You Are The One For Me

Chapter Ten

It was almost two years since Squall died. If Rinoa would get married again, no one would say that it was too soon. Her son needed a father.

But Rinoa, did she need a husband?

Nights were cold and lonely, especially at this time of the year. Christmas was just around the corner. She longed for someone at her side. She yearned for arms that would hold her tight, telling her everything would be alright.

Rinoa gazed at her son. With his soft brown hair flipping in the gentle breeze, he was happily chasing the butterflies in the garden. Each day, Julien looked a lot like Squall.

"Good afternoon!"

She whirled around and saw a smiling Seifer. She remembered the first time she saw him. She just stood dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. She was almost deaf because of the loud hammering of her heart in her chest. But that was many years ago. Seifer's face had changed a lot. Gone was the youthful charm but it was replaced by maturity. She could say that he looked a lot more appealing nowadays.

He handed her a bouquet of long stemmed roses.

"Aren't you tired of bringing me gifts?" she asked him.

"I want to because it makes me happy." He sat down at one of the chairs across her. He was facing her, not breaking eye contact with Rinoa.

"You've been courting me for a long time, Seifer. You had gained my parents' and my father-in-law's trusts. Even Julien seems to like your company."

"You? Are you still mad at me? Will you forgive me for the mistakes I had done to you?"

Rinoa sighed deeply. She glanced at her son who was chased by his nanny.

"The anger is gone, Seifer. If you need forgiveness, I will gladly give it to you."

"Thank you!" Seifer said, his eyes shining. "Does that mean I have a chance with you? I'm not rushing you into marriage, Rinoa."

"Seifer, I would even get married today if I love the man I will marry. The problem is I don't love you anymore and I can't love you ever."

Seifer was astonished.

"Maybe you just need more time…"

Rinoa shook her head repeatedly.

"I only see you as a friend. I only love one. And if that love is gone, it could never be brought back. As of now, the only man I love is Squall. Maybe someday I would meet some man that I would learn to love, but as of now, no one can replace my husband."

"Rinoa…"

"You're only wasting your time if you'd continue pursuing me. My parents like you, Squall's father likes you, and you could even be a good father to my son. The only problem is me, Seifer. I cannot marry you. I can't be a wife to you because I don't have feelings for you."

"I know I have a chance with you, Rinoa. I'm not losing hope. I know you'd learn to love me again. You just have to forget about Squall."

"You'd just have problems with what you're about to do. There are lots of women out there. I'm sure one of them would be the one who would make you happy."

"No! You are that woman, Rinoa!"

Rinoa stared at Seifer. Was his love for her the reason why he would not give up on her? There was still the inheritance she'd get. And wasn't the reason he laid eyes on her when she was younger was because Seifer thought Squall was courting her? If Seifer would have Rinoa, he would triumph. His victory over Squall.

It was almost midnight and Rinoa was still not sleepy. Before Seifer left, he threatened her that he would never give up. It seemed like he would do anything just to have her.

She was not afraid of Seifer's threat. She was infuriated. There was one thing she could not stand: a man who was persuasive! If she did not want something, she really did not want it! And if she wanted something, she really wanted it.

She closed the window. She was shivering from the cold wind.

When she got back in the bed, she willed herself to sleep. She had to wake up early tomorrow and she would not want herself to be groggy at school just because of thinking of a man who was not important in her life.

Her mind drifted back to her husband. She missed him so much. Why couldn't they understand that he is the only man for her? She weeped as she thought of their happy times together. She never thought Squall would be the man he was when they got married. He was a perfect husband. She prayed to Hyne that He would tell Squall how much she missed and loved him.

As drowsiness started to wash over her, a dream started.

That dream was the same dream that visited her almost every night.

Squall was alive. And he was with her. And in that dream, as he was claiming her body, he kept whispering in her ear that he loved her.

"Squall… Squall…" she moaned. She would raise her arms to embrace her husband.

She would always wake up at this point because the only thing she was embracing was the cold air. But now she woke up because she felt her arms embrace a person!

She felt his weight on her. And his lips were already traveling downwards on her body!

This was clearly not a dream!

And it was impossible that Squall was the man who was with her now! She could already see Seifer's face. He was the only person who would force himself on her!

She pushed back the man with all her strength.

"Rinoa!"

There was only one thing on Rinoa's mind, to defend herself! No one had the right to own her body except for Squall!

She immediately grabbed the lampshade that was beside her bed. She struck the man's head with the lamp.

The man immediately fell on the floor. Rinoa ran towards the switch for the bedroom light. When light flooded the room, she saw the man. He was holding the right side of his head as he was standing. She rushed to the drawer where she hid a gun that Laguna gave her for emergency situations like this one.

She pointed the gun at him.

"You just try to take a step further and—" She was cut off as she saw the man's face who was standing before her.

"I have always known that you were a tigress."

"S-Squall?" She could not believe what she was seeing.

Squall smiled at her.

"Maybe I should have woken you up first. But it has been a very long time since I last saw you. I missed you a lot, Rin."

