Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy 8, it remains the property of
squarsoft. However all original characters and storylines are mine thatnx.
I'm sorry this took me so long to update – I've just had sooo much to do lately but thanx for the review and please keep them coming!
****
"So where to now?" Rinoa asked from where she was sat in the 'passenger' seat aboard the Ragnarok, everybody else had gone back to Garden leaving it to Squall and herself.
"Trabia." He said quietly and sounding like he was somewhere else, mentally she reasoned he was so she just nodded and settled into her seat.
The rest of the files and the envelope were on the top of the right control panel and every now and again his eyes would dart to them, which seeing as he'd left the Ragnarok on auto pilot wasn't much of a danger but it worried Rinoa. His introspective habits had returned since they'd gotten back to Balamb and she wished he'd open up to her again, she wanted to help him with his problems like he had with hers earlier that morning.
Squalls mind was elsewhere – he couldn't help it. His happier mood from earlier had all but disappeared, only to be replaced by anger and frustration. He still couldn't understand Laguna's actions, he sent Ellone back but wouldn't return himself, and he couldn't leave the thought alone – he could have visited at least- for a day or two. Or was he scared if he returned home he wouldn't be able to leave again to finish what he'd started. Squall needed answers but the only person who could give him them was the last person he wanted to see and that was why he'd decided on going to Trabia first. He could gain perspective there and rest, for a short time at least before he had to face his past and a father he wasn't sure would want to know who he really was.
* The rest of the trip had passed in silence, until Rinoa had gotten so board she'd accessed the online music system and selected a few tracks. Then she'd sat back and watched him as they travelled, still worried but no daring to say anything – maybe he did need time on his own.
But eventually they'd arrived in the freezing climate of Trabia just as the sun was setting sending fiery red flares across the horizon before the darkness set in. there was no welcome party because no one was expecting them, although some one must have seen them land so it was only a matter of time before someone arrived.
The place was a complete contrast to how it had been left after the missile strike three years ago and the Garden had been restored to it's former glory and even had several modifications added. It was larger for a start with a fully working intercom established and a new training centre; its mobile controls had also been released in case of emergencies and a ballroom had been built so that students who had trained there could actually graduate there.
Squall, who still wasn't particularly talkative, held under his left arm his own as well as his friends files plus the envelope and for no reason that he'd voiced he held Rinoa's hand tightly in his right.
She hadn't objected, infact she felt more comfortable that way, he was still communicating with her, letting her know he wasn't going to push her away, or maybe that he was scared to let her go? But she didn't dwell on it as Selphie and Irvine approached before she had chance to.
"Rinny! Squall!" Selphie squealed and she threw her arms around her best friend, who in return hugged her back when Squall released his hand at the impact.
"I take it that you're happy to see us?" Rinoa asked when Selphie stood back to see her friends; she seemed so happy to see them and was even bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. Irvine at her side tipped his hat to Rinoa and shook Squalls hand in greeting.
"What brings y'all to these parts?" the sharpshooter asked and he gestured for them to follow him.
"I've got something from the orphanage for you both." Squall answered lifting his left arm slightly to show them what he meant.
"Is that it?" Selphie asked, a little unhappy that they hadn't just turned up to see them, but she reasoned that it wasn't exactly the sort of thing that he could just 'do' – he was the commander of Balamb Garden after all.
"It depends what you mean by 'it'" he told her as they neared the snow covered entrance.
"What's that supposed ta mean?" Irvine questioned, he wondered what could be so important – it could have been a mission but he doubted it, something about his friend's behaviour told him it was far more personal.
"They basically contain information on your parents and what happened to them." Squall almost snapped causing Rinoa to send a concerned glance his way. He shrugged it off but stepped closer to her when they'd made it into the main corridor of the building, it was significantly warmer than the outdoors and the temperature change made them shudder at the effect.
"Can we see?" Selphie asked, she was still quite cheery and appeared as child like and as fun loving as she always had. Irvine seemed interested too – well he was smiling at least but Rinoa realised that probably had more to do with his reaction to his girlfriend's excitement than anything else.
"Um yeah, but is there anywhere a little more private?" Squall asked, he didn't want to make a scene in front of all the students that were passing by - some of whom had already noticed just who he and Rinoa were and were whispering excitedly.
"This way." The brunette replied as she led the three of them down a quieter corridor until they came to the instructors lounge.
