Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Feathers in the Meadow ❯ Meanings ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: I asked my mom and my best friend Eli (tetsaiga-girl) for which theme I should next. They each chose different ones, but their themes are interlinked. So, it should be one right after the other. One note though: I'm not exactly running in any kind of order - I may have a short from the beginning of the game, the next at the end, and another from the post-idea. Anyway.... Enjoy!

 

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Meanings

 

Theme #11: Gardenia

 

Summary: Sometimes, everything can be said without ever saying a word.

 

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Zell Dincht absently brushed imaginary dust away from his pants with a hand before turning the knob of the door in front of him. He shut it quietly behind himself and started up the wood stairs.

 

The little passage was kind of dark at first, but as Zell climbed higher, it grew lighter. As he neared the top floor, he could see the simple wooden guard rail and the soft sunshine that wove between the slender railings. The air was lightly scented with flowers already, giving Zell a warm feeling inside, but nonetheless, he held onto the bouquet of white flowers in his right hand with a resolute, but gentle, touch.

 

The top floor had changed a little since the first time he'd visited this place. It was mainly just new knickknacks and some furniture, and a large blue screen was set up to divide this part of the floor - which was normally just one large, open room - into, presumably, the sitting area and a bedroom.

 

Grinning to himself, Zell spotted the dozing figure of his friend in a chair; his elbow resting on his knee, and his cheek supported by his palm while the rest of his body slumped into the brown high-back. Zell had figured early afternoon would be the best time to come and visit - or, really, he was the representative sent by the rest of the gang to check up on the pair - but Squall had proved him wrong.

 

Zell stared at the uncharacteristically asleep Squall, not quite sure how to wake him up, before going around the side of him and gently rapping on his friend's head his gloved knuckles. “Yo, Squall - you in there?”

 

With a rather loud sniff, Squall batted at Zell's hand with his own free one. He turned bleary blue eyes onto his blond-haired friend, trying to get his eyes to focus; Zell was just trying not to laugh. Dropping both elbows onto his knees, he ran a fist over his eyes, attempting to clean the sleep away, mumbling, “Yeah, I'm here. What do you need?”

 

Chuckling, Zell handed the flowers to Squall.

 

Looking at them quizzically, a slow smirk curled over Squall's lips. “Thanks, Zell, but I think its kind of late for a first date.” He laughed lightly as his friend just about launched them into his head.

 

“That's not even funny, Squall,” muttered Zell, flaring bright red. “That's from Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, and everyone else - including yours truly. “ The embarrassed blush left his cheeks as he crossed one foot behind the other and stretched his arms above his head.

 

Squall looked at the flowers, running a finger over the pure white petals. “Gardenias... They're...they're nice, Zell...”

 

“Yeah, I know. Gardenias apparently mean sweetness and joy...and something else.” He scratched behind his ear a knuckle. “Quistis told me, but I kinda forgot. We figured you could give them to Rinoa. How's she doing, anyway?”

 

“She's doing all right. Sleeps a lot, eats the weirdest things, and I generally just try get some sleep myself when I can.”

 

“Worrying a lot?” Squall gave a short nod while Zell just laughed, shaking his head. “Man, you worry enough for the entire nation of Galbadia.”

 

“...She's given me a reason to care, which has also given me a reason to worry more.”

 

“Yeah, well, we both know you wouldn't have it any other way.” Zell watched as Squall moved the flowers onto the table, picked up the book that had been lying in his lap that Zell just noticed, and closed it. As it was set beside the bouquet of gardenias, he got a good look at the title. “A baby book?”

 

Squall's hand froze over the soft cover of the book and replied in a thin voice, “Yes. A baby book, Zell.”

 

Laughter was becoming much harder for the martial artist to contain, but he managed to do so and slap a grin on his face instead. “You and Rinoa have any ideas yet?”

 

Shrugging, Squall moved from his chair. “Not sure. It depends on if it's a boy or a girl.”

 

“What? You don't know yet?” asked Zell. “I thought the doctor told you.”

 

“Rinoa wanted to keep it a surprise, but I have a feeling it's a girl.” Squall ran a hand through his brown hair - a bit longer since Zell had last seen him about a month or so ago.

 

Zell nodded. “Still can't believe you're going to be a dad.”

 

“Me either.”

 

There was a bit of silence for a moment, not exactly awkward or unwelcoming, simply present.

 

The sunlight continued to filter through the windows, and Zell rather smiled at the simplicity and quietness of the room. “Must be nice, living here in a Winhill. I don't think a pregnant woman would find a lot of comfort at Garden.”

 

Squall shook his head, a slight smile tugging on his lips. “I don't think so either.” He paced over to one of the windows and peered down; he could see Winhill's town square from here. “It's nice... It's quiet.”

 

Zell chuckled again. “At least you can do your paperwork here and keep an eye on Rinoa.”

 

Nodding, the other man replied, “That I can.”

 

The silence settled in again, but Zell knew Squall well enough to have an idea what he was thinking; it was peaceful, it was away from the battles he had to face, but most of all it was calm and rather maternal. It made sense, after all - this was Raine's home, after all. He was her only living relative, and he knew Rinoa liked it here, so it did make a good place for Squall to unwind and kind of reprogram himself to become human.

 

Zell thought that was pretty accurate; reading Squall, sometimes, was like reading one of Quistis' tutorial's on Junctioning - straight forward, to the point, but occasionally, something unexpectedly interesting would pop up. And after being his friend for so many years - about seven now - Zell was pretty fluent good at understanding the lone gunblade specialist.

 

Well, former lone gunblade specialist. He was married with a child on the way, after all.

 

With a smile, Zell turned and clapped a hand on Squall's back. “Hey, it was nice seeing you. I'll let the others know you two haven't just disappeared from the face of the planet. Give Rinoa my best.”

 

Squall nodded. “Yeah, you, too. See ya, Zell.”

 

Waving as he left, Zell ambled back to the staircase and down again.

 

Squall watched the peacefulness of Winhill for a minute longer before straightening up and going to retrieve the gardenias. He looked at the petals thoughtfully as he slipped around the screen and into the bedroom where Rinoa slept. Sitting down beside her, facing her back, he ran his palm over her stomach; the baby would be born very soon, and with Rinoa's petite size, she doubly large.

 

Allowing himself one of those completely defenseless moments, he smiled and leaned over to kiss his wife just below her earlobe. Squall reached over to set the white gardenias on the table, but paused to brush the flowers over Rinoa's sleeping form before he did so.

 

Squall really knew he should put the flowers in water, but decided it could wait. Rinoa gave a soft exhale and sleepily reached up to grab his retreating hand, wrapping his arm around her middle. Obliging, Squall laid his palm flat, running a thumb gently over her flesh where her shirt had ridden up slightly. He felt the unborn babe kick beneath his hand, and Squall couldn't help the wonderment that filled him.

 

And then he remembered that gardenias also meant “secret, untold love.”