Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Strings Attached ❯ Human Nature ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter Sixteen

Human Nature

 

Squall listened for a while, his eyes trained on his neatened desk, which Quistis had no doubt straightened when she'd filled in for him the previous day. There were moments when he'd wandered and missed what Martine had said, but considering the older man didn't appear to have noticed during the long ranted lecture, he figured it didn't matter.

 

It was shortly after six on a rather cloudy morning and Galbadia's Headmaster had been speaking continuously for about ten minutes. Squall felt like he'd traveled back a couple months to his last lunch date with Rinoa. He had to remind himself that numbly nodding in agreement was not how he should deal with Martine.

 

Gray-blue eyes lifted from the desktop and cast a glance at the now pacing man. It seemed weird that a Headmaster should be wearing a SeeD uniform, on the weekend no less. Then again, he was used to seeing Cid dressed in civilian clothes at all times.

 

Squall settled his focus on the door at the other end of the room, wondering if Seifer would be upset with him afterwards. He'd requested the blond wait outside, complying with an enraged Headmaster's demands, since he could only assume Seifer had been the one to set Martine off.

 

There was something that was presenting as a nagging concern in the back of the pale brunet's mind, but he couldn't quite place it.

 

Ms. Mayor had not been in, which was a given since it was Saturday, but the desk and workspace outside his private office had not been empty.

 

Apparently Commander Trent had accompanied Martine on the intrusive excursion to Balamb Garden. Martine must have planned it all out, setting Trent up behind his secretary's desk while the older man waited in his office. It was as if they'd taken over, or at least a brash flaunt of some authority they believed they held.

 

It was all Squall could do not to demand Trent remove herself. The fact that both of Galbadia's heads of office were at his Garden begged the question of who was running Galbadia Garden. Given Martine's apparent position on the qualifications needed to act as leader, he doubted the man would trust another person to do his job, even on a day when classes were not in session.

 

Now, Squall found himself having the most random fixation over just what was going on outside of his office. It had almost escaped his attention, but he'd seen a certain glimmer in Commander Trent's eyes and noticed how she subtly kept her focus trained on the blond knight.

 

Initially, he'd thought nothing of it, knowing that SeeD from Galbadia tended to harbor the most ill will towards Seifer, never believing he should have been pardoned. However, after being around Seifer and seeing the way the ex-knight looked at him, quite often with a raking gaze of desire, the brunet was able to recognize the emotion when it presented. The glimmer Trent's aquamarine eyes held was desire. He'd even go so far as to call it lust.

 

It wasn't surprising, just something Squall hadn't ever witnessed before, or maybe he'd just never noticed.

 

Squall frowned in his introspective analysis. There was more to what was between himself and Seifer than years of rivalry and recent love. Their entire relationship had been born of an insuppressible lust, starting what he hadn't expected to turn into anything serious or long lasting. Seifer was undeniably the quintessence of masculine appeal. The ex-knight was tall, richly tanned, firmly muscled, and handsome. They were qualities that were supposedly what women looked for.

 

There wasn't necessarily any one aspect of Seifer that Squall could say attracted him, it was just an all-together attraction that drew him in and held him captive. Even that damnable arrogance aroused a certain acquired affection for the green-eyed knight.

 

It was ridiculous that his thoughts should wander at such a time as delegating with Galbadia's Headmaster. But, he found it was difficult to concentrate when he knew Seifer was just outside the door. For all the knight's commenting about his own smaller physique, more specifically his ass, Seifer was either all too aware or ignorant of the way he himself looked. Those black slacks seemed to have been tailored to hug the knight in just the right places, loose but still form fitting. And with a rich blue dress shirt tucked in at the waist, Squall felt own his body failed in comparison to Seifer's embodiment of the perfect soldier.

 

There was little doubt that as loathing as Trent might have been of the ex-knight, the eyes' observations could not be denied, and Squall had more recently learned that the body's reactions were more truthful than the mind.

 

Martine was talking about the importance of any military leader to symbolize normalcy and tradition. “Nobody admires a gay Commander, it discredits your entire Garden.”

 

Squall let the words wash over him, feeling rather disturbed by the older man's stance on leadership principles. He wondered whether they were past the experience and age issue. He also wondered whether he could classify himself as a homosexual, or if Martine or anyone else would care. Seifer seemed to think he wasn't gay and he was inclined to agree, at least in the sense that he wasn't attracted to other men, just Seifer. Then again, he wasn't attracted to women. Did that make him asexual? No, it made him abnormal, which was still something Martine considered unacceptable in the Commander of a Garden.

