Chapter 4: An old routine

It was the day after, a full 24 hours and things still hadn't settled down. It was sometime around 7 in the morning, most people were still sleeping except for a small number of students who had morning classes or where just those who woke up early. Among that small few were Griever and Ifrit, their familiar routine was starting up again, leaving them to square off in the only place that seemed fitting for them, the training center.

Ifrit knew that this was were Griever would most likely be, and of course and there he was.

"Griever, Hn. Training as always" Ifrit said familiarly as he approached the GF who didn't seem to be fighting at the moment.

Griever gave him a glance to acknowledge he was there and that was about all, closing his eyes again with that same silence he always had. That made it unclear of what he was doing right now, taking a break maybe, possibly thinking, or just meditating. At the moment he was only training by himself, no monster here was brave enough to approach something as powerful as him. Same Griever as before, Ifrit thought, he hadn't changed a bit.

Conversation wasn't one of Ifrit's strong points, but ignoring that fact for the moment he wanted to talk to Griever, to say something. Conversation wasn't something that usually took place between them. "What have you been doing all of this time?" Ifrit asked, as well as he knew Griever he couldn't help but feel nervous...no it was never nervousness, it was anxiousness. His heart beat inanely began to elevate and he swallowed, he couldn't help it, 'Damnit, how dose he always do this to me.' he mentally growled, clinching his fist. He knew what this would most likely lead to.

Griever wasn't exactly a socialist, he talked as little as possible, "Training." One word responses were his specialty, if it was possible he was better at being Squall then Squall was.

"Hmm….you seemed to have gotten stronger." Ifrit said, leaning his back against a tree beside the GF sitting on the ground in front of him.

"The same could be said for you." Griever replied. There was a very simple way Griever had learned to tell Ifrit's strength, Ifrit was just like an open book to him. Every time Ifrit got stronger his eyes grew just a little bit of a deeper shade in those golden eyes.

Ifrit had always been weaker then Griever, which was probably why Griever like Ifrit so much when he first met him. Ifrit was always striving to becoming stronger, to keep up with Griever, it gave him a purpose, it had been his only purpose for who knew how long.

Griever liked being in control more or less. Ifrit loved him, and Griever had never been that involved in the odd relationship, if you could call it that, they had. Griever always was leaving to someplace in search of become stronger, leaving Ifrit behind and only coming back when he wanted sex or to spar. He never actually liked doing that to Ifrit, and he never realized it until he saw Ifrit again when fighting Ultimecia. He didn't want to fight against him, not like that...

Though he didn't show it at all he had always harbored some guilt for when Ultimecia made him fight against him. That may have been one of the reasons he came back with Squall...he wasn't really sure why he was really here. It was one of the things he was currently thinking about.

Well, enough about that, he was more interested in other things then trying to figure out everything else. He more curious as to how strong Ifrit was. He'd thought about that often, he'd found himself asking that question at the most unusual times and even in the worst situations more and more frequently. Truthfully Griever wanted Ifrit to get stronger then him, it was something about seeing his diligence and persistence that made him want the fire GF to surpass him. That didn't mean he'd take it easy on him.

"Hmm… Let's see how strong you've gotten" Griever opened his eyes and gave a sideways glance to Ifrit with little warning before he charged at him, throwing quick punch. Ifrit was expectant of the attack that finally came and titled his head to the side, allowing Griever to strike the tree instead. Ifrit was waiting for that, sending a strong punch at Griever's face, Griever caught his Ifrit's fist and pulled him in by it, trying to strike him with his other hand.

Ifrit crouched under and evaded the blow, wrapping his free arm around Griever's waist and lifting him in the air, then with a buck of his horns into Griever's stomach he tossing him aside. Griever easily landed agilely on his feet, at the moment glad that Ifrit's horns curved downward or else that would have hurt a lot more. With his muscles tensing in a spasm motion the red blades on his elbows protruded and the claws on his fingers as well. Griever spread his wings, which were fuller now than in the Ultimecia battle, the feathers had grown back nicely.

