Who: Squall and Rinoa What: Squall’s free from quarantine Where: Base/leaving the base When: Squall’s release date from quarantine Rating: C for cute, some talk of PTSD stuff from events with Ultimecia
Arriving in this place had been rather jarring. He had been enjoying some time away from his duties as commander of Balamb Garden with Rinoa when suddenly he blacked out and had woken up here. For a moment he had thought that Ellone had sent him back to the past or something again but then a look in a mirrored surface had revealed he was himself. Then he had been filled in, blood taken, and placed in a quarantine room with no way out.
He had been elated when Rinoa contacted him and said she was here. But the fact she had been here for two months… That still blew his mind. But he was grateful she had made friends. She really did have a good heart and personality. Though her insisting she stay outside his room did make him sigh in exasperation often. But at least it was only two days and those two days were now up. Making sure his things were packed up (some of his clothes, including his SeeD uniform had arrived along with the case for his gunblade. Picking the bag and case up, he walked out of the room and glanced over to Rinoa, a small smile on his face.
“So. What now?” he asked.
For nearly two months, Rinoa had waited rather impatiently for someone from home to show up. Mostly importantly: Squall. Maybe on the outside she had appeared her chipper, upbeat self, but inside she had been a steadily growing mess of anxiety and sadness with each portal opening. Whenever someone new arrived she had eagerly looked through the network, only to be disappointed nearly every time. While she had been glad that Laguna was there and was good company, it simply wasn't the same. Even though she had made friends it wasn't the same. She had even gone so far as to open her home to a couple of teens (imagine her surprise to find out Rukia had been living in Ichigo’s closet). Well, apparently she had been trying to fill some sort of void that most certainly could not be filled.
After her recent breakdown at Raine’s bar she had started to give up any hope that Squall would show up. It had killed her inside to even consider it, but she had started to wonder if maybe it was better to move on. But that wasn't the type of person Rinoa was. So imagine her joy and excitement when she saw Squall show up on the network. There was nothing that could keep her away then. She was bound and determined to stay there for as much of his quarantine time as possible. She had left only to find a restroom and to go make some meals for the teens, but other than that she stayed put.
When the final hour slowly ticked by she packed up her sleeping bag and leaned against the window as she watched him get ready. Her eyes darted to the clock every so often and when he was finally released the only response she gave him at first was to throw her arms around his neck and cling to him. She had missed him so much and to finally be able to touch him again was the greatest feeling in the world. “I missed you,” she breathed, trying to control the overwhelming flood of emotions she suddenly felt.
Squall barely had enough time to set the case down before Rinoa slammed into him and sent him staggering. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he regained his balance. The quarantine room wasn’t bad but it smelt and felt...sterile. He pulled back after several moments and looked at Rinoa. “Here now,” he murmured. In one of the few instances where he didn’t care who saw, he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. He didn’t pull away until air was becoming an issue but he chose not to let go of Rinoa.
“Sorry it took me so long to get here,” he murmured. He reached up with his gloved hand and stroked her hair. “So should we get out of here?” he asked. He still needed to figure out a job to do while here. He didn’t have his SeeD pay and everything cost money.
They could have fallen over for all Rinoa cared. She was just so glad to have him back. She took in several deep breaths as she regained her composure. And there it was. She returned his kiss, leaning into him a little more. His mere presence was enough to make her feel like she could conquer the world. Rinoa had been over the moon for him for so long and being able to touch him, to kiss him again, it made the wait all the more worthwhile.
She smiled at him now, “It's not your fault.” And she truly believed that. It was whoever or whatever had brought them there. She nodded, “Yeah. We can walk back, or I think they'll have a car if you'd rather they drive us.” It didn't matter to her how they got to her house. She just wanted to be by his side.
Squall had to think a moment on how they would get back. The car would be speedier. But walking would allow Squall to get a better feel of the lay of the land and the way the town was set up. True he had a duffle bag of clothes and his case with him but he was in shape and could easily carry them for miles. Plus it would allow him to see these Christmas decorations around the town.
