A/N: Hello readers! As always, thank you so much for the reviews and new favorites and alerts. Hope you enjoy this one... =)
As Rinoa entered her apartment she dropped her keys noisily onto the kitchen counter. They were leaving the day after tomorrow. Her heart nearly sank. Why didn't he tell her? Why wouldn't he tell her? She kicked off her shoes and placed them by the door, her fingers twirling within her hair as she thought back to his actions towards her at the hospital. "Why can't I figure you out?" she muttered.
He had kissed her so sweetly in the elevator, danced with her even though he claimed he "did not dance," held her so tightly during those dancing steps…and yet he would hardly look her in the eye when she asked when he was leaving.
His only reply was "soon" and yet he would not clarify on how exactly soon it would be.
She looked at her phone and for a brief second she had half a mind to call him or at the very least text him to ask him why. Her fingers skimmed over his name and opened up a new message. But as her thumb hovered over the keyboard she could not bring herself to start typing.
"He's not mine," she whispered to herself. "He's no reason to explain his actions."
With a heavy sigh she slumped her way into the bedroom and peeled off her clothes. She dropped her phone onto her dresser and climbed beneath the covers. "I'll call him tomorrow," she promised herself. "And all I will say is congratulations on the tour…the rest is up to him."
Asshole…
"You're a fucking idiot. You know that, right?"
Squall glared at Zell through the smoke lifting up from the cigarette. "Fuck off," he growled, heated smoke seeping through his lips.
Zell shook his head and greedily drank from the beer bottle he had swiped from Squall's fridge. "You're pissed because you know it's true," he said. "You're pissed because it should be Rinoa here at your apartment and not me." He leaned against the railing and watched a man in his late thirties drunkenly shuffle his way into the building across from Squall's. "You're pissed because you know I'm right. You're also more pissed at yourself since you're the one who got yourself into this mess and you don't know how to fix it."
"Drop it," Squall warned.
Zell turned and gave Squall the finger. "Why?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell her? And don't give me that bullshit answer I know you're trying to form in your mind that since you two are not a couple that you didn't have to. It's a fucking curtesy more than anything. Rinoa is our friend. She is now your friend. Whether you two want to make something more out of it is between you, but you could have had the common decency—the fucking balls—to tell her that you were leaving."
When Squall didn't answer after a few moments Zell continued.
"I understand it probably isn't best to start a new relationship right before going on tour but it's still pretty fucked that you didn't even tell her." Zell polished off the rest of his beer and let out a loud and vibrating belch. He cleared his throat and patted his stomach. "You're calling her tomorrow," he said. Before Squall could utter a word, Zell held out his hand. "Nope. Don't even try to argue. You. Are. Calling. Her." Zell pulled open the slider and stepped inside. "I saw the look on her face when she was in the car with Selphie—she knows." He cocked his chin as he watched Squall glance away and gather his thoughts. "Oh yeah. She knows. And if you don't fucking call her tomorrow then you can kiss any chance you have with her goodbye."
The next morning...
"Rinoa!" Artemis gasped. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so early."
"It's only eleven," Rinoa said. "It's not that early."
Artemis glanced down at the watch around her wrist and shrugged. "True…but I thought that…" she trailed off when she saw Rinoa fidget with her fingers. "Everything ok, kiddo?"
Rinoa only nodded. "Yep. I don't really have anything planned today so I thought I'd come by the hospital anyway and see how Caraway's tests are doing." Selphie had texted her a few hours prior, letting her know that she'd be with Irvine and the others to help them prepare for the tour. She mentioned that it'd be an all-day affair—packing, getting keys for each apartment so she could collect mail, contract signing, all that. Selphie had insisted that Rinoa come join her, even threw in that Rinoa could smack around Squall for being such a dick, but Rinoa declined and said that she had to go to the hospital. After that, Rinoa had received a text from Quistis inviting her to a farewell breakfast for the next morning. Rinoa had yet to respond to that one.
Her mind wandered to the phone that rested in her purse. Aside from the messages from Selphie and Quistis it had been completely silent.
It was the beginning of a new month, April had come and went so fast. Rather than feel sorry for herself and wallow in sadness due to the thought that the hot drummer did not have the decency to say goodbye to her, Rinoa moved forward. Earlier that morning she had called up Zone and they made plans to start furnishing the new studio before the week was over. Originally she had planned on "starting" at her new job once all the hard labor was conveniently over. Her sudden desire to be a part of setting up the new studio had struck a chord with Zone and he unleashed a wave of questions she had no intention of answering.
