November 29, 2002- Author's notes: Hey everyone! I got a great idea for a fanfic! And please be nice, Lambs, this is really my first. Hope you'll enjoy it! ^_^
July 30, 2003- Author's notes: Sup y'all! Squall's angel here. Heehee, in case you hadn't noticed, I had revised and re-edited this chapter! It's kind of different now, but has the same plot. I hope you will like it more then how it was before. I'm also going to re-do chapter 2 and then write and post the 3rd long awaited chapter A.S.A.P. Bye now! ^-^
Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Final Fantasy VIII belongs to Squaresoft.
The Promise in a Kiss
~Chapter 1~
A Stranger To Call My Own
-*****-
The day glistened with warm sunny rays emerging from the fluorescent morning skies. They shined onto a young human beauty as the sun's powerful light reflected on her silky black hair and highlighted her perfectly chiseled face. Rinoa Heartilly couldn't help but love it here, her home sweet home, Trabia Garden.
Trabia Garden had been her residence for as long as she could remember. Grown to its beautiful landscape of mountainous arenas and twilight zones, she could never get tired of admiring the breathtaking nature from within the tall, embellished walls. The vivid scenery surrounding the building was beyond compare, and every dawn was filled with new beginnings of a luminous day. From lavishing Garden Festivals to hectic class changes, one would grow to love this place, no matter what.
Rinoa's graceful silhouette was settled against an iron wall while she marveled the sun-kissed terrain via the cafeteria's exorbitant windows. Her eyes darted from across the peaceful land to the complex designs of T-Garden. It was always enticing to her auburn tinted orbs, which was merely the reason why she got caught off guard when Selphie Tilmitt shook her arm, bringing the jet black haired girl out of her trance. The fifteen-year-old met the lively gaze of a cheerful brunette when their eyes locked.
"Hi, Rinoa. Care to ignore me for a while longer?"
"Oh, sorry about that," Rinoa said nonchalantly as she fixed her eyesight towards the windows' direction, "nature can be really addictive."
Selphie rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, tee-hee, about the Garden Festival…are you still gonna sing there?"
Rinoa sighed. "Well, I gotta write a song first. And don't you ever shut up about that thing? It's the only subject you have been blabbing about since the party has been made official."
Selphie grinned, but before she could vocalize, the female beside her exclaimed out of the blue.
"Ooh! Isn't that your wild man, Selphie?" Rinoa asked her while eagerly pointing to a tall male figure on the other side of the cafeteria.
Selphie blushed and said, "Oh, come on. You know he's not my boyfriend!"
"Yet," Adrienne, another friend of Selphie's and Rinoa's assured her after settling down beside them with her lunch tray.
"Yeah, and you do have a crush on him. Isn't that right, guys?" Rinoa asked her friends.
Selphie's face flushed again and the girls giggled.
Irvine Kinneas, the guy who Selphie had admired secretly as soon as she first set her eyes on him, was probably the most flirtatious student in the whole entire universe. Selphie stared in awe at Irvine as Rinoa lightly tapped her on the shoulder to catch the petite girl's attention.
"Oh, sorry Rin," Selphie apologized, "but who do you like?" she asked her friend slyly.
"Um…no one, actually. You girls stole all the hot guys already!"
"No we didn't!" Selphie playfully protested. "There are tons of other guys out there who are both cute and available. Besides, you will need to get a date for that Garden Festival coming up," Tilmitt added.
"I know, I know. Got any ideas?" she asked, totally defeated.
Selphie thought for a brief moment before answering.
"How 'bout Seifer Almasy? He is very attractive, and I don't think he is dating anyone at the time. So well, you know, you two can—"
"Seifer Almasy?! Are you kidding me? Well, I mean yeah that guy has the looks and stuff, but he is such a jerk! Not to mention that he is a big dope! Whenever he goes splitsville with someone why do you think he always ends up being the dumpee?" Rinoa said cutting the shorter teenager off, antagonized at her implication.
