Chapter IV: Love – Blooming in the Midst of Battle
Zell began to find Rinoa more and more attractive. He knew it wasn't him as Zell; it was Squall's spirit inside him. Either way, he knew it would be harder and harder to control himself the longer it took to restore Squall's spirit to peace. Everyone returned to Balamb Garden to rest up for the night. They, too, had a meeting in the cafeteria, as well as dinner. Zell let his mind wander, and found himself staring at Rinoa.
And to his surprise, Rinoa was staring back at him.
Zell, somewhat shocked, quickly averted his gaze to his food, making an attempt to eat. "She must've just spaced out," he said to himself. He had to make sure; he looked up again to see Rinoa smiling at him. Yet behind the bright smile there was still a sorrow hidden in her eyes. He sighed and stood up, feeling he had lost his appetite. He walked over to Rinoa's table and sat down across from her. "Yo…" he tried to remain as Zell-like as possible, although he was now finding it quite difficult. "Is something wrong?" Rinoa looked at him briefly before lowering her head to stare at her food, whispering to him. "C…Can we talk somewhere else?" Zell swallowed lightly and nodded, standing up and following Rinoa out of the cafeteria into the hallway.
Zell leaned his back against the railing of the hallway, occasionally glancing into the pond of water that surrounded the hallways. "Yeah, what is it?" He managed to say, though somewhat nervously. Suddenly, Rinoa threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder, crying. Zell was compelled to put his arms around her – just for reassuring purposes, of course. "Hey, calm down… I miss Squall too." Zell held Rinoa closer, but this time it wasn't to be reassuring. "I'm scared… you're one of the friends I was closest to out of all of the others, and I don't want to end up losing you like I lost Squall…" Zell lost complete control of his body. Her voice enchanted him, and although her voice quivered with fear and sadness, there was a soft, sweet melody in it that Zell found comforting and soothing. There was a pleasant fragrance about her that made Zell's senses tingle. He exhaled slightly, feeling his heart rate increase. He closed his eyes and let his hand run through Rinoa's hair, knowing that this couldn't be only the work of Squall's spirit in him. He realized he always had feelings for Rinoa, but he had just regarded it as a strong friendship.
He now knew what it really was.
Rinoa pulled her head away from his shoulder and gazed up at Zell, her eyes slightly swollen from crying, with faintly red-tinted cheeks. "Zell… this isn't just a friendship anymore, is it…?"
A soft smile tugged on Zell's lips and he shook his head slightly. "No… no, I guess not." Zell began to shift his weight, leaning forward to give Rinoa a kiss, when he suddenly pulled away. He was getting off task. I'm supposed to be avenging Squall, he thought to himself. But every second he spent with Rinoa, staring back into her beautiful, absorbing eyes, he felt himself more and more attached to her. He slowly pulled away from Rinoa and turned towards his dorm. Rinoa watched sadly, "So… you're leaving…?" was all she could manage to say. He nodded, and after he had taken a couple of steps, he heard Rinoa's voice behind him again: "Zell…" he stopped and turned around, looking at her. "Zell… not even one kiss?"
They fell into each other's arms.
When Zell came to his senses, it was morning. He was in his dorm, lying on his bed, lying beside a blissfully sleeping Rinoa. His eyes widened in shock. "Oh my God, did I…?" He glanced around nervously, to find that the sheets were still rather even, and the two of them had still had all their clothes on from the previous night. He let out a sigh of relief. He knew Squall would never have forgiven him if he and Rinoa had done the unspeakable the same day that he had died. He tried to think and restore his memory about the previous night, but all he could remember was holding Rinoa in his arms, feeling the sensation of Rinoa's kiss. He knew that they had managed to laugh and talk a little, but he couldn't remember what they had spoken about. He wanted to stay with Rinoa forever, but he knew it couldn't happen. He had a job to do. He let out a sigh and carefully placed a gentle kiss on Rinoa's lips, cautious not to awaken her. He knew Rinoa would want to help in the fight against Seifer, but Zell didn't want her to get hurt.
Zell slowly got up out of his bed and stood up, reluctant to leave Rinoa. He quickly glanced down at his hand to see the Griever ring he had "borrowed" from Squall. Pulling it off carefully, he placed it in Rinoa's palm and closed her hand around it. "I'll be back," he whispered. "I promise."
Making his way out of the dorm, he picked up Lionheart, stepped outside, and closed the door slowly, making sure not to disturb Rinoa's sleep.
