After Ultimecia Chapter One
This is the first part of the After Ultimecia Fanfic that I am writing with my co-author. It was originally posted under the Living a Fantasy RPG, but is now moved to be continued here.
After Ultimecia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was nightfall at Balamb Garden. The students and Cadets were already rushing to get to their dorms, some were already asleep. At night, everyone was sleeping peacefully, safe in their beds.
Everyone except those who had suffered from the Sorceress Wars. The hero's that fought against Sorceress Ultimecia to save the future of this world. This was their future...
But not everyone was happy with the peace. One such person roamed the Training Center restlessly...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The inky sky rumbled lowly, ominous clouds broiling and churning with the promise of a violent storm. A lithe young man paused enough to glance upwards, lightning reflecting off of his shifting gray-blue eyes. The moment ended quickly and the darkened figure continued, lit only by the softly glowing gunblade held tightly in a gloved hand.
Low level monsters signaled their discomfort of the storm by bleating and roaring. One such monster noticed the approach of the human and charged, intent on injuring him. The blade considered a legend now ripped through the monsters flesh...
A single gunshot was followed by a grim roll of thunder.
The dead carcass fell to the ground and it began to pour rain, weeping onto the battleground.
The lone figure rose from its tense battle stance and another bright flash of lightning flooded the area. Enough so that it revealed another teasing glance of the young man that had defeated the monster.
The rain made him all the more alluring and desirable, but he was completely oblivious to this. Squall Leonhart frowned darkly and plunged his blade Lion heart easily into the soaked earth. Black leather pants accented with belts clung to his legs and hips. Regardless of his bomber jacket, his white tee-shirt was soaked and transparent, revealing tantalizing glimpses of his nipples and firm stomach. His Griever pendant hung heavily, almost reassuringly around his neck. His messy brunette hair clung wetly to his neck and face. Hands held loosely at his sides suddenly clenched into fists as their owner glared at the gunblade with now slate gray eyes, eyes that had long ago lost their light of innocence. They now held a darkness that was almost heart-breaking.
What use am I if I can't fight...? Nobody needs mercenaries now....
The peace had made everyone happy except those that didn't know how to cope with it. Squall's intense gray eyes stared at Lion heart in deep thought.
Fighting is all I know, its my purpose....
Squall had confronted Ultimecia and won after a long hard fight. He had won with his friends by his side. He was now considered the hero of the war. The fame and glory didn't sit well with the lithe gunblader.
I never wanted this.... I was supposed to die....
He retrieved the glowing gunblade and stalked off towards the part of the Training Center he knew had T-Rexar. One huge beast met him halfway and Squall began slashing the monster, letting it land more hits than it should, wanting to feel the warm gush of blood leaving him. It was the only thing that made him feel alive and warm...
Shiva called out to him pleadingly in his mind, the Guardian hating the fact that her lion cub allowed himself to be hurt by such a low leveled beast. The wounded brunette smiled softly at her concern, the sight rare and beautiful, but didn't summon her.
After a longer battle than it should have been, Squall thrust Lion heart into its chest and pulled the trigger, stepping back so the large creature could fall to the damp ground with a loud thud. Squall panted quietly, his blank eyes locked onto the carcass.
Nothing is challenging anymore... Nothing left to live for...
His body only sustained cuts and minor bruises after that fight, the only serious wound being the gash that went from his left hip to left shoulder, torn up his side. The fey gunblader frowned slightly, his brow furrowing, the scar that only one other man bore distorting with the action as he continued his silent scrutiny of the dead body of the T-Rexar. He wasn't expecting anyone to happen upon him anyway....
-Seifer-
_______________________________________________
The rumbling of thunder could be heard echoing from within the serene walls of the Balamb Hotel. Tangled in the sheets, a blonde man struggles in a dream, or in his case, a nightmare. His body covered in a light sheen of sweat, he mumbles incoherently as his subconscious is disturbed.
"Poor, poor boy..."
"Stay away from me!"
"Such a confused little boy. Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide. "
"Stay back!"
"The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off. You can't make up your mind. You don't know the right answer. You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament."
"Shut up!"
"Don't be ashamed to ask for help. Besides, you're only a little boy."
"I'm not... stop calling me a boy."
"You don't want to be a boy anymore?"
"I am not a BOY!"
"Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood."
Emerald green eyes snapped open suddenly and the blonde man begins to breathe heavily.
"That's what started it all. And until now, even though this whole mess is over, it's still haunting me. Why can't I just forget?!" The blonde yelled in frustration.
"Seifer! You alright in there, ya know?" The deep voice was heard from the door to the room.
"Yea Rai, I'm fine. Just some pent up stress I need to get out." The blonde replied loud enough for his friend to hear through the door.
"Alright well, just talk to me and Fuu about it in the morning, ya know? It might help ya feel better, ya know?" Raijin said as he made his way back to his own room.
"Yeah, yeah...at least I haven't lost everything...I still have my posse, I mean, friends." Seifer said, mostly to himself. The blonde sighed and laid back down under the covers to try to get some rest, hoping for his sleep to be a peaceful one and not plagued by his past.
_______________________________________________
The blonde awoke with the sounds of the ocean waves crashing into Balamb Harbor. As he slowly rose up from the bed, he began thinking of the dreams he had been having.
