Loving You

By Quistis88 and Quis

Chapter Four Hold On

The eerie silence that descended on the three people trapped within the cave during the torrential rainstorm was broken.

"Irvine!  Hands off my dress!" Selphie shrieked.

Squall turned. "Irvine, please," he said quietly, "Some of us would rather NOT hear you try and grope the other member of the party...Our main focus should be trying to work out what we're supposed to be doing next."

"Sorry, Commander," Irvine laughed.  "It's too dark in here, how do you expect me to know what I'm touching?"

"Well, if you just keep your hands to yourself, then no one will have to expect anything."  Squall sighed and looked outside.

It seemed like the rain was easing. Squall stood up, brushing the dust off his pants, and walked outside. The moon was out. The eerie light it cast on the barren plains was enough to make Squall shiver. It was not the same moon over Balamb as it was over Centra. He glanced up. The inky black liquid night made him think of another time, another place, where there had been shooting stars.

Instantly, he thought of Rinoa.

(("You're the best looking guy here.  Dance with me?"))

He missed her so much, it frightened him.  If someone asked him if he would like to see her --- even for a minute --- he'd give up anything he asked.

He longed for someone's caring touch.  Sure, Selphie and Irvine would occasionally "touch" him (either by kicking or nudging), but that wasn't the touch he was looking for.

He longed for HER caring touch.

(("I'm looking for someone.  I can't be on the dance floor alone."))

He remembered how she clasped her soft hand with his, pulling him from the wall for a dance with gentle force.  He hadn't thought anything of it then, but now . . .

"Squall, say something."

" . . . whatever . . . "  He started to walk away.

"Squall, where are you going?" Selphie asked.

He stopped.  He didn't know where he was going, really.  But he just wanted to get away.  He wanted to be alone.  He wanted to be home.

He wanted to be with Rinoa.

It was frustrating, the way she occupied his mind.  He had enough to think about, and yet, he didn't mind it much.

Sighing once more, Squall glanced at his bare hands. The ring he used to wear was now clasped on a necklace around Rinoa's neck.

He came to a conclusion.

He loved Rinoa.

He…loved…her.

He didn't know why he only realized now.  Deep down, he knew that he's always loved her, but alas, everyone goes through a stage of denial.

He loved her. The words sounded strange at first, but somehow, Squall realised that he'd loved her since he'd gone to Esthar piggybacking her across the Horizon Bridge to the Great Salt Lakes, unsure of his destination.

It was because it was her that made it so tolerable, so . . . enjoyable.  Squall Leonhart didn't give everyone a piggyback ride, oh no.  The fact that he was with her certainly lightened the load. 

((I'll never do anything like that. The sorceress I'm after is not you, Rinoa.)) He recalled his words to Rinoa. They seemed like such a long time ago but how long was it really? It had only been several months ago, maybe even not that long.

They had been through so much, lost so much . . .could've lost one another…

But Squall wanted to go through more.  It didn't matter to him what it was that he would go through, but as long as he was with her, he was willing to do anything.

Inwardly, he sighed. He really was a glutton for punishment. Stepping out into the cooling rain, the mist spraying his face in the refreshing downpour. Placing his hands in his pockets, he began walking. It didn't matter anymore--the mission, or anything to do with Garden....He really should be with his Sorceress.

Should be . . . but can he?  They were all lost in the middle of Centra with no transportation.  The weather was more unpredictable than a sleep-walking Zell (and if you haven't seen it, you don't want to).

~+~

Quistis tapped Rinoa's hands.  "Rinoa, stop twisting your duster with your hands like that.  By

the time you reach Squall, it'll be all wrinkled and you won't look presentable anymore."

"Sorry, Quistis, but . . . I'm so nervous and . . . worried . . . "

Somewhat annoyed by Quistis, Rinoa turned back to the view. From the tips of the mountains, to the shores of the coast, she could see the orphanage. It was a beacon, a symbol of hope. "We're almost at the orphanage," Rinoa said to Quistis, "Are we going to stop and see Matron?"

Quistis nodded. There was a grain of truth in that option. Gwen, overhearing the words 'legend' and 'sorceress', put her ten gil in. "Edea will probably know a little bit of the legend, but I've told you all I know," she said in her quiet voice.

"Thank you for all your hard work, Gwen."  Quistis told the girl, who seemed to have worked at her computer for hours.  "Are you sure you don't need to rest?"

Gwen smiled. "Oh no, Miss Trepe," she said, "It's actually not that bad...I'm rather enjoying the work."

Quistis nodded in approval at her ambition.  She then turned to Zell, who just woke up.  "Had a nice nap?"

