~ Chapter Forty-One - The Stowaway ~
[Wendel Township, Obel Lake's Southern Shore, Thursday, 30th of October, 8:17 pm]
The walk from Wendel's small train station to the town's center was a short one, but Squall was grateful for the opportunity to stretch his legs after another long train ride. His shoulder still had a crick in it from where Seifer's weight had leaned on him. In the end he'd nodded off as well, resulting in a sideways slump that had been uncomfortable to wake up from when the train had arrived at its terminal station. Of course Seifer had suffered none of the consequences, having no doubt slept like a baby. He looked to the man beside him, unable to feel any ire when Seifer seemed in such good spirits.
"I've been here a fair number of times already. Usually meet up with Rai and Fu in this town. It isn't much to look at, but it's a great place to strike out from. None of the tourist traps like you'll find by the northern lake shore."
Squall nodded, looking about him. He'd been to the greater Obel Lake area a few times before, but he'd never spent the night in one of the townships dotted around the continent's largest freshwater lake. Wendel was larger than Winhill and far more lively even at this time of day. As they walked through the well-lit main street, several small inns, shops and pubs touted their business with large wooden plaques. The locals were out and about, looking to enjoy the mild autumn evening. Even though he hadn't been able to spot the lake during their walk through town, the evening breeze carried the scent of the water with it.
A thriving fishing and hunting industry, as well as the untamed beauty of the surrounding forests and mountains, had turned the once impoverished area into a prosperous travel destination, but Wendel seemed to have clung to its authentic roots and had escaped the fate of the northern townships. Streets paved with packed earth, chocobos tied up beside several of the establishments they passed, raucous laughter pouring out from busily attended pubs, racks of dried fish jerky lined up outside them. This was the Galbadia from Loire's stories, the president's travel journals partly at fault for Obel Lake's rising popularity. To Squall it seemed a town like any other, albeit with slightly more odors.
"After our hunts we usually celebrate at one of the local pubs. Think I've earned myself a serious hangover in every single one on this road," Seifer said with a smirk, proud of the achievement. "Guess we'll have to find a new way to celebrate this time around."
Glancing beside him to find a lewd expression on Seifer's face, Squall realized that the type of celebration the man had in mind was not meant to include Raijin and Fujin. He returned the once-over he received with an even look, determined to raise his immunity to such lechery. After all the innuendos and outright seduction, the bastard had better make good on his promises. He missed the seclusion of Seifer's apartment, the coming days offering little in the way of privacy. Just one night at the inn, and then it would be tents for the remainder of their trip.
Halting mid-thought, he stifled a groan at the realization that he was judging accommodations by how loudly one could have sex in them.
Smirking at the almost guilty expression on Squall's face, Seifer looked around him and breathed in deeply. He loved this place and the anticipation that came with it. Days of hanging out with his friends while roughing it. The lure of the hunt and the satisfaction of taking down prey. "Can't wait to be out on the trail tomorrow. Been cooped up for too long." He glanced sideways, his gaze dropping to Lion Heart's case. "We'll have to make up for our lack of training too. Burn through some spells. Fit in a spar."
Squall eyed Seifer eagerly at the prospect. He'd gone far too long already without the rush of adrenaline that only Seifer could draw out. "I'm still ahead in our tally."
Grinning at Squall's audacity, Seifer felt even more impatient to face off against the man. "Not for long, Princess. I always fought better out in the wild."
Squall snorted at the age old excuse. "A good fighter adapts to the situation."
"And what if I said that I let you win at the palace just to get my rocks off?"
The infuriating retort had Squall keenly missing the feel of Lion Heart's weight in his hands. "Are you willing to put that theory to the test?"
"More than willing. You've always been more fun to fight when you're pissed off."
Unimpressed by the bastard's smirk, Squall vowed to rid Seifer of any delusions the man might harbor. The day he forfeited a spar in favor of sex was the day he threw away his gunblade. "Seems like you need more incentive to win," he deadpanned, determined to make Seifer pay for that bold-faced lie of his in the only language the man would understand. "First to yield loses. As for who gets their rocks off… Winner's choice."
"You planning on blue-balling me?" Seifer asked, surprised by the gumption of Squall's bet. Not so long ago the man had blanched at the mere idea of a game of Triple Triad determining whether they'd indulge in sex or blowjobs.
"I'm saying winner takes all," Squall baited, meeting Seifer's gaze. "Not up to the challenge?"
"Oh, I'm up to the challenge alright," Seifer said in amusement. There was no fucking way he'd let Squall win now. "I'll make you take my cock, come inside you, then leave you hanging. You reap what you sow, Princess."
Looking ahead with a snort, Squall fought to control the satisfied tug at the corner of his lips. He'd go all out, fight however dirty he had to, until he had Seifer eating his words. Preferably while the man was on his knees before him.
Wondering what dirty thoughts were running through Squall's head to make the man look that eager, Seifer felt the urge grow to have his way with Squall then and there. If they weren't so close to having their own room for the night, he would have led Squall down another alleyway and this time he wouldn't have let the man get away. He was still grinning at the fantasy when his gaze landed on a pub he knew all too well. He jostled Squall's side. "They have a picture up in there of Fu holding the head of a supersized Grendel. The spoils of our trip last autumn," he said, nodding his head at the worn building. "She got shitfaced, enough so to let the owner take the picture. They stuffed and mounted the Grendel's head too. Bet it's still up there on the wall, right next to the picture. Don't remind her, or she'll take off your head as well."
Squall quirked an eyebrow at the unlikely trophy. Grendels had no body parts worth scavenging, so to lob off one's head and carry it all the way back to Wendel seemed like a peculiar endeavor. "A bounty?"
"Yup, just about enough to cover our trip. That and bragging rights," Seifer said with a relaxed smile. In the two years he'd been coming here with Fu and Rai, they'd managed to make themselves known in the area. "We'll ask around tonight, see if there are any new bounties going around."
Squall nodded, unsurprised that the local bounty business was still alive and kicking. Out in the more remote parts of Galbadia people were far more likely to hire a cheap, local fighter than to commission a Garden contract. Areas like Obel Lake had no regular sweep contracts with Garden, something that was only possible because most of the nearby monster populations had little or no magic to speak of. Considering Seifer's trouble with junctioning after the war, that was most likely the reason Seifer and his friends had chosen Obel Lake to begin with.
Deeper into the primordial woodlands however things became a lot more hazardous. Even so, SeeDs were only rarely called in and when they were, it was usually when something dangerous had left its den to venture too close to the towns. "I could check with Quistis as well," he offered, curious to see how the local grapevine compared to SeeD intel.
Seifer quirked an eyebrow at the tempting prospect. "To see if there's anything more feisty in the area? I like your thinking, Commander."
"I'll call her after dinner," Squall offered, fairly certain Quistis wouldn't protest this time around. The woman was on a mission to lure Seifer back to Garden, so if there was anything A-rank roaming the area, they'd soon know about it.
