Disclaimer: They are not mine (I wish they were). Don't sue.
Warnings: Yaoi rated R.
Summary: CHAPTER 9 UP. (yaoi: SxS beware). Balamb Garden is a knights' school. Seifer Almasy is one of those knights. Being the personal guard of Sullen, the most good-looking and greatest wizard, he is sent to find out why Galbadian army has attacked Dollet. Does Sorceress Edea have something to do with it?! And why does Elder Guardian of Time refuse to show in the Union council?!
Sons of Elder Guardians
By Azure Knight
Chapter 9: Knowing you ...
I awoke in the next morning naked in bed with all my covers in the floor. I sighed and got up. I immediately knew I was going to be late for breakfast when I opened my window and I looked at the sun-watch in my bedroom. Not wanting to displease my new master, I hurried up calling the servant who was waiting outside my bedroom door and taking a quick bath. When the servant asked me what did I want to dress, I frowned. I didn't know what we were going to do and dressing up ceremonially wasn't very appropriate. I looked at the servant.
"Do you know what the prince has in mind for today?" I asked. The servant smiled but shrugged.
"No sir, but the prince likes to ride when he is not with his tutor. I think he might want to show you Griever. He has much pride in that horse." The boy answered.
"Okay then. I'll dress riding clothes. Does the prince have any favorite color?"
"Black, sir. He likes black." The servant said.
"Very well. I'll take these black pants and this red shirt." Seifer took out the clothes and started dressing being helped by the servant. He dressed the tight, black riding breeches, putting his black knee-boots above them. He also put his black gloves pulling them until they hided the sleeved shirt's wristband and left the red shirt's top strings a little lace, showing his collarbone and a little bit of his muscular chest. He was stunning and he knew it.
"So how do I look?" I asked the servant sheathing my gunblade and putting a black hat with red feathers, covering, my still wet, blond hair. I knew I looked well, because I had looked myself in the mirror and I know handsomeness when I see it, but a second opinion is always welcome to feed my ego.
The boy blushed a little. He damned the prince's luck. "You look wonderful, sir. I can see why you're an elder guardian's knight."
I laughed at that. I was not an elder guardian's knight. Sullen wasn't considered one yet. "Lord Sullen is not an Elder, he's still just a common mage."
"If you permit me sir, but the sons of elder guardians should hardly be considered normal mages since they have higher power then those last ones."
I smiled. The boy was right. "Yes, I guess you are right. Are you the one arranging my bed?!"
"Yes milord. Anything wrong?"
"The sheets are too many. I get hot during the night and end up throwing them to the floor. Please, put less."
The boy smiled. "You're a hot one sir. Prince Squall sleeps with twice the sheets you had covering him."
I blushed. I know I did. I looked shockingly to the young servant who was removing the sheets and putting fresh ones I with an haste brought by the practice.
"Is it okay like this, sir?"
I nodded already recovered from my embarrassment. The boy nodded and headed to the door.
"One more thing." I said. He stopped looking at me asking silently with his brown eyes what I wanted "How did you know I was talking about prince Squall and not prince Lake, in the beginning?" It was a question, which had been in my head a few minutes now.
"News run fast in this palace, sir. I know you are his new knight during these two days. Since sir Nida died his father has been trying to get a new knight for him, but he rejects all of them. You've been lucky he accepted you so easily."
"Must be because it's just for two days. Anyway, I thought that he had sir Sephiroth."
"Sir Sephiroth is mainly his tutor, sir. Besides he's traveling most of the time, now. Sir Nida was more a friend to the middle prince. He doesn't speak half as much to other people as he did with Nida. He's a very quiet person. Everybody loves him, though."
"I see..." I answered going deep into thought. The boy however didn't let that happen.
"Sir, we should get going. You're going to be late for breakfast..."
I snapped to reality that moment. I was going to be late indeed. "Yes. Let's go!"
