Enigmatic Hatred
Part 4
By Shade
Author's Notes: I am so sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out- as if anyone’s reading - . Anyway, my computer decided to crash and I had to get it repaired, reinstall all the software, ect. I’m so happy to be writing again ::sighs:: I was developing a severe case of withdrawal.
Enigmatic Hatred
Part 4
By Shade
Squall awoke slowly and for the second time that morning. Lazily he remained still, eyes fixed on the ceiling. It took him a good while to collect his thoughts which were scattered after a long nights dreamless sleep. Now that memories flooded his mind he felt a bit unnerved about his earlier nightmare. With a defiant sigh he dismissed the dream and allowed passage for the next thought. Seifer. Oh dear, where was Seifer. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had been asleep halfway upon the blonde (the discovery of this aided by an overdramatic moan from Seifer).
“Oh!” Squall, startled sat up in the bed and glanced down at the older man still lying on the mattress “How long have you been awake?” he asked with an embarrassed blush.
“Mmm,” Seifer hummed thoughtfully, propping himself up on his elbows and tilting his head “About half an hour I suppose.”
Squall frowned “Why didn’t you wake me up?” he grumbled glancing at the digital clock on the bedside table. The cafeteria was now surely serving breakfast and he should have started preparing for the day’s classes last night. “Well?” he repeated, standing as no answer came.
“Because I enjoy watching you when you’re sleeping,” he stood as well, receiving a confused stare from Squall at the uncharacteristic answer “And you talk in your sleep,” he muttered audibly before disappearing through the frame.
There was a slight hiss from the brunette as he heard this “What did I say?” he demanded.
Seifer was already gone and by the time Squall got to his feet and into the den, Seifer was opening doors curiously “Where’s the linen closet?”
“What did I say?”
“Never mind, found it.”
Squall scowled as Seifer draped a white towel over his left shoulder and made his way to the bathroom.
“Mind if I take a shower,” Seifer threw a half smile in Squall’s direction.
“Yes,” Squall spat, following after him “I want to know what you he-”
“Thanks,”
Thud
Obviously Seifer had ignored Squall’s earlier words and was doing this simply to annoy him “I said-” Squall was cut off by the sound of running water. The brunette stood there for several long moments before calmly facing away from the door and making his way towards the kitchen faucet.
Squall emerged from the bathroom fully clothed and ignoring the angry looks from a dressed Seifer who was nursing blotchy water burns. The younger male couldn’t help but crack a small smile as he crossed to the sofa, where Seifer sat, to retrieve his jacket.
He should have expected what came next, as the blonde looped an arm around Squall’s middle and yanked him into his lap.
“I’ve got to get going,” Squall said under his breath, reaching for his coat as lips net the side of his neck.
Again Seifer didn’t pay much attention to his words and almost reluctantly, Squall pried his hands away and rose to his knees, still facing the blonde “I’ve got a class to teach,” Squall slipped the jacket one arm at a time.
Squall leaned back on the sofa, hands behind his head “Now that sounds odd.”
“What?” Squall murmured absently, tossing a glance over his shoulder and towards the digital alarm clock in the next room.
Seifer rested his hands on the back of Squall’s thighs which were currently on either side the blonde. This obviously succeeded in calling back his attention “You’ve got a class,” he repeated “I never thought you were the teaching sort.”
“I’m not,” Squall looked annoyed by the comment “I don’t usually...it’s just...it’s decent pay when paired with being a SeeD...neither are great income on their own and I needed a job I knew well. Cid offered me this.”
“Hmm,” Seifer’s hands went back to behind his head “If you say so.”
Squall stood and retrieved his gunblade from his bedroom, prodding Seifer’s with the toe of his shoe “You might need to get a move on it too.”
“You have a tendency to stick with things even if you hate them don’t you?”
Squall froze at the casual words from the next room. “What do you mean?” he knew exactly what Seifer ment...he was just stalling...
