Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Snow Drift ❯ Say it right ( Chapter 23 )

It was ridiculous, he knew it the moment he got out of his son's, jungle blanket covered, bed that he shouldn't be wandering down the hall to slip into his bedroom to join Imari Karver, not Irvine Kinneas, to sleep. But he couldn't help it dammit! His lover is laying in his- should be their bedroom and he's not with him and its eating at him badly. Imari will just have to suck it up if he happens to wake up and notice him; its not as if Squall intends to try anything with the man, just a nice comforting sleep.

The door opens soundlessly, closing just the same. The lovesick gunblader slipped across the room like wind would blow through a field, gentle and lifeless. His weight dipped his large and steady bed only a bit as he climbed into the covers, slid up into the man, and carefully he wraps his arms around his empty lover's body, resting his head onto his chest. Imari's heartbeat is steady and slow, making Squall smile, moreso, when the man's hand came up into his hair as Irvine's did, thumb brushing the hairline behind his ear.

'I can't believe he sleeps naked.' Squall took notice of the uncovered amount pressing into his own, which is covered in his charcoal boxers. 'You're going to end up being such a pain to live with, aren't you?' Squall didn't mind so much for himself, but Imari should really consider the four year old that doesn't know the meaning of personal space to save his life. And where Kait may have the same thing going on downstairs, his is nowhere near the same and he doesn't want to end up answering a bunch of weird questions. Being uncomfortable is not his thing. 'Crap.'

Imari nuzzled his face to Squall's, lips seeking his lips which he parted to kiss the, sleeping, male. Squall closed his momentarily shocked eyes melting into the feeling that he's missed for so many years. You can touch yourself until your hand comes off, but there is no way to simulate kissing; that wonderful burning feeling that you get when you're taking in someone's breaths and they your own nor can you copy the sweet sense of connecting with someone you care for taking the pleasure of gratification beyond what self love knows.

He hummed passionately feeling the slightest taste of tongue come into his mouth. Squall couldn't say much for Imari's alert make-out skills, but asleep his mouth moves as skillfully as Irvine's.

"Squall." The faintest accent used in his name sent a chill throughout his entire body making him stiff as a rod beyond the cotton fabric; Imari's erection presses readily into the other man's thigh.

Squall's hold tightens around the Irvine's back as he rolls them over so that the man is resting on top of him; thighs parted and knees bent, Squall digs his heal into the mattress to get some force behind his raised hips grind. He released a shuddered sigh from the feeling of his lover's weight dropped over him while the man continued to unconsciously kiss him all over his face from his mouth, chin, jaw, and cheeks; the gunblader's eyes roll up into the back of his head when his hips are met in the grind; Imari's knees come up at his sides, which lift Squall's legs to sit around the man's back, as he tries to gain access to Squall's entrance, but his boxers are still in the way. Should he ask the man to wait? Or somehow try to work his bothersome clothing away. Its worth the risk.

"Wait." He whispered just as quietly as Irvine had spoke his name.

The sleeping lover snickered, placing one last kiss against Squall's neck before moving aside. Squall has an old bottle of lubricant in his dresser drawer, blindly, he reaches for it with one hand while the other works his clothes off with help from precise shifts of his hips back and forth. Snatching the bottle its almost instantly removed from his hand by Imari or Irvine or whomever is in there now, and a healthy amount is squeezed into his hand- at least, he has to hope so once the sound of the cap being flipped up sounded. An arm is wrapped around his waist and he's rolled to his stomach; the tip of his lovers bulge met his entrance instantly, sliding quickly in all the way to the base. Squall cried out in pleasure, back arched ecstasy. He always said that with Irvine little prep was involved and even after all this time he still fit like a glove- minus that mildly painful extra inch or two his lover grew over four years. He didn't care, this feels real, this feels like Irvine; judging by the tenderness mixed with haste. Irvine always said resisting him was a nightmare and he longed always for their time alone.

