Mythology
Chapter Six: You Remind Me...
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update this. I wanted to try to finish "Watching You" and I did. I won't stop this story. I'm not as happy with it as I thought I would be, but it's still reasonably fun to write. :)
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
Squall's PLACE, Those words echoed in Rinoa's mind for about the hundredth time as she focused her chocolate brown eyes outside the window. She wanted to look at something, anything, other than Squall or Squall's car. Is this some sort of joke? I can't believe Selphie would do this to me!...I mean, I doubt the road being washed away was her idea, but when she gets her mind on something...
That cheap cowboy hat wearing bastard, Squall thought to himself as he concentrated on the rain soaked streets. The outdoor markets were closing up earlier than usual due to the rain or just moving their goods indoors. Other people were running towards their homes as fast as their soaked bodies could take them. Is this some sort of a joke? I can't believe that he'd do this to me. Wait...yes I can.
They drove through the streets, towards the part of town that was settled below the foothills of stone ridges. There, resting up a concrete path and over looking the town, was a white washed, two story house. It's roof was lined with dark red tiles as red bricks lined the steps that lead up to the house.
Squall pressed a button on the remote that was clipped to his visor and the black iron gates with seals shaped like Griever, opened. Rinoa swallowed hard as they drove closer to the large house. Her heart was beating quickly, as if anticipating for it to come alive and eat her. She would be trapped.
Trapped with Squall. Her eyes slowly drifted over to the handsome doctor who parked the car in the 'u' shaped drive way. Her door was right in front of the heavy dark brown double doors that lead into the house. "Wait here, I'll get you an umbrella."
His voice cut through her thoughts and she turned her head just as his door slammed closed. She watched as he ran in front of the parked car and up the steps, lifting his jacket over his head in a futile attempt to keep dry. Squall opened the left door and she saw him enter. The lights within the dark house turned on and it suddenly looked inviting.
Maybe I should make a run for it? Rinoa though to herself. She frowned. Right...I'd probably drown. Another brilliant idea, Rinoa.
She turned her head back out her window and saw Squall rushing out with a large black umbrella. He opened her door. "Come on," he insisted. Rinoa scrambled to get her things. He took her hand and helped her up and Rinoa felt warm all over. "Fujin and Raijin might be in. Maybe Fujin can give you some of her clothes to wear for tonight."
"Th...thanks..." Rinoa mumbled. He held the umbrella over her body as he closed the door. He locked it with his remote and then ushered her inside. His arm was around her shoulders, keeping her closer to him and under the protection of the umbrella. "You...you really don't have to," she stammered as her cheeks flushed. "I'm soaked already."
"No need to get even more wet," Squall said. They entered the house and Rinoa looked up at the stairs in front of her. The house was reasonably big with two wings. The stairs narrowed as they reached the top and was split into the two wings. "Let me bring you a towel."
"Thanks..." she mumbled. She watched as Squall shrugged off his heavy leather jacket and hang it up on the coat rack by the door. Although drenched himself, he headed up the stairs and made a right. Rinoa watched as he opened the first door to the right and pulled out some dark blue towels.
"Catch!" he shouted from the second floor. Rinoa looked up and took a few steps forward to catch the large towel he had tossed down. It landed in her arms and she immediately began to unfold it. The large terry cloth wrapped around her body and she felt another towel land on her head.
"Hey!" she gasped. Her hair fell around her face as she swooped down and picked up the fallen towel. She looked up and glared at Squall, who let out a chuckle.
"I thought you might want one for your hair!" he said. He had his own towel around his neck and was making his way back down the stairs. "Come on up, I'll show you to a room."
"You didn't have to throw it at me..." she mumbled as she unfolded it as well and began to rub her hair with it. She walked up the stairs and met Squall halfway there. "It's heavy you know."
"I didn't throw it," he told her casually as they walked up the stairs. "I tossed it down."
"Yeah right...while you aimed it at my head, right?" she asked sarcastically as they reached the top floor.
"Right," Squall grinned. They made a left and headed down the corridor. "The kitchen, living room, den, dining room, and gym are downstairs. The bedrooms are all up here. It looks like Fujin and Raijin are away."
