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Arcane Crisis	By : Chemotaxis Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 928 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters in this story, nor do I profit from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Warning: Do not read if you're not legally allowed to read NC-17 stuff where you live.
Dedicated to Baby Chiba and Wolkje for their unending support and inspiring works.
Chapter 6
The moon and the gentle blue glow emanating from Lion Heart provided the only illumination as the dark haired man slowly made his way further into the forest, each step taken in careful consideration. There was no doubt in his mind that the beast was still near. Adjusting his hold on the hilt of his gunblade, Squall focused all thought on listening out for nearby movement. Behind him, he could hear the light trickle of blood as the crimson liquid slowly dripped from the blue dragon, coloring the pristine snow beneath. The brunet's heart rate picked up as he trained his eyes on the track leading him further away from the small clearing. There were too many hiding places. He was too exposed.
Around him, the forest was dead silent, a fact he attributed to the animals inhabiting it most likely still being asleep in warm shelters. The cold air was stinging his ears and he could feel ice crystals forming on his eyelashes and lips. He thought he had come prepared, that he had become used to the extreme cold of Trabia mornings, but maybe he had been a bit too eager this morning. But he had needed it; needed to get out to empty his mind.
Behind him, Squall barely made out the sound of snow being crunched as something moved closer. Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned around slowly, soundlessly, before staring straight into bright cobalt eyes. Barely registering the movement before it was happening, the brunet only managed to bring up his arms in protection before he was forcefully thrown onto the frozen ground. On instinct his lips moved rapidly to call upon the surrounding nature.
Howling in pain, the creature above him jumped off and started rolling around in the surrounding snow, desperately trying to quench the burning fire searing its skin.
Jumping to his feet, Squall looked at the bellowing animal, surprise clear in his eyes; it was only an overgrown pup. Perhaps he had overestimated his ability to stay on top of his game and keep his mind focused. Holding out Lion Heart, ready to strike if the beast decided to change its focus, Squall started chanting the words of cura. When the baby behemot was once again covered in white downy fur, a small smile grazed pale lips for the briefest of seconds as the brunet noted the length of the blue horns. The pup could not have been more than six months old. Frowning, he realized it didn't solve the puzzle. Even though a baby behemot was quite lethal, he was certain it could not take down a grown blue dragon. Deciding the morning was still young, the brunet softly whispered the words of 'sleep' before leaving the slumbering pup behind.
Sitting on the examination table in the barren room, Squall felt colder than he had outside. And he was pissed.
"How did you do this again?" the blue haired girl asked, eyes warm but tone somewhat reprimanding as she examined his left arm.
Not in a mood to explain himself, Squall just scowled at her in response. It was not definitely not his day. And it wasn't even eight yet.
"Only one night here and you already managed this. I must say, I'm impressed," the young medic went on, seemingly not intimidated by the fact that the SeeD Commander was most likely wishing death upon her that very moment.
"Just fix it," he said tersely, eyeing her in annoyance. "And like I said, no magic."
"Fine," she agreed, appearing unconcerned. "It's not often I get to play with injuries anymore. It's always magic around here."
Disinterested in what the girl had to say, the brunet instead thought back to earlier that morning. Cursing inwardly at himself for having lost the beast, he clenched his hands. How had the monster gotten away? One moment he had been fighting, the next he had been thrown roughly through the air before landing heavily against a tree. He had managed to keep his eyes on the massive beast as he had been flung through the air, but his eyes had shut reflexively in pain when his body had made impact with the hard wooden trunk. When he had once again managed to focus on the best in front of him, only a few patches of dark blue fur had been hanging oddly in the air, strangely disconnected from each other. The last thing to disappear had been a glowing red fang.
Gritting his teeth in annoyance, the brunet scolded himself.
"You know, Selphie told me to be expecting you," the medic commented, indifferent to the Commander's lack of participation in the conversation. The brunet winced almost imperceptibly when she popped his shoulder back in place.
"Since you won't let me cure it I'm going to have to have a couple of x-rays done. From the initial tests it seems nervous and vascular function is intact. However, I'm going to give you a sling and advise you to wear it for at least a week -- unless, of course, something unexpected shows up on the x-rays."
Fixing the medic with an impatient glare, the brunet conveyed his reluctance to comply. The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly at the stubborn man. "Okay. I'm guessing you probably won't wear it at all..." She paused briefly. "At least do me the courtesy of pretending. Wear it out of here."
Writing down the details of her findings, she continued speaking. "You've gotta take it easy on any strenuous activities as well."
Slightly worried by his lack of cooperation and lack of concern for his own well being, the girl resorted to something she would refrain from under normal circumstances. Walking into an adjoining room, she quickly mixed some lotion with a mild potion before picking up the sling. Returning to the Commander she rubbed the cream on his shoulder and ribs, hoping he wouldn't detect the diminishing pain before he was well out of the infirmary.
"That should do it. Let's go do the x-rays."
Making his way to the refectory, Squall threw the sling into the nearest bin. It wasn't even like his shoulder was hurting. Especially not if he just kept his arm still. And he didn't need a sling to do that. After scolding himself for his embarrassing failure that morning once again, he wondered if the others would still be at the refectory or if he was too late. As he entered the large room mostly empty of students by then, he easily spotted his three comrades.
"Morning," he muttered as he moved to sit down, sounding less than enthusiastic to have found them.
"Found the monster yet?" Selphie inquired, eyes dancing, ignoring the brunet's sour tone.
"It's a hellhound," the brunet informed impassively. "Where's the coffee?"
Sensing the Commander's foul mood, Irvine thought it best to let the man have his coffee before further questioning and gestured in the direction of a nearby coffee machine. "Over there."
Returning with a cup of steaming liquid, Squall sat down. "It has the ability to turn invisible. It's somehow able to control the light particles in its environment. You were wrong Quistis, it wasn't just a rumor. It has some kind of stealth ability."
The blonde raised an eyebrow in scrutiny. "So you didn't kill it?" she countered.
"No," the brunet admitted, voice hard. He hated unsuccessful battles. But it wasn't over. Next time he would bring infrared goggles and rid the forest of the latest addition to the wildlife for good.
