Into Esthar

by Chemotaxis

Set two and a half years after the Second Sorceress War. Squall and Seifer have moved on with their lives, but a chance encounter in Esthar confronts them with their past. Yaoi. Seifer/Squall. Written by Wolkje & Chemotaxis. WIP.

22. Behema Sands

Warnings: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence and gore (inflicted on monsters). Also, Seifer still has a potty mouth.

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~ Chapter Twenty-Two - Behema Sands ~

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[Seifer Almasy's Apartment, Zayin House, Friday, 24th of October, 11:53pm]

Shouldering the front door open for Squall to enter after him, Seifer dumped his bags on the floor with a heavy sigh. The familiar scents embraced and grounded him, any last remnants of restlessness leaving him. It was good to be back, and watching Squall head into the bedroom, he couldn't help a small smile at how natural it already felt to have the man rummaging about in his home. Even the drive back hadn't been filled with awkward silence for once. The atmosphere had been practically relaxed, and things had seemed right—not quite the aftermath he would've imagined following one of his lapses into the past. Maybe clearing the air was exactly what they'd needed.

Walking over to the kitchen, he placed Kronos on the counter and headed over to the cupboards to retrieve a glass and a bottle of whiskey. He still had trouble wrapping his head around everything, but maybe the apology he'd given Squall the night they'd bumped into each other simply hadn't cut it, nor the answers Squall had demanded the day after. Somehow the few words they'd exchanged about the war just hours earlier had lifted a lot of weight off his shoulders. Maybe it was Squall choosing to stick with him, or maybe it was the impression he now had that Squall also wished things had gone differently.

Listening out for sounds, he heard water running in the bathroom and wondered whether the man was turning in for the night or staying up with him a while longer. Already it felt routine for them to get up together, go to sleep together. Shaking his head, he thought back to their evening, to the most surreal part of it all. He still couldn't figure out why Squall had told him about their shared childhood. What good did it do to know that he had grown up with the very people he had tried to kill? He filled the tumbler to the brim with the golden liquid before inhaling the sharp scent. Like everything else in his past it was better forgotten. He brought the glass to his lips and took a large sip, relishing the deep burn.

Walking over to the couch, he sank into the cushions. His gaze darted up to meet Squall's when the brunet entered the room. "Want some?" he asked, nodding at the whiskey in his hand before bringing the glass up for another sip.

When Squall walked to the kitchen to grab the whiskey and an additional tumbler, Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Didn't actually think you'd join me, Princess," he said, raising his glass when the man inclined the bottle to top it up.

Squall shrugged as he leaned back, drink in hand. "I already jumped off a bridge today. What's one more bad decision?"

Chuckling, Seifer took in the sight before him. Squall was back in his comfy t-shirt and drawstring pants—laid back clothes he still had trouble connecting to the Ice Prince.

"You still wear those belts of yours?" he asked, before knocking back another sip.

"You still wear trench coats?" Squall shot back, not about to rekindle the man's ridicule of his attire.

"Touché. Though I think you had me beat. Trench coats are not nearly as sexy as the belts you used to wear," Seifer said, a slight smile on his lips as he easily recalled the imagery. "Not nearly as versatile either."

"True," Squall deadpanned, ignoring the hot flash of attraction that assaulted him at the bastard's lewd smile. "Perfect for concealing knives and poisons."

Seifer chuckled, by now used to Squall's less than lukewarm reception of anything resembling flirtation. "You should start wearing them again then," he said, pointedly letting his eyes drop to where Squall used to wear his belts and indulging in a slow appraisal.

Squall snorted as the man met him with a sly gaze, pretending the slow perusal of his thighs and hips hadn't affected him. "Who said I stopped?" he pointed out dismissively, "I wear what I want—doesn't matter who likes it or not."

"Best news in years," Seifer said, taking another sip of his drink. Relaxing further into the couch, he put his feet up on the coffee table. "I settled for a memento of my trench coat—always liked the crosswords the best."

Reminded of Seifer's blacksmith brand, Squall dropped his gaze to the blond's inked arm. "When did you get it?"

"Shortly after I moved in at Arc's—finally had the money for it," Seifer answered, his tattoo reminding him of the idea he'd had after inspecting Squall's blade. "You know, if I knew how, my next gunblade would be like yours: translucent. Only red and I'd etch in a big crossword on each side. It'd look amazing." He was already imagining the details of the technical drawings. "Sucks that you have to hide Lion Heart most of the time."

"She sees more action than Revolver," Squall said, draining his glass and pouring some more whiskey. The old and battered blade was still his favorite, for reasons too sentimental to share.

"Hn. From mission to mission, huh?"

"Pretty much," Squall said with a nod. "I usually train with Revolver when I can."

"Even back at Garden?"

"She's still a good blade," Squall said with a slight frown at the blond's incredulity. Even if secrecy hadn't been an issue, he'd still have chosen Revolver to spar and train at the SCTA.

"No doubt. Plus she's easier on the muscles," Seifer teased.

"You're the one who needs lightweight blades."

"Yet I'm the one with the bulk," Seifer retorted, and chuckled at the darkening expression on Squall's face. "Just be proud you need less muscle to do the same work. More tensile strength or some shit."

"I don't need reassurances. Our spars are proof enough," Squall said with a smug note, not having forgotten he was ahead in their current tally.

Seifer huffed good-naturedly. "For now. Just you wait, Princess," he said as his smile grew more lopsided. "And don't forget who won our last round."

At Squall's snort, Seifer shrugged. "Hey, close combat counts just as much if you leave yourself open like that."

"You still fight dirty," Squall said evenly. "Guess I'll have to fight dirtier."

Seifer let out a low chuckle. "Now that I'd like to see. You used to be all rules and textbook moves. I'll have to get used to this new you."

"There's no honor code out there. I had to adapt fast." Thinking back to his first missions, Squall inwardly cringed at how naive he'd been. He turned to regard Seifer. "You changed as well."

Seifer hummed as he topped up their tumblers. "Can't just always charge in there head first—even if it's the most fun. But it will be different now that I have my magic back," he added with an eager smile.

Tugging a leg up onto the couch, Squall considered the man's words. "I can't imagine going without magic as long as you did."

"It's expensive and a pain in the ass. Too many missed opportunities—monsters that had my fucking name on them," Seifer said, his voice rising. "But fuck it—I'll get my share now. Won't have to pay others to gather materials for Arc anymore either." He grinned and took a big gulp of his drink. "Can't fucking wait."

"Feel like getting reckless again?" Squall said with an answering quirk to his lips.

"Fuck yes, I feel like getting reckless again. And not just a little bit."

Drawn in by the devilish glint to green eyes, Squall raised his glass. "Tomorrow then."

Holding Squall's eager gaze, Seifer brought his glass up to clink against the brunet's. "To letting loose," he said with a grin, impatient to see Squall unleash his new and dirty style in the field.

As the brunet downed the last of his whiskey, Seifer mirrored the motion. "Guess we can't kick back too hard tonight then," he said and placed his empty glass on the coffee table.

Leaning back, he lowered his head to relax fully against the cushions. His muscles still ached after his sparring session with Squall and his eyelids were starting to feel heavy even though he wanted to stay up longer to chat with the usually more taciturn man. But he also wanted to be well rested for their day out in the field tomorrow. They'd already decided to head out early into the Behema Sands. Fuck, it was going to be good. A whole day of hunting monsters with Squall. Just like back at Garden.

"Time to call it a night?" he asked.

Squall rose to his feet with a nod and a brief stretch. "Have to check my emails first," he added, the habit to check them before bed an automatic one by now. Picking up their tumblers, he walked to the kitchen, the alcohol induced buzz spreading a pleasant heaviness throughout his limbs. However lightweight he may be now, he was certain a few more days spent with Seifer would swiftly build up his tolerance for alcohol.

Rinsing one of the glasses and filling it with tap water, he drank deeply to try and clear his head, only to freeze into place when Seifer towered behind him, reaching over his shoulder to return the whiskey bottle to the cupboard. The moment lasted for all of a second—an arm brushing against his shoulder, body heat too close—but it was enough for him to become overly aware of their proximity. Before he could even begin to suspect Seifer of playing games however, the man was already moving away.

"Help yourself to anything."

Turning around, Squall registered Seifer's nod at the fridge just in time to give an acknowledging hum. There was no telltale smirk, no sign the blond had intended anything more than the routine task of tidying up, which somehow made this worse than when the blond sought to provoke him. He was starting to imagine things all on his own.

