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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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter 7
Hearing nothing but the loud drum of his pulse, Squall closed his eyes. The cold from the tiles below was traveling through his clothes, slowly fighting the heat that was setting his body on fire. He couldn't think. Things had escalated beyond the point of rationality, beyond what his usual behavior dictated. Pushing himself up from the floor, Squall knew he needed to leave. There was nothing left to discuss with Seifer. There was nothing that urged him to stay.
As he made his way downstairs, Squall spotted Seifer sitting at the table, but quickly averted his eyes. The sight of the other man did nothing but increase his bitterness. Without a word, Squall grabbed his bag from the floor and headed out. Keeping his stride quick it wasn't long before Squall was surrounded by the cold evening air and was making his way past tall dark trees. As he walked further, Squall didn't pay any attention to how far he had walked or in which direction, but as the cold Trabian air swept against him, Squall's mind finally seemed to calm. Bringing his fingers to knead the bridge of his nose, Squall scolded himself. For the first time in as long as he could remember he had lost his cool. Continuing to knead his forehead, Squall remembered all too well just how perfectly the blond had managed to push all his buttons. No one had ever gotten to him like Seifer did.
No longer consumed with anger, Squall took in his surroundings. In the distance he could make out the the moon's reflection on the lake. Resuming his path, Squall walked to stand by the lakeside, completely stilling his mind. Gazing at the moon he longed to feel the tranquility he had felt before the war. Life as a cadet had been perfect. He had excelled without even having to try. He'd had a sparring partner that had pushed him to always do his best and no one else had dared interfere with his life.
Sitting down on the cold gravel, Squall started analyzing the events of that evening. Seifer had known. Not that it would have taken a genius to find out. Squall had gotten off on it. On being dominated and being taken and Seifer had seen right through him. It wasn't like Squall hadn't known himself but it hadn't stopped him from trying to bury it and lock it up inside, twisting it into a need for revenge instead. As he sat there by the lake he was struck by the painful obviousness of it all, that it had just been an excuse to push the blond into doing exactly what Squall had wanted him to.
Around him the cold was encroaching, sinking its teeth deeper into his limbs by the minute. Closing his eyes, Squall was filled with regret. He hated being weak and he just plain hated feeling. The combination had driven him over the edge and the result had been disastrous; he had left like a coward.
He had to go back.
He wouldn't let things get out of hand again. He wouldn't lose face or show Seifer his weakness. Squall knew he had enjoyed part of what had happened between them. But so what? None of it would matter in the long run. He didn't care about his reputation. He didn't really care about the taboo of two men being together. All it came down to was a matter of pride between the two of them and he would show Seifer that he was the stronger of the two.
Determined to not let what had happened control him or consume his thoughts, Squall managed to focus solely on the quiet of the surrounding nature. None of it mattered. Nothing but the quiet lull of the leaves blowing softly in the evening wind mattered.
When Squall felt no trace of warmth left within him he realized it was time to head back. Rising from the ground headed straight for the cabin.
Laying eyes on the house, Squall frowned. No lights on were on; nothing indicating anyone being home. To his surprise, the front door was unlocked. The entrance and living room were cast in darkness, uninviting. At the end of the living room the brunet could make out a rim of light shining from beneath the door at the top of the stairs.
Briefly considered the logic of his decision to return, Squall knew there was no other option and began heading upstairs. Opening the door to the blond's bedroom, it didn't take long for him to locate Seifer. The blond was sat at the other end of the room at a desk, not giving away any indication of having noticed Squall's presence. Moving to lean against the wall next to the staircase, Squall kept his distance as he regarded the blond.
When Squall made no move to engage the blond, Seifer slowed his movements before stopping his actions completely; waiting.
For a while they remained like that, each waiting each other out. Seifer could not help but be surprised by the younger man's return. For hours it had been quiet downstairs, the rapid departure of the brunet leading to the obvious conclusion that Squall had left for good.
Unable to remain still any longer, Seifer turned around in his chair to study the brunet. A cold glare was the younger man's sole greeting.
Having the blond's attention, Squall walked towards the desk with an air of stern indifference. Turning around to lean against the desk, he crossed his arms.
"When do we spar?," he asked.
Seifer felt sick amusement course through him as he pondered the absurdity of Squall's behavior. The ice prince was indeed a master at ignoring his emotions and skirting issues.
"Tomorrow," Seifer replied, keeping his own voice void of any emotion.
The silence between them became more and more stifling as neither of them said anything further.
Narrowing his gaze ever so slightly before pushing himself away from the desk, Squall decided there was nothing more to gain from staying in the blond's presence for the time being. Returning downstairs, Squall switched on a faint light, before turning in for the night. Changing to his nightwear he curled up on the couch and tried to get warm under the thin blanket. Upstairs he could occasionally hear Seifer move about, but quickly drifted off to sleep as he pondered the different techniques he would be using during their spar.
It was barely morning when Seifer walked down the stairs. Throughout the night his mind had been keeping him awake, thoughts of the upcoming spar too alluring to push aside. That and he couldn't forget the feeling of sliding into the tight heat of the brunet. Despite the dour end to their exchanges the day before, he couldn't keep the smirk of his face as he remembered the way Squall had looked during the heat of the moment. As he laid eyes on the creature taking up his couch he could not keep reins on his imagination. The blanket covering the brunet was riding low, exposing a naked chest and the top of black drawstring pants. For a moment the Seifer stopped still in his tracks, concentrating all his will on not just pouncing on the brunet. Despite the alluring imagery, he knew sexually assaulting the sleeping lion would not earn him any brownie points. Keeping his hands to himself was definitely going to be tough.