A drawn out moan left both men when his lover began moving in and out; their hands, though, front on back entwine with each other as weight and force are met wantonly.

Through soft moan Irvine whispers. "Squall."

Turning his head to kiss the man on the cheek that's sort of exposed to him, due to Irvine's long hair resting just passed it. "Say it again." He pleads loving the way his name sounds in that accented tone and missing it just as much as he missed this.

Complying, he whispers his lover's name again. "Squall."

"Again." He groans as the set pace is picked up. "Again!" He calls out whenever answered; their fingers dig painfully into the gunblader's palms but he doesn't care, nothing can be felt over this: his rear being pounding, back being caressed by torso and his length painting streaks along the sheet its sensually brushing back and forth against. Squall could lose an arm and it wouldn't register until an hour after.

The bed is crying out with them, the wall painfully aware of it as there's sure to be a crack or even a hole somewhere along it. His name, Irvine's name, the wet slapping sounds of flesh against flesh rang out into the air ending with pillow muffled screams as the last pound found its way up the man's tunnel before pulling out. Imari lay on top of Squall, but that wouldn't due for the gunblader, shoving the man off he grabs him by the arms shaking him.

"Irvine, if you're still in there, wake up now!" He screamed into the unconscious male's face; swallowing hard as his only response is gentle breathing, Squall felt tears and vomit creeping up on him. For a good forty minutes he had him; he had Irvine, he was back with him and loving him and now...

Skkaarrr!

He jumped out of his skin hearing that damned bird of Imari's. He'd forgotten it was in the room, but the creepy thing about it was that it sounded as though... as though it had said his name. Surely he's losing it now or maybe it was his 'need for attention' as Seifer so crudely put it those few years back, thankfully Irvine explained it a lot better taking away that sore feeling that he's some kind of needy jackass. Looking at the dim paleness of his lover beside him, Squall replaces his clothing not bothering with the clean up, he's far too exhausted to care, and far too angry. But he won't press the matter, Dr. Kadowaki made him promise himself and he won't go back on his word.

Sskaaarrr!

"Shut up." He growls at the animal. Laying on his side, hands kept to himself he closes his eyes and waits for sleep to take over him.

...

The next day. Squall woke up alone. Dual colored eyes open staring at the blinding sun coming in through the window. Letting out a sigh as last nights activity resisted his mind, he pushes up from the bed heading into the bathroom to clean up.

'Dammit. I had meant to wake up before Imari. Who's to say he's even still here; he might think that I went back on my word or something and took off.' He splashes cold water on his face, running a hand through his messed up hair not caring if it came together in the end or not he leaves the bathroom. Nose in the air he can smell coffee brewing, what smells also to be eggs and some type of meat. 'I guess he's not gone. Maybe he doesn't know anything, just thinks that I slipped into bed with him. At least he's not mad.'

Smiling at Squall, Imari calls. "Good morning!"

"Morning." Taking a seat on a stool at the counter, he looks at the stove. "Omelets?"

"For you and me."

Eyes moving to the time now, he notes that it's nine o'clock. "I have to get Kait."

"That guy Zell called, said he'd bring him over but he took him to ummm," He bites his bottom lip recalling the phone conversation with the happy blond. "his mother's diner for breakfast."

"Okay."

"Egg white, stuffed with chicken, cheese, and mushrooms." He shrugs. "I used what I found in the fridge."

"Chicken in an omelet?"

"I'm letting the mother see her babies one last time." He shrugs with a faint laugh.

Shaking his head in dismay, he cuts a slice from the food set before him. "Mmm. That's really good."

"Thank you."

"Irvine never eats healthy, if it could kill him instantly he'll eat it."

"Yeah?" Moving his plate with him he sets it down on the counter beside Squall. "I had the weirdest dream last night."

Squall licked his lips from the cheese that dripped from the bite he'd lifted. "Oh?"

"Yeah... I was watching you and me," He blushes. "we were... you know... having sex." He then laughed from discomfort.

