A/N: Hello readers! As always, thanks for reading/reviewing/new favorites/alerts!
About a week had gone by and the bands found themselves in another hotel. Zell and Fujin had seemingly been graced by Lady Luck, hitting yet another casino and winning a great sum. Together they pooled their winnings and decided that Djin Theory and Absolute Lore would share three hotel rooms. The girls—naturally—had their own rooms, whereas the remaining three boys of each band shared the other two rooms.
At the moment, Fujin and Squall were in Djin Theory's room with Esteban. Hans had gone out with some of the guys from the other bands to try his own luck at the casinos. Zell had gone with Eli, Doomtrain's guitarist, to watch a fighting match that was currently being held in the casino.
Quistis entered Djin Theory's room and immediately zoned in on Squall who was watching a video with minimal interest on Esteban's phone. She tried not to laugh at Squall's bored expression. Her eyes then lifted to where Fujin sat behind him on the back rest of the couch, her eye also focused on the screen in Esteban's hand while she slowly sipped from what appeared to be a raspberry slushie.
"Hey Squall," Quistis called joyfully, swirling her tongue around the giant cherry flavored lollipop she had bought from the hotel's gift shop.
His stormy blue eyes lifted to meet hers and instantly pleaded, Help me.
"Irvine's video-chatting with Selphie," Quistis said.
He frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "Good for him."
Quistis cocked her head and sent him a slight grin, snagging his interest. "She's having a girl's night," she added.
Squall fluidly stood to his feet, causing Fujin to nearly fall forward with a surprised yelp. Without a word Squall left the hotel room and walked down the hall to reach the other room that was reserved for the remaining three members of Absolute Lore. Rather than pulling out his key card, he simply knocked on the door and was instantly greeted with Irvine's grinning face.
"Just in time," he said quietly, waving him in.
"Is that Squall?"
Irvine shut the door after Squall walked through. "Yep." He led Squall to the laptop where he was greeted with a large window filled with Selphie's beaming face.
"Hi Squall!" Selphie chirped. "How's it going?"
He rested his hands against the table and gave her a slight nod. "Pretty good. We're playing at a theatre tomorrow night in Trabia, so that will be interesting."
"That's what Irvine was saying! He said you guys were playing at a lot theatres rather than standing room venues. That's pretty cool!" Selphie turned to look behind her and she giggled. "Oh, hang on, apparently someone wants to say hi although I can't imagine for the life of me understand why!"
She moved aside and soon the screen was filled with Rinoa's face.
Squall sucked in a breath as he saw that she was in a simple zebra-printed romper and her hair was piled on top of her head. The thin strap slowly fell over her shoulder and with an intense glare he watched her lithe fingers slowly pull it back into place. "Hey," he said with a grin, slowly sitting down in the chair that Irvine had been using.
Rinoa smiled at him and waved, her nose scrunching as she tried not to laugh. "Excuse my dress," she said. "I spilled soda on my pants so I figured I would just get into my pajamas already. We've been having a lot of sleepovers since you guys left. Apparently Selphie hates sleeping alone."
Irvine popped in for a quick moment and waved at her. "Sorry, my bad," he said. "If she doesn't have something to cuddle in her sleep then she won't sleep at all. Then she gets cranky and we all know that that's just unbearable."
"Hey!" came Selphie's voice from the background.
Rinoa laughed and turned her head off screen to say something to Selphie. "She's not that bad," she said. "Although she definitely likes to snuggle. It can get a bit smothering."
"Wait—really? You guys snuggle? Is there photographic evidence that you could possibly send me? For scientific reasons, of course." Irvine shot Rinoa a debonair grin while she rolled her eyes and produced a twisted smirk.
Squall rolled his eyes and shoved Irvine away. "Irvine has to go now."
"But…I wanna see Rinoa in her pajamas," Irvine whispered.
With a devilish smile the cowboy relished the heated look shot in his direction by Squall. He managed to smother the cackle that wanted to erupt and instead drank in the sight of Squall becoming possessive. Rinoa, on the other hand, had no idea about the comment or the bloodbath that might have ensued because she was looking away and listening to something that Selphie was saying.
