Eternally a Knight
We Could Be Gone
Seifer looked haggard. He stood chained, hand and foot to the crossed beams of wood (X) behind him, legs spread wide before the firing squad and pulled his old smirk back across his lips, hoping to die with his pride somewhat intact. The smirk faltered when the ranks of soldiers broke and parted. A blue shining blade was the eye-catcher, as it radiated light. The brunette toting it was recognisable to everyone present.
"Squall." Seifer whispered the name with painful pleasure. His lover. His soul. His mortal enemy. His life. His heart. His everything. He was there for him. Seifer felt as if Hyne had smiled down on him.
Four Years Previous
Seifer knocked softly on Squall's door, hoping the brunette was there. The door swung open and Squall stood there, in his leather pants with a towel draped down his naked chest.
"Seifer?"
"Wanna spar?" Seifer smirked down at the brunette as Squall nodded and turned to fetch his t-shirt, jacket and gunblade. Seifer balanced his on his shoulder, bouncing it against his flesh every now and then. Squall returned and they headed for the vacant cliff-top where they always sparred.
They were both tired, exhausted from the long gruelling fight as the dark clouds moved in and thunder and lightning erupted around them. Seifer summoned a fire spell and shot it at Squall. Squall fell, knocked down by the blast from the spell. Seifer lunged, swinging his gunblade down at Squall, trusting that Squall would roll out of the way. Squall didn't move and Seifer sliced him between the eyes. Squall turned his head, his blood running down his face and into the dirt as he grabbed his gunblade and pushed to his feet, slicing Seifer back in the opposite direction between the eyes. Seifer didn't care about his own wound; he was only worried about Squall.
"Squall?"
"Whatever."
"Are you ok?" Seifer watched in horror as Squall collapsed, his gunblade sliding from his now motionless hand. Seifer dove at Squall, lifting the brunette in his arms and running for Garden. He had not curative items or spells. He left Squall in the care of Kadowaki fled to his room. He had wounded his lover. He had betrayed his trust, using magic while they were sparring. He had cheated and scarred Squall for life. He had lost the one thing that he had loved beyond everything.
Squall didn't acknowledge his presence when they had a class with Instructor Trepe. He didn't even sit next to Seifer as he used to. Squall proceeded to ignore Seifer at every turn. Seifer felt his heart breaking into millions of little pieces.
Present Time
"You know why you are here don't you Seifer Almasy?"
"Because I followed Ultimecia." Seifer dropped his head in shame. He couldn't believe, now that it was over, that he had allowed the sorceress to control him to the point where he tortured Squall. He could remember seeing Squall strung up and him demanding answers that he knew that Squall didn't know the answer to. He remembered the electricity flowing over Squall's skin, causing such pain that Squall had passed out in the end.
"And you know that because of your choice, you will be executed."
"Yes I understand."
Four and a Half Years Previous
Seifer smiled down at the naked brunette in his arms and flexed his hips against Squall.
"Seifer."
"Squall." Seifer laid kisses all over Squall's face, relaxing in the comfort of his bed, the covers drawn over the lovers.
"No one can know about us." Squall's voice was soft and slightly hoarse from muffling screams into Seifer's pillow. Seifer sighed and reluctantly nodded. He wanted to tell everyone about his wonderful relationship with Squall, but Squall, after a year and a half together, still refused to tell the others. Refused to let others know just how well he and Seifer got along. This meant that once they were outside either of their rooms, they were back to scrapping and arguing and resorting to physical blows, so that no one would know that they were a couple.
"I Love You Squall." Seifer spoke the words firmly and Squall gave a rare smile and nestled against Seifer's broad chest.
"Love you too Almasy." Seifer chuckled. Squall always referred to him by his last name when they talked about love.
"Marry me. We don't have to tell anyone."
"Ok." Seifer felt elated. Squall had said yes, not in the exact words, but he had accepted.
"When? Tomorrow on our day off?"
"Whatever. Where?"
"Timber?"
"Ok." Seifer smiled; absolutely enchanted by the fact that Squall would become his husband. He nuzzled against Squall's neck and laid a few light kisses along the brunette's shoulder and collarbone. He loved the taste of Squall's skin.
The next day they took the train to Timber and were quietly married. No one ever found out about it. Seifer wore a plain platinum band that Squall had bought for him and Squall wore a ring that matched his griever pendant that Seifer had purchased. The Griever pendant had been a present long ago, back when they were at the orphanage.
Present Time
"Do you know you have the right to choose your executioner?"
"I can?"
"Who would you have?"
"My husband." Seifer spoke softly, his voice carrying no further than Squall, who was standing so close to him. Squall jerked in surprise and looked around to see if anyone heard Seifer's words.
"Why?"
"Because I have always loved you and always will. I would be honoured to have you kill me. I was never the sorceress' knight. I was always your knight. Your heart was all I ever cared about. Ultimecia knew of our marriage. She would have called you if I didn't submit to her. I couldn't have you as her knight, I loved you too much." Seifer flexed his wrist to draw Squall's attention to the ring resting there.
"Did you read the inscription?" Squall spoke low, his breath brushing across Seifer's throat.
"I never took it off, I didn't know there was an inscription."
"'Forever yours.' Are you sure you want me?"
"Yes." Seifer closed his eyes and smiled a sincere smile to his love. Seifer opened his eyes and watched as Squall stepped back, lowering Lion heart from his shoulder and letting the glowing blue tip rest on the ground.
"Any last words Seifer Almasy?" Squall spoke loud enough for all those present to hear. Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Cid, Edea, Laguna, Kiros, Ward and General Caraway were standing as the front row, watching the pair together.
"Forgive me," Seifer whispered to Squall and then looked out over the gathering, "I will always love you, Squall Leonhart-Almasy." The latter section was spoken in a loud voice as he lifted his chin and stared down the shocked crowd as Squall let tears well in his eyes.
Tears ran unchecked down both Squall and Seifer's cheeks as Squall lifted the gunblade, took a yard back before running those few steps and slamming the gunblade down through Seifer's right shoulder until it exited at the base of the left side of Seifer's ribs. Seifer died instantly.
Squall collapsed to the ground at his feet, sobbing hysterically, cradling Seifer's dead body in his arms, the blood coating him all over.
A month later
Squall stood in front of the gravestone and stared at the inscription he had insisted upon.
Herein lies in eternal peaceSeifer Almasy-Leonhart
Aged 24
Beloved Husband to Squall Leonhart-Almasy
He was indeed;
The Eternal Knight
Squall laid down on the bare earth and let the violent storm wash over him. Overhead thunder raged and lightning struck without mercy. Squall just lay in the mud and cried, his body laying face down in the same position as Seifer had been laid in his coffin, arms at his sides as if he were laying on top of Seifer in his bed, holding hands and whispering words of love to one another. That would never happen again. Squall refused to live without Seifer at his side.
End