"I wonder if things would have been different if I had never left. Heh, I'd probably be bugging the **** out of Leonhart right now. I'd do anything to see that fine leather clad ass this early in the morning, and I'd do even more to be able to apologize to him and the others for everything I've done." the blonde added as an afterthought.
"BREAKFAST!"
"...and that would be my cue to get down to the lobby before Fuu kicks my ass" the blonde thought as he rushed out of the room heading to meet with his posse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fuijin tapped her foot impatiently and her single revealed eye darted to the clock on the wall. She looked back at the staircase when her blonde friend rushed down and shot her an expectant look with one golden eyebrow raised.
"RAIJIN. GONE." She said curtly and went back to watching the clock. As the minutes passed by, Fuijin's expression grew darker, promising that Raijin's shins would be kicked raw. She had a schedule she kept both of the men on. Breakfast, fishing, training, and laying low. Even though they had been pardoned, people were still out for their blood. She could feel Seifer getting impatient already.
The doors to the hotel cracked open and Raijin crept in, very out of character for his bulky self. The silver haired woman immediately noticed the reason for the larger man's cautiousness.
Slung over one of his large shoulders was the ragged form of a young man. He was covered with the remains of monsters and what could only be his own blood. On closer inspection, Fuijin discovered who this wounded person was.
Both of the members that made up the disciplinary committee held their breath, waiting for Seifer's reaction to the reappearance of his rival in such a fragile state.
The blonde man stood at the bottom step of the lobby staircase, his eyes focused intently on the lithe man his bulky friend had slung over his shoulder. He stood there in utter shock, unable to move as his mind conflicted on the action he should take. He was worried due to his rival's current state of health, elated that the one man that he wanted to see the most was in the same vicinity as himself, as well as disappointed because he had wanted to go to Leonhart when he was ready to apologize and face him in person.
"MOVE."
Seifer snapped out of his stare as his silver-haired friend lost her patience with his silence and yelled at him to move out of the way so Raijin could take Leonhart to one of the rooms to heal. The blonde promptly moved out of the way and followed the larger man back into the room Seifer had just left. Raijin carefully placed the unconscious brunet down onto the bed.
"Hey Rai, go to the Hotel hostess and get some towels and some warm food would ya?" Seifer asked his friend as he stepped into the bathroom to get a warm wet washcloth.
"Sure thing, ya know." And with that, the large man made his way out of the room to carry out Seifer's request.
The blonde leaned over the silent brunet and began wiping away the dirt, blood, and monster guts that were caked all over his silent form. After he finished cleaning off his rival, he silently stood over him and admired the serene figure.
"It feels so surreal, him being here. What happened to you, Leonhart?" The blonde quietly stated as he continued scrutinizing the man on the bed.
"If you wanted a sparring partner, you should have just sent a search team for me, oh great Commander. You know as well as I do that no one can give you as good of a fight as I can." Seifer said as he moved a chair next to the bed and sat down. The blonde began to doze off, just watching his unconscious rival, when the door opening caused him to snap back into attention.
"Hey Seifer, got you the towels and the I got some soup, too, ya know?"
"Alright. Thanks Rai. Just put the towels in the bathroom and the soup on the table. I'll take care of things here." The blonde responded as his muscular friend went around the room.
"Just tell us if you need anything else. Fuu's already getting pretty mad cause we're off schedule, ya know?" Raijin stated as he rubbed his sore shin.
"Ha-ha, alright Rai. Just tell her not to beat you up too much or else she'll come after me." The blonde said as Raijin stepped out of the room and closed the door.
"Now it's just you and me, Leonhart. When you wake up, I'll have to face you. Hell, I don't think I'm ready for it, but I'll sure as hell try to make things right." Seifer said to the sleeping man.
Seifer sat there watching his childhood friend, admiring his maturing beauty; the soft disheveled hair, the creamy porcelain skin, the contours of his finely shaped nose and jaw line, as well as the lithe body that the blonde had fantasized about ever since puberty. As he continued watching him, Seifer quietly began dozing off and soon he was slightly snoring, kneeling on the floor next to the bed, with his head resting on his arms next to the sleeping Squall.
Grey blue eyes cracked open slowly and Squall shifted in discomfort. The first sensation to make itself known was the powerful presence near him. The second was that he had been cleaned off.
He angled his head to the side and his eyes widened in shock. Seifer...? His automatic reaction was to reach for Lionheart, but the blade wasn't there. It had been left in the outskirts of the training center.
Glancing around, he realized he was in the Balamb hotel.
How did I get here....?
His now solid blue eyes returned to the slumbering blonde, not knowing what to do. He just stared at his rival. Where had he been? Why hadn't he come back? His eyes trailed to the matching scar on Seifer's forehead. Remembered his reaction to Seifer's death...
What's this feeling.... And why did he help me? I thought he hated me...
The smaller gunblader watched his reflection slumbering for hours, at a loss for what to do. The choice was taken from him when Raijin walked in and dropped trays of more food to the floor with a crash.
"****, ya know?!" The black man yelped, his dark eyes on Squall's face.
Seifer awoke to the sudden noise filling the room.
"Geez, Rai, could you keep it down?” The blonde stated as he drearily wiped away the sleep from his eyes. That was when Seifer first noticed that the blankets were huddled around the slim waste of the man that was supposed to be unconscious.
"It's about time you woke up, puberty boy. Can't exactly let you leave me without one last spar." Seifer said cynically.
