K: Hey! =)
S.L: Hey
K: Great show tonight. Rae is in looooooooove!
S.L: Glad to hear it.
K: So…I don't wanna be THAT person…but do you think you could introduce her to Quistis? She idolizes her.
Squall glanced up from his phone and searched for Quistis in the crowd. He found her easily, dancing by herself in front of the stage as Fujin leaned in towards her, the mic cradled in her clawed hands.
S.L: After the show meet me by the merch booth. I'll bring Quistis over.
K: You are AMAZING! Thank you so much, you have officially made me the best big sister EVER!
Squall blinked when he saw the young teenager with the faux hawk, practically bouncing in place in excitement. She was hardly the little twerp he had met a few years ago, but yes, that was Rae. That was the little child that had come into Kendra's bedroom one night because she'd had a nightmare, which resulted in Squall having to get dressed and sleep on the couch.
Kendra sent him a polite smile when he approached. "Thank you so much," she said, leaning in so he could hear her over the crowd of voices.
"Hi! You must be Rae," Quistis said, extending her hand for the younger girl.
Rae was suddenly star struck, her blue eyes wide and glittering with tears. "You know my name…" she whispered, her voice crackling in shock.
"I do! Squall's told me about you, he said that you want to play the bass?"
"Yes! I'm going to ask my dad for a bass for Christmas! An Ibenez, just like yours, only I want a silver one!"
Squall gave a soft grin at the teenager's enthusiasm, and soon she and Quistis were in a deep conversation about the arts.
"Quistis, I met your photographer!"
Squall's ears perked up and he watched as Rae bounced on the toes of her Doc Marten's.
"Oh you did?" Quistis asked. "Isn't she amazing? I just adore her."
"Yes! She took a few pictures of me and said that she was going to put it on your web page!"
Quistis grinned and clapped her hands. "How awesome! I'll have to look for it." She turned towards Kendra. "Did she capture you on film too? Rinoa has a habit of chasing after lovely subjects."
Kendra laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no. She asked but I told her to focus on Rae!"
Squall inwardly stiffened. Even though Rinoa and Kendra had met previously, the circumstances were now a tad different. Fuck… He thought back to how Rinoa quickly rushed out when he found her by the bar after his set. She had simply smiled at him, said her goodbyes to everyone she could and leaned in closely to say, "I'll see you at home," then she became even more flustered, he thought perhaps it was because she said "home." After a moment of thinking he found he was definitely warming up to the idea of coming back to his apartment and finding Rinoa in his bed. He looked over to Kendra, who was staring lovingly at her sister.
Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her gaze to him and smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed. She softly patted his shoulder. "Really, thank you."
"Of course." He slid his phone from his pocket at looked at the time. It was just after eleven, he had to leave. "Have a good night, thanks for coming out." He turned away and sought out Irvine. When he found him at the bar with Selphie, Squall tapped his shoulder. "You heading out soon?"
Irvine glanced at his watch. "Yeah, probably should." He wrapped his arm around Selphie and helped her off the bar stool. "Ready to go?"
"Sure!"
"Mind dropping me off before you head to the hotel?"
"You're not coming to the party?" Selphie asked.
He only shook his head. "Nah, not tonight."
Fujin appeared beside him with Royce dangling an arm around her shoulders. She was giggling, her hand cradling a neon green martini. "What a night!" she said, nudging Squall's thigh with her hip. "Great show, great show. Man…it feels good to be home!"
"Alright, who's ready to blow this joint and get to that party!" Royce hollered.
"We're leaving now," said Irvine. "We're just dropping Squall off first."
Fujin's eye widened and she gave him a pout. "What? You're not going to the after party?"
"Not tonight," he told her. "Tomorrow, yes."
"But why?"
Squall shrugged. "I just want to spend as much time in my bed as I can before we leave again."
Fujin clicked her tongue and nodded. "Ah…I can understand that. Home is where your bed is!" She swiped her free hand forward and gave him a quick swat to the ass. "You go get into that bed and cuddle the ever lasting fuck out of it!"
Royce roared with laughter while Squall shook his head, an amused grin curving into his lips. "I think you've had enough of this," said Squall, taking the martini from Fujin's grasp and quickly downing its contents.