ºººººººººº
"You're late!" was the first thing Seifer heard when he entered the dining room where prince Lake and prince Squall were already sitting. He was going to apologize when Lake snapped from his drooling-over-Seifer state and took the control over the situation not letting his brother who still hadn't looked at Seifer, say anything else.
"It's alright Seifer. I can call you Seifer, right?!" Seifer nodded smiling to the younger prince. "You can call me Lake. As I was saying, we just got here also so you don't have to be worried." Then he turned to the waiter "You can serve the breakfast, Josf."
"As you wish my prince. Sir Seifer what would you like to drink, coffee, milk, tea or juice?"
"Orange juice, please." Seifer said.
"As you wish. Prince Squall?"
"The usual, Josf." Squall said, raising his head for the first time, looking at the waiter, who nodded and left.
Then Lake started talking with Seifer who had sit by his side. While his brother distracted Seifer's attention to himself Squall risked a small glance at the knight and gasped. He managed to hide his surprise and fascine for the blond. He wasn't fast enough for his younger brother to notice, though. Lake grinned at him.
"Seifer looks good today, doesn't he Squall?" The asked one glared at his brother but answered politely.
"Yes. You look fine today, sir Seifer."
"Why, thank you Lake, prince Squall." Seifer said smirking at Squall, noticing that Squall had been checking him out and Lake had caught him.
"Oh, you can call Squall just by his name, can't he Squall?"
Squall sighed, "Yes, I guess he can."
Seifer smiled. "Only if you call me Seifer." Squall nodded. Lake clasped his hands resembling a lot his sister. "There, now we're all friends."
Meanwhile their food had arrived. Bread, Cakes, cookies and fruit. Josf brought also their drinks.
Seifer got his orange juice. Squall a cup of lemon tea and Lake a cup of milk.
"Milk?!" Lake said looking at the waiter.
"I'm sorry my prince. It was sir Kiros' order." He said and left to the corner of the room.
"Why do I always get milk?!" Lake said looking at the white liquid sadly.
"Because you're still a kid." Squall answered. Lake looked at his brother angry.
"Am not!" Squall smiled. Seifer felt a heat in his heart. He was at a loss of words to describe the beauty of that smile "Yes, you are." Squall said and Lake pouted.
"But you are a beautiful one." Squall added. Lake's face brightened and Squall smiled again "I am?!" It was Seifer that answered.
"Of course. I have seen few men so beautiful as you. And I'm including mages."
Lake smiled "Really?!" Then he smirked. "My brother's more beautiful than me, isn't he Seifer?"
"Don't be pushy, Lake. I'm sure sir Seifer would find himself divided about giving such an answer." Lake cringed at Squall's harsh words towards him. Only his brother didn't noticed how gorgeous he was. Seifer smiled but didn't shut down. He decided that being direct and honest was the best thing to answer the prince's question.
"If you permit me prince Squall," he said, now serious, "I would like to give my opinion. No way I would find myself divided about answering that question. I just have to be sincere in my answer. The decision is indeed rather difficult, but I have to affirm without less doubt, and I ask forgiveness to prince Lake but you are definitely the most beautiful between the two."
Lake grinned, "He is isn't he?!". Squall looked at Seifer blushing furiously while the other responded to his look by locking his jade eyes in those gray-blue ones. A few seconds passed and Squall turned his head to drink his tea replying before.
"That's because my brother is still a boy who isn't totally formed nor physically or intellectually, which reminds me Lake, that you have a Politics book to study after breakfast."
Lake snorted. "I don't know why do I have to. It's not like I'm going to be king of Esthar." Squall sighed looking at Lake with a tired face. "Okay, okay Squall. I'll go study today but tomorrow we'll go ride through the plains after breakfast. We can stop in Great Salt Lake and make a picnic. What do you say Seifer?"
"Sounds good, if prince Squall agrees..." Seifer said looking at Squall. Squall nodded.
"Great!!!" Lake exclaimed.
ºººººººººº
The rest of the day with Squall was fantastic.