Regaining his composure, Seifer made his way to the kitchen, preparing his habitual cup of morning coffee. Pouring an extra cup of the black liquid, Seifer made his way back to the couch. Setting it down on the coffee table by the brunet, he let himself slump down in the chair opposite the couch. For a while Seifer let himself indulge and let his eyes leisurely roam the hard curves of the stoic brunet.
Stirring under the blankets, Squall awoke as the scent of coffee lured him out of his dreams. Slowly opening his eyes, his gaze landed on movement close by. Eyeing the blond sitting across from him, clearly unimpressed by the man's presence, Squall turned to look at the source of the strong smell. Spotting the cup placed close by, Squall sat up somewhat reluctantly before grabbing a hold of the warm cup, inhaling deeply. Letting the hot air fill his nose, Squall felt the cobwebs of his mind quickly dissipating. Sipping at the hot liquid, Squall felt his instinctual animosity towards the blond dwindle.
As Squall continued drinking his coffee leisurely, he could feel the blond's penetrating gaze. Neither of them made any move to break through the quiet that had settled between them.
Even though green eyes was settled on the brunet, Seifer was now far from toying with lustful images of the man before him. He could tell Squall was faraway, lost in thought, for the moment unreachable and untouchable. Squall had always been stern, forbidding, never letting anyone close. During the war, Seifer had been surprised to watch the growing bond between Squall and Rinoa from afar. It had seemed like an unlikely happening at the time, but with much more important things on his mind, Seifer hadn't spent much time considering it. He could see now though; the two must have made a poor couple. He knew both of them well enough to know that their intrinsic behaviors would clash. In all honesty, he was quite baffled Rinoa had managed to break through to Squall in the first place; he had to hand it to her for that.
The traits of the brunet before him that had been there before the war were still there. The cold aloof nature that Seifer had always been certain was rooted in something else, the need to not be exposed to anyone, to stay alone and unafraid. Before the war, Squall had been the epitome of a loner. The brunet had had no friends that Seifer knew of, in fact he had always been under the impression that he had been the only one pushy enough to be a part of Squall's life in one way or another. Was that why Squall had tracked him down initially? Had the brunet become so lonely, that he had subconsciously turned to the only thing he knew? Seifer was certain that if Squall had actually been aware of something along those lines, then the brunet's pride would have forced him to stay away. Unless that was the one thing that had changed. Looking straight into gray-blue irises, Seifer finally realized what exactly it was that had been happening between them. Last night had been about pride, not passion. The attack had most likely come as a delayed reaction to the disgrace Seifer had forced upon the brunet weeks earlier. And to make matters worse, Seifer realized that his actions had probably only exacerbated the brunet's self image. Seifer's stomach knotted at the thought of how easily Squall had given in and let Seifer take him. At the time Seifer had only thought the brunet had wanted exactly the same as himself - mindless sex; a release of sexual tension. He had been certain Squall had gotten off on being taken and that the brunet had wanted nothing else from him.
Inwardly cringing at how he had managed to go about it all so wrong, Seifer got up and walked over to the blades hanging on the wall. Maybe it wasn't too late to change things between them. Maybe there was still a way for him to build a friendship with the stoic loner of Balamb Garden after all this time. Maybe in time he would be the one to learn of the deeper layers to the cold man. Grabbing the nearly black blade with a reddish hue, Seifer realized just how much the idea of becoming Squall's friend appealed to him. If nothing else it was a interesting challenge. Shrugging it off as just another product of having nothing to do with his time and a severe lack of friends, Seifer walked back over to stand in front of the man still lost in thought on his couch.
Turning the blade in his hands, Seifer looked at in admiration.
"You should give this a try," he said, not looking at the brunet.
Moving his gaze from the blade positioned in front of him, to the man holding it, Squall considered the blond's words.
"It's the two handed version of the one from Lunear," Seifer continued, fingers curling along the length of the blade. "I got it after my last job."
In a swift move, Seifer turned the blade so that the hilt was placed in front of the brunet, inviting Squall to hold it.
Reaching out and closing his fingers around the hilt, Squall felt the weight settle in his hands as Seifer released his hold. Ever since he had spotted the beauty hanging on the wall, Squall had wanted to feel its weight in his hands. But right at that moment something was holding him back. Unable to pinpoint exactly what it was, Squall rose to lay the blade on the table, not affording the blond a single glance.
Hearing the sound of the metal as the blade was placed on the table, Seifer felt his spine go rigid. He should have know Squall would not accept his offering. Somehow the brunet always managed to push his buttons, regardless of Seifer's good intentions.
Walking past Seifer, Squall kept his eyes on mid distance. "I need a shower," he stated, before grabbing his clothes and heading upstairs.
Silently fuming, Seifer picked up the discarded mug on the table and headed back to the kitchen. Watching the hot water as he rinsed the mugs, Seifer already felt his anger start to drain. He would have to learn how to better control himself, if they were ever to get along. So what if Squall had a lot of annoying tics and idiosyncrasies. He wasn't exactly an angel himself.
Having emptied a bowl of cereal, the blond grabbed one of his trench coats and Hyperion before settling on the couch to wait for the brunet to get ready. At the sound of bare feet on the stairs, Seifer looked up, the sight of ruffled wet hair against flushed cheeks and gray-blue eyes rendering him momentarily speechless.
