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Running sucked.
When Rinoa had decided to tag along with Squall and go for a run on the beach in Balamb Town, this wasn't exactly what she had pictured.
Well, okay, she didn't know what else she expected, because she got exactly what was advertised; Squall wanted to get back in shape. She wanted out of Balamb Garden for a few hours. It seemed like a win for everyone. Besides, how bad could a little run be? She was fit, healthy.
Except now she actually had to run. Under the early summer's afternoon sun. In the loose sand.
With a backpack.
...Running sucked.
She also didn't think such a mundane activity would remind her so much of the chaos that had been the last year; the assassination attempt, the prison, the missiles, Galbadia Garden, the Lunatic Pandora... granted, there was a considerable chunk of time missing from her point of view, but still, it had seemed like they all just never stopped running. It left a bad taste in her mouth. As if some subconscious part of her brain yelled: I thought we were done with this!
She had been apprehensive at first about leaving Garden, too. She knew she technically wasn't allowed to, per Cid's orders for now, but Squall had been adamant that she wasn't some prisoner to be hidden away and protected. She wasn't some asset or threat display to be used by Garden as they pleased; no, she was the only known, alive sorceress in the world, and a damned formidable one at that. Squall had assured her the BGU higher-ups (Cid included) were desperately hoping and counting on her good will not to escalate things... because they'd all be quite powerless if she did.
Those were the kind of mind war games that Rinoa despised. She wasn't like that. Too much of an idealist, probably. But if anything, it had helped bolster her confidence. She did wonder if she'd ever get used to being feared, though.
When the gate warden of Balamb Garden barely lifted his gaze from his crosswords puzzle to let them leave though, that's when she breathed a sigh of relief. The drive to Balamb Town in the nondescript black (of course) car Squall had rented for the day had been short and spent in companionable silence, if uneventful. Still, Rinoa had felt strangely elated; other than a single are you sure?, Squall had seemed very open to the idea of her accompanying him. And the prospect of actually spending the day at the beach with Squall had set her stomach deliciously aflutter.
He had asked her about her backpack, and why she was so steadfast about not leaving it in the car, or having him carry it for her. She'd chosen to keep the surprise for when this trip-turned-terrible-ordeal was over.
Which had unfortunately meant running with the damned thing. She tried fastening and holding on to the shoulder straps so its awkward weight wouldn't constantly mess up her rhythm, but of course none of it worked.
She groaned silently as she pressed on a painful stitch that had nestled itself in her lower abdomen, trying and failing to alleviate its stinging pain. Squall was five paces ahead of her, oblivious to her torment, holding up strangely well for someone who had actually died and come back, to then spend the better part of a week comatose in bed. Rinoa mischievously wondered if she could somehow cut off his knightly perks— just for an hour or two. See how he'd really do without the added stamina, speed and strength her magic provided him.
Yet besides... all of this, she couldn't complain. The view was great where she was. Squall was wearing a white sleeveless shirt –sleeveless!– and knee-length black gym shorts that, while not exactly tight, were definitively showing off some of his... attributes quite nicely.
If it had been literally anyone else, this whole outfit wouldn't have been a big deal at all. But on Squall... the man was practically naked, by his own usual standards.
Rinoa felt like a Chocobo with a long wooden rod fastened to its neck; a gysahl green dangling from a string at its end, forever just too far from reach, no matter how much it ran towards it. She wondered if Squall was somehow doing this on purpose.
No, there was just no way.
She found that even if he did, she wouldn't care.
It couldn't have been soon enough when Squall finally slowed down and stopped, hands resting just above his knees as he caught his breath for a moment. Rinoa plopped down in the sand beside him, panting heavily and wiping her sweaty brow. She had done her hair up in a high ponytail, but her short bangs were making her forehead uncomfortably warm. Her skin, particularly on her shoulders and neck, already had that signature too-tight feeling of an imminent sunburn. She had believed she would be fine wearing her usual black tank top if she applied lots of sunscreen beforehand, but clearly the sun was mocking her laughable attempt.
''Don't sit, that's a surefire way to get sore muscles,'' Squall chastised her.
''Well newsflash coach, my muscles are already sore.''
''We still have to go back.''