"Well, maybe we can catch it off guard when we go flying today," Selphie offered.
"No," the brunet demanded harshly. "I want to take it down myself."
Quistis sighed audibly, not masking her frustration.
"Didn't Melly tell you to take it easy for a while?" the petite brunette asked, indirectly stating that she already knew all about Squall's injuries.
The Commander's eyes narrowed at the information, but he refrained from voicing his irritation.
Quistis couldn't help but roll her eyes. Why did her friend have to be so stubborn?
As the others began discussing the merits of Garden's latest plan of lowering the age of admittance by one year, Squall zoned out. Garden policies had never interested him and even if they had there was nothing he could do about it. For long minutes he just sat there, slowly sipping his coffee, enjoying the almost scolding feeling of the hot liquid against his lips. Letting his eyes travel over the surface of the dark liquid, he finally looked up and at the sight before him, he went rigid.
Noticing Squall's reaction, Selphie follow his gaze. "There he is!" she whispered excitedly, pulling at Quistis' sleeve to grab her attention. "Doesn't he look just like him?"
Close by, a tall blond was standing wearing a SeeD uniform and for the life of him, Squall swore it was the idiot blond that had been causing him nothing but grief recently.
"Zhang," Irvine yelled at the tall blond who turned around in acknowledgment. As gray-blue eyes landed on the stranger's face, the illusion was ruined. The two men looked nothing alike. Tensing at his momentary lapse in composure, Squall lowered his gaze to the black liquid in front of him.
"Oh my goodness, for a second there I thought it was him," Quistis spoke under her breath, eyes still on the tall man.
"I told you!" Selphie exclaimed.
As the man walked over to greet them, Selphie continued her incessant chattering. "Not that I know what Seifer looks like all that well. Only really from the times we fought him. Shame though. Zhang gets into all kinds of trouble just for looking like him."
"Hey man," Irvine greeted when the tall blond finally reached them. "Commander Leonheart," he said, tilting his head in the direction of the brunet.
"Nice to meet you," the blond said with an easy smile, looking at the Commander. Squall just nodded in return.
"So, did you take a look at the bike?" Irvine inquired.
"Yeah. Just need to change some parts and it should be much more durable in the cold. I'll try and get it done today." The blond looked at the Commander. "You don't need to use your bike today, do you Sir?"
Narrowing his eyes at the use of the honorific, Squall replied curtly. "No."
Sensing the Commander's discomfort at his presence, the blond excused himself.
"See you later," Irvine called after his friend.
As soon as the man was out of earshot Quistis couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any more. "Freaky. I can't believe how much they look alike, she said, pausing. "Apart from the SeeD uniform that is," she added snidely.
Squall ground his teeth. "They don't," he said, voice bitter.
"I guess you would know better," she conceded, mistaking his cold demeanor for resentment towards the ex-knight.
"Whatever," he added, dismissing the conversation.
To avoid further annoying the brunet, Quistis resorted to rolling her eyes inwardly at the younger man.
"Such a bummer that the tip I got from Jun didn't get you anywhere," Selphie said, resting her warm gaze on Squall.
Stiffening under her gaze, Squall was trying hard to stay impassive. There was no way he could react without either lying through his teeth or exposing the growing number of skeletons in his closet.
The warm brown eyes of the petite girl turned to focus on mid distance, obviously not catching on to her friend's growing unease. "I hope he isn't stuck in time compression still," she sighed.
"Me too," Quistis agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly.
"Jun was so certain it had been Seifer though. I mean, the guy used to be in the same class as you two," she said eyeing up Squall. "So he would know, right?" She paused. "You really didn't find anything to back up Jun's sighting?"
"No," Squall replied, quelling the bitter aftertaste the lie left behind. "Do you have a room with video conferencing?" he asked, wanting to change the conversation around. "I have some business I need to take care of."
"Sure," Selphie replied. "We have a special communication room for SeeDs. I'll take you there straight after you've had some breakfast."
"Alright! All set," the bouncy girl said with a big smile as the screen in front of them displayed the Estharian presidential logo. "I'll be with Quistis in 14.3. We've been developing some new explosives that I'd like her opinion on. Yours too, if you have time after this."
When a presidential aide appeared on the screen, the brunette silently let herself out of the small room, waving goodbye before closing the door behind her.
"Commander Leonhart, President Loire will be ready shortly," the aide informed impassively, before the screen returned to show the same logo as before, bland background music sounding from the speakers. Minutes later the logo disappeared and instead the genial President appeared on the screen.
"Squall," he exclaimed, obviously overjoyed to lay eyes on his son. As the older man calmed down from the initial excitement at finally seeing his son, his heart became heavy as he noted the fatigued look to his son's eyes. They only ever spoke over the phone and it had been over half a year since Squall had last visited. It seemed Squall had been through a lot since then.
"How are you?" Laguna asked, not expecting a proper answer, but knowing he would regret it if he didn't at least try to get some answers.
"Fine," Squall replied, no emotion showing on his features. "Laguna, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," he lied. He had never been comfortable speaking with the older man for lengths at a time. Especially not whilst those piercing eyes were studying him, no doubt judging him. He really couldn't explain what it was that had made him ask for a visual feed this time. "I need a favor."
The warmhearted man could not help but frown. Finally he was able to see his son and now it would seem it would be over in the blink of an eye. But he wouldn't complain or ask for more than Squall decided to give. If there was one thing he had learnt about his son, it was that the man was stubborn and succinct and trying to change that would only cause conflict. No, Laguna would only take what his son offered. "Of course, son. What do you need?" he asked, noticing the younger man's gaze landing on his own at the use of the affectionate term.
"I need copies of some documents. They're in my room."
At the use of the words 'my room' the President's expression changed dramatically. It warmed his heart to know there was a place in his house that Squall would consider his. "Of course, Squall."
"They're in the top drawer of my desk. The one on the right," the brunet continued, not noticing the rapid changes in the older man's expression. "The paper is old, so be careful. The pages I'm looking for has Cataclysm written at the top. There should be twelve in total."
