Hi everyone. Sorry this one is so short but I'm in the midst of prepping
for a major show this weekend. Gonna go sell some art. Booyaka! ^_^
Thanks again for all the reviews, and Trish, is this fast enough for ya? Lol ^_^
Chapter 15: Perfection
He was six pounds and eleven ounces of sheer perfection. He had bright green eyes, so eager like his mother's but with that same intelligence and intensity that so many found unnerving to gaze upon. He was the first child to be born within the confines of Balamb Garden, born on a slightly rainy but warm day. His hair would grow to be a shade darker than his mother's, a deep brown that would undoubtedly come all too close to his father's. He was perfect. And not a soul in the world could have convinced Squall Leonhart Sr. otherwise.
Selphie lay fast asleep when the baby awoke for the third time that evening, and judging from the circles under her eyes a squadron of ruby dragons could have flown right over her head and she'd still be snoring blissfully. Squall grinned at that thought as he shoved the blankets off his body and tucked them a little more tightly around his sleeping wife's body. For all the energy she had during the day, even with a new baby in the house, Selphie slept like the dead. Best let her sleep this one through, he thought as he trudged across the large room and picked up his fussy son.
As strong as his feelings were toward this new life, Squall still found the baby awkward at times. He loved the child more than anything in the world…possibly even more than Selphie, though that was hard to fathom. But like anything else that brought an onslaught of emotions, Squall wasn't sure how to react when certain things happened. All he could do was try his hardest to do what his wife had taught him; enjoy it. He lifted the baby up gently, carefully tucking the small white blanket around the child as he headed out of the room. The baby stopped fussing almost immediately once he gained his bearings, and his small green eyes looked upon the man carrying him with obvious comfort. Squall grinned as he turned on the softest light in the living room and headed for the changing station. This was not his favorite job, but it was worth it. Even if the baby was only awake for a few minutes.
"Okay buddy, come on. Let's get this over with," he said softly as the baby cooed up at his father from the changing station. Squall actually managed to finish in record time for a change…he was always getting the tabs backwards or something stupid like that. But when he was done, instead of heading back to the bedroom Squall headed for the couch, cradling his child against his chest. The baby was already drifting back off to sleep, feeling safe and comforted in Squall's arms, and as the two sat there in the gentle, warm light Squall's mind wandered.
When had this whirlwind of events started? Was it two years ago? Yesterday? An hour? Nothing seemed really clear or focused all of a sudden. His vision went blurry and when Squall shut his eyes, he was amazed to feel tears slipping down his cheeks. Crying? Why the hell was he doing that? He had no reason to cry. None at all. Here he had a perfect baby, HIS baby he had helped make. He had a wife unlike any woman he had ever met, a wife who understood things about him that even he wasn't ready to deal with. He had a decent job that he fairly enjoyed, a close group of friends that he knew he could always count on if he had to. And then it dawned on him.
He had finally achieved perfection.
It was on a very small scale, miniscule even. But for the first time in his life, Squall could feel no tension in his body, no worry in his mind. It was one of those ever so rare moments you experience all the time as a child, but only once every ten or so years when you're an adult. And the feeling was exhilarating. Nothing in the world could have brought him down in that moment, sitting there with his arms wrapped around this perfect little creation. And even if this moment was only that, a moment, it had been worth getting up and letting Selphie sleep.
He wasn't willing to move…not just yet. So he stayed there for two hours, soaking it all in, thanking Hyne for proving him wrong.
There was such a thing as Karma, and if this was his redemption for a hard childhood it had all been worth it.
* * *
"There is another puppet," she said aloud, her voice echoing in the dark room. "Another puppet." Rinoa tossed in her sleep, writhing all over the bed. She was sweaty, her long dark hair clinging to her body. But the words were as clear as ever. Puppets…why the fuck was she always talking about puppets?
Seifer sat on a bleak looking wooden chair some three feet from the bed, watching his 'wife' toss in her sleep. He couldn't sleep much anymore. The fear kept him up, fear and worry. She hadn't been right for a long time, he knew that. But something deeper was wrong with Rinoa, something that he couldn't tap into. He had his fears, but entertaining those was almost worse than watching her ramble on every night. He wouldn't allow himself to sit there and believe that he just wasn't strong enough to help her. She wasn't Ultimecia, after all, just Rinoa. "Not much difference," he thought spitefully to himself.