Rinoa groaned over-dramatically. But then she turned her head towards him, smiling in this dangerous way she did when she got a particularly wicked idea.
''Give me a piggyback ride? I know you can,'' she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Squall did not deign to answer her request and just snorted, turning and pretending to look at the sea to try and subtly hide his embarrassment. Unhooking a clasp on his running belt, he freed his water bottle from its pouch and took a long swig. Next he leaned forward and poured a small amount on the back of his head, running his fingers through his hair to help with cooling off. When he straightened up again and slicked his damp hair back, Rinoa was breathless for an entirely different reason.
She was fixated on a droplet of water, or sweat, that was slowly running down the column of his throat; perfectly framing his Adam's apple, then enticingly slowing down in the dip of his clavicle before picking up speed and swiftly disappearing under the neckline of his shirt.
''...Rinoa?''
''Wha–?''
''Water?''
He was offering her his bottle, and the concerned look he was giving her told her she had definitely been zoning out for more than a second.
''Are you okay?''
Bless his heart. He had no idea.
''Yeah yeah, I am,'' she made a dismissive gesture with her hand, ''This is just not my usual idea of fun, is all."
She stood up and bent each knee in turn, testing her joints and... yep, finding them sore already. But not because she had sat down, she decided.
''You asked to come with me,'' Squall said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms when Rinoa finally took the water bottle from him and drank; way too much and too fast, Squall couldn't help but notice.
''Yeah well...'' she started, greedily drinking some more before handing the bottle back to him. Squall quirked an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. She did not.
''Well?''
''I can't find a good retort in this heat!''
Squall let out an amused exhale through his nose, and, once again looking at the sea, decided to settle on a compromise.
''Want to walk back in the water?'' he suggested, holding out one hand, and Rinoa's stomach filled with butterflies. With a wide smile, she gladly accepted the offer and side by side they made their way out into the surf.
Fortunately the tide was low at this hour, and the waves pleasantly lazy against their calves. The water's temperature was just low enough to be refreshing without shocking their sun-warmed skin.
They fell into a long but comfortable silence once more, simply taking in the cries of the gulls overhead, the foam hissing at their feet, the wind playing in their hair, their hands in each other's. The stretch of beach where they walked was still completely devoid of any people; it was too early in the year for tourist season and by some stroke of luck, no locals were present either. It all felt quite magical to Rinoa suddenly; like the two of them were all alone in the world, or in a private heaven of their own making somehow.
When the outline of the Balamb Town Hotel came into view, still quite a ways in the distance, the spell seemed to be broken, and she was surprised to hear that Squall was the one to break the silence.
''So, are you finally going to tell me what's in that backpack?''
''Oh wow this really bugs you huh?'' Rinoa shot back at him with an amused smirk.
Squall scoffed lightheartedly. ''Must be important if you were willing to lug it around all by yourself.''
''Oh yes,'' Rinoa agreed, then stopped walking and scanned the shore, narrowing her eyes in concentration, ''And you know what, I think this place is perfect, follow me!''
She skipped happily toward the dry sand, inspecting a particular spot that was free of any debris; seashells or driftwood or otherwise. Squall stood behind her, his arms crossed and eyebrows raised in an expression of amused curiosity at her careful scrutiny. Making sure she was far enough away from a potential farther-reaching wave, Rinoa then let her shoes fall on the sand, got down on one knee and started to rummage through her bag.
She got a large, rolled-up dark blue blanket out, and was trying to spread it flat despite the uneven sand and occasional wind gust.
Squall gave a snort of disbelief when, taking advantage of Rinoa trying to tame the blanket into submission, he leaned over the open backpack for a peek and discovered containers of food. ''...A picnic? Really?''
''Absolutely,'' Rinoa was trying to get a corner to stay put, only to have another one flip right over the second she was done, ''We trained, now we get to have a picnic together. That— '' she extended a leg to straighten the other half of the blanket, but only managed to cover it with sand instead. ''—was the deal, ugh!''
''There was no deal. Again, you chose to come with me,'' Squall corrected, a hand on his hip.
''Semantics. Read between the lines, Leonhart,'' she was trying to remove the sand now, but was unsurprisingly making it worse instead, ''Would my noble knight deign to lend me a hand!?'' she huffed in frustration.
