Family Ties
The loud music echoed through the room as Squall Leonhart lifted weights. He was lying flat on his back on his weight bench, lifting the heavy bar over his head. His attention was totally focused on the weight that was held over his chest. He exhaled slowly as he brought the bar down slowly to his chest and inhaled as he pushed it back up.
Weightlifting was Squall's relaxation time. He saved an hour each night for his weights. It gave him something to do to avoid his family. Ellone and Raine had learned that he enjoyed his time to himself so they knew not to bother him during his nightly exercises. Laguna, however, was oblivious to his stepson's habit.
The loud ringing of the phone could scarcely be heard over the rock music that filled the weight room but it was enough to drag Squall's concentration away from his lifting. He groaned as he set the bar back into the rack over his head and rolled off the bench onto his feet. The nearest phone was in the bedroom so he crossed the hall into his bedroom and answered it.
"Laguna, I've told you a thousand times not to call me after eight," Squall said, not bothering to say hello.
"But, son I was just calling to tell you that…" Laguna tried.
Squall interrupted, "Unless it's an emergency I don't want to hear it."
"But Squall, I want to talk to you," Laguna whined on the other end.
"This is my time off. I have things to do," Squall stated, unmoved.
"But…" Laguna started again.
Just then there was a knock on Squall's door.
"I've gotta go," Squall said as he hung up the phone. Growling in frustration he went to answer the door.
Rinoa was standing on the other side holding a covered pot.
Squall blinked in surprise and she laughed at the look on his face.
"Did I come at a bad time or something?" she asked, giggling.
He shook his head as he leaned on the doorframe. The cold metal on his bare arm drew his attention to the fact that he was not wearing a shirt. Clearly Rinoa had just noticed the same thing.
Her brown eyes had widened appreciatively and were running over his body quickly. He unconsciously blushed and moved off the doorframe.
"I'll be right back. Wait just a sec," he stuttered as he turned back into his apartment, "I'll go get a shirt and be right back."
Rinoa just stood there, silently berating herself for staring. He was her neighbor and her friend, not some piece of meat. She wasn't supposed to ogle him like some teenager.
It was now a month after Seifer's accident. The blonde racer had returned to his full strength and was busy looking for a new motorcycle. Quistis and Seifer had returned to Deling City a few days after Seifer was released from the hospital, leaving Squall, Rinoa and Zell in Balamb with repeated promises to visit again soon.
In the weeks following their best friend's departures Squall and Rinoa had become closer. It started with them meeting in the hallway and talking. Then it got to where she would swing by the garage in the afternoons and take the guys out to lunch. Zell was frequently out with his girlfriend Sally so it ended up being just Squall and Rinoa eating together most of the time. They would end up sitting at the table for hours, just talking about things. Granted, Squall did notably less talking that Rinoa but she recognized that he was making an effort to talk as much as he did. Then it had progressed to getting together at night to see movies or going to the bookstore and getting coffee (or water, in Squall's case.)
Squall returned from his bedroom, now fully clothed in a pair of low riding blue jeans and a black t-shirt.
"So what's up Rin?"
Lifting her dish, she replied, "I came to return the favor. You gave me your dinner the first night I moved in so I'm giving you mine tonight."
Squall gave a tiny smile and shook his head, "If I remember correctly we ate dinner together that first night. So, it's only fair to share this one too."
Rinoa grinned at him and nodded, "Okay."
Squall moved out of the doorway and let his neighbor into his apartment. She knew her way around his kitchen by now and went immediately to get plates. He got the cups and moved to the fridge.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Water's fine with me," Rinoa responded as she began dividing up the food.
They finished their preparations and seated themselves at the table. They were about to start eating when there was a knock on the door. Squall rolled his eyes in frustration as he pushed his plate back and stood to answer the door.
His blue eyes widened when he saw the tall, long haired man in front of him. The man was taller than Squall himself and his brown hair was a shade darker than Squall's and the man had brown eyes instead of blue but the familiarity between the two was unmistakable.
The brown eyes of the man were filled with joy as they surveyed the horrified young man standing in front of him. Squall was gaping at the older man standing in front of him. His jaw fell open as he stared in disbelief at his step-father.
Laguna pulled his stupefied son into a hug before Squall could stop him. Rinoa chose that moment to come out of the kitchen after Squall.
"Squall, what's taking…" her voice trailed off as Laguna released Squall in favor of seizing Rinoa in a hug.
