~ Chapter Twenty-Four - Beyond Restraint ~
[Seifer Almasy's Apartment, Zayin House, Sunday, 26th of October, 7:00 am]
A distant beep and an aching shoulder. Warmth, softness. A body pressed close to his. Another beep, louder this time. Scrunching his eyes at the intrusive sound, Seifer rolled onto his back and kneaded his forehead. When the high-pitched noise blared at him again, he let out a curse and grabbed his phone at the bedside table, quickly switching off the alarm. And then he remembered. Squall. Everything they had done. Everything he was now allowed to do. A huge grin spread on his lips.
Turning onto his back within the space Seifer just vacated, Squall sighed at the predictable turn his mornings were starting to take—locked in a tangle of limbs and inappropriate closeness. Glancing beside him, he frowned at the look on Seifer's face before the duvet was yanked off him in a wild flurry of movement. A rush of breath left him as the bastard pounced on him, his arms suddenly pinned down beside his shoulders. Looking up at the gleeful grin on Seifer's face, Squall furrowed his brow and pushed against the quickly tightening hold on his wrists.
"Try it."
The words spoken with a smirk had Squall still for all of a second at the man's audacity. Fine then. It wasn't his fault if the idiot wanted to earn himself a black eye before breakfast. Putting his entire body into the effort, he bucked hard underneath the man.
Chuckling at the amount of strength Squall managed to muster in such a restrained position, Seifer lost his tight hold on the brunet's arms and fought to regain his balance. He immediately pressed back in response to the hard shove against his side, not allowing Squall to get the upper hand. Seizing Squall's midriff, he curled his fingers into the man's t-shirt and forced him back down, but Squall still managed to roll them onto their side. He had to scramble to fend off a few well-angled jabs, one managing to make it past his defenses and landing a sharp blow to his ribs. Wincing in pain, he grinned and grabbed the offending arm.
His renewed grip did nothing to deter Squall, the man struggling against his hold with fierce resistance. A leg hooked around the back of his knee, the move forcing his own leg into an awkward angle with a hard yank. The moment his abused leg was released from between firm thighs, Seifer found himself flipped onto his back with Squall straddling him in one fluid movement. Before he could try and throw the man off, Squall pressed down against him, the man's lower arm digging harshly into his throat. His cock gave an eager twitch as he stared straight into intense grey-blue eyes, the man's buttocks positioned just right.
Slightly winded from his efforts, Squall didn't let up even though Seifer had stilled beneath him. Frowning at the uncharacteristic surrender, he froze when Seifer gave a slight buck that was clearly not intended to throw him off. His pulse quickened at the feel of the man's hard bulge pressing up against him, his attention all at once drawn to the daring nature of his position atop the man. The bastard's lips split into a lewd grin, his gaze expectant. At a loss for what Seifer wanted him to do, Squall glanced down at those smirking lips.
The sudden force to Seifer's next buck caught him off guard, and before he could muster enough presence of mind to retaliate, the bastard had him immobilized with his stomach pressed against the mattress and his wrists pinned down in an unyielding grip. Cursing inwardly at how quickly he'd let his guard down, he scrunched his eyes closed and bit his lips when Seifer leaned down against him, the man's erection rubbing against his buttocks. Within seconds, he felt himself harden in response to Seifer's manhandling. Unable to process the abrupt shift to seduction, Squall startled at the feel of Seifer's breath rushing against the back of his neck, followed by nips and kisses that trailed down to his shoulder. A shiver ran through him at the pleasurable touch, his body's reactions quickly spiraling out of his control.
Easing his hold the moment Squall's defensive posture slackened, Seifer slid his fingers along the man's arms as he leaned back up. Moving down the bed, he hooked his fingers under the hem of Squall's boxer briefs and smirked when Squall lifted his hips to aid the move. At the eager sign of consent, he pulled off the man's underwear before getting rid of his own as well. Adrenaline still pumped through his veins from the rather unorthodox foreplay, bringing even more of an edge to what they were doing. The perfect start to a perfect fuck.