Approaching the blond, Squall felt eyes on him. Returning the gaze, he noted that the blond was ready to go. Running the damp towel through his hair, he walked over to coffee table and let his eyes fall onto the beautiful blade still lying there. Looking to Seifer for any sign of disapproval, Squall knelt down next to the table before closing his bare hands against the hilt of the blade and lifting it from the table. Feeling the weight of the blade in his hands, Squall was eager to test it in battle. Holding it in just one hand, he let his other hand slide against the sharp edge of the blade whilst noting its contours and sharpness.
Smug that he been right about the brunet having a weakness for the new blade, Seifer smirked. "Let's go," he said, rising from the couch and throwing Squall's bomber jacket in the younger man's direction.
Unable to suppress his excitement at playing with the new blade, a light smile made it's way onto pale lips as Squall looked up from the blade.
Returning the small smile, Seifer's usually challenging eyes held nothing but warmth for the man before him.
Placing the dark blade in Lion Heart's usual holster, Squall readied himself for their spar as well.
Black boots slid across the pebbled lakeside, a dark blade swinging low, lashing out in the direction of Seifer's legs. Jumping, the blond avoided the cut before swinging Hyperion high in the air and aiming it at Squall's right arm. A split second before impact Hyperion met resistance and stopped midair, Squall's dark blade forcing the two blades to a standstill. Locking eyes, Seifer saw the breathtaking high he was feeling reflected in the younger man's eyes.
They had been fighting for almost an hour, both men beginning to wear down, breathing fast and blood pumping. So far the brunet had made no mistakes, executing one flawless attack after the other. Seifer had been able to hold his ground, but he knew the brunet was just toying with him. Something had pushed the lion, driven him to assert himself and flaunt his skills in battle. Seifer held no illusions that he was on top or even had a chance of winning. But that didn't stop him for pretending as much.
"That all you got Squall?" He half yelled as Squall forced him to block four successive blows.
"Pathetic," he continued as he finally managed to take a swing at the brunet. Unfortunately, lightning reflexes abruptly blocked his attack and pushed his blade to the side almost forcing it out of his hold. Distancing himself, Seifer tried to regain his breath before the lion was once again at him, forcing him further down the side of the lake. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Seifer noted they were almost at the other end of the not so short lake. Blocking another blow aimed his way, Seifer cursed.
Trying to read the other man's physical state, Seifer kept his position as the dark haired Commander attacked from countless angles. Unable to keep up, confused by the sheer speed of the other man, the blond was unable to hold the attacks at bay. Feeling a sharp sting against his neck, his let his left hand travel to the spot to inspect the damage, whilst trying to block the unrelenting attacks aimed his way. The wound was skin-deep, leaving no doubt about the exceptional skill of the other fighter. Any less skilled and he would've been dead. Incensed, the blond tried to muster all remaining energy to fight back and force the brunet to distance himself, but the lion wasn't having any of it, wild eyes flashing menacingly. Entranced by the cold fire burning in those eyes, Seifer, a second too late, noticed Hyperion being forced out of his hold, his hand forced into an unnatural position. Moving his hands into a gesture of surrender, walking backwards, Seifer was unable to move his eyes from Squall's. The anger in their depths was clear, the younger man for once not trying to mask his emotions in the least. Hearing the sound of metal clattering against the pebbled ground, Seifer's eyes darted to the source and then back to Squall, keeping the distance between them. Squall had dropped his blade, but was still advancing, the look in his eyes making him feel on edge.
"Squall?" the blond tried, but received no response. Just as he was about to take a deep breath, the brunet lunged at him, but not completely off his game yet, Seifer managed to jump back just in time. Realizing their spar wasn't about to end at the mere draw of blood, Seifer tried summoning any remaining power. He was going to get his ass kicked, he knew that, but he'd be damned if he didn't get in at least a couple of decent blows himself. As a fist was directed his way, he held up his arm to block it. Feeling the impact he grimaced, taken aback by the strength behind the blow. Returning the blow on pure reflex, he wasn't surprised to feel a boot at the back of his knee, making him fall forwards. Dropping to the ground he grabbed the leg that had attacked him, forcing the brunet with him in his fall. Able to slide away from the other man, Seifer quickly got to his feet, watching as the brunet pushed himself up from the ground as well, gray-blue eyes still holding the promise of pain.
Running toward the brunet, putting all his force behind the attack, Seifer grabbed onto the slim waist before pummeling them both to the ground. Taking the combined impact of both the larger man on top of him and himself, Squall grimaced in pain. Sliding out from between them, the brunet quickly slid an arm around the blond's throat before pulling the his head up and backwards at a painful angle, gloved fingers tugging at blond strands.
"Fuck," the blond hissed in pain.
Knowing he could have snapped the blond's neck right then if he had so desired and making sure the blond was also keenly aware of the fact, Squall slowly relaxed his hold before easing away from the blond.
Staying on the ground, Seifer rolled to lie on his back, breathing heavily, keeping his eyes on the brunet. The leather clad fighter turned his back to the blond before walking towards the lake, stopping to regard it in silence.
Letting his head fall back against the ground in sudden relaxation, the blond couldn't help but grin and chuckle soundlessly to himself.
As if on cue, the brunet turned to look at the blond, eyes narrowing at the sight of amusement on the other man's face.
Looking over to meet Squall's unimpressed gaze, Seifer continued chuckling. "Fuck," he managed.
Getting up from the ground he continued. "You certainly know how to put a guy in his place."
Annoyed at the continued amusement of the other man, Squall looked back at the lake.
Amusement dying down, Seifer stood beside Squall, looking out over the lake, his mood turning pensive. An overwhelming feel of regret at his rash behavior in the bathroom the previous night washed over him.
"I didn't mean for things to go the way they did," he said, keeping his eyes on the lake.
