~*Woo, that was a rather long break. Kay. Thanks so much for reviews. Sorry to say but only very few chapters will be Raijin POV. :( Don't worry though, there will be others. Not much happens in this chapter, sorry to say, but sets up the life style that my two favorite people are living, and it gets a little more, dramatic later on. Well, since it will be a rather long time until you see another chapter yet, congratulate me now on my acceptance into La Guardia's voice and instrumental program, (you are only vaguely impressed if you live in NYC,) and as is the case with me...Don't hold back your fury! Flame me if you like!*~
The night before, he had gone to sleep with her beside him, and that morning he woke to the ringing of their bedside alarm, and she was still there. This general pattern had been happening for eleven years now, since they were "official." She pulled the covers over her head and groaned. She was exuasted from yesterday. Who had ever thought dealing with a birthday clown could possibly be so stressful? He hit the annoying little sound box and stroked her finger where it gripped the white comforter. She made a very odd noise and turned the other way, hiding from the intruder.
He spoke softly into her ear.
"Honey, wake up."
She "mphed," and bade him to go away.
He smiled wickedly and began humming the happy birthday song at
her. She immediately sprung out of the bed and headed for the
bathroom for her morning mantinence. Squall headed downstairs
to Diamond's room.
The blinds opened and morning
sun streamed across the girl's face. She put her hand over her
eyes and faced the wall, hoping to get at least two seconds more
of sleep.
"Oh Princess Diamond, another sun has risen over your magical
kingdom." He sat by her bedside. She turned and looked up
at him.
"I'm tired, King Daddy."
Squall smiled down at her. "But today is a royal holiday."
He removed her pink blankets and she sprawled out on the bed,
stretching away her tiredness.
"Guess what," she yawned, "today's date is."
Squall looked up in mock contemplation. "I believe it is
April the 27th, your highness."
She childishly returned his smile. "And I'm gonna be four!"
He effortlessly lifted her and planted the small child on her
feet. He began herding her downstairs for breakfast. "And
four is a big big number. My little princess is turning into such
a big girl!" She sat down at the kitchen table, patiently
awaiting her cereal. Her sleep was long forgotten and replaced
with joy.
"What're we gonna do today to celbwate?" She had asked
this question about a hundred times over the course of the week,
but expanded her vocabulary by one very big person word: celebrate.
Squall acted like this was the first time this thought had been
brought to him. "Well," the fridge opened and he took
out a quart of milk, "first everybody at school's going to
sing to you," she happily bounced in her seat, "then
Mommy and I are gonna take you and your friends home to have a
party!"
Diamond was still as much in awe as she had been. "What are
we going to do at the party, Daddy?" Squall deposited her
breakfast ingredients before her and she began pouring.
"Well, you guys are gonna play fun fun games," the little
girl dreamily looked up at him through a bite of sugary goodness,
"we're gonna eat real good food,"
"VERY GOOD FOOD!" Rinoa corrected from upstairs.
Squall ignored his error, "And guess who's gonna stop by
and visit?"
Her eyes widened. He hadn't mentioned any visitors before. "Who?"
Milk and grain sputtered before her and Squall happily napkined
it up.
"Uncle Zell, Unlce Irvine and Aunt Selphie!"
The little girl swallowed. "Wow!"
Squall happily smiled at her. "Finish your breakfast."
She began shoveling food into her small face. Squall looked on
in adoration that he couldn't possibly put into words. She wiped
her mouth with a napkin, (a habit which Rinoa spent months embedding
into her brain,) and smacked her lips. "Ready!"
"Okey dokey, then." He swept her into his arms and carried
her up the stairs. He left her by her room as he went upstairs
for his own shower. Rinoa was already dressed.
"Squall, if we don't stop
talking to her like a bunch of illiterates she'll never learn
how to speak well." He continued into the bathroom.
"Rinoa, she's a smart kid. She started talking when she wasn't
even..."
"Yeah, I know that, but you know she learns stuff from us.
If we don't use correct grammar she won't either."
Squall, clearly annoyed at where the conversation was going, turned
on the water. Rinoa continued talking but dropped the subject.
"Did you get in touch with a baby sitter?"
He lathered up his shampoo. "Yeah, they're sending someone
over at eight."
Rinoa was almost as excited as her daughter. "So we're going
out?"
Squall answered affirmatively. The youthful woman smiled happily
to herself. "This is gonna be great. And Squall?"
"Yes, honey?" The water shut off and the man stepped
out of the shower. Squall came out, wrapped in a white towel.
She coyly smiled at him. "I'll give her a Benadryl before
bed."
He smiled back at her and they briefly kissed.
"MOMMY!" Diamond called from her room.
Rinoa yelled back as she made her way down the hall. "Yes,
dear?"
"I CAN'T FIND THE RED DRESS!"
Squall's smile remained firmly planted on his face and began dressing into his SeeD uniform. He happily thought, realizing he only had a year and a half longer of SeeDship. He was planning on retiring once he was too old to serve Garden anymore. Lately, though, he had been considering being a fulltime instructor. He would probably still be allowed to teach field lessons, and there was no reason why he should stop working when he didn't have to.
Rinoa had expressed interests of being a full time mother, and though she was the sweetest, most loving person in his life, he couldn't see her giving up all the excitement of battle. They had both pre-determined that even though their proffessions may make it seem impossible, Diamond would be raised far away from war and fighting, and grow up to be an academic. even an artist of some sort. They would walk through fire for their daughter, and he somehow knew that the feeling was mutual, that Diamond loved her two parents more than anyone in the world.
"SQUALL, LET'S GET GOING." There was constant yelling in their two story house, and he always thought it would be more practical to move to a smaller place, there were so little of them. He comically mused what it would be like to raise a family in a Garden dormitory. He buttoned his sleeves as he walked to the front door to meet his family, drop of Diamond at day care, and spend a half day, (he was leaving early for the special occasion) teaching the special SeeDs.
Rinoa learned that containing eight small children in a car for a twenty minute drive was hazardous to both mental and physical health. She had to get a little fresh; the peek-a-boo was just plain old dangerous. She promised Diamond after they got out of the car that she wouldn't be such a meany for the rest of the day and they set of to the greatest birthday party they had ever prepared.
They started the festivities in Balamb's public park. The children were enjoying the spring sun as they ran around, and Uncle Zell was enjoying the barbacue he had hauled all the way from his home in Esthar. An almost unlimited amount of hotdogs was all he needed in life, as far as he was concerned. Squall and Rinoa supervised.They had found that children were magnetically attrackted to dangerous situations and had to step in if one tread a little closer to the pond then wise, or found themself wandering too far away.
Selphie, Irvine and Zell had actually attended to keep Squall and Rinoa a little company, but they were also magnets for children, and were often forced by a bunch of three and four year olds to participate in a game of tag, usually as a walking base for the added challenge. One little boy was highly amused with trying to swing from Irvine's hair, and Rinoa was absolutely beside herself with laughter everytime he jumped up and grabbed hold of his long tresses. Squall also found a lighthearted enjoyment at his antics.
After they returned to the house, ate their cake, opened presents, and bid farewell to their guests, the three Leonhearts had a little time together, and watched a movie of Diamond's choice. The baby sitter arrived fairly on time, Rinoa instructed her to give her small daughter a Benadryl before bed, and they were off to a night out, for once. It had been a long time.