"That's crazy alright." Squall comments casually. "But not too far off, maybe it was a memory of Irvine's."

"Some memory, is that your only pair of night clothes?"

Squall's words strangled for a moment. "No. I have a full set and random colors. I just bought these maybe two months ago."

"You were wearing that exact pair of night clothes in my dream, and if Irvine's never seen them it makes me wonder if-..."

Squall listens to the male all the while noticing his actions. He smiled softly then snickered.

"What?"

"Its just that, you don't eat like Irvine either." He turns his gaze to his own food unable to meet the deep two colored tone of his soulless lover's gaze. "He'd of been on his second or third plate by now, you... you eat like a bird."

Imari only laughed at that. "I happen to like enjoying my food, thank you."

"I was just making conversation."

"I take it you don't do much of that," Imari takes another tiny bite. "you're kind of bad at it."

"Gee thanks. I never miss hearing that." Squall rolls his eyes. "Imari... do you wanna hang out today? I mean, later on. I have work until the afternoon but then I'm free to do whatever."

"Y-... yeah, that'd be great." Imari had to feel good about that. Squall is asking him to 'hang out' with him. He who promised no sort of care in the world beyond getting Irvine back. This could actually be really nice. 'Hn. Look at me getting a crush on another man's man- hell a man at that. Guess I answered my own question that I gave to the Shumi's.'

Squall finished his breakfast and coffee too.

"Do you want another one, I'll gladly make it for you."

"No. I'm good." Curious he asks. "What happened to the yolks, did you throw them out? Seems like a waste to me."

"No. I gave them to Pal for breakfast. He eats meat."

"Feeding bird to a bird. You really are odd." He pats the man on the shoulder before exiting the living room. From the hall he calls. "You'll have to watch Kait today, the others have classes to teach."

"What do you do?" He calls to the man who's probably in his bedroom.

"I'm an examiner."

"So what, you sit in on tests and stuff?"

"Yeah."

The bathroom door is closed and shower water is running soon after. Imari finished his meal cleaning the dishes putting them away. 'I've never babysat before, I wonder if its hard.' Taking a seat on the couch he stands back up when the door bell rings only seconds after his bottom hit the seat.

Opening the door he smiles when the child leaps into the air to be caught by him.

"Imari, you're still here?" He asks touching the man's face as though he might disappear or something.

"Yup, I'm still. How are you this morning?"

"I'm fine, where's daddy?"

"Showering." He steps aside to let Zell passed.

"He's fed and ready to start the day." Says the blond. "Ma even brushed his hair." Though he decided to tousle it right then.

"And don't you look sharp."

Laughing Kait wriggling to get down. "Don't touch me a'cause I'll poke you, I'm sharp." Darting down the hall he heads into his room then into the bathroom where his father is.

"I'm heading to work with Squall."

Imari nods. "I'm babysitting."

"Easiest job I ever had." Informs the shorter male.

"That's good. Any tips for me?"

"He's big on fruit, cut some of those for him and you're set."

Imari nods in all seriousness.

"And if you get tired, television, channel 112 has all his favorite shows."

"112."

"That reminds me, do you have a jewel or something that you want made into a ring or- you said earrings, right?"

"Yeah, I have to get them from shumi first, but I'll let you know."

Zell jumped out of his skin as the large bird landed on his shoulders, wings flapping rapidly. "What? What did I do!?" He steps back blindly trying to remove the animal.

"What's gotten into you?" Imari asks scooping the bird into his arms holding it like a bundled up baby. "You horny or something?"

"Real nice." Exclaims Zell brushing a hand along his back at in awkward movement until Imari turned him around to check for who knows what the man thought was back there. He did not wanna think about being raped by a bird- if that's even possible. He's heard about that guy that died after being fucked by one of his sheep- a sheep!

"You're good." He says. Looking at the animal that still seemed adamant in getting to Zell he exits the house setting the animal down on the balcony ledge. "Crazy bird, get out of here. You need to cool off or something."

