Clank.
Clank.
Squall's eyes opened, though they hadn't been closed for sleep -- just the attempt of sleep. His room was black, no shadows out of place anywhere. Frowning, Squall closed his eyes and cuddled down into the pillow he'd been hugging.
Clank.
Squall opened his eyes once more, sitting up he looked around his room. Another clank made Squall realize something was being throw up against his window. Leaning over to the edge of the bed, Squall turned on the lamp that sat on his nightstand. The room lit and Squall turned to open his window.
A harsh cool breeze hit Squall quickly, rushing through his hair. Looking down, Squall saw a figure standing in the grass. Squall was three stories up, so it was difficult to tell who the figure was, but Squall almost naturally knew the shape of the trench coat.
"Squall?!" the whispered yell of none other than Seifer barely carried up.
Squall waved once before closing the window then pushing away and sliding out of bed. Walking quickly, Squall left his room and headed down the hallway to get downstairs.
After getting to the first floor, Squall headed around to the back porch and unlocked the sliding glass doors. Turning on the porch light, Squall stepped out, the night-chilled cement freezing his feet.
The figure standing out in the distance walked to Squall, Squall heading out into the dew covered grass to meet Seifer as Seifer approached.
"Squall," Seifer said softly. His arms were hugging the trench coat to himself, keeping the wind from whipping too harshly around him. He was attempting not to look awkward, but had failed.
Without word, Squall reached down and took Seifer's hand to lead the blonde back to the Palace. Squall didn't bother to ask how Seifer got into the yard, the front gate was more for looks than anything else. The side walls were easy enough to scale.
"Urgh," Seifer groaned at Squall's touch.
Squall stopped, releasing Seifer's hand as he turned back to the blonde.
"Just bruised my hand," Seifer said softly.
With his bright eyes, Squall studied Seifer before looking down to Seifer's other hand while holding out his own hand. Seifer smiled, giving Squall the second hand and feeling the warmth from Squall's palm. Gently, Squall lead Seifer towards the Palace.
The door to Squall's bedroom shut behind him, not so much as a stir throughout the rest of the house. The Palace was protected by a security system, but that was about it. Pretty easy to get in, through no one ever tried. Laguna Loire was the biggest push-over president that had ever ruled Esthar. No one had a problem with him, at least not to the point where he needed massive security.
So the Palace was fairly open. Which made it a matter of simply walking up the stairs for Squall to get Seifer to his bedroom.
Seifer stepped further into Squall's private sanctuary, surprised at the massive barren appearance of the room. Not that he expected Butt-Street-Boys posters on the walls, but there should have been something. Heading over to the dresser, Seifer saw the white rose he'd bought Squall gently laying on the dark wood.
"Your hand?" Squall said softly after the bedroom door's lock clicked into place.
Seifer turned his gaze from the rose, looking over to where Squall stood. The brunette was watching him.
Lifting his left hand to caress the knuckles of his right, Seifer held back a cringe of pain. Darting his eyes up from looking down at his hands, Seifer let his arms drop to his sides.
"Just had an accident with the hallway wall in my foster parents house," Seifer explained smoothly.
The blank expression stayed on Squall's face, his eyes not even jolting as Seifer spoke. His chest barely rose and fell with breath, the etching of his collar bone looking like softly carved porcelain.
It was awkward for Seifer under Squall's heavy gaze. He hadn't noticed Squall's clothing, because he was more concerned with what Squall was thinking. That and how cold exactly it was out in his truck. It was nice for Squall to take him in, but Seifer felt as though it might have been a pity-thing. Seifer didn't like that idea, but he couldn't help think it nor fight against the weak feeling that had knotted his stomach.
Squall had lead Seifer up to his bedroom without even asking why Seifer was here, yet now the brunette looked vacant of thought.
About to say that he was just going to go, Seifer was stopped as Squall spoke again.
"And you're side?" Squall asked softly, eyes not even blinking.
Squall had noticed.
"That was a bat," Seifer said plainly, "and my foster dad."
"Oh," Squall said in his quiet voice, the sound barely leaving his throat. He turned simply, walking back to his bed as though he were going to climb in. But instead, Squall fell to his knees and reached under the bed for something.
Seifer turned his body, shifting his stance while watching Squall. Unable to help the glace at the brunette's nicely firm ass coming through the black PJ bottoms, Seifer smirked. Then he pulled his eyes away as the smirk faded and Squall sat up and moved a white box for Seifer to see.
A First Aid kit.
The smirk reformed easily over Seifer's lips.
The white case popped open and Squall picked out a syringe with blue liquid.
"I'm okay," Seifer said, though he was happy with Squall's concern.
