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Boys Like You	By : angelofinnocence Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1269 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, nor any of the characters from the game. I make no profit from the writing of this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Boys Like You
Chapter Five: Straight No Chaser

Squall was nervous in spite of his confidence in his talent. He'd arrived at the bar, being admitted with his guitar through the back door so that he could prepare for his show. His dad couldn't make it, had a business meeting he'd already postponed twice and couldn't get out of a third time. He'd left his son with words of luck and reassurances that the songs Squall had chosen were perfect; Laguna was proud of him.
He released a heavy sigh in the wings of the small stage that was set up for promised live music and karaoke when the bar decided to have it. The seventeen year old was dressed to kill, wearing a black silk vest with nothing under it, showing a large portion of midriff as well as a portion of creamy white chest, his pierced navel and part of his tattoo visible, a simple silver cross necklace hanging down his slim torso, resting over prominent collar bones. Black leather bands buckled around his biceps and numerous silver bangle bracelets lined both bony wrists. His legs were covered by black leather pants that looked as if they might have been painted on, they molded to his frame so well, accentuating a perfect ass, two thick, studded belts crossed loosely over his pelvis, held up by shapely hips, heavy black knee-high boots with silver buckles covered slim calves. His hair was styled in a purposely messy fall of deep chocolate brown locks, wax holding the choppy pieces up at odd angles and black eyeliner made stormy depths pop from beneath dark lashes.
He held one of his guitars at his hip, the strap resting comfortably on his shoulder. He'd been too nervous and excited throughout the day to think much about the night before and had effectively pushed the tall blond out of his thoughts. It was just before nine o'clock when the owner announced him as the next act and he sucked in a breath, letting it out shakily before he stepped out onto the stage to a nearly full house. Being one of only two bars in the whole town, they were rarely not busy on the weekends, especially on Friday nights when this particular bar offered live music, both local and out of town talent. It was fairly common for talent scouts to show up on Friday nights every few months. Squall hoped that they would be there on this particular Friday.
Squall's father had offered to have him produced by a friend and former producer, but the youth had refused, saying it wouldn't feel right if he couldn't do it on his own, to which Laguna had simply smiled and gave him a hug, pride evident in both gestures.
A stool sat in the middle of the brightly lit stage and Squall walked out to it, seating himself gracefully, legs slightly spread apart to accommodate his guitar as he waited for his cue. A stage band had set up behind him, already given the background music for his show. There was a slight flicker out of the corner of his eyes; his cue to begin. He took a breath, eyes closing against the crowd and the bright lights, a thrill running through him as the band started up behind him and his own practiced fingers plucked the first chords; he began to sing in a clear, husky, beautiful voice that carried out into the bar, quieting most of the static conversation as patrons turned to listen to the youth as he began to sing the first lines of the melancholy tune.
"When we die, we go into the arms of those who remember us," the brunette took a soft inhale of breath before he continued, deep, cloudy depths opening, seeking the audience through the blinding lights of the stage, "We are home now. Out of our heads... Out of our minds... Out of this world...Out of this time..."
Seifer choked on his drink when his green eyes caught on the sight of Squall Leonhart sauntering out onto the stage, pointed out to him by his group only minutes after he'd noticed the other boy himself. The tall blond wondered exactly what Squall had done to get here and why he was dressed in quite that way, though if he thought about it long enough, he could understand. He recognized the guitar, having seen it in the brunette's company before at school. Sure, he'd thought from the few chords he'd heard then that Squall had been pretty good with the instrument, but to be playing an actual show at an actual bar on a Friday night seemed like something most kids their age only dreamed of.
The other jocks had called out a few jeers at the sight of the slight brunette as he sat himself on the provided stool, but Seifer was too busy staring to join in. The outfit didn't leave much to the imagination and what it did leave, his mind quickly filled in. That glimpse of ink gave the youth a bit of mystery while the obvious make up enhanced the color of his eyes making them much deeper; even from the few foot distance, Seifer found he could easily lose himself in their depths.
As if his appearance weren't enough, Squall had then started playing and singing, backed up by the band placed behind him. Seifer was mesmerized by the sight and sound, the noise from his friends and the audience around him fading to a dull buzz as he drowned in the husky tones of Squall's voice.
"So we move. We change by the speed of the choices that we make and the barriers are all self-made... That's so retrograde," the thick veils of dark lashes hid the beautiful blue-grey depths once more as the younger teen continued on with his soft tone, breathing with practiced ease as his voice carried over the crowd tapering off into a few chords of music before his voice picked up again, "Are you drowning or waving? I just need you to save me... Should we try to get along? Just try to get along..."
Seifer was struck by the words Squall sang sitting up there on that lonely stool. "I am alive. I'm awake to the trials of confusion we create. There are times I feel the way we're about to break, when there's too much to say..." The blond swallowed unconsciously, drink dangling from numb fingers, forgotten.
"We are home now. Out of our heads... Out of our minds...Out of this world...Out of this time..." Squall's voice was filled with emotion that Seifer could not begin to fully fathom, though it pulled inside of him in a way the annying whisper in the back of his mind cringed at. "Out of this time..." the beautiful, albeit sad song finished with a short string of soft chords and Squall gave a small, saddened smile as he opened those pretty eyes once more to scan the crowd he couldn't really see. After a moment that seemed to Seifer, to last an eternity, the brunette stood from his stool, already preparing for the next song he'd prepared.
The music started up before Seifer had had any sort of chance to recover from the previous song, the new chords having an entirely different sound preceding the lyrics as Squall opened his mouth once more, "This home; these lights, a vision of my destruction. This life of mine, a prison of my construction." As he began to sing, so he began to move on the stage fluidly as if his body was moving entirely on it's own and maybe it was. As the beat picked up, the lithe brunette continued to sing and move, crossing the shiny wood surface of the stage he performed upon. "So with my hands in my pockets and a hole in my soul, burn this house to the ground and hit the road. Say oh Lord, here we go; I'm making my way down to Mexico..."
There was a comment from one of the people Seifer had come with, but he didn't catch what it was, eyes and ears still completely focused on the beautiful vision moving along the stage. Squall was a natural, his performance flawless, as if he had been born for no other purpose, but this. The way he danced was like sex. It should have been r-rated, though Seifer couldn't be sure if it was meant to be so damn erotic or not. The brunette seemed unaware of his own languid movements as sultry hips swayed in time with his music, his fingers flying deftly along the strings of his guitar. "This heart; these lies, decisions of my destruction. Across the lines, no limit to my corruption..." Seifer's mouth went dry as Squall fell back into the chorus once more, his body moving with electric grace. The blond managed to take a sip of his drink, the taste entirely lost on him as emerald remained glued to the androgynously gorgeous creature on stage over the rim of his glass.
The brunette's voice went up a couple octaves as he sang the last verse of his second song, unaware of what his movements were doing to the crowd before him. Several people had moved closer to the stage as he continued to sing, lured by the sound and the sight of him, "Before I die, I smile like I'm jokin'. But I'm still alive, wide-eyed and chokin'..." His voice dropped back to it's previous tone as he fell into the chorus once again, eyes closing briefly. His chest was heaving, a sheen of sweat sparkling on his exposed skin as he finished the song and he turned to collect a bottled water from on top of one of the large speakers, gulping several sips down before he quickly retuned his guitar before stepping back up to continue with his third and final song. He started up with heavy guitar and drums joined in quickly, creating yet another kind of sound and mood.
"Alcoholic kind of mood, lose my clothes, lose the lube. Cruising for a piece of fun, looking out for number one. Different partner ever night, so narcotic, out of sight. What a gas; what a beautiful ass... It all breaks down at the role reversal. Got the muse in my head; she's universal. Spinnin' me round, she's comin' over me..." The way he moved was obviously seductive as the brunette began the decidedly erotic lyrics of his final song, his hips gyrating in such a way that made Seifer's cheeks heat and a tightness he was hard-pressed to deny creep into his pants. Squall Leonhart was a boy full of surprises and an overwhelming amount of sex appeal.. Seifer wasn't the only one effected by the beautiful teen's performance and it showed from the lustful gazes from both sexes that poured over that stage. Grown men looked as though they were willing to fight each other for just the chance at getting the youth's attention, even for just one second. Where Squall had learned to move like that was a mystery to Seifer, but it begged the question of how Squall might move in more intimate scenarios. Somewhere in the back of the brawny blond jock's mind, he recalled the description Squall had given him on just what it was like while performing up on a stage and he wondered if that was what was lending Squall his appeal. During the performance, Seifer had at some point drained his glass and acquired another without even realizing he had done so. The alcohol burned down his throat as he watched the walking wetdream swaying and gyrating on the little stage.
The rest of the lyrics were lost on the tall blond eighteen year old as his gaze raked over the lithe boy and he was sorely disappointed when Squall finished. Though he had played for what seemed like hours, the performace Squall put on ended far too soon in Seifer's opinion. Seeing and hearing Squall sing made Seifer feel like more of a prick than he already had for having brushed the obviously talented and totally sexy brunette boy off in lieu of the new 'friends' he'd picked up instead. Sure, he'd had no problem falling into popularity already, having passed their initial test and getting their approval through his outright inablilty to be intimidated and yet as his eyes followed after Squall, he couldn't help, but feel he'd made the wrong choice.
As the last of the chords tapered off and the show came to a close, Seifer's applause were drowned out by the rest of the audience. It was clear that Squall had been a hit and even for Gregory seated on the blond's left, it had obviously had an effect; he looked frankly embarrassed. The others in the group were still metaphorically getting their jaws off the ground, neither applauding nor able to criticize the other teen that they normally had no issue ridiculing in whatever fashion suited them at the time. Nothing Squall had said or done so far had hinted that he was quite so talented, his reputation effectively hiding his abilities from his peers.
