A/N: Hi! I've been on vacation the last few days so this update came much earlier than expected! Thank you again for the reviews...much appreciated!
The next day Rinoa was listening as Caraway was telling her a story about her mother and how she had fallen over because she was spinning around and singing along to the radio in the kitchen. "It was in our first apartment together," he was saying. "We were so young then—younger than you now—and she was washing the dishes so there was some water on the floor." A tiny smile hinted at the corner of his mouth as he thought back to the memory. "I remember watching her and even saying "Be careful, Julia, there's water on the floor," and she just responded by tossing her hair at me and singing even louder. Then she slipped and fell and broke her elbow."
Rinoa made a short, smothered, snort of a laugh. She can't imagine that the fall had felt good, but the no-nonsense and casual way Caraway spoke of the accident made the incident hysterical. She could imagine her mother laying on her back and flipping Caraway off as he simply sighed and said, "I told you so."
She couldn't remember too much about her mother, but what she remembered the most was the relationship between her parents. They were complete opposites. Julia was spunky and did whatever she felt like doing. Caraway, who had been trained to take orders, had been promoted to now give orders. Julia hated planning; she reasoned it was because every time she ever tried to plan something out it ended up backfiring and only resulted in her being disappointed and miserable. Caraway had to have everything mapped out to the littlest detail.
Despite their differences, Rinoa remembered her parents always smiling and laughing together. One of her favorite memories of them together was during Rinoa's fifth birthday party—a mere two months before Julia's death—she had glanced up from her feast of cake and ice cream and witnessed Caraway twirling Julia in his arms. He caught her in his arms and dipped her low, his lips grinning widely as she tipped her head back, exposing the curve of her throat. Julia snapped her head forward and laughed, her eyes crinkling and nose scrunching as she leaned forward and kissed her husband.
Little Rinoa jumped off of her chair and wedged herself between her parents, demanding her father to pick her up. She was sandwiched between them and then smothered with kisses, Julia's lipstick little red markings across Rinoa's cheeks. "I want someone to dance with me like you dance with Mommy!" she had told Caraway as she squealed beneath Julia's smooches.
"If a man will not twirl with you in the kitchen then he is not a man!" Julia had laughed.
At the time Rinoa had no idea what her mother was talking about, but now she understood. Even though her father had that rough exterior he exposed his soft, squishy and loving center for only the woman he loved and their daughter.
"Even though she was in pain she still continued to sing!" Caraway chuckled. "Carry on my wayward son/There'll be peace when you are gone/Lay your weary head to rest/Don't you cry no more…" Caraway shook his head and exhaled a breath. "After that she would sing that song just to annoy me."
A knock came at the door and Rinoa pulled away from the bed. "Come in!" she called over her shoulder. As the door slowly swung open she continued laughing with her father. "I know, I remember her singing it all the time and then you would give her a sharp look."
She stood to her feet and turned around, expecting to see one of the nurses or another doctor because she had overheard someone mentioning a shift change. She was most definitely not expecting to see Squall standing in the door's threshold—in dark red hospital scrubs no less. She was also very much in awe to see that he had his hair tied back into a very low ponytail.
Her mouth parted in surprise. "What…?" she stammered out.
He smiled and waved two fingers at her. "I'm on break," he said casually. "Thought I'd cross over to this wing to see how he was doing."
"You work here?" she asked, gesturing towards the scrubs. "Are you a nurse?"
Squall shook his head. "No, I do physical therapy for amputee soldiers who have been fitted with prosthetics. I work with a few others to retrain them to fight with their new limbs." He quietly closed the door behind him.
Caraway loudly shuffled within his bed so that he could get a better look at him. "You work with the biomedical engineering department?" he asked curiously.
Squall took a look at the older man. His head was wrapped in gauze to hold the bandage against his right temple in place. He had dark hollows beneath his eyes and deep creases around his mouth but still managed to put on a firm and polite smile. "Yes sir," Squall said. "My sister works with the engineers directly and fits the prosthetics to the patients. After they are fitted I work with them so that they are stable enough to report back to duty."
