Protecting the Lion

Chapter Twenty-One
Behind the Scenes

Even without the curious eyes of students and staff alike, Squall walked without any helping hands back to his apartment.

“So, is it true you stopped a huge tsunami just by casting a spell?” Rui chirped in merrily as he walked along with the two older boys.

Pausing mid step, Squall looked down to the raven haired boy and answered, “No” It would seem he didn’t care to elaborate since he supplied no explanation or truthful scenario in place of the distorted rumor.

“Oh….” Rui commented, trailing off with uncertainty. “Then what happened?” He was far from deterred by the Commander’s knack for few words.

Seifer could tell that Kadowaki’s pills hadn’t begun to work yet. The brunet seemed to be working to keep an impassive expression on that pretty face. For whatever insane reason, Squall seemed to like Rui to some extent. So, Seifer felt obligated to treat the thief with some manner of civility, or at least refrain from strangling the kid’s scrawny neck. Though he was determined to question the brunet on his odd choice of company, more because he was quite jealous and less for his curiosity, he’d behave himself for the moment. “It was Shiva.” In a show of civility, he would answer Rui’s questions, but it was more to save Squall from an increased headache than an act of kindness.

“Shiva?” Rui questioned, still regarding Squall as if the blonde’s words had come from the Commander.

“Shiva is a Guardian Force,” Seifer explained. He frowned when he saw that the thief’s eyes were still gazing at Squall’s profile intently, as though still waiting for the brunet to answer. “Hey kid, I’m over here.” Seifer motioned with his hand to catch the impudent boy’s attention.

Glaring, Rui stuck his tongue out at the knight before returning his attention to the Commander.

Growling, Seifer very nearly walloped the brat. ‘Impudent-little-thieving-half-pint!’ his mind shouted. Wasn’t fear supposed to command respect? If this kid was so afraid that Seifer was going to kill him, then why did he act so brashly? Rolling his eyes, he came to realization that Rui thought Squall would act as a protector. Probably true too, though he wasn’t willing to assume a whole lot when it came to the brunet.

The tension was evident between Seifer and Rui, but Squall ignored it. They were nearly to his apartment.

It was almost a relief walking through that door, seeing the empty room and relishing in its quite. The silence was broken however, by Seifer and Rui arguing near the door.

“Stay out brat,” Seifer ordered before pressing the button to quickly shut the door.

Rui was too fast, however, as he slid past the narrowing space and into the Commander’s apartment. “It’s not your apartment,” he grumbled loud enough for only the knight to hear.

Groaning, Seifer reached into his pocket. Not finding what he was looking for there, he turned around and looked along the wall behind him. Tilmitt had kindly taken a moment to retrieve not only the gunblades from Ragnarok, but also his coat from the Infirmary. She’d only spared a moment to visit Squall, and he’d ushered her out with their unnecessary garments and weapons. Now the coat it hung close to the floor on a hook.

Reaching inside his coat pocket, he pulled his cell phone out. Flipping it open, he dialed the numbers with nine small clicks before placing the phone to his ear. “It’s me…” he spoke softly. “Naw, Princess is fine…” He smirked, “…It’s a new nickname I got for him, what of it?… Yeah, try that and he’d likely kill you… listen, I need you to come by for a minute. I got a kid here who needs to start learning the basics and some respect.”

Raijin, the big brute, was on his way. If Rui had a problem with Seifer’s physique, he couldn’t wait ‘til the brat got a look at Raijin. And on an even more convenient note, he could ask his trusted friend what happened in the follow up on the reporter from the conference.

Grinning to himself, Seifer walked further into the apartment.

The pale form of the brunet stood before the small seating area that opened a view into the kitchen. Squall held a hand to his temple, massaging it.

Grimacing, Squall tried his best to keep all anger and annoyance from his voice. It was more difficult to deal with the younger boy since he didn’t feel right being as blunt as he did with other people. “Rui, it’s not necessary,” he tried to reason with the determined boy.

From the blonde’s angle, he could see the raven-haired brat messing with a pan on the stove.

Grumbling, Seifer walked up to Squall and physically directed the tired man to the couch. “Sit and rest like a good kitten,” he ordered.

With his last threads of patience wearing thin, Squall cringed and growled out, “Almasy” He sat down regardless, as his head was still hurting and his limbs felt ready to cramp up on him. “I’m resting my eyes until Kadowaki’s pills take effect, then I’m going to my office.” He defended his compliance with the knight’s command by masking it as his own actions. Before he lay down completely he stopped and added, “Don’t let Rui make me breakfast.”

