Here is the third instalment in this story.
Part III
Squall felt helpless as he watched Seifer slump to the ground, his arms around his waist and his knees drawn up to his chest.
"Is it because I can't feel?" Seifer whispered the words, his head drooping forward, his chin to his chest as he spoke in a whisper. Squall knelt beside him, gently drawing the fragile blonde into his embrace, just holding, not even trying to reach the lacerated wrists.
"Is it because I can't heal?" Seifer's words had a set melody, a perfect cadence to them that made them lilt like a song around the huddled pair. Squall felt useless as he watched Seifer rock unhappily in his arms.
"Or is it because you don't believe, you don't believe in me?" Seifer's pained whisper made Squall shake his head in denial.
"Seifer, please let me help. I believe in you. I always have." Squall's voice was low, melancholy, as it always was when he spoke, the slow, soft, even tones that had long pauses between the words as though he thought heavily on what the next word would be. Seifer jerked a ragged nod to Squall and Squall stood, heaving Seifer to his feet and into the small bathroom that adjoined their shared room. Seifer slumped on the toilet seat as Squall drew out bandages and checked for Curaga spells within his magic stores.
"Squall?" Seifer's voice was weak as he spoke and Squall spun, extending both hands out and blasting Seifer with four rapidly cast Curaga's. As the spells hit, Seifer jerked, waiting for the sting of their rapid healing to abate.
"Too much?" Squall whispered the question as he held Seifer's hands palm up, watching the wounds close to leave scars over older scars. Squall's eyes narrowed at the sight of the older scars before lifting his gaze to Seifer's.
"How long?" Squall didn't need to elaborate his question, her knew Seifer understood from the light in his eyes.
"Ever since." Seifer didn't need to finish his statement either as Squall understood to what he was referring. Squall shook his head as he mopped at the blood coating Seifer's arms and hands. Silence reigned until a loud knocking on the door distracted both of them.
"You gonna get it or what?" Seifer snarled the question as they both knew who would be on the other side of the door. Squall shook his head, gently pressing a hand to keep Seifer's jaw shut as he finished mopping up the last of the blood on Seifer. The sound of stomping slowly died away and Squall dropped his hands. Seifer raised a questioning eyebrow at Squall and he shrugged.
"You'd best shower, I'll get you a change of clothes." Squall turned away, heading from the bathroom, but Seifer's hand on his elbow stopped him.
"What's gotten into you Squall?"
"Nothing Seifer, maybe this is how I've always been, maybe you just never noticed it." Squall took Seifer's hand from his elbow and squeezed the larger hand reassuringly before retreating to fetch the promised change of clothes. Squall slumped on his bed for a moment, unable to believe that he had almost revealed the secret that he had kept all his life. He couldn't bear to see Seifer's reaction to the tale Squall could tell him. He wouldn't! He wouldn't tell Seifer about it. Not ever.
Part III
Squall felt helpless as he watched Seifer slump to the ground, his arms around his waist and his knees drawn up to his chest.
"Is it because I can't feel?" Seifer whispered the words, his head drooping forward, his chin to his chest as he spoke in a whisper. Squall knelt beside him, gently drawing the fragile blonde into his embrace, just holding, not even trying to reach the lacerated wrists.
"Is it because I can't heal?" Seifer's words had a set melody, a perfect cadence to them that made them lilt like a song around the huddled pair. Squall felt useless as he watched Seifer rock unhappily in his arms.
"Or is it because you don't believe, you don't believe in me?" Seifer's pained whisper made Squall shake his head in denial.
"Seifer, please let me help. I believe in you. I always have." Squall's voice was low, melancholy, as it always was when he spoke, the slow, soft, even tones that had long pauses between the words as though he thought heavily on what the next word would be. Seifer jerked a ragged nod to Squall and Squall stood, heaving Seifer to his feet and into the small bathroom that adjoined their shared room. Seifer slumped on the toilet seat as Squall drew out bandages and checked for Curaga spells within his magic stores.
"Squall?" Seifer's voice was weak as he spoke and Squall spun, extending both hands out and blasting Seifer with four rapidly cast Curaga's. As the spells hit, Seifer jerked, waiting for the sting of their rapid healing to abate.
"Too much?" Squall whispered the question as he held Seifer's hands palm up, watching the wounds close to leave scars over older scars. Squall's eyes narrowed at the sight of the older scars before lifting his gaze to Seifer's.
"How long?" Squall didn't need to elaborate his question, her knew Seifer understood from the light in his eyes.
"Ever since." Seifer didn't need to finish his statement either as Squall understood to what he was referring. Squall shook his head as he mopped at the blood coating Seifer's arms and hands. Silence reigned until a loud knocking on the door distracted both of them.
"You gonna get it or what?" Seifer snarled the question as they both knew who would be on the other side of the door. Squall shook his head, gently pressing a hand to keep Seifer's jaw shut as he finished mopping up the last of the blood on Seifer. The sound of stomping slowly died away and Squall dropped his hands. Seifer raised a questioning eyebrow at Squall and he shrugged.
"You'd best shower, I'll get you a change of clothes." Squall turned away, heading from the bathroom, but Seifer's hand on his elbow stopped him.
"What's gotten into you Squall?"
"Nothing Seifer, maybe this is how I've always been, maybe you just never noticed it." Squall took Seifer's hand from his elbow and squeezed the larger hand reassuringly before retreating to fetch the promised change of clothes. Squall slumped on his bed for a moment, unable to believe that he had almost revealed the secret that he had kept all his life. He couldn't bear to see Seifer's reaction to the tale Squall could tell him. He wouldn't! He wouldn't tell Seifer about it. Not ever.