Caraway lifted his chin as he took note of how Squall's tone and stature changed when he spoke to him rather than Rinoa. "You're military, aren't you, son?" he asked. "What branch?"
"SEED."
"Ah." Caraway looked back to Rinoa. "Didn't you mention the other day that you were working with someone who was SEED?"
Rinoa nodded. "Yes, Caraway, this is Squall. He's the drummer from the band I'm shooting."
Realization crossed over Caraway's face and he placed a hand to his forehead. "That's right," he murmured. "I'm terribly sorry, young man, I seem to be a bit forgetful thanks to this injury. Are you still affiliated with SEED?"
"Not directly. How are you feeling, General?"
Caraway sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Like a damn fool," he muttered. "Never in my life have I been babied like this. I've had concussions before."
Rinoa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her breasts. "That's the point," she said sharply. "You've had concussions in the past and that is not something to brag about. They just want to keep you here for a few days to make sure you didn't damage your brain too much due to the fall." She tucked a strand behind her ear and eyed the gauze wrapped around his head. "You hit your head really hard, it required stitches."
"I feel fine," Caraway urged. "My pride is more wounded than my head."
"Unfortunately I can't offer any relief for wounded pride. So suck it up and do as the doctor says," Rinoa tossed at him.
It was a sight Squall found most amusing. The big, almighty General Fury Caraway being ordered to 'suck it up' from his tiny little daughter. Squall was sure that if he were not in the room, Carway would have been showing Rinoa a pout just to spite her.
Instead, since there was someone to bear witness, Caraway only sighed and held out his hands in defeat. "Yes, my darling daughter," he said. "Can you grab me some of the ibuprofen from the cabinet?"
"Headache?" she asked.
"Yes, although I must say I'm certain it only came forward since you started berating me."
Squall accidentally let out a laugh and glanced away when Rinoa turned her angry eyes towards him. "Sorry."
Rinoa scoffed. "Oh, don't you start with me," she warned, shaking a finger in his direction. She grabbed the pills from the cabinet and fetched a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. "When did you last eat?" she asked Caraway. "You know these things will tear a hole in your lining if you take it on an empty stomach."
"A few hours ago," Caraway mentioned, thinking back to the delicious blueberry muffin Artemis had brought him.
"You should probably eat now before you take these."
Rinoa lifted a brow at the gurgling growl that sounded off from Caraway's stomach. She eyed him pointedly. "Hungry?" she asked.
Caraway twisted his lips, unamused at his body's loud demand for nourishment. "I'm not starving," he proclaimed. "But I could eat."
"I'll get you something from the cafeteria. What do you want?"
Caraway thought for a moment. "Soup," he said. "Soup sounds divine right now. See if they have broccoli and cheddar in those sourdough bread bowls."
"Ok." She turned to Squall who was already opening the door for her. "Care to join me?" she asked with that dazzling smile of hers.
"Of course."
"Great, because I don't even know where the cafeteria is."
Squall led her to the elevator. "It's back on the first floor."
"I like the hairstyle," she said, gently running her fingertips over the wisps of hair that protruded from the hair band.
His hand automatically reached up and smoothed over his hair. "Yeah, when I walk around the hospital I have to wear it tied back. When I'm doing the physical therapy I can have it down. So I either have to keep it long enough to keep it in a ponytail for work or I have to shave my head."
Rinoa clamped her lips shut to keep in a laugh. She tried to visualize Squall with a crew cut but the picture just was not forming in her mind. "I don't think I can see you with short hair," she laughed. "Don't cut your hair. Ever. Long hair suits you."
"I think so too."
The elevator opened up for them and he escorted her inside.
"Your dad looks like he's doing well," Squall said once they were inside.
