Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Liontaming ❯ Part 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Liontaming - Part 6

by paxnirvana Rating: NC-17 Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII Characters: Irvine/Selphie/Squall Archive: Please ask first.

Author's Note: Irvine and Selphie. They just fit. Now Squall, he's tougher. But I felt like the sullen bastard at least deserved a little TLC… or maybe just sex… and a truckload of angst… and some more mental torture… and back to sex … *grin* 5/13/02

Real Life frequently interferes in fanfic time. Sorry for the long delay on this installment, people. I hope to get them out a little more regularly from now on.

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns; paxnirvana does not. *sobsobsob* [Yeah yeah, we know… get over it!]

Squall woke - suddenly and completely - to find himself draped over Irvine's naked back. One of his own hands was wrapped possessively over a lean, masculine hip; he felt himself flush a little as he pulled it away. Remembering, almost in disbelief, what they'd done together earlier.

And how frighteningly good it had felt to just let go and have Irvine show him the way.

The taller man was in the middle now, curled around Selphie, her dark head tucked under his chin. Vaguely, he remembered shifting positions in a half-sleeping state - he'd just gotten too sweaty-warm held between them - and how, with much mumbling and grunting, they'd reluctantly allowed him to move to the outside. But now they both slept peacefully, clearly exhausted.

Something had woken him, but not them.

He sat up slowly, scanning the room warily. Alert for danger or attack. The blue-green walls of the room had dimmed with the fading evening, the water-pattern that had enchanted Selphie so earlier softened to a dull, misty blur. Outside, it was full night. A glittering, glowing, flashing techno-Esthar night. They hadn't bothered to close the blinds on the windows. Pale patterns from the neon-lit skyline beyond the Presidential Palace glowed eerily on the carpet and the bed.

Then he heard it. The door chime in the outer room.

He cursed under his breath, sliding slowly toward the edge of the bed. Leaving the warmth of his companions behind reluctantly, he was careful to make no large moves. Despite his caution, Irvine's head turned restlessly, a slight frown crossing his face. Squall rubbed a hand across his hip, hoping to keep him from waking fully.

"S'okay," he whispered hoarsely and Irvine relaxed back with a soft sigh, arms tightening around Selphie. Squall was vaguely astonished that his gruff reassurance had worked.

He frowned at Irvine a moment, wondering, longing, then he slid the rest of the way off the bed, snagging his crumpled leather pants off the floor as he stood up. He carried them clenched in his fist as he padded silently over to the bedroom door.

The outer door chimed again. Insistently. He quickly stepped into his pants in front of the inner door, then ran a hand through his tumbled hair. The Griever charm slid into its proper place around his neck with a slight tug. He touched the pendant once, then waved the door open. He paused in the opening, glancing back at the wide bed to make sure that both of them were still asleep. Not that he had any concerns about Selphie - he remembered how hard she slept - but if Irvine woke right now it might prove awkward. The Galbadian usually slept light and wary, like he did, but he'd apparently worn himself out earlier because his eyes stayed closed, his face relaxed. Squall flushed faintly as he once more remembered why, pulse throbbing slow and heavy in his veins in response.

He turned away with a muffled groan, moving out into the main room. Pausing a moment to make certain the door closed completely behind him - and to awkwardly zip up his pants.

He glanced at a clock as he crossed the room. Barely eleven. They'd only been asleep a few hours then, he realized. He scrubbed a hand over his face, catching Selphie's musky scent on his fingers. His body reacted again, astonishing him. Hadn't he had enough of them earlier? Gods.

He fought the reaction grimly as he reached the outer door. Willing his unruly body to behave, a grimace on his lips. He was only partially successful. The door chimed once more just as he keyed it open, leaning against the doorjamb, a hostile glare in place.

"What?" he snarled.

Quistis reared back, blue eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses going wide with shock. Her gaze ran over him swiftly, taking in the bare feet, low-slung, unbuttoned leathers, naked chest and tangled hair.

"Um… I see… well… sorry, Squall…" she said, uncharacteristically tongue-tied. She flushed, gaze dropping down, then jerking back up again. Several times. She sucked in a sharp breath and eventually solved her problem by simply staring at his hand where it was clenched tightly on the doorframe.

"I can't find Selphie… she's not in her room," she finally managed to say, voice quavering. She cleared her throat self-consciously and straightened her shoulders before folding her hands in front of her formally. Obviously trying to recover her poise. It only made him more impatient.

"Is there some kind of emergency?" he snapped. Quistis just flushed deeper.

"No… no emergency, just something I wanted to, uh… talk to her about…" Quistis couldn't not meet someone's eyes when she was speaking to them. Her instructor training had been too firmly indoctrinated in her. She looked into his eyes briefly, got flustered again, then averted her eyes, staring over his shoulder into the room, the flush fading rapidly. She swallowed hard and he was suddenly aware of just how undressed he was. Poor Quistis. It was almost funny. Almost.

"Then it can wait until morning," he said sharply. It was a clear dismissal. Despite it, Quistis seemed frozen, her hands clenching tightly to each other. Her gaze had locked on something behind him. He tensed. No, he hadn't heard the bedroom door open behind him so… Squall looked warily over his shoulder, tracking her wide-eyed stare, and saw Irvine's hat and duster laid out on one of the couches just exactly where he had left them earlier.

Shit. It was universally understood that Irvine never went anywhere without his hat.

