Author's Note: As always, I need to thank my reviewers. Thank you, The wise, and in honesty, I want to end this story soon. I'm going to try and rush the Seifer/Rinoa stuff and move on to the better pairing. Thank you for the review, Sensei Raharu. I understand what you're trying to say. I'll start putting more between Squall and Rinoa soon, please be a little more patient. I need a bit more time because I need Rinoa to find a reason to choose Squall over Seifer. Thank you, flare draco, for reviewing. And, yes, Squinoa…same complaint…I promise I'll address that in the future chapters.
Chapter Sixteen
"Wow…it's pretty big," Rinoa said when they reached the amusement park. "I didn't think it would be this big."
"Let's go on the rides!" Selphie said. "I want to ride everything! Come with me, Irvine! Let's go ride the Ferris Wheel! No! Let's ride the Roller Coaster! And let's play games! Get me a stuffed toy! I want a moomba doll! And a cactuar doll! And a tonberry doll!"
"Relax, Selphie, we have enough time to ride everything and play games, okay?" Irvine said. "So what does the group want to do first?"
"Everything!" Selphie exclaimed.
"Wait, someone is still missing," Quistis said. "Oh, scratch that. Here he comes." Rinoa turned to the direction Quistis was looking at and saw Squall heading their way.
She instantly turned away and looked at Seifer. He already had a scowl on his face. She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down a little to kiss him. Then she whispered, "Promise me…"
He didn't need to know what she wanted him to promise. He just stood up straight and answered, "I promise, Rinoa…"
"Hey, Squall!" Selphie greeted happily.
"How's Esthar been treating ya?" Zell asked.
Squall just mumbled incoherent to them and looked at Rinoa. "Hi, Squall," she said with a smile. "It's nice to see you again."
"Hi, Rinoa," he answered. His eyes met Seifer's and they glared at each other for a moment before Squall said, "So…we meet each other again, don't we?"
Rinoa took hold of Seifer's hand and their fingers entwined. "Fate is a weird entity," Seifer mumbled, stretching out his free hand.
Squall took it and they shook hands once then let go as if the other person's hand was wet with acid.
"So, what do we do first?" Zell asked.
"Roller Coaster!" Sslphie exclaimed.
Everybody agreed and they all went to the Roller Coaster. As they were lining up, Rinoa could feel the tension between Seifer and Squall and she made it a point not to let them get too close to one another. Seifer wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. She looked up at him and smiled, mouthing the words 'I love you.'
Squall just stared at them, an angry emotion bubbling up inside. However, he decided to keep that emotion to himself and instead turned to look the other way. Seifer smirked, knowing he had gotten the result he had wanted. He kissed Rinoa again as their turn on the ride came. "I don't think I like roller coasters…" Rinoa mumbled uncertainly.
"I know you don't," Seifer said. "You never did like them. But don't worry. I'm right here beside you." They were ushered into the first car with, much to Seifer's displeasure, Squall. He narrowed his eyes as Rinoa smiled at Squall kindly and sat down beside him. She turned back to Seifer and bade him sit beside her.
'This will be one hell of a night,' Seifer thought as he took his seat.
Hours passed but everyone had yet to get exhausted. They had ridden just about everything twice and still they weren't bored. Squall and Seifer had entered a silent competition and Rinoa had been the only thing stopping them from killing each other.
As the group walked on, they reached a ride they had yet to try. It seemed this one only opened in the later hours of the night. Ironically, that ride just had to be…
"The Tunnel of Love?" Zell mumbled. "What a dumb ride."
"I think it's sweet," Rinoa said. "Want to try it?"
"If you want, sure," said Seifer. They went towards the ride and found that there was a wall separating the boys' line from the girls'. It seemed as though their partners for the ride would come as a surprise.
The girls, giggling, eagerly lined up and so did the guys. "Four guys, three girls," Irvine said. "An unlucky one would have to be alone."
