Chapter One: Let Me Take You Away
By PasifikStar
Author's Note: Had enough of me yet? (Evil laughter) Here's an AU that is the result of tons of different story ideas that I melted into one big, confusing, ball of fluffy... um...dramatic...uh...stuff? -_-;; Anyway, I used one of the intro scenes in "Forbidden Love" for how Rinoa and Squall met. I really want to watch the rest of that drama...anyway, let the confusion commence! I have 3 midterms this week, so I won't be updating for while! Sorry!!
* All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters."Balamb Garden!?" a voice shrieked as she looked at her father in horror. "WHY!?"
"Rinoa, don't make such a big deal of it," a middle aged man said as he sat at the head of the long dinner table, across from his only daughter. "It's only for a few months."
"But WHY?" Rinoa continued to plead as she stared at him. She held a knife in one hand and a fork in the other and had stopped cutting through her steak when her father dropped the news on her. "What's wrong with my school now?"
"Nothing is wrong, Rinoa," he stated sternly as he looked up at her. "Unless you count the stalkers and deranged fans."
"That's not my fault!" she gasped out. "How can you punish me by moving me to a different school when it's not even my fault that those people came after me!"
"I think it's for your own good," the General told her. "It's in a secluded area, away from large crowds. You'll be unknown. A normal student. Isn't that what you want?"
Slowly her chocolate brown eyes lowered and she nodded. "It is but-"
"That what is the problem?" he asked tiredly. "Balamb Garden is a fine school. You said so yourself."
"It's a fine school for Seifer, maybe, but not for me!" Rinoa gasped. "Father, it is a MILITARY school!"
"You can always use a little discipline."
"No! You can't make me go!"
"What?" Seifer snorted as he sat out in the quad with a woman with white hair and a large tan brunette. He held a cellular phone up to his ear. "When?"
"When do you think!?" a voice growled in his ear. He winced as he held the phone away from him. "At the start of the new semester!"
"Hey," Seifer looked over at the white haired woman. "When does the new semester start?"
"Tomorrow." the woman stated simply.
"You're coming here tomorrow?" Seifer asked.
"I'm on my way there now! What am I going to do!?" the female voice on the phone shouted.
"Stop yelling at me!" Seifer shouted back. "Listen, just give us a call when you get here. We'll show you around."
"You were in on this, weren't you?" she suddenly accused. "You just LIVE to make my life a living hell."
He smirked. "Why must you assume that my life revolves around making your life hell? Aren't WE the cocky bastard."
"Damn right you are," she retorted proudly. "Grr...fine! I'll call you when I get there." There was a beep and she hung up.
"When is she arriving, ya know?" said the tall, muscular tanned man with the dark hair.
Seifer snapped his cell phone closed and shoved it in his back pocket. "Tonight," he replied casually. "Looks like her old man actually went through with it."
"Okay?" the white haired woman asked.
He snorted and shook his head. "She's not happy," he stood up and brushed off his dark pants and white jacket as he walked up the steps two where the two other people were waiting. They began to walk down the hall. "Just be prepared for the whiny annoyance that is Rinoa Caraway."
Just as he said her name, they passed by a spiky haired blond with a tattoo on his face. He was running down the hall, holding folder he had been sent to deliver. Rinoa Caraway. He froze.
*Wait...did Seifer just say 'Rinoa Caraway'? Rinoa Caraway the singer? Rinoa Caraway the model?* he thought to himself. He turned his head sharply behind him.
"But it'll be fun to watch the little princess be whipped into shape," Seifer snickered. "Fujin, Raijin, I know she's our friend, but if she does something wrong, we can't let her off, understand?"
"Affirmative." the white haired woman named Fujin stated.
"I'm sure she'll be fine, ya know." Raijin added.
The blond who was listening in on their conversation allowed his mouth to drop as he looked at them. *Oh my Hyne! She's coming HERE!? Balamb Garden? Is he serious!?...I have to tell Selphie!*
He turned back around and headed towards the direction he had been going.