Selphie sat herself down on a large sofa and Irvine sat next to her with the heel of his right foot rested on his left knee and one arm across the back of the sofa where Selphie was, Rinoa sat across from her friend on the second sofa and Squall sat next to her- although he was more perched on the end that actually sat, it was just another action that told Rinoa there was something seriously wrong.
"Come on Squall!" the brunette teased once more as she pointed to the files he carried.
"You better give them to her, when she gets like this you kinda have to do as she asks." Irvine warned with a twinkle in his eyes that made Selphie blush and Rinoa's eyes widen.
"I'll tell you later." Her friend told her cheekily, and then looked back at Squall.
"Here." Came the one word response as Squall put the correct files on the small coffee table in between where they all sat before slumping back where he sat and reverting inside himself once more.
He tried to concentrate on anything than the current position he was placed in, he'd tried focussing on the intricate patterns on the borders, but even the basketball game going on outside on the courts couldn't hold his attention for very long. He hated the fact that it had to be him to tell his 'father' that he had a son and that it was him, but more than that – he still couldn't get over the fact that he'd abandoned his mother. He'd always known Laguna was something of a moron – or so he'd called him but he'd also seen the accomplishments he'd made and it worried Squall that the price Laguna had paid for doing all of that was loosing his wife and in some ways his son too.
"Hey, you ok in there?" Rinoa asked, her voice although quiet managed to bring him from his thoughts and fears.
"What?" he asked as he turned his head only to be met by her deep brown eyes looking right into his and it scared him for a moment because he knew she could read his thoughts exactly.
"You wanna go for a walk or something cause I think they want sometime alone." She asked casting her eyes over to where their two friends were sat in complete silence reading what effectively was their past.
"... Yeah." He whispered, still sounding like he was a million miles away.
* They'd ended up in a small alcove that over looked the snow covered Garden in it's full glory, the wind had stilled completely and the cloudless sky revealed the stars true beauty.
"You gonna read it?" she asked, she was sat next to him on the cold stone bench and held his hand but she'd given up on him starting the conversation – he seemed unable to talk about it.
"Read what?" he asked with an angry edge to his voice that would have made most people back off – but not her, she knew him better than to let it go.
"The letter in the back of your own file that you keep looking at – I'm guessing it's the same as Laguna's and I'm also guessing that it'll eat you up inside until you read it."
"I don't know if I should." He confessed, "it feels wrong reading it – like I'm prying on somebody else's past." although if he really admitted it he'd done enough of that already, with the dreams he'd practically lived his 'fathers' past.
"But it's yours too." Rinoa reassured him, squeezing his hand gently and he silently thanked her.
"Not all of it – Half of this belongs to Laguna and I'd rather not read his bit by mistake." He sighed, "Am I making any sense?" he asked her with a pained look in his eyes that bordered on sadness.
She studied him carefully for a minute or so before she spoke to him softly, "you won't know unless you open it, and you both do have a copy of the same letter right?"
"Right." But he didn't see where that was going.
"Well then, if it needed to be split up it would have been, from what I know about Raine – which is everything you've told me, she would have had two letters written if she really wanted too and the fact that she only wrote one means she wanted it that way."
Squall was watching her reason it out with an odd sort of expression on his face and when she'd finished he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I am so glad you're here." He whispered before sitting up again.
Rinoa smiled, blushing slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. "So are you going read it?" she asked catching him looking at her through the corner of his eye.
"In a while, I promise." And satisfied at his answer Rinoa snuggled against him in the cold night air and looked up onto the stars.
* "So." Irvine asked, looking over the top of his file so that he could see Selphie
"So?" she responded as she sat herself up on the sofa, her earlier mood had all but disappeared and she remained in a solemn state as she stared at him.
"You wanna talk 'bout it?" and Selphie shrugged.
"I don't know, I mean I do but this whole thing... I think I already knew." She answered and then sank into the back of the sofa in an attempt to hide away from the world.
Irvine, who'd become quite astute at sensing Selphies moods shifted over on the couch and slid his arm around her back so that he could pull her closer to him.
"What is it selph?" he asked gently, it unnerved him to see her in this sort of mood.
The brunette looked up at Irvine and into his grey-brown eyes as her own brimmed with tears – she could only vaguely remember the last time she had cried but was certain it had to do with being taken to the orphanage. Irvine had been there then, she realised and he'd told her that everything would be ok and that if anything ever hurt her he'd go and 'beat it up' for her. She just wondered how he was at fighting her inner demons.
