Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Strings Attached ❯ Easily Forgiven ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter Thirty

Easily Forgiven

 

“Before you go,” Squall said as Xu began to stand up. “I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.”

 

It was a moment before Xu understood why. She'd just been talking with Quistis and there had been no mention or hinting at the job offer she'd just been given. “Of course, just like I've kept my work at Trabia low key.”

 

With an agreeing nod, Squall affirmed her words. “Thank you. And, if you would like to be the first to tell her, I'm sure Selphie is somewhere in the quad.”

 

“Wouldn't that spoil your surprise?” the dark haired woman questioned with a small frown.

 

“It's not really my surprise. Besides, I think you'd be better at giving the news, since you were there.”

 

Standing up, Xu gave a light chuckle. “I see how it is. You're still the same old Squall, never one for the waterworks. If you're asking me to deal with her hysterics, then I'd be happy to take one for the team.”

 

With a small smile, Squall nodded. “At least you're prepared.”

 

As Xu walked across the room, she cast a final glance at the seated brunet. “I suggest you lock your door if you ever plan on getting everything in order by tomorrow. If I know Selphie, she's going to seek you out right away.”

 

“Thank you,” Squall said with an air of slight dismissal.

 

“No, thank you,” Xu returned warmly. As she opened the door and left, she was unable to suppress a wide grin. She'd likely be smiling like that all day.

 

The moment Xu's form disappeared from sight, Seifer came striding through the doorway, as if he'd been waiting right outside the whole time.

 

“Care to tell me why she looks like you just proposed to her?” the blond questioned lightly, though a rather angry undertone expressed how he truly felt.

 

“Yes,” Squall said honestly. While he would like to tell Seifer, and fully intended to, he had no idea how he should go about it.

 

“Well?” the ex-knight prompted impatiently.

 

Thinking for a hesitant moment, Squall wondered how he might go about it without causing the older boy to stalk off in an angry tirade like the last time he'd kept something secret.

 

“Squall, what is it?” Seifer questioned with growing concern, seeing the hesitancy in those bright eyes that were rarely ever at a loss for what to do.

 

Biting his lip for a thoughtful moment, Squall finally decided how he wanted to handle it. “Let's go for a walk,” he suggested as he stood up.

 

“Fuck Leonhart, now I'm not sure I wanna know,” Seifer said as he was filled with trepidation. When did Squall ever want to go for a walk? All he could think about was how distant his kitten had been acting that morning, and now they had to go for a walk in order to discuss something that had been kept secret once again. All of his instincts told him that it couldn't be good.

 

**

 

The sun was high in the sky between late morning and early afternoon. With short days, solar noon came early. Regardless of the sun being at its zenith, the warm rays were not strong enough to melt the snow, at least not at such a high elevation.

 

Against the biting cold, Seifer wore his long black trench coat and warm leather gloves. His stoic counter part simply refused any jacket or coat that wasn't made of worn dark brown leather with a fur collar.

 

As they past Garden's tall gates in silence, Seifer felt unease creep up. His only saving grace was the knowledge that it was Monday, the dreaded Sunday having gone off without a hitch. Well, more than just without a hitch. He was seriously considering making Sunday his favorite day of the week despite past occurrences.

 

Jade green eyes cast a studying gaze at the expressionless brunet beside him. For the several minutes they spent simply walking along the only roadway, he just watched.

 

The snow was at least two feet deep around the surrounding flats of grassy plateaus. On the winding road that meandered for an extra mile on what could have been a straight four miles downhill to the town of Balamb, the snow was packed down with tire treads. Brown slush piled up at the side and exhaust had turned clean white banks of snow to a dirty dinge of brown and black.

 

Walking slowly at the center of the road, confident that the scarce traffic would sound ahead of time, not to mention they stuck out like sore thumbs among all the white.

 

In a testing move, that would either bring him great satisfaction or the assurance that Squall was still the same old prude in public, Seifer tore his left glove off with his teeth. Pocketing the accessory, he reached out grasped Squall's hand.

 

When he received no initial protest, the blond removed Squall's glove as well, keeping the item for himself. As he twined their fingers together he continued to watch carefully for any reaction.

 

There was no protesting of any kind, but neither was there any other sort of emotion present in that calm face. Beautifully handsome features stared off in lost thought, and such an observation both angered and alarmed Seifer.

