Disclaimer - We still don't own FF8, so the official game rewrite for the PS3 will have to wait until we've managed to procure the rights...
A/N - We're posting up a batch this time. The epilogue is also up along with the first installment of The Cutting Room Floor Presents, a Gunblade Storage story from Kit, and the 'director's cut' version of chapters one and two. The 'director's cut' version of the chapter is much improved, in our opinion, and we'll be running through the entire story to update the plot (for the sake of ironing out a few holes here and there), the dialogue, and the descriptions.
Oh, and after much thought, we decided that even wandering through the castle was too tedious to write. Besides, a castle foyer seems like as good a place as any for a battle.
Chapter 21
Though the outside of the castle had been impressive in a 'hulking, scary castle of doom' (the kind that all but shouts 'abandon hope, all ye who enter here' right in a person's ear) sort of manner, the inside was glamorously beautiful. Seifer couldn't help but be a little impressed. Ultimecia had either been an amazing decorator before she'd become a Sorceress or she'd hired a very capable interior designer after taking possession of this place. The chandeliers managed to be tasteful instead of tacky, there were large windows letting in plenty of natural light (though they displayed a scene that was most definitely not a beach full of dead bodies), the floors were a dark hardwood... but all in all, it felt more like a museum than a home.
On the wall hung a portrait of two women. One with long, blonde hair and eyes the color of chocolate. She was dressed in a shimmering green gown and was smiling brightly as she gazed at the woman beside her. The second woman was equally gorgeous with dark hair, a pale complexion, and luminous cerulean eyes, though her dress a more sedate, deep purple. For a moment, Seifer thought that the blonde woman in the portrait was familiar, like he'd glimpsed her somewhere before. But that was impossible... right?
"This place was created in honor of Edea Kramer, a tribute to the creator of SeeD." The Sorceress Ultimecia, for it could only be her, walked into the room. She was the second woman in the portrait, her long, dark hair falling around her face in loose ringlets. She really was beautiful and she moved with deadly grace. "They built it a generation or so after your deaths and brought new Sorceresses here to learn about their power along with the responsibilities that go with that power."
"What did you do, sleep through too many classes?" Seifer asked mockingly.
"No," she responded flatly. "What none of you really understand is that I'm not the villain of this piece. It's all of you. You're the ones who cause everything to go so very wrong."
"What do you mean?" Zell asked, sounding genuinely worried.
Seifer thought back to what Edea had told him about SeeD possibly leading to Ultimecia, that the cause was also the affect. "She's making excuses. Everyone else is responsible for her choices, for the deaths she's caused. Because, obviously, it can't be her. Otherwise, her fragile little conscience would shatter."
"I blame SeeD because SeeD led to this moment. You can try to justify things all you want, but without all the information... you're just shouting into the void." Ultimecia smiled and drew her twin swords.
Unlike the Sorceress worshiper, Marlene, Ultimecia was dressed in the right sort of clothing for battle. Her black shirt was tight, but not restrictive, and her equally dark pants were loose, but not so much that they'd get in her way. Black combat boots were visible on her feet.
She faced them without fear.
"I will destroy you all and change the future. There is no other option."
Energy shot away from her swords, creating energy barriers throughout the room. Seifer had no doubt that Ultimecia could walk through the magic without issue but the rest of them would be injured just by touching them.
"Stay away from the barriers!" Squall shouted, clearly harboring the same suspicions as Seifer. Everyone brought their weapons to bear, preparing for the fight.
Ultimecia attacked Zell first, corralling the martial artist into a corner and slashing at him with her swords while he did his best to fend her off. Seifer tried to get to his fellow blonde in time, but Ultimecia pulled back and blasted Zell with dark energy. A hole opened up beneath Zell and, for a moment, Seifer could see a dark land of nothingness beneath his fellow blonde. Then Zell dropped into that nowhere place and vanished.
The nothingness was familiar and, though Seifer had no reason to feel reassured at the sight of such a daunting place, Seifer felt that Zell would be just fine. It was the rest of them who were in trouble.
Smirking at the five remaining SeeD through the energy barriers, Ultimecia leveled one of her blades at Irvine. There was no mistaking her intention to go after the cowboy next.
That was her first mistake.
Selphie vibrated with rage and she cast Ultima, the magic slamming into every barrier and reducing them to nothing. The power of the Ultima spell washed harmlessly over Seifer and the rest, recognizing them from Selphie's mind as friendlies, and then knocking into Ultimecia. Ultimecia screamed, the sound echoing throughout the room. When the magic cleared, the Sorceress was singed all over, smoke rising from her clothes.
"Bitch," Ultimecia hissed softly. "Five on one isn't exactly fair. Can you blame me for wanting to even the odds?" She laughed mockingly, straightening a little. "Fine. I'll add to my numbers then. Perhaps two on five will be good enough." Waving her fingers, long sharp nails glinting in the air, Ultimecia gestured at Squall.
Instantly, Squall doubled over, gasping in pain. Lion Heart dropped from his hands, clattering to the floor even as the blade shimmered in an attempt to fight off Ultimecia's magic. Squall would have fallen to the ground as well had Seifer not somehow made it across the room in time to grab the brunet's lithe form. Squall trembled in Seifer's arms, his breath coming in sharp gasps even as his hands grasped at Seifer for support.
"Squall...?"
"Fuck..." Squall's eyes squeezed shut. "It hurts..."