He quickly leaned in over Squall's body again, pressing himself closer and sliding his cock along Squall's crack. Lowering one arm to grab a handful of the world's finest ass, he rubbed his length against the man with increasing need. He was more than ready to sink into Squall's slick heat. Reining himself in with a groan, he barely stopped himself short of repeating last night's mistake.
"How many fingers do you need?" he spoke throatily next to Squall's ear, before hissing out a curse. Squall chose that exact moment to start grinding back up against him, hurrying along his already tenuous control. "Three? Two?" he added curtly, staying his movements to better focus.
Unable to muster the breath to speak, Squall drew in a slow lungful of air as he tried to parse Seifer's question. The hot erection pressing against him, skin to skin, made it impossible to feel anything but the urgency between them. He couldn't think. He wanted Seifer to enter him now. "None," he replied hoarsely, just about managing the one-word command that would hasten them towards ecstasy.
Seifer's appreciative groan quickly devolved into another curse when Squall's hips pushed up against him, punctuating the man's impatience. Not about to complain, he grabbed the lube and lathered himself up while eyeing up Squall's backside. Despite the man's bold declaration, he knew he couldn't just tear into Squall the way he had the night before, no matter how much he wanted to. He'd have to go slow, give the inexperienced brunet time to adjust. Pulling at the man's hips, he nearly forgot his resolve the moment Squall moved onto his knees obligingly. It took all his restraint to first coat Squall's anus with lube, his cock swelling at the eager sigh that left the brunet. Calming himself with a final look, he positioned the tip of his cock right up against the man.
The feel of Seifer's steady hands grasping his hips, without an ounce of hesitation, helped Squall to ground himself. At least one of them knew what they were doing. He tried to keep his muscles relaxed when Seifer's erection nudged against him and let out a controlled breath as Seifer started to push into him, the thick head of the man's length slowly stretching him open. It was far from painless, but something about feeling Seifer's rock hard erection pushing him open was incredibly arousing. He let out a stifled sound when the head slid past his tight ring of muscle, the rest of Seifer's length following more smoothly.
The myriad of sensations were starting to become dizzying in their intensity, but somehow Seifer was keeping him poised just right on the razor-sharp edge between pleasure and pain, never giving him more than he could handle. When the last inch of Seifer's cock sank into him, the man's groin and balls pressed tightly to his buttocks, Squall could feel the throbbing need of Seifer's length buried within him, mirroring his own urgency.
Cursing lowly, Seifer had to still for a moment. He had no clue how the man managed to make anything a million times sexier than anyone else, but the simple act of pushing inside Squall had his cock burning with pleasure. Keeping Squall in place, he began the slow slide back out, his eyes riveted on the sight of Squall's ring stretched wide around his cock. Stopping just before the head of his cock could stretch Squall even further, he pushed back in slightly faster this time. Repeating the slow moves, he closed his eyes and focused on what his hands and cock were telling him. Gradually, the tense muscles started to relax under his fingers and the incredible tightness eased. When he pulled out completely, a muffled hiss was followed by a confused gaze directed his way. Grinning, he grabbed the lube and smeared another good helping along his length before plunging right back into the warm slick heat.
Hanging his head, Squall squared his shoulders to try and keep himself from collapsing to the bed. All thoughts scattered as Seifer started into a series of quickening thrusts. The rough, tightly controlled quality to Seifer's panting filled his ears, a gruff exhale accompanying every thrust back into him. His own voice reached its breaking point when Seifer's cock stroked him just right, a bright burst of pleasure following the aching stretch. Certain he could take more, he pushed back to meet Seifer's next thrust into him, the resulting sting repaid with equal measures of ecstasy. Seifer's grip on him tightened, each finger digging harshly into his hips as the man pulled out all the way and rammed into him with enough speed and force to drive him down to his elbows.