“Why don’t we walk?” After all he was use to walking long distances. And he could figure Rinoa wouldn’t care what method they took, so long as they were together. But either option required letting go of each other. So he pulled back and grabbed the back, hefting it easily and sliding it onto his back. He grabbed his gunblade case and picked it up, his necklace swaying a bit with the motions.
“You can tell me more about this town and point things out as we walk,” he pointed out.
That was true. Rinoa didn't care how they got back as long as they did it together. They hadn't defeated great enemies and hadn't traveled great distances to be together for them to be picky about transportation. The walk would also allow them some much needed alone time before they returned to a house with two teens and a dog. Had he not already been carrying something she would have grabbed his arm or his hand. But seeing as she had to carry back her sleeping bag and pillow it made the walk a little easier not holding onto him.
She offered a smile as she nodded, “Absolutely. It's this way,” she said, pointing with her free hand. She lead the way out of the building and into the cold winter night. “We got a freak snow storm recently. Apparently Texas is really hot all the time so they're not used to it.” Good thing she had her wardrobe, because that meant she hadn't needed to go out and buy a coat. She pulled her hood up over her head as the cold air hit her face and continued down the sidewalk into town.
Squall followed Rinoa out of the building, staying as close to her as he could given they were both carrying things in their arms. As the cold air hit his face he glanced around, glad he had his coat with him. It was warm and the fur helped to keep his neck warm. “So this area is suppose to be warmer than this.” He had to admit, the snow at night did look beautiful.
“I read on their internet thing that this holiday goes with snow.” He looked over at Rinoa, glad she had a warm coat. Else he would have offered her his and insist she take it. She wasn’t the only one who could be stubborn after all. Adjusting his grip on the case he continued walking with her in step, his boots crunching the snow/ice on the ground that hadn’t melted or been shoveled away.
“I’m going to have to find a job here.”
Rinoa had been happy for the snow. It brought a sense of stillness and peace to the air. At least here they didn't have snow or ice monsters to fight on the way home. They could just walk back without too many distractions, which was exactly what she needed right now. She nodded as she glanced over to him, “Yeah, a lot warmer. It was really hot not long before the snow storm. But it's kind of like back home. Different regions of this country, the United States,” she explained. “Looks like it gets cooler the farther north you go.”
Rinoa laughed, “Looks like it'll be with snow this time.” She looked over as they came up to the first street corner. “We go right here and walk a couple blocks,” she explained. She motioned at the buildings in general, noting all the Christmas lights. “And all of the lights are for the upcoming holiday. They're really pretty.”
“Yes. I had one squared away shortly after I got out of quarantine. I figured if I'm gonna be taking care of Caraway manor I'd better make money to do it.” She paused a moment before adding, “I'm working at the library.” Rinoa was bubbly and talkative, but she was a bookworm. “Any thoughts on what you want to do?”
It made sense, getting colder the further north one went. You got farther from the planet’s equator which was closest to the sun year round. Not that Squall cared much about the cold. So long as you dressed warm for it, there was really no issues. He nodded at the instructions and followed them, glancing around at the lights. “Like little stars…” he murmured.
His head turned to her. “Your father’s house is here?” he questioned. “How is that possible?” This world was getting stranger and stranger. He grew thoughtful when she mentioned what he wanted to do. “I doubt there’s much to do for a trained mercenary.” He shrugged a little. “I might just have to see what jobs are available…”
Rinoa continued looking around at the lights as they walked. Every now and then she glanced down to make sure she didn't trip or step on any ice. The snow was beautiful. She liked the way it crunched under her boots. She had even decorated the outside of the manor, which he would see once they were close enough. It wasn't extravagant by any means, but it made the house fit in to the town.