During the morning he showed me the palace explaining the story of each little thing. The huge Library, the ballroom, the treasure room. And I had to confirm that that palace was indeed one of the most beautiful and interesting ones I've ever seen. Then again I wasn't able to tell you the sure because the beauty of my host darkened the one from his palace. Wearing a long blue tunic with golden accessories, he shone more than the marble tiles of the immaculate floor or the crystal vases of flowers.
Then we went to lunch. The food was great once again and I was delighted with the servants' hospitality. Lake also helped to make me feel home. He reminded me a lot of my beloved younger brother Zell. The smile, the 'huge mouth' and the honesty and sincerity of his words. He always said what he thought without thinking before. I was used to it but Squall kept scolding him. I told them about the similarities of Lake and Zell, my brother. Lake immediately wanted to know him and made me promise I would bring him next time I came visit them. Squall nodded politely and didn't say anything.
The afternoon passed faster than I wanted to. Squall showed me the stables and I saw his beautiful black stallion, Griever. Just like his owner that horse had an internal cold flame that attracted people to him. Squall said it had been a present from his mother when he was very, very young. That horse's race seemed alien to me but I didn't push the subject further when he said the horse had been caught in the wild. After visiting the stables we went on riding through the palace's wood, Squall showing me the different types of trees, bushes and animals.
It was sunset when we went back to the palace structure. We both had a bath and came outside to see the beautiful sunset. I knew he liked to admire the event. When I neared him, though I got surprised. He was painting the sky. And he did it divinely, like everything else, I suppose. He was a great rider, a great fighter (we had a little spar like I wanted since the first time I saw him) and a great artist. He was a wonderful prince too. He loved everything, the wood, the land, his kingdom and his family. He just didn't show it but people knew it nonetheless. So the same things also loved him. I myself was starting to understand and find love in that man. The love I though didn't exist. It wasn't just lust I found in me towards him. I knew that feeling. This was just much more intense. Something I had never felt before. But from one hand, my problem was that I knew the feeling wasn't mutual. From another I never was a man who gave up that easily. Now that I had found the love I dreamed I wouldn't let it escape like that.
So I approached the beautiful young man and peeked to the painting. He looked at me and I said it was beautiful. He thanked me and said he was only copying the sunset so the true beauty was the Nature and not his picture. I smiled.
"Yes, but is not everyone who can recreate it so fairly."
"I guess you're right, but that's because they don't feel the nature. They don't hear their calling. If they did they would be able to reflect their beauty in art. I learn this when I went to the Shumi tribe with my father a few years ago." He said putting aside the picture and looking to the setting sun in front of him. Not knowing what to say I turned to see the sun with a déjà-vu feeling. Pushing my luck I asked if he felt it too. He nodded slightly blushing. I looked at him and he looked at me, nervous.
"Maybe I should go ready myself for diner." He said, but before he could turn away I grabbed him by his wrist. No way he would escape me now. He looked at his wrist and then at me with a frown. I approached him and without knowing, I was holding him with a hand touching his naked back and another in his slender waist. He had his hands in my chest and his lips in mine. I was sure I was the one who made the first move by kissing him full on the lips but he wasn't pulling away either. He was kissing me back, actually. He tasted faintly of blackberries and strawberries. I know I tasted the same because we had been eating them in the wood earlier. The soft touch of his silken lips and his mouth taste were divine but it was the sweet scent of his hair and skin that was making me crazy. I hadn't noticed we both had our eyes closed until we broke the kiss. He stayed there, in my arms looking at me with those huge blue eyes. I stared back at him and none of us made a single move. We just stayed there enjoying the warmth and the beauty of the other while the sky toned a dark blue color, the sun completely set now. But the time was frozen for us. Nothing else mattered but the other's eyes and in that moment I discovered the true happiness of this world.
But good things end fast and way too soon the bells rang for diner and we awaked from our stupor. Blushing again by realizing what we had been doing Squall turned his head and disentangling himself from my arms he whispered.
"I got to go..." and he run away from there leaving me alone in the corridor with a paint of a beautiful sunset at my feet.