"Fujin and Raijin...aren't they Seifer's cousins?" Rinoa asked, with narrowed eyes.
Squall nodded, his back still turned to her. "His cousin and her husband. I offered to let them stay here while they were in town, but they're probably else where," He stopped at the door to the farthest end of the hall and opened it. "This has it's own bathroom. Umm..." Squall rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't have any women's clothes..." he mumbled.
"Do you have a dryer?" Rinoa asked as she stepped into the dark room.
Squall nodded. "Down stairs."
"If I leave my wet clothes outside the door, can you put them in there for me and return them as soon as they're dry?" she asked. "That way I have something to wear."
"Sure," Squall said, he turned around and began to head down the rest of the hall. "Just call when they're ready."
"Thanks."
"And I'll call the others - tell them we're here." he added. Rinoa nodded and closed the door. Her hand ran along the side of the wall and easily found a light switch. She flipped it up and looked around.
The bed was a simple king size mattress with a box spring on an black iron frame. The frame's rose on all for corners creating the poles of a canopy. They curved in wards a good seven feet from the center of the bed and melted together to make a sort of dome frame. Yards of soft, sheer linen fell from the peak and wrapped around the iron posts. On either side of the bed were Iron night stands of the same black, leafy design with a glass counter. Sheer white fabric was put over them.
There was a lamp that hung over the center of the room and to one side, there was a matching desk and chair, and a dresser across from what looked like a walk in closet. Rinoa bit her lip and walked over to explore her room. She looked around and headed into the bathroom. There was a large tub lined with marble and then a shower. The sink was a simple design, and there was a separate little room for the toilet.
She walked back into the room and walked towards the large double doors. She pulled aside the curtains and looked down at the town below them and at the rain. The rain made her remember her clothes and she quickly stripped herself of the wet, clingy material. She put the soaking mess on to one of the towels and wrapped it in a little ball. Rinoa then walked towards the door and opened it just a crack.
When she was sure that Squall was no where to be seen, she slipped her ball of wet clothes outside. "SQUALL!" she shouted. "The clothes are ready!"
"All right!" a voice shouted in reply. She slammed the door closed and immediately locked it. Shivering slightly, she walked back to the hotel and found some guest towels tucked away. Taking a few, she headed over to the shower.
Squall opened his door from where he was across the hall, in the other wing. Across the hall, he could make out the lump of clothes wrapped in a towel in front of Rinoa's door. Casually, he walked out towards it, barefooted and wearing only his pants. He had been preparing for a shower himself when she shouted. When he reached her room, he heard the shower turn on and sighed heavily.
He would have to wait until she was done. He picked up her clothes and headed towards the stairs. He stopped halfway down and headed up the stairs to get his own wet clothes. He quickly changed into some dry pajama bottoms and tossed her clothes along with his into a plastic basket and carried it down stairs.
He reached the kitchen and headed past it to the washing machine and drier. His hair was damp against his head as he began to toss their things into the drier. He untied her towel ball and tossed in her sweater. Her jeans. Her socks. Her...bra. Squall swallowed and quickly tossed it in. He looked down at the only piece of clothing in the towel. A baby blue pair of lacy panties.
Tearing his eyes away from it and trying to block all the allusions that those panties caused, Squall tossed it into the dryer. He slammed it's lid closed and started it up. He leaned against the washing machine next to it and ran his hand down his face. I just touched Rinoa's underwear... his mind shouted. Oh, Hyne...
Rinoa stepped out of the shower and dried herself with one of the guest towels. She smiled, the hot shower had really relaxed her. For a moment, she had forgotten that she was in Squall's home. Surrounded by Squall's things...drying herself with Squall's guest towels. She paused as she looked at herself in the mirror, her hair in a towel turban.
Wait...I have no clothes...I can't just sit here naked while my clothes are being dried... she thought. Well, technically, I CAN...but I don't want to.
Suddenly she paled. Her bra and panties were also in the pile that she had given Squall. Meaning when he put them in the dryer... Swearing, she rushed to the door and quickly unlocked it. Her mind was praying for her ball of clothes to still be there. As she opened the door a crack, she saw that it was long gone and groaned.