"And that is the cafeteria," Seifer pointed to a set of doors and then looked down at the brunette in light blue and black clothes who was looking at a map. He grumbled and grabbed it. "Pay attention to the tour and you won't need a map!"
"I wouldn't NEED a map if the tour was any good," Rinoa retorted as she grabbed it back. "I knew I should've asked Fujin. She's always good with directions."
"She's right about that, ya know." Raijin said with a nod.
"Shut up, Raijin," Seifer grumbled. "Okay, fine...Fujin, you try giving the stubborn princess a tour."
"Affirmative." Fujin said. She gave a slight caught and began to walk backwards, beckoning Rinoa to follow her.
Rinoa followed Fujin with Seifer and Raijin behind her as the white haired woman pointed out rooms, levels, and interesting places in the Garden. Rinoa had stuffed the map into her back pocket and was nodding with interest as she looked around.
At the end of the tour, Fujin tested her. "Cafeteria?"
"Down the hall, to the left."
"Ballroom?"
"Up the hall, to the right."
"Training room?"
"Up two levels, follow the arrows to the left. Sixth door to the right." Rinoa repeated.
Fujin smirked and looked at Seifer. He scowled and glared at the two women. "I know you both are conspiring against me..." he mumbled viciously.
"I wish..." Rinoa mumbled. She looked at one of the clocks in the wall. "When's curfew?"
"One a.m., ya know."
"Great," she nodded. "Okay, I'm going to wander around by myself. Check out some stuff on my own."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Seifer asked. She was the new girl after all and had been there for less than a few hours. "You won't get lost?"
"I would if you had continued with your 'tour', but since you didn't, I won't," she replied casually. "Thanks for showing me my classes and stuff guys. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, if you're lucky!" Seifer called out arrogantly. Rinoa shook her head and began to head down the hall.
She and Seifer shared the same manager and had done many advertisements together. They and another model had been the trio that acted as the poster boys and girl for particular high end clothing line. That was before she started her singing career a year ago.
After her first album went platinum, she became an over night success. She had just released her second album, which was more popular than the first. That's when all her problems started.
Being a teenaged pop star wasn't as fun as she had hoped it to be. Stalkers and other obsessed fans came around her school, scaring away all her friends. Soon, some of her really close friends' parents wouldn't allow their daughters to speak to her any more. They said it was too dangerous because of the attention.
Her grades began to slip and her father decided it was time to take her out of the all girls arts academy she had been attending since she was a child and put her into a 'safer' school.
And what was safer than a military school? At first, she had wondered why he just didn't put her in Galbadia Garden. It was close to home. But then, that was the reason. It was TOO close to home. That's why she ended up in a secluded Garden like Balamb.
She sighed heavily as she walked through the halls. Students gave her second glances, trying to see where they had seen her before. Other students openly stared at her after realizing who she was. Her father had told her that part of the reason he wanted her to go there was because Seifer went there.
If Seifer was able to lead a somewhat normal life as a teen idol worshipped by the female population, he assumed that she could live one there as well.
Rinoa frowned. *Of course...he forgot to take into account that Seifer is an attention whore, so living with everyone ogling him all the time is 'normal' to him...*
As she reached the front doors of the Garden, the P.A. system went off and informed the students that they had thirty minutes until curfew. She looked around and noticed that there were just a few students wandering around the halls now. Some were looking for the classes they would have the next day. Others were catching up with friends after the break.
She opened the doors and stepped out, walking down the path to her car in the parking lot. She had left her school supplies for the next say in the car. Digging the keys out of her pocket as she saw her car, she lifted the remote and unlocked it.
After a few moments, she locked the door and held the binder, folders, and pencil case against her chest with one arm. Rinoa stuffed the keys back into her pocket and turned around.
The Garden was up ahead and he glanced down at his watch, which was just peaking between his leather gloves and the cuffs of his leather jacket. *Just in time...* he thought to himself as he gripped the handles of the bike. The motorcycle roared as it sped through the open gates of the Garden.
