Festival of Fools

By J. Marie

Warning!! This is a lemon yaoi fanfiction starring Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy from Final Fantasy VIII. It is rated NC-17. If you don't like the idea of two men together, then for the love of god, why are you here??? In this story, we're going to try out Squall as seme and Seifer as uke. o_O Hey, this is what kiribans are for! And this story will joyously feature Rinoa bashing, as per Naomi's request. This story has absotively, posilutely, nothing to do with my other FF8 fics. Anyways, this is being written for one of my 30,000 hits (don't ask), Naomi Potter. Thanks for visiting, Naomi!

The decorations were perfect, the band was a hit, the food was great, and the people enthusiastic.

The Garden Festival was a huge hit, and was scheduled to go on for a full week, and was only on it's second day. The Mistress of Ceremonies, Selphie Tilmitt, stood near the stage, her eyes sparkling with delight. In contrast, the tall blonde man beside her looked about ready to steal the President of Esthar's machine gun and start mowing down as many people as he could before the survivors stopped him.

"You don't like me much, do you, Seifer?" Selphie giggled, noting that her companion was grinding his teeth.

"What would ever give you that impression, Selphie?" Seifer Almasy answered through his teeth. He looked badly in need of a Valium.

"Well, the fact that Squall made you my assistant as punishment for toilet papering his office, for one. And the fact that your facial expression couldn't be more unhappy if you found out you had testicular cancer, for two," Selphie said amiably, waving to one of her friends who passed by.

"It's not that I dislike you, Selphie. That's far too mild a description for the complete and utter loathing I feel towards you at the moment," Seifer said, nodding his head to another passerby in greeting. The only thing worse than his rival being placed in command of him, was the fact that said rival had ordered him to help out the most obnoxiously cheerful girl born since Pollyanna.

"Well, look at it this way. At least I'm not Rinoa," Selphie grinned wickedly.

Seifer winced at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. Rinoa Heartilly had been the love of his life for two whole months. At the end of said two months, she had dumped him for his childhood rival, Squall Leonhart. They were so close, people had bets placed on the marriage date. It made Seifer want to spit acid.

It wasn't so much that Rinoa no longer loved him. In fact he had been able to link his affections for her directly to the overproduction of certain hormones in his body. It was more the fact his rival had stolen her from him. And then his rival, Squall, had managed to come out of the whole Ultimecia fiasco a big hero, and Seifer a big zero. Like he asked to be brainwashed or something. One simple invasion of the Garden, and next thing you know, you're the class loser.

"Yeah, that's true. If you were Rinoa, instead of being obnoxiously cheerful, you'd be obnoxiously stupid," Seifer growled.

Selphie giggled. "And obnoxiously dressed. Don't forget the fact that she wears two different outfits at the same time," she amiably, more than willing to join in on the Rinoa-bashing. Rinoa was disgustingly popular with all the boys, and it annoyed Selphie to no end.

"And you think the little yellow sundress is any better?" Seifer asked with a raised golden eyebrow, directing a cart of food to the buffet tables.

"At least I don't wear socks on my arms," Selphie retorted.

"Yeah, but you wear a little yellow bow on your uniform."

"It adds color to the outfit. And my hair is one color, not two."

"But styled in the most obnoxious flip I ever saw."

"And despite my excessive buoyancy and boundless optimism, I have never clasped my hands in joy."

"No, you just bounce like a little rubber ball."

"At least I never passed out in front of monsters because I was scared."

"No, the monsters pass out in front of you because they're scared."

"You're a very sarcastic person, did you know that?" Selphie asked, her smile as bright as ever. Seifer had to hand it to her. Only Selphie could take an insult and smile.

"Really? You think so?" Seifer asked in a falsetto, batting his golden eyelashes at Selphie coquettishly. He even clasped his hands in Rinoa's manner, lifting one of his legs slightly to mimic Rinoa's coquettish reaction to anything flattering or good.

"What are you doing, Seifer?"

Selphie winced and Seifer dropped the act immediately, sobering to Squall's chilly voice. Squall's sense of timing was, as always, humiliating. Seifer turned to him, flashing Squall and the limpet, rather Rinoa, his most charming smile.

"Why, I was showing Selphie how to attract men," Seifer said, trying to cover up the fact that he was making fun of Squall's girlfriend. And then he realized how stupid that came out, and clapped a hand to his forehead in despair.

"I see. You have a lot of experience in this realm?" Squall asked casually, with a raised chocolate eyebrow, his voice dangerously on verge of sounding amused. Rinoa blinked, obviously not getting much of the conversation.

Selphie was giggling behind her hand, her eyes twinkling in delight as she stared expectantly at Seifer, waiting for him to dig himself out of the hole he had placed himself in. Seifer cleared his throat, his eyes glittering unhappily as Rinoa attached herself to Squall's arm and placed her head adoringly on the sultry brunette's shoulder.

"Not really... I, er, I don't attract men very well at all," Seifer said, realizing that the hole was getting deeper.

"Then why show Selphie? Perhaps you should try attracting more men successfully to you before attempting to teach others," Squall said in his serious monotone, but again, it verged on sounding humorous.

