Part XII
"Squallie, I love you."
"Rinoa, I'm gay." The words that I had been longing to hear from his lips for so long. And finally, he says them. Rinoa's expression was priceless though. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes filled with tears. Her hand finally made it to cover her mouth as she started to shake her head in denial. It was one of the best and worst attempts at acting I have ever seen.
"Squallie no! You're playing a joke right? This is meant to be funny right? Well it's not Squall Leonhart! It's not funny at all!" God, she wasn't that childish when I went out with her, I swear it! Oh sure she can swear black and blue that we didn't, but I can tell you that she wasn't pure when I had her. I reckon it was Zone that took that flower. Squall however seems to be doing just fine handling Miss Princess.
"It's no joke and I don't care who you tell. Tell Selphie for all I care." Squall turned away from Rinoa and towards me. I guess I looked pretty shocked as the blush crept up his neck and over his cheeks. I bowed and held our door open for him. He walked past and I stepped in and closed the door before Rinoa could squeeze her way in and torment us with her torrent of questions. Squall was face down on his bed and I moved to his side and just rested my fingertips against his shoulder. He knew I was there, even if he couldn't really feel the touch through his jacket.
"Can we save the recriminations for another night?"
"I was gonna suggest we try the potion from Odine, but if you're not up to it ..." I let my words trail off and I felt his shoulders relax just before he rolled over to face me with a hint of a smile in his eyes at the suggestion. I collected all the necessary items and motioned him over to the wooden chair we had in the corner from a previous occupant.
"What do we have to do for this one?"
"Mix it with water, hero, antidote and elixir and pour it into your ear every two hours as long as the mixture lasts."
"How much water?"
"Same amount as a hero bottle. I'll mix it into a pot."
"Use the water to rinse the bottles."
"Yeah, I know." I smiled at him as he moved to the chair as I collected pot to mix it all in. Once it was mixed it was a funny cloudy-blue-green-grey colour. Squall looked at it and screwed his nose up at it. I had to agree I wouldn't want it poured into my ear either. But we went through the process and the mixture lasted the next day and through the morning of the day after that. But the amazing thing was that it was working, slowly and only slightly, but it was working.
"You'll have to get more of it."
"I sent Raijin and Fujin to get it yesterday, they'll be here after lunch. You need to eat." I hated having to force him to eat. I guess not sleeping was affecting his appetite somehow. Then again he's always been on the don't need to eat side of things but right now it's essential that he eats as much as he has to. As much as I can get into him. Which isn't as much as he should eat, but I wouldn't be able to force another bite past his lips if he didn't let me.
"Ok, just not chicken noodle soup again!"
"Well, it's your fault for stocking us up on it."
"It can be put into other things too."
"And it takes too long right now to bother with it. How about a couple sandwiches?"
"Yeah, ok." It's always a good thing when he agrees to eat because then I don't have to sit over him and watch him take every bite because otherwise he doesn't eat it.
"Squallie, I love you."
"Rinoa, I'm gay." The words that I had been longing to hear from his lips for so long. And finally, he says them. Rinoa's expression was priceless though. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes filled with tears. Her hand finally made it to cover her mouth as she started to shake her head in denial. It was one of the best and worst attempts at acting I have ever seen.
"Squallie no! You're playing a joke right? This is meant to be funny right? Well it's not Squall Leonhart! It's not funny at all!" God, she wasn't that childish when I went out with her, I swear it! Oh sure she can swear black and blue that we didn't, but I can tell you that she wasn't pure when I had her. I reckon it was Zone that took that flower. Squall however seems to be doing just fine handling Miss Princess.
"It's no joke and I don't care who you tell. Tell Selphie for all I care." Squall turned away from Rinoa and towards me. I guess I looked pretty shocked as the blush crept up his neck and over his cheeks. I bowed and held our door open for him. He walked past and I stepped in and closed the door before Rinoa could squeeze her way in and torment us with her torrent of questions. Squall was face down on his bed and I moved to his side and just rested my fingertips against his shoulder. He knew I was there, even if he couldn't really feel the touch through his jacket.
"Can we save the recriminations for another night?"
"I was gonna suggest we try the potion from Odine, but if you're not up to it ..." I let my words trail off and I felt his shoulders relax just before he rolled over to face me with a hint of a smile in his eyes at the suggestion. I collected all the necessary items and motioned him over to the wooden chair we had in the corner from a previous occupant.
"What do we have to do for this one?"
"Mix it with water, hero, antidote and elixir and pour it into your ear every two hours as long as the mixture lasts."
"How much water?"
"Same amount as a hero bottle. I'll mix it into a pot."
"Use the water to rinse the bottles."
"Yeah, I know." I smiled at him as he moved to the chair as I collected pot to mix it all in. Once it was mixed it was a funny cloudy-blue-green-grey colour. Squall looked at it and screwed his nose up at it. I had to agree I wouldn't want it poured into my ear either. But we went through the process and the mixture lasted the next day and through the morning of the day after that. But the amazing thing was that it was working, slowly and only slightly, but it was working.
"You'll have to get more of it."
"I sent Raijin and Fujin to get it yesterday, they'll be here after lunch. You need to eat." I hated having to force him to eat. I guess not sleeping was affecting his appetite somehow. Then again he's always been on the don't need to eat side of things but right now it's essential that he eats as much as he has to. As much as I can get into him. Which isn't as much as he should eat, but I wouldn't be able to force another bite past his lips if he didn't let me.
"Ok, just not chicken noodle soup again!"
"Well, it's your fault for stocking us up on it."
"It can be put into other things too."
"And it takes too long right now to bother with it. How about a couple sandwiches?"
"Yeah, ok." It's always a good thing when he agrees to eat because then I don't have to sit over him and watch him take every bite because otherwise he doesn't eat it.