Sheer bliss ignited inside him as Seifer began to fuck him with deep, unbridled thrusts, forcing his breath out in poorly stifled moans. He could no longer distinguish pleasure from pain. His entire body was rocking back and forth under the brunt of Seifer's thrusts, his cock bouncing with every plunge and slapping against his lower stomach, but instead of embarrassment he could only feel mounting exhilaration at being fucked so hard and thoroughly. The squelch of lubrication, the surrender of his own voice, the vigorous creaking of the bed—all of it was just white noise, his body lost to the brutal honesty of sex. His every muscle pulled taut as Seifer kept hitting the perfect spot within him, again and again, his cock jerking in a plea for the orgasm that was lingering just outside his grasp.
Unrelenting in his forceful moves, Seifer pulled Squall back by the hips to meet his every thrust. He'd never been this rough before, had never dared go this far with anyone. Squall's moans were becoming increasingly unrestrained, urging him on. Focusing all his strength on driving himself faster and deeper, he felt Squall stiffen in his hold just as a drawn out moan left the man. Squall's shoulders slumped down to the bed, the man's head dropping to Seifer's sheets. Squall had fucking come. Without him ever touching Squall's cock. All the man had needed was the roughest fuck ever.
Unable to believe his luck, Seifer let out a breathless chuckle that faltered with the force of his thrusts. Squall was still taking his cock with sweet moans, apparently more than willing to let him coat the man's insides with his come. It felt like branding; like he was making Squall his and the thought alone was enough to make him lose his mind. That he could reduce Squall to this. That he could make Squall moan like this and make the man prop up his ass just for him to fuck—
Grunting deeply, he thrust in one last time, his cock erupting inside Squall. Keeping the brunet pressed tight, he felt his length twitch inside the man as more come spilled from him. Pulling back before plunging in once more, he moaned loudly as his orgasm surged through him. "Fuck," he cursed. Nothing was better than this.
Turning a cheek to the bedding, Squall let his body rock freely with the man's slowing thrusts, too pleasantly sore and languid to do anything other than listen to Seifer's satisfyingly ragged breaths. When the grip on his hips finally loosened, he steadied himself with a soft hiss as Seifer pulled free. Spurred into action by the jostle of the mattress and the feel of eyes on his backside, he turned and lowered himself onto his back, careful to avoid the wet mess he'd left on the bedding. Pulling down the t-shirt that had managed to ride all the way up to his armpits, he tried not to look self-conscious when he raised his gaze. Seifer was standing by the foot of the bed, fully naked and looking far less disheveled than he felt.
"Come on," the man said with a nod to the bathroom, a smirk widening the bastard's lips. "Let's get cleaned up."
Seifer's gaze swept over him a final time, before the man turned and disappeared into the bathroom. Letting his head fall back to the bedding, Squall closed his eyes for a few beats, needing a moment to collect himself and catch his breath. All the vestiges of last night's aches reasserted themselves along with new, sharper twinges. Running a hand along his hip, he could feel clearly where Seifer's hands had grasped him. With thoughts of their later training and perhaps a spar, he briefly wondered whether a Cure might be in order, only to immediately scowl at the thought.
Fearing the beginning of another bad habit, he sighed and pushed up from the bed at the alluring sound of water clattering from the shower. After a quick wipe of his thighs and groin with his discarded underwear, he glanced back at the bed with some astonishment. The duvet and pillows had ended up on the floor, and the bed's headboard had dug into the wall, small chips of plaster littered below. A collection of stains, both wet and dry, adorned the bed sheet along with a bottle of lubrication, providing further evidence of their swift descent into lust. It looked very much like the aftermath of their night on Avalanche, but this time around he only felt a heady sense of satisfaction at the sight.
Recognizing the stray thought for the dangerous sentiment that it was, Squall straightened his back despite the pangs of pain and forced himself to view what came next as just any other locker room situation. Even so, he entered the tiny bathroom with an entirely involuntary glance to the blond standing under the spray of water. Tearing his eyes away from the titillating sight behind fogged up glass, he pulled off Seifer's crumpled t-shirt and turned on the sink tap in wait of his turn.
