A/N: Hi everyone! So I have decided to post up another one of my one-shot drabble series! And this time it's about Rinoa's furry friend, Angelo! There wasn't a category for Angelo herself so I had to opt with Squall and Rinoa categories. Sorry! LOL

…I'm not sure, but I did check if this kind of thing has been done with Angelo and it had been, but in '02 by a different author. The generally idea is the same, but the entire thing will be totally different! So please don't think that this is plagiarism! The ideas I come up with are all my own!

ANYWAYS! Please remember to read and review!

PS: Shameless plug here... Scribbleness and I started a collab fic together titled "Dreamy Fantasy" which can be found in the Dissidia category or on our profile pages. Have a look and if you like it, stay tuned and review! /end shameless plug.

Quick Summary: Rinoa came home in a foul mood after being with that Squall guy. I wonder if there's anything I can do to help them?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. Just these crazy ideas I write down!


Relationship Fixes

I awoke with a start when I heard people bursting through the door. Heavy footsteps made their way to the room and I could see boots from underneath the bed.

"You're so thick-headed, you know that?" the first voice I heard shouted. I could tell it was Rinoa, my primary companion. But she sounded really mad at whoever was with her.

"I think you should say that again because I'm pretty sure I didn't hear it the first time," the second voice stated sarcastically. I couldn't put a face to the voice, but I remember hearing him before.

"Hyne, Squall! Don't be a smartass! Why does everything have to be work with you?"

"I apologized, haven't I? Why are you still mad?"

"And you think it makes everything better? Squall, we're in a relationship. This isn't a business…thing."

"Well it's starting to sound like one…" murmured the male voice, remembering him as Squall.

"…Get out," Rinoa warned with a cold voice. My ears folded after hearing that tone. Rinoa only ever used that voice when she was really upset. I could still remember her using that voice against her father.

"Wait…"

"Get. OUT!" she almost yelled. I could see their feet shuffling from where I was. I think Rinoa was trying to shove Squall out the door, but he was really putting up a fight.

"Rinoa, hold on! We need to talk!"

"There's nothing to talk about. You've made it very clear, Commander. Now out!" Rinoa rebuked with spite.

I heard the sliding door open and close. Rinoa probably got Furry-Mane out the door because I could no longer hear or smell him in the room.

It was dead quiet for a moment before I heard footsteps returning to the room. I saw Rinoa's boots again, but they disappeared when she landed on the bed with an irritated sigh. I figured it was time for me to come out, sensing Rinoa's anger had thinned a bit.

I poked my head out from under the bed, the rest of my body following shortly after. I saw one of Rinoa's arms sticking out from the bed and went to lick her fingers.

She seemed to notice my presence then, turning her head my way from under the pillow. She sadly smiled at me and began petting me behind the ear, "Hey girl. Sorry, did I wake you?"

It's okay, I replied even though I knew humans couldn't hear me. I decided to wag my tail to emphasize that I was happy to see her.

She noticed the signs I was throwing at her because she giggled. She stopped petting me then, much to my displeasure, and decided to stuff her face in the pillow again. Rinoa looked so tense that I had to tilt my head in confusion.

What's wrong? I whimpered, nuzzling my nose against her folded arm. I really wanted her attention. Rinoa hadn't been this mad at anyone since the General.

It took Rinoa a moment to collect her thoughts before she slowly raised her head from the pillows. She ignored me, but I forgave her after I noticed water on her face. I didn't know how they got there, but I knew they weren't a good sign.

"Hyne…" Rinoa sighed breathlessly as she ran a hand through her now messy hair, "Hyne, I'm so stupid!"

I whimpered again, resting my head on her mattress, It's okay. I'm here; so tell me what happened!

As if she was responding to me, Rinoa whispered, "I know it wasn't Squall's fault, but I just—! Why did I have to scream in his face? It's not like he didn't remember. It was something…that was bound to happen with him being Commander and all…"

Squall, huh? He's been getting under your skin for a while now, Rinoa. Do you want me to bite him? I suggested. Furry-Mane really had a way to annoy Rinoa sometimes, but he was a good guy. However I swore to myself that if he hurt Rinoa in any way, he was getting an Angelo Rush to the stomach.

"I don't know what to do…" Rinoa sighed again as she faced me, "What should I do girl?"

I barked an answer, You should talk to him! But let me talk to him first; I'll teach Furry-Mane a lesson!

Rinoa let out a small, but defeated smile as her eyes began to close, "I guess, you wouldn't have an answer…" And then she stopped talking altogether.

I poked Rinoa with my nose again until I figured she went to sleep. Being mad must have sapped the energy out of her. But what did she mean I didn't have an answer? Humans; they just don't believe man's best friend anymore! Or in this case, "girl's best friend!"

I sat there for a moment looking at Rinoa's troubled expression as she slept. Figuring I might as well do something about the situation, I stretched out my muscles before trotting to the door. Looking at the entrance, I saw a panel with a blinking light go off. Rinoa called it the "lock system" for the door. She also told me a solid light meant the door was locked. …I guess the door's not locked if the light is blinking right?