Chuckling slightly at the brunet’s inability to deal with the thieving brat, Seifer easily forgave Squall for the favor previously bestowed upon the kid. It would seem he’d misjudged the situation. What he’d seen as uncommon affection had just been the Commander’s social ineptitude.

Striding into the kitchen, Seifer stopped the brat right before the first egg was broken. “Outta the kitchen kid.”

Holding an egg aloft, Rui glared up at the knight. “I’m making breakfast,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, and what right do you have to be here in the Commander’s apartment in the first place?” Seifer snapped.

“Same right as you,” Rui snapped back, setting the egg in the bowl he’d been about to crack it over.

Laughing, Seifer looked bemused down at the dark haired boy. He could handle this whole thing one of two ways. Either he could yell and physically throw the thief out, or he could reason calmly and make Squall happier for it. “I’ve known Squall since he was four years old.” He smirked at the attentive look Rui’s dark eyes gave him.

True to the thief’s word, it would seem the kid hadn’t known anything about current world events. It wasn’t uncommon knowledge that the Commander and Ultimecia’s knight had a history. Most people didn’t know the assorted details, especially not the depth of their relationship at this point in time.

“I ain’t doin’ no harm,” Rui defended, falling back into his city accent.

Sighing, Seifer ran a hand through his hair. Regarding the boy seriously, he said, “I know. But there are a lot of things you don’t know yet. Right now, this Epson guy you came here for is a thorn in all our sides.” He shifted with annoyance when he saw a slightly guilty look come over Rui’s face. “Aside from that, there are a million other problems he’s got on his plate right now. It’s my job to make sure nothing happens to him, so let me do it.”

Grumbling, Rui flipped the stove off and stood with his arms crossed. “I don’t like you,” he hissed.

“Not many people do,” the blonde shot back. He grinned as he felt that for once he was getting under the kid’s skin. “He’s resting now, so don’t disturb him. Just leave.”

Narrowing his dark eyes, Rui regarded the blonde with caution. “Why, so you can rape him?”

Slapping at hand to his forehead, Seifer fought the urge to kill the kid down. “Smart ass,” he called, unable to keep his mouth in check.

“Pervert,” Rui quipped, loud enough for the Commander to hear in the other room.

“Kid,” Seifer held his hands up, gesturing threateningly with tightening fists, “I’m gonna kill you, I swear to Hyne, I’m gonna kill you.” He of course wasn’t at his breaking point just yet, and refrained from laying a hand on the insolent brat, but he was close.

Closing his eyes briefly, Seifer swallowed his anger. “I’ve got a friend coming by.” His mood was lightened by the prospect of Rui seeing Raijin. “You won’t be starting classes until next semester, but I’m a generous guy, so I thought I’d give you the chance to get ahead of the game.”

Rui scoffed, “Ahead of the game?” This knight didn’t seem capable of staying on the same subject for long.

“An instructor to teach you the basics,” he supplied, praying that Raijin got there before the world held one less deviant. “That is, if you were really serious about becoming a SeeD.”

“I am,” Rui defended.

There was a sharp knock on the door. “Then I’m sure you’ll take this chance to make the dear Commander proud.”

Raijin had been surprised upon meeting Rui, but not nearly as surprised as Rui was to meet him. He gave Seifer an odd look of question when the kid seemed to go rigid and just stared at him.

“He’s a big fan of yours,” Seifer consoled mockingly. “Before I send you two off, what’s the word from Fu?”

“Oh, nothing dangerous, ya know? Just some nosy pencil pusher.” The clipped papers in his hand was all the information that Fujin had collected. He handed these off to his blonde friend before crossing his arms and waiting.

Flipping through the pages, Seifer nodded in approval. “Thanks. Now, young Valdez here is a promising lad.” He clapped an amicable hand to the stiff back of an aghast Rui. “He be wantin’ to learn the ropes, as it were.”

It was the sarcastic pirate like speech that clued Raijin into some sort of ulterior motive of the arrogant, but loveable blonde. “Right,” He eyed Seifer with slight suspicion. The poor kid looked closer to fainting with each passing moment.

“He’s shy is all.” Seifer pushed Rui forward, forcing the boy to take an unwarranted step.

Rui suddenly snapped out of his shocked daze, breaking his dead stare from King Kong back to the vacant looking couch. Knowing the brunet was still there, he tried to run that way. “Commander!” he shouted.

