A/N: Hello my loves! We just passed the one year anniversary of TBIWM last Saturday! Ah! I also broke over 10,400 views over the weekend as well, so yay! Thank you for reading and thank you to those who have taken the time to leave reviews and put this story on your alert/favorite's list over the past year! Means a lot to me! xoxoxox
The next day. July 19
"Should we order?" Quistis asked. "They're not here yet."
Irvine shrugged and looked over the menu one last time. "Hans texted me and said that they weren't too far away. I'm sure we can order right now. Anyways, look at Zell—he looks like he's about to chew his own arm off if he doesn't get any food soon."
At the comment, Zell whipped his head around and gave Irvine a glare. "Don't start with me," he said. "I didn't have much of a breakfast today."
"True, he only had half a bagel," Quistis added.
"Half?"
Quistis nodded at Irvine. "I ate the other half."
Squall grinned silently as he watched the other band members converse amongst themselves about what to order for their dinner. They had been on the road practically all day and now they were finally able to stop at a decent looking diner. Odin's Blade's bus had already gone on ahead since they bought microwavable food at their last rest stop and the members of Doomtrain were in the mood for Thai food instead.
His run in with Fujin after the incident was awkward for about five minutes. She apologized again, profusely, to which Squall repeated that since she had no idea that he had no reason to be upset with her and that they should just move on.
"Good idea," she had said with a smile. "We'll just forget it ever happened. And it won't happen again, I promise." She gave Squall a quick little jab to the shoulder and turned away, waving her arm behind her. "I just hope she knows how lucky she is!"
Squall glanced over to Irvine, watching his movements and seeing the brave face he put up. There were deep shadows beneath the cowboy's eyes but he said that they were the result of the long drive. Squall knew very well though that they were present because Irvine wasn't getting much sleep. Several times Squall caught him staring at the screen of his phone, his thumb just hovering over the call button but never pressing.
The ringing from his pocket interrupted Squall from his thoughts. "Hey," he said into the phone.
"Hi," Rinoa chirped back. "Guess what?"
Squall smirked at the enthusiasm laced in Rinoa's voice. He could picture her wide grin and her beautiful dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "What's up, angel?" he asked, pushing away Zell's face that was leaning closer in an attempt to hear the conversation.
Rinoa inwardly squealed at his nickname for her. "I'm coming to Esthar," she said.
"What? Really?"
Zell paused in his invasion of Squall's personal space and eagerly watched Squall rise up from his seat and roam away from their table at the diner. "Angel?" he whispered to Quistis and Irvine, who were also watching with wide eyes.
"They've got nicknames for each other?" she gasped, her eyes widening in excitement.
"When?" Squall asked as he walked outside.
"I'll be landing at the airport around seven-ish on the twenty-fifth."
"We should be getting into Esthar sometime that afternoon. Did you need someone to pick you up?"
"That would be ideal. I mean, I can get a cab if need be since it's not like you have a car," Rinoa said.
"I could always take the van, I doubt you'll be bringing too much luggage. Are you staying at a hotel?"
Rinoa told him the hotel she was staying at and he grinned. "That's actually not too far from the venue. So, what made you decide to come to Esthar so suddenly?"
"I got hired by Djin Theory's producer and the tour manager to photograph the last show of the tour!" Rinoa said excitedly.
"Really? I was wondering if that was actually going to happen."
"Hey Squall!"
He lifted his gaze and saw Hans and Royce approaching him. "Hey."
"Oh! Sorry, didn't see you were on the phone. We'll see you inside." Royce lightly patted Squall's shoulder and brushed past him to get to the door.
Esteban came up next, followed by Fujin and Ward. "Did you guys order already?" Esteban asked.
"We were just about to," said Squall. "Hey, Rinoa, we're gonna eat so I'll talk to you later."
"Rinoa?" Fujin squeaked. "Yay! Did she tell you the news?"
"Just did."
Fujin squealed and clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! Tell her that I'm so excited to be working with her!"
Rinoa laughed on the other side. "Tell her I'm excited to work with her too! It's going to be great."
"It sure will be," Squall agreed, holding the door open so the others could pass through. "Send me a copy of your itinerary."
"Will do!"