Artemis closed the door behind her and kept Rinoa in the hallway. "Sweetheart," she whispered. "Are you sure you're alright? You look upset."
Rinoa put on a smile and simply shrugged her shoulders. "It's nothing major," she assured. "I just found out my friends are leaving soon and obviously one of them couldn't be bothered to tell me."
"Ah," Artemis nodded, her hand gently squeezing Rinoa's arm. "Does this have something to do with a certain scarred brunette with resting asshole face?"
Rinoa fully laughed at the brief description. "Yeah," she said. "Technically he still hasn't told me yet. I found out from someone else."
Artemis nodded again, her eyes twinkling. "Yes, he told his sister this morning. He told the hospital and his boss yesterday while he was here but he didn't even tell his own sister until this morning—in a text, mind you."
"Why is he such an asshole?" Rinoa accidentally slipped out. Her lips clamped shut after the words tumbled out and she blushed. "I mean…manners and such…"
Artemis laughed and gave Rinoa another squeeze. "I've only known Squall personally for about a year since he started working here, but I've known his sister for nearly five, and she has said that he's always been that way. He's just not good with goodbyes." Artemis sighed and turned back towards the door. "When they were younger, he had gone through many instances of abandonment due to changes in foster families and all that…he's always hated the word 'goodbye.' I know it doesn't excuse his actions but…" She shrugged again and led Rinoa into Caraway's room.
Squall wiped at the sweat that formed over his brow. He had just finished stacking the amps into the trailer and he was gauging how much room was left.
"Is everything going to fit?" Selphie asked, peering into the back.
"It should," he answered, pulling his cigarette pack from his pocket. He glanced down at Selphie and saw that she was narrowing her eyes at him. Even though he knew perfectly well why she was giving him that look, he still curled his lip into a snarl and lit his cigarette. "What?" he snapped through his teeth.
Selphie scoffed lifted her chin at him. "It's like almost three," she commented. "You've been working really hard. You should go take a break." Her words were short and choppy while she stared at him with hard and judgmental eyes. "Get some water. Take a shit. Make a phone call. You know, what have you."
Before Squall could say anything, Selphie turned on her heel and walked away.
His hand reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. His thumb glided over the screen until he reached Rinoa's name.
S.L: Hey
R.H: Hi.
Squall winced at the little period. For some reason it looked so intimidating and vocal about her annoyance with him.
S.L: What are you doing?
R.H: At the hospital. Caraway's having some tests done so I'm just hanging out.
S.L: How's he doing?
R.H: Pretty well. I think that they're doing all the regular annual check-up tests since they have him here. Not sure if I'm taking him home today though.
S.L: Can I call you later?
R.H: You have my number you can call me any time.
Rinoa tucked away her phone. Squall said that he would call her later tonight and promised that he wouldn't be too late. Her eyes lifted back to the screen of her laptop. She had brought it with her so she had something to do while she waited for Caraway. In her lap was the tablet she sometimes used to edit her photos. Since she wasn't working on her computer at home, she brought her mobile devices so she could edit a few photos to put on Absolute Lore's website. Even though she was annoyed at the handsome face that looked up at her from the tablet, she still had a job to do.
With her tablet pen she drew on Squall's face. Her lips scrunched into a smothered grin as she doodled a curly moustache upon his lip, a pointed goatee, and drew over his piercing blue eyes so that they appeared cross-eyed. She added more: a tongue peeking through those lips, and even stink lines bordering his face.
Laughing at her masterpiece, Rinoa saved the image. Of course she'd never post it, but she knew she could never get rid of it.
The door opened and a tall male nurse stepped in through the threshold. He gave Rinoa a polite nod and turned back to grip the handles of the wheelchair that was behind him. The nurse wheeled Caraway into the room and helped him stand.
"How'd the tests go?" Rinoa asked, sliding the tablet back into her laptop bag.
"Very well," said the nurse. "They want to keep him for a few days only to keep an eye on the head wound."
Caraway gave a gruff laugh and made his way to the bathroom. "Apparently my body is rejecting the stitches."
"Is it an infection?" Rinoa asked.
