Quick Author's Note: Why haven't I updated? I don't know. I didn't feel like it. No inspiration to write. This chapter's gone through revision like 50 times now. I'm never satisfied with my writing. I hate it all. -

Note to readers- Reminder, it's an AU fic, I'm throwing off like... everything. If I get something wrong, I'm sorry, but I had to/wanted to change it so that the story would work out the way I want it to.

Squall.

I stared at him for the longest time. His eyes still crystal clear and blue, his hair still long, falling in his eyes - oh, he looked exactly as I remembered him! Exactly like the guy I fell for...

I shook my head and looked again. He was still there, sitting across from me concern beginning to fill his usually cryptic eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked me, sounding a little worried. "Rin?"

I closed my mouth. "I... umm..." I breathed out softly. What are you supposed to say when you run into your ex? I stood up and quickly left before I could say anything else. I didn't want to be there. Not while he was there. He still wanted to be my friend. My eyes watered up as I left. I shouldn't have left him there. I should've talked to him, sat with him for a while, something. Get over him Rin... my mind kept telling me. But I kept walking, further and further away from the cafe, determined to get away from there as old memories resurfaced.

I stepped out into the rain and crossed into a nearby park. I was a long way from home, and it was still raining, but it felt good. The path that ran through the park curved this way and that, under big trees and by open fields. I walked through enjoying the rain, trying to wash away the memories that were flooding my head. I danced a bit in the middle of the park. Swinging my arms around me like little girls dressed up as fairies or ballerinas did. My shopping bags that I still had with me hit my sides as I swung around. The clothes that I had bought were still dry, all wrapped up in their plastic bags. My hair and clothes dripped though, and I needed to get home before I caught a cold.

I walked a bit faster and got to the end of the park ready to cross the street and head home. A car pulled up right beside me and honked its horn. As the window rolled down, I froze. Oh no, not again...

"Want a ride?" he asked me. His ice blue eyes seemed to carry signs of worry and he was clearly showing as much emotion as Squall could possibly ever show.

"I... umm... I..." I glanced around, wiping a wisp of hair from my face and scratching the back of my head embarrassed. What do I say? As if planning, it started raining harder and with bigger drops. I looked up at the sky. No!

Squall looked up too, through his windshield, and then unlocked the door. "Get in," he said simply.

I looked at him carefully, studying him. Why is he offering me a ride?

"Look," he said in a very un-Squall like way, "if you don't get in soon, you'll catch pneumonia from staying out in the cold rain for too long. I'll take you home, don't worry."

I was about to snap back at him (for some unknown reason, I'm not even sure), but a hard wind rushed down the street sending sharp, icy raindrops at me. Sighing and shivering, I got into the car with him and gave him the directions to get into the building.

The drive there was silent, except the occasional "Turn left here" or "Keep going until you see the bank" from me. When we got there, it was still raining as hard as ever. I picked up all my stuff and was ready to make a run for it once out of a car, when a thought struck me.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked him. It was the least I could do after all; he did give me a ride home.

He glanced at me and shrugged his shoulders, mumbling "Whatever..." just like he always did.

I directed him towards the underground garage where they let us park, and we took the elevator up to the building. We had reached my room and I had turned the knob before either of us spoke.

"Umm..." I paused, not opening the door yet. I leaned against it, slowly pushing it open. "I warn you, I didn't exactly expect company. It's a slight bit... messy... but come on in I guess..." I mumbled the last part.

He followed me in, even with that 'warning' of mine, and quietly shut the door for me. I mumbled a quick thanks, and dropped all fifty million bags that I carried in on the ground by the table.

"Erm..." I scratched my head. My desk and table were in need of dire tidying. Magazines and school books littered and overflowed both. "Make yourself at home." I said with a sheepish grin, picking up the jacket that was thrown on to the couch and offering him a seat. He sat down with a small smirk on his face.

My clothes were still damp and I was cold, but I didn't want to just leave him there, so I slipped on the jacket and walked into the kitchen, making something warm to drink. "What would you like?" I asked him while in the kitchen, not even bothering to see his face. "Coffee? Tea? Biscuits? Cookies?"

"We just came from a cafe," he stated bluntly. "I think that was enough food."

"You sure?"

"Whatever..." he called back. I stuck my head back from behind the wall and caught him looking at my dusty pictures sitting by my desk. Yup. Definitely need to clean. Must do that one day.

I plopped down on the couch a few minutes after making myself tea, and handed him a cup, though he didn't ask for one. "I may be messy, but I've still got good manners," I joked, winking at him. He just nodded and accepted the cup, holding it to warm his hands.

An awkward silence passed between us. If I didn't speak, then there was no chance of any speaking going on in the room knowing Squall. So I tried to make conversation to ease the discomfort. "Sorry for being such a slob..." I said softy. "My place is a complete mess. If you ever come over again, it won't be this bad..."

