Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Liontaming ❯ Part 11 ( Chapter 11 )

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

Liontaming - Part 11

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 emotional torture… and mucho sex… and a bunch of plot-twisting [yes, I change some facts. Like Irvine's eye color. Deal.] … *grin * 8/12/02

And I feel this one's cheating a bit… over half of it was written right along with Part 10. Well, you benefit then, right? And this one's for Nekojita. Even if she doesn't know it. Thanks, dear, for all your lovely fic - my muses are inspired! Yohji/Aya forever, ne? *sly smile* And I may just end up writing some Weiss Kreuz fic of my own sometime…

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns; paxnirvana does not. Get it?

Squall came back to himself with a sharp jerk, aware on some level that he'd been asleep, or close to it, for a while. He felt warm and relaxed and at peace. His mind was calm, his thoughts tranquil. He lay still, just enjoying the rare sensation of contentment. Then, beside him, Selphie made a soft noise and his eyes snapped open as recent memory returned.

She was curled tightly against him, one leg thrown over his own, the other trapped between his thighs. A slim arm was draped over his waist, the other tucked between them, her hand cupped around his neck. Her eyes were closed, honey-tipped lashes darkening her cheeks. She was naked. He was not.

A brief sense of guilt shot through him, echoing against something deep inside. He knew he'd been a little rough with her, but she had seemed to enjoy it. The way she'd screamed his name… he quivered slightly in remembered satisfaction and his arms tightened around her.

"You've started brooding again, I can tell," she whispered, her lips curling up in an amused little smile even though her eyes were still closed. "Quit that, silly boy."

"I thought you were asleep," he answered her, his voice faintly hoarse.

"No, just drifting," she said with a little happy-sounding sigh. "I feel really good. You feel really good… felt really good… whatever…" Her smile broadened and her hand flexed against his neck pulling him fractionally closer. He stared at her mouth, mesmerized by the ease of her smile, and started to lean down toward her intent on another kiss.

[But you're my Knight… Selphie?! Oh gods, you must be joking!]

He stiffened abruptly at the mental intrusion and jerked up to a sitting position, the sense of peace vanishing utterly in a wave of sheer annoyance. Selphie's eyes shot open and she stared up at him in shock, concerned. He frowned back at her as his concentration shifted inward.

(Butt out, Rinoa.)

"Squall?" Selphie said, confusion clear on her face. Confusion and the beginnings of alarm.

[I can't help it. You're so strong… I felt you… oh, I'm sorry…]

Rinoa's mental voice seemed somehow desperate, disoriented, strange. He gritted his teeth, anger filling him. He looked directly into the dead part of his mind and found the sense of her there, back again.

(Stay out of my private life.) It was a mental snarl, sharp and silvery, tendrils of icy anger snapping around like a Malboro's tentacles. Her sense flinched.

[I don't exactly like knowing this either… ugh...]

She shimmered, radiating a kind of confused pain. Her thoughts were in a hectic whirl; tinged shocking red and lemongrass. This contact made his senses spin too; it was almost like the initial disorientation of summoning a GF but without the fade out. If he could control a GF, he could control this too, he thought firmly, strengthening his grasp on his own mind. There was something wrong with her, clearly, and that realization diffused some of his anger over her tactless comment. A lingering effect of whatever they'd shot her up with?

(They knocked you out. Take it easy.)

[I guess so… I'm… not quite back yet. I feel… ] Then he grimly endured the mental equivalent of watching her be violently ill. Their connection was stronger now, maybe strengthened by their last encounter, so that he could almost feel what she felt. And right now that wasn't particularly good. Answering nausea churned in his gut. He fought it back fiercely, annoyed by her embarrassment. [Ooh… where am I now?]

(Show me.)

[Show you? How?]

(Let me in.) He reached for her even as he thought the words, bridging some kind of mental gap with a flash of greenish-gold energy. Magic. Power. Strength. It was like a junction. And he understood junctions. With concentration, it snapped even tighter making him reel for a moment, then he forced open his eyes.

He was in a huge room, confused and shadowed. He didn't recognize it. It wasn't Odine's lab as he'd half expected. A round, vaguely familiar machine surrounded him, suspended him in a field. He recognized the distinct energy of a Float spell, maybe more than one. The spell held him so no part of him touched anything save the air, rendering him effectively helpless. There were technicians in lab coats crawling over the huge cables and pipes that connected to the machine around him, making adjustments. One of the techs crouched nearby, grimacing as he cleaned up a stinking mess on the platform below.

