Disclaimer. Squaresoft owns all these guys and places. I don't mean to infringe you guys so........ just chill, eh???
You have no idea how friggin hard it is to write each word of these last few chapters, so forgive me if my style slips only I'm dreading finishing this story. and no he isn't really streaking, he's just running really really fast. And as I'm british, the car is too. AKA it's right hand drive. I was going to put him in an MGF or lotus Elise but I saw the car I'm referring to the other day (I don't say it's name but it's new, british and absolutely beautiful!) and fell in love. . Dis.:-I don't own any of these cars but I'd love one!




The Longest Road.


"I always have to dream up there against the stars. If I don't dream I'll make it, I won't even get close."
-Henry J. Kaiser.



Chapter twenty four; Questions in the Darkness.





When Squall returned to the garden, it had begun to rain. He waved to the gate man and saw a familiar sight streaking across the front courtyard towards him.

Zell stopped at the car window panting and shouted "Where the hell have you been?"

"Another meeting.... I'm sorry. I completely forgot to tell you." Squall closed his eyes for a moment before leaning across to unlock the passenger side door. "Get in!" He said as he jabbed a thumb towards the left side of the car.

The blonde dashed around and jumped in, slumping on the seat as Squall slid into reverse and backed out of the Garden's drive. Squall flicked the radio off as he rounded a corner and pulled into a bay off the main road.

"I'm so sorry Zell, I got held up."

"S'okay." He shrugged, his jacket squeaking against the leather of the seat. "I'm alright, I just wondered where you were, s'all." He mumbled.

They were both silent and Squall felt awful for lying to him like that. "Zell? How about we grab something to eat from Balamb..., my treat?"

There was complete silence for a few minutes again and then a small but very hopeful voice said; "Hotdogs?"

With a heavy sigh Squall nodded. "Anything you want."

"Okay." And that manical grin had returned, and Zell dived into the glove compartment to find a CD. A smile played at the corner of Squall's lips and he slipped into first, pulling out onto the main road.

A few hundred meters up the motorway, Squall saw a figure walking up the hard shoulder, just as Zell decided what kind of music he wanted on. With a glance in the rear view mirror, he discovered who the man was.

"Should we pull over?" Zell asked, gesturing to the person he hadn't recognised.

"Something tells me that he'd rather walk Zell."

"But it's dangerous 'round here."

"I don't think he'd have to worry." Squall said and then thought to himself; 'Good luck Seifer.' He elbowed Zell. "Are you gonna put that CD on or what?"

'Tonight I'm tangled in my blanket of clouds, dreaming aloud. Things just won't do, without you matter of fact.... I'm on your back....." The lead singer began.

".....Squall?" Zell ventured. "Is there anything that you'd really like to do before..... you know....?" His voice was trembling.

"Before I die?" Squall stated.

"Y....yeah."

"I never really thought about it.... I'd like to see Sis, Kiros and Ward again, I suppose." He said as he concentrated a little harder on the road ahead. The glare of headlights travelling in the opposite direction dazzled him for a moment. The whole locale had developed recently, the fire cavern having been made into a full time training centre for the sudden influx of students who had arrived over the year, due to a loss of their parents or a dream of being a SeeD like the famous six. The fact that Rinoa had never been a SeeD had been forgotten long before.

"Erm..... What about Laguna?"

"Yes? What about him?"

Squall watched Zell from the corner of his eye as the blonde turned to glare at him. "Not funny baby."

Squall sighed as he pulled in to the carpark on the outskirts of Balamb. The handbrake squealed as he pulled it on. He half turned and put an elbow on the steering wheel as he unclipped his seatbelt. "Look, Zell. I just can't face him.... not on my own anyway." His eyes burned with hidden tears and he had to look away before they breached the fragile fortress set against his emotions. "You have your Ma and Dad, they both love you and even though you aren't their biological son you could have been."

Zell nodded proudly.

"They seem to like me as well for some strange reason...."

"Ma loves you! She thinks of you as a second son and she adores Ayden, even though she's only seen him once." That strange grin that seemed to lift Squall's spirits appeared.

"But.... they were there for you and they aren't even your real mum and dad. My real father, knew precisely where I was and did nothing. What was it he said? 'I thought and thought and before I knew it seventeen years had gone by?'" Squall laughed sarcastically. "For god's sake! Not even I could think for that long! I can't face him on my own again, I'll end up giving him a black eye and being trialled for treason."

"He wouldn't do that." Zell peered out of the window at the slowing rain. "Well, what if I went with you? I'm due some vacation time, I haven't been on holiday since we spent that weekend fishing at FH..."

Squall furrowed his brow and let his head drop forward. "I'm not sure."

Zell narrowed his eyes at his lover, determined to get his way now. "How about this then? Are you going to deny Ayden another relative? Two really... A grandfather and an Aunt?"

Squall was silent for several minutes.

"Prat. I was hoping you wouldn't think of that...."

"Well baby, how about the lot of us go? I'm sure Quisty, Sephie and Irvine would love to see Ellone again."

"We'll talk about it tomorrow, right now I'm hungry."








The lights from houses that stretched up the hill shone brightly in the darkness and the strings of brightly coloured lanterns hung around the quayside reflected in the rippling black waters, dancing like shimmering fireflies, waiting to welcome the fisherman on their return from the sea. Squall's boots sounded hollow on the granite of the harbour walls, the only other sounds pervading the silence of the town being those of the waves slapping against the stones and the wind played with dead leaves and empty packets....

The air was strong with the smell of salt and cold wind. It always seemed cooler there than anywhere, with the winds blowing from across the sea to capstans on the walls and the chains dangling down to the bottom of the sandy ocean. The pitch black waters of the harbour were at their highest point, the sea always the most unforgiving of mistresses.