With a barely-concealed smile, Squall grabbed two corners of the accursed fabric, and together they shook it free of sand, finally setting it down properly.
As soon as they were sitting side by side, Rinoa wasted no time taking out the various containers and setting them down in front of them. There were two subs, a cup of grapes and cheese cubes, chips and a small vegetable platter, complete with dipping sauce. It was all very obviously from Balamb Garden's cafeteria, yet Squall couldn't help feeling hungry at the sight of the spread. He had originally planned on them grabbing something in Balamb Town on the way back, but he had to admit this had been a much better idea. He still couldn't get why Rinoa had been so secretive about it though, because certainly this was all normal enough.
They made short work of the light meal, after so much energy spent exercising under the hot sun. When Squall caught Rinoa wrapping the last bite of her sub back in its cellophane, he shot her a curious, bemused look.
''It's for Angelo!'' Rinoa giggled, ''I promised her a treat if she behaved while we were gone!''
''Should you be feeding a dog cold-cuts?''
''It wouldn't be a true treat if it wasn't at least a little bit... ill-advised!''
Squall could only snort at that statement.
''Which, speaking of... let's move to the main event!'' Rinoa exclaimed, reaching in the backpack one final time and producing a tall, clear glass bottle.
''Please tell me that's not—''
''Tequila!'' Rinoa's excitement simply could not be deterred.
Squall closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He now had the answer to his earlier interrogation. She had definitely known he would not have approved. ''I really don't think that's— aaand you're drinking it.''
Rinoa made a face like she had just bitten into a very potent lemon before coughing wetly. ''The first swig is always the worst.''
''Each swig is the worst with that stuff.''
''Wait, how would you know?''
Squall's eyebrows shot up in mock indignation. ''What was that supposed to mean?''
''It's just... you— I didn't think— You're...''
''I'm more complex than you think,'' Squall interjected, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
''Work hard, study hard, play hard, huh?'' Rinoa recited Balamb Garden's motto, which she had always found incredibly hilarious, and playfully elbowed Squall's side.
''Ugh, absolutely not,'' Squall corrected with a chuckle, ''If you must know, it was at Fisherman's Horizon, while we were all waiting for Garden to be repaired. I was wandering the town and stumbled upon this dive bar. I don't even know why I went in. I'd just learned I was now leading the charge against... well, 'Edea'... I guess I wasn't really thinking. There was an old man inside sorting his Triple Triad cards. We played a game; I won. He said he liked my style and shared his bottle with me, and we played until it was empty.''
''Oh... I had no idea. We all did wonder where you'd run off to that afternoon... This is actually so sweet!''
''Yeah. Looking back... it had been a nice time. Cleared my mind for a while. It's strange, we never even learned each other's names.''
''Seems to me like that's exactly what you needed in that moment,'' Rinoa mused, leaning her head on his shoulder lovingly, ''Wait. Does that mean you were plastered at the concert we threw you later that night??''
''I had slept it off by then,'' Squall defended, then hesitated; ''...Mostly.''
Rinoa straightened up to look him in the eyes, her own being wide in disbelief, her mouth sightly agape. ''You are such a bad boy! An incredibly nerdy bad boy!'' she giggled, ''Though, now that I think about it... I remember you being uncharacteristically... receptive that night, when we talked.''
''Whatever. Give me that.''
Squall reached for the bottle, which Rinoa gladly offered, and he took a long swig himself. She could see he tried really hard not to cough, out of machismo or a desire to impress her, she couldn't be sure... but he failed utterly and exploded in a coughing fit. She took the bottle back from him, taking another generous swallow as she rubbed Squall's back in sympathy.
''This is so bad,'' Squall finally groaned out, clearing his throat and rubbing at his eyes with the hem of his shirt. Rinoa got a small, tantalizing peek of his lower stomach; a light dusting of brown hair right below his navel, and she felt the flush creeping over her cheeks. She had to stop her thoughts going off the rails because she feared at some point he would certainly notice through their bond.
She cleared her throat. ''It's an acquired taste. Want more?''
''Yeah.''