The male nurse shook his head. "A very mild one, if that," he answered. "They've given Caraway some antibiotics to take care of it. They just want to make sure it doesn't get to a severe infection."
"Understandable," nodded Rinoa. "Though I'm sure he's not too happy about it."
"Oh, he was hoping to return to work within the next few days," said the nurse. "The doctor has not yet reached a verdict on when he can return to work. There doesn't appear to be any brain damage, so that's good. Right now it seems we're just waiting to see how the gash heals."
"Great. Thank you."
Rinoa watched as Caraway exited the bathroom and reluctantly made his way back to the bed. "Come on," she called, motioning for him to get under the covers. "Are you hungry? I'll order some lunch."
Caraway practically dropped himself onto the bed and groaned. "I'm sick of this hospital food," he muttered. He turned to Rinoa and frowned. "Pizza," he demanded. "For God's sake, give me pizza."
"What kind?" Rinoa laughed.
"The greasiest, meatiest, cheesiest one available." he said. "I want everything on it: Peppers, sausage, onions, pepperoni, olives, bacon, mushrooms…"
"Alright! I get it!" Rinoa shouted as she reached for her phone.
"Shit! Is it that late already?"
Zell's comment caused Squall to hurriedly look at his phone. "Fuck!"
Such an outburst from him was so uncommon that even Zell jumped at the noise. Everyone stilled as they watched Squall lift from his seat and exit through the slider door. He firmly shut it behind him and brought the phone to his ear.
Quistis let out a low whistle and looked over to Selphie who was nodding smugly. "It's about damn time," she said.
"I hope she doesn't go too easy on him," replied Selphie.
Squall lowered himself down into the patio chair and waited impatiently. When had it gotten so late? The trailer was packed with their instruments and gear and cables. The black van they would be driving across the country was filled with their clothes and blankets and snack food. He had already spoken with Ellone and stopped at her place to hand her his spare keys to his apartment. She gave him a quick hug and promised she'd keep an eye on his place and pick up his mail. The contracts were signed and notarized, Cid and Edea had filtered through the budgets and made it work. It'd be a tight stretch, but it was doable.
Between the packing, paperwork, grabbing quick bites to eat, it had somehow managed to become eleven-o-five when Squall was finally able to sit down in peace.
He pulled a cigarette to his lips and nearly bit down into it when she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey—sorry, I didn't realize it was so late already."
"It's fine," she said. "I'm sure you were doing something important."
Rinoa wasn't sure if she should go into full bitch mode or remain calm and casual. She glanced at the numbers at the bottom of her computer screen. "I was just editing some photos from your show on Saturday."
"Oh yeah? How are they looking?"
"Sublime, as usual. Has Irvine modeled before? He's like, freakishly comfortable in front of the camera."
"I think I heard a rumor of him modeling for those underwear ads," Squall shrugged. "You know, the one where they roll a sock into the front."
Before she could stop herself, Rinoa let out a sputtered laugh. Oh how attractive, she berated herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Somehow I wouldn't be surprised," she said. "What's up?"
"We're leaving tomorrow," Squall told her. "For the tour."
For a fraction of a second Rinoa felt a small twinge within her heart at the words. "Yes, I heard!" she said eagerly, her smile tight as she forced it to remain on her face. "Congratulations. I bet you guys are beyond excited—you're making it happen!"
Squall softly laughed and rested his cheek against his fist. "Yeah…it's a bit surreal."
Rinoa smiled and coiled a strand of hair around her finger. She was so happy for them, so excited, so proud. She had only just met them all but she felt such a strong connection with them—Squall mostly. Another small twinge made her wince. She was still upset that he hadn't told her…but she didn't want to ruin the moment. She quickly brushed it aside and put on her happy voice. "I'm so happy for you, Squall," she murmured. "I wish you guys the best of luck and I'll see you when you get back." She clamped her lips together and swallowed. There. She said it. She made it sound so final, so short and terse. She made it sound as if it hadn't bothered her in the least when obviously it really, really, bothered her.
Squall's fingers clenched around the phone at the formality of her words. Don't do this, he thought. She's saying goodbye, don't make it worse. You fucked it up. "I…want to see you," he said. Instantly he closed his eyes tightly.
"Really?"