A particularly large wave rushed up the slipway and Zell had to dash away from the ice cold night waters to prevent them from soaking his sneakers.

Both Squall and Zell were full and contented, even though they had no hope of returning to garden at such a late hour. They had no worries. It was almost as if Garden and all it's responsibilities did not exist.

Squall watched the blonde as he continued to play chicken with the waves, waiting until the very last second before darting away.

Finally it seemed he had had enough as he returned to Squall's side. "It's almost like.... heaven down here, it's so peaceful."

Squall nodded, remaining silent.

"Have you made your mind up? Will you please go and see your father?" The pleading note in Zell's voice and the look on his face and in his eyes struck a chord in Squall.

He sighed heavily and gave in. "One day Zell. That's all."

"Oh, good."

"That all you have to say?"

Zell shook his head. and then kissed Squall so quickly and lightly, he almost didn't know what had happened. Squall's fingers knotted in the front of Zell's jacket as their lips met once again and was pulled closer and deeper. "Come on baby. This isn't right out here."

Squall agreed.

Somehow, they found themselves back at their vehicle and out on the open road.

In the distance, Garden glittered under the spotlights at it's front gate. "I don't think we're going to get home tonight."

"How come?"

"I didn't realise it was so late, the gate closes in less than a minute..."

"oh.... Could be interesting." As Zell spoke, the lights dimmed and then were gone completely.

"Locked out of my own garden for the night...., unbelievable." He shook his head. "What would Fuujin say?"

"RAGE!" Zell quipped and giggled.

Squall rolled his eyes, sighed and stopped just short of saying whatever. "We can't keep driving all night, we don't have enough fuel... Well?"

Zell thought for a minute and said; "take the next exit."

Squall shrugged and did as he was told and instantly recognised it. "This is the place where you made me tell you what I was going through...."

"Yeah." Zell nodded. The forest was creeping ever closer to the Garden, managing to reclaim a few feet every year. Reaching out with trembling fingers of wild poppies and dog rose before taking a firmer grip with bracken and brambles before hauling it's self forward and claiming it's position first with pines and firs then with beech, oak and sycamore. The place the he had confronted Squall was now covered in a fine film of red petaled poppies. The blonde martial artist narrowed his eyes. "You still got Diablos baby?"

"Yeah, why..... oh." He grinned. "I guess I'm a little slow tonight.... hold on a sec." He conversed mentally with the GF for a second and Enc-None was equipped. They left the vehicle just off the roadside.



Squall crouched at the edge of the spreading sea of wild flowers and picked up a poppy. "They're beautiful in their simplicity, aren't they? In the ancients wars, when the land was barren and in left in turmoil by the constant barrage of shells and gunfire, these were the only flowers that would grow in abundance on the battle field.... I guess, they remind me of you Zell. You bloom on the battlefield.... And a year ago, you began to grow in a place I thought left barren by pain of loss, my heart."

Zell, speechless once again decided it was time to lighten the mood. "I think that is the most I have heard you say in one go without you giving orders to anyone."

Squall looked up, seemingly a little hurt. The thick, dark clouds chose that moment to break and the moonlight that had been dully illuminating everything suddenly became so much brighter, shimmering across the brunettes leather jacket and turning his necklace to a white flare. Zell swallowed hard.

"Sorry baby, didn't mean it..."

"S'alright. I deserve it after tonight."

Zell knelt down beside him, so that their eyes were level and took hold of the Griever necklace. He used it to pull his lover towards him. Their lips met, the tide of a raging sea of desire.

With one hand, Zell pushed Squall into the sea of long grasses and red poppies, taking a moment to admire the lion with his nutmeg crown of hair mussed, his eyes half closed and lips slightly parted and a frame of blood red flowers around him. Some long forgotten handsome prince from a fairy tale.

The blonde leant forward to invade the scene and break the perfection, unable to resist him any longer. Lips meeting again and tongue exploring dark treasure of hot mouth heralded a rise of wanting and needing.

The lion shrugged off his jacket and pushed at Zell's then pulled the black tank top over his head leaving the blonde's hair at a strange angle. A murmur of submission sounded from Squall as Zell's hands made him shed his shirt and fumbled with his belt clasps.

Naked, the long blades of grass caressed their bodies like loving fingertips, and so close that all they were aware of was the other. As Zell's fingertips worked Squall's hardened sex, the brunette gasped and arched further into the blonde's hand. A thumb was drawn across the head with almost brutal tenderness...

"Zell....." He gasped and reached behind Zell's head to pull him down, so lost in a kiss that tasted of citrus and hot house heat combined with Squall's gunpowder, hot leather and energy of pulse ammo that they never wanted to break apart..

With his free hand Squall reached to Zell's sex and began to work him too with practised ease, fingers tightening a little as he fought the impending rush of his orgasm and shuddered as Zell moaned loudly. Each of their breath hot against the others cheek.

Finally, with a rush, Squall surrendered and came.

With more fevered movements and a feral grin from his plunderer, Zell cried out and came.

And they collapsed against each other, totally spent, not to move again until morning.










Authors notes.

1. The way I describe Balamb is based on a little fishing village in England, in the county of Cornwall. The county is my favourite holiday destination and is full of history, from Lands end to Calstock and the rest of the Devonshire borders. The village is called Looe. (Yes it's pronounced Loo) and is one of the prettiest places in the world alongside Boscastle, Tintagel and my favourite beach ever, Duckpool Beach. I spent the last night of my holiday last year walking through the village as darkness descended and the lights came on and the tide came in and I swear I have never seen a more romantic place. So that's where I got my inspiration from, okay?

2. What did you think of the rest of it?