"I can't s...say it." She managed as she choked back tears. "Here, you read it." And she handed him the file before snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes from the world and her past.
He took it, although if he was truthful he was unsure if he wanted to read it – not if the content was anything like as blunt and as shocking as his was. But his own pain would have to wait until later, Selphie was far more important to him now than his past ever would be.
Name: Selphie Tilmitt.
D.0.B: July 16th
Age on arrival: three years old.
Parents: Mother: Celes Tilmitt (Deceased)
Father: Liam Heartilly (Deceased)
Place of birth: Timber, Galbadian continent.
Personal information: Parents were killed in the fighting two years ago and since then she has been residing with her great aunt who recently passed away. She has come under the care of the orphanage despite her father's sister a Mrs Julia Caraway's initial offer to adopt the girl and take her in as a sister to her own daughter. The offer was revoked after it became clear that Mrs Caraways husband did not feel they would be able to take care of the girl and I feel I must add, for both the Childs and her Aunts sake that Mrs Caraway wanted very much to care for the girl and has asked to be regularly informed of her progress, which we will do. She has also donated some money so that Selphie and the rest of the children that we have in our care can live as comfortably as possible.
"Oh hyne!" Irvine remarked as he put the file down on the table with his own, Selphie at his side sat up a little straighter and looked at him. "Rinoa's your cousin?" he asked watching her intently.
"Yeah..... And s-she would have been my sister if..." but she couldn't finish her sentence.
"I'm so sorry Selphie – but I always said that Caraway was an asshole." He told her as his eyes flashed with an anger they rarely held anymore. "I'm gonna kick his sorry ass all the way out of-"
"Irvine." Her voice stopped him completely and he turned to see that she was smiling, there were still tears waiting to fall in her eyes but she was smiling at him warmly.
"I got carried away huh?" she nodded reaching up to kiss him gently as a way of thanks.
"Just a little, but thank you for saying that."
"I meant it." With the way he looked at her she knew he wasn't kidding.
"Irvy, you can't just go all the way over there and 'kick his ass' – "
"Why the hell not? He hurt Rinoa and now I find out that he's hurt you too. Selphie than man stopped you from having the life you deserved!" that comment made her heart ache and finally Selphie cried, Irvine had his arms around her again in seconds and held her so close he could feel her racing heart.
She was torn between the truth of his words and the fact that had she really gone to live with Rinoa she might never have met her friends, might not have met Irvine – ok so maybe they would have met if she'd joined Rinoa's resistance faction but it wasn't the same, she couldn't imagine her life any different than it had turned out because she'd always thought it had been up to fate.
But now, being shown that one man stopped her potential happiness and destroyed the hope of any real family made her angry and so upset she knew that she had to let it all out –she was so tempted to take Irvine up on his offer but she knew that Rinoa needed to have a say in it.... Her cousin Rinoa should have a say in it. And that was a realisation that gave Selphie some comfort at least, she had a living relative who also turned out to be her best friend.
* "Rin?" Squall asked sounding more unsure than he'd really intended to, "I can't do this now."
She sat up at this and turned to that she could see his face as clearly as the moonlight allowed.
"Alright, but why?" she asked carefully, she could sense his fragile mood and didn't feel much like an argument.
He didn't answer her straight away but knowing that she deserved the truth he spoke eventually "I need sometime to think about it – I want to be in the right frame of mind when I read this. I only found out this afternoon and so much has happened today already...." Squall stopped at the sight of her smile "What?"
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she replied "as long as it's not eating away at you I don't mind and I'm flattered that you'll explain yourself to me."
"Was that sarcasm?" he joked quietly, watching her reaction.
"A bit, but it's good to hear you talk to me about what goes on in that head of yours." And she snuggled closer as she spoke, it was getting a little too cold for her liking and she was tired but whilst she was with Squall keeping warm wasn't really an issue.
"I have been talking to you – for three years about what goes on in my 'head'." Squall told her somewhat bemused at her reaction.
"Yeah, but every time this is the first big bombshell that we've had in three years Squall and I...um ... well I worry." Rinoa's voice became quiet and shy so she decided to move closer into his embrace so that he couldn't see her embarrassment.
He didn't quite understand what was bothering her – wasn't he supposed to be the one scared of loosing her? But he reasoned that she might be just as insecure and also figured that he had to do something about it – had to do something that solidified their commitment to each other and he knew his heart wouldn't settle until he did.
