(Disclaimer: Since I'm nearing completion on this story, I'm going to back off on Natural Disaster and Worlds Apart for a while.)
A Rare Find
Rinoa opened her eyes, and tried hard to focus. She thought she saw Squall, but hesitated, at first, to say anything.
"Is it really you?" She said quietly. She moved her hand to his face, and felt between his eyes. She felt a scar.
He smiled. "Yes, it's me. I have the scar to prove it," he joked.
She smiled back. "What time is it?"
"It's nearing midnight," he responded.
Rinoa sat up from the infirmary bed, and moved to the edge. She stood and waited for her eyes to focus in the darkness. "So, the party's still going on?"
"Yeah, but there isn't much time." Squall looked away from her for a moment, bit his lip, and looked back to her. "There's something I need to tell you. Come with me."
Rinoa took his hand and wore a curious look. "What's this all about?"
Squall smiled nervously. "I'll tell you when we get there."
Squall took Rinoa's hand and led her from the infirmary to the Quad, where the balcony stood. The moon still glowed radiantly. Rinoa was watching it, her dark eyes lit up by the large sphere. Squall felt his heart pounding.
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
Rinoa smiled, and looked back to Squall, who was behind her. She yawned, and stretched. "So, what is it?"
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
"You're sure?" Zell asked.
"Positive," said the doctor of the infirmary, "I saw them leave here just a few minutes ago. You just missed them."
"Wonder where they went?" Selphie questioned. "You think Squall's popping her the question?"
"He was going to make it public, Selphie," Irvine reminded her, "so we have to find him and remind him. I wanna see what becomes of this."
"But the ring--" Zell started. He forgot that he hadn't informed either Irvine or Selphie of the missing ring.
"I wanna see the ring! I wanna see Squally slip it on her finger, and as her eyes fill with tears, he asks 'Rinoa, will you marry me?' Oh, Zelly, it would be so romantic!" Selphie squealed.
Before Zell could respond, Selphie had him by the hand and sprinted down the halls. Irvine was close behind. They nearly missed bumping into Quistis who was going to check on Rinoa as well.
"How's Rinoa doing?" Quistis asked.
"We're going to go see her right now!" Selphie said.
"But the infirmary is right behind you," Quistis replied confused.
"Squall is somewhere with her, about to propose to her, we think," Irvine told her.
"You don't understand--" Zell started.
"They're probably in the Quad by the balcony," Quistis told them. "Selphie, Zell, you both round up all the other students and tell them to meet at the Quad balcony. Hurry, now!"
"What do I do?" Irvine asked.
"You come with me and we'll fling the doors open when the time comes," Quistis told him.
"Er, I'll get back with on that. I haven't had anything to eat and I'm starving. I'll head on over to the lobby for a quick pick-me-up."
"We'll be back in two shakes! See you in a sec, Quisty!" Selphie squeaked, pulling Zell along to the lobby.
"Whew, boy.." Zell groaned.
"It's crazy how things.. work out, you know?" Squall said, depressed.
"Something wrong?" Rinoa asked, concerned.
"Well, I meant to do something for you, and all of it did come out wrong. Everything's wrong, don't you see?"
"What do you mean? I could've been killed, or you could have been killed, from Raiun. You came and saved me twice. Your esteem should be super high," Rinoa said, smiling and trying to cheer him up.
Squall closed his eyes, leaning over the balcony. "You don't understand. I really tried to do something good for you. You.. mean more to me than you know."
Rinoa's raven locks blew in the light breeze. She blinked. "I'm a little confused. You did do good for me. Rescuing me isn't good? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"
"Don't assume anything bad. I mean more than I say."
"Then don't be so complicated. Just spit it out."
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
"You don't say," Xu exclaimed. "Why didn't Quistis ever tell me?"
"Because she wanted to keep it secret. We thought Squall would be announcing it publicly, but he obviously isn't," Selphie said, "so we need you to gather as many people as possible."
Edea, who had been listening, said "I'll help," and stood at the top of the stairs to help Xu hush the crowd.
"Everyone," Xu started, "there is an important event taking place at this moment, in the Quad."
Selphie ran up the stairs to Xu's side. Everyone had their attention on all three of them now. "Squall is proposing to Rinoa."
There was chatter and giggles, and light applause. Edea put a finger to her lips to signal silence. "But it's a secret. Everyone head to the Quad, but don't bust in until Quistis orders you to."
The crowd was led down the halls in complete silence, Selphie trying desperately to keep the normal walking pace of the others. She was so jittery. She looked back in the lobby, and Irvine was standing over the food, a plate of fish in his hand.
