Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Snow Drift	By : Resting-Madness Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Yaoi - Male/Male > Irvine/Squall Views: 970 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own anything involving final fantasy 8, nor do I make money from this fanfiction. The only thing that's mine is the take on a plot that's been done by just about everyone.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's circus or Blues Clues.
A.N: Thank you very much for reading and reviewing, you're gonna hate me after this chapter but, cliffhanger, I had to do it. Enjoy.
...
The train from Balamb pulled into the station of Fisherman's Horizon; many sounds hit the ears of the passengers and awaiting passengers; from the train's bell, to the chatter of people, scuffled footsteps; and seemingly there was forever some sound of industrial origins as these people make a living by helping build and engineer things, then there's the shouting from the fishermen that work the boatyards, and the familiar sound of the ocean all around them. Fisherman's Horizon is the heart of the globe.
The four: Squall, Zell, Rinoa, and Kait walk down the long stone stairs from the station to the main part of the sea-scented town. While the adults chat, Kait's big blue eyes scan the area for the familiar face of his new acquaintance, but being only 2 feet and 11 inches tall its not exactly easy to get a look at the terrain.
The child has decided to himself that he won't cry this time, and he hoped that the Shumi will forgive him for doing so before. He wasn't afraid of the man, just very surprised because he looked like a hero of his. How would that not shock anyone to tears? Maybe, to take some of the edge off, he could get the man to come over and meet his father this time. That would be nice. His dad said he knows about Shumi people.
"Hey, Squall," Zell starts when stepping off the last stair and falling into step with the brunet. "what ever happened with that message from yesterday? Did you get to hear it?"
Figuring that Zell is curious because he'd taken it upon his self to be privy of something meant for someone else, Squall considered his curiosity justifiable. "No. But my phone's in the kitchen charging now." He glanced down when feeling a tug on the belt loop of his jeans to see if his son wanted anything, but discovered that Kait only wanted to hang onto him, so he turned his attention back to Zell. "I doubt that it-s anything important, though, they would have called back if it was."
"Not necessarily. If the battery was low you, wouldn't know that they called back, would you?" He kicked a rock in his path.
"Both of my numbers are listed, Zell. If it was important they would have called the other phone."
"I guess."
Half into the conversation Rinoa asked. "What phone call?"
"Squall got some message when we were at the gym yesterday-" With a shrug he added. "phone died before we could get the full message."
"Probably chain letters from some dumbass." Squall concluded to drop the subject.
Hopping onto his father's right foot, Kait swings from front to back singing "We're giiiiant stepping for Blues clues, giiiant stepping for Blues clues." A song which he'd learned when the television reran the episode for the fourth time, or as Kait likes to say: "the show forgot that they already did this, so they're playing it again". But then try explaining the concept of reruns to a four year old and see how far the conversation goes.
Watching Kait, who's having the time of his life while his 28 pound weight is torturing his father's jeans, Zell laughs at the sight before saying to the child. "Do you want a ride?"
"Uh huh." He nodded.
Kait's face exploded with joy when Zell's strong hands reach under his armpits lifting him up and over to have seat on his shoulders. "I can see the tops of heads." He looks over at his father, then Rinoa then look down at the top of Zell's head. Turning his attention to the ocean his happiness escalates ten-fold, because out on the water he spots the Shumi. He seems like he's having a hard time fishing, or maybe he's just rowing the boat. Whatever he's doing, he's coming back to shore.
"Daddy?" He taps his father on the top of his head. "Can I go see my friend?"
"What friend?"
"The not-yellow, yellow friend." He points. "He's over there!"
The three adults turn their heads to where the child is pointing but they don't see anyone.
"I don't see anyone."
"He's right there!" He continued to point.
Rinoa and Zell look to Squall with a shrug. F.H. is pretty peaceful; at least that's what the mayor says. There's nowhere for vehicles to drive around so there isn't any chance of Kait being hit by a car. And young Leonhart knows better than to hang around by the water without supervision. Even though he is an excellent swimmer.
"Alright, but remember the two rules."