Before Fujin could vocally express her distaste for Squall's actions, Royce picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "The Lady must be taken away," Royce announced, giving Squall and Irvine a mocking salute. "I shall see you tomorrow, Squall!"
Irvine pulled up to Squall's apartment. He set the Pathfinder into park and swiveled in his seat to look at Squall, who was lazily unbuckling himself from his seat. "Man, you sure you don't wanna come with us to the party at the hotel?" he asked. "I got a text from Nida, he and a few others are already on their way over."
"Quistis is heading back to the van and changing her clothes, someone spilled beer on her pants." Selphie sent her a quick response and dropped her phone into her purse. When she lifted up her eyes she made a noise of curiosity. "Is…is that Rinoa's car?" she asked.
Irvine whirled around in his seat, his wide eyes landing on the icy blue Cube that was parked under 'GUEST.' He turned back around to face Squall. His mouth was open in a ridiculous and goofy looking silent howl. "You dog," he whispered.
Selphie glanced between the two men and snaked between the front seats so that she could reach Squall and pinch his arm. "Wait—when—what? She didn't tell me anything!"
"There's nothing to tell," he said. "She's heading to Balamb Pier in the morning, my place is closer to the freeway than hers is."
Selphie pursed her lips in skepticism. "Smooth…" she said. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"
Squall only offered her a smirk before slipping out of the car. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
A soft knock came at the door and Rinoa lifted her head from the couch's arm. Her eyes darted over to the clock on Squall's DVD player. It was just after midnight, she had only been at Squall's place for a little while…when had she fallen asleep?
Another knock echoed against the door, this time a bit louder. "Coming, coming," she said sleepily, crawling off the couch. She pulled open the door and smiled at the sight that greeted her on the other side.
"Did I wake you?" he asked, his eyes skimming over her face and pausing just at her lips.
Rinoa smirked and tugged on his shirt, snatching him inside. "Apparently I was tired," she murmured against his chest. "How was the rest of the show?"
Squall locked the front door behind him and kicked off his boots. "It was great," he told her. "While Djin Theory was playing Zell and I were approached by Mistress Mecia."
"Mistress Mecia…from that Ultimate Rock station, FFVIII?" Rinoa's mouth widened in an excited smile. "Really?"
"Yeah, she wants all of us to come to the station sometime tomorrow for a guest spot on her show. We've met her before about a year ago, she usually plays our songs since she's one of the lead DJ's for the local radio station."
Rinoa clapped her hands. "Yay! What time are you heading over there?"
"Probably around noon. Let the others sleep off a hangover and whatnot."
Rinoa chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."
Squall cracked his neck and looked over to the bed. He expected to see his sheets rumpled from Rinoa sleeping in them but instead they were still tucked in and were just as pristine as they were from when he left them that morning.
"Now, this may seem like a silly question…but why were you sleeping on the couch and not my bed?" he asked, his gaze scanning over to where her purse rested on the cracked coffee table.
"Hm? Um…I just kinda passed out on it?"
His hands came down upon her, running over her ribcage as he let his eyes trail over her tempting lips. "You're…not too tired…" His eyes lifted to meet hers. "…are you?"
Rinoa rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. "For you? Nah." She stepped forward, her hands gently pressing against his chest to make him walk backward. His brows rose a fraction as he watched her take control and practically shove him towards the bed.
Rather than push him onto the mattress like he thought she was going to, she climbed onto the bed and lifted herself onto her knees so she was somewhat level with him after turning him around. "Take your clothes off," she demanded.
Squall grinned. "Yes ma'am." He reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head, ruffling his hair. As he stood before her in his sleeveless undershirt and black jeans, he leaned in just a breath away from her luscious lips. "Which do you want off first?"
Practically squealing with delight (on the inside), Rinoa chuckled and ran a pensive finger down her chin. "This," she said, gently pinching the ribbed material of his undershirt. "I want to see this piercing."
Obediantly he removed his shirt, exposing his chest that she had yet to fully see.