"Selphie is teaching Seifer how to attract men....?" Rinoa asked after a while, confident she had heard enough to get the gist of the conversation. Squall, Seifer, and Selphie sweatdropped.

"Well, I just came to congratulate the two of you on a job well done. I expect you have learned your lesson, Seifer?" Squall asked, his tone stuffy, almost paternal. It really rubbed Seifer the wrong way.

"Oh sure. Moral of the story: when toilet papering the SeeD commander's office, be careful not to get caught," Seifer said pleasantly, though his eyes were narrowed. Selphie groaned, and Rinoa continued to smile and look confused.

Squall worked his jaw. "I see that you're content to remain a SeeD cadet. May I remind you that in one year you'll be twenty, and consequently removed from the program if you have failed to attain SeeD," Squall said, his tone as haughty as before, if strained.

"Squall, is it just me or have the number of broomsticks shoved up your ass increased over this last year?" Seifer said just as pleasantly. Selphie was learning how menacing a pleasant tone of voice could sound if properly applied.

"And somehow, your level of maturity has decreased in proportion to your test scores. Exactly how many SeeD tests do you intend to fail? Are you going for fifty? A hundred?" Squall asked darkly, his tone having lost it's monotone to be replaced with hostility.

"Well, excuse me for not being as perfect as you are, asshole!! Don't get all cocky just cuz you're the new commander, and you're shagging my ex-girlfriend! Remember who broke that pussy in!!" Seifer screamed, leaning into Squall's face in fury. Squall, for his part, seemed completely unintimidated. Selphie winced, and Rinoa look properly horrified, at least able to understand what Seifer meant in regards to herself.

Most of the festival seemed to pause at Seifer's outburst, which was loud enough to be heard across the Quad. In fact, everyone's attention was diverted from having a good time to observe Seifer and Squall fight. Their fights were not only infamous throughout the Garden, but acclaimed for excellent showmanship. Selphie had sold extra tickets by promising a Seifer and Squall stand-off.

"You're excused," Squall said calmly, his blue eyes as cold as ice.

"What???" Seifer demanded, so enraged he had lost his train of thought. Only the fact that striking Squall could mean him being expelled from the Garden had prevented him from decking the smaller, if more composed, boy.

"I said that you're excused. For not being as perfect as I am," Squall said in the famous cold monotone everyone knew could freeze his opponents faster than Shiva.

Seifer blinked dumbly at Squall, digesting this supreme insult. Many might say that his reaction to said insult was a complete angry reaction, devoid of thought to consequences, and perhaps devoid of thought at all. The truth, however, couldn't be further from that opinion. In the space of seconds, right before Seifer Almasy made a decision that changed both his life and Squall Leonhart's, he weighed out the consequences, considering his options. And apparently found the consequences worth his action.

And exactly thirty seconds after Squall insulted him, Seifer roundhoused the smaller brunette, practically sending the SeeD commander across the Quad, and most certainly into the buffet table, which caused punch bowls, and various trays of food to go flying, most of which landed on Squall himself.

And whereas most men would be running away, realizing how much trouble they were about to be in, Seifer Almasy stood proudly over his opponent, the famous Almasy smirk plastered across his handsome face.

And whereas most men would have left well enough alone, cowed by such a powerful hit, Squall Leonhart stood up before his opponent, the famous Leonheartless glare coldly directed at Seifer.

It wasn't about Rinoa, really. They both knew that. It was about who was better.

The Quad cleared a sizable radius around Squall and Seifer, riveted to the two young men. It had been almost a year since the last fight, and bets were being placed.

Squall made the first move. Neither carried their gunblades, and so were to fight unarmed. Squall lept at Seifer like a striking lion, knocking the bigger man down, pummeling him with furious punches. Seifer raised his hands to block the punches, and bucked his legs, toppling Squall's precarious balance. Squall fell over with a cry, and was pressed into the ground by Seifer's bulk, feeling Seifer's large hands wrap around his slender throat. Squall grabbed Seifer's wrists, trying to get the tall blonde to release. When this proved useless, Squall drew up his legs beneath Seifer and kicked out, sending Seifer sprawling on the floor of the Quad.

Squall was on top of Seifer almost instantly, using all his considerable strength to keep Seifer down. And despite the size difference, Squall was just as strong as Seifer. Seifer struggled vainly beneath Squall's grip of his arms, pinning them above his body, Squall straddling his waist, forcing the rest of his body down.

Despite the crowd, despite the fact that Squall's girlfriend watched them apprehensively, Seifer and Squall were only aware of the other at the moment. No other person existed in their universe. In their alpha male struggle for dominance. Squall was conquering Seifer and it bewildered him. Only a year ago, Seifer could have defeated Squall easily. But while Seifer's will had been bent to Ultimecia, Squall had trained mind and body to defeat the powerful Sorceress. And it was this edge that gave Squall the power to hold Seifer down.

To conquer his foe. To defeat his rival.

Seifer stared up at Squall in wonder, realizing he could not escape. He could not win. For the first time in his life, Seifer Almasy wasn't on top. Squall had dominated him.

