. He almost fell down on his face. The first time he had been here he had been pushed by Rinoa. Now he beckoned Rinoa down. She jumped down, and h caught her, The music started again. Rinoa's smile broadened in recognition.
"Squall... that song... It's... it's the song of Balamb garden." Squall smiled and looked at her sideways while pointing up. There had been nothing to see, but Rinoa knew that was not what Squall had meant to say. She took the arm he offered and they started dancing. The stars were dangling for a long time already, and the musicians were long gone before Squall and Rinoa let go again. During that whole period no star fell down. Not that they would have noticed even if all stars and the moon would have fallen down at the same time.
To be continued.
The song is "I never Cry" of Alice Cooper. It mad eme think about Squall first time I heard it. And no, I'm not gonna make the whole story so mushy.
Squall kissed Rinoa. The shock still hit him as hard as that first time on the balcony. Edea had done the service. Actually Squall had hoped Cid would have done it, but he hadn't showed up. It saddened Squall, but he wasn't about to let it ruin his day. Cid would come around. As he turned around and walked to the rental car he saw his old comrades, that's what they were now, in a flash. Zell, with a hot dog in his hand, was pretending not to have tears in his eyes, Irvine and Selphie were standing side by side, Irvine fearfully seing the gleam of Selphie at Rinoa's bouquet. He didn't see Quistis untill Rinoa threw her bouquet. As all the women and girls went for it, Quistis remained standing, a sad look on her face. The bouquet fell before her. She picked it up, and threw it at Selphiewho catched it. Irvine glared at Quistis. Than Squall went into the limo. He was still dressed in a SeeD uniform, though he wasn't a SeeD anymore. The words hit him. He was not a SeeD anymore. The only things he had now that reminded him where his uniform, the money on his account, and the Lionheart that was in a case in the trunk. Locked. He had said his last goodbyes to each of the GF's he had used, some of them were sad, others had used it as a last resort to abuse him. He looked back trough the back window a last time. "Regrets?" Rinoa asked. Squall knew that she wouldn't be angry if he would change his mind. She knew this place was special to him. Squall turned back to her. He looked at her, dressed in a light blue marriage dress. "No."
They drove over to Balamb, loaded their luggage in the train, and left for their honeymoon. As the train left, a blond man in a white trenchcoat watched the train leave. He didn't cry. He didn't even feel sad. Just very tired. He knew that this had been the only outcome possible. He remebered Edea's coice, back in Timber. He had lost Rinoa there and than, or maybe even when he had failed his SeeD test. In any case, even if he could have done something than, it was to late now. Rinoa was gone. He waived at the leaving train.
"Goodbye, Rinoa... I hope Squall will make you happy. If he doesn't I'll personally slit his throat." He turned around. "Come on Rajin and Fujin, let's go to the hotel room" The two followed.
...
Squall stretched and started to put on his clothes. This had been their first night as a married couple. They had slept together before. Neither of them was particulary conservative about that, but to Squall, this had been a night unlike all the others. Even as he and Rinoa made love, there was a part of him that wasn't busy with Rinoa, even than. A part of him that was prepared to stand up, salute and get into a fight at any time. the SeeD. Squall didn't know if the SeeD was dead, but at least he was asleep, and didn't bother Squall, the man in love. He looked at Rinoa, who was still sleeping. He took the bottle of chapaign and pushed it against the bottom of her feet. She yelped.
"SQUALL!! Don't ever do that again!" She smiled.
Squall smiled back. "You're not gonna sleep away this whole vacation Princess. What do you say we go and see the town.?"
"Hmmm, I'm too lazy."
Squall grabbed her. "I'll carry you"
She giggled as Squall caried her trough the room like a baby. Than she closed her eyes and rested against his chest, still covered in blankets. She felt how Squall softly put her back down on the ground. She smiled. As long as she was in the blankets, she wasn't going to wake up. Than Squall turned on the shower's cold water.
...
Rinoa and Squall walked trough FH with their arms in eachother. It was very late in the afternoon, since Squall had been forced to comfort Rinoa for a long time. But now they were happily strolling. They saw that people startled when they saw him, and Squall noticed that they all looked wondering at his hip. Where his gunblade used to be. They were wandering down the long stairs at the center of the big dish, when they suddenly heard a woman.
"YOU!" They turned around and saw Flo coming at them.
"What are YOU doing here? Bringing more problems? When will you SeeD's and soldiers get that FH is a place for peacefull people?"
Squall and Rinoa exchanged glances and laughed. Flo was flabbergasted. Than, they both showed their hands. The rings with the lions weren't on their neck anymore. Rinoa smiled
"We do realize that. That's why we came here."
Flo mumbeled an apology and left. Squall and Rinoa went further down untill they arrived at the center. Rinoa and Squall walked on the edge of the 'island.' Rinoa smiled.
"Remember when Irvine put that 'magazine' here Squall?"
Squall nodded. He motioned her to sit down.
"Yes, Rinoa, I remember it." He walked back to the building in the center and took something out of a box that seemed to be standing there by coincidense. Than, suddenly, the lights went on music started to play. Squall took the mike and started singing. It was horribly of key, but to Rinoa it sounded as the song from a nightingale. It was a sad song, it sounded pleading, yet had a strange... cold honesty that she had heard from Squall.
If there is a tear on my face
It makes me shiver to the bones
It shakes me, Babe
It's just a heartache that got in my eye
And you know I never cry, I never cry
Sometimes I drink more than I need
Until the TV's dead and gone
I may be lonely
But I'm never alone
And the night may pass me by
But I'll never cry
Take away, take away my eyes
Sometimes I'd rather be blind
Break a heart, break a heart of stone
Open it up but don't you leave it alone
'Cuz that's all I got to give you
Believe me Babe, it ain't been used
My heart's a virgin, its never been tried
And you know I'll never cry
And you know I'll never cry
And you know I'll never cry
Never cry, I'll never cry
Break a heart, break a heart of stone
'Cuz that's all I got to give you
Believe me Babe, it ain't been used
My heart's a virgin, its never been tried
And you know I'll never cry
Never cry I'll never cry
The music stopped. Squall played with the microphone.
"Well, that was it," he said.
Rinoa was speechless. So she just rose and hugged him. Squall kissed her. He than let go of her and jumped of the side. He almost fell down on his face. The first time he had been here he had been pushed by Rinoa. Now he beckoned Rinoa down. She jumped down, and h caught her, The music started again. Rinoa's smile broadened in recognition.
"Squall... that song... It's... it's the song of Balamb garden." Squall smiled and looked at her sideways while pointing up. There had been nothing to see, but Rinoa knew that was not what Squall had meant to say. She took the arm he offered and they started dancing. The stars were dangling for a long time already, and the musicians were long gone before Squall and Rinoa let go again. During that whole period no star fell down. Not that they would have noticed even if all stars and the moon would have fallen down at the same time.
To be continued.
The song is "I never Cry" of Alice Cooper. It mad eme think about Squall first time I heard it. And no, I'm not gonna make the whole story so mushy.