Please review! But be nice, constructive criticism is also welcome. Next chapter will be up soon. thanx
I'm sorry this took me so long to update – I've just had sooo much to do lately but thanx for the review and please keep them coming!
****
"So where to now?" Rinoa asked from where she was sat in the 'passenger' seat aboard the Ragnarok, everybody else had gone back to Garden leaving it to Squall and herself.
"Trabia." He said quietly and sounding like he was somewhere else, mentally she reasoned he was so she just nodded and settled into her seat.
The rest of the files and the envelope were on the top of the right control panel and every now and again his eyes would dart to them, which seeing as he'd left the Ragnarok on auto pilot wasn't much of a danger but it worried Rinoa. His introspective habits had returned since they'd gotten back to Balamb and she wished he'd open up to her again, she wanted to help him with his problems like he had with hers earlier that morning.
Squalls mind was elsewhere – he couldn't help it. His happier mood from earlier had all but disappeared, only to be replaced by anger and frustration. He still couldn't understand Laguna's actions, he sent Ellone back but wouldn't return himself, and he couldn't leave the thought alone – he could have visited at least- for a day or two. Or was he scared if he returned home he wouldn't be able to leave again to finish what he'd started. Squall needed answers but the only person who could give him them was the last person he wanted to see and that was why he'd decided on going to Trabia first. He could gain perspective there and rest, for a short time at least before he had to face his past and a father he wasn't sure would want to know who he really was.
* The rest of the trip had passed in silence, until Rinoa had gotten so board she'd accessed the online music system and selected a few tracks. Then she'd sat back and watched him as they travelled, still worried but no daring to say anything – maybe he did need time on his own.
But eventually they'd arrived in the freezing climate of Trabia just as the sun was setting sending fiery red flares across the horizon before the darkness set in. there was no welcome party because no one was expecting them, although some one must have seen them land so it was only a matter of time before someone arrived.
The place was a complete contrast to how it had been left after the missile strike three years ago and the Garden had been restored to it's former glory and even had several modifications added. It was larger for a start with a fully working intercom established and a new training centre; its mobile controls had also been released in case of emergencies and a ballroom had been built so that students who had trained there could actually graduate there.
Squall, who still wasn't particularly talkative, held under his left arm his own as well as his friends files plus the envelope and for no reason that he'd voiced he held Rinoa's hand tightly in his right.
She hadn't objected, infact she felt more comfortable that way, he was still communicating with her, letting her know he wasn't going to push her away, or maybe that he was scared to let her go? But she didn't dwell on it as Selphie and Irvine approached before she had chance to.
"Rinny! Squall!" Selphie squealed and she threw her arms around her best friend, who in return hugged her back when Squall released his hand at the impact.
"I take it that you're happy to see us?" Rinoa asked when Selphie stood back to see her friends; she seemed so happy to see them and was even bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. Irvine at her side tipped his hat to Rinoa and shook Squalls hand in greeting.
"What brings y'all to these parts?" the sharpshooter asked and he gestured for them to follow him.
"I've got something from the orphanage for you both." Squall answered lifting his left arm slightly to show them what he meant.
"Is that it?" Selphie asked, a little unhappy that they hadn't just turned up to see them, but she reasoned that it wasn't exactly the sort of thing that he could just 'do' – he was the commander of Balamb Garden after all.
"It depends what you mean by 'it'" he told her as they neared the snow covered entrance.
"What's that supposed ta mean?" Irvine questioned, he wondered what could be so important – it could have been a mission but he doubted it, something about his friend's behaviour told him it was far more personal.
"They basically contain information on your parents and what happened to them." Squall almost snapped causing Rinoa to send a concerned glance his way. He shrugged it off but stepped closer to her when they'd made it into the main corridor of the building, it was significantly warmer than the outdoors and the temperature change made them shudder at the effect.
"Can we see?" Selphie asked, she was still quite cheery and appeared as child like and as fun loving as she always had. Irvine seemed interested too – well he was smiling at least but Rinoa realised that probably had more to do with his reaction to his girlfriend's excitement than anything else.
"Um yeah, but is there anywhere a little more private?" Squall asked, he didn't want to make a scene in front of all the students that were passing by - some of whom had already noticed just who he and Rinoa were and were whispering excitedly.
"This way." The brunette replied as she led the three of them down a quieter corridor until they came to the instructors lounge.
