A new day, a new story. With Fire Storm slowing down a bit, I thought I'd share another one of my projects with you. This one's finished already, so regular updates are guaranteed! Total of 6 chapters, and an epilogue if you guys think it needs one.
Disclaimer:Once and for all: I don't own them, Squaresoft does. I'm just (ab)using them... and I'm not even making any money with it, either. Furthermore I'm well aware that this idea has more or less been done before, if not here on then at least in Hollywood, but my muses wouldn't let that stop them.
Warnings: SxS shonenai, although it's not too obvious just yet. It won't get graphical, but if boy-love still quirks ya, go find another bone to pick. Some parts/reactions may seem OOC, but all OOC-ness has a purpose.
Summary: After the war, Squall finds himself torn between his newfound friendship with Seifer and the rest of the Gang, who are anything but happy about Seifer's return. But dothey have a good pointin objecting so strongly?
Now, enjoy!
Images of Forever - Chapter 1
Once again I am more than grateful for the common showers right outside the training centre, mostly because I'm Grat-full, too. It's infinitely better to wash the green slime off while it's still runny than to leave a slug trail to the bathroom in your dorm, only to discover that the stuff has already crusted and won't let go of your hair, ever. Seifer taught me as much after he came to that conclusion, back when he was thirteen. He's kept the crew cut ever since.
And since he's got no intention of ending up bald after this particularly messy training session, he's in the stall next to me, washing his hair with what looks suspiciously much like my shampoo. I let him. At least he's here to steal my stuff.
At least he's here, period.
"Don't go using up all the warm water, Puberty-Boy."
Seifer's sharp voice wakes me from my thoughts. Turning around, I see him getting dressed in the clean change of clothes he brought. I swear time takes a shortcut when I think. Quickly turning off the taps, I grab my towel and start drying myself, all the while glaring at him. He just smirks in reply.
"Save your glares for someone who gives a shit and get going already. Stalling ain't gonna help you get out of your promise."
Walking over to my locker, I throw my wet towel at his head. He ducks and it misses, landing in the bag with clothes destined for the dry cleaner's instead. The move earns me a few curses, which I ignore out of habit. Changing into my spare trousers and shirt, I ask him if he's got anything better to do tonight instead of hanging around with me and my game computer.
"Ha," he exclaims. "I got a few DVD's lying on my TV which are still in their wrappers. And then there's the bar downtown, of course. A few drinks, a few girls…"
"And in the morning, me biting your hung-over ass off for going out after curfew again."
"Yeah man, nothing like seeing you get your pants in a twist after a great night on the town."
"You're a sick man, Seifer."
"No, I just dare to live a little."
I snort and keep silent. We both know I don't like the way he sets his priorities, even if he is grossly exaggerating. But it's no use getting wound up over it, so I pretend that tying the laces of my sneakers takes too much concentration to reply.
"Anyone ever tell you how cute you look when you're not wearing leather?" he suddenly asks, with a tone of voice that's saying 'take the bait, Squally-boy'.
But I won't. Repressing the urge to glare, I go for the sarcastic approach. "Actually, I usually get told I look cute when I am wearing leather." It's true. People tell me that all the time. Girls and boys. It's disturbing, it really is…
Unfortunately, Seifer can make a come back from any kind of set-back.
"Of course, fact is that you look cute no matter what you wear. Or don't wear." The suggestive wink he makes is only play. But it does work on my nerves.
"You still want have a go at the new game I bought?" I demand. It's not a question. More of a threat.
He shrugs. "You want holler at me in the morning?"
"Not really."
"Then let's go play!" He swings Hyperion on his shoulder and then paces out into the hallway, leaving me to shove our bags of dirty clothes into the laundry shoot. Then I follow him quietly.
The hallway is empty. No surprise considering the time of night. Only the training centre's open at this hour, and only the most well-trained and insane SeeD would train knowing the infirmary won't open till eight in the morning. Which would explain our presence here.
"So, do we expect any trouble when we arrive?"
I shake my head. With 'trouble' he means Rinoa. Like most people in Garden, she doesn't approve of Seifer being back here. She approves even less of me inviting him to my room. But the only times she gets a say in the matter is when she's at my place, and fortunately for our little plan tonight, she usually sleeps in her own dorm when I stay out late in the training centre.
Opening my door, we are greeted by darkness, which confirms my expectation. After double checking the bedroom, I sound the 'all-clear'. Seifer acknowledges the message by plopping down on the couch in the living room.
From the kitchenette corner of the living room, I get a bottle of soda and two glasses.