"I remember." He removed his whistle. "See?"
Patting his son on the back he removed him from his perch on Zell's shoulder setting him on the ground. "Okay, go ahead."
"Thank you." He said before dashing off.
Zell made a face as an unvoiced show of concern about Kait wandering off. They all know that Squall has gotten murderously touchy about people leaving and not checking-in, but he's trying very hard to prove otherwise; he schools it away, if you will. With Kait, he gives the boy freedom to roam but every time he does the guardian will look over his shoulder every second to ensure that the child is still within sight. As for the rest of them they make a conscious effort to call and check-in the moment a mission has ended, to let him know that they're all right. Squall can't take anymore sudden disappearances from them, and it shows more than Squall would think.
"I hope they have white fish." Rinoa says, unknowing of the worry spell she'd thankfully broken. Rubbing her hands together with anticipation of eating the sea creature later that day.
"Tch. I'm hoping the prawns are in good catch. I can taste them now." Zell was nearly drooling over the taste. The sweet and sour sauce for dipping, the girthy meatiness.
That's when something dawned on Squall. "Where's Seifer anyway, I thought he was coming with us?" He knows how much his rival loves prawn burgers.
"You kidding?" Zell rolled his eyes. "The moment he heard that a fire-pit was needed, he decided to stay behind with Quistis and Selphie to help out."
Rinoa giggled from the image of the pyro calling for more things to burn in order to build the fire higher and higher; nevermind the fact that its supposed to be a pit for cooking over. Having not grown up with the ex-knight, she wondered when his fire starting ways had begun. He seems to want to be the master of the blaze - among other things in life.
The fish market is covered by a large overhead tent with no cover over the sides; the tarps are used to keep the fish out of the sun so it stays fresh while put on display. The market has every type of seafood imaginable: octopus, squid, tropical fish, mainland fish, even urchins! Squall took one last look over his shoulder to see that Kait was still within view before venturing further under the tented market.
"Mister! Mister!" Kait darts across the town towards the pier where his Shumi friend is exiting the floating boat to land.
Whilst tying the boat to a post Imari looks around to see who, if it's he, is being called. "Hey, it's Kait!" He says with a smile. "I was hoping I'd see you again." Kneeling down to be eye level with the child, he's not surprised to see the shocked look on the boy's face yet again. He must really look like this Irvine guy. "You're not still scared of me are you?"
"I wasn't scared, I was just surprised." Kait spoke in his defense.
Laughing, Imari replied. "Well, then I'm sorry that I surprised you."
"That's okay." He tried to be cool and wave it off. "My daddy said that we can talk, but I have to see him." Looking over his shoulder, he definitely can't see Squall from where he is. "Can you pick me up?"
"Sure." Lifting the child, he holds him to sit on his shoulder.
"Whoa..." Kait voiced when lifted; wrapping his arms around Imari's neck he looked down, his eyes widening as he met Imari's gaze. "I'm up so high!" He looks down again then back to Imari. "You're tall like Seifer - do you know him?"
"Can't say that I know any Seifer. If you introduce me to him, I'll gladly meet him."
"Okay." Twisting his face in thought he asked. "What's that big word mean?"
"Which one?"
Looking to where Squall is standing, he shook his head. "Oh I can't say it; my daddy says that if there is a word I don't hear a lot, then its grown-up talk."
"I see." He nods. "Smart dad you've got there but, maybe if you whisper it to me I can help you understand it."
Looking back to Squall like his guardian might overhear, he leaned to Imari's ear then whispered.
"Introduce? That's not a grown-up word, it just means... to meet new people." Snapping his fingers he says. "Here, it's like this." He looks at the child's clown doll. "Clown.."
"Jojo." Kait informs.
"Jojo, meet Kait - Kait, meet Jojo. That's how you introduce someone."
Laughing into his hand, Kait shook his head. "But Jojo already knows me; what's your name again?"
"Imari Karver."
"I can only remember one name."
"Oh, okay, then call me Imari."
"Imari." He says it as if to file it away. "Sorry, but sometimes I forget."