[What have you done? Squall!] Rinoa shrieked in outrage in his head and in her head… and out loud. He winced as he heard his name echo off the walls in that strange lab. Heads snapped around to stare up at him in shock. And he realized it was Rinoa they were staring at. He was inside Rinoa's head.

"She's awake again!"

"What? That should have held her until we were done with the Sleep Induction field. Call the doctor!"

"Squall!" Simultaneously he could feel Selphie's hands on his shoulders, shaking him. The dual sensations, the dual input made him groan with a nausea-inducing vertigo of his own. His hands rose and he clutched at Selphie, shaking his head at her, trying to warn her not to distract him. Her hands cupped his face urgently. He could feel her touch, but his eyes saw only the lab.

Rinoa's hands rose in front of him, mirroring his grasp on Selphie. He saw a wary-looking tech approaching with a syringe in his hand.

"She shouldn't be able to move like that… what's going on?"

"Touch her and you die," he said out loud. The techs stared at him - at Rinoa - in horror.

"Oh gods! She's possessed again!"

"Quick, get that field into place."

"Call Dr. Odine! "

He drew on his arsenal of magic, shifted quickly through it until he found what he was looking for. Magic of a certain flavor. A certain type. Shiva sang acidly in his mind as she sent the power through him; Cerberus snarled and whined. They didn't care for Rinoa's presence in his head, it seemed. He ignored his GFs dismay and focused the magic. Selphie cried out in alarm as he suddenly moved his hands in the motions of spellcasting.

Purple-white light flared around him as the spell took effect. He heard the shocked shouts of the lab techs and then abruptly he was back in his own head, alone, blinking at the frantic face of Selphie. She was crouched in front of him, her eyes wide, and he could feel a spell of her own gathering strength in the air.

"Squall! Squall! What's going on?" she cried frantically, instants away from completing her cast.

"Whatever it is - don't cast it!" he snapped out.

A relieved smile broke across her face at his order and she let her spell fade. She lunged toward him, arms winding around his neck as she hugged him tightly. "You're back!"

"Shit, that didn't work like I thought…" he muttered, automatically holding her close. She was sleek and warm and solid in his arms.

"What didn't work? Why'd you cast a spell? What just happened? You went all strange on me…" She pulled back, frowning at him. She was still mostly naked, he noted with one part of his mind, but the look on her face was quite serious.

"You saw the effect here?"

"Oh yeah! Dispel, wasn't it? Why?"

"Hm. I was trying to cast it on Rinoa. They have her trapped in Float spells."

"On Rinoa?" she looked flabbergasted. "What? How?" Rinoa was kilometers away still, for all they knew. Well, she was physically - but he'd thought the link might let him use his magic anyway. All it had done was break his direct connection with her. The bond wasn't gone however, he could still feel Rinoa at the back of his mind. She was upset. Angry. Frightened.

And he knew she probably had every right to be. He hadn't thought, just reacted. Instinctively trying to protect her. But his actions might have made her situation worse. And he couldn't tell right now because she was actively blocking him from direct communication. He heaved a mental sigh of irritation. Well, at least it might keep her from peeking in his head for a little while… until he could get to her and free her. After that, they'd have to have a little face-to-face talk about ground-rules for this Knight's Bond. He was already tired of having her in his head.

"Squall, what's going on? Tell me… please." Selphie's tone wavered a little and her hands tightened on his coat, drawing his attention again. He looked into her eyes, frowning slightly She looked almost scared, something he wasn't used to seeing on her face. Guilt ran through him again, sharp and fast. He'd just finished having sex with her then apparently had gone nuts, casting useless spells on himself - she must think him a total idiot.

"I'm junctioned to Rinoa," he said gruffly, remembering Rinoa's reproachful comment about her with a flare of angry annoyance. "And she woke up…" He reached out to cup Selphie's face with his bare hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheek in silent apology for Rinoa's unkind thoughts. Not that he had any intention of sharing them with Selphie. She turned into the caress automatically, responding to him with a little rub of her own and a soft sigh. Her reaction eased his tension a little bit, but he was still annoyed with Rinoa.

"Junctioned," Selphie repeated faintly, her gaze searching his thoughtfully, a small frown of concentration drawing her brows together almost in a pouting way. "And it's like an in-your-head-GF kinda junction?"