"Another shot please," Seifer requested as the bartender passed by them behind the bar, setting the requested shot before the underaged youth momentarily before making off to the other end of the bar. Downing the requested liqour with a wince, the jade-eyed jock glanced across the bar. He wanted to get the courage to go and say something to the brunette, at least apologize for ditching him, even if that courage came in liquid form.
Squall couldn't see anything through the bright lighting, so he had been entirely unaware that his little performance had been viewed by several of his most hated classmates and by his newest crush. He hadn't expected quite the reaction he'd gotten as he'd finished the set. It was far more intense than he'd been expecting and he was relieved, hearing the multitude of whistles, cat calls, and applause. He thanked them, though he wasn't sure if anyone heard his gratitude over the raucous noise of the crowd. He gave a nonchalant wave as he walked off the stage, a decidedly confident swagger to slim hips.
Ward, the burly owner of the bar congratulated him gruffly and told him he'd expected nothing less from Laguna's spawn as he handed Squall another bottle of water and a hand towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. It was damn hot under those lights. The youth's skin tingled heatedly, adrenaline still rushing through him, heart beating wildly as he came down from the high of being on stage in front of the crowd and it was every bit as intense as he'd described to Seifer the day before. He almost wished the other could have been up there with him. Almost.
Ward gave him a last pat on the back, letting him know there were a few dozen people waiting to talk to him out in the bar before he took his leave. Squall twisted the lid off the bottled water, gulping it down as he made his way out from behind the stage after he'd set his guitar on a provided stand, the hand towel draped over his shoulders. He spotted several familiar faces in the audience as he stepped out, even through the various older people trying to speak with him and congratulate him, a few offering business cards. He collected the cards and spoke with the crowd politely before excusing himself to escape outside for a much needed cigarette, hoping beyond reason to avoid any contact with the group he'd caught a glimpse of at the bar.
He leaned against the crumbling tan brick at the side of the old building, lighting up and taking a deep pull from the cigarette, letting the smoke filter into his lungs, the motion soothing his nerves as his hands shook with the remnants of the adrenaline. He hoped no one had followed him out when he'd made his hasty escape, leaving his guitar in the owner's care for the time being, trusting his father's old friend easily. He let the smoke billow from between his lips as he tried to decide what to do about the impromptu presence of the jocks from school, including one Seifer Almasy. He sighed heavily, fiddling with his hair as he considered his options. He could totally ignore them, pretend he didn't even know them or he could just leave. So wrapped up in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice anyone's approach as he smoked.
As Seifer had downed his drink, he'd lost sight of Squall in the crowd much to his disappointment. The rest of group had decided to continue to just drink for the sake of drinking as if any one of them would be able to put what they'd just witnessed from the resident whore of their school aside. Seifer, though decided that it was time to take his leave in search of the brunette he owed a serious apology to. He caught sight of the Squall taking business cards at the edge of the stage out of the corner of his eyes and for a brief moment, envy flickered through him. Squall had perhaps just secured himself a career opportunity that would skyrocket him out of this no name town to do something he obviously loved and Seifer envied him his freedom.
The moment passed as quickly as it had come over him. He had the capacity for that freedom too, he was just too much of a pussy to reach out for it, scared of his father's wrath. He shook his head, the alcohol easily disrupting that train of self-deprecation and bringing his mind back to a certain hauntingly beautiful brunette. A few minutes later, he'd slipped out of the bar, following after said brunette. He stood behind Squall for a long moment, trying to think of something clever to say while he had the chance. He doubted the others would come looking for him, still wrapped up in their frivolous underage drinking. He hoped he didn't appear too drunk, all too aware that the way the street was moving from side to side meant that either an earthquake had hit or he wasn't quite as steady on his feet as he had thought.
"Good show," he eventually managed to blurt, feeling foolish for having come up with nothing better to say. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly when the brunette jumped slightly once he'd finally spoken, Squall clearly startled out of his thoughts by the blond's unexpected presence. The younger boy turned towards him slowly, or at least it seemed slow to the inhebriated teen.
"Thanks. I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew tonight," Squall trailed off, self-conscious under Seifer's gaze even though he knew he'd done well when performing.
"You here with your friends?" he questioned, excluding himself from the group he was referring to as he tried to cover his discomfort. He'd seen them, the jocks and their cliche dolled-up girlfriends, getting wasted at the bar like the immature idiots they were. He took another hit of his cigarette, trying desperately to will his hands to stop trembling as he spoke to the other male. It wasn't just an aftereffect of adrenaline anymore. 'He looks so good,' he mused inwardly as his stormy gaze traveled over the other boy's body with unavoidable interest.
"It really was awesome. I liked it," Seifer breathed, a small, silly grin pulling at his mouth as he spoke, "Were those guys that came up to the stage umm..." He closed his eyes, trying to force his muddled brain to conjure up the correct term, "Talenty guy things?" he finally managed to get out upon being unable to come up with the right word for the agents that had been present. It took him another moment before he realized what else Squall had said. A wounded look passed over angular features as the brunette's remark about his friends sunk in, though he had to admit, he deserved it. He leaned against the wall carefully, more for support in order to remain on his feet than anything else. "Mm-yeah, I guess. My dad went on a weekend trip, so..." he tried to shrug though the effect was lost since he was propped against the faded brick of the wall, "Here I am." As the affirmation left his mouth, it left a bitter taste and a little annoying voice demanding his apology echoing in the back of his head. He argued with it briefly, after all he hadn't actually done anything blatantly wrong, in poor taste maybe, but that was it.
"Hn... Some of them were. Others were just interested and didn't mind if I was underage," Squall replied after a moment, a cynical half smirk forming on plush lips. He blinked dreamily at the other male, eyes glimmering in the dull light of the street lamps. He released a soft snort at Seifer's explanation as to why he was at the bar with the pack of idiots. "Letting loose, I gather..." he trailed off idly more to himself than his taller classmate, dropping his cigarette and immediately lighting another, offering the blond one out of politeness.
Seifer laughed at Squall's cynical response, unable to hold himself in check in the state he was in. "So job offers either way," he sneered jokingly, perhaps not in the best taste, but he was trying to be funny and at the very least, get some kind of a reaction out of the smoldering brunette. Seifer took the cigarette that was offered, his fingers clumsy as he handled it, eyes on Squall as he lit up, waiting for the reaction to his ill thought out comment.
Slate eyes narrowed, "I'm not a prostitute," Squall bit back, a venomous edge to his normally smooth voice, making it clear how he felt about the blond's implication, "But the legitimate offers are definitely something I'll be considering. I already have a demo album made and my dad said he'd help me find a suitable producer. I'm not going to be a sell-out, one way or the other." Seifer noticebly cringed, realizing what he had actually implied and how it had obviously caused the brunette beauty offense. He didn't verbally apologize, though his hazy emerald eyes begged the other teen's forgiveness regardless of his silence
"You drunk?" Squall asked after another brief stint of silence, sharp eyes noticing the odd waver to the other male's movements. He wrapped his unoccupied arm around his own waist, hugging himself as he leaned against the wall facing Seifer, wisps of smoke curling overhead as an errant autumn breeze tousled the previously styled chocolate locks.
"Just a little," Seifer confessed. He was far from fall-down-pass-out-and-choke-on-your-own-puke-drunk, but if he were being honest, he was definitely drunk enough to get himself into trouble. He settled against the wall more comfortably, trying to appear more sober than he was. It was telling enough that he had injested more than enough alcohol when the brisk wind didn't even make him shiver, even with only a short-sleeved shirt on.
"Won't your new buddies be missing you?" Squall asked as he watched the other from beneath heavy lashes, giving a soft chuckle as Seifer downplayed his inhebriation. It was fairly clear to the sober brunette just how drunk the taller youth actually was, maybe not so drunk that he was likely to forget the events of the evening, but certainly drunk enough to be setting inhibitions aside. He had assumed as much when he'd first noticed the other in the bar. He tapped a painted fringer against his lip in thought, "You have a ride home?" There was a tone of concern to the inquiry though he'd meant to sound completely uninterested. The jock group wasn't the most reliable when it came to getting home safe after a night out. He knew from the stories that traveled the school every Monday. The tales were always the same and always just as painfully annoying after every weekend that passed, ranging from people waking up on strangers' lawns, girls who'd slept with a mistake, and ending with teenaged pregnancy, alcohol poisoning, overdoses and abortions, all those scandalous things that circulated during adolescence. He shivered as the sweet smelling sweat cooled on his skin in the chill of the evening breeze, shifting against the chilly brick of the building and tapping an impatient foot on the asphault as he watched Seifer.
"I highly doubt it. Most of them are worse off than I am. They prob'ly don't even realize I took off on them. I can't imagine they'll wait around to give me a lift home, not that any o' them should even be drivin' anyhow," the tall golden haired jock replied honestly. He definitely was in no shape to drive and Conner; the starting kicker with the car had already been finishing off his eighth pint the last time Seifer had seen him. It wasn't a good position to be in, really, but he'd rarely ever thought these outings through, just like the rest of the popular crowd. Rinoa, Seifer's 'date' had been making passes at one of the older guys who'd squeezed her ass while she had been leaning over the bar just as he'd left, so he wasn't exactly holding his breath for her to take him home. He couldn't bring himself to give even half a fuck about it though, not emotionally attached to the girl in the slightest.