It was only when the man's broad back disappeared into the bedroom that he snapped from his close study. Frowning at himself, he grabbed an apple from the counter to fill his stomach. Just as he sank his teeth into the piece of fruit, the rustle of fabric reached his ears. The immediate, vivid imagery that was called to mind had his frown deepening. It was becoming harder every day to ignore the simplest things, such as a lingering gaze, a flirtatious comment, or the subtle but unmistakable sounds of Seifer undressing. Steeling himself, he hoped that checking up on his work would be enough to dissipate the pull the man had on him.

Eyes firmly on his goal, he traversed the room to where he'd placed his laptop near the coffee table, but as his feet carried him past the partly opened bedroom door, a flash of movement drew his eyes to tanned skin and flexing muscles. His lapse lasted only briefly, his stride never faltering, but it was enough to send a flush of heat up his spine even as his shoulders stiffened.

Grabbing his workbag more firmly than intended, he purposefully sat down on the couch within prime view of the bedroom, just to prove to himself that he could do so without looking. Making quick work of starting up his laptop, his fingers beating away at the keys, he kept his gaze on the screen, but unfortunately there were no urgent new emails to distract him. The sound of Seifer clearing his throat forced him to look up. He had to suppress the urge to bring his fingers up to the bridge of his nose at the sight that greeted him. Seifer was standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Lots to do?" Seifer asked.

All effort ruined by the bastard's near naked appearance, Squall suppressed a glare and straightened in the couch. "Nothing new," he replied with a shake of his head, closing his laptop again.

Seifer raised an eyebrow at the quick action. If Squall had been any other man and had looked even slightly guilty, he would have suspected porn.

"Well... I'm off to bed," he said, pushing away from the door frame, his lips quirking upwards before moving further. "If you want a bit of relief before bed, I can recommend a good site or two," he added with a wink.

Needing a moment to catch on to Seifer's meaning, Squall no longer held his frown in check. "Some people actually use their computer for work," he said dryly, rising from the couch and resigning himself to another night spent in uncomfortably close proximity.

"Afraid you might like it?"

Feigning indifference, Squall pushed past him into the bedroom. "I've managed without so far," he supplied evenly, not about to admit he'd been abusing his computer to avoid his libido.

Seifer scratched at the back of his neck. "Sounds like you've had to make do without a lot of things," he commented, as he watched Squall head into the bathroom.

"Suits me fine," Squall replied, turning on the tap. His lifestyle choices had always been more austere than Seifer's.

"Don't you ever want something for yourself?"

Squall glanced at the man through the bathroom door. "The more people want, the more they set themselves up for disappointment."

As Squall disappeared into the bathroom, Seifer's brow creased at the words that gave away much more than Squall had probably intended. It shed new light on a lot of things. He'd never imagined that something as simple as fear of disappointment was why Squall had denied himself so many things. And one thing was certain, if he and Squall were ever to relieve some tension, then he'd make damned sure it wasn't going to be disappointing.

Turning off the lights, he got under the covers. How the hell was he going to persuade Squall to start taking chances and act on his desires? Not even the thought of porn had affected Squall in the slightest. No avoidant gaze, no slight reddening of the man's cheeks, no guilty pause while the man composed himself. This was one hell of an icicle he'd have to melt.

Turning onto his side, he groaned and tried to empty his mind. He wouldn't catch any sleep with the brunet beside him if he let his imagination run free. Any planning would have to wait until Squall was out of his immediate reach. Instead, he closed his eyes and directed his thoughts to the next day. He couldn't wait to be out in the field, hunting monsters, using magic.

Having nearly fallen asleep remembering their cadet days, he heard the door to the bathroom open, but didn't stir. His every muscle was feeling heavy with the exhaustion that had built up over the day. The bed dipped behind him as Squall got under the covers as well.

"7 o'clock?" he asked, reaching out for his cell phone on the bedside table to set the alarm.

"Sure."

"Night then, Princess," he said, closing his eyes again, this time with a smile on his lips.

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[Behema Sands, Section D, Saturday, 25th of October, 11:32am]

"Fuck," Seifer exclaimed, turning the steering wheel to a hard right before jamming the brakes. Opening the door with a loud complaint from the hinges, he got out and rubbed his face harshly. It was almost noon and they'd only managed to track down a handful of beasts. The biggest pack had consisted of only five monsters—no challenge to a SeeD commander and an ex-knight. And at the moment there wasn't a single monster in sight.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he said, meeting Squall's gaze. Jumping up onto the cargo bed of his pickup, he grabbed the drawstring bag holding their supplies. Throwing the bag to Squall, he jumped back down to the ground again. "Let's eat and figure this shit out."

Humming his agreement, Squall sat down beside the pickup and rummaged through the bag to dig up their lunch. He didn't feel nearly tired enough to warrant such an early break, but at this point it hardly mattered.

Taking the sandwich and water held out to him, Seifer leaned back against the pickup while unscrewing the cap. "We should've gone south. I always go there. Lots of monsters. Even if they have no magic—at least there are loads of 'em." He knew they wouldn't have been a challenge though. They had only kept him busy in the past because of his lack of magic.

"Everyone at the SCTA said the same fucking thing about the northern desert: the place is swamped with monsters of the magic loving kind. Don't fucking go there." He shook his head, finishing a mouthful of sandwich. "They're so fucking sheltered."

"Don't trust Estharian risk assessment," Squall said with a shrug. It was a lesson he'd learned the hard way when the nation's first commissions had started to trickle in.

Seifer snorted. "I guess it'd be too much to ask for them to actually do something right."

"They've got decent goods transport," Squall pointed out.

Chuckling under his breath, Seifer nodded. "Not too shabby a night life either." Taking another sip of his bottle, he scrutinized the man's unenthused expression. "You never go out?"

"Depends on your definition," Squall replied dryly. He had no love for the kind of clubs Seifer probably had in mind. "Beers at the Black Owl, sometimes."

"With your friends?" Seifer asked, remembering the local bar in Balamb.

Squall nodded after finishing a bite of his sandwich. "When they don't take no for an answer."

Seifer smiled at that. At least not everything in Squall's life was shitty. "They never dragged you out to a club?"

"...Once," Squall admitted with a frown. "Deling City."

"And dancing and drinking didn't do it for you?"

Squall snorted. One night he'd rather forget in Deling City and the times he'd picked up Rinoa made up the total sum of his experience with clubs, and so far they hadn't made a good impression. The frantic crowds looking for a hookup, the oppressing heat of too many bodies squeezed together, the deafening music... "Not my thing."

Seifer hadn't really expected it any differently. "Bet Rinoa wasn't too pleased either—must have been a busy night for her, having to keep everyone else's eyes off you," he said with a fond gaze.

Sending the blond an unimpressed look, Squall didn't bother pointing out that Rinoa had always been the one with admirers in those sort of establishments. "I can take care of myself."

Seifer chuckled. "I don't think anyone would ever doubt that. Maybe her real problem was you seeing what's out there. Garden doesn't have the biggest selection after all."

"And clubs do?" Squall intoned with a raised eyebrow. "People there are all flash and no substance. I'm supposed to admire that?"

"Gala dresses or military uniforms more your thing?"

Squall snorted at the blond's continued baiting. In the past he would've honestly stated he had no "thing" at all, but now he wasn't sure he would be able to pull off the lie with a straight face. "People should be themselves. Clubs, galas, it's all fake."

Seifer chuckled to himself, realizing he was getting nowhere fast. Getting Squall to admit he had a libido and would ever stoop down low enough to check anyone out was just like stopping Nolan from being annoying—an exercise in utter futility.

Seifer's lips curled upwards at the corners. This—them out in the field together—definitely wasn't fake. Nor was their hunger to constantly better themselves with their blades. If only they could find some monsters, then this would be the perfect way to set the mood. He looked out at the horizon. "Where the hell are all the monsters?"

Squall sighed, swallowing the last of his sandwich. "It's a big place. They migrate."

"Tracking them down will be too fucking tedious," Seifer said, frowning. Spending half their day looking for tracks was not what he'd had in mind.

Nodding, Squall leaned back against the pickup. He'd never had this problem before. Once a SeeD, he'd simply been sent to where the monsters were, regular commissions and the latest intel always landing him in the middle of the action. He'd never stopped to consider the convenience.

"I could contact Garden," Squall suggested slowly. It probably wasn't the best idea, but he was desperate for a decent fight.

"They'd know?"

"We have an ongoing contract with Esthar to deal with Lunar Cry remnants," Squall replied, reaching into his pocket to get his phone. "We've got scouts, and Esthar has its satellites. The intel's good."