"No problem, I'll get someone to look into it immediately," Laguna replied, noting down the details of his son's request.
Squall furrowed his brows, obviously contemplating something. Hesitantly he voiced his concern."I... would you mind doing it?"
Obviously the request meant a great deal to his son. "Okay. I'll do it as soon as possible. I'll make sure to fit it in today."
"Thanks," the brunet said, nodding in gratitude.
"Do you need anything else?" his father asked.
"No."
Not ready to let his son go, not knowing how long it would be until he would get to see his face again, Laguna continued on. "Squall... I... will you be dropping by soon?"
"Yes," Squall replied firmly, which in return made Laguna smile widely at his son. Whenever his son said something with that kind of conviction there was no doubt in Laguna's mind that it would happen.
"That's great news. I can't wait. Do you know when you'll be coming?"
"Probably a month or two from now."
"I'll make sure to have your room ready. Let me know when you know more so I can arrange for some time off," Laguna said, already making plans for all the things he wanted to show his son.
"You know I don't like that," Squall said, eyes narrowing slightly. He hated it when people made a fuss. And he really didn't like the thought of having to spend most waking hours whilst in Esthar with his dad.
For an instant the older man looked like a wounded puppy, hurt by his son's blunt words. He knew he should have kept that last comment to himself. He still couldn't contain his happiness at the upcoming visit though. Regardless of what his son wanted, he was going to spend as much time with the boy as possible.
"If you can just send the data to my mobile that'd be great."
"Sure, Squall," he said, deep down wanting to say son instead. It was what came natural to him by now, but for his son's sake he tried to keep it to a minimum.
"I have to go."
Instead of fighting it, Laguna enjoyed the last seconds of their conversation.
"Take care," he said, smiling softly.
"I will," the brunet replied before the connection went dead.
It was boring. Just plain boring.
Seifer had been out all morning practicing with Hyperion, but his heart just hadn't been in it. Since his conversation with Squall the night before it seemed like time had slowed down, minutes feeling like hours. Now that he knew they would be sparring again, he couldn't wait.
Fuck it, I've never been very patient.
He couldn't even remember what he had done to fill his time before. Seemed like his brain had turned into an empty wasteland when it wasn't concerned with the brunet. And he fucking hated every minute of it. It didn't help that the guy had been teasing him last night. Asked questions and led him on... only to go cold on his ass.
As he remembered the last messages he had sent to Squall he grimaced. Okay, so maybe he hadn't been all that delicate about it. But why had Squall texted him in the first place? Had Squall wanted him? Was that what the brunet had been trying to convey?
At the thought of prim little Squally-boy lusting for his cock, Seifer couldn't help but smirk mischievously and chuckle softly to himself. That would certainly get the brunet's knickers in a twist.
Staring at the ground, Seifer knew he had to get away. Hopefully there was a job waiting for him somewhere. He definitely needed distraction and however much he wanted to tease the truth out of the brunet, he knew it would probably be wiser to let the younger man call the shots for now. He just hoped he could contain himself if Squall decided to push him like last night.
Getting up from the large rock he had been resting on, he headed back to his house, mind made up to pick up necessities before heading into town to meet up with his contacts. Surely there was something out there he could waste his time hunting for the next couple of weeks.
Squall's eyes narrowed as he aimed the rifle at the target. Just as he was about to shoot, he felt his phone vibrate and quickly signaled to Irvine that he would be heading out of the shooting range.
Opened the mobile whilst yelling 'hold on', he tried drowning out the loud shots ringing out in the background. As the soundproof door slid shut behind him, he exhaled deeply. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk with Seifer just yet.
"Squall," he heard his father speak softly.
"Loire," Squall replied, unable to hide his surprise. As he realized how he had addressed the older man, he winced inwardly.
For a moment both men were silent. On one end, Laguna was stunned by his son's greeting and thus momentarily forgot the purpose of his call. On the other end, Squall was silently seething that he actually felt disappointment that it wasn't the idiot blond calling him.
Finally remembering why he had called in the first place, Laguna hesitated somewhat before voicing his concern. "I have to ask... what do you need the information for?" He paused briefly. "Why do you need another blade?"
"I want a change now and again," was Squall's immediate reply, surprised how easy the lie slipped off his lips.
"But you know they need special licensing," his father went on.
"Send me the documents and I'll fill them in."
Again the older man went silent. He clearly didn't approve of his son's recent plans. "How will you get the auranite?"
Unable to help himself, Squall sighed. He hated it when his dad worried about him. If there had been any way he could have gotten the information without involving his dad he would have. Somehow he had hoped his dad wouldn't have looked too closely at the documents he had asked for.
"Don't worry. I'll be careful," he assured his dad, voice uncharacteristically soft.
"I know you won't like hearing this... but... you are my son. It would kill me if something happened to you," Laguna pleaded, even more worried after Squall had tried to calm him. "Please be careful. Promise me you won't go alone."
"I wasn't planning on."
"Tell me when you have the ingredients... I won't get a proper night's sleep till I know it's over."
"I will," Squall said and hung up. Moving fingers to massage the bridge of his nose, the brunet tried relieving his distress. He absolutely hated his dad worrying about him. But there was nothing to do about it. He would just have to secure the materials as soon as possible so the old man could stop worrying again.
Breathing in deeply, the Commander once again cleared his mind and reentered the shooting range. He had never been the best shot and after having witnessed Seifer's skill with a rifle he knew he had to improve. He couldn't stand the blond outdoing him.
"See you tomorrow!" Selphie said, giving Squall and Quistis a hug before leaving.
As Selphie and Irvine retreated for the night, Squall looked up at the stars once more. Selphie had been right to show them her favorite spot for stargazing. The quad was perfect for it. Only a thin sheet of glass separated him form the stars.
"You wanna stay?" Quistis asked, looking at the brunet.
Without lowering his gaze, Squall replied. "Yeah."
The two of them sat in silence, enjoying each other's company, not feeling the need to say anything.
Feeling the by now familiar buzz of his phone against his thigh, Squall frowned. Getting out his phone he read the message.
