The Best of You
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The one thing that always peeved Hayner about struggle matches was probably Seifer's physical contact techniques that always resulted in their bodies pressing close, and Hayner being pinned in provocative positions while Seifer waved to the crowd.
It wasn't that Hayner disliked having Seifer's strong body crushed so persistently against his own smaller one, but it was the reaction that certain aspects of his anatomy happened to generate in a public arena when Seifer had his thick arm around Hayner's neck and a strong leg curved around the shorter teen's lanky one to hold Hayner flush against the blond bully's stomach while lazily smacking struggle balls off of Hayner's battle gear that would really get to him.
At the time, Hayner could do nothing but flail his arms around in an attempt to bat at Seifer in a near-pathetic manner, his knees going weak at the feel of hard hips against his backside and Seifer's breath ghosting over his neck.
Of course, after a shout of rage and a more-than-provocative jerk forward, Hayner had been able to slip free from Seifer's grasp and whirl around to tackle the older boy in an angry fit.
That had been four days ago, and Hayner hadn't entered a single practice match since then. School was back in session, and Hayner had forced all of his concentration into his studies, and delivering mail for his part-time job. He'd ended up requesting more hours to work so that his mind would no longer stray to the lazy smirk on Seifer's face that fluttered through his thoughts, or the ghost-feeling of large hands grasping to different parts of his body in a sensual and firm hold.
Winter in Twilight Town meant snowy beaches and cold weather, a prime reason for Hayner bundling himself up in a warm green jacket and a pair of his thicker jeans on the daily mail delivery that he'd managed to wheedle out of his employer. He had just happened to be taking another shortcut through the Underground Concourse on his way to Sunset Terrace when he heard a heavier set of footsteps coming from the entrance to his destination.
Hayner paused, hands gripping to the satchel of mail hooked over his shoulder and narrowing his eyes. Seifer walked with a profound clump in each of his steps, and Pence shuffled his feet, so he was well aware that it wasn't anyone he was completely familiar with. There wasn't many people besides the few teenagers that lived in Twilight town that used the Underground to take shortcuts- most of them rode the tram to save time and effort.
When Setzer came into Hayner's line of vision, the blond teen's lips became a pursed line. He ignored the self-confident smirk that plastered itself onto the man's mouth, causing the scar on his chin to curve upward with the movement, because it could only mean bad things to come. Hayner scowled profoundly, hiking the strap of his bag further up onto his shoulder and dropping his head down to hurry past the Struggle Champion.
As Hayner brushed past Setzer, he felt a strong hand grab onto his upper arm with a firm hold, wrenching Hayner back with a little more force than necessary so that he was standing in front of the pale-haired man. Hayner swallowed the almost-gasp of surprise that had reflexively tried to escape him, and instead turning it into a shout. "Hey- what's the big deal?" He barked out, brows furrowing and giving Setzer a vicious look of 'I am not pleased.'
A thin brown quirked down at Hayner, and he suddenly felt like a child again, shrinking back in Setzer's grasp. "Let me go." Both of his hands grasped strongly enough to his satchel strap that the skin of his knuckles splashed white as he growled out his demand. Setzer hummed low in his throat, his other hand slipping out from under his coat to cup the underside of Hayner's chin.
"You've grown since the last competition." It was a light, reminiscing comment that referred to the Spring Match that Hayner had entered and lost to Seifer in. His calloused thumb brushed meticulously along the curve of Hayner's jaw, sending shivers through the boy's nerves and a bile rising in his stomach. Hayner snapped a hand out to slap Setzer's fingers off of him.
"Don't touch me." The blond gritted out- his mind trying to force out images of that same match last spring, when the aftermath had caused Hayner to barely escape with his body still pure. He may have been a teenager, but living with his grandmother and a heap of responsibilities taught Hayner not to do things with others until he was older, which was something that he knew Roxas had yet to learn- given that he often skipped school to hang out with a college student named Axel.
