Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodcross Key: Arc 2: Reversals ❯ Reversals Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

        Lightning lanced through the thick, dark clouds, flashing the rocky clearing a bright silver-white and glinting off two clashing blades. The clang of metal quickly became drowned by a loud boom of thunder, but the two combatants continued their battle, too focused on the pulsing of blood and adrenaline through their constantly moving bodies.

        Rain pelted down on them, wet and cold, bringing a primal scent of earth and wet skin. Squall's eyes, dusky and gray like the storm above, narrowed as he tried to see through his rain drenched hair. Seifer smirked.

        "You know, maybe if you didn't try to look so much like a girl, you wouldn't be having such problems," Seifer chuckled as he sprung forward, using the opening Squall unintentionally had given.

        Bastard! The arrogant jerk found it amusing; Always found some angle, some weakness, to exploit and pressed it, no matter how underhanded the method. Hell if he'd let him! Squall stumbled back, just in time to avoid the edge of Seifer's gunblade. With an awkward twist, his feet nearly slipping on the wet, rocky ground, he swung his own blade upward, slicing the air with a whoosh where flickering pale gray and shadows had been moments before. Damn, Seifer was fast.

        "Nice. I almost had you too, Leonhart." The blond stood several yards away, hand resting arrogantly on his hip, the ever-present smirk on his sensual lips. Though his gunblade hung towards the ground with relaxed indifference, Squall knew better than to assume its owner was anything but poised to strike in an instant.

        Seifer slowly stalked towards him, pale gray trenchcoat whipping around long, lean legs. He was grace in motion, as charged and intense as the lightning crackling the sky behind him. Golden hair flashed to silver, and a glowing blue-white outline gave the handsome young man an ethereal quality only heightened by the long lines of his body and his regal beauty.

        The rain trailed down Squall's face, cooling his flushed cheeks. The cool air in front of him misted with his panted breaths, and not all were from the exertion from their duel. Damn Seifer and his distractions. He ran a gloved hand through his wet hair, slicking it from dangling in his eyes. No way would he allow Seifer to beat him just because the blond was too gorgeous wet and storm-lit for Squall's concentration. With a deep breath, he took a step backwards, his gunblade flickering silver and ready for whichever maneuver Seifer tried next.

        Seifer was a sly bastard, regardless of how much an angel he looked, and Squall needed all his wits about him. But under the sparkling blue-green gaze striding towards him Squall found himself trembling from more than the cold. And it certainly was not from fear. Oh, no, not fear at all. Something unfamiliar yet, instinctive, natural, like breathing; Though when he gasped, he realized he had forgotten to for a few moments.

        Squall shook himself He had to stay alert or Seifer would take the advantage. He wouldn't let his rival defeat him. Couldn't. Just as Seifer would never be defeated. It was all part of their dance. Almost like a ma-...

        In a blink, Seifer was against him, slamming him into a wall. His breath flew out of him from the impact, as well as surprise. Their eyes met and Seifer's pink, enticing lips twisted into a smirk.

        "I'm disappointed. You're slipping, Leonhart. Must be all the fancy food and sissy activities Rinoa forces you into," the blond mocked with amusement in his deep voice.

        However, Squall was beyond caring what Seifer actually said. He had already found himself melting under the press of Seifer's warm body against his, Seifer's warm, sweet breath brushing against his skin like a caress. But that voice; It was Seifer's deep, sultry voice that finished him, so close that the heat of Seifer's lips and breath embraced his ear.

        "So, Lionheart..."

        Each syllable sent shivers hurtling through him. It was all he could do to not moan. Fingertips traced along his throat, searing his burning skin. His eyes captive to the aqua drowning him, Squall arched into the roaming hand, so strong and gentle, as, skin to rain-slick skin, it traveled down the hollow of his collar-bone, his chest, to a long hard nipple. Like the lightning ripping the sky, electricity crackled through his entire being, drawn, unresisting and trembling, to the force of nature that was Seifer's touch. He licked his lips, mouth dry, but it did nothing to quench the thirst consuming him.

        "...does the lion purr?" Seifer himself purred into his ear. Not allowing for a reply, though Squall couldn't have spoken if he had, Seifer seized his lips in a world-warping kiss.

        "Squall."

        No. No talking, just the kiss. Only the kiss. His hands grabbed the collar of Seifer's coat, holding the blond tighter against him, ensuring he couldn't pull away.

        "Squall."

        How could Seifer want to talk at a time like this? How could he even manage to speak? Squall's own ability had left him long ago.

        "I love you," Seifer whispered against his lips, the delicate movement of Seifer's soft, sweet lips, forming the words, a kiss, in itself. Like tears and rain falling down his cheeks, Squall melted completely in Seifer's strong arms.