She closed the door and leaned against. "Your clothes will be done in forty-five minutes!" a voice shouted. She opened her door once more and saw Squall close his door.
"Yeah...forty-five minutes...great..." she mumbled. What would she do for forty-five minutes in the room? It didn't even have a t.v.
She stood up, locking the door, and headed for her bed. As she fell back on the soft sheets, she smiled. They were of excellent quality, she realized. They felt good against her skin and she blushed.
The whole scenario seemed like something out of a cheesy airport romance novel. There she would be, innocently waiting for her clothes to dry while laying on a pristine bed of soft, silken sheets, when the door would burst open. Squall would stride in, oozing out pheromones like there was no tomorrow. He'd be wearing only his leather pants, which were like a second skin on his tight butt.
Rinoa giggled. Then he would tear away the sheets that she would be holding to cover herself off in a second of animalistic hunger before making sweet, passionate love to her. The young woman laid there, feeling her entire body grow warm. I can't believe I just thought of that...it's so...cliched...
She frowned and got up. She looked in the closet, but found nothing but more towels. She was already wearing one around her body. She went to the dresser and found that they were all empty. This must've been an extra guest room, she reasoned. She wandered around the room for a few more minutes, still dressed in a towel. Her feet were cold against the stone floor and she wished for at the very least slippers or something.
"Rinoa!" a voice shouted. "If you need anything, I'll be downstairs!" Squall shouted. Rinoa blushed.
Yeah, like I'd go downstairs...dress in nothing but a towel... her mind sung. Grumbling she looked around the room. The towel wasn't nearly big enough to keep her warm and she didn't know if Squall's house had a heater.
She wanted to explore the house, but not while the man who made her uncomfortable was out there. And especially not without clothes. She looked around the room and her eyes stopped on the bed sheets.
Squall poured himself some vodka into a glass. He lifted the cold cup to his lips as he walked to the window and looked through the curtains. He frowned. The rain was obviously not going to stop any time soon. He ran one hand through his damp hair as he turned from the window and walked back to the den.
He ran his hand down his face with his free hand. I have to remember to give Rinoa a tour of the place after her clothes are dry, he told himself calmly as he sat down against a well cushioned sofa. He stared intently at the large television in front of him, but didn't bother to turn it on. He just wanted some peace to forget about the woman who was upstairs waiting for her clothes to dry.
Squall suddenly stopped in mid sip. If he had put all of Rinoa's clothes into the dryer...then what was she wearing?
"Hey, Squall!" a voice shouted from the hall way behind him. The young doctor froze in his spot and felt his face burn up, but not from the alcohol. "Do you mind if I look around? Where are you?"
If all her clothes were in the dryer, what the hell was she wearing? Squall's mind came up with the most obvious answer, which was nothing. Quickly, he shook his head. He didn't want to disillusion himself. Rinoa would never walk around naked, even if it was just around him. She was much too modest.
He heard footsteps coming walking towards the den and he leaned deeper into the sofa, refusing to turn around and look out into the hall way. Don't come in...don't come in... his mind mentally chanted.
"Hey, are you in the den?" her voice called.
He cringed. Don't turn around, Squall...don't turn around... he changed his mantra.
"There you are!" The voice was right behind him and he paled. "Hey, I hope you don't mind that I'm dressed like this."
Squall's heart was racing in his chest as he heard her speak. "No..." he said, slightly nervously. "It's fine."
"Really?" Rinoa asked, relieved. Behind him, she smiled. "I thought you'd be mad."
"Mad? Why would I be mad?" he asked, his voice rising an octave. Rinoa tilted her head to the side.
"Well, you know," she began. He heard her footsteps enter the room and noticed him stiffen in his sofa. "Most people don't walk around like this. Especially in someone else's house."
"They usually don't." he agreed. He took a large drink of vodka.
"Well, I did it once in college, but it was just for the sake of doing it," Rinoa admitted. She was walking around the couch and Squall kept his face plastered on the blank television. "I mean, it was Selphie's idea and I always go along with her...I don't know how she does it."
"Selphie's idea?" Squall asked, unsure of how to act. It made some sense. Selphie was often the one who came up with the strange ideas. At least when he knew them.