"That's okay. I've forgotten a lot of things... At least, that's what I think."
Laughing the boy pulled Imari's cheek singing to him. "If you only had a braaain."
"Ahaha. You're really funny, Kait." A thought occurred to him just then. Reaching into his pocket he removed the carved lion with the beautiful blue-gray eyes.
The boy's gasp could have doubled for a sudden asthma attack it was so hard. "Ohhh, it's a lion."
"Yup. When I was making presents I made this one for some reason; I must have been thinking about Jojo. I was gonna give it someone else, but I'm glad that I didn't. It seems made for you little lionhart." He teased.
"No, not me, but my daddy is a lion. I hear things; the other grown-ups at his work call him the Lion of Barumb."
"Balamb."
"Yeah, Balamb. My name is Little Bird, all my friends call me that - do you wanna call me that?"
"Little Bird, huh, alright."
"Can I keep the lion?"
"You can. It can be at Jojo's circus."
"That's my favorite show! Jojo has Goliath for a best friend." Unable to contain his love for telling people about his favorite things, he goes on. "She sings great songs. And has fun adventures. And tells stories."
"She does?" He starts to walk with the child towards the market where he had looked to see his father.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I have a carved Chocobo back at the hotel; if you can wait here for me to get it, I'd be happy to give it to you before I leave today."
"I can't stay; we're shopping for Palayla to have at the beach." He looks towards the approaching market. "We're playing at the beach. Can you come?"
Shaking his head, Imari says. "I can't. I have to get home so I can get back to work. I have a job to do in Deling."
"Aaaww." He pouts a moment. Suddenly distracted by Imari's hair, he plays on it by swatting it back and forth, while thinking of what to say next. "Do you like Blues Clues?"
"I've never seen it."
"It's fun. You have to look for clues then solve the clues at the end. I sometimes get it." He pulled the man's braid up until he's holding the tip, then he pressed it to his lip for a false mustache. "Can you go back to your hotel and get it now? I can come."
"Uuumm, I don't think your parents would like that too much. Sorry."
"No parents, just me and my daddy. I don't have a mommy because my dad likes boys - that's what Seifer said."
That came off as a shock. He thought for sure that the guy and gal from before were together. He never would have thought that the man was gay. Kait must be adopted. Pretty good match for him, though. Judging by what he can see father and son really do look related in some way.
"Well you know what, I'll mail it to you. How 'bout that? Do you know your address?"
"Yup. Its 4D on Maytance Street."
"Balamb?"
"Uh huh." With a gasp he points. "Look at that big bird!"
Turning a bit, he ends up setting the child down since he's reaching for his large exotic friend. "Here I'd thought you ditched me for the day." Imari says to the bird. "His name is Pal."
"Pal? Is he yours?"
"Mhm. You can pet him if you'd like, he's friendly."
Marveled the boy reaches out a hand, smiling when the bird dips its head to be touched. "Rinona has a dog name Angelo. He's nice, too."
"No, no, its pronounced Rinoa." He stilled a moment, and wonders how he knew that? But he can't dive too deeply into it as Kait's name is being called.
"Kait!"
"That's my daddy." He quickly hugged the man further snapping Imari out of his mental tumble. "Bye. And thank you for the lion."
"You're... welcome..." He says quietly. Rinoa. Where has he heard that name before? Feeling his shirt tug upward, he stands being assisted by the bird. "What are you hopped-up for? We'll go."
The large bird darts away towards the hotel with Imari following closely behind.
...
Squall was packing up for the beach, bringing with them: towels, sunscreen, and toys of buckets, shovels and pale, little sea life moldings. As well as Kait's portable potty-seat, plus tent to cover the child and give him privacy while they're out. He'd rather he not use the outhouse.
"Is it alright if Jojo comes with me?"
"If you keep it inside the plastic. You don't want her to get ruined by sea water."
"Oh nooo." He shook his head before returning to his imagine play of Jojo training a new lion that he got from his mysterious Shumi friend.