"Son, is this your girlfriend?" Laguna asked as he spun Rinoa around joyfully. Squall unconsciously blushed as he shook his head.
"I think you're lying," Laguna declared as he put the now dizzy Rinoa back on her feet.
Squall found himself unable to speak as he stared at the old man standing in his hallway.
"What are you doing here Laguna?" he asked, trying to regain some control of the situation.
"Squall, you're avoiding the question and you're blushing. I'm right! She is your girlfriend," the old man crowed as he jumped up and down.
Just then, Quistis and Seifer entered the apartment through the still open door.
"Hey, Squall. What's up?" Quistis questioned as she gazed around the room.
Laguna stopped jumping up and down and grinned widely at the new arrivals.
"Squall has got a girlfriend. This is her," he said as he pulled Rinoa forward by the arm.
Quistis' jaw dropped and she stared at her blushing friends in amazement. Seifer smirked and laughed as he saw the look that passed over Squall's face.
Rinoa was flustered but still maintained her composure, "Sir, I don't know what gave you that impression but Squall and I are just friends."
Laguna's face fell instantly as he turned to face Squall.
"Awww, shoot," the old man pouted.
Squall's face was slowly fading back to normal from the red hue that had covered his face while his father was embarrassing him.
Rinoa broke the awkwardness by moving forward to hug Seifer and Quistis. The blonde woman held her friend into the hug longer than was normal but nobody noticed because Squall was talking with Seifer and Laguna was in the corner pouting.
"What's going on?" Quistis whispered as she hugged Rinoa.
Rinoa shrugged, "I don't know who the old man is but he thinks me and Squall are dating. We were just eating dinner when he knocked on the door."
"That's Laguna, Squall's step-father," Quistis responded in a whisper.
"Ohhh, okay that explains why Squall had that look on his face when he saw him."
Quistis laughed, "So, what were you doing over here anyway? I was going to leave Seifer here and go next door and get you."
"Oh, me and Squall were just eating dinner," Rinoa stated.
"Together?" Quistis questioned, confused.
"He shared his dinner with me the first night I moved in so I was returning the favor and sharing mine tonight," Rinoa explained.
Quistis smiled to herself. It sounded exactly like something Rinoa would do. The fact that Squall had shared his dinner in the first place was a little odd but, who knew, maybe Rinoa was having a bigger effect on him than he would admit.
The two girls separated and Seifer greeted Rinoa as Squall hugged Quistis. Laguna was still pouting in the corner, staring forlornly at his foster son and friends greeting each other.
Why wasn't Squall ever so excited to see him? Not to say that Squall was visibly excited but the old man could see that the young man was happy to see his friends.
After the group had separated they migrated to the kitchen. Laguna was left in the hallway, staring mournfully after his step son.
As they went into the kitchen Rinoa looked back over her shoulder at the long haired old man who was still standing in the hallway, staring at Squall sadly. She felt bad for the old man. As the others seated themselves, Rinoa mustered her courage and cleared her throat.
"Squall, could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked quickly. Squall looked confused but nodded. He gestured down the hall towards his bedroom and the two headed down the hall. Seifer and Quistis glanced at each other and smiled as their friends exited the kitchen.
"So, what's up?" Squall asked as they stopped in the hallway outside of his bedroom.
"Squall," Rinoa began, trying to word her question so that her friend wouldn't get mad at her, "Why don't you invite your step-father to eat with us? We have enough."
Squall sighed and rolled his eyes, "Then he might think that I like having his around."
"But Squall, he cares about you and he just wants to visit you. Can't you let him stay? Just for a little while?"
Squall thought about it, trying to avoid looking at Rinoa. One look into those brown eyes and he would cave. She seemed to know this and moved closer to him. He glanced up at her and crumbled.
"Fine, he can stay and eat but after we are finished, he's leaving," he sighed. Rinoa grinned and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and quickly stepped back.
"You owe me, big," he said as he turned to walk back down the hallway.
Rinoa's grin couldn't have been wider as she followed him.
The pair reentered the kitchen and Squall moved back into the hallway by the front door.
"Laguna, we were just sitting down to eat supper if you want to join us?" Squall said expressionlessly and moved back into the kitchen before the old man could get over his shock and reply.