'What are you up to?'
'Get lost,' he wrote back, annoyed at the blond's persistence. It was the fifth message from the blond that evening. And that was even after Squall had ignored two calls.
Looking over his shoulder, Quistis smiled in amusement at reading the brunet's reply.
"I'm guessing it has been him texting you all night?"
Narrowing his eyes as he reread one of the earlier messages, Squall nodded.
"Can't go long without your attention, huh?"
Straining his jaws, Squall put the phone back in his pocket, seriously considering his own sanity. Who in their right mind would give their number to such an obstinate idiot?
"I think I'm going to head back," Quistis said, getting up from where she had been sitting next to Squall. "You coming too?"
Briefly eyeing the blonde, Squall shook his head. He wanted to stay and enjoy the quiet. The quad was large, and there was no one else around. And it was beautiful there, serene.
"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow then."
Watching the blonde leave, Squall leaned back against the grass below. They really had gone all out with the reconstruction of Trabia Garden, making a small garden with tall trees inside the quad.
During the day, Squall had successfully managed to stay distracted and kept his mind of what had happened between himself and Seifer the previous night. But now, when all was quiet around him and there was nothing but him and the stars, he couldn't keep the confusing thoughts at bay any longer. One thought in particular kept grating at him. Seifer had seemed interested. Or pretended to at least. But he had seemed truthful. And if he hadn't been truthful then why had he blown up like that after Squall had refused to go any further? But so what if Seifer wanted to fuck him again? Did it really make any difference? The way his head started spinning at the thought seemed to indicate that it did indeed make a difference, but he didn't want to examine why. The excitement he had felt each time his phone had stirred that day had also indicated that despite how much he claimed it was irritating and annoying another part of him was enjoying the blond's incessant vying for his attention.
And there was one thing he wanted to know, one thing he couldn't get off his mind. Maybe it was because he couldn't believe it and now as facts were towering before him, he couldn't help but wonder if he had always been wrong. Knowing he had no way of answering himself, Squall got his phone out in determination and started typing.
'Are you gay?' he wrote, wanting the truth.
'Another night of questions, is it?' came the reply shortly after.
Just as the brunet was reading the message, his phone started buzzing in his hand. Staring at the phone in contempt, Squall waited for the vibrations to die down. Before he could finish his reply, another message appeared.
'What's with the no talking policy?'
Temporarily distracted from his original purpose of contacting the blond, Squall deflected the question with another question of his own.
'What did you want earlier?' he wrote.
When the phone started vibrating again, Squall almost threw it across the quad in annoyance. Irritated that the phone wasn't spontaneously combusting at the glare he was sending it, Squall lay back down on the grass. And yet he couldn't suppress his curiosity when he received another message.
'Would you pick up already?'
'No.'

'Annoying prick.'
When his phone remained silent, Squall thought that was probably the end of their conversation that night. It was probably for the best anyway. It wasn't like he cared. Even so, he almost picked up when his phone started buzzing insistently in his hand minutes later. Three unanswered calls later, the brunet's patience was starting to wear thin. As the buzzing started once more, Squall accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear.
"I've got a job," the blond spoke at the other end of the line, knowing there was no need for introductions.
'Congratulations', Squall thought derisively. He was so annoyed with himself for relenting to the blond and answering the call in the first place, that he couldn't help but feel great animosity towards anything that was currently leaving the blond's mouth. He couldn't care less about what the blond had to say.
"It clashes with our plans. I should be back on the eight. Can you make it then?"
Quickly calculating the dates in his head, Squall suddenly did care. It was going to postpone their spar by half a week. Mood infinitely soured, Squall reluctantly agreed. "Yes."
"Good," the blond said, sounding relieved. "Maybe we should make it the ninth. It might be quite late before I'm back on the eight."
"Okay," was all Squall said, not offering any pleasantries. As he remained quiet, the silence stretched on, until the blond finally broke it, answering the brunet's initial question.
"I'm bi."
When the brunet didn't react, Seifer continued on. "Don't care about the package as long as it satisfies me."
Squall couldn't help but snort at the blond's answer. It was so typical.
Ignoring Squall's reaction, Seifer kept quiet for a while. Not wanting their conversation to end, the blond decided to try his best at small talk.
"So... how's Trabia Garden?" he asked, his voice not as calm as he would have liked. He still felt horrible about some of the things Ultimecia had made him do. The loss of the innocent lives at Trabia Garden was one of them.
Picking up on the underlying apprehension in the blond's voice, Squall felt his brows knit. He didn't want Seifer to feel responsible for what had happened during the war. And yet, Squall could understand all too well. Many lives had been lost and if their positions had been reversed he was certain he would be feeling exactly the same.
"Esthar is going overboard," he said, deciding to indulge the blond for now. "Laguna can't help it. It's starting to look more like a palace than training grounds."
"Laguna?" Seifer asked playfully. "How did the loon manage to get on a first name basis?"
"By being annoyingly persistent."
Unable to help himself, the blond chuckled in response. "An admirable trait."
"Do you see him often?" he asked, becoming serious once more.
"No," Squall replied, pausing. It had been many months since he had last seen Laguna in person. After the war the man had been adamant about wanting to become a part of Squall's life. He had tried to come visit as often as possible, but being the President of Esthar, it hadn't amounted to many times. Instead he had begun pleading Squall to come visit him in Esthar. Against his better judgment, Squall had relented and stayed at Laguna's country estate every once in a while.
"He calls me his son," Squall spoke softly, more to himself than Seifer. It still seemed far too surreal for him to grasp the true meaning of the connection between himself and Laguna.
"You are," Seifer replied softly, understanding the depth of Squall's statement. Being an orphan himself, parental relations seemed as diffuse and abstract as love and comfort.
Staring up into the night sky, Squall felt strangely comforted at the connection between himself and Seifer. For once Seifer wasn't judging him or taunting him, just talking to him, extending to him a friendship that went further back then either of them cared to admit. And for an instant he missed the blond. He wanted to see the other man's face and decipher the true meaning behind the man's words. Confused by the path his thoughts was taking, Squall decided it was time to turn them back around.
