Alright guys. I know I cheated you out of a good romantic scene in the last chapter, but I guarantee this one won't disappoint you. And since I have been so lazy, and I have been posting short chapters, I have graced you with a huge one!

Also I wanted to thank all you guys who have been reviewing! It's awesome to see what my readers have to say!

Oh, and I think the next chapter will be the last one…

ENJOY!

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Two weeks had gone by since the wedding trip. Rinoa had kept herself busy with college and work. The event between her and Squall seemed more like a bad dream than anything real.

She was working on a paper, but looking at the clock, she got up to go to work. As she walked passed the living room to the bathroom, she saw Quistis still sitting on the couch watching TV. Ever since the trip she had spent a lot of time at Rinoa's. And she seemed to always be in a gloomy mood. The night before, Rinoa had suggested, for the first time in her life, to go out. And Quistis, for the first time in her life, had said she wasn't in the mood.

"Quistis," Rinoa said softly. "I'm going to work. Do you need anything?"

"No," Quistis said quietly as she began flipping through channels again.

Rinoa sighed, picked up her purse and headed off to work.

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Squall looked at Seifer, annoyed that he was sitting on his desk.

"So," Seifer said, ignorant to Squall's death glare. "Don't take it too hard, but I'm going to get the promotion."

"There's a chair right there you know."

"Edea said last week when I turned in the project papers that I'm her knight in shining armor. Dude, I'm totally making vice president."

"Chair."

Seifer sighed, got off the desk, and sat in the vacant seat.

"Well, I'm glad you don't care."

"I don't," Squall said truthfully. "I like my job now and the pay is more than I need."

"Yeah, but more is always nice. And I bet it will impress Rinoa."

Not hearing the name in awhile caused Squall to feel a little pang when he heard it.

"She's been an ice queen to me still. But I know when I come to her house driving a ferrari, it will totally turn her on. I mean, every chick digs money."

"I don't think she does," Squall said his eyes staring off into space. "She's not like that."

Seifer straightened and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Squall blinked and got up.

"Nothing. I was just thinking al-"

"SQUALL!"

Just then laguna had burst into the room, panting for breath.

"Laguna?" Squall said, startled. Seifer had fallen out of the chair, clutching his chest, caught completely off guard by the sudden out burst. "I'm sorry Seifer, but can you give me a minute?"

Seifer nodded and walked out of the room mumbling "Psycho..."

"Laguna, what are you doing here?" Squall said seating his breathless brother in the recently vacated chair.

"I have to marry her!" Laguna shouted.

"What? Who?"

"Quistis! I haven't slept ever since she left! And-" Laguna said smiling now. "I know I love her! I have to marry her! I love her Squall! LOVE!"

Squall squatted to become eye level with his overexcited brother.

"Laguna, you're not thinking straight. You haven't slept and the sudden bout of insomnia has gotten your mind fogged up. You don't love her."

"I do! I can't stop thinking about her! She's the one! Remember how Mom and Dad would always talk about them being destined for each other? Dad would say that Mom was the one and only one for him? Well Quistis is my one and only one! I know it! I feel it!"

Squall snorted.

"You sound so corny."

"Stop making fun of me!"

"How can I?" Squall asked his voice rising and his breath quickening. "You're acting childish!"

Laguna shot up and clenched his fists.

"Don't humiliate me! You're the one without the courage to admit your feelings to the one you love."

Squall took a deep breath and tried to control his breathing.

"Laguna, you're tired and-"

"You're a coward! Mom and Dad would be ashamed to see you like this!"

Squall shot up.

"You shut up Laguna! You think everything is so fucking easy! Everything is a joke to you! How can you be in love with a girl you just met? It's ridiculous! What if she decides she doesn't want you? And leaves? Can you handle that? Can you stand losing someone you love? You know how it feels! It's not worth it!"

"Oh come on," Laguna said rolling his eyes. "You goddamn coward! Using Mom and Dad as an excuse to-"

"Stop...," Squall said between tightly clenched teeth. "...calling me a coward."

"Coward," Laguna said drawing his face close to his little brothers.

Squall grabbed Laguna's collar.

"Shut your mouth you fucking clown!"

And that was it. After the word "clown", they were both on the floor, fighting each other like a pair of angry school boys. Hearing the squabble, Seifer quickly came into Squall's office and tried to separate them.

"Woah! What the hell is going on!"

Laguna got up with both his eyes beginning to swell, and a cut on his chin. Squall had a bloody lip and a torn suit.

"Nothing," Laguna said straightening himself. "Just talking to my kid brother."

And with that he turned around and left. Squall licked his lip and winced at the stinging sensation at the cut. He took a handkerchief and wiped the blood off.

"What was that about?" Seifer asked cautiously.

"Nothing," Squall said trying to straighten his hair. "It was nothing."

He began to sit down when Seifer stopped him.

"Edea is announcing the promotion at the meeting that's in an hour."