“Yeah, it showed up with me. That happens here a lot. People's homes show up with them, and so does their stuff. I would have preferred the Garden, but I think it's too big and it's not exactly inconspicuous.” Somewhere deep down, Rinoa still considered the manor as home. At least she had made it her own. “You might get with the military,” she looked over at him then, “they're not like back home. They're not corrupt,” she explained. “They'd be lucky to have you. But I want you to be happy with whatever you choose to do.” She paused, biting her lip before adding, “After I've had you to myself for a few days.” There was a little blush to her cheeks as she said it. Rinoa didn't want to let him out of her sight and who could blame her?
From what Squall could tell, everything was rather peaceful here. At least so far. But just because it was peaceful now didn’t mean it would stay that way. Something had brought them here. Which meant something could come through that they would have to fight. But for now, he ignored that, instead enjoying the company with Rinoa as they walked. “Whatever brought us here must be powerful then.”
Hearing her military suggestion, he shrugged. “It’s a possibility.” He glanced at her. “Anything can be corrupted.” He glanced as a car passed before shrugging. “I’ll have to look and consider options.” Squall liked to weigh things before he did them. It helped one to keep from making mistakes or bad decisions. Not that Squall was innocent of making mistakes.
He arched a brow, a slight smile on his face. “Planning to keep me hostage?”
Rinoa would eventually fill him in on all the odd happenings that had taken place while she was there. She had wanted to catch up and just be near him before. She hadn't wanted to worry him over gremlins or people changing into costumes. She just needed that familiarity for a while. She would tell him when it was just them and they could talk privately. She nodded, “This place acts quiet, but it's anything but that.”
She frowned, not looking at him this time. “Yeah… I know,” she said quietly, remembering their past. It wasn't easy for her to think about how she had been used, literally taken control of, but a couple years had passed by at least and that had given her a chance to heal. It didn't bother her all that much now, but it didn't mean she didn't worry it might happen again. She nodded, “Of course. You don't want to jump into anything.”
She bit her lp and looked over at him, “If you'll let me.”
He nodded, filing the information away. So threats could emerge here at any time. He was going to have to make sure Rinoa stayed safe during them. And the two teenagers she took care of. Squall wouldn’t let them get hurt or worse if he could help it. He might not be able to use Guardian Forces here (or even if he could he wouldn’t as the issues that could arise with using them) but he was still a skilled fighter and was an expert gunbladesman.
Hearing her voice go soft he glanced over before tugging her to a stop. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” It had been two years since Ultimecia but that didn’t mean they both weren’t still haunted at times by the things that had happened to them. Especially Rinoa. And for Squall he would always worry that another sorceress would appear with the same powers and try to take Rinoa over.
“I rarely jump into anything I’m not prepared for.” He smiled a little more, his free hand coming up to caress her face. “I think you’ve been the only person I jumped for without realizing it until I had fallen.” Not exactly eloquent or poetic but it was what he was feeling. Rinoa had always been one of the few, if not only, people to get him to say more than just a few words and stalk away to end a conversation. He had gotten better about his introverted nature the last two years but he still kept things to himself. But he had opened up more to their friends so he supposed that was something.
“I don’t mind.”
This place had its fair share of surprises. Rinoa had learned over the years to not be shocked when things changed, whether for better or worse. She had been through more in her young life than some would for a lifetime. Not all of it was something to be proud of. They had stopped Ultimecia, which was the ideal outcome. Even if Rinoa had been innocent in her involvement, she still blamed herself for being taken over. She should have stayed hidden. But maybe her being taken had been the driving force the others needed to stop the sorceress. She tried not to dwell in it, because it had passed so long ago and now she had a new life to look forward to.
She stopped when she felt him tugging on her, turning to look at him. She shook her head. “Don't be sorry. It's in the past, and if there's anyone who I don't mind talking about it with it's you.” Rinoa didn't like talking about that, but Squall was the exception because she cared for him more than anything else in the world and he understood. She could afford him those talks, especially if it meant him opening up more. She is wasn't going to turn him away when he wanted to talk.