"Hnn... typical Rin," he answered back. He didn't smile, but his eyes had a twinkle in them that made me want to attack him if I could've. Of course, he would've attacked me back, even if all I did was throw pillows at him. Naturally, he'd have the reflexes of a hawk - he always did, ever since forever. His height when compared to mine clearly dominated, and would've put him at another advantage as well. Just like what we used to do when we were still together.

The thought of us being together normally would put me down, and make me not only sad but depressed. As that thought flashed through my mind I chuckled. How silly I must've looked though, leaned back in a huge armchair still slightly damp with huge slippers on. Squall looked up at me his eyes asking, "What?"

I shook my head. "Nothing..." I giggled again and sighed. "Just... memories. We have so many, huh?" He nodded in agreement after I wrinkled my nose to ask. For a while we helped each other tell stories all beginning along the lines of "Do you remember when..." and "There was also that time..."

I set down my empty cup just as we finished up a final story and our laughter died down. A half smile still remained on my face. "So... how is everyone?" I asked him. It was actually quite ridiculous of me to ask that, since I was the one who saw everyone really, not so much him.

"They're all still there." he answered for me. "Xu is still working at the office, Cid is still there, you know... the usual. How about here?"

I nodded. "They're... good. I guess. Selphie and Irvine are the happiest unmarried couple in the world, it's sickening-" I rolled my eyes and I swear I heard him chuckle. "Um... Irvine's trying to get me to date this one guy, but it's not really working out so..." I waved my hand. "Anyway... and Quistis is dating this guy named Seifer-"

"Seifer?" he asked, familiarity in his eyes. I nodded.

"Do you know him?"

"Classmate - sort of. He went to Garden."

"Oh..." I softly let out of my mouth. I nodded and continued on. "Anyway, so they're dating and it's really weird." I scrunched my face up. "Irvine and Selphie are just too damn cute it makes everyone sick to their stomachs, but Seifer and Quistis's entire relationship is based on hating each other and making fun of or beating each other up whenever they can." I shrugged. It was sort of weird, but that was how things were with them.

He nodded out of politeness, I could tell. "That's... nice."

I laughed at him and picked up his empty cup to bring it to the sink. On my way out of the kitchen I glanced at the time, and had to look at it twice to make sure it was correct. Wow... we've been talking for a while...

"Hey Squall?" I called to him. "Not to be rude or anything, but you might want to get going now..." I pointed at the clock on the wall.

He nodded in agreement and began to get up, but paused. "Rin?"

"Yeah?" I was cleaning up a little bit.

"I don't think... I know the way home." My eyebrows raised and I laughed remembering that I gave him directions here.

"Come on, we'll figure it out for you..." I giggled, looking up maps and directions for him.

The sun was setting outside, almost completely down, when he left the building. At the door of the main office he paused, and turned to me.

"It was nice... getting to talk to you again," he said quietly. "Sort of like old times."

I smiled back. "Yeah... it was. Remember when-"

"If we have anymore remember when stories I might be here all night, Rin." he joked. I winced jokingly and laughed.

"Just a statement," I told him. "Remember when we - well, I guess I should say I - used to call almost every night, even though we always saw each other during the day any way? Just so that we - actually, just me at first; it took you a while - could tell each other each and every detail of the day?"

He nodded almost smiling. I could see his white teeth flash for a second before his closed his mouth and the smile half disappeared. "You did most of the talking. I mostly sat and listened to your voice."

"It wasn't that bad now, was it?" I joked, now making exaggerated faced 'questioning' him.

Again I saw the pearly whites flash and hide behind his lips again. "No, it wasn't."

A silence fell between us, and I was just about to shoo him home, but he spoke first.

"Thanks Rin."

"For what?" I tilted my head. I didn't really do that much for him.

"For pulling me out of my shell way back when," he said. He then pulled car keys out of his pocket and swung them on his finger. "I told you I'd be here all night."

"Get going then!" I said, slapping his arm and stepping back behind the doors. "Take care now, ya here?" I closed them to ensure we wouldn't talk anymore, and waved goodbye to him. He waved back with that smile again and walked down to the parking lot where his car sat.

I walked halfway across the lobby when a voice spoke up from behind me. "Who was that?"

I jumped and gasped, my hands flying up to my mouth. I let out a long breath when I saw who it was though. "Whew, Zell - it's just you. Scared me there for a second man." I pat his shoulder in that guy way and walked past him towards the staircase. But he grabbed my arm and held on to me tight.

"I asked you a question. Who was that?" I couldn't tell if it was anger or fear or both in his voice.

"No one..." I said through clenched teeth as I tried to pull my arm away from him. He gripped me tighter though and pulled me closer to him.

"Rinoa..." he said with his face inches from mine. "What did you two do together?"

"You know what?" I said first, my jaw tight and my arm numb. I shook hard and he let go. "What I do is none of your business!"

I made a run for it before he could speak again, and made sure he didn't follow me to my door. What is his problem?