"Get your ass in here."
Unsure he'd heard the demand right, Squall turned to find Seifer looking at him expectantly. Realizing the man wasn't joking, he cast the small shower stall a doubtful look. It was barely big enough to accommodate the large blond, let alone fit the two of them comfortably.
"I'll make it worth your while," Seifer said with a wink.
"It's too small," Squall replied, feeling ridiculous for even having to point out the flaw in Seifer's plan.
"Which is the point. Nowhere for you to escape."
Squall snorted, ignoring the blond's lecherous grin. "You can't confine me."
"I'm very motivated to try," Seifer said, licking his lips as he held the shower door open. "Now do you want to come again or not?"
Stunned for a brief moment, Squall vowed not to underestimate Seifer's capacity for making blunt propositions ever again, nor his own susceptibility to them. Already his groin was rousing to the man's invitation and against his better judgment he found himself walking up to the shower stall.
"Good choice," Seifer said with a smug smile, relishing the annoyed twitch to dark eyebrows. Taking a step back, he made space for Squall to enter the shower before placing a finger under Squall's chin. Applying gentle pressure, he guided the man to arch back his head and dropped his gaze to pale lips before leaning in.
At the feel of Seifer's lips slowly meshing against his, Squall resented the ease with which Seifer could make him need every little touch; the casual dominance of that finger tipping his chin to the man's liking. His resentment was short-lived however. Water dripped from the bastard's wet hair, trickling onto his face as they kissed, heightening his senses. A hand appeared at his side, pulling him in under the hot spray of water before lingering against his skin in a leisurely caress. Even through the scent of soap he could discern the musk that was entirely Seifer's, causing him to lean in before he could stay the movement.
Deepening their kiss, Seifer couldn't believe just how much sway he had over Squall. To think Squall wanted him this badly, after days of watching the man for even the smallest sign… Running his hands freely along Squall's wet skin, disrupting the flow of water wherever he touched, he swirled his tongue against Squall's. The air was growing thick with steam, enclosing them in a world of their own. He'd had this fantasy a million times; Squall and himself naked in the shower, doing anything and everything he wanted to.
His cock started to swell again at the feel of Squall's erection against him, drawing an appreciative hum from his lips. Stroking Squall's sides with both hands, he kissed and caressed the man while sliding his cock against Squall's, languid and slow.
Ending their kiss with a heavy sigh, Seifer grabbed the bath oil on the shower rack. Looking into grey-blue eyes filled with need, he squeezed a good amount into the palm of his hand before enveloping the head of Squall's cock in the cool liquid. Leaning back slightly, he made sure the spray of hot water landed against the man's chest, rivulets running down to mix with his fingers at the base of Squall's cock. Working his hand up and down the hard length, he licked his lips and watched. Any little detail was worth ten fucking one night stands.
Lost to Seifer's gaze and touch, Squall pushed down the distant fear that he might just do anything Seifer asked of him, as long as the bastard looked at him like that. Having abandoned all cocky or lewd grins, Seifer was studying every inch of him, much like the night before. It both excited and unsettled him, but the man's calloused hands were proving a powerful distraction, coaxing him leisurely without the promise of a quick release.
Seifer's tall frame quickly became overwhelming as the man leaned over him, one gently groping hand never leaving his skin as the other worked him unhurriedly towards orgasm. Presented with the sight of an aroused, wet Seifer, Squall couldn't help himself from looking down the man's chest, following the path of water as it streamed along ridged abs, further down still to Seifer's erection, flushed and larger than anything he could've imagined breaching him. Gritting his teeth at the immediate jolt surging through his own length, he drew in a sharp breath when Seifer squeezed him more firmly. Even as he thrust up into Seifer's hand, he couldn't forget the feel of that hard length moving against his, moving inside him.
