CHAPTER 25

The drive back home was quiet at first, Avalena wondered if Squall was still upset over what had happened at the restaurant. She reached over and casually placed her hand on his knee and traced her fingers up his hard muscled thigh.

"Squall, are you alright my love."

He had been thinking about what had happened at Kingston's. He needed to tell her about how embarrassed he had felt and why. He had planned on telling her when they were home and lying in each other's arms. He pulled the car over to the side of the road unbuckled his seatbelt and waited while she undid hers. Pulling her into the comfort of his arms was cramped to say the least in the small confines of the front seat.

He buried his head against her neck and whispered into the dark "Ah, Avalena I'm fine now. But what happened at Kingston's really embarrassed me. You know me my love. I can take a joke as well as anyone. At the time I felt that Seifer was deliberately trying to humiliate me." Pausing he drew in a deep ragged breath, and continued, "I heard them Avalena, I heard them and I saw them. I saw them pointing their fingers at me. I heard them laughing at me. Not with me, but at me! I heard the scorn and contempt with every 'Nicole' that they uttered. Even though I avoided the publicity, those are the same fucking people that had hailed me as their god damned Lion of Balamb. And now I'm just a joke to them." He said passionately.

When he brought his head up from where he had it resting on her shoulder she saw the hurt in his beautiful blue eyes. "Oh my love, if I could take it all back I would my Squall."

"I know my sweetheart. I was so angry with Seifer. I know now that he didn't do it on purpose, he was just being himself and I can't fault him for that."

Then it hit him, why should he give a shit what those people thought about him, he knew who he was and what he was. He was Avalena's husband, her lover, her Knight, and her friend. He was Tristen's father. He was Laguna Loire's son. He was Seifer Almasy's blood brother and his friend. He was a friend to other people as well. He was a hero and the Lion of Balamb albeit reluctantly. But most importantly, he was Squall Nicole Almasy-Leonhart, and he was fine with that. He kissed her and he told her, "I know who I am and that is what's important."

After he had said that, Squall realized that his behavior that night was in akin to a spoiled child. He blushed and said, "I need to call Seifer and apologize to him for being," he paused and smiled then finished his sentence, "a poop-head myself."

He kissed Avalena again this one was longer and deeper. He hadn't been able to kiss her like this since early that morning. Hyne how he wanted her and he knew just from her reaction to his kiss that she wanted him too. He pulled away from her and gave her a lascivious look "We've never fucked in a car before. But I hear it's all the rage with horny teenagers everywhere. So what do you say to acting like horny teenagers and hopping in the backseat with me?"

Her response was opening her door and crawling into the backseat an inviting look on her face. The phone call he was going to make to Seifer forgotten for the moment as he joined her in the backseat.

When they had finished, she pulled her panties back up and her dress back down, while he was trying to wiggle back into his pants that had been pushed down around his ankles. He pulled her into his arms once they both were sitting up and kissed her yet again. Pulling away he husk out against her mouth, "I think that I prefer a little more room."

"Um me too." Avalena replied.

When they had moved back to the front seat he knew that he needed to apologize to Seifer. Reaching into the console he grabbed his cell-phone and placed the call.

"Hello." Seifer's voice came through on the other end of the line.

"Hi Seifer. I wanted to call and apologize to you for behaving like a petulant child tonight."

"What?" The confusion was apparent even over the cell phone.

Squall smiled into the dark, "I said that I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved tonight. I know that I behaved like a child, but at the time I felt justified."

"Nicky are feeling alright."

"I'm fine. But I feel like I need to explain why I behaved the way I did, especially at the restaurant. Seif for too long I've cared what people would think about me, and tonight on the way home, I realized that it doesn't matter what they think of me. I know who I am and that's all that matters." He paused and continued, "You weren't the only one who behaved like a poop-head tonight. I did too."

Seifer was confused, until recently he couldn't remember Squall Leonhart ever apologizing for anything, especially something so inanely stupid. He laughed, "Okay who are you and what have you done with Squall?"

"God damn it Almasy, can't you be serious for more then 5 seconds at a time?" Squall snapped and clicked the phone shut.