"Yes."

She frowned deeper, moving a little restlessly as she pondered the information. "That sounds… freaky. And sucky. It's another person… it's... it's Rinoa."

"Yeah." Squall snorted softly. Wondering just what was happening now to Rinoa. Had they drugged her again? Not yet at any rate, since he could still feel her through the bond.

Selphie stared at him intently for a long moment, watching his face, then she smiled narrowly and straightened up enough to wrap her slim arms around his neck. She bent close to him, her nose almost brushing his, the look in her half-lidded eyes wickedly amused.

"Did she hear us?" she murmured, eyes glittering at him from under her lashes.

"What?" Squall blinked at her, trying to re-direct his thoughts outward again. Uh-oh.

"Did she get a head-full of us doing it?"

"Uh… yeah…" He couldn't help flushing slightly.

"Good. Then she knows you're ours now, right?" Her grin was smugly satisfied.

"Uh…"

"'Cause you are, you know," she said huskily, leaning even closer. Her bare breasts pressed into his chest, distracting him. His hands settled on her slender hips, the contrast between the feel of her skin under the gloved hand and the bare one like night and day. Distance and closeness. Forbidden and permissible. Her breath was warm on his lips. "And we aren't sharing…"

She kissed him hard, her tongue sweeping into his mouth possessively. He let her overwhelm him for a moment. Let himself savor the feeling of being wanted. Of being desired. Of… belonging. Then he wrapped his arms around her tightly, rising up to meet her in a creak of leather pants and coat, taking over the embrace firmly. He chased her tongue back into her mouth, lips moving hungrily on hers. Tasting. Feeling. Mildly surprised by his own aggression. She moaned deep in her throat, one hand winding tightly in his hair. Her other hand slid down the back of his pants again, cupping his butt firmly. He shuddered and groaned in response.

After what seemed like forever, she twisted away to gasp for air. He was breathing deeply too, but hadn't had enough of her yet. He opened his mouth over her cheek, her jaw, sliding over her skin until he found her earlobe and sucked on it.

"Squall." His name was a breathy gasp. Her hands flexed against him, drawing him tight to her.

There was a loud electronic squeal then, the sound making them both jump in surprise.

"Squall! Selphie! Get back up here. We've got trouble!" Irvine's voice over the PA, sounding urgent but not panicked.

He jerked away from her, the reflex of duty snapping him out of his sensual haze instantly. Selphie groped after him, stunned. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. Her dazed eyes settled on him. She looked so warm, so sexy, so bewildered that he actually had to fight the impulse to pull her back into his arms again.

"Get dressed," he said shortly. She nodded, blinking furiously, her hands already fumbling at the edges of her jumper, drawing it over her and awkwardly trying to line the zipper up. He released her to stuff himself back into his pants and zip up before turning to search for his glove… and her panties. He found both after a brief search and turned back to her. She seemed to be having some trouble with her clothes - her hands were shaking. A part of him was pleased by the effect he seemed to have had on her while the rest was just impatient for her to be ready. He pushed her hands away, tugging her jumper closed over her breasts and zipping it all the way shut himself.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly as he brusquely handed her her panties. He nodded as he slid off the bed, bending down to snatch up her boots. He still had his own on. She had just shimmied into her panties when he grabbed one leg and shoved a boot back on.

"Go - I'll catch up with you!" she gasped, losing her balance and tumbling back on the bed.

"No." He caught her other leg, stuffed that boot on too while her hands settled the first boot into place. She barely had time to adjust the final one before he swept her off the bed, drawing her after him. "We go together."

The smile she gave him was blindingly bright.

When they stepped off the elevator pad on the bridge Squall knew something important had changed. There was a sense of something in the air other than the tension of impending battle. Irvine strode toward them, a smug smile on his face.

"You two have fun?" he asked quietly, bending down to give Selphie a quick kiss. She beamed up at him, running her hand down his dangling tail of hair possessively.

"Oh, yes… What's up, sweetie?" she answered brightly.

Amber eyes twinkled wickedly at them both, then sobered. "Everybody knows now," Irvine said, intent gaze boring into Squall's. "It's okay."

Squall froze. Understanding what he was saying, but not knowing what to do or say for a single panicked instant. So he took refuge in duty, pushing his jumbled feelings back to be dealt with later.