His eyes opened and he felt a tingling surge of warmth race up his spine at the sudden upbeat tone in her response. Did she think he was just going to leave without so much as a goodbye? Of course she did, he told himself. Because that's what you were trying to do. "Yes," he said despite his inner turmoil with himself. "I'm leaving Irvine's right now, everything's packed up and ready to go. All I have left to do is—" You. "—to see you."
Her heart fluttered at the thought. "Ok, what'd you want to do? Did you want to get something to eat or…?" She glanced over to her clock and winced. It was just barely eleven, practically everything would be closed.
"I'm not really hungry—" For food, anyway. "—How about I pick up a six pack and you and I can go for a drive?"
"Sounds good. Anywhere in particular?"
"Not really…" He started to stand when a thought hit him. "I do know this one place. You can really see the stars."
Rinoa pressed her lips together. So, he liked to stargaze? "Ok," she agreed. "That sounds perfect. I'll see you in a few?"
"Yeah, it won't take me too long to pick up the beer and come get you. We should get to the point just after midnight, if that's not too late for you."
Nothing was considered too late if it meant she got to see him. "Not at all," she laughed. "What time are you guys leaving?"
"Eleven-thirty," he answered
"Should you be staying out so late? I mean, Quistis invited me to breakfast with you guys right before you take off…so if you wanted to call it an early night I totally understand—"
"I want to see you," he said again quickly, his jaw clenching at how the words had rushed out of him. "I mean…breakfast too. With all of us together." He felt his ears burning as he spoke. "But…I want to spend time with just you before then."
Rinoa softly brushed her lips at his clumsy admission. "Ok," she said. "You'll see me."
"Great."
"I'll see you soon. I'll leave the door unlocked so just walk in." They hung up and she tossed her phone onto her bed. "Just after midnight, huh?" she murmured to herself, her lips turning into a lustful smirk. "Nothing good comes after midnight." She quickly stripped herself from her clothes and rummaged through her closet.
Squall knocked and gently pushed open the door. "Rinoa? It's Squall."
"Alright," Rinoa called. "I'm coming I'm coming!" She emerged from the hallway, swiping at the stray hairs that decided to be stubborn and stick to her cheek.
"We're in no rush—" Squall began, his words turning into a throaty grunt when he turned and looked at her. She was in a simple black sundress that flared out over her hips and a light blue bolero cardigan. So simple, so minimal and yet she looked so put together and stunning. He watched her slip on the white flip flops she'd had posted by the front door.
She caught him staring and bashfully tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Like my dress?" she asked.
All he could do was smile while she shyly stood before him. She looked like a present, perfectly swathed in soft ribbons of cotton, waiting, begging, to be unwrapped. "Yes," he responded breathlessly. "Yes, I do."
Her smile grew wider and she took a step closer to him, her fingers gingerly stroking over the top of his hand. "Good," she said. "Are you hungry? Did you want to get something to eat before we go? I think I may have some snacks…"
His arm came around her and he started to lean in.
"Nope." Rinoa placed her palm against his lips and held her ground.
He paused, his eyes searching the blank slate she displayed as her face. He could only blink and stare when she stepped out of his embrace and crossed her arms over her chest and steadily kept his gaze.
"Before anything happens tonight," she said, her brow arching as she spoke. "When were you planning on telling me that you were leaving tomorrow? Because honestly, that's a pretty shitty thing to do. I thought we were friends."
"Friends," he repeated. Slowly he tilted his head to the side and couldn't help but smirk. "Is that what we are?"
Rinoa pursed her lips as she resisted the urge to shove at his shoulder. Friends who make out and put their hands down each other's pants, she thought. "I'll be honest with you," she told him. "I'm not ready to talk about what we are or what we may be or could be, not tonight, not when you're leaving in…" She looked over to the glowing numbers of her microwave. "…in less than twelve hours. But what I will say? Is that tonight is what I have with you and it is going to have to hold me over until the next time we meet."
The silence that formed between them was surprisingly comfortable. Despite the strong and solid face that Rinoa was displaying, with each passing second Squall was able to see the cracks in the walls she tried putting up. Slowly he reached for her hand and softly smiled when she let him take it.
"I feel the same," he said. "I'm sorry, I know I should have told you. I've been hearing lectures all day about my conducts involving women. I'm not good with goodbyes…"
"You keep saying 'goodbye' as if you'll never see me again. The tour is only going on for a few more months. You really have no excuse for not telling me." She squeezed his hand and traced her fingers over the veins of his wrist. She twisted her lips and glanced away. "I mean...were you just planning on just disappearing without even letting me know?"