"Squall, what… No. I don't want to know," she said in a rush, her voice tight. He looked back at her impassively, giving nothing away even as he saw the sudden fury in her face. Blue eyes practically shot bolts of lightning at him; he caught himself flinching back slightly. Because with her Blue Magic she could actually do that…

"No wonder I can't find Selphie," she spat coldly before turning on her booted heel and marching away down the corridor, every line of her slender body rigid with outrage.

"Shit," Squall said tightly under his breath, watching her go. And that seemed to sum it up.

Irvine woke when his back got cold. He lifted his head, sleepily concerned, to peer over his shoulder. No Squall. He looked over on the other side of Selphie. No Squall there either. Damn.

He gently extricated himself from Selphie's grasp, moving her relaxed form around with ease. She whimpered slightly, but accepted the pillow he stuck in her arms as a temporary substitute for himself. At least, he intended it to only be temporary.

Because he had a skinny leader-boy ass to drag back to bed.

He sat up, letting his hands dangle over his knees as he looked back down at Selphie, a soft smile on his lips. She had the pillow clutched in a death grip now, her mouth pouting slightly as if she recognized this trick and didn't like it much. But she was still out cold. If he checked his shoulder, he'd probably find drool. She slept hard.

"Silly sunshine," he whispered tenderly, stroking a gentle hand down her arm, love surging inside him. He wanted to gather her back up in his arms again, but there was something else he needed to do first. He glanced around the room, vaguely surprised to almost immediately catch sight of a shadowy shape sitting huddled in the far corner of the room.

"Squall?" he called quietly, moving toward the edge of the bed, concerned.

"Yeah," came the surprising response. If Squall was sulking for some reason you usually couldn't drag words out of him under pain of Diablos' Dark Messenger attack.

"What's up?"

A heavy sigh was his only reply this time. Quota of words used up, maybe. So he slid off the bed, moving toward the shadow. To his further surprise, Squall climbed slowly to his feet and came to meet him. He had his black leather pants back on, zipped but not buttoned, and they hung low on his hips. So very sexy. His hair was standing up in front as if he'd been running his hands through it earlier and there was a closed, forbidding expression on his face, visible in the flickering, gaudy light that spilled through from the city beyond the windows.

Squall came to a stop more than an arm's length away, then folded his arms over his pale chest. He stared out at the night through the windows, profile sharp, the scar on his forehead lost among the tangled strands of his hair. And then - another shocker - he spoke without prompting.

"Quistis went looking for Selphie," he said.

"So?" Irvine shrugged. Most people of sense - which, granted, didn't always include Quisty - would understand that since Trabia, Selphie could be found with Irvine at night. And wouldn't take it any further than that. But this was Quisty and when she got a bug up her ass about something…

"So, she came by here looking to start a search party," Squall said, tone grim.

"Why'd she want to do that? Did she go by my room first and get all worried?"

"No," Squall said shortly, gray gaze flicking over toward him, eyes narrowed. "She saw your hat on the couch."

Irvine stared at him a moment in confusion before his gaze ran down over Squall's half-dressed, disheveled state. The boy looked exactly as one would think he'd look after a night of sexual excess. Incredibly sexy. Then he snorted in amused comprehension.

"Oh. So now she thinks we're shackin' up and Selphie's off cryin' about it somewhere."

"Something like that."

Irvine stifled a snicker. "She didn't take after you with her whip did she?"

"No."

Squall didn't seem to find the situation even the slightest bit amusing. And he supposed it wasn't really that funny - actually rather alarming in several ways - but Irvine found himself smiling broadly anyway, then chuckling as he tried fruitlessly to hold back at Squall's black look. Finally he couldn't help it anymore; he just outright laughed. Holding his sides to try to keep it down, but still full-on laughing.

Damn it. It was better than crying, which was what he really wanted to do. Damn Quisty and her exquisitely bad timing. She was going to scare him away. Who knew how long the boy had been brooding over this? And what kind of tangled mess he'd made of it in his loner's mind?

Squall just stared darkly at him as he struggled to get the laughing fit under control.

"Aw, shit, sorry Squall," he said quietly once he could breathe again, still chuckling occasionally. "But it's only Quisty… we can straighten her out. Zell already got an eyeful out at the train station… and the way Seffie's been watchin' your butt in battle, I bet even some monsters might'a gotten an idea about it by now."

Squall blinked and frowned at that. Apparently as oblivious as always to what went on around him unless it was something or someone trying to kill him.

"You think we should just tell her." It was a flat statement. Not even a question. Stark and dire, just like Squall. Irvine grinned and shrugged, ignoring the frozen look on Squall's face.

"Either that or we're probably gonna have to watch our backs for the rest of our lives."

"Why were you being a hyena, sweetie?" Selphie interjected sleepily. Irvine glanced back at the bed, smiling gently at her. She looked so cute sitting amid the tangled sheets; all naked and rumpled, her hair falling down around her face, her eyes half-lidded.

"Oh, Quisty showed up here, lookin' for you. She spotted my hat out on the couch…"

"…And jumped to conclusions about you and Squall," his sunshine finished, frowning faintly. Quick too. Damn, but he loved her. Then she sighed, "Well, she wasn't all wrong, was she?"

"Well, no, but she didn't realize you were here too, sunshine," Irvine said, still smiling at her. "So she's bein' all outraged on your behalf." Selphie just snorted, but beside him Squall shifted restlessly.

Irvine slanted a look back at him, easily reading the faint embarrassment, the guilt and the wary concern he was trying to hide now in those hooded gray eyes, his usual stony indifference crumbling. Apparently disarmed by their casual reaction to the situation.

