TWO

Years of SeeD training had made Squall a light sleeper, and so he was wide - awake and ready the moment the intruder entered the cabin. Squall knew right away that the late night - marauder wasn't human, and he cringed slightly when he heard the scrape of claws over metal. Squall remained perfectly still, but opened his eyes just a little so that he could get a good look at his visitor. It was a creature he had never seen before, but it was not unlike the T – Rexuars that lived in the Garden Training Center. This reptile was smaller and sleeker, but no doubt as dangerous as its larger cousin was.

The hatch of the cabin had been broken off during the crash, and so Squall had known that something might wander into the cabin while he slept, but it was a risk he’d been willing to take. Retiring to the cabin had been his only real option.

The reptile growled, stomped, and knocked things from the shelves as it lumbered about the cabin. Squall watched the horrendous beast and waited. He had buried himself beneath a covering, and so the monster did not see him. Squall hoped to Hyne that the creature would go on its way without noticing him, but he wrapped his fingers around Lionheart and prepared his aching body for a fight just in case. Squall praised Hyne and all the other Gods he could think of when the reptile turned and lumbered past him toward the door, but before he could finish the last of his prayers, and the creature could abandon the cabin, it stopped and turned its head in Squall’s direction. Squall cursed silently and grew perfectly still. The creature whimpered or sighed or something and moved toward the table on which Squall lie. The creature sniffed the blanket, roared, then knocked Squall from the table.

The brunette was on his feet in a flash. The creature hissed, and moved around the table. Squall swiped at it with Lionheart and the monster batted at him with tiny reptilian hands. He swiped at the creature again and one of the beast’s tiny arms fell to the floor. It roared loudly and stumbled backward. Blood spurted from the wound and splattered Squall’s face. He cried out in surprise and fell backward against the steel wall, slashing before him blindly as he tried to back away. He couldn’t see anything, but he heard the beast moving toward him. A searing pain rushed up his side as the creature’s lance – like teeth sunk into the soft flesh of his arm. Squall cried out and fell backward as Lionheart dropped from his hand. He heard the blade clatter to the ground. He reached frantically for the blade, but it had fallen somewhere out of the reach of his desperate hand. The creature bit deeper, and Squall howled in pain. He beat at the reptile’s head, but the pain did not cease. He felt himself losing consciousness. Soon enough, the world faded into black and swallowed Squall with it.

THREE

Light.

Then colors and shapes.

Squall rolled over and shielded his eyes with his hand. He was lying on the beach, just beyond what remained of the Ragnarok. It had almost completely fallen beneath the crystalline blue waters, and now only the top most portion of the head and some of the shoulder could be seen. To his right, Squall could see what remained of Lionheart scattered on the sand. The blade had been completely ruined, but Squall didn't feel the loss too much, because it was the second or third Lionheart he'd had since Ultimecia. The one he'd used to defeat the future Sorceress was actually hanging in a Galbadian museum. Slightly to his left lie the blood – soaked remains of the creature that had attacked him last night. It’s empty eyes looked at Squall accusingly.

Squall rubbed his arm. It still hurt some, but the wounds had completely vanished. He scratched at his arm absentmindedly as he lurched up from the ground.

"Watch it, pretty boy, that was a nasty wound." A deep voice said.

Squall turned violently on the speaker.

Seifer Almasy was crouched next to the body of the reptile, using Hyperion to cut huge chunks of flesh from the monster’s carcass. He’d removed, or perhaps lost, his shirt and trench coat, and so he was wearing only his pants and boots. His golden hair was decorated with the reptile’s blood. Some of it also stuck to his tanned chest and face.

"I suppose you think I should thank you." Squall said.

Seifer grinned. "Yeah, you should thank me. That was my last Cure spell. Now you owe me." He said.

Squall sneered. "I don’t owe you anything." He said.

"If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t get to stand there with your fucking hand on your hip now would you?" he said.

Squall sucked his teeth and sneered. "So you saved a life? Big fucking deal. What about all the people you’ve killed." He said.

Seifer’s face darkened. "Fucking bitch." He said. He wrapped the reptile meat in a piece of plastic and stood full height. He sneered at Squall one last time before turning and walking off.

"Where the hell do you think your going, Almasy?" Squall yelled.

Seifer halted, but didn’t turn around. He glanced over his shoulder. "Where the Hell does it look like I’m goin’?" he said before continuing on.

"You’re not going anywhere. You’re still in my charge, and I’m taking you to prison. Don’t think this changes anything." Squall said.

Seifer laughed. "Listen to yourself. You sound like a fucking dork." He said.

Squall rushed up to him and grabbed his arm. Seifer stopped and glared down at Squall’s hand.

The blonde sneered. "Get off." He growled.

Squall swallowed. "No. You are a criminal Seifer, and you have to stay here with me until help arrives." He said.

"I don’t have to do anything." Seifer said. He snatched his arm from Squall’s grip. "Now get the fuck off before I make you wish you’d never touched me."

Squall faltered, but only for a moment. "Seifer, I am taking you in." he said.

"Oh yeah? How? Look at your ship Squall? How you gonna take me in? We gonna fly there? Huh? Maybe you can call in Doomtrain and we can just ride him on in. Oh, but I forgot. You don’t have anything Junctioned, and you’re still just a pissy little punk, and that’s why Big Daddy Almasy had to come in and save your sorry life. Now if you don’t mind." Seifer said.

"Where are you going?!" Squall demanded.

