FicWad

*Memory/Past*

Rinoa jumped, the sound of the doorbell startling her. Frowning and wondering who it could be she made her way out into the hall, noticing only the silence. She found it very depressing.
She opened the door to find Selphie grinning cheerfully the other side. "Mrs Leonhart," she greeted with mock solemnity. Rinoa couldn't suppress a smile, it felt great to be called that, Mrs Leonhart, she sighed dreamily.
"Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed as she jumped forward to hug her breaking Rinoa away from her thoughts. Rinoa hugged her before Selphie suddenly pulled back asking, "What's wrong. You've been crying!"
Rinoa cursed silently, she had forgotten about her anguish from the moment she had heard Selphie's voice, although she vaguely wondered if it were the words and not her voice that caused her to forget. By the time Rinoa thought to reply to her question she found that her short friend had directed her to the sofa and in the process invited herself in and even then the enthusiastic young woman spoke first.
"You and Squall haven't broken up, have you?"
Rinoa shook her head, surprised that that was Selphie's first question. She was always being told that her and Squall were great together and that people wished they had as great a relationship with their partners as she had with Squall. Although they argued only a little less than the average couple the problem was always resolved quickly and Rinoa had always put down the reasoning for that as Squall being such a good listener. And having said all that she had never even thought that she and he might break up otherwise she wouldn't have married him.
"Argued?"
Rinoa shook her head again. Then after a pause she said, "He's away on a mission." in hopes that she would take the hint that it had nothing to do with him.
"Oh," Selphie said knowingly, "So you miss him."
Rinoa sighed, "No," She frowned, "I mean of course I do, but that's not why I'm upset."
Selphie sighed, throwing up her hands, "Then why?"
"Angelo died the other day. I've had her for so long, well five years. We've been through so much together and now I'm on my own, it's so depressing."
"You're not alone, you have Squall," Selphie pointed out.
Rinoa laughed slightly, "I do have Squall," it made her smile, "but I meant when he's away."
"Oh," Selphie sounded dismal; it was quite upsetting which is why Rinoa was always glad that she never stayed that way for long. Selphie was as optimistic as Squall was pessimistic. "Well you could always get a new pet, not necessarily a dog."
Rinoa shook her head; "I don't think a new pet would be a good idea just now, maybe in two years or so."
"Why so long?" Rinoa didn't answer, so she continued, "Well I could always come round and keep you company while he's away. I'd be more than happy to get away from Irvy for a while and I'm sure he can make lunch himself."
"Really? He won't mind?" Rinoa asked getting up and walking over to the window to open it.
Selphie watched her as she said, "Yeah but he'll get over it...Rinoa, are you getting fat?"
Rinoa froze, blushed then turned to look at her friend before quietly saying, "Er...I'm pregnant Selph."
Selphie stared in shock before bounding from her seat, "Are you serious!" and hugged her.


"So when's Squall getting back," Selphie asked as she lazily placed her mug on the table.
" A few days he said yesterday but I wont believe it until I see him, it changes so often these days."
"Well order him to come home, then. Men always let their wives get their own way in the beginning."
Rinoa shook her wondering what world Selphie lived in and if it was possible to go there, "Really?" she asked sceptically. "Well Irvine always does what you say, when did you two get married then, or is it when will?"
Selphie waved her off, throwing a cushion at her.
"Have you seen Quistis lately?" Rinoa asked suddenly, "I haven't seen her since my wedding."
"Yeah, I saw her for about thirty seconds the other day. She said she was going to come round to see you but was running late, said she was going to try again later this week."
Rinoa nodded happily, "Would be nice to have the three of us together for a while."
"Yeah," Selphie grinned, "And we could talk about this new baby of yours."


Squall sighed as he placed the receiver down, hanging up on Irvine's crude jokes about him getting Rinoa, his wife Squall had to remind him, pregnant. Irritably he wondered how Irvine had found out in the first place and when the phone next rang and he discovered Rinoa was at the other end he asked her tiredly.
"I'm sorry." He heard her sincere voice say, "Irvine's giving you a hard time? Selphie said I was getting fat and I couldn't have her thinking that. What with her being SeeD and therefore caring about fitness and all that."
"No, of course you couldn't." He said sarcastically.
"Meany!"
Squall laughed slightly, shaking his head, she hadn't called him that in some time.
There was a silence that lasted a few minutes, both content with just knowing the other was on the other end of the line.
Squall opened his mouth, hesitated then said, "Rinoa, I might be coming home a few days later than I said."
"Oh," She sounded so sad and yet not in the least bit surprised, "Okay."
"I will be home soon, I promise."
"Yeah I know," She sighed, "Soon just seems to last forever."
"I know the feeling."
Rinoa sat up straighter on her end of the phone, "Do you?"
Squall sighed, rolled his eyes and changed the subject, "How are you doing Rinoa?" He wondered how hard she was taking Angelo's death.
"Okay, I guess. I've had Selphie here, but I guess you already knew that with Irvine and everything. She's really good at keeping my mind on other things when she's here." She yawned, "I really don't think I can stay up any longer, I really should be going to bed."
He sighed, "I guess this is good night then." He sounded as though he was about to say something else but nothing came.
Rinoa smiled, "Good night." and hung up the phone still smiling as she realised that despite being married and soon to be a father Squall was still having problems talking and sharing his feelings. She climbed up the stairs to her bed.
Squall growled annoyed at himself as he hung up the phone, sometimes he just froze and he figured that the only time he could actually tell her how he felt was when he did it without realising or when it seemed so natural.
They both curled up into their beds that night unable to sleep, Rinoa was counting the seconds Squall, however, was silently cursing himself for being so tired when Rinoa first sort his bed some years ago because of her nightmares. It had made sleeping difficult and a chore, he no longer enjoyed sleep although he also thought that might have been because he was fast approaching the end of his teenage years, his twentieth birthday being a matter of weeks away.
When he realised that there was definitely no sleep to be had that night he returned to his desk, deciding to finish as much paper work as was possible so that he might make it back on time after all.