Raising an eyebrow at the blond, Squall was surprised to hear an apology. Even though he was angry at the blond for what had happened between them, he could hardly blame the blond for having acted the way he had. After all, it had been Squall that had attacked Seifer in the first place. Thankfully, the blond seemed to have forgotten that fact. It was eerie hearing the guilt etched between the blond's words, the emotion not something Squall readily associated with the blond.
"Again?" Squall asked, not looking at Seifer.
"Give me a minute," the blond replied, lowering himself to sit on the ground.
Pouring a glass of water, Squall kept his eyes on the blond.
"Hyne, I smell like grat piss," the blond spoke, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I'm gonna hit the shower."
Squall knew he had pushed Seifer too far. As the darkness had started settling around them, the glint that was usually present in the other man's eyes had died out. Not once had Squall allowed the blond to be on top. For once Squall felt satisfied. There was no way he couldn't take pride in what he had achieved that day. Outperforming Seifer was no easy task.
Clothes clinging to him uncomfortably, Squall realized he needed a shower as well. His glass empty, he walked upstairs. As he laid eyes on the bed he didn't feel ill at ease like he had previously. Hearing the sound of the shower still running, Squall found a spot at the edge of the bed to sit in wait.
Opening the door abruptly, the Seifer was quick in his stride as he left the bathroom before stopping dead in his tracks.
Looking up, Squall's eyes landed on the well trained body of a stark naked Seifer.
"What the... ?" Seifer let out, clearly not expecting the brunet in his bedroom.
Seemingly frozen to the spot, Seifer stood stunned, eyes following the brunet as Squall eased himself of the bed and walked straight past Seifer without saying a word.
Closing the door behind him, Squall quickly got ready for his shower, not giving the blond a second thought. In his mind everything was back to normal. It wasn't like he hadn't seen Seifer naked before and it probably wouldn't be the last time either. He was just relieved there didn't seem to be any traces of tension left. Under the warm flow of cascading water, Squall stretched his muscles and felt more content than he had in a long time. Things were finally as they should be.
On the other side of the door, Seifer was dressing rather quickly. Putting on a pair of loose trousers and a black shirt he kept trying to remove the imagery of a naked brunet getting lathered up in his shower from his already burdened mind. Squall had been toying with him all day. There was no denying that. Just as he had felt like he had finally gained some ground or was about to turn the tables during their fight, he had been firmly put back in his place. Sighing in frustration, he knew he had been right about his suspicion. It had been about pride. Hopefully, with Squall's pride restored, things would get easier from then onwards. Nevertheless, he still felt like utter shit for having been nothing but an instrument in a day long game of Squall asserting his superiority.
Making his way downstairs, Seifer spotted the dark blade Squall had used earlier that day. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he was no longer as pleased with his purchase. Walking over to the kitchen he proceeded to make himself dinner. Deciding to treat himself, he got out a glass and filled it to the brim with golden rum.
Halfway through his second glass and close to finishing his meal, Seifer was interrupted as Squall finally decided to join him downstairs.
Eyeing Seifer's plate, Squall walked in the direction of the kitchen to find something for himself. Settling for the first thing he could think of he grabbed a piece of bread. Joining the blond at the table, Squall wrinkled his nose in distaste as the odor of alcohol hit him.
"You leaving tomorrow?" the blond asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah."
"Didn't you finish your mission?"
Looking in Seifer's direction, Squall was puzzled by the blond's sudden urge to dabble in small talk. "There are still a lot of places I haven't mapped out. I've only finished Trabia and Galbadia."
"Hn," the blond let out in understanding before bringing the glass of rum to his lips. Noticing gray-blue eyes landing on his glass, he decided to humor the brunet. "Want some?"
"No," Squall replied immediately, brow scrunching in distaste.
Seifer couldn't help but shake his head slightly in exasperation.
"I could use a hand tomorrow," the brunet found himself saying before he could even consider the logic of his words. It was true that he wanted to test out their abilities to fight alongside each other, but that had been something he hadn't considered since the nights he had spent at Trabia Garden.
"Doing what?" the blond asked, drawing Squall back from his sudden bout of introspection.
"A hellhound. I want it dead," the brunet informed.
Clearly hearing the bitterness underlying the brunet's words, Seifer eyes softened in amusement.
"Where?"
"About four hours from here."
"Payment?"
"None."
Bringing a hand to his chin, Seifer pondered Squall's rather intriguing offer. It didn't take long for him to reach a conclusion.
"Okay," he said, feeling eager at the prospect of hunting side by side with the brunet.
Grabbing the glass in front of him, Seifer quickly downed the last drops before returning the empty glass and the bottle of alcohol to the kitchen. He didn't want to have to deal with a hangover whilst tracking down a hellhound. Watching as Squall moved to sit on the couch, Seifer walked over to add more fire to the flames that were keeping them warm.
Glancing in the direction of the other man, Seifer noted that Squall was looking as stoic as ever. They certainly had picked the right SeeD to lead the war. All the qualities of an elite fighter were there. The self-assuredness. The cold hearted cynicism. The detachment. It was all there. Nevertheless, he was certain the brunet hadn't enjoyed being the center of attention, being the leader. The brunet's current mission certainly supported his suspicions.
"Tell me... how is it being a hero?" Seifer asked, keeping his eyes on the brunet.
Looking directly at Seifer, Squall stated his answer plainly. "I hate it."
Chuckling at Squall's candid nature, the blond let the words settle in. It was pure irony that a man that detested attention so entirely had ended up being the hero of the world, caught in the limelight.
"Guess the war didn't favor either of us," Seifer stated somberly.
