[A/N A short song-fic I wrote… I wrote it when I was bored and it came out pretty good. The song is "Forgive Me" by Evanesence. (Is that how you spell it? ^^) Anyway, if you play the song in the part where Rinoa starts to sing, it gives the story a bit more feeling… Read and review, please? Thanks! =)]
Rinoa's blue dress was stained with tears that had fallen only seconds before. New and fresh tears still shone in her sad eyes. She sobbed into her pillow until she couldn't cry anymore.
It had only started as a small disagreement... which slowly grew to a shouting competition. It had happened too fast, frustration had gotten the best out of both of them.
It was in Rinoa's dorm...
"Rinoa, look, I'm sorry but I can't
tonight... I already told you..."
"Squall, are you saying you are busy again?" Rinoa asked with angry
bewilderment. "I hardly ever see you! You're always out doing some...
thing, anything, which is much more important to you than me!"
"That's not true, Rinny... I..."
"It is so true! You don't care about me! I'd
be better off then alone, than with someone who doesn't even care about
me!"
Squall looked as if she had thrown those words at him. Anger had taken over all
her other feelings but when she saw him like that she wished so much to be able
to take those words back.
But then, the anger of Rinoa must've been contagious because then Squall looked quite mad himself.
"Fine then, Ms. Heartilly." He said in that cold and empty tone of his. "If that's how you feel then maybe you would be better without me, since you need someone who would give you every bit of his attention. I'm leaving then." He shook his head and headed for the door.
Rinoa tried to say something but before she could she was interrupted by the loud slamming of the door.
Rinoa's tears began to stop flowing and that was when she felt bad, no, horrible about the things she had said to Squall. She knew that she had no right to say those things to him and that fact hurt her more than she hurt him.
She was afraid but determined to make up with Squall.
Rinoa walked out of her dorm, the moment she stepped outside she saw him just outside his dorm room. She froze inside as he glanced at her. She couldn't read his expression, there was a bit of anger mixed with some sadness and some other things she couldn't identify.
She hesitated for so long and couldn't decide what to do, until Squall decided for her. He walked away.
______________________________________________________________________
"Selphie, I need a favor..." Rinoa began slowly.
"Are you okay?" Selphie asked her friend with concern.
"Fine. Squall and I just had a little fight, that's all..."
"Oh... Okay, so what was it you
wanted?"
"It's about the Garden Festival tomorrow night..." Rinoa knew she
couldn't speak to Squall in person, but she was still determined and decided to
try a different approach.
______________________________________________________________________
In the midst of the people laughing, dancing and talking, Squall stood there alone at the Festival. The last time he had been alone was the night of the SeeD exam and Rinoa had danced with him in the middle of it.
Everything he saw made him feel lonely; It was a feeling he had felt less often since meeting Rinoa but it was back. He felt like something was missing and that something was her.
Maybe I ought to talk to Rinoa... I feel really bad about the fight and she looked really upset.
Squall made up his mind to find her and apologize but he looked everywhere and still didn't see her.
He sighed inwardly, Maybe tomorrow.
What he didn't see though was Rinoa, in her peach-colored dress, pale-faced
with anxiety, making her way to the stage, with Selphie behind her.
______________________________________________________________________
"Nervous, Rin?" Selphie asked, as she set up the instruments.
"Kinda." Rinoa hadn't seen Squall yet and she felt anxious and nervous.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. You rehearsed
a lot and we all know what to do. This'll be fun!" She smiled at Rinoa
encouragingly.
"Yeah, fine... fun..." Rinoa said, her hands trembling.
Selphie found Quistis talking to Seifer and waved her hands to get her attention. Quistis saw her and Selphie motioned for her to get to the stage. It was easy to find Zell, he was eating a hotdog in the corner of the ballroom.
When they were all there and ready, Selphie stopped the song that was playing in the stereo.
"Woo-hoo! Hey, guys! Look over here!" She yelled and waved her hands around.