The first thing she noticed was the inked words along his right pectoral. The words were written as if they were scrawled with an inkwell pen, the ink splattered almost beautiful amongst the looping font. The font was elegant yet crude and hurried. The words Time will not Wait blazed across his flesh in black ink.
Her nails raked over the left side of his chest, grazing over the Balamb Garden insignia inked into his skin. The tattoo covered his entire pectoral, the black and white interlocking center perfectly placed over his left nipple, the small and hardened tip completely covered with black ink.
And there, threaded through the right nipple, was the infamous ring she had felt but was just now seeing for the first time. "So," she whispered. "Why only one?" she asked, leaning forward and slowly running her tongue over the silver hoop.
His throat jerked as he stifled a moan. "It's not an interesting story."
"I'll be the judge of that. Come on…tell me. I wanna know."
"Honestly? We had just left a bar and Zell decided to get his ears stretched. I already had mine done a few weeks before and since the shop took cash only, I only had enough cash on me to get nipple pierced."
Rinoa clamped her lips together, her jaw tightening as she tried not to laugh aloud. "Seriously?"
"Told you it wasn't interesting."
He shoved his pants down to the ground and watched her lick her lips when she gazed upon another tattoo, this one on his lower abdomen. Half of it she had been able to see once his shirt was off, but now that he had removed his pants he had inadvertently lowered his boxers by a few inches. Between his belly button and the southern region of the "happy trail," was the skull of a lion.
Rinoa pushed further against her elbows and gently kissed the lion's fangs. While she laid kisses against the tattoo, she arched her back, pushing her ass upwards into the most tantalizing view.
Squall groaned and bent forward slightly so that his hands ran over her spine, gripped her hips carnally before giving her ass a possessive squeeze. She didn't wear a skirt like he had requested, gave him a very detailed listing of reasons why wearing a skirt at a rock show was out of the question when she was trying to capture great photographs. Instead she wore dark gray jeans that night that clung to her like a second skin and showed off the lean and succulent curves of her body. Her shirt was a loose fitting blue blouse, very similar to the one she had worn the day he had first met her.
His fingers hooked beneath the soft fabric and pulled it towards him, exposing that curving spine and the black lace of her bra. With his breath coming faster he completely removed her shirt, his chest tightening when she rose up onto her knees and brought his lips to hers.
Rinoa twisted her body so she lay atop of him, her thighs straddled his hips and she leaned in. "You played so well tonight," she purred, running her hands over her bra.
Squall's eyes glided over the sleek plane of her stomach, his hands gripped her pelvis and ground his hips into her. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice thick and breathy. He was hypnotized as he watched her roll her hips into him.
Rinoa gave him a throaty chuckle and climbed off of him, her hands hastily tearing away his boxers. "Yeah." Before he even had a chance to catch his breath she took his length into her mouth, her nails digging into his abdomen as he clenched her hair into his fist.
"Holy—fuck!" He dropped his head back, sinking it into the pillows as he submersed himself in the pleasure Rinoa was giving him with her mouth. With a snarl he pulled her head away from his groin, his teeth gritting as he caught sight of her mouth, still open and wet. "You…are amazing," he managed to pant out, flipping her onto her back and freeing her from her jeans.
Licking her lips, she watched him reach over to his nightstand and pull out a condom. As he sank himself into her she practically screamed. Her nails dug into his back and her legs possessively wrapped around his waist as his thrusts grew more ferocious with carnal need.
"Fuck!" she gasped. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her grip on him tightened and her hips rhythmically rose to meet him. His teeth ravaged her neck, sending her nerves into a frenzy. When she was able to see straight and focus her vision on him, she was met with his intense and steely gaze.
The look in his eyes was so primeval and lascivious like she could be devoured by his need and lust for her. His thrusts and movements were so rough, so animalistic, so filled with hunger and fervor. Her hands cradled his chin, bringing his lips to crash into hers.
She moaned, the tip of her tongue trailing now over his throat. With a quick movement he grasped her wrists in one hand, pinning them high above her head and into the pillows. Despite the rough gesture, his free hand came of her cheek, his thumb softly brushing over her bottom lip that was swelling from their kisses.
