(no subject)

[rinoa-angelwing.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall and Rinoa (with a brief extra and Loire)
What: Squall visits Rinoa and Loire
Where: Balamb Town
When: Late Afternoon
Rating: PG


Squall wheeled his way through the streets of Balamb, locating the house Rinoa had moved into. He had asked around and done some searching before he was able to track her down. He wheeled to the front door, reached up and knocked once.

Rinoa held Loire in one arm, heading to the door and calling back to a guest she had that she'd be right back. Opening the door, she blinked down at Squall, scrunching her nose up. "Hi..."

Squall looked up at Rinoa with a soft smile. "Hey. If now's a bad time... I can come back..." He murmured.

"No... no, it's fine. Come on in." She smiled slightly before heading inside, back to her male house guest.

The tall, blonde, very attractive man smiled up at Rinoa. "Everything okay?" He then set eyes on Squall, quirking an eyebrow.

Squall wheeled his chair inside, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy at the sight of the man. He shifted a little uneasily. "I'll come back some other time, Rin... you've got company... I don't want to intrude..."

"Everything is fine! This is Squall, Loire's dad." She said to her friend, soon looking at Squall. "No, it's okay Squall, this is just an old friend of mine. His name is David."

David scanned blue eyes over Squall before offering a hand, smiling lightly. "Pleased to meet you."

Squall took the offered hand, shaking it. "Likewise." He murmured. He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out a sealed envelope containing a wad of gil notes, holding it out to Rinoa. "Hey, this is for you, and Loire."

Rinoa flushed bright, scrunching her nose up. "No, I... um... it's okay Squall... we're managing alright..." She muttered, rocking Loire a little.

The friend, David, stood and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll call you tonight, Rinoa." He muttered, leaning down and kissing her lips before heading out of the house.

Squall frowned a little at the kiss, looking down at his lap. He kept the envelope held out. "I insist. I'm his dad, it's only right that I pay my way."

Rinoa sighed and took it, putting it on the small coffee table before crossing her legs and settling back in her seat. "Thanks..."

"How... How has he been?" Squall asked, looking at his son with a sadness in his eyes. "No... relapses?"

"None at all. A perfect, healthy, happy baby boy." She kissed Loire's head, soon holding him carefully out to Squall.

Squall took hold of Loire, letting out a soft sound. He held him so carefully, looking down at his with a mixture of pride and heartache. "Hello, little one. Oh, I've missed you so much."

"I think he's missed you too. He's been a bit grizzly and weepy since we... um... yeah." She hugged her knees up to her chest.

Squall held Loire against his shoulder, holding him close. He closed his eyes, inhaling his scent, smiling sadly. "He's grown..." He opened his eyes and looked at Rinoa. "I see you've found someone to make you happy, I'm happy for you, Rin. You deserve someone who treats you right. He seems nice."

"What? Oh! No!! No, David is gay!" She blushed brightly, giggling a little. "David is very, very gay. He's just an old friend!" She shook her head.

"But... he just kissed you..." Squall murmured, rocking Loire gently. "So... is there someone else?"

"That's not that kind of kiss..." She shook her head again then rested her chin on her knees. "There's no one. What about you?"

Squall shook his head. "Nort really. Balthier has Fran, and even Seifer is in love with someone."

Rinoa nodded slightly. "Seifer is in love? With someone other than himself? Is it the apocalypse?" She chuckled.

Squall gave a soft laugh. "Aw, come on, don't be mean. I think he's really serious about them. Won't tell me who it is though."

"It's you. I bet you anything, it's you." She murmured, smiling softly. "He always did hate me for being with you."

"Me? Nah. Seifer and me... we're just... I don't know... friends?" He shook his head. "Besides, if it was me, why wouldn't he just say? Makes no sense."

"It's not easy for a person like Seifer to admit loving someone other than himself." She settled back in her chair more, watching Angelo sleeping by the fire.

"Anyway. He's one of the many people telling me to get back in here and woo you over." He murmured, cradling Loire.

"Hn, he's just doing that because it's the 'right thing to do'. As if we were supposed to be some perfect, heavenly couple." She muttered.

"It does seem to be the general opinion, that we are the unbreakable, perfect couple..." Squall mumbled.

"Nobody knew what was really going on between us. Not even me at one point. We were never all that good, were we?"

Squall shook his head. "Not really. We came together out of pressure from everyone else. Sorceress and her Knight. Bound by love. It was too much, too young." He murmured. "But... we had plenty of good times too, right?"