"Irvine, come on!" She shouted after grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall. "We gotta get there on time!"
"Rinoa, there was something I was going to get you," Squall confessed, "something to show you how much you're worth."
"Couldn't have been much," Rinoa joked.
Squall didn't smile. "But I lost it."
"What are you talking about?" Rinoa asked quietly.
"Rinoa.."
"Now!" Rinoa heard someone shout. The balcony doors flew open, and everyone pressed onto the balcony a bit to watch the show. "You can continue now, Squall," Quistis said.
Irvine was hacking his head off, and Selphie was elbowing him in the ribs lightly. "Irvine, shut up," she said.
"I can't breathe--" Irvine choked.
Selphie walked behind him, wrapped her arms around his stomach, and thrusted her hands inward. A large piece of fish flew from his mouth and onto the ground next to Squall. He heard something clink.
"What the--" He knelled down to pick it up. Something shined in the chewed up food. Grossed out, he wiped the food from the shining object to find a ring--Rinoa's.
"Thank God you didn't swallow that!" Zell exclaimed.
Irvine was still trying to catch his breath, and didn't respond. "What was that?" Selphie asked.
"That's what I was trying to tell you--" Zell started.
"Rinoa--" Squall began. Zell stopped talking.
"Yes?" Rinoa said as she looked into his eyes.
"Would you.. marry me?" He asked, slipping the ring onto her finger after wiping the fish bits off of it.
Rinoa looked down at the ring, which seemed dark and black in the shadows, but refracted a deep blue in the moonlight. Her eyes filled with tears. She looked into his dark eyes, and smiled. "Yes, I will marry you."
They embraced and kissed deeply and passionately. Everyone at the balcony doors cheered, and Squall heard cheering below the balcony as well. He pulled away from Rinoa and looked over the balcony to find all of the townspeople of Balamb cheering frantically below them. He recognized Seifer and Fujjin, even from so far away, Fujjin's child in her arms. Squall smiled, nodding to Seifer as a thanks for bringing them all that far.
The cheers were carried by the warm summer breeze far beyond the Balamb shores. Squall didn't know that Ellone and his father also stood proudly beneath the Balamb Garden balcony. News quickly spread of the proposal across the coast into the following morning.
(Aww, how sweet. One or two chapters left. Can't quite decide yet)
A Rare Find
Rinoa opened her eyes, and tried hard to focus. She thought she saw Squall, but hesitated, at first, to say anything.
"Is it really you?" She said quietly. She moved her hand to his face, and felt between his eyes. She felt a scar.
He smiled. "Yes, it's me. I have the scar to prove it," he joked.
She smiled back. "What time is it?"
"It's nearing midnight," he responded.
Rinoa sat up from the infirmary bed, and moved to the edge. She stood and waited for her eyes to focus in the darkness. "So, the party's still going on?"
"Yeah, but there isn't much time." Squall looked away from her for a moment, bit his lip, and looked back to her. "There's something I need to tell you. Come with me."
Rinoa took his hand and wore a curious look. "What's this all about?"
Squall smiled nervously. "I'll tell you when we get there."
Squall took Rinoa's hand and led her from the infirmary to the Quad, where the balcony stood. The moon still glowed radiantly. Rinoa was watching it, her dark eyes lit up by the large sphere. Squall felt his heart pounding.
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
Rinoa smiled, and looked back to Squall, who was behind her. She yawned, and stretched. "So, what is it?"
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
"You're sure?" Zell asked.
"Positive," said the doctor of the infirmary, "I saw them leave here just a few minutes ago. You just missed them."
"Wonder where they went?" Selphie questioned. "You think Squall's popping her the question?"
"He was going to make it public, Selphie," Irvine reminded her, "so we have to find him and remind him. I wanna see what becomes of this."
"But the ring--" Zell started. He forgot that he hadn't informed either Irvine or Selphie of the missing ring.
"I wanna see the ring! I wanna see Squally slip it on her finger, and as her eyes fill with tears, he asks 'Rinoa, will you marry me?' Oh, Zelly, it would be so romantic!" Selphie squealed.
Before Zell could respond, Selphie had him by the hand and sprinted down the halls. Irvine was close behind. They nearly missed bumping into Quistis who was going to check on Rinoa as well.
"How's Rinoa doing?" Quistis asked.
"We're going to go see her right now!" Selphie said.
"But the infirmary is right behind you," Quistis replied confused.
"Squall is somewhere with her, about to propose to her, we think," Irvine told her.
"You don't understand--" Zell started.
