When I Heard Your Voice

Part 2

By Sukunami

As his son walked hand-in-hand with the silent merman, Seifer lagged behind by several feet and watched the pair with drifting focus.  They were currently heading into town, Squall being forced away from the comfort of home and the beach because of Adryan's wish to show him off to the Kinneas family.  Selphie was an old friend, perhaps the only real friend Seifer had from the early orphan days, the energetic girl never one to be put off by a coarse word or childish insult.  Since Fujin's pregnancy, the motherly woman had made herself a firm spot in Adryan's life, demanding for lengthy visits with her 'angel'.  So they were taking the boy to town for that reason, and once his son would be in safe hands, Seifer planned to purchase random food stuffs before returning home with Squall.

Since the moment they had left earlier that morning, the boy had barely ceased talking to Squall, going into disorganized detail about his Aunt Selphie and her family, randomly jumping from topic to topic as it'd come to his young mind.  The energetic daughter and two sons in the family were Adryan's only real friends, the shy boy uncomfortable with most other people for whatever reason.  Hyne knew how he could handle the trio of misfits, but Seifer figured his son was always pampered when spending the night at the Kinneas home.

However, at that moment, the large man was more focused on the person to the boy's side, Squall somehow appearing to smile down at the boy even though his lips were in a neutral line.  It had been days since the merman's confession of sorts, and yet the brunette had acted no differently as compared to the weeks previous, nor did he hint again at the sorrow Seifer knew he must still be feeling.  Though Squall was a master of masks and shields, that one slip was all it took to alert Seifer, to make him truly pay attention to the merman.  The shifts in mood were vague, unnoticeable to someone who didn't know the brunette, but Seifer saw how only Adryan could make him happy and draw out the almost smiles.  The horrible part about it was that Seifer was actually starting to feel jealous against his own son for succeeding where he failed.

During the day it was watching, and at night came the dreams.  They weren't anything new, Seifer long ago recognizing the beauty of the sea creature.  Back then it was a ridiculous fantasy, loving a half fish.  The sea that connected them was also a barrier, the blonde unable to give his heart to someone he couldn't truly have.  So he had left temptation.  Training, bloodied battles, Fujin, and then Adryan filled his life afterwards as he easily pushed the childhood crush aside.  Why he never attempted to contact Squall once he had returned to the old orphanage, Seifer didn't really know.  There were excuses, but in the end, he wondered if he was afraid to see the matured sea creature, afraid of the precious friendship that could never be more.

But now, the sea was no longer a barrier.  Even so, Seifer was hesitant to assume what the merman truly wanted.  There was a time when the blonde would have damned everything to hell and taken the sea creature so conveniently placed into his lap.  But that was before he had amazingly, inconceivably become a father.  Funny how one small addition to a life could completely change a person.

"Come on, Papa!"

Blinking, Seifer looked up to find the twosome further ahead than what seemed to him only moments ago.  Then he noticed that they were already a fair distance into town, the Kinneas home just a few buildings away.  Waving, Seifer motioned for Adryan to move on ahead.  Due to his long stride, the blonde man was standing beside the small boy just before the door opened in response to previous knocks by Adryan.  With an ever-present smile on her face, a slim brown-haired woman had barely opened the door before she swooped down to collect the young boy into her arms.

"A-ah, my little angel is finally here!  I've missed you so much," she said while snuggling the boy like one would a stuffed toy.

"Aunt Selphie, you hug too hard."

In reply to the laugh-filled whine, the small woman hugged even stronger before setting him back down.  "Well, you must be one tired boy to have your father make you walk all the way here.  Go inside and Davis will help you sneak a snack before he shows off the new game he got.  Sound good?"

Nodding, he took a step forward before stopping suddenly.  "Oh, Aunt Selphie, Aunt Selphie.  This is Squall.  Can he have a treat, too?"

"I don't see why..."  She looked directly at the brunette, hazel eyes widening in surprise.  "Oh, my."

"Aunt Selphie?"

With a slight shake of her head, the broad smile returned in full force.  "I don't see why not.  How about you get something for your father, too?"

"Un!  Come on, berenas.  I want you to meet Davis and Cal and Laney."

Despite his obvious discomfort at being around too many humans at once, Squall let himself be pulled inside by the young boy.

"What happened to him?" Selphie asked, suddenly serious without any of the children in sight.

