Disclaimer: nope….don't own ff8 or squaresoft yet……*bows head in shame* I don't own anything!!!
A/N-okiedokie….had a little more time to write during the week, so yeh, I hope you don enjoy this chappy…but please don't get mad at me if you don't like anything that happens in this one……its all part of the story, so juss go wit tha flow. Alrighty? Alrighty…..enjoiz den
~ Reliving and Remembering ~
Rinoa stared at him, and was about to break the silence when she realised he was contently looking out at the dark sky ahead of them.
It was Brendan who finally broke the silence without even turning to face Rinoa. "Listen, I'm sorry if I've done anything wrong tonight, but it I've caused you any sadness or pain in any way, please tell me." Rinoa stared at him for a few seconds, collecting her thoughts.
"I suppose you know the whole story…" He slowly nodded. "Well…I don't exactly know how to say this but…this is where me and Squall…where me and Squall shared our first kiss. I was just thinking about him when I saw you there."
"Oh, I see," he replied still not looking at her.
"Uh…and when I saw you just now, you stood exactly where Squall stood that night five years ago."
"That's now, did I do anything before…anything to make you leave me on the dance floor alone?" He questioned, finally facing her.
Rinoa looked down slightly embarrassed. She hadn't meant to leave him all alone, she just needed to get away.
"Oh, that. Sorry. I just really needed a breath of fresh air."
"Alrighty then," was all he said before silence took the place of their words. After a few minutes Brendan felt that she wanted to be left alone. "Rinoa, I'm heading back in, but before I do, I'll ask you what I was going to ask before. Would you like to do evening performances at my Auntie's restaurant? You see, she hasn't said anything to me about it, but I read in a paper last week that her usual performer went and got married, so that's left her restaurant in a bit of a mess. Could ya please think about it?" he turned towards her, seeing if she had heard. When he concluded that she hadn't, he turned and started to make his way back into the ball room.
"Brendan," he felt her grab his hand, "I'll do it."
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Thanks Rin." Rinoa, too, smiled a small smile and breathed a little sigh, averting her vision to her hand that was being held by Brendan. She quickly removed her hand from his, moving toward the door when she felt him place his hand softly on her shoulder.
"Rinoa, it's not always good to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Sometimes its good to let out your emotions-don't bottle them up, it only makes getting past it harder." He had turned her while he talked, and she looked up at his face, the moon behind him silhouetting his features. They were standing so close that their bodies were almost touching. His hand drifted from her shoulder to her back, slowly pulling her in closer. Before Rinoa knew what she was doing, she felt the gentle pressure of Brendan's lips upon her own. She felt as if she were no longer in control of her actions as she felt her arms wrap around him, drawing him closer and deepening the kiss. Brendan, too, enveloped her with his arms.
All the feelings of old, all of the feelings she had longed to feel for three years came surging back at one kiss. The tap to her emotions stopped though when she realised it wasn't who she wanted it to be. It wasn't Squall. She promptly pulled away and ran inside, her mind turning with confusing thoughts. When she got back, in amongst the crowd, she hastily scanned the crowd for Quistis. Seeing she was no where in sight, Rinoa decided that Quistis must've retired early. She made her way up to the dorms and knocked softly, but with detectable urgency, on the door. Rinoa frowned as she heard the distinct bang of a cupboard or door being closed. Quistis opened the door, fixing her hair. "Quistis I really need to talk to you."
"Umm…"Quistis looked behind her and then resumed, "sure, come on in."
When they had both taken their seats on the couch Rinoa glanced around, trying to figure out what she had heard. She saw Quistis' bedroom door closed. Unusual, she thought.
"Quistis, are you sure you aren't busy?"
"I've always got time for a friend."
"Okay then," she raised her voice slightly. "You better go back to your dorm, Seifer, or back down to the dance, this could take a while." Slowly the door opened to reveal a slightly embarrassed Seifer.
