Disclaimer: I do not own Squaresoft, Final Fantasy VIII nor its characters.
A/N: Hi again to everybody out there! The seventh installment is finally here! Hope you all like it!
Once again, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who read my fic. To the people who submitted their reviews, thank you so so so so so much! You've made me very happy!
Mushi Mars: Please don't get mad at me! Here's the next chappy. Hope you like it! Thanks!
styx: Woah! That was such a high praise! Thank you so much!
XxSquall's AngelxX: Thanks, too! I'm glad you liked my fic. I'm eagerly awaiting the next chappy of your fic! Update soon!
FF9 Zidane: *catches cookies* Thanks! Hope you like this chappy!
XxPhoenix BladexX: This is definitely a squinoa! Thanks for the review! When will you update Different Worlds? I'm waiting for your next chapter. Update soon!
Falling For You
Chapter Seven
The sun slowly descended below the horizon. What made this sight more beautiful was the couple who was sitting down on the docks, silently enjoying the serenity of the ocean. Waves gently lapped at their feet, causing their feet to touch unintentionally, sending sensations to both of them.
Rinoa heard her heart pounding loudly in her chest, knowing Squall was right beside her, only a foot separating them. She silently wished the sunset will never end, so that she could be with him longer.
Is this it? Is this love? Rinoa asked herself. She wanted to look at his handsome features but she was afraid he might catch her. She forced herself to stare straight ahead, Squall's face etched in mind.
They just sat there in silence.
"That was the most beautiful sunset I ever saw in my entire life," Squall breathed.
Rinoa smiled at him, secretly drowning herself in this perfect man.
Squall stood up and offered his hand to Rinoa. She took it and he helped herself stand up.
Again, they would not let each other's hand go. They stood there, oblivious to the fact that they were holding hands. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Squall asked her, smiling.
An idea formed in her mind. Without second thoughts, she suggested, "Why don't we have dinner at my place?" Woah! Did I just invite him to my house?
Squall's smile deepened. Rinoa swore she almost felt her knees buckle. "Sure. Shall we go?" Squall said, releasing her hand and offering her his arm.
Rinoa nodded at him and she linked her arm though his. They walked to his car and got in. They went back to the hotel and gave Squall's car to the valet and got in Rinoa's Beetle. Squall drove her car while she gave him directions. After parking the Beetle, Rinoa and Squall walked the pathway to the door.
"Nice place," Squall commented. "Wow… you also drive an Eclipse."
Rinoa shook her head. "It's my cousin's car. I'll introduce you to him." Rinoa said as she opened the door.
Irvine and Selphie were watching a movie.
Selphie stood up, hands on her hips. "Oooh! You're here… finally!"
Rinoa smiled at her then glanced at the wall clock above the television. "It's only six-thirty. By the way, have you had dinner?" she asked them.
Irvine gestured to the phone on the side table. "You want take out?"
"Ugh. I'll cook dinner," she announced. "Anyways, there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Squall stepped inside the house and shyly smiled at the couple. "Good evening," he greeted them.
Irvine stood up. Selphie's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "It's him!" she excitedly whispered to Irvine.
"Guys, this is Squall. Squall, this is Irvine, my cousin, and Selphie, his girlfriend and my best friend," Rinoa said.
Squall smiled at them. They all shook hands.
"Rin, Aunt Julia called around thirty minutes ago. She can't reach your cell phone," Irvine said.
"'Kay. I'll call her right away. Squall," she said as she faced him. "Why don't you make yourself at home?"
Squall nodded and sat down on the sofa. Rinoa went to the kitchen and grabbed the phone beside the refrigerator. She dialled a number and waited for someone to pick it up.
"Hello, good evening. Caraway's Residence."
"Rosa, hello!" Rinoa greeted the housemaid. "Is Mom there?"
"Oh, Rinoa. I'll go get your mother."
Rinoa waited.
"Rinny!"
"Hi, mom! Irvine said you called."
"We were just leaving. Your dad and I will come over to your house. We need to talk to you about something," Julia said.
"What's it all about?"
"Later, honey. We really have to hurry. Oh, and our guests are also coming to your house. Bye!"
CLICK!
Strange… Rinoa though as she stared at the receiver in her hand and placed it back. "Selph! I need some help here!"
Selphie marched into the kitchen.
"Dad and mom are coming over with their friends," Rinoa said.
"Okay! Dinner for how many, then?" Selphe asked.
Rinoa pondered for a while. "Around ten, just to be sure."
Rinoa opened the fridge and got some cut-up chicken she bought from the grocery three days ago, and butter. Selphie acquired a saucepan and put it on the stove.
Selphie chopped the spinach she got from the fridge. "So," she began.
Rinoa smiled. "So," she mimicked Selphie as she washed the chicken pieces under tap water.
"How was your day?" Selphie asked innocently.
"Well," Rinoa slowly said as she patted them dry with paper towels. "We met, as I've told you last night, at ten at the hotel lobby. I brought him to the train station—"
"You went to the train station?" Selphie asked incredulously as she cut some ham.
"Yes, we went to train station." Rinoa got a plastic bag and combined flour, salt and pepper in it.
"In your car?"
Rinoa added the chicken pieces in the bag, and shaked the bag well until the chicken were coated well. "Nope, in his car." She saved the remaining flour mixture.