Seifer looks at the phone in his hand, "What the hell!" And immediately called Squall back, when Squall answered, the sneer was so apparent that Squall heard it through the phone line, "God damn it Leonhart can't you take a joke?" And snapped his own cell phone shut.

Squall punched in Seifer's number once again "Obviously I can since I'm friends with you." And snapped the phone shut.

Seifer hit the redial button and when he heard Squall answer, he said, "Whoever said we were friends." Started laughing even harder and hung up.

"Argh!" Squall growled he was so frustrated with Seifer at this point all he wanted to do was turn the car around and head back to Balamb to his apartment and throttle the shit out of him. Instead he called one more time, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Seifer is laughing so hard by this time he can hardly talk, "What did I stutter?" And disconnects the call before Squall had a chance to.

Avalena leaned forward and put her head in her hands, and starts shaking it back and forth, silently moaning "I have a headache." Her fingers start gently massaging her temples and the top of her head to hopefully relieve some of the tension that has built up there.

Squall instantly forgot the snappy retort that he was going to say into the phone and clicks it shut, reaching over he rubs her neck, "I'm sorry my love." Then smiled, hoping to get her back in a pleasant mood he said, "I'm only three and half years old."

Avalena raises her head up and turns to face him and sees that he is indeed sorry for his behavior, before she can respond his cell cheeps again. "I have had enough of this nonsense!" She grabbed the phone from his hand snapped it open and snarled, "Grow-up!"

"I thought I was grown up?" Laguna Loire's confused voice came through the line.

"Fine then shut-up!" Then snapped the phone shut.

Before either of them has a chance to say anything else the cell phone chirped again, "I swear to Hyne Squall if you answer that evil thing I'll use it for skeet."

Squall looked at who the call was from and sees that it is Laguna again, "Avalena, sweetheart it's my father, and it's probably important since he hates talking on the phone. Please can I answer it?"

"Oh! Very well." She conceded.

He clicked the phone open and said wearily "Hello father."

"Alright Squall what in the seven hells is going on? Why is my sweet Avalena suddenly so hostile? What did you do?" The questions increased in volume and Squall had to hold the phone away from his ear on the last question because Laguna was actually shouting, his usual cheeriness had vanished.

"Father!"

"Not one word young man. Not one single word. What ever you've done to my darling girl you had damn well better fix it." Laguna threatened over the phone.

"Father, if you'd give me a chance…" Squall started again.

"Give you a chance to what? Explain? Well you better have a damn good explanation!" Laguna shouted.

"Father…." He started again only to be cut off by Laguna cursing him out. "Dad, I'm trying…"

"Your damn right you're trying. Trying my patience. You put Avalena on the phone this instant, you little shit!" Laguna ordered.

"Laguna would you shut up and let me tell you what happened. Avalena and I did not get into an argument. You just happened to catch the residuals of Seifer and I flipping shit back and forth to each other. Avalena was getting really frustrated over the fact that we were behaving like children. She thought that you were him and blasted you." Squall was finally able to explain.

"Well I see." Laguna said he was calm once again, since he had been told that Avalena was okay. He asked, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Squall told him about the events of the evening leaving nothing out except what he and Avalena had done in the backseat.

"You do realize that you need to talk to him?" Laguna offered helpfully.

Squall let out a long deep breath, "Yes I know I need to talk to him, and I'm planning to do so."

"Good! Now the reason I called is to let you know that idiot Kinneas is finally checked into the rehab center, the moron managed to get away from us and we had to chase him down. Zell, Selphie, and Quistis are checked in at The Regency. They told me to tell you that they would see you in the next couple of days." Laguna paused and continued "Tell Avalena that I said goodnight, and goodnight to you son." And hung the phone up before Squall could respond.

"Is everything alright my love?" Avalena asked, she reached over took the cell phone from him and turned it off, then put her hand on his shoulder.

He turned and smiled at her, "Everything's fine sweetheart. He just called to let me know that Irvine is checked into rehab and that Zell and the girls are checked in at the hotel and that they will see us in a few days." He leaned over and kissed her, "Have I told you today how very much I love you."