Seifer looked up at Ultimecia, finally feeling the deep, all-encompassing hate for her that Quistis probably already did. He wanted the bitch dead and he wanted her dead now.
Black smoke seemed to cover Squall's skin and, for a moment, Seifer could feel Squall struggle in vain for air. Just as Seifer was ready to start panicking, the smoke lifted off of Squall and coalesced into a Squall-like shadow beside Ultimecia. Squall's body relaxed in Seifer's arms as the brunet drew deep, shuddering breaths into his lungs.
"Squall?" Seifer hated how frightened his voice sounded.
"I'll be okay, Seifer," Squall rasped, leaning into Seifer's arms a moment before forcing himself to grab Lion Heart off the ground and stand up straight. "What the hell is that?" he demanded, staring pointedly at the Shadow-Squall.
"It's... well, you might call it a back-up copy created from your strongest emotions. Just think, within this resides the depths of your hatred and lengths you'll go to in order to avoid that which you fear... and he is loyal only to me," Ultimecia informed him with a smirk. "I think I'll call it Griever. Though I don't think this form fits it well. How about...?" she trailed off as the shadow began to morph into a new form.
In legends, Griever was supposed to be an ancient Guardian Force that took the form of a lion. This... parody that Ultimecia created was anything but lion shaped. It looked more like the great behemoths that used to roam the plains of Galbadia and Esthar. It stood on it's hind legs and brandished it's claws at the SeeDs menacingly, red-tipped sword-esque protrusions jutting out of its elbows. It's face was framed by a red mane, so perhaps it's face, at the very least, was somewhat reminiscent of a lion. It's body was covered by black and gray fur, blue wings, similar to that of a bat's, stretched out behind him.
"Mistress..." it hissed, tilting it's head to the side and regarding Ultimecia expressionlessly.
"Griever," Ultimecia practically purred the GF's name. "Show them your true power. Make them bleed!"
Irvine and Quistis exchanged a quick look before going after the new GF. Quistis' whip wasn't fast enough to hit Griever, who took to the air with a few beats from his powerful wings. Irvine's shots, however, hit the GF square in the chest.
Meanwhile, Seifer, Selphie, and Squall went after Ultimecia. She dodged Seifer's thrust only to barely block an overhead attack from Squall. Selphie's fireballs dispersed against Ultimecia's Shell spell. Ultimecia's concentration was slipping, having to deal with so many simultaneous attacks, forcing her to go on the defensive even as she cast spells at them and parried their weapons and magic with her swords. She was good, making Seifer wonder if she'd received training from the very establishment she now sought to destroy. While there were people who could match multiple SeeD without being trained at Gardens, they were few and far between... probably even fewer in the future.
"Irvine!" Quistis' shout distracted the three SeeD fighting Ultimecia.
They glanced away just in time to watch Griever's claws rip the ground, opening a tear into the same nothingness that Zell had vanished into. The cowboy struggled to his feet, but the next swipe of Griever's claws nearly scraped against the sharpshooter's chest, causing Irvine to stumble backwards, overbalanced, and fall through the tear. It sealed behind him even as Selphie screamed his name. The air seemed to ripple with heat of her rage.
The intensity of Selphie's attacks suddenly doubled, as did her casting time. She split her spells between Ultimecia and Griever, both retreating as many of the spells managed to push enough power to leave painful looking scrapes and burns.
Seifer broke away from the attack on Ultimecia to provide cover for Quistis, who was using her blue magic on Griever. Unlike Minion, who favored water magic, Quistis was partial to eye-lasers and mini-missiles, though she tended to use all her spells to their greatest effect. Seifer blocked every attack that Griever tried to land on the blonde witch, but the strength behind Griever's attacks was wearing Seifer down far faster than he was comfortable with. His arms ached as he used a two handed grip to better withstand Griever's blows.
Griever's claws caught on Hyperion's trigger during his next attack and Seifer yelped in pain as his wrists were wrenched painfully. Hyperion was jerked from his grip, hitting the ground and spinning away to rest not far from Selphie. Seifer found himself knocked on his ass, dazed, staring up at Griever's claws, with Squall's voice ringing in his ears.
"What are you waiting for!" Ultimecia shouted. "Finish him!"
"I..." Griever's gravely voice shook with uncertainty and confusion. "I cannot. I cannot kill this man."
"Why the hell not!"
"I... I do not know, mistress..."
Griever's arm dropped to his side, the claws moving away from Seifer's face, much to his relief. Standing up, Seifer shot the artificially created GF a wary look before walking over to Selphie and grabbing Hyperion. He tried to ignore the way his wrist protested the weight of the gunblade, but wound up wincing in pain anyway.
"Liberi Fatali... the Fated Children. The ones destined to destroy me." Ultimecia was staring up at Griever. "I could not drive a wedge between you... even my own creation fails me. Is the future truly so immutable?
"I refuse to believe it. I will change things... I will rewrite all of time if I must!" Reaching towards Griever, Ultimecia made a grabbing motion. Her Guardian Force shuddered and then returned to the dark mist it began as, twisting around Ultimecia and sinking into her skin. She made a shoving motion at Quistis, who managed to get out of the way as electricity crashed down where she'd been standing, creating a hole in the floor.
Squall rushed her and Ultimecia deflected his attacks, though her movements were growing labored.
"Selphie, Quistis, attack her with simultaneous spells while I go after her from the opposite side of Squall. Someone's attack will have to get through." He whispered his commands to the girls and, once they nodded, Seifer set himself up for the attack.