As the words hit him, the icy edge to Squall's eyes disappeared. He couldn't remember anyone not mocking him for his dislike for the fame that had resulted from his actions during the war. Even his friends had remained unconvinced of the truthfulness of his statements. They would return to the subject every once in a while and poke and prod at him, trying to get him to admit that he at some level at least enjoyed the attention. But he didn't. And he never had. Thus, when Seifer had not taunted him or mocked him for his answer, he had been surprised, and with the blond's show of sympathy he noticed he was no longer in the presence of an unruly teen that wanted to assert himself and his ego in any way possible, but a man that had grown in more ways than he had imagined.
"I never wanted to be a leader."
Seifer nodded slowly in understanding.
Seeing the blond sat before him for exactly who he was, Squall slowly came to the realization that even though he had hated his life after the war, Seifer had had it infinitely worse. His diametric opposite, the blond had always lived on the attention of others and because of his role in the war, the blond had had to stay away from society with the knowledge that his name was soiled and would forever remain that way.
When the war had raged and they had been on opposite sides of the battle, Squall had hated every time they had been forced to fight. He had known it hadn't been Seifer and he had hated seeing the strong boy he'd grown up reduced to a Sorceress' pet. It had made him realize how easily it could have been himself.
"I knew it wasn't you," Squall finally said, the words feeling strange in his mouth. But it was the truth. He had always thrived on fighting Seifer, but during the war he had hated it. He could still feel the frustration at having to fight someone he had been trained with; someone that had trained him. He knew they had been brought up to fight against anyone and anything, but the reality of it had scared him and left him with the undesirable knowledge that the world wasn't the black and white it had been painted during their years of training. Instead one gray shade after another had been slapped onto the increasingly dirty canvas of reality.
"I don't remember much," Seifer said softly, tearing the brunet away from his train of thought. Thinking back on the war, unfocused images of torture and pain, blood and death made Seifer's mouth go dry. In a moment of perfect clarity he could feel the song of a phoenix luring him back to life just as the taste and smell of his own blood was suffocating him. The Sorceress hadn't let him off that easy. In his moment of weakness, as he remembered things better left alone, jade eyes darted to the kitchen counter, the blond feeling a longing for alcohol to make him forget.
"I do," Squall said, the blond almost missing the words, so lost in his own thoughts.
There wasn't a single day Squall didn't feel the burden of the decisions he had been forced to make during the war. Could he have prevented the missiles from destroying Trabia Garden? Could they have defeated the Sorceress sooner? If he had allowed Rinoa to be sealed away, how many lives could have been saved? He remembered when he had been stuck in time compression, how lost he had felt. Being all alone had scared him but he had been terrified when he had realized he hadn't wanted to be found, that he had wanted it to end there. But Rinoa had found him. Smiled at him and saved him and assured him that everything was perfect. That the world was perfect just like her. For moments he had believed her, believed in the dream she had woven for them. Not even a day had passed before the press had come hammering on his door and Rinoa had guilted him into being the hero and showing the world the face they needed to see. It had been a charade and he quickly realized that even though she wanted to give him everything, she had nothing he wanted. So in a twist of fate, he had ended up being the one doing the leaving after all those years of swearing he would never become close to anyone ever again because they would just end up leaving him anyway. How true his teenage musings had turned out to be. He really, truly didn't need anyone. Just like Seifer. Time seemed to have blurred the sharply drawn lines of their opposite personalities. What had once so blatantly been different about them, were no longer so. All Squall could see were the similarities. They both lived for the excitement of the battle. The both enjoyed life on their own. The both had a passion for the almost forgotten art of fighting with a gunblade. Still, there were so many things he didn't know about the man sitting before him.
"If you were pardoned, what would you do?" Squall found himself asking, intrigued by what answer Seifer would give.
As the blond rose his eyes to meet the brunet's, Squall didn't like the hope that suddenly shone in their depths.
"Visit Raijin and Fujin," came the clear cut answer. "Apart from that probably not much." He paused. "I'm used to this."
Loyalty. A quality Squall had always suspected the blond to have but never properly witnessed.
"You've changed," he noted, finally putting into words what he was still only getting used to. Seifer was no longer an immature bully.
"You haven't," Seifer replied, eyes lighting up playfully. Squall couldn't help but ponder if the reply had been meant as an insult. There hadn't been many instances where the blond had made any positive comments about Squall's personality. If ever.
Continuing their reflections on the past, both men became quiet. When Seifer finally got up hours later and started heading upstairs, Squall spoke up. "We leave at seven."
Nodding in reply, Seifer continued his path upstairs.
Arms wound tightly around the brunet's slim waist, Seifer held on for all he was worth as Squall steered them through the forest at top speed. If he hadn't witnessed Squall's insane reflexes first hand he would've been concerned for his life. Wearing a ski cap and sunglasses, the only part of him feeling the cold sting of the freezing air was his cheeks and nearly numb lips. He wasn't certain how long they had been going for, but it hadn't taken long for him to regret not suggesting them using his SUV instead. The moment he had laid eyes on Squall's bike, he had been captivated and felt like he had just been given a new toy for Christmas. Unfortunately, the brunet hadn't given him any indication that he would ever be allowed to play with said toy.
Just as Seifer was about to signal the brunet to stop, his bladder close to giving in, Squall parted from the small track they had been following for a while, decreasing their speed. Taking in the environment, Seifer saw nothing but fluffy white snow with odd patches of dark green and brown appearing here and there.