"To find some shelter. I suggest you do the same thing. I saw a couple more of those things around last night. They might come back here when they smell the blood." Seifer said.

"Screw those things." Squall said. "Getting you to the D District prison is my only concern, and I’m not letting you just walk out of here." Squall said as he rushed to catch the leggy blonde.

Seifer shrugged. "Suite yourself, Leonhart. I don’t give a fuck what you think your going to do. Just stay off my back and out of my face and everything will be ‘all good’. Now if you’re determined to tag along, shut your mouth, before I stick something in it, and make yourself useful. Help me carry some of this crap." he said. He took two enormous chunks of the reptile meat and dropped them into Squall’s arms.

The weight of the slimy package nearly knocked Squall over. Seifer laughed and walked on. Squall cursed under his breath and followed.

FOUR

Two hours later Seifer and Squall were still marching through the jungle. Seifer didn’t seem the least bit tired, but Squall was completely exhausted. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the crash, or the reptile attack, and his body ached all over. Worse still, the sickeningly sweet smell of the reptile meat was overloading his senses and making him light – headed. He needed to rest, and soon, but his pride kept him from mentioning any of this to Seifer.

"What’s the matter baby? Can’t keep up?" Seifer called back mockingly.

"Fuck you." Squall mumbled.

Seifer snickered. He stopped and tossed his package on a nearby log.

"We can rest, but not for long. It’ll be dark soon." Seifer said.

Seifer took a pack of cigarettes from his pant pocket and dropped down on the ground next to the log. Squall dropped his package of meat onto the trunk and sat down. He tried his damnedest not to flinch as he lowered himself onto the fallen tree, but his body screamed with every move he made.

"Want one?" Seifer asked, holding out a cigarette.

Squall sneered. "You know I don’t smoke. That’s why I’m a better SeeD than you." He said.

Seifer laughed and shook his head. "This little girl – bitch ‘saves the world’ and thinks he’s got it over me. Oh, the humanity." Seifer said.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Where are we going Seifer?" he asked, exasperation clear in his voice.

Seifer put the lit cigarette to his lips and inhaled. "There's a cave just over there. It would be a good place to stay for the night." He said.

"I’m not staying in any cave." Squall said. "That would be stupid."

"As stupid as staying in a sinking ship?" Seifer said.

"Where did you stay last night?" Squall snapped.

Seifer pointed up. "In a tree. Off the ground. Out of reach. You, know Squall, I wonder how you ever made SeeD. Your survival reasoning sucks. I mean, who seriously considers letting Rinoa keep her Sorceress powers?" He said.

"You are an asshole, Seifer. Always were. Always will be." Squall said. "I’m not staying in a cave. It would be as dangerous as staying in the ship."

"We can stay for a night or two. I’ll admit that it wouldn’t be a good place to hole up for the long haul though. Those lizards and whatever else makes a home here would be in and out of there all day. We’d be fighting every five minutes, and we both know you couldn’t handle that." Seifer said.

"Whatever." Squall said.

Seifer grinned. "I saw a place just over that mountain. There’s a small valley with good water and everything. Those lizards don’t go up there either." He said.

"We won’t even be here that long." Squall said.

"How do you know?" Seifer asked.

"Because they will come for us." Squall said.

"You hope." Seifer said.

"I know." Squall said.

Seifer shrugged.

"When did you have time to explore all of this anyway?" Squall asked.

"Didn’t take long. The island isn’t as big as it seems. Nice place actually." Seifer said.

Squall shook his head and got up. "Whatever. Let’s just get to where ever it is we’re supposed to go." He said.

"Yes Sir, Commander dear!" Seifer said as he jumped up off the ground.

Squall rolled his eyes and hauled the reptile meat up from the log.

FIVE

"Well this must be heaven." Squall said as he took in the wretched condition of the small cave. He tossed the reptile meat on the floor and leaned against the wall.

Seifer used Hyperion to clear some debris from the stone floor. "It’s just for one night, Sugar. I know you’ve slept in worse places." He said. "Rinoa’s bed anyone? She still sleep naked, Leonhart?"

Squall cursed. "Whatever, Almasy." He said. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

Seifer gathered some sticks, soil, and dried leaves he’d found in the cave and piled the mixture up in the center of a makeshift circle of rocks. He fished around in his pocket for his lighter and used it to start a fire. He grabbed for his share of the reptile meat and dropped it near the rising blaze. He rubbed his hands together as he gazed down at the slimy flesh. "I feel like chicken tonight!" he cried.

Squall rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Are you certain it’s safe to eat that?" he said.

"Why don’t you taste it and see? Of course, I’m certain. I tried some earlier." Seifer said. He grabbed one of the hunks of meat and threw it on the flame. "Better than mom’s home cookin’." he said.

"Whatever." Squall said.

Seifer smiled and sat back as he waited for the meat to cook. Squall moved closer to the fire and began to warm his hands over the climbing flames.

"Careful, sweetheart." Seifer said. "Don’t burn yourself."

Squall looked at Seifer and sneered.

"Oh, so you’re angry now." Seifer said. He laughed and took a long drag of a freshly lit cigarette.

"Like I said before, you’ve always been an asshole, and you’ll always be one." Squall said.

Seifer tossed a small rock at him. Squall dodged it and it bounced against the cave wall.

"You don’t know a fucking thing about me, Leonhart." Seifer said.

"I know what I need to know." Squall said.

Seifer leaned forward. The fire cast dark shadows over his sharp features. "Oh, really, and what’s that?" he said.