Glancing up to meet intense green eyes, he knew at once his perusal hadn't gone unnoticed. The beginnings of orgasm rose up from the base of his cock, further weakening his legs, and he stumbled back against the cold, tiled wall. Seifer followed smoothly, the bastard's touch finally speeding up. Biting down on his lower lip, Squall convulsed with the strength of his release, his breath rushing from him with a shudder. After a few lasts strokes, Seifer's hand fell away from him, but he could still feel the man's shadow. He opened his eyes, unable to remember when he'd closed them.
Aroused as hell from watching Squall come so hard in his hand, the man now regarding him with expectant eyes, Seifer almost growled as he surged forward to capture the man's lips. Settling both hands on Squall's hips, he drew closer to the brunet until his cock brushed against the taut skin of Squall's stomach. The eager way Squall pressed up against him, a tentative touch raising to his sides, had him cursing. He needed to come. Now.
His cock twitched when Squall needed only the slightest of guiding touches before catching on and turning around into position. Pulling the man's hips closer to him, he groaned when Squall placed his arms against the wall to steady himself. So fucking willing. He ran his fingers along Squall's sides, before moving them down to pull the man's buttocks apart. Placing his cock just right, he stroked himself once and let out a low moan as he forced himself inside.
The pressure was still mind-bending, but not nearly as tight as when he'd first entered Squall. Returning his hands to Squall's hips, he didn't bother with restraint. His moans quickly turned into fast paced grunts as he thrust into Squall without reserve. It felt fucking perfect. This was exactly what he'd fantasized about at the SCTA. He really was the luckiest son of a bitch on the whole Hyne-damned planet. Squall wasn't even doing this to get off himself. The man was letting Seifer fuck him, just to please Seifer.
Snaking an arm around Squall's midriff, he leaned in closer and placed a hand against the cold tiles to steady himself. He thrust as hard as he could manage in their position, wanting to leave the deepest possible mark on the man. His frenzied pace was unsustainable for much longer, but the scent of Squall's skin—the feel of Squall pressed close— He dropped his head to rest against the back of Squall's neck and cursed, his lips moving against wet skin.
Leaning heavily into the tiled wall, Squall closed his eyes to better feel every little sensation. Seifer's arm was wrapped around him tightly, locking him in place, as if they couldn't get close enough, as if he might've tried to shy away from the man's deep rutting. A shiver ran through him in response to the mindless grunts and profanity mumbled into his skin, punctuated with sharp, domineering thrusts. Despite his own lack of immediate arousal, he liked it more than he felt he should. There was something irresistible about giving himself over to Seifer's lust like this.
Jutting out his hips farther to anchor the man's thrusts, to invite more, he no longer bothered to stifle his gasps at the aching intrusion. Hot water sluiced down their bodies, exacerbating the slapping sounds of Seifer's flesh against his. The tiled walls echoed their exclamations into an arousing din that filled his ears, setting his every hair on end with how good it felt. He could tell the moment Seifer was close when the man's hold on him turned rigid, strong hips snapping into a punishing pace that rocked him against the wall more urgently. His every sense tuned in sharply, memorizing everything from the swell of Seifer's cock inside him to the gruff moan that joined the man's release.
Seifer slowed with a final curse, panting heavily into his ear, and somehow Squall found himself breathless as well. He dropped his forehead to his arms, not yet ready when Seifer slid out of him. His legs were wobbly, but he managed to remain standing without the support of Seifer's strong grip. One hand had traveled down to his left buttock, while the other was pulling at his right cheek. Biting down on his lower lip, Squall exhaled sharply when Seifer traced a finger against his sore anus before pushing in. Slick with Seifer's come, his body gave no resistance as Seifer slowly slid his finger in and out of him, the touch seemingly intent on making as much of a mess as possible.
"You're too fucking sexy, Leonhart."
The husky quality to Seifer's voice rang pleasantly in Squall's ears, even when the words were too surreal to really process. Apparently content with his brief exploration, Seifer withdrew his finger and slid his hand back up to rest at Squall's side. Needing to ease his lower back from its position, Squall pushed away from the shower wall and turned around, only to be drawn into the man's arms, into another scalding kiss. He wondered numbly whether they'd ever do anything else again, whether he even wanted to.