Rinoa hung up and tossed her phone onto the couch. "Are you sure?" she asked, turning to Selphie who was pouring some dressing onto the pasta salad she was currently making. "I mean…I just think that it really should be you going to Esthar—like you planned—and talk to Irvine."
Selphie sighed and capped the dressing. "I know sweetie," she said, setting the dressing bottle back into the cabinet and then searching through her drawers for a spoon. "And I agree that Irvine and I need to talk in person rather than over the phone but…I can't right now. It's too soon." As she stirred the pasta she glanced up and frowned at the judgmental glare that Rinoa was sending her. "What?" she laughed. "I am going to talk to him. I'm gonna call him later today and see if he can set some time aside to meet with me when they get back into town." She scooped a spoonful of the pasta salad into her mouth. "God!" she groaned. "I can't stop eating this! Ugh, I make such damned good pasta salad."
"I can't say that I'm entirely happy with that decision."
"Rinoa, you already accepted the job!" Selphie cried, shaking the large wooden spoon at her.
"I know! But um…I hate flying alone! How about I see if Caraway can spot me for a ticket?"
Selphie's shoulders dropped and she shot a look at the other girl so heated that Rinoa backed into the corner of the couch.
"Kidding?"
"Rinoa, I want to talk to Irvine but right now I think I should just be alone with my thoughts until he comes back to town. Plus, say if I did go to Esthar what if it doesn't work out? What the fuck would I do for three days? Lock myself up in the hotel room?" She finished stirring and scooped the pasta into two separate bowls. "Just…let me do that, ok? Just let me be alone and figure my shit out?"
Rinoa held out her hand when Selphie approached the couch and handed her a bowl. "Is that what you really want?"
"It is," Selphie nodded, heading back into the kitchen to grab forks. "And didn't you say that whatever I decided to do that you'd support me?"
Rinoa scrunched her lips into a scowl. "Yes," she grumbled.
"Then shut up!" Selphie cried, coming over to the couch and smacking Rinoa with the yellow ruffled throw pillow.
Wednesday July 25th
Rinoa looped the bag's strap over her shoulder and continued to walk through the airport. She groaned and rubbed her cheek. Though her flight wasn't very long, the difference in the change of hours and the fact that the passenger beside her apparently had a snoring problem…she was exhausted.
As she walked through the terminal she checked her messages. She had received one earlier from Squall saying that he was on his way.
R.H: Hey, walking through the south end of the terminal.
S.L: Outside. Had to park the van.
When Rinoa stepped through the automatic doors she immediately zeroed in on Squall—flanked by a teenage girl and a boy who appeared to be no more than ten with smiles aimed at a woman in front of them with a phone, presumably the pair's mother.
Rinoa softly chuckled to herself and kept her distance for a moment as she let the kids gush over the rock star.
"I wanna learn how to play the drums just like you!" said the boy. "My mom said that we could get me a kit!"
"An electric drum kit," corrected the mother as she slid her phone back into her purse. She lifted her eyes to Squall and gave him a quick smile. "We live in a condo," she explained. "Come on kids, it's getting late."
Squall grinned and patted the boy on the shoulder. "Gotta start somewhere. Even though electric drum kits aren't the same thing, the movements are the same. Just quiet."
"That is the idea," said the teenage girl, looping an arm around her brother's shoulders. "Good luck on your show on Friday! Wish we could be there but we'll watch the live feed."
"Thank you, hope you enjoy the show." Squall waved them off and turned to see Rinoa grinning at him. "Hey," he said softly.
Rinoa giggled and approached him, running her hand through her hair. "Look at you!" she laughed. "God, I bet I won't be able to take you anywhere…what with your famous ass being recognized everywhere."
"Yeah, I'm pretty surprised they recognized me at all," Squall confessed. "Can't say that I'm seen much during the show."
"True. You are hidden behind your kit."
"Hi," Rinoa said to the concierge. "I have a reservation for a room?"
"Of course," said the man at the front desk. "Under what name?"
Rinoa pulled out her wallet. "Well, it's under a Selphie Tilmitt but we had to change the reservation at the last minute. She should have called about it?"
The man typed in the name and nodded. "Yes, she called the other day saying that the room would be used by a Rinoa Heartilly."