Seifer nodded eagerly at the phone. "What are you waiting for?"

Checking his phone, Squall had to hand it to Estharian technology for managing reception even this far out. Navigating through his contacts, he wondered how best to ease the conversation into his request. It would no doubt be an unpopular one.

"Squall?" Quistis intoned, picking up after only a few rings of the dial tone. "I can't believe my ears. You do know we talked just yesterday, right?"

"This a bad time?" he replied dryly.

"Of course not. I just didn't expect you to actually call me of your own free will," she said with a soft huff.

Feeling a pang of guilt at the sound of papers rustling in the background, Squall frowned. "Are you still in my office?"

"You say that as if I never left," she tutted, the sound of her typing on a keyboard finally stilling. "I know what you're thinking. Stop it. I've got Xu sharing the paperwork, and even Cid showed up to pick up his slack."

"Cid?"

"Let's just say I insisted on it," she replied conspiratorially. "He owes you, and besides, things are coming to a head with his retirement anyway. You know how he is with his emails, so this will be a good opportunity to work out the details."

"Sounds like you landed yourself more work. Not less."

Her soft laughter rang across the line. "Ah, he'll do in a pinch. He's capable when he feels like it."

Squall huffed at that. He liked Cid well enough, but he suspected Matron was the only reason the man had gotten as far as he had.

"Oh, about your clothes, did I forget anything? You have everything you need?"

"... ..."

Too slow to remember the request he'd made the day before, Squall inwardly cursed himself for ignoring Laguna's calls that morning.

"You didn't get them yet?" she asked, confusion clear in her voice. "I sent out an express courier last night—first thing after our call. Your things should've arrived this morning."

"I've been out since eight," he quickly replied, grasping the opportunity.

"I see, I'll call Laguna to—Wait, out where?"

Squall steeled himself. "Behema Sands."

"What?! What are you doing out there? It's almost full moon, Squall. I don't need to tell you it's an A-level risk area right now."

Squall huffed. "Not whereI am."

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you out there?"

"Training. Hunting," he replied, keeping his voice carefully even.

An ill-boding moment of silence was soon broken by the tight ire in her voice. "Did you sneak out on Laguna? Does he know where you are? Does anyone know where you are apart from me?"

"I don't need permission," he replied curtly, frowning at her tone even though he had expected this reaction.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Quistis said firmly, the sound of her heels clicking against tiles betraying that she was pacing the length of his office. "I get that you need to prove yourself, but shouldn't you give the treatment more time? This is how accidents happen."

"The treatment works. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"You've only been training for what—two days? I don't want you to push yourself." Her voice was pleading now. She knew she couldn't stop him against his will.

"My magic and junctions have almost returned to normal, but I can't test my summons or higher tier spells in the city. I need to know—I need to go all out."

"Oh... I see where this is going," she trailed off, the sound of her keyboard returning. "You're in section D right now, I see."

Squall frowned. Of course she'd track his cell phone once she thought he was alone, in a place she deemed too dangerous.

"Anything I need. Those were your words," he pointed out.

"I was talking about moral support, Squall, not enabling this ... this self-destructive tendency of yours," she said, a hint of defeat creeping into her voice.

"A hotspot. That's all I want."

"Yesterday you yourself told me that you aren't in top condition yet. Today you're asking me to send you into danger, alone. You've got no one watching your back. I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

Well aware of what Quistis needed to hear, Squall briefly considered whether the admission would be worth provoking her heightened scrutiny. "I'm not alone."

"...I'm assuming you don't mean any of Laguna's guards?" she replied slowly. Squall knew she was aware that something was going on beneath her radar, and this would only fuel that suspicion.

"No."

"Right... Will you tell me who then?"

"Someone capable enough to back me up."

"And I'm supposed to take your word on that?" she replied, sounding wounded. "Whatever this big secret is that you and Laguna are trying to keep from me, it better be worth shutting me out like this."

"... ..."

"I hope you know the only reason I'm not tagging a team on your ass right now is your father. Whatever you're up to, Laguna must think it's for the better. He wouldn't cover for you if he didn't."

Squall knew she was waiting for a promise, a little more time perhaps before he'd include her in his secret, but he couldn't do that. "Just trust me."

"... I trust you with my life. I'm just not sure if I can trust you with yours."

Squall rolled his eyes at the statement, emphasizing his predicament. "I'm in an empty desert. I'm bored."

"I'll never understand your idea of a good time... Fine. You're absolutely sure your friend can handle it?"

"I'm certain."

"If you don't check in with me tonight, I'll fly Balamb Garden over there myself, do you understand?"

"Of course."

After a long dramatic sigh, he heard the renewed sound of typing. "I've got a nest up in section B. Commission came in yesterday."

"What rank?" he asked, aware of her tricks.

"... B-rank."

"You can do better than that."

"You're impossible!" she exclaimed. "Why can't you ease into things, like normal people."

"Like you did when Kadowaki grounded you last year?" he pointed out the flaw in her statement. Quistis was just as bad a patient and workaholic as he was.

"Fine. There's an A-rank infestation spawning at the crater in section E that falls under our regular Lunar Cry upkeep contract. I was going to deploy a team some time this week..." She drew out a reproaching silence. "Be careful, Squall."

"Always," he replied affably. "Coordinates?"

"I'll send them to your phone," she said with a resigned sigh. "That's it. You've turned me into an enabler."

"Thank you," Squall said. "I'll debrief tomorrow."

"And you'll get in touch tonight. That's non-negotiable," she warned.

"Okay. Talk to you later."

"Yeah yeah, you're eager. I'll leave you and your backup to your fun," she said with fondness to her voice. "You're going to introduce us when I come to Esthar—prove this person is real!"

"Bye Quistis," he intoned.

"Goodbye, Squall. Take care."

Seifer watched as Squallpocketed his phone. "Seems like you've still got our good old instructor wrapped around your finger."

Squall huffed at the very flawed statement. "You up for an A-rank clearing mission?" he asked, pushing up from the ground.

"I thought you'd never ask," Seifer replied with a smirk as he got up as well. The day was definitely looking up.

---

[Behema Sands, Section E, Saturday, 25th of October, 7:54pm]

Sighing as he struck down another Grand Mantis, Seifer looked around at the approach of dozens more. After the bigger game they'd killed just moments earlier, this was just too fucking tedious. They were both far too overpowered for this. In the distance, the truly big caliber monsters still weren't showing any interest in them, so they were stuck clearing the field. Not much longer though. Throwing up a Protect, he sidestepped and maneuvered himself away from the centre of the fighting, letting Squall take the brunt of it. The man's silver eyes lacked any real enthusiasm as he decimated the insectoid monsters with routine moves. He'd have to spice things up for the Commander.

Aware of his retreat, the man glanced at him with an eyebrow raised in question. Casting Blind without warning, Seifer grinned at the stutter in motion as Squall's world was plunged into sudden darkness. During their cadet days they'd often resorted to taking on status ailments—a game thought up to bring some challenge to a mundane fight. Squall seemed to catch on quickly, the man immediately starting into a deadly frenzy.

The brunet was a blur of movement as he cut through one beast after another, a trail of carcasses left in his wake. If Seifer hadn't known, there was no way he would have been able to tell Squall was even at a disadvantage. The man's moves were as graceful and precise as always—no frantic moves or telltale signs apart from the occasional cocked head as the man listened out for his next target's approach. A shriek sounded as another Grand Mantis dropped to the ground, its head and front limbs severed from the rest of its body.

It was amazing to see Squall like this. Not once did the man falter or pause as he cut through the horde of Grand Mantises. Definitely not the mundane fight he'd interrupted earlier. More flashy moves were starting to pepper the fight as well—moves he'd witnessed first hand during their spar. Daring lunges and quick low cuts in wide arches. Fuck, he loved to watch the man fight. It was a shame that he wouldn't have the time to stand around like this and watch once they got to the bigger game. Squall would most certainly put on a show.

Looking ahead, the real fun wasn't far off now: a couple of Behemoths, a Catoblepas, and a Garuda. He couldn't fucking wait. Only two dozen or so of the Grand Mantises were left now. Few enough to warrant getting out Bahamut and prepare for the big game. Fingers itching to start the real fight, he whistled in Squall's direction and landed an Esuna on the guy. Unfazed by the sudden return of his vision, the man smoothly followed through the line of his attack, kicking aside one Mantis while beheading another. Sinking his blade into the monster he'd kicked down, Squall briefly looked up to meet his gaze with a frown. Seifer winked and let the glow in his eyes flare up, signaling to the brunet he was about to summon. The man gave a quick nod, before launching himself into the remaining Grand Mantises.