Selphie sat herself down on a large sofa and Irvine sat next to her with the heel of his right foot rested on his left knee and one arm across the back of the sofa where Selphie was, Rinoa sat across from her friend on the second sofa and Squall sat next to her- although he was more perched on the end that actually sat, it was just another action that told Rinoa there was something seriously wrong.
"Come on Squall!" the brunette teased once more as she pointed to the files he carried.
"You better give them to her, when she gets like this you kinda have to do as she asks." Irvine warned with a twinkle in his eyes that made Selphie blush and Rinoa's eyes widen.
"I'll tell you later." Her friend told her cheekily, and then looked back at Squall.
"Here." Came the one word response as Squall put the correct files on the small coffee table in between where they all sat before slumping back where he sat and reverting inside himself once more.
He tried to concentrate on anything than the current position he was placed in, he'd tried focussing on the intricate patterns on the borders, but even the basketball game going on outside on the courts couldn't hold his attention for very long. He hated the fact that it had to be him to tell his 'father' that he had a son and that it was him, but more than that – he still couldn't get over the fact that he'd abandoned his mother. He'd always known Laguna was something of a moron – or so he'd called him but he'd also seen the accomplishments he'd made and it worried Squall that the price Laguna had paid for doing all of that was loosing his wife and in some ways his son too.
"Hey, you ok in there?" Rinoa asked, her voice although quiet managed to bring him from his thoughts and fears.
"What?" he asked as he turned his head only to be met by her deep brown eyes looking right into his and it scared him for a moment because he knew she could read his thoughts exactly.
"You wanna go for a walk or something cause I think they want sometime alone." She asked casting her eyes over to where their two friends were sat in complete silence reading what effectively was their past.
"... Yeah." He whispered, still sounding like he was a million miles away.
* They'd ended up in a small alcove that over looked the snow covered Garden in it's full glory, the wind had stilled completely and the cloudless sky revealed the stars true beauty.
"You gonna read it?" she asked, she was sat next to him on the cold stone bench and held his hand but she'd given up on him starting the conversation – he seemed unable to talk about it.
"Read what?" he asked with an angry edge to his voice that would have made most people back off – but not her, she knew him better than to let it go.
"The letter in the back of your own file that you keep looking at – I'm guessing it's the same as Laguna's and I'm also guessing that it'll eat you up inside until you read it."
"I don't know if I should." He confessed, "it feels wrong reading it – like I'm prying on somebody else's past." although if he really admitted it he'd done enough of that already, with the dreams he'd practically lived his 'fathers' past.
"But it's yours too." Rinoa reassured him, squeezing his hand gently and he silently thanked her.
"Not all of it – Half of this belongs to Laguna and I'd rather not read his bit by mistake." He sighed, "Am I making any sense?" he asked her with a pained look in his eyes that bordered on sadness.
She studied him carefully for a minute or so before she spoke to him softly, "you won't know unless you open it, and you both do have a copy of the same letter right?"
"Right." But he didn't see where that was going.
"Well then, if it needed to be split up it would have been, from what I know about Raine – which is everything you've told me, she would have had two letters written if she really wanted too and the fact that she only wrote one means she wanted it that way."
Squall was watching her reason it out with an odd sort of expression on his face and when she'd finished he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I am so glad you're here." He whispered before sitting up again.
Rinoa smiled, blushing slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. "So are you going read it?" she asked catching him looking at her through the corner of his eye.
"In a while, I promise." And satisfied at his answer Rinoa snuggled against him in the cold night air and looked up onto the stars.
* "So." Irvine asked, looking over the top of his file so that he could see Selphie
"So?" she responded as she sat herself up on the sofa, her earlier mood had all but disappeared and she remained in a solemn state as she stared at him.
"You wanna talk 'bout it?" and Selphie shrugged.
"I don't know, I mean I do but this whole thing... I think I already knew." She answered and then sank into the back of the sofa in an attempt to hide away from the world.
Irvine, who'd become quite astute at sensing Selphies moods shifted over on the couch and slid his arm around her back so that he could pull her closer to him.
"What is it selph?" he asked gently, it unnerved him to see her in this sort of mood.
The brunette looked up at Irvine and into his grey-brown eyes as her own brimmed with tears – she could only vaguely remember the last time she had cried but was certain it had to do with being taken to the orphanage. Irvine had been there then, she realised and he'd told her that everything would be ok and that if anything ever hurt her he'd go and 'beat it up' for her. She just wondered how he was at fighting her inner demons.
"I can't s...say it." She managed as she choked back tears. "Here, you read it." And she handed him the file before snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes from the world and her past.
