Later that evening, while Irvine and the girls were relaxing on the beach, topping up their tans, Squall was inside, talking secretly to Zell.
"Did you get it?" Squall asked his friend.
"Yeh," Zell replied, "and you won't believe the hassle I had to go through!" Squall laughed a little at this. "What's so damn funny?" Zell asked.
"The girls had you running errands for them, then?" Squall asked, jokily.
"Man," Zell replied, "they were like wild animals!" Squall nodded- he'd once invited himself along on a shopping trip to Balamb with Rinoa and Selphie, and had barely made it back conscious. Since then, he decided to leave the girls to their own devices, but not before having a little fun with Zell...
"Let's see it then," Squall asked. Zell showed him the ring- it was nothing too extravagant, just a slender gold band with a single diamond set on it. On the inside bore the inscription "Rinoa. Forever yours. Squall." Squall gave it his nod of approval.
"Thanks, man," he said, slapping Zell on the shoulder.
"No sweat," Zell replied, "only next time, don't send me shopping with those two. I'd rather face Omega weapon again than have to deal with that!" Squall smiled.
"Don't worry, I-" He was interrupted by a cough at the door- Selphie had come inside to get some drinks, and was watching at the doorway. Squall quickly whipped his hands, and the ring, behind his back.
"Selphie!" Zell shouted, guiltily, "Hi!" Squall also waved, with a guilty smile on his face.
"Err... hi," she said, unsure of what exactly she'd interrupted. "I came to get some drinks..." Zell immediately jumped into action.
"Don't- don't worry," he shouted, far too loud even for him, "I'll bring them out to you!" Selphie grinned, then turned and left.
"Woo-hoo! Thanks!" She said, before returning to her sunbathing.
"Do you think she suspected anything?" Zell asked Squall, whispering.
"Probably," Squall answered, "with you shouting loud enough for the whole world to hear."
"Aw, come on man!" Zell shouted, before a stare from Squall cut him off.
"OK, sorry man," Zell conceded.
Outside, Selphie took Rinoa to one side and had a quiet talk with her.
"You'll never guess what I just saw!" Selphie said, trying desperately not to literally bounce with excitement.
"What, what?" Rinoa asked, Selphie's excitement noticeably rubbing off on her. Selphie whispered something in Rinoa's ear.
"Seriously!?" Rinoa asked, incredulously. Selphie nodded, still giddy with the excitement.
"Isn't it great?" Selphie asked.
"Yeah!" Rinoa responded, now as excited as Selphie. Wow! She thought. Squall had brought her presents before, but nothing as expensive or fancy as a ring. "Do you reckon I should tell him I know?" Selphie shook her head.
"Are you kidding?" She asked, grinning. "Of course not!" Rinoa grinned back- her holiday was getting better and better...
Later that night, when they were all in bed, it was Rinoa's turn not to sleep. It may have been slightly immature of her, but she wanted her present now, and was determined to get it. I wonder what it's like… she thought, as she rolled over and felt herself roll on something hard. Oops, she thought, that's not good… Squall, who had been asleep, woke up and clutched his broken wrist, which Rinoa had just rolled over.
"Aah!" He cried in pain.
"Oops, sorry," Rinoa said.
"That's OK," Squall replied, wearily, "you just get to sleep, Angel." Squall was really tired, and just wanted some rest. Rinoa, on the other hand, was still very much awake. She decided she'd have a little fun.
"Squall," she asked, "How much do you love me?" Squall opened his eyes and rolled back over.
"You know how much I love you, Angel," Squall replied, sleepily.
"Tell me again," she asked, snuggling herself up to Squall and wrapping her arms around him.
"OK," Squall said, up for Rinoa's little game but mainly trying to get her to sleep so he could, "I love you from beneath the bottom of my heart, with more than all of my soul, and will do for longer than eternity." Rinoa smiled- she'd been satisfied. Now, she thought, the finishing touch…
"Prove it," she said, jokily. Squall stared down at her, one thought on his mind. She knows… he thought to himself. Selphie must have told her. Damn! He quickly thought of a way of stalling Rinoa.
"Tell you what," he said, thinking on his feet, "meet me at sunrise tomorrow, on the outcropping at the end of the beach. I'll prove it then." Rinoa smiled- she could wait until sunrise.