Rinoa burst out laughing, totally not expecting him to follow in her goading and one-up her like that. She noticed that his smile came easier on his face the more they drank; a little wider, a little less guarded, with each shot. They spoke of unimportant things, trivial nothings that in no way reminded them of Garden, or SeeD, or sorceresses. What kinds of other hard liquor had they tasted? What was the best food in the history of everything? Did they eat their pizza with a fork and knife or with their hands? It felt as though they were finally talking to each other like two normal teenagers, without the threat of urgency and catastrophe, for the very first time.
A lull in the conversation had Rinoa laying down on her back to stretch and breathe deeply, just now noticing how the sky had subtly turned to the stunning rose-gold of the golden hour. Turning her head to look at Squall still sitting next to her, she was about to mention the beauty of the sunset when she was struck by how peaceful he looked then.
He hadn't even been smiling at that particular moment, or anything that obvious. But his eyes were soft, his features loose; his brow devoid of hard lines, his shoulders relaxed, his jaw untensed. He was silently staring out at the sea, enveloped in the warm glow of the setting sun. Rinoa thought he looked positively luminous, breathtaking. Unburdened.
Not wanting to disturb the moment by talking, she instead reached out to him through their bond, her mind brushing with his, seeking to know his emotions and offer hers in a comfortable sharing of souls. What she found then only confirmed what she had already guessed; this was Squall in a rare moment where he was feeling at peace with the world, but perhaps most important of all; at peace with himself.
She was aware that this was doomed to be as ephemeral as the golden hour, and she found herself wishing, not for the first time, that time would simply stop so she could stay in this moment with him indefinitely. The alcohol had helped, sure, but knowing he was consciously letting himself relax like this while in her company was something that still gripped at Rinoa's heart with a warmth she had seldom felt in her life. She had spent the better part of a year trying to get him to open up, to lean on her, to trust her... and now that he finally had, she was determined to be worthy of that honor.
''What?'' Squall was looking down at her, had noticed her staring. Again.
''Oh you know, nice breeze, beautiful sun...'' Rinoa shrugged, feigning nonchalance, yet daring to speak boldly, ''You're beautiful.''
There was a split-second of complete unguarded confusion in Squall's eyes before his usual frown was back in place; but not without his cheeks reddening— and not from the alcohol. Probably.
With a smug smile and a sudden plan, Rinoa sat back up, reached for the bottle and, to Squall's horror-slash-astonishment, drank in several large gulps. In a surprisingly fluid motion she re-capped it, set it aside in the sand, then promptly yanked Squall's shirt towards her so she could plant her lips on his.
Squall's yelp she felt in her mouth rather than heard, and she could sense the electricity her kiss had sparked like a wave going through his body. When she parted her lips and gently slid her tongue past to meet his, Squall's brain just about stopped functioning. Rinoa smelled of sun and sweat and sea, tasted like alcohol and unbridled desire; a heady mix for which he was hopelessly intoxicated.
He deepened the kiss, suddenly feeling the world outside his closed eyelids tilt and sway pleasantly, confusingly, and his hand found her hip, absent-mindedly, magnetically, like an anchor so he wouldn't be swept out to sea. Rinoa's hands wound up in his hair, always in his hair, her nails lightly scratching at his scalp, and he shuddered, a frisson making him break out in goosebumps.
When Rinoa pulled back it was only so she could better access that sensitive spot slightly under his ear, near the nape of his neck; languorously nuzzling and kissing it.
Fuuck—
Rinoa's smile spread on his neck; her laughter warm against his hair. He hadn't meant to communicate this particularly evocative statement to her, but his whole body felt like it was being cradled in pillows and his thoughts stuck in melted caramel. He hadn't drank that much, had he? Back then, in Fisherman's Horizon, the alcohol had deadened everything, had made his anger and stress quiet down for a bit so he could just stop feeling anything for a while. It had been nice, in a thoroughly self-destructive, numbing way. It had been nothing like this.
''Wanna head back?'' her voice was low, husky, and she pulled back to look at him, all half-lidded eyes and glistening lips.