Damn, Irvine found himself thinking suddenly, but it would be too easy to fall all the way for Squall if he started acting more human. Just what would a real smile look like on that grim mouth? One step at a time, he cautioned himself. Let Seffie work her magic on the boy first.

So he silently savored the way Squall tried to keep his gaze from drifting over to Selphie and her pert little breasts as she stretched and yawned while rubbing at an eye with the back of one hand like a little girl. Tried and failed. Soon Squall's gray gaze seemed riveted to her.

"Well, it's none of her business where we sleep, I say," Selphie added, yawning hugely again and arching her back. Irvine found himself watching her appreciatively too. Such a pretty little sunshine he had. And she knew she had their full attention now too, the minx. She caught his gaze, eyes glittering back at him seductively. "Oh… how long did we sleep anyway?"

"Few hours," Squall mumbled, sounding like he was falling back into one of his broody states. Something which must be avoided at all costs.

"Is that all? Hell Fire, the night isn't even close to over," Irvine said with a low laugh. Turning around, he caught Squall by the arm and swung him toward the bed. "That woman needs to be fucked, Leonhart."

Squall didn't fall over the end of the bed this time. He managed to catch himself on one knee, looking back over his pale shoulder at Irvine, resentment warring with the wary excitement in his eyes. Didn't like being manhandled, did he? Irvine noted with some satisfaction. Good. Then if he kept it up, he might just get the boy to assert himself, inexperience aside. Show them what he wanted for a change rather than just letting them call the shots. But Squall wouldn't get a chance this time. Selphie was already moving toward him, sliding across the sheets eagerly.

"Oh, yes, I certainly do. You bad boys left me hanging earlier…" she said, her voice a silky purr as she slipped one hand across Squall's stomach, fingertips brushing under the loose waistband of his pants. Squall trembled slightly at her touch, his attention locking on her completely, his irritation with Irvine forgotten.

Irvine stood back, folded his arms over his chest and decided to just watch.

They made a pretty picture, those two, he realized. Both lean and sleek and pale; beautiful, each in their own way. Selphie had both hands on Squall's waist above his pants now, her head bent as he leaned over her, his lips just brushing the side of her neck under her ear. She made her little happy purring sound, rolling her head to the side to give him better access to her skin. Squall obliged by opening his mouth wider and letting his tongue stroke her too as he kissed his way from her ear down to her shoulder.

Then Leonhart put his hands on her ribs, sliding his thumbs up to stroke across the undersides of her breasts, working his way up, sweep by sweep, to the already-hard nipples. Selphie was practically melting under his touch, hips rolling, breathing coming short. They really had left her hanging before. He felt a brief flash of guilt for that, but swiftly suppressed it. If he knew his sunshine, she'd more than work it out of the two of them now.

"Oooh, so sweet…" she breathed, lips parting, tongue running over them to leave a moist shine behind. Irvine felt his already twitching cock go instantly hard, his breath hissing in slightly at the rush. Hell Fire. She looked so good… Squall looked so good… he forced himself to walk around the bed slowly, gaze locked on them, until he reached the head of the bed. Then he slid onto the mattress, leaning back against the thickly padded headboard. Making himself stay out of the way - for now.

From this side, he could see Squall's face and the slender arch of Selphie's back. The boy had his eyes closed and his face was flushed; his lips were working gently on Selphie's jaw, trailing around to her mouth. He raised a hand to her chin, tipped her face up to meet his better, his mouth locking over hers. A soft groan came from one of them.

Irvine bit his lower lip, watching. Oh, yes. Beautiful. Hot. Outside the bedroom, his Seffie could be a bit of a klutz, but in bed she was poetry in motion. A matter of focus, probably. Because she certainly focused on sex. One of her hands was down inside Squall's pants, fondling him. The other had wrapped around his neck, holding him close. Squall had abandoned his hold on one breast, wrapping that arm around her back and locking his hand around the nape of her neck, using that hold to turn her head where he wanted it as he worked hungrily at her mouth with his own.

The boy learned fast. And that idea sent a surge of heat through him. Squall had practically admitted to being virgin until that first night they'd seduced him at Balamb. And the memory of being in on breaking that remote innocence down - and in such a spectacularly outrageous way - made Irvine's heart beat faster with excitement. Not since he'd climbed up on that float in Deling City at Squall's side to face down Almasy and the possessed Matron had he felt such a strange mixture of eager pride mixed with terror. Squall could be so fragile, he knew, yet could also be harder than nails. A contradiction. Their leader, though he was reluctant to be labeled as such, despite Cid's declaration that he was the Commander of Balamb SeeD. The job weighed heavily on him. He took all responsibility very seriously. Just look what he'd done for Rinoa, the misguided fool.

Irvine sighed in disgust. Rinoa. They'd all have to deal with her in the morning, in some fashion. They'd also have to deal with the question of whether Squall would want to continue this unusual arrangement or not. Because he wasn't sure either he or Selphie could let Squall go now that they'd had him.

A high gasp from Selphie drew his full attention back to the pair of them. Squall had her bent back over his arm, mouth latched to a nipple, free hand working between her legs. Selphie had her eyes closed, one hand tangled in Squall's dark hair, the other clutching desperately at his shoulders. She was shuddering, hips moving, breath coming fast.