"That would be me!" She handed over her photo identification.
"Thank you." He continued to type for a moment. "Alright, I have you set up in the suite on level seven…and Ms. Tilmitt made a note here that the room would be under reservation for a Ms. Heartilly and…" He scrolled for a breath. "One guest."
Rinoa pressed her lips into a tight smile and stealthily nudged Squall's leg with her knee.
He cleared his throat and produced his ID. "And that would be me," he said.
The man nodded and typed the information into his computer. "Alright Ms. Heartilly and Mr. Leonhart, you are all set. If you have any other bags Jared will escort them up."
"Oh, not necessary," Rinoa smiled, lifting up her dufflebag. "We pack light."
"Here are your keys," the man said, sliding over two room keys. "Enjoy your stay and we have complementary breakfast in the lobby from seven to nine."
"Thank you," Squall and Rinoa said.
Rinoa set her camera bag onto the dresser while Squall placed her dufflebag at the foot of the bed. "Do they all know that you're staying here with me?" she asked him, watching him place his backpack onto ground.
Nonchalantly he shrugged. "No idea. Probably."
Rinoa chuckled and turned around to face him. "Do you guys even notice what the other is doing half the time?"
Another shrug. "I'm not their mother, I don't need to know exactly where they are every hour of the day. We check in with each other every night. As long as we all show up to the gig on time and coherent, we don't pry."
"Except when it comes to Irvine."
Squall sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Except when it comes to Irvine," he agreed. "He's a little nervous to see you, by the way. Excited, of course, because he likes you but…still nervous."
Rinoa laughed and crossed her arms over her breasts. "I'm not going to bite his head off. Selphie made me promise to behave." She twisted her lips briefly as if to suppress another laugh. "But…I will glare at him with the judgiest glare I can muster."
"I'm sure he expects that," he said.
She smiled and then pulled the loose t-shirt from her body, exposing the black satin corset she wore beneath.
Squall stilled. "Woah," he breathed, his eyes widening as he let his gaze drift over the accentuated pinch of her waist and the amount of cleavage supplied. "That is…holy shit…even better in person."
Rinoa smiled but gave him an awkward wince. "Sorry for the timing, what with the nature of our conversation but I…"
Squall gripped her chin within his fingers and pressed his lips to hers. "Yeah, terrible timing," he said. "God, I have missed you," he growled, shoving her down into the mattress.
Rinoa couldn't answer, could only moan in response as she wrapped her legs around his hips. She ran her tongue over his mouth and thrust her fingers into his hair. In the back of her mind she felt guilty, guilty because now she was about to fall into a bed that was originally made for another couple and she just didn't care. Then Squall's tongue touched hers and she stopped thinking.
Around the back of her neck came Squall's palm, his fingertips scratching so gently over her scalp while his pelvis roughly ground in between her legs. His other hand traced over the curve of her waist, trailing downwards to reach the hem of her pants.
She sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, trailing heated kisses across the inked surface of his chest. Her fingers greedily pressed into the hard flesh, roaming over his bare shoulders and bringing him closer to her.
"Now, this is beautiful," he murmured, his fingers lightly running over the satiny material of the corset. "But I think it's time for it to come off." His hands went to the top of the garment, pausing for a moment as he tried to deduce his next move. His fingers hesitated atop the lace and beading. "Wait…"
Rinoa chuckled and gently pushed his hands away. "They're hooks," she said as she started to sit up. "Similar to the hooks of a bra?" She flipped Squall onto his back and straddled his hips, her hands starting to unhook the top of the corset. "You know how to undo a lady's bra, don't you?" she teased.
Squall narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, I do know. But this…" He ran a finger down the center of the corset that encased the hooks. "This is much longer than the back of a bra. Give me the benefit of the doubt here."
Rinoa giggled and leaned in to give him a deep kiss. "I don't doubt any of your skills, darling," she purred. "But I'll help you out with this, you know, just to get it started." She straightened back up and slowly undid each hook, her teeth seductively rolling over her bottom lip as she kept Squall's gaze. When his eyes lowered to watch her hands reveal each enticing inch of her flesh, she felt her heartbeat quicken with excitement.