Pal began skwaking in an uproar but did as he was told.

"And I'm usually so good with animals." Says Zell.

Imari waves off the comment. "Trust me, its not you. Pal's been acting weird since we left Winhill."

"Maybe he's homesick."

"Could be."

In the bathroom Kait is twirling a circle; Jojo swinging in his grasp. "And daddy guess what?"

"What?" He starts to rinse the shampoo from his hair.

"Mrs. Dink-tu, dintoo... How do you say it?"

"Dincht."

"Uh huh, Dincht, she brought me to a dinner-"

"Diner." Corrects his father.

"diner and I got to have blueberry donuts for breakfast and some orange juice."

'Poor Imari, babysitting a sugar hopped kid won't be a picnic.' He had to smile at the thought though. That will be his punishment for slugging him the other day. "Did you really?"

"Yeah, and then I got to ride in a space ship outside and it was fun- daddy it moved all around. Ooops!"

The clown went flying from his grip beyond the fish decorated shower curtain, popping Squall on the leg. Looking down at the shampoo and water soaked clown Squall bent over to pick it up.

"Fuck." Quickly brushing suds from his face, he reaches for his towel wrapping the doll in it. "Here Kait," He shoves it out from the opening behind him. "Go dry it off and I'll be out in a minute so you can talk to me."

"Okay. Thank you for saving Jojo."

Easing his tone he can tell that Kait panicked thinking that he'd be yelled at both for wetting his doll and for disrupting his shower but its wasn't his fault and Squall wasn't mad. As kindly as he could muster he says. "You're welcome."

The boy's foot steps exit the bathroom and Squall finishes his bath as quickly as he said he would. Going into his bedroom, mostly dry and boxers on his son follows after him talking about his day. Once he finished with every detail his four year old mind knew, he watched his father then asks.

"Where are you going?"

"To work, you'll have Imari to play with until I get back."

"Oh."

"Do me a favor,"

"Be good?" He piped wanting to impress his father with his memory.

"No. Today I want you to be a little bad, take the lid off your sippy and knock it over, run Imari ragged."

"How come?" He cocks his head.

"Because sometimes daddy wants to be...silly." He said of course meaning 'cruel'.

"And you can't because you have to work?"

Squall nods to the question. "Think of it like a game."

Kait seemed to be thinking it over. Turning his head when he hears foot steps in the hall heading for his room he walks over to Squall, who's at the closet taking a shirt from the hanger, then gives him a hug before disappearing.

Zell and Imari are in his room unpacking his clothes and things. Kait grabbed Imari's shirt giving it a tug.

"Is it ok if I'm bad today? Daddy said to do it." He asks.

Mouth agape in mild shock, Imari says. "He did?"

The boy nods. Zell couldn't help but laugh at how Squall was busted by his own son.

"Well, you know what? You can be as bad as you like, I'll even help you."

"Yay!" The boy seemed to sober from his celebration. "Oh but I won't knock my cup over, I like juice."

"Zell I'm ready." Says the gunblader. "Bye Kait," He walks over to him giving him a kiss, his movement almost let him down by shifting slightly to give a kiss goodbye to Irvine but he stopped himself, thankfully. "Bye, Imari and don't worry about doing anything wrong, Kait's an angel."

Zell could only pat his friend on the shoulder, laughing as he left the room.

"We'll have a great time. Don't you worry."

Smiling with his secret Squall exits the house.

"So my little troublemaker, what do you wanna wreck first?" Imari asks.

...