He leaned forward as wind whipped around him. He slowed down just a little as he turned the corner towards the parking lot. It was only then that he saw the young woman walking back towards the Garden building. His blue eyes went wide behind his dark helmet as grabbed the brakes.
She heard the roar of a motorcycle approaching, but thought nothing of it as she walked across the parking lot. She heard a screeching sound and turned her head, her straight dark brown hair flew around her face with the night breeze as she saw the motorcycle heading towards her.
All he could see was a blur of black and light blue clothes as he twisted the bike around to avoid her. She screamed and dropped her things on the ground as she fell over from the shock.
A crash was heard as his bike flew out from under him, sending him rolling on the hard cement as his bike slid further away. He winced, thanking Hyne for the helmet on his head, as he felt pain rush over his body.
She looked up and saw the leather clad young man on the ground. "Oh no..." she mumbled in shock. She stood up as fast as she could, wincing as she looked down at her leg. There was a rather nasty scratch up her right calf. She ignored the pain as she limped over to him. "Are you okay!?" she gasped.
He was still on the ground, grumbling. He turned his head away from her. She knelt down and tried to help him up. She repeated her question and was rebuked. "I'm fine." he hissed in a deep, annoyed voice.
"I'm really sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked. He stood up and pushed her away.
*Yeah, everywhere...* his mind replied. He felt her hands on his arm, trying to turn him around to check for any wounds. He pushed her away. "I said I'm fine!" he growled.
He glared at her through the helmet and watched her jerk her head back and frowned. "I'm sorry..." she whispered as she stepped back.
Without a second thought, he headed back to his fallen motorcycle. *Shit...I just had her tuned...* he thought to himself. He walked over to the motorcycle, ignoring the burning pain in his arm. He looked down at it and swore. Blood was leaking into his leather jacket.
Meanwhile, the young woman was on the ground, picking up her papers and pencils that had flown out of her hands. As she bent down, she noticed a thin silver chain on the ground. *That looks like mine...* she thought to herself. She reached over and picked it up. Her other hand went up to her neck unconsciously and felt for the chain. *It IS mine!* Her eyes went wide at the realization that nothing was connected to the chain. "No..."
Behind her the man had put his motorcycle back into a standing position and removed his helmet. He glanced back at her and saw her feeling around the ground in panic. *You did knock her down...* his mind told him. *You could at least ask...* He sighed heavily. "What's wrong now?" he asked in a cold voice.
Her back was to him as she searched for something she had lost in panic. "My ring!" she said in a trembling voice. "I can't find my ring!"
He stood there, staring at her back and watching her pale arms and hands feel the ground for her ring. The cold wind blew through his thick mass of unruly brown hair as he put the kick stand up and placed his helmet on the seat. He walked over to her and began to look around.
"It fell?" he asked casually. He was holding on to his arm with his right hand and Rinoa looked up.
Her eyes immediately fell on the dark stain on his arm. "Your arm!"
"How does it look like?" he asked, ignoring her question.
"Wait!" she gasped as she stood up. "Your arm is bleeding! We have to get you some help-"
He was walking around her, his blue eyes scanning the ground as she blabbered about helping him. A sparkle in the moonlight caught his eye and he smirked slightly. "Here it is." He said.
"What...?" she asked, confused. He walked towards one of the cars and lifted up a silver band that was laying next to it's back tire. She watched with interest as he lifted up the ring and turned around.
Her eyes went wide as she finally got a good look at his face. Blue eyes set behind dark hair and a pale complexion. They were cold and reserved, but piercing. He lifted up her ring in one hand and held it up to her. "Here."
Her body acted on impulse and slowly reached out to receive the ring. Her warm fingers closed around it and brushed his gloved hand just before he let it go. Their eyes remained locked for a moment before he stepped back. He broke their eye contact and headed back to his waiting motorcycle.
It roared as it sped away and she stood there, holding the ring against her chest.
A beautiful tall, blond woman walked through the sliding doors of the infirmary. She walked down the slight corridor until she came to the last cubicle where a young man was sitting on an examination table. She let out a tired sigh as she shook her head.