Squall wasn’t about to back down from the unspoken challenge. "I know that you’re a conceited jerk who only cares about himself." He said.

Seifer grinned, and that didn’t surprise Squall at all. "Hmmm, Leonhart, maybe you’re right. Or, maybe you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You never bothered to get to know me. None of you did." He said.

"You did this to yourself, Seifer. Don’t blame us. Don’t blame anyone else." Squall said.

"Even though that fucking bitch was messing around in my head you still blame me?" Seifer said.

"It was a fair trial Seifer. Just do the time. You’ll be out in thirty years, half that if you don’t cause any trouble." Squall said.

"Bullshit. That trial wasn’t fair and you know it, and I’m not going down because some fucked up future Sorceress decided she wanted to fuck around in my head." Seifer said.

"Ultimecia may have been controlling you, but she knew what was in your heart. Your arrogance made you susceptible to her power." Squall said.

"Maybe, but whatever she saw in me she could have seen in you, Quistis, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Xu, Cid, the fucking Library chick, and anybody else out there. It could have been anyone. You got to be the hero this time, but who the fuck made you what you are? Without me you're nothing." He said.

"Whatever. I won’t listen to this." Squall said.

"And you don’t have to Leonhart, because deep inside you know it’s true." Seifer said. "And you should know by now that I ain’t gonna go down without a fight. You can try to take me in, but you’ll have to kill me first. Luck finally decided to throw a little sunshine my way, and I’ll be damned if you take that from me."

Seifer got up and stomped out of the cave. Squall sighed and raked his hands through his hair. He hated to admit it to himself, but much of what Seifer had said was true. As Fate would have it Seifer was chosen to play the villain, but Seifer was right to say that it could have been anyone. Squall had to admit that Seifer might have even been right about the trail.

Squall and the others had known that Seifer would be punished, but they had not expected it to be so severe. Life in prison, only execution could have been worse. There had been a rumor that the judge and prosecutors of the cases against Seifer were determined to make sure that his side wouldn’t be heard. They had not allowed Seifer to speak at his own trail. Squall had also heard that there had been evidence tampering and witness intimidation. Still, all those things were just rumors, and for whatever reason the people had decided that Seifer must be punished. Squall had been given the task of transporting Seifer to the D District Prison, and although Squall had his doubts, his hands were tied. He had to do his duty. There was no way around it.

Squall sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. It was too much to think about tonight and he was so exhausted. He was also extremely hungry and the reptile meat was looking more appetizing with each passing minute. Squall grabbed a stick and poked at the darkened flesh on the fire. It looked done, so he gingerly pulled at a piece of the smoking meat. He waited a bit for it to cool then popped it into his mouth. It was actually quite good, and before long, he’d pulled a sizable hunk of flesh off the flame and into his lap. As he chewed noisily on the spicy meat Seifer walked back into the cave.

"Must be good." Seifer said as he returned to his spot on the stone floor.

"Not bad." Squall said.

Seifer grabbed the rest of the meat from the flame and bit into a piece of it. "Not bad at all." He said as he chewed slowly.

Squall finished the last bite of his portion of the meat and began to lick his fingers. As he sucked on his index finger, he noticed Seifer watching him intently.

"What?" Squall said.

Seifer grinned through a mouthful of food. "Just thinking about something." He said.

Squall licked his fingers as he looked up at Seifer beneath heavy lashes. "About what?" Squall said.

"My Romantic Dream, that’s all." Seifer said.

"You never told me what that was about." Squall said.

"I thought you knew, but then you never were too bright." Seifer said.

"Whatever, I thought it was to be a Sorceress Knight." Squall said.

"Shows how little you really know about me, kiddo." Seifer said.

SIX

The tall blonde and the waif – like brunette stood side by side at the entrance of the cave, both young men staring up at the pale, blue sky.

"Looks like we still have a couple of hours before it gets dark." Seifer said.

"Yeah, I think I’ll go back to the ship and get the rest of the stuff I salvaged before the light fades." Squall said.

Seifer lifted Hyperion to his shoulder. "I better go with you." he said. "Wouldn’t want to lose you."

"Whatever." Squall said as he marched out of the shadow of the cave and into the light.

The two young men walked side by side through the thick green, neither one saying anything to the other. Squall was wondering how long it would be before anyone found them. It was Garden’s policy to send a search crew out for SeeDs Missing in Action a week after final contact was lost, but once the search party was sent out it could still take days, even weeks before help arrived. They were in the middle of nowhere, on an island that Squall suspected wouldn’t be found on any map. Squall decided that he would try the radio again, but he doubted that anyone would pick up the signal.

Squall glanced over at his companion. Seifer was humming to himself. There was a bounce in his step. Every few feet, the blonde would jump up and touch a tree branch. Squall shook his head and uttered a sound of disgust. Squall was unnerved by this entire situation, but Seifer seemed to be enjoying himself. In fact, Seifer seemed right at home in this dense jungle as though he had been born living in this wilderness. All SeeDs were prepared to live under extreme conditions, but Squall found himself already longing for a decent meal, a hot shower, and a warm bed. He supposed it wouldn’t be so bad if he were trapped on this island alone, but the thought of being out here with Seifer for more time than was necessary unnerved him further.