Squall swallowed and felt his heart wrench at the pain within Rinoa's eyes. "I wasn't trying to hurt you," he promised. "I just...I didn't want to say goodbye to you."
"Again, you keep saying 'goodbye' like it's going to be forever." Rinoa sighed and looked him directly in the eye. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you get back. If I'm not it's only because I'm most likely working a destination shoot. This isn't 'goodbye' for me, Squall, this is more of a 'see you later.' You'll be back soon."
Squall sighed and gently caressed his thumb over the ridges of her knuckles. "I know," he murmured. "I'm not entirely sure what is going on with us other than I really enjoy your company. If you'd like, we can discuss this more when I get back."
"I'd like that," she said, curling her fingers around his.
He leaned in again to kiss her forehead and she quickly pinched his stomach.
"You're still a dick," she muttered.
"Yeah, I know."
It truly was a beautiful night. The sky was so clear and black that the stars shone like diamonds. The drive was calm and serene. Squall had taken the top down from his Jeep and they both enjoyed the night breeze filtering through the car. The roads were practically empty as if they were meant only for Squall and Rinoa's use.
Squall had driven them down past the main road of the beach and into near seclusion. It wasn't quite a cliffside, but it was an isolated ledge that was known only to a few people. He was glad that no one else was around. Normally teenagers would search for areas like this on the weekends to drink. He supposed that was the perk of driving around with Rinoa on a weekday, hardly anyone would be out.
"It's beautiful up here," Rinoa said, her eyes wistfully staring out into the night sky and its glittering stars. "The stars are so bright up…you can actually see them."
"Yeah," he murmured, reaching behind Rinoa's seat and grabbing two bottles. He popped off the top of one and handed it to her. She waited until he removed his own cap and they softly clinked the bottles together.
"Here's to your tour," Rinoa said, slowly sipping as she trained her eyes back towards the sky.
Squall swallowed a few gulps and set the bottle down. "Yeah." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stared out in front of him. The ledge didn't offer much of a view during the night, but he could see the nearly full moon reflecting off of the surface of the ocean, ribbons of pearl shimmying across inky black.
"You need to shut the fuck up, seriously," Rinoa retorted.
He looked over at her in shock at the sudden hostility in her voice, but when he saw that she was struggling to hold in a laugh, he smiled fully. "Sorry," he told her. "Just a lot on my mind." He continued to drink his beer.
"I bet," Rinoa agreed, her fingernails lightly dancing over the glass.
"I used to come out here a lot," Squall was saying, his eyes gazing upwards. "Especially after I had joined SEED and had free time off of the base. It's always been a place for me to go to when I just wanted to clear my head, relax, and just think."
Rinoa smiled as she listened to him talk. Even though he had already told her, she still couldn't believe that he had been part of the Balamb faction of SEED. She had heard about the prestigious military school from her father even while she was in high school, but she had never come across a student before until she had met Squall.
"What are you thinking about now?" she asked.
"Truth?" he asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.
She exhaled a soft laugh and leaned against the headrest. "Truth," she said.
Squall poured out the remaining foam from his bottle and stuck it back into the empty slot of the cardboard carrier. He looked over to Rinoa, who was already biting her bottom lip in anticipation. He reached for her, his fingertips lightly grazing over the thin flesh of her wrist.
She leaned over the center console and pressed her lips against his. Instantly a tiny moan rose from her at the plush contact. Suddenly it was as if that small, barely audible noise had ignited the tension that had been building between them. Squall was pulling at her and she was climbing over the console to straddle him.
The hem of her sundress rode high over her thighs, just now barely covering the junction between those long legs of hers. Her thighs clenched, holding his legs hostage beneath her. His tongue plunged between her lips, desperately seeking dominance. While the kiss deepened his hand fumbled down the side of his seat and worked the lever to lay the seat flat. With the extra weight pressed against it, the seat fell backward faster than they both had anticipated.
Rinoa let out a gasp as she suddenly found herself practically laying on top of Squall, though of course she didn't mind. They both chuckled for a moment, her fingers finding their way to thread through his hair while his fingers possessively pressed into her hips.
Her heart thundered in anticipation and she sucked on his bottom lip. His arms clenched around her waist and held her so tightly against him. A small grunt escaped through his mouth as she rolled her hips into his. Waves of desire trembled between them, their breaths low and shaky as they pulled apart.