His son has been playing with the wooden lion since they got back from F.H. Incidentally, Kait's been speaking of the man a great deal, as well. All about how he's nice, and has a bird, makes toys, and so on. Squall was beginning to think that he should meet this mystery artisan whom his son has so much interest in. He needs to ensure he's not some kind of sicko, or stalker using Kait to get to them - or his un-son in general. Squall wouldn't stand for it. Nothing short of coming across his blade will be fitting a punishment for the "not-yellow" Shumi.
Removing his phone from the charger, he stuffed it into his jeans pocket.
"And guess what daddy," he slips down from his seat at the kitchen table. "He's gonna give me a Chococobob. Only he couldn't give it to me today, because he said that you wouldn't like it if I went to his room at the hotel."
"He's right, I wouldn't like it." Taking the boy's hand he kneels down a second to kiss the child on the cheek as if to say: Thank you for being responsible. He verbally says. "Let's go have some fun." Straightened to his feet, he grabbed the bag and walked to the door.
At Fisherman's Horizon.
'Rinoa... How do I know that name?' He wondered while packing his clothes and things. 'It was like my mouth just said it, yet my mind can't get a face to match with the name. Doesn't help it there's no further knowledge along with it. So then, what? Do I know her?' His action of putting a shirt into the bag paused, as his gaze dips out the window looking at the sun sparkled blue ocean, then his gaze shifted to the out-of-focused boxed flowers set in the windowsill. They're yellow. Foreign region flowers that only grow naturally in the south. Even they seem familiar.
Taking a seat on the bed, he fell back onto the soft piece of furniture. 'Rinoa. Rinoa?' Closing his soft dual-colored eyes he continued trying to unwrap the thick layer of subconscious that's causing him to get a very painful headache. However, he can't. Nothing is coming to him. "Fuck! What do you want from me, Hyne?! To remember who I was, or to be happy with who I am?!" He can feel tears stinging his eyes. In a choked sob he says. "I like who I am." Running his hands through his loose hair, he then wiped his tears. "And if I jumped off a cliff to end up on Winter Island... should I be who I was?" He doesn't want to remember the life of someone suicidal. It's just not him; he's been over this 4 years ago; he's happy. Isn't that what living is all about? Being happy. Or at least that's what life has coined as most important.
The soft feathers atop Pal's head brush against his moistened cheek. It's the birds way of comforting him.
Sighing in agitation, he sits up. "You're right. I'm gonna stop doing this to myself." He sniffled. "I'd better get moving." Retrieving the shirt from the floor where it fell, he tossed it into the suitcase closing it up. "Right. Don't wanna forget this." He grabbed a pen from the desk, then wrote his address on the top left corner of a small brown box containing the carved Chocobo.
He has to have the return address written in-case Kait gave him the wrong address; the child is very smart from what he could surmise. The child seemed pretty sure of his address, so there's no way its a fake or was wrongly stated. But, you can never be too sure. He did say he forgets things sometimes.
Heading out of the hotel he made a quick run to the post office, hurried to boards the train to head back to Winhill.
Over at Alcaud plains, Rinaul coast. The fun of the beach party is in full swing. All water sports and sand activity hosting the day.
"Your fish are very cute, Kait." Quistis took a seat, on her knees, beside the boy.
"I made one for each of us." Pointing them out as he names them he says. "This is Selphie, Seifer, Zell, you, Squall, and Rinoooa."
Overhearing, as she's close beside the child soaking up some sun, said woman smiles. "Aww you said my name." She applauds.
"Uh huh, Imari taught me."
Question crossed over the freedom fighter's happy expression. "Your friend knows me?"
Confused all together, Quistis asked. "Who's Imari?"
"Kait's Shumi friend." Replied Rinoa.
"Weird name for a Shumi. I thought they called each other by job description myself. ...Hmm." She tried to recall it from when they had briefly inhabited the school.
Leaving Quistis to her recollection, Rinoa again asked. "Kait, does your friend know me?"
The boy shrugged. "I don't know."
"That certainly would be weird. Does Squall know him?" Quistis wondered.