Squall had never, ever told anyone about this, but he’d once had a huge crush on Seifer. Seifer had always treated him rottenly when they were kids, and he in turn had always behaved as though he despised Seifer, but in reality, Squall had been completely taken with the blonde back then. Indeed, Squall believed that he had liked Seifer from the very first day they met back in Edea’s orphanage. At one point he had seemed unable, or unwilling, to think about anything but Seifer Almasy. He’d even dreamed about Seifer a lot back then, and many of those dreams weren’t the kind Squall thought a normal 12 year old boy should be having. He eventually learned to suppress those feelings, and because of all the bad blood that had developed between them over the years it had gotten easier to forget about his strong desire for Seifer. Squall always feared that those desires would return if the right opportunity arose. He was already starting to feel strange around the blonde, like those old desires, now uninhibited by society or expectations, wanted to be free. Squall unconsciously licked his lips as he watched Seifer’s muscled back. He promptly closed his large, blue eyes and steeled himself against the onslaught of those unwanted stirrings. He knew that if he wasn’t careful, this paradise would wear him down and make him forget both himself and his duties.

The ship had been almost completely swallowed by the deep blue. Fortunately, most of what Squall had salvaged was still lying on the beach untouched. Squall quickly made his way down to the shore, and Seifer followed right behind him. Besides the radio, Squall had salvaged two First Aide kits, a flare gun, a fire extinguisher, some gasoline, a few cans of oil, and a box of various food items. Squall examined all the items and breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing was damaged. Even the radio was still intact.

"We won’t be able to carry all of this back in one trip." Seifer said.

"We can make more than one trip." Squall said.

"By the time we go back, then come back here it will be dark." Seifer said. "I really ain’t in the mood for a fight."

"Seifer Almasy not in the mood for a fight? Sure. Right." Squall said.

Seifer grinned. "Feelin’ too good today. Wrestling with one of those lizards might ruin my mood." He said. "Besides, I’d much rather be wrestling with something else."

Squall’s eyes widened. The brunette had no idea what to make of that comment, and he wasn’t even going to begin to explore it. "Well, we can carry some of it back. The rest we can retrieve tomorrow." He said.

Seifer shrugged. "Fine with me." He said.

The two boys loaded up as much as they could carry without causing themselves serious injury. Seifer grabbed the fire extinguisher and the first Aide kits, and Squall managed to pile the radio, some of the food, and the flare gun into his arms.

The trip back took much longer, and Squall was completely warn out when they reached the cave. Seifer seemed to be getting tired too, and as soon as he stashed the things he'd been carrying in a corner he pulled out a large blanket and moved to lie down near the fire.

Squall took the things he'd been carrying and placed them in a neat pile against one of the cave walls. He moved toward the fire and watched quietly as Seifer spread the blanket out on the floor. Squall looked at the blanket longingly.

"Where did you get that?" Squall asked.

"Wanna get on?" Seifer asked as he stretched out on the blanket.

Squall shook his head. "I should have the blanket. You got it from the ship." Squall said.

"So. Who cares who got it? We can share it." Seifer said. He grinned lecherously.

"No thanks." Squall mumbled.

Seifer shrugged.

Squall sighed heavily and stretched out by the fire. He rested his head on his arm and closed his eyes. He was so tired, but he was cold, and he wasn't able to get comfortable. He pulled his arms into his shirt and curled up into a fetal position, but that didn't help much either. Squall sat up and examined the fire. It was still burning strongly, but he threw more sticks into the blaze. He looked over at Seifer. The big blonde had wrapped the covers around his body, and he was already drifting off to sleep. Squall found himself reconsidering his earlier decision. Something about the idea of being so close to Seifer had unnerved him, but Squall scrambled up from the floor anyway. He was too cold to care anymore.

Squall crawled over to the sleeping form huddled in the blanket and leaned over it. Seifer’s eyes were closed and he was snoring. Squall hesitated before gently pushing at Seifer’s shoulder. Seifer mumbled and rolled onto his back. He opened his green eyes and gazed wearily at Squall.

"What?" Seifer snapped.

"I’m cold." Squall said.

"So?" Seifer said.

"So, move over. I need to get warm." Squall said.

Seifer lifted the quilt and threw it back. Squall crawled beside Seifer and began to lie down. Seifer threw the covers back up and immediately wrapped his arms around Squall’s waist.

Squall pushed at Seifer’s chest. "What are you doing?" he cried.

"Shhhh. Not so loud." Seifer said as he nuzzled his face in Squall’s neck.

"Seifer, stop it." Squall hissed.

"You said you wanted to get warm. Body heat’s the best way. Shit, Squall, you act like I’m trying to fuck you or something." Seifer said.

Squall’s cheeks turned bright red. He felt Seifer smile into his neck.

"Asshole." Squall mumbled.

"Mmmmmm, don’t keep saying that word if you want me to play nice, Lionheart." Seifer said.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Squall cried.

"Figure it out." Seifer said.

Squall punched at Seifer’s shoulder.

Seifer pinched Squall’s thigh, and the brunette squirmed. Seifer then pinched his bottom, and Squall gasped before punching Seifer in the side. The blonde chuckled and climbed on top of the squirming brunette. A wrestling match ensued, but it was over quickly. Seifer would always be bigger and stronger Squall, no matter how many all – powerful Sorceresses the brunette went up against.

Squall was laughing hysterically by the time Seifer subdued him. He continued to squirm although Seifer had his hands pinned down to the ground. Squall eventually stopped moving when he felt something huge and hard against his belly. Squall looked up into Seifer’s face and noticed that the blonde was watching him and grinning.

"Get off." Squall said.

"I don't wanna." Seifer said softly.

"I want you to, so get off now!" Squall said.