Maybe it wasn't the most eloquent but it got the point across. Rinoa smiled and closed that small gap to place a kiss against his lips. It was the nicest things she had heard since arriving there, besides his voice of course. She pulled back after a moment and looked at him for a few seconds. “I love you.” She had been open about that before. Rinoa was generally very open about her emotions.
“Good,” she declared, “because I haven't seen you in weeks and we need to catch up.”
Doesn’t mean I like seeing you in pain of any kind, he thought. “I know,” he said instead. He smiled and returned the kiss she gave him. Shifting his grip he reached down and held her hand before motioning they could continue on. He really hadn’t said ‘I love you’ back to her yet but he knew his actions spoke that he did love her. So he gave her hand a strong squeeze and more of a smile that only she could elicit from him before continuing on.
“You need to tell me all about your time here,” he agreed. He knew she loved to talk and chat and he was more than happy to listen to her stories.
Rinoa allowed her fingers to lace with this and returned that squeeze with her own. She continued on, tugging just a little on his hand to guide him. It felt so natural, going back into a routine with him. Maybe this wasn't home, but in her heart she felt any here was home as long as they were together. She had felt so detached after a while without him being there. It made her heart so happy to have him back she thought she might burst.
“Weird things happen here,” she said with a hint of drama. “I'll tell you all about what I've seen so far when we get home.” She slowed down as they came to a crosswalk and looked both ways before continuing across the road. “It's just on the corner,” she explained. Sure enough, as they reached the next corner Caraway manor came into view. It was strewn with Christmas lights. Not as much as many of the others, but it was still beautiful the way the lights twinkled.
It did feel natural, Rinoa tugging on him at times to direct him where she wanted him, his following her lead without too much of a fuss. For a long time Squall had never had a home. The orphanage had never really felt like home. The Garden was probably the closest thing to a home he had but even then it hadn’t been a true home. But with Rinoa, whenever he looked at her something in him told him that was what home was suppose to be. A place where you were welcomed and loved.
As they rounded the corner he spotted the familiar visage of Caraway manor that he had first laid eyes on in Deling City. He had to admit to himself that the manor looked nice with the decorations on it. “Least there’s a little bit of home here for us,” he murmured.
Rinoa could easily get back into step with him. They had been with each other long enough now that even a few weeks apart couldn't mess up her stride. To Rinoa, the Garden was more home to her than any other place she had been, and that was more because of Squall and the others. She had always figured Caraway manor had shown up because the Garden was so massive.
Rinoa shrugged, “It's not the Garden, but I've made it my own. I cleared out a lot of the old furniture and redecorated and made the spare rooms available for guests. I figured why not house some kids who need a place to stay?” She came to the front door and unlocked it before pushing it open. Immediately there was a mixture of vanilla candles, a fire, cookies, and something else that smelled delicious. She beamed at him as she stepped inside, “I didn't like all the fancy stuff.” She had changed much of the rooms to be more of a mirror this modern world. She had sold almost all of the furniture, save for her room and a few more cherished items. “Let's drop your things off in your room,” she said as she started up the stairs to the second floor.
Squall couldn’t help but internally smile at hearing what Rinoa had done to her home. He didn’t know the full story of why she and her father never got along (and he chose not to pry knowing full well Rinoa would tell him if she wanted him to know). But she also had a good heart and if there were people in need, Rinoa would do what she could to help them no matter who they were. As he crossed the threshold his nose was hit with the scents of candles, the fire, and fresh cookies. He glanced around, remembering the first time he had stepped foot into this mansion. The guards stationed outside then had demanded he and his team gain a code before even being allowed to walk in. And after it had been a shock to learn that General Caraway of the G-Army was father to Rinoa.
He pulled his mind away from that mission and followed Rinoa up the stairs. His Griever pendant thudded against his chest with each step but he didn’t pay it mind. Once on the second floor he looked up and down the hall. “You weren’t kidding at making this place your own,” he observed. He had to admit, he liked it better with Rinoa’s influence on the manor than her father’s. It felt more...homey. But part of Squall would always prefer the efficiency of the Garden’s dorms. They were simple and kept one from acquiring too much stuff. True the best SeeDs made quite a bit of money (Squall was no exception even with how old he was) but Squall had never been one for material things.