Squall's solid blue eyes narrowed at the familiar nickname, the tease and challenging smirk reminding the brunette just why he and the blonde we rivals. Raijin shifted uneasily at the spike of energy that rose in the room, signaling the use of magic.
Scan...
The brunette felt around Seifer's inner being and found the one thing that he didn't want to find...
Seifer was junctioned to Ifrit and he had grown considerably stronger since the last time the shorter gunblader had faced him. The fire Guardian was sure to make him summon Shiva if he appeared.
And that was the one thing he couldn't allow.
His eyes turned grey almost immediately at that thought, not because he was angry but because he was frightened. He glared up at Seifer and stood, the weak sway on his feet barely noticeable, or so he hoped.
And then he said the phrase he used whenever he was hiding something or was at a loss for what to say.
"Whatever, Seifer..." He said in his soft voice, grey eyes trained on his rival almost warily.
"Easy there, Leonhart. No need to fall all over yourself over me." Seifer said with a smirk. The blonde saw the wariness hidden in the cloudy depths of the other man's eyes.
What's wrong with him? He seems...almost scared being here. And why the hell did he use scan on me? He couldn't have been sizing me up. We've sparred enough for either of us to not use scan to know our strengths and weaknesses. He must have been looking for something else... The blonde thought as he glared at his rival.
"Gonna admire my handsome face all day or are you gonna thank me for taking care of you?" Seifer said as he stood up straight, using his height even though he knew the brunet wouldn't be intimidated by his height.
Squall frowned softly at this, unintentionally pouting like he usually did when thinking. His grey eyes darted to the door, where Fuijin and Raijin were standing and then back to his towering rival.
I'm trapped...
"Thank you..." He said hesitantly, hoping that they would let him go now.
"What the hell? I've never seen him like this before. And that damn pout just makes me wanna ravage his lips." Seifer thought as he admired the brunet behind cold eyes.
"As long as you're here, you might as well stay a little bit and we could catch up." The blonde told the brunet with a slight smile, hoping he wouldn't refuse the offer.
Stay..?
The lithe man's frown increased slightly at this. Could he stay? And catch up? He stared up at his rival through guarded eyes. Shiva was already excited within him from being so close to the fire god, so would it be safe? It was worth a try. Seifer had never been so civil around him before. This new side of him was intriguing, but he couldn't help but feel scared around the man that had once tortured him and kept the guardian that could rouse his own in a fight.
"Okay..." He answered, body tensed.
Seifer's mood instantly turned upside-down when Squall decided to stay. No, he was down right elated.
"You won't regret it, puberty boy. I've been wondering what you kiddies have been doing without me." Seifer replied, not bothering to hide the happiness in his voice.
"You ever been fishing before, Leonhart?" The blonde asked.
"Yeah, ya know. You'll get to see Seifer make a fool of himself cause he can't catch any fish, ya know!" Raijin chimed in as he remembered the time he caught a fish and successfully pissed Seifer off.
"LEAVE. NOW." Fuijin bellowed, obviously becoming impatient with the three men.
"Alright, alright. Calm down Fuu. Let's go get some lunch first. What do you think, Leonhart? Seifer said turning back to look at the brunet.
The smaller gunblader was confused at this sudden change of atmosphere. Everyone didn't seem to be as threatening anymore, even though he still felt scared of the taller man.
As long as he doesn't summon Ifrit, I'll be okay....
Turning his attention back to Seifer and Raijin, he nodded. Laguna had forced him on a fishing trip once, and the clumsy long haired man had fallen into the water. And he hadn't ate anything for awhile. Walking to Fuijin, he stood nearest to her and furthest from Seifer.
Fuijin shot her friend a quizzical look at Squall's action before getting back to the matter at hand.
"FOOD."
Seifer couldn't see why Squall was so apprehensive about being near him. He saw the discomfort apparent in the brunet's eyes and the look the silver-haired woman gave him. Not liking the space the smaller gunblader put between them, Seifer walked over to the brunet, slung an arm over his shoulder, and proceeded to walk down the hall and out of the hotel while chatting on about his life in Balamb.
"This is it Leonhart. This place serves the best seafood!" Come on, let's go get a table. Fuu and Rai will take a while cause they need to drop off some stuff at the harbor." The blonde stated as he asked the hostess of the restaurant for a table for four.
As they sat down, Seifer couldn't help but notice the anxiousness Squall was showing while walking with him.
"He looks so scared. Hyne, I'm trying to be all friendly to this leather-clad angel and he still won't loosen up around me." Seifer thought as he glanced at Squall from the corner of his eye.
"What'll you have, Squall? My favorite dishes here are their shrimp entrees." The taller gunblader said, using the man's name in trying to get him to be more comfortable around him.
Squall's eyes lost they're grey color to blue as the orbs widened slightly in shock. He turned his head away and his long bangs covered his expression but far too late to hide it from the blonde.
"Whatever you're having, that's fine..." His voice was softer then normal, almost tender from the aftereffects of hearing his name from his rival. He didn't know why it made him happy, but it did.
Seifer felt his heart stop beating when he heard the tenderness in the brunet's reply, the way the man's eyes instantly softened upon hearing his name as he tried to hide it by turning his face away.
"Great, you'll love the Shrimp and Scallop Marsala here. It's my favorite." He said with a soft-spoken tone.
"Maybe...maybe he feels the same about me as I do for him." The blonde thought as he looked at the quiet man seated beside him. Putting an arm around the brunet's shoulder, he started up another conversation intent on getting closer to the stoic brunet.
