Disclaimer. Squaresoft owns all these guys and places. I don't mean to infringe you guys so........ just chill, eh??? And yes I know Squall accepted his fate rather well but if you had a job where you stared death in the face every day and kneed him in the nuts (Sorry, Red Dwarf reference, couldn't resist) you'd be ready to die too.





The Longest Road.

"What we hold dear to our hearts for even but a moment will stay with us forever...."
- N. J. Wilcox.




Chapter twenty two; Memories and Missions.




Zell rubbed his eyes hard leaving tiny star points of light across his vision. He stared at the picture in his hands, a photograph that Matron Edea had found from a long time before.

They had been around five or six years old when it had been taken. Selphie and Irvine were at the front as usual, arm in arm. Quistis was behind them, grinning like a moron and holding up two fingers behind Selphie's head. Seifer was looking at her with an apparent disdain. To the left of the picture stood, a blonde and brunette, pair of children. The blonde was sticking his tongue out at the camera and the other was trying to suppress a smile. They'd been innocent back then.

Zell gave a short silent laugh as he turned to look at a photograph on the bedside table of the same two people, now fully grown men, to see the exact same pose and expressions.

He'd learned to lock up his memories in photographs and videos since the Ultimecia wars and their discoveries about guardian forces. His favourite photograph was in the living room. Squall Leonhart, just under six foot of mean moodiness dressed for his first major SeeD function dinner in a full black suit with silk covered lapels. He stood with his feet slightly apart and one hand on his hip, holding his head slightly to one side as if to ask how he looked. The answer was quite simple.

Stunning.

Completely breath-takingly, awe-inspiringly stunning.

How many more times would he have the opportunity to tell him that? He had no idea, but he was going to make sure that he took every one of them.

"You okay?"

Zell laughed. "I'm supposed ta be the one asking you that Squall." He turned to see his lover kneeling on the bed behind him, looking a picture of health in bleach blue jeans and loose fitting shirt.

The lion gave him an almost predatory smile and moved forward for a kiss that Zell broke off. "What is it?"

"You're sick."

"Zell, the chances of you contracting this virus are nil. You're genetic code is too different to Ayden's to make you susceptible to it. If there was any chance of that, I wouldn't be doing anything."

"It's not that." He whispered. "I'm afraid of hurting you......"

Squall sighed rather dramatically and fell to one side so that his head dropped onto the pillow. "I'm not sick yet! I'm not a fucking china doll that will break as soon as you pick it up wrongly."

Zell let his head drop forward. "Sorry."

"...................No. I'm sorry. All I want is to be treated normally. I told you because you deserved to know and because I thought you'd be able to handle it."

Zell lay beside him. "I'm scared of you becoming just another memory for the guardian forces to eat away."

"If you forget me, I'll come back and haunt you."

"Come back and haunt me anyway, even if it is just so you can scare Irvine shitless."

Squall smiled and moved to kiss Zell again, this time it was not broken off.

Zell's hand snaked round to Squall's lower back and forced him closer, until they were touching. He kissed Squall harder, hearing a faint murmur, almost a whimper. He continued to press his advantage feeling Squall struggle against him for a moment before relenting. "I want you..." He mumbled into Squall's hot mouth.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait for me. I have a meeting with a potential client in my office in fifteen minutes." The brunette stood and straightened his clothing.

"I'll come and find you when you're done."

"That better be a promise."





The potential client was a young lady from the outskirts of WinHill, requesting SeeD's help to rid the town of the recent influx of monsters. She had little money, an insignificant amount in comparison to the usual fee but there was something about her that reminded him of his 'sis', Ellone.

Or perhaps, his mother.

"Mr Leonhart, d'you think I could take a look around the garden?" She asked as he drew up the contract folder. "You see a couple of children from my village recently enrolled in Galbadia garden and I'd like to see what they've let themselves in for."

"This place is rather different to G-garden. Why didn't you ask them for help?"

"I was told that you would be the most likely to help. The head mistress at Galbadia Garden is rather strict."

"You mean they told you I was a soft touch." He peered over the top of the piece of paper he was inspecting and raised one eyebrow. "Yes, I do have a certain sympathy for the underdog.... Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."



The final stop on the tour was the SeeD officer's Rec. Room. Two of the seniors were playing a game of pool when they entered and they both stopped to look up and nod to Squall. Several others were congregated around a vid-screen watching a martial arts movie and somewhere a stereo was playing an old Guns and Roses track. A young female SeeD was practising with a kick-boxing bag. A game of cards was being played and a few people were gathered around another television with a games console playing a game that Zell had brought and left down there...., it was called Ergheiz or something like that.

"This is the latest addition to this garden, somewhere for the SeeDs to unwind after missions..... Speaking of which.... Seed!" All eyes turned to look at their commander. "I want five volunteers to take part in a search and destroy mission for this young lady."

Everyone in the room stuck their hands in the air.

He gestured to five people and said. "Get packed. And take some status effect cures, the monsters around WinHill tend to use blind attacks and poisons."

"You're going to help us then?" She smiled.

"Looks like it." He lead her back to his office.

"For that small an amount of money?"

"It will cover travelling expenses. If I wasn't so busy, I'd do it myself...., it is my hometown after all."




So another mission had begun. When the young lady had left, Squall slumped back into the sumptuous leather of the chair. His peace was cut short a few minutes later by the ringing of his vid-phone.

"Voice response." He stated. "Hello?"

A voice spoke in response that he had hoped never to hear again. "Hello Leonhart. Do you remember me?"

"Seifer, I wouldn't be able to forget you if I tried. What do you want?"

"It's not what I want puberty boy, more something that you need. I hear you've been infected with a virus by one of my comrades. I have a cure to offer."

"What do you want in return?"

"Hey. I'm offended. I only want a duel to settle this matter."

Squall rubbed his scarred forehead with his fingertips. "I should have guessed. When and where this time Seifer?"

"I hear you're not seeing too well these days Squall so how about tonight, where I beat you on the morning before that SeeD exam that launched you to success and me on the road to ruin."

"Not seeing...." Squall realised that his rival thought he was still flash blinded...., and more importantly, that he could use this to his advantage. "I'll meet you Seifer. At dusk."

"Very well puberty boy. Until then."





Authors notes.

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