"What did you do now?" she asked tiredly as she shook her head.
"It's nothing." he shrugged. The brown haired doctor stood up from where she was sitting next to the table, examining the wound and lecturing him.
"Just a large scrape on his left arm," the doctor told the blond. "He seems to have fallen off his motorcycle."
"Squall," the blond sighed. "What are we going to do with you? You know better than to ride your bike around campus."
"I was parking it," he stated simply. He turned his cold glare to the doctor. "Dr. Kadowaki, may I leave?"
She looked over his charts and nodded. "Yes, but be sure to keep your arm clean and bandaged. Don't move it so much or the healing skin will break and you'll bleed."
He nodded and slid off the table. "Thank you, Dr. Kadowaki." the blond said as she followed behind the brown haired male who was putting his leather jacket back on.
"Just try to make sure that the Commander doesn't kill himself." Kadowaki replied casually.
Squall scowled as he walked swiftly out the doors. "Squall," a voice called behind him. He ignored the voice as the doors slid open and he stepped out into the hallway. "Squall, will you stop a moment!"
He let out a deep breath and stopped. He turned around and looked at her with annoyed blue eyes. "Yes, Quistis?"
"Where have you been all day?" she asked, almost scolding him. "The new semester starts tomorrow and you have paper work that needs to be done."
At the sound of 'paperwork', he scowled even more. "Fine, I'll work on it right now."
"You can't work on it now!" Quistis sighed. "You have to get some rest. It's already past one in the morning-"
"If I don't get it done now, it'll be late." he stated casually as he changed direction. He headed for the administration offices rather than the residence halls.
"Squall-"
"Quistis! Quistis!!" a voice was shouting down the other side of the hall. The blond turned and saw a young man with a tattooed face running towards her along with a young woman with upturned brown hair and bright green eyes.
She turned to stop Squall, but found that he already turned the corner and disappeared. Tiredly, she looked over at the two who had arrived. "What is it, you two? And why aren't you in your rooms. Curfew already started-"
"Curfew is for the students," said the young woman with the green eyes. "We're not students. We're SeeDs."
Quistis sighed. "You still attend classes...oh fine...Selphie, Zell...what is it?"
"You won't believe what I heard!" Zell gasped out. "I was walking down the hall and I passed by Seifer and the other members of the Disciplinary Committee and they were talking about a new student."
"What's so strange about that?" Quistis asked. "Every quarter we get new students."
"No, no, no!" Selphie said energetically. "Tell her WHO they were talking about!"
"Rinoa Caraway!" Zell shouted.
"Isn't that cool!?" Selphie nearly shrieked. Quistis looked at them strangely.
"Who?"
Immediately, the two jumping students froze and stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "You're kidding..." Zell mumbled.
"Rinoa Caraway..." Selphie trailed off, as if expecting Quistis to realize it at any moment. "The singer?" Quistis had a blank look on her face.
"The model?" Quistis shook her head.
"She's been on every teen magazine cover?" Quistis shrugged.
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of her-"
Selphie suddenly clamped her hand on Quistis' shoulder. "That's okay! We'll tell you who she is! I have her CDs in my room."
"Selphie, I have an early class tomorrow-"
"Oh! That's right, that's right!" Selphie gasped, letting Quistis go. "I'll bring the CDs over to YOUR room! Good idea, Quisty!"
The blond just stared at them in shock as they ran off, proclaiming that they would meet her at her room in ten minutes. Quistis stood there. *I hate it when they do that...*
She adjusted the uniform unconsciously as she stepped out of her forth period class. It was just before lunch and she was supposed to meet Seifer and the others at the cafeteria. Because she was not there to become a mercenary, she was put into 'easier' classes that were sticking to the standard academic teachings.
Just because she was at a military school didn't make the learning process any different. Math was still confusing, history was still long, and her mind still wandered in her literature class. She had a science class and an open period right after lunch.
She clutched her books and binder against her chest warily. They had been new less than twenty-four hours before, but after last night, they now bared scratches from where they had slid against the cement. And her things weren't the only ones with scratches.