The students finished with their test sit frozen in mild terror as Squall's burning gaze looked them over to ensure that no one was cheating in any way. The cadets all know of Kait and Squall's great fondness of the child, a lot of them have even seen the man laugh and play with the child but in the work place, he's practically a demon of ice cold emotion and lack of tolerance for nonsense. One kid was caught texting to another for an answer and... well, he hasn't set foot in the testing room for two years having to retake courses and help the janitors clean up at night. Squall said that if he were willing to cheat then he hasn't learned and is not ready to be out on the battlefield, therefor, he or she should be be reminded of how far they've come the hard way. And its working brilliantly; so far everyone who cheated and had to take the tests over did extremely well- some even thanked him for it. But it hasn't happened in a long time since the first twelve. Seifer always thought that he shouldn't be so hard on the failures, coming from a place where he had to repeat many tests over, but that didn't take away the fact that he thought it was funny as hell to scare the cadets shitless. His team is insanely talented and look up to Seifer greatly but he thinks that they could be better and that he and his rival should show them how perfection looks.

Squall said that he was flattered by the compliment and Seifer of course said that he did not mean him when he said that they should example perfection, only himself.

A student raised her hand wavering when the dual gaze fell upon her.

"What is it?"

"If we're done, may we go?" She asks in a meek voice.

"I don't care."

You could almost feel the shift in the air as the students restrained in the room praised that brave girl for speaking up where they could not. Four or five students looked pissed but kept their eyes glued to their papers so-as-not to be accused of cheating. Selphie bounced up to the open doorway waving her arms over her head to get the male's attention.

"Hey Selphie."

"Hi. I'm going to your place to check on little bird and Imari, any messages that you want me to pass along?"

"No."

"Okay. See us at lunch, we're eating together."

"Okay."

She waves over her shoulder as she exits the room. Squall had to wonder if Kait is being bad. Knowing the kid he told Imari about it just to ensure that he didn't get in trouble for knocking something over or coloring on the walls. He still intends to get the man back for hitting him, he just needs to think of a better way than forcing him to clean an entire apartment alone.

...

Imari strayed from the plan to mess the small home up a bit and decided that he and Kait should do some coloring instead. The boy was in the middle of asking his friend a dozen questions after telling him about the favorite parts in his most favorite shows. They had lunch of fruit kebabs and chicken fingers and a can of grape juice which Kait had to have his poured into his cup because he gagged twice when trying to drink it from the can- he asked if he could try, Imari couldn't say no to the boy wanting to learn a little. He even showed him how.

"Do you liiiike WordWorld?" Asks Kait grabbing a blue crayon from his happy face covered bucket filled with crayons.

"I looove WordWorld- taught me how to read."

"Me too, and daddy taught me how- do you know that I can read the stories in Super WHY?"

"I did not know that. That's pretty cool, I wish I could read around your age."

"How old are you?"

"I don't know."

"Because you're playing pretend?"

Imari smiled. "No, I've just never really thought about it. I don't know if you know this but I don't know a lot of personal things about myself."

"I know, daddy told me." He nods seriously. "He said that you were playing pretend but you couldn't remember that it was just a game."

"He said that?"

"Uh huh." Cocking his head he frowns. "How come you're staying with me and daddy?"

"Because he's... because your dad likes Irvine."

"I thought you were Irvine?"

"I am... sort of."

"You just forgot?"

"...Yeah." He looks down at the cat he's coloring, changing subjects he asks. "What color do you think the collar should be?"

"Purple."

"Purple it is."

Looking at his picture he then looks at Imari's. "How do you color so its not every place?"

"What you mean staying inside the lines?" Imari moves his crayon over to the picture next to the one he's doing. "See the black line right here." Kait nods. "You take your crayon and trace it really carefully and really hard so that when the scribble in the middle it bumps into the outline and keeps the crayon inside. Try it." He hands the boy the crayon sliding the book over.

Kait went in with full intention to impress but the purple color strayed. Watching Imari's moving hand, he shrank his hands movement smiling when the crayon color remained inside the puppy.

"I did it!" He cheered.

"Yeah, good job. You wanna start another picture" He turns his head hearing a sound at the door. "so you can practice some more."

"Nope, I wanna play outside. Can we go?"

"Sure, we can do whatever you like." Getting up from the floor he reaches he follows the quick child into the living room to retrieve his sneakers. "You know how to put yours on?"

