Warning! This story contains language, violence and GRAPHIC descriptions of yaoi (sexual acts between two men), as well as some bondage and non-consensual stuff. If you are not 18 or if you are offended easily, please do not read this! If you chose to ignore this warning, I will not be held responsible for any psychiatric care you require. ^_^ I will also ignore any flames that you send because you feel that Squall and Zell do not make a cute couple or because you hate yaoi. (Face it: there's a LOT of us yaoi fic-writers out there who do what we like, and this IS on a yaoi site, after all! At least, it SHOULD be, unless someone else put it where it doesn't belong.) This fic is a MAJOR what-if; don't be surprised if almost nothing in here fits into the FFVIII storyline. Thanks to Miracle Shining for her inspiration on this one, too. You just rock, Miracle-san! Thanks also to Serdar for his inspiration; a little of the blackness of Dark Age got in here, I think! ^_^
Blood Kisses
Chapter 9: Eyes of Red and White Tears
By Dark KiHidden in the well-sheltered outcropping of rocks, Squall drifted in and out of consciousness, his milky skin burned an angry red by the sun. Zell searched around frantically until he found a sharp stone. He pressed the point into his wrist, biting his lip as he felt the skin pop and a trickle of blood spill forth. He held Squall in his lap, bringing his bleeding wrist to Squall's lips. "Squall... c'mon, you gotta drink again. You're all screwed up from the sun."
The vampire's eyes fluttered open, still shining with fever as he sucked gently as Zell's wrist. //Why are we still alive?// he cast telepathically.
//Dunno. I was hopin' you could tell me. You got a nasty sunburn, but you didn't burst into flame.//
Squall licked at Zell's cut, closing it. His skin was almost back to its normal pallor. //I'm not sure, either. I'm just glad you healed my hands and knees....// Squall's eyes widened and he sat up. "Zell, my wounds! How could they...?"
They stared down at Squall's hands. There were no scars.
"Those were silver wounds!" Zell whispered. "I thought you said they don't heal smoothly!"
"They don't... oh my god...!"
"What?"
"They healed when I drank from you, Zell." Squall touched Zell's tattooed cheek. "Something in your blood is different from any other Chalice."
"'Cause we're soulmates?"
Squall's lips curved into a brilliant smile. "Zell, you're beautiful!"
Zell blushed. "Uh... yeah...."
"No, don't you see? According to our legends, soulmates are like two halves of the same soul in two different bodies. When I drink from you, it's like I take on the half I'm missing."
"So you can't be hurt by the sun or silver?"
"The effect's not permanent, but it looks like it lasts for a little while."
"Well, that's cool, but how do we get out of here?"
Squall closed his eyes; Zell could feel the wave of his thoughts spreading out through the hot desert. Zell sat down heavily, his head spinning from the strength of the casting.
"Geez... what'd you do?"
Squall smiled. "Calling home."
Zell heard a strange rustling and sat up, realizing that he'd fallen asleep on Squall's chest. Squall was already awake and smiling at something hiding in the evening shadows cast by the moon.
"Wha...?"
There was another rustle, and Angelique stepped out of the shadows. "You two manage to get into the most unusual situations," she chuckled.
"How... how'd you get out here?!"
"You'll see." Angelique winked.
Zell got to his feet, helping Squall up. The vampire immediately embraced his lover, covering his face with kisses until Zell smiled and gently nudged him under the chin with his fist. "Let's get out of here, then," the Chalice insisted.
Angelique smiled and unfolded her black feathered wings.
Zell swore, digging his nails into Squall's arm in surprise. "What the hell are those?!"
"Wings, silly!" Angelique giggled. "How do you think I got here so fast?"
Zell stared at Squall, wide-eyed.
Squall shook his head. "Not for another thirty or forty years, at least."
"Oh hell... will she be able to lift us?"
Angelique opened her arms. Squall and Zell each clung to her tightly. Zell squeaked and closed his eyes when she flapped her wings and pushed away from the ground.
"Are you okay?" Squall called.
"I supposed now's a bad time to mention it... but I'm afraid of heights!" Zell whimpered.
Squall flopped back onto their bed as Zell gulped down an entire liter of water. "You're going to slosh when you walk."
Zell wiped his mouth and tossed away the empty bottle. "After all the water I lost in the damn desert today, I needed this." He sat next to Squall, running a hand through his spiked bangs. "So now what do we do? Cerberus thinks we're both dead, so do we just go into hidin'?"
"No." Squall's eyes narrowed. "Now I want him dead."
"For spikin' you?"
Squall shook his head and pulled Zell onto the bed, holding him against his side. "For what he did to you."
Zell shivered and rested his head on his lover's shoulder. "Squall... as far as I'm concerned, it didn't happen...."
"I'm sorry...."
"Don't be. Just... I just wanna forget about it."
Squall kissed him gently, slowly working the blond's shirt up. His hands massaged the tight muscles of Zell's stomach. Zell broke the kiss, turning his head to one side. Squall frowned.
"I'm not in the mood," Zell whispered.