Griever lifted himself in to the air with a small flap of those wings, knowingly casting a water spell on Ifrit.

'!' A large bubble of water surrounded the fire GF's body, but it did little good against him. Knowing his own weakness it would take more then a simple water spell to hurt him. He wrapped his arms around his chest, snarling outward with a loud growl followed by a burst of flames that expanded outward, evaporating the water and leaving it to steam upward in a white mist.

Griever smirked at the sight, he could see that he had become much stronger then when he last saw him, he could remember when one water spell was all it took to beat Ifrit. 'Hn.'

Griever shifted his wings, rushing towards Ifrit at an unexpected speed. Ifrit had never seen Griever move that fast, he could only lift his arms over his face and block while Griever stormed past him, swiping at his chest with his claws and throwing him off his feet. Ifrit was quick to recover, relinquishing the momentum with a backflip and springing directly in to the air. With an out stretched arm and an uttered word he cast a tornado spell, mainly in retaliation for the water spell earlier.

Strong winds instantly washed over Griever and swirled around him, picking up debris and gaining a strong rotation around the stalled Griever in to a roaring tornado. 'This is nothing.' With one flap of his wings, Griever dispelled the wind with a disrupting burst of his own, disabled the tornado.

That effectively created a silent agreement between them that there would be no more spells, it would just waste time. Besides, that wasn't how he wanted to fight Griever anyway.

Ifrit staked across the soft grass with a strong speed at the beast GF, his body radiating a strong heat that left a streak of fire trailing behind him. He roared loudly as he lowered his head and rammed into Griever with his horns, wrapping his arms around Griever's back and driving him down to the ground with the heat of flames pursuing. Even after he had Griever pined down Ifrit didn't let go, driving him harder in to floor ground, burning him with the intense heat that flowed around his body. "Damnit!" with an audible grunt of pain Griever reached up and grabbed his horns, using his strength to lift him up just enough to drive his knee up in to Ifrit's stomach once and kick him off.

Ifrit was thrown through the air, the wind being knocked from the powerful blow on impacted as he landed face first on the ground "Ohhfff..." Ifrit, holding his chest, pushed himself on to his feet again but by the time he got up Griever was standing over him, throwing a punch to the side of his head unexpectedly, he stumbled to the side, trying to catch himself quickly. Leaving an opening for Griever the opportunity to wrap his arms around Ifrit and put him a bear hug, more as a display of physical strength then anything.

He squeezed the flame GF with all his strength, it was enough to force a started cry out of him, Ifrit pushed back, only managing to loosen the grip around him slightly. 'D--...damnit...he's too strong...' Griever was still stronger then him, there was no way he would be able to break out like that. His only choice was to force Griever to let go.

"Let GO!" A strong heat surged from Ifrit's body, igniting in to a scouring flame as soon as it made contact with the air. Both of them were enveloped in a haze of burning red from the heated air and raging fire. Griever still held on though despite the heat, only tightening the bind around the fire GF's torso to make up for how much he was slipping. "!" Ifrit pushed outward causing the to heat intensify and the flames to grow even stronger, throwing Griever forcibly from Ifrit and leaving his body smoldering, parts of him still on fire. Plus a 5 foot radius of incinerated ashes surrounding Ifrit.

Ifrit took the chance to attack the downed Griever, burning through the air head first as he came closer and closer an increasing speed. '...'Griever was ready this time, he rose to his knees just as Ifrit came into range, catching him by the horns and halting him completely.

Ifrit clinched his fist and sent a strong punch in to Griever's stomach, forcing him to let go and stumble backwards.

Griever cuffed his fist together and hammed down in to the back of Ifrit's head and forcing him to the ground. Ifrit pushed himself back up, driving his head and horns in to Griever's chin and knocking him up in to the air. Before he could get too far, Ifrit wrapped his arms around Griever's waist and slammed him back down. Followed by an intense heat sourcing from Ifrit's arms still holding Griever down.

Griever winced from the heat, sitting up right despite Ifrit's attempts to hold him down. "Hn, you usually wouldn't have gone this long, you have gotten stronger."

