Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his smile, something she hadn't seen in such a long time. She had almost forgotten how truly beautiful he was when he allowed that kind of emotion to show on his normally stoic face. Hyne, he was so breathtaking when he smiled at her like that. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she regarded him, captivated by the effect he was having on her with that smile alone.<br/><br/>It took her a moment to realize he had just complimented her and she opened her mouth to reply, cheeks turning pink in response to his words before she promptly closed her mouth again. At his question, she paused, hesitating with indecision. Did she want to dive headfirst into everything Squall was or should she retain her distance?<br/><br/>Oh, but she had missed him so terribly much. She wanted nothing more than to accompany him on a walk and so much more. She wanted to touch him and hold him close to her and never let him go away. Consequences be damned.<br/><br/>Rinoa opened her mouth to reply, to accept, but promptly stopped once more as her father opened his big mouth and tried to ruin it. She turned to fix a sudden glare on the older man, her disapproval at his interruption blazingly obvious as she regarded him. Did he really have to do this?<br/><br/>She had every intention of giving him a piece of her mind but didn't get a chance to as Squall suddenly turned his attention to the General and spoke up. Appreciation towards him surged within her and she couldn't help but be impressed. He had grown a lot bolder in their time apart.<br/><br/>She couldn't help but wonder what else had changed about him. Her warm brown gaze turned back to Squall as he repeated his question, her heart feeling like it had just skipped a beat. Curse her hormones! She wasn't a teenager anymore but she sure felt like one.<br/><br/>"I would be honored, Commander." She stepped towards him, boldly crossing the distance between them and wrapping an arm around his own as if they hadn't been apart for years. It felt natural being around him again, almost as if she had never left.<br/><br/>"Lead the way."