"IF ONLY YOU SAW ME"
Chapter Eight: Accepting Changes
"...Life reaches its peek...secrets revealed...I feel at ease...as long as your arms stay open.."
Rinoa opened her eyes in a dark room. Allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light, she realized Squall was sleeping next to her. She smiled at him, knowing he couldnt see her. Kissing his forhead, she stood, stretching and yawning at the new morning. Going toward the drapes, she was going to open when she heard Squall behind her, "Rinoa...please dont..."
Shocked, she realised what she was doing. She couldnt expose Squall to the sun. He would burn and die and their one night together would have meant nothing. She turned around slowly, smiling at him. He was smiling at her, staring at her up and down. It was then she realised she was still naked. Giving a little shriek she went toward where her clothes lay and put on her dress. "Ruin an old mans dream." Squall said.
Rinoa laughed and patted his head. "Squall, its a School day for me. I need to get ready."
Squall nodded and grabbed her hand, "I will be well rested when you return home." he said.
She blushed and took her hand back, as he laid back on the bed, closing his eyes. Rinoa smiled and walked toward the bathroom. she opened the door without looking and gave a shriek. "Oh my hell... Rinoa."
Rinoa closed her eyes, "Sephiroth...its morning...why are you-"
She heard him laugh, "When you two began last night, I had to have sleep. Listening to the two of you making love is not on my agenda."
Rinoa laughed, shaking her head. "You can open your eyes, Rinoa."
She did, seeing Sephiroth had wrapped himself in a towel. "So the two of you had a talk?" he asked.
She nodded, walking inside the bathroom, staring into the mirror, checking her neck for bites. Sephiroth laughed when he saw this, "He wouldnt have bit you at all, love."
Rinoa looked at him, "Are you a-"
"Yes dear. I am. Squall made me who I am."
Rinoa raised an eyebrow, "Really? Were you lovers?"
Sephiroth pulled back at the thought, "Lord no! He saved me from death."
She nodded, "Oh, I see."
"Why would you think that?"
She shrugged, "Well, arent vampires lovers with the person they've bitten?"
Sephiroth laughed, "Well now now, someone has been watching one to many movies."
She let herself pout in her reflection, causing Sephiroth to laugh more. She smiled and turned on the faucet, wetting her face. "So now, how did you to become to intertwined last night?"
Rinoa looked up, "I had found...these...things. These diary entries of his. Dated back to 1812. I asked him about them...and well, he admitted he was a vampire."
Sephiroth looked at her, "Hm? Interesting."
Rinoa turned around, "He said he loved me." Scarlet rushed up to her cheeks.
Sephiroth placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head to meet his, "Now. I knew he loved you from the start, Love. He needed a little push."
Rinoa smiled. Sephiroth nodded, "Well then, I best go to bed, no point in being up in the morning."
Rinoa laughed and nodded. "Good morning." She said. Sephiroth laughed and relied, "God morning to you too."
As soon as Sephiroth walked out the door, Rinoa closed it, leaning against it. She placed her hands on her stomach, lookig at the ground. She couldnt belive the made love the other night. He had admitted everything he felt to her and then...they made love. She stared into the mirror, her black hair falling over her face. She looked at her stomach then took off her dress. Staring at herself in the mirror, she felt a sudden pride.
turning away, she slowly turned on the shower, stepping in. Letting the water fall down her back, she couldnt help but continue to smile.
Squall heard the front door close before he could drift off to sleep. He opened one eye and then the other. For some reason, he couldnt helped but smiled. He hugged the pillow she had laid on, smelling the remainder of her scent. "Oh Rinoa..." He whispered.
He looked back on the other night. Remembering the warmth that he had found himself in. He hadnt felt so loved in decades. He had been sleeping for so long, feeling the warmth of her naked body when he awoke gave him a sudden thrill to still yet be somewhat alive.
Yawning, he looked up at the ceiling, seeing the paint swirls the room was decorated in. He smiled and closed his eyes slowly.
Rinoa..
.the angel of my eye...
the full beauty that sprun warmth inside...
The warmth that filled my dying heart...
As long as I shall live..
We shall never part...
Slowly closing his eyes, he drifted into a steady sleep.
"Squall...Squalll..."
