Selphie entered the cafeteria. There was a lot of noise, everyone was
talking. There they were, Seifer and Irvine standing in line and Quistis
was at that table with…Rinoa! Selphie ran to the table and threw her arms
around Rinoa.
"Rinoa, you're okay. That's so great. Why did you come out?" Selphie said excitedly.
"I came out last night." Rinoa answered quietly as if she didn't want to speak for too long.
"That's great!" Selphie exclaimed. Selphie gave Quistis a friendly embrace.
"So…how was it? Did it solve anything?" Quistis asked.
"Yeah, it really did." Selphie smiled.
"How's…you know?" Quistis questioned careful not to say his name in front of Rinoa.
"Good…I hope. He's in his room thinking." Selphie answered carefully choosing her words in front of Rinoa. Rinoa turned her head.
"Zell's here, isn't he?" Rinoa asked hopefully.
"…Yeah." Selphie admitted.
"I'll go get him." Quistis offered.
* * *
Quistis saw that the door to Zell's room was open. She slowly entered into it. He was totally engrossed with the pendant he held. It was Squall's! So that's what Squall gave him.
She stared at the young man. He was like a brother to her and looked the part as well. When she looked at Zell, she saw her male counterpart. His blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes, staring intently at the pendant. Quistis loved Zell dearly. He was her little brother. She looked out for him and occasionally set him back on the right path. She smiled looking at him. She casually brushed the hair out of her face. She walked up to Zell.
"Zell…" Quistis said. Zell snapped out of his trance.
"Quist." Zell smiled. She reached down and hugged him. He returned the gesture. They broke the embrace.
"Rinoa wants to see you." Quistis whispered. Zell nodded. "Let's go." Quistis put out her hand and Zell took it.
* * *
Rinoa and Selphie talked. Well, Selphie talked.
Irvine and Seifer returned with the food, only enough for 4 people.
"Selph!" Irvine called. Selphie jumped up and ran to him. They embraced and gently kissed. "You feeling better?" Irvine asked. Selphie nodded vigorously.
"Where's Quistis?" Seifer asked Selphie.
"She went to get Zell." Selphie responded. Seifer sat down, one seat away from Rinoa. Irvine sat across from Seifer. Selphie sat across from Quistis's seat which was in between Rinoa's seat and Seifer's.
Quistis entered with Zell, she was gently pulling him towards the group's table.
Selphie looked towards Rinoa, who was staring at her own lap. "Rin." Selphie whispered sharply. Rinoa looked at Selphie. Selphie discreetly shook her head towards Quistis and Zell. Rinoa's lips were at the beginnings of a smile. Quistis sat in between Seifer and Rinoa. Zell stood there, letting everyone, save Rinoa, who was looking at the floor, stare at him. Zell nervously rubbed a hand through his hair.
Seifer's eyes got wider. He casually cleared his throat. "Zell, why don't you sit down and I'll go get you and Selphie some food." Seifer said making sure Zell got the message. As Seifer got up to get Zell and Selphie some food he shoved Zell towards the seat across from Rinoa. Zell pulled the chair out and plopped down on it. An awkward silence lay on the entire table.
Selphie started to talk to Quistis, as well as Irvine to Seifer. They excluded Rinoa and Zell from their conversations, it wasn't an accident of course. Zell stared at Rinoa, gazing at her feminine features. Rinoa slowly looked up from the floor, meeting Zell's gaze. (Wow. Rinoa's taking this really hard. I understand completely, but I never thought she, of all people, would become shy.) Zell thought surprised. A smile slowly crossed her lips. It was the first time she had smiled since Squall's death. (Hyne she's gorgeous. Whoa, Zell. Calm down.) Zell thought. Neither Zell, nor Rinoa had noticed, but Seifer, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis had stopped talking and were staring intently at Rinoa and Zell.
"Hi Zell." Rinoa said in a barely audible voice. Zell returned the smile.
"Hey Rinoa." Zell responded. Rinoa slowly stood up and walked around the table to sit in the empty seat next to Zell.
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief. Selphie grinned joyfully at Quistis. Irvine and Seifer smiled.
"How was your trip?" Rinoa softly asked.
"Great. Selphie and I watched the sunrise and the sunset and we talked a lot." Zell said happily.