 

“I'm groping your ass next, so I suggest you show some sign that I'm here,” the blond grumbled.

 

“Seifer,” Squall spoke hesitantly, berating himself for the inability to just be blunt like usual, “That thing I couldn't tell you about before.” He left it open, waiting for the tall knight to acknowledge what he made reference to.

 

“You mean that thing you and Kinneas were talking about oh-so intimately, that thing that pissed me off, that thing we argued about, and that thing I was graciously understanding about?” the blond stated in question, feeling annoyed that he was only now being informed after he'd been so understanding and patient.

 

Thinking for a moment, Squall regarded the tense expression on Seifer's face. “That's the one,” he mumbled quietly.

 

“Yup, then I know what thing you're talking about.”

 

Sighing into the cold air, breath visible in a stream of puffy little clouds, Squall forced himself to just yank the damn band aide off. “I'm resigning. Xu is the new Commander,” he said evenly. Despite having finally regained some dignity of character by just being blunt like he preferred, he didn't feel the least bit relieved.

 

The tightened grip on his hand was Squall's only indication that Seifer had heard him. Explaining further, Squall said, “I've been thinking about it for a while, but it was something I had to decide on my own, without anyone making suggestions either way.”

 

“And you thought, what? You thought I'd force you one way or the other?” the blond bit out angrily, his grip tightening even more without thought.

 

Squall hid his wince at the crushing manner Seifer held his hand in. “I couldn't take the chance,” he explained.

 

“What chance!?” Seifer barked.

 

Frowning, Squall thought it was obvious. “The chance that you'd want to stay or leave,” he said.

 

“And why the hell would that matter? Why would anyone's opinion matter? You've spent your whole life doing what you choose, acting the way you felt, and damning what everyone else thought of you. How the hell is this any different?”

 

“Because they're my friends, and despite appearances, what they think matters to me. What you think matters to me, and I don't know if I would have done what I truly wanted if you said otherwise,” Squall returned with a slight anger of his own.

 

“And Irvine?” Seifer questioned, coming to a stop and turning to stare down at the young man. “He knew, that's why he had you against the wall?”

 

“Yes,” Squall admitted. “He suspected me after I made Quistis Headmistress.”

 

“That fucking long?” the blond asked incredulously. “What else don't I know?”

 

“Seifer,” Squall said defensively. “I told you before that you can't know everything about me. I won't keep secrets anymore, but I'm not going to tell you what I think and how feel about every damn thing.”

 

“Why not!” the blond accused.

 

“…” In silence, Squall refused to elaborate on the many reasons why such constant vocalization of his every emotion would be annoying.

 

“Do you realize that I don't give a fuck about whether or not you're Commander? I never planned on becoming SeeD again, so what the hell do I care?” Releasing an abused hand from his grip, he forced Squall to turn and face him by gripping the smaller man's shoulders. Staring intently into guarded eyes he impressed his feelings on the matter. “I have nothing to do with Garden anymore. I'm here for you. If you wanted to leave, I wouldn't care about anything but what you wanted to do.”

 

“I thought…” Squall began, but didn't finish as he realized he was obviously mistaken.

 

“You thought what?” Seifer prompted, angrily refusing to let anything go unsaid at the moment.

 

“After the way you spoke to Martine and Caraway, that it was some sort of personal vendetta that I remain Commander while dating you. Like you wanted to rub it in their faces?” It wasn't exactly a farfetched conclusion, given the blond's track record for flaunting just about everything there was to flaunt.

 

Staring intently, Seifer could hardly believe Squall's continued obliviousness. “I was defending you and our relationship, not you being Commander,” he said at length in exasperation.

 

Bright grey-blue eyes blinked several times before complete understanding set in. Blushing mildly at his mistake, he muttered a quiet, “Oh.”

 

Abruptly pulling Squall close, Seifer leaned down and kissed the younger man. The sudden spreading of heat was welcome for more than just the coldness that surrounded them. He was upset and angry, but entirely willing to forgive on one little condition.

 

Squall tried to remind himself of all the reasons why kissing out in the open was perfectly fine. Aside from no one being in sight, he also had no public image to be concerned with anymore. However, his instinct to not be so openly intimate seemed to be deeply ingrained, so he was hard pressed to accept the ex-knight's insistent tongue.