"Not that I know of. Not only that, I don't know any Shumis either. - not personally." Shaking her head in thought, Rinoa adds. "I've never even been to their village."
"Kait," Quistis touched his shoulder to call his attention away from poking eyes into the sand fishes. "How does your friend know Rinoa's name?"
"I don't know." He looks into the woman's eyes to drive the point home. What was with all the questions? He just wanted to make fish. "I just said Rinona, and he told me its pronounced Rinoa, he didn't say anything after that."
Not through with questioning, Quistis inquired. "But how did he say it? Like he knew her or as if he's heard the name before, from maybe post war news?"
"I don't know. Can I go swim now?" He was done with whatever this was.
Rinoa gave him the go ahead. "Sure sweetie."
The boy took off towards the crystal waters, stopping when he got up to where Zell has just come from swimming. Hopping up and down, arms up; Zell picked him up taking him out into the water on foot.
"What do you make of that?" Quistis wondered.
Rinoa shrugged. She pulled her bangs out of her face in thought, only to have them drop back down into place. "I'm not sure, though, I am a famous general's daughter - at times," she adds with a hint of chuckle. "Plus, we've all had our names tossed around after the war. Maybe it's just well-known by now."
"That's true." Standing, she brushed sand from her legs. "Well, let's go have some fun. No reason to waste this beautiful day worrying about nothing."
"Volley ball." Tightening her ponytail, Rinoa grabbed Quistis by the wrist to drag her over towards the net.
Squall felt a nagging, as he watched everyone having fun.
"Wow!"
Looking up from checking his messages, Squall rolled his eyes spotting Selphie casting Water spells so she can dance the large bubble over the rocking waves for Kait's amusement. The boy loved seeing magic; not that they did any dangerous ones around him; and they're all beyond their abilities with using spells, so there was never any risk if they had to use dangerous magic around the child. But, either way, better safe than sorry.
Squall played the voicemail.
To whom this may concern; I think that I may have seen Irvine Kinneas at a costume party I attended not long ago. The man had his face covered by a small mask, but I was sure that it was him. He didn't sound like Irvine from what little of his voice I'd overhear. His hair was a lot shorter too. But, I went to Galbadia in my youth, and I'm pretty sure I know what the guy looks like in posture and...
It took everything in Squall's power not to crush the phone into little bits. How dare someone do something so ignorant, so incredibly rude as to play tricks on him - especially after so long! And yet, the world seemed to start pulling away from him, just like it had when he had gotten the first pre-recorded phone call from the man.
The sounds of his friends chatter and laughter, the roll of the waves, the low snap from the fire in the grill pit, Kait's big laugh after being dunked under the water by Zell - even smells disappeared! No longer was there the scent of heat mixed with seafood, hot dogs and whatnot. No. All of it was gone! Swirling into the black abyss of his heart where he desperately misses his sniper.
Breathing hard he pulled himself back from the darkness, having dealt with it long ago through talks with his Laguna Loire; whom he's slowly accepting as a father in his life. And he's grounded all the more by raising Kait, who's too young to understand death or pain, just knowing that he needs someone. That person is him. And Squall Leonhart will not let him down.
When all the sounds and smells returned to his senses, he releases a calm breath but glared at his cell phone. What good did this person think they'd get out something like this? His anger, the laughter at his eager to know more. Well, they've got another thing coming, if they believe that he's going to call them back so they can get their kicks.
Deleting the message, he stuffed the phone into his beach bag. Taking another deep breath he stood up then heading towards the water to join the others. He can't let that bother him. He can't reopen that old wound. To think of Irvine being alive, after all this time and not saying anything, is just damned stupid. Impossible!
...
Kait studied his father's far away gaze. "Daddy, you're not making lion noises." He splashed the polished wooden creature under his bath water then brings it back up. "Daddy?"
Blinking back from his thoughts to register the bathroom and Little Bird calling to him he turned his head. "Sorry, I'm just thinking about something." He smiled apologetically.
"What?"