She was slipping farther and farther away. And Seifer Almassy, Rinoa's knight, was failing again.
Thanks again for all the reviews, and Trish, is this fast enough for ya? Lol ^_^
Chapter 15: Perfection
He was six pounds and eleven ounces of sheer perfection. He had bright green eyes, so eager like his mother's but with that same intelligence and intensity that so many found unnerving to gaze upon. He was the first child to be born within the confines of Balamb Garden, born on a slightly rainy but warm day. His hair would grow to be a shade darker than his mother's, a deep brown that would undoubtedly come all too close to his father's. He was perfect. And not a soul in the world could have convinced Squall Leonhart Sr. otherwise.
Selphie lay fast asleep when the baby awoke for the third time that evening, and judging from the circles under her eyes a squadron of ruby dragons could have flown right over her head and she'd still be snoring blissfully. Squall grinned at that thought as he shoved the blankets off his body and tucked them a little more tightly around his sleeping wife's body. For all the energy she had during the day, even with a new baby in the house, Selphie slept like the dead. Best let her sleep this one through, he thought as he trudged across the large room and picked up his fussy son.
As strong as his feelings were toward this new life, Squall still found the baby awkward at times. He loved the child more than anything in the world…possibly even more than Selphie, though that was hard to fathom. But like anything else that brought an onslaught of emotions, Squall wasn't sure how to react when certain things happened. All he could do was try his hardest to do what his wife had taught him; enjoy it. He lifted the baby up gently, carefully tucking the small white blanket around the child as he headed out of the room. The baby stopped fussing almost immediately once he gained his bearings, and his small green eyes looked upon the man carrying him with obvious comfort. Squall grinned as he turned on the softest light in the living room and headed for the changing station. This was not his favorite job, but it was worth it. Even if the baby was only awake for a few minutes.
"Okay buddy, come on. Let's get this over with," he said softly as the baby cooed up at his father from the changing station. Squall actually managed to finish in record time for a change…he was always getting the tabs backwards or something stupid like that. But when he was done, instead of heading back to the bedroom Squall headed for the couch, cradling his child against his chest. The baby was already drifting back off to sleep, feeling safe and comforted in Squall's arms, and as the two sat there in the gentle, warm light Squall's mind wandered.
When had this whirlwind of events started? Was it two years ago? Yesterday? An hour? Nothing seemed really clear or focused all of a sudden. His vision went blurry and when Squall shut his eyes, he was amazed to feel tears slipping down his cheeks. Crying? Why the hell was he doing that? He had no reason to cry. None at all. Here he had a perfect baby, HIS baby he had helped make. He had a wife unlike any woman he had ever met, a wife who understood things about him that even he wasn't ready to deal with. He had a decent job that he fairly enjoyed, a close group of friends that he knew he could always count on if he had to. And then it dawned on him.
He had finally achieved perfection.
It was on a very small scale, miniscule even. But for the first time in his life, Squall could feel no tension in his body, no worry in his mind. It was one of those ever so rare moments you experience all the time as a child, but only once every ten or so years when you're an adult. And the feeling was exhilarating. Nothing in the world could have brought him down in that moment, sitting there with his arms wrapped around this perfect little creation. And even if this moment was only that, a moment, it had been worth getting up and letting Selphie sleep.
He wasn't willing to move…not just yet. So he stayed there for two hours, soaking it all in, thanking Hyne for proving him wrong.
There was such a thing as Karma, and if this was his redemption for a hard childhood it had all been worth it.
* * *
"There is another puppet," she said aloud, her voice echoing in the dark room. "Another puppet." Rinoa tossed in her sleep, writhing all over the bed. She was sweaty, her long dark hair clinging to her body. But the words were as clear as ever. Puppets…why the fuck was she always talking about puppets?
Seifer sat on a bleak looking wooden chair some three feet from the bed, watching his 'wife' toss in her sleep. He couldn't sleep much anymore. The fear kept him up, fear and worry. She hadn't been right for a long time, he knew that. But something deeper was wrong with Rinoa, something that he couldn't tap into. He had his fears, but entertaining those was almost worse than watching her ramble on every night. He wouldn't allow himself to sit there and believe that he just wasn't strong enough to help her. She wasn't Ultimecia, after all, just Rinoa. "Not much difference," he thought spitefully to himself.
She was slipping farther and farther away. And Seifer Almassy, Rinoa's knight, was failing again.