"So I read in the newspaper that you and Rinoa have a thing going on. Any truth amongst the lies in these newspapers today?" His voice accompanied by the jealousy he tried to hide upon learning about *his* Squall being with that bitch Rinoa.
Squall winced, from both the statement of Rinoa and the unexpected contact. He and Rinoa weren't a 'thing'. It had just happened that way. After the war, he was expected to stay with Rinoa and be her knight in shining armor. And he just went along with it and did the thing that was expected of him.
"We're together," he said blankly, not really wanting to talk about it. Rinoa was a princess and with it came the attitude and greed. She was demanding, childish, and selfish. She also was possessive. He wondered when she would notice his absence and call SeeD to find him. Or do it herself...
He frowned at that thought and schooled his expression into his normal blank mask.
"I never liked that damn princess attitude that came with her regal looks." Seifer stated as he saw the discomfort in Squall's eyes when it came to talking about Rinoa.
"Good thing I never did anything with her. She had me whipped before I even knew it! Only reason I got away from her is cause Fuijin kicked me every time she saw me with her." Seifer said with a grin. "So I'm guessing things are going good with you two? I would never have thought you two would end up being together." He said rather meekly. "I always thought we would somehow end up together..." Seifer added in a mumble, quiet enough to be drowned out by the noise in the restaurant.
Squall blinked at Seifer's muttering and looked even more uncomfortable. What could he say? He was supposed to be happy with Rinoa. He looked away from his rival and sighed.
"It's what everyone expected." He answered hesitantly.
"You know Squall, you don't always have to do what everyone tells you. If you're not happy then you shouldn't be with her. Get away from the relationship if you're only in it because it's your duty or whatever bull shit reason." Seifer leaned back on the chair as he spoke in a serious tone.
"Go find someone that will be with you to see you smile. Someone that wants to make you happy." Seifer said as he gazed off in a random direction. "You deserve the best."
A light tinge of pink painted Squall cheeks at the statement. What was this feeling? And why was Seifer being so... different?
"Hn, I thought you hated me." He murmured, almost too quiet for Seifer to hear. He shifted under Seifer's arm, still uncomfortable with the casual gesture. He was about to ask him about his behavior when he heard a voice equalivent to Multimedia’s.
"SQUALLY-POO!!!" Panic immediately entered Squall's eyes, which were now grayer then ever as a body hit his, dislodging Seifer's arm.
"SQUALLY-POO!!!"
Seifer internally wished he was deaf. How could a shriek like that come from anything human? His thoughts became blank as the man under his arm was suddenly gone and was currently lying on the floor and a *thing* was glomping the hell out of him.
"Hyne, get off of before you kill him you crazy bitch!" Seifer roared. He hurriedly got up from the table and tried to pry the *thing* with the bad fashion sense off of *his* Squall.
"SQUALLY-POO!!! Come back to me!!! I've missed you so much! You disappeared last night and I got SO worried!" The raven-haired girl screeched as she tried to get out of Seifer's hold, not yet noticing who he was due to her excitement. Turning, around, she saw the blonde hair, the green eyes, and the scar that mirrored her boyfriend's. "SEIFER?! What the HELL are you doing with MY SQUALLY-POO?!?!" She screamed as she scrambled to get away from him and behind her boyfriend who was in the process of getting up off the ground where she had knocked him over.
"We're having lunch you psycho." Seifer said rather bluntly. "And if you don't mind, we would like to continue it without having to deal with a little whore like you."
Rinoa immediately turned an unpleasant shade of purple, clashing hideously with her blue clothing, that barely passed as clothing. Squall cringed as she latched onto his arm and squeezed too tightly.
"What the HELL did you just call ME??! I'm not a whore! Squally-poo, DO SOMETHING!!!" She shrieked into the brunette's ear. Squall frowned and blinked as his hearing went for a few moments.
"We were having lunch, Rinoa." He tried to explain softly, even though most of the patrons in the restaurant had ran to save their precious sense of hearing. She tightened her already vise like grip.
"With the enemy??! And how DARE you allow him to call me that!" Rinoa moved to slap her cornered boyfriend.
He watched in coolly hidden fury as the ugly witch slapped *HIS* Squall.
He watched as the overly-manicured hand made contact on the delicate cheek, the red tint the porcelain skin took, and the surprise in Squall's eyes.
He watched as her grip on his arm tightened to the point of pain and it reflected on Squall's beautiful face.
He watched as the Siren reject touched Squall.
Seifer's blood began to boil in rage.
"Get off of him you bitch! We were just having some fucking lunch before you spoiled everything! Why the fuck are you bugging us?!" Seifer angrily yelled, not bothering to conceal his anger anymore at the raven-haired girl.
"AHHH SQUALLY-POO!! Don't let this MEANIE hurt me!!!" Rinoa cried.
Squall frowned. He and Seifer had been doing fine before she came along.
"Seifer isn't our enemy anymore, Rinoa. The war is over." He stated coolly. She glared up at her boyfriend, her eyes already starting to brim with tears.
"So you would let HIM hurt ME?!" The lithe man merely stared at her and she jerked away from him.
"Fine! If you won't fight for me, I'll fight for myself." The raven haired banshee pulled out her weapon, already mad enough to start her limit break. Squall's eyes widened, the true intent to cause real harm to his rival making him uneasy and concerned. Especially in an enclosed area.