She had a rather nasty scratch on her calf, but luckily the black knee high socks she had chosen to wear covered them up. Her hair was down, falling around her face softly. Perhaps that's why so many people were looking at her. They recognized her.
"That's her!" she would hear one person whisper to their friend. "It's Rinoa!"
"Dude, ask her out!" one student would tell his friend as they elbowed him to approach her.
"No! She's like a star, man...what would she want with me?" the student would reply shyly.
Rinoa sighed. It was always like that. There were either crazy fans who stalked her or people who would stay away from her completely. *Great...just great...* As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was looking forward to seeing Seifer and the others. They treated her normally. Not like she was a virus. *No wonder I can never get a date...*
The word 'date' sounded in her head as she blushed. For some reason, her mind went back to last night. She had spent ten minutes out in the parking lot, clutching her mother's ring against her. She could still see his face in her mind. He a boyish smile when he found the ring, although as soon as he turned to face her, it vanished.
His cold look replaced his smile as his eyes drew her in. They were crystal pools that she drowned in and even as the sound of his motorcycle died away, she still stood there, unable to move. She hoped she would see him around. He looked quite young and perhaps he was a student.
Of course, she'd already learned that appearances were deceiving. Her last instructor, Instructor Trepe, was around her age and teaching. Seifer was older than her, looked older than her, and was still a student. She snickered. *That's because he's dumb.*
She wasn't looking where she was going and ran into someone. She looked up, ready to apologize when a questioning smirk looked down at her. Her apology died in her mouth. "So I take it that the princess' first day at school wasn't the greatest?"
Her narrows narrowed. "Shut up, Seifer...I'm not in the mood," she mumbled as she walked past him. "Where are the others?"
"They got stuck with lunch duty and will meet us in the quad later," Seifer shrugged. "So whose class did you have last?"
"Two classes with Instructor Trepe-"
"Quisty?" Seifer asked, smiling almost deviously from ear to ear. "REALLY... you should ask her if she misses me."
"Hyne, Seifer, no one misses you," another female voice said behind them. They turned around and saw the pretty blond instructor walking towards them. "Hello, Miss Caraway. How was your first day?"
"Hello, Instructor Trepe-"
"Please, just call me Quistis outside of class." the blond assured her. Rinoa nodded.
"Yes, Quistis...my day isn't over yet. And it's Rinoa Heartilly here. Just call me Rinoa."
Quistis nodded and glared at Seifer. "Is he giving you any trouble?"
Seifer let out a fake gasp and pretended to be emotionally wounded. "Quisty! How could you even suggest such a thing-"
"Because you would." she replied, cutting him off.
Seifer draped an arm around Rinoa's slim shoulders and brought her closer to him. She gave him an annoyed look. "Now, Quisty, no need to be jealous. Rinoa and I are just friends? Isn't that right, Rinoa?"
"Get your heavy arm off me!" Rinoa grumbled as she wiggled out of his grasp. She shot him a glare.
Quistis sighed and shook her head. "When will you grow up?"
"C'mon, admit it," Seifer said with a cocky grin. "You miss me in your class, don't you?"
"WHY would I miss you?" Quistis retorted in disbelief. "I always see you in the halls-"
"So you notice me-"
"And you repeated my class last year!" she added, exasperated.
Seifer pretended to look hurt as he grabbed her free hand. "I just wanted to be with you."
Her blue eyes glared at him and pulled her arm away. She looked over at Rinoa. "Rinoa, you be careful around him."
"I know, Quistis," Rinoa said. "He's not right up here." She tapped her head and Seifer glared at her.
"If you're going to be like that, I'll just have lunch with Quisty instead." Seifer said, then putting his arm around Quistis' shoulder. When he did so, Rinoa noted how cute they looked together...even while Quistis was glaring at Seifer.
She shrugged is arm off and stepped around him. "Come with me, Rinoa," Quistis said casually. "I've heard a lot of things about you."
"Oh..." Rinoa's eyes looked down.