Squall nearly rose from his seat and finally, Irvine did laugh out loud.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Irvine held up his hands in surrender. "Peace, bro, peace." His eyes glanced over to see where Rinoa still had her face turned away from the camera. "Man…you've fallen so hard you're on the other side of the world." He snapped his fingers into the shape of guns and sent Squall a quick wink before exiting the room.
Squall said nothing. What was there to say? He turned back in his seat and found Rinoa still looking away. There was no lie in the cowboy's words. Every day Squall found that Rinoa somehow managed to sneak her way into his thoughts. He would find himself reminiscing not just of that spectacular and heated night in his Jeep the night before he left…but he would think about the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, the way she got excited about food, and how passionate she would get when it came to her photography. His heartstrings would tug whenever he thought about the look of fear on her face when she found out her father was in the hospital, the emotion of disappointment when she discovered it was because of alcohol and the all too familiar sigh that revealed she was used to it.
He thought about that cabin in the woods he wanted to build when he would eventually retire…and the possibility that Rinoa might one day join him. After a moment she swivled in her seat and he was finally staring into those pixelated chocolate brown eyes of hers.
Her smile grew wide. "Hi," she said softly.
"Hey."
"Selphie's heading into the shower."
"Irvine just left."
Rinoa let out a sigh and her shoulders dropped a little. "So…it's just us then."
"Yeah."
Rinoa smiled, her lashes lowering and her fingers softly brushing over her bottom lip. "How's the tour going? You've played…what? Two shows since the first one in Dollet?"
"Yeah, we're leaving for Trabia tomorrow morning."
"That kinda sucks that you guys drove all the way out there only to have to be heading back this way again," Rinoa said, almost chuckling at the irony.
Squall smirked and nodded. "True…" He glanced down at the little clock at the bottom right corner of Irvine's laptop. The thirteenth of May, he thought. Something is coming up…but what? He paused. "How's your dad doing?"
Rinoa lifted her head and made a vague gesture with her hand. "Physically? Pretty good. He's finished up his antibiotics and the stitches are starting to dissolve on their own so…guess he's doing alright. I don't have to call him on a daily to remind him to take his pills anymore."
"What about his drinking?"
She groaned and sat back in her seat. "Unfortunately I don't think that will ever be solved," she muttered. "Can't help someone who doesn't feel that they need help. I'm supposed to meet him for dinner on Saturday so we'll see how that goes. Then there's that banquet that his branch holds every year…usually I'm his date so I make sure to keep an eye on him."
"I remember those," he said. "I think I only went once…maybe twice."
Rinoa perked up, instantly her mind racing to try and imagine Squall in his SEED uniform. "Oh yeah? How long ago?"
"I think it was right after I graduated school and was able to transition into the actual tactical training. So…I was eighteen?" He didn't remember much about that night…aside from the fact that he was more interested in hanging out by the buffet table than socializing.
"Who was your date?"
"My sister."
Rinoa grinned. "Bet she was pretty popular among the young boys."
Squall nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah…yeah, quite a bit of the other cadets kept flocking to her, tried to get her to dance with them. I think she was twenty-nine at the time and going through that existential crisis about turning thirty, so she loved it. She danced with all of them."
Rinoa laughed loudly before she could stop herself. "Oh my god!" She could only imagine little teenage Squall watching his older sister waltzing across the dance floor with his fellow classmates. "Can I just say that I adore you sister?"
"I still get invitations to the banquets even though I'm retired," Squall said. "I even get emails from some of those classmates that are still alive asking if I'm ever going to bring her back."
With a tight smile Rinoa watched Squall nonchalantly skirt over the comment. He said it so casually, as if it were no big deal that half of his graduating class could be dead. She had to remind herself that he was not just a musician—he was also a surviving child soldier. For a moment Rinoa felt a tug at her heart. What had he seen? What had he gone through? On the battlefield, in training, during foster care…how did he become the man that he is now? Deep down she wondered if he ever killed anyone, but, because of her first-hand experiences with her father, she knew that that was a question you never asked someone who had served in the military.