        "Squall."

        Well, if Seifer had more words as beautiful as his last, maybe he wouldn't mind so much. He smiled slightly and deepened their kiss. But...

        "Squall!"

        ...Wait a minute. That wasn't Seifer's voice. It wasn't deep enough, or smooth enough, or...

        Shit!

******

        "Squall!"

        Squall shot awake, his sleep-hazed eyes wildly darting around him until they fell on an all too familiar face: Rinoa! Damn, why did everyone insist on not letting him get some damn sleep! He sighed and flopped back onto his pillow. The dream lingered with him, a fading part of his reality. Damn. Damn. Damn! Just when things had been getting interesting too!

        "Squall?"

        Oh, yeah, Rinoa. He covered his eyes with his arm, taking another deep breath. He still felt Seifer's fingers on his skin, searing him with tingles of a pleasure he had never really known, Seifer's soft, wonderful lips devouring his in a heated metaphor of their duels. A duel where neither lost and both gained more than Squall could ever dream. Well, maybe not. Since it was all a dream. And his.

        "Dreaming of me, sweetie?" Rinoa teased with a giggle.

        Huh? Why the hell would he be dreaming of her? Squall peeked from under his arm to Rinoa's smiling, blushed face. Damn. Who else would she expect him to dream about? Who else should he be dreaming about? She was his girlfriend. And ... and Seifer... He...

        He was... what? Seifer wasn't really his rival anymore; He certainly wasn't his enemy, even during the war they weren't true enemies since it wasn't exactly Seifer they had fought; A friend? Well, maybe, given time. Maybe, in a way, they already were, just he had never accepted it openly; Absolutely, fucking incredible? Most definitely! Even just a dream, it, Seifer, had felt so real there was no question.

        Squall stifled a groan. Rinoa wouldn't understand the truth. Hell, he didn't understand it and it was his damn dream. But why the hell would he dream like that about Seifer? He didn't dream of Rinoa that way. Not ever, that he could remember. Anyway, he didn't dream that often in general. Why all of the sudden these dreams about Seifer? And what would cause him to suddenly have a dream so... so.... arousing?

        "Who else would I dream about?" he finally muttered, forcing a sleepy smile.

        She giggled. "Sometimes you say the sweetest things." She sat on the edge of his bed, still smiling. "So what was it about?" Her smile tilted into a what he supposed she thought was sultry. He'd seen it on her before, when she was being particularly...affectionate. Whatever.

        Her soft hand trailed lightly over his bare chest, her seductive look becoming too blatant to just ignore. Nothing like Seifer`s gaze though, piercing aqua eyes, like living, laughing gems. And his touch! His was fire and electricity, melting him to the core. At just the memory, the heat of the dream scorched through him, warming places he had been too sleepy to realize were already embarrassingly warm.

        "Well?"

        Huh? She was still there? Shit! And she wanted to know something. "'Well' what?"

        She tilted her head and looked at him with mock exasperation. "The dream. What happened in your dream?"

        Like he would, could, tell her! She had to be kidding. Even if it had been really about her, since when would he ever talk about it? To her, or to anyone. But that was part of the problem, wasn't it? It didn't matter to her if he wanted some things kept to himself. Like dreams, or thoughts, or feelings, or... whatever. None of it mattered, because she had to know.

        "It's not important," he grumbled.

        "Oh, come on, Squall," she grinned. "I'm just trying to have a little fun. You're so cute when you're embarrassed."

        Dammit! He wasn't cute! And he wasn't embarrassed! Aroused, yes. Annoyed at having his sleep interrupted yet again, yes. Frustrated at having his dream interrupted, hell yes! Confused about it all, beyond hell yes! No, in no way was he embarrassed. But he did need to make sure she didn't discover his... condition. He had no desire to deal with misinterpretations right now. And definitely no desire to deal with her thinking he wanted to... to...

        At the blush pinking his cheeks, Rinoa laughed triumphantly. "See, you're so adorable!"

        Adorable his ass! "Whatever." Great, she's smug. Part of him almost wanted to tell her just to wipe the grin of her face. He sighed. She was his girlfriend, so he should let her enjoy the things that made her smile, even, sometimes, when it was at his expense.

        "So, why are you here, waking me up at..." he glanced over at his clock through the dark fall of his disheveled hair. Red numbers glowed: eight-sixteen. Damn, that late already? Raijin was right; He had needed to sleep. Well, he didn't have to admit he had realized it wasn't all that early after all. "... at eight in the morning? I had a long night," he said flatly.

        Rinoa shifted on the bed, rubbing his bare shoulder. "Oh?.." she started to ask, her voice mingled with concern and curiosity.

