Double Take
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: All places, characters are not mine, nothing here is mine, everything belongs to Squaresoft.
Double Take
Chapter 11
The little blonde sighed and put his key in the lock, he did have access to Squall’s dorm but he thought his lover might want to talk to him.
He stepped inside. “Squall? Hello?”
The room was dark; the blinds blocked out the bright sun. A lump lay on the bed, curled up. The blonde crossed the room and crawled across the mattress. Squall lay on his side with his back to Zell; he leaned down to look in his lover’s face.
The brunette murmured and hid his face in his hands.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“What do you want?” Squall snapped at him.
“What’s the matter? Is this because I went off to talk with my friends?” A slight angry tone to his voice but Squall didn’t answer.
Zell sighed. “Baby? Talk to me.” He gently leaned down and kissed his cheek, trailing his lips closer to his lover’s mouth until Squall pushed him away and sat up, moving to the edge of the bed. “Have you met him?”
“Who?”
“The other me. What’s he like?”
“Different.”
“Good different?
“Why don’t you go see for yourself?”
Squall’s expression hardened. “I’m not sure his fan club would like that much.”
“I don’t know why you won’t at least give him a chance, everyone else likes him.”
“Yeah, they’d all rather he was here instead of me!”
Zell looked up shocked. He hadn’t thought Squall would feel threatened. “That’s bullshit! They’re your friends and they love you. I love you.” He moved up behind his lover, draping his arms over the brunette’s shoulders, one hand ran down Squall’s chest and linked with his fingers.
“Even my own father rang up to make sure he stayed here. He’s got an instant son that loves him, no wonder he’s happy.”
“Maybe you should talk to...Squall.”
The brunette snorted in amusement. “And you lot spent years telling me off for talking to myself.”
Zell chuckled, resting his head on Squall’s shoulder.
“Maybe you could learn from him, see how similar you really are.”
Squall eyes drifted over to his gunblade case. “I want to try something. Meet me at the training centre.” He got up and left a puzzled Zell stared after him.
The five sat at a table in the cafeteria. Squall leaned on Seifer; the blonde had a protective arm around him.
“If Squall wants to send you back he’ll have to do it alone; I’m not helping.” Quistis told him.
“Me too.” Selphie agreed and Irvine nodded along.
“I don’t want to get you lot into trouble.”
Seifer kissed the top of his head. “He can’t send you back, I won’t let him.”
“Well, isn’t this cosy.”
They all jumped and looked up at their commander who stood next to their table with his arms folded.
“Can we help you?” Quistis asked.
The brunette looked at his double until he met his gaze. “I need to talk to you.”
Squall looked startled but he started to get up until Selphie waved him down again. “We’re all friends here; you can speak in front of us.”
Squall gave her a look. “You only want to know so you can gossip about it.”
“Well.... yeah, so what is it?”
The brunette rolled his eyes and continued. “I have a little test I want to do.”
“We already did the tests; he is you there’s no doubt.”
“It’s not that sort of test. You’re at garden, right?”
The other Squall nodded. “Second in commander.”
The commander nodded. “Seifer? Can I borrow Hyperion?”
“What? Why?!”
He looked back at his double. “We’re going to spar.”
“WHAT!?” All their friends yelled at once.
“A friendly spar, right?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I’m coming too.” Seifer said.
Everyone else turned to follow. “Me too.”
Zell waited at the entrance, he looked up seeing the gang walk down the hall behind his lover. He saw Hyperion in Squall’s hand and smiled. He guessed what was going to happen. He was surprised Seifer had agreed to let his rival use his precious gunblade.
Inside the training centre the friends and Zell stood to one side and the Squall told up fighting stances. The commander unsheathed Lionheart and threw it to his double.
The brunette smiled and gave it a few practice swings. “My Lionheart shattered as I entered the portal; it’s good to see this thing again.”
The two Squalls flew at each other, both matching the other’s attacks; they knew what the other would do. One Squall grinned to be in battle again and the other remained stone-faced but he felt the same way. They broke apart after a while, both panting. Squall staring at the new Squall.
“It’s like fighting....”
“Yourself?” Quistis supplied.
“Yeah.” He threw Hyperion back to Seifer. “New plan, I want you two to spar.”
“Why?” Selphie asked.
Seifer grinned. “Because Squall and I have sparred more times than I can count, we know each other’s moves so...” He took up a fighting stance opposite his lover. “I should be able to know this Squall’s moves as well.”
The commander leaned back on a tree, watching the two lovers fight. Zell moved up beside him. “So? Can he stay? Just think you’ll have the advance in missions, you really can be in two places at once.”
“I’ll think about it.”