"Uh huh." His feet are already inside the shoes. "I don't have ties on them."

"Maybe when you're older."

"Yeah. Do I need my jacket?"

"Not today, the weather is really nice." He opens the door when hearing a familiar pecking sound at it.

Gasping as though his best friend just walked through the door. "Pal, you're here too?" He walks over to the large bird that's almost his size, patting it on the head. The bird cocked its head bt leaned into the petting. "Can he come and play with us?"

"If he's feeling better. Pal was acting weird this morning so I told him to go out for the day."

"Oh. But he's better now?"

"Seems like it. Come on, let's go find a park."

The walk over was nice, he let Kait lead the way since he's never been in Balamb town long enough to locate anything on his own. He just did deliveries. But when a car came rolling by, he snagged the boys hand keeping him at his side. The park had a few other kids playing in it and the boy joined them for a moment but came back and asked Imari to play with him which he did. His energy was no match for a childs and between following Kait around the park like it were an obstacle course and chasing after Pal while the bird flew around the kids clown toy, then a round of holding the hands of every kid at the park spinning them so they could 'fly' as they said he was bushed and had to call a time out while the children play hide and seek around the equipment. You have to give it to kids and their ability to play. Every one of those kids was practically out in the open but the seeker walked right by them to prolong the game since they weren't allowed to go beyond the small park.

Watching Kait had Imari thinking about the quesiton he'd asked him. 'I should know how old I am. But I don't.' He sighs. 'I should know a lot of things that I don't. Living in the dark like this is getting kind of sad really. But what can I do?' A thought crossed his mind just then. Squall did say that it was better for him to remember Irvine as much as he can. So something really Irvine should jog his memory and take away this horrible feeling that is about to live inside of him. Empty and lonely. Tilting his head back so it rests against the back of the bench, Imari closes his eyes opening them seconds after when something touched him.

"Ow..." Sniffled the four year old climbing into his lap. "Can you get it out?"

Holding the boys palm in his hand he uses his fingers like pinchers to remove a nice-sized splinter from his hand. Giving a kiss for good measure, he hugs to boy to him. "Better?"

"Uh huh."

"How'd you get a splinter in your hand."

"When I brushes off the swing." He points to the culprit. "Imari, I'm tired."

"Your tired? Wanna go home for a nap?"

"Uh huh." He more nods than gets the words out.

"Okay." Looking around he gives a whistle for Pal to follow them and the bird hovers right at the man's side.

They arrive at the Leonhart home in good time since he wasn't confined to a child's pace and he placed the boy in his bed, covers raised just to his waist. Exhausted as well, Imari heads into Squall's room removing a hunk of wood from his bag, he also takes out his knife and chistle. He should do some work before he falls behind. He has to make a 3 foot dragon and 12 horses. Imari wasn't sure how long he had been working, but Selphie stopped by to check up on him. He told her that he was fine and just doing some work so she stayed to watch.

"You're really good at that."

"Thank you."

"How long does it usually take you?"

"For things this size, two hours." He shrugs. "The dragon, though, that'll take a day maybe three."

"That's so fast." Picking up hunk of wood from the coffee table she looks it over. "I could never do anything like that. What time is it?" She looks at his watch. "Shoot, I've gotta go. See you later Imari and I'm glad that you're out of the hospital." She hugs him, eyes closed soaking in her friends life.

Smiling, Imari then frowns acknowledging Selphie as another person let down by his being around. Sighing he whispers to her.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." He released her from the hold.

She knew that he'd said something but she wasn't going to push it. She really does have to go. "Come by Garden anytime if you wanna see me. My dorm room is in the third hall room seven. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Imari sat for a moment thoughtfully nibbling on his thumbnail. "Say my name." He mutters to himself. "What does that mean?" Its what he had said to Selphie. He couldn't very well say it again, she would think he was weird- hell he thinks he's weird! But he said it and doesn't know why.