"Yes I know!" Squall hissed. "And you're going to get it. I heard you the first damn time Seifer."

"Actually," Seifer said sitting on Squall's desk. "That's not what I was going to say."

"SIT IN THE MOTHER FUCKING CHAIR SEIFER!"

Startled, Seifer quickly sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

"Sorry. What I was going to say is you probably should change or something."

Squall looked down and saw his suit was torn in several places.

"Damn," he mumbled. "It's eight o'clock already. Is any tailoring place open at this time on a weekday?"

"You're not going to get it fixed before the meeting."

"I know," Squall said, trying not to raise his voice. "It's just... I have a meeting with a client tomorrow and this is my best suit."

"Well, there's Mihail's Tailors next to that Gap store."

Squall checked his watch again.

"All right," he said getting up and putting his wallet in his pocket. "I'm going to go and see if they can fix it. I'll be back before the meeting."

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It took Squall only ten minutes to reach the tailor store. It was a small, yet very sophisticated looking place. He walked in and a man immediately rushed up to him.

"Good evening, Sir," the man said in a heavy Russian accent. "I am Mihail Zarkovsky. I am the owner. Can I help you?"

Squall took off his coat opened it up to show the man.

"As you can see my suit jacket is a little torn," Squall said, a little embarrassed. "I need it fixed."

Zarkovsky leaned in and took the jacket.

"This is Armani," he said raising an eyebrow.

"Can it be fixed?"

"Neiyet. It is too torn. We can however make you a new suit jacket of the same material. For an extra fee we can have it ready by tomorrow."

"Perfect," Squall said sighing. "Don't worry about the money. I'll pay. Do you need my measurements?"

"Da," he said turning. "I will bring girl who makes measurements."

Squall walked up to the stand with the three mirrors, which had been covered. They were probably closing.

"Arms out please," said a crisp yet familiar voice behind him. Squall obeyed, and spread his arms. "Nice arms!" she said complementally. Squall ignored her and she didn't say anything else.

As the lady kept measuring from behind he kept thinking about what Laguna had said to him earlier. That bastard. Who did he think he was? Squall wasn't afraid of love. He just knew the pain and suffering that would surely come with it. Love never lasts.

His own parents were taken from him. And his depression not only was painful for him, but for Laguna and Ellone as well. He remember the looks on their faces when he had become cold, and they were always worried about him. As he grew older, he knew that only one of them should fall in love. The other two being there to protect the other. Squall was strong, but he couldn't protect both Laguna and Ellone. And Ellone was the first to fall in love. So it was only fair that Laguna and Squall watch over her. They need to do what his parents can't do. Squall had put his feelings for Rinoa aside, why couldn't Laguna? The more he thought about Laguna, and him being so selfish, the more he started shaking.

"God! Can you please stop moving? I keep messing up the freaking measurements!"

Recognizing the high strained voice, Squall turned sharply.

"Rinoa?"

Rinoa's head suddenly popped around, under his arm and looked up.

"Squall? Squall!"

They separated quickly both embarrassed that they had been standing so close together. Suddenly, the warm feeling he felt when around her came rushing back to Squall.

"So what are you doing here?" Rinoa said avoiding eye contact. "I saw the suit jacket. What happened?"

"I got into a cat fight with someone," Squall said trying to smile.

Rinoa took Squall's arm and looked at his watch.

"Well, my shift is almost over. Why don't we go outside, and talk? Zarovsky is giving me dirty looks."

When they went outside, the night air was cool and the sky was clear. As they both looked up to take a deep breath of air, a shooting star crossed the sky. They both turned sharply to each other, pointing to see if the other had seen. When they realized they both had they started laughing. Rinoa hopped up and down laughing in glee.

"Another one! It came true? Remember? That night?"

"I do. You said, 'A shooting star. How beautiful.' And you wished for another one."

"That's right." She said smiling, looking up. After a moment, Rinoa frowned. "You know, I don't think you told me what you wished for."

Squall closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"I'm probably going to regret saying this." Squall said laughing to himself. Rinoa slowly turned to Squall. "I wished... that I would be there when you see your next shooting star."

Rinoa frowned again.

"What? That doesn't make sense-"

"I read in a magazine, that to witness a shooting star at random doesn't happen very often. The chances that you would see your next shooting star so soon are about one in a billion. Chance would have been more like 50 years from now."

"So how was that your wish?"

Squall turned to Rinoa and looked her straight in the eyes. Even in the dark, Rinoa could tell his eyes were a deep blue.

"I wished, that I would be standing next to you. For your second shooting star fifty years from now. Thinking how that silly star could never be... as beautiful as you."

Rinoa gasped as the truth smacked her in the face. Squall, now powered by the release of confession walked to her and continued.

"Rinoa, to put it simply, you drive me crazy!"

Rinoa opened her mouth to express her confusion, but Squall grabbed her shoulders to silence her.