"Rinoa!" Squall finally cried out, his grey eyes flitting to his blonde rival, the concern evident. Rinoa began her limit break, looking almost deadly.
He saw it coming even before she pulled out her weapon. He knew he had to defend himself from her wrath. He saw the concern in Squall's eyes when he looked at him. Only way he could stop her limit break without getting injured was if he could summon.
It was his only choice. He knew she was going to use Wishing Star on him. Seifer immediately began summon Ifrit, hoping the Guardian Force would arrive in time to counteract Rinoa's limit break.
"No!!!"
Seifer heard a yell coming from the smaller gunblader as he completed the summoning and the fiery roar of Ifrit could be heard.
Squall's despaired cry was swallowed by Ifrit's deafening roar. Rinoa didn't heed the brunette and merely started Wishing Star.
The ice goddess within Squall's mind gave a hopeful lurch, happy at the chance to fight with the fire guardian. She ignored his pleading and burst from his body, launching into the fight with the vigor of a GF kept inside her master too long.
The blood within the smaller man's veins slowed and froze, already feeling Diamond Dust lodging in his lungs.
Hurts...
Squall's eyes remained open as he fell backwards. Everything seemed to happen so slowly. The world around the fey man blurred and then there was nothing.
One last pained gasp left Squall's lips before his breathing stopped, the light in his grey eyes fading...
Seifer's eyes widened in shock as a swirling mist enveloped the chaotic restaurant. He didn't need to think to know that Squall had summoned Shiva. But did he summon the ice goddess to protect him or to harm him? He looked over at Squall to see his eyes squinting in pain, tears rolling down his cheeks caused by the pain.
Seifer rushed over to the brunet in time to catch him as Squall's knees became frail and he slowly began to collapse to the ground, the melodious laughter of Shiva and the powerful roar of Ifrit heard in the background of their minds.
"Squall! Come on! Look at me!" He cried in despair as he watched Squall lying in his arms not breathing. He continued to sob while listening to the battle going on around him. Rinoa attacking the two Guardian Forces with her limit break, and Shiva and Ifrit retaliating with their own attacks. He continued to look down on Squall's serene face in his lap even when the GF's overpowered the young sorceress and knocked her unconscious. He slowly lowered his head, bringing his lips down to meet the others. His breath caressing Squall's face.
Shiva turned gracefully on one heel and laughed lightly at the sight of Squall's rival bending his head to kiss the man suffering from Diamond Dust. She returned to his body just as Seifer's lips connected with the brunette's cold ones.
Squall's eyes widened at the sensation of being kissed tenderly, closing his eyes, forcing more tears down his cold cheeks. He shuddered at the cold and the overpowering feeling of warmth touching him.
Seifer.... He's crying... for me. He's kissing me....
Squall's pale lips began to move against Seifer's, returning the gesture gently, craving the blonde's warmth.
Seifer stiffened as he felt the brunet responding to his kiss; the body that turned cold to the touch just moments before was now warm in his arms.
He felt the gentle return of the kiss and Seifer became entangled in his desire of the beautiful brunet. He deepened the kiss, keeping it gentle and not so innocent. His tongue gently massaged the caverns of Squall's mouth, gently stroking the brunet's tongue with his own.
He had wanted to show Squall that he wanted him, and now, Squall knew.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps on the hardwood floor of the restaurant but he didn't stop kissing Squall. Until he heard a shout.
"SEIFER"
"What's happened here, ya know?!"
The smaller man gasped softly as the passionate kiss broke, his frightened eyes darting to the blonde's posse. Violent shivers racked his body and without thinking, he burrowed his face into Seifer's chest, hands coming up to clutch the larger man's vest.
Seifer felt the smaller gunblader clinging to him and burying his face in his chest. This made the blonde ecstatic.
He looked over at his posse and they were watching the two of them expectantly, obviously expecting an explanation to what happened in the restaurant in the short period of time.
He slowly caressed Squall's cheek and kissed the fluffy chocolate locks. He stood both of them up and walked over to his friend.
"There was a little...mishap. That little bitch over there decided to ruin our lunch so we were just defending ourselves." He told them.
"HURT?" Fuijin rumbled.
"Nah, we're fine Fuu. Since our lunch was ruined before we even got our food, let's go somewhere else. What do you think, Squall?"
"Come back to Balamb Garden with me." He looked up into Seifer's green eyes, pleadingly. He looked to Seifer's friends.
"All of you." He added, snuggling into Seifer.
"Of course we will." Seifer said. He saw the affection the brunet held in his eyes when we spoke to him.
"You guys don't mind going, do you?" Seifer turned to ask his friends.
"Uhh...I dunno, Sei. It's not exactly keeping a low profile if we go back to Garden, ya know?" Raijin replied sheepishly.
"AFFIRMATIVE" Fuijin said in a harsh tone.
"Alright well, if you guys don’t wanna go I won't force you. I'll call you if I need anything." The blonde told them as he and Squall began walking to Balamb City's entrance to rent a car.
When they arrived at the entrance, Squall and Seifer got into a rented car and they drove to Balamb.
Squall looked up as they approached the large mercenary school. Seifer parked the car and followed the lithe brunette to the cafeteria. The cadets and students looked up, their faces varying from shock to awe.
The smaller gunblader looked up at the towering blonde and twined his lean fingers with the blonde's larger ones.