Rinoa fell back against the recliner to Squall's right. His eyes stayed on the dark screen of the television and seemed to refuse to acknowledge her presence. Rinoa glanced over and frowned. "Squall, are you okay?"
He seemed to be concentrating. A little too hard... "I'm fine."
Rinoa let out a heavy sigh. "You are mad, aren't you?" she said quietly. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be."
"I just didn't know what else to wear," Rinoa admitted. "I didn't want to wait up there the whole time. And I wasn't about to go wander around naked."
"What?" Squall asked. His head perked up and he tore his eyes off of the television. He turned to Rinoa and saw her sitting there, wearing the bed sheets from the guest room bed. His mouth dropped.
"...Are you SURE you're okay?"
Pervert! You PERVERT! Squall's mind scolded. He let out a low groan and nodded as he leaned forward and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Yeah...I'm great..."
Rinoa shook her head and stood up. "You're the doctor..." she mumbled. She made sure her bed sheet toga was tied tightly before walking across the den floor to the window across the room. "Is it still raining outside?"
"It's not raining, it's a hurricane." Squall replied sarcastically.
Rinoa rolled her eyes and stood by the window. She pulled aside the dull blue curtains and looked out at the town below. She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. Squall looked up and stared at her. Her hair was down falling past her shoulders in layered locks as soft brown eyes were focused away from him.
The light color of the sheets around her body were draped around her, almost touching her bare feet. Squall's cool blue eyes ran down her body, admiring it from where he was sitting. She turned her head and noticed the way he was looking at her and blushed.
"Squall...what are you doing?"
"Squall," she giggled as she crossed her arms and looked at him. "What are you doing?" Despite her stern voice, her face was a dead give away at her true feelings. She was blushing, her eyes diverted nervously.
He merely smiled and walked over to where she was standing by the side of the hall, right before the inner temple gardens. "I'm admiring you," he told her coolly. The immediate result was in her face as she turned a shade redder. He let out a chuckle as he stood in front of her and raised his hand. "Did you come to seduce the poor temple boy?" he asked, teasingly.
Rinoa shook her head and frowned. "I did not! I merely came to visit you."
"So you DID come to seduce the poor temple boy." he insisted, a smile gracing his handsome face as his hand gently swept back her dark tresses.
Rinoa stepped away and shook her head. "I am not seducing you."
"You're here. That's enough to." he replied.
Rinoa blushed furiously and looked around, hoping that no one heard him. "Squall, I just wanted to see you-"
"I missed you," he said with a soft smile. "You should come visit me more often."
"But you're busy..." she said, trailing off. "I do not want to disturb you-"
"You'd never disturb me," he assured her. His hand lowered from her face and touched her hand. Her delicate fingers were taken in his warm ones. "Rinoa-"
"Brother Squall! Brother Squall!" a voice was calling from the halls. Rinoa looked worried and looked up at Squall.
The temple boy frowned and glared at the hall way with his icy eyes. He seemed annoyed to have been disturbed. "Maybe another time-" Rinoa began, pulling her hand away.
Squall shook his head and tightened his hold on her. "Come on, I know a place." he told her as he looked back at her. Rinoa looked surprised as he turned and tugged her forward.
"Squall, they are calling you!" she protested weakly as she stumbled along behind him. She silently prayed that he would ignore her pathetic plea to return to his duty.
"They just want me to clean," Squall assured her as they scrambled out of the temple. "Do not worry about it."
She bit her lip as he slid to a stop before they turned a corner. He leaned against the wall, holding Rinoa against her. Carefully, he peeked around the corner and smiled as he looked down at her. His eyes told her it was safe to make a run for it. She nodded and held his hand tightly as they ran through the hall way and headed towards the back entrance.
"Where are we going?" she gasped as they shot out of the back entrance and into the outer back gardens of the temple. Fountains lined with statues and perfectly trimmed shrubs lined the long, sloping garden as they ran.
"Just follow me." Squall said. The amusement in his voice sent tingles up Rinoa's spine as she wondered what he had planned. They were running along side a sloping fountain that ran all the way down to a secluded area in the garden. There was a large, shallow lake at the base of the garden surrounded by neatly kept trees and bushes.