Smiling weakly, Seifer remembered the last time the motherly woman had seen his son, Adryan already deep into the sickness that had claimed many young lives in the area.  She had offered to help care for the boy, but Seifer refused instantly, not wishing to endanger the Kinneas children.  From there, he had hurried home and to the beach of his youth where he called upon the merman for help.  Barely a month past, and yet Squall seemed to already fit into their lives as if he had been living in the home for years.  But Selphie didn't need to know that part of the story, no matter how much Seifer trusted the fellow orphan.

The large man shrugged.  "Turned out it was just a typical cold.  And you know kids.  One day he was sick, and the next completely better."

"While I'm more than pleased to see my angel alive and well, I was speaking about this... Squall, was it?"  With a mischievous smile, she leaned in closer.  "I know he's a mermaid."

With years of skill at gambling behind him, Seifer held back any signs of surprise.  "First, I believe that would be 'merman' in his case.  And second, I'm not seeing the resemblance."

"Don't you play stupid with me.  With all the time you spent with him when we were younger, do you really think I wouldn't recognize the guy?  And before you start, no, I don't believe your story about him being a boy who lived near the orphanage.  I've seen that gorgeous tail of his several times."

Despite himself, Seifer frowned, not remembering a time when Squall would have been careless in front of other humans.

"Ah ha!" the woman exclaimed while pointing at the wrinkled forehead.

"Selphie, I'm merely wondering when you let your imagination get the better of you."

The victorious smile didn't falter.  "Uh un, I know you.  You're trying to figure out how I saw him.  Well, for your information, it was after you left to become some war hero.  The first time I just happened to see him watching the orphanage from a distance.  It was him wearing your choker that caught my attention.  Then abruptly he dove back into the water, and that's when I thought I noticed the tail.  I eventually confirmed it when he returned on several other nights."

"Shit.  Tell me that you didn't mention this to anyone."

She slapped the blonde lightly on the head.  "Do you really think I'm that much of an idiot?  If anyone would even believe me, they'd probably try to catch some of those lovely creatures and cage them for some carnival.  Or if their... AH, he healed Adryan, didn't he?  I mean, mermaids are supposed to have healing powers, right?"

After a moment of hesitation, Seifer nodded in reply.

"O-oh, what a wonderful person.  I'll have to treat him for saving my angel like that.  What does he like, hmmm?"  Glee was lost once more to seriousness as she placed a tender hand on his cheek.  "What's wrong?"

Seifer didn't bother hiding the guilt that plagued him.  "It's my fault, Selph.  Because he saved Dray, he was forced to become human, exiled from his home because of me."

With a soft smile, she shook her head.  "Always ready to take the blame, aren't you?"

"Selph--"

"Uh un, I heard all the same lines when Fujin up and left you with barely a word.  Frankly, I know my angel and I can already tell he is completely in love with that mermaid of yours.  That means there's a reason why Adryan trusts him."

"He's three years old."

"He's almost four and we both know there's something special about that boy.  Anyway," hazel eyes narrowed knowingly, "did you ever consider that maybe Squall wanted to save the angel for his own comfort?"

Seifer opened his mouth to argue, but then snapped it shut when an oddity of that night suddenly came to mind - the merman had known Adryan's name.  Just how much did Squall know about the young boy before his exile?  He then glared at the smaller woman, wondering how in the hell she could easily make assumptions like that after briefly meeting Squall.

With an exaggerated sigh, Selphie wrapped an arm around Seifer's.  "Enough talk.  Let's get you fed and then you can run back home for a weekend without your son getting in the way.  Seems like you need the time to think things through for once."

Absently the blonde nodded, thoughts drifting to the vague plans he had already made for that night.  It was selfish of him, but Seifer was sick of the invisible walls he kept running into when it came to the brunette.  All he wanted was make the exiled merman happy in some way, to heal the soul that was obvious torn apart at losing his world and life.  Frowning slightly, Seifer realized that he didn't even know what being exiled meant to Squall, what he might have lost aside from the 'bearer' he cared deeply for.

Selphie led the large man to the kitchen area where Squall was already sitting with three young boys - Davis, Cal, and of course, Dray, who was happily perched on the brunette's lap.  Seifer was forced to take a seat at the table while Selphie could play hostess and fetch drinks for them.  The boys ranging in age already had mouths full of brownies while Squall watched on silently as they spoke about the newest game on the market.  Seifer soon found himself with a tall glass of lemonade in his hand and sharing his own conversation with Selphie about possible preschools for the coming school year.