He doesn't want to plague the child with his heavy thoughts, but ignoring his questions would be rude. He's not just someone he can brush off, Kait's his un-son, it's almost like Laguna and himself - minus the fact that he and Laguna are blood related, they're very much odd pair of father and son.
"Someone is playing a mean trick on me by saying that they've seen someone who's no longer with us anymore." He shrugged out his hand. "I'm just upset because it surprised me."
"I'm upset from being surprised." He closed his eyes when Squall's hands began rinsing the shampoo out of his hair. "Daddy, can I have a picture of Cowboy Irvine?"
"Of course," He sets the cup down once the shampoo is out. "But why do you need it?"
"I'll show my friend Imari so he can see that he looks like him."
Squall's hands froze in place, and before he could realize how hard he was doing it he gripped the boy's bony shoulders hard.
"Ow!" He cried out.
"Your friend is Shumi, right?"
"Yes!" His voice grew heavy with tears.
"So why do you keep talking about him as though he looks human?!" He nearly shouts.
Unable to answer right away from a tightening throat, his son pouts hard enough that one could say the corners of his lips are sagging to his shoulder.
Seeing the look on his son's face, Squall took a huge step back from his actions. He shook his head after releasing the child. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kait." Grabbing a towel from the bar beside the tub, he wrapped it around him then pulled him from the tub. He took a few steps backwards then sat on the closed lid of the toilet, Kait on his lap. Holding him close, he kissed the top of his wet head; rubbing Kait's shoulders, hoping that he hadn't hurt him, he rocked them gently back and forth. "I'm really sorry for yelling, and I, especially, apologize for hurting you. There's no excuse for it."
Wrapping his arms around his dad, he asked quietly. "Are you mad at me?" Because if the answer was "Yes" Kait really would have started crying. He doesn't want to upset his father. He loves him. You don't hurt people you love.
"No, I'm not mad at you."
"I forgive you, daddy." He hugs his father to let him feel that his words are true.
"Thank you." Picking him up he walked him into his bedroom; the birds on the wall, flying through a blue sky can be seen when the light is turned on.
Drying and dressing his son, he tucked him into bed with a cup of warm milk to help him need to use the bathroom; climbing in beside him Squall held him close. "Kait, this is very important to daddy. I really need you to answer truthfully."
"Ok. I will."
"What does your friend Imari look like?"
"But I told you what he looks like."
"You're young, your eyes may be playing tricks on you to make him look like.." He swallows hard unable to say the name without a tinge of tears wanting to come. "Cowboy Irvine. So you have to tell me what he looks like to you."
Kait thinks about that. What Imari looks like... "He has hair like mines is, and... really pretty eyes - daddy they have two colors, like yours." He points.
Squall felt sick, very sick like he really has to fight to hold being physically ill in. "Kait, is Imari's hair short like ours or..."
"Oh nooo, he has long hair." The boy giggled then. "I weared it like a mustache." Tapping his dad's arm, he adds. "He has a pet bird, name Pal, and it's pretty like a Toucan."
'I erased the message, I can't remember the phone number to call the person back.' Squall beats himself.
"Daddy, you're gone again."
"Sorry about that, I was just thinking that your friend does sound very much like Cowboy Irvine."
"Uh huh, that's why I cried. I wasn't always seeing him before." Holding up the toy lion, he tells him again forgetting that he already had. "He made me this, and he said that he'd send another toy." He grabbed his milk and drank it all.
"I know." Taking the cup from the child he set it down on the dresser. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom and then get some sleep."
Kait follows his father's lead out of the room to the bathroom.
"Hey, how would you like to visit grampa for a little while?"
"I like grampa, and aunt Ellone, too."
"Good. It'll only be for a while, though, I have something I need to do."
"A mission?" He understands that much about his life with a military man. The others are often gone for a while on missions. He doesn't know exactly what one is, but he knows it takes people away for a while so he's used to it.
"Something like that."
"Okay. I'll miss you." He said while climbing up on the toilet.
Smiling he replied. "I'll miss you, too."