Seifer felt the younger man intertwining their fingers as they walked past the shocked faces of the students. He smiled at the brunet and continued in silence towards the cafeteria where they could hopefully enjoy a meal without anyone bothering them.
As they reached the cafeteria he saw a group of Trepies chattering away and they stopped abruptly when the two men were noticed. The girls, and some boys, immediately began whispering amongst themselves and several kept glancing at the pair.
"You realize that in about an hour, the whole Garden will know about us, right?" Seifer asked his silent companion.
Squall glared icily at the students staring and moved closer to Seifer, trying to get warmer from the aftereffects of Diamond Dust. His teeth chattered together softly.
"Its none of their business..." He answered, looking at Seifer as they sat down at a table. He remained close to the blonde's side. He didn't know why he had accepted Seifer so easily. He just knew that this felt right.
Squall felt so warm sitting next to him like that. Seifer decided that he liked that feeling very much. He put his arm around the brunet's shoulders and kissed him on the lips, savoring his taste. He felt the shivers Squall had and tried to use his body to bring warmth to the smaller man.
"Don't look now but the little messenger girl's coming." Seifer whispered into Squall's ear.
"Think she found out about us yet? Those Trepies are probably telling everyone in Garden about the newest gossip by now." The blonde said with a glint of happiness of Squall's open affection towards him in public.
Squall angled his head to look at Selphie, still trying to bury himself as close to Seifer as possible. The blue eyed girl stopped about a few feet away from them and they just regarded each other for a few moments.
"EEEEEeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!" Selphie finally screamed very fan girlishly. Squall eyed her with incredulous blue eyes.
"Seifer and Squall! Sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!" She yelled, jumping up and down. Everyone in the cafeteria turned to gape and the unlikely couple and fan girl.
"First comes LOVE! Then comes MARRIAGE! Then comes... OH NEVER MIND!" She giggled, gazing openly at the two. Squall buried his face into Seifer's chest, his cheeks burning in embarrassment. But at the same time he was hiding the tiny smile from both of them.
Seifer became thoroughly confused as Selphie began a series of high pitched squeals and giggles that rivaled those of Rinoa's.
"OMG OMG When did this happen?!?! This morning Rinoa was all freaking out about you missing Squall! And now, this?! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!" Selphie sang as she rambled on about their relationship.
"Please, Selphie, can we talk later? Squall and I want to have lunch first. We'll come and find you after we eat ok?" Seifer asked the hyperactive girl.
"Spoilsport! Alright. I'll be in the quad recruiting people for the Garden Festival! You better come and find me or I'll hunt you down and force you to watch my collection of Yaoi!!!" Selphie squealed happily.
"Ugh, don't worry about that Selphie. We'll come find you." Seifer replied, all his energy drained. The bright-eyed girl happily skipped out of the cafeteria, satisfied by her yaoi fantasies of the day.
"Now that that's over, let's get lunch, yea?" Seifer asked the brunet still snuggling into his chest.
Squall nodded slightly and let Seifer help him up so they could order the food from the cafeteria lady. She frowned slightly at them for disturbing her lunchroom and gave them the generic food that the Garden served. It may not be the best food, but they perhaps grew to like it, Squall sat back down, waiting for Seifer to join him.
Seifer walked back to the table and sat next to the beautiful brunet. He smiled happily down at Squall and kissed him softly on the cheek before he began eating his hot dog.
He enjoyed spending time with the smaller man and he hoped their relationship would develop and grow. It felt right. Like he was complete when he was with Squall.
He wasn't afraid when he was with him and he felt like he could face his nightmares and overcome with.
Seifer knew he held strong emotions for the young man, but was it love? Seifer thought while he ate.
It's too soon to label it as love, but it sure is possible. I can't imagine myself in love with anyone else. He's perfect.
He smiled warmly as he ate and rubbed his leg against Squall's absentmindedly as Squall ate his sandwich.
Squall blinked his blue eyes at the gentle gesture and blushed. Melodic laughter filled his mind, he could almost feel Shiva's smile. The shorter man frowned.
"Stop laughing, Shiva..." He murmured as he finished his sandwich, already feeling too full and too cold. Why wasn't the cold going away? The Ice Goddess began laughing again and Squall felt as if she were involved. He pouted, the action just making Shiva's laughter grow richer.
'Shiva?' Seifer thought when he heard Squall murmur her name. 'Is Squall talking to her? I wonder if I can talk to Ifrit too...'
Seifer's train of thought was blown away when he saw the brunet pout. He *really* wanted to take his lips with his own. The blonde brought his face closer to the brunet's and tilted Squall's face up to his own with a finger.
He looked into the eyes which slowly swirled into a radiant blue color and kissed him softly, licking the smaller man's upper lip begging for entrance to his mouth. Squall obliged and opened his mouth to Seifer's adventurous tongue and they shared a passionate kiss in the middle of the cafeteria.
Everyone was watching them in awe but neither of them cared. They were in a state of bliss.
Heat coursed through him as they continued their kiss and Seifer could hear the bellowing laughter of Ifrit. He could feel the heat moving from his body and traveling into Squall as they continued their kiss. The heat intensified and a light sheen of sweat developed on Seifer's forehead.
'Guess Ifrit wants to play with Shiva.' Seifer mentally smirked.