"How much does the job pay?" he asked.
"200.000 gil."
Opening his mouth in shock, Squall was outraged at the preposterous amount. That was more than half a year's worth of rank A pay for SeeDs.
"For a solo job?" the brunet queried in indignation.
"Yup," Seifer answered, unable to hide his amusement at Squall's reaction. "I'm just that good."
"How long are you gone for?" Squall asked. What he really wanted to know though was what the mission entailed, but he was absolutely certain that the blond wouldn't be allowed to share that piece of information.
"Eight days."
When Squall didn't say anything further, the blond decided to try his luck. There was still something on his mind that he was very determined to get an answer to. "Who are you visiting?"
For the briefest of moments, Squall considered just serving Seifer his trademark 'none of your business' remark, but he found himself wishing for their conversation to stay amicable.
"Selphie and Irvine," he offered. "And Quistis."
Not recognizing the first two names, Seifer frowned.
At Seifer's silence, Squall took it upon himself to explain. "You know them," he said, voice low. "Nunchaku and the shooter," he added, subtly implying wherefrom the blond would know them.
Touching his rib absently, Seifer remembered the petite brunette and her well-aimed weapon.
"They're from the orphanage..." Squall continued, trailing off. He wasn't certain how much Seifer remembered. "Sefie and Irvy."
After a minute of silence, the blond decided making light of the situation. Thinking back on their shared childhood, a time before wars, sorceresses and fate intervened to shape them to who they had become, was too painful.
"Hyne, you were annoying back then," Seifer jested, the humor not reaching his voice.
"Compared to you?" Squall retorted almost instantaneously, which made the blond laugh softly.
Feeling pensive, the brunet continued. "They all wonder what happened to you."
The blond's reply was immediate, wondering out loud. "Why haven't you told them?"
Unable to answer, Squall decided to skirt the question. "Selphie was the one who got me onto your trail."
Annoyed at Squall for evading the question, Seifer almost decided not to reply but eventually relented. "I'll have to send her a thank you note," he said in a voice that left Squall wondering whether or not the blond had been sarcastic.
Neither of them said anything for a while and the silence stretched on. Wanting to continue talking to the younger man, Seifer racked his mind for something to say.
"How long are you staying there?" he finally asked.
"I'm returning to my mission tomorrow morning."
"Classified?"
"No," Squall said, knowing it wouldn't really matter if anyone knew what it was he was doing. "I'm making sure only Garden has access to draw points."
"Ouch," the blond replied, worried how it would impact his own access to magic.
Frowning, the brunet realized what the blond meant. He had known it wouldn't affect the blond in the slightest, but of course the blond didn't know that.
"Standard perimeters," he supplied, knowing the blond was more than proficient in disabling garden perimeters. After all, he had watched Seifer do it countless times when they had snuck out for spars.
"I'm indexing their locations as well."
"You wouldn't happen to know any ultima or aura points close by?" the blond asked, knowing he was running low. He wasn't really expecting the brunet to help him out though.
"I'll send you the coordinates," the brunette said, not thinking twice about supplying garden information to an ex-sorceress knight.
Surprised by the brunet's reply, it took the blond a couple of minutes to regain his composure.
"Guess I'll see you the eight then?"
"Ninth," the brunet corrected.
"What I said."
Neither of them wanting to end the conversation, they both remained on the line until Squall finally decided it was time to call it a night.
"Seifer?"
"Mhm?"
"The trade wasn't fair."
It was with great relief the brunet laid eyes on the cabin ahead. He had been searching the forest for over two hours. Apparently his memory of the cabin's location had been off by miles, and consequently he had ended up trekking much further than initially planned. Boots covered in mud and muscles aching from walking across sludgy ground, Squall stopped in his stride. The last half an hour had been the toughest, the sun setting and thus making it harder by the minute to make out his surroundings.
As gray-blue eyes darted quickly across the structure ahead, the brunet exhaled softly in relief. There were no lights visible through the windows. Everything was as it should be. He hadn't heard a single word from Seifer since the last time they had spoken, the night they had agreed on the date for their next spar. Squall was certain the blond had said he would be back on the eight and today was the seventh.
Walking up the porch, the brunet fished around for the metallic object in his pocket. Crouching down on one knee, he expertly disabled the lock on the front door. Closing the door behind him, Squall laid eyes on the mess of rifles and coats surrounding him. Even though he didn't feel bad about what he was doing, he did feel strange as he proceeded further into the house. It was cold, not nearly as inviting as the last time he had been there. Entering the large living room he quickly scanned the room. Everything was as he remembered, save a single cup standing on the kitchen counter, reminding Squall of the person normally inhabiting the house.
Freezing, the brunet decided his first priority was to get a fire going. Holding his hands over the bright flames, Squall felt warmth return to his fingers and with it his sense of belonging. The flickering golden light made the room feel homey and safe. Knowing it was getting increasingly difficult to see anything, the brunet set out to search the house for the circuit breaker. Easily locating it, Squall switched it on before returning to the living room. Fishing through his duffel bag, he grabbed some bread he had brought with him. Settling down on the couch, he let himself relax and enjoy the moment for what it was; the quiet before the storm.
Full and somewhat rested after his long trek through the forest, the brunet decided to go for an explore. When he had last been there and Seifer had been around, Squall hadn't felt comfortable letting his gaze linger too long on anything but mid distance, but now that he was alone, he let his eyes study his surroundings. The only items he had allowed himself to study before were the blades mounted on the wall and once again they were what drew his attention. Getting up to study them one by one, he noticed something different. Hanging further down on the wall than the others was a blade he didn't remember. An exquisite blade. Crouching before it, Squall let his eyes linger on the curves of the blade, tracing his fingers closely against the harsh edges, though never completely touching. For ages he stood there, lost in fascination as the light around the blade made the tip of his fingers disappear whenever he ran them close by. Flashes of red metallic reflections was the only way he could make out the actual edges of the blade. The blade was in a class of its own and he couldn't help but envy Seifer for owning it. Seifer definitely had good taste in his blades. And perseverance. Squall couldn't imagine locating a blade like that could have been an easy feat. Longing to touch it, the temptation of holding the blade in his hands was becoming unbearable. Forcing himself to turn away, Squall closed his eyes and walked away.