The prospect of lying in his bed with Rinoa, hidden from the world and lost in this delicious haze, lost in the curves of her body, suddenly could not happen quickly enough. It was going well enough when they started packing their things, still kneeling and close to the ground. But when Squall shouldered the backpack, finally rising to his full height, and the world lurched dizzyingly around him he realized something abruptly: he was absolutely hammered. As if confirming this revelation with a certain comedic timing, he then felt his whole body lean backwards. Catching himself before he fell, Squall kind of slowly slid down to sit back in the sand instead.
''Whoa, easy there!'' Rinoa giggled, drunkenly stumbling towards him.
''Rin... I can't drive.''
''Obviously! But I don't understand, you've had like, two sips!''
They looked at each other for a moment before realization hit them simultaneously. Edea had spoken of shared emotions, sure, but shared inebriation?
''Oh, oh wow. Oops,'' Rinoa paused, then flung her arms in the air dramatically, ''It's all so damn cryptic! 'You will feel each other's emotions'— NO! Be more specific! Then maybe this wouldn't have happened!''
''Well it's not like there's a standardized user manual on being a sorceress...'' Squall said, giving another go at this whole standing upright thing, ''You could write one though.''
''Oh Hyne this is the most Squall Leonhart suggestion I've ever heard,'' Rinoa exclaimed, half amused and half exasperated, ''...But you know what, I just might!''
''But right now can you... Do you think you could... I don't know—'' Squall was mimicking something unrecognizable with his hand, rotating it quickly like he was trying really hard to open an invisible door cursed with a jiggling doorknob.
Rinoa just about doubled over laughing. ''What is this!?'' she emphasized, mimicking his movement, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
''It's a faucet! Obviously! Like... a shower faucet!'' Squall was also laughing now, ''Do you think you could possibly... shut this off? Keep your drunkenness to yourself?''
Rinoa straightened and stood still. She was actually lightly swaying, but it was the best she could do, under the circumstances. Her face scrunched up in extreme concentration and it was now Squall's turn to lose it. The sound utterly enchanted Rinoa.
''Sorry,'' she offered sheepishly after a tense minute of absolutely nothing happening.
Squall seriously considered their options: walking back was not a good idea. The way was quite long on foot, night was falling, monsters often roamed these parts and they were both drunk. This would not do. He supposed he could call someone to come and get the two of them, but who? The possibility of any of his friends knowing they were too plastered to go back home by themselves horrified him. They would never let them live this down. Unbearable. Nope.
His eyes absent-mindedly trailed from Rinoa to the quaint silhouettes of the white stone buildings of Balamb Town in the distance... until they settled on the hotel.
That would be the safest option, and he could deal with the 'where were the two of you yesterday night' questions back at Garden way better, especially if it meant laying close to Rinoa in a bed even sooner than he'd originally thought. Total genius win-win.
Rinoa followed his line of sight and turned, coming to the same realization. She jumped and cheered; almost falling flat on her ass in the process.
...They'd have to get there first.
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They both thought they were being completely inconspicuous; walking through the narrow cobblestone roads of Balamb Town, leaning on each other merely like two lovers taking a pleasant evening stroll.
The truth was that they looked exactly like two drunk teenagers trying (and failing) to keep a low profile. Fortunately, the streets were pretty empty on account of the nightly chill that enveloped the region still. Squall was thankful for it; the crisp air having seemingly sobered him up enough that the ground had started being uniformly solid again under his feet.
But then they entered the warm, stuffy hotel lobby and it all came back with the softness of a punch to the face. The check-in process was kind of a blur, and as Squall signed the forms and handed over his credit card Rinoa couldn't help noticing the extremely blasé look the front desk clerk was giving them. As if he dreaded the influx of drunk tourists/students that the summer season would inevitably bring.
''No room parties allowed,'' He enunciated slowly. Squall gave his best impression of a normal nod of acknowledgement and Rinoa had to bite back a laugh. If only that clerk knew Squall, he would've known there was nothing to worry about on that front.
Rinoa had half a mind to start making out in the elevator (she'd always wanted to try that) but they only had to go up one floor; hardly any time to start anything at all.