"This is quite unorthodox, but I have to comrades who would love to meet you," Quistis said. "Would you mind? I swear that they're not nearly as strange as your current company."
She looked over her shoulder at Seifer, who seemed to be steaming because he was being ignored. Rinoa nodded. "That's all right."
"By the way, what class do you have next?" Quistis asked.
"I have a science class and then an open period." Rinoa explained.
"Oh, that means you'll have Squall. He's covering the last period open period today." Quistis said with a warm smile. Rinoa tilted her head to the side, not really understanding.
"Stay away from him," Seifer's deep voice sounded behind her. "He's not good for you."
Quistis sighed and explained. "Seifer and Squall have been rivals since they were children," she told Rinoa. "They aren't exactly best friends."
"We're not friends period!" Seifer snapped.
"He's the Garden's Commander," Quistis told her. "He's-"
"A cold, anti-social bastard who hides away in his office all day-" Seifer added, earning him a glare from Quistis.
"I think I'll judge for myself!" Rinoa stated loudly. The two blondes were glaring at each other and Rinoa bit her lip to keep from laughing out. *Oh yeah...they are made for each other...*
He looked at his watch. He was late for the open period study hall in the library. He had been so caught up in finishing his paper work, that he had lost track of time. It wasn't until his secretary, Xu, knocked on his door to tell him that he was late.
*It would've helped if she had told me earlier...* his mind thought, annoyed. He entered the library and looked around. His blue eyes narrowed as he headed straight for the desk in front of the rows of desks.
It always seemed to happen only to him. The rows of tables and chairs in front of him were occupied mainly by girls. He never understood the reason, although Selphie always said it was because he had so many admirers. Squall shook his head and put his things on the table. He looked at his watch once more and pulled the chair out to sit on it.
He sat down and opened the roster to all attendance. Just as he opened his mouth to say the first name, the doors flew open. He looked to the side and frowned as he saw Seifer waltz in. The girls in the library began to whisper amongst themselves. It was rare to have both Seifer and Squall in the same room.
Not because they were enemies, but because they were the Garden's resident male idols. Squall because he was good looking and cold and silent and Seifer because he was good looking and carried an air of power around him.
Squall's blue eyes scanned the list and looked up at Seifer with cold eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a cold voice. "You're not in this class."
"Relax, commander puberty," Seifer told him casually. "I'm not here for your class."
Squall tried to ignore the looming blond and began to read the roster. Seifer scanned the rows of young women in the library and listened intently for Squall to call out one particular name. "Rinoa Heartilly."
"Present!" a female voice said from the back of the room. Squall looked up to make a note and froze.
He locked eyes with the same girl he had almost ran over the night before. She was sitting in the back, a book she had been reading was covering her face earlier and she blushed as she realized who he was. "Rinoa! There you are!" Seifer said in a loud, booming voice.
Rinoa winced as she turned and looked at him. Seifer walked over to her and pulled out the chair next to her. He sat down next to her, fully aware of Squall's glare, as he put his arm on the back of Rinoa's chair and smirked. Squall's eyes fell back on the roster.
"Seifer, I would appreciate it if you would leave the students alone for their class-" Squall began, but Seifer ignored him.
"So are we still up for dinner tonight?" Seifer asked, rather loudly. The girls in the class all began to whisper and Rinoa sank down in her seat.
"Seifer, what are you doing?" she hissed, embarrassed. "I'm trying to read-"
"Miss Heartilly, it would be very much appreciated if you would not talk to you BOYFRIEND while in the middle of class." Squall said in a deep, dangerous voice.
Rinoa turned red and sat straight up. "He's not my boyfriend!" she shouted, as if trying to convenience him. Immediately, she felt even more stupid as she ran her hand down her face. "He's not..."
"Is that so...?" Squall stated. His heated glare became cooler as it settled back on Seifer. "Seifer, if you bother my student again, I'll have to ask you to leave."
"Oh, so she's YOURS now, is that it?" Seifer asked in his cocky, authority questioning voice. Rinoa buried her face in the book.