Squall opened his eyes to see Rinoa staring over him. He immediately grabbed her into a kiss, gaining the dominace he wanted. She tried pulling away. When she failed, she spoke into his mouth, "Sephiroth and I are going to visit my mother. I want you to stay home and rest. You havent slept much lately."
Squall raised eyebrows at her, "Sephiroth?"
She nodded. He sighed, "He has a wife."
Rinoa pulled away, "I wouldnt care whether he did or not. Why dont you want me going with him?"
Squall quickly stood, his bare body feeling the wind coming ffrom the open window, "No, Rinoa. Not that. I want you to watch him. He has a tendency to feel a bit...wandering..."
Rinoa stared at him, "What?"
"His wife doesnt live here. Their a bit...odd. She's always up and about while Sephiroth is inside his home. She couldnt take it and left."
Rinoa raised her eye brows, "Oh...Thats bad.."
Squall laughed, "Not entirely. She returns at times. which is why you watch him. He'll become desperate and search for her."
Rinoa laughed and kissed Squall on the forhead. He smiled and watched her walk down the steps.
Rinoa met Sephiroth in the front yard, staring up at the sky. "Sephiroth?"
He looked at her, "Yes?"
She smiled, "Lets go."
He nodded and slowly walked beside her. He outstretched his arm, allowing her to grabbed it. "Did Squall tell you the 'Wife' story?"
RInoa looked at him quickly, "w-What?"
Sephiroth laughed, "He told the same thing to Joia when I took her to dinner one night."
RInoa laughed, "Well then, yes, he did."
Sephiroth sighed, "Alright then. Let me verify it. Yes, I do have a wife. And no, I am not dsperate for looking for her. She chooses to go off at her will, I do nothing to stop her. I love her, yes. But I wont force her. Besides, as much as the love we have for each other, we cant stay in the same home for more than three days. Its impossible."
Rinoa laughed, "Where is she now?"
Sephiroth looke up at the sky, "Somewhere."
Rinoa continued to look at him. "Oh well. I'll be seeing her in two days. Theres a ball in Balamb, held every year by Balamb garden for the city. She always comes for it. Come to think of it, I saw you at one once, with a young blonde boy."
Rinoa blushed, "He used to be my boyfriend. Kind of lost touch when I left the school."
Sephiroth nodded, "Well, you should go to the ball again. Take Squall, he's never been to one."
RInoa nodded and smiled. They walked through the gates of Balamb city. "How are you feeling now?"
Rinoa looked at Sephiroth, "About?"
"Things."
She shrugged, "Well... I feel a bit the same...yet... I'm happy."
"You're able to accpet what we are. What he is to you."
She nodded, "Whether he was a vampire or a chef, I'd love him the same. It doesnt make him any different. It only means when i'm 90, he;s still young."
Sephiroth laughed. They turned toward the docks of Balamb and walked into the Institute. Rinoa looked at the clock, 7:15. She went to the receptionist, "May I see Joan Heartilly please."
The receptionist looked at her and shook her head, "Joan Heartilly is in isolation at the moment."
Rinoa became worried, "Whats wrong with her?"
The recpetionist sighed, "On your last visit, Miss Heartilly paniced in her room and slit her wrist."
Rinoa felt tears brimming in her eyes. "Is she-"
"She's fine. Just needs to be away from people at the moment. Come back in a few days. And please, dont startled her again."
Rinoa nodded with tears runnig down her face. Sephiroth led her out of the building, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, love."
Rinoa shook her head, "I"m fine as lnog as she is."
Sephiroth nodded, "Who is she too you anyway?"
"My mother."
Sephiroth's eyes opened wide and saddened, "Well, I"m terribly sorry for your father, having to deal with this."
"I dont know my father..."
Sephiroth looked at Rinoa confused, "But what about that ma-"
Rinoa smiled, wiping away her tears, "Turns out he's my god father and his wife, who I thought was my mother, is my god mother. My real mother is in that nut house."
Sephiroth reached to hug her but she pulled away, "Dont please. I'm fine with all these changes in my life."
"Even if they've happened so sudden?"
She nodded. "Well, you can truely accept things at the top of the hat."
RInoa laughed and linked her arm with his, as they walked out of Balamb. Yet as they walked, Rinoa had a lurking feeling deep within her stomach that somethig was wrong. Something that she was going to find out soon enough and bring sudden changes she wont be able to accept so easily. She sighed and continued walking, ignoring Sephiroth's worried looks.