Breathing deeply into their kiss, Seifer swirled his tongue against Squall's. Wherever he touched, solid muscles lay just beneath, reminding him of just whom he was with; a seasoned fighter, a commander. The one man who could challenge him easily, but had chosen instead to submit to his every touch. He still couldn't believe Squall could come just from being fucked—that the edge of pain only spurred the brunet on. He needed to get a mirror in the bedroom so he could watch Squall come from taking his cock, no matter the angle. Squall Leonhart; a masochist. He should have known with the man's belt collection and all. Shit, he couldn't wait for the next round.
Squall wasn't helping his impatience at all either. Shy fingertips were ghosting against his sides, almost ticklish in their indecisiveness. A deep rumble spilled from Seifer's throat when those hands grew bolder and settled against his skin in a firmer hold. Wanting to encourage any sign of initiative, he guided Squall against the shower wall and eagerly sought out Squall's tongue. He groaned into their kiss when Squall's arms closed around his lower back in an immediate response, a clever tongue darting out to stroke his own. The commander was turning out to be a damned quick study.
All thought fled from Squall's mind as he gave his body free rein to act on his desires. He couldn't get enough of the smooth expanse of skin as he slid his hands up tight muscles and broad shoulders, his touch guided by the rich texture of old and new scars. He let his fingers trail each and every one, mapping every sign of Seifer's battle-hardened past. So much like himself, but different. Better.
Squall scrunched his brow and let out a tremulous breath when Seifer started to suck and lick at his neck with slow but devastating determination. Holding on tight, he slid his hands along heated skin, his fingers following a thin and slanted scar that trailed all the way up the slope of Seifer's back, to the man's shoulder. The flow of water rippled along it, inviting his touch to linger and follow the long scar.
Muscles stiffened beneath his hands for all of a heartbeat before Seifer stopped the pleasurable attack on his neck and gently nudged his right arm away. Seifer's fingers entwined tightly with his as his hand was guided up against the shower wall in a dominant manner, his breath instantly taken away by a deep kiss. After rendering him both mindless and breathless in the space of seconds, Seifer resumed the exploration of his neck, the man's breath caressing his ear, the nips of sharp teeth just this side of painful. Squall tilted his head and melted into the embrace, his thoughts sinking down under the pleasant haze of thick steam and streaming water, the feel of skin against skin.
Satisfied for now with the dark red marks on Squall's neck and collar, Seifer dove in for a forceful kiss and plunged his tongue into the slick heat of Squall's mouth. He could do this all day—kiss and fuck Squall right into oblivion, until the commander knew nothing but the feel of his cock, tongue and fingers.
The only thing they had to do, the only thing that they couldn't put off was their training. No way he'd let Squall's training regime slip—not even for this. A spar wouldn't be amiss either. It would be a great way to work up their lust. Nothing like a rough fuck post sparring. They'd be able to start the fun all over again.
He nipped at Squall's lips playfully. "The water's going to go cold soon," he said with a lopsided smirk before placing another kiss on soft lips. "Let's finish up." Grabbing the shower gel, he distanced himself from the far too tempting brunet, before handing the bottle to Squall.
Taking the soap, Squall straightened from his perch against the shower wall and tried to match Seifer's casual manner. As if he hadn't just forgotten all about the world around them, as if his heart wasn't still pounding against his ribs. His fingers had wrinkled with moisture, his skin turned pink from the hot spray of water, begging the question just how long they'd stood there wrapped up in each other without any arousal to justify the time spent simply touching and kissing. Suppressing a frown, Squall drew in a steadying lungful of the steamy air and tried to focus on the simple task of washing down.
There was little room to maneuver without touching, leading to the occasional clash of elbows, and more than once Seifer's gaze and lopsided smirk turned his way, following the path of his hands as he tried to wash himself despite the distraction. It was an awkward affair, but Seifer didn't seem the least bit put out. Turning underneath the spray of water as best he could, he tried to rinse his hair without further entanglements when a slight touch brushed against his shoulder blade.