"Oh! Oh!" she cried out, arching wildly against Squall's lean form. He shifted to keep his balance, mouth never leaving her nipple, sucking hard. Irvine saw release shoot through his sunshine; read it easily in the flush that raced over her skin, the trembling that became a rolling pulse of her hips, the held breath. She arched hard. Her breath released on a shuddering groan as she surged against Squall wildly. The dark haired man shifted, losing balance for a second, but he caught them both by quickly shifting his weight again, agile and strong. Then he lifted his head and stared into her face, a wondering, awed and yet needy look on his face as she writhed and moaned in his arms.

"Gods," he heard Squall murmur, knowing full well what provoked it. Selphie abandoned herself to sex. Savored it. Exalted it. Reveled in it. So when she came it was like having an Ultima spell explode in your arms. Of course, it was far better when she did it with you deep inside her… Irvine stifled a pained groan of his own. Forced himself to just keep watching. Determined to stay out of it for now, no matter how much he wanted to move Squall out of the way and just roll his sunshine over and nail her.

Squall was apparently of the same thought. He lowered Selphie's still arching body down to the bed, leaning over her, dark hair falling across his face. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, her throat, then back up to her mouth again, all while he was moving himself between her legs. After freeing his cock from his unzipped pants, he positioning himself carefully, then pushed into her with a deep groan. Selphie cried out too, arching up even higher to meet him, hands clutching at his waist to pull him closer to her. Squall threw his head back, eyes squeezed shut, teeth gritted as she wound her slim thighs around his hips, ankles crossing over his leather-covered butt.

"Oh, yes! So fine… I feel you… so sweet…" she murmured, breaking off with a gasp as Squall started to move inside her, slow and deep. The sight made Irvine reach up and grab the headboard behind him.

His fingers dug deep into the padding as his arms trembled with the effort of restraint. Gods they were beautiful. And he had to hold onto something or he was going to make a grab for them and take over. But he wanted Squall to have this moment on his own with Selphie. Really. He did.

And besides, he'd probably just fuck the boy silly if he touched him now.

Irvine groaned at the idea of having that lean, masculine form pinned under his, seeing those gray eyes go dark with passion for him as he pushed inside that tight body… he swallowed hard, groaning again. But it was still far too soon for that - unfortunately.

Squall was surging into her, hips pulsing, sweat gleaming on his back, his sides. Selphie was clawing at him, making incoherent sounds, words beyond her. Irvine let go of the headboard and grabbed his own cock, hissing as he stroked it; watching them. So good. So hot. So his.

Abruptly, Selphie arched up, crying out as she came once more, shuddering and clutching Squall to her. Leonhart paused, pressing deep inside and rearing back to look down into her face, apparently drinking in the sight of her pleasure. Irvine watched Squall. Saw the raw need etched on his face; the pride, the wonder. And thought a little wildly; yes, Squall, you're doing that to her. See what you've been missing? See what we can give you?

With a small groan, Squall bent down again, sealing his mouth over Selphie's and kissing her frantically. She wound her arms around his neck, holding him close, returning his kiss with equal fervor. Dark heads close together, pale skin glowing in the soft light, bodies fused; Irvine groaned as he jerked himself off to the sight of them. And he listened eagerly to Squall's broken cry as he finally came, head thrown back, teeth clenched, Selphie cradling his face in her hands as she angled herself to meet his final erratic thrusts.

Irvine felt release rip through him like fire, felt the slick heat of his own ejaculation in his fist, but his gaze and his attention was riveted on the pair entwined at the end of the bed. Squall's head had fallen down against Selphie's shoulder; he was shaking, shuddering. Selphie's head rolled back over his arm loosely, her eyes closed, her face flushed with satisfaction.

"Gods," Irvine groaned thickly, releasing himself. His fingers were slick with his own come. He closed his hand around it and crawled purposefully toward the two of them. Selphie, feeling his approach in the shifting of the bed, opened heavy eyes and smiled up at him; he could easily imagine canary feathers fluttering about. Oh, she was sweet. He knelt beside them, facing them, his left hip and thigh pressed warm against Selphie's sweat-damp side. He stroked his free hand along Squall's lower back, just brushing his loosened pants, enjoying the sleek feel of his skin.

Squall turned his head slightly, peeling first one eye open then the other to look up at him with cool satisfaction. There was something else in his eyes too - a challenge, maybe. Or a buried need. Irvine didn't bother to consider it too closely. He raised his closed hand, opening slowly it to reveal the slickness covering his fingers.

Selphie raised a hand to his wrist, eyes gleaming, and tried to draw his hand down to her mouth, lips already parting in anticipation. His own lips twisted ruefully as he resisted her gentle tug. He shook his head once, gaze locked with Squall's.

"No, sunshine, him," he said, his voice rough. Selphie moaned softly, gaze darting between them. Squall's expression didn't change; the challenge still there as he gazed up at Irvine from the comfort of Selphie's arms. Irvine kept the easy smile on his lips, but his will was firm, eyes narrowing; he wanted Squall to lick him clean.

Squall turned his head a little more, raising one brow at him, eyes gleaming silver in the dim light as he reacted to his words. Irvine moved his hand lower, reaching out with one slick finger to delicately trace the faintly swollen line of Squall's upper lip. Selphie gasped; her breasts moved sharply below with the short breaths she was taking. He glanced once, quickly, at her, certain of what he would see; her even white teeth clamped down on her lower lip, her eyes glittering eagerly behind half-closed lids, her face flushed. The girl was enjoying this entirely too much, he thought smugly.

"Well?" he said, flicking his gaze right back to Squall's. Dark lashes fell, concealing silver eyes. He heard another sharp inhalation from Selphie as anticipation, tension grew. Then Squall's lips parted and he felt the barest brush of a tongue against the end of his finger. Tasting him cautiously. Heat, desire, longing raced through him. He let his own breath out slowly.