Locating Bahamut in his mind, the creature as eager as he was, Seifer strengthened their link and started the summon. Tingles traveled up his arms at the familiar surge of energy. The sky turned dark as grey clouds gathered. A circle of lightning radiated out from a dipping center in the clouds. A great roar echoed over the expanse of the desert and drew the attention of every single monster left in the crater. Claws and wings poked through the dark clouds, the impressive bulk of the massive beast soon following. The brunet looked up at the menace swooping directly over him and threw up a Shell, his face illuminated by both the spell and Bahamut's coalescing magic, his hair and jacket whipping about him. A beam of energy shot from Bahamut's jaws and landed only a few feet behind the man. A great ball of light ballooned outward from the impact zone, soon enclosing Squall and the creatures.

Seifer brought up a hand to shield himself from the blinding light. A boom sounded, the white hot dome imploding with a thunderous clap, and then everything went silent. Only Squall remained standing, safe and unharmed amidst a whirl of settling dust and lingering crackles of magic, charred corpses littered all around. He grinned at the dark eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. The brunet was far from impressed by the looks of it, but there was no time to apologize even if he'd felt the slightest inclination to do so. The main show was just about to go down with another wave of small critters hurtling towards them, followed by their not so small friends.

Wasting an uncharitable thought on Seifer's antics, Squall leapt over the blackened carcasses as he ran to assume a more strategically viable position nearer the bastard. Monsters were descending on them from all directions, necessitating a back to back formation. Glancing behind him, he huffed when Seifer flashed him an unrepentant grin, the man's eyes an uncanny dark amber glowing from deep within. Turning back round to face the approaching threat, Squall swung out Lion Heart in front of him and dug in his heels for the first wave of impact. Overhead, Bahamut was circling the outer rim of the battlefield, its powerful wings beating at the air and stirring the winds. No longer content to be benched, Shiva pushed demandingly against his thoughts until he brought up a hand and started to call her out into the world.

A pack of Bandersnatches was already upon them, streaming around Shiva's ice crystal, before he'd even finished the summon. The first canine skidded past him with a loud yelp, its blood spattering to the ground, another two immediately felled by his gunblade. The scent of blood in the air whipped their companions into a frenzy, their dark shapes flitting and circling around them, their howls and snarls drowning out all else. Impatient, Shiva wasted no time, bursting out of her cocoon in a wild flurry of icy shards, killing several of the pack instantly. A cold rush of air swooped over them and monsters alike, eliciting a curse from the blond behind him.

And all at once there was no more time for conscious thought. Whenever they felled a group of Bandersnatches, two or three more would take their place. Above them, Bahamut had started to pick apart a flock of Alcyones, their maddened shrieks interrupted by the occasional huge bird plummeting down into the battlefield, only to be savaged by the canines. Shiva was a streak of blue ice dancing in and out of view, while Seifer formed a solid presence at his back. His every sense pulled into sharp focus, Squall sliced through the attacking Bandersnatches with manic bursts of energy. At the sight of a Behemoth swiping at anything that got in its way, the ground vibrating with its every step, Squall's pulse surged. This was what he lived for.

A swift hand signal in the corner of his eyes told him Seifer was aware of the changed situation as well. Together they moved slowly eastwards into terrain less littered with carcasses, slaying Bandersnatches as they went. They'd need solid footing for the Behemoth that was lumbering their way, its mate further back still embroiled in its own fight with a group of lizards—Iguions, Squall recognized—before they disappeared from view behind the approaching giant. The glow of a Shell and Protect enveloped him, but there was no time to nod his thanks to Seifer. Ahead, Shiva briefly halted and glanced their way, a thin eyebrow quirked in question.

Leave the big ones to us.

She huffed at his stinginess, before leaving a trail of ice magic in her wake. Casting a few of his own Blizzaras to make quicker work of clearing the field, he kept his eyes on the Behemoth. It raised its head to release a deafening roar, before throwing its huge mass into an attack charge. A Bandersnatch was trampled beneath its great claws, the remaining ones scattering out of the way with agitated snarls. A wide clearing opened up between them and the rushing giant, the canines knowing better than to get in the way. A flash of Kronos being swung low in his peripheral view drew his gaze to the eager blond beside him. The moment he inclined his head in agreement, Seifer darted off towards the Behemoth, the man's boots pounding away against the desert ground.

Startled and enraged, the giant monster lowered its impressive horns on its approach, intending to either impale or throw its adversary. Seifer didn't flinch from his path, waiting until the very last moment to launch up from the ground and sink Kronos into the Behemoth's skull, right between two horns. The impact of that collision would've thrown any other fighter a good distance into the air, but somehow Seifer had managed to stay atop the roaring beast and swing round to the monster's neck, his muscles bunching with the effort required to hold onto the blade that was jammed deeply into the beast's thick skull. Hungry snarls forced Squall's attention away from Seifer, Bandersnatches closing in all around him, their teeth bared and hackles raised.

Feeling the Behemoth tense beneath him, Seifer let go of where Kronos was lodged into thick bone just in time to grab hold of the beast's red mane as the creature reared onto its hind legs. Used as he was to riding Cerberus and Bahamut, he had little trouble keeping his balance despite the beast's desperate attempts at hurling him off, but he'd managed to lose track of Squall. Scanning his surroundings as best he could between the Behemoth's wild bucks and shakes, he spotted Squall at his eleven o'clock. Three Bandersnatches leapt at the brunet, only to fall to the ground dismembered just as quickly. Squall was one fast motherfucker. They briefly locked gazes, the intense zeal in silver eyes feeding his own battle high.

Hooking one foot behind a horn and planting his other into the enormous skull beneath him for leverage, he pulled at Kronos and tore a roar from the Behemoth's jaws as he wrenched it free. Bringing up the blade with both hands, he aimed for the gaping wound oozing with red blood. With all his strength, he sunk the blade in deeper than before, the Behemoth immediately rearing once more. Grabbing hold of the beast's red mane, he held on tightly as the Behemoth bellowed and jerked violently beneath him, before it finally slumped to the ground.

As the dust settled, he looked beyond the carnage of Bandersnatches surrounding them and spotted the other Behemoth. Squall had temporarily trapped the creature with a jagged pillar of ice encasing a front leg as he fended off the remaining Bandersnatches. Lion Heart was nothing more than an azure blur slicing through the air with phenomenal speed. Soon only the Alcyones and Garuda would be left above, along with some Iguions and the Catoblepas below. Definitely time for him to get airborne. Calling for Bahamut through their cerebral junction, he watched as the dark creature halted its fight to come to him.

The GF dove low and kept its belly close to the desert ground, speeding towards him with its claws pulled in and its wings stretched out. Holding up an arm to grab hold, Seifer was prepared for the jolt of sudden movement and whipping winds as he pulled himself up onto the scaled wing. Running up to Bahamut's back, he hooked his legs around the thick, black neck and held on tightly. A familiar exhilaration shot through him as the majestic creature beat its wings and pulled up from the ground. Casting Firaga and Thundara left and right, he wreaked havoc among the Iguions below and couldn't help a huge smile at the intense euphoria that surged through him. He'd never felt this amazing before on a battlefield—not back at Garden and definitely not during the war. For the first time ever, he was right where he wanted to be, choosing his own foes, fighting alongside Squall. With a pat to Bahamut's wing, he focused his attention on the Garuda only a couple hundred yards off to his three o'clock, certain the Alcyones would follow.

The very last Bandersnatch slain before his feet, Squall wasted a few moments searching the thinned out battle field, before directing his gaze upward at the sound of Bahamut overhead. He stared at the absurd sight of Seifer riding atop Bahamut as if the man had been doing it all his life, sending lightning spells crackling through the air and pelting the swarm of Alcyones in pursuit. Huffing, Squall figured that only the blond would be crazy enough to risk such a dangerous stunt. It was a long way down and a lot of faith to put in the stability of a summon, especially when their magical abilities weren't a hundred percent yet.

Angered roars of the trapped Behemoth drew his attention back to the fight at hand, the beast having managed to rend a few cracks in the unnaturally tough ice crystal. Two daring Iguions had clambered onto its back, sinking their sharp teeth and claws into the Behemoth's leathery back, further aggravating the furious Behemoth. In the distance he could see the enormous Catoblepas work its way closer, pulled in by the sounds of the struggling Behemoth. He had to move quickly.