*This cannot be happening...* she thought to herself. "Seifer...please...I'll see you at dinner. Just let me have class in peace!" she whispered to him.
Seifer looked over at Squall once more before smoothly lifted his hand and brushing Rinoa's bangs from her face. "I'll see you at dinner then." he said loudly. He stood up and headed towards the door.
Rinoa could feel the eyes of her classmates and Squall on her as she tried in vain to pretend like she was reading. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest and she closed her eyes tightly.
To her relief, Squall continued the roll call and the attention was off her, if only for a moment. The rest of the hour passed without much action. Rinoa read her books for class as the other students studied. She looked up occasionally to steal glances from Squall.
He was always busy going through his stack of paper work. Every time she looked up and saw him flipping papers and high lighting or signing something, her heart sank. Part of her wished that she could've caught him looking at her. *Wishful thinking...* she sighed to herself. Therefore, for the last thirty minutes, she drowned herself in her school work.
It wasn't until she looked up once more that she realized that everyone had left. Everyone except the library girl, who had left her spot behind the information counter, and Squall. He was sitting at the desk, signing the last piece of paper before putting his pen down and closing the folder.
She didn't even realize what she was doing. Rinoa piled her things up and stood up. She carried her things down the aisle between the desks and stood in front of Squall. She opened her mouth. Nothing came out.
Squall noticed a shadow fall over his desk and he looked up. "Can I help you, Miss Heartilly?" he asked in a slightly annoyed voice.
Rinoa swallowed hard. "I...uh...I just wanted to...um...say...thank you. For yesterday."
Squall just stared back at her with a stern look on his face. "Whatever."
"You have no idea what that ring means to me," Rinoa gushed out. "It was my mothers and she gave it to me just before she died and I would've never forgiven myself if I had lost it."
Squall stood up and piled his folders on top of each other. Without another word he lifted them under one arm and headed towards the door. "You're welcome." he stated as he walked out the door. As it closed behind him, Rinoa let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding in.
She must've looked so stupid.
He closed his the folder he had been going over and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Blinking tiredly he looked up at the clock. It was just past eleven, meaning the Garden was almost vacant of all students. It was party night and if the students weren't at parties, they went home for the weekend.
He turned off the lamp on his desk and leaned back on his chair. The moonlight filtered through the window of his room and he closed his eyes. "Rinoa..." Her name slipped through his lips as naturally as air and he frowned.
Ever since he almost ran into her, literally, he couldn't stop thinking about her. As far as he could tell, there wasn't anything special about her. She wasn't the prettiest girl in the Garden. He had seen her test scores and while she was intelligent, she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box either.
She seemed, in retrospect, rather plain. Brown, chocolate eyes and a pale face framed by soft locks of dark brown hair. Her bangs had some blond high lights in them. And she dressed like all the other female students, so she didn't really stand out.
The first day that week, when she was in the class he was over seeing, he had noticed her look up every once in a while at him. He could detect slight disappointment on her face every time. It amazed him how she didn't once catch him looking at her.
He had sworn that he had zoned off for a good five minutes at one point. He hoped that none of the other students had noticed it. He opened his eyes and stood up. He needed a walk to clear his head before going to bed. After all, he had time trails in the morning.
He grabbed his jacket off the bed post and headed out the door. He debated if he should go for a ride or not. As he reached the bottom floor of the Garden, he decided to go for it. There was nothing like riding his motorcycle through the night and feeling the wind and scenery whip past him.
He stepped into the parking lot and saw his bike waiting for him in a reserved spot. He had left his helmet there just in case he felt like a quick ride and didn't want to go back to his room and grab his helmet. He grabbed the black and royal blue helmet and put it on.
He straddled it and listened to it roar to life before backing out and heading towards the main gate. As he tightened his hold on the handles, he grew further and further away from his 'day job' and home. To his sides, he saw the blur of the trees and the fields as he rode on the lone road from the Garden to town.
The ride to town seemed much too short as he arrived there. He parked his bike and got off. He held his helmet in one hand as he walked down the street. *I might as well get something to eat...* he thought to himself as he headed for the twenty-four hour mart. He had skipped dinner that day.