As the night grew late, Squall knew he could no longer avoid going upstairs. With heavy legs he made his way to Seifer's bedroom, needing to relieve himself. As he switched on the light in the bedroom, his eyes involuntarily landed on the bed. It was unmade and clothes were strewn onto the floor and nearby dresser. Gunblade polish was out in full view. Scanning the rest of the room, the brunet noted Hyperion's case missing.
Walking through the bedroom, memories assaulted Squall's senses. He could feel the bed against his knees, smell the duvet beneath him, hear his own moans. Quickening his stride, he made it inside the bathroom and closed the door securely behind him. He still wasn't able to deal with his emotions when it came to that night. After he had decided he would get back at Seifer, it had been all he had been able to focus on. And he had come prepared; had it all planned out. He wasn't going to do it in the bedroom. That would be too distracting. No, he had decided on something else entirely. Just thinking about it made his pulse rise and his throat go dry. It wouldn't be long.
After having readied himself for bed, the brunet headed back downstairs. As he walked through the bedroom, he kept his mind empty, not looking at anything but the top of the stairs. Once downstairs, he settled down on the couch for the night and got out his phone. He just needed one last piece of information.
'I might be a bit early. When are you home tomorrow?' he wrote.
When the phone still hadn't lit up in reply almost half an hour later, Squall added another batch of wood to the dwindling fire and got comfortable on the couch, snuggling up under a warm blanket. Drifting off, he felt cozy and warm.
Hours later, in the middle of the night, a familiar sound dragged the brunet out of his peaceful slumber and tired gray-blue eyes opened to focus on the bright blue of his phone. Grabbing the phone he read the reply.
'Late afternoon. No spar tomorrow.'
Yawning, Squall managed to type in a reply, fingers working on auto pilot.
'Okay.'
A ghost of a smile emerged as Squall had his answer. As the brunet was about to fall back into blissful oblivion, another message appeared.
'Do you need me to pick you up anywhere?'
Slightly surprised at the blond's offer, Squall took a minute before sending back a reply. 'No. I can find my own way.'
High on being in control, Squall's mind began racing, the plan for the coming day running through his mind over and over, only interrupted shortly when another text appeared. 'Good.'
Taking enjoyment in the blond's cluelessness, the brunet fell asleep with a cold smile on his lips.
Perched on a branch, Squall sat in quiet contemplation. Dangling his legs back and forth, he was trying to keep the blood flowing despite the awkward pose. He had been waiting for over half an hour and he knew he could easily be waiting for much longer. The blond hadn't specified when exactly he would be back, so Squall had resigned himself to patience. He wouldn't have trusted the blond to have given him an accurate time estimate anyway.
Squall had gotten up early to spend the morning scouting, but it hadn't taken him long to locate a path between the trees that led to a clearing close by with tyre tracks. Confident he had found the right spot, the brunet had starting looking for a suitable place for him to wait out his prey. A tall tree midway between the clearing and the cabin had caught his eyes, easily climbable and well concealed.
As the minutes stretched on, the brunet became more fidgety and nervous, finding it increasingly difficult to stay still.
In the horizon, the sun was setting, casting the forest in early twilight. It had been over four hours now. But just as Squall was reconsidering the whole thing, he heard it; footsteps in the distance. Holding his breath, he clenched his hands around the branch beneath him. The loud pulse ringing in his ears made it difficult for him to make out the sound of the person walking below. Staying completely still, he managed to focus enough on the sound to locate it on the ground below. It was only a few feet away. For a split second Squall considered staying still and not following through, but backing down had never been in his nature. Calculating the distance and drop speed perfectly, the brunet pushed himself off the branch and landed heavily on the person below, throwing both of them against the ground, the blond taking most of the impact.
"What the...?" Seifer spat angrily, his whole body tensing in record time beneath the brunet. Pressing a dagger against the blond's neck, Squall unmasked his identity.
"Lie still," he hissed. "Hands where I can see them."
Gray-blue eyes narrowed as the muscles of the man beneath him relaxed. Obviously Seifer wasn't taking him seriously. Squeezing the blade harder against Seifer's neck, burly arms went out in acquiescence.
Keeping the blade in position, Squall used his free hand to grab at Seifer's trench coat, pulling it up over the blond's hips. A kick of adrenaline shot through him as he caught the subtle clenching of Seifer's hands when he hooked his gloved fingers under the blond's waistband. Proceeding to tug at Seifer's trousers, Squall pulled them down roughly, exposing the blond. Leaning in over the blond, Squall couldn't help but provoke him. "How does it feel now?" he challenged, voice cold, trying to egg the blond on. But the blond didn't take the bait, only tensed ever so slightly beneath him. Unsettled, the brunet began undoing his own trousers. He wasn't excited. He was high on adrenaline but he wasn't aroused. Frowning in irritation, he chastised himself. There was no way he could follow through on his plan if he couldn't even get hard.
"My turn," he breathed coldly, his voice not conveying the frustration he was feeling. As he remained soft, his irritation rose.
Beneath him the blond remained still; it was almost as if he was lying in wait. But then in one swift move, Seifer grabbed Squall's wrist, and twisted the dagger out of the younger man's grasp, throwing it forcefully into the underbrush. Quickly doing up his trousers whilst pushing himself off the ground, Seifer managed to shake off the brunet. A few feet away, Squall landed on his ass, bewilderment written all over his face. Eyeing the younger man's unfastened trousers, Seifer took determined steps towards the brunet before stopping to tower over him. Without warning he bent down to grasp roughly at Squall's shirt, pulling the younger man onto his feet. Pushing the brunet against the tree behind them, Seifer watched as gray-blue eyes looked up at him in barely concealed shock. Pale lips were parted and brown bangs hung messily against slightly flushed cheeks. There was no way in hell Seifer was going to hold back. It was the brunet's own fault for taunting him. Pressing his body against Squall's, Seifer whispered hotly into his ear. "I don't think so."