Rinoa gave him a smile and nodded. "He is," she said. "Like he said, it seems his pride took the largest blow."
Squall watched as the numbers above them slowly decreased. "Have you said anything to him about his drinking?"
With a long sigh Rinoa just shook her head. "No," she muttered. "I'm hoping I can contact Martine and stage an intervention. Maybe if Caraway hears it from his associate he might actually take it seriously."
The elevator opened and Squall placed his hand upon the small of Rinoa's back, causing her to suck in a breath. It was such a small touch, but the contact was enough to send little sparks of warmth throughout her veins. He moved her toward the buffet that was the cafeteria.
Not long after Rinoa was carrying a plastic bag in her hand as Squall led her back to the elevator. She couldn't help but notice that he received a few double-take glances from some of the women in the cafeteria. One of them looked to be just barely over sixteen and had clearly not seen a handsome man in her lifetime…at least, not in person.
Though these women stared, Squall had paid none of them any attention and carried on towards the elevator. Whether he was truly that oblivious or he simply chose to ignore, Rinoa wasn't entirely sure, but she was amused regardless.
"What?" he asked when he saw her trying not to laugh as they waited.
"Nothing." Rinoa shifted the plastic bag's handle between her fingers and cleared her throat. "I had no idea that this was what you did for a living," she said. "To be honest, I had thought about what you did for work since you said you were no longer with SEED but I just couldn't figure out what."
Squall chuckled and pressed the 'up' button with his thumb. "Yeah, I've been doing this for a little over a year and a half. My sister helped me get the job."
"Yeah, you mentioned she works here too?"
"She works with amputees and the engineers who custom make the prosthetics."
Rinoa blinked and thought back to a similar conversation that happened the day before. She knew Squall had said something about his sister to Caraway…but she wasn't paying much attention, she was too busy staring at his little ponytail. That woman! "Um…does she have brown hair darker than yours and also wear dark red scrubs?"
Squall looked over at Rinoa, his brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Yes. How did you know?" The elevator doors before them slid open and he ushered her inside.
"I think I met her yesterday," Rinoa told him, standing in the corner. "She showed me where Caraway's room was because she was on her way to this side of the hospital to see one of her patients. I think she said he was getting an MRI? I only know what she did here at the hospital because I asked if she had heard anything about my father and she said that she didn't know about the patients on this side since it wasn't her department." Rinoa smiled at Squall and watched as he firmly pressed his thumb onto the 'doors close' button. "She seems really nice."
"She is," Squall concurred.
"You had told me that you had an older sister who raised you…but how old is she? She doesn't seem like someone who was old enough to raise a twelve year old."
Squall thought for a moment. "She looks younger than she really is. She gets that a lot. She just turned thirty-seven in January."
"Well, she is lovely. I hope I look half as good as her when I'm in my thirties. I should be so lucky—"
Squall turned his head and grinned at the sight of Rinoa going on about Ellone. She was in complete awe with the other woman and she only shared an elevator ride with her. Apparently Ellone had that effect on people. "Hey, Rinoa."
She paused and looked over to him. "Hmm?"
Squall leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss was so light and sweet at first, as if he only planned to give her a quick peck and then pull away. But then he gently ran his tongue over her bottom lip, causing her to shudder and feel as if the ground beneath suddenly dropped.
Squall pulled away. The ground hadn't dropped, instead the elevator stopped at the third floor and the doors slid open to grant entrance to an elderly couple carrying flowers and a blue fluffy teddy bear. The couple smiled at Rinoa and then turned to Squall, who held his hand over the designated floor buttons. "Which floor?" he asked them.
"Fourth, please," said the older man.
"Thank you." The older woman looked over to Rinoa and gave her a kind smile.
Rinoa was wondering if the woman could see the flush that was creeping around the apples of her cheeks, could hear the maddening race of her heartbeat.