Abruptly turning the bike whilst hitting the brakes, Squall stopped the bike with skillful ease. Killing the engine before removing his helmet, Squall still felt Seifer's bulky arms around his waist, holding on tightly. Placing the helmet on the handlebar, Squall shook his hair, happy to feel the brisk air around him. Slowly, he could feel the blond's arms loosening and his body heat disappearing from behind him.
"About time," the blond let out in a rush, quickly putting some distance between himself and the bike.
Unable to block out the sound of the blond relieving himself, Squall couldn't help an amused smile at the exaggerating blond.
When the blond returned with a satisfied smile on his face and an eager look to his eyes, Squall couldn't suppress his own enthusiasm.
"And just how are we going to find this hellhound?" the blond asked.
"Using this," Squall replied holding out a toy he had roped Selphie into lending him.
Looking at the device in Squall's hands, Seifer frowned.
"How does it work?"
"It senses heat in our surroundings and maps it onto this grid."
"Neat," the blond admitted. "But I ain't carrying it."
Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Squall began walking into the forest, keeping the device to himself.
Following the brunet, Seifer made himself familiar with his surroundings instead of looking at the device. Noticing the quietness of the forest, he couldn't help but look closer at the display.
"How come we are the only sources of heat? Shouldn't there be little critters?"
"There should."
"So?
Only bothering to lift and eyebrow in response, Squall made it utterly clear that he held no more answers to that than the blond.
"Where are we anyway?" the blond inquired after a while of trudging through the snow.
"Close to Trabia Garden."
The blond nodded vaguely in reply. "Hn."
"And why is it we're here again?" Seifer continued after a moments pause.
Stopping in his tracks, Squall turned to take a better look at the blond. He wasn't certain why Seifer was suddenly sounding so reluctant. To Squall the thrill of the hunt was the only thing that mattered.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm just wondering if it's that hero gene of yours kicking in again."
Turning his attention back to the forest around them, Squall decided maybe ignoring the blond for a while was the wisest option.
Amused by the brunet's lack of reply, Seifer couldn't help but smirk. Not noticing Squall abruptly stopping in his tracks, Seifer almost walked straight into the smaller man.
"There," Squall said, tapping a leather clad thumb against a colored blob on the device.
Seeing the new heat source on the screen, Seifer instinctively reached for his rifle, but his hand was immediately stilled.
"Hyperion," the brunet spoke softly, gray-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Smiling faintly Seifer released his hold on the gun and instead got out his blade.
Following the brunet's lead, the Seifer slowly crept in the direction of the source of heat, quickly gaining ground as the creature seemed to be moving in their direction as well. Finally spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Seifer grabbed hold of Squall's arm, forcing him to still as well.
As Squall laid eyes on the magnificent beast he had been looking for a shiver of excitement passed through beast's golden eyes swiftly scanned the surroundings as it stopped in its track, picking up on their scent. Baring it's teeth, the creature growled, trying to intimidate the intruders. Spotting the scar the beast wore from their last encounter, Squall felt the his pulse rise and muscles tense in anticipation.
Sensing the brunet's impatience, Seifer tightened his grip on the smaller man's arm, demanding his attention. Tilting his head to the left, he indicated that they split up. With a quick nod, Squall agreed and began heading away from the larger man.
Growling, the hellhound stretched it's front legs whilst putting its weight on its hind legs, ready to jump at a moments notice.
Unable to make out Squall's path amongst the trees, Seifer kept his eyes on the beast as he himself circled further to the left. Within minutes he saw the azure glow of Lion Heart traveling through the air before hearing a loud growl emanating from the beast. Setting off into a sprint immediately, Seifer closed the distance between himself and the action in mere seconds.
Squall was circling the ferocious beast when Seifer joined the fight, a huge gash already present on the beast. Attacking the monster from the other side, Seifer felt assured he would be able to get a cut in as well, but just before impact the beast sensed his presence and jumped out of the way snarling menacingly at the two of them. Howling, it called upon the surrounding nature, a cloud of icy needles forming high up in the air before launching them in their direction. Readying himself for the impact, Seifer closed his eyes. As he stood there, seconds later, no pain evident, he slowly opened his eyes again just as the sound of rain thundering above him reached his ears. Looking up he saw the bright light of magic bursting upon impact with the reflective barrier Squall had managed to summon in time.
Golden eyes blazed as the creature tensed in pain, some of the needles reflected back to where it was standing instead of breaking upon impact. Enraged, the hellhound launched itself toward the smaller man, mistakenly calculating him for the easier prey. Jumping out of the creature's way, Squall expertly managed to cut its side. The monster roaring in pain and thirsty for revenge, it was a blur of movement as Seifer tried to make out who and what to attack. Hearing an intense growl, the blond looked on as the brunet was flung onto the beast's back, holding onto his blade, Lion Heart stuck in the hellhound's shoulder.
Grinning, Seifer ran towards them, Hyperion aimed towards a hind leg, planning on immobilizing the beast. Just as he was about to slide his blade deep into muscle, the beast turned, knocking Seifer onto his back, Hyperion sliding out of his hold.
Baring it's fangs, the beast turned towards him, eyeing him hungrily as he lay there on the ground, unarmed. Stalking closer to its prey, Seifer reluctantly noticed the blue glow of Lion Heart still embedded in its shoulder but no one attached to it.
Rolling to his right, just as the creature pounced, Seifer heard the beast snap its jaws closed where his head had just been. Another loud howl rung out as the beast emptied its lungs, looking to the sky before abruptly turning its head to its right, for the moment forgetting about Seifer. Jumping to his feet and distancing himself from the animal, Seifer spotted a black blur on top of the hellhound once more.