 

With another five minutes wasted, it seemed unlikely that Seifer and Trent were silently waiting outside the office. What were they talking about? He didn't hear shouting, which meant Seifer wasn't antagonizing her. Oddly, Squall wasn't sure he was relieved of the fact that Trent hadn't stormed in furious over some comment the blond knight had made.

 

There was an odd knot in the brunet's stomach, his eyes unable to stop glancing towards the door.

 

It was a few moments before gray-blue eyes widened in self-realization. `Hyne,' he thought with dismay, `I'm being possessive.' If Martine were going to rant, it should be on the pathetic nature of his sudden jealous possessiveness over such a tiny matter as a woman finding his lover attractive. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. He'd rather deal with Martine than continue with his previous train of thought.

 

“Headmaster Martine,” Squall spoke up, not caring that he'd interrupted the man mid sentence. “Similar as our facilities may be, our authorities do not cross or link in anyway. This is my Garden, and in this building I am Commander and Headmaster. I was appointed to my position for a reason. With all due respect, you are in no position to lecture me.”

 

Martine eyed the young man keenly, hating how the foundation beneath his feet was never steady. One moment he thinks the boy is complacently ashamed and listening with a bowed head, and the next those sharp eyes are pinning him in place with defiance. He couldn't get a handle on Leonhart, not yet knowing where the boy stood on the whole situation. Though, he could wager a decent guess if the state of the boy's body were anything to go by. There must have been twenty different rouged kiss marks along that pale torso, a torso he'd never suspected to have such muscle definition or to show that the gentle curve of slim hips was not just due to the bulky belts usually adorning leather pants.

 

“Martine,” Squall said in a slightly scolding manner.

 

Dark brown eyes snapped to attention, returning to stare at the youth's face. A slight blush crept up his neck upon realizing he'd just been caught staring at the Balamb Lion's body. It was hardly his fault, given the fitting manner that long sleeved shirt hugged the young man enough to outline the exact manner of curvature he'd been brandished with not half an hour ago.

 

Was Leonhart thinking the same things as Almasy? Did this mere boy consider his simple observations a sign of lust? It was an outrageous conclusion, to think that he'd ever harbor a single inappropriate or stray thought, and for another man no less.

 

Squall waited for a moment, not certain why Martine displayed such a short attention span, when only moments before, the Headmaster had been quite capable of staying on the same topic for great lengths.

 

Unsure of what Martine was even asking of him, Squall decided it really didn't matter. He wasn't going to do anything other than carry on as he'd been doing each day. Nothing had changed, other than the public's knowledge, and the public had no place within the walls of a military organization.

 

With a stern gaze, Squall held Martine's attention effectively while speaking. “Revealing my relationship with Seifer was a courtesy, not a request for help. My abilities to act as leader of Balamb Garden are not in question, not to you or any officer from Galbadia or Trabia. The men and women I work for, here in this Garden are the only people I would ever have to explain myself to, and I'm quite certain they've had no complaints with me so far.”

 

Lips pressed tightly together, Martine listened. He was thirty-four years Leonhart's senior with just that many years more experience. A child in comparison, this boy had no more than six months of field experience. Six months! To be given the rank of Commander and later take over as Headmaster was unheard of and a slap in the face for every hard working soldier's labor in climbing the latter. Now to have this supposed prodigy liaising with a sorceress' knight was unacceptable. It was bad enough that Leonhart welcomed the enemy back with open arms, but now the boy was bending over like a little slut and flaunting it.

 

“Your relations with that knight are unacceptable,” the graying man stated with a brewing temper.

 

Squall rose in a smooth motion, gracefully leaning forward with gripping hands at the edge of his desk. “Who I fuck is not a reflection on this administration in any way. I can't help but feel that this is solely an issue about homosexuality, given that my relationship with Rinoa was not taboo.” It was no secret that Rinoa had been a sorceress, and no one had ever objected to his dating her while in charge of the very organization founded with the purpose of destroying sorceresses.

 

“Public image affects your ability to run Garden. As it stands, the press has never been happy with your total ineptitude to give speeches and present yourself accordingly at public functions. Press conferences are a weekly affair, not monthly.”

 

“Press conferences are a violation of everything Garden stands for,” Squall shot back, wondering if they would end up debating everything they disagreed upon before they were finished. “Most of our clients expect absolute privacy. And unless I'm much mistaken, being a Headmaster is not some sort of pageant that requires parading about for the favor of reporters.”