She thought back to that playful moment in his bed where her hands had brushed up the length of his arms. Even though it was dark and her vision was still blurry from sleep, she could have sworn she felt the tell-tale raised flesh of scars. Tell me your story, she silently begged. But not all at once. Tell it to me for years to come…
"And I take it you haven't gone to the banquets since?" she asked.
"Nope. I might have gone right before I retired, I honestly can't remember. I normally get the invitations around Christmas."
Rinoa raised her arms and fussed with the messy bun atop her head. "Well…I do enjoy dressing up," she said coolly. "So if for whatever reason you feel like RSVP'ing to these banquets…I'll be your date."
Squall exhaled a short chuckle. "I would like to see you in evening wear."
"I look like a goddess, not even going to lie."
A vision of Rinoa in a form fitting white gown blazed across Squall's mind. He could just imagine her long black hair intricately piled upon her head so that the beautiful slope her neck was exposed. His throat tightened as he fantasized himself lacing a string of pearls around that slender neck of hers…his lips brushing over the sensitive nape before catching the necklace between clenched teeth. "Consider it done. If I get an invitation to this year's SEED Holiday Banquet you're coming with me."
Rinoa made a squeal of excitement and clapped her hands. "And watch, this will be the only year that they don't send you one!"
"I'll still take you somewhere so you can wear an evening gown…even if it's a burger joint."
Rinoa tried her damndest to hide the bubbles of euphoria that threatened to explode from her. She felt the emotion floating through her skin, turning her cheeks red and daring to turn her into a giggling little girl. "Ok," was all she was able to say.
"How's your new studio?"
"It's good! When you get back I'll take you over and give you a tour. I've had a few photoshoots since you guys left so I've been keeping busy. The studio is definitely getting some business…mostly family friends or friends of friends."
Squall shrugged. "Usually how it starts."
"Pretty much. I emailed a few shots from your show at Strange Vision to Seifer the other day, he wanted to put them on his website since we kind of collaborated on a project."
Squall's tongue slowly ran over his teeth. "Did he tell you he put up the video already?"
"What? No." Rinoa scoffed and twisted her face in disgust. "That shithead."
"You're also in the video."
Rinoa's eyes widened as she stared at Squall's face upon the screen. "Uh…what?"
"He caught you dancing."
Rinoa's jaw dropped and she groaned, her forehead suddenly in her palms. "Oh dammit…" she muttered. "I bet I look like an absolute fool."
Quite the opposite, Squall thought, his mind drifting back to the hypnotic way her hips swiveled and rolled…the same way they did when he had her pinned against the wall in the garage. His heart rate quickened at the vibrating memory. He'd already downloaded the video onto his phone and had already lost count of how many times he'd viewed it. He was spellbound by the fluidity of her motions, the liquid movement of her body when she thought no one was watching…
"I don't think you looked like a fool," he said.
Rinoa lifted her head, her lips pouting and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Really? You're not just saying that?"
He shook his head. "No. Watch the video."
Behind her she heard the click of a lock and straightened up. "Selphie's out of the shower."
"Oh good. Have her watch it, she's in it too."
Rinoa smiled and blew him a quick kiss. "Alright, we will. I'll let you go, you're probably going to be up early to start your drive."
He nodded and gave her a grin that sent hot electric bolts across her skin. "Goodnight, Rinoa," he murmured.
"Goodnight, Squall."
The next afternoon.
After driving for a few hours Absolute Lore and Djin Theory stopped at a diner for lunch. The two bands staked claim of the biggest booth there and greedily chugged the terrible and weak coffee that was offered.
"Oh…wow, who is that?" Fujin asked, leaning over to point a clawed finger at the screen of Quistis' phone.
"Rinoa," Quistis answered, holding up her phone to show the picture of her and Rinoa at their last breakfast.
Hans made a throaty noise of intrigue and clicked his tongue as he craned his neck to take a peek. "Good lord," he rumbled. "She is ungodly beautiful. She seeing anyone?"