        "Work," Squall replied, waving his hand dismissively as he sat up, trying to hide his thankfully dwindling arousal.

        She nodded as if understanding, though a faint sigh passed her full lips. Work had been, was, one of their more recent difficulties. He worked hard with the new responsibilities filling in for Cid brought, and she thought he worked too hard and didn't spend enough time with her.

        Perhaps she was right, but Cid would only be gone for one more week. They would have all the time she could want after then. And he did try to make some time for her, even when he didn't want to: going to dinner in Deling City at the fanciest restaurants, and the theater, and hell, he even let her drag him to a petting zoo. Anything she wanted to do. Though what he wanted to do wasn't ever a real option, not really. She always managed to somehow sneak her way into it. Not that it mattered, it was what a boyfriend was supposed to do. Right? And it made it easier to counter her not so subtle, though she seemed to think they were, advances to being more `intimate'.

        Maybe not yet wanting sex with his girlfriend made him a freak. He was a guy, and guys were supposed to be begging for sex from their girlfriends. But he felt strange when she would try to go further than kissing. Hell, kissing even felt strange, but she was his girlfriend, so he made himself want it. Sex, he could hold off by saying he wanted to wait until he was married. Nice enough sentiment, at least she seemed to think so. Thought it was sweet and charming and all that sugary crap. However, he didn't really know why he wanted to wait. He would believe it was for love, if it wasn't for the fact that she loved him. So, if she loved him, he should love her and everything would be perfect. Right? It's not like anyone else ever loved him, or probably ever would.

        But, Seifer loved him. Or supposedly did. He still didn't understand how that was possible, no less in what manner. It had to be as friends, as sort of brothers. They did grow up together. He couldn't remember a time when Seifer wasn't in his life. His eyes tightened and began to sting. Okay, he could remember a time and it was the most horrible time in his life! Worse than losing Sis. Worse than not being adopted. Worse than fighting Edea, and Adel, and Ultimecia. Somehow even worse than fighting him.

        "...So, I was thinking we could go on a picnic by the beach and then go to the theater later tonight."

        Damn. Had Rinoa been talking? Shit. Hopefully it wasn't anything important. He mentally smacked himself. Of course, it wasn't important. It's Rinoa talking. Oh, he probably should say something. At least to let her know he couldn't today. Not while Seifer...

        "Sorry, Rinoa. I have too much to do today. It will have to be some other time."

        Her lips puffed into a pout. "Squall, it's Saturday. Even acting headmasters should get at least one day off."

        "Well, this acting headmaster can't afford to. There are recent extra responsibilities that I need to take care of." Squall rubbed his temples, hiding the pain and welling tears thinking about exactly what those `responsibilities' were and why.

        Rinoa laid a hand on his knee in an attempt to comfort him. "Oh. Does it have to do with Seifer going missing?"

        Squall merely nodded. It was through her that they even found him, so she deserved a portion of the truth. Thankfully, she had no clue what the card she had found meant. So that much could still be kept secret, for Seifer's sake.

        "How is he doing?" she whispered, sounding genuinely concerned. "I heard he's in the infirmary, but that's all."

        "He's getting better." He didn't want to say much more. The fewer details the less chance of Seifer suffering further humiliation. Besides, the rest wasn't any of her business, even if she had dated him and actually cared.

        "What happened?"

        "Only he knows for sure." Squall shrugged. True enough, though those files... He bit his lip, the quick pain not enough to distract from the deeper. "You'll have to ask him, but I don't think it's such a good idea."

        "Why?" Her dark brows wrinkled.

        He shrugged again. "I just don't."

        "But..."

        Would she ever quit. Just drop it! "Just don't. It might be a pride thing and you know how Seifer is."

        That seemed to almost satisfy her. Almost. He could tell she was dying to know. "Oh." she said finally. "Yeah, I see. I guess I'll just see if he wants to say something about it, but I won't ask. I'll leave it to him to offer."

        Good. Guess she wasn't as stubborn as he thought. Or as insensitive. But who was he to judge someone's insensitivity? Besides an expert in being it. He grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks," he said softly.

        Rinoa looked at him with a curious expression, but smiled.

        A few moments passed with her enjoying the closeness, he assumed by the contentment on her face. He wouldn`t rob her of it, especially since he had to work today, and take care of Seifer. No matter how much he just wanted to be alone, go back to sleep, or go back to Seifer, or both. She was his girlfriend. So he owed it to her.
 

 *********
 (End part 2)

          &nbs p;    Author's notes: I really can't stand Rinoa or writing her, but I do try to be fair to the character as much as I can. I would rather damn a character through a legitimate portrayal than bastardize them. Yet, I am aware that my dislike will color my perspective. I do hope that my rendering of Rinoa is seen as believeable.

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