He took it, although if he was truthful he was unsure if he wanted to read it – not if the content was anything like as blunt and as shocking as his was. But his own pain would have to wait until later, Selphie was far more important to him now than his past ever would be.
Name: Selphie Tilmitt.
D.0.B: July 16th
Age on arrival: three years old.
Parents: Mother: Celes Tilmitt (Deceased)
Father: Liam Heartilly (Deceased)
Place of birth: Timber, Galbadian continent.
Personal information: Parents were killed in the fighting two years ago and since then she has been residing with her great aunt who recently passed away. She has come under the care of the orphanage despite her father's sister a Mrs Julia Caraway's initial offer to adopt the girl and take her in as a sister to her own daughter. The offer was revoked after it became clear that Mrs Caraways husband did not feel they would be able to take care of the girl and I feel I must add, for both the Childs and her Aunts sake that Mrs Caraway wanted very much to care for the girl and has asked to be regularly informed of her progress, which we will do. She has also donated some money so that Selphie and the rest of the children that we have in our care can live as comfortably as possible.
"Oh hyne!" Irvine remarked as he put the file down on the table with his own, Selphie at his side sat up a little straighter and looked at him. "Rinoa's your cousin?" he asked watching her intently.
"Yeah..... And s-she would have been my sister if..." but she couldn't finish her sentence.
"I'm so sorry Selphie – but I always said that Caraway was an asshole." He told her as his eyes flashed with an anger they rarely held anymore. "I'm gonna kick his sorry ass all the way out of-"
"Irvine." Her voice stopped him completely and he turned to see that she was smiling, there were still tears waiting to fall in her eyes but she was smiling at him warmly.
"I got carried away huh?" she nodded reaching up to kiss him gently as a way of thanks.
"Just a little, but thank you for saying that."
"I meant it." With the way he looked at her she knew he wasn't kidding.
"Irvy, you can't just go all the way over there and 'kick his ass' – "
"Why the hell not? He hurt Rinoa and now I find out that he's hurt you too. Selphie than man stopped you from having the life you deserved!" that comment made her heart ache and finally Selphie cried, Irvine had his arms around her again in seconds and held her so close he could feel her racing heart.
She was torn between the truth of his words and the fact that had she really gone to live with Rinoa she might never have met her friends, might not have met Irvine – ok so maybe they would have met if she'd joined Rinoa's resistance faction but it wasn't the same, she couldn't imagine her life any different than it had turned out because she'd always thought it had been up to fate.
But now, being shown that one man stopped her potential happiness and destroyed the hope of any real family made her angry and so upset she knew that she had to let it all out –she was so tempted to take Irvine up on his offer but she knew that Rinoa needed to have a say in it.... Her cousin Rinoa should have a say in it. And that was a realisation that gave Selphie some comfort at least, she had a living relative who also turned out to be her best friend.
* "Rin?" Squall asked sounding more unsure than he'd really intended to, "I can't do this now."
She sat up at this and turned to that she could see his face as clearly as the moonlight allowed.
"Alright, but why?" she asked carefully, she could sense his fragile mood and didn't feel much like an argument.
He didn't answer her straight away but knowing that she deserved the truth he spoke eventually "I need sometime to think about it – I want to be in the right frame of mind when I read this. I only found out this afternoon and so much has happened today already...." Squall stopped at the sight of her smile "What?"
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she replied "as long as it's not eating away at you I don't mind and I'm flattered that you'll explain yourself to me."
"Was that sarcasm?" he joked quietly, watching her reaction.
"A bit, but it's good to hear you talk to me about what goes on in that head of yours." And she snuggled closer as she spoke, it was getting a little too cold for her liking and she was tired but whilst she was with Squall keeping warm wasn't really an issue.
"I have been talking to you – for three years about what goes on in my 'head'." Squall told her somewhat bemused at her reaction.
"Yeah, but every time this is the first big bombshell that we've had in three years Squall and I...um ... well I worry." Rinoa's voice became quiet and shy so she decided to move closer into his embrace so that he couldn't see her embarrassment.
He didn't quite understand what was bothering her – wasn't he supposed to be the one scared of loosing her? But he reasoned that she might be just as insecure and also figured that he had to do something about it – had to do something that solidified their commitment to each other and he knew his heart wouldn't settle until he did.
Please review! But be nice, constructive criticism is also welcome. Next chapter will be up soon. thanx