Rinoa looked around them. She'd never been that far into the secluded garden and had started passing statues of men and women she'd never seen before. There were gazebos in the distance where vines coiled up their columns as the marble that lined them shone in the full moonlight.
There was something exhilarating in the air as they seemed to run away from themselves for just a moment. But then again, she always felt that way when she was with Squall. Squall suddenly slowed down and pulled her into a hidden pathway to their left. She tilted her head to the side.
"Where-" she began, but his finger on her lip silenced her. She blushed at his touch once more and caught his pleased smile.
"We're almost there," he assured her softly. "Shh..."
Rinoa nodded numbly, transfixed by the reflection of herself in his eyes. Her heart was beating in her chest and she wondered if it would jump out of her toga at any moment. Gingerly, Squall lead her through a maze like tangle of branches. Her hems of her clothes were caught some stray branches several times, but she ignored it. It was a small price to pay.
Up ahead of them, she could see the exit and bit her lip. Squall emerged first and slowly lead her out. Rinoa brushed off her toga and stood up next to Squall. Her eyes went wide as she let out a gasp. "Oh...Squall..." she whispered softly.
There was a small clearing behind the foliage where a single stone bench over looked part of Centra. Rinoa turned her head and looked over at Squall. "Do you like it?" he asked softly. "I used to come here a lot when I wanted to get away from Seifer and the others."
She chuckled and nodded. "I see he was annoying then, too," she laughed. Squall chuckled and pulled her forward. He sat on the bench and Rinoa realized that there was only enough room for him. "Um...where am I supposed to sit?"
Squall smiled, a faint blush on his face. "Where else?" Rinoa's eyes slowly drifted to his lap as his hands still held on to hers. She blushed and he gently lead her on to his lap. Rinoa reluctantly sat across his thighs as his arms went around her slim waist and his lips pressed against her bared shoulders.
"So...how many other naive General's daughters have you lead here?" she asked casually as his warm lips caressed her slender neck. Her heart was racing in her chest as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Hyne, he felt so good.
"Just one," he said, his voice vibrating in his throat. "Guess who."
She bit her bottom lip and turned her head to receive his tentative kisses. "Me?"
"You win." he said between soft, moist kisses. Rinoa smiled as he tugged on her bottom lip.
"What do I win?" she asked, feeling her whole body on fire as one of his hands ran down the side of her body.
"Whatever you want."
"Then I want you."
"Squall..." Rinoa gasped. She was pinned between the wall and his bare chest as his arm rested to the side of her face. His eyes seemed to take on a different light as he loomed over her. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she struggled to look away and failed.
"You remind me of someone." he whispered in a raspy voice. Rinoa's eyes went wide and her hands pressed against the side of the sturdy wall behind her.
"Who...?" she gasped out, all too aware of her burning face.
Squall's blue eyes suddenly became soft as his other hand rose and gently caressed her cheek. "You..." his voice trailed off as his warm lips laced with vodka pressed against hers. Rinoa's eyes went wide as she felt his other hand drop and run against the left side of her body, urging her to come closer.
At his touch, she melted in his arms and responded unknowingly. Her hands left her sides and slowly traced his perfectly sculpted body. She could feel his beating heart against her palm as her other hand slipped to his back. Every toned muscle could be felt under her finger tips as she opened her mouth for a breath.
Her lips were immediately assaulted with his demanding ones and she let out an unconscious moan. Her eyes were closed and she felt as if she were on a heavy drug that was slowly sedating her. She could feel him pressing against her, pushing her against the wall as her arms went around his lean body. His hands slipped underneath the folds of her make shift dress and sent searing burns across her supple flesh.
His lips trailed down her chin and down her sensitive throat. Her gaping mouth was left empty as his mouth roamed her collar bones. She whimpered weakly as a simple, quick tug of his arms sent the sheets tumbling down to her bare feet. The cool air in the room was all but forgotten as her body heated up dangerously.
"Squall..." she gasped out as her fingers ran through his thick, inviting hair. He parted from her for a moment and lifted up his head to admire her soft features.