This fact might have deterred her but it didn't seem to for Squall. As soon as the doors had closed he had her pressed against the flat railing, his arms on either side of her and his mouth leaving wet kisses up the side of her throat. She sighed contentedly when he finally reached her lips, feeling like they were starting right back from where they had left off on the beach. Her hands travelled up his arms, under his shirt to grab on to his shoulders with just enough pressure from her nails to extract a low groan from him—
Ding!
The elevator doors opened to reveal the lobby and the front desk again, with the apathetic clerk giving them one quick look before sighing deeply, returning his attention to his computer.
Both Squall and Rinoa rushed to push the second floor button and the 'close doors' button, all at once. The short trip up was spent trying to keep a semblance of decorum while Rinoa tried not to laugh too loudly.
The hallway was another blur to Rinoa, as was Squall swiping the keycard, because all that mattered was that he was leading her, her hand in his, the smile easy on his lips. And so it was in a chorus of giggles that she intentionally made them both tumble on the modest double bed, pulling him on top of her.
''Rin—''
''I know. Don't worry, there's no rush,'' she assured him.
''Rinoa.''
''It's okay. It's perfect like this. We don't have to do anything more,'' she soothed.
I want to touch you.
Rinoa froze, unsure if she wasn't straight up imagining what she thought she'd felt from him just now. A pang of worry shot through her then, and she was suddenly scared that this was merely a redo from the last time they'd been this... close together. Was her feelings and desires affecting him through their bond once again? The alcohol certainly had, so it was a real possibility and she would not let that happen again. She'd sworn she wouldn't ever use their bond; this wonderful, sacred trust between them, to manipulate him in any way. They both might have been considerably drunk at the moment, but she needed to make sure, needed to see and hear and feel that he was doing this because he wanted to.
So she looked deep into his eyes and reached out; pushing aside the haze of drunkenness that hung like a warm blanket over his mind, and, yes, there it was. His signature intense stare revealed to her an aching desire, an eager need; the quiet nervousness of something new, something he couldn't describe but knew he longed for, somehow.
It was marvelous, extraordinary. She was awestruck and drunk and madly in love, but still she wanted to be sure, to be absolutely sure, and so the next words simply poured out of her lips unfiltered:
''I need to hear you say it.''
She saw him freeze, hesitate, shift his weight slightly atop her. He was irresistibly endearing like this, she had to admit. Watching Squall fumbling while being completely out of his element had been a constant guilty pleasure for her.
''Use your words. Tell me what you want,'' she coaxed gently, reaching up to put a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
The second they made eye contact again, she felt something from him through their bond; quite strongly, entangled in between the bashfulness and nervousness.
It seemed he was... very into this.
Rinoa was surprised, but judging by Squall's face, apparently not as much as he himself was. It took a short moment before he quietly cleared his throat and, his cheeks reddening even more if that was even possible, whispered back:
''I— I need to touch you... Can I?''
It was Rinoa's turn to learn something new about herself. He didn't want her; he needed her, and oh did those specific words ever stoke the fire in her belly. Coming from Squall, that was almost better than a direct 'I love you'.
In some distant part of their minds, they knew they would both have to later unpack those revelations and what they might mean for the more physical side of their budding relationship. For now though, they were definitely occupied with far more pressing matters and more than happy to push the consequences of their impulsive actions to the figurative back burner.
''Yes. Yes, please.''
With a quiet, eager growl Squall was kissing her again, his fingers at first grazing her hip, then slowly applying pressure with his palm as his hand travelled upwards under her tank top. Their kiss deepened, becoming a bit less gentle and a whole lot headier as Rinoa's tongue caressed his, and she shifted her body slightly; shifted it just right under him, the pressure of his excitement between them spurring her on. Squall's hand inched upwards some more, agonizingly slow, hesitating again, stopping right below the hem of her sports bra.
With a small huff of impatience, Rinoa grasped his elbow and gave it short push; Squall's hand suddenly grabbing a handful of breast. The gasp that escaped his throat then would have embarrassed him had Rinoa not also uttered a similar sound. Her arms wound up around his neck, to urge him to move, do something now that that particular barrier had been crossed.