Squall let his eyes open briefly, piercing him with the answering heat there before lowering his lashes again. His mouth opened wider and closed around the end of Irvine's finger, sucking in on it gently.

Irvine groaned, letting Squall take his finger in slowly, at his own pace. Shivered as he felt the faintly rough sweep of Squall's tongue across the sensitive pad of his finger, then around to the thinner skin on the sides - cleaning him off, taking in the slick product of his pleasure slowly and thoroughly. Squall's lips closed tight, suddenly drawing his finger deep and pulling his hand close against his face. The motion left little glistening streaks of come on Squall's cheeks and chin and little shocks dancing along Irvine's nerves.

Irvine leaned closer, entranced and enflamed. Wanting to lick those streaks off Squall's pale skin. To taste himself on the other man's skin. But before he could suit thought to action, Squall sucked. Hard. The sensation shot through Irvine's body like lightning. He groaned again. And with a widening of his mouth, a roll of his tongue, Squall drew in a second finger, eyes half-closed now, expression pinched with a kind of wondering delight. Surprised, probably, that he was enjoying this small act as much as Irvine was. Irvine clenched his teeth, fighting the reckless moans that threatened at the sensations, the image.

He felt Selphie's hand clutch at his shoulder, her fingernails digging into his skin as she made little whimpering sounds. He could feel tremors of desire shaking her.

Bolder now, Squall's tongue swirled around his fingers, stroking and teasing his flesh. Tasting him. Savoring him. With his eyes fully closed, dark hair tumbled over the scar between his brows, and his lips wrapped around Irvine's fingers he looked wanton and mysterious. And Irvine wanted him with an ache that clawed in his gut. An ache that before only Selphie could stir.

He let his head fall forward, long hair brushing against Squall's chest and shoulder and trailing across Selphie's breasts. He relaxed his hand, surrendering it to Squall's growing expertise even as he felt his cock stirring again. There was a distinctive shifting motion from Selphie below that told him Squall was probably getting hard in her again too. Her breath left her on a deep, shuddering sigh and her hand tangled in his hair, drawing him down over toward her. He let her. Opening his eyes to meet her half-lidded look with his own.

She said his name and he could hear the need in it, feel it in her. She wanted again.

And he wanted too. But he wanted everything. Both of them. Forever.

Pushing his suddenly serious thoughts away, he covered her open lips with his, tasting Squall in her mouth even as Squall's mouth worked on his fingers. He groaned again. Hell Fire, he thought through the rising haze of renewed lust, at this rate they were all going to cripple each other by morning.

But oh, what a way to go.

The Esthar were closet hedonists, Squall thought in disgust. They must be. It was the only explanation he could come up with for a shower big enough to hold all three of them and multiple shower heads positioned just right to keep everyone wet. And a wet Irvine and Selphie were definitely hedonistically inclined.

He'd expected embarrassment, some shame maybe, on the morning after he'd paid his debt. But then, he'd drastically underestimated Irvine Kinneas. The man should go into diplomatic service, he thought darkly, because it seemed the tall Galbadian could smooth over the most awkward situation with ease.

He'd been snuggled in Irvine's arms. Snuggled. That was the only way to put it, he mused acidly. He had woken as he always did - all at once - only to find a firm shoulder under his cheek and a heavy arm wrapped around his waist, holding him close. His own arms had been tucked between their chests, his knee draped across his companion's hairy thigh, legs entangled, and a feeling that was oddly close to contentment lingering inside him. Selphie had been the one curled around the other man's back this time, a slack hand lying on his hip. Her touch felt strangely possessive, even in sleep. And for one brief moment, he had savored the elusive sensation of belonging.

But looking up, he'd found golden-brown eyes watching him with disturbing intensity from under sleepy lids. His pulse had jumped; something he read there disconcerting him. A tenderness, maybe, that he didn't know what to make of. Just how long had Irvine been awake anyway, watching him sleep?

He had frowned darkly as a self-conscious tension started to build inside him, fanned by old fears. The events of the prior night seemed like an unbelievable dream as reality came crashing abruptly down on him again. They were in Esthar, waiting on the absent President. Matron and Rinoa were in the potentially unreliable hands of Dr. Odine, the magic specialist. The still undetermined threat of Ultimecia loomed. Xu, back at Balamb Garden, was probably desperate for orders. And Quistis had jumped to a conclusion what was entirely too close to the truth last night and was furious with him. So what the hell did he think he was doing messing around like this?

He had stiffened in Irvine's hold, the familiar icy despair rising inside of him. He was the Commander, he didn't have the right to indulge himself… and he had even less right to interfere in the special relationship Irvine and Selphie shared. No matter how much he might wish otherwise. He had to go.

But before he could pull away, Irvine released him with cool ease and neatly destroyed the growing tension by turning over and mercilessly tickling the sleeping Selphie awake.

She'd retaliated - once she could breathe again - by tackling the wickedly grinning Irvine flat on the mattress and shoving a pillow over his face all while threatening to hold it there all day. Adding several sly comments about male egos not needing air to survive, and perhaps tickling wasn't the best way to get her out of bed in the morning now was it? Irvine had promptly bucked her off, drawing a shriek of outraged laughter from Selphie as he flipped her halfway across the huge bed.