As they arrived at the fourth floor and the elderly couple stepped off, Squall turned back to Rinoa once the doors were safely closed. This time Rinoa was prepared and she lifted a hand to cup Squall's chin as he brought his lips down to hers.
This kiss was short and brief, but it still left Rinoa breathless with a thundering heart. She locked eyes with him when he pulled away and bit down into her lower lip as she watched him run his fingers over his pulled back hair.
"I've been wanting to do that since yesterday," he confessed.
Rinoa smiled fully and glanced upward at the glowing number five that announced they had reached their level.
"I need to head back," Squall said, taking a quick glance at his watch. "My next appointment should be arriving soon."
"Sure." Rinoa stepped forward and then firmly grasped his crotch through the material of the scrubs he wore. Completely ignoring the look of astonishment on his face, she casually breezed past him as the elevator doors opened. She exited and stepped aside to allow a small group of technicians enter the elevator. Rinoa looked over her shoulder and smirked as she watched Squall shake his head at her. His eyes flared with unsung desire and his jaw was tightly set.
Watch it, he mouthed to her.
She smiled at him as innocently as she could and turned away. And I've been wanting to do that since Saturday.
A few hours later Squall was walking towards the parking lot. He had just clocked out after his twelve hour shift and was looking forward to relaxing. Then his phone beeped within his pocket and he knew his quiet night had been altered.
Q.T: Is Rinoa still at the hospital?
Squall read over the text and sighed. He turned around and walked back to the visitor's information desk. He nodded to the receptionist and asked for the visitor's log. "Seeing if my friend had checked out yet," he explained.
He flipped back a page to find where Rinoa had signed herself in at ten-fifteen. When he saw that she had not yet signed herself out, he handed the log back. "Thanks," he said, turning away to respond to Quistis.
S.L: Just looked at the visitor's log. She's still here.
Q.T: Tell her we're going to Club Shiva.
S.L: Since when?
Q.T: Since like an hour ago. We're going out celebrating.
Squall scowled but headed back towards the elevator.
As if knowing his reaction, Quistis texted him again.
Q.T: Don't be a dick.
Squall knocked on the door and gave a brief nod to the nurse, Artemis when she swung it open.
"Why, hello Mr. Leonhart!" she said brightly. "Rinoa was telling me that you two were friends." Artemis leaned in and gave Squall a teasing grin. "Have you come to see her off? How knightly of you."
Squall smirked at Artemis's comment. The nurse was a few years older than Ellone, yet the youthful glow within her sparkling gray eyes and wide smile made her look as if she were still in her early thirties. He had crossed paths with her countless time thanks to Ellone, who quickly became friends with the older woman when she had started her residency many years before. "You know me," he said quietly.
"That I do, kiddo," she said, ruffling his hair now that it was out of the ponytail. She glanced behind her and saw that Rinoa had just stepped into the bathroom. "That is a fine girl you have for a daughter there, General Caraway," Artemis commented with a beaming smile as she approached Caraway's bed to collect any trash.
"That she is," he agreed. "She is quite a gem."
Artemis nudged Caraway's bicep with her elbow. "I suspect she gets that from her mother," she quipped, sending the General a wink.
Caraway chuckled and gently swatted away Artemis's elbow. "I will be honest," he said. "I think her most unflattering traits she inherited from me."
Rinoa stepped out of the bathroom and narrowed her eyes suspiciously as the room fell silent to her entrance. "You talking shit?" she demanded of her father, earning a short and throaty laugh from him. She turned her head and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Squall standing there in his typical uniform of dark jeans and fitted white t-shirt. "Hi!" she said. "Are you off for the day?" She glanced at the clock that hung on the wall and saw that it was already close to eight. "Is it that late already?" she gasped.
"We're all going out tonight," he told her.
"Oh, we are?" Rinoa smirked. "Where are we all going?"
"Club Shiva."