"OK," she said, "sunrise it is." For the second night in a row, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, Squall was awake early, and already at the aforementioned outcropping ten whole minutes before sunrise, ring in hand. He'd wanted to save it for the last day of the holiday, but now as good a time as any. For possibly the first time he could ever remember, he was nervous. He heard Rinoa's soft voice from behind him. The sun was coming up. It's now or never, Squall thought.
"Squall?" Rinoa asked. Squall took a deep breath, and turned round to face her. It took a while, with his being on crutches, but he got there eventually.
"Rinoa," he started, "last night, you asked me how much I love you. I gave you a short answer, now I want to give you the long answer." Rinoa nodded, smiling.
"Ever since I met you," he continued to ad lib, "there's been something about you I've not been able to resist. It's not just your amazing beauty or your personality. It's something different. Something... intangible. I know we have our whole lives ahead of us, but I want to spend my life with you." He dropped his crutch, and pulled out the ring, just as the sun broke over the horizon. "Rinoa Heartilly, will you marry me?" His voice was quivering- he'd fought in loads of battles, but was never as nervous as he was right then. What if she says no? He thought. Will I be able to cope with that? Fortunately for Squall, Rinoa did not say no. Unfortunately, she didn't say yes, either.
"Squall," Rinoa said, in shock. It was an engagement ring! She thought. Selphie said nothing about that! Squall had totally blindsided her with his proposal. She started to feel a little light-headed. "I need to lie down," Rinoa said, backing off. "Let me think about it." Squall was sort of expecting an answer like this, so he wasn't too shocked.
"Take all the time you need, Angel," he said, as Rinoa scurried back into the chalet. Squall then realised he had no means of picking his crutch back up. Damn, he thought, my father's legacy comes back to haunt me once again. He swiftly pocketed the ring and bent at the hip, just about managing to retrieve his crutch a few tries later. He hobbled back into the chalet, and was about to re-enter his room when he remembered Rinoa was most likely in there, mulling over her decision. I'd best give her some time, he thought, as he hobbled into the lounge area and put the television on. However, Rinoa was not in their room, but had gone to seek advice from Selphie and Quistis.
"Wow! Congratulations!" And unusually excitable Quistis had shouted. Selphie was also hyper, even for her.
"He proposed! Wow!" She shouted, giving Rinoa a congratulatory hug. "Show us the ring!" Rinoa shook her head, and sat down on the bed.
"I haven't said yes yet," she said.
"What? Why not?" Quistis asked.
"Yeah, what's the matter?" Selphie asked as well. Rinoa shook her head.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully, "I want to be with Squall, but this is just a little fast. Do I really want to settle down with him?"
"That's a question only you can answer," Quistis replied.
"Yeah!" Selphie exclaimed. "Do you love Squall or not?" She asked.
"Of course I do," Rinoa answered.
"Do you, have you, or will you love anyone more than him?" Selphie asked, continuing the interrogation. Rinoa thought back to the summer she'd spent with Seifer the previous year. Sure, it had been fun, and she'd liked him a lot, but she didn't have that feeling with him that she did with Squall. "Something... intangible" was the way Squall had put it. Rinoa felt exactly the same way.
"No," Rinoa answered with full confidence. "Squall's the love of my life."
"Are you sure?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded- she was sure. She knew she'd never get that intangible feeling anywhere else.
"Why do you love him?" Selphie asked. Rinoa had to think long and hard about this one. Loads of reasons… she thought, but couldn't come up with a single one. Sure, Squall was attractive, in a rugged kind of way; sure, he was brave and heroic, and he was absolutely devoted to her, she was sure of that. She couldn't think of one solid reason, until she remembered Squall saying something, which brought it all back to her. "Rinoa..." he'd said, "even if the whole world ends up hating you, I'll be your knight." Rinoa remembered that, and was instantly sure that no matter what, no matter who came between then, Squall would always be hers. How could she put that feeling into words? She decided, in the end, to borrow one of Squall's phrases.
"It's something... intangible," Rinoa replied. Selphie then hit her with the question that sealed her answer to Squall.
"In thirty years' time," she asked, "where do you see yourself?" Rinoa sighed- there was only one answer she could give.
"With Squall," she said. "And I don't see us being apart at all during those thirty years."