The feel of his body, warm and completely naked as it lined up against her, sent electric shocks throughout her veins. She felt her breath come faster, her heartbeat heavier, her blood boiling as she could feel herself reach her peak.
When he reached his breaking point he released her wrists, grunting when she plunged her fingers into his hair as he thrust one last time. Together they came down from their high, their breaths mingling as they panted and gazed at each other, striking blue eyes boring into rich brown.
Her flesh was still tingling, the lower half of her body still strumming with the hums of euphoria. Rinoa smiled, her fingers gently running over the stubble of his chin. He kissed her fingertips and sighed, pulling out of her. Squall disposed of the condom and came back into the bed, trailing kisses over the bites he had left on her neck. "Sorry if I was too rough," he said, his eyes drifting over the marks.
Rinoa only rolled over and cuddled into his chest. "I'm sure I'll survive," she said through a yawn.
Looking at the time, Squall winced. "Shit, sorry to keep you up so late. Hope you won't be too tired for your shoot tomorrow."
"That's what coffee is for. I'm sure you can make me enough in the morning," she mumbled happily. "Night, Squall."
He pulled the blanket over them and laid a kiss to her forehead. "Night."
There was definitely not enough coffee made in the morning. While Rinoa was in the shower Squall had decided to jump in as well, which resulted in her pinned against the shower wall with her leg hooked around his waist and her hands gripping the washcloth rod for support. She hadn't felt the need to protest, not with his lush lips against her cheek and his talented fingers dipped low between their bodies to ensure she came before he did.
It was a quick little romp, and she couldn't help but giggle at the mischievous grin he sent her when he was finished. He didn't even take a shower, and instead captured her lips with a deep and heated kiss before exiting to go make her coffee.
"Animal," she whispered, adjusting the settings on her camera as she tried to focus her mind on the expecting couple before her. He was insatiable! Then again…she herself still felt her body yearn for him even though she had had him twice in the last ten hours.
As she snapped away she thought about all the things she was going to do to him later that night…
Squall looked at the woman in front of him. Mistress Mecia of Ultimate Rock was well known throughout Galbadia and Deling not only for her deep and sultry voice, but also because of her striking looks. Her hair was the purest white he had ever seen, and whether or not it was her natural hair color was always a mystery even to her fans. Her lips were always painted a shade of merlot and her eyes were sharp and accentuated with dark eye shadows. She was the kind of woman who was practically ageless. She could have been anywhere from the age of twenty-nine to forty, no one could really tell.
Today she wore a deep red velvet dress that stopped just below her knees, exposing the lines and swirls of ink that laced its way up the length of her legs. She waved for everyone to sit down and put on their corresponding ear phones and mics.
"Thanks for coming in today," she said, her smokey voice filling the studio as she leaned in close to her mic in preparation.
"Of course," Irvine said with a grin. "You've been a supporter of ours since the beginning!"
Mecia chuckled and waved her fingers over the controls. "Always a fan of talent. We're going live in three…two…" She flicked on the switch and pointed at one of the staff members who was manning the camera for their online site.
As the song that was currently playing on the radio finished, Mecia spoke into her mic. "Hey everyone, thanks for listening, this is Mistress Mecia and today I have very special guests here in my studio. That's right my children, I have Deling's very own Absolute Lore sitting right in front of me, sparing some time just for us from their very busy tour schedule." Mecia turned her honey colored eyes towards them and winked. "Thanks for coming out."
"Anything for you," Quistis said with a flirtatious grin.
"It's great to be here," Zell agreed.
Squall nodded with an affirmative grunt while Irvine said, "Thanks for having us."
Mecia scrolled through her online notes. "Alright, so last night when I posted online that I was going to have you guys on the show I asked some of your fans to send me some questions to ask you. Let's see what we have here…Quisits, this one is for you my love. Alright, thisaintmyrealname says, 'In the interview for Misery you stated that music is your outlet, how did you discover this for yourself?' Ooh, that's a good one, I like it."