He seated himself and stared sullenly at his plate as Laguna came into the kitchen and happily sat down at the only open chair, across the table from Squall. Since Rinoa had asked Squall to invite Laguna she had decided that she would save him from having to sit next to his hyper step-father and had moved her plate so that she was sitting beside him. Quistis and Seifer were at the cabinets getting plates and cups for themselves and Laguna.
Seifer served Quistis her food and got his own before handing the serving spoon to Laguna. The old man nervously served his food, anxious not to do anything to upset Squall. His hands were shaking so badly, however, that he spilled the food he was trying to spoon onto his plate.
Squall's blue eyes flashed and he started to rise to his feet. Rinoa shot to her feet beside him and grabbed his arm quickly. He looked down at her and she gave him a pleading look as she held his arm. He sighed and nodded slightly and she relaxed and sat back down. Squall moved across the kitchen to the sink to get a paper towel to clean up the mess.
Quistis and Seifer watched the whole exchange, waiting to see what Squall would do. They both knew that Squall could hardly bear Laguna's presence. They expected him to throw the old man out of the house. Any excuse would do for Squall, as long as his step-father left. Rinoa's intervention surprised to two blondes. No one could convince Squall to let Laguna stay.
Could she?
Had their friends gotten that close in their absence? Was it possible that Squall had let someone get that close again?
Of course if you looked at all the out of character things Squall had done in the time since Rinoa had moved in you would have to come to the conclusion that she was having an effect on him.
He hadn't let anyone get close enough to do that in a long time. Other than Quistis, Seifer, and Zell Squall was a very closed off person.
Letting Rinoa into his life would only do him good.
Quistis watched, stunned, as Squall came back to the table with the paper towel and handed it to Laguna without a word, before seating himself again.
Rinoa was affecting him more than she would have expected.
Quistis smiled as she saw Rinoa squeeze Squall's hand as the reluctant brunette seated himself beside her.
This was working better than she had planned.
AN: I apologize AGAIN for the long wait in posting (if anyone is still reading this). My grandfather and one of my aunts died last week and my family is having a really hard time. I hope to have the next chapter of Ballroom Dancing (Read it please!) posted by thursday (10/28) and the next chapter of Second Chances posted next tuesday (11/2). At least, that is the plan. I'm leaving my weekend free so that I can work on those chapters so I can post them. I feel really bad for leaving you guy waiting for so long.
The loud music echoed through the room as Squall Leonhart lifted weights. He was lying flat on his back on his weight bench, lifting the heavy bar over his head. His attention was totally focused on the weight that was held over his chest. He exhaled slowly as he brought the bar down slowly to his chest and inhaled as he pushed it back up.
Weightlifting was Squall's relaxation time. He saved an hour each night for his weights. It gave him something to do to avoid his family. Ellone and Raine had learned that he enjoyed his time to himself so they knew not to bother him during his nightly exercises. Laguna, however, was oblivious to his stepson's habit.
The loud ringing of the phone could scarcely be heard over the rock music that filled the weight room but it was enough to drag Squall's concentration away from his lifting. He groaned as he set the bar back into the rack over his head and rolled off the bench onto his feet. The nearest phone was in the bedroom so he crossed the hall into his bedroom and answered it.
"Laguna, I've told you a thousand times not to call me after eight," Squall said, not bothering to say hello.
"But, son I was just calling to tell you that…" Laguna tried.
Squall interrupted, "Unless it's an emergency I don't want to hear it."
"But Squall, I want to talk to you," Laguna whined on the other end.
"This is my time off. I have things to do," Squall stated, unmoved.
"But…" Laguna started again.
Just then there was a knock on Squall's door.
"I've gotta go," Squall said as he hung up the phone. Growling in frustration he went to answer the door.
Rinoa was standing on the other side holding a covered pot.
Squall blinked in surprise and she laughed at the look on his face.
"Did I come at a bad time or something?" she asked, giggling.
He shook his head as he leaned on the doorframe. The cold metal on his bare arm drew his attention to the fact that he was not wearing a shirt. Clearly Rinoa had just noticed the same thing.
Her brown eyes had widened appreciatively and were running over his body quickly. He unconsciously blushed and moved off the doorframe.
"I'll be right back. Wait just a sec," he stuttered as he turned back into his apartment, "I'll go get a shirt and be right back."
Rinoa just stood there, silently berating herself for staring. He was her neighbor and her friend, not some piece of meat. She wasn't supposed to ogle him like some teenager.