Hours later after a large lunch, Seifer helped to carry dishes to the sink, catching a glance outside from the small window.  He just barely held back a curse considering the children in the next room.  "Where the hell did those clouds come from?  It was practically blue skies just this morning."

Selphie peaked over his shoulder, hazel eyes widening.  "Whoa, those are real storm clouds coming our way.  There should be a downpour within the hour, I'll bet."

"Selph--"

"Oh, no.  I'm not letting you out of this house.  I don't care if you're a big boy.  All of you so-called men turn into babies whenever you get sick, and I certainly don't want you giving my angel anything.  You and Squall will just have to sleep in the guestroom for the night.  Adryan likes to sleep with the boys anyway, so it's not like there isn't any room for the two of you."

Sighing amused, Seifer replied, "Yes, mother."  He knew far better than to argue with Selphie about these matters, but it was bothersome to have to wait yet another night to speak with Squall about their situation.

Thinking about the merman, he glanced to the other room and smiled at the sight of the brunette with a lap full of not only Dray but barely three-year-old Laney as well.  Selphie was reluctant at first to leave the girl in his hold, but when the typically antsy girl found a perfect spot resting against the merman and fell instantly asleep, the protective mother didn't have the heart to move her baby girl.  Seifer had to wonder where Squall got such an experienced hand handling children.

Selphie placed the last set of dishes next to the sink, regaining the blonde's attention.  "Now, about us taking Adryan out shopping for some real clothes..."

With light steps, Squall walked down the unfamiliar hallway until finding the room where Adryan slept with the two Kinneas brothers.  Rather, where he was supposed to be asleep.  Gently opening the door without making too much sound, the merman looked inside and took a few moments before finding the boy huddled into the far corner that was opposite of the wall where bunk beds held sleeping forms.

"Berenas," Adryan whispered loudly in both surprise and relief.

Sighing at the misused term, Squall tread silently to the boy and knelt down.  "You should be asleep, young solas."

He shook his head roughly, then reached out for the merman.  Taking a seat on the floor, Squall let the boy wrap small arms around his body and rest his head against his chest.  A cool hand rubbed gently at the back that heaved occasionally with silent sobs, the slight trembling soon soothed away from the body.

"Were the dreams bad tonight?"

The replying nod was more felt than seen in the darkened room.  "Aunt Selphie and Cal got hurt really bad."

Squall didn't say anything in comfort to the boy, knowing it was rather pointless.  While they shared the ability to sense emotions of others, Adryan was something more.  He couldn't say how exactly, but no child suffers from the almost foreseeing dreams of this one.  And certainly rare youths were as stoic about nightmares, the boy refusing to worry his father about such 'childish fears'.  Squall only discovered the secret when the sensation of terror woke him one night, the event driving him from bed and to the child's room with the fear that something had happened to Adryan.  The boy was surprised by the rushed entrance, and later begged for his father to not be told about the nightmares.  How could he refuse such eyes.

"Could you tell me a story?"

"Adryan, you shouldn't rely on me like this."

Small hands tightly clutched the shirt in his hold.  "But tonight was really bad."

After a deep breath in surrender, Squall started to softly sing a random tale that was short and rarely failed to help a child drop back to sleep.  The blonde boy in his hold was certainly no exception, soon drifting back to sleep and didn't wake when the merman gently placed him back onto thick sheets and covered the small form.  Brushing a finger against a cheek, he whispered for sweet dreams in his own language and hoped the boy was soothed enough to sleep through any further nightmares.

Carefully walking out of the room as to not step on scattered toys, Squall made for the door but paused before exiting.  "Mea Kinneas?"

The form slumped against the doorframe jolted out of her doze, hazel eyes blinking in surprise.  "Oh dear, that song is a doosie.  You'll have to teach it to me sometime.  And, sweetie, just call me Selphie."

"If I woke you--"

She waved him silent.  "No, no.  Just a mother hearing something strange and had to check on her demons.  Care to have some hot chocolate with me?"

Squall almost declined, but the small woman had already turned towards the kitchen and walked with an air that suggested he wasn't allowed to refuse her.  As he trailed behind the woman without a vocal complaint, Squall rubbed a temple that throbbed slightly from the minor irritation at suffering with humans who didn't seem to ever except 'no' for an answer.