 

“You dare to lecture me on my job?” Martine exclaimed with disbelief.

 

Squall bit back the urge to scoff. He wouldn't presume to question Martine's ability as Headmaster, and as such, he expected the same respect returned. “I do not dare, sir,” he replied evenly, “I simply refute the traditions that I'm expected to uphold, when they are in fact total bullshit.”

 

Martine's eyes widened. “You should never have been left in place once the war was over,” he stated heatedly, “You're a child trying to fill your daddy's shoes. I have always respected Cid Kramer, but I believe he let his marriage cloud his judgment when he left you in charge.”

 

Eye shut for a lingering moment, Squall frowned. He felt his own anger flaring, something that was nearly impossible to do unless Seifer was the one pushing his buttons. If Martine was dead set on attacking him, then he would not remain idle. “I have to wonder what that would imply about yourself,” he spoke calmly, “Balamb Garden has only seen a seventeen percent decrease of an income that was already twenty percent higher than that of Galbadia's before the war, since I've taken over. Galbadia on the other hand has already issued budget cuts because you've lost thirty percent of your income. While I already have a budget plan drawn up for such a need as cutting funding, I do not plan on using it, since Balamb's alliance with Esthar ensures we will receive all the support necessary.”

 

Arrogance was not an air Squall felt comfortable trying to pull off, and in the end, he failed miserably. He did however manage to make his point with a dangerously calm tone and narrowed gaze that Martine seemed incapable of breaking away from.

 

Straightening and allowing Martine reprieve from his demanding nature, Squall slowly stalked around the edge of his desk. “We've actually had to limit the number of applicants to become cadets in our Garden because the large influx of first years and the amount of cadets who applied for transfers from your own Garden.”

 

“That has everything to do with your face being on every magazine cover and nothing to do with your actual leadership,” Martine shot down, taking great offense to the suggestion that such a young SeeD was better than himself.

 

“Then perhaps I should mention the statistics of grades and field exam results. I take no credit for how well our cadets study for exams that are standard for every Garden, but I will gladly take credit for the result Balamb's new curriculum outturns next semester.”

 

It took a moment for the gravity of the slightly shorter Headmaster's statement to settle in. Any change in the curriculum was simply not done. There were rules that were not meant to be broken. All three Gardens adhered to a very strict regimen of specialty training and required courses, universally structured so that every SeeD received an equal education and field training. “What?” he yelled, stepping right up to the casually dressed officer and getting in his pretty little face.

 

Squall remained still, not entirely unaffected by the close proximity, but refusing to let on to it. He glared at the man, wishing that this single confrontation would end soon and that it would also be the end of all further arguments. “I've made revisions, altered the spectrum a bit,” he replied in an almost coy manner, lowering his voice to give credence to the short distance between them. “It is well within my power to do so,” he added, feeling far too much like his blond counter part for the goading words he seemed to be using.

 

Martine felt the need to step back, but considering he'd been the one to step forward, he remained rooted. His eyes were drawn to bowed lips that moved to form the words spoken in a soft tone that sounded terribly like an attempt at seduction.

 

Swallowing thickly, Martine felt a multitude of conflicting emotions. If any part of his mind was dwelling on the physical appeal that this young man presented, it was a result of Ultimecia knight's accusations. The moment he tried to conjure an image of his wife was the breaking point for him, as if it were an admittance that he was in fact attracted to Squall, an eighteen year old young man whose unique name he'd never spoken aloud except in a formal manner. Was it such a terrible thing to want to close the short gap between them?

 

**

 

Seifer took a certain guilty pleasure in inciting Commander Trent's baser instincts of attraction. He'd always been a hit with women, maturing early and backing up his roguish good looks with unwavering confidence. It was all about physical appeal, the bodies and faces that stirred desire.

 

The blond knight sat posed on the corner of the desk, casually supported in a manner that was guaranteed to leave the thirty something year old woman to have naughty thoughts about his perfectly muscled body. He knew just how hot he was. At times when he wondered how he managed to score such a lucky ending as to be with Squall, he took into account that good looking people tended to get more than they deserved. Having Squall as his devoted lover only served to boost his ego high enough to compare himself to a godlike figure of aesthetic glory.

 

“I've known Squall since I was five years old,” the blond continued to speak in a smooth baritone voice.