In one quick move, Seifer yanked down the brunet's trousers, revealing pale skin and the brunet's half erect cock. Holding his breath, Squall couldn't suppress the excitement rushing through him. Watching the blond's hungry eyes on him, he felt stripped bare emotionally and was overwhelmed with need. The need to feel. Hardening beneath the blond's gaze, Squall felt his mind run rampant, contradicting thoughts confusing him, immobilizing him. Unable to watch as the situation spiralled out of control he let his eyes slide shut.
Eyeing Squall's hard-on, Seifer smirked. The brunet wasn't even trying to fight him, hadn't even squirmed or tried to push him off. Moving his eyes from the tantalizing sight, Seifer stared at flush cheeks and closed lids instead. Placing his hands under the brunet's chin, Seifer gently tilted the smaller man's face upwards. "Turn around," he voiced in challenge, awaiting the brunet's response.
Opening his eyes, Squall's fierce gaze locked with Seifer's. He knew where they were headed. He knew he wasn't supposed to want it or even be turned on by it. Yet he was powerless to stop it. Relenting, he turned around in Seifer's hold and steadied himself against the tree before him, pushing out his hips, leaving himself vulnerable.
Running his hands up the sides of the brunet, lifting up the man's shirt, Seifer eyed Squall with unrestrained lust. Pale skin was glowing softly in the dim light and felt like hard silk against calloused fingers. Slim hips led to fleshy mounds, mounds that didn't stay untouched for long. Running his fingers slowly up the inside of Squall's thighs, Seifer roughly pulled the younger man's cheeks apart. He couldn't believe the brunet had given in so easily and that he was letting him do this. Kneading the brunet's firm buttocks, Seifer paused, storing away the image of the uncannily sultry fighter before him. Running a finger down the sensitive flesh between Squall's cheeks, stopping playfully at the younger man's entrance, Seifer felt Squall push back against the touch and grinned in satisfaction.
"My left pocket," Squall spoke, voice edgy. Seifer raised an eyebrow in question, before bending down to find out what Squall was talking about. Locating the pocket in question, Seifer found a small object hidden inside. Realizing exactly what it was, Seifer couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Had the brunet really thought he would have let him get that far?
Opening the small jar, Seifer coated himself and the brunet's entrance in the substance, the younger man arching his back each time Seifer pushed his finger against the sensitive flesh. Using a slick finger, Seifer pushed a finger inside, penetrating the brunet, and when Squall pushed back against him whilst stifling a moan, Seifer couldn't contain his impatience anymore. Retracting his finger, he nudged the brunet's legs further apart and pressed his rock hard erection against the brunet's entrance. Squall bit his lower lip, mind reeling in anticipation. He couldn't believe the annoying blond could make his body feel like that, his heart racing and body screaming for attention. It was so easy to let it happen.
Pressing his engorged head again the brunet's tight entrance, carnal hunger overtook the blond. Slowly forcing his thick length inside, he began chuckling silently in delirious stupor. It was too good. The smell of leather, sweat and his sex made him lose control. His mind hadn't exaggarated on just how amazing it felt to be inside the stoic man. Pushing in deeper, Seifer felt the brunet buckle slightly in front of him and heard him suck in air loudly. Pulling out almost fully before thrusting back inside, Seifer's eyes rolled back in ecstasy.
Both men were lost to the sensations running through them as the blond continued to ram into the man in front of him. Seifer hadn't been inside of Squall for much more than a couple of minutes when the brunet felt his balls tighten. Already, he was on the brink of breaking. Seconds later, the brunet's seed splattered across the tree in front of them. Coming down from his endorphin high, Squall grit his teeth in humiliation. Hearing the sound of Seifer sliding in and out, flesh slapping against flesh, Squall felt sickened. Behind him, Seifer was speeding up, biting his lower lip in concentration, pushing harder and further with each thrust. Hands placed one each side of the brunet's hips, Seifer thanked his lucky stars. Feeling close, he pushed out far enough to see his head press against Squall's entrance. The sight was enough to send him reeling over the edge. Sliding inside just as he came, Seifer spread the brunet's cheeks apart before pulling back out slightly, just enough to see his come spurt into the brunet, some pooling just outside the brunet's entrance before the blond pushed it back in.
"Fuck," he let out breathlessly as he bent forward to press his entire body against the brunet's, circling an arm around the younger man's waist as he rode out the last waves of his orgasm. Breathing in the scent of the brunet, he felt more content than he would ever admit. Staying inside, he let himself go soft before slowly pulling out.
When the blond moved away, Squall closed his eyes in mortification. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He hadn't come there just to be humiliated again. Yet it had taken little to no effort on the blond's part to make Squall follow the blond's every whim. Clenching his fingers against the tree, Squall felt anger fill him. Pushing away from the tree, Squall quickly drew his trousers back up, before turning to look at the blond. Glaring at the taller man, he took in Seifer's brazen smirk as green eyes studied him in return. 'Fuck you' his mind screamed as he wished he still had his dagger so he could remove the infuriating smirk.
Abruptly turning to leave, the brunet made his way towards the house, leaving the blond behind.
Falling into step several paces behind the brunet, Seifer couldn't contain his amusement. He would be pretty upset too if it didn't take more than having a cock rammed up his ass for less than a minute to come. Spotting lights in the distance, the amusement Seifer had felt seconds before was killed immediately.
Fucking nerve. He couldn't believe Squall had gone to his house uninvited. Cross, he stared at the brunet in anger and muttered his displeasure. "Fucking stalker."
Walking up onto the porch, Squall felt uncomfortable and irritable. He had no clue how to deal with the blond, let alone what had just happened and on top of that his trousers were killing him as they clung wetly against him. Making his way inside, he had but one destination in mind. Swiftly making his way upstairs, he sought refuge in the bathroom. Realizing there was no way of locking himself inside, he grimaced. Glaring at the door in anger he started undoing his trousers. Pulling them down to his knees, his mood didn't change in the slightest. His boxers were covered in the sticky white, evidence of what had just happened. The smell alone of Seifer's spunk made Squall want to retch. Balancing himself with one hand on the sink, he tried calming his mind by kneading the bridge of his nose. As he felt another trickle of hot liquid against the inside of his thigh, he wanted to scream and lash out at anything and everything. Focusing all his energy on staying composed, he steadily slowed his breath until he stopped breathing entirely. And then his head started spinning. The approaching unconsciousness not entirely unwelcome, the brunet toyed with the idea for long seconds before resuming breathing. He would never take a coward's way out.