ºººººººººº
I was the first arriving to the diner room what wasn't normal since Squall was always punctual. A few minutes after, my brother entered with an odd look on his pretty face. He complimented me politely and I did the same but when I asked what had happened he frowned and said 'nothing' with a strange voice. I frowned. Something had happened all right, but he didn't want to tell me. I was about to push the subject when Seifer entered the room.
Then the things really got weird. Squall was even more quiet then usual and Seifer was too, to quiet to my liking. They sneaked glances to the other every once and then but didn't talk between each other. In that moment I knew something was going on between those two. The diner was passed in silence and the air was heavy and like that we went to our rooms for the night.
ºººººººººº
In the next day, Squall, Seifer and Lake did what they had planned. They ridded through the plains silently (save for Lake's futile talk) without problem stopping for lunch in the forest near Great Salt Lake. Lake immediately took off his clothes and dove in the water, jumping from it right after.
"Cold, cold, cold!!!"
Seifer laughed and Squall shook his head. But Lake didn't give up. Going foot by foot this time, five minutes later he was already swimming freely without shivering. Meanwhile Squall had been doing a bonfire to cook the results of their early hunt and Seifer had been readying them to cook.
When they managed to drag Lake from the water, they went to eat. After that, Seifer lay in grass enjoying the sun and the view. Squall was with his feet on the water, Seifer's hat in his head catching blackberries from a bush near the water with a basket. The sight looked like a painting. A beautiful painting. Lake was playing with Griever who was pasting in the grass a few feet from Seifer. However the horse wasn't liking the play. He only obeyed to Squall, nobody else. He was very fiery.
Seifer though wasn't aware of what was happening beside him. He kept smiling when Squall gracefully stumbled in the water and fought to keep the blackberries in the basket. When he finally managed to get to the shore and put down the basket safely on the grass, a sudden scream was heard. Seifer stood up immediately and looked at Lake who was mounted in Griever but the horse appeared to have gone wild again. The boy was in trouble; at any moment he could loose his grip on the horse and fall. Squall screamed to Griever but the horse seemed to not listen to him and start running at full gallop in the opposite direction, while Lake screamed all the way. Seifer then grabbed his own horse and started galloping following Griever. He wasn't fast enough though. A few feet from him the horse reared for the last time throwing Lake on the ground, while the he disappeared in the forest. When Seifer reached the prince he found the boy unconscious with blood pouring from his silky black hair.
A few seconds later, Squall arrived near them shaking his brother, crying his name.
"We better take him to the palace, fast." Seifer said. And so they did. When they arrived Seifer saw that Griever was already there, but Squall didn't gave attention to the horse that appeared to be regretting his early actions.
Seifer sit in the garden waiting for news while the doctors and Squall were in Lake's room with him. Eventually they arrived when Squall appeared with a sad look on his face.
"How is he?" Seifer asked.
"In a coma. All we can do is wait..."
"I'm sorry, Squall. I was supposed to look after him but..." Seifer said looking to his boots.
"Don't blame yourself. After all he is my brother. However..." Squall sighed then he looked at Seifer "Look, I'm not saying it's your fault but when I'm with you bad things always happen to the ones I love. First Nida, now Lake. It's not you or me." Not able to support those beautiful jade eyes anymore, Squall looked to the side "It's us, together. You and me together bring bad luck to my life. I thought about this a lot while seeing my brother in coma. Maybe we shouldn't see each other again. No, we can't see each other again. That's my wish. I'm counting you respect that. I'm sorry sir Seifer. I'm very sorry..." He didn't look at Seifer again while turning on his heels and abandoning the man to whom the world didn't exist anymore.
In the sky the sun shone and the birds sang as to make fun of Seifer's despair.
End of chapter 9
ºººººººººº
A/N: Is anybody reading this besides Jo, Redrum and GG? Thought so... Anyway thanks to the mentioned ones. Love ya! Hope you liked this chapter. Chapter 10 will be up soon.