Directing Shiva to deal with the rest of the Iguions that were closing in on them, he rushed the Behemoth with Lion Heart held high. Casting another Blizzaga spell to impact with the existing crystal, he ran at top speed. Just before snapping teeth would be able to rip him to pieces, he dropped to his knees and slid below the beast. With a hard swing of his blade, the still forming ice shattered into a shower of crushed ice and bright red shards. Big chunks of frozen flesh bounced over the ground, freeing the Behemoth from its entrapment. Rolling sideways just in time, Squall barely avoided the wild stomping as the beast tried to balance onto three legs and trample him all at the same time.

Spearing the two Iguions that had been thrown clear of their prey with precise Blizzara spells, he quickly cut down the three nearest ones while the Behemoth rampaged in wounded fury, killing its own share of Iguions as it tried to get at him. Shiva drew even with him again, and together they charged at the beast. They cast Ice spell after Ice spell, the crystalline shapes impacting harshly and burying the Behemoth in ice up to its thick neck. By the time he was upon the beast, the only harm it could do was to snarl angrily and shower him with spittle. As he leapt into the air with Lion Heart raised overhead, Shiva boosted him with a firm gust of icy wind and strengthened his gunblade with her magic. The impact of blade against ice shocked through his arms and jolted through his body, the large monster beneath him shattering into an explosion of crystalline viscera and blood. Landing firmly onto his feet, ice and flesh crunching beneath his boots, Squall watched with satisfaction as the Behemoth's large head thudded and rolled to the side, the rest of the beast reduced to a gruesomely sparkling field of ice. All around him, the group of Iguions had met a similar fate at Shiva's hand, every last one of them dismembered, violently dispersed or pierced by shards of ice.

The distant roar of the Behemoths' master raised the hairs on his arms and he quickly turned with anticipation, looking up to see whether Seifer would soon join him. The sky that just moments before had been swarming with Alcyones was now empty apart from the large forms of Bahamut and the Garuda, their wings wheeling through the air as they circled each other. The ground below was a veritable graveyard of slain Alcyones, their remains smoldering with flame. Still firmly astride the GF, Seifer was peppering the Garuda with Fira spells, Bahamut aiding the man's assault with Thundagas and Tornados. The Garuda was badly singed, a trail of smoke and feathers left in its wake as it struggled to evade Bahamut's lunges. Deciding Seifer was more than equipped to finish the fight without his aid, Squall commanded Shiva to his side and returned his gaze to the approaching Catoblepas. The beast was far bigger than any Behemoth, and its unhurried gait betrayed just how unfazed it was by its current prey. Readying Lion Heart, he stalked towards the Catoblepas, eager to provoke the monster into a more frenzied state of mind.

Diving beneath the Garuda, Seifer steered Bahamut into a wide circle around their prey. The monster was struggling to stay in the air, its wings beating frenetically as a golden glow started to spread out from the roots of its wings. When they turned a blinding white, he ducked his head and tightened his hold on Bahamut. Not even Shell and Protect could stave off the pain of a Sonic Boom, the powerful magic hitting them full force and propelling them back. The moment the crippling sound dissipated, he felt Bahamut straighten its neck. Ears still ringing, he struggled to keep their junction intact, a headache blooming as Bahamut opened its jaws to ready its deadly magic. Holding on for dear life, the air whirled around him and grew impossibly hot as a beam of light shot towards the Garuda. A hair raising shriek filled the air, the Garuda starting into convulsions before plummeting from the sky.

Releasing a deep breath, Seifer searched the ground below and let out a wholehearted chuckle at the sight that greeted him. Squall was fucking drawing magic as he ran and ducked around the Catoblepas, the great lumbering beast roaring in frustration. Ordering Bahamut to dive for the brunet, he couldn't wait to be fighting alongside the Commander. Thank Hyne the brunet had been in a sharing mood, otherwise he was certain not much would have been left by now—not with Shiva at the man's side. Almost at ground level, he let go of Bahamut's neck and slid down a bony wing to land only a couple of yards behind Squall. Conveying his gratitude to the massive creature, he dissolved the summon, and jogged towards the brunet.

Squall heard the loud whistle and high pitched whine of gathering magic just in time to abort his draw and dive to the side. A brightly flickering light was followed by the blinding beam of a Meltdown spell rushing past him and impacting with the beast, causing it to stagger and shake its head in confusion. Hearing the fast thud of Seifer's boots behind him, he looked back and met Seifer's gaze, the eager look in the man's eyes chasing a thrill up his spine despite the interruption. Bahamut was nowhere to be seen, even though he'd clearly heard the creature beat its wings just moments before. The message was clear: this fight was theirs alone. Not far off Shiva stopped in place, sensing his excitement. Smiling mischievously, she blew him a kiss, before disappearing in a gust of ice flecks.

Gritting his teeth at the return of Shiva's blatant flirting, Seifer jerked his head to his right when the Catoblepas recovered enough to charge at them, letting Squall know of his intent. The brunet immediately sped off into a wide ambushing arc, while he stood his ground right in the middle of the colossal beast's path, keeping the Catoblepas' attention on him with quick Fire spells. The earth shook beneath him, the beast lowering its enormous red-tipped horns in a show of menace. Unlike the Behemoth, this attack would be impossible to counter, but he knew Squall would intercept in time.

Catching the blond's vulnerable position from his peripheral view, Squall felt his heart pump with adrenaline. The man was only seconds away from being trampled into a bloody smear. Lion Heart held low, he veered from his path and drew on his every GF to run as fast as his junctions would allow. The wind whipped at his face and clothes, his feet throwing up dust and small rocks as unnatural speed propelled him straight towards the Catoblepas' blind spot. Leaping with all his might, he thrust Lion Heart into the charging beast's side, right between two ribs, and pulled the trigger. A muted blast was followed by the terrible sound of snapping ribs and rent flesh, the beast's momentum forcing his blade in deeper and farther before the beast managed to throw him off and turned around to target him with a Thunder.

The bright clash of lightning impacting against Shell magic drew Seifer's attention for all of a split second, before he rushed in between the Catoblepas' front legs. Slicing through thick skin, the beast quickly withdrew its bleeding paw and leapt backwards only to swipe at him with deadly claws. Dodging, he rolled to the side in time to see Squall place a blow to the very same paw. The colossal beast reared, white jagged bone protruding from where skin had been covering its knuckles moments before. Jumping to his feet, he sidestepped a thick splash of gore that gushed from the laceration at the Catoblepas' side.

Briefly meeting Seifer's gaze as the man joined his side, Squall looked up as the beast roared and showered them with speckles of saliva. They needed a different strategy. All of the Catoblepas' vital areas were out of their reach, and without any momentum he wouldn't manage a high enough leap. When Seifer jerked his head towards the top of the beast, he nodded his agreement. They needed to get up there if they were to bring the Catoblepas down. Slashing at its legs and paws would simply take too long. Gathering Ice magic, he focused and manipulated the spell into a slow, controlled path.

Raising his eyebrow in question at the sheet of smooth ice that formed at his feet, Seifer chuckled as the ice shot up towards the Catoblepas. Breaking into a run, he trusted Squall to form the makeshift path quick enough to catch up with his every footfall. Between that and the translucency of the ice, it felt like he was running on thin air. The Catoblepas swiped at him wildly, but even when he dodged and changed course, the icy path never failed to follow. The beast's eyes narrowed and this time it hurled a Thundaga right into the path behind him, shattering the winding construction and spraying his back with tiny flecks of ice. He only just managed enough momentum and leverage to jump the final distance to the beast's back.

Trying desperately to keep his balance while Squall placed distracting attacks at the beast's paws below, he sank his blade into thick muscle to anchor himself. As soon as he found his footing, he heaved out the blade only to ram it back in a small distance further down the beast's back, just in time to hold on as it shook itself wildly. Repeating the move in a crude approximation of a walking stick, he gripped at thick fur with his free hand and stumbled his way towards the beast's hind legs, running whenever the Catoblepas remained stationary long enough. Below, he could hear the clash of spells as Squall continued to try and distract the beast from its bucking attempts. Finally drawing even with the Catoblepas' hip joint, he tried to swipe his blade when he saw his chance, but another wild buck nearly had him flying off the beast. Sinking the blade back into the tensing muscles for purchase, he waited for another opportunity.

Having caught a glimpse of Seifer's precarious trek, Squall considered his options as he jumped back from yet another angry swipe of claws. The sliced flesh that hung in ribbons from the Catoblepas' lower legs and paws had done little to deter its wild moves, leaving Seifer with no opening to do any real damage. Glancing up to the man squatted down at the beast's hip, just out of reach of the Catoblepas' lashing tail, he launched into a quick run and started to blast the claws directly beneath Seifer with Blizagga after Blizagga, until three twitching claws were pierced to the ground. Growling, the Catoblepas curled in on itself to start clawing at the impeding ice.