Ultimecia whirled to meet Seifer's attack, her magic warding off the spells sent by Selphie and Quistis. True to Seifer's prediction Ultimecia, exhausted by battling the SeeD, really couldn't fend off everything. Lion Heart slid into Ultimecia's back, the tip of the pulsing blue blade visible as it protruded from Ultimecia's stomach. Squall yanked the blade out, the blood instantly vanishing from the glowing metal. Ultimecia collapsed to her knees and stared up at Seifer, her eyes seeming to change to bright amber as she knelt there, slowly bleeding out.
"You... don't belong," she whispered, understanding lighting up her face in that moment. "Things can be changed. I just... did it wrong. I... I have to try again..." Ultimecia shuddered and then fell face first into the ground, apparently dead.
The castle surrounding them began to flicker.
"Time Compression seems to be failing," Selphie observed. "We've got to get out of here and... and trust that Irvine and Zell will be okay on their own."
"They will be. You'll see Irvine again soon," Quistis promised Selphie. "We just need to concentrate on where we want to go and when."
"Easier said than done, I suspect," Seifer mused, eying the wavering walls worriedly. "So... how do we..." he cut himself off with a shout as the floor opened up beneath him. His last sight was of Squall's wide blue-gray eyes before the whole world went dark around him.
"You have to wake up."
Seifer wanted nothing more than to ignore the voice. He hurt all over and sleep would take the pain away.
"Do not ignore me, Knight."
Stiffening, Seifer recognized the voice. Though it had been some time since he'd last heard from the speaker, it was the one memory from his other life that had not grown fuzzy and faded since he'd been granted his second chance.
Reluctant green eyes opened as Seifer sat up and then stood slowly. He reached out for Hyperion, debated hanging onto it, and then sheathed it at his side. The speaker had sent him into the past without trouble once already, so Seifer had no doubt that if this person meant him harm then he'd be screwed regardless of whether Hyperion was in his hand or at his side.
Besides, Seifer's wrists still hurt from Griever's less than gentle disarming technique. Though the beastly GF might have been incapable of killing Seifer, the damn thing certainly hadn't seemed to mind a little maiming.
"I see you've done well with your second chance." The speaker was visible this time, clad in a dark cloak that nearly blended in with the shadows. Blonde hair peeked out of the cowl at shoulder height.
"You used Time Compression to give me my second chance?" Seifer couldn't believe it, though it certainly explained why this place seemed so familiar. He'd avoided Time Compression the last time around, though, so... "how?"
"I am a Sorceress." She drew back the hood from her face, revealing lightly tanned skin and chocolate eyes. "I only came here to warn you that your lover will be lost in this place if you cannot make him leave. He was able to physically manifest in the past for a short while and then return to Time Compression. Like his cousin, Ellone, he has an innate ability to manipulate time magic."
"He's... a caster, like me?"
"Yes. He cannot send people's minds to the past, the way Ellone can, but he can manipulate this compressed place to some degree with his subconscious. His state of mind, however, works against him, causing his fears to pit this place against him." She paused and then added, "you must both awaken from this place."
"Why did you send me back?" Seifer asked abruptly.
"I wanted to give you a second chance to make the right choices. I tried with another, but... she failed time and again. No matter what she did, Fr... Ultimecia always came into being." She paused and then added, "the last time we met, I warned you not to speak of your experiences with others. I rescind that order now. If you so desire, you may divulge your secrets to those you love."
"Who are you?"
She smiled sadly and shook her head negatively. It seemed that some secrets he'd simply never learn.
The blonde woman pulled the cowl back over her head and then faded away into the background. However, Seifer wasn't alone. In the distance, he could see someone else seemingly appear from nowhere.
Squall...
Seifer's breath caught painfully in his chest as he watched Squall drop to his knees, gloved hands pressed against his face. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.
Taking off at a run, Seifer didn't fully recognize his intent to reach Squall until he was kneeling in front of the trembling brunet. Hesitantly, Seifer reached out and brushed Squall's hands away from his face.
"Squall..." Seifer whispered, staring fearfully into Squall's seemingly unseeing eyes. Squall's gaze was vacant, as if he was seeing something that Seifer couldn't. "Squall," Seifer repeated in a louder voice, giving the brunet's shoulders a sharp shake. "Snap out of it!"
"I think I've done something terrible," Squall whispered, closing his eyes and slumping forwards, so that his forehead rested against Seifer's chest.
Seifer slid his hands around Squall's back and pulled him tightly against him. "Whatever terrible thing you think you've done... explaining it can wait until we're out of here, okay. Besides, I..." thinking of what the woman – the blonde Sorceress – had told him, Seifer finished the sentence. "I have something I need to tell you, too." He pressed a kiss against the top of Squall's head. "But it can wait as well. I love you, Squall, and we have to get out of here. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend eternity in this place... though spending eternity here with you wouldn't be too horrible..." he leered outrageously at the brunet in his arms, earning an amused smile from the otherwise too-pale gunblader.
"I love you too, Seifer," he responded quietly, the words spreading warmth throughout the blonde.
Pulling Squall close, Seifer buried his face against Squall's neck. "We've got to wake up from this place," he muttered, shutting his eyes tightly.
"Wake up?" Squall echoed uncertainly.
"Sort of... just open your eyes." Seifer pulled back a little, opening his own eyes even as he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. They were kneeling together on the beach behind Orphanage, the lighthouse a few yards away.
Squall's eyes were shut and he seemed almost translucent. Seifer reached up to cup the brunet's cheek. "Squall?"