Squall shifted his weight against the wall again, thinking. It was seriously stupidly ironic that as self-absorbed as the popular kids seemed to be, they had very little regard for their own mortality. He was kind of pissed still about what had happened the previous afternoon, still confused about his feelings for Seifer and what he planned to do about them; he didn't really want to offer him a ride, but he didn't think he could leave him at the bar with his idotic 'friends' who'd most likely drive drunk or end up wandering the streets wasted until they passed out somewhere. He really couldn't leave the blond in their company in good conscience.
"I'll give you a ride, but I'm leaving like now, so if you want me to take you with me, you'll have to leave when I do, otherwise you can take your chances here," he reluctantly offered finally, stubbing his half-finished second cigarette out on the brick next to his hip while thoughts surfaced in his mind. He wasn't sure where Seifer lived and he seriously doubted the blond's ability to give him directions in his current state. Plus, Seifer had said his father was away and it was decidedly too late to be calling for directions on his behalf anyway, not to mention what kind of bullshit he'd have to take from the elder Almasy should he actually have to get in touch with the politician and explain his son's situation to him... Of course, these things were all excuses because in reality, Squall couldn't help, but recall the lonely bitterness the other had expressed while talking about being at home all by himself most of the time.
"You wanna crash at my place? My dad'll be home, but he's pretty cool, so..." he took a chance, mentally kicking himself as soon as the offer had left his mouth. He'd never invited anyone over before, not once in his whole two and a half years of highschool. He'd never had reason to. And he certainly didn't want the people he fooled around with knowing his address. It was another of his own rules broken. Deep down, he knew why he'd made the offer to the tall blond; he didn't want to give up the possibility of spending more time with Seifer away from prying eyes. They couldn't be friends in public, but no one would be the wiser if Squall took him home tonight. And come Monday morning, there'd be no new rumours to follow the two of them, at least in regards to spending the weekend in each other's company.
When Squall made the offer to give Seifer a ride, the older boy was confused. The brunette really had no reason to be so damn nice to him after all the shitty things he'd said so far. Sure, getting a ride with Squall would be safer, but he was pretty fuzzy on the directions back to his new house. The second half of the offer took him entirely by surprise and it wasn't one he could easily say no to. It was safe, he wouldn't have to worry about giving crappy directions or ending up on someone's lawn overnight and besides that, he hated to be alone, especially in a house he hadn't lived in for more than three days. "Sure, I guess. I mean, if you don't mind," his voice sounded almost meek to his own ears as he gave his answer, accepting both offers without considering any ulterior motives the other boy may be harbouring. in all honestly, he didn't really care. He wanted to find out where he stood with the singer anyhow.
Besides, he wasn't sure he could get up from the wall on his own. Settling down against the supporting coolness of the brick had seemed like a good idea at the time, but his head was already swimming and his vision wavered slightly as he shifted.
Squall had put himself into a corner with no way to get out of the offer now that it had been accepted. He nodded, "It's fine," he said simply, rubbing a hand over his bare arm out of nervousness more than any need to bring warmth to the chilled flesh.
"Stay here for a sec. I gotta grab my guitar and my car from the back. I'll pull around here to pick you up," he said, figuring the other was inhebriated enough that it would be inconvenient to force him to meet out back and going back into the bar could be a problem if they were spotted by the group still drinking and screwing around inside. He straightened from his leaning position, sparing Seifer the briefest of glances as he passed him on his way back into the bar to collect his guitar and jacket.
He bid the owner a swift farewell with a final thanks for letting him play before he zipped his guitar into it's canvas case and shrugged on his fur-collared bomber jacket. He went out the back door, digging his keys out of his coat pocket and putting the guitar into the backseat before slipping into the driver's seat, not bothering with his seatbelt for the moment as he started the corvette up and pulled around the side of the building where Seifer stood slouched against the brick.
He put the car in park before heading back out into the chill night, leaving it running while he went to retrieve his charge. He offered the blond a hand up, "Come on." The other teen didn't seem to be in a completely drunken stupor for which Squall was silently grateful. He hated dealing with people when they vomited or passed out. It was a nuisance and he hadn't the patience for it. At least Seifer could walk, albeit a lot more clumsily than when sober, but at least he could move his own damn feet. Squall looked at the other male with warmth in the stormy depths of his eyes, luminescent in the low light, though he'd be damned if he'd admit to such a look crossing his face if confronted about it later.
While the other had been retrieving his car, Seifer looked up at the stars, ignoring the sound of another peel of laughter coming from inside the bar. The night was cool, almost pleasantly so. He took a drag off the cigerette he'd all but forgotten about, allowing the spicy tobacco smoke to warm him on the inside slighty. He leaned back further, his head against the cold, tan brick. He stubbed out the cigerette on wall beside his right hip unconsciously as he thought over how the night was turning out; it was nothing like he had expected, that was for damn sure. He hoped he wouldn't make too much of an idiot out of himself while he was in Squall's company, at least not anymore than he already had.
When the brunette from his thoughts pulled around in his corvette, Seifer gave a little wave, stretching as much as he could whilst propped against the wall. When Squall offered one pale, slim hand to him, he took it without even the slightest hint of hesitation, pulling himself up, leaning heaving against the smaller youth while he struggled to regain his equilibrium. For just a moment, their eyes met, luminous twilight oceans clashing against deep, misty forest green and Seifer swallowed dryly. 'How can anyone have eyes like that?' he questioned silently, though outwardly, he managed to plaster on a silly little grin as he spoke, "Alright, I'm up, I think. Thanks. Think I'm going to be saying that a lot..."
"It's okay. You don't have to thank me, after all I might have ulterior motives," Squall murmured huskily in return as the other male leaned against him, heat from their bodies mingling. The brunette's cheeks flushed with warmth, lashes lowering over the glimmering depths as he let Seifer use him for support while he balanced himself. Seifer didn't have a response to Squall's statement; he figured it was a joke. 'Doubt I could get it up anyhow, what with all that whiskey I was drinking...'
Squall pulled back as soon as Seifer regained his equilibrium. "Let's go," he said as he opened his car door, watching to make sure the blond got into the car without mishap. It was odd; the other male was being rather agreeable, considering he'd made it clear that he wasn't going to follow the same pattern as all the other guys who'd experimented with the brunette. He didn't seem concerned that Squall might pull a fast one on him while he was less than sober. What he chose to take as a show of trust made Squall's heart flutter against his better judgement. He shook his head, 'It doesn't have to mean anything like that. Maybe he's just decided it wouldn't be so bad to use me too...' He tried not to think too deeply into the whole situation. He wasn't really planning to do anything while the other was at his house and had been drinking, especially since Laguna would be home and probably curious, not that the older man would care much either way, but that wasn't the point. In reality, Squall was much more emotionally fragile than he let on to anyone around him. He'd spent a long time closing off his feelings so that he couldn't be hurt and yet the cocky seeming blond was steadily getting further and further under his skin.
Seifer swayed for one unsteady moment when Squall let him go, but then with a first unsteady step, the rest followed easily. He pulled the passenger door open with clumsily numb fingers, flopping gracelessly into the leather seat before pulling the door shut against the cool air. 'So far, so good...' He didn't trust the other kids he'd come to the place with to get him home or anywhere safely for that matter. Seifer had no way of telling exactly how he was affecting the other teen, not having known him long enough to notice any of his slight personality shifts. Squall didn't seem a whole lot different than he had been the day before when they had hung out, maybe a little more rushed and his flirty comments seemed to be more forced, as if they were for familiarity's sake than any deeper motive.
Once Squall was sure Seifer was buckled in safely, buckling his own seatbelt and glancing around the parking lot to make sure no one was in the way and no other cars were going to blindside him, he pulled out from beside the building back out onto the main road. A different disc was playing than the one he'd had playing the day before. It was one of his demo albums; he'd been listening to it before he'd arrived for the gig, preparing himself. He glanced sidelong at Seifer as he drove through the mostly deserted streets towards the well maintained two story brick house he shared with his dad. "So, how long's your dad out of town for this time?" he asked, as his eyes slid back to the stretch of road before him, one hand gripping the steering wheel as his other tapped soft fingertips against his own thigh in time with the music pouring from the speakers, streetlights flickering overhead as he drove.
Seifer's idle musing was interrupted by Squall's question. "Oh. Hmm. Prob'ly for at least the weekend. 'M not even sure where he went. He jus' told me he would be out for a coupla days. Usually that means like two or three days a' least," he replied in a slack tone, lazily blinking up at the passing lights before leaning back so that the flashing didn't make his head swim. He closed his eyes, just listening to the low hum of the engine and the soft chords of one of Squall's songs as it filled in the silence that fell between them.
After an amount of time Seifer couldn't fathom, the car slowed down. He thought he kind of recognized the neighbourhood and the brick house they were pulling up in front of reminded him of his previous home. "Where is this?" he asked quietly, struck by the feeling of familiarity, but knowing that it was not actually the same neighbourhood of his recent past.
Squall pulled the corvette into the wide drive way next to his dad's porshe, parking in his usual spot. "Modern surburbia, where else?" he replied with a grin. The neighbourhood was one of those subdivisions where all the houses were similar, but different at the same time, expensive, with two car garages and pools in the back yard and they had barbeques in the summer with the elderly neighbors. "It's called Stonebrook."
He wondered idly why the other boy had bothered to ask; Seifer's expression was interesting, halfway between confusion and recognition. "Well, this is my house. I know it probably looks pretty normal, huh?" Squall commented, feeling a little self-conscious and awkward. There was no way to tell that a former rockstar lived in the house, or that someone like Squall himself lived there at all. It had been the house his mother had wanted when his parents had gotten married before he'd been born and though there were tragic memories within its walls, Squall and his father couldn't bare to give it up.
He turned off the engine and unbuckled before opening his door and sliding out, grabbing his guitar from the backseat before making his way around to the other side of the little black corvette and opening the door for Seifer. "Come on, let's go inside," he prompted with an encouraging half smile.