Seeing his chance, Seifer thrust Kronos deep into the beast's right hip joint and twisted it harshly, a thunderous howl tearing from the creature. The muscles beneath his boots twitched and jerked as the beast desperately tried to pull itself free. The sharp sound of ice breaking hastened Seifer's moves even as he could hear the ringing blasts of new Blizzagas. Slashing and stabbing, he worked at the joint until it finally unhinged and dropped at least a foot in height—telltale that he'd finally succeeded. One down. If he could incapacitate the front leg on the same side as well, then the beast was as good as dead.

Setting off into a sprint up the Catoblepas' back, he felt his adrenaline surge at the sight of the beast's frenzied jaws. Avoiding a lashing tail was a lot easier than those teeth. Trusting Squall to follow his moves from below, he swiped at the beast's left flank, hoping to temporarily draw the creature's attention to the wrong side. Sinking Kronos back down into bunching muscles just in time to stay atop the Catoblepas, he waited until the return of another series of Blizzaras stilled the beast's wild shakes. It was a lot easier to hold on now, the beast already severely hampered in its moves. Enraged, it stopped trying to stomp below and twisted about its head. Not a second too late, he dropped down low, red teeth closing in just above.

Squall cursed inwardly at the near miss. The beast was not as easily distracted as he'd assumed. Diverting his Blizzaras towards the large snapping jaws, he dodged the ensuing Thundaga just in time. The Catoblepas had abandoned all lower spells and was now fighting for its life. Matching its ferocity, Squall switched solely to Blizzagas and kept up the barrage long enough for Seifer to find an opening and hack into the front shoulder with brutal strength. The man stood tall and was no longer dodging, relying solely on Squall's spells to avoid certain death.

Sweat pearled on Squall's forehead at the strain of keeping the Catoblepas' jaws and leg locked in place, the ice paralyzing its neck continuously cracking and splintering before he could strengthen it with more layers of magic. Sharp, man-sized teeth were slowly but surely inching closer to what the beast now realized was the real threat, its white eyes wide and blazing as Seifer sank Kronos one final time into sinew and flesh. A snapping sound was followed by a whimpering howl, beast and man crashing to the ground.

Sand and shattered ice whirled up under the impact, the ground shaking beneath Squall's feet. Freed from its constraints, the Catoblepas was trying desperately to scramble to its feet. Spotting movement atop the beast, Seifer already moving in to deliver the final blow, Squall let out a quick breath before his gaze fell to the bright glow building in wildly rolling eyes. The Catoblepas' sides heaved with panicked breaths, the carrion stench filling Squall's nostrils as he launched into a run. The sky above them turned an eerie red as the beast called upon the last of its strength, the distant whistle of incoming missiles setting his hairs on end. There was no stopping it now.

Working his way towards one of the massive black horns as the beast jerked beneath him, Seifer felt the whir of strong magic in the air. All light dimmed apart from the bright red glowing veins of the beast below him. Above him enormous flaming rocks hurtled towards them, less than half a mile off now. Crouching down low, holding on to the beast's white mane, he was spared the need to cast a protective spell when a great sphere of pink magic enveloped him. Looking over his shoulder at the appearance of the abnormally large Shell, he saw Squall squatting behind him. The man was out of breath, having hurried to protect them both. About to wink at the man, he stumbled as the first meteor hit their shield.

The sound of impact after impact rang in his ears, and he looked down from the flashing shield to see the pained set to the brunet's brow. Squall's magic was having trouble holding up under the continuous barrage. He needed to hurry. Staying within the magic bounds of Squall's Shell, Seifer climbed up the horn and raised Kronos just as a white glowing eye stared right back at him. Taking a few rushed steps, he jumped with Kronos held high and sank it deep into the beast's eye socket, before pulling the trigger and holding on the best he could.

The Catoblepas' massive head was thrown back by the force of the loud blast. A wheezing rush of air left the beast's large body, its neck arching high into the air before the monster slumped down lifelessly. Renewing his footing at the sudden drop, a final few twitches racking the already dead monster, Squall waited for the last meteor to crash into his shield before he lifted it with a soft grunt. It was the first time he'd had to bend his magic like that since the broken bond, and it had required more effort than he was used to, but at least it had worked. The entire area outside his shield was pockmarked with blackened craters, smoke rising from their centers.

Finding his bearings, he looked over to where the Catoblepas' great head was jerking mildly with Seifer's efforts to dislodge Kronos. Jogging over along the beast's back, he fought a smile at the sight of Seifer balancing both his feet on the large eye socket that looked more like a gaping pool of flesh than anything resembling an eye. Chunks of brains and flesh covered the man's clothes, the inside of the beast's skull no doubt reduced to pulp.

Giving Kronos a final yank, Seifer lost his footing and hit the ground with slightly less grace than he'd hoped for. With a chuckle, he pushed onto his feet, his body thrumming with adrenaline. They'd finally managed to kill the impressive Catoblepas and clear the entire crater Quistis had sent them to. Watching as Squall jumped down and wiped his blade clean on the Catoblepas' fur, he grinned at the state the brunet was in. Squall was covered in gore, the man's training gear almost unrecognizable beneath blood and grime, yet he knew it was nothing compared to himself.

Turning his gaze to the crater, he took a moment to revel in the sight of the countless carcasses they'd left in their wake. Some had been easy—too easy, but some had proven a welcome challenge. He'd never thought he'd get to fight enemies like that again. The rush of fighting them would keep him going for days.

As Squall came to stand next to him, their eyes caught for a second, enough for him to see his own satisfaction mirrored in the brunet's eyes. And there was a certain knowledge there: they made one hell of a team. They hadn't even spoken throughout the carnage—they'd just worked together flawlessly, using only gestures and telling looks.

"You think we set a record clearing this crater?" Seifer asked with a grin, walking over to the Catoblepas to cut off the pulsing, magic imbued ends. Arc would pay a decent price for those.

"Maybe," Squall said with quirked lips. "Good thing we don't get paid by the hour."

"You saying there's more money in this for us than what these horns will net us?"

Squall nodded. "A-rank mission bonus."

"And here I thought the day couldn't get any better," Seifer said as he planted his feet firmly on the ground and raised his blade over the beast's left horn.

Watching the blond bring down his blade with a carefully aimed swing, Squall felt elated in a way that only the battlefield could make him feel. Dust and sand were shifting in eddies with the rising evening wind, carrying with it the rich scent of blood. The silence that had suddenly fallen over the expanse of the large crater was broken only by their faintly labored breathing and Seifer's efforts to work through bone. A silence hard fought for. It was perfect. Feeling his lips quirk even further, he leaned back against the cooling beast and wiped at something wet that was stuck in his hair. Next to him, the Catoblepas' second horn fell to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust.

"We'll have to drop these off at Arc's on our way back," Seifer said, grabbing hold of one of the red horn ends and setting off to where they'd entered the crater.

Lifting the remaining horn, Squall started after the blond. "He won't ask questions?"

"Not sure it'll come as much of a surprise after meeting you," Seifer said as he glanced over his shoulder, letting Squall catch up.

"What does that mean?"

"He saw your blade. Doesn't take much to put two and two together," Seifer said, sidestepping another carcass. "He doesn't give a shit about any of that though. Rank is meaningless to him. So is fame and wealth." He grinned. "He really isn't much of a businessman."

Taking in the unexpected news, Squall fell silent. Apart from pouring him a drink and giving him a once over, the older man had shown no outward reaction whatsoever—the most positive reaction he'd received to date. "Glad he and I agree," he finally said, deciding to trust the private man who had taken Seifer off the streets.

Seifer nodded, kicking the remains of a Grand Mantis to the side to clear a path. "We should celebrate how awesome we are. Drinks out or back home?"

"Your place," Squall replied, changing grip on his heavy load. He'd come to appreciate the benefits of winding down after the intensity of battle, as long as he could do so privately.

"Let's kick back with a good old fashioned drinking game then," Seifer said, picking up his pace.

Remembering some of the antics his friends had gotten up to thanks to exactly such games, Squall raised an eyebrow. "As long as we don't end up playing truth or dare," he commented with a huff.

"Don't worry, it'd be too easy to get you drunk that way—you'd be wasted within an hour with all the things you'd have to skip. I've got some Triple Triad cards lying around."

