Title: Define My Pain

By: Aina Song

Fandom(s): YYH/FF8 Crossover

Genre: Yaoi

Rating: NC-17

Warning(s): Language; Angst; Blood - Possibly some Saap, if I can manage it.

Pairing(s): Yusuke/Squall; implied Hiei/Kurama

Reviews: Yes, please.

Author's Note: Standard Disclaimer. This story was not written for money. Italics= dreams, and such.

Teaser: He didn't know what he needed… Until it found him.

Chapter Two - By Tomorrow Night

Whoever Yusuke Urameshi was outside this temple, he knew how to fight well. For several more long minutes they sparred, Squall easily keeping up whenever Yusuke switched from one fighting style to another without warning. Squall had not realized he was beginning to tire, until he felt the perspiration from his forehead sting his eyes. Yet he would not quit. Besides. Squall was just beginning to realize why Zell Dincht always preferred to go into battle without a weapon. Fighting this way - using his own body as a weapon - soothed Squall in a way he had not felt in a long time. He wasn't too eager to let it end before he could understand what that meant.

~o~

Yusuke was constantly surprised whenever Squall kept up after he had switched fighting styles; and he was very pleased to have found someone else who could match his adrenaline level. So far, only Hiei and Kurama had been able to keep up with him for so long.

He could tell Squall was beginning to tire. So was he. They had kept the game going for over an hour. By now they were moving so swiftly, Yusuke's demonic blood was pressuring to kick in.

But he wanted his victory to be fair.

Finally he dropped back and called it quits. That was when the room around them fell back into focus, and they realized they had more than Seifer for an audience. Genkai was studying them both with a knowing smile. Behind her stood Hiei and Kurama. Both were staring. They knew how strong and how fast Yusuke had grown over the years. No human could touch him.

Until now.

With an almost sheepish grin, Yusuke swiped the back of his hand across his mouth, sweeping away the blood from a cut lip. Yet his fierce brown eyes shone with a greatly triumphant light. He stepped close and tugged the collar of Squall's tee-shirt to the side. Just below Squall's collarbone, a large purple bruise was beginning to show. If that was not enough to mark his victory, he knew that at one point in their game his 'nails' had accidentally cut into the back of Squall's neck.

His mouth sliding into a slow smirk, Yusuke let go of the shirt's collar. "I win. You came pretty close, though, so I'll call it a tie. I'll help you two to find a way back into your own world."

Then he leaned even closer, and he whispered into Squall's ear. "You should probably wash that blood off your neck, before it stains your shirt. And remember. Saturday. For one whole night, you'll belong to me." And then he went to find a shower, leaving Squall to rub at the back of his neck and stare at the redness that came away with his fingers.

~o~

Squall and Seifer were given permission to explore the temple grounds. Yet they were not so very interested in what lay outside the temple. Squall only had thoughts for returning home, and Seifer rarely left his side. After that first day, they frequented the marble room, content to practice their techniques against each other and speaking very little to anyone else.

Late that Friday night, Seifer awoke from a dreamless sleep to find Squall's bed was empty. Swearing under his breath, he grabbed his Hyperion and left the room. He was following the now-familiar corridor which led toward the marble room, but then a soft noise interrupted the silence of the night. Quickly, he pressed his back to the wall and held his Hyperion close. He very carefully peered around a corner.

A strange form moved sluggishly amongst the shadows, as though dragging its feet. It seemed almost… Human. Seifer squinted, whispering an incantation to help his eyes pick the shadows apart(2). He could almost make out dark markings upon its skin, and long wild hair. But then the strange form stepped out of the shadows, seeming to disappear as it did, and in its place stood-

Seifer stared.

… Urameshi?

~o~

Yusuke had just returned to the temple after coming to yet another dead-end as to where he might find Squall's world. He was exhausted, his muscles ached… He was damned glad he had never been the type give up so easily, but he was running out of ideas.