Rinoa laughed softly. "Yeah, we did." She looked over at him, her head rested back against her chair. "We'll just have to be separate parents, hm? Not the perfect couple, but perfectly good parents."

Squall gave a sad smile. "Yeah..." His nose scrunched a little. "We might not've been perfect. But I always loved you."

"Don't give me that, Squall. It's not the kind of love you're supposed to have had, so just stop." Her gaze fell on Angelo again and she scrunched her nose up.

"I know I was a jerk and I hurt you, but I still loved you, Rin." He sighed. "You know... we were supposed to've been married by now..."

"Squall, stop it. You're not being fair. Telling me all these things... just stop it." She murmured, squeezing her eyes shut to stop her tears.

Squall sighed again. "I'm sorry..." He murmured, nuzzling Loire gently.

Rinoa hugged her knees tight before reaching up to her necklace and unclipping it, removing Squall's ring and the engagement ring. She fixed her necklace back in place then held the rings out to him. "I don't want them anymore..."

Squall's brow furrowed. "Keep them... They're yours." He closed his eyes to stop damned tears from forming. "Don't throw away the good memories..."

"I said I don't want them. They're just reminders of things that I don't want to keep thinking about." She placed them on the coffee table, soon hugging her knees tightly.

Tears continued to prick at Squall's eyes. "Sell the engagement ring. It'll fetch a good price. Keep the other for Loire..."

Rinoa sighed, watching the fire and Angelo again for a long while before she spoke. "How's... y'know... how are you feeling?"

"I... I can move my ankle a little bit..." Squall murmured. He'd been so excited to show Seifer, but now it felt incredibly dumb.

Rinoa gasped, clasping her hands together and smiling at him. "I'm so happy! That's great, Squall! You'll be up and about in no time!"

Squall smiled a little. "Yeah. Then I'll have to win the damn war, get myself a job and find a place to live..." He muttered.

Rinoa laughed and nodded a little. "A job. You could be a normal man, though. Instead of 'Commander Leonhart'."

"Heh. I don't think I know how to be normal... SeeD has been a part of my life for so long, it's strange just being 'Squall'."

"You've only been a commander for two years. you'll get back to being yourself soon enough." She murmured.

"Yeah... but before that I spent all my time working to become a fully-fledged SeeD. I've never... I've never been normal."

"Then you're going to have to learn." She replied, hugging her knees a little tighter, looking at the father and son duo.

"I guess so. Maybe I'll be a chef. Or a spaceman. Or a footballer. A singer... yeah, a famous rockstar!" He laughed, nuzzling his son more. "Or just a dad. I like that idea."

Rinoa smiled lightly. "A dad sounds nice. Get a normal job and just... be a dad. Someone Loire can be proud of." She murmured.

"Maybe I can get a job in town. That way I'll be close... Unless, you're planning on moving away?" Squall asked, looking over at Rinoa.

"No plans yet..." She mumbled, her gaze finding Angelo once more. "Let's just wait until you're better before we decide anything..."

"Timber is nice this time of year, hm?" Squall murmured, rockin Loire to sleep on his shoulder. "Just don't... don't run away without a word, please?"

"Timber is... Timber is in a past I don't want to cling to anymore." She shifted to stand. "It's about time for his nap. Here..." she held her hands out for the baby, not letting her gaze lock with Squall's.

Squall frowned a little and pressed a soft kiss to Loire's head as he handed him to Rinoa. "Heh. He has a naptime... he... he's really changed so much."

She scooped him from Squall's hands and held him close, moving to a crib and gently lowering him in, kissing his head. "Not all that much. He's just awake a lot more during the day and asleep most of the night."

Squall's shoulder felt bare without Loire's weight against it. He ran a hand through his hair. "He sleeps most the night? That's a great improvement."

"Yeah, he doesn't wake up screaming at me for food anymore." She laughed softly, settling into her seat again, resting back against it with exhaustion in her face.

"You look tired. Why don't you go take a nap? I can watch over Loire, he's not going to be able trouble while he's sleeping." Squall murmured.

"No, it's okay. I don't... sleep much anyway." She gave a light smile, her hand finding her necklace and twitching at the lack of rings on it.

"At least go and relax a little while without having to worry about Loire." Squall offered, sighing softly.

"No, I said it's okay. I'm fine." She shook her head, hugging her knees up tight again, a frown coming to her face.