And it turned him on.

Seifer cursed his body, realizing that his reaction would be felt by Squall, who was practically sitting on his hips. Squall's eyes widened slightly when he felt the hardness beneath him, and stared down at Seifer in disbelief. Seifer turned his face in embarrassment, going limp beneath Squall.

An odd look passed over Squall's face. And if one didn't know better, one could have mistaken it for a look of satisfaction.

Squall suddenly stood up, releasing his grip on Seifer. "Report to my office tomorrow, Cadet. And then we will discuss the terms of the consequences of striking the commander of SeeD, and acting Headmaster. Consider yourself confined to your quarters until 8 am," Squall said, his tone chilly and threatening. A few of those who stood nearby shivered.

And at this, leaving Seifer on the ground, Squall left to wash the food and drink off of himself. Seifer quickly got up, and using his trenchcoat to cover the erection Squall had given him, he also escaped from the festival.

Seifer spent the rest of the night watching the Garden Festival from his dormitory window, wondering why being defeated had aroused him.

Squall was sitting impassively behind his desk when Seifer entered his office in the morning. His stare could have caused a lesser man to cry. Seifer stiffly walked in front of him, and executed a sharp salute, punctuated by a hateful glare.

"Do you understand exactly what hitting me last night means, Seifer?" Squall asked coldly, standing up from his desk, but still forced to look up at the taller boy.

Seifer worked his jaw. He had had a full night to reflect on his decision. And though he had consciously been aware of the consequences, Seifer realized that he had little alternatives after punishment was delivered. "Yes," he growled.

"I could have you expelled. And easily blackball you, although considering you used to be the Sorceress' Knight, I might not even have to bother," Squall said, his tone as frozen as ever.

Seifer glared down at his rival, his green gaze steady. "So why rub my face in it, Squall? Enjoy fucking with me that much? Why don'cha just expel me and get it over with?" he snarled.

"As I recall, it was you who seemed to enjoy me fucking with you... Unless that was a gunblade in your pocket last night," Squall said, a chilly smile spreading slowly across his beautiful face.

"Fuck you," Seifer spat, his green eyes glowing, Out of all the things he could think of, his reaction to Squall's defeat of him last night was the most humiliating.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? I have no intention of expelling you, Seifer. You have no place to go to after this, and we both know it. But your actions last night will not go unpunished. You were out of line," Squall shrugged.

"So were you," Seifer growled.

"I merely excused your imperfections... You really should learn to be nice to me, Seifer. If it weren't for me, you'd never have been let back in. If it weren't for me, you'd be out in the cold. If it weren't for me, everyone would hate you."

"The way I see it, they still do. Only they're more quiet about it. And you're more obvious about hating me."

"I don't hate you, Seifer. You're my rival. Not my enemy. And the way I see it, you're not even my rival anymore. I've defeated you numerous times, surpassed you in SeeD, and now defeated you in unarmed combat. Way I see it, I've conquered you," Squall said, cocking his head slightly, his tone haughty.

Seifer's eyes flashed, but he remained quiet. It was rare that Squall said this much.

"You seemed to like being dominated... But I could be wrong. You speak of hate. Do you hate me?"

Seifer was silent for a moment as he pondered this line of thought. "No... I guess I don't. Out of everyone I've ever met, I think I actually respect you. You never let me beat up on you. You always fought back," Seifer said in wonder.

"And you provided me with a challenge. Something to strive against. But where does that leave us now that I've defeated you?" Squall asked, his tone even now.

"I don't know," was Seifer's honest answer.

"Well, let us start with your punishment. Follow me," Squall shrugged, and headed out of his office, with Seifer behind him. Squall led him silently down the halls, out to the grassy area near the Garden. It was then that Seifer realized that Squall was dressed slightly differently.

Squall was ethereal, his beauty as cold as Shiva's. His chocolate hair was askew, and always hung in his face, giving him a rather sultry appearance. His eyes, a cold blue, were intent and focused on everything he saw. His face was beautiful, effeminate, but not weak. The scar across his delicate features was almost a mark of strength for him, his only physical sense of masculinity. He wore black leather pants, tighter than usual, that clung to his remarkably shapely legs. His body was muscled, in that hidden wiry way, making him appear slender. Squall wore no jacket today, and instead only a tight black muscle shirt, that showed off the porcelain perfection of the skin of his arms. His belts were black and silver, clinging to his body more suggestively then usual. And Seifer, despite himself, found his eyes hypnotized by the gentle sway of Squall hips, the slight shake of the perfect globes of his buttocks.

Seifer shook his head when Squall finally reached the grassy knoll he was searching for. Despite the fact that Seifer had always preferred men over women, he kept that secret to himself. No one needed to know that the great Seifer Almasy was a homosexual. It was embarrassing to Seifer. And being sexually attracted to his rival was even worse. Seifer pushed the thought out of his mind, like he always did.

Squall found a small boulder and sat down, crossing his legs elegantly. He stuck Lionheart in the ground before him, and gazed up at Seifer, his gaze almost seductive. Seifer swallowed, and tried not to think anything untoward.