Selphie smirked and took a sip out of her juice. "Lighten up, girl! It was only a suggestion, you know. I don't date bums either."
Rinoa smiled at her friend and shook her head. She was wondering how this over enlivened female could seriously piss the hell out of you; even in her own little high-spirited way. Rinoa couldn't help but agree to that as the seven minute bell rang, indicating the upcoming start of class.
The two walked down towards the dormitories after throwing their lunches away, chatting endlessly about interests, like attractive men. Rinoa and Selphie were also roommates. They quickly got their stuff, and then went straight to their next class as the sun heaved over the deep horizon.
~*One week later*~
Rinoa was rummaging through her endless pile of homework when a frantic-looking Selphie came bursting into their shared dormitory, startling her panic-stricken self to death.
"Selphie! What the hell? Are you all right? What happened?!" she asked in bewilderment.
"You—your not gon—gonna believe this!" Selphie started breathlessly. "He asked me out!!!"
"Who?!" Then it hit her. "Oh, Irvine did! Heh, how can I forget? Well, you better chill before you suffer a heart attack! Then tell me all the juicy details."
Selphie nodded her head in agreement and then energetically flopped onto Rinoa's small bed.
She began cheerfully, "well, I was helping Irina out, you know, the Garden Festival director, and then she said she had to go somewhere urgent and told me to take charge and hang all of the remaining decorations, and so I did. I was pinning something onto the ceiling while standing on a ladder, and then I jumped when I saw him standing right behind me. And right before I hit the ground," Selphie shrieked passionately before continuing, "he—he caught me in his strong arms! Then we started a conversation and I thought there was some kind of glitch in Earth when he asked me out to go to the Garden Festival with him!" She sighed dreamily. "I mean, I'm still very surprised why he had to ask me out of all those chicks. Maybe it was fate that got us together."
"Wow, Irvine is such a sweetie! I'm very happy for you, Selphie." Rinoa beamed enviously. Damn her! I need someone sweet and strong too…
"Thanks Rinny!" Selphie ginned. "By the way, did you have the opportunity to write a song yet? You promised me that you would sing something at the festival! And if you didn't, don't tell me you won't sing because it's not that hard to write a simple song, you know."
"Well, Selph, I'm still looking for a nice theme. But don't worry, I'll try to write something by tomorrow," she ensured her.
"You better girlfriend!" she smiled as Rinoa rolled her enticing eyes laughingly.
"Well, gotta go finish decorating the ballroom. See ya Rin." Selphie said as she got up enthusiastically and opened the squeaky door.
"Bye!"
-*****-
The bewitching moon shone brightly at its high place in the murky sky. Lighting the hallway with the slightest bit of radiance, it helped guide a beauteous teenager through the dim lit passageways of Trabia Garden. She quietly sneaked out of her dorm room moments before, only to be greeted with memorized corridors. Heartilly decided to take a walk down these lanes to enhance the percentage of her mind cooking up a subject for her song. She still did not come up with any, and allowing her the opportunity to sing her deceased mom's "Eyes On Me" masterpiece would sting her heart with sadness.
As the ebony-haired female walked down a vague hallway, she heard a few footsteps behind her. Rinoa reluctantly turned around, welcomed with nothing other then her own shadow. Even though she felt a little unsecured, she turned back and continued walking, shrugging it off as if nothing important happened.
Louder this time, she heard footsteps again.
"Hello?" Rinoa asked as she spun around.
There was no answer.
The curious teenager decided to go to the area where the footsteps were coming from to see who was lurking around that late at night, like she was.
After she turned the corner of the hall, Rinoa froze in her tracks. Her heart started pounding very fast. In the far end of the passage a dark, masculine figure stood behind a fake palm tree. Rinoa thought that maybe it was only her mind that was playing foolish tricks on her eyes, but when the gloomy figure moved slightly, she realized that she thought wrong.
Okay, calm down girl. Maybe I should just turn and walk back to my dorm and he won't follow me. Yep, I'll do just that, she told herself calmly.
As the panic-stricken teenager turned around to walk away, the anonymous person spoke.