"My eyes are open, Seifer. There's nothing to see in this place."
"Close your eyes and then try again," Seifer teased. "Trust me; we're behind the orphanage."
There was a long moment of silence before Squall was suddenly there in full-technicolor instead of the washed out appearance he had when Seifer first looked. Blue-gray eyes flickered open and Squall looked around in shocked surprise. "We're really here," he murmured.
"Hopefully we're even in the right time period. After wandering around in Time Compression, it'd suck to show up late to our own 'saved the world' party, right?" Seifer joked, even as he thought back to what Squall had said during Time Compression. What terrible thing could Squall have possibly done? Squall didn't do terrible things, though. That was Seifer's shtick.
"Seifer..." Squall still looked miserable, so Seifer began running his thumb over Squall's cheek soothingly.
Leaning in, Seifer pressed a soft kiss against Squall's lips. "We need to talk, but it can wait until we're back home. Okay?"
Squall nodded and leaned his head slightly against Seifer's shoulder. The brunet was acting like he might never receive affection from Seifer ever again and it was starting to freak him out a little. Just what did Squall do?
Sighing, Seifer pressed another kiss against Squall's forehead and then stood up, dragging the brunet along with him. "Let's go find the others... and please stop acting like we're two steps away from Armageddon. We just kicked the Sorceress' ass. This is a happy time, Squall."
"Whatever."
"That's the emo spirit I love so much," Seifer teased, grinning as Squall fell into his normal, stoic expression.
Despite his fears, a smile tugged at the edges of Squall's mouth.
The next few hours were a blur. They found Zell, Selphie, and Irvine in the field of flowers and Quistis inside the wrecked Orphanage. The Ragnarok came to pick them up, Ellone at the helm and Cadell tucked into some blankets (she had the appearance of a head stuck in a sea of quilts and was easily within Ellone's peripheral vision at all times) as she slept off the fever her magic caused as it fought off the remains of Ultimecia's control over her.
Seifer wound up in a reclined chair in the back of the cockpit, half asleep as he listened to Selphie argue with Ellone over who should fly them back to Garden and Irvine prattle on about how Selphie'd accepted him as her fiance and Knight. After the first few rounds of 'congratulations' from everyone, Seifer decided to just tune them out. He thought he felt someone running their fingers through his hair, but he was out like a light once Selphie finally got the Ragnarok into the air. He vaguely recalled Ellone pouting in the co-pilot seat and then some blissfully erotic dreams involving Squall and a game of naked 'hide and seek.' All in all, it was a really nice flight.
"So, we kicked Sorceress ass. What happens next?" Zell wanted to know as soon as they finished explaining to Xu what happened. After arriving at Garden, they'd trooped up to a conference room and started filling in the Headmistress on the particulars of their successful mission.
"There'll be a war tribunal involving Galbadia, Matron, and probably Minion too," Quistis responded. "The world wants to know what has been going on, so we'll all likely be called to court to testify as to the events that occurred over the past couple of weeks."
"The tribunal will likely be run by Esthar, Balamb, and maybe Dollet too," Irvine mused, absently running his fingers through Selphie's hair as she snuggled on his lap. "But where would they hold the tribunal? Centra maybe?"
"It'd be better if it were held in Fisherman's Horizon," Seifer spoke up. "The city is it's own country, its completely isolated from all other countries by water, the only way there right now is to arrive by water since the train tracks are practically defunct, and the citizens are all pacifistic to some degree. The place has 'officially neutral ground' written all over it."
"That's a good idea," Xu agreed. "When you all return to Esthar tomorrow to report your success to President Loire, someone should recommend FH as the tribunal site."
Squall nodded. "I will."
Idly, Seifer wondered if the Estharians came up with FH on their own the other time through or if someone else had thought it up. He didn't remember the trials, though he knew they occurred. In fact, he couldn't even remember if he'd shown up for his or if they'd tried him in absentia while he let himself get captured by Galbadians.
"Well... if that's all, you can all leave... except Seifer. You get to explain why Jade sniping your entire security staff with pink paintballs qualifies as training."
Seifer grinned as Squall decided to stay put for this one.
Seifer sighed as he dropped onto the bed and kicked his shoes off. "We should officially move in together," he observed. "I'm basically living in here anyway and my quarters are pretty much useless right now, unless Irvine's still bunking in there. Though I'm sure Selphie's moved him in with her now that they're engaged..."
"They're moving kind of fast, don't you think?" Squall asked quietly. "They've only been reunited for a few weeks and dating for a that amount of time minus a few days..."
"Nah, Irvine said something about having a long engagement so that by the time they do say 'I do' she'll have already trained him to keep his laundry in a hamper and that sort of stuff." Seifer twisted to the side and asked, "that wasn't a subtle way of asking if we're moving too fast, was it? 'Cause right now I'm too tired to figure that out on my own."
"No... it wasn't. I'm just..." Squall perched on the edge of the bed. "While we were in Time Compression, something happened that I need to tell you, but at the same time..."
"You want to avoid talking about it as long as possible," Seifer filled in. He knew what Squall meant. He needed to tell Squall about how he'd fucked with the timeline, but at the same time...
"Nothing will change how I feel about you Squall. Besides, you aren't really the sort of person who does terrible, horrible, unforgivable things. So come here," Seifer sat up and pulled Squall into his arms, "and we'll flip a coin to see who goes first... cause there's something I need to tell you too."
