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(10)

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Seifer helped Gavin off the ship and into the ambulance, which after Squall's incessant begging of the raven-haired man to get treated, he finally, and grudgingly, accepted to climb into.

Squall was on edge, even the blonde could tell.

Seifer hadn't talked to him much after he had left the room a few hours before.

Grey eyes shifted to emerald ones, "So? Shall we get going?"

Seifer nodded agreement, fairly annoyed that the brunet refused to acknowledge him as his substitute bodyguard.

"My house is this way."

"I know. I came to eat breakfast remember." Seifer muttered.

"Yeah I know…" Squall shrugged. What had he been trying to do? Make conversation?

They spent the rest of the ride in uncomfortable silence, Seifer wondering about what Squall was thinking and the brunet about what he was going to do with the uninhibited blonde he was seated with.

"Here we go." Seifer parked his car behind Squall's black SUV.

The brunet pulled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, walking in and turning on a couple of lights.

"You sure like to keep things neat." Seifer grinned at the decent place that seemed to have been swiped clean of everything and anything.

"Yeah. Gavin is a tidy person."

"I'm not." Seifer provided.

"Yeah. I had a feeling." Squall sighed, "There are a couple of rooms in the right wing that are for guests, you can choose whichever you like. My room is right there and the kitchen, you know. Bathroom"

"Whoa! Hold your horses cowboy! Wait a second here…are you telling me that I can stay?"

Squall shrugged, "I thought that's what you wanted."

Seifer grinned, "Great…so now that you mention it…there's more I want."

Snorting, Squall waved him off, "Try again later, blonde. I'm going to bed. It's been a very long night."

"Yeah." Seifer sighed and walked to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. It was already 5 in the morning, an hour to sunrise. Sitting on the high marble platform that served as a table stuck to the wall, he rested back and closed his eyes, and before he knew it, Sleep took him into her eager arms.

Squall didn't sleep at all that night. Sitting by the stereo, he was listening to his voice through headphones. Grey eyes had a faraway look in them, but they betrayed nothing of what was going on in the brunet's mind.

'Won't you die and leave me alone

Just disappear and keep me here

I'm fine on my own

I don't need a friend

I don't need a life

It's loneliness I seek

And for death I wait

I just want to be solitary

When you are not beside me

I am not weak, not vulnerable

So die and leave me here

Because of surviving alone

I am capable.'

The sun finally ascended in the horizon, driving away the darkness. The stars flickered off and the birds woke up to start their busy search for food. Turning off the hi-fi, Squall pulled out a towel and walked over to his personal bathroom to freshen up, after all the night was over and he didn't want to sleep. Deep down he feared the nightmare would haunt him again, and he didn't think he could take it more than once a night…

With a towel clasped around his hips, and water dripping from his hair, the brunet walked into the kitchen. He didn't notice the blonde's form snoozing on the marble.

Humming softly, Squall opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk, drinking from it and placing it back.

Turning to leave, the brunet gasped softly, surprised that Seifer was sleeping right there in the kitchen.

Rolling his eyes, Squall walked closer, "Hey? Are you really asleep?"

The blonde didn't even stir.

The silver orbs softened slightly as a feeling of warmth filled his heart. What was wrong with him? He was actually relieved the blonde was around him. Reaching out, Squall gently traced his fingers along Seifer's lips.

The brunet was closing his eyes and losing himself when the blonde bit his fingers.

Yelping, Squall pulled them back.

"Morning, Nightingale." Seifer stretched his stiff muscles and groaned, then eyed Squall from head to toe, "Looking hot so early in the morning. What time is it anyway?"

"It's ten. Damn, you sure are a sleepyhead. Gavin used to be up by six."

Seifer slipped off the marble and stretched some more before flashing another of his white grins, "Speaking of the Devil, let's visit his burning chamber in the hospital sometime after lunch."

Squall nodded, "Yeah. I was planning on doing that. Anyway, since you look so inept, why don't you go somewhere and freshen up while I prepare some breakfast for us?"

"Great. I can't cook, you know." The blonde gave another clumsy grin before walking out of the kitchen to do as he was told.

The brunet went about making eggs and boiling water for tea.

"Do you usually walk about in a towel?" Seifer asked from behind.

He had changed into a pair of jeans and sleeveless shirt that revealed tanned skin that coated strong muscles. His hair was still askew and he looked sleepy, but the smile was there in the green orbs, "Squall?"

The brunet shook his head and turned to pay attention to the tea pot, his face heating. He was just checking out the blonde, and being obvious about it. Since when had he become such a fool?

"Squall…damn, you just faze out in the middle of nowhere." Seifer walked over and pressed a kiss to the curve of Squall's ivory shoulder.

The brunet tensed, standing straight as a lance, his heart skipping a beat then racing like he was running a marathon. The effect of his gentle, undemanding kiss was not lost on the observant blonde.

Frowning slightly, Seifer sat at the kitchen table.

Squall tried to keep his hands from shaking when he poured the tea and set it in front of the blonde, all the while avoiding the striking emerald eyes, worried that they could see beneath the stoic façade or spot the pain he had worked so hard to overcome and hide.

Seifer sat back and looked at the eggs, not actually seeing them, "Squall…Are you ever going to tell me about yourself?"

Squall shrugged and turned to leave, "I'll put something on and when you're done eating, we could visit Gavin."

"Aren't you going to eat?" Seifer asked, annoyed and frustrated.

"I'm…not hungry."

"I didn't mean to overwhelm you, you know." Seifer stood up, hoping he could convince the brunet to stop running away, but the brunet just shrugged and walked out. After all, he was the best at running away from what he couldn't face.