When the clothes were removed, Squall traced his tongue over the indents in Rinoa's skin caused by the corset's boning. Rinoa moaned and gripped her nails into the bed sheets. As Squall's tongue ventured lower, a soft whine escaped her lips and she tightened her thighs around his head.
"Oh, fuck!" she cried, her hips rolling as Squall's fingers plunged into her, rocking her with a tantric rhythm.
He brought her over the edge of the bed, keeping her legs locked around his hips. He leaned forward and crashed his lips onto hers, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. "I've missed you," he grunted again.
Rinoa panted against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you too," she whispered. He reached over and hastily rolled on a condom, sheathing himself into her with vigor. "God, I've missed you!" she screamed, capturing his mouth.
He slid in deeper, thrust harder, his steely eyes intensely watching her mouth drop open in a silent howl as she desperately held on. "Harder!" she demanded, practically digging her nails into his shoulders.
Squall, only happy to oblige, hooked his elbows beneath her knees, bending Rinoa's body so he could shove himself deeper into her. He watched with pleasure as Rinoa's cheeks flushed and her legs shook. She was so stunning pinned beneath him and completely immersed with throbbing ecstasy.
As she came with a shuddering gasp, her hair tangled and face red, he couldn't help but smile at the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. He leaned forward and kissed her passionately, riding out the aftershocks of her orgasm.
Rinoa moved her legs so that they encircled Squall's waist. Her hands caressed his jaw, her teeth nibbling her bottom lip as he pulled his intoxicating lips away. As he continued thrusting they locked eyes together, panting and groaning in rhythm as he felt himself reach his climax.
He stayed inside her long after he had finished, his lips softly brushing over Rinoa's cheek. Nothing felt as wonderful as having her so intimately within his embrace. The silence surrounding them was sweet and comforting, the only noise was their soft breathing and steady heart beats.
"I am really grateful Djin Theory hired you," he said.
Rinoa chuckled and rolled them over the mattress so that she lay atop of him. "So am I," she murmured against the crook of his neck. "Really, really grateful." She sighed with content, so sated and happy with the moment between them.
Then her stomach growled. Not just growled, but gurgled like a whale mating call.
Squall jerked and looked down at her, his lips tightly pressed together as he watched her shy away into the pillow. "Hungry?" he managed to ask.
Rinoa made a meek whimper. "Maybe," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.
Squall chuckled and rolled Rinoa over so she lay on her back. "Did you want to go out for food?" he asked. "Or did you want to stay in?"
Rinoa grinned and ran her fingers through his hair. "If we stay in and order room service is clothing optional?"
"For me? Yes. For you? Clothing is prohibited."
Rinoa traced her fingernail over the tattoo on Squall's back as he lay on his stomach. "Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything you want." He reached behind him and gently cupped her hand.
"This tattoo of the stars…it looks a lot like the one that Kendra has."
Squall lifted his head. "Well, they were done by the same artist," he commented.
"I really like it," she said, leaning in to inspect the inked artwork even more. "I like that the lines aren't clear. They're almost…messy and unfinished, blurry even! Your artist did a great job."
Squall rolled over and held Rinoa close to his chest. "You haven't actually asked anything."
"I know…I'm just really curious about what really happened between you and Kendra. I mean you told me that you had an aversion to putting a label on your relationship with her and yet…you have matching tattoos."
Squall arched a brow. "They're not matching," he said. "Her tattoo is of a shooting star. Mine is a constellation. Two completely different things."
Rinoa laughed and sat up. "You know what I mean!"
Squall smiled, running his fingers through her hair. "This is what happened: I went to get the one of my back touched up and after that was done the artist, Shane, wanted to add on. So I suggested the constellation of the two signs. After he did that, Kendra said that she wanted a new tattoo and somehow the theme of stars just stuck. So…she got the shooting star on her collarbone." He cocked his head and used his hands to lift Rinoa's face so that she looked up at him. "Hey, you don't think that something's still going on with me and Kendra, do you?"
"Oh, no! Not at all! But I am curious to know what really went on between you two? She told me that she had gone stargazing quite often when I asked about her tattoo…"
"I promise I never took her to the cliffside. That was all for you." He sat up and moved Rinoa so that she sat in front of him. "What happened with Kendra was that I didn't see a future with her, if you want it neatly summed up."