"Why'd you call?"

Irvine shook his head knowingly at him. Well aware of his abhorrence of public displays. "We're close. Esthar Airstation was yelling at us on the radio a few minutes ago. I guess they don't want us flying over these particular grains of sand of theirs."

Squall shot a wary glare around the bridge. Quistis had swiveled around and was watching him with calm blue eyes, her face carefully neutral. Zell, of course, was flying the ship. Quistis nodded at him once and Squall had the impression that Irvine's glib assurance had been a little premature… But after a second's hesitation she smiled at him, the expression faintly sad but definitely knowing …Or maybe not. Either way, she had no intention of making a scene right now. But that was Quistis - even more committed to duty than he was.

Selphie had already bounced up behind Zell and was leaning over his shoulder, talking quietly to him. Zell was nodding at her and pointing at things on the console in front of him. Discussing piloting things, apparently.

"I noticed you shut the radio off," Squall said gruffly, moving further into the bridge.

Irvine laughed shortly, drawing his attention again. He was scratching the back of his head, a ruefully amused look on his face. "Oops, did I?"

"Good. How far away are we?"

"Ten minutes or so," Irvine grinned. "They seemed kinda busy with something else, or we'd probably have an 'escort' by now."

"Surprising. They should know where we're going by now..." He frowned, folding his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "Zell, you have a handle on landing yet?"

"Yo! Got it. No sweat."

"Quistis, does this thing have any weapons?"

"Yes," she answered him steadily. "A center energy cannon and two shoulder-mount machine guns. All fully charged and armed." He felt slightly better at her words. It was comforting to be dangerous in the air too.

"Let's do it."

They landed the red dragon ship in the parking lot of the Sorceress Memorial. Dust and sand blew around in a concealing cloud from the landing jets. Zell dropped them down rapidly, bouncing the ship around a bit. But he didn't care - Squall was waiting in the center hold by the landing ramp with Quistis and Selphie at his side. Irvine he'd left manning the ship's weapons, being the one most skilled with distance weapons. Theoretically that would make him good with ship weapons too. The sharpshooter hadn't argued that fact, simply run his hands over the control board with cool competence, learning all he could as fast as he could.

Everyone was in battle mode, but they kept their weapons in junction for now.

"The LZ's clear - opening the hatch!" Zell called over the PA. The massive ramp cycled open slowly. When it was clear, they charged down.

There were only two soldiers stationed at the top of the stairs leading into the massive building - and they seemed rather stunned by the appearance of the huge spaceship below. He didn't even bother to draw his gunblade; Squall just slammed a fast elbow into the nearer man's face, sending him straight to the ground. Quistis and Selphie hit the other one high and low with flying kicks at the same time, sending him down with an almost comically surprised look on his face.

A sense of animal satisfaction ran though him at the ease with which his companions had taken out their opponent. There was something just fundamentally right about it. All the training, the exercises, the lessons… it had made them what they were. Highly trained killers. To use the skills was satisfying, even if they didn't actually kill. There was no sign of any more guards.

He bared his teeth in his usual battle-snarl, then led the way inside. The interior seemed straight-forward enough. The main doors opened onto a short corridor that led to a single large room at the end. The room was a lab, filled with monitors, slick equipment and several shocked-looking scientists.

"Who are you? Wh-what are you doing here? You can't be in here - guards!"

Squall just stalked forward and grabbed the closest man by his white lab coat. He glared into the man's panicked, sweating face.

"Oh, don't mind us, we just want Rinoa back. Sorry to trouble you!" Selphie called brightly from behind him, waving cheerily at the open-mouthed scientists and technicians with one hand, her deadly nunchaku spinning casually in the other. He heard the sharp crack of Quistis' whip as she unwound it. The man in his hands began to shake.

"O-okay… through there…"

Releasing the man with a sharp push, Squall spun on his boot-heel and headed for the massive inner door the man indicated. At the controls he turned, shooting Selphie a cautioning look. She just grinned and winked back at him, her nunchaku a spinning blur at her side. Quistis was watching the scientists warily.

He entered the inner chamber.

"Oh, hey, you! Don't be stupid!" Selphie called right before he heard the blare of an alarm and the harsh crack of Quistis' whip again. He stalled the urge to turn and see what was happening. They could both take care of themselves… and any Esthar soldiers that might arrive. He had to get Rinoa out so they could leave.