Squall lifted his fingers to his mouth, his tongue darting out to wet the digits. Rinoa leaned in and licked up the length of his two fingers. He groaned and removed his hand, greedily taking her mouth. His hand slipped beneath the hem of her dress and searched for her panties. He stilled, his eyes widening when his fingers found nothing but warm, bare skin. "Did you not wear any panties tonight?" he asked, his voice turning husky.
Rinoa licked her lips and shook her head. "I thought they'd get in the way," she answered, just barely over a whisper.
His breath came faster at her admittance and with his free hand he clutched her even closer to him, his wet fingers gliding over her slick folds. She released a sharp moan, her body tensing as his fingers stroked and played.
Shakily her hands reached for his belt. She released the buckle and worked the zipper. With his hand still beneath her dress he lifted his hips so she could shimmy his pants and boxers down to mid-thigh. Despite the awkward position and cramped space they managed not to break their kiss for too long. Rinoa lowered herself back down, her heart thundering as her bare thighs were now in contact with his, flesh on flesh rather than flesh on jeans. He felt so warm, so deliciously heated.
Now that she was closer and not hovering over him, he sank his fingers into her. Her mouth dropped open as she cried out, panting and breathing into him. He caught her plump bottom lip between his teeth and pumped his fingers into her, his other arm a strong circlet around her waist. "Fuck," he groaned into her mouth. "You are so wet."
All Rinoa could do was nod, her eyes screwing tightly as waves of electricity shot through her body with every direct thrust of his hand. With each pump his knuckles teasingly kissed the tender bud of nerves between her legs. Her hand reached between them and she clutched his length. A soft moan came from her when she discovered how hard he was. With her previous experiences, she found that she still had to work them a little before the act finally came into play. But Squall was ready. He was thick and long and ready for her. She squeezed him and ran her thumb over the sensitive tip, a smug grin playing across her lips when he threw his head back and grunted. She watched the cords of his throat pulse and tighten as he lay back and enjoyed the feel of her hand stroking up and down his length. She leaned forward a bit and traced his throat with the sharp tip of her tongue.
"Fuck," he panted. He lifted his head and thrust his tongue into her mouth. "Condom," he said between kisses.
"Where?" she returned, speaking around his tongue.
"Center console."
Rinoa pulled away from his kiss, straightening her spine as she lifted open the center console. She found the crisp silver packet and she began to tear it open. Squall's hand roamed over her front and squeezed her breast. He smiled when he noticed she was having trouble with the packet. Gently he took it from her and quickly had the condom out and rolled over his shaft.
With his hands beneath her dress and gripping her bare hips, he locked eyes with her as she lowered herself onto him. His heart pounded madly as he listened to the sharp gasp that escaped from her pink lips, watched as the hollow of her throat deepened as her breathing changed. He shifted, sat up a little and placed sweet kisses along her collarbone as he waited for her body to adjust to him.
She whimpered, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip as she took him further and further into her. Her fingers clutched at the front of his shirt.
His hand cupped the base of her skull and he nipped at her neck. "Are you ok?" he asked between bites. She couldn't answer with words, only nodded and tried to move her hips. Squall took her chin between his fingers and pulled her mouth to his. "Just go slow," he whispered to her.
Rinoa sighed into him, her body slowly loosening and attuning to his size. Her tongue poked out and ran over her teeth as she slowly began to move. With each roll of her hips a white hot shock ran through her nerves. She slanted her mouth over his and sucked on his lip.
Squall reached behind her and tore at her cardigan, tossing it somewhere into the backseat. Reluctantly he pulled away from that tantalizing mouth of hers, his lips planting burning kisses along her collarbone. He pinched the skinny strap of her dress between his teeth and pulled it down the slope of her shoulder. His tongue traced over the tops of her breasts.
Together they rocked and moaned into each other. Rinoa's arms surrounded the back of his head and clutched him to her. His hand snaked between their bodies and pulled at the neckline of her dress, pulling it downward to expose her breast. Rinoa cried out when his lips closed over her nipple.