Avalena saw the time on the console clock it was 12:01 and a new day she smiled and returned his kiss. "No, you did tell me yesterday, but it's a brand new day now."

"Is it now? I love you." And kissed her again.

"Umm, I love you too my Lionheart. Let's go home."

Squall restarted the car and headed towards home, his thoughts were jumbled, and he was torn. He wanted to make love with her again, but he also knew that he needed to talk to Seifer face to face so he could let him know exactly why he had reacted the way he did. The rest of the car ride home was silent.

When they pulled into the drive Avalena turned to him once more and said, "Go and talk to him Squall. I know you well enough that you won't be able to rest until you do."

"You don't mind?"

"No, I don't mind. I'll see you when you get home. Drive safe my lion." Reaching out she hugged and kissed him, got out of the car and went into the house.

Turning the car around in the driveway Squall headed back towards Balamb. He knew that that he and Seifer needed to talk about several things. It had cut him to his soul when Seifer had made that scathing comment "Who ever said we were friends?"

He had honestly thought they had worked everything out but apparently they hadn't, and he really needed to know if Seifer was actually his friend and his brother or if the vow they had made to each other was just another big joke to him. The tears started in his eyes once more and he was finding it difficult to see. Pulling over to the side of the road he sat behind the wheel of the car and wept.

Seifer Almasy's felt like shit. He had tried calling Squall's cell phone and there was no answer and it had immediately sent him to voice mail. He didn't want to leave a message, figuring that if Squall heard his voice he would automatically delete it, since that's what he would have done.

When he had said that oh so hurtful, "Who ever said we were friends?" He remembered the hurt that came through the phone line when Squall had called him back and asked what the fuck that was supposed to mean. His response had been retaliating asking Squall if he had stuttered. He was actually hoping that Squall would call him back and lay into him with something equally as cutting. When he hadn't he tried calling Squall again the first time the line was busy. He smiled evilly figuring that Squall was trying to call him, and immediately hung up.

"Why do you treat him that way?" Fujin asked him.

He looked over at her and saw the contempt on her face. "Come off it Fujin, he knew I was joking." He tried to explain.

"Really? I was standing right here and even though you were laughing, I didn't think you were joking." She said, turned and stomped into her room slamming the door with a resounding bang and left him sitting in the living room by himself. Raijin had already gone to bed so he hadn't heard any of it.

"Shit! You've really done it this time Almasy. Opened your big fat mouth and inserted both feet up to your bellybutton." He got up and crept silently into his bedroom where he looked down at the sleeping form of Tristen, Squall's son. Hyne he looked so much like his father, just spending time with Tristen was a pleasure. He was a lot like Squall had been at that age, but he was also different. Reaching out his hand he lightly ran his fingers down the sleeping child's face.

He had changed out of the suit soon after Avalena and Squall had left. As he was changing into something more comfortable he smirked as he remembered the conversation that he had with Squall about proper attire for the restaurant. "Kingston's? Ah hell! I have to wear a monkey suit don't I?" He had groused.

"Yes, but I think you can forgo the tail." Squall had answered, the sarcasm flowing through the phone line.

Now he needed to go to their house and apologize. Grabbing his trench coat and Hyperion he left the apartment and started to walk out to the house. He was about a mile outside of town when he saw the car pulled over to the side of the road. He jogged over to it and looking inside he saw that Squall had his head resting on the steering wheel and his shoulders were shaking. Seifer yanked open the door and pulled Squall out into his arms.

"Shh, little brother I'm here now." He ran a hand through Squall's silky hair.

Squall jerked away from him, the tear stains apparent on his face. His blue eyes were bloodshot from the saltiness of them. "Don't call me that unless you mean it. I honestly thought we were friends and brothers now Seifer. Before I say anything else I need to know was it all a joke to you." He yanked the glove off his left hand.

"Tell me Seifer did this mean anything to you at all? Because if it didn't I release you from it." His voice was shaking so badly from his sorrow that he could barely speak. The tears burned his eyes as they started falling again.