"Run laps," Squall said amicably.

"How many?" Seifer sighed.

"Until I get tired of seeing you run," Squall shrugged.

Seifer sighed, and carefully removed his beloved trenchcoat, folding it neatly and placing it on a rock, along with Hyperion, and his blue and white vest. He was bare-chested now, ready for running. As he prepared to run, Seifer was almost positive he caught Squall admiring the muscular curves of his chest and stomach.

Seifer took off, running in laps around Squall's boulder. Squall watched him intently, causing Seifer to feel self-conscious. Why did Squall stare at him, with those incredibly intent eyes? Seifer wished the persistent sexual thoughts he had about Squall would disappear, because they would only make things more difficult. Squall was merely enjoying being an asshole, as always.

After about an hour, Seifer was tired, but he forced his legs to keep moving. He wasn't going to give up like this. But his body was giving up on him, slowing down. He was breathing hard, and hard-earned sweat poured down his face and body, glistening off him in the morning sun.

"Stop! Come to attention before me!" Squall said sharply. Seifer was almost grateful, and ran over to Squall, forcing himself to come to attention. He focused his eyes straight ahead, leaving Squall out of eye view and placed his arms rigidly at his sides.

Seifer panted heavily, recovering from his long run. His chest heaved mightily, recovering from the stress. His sweat glistened, accenting the lines of the muscles of his body. He was tall, which caused his musculature to appear proportionate to his size, whereas on a smaller man, it would have appeared a bit much. Seifer golden hair stuck to his head from sweat, and he kept his cat green eyes set ahead. His chiseled face, a classic handsomeness, was set evenly, though his jaw seemed clenched.

"You never were much of a runner, were you, Seifer?" Squall asked.

"Not my strong point," Seifer admitted.

"Then let us try something more your speed. Five-count push-ups. Begin," Squall said easily.

Seifer gnashed his teeth and began the grueling push-ups. It was a painful sort of push-up, forcing him to pause five times in the middle of each push-up, before completing one, straining his arm muscles to the limit. He counted to about five hundred before Squall let him rest. Seifer collapsed on the ground, burying his nose in the grass. He was becoming very tired.

"Attention!" Squall commanded. Seifer came to his feet swiftly, assuming his previous stance.. He considered telling Squall off and leaving, but he didn't really want to leave the garden. Being homeless and jobless was not a prospect he looked forward to.

"The Garden Festival's third day begins at noon. I'd hate you to shirk your duties there. It's already near ten. They'd need you for set-up. And I think you need a shower," Squall smirked.

"So does this mean I'm free to go?" Seifer asked sullenly.

"Perhaps... You seem tired, though. Maybe you should rest for a few hours before reporting to Selphie. I'd hate you to be wore out for the rest of your punishment tonight..." Squall said, his tone taking on that strange purr of seductiveness again

"The rest...?" Seifer asked with a groan. Being forced to follow Squall's orders until he was physically exhausted wasn't enough? There was more?

"Well, of course. I want you to work hard for me," Squall said. He gently placed his palm over Seifer's crotch, grinding softly,

Seifer was almost instantly aroused. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to scream and run away, or beg Squall to continue. Instead he settled for snapping his gaze to Squall, who was staring up at Seifer with his intent blue gaze, his chocolate hair falling into his eyes. He appeared almost like an incubus, a beautiful male demon come to seduce Seifer for his soul.

Squall stood up slowly, his hand never leaving it's activities on Seifer's groin, and his gaze never breaking from Seifer's. Seifer gaped at his rival, bewildered as to the meaning of this.

"You seem to enjoy this. Me being in charge. Admit it," Squall said, his tone sensual, deep.

Seifer stared at him. "I.... fuck... Yes, I like it," he admitted, his body growing hot not only from Squall kneading his crotch, but from the proximity of the sultry and seductive brunette. One minute Squall was as cold as Shiva, the next as seductive as Siren. Hidden depths to his ambiguous sexuality seemed to surface momentarily. Seifer felt caught in Squall's spell, his eyes riveted to Squall's, his body begging for attention.

"Good. I suggest a cold shower, and a long nap. Report to Selphie in five hours," Squall said, suddenly turning off his pheromones, as if they were a faucet. He turned away from Seifer, removing his hand. Squall paid Seifer no attention as he picked up his blade and headed back to the Garden, not even turning around.

Seifer waited until his erection wilted before heading back.

"What do you mean, he sent Rinoa away?"

"Seriously! He dumped her right before the Garden Festival started! You shoulda seen it! It was great! She was in the Quad, right by me and Quistis and Irvine and Zell and everyone!! And then he says, 'I've had your bags packed, you may leave now.' We all stared at him, including her. Then she says, 'But Squall... What do you mean?' The he says, 'I mean you may leave. And don't come back.' And then she says, "But Squall, I thought you loved me.' And then he says, 'I was mistaken. Now go.' And then he walked away!!" Selphie babbled excitedly.