The lights were on in the den and in the basement studio. That meant his dad was home and still awake, probably waiting for him, to ask about the gig.
Seifer had tried to give a low whistle as he set his gaze on the other car that Squall pulled in next to. He really did, but he failed miserably. "That car must cost more than some houses," he announced instead, pointing at the burgandy porsche "Your dads?" Squall glanced at his dad's car as Seifer pointed it out to him, obviously drunk enough to be distracted easily from the task at hand which was currently vacating the passenger seat in Squall's corvette. Seifer was reeling from the sheer simplicity and normalcy of the house Squall claimed to live in. It was an expensive house in an obviously nice neighbourhood and both he and his dad had beautiful cars to call there own. he couldn't imagine someone with Squall's reputation living in such a place, not that he really had any idea what kind of place he had expected the brunette to live exactly.
"Yeah, that's his," Squall replied after a second, giving the other car a fond look. It was his dad's baby. Laguna took better care of it than he did himself most of the time. Seifer fumbled with the release for the seat belt while stood holding the car door for him.
Seifer hummed in response, "Nice car, nice house, you sure are a pocketful of mysteries Mr. Leonhart," he murmured quietly after a second of squinting up at the suburban home, almost as if he were talking to himself.
"I know, it's a far cry from the brothel people at school think I was raised in, yeah?" the brunette joked lightly, shaking his head. No one at the school knew much about Squall Leonhart and so they stipulated and skeptisized about what kind of life he lead outside the walls of their high school. It was amazing the things people could come up with.
The taller boy didn't comment further as he unfolded himself from the car carefully, a look of concentration on his face as he stepped out onto the paved driveway, running a nervous hand through his short cropped golden tresses. "Alright, think 'm good, just eh, stay close in case I fall, 'kay?" he muttered as he took a step out of the doorway, allowing Squall to close the door while he eyed the porch step suspiciously.
"I'm right here, no worries, but I'll warn you, I won't drop my guitar to save your sorry ass from falling," he said, placing a hand on the other male's shoulder as they moved towards the front step, their shared efforts allowing for Seifer to get to the front door without too much stumbling and he managed to avoid kissing the ground. Squall chuckled under his breath as Seifer heaved a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall as Squall moved to open the front door. It had really turned out to be a strange and unexpected end to his night, that was for sure.
The house was tastefully decorated with framed photographs of his mother, father and himself, prints of various artwork, even a framed handprint in vibrant violet paint, a child's scrawl labeling it as the brunette's. That was embarrassing, but it wasn't as if Squall could do anything about it; his dad loved the stupid thing. The flooring was a dark cherry wood, french doors to the left leading into the living room where a large screened television and entertainment system sat, two tope suede sofas and a matching armchair were situated facing it, complete with glass-topped cast iron coffee table right in the middle with an expensive oriental rug situated beneath. Further down the hall, there was a doorway to the left that lead down to the den and studio in the basement and passed that was the huge kitchen, modern chic with steel and black appliances, retro checkered tile flooring, complete with a breakfast island with three stools in the middle of the otherwise spacious room. A bowl of bright green apples sat in the middle of it. Through the kitchen to the left was the dining room, crystal chadelier hanging over a twelve place Mahogany dining table surrounded by matching chairs with a purple speckled white orchid in a navy blue lacquered vase in the center to match the dark blue walls. Black and white photo prints hung from the walls in artful disarray. From the right of the dining room, there was a laundry room and bathroom, both of which were fairly plain, cream-coloured and sparsely decorated, but still homey in their own right.
Squall's father came up the stairs, feet thumping on each step as he bounded up them, having heard his son pull into the drive way. Laguna Loire was a six foot, fit man, slim, but certainly broader than his son sporting jet black hair that was held back in low ponytail and dressed in casual black jeans with a marroon dress shirt, a few buttons undone at the top. He didn't look like he could be more than thirty-five, forty at the maximum and he was handsome, not androgynous like Squall. He moved with a carefree fluidity as he grinned at his son when he reached the top of the stairs before raising a surprised brow upon seeing Squall's entirely unexpected guest.
"Dad, this is Seifer. He's um... a friend from school. He's gonna crash here tonight," Squall introduced awkwardly, looking down as his father smiled at the two of them, a knowing look in his jade eyes.
Laguna stepped forward and offered Seifer his right hand, "Call me Laguna, I don't do that mister Loire shit," he greeted with an easy grin, the same grin that Seifer had seen on Squall once or twice. Squall rubbed his forehead, feeling incredibly awkward about the whole situation; his father was clearly misconstruing their relationship.
Seifer wasn't sure what he had expected Squall's father to be like exactly, but Laguna Loire wasn't it. He could see the resemblance between Squall and the older man, the same grin and the same carefree fluid movements that seemed to come naturally to the both of them, but it just didn't seem to fit with the image Seifer had of what Squall's father should have been like. The fact that they seemed to have different last names didn't escape the older teen's notice either and he made a mental note to question the other boy about it another time. Laguna certainly did have 'Rockstar' written on him, though his image was entirely defferent from that of his son.
Seifer missed the knowing look that Squall's father cast between himself and his son and even if he had somehow managed to catch the look, he had no way of knowing that it translated into Laguna believing them to be a couple.
"Seifer Almasy," the taller blond introduced properly, taking the hand and shaking it with an ingrained familiarity and air of respect.
Laguna released the youth's hand after it was shaken in a strong grip warmly. He knew the name; Alexander Almasy was the new politician that had moved into town and Laguna was familiar with his campaign, though he was totally opposed to the overly traditional Christian values that it boasted. He didn't say anything about it as he looked between his blushing son and the tall blond boy. He could smell the liquor on Seifer. "It's no problem for him to stay here tonight. How was the gig?" he asked with interest, not really addressing either of them specifically, but both of them, ignoring the blond's obvious intoxication.
Squall perked up at the mention of the gig, "It was good. I got a lot of business cards. You're gonna have to help me go through them all," he said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice as he talked about his earlier performance, obviously proud of himself. Laguna smiled, reaching to ruffle his son's hair affectionately.
"I said I would. And what did you think of it?" the long-haired older man asked, turning his jade gaze towards Seifer expectantly. He crossed his arms over his chest loosely, looking nonchalant and perfectly comfortable to stay conversing in the wide hallway all night. Squall gave his father a look, trying desperately to get the other to go away now, before he said or did anything to really embarrass him.
Seifer had been watching Squall as he spoke to Laguna, taking in his excited tone and the excess of energy that seemed to have been sparked by the memory of the performance; Seifer couldn't help the unbidden thought that the younger brunette was kind of cute when he got all excited like that.
"Eh, uh... It was awesome. He's a natural on stage," came Seifer's belated reply as he tore his gaze away from Squall long enough to make eye contact with the other boy's father instead. He tried to think of something else to say, but nothing seemed entirely appropriate when he thought back to what Squall had looked and sounded like up on that little bar stage. He couldn't properly gauge what he was expected to say? After all, his meeting up with the other youth had been pure coincidence; he hadn't had any reason to even expect to see him at the bar that evening, especially after Squall had been missing from school that day.
"Ah, I wish I could've been there," Laguna said, rubbing the back of his neck regretfully. Squall looked effectively embarrassed by both Seifer's and his father's words.
"It's fine dad; you can come next time. Ward said I could play any time I wanted. Can we please go to my room now?" Squall said quickly, trying to get away from his father before the older man began asking more awkward questions. He wouldn't be surprised if his father were to ask Seifer if the two of them were practicing safe sex and he'd do it too just to see his son squirm. Squall wanted to avoid it at all costs; he did not want to make Seifer any more uncomfortable in his presence. Otherwise, he was certain that another opportunity like tonight would never happen again.
Laguna threw up his hands in a sign of surrender, mischievous jade eyes lingering over his son's embarrassed expression. "Alright, alright," he said, looking between the two once again as he stepped towards the stairs before calling over his shoulder in a decidedly cheekier tone, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He bounded back down the stairs before Squall had even had the chance to open his mouth in order to reprimand him.
The exchange between father and son was rather unexpected and amusing to Seifer; a dad that was obviously disappointed that he had missed something important in the teen's life and a son trying to dismiss a parent that could potentially prove to be an embarrassment. It was an entirely foreign sort of interaction between a parent and child, at least to Seifer, who couldn't even recall the last time his own father had expressed any pride towards his only offspring, if there ever had been such a time at all.
Squall's quick talking gave Seifer the impression that Squall was expecting his dad to say something he'd really rather Laguna didn't. Being that it was the first time the Seifer had even seen the man, he could only guess at what that might be, figuring it could range from a disapproving comment about the Almasy political campaign to baby stories about Squall. Overall entertaining as it may turn out to be for Seifer, he assumed Squall just wasn't willing to let him in that far just yet.
"Sorry he's so weird. I don't bring people home ever..." The brunette trailed off in apology, running slim fingers through his unruly chocolate locks before he abruptly tried to switch subjects, "So... Anyways, do you want something to drink? Water or something before we go upstairs? I'm gonna get changed. Uh, if you want, my dad's probably got some clothes that would fit you, I mean if you don't want to sleep in what your wearing, I guess," As he spoke, Squall's voice lost volume while the blush he'd been sporting since they'd first arrived darkened on his cheeks, clearly feeling awkward playing host in his home. It was new territory for him.