Done cleaning himself, Squall sat back on the side of the bathtub, elbows leaning on his knees, head cradled in his hands. How had things gotten so far out of control? Closing his eyes in contemplation, his breath became shallow as he thought back. Remembering the feel of Seifer on him, pushing against him, he was horrified to feel his cock twitch in response. But for a while it had felt amazing, his whole body had been lost to the incredible sensation of building arousal. Remembering his orgasm, it didn't take long before Squall was once again fully hard, yet he was hating every minute of it. He didn't want to lust after his one time rival. He didn't want to be turned on by being subdued and fucked by someone who was an arrogant prick. Unable to vent his anger at anyone but himself, the brunet clenched his fingers viciously, digging deep against his skull. Anything to stop his body from feeling that traitorous need. Anything to make it go away.
Moving to the sink, he splashed cold water on his cheeks, before peering into gray-blue eyes that somehow managed to mask all of the emotional turmoil he was going through. Hating his reflection, Squall turned around to lean against the sink, deciding to outwait his predicament.
As he heard the door to the bathroom being opened, Squall didn't respond, instead he just focused harder on blocking out the world around him.
Taking in the sight of the brunet staring into mid distance, seemingly far away, Seifer narrowed his eyes. The brunet had disappeared quickly, retreating upstairs. Deciding to give the younger man some space, Seifer had remained downstairs, but as the minutes had dragged on, he had become increasingly impatient. Letting his eyes travel the younger man's form, they quickly landed on a prominent bulge. Walking over to stand before the brunet, he lowered his eyes to study gray-blues. After a minute of ignoring the blond, Squall slowly moved his eyes to glare at the blond. In the brunet's glare was blame, confusion, and distress.
Keeping his eyes locked with Squall's, Seifer slowly lowered his hands and took hold of the front of Squall's trousers. For a moment Squall stood transfixed and Seifer began working on Squall's trousers. Narrowing his eyes, Squall grabbed the larger man's wrists harshly.
"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me. Again," he hissed out in anger, disgusted by the other man's audacity.
"No?" Seifer challenged, easily turning the grasp around so he was the one holding Squall's wrists in a tight grip. Twisting the brunet around in his arms, he pinned both of the smaller man's arms between them, enabling himself to free one of his own hands. As the brunet struggled to get out of the arm lock, Seifer moved his hand back to the front of the man's trousers. Pulling open the front, he grabbed Squall's erection and started stroking the smaller man roughly. "Seems to me like you're enjoying it."
Jerking violently against the blond in anger, Squall grit his teeth.
Feeling tiny beads of precome already coating his fingers, Seifer smirked in victory.
"What's this then?" he asked, bringing his hand up in front of Squall's eyes, moving it in the light to show the glistening substance.
Twisting against the blond, trying to get out of the larger man's hold, Squall eyed Seifer's hand in revulsion. Unfazed by the brunet's continued struggling, Seifer returned his hand to pumping the brunet.
Beginning to hyperventilate from the stress of being immobilized, Squall felt his body give in, strained muscles relaxing in the larger man's hold.
"Or maybe this isn't enough," Seifer said as he felt the brunet slackening in his hold. "Maybe you need a cock inside you?"
At the words Squall fought back once more, almost succeeding in pushing the blond back against cold tiles. There was no way he would ever allow the blond to fuck him again. If Seifer as much as tried, Squall swore to himself that he wouldn't feel any remorse for ridding the world of the man.
Incensed, Seifer turned them both around to face the mirror, wanting to show Squall just how well Squall's body was responding. As green eyes landed on gray-blues, the blond's hold weakened. Unadulterated fury and accusation was staring right back at him. Realizing that maybe, for once, he was off target, Seifer looked back at the brunet in confusion.
"Fuck," he hissed under his breath as realization hit home. Unable to continue looking at the brunet, he let his eyes fall to the floor. "Shit, Squall."
"I thought you wanted it rough," he spoke, not lessening his hold on the brunet, but no longer touching the younger man's cock. The look to the lion's eyes had scared him, chilled him to his bones. If he let go there was no saying what the brunet would do.
Reluctantly moving his eyes back up, he looked straight into narrowed eyes studying him.
"Let go," the brunet sneered at him.
Unable to come up with any alternatives, the blond slowly released his hold. As lean arms were freed, Squall angled his right arm into an acute angle before jerking it violently into Seifer's chest.
Cursing loudly at the pain shooting through his ribs, Seifer held up his arms in surrender, coughing as he tried to regain his breath.
When Squall turned around, Seifer spotted slim fingers grasping at his shirt, only too late realizing that Squall's other hand was being raised in preparation to strike. As Squall's fist connected with Seifer's jaw, a sickening crack sounded and for a split second the blond saw red, shoving the brunet to the floor in anger. Grasping the younger man's wrists, he held them over the brunet's head whilst straddling him. Temporarily immobilized, Squall just stared at the other man in venom. Above him, Seifer was catching his breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves whilst spitting out the blood that was pooling in his mouth.
"I won't touch you again," he said, narrowing his eyes before looking down at the brunet.
"Not if you don't want me to," he added, blood slowly dripping from his lips.
When no reply was received and the brunet just continued eyeing him in disgust, Seifer slowly moved to stand. Getting to his feet, he noticed the brunet remaining still on the floor, indicating the man's acceptance of his words. Before Seifer could mess things up even further, he left the room and took a deep steadying breath as he entered the bedroom.
A/N: A big thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter - it really helped me make time for the story even though my course is trying to drown out every last drop of creativity in me. Much love to all of you. (And on another note... I hope I haven't scared anyone away with this chapter ^^;)
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Arcane Crisis