That was more words then he expected to get out of Griever, "What?" Ifrit looked up at him with surprise, did Griever just complement him?

Griever shook his head, typical Ifrit, always getting distracted. He gave him a swift punch in the head to get him back in to the fight before reaching down and taking hold of both of the arms around his torso, easily prying them away with his strength. With a swift push Griever tossed off.

Ifrit landed on his stomach, he heat his body was still generating burning through the undergrowth scattered along the ground. 'Damnit...' With a growl of annoyment he pushed himself up, more slowly this time, and turned towards Griever. Griever was flying towards him so fast that he had to stop himself from flinching. Ifrit grabbed Griever's arm as he tried to attack with his claws and pulling him in, then wrapped his arm around Griever's neck and quickly moving behind him. "Give up."

"It...will take...more then...that!" Griever reached over his head, grabbing Ifrit by his horns, pulled Ifrit over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Ifrit used his flexibility to land on his feet, being held in a awkward bridge by Griever who still had Ifrit's horns... Ifrit always was more flexible then he was, at times when they fought Griever didn't know who had who. "Give up."

Ifrit looked up at him with a small grin, wrapping his arms around Griever's waist and using his flexibility to lift Griever off the ground, stand upright and throw him in no particular direction. Griever couldn't land on his feet this time, he hit the ground hard head first and rolled to a stop.

Griever couldn't help but be impressed by that maneuver, he of course knew Ifrit was flexible, but he didn't think he could pull something like that off. Just thinking about the uses that flexibility could have got his blood stirring.

Before Griever could get up, Ifrit dived in to him horns first from above, managing to force a growl of pain from the other GF as a testament to the damage he'd caused. Ifrit reached up and ceased Griever by the neck with one hand, pounding his fist into his chest with the other. Griever took a few of the blows before he was able push Ifrit away.

Ifrit had definitely grown a lot stronger, and hit a lot harder. Griever found himself hold his chest a little when he got up.

Before Ifrit had seemed like a kid, he was definitely younger then him. He knew Ifrit had grown stronger, he'd become stronger every time Griever saw him. He hadn't expected this, how much resistance Ifrit had to spells, and his leaps in defense, his speed had increased and so did the power of his trademark fire.

Ifrit still seemed like a kid to him, maybe it was something Griever would always see him as, but that didn't change the fact that he was actually a challenge now.

Not to say he wasn't enjoying the challenge.

Griever was still stronger, but if Ifrit really pushed, he had a chance at wining. And Ifrit really wanted to win, he wanted to beat Griever for once so the weaker he got the harder he pushed.

Griever again managed to attack Ifrit while he was staggering back, grabbing his shoulders and tossing him up in to the air. Griever jumped after him, quickly passing over him, cuffing his fist together and hammering them down on Ifrit. Ifrit saw it coming, anticipating it with clinched fist. His hands glowed with a molten red light, steady streams of white smoke rising, the air around them wavering and distorting from the heat. With a fierce growl he trust them upward Griever, striking him in the chest before Griever could strike him.

An explosion resulted, a sudden combustion covered Griever in rage of flames that knocked him outward from the blast. Ifrit reached outward quickly, grabbing Griever by the neck and pulling him closer. This was it, he could win this with one final blow. "Give up!" Ifrit rushed towards the ground with a strong hold on Griever's neck.

"No." But Griever was too strong, he stopped in mid air with outstretched wings, pry Ifrit's hands from his neck. He had never used this against Ifrit, but there was a first time for everything.

Griever pushed Ifrit back a little with a thrust of his shoulder, using lion hart. He punched Ifrit's with a speed previously unseen, it seemed just as one attack was beginning, another one had already landed. All of it was happening at a confusing pace, Ifrit couldn't seem to regain himself enough to even think about fighting back, he was caught in a torrent of blows that he couldn't seem to tell the direction of. Griever usually would have used his claws, but he didn't want to hurt Ifrit too badly, besides, it was working effectively enough.