Setzer hummed again, a smile darting along his pale lips. "You're very upset today." It wasn't a question, but a statement that was spoken soft enough that it would be barely audible to anyone who wasn't Hayner. Hayner stepped back from the pale-haired man before him, shaking his head.
"You're a pervert." He retorted darkly, triggering a barking laugh from Setzer, who reached out to run a large hand along the teen's cheek. "You're a child who wants to be a man, who better to teach you to become a man than myself?" Hayner shuddered, batting Setzer's hand off of him again and whirling around. He barely made it two steps before feeling his body grabbed and turned, pressed face-first against the cold brick walls of the Underground. He managed a noise of shock before he felt pressure behind him- and dread came with the knowledge that it was Setzer's body holding him there. The only thought that came to Hayner, was how Setzer didn't feel the same as Seifer, and where hands were pinning his wrists to the bricks, should be fingers grabbing at his stomach and shoulder to keep him from struggling.
"Come now, Hayner, don't be difficult." Setzer cooed, mouth ghosting over the shell of Hayner's ear. Hayner squirmed and released a loud snarl- though it more resembled a caged animal than it did a teenager. He felt puffs of breath hitting his cheek, evidence of the man's quiet laughter. Hayner pulled at his wrists, feeling the muscles in his biceps flexing in an attempt to become stronger. His palms and fingers scraped at the rough brick, doing nothing but tear his hands up and sent flares of pain through his arms.
"Let go of me, you freak!" It was a rough bark, desperation lining the last few words when Hayner realized his strength paled in comparison to the man behind him. Hayner's knees buckled against his will, and an angry and indecipherable sound broke from his mouth when his cheek hit the wall. He was doing more damage to himself that Setzer was- who seemed to be waiting for Hayner to tire his body out before continuing.
"Hey- What's going on over there?" Seifer's unmistakable voice echoed down the tunnels of the Underground, and Hayner tensed instantly. Setzer's grip on his wrists became firmer, a huff of displeasure escaping the Struggle Champion. Fear and panic gripped Hayner- in a way where he couldn't bear Seifer seeing him so vulnerable- and his struggles increased tenfold. Setzer did nothing more than step closer to the blond, tutting at Hayner to stay still.
Seifer's footsteps grew louder.
Hayner jerked his head back, wincing when it cracked harshly against Setzer's chin and drew a startled noise from the man- who had most likely bitten his tongue. Setzer lifted Hayner's right hand, forcing it and his own arm to curl around Hayner's stomach, hugging the teen so tightly that Hayner couldn't stop the loud exhale of breath that was forced from him, along with a grunt of pain.
It was loud enough for Seifer to hear, judging by the sounds of the blond bully approaching the Sunset Terrace entrance from deeper in the Underground. There was a moment of silence- probably Seifer freezing to catch Hayner in such a provocative moment with a man nearly ten years older than himself. It seemed to drag on forever, Hayner's body captive beneath Setzer's large frame, squirming to get free.
"Isn't he a little old for you?" Seifer snapped out, his voice as cold as a block of ice pressing against Hayner's spine. Setzer laughed softly and Seifer sounded as if he was approaching. "I'm sure you'd rather go for elementary students than a kid who's pushing puberty."
This time, Hayner realized who Seifer was speaking to, and increased his struggles. "You're an ass, Seifer!" The teen snapped out, jerking his body to try and wriggle his arm from where it was pinned brutally to his stomach. Setzer released him, and Hayner fell to the ground in surprise at the sudden freedom. His hands smacked against the concrete, echoing through the silent tunnel as envelopes slipped from the top of his satchel and scattered across the floor.
Seifer stepped up to Setzer and grabbed the man by the collar. "Where do you get off molesting teenagers?" Setzer smiled at the younger man, placing a hand over Seifer's own. Seifer sneered, shoving the older man off of him and wiping the back of his hand on his pants. "Disgusting." He spat out, earning nothing more than a coy grin from Setzer before the man turned in a whirl of his coat and walked out of the tunnel as calmly as he had first entered.