Rinoa's brows rose and she excitedly clapped her hands. "I haven't been there in ages! What's the occasion?" Then her jaw dropped as she remembered that he had had a meeting with a producer the night before. "Ohmygod—good news?"
Squall only offered a grin. "We'll tell you at the club."
Rinoa scooped up her purse and waved her fingers at Caraway and Artemis. "I'll be back tomorrow," she told them.
"I'm hoping to be discharged tomorrow," Carway said to her. "If you wanted to show up around two because I will be needing a lift home."
Artemis let out a laugh and patted Caraway on the shoulder. "Don't get too carried away with that hope, General," she said. "It all depends on your tests tomorrow morning." She looked over to Rinoa and sent her a kind smile. "I'll be sure to call you tomorrow and let you know what's going on and if you'll be coming in for a visit or a pick up." Her eyes darted over to where Squall waited in the doorway. "I'll call you in the afternoon, give you some time to…sleep in." She said the last part with a suggestive raise of her eyebrow and her grin widened when she saw a faint blush creep to Rinoa's cheeks.
Caraway gave Artemis a jab to the side with his elbow. "Ignore her," he told Rinoa. "Have a good time."
While Rinoa followed Squall out of the room, Artemis turned to Caraway and gave him a smirk. "Well, well…" she murmured, her full lips curved into a conniving smirk. "It seems your little princess has snagged herself a knight."
Caraway chuckled and softly shook his head. "It appears so," he agreed.
When Rinoa opened the door she beamed when she saw Selphie standing on the other side. "Hello my love!" she giggled, throwing her arms around the other girl. "You look cute!"
Selphie spun around in the yellow skater dress she wore, the skirt rising around her hips like flower petals. "Thanks!" She took a look at Rinoa's backless halter and gave her a suggestive whistle. "Well look at you! Show off that ink girl!"
Rinoa laughed and slipped on some simple black flats. "I'm glad Club Shiva doesn't have one of those insane dress codes," she said, patting down the black and white horizontally striped skirt she wore that flared out over the tops of her thighs. Her skirt wasn't super short, but she wore little black shorts beneath it because she knew she'd be spinning around like a mad woman.
"Oh, I know," Selphie agreed, pointing to the gladiator sandals laced upon her feet. "I like wearing heels but I can't really dance in them. If I see that a club has a dress code demanding that women be in heels I won't go." She turned and walked out the door with Rinoa behind her.
"Exactly," Rinoa said, locking the door behind them.
"Now, Quistis, on the other hand can dance in heels," Selphie said. "I've seen her shuffle, twirl, jump rope, even play limbo in six inch heels." She glanced behind her and nodded at the shocked face that Rinoa was giving her. "Yeah. I know right?"
When they arrived at Club Shiva the band had already posted up in a reserved booth in the corner. Quistis was already on the floor, dancing by herself even though she was surrounded by many men who stared at her adoringly. She was in her own element, her arms high above her head and liquidly moving around her body as she let the music wrap itself around her. Just like Selphie had predicted, the blonde wore tall and impossibly skinny heels yet maneuvered through each step effortlessly.
Rinoa stared in awe at the woman on the dance floor. The simple black romper with pink leopard spots clung to Quistis's curves, accentuating the slope of her waist and the long stems of her legs. "Good lord," Rinoa managed to whisper. She turned to Selphie and just panted. "She is too perfect for words."
"She is our goddess," Irvine said with a snigger, taking Selphie's hand and pulling her into a tight embrace.
Zell laughed and ordered a round of drinks. "Definitely. I'm just glad she's got a modest head upon those porcelain shoulders. If she was a total diva we might have killed her by now."
"That's why I love Quistis," Selphie said. "She's knows she's attractive but she doesn't act on it. She focuses more on her actual talent than her obscenely pretty face." She smiled when a server brought a silver plate adorned with their shots. "She's real."
Squall took hold of a glass with one hand and handed Rinoa her own with his other. "She's alright," he said with a sharp grin. He looked over at the woman in question and beckoned her to come over.