Rinoa lowered the gun she was holding. She blinked several times. Were all of these just a hallucination? Or was she still dreaming?"

Squall walked towards her and locked her in his arms.

"I'm alive, Rin," he said as he embraced her.

Rinoa embraced Squall tightly, feeling his warm arms around her, still trying to believe that he was really here. He really is here!

Rinoa pulled back after a while and peered into his blue eyes. "B-But how? All of us thought you were dead. Why did you come back just now?"

Squall started to explain.

"I was with a group of people who jumped out of the planed just before it exploded. But I still got wounded when I was hit by a big piece of metal from the plane. I floated for a number of days and I found myself washed up on a shore of an island. There were natives there who took care of me. The problem was we could not communicate with each other and there was no way for me to leave the island.

A huge storm came about a week ago and a cargo ship stopped by the island. When the storm was gone I asked the captain to take me with them. They boarded at Balamb and from there I contacted Zell."

"Zell? Why didn't he tell me that you're alive?"

"He thought you had already fallen for Seifer. The talk of the town nowadays is your forthcoming marriage to him."

"What?" she asked incredulously. She did not know that! So that was what Seifer is up to!

"Because of that, I decided to secretly come back here and know the truth from you."

"You're alive, Squall. I can not marry Seifer."

Squall lovingly held her chin and lifted her face.

"If he is the one you love now, I would remain dead for the world."

"You'd sacrifice yourself?"

"I would not want to force or ask you to love me, Rin. All my life I had been asking people to love me. I'm tired. If no one would love me, I'd still live. But if you would love me, love me because that is what you want and that is what you feel. Do not love me just because I'm your husband and the father of our son."

Rinoa put her arms around Squall's neck and pulled her closer to him. She kissed him tenderly on the lips.

When their lips parted, she asked him. "Does that answer your question?"

"But why are you getting married to Seifer?" Squall asked again.

"And who told you that? I'd never marry him! Whoever's spreading around those lies is making a huge mistake." Then she realized that that maybe the reason why Seifer was so insistent that they get married. He did not want to embarrass himself.

She pulled herself away from Squall's embrace. Squall looked at her, his eyes wondering.

"I want to show you our son. He looks like you."

Squall remained standing.

"I went to see him first when I got here. I'd introduce myself tomorrow. I don't want to disturb his sleep."

Squall carried Rinoa and laid her gently on the bed.

"Besides, I have much more important things to do."

He was about to kiss her on the lips when Rinoa pushed himself gently.

"Why?"

"You were gone almost two years but your reason wasn't enough to just forget our problem."

"Problem? I thought everything's okay now! Father and Aunt Edea are okay now. And Seifer will be out of our lives forever. He cannot pursue you now that I'm here."

Rinoa wrinkled her forehead.

"When you left, I told you I love you. And up to now I still tell you that I love you. But you never tell me that you love me!"

Squall chuckled.

"I'd let you feel what I feel for you, Rin."

He held Rinoa's face lovingly in his two hands.

"I love you, Rinoa. And the time that we spent apart made me love you even more. The only thing that kept me alive during those two years was you, Rin. When I arrived in Balamb, I wanted to get home as soon as possible. I love you so much, Rinoa."

Rinoa embraced Squall.

"You can stop talking now."

As Squall and Rinoa resumed kissing each other, Rinoa knew she'd be late for her class tomorrow. Heck, she might even miss her classes. But was that still important?

THE END

A/N: Finally! The last chapter! I hope you guys liked this story. Thank you so much for all the reviews that you guys sent! I really am grateful for everything! (hugs everyone)

Fr33k SYl3 23: Hi! Meycauayan is near to where I live. I live in Marilao. I have relatives in Meycauayan. Hehe! Yes, I know PasifiKStaR's half-Filipina... Though I haven't had the time to send her an e-mail. Sige, e-mail kita asap... Puro chat kasi inaatupag ko ngayon e... hehehe!

starquestor: I hope I was able to emphasize a bit more on Rinoa... Thanks so much for the suggestion and the review!

shortie630: Thanks! I'm a SquallXRinoa fan forever! There's no way I'd end a story with either of them paired up with another. Hehe!

Pretty Like Drugs: Thank you so much! Squall's very much alive and in Rinoa's arms. Hehe!

trekken46: Squall's alive! Wee! I love happy SquallXRinoa endings! Thanks so much for everything!

PasifiKStaR: Well, this is the final chappy! Thank you so much for the reviews. I just hope the ending isn't too mushy or something.

Rinoa Leonheartilly: Lolz. Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this last chapter!

Bighearted fan: (blush) So far, I'm okay. Thank you very much!

angel-brokensorrow: Never in my life I'll get Seifer and Rinoa together. As far as I'm concerned Squall and Rinoa belong to each other and no one else. Hehe! Thanks!

LionHeart823: Hehe! I'll be starting on my first Seiftis asap! Thank you!

Manjo Bouvier: This is the last chapter and this fic's finished! Thanks so much!

And to everyone else out there, thank you for all the reviews you had sent me for the past 9 chapters!

bembem