Warnings: Yaoi rated R.
Summary: CHAPTER 9 UP. (yaoi: SxS beware). Balamb Garden is a knights' school. Seifer Almasy is one of those knights. Being the personal guard of Sullen, the most good-looking and greatest wizard, he is sent to find out why Galbadian army has attacked Dollet. Does Sorceress Edea have something to do with it?! And why does Elder Guardian of Time refuse to show in the Union council?!
Sons of Elder Guardians
By Azure Knight
Chapter 9: Knowing you ...
I awoke in the next morning naked in bed with all my covers in the floor. I sighed and got up. I immediately knew I was going to be late for breakfast when I opened my window and I looked at the sun-watch in my bedroom. Not wanting to displease my new master, I hurried up calling the servant who was waiting outside my bedroom door and taking a quick bath. When the servant asked me what did I want to dress, I frowned. I didn't know what we were going to do and dressing up ceremonially wasn't very appropriate. I looked at the servant.
"Do you know what the prince has in mind for today?" I asked. The servant smiled but shrugged.
"No sir, but the prince likes to ride when he is not with his tutor. I think he might want to show you Griever. He has much pride in that horse." The boy answered.
"Okay then. I'll dress riding clothes. Does the prince have any favorite color?"
"Black, sir. He likes black." The servant said.
"Very well. I'll take these black pants and this red shirt." Seifer took out the clothes and started dressing being helped by the servant. He dressed the tight, black riding breeches, putting his black knee-boots above them. He also put his black gloves pulling them until they hided the sleeved shirt's wristband and left the red shirt's top strings a little lace, showing his collarbone and a little bit of his muscular chest. He was stunning and he knew it.
"So how do I look?" I asked the servant sheathing my gunblade and putting a black hat with red feathers, covering, my still wet, blond hair. I knew I looked well, because I had looked myself in the mirror and I know handsomeness when I see it, but a second opinion is always welcome to feed my ego.
The boy blushed a little. He damned the prince's luck. "You look wonderful, sir. I can see why you're an elder guardian's knight."
I laughed at that. I was not an elder guardian's knight. Sullen wasn't considered one yet. "Lord Sullen is not an Elder, he's still just a common mage."
"If you permit me sir, but the sons of elder guardians should hardly be considered normal mages since they have higher power then those last ones."
I smiled. The boy was right. "Yes, I guess you are right. Are you the one arranging my bed?!"
"Yes milord. Anything wrong?"
"The sheets are too many. I get hot during the night and end up throwing them to the floor. Please, put less."
The boy smiled. "You're a hot one sir. Prince Squall sleeps with twice the sheets you had covering him."
I blushed. I know I did. I looked shockingly to the young servant who was removing the sheets and putting fresh ones I with an haste brought by the practice.
"Is it okay like this, sir?"
I nodded already recovered from my embarrassment. The boy nodded and headed to the door.
"One more thing." I said. He stopped looking at me asking silently with his brown eyes what I wanted "How did you know I was talking about prince Squall and not prince Lake, in the beginning?" It was a question, which had been in my head a few minutes now.
"News run fast in this palace, sir. I know you are his new knight during these two days. Since sir Nida died his father has been trying to get a new knight for him, but he rejects all of them. You've been lucky he accepted you so easily."
"Must be because it's just for two days. Anyway, I thought that he had sir Sephiroth."
"Sir Sephiroth is mainly his tutor, sir. Besides he's traveling most of the time, now. Sir Nida was more a friend to the middle prince. He doesn't speak half as much to other people as he did with Nida. He's a very quiet person. Everybody loves him, though."
"I see..." I answered going deep into thought. The boy however didn't let that happen.
"Sir, we should get going. You're going to be late for breakfast..."
I snapped to reality that moment. I was going to be late indeed. "Yes. Let's go!"
