hhehee yes...finally i am back again. life's changed for me, but i hope it only served to better my writing skills ^^
this story is dedicated to my beloved friend Mary and my newfound friend Antony. Many thanks for your inspirations. never would have picked up the pen to write again if it weren't for you two.
*hugs*
as for disclaimer: i don't own the charas or anything, just the plot :P
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'What is this place….?'
Heavy rain poured from the overcast sky… the sewage was starting to stink.
'….I know I've been here before……'
Familiar scent, the stinking sewage was surely a familiar scent. And the pouring rain, the sound of it echoing in the alley. Yes, this was familiar.
'…. This place…. Yes I must have been here before…. But….'
It was getting foggy and the alley was all but deserted. Viridian eyes searched the buildings for anything that would give him that tugging feeling in his heart which had led him to this alleyway from the start.
'…. I can't remember…. Anything…. I can't remember anything!'
The sound was drowned away as the soothing blackness descended.
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"Papa! Look Papa!" a lil girl's voice.
Squall frowned as the little girl tugged on his hand, slipping out from under the umbrella.
"Marlene! You'll get wet and make papa worry about you. Where are you going, baby, it's late. Papa has work tomorrow."
"Papa! Is the man dead?"
Squall sighed and searched the alley for what had captured the interest of his obstinate daughter. His wondrous grey eyes widened as they fell on the figure of a man slouched against the wall, drenched from the rain, with a rat scurrying beside him, studying the man as intensely as Squall now was.
"Papa! Is the man dead?" Marlene repeated.
Squall frowned in concentration as he followed his daughter's incessant tugs towards the man. The brunet poked the figure with the tip of his shoe before squatting down beside Marlene.
"Hey? Hey, you alive?" Squall waved his hand before the man's face, his eyes studying the handsome features of the man who was clearly passed out. Blonde, around 6 ft 5, tanned…. Squall cleared his throat, reaching to search the man's pockets. Nothing. Not even a wallet. No Money. No identification.
Marlene pouted, "Are we gonna leave him? Is the man bad?"
Squall frowned, "I donno kid… shall we bring him and find out?"
Marlene smiled, she knew her father was going to save him from the start. Her father was a hero, after all. She believed her father was an Angel, he saved her from Mommy and That Man. Her thoughts switched to the poor wet man as Squall lifted him slightly off the ground, supporting the bigger man's weight as he passed the umbrella to her. "Marlene, baby, hold the umbrella and don't get wet. Let's hurry home."
By the time the key turned in the lock, it was heavily raining and Squall was just as wet as the blonde he had picked up.
Marlene ran ahead, opening the towel closet and pulling a few, handing them to her father as he set the man down on the kitchen floor and flexed his arms and shoulders.
Squall took the towels and dried his hair before slipping out of his wet shirt. "Marlene, love, go and ready the bath for this man. He's shivering. I'll dump him in the warm water for a while. Run along."
Marlene nodded and ran out of the kitchen, spreading her arms along her sides like a plane as she skidded down the hall to the bathroom. Squall sighed as he kneeled close to the man. His heart almost tugged as he stared at the handsome blonde. His lashes were long, almost feminine in their allure, the cheekbones high and well rounded, and his lips…
"Daddy! It's ready!"
Marlene's voice snapped Squall out of his reverie and the brunet stood up, once again pulling the blonde to his side, pulling him in his wake to the bathroom. Sighing in frustration, Squall dumped the man in the tub, clothes and all, making Marlene squeal in delight.
Squall turned to his daughter, "Marlene…. Bring a few more towels and one of papa's shorts."
Marlene returned two minutes later with the towels and a pair of boxer shorts, leaving them on the towel rack in the bathroom before quietly leaving and shutting the door behind her.
Squall sighed as he went to work stripping the blonde. There were so many scars on the blonde's chest and back. Squall traced some with his milky white fingertips before tugging on the wet pants, dumping the soaked garments in a pile on the ground. After making sure the blonde's body was warm enough, Squall hauled the bigger man out of the tub and sat him against the wall, proceeding to dry the blonde's short cropped honey-colored hair before slipping to pat the towel along the man's broad chest and narrow waist. The man sure was burly, muscles etched along his arms and abs. Who was this man?
Marlene followed her father as Squall guided the blonde to the bed in the guestroom and tucked him in. Squall sighed once more as he switched off the light and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him. The lean brunet ran a towel through his shoulder-length hair, attempting to dry his dark locks as he followed Marlene to the kitchen.
Squall sat across the table from his seven-year old daughter, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to soothe the tension building there. Guess he was going to have to miss work a few days, the blonde was no ordinary man, but then again life hasn't been ordinary for Squall for a very long time anyway.