Disclaimer: I do not own Squaresoft, Final Fantasy VIII nor its characters.
A/N: Hi, everyone! First of all, I would like to apologize because of the very looooong delay of this chapter. I'm really really sorry!
Second, I would like to thank remote_mine for beta-reading this chappy. Thank you so so much! I really appreciate all the comments, the suggestions... everything! *hugs you tightly*
Anyways, again, thank you to everyone who reviewed!
Kieu: Thanks! Hope you'll like this next chappy! I really hope I could post the next chapter soon. Thanks again!
Ashbear: WOAH! OMG! I can't believe you reviewed one of my fics! I'm so happy! Thank you so much for all the encouragement and comments! Anyway, I love your fics! Please update Dancing in Time and Somewhere in Between soon! =D
PasifikStaR: Another WOAH! You also reviewed my fic? I think I'm overjoyed right now. =D I'm glad you like the story. Thanks for the encouragement and critique! I really appreciate them. I'm looking forward to the next chappy of After Recreating Hell. Thanks again!
Seifer's Incarnate: Thanks for reading and being amused with this chappy!
Kupo: Thank you so much! I'm certainly waiting for the next chapter of I Forgot Your Name. Pls pls pls update soon!
Evan's Rinoa: Thank you! I kinda gave Squall a different personality in this fic. Anyways, thanks again for reviewing!
anonymous: Thanks! I'm glad you find the story interesting and you like it. Thanks for the encouragement!
Styx: Haha! Very nice suggestion for the title! Thanks, anyway! Hope you'll like this chappy!
FF9_Zidane: Thank you! Well, here's Ch9! Hope you'll like it.
remote_mine: Again, thanks for beta-reading. Your comments and suggestions and encouragement really mean a lot to me... and I mean a lot. Thank you so so much for the help!
Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's Chapter Ten! Hope you'll like it! =D
~bembem~
Falling For You
Chapter Ten
Rinoa sat on the lounger and hugged her legs. She buried her face between her knees and sighed loudly.
Hyne... I still can't believe that happened!
It had been half an hour since that 'incident-with-Squall-at-the-shore' happened. She felt the blood rise to her cheeks as she remembered what had happened. After Squall ran towards the cottage, she made a lame excuse to separate herself from the rest of the gang.
"Penny for your thoughts."
Rinoa glanced up and saw Irvine smiling down at her. He sat down and she made room for him.
"You've been avoiding Squall for the last thirty minutes or so," Irvine said as he grabbed the suntan lotion on the sand.
Rinoa remained silent, not sure of what to say next.
"Come on, Rinny... you can tell me. It's me, your cousin," Irvine encouraged her.
Rinoa let out a sigh and turned her head towards the cottage. She saw Selphie talking to Squall.
"Oh, Irv... it's too embarrassing!"
"Try me."
She bit her lip, contemplating telling him about what had happened. "The wave knocked all of us, right?" she began.
Irvine nodded as he unscrewed the cap of the bottle.
"And Squall saw it beforehand and warned me about it... He tried to catch me. But still, we got caught in the wave and we went down."
"Uh-uh," Irvine said, nodding. He tried to get some lotion on his other hand while jerking the bottle.
"So I was on top of him... and... and we stayed like that for... I don't know how long!" Rinoa burst out.
Irvine snapped his fingers. "Around five seconds!"
Rinoa frowned at Irvine. "Anyway... I felt something."
"And?"
"I felt something... poke my stomach," Rinoa said in a small voice as her face turned pink.
Irvine clutched the bottle too tight and a huge amount of lotion came out with a 'splat' sound. "Something poked your stomach?" Irvine said, confused, as he looked at his hand which was now covered with lotion. "Oh," he said as he realized what had 'poked' her stomach.
Rinoa blushed deeper.
Irvine put down the bottle and put his free arm with the lotion-free hand around her shoulder. "You know, Rinny, it's normal for guys to have a... how do you say this? Umm..." he said as he tried to choose a word. "A hard-on."
Rinoa felt her ears turn pink.
Irvine shook his head as he saw Rinoa's reaction. "Maybe it's because of the sun, the hot weather... you in that small bikini..."
"It's not small!" Rinoa protested, more blood rushing to her cheeks.
"Okay, you in that bikini," Irvine corrected himself. "And then, you two had very very very close physical contact. And maybe.... Squall likes you. Those are the reasons why Squall's hormones reacted in such a way. Guys could never prevent that from happening. Tell me, Rinny... if you had a very physical encounter with a very hot guy who's wearing next to nothing and you had a crush on him, would you be turned off?"
Rinoa slowly shook his head, understanding what Irvine was saying.
"Squall would react that way. You're beautiful and sexy, Rinny. Any normal-blooded male would react that way if they were in Squall's shoes."
"Don't let that one awkward moment ruin your relationship with him. You're just starting to become friends. I think he'd make a great friend," Irvine continued.
She nodded. "You're right."
"And a great boyfriend," Irvine added.
Rinoa rolled her eyes and smacked her cousin on the shoulder.
"Ow! That hurt!"
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
Squall poured himself a glass of lemonade. He sat down at the bench at the terrace of the cottage. He put his glass down on the side table and closed his eyes.
This has got to be the most humiliating experience in my entire life.
He felt someone sit down beside him.
"Hey."
Please don't let it be her, he said as he heard the lovely voice. He opened his eyes and glanced at the person beside him.
"Sorry," Rinoa said, eyes on her lap, as she played with the towel she was holding in her hands.
"About what?"
"Me, avoiding you," she said.
"No... I should apologize for what had happened—"
"Wait," Rinoa said as she put her right hand on Squall's left knee.
Squall slightly jumped at Rinoa's touch.
Blushing, she pulled her hand immediately and shyly met Squall's eyes. "Let's just forget about that. It was just one..." Rinoa paused as she tried to choose a more appropriate word. "...awkward moment," she continued. "I really enjoy your company. I wouldn't want that to ruin our relationship... umm... friendly relationship," she added.
He noticed she turned a deeper shade of crimson.
"You know... we're just beginning to know each other," she said.
Squall smiled slightly, still embarrassed by what had happened earlier. "O-okay... I thought I offended you in one way or another—" he softly said.
Rinoa flashed him a shy smile. "Hey," she cut him off. "What happened on the shore was just... Let's just add that to funny-but-embarrassing-moments-of-our-life pile. We could look at it someday and just laugh about it."
Squall could see that she is trying to make the situation humorous. He laughed. A few seconds later, Rinoa joined in. They laughed for about a minute.
~.*.~ ~.*.~ ~.*.~
During the last thirty minutes, his heart was rejoicing when he noticed the two were avoiding each other. But now, Seifer saw Squall and Rinoa talking at the terrace.
Looks like they've patched things up...
Again, his heart flinched at the sight of Squall and Rinoa together. He did not want Rinoa to get close to Squall – or to any man for that matter. He silently added that he only wanted Rinoa to see him as her closest male friend – aside from Irvine, of course.
Hyne, I'm acting like a possessive jealous boyfriend.
Suddenly remembering Quistis who got up from the lounger next to him a few minutes ago to buy a hotdog, he looked for her over the food stands that were a few feet away from them. He saw her walking back with Selphie. A volleyball landed next to them. Quistis handed Selphie the hotdogs she was carrying and scooped the ball and threw it back to a group who was playing with it.
A few of the male players whistled as Quistis and Selphie walked away, ignoring the catcalls.
Funny, Seifer said to himself. He didn't know if the sun was just playing tricks on him or he felt more jealous when he saw Rinoa and Squall than the event he just witnessed.
I know I love Quisty... Hyne, what's the matter with me?