Hayner remained immobile from where he sat on the ground, staring at his scraped up palms in silence. He couldn't decipher from the anger, frustration, and mortification that swelled up inside him, the underlying relief that Seifer had come and the lingering hope that his attraction wasn't wholeheartedly one-sided were the only things that kept tears from swimming in his honey eyes.
Seifer turned to face Hayner, and the younger blond pushed himself to his feet. Hayner ignored the shock of pain that came from using his injured palms to push his body into a stand and gathered up the scattered mail envelopes that had slipped from his bag during his fall. He turned away from Seifer to leave the Underground.
"Where do you think you're going, Chicken-Wuss?" Seifer called out, sneering the nickname in such a manner that Hayner felt his stomach drop. Seifer was no different than before- only with more material to make Hayner's life hell. It was rarely that the older blond ever hinted at an ounce of kindness to Hayner- and only under circumstances where he wasn't showing off to Rai and Fuu. To hear Seifer being the typical jackass when they were alone just meant that Hayner really had nothing to show for all his efforts at trying to tolerate the blond bully.
He continued his hurried pace towards the Sunset Terrace entrance, ignoring when Seifer yelled out that mocking nickname again, and instead shouldering his back up higher. He was at the mouth of the entrance when Seifer shouted once more.
"Hayner!"
Something struck a chord inside of Hayner, and he whirled around, his voice bursting out from somewhere deep inside. "Leave me alone, jerk-off!" It echoed loudly throughout the tunnel, reverberating across the brick walls and making the following silence deafening. He spared a fraction of a glance to see Seifer's face- unreadable as ever- and stormed out of the tunnel, ignoring the few letters that fell out of his satchel again.
----
The days following what Hayner had silently called 'The Underground Incident'were even more tense than the ones prior. Every time he was in the same room as Seifer, things became thick and quiet, neither boy wanting to speak first. There were odd looks between classmates and teachers alike, and when Seifer would even attempt to make any form of conversation (teasing or otherwise) with Hayner, he was shot down with violent statements telling him to 'go die in a hole.' or 'go away.'.
Roxas had seemed to notice the atmosphere before Pence and Olette, and had called Hayner one night after a few days of dealing with the vicious and one-sided spat that Hayner and Seifer seemed to be trapped in. He'd managed to get little more than nothing out of his best friend, and the call had ended on less-than-friendly terms when Hayner had shut his phone off and proceeded to put it on silent.
The following day- a Saturday- was met with melancholy. After making his mandatory mail deliveries, Hayner had found himself sitting on the pier, bundled up and watching the snow flutter down and disappear into the ocean. He never questioned how Twilight Town managed to have a beach and four complete seasons, but he appreciated the change in weather each season- it made him feel like his life was a little less monotonous than it really was.
Wood creaked behind him, and Hayner glanced back to see Seifer standing a ways back, struggle bat slung over a shoulder and his coat buttoned closed and a turtleneck on underneath. They didn't exchange any words for a long time, and Hayner turned back around to face the water, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his thick jacket and tucking his mouth behind his thick scarf. Seifer's feet shifted before his voice, deep and demanding, spoke up.
"Do you always let him touch you that way?"
Hayner tensed, his jaw clenching so tightly that the muscles flexed in them. He opened his mouth to retort, but Seifer beat him to the punch. "I didn't think you were such a coward." A spark of anger replaced the exasperation that had previously taken hold of his emotions, and he moved to stand up.
"Look, bastard." He began, reaching out a hand to grab onto the old wooden rail of the pier. It gave a loud creak as Hayner used it for leverage to pull himself to his feet. "I don't know why you're sticking your stupid, scarred face into my business, but I have it under con-" The rail gave another crack as Hayner moved to turn around. It threw him off balance, and he wasn't prepared for the wooden rung to detach itself from the rest of the barrier. The last thing he saw before overbalancing on the edge of the pier was Seifer's shocked face, and then he slipped over the edge and into the water with a large splash.
