Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Teasing the Lion ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

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

Disclaimer: FFVIII and its characters belong to the rightful Squaresoft. Or their scriptwriters and character designer. Whatever….. And Squaresoft, I love you, so don't sue me! (what a lame defense....)

Has not been beta-read yet, so sorry for the spelling and grammatical mistakes I might be making.

Teasing the Lion

Part 3

A fanfiction by Sumeragi Sakura

Living together with Squall Lionheart had proved to be quite lonesome for me. No, he didn't cause me any troubles. In fact, he never did as much as talking to me or smile at me. He didn't even acknowledge my existence in his dorm room. But I understood why he did that. I was, after all, the uninvited intruder in his usually quiet life.

Ironically, as someone who lived in the same room with him, I barely got the chance to see him. He woke up earlier than me, so when it was my turn to wake up, he was always already gone. And when I returned to the room after spending the whole day in school, he was always already asleep. We rarely ran into each other in the hallways or in the dining room. And when I actually saw him in classes we both took, he acted as if I was something less important than an insect.

Being the Irvine Kinneas, the guy who had never known rejection, because I had always been the one who dumped anyone else if I wanted to, it actually hurt. If someone else did this to me, I would absolutely see to it that he should pay the consequences, which would definitely be something painful or extremely humiliating. But Squall wasn't just anyone else. What the hell was it that made him so special, I didn't quite know.

It was not only because of his pretty looks, because I'd seen so many pretty looks before. They were all just the same. They frequently came and went about my life, like some fancy decorations I could change everytime I got bored.

I wished I could get bored with Squall and spare myself the aggravation.

But somehow, I couldn't.

I just couldn't.

+ + + + +

I woke up feeling very much cranky this morning. It was one of the mornings when sleep hadn't really put you to rest, it messed with your mind instead. The ghosts of the night, people said, that made you sleep in distress, as if they extorted the energy you should had been restoring while you were sleeping. It was one of the mornings when you wake up with a body that felt battered and broken down.

It was in such condition I found myself feeling this morning. School would start soon. I knew that already. Just how soon, I didn't really care to know. I sighed and pushed the strands of hair off my face backward to the pillow I rest my head on. Automatically, my hand reached out to the bedside drawer and grabbed a pack of cigarettes.

It was the best breakfast you should have in mornings such this one. I took one and lighted it. Ahh… it was definitely the best thing that could ever happen when you were feeling like trash….

Hazily, I turned to the side to stare at the empty bed next to mine. Had Squall already gone again? What a surprise, I told myself sarcastically. Lately, the only thing related to him I could see was his empty bed. Or his empty desk. Or his empty, blank look he put on if we did run into each other in classes.

Ch'…. Perhaps I shouldn't ask to move into his room. Or might as well, perhaps I shouldn't go to the dance ball the other night. Or perhaps I shouldn't move into Balamb in the first place.

Yes, mornings such as this could make even Irvine Kinneas sulk like a spoiled, little brat. I blew out a smoky menthol breath and jumped up to a sitting position. My hair fell down over my bare-chested body like a curtain of honey-colored waterfall. I shrugged some of it behind my shoulder and stretched out.

"Unggg…. Damn it!"

Somehow, I got one of my back muscles to twist and hurt. Cursing, I stumbled off the bed and stretched my body again. It hurt. I would live, of course, but going through a day with a pained muscle was not a very good prospect when you were starting a day.

Still sleepy, I staggered across the room, heading to the bathroom. But when I reached the bathroom door, it was closed. Ah, Squall must have left it closed after he used it earlier this morning. Scratching my heavy head, I opened the door.

If I thought I'd seen everything beautiful in the world already, I was wrong. At least until now, because the sight that greeted me the moment I opened the door exceed everything else I've considered beautiful.

My eyes first stumbled on a sleek plane of a wet back. It was white, like ivory. The shoulder bone protruded at the upper part of the back and the smooth curve of the spinal cord had even added some artistic touch on the back. Beneath it, a pair of round yet firm cheeks, wet from the shower, teased my sight.

Squall's head was thrown backwards, slightly. He ran a hand over his wet hair and sighed audibly. Very much amused with this sudden tempting offer, I kept watching him silently from the doorway. I leant on the threshold and folded my hands across my chest. Gone was the pain on my back, gone was the dreary sleepiness in my head. I was oblivious to anything else, except the wet beauty before my eyes.