"I guess so.  But I had a very weird dream.  Full of . . . clicky noises." Zell grumbled.

"Did I disturb you, Zell? I'm awfully sorry if I did..." Gwen said, as she pushed a lock of stray hair away from her face.

Nida's voice could be heard from the cockpit. "I told you, Xu," he said warningly, "I know what I'm doing here!"

"What, Nida, makes you think that I think you don't know?"  Xu said innocently.

"The fact that your hand is constantly on the auto-pilot button!, also, you know nothing about the controls of the aircraft, Xu, so shut up, alright?" Nida snapped, as he made  for a landing on the somewhat rocky soil outside the orphanage. "We'll finish this later," he continued, as he pressed the 'autopilot' button, and the doors opened out. Rather, the floor slid out from under Xu.

"I'll get you for that, Nida, if it's the last thing I do . . ." Xu muttered to his back as he walked out of the cockpit first.

Everyone filed out of the aircraft and crossed the small distance to the old orphanage, where Edea now resided.

At the sight of the flower field in full bloom, Rinoa bit her lip. That was where they'd promised to meet. Hesitating slightly, she shook her head, and reached for the Griever ring.

Vaguely, she wondered if Squall was actually there waiting for her, and that's why he hadn't come back yet.  All it would take was for her to come.  She ignored the cries of the others and ran into the field.

Meanwhile. Squall suddenly felt the wind change. It now seemed to blow in a gentle breeze, and the scent of jasmine was in the air. ((Jasmine,)) Squall thought, as the wind tickled his hair.

((Rinoa . . . ))  He followed his nose and noticed that the breeze seemed to be coming from a certain direction.  He faced it and started running.

"Squall, wait up!  What's up with you, man!?"  Irvine called after him.

Miffed, Irvine motioned to Selphie to follow him. They were now running east, and embarking on what looked like very familiar territory. "Squall!" they called after him as they caught up with him, as he stood at the point where they could see the lighthouse. "Oh," Selphie said, as she came up towards Squall.

"Good going, Commander!  You got us out of that dread-awful place!"  Irvine slapped him hard on the back as a congratulations but it made Squall choke on the air he was breathing.  He didn't know which was more dangerous: Irvine's Exeter or his friendliness.

"Shit, Irvine...Just....Don't do that again," he said, as he recovered instantly from the slap on his back. "Besides, what's an Esthar craft doing down there anyway?"

(("What are you doing here!? This is a restricted area!"

" . . . to do what I should have done earlier . . . I'll never know unless I do it."))

Esthar . . . if they were here, then what if a Sorceress was in trouble?  What if . . . Rinoa . . .

But Rinoa was in Balamb.  She couldn't be here.  There was no way she could be here.

((Matron . . . ))  He ran.

Two blonde haired people were there. Squall could make out the spiky hair of Zell, and the classical, elegant features of Quistis...((Oh shit)), he thought. ((What're they doing here?))

Quistis' acute hearing seemed to have picked something up.

"Zell, did you hear that?" she asked, listening closely.

"Don't tell me you're hearing things now, Quistis."

"No, I hear . . . hurried footsteps.  More than one set of them."  Instinct told her to ready her whip and take a better look around.

Just as Quistis turned the corner, she came face to face with a rather red-in-the-face Squall.

"Squall, you're all right!"  At the mention of his name, everyone within the vicinity headed towards him.  Quistis continued.  "Rinoa has been worried sick about you."

Squall looked around the crowd around him.  Where was Rinoa?  He half expected her to be here, but was slightly glad that she hadn't come for the risk of danger.

Rinoa heard the startled cry coming from Quistis. Turning the corner, she let out a startled cry, then threw herself at Squall. "SQUALL!"

It was her.  His Sorceress.  His one and only ---

He ceased to think and quickly brought his arms around her tightly, almost crying at the wonderful feeling that brewed up inside him.  And there they stayed for Hyne knows how long.

"I've missed you, Squall," Rinoa whispered.

" . . . I've missed you, too, Rinoa . . . "  He buried his face into her shoulder and refused to let go.

"What happened?  Are you hurt?"

He paused.  " . . . no, don't worry."

He placed his arms around her waist, gently. "Let's leave tomorrow for tomorrow," he said, as he brought her towards the house. "If you were injured, Rinoa, I'll never forgive myself."

The comment was very unlike the usual Squall, and from behind him, he heard a snicker.  Half-joking, he said, "Shut up, Irvine.  I've had enough of your little comments."

A/N. Next chapter….lemony goodness ^_~