"Haven't played in a while," Squall commented, glad for the tamer alternative to some of Selphie's games.

"Guess you might still end up on the floor then," Seifer said with a grin.

"Don't be so sure," Squall retorted, hoisting the horn further up onto his shoulder. "Last time I played, I cleaned out everyone's wallet."

"I like it when you brag. It makes victory all the sweeter."

"In my experience, nobody wins at drinking games," Squall pointed out dryly.

"Really?" Seifer replied with a raised eyebrow. "In my experience everyone wins," he added, unable to keep the innuendo from his voice. A little bit of liquor could go a long way in lowering inhibitions.

"You've been playing different games than I have then," Squall said, quickly silencing the guilty part of him that started to contemplate the kind of drinking games a hedonist might favor. "I know for a fact Zell wouldn't agree."

Seifer couldn't hold back a chuckle at the thought of Zell looking sheepish and mortified—whatever the idiot had been up to. "What did Chickie do?"

"His birthday last year," Squall said with a shake of the head. "Somehow skinny-dipping ended up in a challenge that he couldn't pull off his Mach Kick whilst drunk. And naked. Selphie's been using the pictures for blackmail."

Seifer cringed. "Shit Squall, warn a guy before you try and turn him straight. I feel like I've just been castrated," he said as he tried to literally shake off the imagery.

"Like I said, no winners," Squall replied, amused by the blond's exaggerations. "At least you weren't there."

"Did you take part in the skinny dipping?"

Squall sent Seifer an even look. "You know the answer to that."

"Shame… and I can even imagine it so vividly too," Seifer said with a wink.

Squall sent an unimpressed glare, curbing the thought that they were far past imagination at this point. He could still recall far too many details of the blond's body, naked and reposed—"Maybe I should ask for those pictures. Do some blackmailing of my own."

"That's not even funny, Squall, I think I'd have to gouge out my eyes then."

Letting his lips quirk upward, Squall looked ahead to where the edge of the crater was drawing close.

Mirroring Squall's smile, Seifer held his tongue that a naked photo of the brunet would be far more effective in getting him to do whatever the hell Squall wanted and instead let the man win that round. He inclined his head in the direction of Lion Heart. "Good upgrade, huh?"

"It gives an edge," Squall agreed, glad to have had a chance to test Seifer's handiwork in the field. "You do a lot of customization work?"

"Yeah. I like figuring out how to improve blades. Nothing beats making a whole gunblade from scratch though," Seifer said, as they made it to the edge of the crater. "It was good to finally use Kronos properly, but I doubt I'll be able to stick with it for long. I've already got plans for the next one."

"...I couldn't do that," Squall said, for the first time in his life wondering whether his loyalty to his blades was strange. "Even using Lion Heart for the first time felt wrong."

"Good thing most people don't see it that way. I'd be out of a job then," Seifer said, unsurprised by Squall's sentiment. The moment Squall had gotten Revolver, it had been rare to see the younger cadet go anywhere without the blade, giving rise to rumors that the boy even shared a bed with his blade—rumors Seifer had helped instigate. "If you reconsider, you'll know where to go."

Squall nodded as they started up the slope at the edge of the crater. Even if he might never take the man up on the offer, the thought of Seifer making him a blade intrigued him. At the very least, it would be good to have a regular smith he trusted implicitly, someone to handle his customization and repair work. The upgrade Seifer had implemented was high quality craftsmanship, and the man wasn't even halfway through his apprenticeship yet.

"You'll have to thank Quistis for this," Seifer said with a smirk, putting his back into the steep climb. "From your mystery friend."

"Not sure it's wise to remind her," Squall replied. "She doesn't like mysteries."

"I bet," Seifer said with a shake of the head. "Even when we were cadets, she was always up in our business."

Flexing his shoulders, Squall settled in for the last haul up the slope. "She's... intense."

Reaching the edge of the crater, Seifer stopped to take in the panorama of the crater that now lay below them. "It's probably for the best you aren't telling her. I think her mind would implode if she found out that you were out here with me, having the time of your life."

Squall raised an eyebrow at the cocky statement, but didn't bother denying it. "She'd want to know about you," he commented, wiping the sweat off his brow as he came to a stand next to the blond. "She can handle anything you throw at her... I just can't always handle her."

Seifer chuckled. It sounded exhausting to befriend someone as controlling as their former Instructor—something he definitely wasn't interested in, especially considering the fact she'd probably kill him if she ever laid eyes on him again. Better not to stir that hornet's nest.

Turning to face the other direction, away from the crater, Seifer directed his gaze toward his pickup just under half a mile away. It was bathed in red-golden hues from the setting desert sun. "Come on. Let's go."

Nodding, Squall took advantage of the silence that fell between them to take in the desolate landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. Seifer's pickup ahead and the ancient crater behind them were all that contrasted against miles of cracked earth and rock formations. The last time he'd been in the Estharian desert, the place had been overrun with SeeDs and Estharian task forces in order to deal with the Lunar Cry aftermath. The loud roaring of engines, the clash and bangs of weapons, the pained cries coming from the emergency tents. Those weeks had been tough, and he'd had no time to stand still and look around.

Alone with Seifer, it was a different place entirely. During the day it was beautiful in a severe sort of way, but under the golden caress of the setting sun the desert came alive and showed its true colors. Small animals started to skitter from rock to rock, scurrying into hiding when he and Seifer passed by. Distant and strange calls pierced the air now and then as nocturnal creatures started to wake and venture outside. He wondered how many of them would brave the small pool of water at the centre of the crater now that they had cleared it of monsters.

Letting the last of his battle high flow from his body, he let himself become inundated with the kind of calm he only ever experienced in nature. The entire sky was a riot of colors as the sun became a bright red disc that sank below the horizon. No city lights impeded the first stars that started to appear to the darkening east. Nothing humans built would ever compare to this.

Glancing next to him, he couldn't muster the usual annoyance with himself when his stomach made yet another predictable backflip. He'd lost count already that day. Under the red sun, Seifer's golden hair and tanned skin were set aglow, the blood, dirt and sweat only adding to the aesthetic.

Catching Squall's study of him, Seifer met the man's gaze with a smirk. When Squall immediately looked away, he almost wanted to call the brunet out on it. There'd been several instances like that throughout the day, fueling his resolve to act sooner rather than later. Not out here though, in the desert. Not when he couldn't follow it up with anything more than a kiss. There was a right place and a right time for everything, and this definitely wouldn't be it. For what he had in mind, they'd need a bed and lots of lube.

Watching as Squall jumped up onto the cargo bed of his pickup, Seifer picked up one of the horns and shoved it upwards, waiting for Squall to take hold of it. Once they'd hoisted up the first one, the other one followed quickly. When both horns were safely stowed away, Seifer got out a towel, needing to get out of his sticky clothes and get cleaned up. Pouring water onto the towel, he thoroughly wiped down his face and hair, before changing his clothes. Next to him, he could hear Squall go about his own cleaning, but he firmly kept his gaze under control. As he looked out over the desert it was getting darker by the minute, but the view wasn't any less impressive. "Fucking stunning out here."

"It is," Squall agreed next to him.

Standing this close to Squall, Seifer no longer cared about the view. He'd never been very patient, and having made the decision to take things further with Squall, the how and when of it wouldn't leave him alone. To talk someone at a club into a quick fuck was a piece of cake compared to this. Squall was tense, reluctant and withdrawn most of the time. Not the best recipe for ending up in bed with someone. But hell, if he could get the reticent brunet to give in… He'd be the luckiest son of a bitch on the whole fucking planet. "Ready to head back?" he asked, more than ready to get comfortable and kick back with the Commander.

Nodding, Squall looked around one last time and jumped off the cargo bed. After a final check on his gunblade case, satisfied that it was securely in place, he closed up the back of the pickup and followed after the blond who was already at the front. Drawing in a last breath of the desert air, he climbed into the passenger's seat. As Seifer switched on the ignition and drove the pickup south, back towards the city, Squall turned his gaze from the man to watch the darkening desert rush by the windows. With the sun well below the horizon, the moon managed to cast an eerie light over the rocky expanse. In the distance he could make out some slow moving shadows, creatures out on the prowl, until the sudden bright illumination of the headlights drowned them out. All at once the wide vastness of the desert shrunk down to the pinprick of light that was Seifer's pickup, cleaving through the dark.

Settling back in his seat, Squall examined the contentment he felt, even as he fought to keep the smile off his expression. It had been a long time since life had been this good and simple. No war, no crisis, no responsibilities, everything back at Garden in the hands of capable people. Was this what a vacation felt like?