Seifer just gave a shrug, a sort of soft frown taking up residence on his handsome face. "Don't worry 'bout it. He's a dad, I mean, they're all embarrassing in their own way. At least he cares and at least he's around," his tone devoid of his normal confidence, replaced with a quiet sort of loneliness that he hadn't meant to give voice to. 'Damn alcohol...' he cursed inwardly, blaming the substance running through his system for his lack of control over his voice. "Sure, a water would be great and I'll live with sleeping in what I'm wearing. I already owe you enough, don't need to make laundry for you too," he managed to continue after a second, giving Squall a smile and a nod of appreciation, hoping he had sucessfully covered up his previous lapse.
Squall immediately felt guilty over Seifer's words. Here he was, embarrassed by his dad's mere presence while Seifer probably wished his own father was more like Laguna. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling suitably sheepish. He didn't respond verbally as he gave a curt little nod before turning towards the kitchen. He grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the large stainless steel refrigerator, leaving the other in the hall for a minute or two as he collected his thoughts once more. He handed one off to Seifer before moving past him, adjusting the guitar case on his shoulder.
"Come on, my room's this way," he said, stepping up the stairs ahead of the other male, giving Seifer a great view his pert little rear end all perfectly incased in soft leather, crossed by studded belts that shifted with every one of the brunette's steps and by God the blond couldn't help but stare.
Squall's room was on the second floor at the far end of the hallway, his father's being the one right at the top of the stairs. It was a strange hallway though, it seemed uneven somehow with both rooms on the right side of the hall while the left side was one long wall. It seemed that there was a room missing on the left, and instead a large portrait of a strikingly beautiful brunette woman with a hauntingly familiar face hung in the middle of the smooth, uninterrupted wall. Seifer didn't have time to study the oddity any further, nor to get a better look at the portrait as he followed his classmate with uneven steps.
The brunette's room was unlike any Seifer had seen before, a fair size upon first glance with deep violet walls, covered in posters of various bands, The Beatles being the most prominent. Three guitar stands sat in the left hand corner, one of which was empty, next to a record player and shelf of records along with an amp and stool. There was a black sofa and matching armchair with an oval coffee table covered in sheets of half-composed music and lyrics, a pencil laying on the haphazard pile. the floor was black and white checkered tile with a violet throw rug. The lights on the ceiling looked like stage lights, but strangely enough there was no bed in view. There was a sound system, complete with television situated in the middle of the far wall next to a set of steps leading to a twilight walled loft where Squall's double bed sat, covered in a crimson duvet, a nightstand next to it with an alarm clock resting on top and tall lamp situated behind it. On the right hand side was a walk in closet with an attached bathroom, neither of which could be seen clearly from the room below.
Upon entering his room, Squall set his bottle of water on the coffee table, avoiding the numerous papers spread over its surface, before he shrugged his guitar case from his shoulder, setting it on the couch and unzipping it. he pulled the deep scarlet guitar from the case, running a reverant hand over words that had been written on it by his mother, sending her his gratitude. He smiled gently before he turned slightly, glancing over at Seifer who appeared to be in some state of awe as he took in the other teen's room. "Uh, make yourself at home I guess," he said as he moved to carefully set the guitar on the only empty stand.
As soon as the guitar was safely back in its stand, the brunette crossed back towards the doorway, boots thudding softly across the tiled floor. He let his jacket slip from his shoulders, hanging it on a hook next to the door before bending to pull his heavy boots off and dropping them to the floor beneath it. He stood awkwardly, wanting to remove his vest and pants to drop them down the laundry chute, but feeling self-conscious about doing so in front of the other male. Slowly, he unbuttoned the silky vest, face burning as he turned away from the tall blond as he slipped it off, revealing the tattoo covering his back. A pair of intricately inked wings that protruded from over the sharpness of shoulder blades, feathery plumes blooming over pale skin in black shaded ink bleeding into glass-like shards the small of his back as if the wings had shattered upon impact with the base of the youth's spine. A line of caligraphy depicting the lyrics he'd mentioned before scrawled over the top of the wings across his shoulders and neck. Ignoring the feel of curious eyes on his back, he quickly balled up the vest and threw it down the chute located next to the door, a blush colouring his cheeks against his will.
Seifer was shocked by the other teen's room, really, he'd never seen such an awesome pad for a kid. It was so clear by all the music paraphernalia where Squall's passion lied and it was an amazing sight in all honesty. Not a single student in their school knew about this place, was privy to Squall's secret sanctuary and he had actually invited Seifer, allowed him to meet his famous father and stay inside his home Seifer wasn't sure what to make of the revelation, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it as his eyes searched out and followed the brunette as he moved. He swallowed hard as he realized that Squall was removing his clothes, revealing the intense black lines of that tattoo he had thus far only glimpsed and by God, he wasn't sure what he had done right, what cards he had put in play to deserve finally seeing it, seeing any of Squall for that matter after what he'd done to him the day before, but he thanked his lucky stars.
When Squall moved to turn back around, Seifer looked away, embarrassed by his own uncontrollable staring. Squall avoided Seifer's eyes as he turned to face him, casting those stormy depths around the room instead and landing on the crowded table and sofa.
"Ah, sorry, I'll move stuff for you. You can crash on the couch since I seriously doubt you wanna crash in bed with me..." he said as he noticed the other male still standing near the doorway with his bottled water in hand. He was glad for the distraction as he moved to clear up the strewn sheets of music and lyrics off the small oval coffee table and his open guitar case from the couch. His ears burned with flustered embarrassment. He'd never felt so insecure as he did now, not since he'd first started highschool. As he stepped passed the blond to retrieve the empty guitar case and the papers off of the furniture, the words looped in cursive over his shoulders came into clear view. 'The road to heaven is paved with razor blades and angel's wings...' The scrawled words struck a chord inside of Seifer and he wanted to ask about the line, but found he was unable to get any sound to fall from his mouth as Squall straightened himself and turned to face him once more, looking a bit lost.
"Its alright, I mean, it's your room, your space, you know. And it's not like you were expecting to have a slumber party or anything" Seifer said, finally finding his voice. He set his water bottle down after taking a large gulp from it. There was something off about the other boy, a stiffness in his movements that just hadn't been there before and he avoided Seifer's eyes when he spoke about the sleeping arrangements. "The couch is fine with me. I've slept in worse places after a night of drinking," he assured, uncertain why he needed to in the first place, but doing so anyways. It would be weird, at least for him, if he crashed in Squall's bed with him. He still wasn't a hundred percent on what exactly his standing was with the brunette and he'd never really shared a bed with anyone before, let alone a notoriously lusty gay boy he'd only met a day ago. Squall might have promised to keep his 'hands off', but Seifer wasn't entirely sure if it still applied after how things had ended the evening before and there was no need to apply any extra temptation, not that he really got the impression that Squall would take advantage of his drunken state or that the smaller teen would be able to do anything to him against his will, but still. It was bad enough that Squall just seemed to beg for attention, even when it didn't seem like he was conscious of it and Seifer wasn't so certain he could refuse if the other boy offered to withdraw that little promise.
Squall did his best to hide his relief when Seifer agreed to spending the night on the couch. If Seifer'd agreed to share the bed, he just knew he would have spent the whole night wide awake trying to keep himself from cuddling with the taller male and more than likely doing something they'd both regret later, if only out of nervousness.
The brunette rubbed the back of his neck, dispelling his thoughts and sucking his lower lip in between his teeth, the silver barbel in his navel twinkling in the bright light pouring from over head. "Do you wanna watch a movie or listen to music or something? You can turn on whatever you want. The remotes are all sitting on the tv stand; I'm just gonna change real quick," he said, facing Seifer, but not looking at him head on, dusky pink nipples standing out against the backdrop of pale smooth skin on his slim torso. He crossed one arm over his waist, holding his other just above the elbow in an attempt to cover some of the flesh up. He had considered removing his pants by the doorway too, but he'd very nearly pulled the vest back on when he'd felt the eyes on him, unable to actually follow through with the urge because it was too ridiculous. He wasn't going to put himself through any further embarrassment. Besides, Seifer was just curious; that was all.
"Sure," Seifer acknowledged unconsciously as his eyes travelled over Squall's naked chest, the little shiny piercing not escaping his notice before his gaze drifted further up the lithe torso towards Squall's face. How could a boy be so damn alluring? It made no sense at all in Seifer's head. He coughed, tearing his eyes forcibly away from the brunette when Squall shifted to cover himself with his arms. "Ah alright, I'll just make myself comfortable and find something to watch," he said as an afterthought, hoping to have covered for his own blatant interest, waiting for the other boy to turn towards the steps before adding in a more serious and almost nervous tone, "Hey, listen... Thanks... For letting me stay here tonight. And you know for being so cool about it. You didn't have to. Guess I just wanted you to know I 'ppreciate it." He didn't wait for a response as he looked to the stand where the remotes were resting. He stretched before stepping over to retrieve them, after which he flopped himself onto the black sofa with a grateful groan.
Squall turned away from Seifer to ascend the narrow steps up to his loft, looking back over his shoulder with a soft, almost shy smile that he'd never shown the other before when he caught the softer words of gratitude the blond spoke. "No problem. Just don't tell anyone at school where I live 'kay? It's better if they believe the crap everyone spreads around. If you keep it to yourself, you can come here anytime you wanna get away or to just not be alone or whatever," he replied sincerely. He didn't need the stupid shits from school coming to his house and vandalizing things or harrassing him and his dad; he didn't want to make Laguna worry any more about him than he already did. As for the offer to accommodate the tall blond jock whenever he wanted; it was genuine. Seifer's softly spoken words made his chest ache just a little and he didn't think he'd mind having Seifer around more often so long as he kept this place a secret.