"You're no fun Squall." Seifer said before sliding off of the brunette.

Squall punched Seifer once more then turned over so that his back was to the blonde. Seifer immediately curled up behind Squall and wrapped his arms around Squall's waist. Squall simply closed his eyes and tried to control his rising desire.

SEVEN

When Squall woke up the following morning, Seifer was no where to be found. Squall thought that Seifer might have escaped while he was sleeping, but then he noticed the things the blonde had taken from the ship. Squall got up and stretched languidly. He scooped up the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders so that it draped over his body. He blushed slightly when he remembered that he'd shared the blanket with Seifer, but he quickly put those thoughts out of his mind. He was determined to keep control of himself, even if it killed him.

Squall emerged from the darkness of the cave and blinked in the sunlight. It was a bright, clear day and the jungle plants had become bright and glossy from the morning mist. It was a beautiful sight, and the aromas created by the flowering plants and vines created a wonderful perfume. Squall lifted his arm and sniffed at his shirt. He needed a bath, and soon.

Squall could hear a loud thrashing of water from where he stood in front of the cave. He’d heard it yesterday, but hadn’t really paid much attention to it. It sounded like a very large body of water, like a river, or maybe even a lake. Squall eagerly headed toward the sound and hoped he wouldn’t have far to walk.

Squall came upon it after only a few minutes. It was far more beautiful than he expected it to be, and despite all of the marvels he had seen during his time as a soldier, his eyes widened at the sight.

There was a small cliff ahead as high as the tree tops, and a glittering cascade of blue and white poured over the rocky outcropping and crashed against the large boulders below and into a shimmering lake. Great flowering plants thrived around the edges of the lake, all of them heavily laden with bright, extremely tempting, fruits.

Squall ran down the small slope to the edge of the lake. The water looked so cool and inviting, and he licked his lips in anticipation of how it would feel against his skin. He looked around for Seifer, and when he didn’t see the blonde he tossed the blanket aside and began to remove his T - shirt. He was out of the confines of his clothing and into the clear blue waters in a flash. The liquid was cool, but much warmer than he thought it would be, and he submerged himself completely. He rose from the water and closed his eyes as he slicked his hair back. He sighed in pleasure as the water cascaded down his slender form, over his belly, over and down his backside, and between his thighs. He went under again and swam toward the rocks by the waterfall. Squall had always found great pleasure in swimming, and he often wondered if he’d been a fish in his former life he took to water so well. Being submerged in the water like this both soothed and revitalized him.

Squall scrambled up onto one of the boulders. It was a perfect spot, made cool because of the water and the shade of a nearby plant, but just enough sun peeked through the branches of the plant to warm his skin. He sat on his bottom on the rock and let his smooth, muscular legs hang down in the water. After admiring the shining sun for a moment Squall reached up into the branches of the tree and picked one of the fruits.

"Passion fruit." He said as he turned it over in his hands.

He began to peel away the skin of the fruit to get at the delicious meat inside. When the fruit was properly peeled, Squall took a bite of it. He closed his eyes and relished the wonderfully sweet taste of the delightful treat. The juices spilled over his lips and cascaded over his chin, and his little pink tongue darted about trying to get at every vagrant drop of the stray liquid.

An intruder burst in on Squall’s little idyllic scene before he could take another bite of the scrumptious fruit. Squall felt something tug roughly at one of his feet and he yelped as he tried to jerk his leg back. Seifer emerged from the water, his long fingers wrapped around Squall’s ankle, a lecherous grin on his face. Squall tried to pull himself out of Seifer’s grasp, but the blonde wouldn’t release him.

"You fucking idiot!" Squall cried. "Let go!"

Seifer laughed and dropped Squall’s leg as the angry brunette beat at the blonde on his neck, shoulders and back.

"Jerk!" Squall hollered.

Seifer moved forward and leaned against the rock and between Squall’s legs. Squall leaned back and gasped. He felt his body begin to tingle and a deep blush came to his cheeks. He was suddenly aware of how completely naked he was, and how completely naked was his rival. Squall covered his genitals with the hand that was not holding the fruit. Seifer looked down at his hand and the secret it tried to conceal. He smiled and then gazed up into Squall’s eyes. Squall felt a stirring in the pit of his stomach. The slash across his forehead creased as he frowned.

"Leave me alone." Squall said finally. His voice sounded weary, anxious.

Seifer backed up a bit and grabbed Squall’s ankle again. The blonde began to admire Squall’s feet. Squall watched with heavy – lidded eyes as Seifer’s finger played over the curve of his arch.

"You’ve got such pretty feet Squall." Seifer said. His voice was low, soft.

Squall was silent. He looked away and nibbled on his fruit.

Seifer leaned forward. "I bet you could wear Selphie’s shoes. Quistis’ would probably be too big." He said.

"At least I can find shoes in my size." Squall snapped.

"Well, you know what they say about men with big feet." Seifer replied lazily.

Squall frowned. "Very funny Seifer. Just shut up and go away." he said.

Seifer rested his arms against the rock and smirked. Squall couldn’t help but notice how beautifully the drops of water clung to Seifer’s tanned skin. The brunette looked away from the sight of all that wet flesh and groaned.

"Has anyone ever sucked your toes?" Seifer asked after a long, uncomfortable silence.

Squall stiffened. He turned on Seifer violently. "Why the Hell would you ask me something like that!" He snapped. "Asshole!"

Seifer grinned. "I told you to stop saying that word."