"I'll go first," Squall offered, leaning back against Seifer's offered warmth for a moment before pulling away and turning to face the blonde.
"In Time Compression... I was sent back to the Orphanage, thirteen years ago. I... saw Ultimecia die there, passing her powers on to Matron. While I was there, I told Matron about SeeD... and I made her promise me something."
When Squall fell silent, Seifer reached out and slid his hand over Squall's. He didn't say anything, he just waited.
"I made her promise that the two of us would be sent to Garden together... that she wouldn't let us be separated." Squall's voice was shaking slightly. "Because of me... she kept us when everyone else was adopted. Because of me..." he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, but the words 'you never got to be adopted and have a family' were suddenly hanging in the air anyway.
Seifer's chest felt tight.
Hyne... he'd wanted a family so badly as a kid. Matron tried, but after arriving at Garden she'd been more like a distant aunt than a mother. That didn't stop Seifer from thinking of her as his mom for a long time, but mothers... they came when their kids broke their legs or got grazed by bullets in the training center or any of the other accidents that Seifer had gotten into over the years. But she'd shown up to see him maybe half a dozen times in seven years – four times for birthdays, once for Midwinter festival, and then after he was shot by McCormick when she'd been possessed by Ultimecia at some point during the visit. If there were any other visits, he'd forgotten them. She written and called a lot, but she was never really there.
There were times when Seifer had been painfully envious of Zell for having a mom to go home to on the weekends or Xu for having a Dad who'd show up every time she earned a new award. He still felt awkward on Parents Day even though he'd long ago stopped wondering if Matron would show up for her children.
Squall knew that... had once even admitted to feeling the same way, though the memory was old and a tad fuzzy. So why had he ensured that...
The tightness receded and Seifer could breathe again. "You were afraid to lose me," Seifer whispered, feeling just a little lightheaded at the thought. Louder, he repeated, "you were afraid to lose me."
"Yes..."
"That's not a terrible thing, Squall. What you made Matron promise... that wasn't terrible either." He leaned in and kissed Squall lightly. "What I did... that might be another story entirely."
"What do you mean?" Squall's eyes were alert and worried, his hand flipping over so that he could entwine his fingers with Seifer's.
"I changed history... sort of." Taking a deep breath, Seifer began to tell Squall everything. He started with explaining that the way things had turned out was the second time around and how the first time around he'd been Ultimecia's Knight. At some point during his explanation, Squall released his hand and stood up, moving to pace around the bed.
That was around the time that Seifer got decidedly nervous, started stuttering over his words every few sentences, and generally couldn't look at Squall without something cold and terrifying coiling in the pit of his stomach. By the time he was finished, Seifer felt a little nauseous. He also felt very scared.
He'd placed his heart in Squall's hands. Hands that had every right to utterly crush Seifer for having fucked around with time because some Sorceress, who may or may not have been able to completely stop Ultimecia from ever coming into existence, chose to give Seifer a very undeserved second chance. All the while, a myriad of expressions passed over Squall's features. Everything from disbelief to anger to acceptance was conveyed to Seifer without the brunet interrupting even for clarification's sake.
Seifer made certain he was very clear on all points he could remember.
"You..." Squall trailed off hoarsely and closed his eyes, taking a shuddering breath. "You just handed yourself over to the Galbadians." Seifer nodded. "You knew they'd kill you... you had to know that."
"Yeah... I had a pretty good guess that they would turn me into their scapegoat."
"You committed suicide by proxy."
There was a long pause as, for a moment, Seifer completely froze. Taking in a shaky breath, he whispered, "I... hadn't really thought about it like that."
"I..." Squall's voice caught in his throat again. "I could have lost you. The most important person in my life... and I could have lost you without ever knowing..." Without warning, a fist struck out to hit Seifer in the chest. There was enough force behind it that Seifer knew he was going to have a painful bruise there for a few days.
"Why did you kiss me that first time? Knowing that I wound up with Rinoa in that other timeline, why..."
"Because the idea of you winding up with her made me crazy with jealousy... and when you smile or laugh or... anything really, you take my breath away... then there you were, lying there on top of me, and I wanted you so bad that I didn't care if it fucked up everything so long as I had a chance at having you look at me the way I remembered you looking at her..." Seifer's voice choked off.
"You know..." Squall spoke softly, reaching out to gently caress Seifer's cheek, "it's a little hypocritical of you to be pissed off at Ellone when we both succeeded at the thing she failed at."
"Changing the past to ensure we got the future we wanted," Seifer filled in. "I wanted to live beyond the age of eighteen and you wanted to keep me in your life." He looked up into Squall's eyes and then reached out, pulling the brunet forward so that he stood between Seifer's knees. Burying his face against Squall's stomach, Seifer felt like a weight had been yanked off his shoulders. "You don't think I'm crazy?"
"No... it sounds crazy, but I know you. I know when you're lying."
"In that other timeline, you wouldn't have asked Matron to keep me at Garden with you."
"Hmm...?"
"I'm just saying... I wound up at Garden anyway. No one adopted me. No one wanted me. So try not to feel too bad, Squall. You didn't keep me from some wonderful family that would love me. You made sure I'd be here... to have Fujin and Raijin as my family and you as the sex kitten who loves me."
"What did you call me?" Squall growled.
Seifer laughed, the sound venting his worries and fears. "I called you a sex kitten," Seifer teased, craning up to press a kiss against the base of Squall's jaw. "Everyone else will see you as some fierce lion... but when it's just us, you have this other side to you that I can't help but think of as being somewhat kittenish... and utterly sexy."
