Okay! Second chapter! This'll be kinda short, but I'll update soon...for you who are reading...

Enjoy!

"Squall, man, you are so out of it today," Leon commented after Squall tried to screw a gunblade handle onto a rifle for the third time that day; he was usually better at fixing weapons than Leon was, and Leon worked year-round at the junk shop.

Squall flushed, muttering, "It's nothing," though both young men knew better.

Leon nudged Squall in the side. "Who's the girl?" he asked, his voice a low whisper of confidentiality. Squall pushed his cousin away. He was thinking about a girl. Rinoa Heartilly. He shook his head. Maybe it was just hormones, but when he was with her at the concert last night, he'd felt as if he could pour his heart out to her and she wouldn't burden him with her personal issues. In other words, he actually wanted to talk to her, a privilege only one other person had, his older sister Ellone.

He thought of the previous night. Of the kiss. He wanted to kill himself. What kind of guy kissed a stranger after talking to her for only a couple of hours? He wasn't a player. Heck, he'd never even felt this before, this unsettling feeling that set his heart racing whenever he thought about her. He hated being out of control of his life, but he craved the feeling like a fat kid craves cake. He smiled at this comparison. It would make Rinoa laugh.

The bell above the door jingled as a slight, dark-haired girl in a light blue tank top, black shorts and army boots walked in. She was toting a bundle wrapped in cloth. When she saw Squall, she smiled. Squall looked down at the gun he was supposed to be upgrading with renewed interest. Last night was last night. He was foolish to think that something might happen between them. They were, after all, here for only the summer, most likely never to see each other again.

"Welcome to Leonhart's, Fisherman's Horizon's one and only junk shop. How may I help you?" Leon rolled through the customary greeting with, Squall noted, embellishment. He wasn't going to become some open book for people to read his feelings! His face returned to its accustomed poker face.

Rinoa gently placed the bundle on the counter. "I'd like to upgrade my Blaster Edge to a Rising Sun. Please." Squall could feel her eyes on him.

"It'll take a couple of weeks," Leon said, appraising the polished weapon with approval. This girl took great care of her weapon, much better than some of the macho guys around town.

"It's okay. I-I can pay now, if you like." She reached into her pocket. "I don't have the items with me right now, but I have enough money."

Leon laughed. "You're a cute little mouse." He put a hand on her arm to stop her. Squall glared at his cousin. "Pay us when we're done. Or rather, I should say when Squall's done. Squall, give me that gun." He took the rifle away and gave the Blaster Edge to Squall. "Get to work!" Leon chortled gleefully and vanished into the back room.

What was up with Squall? He was completely ignoring me. Had I done something to hurt him? I racked my memory for something, anything that might have been offensive, but nothing came up.

"So…" I couldn't think of anything to say. The privacy of night was lost in the bright sunlight. "Do you come to FH often?"

Squall started. It was as if my words had waken him up; he nodded as he pulled items from the crowded shelves that covered three of the four walls of the shop. "Every summer. You?"

"This is my first time. It's such a cute little town." Squall raised an eyebrow. "I know that it's a bit run-down, but there's a… it seems…" I blushed. My thoughts were silly; Zell always made fun of me, but Squall's inquisitive, almost eager look pulled me through. "It's a secretive place. You could tell it your deepest, darkest secrets and know it wouldn't betray you."

Squall set his tools on the counter where I was standing. "Never thought about it that way," he mused. His voice was still a stranger's, and I couldn't see his expression due to the fact that he was fast at work on my Blaster Edge.

"I'm sorry, that was nonsensical." I twirled a strand of hair. I didn't want him to think of me as just another shallow vacationer. I rubbed the spot where he'd kissed me the night before.

Today Squall's hair was down and flopped over his forehead. I wanted to run my fingers through his silky locks….

Whoa. Hold up, girl, I commanded myself. He was an almost-complete stranger! All of a sudden it was too hot in the small room.

"Rinoa?"

Squall looked concerned. "Did you hear me?" At my embarrassed reply to the negative, he repeated, "I was wondering if you wanted to learn a bit about upgrading."

"Sure!" Truthfully, I was fascinated. You could call fixing things a hobby of mine, but I didn't know how to upgrade weapons.

"You have to get the right parts first. That's why we get the customers to bring them to us; saves a ton of time. See this? You fasten it here and torch it a bit to make the blade longer…"

I drank in his voice and blue, blue eyes, his hesitant smile.

"You don't smile much, do you?" I asked unexpectedly. His hands stopped moving. He let out a little chuckle.

"I guess you could say that."

On a whim, I took the screwdriver from his hand and put mine around his. "Show me around town?"

We were on one of the deserted ship docks. Tentatively, I reached for Squall's hand. He squeezed my fingers. Something cold and hard pressed into my palm.

"What a cool ring!" I exclaimed. I held his hand closer to inspect the ring; it was a wide band of metal, with an engraving of a ferocious-looking lion.

Squall took it off. There was a ring tan on his index finger. "I call it Griever. My father gave it to me, a long time ago. It's something of a good-luck charm for me now."

That day was the first time we kissed. He was gentle and intense at the same time. I lost all sense of our surroundings when he laid his lips on mine. His kisses, they were always perfect, as every missing puzzle piece in my life fell into place, if only for that moment.

"Rinoa!" Zell yelled. It was late afternoon, and I'd just gotten back from spending the day with Squall. "Where in Hyne's name have you been? And who was that guy you were with just now?"

I calmly took off my cardigan. "And why do you want to know? I can take care of myself."

Zell huffed, his arms crossed. "I don't like the looks of him. You stay away from him, you hear?"

I scoffed. "You don't like the looks of any guy I try to be friends with! I've had it with you and your over-protectiveness. You're worse than Delia!" I grabbed a change of clothes and slammed the bathroom door shut.

"I better not catch you with him again!" Zell's muffled voice snapped from above the hiss of the showerhead. I grimaced. What was his problem? I tried to do something without him and he went berserk. As much as I loved him, I wasn't about to listen to him and sacrifice something deeper with Squall.