Squall’s blush deepened. "Whatever." He mumbled. "Move, I want to get down."

Seifer just smiled at him.

"Move, fuck face!" Squall said.

Seifer’s lazy smile widened into a grin. Squall cursed as he beat at the blonde’s shoulders. Seifer grabbed Squall’s hand, the one still holding on to the fruit, and began to suck on the bright flesh of the juicy morsel. Squall watched as Seifer ate the luscious tidbit, making sure to include Squall’s slender fingers in the sucking and biting whenever possible. A small moan came unbidden from Squall’s throat. Seifer smiled as he licked on of Squall’s fingers. Squall sighed and stared down at the green – eyed blonde through heavy lids. Seifer grabbed Squall’s thighs and pulled the brunette closer to the edge of the rock. Squall watched in wonder as Seifer began to lick at the bits of fruit that had fallen onto his thigh. He watched Seifer’s pink tongue as it danced lightly over his gleaming white skin.

When it looked as though Seifer would move his lips too close to the juncture between Squall’s quivering thighs, the brunette gasped and pushed Seifer away from him. He scrambled back until he was out of Seifer’s reach and slid down the other side of the rock. He dove underwater and swam to shore as fast as he could. Once safely back on shore, Squall grabbed his discarded clothing and ran until he was sure that Seifer was far behind him.

EIGHT

Seifer and Squall abandoned the cave and headed north toward the mountains. Seifer wanted to get beyond the small mountain range and into the valley before sundown, and so they had been traveling through the jungle searching for the path Seifer had taken over the treacherous landscape during his earlier explorations for the better part of the day. They had decided to leave most of the things they had salvaged in the cave. The only items they had taken with them were the First Aide Kits, the blanket, the food items, the flare gun, and the radio. Seifer had said he would go back and get the other things later.

Seifer marched ahead using Hyperion to slash away at the thick foliage. Squall lagged behind, sagging beneath the weight of the radio. Seifer had told Squall to leave the radio behind, but Squall had been determined to take it with them. He saw it as his only connection to the outside world. It seemed that the more time they spent in this place the more Squall wanted to say to hell with everything and forget that he had ever been a part of a real, civilized world. This beautiful, untouched Eden was stirring up emotions within him that he had thought were gone. Squall’s thoughts unwillingly drifted back to the scene at the waterfall.

Seifer had behaved as though nothing odd had happened, but Squall couldn’t even look at the blonde now without shivering. Just thinking about Seifer’s moist tongue darting over his skin made his body ache. Squall decided that he would have to avoid physical contact with Seifer at all costs if he wanted to keep his sanity. He despised himself for being so weak, for letting the beauty of his surroundings, and his companion, wear away at his resolve, yet Squall couldn’t help but wonder at Seifer’s earlier actions.

Squall wondered why Seifer had come on to him so strongly, intentions apparent in every move he made and every word he had spoken. Seifer had never before showed any sexual interest in him. The blonde had always made sexual jokes and innuendoes, but Squall had always thought that that was just Seifer’s way, a twisted part of his personality. Seifer made sexual jokes about everyone. It seemed unfathomable to Squall that Seifer Almasy could want to be with another man. Then again, Squall realized that no one would ever believe he had once had feelings for a guy - Seifer of all people - either.

Squall just didn’t know what to think, or feel, anymore. He thought it was more likely that Seifer was simply horny – his sexual appetite was legendary – and since Squall was the only available body, it seemed somewhat reasonable that he would be the object of Seifer’s lusts. Squall then considered that it was even more likely that Seifer was simply teasing him, trying to make him as miserable as was humanly possible. That particular thought made Squall angry, and he decided that he wasn’t going to let Seifer rattle him. There was just too much at stake. He knew his duty, and nothing Seifer did would keep him from doing it.

Seifer eventually managed to find a safe path over the mountain. They had traveled to the easternmost side of the island, and where the mountains neared the shore there was a path up the mountain. It had not been man made, but was rather something that had developed naturally. They would still have to do some climbing, but not as much as they would have done if they had simply gone straight up the range at its center.

The two young men spent the remainder of the afternoon trudging up and over the mountain. Seifer led the way, choosing a route that was circuitous, but somewhat level. The path was treacherous at times, and they stopped to rest more than once, but by late afternoon they had reached a summit, and it certainly was a sight to see.

A green valley stretched out below them for miles and miles in every direction. A waterfall cascaded down from the mountains on the other side of the valley, and although it looked small from where they stood, Squall surmised that it was probably ten times larger than the falls by the cave. A blush crept up his cheeks as he looked across at the shimmering blue thread, and he shook his head vigorously to clear away the lustful thoughts. The falls crashed into a lake, and the lake ran into a river that in turn ran snaked through the entire valley and into the ocean that touched the western side of the island.

Large patches of trees, and other jungle plants were abundant in the valley, although there were many stretches of flat, grassy lands as well. There were also spaces of barren rock, but these were few and far between. Large, colorful birds soared over the water of the lake and around the shimmering cascade of the falls. Squall could make out what looked like gazelle or antelope cavorting around the river at various places, but there was no sign of any other beasts. It was a wonderful place - one of the most beautiful places Squall thought he would ever see - and something in him responded to it. It was like paradise.

"This is it. Nice view, huh?" Seifer said finally.

Squall snapped out of his reverie. Seifer had put down his burdens and gone to stand at the edge of the summit. He stood there gazing down into the valley, Hyperion resting on his shoulder, the wind whipping against his hair and chest. Squall heart fluttered momentarily as he watched the blonde. He sighed heavily and gently put down the radio and the other things and moved to join the blonde.