I started scratching the bottom of the door with both my paws. The first thing I needed to do was to find Squall. After that, I would need to find a way to get him to see Rinoa and they would have to talk! When the door didn't open, I got up on my hind legs and pushed the door with my front paws. Suddenly, the door made a "swooshing" sound and opened.

Success!

I quickly ran out the room and through the hallways. All I could think about was locating the man with the furry collar. All sorts of people were looking at me as I sniffed the area. Some were smiling at me while others looked confused and were probably a little mad I was there. It's strange; it's like no one's ever seen a dog on a search-and-rescue mission before! …Well, technically it wasn't really a rescue, but it most definitely was a search!

Furry-Mane wasn't in the food room nor was he anywhere near the room with lots of books. I stopped by the teleporter in the center of the main area. I wanted to explore the higher floors, but I found opening the door to the teleporter too tricky. I sat down thinking my next move when I heard a high-pitched squeal behind me.

I looked to see who it was and it was the bubbly girl Rinoa would hang out with. I remembered her name was Selphie. She was with the pretty lady whose hair was always tied up, Quistis. I wagged my tail as I turned to face them, They should be helpful in my search for Furry-Mane!

"Oh my gosh! Angelo what are you doing here?" cried the bouncy girl as she ran up to me and started scratching me behind my ears. I really liked her; she knew exactly how to make me feel happy.

"Do you think Rinoa let her out?" the taller girl questioned as she tilted her head to the side, a hand on her chin.

Selphie looked to her companion with a hint of worry, "I dunno. Rinny wouldn't be irresponsible as to let Angelo wander by herself. But then again…she was pretty mad at Squall earlier…"

Do you know where he is? I'm looking for him! I barked.

"You're right, but Squall wasn't any better," replied Quistis with a tired shrug. She knelt down to pet me as well, "He was scaring the cadets more than usual as he made his way down to the Quad."

"The Quad? Why?"

"I'm not sure, but I think he and Rinoa were supposed to meet there for something."

I tilted my head as my ears perked up, The "Quad?" The place where I'm allowed to run around in? Of course!

I dashed away from the female humans towards the "Quad," ignoring Rinoa's friends calling my name. I didn't mean to leave abruptly, but I had no time to stop. I had to find Squall! If he was as mad as Rinoa was, what if he wouldn't see her anymore?

I sniffed the fresh air when I got to the Quad. People were outside, enjoying the weather. Many were talking and some were paired together from what I saw. It was such a nice day outside, the sun shining brightly in the sky, but two people I knew were busy sulking to notice.

Time for Angelo to fix the problem!

I searched everywhere in the open area, but there was no signs of Furry-Mane. But I noticed a pattern when I trotted further into the Quad. People seem to be coming less and less into view as I made my way to my favorite tree at the far end. It was there that I noticed someone's leg from behind the tall woody plant. I went to investigate and found Squall sitting there lazily. He wasn't sleeping, but he didn't notice me either when I walked up to him. Squall must be thinking really hard since he was staring out into space.

I barked loud enough to grab his attention. Considering he jumped a little, I think I succeeded.

"Angelo!" he whispered sharply with a start. Squall had a hand to his chest as he tried to calm his breathing down. Must not be fun being a SeeD if you're going to be jumpy I think. After regaining his composure, Squall raised a gloved hand to pet my head. I'll admit, it wasn't comfy being stroked with material that could cause your fur to stand on end, but it's the thought that counts.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a steady voice. A light must've gone off in his head because he started looking around frantically, "Is Rinoa…?"

She's not here, buddy. She's sleeping in her room while I came out to find you! I stated, sitting down beside the guy, We need to talk.

Squall stopped after fruitless searching came up with nothing, "Hmm, guess not." He stopped petting me then, opting to look out at the sky. I gazed at him. He really wasn't talkative, but I waited. After a while, Squall looked back at me uncomfortable with my staring at him.

"Uh…" he began. I wagged my tail to encourage him to continue. He probably took the hint, "…Why are you staring at me?"

Because I said we need to talk, I thought, tapping the ground once with my left paw.

Squall sighed running a hand through his hair, "…You're not going to leave me be are you?"

Nope!

"…I'm talking to a dog…" he mumbled quietly, slapping his face with the same hand. I whined a little. This was getting me nowhere. I needed him to talk or at least look at me. What does Rinoa see in this guy?

Squall glanced at me slowly, and I could see he was tired. Probably tired from all that thinking he was doing. I always thought he was tough; always scowling. The first time I met him on the train, I was intimidated by his presence. But right now, he looked like any other human: defeated and tired after an argument.

I decided to lie down beside him, my head resting on top of his torso. Deciding this was going to take a while, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable. I felt the top of my head being stroked again. He wasn't bad at petting a dog right, but I wish he took off those gloves. I couldn't feel a connection with him because of a gloved barrier.

"Rinoa…how is she…?" he began slowly in the same whispered voice. He didn't bother to look at me.

She's been feeling horrible since you left, I answered, my eyes gazing up at his sullen face.

"I guess she's still mad," he sighed, "You must be here to hound me down."