"Oh fuck!" She clamped a palm over her mouth as he suckled. Her sensations went haywire and she rocked her hips harder. She clawed at the back of his shirt and Squall pulled away so he could yank the damn article over his head. Rinoa was slightly disappointed when she saw that he wore a tight black undershirt beneath it, but her mouth watered when she saw that the undershirt exposed his toned and muscular arms. Her fingers ran over his chest, pausing just over his right nipple. Beneath the ribbed fabric she felt the hard metal hoop.
Squall yanked her against his chest, his hips thrusting upward into her. His mouth closed over hers and silenced the guttural and nearly animalistic moans that erupted between them. He came with a deep growl and bit down onto the sensitive part where her neck met her shoulder.
Rinoa wilted against him, her breasts rising and falling from the heavy breathing. She tilted her head backwards as she tried to catch her breath. The stars seemed to glow even brighter, the waxing moon was a stark white globe against the inky sky. Squall lifted his head, his eyes following Rinoa's lead and staring off into the inky black sky that loomed over them.
"Beautiful," he murmured.
"It is, isn't it?" she panted. "Oh!"
A fiery streak blazed across the sky, so quick and so lightning fast that it very easily could have been missed. Rinoa looked down with wide and excited eyes. "Did you see it?" she whispered.
Squall was smiling up at her. "Yeah. Did you make a wish?"
Her expression immediately changed to worried. "No…is it too late now?"
"Nah. Make a wish."
Rinoa had no idea what the wish for. She looked back up to the sky. I wish…um, I wish… She looked back down at Squall who was still staring at the stars. Rinoa lightly tapped him on the nose and giggled when he flinched, his eyes searching for hers and then grinning. I wish for your wish to come true, Squall. She couldn't think of anything else.
"Did you make a wish?" he asked.
"Yep. Did you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah. It was pretty generic though."
"Sometimes those are the best kind."
She shivered and Squall reached behind them to pick up his discarded shirt. "Here," he said, offering it to her.
"Won't you be cold?"
"Nah," he shrugged. "I'd rather you be warm."
Rinoa shyly smiled and pulled the shirt over her head. "Thanks."
Squall leaned back to allow her more room to adjust herself. As she held herself up above him, he reached down and pulled up his pants and buckled his belt. She balanced her palms against the door of the car and his shoulder as she twisted her legs between them and maneuvered herself so she was laying with her back against his chest. Once she made herself comfortable, his right arm laced around her middle and his cheek brushed against the side of her face. He reached into the side panel of the door and brought up his cigarettes. "Did you want to head back?" he asked her.
Rinoa tilted her head to the side, her eyes gazing skyward as she listened to his movements. The way his voice muffled around the cigarette, the sharp click of the lighter, and the sizzling hiss of the flame meeting paper…she wanted to memorize it all. "Nah," she said. "I mean, if you wanted to, it's ok, I know you have an early day tomorrow."
She felt the soft shake of his head. "That's what coffee is for," he told her. "I'd rather be here with you than sleeping in my bed."
Rinoa turned her head so that her lips just barely brushed his nose. "Are you saying I'm more important than sleep?"
He responded with a light chuckle and took a long hit off his cigarette. "At the moment," he said.
Rinoa inwardly squealed at the confession. She turned her gaze back to the sky and softly let out a breath. "I can't believe I saw a shooting star…" she murmured.
"You've never seen one before?"
She shook her head. "No, that was the first one I've seen with my own eyes. I've seen photographs and videos…but never one in person."
"I've seen countless," Squall said. "Most of them in this area too, since it's far from the city lights and you can actually see the stars." He finished his cigarette and tossed it out the side. "Back in Garden too," he added.
"Did you do a lot of stargazing while on base?"
"Garden had this observatory deck above the training center. It was off limits after curfew but I hardly had trouble sneaking out to it."
Rinoa scoffed. "So naughty."
Squall squeezed her and nipped at her earlobe. "I actually just wanted to see the stars," he admitted. "Since Garden is co-ed there had been some instances of students using the observatory deck for other purposes…but I was never part of that."
"Sure you weren't."
"I'm serious. Girls never approached me." His lips curved into a smirk. "They always complained that I was an asshole."
Rinoa let out a breathy laugh. "I just can't imagine why!" Her eyes scanned over the stars again and she felt her heart sing when Squall nuzzled against the slope of her shoulder. "Squall?"
"Hmm?"
"When you get back from tour…can we go see the stars again?"
Squall lifted his hand and gently cupped her chin and turned her face towards him. "Any time you want," he whispered before claiming her lips.