It was now a month after Seifer's accident. The blonde racer had returned to his full strength and was busy looking for a new motorcycle. Quistis and Seifer had returned to Deling City a few days after Seifer was released from the hospital, leaving Squall, Rinoa and Zell in Balamb with repeated promises to visit again soon.
In the weeks following their best friend's departures Squall and Rinoa had become closer. It started with them meeting in the hallway and talking. Then it got to where she would swing by the garage in the afternoons and take the guys out to lunch. Zell was frequently out with his girlfriend Sally so it ended up being just Squall and Rinoa eating together most of the time. They would end up sitting at the table for hours, just talking about things. Granted, Squall did notably less talking that Rinoa but she recognized that he was making an effort to talk as much as he did. Then it had progressed to getting together at night to see movies or going to the bookstore and getting coffee (or water, in Squall's case.)
Squall returned from his bedroom, now fully clothed in a pair of low riding blue jeans and a black t-shirt.
"So what's up Rin?"
Lifting her dish, she replied, "I came to return the favor. You gave me your dinner the first night I moved in so I'm giving you mine tonight."
Squall gave a tiny smile and shook his head, "If I remember correctly we ate dinner together that first night. So, it's only fair to share this one too."
Rinoa grinned at him and nodded, "Okay."
Squall moved out of the doorway and let his neighbor into his apartment. She knew her way around his kitchen by now and went immediately to get plates. He got the cups and moved to the fridge.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Water's fine with me," Rinoa responded as she began dividing up the food.
They finished their preparations and seated themselves at the table. They were about to start eating when there was a knock on the door. Squall rolled his eyes in frustration as he pushed his plate back and stood to answer the door.
His blue eyes widened when he saw the tall, long haired man in front of him. The man was taller than Squall himself and his brown hair was a shade darker than Squall's and the man had brown eyes instead of blue but the familiarity between the two was unmistakable.
The brown eyes of the man were filled with joy as they surveyed the horrified young man standing in front of him. Squall was gaping at the older man standing in front of him. His jaw fell open as he stared in disbelief at his step-father.
Laguna pulled his stupefied son into a hug before Squall could stop him. Rinoa chose that moment to come out of the kitchen after Squall.
"Squall, what's taking…" her voice trailed off as Laguna released Squall in favor of seizing Rinoa in a hug.
"Son, is this your girlfriend?" Laguna asked as he spun Rinoa around joyfully. Squall unconsciously blushed as he shook his head.
"I think you're lying," Laguna declared as he put the now dizzy Rinoa back on her feet.
Squall found himself unable to speak as he stared at the old man standing in his hallway.
"What are you doing here Laguna?" he asked, trying to regain some control of the situation.
"Squall, you're avoiding the question and you're blushing. I'm right! She is your girlfriend," the old man crowed as he jumped up and down.
Just then, Quistis and Seifer entered the apartment through the still open door.
"Hey, Squall. What's up?" Quistis questioned as she gazed around the room.
Laguna stopped jumping up and down and grinned widely at the new arrivals.
"Squall has got a girlfriend. This is her," he said as he pulled Rinoa forward by the arm.
Quistis' jaw dropped and she stared at her blushing friends in amazement. Seifer smirked and laughed as he saw the look that passed over Squall's face.
Rinoa was flustered but still maintained her composure, "Sir, I don't know what gave you that impression but Squall and I are just friends."
Laguna's face fell instantly as he turned to face Squall.
"Awww, shoot," the old man pouted.
Squall's face was slowly fading back to normal from the red hue that had covered his face while his father was embarrassing him.
Rinoa broke the awkwardness by moving forward to hug Seifer and Quistis. The blonde woman held her friend into the hug longer than was normal but nobody noticed because Squall was talking with Seifer and Laguna was in the corner pouting.
"What's going on?" Quistis whispered as she hugged Rinoa.
Rinoa shrugged, "I don't know who the old man is but he thinks me and Squall are dating. We were just eating dinner when he knocked on the door."
"That's Laguna, Squall's step-father," Quistis responded in a whisper.
"Ohhh, okay that explains why Squall had that look on his face when he saw him."
Quistis laughed, "So, what were you doing over here anyway? I was going to leave Seifer here and go next door and get you."
"Oh, me and Squall were just eating dinner," Rinoa stated.
"Together?" Quistis questioned, confused.
"He shared his dinner with me the first night I moved in so I was returning the favor and sharing mine tonight," Rinoa explained.