Quistis laughed and nonchalantly glanced over at Squall. Her eyes crossed over him for barely even a second, but it was long enough for her to catch the minute change in his expression. It went from solidly blank to a heated glare before shifting back to his usual stony frown. "She hasn't said so officially," Quistis said, her voice light and casual. "But I have a feeling that someone is holding her heart." She tucked the phone away and gave Hans a smoldering grin. "Or she is holding someone's," she added. "Either way…you have no chance with her."
Hans gave a chuckle and tipped his head at her. "Point taken," he said, turning his attention back to his buffalo wings.
"She's our photographer," Zell said between bites of his sandwich.
"She took those photos of you that were just posted?" Fujin asked, her mouth dropping slightly in awe. "She is amazing!"
Zell nodded. "Oh, yes she is," he agreed, his voice muffled from the food. "Isn't she, Squall?"
Squall lifted the slightest gaze in Zell's direction. "Rinoa's work speaks for itself," he said.
"I'll say," Fujin, sang lightly, scrolling through her phone on Absolute Lore's webpage. "She makes you look almost human." With a sharp smile she held up her phone, a picture of Squall laughing displayed on the screen.
Quistis craned her neck. "I haven't seen that one—she must have just put these up! When did she get that?" She swiped Fujin's phone and scrutinized the photograph. Squall was sitting on his throne, his legs spread with one palm resting along his thigh as he was hunched over slightly, his other hand reaching up and brushing strands of brown hair from his eyes. The smile on his face wasn't a large or wide one, but it was genuine and almost secretive. She tried to decipher what he was wearing, but since he normally wore the same outfit of a black or white fitted t-shirt and his black jeans, it was hard to pinpoint the exact day. "When was this?"
Squall only shrugged. "She's a sneaky one."
Zell found the picture on their website by using his own phone. "I'll say she is. I'm surprised she didn't even say anything after she snapped it." He grinned as he imagined Rinoa laughing manically to herself as she uploaded the picture as a surprise. "These comments though…" He let out a whistle. "Listen! 'Ohemgee. Look at that smile.' 'Ugh…take me now!' 'Hott.' Ooh! Squall, this chick wrote hot with two T's, you're stepping up in the world." He glanced up and saw Squall messing with his phone. "What're you doing?"
"Texting Rinoa."
S.L: Thanks for that picture you uploaded. Now Zell won't shut up about it.
R.H: =)
Clearly he did not have to specify which picture was in question. He smirked and shook his head.
S.L: You're in big trouble.
Rinoa sent him a picture of her sticking out her tongue.
R.H: Bite me.
S.L: I will.
R.H: Promises, promises.
"What are you saying to her?" Zell asked, his eyes still trained on his own phone as he swiped through some of the other shots that Rinoa had uploaded. "Quistis look at this one with you and that kid outside the venue—you sure made his night."
"Called her a brat," came Squall's reply.
Zell let out a chuckle. "What'd she say to that?"
Squall shrugged and slid the phone back into his pocket. "Told me to go fuck myself."
Quistis practically guffawed while Fujin clamped a hand over her lips. "Oh…I think I like this girl already," she said. "I must meet her."
"Oh, you will," Irvine laughed. "We're heading West so we should be hitting close to Deling anyway—so you should be meeting her before the tour is over."
"Fair warning, she will probably want to take your picture," said Squall.
Fujin brightly laughed and tapped her knuckles on the table's surface. "If she can work as much magic with my face as she can yours, she is more than welcome to take as many pictures as she desires!"
Squall's phone vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket to read Rinoa's text.
R.H: It's one of my favorites of you. Had to upload it. I REGRET NOTHING MOTHERFUCKER!
Trabia, later that night.
Irvine raised his arms. "Thank you Trabia, and good night!"
The crowd roared, deafening and thunderous, though Irvine could hardly hear anything over the pounding of his own heart and the vibrating ringing in his ears left over from the sinful plucks of Quistis's bass, the fierce strums of Zell's guitar, and the violent crashes of Squall's drums.
He laughed, his arms still upraised as if to embrace the crowd in a tight and sweaty hug. He turned to the rest of his bandmates, the grin still plastered on his face. "I think they love us," he shouted.
Quistis giggled and blew the crowd kisses as she practically glided across the floor. As the stage lights dimmed and the crowd continued to scream their excitement, the boys followed her off. After they stepped behind the stage the tour staff whisked by them to collect their equipment.