"They're probably in the Quad by the balcony," Quistis told them. "Selphie, Zell, you both round up all the other students and tell them to meet at the Quad balcony. Hurry, now!"
"What do I do?" Irvine asked.
"You come with me and we'll fling the doors open when the time comes," Quistis told him.
"Er, I'll get back with on that. I haven't had anything to eat and I'm starving. I'll head on over to the lobby for a quick pick-me-up."
"We'll be back in two shakes! See you in a sec, Quisty!" Selphie squeaked, pulling Zell along to the lobby.
"Whew, boy.." Zell groaned.
"It's crazy how things.. work out, you know?" Squall said, depressed.
"Something wrong?" Rinoa asked, concerned.
"Well, I meant to do something for you, and all of it did come out wrong. Everything's wrong, don't you see?"
"What do you mean? I could've been killed, or you could have been killed, from Raiun. You came and saved me twice. Your esteem should be super high," Rinoa said, smiling and trying to cheer him up.
Squall closed his eyes, leaning over the balcony. "You don't understand. I really tried to do something good for you. You.. mean more to me than you know."
Rinoa's raven locks blew in the light breeze. She blinked. "I'm a little confused. You did do good for me. Rescuing me isn't good? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"
"Don't assume anything bad. I mean more than I say."
"Then don't be so complicated. Just spit it out."
Ka-thump, ka-thump.
"You don't say," Xu exclaimed. "Why didn't Quistis ever tell me?"
"Because she wanted to keep it secret. We thought Squall would be announcing it publicly, but he obviously isn't," Selphie said, "so we need you to gather as many people as possible."
Edea, who had been listening, said "I'll help," and stood at the top of the stairs to help Xu hush the crowd.
"Everyone," Xu started, "there is an important event taking place at this moment, in the Quad."
Selphie ran up the stairs to Xu's side. Everyone had their attention on all three of them now. "Squall is proposing to Rinoa."
There was chatter and giggles, and light applause. Edea put a finger to her lips to signal silence. "But it's a secret. Everyone head to the Quad, but don't bust in until Quistis orders you to."
The crowd was led down the halls in complete silence, Selphie trying desperately to keep the normal walking pace of the others. She was so jittery. She looked back in the lobby, and Irvine was standing over the food, a plate of fish in his hand.
"Irvine, come on!" She shouted after grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall. "We gotta get there on time!"
"Rinoa, there was something I was going to get you," Squall confessed, "something to show you how much you're worth."
"Couldn't have been much," Rinoa joked.
Squall didn't smile. "But I lost it."
"What are you talking about?" Rinoa asked quietly.
"Rinoa.."
"Now!" Rinoa heard someone shout. The balcony doors flew open, and everyone pressed onto the balcony a bit to watch the show. "You can continue now, Squall," Quistis said.
Irvine was hacking his head off, and Selphie was elbowing him in the ribs lightly. "Irvine, shut up," she said.
"I can't breathe--" Irvine choked.
Selphie walked behind him, wrapped her arms around his stomach, and thrusted her hands inward. A large piece of fish flew from his mouth and onto the ground next to Squall. He heard something clink.
"What the--" He knelled down to pick it up. Something shined in the chewed up food. Grossed out, he wiped the food from the shining object to find a ring--Rinoa's.
"Thank God you didn't swallow that!" Zell exclaimed.
Irvine was still trying to catch his breath, and didn't respond. "What was that?" Selphie asked.
"That's what I was trying to tell you--" Zell started.
"Rinoa--" Squall began. Zell stopped talking.
"Yes?" Rinoa said as she looked into his eyes.
"Would you.. marry me?" He asked, slipping the ring onto her finger after wiping the fish bits off of it.
Rinoa looked down at the ring, which seemed dark and black in the shadows, but refracted a deep blue in the moonlight. Her eyes filled with tears. She looked into his dark eyes, and smiled. "Yes, I will marry you."
They embraced and kissed deeply and passionately. Everyone at the balcony doors cheered, and Squall heard cheering below the balcony as well. He pulled away from Rinoa and looked over the balcony to find all of the townspeople of Balamb cheering frantically below them. He recognized Seifer and Fujjin, even from so far away, Fujjin's child in her arms. Squall smiled, nodding to Seifer as a thanks for bringing them all that far.
The cheers were carried by the warm summer breeze far beyond the Balamb shores. Squall didn't know that Ellone and his father also stood proudly beneath the Balamb Garden balcony. News quickly spread of the proposal across the coast into the following morning.
(Aww, how sweet. One or two chapters left. Can't quite decide yet)