He'd have to thank Quistis when he got back to Garden. Every moment he was free to do as he pleased was an added burden to the woman, and he couldn't help but feel he was taking advantage. With none of the actual titles or credit, she had stepped up to pick up the slack for both her Commander and Headmaster. The thought that he might resemble the old flake of a Headmaster in any way left a bad aftertaste.

"I should call in our mission," he said, looking to Seifer. At the blond's nod, he got out his cell phone and dialed Quistis' number.

"You know, I'm going to get used to these phone calls," Quistis greeted after only a few rings. "I guess you made it out of Behema Sands in one piece?"

"On our way out," Squall replied. "The crater is cleared."

"The entire crater? You got all of the monsters, in one afternoon?" She sounded equal parts suspicious and hopeful, putting him on his guard.

"You sound surprised," he said carefully.

"Well, I didn't know what to expect, to be honest." He could envision her placating expression well, the slight adjustment to her glasses while she considered her next words. "It was an A-rank infestation, right? Or did the intel guys botch their job?"

"Now you're just insulting," Squall retorted, picking up on the ill-disguised humor in her voice.

"Well, I'm happy to enter it into the system: Behema Sands, sector E, cleared," she replied, not missing a beat. "I'm glad your recovery is going so well. Either that, or your sidekick packs a serious punch."

Having suspected the baiting, Squall didn't stumble. "Those aren't mutually exclusive," he pointed out dryly.

"Mm, I'm sure... At first I thought you were out there with Rinoa. She's the only one in Esthar I could think of with the potential power to back you up, the only one you might try to hide from me—"

"I'm not—" he tried to interrupt.

"—that stupid, luckily. I know. I called Rinoa to ask her myself, considering the two of you going out there, using her magic, would be disastrous. And guess what, she sounded really nervous."

"Quistis," he intoned in vain. Once she was focused on something, she was like a dog with a bone.

"She knows. Whoever you're out and about with, she knows, and it makes her very uncomfortable to be grilled about it... So first Laguna lies to me, and now Rinoa. I'm starting to think all this cloak and dagger isn't about you and her at all."

"We got the job done," he stated curtly. "That's all that matters."

"It's definitely not a SeeD either—all our operatives in Esthar are checked and accounted for," she barged on, ignoring his statement. "So then it begs the question. Who else out there can keep up with the SeeD Commander? Hell, who else would you entrust your current condition with? There's no way this person doesn't know what you can do, who you are, after fighting alongside you. Oh, and then there's the interesting fact that whoever it is, I don't think Rinoa likes them very much."

"... ..." Squall held his breath at the heavy silence Quistis let fall. It was disconcerting how astute her line of questioning was, and he was almost certain that the answer was glaringly obvious—that she would demand to speak to Seifer next.

"Alright then. Don't say anything," Quistis finally interrupted the silence. "I guess it's hard not to take this personally. But maybe Cid's right...maybe a stranger is exactly what you need right now. Someone impartial."

Squall blinked at that. "Why is he talking about any of this?"

She gave an incredulous huff. "Who else am I going to run this by? I haven't dared tell Selphie yet, especially with Irvine out on his undercover mission. You know how she gets when he isn't around to calm her down. Zell is a restless mess ever since I broke the news to him. He's climbing up the walls, ready to come pull you out of Esthar at a moment's notice. I've managed to talk him down, but he's like a little kid when it comes to these kind of things. So it's up to me to be calm and reasonable."

"... So you confide in Cid," he said drolly, certain she had to see the flaw in that as well. "You must be desperate."

A stifled laugh sounded on the other end of the phone. "Hyne, yes," she exclaimed, letting out another small laugh. "You're right, of course. The man's never been a very good confidante. I blame you entirely." She took a deep breath, a pause. "Letting go really isn't my forte here, but... I'll back off if that's what you really need from me right now. I can't pretend that I understand... Just promise me that whatever you're doing, you're looking after yourself properly? That you'll call me the moment you need me?"

Squall rolled his eyes at having to reassure her yet again. "I thought that's what I was doing."

"How sly of you," she reprimanded, sounding somewhat mollified. "I'm letting the matter rest... for now. I can't have you waste all your energy on subterfuge instead of recovery."

"Like I said, I'm much better."

"Your GFs?"

"I junctioned Shiva without problem. High tier spells too. It's just endurance at this point."

"That's great to hear," she said, with the first real enthusiasm since their conversation started. "If you need any other Esthar based missions sent your way, just let me know... Or better yet, I can tell the quartermaster to find you some appropriate rooms here, put you up on the officer's floor with the rest of us?"

Squall wasn't fooled by her phrasing the statement as a question. The moment she'd learned of his breakup, she would've looked into new quarters, he was certain of it.

"The former, for now," he hedged, painfully aware of the reason he wasn't quite ready yet to defect to Balamb. If not for Seifer, he'd have already been on his way. "I'll send in a mission report tomorrow."

"...There's no rush," she said, thankfully deciding not to press the issue. "I'll have Xu deposit your pay once she gets it."

"Thanks."

"One more thing. I saw that you confirmed your attendance for the next Esthar Garden meeting. You sure you don't want a rain check on that?"

"We can't afford for them to see my absence as weakness."

"You're not wrong about that, but I just hate the thought of you prioritizing work over your health," she said uselessly.

"We all do it."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," she replied tartly. "...Well, at least we'll finally get the chance to catch up properly. Let's have lunch together after the meeting. It's too depressing when all our conversations involve me nagging and you avoiding me. We can do better than that."

"All right," he said, happy enough with the peace offer.

"Squall, I have to go," Quistis said, the background suddenly filled with urgent voices. Her own voice had already clipped back to her professional tone, the one that kept people in line or else. "I can't keep the department heads waiting forever."

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Squall. Talk to you soon."

Quietly impressed by just how well Squall had steered that conversation, Seifer adjusted his hold on the steering wheel. "She appeased for now?"

Glancing at Seifer, Squall offered a small nod. "For now," he emphasized with a sigh.

"I can just see her beady little eyes all focused as she tries to figure out this little mystery," he said in amusement.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Her eyes are hardly beady," he commented. "The cadets call it the homing laser when she gets that look."

Seifer chuckled loudly. "Fuck, I don't envy you."

"Her tenacity has helped me out more often than not," Squall said with a shrug. "And it helps to outrank her."

"Do you have to sign a membership charter when you become a Trepie?" Seifer asked, but at Squall's unimpressed look, he shook his head. "Shit Squall, it's just hard to imagine. I'm glad you've got Her Tenaciousness to look out for your ass." He paused, unable to help himself from the slight tease. "I bet that's not all she's looking out for either."

Squall snorted but refrained from commenting Seifer had been far more guilty in that regard.

"So just what did Miss Prim-And-Proper get grounded for last year?" Seifer asked, remembering the previous phone call.

Squall frowned at the memory. "The usual. Line of duty," he said, remembering the nasty acid burns that had refused to yield to a magical healing at first. "A rookie was standing in the path of a Malboro. She pushed him out of the way, took the brunt of it. Thought she could handle it with her buffs." He glanced at Seifer. "Turned out to be a new species. Much nastier than a Malboro. The acid worked faster than any healings. Took a week before she could use her right arm again."

Seifer whistled lowly. "Sometimes you really have to wonder what offspring between Mr Go-Talk-To-A-Wall and Miss Whips-A-Lot would be like. One thing's for sure—the kid sure as hell would be heroic."

Squall's eyebrows climbed at the bizarre line of thought, unsure he wanted to even imagine it. "Trust me, only you would wonder about that."

Seifer chuckled. "Don't shoot it down so quickly. Maybe you two were meant to be."

Scowling, Squall wished Seifer had never found out about Quistis' unfortunate confession. "Maybe you should try and run that theory by her, see how much she likes it."

"If she wouldn't ignite my ass on sight, then I might," Seifer said good-naturedly.

Rolling his eyes, Squall almost hoped the man would. If anyone stood a chance of putting this nonsense to bed, it would be Quistis. Watching Seifer redirect his gaze back to the desert in front of them, a lazy grin on the man's lips, he found however that he didn't begrudge the blond his moment of fun at his expense. If anything, it made him hopeful that not all conversation of past acquaintances had to end on a sour note.

Or perhaps he simply felt too content to mind. There was something to be said about Seifer's take on a day out. Straightening the small lift to his lips, he tried to focus on the dark landscape speeding by, inexplicably eager for something as trivial as drinks and cards.

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A/N: Sorry it took forever with the update! The next installment should only be a month or two away :)