ºººººººººº
"You're late!" was the first thing Seifer heard when he entered the dining room where prince Lake and prince Squall were already sitting. He was going to apologize when Lake snapped from his drooling-over-Seifer state and took the control over the situation not letting his brother who still hadn't looked at Seifer, say anything else.
"It's alright Seifer. I can call you Seifer, right?!" Seifer nodded smiling to the younger prince. "You can call me Lake. As I was saying, we just got here also so you don't have to be worried." Then he turned to the waiter "You can serve the breakfast, Josf."
"As you wish my prince. Sir Seifer what would you like to drink, coffee, milk, tea or juice?"
"Orange juice, please." Seifer said.
"As you wish. Prince Squall?"
"The usual, Josf." Squall said, raising his head for the first time, looking at the waiter, who nodded and left.
Then Lake started talking with Seifer who had sit by his side. While his brother distracted Seifer's attention to himself Squall risked a small glance at the knight and gasped. He managed to hide his surprise and fascine for the blond. He wasn't fast enough for his younger brother to notice, though. Lake grinned at him.
"Seifer looks good today, doesn't he Squall?" The asked one glared at his brother but answered politely.
"Yes. You look fine today, sir Seifer."
"Why, thank you Lake, prince Squall." Seifer said smirking at Squall, noticing that Squall had been checking him out and Lake had caught him.
"Oh, you can call Squall just by his name, can't he Squall?"
Squall sighed, "Yes, I guess he can."
Seifer smiled. "Only if you call me Seifer." Squall nodded. Lake clasped his hands resembling a lot his sister. "There, now we're all friends."
Meanwhile their food had arrived. Bread, Cakes, cookies and fruit. Josf brought also their drinks.
Seifer got his orange juice. Squall a cup of lemon tea and Lake a cup of milk.
"Milk?!" Lake said looking at the waiter.
"I'm sorry my prince. It was sir Kiros' order." He said and left to the corner of the room.
"Why do I always get milk?!" Lake said looking at the white liquid sadly.
"Because you're still a kid." Squall answered. Lake looked at his brother angry.
"Am not!" Squall smiled. Seifer felt a heat in his heart. He was at a loss of words to describe the beauty of that smile "Yes, you are." Squall said and Lake pouted.
"But you are a beautiful one." Squall added. Lake's face brightened and Squall smiled again "I am?!" It was Seifer that answered.
"Of course. I have seen few men so beautiful as you. And I'm including mages."
Lake smiled "Really?!" Then he smirked. "My brother's more beautiful than me, isn't he Seifer?"
"Don't be pushy, Lake. I'm sure sir Seifer would find himself divided about giving such an answer." Lake cringed at Squall's harsh words towards him. Only his brother didn't noticed how gorgeous he was. Seifer smiled but didn't shut down. He decided that being direct and honest was the best thing to answer the prince's question.
"If you permit me prince Squall," he said, now serious, "I would like to give my opinion. No way I would find myself divided about answering that question. I just have to be sincere in my answer. The decision is indeed rather difficult, but I have to affirm without less doubt, and I ask forgiveness to prince Lake but you are definitely the most beautiful between the two."
Lake grinned, "He is isn't he?!". Squall looked at Seifer blushing furiously while the other responded to his look by locking his jade eyes in those gray-blue ones. A few seconds passed and Squall turned his head to drink his tea replying before.
"That's because my brother is still a boy who isn't totally formed nor physically or intellectually, which reminds me Lake, that you have a Politics book to study after breakfast."
Lake snorted. "I don't know why do I have to. It's not like I'm going to be king of Esthar." Squall sighed looking at Lake with a tired face. "Okay, okay Squall. I'll go study today but tomorrow we'll go ride through the plains after breakfast. We can stop in Great Salt Lake and make a picnic. What do you say Seifer?"
"Sounds good, if prince Squall agrees..." Seifer said looking at Squall. Squall nodded.
"Great!!!" Lake exclaimed.
ºººººººººº
The rest of the day with Squall was fantastic.