The seriousness level had gone swiftly downhill as they proceeded to wrestle each other, even as it gave him the perfect opportunity to escape. He had adjourned to the bathroom, shaking his head ruefully as he listened to the pillow/tickle fight escalate behind him. Yet his escape had been premature. They'd simply followed him, laughing and chasing each other playfully on the way. Both of them intent on showering with him, it seemed.

Which had led to these introspective ruminations under the water, while Irvine and Selphie splashed and played beside him.

Squall finished washing first, even while struggling to keep himself from being distracted by familiar, willing and water-slicked flesh close at hand. It was morning; duty and responsibility wouldn't wait any longer. And while it tore at a part of him to deny them, he pushed their hands off of him and frowned forbiddingly at them, all while fiercely fighting his body's betraying reactions … and winning probably just because they'd exhausted themselves last night. Most of his glares were directed at an irrepressible Selphie. But to his relief, Irvine quickly caught on to his mood and turned to his own washing, quietly urging Selphie to do the same. She stuck her tongue out at them both and grabbed for the soap.

Squall stepped out of the lavish shower stall, giving another rueful shake of his head as he watched Irvine start to lather up his long hair. It was a process the tall Galbadian took quite seriously, it appeared. And Selphie was 'helping' him by running her hands over his neck, making patterns in the thick suds, and trying to build things out of soap and air on his shoulders. Looking playful and happy and about four years old. Squall had to admit, in some distant corner of his mind, that the blob of foam perched on the end of her nose was rather cute.

But he still closed the shower door on her playful pout, then snatched up a towel to rub himself dry. Brushed his teeth. Scraped off his irritatingly sparse beard. Gave a last scrub at the unruly mess of his hair with the towel. Then indulged in his usual brooding stare in the mirror at the still-livid scar between his eyebrows, feeling the old anger stir at Seifer. He finished his morning routine just as he heard Irvine give a mock roar of outrage when Selphie apparently snatched his conditioner out of his hands.

"Enough! Out woman! Let me finish in peace!"

"Vanity! Vanity!" Selphie said in a laughing sing-song. "You spend more time on your hair than I do!" Irvine actually growled at her while she just laughed back at him. Then the shower door was yanked open and a giggling Selphie was thrust firmly outside the enclosure by tanned hands locked around her upper arms. The soap blob was gone from her nose. Irvine had bellowed at her, yet she was still grinning like a maniac, flushed and happy.

"Do something about this, would you, Leonhart?" Irvine said through gritted teeth. But his expression was filled with amused exasperation, not anger.

Squall stood there, towel dangling from his hand, forgotten, watching as Irvine let her go and shut the door behind her with an impatient snap. She continued to beam at him, standing on the mat in front of the shower door. Naked. Dripping. She stole his breath for a moment with her bright sparkle and slender loveliness.

"Is there one for me?" she asked, glancing at the towel held in his hand. Then a devilish gleam entered her eyes and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "We should hide the rest…" She giggled, putting her hands over her mouth and darting a quick glance back at the shower where Irvine was still working away on his hair.

Squall just shook his head, hanging up the damp towel he held before grabbing a fresh one for her. He thrust it at her sharply, far too aware of everything waiting for them outside this room to share in her teasing mood, no matter how bright her smile. There was still the mystery of Rinoa's illness to face. And the threat of Ultimecia to unravel. He couldn't ignore duty now that action could be taken with the advent of day.

"We need to get moving, Selphie," he said grimly. "I need answers from Odine."

She wrapped herself in the towel and frowned at him briefly, some of the sparkle fading from her eyes. "Oooh, I don't like him, Squall. He gives me the shivers, the creepy little man! Sir Laguna didn't trust him either. I just hope Matron and Rinoa are okay."

"Yeah," he said flatly before moving out of the bathroom, completely missing her speculative look.

He gathered up his clothes, spending far too long locating them in various places around the room, and drew them on. Not really caring about the wrinkles and creases in them. He was just finishing with his boots when Selphie breezed out of the bathroom, her hair styled in it's usual perky flip, a big towel wrapped carelessly around her body. She came over to him where he sat on the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before spinning away to search for her clothes. He stared after her, stunned.

"I wonder if they have regular clothes stores anywhere around here - those robes they all wear are so icky!" she said as she shook out her yellow panties, frowning at them a moment before holding them up near her face and sniffing at them delicately. Squall's mouth went dry at the sight. They'd been damp last night… did they still smell like her? His pulse throbbed and his mind spun. Selphie made a face and gave a resigned sigh before stripping the towel off and stepping into her panties. "We definitely need to do some shopping! I need new panties… or a laundry, at least. And you could use some underwear too, Squall, I suppose. Though I definitely prefer you without…"

He was on his feet and moving before he quite realized it. His gloved hands slid around her bare waist and he turned her toward him, bending down and roughly finding her mouth with his, tasting the minty flavor of toothpaste and beyond it, the bright flavor of Selphie herself. She gave a small squeak of surprise at first, but then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back with cheerful enthusiasm.

After a long moment, he pulled away from her, breathing faster, and pressed his forehead against hers. Eyes closed. Body trembling slightly. What the hell was happening to him? He'd never felt this burning need to touch anyone like this before - to be with someone. Usually being around others this early in the morning annoyed the crap out of him, but their antics had almost amused him. And if he didn't have the millstone of duty weighing around his neck he might even have joined in. The very idea shocked him.

It had only been sex, right? Mind-blowing, granted, but all the same just repayment of a debt. That was all. And that was all it could ever be despite… His mind closed down before he could take that thought any further and he felt a sudden ache in his stomach that had nothing to do with lack of food.