Quistis smiled to herself. It sounded exactly like something Rinoa would do. The fact that Squall had shared his dinner in the first place was a little odd but, who knew, maybe Rinoa was having a bigger effect on him than he would admit.
The two girls separated and Seifer greeted Rinoa as Squall hugged Quistis. Laguna was still pouting in the corner, staring forlornly at his foster son and friends greeting each other.
Why wasn't Squall ever so excited to see him? Not to say that Squall was visibly excited but the old man could see that the young man was happy to see his friends.
After the group had separated they migrated to the kitchen. Laguna was left in the hallway, staring mournfully after his step son.
As they went into the kitchen Rinoa looked back over her shoulder at the long haired old man who was still standing in the hallway, staring at Squall sadly. She felt bad for the old man. As the others seated themselves, Rinoa mustered her courage and cleared her throat.
"Squall, could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked quickly. Squall looked confused but nodded. He gestured down the hall towards his bedroom and the two headed down the hall. Seifer and Quistis glanced at each other and smiled as their friends exited the kitchen.
"So, what's up?" Squall asked as they stopped in the hallway outside of his bedroom.
"Squall," Rinoa began, trying to word her question so that her friend wouldn't get mad at her, "Why don't you invite your step-father to eat with us? We have enough."
Squall sighed and rolled his eyes, "Then he might think that I like having his around."
"But Squall, he cares about you and he just wants to visit you. Can't you let him stay? Just for a little while?"
Squall thought about it, trying to avoid looking at Rinoa. One look into those brown eyes and he would cave. She seemed to know this and moved closer to him. He glanced up at her and crumbled.
"Fine, he can stay and eat but after we are finished, he's leaving," he sighed. Rinoa grinned and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and quickly stepped back.
"You owe me, big," he said as he turned to walk back down the hallway.
Rinoa's grin couldn't have been wider as she followed him.
The pair reentered the kitchen and Squall moved back into the hallway by the front door.
"Laguna, we were just sitting down to eat supper if you want to join us?" Squall said expressionlessly and moved back into the kitchen before the old man could get over his shock and reply.
He seated himself and stared sullenly at his plate as Laguna came into the kitchen and happily sat down at the only open chair, across the table from Squall. Since Rinoa had asked Squall to invite Laguna she had decided that she would save him from having to sit next to his hyper step-father and had moved her plate so that she was sitting beside him. Quistis and Seifer were at the cabinets getting plates and cups for themselves and Laguna.
Seifer served Quistis her food and got his own before handing the serving spoon to Laguna. The old man nervously served his food, anxious not to do anything to upset Squall. His hands were shaking so badly, however, that he spilled the food he was trying to spoon onto his plate.
Squall's blue eyes flashed and he started to rise to his feet. Rinoa shot to her feet beside him and grabbed his arm quickly. He looked down at her and she gave him a pleading look as she held his arm. He sighed and nodded slightly and she relaxed and sat back down. Squall moved across the kitchen to the sink to get a paper towel to clean up the mess.
Quistis and Seifer watched the whole exchange, waiting to see what Squall would do. They both knew that Squall could hardly bear Laguna's presence. They expected him to throw the old man out of the house. Any excuse would do for Squall, as long as his step-father left. Rinoa's intervention surprised to two blondes. No one could convince Squall to let Laguna stay.
Could she?
Had their friends gotten that close in their absence? Was it possible that Squall had let someone get that close again?
Of course if you looked at all the out of character things Squall had done in the time since Rinoa had moved in you would have to come to the conclusion that she was having an effect on him.
He hadn't let anyone get close enough to do that in a long time. Other than Quistis, Seifer, and Zell Squall was a very closed off person.
Letting Rinoa into his life would only do him good.
Quistis watched, stunned, as Squall came back to the table with the paper towel and handed it to Laguna without a word, before seating himself again.
Rinoa was affecting him more than she would have expected.
Quistis smiled as she saw Rinoa squeeze Squall's hand as the reluctant brunette seated himself beside her.
This was working better than she had planned.
AN: I apologize AGAIN for the long wait in posting (if anyone is still reading this). My grandfather and one of my aunts died last week and my family is having a really hard time. I hope to have the next chapter of Ballroom Dancing (Read it please!) posted by thursday (10/28) and the next chapter of Second Chances posted next tuesday (11/2). At least, that is the plan. I'm leaving my weekend free so that I can work on those chapters so I can post them. I feel really bad for leaving you guy waiting for so long.