"Do you like marshmallows?"

Not recognizing the term, Squall shrugged in reply.

"Don't tell me you haven't been introduced to marshmallows yet?  Oh, shame on Seifer, denying you the greater joys of our world.  I must really speak with that man.  And don't tell me, you've been wearing his old clothes, haven't you?  Really, with the money he got out of his mercenary days..."  Finished with preparing things on the stove, she sat heavily on the adjacent chair.  "Now, what were you doing with my precious angel?"

He frowned in thought, trying to make sense of everything said in such a casual manner.  "You know?  About me?"

She smiled sweetly.  "Of course I know.  Seifer can't keep much from me for long.  Well, truthfully I don't know the details just yet, but I know what you were.  I also saw you waiting for him all those years before I moved into the city with Irvine.  It always broke my heart to see you watching the orphanage when I knew Seifer wasn't there."  She leaned across the table, hazel eyes intent.  "Are you still in love with the idiot?"

Squall stared in bafflement.

"You are, aren't you?  A-ah, how sweet.  It's like a fairy tale, you finally able to be with your prince.  And Seifer finally gets to be with his, um, stable boy... yeah, I think there must have been a story about that.  He's wanted you for so long.  Tell me, did he have you in his bed the moment you got your legs?"

Despite the technical truth of that happening, the merman shook his head.  "I think you're mistaken."

"About what?" she asked while standing and moving to the stove.

"Seifer doesn't see me that way."

Selphie burst into laughter, quickly muffling the sound as to not wake anyone.  "And did he tell you this tidbit?"

"He didn't need to."

"Oh, you poor blind thing," she said while pouring dark liquid into two mugs.  After placing the steaming cups onto the table, she grabbed a bag of whiteness and sat back down.  "Don't drink until it cools a little, dear.  Now, oh yes, Seifer.  Well, whether he knew it or not, he's loved you since probably the beginning, I guess.  I just remember this little boy who got so easily upset over anything, and always ran off before anyone could see his tears.  But then he changed a little, like he finally let something go.  I remember first seeing you shortly after that, but Seifer told us all that you lived further up the beach or something like that.  Marshmallow?"

Unthinkingly, he grabbed the odd, white object that was apparently food stuff.  Biting into the squishiness, gray-blue eyes brightened at the sweet taste and interesting texture.

"They're even better when toasted over a fire.  We'll have to do a camping trip with you some day soon."  She sipped at the drink, wincing slightly.  "Whew, still hot.  Careful with it.  Anyway, Seifer really started showing a different side after that year.  Sure he was still a pain in the rear, but more like an older brother than your typical brat.  He even saved me from a group of monsters once, carried me all the way home since I had hurt my leg.  A-ah, it was so sad when he left to become a mercenary."

Squall held the warm mug tightly between two hands, remembering the night Seifer said his abrupt goodbye.  There were no warnings in the days previous.  Just the simple words that he was leaving the next day.  The gift of his choker after that had seemed a spontaneous decision, probably because of the crestfallen look Squall couldn't hide at the thought of never seeing the blonde human again.

"Did he ever introduce you to Fujin?"

He shook his head.

"Hmmm, was he hiding you away again?  Trying to keep you for himself?  He's always been the possessive sort."

"... ..."

"Well, I hope he paid some attention to you despite parenting taking up all of his time."

Squall lightly bit his lip while staring into the still steaming liquid.

"No...  Don't tell me he didn't talk to you once he came back?"

He shrugged.

"O-oh, that man!  I'm going to tear him a new--"

Squall grabbed her wrist as the woman stood up from her chair, her looking serious with intent to do some damage to the man.  Hazel eyes were oddly heated, the merman seriously confused as to why this person was so furious when Seifer was her friend, her barely knowing anything about Squall.With an annoyed huff, she sat back down.  "Fine, I'll let him have his rest for now, but only because I don't want to wake the children.  I make no promises for the morning."  After a long sip of warm liquid, her easy smile returned.  "He probably doesn't deserve you, but bear with him.  He probably doesn't realize it himself, but Seifer still cares a lot about you.  He doesn't let just anyone hold Adryan like you do, and I haven't seen him so focused on someone's ass since Fujin."

Blinking, he stared at the woman.  "Why would he want to look at someone's ass?"