Griever did a backflip in mid flight, kicking Ifrit up higher in to the air. He seemed to be to stunned from the previous attacks to do anything anymore. "Give up!" Griever was above him in a second, pounding his cuffed fist in to Ifrit's head that just didn't seem to take Ifrit down. "Give up!" Griever's arms began to glow with a white light, he usually would have used the blades to attack, but for this case he retracted them. Sending a share elbow in to Ifrit's stomach and another one to his head.

"N--No..!"

He turned around in a motion fluid with his last attack, he usually would have cut him with the blade on his tail. But now he settled for a swift w round house kick to the side of the head. Griever cut the rest of the combination short, there was nothing he could substitute for the remaining attacks since they were all...fatal in nature.

He let Ifrit fall to the ground, landing on his back hard enough to force him to arch up one last time.

Griever allowed himself to land on top of Ifrit's chest, his knees pressed hard against Ifrit's sides to hold him in place. Griever pressed down hard on Ifrit's shoulder, staring down into those golden eyes that seem to flicker like a raging flame when ever was too weakened to keep fighting. "Give up." he growled, giving him a rough kiss on the lips and forcing his tongue into the Flame GF's mouth.

Ifrit lifted his hands to Griever's chest and tried to push him off with weakened moans. Griever took hold of Ifrit's wrist and pinned them down to the ground. Ifrit struggled, trying to pull away from the kiss, trying push Griever away...but Griever was just too strong... "I...I give up." Ifrit had officially lost.

Knowing that he couldn't fight any longer, he gave in to Griever as he always had, not with out a sense of accomplishment no matter how small it was. He had put up a decent fight, that couldn't be said for his past matches with Griever.

Ifrit stopped struggling, and when he was sure Ifrit wouldn't Griever finally released his arms, laying a soft kiss on his lips again. Ifrit was more submissive now, though it was completely out of character for him, but it tended to happen with Griever since if wasn't the fight would continue.

Griever moved his hands down from Ifrit's shoulders to his chest, pushing himself deeper in to the kiss. His tongue moved aggressively between parted lips, mangling with Ifrit's more passive one. And Griever loved every second of it, having someone as powerful as Ifrit being so subservient, another reason he liked Ifrit so much.

Griever lifted himself up a off of the flame GF, ignoring Ifrit's growing erection making itself present from it's sheath and pressing against his tail. Griever ignored it for now, easing himself back down and sitting on Ifrit's chest so that his erection was right in front of Ifrit's mouth. He couldn't stop himself from smirking when he thought about the whole situation, his blood was really stirring now.

Ifrit lifted his hands to Griever's waist, lifted his head off of the ground and pulled the unhumanly long, black cock in to his mouth. His tongue was more aggressive then before, swirling around the head almost teasingly, tentatively licking the slit with the tip of his tongue.

Griever leant over, planting his hands on the ground on above Ifrit's shoulders. He let out weak growls that bordered on purrs, resisting the urge to squirm and moan though he was unable to stop his tail from whipping around tentively. Ifrit's tongue ran along the bottom of the cock with soft strokes, waiting until he gained another soft growl before Ifrit pulled Griever's waist forward and droved the cock deeper in to his mouth.

It happened so suddenly that Griever nearly fell back, the slight embarrassment from his momentary lapse in senses. Ifrit pulled all of Griever's length in to his mouth with one quick tug, the sudden emersion in the slick heat drew a loud groan from Griever.

Griever's growls changed from soft growls into a low roar, he held on tightly to Ifrit's horns as the mouth around his cock drove him to his limit. The GF spilled his cum into Ifrit's awaiting mouth, finally releasing his hold on Ifrit's horns. Unrooting his fingers from the ground that had dug subconsciously, he pulled his softening black cock from Ifrit's mouth, now streaked and dripping with white cum contrasting to the dark flesh, and sat up strait, taking a moment to stare into Ifrit's eyes that had now lost their flicker that came with weakness.

There was something else that replaced it, that mixture of emotions that he held for Griever and himself. It was a part of their routine, Griever had gotten a familiar contentment for that look on Ifrit's face, that among the other things about Ifrit. He couldn't help but smirk at the sight of it, and then smile with light amusement at the confusion that always saw on Ifrit who didn't know what he was smiling at.