Crossing over to Seifer, Squall held up the syringe for Seifer to see.
"Take off your coat," Squall instructed.
Seifer shook his head. He didn't need a Potion injection, nor to be pitied. He appreciated Squall, but it was unneeded in his eyes.
"It'll hurt," Squall said with his soft voice, stepping closer. His free hand moved to rest against Seifer's chest. "Of course."
A sneered-smirk formed on the left side of Seifer's lips. The brunette always said the wildest things. Not trying to comfort Seifer as though the blonde needed help, but instead telling him the truth and Seifer would be the one to make the choice of a Potion injection or to keep the broken ribs and wounded hand.
Seifer pulled off his coat with a muffled groan, trying to keep his eyes locked with the dead-set gaze Squall was giving him. Tossing his coat away, Seifer didn't bother with where it landed.
Squall stepped closer, the free hand pressing harder onto Seifer's chest as it slid up to caress his neck. Squall leaned up then brought his lips to Seifer's mouth, allowing a soft licking-kiss before firming down against Seifer. Seifer allowed Squall to control the gentle kiss, enjoying the texture of the brunette's lips and tongue.
Before Seifer could think about Squall's second hand and the syringe, he felt the pierce of the needle into his upper left arm and then a rush of pain to both his hand and side.
Expecting Squall to step back, Seifer was surprised when the brunette's kiss firmed to help Seifer fight the rush of pain. The brunette's two arms were then wrapped around Seifer's shoulders, Seifer grasping onto Squall's waist. The kiss then lightened, Squall's lips pulling away to barely brush against Seifer's flesh.
"Okay?" Squall asked softly, keeping his mouth close to Seifer's.
The wave of pain had faded into a tingling sensation quickly. In a few seconds everything would go numb in the two wounded areas, and that would last for 20 minutes at the Potion mended the bones. Then everything would be fine.
"Yeah," Seifer said in a husky voice, moving his hands down to cup Squall's ass. He didn't want Squall to leave his arms. Pushing his lips back down to Squall's waiting mouth, Seifer forced another kiss down.
The brunette's mouth opened without hesitation, allowing Seifer to enter and explore.
After a long breathless kiss, Seifer allowed Squall air. His large hands released the brunette before he slipped back.
Squall paused to look into Seifer's eyes before turning and heading to put the empty syringe back into the First Aid kit. Then the kit was stuffed under his bed.
It was then that Seifer registered Squall's clothing; mostly the white t-top with black roaring lion print on the front.
"You know, Squall" Seifer said once Squall was standing tall and facing him again.
Squall blinked and waited.
Seifer had been planning on making a cross-dressing joke, but seeing Squall watching him, the asshole-remark vanished from his mind.
"You look really sexy," Seifer said, the words almost growling out from his throat. Seeing the shape of Squall's body in the spaghetti-strap t-top that didn't quite come down completely over the pale belly, Seifer could only imagine what was underneath.
Looking down, Squall realized himself that he was dressed in a female's t-shirt. He turned up, but the look in Seifer's eyes made Squall know the blonde wasn't making fun of him.
Silence had taken over in the room, the two boys simply staring back at one another.
It was when Seifer finally broke and blinked that the icy line between the boys vanished.
"Yeah, well," Seifer muttered as he walked to the cream colored suede coat. "I guess... I'll just go. Thanks for... Yeah."
Seifer leaned down and picked up the coat, turning to wave a bye to Squall.
"Go?" Squall said in a meek voice.
Seifer nodded. "Yeah." He shrugged. "Don't need to get you in trouble with your father or anything."
"Go where?" Squall asked, his hands moving up to lightly hug himself. The room was chilly, though the cold on his body didn't register in his mind.
"Um," Seifer said softly, watching Squall watch him. "Crash at a friend's house." Since he wasn't bruised up anymore, going to sleep at a friend's place wouldn't be too much trouble for him.
The vacant expression continued on Squall's features.
"Okay, well," Seifer mumbled. "I'll see you in a couple days, huh?"
Squall still didn't reply.
Seifer held back a sigh as the turned to leave the room. Pulling on his coat, he walked past the clothes that Squall obviously has just strewn over the floor carelessly.
"Stay," Squall's voice stopped Seifer in mid-step.
Turning back to his boyfriend, Seifer saw Squall was still watching him vacantly. Then the loosely hugging arms pulled a little tighter.
"It's cold," Squall said in an airy voice, his lips dry.
Seifer took a moment to breath, letting the word set into his mind. Then he smiled and turned to cross over to Squall.
Once he was close, Seifer put his hands on Squall's upper arms, gently caressing the soft skin. His large hands moves around to Squall's back, stepping closer to pull Squall into his arms. The brunette's hands pressed to Seifer's chest before traveling up to his shoulders to push off the trench coat.