Squall moaned gently, the sound both innocent and provocative. It was so warm... Shiva giggled, urging Squall on by making his body even colder, making the brunette crave the blonde more. His slim fingers gently buried in the golden strands. He felt cold but he could feel fire whip around in his stomach. He didn't know what he wanted, he only wanted Seifer.
Seifer could feel the cold coming from Squall, guessing it came from Shiva.
The innocent quiet moans the brunet made only served to make him even hotter. He cupped Squall's face with his hand and deepened their kiss, their tongues dueling with the intensity of their spars.
He couldn't help but give a moan of his own when he felt Squall's elegant fingers entwining with his hair and pulling him closer.
Seifer broke away from the kiss abruptly. "Maybe we should take this somewhere more private. Everyone's staring at us." He grinned. Squall blushed hotly and let Seifer lead him to his dorm.
Arms were wrapped around his neck as his lips nibbled on his bottom lip. Seifer attacked the brunet's neck and sucked on the delicate skin, leaving his mark and claiming the man as his.
People were staring at them in the hallway. Some were disgusted by their affectionate display, while others, such as the Yaoi Fan girl Club, squealed and rushed to get cameras and camcorders.
Squall untangled himself from Seifer's grasp when they reached Seifer's old dorm room.
"I never assigned anyone to move into your room. I had always hoped you'd come back. Everything's the same as you had left it." Squall said with a blush staining his beautiful cheeks.
"I'd always planned on coming back. Just hadn't gotten enough nerve to actually do it just yet." Seifer replied while punching in the code to his room.
The two men stepped in and Seifer looked in awe at the once familiar room. It really was as he had left it. There was one thing different. Hyperion was lost in Time Compression, and there it was, lying on his bed.
"Where did you?" Seifer asked but Squall cut him off before he could finish his question.
"I found it when I awoke from being lost in Time Compression. It was laying next to me in the flower field next to the orphanage. The whole time I was lost, I had thought of you, and when I woke up, I took it as a sign that you were still out there somewhere. I kept it in hopes that you would come back to me." The brunet spoke softly, his voice light and filled with obvious happiness of having the blonde come back.
"Whenever I needed to get away from the others, I would go to the training center to relieve my stress, and then I would come here and rest, thinking about you." Squall continued. "It's what has kept me sane all this time."
Seifer examined his blade carefully and placed it gently into its case that was kept in the closet. He walked back to the lithe man and carefully pushed him down onto the bed.
"You just made me the happiest man in the world. I care for you as much, if not more, than you care for me." Seifer said softly before he began kissing the younger man passionately.
Blue eyes gazed up at Seifer's face, his lithe body spread out beneath the muscular blonde, his brunette hair flowing around his head like a halo. A faint blush painted his pale face.
"I've never..." He stopped as the incriminating words slipped past his bruised lips unbidden. His blush deepened and he turned his head away, embarrassed. Shiva giggled, torturing Squall by making him colder.
Seifer stared in awe at the beautiful angel spread out underneath him. He must have done something right for Hyne to bless him in this way.
"I've never..."
Seifer saw the brunet as a beautiful flower who's petals were unmarred by time. Untouched and flawless. He was breathless. Squall was his. No one else had claimed him as theirs and no one else will except for Seifer.
"It's ok, baby. It's my first time too. We'll learn together." Seifer said while releasing the breath he hadn't realized he had held.
The larger man slowly peeled off Squall's leather jacket, pulling off the thin white shirt and the leather gloves, kissing each of his long fingers. He continued undressing the man, unbuckling the numerous belts and unclasping the buttons of his pants. He then took off the younger man's shoes, slipping off the socks, and Seifer admired Squall's beautiful feet. So delicate looking and beautifully shaped. He slowly pushed the zipper of Squall's pants down and let the pants slowly slip off of the lithe body. Seifer admired the naked body of his soon to be lover.
Seifer began to kiss the porcelain skinned man passionately and slowly descended down his body, caressing the younger man's neck with his tongue, and licking a trail down towards his perfect chest, sucking lightly onto a small, hard nipple. The blonde continued to give the other nipple the same treatment and made a trail of saliva down to the brunet's bellybutton. Seifer dipped his tongue into the lithe man's navel and heard a quiet moan coming from the brunet.
He had never given anyone a blowjob before, but he was excited at the thought of giving Squall pleasure in this way. He slowly licked the tip of the engorged flesh and enveloped the head into the hot cavern of his mouth, Ifrit helping in increasing his body heat.
Squall's fists clutched the bed sheets tightly and his head fell back, a helpless moan escaping his lips.
"Sei...Seifer!" He cried out, his hips moving to get more of the sensation. He felt the blonde's large hands hold his hips down.
He writhed helplessly under the taller gunblader's ministrations, never having felt anything close to this. He felt out of control, but he knew that his ex-rival would keep him safe in his submission.
Shiva giggled and whispered soft coaxing words to her lion cub, urging him to let go and give himself to the blonde man.
"Seifer! Mhnn!" His hands tightened in the bed sheets and he screamed, releasing into Seifer's mouth.
Seifer felt Squall's body shudder as his orgasm hit and he could taste the bitter sweet taste of his cum flooding his mouth. The gently continued sucking on Squall's length, swallowing all he had to offer. The blonde leaned over his lover and kissed him deeply, allowing him to taste his essence in Seifer's mouth. They moaned within their kiss, enjoying the feel of each other's bodies grinding together in bliss as they kissed.