"That's The Stowaway up ahead. Second inn on the right," Seifer announced when he spotted their regular inn. It had been only a few months since he'd last met up with his friends there, but he quickened his pace all the same. "Decent food, decent beds. Fu got us a room there. Double bed. They serve meals and drinks in the tavern on the ground floor. Rai and Fu might be waiting there, so prepare for your grand entrance," he added with a wink.
Squall tried not to visibly tense at the prospect as they approached The Stowaway. Seifer's good cheer suggested he was overthinking things, but now that he was actually here, on the cusp of meeting Fujin and Raijin, he couldn't help but question the wisdom of accompanying Seifer for this part of the trip. The last time he'd seen them was inside the Lunatic Pandora. Now he was intruding on a reunion of friends; none of whom had ever been his friends to begin with.
As they walked into the small reception area of the inn, a large double door stood open to their right, emitting a din of conversation and laughter, along with the smell of too many human bodies in an enclosed space. There seemed to be a merry atmosphere, bawdy enough to rival the neighboring pubs. A bright-faced woman came out to greet them, her apron and clanging ring of keys announcing her as the innkeeper.
"Welcome back to The Stowaway! I've been expecting you," she said cheerfully, immediately moving behind a small wooden desk to rustle in a cabinet with even more keys. "Your friends have settled in for a while now. The small one's none too pleased with your tardiness either. They're waiting in there," she relayed with a nod toward the adjacent room.
"I'll just have to treat her to some of your homebrew. You don't get stuff like that in Esthar," Seifer said, putting on a charming smile.
The innkeeper looked pleased with his words as she placed their room key into his hand. "I've put you up in 203, nice fresh bedding as always. If you're hungry, we've got some good beef pie tonight, and our Obel fish stew is still the best you'll find in all of Wendel," she rattled off in a pleasant tone, her Galbadian accent as thick as they got. "Just holler should you need anything."
"We will," Seifer said, nodding at the woman. If she was at all curious or scandalized about him and Squall sharing a room with a double bed, she didn't betray it in the slightest. He sent her one last warm smile before eagerly walking over to the open doors that led to the tavern, his eyes searching the room for his friends. About four tables down Fu and Rai were right in the middle of their dinner, their half empty plates and glasses placed in front of them.
"Sweet Cheeks, Beefcake!" he yelled out with a wicked smirk, startling them from their meal. "Miss me?" They immediately looked up to find him; Raijin with his usual dopey smile, and Fujin with an alacrity that betrayed her impatience. The moment their gazes trailed from him to Squall was fucking priceless.
Following Seifer further into the tavern, Squall faltered when the looks of shock on Raijin and Fujin's faces failed to soften into something more welcoming. Either unaware or unintimidated, Seifer walked up to his friends and sat down at their table with the smuggest smile he'd seen on the man yet. The brief silence in the room lifted, conversations resuming after Seifer's boisterous entrance, but both Fujin and Raijin had yet to speak a word in greeting. Fujin's one red eye was locked on him in an unyielding stare.
When Squall didn't immediately join him, Seifer looked over his shoulder and frowned at the tight expression that had found its way onto the man's features. "Come on, sit down," he said, nodding at the chair next to him.
"I'm not sure I should."
Seifer looked back over at Fujin. Her gaze had shifted to him, but there was none of her usual warmth. "Shit, Fu. Ease up." He indicated the chair next to him. "And you, sit down," he repeated over his shoulder.
As Squall reluctantly sat down beside him, he watched Fujin's good eye follow the man's every move. He had no fucking idea what her problem was, but one thing was for fucking sure, he wasn't going to put up with it. Next to her, Raijin stirred in his seat, the man looking uncomfortable as hell.
"Hey man, good to see you." Raijin cleared his throat before looking over at Squall. "You too." The loud thud underneath the table and the instant grimace on Raijin's face told Seifer that Fujin hadn't outgrown her habit of physical punishment yet.
"HIM. HERE. WHY?" Fujin demanded tersely.
Seifer narrowed his eyes. "I told you I was bringing someone along."
Fujin snorted loudly at the preposterous suggestion that Squall was the aforementioned boyfriend. "LEFT YOU. DEAD," she accused, scowling at the frown her words caused on the commander's features. If Squall had wanted to be treated with respect, he should have shown them the same courtesy back when she'd released Ellone in exchange for leniency. How wrong she'd been.
"He left to save the fucking world," Seifer spat, tensing further. "We'd all be dead if it wasn't for him."
Fujin looked between the two men, unwilling to accept any excuses for how Squall and the rest of the gang had left Seifer behind. Seifer had been a bloodied mess, on the very verge of death. "FORGIVE, HOW?"
"Nothing to forgive. He didn't start the war. Either you stop attacking him, or I promise this is not going to end well."
Ignoring Seifer's tirade, Fujin scrutinized the deeper frown that had appeared on Squall's brow. She hadn't missed the furtive glances, the way he'd flinched at her words, all further proving his culpability. It did nothing to placate her. It took a lot of gall to show up alongside Seifer like this and to assume that they would just look past everything that had happened.
Alerted by Fujin's quickly narrowing gaze, Raijin cleared his throat and interceded by waving over a waiter. "She needs a triple scotch. Neat," he said, indicating Fujin with a nod of his head, then looked at Squall. "He'll take a—" He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for Squall's request.
"...Water," came the deadpan reply.
Nodding, Raijin pointed at himself and Seifer. "Whiskies for us." He looked at Seifer and Squall. "Quite the surprise, ya know."
Ignoring Raijin, Seifer kept his eyes trained on Fujin and leaned in close. "Anything he did to me, I did a hundred times worse to him, so just lay off."
"SHE DID. NOT YOU," Fujin corrected, unable to stand Seifer talking about his part in the war like that. She had seen Seifer's guilt eat away at him, had seen it cut deeper than any of his physical injuries.
"I don't care who was to blame for what I did. It happened. And in case you fucking forgot, you were on the wrong side of the war just like me. Show some fucking respect."
"FOLLOWED YOU. PROTECT."
Seifer reeled with disbelief. If it hadn't been for his two friends, he wouldn't have survived, but that didn't mean they could treat Squall like this. "Fuck! It's in the past. Either you move beyond this or the hunt is off."
Having trouble reining in her anger, Fujin clenched her hands. The way Seifer was defending Squall and the way Squall was perpetually glancing at Seifer made her gorge rise. What Seifer had told her over the phone couldn't possibly be true.
"BOYFRIEND?"
Seifer held her gaze with an unwavering intensity. "Yes."
The woman's one eye narrowed. "RINOA?"
"They broke it off half a year ago." Even though it wasn't really any of her business, Seifer wanted her to understand. He'd expected her approval; not whatever this was.
"COUPLE. HOW LONG?"
Seifer shrugged, not really wanting to give Fujin even more to throw in his face. "Couple of weeks."
Dissecting the dart of Squall's gaze and the brief twitch to the man's frown, Fujin was quick to call Seifer out on his bullshit. "TRUTH," she demanded.