Seifer had returned to his room as Squall had commanded, and took a long nap, recovering from his physical expenditure. Then he had taken a thorough shower. All he could think of was Squall touching him. Squall looking at him. Squall talking to him. It seemed that the moment Squall took an interest in him, all of Seifer's ability to push away his sexual thoughts about the sexy brunette were lost.

And now Squall had sent away his girlfriend. Seifer's mind was reeling. He was suppose to be enraged. He was suppose to beat Squall for mistreating Rinoa, and then run off to console her. But he was relieved she was gone, even elated.

"And nobody's upset with him?" Seifer asked, trying to recover his equilibrium.

"Of course not. It took like a week after we beat Ultimecia for Rinoa to start grating on everybody's nerves. After he left she tried to get our sympathy, and started in on the whole 'You have to help me get him back!' thing, but we said 'Hell no!'. We got them together in the first place because of her whining, but we're not gonna do it again. She started crying and shit, and then ran away. We all started to laugh. It was so friggin' predictable," Selphie chattered, practically bouncing on her feet.

Seifer smirked. "Well, if we're lucky, she won't come back," he shrugged.

Selphie grinned. "That's what I thought. Funny that we thought the same thought," the perky girl grinned.

"Don't let that get out. You'll ruin my reputation," Seifer smirked.

"I'll leave that to Squall," Selphie smirked.

"Bitch," Seifer sighed.

The party wore on, and Seifer kept wandering around, making sure everything was running smoothly. He found himself looking for Squall, but couldn't find the mysterious brunette anywhere. Seifer felt almost dejected. Was Squall just playing a game with him? Seifer was in no mood to be teased.

Seifer found his thoughts growing more and more persistent. It was frustrating, that his whole life, he had been able to suppress any feelings or attraction to Squall. But the moment that Squall seemed the least bit interested back, Seifer was overwhelmed by his feelings. Seifer tried to rationalize his feelings, tried to pretend they were nothing but lust for Squall. Squall was very attractive boy. It was as simple as that.

That line of thinking lasted about ten minutes.

It wasn't as simple as mere sexual attraction. Otherwise Seifer could feel this way about any man, and he didn't. Squall was his rival. The only man strong enough to defeat Seifer. The only man worthy enough to receive his affections. The only person, really. Seifer had spent his whole life living for his romantic dream. It wasn't to be the Sorceress' Knight. That had been a dream, but not his romantic dream. No, his romantic dream was to find the one person that could conquer him. The one person who could defeat him.

Seifer was suddenly alone in the crowd. Squall wasn't showing. He was just teasing Seifer. Taking advantage of his power over Seifer. That was all. Squall was too cold to ever return any emotions. Seifer suddenly felt suffocated, standing in the crowd. He was sure Selphie wouldn't miss him. She was too busy flirting with Irvine.

Seifer escaped outside the Quad, away from the Garden Festival. He sat on the edge, dangling his legs over the edge, looking down at the expanse of blue ocean beneath. Squall had left Balamb behind sometime after noon, heading towards Esthar, where the next SeeD test was going to take place. The thought that Rinoa had once dangled from here, waiting for Squall to rescue her passed through his mind. He settled for watching the sunset, wondering if Squall would rescue him if he was dangling from a cliff.

Seifer put his head in his hands, hating himself. Why now? He had gone his entire life thinking he loathed Squall. Now he was overwhelmed with feelings for him. He wanted to see Squall smile. A real smile, not a cold one. All his hostility and resentment had left him, replaced with longing. Longing to finally not be alone anymore. Longing for Squall.

How could Seifer go from resenting Squall's existence, to this? Was it love? Was that it? Squall had done nothing but tease him. Exploit his obvious weakness. The fact that he dumped Rinoa was merely proving what a cold-hearted bastard he really was. Even if Seifer could change his emotions, it didn't mean Squall could.

But had his feelings truly changed? Seifer explored his heart. No... They hadn't changed. He had always felt this way about Squall. But had done a good job hiding it, even from himself. There was always a level of jealousy and resentment for when Squall did better than he, but it was mostly a cover for his true emotions. Be it love, or the beginnings of love, he felt something for Squall. Always had.

But when Squall had flirted with him... Teased him... Asked him if he hated Squall... It had stirred something in him he never had before. And that was hope. Hope that Squall could possibly return his emotions....

Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!

"Who's stupid?"

Seifer spun around, dropping his jaw as he stared at Squall. The beautiful brunette stood with one hip slightly higher than the other, his hand resting comfortably on it. He wore a white shirt with a red vest over it, and a pair of baggy red pants. His Griever pendant dangled from his neck, the flashing silver catching Seifer's eye for a moment before it drifted up to Squall's face. His blue gaze was as intent as ever, but not so cold as Seifer was accustomed. And again the hair falling in his face made him appear wanton.

Seifer swallowed.

"Not talking all of a sudden?" Squall asked with a raised eyebrow.

Seifer turned his face. He didn't want Squall to know. It would be beyond humiliating. "So, what now? More push-ups? Any more laps? Maybe you want me to polish your boots? There's only so much humiliation I'm willing to suffer before I say fuck it and just leave," Seifer growled. Mean. Why did he sound mean? Why did everything always come out of his mouth wrong?