She looked into his eyes, trying to find the reason why he was suddenly all over her and making her nothing more than a puddle in his arms. Instead, she found pulsating warmth and love over his eyes. His hands rose to her face and cupped her cheeks in their palms.
His lips kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes. She felt warm drops of water touch her skin and she opened her eyes slowly. Squall's eyes were closed as he caressed her with intent kisses. A single streak from a lone tear was on his left cheek and she suddenly felt a wave of pain wash over her.
Her heart ached for him suddenly and she held him tightly against her. She buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't want to say anything. All she knew was that Squall was practically shaking in her embrace. She could feel his pain oozing out of him with every movement. She wanted to know what was running through his mind, to know why he suddenly felt so vulnerable against her.
But she couldn't bring herself to ask. "I missed you..." He whispered. Rinoa's heart clenched in her chest. His voice had begged her to reply.
She merely nodded and kissed him softly. "I..." she took a deep breath. "I missed you, too..."
Thunder sounded and Rinoa's eyes flew open. She was laying on the soft sheets of a large bed. Her hands tightened around the blanket that rested at her chin. Her brown eyes slowly moved around the room. Outside, she could still hear the slight sounds of the rain hitting the roof. The storm was obviously not yet over.
She turned her head from the window and towards the inside of the bed. Her eyes went wide and her body drained of color. Soft wisps of brown hair fell against her dark hair as a sleeping face greeted her. His lips were opened slightly and his warm breath caressed her bare skin. After immediately realizing who he was, her body turned bright red.
What is Squall doing in my bed? her mind asked. She narrowed her eyes and looked around once more. Wait...what am I doing in SQUALL's bed?
Suddenly, Squall's face contorted with concentration as he let out a grumble and rolled over on to his back, lifting the arm Rinoa didn't even know was on her midsection up. Her heart was beating in her chest as she clutched the sheet over her body. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the door.
She found it across the room. The dawn hadn't broken yet from what she could tell and so it was still dark. But in order to escape Squall's bedroom, she had to first escape Squall's bed. She gently looked over at him once more and blushed. Part of her didn't want to leave. Not after earlier that night.
He had treated her like the most fragile thing in the world. Every caress was tender and filled with indescribable emotion. To be held in his arms made her feel wanted and loved, more so than ever. It had felt so right, yet in the back of her mind, she wanted to know why he had turned on her like that.
Her leg dangled off the side of the bed and touched the wood floor. The chilly sensation brought her back into reality. A reality where Squall probably didn't really feel that way about her. Where it was all in the moment and they didn't really share a deep rooted love for each other.
Both her feet planted on the ground and took a deep breath. She looked over her shoulder once more and found Squall still breathing in deep, even breaths. Rinoa stood up, taking a sheet of bedding with her. She quickly wrapped it around herself before tip toeing to the door.
She looked back once more as she opened the wooden door, letting cool air seep into the warm room. Her heart ached to stay with him, but her mind told her to stop fooling herself. She turned back to the hall way and slipped out.
The door closed and Squall's eyes opened.
Rinoa pulled the edges of her bed sheet gown higher as she quickly walked through the hall. She stopped and realized she had taken a wrong turn and wasn't sure which room was hers. Mentally swearing, she turned around and walked back down the hall until she found the stairs. She had remembered that her clothes were still in the dryer.
She ran her hand along the side of the wall until she found a light switch. She flipped it on and illuminated the stair well and the foyer at the bottom of it. She tightened the bed sheets around her once more and put one hand on the railing as she walked down the stairs. Her bare feet touched the cold ground and shot chills up Rinoa's spine.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and decided to turn into the left hall way. She never did get that tour she had wanted.
Rinoa blushed and stopped in mid step. Instead she had been swept up in his arms and lost in him for hours. Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled sadly. It's not going to happen again, Rinoa... she scolded herself. She looked up and headed down the hall way. Don't even think of it anymore...you saw the way he acted before. He's only going to grow colder now...I just know it.
In an attempt to forget about her problems, she rushed around the lower halls. She found the kitchen and dining room. She passed the den, which she had to tear herself away from. There were just a few more doors down the hall way. She sped up and stopped.