"You want to go for a walk." Rinoa asked, her voice back to it's normal volume. Zell nodded. Rinoa reached for Zell's hand, she grasped it gently, letting the heat flow from one hand to the other. Rinoa's hand felt warm and silky to Zell's touch. She smiled at him. He stood up and they left the cafeteria, hand in hand.
Quistis and Selphie both reached over to their boyfriends and grasped their hands.
* * *
Rinoa and Zell walked close together, no longer holding hands. They walked around the courtyard of Balamb garden in silence. Occasionally, Zell glanced at Rinoa to see how she the expression on her face.
"Zell…what do you think…Squall would be doing if he was here right now." Rinoa asked breaking the silence.
"I'm sure he would be in my spot, standing next to you, holding you tight." Zell responded, reminiscing on the image of his best friend and Rinoa embracing.
"I miss him so much Zell. Unbelievably much." Rinoa smiled a heart- wrenching smile. Her eyes started to water.
Zell grabbed her by the arm and turned her toward him. He placed a gloved hand on her face, gently wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Me too Rinoa…me too." Zell whispered.
"Oh, Zell." Rinoa cried. She wrapped her arms around him, she was still emotionally fatigued. Zell gently wrapped his arms around her petite, slender body. She soaked his chest with her tears. Zell could only think of his departed best friend.
When she stopped crying, her eyes were sore from the amount of crying she had done in the last few days.
"I missed you. You know, it's not the same without you here." Rinoa commented.
(No, Hyne no. Please.) Zell thought frantically. Rinoa drew closer to him.
"Zell…I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm lonely. Maybe I'm love-starved. Maybe I just like the reassuring warmth. Whatever it is, I need to be close to you. I love being near you. Zell…I need to hold you and have you return the embrace. Zell…" Rinoa confessed.
"No…" Zell mumbled.
"Please." Rinoa pleaded.
"No…oh…please no." Zell cried on the verge of tears. Rinoa had made up her mind.
"Zell…I'm going to kiss you." Rinoa stated.
"Rinoa, don't, it's not right." Zell begged.
"Zell…I didn't ask." Rinoa whispered.
Rinoa placed her left hand on Zell's cheek and her right hand on his neck. She slowly pressed her soft, velvety lips against Zell's. She opened her lips slightly, drawing in his lips caressing them softly. Zell felt the tears begin to flow down his cheeks.
"Rinoa, you're okay. That's so great. Why did you come out?" Selphie said excitedly.
"I came out last night." Rinoa answered quietly as if she didn't want to speak for too long.
"That's great!" Selphie exclaimed. Selphie gave Quistis a friendly embrace.
"So…how was it? Did it solve anything?" Quistis asked.
"Yeah, it really did." Selphie smiled.
"How's…you know?" Quistis questioned careful not to say his name in front of Rinoa.
"Good…I hope. He's in his room thinking." Selphie answered carefully choosing her words in front of Rinoa. Rinoa turned her head.
"Zell's here, isn't he?" Rinoa asked hopefully.
"…Yeah." Selphie admitted.
"I'll go get him." Quistis offered.
* * *
Quistis saw that the door to Zell's room was open. She slowly entered into it. He was totally engrossed with the pendant he held. It was Squall's! So that's what Squall gave him.
She stared at the young man. He was like a brother to her and looked the part as well. When she looked at Zell, she saw her male counterpart. His blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes, staring intently at the pendant. Quistis loved Zell dearly. He was her little brother. She looked out for him and occasionally set him back on the right path. She smiled looking at him. She casually brushed the hair out of her face. She walked up to Zell.
"Zell…" Quistis said. Zell snapped out of his trance.
"Quist." Zell smiled. She reached down and hugged him. He returned the gesture. They broke the embrace.
"Rinoa wants to see you." Quistis whispered. Zell nodded. "Let's go." Quistis put out her hand and Zell took it.
* * *
Rinoa and Selphie talked. Well, Selphie talked.
Irvine and Seifer returned with the food, only enough for 4 people.
"Selph!" Irvine called. Selphie jumped up and ran to him. They embraced and gently kissed. "You feeling better?" Irvine asked. Selphie nodded vigorously.
"Where's Quistis?" Seifer asked Selphie.
"She went to get Zell." Selphie responded. Seifer sat down, one seat away from Rinoa. Irvine sat across from Seifer. Selphie sat across from Quistis's seat which was in between Rinoa's seat and Seifer's.