His body was well toned, but managed to stay slim and lean without a trace of femininity. As if he could hide his muscles well under his skin. I knew they were there, ready to spring up in battle mode. But right now, his naked body looked so smooth and lean. His skin was flawless. As white as alabaster but not as pale as moonlight. I unconsciously licked the inner part of my lips, unable to suppress my building desire.

The rest of the world had dimmed into nothingness around me. The only thing that existed in the world was me and this heavenly beauty whose figure could make a man's head dazed and his knee weakened.

Painfully, I could feel my arousal stirred inside my sleeping pants. Gods, just the sight of him had caused me this much excitement. But I didn't plan to ruin the moment with my raging lust. No, not now. Not now when I had him so close. Not when he was naked, wet and looking very luscious….

The dripping beauty turned around suddenly. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw me there. Instinctively, his hands went to his crotch, vainly trying to cover as much as he could from my burning stare.

"There's no use covering that, Squall. I've seen your naked butt for quite some time now," these teasing words slid out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

He gritted his teeth. "How long have you been here?"

I threw him a wicked smile. "Long enough…."

He wasn't happy with my answer, obviously. "Get out of here. Now."

Deliberately, if not blatantly, disobeying, I closed the bathroom door instead and locked it behind me. He slanted his cold eyes at me. He could hate me more after this, if that was even possible, but I didn't think I could let go such lucky opportunity.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Watching you."

"You're a pervert."

I shrugged. "Yeah, I get that a lot. So what are you going to do with that?"

"I can kill you."

"No, you can't"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I know that you can't."

"Yes, I can."

"Not when you're naked and helpless like that."

He swallowed his next words with a fiery blush burning on his face. He looked as if he suddenly became more self-conscious. His eyes darted towards the towel hung on the metal hook protruded from the wall next to me. Smilingly, I followed his eyes and happily took the towel from the hook.

"Give it to me," he said.

"You didn't say the magic word…"

Silence. There was a full minute of dead-cold silence enveloping the air extended between eyes, before he finally averted his eyes and whispered hoarsely.

"Please…."

I smiled victoriously. "Ah, that sounds so nice. Why don't you say that again…"

Another long silence. I took the towel to my mouth and kissed it, while staring at his glowering eyes.

"Stop that."

"What?"

"Stop doing that to my towel."

"Why not?"

"Just stop it."

"Only if you say the magic word again."

"What do you want from me?"

"You just heard me, right?"

"Fine. Please."

"Don't say it with such hatred, Squall. It conceals the true meaning."

"I've said it. Just give me the damn towel."

"One more condition."

"Forget it."

"Do you want me to go over there and do things you don't even want to think about?"

He winced slightly. "I'll kill you if you lay a hand on me."

"How about a tongue?"

He blushed again. His shoulder shook with anger. I silently cursed myself. Somehow, when I was with him, I couldn't help being a little too playful and teasing. I didn't know why I loved to tease him, even though I knew he would hate me more because of it. Probably because I loved seeing his blushing face.

I cast my eyes downward, down to his well-toned chest and abs. Dear me… If Michelangelo was God, then the naked figure standing in front of me, glistening and dripping from the shower water, was probably His David. I felt my breath caught in my throat and I shuddered with desire.

He saw this. He saw how I fought against the lust and actually thought of giving in. He stepped back, his back hit the bathroom wall. His hands gripped his crotch more. A deadly look was put on his handsome face.

I sighed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to endanger my self by coming to you. At least, not now, though."

"Just give me my towel."

"In one condition."

"I've said 'Please' already."

"Different condition."

"How many are there, exactly?"

"Just this one."

"I don't trust you."

I chuckled. "No, you really should. I might be annoying but I'm not a liar."

"What do you want? Just be quick about it."

I walked towards the shower, with the towel in my hand. He watched my every step cautiously, ready to launch an attack if necessary. But I didn't wish him any harm. Telling him that would prove as a waste of energy, of course, and thus I didn't say anything. Once I was near enough with the shower, I reached for the shower handle and turned the faucet off.

He took a step away from me when I did that. Raising my body, I turned at him and smiled.

"Just come here and let me dry you."

He stared at me silently. Intently. A few seconds passed without any reaction from him.

I frowned. "Did you hear me?"

"Is that your last condition?"

"Yes."

"………………"

Sighing impatiently, I shifted my stance and held the towel higher. "It's your call. Do you want me to take this towel out to the hall to let you get it naked, or would you allow me to dry you out? It's obviously a simple question, really, and the right answer is even more simple."

He still didn't trust me. I could see it from his eyes. I didn't blame him though. But I did grow impatient with his caution. It was not like I was going to hurt him or anything.