"Fuck," Seifer cursed, leaning back in his chair. "Couple of days." There was no way he was going to admit they'd only made the official decision that very same day. "What the fuck is up with you? What's with the interrogation?"
"PROTECT."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "I don't need protection." At the woman's incredulous snort, Seifer felt close to losing it. "What would I even need protection from? Squall? That's fucking ridiculous, Fu."
Refraining from a retort, Fujin tapped her fingers against the table. If Seifer wasn't going to give her any straight answers, then she'd have to try Squall. "INTENTIONS?" she demanded, looking straight at the man.
"Fuck!" Seifer swore loudly, not giving Squall any chance of answering her preposterous question. He was officially pissed off, only a second away from losing his shit. "There's no fucking way you're doing this."
"SQUALL. YOUR WEAKNESS. ALWAYS."
It had always been obvious, even back when they'd been no more than cadets. The intense way Seifer had always looked at Squall, the way he'd always granted the boy his attention above everyone else had been a dead giveaway. The derision Seifer had subjected Squall to back then had been a thinly veiled cover, but she'd never dared to call her friend out on it. When Seifer had finally announced his sexuality to them last year, she hadn't been surprised in the least. But even knowing all this, there was no way she could approve. No matter how Seifer felt, Squall would never be good enough.
"HIM. NO WAY," she said, shaking her head. She pinned Seifer down with a fierce gaze, needing him to face the truth. "SQUALL, END WAR. ONLY GOAL." Squall had always been a man of duty above all else. That's why she'd foolishly decided to trust him in the first place. "FOUGHT YOU. DESTROYED YOU," she said, the distress of the memory seeping into her voice. "NO COMPASSION. NO LOVE."
Seifer pushed up from his chair, wishing he could somehow unhear Fujin's words. Anger and pain warred in his chest, but one thing was certain. He couldn't stand to be in her company any longer. Picking up his luggage, he turned on his heels and strode away.
Unsurprised by Seifer's angry departure, Squall knew better than to call the man back. He'd watched the entire confrontation unfold with an increasingly heavy conscience, unable to blame Fujin for her blunt opinions when he mostly shared them. Turning back to Seifer's friends, he drew some consolation from the fact that Raijin at least seemed willing to take his presence in stride. The man looked more concerned than anything, but Fujin was still regarding him with open dislike.
"I'll talk to him," he announced, standing up despite Fujin's disbelieving snort. He refused to come between Seifer and his friends. Leaving his luggage by the table, he ignored the sharp feel of their gazes as he left the tavern.
Stepping outside into the chill evening air, he was overcome by a sense of déjà vu. A small distance away, Seifer had dropped his luggage onto the road and was kneading his forehead in a visible effort to calm down. Walking up to the man, he hoped he wouldn't inadvertently cross any of Seifer's boundaries this time. A glance was all he received before Seifer looked away again.
Letting out a curse, Seifer hated how fucking messed up everything had become. Fujin treating Squall like that, throwing such shit at him... It was nothing like the amused surprise and awe he'd expected. He grit his teeth. "I didn't fucking see this coming."
"I should have," Squall spoke into the cutting tension, lingering just outside of Seifer's reach.
"Why? Don't tell me you actually agree with any of that crap."
Squall tried not to frown. Despite Winhill, it seemed that Seifer still had a stubbornly huge blind spot when it came to his part in the war. "She's not wrong," he stated evenly. "I did what she accuses me of."
Refusing to acknowledge Squall's words, Seifer looked away. "You don't mean that."
Squall forced himself to speak despite the uncharacteristic lack of emotion to Seifer's reply. "It's the truth. I won't let you push your friends away because of it."
Seifer shook his head. "Adel was on you right away. There was no time for you to stop."
It was a tempting excuse, but Squall refused to take the easy way out. If he wanted Seifer to truly accept him, then the man had to accept all of him, his worst mistakes included. Anything less wouldn't cut it. "A Curaga doesn't take long to cast," he countered with a shake of the head, his throat constricting. He looked back at the inn, to where the man's two protective friends waited. "I owe them a debt. They saved you when I didn't. When I should have."
"My life wasn't yours to save. You don't owe them anything," Seifer retorted immediately. After D-District he couldn't blame Squall for anything at all.
Squall winced at the words that betrayed just how lowly Seifer valued his own life, even now. "Your life should've been a priority from the start," he said firmly, stepping closer and willing Seifer to face him. "I failed you. You need to accept that fact."
Frustrated at the hurt that was steadily building in his chest, Seifer took a deep breath. Back when Squall had fought him with a steely-eyed gaze, it hadn't fazed him in the slightest. Under Ultimecia's influence, he'd been crazed with the determination to win and hadn't given his old sparring partner any leeway himself. It was only now that he was finally starting to feel the sting of Squall's past lack of faith. "What difference does it make? It won't change anything."
"If you can't acknowledge I failed you, I can't ever get your forgiveness."
Searching Squall's gaze at the quietly spoken admission, Seifer realized that the man was being serious. He recalled Squall's heated words back at Ellone's place; the way he'd spoken about saving him then as well. He wanted to repeat that Squall hadn't done anything that required his forgiveness, but everything about Squall's demeanor told him the opposite was true. Squall needed this, as much as he'd needed Squall's faith in him. He took a step closer, the words that would absolve Squall rising to his lips. "I for—"
"Don't," Squall deadpanned, hating that Seifer would placate him over something as important as this. "I don't want empty words," he warned with a frown. "However you feel in the end, I can handle it."
Seifer fell silent at Squall's words. He couldn't think of anything to say to make Squall think otherwise. There was nothing left to add when Squall wouldn't accept his forgiveness nor the simple fact that his life hadn't been the man's responsibility in the first place.
Forcing himself to relax when Seifer didn't say anything else, Squall drew in a deep breath and looked back to the inn. "We should go back inside."
Following Squall's gaze, Seifer wasn't eager to return to his friends' side. He wanted them to be able to hang out as usual and for them to accept Squall, but he was fresh out of goodwill after how Fujin had treated Squall. "I'm not going to play nice if she talks to you like that again."
"I don't need you to defend me," Squall said firmly, not about to point out he'd already heard far worse from Seifer. "She's concerned. Give her time." Softening his tone, he added, "We needed time as well."
Realizing the truth to Squall's words, Seifer sighed. "Shit, can't you let me take the easy way out just once?"
Squall raised an eyebrow at the self-pitying line. "I thought you said I was going too soft on you," he reminded as he turned on his heels. "Let's go."
Running a hand through his hair, Seifer steeled himself before picking up the luggage he'd dropped and following Squall inside. He should've guessed the man would force him to deal with this, just as with everything else. He couldn't help but feel childishly peeved as he was led back inside the tavern, to the table he'd stormed away from.
