A Homecoming [semi-open]

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

Characters: Squall and Rinoa. Open to anyone else who happens to be in the Garden.
Progress: On-going
Summary: Rinoa finally comes home
Location: The Garden
Date: Today

After everything was said and done, it was quite a relief to finally be heading back home. To be properly done with all of the audiences he'd had to sit through and all of the discussions that had come with them. But it had been worth it. They'd let Rinoa go, and to him, that was worth almost anything.

And yes, there might still be a problem here and there, but he wasn't thinking about those, as he stepped back into the Garden. Right now he was going to deal with the more immediate future.

Comments

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

Everything would probably continue to be complicated for a while. What had happened wasn't something that could simply be brushed under the metaphorical rug. But for now, he was perfectly willing to pretend that what had happened hadn't.

He'd missed her too much to do otherwise, and he finally took her up in his arms in return. He'd missed this, even if he might never actually admit it.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa sighed and buried her face into his chest. She didn't want anything else right now. Didn't want to have to face everybody again.

Squall would have to step away, because Rinoa wasn't going to.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

Perhaps later. Right now, Squall was perfectly willing to let this moment simply... continue. It was a welcome respite from the chaos and pain and even though sooner or later he'd need to get back to his work it could wait.

For now, at least.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"I missed you," she murmured.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

"Me too," he answered.

Understatement? Possibly. The truth? Most definitely.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

A thought occurred to her, one that made her shake her head wryly. "I'm sorry for ruining your birthday too."

Maybe it was the least of the bad things that had happened, but Rinoa felt that she ought to apologise for every bit of it.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

"It's alright."

He'd have more birthdays, and to be quite honest, he'd already almost forgotten that it had happened right around his birthday. Everything else that had happened had all but pushed the fact out of his mind.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa's arms were still wrapped around Squall and she bunched the leather of his jacket between her hands, leaning back a little to look up at him. "Is it? You're not mad at all? I want you to tell me how you feel, Squall. Otherwise I don't know what I can do."

This was probably the most rational thing she'd said to him since he came to let her out. She was breathing more evenly, calmer now.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

"Of course I'm mad," Squall answered. He'd have had to have been well... mad not to. "Just not at you."

If he was mad at anyone, it was at Ultimecia, and himself for not noticing sooner. For not figuring something out. For not... doing something differently. Something that would have meant that none of this had happened.

"It wasn't your fault."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa sighed. It was good to hear that from Squall. It reassured her. But... "Not everyone thinks that."

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

"We'll work things out."

It make take time, but they had that now.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

She nodded. She trusted Squall to do it, if anyone could. "Yeah." She smiled, thinking how Squall always gave her hope. "I love you," she said again.

[knighted-lion.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Me too."