"I'm not trying to seduce you, Zell. Trust me."
Zell didn't resist as Squall stripped him bare. The vampire's soft hands ran over his body, trailing cool blue light that soothed his wounds wherever it went. Zell tensed, tears of shame pricking at his eyes when he felt Squall's touch on his inner thighs, brushing over the torn flesh between his legs.
"You're lucky. Your natural healing factor already started closing the wounds. I just helped it finish the job."
Zell's eyes clouded and he wrapped himself around Squall, sobbing softly into the vampire's shoulder. "He hurt me, Squall... it still hurts inside...."
"Shhh... I know...." He showered Zell with gentle kisses and caresses until the boy was gasping, his sex drive overriding his anxiety.
"Squall...," Zell gasped.
"Yes?" Squall suckled at Zell's neck. Just the smell of the boy's blood and the warmth of his body was driving him mad with desire, but he held himself back, waiting for Zell to ask.
"Take me... please...."
Squall sat up, reaching for the herbal oil. He covered his fingers with it, listening to Zell's sigh as he slid two of them in deep. The blond closed his eyes and moved his hips slowly, giving another soft moaning sigh as Squall ran his tongue down the vein in Zell's throat.
"Take me...."
Squall ran oiled fingertips over his length, still suckling and licking at Zell's neck. When he pushed himself in, Zell growled deep in his chest and ripped his nails down Squall's back. Squall groaned and stabbed his fangs into Zell's throat, sucking at the warm blood splashing onto his tongue. The fingers of Zell's left hand curled painfully into Squall's ass, forcing him to thrust harder and faster. His right hand cupped Squall's head and pushed his mouth savagely into the delicate skin, tearing the punctures wider.
"Take me...."
Squall understood all to well what his lover was asking him to do. The surge of strength he'd felt, the immunities... all after he'd taken just a little of Zell's blood. To take more would make him even stronger.
"Kill him...," Zell whispered.
Squall bit down harder, feeling the blood fountain from the wounds. Zell gasped, arching off the bed, crushing Squall within him as they came. He slumped back, a battered rag doll in Squall's arms as he let the vampire drain him until he lost consciousness with a soft sigh. Squall settled him back into the tangled sheets, withdrawing from him totally. He licked the wounds closed, kissed Zell lightly on the lips, and rose from the bed, dressing swiftly. He felt a curious weakness through his link with Zell, an impression of a faltering heartbeat, but his body surged with strength. Zell's blood was potent, a flood of electricity that shot through every vein. Squall snarled and clenched his fists.
"I promise, Zell...."
He took a step towards the door and burst into a run, vanishing from the complex.
Celeste grabbed Angelique's arm as the vampire passed. The blond woman frowned as she felt the Vintner's tension through the contact. "Celeste, you're absolutely frantic, and it's giving me a psychic headache. What's wrong?"
"Your son...!" Celeste gasped. "He almost killed his Chalice!"
Angelique's green eyes widened. "That doesn't sound like my boy at all!"
Celeste led her back to Squall and Zell's room. Angelique instantly sat next to the stricken Chalice, gathering him into her arms like a child.
"What happened to him?"
Celeste sighed and sank into a nearby chair. "Apparently, Squall drained him almost to the point of death. Why, I can't say."
"But where is my son? You told me that their link is so strong that they can't be more than a mile or two apart!"
A tiny breath that might have been a word tickled Angelique's ear. Curious, she glanced down at the young man in her arms. "Did you say something, Zell?"
"... blood... makes him stronger...."
"Yes...," Angelique said slowly, confused.
"... he's... me now...."
Celeste sat up, gripping the arms of the chair until her knuckles showed white. "Zell, are you saying that he's got so much of your blood in him that it's like you're there with him?"
Zell nodded once, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"My god...," Celeste breathed. "With all of that blood in him, coupled with the fact that it came from his bonded soulmate... Angelique, your son's a monster now."
"I beg your pardon?" Angelique's emerald eyes clouded with amber.
"I mean that he has the power of two within him now. Imagine how strong a fusion between this boy and your son would be. All that power must be affecting his mind, making him run on whatever his strongest instinct is."
"Which is?"
"Protecting his soulmate!" Celeste exploded. "Don't you see? Squall's going to kill Cerberus!"
"Good riddance!" Angelique's eyes blazed golden.
"No! I'd like to see that bastard dead, too, but if Squall burns off all his borrowed power fighting Cerberus, then Zell will die and so will Squall himself!"
"... please...," Zell wheezed, clinging weakly to Angelique's dress. "... let him... do it...."
"Zell, you'll die if...."
Zell shook his head as best he could. He was so pale, he might have been a vampire himself. "... his choice... too... won't... take it away...."
"You stubborn mule!" Celeste cried. "You want to die?!"
A tear ran down Zell's face, and both women were startled to see that it was a ribbon of blood.
"Zell, what's happening to you?" Angelique held him close, as if the boy was her own son, rocking him slowly. Zell looked calm and secure in her arms.
"... dunno... but if Squall... wants me to die... then I'll die... to be with him...."