It was the same room he'd seen through her eyes earlier. He raced across the dim, echoing space toward the center. The wheel-like machine that surrounded her was a duplicate of the machine he'd seen in orbit holding the Sorceress Adel. The Sealing Unit. She hung suspended in the middle of it, her dark hair fallen around her downcast face and her arms and legs tucked up protectively as the machinery hummed and pulsed around her.

"Rinoa!" he shouted, out loud and through the bond. Her head lifted slowly in surprise.

"Squall." Her reply was weak. She fluttered around in the center of the unit, a look of panic on her face.

He moved to the platform base, looking for controls of some kind. There were some, but poorly marked. He punched a few buttons wildly, but nothing seemed to happen. He couldn't hear the alarm from in here, but he knew it was still blaring outside. Where Quistis and Selphie were. And there was no telling how many guards were stationed elsewhere in the building.

"Squall! I feel something happening…"

"I'll get you out in a sec," he snarled at her. Frustrated, he drew his gunblade. Lifted it over his head and aimed for a large, important-looking cluster of cables that led into the Sealing Unit. Sparks flew and power crackled. He sensed something that was both magical and not come to a sudden stop and heard her body fall to the floor with a shriek and a hard thud.

He climbed the platform to her side, crouching beside her with his gunblade still bare in his hand.

"You okay?" he asked her. She looked up at him through her tumbled hair, dark eyes narrowed in an angry glare as she rubbed at her thigh.

"Ow! Creep! Did you do that on purpose?"

"You're okay," he said, rolling his eyes and grabbing her upper arm in his free hand. He jerked her to her feet along with him when he stood up. "We're going."

"Okay, okay!" she snapped, wrenching her arm out of his grasp. "You don't have to manhandle me!" He shot her an icy glare and turned away, stalking rapidly toward the exit. She followed behind him at a stumbling run, not wanting to let him get too far away, apparently, regardless of her irritation. He could feel the panicked brush of her mind against his, wordlessly begging him to ease up. He ignored her entreaty, intent on rejoining his companions.

[Squall, please…] she began in his head. He stopped abruptly and rounded on her with a snarl. She stumbled back, a frightened look on her face.

"Don't do that again," he snapped at her, grabbing that intruding sense of her in his mind and holding it sharply away. She gasped and swayed on her feet, eyes going briefly glassy in a kind of shock.

"S-sorry…"

He turned away and made for the exit again, Rinoa stumbling along silently on his heels. The door opened in front of him to the continuing squeal of the alarm and the sight of Selphie and Quistis standing in the center of the room, a small pile of unconscious bodies dressed in pastel Esthar uniforms around them. The white-coated techs and scientists were huddled on the far side of the room in terror. Selphie was grinning around broadly, her nunchaku swinging lazily back and forth in front of her, while Quistis stood tall at her side, her whip coiled and ready as they both stared at a trio of wary-looking guards who were stubbornly blocking the outside door.

"Uh-oh, you guys are in trouble now!" Selphie called to the guards. "Our Commander's back and he looks kinda pissed! Better run now, boys!"

Squall felt his lip curl up in a silent snarl as he raised his gunblade in front of him with both hands, steady glare set on the guards. Rinoa cowered behind him, weaponless.

The guards took one look at the heavily modified gunblade in his hands and scrambled out the door.

Squall scanned the two other SeeD quickly. No overt wounds, he was pleased to note. Selphie stopped her spinning weapon with ease, draped it over her shoulder, and cocked her hand on her hip before grinning darkly at Rinoa. It was an uncommonly hostile look for Selphie. Squall was taken faintly aback for a moment.

"Well, well, well… I guess it's welcome back to the gang, Sorceress Rinoa," she said, her tone mocking and sharp. "Planning to stab us in the back again sometime soon?" Quistis darted a shocked look at Selphie, then narrowed her gaze thoughtfully on Squall before turning to Rinoa, her own disdain clear in the cool expression on her face and the lift of her nose.

"Uh… hi, guys," Rinoa said weakly. Looking decidedly pale as she glanced between the two hostile women.

Squall gave a snort of disgust and jerked his head toward the door.

"That's enough, Selphie. Let's go."

Selphie gave him an easy nod, then waved her hand at Rinoa lazily.