"Mmm..." Squall blinked dazedly, exhausted from everything they'd been through that day. "You already promised never to treat your life as expendable," Squall muttered, "so let's just expand that to 'no letting yourself die for no reason' and call it a night. I'm tired."
"That's it? You aren't mad...?"
"For what? Hiding this or being the Sorceress' Knight?"
"Either... both... I tortured you..." Seifer's throat grew painfully tight as his eyes shut and his forehead fell against Squall's chest again.
"No. She tortured me. She used people to torture me because she knew I'd be the one to lead everyone against her." Squall slid his arms around Seifer's shoulders. "She tried to take you away from me.
"You... I love you. There is nowhere I feel safer than wherever you happen to be." Squall kissed the top of Seifer's head. "Let's go to sleep."
Seifer nodded mutely, unable to voice all the things he wanted to say. They stripped down to their boxers and moved beneath the covers, Squall's back pressed against Seifer's chest as sleep came to claim them.
"I love you," Seifer whispered.
Seifer knew she was Matron the moment she walked into the room. There was something about Edea Kramer that was unmistakable, though apparently not unforgettable. Until she'd passed through the doorway, Seifer couldn't recall how she currently looked.
Though Edea had aged well and didn't look much older from how she'd appeared when Seifer had been her troublesome foster child, the photographs Seifer had were of poor quality and invoked a child's memories of someone taller and more imposing than Matron really was.
"Cid told me what happened to you, child," Edea said as the door shut behind her. "I'm glad to see you're alright."
"Thanks for agreeing to see me, Matron," Seifer responded. "I..." I wish you'd visit more often. I wish you'd treat me like the son you so often call me. I wish that you hadn't been halfway across the world when I was bleeding on the ground and going through surgery in Balamb. I wish... "I'm glad to see you."
"Where... where were you shot?"
Seifer touched his shoulder, his fingers brushing the fabric of his shirt against the still sensitive skin of his new scar. "He was aiming for my heart, but fortunately for me, he was a little off in his targeting."
"Such a relief..." Edea took a few steps closer and Seifer felt the odd urge to stand up and back away. But she settled into the chair beside him without doing anything threatening and Seifer reminded himself that this was Matron in front of him. Matron would never harm him. The whole near-death thing was clearly fucking with his head more than he'd realized. "I'd feared that..."
"That what? Matron... how much did Headmaster Kramer tell you about the events surrounding the attack on me?"
"He told me that a rogue SeeD was responsible and that he's been placed in police custody after receiving a dishonorable discharge." Matron tilted her head to the side. "Am I missing something?"
"McCormick was a... criminal I had the Disciplinary Committee looking into. Security was ignoring his crimes and his victims... finally came to us out of desperation. It's sad when SeeDs have to come to cadets for help, right?" Seifer laughed, the sound soft and bitter. "When I brought the evidence to Headmaster Kramer, he... tried to sweep the whole thing under the rug to avoid a scandal tied to Garden. Even now, McCormick isn't actually in the custody of Balamb's police. I'm not sure what strings Kramer pulled, but McCormick's been buried in D-District in Galbadia."
"Why does this bother you, child? He's been put away where he can no longer harm anyone."
"Because... he never should have been in a position to hurt me in the first place. There are so many people who were hurt by him and won't know he's been brought to justice now. It's all getting hidden away and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I just..." Seifer ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.
"I went into town that night in order to try and force McCormick's actions into the light. Instead, by getting shot, I wound up causing it all to be oh-so-quietly 'taken care of.' The detective I talked to that evening said that all his evidence has been confiscated and all Kramer will tell me is that it's all over and McCormick's not a threat anymore. It's got me to the point where I'm not even sure I want to be SeeD anymore. I... I was offered a place in the BPD and it's looking more and more like a better place for me. I'd have to go through their six-month academy, but it'd be a good place to start over away from here."
"No." Edea reached over, her fingers brushing against Seifer's cheek. "No, you won't leave Garden. Not until I'm ready. Not until you hate Garden so much that you won't question my choice to burn it to the ground..."
Seifer shuddered, a nauseous, dizzy feeling coming over him. He tried to struggle, but Edea's magic held Seifer fast. Oh Hyne... it hurt... his head hurt so much, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't think...
The door opened...
Seifer jolted awake, his hands braced against Squall's arms and his face pressed against the brunet's chest. He was breathing fast, the pain from the dream lingering into wakefulness.
"Seifer? Seifer, what's wrong?"
Unable to respond at first, Seifer took slow deep breaths, reminding himself that he was safe with Squall. Ultimecia was gone and wouldn't show up again until after they were both long dead. "I remembered what happened the day Ultimecia first tried to control me," he finally answered.
Squall's hands immediately pulled Seifer closer. "What happened?"
"She was pretending to be Edea, but badly. I didn't realize though, 'cause I could barely remember what she was supposed to be like..."
"Because of the GFs messing with your memories," Squall filled in, his fingers tracing distracting patterns on Seifer's back.
"Yeah." Seifer nodded, relaxing into Squall's touch and allowing the tension the dream had caused to melt away. "I was confused and really considering just leaving Garden after the whole mess with McCormick. The way Kramer only handled things when his hand was forced and then used Garden's political power to sweep the whole thing under the rug... it really pissed me off. Ultimecia didn't think my anger with Garden was strong enough for her to create a complete connection with me yet. She wanted me to truly loathe Garden and she used her magic to force me to want to stay," Seifer shuddered at the memory. "It hurt."