"It's healing." Seifer's voice sounded thoughtful as the man ran his thumb over Squall's largest scar.
Squall stilled at the observation. Seifer's touch didn't cause any discomfort, nor was there any of the usual raw tightness that sometimes plagued his back. Amidst all the distractions he hadn't really taken a closer look at the troublesome wound lately. It seemed obvious in retrospect; the connection between his wound only healing properly now and the recent breaking of his bond. In a warped way it made sense. It had been Rinoa's powers that had caused the injury to begin with. Unwilling to linger on the unhappy memory, he focused on the gentle path of Seifer's thumb and the thrum of tension it created in his body.
The feather light touch was withdrawn all too quickly and Squall belatedly remembered to continue rinsing the suds from his hair. He still had trouble getting used to the arresting sense of familiarity that fell over them whenever the urgency between them subsided. Looking back over his shoulder, he was met with a lopsided smile and a kiss before Seifer got out of the shower. A rush of cold air streamed into the shower cabin, helpfully clearing the newly budding daydreams from his head.
Rushing through the remainder of his shower, Squall cast a glance towards the bedroom where he could hear Seifer moving about, out of sight. He moved his shoulder and arm, but felt nothing. Safe from prying eyes, he wiped at the fogged up mirror and twisted his back to try and catch a glimpse of his scar. A dark but healthy pink spanned the length of the wound, smooth to the touch. He could still feel the ghost of Seifer's touch against the healing flesh, and wondered how the man had known to single in on the most personal of all his scars.
Remembering the feel of Seifer's scars beneath his own fingers, Squall frowned when he realized that both times his touch had been redirected he'd been touching scar tissue. Turning to lean against the sink, he toweled down his wet hair absentmindedly. Perhaps it was mere coincidence, but he understood better than most that some scars were too fraught with memories to share. Tracing a finger along the thin cut between his eyes, he started when Seifer's voice sounded from outside the bathroom.
"You can quit your primping and come out now."
Rolling his eyes, Squall tied the towel around his waist and headed for the bedroom. "Some people care more about cleanliness than you," he said dryly, his gaze traveling to where Seifer was leaning against the doorway to the living room. Drops of water still clung to the man's skin as he stood clad only in boxers and a towel slung haphazardly over his shoulder.
"You might be onto something," Seifer said playfully. "You can help out next time."
Ignoring the return of Seifer's easy flirtation, Squall could feel the man's intent gaze as he sidestepped the wet trail Seifer had left along the floor and made his way to the side of the bed he'd claimed as his own. It was strange having everything out in the open between them like this. The reflex to hide his attraction was a hard one to shake. It quickly became apparent however that Seifer wasn't going to bother with restraint whatsoever, a wolf whistle sounding from behind him the moment he leaned over to grab his duffel bag
Sending a glare over his shoulder, he watched warily as Seifer raised his hands in mock capitulation and chuckled. "Not my fault if you're going to bend over like that."
Relaxing when the man simply went about his routine and started to look through a drawer, Squall opened his duffel bag but his gaze was drawn to Seifer's naked back and the scar that had most likely elicited the man's evasive maneuvering. Amongst a multitude of marks, there was a long cut that ran from the juncture between Seifer's neck and left shoulder, slanting all the way down to the man's spine. If he remembered correctly, it was an exact mirror of the scar on Seifer's chest, most likely the other one he'd inadvertently touched. Squall frowned at the puzzling sight, but realized his mistake when Seifer turned around to grab a shirt laid out on the bed.
There weren't two scars, but one. The scar on Seifer's back continued onto his chest uninterrupted, wrapping around the man's upper body. Briefly Squall entertained the hope that the wound had been a superficial one, skin-deep only as its thinness suggested, but the scar lined up too perfectly back and front, flawlessly parallel. It looked like something had cut through Seifer's torso, starting at the man's neck and rending through lungs and heart.