"Be back in a sec," he said after a second more standing at the bottom of the stairs before finally ascending the steps and disappearing into the loft above. Once in the relative privacy of the loft, he removed his belts and peeled off his leather pants with a sigh of relief, glad to be free of the heat they seemed to trap inside, leaving him completely bare aside from his socks and jewelery. Stepping away from the leather pooled at his feet, he slipped off his socks, dropping them onto the crumpled pants and stepped into his closet. He pulled a pair of underwear from one of the topmost drawers of his dresser, slipping into the lime green boxer briefs with neon pink vertical stripes on them. Feeling a little more comfortable now that he at least had underwear on, he slid the multitude of bracelets off his wrists and removed the leather accessories from his upper arms as well as the necklace from around his neck, placing them on a shelf inside the closet. Finished removing the last of his performance wear, he pulled on a pair of plaid pajama shorts that fell just about halfway down milky thighs, covering the ridiculously bright underpants from view and slipped an oversized Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt that had belonged to his dad once, over his head. The shirt nearly covered the shorts, but it didn't bother the teen as it was one of the most comfortable things to sleep in that he owned. Soon enough, he was climbing back down to join his handsome classmate on the couch. He plopped down next to him, reaching for his own bottled water still untouched on the coffee table before leaning back into the soft cushions.
Seifer flipped channels as Squall was returning from his loft and gave him a sidelong look accompanied by a grin when the other boy slipped onto the cushions just a foot or so from himself. "I won't tell the kids at school shit, so you don't have to worry. My lips are sealed," he affirmed honestly, verbalizing his intentions to uphold Squall's request for secrecy. He could understand why. He didn't doubt even for one second that if he were to feed them the little tidbit of info he had now gained, they would stalk the pretty boy incessantly, with no regard for his family or him. The smile Squall had given him before he'd gone up those stairs had made him weak in the knees and at that moment, he'd have promised the brunette the ocean, the moon, and all of the God damned stars in the sky if he'd asked it of him. The offer to share his sanctuary in exchange for Seifer's silence was unexpected and Seifer found that he would definitely be interested in taking the other teen up on it, but even if he didn't, he'd have kept the secret anyways. Squall Leonhart was turning out to be nothing like he had expected.
Squall nodded as he twisted the cap off of his water and took a gulp of the cold, refreshing liquid, effectively hiding any embarrassment he might have had when Seifer gave him his word that he would keep Squall's home life a secret from anyone and everyone. "So you really liked the show tonight?" he asked, not looking at Seifer as he smoothly shifted the topic to something else. He wanted to know the blond's honest opinion anyhow with no lip service and no fake bullshit.
Seifer settled on a random action movie before setting the remote on the sofa between the two of them as his thoughts continued to circulate around the possibility of spending more time with the beautiful boy just a foot away from him. At school, he would have made his father proud, having procured himself an 'acceptable' set of friends, but in reality, Seifer would rather be right where he was at that moment, spending time with one of the 'undesirables'. That realization terrified the blond more than he could admit, but he didn't think he would be able to stop himself from seeking Squall's company again in the future when the brunette had offered it so sincerely. 'Something's wrong with me...' he thought accusingly, but he didn't dwell on just what he thought might be 'wrong' with him, easily allowing Squall's voice to distract him.
"Hm? Oh hell yeah, I liked the show. You were totally like a pro up there," Seifer responded with a broad smile, honesty shimmering in the foresty depths of his eyes as he gave Squall a sidelong look, "I mean, I'm sure as hell not a music critic, but I've been to some real live concerts by famous bands that weren't as good. You seemed totally relaxed up there though, like you were born to perform. The talent guys seemed to agree, so really, I can't imagine my opinion matters a great deal on the whole."
"It does..." Squall argued quietly, not looking at Seifer as he nibbled the rim of his water bottle's mouth. The blond's opinion did matter, maybe even more than the scouts' did, at least to Squall, though he wasn't about to admit just how much it mattered out loud. He didn't dare try to analyze why exactly it mattered so much, but it did. "Did you like a particular song out of the three I played?" he questioned, continuing the simple conversation. Seifer was the only person who'd heard him play that Squall was actually sort of friends with, the only one he might be able to trust to give him an honest answer or that he would actually want to speak with about it. It wasn't as if he could just waltz up to the jocks and ask for their opinions and the adults at the bar were strangers, so their praise really only went so far.
Squall focused stormy depths on the movie playing on his television screen as he rested pale feet against the coffee table, knees bent upwards towards his chest as he slouched against the couch cushions at his back. He wasn't really watching the movie, merely staring at the screen to avoid staring at Seifer instead, only casting a sidelong glance at the other boy when he responded to what the brunette had asked. One creamy white hand rested in his lap, lightly gripping his half emptied water bottle while his other rested lightly on the soft material of the sofa inches from the remote laying between himself and Seifer.
Seifer considered what he could remember of the show, the intricate melodies and lyrics of the songs Squall had sung for a long minute. He couldn't recall the names of the three tunes or even if the names had been given for the set, but it didn't really matter. Whichever he claimed to be his favourite, he was sure Squall would know the one he referred to. "I liked the second one the most, I think," he finally replied, lips pursed in thought for another moment before nodding, "Yeah. The second one has to be my favorite."
Squall gave a nod of his own, acknowledging the song Seifer claimed as his favourite of the three he'd chosen for the gig. "Mexico..." he trailed off , quietly giving title to the particular tune. He thought he could understand why Seifer would have chosen that one. It was probably the catchiest of the three and also more or less the safest to choose compared to the other two.
Seifer stretched himself out after a while, muscular arms raising into the open air above his head, his fingers lacing as he inhaled a deep swift breath before releasing it with a slow hissing exhale through his nose. After a couple of soft cracking sounds of his joints popping were heard in the relative quiet that had filled the moment, his left hand glided down his arm to settle just below his right elbow, the limb going limp now propped up against his other wrist as a low groan rumbled out of his chest as the stretch had its desired effect. "Have you played long?" came the belated question as the thought struck him that Squall was definitely too talented to have played for any less than a few years at the very least. He slanted his gaze to the brunette next to him, green eyes lit by the flickering images playing over the tv screen.
"Most of my life, I guess. My dad started teaching me when I was three and my mom gave me my own guitar when I turned eight; that's the one I was playing tonight," Squall replied, eyes going distant briefly as he remembered when he'd received the treasured instrument, immediately drawn to the words scrawled with love over the shiny burgandy just for him. He'd memorized the message from his mother years ago and cherished the guitar and those written words with an intense protectiveness that he had no way to explain.
He shook the memory away after a moment. When he thought of those memories, other, less pleasant ones surfaced and in turn gave him a strong reminder that he'd never see her again. He brought his water bottle to his lips once more, watching Seifer from beneath his lashes, smiling against the water bottle as he took in the relaxed posture. "What do you plan on doing tomorrow?" he inquired lightly as he drew the plastic away once more, curious on whether or not the other male had plans, whether he might want to hang out or not. They wouldn't have to go anywhere.
Seifer nodded unconsciously to the brunette's answer to his previous inquiry. Fourteen years of practice certainly explained why he was so damn good; Squall's fingers had seemed to move along the strings through pure instinct. He gave a start inwardly as his thoughts were interrupted by Squall's own question. "Not really. I was just gonna play it by ear," he paused for a second, apparently having an internal debate before he made up his mind and continued, "We could hang out for a bit if you got nothin' better to do. As long as I check in with the handler dad gave me, should be fine. It beats sitting around the house, nursing a hangover and slowly going insane from boredom." The suggestion was tentative and he dropped his arms, bending the left and using it to pillow the back of his head while his other slid to the couch cushion between them limply, trying to appear casual. Emerald glanced out over his leg that crossed lazily over its opposite, trying to feign interest in the movie that seemed to be ending.
Squall turned his head against the back of the couch to look at Seifer fully, sharp eyes gauging that the blond's invitation was genuine before a small pleased smile played over bowed lips. "That's cool. I was gonna ask you if you wanted to hang out if you weren't busy. I've got nothing to do. My dad's going to visit a couple of his old bandmates, so we'll have the house to ourselves. I can show you the studio downstairs if you want. My dad's got a bunch of other instruments down there and stuff from when he was still in his band," he said casually, tilting his head to the side a bit as he watched the other male. He had the sudden urge to lean over and kiss the smooth jaw that was presented to him while Seifer stared blankly at the screen of the television. He blinked, turning his gaze away abruptly, refusing to follow through with the idea. 'Stupid teenage brain,' he cursed inwardly, fighting off another heated blush. It seemed the more time he spent with Seifer, the more he liked him. He'd assumed him to be everything he pretended to be, superficial, cocky, and shallow, only interested in who could benefit him. It had turned out that he unexpectedly wasn't. The brawny jock was kind of innocent really and a little cynical, interesting and sweet even. Squall hadn't expected the other to be so multi-faceted or to genuinely catch his attention. It wasn't just a physical attraction anymore. The brunette sucked on his bottom lip, refusing to follow any of his body's silly urges. He wasn't willing to ruin whatever it was that was starting to grow between them, even if it was some kind of secret friendship that had to be kept from the rest of the student body at their school and from Seifer's father most likely.
"You have an entire studio downstairs?" Seifer's voice belatedly broke through Squall's thoughts as the blond turned his head to give him a look of surprise. Keeping a few guitars and the like was a fairly common thing for a lot of people, whether as novelty items or just for the sake of continuing a hobby, but to have a whole studio made it that much more obvious to Seifer just how much Squall and his father were musically inclined.
"Hm, oh yeah, my dad still does a lot of stuff musically," the brunette replied idly to Seifer's obvious shock that Laguna had an entire studio built into their basement. It wasn't that strange really, at least not to Squall. His parents had bought the house when his mother was still pregnant with him and his father had still been heavily involved with his band, still riding the waves of fame. He took another gulp of water from the bottle before leaning forward to put it on the table between his spread feet before asking curiously, "Do you play anything?" The distraction from his thoughts was a welcome one and he grasped onto the conversation with renewed vigor. Blue-grey dropped to stare blindly at his lap where his water bottle had rested previously and where his right hand rested unmoving against his inner thigh.