One door was open half way and there was a cool breeze coming out. From inside, she could hear the loud rain drops fall on the roof. It sounded as if it were raining inside the room as well. Frowning, she looked down and up the hall. She placed her hand on the door and pushed it open.
The room had almost no furniture expect for some cabinets and isles. There were some empty canvases leaning against the far left corner. The wall across from the door was taken up by a series of glass doors and windows, which lead outside to a patio. The doors were all open and she could see the rain dropping on the cement of the patio from the canopy above it.
The cool, clean wind blew the sheer white curtains into the room. Rinoa stepped in and looked around. Other than the shapes of the objects in the room, she couldn't make out anything else. Her hand ran along the side of the wall until she found the light switch. She flicked it on and her eyes went wide.
Rinoa found herself staring into her own eyes. She whirled around as she stumbled into the room and found portraits of different sizes, all of her. She was painted on the canvas using numerous median, dressed in different colored togas.
She wasn't always looking at the painter, and sometimes she looked as if she were dreaming of a far off place. She knew they were her. Her face surrounded her. Hair that matched the shade hers was framed her painted faces. Gentle strokes added her golden high lights on her bangs.
She turned around again, still unable to believe that the room was lined with paintings of her. Her heart was racing as her breath grew shallow. How could a man she had just met a few days ago paint her? Who was that woman? It couldn't have been her. It was impossible.
Her heart stopped. It would make so much sense why Squall had told her that he missed her. He hadn't been talking about HER specifically. He had been talking about the woman in the paintings, whoever she was. The woman that Squall loved. Loved so much that it hurt.
She sniffled and narrowed her eyes as tears rimmed her lashes. She was being compared to a ghost. She reminded him of a ghost from his past. A woman that was long gone. Her heart was tearing in her chest. She could feel it twisting as she closed her eyes and ran her hands down her face.
She had the face of a ghost that Squall loved.
As the room seemed to whirl around her, taunting her with the memory of a dead woman, Rinoa found herself falling to her knees. The sheets around her body fell around her. She didn't notice the shadow at the door way.
"What are you doing here?"
Rinoa's eyes went wide and her head shot up. She turned and saw Squall standing in the door way wearing his pants from the night before. He was barefoot and not wearing a shirt. His hair was messy and falling over his face.
What's going on? her mind screamed. His eyes had reverted to a cold blue look that pierced through her body.
Without a word, he strode across the room to where she was seated on the cold marble floor. Her eyes went wide as his arm swept down and grabbed her upper arm. She winced as he hoisted her up roughly. "What are you doing here?" he asked again, his voice sounding angry.
Rinoa swallowed. She was at a loss for words and slowly shook her head. "Who is she?" she gasped softly.
Squall narrowed his eyes as they locked on to hers. She didn't move. She couldn't. She was trapped in his eyes. Cold eyes that seemed to be searching her for the answer. Her heart was ready to burst in her chest.
It seemed like an eternity that they were standing there. Squall's grip on her arm was slowly weakening. Suddenly, she tore her arm from him and shoved him aside. "Rinoa!" he shouted.
She didn't pay any attention to him. She couldn't be in that room with those faces watching them. She couldn't be in that room with him. Rinoa tore down the hall, running into the wall as she reached a corner. She pushed herself off the wall and rushed towards the main doors.
She could hear him shouting behind her as she grabbed the brass door handles. She stumbled with the locks as she struggled to open the door. As Squall emerged from the hall way behind her, she finally was able to open one of the doors. Rinoa shot outside, not caring that it was raining.
The dawn was going to break soon, lightning up the darkness of the rain filled sky. She clutched her soaked sheets against her body as she ran barefoot into the drive way. She didn't know where she was running, she just knew she had to get away.
Tears were stinging in her eyes. It hurt. It hurt to know that Squall didn't love her. He was in love with the woman in the picture. A woman that she merely looked like. She didn't know why it hurt so much, but it did.
Squall ran out after her without hesitation. His longer legs allowed him to catch up with her easier. He shot out his hand and grabbed her forearm. Rinoa felt the pressure around her arm as she was pulled back. She turned her head, dark wet hair flying around her face as she did.