During the morning he showed me the palace explaining the story of each little thing. The huge Library, the ballroom, the treasure room. And I had to confirm that that palace was indeed one of the most beautiful and interesting ones I've ever seen. Then again I wasn't able to tell you the sure because the beauty of my host darkened the one from his palace. Wearing a long blue tunic with golden accessories, he shone more than the marble tiles of the immaculate floor or the crystal vases of flowers.
Then we went to lunch. The food was great once again and I was delighted with the servants' hospitality. Lake also helped to make me feel home. He reminded me a lot of my beloved younger brother Zell. The smile, the 'huge mouth' and the honesty and sincerity of his words. He always said what he thought without thinking before. I was used to it but Squall kept scolding him. I told them about the similarities of Lake and Zell, my brother. Lake immediately wanted to know him and made me promise I would bring him next time I came visit them. Squall nodded politely and didn't say anything.
The afternoon passed faster than I wanted to. Squall showed me the stables and I saw his beautiful black stallion, Griever. Just like his owner that horse had an internal cold flame that attracted people to him. Squall said it had been a present from his mother when he was very, very young. That horse's race seemed alien to me but I didn't push the subject further when he said the horse had been caught in the wild. After visiting the stables we went on riding through the palace's wood, Squall showing me the different types of trees, bushes and animals.
It was sunset when we went back to the palace structure. We both had a bath and came outside to see the beautiful sunset. I knew he liked to admire the event. When I neared him, though I got surprised. He was painting the sky. And he did it divinely, like everything else, I suppose. He was a great rider, a great fighter (we had a little spar like I wanted since the first time I saw him) and a great artist. He was a wonderful prince too. He loved everything, the wood, the land, his kingdom and his family. He just didn't show it but people knew it nonetheless. So the same things also loved him. I myself was starting to understand and find love in that man. The love I though didn't exist. It wasn't just lust I found in me towards him. I knew that feeling. This was just much more intense. Something I had never felt before. But from one hand, my problem was that I knew the feeling wasn't mutual. From another I never was a man who gave up that easily. Now that I had found the love I dreamed I wouldn't let it escape like that.
So I approached the beautiful young man and peeked to the painting. He looked at me and I said it was beautiful. He thanked me and said he was only copying the sunset so the true beauty was the Nature and not his picture. I smiled.
"Yes, but is not everyone who can recreate it so fairly."
"I guess you're right, but that's because they don't feel the nature. They don't hear their calling. If they did they would be able to reflect their beauty in art. I learn this when I went to the Shumi tribe with my father a few years ago." He said putting aside the picture and looking to the setting sun in front of him. Not knowing what to say I turned to see the sun with a déjà-vu feeling. Pushing my luck I asked if he felt it too. He nodded slightly blushing. I looked at him and he looked at me, nervous.
"Maybe I should go ready myself for diner." He said, but before he could turn away I grabbed him by his wrist. No way he would escape me now. He looked at his wrist and then at me with a frown. I approached him and without knowing, I was holding him with a hand touching his naked back and another in his slender waist. He had his hands in my chest and his lips in mine. I was sure I was the one who made the first move by kissing him full on the lips but he wasn't pulling away either. He was kissing me back, actually. He tasted faintly of blackberries and strawberries. I know I tasted the same because we had been eating them in the wood earlier. The soft touch of his silken lips and his mouth taste were divine but it was the sweet scent of his hair and skin that was making me crazy. I hadn't noticed we both had our eyes closed until we broke the kiss. He stayed there, in my arms looking at me with those huge blue eyes. I stared back at him and none of us made a single move. We just stayed there enjoying the warmth and the beauty of the other while the sky toned a dark blue color, the sun completely set now. But the time was frozen for us. Nothing else mattered but the other's eyes and in that moment I discovered the true happiness of this world.
But good things end fast and way too soon the bells rang for diner and we awaked from our stupor. Blushing again by realizing what we had been doing Squall turned his head and disentangling himself from my arms he whispered.
"I got to go..." and he run away from there leaving me alone in the corridor with a paint of a beautiful sunset at my feet.