Squall sniffed at the stemmed glass containing a deep red liquid, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

He was laughed at for the expression, Seifer taking the glass back from the merman.  "Alright, you don't have to try it, but this is pretty cheap stuff.  One of these days I'll buy a decent wine for you to enjoy."

Scowling at the bottle of red wine, Squall wasn't too certain that he could enjoy something that smelled so bitter.

With a deep sigh, the large blonde took a seat next to him on the couch and stretched out long legs.  "It's always strange not having the kid around.  He visits with Selphie about once a month, and I swear, she acts like Dray is a long lost son every time I bring him for a weekend."

The brunette smiled vaguely while thinking about the overly kind woman that welcomed him wholeheartedly and gave him the first tastes of hot chocolate and freshly baked brownies.  Unconsciously licking the corner of his lips, he wondered if Seifer happened to know how to make the same chocolate treats.  He felt it somewhat a shame that the weather cleared enough that afternoon for Seifer and him to return home, though it was nice to have quiet moments without the four children running all about the place.  At least they were slightly easier than the children of his people, the factor of being able to swim in all directions not an issue with the ground bound humans.

"The little guy really likes you, y'know.  And he usually doesn't take well to strangers.  Hell, I nearly had a heart attack seeing him on your lap that one morning."  Smirking, he sipped at his wine.  "Say, I've been meaning to ask you about that 'beren'-whatever Dray has been calling you lately.  What's that about?"

"He wanted to know more about my language.  It's nothing."

"And that doesn't answer my question, does it?"

Squall shifted his sitting position, hugging a bent leg close to his chest.  "It basically translates to 'mother'."

Seifer choked slightly on his wine, setting the glass down quickly before laughing out loud.  "He's been calling you mommy?"

He winced despite the tone being amused and not angry.  "I didn't mean for him to.  He asked what word we used and I never imagined him wanting to call me by it."

Thinking back to the few nights previous, Squall easily remembered the shy voice asking what mothers were called in his language.  He had replied without thought, telling him the phrase used by children in reference to their bearers.  When Adryan had used that term for him the next morning, Squall was filled with both happiness and horror at the simple word.  He was honored that the boy thought so highly of him after only a month's time, but he wasn't the child's mother and was afraid that Seifer would think he was trying to replace the missing woman.  It was no where near the truth, the merman only wishing to help Adryan through the troubles that typically came to those with unique sight.  With the boy skilled at hiding such pains from his father, Squall found himself in the position of soothing away the nightmares and stresses that the child never spoke of out loud.

"Squall..."  The voice was suddenly quiet and soothing.  "What did you want out of life?"

Confused by the change in subject, he hugged his leg a little tighter.  "What do you mean?"

"Well, like I had those dreams to become some glamorous knight, my name known everywhere I would go.  And when I got into that mercenary group, I found that I really did like fighting with a good blade.  Nothing else really made me feel alive like nearly losing my head during a battle.  For a long while, I imagined that for my life and future, and I was happy with the choice.  ...Then Dray was born and everything changed."  He paused briefly in thought before stating, "Back when we were young, it was always me talking, wasn't it.  I never really thought about what you would want out of life, what your dreams were.  I'm just curious what this all changed for you."

Squall shrugged.  "Nothing important.  I didn't have dreams like yours."

"Come on, everyone has dreams.  And I'm assuming that you had something planned for your life."

"I had my status.  My life was planned for me."

Eyes narrowed slightly in thought.  "You've mentioned that before.  What was this status of yours exactly?"

"To have children and raise them to maturity."

Blinking, Seifer looked at him questioningly.  "What the hell kind of status is that?"

"Unlike humans, few of our race are fertile.  Thus it's an honored status of my people to be able to bring more children into the world."

A small frown formed on his lips.  "But now you won't be able to have children of your own."

"It was a fair trade to be able to save another child.  A special child at that."

"Hn.  And how did you know his name back then?"

Feeling shameful, Squall pressed his face against his raised knee.  "I heard you calling him that."

"When?"

"... ..."

"Wait, have you been watching us?"

A slight nod was the only reply.

"Fuck, for how long?  And why didn't you ever try, oh I don't know, talking to me?  Saying 'hello' every now and again?"

"You had your intended."

Seifer looked about to argue further, but instead released a frustrated sigh.  "No, I'm to blame as well for that lost time.  So you've been watching all this time and I never had a clue.  Hyne, I'm such an idiot."