Seifer closed his eyes, he knew that his inadvertent choice of words had hurt Squall, but up until that point he hadn't realized how badly. He reached out and pulled Squall into his arms once again. "Of course they meant something to me. Squall, I'm sorry for hurting you. You told me that I'm your best friend, you're mine too." He felt the tears start in his eyes and burying his face in Squall's neck cried himself. Pulling back he whispered, "Tell me about the stars Squall. Tell me about the knights."

Squall looked into Seifer's turquoise eyes and saw the friendship and the love that was there, "What?"

"Tell me about the stars Squall." He pleaded.

Squall reached out his hand and caught one of Seifer's tears, "I will Seif. But I need to tell you something else before I do. I need to tell you why I was so angry and hurt tonight." He smiled at Seifer and continued, "For too long I've cared what people thought about me. I heard them Seifer. I heard them and I saw them laughing at me and pointing their fingers at me. Those are the same people who revered me as their fucking hero. I was their Lion of Balamb. But they didn't remember any of that. Fickle bastards that they are! Now I'm nothing more then a punch line to a joke."

"Squall…." Seifer started but didn't get to finish because Squall interrupted him.

"Please let me finish! At first it really bothered me and hurt my pride. Yes it still does, but not as much as it did. I know who I am, and what they think doesn't matter. I am Squall Nicole Almasy-Leonhart. In my own arrogance I thought that you were deliberately trying to humiliate me. But I know that you were just being you. I'm sorry for behaving like a spoiled temperamental brat."

"And I behaved like a schoolyard bully. Not knowing when to quit. Can you forgive me?" Seifer's voice was shaking almost as badly as Squalls.

Squall pulled Seifer into his arms "Of course I forgive you. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes little brother I can." Seifer smiled at him then asked shyly, "Will you tell me about the stars now?"

Squall laughed, and pointed up at the night sky and waited for Seifer to look up to where he was pointing. Squall's mellow voice drifted across the still night air as he started weaving a story about the stars.

"Once a long time ago there were two brothers and more then anything they wanted to be knights. So they trained hard and eventually became knights to a great lord. But the lord was an evil man who tried without success to make the brother's hate each other. They went to war against this lord and in the end had to sacrifice themselves in order to stop him. Hyne saw their noble and selfless act and granted them immortality by putting them in the night sky. Where they remain to this day, keeping watch over the people of Gaia. Vowing to each other that if they were needed again they would come back and lend aid to two fellow knights that they find worthy of their assistance. Two knights who share the bond of brotherhood and friendship."

Squall paused in his story and looked over at Seifer, "We are those knights Seifer. You know it and I know it."

"You never told me that story before Squall. I remember every story that you ever told me about the stars and about the knights and their ladies." Seifer turned and smiled at him.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. For some reason I retained those memories."

"I didn't know that."

They spent the rest of the night just sitting and talking, talking about their dreams and hopes for the future.

"Squall?"

"Yeah?"

"What if Rinoa can't get over the past? I love her Squall."

"Seifer, if she can't forgive you for that part of your life then she doesn't deserve you. The past is the past. We can look back on it and learn from it, but we shouldn't let it rule our future."

"When did you get so smart?"

"Seif, I've always been smart. I just never opened my mouth enough for people to realize it."

"Yeah well sometimes keeping your mouth shut makes you smart too. That's one that I'm going to have to work on Nicky."

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" Squall laughed.

Seifer shook his head yes then changes it to no, "Probably not! You need to lighten up a little Squall and stop taking everything so seriously."

Squall smiled at him and replied, "I know, but sometimes you need to take things a little more seriously."

Both men started laughing yet again and it echoed out into the fading twilight.

"I need to get home and get a couple of hours of sleep before Tristen wakes up." Seifer said and pulled himself to his feet.

"Here let me give you a ride." Squall offered as he regained his feet.

"No thanks, you need to get home to your lady." Seifer smiled at him and grabbed him into one more hug releasing him he turned back towards Balamb and started to walk home. Throwing over his shoulder, "See ya in a couple of days Nicky."

Squall chuckled and slid in behind the wheel of the car starting it he headed for home. When he got there he shut off the motor exited the car and made his way quietly into the house. Going up stairs he went to his and Avalena's bedroom, stripped off his suit and hung it in the closet then slid his body into bed beside her. Cuddling up around her he fell asleep.