 

Such intimate details on the Ice Prince were irresistible, capturing Trent's attention completely. It was amazing how different Seifer Almasy was in person, no longer a sorceress' knight. He was the sort of handsome that made a woman's hart flutter uncontrollably, simply from watching him.

 

“Is it true what they say about your scars?” she questioned with interest, eyeing the jagged line between striking jade colored eyes.

 

Seifer leaned forward slightly, crowding the woman who sat in what would have been a leisurely manner had she not been so obviously nervous about her body language. He grinned, never breaking her gaze. “And what do they say, Grace?” he asked, pointedly using her first name, which he'd learned no less than ten minutes ago.

 

Gulping visibly, Commander Trent prayed that the flush and warmth she felt flood her body did not show. If he wasn't the most attractive man she'd ever met, then she had some sort of memory lapse involving an encounter with Jake Cranston, the male model voted sexiest man of the year four years running.

 

Trent didn't speak until she was certain her voice wouldn't come out as a croak. “They say it's the mark of a knight.”

 

Seifer controlled his laughter, wanting to roar at the stupidity of such an idea, but making it come out as a soft chuckle. He shook his head. “No, we gave these to each other,” he explained, gesturing to the healed wound. “Our spars are just as intense as everything else we do,” he added with a slightly husky tone.

 

It was far too warm for the older woman's liking at the moment. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear he was flirting with her.

 

“This Garden is the only home I've ever known,” Seifer spoke further, wondering where he felt like taking his little game. He could toy with her or perhaps he could win his sexy brunet some favor in Galbadia by raking in the sympathy from a good sob story. “Squall is the only person in my life who has always been there.”

 

Unable to suppress her sympathy, Commander Trent's brows drew together and her eyes remained unblinking as she listened avidly. She understood exactly how it felt. Galbadia Garden was her home.

 

Seifer knew which way he was going when he saw the emotional gaze in blue-green eyes. He might have felt guilty about what he was doing, if he were another person. “The war was the greatest mistake of my life.”

 

“So you do regret joining Ultimecia. Is it true you weren't being controlled?”

 

Green eyes sharpened for a moment, annoyance flaring before the blond could force a softer expression. “I don't regret being a knight,” he corrected, hoping he covered his truer feelings of defensiveness over that particular subject. “It had always been my dream to become a knight like that, just not for someone as insane as Ultimecia.”

 

“Then what do you regret?” Trent questioned, stirring from her state of sympathy at the admittance that his allegiance with the enemy was voluntary.

 

“I regret leaving the only person I've ever loved,” the ex-knight stated evenly, effectively drawing the older woman right back in. “I never knew how I felt for him until I thought I'd lost him forever.” He sighed deeply, laying on the dramatics thick, “I realize now that my want to become a knight was my misguided feelings of protection for Squall. That's why I'm here now as his bodyguard, to watch over him like I should have done during the war… to be his knight.”

 

Had the Galbadian Commander not been watching him so closely, he would have begun laughing and pat himself on the back for another prank well done. However, she seemed on the verge of tears, as if suddenly realizing she'd completely misjudged everything. Hyne, some people were so fickle, at least in the face of nervous emotions such as flustered attraction.

 

For a thoughtful moment, Seifer reminded himself of a few pointers he should touch base on, winding the sympathy down to focus on the situation of Galbadia's scrutiny over his lover. “Do you disapprove of our relationship?” he asked bluntly, putting the woman in a spot she obviously didn't want to be in. “Is it wrong for us to love each other?”

 

“I-” Trent began, but fell short as her role as Commander suddenly conflicted with the supportive words she'd been about to speak.

 

“He works so hard to keep everyone happy. You can't deny that he's a good Commander. It's just that, with so many people in his life that he has to keep happy and live up to their expectations, I'm the only one who he's never had to perform for.”

 

“But, you must understand how it will look to the public,” Trent said earnestly, feeling far too uncertain about her previous stance to stand behind it directly.

 

Seifer smiled and cast a longing gaze towards the closed doorway. He smiled as if in some perfect little world where nothing mattered but himself and Squall. “That doesn't matter to us,” he said, well aware of the female Commander's absolute attention.

 

It was almost too easy. The soft sigh that escaped the older woman's lips was all Seifer needed to hear to know that Squall wouldn't be having any trouble with Galbadia's Commander in the near future.

 

The sudden thumping of what might have been just a fist on a desk, but immediately made Seifer think of a body tackled to the floor caused the blond to bolt to the office doors.

 

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