"Oh, after you, Rinoa," she said, a deceptively brilliant smile on her face. Something fierce lurked in her bright gaze, but he turned toward the doorway anyway, gunblade ready, trusting Selphie and Quistis to make certain there were no hostiles left active behind them. He took point.

"OW! Hey!" he heard Rinoa gasp, but he didn't bother to turn to see what had happened. She was just embarrassed and self-conscious - there was no real pain in her sense. Besides, he knew better than to interfere when teammates had something to prove. Garden-style hazing could get rough, but it was never deadly. And he wouldn't let it go far anyway. Rinoa hissed in irritation again and he didn't even try to suppress the small smile that tugged at his mouth.

There was no one to see it anyway as he led the way out of the Sorceress Memorial.

They re-boarded the Ragnarok without further incident. Squall waited for the three women to catch up to him at the top of the ramp, his gunblade held in one hand at his side as he kept wary watch on the empty grounds of the Memorial. Esthar was being surprisingly easy about this rescue. Only local troops had responded so far. Granted, they'd only been here for less than fifteen minutes, but Airstation had tracked them inbound from the coast and had surely had a fair notion of their destination.

He would take the peaceful exit, however, as the favorable fortune it was. He glanced back at his companions.

A very subdued Rinoa was walking up the ramp between Quistis and Selphie, her face faintly flushed.

Quistis lead the way past him, a small, satisfied smirk on her face. "I'll let them know we're clear," she said to him as she headed deeper into the ship with her usual long stride. He spared her an absent nod, watching Selphie and Rinoa closely as they approached more slowly. Rinoa had a hand cupping her upper arm and a frustratedly angry look on her face. She walked past him without looking at him, her back stiff. Selphie started to pass him too but he put out his hand, stopping her beside him. Behind them, the ramp started to rise. Quistis had made it to the cockpit already - or Irvine was watching them on the monitors.

"Wait in the passenger cabin," he told Rinoa, watching her back stiffen even more. She stalked away in silence, apparently ignoring him. "Rinoa!" he called after her sharply, sending a command to her through their link. She came to a stumbling halt, hands fisting at her sides. "Wait in the passenger cabin until I say otherwise."

"Oh, of course, Commander, sir," she said finally, her voice shaking slightly with suppressed emotion. Emotion he could sense at the edge of his mind; humiliation, anger, a touch of fear.

"It's for your own good, Rinoa," he said levelly, gaze narrowed on her back. "SeeD don't take betrayal well."

"Whatever…" she said bitterly, stalking off.

He junctioned his gunblade to his belt. Selphie snorted beside him, folding her arms over her chest as she glared after the retreating girl. He looked down at her, still surprised by the frown on her face. It was far angrier than he was used to seeing from her.

"I hope Angelo bites her," Selphie said as the ship shuddered around them as Zell lifted off.

"Selphie, leave her alone," he ordered quietly, gaze intent. "She's under my protection." She looked up at him with a faintly guilty expression, her eyes partially hidden by lowered lids. Selphie being evasive was cute - futile, but cute. He knew she was plotting something.

"We didn't do anything to her…" she protested.

"Yet," he interrupted her. She flushed and shrugged, then turned to face him with a determined grimace, her eyes bright with indignation.

"She hurt you, Squall," she said in a soft voice, reaching a hand up to touch his jaw. He let her, but kept his own expression set. It was difficult, but he kept himself from responding to her caress. This was business.

"That doesn't matter now," he said grimly. "She's our link to Ultimecia and harassing her will only make our job that much harder. We can't afford to alienate her."

"He's right, sunshine," a calm voice interjected. They both turned to see Irvine leaning against the far wall by the door to the inner core, a wry twist to his mouth. "Besides, knowing we've got him and she doesn't is punishment enough, don't you think?"

Selphie gave a reluctant laugh, her expression lightening almost immediately. "Hey, you know, you're right, sweetie. That is the best punishment of all." She and Squall crossed the hold toward him, walking almost shoulder to shoulder.

Irvine laughed softly as he straightened away from the wall. "Where to now, Commander?" he asked, eyeing Squall assessingly.

"Back to Balamb Garden for supplies and information," Squall said after a moment of silent consideration.

Irvine gave him a brief nod, a pleased gleam entering his eyes as he held out a hand to Selphie. She went to him in a rush and he bent down to meet her, covering her mouth with his in a sudden, heated caress. Squall stood behind her, watching them silently as Irvine kissed her into limp, quivering submission. When Irvine finally lifted his head, Selphie was hanging off his neck, one leg flipped up behind her and her dazed eyes blinking at him slowly.