That was the idea, but you're feeling just as miserable as Rinoa is…

Squall shifted a little, picking something out of his pocket. I saw that he took out a piece of paper. Looked like some sort of advertisement because there was a picture on it.

Probably sensing my curiosity or he had nothing to lose in talking to a dog, Squall explained, "We were…supposed to go to the harbor fair that was in town. I wanted to take her, but Garden issues came up and—" He shook his head slowly with another sigh, "No, that's just an excuse. I could've dealt with it later. Instead I…"

I lifted my head a little to fully see Squall's reaction. His brows were really knitted together in frustration. I whimpered a little in worry. This isn't how Furry-Mane usually acts. He wasn't supposed to be so conflicted…was he?

He banged the back of his head a little on the tree as he turned away from my stare. Squall scoffed harshly to himself, "Still running away, I guess. I still can't feel comfortable around her…"

I tapped his hands with one of my paws, How can you not? Rinoa's the best person I know! You have to be with her to know that; you already know that!

Taking a moment to himself, Squall closed his eyes speaking in a voice I've never heard him use, "…I love her…but I'm scared. I'm scared that we'll get too close…and then she'll disappear again."

I was feeling for him; I really was. When Rinoa fell into a deep sleep, I was so sad when she wouldn't wake up. But I remembered Squall made her all better. Just like he promised that day when he was going to take her to the sky to fix her. I believed in him, so he should believe in Rinoa too.

She won't abandon you, Squall. Rinoa really likes you, I defended. I heard quiet footsteps behind us. Turning my head, I wagged my tail when I saw who it was.

Squall continued talking without noticing the approaching footsteps, "I never had a reason for living, but Rinoa gave me a reason. She's the reason that I'm living now. Being with her…I like being with her…"

"I like being with you too, Squall."

Startled by the voice, Squall opened his eyes to finally see Rinoa looking back at him. She was bending down to glance at Squall and I.

"Rinoa!" he uttered in surprise. Squall was so flustered that I wished dogs could actually laugh out loud because I felt like doing just that.

Rinoa smiled as she sat down beside me, but adjacent to Squall's side of the tree. She pushed strands of hair behind her ear before ruffling the fur on my back, "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your…conversation."

"No, it's okay…" Squall replied, looking down at his hands, "Angelo and I were just…uh…"

Rinoa chuckled a little, "Talking right? I didn't know you confided in Angelo as much as I did!"

"It's only because she won't repeat anything I tell her," Squall shot back, embarrassment hindering his stoicism.

I looked between the two: Squall, busying himself with his hands; Rinoa, twirling her hair in her fingers. They were getting quiet again and I didn't like it. I whined once more, but growled afterwards in irritation at the two. Having had enough of looking at their depressing states, I crawled away from them and hid my face underneath my paws.

Rinoa must've noticed what I was doing first because she said, "Hmm…I guess Angelo's getting tired of us."

Squall asked in bafflement, "Tired of us?"

"Yeah, of our squabbling. She was hiding under my bed this morning when we…you know…"

"Oh…I see."

I poked an eye out to see what was going on. Rinoa looked like she was dying to say something to Squall. Luckily she found the courage to say it.

"Squall, about this morning," Rinoa began, turning her body to face him, "I didn't mean to shout at you like that. I was mad for the wrong reasons."

Not facing Rinoa, Squall replied simply, "You had a right to shout. I promised to take you somewhere and I didn't follow through. And for that, I'm sorry."

"But you had work to do…"

"It isn't the right reason to not spend time with you."

I saw Rinoa smile wholeheartedly from the corner of my eye. She grabbed Squall's hand closest to her and squeezed it gently. Squall turned to fully glance at Rinoa with a slightly surprised look. However, his surprise slowly melted into a relaxed state when he saw Rinoa smiling just for him.

Rinoa looked down at their intertwined fingers. She rubbed her thumb on the back of Squall's palm gently apologizing, "I'm sorry, Squall."

Squall shared a small smile of his own. He lifted Rinoa's hand to his lips and kissed it softly, "I'm sorry too."

Examining the both of them, they seemed to be pretty happy. Rinoa snuggled closer to Squall, resting her head on his shoulder. It looked like Squall allowed for the motion as he began resting his own head on top of Rinoa's. Not once did they break away from holding hands. I wagged my tail at the sight. They weren't sad anymore! I decided to take a breather as I lay down at their feet, my vision away from them. I didn't want to ruin their moment together.

It was blissfully silent until Rinoa broke it, "Hey. Do you think Angelo did this?"

"What do you mean?" I heard Squall question.

"Well, after our fight, I took a nap and woke up to find Angelo wasn't in my room anymore. I went to look for her, and Selphie and Quistis said they saw her run towards the Quad. I found her here, but I found her with you," Rinoa paused before continuing, "Do you think, maybe, she planned to find you so I could follow suit?"

Squall took a moment to think before answering, "I doubt it. I don't actually think she planned anything. It was probably coincidence."

"Hmm, I guess you're right..."

If only they knew! I was looking for Squall; I just never planned on Rinoa looking for me. All and all, they met with each other and were talking again. Of course with my help.

Sometimes, a dog's job is never done!