Griever pushed himself off of Ifrit's chest, his hands regaining their former place above Ifrit's shoulder as held himself just above the idle body beneath him. He lent down, slipping his tongue into Ifrit's partially open mouth with a light kiss, easing his body down on top of Ifrit's. One arm wrapped around Ifrit's waist wile the other reached down, still studying Ifrit's eyes and the expression on his face as he slipped the arm underneath Ifrit's leg and pulled it over his shoulder, knowing Ifrit was flexible enough for a position that would be painful for most others.

Ifrit always had a tendency to shift his head to the side and look away when Griever did this to him, another thing that was familiar in their routine. A small pang of guilt washing over him for liking what Griever did to him, his will always screamed at him that at a time like this he should have been thinking about how he would beat Griever next time, how he'd should have been stronger this time. Everything other then what he was thinking right now, which was that he was ready and waiting for anything Griever would do to him.

Griever quickly grew hard again from some pint up lido and heartbeat that could never seem to be contained whenever he did this. A drop of sweat streamed down his chest from raising body heat, he smiled again, knowing how much Ifrit loved that distinct heat that build around him when the fought or did other wise.

With a tightening hold around Ifrit's waist Griever forcefully pushing his cum slickened cock in to Ifrit's entrance, Ifrit drew in a sharp breath with a small wince from the rough entrance, it was always rough. Simply enough on many levels this was completely primal, their constant routine of fighting was a battle for dominance.

Griever pressed his body to Ifrit, that natural flexibility making it much easier for Ifrit to handle. He pressed his in face against, giving soft kisses and slow licks as his body moved against Ifrit's with slow thrust. Ifrit dug his claws into the soft soil beneath him, clinching into tight fist with tight clumps of uprooted grass clinched between them. His back arched up and he lifted off of the ground with a loud growl of mixed pain and pleasure as he felt Griever's full length being thrust inside of his body again. But he stopped directly afterwords.

Griever wrapped his arms around Ifrit's back as he arched, pulling him along as he sat upright and climbed on to his knees. Griever shifted his arms downward and took hold of Ifrit's legs, pausing for a few seconds while Ifrit wrapped his legs around Griever's back before continuing.

"Uhaa!" Ifrit gasped and immediately wrapped his arms around Griever's neck when he felt the long cock pushing upward, driving into him.

Griever pressed his mouth against Ifrit's abdomen, his eyes watching every contortion he was causing to pass across Ifrit's face. He ran his tongue across the heated skin, leaving a wet trail between Ifrit's abs and over his shoulder. Then he pushed on Ifrit's legs, pushing the GF down as he thrust upward and drove his full length into the warm heat of Ifrit's body.

A loud roar ensued from the deep penetration that came in a forcefully way, this time it was a lot more pain the anything else. Ifrit tightened his grip around Griever's neck, pulling himself closer with heavy pants. He laid his chin on Ifrit's shoulder, clinching his eyes tightly and digging his claws Griever's back, so hard that it had to be painful. "Griever..."

Ifrit drew in a sharp breath, throwing his head back with his eyes widening and his claws burrowing even harder in to the expanse of Griever's back "!" He couldn't stop himself from letting out a loud roar that echoed threw the whole Training center with his fangs barred. The feel of Griever cock driving into him, stroking ever part of his inner walls, as well as his own member being rubbed between against one idle and one vigorously moving torso drove him to his limit. Inhumanly large stream of cum boarding on hot shot out of Ifrit's erection, covering both their bare chests in the cream liquid.

Ifrit's taunt body became tense, tightening around Griever's cock mid thrust. Griever bit down hard in to the small junction between his neck and his shoulder to stifle any sound that threatened to force it's way out. His whole body seemed to tremble as he came soon after Ifrit, spilling the seed into the warmth of Ifrit's body until it over flowed, streaming down his balls and coating both his legs.

Griever fell forward, dropping Ifrit on his back and landing on top of him...