"Here!" Squall yelled, throwing Hyperion in Seifer's direction before grabbing hold of Lion Heart's hilt once more.
Laughing in amazement of the younger man's skill, Seifer ran in the direction of the beast's blue fur now matted with a dark red. Just as he attacked, he spotted Squall with Lion Heart in his hands jumping off the creature to make a rough landing on the ground. In a speedy movement, the brunet signaled his intentions to Seifer. The brunet was going to distance himself and attack from a different angle whilst Seifer was to keep the beast occupied.
Refocusing his attention on the wounded animal, Seifer only just managed to block a sharp fang aimed at his neck. Running in the opposite direction of the brunet, Seifer abruptly turned to place a blow at the beast, blocking its advances. Glancing quickly in Squall's direction, green eyes narrowed as blue flashed around the brunet. Glancing back seconds later, Seifer saw the brunet trapped in mid motion, encased in a block of ice. Confused, the blond was stunned motionless until he landed hard on the ground, the beast tackling him sideways. Knowing he was on his own for now, the blond summoned all his remaining strength and emptied his mind of all distractions whilst focusing solely on the movements of the beast before him. Baring his own teeth, the blond swung his blade high, taking a swing at the hellhound's neck. Dark blood began raining from above, impeding his vision. Wiping the sticky fluid from his eyes, Seifer regained the hold on his blade and directed cut after cut at the slumping form before him.
Seeing the blue blur of the shell of ice still encasing the brunet out of the corner of his eyes, Seifer forced his blade deeper and further into the beasts muscles whilst gritting his teeth. Beneath him the creature was shaking, the sickening sound of the animal choking on its own blood the only noise the blond could hear. Falling to his knees, Seifer held on to the hilt of Hyperion, desperation setting in. Leaning his face against his hands, he could feel the warmth of the dying beast beneath him and he cursed it for each second it remained alive. Snapping out of his state of despair, the blond rose to his feat, warily looking in the one direction he didn't really want to. Encased in ice, Squall held the look of determination but no life were hidden in the gray-blue orbs. The phoenix downs or full-lives Seifer had on him were useless. He couldn't remove the ice without also turning the brunet into charcoal. Emptiness washing over him, the blond almost didn't hear the loud sound emerging overhead. Finally recognizing the sound, he didn't delay in distancing himself from the scene, speaking the words of aeroga as he broke into a jog. As the noise became louder, Seifer looked up but could not locate the source of the noise. Positive that it was a helicopter the blond distanced himself further until the sound of the blades cutting through the air suddenly stopped and forced him to hide behind the nearest tree.
"It's down!" someone yelled from where Seifer had been fighting the beast moments before.
"I can't see the trap," the man continued.
"It's... ah... I-I..." he said, pausing, before yelling once more. "You'd better get out here!"
Quickly stealing a glance at the scene, Seifer could make out the helicopter. It was placed not more than a couple of meters from the slain beast, the whole scene covered in a fine layer of snow, the aeroga accomplishing what the blond had hoped for; covering his tracks.
Exiting the aircraft was a tall lanky man with long hair and a tiny brunette with curly hair wearing a yellow snowsuit. Spotting the fallen hellhound, the brunette started jumping excitedly on the spot before launching herself at the lanky man in joy.
Recognizing the pair, Seifer narrowed his eyes.
"Erm... Tilmitt... Miss..." the boy that had called the pair out of the helicopter spoke, gesturing towards the block of ice. As Selphie laid her eyes on it, Seifer could hear her gasp even from his position. Seeing her pained eyes as she looked to the taller man, Seifer had to look away.
Returning her gaze to look at her friend frozen still in mid movement, Selphie's mind went blank. Acting on instinct she ran towards the controller, falling to her knees, desperately brushing the snow covering it aside.
"Nathan, get a phoenix down, now!" she yelled and the young SeeD ran off to the aircraft. Past his initial shock, Irvine walked over to stand next to where his fiance was desperately digging through the snow.
"He'll be alright," he said softly, bending down to squat beside her.
Unable to do anything else before Nathan returned, Selphie looked to her fiance, worry and pain clear on her features.
"What is he doing here?" she asked, voice tiny.
"Finishing the job," Irvine supplied somberly. "You knew he wasn't going to leave it alone."
"No..." she paused. "I-I mean here," she said, gesturing at their immediate surroundings.
Looking at Squall's frozen form Irvine knew what it was she was saying. Squall didn't look like a man who had just slain a creature. Narrowing his eyes, Irvine took in their surroundings with renewed interest.
"Here," Nathan spoke softly as he joined them again, tearing both of them away from their current train of thought.
"Okay. I'm going to disable the trap. Be ready with the phoenix down," Selphie ordered.
In front of them the ice turned to liquid and sloshed violently against Squall's form as it lifelessly landed on the frozen ground, water trickling from his mouth, skin deathly pale apart from contrasting dark blue veins.
Grabbing his friend, Irvine forced the remaining water out of the brunet's lungs before holding the man's mouth open for Nathan to pour the phoenix down into. Holding the freezing man close, Irvine felt the heat slowly returning to the younger man's body whilst Selphie leaned over the brunet, desperately looking for any signs of their friend being okay.
Holding Squall in place as he suddenly jerked violently, Irvine closed his eyes in relief.
Coughs wracking his whole body, Squall opened his eyes reluctantly, barely making out the blur of a person in front of him. "Se..." he began, but couldn't finish as another set of coughs kicked in on reflex.
"Shhhhh, Squall, it's alright," Selphie spoke softly, stroking his wet hair.
Opening his eyes in confusion, Squall managed to speak. "Selphie?" he asked, brows knitted in confusion.