"In his car?" Selphie asked again, stopping what she was doing.
Rinoa got a large heavy skillet, put salad oil in it, and heated it. "Yup, in his car." She added the chicken pieces. She faced Selphie. "A silver Z3."
Selphie grinned from ear to ear. "That's your dream car! Oooh! Handsome guy with handsome car!" she said as she pulled a stool to get canned chicken broth. "What else do you need?"
Rinoa thought for a moment. "Light cream and milk, please." She reduced the heat and cooked the chicken covered, turning them occasionally. "We boarded the train and went to Timber afterwards."
Selphie stood beside Rinoa by the stove and heated the saucepan she got earlier. "You went to Timber? What did you do there?" She opened the cans of chicken broth.
"He just wanted to ride the train," Rinoa shrugged as she cooked the chicken. "We ate lunch there and then we got back here in Balamb."
"Then?" Selphie persuaded her. She combined the chicken broth, a cup of water, and the chopped ham and spinach.
"We ate some hotdogs and then we watched the sunset," Rinoa said dreamily as she removed the last chicken piece from the skillet. She got a small bowl from the cabinet and mixed a tablespoon of the saved flour mixture with cream and milk until it became smooth.
Selphie elbowed Rinoa. "And?" she urged Rinoa. She waited for the soup to boil.
Rinoa just smiled at her. She carefully drained all the fat from the skillet, leaving browned bits in bottom.
Selphie turned to face her. "What? What did you do?" She watched Rinoa, who was smiling as she gradually added the cream mixture into the skillet.
She brought the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, to dissolve the browned bits.. "We just watched the sunset." Rinoa faced her best friend. "Selphie, it was… it was—"
"Magical?" Selphie finished for her, reducing the heat and bringing the soup to simmer. She stirred in the mashed potato and added the pepperoni.
Rinoa nodded. "It was perfect," she sighed, momentarily forgetting the skillet. "Let's eat here in the kitchen. Dad, Mom and their friends in the dining room, okay?"
Selphie got four soup bowls and poured the green soup into them. "Irvy, please set up the table in the dining room!" she hollered.
A few seconds later, the two men poked their heads in the kitchen.
"Smells good!" Squall complimented.
Irvine walked towards the cabinet and got plates, knives, spoons and forks. He gestured to Squall to get some glasses. Selphie prepared a pitcher of iced tea. Rinoa seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper.
When the boys left the kitchen and proceeded to the dining room, Selphie, again, stood beside Rinoa. "And?" she urged again.
Rinoa just smiled at her. "He asked me out for dinner. I invited him here." She put the chicken on two serving plates.
Selphie nodded and set four plates on the kitchen counter. Rinoa got knives, spoons and forks.
The two boys marched again into the kitchen.
"What's taking you so long?" Irvine asked.
"We'll eat here. Uncle Vincent and Aunt Julia are coming over," Selphie answered as she poured iced tea into their glasses.
Squall pulled out stools. Irvine put the soup bowls on the plates.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Rinoa said as she wiped her hands with paper towels. "She dropped the towels in the trashcan by the sink and left the kitchen.
She opened the door and was greeted by her parents. "Hi!" she said as she gave each of them a peck on the cheek.
Vincent smiled at his daughter and beckoned two persons who were standing behind him to come inside. "Rin, I'd like you to meet—"
Oh. My. God. Rinoa thought to herself in amazement.
"—President Laguna Loire and his wife, Raine," Vincent finished, as the couple stepped inside the living room.
"Good evening, sir… ma'am," Rinoa said humbly.
The presidential couple smiled at her. "Just call us Uncle Laguna and Aunt Raine, please," the long-haired president said gently.
"I just finished cooking dinner," Rinoa said as she led her guests in the dining room.
The four adults followed her and sat down. Rinoa poked her head inside the kitchen and told her three friends to bring the food in the dining room. She returned to her visitors and sat down with them.
"Rinoa," Vincent began. "As you know, Laguna just got elected recently. He was wondering if you could escort his son to some social gatherings."
"If it's alright with you," Laguna added.
Rinoa smiled at him. "Oh, sir, it would be an honor."
"Uncle Laguna," the president corrected her.
"Uncle Laguna," Rinoa repeated.
"Thank you, Rinoa," Raine said appreciatively. "Our son is supposed to be here but we can't contact him earlier. Maybe his phone was out of the coverage area."
"We would really like you to meet him," Laguna added as Selphie entered the dining room with a bottle of red wine. Irvine followed next, carrying a bowl of soup, and set it down on the table. The young couple greeted Rinoa's parents.
"Laguna, Raine… these are Irvine and Selphie," Vincent introduced.
The young couple recognized them. Selphie stood there with her mouth hanging open and Irvine shook the hands of the elderly couple.
"Sir, Ma'am… it's a pleasure for both of us to meet both of you," he said.
"Uncle Laguna and Aunt Raine, please," Laguna repeated.
Rinoa smiled. She can't believe that the president and his wife were so down-to-earth. Very humble people, Rinoa thought.
Squall made an entrance with the chicken dish in his hands.
"Squall!" a very surprised Laguna said.
"Dad? Mom? What are you doing here?" Squall asked.