"Well, good morning to you too!" Selphie murmured. He opened his eyes to see her looking back at him. Her hands toyed gently with the damp hair at his nape and a soft light glowed in her eyes. Was it just lust? Or did she actually like being with him? And when did that become so important to him?

"Yeah, whatever…" he answered, pulling away. Self-conscious. Confused. And so he fell back on the protective response of a lifetime; indifference. She rolled her eyes at him, undaunted, a saucy smile blooming on her face.

"Oh, Squall!" she said, then laughed, shook her head at him and spun away, going back to looking around the room for the rest of her clothes. "Have you seen my socks?" she asked, just as if it was nothing out of the ordinary for her to be abruptly grabbed and kissed by him. The whole situation suddenly made him feel distinctly uneasy. He started for the door to the outer room, determined to escape for now.

He needed to think.

And for that, he needed to be alone.

Squall came to an abrupt halt just outside the door. It hissed promptly closed behind him. The irritation he'd been surprised not to feel earlier now rose up and surged through him. No chance for solitude here. Zell was sitting on one of the couches, the silver box Selphie had brought with her last night open beside him. He was rummaging around inside it with casual intensity, several crumpled food wrappers already littering the floor around him. Squall mentally snorted in disgust. Trust Zell to find any food left nearby.

"Hey, Squall," Zell said, glancing up at him, a smear of some kind of sauce on his face not even dimming his cheerful morning-person grin. "Sleepin' in?"

Squall was paralyzed for an instant. Selphie would come out the door behind him in mere moments, and Irvine wouldn't be far behind. What now? Was he ready for this? Did he even really understand what the hell 'this' was? Then his frozen glance landed on the damning evidence of Irvine's hat and duster where they lay on a couch nearby. Oh shit. Not again.

"Where's Quistis?" he asked, gaze snapping back to the other man. Zell shrugged, guileless blue eyes meeting his fierce glare without flinching. He didn't seem to have noticed Irvine's hat. But then, who could tell just exactly what Zell noticed anyway?

"She's on some kinda rampage this morning. I ditched her downstairs."

"We need to plan. In the conference room…" Squall said abruptly, striding toward the outside door. Zell fumbled with the metal box, shutting it hastily before bouncing to his feet and tucking it under his arm.

"Yeah, well, I figured we should let her cool off some more. Get Irvine to talk to her, maybe. He's good at that peace-making stuff," Zell said, voice muffled by something he'd hastily stuffed in his mouth. "When's he gonna be done in there anyway?" Squall came to an abrupt halt in front of the outside door, then turned slowly around, fixing Zell with a dire glare. Blood roared in his ears.

"What?"

"You know, Irvine and Selphie. They done in the bathroom yet?" Zell asked, undaunted and seemingly unperturbed, jerking his head back toward the inner room. Squall kept his expression calm only through years of practice at enduring Seifer's taunts. But he wanted to snarl and scream in frustration. Instead he just clenched his hands into fists at his side.

"I don't know what you're talking about Dincht," Squall said coldly, spinning around and slapping the door controls with more force than necessary. The door snapped open in front of him with an obedient beep and he stalked out into the hall.

"Okay - it's cool if you wanna be all discreet an' shit. I understand," Zell continued, following along behind him at a prudent distance. Still carrying the box of food, of course. "I don't buy the whole 'it's bad for morale' thing anyway. I think leader-guys probably need to burn off more steam than anybody else… all that burden of responsibility crap and everything. And those two… woo-hoo, they can probably burn more energy than anybody…"

Was that admiration in Zell's tone? Squall was too angry to decide, but he didn't want to listen to Zell's babbling any more. Couldn't take it on his raw nerves. He was too exposed this morning. Shaken. Selphie and Irvine had gotten to him, somehow; opened places in him he'd thought forever closed. And he didn't know what to do about it. Having their little interlude suddenly become common knowledge certainly didn't help.

"Shut the hell up, Zell," Squall ground out, walking stiffly down the hall toward the airtube stop.

The martial artist trailed along behind. "Geez, okay. I get it. Sorry! Hey, man… we got time for breakfast?"

Selphie paused with her hand on the door control when she heard Zell's voice in the outer room. Behind her, the bathroom door opened and Irvine sauntered out, auburn hair sleek and shining again in its usual tail.

She held an urgent finger to her lips, eyes wide as she leaned closer to the door, trying to hear what they were saying out there, but it was no good through the door. Irvine frowned, but came over to her quietly. Waited patiently for her attention.

She heard the outside door open and Zell's voice fade away down the hall before it closed again. Then she turned to look at her lover, a worried frown marring her brow.

"Zell."

"Hmm. Not like we can keep it a secret now anyway after Quistis last night."

"Damn! We could have tried!" she said, folding her arms over her chest and stamping one booted foot on the floor in irritated frustration. "What are we going to do? He was just starting to get comfortable!"

"You think so?" Irvine said, raising one brow thoughtfully. She glanced at him and smiled fondly. That towel was really too small to be wrapped around his waist like that. But she and Squall had used up all the big towels already. And it did show a delicious amount of amber skin… but she was dressed and Squall had fled out the door like a Ruby Dragon was on his heels. Her intuition was telling her they had better get moving. Fast. But first…

"Yeah, he kissed me without any prompting on my part!"

"Really?" Irvine said, the other brow rising too. "I'm falling behind then, aren't I?" His hands snaked out and caught her around the waist, drawing her tightly against him. There was something so very erotic about being held, fully clothed, against a nearly naked man. She tipped her head back to look up into his eyes, a wicked smile on her lips as he leaned closer.