After grabbed a sandwich and some coffee, of which he chugged down like water, he headed back towards his bike. As he stood by it, putting his helmet on, he noticed someone standing on the side walk across from him.
Pale arms were wrapped around herself, obviously cold, as she wore a short white dress and heels. She looked up the street, as if looking for someone. Dark hair framed her face as she gripped a small purse in one hand. She opened it with her other hand and lifted up a small silver phone.
"Any luck?" she asked the person on the phone. Her face told him the answer to the question. "Oh...okay...I can wait. How much longer? An HOUR?..."
Squall looked around once more. She seemed to be alone. He began to walk across the street, making sure no cars were passing, as he removed his helmet. She didn't seem to notice him as she looked at her watch.
"What are doing here?" he asked.
Rinoa's head snapped up and her eyes went wide as she realized it was him. "I...um...I..." Immediately her face went red as her heart began to beat unnaturally fast.
He gave her a questioning look. "Well?"
Rinoa bit her lip and looked down. "I went out with Seifer and the others, but his car was parked in the wrong place and was towed," she said softly. "They went to the impound lot and told me to stay in the club. I just wanted to come outside and call...you know...see if they got the car back."
"Then go back inside," he stated. "It's dangerous for you to be out her by yourself," *Especially dressed like that...*
She shook her head and looked back up at him, a blush on her face. "I really don't feel comfortable there by myself," she admitted. "I'll just wait for them here."
Squall looked around once more. He looked at his watch. It was almost twelve. He looked back at Rinoa, who didn't seem to be heading back into the club anytime soon. Finally, Squall took her hand and put his helmet in it.
She looked up at him in question. "Put it on," he told her before she had a chance to ask why. Rinoa looked at the helmet hesitantly. "Do you want to go back to the Garden or not?"
"Yes-"
"Then put it on," he said. Without another thought, he lifted his hands to her face and brushed back her bangs. Under his touch, he could feel her face growing warmer. He took the helmet from her hands and put it on her head. As soon as it was on snuggly he stepped back. "Does it fit all right?"
"I think so..." she said, her voice muffled by the helmet. "This is my first time with a helmet, so I'm not sure."
Squall just nodded and grabbed her hand. He looked down and up the street before dragging her across it to his bike. Rinoa struggled to keep up with his long strides and stumbled along behind him.
When they reached his bike, he let her hand go and sat on the bike. "Well?" he asked as he looked at her. "What are you waiting for? Get on."
She shook her head nervously. "I've never..."
"It's perfectly safe," he told her sternly. He sat up straight and shrugged out of his jacket. He tossed it to her. "Put this on."
"But what about you-"
"I'm used to riding without a jacket. Besides, it'll get cold and all you're wearing is...that..." he said, almost disdainfully. Rinoa blushed and put the jacket on. "Get on."
She swallowed hard and stepped closer to the motorcycle. Squall instructed her on how to get on and even made her hold on to him while she was getting on. Within a few moments, she felt the vehicle come to life underneath her as she wrapped her arms tightly around Squall's waist.
*Oh, Hyne...* Rinoa said as her fingers touched his stomach. A thin piece of cloth separated her from a firm six pack and she bit her lip.
Squall could feel her body pressing against his back as he pulled the bike out of it's parking spot and on to the road. Within moments, they were racing down the street. Squall felt her hold on him tighten and he smiled. He couldn't really say he wasn't enjoying it.
Rinoa's heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she could feel the movements of his muscles beneath his white shirt. She resisted the urge to run her hands up and down to 'explore' his body. She looked out through the helmet and saw the town fade behind them.
Squall's hair was all over the place as they flew down the road. She smiled slightly and unconsciously rested her head against his back.
Squall felt her rest against him and smiled slightly. He could feel the beating of her heart against his chest and felt her body against him, trusting him completely. He didn't want the ride to end, but knew it had to. He slowed down as they turned in a fork in the road.
*But still...it wouldn't hurt to take the long way home.*