The first thing that came to Hayner's mind was how unbearably cold the ocean could be during the winter. The second was that his heavy parka coat made it hard for him to kick his legs up to the surface, and he barely moved an inch. He tried to open his eyes- to judge the distance to the surface, but icy salt water burned at his eyes and caused him to clench them shut in pain. Upon hitting the water, the shock of cold had been enough to push the last breath of air from him, and as Hayner clawed his way back up to the surface, his chest burned worse than it ever had before. He couldn't stop his body from trying to suck in the air that wasn't around him, coughing and choking on the water that took its place. His scarf clung to his face and nearly choked him, causing Hayner to scramble to wrench it off, letting it drift away into the water as he continued to kick his legs, reaching an arm out.
His fingers hit cold air, and he felt a strong hand take hold of his arm, followed by another one as he was tugged from the water and onto the edge of the pier. He'd apparently swam sideways, making it close enough to shore that whoever had grabbed him was able to reach into the water from the rail-less side of the wooden walkway. Strong arms tugged him up against a warm body, someone's hands pulling at his overcoat and unbuttoning it rapidly. Hayner rolled away from the person- Seifer- who held him, and coughed out what ocean water had filled his throat and stomach, heaving and gasping loudly. Seifer pressed a hand to his back and Hayner bat at it, trying to get the older boy to leave him be.
Seifer grabbed at him again, ignoring how Hayner continued to spit out excess salt water. Tears were rising in his eyes, pain still stinging at them from when he'd tried to see underwater. Seifer pulled him back, trying once more to unbutton Hayner's coat. Hayner blinked up at him with bleary eyes, startled at the look of concentration on the older blond's face. He scowled, moving to shove Seifer off of him when he felt his heavy coat suddenly being pulled off of him- the cold air not as biting as the wet jacket had been. He coughed wetly, squirming in Seifer's arms. "Let me go, bastard!" He snapped, irritation rising as shivers began to wrack his body. Shouting that single statement made it hard for him to breathe, and he gasped in heavily for air, clawing at the wood below his hands in frustration.
"Its cold out, dumbass, do you want to get hypothermia?" Seifer barked, grasping a warm hand to Hayner's trembling bicep- now exposed without his jacket on. Hayner didn't like the shocks of relief it sent him to feel that heat spreading from Seifer's hand, and squirmed angrily, shoving at the blond's chest. Breathing heavily, Hayner growled low in his throat- though its effectiveness died out when he broke off into a fit of shivering coughs that were followed up by attempts to drag in enough air to breathe.
"I- I don't need y-your help." He grumbled, lower lip trembling enough to cause a stutter in his voice. Seifer scoffed, standing up and forcing Hayner to his feet, ignoring how the boy seemed to be bordering on hyperventilation.
"Right, just like you didn't need my help with Setzer." Before Hayner could make any kind of indignant yell or even shove Seifer away, he was hoisted up over Seifer's strong shoulder, holding tightly to Hayner's thighs and wrapping an arm across the blond's lower back to keep him in place. "Give up on the whole pride thing, chicken-wuss, it ain't cuttin' out for you."
Hayner would have normally fought him tooth and nail, but as the occasional gust of wind darted past them, he felt his body becoming colder and colder, and finding himself less-inclined to protest Seifer's behavior. He clutched to himself tightly, forcing his breathing to slow down and clenching his jaw shut. It didn't last long, and he has to gasp out for air even more violently than before, each breath a trembling shudder. He placed a shaking hand over his mouth, feeling Seifer shift his weight when they reached the end of the pier and to pull Hayner down into his arms before setting him on the ground.
"I can't carry you all the way, you're gonna have to walk." Hayner's knees buckled as Seifer spoke, and the older blond had to pull him upright again. "I know you're probably cold as fuck, but my place isn't too far from here. Just stick with it." Without thinking, Hayner nodded, his footsteps following Seifer's as they made their way across the empty beach and towards the handful of condominiums that were just down the street. It made sense, in Hayner's slowly fogging mind. Seifer never seemed to take trips home during the day, like Hayner and the others would. He probably had a train pass to the mainland every day in order to attend school and Struggle matches.