Quistis gave Rinoa a strong hug around the shoulders before taking a glass. "How's your dad?" she asked.
"Doing well, thankfully," she answered. "So then…what are we celebrating?" she demanded, holding her drink at the ready. "Asshole here wouldn't tell me!"
Zell roared with laughter and pounded his knuckles onto the table. "We're going on tour!" he shouted.
Rinoa's jaw dropped and she immediately smacked Squall's arm with the back of her hand. "You shithead!" she screamed. "Why didn't you tell me? Ohmygod…ohmygod!"
They rose their shot glasses in the air and hollered, "To Absolute Lore!" before throwing back their heads and emptying their shots. Rinoa slammed her empty glass onto the table and clapped her hands. She wanted to know more. She wanted details about the meeting with the producer, the tour length, who they were touring with…she wanted to know everything! But before she could get a word out Irvine immediately grabbed Selphie by the hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. Quistis then did the same to Zell, leaving Rinoa alone with Squall at the booth.
Taking advantage of the situation, Rinoa leaned her elbow on the table and batted her eyes at Squall. "So…tell me!" she demanded. "I want to know everything!"
Squall only laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Not going to lie, I was very hesitant at first," he admitted. "We're going to be touring with this band we've played with before and one of the bands touring with them had to back out, so they sent their producer to come 'fetch' us since we have great chemistry with them."
Rinoa giggled and bounced in her seat with giddiness. "How exciting! Is it going to pay well?"
"Eh…" He shrugged and held his palms upwards. "We're kind of taking a risk but…there was another tour Cid was trying to get us on that wouldn't start for a few months so the budget we had for that tour got moved up early. Luckily, since we've played with Djin Theory before a lot of their fans know and like us. So…we're hopeful."
Rinoa exhaled a breath and just glanced around, completely in awe of the situation happening. "Wow…that is…I can't even put it into words!" Then she turned back to him. "When are you leaving since the tour is happening right now?"
She immediately noticed the way his jaw clenched and his eyes drifted over the crowd on the dance floor.
"Soon," he replied, not looking at her.
Not entirely sure how to take that response, Rinoa slowly leaned in and prodded Squall's chest. "Dance with me?"
Unable to smother the smirk that spread across his lips, Squall only shook his head as he turned his face toward her. He tried not to laugh at the pretty little pout she then gave him. "I don't dance," he told her.
Rinoa rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Oh give me a break," she muttered. "You're a drummer. You have to have painstakingly precise rhythm throughout your whole body—you do dance." Before he could tell her no once again, she shot out a hand and firmly grasped his wrist.
As she pulled him onto the dance floor the song changed. Squall had heard the song before due to its constant playing on the radio in the break room of his wing, but it was usually white noise, something soft in the background that was easily ignored. Now that it was blaring from the speakers surrounding them, he was able to catch the lyrics and couldn't help but press his lips together in thought.
We were victims of the night/The chemical, physical, kryptonite/Helpless to the bass and the fading light/Oh we were bound to get together/Bound to get together.
He laughed as she threw her arms around his neck and swayed her hips. His movements were awkward and shy at first, unsure of where to put his hands or how much space should be between them.
Inwardly he was kicking himself. You fucked her with your fingers barely even two nights ago, and now you're being shy? He glanced over her head and saw Irvine and Selphie in a tight clutch before the cowboy turned Selphie around rocked her hips against him.
She took my arm/I don't know how it happened/We took the floor and she said/
Squall spun Rinoa around, his eyes completely unable to waver from her. He watched how her hair glistened beneath the overhead strobing lights, how the lights bounced off her skin and reflected little circles of red and blue across her complexion.
"Oh don't you dare look back/Just keep your eyes on me."/I said, "You're holding back."/She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"
He circled Rinoa back so she aligned firmly against his chest. She sent him a smile that speared warmth throughout his body and he clasped her hand into his while his other settled onto her waist. Following his lead, she placed her other hand upon his shoulder and together they danced in a very fast-paced version of a waltz.