Ifrit waited for a moment, taking shallow pants to catch his breath. Griever only lay there, apparently with a lot more stamina then Ifrit since he didn't seem to be tired, his hands holding Ifrit by the sides gently while he eased the bite mark he made, which now had a steady stream of blood flowing out of it, with soft licks.

Ifrit looked over the two of them, the large amounts of cum covering both of their torsos and now flowing to the ground with in small rivers which was his fault, and the same amount covering most of their legs, which was Griever's. Griever looked partially worse since his fur was matted down from all of the sweat, the parts of it not soaked in cum at least.

...This was a surprise, Griever usually left right after they finished, but he didn't this time... Ifrit, though still unsure, wrapped his arms around Griever's back in a lose embrace , looking down at him questioningly at him. "Are you alright?" he asked, maybe he was waiting for something, this just didn't seem normal.

Griever only gave a small grunt in return, he was the same as before, no doubt about that.

But Ifrit could tell he wanted to say something, he just didn't know how to say it...Ifrit could actually read something off him, he didn't know if he was getting better at understanding Griever or if Griever just wasn't trying. Griever never really held full conversations, it was usually one sided. "……..", like that.

Ifrit turned his head to the side and his gaze outward, it would probably make it easier Griever of he wasn't looking at him.

After another moment of silence Griever just came out and said it…..well, not exactly. "After I saw you fighting that sorceress, I began to think about a few things. …" he said,

Ifrit looked towards him again, Griever was actually talking to him?

"I started to think about how we did things, how I always left when you want me to stay, and how distant I was."

Ifrit was completely stunned, this didn't sound like Griever at all. "Yes….." Ifrit replied reluctantly, still looking away.

"After I saw you again, I realized how much I…" Griever paused before saying this next part, taking a deep breath and mentally kicking himself for actually admitting it. "...missed you. And all I could do while I was thinking was try and kill you." Griever hated Ultimecia for making him do that, after he exploded in his attempt to take her with him, that's when he really started to realize everything.

"You were always devoted to me, even when I left for years at and showed up for only one thing…."

Ifrit looked at him this time, a tent of anger in his eyes "I'm still mad about that." Something he told Griever every time he saw him.

"…….." Griever didn't respond immediately, guilty pains in stomach noted.

"……"

"I don't want that anymore. I always was looking for power, that's why I kept coming back to you."

"I was always trying to become like you, I was always training and getting stronger." And with what Griever had just told him he realized something. "You only came back only to test your power and because you knew you could make me do what you wanted." Ifrit didn't sound as mad as he should have, he had actually enjoyed it, knowing someone was stronger, always trying to pass that person. And the fact that he was always on bottom when he lost, if he beat Griever then……

All of this was just a constant battle dominance, and that's what Griever thought of it as, that was what he thought of their fight as. It why he was always so cold towards Ifrit during all the 200 year span this had been going on, because he thought of this just simply as a craving to be ignored until he could deny it no longer. And that's when he went looking for Ifrit. There was always a fight whether he wanted sex or not, most of the time Griever came to spar just as Ifrit said.

And all the while Ifrit was just some kid, who looked up to and admired Griever, who wanted to be like him. Ifrit felt stupid for being naive back then, he'd even cried once, once. At one point in time it was the only motivation he had, to grow stronger and beat Griever. He was just never able to catch up.

"………."

"So what are you saying?" Ifrit asked.

No point in stalling anymore, Griever never liked stalling, he wanted to get strait to the point. "I'm not leaving anymore."

"?" Ifrit didn't believe him at first, but Griever placed his hands on his shoulder to hold him down forcefully and kissed him, hard. Trying to forced him to believe it.

"I'm serious Damnit!"

"………." Ifrit was reluctant at first, but he couldn't help but smirk right before Griever kissed him again.

Griever had decided to stay….but he was with Squall…..On the other hand, Squall was with Rinoa…so it all evened out well enough.

"So your not going to leave again?" Ifrit sounded so child like when he said that, much more then he wanted to. "You never wanted to say in one spot. Ever." Ifrit said.

"Hn…."

Yeah, Griever was still the same.