Fujin danced her way to Zell and slung her arms around his neck as she laughed. "Great show!" she cried. "Amazing!" She retracted her grip and laced her arm around Squall's. "So, Ward brought us a shit ton of pizza if you guys are hungry."
As they walked Squall carefully removed the protective ear buds from his ear canals. Quickly he shoved them into his pocket and gave Fujin a pat to her hand. "What kind of pizza did Ward order?"
Quistis slipped her arms through Squall's other arm. "Did he order me pineapple pizza?"
"How can you eat that shit?" Squall grimaced. Like any normal human, he liked pizza and he liked pineapple. However, he could not stand them together.
"What's wrong with pineapple on pizza?" Quistis snapped. "You've had that cake I made last year with the grilled pineapple on it—you said you liked it!"
"Yeah, but not with meat sauce."
"Uncultured swine," she huffed, slinging her blonde ponytail over her shoulder.
Hans chuckled as they all entered the back room, a slice of cheese pizza aimed and ready for his mouth. "Take a look at you, Leonhart," he said with a low whistle. "Two beautiful women on either arm!" He made an approving noise within his throat and took a large bite of his pizza. "Teach me your ways, oh great ladies man," he laughed, his words muffled through his chewed food.
Fujin tightened her grip around Squall's arm, pushing her breasts together so that her cleavage nearly reached the base of her throat. She batted her long and thick lashes at Hans and sent him a sultry and blood-red stained pout. "Oh, my dear Hans," she purred. "It's simple: send the fairer sex a sly and panty-drenching grin, and then ignore them the rest of the night."
Squall frowned. "I don't do that," he protested.
Fujin scoffed. "Who the fuck said I was talking about you?" she sneered. She sent Hans a smile. "No, seriously, Hans, just find a girl and send her a grin—Oh! And stroke your beard while you're at it."
Squall laughed as he watched Hans pensively run his fingers over his caramel color beard. "I'm not too sure about that," he smirked. "The way you're looking looks like you're looking at your next meal."
"Mmmm," Quistis moaned, running her tongue over her top lip. "Grilled lady bits. How scrumptious."
Hans burst out laughing before he could stop himself. "Oh lord," he chuckled. "That sound a bit rapey."
Deling, later that week.
Rinoa watched behind a fence made up her fingers. Her lips were upturned in a groaning wince as she waited for Selphie to press 'play.'
"Oh, come on," Selphie huffed. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure you're just over-exaggerating the entire situation." Without hesitation she clicked the mouse and sat back so she could watch Absolute Lore's video on her television. "I finally have a day off where I can relax, do nothing, and maybe possibly watch my best friend and I act like dancing fools."
Rinoa growled and hastily dropped her hands into her lap. "I'm the one that looks like a fool!" she said, having already watched the video a few times. "When the camera is on you your movements look sultry and very come hither. I look like a gazelle with two left feet."
Selphie blinked and slowly turned her head towards Rinoa.
"I mean four left feet. Fuck off, you knew what I meant."
With a throaty chuckle Selphie focused her attention back to Absolute Lore's video. The video started off with a long and slow pan over the crowd that had crammed its way into Strange Vision. The camera captured the excited faces and the hypnotic and feverish energy that pulsated on screen. The first face that flashed across the screen was Irvine's, his eyes bright and wild as he growled into the mic: "You made an addict out of me without even knowing I was a sucker for another dose of your…"
Selphie squealed and clapped her hands as she watched. "Oh, come on!" she cried again. "Who cares if they caught you dancing? Just revel in the fact that you are in a music video!" She shook her hips and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she continued to watch.
The camera fluidly pounced from Irvine's sweat-sheened face to Zell thrashing his head in time to Squall's chaotic beats. It smoothed over Quistis, whose movements appeared to be so sensual and liquid against her shining purple Ibanez. Her aquamarine eyes flirted over the crowd and she shyly lowered her thick lashes as she continued to pluck the chords.
"Hey! There's me!" Selphie raised her arms as she watched herself upon the screen. She giggled as she watched herself roll her hips and run her fingers over her throat as she let the music devour her.