"I guess I won't ride then," said Zell. "I'm not up for mushy little boat rides inside some weird, dimly lit, glittery tunnel."
The other three just stared at him as he walked off. "Oh well, three for three, then," said Irvine. Squall and Seifer avoided eye contact but maintained their positions in the line. Of course, they were both a bit edgy about who was going to end up with Rinoa. The other guys around them had started to switch places so that they would end up with whoever they want. Soon, the three of them cracked and Irvine, Squall and Seifer started trading places, too, though not one word passed between them.
"Stay here, Rinoa!" Selphie said, pushing Rinoa in front of her.
"What? Why?" she asked as Selphie shoved her roughly.
"No, she has to be behind me!" said Quistis. "I'm sure that she'll end up with him if she lines up behind me!"
"What?" Rinoa asked again.
"No, how about in between us?" asked Selphie. "I feel like it's the right place."
"I think she should be at the very back," Quistis said.
"No!" said Selphie. "Here!"
They had reached the end of the line and the man conducting the ride said, "Next. Come here, miss." Rinoa found her eyes covered with a blindfold, so that her partner came as a surprise, and she was led towards one of the boats. "The ride lasts for half an hour, miss, and the boat is mechanical and cannot be controlled by the rider so I suggest you just sit back and relax," the man told her. When she was seated, she sensed someone sit beside her and her blindfold was taken off.
Rinoa looked to her side and stared straight into a pair of deep stormy blue eyes. She couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Squall."
"Seifer will kill me," he muttered.
"And, let me guess," Rinoa said as the boat began to move. "You'll kill him first."
Squall didn't answer and Rinoa's smile faded. "Are you still mad at me, Squall?" He still said nothing. Rinoa looked at her hands, which were resting on her lap. "I'm really sorry, you know. I was a little harsh back in Winhill. I guess I was just mad that I didn't understand anything and my heart was being selfish. I wanted you, I suppose."
"Your heart was being selfish…" he muttered. "And you wanted me…"
"That…that doesn't mean…" she paused, "…it doesn't mean I love you, Squall."
"Right," he said in an almost sarcastic tone. It was a tone that he used only with Rinoa - or Ellone - and though it annoyed her, it made Rinoa smile.
"Let me love you," he said suddenly.
"What?" she asked.
He halted briefly then added, "Just for tonight. I want to feel it again."
"Just for tonight," she said and she moved closer to him.
He leaned down and pressed a loving kiss on her lips. Half an hour was all they had together and, though Rinoa tried hard to cover what her heart truly longed for, they were going to make that moment in time seem to last forever.
- : - : - : -
"So tell me, Raijin," said Zeon as he won against Raijin once more at a game of cards. "How are Rinoa and Seifer doing together? Are they getting along?"
"During the day, yes, ya know?" answered Raijin.
"During the day?" Zeon asked. "What do you mean?"
"Rinoa is pretty slow, ya know," Raijin answered as he chose five more cards for another game. "She keeps saying she's not in the mood, ya know?" Zeon gave him a look and he laughed. "I mean in bed."
"Oh…I see what you mean…" Zeon said. "And how does Seifer feel about all this?"
Raijin shrugged. "Not so good, ya know? Seifer's the type who gets what he wants. He's so close to forcing her, ya know? He keeps complaining already. I bet if he didn't love her he would have already done what he's wanted to do for so long."
"I see…" muttered Zeon.
"And she's got him to stop drinking too much and going out to clubs," said Raijin. "She seems a little different, ya know? I mean, before she had amnesia she never minded that Seifer wanted to go clubbing. Ya know?"
Zeon smiled and beat Raijin again at a game of cards. So Seifer needs a good fuck and Rinoa won't give it to him. And now Rinoa's forbidden him from doing what he wants. And even with that he still loves her. But what if…'If I can't get Seifer to dislike Rinoa, I'll get Rinoa to dislike Seifer…' Zeon thought with a small smirk.