He was heading toward the back entrance of the temple, to find Hiei or Kurama for some advice, when he heard the familiar sound of clashing metal coming from the marble room. Giving into his curiosity, he crossed the corridor and reached his hand toward the door.

"Don't move."

~o~

Seifer did not understand what he had just witnessed. He didn't know what rules governed the world outside this temple. He only saw that creature one minute, and Urameshi the next; and now the dark-haired youth was approaching the marble room. Where Leonhart was training alone. And unaware.

Swiftly, Seifer left his corner and stepped up behind Urameshi, lifting the Hyperion at the back of the other's throat.

"Don't move," he whispered.

Despite his warning, Yusuke Urameshi slowly turned around. The smirk had fled from his lips, and his fierce brown eyes shone with an almost predatory light. "It's not good manners to bare your weapon as though you intend to use it," he quietly answered. "Put it down."

Seifer shook his head, never moving.

"Put it down, man." He offered a slow smirk, "If I'd wanted to kill him, you know he'd be dead by now. And you wouldn't have been too long in joinin' him."

Unreasonably, something in those words rang true. And Seifer did not want to cause any undue trouble for Leonhart. So he cautiously lowered his weapon.

The predatory glare left Yusuke's fierce brown eyes, and the smirk he gave this time was more genuine. "You're very protective of him."

Seifer glance at the marble room's closed entrance. Inside, the sounds of Leonhart practicing went on, uninterrupted.

~o~

Yusuke knew that look. He'd been on the receiving end of it often enough. It was the look of reluctant admiration, and the ferocity of new loyalty. Even Hiei had once given that look, just before they and Kurama had shared a very sacred demons' vow several months ago.

Yusuke gave a clever smirk, studying Seifer Almasy from an entirely different perspective. "You two weren't exactly the best of friends at one time, were you."

The blond dropped his gaze to the weapon in his hand. "No."

"What happened?"

For a moment, it seemed he would not answer. Then, "In our world, I'm known everywhere as the Betrayer. Up until a year ago, Leonhart and I were rivals. I was older, with more training and experience. But he was the gifted one. I would always challenge him to prove I was better. Six times out of ten, he'd prove me wrong." Seifer shook his head, "Then last year, I'd lost my way and nearly sacrificed our world to a sorceress of evil."

"Squall came to the rescue, huh?"

"Not willingly. He hates playing the hero. But apparently, when everyone demanded my death afterward, Leonhart spoke out for me and refused."

"He spared you," Yusuke translated. He folded his arms and leaned against a wall, "And you've been tryin' to make up for it since."

The tall blond finally looked up and gave Yusuke a look of warning as he turned and headed back down the hall. "Don't make me regret leaving you alone with him."

Yusuke watched him go, then shrugged and quietly slid open the door to the marble room. And he stared, his mouth quirking in a bemused grin.

Squall Leonhart was defending himself against his own shadow. It was a strange enchantment, mirroring Squall's own technique and throwing it back at him with twice the force.(3) Finally, Squall lifted his weapon over his head, pulling its trigger as he swiftly brought it down.(4)

The marble room roared with the echo of gunfire. His shadow gave a strangled cry, backing away and falling to its knee in defeat.

~o~

Squall looked sharply up as Yusuke Urameshi entered the marble room. His magic wavered, returning his shadow to normal. The dark-haired youth smirked, quietly sliding the door shut behind him. Squall watched his approach with a careful eye. "What do you want?"

The dark youth gave the barest smirk in answer. Then, with a speed that left Squall staring, Yusuke quickly knocked Squall's gunblade from his hand and backed away with it. "Someone to play with," he finally replied.

Squall glared, his chalk-blue eyes watching his Revolver in someone else's hands. "Give that back."

But Yusuke only shook his head, a fiery challenge in his piercing brown eyes.

"Take it."