Rinoa grinned as she watched Selphie all but mimic her own movements from the screen. "Awwww yeah!" she shouted, standing to her feet and and bouncing upon the couch cushions. "Shake that ass girl!"
Selphie let out an excited yell and twirled around. She snapped her vision back to the screen and paused. "Shit—is that you?" She turned back to Rinoa with her mouth dropped open in a silent howl. Her finger pointed to the screen and she giggled. "Look at you!"
Suddenly Selphie gasped and immediately turned large green eyes to Rinoa. "Wasn't Squall the one who told you about this?"
Rinoa tucked a strand of black behind her ear. "Um…yeah?"
An impish grin crept onto Selphie's face and she released a giggle that was borderline maniacal. "So then…he watched those hips of yours sway back and forth." Her green eyes sparkled when she saw Rinoa suck in a surprised breath. "He watched those movements of yours, those undulating rolls of your hips and almost serpentine wave of your spine…" She tapped her chin for a moment as she pretended to contemplate about the situation. "I wonder…how many times do you think he's watched this?"
Rinoa didn't respond—with words. Instead she kicked up one of the throw pillows from Selphie's couch (the bright and sunny yellow ruffled one with the lime green heart on the upper right corner) and chucked it into the brunette's direction, nearly knocking her to the ground in shock.
After regaining her stance, Selphie only giggled even harder and scooped up the pillow to her chest. "He's probably like, 'Oh! Oh baby! Roll them hips!'"
Rinoa blushed but settled herself back onto the couch, her lips curved into a tight smirk as she watched Selphie turn back towards the television and watch the rest of the video. While the brunette was fixated on the screen, Rinoa pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages to Squall from the other day.
R.H: I watched the video. OMG!
S.L: Ha
R.H: I'm so embarrassed. I love to dance but I'm not a fan of having photographic evidence!
S.L: You prefer to be behind the lens, don't you?
R.H: Indeed. I don't really care to be in front of the camera.
S.L: Shame. The camera seemed to enjoy you.
R.H: I'm gonna get Seifer for this.
S.L: Really, because I want to thank him.
R.H: What for?
S.L: For giving me something to look at every night.
Rinoa stole a quick glance at Selphie to be sure that her attention was still on Absolute Lore's video. Seeing that it was obvious that Selphie's attention was definitely on the television, Rinoa practically caved in on herself with quiet, girlish giggles.
R.H: Every night, huh?
S.L: I need something to sate me until I'm back in Deling.
May 29
Rinoa peered at her father over the rim of her coffee mug. Today was the day. Twenty-ninth of May. The twenty year anniversary of Julia's death. Caraway was calmly cutting his fork into his tall stack of Belgian waffles. The morning had started off normal enough, he arrived at her apartment just before nine and together they drove to the pancake house closest to Deling Memorial Garden. The drive was quiet yet somewhat comfortable.
Rinoa had noticed that Caraway had put on his wedding band, it was something he did only on her anniversary. While Rinoa was in high school, Caraway had placed Julia's wedding band on a thin chain and Rinoa wore it every day. When she left for college she reluctantly gave it back to him. She knew that she would be traveling constantly and did not want to run the risk of losing it. She silently wondered when would be a good time to ask for it back.
"How are your pancakes?" Caraway asked, spearing a wedge of his waffles onto the fork.
"Hm? Oh. Delicious, of course, thanks." She reached over and took hold of the syrup. "Your waffles?"
Caraway smiled, tight-lipped, as he chewed. "How's that new studio of yours going? Catching plenty of clients yet?"
"Oh yes! I've already done a few senior portraits, Zone and I did an engagement shoot, and I have a maternity shoot booked for June—I'm pretty excited about that, she's thinking of doing a little rock-a-billy theme."
"I'm sure that will be interesting."
The small talk continued as it always did…quick, to the point, and skirting over the real issue. Rinoa wanted to ask him so many things, wanted to delve deep into her father's mind to find the true beginning of his drinking. For so long she thought it was because of her mother's death but over the last few years she started to notice that he never drank on her anniversary. Not one drop.