Sharp cold flooded him, only to be followed by doubt. He'd seen such wounds throughout his career, but he'd never seen anyone survive it. Even the strongest restorative magic would struggle to heal such a horrendous wound in time, before death, and Squall didn't know of any spells that would manage such a smooth, thin scar. His stomach sank at the unsettling sight all the same. Superficial or not, however old or well-healed, Seifer didn't want it touched. A clear sign of trauma.
His view of the deceptively thin and paled scar was suddenly obscured when Seifer put on a t-shirt, the man nearly fully dressed while he stood lost in thought, still clad in nothing but a towel. Reminded of his surroundings, it was with considerable effort that Squall managed to direct his gaze away. This wasn't the time or place. Keeping his face carefully blank, he returned his attention to his duffel bag and its disappointing contents. He'd quickly gone through what few clothes he'd gathered at the penthouse, leaving him with a pile of dirty items. Ruining his training gear with copious amounts of monster gore hadn't helped. "I'm out of clothes."
Looking over to where Squall was regarding his clothes, Seifer smirked. "I don't mind you walking around naked." At yet another glare directed his way, he chuckled. "Laundry time then, Leonhart," he said, amused at the imagery.
Squall couldn't suppress a slight frown at the prospect. "You don't have a washing machine," he stated, not about to admit he had no clue how to do laundry.
"There's a laundromat a couple of blocks down."
Vaguely aware of what a laundromat was, Squall tried not to look visibly disheartened. Between Rinoa's housekeeper and Garden's cleaning staff, he'd never had to bother with such tasks before. "Right..."
Seifer grinned at Squall's poorly hidden hesitation, realization dawning that he was dealing with one very spoiled commander. "Not used to doing laundry, Princess?"
"It never came up," Squall said with a feeble shrug.
"I guess you're out of luck then…" Seifer said, more than happy to drag out Squall's misfortune. "Unless…" he said, doing his best to pretend he wasn't going to milk the opportunity for all it was worth. "You can think of some kind of… compensation."
Unsure how he felt about the blatant sexual nature of Seifer's suggestion, Squall quickly looked back at his pile of dirty clothes. It was entirely too likely he'd find himself agreeing if he held that lecherous gaze for too long. "Can't be that hard."
"Let me save you from yourself," Seifer said, certain Squall's first battle against laundry would come with casualties. "I have to swing by there anyway. Gotta deal with those sheets and run some errands. I'm sure we can think of a way for you to thank me later."
Letting out a soft huff, Squall moved to where he'd dropped the t-shirt he'd slept in and pulled it on after a halfhearted inspection. He really did need fresh clothes. If anything, his morning had shown him how little chance he stood of refusing Seifer anyway, so he might as well get the bastard to do his laundry in return. Looking Seifer's way, he nodded at the tightly sealed plastic bag that contained yesterday's bloodied training gear.
"Good luck with those," he said, his own lips curling at the corners.
Chuckling, Seifer walked over to stand right in front of the brunet. He loved the way Squall was watching him closely and didn't step away even when mere inches separated them. He stole a kiss and dragged it out.
"Believe me, I'll do my best—" he said, placing another kiss against pliant lips, "—to save your combat pants. You look sexy as hell in those." He smirked when a mystified frown tugged at Squall's brow, just like every other time he'd called the man hot or sexy. It was exactly the kind of clueless expression that begged for a very hands-on approach. Suddenly laundry was very far from his mind.
"I think I'll be taking my compensation upfront after all," he added lowly, guiding Squall onto the bed.
Author's Note: And that wraps up another chapter full of smutty goodness! They will make it out of Seifer's apartment at some point, we promise. For now it just seemed highly unlikely that Seifer would leave any opportunity un-seized :P We've had this chapter in a nearly finished state for ages, but we finally managed to put in the finishing touches and post it! We have some fun stuff lined up for coming chapters that we can't wait to write out fully, so here's to hoping the universe grants us the time to manage it. Let us know what you thought of the chapter in a review and make our day! 3