"Really?"
"Look, with her it wasn't just that she wanted labels or a name for our relationship. She wanted to know exactly where it was going. And after being together for six months I didn't see what she saw."
Rinoa giggled. "What, she wanted marriage?"
Squall shrugged but didn't deny the question. "I got an invitation to the SEED Holiday Banquet and since we were seeing each other at the time I thought it appropriate to invite her as my date."
"A very logical deduction," Rinoa agreed. "I would have thought the same."
"Everything was fine until we went dress shopping and she asked what I was going to introduce her as."
Rinoa arched a brow. "Ok?"
"When I said that I was going to say that she was the girl that I was seeing, she got upset. She kept asking, 'Oh, is that all?' Then I asked what I was supposed to introduce her as."
Rinoa let out a sputtering laugh. "You're an idiot," she chuckled.
"Yeah, she said the same thing." Squall sighed and leaned back against the bed's headboard. "I don't know, I mean, I cared about Kendra. A lot. But…I didn't see the same things as she did when it came to our future. I was comfortable with what we were at that moment in time, letting the chips fall where they may. She, on the other hand, wanted to know exactly where it was going."
"I've said it before that it's not a terrible question to ask," Rinoa admitted. What she wasn't going to admit was that she herself was very curious as to what Squall thought about their relationship. Even though they both decided that they should discuss it after the tour was over, she was very interested in knowing now. But was she going to ask him? Nope. "But in my opinion six months is moving a little fast. I know that it is a stereotype for those in the military to move their relationships a little fast…sadly because they never know if they're going to come back home but…I dunno. I'm babbling. My parents met and got married in less than a year," she said. "But they waited years before having me. So…I really have no idea where I was going with this."
Squall grinned and gently nudged her arm, enjoying the sight of her flustered and suddenly unsure of her words when she normally knew exactly what she wanted to convey. "See, I didn't even think that far," he told her. "I just didn't see myself waking up next to her every day."
Thursday July 26th
"You're here!" Quistis wrapped her arms around Rinoa's waist and easily lifted her into the air. "How was your flight?"
"It was good!" she laughed, planting a kiss to Quistis's cheek. After sleeping in and then having a very heated romp in the shower, Squall took Rinoa to the hotel that the rest of the band was staying in. "Are you guys excited? Your last show!" She squealed and clapped her hands. "Your last show of your first tour! Ah! This is exciting!"
Zell came up behind Rinoa and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "So very exciting!" he shouted. "Man, it is good to see you! Hey, there's a small gig playing tonight at the venue that we're going to be playing at, did you wanna go so you can check out the area?"
Quistis's eyes brightened and she nodded at Rinoa. "I'm game! We should do it!" She leaned in to Rinoa's ear. "Remind me to recommend you a new concealer for your neck," she whispered.
"They'll let you roam around while we check out the acoustics of the place early tomorrow but they won't have all their lights going," Squall said, completely missing the horrified look on Rinoa's face and Quistis's smug little grin. "Might be a good idea to check it out tonight."
Rinoa shrugged, recovering a quick as she could from the shock. "Sure! Why not? Who's playing tonight?"
"I don't think it's a rock concert," Zell said, scratching his chin as he tried to remember the details that he had seen online. "I think it's a piano concert. Much more chill. But the light set up would be similar!"
"Hey…Rinoa," came a quiet voice.
Rinoa turned and saw Irvine come out of hotel room. "Hey," she said softly.
The air between them was awkward for a moment. Irvine pressed his lips together and nodded slowly. "So…" he began. "Big project tomorrow night, huh?"
Rinoa nodded and gently gave Irvine a soft knock to the shoulder. "Yeah, I'm so excited. Plus, it means I get to work with you guys again! My favorite subject matters!"
Squall glanced at the exchange between the two. An elbow bumped into his ribs and he turned to see Zell nodding at them. Taking the hint, Squall walked up to Irvine and Rinoa. "Hey, get us some coffees?" he suggested, handing Irvine some bills.
"Anything in particular?" Rinoa asked Zell and Quistis.
"Just cream, no sugar," Zell replied.
"Cream and sugar!" Quistis called.