Slowly, gently he moved his fingers, testing the feel of the fabric, the weight beneath his palm. When he softly brushed over her nipple and she whimpered softly he thought for a second that all the blood had left his brain. Feeling emboldened, he applied a bit more pressure to his palm; deliberately circled the now hardened nub under his digits. Rinoa's back immediately arched off the bed, seeking more, her nails digging in his scalp deliciously.
''Yes, yes, just like that,'' she breathed out right next to his ear.
All pretenses of self-control and timidity simply vanished when Squall heard those words. He couldn't help it; his hips bucked, a low whine escaping his throat, his eyes closed, all the better to get utterly lost in this moment. Never in a hundred lifetimes could he have imagined feeling this way, how being this close to someone else could be so euphoric, so freeing, so humbling. He suddenly could not envision his life without it, without her.
She reached up to kiss him again, gently guiding him off of her and on his back, never breaking contact. She wasted no time straddling him, rising up to have a perfect view of her disheveled knight; his shirt all wrinkled and bunched up under his arms, his glistening lips and flushed cheeks; the quick rise and fall of his chest as he panted slightly. His hair, tousled and falling over his striking grey-blue eyes, impossibly wide with awe and disbelief, pupils blown with love and lust...
Rinoa was enthralled.
''I'm gonna... make you feel—'' Rinoa interrupted herself, putting the back of one hand to her mouth and momentarily staring off in the distance as if concentrating on... something.
She blinked a few times, cleared her throat, then relaxed and settled back on top of Squall.
''I'll make you feel so g— urgh. Oh no—''
Rinoa practically flung herself off of Squall and the bed, scrambling drunkenly towards the bathroom, a stream of 'oh no oh no oh no' escaping her lips. Squall only had a couple of seconds of utter confusion before his brain registered the unmistakable sounds of earlier bad decisions, echoing in the toilet bowl.
He stood up to join her, the room spinning around him violently for a moment as he tried anchoring his feet into Earth's orbit once more.
He found her on her knees, one hand desperately trying to hold most of her hair back and the other shakily gripping the porcelain bowl. She looked miserable.
''Are you okay? Do you need me to—''
Squall could never finish his sentence. His mouth flooded with warm saliva. Rinoa looked up just in time to see him consider the bathroom sink in a panic. Unable to find her voice, she snapped her fingers clumsily to get his attention and indicated the toilet bowl.
Squall didn't need to be told twice. The tequila felt like lava on the way up and he groaned in disgust.
Had she not been actively wanting to die at this moment, Rinoa might have found the whole situation hilarious; the world's most powerful sorceress, sitting on the cold bathroom tile of a rented hotel room, side by side with her knight, the Commander of SeeD, drunkenly puking their guts out. It wasn't exactly the evening she'd had in mind when she sneakily put the Tequila bottle in her backpack.
Maybe she had gone a bit too hard. Maybe. Then again, she was hardly known for restraint.
Squall meanwhile wasn't sure if he was being sick on his own of if he was still being influenced by Rinoa through their shared bond. He found the idea of shared hangover both terrible and completely absurd.
''Is... is that going to be in the guidebook?'' he asked when he finished wiping his mouth with the hand towel Rinoa had given him. He felt a bit better already, or maybe still a bit out of it, because suddenly the whole thing seemed stupidly funny.
''You have a knack for picking the worst situations to joke in, I hope you know. But YES, you bet your ass it's going to be in there!''
They cleaned themselves up as best they could, brushing their teeth with their fingers and silently thanking the hotel staff for providing a small toothpaste tube. They quickly refreshed themselves with a damp cloth, and while they both knew what they desperately needed was a shower, neither of them could find the will or energy for it. It was a tomorrow kind of problem.
Wordlessly they slipped into bed, Rinoa nestling close to Squall's side. A gentle salty breeze wafted in from the opened window, and the muted sound of crashing waves felt like a soothing balm on their exhausted bodies and minds. They sighed almost in unison.
A long moment passed.
''First page,'' Rinoa mumbled.
Squall was brought back from the brink of sleep, only then realizing how close he was to dozing off.
''...Hm?''
''In my book. On the first page. It'll go something like: 'Hello, before we begin; if you must get shitfaced, be aware your knight will most probably be, too. That also goes for puking your guts out later on. Do what you will with that information.' what do you think?''
''No notes.''
''Excellent.''