"Maybe we shouldn’t go. When the rescue party comes they’ll expect us to be where the Ragnarok fell." Squall said as he gazed down the mountain and into the valley below.

Seifer looked at him. "They can find us." he said.

Squall looked at the blonde and said nothing.

"Well, I’m going. You can try and stop me if you think you can, but I should warn you that I won’t hesitate to throw you off the side of this mountain." Seifer said.

"Whatever." Squall said angrily.

Seifer simply smiled at him before gathering up his things and heading down the mountain.

NINE 

The sun was setting when Seifer and Squall finally reached the valley. Seifer was pleased that they had made so much progress in such a short amount of time, and he wanted to keep going. Squall was relieved to have finally made it over the mountains, but he refused to go on unless he was given a chance to rest. Seifer conceded after a brief argument, and while Squall rested, Seifer went off in search of food. Although the food items from the Ragnarok were in good condition Seifer wanted no part of them. When Seifer was gone Squall tried one of the freeze - dried chicken dinners and decided that he didn't like them much either.

Seifer wasn't gone long, and when he came back from his little hunting excursion empty handed, a wide grin on his face, Squall didn't know what to make of it.

"What are you smiling about?" Squall asked the grinning blonde.

"Come see. You'll never believe it." Seifer said.

The blonde didn't offer any more. He simply turned back around and vanished into the jungle. Squall groaned, gathered up his things, and quickly followed the blonde through the tangled greenery. They walked on for what seemed like hours - Squall complained the entire time - and eventually they came to the place where the river and the lake connected. There, nestled in the midst of a large cluster of jungle, was what appeared to be a man - made structure. Upon closer inspection, Squall realized that it was some sort of cottage.

The structure was about the size of a very small house, at least in length and width, because it only had one floor. It looked like it was made of wood, but it was hard to tell precisely, because leaves and vines covered most of the little dwelling. There was a small porch attached to the front of the house, but this was also covered by vine. A rocking chair and several tools were scattered about the porch, but all of these things were broken, possibly beyond repair. Some of the underbrush around the cabin had been cleared at some point, because Squall could see the struggling remains of a small garden, but the forest had already began to reach out and reclaim the small patch of earth.

"We can hole up here until help arrives." Seifer said as he stepped onto the vine - covered porch. The boards groaned beneath his heavy boots.

"How did this get here?" Squall asked, wonder in his voice.

Seifer turned and shrugged. "How the fuck should I know, Lionheart? Do I look like I built it?" he said, shaking his head. He stepped forward and sliced at the vines that had grown over the entrance to the dwelling. When he’d cleared all trace of greenery from it, he stepped inside.

"Well somebody built it." Squall mumbled stupidly. He hoisted up his collection of things and followed Seifer inside.

Squall had to admit that the cottage wasn’t as bad inside as he originally believed it would be. It was overrun with jungle growth and some of the boards had begun to rot, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The little house was partitioned into two parts, one part being larger than the other one was. The right side of the floor was higher than the left. A wall did not separate the two parts; rather they were separated by a wooden step. The right side seemed to be a sort of cooking and dining area, and the left portion, the larger side, seemed to have been used for everything else.

There were several pieces of furniture scattered throughout the space. It was an eclectic jumble; none of the pieces matched any of the others. To his right, in the dining area, was a long wooden table that looked like something from a different age. Long benches rested on either side of the table. One of the benches was still intact, but the other one had fallen apart. There was a kerosene lamp and several wooden bowls resting on the tabletop, but the lamp and the bowls were in bad condition. Squall wondered if the lamp even worked. To left, Squall could see a large brass bed. There was a feather mattress on it and white gauzy fabric hung from the brass posts. It looked like the sort of contraption a Fairy Tale princess slept on. Squall did his best to avoid looking at the offensive object.

There was a small dresser next to the bed. It was an antique, but still in good condition. Several of the dresser's drawers were open, and Squall could see women's clothing, things like petticoats and bloomers, hanging out of them. There was another kerosene lamp standing on top of the dresser, and it looked to be in better condition that the one on the table. A few books littered the top of the dresser as well. Squall marveled at all of these things and wondered who had occupied the cabin before their arrival.

"Shit. Wonder how long this thing's been standin' here." Seifer said. He strolled over to the small dresser by the bed and picked up one of the books. It nearly crumbled in his hand.

"They must have been here a long time ago." Squall said.

Seifer examined the lacey undergarments in the drawers. "I'll say. Look at these clothes." He said.

"Wonder what happened to them?" Squall said.

Seifer shrugged. "Probably got wasted." He said.

Squall shook his head. "Nice, Seifer. Real nice." He said.

Seifer chuckled. He moved toward the bed and sat down. He dropped Hyperion next to one of the brass posts and leaned back on the mattress. "Nice bed. Big enough for two." He said. He looked at Squall and grinned.

"Don't you think you should wash that first?" Squall said.

"It's just gonna get dirty again anyway, so why bother?" Seifer retorted. He grinned and licked his lips.

Squall sneered and turned from the leering blonde. He moved over to the table and put the things he was carrying on top of it. He could feel Seifer's eyes on him, and he did his best to ignore the larger boy.

"Not a bad place, huh?" Seifer said as he stretched out on the bed.

"Whatever. I hate it, but I guess it will suffice. We won't be here long." Squall said. He sat down on the bench that was still standing and fiddled with the radio.