"Is Garden really where you want to be?" Squall sounded worried, so Seifer pressed a few feather-light kisses against the brunet's neck. He smiled as Squall whimpered almost inaudibly at the touch.
"Yes," Seifer replied. "I like being Chief of Security. I like knowing that I don't have to leave Garden to be happy. I love being anywhere you are. There's nowhere I could go where I'd be happier."
"Mmm..." Squall smiled and pressed Seifer back against the pillows. Straddling the blonde, he leaned down for a long, drawn out kiss that left Seifer gasping for breath from the intensity. "I love you," Squall practically purred in his ear.
"Love you." Seifer groaned softly, fighting the urge to flip them over and take control of things. There was something he wanted – needed – to clear away the lingering affects of the dream. "Squall... I want to know what it feels like to have you inside of me." Seifer grinned as Squall froze, his eyes darkening and his erection hardening against Seifer's stomach.
"Seifer..." the brunet sounded dazed by the request.
"Squall..." Seifer moaned as Squall rocked against him and, once again, he had to resist taking charge and pounding into the lithe body atop him. "Please..." because as much as he loved being inside Squall, he'd felt hollowed out by the dream. He needed Squall to make the hollow feeling go away.
Squall snapped into action, pulling Seifer's boxers off with anxious hands while his mouth teased it's way down the blonde's body. When Squall's lips latched on to Seifer's penis, Seifer could feel a lubricated finger trace his entrance and then slip passed the muscle; he couldn't even recall Squall reaching for the lotion in the nightstand drawer. Seifer tensed at the intrusion and he took slow, deep, shuddering breaths in an attempt to help himself relax. However, it was the feeling of Squall's other hand reaching up to massage his hip that calmed Seifer down as a second finger joined the first.
It didn't hurt exactly as Squall's finger's scissored inside him, but it was uncomfortable and Seifer squirmed. His fingers gripped the bedding tightly as a third finger slid in and suddenly Squall's fingers were moving deeper inside of Seifer, sending shivers of anticipation up his spine.
"Ahh..." Seifer yelp and his back arched as Squall massaged the bundle of nerves deep inside him, sending sparks of pleasure running through him. "Fuck... oh, fuck..." he shuddered, watching the satisfied smirk on Squall's face. "Squall, do it... oh, fuck..." Squall's finger's and mouth were rapidly bringing him to the edge. "Just put it in already," he moaned, his hands tugging at the bedding. A distant part of his mind hoped that he didn't wind up tearing the sheets.
Squall pulled away completely and hovered over Seifer for a few moments, listening to Seifer whimper at the loss. Seifer's hand released the bedsheets and reached up, tugging at Squall's shoulders to pull the younger teen into another searing kiss. He moaned into Squall's mouth as he felt the brunet's erection press against his own.
"Are you sure?" Squall managed to ask after they broke the kiss.
"Y-yeah..." Seifer pushed Squall away slightly, however. "I'm not as..." his mind searched blankly for the right description, "bendy... as you are. This would be easier if I get on my stomach."
Squall's breath huffed slightly in amusement at the word 'bendy.' "Okay..."
Seifer rolled over and then let out surprised series of moans as Squall peppered his back with kisses. Then Squall started pushing inside him and Seifer bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain. While Squall's fingers had been uncomfortable, Squall's erection felt as though it were tearing him apart from the inside out.
Feeling the way Seifer was tensing around him, Squall slipped a pillow beneath Seifer's hips to help him stay propped up and then began pumping Seifer's softening member, attempting to offset the pain with some pleasure.
Once Squall was all the way in, he started rocking in and out shallowly, setting a tortuously slow pace as he searched for the right angle to make Seifer see stars. It hurt, almost too much, and Seifer was starting to wonder if he should ask Squall to stop, but...
"Ahh! Nnngh..." Seifer bucked, driving Squall deeper inside him. "There... oh... Oh Hyne..." Squall pulled out and thrust a little deeper this time. "Fuck, fuck... Squall!" Seifer started babbling nonsense at that point, his brain feeling as though it were being fried by the electric shocks of pleasure that shot through his body, making his arms and legs tingle and chasing away the last remnants of his dream.
He felt Squall's rhythm speed up until the brunet finally lost control, thrusting into him a few final times before cumming inside of him, biting Seifer's shoulder sharply in the process. Seifer fell over the edge himself at that point and the world whited out. Half aware of what was happening, he collapsed as Squall discarded the now sticky pillow beneath Seifer to the ground and pulled the covers over them as they shared the remaining pillow. Their bodies smelled of sweat and sex and Seifer had never felt so sore in so many places before. He smiled sleepily and held Squall closer.
Seifer woke up to the feeling of cock being enveloped by a delicious, wet heat. Gasping and trying to buck his hips (which were held down by Squall's hands), Seifer stared wide-eyed at the brunet who was blowing him. "F-fuck..." he groaned.
Squall lifted his mouth away from Seifer's engorged penis, smirking at the whimpers that issued from the blonde's mouth at the almost obscene slurping noise he made when the tip left his lips. "Good morning," Squall responded, running his hands slowly up Seifer's sides until he was stretched out on top of Seifer, their bodies separated by inches. "Last night felt amazing... but..." he captured Seifer's lips in a lazy kiss as his tongue slid into Seifer's mouth and then held Seifer's wrists down to keep the blonde from pulling him closer. "I missed the feeling of you inside me," he finished leadingly.