Raijin looked subdued, and Fujin like she could definitely do with the triple scotch placed in front of her. As they walked over, neither of the pair stirred. They just watched their approach in silence. The stern and foreboding glint to Fujin's eyes had lessened at least. Letting out a heavy sigh, he sat back down at the table and leaned back into his chair. "So. He thinks you're right. I don't, but he does. So here we are."
Fujin quirked an eyebrow and looked over at Squall. She hadn't expected Squall to try and intercede on their behalf, let alone succeed. If she'd learned anything from her past fights with Seifer, it was that they both needed a long time to cool their heads afterwards. She frowned at the illogic of Squall's actions. If the man agreed with her even remotely, then what did he stand to gain from convincing Seifer to stay? How could he even bring himself to sit there, expecting their forgiveness? Growing certain all over again that his ass wasn't worth their time of day, she grit her teeth and held her tongue. Raijin was eyeing her nervously, but she knew Seifer wouldn't stick around a second time if she said what was truly on her mind.
"UNDERSTOOD," she relented grudgingly.
Seifer didn't say anything in return. The awkward silence that fell around them was unlike any of their usual interactions. After the war there'd been plenty of strained silences, but over time they'd turned into companionable ones again. He sighed, hating to think back on that time and just how much he owed the pair. He knew better than to disregard their concern for him, but there was no way he'd relent in this. They owed Squall everything. Eyeing the tumbler of whiskey with an annoyed frown, he wished he could take a long draught. This was going to be way harder than he'd imagined. With a brisk move, he placed his glass in front of Raijin and waved down the waiter.
"Water," he ordered when the man came over. Watching as one of Fujin's eyebrows rose high again, he waited for the waiter to leave. "Gave it up," he said with a shrug.
Not missing the way Seifer's gaze lingered on the glass he'd refused, Fujin suspected there had to be a very good reason why the man had laid off the booze. He'd always had a weakness for the stuff and when he'd been staying with them just after the war it had quickly become his way of dealing with anything that cut too close to home. Those had been some of the hardest moments to witness. That and the man's heavy guilt, even if he'd never spoken about it. They hadn't even known if he'd pull through at first, the man's mind trapped in the past, reliving memories of the war. She wanted Squall to know, wanted to make him feel just a fraction of the heavy burden Seifer had carried with him every day since the war. About to lift her glass, she thought better of the impulse and stayed her hand. She'd stand by Seifer's side. Always.
Unable to take the heavy silence any further, Raijin cleared his throat. "So, erm, been a while, ya know." He'd never really spent any time with Squall in the past, so he had absolutely no clue how to talk to the man. "You still at Balamb?"
When three gazes settled on him with varying degrees of friendliness and hostility, Squall battled the age old instinct to simply walk away. "I'm still based there," he replied, skirting the issue of his current lack of accommodation.
"Sounds like Garden is doing well, ya know. Always hear about SeeDs being called in. Must be making a fortune."
Unsure what to do with such a general statement, Squall forced himself to make an effort. "We do well enough."
"Same here. Kept busy, still do mercenary stuff. Odd jobs for the local construction companies as well."
Squall nodded. "Seifer told me."
When no more words were forthcoming, Raijin realized this was going to be quite a different trip to what he'd imagined when they'd first set out from home. One of the world's most taciturn men accompanying them. A man who also happened to be the world's most renowned fighter. And Seifer's boyfriend apparently. He downed a good third of his whiskey.
Regarding Raijin with a stern eye, Fujin plucked the glass of whiskey from his hand and placed it off to the side, along with the other two glasses of alcohol. "RESPECT," she said, nodding at Seifer.
Surprised by Fujin's choice, Seifer felt some of his resentment at her earlier behavior start to slip away. She'd always supported him no matter what, and as Squall had pointed out, she'd need time to adjust. "None of you have to stop drinking on my account," he stated plainly.
Fujin nodded tersely, while Raijin tapped his fingers on the table, the man clearly uncertain of what to do. Taking pity on his two friends, he picked a harmless topic for now. He'd go insane if he'd have to put up with this strained silence for much longer. "You reserved the chocobos?"
"Yeah, sorted it out this afternoon. They're all ready to go. Waiting for us at the stables."
"So we'll head out early?"
"Yeah, man," Raijin agreed. "Just need a plan of attack."
"No rumors yet?"
"There are a few that lead to an area up west, but no bounties."
"Squall will check in with Garden. See if they have any intel we can use."
Quirking an eyebrow at Seifer's casual mention of Garden, Raijin figured the two had to have come to an arrangement somehow. Either Garden knew, but didn't care about Seifer and his posse, or more likely, Squall was keeping his current company a secret. He nodded, trusting Seifer's judgment. "We'll play it by ear then. See where the morning takes us."
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"We brought along some gear for you," Raijin added, looking at Squall. "A rifle and skinning knife."
Grateful for the neutral conversation after all the tension, Squall nodded his thanks.
"I'll show you how to use it," Seifer supplied smoothly, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Sending Seifer an even look, Squall was certain there was a stab at his ineptitude in that offer somewhere. He remembered the arrangement Seifer had told him about well enough; how the worst hunter ended up with cooking duty.
At Fujin's quirked eyebrow and Squall's silent warning not to run his mouth, Seifer had to elaborate. "He's never hunted game before, never even skinned an animal. You're looking at our brand new chef."
"That smirk doesn't inspire much faith, ya know," Raijin said with a shake of his head.
"Don't worry. If we end up starving because of these two, they'll just have to make it up to us."
Raijin let out a low chuckle, even more amused when he heard movement underneath the table and spotted the grimace of pain on Seifer's face.
Recovering quickly from the pain radiating up from his shin, Seifer smirked even more widely. "Keep the reprimands to your side of the table, Fu. You don't want to feel the wrath of my new guardian." He'd forever flaunt the fact, regardless of his audience.
Blinking at the wildly bizarre remark, stated with pride of all things, Raijin quickly kept up the banter when he spotted Fujin's one eye twitch with annoyance. "We'll hold you accountable, ya know, if it isn't edible." Seifer's look of mischief warned him Squall's cooking wouldn't be that much of a step up from Fujin's. "No offense or nothin'," he said, turning his gaze to Squall. "Seifer just isn't selling it very well."
"You know I'll take pity on all your asses and cook for us after the first bout of food poisoning. Maybe even after the first night of tossing our dinner into the bushes."
"Hey man, I can hold my own. You've never complained about any of my dishes," Raijin said emphatically.
"Only your old lady's," Seifer countered, his glee resurfacing from teasing the pair. "I guess we'll find out who's the worse cook." Next to him, Squall looked mightily unimpressed. "You haven't cooked for me yet, have you?" he baited, addressing the man with a broadening smile. "And no, coffee doesn't count."
Giving Seifer an even look, Squall was feeling less and less embarrassed at the prospect of presenting Seifer with his cooking. At this rate, the bastard deserved a case of food poisoning. Even so, the exchange would've heartened him if it hadn't been for Fujin's silence. The woman sat quietly observing them, making him feel uncomfortable under the weight of her scrutiny.
