DISCLAIMER: A silly thing I needed to get out of the way. Takes place some time after "Hero".

Author's Notes: You know there will yaoi. Probably bad language, too, and other assorted naughties. For the Gang at Yaoimongers. Thanks for a year of great fun! Set after "Happily Ever After".

Once a Knight

Chapter 1

By Race Ulfson

Once a Sorceress's Knight, always a Sorceress's Knight. No one knew that better than I. In fact, I'm an expert on it. Which is why I knew what would happen when Rinoa Heartilly got herself in a jam and called her ex to come fix. So why was I pissed?

Why do you think?

Squall looked up from the knife crease folded shirts he was packing. His socks, ties, pajamas, were lined up with military precision in the suitcase. Next would come the toiletries, probably in alphabetical order. The more out of control Squall's life became, the more anal he got about the little things he could control.

At least he was off the sauce.

And I was storming around being the complete jealous bitch.

"You could come with," he said.

"You know I can't miss that much school." Med School was a lot harder than anticipated. Thank Hyne - and Laguna Loire - that I wasn't still trying to work full time.

"I have to go," Squall said, sounding miserable.

I ran my hands through my hair, resisting the urge to pull some out. Instead, I moved behind Squall and put my hands to good use, running them over his back and kneading his ass before I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him to me. "I'm being an asshole. Let me have my moment and I'll get over it."

Squall sighed and leaned back against me, his silky hair tickling, his head in the hollow of my throat. I rubbed my chin against the top of his head like a cat. Marking my territory.

In a similar path to a few moments ago, my hands ran over Squall's chest and down to knead his crotch. He hardened under my touch and I smiled into his hair.

"I'm gonna write 'property of Seifer Almasy' on this," I whispered in his ear.

A faint grin curled around his lips. "No one is going to see it. You could write it on my ass, which Rin should be kissing."

"Tell her she can kiss mine, too."

I held Squall in my arms, rocking him gently, and nibbled his ear. He squirmed, becoming aroused and annoyed. I love him like that.

"Seifer. we don't have time, I'll miss the train." Squall made futile reaching motions for the suitcase.

I smooched along his neck, behind his ear. "Take the 'Roc."

Squall shook his head. "I'd still have to take a transport in from Galbadia Garden."

"Aren't you going to stay there anyway with Selphie and Irvine?" I moved my kisses to his shoulder and the back of his neck.

Squall shuddered. "And get sucked into the Cult of Trabian?"

"Oh, they aren't that bad!" Selphie and Irvine were pretty typical of new parents, delighted and amazed by what they had created and intent on spreading the joy. On the up side, Trabian was an adorable little boy, and Irvine had the 50,000 photographs to prove it. Ask him to see them sometime when you have no other plans for the weekend.

"Yes, they are. I'm staying at the Royal in Deling City. Irvine's on maneuvers, anyway, and I'm not risking Selphie's cooking."

"Aw, and that's such a cute little picture, the two of you at the kitchen table trading housewifely tips."

Squall twisted around in my arms and glared up at me. "Housewifely? Who exactly is the breadwinner in this family? Who is the front line combat guy and who is the lowly Grad student?"

"Who cooks?"

"That's self preservation."

I grinned down at him. "Who cleans?"

"That's because you are a lazy slob, and if I'm on leave I have nothing to do while you're in class."

I kissed Squall, crushing him to me and lifting him slightly off his feet. I let him go when we were both breathless. "Who's tops?"

Just in case he didn't remember, I dumped Squall on the bed and reminded him.
Seifer has no concept of a quickie, which is why I was so late for the train. I half think it was a last ditch attempt to make me stay. As if that wasn't all I wanted, anyway.

They held the train for me. I am Laguna Loire's son, after all. So embarrassing. It was enough time for a few reporters to gather. I cannot imagine why my personal life would be of interest to anyone.

"Where are you headed, Commander?" One of them, from Vid News Two, I thought, was trying the 'aren't we good pals?' approach.

I tried the glacial 'go away and leave me alone' response, but he was as stupid friendly as a puppy. "My ticket is to Balamb," I said finally, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Great! I'm headed that way myself." He would have been going anywhere I mentioned, up to and including the Island Closest to Hell. "We can sit together and you can share."

"Have a good trip," I said, slipping into the SeeD lounge and shutting the door. I hate using official SeeD equipment for my personal use, but it's not like the car wasn't going to be traveling to Fisherman's Horizon whether I was in it or not. Still, I knew reporters. They would decide Something Was Up since I was in the SeeD car and would hound me to death. Which is why I had planned to ditch them all in Fisherman's Horizon and head to Deling by way of Winhill. Last thing I needed was for the Free Press of Esther to find out I was going to visit my sorceress.

I still thought of Rin as My Sorceress. We hadn't been able to make our relationship work as a couple, but I still had strong feelings for her. I loved her, I guess. It was part of the whole Sorceress/Knight relationship. I had seen it often enough with Laguna and Sis, the helpless all consuming devotion he had to her. Having felt it, I was more willing to forgive Laguna for leaving Raine and me. When your Sorceress calls, you have no choice.

I wondered about Seifer and his sorceress. We never talked about it. I wasn't even sure which of the sorceresses was his. Edea, most likely. He had always been devoted to her, and after all, Adel was before our time and Ultimecia was from somewhere in the future.

Shiva stirred, as she always did when I started brooding about the Second Sorceress War. To appease her, I changed mental gears by searching for Irvine's stash. He had one hidden in every SeeD car, and although the cars were identical, the hiding places were not. I don't know how he remembered them all. Lack of GF's, I guess.

This one was easy, a little compartment in the framework of underside of the couch. I found playing cards, 500 gil, ¾ of a bottle of Galbadian Whiskey, 2 boxes of bullets and some serious SeeD whacking material - a vintage issue of Weapon's Monthly. I reached for the Whiskey first, but thought better of it and stole his magazine instead.

I settled back against the cushions and prepared to while away the hours to Fisherman's Horizon. The advantages of no memory to speak of, old magazines are just as engrossing as new ones.

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