"I'm not her!" Rinoa shouted as tears stung her eyes. Squall's eyes softened as she stood a few feet from him, refusing to come any closer. Her lips were trembling as the drops of water fell over them. "I don't know who she is...but I'm not her!"
Her voice was shaking and in broken sobs. Squall closed his eyes tightly and nodded. "I know..." he admitted weakly. He opened his blue orbs once more and looked at her intently. "That's why I don't know what to do..."
Rinoa's trembling legs took a step forward. She stumbled ahead and threw her arms around his neck. Squall stood there, unsure of what to do as she buried her face against him. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. "But I'm not her..."
Squall closed his eyes as his arms wrapped around her shivering body. He swallowed and allowed his embrace to tighten around her. "I don't think I want you to be..." he whispered.
They stood there in the down pour. Time ceased to exist. Rinoa couldn't understand why her heart felt like it belonged to him. Her fingers pressed into his bare back. Her voice was shaken and confused as she pulled away from him. She looked up into his eyes with lost brown ones. "Who are you...?"
Selphie looked outside the research tent and frowned. "I wonder how long it's going to be like this..." she mumbled.
"Probably a few days," Quistis said behind her as she dusted off the third tablet. "At least they called."
"Yeah, but I'm kind of worried about her," Selphie admitted. She returned to her seat in the tent next to Quistis and looked over at her friend. "Think she's mad?"
"Think?" Quistis asked, sarcastically. She looked up from what she was doing and frowned. "I KNOW she's mad. You're going to be in for it when she comes back."
Selphie smiled sheepishly. "But hey...it can't be all that bad. Doesn't Squall drive a nice car?"
"Yeah, I doubt the girl whose had a chauffeur for half her life is going to be impressed with a nice car." Quistis said, rolling her eyes.
Selphie giggled. "You never know..."
"Quisty!" a voice shouted from outside the tent. Quistis nearly dropped the brush was using to clean the tablet.
Her blue eyes grew wide and fearful. "Oh no...he found me..." she whimpered.
The tent flap was opened and pushed aside. Seifer walked in, mud all over his boots despite the umbrella he was holding. He turned his back to the tent and shook out and closed his umbrella. He turned around and walked in. "There you are!"
"I'm busy." Quistis snapped immediately. Seifer frowned and walked over to her.
"Why don't we-"
"No."
"Breakfast is being-"
"No."
"But last night-"
"Nothing happened last night so stop talking like something did!" Quistis growled. Seifer jerked his head back. Quistis was seething.
"Umm..." Selphie said as she headed for the exit. "I'll leave you to alone."
"Selphie, no-" Quistis began, but it was too late. The petite brunette was already outside, running up the camp. Damn...
Seifer pulled a chair next to Quistis. "What are you doing?" he asked sweetly.
Quistis eyed him suspiciously. "I'm cleaning tablets."
"Need help translating?" he asked coolly.
"No."
"I can make it faster-"
"I like doing it the long way." she insisted. Seifer raised an eyebrow but shrugged. He looked over the tablet that was on the table.
"The dawn broke and as he watched her body disappear, he knew she was gone," Seifer read. "The love of his life had died that very moment. She was nothing more than a shell now."
"What are you doing?" Quistis grumbled, putting down her tools in frustration. "I told you, I don't need your help-"
"I'm not helping. I'm reading." Seifer countered.
"Ugh! Then read silently!" she snapped.
Seifer merely snorted and continued reading. "They asked him what he would do and he said that he had to help her rest."
"Help WHO rest?" Quistis grumbled, unaware that she even asked the question. Seifer grinned, knowing he was reaching her.
"To help the general's daughter's spirit rest," Seifer explained. Quistis stopped what she was doing. Seifer knew he hit a chord. "He loved her more than life itself and he devoted the rest of his life to making sure that she would rest in peace."
Quistis narrowed her eyes. "I thought that he ended up killing her body and so she did rest in peace."
Seifer looked over at Quistis and with teasing green eyes smiled. "She'll return," Seifer said, his voice deep and rich. "That's why he can't rest."
Quistis found herself drawn into his voice. "When will he be able to?"
"When she's free of what's inside of her."