When asked if he played anything, Seifer nodded almost reluctantly. "Yeah. Piano. A 'classical' instrument. Honestly, I think my dad paid for the lessons just to justify having one in the house." the blond confessed, feeling a bit self-conscious over the fact. He wondered if the kind of instrument he could play would bother Squall, if imagining his broad, jock self banging at the keys of the delicate piano would make the brunette laugh. His father had insisted that he learn to play and so he had. Because he had been forced into it and subsequently been subjected to the repeated overbearing criticsm of his dad regardless of how hard he practiced and how good he had actually become, he didn't much care for the instrument anymore. He'd even went so far as to quit playing it altogether the previous year. Oddly enough, being with Squall and seeing his passion for his music, Seifer found himself wondering if he could still play as he had once.
To Seifer's surprise, Squall neither laughed, nor did he seem too shocked by the blond's words. Instead he looked sort of thoughful. "Piano, huh. I'm actually not surprised by that, though I might have thought more along the lines of violin or something; it'd be more refined to your dad, I imagine," the brunette responded after a moment or two, cracking an easy smile at Seifer as he reclined against the cushions casually.
Seifer chuckled under his breath, "Heh. You'd be right about that, but I was a bit of a clutz when I was younger. I don't think a Violin would have survived long in my 'capable hands'. Think my dad kinda grasped that too, plus we already had the piano, so he probably figured there was no use in spending more money to get me something else and how badly could I really mess up a monster grand piano?" He graced Squall with that same roguishly handsome lopsided grin as he explained his theory about his piano lessons, his insecurities effectively dispeled. "What about you? I mean, you sing and play guitar, you play anything else?"
"Yeah sure, I can play a bit of percussion and piano. I'm not half bad, but it doesn't compare to guitar which I can play in my sleep. My dad on the other hand can play pretty much anything," Squall replied, a lazy smile ghosting over his mouth as he laid his head back against the back of the couch again, turning it to the side to look at Seifer. The arm he'd had resting on his thigh came to rest over his stomach, fingers dangling at his side in the space between his slim waist and his other arm still laying on the cushion between the two of them. His left foot bounced slightly against the table.
Seifer let out a low whistle, "Jeeze kid, you sure know how to make a guy feel inadequate, I mean fuck Squall, you play and sing, you can read Shakespeare like a boss, you have an awesome ride that is your's. Your room is a fuckin' palace and I'm pretty sure you weren't just taking notes in class to stave off the boredom. Is there anything you can't do?"
Squall blinked slowly, trying to process Seifer's ridiculous and surprisingly accurate exclamation. He snorted suddenly, giving his head a shake. When he managed to compose himself, he gave Seifer an intense look before responding in a deadly serious tone, "Eat pussy." He could only hang onto the serious expression for as long as it took for the blond to grasp what he had said and pull an absolutely hilarious face to which Squall could not contain his laughter, folding into himself as he laughed. Seifer's expression was priceless. He had clearly not been expecting such an answer, perhaps not even expecting one at all and when Squall had provided one, the look of complete shocked embarassment was too much for the lithe brunette. His answer was honest at least.
Seifer jerked as he seemed to pull himself together, closing his mouth which he hadn't noticed was hanging open slightly and shook his head, blinking several times. He rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed to rethink over the brunette's words once again and couldn't help the grin that crept onto his lips. "You know what, I don't think I'm much good at that particular act either. It takes a certain kind of man to perfect it," he said after a minute, unable to stop himself from laying his own comment out. Squall only chuckled before reaching to give Seifer's hand, that was only inches from his own on the couch cushion, a mockingly sympathetic pat. At the feel of the cool fingertips against his warm skin, Seifer shivered despite his best efforts to squash the reaction before the brunette could catch it. The best he could do was not pull his hand away. He didn't want Squall to think he was disgusted by his touch or something, especially since it had been an innocent one. Squall for his part pretended not to notice the tension or the shiver that ran through the taller boy when their hands made contact, instead removing his fingers from warm, tan skin with a casual slowness.
Squall sobered after a few more long seconds, strightening himself a bit in the cushions, sparing a glance to the movie playing on the screen before them before he looked down, a pensive expression slipping over pretty features. "You know, I've always loved music, even when I was little; that's why my dad started teaching me so young. My mum used to say that when I was a baby, she couldn't get me to sleep unless she sang to me, otherwise I'd just scream and scream... She always sang me this one song whenever I was upset..." he said quietly, smiling wistfully, a bittersweet look in the smokey blue depths of his eyes as he stared at the contrast between their two hands on the cushion beside him without really seeing at all. He missed her singing...
"I take it you can still remember the song. Some things are just like that, I guess; they stick with you," Seifer's response was delayed as though it had taken him that time to carefully choose what he wanted to say, and in reality it had because the look he could see on the other teen's face made the moment entirely serious and he just knew that the wrong words would shatter the intimate moment. The wanting in the brunette's tone was unmistakable. Seifer wasn't entirely sure why, but he had an undeniable urge to comfort Squall at that moment, as though he had forgotten about the kind of boy Squall was supposed to be, that he was supposed to avoid contact with him at all costs. It didn't matter. Seifer's hand crept over the mere centimeters of space between their fingers and enveloped Squall's hand in his own, giving it a soft squeeze of support. Squall didn't react to the touch immediately, simply allowing it, watching his pale, painted fingers disappear beneath the large tanned hand with a detached gaze.
"Yeah, I remember. It would be hard to forget, really. 'You are my Sunshine.' It was mum's favourite song, don't ask me why; I wouldn't know. She used to call me sunshine; she'd say that if she hadn't named me for the beauty of the storm, I'd've been named for the sun that came after..." Squall's voice was barely more than a whisper, a soft, sad half smile on his lips. Seifer could say nothing in response. The song was vaguely familiar to him, but the melancholy beauty in Squall at that moment took his voice and he remained silent, just watching the other boy. Squall squeezed Seifer's warm fingers that had wrapped around his before he suddenly seemed to realize just what his fingers were doing and removed them, pressing his now chilly left hand on top of his right, both resting comfortably on his stomach, a deep blush staining his cheeks. Seifer didn't say anything when Squall pulled away; he figured it would be best for the both of them if they pretended like neither of them had wanted the physical contact either now or previously and it had simply been accidental.
"Hey, what about your mum? You don't talk about her much," Squall inquired abruptly, trying to cover up his awkward motion in the moment previous as he shifted towards Seifer a bit, focusing his gaze on him. The other boy had made a few remarks that made it seem as though he wasn't at all fond of his mother, but Squall was curious what had made him so bitter. He'd told the blond some rather personal things about his own and it seemed only fair he should return the favour.
"I don't talk about her at all if I can help it. She married my dad when he got into politics and was making all the good connections, had me because that's what politicians' wives do, then she divorced him when he lost the election when I was ten. She took everything she wanted from him. I haven't heard from her since." She was alive, somewhere, probably. His gaze shifted away from Squall, unable to maintain eye contact as his posture became more tense than minutes before. Yeah, his mother had taken everything she wanted from his father, but left Seifer; she hadn't wanted Seifer, not enough to take him with her at least.
Guilt washed through Squall immediately for having asked something that was obviously a sore subject for the other male. He sucked his bottom lip once again, trying to find the right words to say to the other. He could tell by the way that Seifer had tensed up that he had some issues with his mother and what she'd done. From his words, there was the implication that her son hadn't been one of the things she'd wanted to take from his father and had left him behind in lieu of other more important things.
"That's really shitty," the soft spoken brunette finally managed, "Sorry I made you talk about her. I don't usually talk about mine either. You're the first person I've talked to about her outside of family since she died..." he finished, hoping to give the blond some kind of consolation, understanding in his eyes, though the reasons he didn't talk about his mother were quite different from Seifer's, there was an underlying pain that was the same.
"Everyone's got baggage, some people just got heavier shit to carry than others, no point in whining about it," the brawny older boy replied after a moment, shrugging one shoulder. The grief with his mom had happened over seven years ago and it shouldn't be so bothersome, but it was that bit of angst that caused much of his cynicism and his pragmatic attitude toward relationships for the most part. Not that his father helped that attitude; being who he was in politics, he was always backing the winners to save face and quick to pretend no involvement when favour was lost. He gave a small shake of his head in disgust. The feel of cool fingers on his hand again made Seifer jump, but he didn't move away, flipping his hand over, palm up beneath Squall's instead and grasping it much like children did with a parent, a soft smile replacing the disgusted sneer that had taken over handsome features as he looked at Squall.
Squall could feel Seifer looking at him, but he avoided looking back, embarrassed by the innocence of the act of holding the other boy's hand in comfort. It was a far cry from the kinds of things he usually did with guys, but it was, in a way, so much better. "True... It's better to be indifferent. There is no pain if the things around you hold no value, right?" Squall agreed, referring to his own and Seifer's behaviours at school, both were guarded but in entirely different ways. It was clear to the brunette from their serious conversation that much of Seifer's attitude could be chalked up to a front, an act to keep himself safe.
Squall's embarrassed glance away wasn't lost on his companion and as if the feeling was contagious, Seifer's own embarrassment crept into his skin, burning his ears as he averted his gaze from the pale youth as well. "Yeah..." he trailed off in quiet agreement. The fewer things he held dear, the less likely it was that those things could be used against him. The brunette beauty sighed heavily next to him, hugging himself around the middle with his unoccupied arm.
