Falling For You
Chapter Five
Rinoa gazed dreamily at the handsome man that was holding her. Hyne, he's the most elegant man I've ever seen in my entire life.
"Uhum… It was really nice dancing with you," he said, still looking into her eyes, emotion lacking in his voice.
They still stood there in the middle of the quad, his intense blue eyes piercing her chocolate ones.
Rinoa thought he seemed reluctant to let her go. As he pulled his arms away from her body, she strained herself. What to do… what to do…
"Hi… um… I'm Rinoa," she shyly introduced herself and held out her hand.
He looked hesitant at first but shook her hand. "I'm Squall..."
They just stared at each other, nodding and not letting go of each other's hand, not knowing what to say next.
"Umm… Why don't we take a seat?" he asked her, his eyes and hand still locked with hers.
"Umm… okay," she said.
Still holding hands, they approached a nearby table and, Squall releasing Rinoa's hand, sat down on the comfortable chairs.
Both were struggling to think of what to talk about. Rinoa's mind was clouded with Squall. She was forcing herself to think of a topic but his hands, his eyes, his manly smell… Hyne, what's happening to me?
Rinoa almost jumped when she heard him talk.
"Thanks for teaching me how to waltz," he said softly.
"You're a great student," she said, smiling at him.
"By the way, congratulations on your graduation," he said, remembering he saw her on the stage a while ago.
"Oh… thanks. You don't study here, don't you? I haven't seen you before," she spoke.
Squall nodded. "I study at Esthar Medical University."
"Hmm… med school, huh? What's your specialization?" Rinoa asked him.
"I want to be a pediatrician. I always volunteer at the pediatric ward. I like kids," he said, beaming.
Rinoa's heart fluttered when she saw him smiling. Whoa! A hot guy who loves kids! Rinoa thought. I think I'm in love… Rinoa mentally slapped herself for thinking such a thing. I could never betray Seifer!
"Well, an advanced congratulations to you on your future graduation!" she exclaimed. "What brings you to the humble town of Balamb?" she asked him.
"For a much needed vacation. I hang out in Esthar with a friend of mine. He suddenly made plans for a summer vacation with his girlfriend. I don't want to stay home. When I'm at the house I just study, study, study! I decided to come here instead," he answered.
"Where are you staying?"
"Balamb Hotel."
Rinoa nodded, not knowing what to say next. She saw Squall opening his mouth and then closing it again, as if he was going to say something.
Rinoa thought for a moment and decided to ask Squall. "If you want, I can show you around town…" she offered.
"That'd be great," Squall gratefully accepted. "Thanks."
"Umm… Squall? So why are you here at Balamb University? I'm just curious…"
"Umm… my parents are friends with your headmaster. They forced me to come here, saying that Uncle Cid and Aunt Edea hasn't seen me for ten years," he said.
Uncle Cid? Oh, Mr. Kramer, Rinoa thought, referring to the headmaster of the university. She glanced at the long table where the headmaster and his wife sat, along with the special guests for the graduation ceremony. Mr. Kramer was scanning the room. Maybe he's looking for someone, she mused. She was surprised when Mr. Kramer was looking at her companion.
"Umm… Squall, I think the headmaster is looking for you," she said to him.
Squall saw that the headmaster was beckoning him that he wants to talk to him. He stood up. Rinoa did the same.
"Well… I got to go…"
"That's alright," she said.
"Anyway, when are you free to give me a tour?" Squall asked.
"Anytime."
"How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's okay. I'll meet you at the hotel lobby at around ten in the morning," she said.
Squall nodded and smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. It was really nice meeting you," he said, and this time, he was the one who held out his hand.
"Me, too." Rinoa gladly shook Squall's hand. As she did, the handshake sent shivers down her spine.
Squall, again, hesitantly released her hand. He flashed her a smile before he walked away.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
Rinoa walked towards her table and saw Selphie and Irvine sharing an ice cream sundae.
Irvine noticed her. "Rin's here," he said as Rinoa sat down beside Selphie.
"I can't believe you did that!" Selphie incredulously said. "You dragged him on the dance floor!"
"I did what I had to do. You dared me to do it. I did it," Rinoa said simply, smirking triumphantly at the couple.
Irvine brought his hands together for a well-deserved applause for his cousin. "And may I say you really brought life to the dance floor," he teased her.
Rinoa's cheeks reddened with embarassment. She just crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "Well… at least he got the hang of it," she said stubbornly.
Selphie smiled at her. "Everyone was looking at you! In my opinion, you did not become the center of attention because of the crazy dancing. I really admired how well you look with each other. You looked like the perfect couple!" Selphie giddily burst out.
Rinoa turned a shade deeper with Selphie's compliment. She smiled appreciatively at her best friend. "Thanks."
"Anyway, what's his name?" Selphie asked again.
"Squall," Rinoa replied dreamily as his name brought his image back to her mind. "I'm meeting him tomorrow," she announced.
"You already got a date? You sure work fast, Rin," Irvine kidded again.
Rinoa scowled at him. "It's not a date! I'm just giving him a tour of Balamb, that's all."
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
"Are you sure you're alright?" Quistis asked Seifer.
"Just a mild headache. I'll pop in a pill later," Seifer lied.
They were standing at Quistis' doorway at the hotel room. Quistis had invited him for a nightcap. Seifer really just wanted to go home and just forget about the dance he witnessed earlier.
"Okay, if you say so."
Seifer leaned in to give Quistis a good night peck on the lips. "Gotta go," he said and walked away.
He approached the elevator and got inside. As he leaned against the wall, thoughts of Rinoa and the stranger kept drifting into his mind. Seifer shut his eyes, trying to erase the images that made his heart bled.
I just can't believe I'm still harboring feelings for her. It's already been a month. I know I love Quistis but, still… I still feel something for Rin. I know I won't feel this pain if I do not love her…
He ran his fingers through his hair. Rinoa's the first girl I laid my eyes on. How come I can't get her out of my head?
The elevator doors opened and he got out. As he was nearing the hotel door, he saw the man Rinoa was dancing with come in.
It's him! Seeing the brown-haired man made Seifer's heart ache all over again. He quickened his pace and got out of the building.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
A/N: I'm back! Sorry again for the delay. Thanks again to Seifer's Incarnate, XxPhoenix BladexX, FF9 Zidane, Keiry, and Billie the Kid for reviewing! To Keiry, thanks for adding me on your fave list! I really am grateful for that! :D
Anyway, I hope you like this chappy.
Thanks a lot and keep reading and reviewing!