Her eyes dropped down to look at the rivers of syrup drizzled along her pancakes. She was no psychologist, knew nothing about the science of dissecting a person's mind and subconscious to discover what really made them tick…but she couldn't help but wonder. She thought about the Lieutenant General Martine and his haunted and hollow eyes, the eyes like her father's. What had Martine seen on the battlefield? What had her father seen?
Another pair of eyes broke into her thoughts, these ones a pair of thundering and stormy blue gray that easily stopped her in her tracks and took hold of her breath.
"Hey, Caraway?"
He turned his attention from the waitress refilling his coffee mug back to his daughter. "Yes?"
"Do you ever think about dating again?" Rinoa asked. "I mean, mom's been…gone…for twenty years and you still have that huge house you bought for her…" She stirred her coffee slowly. "You ever think of filling it back up?"
Caraway chuckled. "Well I had hoped to leave it to you to fill it up with plenty of fat grandchildren," he said. "There's still plenty of time for that, of course."
Rinoa smirked and went back to her pancakes. "But seriously," she pressed. "Have you?"
He only shrugged and continued to cut into his waffles. "The thought has crossed my mind," he admitted. "Albeit fleetingly, but it has. I'm much too busy with work so I can't focus on dating too much at the moment. Perhaps when I retire."
"Understandable," Rinoa said.
"You want a stepmother that badly?" he asked with a soft laugh. Then his smile faltered and he looked horrified. "Oh no…please don't tell me you want a new brother or sister?" He winced. "I'm pretty sure my equipment is no longer capable of that."
Rinoa found herself lost in an easy and light-hearted giggle and she waved her hand. "Ew!" she groaned. "I don't want to hear about your…equipment and no! I just…I just want you to be happy." She noticed the minute change in her father's expression and she timidly pressed her lips together. "Caraway," she murmured. "Are you happy?"
"Are you?" he countered.
"Well…yeah. I'm back home, my career is taking off and I'm doing what I love…" I'm falling head first for the most amazing and talented guy ever… "Yeah," she said with a grin. "I am pretty happy with my life."
Caraway smiled fully and he lifted his coffee mug in a toast. "If my child is happy then I am happy," he said. "Such is the destiny of parents—to ensure that our children have a happy life." He took a hearty sip and set down his mug. "It was something your mother always wanted. We waited years before having children even though she said her clock was ticking like a time bomb a year after we married." He quietly laughed to himself as he remembered his and Julia's many conversations about children. "We agreed that we would wait until I was far along enough in my promotions in the military to where I would not be away from home all the time. Julia didn't want me to miss a moment…our baby's first steps, first words, first day of school, her first dance…all that."
It was the cruel twist of life that made it so that it was Julia herself who would be the one to miss nearly everything. Oh Life…it sure had a funny way of doing things. Rinoa took a few more bites of her pancakes. "When you do start dating again…how would you know that it is true? That it really is love?"
"Why…only if she receives your approval," Caraway said with a large grin. "No one will ever measure up to your mother, understand that, but I can't imagine ever marrying someone that my daughter did not like."
Suddenly he started laughing and quickly waved his hands to dismiss the subject. "But why are we even talking about this? I've not even come close to asking for another woman's phone number yet alone her hand in marriage!" He reached to his side and pulled up the large and sparkling vase filled black calla lilies and blue irises. "Now, hurry up and finish your pancakes. I'm sure Mom is missing her flowers."
A few days passed and Rinoa was coming out of her shower when she heard her phone buzzing loudly, desperately calling for her attention. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she cried to no one in particular, hooking the dripping strands of black over her shoulder as she hurried into her bedroom.
She scooped up the contraption and instantly noticed that she received a text from Squall. Rinoa's eyes widened and her lips softened into a shy and warm smile. She could feel her heart swell and pound within her chest. Almost wistfully her fingers rose to her lips and she let out a gentle chuckle.
S.L: June 23rd. We're coming to play at The Rough Divide.
The Rough Divide was a venue deep in the heart of Deling.
A swathe of heat enveloped Rinoa's flesh and she felt her heart race.
Squall was coming home.