"You're not stupid, Seifer. I'm not talking to Rinoa. I'm talking to you. You'd think you would have figured it out by now."

Seifer turned his face back to Squall. The brunette was standing there, as calmly as ever. He didn't seem cold, or haughty. Seifer swallowed. "Figured what out?" he asked dumbly.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Must I spell it out for you?" he sighed.

"I guess I must be as stupid as Rinoa, because you're gonna have to," Seifer said crossly, silently cursing himself for sounding like a jerk.

"That'd be impossible. Because even after I'd spell it out for her, she'd still not get it, and I think you will," Squall smiled. It was a soft smile, small, but soft. Seifer found himself entranced by Squall's lips.

He opened his mouth to say something smart, but Squall had bent over, and placed a kiss on Seifer's mouth. It lasted only a moment, but both men closed their eyes. Heat flushed both their bodies. Squall stood up slowly, opening his eyes as he did so. Seifer gaped at him.

"Why'd you do that...?" Seifer asked stupidly.

"You really are a dunce.... There's always been something between us. We both know that, at least I do. I wasn't too sure about you, but when you got a hard-on last night, I knew it wasn't just me. I don't know what it is, but it intrigues me," Squall said, his voice fluid, almost musical.

Seifer licked his lips, tasting Squall on his lips. "This is unreal. You and me? Bitter rivals, as lovers?" he asked slowly. He almost wanted to kick himself for questioning his good fortune.

"Well, why not? Tension can be used for so many things... I'm willing to try. Are you saying you're not interested?"

"No... I'm not saying that. It just seems so odd," Seifer said slowly.

"Because we're both men?"

"No. Because you're you and I'm me."

Squall shrugged, something of a sardonic smile on his face. "I guess. But it could be fun. Meet me in my room in an hour," Squall said calmly, and sauntered away, his body almost forcing Seifer to gaze at him until he left his sight.

Seifer stood up from the edge, and rejoined the Festival for the next hour.

Seifer was nervous. And he hated being nervous.

He stood in front of Squall's door at exactly an hour after, feeling like a lost puppy dog. He wanted Squall, and now it seemed Squall wanted him. But a million new problems could arise. How much worse would their rivalry be if they broke up? What if it got too serious? What if someone found out?

Seifer sighed and knocked on the door. No sense worrying about it. He just needed to embrace the moment. Live for today, not for tomorrow.

The door opened after a few moments. Squall stood before him, half-naked, wearing only a pair of black silk pants with a dragon emblazoned on the legs. Seifer stared at him, admiring Squall's beauty. Feminine, but strong. An odd combination.

"Are you going to drool over me in the hallway, or are you going to come in?" Squall asked nonchalantly, and opened the door wide enough for Seifer to enter.

Seifer entered Squall's dorm, looking around. Impossibly neat, almost bare. It was almost like no one lived there. It seemed a drastic contrast to Seifer's landfill of a room. Seifer felt eyes on him, studying him, sizing him up. He turned around, studying Squall just as intently.

Squall was admiring him. Seifer smirked slightly. He knew he was handsome, but it was usually a kind of attractiveness that appealed mostly to women. The fact that Squall seemed pleased with his looks flattered him. Seifer wasn't wearing his usual garb, instead wearing a black vest with no shirt, and pair of army pants. He had taken pains to smooth back his short golden hair. He was irreparably masculine, but there was a certain form of fragility to him. A beauty, a dangerous beauty, like a tiger's beauty.

"Well..." Squall said, staring up into Seifer's cat green eyes.

"Well," Seifer responded. Both men were suddenly uncomfortable. What to say, what to do? Seifer stood like stone, and licked his lips again. It was impossible for him to say exactly what he wanted.

"It's odd. I guess I'm the one who should start this, since I started it before," Squall shrugged, a graceful maneuver that caught Seifer's eyes. And then Squall grabbed Seifer's shirt, pulling the tall blonde down to meet his hungry lips.

Seifer remained still for a moment, soaking up the soft touch of Squall's lips. The wet feel of Squall's tongue as it entered his mouth. Then Seifer recovered, and found himself kissing back, matching the slow tempo of Squall's lips, sliding his tongue alongside the sultry brunette's.

Seifer slid his hands across Squall's bare chest, admiring the silky perfection of Squall's skin. Squall's hands had slipped beneath Seifer's vest and were sliding up the larger boy's body, stroking the gentle curves of his muscular chest. Seifer warmed to the contact, his fingers working up to massage Squall's nipples, causing the brunette to gasp.

Seifer's vest came off quickly, allowing Squall to enact his revenge of Seifer, slowly running circles around Seifer's nipples. The two young men played gently with the other's nipples, seemingly entranced by the small thrills it sent through their bodies. Both men were quickly becoming aroused. Squall edged them towards his bed, unwilling to break the kiss, or their caresses. He misjudged the distance, and they fell on the bed, Squall on top, their limbs tangling at the shock of being tripped.

"Heh heh..." Seifer chuckled, placing kisses on Squall's neck. "This is nice."