“You know what I mean,” Seifer’s voice was slightly annoyed
There was a long pause and remained in the bedroom, lowering the gunblade case back to the ground “I don’t ‘hate’ Rinoa,” he said at last.
“You hate being involved with her,” he said at once.
“You said you wouldn’t being this up again,” Squall picked the gunblade up again and marched across the room just in time to catch the words ‘I don’t remember saying anything of the sort-” before slamming the door.
“So, whatcha doin’?” Selphie sat, legs stretched out over the grass in front of Squall. It was between classes and the hyperactive young woman loved nothing more than paying surprise visits to whomever she could find.
Squall wasn’t in the mood to humor her. He was still upset over his lack of defense that morning and was busy sitting in the chair he had pulled out onto the lawn for the class and fuming over neatly organized folders.
“Well,” Selphie pouted slightly and began to twirl a piece of grass “What’s bugging you? I thought you were out of the ‘locked in my shell’ stage.”
“Ah-” Squall opened his mouth to say something but again unable to speak decided to change the subject “Have you heard anything about the attacks?”
“Hmm?” Selphie looked up and it took a moment for the words to sort out in her mind “Oh, yeah,” Looking down she dropped the blade of grass and then straightened once more, putting her hands back to support her as she leaned back “Yeah, there were six attacks, that’s an all time high. I’m investigating in and they said they already gave you orders.”
Squall knew what she was speaking of but didn’t respond save for a weak nod.
“Well, anyway, three more are dead so I guess that constitutes for something,” Selphie looked over her shoulder. The school bells had just rang and she knew better than to interfere with a class. Of course weither she was going to acknowledge this or not was still to be determined “So what’s bugging you?”
Again Squall didn’t answer and Selphie stood as if to leave.
“I hope it’s not the same thing that’s bugging Zell,” she said almost threateningly but changing the tone of her voice added “Not that he’s keeping things from me-well-he’s not telling me something so I guess he i-wait what am I telling you this for?” she smiled slightly and shook her head. The grin spreading she wrapped her arms around Squall in a usual one-way farewell hug and made her way across the green lawn.
Squall watched her go and then dropped the remainder of the folders in his hands. Glancing at the group of approaching students, one of which would undoubtedly be Seifer, Squall stood from the chair. He had decided earlier that they should probably just spar for the period. He didn’t feel like dealing with Seifer after this morning and with an even number of students there was no chance than Squall would even be forced to look at him.
It didn’t take long for the students to take seats upon the lawn, talking amongst themselves. Squall didn’t bother to silence the group before speaking his instructions over the mass in his loudest voice.
The was inevitably more talking as students scrambled to claim their favorite partners. Squall sat back down, pretending to monitor as he sat thinking.
“Squall?”
His moment to himself was short-lived as a familiar voice came from his side. “I thought I had told students to spar,” he said coldly, without looking up.
“No partner someone must be absent,” Seifer replied coolly without a glance away from Squall.
Squall looked up and surveyed the class. Indeed it seemed as though everyone had a partner. It was then that he remembered the student he had kicked out of the class while Seifer was in the hospital wing. Cursing his past actions Squall reluctantly took his gunblade from where it rested atop the box and stood to face Seifer “Find, let’s go.” He walked a good distance away, as all the pairs had separated and raised the gunblade. As Seifer did the same he took first charge, rushing forward with the blade only to meet Seifer’s Hyperian.
Several more blows and the gunblades were locked once more. Seifer leaned in so that he could whisper and be heard “I didn’t mean anything by this morning.”
Squall frowned and pulled his own gunblade away, taking a few hopping steps back “Yes you did.”
Seifer frowned and almost lazily rushed with the gunblade for a few more blows between the two “Fine, maybe I did. But you can’t say it isn’t true Squall you don’t love Ri-Ah!” he scowled at his shoulder which had just met the sharp end of Squall’s own gunblade.
The brunette seemed as though he was even angrier at the last attempted sentance “Even if I didn’t love Rinoa-” it was Squall who stuck first this time, only to be blocked again “That doesn’t mean I’d come running to you-egh!” Seifer had landed a blow on Squall’s side this round and it was the blonde who looked angry.