 

Seifer demanded entrance, his arms firmly holding his little lion close to his body. Grateful for the loose fit at the waist of blue jeans and the convenient lack of belts, Seifer slid his gloveless hand down the brunet's pants. He daringly groped Squall's buttocks, tightening his hold when the younger man stiffened and tried to pull away.

 

It wasn't until Squall was good and lost in the moment that Seifer ended the exchange, parting with reluctance. He nearly smiled and gave away his mischievous intent when the brunet seemed wholly unaware that his hand was still kneading that shapely ass.

 

“I'll forgive you,” the blond whispered. “If we keep my birthday gift and if we buy that hot little cat costume I saw in the magazine.”

 

More than a little dazed, Squall barely registered that Seifer was offering his forgiveness so easily. With a numb nod, he let his head droop against the ex-knight's broad chest, the trench coat keeping him from feeling the firm muscle as much as he'd liked. He took the time to catch his breath and gave a subtle arch into the hand down his pants. He let the whole issue of being outside go, under the pretense that no one was around to see.

 

Eyes widening in shock, Seifer felt like doing a small victory dance. The only problem was that he actually had to forgive Squall, which hadn't been something he'd expected. He'd actually put the suggestion out there as a joke, not daring to get his hopes up that Squall would agree without thinking it through first. But, the prospect of holding Squall to his word was enough to sooth his sore feelings about the matter of being kept in the dark.

 

“You can't go back on this you know, you just agreed,” Seifer stated firmly.

 

“Go back?” Squall questioned, standing back and gazing with greater clarity up at the handsome knight.

 

“I'm especially serious about the cat costume. It had a tail,” the knight stated soundly.

 

Frowning in confusion, Squall shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

 

Grinning impishly, Seifer stated, “I won't spend the next hour yelling at you, and as per our agreement, you'll keep that maid's costume and order the cat one.”

 

Glaring, Squall pulled away. “I'll take the yelling,” he bit out tersely, folding his arms expectantly, as if he'd stand there for the next hour while Seifer ranted.

 

“Too late, you agreed.”

 

Narrowing his glare, Squall seemed to say, `Nice try.'

 

“Oh hell, that ain't fair,” the blond stated.

 

“…” Squall leaned to one side, unwilling to be moved on the matter.

 

“Fuck,” the ex-knight cursed. “You can't get a man's hopes up like that. Fine, in place of that, we're going on a date in town, where everyone can see and where I can kiss and grope all I want.”

 

Lips pressed together in a firm line, Squall scowled at the idea. “Why do you always want to put on a show?”

 

“Because I want to show you off,” the blond answered easily. “Come on, before the afternoon's wasted.”

 

Resigned to his fate, Squall figured anything was better than spending time with Seifer while green eyes held an unguarded expression of hurt. He'd honestly expected the knight to storm off and not speak to him for a week. The circumstance of his silence on the matter of his resignation had been intentional and after he'd already agreed to stop keeping secrets and never lie. Granted, he hadn't lied about it and when he agreed to not keep secrets, he'd admitted to keeping one. Somehow it was making less sense to Squall the more he analyzed it.

 

**

 

Seated across from one another in a small café that overlooked the harbor with its frigid waters, Squall and Seifer spent a solid hour eating a small lunch. As the brunet slowly consumed the daily special, vegetable soup, Seifer munched on his turkey sub between exchanged words.

 

Given that Squall wasn't much of a talker, unless it was imperative he speak, Seifer wound up doing most the chatting. He was almost giddy at the relaxed manner Squall sat in his company and the curious eyes of the locals that never left them. He found it suspicious that the café only became slightly crowded after their arrival, especially since the prime time for going out to lunch had passed.

 

Green eyes watched in amusement and stirring desire as Squall sipped at a steaming mug of hot chocolate. In commemoration of one of their first times eating together in public, he'd once again taken it upon himself to order the beverage and slide it over to the brunet. The only pitfall was the enticing way plush lips sipped at the rim of the black mug, and the way that pink tongue would slip out to lick those lips every so often.

 

“So, are we leaving Garden?” the blond asked, trying to distract himself. He decided he'd put the subject off long enough while trying to show his forgiveness by acting like he'd forgotten.

 

Staring out at the sea for a few another long moments, Squall turned to regard the blond across from him. “I don't know,” he admitted. “Would it bother you?”

 

“Hey, like I said before, I'm only here because of you.”

