A/N: Screw early fic intensions. Here's Rinoa's letter to – who else? – Squall, and personally, I like this one more than the others; it's probably because I'm on the brink of having a nervous breakdown from all that college's dumped on me. Yes, I do have a talent for exaggerating, don't I? So since this one's my favorite, please be kind enough to review. (Now that's what I call shameless self-promotion ^ ^!) This is a totally made-up scene, so I'll leave it up to you to imagine when this "scene" takes place, given that it's before Ultimecia possesses Rinoa…
Again, thanks to all the reviewers. I haven't the will in me to thank each and everyone right now, so I'll leave all that for next time. If there is a next time. :)
Lions Behind Walls
I am everything you want
I am everything you need
I am everything inside of you
That you wish you could be
I say all the right things
At exactly the right time
But I mean nothing to you
And I don't know why -
Why?
- Vertical Horizon
Dearest Squall,
What's taking you so long? I've been waiting here for over an hour now and you're still a no-show. Oh please…please be okay…
I guess I'm worrying too much, huh? Being late is just…so not like you. I'm sorry, but I'm actually under the impression that you'd rather be tickled to death by a Death Claw than ever suffer the consequences of being late. You haven't done anything yet to relieve me of that impression …you're as hard as ever, and not softening any time soon.
What is it about you, Squall Leonhart? You're much too cold for me, you're so rigid that I think if you ever tried to bend a little you'll simply break; you cover yourself with all these walls, these barriers that I can't seem to bore a hole in to. And yet here I am writing a letter to you while you kindly keep me waiting. Now that I think about it, you probably intended to keep me waiting all along. And yet…* shakes head *...and yet, here I am loving you, so much so that it hurts to think about you even feeling any pain.
Well, wanna know what I think? You're selfish, Squall. You have so much to give, but what do you do? Instead of sharing yourself with us – your friends, you keep everything bottled up inside of you, too selfish to share your world. You do things alone, silent and reserved. You keep us away from you.
Hyne, but I love you.
I don't know how, or why, I just know I want to give you all of me. I want to heal you, because I know that underneath all that reserve is a boy who's hurting and alone. Why, Squall? I want to know WHY.
Do you remember the first time we met? You were standing there all alone with that eternal scowl on your face looking like you could care less if the world suddenly blew up then and there. I knew instinctively that you were someone special, someone who's destined to have all the happiness he craves. You don't know this, but you and Seifer are more alike than you're willing to admit. I believe Seifer's like that because he envies you, Squall. You go out of your way to remain unseen – inconspicuous, but people always notice you. Seifer wants to be noticed. He's always gotta do something big. But you – you have us, but you turn us away.
The problem is that you don't know what you want. Nobody knows either.
What I do know is what I want.
What I want is to wring a conversation out of you that doesn't contain a single "Whatever" coming out of your mouth.
I want you to ask me to dance and not the other way around.
I want you to like me, without me resorting to any of my hypnotic powers.
I want to count falling stars with you on a peaceful world.
I want you to open up and talk to us over the most trivial things in this world, like – like hotdogs and cafeteria ladies and school library regulations.
I want to smooth out all those frowns and see you smile.
I want you to hug me and like it.
I want to hear you laugh, like you do it every time.
I want you to give me a glimpse of your world that you never show to anyone.
I want to be a part of that world.
I want you to love me.
And you know what? I will get what I want. I'll free you from everything. I promise. Someday.
So watch your back, Squall!
Still patiently waiting,
Rin
F/N: What I mentioned about Seifer in this letter is based entirely on my opinion of him, but I like him anyway. I just don't want anyone complaining about my putting down Seifer – that's just the way I see him, k? ^__~