Quistis entered with Zell, she was gently pulling him towards the group's table.
Selphie looked towards Rinoa, who was staring at her own lap. "Rin." Selphie whispered sharply. Rinoa looked at Selphie. Selphie discreetly shook her head towards Quistis and Zell. Rinoa's lips were at the beginnings of a smile. Quistis sat in between Seifer and Rinoa. Zell stood there, letting everyone, save Rinoa, who was looking at the floor, stare at him. Zell nervously rubbed a hand through his hair.
Seifer's eyes got wider. He casually cleared his throat. "Zell, why don't you sit down and I'll go get you and Selphie some food." Seifer said making sure Zell got the message. As Seifer got up to get Zell and Selphie some food he shoved Zell towards the seat across from Rinoa. Zell pulled the chair out and plopped down on it. An awkward silence lay on the entire table.
Selphie started to talk to Quistis, as well as Irvine to Seifer. They excluded Rinoa and Zell from their conversations, it wasn't an accident of course. Zell stared at Rinoa, gazing at her feminine features. Rinoa slowly looked up from the floor, meeting Zell's gaze. (Wow. Rinoa's taking this really hard. I understand completely, but I never thought she, of all people, would become shy.) Zell thought surprised. A smile slowly crossed her lips. It was the first time she had smiled since Squall's death. (Hyne she's gorgeous. Whoa, Zell. Calm down.) Zell thought. Neither Zell, nor Rinoa had noticed, but Seifer, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis had stopped talking and were staring intently at Rinoa and Zell.
"Hi Zell." Rinoa said in a barely audible voice. Zell returned the smile.
"Hey Rinoa." Zell responded. Rinoa slowly stood up and walked around the table to sit in the empty seat next to Zell.
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief. Selphie grinned joyfully at Quistis. Irvine and Seifer smiled.
"How was your trip?" Rinoa softly asked.
"Great. Selphie and I watched the sunrise and the sunset and we talked a lot." Zell said happily.
"You want to go for a walk." Rinoa asked, her voice back to it's normal volume. Zell nodded. Rinoa reached for Zell's hand, she grasped it gently, letting the heat flow from one hand to the other. Rinoa's hand felt warm and silky to Zell's touch. She smiled at him. He stood up and they left the cafeteria, hand in hand.
Quistis and Selphie both reached over to their boyfriends and grasped their hands.
* * *
Rinoa and Zell walked close together, no longer holding hands. They walked around the courtyard of Balamb garden in silence. Occasionally, Zell glanced at Rinoa to see how she the expression on her face.
"Zell…what do you think…Squall would be doing if he was here right now." Rinoa asked breaking the silence.
"I'm sure he would be in my spot, standing next to you, holding you tight." Zell responded, reminiscing on the image of his best friend and Rinoa embracing.
"I miss him so much Zell. Unbelievably much." Rinoa smiled a heart- wrenching smile. Her eyes started to water.
Zell grabbed her by the arm and turned her toward him. He placed a gloved hand on her face, gently wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"Me too Rinoa…me too." Zell whispered.
"Oh, Zell." Rinoa cried. She wrapped her arms around him, she was still emotionally fatigued. Zell gently wrapped his arms around her petite, slender body. She soaked his chest with her tears. Zell could only think of his departed best friend.
When she stopped crying, her eyes were sore from the amount of crying she had done in the last few days.
"I missed you. You know, it's not the same without you here." Rinoa commented.
(No, Hyne no. Please.) Zell thought frantically. Rinoa drew closer to him.
"Zell…I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm lonely. Maybe I'm love-starved. Maybe I just like the reassuring warmth. Whatever it is, I need to be close to you. I love being near you. Zell…I need to hold you and have you return the embrace. Zell…" Rinoa confessed.
"No…" Zell mumbled.
"Please." Rinoa pleaded.
"No…oh…please no." Zell cried on the verge of tears. Rinoa had made up her mind.
"Zell…I'm going to kiss you." Rinoa stated.
"Rinoa, don't, it's not right." Zell begged.
"Zell…I didn't ask." Rinoa whispered.
Rinoa placed her left hand on Zell's cheek and her right hand on his neck. She slowly pressed her soft, velvety lips against Zell's. She opened her lips slightly, drawing in his lips caressing them softly. Zell felt the tears begin to flow down his cheeks.