"You taste wonderful, baby." Seifer said softly. He slowly made his way back down the younger man's body while lifting the perfectly shaped legs of his lover, positioning himself in perfect view of the brunet's entrance. Seifer earnestly began licking the sensitive hole and pushed his tongue into his lover's cavern. He heard a gasp and an audible moan as he continued prodding the area with his tongue.
He then reached for his trench coat which was laying haphazardly on the floor and pulled some lube out of one of the pockets. Carefully lubing his fingers, he slowly pushed in a finger as Squall adjusted to the strange sensation of having something within him. Slowly moving his finger in and out of the tight channel, Seifer added another finger and began scissoring them to prepare Squall for his own engorged member.
'Ready, baby?" Seifer asked with a lust-filled voice.
"Yeah, do it already." Squall answered with the same lust apparent in his voice.
Slowly positioning himself at Squall's entrance as he lubed up his erect penis, Seifer gently pushed past Squall's tight entrance and stopped, moaning in pleasure.
"You alright?" Seifer asked, himself lost in a haze of pleasure.
"Yeah...keep going. I want you completely in me" Squall answered in slight discomfort.
"Anything you want, baby." Seifer said as he pushed in little by little until he was up to the hilt inside of the smaller man.
"It feels so good...Please Squall, tell me this is good for you too."
Blue eyes opened at that statement, meeting the half-mast eyes of his new lover. The initial entry had burned but now all he felt was the sensation of being filled. By Seifer...
His brow furrowed slightly in concentration as he moved his hips against the blonde experimentally. This action caused a small whimper to escape him and his zealous arms wrapped themselves around Seifer's upper back.
He could feel Ifrit's fire running through the taller gunblader poised above him, it licked out into the room at the same time Shiva's coldness flowed off of his lean body.
His hips moved again and he groaned this time when it felt good, tightening his grip on his lover slightly.
"Hyne, please... Seifer... Move..." He pleaded, kissing the shoulder nearest to him and whimpering, his blue eyes full of hunger.
His emerald eyes hazed in pleasure, Seifer groaned at his lover's movements. The cold aura Squall was emitting only intensified the pleasure as it swirled with the heat Ifrit was radiating from his body, creating a tingling sensation all over his body as he slowly began thrusting into the lithe man beneath him.
"Oh Hyne, Squall! You feel incredible..." Seifer groaned as he continued at a slow pace.
He looked down at the brunet's face, seeing his eyes closed in pleasure while whimpering almost inaudible moans.
"Open your eyes Squall. I want to be looking into your eyes."
Squall's blue eyes fluttered open, gazing up at Seifer as he moved his hips against the blonde's.
"Seifer..." He groaned softly, hearing Shiva echo the sound. He let his lean fingers move down Seifer's sweat slicked back. Was the blonde afraid of hurting him? Or was he waiting for permission?
"Harder..." He begged.
"Anything, my love." Seifer said with a pleasure-strained voice. His pace quickened as he thrust into the beautiful boy with more force. "Hyne, this is so good, Squall. I don't think I can last long."
The two lovers were panting heavily and their moans filled the room. The smell of sex heavy. Seifer lifted himself with his arms, allowing more leverage as he thrusted faster and harder into the brunet, moaning incoherently while saying his lover's name.
Seifer lowered his head down to meet his lover's lips and kissed him passionately as he continued thrusting into his body.
He felt the younger man shudder involuntarily as he hit his prostate. Aiming for that spot deep within the brunet, Seifer hit his special spot and their moans filled the air.
Squall's body arched against the taller gunblader's when something struck within him made stars burst before his eyes. His eyes couldn't remain all the way open, so he settled on training his barely open eyes on Seifer's face.
His entire body was covered in a light sheen of sweat, making his body seem to glow in the dimming light. He watched as Seifer moved above him and felt safe.
The lithe body underneath Seifer tensed and a sweet cry tore itself from the brunette's throat and he came for the second time that day, splashing white cum against his belly and Seifer's. As he found his release, the inner muscles of his channel tightened around Seifer's cock.
Seifer felt the body underneath him shudder and he felt a warm wetness splash onto his abs and chest. The warm channel surrounding his length tightened and he shuddered in almost painful pleasure, pushing him to orgasm as he exploded and his seed erupted into his lover, claiming him as his own.
Seifer looked into the vibrant blue eyes of the brunet, smiling. He collapsed on top of him, nuzzling the younger man's neck, still buried deep within him.
Squall wrapped his arms around Seifer, not at all minding the weight on him. His deep blue eyes met with the muscular blonde's emerald ones and he did the one thing that could make Hyne sigh.
He smiled softly.
There was that smile again. That beautiful smile that made his heart melt. He knew at that moment what his feelings for the younger man were. He loved the beautiful brunet. There was no denying it to himself anymore.
"I love you, Squall." He said softly. He laid himself down next to the lithe man and wrapped his arms possessively around him, slowly drifting into a light slumber, thinking of his beloved.
Blue eyes widened at that declaration and he watched in stunned silence as the blonde fell asleep, exhausted from their love making.
He loves me...?
His gaze traced the other gunblader's features as he slept, only having seeing him so peaceful in slumber early that morning. Squall reached out gentle fingertips to lightly trace the scar that mirrored his.
He loves me.
Another soft smile graced his bruised lips and he relaxed fully against his blonde lover.
(Chapter One~ Owari. To be continued....)