"Dearest Rinoa, isn't it a little too late to be roaming around Garden this late after curfew? You are breaking a very important rule, you know. And you should never go anywhere at night, especially…alone."
Rinoa gulped and her heart started pounding even faster than a humming bird's. Well, his voice sure is sexy, but how does this creep know my name? she asked herself in confusion.
As Rinoa turned around, she noticed that this mysterious male started walking slowly towards her. Her voice quivering, she asked him, "how do you k—know my name? And who a—are you?" The stranger chuckled at her vocalization.
"I know a lot of things, and it is not important for you to know who I am, since you will only get to see me this one time," he replied, stealthily.
Who the hell does this little shit think he is? Hyne? Tch, how pathetic.
Rinoa swallowed hard again as he got closer. She couldn't make his face out because of the darkness, but she could see that he wore a very sexy outfit that included leather pants, boots, and jacket with a white T-shirt underneath. Every time he took a step forward, Rinoa took a step backward. However, she stopped when she could no longer walk back because of the wall.
Drastically regretting this, Heartilly prayed she hadn't gone out of her dorm room only moments before.
Oh. My. God. The terrified adolescent nearly fainted when she finally got to see his facial features. He had amazing blue-gray eyes, a perfect nose, thin cherry lips, and unique, silky brown hair that was layered neatly. Rinoa and the stranger were now nearly face-to-face with each other. She couldn't take her eyes off of this very handsome human.
"Rinoa—that's such a beautiful name. Suits you perfectly, too," he said seductively, sending shivers down her spine with every hot breath.
Rinoa blushed at his comment and swallowed, but never took her chocolate brown eyes off of his misty, blue-gray ones.
"Here, I want you to take this," the foreigner told her as he took two intricately designed rings off from his illuminated silver necklace. He attained her soft hand in his and put the two rings inside before closing her petrified body part.
"Take good care of it." Rinoa was perplexed out of her mind, but nodded anyway.
The flawless stranger grinned charmingly at her actions as he started leaning in towards her face. Rinoa was afraid for what he was going to do next, but then realized he was going to kiss her. Her consciousness wouldn't let her run away, so she didn't have a choice. When their lips touched, Rinoa felt as if a strong electric spark of lightening had just struck her entire body. The unknown male, who looked to be the same as Rinoa's age, kissed her smoothly and slowly, and she returned it with just as much passion.
She never imagined that this was what you feel like when engaged in a heated kiss.
It seemed eternity had passed before he finally broke the salutation between them. When their lips parted, the stranger smiled gorgeously, and sauntered out of her sight. Rinoa tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out of her satisfied mouth. Her mind was racing.
Rinoa Heartilly had just spent her first fantastical kiss with the perfect stranger.
She leaned against the wall and closed her shimmering eyes, thinking about him. She was interrupted, however, when a Garden faculty officer scolded at her for wondering in the hallways after curfew.
"Hey you!" Rinoa opened her eyes suddenly after she heard the officer's sharp voice.
"What are you doing out here?! It's after curfew! You—hey! Stop this instant! Ugh, damn kids…"
Rinoa didn't want to ruin her excelling record so she ran as fast as her legs could've gone to her dormitory. Once she got there she unlocked the door quickly and shut it right after hopping in. She leaned against the door railing to catch her breath. Then she flopped down onto her bed and looked at the two rings she had been given.
Wow…this is awesome! Wonder where he got these… She put them safely in her drawer and decided to take a better look at them in the morning when it was lighter. Then she started thinking about the ring's keeper again, and that blissful kiss they shared.
God, it felt so good. I have to find that guy somehow…
Rinoa took her clothing off and changed into her blue pajamas. She thought of something as she lay back down onto her bed and smiled when a perfect idea hit her straight in the face about the song she would have to write. And if he were there, he would know that what she was going to sing was to be aimed at him. Rinoa closed her worn out eyes and went to sleep as her mind filled with tons of sweet dreams.
Boy was she happy.
-*****-