 

Frowning, Squall questioned with slight concern, “Do you not want to be here? I mean, forgetting about me, do you hate Garden now?” He'd never given it any thought, and for that he felt rather guilty. What if Seifer harbored deep seeded resent after the war, solely taking up residence there because of him?

 

“I don't really care,” the ex-knight admitted truthfully. “I'm making more money now than I ever did with part time jobs, and I don't have to worry about anyone throwing stones. It would be nice to get out though, it's kind of depressing and mundane.”

 

“Maybe Esthar,” Squall said quietly, as if afraid to admit that he found the idea of visiting his father to be appealing. “I hadn't really considered what I'd do afterwards.”

 

“You spent all this time thinking about it, and you have no clue what to do now?” Seifer asked incredulously. “Now I know you should have consulted me.”

 

Shooting a half-hearted glare the knight's way, Squall defended, “It was a matter of wanting to be Commander, not wanting to do something else.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Seifer soothed in a condescending tone. “There isn't much out there for guys like us. Unless you plan on stowing your blade away, which I know you don't.”

 

Frowning more deeply, Squall stared at the blond as if the man had all the answers. “You said you went from place to place after the war. What did you do then?”

 

“Nothing worthwhile Princess, trust me. I hopped each town for the sake of not being recognized. After all, my dashing good looks draw enough attention without everyone figuring I was Ultimecia's happy helper.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Squall turned his attention back out the window. Mulling his suddenly endless prospects over, he wondered about a life outside of Garden. He'd only ever known how to be SeeD, and in his heart, he could never be much else but a fighter.

 

“You wanna go back in the field?” Seifer questioned.

 

Scoffing, Squall commented, “It's a little difficult to carry out missions when everyone knows who I am.”

 

“Hmm,” Seifer sounded in agreement. “Point taken.”

 

A ridiculous thought occurred to Squall, his mind fleeting over a particular memory from the war's end. He called his short conversation with Zell to the forefront of his mind, refreshing the memory that had grown hazy. The bouncy boxer had been dismayed at unjunctioning Quezacotl after having that Guardian Force on for so long. Zell had gone on to talk about how many unknown GFs they'd discovered throughout the war, saying that there were likely dozens more just waiting to be found.

 

Seifer smirked as he watched delicate features become distant, knowing the cogs were working inside that pretty head. “I don't read minds Princess,” he reminded.

 

Shaking his head, Squall dismissed his thoughts. “It's nothing,” he answered.

 

“Do I have to drag everything out of you?” Seifer questioned with impatience.

 

“I was thinking about something Zell said,” Squall admitted.

 

“Keep going,” Seifer prompted when the brunet seemed finished.

 

Sending a glare Seifer's way, Squall crossed his arms in defiance, not liking to be made to speak or rush his words. “We found twelve new Guardian Forces, three have been known about for years, and Diablos which no one could tame. Together, we have sixteen.”

 

“Yeah, and I've seen the statistics and pictures that are going into the books on `em all, they're some freaky looking creatures,” Seifer stated with an exaggerated grimace.

 

“The point is, that Zell once mentioned that there must be others, and he's right.”

 

Eyes lighting up with interest, Seifer tried to remain as passive and emotionally guarded as Squall. “Okay, I'm listening.”

 

“I was just thinking that someone has to find them, sometime anyway. Despite having the resources to send out search party's, most of SeeD can't really handle going to a lot of the uninhabited places around the world.”

 

Biting his lip to force his excitement down, Seifer gulped and calmly remained motionless. However, his hold on his emotions was slipping. Sitting forward, he said, “Fuck Leonhart, are you suggesting we go around looking for these beasties, all the while taking on every monster that comes our way?”

 

Brows furrowed, Squall considered the excitement in Seifer's voice, perplexed by it. “I suppose it's the same basic idea,” he muttered, not quite so enthused about it or having really thought it out in any detail.

 

“Fuck yeah,” Seifer hissed in his attempted at a whispered shout. “You realize it would be just you and me, fighting every day and fucking every night? It's a fucking dream. Why the hell didn't you say something before?”

 

“…” Turning his focus out to sea once more, Squall ignored the blond knight's enthused mood. Taking a final sip of his sweet drink, he refused to let Seifer's excitement rub off on him. It was a crackpot idea that hadn't been thought through in the least. They needed to discuss everything before making any set plans.

 

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