Quistis chuckled. "Yes! That is a good one, I'm so glad it's not a question about where I get my clothes or if plucking the strings chip my nails! Well, as a kid I grew up listening to a lot of rock and roll, mostly the timeless classics like Hendrix, and I just remember that it always put me in a good mood. No matter how down I was feeling, rock and roll uplifted my spirits. When I was in junior high I was required to take a music class and I found myself so interested in playing an instrument. It just blew my mind how people were able to create such art with a hunk of wood and some string. I dabbled a bit with the violin and even a cello…but when I played a bass—and I mean a double bass, those really large ones that are like bigger than me—I just felt this connection. The low and heavy pitch just kinda…" She raised her hands, her fingers dancing and her eyes closing as she thought back to her childhood. "…it spoke to me. It like awakened this being within me and just feeling how this music came out of me from just my bow going across the strings…it felt right."
Squall crossed his arms and nodded softly. "Not too many people know this about her, but she can play a whole range of string instruments."
Quistis laughed and gave him a playful shove. "Now…I haven't played double bass in about ten years or so, but I definitely owe it to my discovery of who I am! Playing double bass was fun but obviously it's not something I can lug around. When I saw a bass guitar in a music shop I instantly knew I had to make it mine."
Zell gave a holler. "She is amazing, I am so honored to be playing with this talented little vixen," he said.
Mecia smiled. "Well I am so proud of you little babies. You guys are all talented and I'm glad you guys discovered each other so that I have some wonderful music to play!" She went on to the next question. "Alright, this one is for Irvine! Irvine, R2doubleD2 says, 'Rumor has it that you've been with your lady for quite some time, how are you able to make your relationship work with the distance?'" Mecia arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Oh…now we're getting into the personal shit."
Irvine gave a low whistle. "Yeah…yes we are! Well…Selphie is great, really, she is so supportive and understanding and I miss her like fucking crazy when I'm on the road. What has been working for us is definitely the amazing technology we have in this day in age. We text, talk on the phone, and she's great and just sends me quick photo texts of herself."
"Oooh…photos huh? Anything to keep the relationship…stimulating?" Mecia chuckled huskily.
Irvine laughed. "Well…I won't go into full details but yeah…she keeps me snagged in."
"How wonderful," Mecia purred.
"Yeah the pictures are pretty risqué," Squall said. "One time I picked up his phone to use the calculator and Selphie had just texted him." He cleared his throat and gave Mecia a look. "Let's just say I made damn sure that Irvine has a password protected phone now."
Irvine roared with laughter and clapped his hands. "Yeah…Leonhart has definitely learned his lesson when it comes to picking up other people's phones—especially when they have a special lady in their life who is currently far away."
"I just wanted to use the calculator, not see Selphie in her panties."
Zell snickered. "Yeah, his drunk ass couldn't find his own phone and he was trying to figure out some equation Fujin presented about how many hours it would take us to drive from one venue to another if we kept a steady pace of seventy miles an hour."
"I honestly don't even remember the question or why I really wanted to figure it out," Squall muttered.
"So, tell me," Mecia said to Squall, her eyes twinkling with playful mischief. "Is there a special lady in your life?" She theatrically crossed her arms over her front and held her chin between her fingers. "Inquiring minds all along your band's web page want to know! Especially after the debut of Stars."
A grin spread softly over his face and he released a quiet chuckle. So nosy, he thought. Don't want to know about how I've been a drummer for nearly fourteen years or how I've mastered my craft…they only want to know who I put my dick in. With a slight shake of his head he adjusted the mic in front of him. "Oh really?" he rumbled. "That's what they want to know?"
Mecia shrugged and gave him a sigh that echoed his train of thought. "It was one of the most common questions for you," she said. "I want to hear about the band's history and passion—but we'll indulge the fans and their desires to know a little about your personal lives." She sent him a reassuring wink. "Your lyrics are so simple yet thought provoking. What was going through your mind when you wrote Stars, what was the inspiration behind it?"
Squall relaxed a little, his grin growing a tad wider. "Well, I've always loved being outside at night and just looking up at the sky. It's hard to see the stars when you're in the city, there's too many lights. When you're out in the mountains or along the beach…that's where you get the best view."
"You like to stargaze?"
He nodded, his lashes lowering for a brief moment. "I haven't in a while…used to do it all the time as a kid or when I was in high school. I actually went stargazing recently for the first time in years…the night before we went on our first tour."