Somewhat surprised at the continued ease with which the man was taking everything, Squall looked up cautiously and met bright green eyes directly.  The sudden flood of emotion he could read from those unshielded eyes took away his breath and made his heart ache.

"What do you want, Squall?"

Unable to answer, he watched as a hand reached out and fingertips gently raked through his hair before the warm hand pressed against his cheek.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Squall glanced to the side, focusing on the glass of redness sitting on the table.  "Because she did."

Moving closer, Seifer forced the merman to look at him.  "How long have you felt this way?"

"It meant nothing."

He laughed quietly.  "Would you believe me if I said that I had thought the same?"

In a muted voice, the merman replied, "Selphie thought you might have cared for me."

Unsurprised, Seifer smirked lightly.  "I know very well what our little matchmaker thinks.  I overheard you two talking late last night.  Stable boy, indeed."

Stormy eyes widened at the thought that he hadn't even sensed the man standing close by, but with so many humans in one area and being focused on Selphie's words, he figured it was possible.  He then paled slightly at the thought of the woman going into detail with him about why a man would enjoy a 'nice, firm ass'.

"Squall, I did care for you back then.  A lot.  I wouldn't have given you my father's choker otherwise.  But when I had to bend down from the pier to hand it to you, that distance was too much for me to think of anything more."  Lifting Squall's face from behind the barrier of his leg, the blonde leaned close while saying softly, "But things are different now."

Warm lips were then pressed lightly against his, the merman surprised by Seifer's move.  It was completely different from the kiss he had stolen days before, something he had done spontaneously without much knowledge about what a kiss truly was aside from the times watching Seifer with the white-haired woman years past.  The soft flesh massaged gently against his, the unusual feel soothing away instinctive tenseness as his eyelids slowly closed in pleasure.  There was also the lacking taste of saltiness from sea water, instead a faint bitter flavor teasing his tongue.  Squall almost pulled away at the sudden realization that he was licking the lips pressed against his, doing the action unthinkingly like the time before, but then thick warmth slid against his tongue, and the idea of Seifer touching him in this way made his body flare with heat.  The kiss deepened, the merman confused but pleased by the utterly irrational act of the wine flavored tongue entering his mouth.  Uncertain with what to do, he sucked lightly at the flesh to draw out more of the unique taste, Seifer moaning into the joining of lips. 

The deep sound still vibrating in his ears, Squall pulled back sharply and he hissed out, "Something's wrong."

The blonde sneered teasingly.  "That's right.  You stopped kissing me."

Shaking his head, the merman couldn't quite meet the bright green eyes.  "I forget what you call it, but it's stiff suddenly and it hurts."

The smile faded into a small frown, Seifer silent for a long moment until his hand drifted down to cup between the spread legs.  "Here?"

As he nodded, Squall bit his lower lip at the odd feel of the hand covering the area now throbbing with ache.

Speaking more to himself, the man said quietly, "Hyne, I forget what you were at times."  After a vague smile and a gentle kiss to parted lips, Seifer spoke with seriousness.  "Does it hurt as in painful or does it feel different than that?"

Just before he could attempt a reply, the merman gasped as a thumb stroked against the inflamed flesh beneath the thin cloth of shorts.  "Maie Enutpen..."

"Guess that answers that," he said with a chuckle.  Pulling away his hand, Seifer pushed himself up from the couch to stand.  "Let's continue this in my room.  It should make... exploration easier for the both of us."

"Then, this is normal?" Squall asked uncertainly as he took hold of an offered hand and was pulled to his feet.

"Very much so.  Come on, let me show you how to take care of that problem of yours."

Led into the room the merman hadn't been in since that first awkward morning, he stood in a half-trance as the large man carefully helped to remove the two pieces of clothing he wore.  Squall sighed at the removal of the hateful clothing, the material annoying and scratchy after a lifetime spend in flowing water.  As warm hands trailed up his bare skin when Seifer stood, the brunette shivered from sensation that should have been simple, normal, but was somehow much more compared to the other touches of the man.  He was suddenly pulled close then, pressed hard against the solid body before him as they kissed once more.  Hands clutching the shirt material blocking his skin from a more satisfying touching, Squall silently cursed the human idiot that came up with clothing in the first place.

