Chapter Fourteen. My lovey-dovey chapter. It will be a while before I explain why Squall is acting like he is. Rinoa has a major weakness that you all will see soon enough. And sorry guys, but the chapters won't start to get longer for just a little while longer. But please! Don't leave me now! I need you guys! Thanx for the reviews y'all!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It all belongs to Square. Everything. Final Fantasy particularly. I am still asking for it for my next b-day. My mom laughed at me. Again.

Chapter Fourteen

Morning came too quickly for Rinoa's liking. She just wanted to lay there with Squall, her knight. She wanted to stay in his warm embrace, but morning had come and it wasn't about to backtrack just for her.

Rinoa opened her eyes. The sun was shining through the window, warming the small room, and giving it a cozy feeling. She looked next to her. The bed was empty. Squall was already up.

"Poor thing," Rinoa said aloud. She got up and headed down stairs.

Squall was sitting at the small kitchen table with what looked like a cup of coffee. He looked a little pale. More pale than usual.

"Squall? Are you alright?" Rinoa walked over, putting her arms around him. He nodded.

"I went out earlier. Everyone was back. They had all been up at Raine's grave. Yesterday marked her nineteenth death anniversairy. The villagers were just paying their repsects," he told her.

"Oh." Rinoa looked at him for a few moments. "Squall, are you sure that you are okay?"

"Rinoa, I'm fine," he assured her. "I guess I just didn't sleep well last night. So I'm still tired." Squall didn't know if that was true or not. He just didn't feel well.

"I'm sorry, Rinoa. I just don't feel well. I'm a little shaken up. I feel bad for leaving the others to deal with Ultimecia." Squall rested his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Squall, what if we go back and join the others? We should be fighting, not hiding," Rinoa insisted.

"I'm not putting you in danger." Squall was determined to keep her safe.

"Squall, life is a danger." Rinoa forced him to look at her. He saw how anxious she was. But he didn't want it like this anymore than she did.

"Rinoa, you're safer here," Squall said firmly.

"Squall, I don't care where I'm safe at!" She jumped up in aggrivation.

"Well, I do!" Squall had to control his anger. He would not lose his temper with her.

"Why?" She looked at him, her eyes pleading. Squall reached out and took her hand.

"I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want to lose you. It would kill me if something happened to you, and you know that. I.." He struggled to voice what he wanted to say so badly. "I'm running away even though I know I shouldn't. It hurts to know that the others are doing this on their own. I know that I was never that much help, but I hate this." He let her hand slip out of his as he sat down again. He dropped his head into his hands. He had wanted to say so much more to her, but didn't have the guts to say it.

Rinoa watched him with pain. She knew he just wanted to protect her, but she also knew that he was restless. He wanted to be out there fighting and fixing this problem. It was because of her that he was away from everyone. If she wasn't a sorceress, he wouldn't be suffering like this.

"I'm sorry." She let her head hit her chest.

He looked up at her with confused eyes. What did she have anything to be sorry about? Was it all this? Ultimecia's return was not her fault. It probably would have happened whether or not she was what she was.

"Sorry for what?" He asked her, running a hand through his hair, deliberately messing it up.

Rinoa's cheeks reddened a little bit. "I know you don't want to be here, and you shouldn't have to. It's my fault, isn't it?" She let out a sigh and turned her back on him. She didn't want him to see her tears.

"Why would it be your fault?"

"Just because. Because of what I am. If it weren't for the fact that Ultimecia could use me at any time, I wouldn't be such a burden to everyone. It's not fair that you and everyone else should always have to watch my back. Everytime I go somewhere with you all, I end up putting everyone in danger or forcing us to backtrack. It's not fair. Maybe I should have stayed in Balamb.At least then, I wouldn't be keeping you tied down like this." She managed to keep the tears at bay. But for how long was the real question.

Squall shook his head at her words. She didn't keep him tied down. "Rinoa, how can you say that?" He stood and with a shakey hand, touched her shoulder. "You aren't a burden to anyone. Yes, sometimes you annoy me, but it doesn't last for long. I want to keep you safe. Leaving was my choice. I want to keep you out of danger's reach." He turned away. "Yes, I did want you to stay at Balamb. I thought that you would be safe there. Even though I know that there really is no safe place on this world. There is danger everywhere. You can't run from it." He began to walk towards the door before turning back around. She moved to face him as well. "And you can't hide from it. Danger is inevitable. But that is what makes life so bold sometimes, isn't it?" Rinoa nodded slightly.

"Are you saying that we're going back to join the others?" Her voice wavered.

"I didn't say that." His voice went rather hard. "I'm still thinking about that option."

"What's there to think about?" Rinoa fell into a chair. "What we need to do is right in front of us. Why are you continuing to ignore it?"

"I'm not ignoring anything." He snapped, but then immediately regretted taking that tone with her. "I just have not decided if that's what is best for you."

"I don't want this to revolve around me." Rinoa shook her head to emphasize her point. "I don't want every decision to always have to be conducted under what's best for me! I don't want what's best for me! I want what's best for everyone in general."

Squall said nothing but returned to the table. He stared at the coffee cup for some time. He was struggling with what to say to her. He wanted to express himself just a little bit better in hopes of giving her some idea of how he felt, what he was going through. He wanted to so badly say "I love you" to her and know that he meant it with every inch of his being.

Love. One word that means so much more. A word that describes what the heart cries out. One little word that heals wounds scarred from within that no other can seem to fix. A simple word. I love you. Three little words that touch once and last forever. They know no differences. They mean what a heart speaks. Love, a heart's language. A heart's emotion. Love. What is it?

A/N: I just realized that there is a little bar used to separate ideas! Kool! Sorry! Anyway, I can't really say that this is my lovey-dovey chapter anymore. I changed it. The original is really lovey-dovey but I changed this one b/c I felt that it needed it. Yeah. Sorry bout that! R&R! Thank you those you have already! And Later Days!

E/N: What'd you think that line was for, Katelyn? Poking the editors when they bug you about your horrid typing? Silly! And I still think it's a mushy chapter, changed or not. :P

A/N: What line? I never poked you! I will if you want me to though. And it's not mushy anymore. It's yucky! There's a difference! Now who's silly!

E/N: You're silly, and you always will be. Because it's 1980-something. And line bar, Katelyn-san. :P

A/N: OH! My bad! Geez...I'm on a roll today! Oh boy...must be lack of sleep...Darn you, band!