“Don’t you think I know that?” he hissed under his breath so as not to be overheard by the distant fighting students “If you decide you’d rather not be with me at least don’t stay with Rinoa. Don’t make yourself miserable.”
Squall paused and glancing down sighed and lowered his own gunblade for a moment. He looked to the students making sure they were still busy amongst themselves and then back to the grass in thought. At first there was no reason behind his constant silence but the more he thought about it, all those years he said nothing had taken its toll and now he had nothing to say in important situations. Swallowing he opened his mouth to speak taking his lack of words to mind. Luckily a pained shout from a student saved him.
Squall rushed away from Seifer and towards the fallen, whimpering, teen on the ground. He was clutching a bloodied arm which upon inspection was far from a fatal wound. Squall shook his head and drew a cure spell from his inventory “Everyone line up,” he said almost lazily, motioning that he would heal anyone else who needed healing.
Sixteen students later Squall found himself without any more spells drawn “Would anyone have protests in heading down to the hospital wing?”
An excited whisper spread through the students. He knew half of them would end up nowhere near the hospital wing and none of them would come back but he cared very little. As soon as the students had filed back into the school, Squall looked back to Seifer.
The blonde had obviously had cures drawn before class since his wound was healed and Squall had gone nowhere near it. Upon seeing this he remembered the scratch at his own side. Without needing to be asked, Seifer leaned forward and placing a hand above Squall’s left hip closed the wound. However, after the spell his hand didn’t draw away and instead came to rest at the rip in his shirt.
“I didn’t exactly get the apology I was looking for,” he said softly, eyes once more averted.
Seifer smirked, raising the hand at Squall’s waist to tip his chin upwards so that he could properly see him and it was just that much harder to look away “I don’t plan on giving you one,” he said simply, the smirk remaining upon his lips “I figure I’m being soft enough with you as is and you might be wise not to push it.”
Squall stifled a laugh (something that drew Seifer’s attention) and raised his own hands to move Seifer’s. “I suppose this-” he put a finger through the hole in his shirt “Was one of those ‘soft’ moments?”
Seifer gave a soft laugh and took Squall by the hand, leading him to the shade of an aspen not to far from where they stood. This action was clearly to hide them from any eyes that might be looking out open windows or glass doors.
“About that...thing...you said earlier,” the laugh was gone from his voice and the smirk from his face “We both know you’re unsure of your feelings but well-”
“Ah,” Squall knew what he meant considering chewed absently at his bottom lip “You know I don’t love you Seifer-” he saw Seifer stiffen a bit but he didn’t interrupt “But that doesn’t mean I can’t...eventually...” the words sounded forced and Squall cursed not being able to sound convincing.
Obviously Seifer found this to amusing because he laughed at the now blushing Squall “It’s fine. I guess there was no real need for me to ask the question,” smiling still he placed his hand back at Squall’s waist and pulled him close.
The brunette started at first, caught off guard. Sighing the shorter male tilted his head back and gripped both Seifer’s forearms with his hands making it so that Seifer couldn’t help but bend in and kiss his lips. They stood in place for what seemed to be ages, lips against each others, hidden under the shade of the tree. It was only until they heard a bell ring in the distance that they pulled away, Squall looking, again, slightly embarrassed.
“Well I-ah-have a class and-”
“No you don’t, not for a while,” Seifer almost laughed again but instead walked across the lawn to his gunblade “Oh well, if you insist,” silently but smirking he put the blade in its case. He stood and shifted as if to leave only to face Squall a final time “See you again tonight then?”
Squall felt the blood rush to his face “Yeah.”
A/N: Well this chapter wasn’t the best. Oh well, Rinoa returns in the next chapter (yes Alexial your request is approaching) so things should pick up in a bit. I also really am going somewhere with the attacks. Just hang in there and be aware that a mild character death will also arise. Anyway, keep the reviews (few though they are ::sniffles::) coming.