Mecia raised her brows and excitedly lifted her shoulders. "Oh, good! Good for you."
"Yeah, it was amazing," Squall said. "It uh…it was a great night."
"And was that great night spent alone?"
Squall cocked his head to the side as he eyed the woman in front of him. Before he could even utter one word, Quistis threw her long legs over his lap. "Alright, alright…" she said, stretching her body length-wise so that she leaned into Zell's arms. "The truth is coming out." She closed her eyes and placed a palm over her chest. "I'm the special lady."
Mecia nearly choked on a giggle as Quistis took over the interview. "You are?" she asked in a mock gasp.
"Yes, yes it's true. They're all madly in love with me."
Zell tightened his hold around her and planted a kiss against her temple. "Yes, she is most definitely our special lady."
Squall patted Quistis' shin. "Oh yeah…she's special alright."
"Don't be rude, dear," Quistis said through a tight smile. "It's not a good look on you."
Irvine just sat behind them all, chuckling to himself and softly shaking his head. "What can I say? She's got these boys just wrapped around her finger."
Zell guffawed and gave Squall's shoulder a hearty smack. "Leonhart's shy, ladies, I think ya'll just made him blush."
Mecia threw her head back and released a silky chuckle. "Aww…alright, no more teasing Squall."
Squall grinned and arched a brow in Mecia's direction. "Yeah, enough of that, assholes. Let's play some goddamn music. No one wants to hear about my boring ass life."
Mecia laughed and straightened out her earphones. "Alright, folks, you heard it from their own mouths! It's time to play some goddamn music. We will pick up more of the interview after a few songs. Right now we're going to play the newest piece from Deling's very own, Absolute Lore, this is…Stars."
"Number forty-seven!"
"Right here!" Rinoa raised her arm and reached between a pair of shoulders to grasp the takeout bag. "Thanks," she said to the deli clerk before maneuvering her way through the crowd. She finally broke out of the deli and sighed. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she exited the freeway. Squall had texted her earlier, saying that the radio spot was over and he was on his way back to his apartment, so Rinoa had offered to buy him lunch.
"Rinoa?"
She lifted her gaze and started when it swept over a pair of piercing green eyes divided by a slanting scar. "Oh, hi!" she said.
Seifer grinned and nodded his head at her. "How's it going?" he asked, sipping from the cardboard coffee cup in his hands.
"It's great! You? I thought Irvine mentioned that you were in Fisherman's Horizon?"
"I was, just got back in a few hours ago but Raijin and I are leaving later tonight for a quick tv spot interview for this comedy show."
"Well have a safe trip! Oh, and by the way…" She stepped forward and gave him a quick jab to the ribs. "Thanks for putting me in the video! You asshole, don't you need a signed release or something?"
Seifer snickered and batted her hand away when she tried to land another blow. "Hey! Couldn't see your face right? Besides, it looked great! A lot of the viewers liked the video so I think it was a well placed shot."
Rinoa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you dick," she said with a grin.
"What? I'm sure Leonhart enjoyed it."
Before Rinoa could even utter a word, Seifer wagged his eyebrows at her and danced back a step when she recovered enough to try and smack his arm. "Hey! How could he not, right? I mean, look at you!" He laughed and stepped in to give her shoulder a nudge. "Oh come on, I saw how he looked at you. You forget that I was recording the entire show?"
"We're friends," Rinoa said.
Seifer chuckled. "Friends? Yeah. Sure. A guy and a girl can never be 'just friends.' Not with the way you two look at each other."
Rinoa shifted the deli bag in her arms and sent him a heated glare. "Well, maybe you can't!" she protested.
The teasing grin slowly melted into a soft and genuine smile. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you who to date or how to handle your personal business, but when it comes to Leonhart I feel that this must be said…just give him some time."
"Huh?" Rinoa could feel her brows knitting closer together.
Seifer only continued to offer her that sweet smile that was seemingly without his normal taunt. "I've known Squall a long time…and I remember back in high school he didn't date much, but there were a few girls who always said 'He's mine.' He didn't like that very much. He didn't particularly care for when people claimed he belonged to them. Lord knows he dealt with that shit enough at his last foster home."