Rinoa nodded and looped an arm around Irvine's bicep. "You got it! Let's go Mr. Kinneas!" she said, ushering him down the hallway. "So," she asked as they walked towards the elevator. "How have you been holding up?"
Irvine scoffed but gave Rinoa's hand an appreciative pat. "I'm alright. How…how is she doing? I tried calling her last night but she didn't answer."
"She's…ok," Rinoa murmured. "She really does want to talk to you Irvine, but maybe it'll be best if you guys do it in person?"
Irvine nodded in agreement and pushed open the door that led to the hotel's cafeteria. "I really would rather see her in person," he said. A small smile reached his lips as he thought about Selphie. "I miss her. When I heard that you were coming to Esthar I kinda hoped that she was going to come with you."
Rinoa grimaced and scratched her neck. "If I tell you something, you promise you won't be mad? Or bring it up to anyone?"
Irvine led her to the line. "Sure?"
"Selphie was going to be here."
Irvine frowned, stepping forward with the flow of the line.
"She bought herself a ticket to come to Esthar as a birthday present to herself." Rinoa chewed her bottom lip as she watched Irvine let out a puff of air. "Yeah, but she let me have it when I told her that Djin Theory didn't have the budget to include travel expenses."
"Why would I be mad?" Irvine asked.
"Because I'm here and Selphie's not?"
Irvine scoffed. "Hey, that's her choice isn't it? There's no reason for me to be mad. Anyways, I'm hoping she and I can meet up when I get back into town."
Rinoa nodded and when it was their turn they gave their orders. "I know she'd really like that. She misses you and really wants to see you in person when you get back" she said. "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot…" She turned and kicked him square in the shin. "You fucking shit hole!"
Friday July 27th Last night of the tour
Rinoa adjusted the focus of her camera, aiming at the stage. Zell was in the middle of his solo, his eyes screwed shut as he let his fingers skim and dance across the guitar strings. Zell bobbed his head to the quick and thunderous beat Squall supplied. Rinoa felt the vibrations from the stage echo across her flesh.
In her opinion, this was her favorite song of Absolute Lore's—aside from Stars, for obvious reasons—because the drumming beat was so heavy and heart pounding. This song really displayed Squall's talents as a drummer. Every time she heard the song when it came up on her mp3 player, she couldn't help but swing her hips and thrust her hands in the air in movements mimicking him.
Rinoa snapped away as Irvine leaned forward, his eyes fiery beneath the stage lights.
"It's a shame/Such a shame…" Irvine spun around thrust his hand towards Quistis, putting her on display as she furiously slapped her bass. "Hard on the brain/Tear at the walls to find it/Toss it away/Find me another heart/Break the inside/Hurt in a way you'll like it/Eager to find/Find me another heart!"
Fujin laughed and held her hand over her heart as she leaned against the mic stand. "Oh wow," she panted. "Oh wow! You guys…you guys are amazing! I just can't…ah!" She backed away from the mic for a moment, giggling while the crowd screamed and cheered. When she returned to the front she waved her hand over the screaming fans. "This is our last song…ah! Our last song!" She laughed and looked over to the rest of Djin Theory. "This tour has just been so phenomenal and we are so blessed to have been able to spend it together with all of you!" she shouted, turning back to crowd and pointing to them. "So this song is dedicated to all of you! Each and every single one who has come to our shows, watched our shows online, bought our songs…this is for you! Thank you!"
She stepped back and clapped her hands, bowing to the fans and giggling as Royce and Hans stepped forward to shake a few hands. Esteban stood from his throne and smacked his sticks together.
"And thank you!" Fujin added. "To the talented musicians we've had the honor of working with on this tour! Odin's Blade, Doomtrain, and Absolute Lore! This is for all of you!"
Hans began with a few slow and easy plucks of his guitar, smiling as he watched Fujin gracefully sway and roll her hips as she cradled the mic. She locked eyes with Rinoa and sent her a quick wink.
Rinoa chuckled and weaved through the crowd so that she could zoom in on Hans. To his right was Royce, swaying slightly to the beat as he looked over to Esteban grinning behind his kit.