"Who knows, maybe you'll surprise us," Seifer continued smoothly. "I'm sure it can't be that bad." Hell, he might even fake liking it, if it would make Squall more likely to join him for some rough fun in their tent afterwards. He grinned as an idea occurred to him. "How about a new rule to spice things up," he started, already looking forward to putting his cunning plan into effect. "The first one to down the day's prey gets to choose the chef."
"DEAL."
"Whatever floats your boat, ya know?"
Squall narrowed his eyes, Fujin's deliberate tone a tad more worrisome than Raijin's happy shrug. It had been a long time since the posse had ganged up on him at Seifer's request, let alone over something as inane as Seifer wanting to poke fun at his cooking. He had no doubt all three would appoint him as the evening's chef in the event of his failure. He let out an unintimidated snort. "Whatever."
Unable to tear her gaze away from the wide grin that grew on Seifer's face, Fujin was more than a little apprehensive about the way Seifer was devouring Squall with his eyes, as if the man was dinner rather than the hoped for chef. She tried not to glower when Seifer asked if Squall was hungry, immediately making suggestions for what they could order when the commander nodded.
It felt scandalous to watch Seifer fawn over Squall like that, but the most infuriating part was the bland expressions that Squall met Seifer with. Was Seifer so blinded by his old obsession that he would just willingly take whatever scraps of attention Squall felt like doling out? Baffled, she wished Seifer had warned her beforehand and had tried to make her understand. None of it made any sense. When Raijin's large hand came to rest on her leg in a silent show of support, she wanted to push it aside as usual, hating unnecessary displays of affection, only she couldn't bring herself to.
"So, what've you been up to?"
Pulled from her thoughts by Seifer's question, she refocused her attention on the conversation at hand. A waiter was walking away from their table with another food order, which meant that she'd have to sit through the unlikely couple's dinner. Stifling a groan, she replied, "PRACTICE."
"Weapon's practice? Stamina? Or kicking Raijin's ass?"
"RAIJIN EASY," Fujin said with a stern frown, ignoring the snort that sounded next to her. "WEAPONS."
Seifer nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Which reminds me. I got your new babies with me." He knew Fujin had been looking forward to getting her hands on the smaller pair of dual-wielded chakram since the moment she'd shown him her rough sketch. "Time to get good with both hands." At the eager look that broke through Fujin's tight expression, he leaned down to fish the leather wrapped chakram out of his bag and handed them to her. He watched as she slowly unwrapped and revealed the weapons he'd been rushing to finish just days ago.
Running her fingers along the flawless circles made of steel, Fujin held her breath at the intricate inlay. An azure and navy blue pattern swirled seamlessly along the inner rim of both chakram. The outer edges were sleek and spikeless, yet dangerously sharp. They were simple, but beautiful, while light and small. Exactly what she'd wanted. She nodded her gratitude.
"You're welcome, Sweet Cheeks."
For once Fujin let the nickname slide even if the weapons were an obvious ploy to get her to lower her guard. "IMPRESSED," she spoke at length. Seifer's skill was impeccable. It was hard to believe he had only been Arc's apprentice for less than two years. He was a natural, and judging by the way he talked about his trade with pride, he'd finally found his place in life. Nothing like the endless complaints they'd had to suffer through during their time at Garden. "NEW BLADE?"
Shaking his head, Seifer smiled. "Still working on the technical drawings. Haven't managed much since Squall showed up," he said, sending Squall a roguish smirk. "He's been staying at my place."
A crease returned on Fujin's brow at the lechery lurking in that statement. Even worse was what Seifer had actually said. "HOW?"
"It's quite simple, Fu. He brought over some of his stuff and slept in my bed."
About to pop a fuse, Fujin groused out her reply. "IDIOT." The idea of Seifer and Squall sharing Seifer's apartment, being intimate and Hyne knew what else, just refused to form in her mind. Ever since coming out, Seifer had proven himself to be a hedonist through and through. He would not be satisfied if he wasn't getting laid. She glanced at Squall, unimpressed by the discomfited expression that met her. "ANSWER," she demanded of the blond.
Thoroughly enjoying having shocked his friend, Seifer embellished the truth. "We stumbled into each other at a nightclub, made amends. One thing led to another."
Fujin snorted at the thought of Seifer putting the moves on Squall at a club. "RIDICULOUS." She looked over at Squall, knowing he'd at least refute if it wasn't true. "CONFIRM?"
More than a little uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking, Squall cursed Seifer's wagging tongue. "More or less," he forced himself to reply, unwilling to either lie or elaborate.
"ABSURD," Fujin said with a shake of the head.
Privately agreeing with Fujin's assessment, Raijin was grateful for the interruption when their waiter stepped up to their table and served two plates of fish stew. He would normally respond to Seifer's outrageous statements by taking the man down a notch, retorting in kind, but his brain froze up at the mere thought of Seifer and Squall shacking up together. It didn't seem real.
He couldn't blame Fujin for her outrage. She'd never forgiven Squall or the others who had fought Seifer at the end. She'd sat by Seifer's bedside for weeks when the man had been healing, reassuring him as much as she could with her mere presence. He'd often been kept awake by Seifer's pained voice next door when the man had spoken through fever fuelled dreams.
It was beyond surreal to watch the natural ease with which Seifer and Squall interacted now. As if they'd always been like this, as if there hadn't been any animosity between them throughout their teenage years. There was a definite fondness in Seifer's eyes as the two men started to dig into their food. "Did you two ever, ya know, hook up back at Garden?"
Amused Raijin had the guts to even ask the question, Seifer was going to give as good as he got. "Rivals by day, fuck buddies by night? That what you're asking?"
"I guess," Raijin said, curious enough to ignore Fujin's glare.
"Would've been a sweet fucking life, huh, Princess?" Seifer sent Squall a lopsided smile, only to chuckle at the downward curl to Squall's lips. He looked back over at Raijin. "But no, we didn't. Never put my hands on him. Wish he'd fucking seduced me back then, but no such luck. Guess it's good he came along again when he did, when I was able to fully appreciate his ass."
Eyebrows twitching at the crude language, Squall was unamused by Seifer painting him in the role of the seducer. He didn't know what the bastard's intentions were, but now Fujin and Raijin were looking at him as if he'd sprouted a second head. "Tone it down."
"Sure thing, Love," Seifer said, about to burst at the seams with glee.
"Don't call me that," Squall warned lowly, reminded of the last time Seifer had used the nickname, when everything had still been so raw after their night on Avalanche. Just like then, it was no more than an insincere ploy to get a rise out of others. "This isn't a joke to me."
Alerted by the man's chill tone, Seifer was quick to backtrack. "Shit, I know, Princess." Of course Squall would hate him playing their relationship for laughs. The man was nothing if not serious, even about this. About them. A thrill of realization shot through him at the thought. That was why Squall had been so pissed off the other time as well. He'd been joking, when Squall might have been looking for something real.