Smiling in relief, the petite girl hugged her friend close. "You're alright!" she let out in a small voice, tears almost spilling at the intense joy coursing through her. "You're alright."
"Dammit Squall, why do you have to do this?" she finally asked, frustrated by the man's knack for always landing in situations like that.
"I'm fine," he said, already feeling a lot better, the X-potion he'd been given settling in. Scrunching his eyebrows further, he couldn't help the anxiety that was rising at the back of his mind. He couldn't remember what had happened or even where he was. Looking at the surroundings a flash of the fight with the beast lying dead on the ground to his right made him wonder aloud. "What are you doing here?"
"The trap," Selphie said, gesturing towards the device no longer covered by snow.
As Squall remembered he hadn't been fighting the beast on his own he tensed in Selphie's hold. Worried, he got to his feet, making his way to the fallen hellhound.
"You didn't hold back, huh?" Irvine said, as Squall looked at the large creature in front of him, deep slashes almost making the form unrecognizable. Spotting patches of wet fur, caused by a mix of blood and melted snow and the lack of tracks leading away, Squall was relieved. Unable to help himself, Squall quickly scanned their surroundings as subtly as possible, but couldn't make out any obvious leads.
Eyeing his friend, Irvine couldn't help but be certain something was off. The brunet was no longer interested in the monster, but instead skimmed the horizon, confirming Irvine's suspicion that someone else had been involved.
"Let's head back," Selphie interjected, coming to stand between the two men. "You need to get some dry clothes on," she said eyeing up the brunet's drenched clothes.
"I..." Squall began, uncertain how to finish. "Do you have a spare SeeD uniform I can borrow?"
Narrowing her eyes instantly in response to Squall's question, Selphie couldn't stop the motherly reprimand from spilling off her lips. "You need some days off."
Keeping his eyes on the SeeD that had temporarily left them to go to the helicopter, Squall kept his ground. "I already had some. I need to get back." Meeting the concerned girl's gaze he continued. "I don't want to leave my bike here."
Letting out all her frustration in a deep sigh, Selphie knew there was no way of changing her friend's mind.
"Okay," she said. "But only if we can find you some dry clothes."
Squall nodded and headed in the direction of the aircraft.
"There's one in there," the young SeeD informed as he jumped back out of the helicopter.
Making his way to the back of the helicopter, Squall saw the uniform laid out for him. Removing his soaking clothes, he began shivering but was distracted by the intense discussion his friends were having outside. He wasn't able to make out much as they were obviously trying to keep their voice levels below his hearing range. Only able to make out fragments like "It doesn't ma-" and "- obviously not gonna te-" the brunet quickly gave up and instead let heat course along the surface of his body as he spoke the words of fire and felt the heat warm his body as it fought playfully against the protective shield Shiva had erected around his naked skin.
Once finished dressing, Squall slid the door open to the outside and jumped down onto the frosty ground, cutting short the heated conversation his friends were having.
"Thanks," he said, nodding at the young SeeD.
Unable to stop herself, the petite brunette once again found herself hugging the stoic man.
"Anytime man," Irvine spoke from beside them. Looking at the tall man, Squall could easily read the reluctance in the man's stance. Irvine knew something was up. Unwilling to deal with it, Squall decided it would be best for him to be on his way as quickly as possible.
Distancing himself from Selphie, he held her concerned gaze. "I'll visit soon," he said, to which she smiled, her eyes lighting up. Turning around, Squall began heading in the direction where he remembered his bike to be waiting, vainly hoping Seifer hadn't relied entirely on Squall leading them back to the bike.
Hearing the sound of the aircraft taking off behind him, Squall looked over his shoulder for the briefest of moments. Almost as soon as the noise had started, it had disappeared in the distance and Squall was left to himself.
Looking around, the brunet couldn't see any signs of the blond. Instead of wasting his energy on looking for Seifer he decided to just return to the bike and wait for the blond to find his own way back.
Twenty minutes of walking later, Squall stopped in his tracks as he laid eyes on the blond leaning against his bike.
Green eyes were on him immediately, but Seifer remained quiet, not speaking a word, just keeping his eyes on Squall. Unable to read the blond's expression, Squall resumed his stride and continued walking towards his bike, the intense gaze of the blond following his every move. Stopping when he was standing side by side with the blond, Squall unzipped the bag hanging off the bike and placed the wet clothes he had been carrying in it. About to move onto the bike, Squall felt the blond's hand on his arm, keeping him in place.
Seifer was couldn't tear his eyes from the man before him. Squall looked like a ghost, skin deathly pale, his eyes appearing bluer and colder than Seifer knew them to be. From the sidelines he had watched the man's resuscitation; how Squall had reacted when he had been brought back to life. He couldn't believe how little the brunet had cared for his own life, that he had treated near death like an everyday occurrence, a slight inconvenience at best. It left the blond with a rancid taste in his mouth and a sense of desperation he couldn't escape.
"I'll drive," Seifer spoke, his voice lower than usual.
When Squall turned to glare at him in reply, Seifer's mind easily supplied the translation of 'the fuck you are'.
Watching the brunet move onto the bike, Seifer clenched his jaw before following suit. Ice prince indeed.
As they drove away, Seifer played with the mental image of shaking the younger man until he could gain any reaction at all from the stoic man. But as the minutes dragged on the blond conceded to settle for the warm heat against him as proof enough that there was still life beneath the icy shell Squall showed the world.
A/N: Sorry about taking forever with the update ^^; Hope the chapter was okay & sorry for the lack of juiciness... Thank you for reading!
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Arcane Crisis