"All done!" He announced as he stood up; wiping himself with the offered toilet paper, he dropped it into the toilet then walked out of the bathroom. Climbing into bed he asks. "And you'll be back quick?"
"Hopefully."
Nodding to the answer, he closed his eyes. "Bedtime song?"
"Bedtime song."
After what seemed like years of waiting for dawn, the war heroes were on their way to Winhill.
Kait was dropped off with Laguna. Squall left instructions with his father: the shows his son likes to watch and when they air, his toilet chair and how to put it on - not that it was hard. He left instructions to give him a drink before bed to help him go, so that he can sleep through the night without having to get up to pee while he's sleeping. But in-case he does wake up, he has a lion's head shaped night light. Kait isn't afraid of the dark, but being away from home often causes anxiety in children.
Not too many sweets are to be given - not that Kait has ever craved candy that much, he asked for fruit cubes. Squall told him they are given only as lunch sides. And if he skips lunch to eat nothing but fruit, then he was to give him extra dinner to make up for it. A nap in the afternoon; and he wrote down the lyrics for the bedtime song, Kait would tell him how to sing it.
Laguna tried to stall his hasty son for a chat with him, but Squall was in a hurry. And when informed as to why he was in a hurry, Laguna quickly told him to go.
The others couldn't believe the phone call. Zell called them after Squall had called him last night, telling him about what the message had said, adding what Kait told him. But here they are loaded up in the aircraft shaped like a dragon and heading towards the tiny, sleepy town of Winhill.
# #
Looking at the address on the box that came for Kait around 10 o'clock, he traced the letters with his finger. Specifically the letters of the man's initials. 'Imari Karver, Irvine Kinneas... it couldn't just be coincidence. But what I can't figure out is why? If this man is Irvine, why would he hide away? Was it a secret mission or a secret desire to leave? He always has that sad look in his eyes like he's waiting for something, or maybe he was secretly apologizing for the day when he would take off. Sharpshooters are loners, he used to say. But he loves me, he tells me that all the time. He would not do something like this to me. But then what else could it be?'
He felt vomit lurch in his stomach when the Ragnarok came to a stop outside of the town. The small group marched through there like they were on a killing mission, headstrong and a determined look in their eyes. But when they reached the home.
"He's not answering." Selphie whined after the seventh knock.
"Maybe the creep found out we were coming and skipped town." Seifer chimed in.
Rinoa glared at Seifer. How could he say something like that?
"We could check in at the Inn, and wait until he comes back? He could have gone to the store." Zell shrugged at his explanation.
Jiggling the knob, Squall intended to just stroll in to wait. He wasn't going to miss this man for a minute.
"Oh move." Shoving his rival aside, Seifer pulled a piece of metal from his pocket; kneeling down he picked the lock with ease pushing the door open once the lock turned.
The first thing they were greeted with was the sound of screeching.
"What in the world is that?" Quistis asked, she came in behind them.
"Duck!" Rinoa covered her head as a large lavender bird flew their way with a murderous look in its eyes.
But the bird got no closer, it merely fell from the sky to the floor frozen.
"Seifer." Zell looks at his lover with disapprove.
"I'm out of sleep spells." He chuckled when being punched on the arm by his boyfriend. "Anyway, that thing was ready to attack, I was defending myself."
Everyone looked to Squall when they hear footsteps walking through the living room. He seems to be looking for something; traces of Irvine's personality, perhaps, but he sees none.
Squall can't even describe it, it's just so not Irvine - almost a woman's touch, what with the little details, while still being masculine by being completely bare.
"Do we wait here?" Zell asked.
"May as well." Squall finally spoke. He stood with conviction by the window in the back of the room. The others join him sitting down on the couch.
And they waited. They waited. And waited. But slowly their patience with sitting still wore on them. They took trips to the bathroom, they left for something to eat. And yet, Squall remained immobile.
Night approached, and the others took their leave for a room at the Inn. Squall remained. And it seemed no sooner than the others leaving, that the front door opened. And in walks...
'Irvine.'
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Snow Drift