Squall glanced Seifer's way only to be met by a broad smile. His annoyance was quick to deflate in the face of such disarming cheek. He ducked his eyes back down to his food, uncomfortably aware of the gazes that had followed their exchange with rapt attention. Feigning indifference, he resumed eating.
Reeling at what had just transpired, Fujin couldn't take her eyes off the two former rivals. Somehow the use of those nicknames hadn't ended up with the pair of them chasing each other down with their gunblades. That's how it had worked in the past, the nickname 'Princess' one of Seifer's surefire ways to get a rise out of Squall. Today it hadn't caused much of a stir, if any. The much more intimate nickname 'Love' had been the one to get the brunet's ire going, and then only because Seifer had said it in jest. It was too much for her to take in.
Seeing the shock plain on Fujin's features. Raijin cleared his throat nervously. "Man, I shouldn't have asked, but it's just, ya know, you seem very familiar and all."
"WHIPPED," Fujin chimed in loudly, causing Raijin to cringe.
Seifer shrugged, unfazed by the accusation he'd already heard a couple of times by now. "And what if I am?"
Fujin furrowed her brow, not liking where this was going at all. For Seifer to say something like that meant things had to be serious between the two men indeed. But how had that happened? When? They'd only been together for a couple of days.
"NO DRINKING. WHY?" she demanded, suddenly very intrigued by the correlation between Seifer's new resolution and the man by his side.
"Because I can be a bastard when I'm drunk."
"AGREED," Fujin said with an assessing eye. "RECENT?"
"Well guessed. I'm done being an ass to the people I care about. That and spooning Squall in bed is a thousand times better than passing out in a ditch somewhere. Smells way better too."
"Shit, you've got it bad, man," Raijin said with a low chuckle.
Squall set down his fork in favor of pinching the bridge of his nose. "Seifer."
"What? It's the truth."
Faced with Seifer's far too relaxed attitude, Squall realized the brief peck in front of Ellone had been no more than a tame prelude. His stomach flipped uncomfortably every time the man opened his mouth. How could Seifer be so confident when his every word was met with incredulity and scorn? Fujin's opinion of him only seemed to worsen with each statement.
Fujin watched closely as Squall forewent any further complaints, the man still not deviating from his uncharacteristically tolerant reactions. At least she wouldn't have to endure this for much longer, both Seifer and Squall's plates nearly empty. It was torture to sit through and Seifer's tactic was so transparent she almost rolled her eyes. By inundating them with the most outrageous remarks he could think of, he was trying to get them used to the idea of him and Squall together. As if that would ever happen.
She'd just have to find a way to deal with it all that wouldn't end up with her pushing Seifer away. There was no way she would jeopardize her friendship with him over Squall. And Seifer still seemed confident they would have a good time, had already been talking about their hunt as if everything would proceed as planned. Just with the slight difference that Squall would be present for it all. She tried to subdue her bitterness at this new addition to their trip, to what was supposed to be their time. She'd just have to ignore the man as much as she could.
"So, what's new with you guys?" Seifer asked in between two mouthfuls of food. "Did you get that fishing boat you were talking about?"
"Nah, man, couldn't find anything worth while. Only rust buckets or ones where the timber was rotting up. Gonna save up a bit more and try again next year."
"Still planning on taking that trip round the northern isles?"
"Yeah, mapped out a route and everything. Just have to get the boat."
"Well, good luck. Can't wait to come see it."
"You'll have to drop by Dollet sometime soon, ya know. See what I've done with the place."
"What, you managed to fit in even more shelves?" Seifer asked with a teasing smirk, looking over to Fujin for confirmation. Sure enough, the woman rolled her one eye and nodded. Their place had always been cramped, but somehow Raijin always managed to fit in another shelf for his ever increasing collection of tools, materials and trinkets.
"FIVE," Fujin said with a huff, causing Raijin to scratch at the back of his neck in embarrassment.
Squall tuned out Raijin's excuses as he quickly finished the last few bites of his meal. It was the perfect opportunity to duck out and catch a moment of reprieve. Seifer could probably do with some time alone with his friends, and the less he had to listen to the man's scandalous remarks, the better. He moved to push up from his chair. "I'll give Quistis that call."
"Wait." Halting Squall by the shoulder before the man was fully out of his seat, Seifer tugged Squall close enough to plant a kiss on unsuspecting lips. He smiled as Squall stood awkwardly frozen before remembering to straighten all the way. "Say hi for me," he said with a smirk, unrepentant.
Smoothing over the slight frown that had made its way onto his brow, Squall didn't dare glance Fujin and Raijin's way as he turned away from the table. Damn that bastard for making him feel like a blushing wallflower. How was he supposed to handle this for several days in a row? Would he just grow numb to it in the end, as he had with the nicknames? Little chance of that, considering Seifer's kisses still managed to set his stomach aflutter.
He gave his scowl free reign the moment he was out of their sight, adding speed to his walk out to the street. The moment he emerged outside, he took a deep breath of the fresh evening air and tried to loosen the tension that had crept into his back and shoulders. Fujin's disapproval was like a physical force, pushing him out of the room.
Reaching for his phone with a sigh, he huffed at the thought that a phone call with Quistis was the more relaxing option and started thumbing through the multitude of notifications that had apparently come through the moment they'd arrived in Wendel. There was a message from Ellone, asking if they'd arrived okay, and several messages from Loire that he didn't bother reading. Rinoa had sent one too, asking for an update. Thumbing to the next message, he frowned when his gaze landed on Seifer's name.
- Message from Seifer / 8:28 am / Come back right fucking now. Don't you dare fucking leave. –
He stared at the words that brought their morning right back to the forefront of his thoughts. Seifer had tried to reach him. The anger that had preceded the man's attack leaped up at him from the screen. It drained him of the evening's frustration, leaving him feeling tired and strangely chastised. The slightest difference in events and he would've been on his way back to Balamb, alone. His fretting over unwarranted kisses and lewd remarks seemed foolish in comparison.
He'd chosen this, he reminded himself. He'd chosen Seifer and all that entailed. He'd promised to stay.
Firming his resolve, he deleted the message and navigated to Quistis's phone number.
"Squall? I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon," came the quick greeting, his call answered after only a few rings. Quistis's voice was laced with apprehension as she cut straight to the point. "How did it go? Did you prove your theory?"
"We did," Squall confirmed, leaning back against The Stowaway's facade. "He's innocent, and now he knows it."
He could hear Quistis take a deep, shaky breath before she replied. "Thank Hyne for that... How is he dealing?"
Squall considered what to say without lying outright. "Better today."
"Can't have been easy," Quistis said quietly, for once not asking for more details as they both fell silent for a while. "Are you still in Winhill?"
"We left this morning. We just met up with Fujin and Raijin in Wendel."
"Good. Might help to get him out of his own head a bit."
"Maybe." He'd hoped the same, until the reality of their actual arrival. He could only pray that Fujin and Raijin would come around to the idea of having him around. Leaving was no longer an option; not if he didn't want to hurt Seifer again.
"… Things aren't going well then?"
Letting out a sigh, Squall glanced back at The Stowaway's entrance. "He didn't warn them I was coming along."
"I can see how that might've made things awkward," came the careful reply. "Those three have always been a tight clique."
Squall raised a hand to knead his brow. "It's fine," he downplayed. "We're setting out in the morning. I could use a good lead."
"Now that I can do!" Quistis replied with a sudden enthusiasm that caught him off guard. "… Actually, not right now. I'm still at the palace. It's been one private meeting after the other. I'm on my way to meet with Farkas right now, but I'll look into it once I'm done. I'll message you the intel before morning. Obel Lake, right? Are you hiking?"
"Chocobos and tents. We can make good time while tracking."
"Okay, I'll see what I can find," she promised readily, with none of the suspicion that had accompanied their recent phone calls. "Obel Lake isn't exactly a hotbed of monster activity, but I might as well make use of you guys while you're out there."
"I don't care about pay or commissions. Just find something good."
Quistis huffed with amusement. "Yes, Sir."
Feeling a familiar stab of guilt at asking so much of the woman, Squall wondered if she was getting any sleep at all. "How are the meetings going?"
"Ah, well, you know. The usual," came her disgruntled reply. "I've finally made some headway with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and I think Farkas will come around when I get him alone. Give me another week or two and we can put it to a vote."
Squall raised an eyebrow. "So soon?"
"All we need is a majority," Quistis said confidently. "It's easier to smoke out their real concerns and demands when I have them one on one. Most of them can see the benefits after I lay it out for them in person. The only problem is Zautra and his cohorts. They're refusing to even see me."
"Don't waste your time on them."
"...You're probably right."
A brief sigh sounded over the phone, causing Squall to frown. "What is it?"
"I've tried to make some covert inquiries, but they've closed ranks. …I think they're up to something."
"Up to what?"
"His lobby is being unusually silent. Too silent," Quistis replied warily. "It's not Zautra's style to bide his time. And there's been a few articles about Garden in the Estharian media that aren't too flattering. Mostly op eds, nothing major, but the timing is too conspicuous to be mere coincidence and they're starting to get some traction. Laguna's refusing to use his influence to get to the bottom of who's behind them. Free speech and all that. But I can make a good enough guess." The woman took a deep breath before laying out her final suspicion. "I think Zautra knows he's losing votes. So he's trying to work public opinion instead. I need to force an early vote, before he can put whatever plan he's hatching into motion."
Squall scowled at the convoluted tactics and foul play of politics. At least he had Quistis to navigate it all. He himself would never have the patience or tolerance for any of it. "Keep a close eye on him."
"I'm on it," the woman promised firmly. "Rest assured. Our ship won't sink on my watch."
Squall couldn't help a quirk to his lips at Quistis's intensity. "I wouldn't trust anyone else at the helm."
"Glad to hear it."
Hearing the smile in her reply, Squall knew all too well how lucky he was to have a right hand like Quistis. Her insight and contributions were priceless, central to Garden's recent success. "Thanks. For everything."
"Of course. You can count on me. For now, just focus on your recovery. And Seifer's. Look after him for me, will you?"
Snorting at the unnecessary request, he pushed back from the wall. "You know I will. Bye, Quistis."
"Bye, Squall. Do try to have some fun while you're out there."
Lowering his phone when Quistis hung up, Squall was relieved all over again that they'd managed to clear the air. Throughout the many months of hiding the truth from her, he'd gotten accustomed to being plagued by a certain level of apprehension and uneasy guilt whenever they spoke; none of it her fault. Its sudden absence was a considerable weight off his shoulders, and he promised himself that soon there would be no more secrets clouding their friendship at all.
Next time he saw her face to face, he'd tell her about Seifer and him, along with the rest of his friends. He could only hope their reactions would be better than Fujin's. He wasn't sure what he'd do if they'd meet the same resistance with them as they had here. He cared little about people disapproving of himself, but he doubted Seifer would handle rejection like that well. Not a second time, not from the very people he'd grown up with.
Letting out a deep sigh, he decided to cross that bridge when they came to it. He was done with worrying about other people's opinions for the night. No matter what anyone else did or said, his feelings wouldn't change.
He pocketed his phone and moved to sit down on an abandoned hitching post for chocobos. It wasn't the most comfortable perch, but it was quiet out here. The earlier bustle had died down to the occasional passerby, no one bothering him as he sat staring up at the night sky. He wanted to go wherever his feet would take him and empty his head, but not enough to face Balamb Garden's former Disciplinary Committee just yet. Boyfriends, as he understood it, weren't supposed to disappear into the night without a word of explanation.
He snorted at himself for the thought. Things used to be easier back when he was walking away and burning bridges on a daily basis.
Easier, but not necessarily better.
~ o ~
[The Stowaway, Wendel Township, Thursday, 30th of October, 9:42 pm]
Fujin's thoughts were miles away from Seifer and Raijin's animated conversation. She'd heard Raijin's detailed plans for their epic boating trip a hundred times before, and while she usually loved to listen to his enthusiastic ramblings, she was far more preoccupied with the other exasperating man in her life.
Seifer was laughing and jostling Raijin good-naturedly. As if nothing odd was going on and he hadn't just brought along the unlikeliest of boyfriends. She couldn't get the disturbing visual of the two men kissing out of her head. Or rather, the one-sided kiss Seifer had inflicted on Squall. Squall's lukewarm reactions and outright warnings were a far cry from the loving relationship she'd hoped to see when Seifer had mentioned a boyfriend. To think she'd actually been happy to hear he'd finally found someone he was invested in enough to bring along for one of their trips. She'd even thought she had known whom she'd be meeting.
"BOYFRIEND," she cut in ruthlessly, drawing both men's gazes. "EXPECTED ESTHARIAN."
Seifer sighed at the abrupt end to the relaxed conversation, no matter how predictable. Fujin was about as subtle and patient as a raging bull, especially when she had something on her mind. "So we're back to that, huh?" he said with a roll of his eyes. He should've seen her question coming. Calder was the only person he'd ever mentioned aside from Arc, and he'd never bothered keeping the exact nature of his friendship with the man a secret. "Calder was fun, sure, but he never blew my mind like Squall does." Seeing the crease in Fujin's brow deepen, the beginnings of a protest forming on her lips, he doubled down. "I know it doesn't make any kind of sense, Squall and me. But it just feels fucking right. I've never wanted to be with anyone like this. I'm not interested in random fucktoys anymore. Just him."
Raijin shook his head in amusement again. "Definitely got it bad."
"UNHEALTHY," Fujin chimed in.
Seifer grinned unrepentantly. "Sure doesn't feel that way to me."
Wishing she could somehow understand what the hell had happened, Fujin looked at Seifer imploringly "WHY HIM? WHY SQUALL?"
"You said it yourself. It's always been there," Seifer said with a shrug. "Just took a while to figure it out. Never had any fucking idea he wanted it too." The climbing arch to Fujin's eyebrow was a clear indicator that the woman still wasn't buying any of it. "Why would he be here then, tonight, on this trip, if he didn't have a stake in this?"