Rinoa swallowed, thinking back to Squall's brief conversation about his last foster home. She remembered the haunting look in his eyes as he mentioned them. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, wary of his intentions.
"Squall's a good man. An idiot half the time…but still, he's a good man. And you? You are just enough firecracker inside to keep him grounded and knock him down a peg when needed." His grin grew wider and his eyes sparked with a hint of mischief. "A healthy relationship is where two people can call each other out on his or her bullshit without the other getting too butthurt."
Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "Are you seriously giving me dating advice?"
Seifer laughed. "Like I said, he's a good man. He deserves someone to make him happy for once. He should have someone he feels he belongs with, not to."
"Hmm…" Rinoa only twisted her lips into a sarcastic grin and started to turn away. "Well, if we decide to pursue a relationship that will be our choosing, won't it? But, I think—for now—we are content with what we are, whatever the label for it may be." She gave Seifer a smile and waved her fingers at him. "Have a safe trip!"
Squall's ears perked up when he heard the front door's lock turn. His lips curved into a smirk when he witnessed Rinoa coming around the corner with a deli bag in her arms. "Hey," he said casually.
"Hi," she said brightly, setting the bag onto the kitchen counter. "I wasn't entirely sure what you like on your sandwich so I had them put the condiments in these little cup thingies so you can put them on yourself." She pulled everything out of the bag and spread them along the counter's surface. "How'd your radio spot go? I missed it!"
"Oh, she'll probably play it again later on tonight before the show. She's going to set up cameras at Winhill so she can livestream it on the radio's website. It was good, some of the questions were a bit outlandish. You know, shit the fans want to know."
Rinoa shrugged and unwrapped her sandwich. "What, like what your blood type is, or your favorite scary movie, or what anime characters you secretly ship?"
Squall let out a laugh and took out his own sandwich and dressed it himself. "Basically. There were some pictures of Fujin in between Zell and I from a show about a year ago." He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through to find it. The photo was of Fujin, dressed as a pirate with her back against Squall's chest, her right arm bent backwards to grasp the back of his head while her left arm was extended over Zell's shoulders. In her hand she held a toy gun and between her teeth she had a rainbow swirled lollipop. Zell was dressed like a parrot, his large and spiky hair colored green and his nose painted like a yellow beak.
"Squall, why aren't you in costume?" Rinoa laughed, looking at the simple black button up he wore. "Was this for Halloween?"
"Yeah."
"So why didn't you dress up?" she demanded.
He only exhaled a soft laugh. "I didn't really plan on anything. Anyways, this old picture came up and so some of the questions were how long we all knew Djin Theory, if anything was going on between any of us…shit like that."
"Oh boy," Rinoa teased. "Your fans are getting so nosy."
"Yeah, apparently there's a 'secret romance' brewing between Quistis and Hans."
Rinoa giggled. "Seriously?"
"I don't think they really take it seriously, I think a lot of them just like making up their own stories just for entertainment." He picked up the sandwich and brought it to his lips. "Thanks for picking up lunch," he said as he took a bite.
"Of course, have to make sure you stay energized for your show tonight! What time were you guys leaving for Winhill?"
"Well it's about two hours away and we go on at nine…so we'll probably leave at around five." He shifted in his seat and brushed the crumbs from his chin. "We were thinking about getting hotel rooms out there so we wouldn't have to drive back down here to sleep."
"Makes sense."
"Selphie and Quistis were going to share a room if you wanted to bunk with them."
"Sure." Rinoa finished her sandwich and carefully rolled the paper wrap into a neat ball. "I'll see if Selphie wants to drive with me." She turned towards him and felt her insides warm when she noticed his hand creeping along her thigh. "Or…did you want to be my driving buddy?"
With a deep chuckle within his throat, he leaned in towards her and nuzzled her neck. "I'll take as much time with you as possible," he murmured. "If that's alright with you, of course."
Rinoa wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Shall we get a hotel room during our stay in Winhill?"
"That may be wise," he whispered before descending his lips to hers.
A/N: Hey guys! Thanks again for all your reviews and new favs/followers!