"I like it." Seifer said.

Squall sneered slightly. "You would, Almasy." He mumbled.

"Fuck, Squall. You really know how to rain on somebody's parade. I can't blame Rinoa for dumping you. I don't know why she thought she could change you. You'll always be a tight ass, Lionheart." Seifer said. "Not that I mind. I could probably loosen you up."

Squall uttered a sound of disgust. "Seifer, can't you see I'm busy?" he said. "Why don't you just leave me alone and shut the fuck up?"

Seifer leaned up on his elbows. "You're never going to get that thing to work, you know?" he said.

Squall continued to play with the radio and did his best to ignore Seifer. He'd tried to get a signal back when they had been on the mountain, but then, like now, he got nothing but static. Squall groaned in frustration and raked a hand through his hair.

"Shit Squall, relax. You're gonna drive yourself crazy." Seifer said.   

"Just shut up Seifer." Squall snapped. "Please."

Seifer shrugged and got up from the bed. "I'm gonna go get something to eat." He said. He grabbed Hyperion and lifted it to his shoulder. "You comin', Lionheart?"

Squall shook his head.

Seifer shrugged again. "Suit yourself, but you ain't gettin' none of what I bring back." He said.

"………" Squall said as he glared at the blonde angrily.

"Yeah, fuck you too, Lionheart." Seifer said before walking out of the cabin.

Squall uttered a vile string of curses under his breath after his companion departed. Seifer was really starting to wear on Squall's nerves, more than ever before, but Squall surmised that that was probably for the best. As long as he was angry with Seifer he wouldn't think about wanting to let Seifer get into his pants.

Squall uttered a sound of disgust and quickly pushed that image from his thoughts. He focused instead on the radio. He spent the next hour or so changing channels, adjusting wires, flipping switches, and pushing buttons, but was rewarded with nothing but static for his efforts. He eventually gave up and decided that he'd try again in the morning. He was too hungry and too tired to really care about anything other than a good meal and a good night's sleep.

Squall rose from the table and slowly walked over to the door. He stood there for several moments, gazing out into the jungle. The jungle was far livelier at night than it was during the day, and Squall could hear what sounded like thousands of creatures moving about in the darkness beyond. A large bird cried out in the distance, and Squall's stomach rumbled angrily as if in answer to the shrill cry. He wondered how long it would be before Seifer returned.

Squall waited another hour, but Seifer still didn't come back, so the brunette decided to go off on his own. He went back into the house and grabbed one of the flares to use as a weapon. He would have taken one of the kerosene lamps, but he didn't have anything to light it with. Seifer had taken the lighter with him.

Seifer had gone off in the direction of the lake, and so Squall chose to go in the opposite direction in his search for food. He wasn't looking to hunt anything. He was too tired for that, and after suffering the side - effects caused by eating too much reptile meat, Squall wasn't sure he ever wanted to eat another piece of meat again.

It wasn't long before Squall stumbled upon a fruit tree. It was a mango tree, and Squall could see the ripened fruit that hung from the branches of the tree despite the darkness. The tree was small, but after a quick examination of it, Squall decided that the branches could hold his weight.

It was a treacherous climb. Squall had to work his way up the tree very slowly. He couldn't see clearly because of the darkness, and the motorcycle boots he was wearing had not been made for climbing. When Squall was about halfway up the tree, he stopped. The tree wasn't that strong, and to go up another further was definitely inviting injury. The fruits on the lower branches weren't nearly as tasty looking as the fruits that were growing on the higher branches, but they would have to do.

Squall wrapped one arm around the trunk of the tree and reached for one of the fruits with the other. His fingers grazed the mango, but he couldn't get his hand around it. He grabbed the edge of the branch and shook it, but that was also unsuccessful. A few leaves fell to the ground, but no fruit. Squall cursed in frustration and again reached for one of the fruits. He stretched his arm out as far as it would go and leaned forward. The very moment that his fingers wrapped around the fruit, one of his booted feet slipped on the branch where he'd been standing and he crashed to the ground. Squall didn't fall far, but he hit the ground hard. White - hot pain rushed up the side of his leg the moment he hit the earth, and Squall's scream echoed throughout the forest. A flock of birds abandoned a nearby tree, and several of the jungle's other inhabitants fled from the area.

The pain left Squall incapacitated for several minutes in which he drifted in an out of consciousness. He knew he had to get back to the cabin and soon before he lost consciousness completely. He sat up with great effort and then examined his right leg. His body ached everywhere, but that leg hurt the most. Squall moved it slowly, and although there was pain, he knew it wasn't broken. He pressed his hand to his leg, and his fingers came away covered in blood. Squall groaned and tried to get up. He grabbed onto some of the hanging vines, and eventually managed to pull himself to his feet. The jungle whirled around him, and it was several minutes before his eyes were able to focus.

Squall slowly made his way back to the cabin. Every step was agony, and every few minutes he had to stop as a wash of pain overwhelmed his body. Squall nearly wept for joy when the little shack finally came into view. A soft yellow light illuminated the structure, which probably meant that Seifer had returned. Squall called out to the blonde as loud as he could, and Seifer came dashing out of the cottage, Hyperion in hand, in a matter of seconds. Squall uttered a sigh of relief and finally gave in to his body's demand for rest. The last thing he remembered was a strong arm wrapping around him and lifting him from the jungle floor.

TBC

***Notice: Now that it's done the parts have been shoved together.***

Paradise Found: Parts 1 - 9

Miss Dincht

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