This woman is my destiny/She said, "Ooh ooh hoo/Shut up and dance with me."
Rinoa laughed and was allowed to detach herself from Squall. With his fingers still clasped with hers, he twirled her around so that her skirt flirted up, billowing around her thighs like a Tim Burton umbrella.
A backless dress and some beat up sneaks/My discotheque, Juliet teenage dream/I felt it in my chest as she looked at me/I knew we were bound to be together/Bound to be together.
Zell cut in and snaked Rinoa away, sticking out his tongue at Squall as he had Rinoa in his arms. Rinoa couldn't stop laughing and draped her arm around Zell's shoulders so he could spin her around the dance floor with moves mimicking a dramatic ice skater.
She took my arm/I don't know how it happened/We took the floor and she said…
"Oh don't you dare look back/Just keep your eyes on me."/ I said, "You're holding back."/She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"
Squall only shook his head at the sight and then grinned when Quistis came up to him, bumping his hip with her own. Now that she was in high heels, she matched his height at just barely six foot. She grabbed his hands and forced him into a quick little waltz around the dance floor while Zell held Rinoa hostage.
Zell dipped low and hooked an arm beneath the bend of Rinoa's knees and lifted her in the air, earning a sharp squeal from her as he spun around in fast circles. After he had his amusement, he set her back onto her feet and graciously bowed his head to her. "That ought to rile him up," he said to her, giving her a wink.
Rinoa playfully shoved at his shoulder. "Thanks," she said. When she turned around Squall was suddenly before her, an arm encircling her waist and pulling her up tight against him. Her hand fell into his and together they moved to the beat.
Deep in her eyes/I think I see the future/I realize this is my last chance...
Rinoa watched as his lips parted as if he were going to say something, but instead his mouth clamped shut. Then the song changed and his gaze moved behind her. His eyes flashed with amusement and his mouth curved into a smirk. Rinoa turned in his arms and gasped.
She raised her hands to cup her cheeks as she watched Zell and Quistis practically own the dance floor. While the pumping and pulsating beat of Sean Paul's Temperature blasted throughout the dance floor, Zell and Quistis recreated an impressive version of the tango.
Quistis easily maneuvered the tricky steps despite the skinny heels she wore upon her feet. Rinoa's eyes widened as she watched Zell's feet intricately weave through Quistis's legs, and vice versa, and the sensual sways and dips of hips.
Despite the tango being such an intimate and erotic dance, the dancing pair laughed and snickered, making the movements appear platonic and methodical. Zell turned Quistis around and gripped her by the hips, lifting her into the air and slowly spinning around. Her arms spread out to either side and she dipped her head back, her ponytail draping over Zell's spikes.
The crowd that gathered around them laughed and cheered, completely in awe of their movements. Zell dropped Quistis down into his arms, sending her a wink as she slithered around his body so her leg extended onto the floor.
After a theatric backflip that earned a few gasps from the crowd, Zell held out his hand and Quistis leapt into him, instantly and easily then lifted into the air as if she weighed nothing. The song ended and even the DJ gave them a shoutout before starting the next song.
"Alright, let's hear it for our two dancing machines—Zell Dincht and Quistis Trepe from Absolute Lore—who are gracing us with their presence tonight!"
Zell lowered Quistis to her feet and they clasped hands as they took their theatric bows. Zell lifted his head and practically roared with laughter as he blew kisses into the crowd. "Thank you, thank you!" he bellowed over the cheering.
"Where did you learn to dance like that?" Rinoa gasped as the four of them veered back to the booth for a breather.
Zell laughed and took a long swallow from his beer. "Ma insisted on dance lessons," he said. "I gotta say, it definitely helped with my boxing!" He gave a few quick jabs in the air while his feet danced around Rinoa. "All that fancy footwork!"