"Oooh," she said, deliberately widening her eyes in mock innocence. "Is this going to get competitive? I think I'd enjoy that…"

"Naughty sunshine," he scolded fondly, warm breath washing against her lips. He held himself away from her, gaze searching hers for a long, vibrant moment before he pressed his mouth to hers. Kissing her with familiar warmth and aching skill, making her sag against his lean chest and wind her hands around his shoulders to get closer to him. Consuming her. It was nothing like the raw, nearly desperate kiss Squall had given her. But both called to her. She craved them both.

And damn it, she'd have both. For as long as she could.

When they arrived in the conference room on the first floor of the Esthar Presidential Palace, Squall was standing on the far side of the room near the central podium, arms crossed over his chest, glowering down at the floor. Not a good sign.

Quistis was standing a few yards away from him, with her arms crossed over her chest too, but she was glaring straight at Squall. Zell was huddled on the floor in front of one of the couches, a subdued Angelo at his side, obviously trying to stay out of the line of fire.

Tension was thick; it felt almost as if someone had stopped in the middle of summoning Quetzacotl right at the point where raw energy was crackling through the air just before the lightning-based GF appeared. Ominous.

Selphie breezed into the room determinedly, a cheerful smile on her face, Irvine's hand held firmly in her own.

"Good morning everybody!"

Quistis swiveled around, blue eyes widening in shock when she saw them holding hands. She glanced from their entwined hands to their smiling faces a couple of times, almost fast enough to be a double-take.

"Selphie!" she gasped. "Where have you been?" Squall didn't move.

Selphie came to a stop in the middle of the room, Irvine at her side. They both exuded calm contentment.

"With Irvine, of course. Why, Quisty?" she said matter-of-factly. Quistis gaped at her for a moment, mouth actually falling open in her surprise. Beyond, Zell tried to make himself even smaller, bending over Angelo and stroking the dog's silky ears reassuringly.

"I thought… last night…"

"Thought what?" Selphie asked innocently, cocking her head to the side, her dark eyes locked on Quistis. Quistis' puzzled gaze shot between her and Irvine, a frown marring her brow. And Selphie thought for a moment that she might brazen them all through this without having to reveal more than a tiny little public display of affection. But Quistis was Quistis; she never knew when to stop.

"I saw Irvine's hat in Squall's room last night," the former instructor announced coldly, frowning fiercely at Irvine as she presented her most damning evidence. He just shrugged casually and lifted their entwined hands to his mouth. Pressed a quick kiss to the back of her hand. Selphie beamed up at him. Oh, he was so cute when he was being charming.

"You know, it's probably a little late for a birds an' bees lecture for us, Quisty," he said smoothly, an amused twist to his lips. "We got a little carried away last night, that's all."

Quistis' eyebrows tried to crawl up to her hairline. "In Squall's room?"

Irvine shrugged and grinned down at Selphie, who smiled right back at him. Both of them so relaxed and obviously happy together that even Quistis couldn't misinterpret it. A unified front.

"In Squall's room…" Quistis repeated flatly, her tone strangled. Selphie looked over at her again, catching Squall's rigid shape out of the corner of her eye. Poor baby, he looked so annoyed. She wanted to run over and hug him. But that just wouldn't do right now; it would undo all this clever maneuvering that she was doing on his behalf. By the couch, Zell was red-faced and looking like he wanted to choke. Was he laughing? Selphie made a mental note to corner Zell later and find out just what he thought was so funny about this whole scene. And, if he had a good enough answer, she might just let him live. But there was Quistis to defuse first.

"We were just there, talking about stuff… and then things got a little out of hand. I guess we forgot about his hat."

At Selphie's deliberately bubbly and careless answer, Quistis' righteous anger subsided into full-on confusion. Beyond her, Squall lifted his head, gray eyes gleaming dangerously in the morning light, his expression stony. A typical sulking Squall look.

"Selphie, don't you think that was a little… indiscreet?" Quistis said, her tone still tight.

"Well," she said, tilting her head to the side and laying a thoughtful finger on her cheek. "We did apologize to Squall. He seemed okay with it." Irvine made a little choking sound beside her and she resisted the urge to jab her elbow into his side. Everything she'd said so far was the truth - it just wasn't the whole truth. A thoroughly red-faced Zell promptly buried his face in Angelo's fur at her quick look his direction. His shoulders shook a little. Oh, she was so going to kill him later, she thought, forcing the happy smile to stay on her face. Squall shifted on his feet, drawing Quistis' attention back to him with a snap.

"Really? Then why didn't you just say so last night, Squall?" she demanded. Squall met her glare impassively for a long, tense moment. Selphie held her breath, anxious. Irvine's hand squeezed hers reassuringly. Finally, Squall shrugged indifferently.

"Whatever… we have more important things to worry about today. Like Matron… and Rinoa," he said, voice chill and expression vaguely annoyed. "Have you heard anything from Odine's lab yet, Quistis?"

"N-no. Not yet," Quistis said, glancing between them all in confusion. Her gaze landed briefly on Zell, who was petting Angelo roughly. The dog was licking his face, which might just account for the redness of his cheeks, but maybe not. Bless him for trying anyway, Selphie thought with a heavy inward sigh. She knew she'd have to corner Quistis later too and maybe do a little more damage control. Or things might just get awkward again.

"Well, then we better go check," Squall said sharply, assuming command once more.

- - to be continued - -