“So you said it was just you and those two teenagers here?”
Rinoa’s falling out with her father had been more than just her dislike of his way of running things. While that had a lot to do with it, what had really fueled it was her belief that her father had been the cause of her mother’s death. Maybe he technically hadn’t killed her himself, it was still his fault Julia had been in that car to begin with. He might as well have signed her death warrant. There was also the matter of Rinoa practically growing up with her father around much of the time. He had always been so busy with work that Rinoa felt like she went important. Where some people might take those feelings and hide away, Rinoa instead started a rebellion.
The sound of barking could be heard from the third floor before the sounds of what was a very excited dog started along the floor. “And Angelo,” she said with a laugh. She glanced back at Squall as they continued along the hallway, “And you,” she said with a bright smile.
They reached the end of the second floor hallway. At the very end was Rinoa’s room, and the room immediately to its left was Squall’s. She first set her sleeping bag and pillow just inside her bedroom, then turned to open the door to Squall’s room. She pushed it open so that he could go in first. “It’s not exactly like at the Garden, but I kept it fairly simple for you.” The furniture itself was different, but the layout of the room was similar to his back at the Garden. The sounds of barking became louder then and Rinoa turned to greet Angelo by kneeling down and petting her beloved dog. “Look who's home,” she said cheerfully.
Hearing the dog immediately brought Angelo to mind and Squall wondered if the canine had come through as well. A moment later Rinoa was confirming it and he watched as the furry critter came over and sought attention from Rinoa. He went into the room as she petted her dog and looked it over. She was right. It was simple and suited his tastes. He set his case down against the wall before dropping his bag on the bed.
“It’s nice,” he agreed, brushing some of his hair from his eyes. He turned back to Rinoa and walked over. He knelt down and rubbed Angelo’s ears before he rose back to his feet and looked at Rinoa. “So. What should we do with our evening?” he asked curiously.
Rinoa hardly ever went anywhere without Angelo. The two had been together for years and the dog was basically an extension of herself. Rinoa couldn't imagine being without her beloved dog. The only thing that made all of this even better was Squall’s arrival. She had been positively giddy and obviously more cheerful. She looked over to Squall as he looked around.
She smile, pleased that he approved. “I'm glad.” She gave Angelo one last scratch behind the ears before standing up. “We could have dinner on the couch and just sit together for a while. Maybe watch one of those Christmas shows,” she suggested. Honestly, right now she just wanted as little space between them as possible.
Hearing her suggestion of what they could do, he nodded some. He was hungry given he’d been more interested in getting out of that room instead of getting one last meal from the military. “What sort of food do you have stocked here?” he asked. He knew he still needed to unpack but that could wait for later. Right now he just wanted to spend some time with Rinoa. She hadn’t spoken much of it but he knew that she had missed him if she had been here for two whole months.
Given it was warm inside and they were more or less going to be spending the rest of the evening together, Squall tugged his black leather gloves off and folded them into the pockets of his jacket before he shrugged out of that and draped it over a chair to a desk.
After spending almost two full days outside his room in quarantine, Rinoa was ready to spend some time in a more comfortable place. The addition of Squall being included made it so much better. “All kinds,” she said, knowing the answer was vague. “I've got a stew going right now and it should be ready.” She had left that morning to feed the teens and start slow cooking the stew. She wanted something to be ready for when they got back. “But they've got all kinds of food here. Pizza, pastas, all kinds of breads, vegetables, fruit, hot dogs,” she added the last one because she knew the students at the Garden loved them.
Rinoa pulled off her own coat and hung it on a hook just inside her room. She went back to where he stood and took his hand in hers. She couldn't help the smile that had been practically plastered to her face. She has happy. She tugged his hand gently to lead him back downstairs.