His breathing slowed fractionally, though still labored, and his knees buckled under him again. As much as he forced his legs to walk, it was if he was becoming paralyzed with cold. When he hit the ground, snow clung to his wet hands, icy water dripping from his damp hair and into his eyes. Hayner winced, struggling to pull himself into a stand and releasing a gasp of despair when his body refused to obey. Seifer cursed, helping Hayner to his feet and then lifting him up into his arms again.
"I'm cold, I- I can't move very well. Shit." Hayner uttered, his head thumping against Seifer's chest as the older boy struggled to carry him down the rest of the block. The streets were empty- most likely because the majority of residents were elderly folk, sitting in their homes with their feet on top of the heater to keep warm. Hayner tucked his arms close to his body, wiping them on his wet shirt to clear the frost off of his fingers- though it did little to help the icy sting he'd acquired in his hands. Seifer's walk was unsteady, his arms moving to adjust Hayner's weight every few seconds so he didn't lose his grip. They made it inside before Seifer nearly dropped the shorter blond, lowering Hayner none-too-gently to the ground in order to catch his breath.
Hayner slid to his knees, clutching to his bare arms- knowing his sleeveless shirt did little to keep his body warm- and trying to keep his teeth from clicking together as loudly as they were. He rose one trembling hand to slick his hair back out of his face, shaking off excess water from his fingertips and hugging himself once more.
Seifer up righted himself again and stooped down to grab Hayner and pull the smaller boy to his feet. Hayner's eyes felt heavy- weighed down by invisible hands that urged him to sleep- and he leaned into Seifer.
It seemed as though the blond bully was displeased, and used one hand to give Hayner a rough shake. "I swear to God, if you fall asleep I will kick your ass into next year's Struggle match." This seemed to jolt a bit more energy into Hayner, and he eased off of his companion, allowing one of his arms to be pulled over Seifer's shoulder and for his body to be half-dragged to the elevator.
When they got in, Seifer took the time to adjust Hayner and help the blond regain his bearings as the heat from the building truly started to seep into his trembling body. He leaned his head to the side, eyes slipping shut as the elevator ascended floors. His mind slipped out of focus for a fraction of a second before Seifer jostled his arm, causing Hayner to regain awareness long enough that he could see the elevator doors had opened. Seifer stepped forward and Hayner stumbled along with him, still supported by an arm over the older boy's shoulder.
"I can't believe you fell in the water. Are you trying to kill yourself? Dumbass." Seifer muttered, partially to Hayner and partially to himself as they stopped in front of what Hayner assumed was Seifer's condo. The older boy let go of Hayner, who wobbled unsteadily and squinted his eyes to try and focus them. Shivering, Hayner leaned against the wall and hugged himself tightly, tremors taking him every now and then. His breathing was still labored, but it wasn't bordering on hyperventilation any longer. It seemed as though being forced to stay awake had kept his body temperature from dropping any further. Seifer opened the door and instantly pulled Hayner in, not waiting half a second before taking the blond boy's shirt off- much to Hayner's weak and breathless protests- and throwing it onto the floor.
Hayner held his arms to his chest, shielding his body from sight as Seifer walked away, leaving him shaking in the middle of the living room. "Get out of those pants, I'm getting you a change of clothes." Seifer called out from somewhere further into the room. Hayner kicked his shoes of, leaning against the wall for support so that he could peel his wet socks form his feet and stuff them inside of his shoes. He placed them by the door and shakily fumbled with the button of his jeans, embarrassment nearly winning over the need to divest himself of the clothes that were making him twice as cold as he would be without them. He cursed, fingers too stiff to properly grasp the button, and tried to pull his jeans down without undoing them. It was to no avail- having earlier decided to wear a set that fit him snugly. He went back to trying to unclasp the button, and ended up holding his hands to his mouth to try and warm them.