"Then give me a reason why you two shouldn't get married," Quistis said. Rinoa sighed- aside from the obvious one, she couldn't think of any. She tried the obvious one anyway.
"We're too young," she said, massively unsure of herself. Quistis got up and sat next to Rinoa, putting a comforting arm around her.
"Rinn," she said, "I can see how you look whenever you see Squall. Your pupils dilate, your breathing increases, you go weak at the knees. In my book, that's true love. It doesn't matter whether you're seventeen or seventy." Rinoa nodded- as always, Quistis was right.
"So?" Selphie asked. "What are you gonna say to Squall?"
"There's only one thing I can say," Rinoa answered. She got up and prepared to leave, but before doing so, gave both Quistis and Selphie thank-you hugs.
"Thank you so much," Rinoa said. "You don't know how much this meant to me." She then left to find Squall, expecting him to be in their room. She was surprised to find him lying on the couch in the lounge area, half-watching TV.
"Anything good on?" Rinoa asked, startling Squall.
"N-no," Squall stuttered, struggling to his feet, "just a repeat." There was an awkward pause, before Rinoa spoke again.
"Would you like your answer now?" She asked.
"Y-yes," Squall replied, nervously. His heart sank as he saw Rinoa lower his head. Why did I ask her? He thought to himself. Why did I throw away the single best thing that ever happened to me? He was about to get the shock of his life.
"Yes," Rinoa answered, looking into Squall's eyes. Squall couldn't believe his ears.
"Y-yes?" Squall asked.
"Yes," Rinoa said, with a grin on her face. "I will marry you." Squall's expression turned into one of pure delight as he rushed forward, as fast as he could, anyway, and gave Rinoa the biggest hug he could muster.
"I love you so much..." he said, squeezing her tight, as tears of pure joy fell from his eyes.
"I love you too," Rinoa said, laughing, as she tried to squirm out of Squall's bear-like hug. Squall released his hug, remembering something.
"Oh!" He shouted. "I almost forgot..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, slipping it on Rinoa's finger. "This makes it official, my fiancée." Rinoa stared at the ring- it was nothing too extravagant, but it was the giving of the ring that mattered most, not the actual ring itself. She then looked at Squall's face, and realised that she'd never seen him so happy. She smiled, and then they gave each other a long, easy kiss.
"Did you get it?" Squall asked his friend.
"Yeh," Zell replied, "and you won't believe the hassle I had to go through!" Squall laughed a little at this. "What's so damn funny?" Zell asked.
"The girls had you running errands for them, then?" Squall asked, jokily.
"Man," Zell replied, "they were like wild animals!" Squall nodded- he'd once invited himself along on a shopping trip to Balamb with Rinoa and Selphie, and had barely made it back conscious. Since then, he decided to leave the girls to their own devices, but not before having a little fun with Zell...
"Let's see it then," Squall asked. Zell showed him the ring- it was nothing too extravagant, just a slender gold band with a single diamond set on it. On the inside bore the inscription "Rinoa. Forever yours. Squall." Squall gave it his nod of approval.
"Thanks, man," he said, slapping Zell on the shoulder.
"No sweat," Zell replied, "only next time, don't send me shopping with those two. I'd rather face Omega weapon again than have to deal with that!" Squall smiled.
"Don't worry, I-" He was interrupted by a cough at the door- Selphie had come inside to get some drinks, and was watching at the doorway. Squall quickly whipped his hands, and the ring, behind his back.
"Selphie!" Zell shouted, guiltily, "Hi!" Squall also waved, with a guilty smile on his face.
"Err... hi," she said, unsure of what exactly she'd interrupted. "I came to get some drinks..." Zell immediately jumped into action.
"Don't- don't worry," he shouted, far too loud even for him, "I'll bring them out to you!" Selphie grinned, then turned and left.
"Woo-hoo! Thanks!" She said, before returning to her sunbathing.
"Do you think she suspected anything?" Zell asked Squall, whispering.
"Probably," Squall answered, "with you shouting loud enough for the whole world to hear."
"Aw, come on man!" Zell shouted, before a stare from Squall cut him off.
"OK, sorry man," Zell conceded.
Outside, Selphie took Rinoa to one side and had a quiet talk with her.
"You'll never guess what I just saw!" Selphie said, trying desperately not to literally bounce with excitement.