"Every wall," he said in a hushed voice. "I have ever built to keep people out, or at least at a distance, you have been able to tear down with a single one of your smiles. And whenever you're unhappy it tears away a piece of me I didn't know I had! I…I would give my right arm to keep you smiling all the time! And it kills me to know you despise me. I don't blame you. How could I? I'm the biggest asshole on earth. So I try to stay away from you. But I have to tell you that it burns me like acid knowing I can't be with you. That there is a single waking moment where I'm not looking at you thinking how beautiful you are! It kills me that my mouth doesn't open just to tell you that you are the most amazing and precious thing to happen to me."

Squall looked at the ground and laughed at himself.

"I'm sorry I have no fancy way of saying this Rinoa. But I just…"

He looked at her, with warm, loving eyes.

"I love you. Oh god, you don't know how much."

And with that he kissed her with a kiss that Rinoa would never forget. When he finished and backed away, he looked at her, waiting.

Rinoa covered her mouth with her had, and said nothing. Squall laughed at himself and rubbed his eyes.

"Shit," He said his voice thick with self loathing. "You're going out with my friend, and…I…"

And without saying another word he turned and quickly walked away. After he turned around the corner, Rinoa took a breath for the first time since Squall had began his confession. She turned up and stared at the sky breathing hard.

"I love you too…" she whispered. "I love you too." She said a little louder.

Zarovsky came out and seeing Rinoa cleared his throat.

"I am appreciating you are clocking out when taking break or is leaving early, please."

Rinoa turned and grabbed Zarovsky by the shoulders.

"I LOVE YOU TOO!" She screamed. "Why the fuck couldn't I say it!"

And with that she fainted. Zarovsky sighed and shook his head.

"Crazy Americans."

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Squall just made it into the conference room right as the meeting was going to start. He took his seat next to Seifer.

"Whoa dude. You look awful."

"I feel a little nautious," Squall said truthfully.

Before Seifer could ask anymore questions their boss, Edea, had begun the meeting. She was still wearing the black, in honor of Cid's death.

"As you know, our vice president passed away a couple of week's ago and I have been planning to find a replacement for the position from someone on this team. It was difficult, but I have finally come to a decision. I find that the person I have chosen is not only a strong leader, but has the compassion and heart needed to do the job."

Seifer smiled and put his hands on the table as he readied himself to stand.

"So it is with great pleasure to announce that I have chosen Squall Leonhart as the new Seed Vice President."

Seifer had begun to rise, but hearing Squall's name, had stopped short. The smile on his face quickly replaced by a look of pure anger.

Squall wasn't even paying attention to his name being called, or the team clapping for him. Edea leaned in.

"Squall?"

"Hmm?" Squall said snapping out of it.

"You're the new vice president, dear."

Squall turned quickly to Seifer, who was avoiding eye contact.

"It's…" Squall said clearing his throat. "It's an honor. Thank you."

Edea smiled and looked at her watch.

"Well, we can do the congratulations later. For now everyone back to work before we clock out at ten."

Seifer immediately got up at the dismissal and rushed to his office. Squall sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"This day sucked," he said slowly getting up and heading to Seifer's office.

When he got there, Seifer was opening letters with a sword shaped envelope opener. He was practically shredding them, not being able to control his anger.

"Seifer, I-"

"Save it ass hole," Seifer said, grabbing another letter. "First my girl and now my job!"

Squall looked sharply at Seifer.

"What did you say?"

"I'm not fucking stupid, Squall. I noticed the way you would look at her when we at your brother's house. You made moves on her. Why else would she not be interested in me? Why would she be when she could have you?"

"Now Seifer, come on."

Squall put his hand on Seifer's shoulder to calm him down.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!"

Seifer swung his arm wildly to get Squall off of him, but in doing so slashed the envelope cutter across Squalls face. Squall grabbed his face in pain and felt blood spilling down onto his shirt.

Seifer opened his mouth to apologize, but remembering the lost promotion, changed his mind. Just then, a much more tanned Ellone and Zell popped their heads into Seifer's office. Squall's back was turned to them so they couldn't see his face.

"Hello you two! Squall's secretary told us you were in here. We just got back from Greece and we wanted to say hello."

"It was an accident!" Seifer yelled in panic.

Zell, being totally clueless to what was going on, thought Seifer was talking about their little squabble during the wedding and it was his form of an apology.

"I wouldn't call being punched in the face an accident, but you got one too. So a tooth for a tooth; you're forgiven."

"Squall?" Ellone said, noticing that he was hunching over. She walked around to see what was the matter and when she saw all the blood she screamed. Zell rushed to her and saw what had horrified her. He turned sharply to Seifer.
"You son of a bitch! I'm totally going to kick your ass!"

"It… it was an accident," Squall said feeling awfully dizzy. Ellone hugged him and tried wiping off the blood with a handkerchief and had begun crying. Squall tried standing straight but once he tried his head whirled and everything turned black.