Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Feathers in the Meadow ❯ Simplicity ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Not much to say about this, except it's been a while, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing. I really do miss it.

 

 

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Simplicity

 

Theme #29: The Sound of Waves

 

Summary: Sometimes the most meaningful things are just that simple.

 

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The celebratory banquet was still in full swing, and the joviality had spread down into the Quad. Even though he was the Commander of Garden, Squall just continued to stand on the balcony, arms wrapped around Rinoa in an attempt to shield her from the cool breeze that blew over the sea as he had for the past hour and a half, rather than join in the more boisterous fun his other friends were engaged in.

 

Squall looked back every once-in-a-while with a slight smile to see what kind of trouble his friends were getting into. Currently, Irvine was chasing Selphie around the large mess hall, trying to get both his hat back - which Selphie wore proudly on her head - and the hair tie for his long hair. Squall shook his head and looked back to the night sky.

 

Rinoa shifted in his arms and he peered down at her quizzically.

 

She must have sensed his gaze because before he had a chance to speak, Rinoa turned her head to look up at him and say, with a grin, “It's just so...romantic up here.”

 

Squall shrugged, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist as he pulled her back closer to his chest. “...I guess...”

 

She clicked her tongue, and he could almost hear her roll her eyes. “Do you always have to be so...you?”

 

“Who else would I be?” he chuckled softly. “Don't get offended, Rinoa, I just don't have a single romantic bone in my body.”

 

“Mm-hm...” It was obvious that she didn't believe him.

 

“I don't.”

 

“You told me you couldn't dance, didn't you?”

 

“Yeah. So?”

 

“So...” Rinoa nudged his side with her elbow, “I think you have one at least.”

 

Squall shook his head. “Whatever.”

 

Garden touched down with surprising gentleness in its rightful crater only a stone's throw away from the small town of Balamb. From where they were standing, Squall could see the Fire Cavern and a small coppice of trees. A fleeting thought of remembrance came to him as he recalled obtaining Ifrit as a GF before he blinked in surprise as Rinoa pulled away from him and grabbed one of his hands.

 

Before he could ask, Rinoa simply murmured conspiringly, “I want to go down to the beach.”

 

“Huh?” he managed out, sounding and looking quite intelligent as she dragged him haphazardly through the mess hall. Squall was having a slight bout of déjà vu from the first time they met and she had dragged him onto the dance floor. But instead of stopping in the middle of the crowd, she sailed out of the room with him and lead him out into the corridor. “The beach? Why do you want to go to the beach?”

“Because, silly,” she laughed, brown eyes twinkling, “I want to hear the waves crash on the shoreline.”

 

Squall quirked an eyebrow. “In case you hadn't noticed, Garden had been flying over the ocean for most of the evening.” He shook his head as they made their way out of the front gate. “I thought you'd seen enough of the water.”

 

“Well, Mr. I-Don't-Have-a-Romantic-Bone-in-My-Body, hearing the waves breaking on the shore is something magical...besides...it's kinda special to me...” Rinoa's voice softened as they made their way out of Balamb Garden.

 

They followed along the roadside for a bit, now walking comfortably hand-in-hand, before stepping completely away and venturing into the grass. It was fortunate that no monsters attacked them; while Squall had his gunblade with him, he wasn't feeling particularly inclined to using it right now. The night was quiet, still, bathed lightly in the glow from Balamb, and, in his eyes, perfect. After all the fighting against Galbadia, against Seifer, and the recent victory over Ultimecia, all the young Commander wanted was to just let his world fall into a kind of serenity.

 

He felt Rinoa squeeze his hand as their feet finally reached the sandy shoreline. Squall looked to her again, watching as the breeze, smelling of sea salt and of the town of Balamb, teased through her hair. “So...why is the seashore so special to you?”

 

Rinoa peered out into the distance, where the dark sky brushed against the equal blackness of the ocean and the shadows melted together in some kind of quiet harmony. “It's probably because my mother used to take me out to the shore...let me play with the sand...and ever since I can remember, I've always loved the sound of the ocean.”

 

Squall nodded. “I kind of know what you mean. I used to sneak out of Garden - “

 

“What?” She glanced at him, a teasing smile on her face. “Squall Leonhart used to sneak out? Someone alert the Timber Maniacs!”

 

He rolled his eyes. “I just liked to come out here and think. I guess because Ellone used to walk me down to the beach when we still lived in the orphanage with Matron I mean, I probably I did it more when I first got to Garden, and after a while, I only came out when time allowed. So...it's been a while since I've come to actually admire it, instead training on it.”

 

Rinoa nodded in understanding. “No, I get how you feel. It was just such a constant, steady sound - kind of like a heartbeat and...after my mother died, I used to whisper a single wish over the water. Like it would carry over the waves or something...”

 

“Not to be alone again...” Squall mumbled to himself, eyes fixed on the endless stretch of water.

 

Rinoa tilted her head. “Yeah... How did you - ?”

 

“Heh.” He looked down to the tide lapping at the toe of his boots and grimaced. “Because I used to say the same thing. It always felt like there was something missing.”

 

Smiling softly to him, Rinoa squeezed Squall's hand. “We're not any more.”

 

Squall nodded, looking to her. “You're right. We're not.”

 

Then, he leaned down to gently kiss her and she kissed him in return. As his eyes slid closed, and he held Rinoa closer, Squall forgot that he was anything else besides a boy kissing the girl he loved with the waves crashing softly in his ears and never feeling more complete.