ºººººººººº
I was the first arriving to the diner room what wasn't normal since Squall was always punctual. A few minutes after, my brother entered with an odd look on his pretty face. He complimented me politely and I did the same but when I asked what had happened he frowned and said 'nothing' with a strange voice. I frowned. Something had happened all right, but he didn't want to tell me. I was about to push the subject when Seifer entered the room.
Then the things really got weird. Squall was even more quiet then usual and Seifer was too, to quiet to my liking. They sneaked glances to the other every once and then but didn't talk between each other. In that moment I knew something was going on between those two. The diner was passed in silence and the air was heavy and like that we went to our rooms for the night.
ºººººººººº
In the next day, Squall, Seifer and Lake did what they had planned. They ridded through the plains silently (save for Lake's futile talk) without problem stopping for lunch in the forest near Great Salt Lake. Lake immediately took off his clothes and dove in the water, jumping from it right after.
"Cold, cold, cold!!!"
Seifer laughed and Squall shook his head. But Lake didn't give up. Going foot by foot this time, five minutes later he was already swimming freely without shivering. Meanwhile Squall had been doing a bonfire to cook the results of their early hunt and Seifer had been readying them to cook.
When they managed to drag Lake from the water, they went to eat. After that, Seifer lay in grass enjoying the sun and the view. Squall was with his feet on the water, Seifer's hat in his head catching blackberries from a bush near the water with a basket. The sight looked like a painting. A beautiful painting. Lake was playing with Griever who was pasting in the grass a few feet from Seifer. However the horse wasn't liking the play. He only obeyed to Squall, nobody else. He was very fiery.
Seifer though wasn't aware of what was happening beside him. He kept smiling when Squall gracefully stumbled in the water and fought to keep the blackberries in the basket. When he finally managed to get to the shore and put down the basket safely on the grass, a sudden scream was heard. Seifer stood up immediately and looked at Lake who was mounted in Griever but the horse appeared to have gone wild again. The boy was in trouble; at any moment he could loose his grip on the horse and fall. Squall screamed to Griever but the horse seemed to not listen to him and start running at full gallop in the opposite direction, while Lake screamed all the way. Seifer then grabbed his own horse and started galloping following Griever. He wasn't fast enough though. A few feet from him the horse reared for the last time throwing Lake on the ground, while the he disappeared in the forest. When Seifer reached the prince he found the boy unconscious with blood pouring from his silky black hair.
A few seconds later, Squall arrived near them shaking his brother, crying his name.
"We better take him to the palace, fast." Seifer said. And so they did. When they arrived Seifer saw that Griever was already there, but Squall didn't gave attention to the horse that appeared to be regretting his early actions.
Seifer sit in the garden waiting for news while the doctors and Squall were in Lake's room with him. Eventually they arrived when Squall appeared with a sad look on his face.
"How is he?" Seifer asked.
"In a coma. All we can do is wait..."
"I'm sorry, Squall. I was supposed to look after him but..." Seifer said looking to his boots.
"Don't blame yourself. After all he is my brother. However..." Squall sighed then he looked at Seifer "Look, I'm not saying it's your fault but when I'm with you bad things always happen to the ones I love. First Nida, now Lake. It's not you or me." Not able to support those beautiful jade eyes anymore, Squall looked to the side "It's us, together. You and me together bring bad luck to my life. I thought about this a lot while seeing my brother in coma. Maybe we shouldn't see each other again. No, we can't see each other again. That's my wish. I'm counting you respect that. I'm sorry sir Seifer. I'm very sorry..." He didn't look at Seifer again while turning on his heels and abandoning the man to whom the world didn't exist anymore.
In the sky the sun shone and the birds sang as to make fun of Seifer's despair.
End of chapter 9
ºººººººººº
A/N: Is anybody reading this besides Jo, Redrum and GG? Thought so... Anyway thanks to the mentioned ones. Love ya! Hope you liked this chapter. Chapter 10 will be up soon.