By an experienced hand, the merman was led to the large bed and made to lie down on the comforter that felt cool against his heated skin.  Gray-blue eyes locked with bright green momentarily, the clarity of the man's emotions making Squall moan softly and reach out for him.  Seifer dodged the hand while smiling teasingly, the blonde then removing his shirt as he walked around the bed.  Sliding off baggy shorts as he sat on the mattress edge, he moved in a part roll to stretch out on his side next to the naked merman.

Looking down briefly at the revealed hardness, a dark eyebrow arched with interest.  "So it is normal."

"As if I'd lie to you," Seifer murmured softly before taking claim of the pale lips.

Not wholly satisfied by the press of lips, the merman rolled onto his side to bring his body against the unending heat of the large man.  Inhaling sharply at the sensation while Seifer hummed pleased, Squall wrapped an arm around the body before him and ran his hand up the bared back.  Still thinking it wasn't enough, his leg practically moved on its own to entangle with the stronger legs of the human.  Breathing a laugh, Squall decided that there was something decent to legs after all as he enjoyed the friction he caused with small movements, especially when focused on that one aching spot.

Abruptly moving with a growl, Seifer rolled him onto his back and placed a bent knee firmly against the harden flesh.  "Damn innocent tease," he stated with a gentle bite to a sensitized lip.

When the thigh pressed forward in a rubbing motion, Squall threw back his head with a small gasp at the spike of pleasure it caused.  Chuckling, the blonde moved his kisses to the exposed neck, alternating between hard presses and tender nips at the strangest spots.  But it was when a large hand wrapped around his throbbing length that reality seemed to shatter, Squall unable to focus on anything else aside from that touch and the general knowledge of Seifer's presence all along his body.  It felt good, amazing, that simple pumping motion, but it also brought an odd reaching type of sensation.

"Aese, menegh.  Maie anleh, aese..."

When the hand left its position, gray-blue eyes snapped open in the fear that Seifer thought he wasn't enjoying himself, that this would suddenly end before he had the chance to understand what he was reaching for.  Desperate words of continuation were abruptly cut off from thought as he stared deeply into fevered green eyes.

"Fuck, you're absolutely gorgeous like this.  I wasn't going to, not so soon, but I need to be in you, Squall.  I shouldn't, but with you like this--"

The rambling words were cut off with a hard kiss, the merman then speaking in a rough voice, "Do what you need, maie anleh."

Seifer smiled at the words, though the guilt didn't quite leave his face.  He moved quickly to take something from the nightstand, then still didn't return to press against his body but instead sat back on his feet.  An oil of some sort was placed onto two fingers, the material lightly spread by his thumb.  The vial left unneeded to the side, the freed hand rubbed underneath a limp leg before lifting it tenderly onto a broad shoulder.

"It may hurt, but try to relax," he said in a soothing tone.

The slick fingers stroked carefully around sensitive flesh as Squall let his whole body relax to prove his trust in the man.  When the fingers pressed inward, the merman gasped loudly at the brief contact, Seifer abruptly pulling his hand away and leaving Squall empty.

"Menegh!  Menegh, ehe ea binde a orallui'ef tu siet arhin'as eten ouve istere."

Green eyes widened at the growled words, Seifer then clearing his throat.  "Um, what was that again?"

"More, you bastard, or I'll tie you to a reef and let the sharks eat you alive," Squall said in the same frustrated tone.

A shocked cough turned into laughter as the blonde followed the order with an amused, 'Yes, master.'  Though the spike of pleasure was no less intense, the merman was better prepared for the sensation and let the amazing feel flow across his entire body.  Biting his lower lip in the attempt to balance some of the pleasure with pain, he rocked slightly with the gentle press of fingers.

"Shit, you aren't completely human after all, are you?  Incredible."

Through slit eyes, Squall stared at him, understanding the words but not quite able to question them.  More so, he didn't want to for fear that the human would stop what he was doing yet again.  That reaching feel was there once more, and he knew he was close to that final point.  Just a little more...

But then fingers slid out once again, Squall instantly trying to figure out where the closest shark territory was in these parts, until the man shifted his position to a more centered spot.  There was a bare warning of heated flesh against tender skin before the thick length was pressed slowly inside of that opening, spreading flesh and causing warm friction.

"Enutpen!  Aese, maie anleh, aese.  Aa mene, aa mene..."

