Paperwork
Summary: Second part, Squall POV. Squall feigns sleep and learns a few things about himself and Seifer. Fluff. SeiferxSquall.
"Yo, Squall; are you even in there?"
Somehow I just knew he would come bother me, despite the fact that it's Hyne knows how early in the morning. Hoping that he'll leave if he thinks I'm not in here, I keep my mouth shut.
"Dammit, I'm coming in even if you don't answer me."
I frown at how persistent he is, too tired to want to get up and defiantly not wanting to move to let him in. I grumble under my breath, pressing my face into my arms tighter. I'm tired, dammit; it's not like he was up all night doing paperwork and signing his name over and over again.
"Right, I'm assuming that's an 'Okay Seifer, come on in.'" Before I can do anything to respond I hear him moving on the other side of the door before it slides open, his irritated footsteps coming into the room in a constant beat before he pauses. It's interesting, how I can tell what mood he's in just by his footsteps and the way he carries himself. I suppose being with a person for as long as you can remember does that to you.
"Squall . . . Hey, Leonhart, get up." His words snap me out of my thoughts and cause me to jolt a little. Getting over the initial shock I lightly frown. He thinks I'm asleep? I raise an eyebrow to myself at that notion, pulling my lips tight to prevent myself from absently laughing at his assumption.
The question is . . . should I let him know I'm awake? On one hand, it'd be interesting to see what his reaction would be if I really were asleep (not to mention that lingering hope that he might just take a hint and turn around and leave), and on the other hand, he could always just torture me in some Seifer-esque way.
I think I'll take my chances with feigning sleep.
"Dammit Squall, up!" Apparently he really wants me awake. I hear him grumble inaudible curses under his breath, and his footsteps start up again as he moves next to my seat. The warmth from his body seems to seep through even my jacket, and I wonder how close he really is to me. Not willing to risk it and try to look, I remain seated, too amused by this situation to really give him what he wants.
Not that I would, in any other circumstances. It's always been our way; we never straight out give the other what they want, instead push them to reach it.
Like my position as Balamb Garden Commander. Something tells me I wouldn't be sitting in this desk covered in paperwork if it weren't for his constant dueling and pushing me to the next level of our training.
A sigh coming from him breaks me from my thoughts and I hear the ruffle of cloth as he leans over my desk, apparently examining me closely. I really hope he doesn't notice that I'm awake, this is a lot more interesting than I could have hoped . . .
Instead, he jabs a finger into my arm, obviously annoyed that I'm still not waking up, and he's still not taking the hint to leave me alone. I don't feel like moving, I don't feel like talking, I don't even feel like training, Hyne dammit.
Without receiving any kind of response he straightens up, the sound of his boots scuffing against the tile floor signaling that he's shifting in position, more than likely in thought. Seifer, thinking? That's something new . . . Normally it's 'act now, think later' when it comes to him.
"What, try to pull an all-nighter again?" I can't help but raise an eyebrow at the soften tone in his voice, almost as if he were more comfortable talking to me when he thinks I'm asleep rather than when he knows I'm awake.
Am I really that hard to talk to? Zell doesn't seem to have a problem, but now that I think about it, the newer cadets always seem nervous to speak to me, and Quistis and Selphie normally give up after learning that I don't want to talk at the moment.
Even Seifer has a problem talking to me . . . ?
Those thoughts are shattered as I hear him once more moving across the room, and for a moment I think he may have actually figured out that I'm not 'waking up' any time soon, only to learn that he's walking behind me. What could he . . . ?
There's a soft click of metal against metal, and I take it as him sitting down Hyperion, apparently beside my own gunblade. So that's why he was here; he wanted to spar. I could have guessed as much, knowing Seifer. The only reasons he ever comes to my office is to receive orders for a new mission, to ask for a fight, or to annoy me on a daily basis. Baby-sitting him for all of Garden gets very tiresome sometimes.
Some time during my muses he made his way back to my side and he pauses for a moment, before I hear the movement of cloth that signifies him kneeling down beside me. What in Hyne's name is he doing . . . ?
The thought is interrupted as I feel a strong arm wrap underneath my legs, his other one moving to tug me against his chest and lift me out of my chair.
"What . . . ?" I mutter the word as quiet as possible, still not wanting to show him I'm awake, more out of concern for how embarrassed he'd probably be and unwillingness to explain why I didn't move than anything else. Instead, I lean my head against his chest, letting him adjust my arms over my stomach as he tightens his grip on me.
His chest moving against my face as he lets out a breath that I'm not even sure he knew he was holding is almost comforting, and I move closer to that comfort and the warmth that he provides. Being held by him like this really isn't that bad . . .