Squall placed kisses on Seifer's collarbone. "Not so bad at all...." Squall breathed. Both men seemed to be lost in the tenderness in the moment, but both completely reluctant to speak out about any personal feelings.

Squall's hands drifted down to Seifer's army pants, and began to slowly unbutton them, tugging them lower. Seifer took this as encouragement to tug off Squall's pants, which tied at the top. Squall chuckled at the horrible plaid boxers Seifer wore, while the blonde gaped at Squall, who hadn't bothered wearing underwear at all. They had both seen the other naked before in the locker room, but Seifer had never seen Squall aroused before.

Seifer tore his eyes off of Squall's sizable endowment to look down at what Squall was chuckling at. He scowled slightly, never being one to enjoy being laughed at. "C'mon. They were my only clean pair. I coulda been sexy and wore my blue silk, which are really dirty, and kinda crusty, and got skid marks, and-"

"I don't need the details," Squall laughed. He practically tore the plaid boxers off Seifer's body, so they were both nude. Squall smiled down at Seifer's own arousal. "Much better," Squall grinned.

"I would hope so," Seifer grinned back, settling himself on his back comfortably, and grabbing Squall's hips, trying to get the brunette to straddle his own hips. Squall did so, but not exactly in the position Seifer was hoping for, which would allow him to enter Squall easily.

"Unh-uh. You got things all wrong, Almasy. I beat you, remember? I'm in charge. And I'm on top," Squall grinned.

Seifer narrowed his eyes slightly, but he was still smiling. "I suppose I'll let you enjoy your glory for the moment," he grinned. Squall bent down to kiss Seifer, their lips meeting as Squall fumbled around on his bed until he found the bottle of lotion he'd left there.

Squall put the bottle of lotion on Seifer's chest, grinning wickedly. He gripped the outside of Seifer's thighs, massaging the muscles gently. Seifer leaned his head up slightly to pull Squall back into their kiss, drawing his lips in. Squall closed his eyes and kissed back, his hands running to the inside of Seifer's thighs, massaging them gently, yet refusing to touch Seifer's growing erection, much to his frustration.

"Squ-ualllll..." Seifer whined, nipping at Squall's lips. Squall nipped back, grinning into their kiss. He was thoroughly enjoying his moment of power. He slowly spread Seifer's long legs wide, and wrapped them around his waist.

Seifer tried to squeeze his legs around Squall, but the brunette kept them apart, and reached for the bottle of lotion. Seifer moaned softly, lifting his hips and resting them on Squall's knees, allowing the brunette better access to him. Seifer turned his face and gripped the bed when he felt Squall's fingers probing him, half in pain, half in pleasure. The fingers withdrew soon enough, and Seifer felt Squall press against his opening, warning him of entry. Seifer gazed at Squall and lay his head back, relaxing his body for Squall.

Squall entered him slowly, filling the inside of him, his intent blue gaze never wavering from Seifer's jade. There was something incredibly intimate about having Squall inside him. Something so private, but so completing. It was like they had bridged an invisible chasm, bringing them completely together. All thoughts of rivalry and resentment were lost in that intense moment.

They gripped each other, their bodies moving against the other's in instinct, seeking pleasure. Squall thrusted into Seifer, his hips developing a strong rhythm of their own. Seifer thrusted back against Squall's flat stomach, until Squall's hand wrapped around his aching erection, massaging it. Seifer moaned loudly, leaking onto Squall's hand. Squall was crying out softly with every thrust, pounding harder and harder into Seifer as he grew closer to orgasm.

It was as if ecstasy bound both of them to each other, their pleasure binding their bodies into the strong rhythm. Neither had felt anything so intense or so pleasurable before in their lives. Squall leaned his head down on Seifer's shoulder as he thrust hard into Seifer once more and stiffened, releasing himself inside of Seifer. At the same time, Squall gripped Seifer's cock, pumping it hard, causing the blonde to come soon after, his body lifting the lighter boy with the power of his orgasm.

Squall collapsed completely on top of Seifer, his body relaxing. Seifer lay panting and raised a weak hand to place it on Squall's head.

"That was great, Squall..." Seifer sighed contentedly, smiling.

"Yeah... it was.... As good as I thought it was going to be..." Squall sighed back, his arms around Seifer.

"So..... does this mean we're lovers?" Seifer asked, almost tentatively. He was shy of nothing unless it involved his personal feelings.

"I think so..." Squall said calmly.

The pair fell asleep, unsure of where things would end up, but positive that they could enjoy the ride there.

"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!"

Squall sat bolt upright, startled by the feminine scream. Seifer's eyes snapped open, and he sat halfway up, not wanting to knock Squall off of him.

Rinoa Heartilly stood before them, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide in horror. The two men swallowed in unison, staring at her with equal expressions of horror, if for different reasons.

"Sq-Sq-Sq-Squall!! You're in bed!! Naked!! With Seifer!!" she screeched.

"Well, and here I thought she was a total loss in the brains department," Squall said drolly, recovering his wits. He made no move to get off Seifer.

"What were you two doing???" Rinoa continued, tears flowing from here eyes. She appeared on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"I think you spoke too soon," Seifer said just as drolly.