Fujin cradled the mic between her palms and closed her eye, letting the words flow from her. "We could just go home right now/Or maybe we could stick around/For just one more drink, oh yeah…" She reached down and scooped up the water bottle she had behind the stand's base and threw back a quick swig. "Get another bottle out/Let's shoot the shit/Sit back for just one more drink, oh yeah…"
Hans and Royce flanked Fujin, their fingers quickly working while Esteban crashed onto his drums.
"Here's to us/Here's to love!/All the times that we fucked up…" She detached her mic from the stand and wrapped her arm around Royce's shoulders. "Here's to you/Fill the glass/'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass!"
Hans leaned over and planted a quick kiss to Fujin's cheek, earning a girlish squeal from her. Rinoa nearly squealed out loud herself, completely ecstatic that she had caught it on camera. "Amazing chemistry," she whispered to herself.
"So let's give them hell!" Fujin shouted, squirming away from the two men. "Wish everybody well/Here's to us…here's to us!"
Rinoa pulled her focus away from the stage and quickly stole a few shots of the elated faces in the crowd. Suddenly, the excited voices rang into loud and boisterous hollers and applause. Rinoa aimed the camera back towards the stage and screamed along with the crowd when she saw that Djin Theory had now been joined by the members of the other bands. She felt her heartbeat quicken when she saw Squall walk onto the stage—with Quistis strapped to his back. The blonde was beaming, one arm raised high over head with her fingers in the shape of horns.
"Give it up, you wonderful city of Esthar!" Fujin cried. "We just want to thank you all so much for joining us for our tour. You have made it all worthwhile!" She turned and grabbed Morgan's hand and pulled him to the front of the stage. "We stuck it out this far together/Put our dreams through the shredder/Let's toast 'cause things got better."
Behind her, Zell came up to Hans and mimicked his movements, nodding his head and shooting a debonair grin to the thriving crowd.
"And everything can change like that/And all these years go by so fast/But…nothing lasts forever." Fujin shrieked with delight when all the band members dispersed across the stage, some clapping their hands to rile up the crowd. Quistis climbed off of Squall and raced towards the front, reaching for the hands that extended for her.
"Here's to us/Here's to love!/All the times that we messed up/Here's to you/Fill the glass/'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass/If they give you hell…" Fujin punched the sky. "Tell 'em go fuck themselves/Here's to us/Here's to us." She clutched her breast and and shouted into the mic: "Here's to all that we kissed/And to all that we missed/To the biggest mistakes/That we just wouldn't dream/To us breaking up/Without us breaking down/To whatever's comin' our way…"
The spotlights flickered and moved towards Hans for his solo.
Morgan placed a hand on Fujin's waist and pulled her close, singing into his own mic. "Here's to us/Here's to love/All the times that we messed up…" He grinned and looked over to Irvine, sending him a quick salute.
Irvine chuckled, brought up his mic, and put on the charm for the crowd. "Here's to you/Fill the glass/'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass."
Zell raced up and grabbed Irvine around the waist. "If they give you hell!" he shouted into the mic.
Fujin giggled and pointed her finger to Zell, who mirrored the gesture back to her. "Tell 'em go fuck themselves!" she screamed.
"Here's to us/Here's to us/Here's to us/Here's to us!" everyone on stage chanted.
Zell yanked the mic from Irvine's grasp and snaked through the stage and grabbed Squall by the collar. "Come on!" he whispered to him.
"No," came Squall's reply.
Not one to take rejection, especially from Squall, Zell grinned even wider and held the mic even closer. "Do it!"
Squall sighed but went along. "Here's to us/Here's to love/All the times that we messed up."
Damien, the singer from Doomtrain, belted out a gravelly howl. "Here's to you/Fill the glass/'Cause the last few nights have kicked my ass!"
Quistis rushed up to Fujin, who held the mic to the blonde's red lips. "If they give you hell/Tell 'em go fuck themselves!"
All the members joined together on the stage, surrounding Esteban's kit so he would not be excluded. Together they all chanted in harmony, "Here's to us/Here's to us/Here's to us" while Fujin and Quistis chimed in with "Wish everybody well/Here's to us/Here's to love/Here's to us."
The music cut itself off to a deafening silence while Fujin finished with the verse, "Here's to us."
"Another Heart" music and lyrics by Tremonti
"Here's to Us (Guest Version)" music and lyrics by Halestorm