Zell began to find Rinoa more and more attractive. He knew it wasn't him as Zell; it was Squall's spirit inside him. Either way, he knew it would be harder and harder to control himself the longer it took to restore Squall's spirit to peace. Everyone returned to Balamb Garden to rest up for the night. They, too, had a meeting in the cafeteria, as well as dinner. Zell let his mind wander, and found himself staring at Rinoa.
And to his surprise, Rinoa was staring back at him.
Zell, somewhat shocked, quickly averted his gaze to his food, making an attempt to eat. "She must've just spaced out," he said to himself. He had to make sure; he looked up again to see Rinoa smiling at him. Yet behind the bright smile there was still a sorrow hidden in her eyes. He sighed and stood up, feeling he had lost his appetite. He walked over to Rinoa's table and sat down across from her. "Yo…" he tried to remain as Zell-like as possible, although he was now finding it quite difficult. "Is something wrong?" Rinoa looked at him briefly before lowering her head to stare at her food, whispering to him. "C…Can we talk somewhere else?" Zell swallowed lightly and nodded, standing up and following Rinoa out of the cafeteria into the hallway.
Zell leaned his back against the railing of the hallway, occasionally glancing into the pond of water that surrounded the hallways. "Yeah, what is it?" He managed to say, though somewhat nervously. Suddenly, Rinoa threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder, crying. Zell was compelled to put his arms around her – just for reassuring purposes, of course. "Hey, calm down… I miss Squall too." Zell held Rinoa closer, but this time it wasn't to be reassuring. "I'm scared… you're one of the friends I was closest to out of all of the others, and I don't want to end up losing you like I lost Squall…" Zell lost complete control of his body. Her voice enchanted him, and although her voice quivered with fear and sadness, there was a soft, sweet melody in it that Zell found comforting and soothing. There was a pleasant fragrance about her that made Zell's senses tingle. He exhaled slightly, feeling his heart rate increase. He closed his eyes and let his hand run through Rinoa's hair, knowing that this couldn't be only the work of Squall's spirit in him. He realized he always had feelings for Rinoa, but he had just regarded it as a strong friendship.
He now knew what it really was.
Rinoa pulled her head away from his shoulder and gazed up at Zell, her eyes slightly swollen from crying, with faintly red-tinted cheeks. "Zell… this isn't just a friendship anymore, is it…?"
A soft smile tugged on Zell's lips and he shook his head slightly. "No… no, I guess not." Zell began to shift his weight, leaning forward to give Rinoa a kiss, when he suddenly pulled away. He was getting off task. I'm supposed to be avenging Squall, he thought to himself. But every second he spent with Rinoa, staring back into her beautiful, absorbing eyes, he felt himself more and more attached to her. He slowly pulled away from Rinoa and turned towards his dorm. Rinoa watched sadly, "So… you're leaving…?" was all she could manage to say. He nodded, and after he had taken a couple of steps, he heard Rinoa's voice behind him again: "Zell…" he stopped and turned around, looking at her. "Zell… not even one kiss?"
They fell into each other's arms.
When Zell came to his senses, it was morning. He was in his dorm, lying on his bed, lying beside a blissfully sleeping Rinoa. His eyes widened in shock. "Oh my God, did I…?" He glanced around nervously, to find that the sheets were still rather even, and the two of them had still had all their clothes on from the previous night. He let out a sigh of relief. He knew Squall would never have forgiven him if he and Rinoa had done the unspeakable the same day that he had died. He tried to think and restore his memory about the previous night, but all he could remember was holding Rinoa in his arms, feeling the sensation of Rinoa's kiss. He knew that they had managed to laugh and talk a little, but he couldn't remember what they had spoken about. He wanted to stay with Rinoa forever, but he knew it couldn't happen. He had a job to do. He let out a sigh and carefully placed a gentle kiss on Rinoa's lips, cautious not to awaken her. He knew Rinoa would want to help in the fight against Seifer, but Zell didn't want her to get hurt.
Zell slowly got up out of his bed and stood up, reluctant to leave Rinoa. He quickly glanced down at his hand to see the Griever ring he had "borrowed" from Squall. Pulling it off carefully, he placed it in Rinoa's palm and closed her hand around it. "I'll be back," he whispered. "I promise."
Making his way out of the dorm, he picked up Lionheart, stepped outside, and closed the door slowly, making sure not to disturb Rinoa's sleep.