Everyone stopped dancing and the ballroom fell silent, all eyes were on the stage, including Squall's.
"Okay, great! My band here, is going to play a song. Hope you guys like it!" Selphie ran back to her place, her guitar in place.
Rinoa stepped up and tried to smile. Selphie and Irvine began to play quietly behind her. That was her cue.
"This song," She started to say nervously, "...I dedicate to a certain someone. I think you know who you are." She smiled vaguely. "It's called 'Forgive Me'."
All of Squall's thoughts left him when he heard her say the dedication. All of his attention was focused on the singing angel on the stage.
He knew that she was talking about him.
The music behind her began to get louder. Rinoa started to sing softly, her voice echoing through the ballroom like a soft breeze.
"Can you forgive me again?
I don't know what I said
But I didn't mean to hurt you..."
Rinoa had definitely inherited her mother's talent. Her voice was soft but beautiful to hear, especially to Squall.
Quistis and Zell had also begun to play, so
Rinoa's tone rose to keep up with them. She started out with a slight tremble
in her voice, but slowly she began to relax and her singing flowed with the
music.
The words she was singing felt so close to her feelings that passion came with
her voice, making the sounds more lovely to hear.
I heard the words come out
I felt like I would die
It hurt so much to hurt you
It hurt so much to hurt you... You don't know just how much. Rinoa thought as the song came out of her, almost subconsciously.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment and when she opened them again, she found herself caught in the glance of the lion. Their eyes locked, unable to notice any other thing or person besides themselves.
Then you look at me
You're not shouting anymore
You're silently broken
She looked into Squall's blue eyes, which seemed more gray than blue at the moment. She saw no more anger only sorrow. And perhaps a bit of regret. Tears threatened to flow over her eyes as she stared at him... He stood silent, no words said. But it wasn't necessary, she already knew how much pain could be felt.
I'd give anything now
to hear those words from you
She thought she saw Squall, looking almost ready to jump to that stage and caress her fears away, held back only by his own uncertainties.
Each time I say something I regret I cry "I don't want to lose you."
But somehow I know that you will never leave me, yeah.
Rinoa's voice grew louder and the beauty in her voice began to mix with the sorrow and hopes she felt inside. She was unable to think, unable to do anything except sing and feel. In the middle of the crowd of people dancing, she saw Squall, still and unsure.
'Cause you were made for me
Somehow I'll make you see
How happy you make me
She lowered her head, losing his gaze. She did not want to see him so shattered. A tear fell and dropped to the floor. She held all the other tears back for fear that someone would see.
I can't live this life
Without you by my side
I need you to survive
She smiled slightly, knowing these words were true. She hoped that Squall knew that too. Her mouth was curled into a half-smile, her eyes glistening with bright tears, looking like they would spill at any moment. The song she sang felt so familiar that her smile grew wider despite the pain she felt from her fears.
So stay with me
You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.
Her voice was so loud and trembled when she sang, "...I'm sorry." that even she was surprised at the sound of it.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered again quietly in an echo of her own voice.
The music then softened slowly. While Rinoa waited for the instruments to completely stop playing, she focused her attention on him once more. Again unable to keep her eyes off Squall and his unknown feelings. She was hopelessly worried and kept trying to guess what he was thinking.
Then finally, the ballroom was silent.
And you forgive me again
You're my one true friend
And I never meant to hurt you
She sang alone, the room seemed silent except for the sound of the people dancing. She looked and stared at Squall once more as she sang the last lines of the song, her feelings.
______________________________________________________________________
A soft applause began to flow through the room, but Rinoa was barely aware of it. Her eyes were still locked on him and only him.
Her fears and worries and hopes all collided into one at that moment that she felt like she would burst from all her emotions.
Finally, everything disappeared as Squall mouthed to her, "I'm sorry, too." accompanied with a gentle smile.
Rinoa smiled as she ran to him, knowing that he would be able to again caress her fears away when she was in his arms and because of that she would know that she was forgiven.