"Here, catch."
Seifer's reflexes are amazing in battle, but when he's off guard, he's off guard. I wince as the glasses crash and shatter on the floor. Fortunately, the bottle lands on the seat of the sofa and survives its brief flight.
"No need to bring down the house!" he exclaims. Examining the bottle he gives me a flat look. "I hope you weren't expecting any carbon in that."
"Whatever."
He sighs and roles his eyes. "Some things never change, do they?"
At that moment the door bell chimed, and since I'd rather answer the door than Seifer's half-hearted questions, I went to open it.
Rinoa. Not just Rinoa, but a very groggy-looking Rinoa wearing a bathrobe.
"Um, hi?"
She eyes me through sleep-logged lids. "Hi. You okay in there?"
"Yeah? Any reason I shouldn't be?"
"Just that I woke from this crash. Something broke, I think. I just wanted to know for sure it wasn't at your place."
I smirk briefly. "Well, it was at my place. Nothing bad though. We were gonna have a drink, and…"
"We?" she cut in, looking very awake and very concerned all of a sudden. Damn, I had so hoped to avoid this. I let out an exasperated sigh.
"Yes. We. I figured you'd be asleep when I got back, so I invited Seifer over for a drink and a go at the MS500 after training. He dropped the glasses, hence the crash. Sorry we woke you." Okay, that went a little too fast to come out as casual, but I just want her to go.
No such luck, of course. The level of 'concern' on her face turns up a notch as her eye brows arched into 'pleading' mode. I hate it when she does that. I hate it even more when she starts to…
"Seifer? Squall, I thought we'd been over this. You know this isn't right."
… when she starts to nag about me hanging out with Seifer. Hyne, will no one ever give me a break?
"Damn, Rinoa! I can make my own decisions! I don't need you or Quistis or God-knows who else on my tail, telling me what is right and what isn't. And if I want to invite an old friend over to my quarters, that's my choice, regardless of whether or not the lot of you consider him a criminal."
"That's not it! It's not about him being a criminal or whatever, and you know it."
"Then what's your problem, for God's sake? It's not like I'm having sex with him or anything!"
Now I realise we've been shouting. Some doors open up along the corridor, and suddenly I feel very, very self-conscious. So I do what I do best. I run. And in this case running away means slamming the door in my girlfriend's face, and locking it before anyone decides to come in anyway.
They don't. I can hear Rinoa shoo everyone back to their beds before leaving to for her dorm herself. Despite the fact she started this argument, I feel grateful for her cleaning up my social mess. Especially after that last comment.
When I get back to the living room, Seifer's eyeing me intently. "That's the third time in two weeks she comes to complain about me being here. They got you under 24/7 surveillance or something?"
"Sure does seem that way, don't it?" I say quietly as I crouch to pick up the shards of glass. Just a few big pieces, fortunately, or I'd have to wake up everyone with the vacuum cleaner.
"If I were you, I'd check twice when they start asking silly questions," Seifer comments while moving so I can reach under the couch, but not helping either. "Before you know it, it turns out you're on 'Oblivious' or some other hidden camera show. And we both know you camera's aren't exactly your best friends."
Without really wanting to, I chuckle. That's Seifer, all right. Even when we were younger, he could always bring me back to the here and now. Either by words or by beating me up.
Then to my surprise, he gets up, but clearly not to turn on the computer. "I think I'd better be going," he says in answer to my unspoken question.
"Why? I thought you were so desperate to tryout Morgenstern 2?"
"Nah. I'm not really in the mood for chasing demons anymore. And if I'm not gonna get laid either…"
He winks. Typically him to use my little outburst for something like this. I look away, feeling ashamed, while I wait for him to finish his sentence. But he leaves it hanging, the unsaid words as mocking as if he had spoken them. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't belittle everything like this.
Yet the tone is gone when he continues to speak, and his eyes look different, too.
"But seriously," he sighs, "I don't want to cause you any trouble. And if all your friends and colleagues jump your neck for even talking to me, perhaps we shouldn't…" He stops when I wave his words away.
"Don't even think about it, Almasy. If they can't handle it, then that's their problem, not mine. And it shouldn't be yours, either."
He shrugs, but looks tenser than usual. He puts his hand on the 'open'-button of the door. I give it one more try.
"You sure?"
He nods. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow. 'Night."
The door slides shut behind him, and I'm left with this sinking feeling.
Just a warming-up, this chapter. Let me know what you think so far. The more reviews, the faster I update!