"Fine. You can fetch this from the hall while everyone else will be staring at your cute, little butt," I said while turning around to the door again.

"Wait…"

I smiled before I turned around again and looked at his blushing face. He looked down and whispered.

"All right…"

"Come here, then."

Hesitantly, Squall took a step towards me. I held the towel in front of me, nodding my head at him for encouragement. He took another step, and another one and another one, before he finally stood before me with his head bent down. I covered his wet head with the towel. I started rubbing his hair using the towel. He stood without saying a word or doing anything. I stepped closer and rubbed the side of his face with the towel.

"Why were you still in the shower? You usually wake up much earlier then I do," I said gently, while running the soft towel over his wet chest.

"I couldn't sleep," was his brief answer.

Yet, his words had been deprived of his usual coldness. It sounded slightly shaky, in fact.

"Why's that?"

"It's none of your business."

"I hope I don't disturb you with my snoring," I laughed.

"You don't snore," he knitted his brows at me.

Blinking in surprise, I stared at him. "And how do you know that?"

He looked away. "I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night."

"Nightmares?"

"Just the ghosts of the night."

I was taken aback with his words. Those were the exact words I thought when I woke up earlier. He just said the same thing. Could it be that he was dreaming the same nightmare? Shaking my head, I decided it was a ridiculous idea.

I took his left arm and rub the towel on it. He watched me doing that. He had a look that was almost curious on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because I like you."

"I don't understand."

"Well, that's not something so hard to understand."

"It is to me."

"Why's that?"

"You've only met me twice."

"So what? I like you from the first time I saw you."

"…………………&hellip ;…. That's stupid."

"Oh yeah? You think so? Don't you ever like anyone from the first sight?"

"I never like anyone. I thought you're into girls."

"I can do both."

"………………."

I chuckled. "Did I surprise you?"

"No. You disgust me."

Laughing, I slid the towel around his waist and dried him. His hands were still over his crotch. I noticed that and smiled.

"Put your hands aside," I told him gently, again.

"I'll dry myself."

"No, no. The deal was for me to dry you."

He grabbed the towel from my hand and quickly covered his waist with it. I hadn't got the time to say anything but he had already left the bathroom. Groaning upsetly, I chased him out of the bathroom. He was already by the closet, putting on his uniform pants.

"Hey, I'm not done yet with you!" I protested.

"I'm done with you," he jerked his zipper up.

Frowning, feeling very much cheated, I glowered at him. He quickly finished getting dressed. When he passed my on his way to the door, I caught him by the elbow.

"Hey, one thing before you left, wanna do something to pay back your unfinished deal?" I asked him in a deep, serous tone.

He frowned. "What?"

"Watch me take a shower."

The blush burst on his face like fireworks exploded in the sky. He snapped his elbow out of my grip, walked to the door and slammed it hard.

I chuckled in amusement. Gods,… for someone as cold as him, he was surely easy to blush. And he looked unbearably cute when he did that.

But….

I sighed. What have you done again, Irvine, I asked myself. This was not good. This wouldn't help me stealing his heart away. All I'd done was exactly throwing him off my hands over and over again. I really should stop make fun of him and seriously start to win him.

Seriously?

I frowned to myself. Since when did Irvine Kinneas get really serious about something? Oh God,… what had gone into me? I scratched my not-itchy-at-all head and groaned out loud. I wasn't here to be serious. I just wanted to have some fun!

But, then again… Squall was not the kind of guy I could win by charm only. He would take much patient and efforts to claim for. That, I had already known. The question was, did I really want him so bad? Would the much time and energy I would spend on him worth it?

The image of his wet, naked and lean figure under the shower, with his sleek, sexy hair and his even sexier blue eyes showed up in my head. I groaned inwardly.

Worth it or not, he was a treasure I couldn't afford to lose.

{Tsuzuku }

Author's Note: I almost give up posting this to FF.net, in fear they will tear my fics down again. But hey, wth. If they tear me down again, I'll post them again. Besides, I have my fics posted in other sites as well, so I think it'll be safe.

Anyway, I've posted this chapter weeks ago in my Fic ML. Sorry for not being able to post it here any sooner. Actually, I wasn't really sure this chapter is finished yet. Now I do. I wanted to add one more scene here, but I figured I'll put it in the next chapter instead.

I hope I'm not boring you out. This fic's pace kinda slow. I'm kinda slow. I'm sorry. *bows* I'll try to be better the next time.

Ja, until the next chapter!

(Last edited October 8th, 2002, 10:48 a.m.)