Seifer allowed the coat to fall to the floor, watching Squall's hands move down to the hemline of his shirt. Squall's cold fingers moved under the shirt to push it up and off. The fingers were delicate as they caressed over the soft etching of Seifer's body, lightly caressing the ripples of Seifer's muscular flesh. Seifer just stood, allowing Squall to remove the second piece of clothing. And then Squall's fingers moved to Seifer's belt, unclasping the hook and pulling the strap free. Button and zipper undone, Squall pushed the pants off of Seifer's waist.
Smirking, Seifer watched Squall get to his knees to untie the blonde's shoes. Then the shoes were set aside, the pants allowed to be completely pulled off.
The brunette stood again, eyes sparkling in the white-lights of the nightstand lamp as his gaze reached Seifer's. Stepping back, Squall gave Seifer the choice of wherever the blonde wanted on the bed.
Seifer moved forward to get in, but he stopped short. Turning to look at Squall, Seifer formed a fake-worried expression. "SeeD isn't going to come up in here and arrest me if your daddy finds out I'm in bed with his baby, huh?"
Eyes hovering over Seifer, Squall paused. He then climbed into bed, crawling up to slide into the covers. He pushed aside some of his pillows to allow Seifer room.
Allowing another smirk to grow, Seifer knelt down into bed next to Squall. Sliding down, he lay down on his back in the soft mattress and cool sheets. Laying against at least four pillows, Seifer frowned.
"Why do you always sleep at my place?" Seifer asked, turning to show his frown to Squall. "This bed is like a giant fricken cotton ball."
Not replying, Squall leaned against Seifer's chest, reaching out to the nightstand and turning off the lamp. The room went dark. His weight lifted from Seifer's chest and shifted to lay heavily against the blonde's side. Having his arm flopped over Seifer's chest, head laying against the blonde's shoulder, Squall knew his hug-pillow didn't do Seifer justice. Not in the least.
Seifer turned his head to face Squall's direction. The sweet scent of Squall's hair filled Seifer. His eyes closed, enjoying the calm moment as far away from his parents than he'd ever thought possible. He was laying in the fucking Palace. Hyne knew this sort of thing should only happen in fairy-tales. But no, here Seifer was laying with the Prince of Esthar and safe away from the chaotic home-life that he hoped to forget right then.
His hand and side were tingling still. A little reminder, for now, exactly what was waiting for him at home. But the tingling soon would pass and his body would be completely healthy. Although the Potion would mend the two wounds, it also would flush Seifer's entire system. Seifer's body would be in better health than it had been since the day he was born once the potion had finished it's work.
Squall's finger was lightly caressing over the hair on Seifer's left arm.
Turning his gaze, Seifer watched the small finger in its gentle motions. Then the quiet brunette pushed up in the dark of the room and looked as best he could into Seifer's eyes.
"Why'd... a bat?" Squall tried to figure out how to say the small question. He should at least be concerned with exactly why Seifer's father would hit Seifer with a bat. Squall had met the man, and the wife, they were inconsequential to Squall. Yet they were far more a damaging force to Seifer than the blonde let on. So Squall should try, at the very least, to act in a boyfriend manner and perhaps human manner by asking the why question.
A husky sigh left Seifer's throat.
"Mom left," Seifer said softly.
There should be a reply to such a comment. Some sort of comforting apology, or reinforcement assurance of okay for Seifer's loss. Perhaps some you're better off without the bitch remark that could be said. Yet Squall's mind wouldn't allow any verbal retort to form. It was simply blank. Squall couldn't even think of oh to say. And the tone that rang with the word in Squall's mind was more than indifferent.
"Doesn't matter," Seifer said. The silence had been short, since he was able to fill it. He didn't expect Squall to fall into a conversation to comfort him. Squall wasn't like that, and Seifer didn't want that from the brunette.
Squall continued his blank expression, waiting to see if Seifer would say anything else.
"Dad kicked me out," Seifer continued softly, saying the words aloud mostly for himself. He let the words hang with a short silence before he spoke again. "After he destroyed my entire room, and tried to beat the crap out of me."
The idea of Seifer being homeless clicked into Squall's mind. And then the understanding for what Seifer was doing here. Not to lick his wounds or look for comfort, just simply because there wasn't anywhere else for Seifer to be. Unless he wanted to stay out in the truck in the cold weather. Squall didn't mind, or even think to mind, that Seifer had stayed. It was a cold night and Seifer's body was warm against him.
"Where will...." Squall started but his tongue had to stop. The question he'd been saying had fled. He couldn't remember it. Only the last word. "live?" But the words didn't make sense to Squall.