What am I thinking? He's my rival, my opponent.
Or is he? The Sorceress War has been over for almost a year now, and I've never really hated him. We've almost become friends, during these last few months of his living in Garden as Laguna and I try to clear his name of all unfair charges against him.
"Yeah, good to see you're comfortable, princess." Despite the use of that old nickname I can't really hear any true annoyance in his voice, and I smile at the rather gentle tone that he's seem to taken while thinking I'm really asleep. Who would have thought that Seifer, Sorceress' Knight, head of the DC, would really have this big of a soft spot . . .
I feel his arms lift as he shrugs, probably deciding on where to go, and he starts moving, but I don't take any note of it, trusting him to probably just take me to my dorm room anyway.
I guess, now that I think about it, he really isn't as bad as years of rivalry and teasing, and the Second Sorceress War, have painted him in my mind. He's never intentionally hurt me – not including that training incident, but I hurt him in return, so we were even – and he'd probably never let anyone else harm me, with his newfound protectiveness over me these last few days. I had dismissed it as being his way of saying 'thanks' for everything my father and I are doing without having to use words (something he isn't particularly good at, when it comes to those kinds of things), but what if it isn't?
Could it even be something more? My stomach does this strange, warm flip-flop that I haven't felt in a long time and I really hope I'm not blushing, afraid that Seifer may see it and get the wrong idea. An unnamed emotion follows that warmth and I shove it back without trying to name it, not really wanting to and not really ready to face any and all consequences if I do come to terms with that feeling.
Seifer stops walking and I'm jolted out of my thoughts as he fumbles with my door, growling angrily at it before it finally slides open before us. We're already here? I hadn't even realized that we had walked that far, and I frown at how I had let myself wander into those thoughts on Seifer that seem to be a reoccurring thing lately.
"Commanders get all of the good stuff, huh?" It takes me a moment to realize that he's talking about the three-roomed dorm (bathroom, bedroom, living room) that I have, and I mentally sigh. It's true, his room isn't as big, but there's nothing I can really do about that.
Ignoring his minor complaint I shift a little in his arms, bringing myself closer to him and moving to rest my head against his collar bone and his throat. I enjoy being held like this by him (I've at least come to terms with that little piece of my emotions), but I was starting to cramp staying in the same position for too long. Hopefully he doesn't realize I'm awake; it's a little too far into this to give away my cover, and I'm still curious to see what he's going to do next.
We start moving again, and he makes his way across the carpeting and to what I assume is my bed. There's a pause, as if he's contemplating what to do next, before he pulls me away from his chest and slowly lowers me onto the mattress. There's a sudden rush of chill air as his body heat is removed from me and I shudder, almost wishing that he'd reach back down and pick me up again.
And now I'm back to thoughts like that again.
Luckily for me he distracts me by reaching down and pulling a blanket up over me and I absently curl onto my side, facing him, without much thought. It's how I've all ways slept – this or with my arms folded behind my head, but I normally wake up with numb hands after that – and I'm confident that he'll just take the action as a habit even in my sleep.
There's another long pause as he watches me and I shift under the blankets, trying to get comfortable and feeling a little uncomfortable that he's just standing there, watching me like that.
Without warning I feel the bed sink down on either side of me, his arms trapping me there. Before I can protest or open my eyes to see what's going on he's tilted his head to the side, a warm wash of his breath tickling my face moments before he presses his lips lightly to mine.
Startled I open my eyes for a moment before closing them again, deciding that I actually like being kissed by him, and letting him do whatever he wants.
Apparently, however, he was just as startled as me by that sudden action and he pulls away swiftly, backing off of the bed and a good few feet away. He seems anxious to leave now and he mutters a hasty 'Good night,' quickly turning around to make his escape.
Without much thought I open my eyes, glancing quickly over to make sure that he's still there before replying with a 'Good night' of my own.
And judging by the look of panic that washing over his face, he's realized now that I really was awake, and he bolts out of the room in what I expect is a trip to go retrieve Hyperion.
Satisfied, I roll over onto my other side, deciding that getting a little bit of real sleep would be nice, and already making a plan on what to tell Seifer later today when I have to confront him on this, drifting off into sleep faster than I normally do.
I've been debating on writing a second part to this since I wrote the first one, and I finally decided to do it, judging by the positive comments I received for part one. A special thanks goes out to Cacao Me, OmegaScorpio, Ari Maxwell00909, Biskit and Hikari Reika for your kind reviews and helping to convince me to write a second half, even if you didn't know it. I also send my thanks out to those of you that read it and didn't review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII.