Chapter 12.

III

Squall lay on his side in bed. He had woken up a few minutes before to find Irvine spooned up against his back. The cowboy's breath ghosted over his ear, his arm around his waist, hand lying lightly on the sheets. One long leg was draped over one of Squall's own and his erection was digging into the small of his back. The brunette had slowly and carefully moved away, leaving Irvine lying on his side. He rolled away to face him. He now lay there watched his new lover sleep.

Squall trailed his index finger down Irvine's arm from elbow to wrist. The arm twitched and moved slightly to get away from the irritation. Squall's lips curled up slightly into an almost smile. He trailed a single digit over the back of the cowboy's hand and up his fingers until the hand curled into a fist and moved closer to his body. Irvine breathed in deeply in his sleep but he didn't wake up.

Squall sighed and sat up, stretching. He cracked his neck and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He pushed the covers back and was about to get off the bed when he thought he hear movement behind him. A warm pair of arms suddenly encircled him around his shoulders, a warm hard body pressed against his back and lips found his throat and ear.

"Morning." A sleepy voice whispered into his ear.

Squall ran his hands down Irvine's long arms. "Morning." He replied, turning his head to the side to catch a kiss from the sleepy cowboy.

"You're finally awake." Squall said. "I've been up for hours…. Or one hour."

"Yeah?" He grinned. "Well I've probably been 'up' for that long too." He joked, pressing his erection against his lover.

Squall tried to give him a scolding look but it didn't come out right, with Irvine grinning at him he ended up half smiling back at him.

"How about a shower?" Irvine suggested. "I'll show you all the joys of sex in the shower."

Squall raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Yeah?" He said.

The cowboy laughed. "Oh yeah."

He nudged Squall to his feet and followed him into their en-suite bathroom.

III

Squall frowned as he walked into the breakfast room and everyone fell silent. Laguna was pretending not to look at him and Ellone was blushing as she ate her cereal.

"What did I miss?" He added.

All he got were innocent expressions. Kiros was reading the paper though he probably had nothing to do with it anyway.

"Good morning Squall." Laguna said. "How did you sleep?"

Ellone chocked on her cereal and he frowned at her. "Fine." He said suspiciously.

That's when Quistis walked into the room from the kitchen with her own bowl and spoon she smiled at him as she took a seat at the table.

"Come and have some cereal."

He took a seat at the table next to Quistis with two empty chairs on his left at the circular table. Ellone passed him a spare bowl and spoon. He didn't miss the little looks that they kept shooting each other.

"What?" He asked; his hand on the cereal box poised to pour.

They shrugged at him.

He poured out his cereal and added the milk.

"Is Irvine up yet?" Quistis asked.

He shook his head without looking up. "He was in the shower when I left, why?"

She smiled secretively. "No reason."

Laguna cleared his throat. "So Squall how's the garden?"

"It's fine."

"How's life?"

"Fine."

Silence filled the room. The girls kept glancing at each other and at Laguna.

"How's the love life?" Ellone asked.

He glanced up through his lashes. "I don't have one."

"That's not what I hear." She grinned.

Squall glared at Quistis. "Really?"

She nodded. "Quisty just told me that you and Irvine are... well that you're... close."

"I'm surprised 'Quisty' has had time to notice anything apart from Evan lately." He shot her a scathing look but she didn't seem to mind as she smiled back at him.

"A shame really." Laguna said.

"What is it?" Squall asked.

"Well it's just that I... we were going to..."

"Maybe it's not the best time to bring that up." Kiros said, putting his paper back down flat on the table.

Squall's eyes flicked between the two of them. "Bring what up?"

They two of them shared a look and Kiros was shaking his head but Laguna shrugged it off.

"I meet this guy who I thought would be a perfect match for you so I went ahead and-"

Squall stared at him. "And what? You were going to set me up with some stranger?"

"He's not a stranger he works here in the palace." Kiros added. "He's just been promoted to the head security."

"Even better then." Squall said. "Is that one of the perks of promotion in this place? More money and you get to sleep with the boss's son?"

Laguna sighed and glanced at Kiros. "Of course not but you're always alone and he's been alone for a while now and I just thought you'd hit it off."

"I am not always alone I just have a lot of work to do that's all."

"You're not the most social though."

"But I'm not alone; unfortunately I can't seem get rid of this lot." He shot a look at Quistis.

"Okay it doesn't matter anyway now if you and Irv-"

The door opened and said cowboy walked in with Selphie, both of laughing about something. Irvine was hatless and his hair was loose and damp. They stopped laughing when they realised that the table had fallen silent.

"Did we interrupt something?" Irvine asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

Selphie took a seat, she almost sat next to Squall but then she remembered and left a gap. "Get me a bowl too please." She called out to Irvine.

The cowboy returned with their bowls and spoons. "You should be thanking me." He said to Quistis. "I dragged Selphie out here and away from flirting with your boyfriend." He smiled.

"I wasn't flirting!" She protested.

Irvine gave her a look.

"Really I wasn't; I was just being friendly that's all."

He scoffed. "If you got any friendly you've had been groping him."

"I thought you hated Evan." Quistis said.

The cowboy shrugged. "I got over it, I'm happy for you."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Squall shook his head. "You're so simple."

"Why? What?"

Squall was eating his food again, ignoring him.

"So where is your toy boy then?" Irvine asked Quistis.

"Toy boy? He's only three years younger than me."

Irvine shrugged.

"He was in the bathroom when I left."

"And I saw him in the hallway." Selphie said. "But then he suddenly said he had to be somewhere."

Someone scoffed behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see Seifer scroll in with Zell. "I'm not surprised; I've done that to get away from you before."

"No one's asking you." She said. "Did you two work out your 'difficulties' last night?"

He nodded. "We're friends again aren't we Chickie?" He looked over his shoulder but Zell wasn't there anymore he was just disappearing into the kitchen.

"Well we are." Seifer said in Zell's absence.

"Are we going back to garden soon?" Zell asked as he came out with bowls.

"But you just got here." Ellone protested.

"It's boring here." The little blonde complained.

"Boring?" Laguna complained. "It's the biggest city in the world. Go shopping, go exploring go to a bar, a club?"

He shrugged and glanced at his lover. "Seifer says he doesn't want to go anywhere that other guys will be looking at my ass."

Quistis smiled. "I always thought you'd be the jealous type Seifer."

"I'm not jealous." He said as he pulled up a chair from the other table. "It just... bothers me a little that's all."

"We could go shopping." Ellone suggested.

"We could." Quistis joined in.

Squall wrinkled his nose. "I don't like shopping."

"That's rubbish, you do! They have your type of clothes shops here." Ellone said.

Irvine looked interested. "Really?" He grinned.

"No." Squall said, looking at him.

"What, I didn't say anything."

"But you were thinking it."

"All I was thinking was that maybe we could go and get you some new clothes, what's wrong with that?" He said with an innocent expression.

Everyone had an amused expression all except Squall who rolled his eyes. "I know what you were thinking."

"You can't blame a cowboy for trying." He said.

"I think we should all go shopping together after all I never get to see you and you should all do what I want." Ellone said.

"You could come back to garden with us Elle." Zell said, he shuffled his chair closer to Seifer and the taller blonde's left hand disappeared under the table.

She gave a sad smile. "Squall doesn't like me staying at garden."

Everyone looked shocked. "Why?"

"I never actually said that."

"But pretty much shooed me out that last time didn't you?"

Squall sighed. "I'm the commander; I'm supposed to be feared and respected. What did you do when you got there? Tell everyone about when I was three and used to run around naked."

Little sniggers went round the table.

"I personally wouldn't mind a repeat performance." Irvine said with a grin.

A quick glare from Squall knocked the grin off his face though.

"Sooo....." Ellone said. "When you're all finished I expect you all to come shopping with me." Irvine and girls seemed happy with that, Zell shrugged. Only Seifer and Squall scowled at the idea.

"Only if you promise not to drag us in any underwear shops for girls or somewhere equally scary." Seifer said.

She smiled. "We'll see what we can do." She looked at Quistis. "Go and get your boyfriend up."

Irvine shook his head sadly. "That guy's so vain, spending all that time on his hair, too much time in the shower."

"You can't talk." Rinoa said. "The number of times we've been late for somewhere because we've been waiting for you."

"We can get something for Xu, for looking after the place." Quistis suggested. "You boys can get something for Nida."

"Like what?" Squall said. "I don't know him very well."

"Like a dildo. Seifer suggested. "Or a butt plug."

Zell chuckled. "Or a school girl outfit." He laughed.

Seifer grimaced. "Gross, I don't want to think about that."

"You two are horrible, you disserve each other." Quistis said, shaking her head.

Ellone leaned across the table to better see Seifer's bowl as he was the only one still eating. "Have you finished that yet?"

"Yeah." He took a last spoonful and then pushed the bowl away.

"Great then let's go shoooppping." She got up followed by the other girls, Irvine and Zell bounced to his feet like always.

Squall groaned. Ellone had to pull him to his feet and Seifer reluctantly followed Zell who helped the blonde get into the mood with talk of buying chocolate body paint.

"Bye bye." She waved to an amused looking Laguna and Kiros. They waved back.

"Bye, happy shopping."

IIIII

"I am NOT going in there." Squall stood outside a sex stop watching the others all go inside.

"Why not? It's just a bit of fun." Ellone said before she disappeared inside.

The brunette sputtered when the other guys including Irvine went straight inside with no problems and then reluctantly followed.

"Look at this!" Selphie watched a large pink dildo at Squall who jumped back as if it was going to bite him.

"Don't wave that thing at me!" He pushed her away, looking up to see two sales girls laughing at him.

"What? You're gay so it's okay right?" She yelled across the shop.

The brunette put his face in his hand. "Sure you said that loud enough?" He said.

She turned away to laugh at some other things with the other girls. He sighed and looked over at the guys. Seifer was picking out the chocolate body paint and candy g strings and handing them to Zell. The little blonde was glancing around nervously in case someone was looking at them, which no one was apart from Squall and Irvine glanced at them a couple of times.

"I'm not buying all this stuff!" Zell said.

"Oh come on, I thought you liked the idea of body paint?"

Zell squirmed. "But I don't want to…" He glanced around. "Take it to the counter." He whispered.

Seifer rolled his eyes. "You go out then and I'll buy it."

"Yeah?" He looked hopeful.

"Sure." He added a couple of bottles of flavoured lube to his pile and then headed for the counter.

"I mean honestly would you ever have… these…." Quistis picked up shower dispensers in the shape of boobs. "…in your bathroom?" She asked the girls.

Evan who was standing behind her said. "Oh I used to have a-"

They all turned and looked at him.

He paused. "Err- I err- never mind." He walked away, following Zell out of the door.

"I like the monkey thong." Irvine said, turning the monkey towards Squall who looked unimpressed he kept his arms folded.

"No?" The cowboy said, watching the thong at him.

No reaction.

"Well what about the elephant thong?" He asked.

Squall frowned harder.

"No? You put your- err- you know- through the hole… for the trunk." He grinned.

Squall still didn't look impressed.

The cowboy sighed. "Fine I'll put it back."

They met up outside. "I can't believe you bought so much stuff in there Seifer." Quistis said.

The blonde was the only one with a bag of shopping.

Seifer grinned. "We're going to use some of it later." He said, looking at Zell who started to blush turning his head away. "My shopping's done, can we go now?" He said.

"No! We haven't gone in any clothes shops yet." Selphie and Rinoa said almost in sync.

Squall shook his head. "No clothes shops."

"We should split up." Irvine said. "You girls can go in your clothes shop, Seifer and Zell can go back to bed and we-" He looked at Squall. "Can go and find some alternative clothes shops." He grinned.

Squall opened his mouth to protest but Selphie interrupted. "Great idea!"

"Yeah bye!" Rinoa and Selphie were already walking off.

"Wait!" Evan said.

They all stopped.

"What about me?"

"Well you're my boyfriend so you'll come with us." Quistis said.

"To… girls clothes shops?" He looked worried and glanced up at the guys for help.

Squall opened his mouth to say that he could go with them but Irvine interrupted. "Well that's too bad, bye!"

They all ran off in different directions. The girls went clothes shopping, the blondes went back to bed and Irvine dragged Squall into the nearest leather shop.

III