"Christ, Rinoa. We fucked. What the hell did you think we did? Played monopoly?" Squall sighed.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-b-ut you're both men!!!!" Rinoa cried.

"You have a unique gift for stating the obvious, Rinoa. Next thing you know, you'll be telling us we're gay," Seifer sighed and laid back down. He was highly annoyed.

"Don't get too far ahead of her, Seifer. She's still back at the we're both men part," Squall sighed and laid back down as well, resting his head on Seifer's chest.

"What are you doing???" Rinoa cried.

"Going back to sleep. I assume, since you were so bold as to let yourself in, you can let yourself out. And do leave my extra key on my desk before you go," Squall yawned.

"But I thought we could get back together....." Rinoa sniffled.

"Sorry. I've had a year to recover my wits. Please leave," Squall sighed.

"But I came so that we could-" Rinoa continued until Seifer cut her off.

"Rinoa. It's over. Get on with life. Date Zone. Date Zell. Date Angelo. I don't care. Just leave, already!" Seifer cried, frustrated. Nothing was worse than having your sleep interrupted by someone like Rinoa.

"You jerks!! You're both so mean!!" Rinoa cried before bursting into tears, and beginning to run out.

"Hey, Rinoa. Wait," Squall said, sitting halfway up to look at her.

Rinoa paused and gazed back at Squall with tear-filled puppy-dog eyes. Her expression became hopeful, and she clasped her hands, expecting to be begged for forgiveness for what Squall had done to her. Seifer raised a golden eyebrow. "Yes?" Rinoa asked.

"Don't go away mad. Just go away," Squall smirked.

Rinoa burst into tears and ran out of the room, dropping Squall's key on the floor.

"You think it was something I said?" Squall asked casually.

"Nah. Couldn't be."

"It's actually really fun to pick on her. I just realized that. I might even have her brought back, just so I can be mean to her again," Squall grinned wickedly.

The two giggled for a while, amusing themselves with Rinoa stories. The favorite was where she thought she could defeat a Sorceress, by herself, with a bracelet. They both agreed that the only useful thing she ever did was bring along her dog, and kick Irvine down the stairs.

And somewhere in the midst of lovemaking and Rinoa-bashing, Seifer and Squall fell in love. It would take them awhile to admit it, but it was there.

The only downside to their new relationship was that the Garden had lost it's main form of entertainment.

"Aw, c'mon guys! Doesn't anyone want to see Irvine and Zell fight?" Selphie asked into her megaphone, trying to arouse public interest for her festival, now that any possibilities of fights between Seifer and Squall were gone.

"Yeah! We'll even throw in some mud!" Quistis cried into her megaphone. People walked by them both, heading to the buffet, ignoring them.

Quistis and Selphie sighed. "They're just not sexy enough," Selphie pouted.

"Why do you guys have to be so cute?? Both of you are useless in a sexually-charged heated rivalry!" Quistis griped.

"Yeah! I mean, one of you looks like a girl in cowboy hat, and the other looks like a pre-pubescent punk!" Selphie complained, glaring at her boyfriend and her friend. Zell and Irvine remained silent, and glared back.

Seifer and Squall walked by, arm in arm, and paused at the spectacle, staring at the costumes Selphie had put Irvine and Zell in.

"Should we ask?" Seifer whispered to Squall.

"I think it wise to keep walking," Squall whispered back, and the couple walked away.

Irvine and Zell watched the couple walk off in annoyance. No one was taking any interest in them, despite the fact that they were on stage for display. Zell's girlfriend walked by, paused, shook her head, and continued on. Zell ground his teeth.

"Can I please take this trenchcoat off, Selphie? It's hot!" Irvine finally complained.

Encouraged by his friend's comment, Zell spoke up as well. "Yeah! And this leather isn't any better! Especially with it's stupid fur lining!!" he whined.

"And this silver choker chain is really choking me!" Irvine continued.

"And I'm wearing enough belts for four people!" Zell pressed.

Quistis and Selphie sighed. "Guess we'll have to find something else to draw the yaoi crowd in," Quistis shrugged.

"Well, what about drawing in the yuri crowd?" Irvine suggested, a wicked glint in his eye as he grinned at Selphie and Quistis.

"Yeah! We could have a yuri couple!" Zell grinned lecherously.

Selphie and Quistis blinked a moment. Then they looked at each other.

All they left behind them when they ran was their megaphones.

"So much for the yuri crowd," Irvine sighed.

"Well, at least we got the attention off of us," Zell grinned.

Seifer and Squall sat at a table eating whatever was left from the buffet, watching the spectacle around them.

"Told you this was a festival full of fools," Seifer shrugged.

"The Mistress of Ceremonies was Selphie Tilmitt. It was inevitable," Squall shrugged.

"I still want to know why Irvine and Zell were dressed like us, though."

"Some things are best left unknown, I think."

Well.... not my best. Not my worst, either. But still. I'm not too good with Squall as seme and Seifer as uke, I think. Oh well. I do hope you like it anyways, Naomi. Sorry about the wait!

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