Deciding it was time for another subject change, Squall closed his eyes briefly, "What do you think the group you were with at the bar are going to have to say on Monday?"
"About what; your show or my disappearance?" Seifer asked, already prepared for the shift in subjects; Squall seemed to be able to smoothly change topics like the wind when he wanted to avoid delving deeper into one that might be more painful that it was worth to sate curiosity. He didn't wait for Squall's response, answering his own question and Squall's at once, "They are either gonna assume they lost me and do their best to cover it up, probably by saying they thought I went home on my own. As for your playing though, it's hard to say. They were pretty shocked to see you up on the stage just like I was. The ones who regained their sense first started jeering at you and the rest followed after, posturing to stay in their good graces. They can't honestly deny the quality of the performance so my guess is they won't say a damn thing or they'll lie. Depends on the group that wins out. Best case; new rumours are added to the already ridiculous file they have on you and nothing really changes. Worst case; they try to become your new best friends in the hopes that when you become famous, you'll remember them and invite them to your fancy parties."
"Yeah well, I think it'd be best if they act like they never saw it in the first place... I hadn't planned on anyone I knew from school being there to hear it," the pale boy said in reply. Seifer was probably right; nothing would change and that was probably for the best. He tried to ignore the warmth that spread through him as their hands remained curled around one another, the strange intimacy being one he was not used to. It wasn't sexual and he wasn't sure how to deal with it, so he didn't mention it. He didn't really want Seifer to pull away. Maybe it was okay as long as they were hidden away here in Squall's room where no one could know that they were holding hands like little kids. He let his head lull against the back of the couch, closing his eyes, unsure what else to say. The situation they were in at the moment was dangerous; even though he had just said that getting close to other people only made you vulnerable to being hurt, here he was getting cozy with the handsome jock. He was only becoming more and more attached to the other male; it was only a matter of time before he wouldn't be able to let go of Seifer and he was painfully aware of it in that moment.
They needed a lighter subject, something that Squall could cling to, something that would bring them back into the safety of familiar territory, something he could use to flirt, to cover up what was actually happening, but it seemed cheap to do so. So he stayed quiet, just leaning back in his seat, reveling in the comfort of Seifer's larger hand wrapped around his own.
Squall had suddenly gone quiet and Seifer wasn't sure exactly why, though if he had to hazard a guess, it had everything to do with the chaste embrace their hands were currently in and the fact that neither one of them was moving too quickly to separate this time around. If Squall still wanted the contact, Seifer wasn't going to deny him as the brunette was helping him with a few painful memories of his own and even though Squall was probably the least likely person Seifer should have been sharing these things with, it didn't matter; just having someone to talk to about it without judgement was therapeutic. No apologies, no advice, just an exchange of pain and understanding between two boys who had never been meant to be friends, but had somehow ended up just that.
The movie came to an end; the credits rolling across the screen, but the two of them just remained still, not bothering to change the channel, since it wouldn't matter what was on the screen anyways. Seifer reveled in the feeling of companionship, never having fully accepted the deep seated loneliness that ate away at him until he knew what it felt like not to be lonely here in the androgynous singer's company. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if there would ever be more than this, if Squall and he would ever end up further. He quickly dismissed the possibility with a minute shake of his head. He was still pretty convinced that he was far from Squall Leonhart's ideal type and could hardly imagine himself at the brunette's side as anything more than whatever this was. Aside from that, as far as either of them thought, Seifer was straight, even if that little voice buried in Seifer's mind was asking him if that was the truth then why was he enjoying the company of the beautiful boy so much more than any of the pretty girls he'd ever been with before.
Time both slowed and quickened as the television played whatever random program that came on after the movie they'd been watching. It made little difference to Squall what was on or how time passed, but before he knew it, it was late and they'd simply been sitting in amicable silence, holding hands as they watched. Squall wouldn't remember what it was they watched later as his mind was on other things, like trying desperately to keep himself from leaning onto the other male's lap, cuddling with him and the simple want to kiss him.
The fingers of his right hand rubbed against the soft skin on the underside of his right upper arm to keep them occupied. He stole a couple glances at Seifer when he thought the other boy wasn't paying attention, a shy blush painting his pale cheeks a rosy hue. Squall was entirely out of his element here in his room with another boy. At school, he was someone else; powerful, in control, a tempter and seducer. But at home, that wasn't his life. At home; he was just Squall. Home was a place he could relax. Seifer had been let in on a whim; Squall had never brought someone home with him before, not even when he was a small child. It was no wonder his father had given him such looks when the two of them had shown up together. He couldn't act the way he would have had they been at school, hiding his embarrassment under coy grins and batted lashes, a teasing comment, anything, but here in the comfort of his room, he couldn't manage to pull the mask on.
An inaudible sigh escaped through bowed lips as Squall glanced at the glowing numbers on the stereo that displayed the time. It was passed midnight. Cloudy blue eyes stared at Seifer, drawn unconsciously, the brunette forgetting that he was supposed to be watching the television, not the other male. The other was really handsome, especially now that he didn't have that sort of pompous air around him that he seemed to have at school. He wondered if anyone else ever got to see him like this, so unguarded. 'Beautiful...' the sentiment whispered through his thoughts without hesitation and Squall knew without a doubt that the other boy was just that.
"I think, maybe I should head to bed," he said quietly, feeling his skin getting warmer as he watched Seifer. "I'll just get you a pillow and blanket from my closet... Uh if you need the bathroom, it's up in the loft... or there's one on the main floor."
Seifer wasn't unaware of the eyes that were watching him; he just didn't seem to mind and let Squall look all he liked. After all, it was only fair since Seifer had stared at the brunette plenty as well. He cast a grin at the blushing boy from time to time, but said nothing, quickly returning his attention to the tv, relaxing, letting the previous tension fade to nothing, but an idle memory. He could see the rosy flush colouring Squall's cheeks every time he glanced his way and found himself swallowing, throat suddenly dry. The younger teen looked so vulnerable like that, blushing and shy, as if he were a totally different kid from the sultry incubus he had been at school and even on stage and Seifer knew that he was seeing something precious.
Maybe that was why he felt like it was alright to let his own guard down. He couldn't imagine the beautiful, shy creature next to him doing anything to take advantage of him in that moment of weakness and so he simply dropped the facade. He couldn't recall the last time he had permitted himself to simply exist as he was with someone else; it was relaxing. It was a relief, to simply be himself as he truly was without any pretense. He only nodded when Squall finally broke the silence that had stretched between them for so long. He released the hand in his reluctantly, disappointed at the feeling of loss, but unwilling to voice it for fear of what that twinge inside him implied. Instead, he shoved it as far back in his mind as he could and let Squall go as though it were no problem at all.
Squall shivered uncontrollably as Seifer's fingers loosened and released his own, the warmth lingering and spreading up his arm as his body greedily soaked up the contact that it seemed to know it would not be having any more of that night. He tried to cover the shiver by coughing softly, before standing up, slipping off of the sofa in a soft rustle of fabric on fabric.
"Just give me a sec to grab it," Squall requested as he stepped around the table and made his way back to the stairs leading up to his loft. He took an extra pillow from a high shelf in his closet along with a navy blue comforter with stars and moons all over it that had been his favourite as a child but was now used as a spare. He carried the bundle back down the steps, unable to wrap his arms around it fully.
He dropped it unceremoniously directly onto Seifer with a decidedly playful grin. "Need anything else? I can tuck you in if you want?" he offered jokingly, dispelling the awkward embarrassment that was the result of their intimacy minutes before.
Seifer had watched Squall as he'd gone up the stairs, his long shirt swaying around milky, smooth thighs that had no business being on a boy in Seifer's opinion. If there was a God, he had either done something very right or very wrong in making Squall Leonhart; no boy had a right to be as lovely as the brunette youth was. He watched him until he disappeared from view and gave his head a forceful shake, realizing that he was mistaken; God wouldn't have made Squall Leonhart, only the likes of Satan would have made someone who could tempt either sex to near insanity and give him an attitude to match. He gave himself another little shake before the soft sound of Squall's steps broght his focus back to the steps where a starry ball with legs made it's descent. Seifer chuckled at the sight. It was tossed over his form unexpectedly and he had to wriggle a bit to poke his head up through the rumpled blanket, grinning broadly when he managed to free himself from beneath it and he shifted to recline onto the comfortable sofa, settling the plush pillow behind him before straightening the comforter down his front.
When the playful offer was made, he stuck his tongue out at the cheeky brunette, briefly considering accepting the mock offer if only to make Squall blush again, "Hmm... Nah. Think I'll be alright. Night Cupcake."
Squall inclined his head with a smile, choosing to ignore the nickname. "Suit yourself," he said as he flipped the lights off, revealing glow in the dark stars on the steps to his loft. "Goodnight Seifer," he replied quietly as he made his way back up the narrow stairs.
He crawled into his bed, pulling the plush crimson duvet over himself, feeling oddly relaxed, even knowing that Seifer was going to be sleeping just below. It was strange, knowing he had another boy, one he was certainly attracted to alone in his room, and yet he was doing nothing about it. He snorted softly, curling up on his side, facing the window. He stared at the pale orb of the moon just visible through the slated blinds. He didn't remember falling asleep as he stared up at it, thoughts circlulating repeatedly over the completely unexpected, but altogether pleasant evening.

TBC...

Authour's note: Good Lord, it took a million years (a week approximately) to edit this chapter. Anyways, the typos and grammar errors should have been weeded out for the most part, I hope. If any of you notice more, please feel free to point them out.
Also, if anyone was interested, the lyrics used are 1) Out of This World by Bush, 2) Mexico by Hedley, and finally,
3) Nancy Boy by Placebo.
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