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The Longest Road.

"We'll never know the innocence that we once had
In the lazy hazy tired days of summers gone. "
"Wanting." Poem by Nicola J. Wilcox.


Chapter Three; Summertime.



Summer was truly here.

The air was filled with the scents of wood-smoke and burnt charcoal, the heady brew of summer plants wafting from the gardens of Garden. Roses, Fuschias and impatiens assaulted the sense. The early evening sunshine warmed skin left like ice after a long and wet Balamb winter.

The whole of Garden had turned up to this gathering and all were equal, regardless of age, status or SeeD level.

As soon as the unlikely pair had arrived, Zell had bounded off towards the food laden tables nearest the massive barbecue, leaving Squall to wander through the crowd alone. He passed one strange figure with a quick glance, but he had to stop and look again.

He saw a rather strange sight. A man above six foot tall with long auburn hair, stood with a girl on each arm before him, laughing like a hyena. His overly loud Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts so far removed from his usual attire that it was startling.

There was a shocked gasp from behind and out of the corner of his eye, Squall saw a familiar pair of green eyes. With tears in her eyes, Selphie turned and ran.

"Hey Squall man! What's up?"

Gritting his teeth against his urge to ram his fist so far down Irvine's throat that he'd be able to rip those god-damn awful shorts off, he poked Irvine hard in the chest. "You, man, are a complete and utter tosser, and a bastard." He turned on his way to find Selphie, not being able to resist adding to the cowboy "and your sense of style stinks."





Selphie sat on an oak bench underneath a sycamore tree at the edge of the crowd, her eyes already red with tears.

'I'm useless at this sort of stuff.' he thought to himself, but sat down next to the tiny brunette nonetheless.

She didn't notice him, so he coughed quietly to attract her attention. "Oh, Squall? I.... I'm fine. I'll be okay."

"Who are you kidding?"

She smiled. "And whatever made you come and see how I was?"

"Would you like the SeeD commander's answer or the Squall Leonhart answer?"

"Gimme both baby?" She smiled as she spoke using Zell's pet name for Squall.

"The commander answer is that I'm concerned about one of my best SeeD's, stuff like this takes your mind off the job and it can get you hurt." He said in a very solemn voice. "And the Squall Leonhart answer is...." Slumping back in the chair he sighed loudly, waved a hand dismissively in the air and said, "whatever."

His little brown haired friend laughed out loud at this, suddenly finding him extremely funny. "That is most definitely the Squall Leonhart answer.... I won't let Irvy get away with it."

"I know." He half-smiled. "We can help you with that. Come on, let's go and get a drink and a dog before Zell scoffs them all."





They happened across a young blonde man sitting at a table with a contented smile on his face and a smudge of tomato ketchup on his cheek. "I love the summer festivals....." He sighed to himself as he closed his eyes. A finger run across his neck disturbed him from that state of near-slumber. "Squall?"

"Nope. Guess again."

"Selphie?"

"Yah!!!!" She giggled and dropped into the seat next to him. Squall was walking towards them holding three bottles of Murphy's, (an irish stout with a head like ice-cream). A small smile played across his lips and that look on his face meant that he had an ulterior motive.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked arching one light eyebrow in wonder.

"Ways to get Irvine back." Selphie stated and pouted all in one. "Short of Squall's suggestion of hooking him to the flagpole by his eyebrow piercing...."

"Or more painful places." Squall added with a mischievously evil glint in his eyes.

"And raising him every morning at dawn precisely, for a week."

"Why? What happened?"

She gave him the basics of what had occurred, the long nights alone, broken promises, days without seeing hide nor hair and weeks of SeeD missions without so much as a phone call, finally the last straw..... Those two younger students....

"Shit, Selphie! What would you say to me, Squall and a few of the guys from the martial arts course go kick seven shade of shit out that bastards hide?"

"I'd hate to see him hurt that way Zelly-baby." She sighed and took a long swig out of the bottle. "Unless I was doing the hurting that is."

Squall suddenly shocked them both with a quiet laugh. A sound they very rarely heard.

"This must be good.... Come on Squall spill!"

"I had a request from a group of Shumi on an island about forty miles north of the Trabian coastline for a guard. It should last about a week maybe two, just till the island is cleared of the majority of monsters.... What would you think if I got Irvy-poo to babysit the shumi for a while?" He said thoughtfully.

Selphie burst out into peals of laughter and Zell had to hold his sides to keep them from splitting. "That would be perfect! He hates the cold."

Squall nodded quietly and stood to get some more drinks as they had finished the last lot without even noticing. "You know something Zell?"

"What?"

"I like Squall so much better now he's with you." Selphie grinned. "He can be so much nicer."

"Yeah, he can can't he?"





Squall drew a hand across his forehead, wiping the fine film of sweat away. Quistis walked towards him. "Hot enough for you commander?"

He nodded slowly. "Good turn out."

"What do you expect? Half the kids of Balamb are here, they came for a chance to meet five of the original six that defeated Ultimecia."

"Do we all command that much respect, even now?"

Two young girls walked past. One elbowed the other and whispered;" That's him! That's the lion, she must be the queen!"

"Oh, he's totally gorgeous!"

Quistis gave him a wry smile. "See?"

"What...."

"Ever. I know"

"Would you care to join us for a drink Quisty?" Squall waved a hand to Selphie and Zell.

"Thought you'd never ask."





As the evening drew on and the fire began to grow low, visitors began to depart and many of the students heard bed calling. The four stayed in the gardens of garden until a blanket of stars covered the sky. Finally the girls left too.

"Don't you think it's about time we got back up there?" Squall motioned to the windows of the dorms and stood.

"Gimme a hand then baby."

As he was pulled up, a small gust of warm wind stirred the ashes of the fire into a snow storm. Tiny white flakes whirled around the two, one catching in the long strands of Squall's hair that hung over his storm cloud gray eyes. Zell's eyes briefly fluttered down, only for a second, before he leant forward for a long all-encompassing kiss. When they broke apart, lips still tingling, Squall sighed happily and with an arm around his lovers waist began the walk back to their room.

In the darkness Squall felt his body being thrown against the wall. "I promised." He heard Zell whisper. A warm body was pressed against his, heat of lovers flesh muted by clothing unneeded.

A gentle nip at his earlobe caused Squall to gasp, then deeper more aggressive bites explored his jugular vein. Nimble fingers undid the buttons of his fly and a hand slipped in to cradle the growing hardness between his thighs. A wet tongue was slipped into his open mouth, causing the fire to spark and grow.

As one finger was drawn from the base of his need to the tip he shivered and moaned when it was replaced by a tongue. The softness of flesh in contrast to hard, hinted at danger of tooth against him made him tremble.

Velvet soft hair moving against his stomach. Mouth moving against his sex in slow deliberate movements becoming more and more ferverent, making that small fire grow to a roaring blaze, his hips bucked forward, his head was thrown back. "Ohhhh....., Zell." He hissed the mixture of pain and pleasure that can only be described as ecstasy overcame him and he came, almost falling to the floor due to the weakness in his knees and the lightness in his head.

"Good?" he blonde asked.

"Fuck yeah."





Authors notes.

Am I getting better at this stuff.

I promise that the problems start next chapter. I just wanted to put this lot in. Cheers luvs. Thankyou for all the reviews, I am so loving them all! Reading them gets me writing, at least when I'm not talking to PAINS WHO PHONE AT TWO AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CB this means you! Cya next chapter babes.

Luv Darksquall. ^_\^