Seifer returned with a handful of clothes, and scowled at the sight of Hayner. "You can't even do one thing I ask you to?" He barked, and Hayner flinched away in embarrassment.
"M-my hands are too cold, j-jackass." He muttered, holding them out to show Seifer how they never once ceased in shaking. Seifer sighed, placing the clothes down on the couch nearby him, and approaching Hayner. The younger blond had little time to protest as Seifer's fingers hooked into his belt loops and wrenched him forward, instantly unbuttoning and un-zipping Hayner's pants and giving them a tug downward. Hayner jumped, shoving Seifer away and turning around.
"I- I can do the r-rest." He shot back, giving the blond a heavy glare over his shoulder. Seifer rolled his eyes and moved to get the clothes he'd abandoned. "Come on, chicken-wuss, we haven't got all day." Seifer snapped, and Hayner quickly divested himself of his jeans, stepping out of them and cupping his groin over his boxers. He turned to look at Seifer with a scowl and was met with a handful of clothes hitting him in the face. He snatched them up, reveling in the tiny bit of warmth that they seemed to leak out, and hurriedly tugged on the white shirt. When he went to pull on the pants, Seifer stopped him.
"Go in the other room and take your boxers off, you should know better, dipshit. You're gonna kill yourself if you don't try to keep your body warm." Hayner would have had some kind of vehement retort, but he was well aware that Seifer had spent two years in lifeguard training to earn extra community service hours- considering how Seifer had constantly bragged about having to be the one to save their lives if they ever drowned or were attacked by a shark - it was hard not to know. Instead, he slowly shuffled off in the direction that Seifer was pointing, opening what looked like a bedroom door and closing it behind himself.
Wasting no time in shedding his boxers, Hayner rubbed his hands along his wobbling thighs to try and warm them before he gave up and tugged on the large pants Seifer previously had tossed at him. They sagged off of his hips enough that Hayner felt the need to tie drawstrings tight. He gathered up his wet pants and left the room- closing the door behind him and watching Seifer pull a thick quilt from a linen closet that was in the entryway. Seifer caught sight of the younger blond and nodded his head towards the couch. "The heater's on, sit down."
Hayner shuffled over to the couch, flopping down onto it. His hair, still wet, dripped down the back of his neck and into the collar of the shirt. He grimaced at the cold feeling, but said nothing when Seifer handed him the large quilt with no spoken words. Hayner took it, wrapping the blanket around his body and moving to lay down whenever a towel landed on his head. He scowled, reaching up a hand to take it off when Seifer began to scrub it into his scalp.
"H-hey! Stop it!" Hayner barked, trying to pull his head away from Seifer's ministrations. The older boy didn't stop, but he did take the time to be gentler with drying Hayner's hair.
"I don't see why you let him do that to you." Seifer murmured, massaging the towel into the nape of his neck. Hayner pulled the quilt around himself tightly, his lower lip catching between his teeth. He bit down on it gently before releasing it with a huff. "The bastard's stronger than me."
Seifer rubbed at his temples, scrunching and catching all the moisture before continuing to move the towel back and forth. "You hate it more when I touch you." Hayner said nothing, and Seifer continued. "Didn't realize I was worse than that child molester." The blond bully spat out, his fingers digging into Hayner's hair enough to draw a wince from the younger blond.
"That hurts." He snapped, pulling his head away from Seifer's grasp with a scowl. Seifer stared down at him for a long moment before turning around. "I know." He left, disappearing into his room and shutting the door soundly. A long breath escaped Hayner and he clutched to the large blanket, sneaking a hand out to tug the towel off of his head before laying down on his side. The couch was soft- as if it had been used for a long time - but it smelled like Seifer, only with a house-type of musk to it that came from age. He sighed, a scowl coming to his face before he curled up into the blanket, tremors tearing across his body.
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AN:
Whew. What a rush. :3