Squall reached forth with his right hand, pooling his will into his magic. "This is your last warning," he answered, his gloved palm alighting with fire.

Yusuke's smirk never wavered. "Yeah?" He held the gunblade back with his left hand, lifting his other hand to point at Squall with his right index finger. "Let's pretend I didn't listen."

Without another word, Squall pushed his magic forth and let loose an orb of fire from his palm. It shot across the room with unerring precision, soaring straight for Yusuke. But the dark youth never flinched. His smirk spreading wider, he fired a tiny blue ball of light to intercept Squall's magic. The two attacks met in an explosion of fire and light which illuminated the entire room before fading away altogether.

Squall slowly lowered his palm, staring.

Yusuke dropped his own hand with an easy laugh. "That was entertaining." He then tossed the gunblade across to Squall, who was quite surprised to have won it back so easily. Yusuke gave him a wink and turned away, "Thanks for the game. See you tomorrow night."

But something stirred deep within Squall's chest, and he suddenly could not leave it at that.

"Wait."

Yusuke, whose hand had almost reached the door, curiously turned back.

A young man who never questioned his instincts, even when he didn't understand them, Squall took his Revolver in both hands and lifted it at the ready. "Let's play some more," he quietly suggested.

Yusuke went very still, though a dark gleam lit in his fierce brown eyes. "What about that rule you have against using your weapon on an unarmed opponent?"

"Show me one," he answered, "and I'll back down."

That was when the dark youth gave a slow, crooked grin that Squall had not glimpsed before then, which tugged at his heart chords. In the very next instant, Yusuke swiftly crossed the room and swept his leg about in a way that was meant to force Squall's legs out from under him. Quickly, Squall leapt back and out of the way, ducking low to swing his blade in a wide arc just above the floor. But Yusuke's reflexes were faster than that. In the very little time it took Squall to swing his blade, Yusuke had already jumped impossibly high and landed directly behind him.

~o~

Grinning, Yusuke pressed his back up against Squall's. "Thought you wanted to be alone."

"I am. I'm alone with you." Then Squall drove his elbow back to roughly shove Yusuke away from him.

Yusuke tumbled along the marble floor, laughing as he sprang to his feet and spun around. "You don't sound too disappointed about that part."

"I think the word is 'curious'." The quiet youth let loose several bolts of lightning from his palm(5) which struck at Yusuke and chased him all around the marble floor.

But Squall did not realize until it was too late that Yusuke was only leading the magic attacks straight back to him. His oversight cost him, when the last bolt of lightning struck barely fifteen inches away, and Yusuke had pinned him back against a wall. "Curious," he softly echoed. "Why?"

Squall's hauntingly blue eyes were wide, as he tried to find an answer to that one. And suddenly Yusuke could no longer resist. He leaned forward and finally tasted those sultry lips in a very thorough kiss. As Squall was slack and nonresistant against him, Yusuke felt his nerve was accepted, and he delve his tongue into that slick cavern. The tangy sauce of cinnamon and citrus filled his senses, nearly dizzying him on the spot. But then Squall's muscles tensed against him as Yusuke felt and heard Squall draw in a sharp breath, and Yusuke found himself dragged quite forcibly back down to earth. He broke away and gently released his hold on the young swordsman. Gasping for air, despising himself for taking what did not yet belong to him, he swallowed a staggering breath and stepped back.

He stole one more glance toward the quieter youth's face, cursing himself at the anger and confusion he found there. "I'm sorry," he muttered, turning away and leaving the room. And, as he searched for Hiei and Kurama, he silently swore once again at his own recklessness.

Too soon, he had acted too soon. Now he had better discover a way to make up for it by tomorrow night.

2) In FF8, magic is a common ability among those trained within the Garden community. The one Seifer used here is called "Scan."

3) Who's to say he hasn't learned new skills & magic since the game. "Doppelganger."

4) Sound familiar? Play the game, watch the opening again.

5) "Thunder."