Seifer was then leaning over him, shushing the merman quietly while gently kissing moist flesh.  "It's okay, Squall, it's okay.  Hyne, this feels... fuck, it's beyond words."

Unable to speak while trying in vain to force some of the clouding pleasure from his mind, the merman could only rake fingers through golden hair, grasping ineffectually at the short strands.

"Am I hurting you?"

Squall laughed breathily at the worried, yet desired filled voice.  "No, maie anleh.  Never."

Despite the words, Seifer pulled out slowly, the move making the brunette whimper shamefully at the idea of that blessed heat leaving his body.  But just before pulling out completely, the man thrust forward once more to press even deeper than previously.  There was no world after that point, only sensations and vague sounds as Squall gave the blonde complete control over his body.  In time that renewed sense of reaching was abruptly replaced by a sharp pull over an unseen edge, dropping the merman into never imagined heated bliss.

Stormy eyes snapped open from darkness, his whole body shaking at the coldness left after such flames of pleasure.  Seifer was immediately there, his body covering as much as it could along the smaller form.  Shushing tones and soothing words slowly drove away violent tremors, Squall then taking deep breaths as he buried his face into the crook of neck and shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

He nodded slightly in reply, hoping Seifer could feel the move.

"Damn, knew I was good in bed, but never had a reaction like that from a partner."

Squall frowned at the idea of others with the blonde, but then brushed the thought aside knowing that he held no claim over the man.  It wasn't really a surprise to learn that others had found him desirable, taking advantage of a mutual attraction.  Not a pleasant thought, but an understandable one.

A hand drifted over his ass, kneading carefully.  "Looks like I hurt you after all.  There was some blood when I pulled out."

"'m fine," Squall muttered, not feeling any pain in his numbed state.

The drowsy tone was laughed at, Seifer then rolling away briefly to switch off the bedroom light.  When the merman was held tightly in his arms once more, he kissed the head of messed hair.  "Let's get some sleep.  We can clean up later."

Not really conscious to begin with, Squall hummed a neutral reply before closing his eyes.  As the thought of what there was to clean teased his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

Seeing the familiar figure approaching the house at a slow pace, Seifer sat up from his chair and moved into the kitchen to make up a couple of bowls of granola and fruits with yogurt for breakfast.  At one time he'd cook up something that was more hardy in his mindset, but fruits and grains were safest, the single experience with sausage quickly reminding Seifer that some things didn't settle well with the merman.

Bowls were placed on the table just as Squall stepped inside, the sight of the dark hair still damp from the early morning shower making Seifer smirk lightly.  The merman had been completely appalled by the idea of cum covering his stomach throughout the night.  Fortunately, his disgust for cum in general was dissuaded once Seifer demonstrated the benefit worth the temporary mess.  However, those pleasure filled thoughts quickly scattered once the man focused on downcast eyes hazed in thought.

"You didn't see him."

Gray-blue eyes cleared slightly as he looked up at Seifer, the merman then taking his typical seat where he poked at a sliced strawberry with his spoon.

"No offense, Squall, but do you really think that he'll be allowed to speak with you?"

"I know it isn't permitted, and I don't want him to get into trouble.  I just... I've never been good with words."

Smiling, Seifer picked a blueberry from his bowl and held it up to the merman's lips, not speaking until the fruit was taken by a teasing tongue.  "Do you really think that this 'bearer' of yours doesn't know how much you care for him?  You're out there almost every morning, and even if you didn't do that, you're his child.  There are things that fathers just know."  He held a piece of yogurt covered strawberry to the pale lips.

After licking the fingertips clean and eating the sweet fruit, Squall smiled softly.

Seifer froze at the sight, not remembering the last time he was the one to directly cause the simple expression of happiness.

"You once told me a human phrase, 'be careful what you wish for,' or something like that.  Maybe..."  He let the sentence hang as he picked out a large piece of strawberry from his own bowl and placed it against Seifer's lower lip.  "Maybe I got what I wished for."

Taking the deep red fruit into his mouth, the blonde also bit lightly at the offering fingers before leaning back in his chair.  "Think you got what you wanted?"

He sighed, stormy eyes shifting to look out at the distance of ocean.  "I don't know."

Author's Whining -- Ugh, I started off with a certain tone for this story, but I think I lost it.  Ah, well.  I hope I haven't disappointed anyone. ^_^;

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