"You're trying to kill me with sex," Seifer accused and then paused thoughtfully. "Not a bad way to go, really. My tombstone could read 'Fucked to Death' or something equally catchy."
Rolling his eyes, Squall rocked his hips against Seifer's and they both moaned low in his throat. "I'm horny and you're cracking jokes. Why am I in love with you?"
"Because," Seifer managed to pull his wrists out of Squall's grip and flipped them over, "I'm just that damn wonderful and sexy."
"And humble too."
"Yup." Seifer hid a wince as his sore ass complained against his movements. But the thought of burying himself inside Squall, feeling the tight walls surrounding him, made Seifer overlook the pain. "Where'd you leave the lotion last night?"
"S-somewhere on the floor," Squall gestured to the right, shuddering as Seifer's hands started massaging his thighs. "Unnn..."
Reaching down, Seifer found the lotion and coated his fingers in it. Slipping two fingers into Squall, he went straight for Squall's prostrate. The brunet's back arched off the bed and his hands gripped Seifer's biceps, fingernails digging into the blonde's arm. "Seifer!"
"I love hearing you call my name like that," Seifer purred, scissoring his fingers and enjoy the breathy moans and mewls that emerged from Squall's mouth.
He'd only just added his third finger when Squall's grip tightened sharply. "Fuck me now." When Seifer hesitated, Squall snapped, "now, Seifer!"
Hastily, Seifer removed his fingers, slicked up his dick, and guided himself into Squall. "That close, huh?"
"Ah... ah..." Squall wrapped his legs around Seifer's waist, driving the blonde even more deeply inside him.
"Sh-shit..." Seifer moaned and began thrusting into Squall. Wrapping a hand around Squall's arousal, he brought Squall off and then came himself as Squall's body bucked and tightened around him. "I love you, I love you," he murmured, collapsing atop Squall. He slid to the side and tried to pull out, but Squall's legs tightened.
"Just... stay a minute," Squall mumbled, burying his face against Seifer's chest. He clenched around Seifer slightly, causing the over sensitized man to grip Squall tightly. "I love you," Squall's muffled voice added.
Closing his eyes, Seifer started tracing random designs along the lithe man's spine. "If we fall asleep like this, you'll wake up with me hard inside you."
Squall shivered and looked up at Seifer, his blue eyes visibly dilating again. "Mmm... sounds good to me."
"Everyone else will spend today partying, but if you keep this up we'll be spending it having marathon sex."
"And that's bad because...?"
"Oh, it's not." Seifer nuzzled Squall's ear and then nipped the lobe. He grinned at the feeling of Squall squirming around his twitching cock. "Hyne, you feel so good."
"Let me ride you," Squall demanded moving so that Seifer was lying on his back with Squall seated on top of him, though Seifer had to pull out for Squall to achieve it. He scratched his nails over Seifer's nipples, the pink nubs hardening under the attention and sending sparks of pleasurable heat down to something else that was swiftly hardening.
In retaliation, Seifer reached up and started running his hands over the brunet's most sensitive spots, enjoying the mewling noises and the rocking hips that Seifer's touches drew out. Eventually Squall lifted himself up and then slowly impaled himself on Seifer's erection. Seifer tried to stay still, but the sight and feeling was too much and he thrust upwards into the tight heat surrounding him. Squall smirked and then began working up a rhythm, lifting his hips higher and higher with each thrust and Seifer bucked his hips, thrusting upward in time with Squall's downward movements.
Panting and desperate, Squall commanded, "t-touch me. Seifer, touch me!"
Seifer needed no further prompting to reach up to pump Squall's penis a few times and run his thumb over the tip just before Squall came hard over Seifer's stomach. Thrusting up one final time, Seifer came as well, Squall's name on his lips and lights sparking behind his eyes.
Pulling out of Squall, Seifer winced a little as his own ass spasmed with pain, part of which was in sympathy to the blood that dotted the semen that followed Seifer out of Squall's hole. Squall whimpered and moaned softly.
"You're hurt," Seifer muttered, pressing his face against Squall's sweat-slicked hair.
"I'm not..."
"You're bleeding," Seifer interrupted, his fingers running down to trace the brunet's semen and lotion slicked entrance. The noises that bubbled out of Squall's throat were made as much of pain as pleasure. "Hurts, huh?"
"Y-yeah."
"Can you even stand?"
Huffing in irritation, Squall pulled away from Seifer and forced himself to get off the bed. He stood for a moment before his knees gave way and he had to catch himself on the bed in order to keep from falling on his ass. Embarrassment colored his cheeks and Seifer couldn't stop from laughing even though he knew it'd piss the shorter gunblader off.
"Shut up!" Squall growled, looking for all the world to be a fluffed up, angry kitten.
"If it makes you feel better, you pounded my ass pretty hard last night. I won't be walking all that well either."
"Hmmph." Squall's lips quirked at the edges though, so Seifer knew he was hiding a smile.
Unsteadily, Seifer got to his feet and helped Squall off the ground. "Though I prefer fucking you," Seifer told Squall, a wry smirk twisting his lips slightly to the right, "being fucked by you was exactly what I needed last night. I'll need it - and want it - again, I'm sure."
"Let me know when," Squall responded hoarsely.
A/N - Having never written smut before this story, Kit and I were both worried we'd suck badly at the sex scenes. Instead, I think we've learned a lot. Maybe one day I can even try my hand at original romance stories with Fabio on the cover. Kit... is laughing at me for this comment.