"Wow…um, hello sweetie…" she gasped, her eyes decidedly starry. Irvine smiled down at her, running gentle fingers along her cheek. She purred and rubbed against him. Just like she had with him earlier.

"Why don't you run on up to the bridge and tell Zell where we're going, hmm, sunshine?" the tall sharpshooter said quietly, amusement in his tone. She straightened up reluctantly, a more normal smile teasing at her lips.

"Oh, I get it. You want to molest Squall in peace, don't you?" she accused him brightly.

Irvine grinned down at her. "The sooner we get back to Garden, sunshine, the sooner we can get back to the privacy of my room. Maybe tonight…?"

Her eyes widened gleefully and she bounced away from him with sudden energy, clapping her hands together like a pleased child.

"Ooh, you're right! I'm going!" She spun away, laughing brightly now. "Don't be too long…" Then she vanished through the door in a last flutter of waving fingers, leaving them alone.

Squall favored Irvine with a sour glare, arms folded over his chest. Feeling as if he had just somehow been cleverly maneuvered and he wasn't sure he cared for that sensation. His glare was a clear warning to Irvine to keep his distance.

Irvine just laughed at him, amber eyes twinkling wickedly.

"You're assuming things again," Squall found himself saying. Even though his own heart had leaped with eagerness when Irvine mentioned his room. The possibility of time alone with them hadn't even been considered in his decision to return to Balamb Garden. They really did need supplies. And a friendly location to plan their next move in the struggle against Ultimecia…

Irvine hooked his thumbs in his belt, smiling broadly at him. But keeping his distance, for now. "Oh, you can't tell me thinking about goin' home to Garden didn't give you those ideas too, Leonhart," he said, mouth quirked.

"No, I have other things to worry about first…"

"Something you do way too much of…" Irvine said, dropping his lazy pose and walking toward him with deliberate intent. Squall held his ground, glaring at Irvine and trying desperately to convince himself that the sudden leap in his pulse was irritation and not eager anticipation. And he'd just had Selphie a short while ago… what kind of sex-fiend was he turning into? Or was he just making up for lost time? Or anticipating the end?

"Gods, there you go again… shit, come here…" Irvine growled, reaching out and locking his hands around his face. Strong hands tilted his head back against stiff resistance; his own hands rose up automatically and closed around those imprisoning wrists. Gray gaze clashed with amber in a brief clash of wills. Testing… what? Determination? Resistance? Need?

With a groan, the taller man bent urgently down toward him, but at the last instant checked himself and only brushed his lips over Squall's own. Teasing him. The bastard. His pulse throbbed almost painfully in his ears.

With a choked-back groan, Squall forced his hands down to his sides. Standing passively in that firm grasp and letting his lips part breathlessly close to Irvine's. Waiting for the full possession he wanted - that he craved. But Irvine just hovered there, watching him from mostly-closed eyes that gleamed brightly in the stark lighting.

"Hell Fire, that 'fuck off world' look of yours gets me every time," Irvine breathed against his lips. His hands dropped away from Squall's face to his shoulders, digging into the pelt around his collar, holding him in place. He resisted the urge to knock Irvine's hold away. Barely. And only because those teasing lips had still not fully touched his yet.

Anger was joining the tension, the anticipation. "Put up or shut up, Kinneas."

"Maybe I just like pissing you off, Squall." Golden eyes gleamed with both sensual heat and amusement. The puff of breath that came with his name, washing across his mouth, made him shudder, his pulse throb.

"Whatever…" He tried to turn away then, to pull back from the maddeningly incomplete embrace, but the motion just skimmed his mouth across Irvine's, earning him a quick hiss of satisfaction from the other man. One hand flashed down from his collar to loop around his back, pressing him closer. Hips bumped awkwardly together, belts tangling. Squall froze.

Irvine was still too, watching him from under nearly lowered lids, like a great, lazy cat. Holding him close, but still not kissing him fully. Frustration. Need. Annoyance. Was this just a game? Squall shifted restlessly, gaze flicking up, unaware of the sensual heat burning in his own eyes. Irvine's gaze flared in reply and he groaned softly before giving in and finally sealing his mouth over Squall's in a long, drugging kiss.