"What, what?" Rinoa asked, Selphie's excitement noticeably rubbing off on her. Selphie whispered something in Rinoa's ear.
"Seriously!?" Rinoa asked, incredulously. Selphie nodded, still giddy with the excitement.
"Isn't it great?" Selphie asked.
"Yeah!" Rinoa responded, now as excited as Selphie. Wow! She thought. Squall had brought her presents before, but nothing as expensive or fancy as a ring. "Do you reckon I should tell him I know?" Selphie shook her head.
"Are you kidding?" She asked, grinning. "Of course not!" Rinoa grinned back- her holiday was getting better and better...
Later that night, when they were all in bed, it was Rinoa's turn not to sleep. It may have been slightly immature of her, but she wanted her present now, and was determined to get it. I wonder what it's like… she thought, as she rolled over and felt herself roll on something hard. Oops, she thought, that's not good… Squall, who had been asleep, woke up and clutched his broken wrist, which Rinoa had just rolled over.
"Aah!" He cried in pain.
"Oops, sorry," Rinoa said.
"That's OK," Squall replied, wearily, "you just get to sleep, Angel." Squall was really tired, and just wanted some rest. Rinoa, on the other hand, was still very much awake. She decided she'd have a little fun.
"Squall," she asked, "How much do you love me?" Squall opened his eyes and rolled back over.
"You know how much I love you, Angel," Squall replied, sleepily.
"Tell me again," she asked, snuggling herself up to Squall and wrapping her arms around him.
"OK," Squall said, up for Rinoa's little game but mainly trying to get her to sleep so he could, "I love you from beneath the bottom of my heart, with more than all of my soul, and will do for longer than eternity." Rinoa smiled- she'd been satisfied. Now, she thought, the finishing touch…
"Prove it," she said, jokily. Squall stared down at her, one thought on his mind. She knows… he thought to himself. Selphie must have told her. Damn! He quickly thought of a way of stalling Rinoa.
"Tell you what," he said, thinking on his feet, "meet me at sunrise tomorrow, on the outcropping at the end of the beach. I'll prove it then." Rinoa smiled- she could wait until sunrise.
"OK," she said, "sunrise it is." For the second night in a row, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, Squall was awake early, and already at the aforementioned outcropping ten whole minutes before sunrise, ring in hand. He'd wanted to save it for the last day of the holiday, but now as good a time as any. For possibly the first time he could ever remember, he was nervous. He heard Rinoa's soft voice from behind him. The sun was coming up. It's now or never, Squall thought.
"Squall?" Rinoa asked. Squall took a deep breath, and turned round to face her. It took a while, with his being on crutches, but he got there eventually.
"Rinoa," he started, "last night, you asked me how much I love you. I gave you a short answer, now I want to give you the long answer." Rinoa nodded, smiling.
"Ever since I met you," he continued to ad lib, "there's been something about you I've not been able to resist. It's not just your amazing beauty or your personality. It's something different. Something... intangible. I know we have our whole lives ahead of us, but I want to spend my life with you." He dropped his crutch, and pulled out the ring, just as the sun broke over the horizon. "Rinoa Heartilly, will you marry me?" His voice was quivering- he'd fought in loads of battles, but was never as nervous as he was right then. What if she says no? He thought. Will I be able to cope with that? Fortunately for Squall, Rinoa did not say no. Unfortunately, she didn't say yes, either.
"Squall," Rinoa said, in shock. It was an engagement ring! She thought. Selphie said nothing about that! Squall had totally blindsided her with his proposal. She started to feel a little light-headed. "I need to lie down," Rinoa said, backing off. "Let me think about it." Squall was sort of expecting an answer like this, so he wasn't too shocked.
"Take all the time you need, Angel," he said, as Rinoa scurried back into the chalet. Squall then realised he had no means of picking his crutch back up. Damn, he thought, my father's legacy comes back to haunt me once again. He swiftly pocketed the ring and bent at the hip, just about managing to retrieve his crutch a few tries later. He hobbled back into the chalet, and was about to re-enter his room when he remembered Rinoa was most likely in there, mulling over her decision. I'd best give her some time, he thought, as he hobbled into the lounge area and put the television on. However, Rinoa was not in their room, but had gone to seek advice from Selphie and Quistis.
"Wow! Congratulations!" And unusually excitable Quistis had shouted. Selphie was also hyper, even for her.