Seifer had understood easily enough. "Try to get an apartment, hopefully. Crash at friend's places for a while maybe. In my truck. No big deal. Wouldn't even give a crap except all my shit was destroyed and my mom took my money...." The last words faded out as Seifer grimaced. He sounded as though he were looking for charity. Please Squall, take me in! Urgh! He wasn't trying to sound like that.
Seifer's words had clicked back the thought about the blonde being homeless in Squall's mind.
Again, something was there to be said. A lot of things that Squall could have spoken in reply to Seifer's words. Not that the ease of conversation helped Squall. Words sometimes found themselves easier coming out of Squall than other times. Subject matter aside, because subject involved an emotional response. That was rare in Squall.
Seifer's eyes were open in the silent dark room, locked on the ceiling.
"Eh, something will happen," Seifer tried to change the tone of his voice, sound more confident instead of devastated. He was devastated, but admitting that would be asking for pity. Seifer didn't want to be pitied, save that for people who need it.
"Blood Kiss?" Squall asked meekly. The words do sometimes come.
"Yeah, we'll get somewhere," Seifer said with a nod, glancing down to where Squall was cuddled into his chest.
Squall's finger had gone back to caressing the hair on Seifer's left arm, his eyes glazed over in a thinking state as Seifer watched.
The brunette was warm against Seifer's side. Cuddled against Seifer's chest, leg gently laying over Seifer's. And pressed against Seifer's crotch was Squall's thigh.
Seifer moved a hand up to caress Squall's hair lightly. The brunette continued his blank stare, fingers moving.
"You're really beautiful," Seifer said softly.
Squall blinked then looked up. Shifting himself, Squall moved so he could better look into Seifer's eyes.
"You are," Seifer repeated. "...Thanks for letting me in... for asking me to stay. -- It's great being wanted somewhere."
A light finger caressed down Seifer's cheek, touching the side of his lips before moving down to his chin and lifting off his skin. Then, Squall leaned down to place a light kiss on Seifer's dried lips.
Seifer smirked up at Squall after the brunette pulled back. The Ice Prince wasn't good with words, and for the most part didn't seem to give a fuck about the world around him, but he was amazing to hold on to, to kiss. Squall, remarkably, knew how to say something with a simple kiss or touch -- at certain moments. The football game, for instance, and when Seifer's friends were prodding at him the night at the club.
About to tell Squall he was sexy, again, in the little night-suit Squall wore, Seifer was muffled down by another kiss....
AUTHOR NOTE: Here was an NC 17 sex scene that has been cut out. If you'd like to read the whole chapter go to ted. He paused a moment, letting his mind figure out what it wanted to get his mouth to say.
Seifer waited, giving Squall all the time he needed.
"Ever... w-want a...um," Squall's voice faded into a mumble. "Stage name?"
Seifer smiled. He lifted a hand to caress the soft brown locks of Squall's hair. "I've thought about having a Stage name before, but nothing ever sounds right."
"I -- thought of..." Squall breathed, "one...."
That only made Seifer smirk. "Oh?" He didn't expect much. Something cute, perhaps. Something that would make Seifer laugh, and he'd have to reply that he'd probably just use his real name -- why have a stage name? "What's the name, my little lion cub?"
Squall didn't answer. He did push up from laying against Seifer, turning to face down and look at his blonde lover.
"L-lion... cub?" Squall repeated the name.
Seifer nodded, still smirking. "With all that biting -- and those nails! Fucking claws.... Gave me scars!" Seifer laughed, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck.
Perhaps there should have been some worry from Squall about having hurt Seifer. But the brunette didn't give it a second thought. He simply lied back down, cuddling into Seifer's body.
"Flare," whispered Squall.
Seifer blinked as he moved his hand away from his neck, bringing it to touch Squall's hand -- which now lay still on his stomach.
"What was that, cub?" Seifer asked.
"Flare," Squall repeated. "Stage name...."
Flare. Hyne, who would have thought Squall could come up with something like that. It actually required thought. Who could have guessed Squall would spend his quiet moments thinking about something so... cool?
"First saw you," Squall said softly, pulling his hand out from under Seifer's, lightly pulling at Seifer's fingers, "you.... Red, and -- in the lights.... Fire. Like flames."
Seifer noted to himself that his favorite color was actually red. And he did tend to wear a lot of red when he went up on stage. He liked those shirts that shimmered under the lights.
"Flare, huh?" Seifer said, testing out the name on his own tongue.
Squall tilted his head up to look at Seifer, Seifer turning to look down.
"Flare," Squall said again, a finger caressing over Seifer's chapped lips. "My Fire."
Seifer smiled down.