"TRAP," Fujin accused bluntly.
"Shit Fu, don't be ridiculous. If Squall wanted me in a cell, I would've fucking been there already, together with both of your asses. He's here because he wants to be." Realizing that his friends couldn't possibly know everything that had happened, everything he had just recently learned as well, he spoke more softly. "No one's after us. There was a treaty after the war. A general exemption article. All hush hush. Anyone acting under her command has been absolved. All the big nations signed it. Galbadia, Esthar, even Garden. We're off the hook."
"SERIOUS?" Fujin demanded.
"Why would I lie about something like that? There's no reward on our heads. No order to capture us. We're free to do as we like."
"Squall told you this?" Raijin asked, his heart thudding fast with excitement.
"Yup, and before you start to doubt him, it's the truth," Seifer said quickly. "Think about it. How else did I manage to live in Esthar for two years without getting arrested? I applied for residency with my real name."
Fujin frowned at the stupidity of such a move. "FOOL."
"I didn't want to hide," Seifer said with a shrug, downplaying the choice he'd made. Back then getting arrested had seemed preferable at times over working up the will to start a whole new life.
Raijin couldn't quell his elation. He shared another look with Fujin, unable to believe their luck. "We never registered outside of Garden, ya know? With our real names," he explained eagerly. "Meant we could never make things official."
"What things?" Seifer asked with a frown.
Rolling her good eye when a moronic grin spread on Raijin's lips, Fujin looked over at Seifer. Going by the blond's clueless expression, she'd have to spell things out for the dumbass. "MARRIAGE."
Unable to fully process the word Fujin had just spoken, Seifer's eyebrows shot up. He'd never expected Fujin to agree to something like that, but it didn't sound like this topic was new to the two. In fact, he was getting quite the vibe that this was something they'd decided a long time ago. "You've been planning on getting hitched?"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"And you're accusing me of being whipped?" Seifer asked with a wide smile, truly happy at the news. There was something comforting about knowing his two best friends would always stick together, married of all things. "When did you decide?"
"After that mercenary job in Altair that went south. But I always knew, man. Wanted to make sure Fu knew too though. That if things had been different, I would've asked her already. If it'd been an option, ya know."
"Then I guess congratulations are in order, guys," Seifer said, gesturing at the glasses filled with whiskey and scotch. "Go for it." When his friends relented and grabbed their drinks, both of them radiating excitement, Seifer raised his glass of water in a toast and smiled warmly at the pair. "To Beefcake and Sweet Cheeks."
Setting her drained glass back down on the table with a satisfying smack, Fujin finally felt herself relax. For just one moment, things felt right, the three of them sitting together and the mood good. "TO US."
"Next thing you'll be telling me there'll be offspring coming along soon," Seifer said with a lopsided smile.
Fujin shook her head adamantly while Raijin coughed nervously by her side. "NEGATIVE," she said, but the idiot next to her just shrugged with a giddy smile. There was no way she was going to grow a parasite inside her, shoot it out of her vagina and then spend the better part of the coming years looking after it. No fucking way.
Laughing at the altercation, Seifer grinned. "Doesn't look like Rai is quite in agreement there, Sweet Cheeks."
Spotting Fujin's red eye looking like it was about to catch on fire from pure anger, Seifer chuckled then looked over at Raijin. "Might wanna watch your bits," he warned the bulky man.
"She's too fond of them, man," Raijin teased as well, then held back a groan at the harsh impact of Fujin's left boot against his shin.
"Shit, I know," Seifer said. "Can't count the number of times I've had to listen to you guys going at it in the tent. Fucking gross. At least this time there's a pretty good chance of payback," he added with a lewd smile. "Just wait until you hear the Commander come. Sexiest fucking moans ever." Just thinking about it was getting him hot.
The near-choking sound that left Fujin along with the woman's face turning a ghastly white fueled Seifer's glee to no end. "Believe it or not but yours truly even persuaded him to get down and dirty in a public place. At the Palace no less."
"PALACE?" Fujin demanded, Seifer's words sounding more and more deranged by the minute. Unfortunately she knew there was always a kernel of truth to Seifer's grand statements.
"That's a long story," Seifer said as he realized just where this conversation was leading. "Too fucking long for tonight. You guys need to get going on your celebration and I need to go track down one very irresistible Commander."
Fujin both snorted and rolled her eyes. "BLUEWHISTLE. MINE."
"You sure you don't want to hear those sweet sounds?"
Grimacing at the mere thought, Fujin wasn't going to listen to any more of Seifer's crap. "REGROUP. MORNING."
Seifer nodded. "Sure. I'll go snuggle up with Princess while you guys celebrate." He would have loved to go out with them, but mixing Squall and these two for a night of fun seemed like a recipe for disaster. And Fujin and Raijin definitely needed to have a night to celebrate. "Make tonight a memorable one," he added, holding up his glass of water.
"Of course man, we will. Great news, ya know?" Raijin said with a wide grin, bringing up his own glass for another toast.
"See you tomorrow morning then," Seifer said, finishing his glass of water. "Meet up at eight o'clock?"
Fujin nodded, just as Raijin spoke up. "We'll ask around. Check out the pubs tonight, see if we can dig up any more intel."
"Sounds like a plan," Seifer agreed, grabbing his own things as well as the luggage Squall had left behind. "Night." He sent his friends one last nod and headed out into the lobby, feeling surprisingly at ease considering how the evening had started off. He'd miss hanging out with them tonight, but he sure as hell would enjoy some alone time with Squall as well. He'd definitely be able to change their minds about Squall. They just needed time. Just like Squall had said.
Looking down at the room key he'd managed to fish out of his pocket with laden arms, he glanced at the number inscribed on it and headed up to the second floor. The upstairs floors were just as rustic as the ground floor was, with thick wooden floorboards and paneled walls throughout. When he unlocked the third door on the right, he stepped into a room that was a clean variant of standard Wendel fare. No road dust or dirt, no vermin, and freshly laundered linens. The innkeeper ran a tight ship and while the sparsely decorated room lacked the homely feel of Ellone's guest room, it made up for it with the gloriously big bed that stood against the far wall, perfect for the reprieve Squall and him needed. He couldn't wait to spend the rest of their night here, just the two of them. But first he'd have to find Squall.
Setting down their luggage, he left the room again and locked the door behind him. Back when they'd been teenagers, it had always been an annoying habit of Squall's to wander off and lose himself to thought. Considering how the man had left Odine's lab not so long ago, it seemed the habit had stuck. Hopefully his friends hadn't managed to scare Squall off completely. Only one way to find out.
Heading down the stairs, he felt an unparalleled level of anticipation. One he could only ascribe to being completely fucking nuts for a certain Commander, Fujin's reactions and comments be damned.
He had a boyfriend now and he was going to enjoy the hell out of it.
~ o ~