Squall shifted awkwardly in his wheelchair, frowing himself. "I... um... I guess I should head back..." He mumbled.

"Oh... o-okay, if you have to." She gave a slight smile to him, shifting her feet to the floor, her hand coming to tuck hair behind her ear.

"Unless you want me to stay?" Squall asked, tilting his head to look at her.

Rinoa scrunched her nose up. "I... I don't want to keep you if you have to be somewhere. I know how difficult it is for the pirates to stay in one place too long..."

"Forget about them. What is it you want?" Squall asked, runnng a hand through his hair.

Rinoa gave a weak smile. "I want the man I thought you were." She whispered, soon shifting to stand and heading to her bedroom, closing the door and laying on her bed, tears running down her face.

Squall let out a heavy sigh and wheeled towards the door, pushing it open. He wheeled into the bedroom and frowned. "Rin... don't cry..."

"I'm not." She mumbled, wiping away her tears and shifting to sit up, sniffling a little as she hugged her knees to her chest.

Squall scrunched up his nose and wheeled over to the bed, manouvering his chair beside it.

Rinoa sighed softly. "Sorry... I don't mean to have you moving all over the place... it must get tiring..."

Squall gave a shrug. "You get used to it. Besides, I'm always tired these days." He reached out a hand, touching Rinoa's hair tenderly.

Rinoa tensed up slightly, blushing a little. "I... I'm glad you're feeling better, though. I'm sure soon enough you'll get more feeling back."

"Yeah. And then I'll try and get my life in order." He murmured, toying with Rinoa's hair more.

"Mm. If you need help looking for a job or somewhere to live, when you get back to things, I'll help." She smiled slightly.

Squall gave a soft laugh, running his fingers through dark locks. "Even after everything, you're still being nice to me."

Rinoa smiled a little less. "Uh... if you don't want... I mean... I'm not trying to um..." She blushed and pulled away from his hand.

Squall frowned. "Rin... don't pull away... It's nice..." He murmured.

Rinoa shook her head slightly. "It's not, because we're not who we were Squall. We can't keep pretending everything is okay."

"We're still the same people we always were, Rin... We just... I just... I screwed up."

"We're not Squall. I refuse to play the pretty little princess anymore. You're not my Knight, I need to realise that." She shook her head again, firmly.

"I'll always be your Knight, Rin. We made that bond. It's not a bond that can be broken just like that."

Rinoa shook her head once more, sighing. "Why do I need a Knight, Squall? I'm not a sorceress anymore. Just a girl with a kid at nineteen."

"That power doesn't just fade, Rin... It lies dormant within you, and that's why, if you need me, I'll always come running." Squall frowned. "And I know we're young, and I know Loire wasn't planned, but he is a miracle, a gift."

"Well, have you got the reciept for this gift? It's too early for us to have it." She sighed heavily, flopping back on the bed. "I love Loire more than anything but... I'm just not ready to be a mom. I mean, I thought I was... but..."

"Then let me help out more. I can look after him. I've been babysitting Krja, I'm good with kids, and I miss him so much, Rin."

"Okay... sure. What is it you always used to say? Oh... yeah. '...whatever'." She smiled slightly at him. "Just... you can't be with him if you're in the sky, and I'm not comfortable with him being gone for Gods know how long..."

Squall gave a soft laugh. "Then... I'll give up the sky. I'll find some place closer to live."

Rinoa sighed slightly, giving him a half-smile. "You really think that, now he has you on his airship, Balthier will just let you leave?"

"Well... yeah, I mean I'm only there as a friend..." Squall murmured.

Rinoa laughed slightly. "I think you'll find he's very protective of you, now you're not 'Squall the Undefeatable'."

"Yeah, maybe... But he'll understand. I mean, he knows what it's like to be parted from your kid..."

"Mm... maybe." She smiled and closed her eyes, draping her arms back above her on the bed.

Squall folded his arms on the bed, resting his head on them, watching Rinoa.

Rinoa let out a soft sigh. "Just... don't be a deadbeat, like Laguna, okay? Loire needs his dad around while he's a kid."

Squall gave a nod. "I'll be here. I won't let him grow up not knowing me."

Rinoa gave a nod, falling silent, trying hard not to fall asleep.

Squall closed his own eyes, letting out a contented sound. "Sleep Rin, you need it."

She didn't need telling twice. A moment later, Rinoa drifted to sleep, silently.

Squall leaned over to kiss her forehead, before wheeling out of the room to let her sleep in peace.