"Uhh, I'll leave you two alone…call me later Quistis." Quistis got up and followed him to the door, whispering something. She kissed his cheek and closed the door before resuming her position on the couch.
"Okay, Rin, what's up? You were great tonight, by the way."
"Oh, thanks. Umm…I don't exactly know what I've done or why, but I'm so confused and everything is just so overwhelming at the moment."
"What happened?" she queried moving closer to Rinoa. "What have you done?"
Rinoa bit her lip and breathed a sigh, "I kissed Brendan."
Quistis' eyes dilated quickly, "You what?" she asked, more to confirm what she had said, rather than to scold.
"You heard me, I kissed Brendan. I don't know what to do."
"Wait, are you sure you kissed him, or did he kiss you?"
"It was both of us, but I…I…"
"Responded the most?" Rinoa nodded slowly. "What's the matter with that?"
"What the matter? I just cheated on Squall-I kissed another man! And you ask what the matter is, I'm sure its pretty visible."
Quistis sighed heavily and stood up. "Rin, don't take this the wrong way, and don't go into a storming rage at me but…Rinoa, you have to face it, Squall's been gone for….he's been away for three years. Don't you think that if he was alive, he would've come back to Garden-back to you?"
"Of course he would, but nothing is ever going to get rid of this feeling that I feel so strongly for him. I mean, if he really was….you know…then wouldn't I know inside?"
"You would, but I think we're missing an important part in this puzzle. How do you feel about Brendan?"
"I don't know…I'm confused. When we kissed, everything that had been dammed up for so long just came out."
"Do you love him?"
"What?! I love Squall, I'll always love Squall. But I don't want to completely shut Brendan out of my life, I mean, I'd love to have him as a friend, but I don't think I'll ever be able to love him in that way…"
"And no one's asking you to Rinoa. What'll you say if he asks you out?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You know very well why," Rinoa replied, suddenly annoyed.
"Because you'd be cheating on Squall?"
"Exactly."
"But if he's your friend…why won't you go out with him? I mean, friends go out all the time…its not like you have to get all romancy with him."
"Yeh I guess so/"
"Tell me, what did it feel like?"
"It felt exactly how my first kiss with Squall did."
Quisits nodded slowly. "Go out with him, if he asks, then after that you should know where you stand with him."
"Alright."
~`~`~`~`~
Brendan walked through the crowd and out of the ball room to his room. What just happened? Did I really kiss her? What have I gotten myself into?
"Watcha thinkin' about?" he heard someone say in a muffled way, the person's mouth obviously full of…something.
"Oh, hey Zell. Have fun in the kitchen?"
"Hyne, yes! Want a hotdog?" he gestured to the piece of food in his hand.
"Uh… I'll pass, hey listen, I gotta talk to you about something."
"Sure, what about?"
"Rinoa…"
"Uhuh…what happened?"
"Well, we kissed." Zell dropped the hotdog in his hand and stood wide eyed for a few moments.
"You…what?! How could ya man? I thought you said that…"
"I know what I said, and seriously, I never meant for any of this to happen. It just…did. But I kinda got the hint that she liked me…a bit."
"Yuh, why'd ya think that?" he scoffed in disgust.
"Well, she…er…pulled me closer...does that mean anything?" Zell's eyes grew wider, if it was possible.
"Woah! Dude! You are one lucky man!"
"But then she took off…I don't know what to do."
"Talk to her, man…talk to her…just to see where you two stand in the matter of relationships."
"Would I be an idiot if I tried?"
"Well, ya never know…just don't chuck a fit if she just wants to be friends okay? Squall was practically her other half…nothing'll ever make her forget him."
"Yeh, I know. I'll be careful."
A/N what ya think? Please don't flame me, but do write a comment…..whatever you want to say about my fic. And if any of you ask whether this'll be a Squinoa or a…er…Rindan…then might I just remind you what it says very distinctly on the summary *Squinoa*……do I see hopeful faces now? Yay!!! Please review right……..
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here……thanks heaps!!!!