"And I've always loved to dance," said Quistis. "Never really took 'official' lessons…I just practiced a lot in my apartment." Her lips twisted as she thought and then gave a nonchalant shrug. "My downstairs neighbors probably hate me but they've never said anything."
Squall took a sip from his drink and glanced at Irvine out of the corner of his eye. "You ok with leaving her behind?" he asked, nodding at Selphie who was giggling as Quistis twirled her around and around.
Irvine looked over to the petite brunette and his heart warmed at the sight of her smile. His lashes lowered for a moment at the thought of leaving her behind. Rather than answering, he turned to Squall and countered, "Are you?"
Squall followed Irvine's line of vision and saw that it landed on Rinoa being lifted into the air by Zell. His jaw clenched as he watched her throw her head back and laugh. Even though he was not in range, he could hear the tinkling ringing of her laughter in his mind. For a brief moment he was angry that he would not be able to bear witness to that laughter for the next few months. "Rinoa and I are not an item," he said. "It's a different situation than it is with you and Selphie."
"Sure it is, Leonhart," Irvine scoffed, throwing back his head and swallowing the remainder of his drink. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and settled the empty glass onto the bar. "Have you told her when we're leaving?"
Squall glanced down at the ice that clinked together in his glass. "No. I told my work."
"How'd they react?"
"Surprisingly well. I'm not the only physical therapist so it's not like I'm leaving Kadowaki short-staffed."
Irvine gave a gruff laugh. "That's good. Pretty sure I got fired. But…eh." He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not like I'm hurting too bad for money thanks to that settlement I got from the accident at my old job."
"Yeah you'd be pretty fucked if you didn't get that."
"You're telling me!" Irvine turned his head and grinned when he saw Selphie motioning for him to come join her. "The lady calls," he said, giving Squall a salute before departing from the bar. "You better tell Rinoa!"
"Tell me what?"
Squall jerked his head around and saw Rinoa leaning against the bar, trying to get the bartender's attention. "He wears extensions," he answered quickly.
Rinoa opened her mouth and then shut it, not entirely sure how to respond. "Okie dokie," was what she came up with. She snagged the bartender over and ordered some water. "What are you drinking?" she asked, her eyes glancing at the glass in Squall's hands.
"It was supposed to be a Jack and Coke but…" He twisted his lips, unamused. "I'm pretty sure they forgot to add the Jack."
Rinoa took the glass from his fingers and took a sip, her brows furrowing when the taste touched her tongue. "It's very weak," she agreed. "I'm wondering if it was made by the same bartender that made Selphie's drink. It was supposed to be a Pina Colada but I'm pretty sure it was just a smoothie."
As Rinoa climbed into Selphie's Bug, she straightened out her skirt and strapped herself in. "Well, that's exciting!" she said. "I bet they are so pumped to be planning their tour!"
Selphie softly sighed as she smiled, inserting her key into the ignition. "Yeah," she murmured. "I'm so ecstatic for them but I know I'm going to miss Irvine terribly."
Rinoa gave her friend a supportive pat to the shoulder. "I bet. But…with all the technology you'll be able to talk all the time! I mean, it's not much but at least it's something, right?"
"Oh yes, absolutely. I'm just going to miss being able to roll over and cuddle with him." Selphie pouted and gave Rinoa the biggest and saddest eyes she could put on without breaking into laughter. "Tomorrow is going to be my last night sleeping in the same bed with him!"
Rinoa frowned. "Huh?"
Selphie's expression quickly snapped to concern. Her brows knitted into a frown as she stared at the blank appearance on Rinoa's face. "Didn't Squall tell you?" she asked quietly. "They're leaving the day after tomorrow."
"Carry on Wayward Son" music and lyrics by Kansas
"Shut up and Dance with Me" music and lyrics by Walk the Moon
"Temperature" by Sean Paul