"He proposed! Wow!" She shouted, giving Rinoa a congratulatory hug. "Show us the ring!" Rinoa shook her head, and sat down on the bed.
"I haven't said yes yet," she said.
"What? Why not?" Quistis asked.
"Yeah, what's the matter?" Selphie asked as well. Rinoa shook her head.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully, "I want to be with Squall, but this is just a little fast. Do I really want to settle down with him?"
"That's a question only you can answer," Quistis replied.
"Yeah!" Selphie exclaimed. "Do you love Squall or not?" She asked.
"Of course I do," Rinoa answered.
"Do you, have you, or will you love anyone more than him?" Selphie asked, continuing the interrogation. Rinoa thought back to the summer she'd spent with Seifer the previous year. Sure, it had been fun, and she'd liked him a lot, but she didn't have that feeling with him that she did with Squall. "Something... intangible" was the way Squall had put it. Rinoa felt exactly the same way.
"No," Rinoa answered with full confidence. "Squall's the love of my life."
"Are you sure?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded- she was sure. She knew she'd never get that intangible feeling anywhere else.
"Why do you love him?" Selphie asked. Rinoa had to think long and hard about this one. Loads of reasons… she thought, but couldn't come up with a single one. Sure, Squall was attractive, in a rugged kind of way; sure, he was brave and heroic, and he was absolutely devoted to her, she was sure of that. She couldn't think of one solid reason, until she remembered Squall saying something, which brought it all back to her. "Rinoa..." he'd said, "even if the whole world ends up hating you, I'll be your knight." Rinoa remembered that, and was instantly sure that no matter what, no matter who came between then, Squall would always be hers. How could she put that feeling into words? She decided, in the end, to borrow one of Squall's phrases.
"It's something... intangible," Rinoa replied. Selphie then hit her with the question that sealed her answer to Squall.
"In thirty years' time," she asked, "where do you see yourself?" Rinoa sighed- there was only one answer she could give.
"With Squall," she said. "And I don't see us being apart at all during those thirty years."
"Then give me a reason why you two shouldn't get married," Quistis said. Rinoa sighed- aside from the obvious one, she couldn't think of any. She tried the obvious one anyway.
"We're too young," she said, massively unsure of herself. Quistis got up and sat next to Rinoa, putting a comforting arm around her.
"Rinn," she said, "I can see how you look whenever you see Squall. Your pupils dilate, your breathing increases, you go weak at the knees. In my book, that's true love. It doesn't matter whether you're seventeen or seventy." Rinoa nodded- as always, Quistis was right.
"So?" Selphie asked. "What are you gonna say to Squall?"
"There's only one thing I can say," Rinoa answered. She got up and prepared to leave, but before doing so, gave both Quistis and Selphie thank-you hugs.
"Thank you so much," Rinoa said. "You don't know how much this meant to me." She then left to find Squall, expecting him to be in their room. She was surprised to find him lying on the couch in the lounge area, half-watching TV.
"Anything good on?" Rinoa asked, startling Squall.
"N-no," Squall stuttered, struggling to his feet, "just a repeat." There was an awkward pause, before Rinoa spoke again.
"Would you like your answer now?" She asked.
"Y-yes," Squall replied, nervously. His heart sank as he saw Rinoa lower his head. Why did I ask her? He thought to himself. Why did I throw away the single best thing that ever happened to me? He was about to get the shock of his life.
"Yes," Rinoa answered, looking into Squall's eyes. Squall couldn't believe his ears.
"Y-yes?" Squall asked.
"Yes," Rinoa said, with a grin on her face. "I will marry you." Squall's expression turned into one of pure delight as he rushed forward, as fast as he could, anyway, and gave Rinoa the biggest hug he could muster.
"I love you so much..." he said, squeezing her tight, as tears of pure joy fell from his eyes.
"I love you too," Rinoa said, laughing, as she tried to squirm out of Squall's bear-like hug. Squall released his hug, remembering something.
"Oh!" He shouted. "I almost forgot..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, slipping it on Rinoa's finger. "This makes it official, my fiancée." Rinoa stared at the ring- it was nothing too extravagant, but it was the giving of the ring that mattered most, not the actual ring itself. She then looked at Squall's face, and realised that she'd never seen him so happy. She smiled, and then they gave each other a long, easy kiss.