Squall's hands crept around him, hesitantly at first, then clutching tightly. Fusing them together. He barely remembered to block the dark place in his mind to keep Rinoa from feeling the lust and other things rising inside him. Barely remembered to hold the block in place as Irvine's tongue swept deep into his mouth, tasting him, filling him. He wound one hand in the tail of long hair near his face and used it to hold the taller man close. Finally, was all his fevered brain could think. Finally.

Neither of them saw the shadowy figure watching them from the doorway.

When Selphie entered the bridge on her happy errand, it was to find Quistis seated at the rear sensor station, a curiously dazed look on her face. Selphie darted a quick look at the board, a fond smile curving her lips as she saw the monitor screen showing the main entrance hold on display there. The image was centered on her two boys… and… sure enough… Irvine had pulled Squall into his arms and was proceeding to kiss the boy stupid right there in front of Quistis. Well. Indirectly in front of her. Though, knowing Irvine, he might just have figured that Quisty might be watching…

Quistis sucked her breath in sharply, her fingers trembling near the controls for the monitor. Clearly torn between a reluctant desire to watch what was happening and an equally strong desire to grant them privacy. Selphie had no such compunction, but she didn't want to frighten Quistis too badly. Yet she walked up quietly beside her anyway. She had to know if her 'big sister' was going to have a real problem with this unusual relationship of theirs. And now was as good a time to find out as any.

"They look pretty darn sexy together, don't they?" she offered softly. Hopefully too low for the half-humming half-singing Zell to hear way off in the pilot's seat a whole two meters away. Of course, the boy was getting awful good at being discreet lately. There might be hope for him yet.

Quistis jumped in her own seat with a gasp, her hand flying to her chest as if she was afraid her heart was going to leap out of it. She went pale, blue eyes wide as she shot a wary look up at Selphie. Then just as quickly she flushed heavily and looked down at the board, then away as she realized what was still displayed in front of her.

"I - I didn't… I mean… I don't…" Quistis stammering was a rare thing.

"You saw Irvine kiss me, didn't you?"

Quistis' head swiveled around toward her again, but she didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Yes." Her voice was soft, barely audible. Guilty.

"Do you think it's gross now just 'cause he's kissing Squall?" Selphie asked, her brows drawn together in a small frown. She didn't want Quistis to be too horribly uncomfortable with this whole thing… yet she couldn't force her to change if she was. It was something she'd been trying hard not to have to face just yet… they needed a little more time to get Squall comfortable before prejudices rose to tax them.

"I never thought… well, no…" Quistis said after a pregnant pause. She swallowed hard and flushed a bit brighter. "Actually, no, I don't find it 'gross'. But watching is an invasion of privacy. I shouldn't be intruding that way."

Selphie's relief was immediate, surprising her with it's strength. She really had been worried about Quisty's reaction. The grin flashed, broad and delighted. "He'd do it in front of you too, you know, if he knew you wouldn't freak out." Then she considered what she'd just said, tilted her head to the side and added with a rueful chuckle, "Well, Squall would probably freak instead…"

Quistis had darted another involuntary look back at the monitor board, and her eyes widened again. She hastily switched the screen off before Selphie could get another good look at it, but Irvine was probably feeling Squall up about now. And that might be a bit much for an inadvertent observer like Quistis to handle. She fought her patented smug look back for Quistis's sake. Tag team Squall taming. She and Irvine were perfecting it. The boy was a lot of work... but so worth it.

"Voyeurism isn't quite my thing," Quistis said firmly, taking a steadying breath as she visibly collected herself. "What the t-three of you do isn't actually any of my business. But…"

"But?" Selphie prompted with a raised brow, head still cocked.

"Please don't hurt him."

Selphie sobered and met Quistis' gaze firmly, an odd sense of foreboding gripping her. To her surprise, Leviathan murmured his soothing song in her head - trying to console her? "Hasn't anyone considered that Irvine and I are the ones most likely to end up hurt…?"

"Hey, Selphie! Where the hell are we goin' other than 'away' anyway? Did Squall decide?" Zell chimed in, finally having noticed her arrival on the bridge. With exquisitely bad timing, of course. Selphie smiled at Quistis, patting her on the arm before turning to Zell.

"Back to Garden, Zell," she said with a determinedly bright smile. Her own words tangled in the song of her GF, haunting her. "We're going home."

- - to be continued - -