Clamping a hand over Rui’s mouth, Seifer lifted the boy into the air easily and stepped into the hall. The papers he carried were becoming crumpled with each flailing limb of the thief’s. “I don’t care what you do with him,” he spoke to Raijin, who was quick to follow behind. “But, just get him away from here. Pretty boy’s gotta get some sleep, which is next to…” with a huff he released Rui, a bit rough as the boy stumbled a few steps away, “…impossible with this loud mouth fangirl around.”

Straightening up, Rui puffed out his chest. “I’m no fangirl you perverted brute!”

“Can’t say I follow what’s going on, ya know?” Raijin said, standing beside Seifer.

“Teach him something worthwhile for the day.” Leaning forward a bit he emphasized his next words, “Like respect!”

Rui stuck his tongue out at Seifer, to which Raijin laughed with amusement. “He reminds me of you,” the big man commented.

Raijin’s words brought both Rui and Seifer to an immediate standstill in all movement.

“I’m not like him!” the two chorused at the same time.

Slapping his knee, Raijin was doubled over with laughter. “T-too good, ya-ya know?” he choked out as tears leaked from his eyes.

Cursing under his breath, Seifer clutched the pile of papers so they crinkled and stalked back into the apartment. Trusting Raijin to take care of the matter he then took his time to throw insults both at the thief and his old time friend.

Grabbing a chilled bottle of water from the fridge, Seifer made his way over to the couch.

The curled form of the brunet barely took up a single cushion. Carefully sitting down on the other end, Seifer propped his feet on the coffee table and flipped the TV on. Papers in hand, he idly glanced at them while taking a sip of the water and muting the sound so as not to disturb the sleeping lion.

His eyes skimmed the jotted notes. The reporter he had sent Fujin to tag was simply a common variety muckraker. Sure enough though, the guy would not be welcomed back to any press conferences.

The flashing images on the TV screen caught his attention. Looking up he watched as a pretty woman with honey blonde hair and a bit too much makeup anchored for a news station.

Noticing the icon in the bottom right of the screen he knew he was watching a station airing from Timber. Oddly enough, Timber seemed to be at the forefront of broadcasting.

With the sound off he read the lips of the anchorwoman, finding the bright crimson tinge of lipstick rather distasteful compared to Squall’s naturally red lips. Her mouth moved to spout off words about exclusive coverage from Dollet on the incident.

“They’re fast,” Seifer commented. A year ago it would have taken a few days for such any story to break publicly, mostly because telecasting was not a device used very much.

It seemed that since the war the people had taken a greater interest in television and the immediate news it could bring. And for a greater majority of the population that wasn’t obsessed with world events, the daytime dramas and soap operas continued on with a wider variety.

What he saw on the screen was of no interest really. He’d seen it up close earlier that morning anyway. Now it was just images of the water with chunks of ice in it, which wasn’t nearly as good a sight as when the ice had still been shaped like a giant cresting wave.

Leaning back, Seifer flipped through a few channels looking for a station featured in Dollet. In his opinion they should be the ones with the most accurate information.

Not two minutes after finding what he was looking for, he very nearly upset the papers in his lap. Looking cautiously to the brunet beside him, he made certain that Squall was still asleep.

Turning the television off, he stood up and crept into the kitchen. Whether Squall was just resting his eyes or really sleeping was more of a concern now than before.

Flipping open his phone again, he cursed when he realized he didn’t know Trepe’s number. So, he called Fujin instead.

Keeping his voice lowered, he stood near the window absently looking out of it while the other end rang.

“Hey Fu, it’s me,” he greeted in a tone that implied business, regardless of its familiarity.

“Seifer,” hissed the voice on the other end, “I’m in the middle of class.”

“So turn your phone off.” His remark was instinctive, but once he realized that the tightlipped woman might choose to hang up and take his advice, he quickly continued, “I need Trepe’s number.”

“How’s the Commander?” she asked in a muffled voice.

Rolling his eyes he indulged his friend, “Sleeping like a baby. Wanna put me on the speaker so I can tell your students personally?”

“Doubt they’d believe the words of Ultimecia’s knight,” she joked.

“The number?” he asked again.

Fujin spouted off Quistis’ cell number. Knowing Seifer well enough, she knew when the man was in a hurry.

“Thanks,” he muttered before hanging up and calling the Head Instructor.

“Trepe,” announced the blonde haired woman after the first ring.

“Hey sweetheart,” Seifer grinned at his salutation.

“Oh, it’s you,” she replied lamely.

“I thought we might have a chat about the late Governor Fenrir.” His tone was serious, having only so much time for joking this morning.

“I’m afraid I won’t be much of a good conversationalist on that, I only just found out myself.”

Frowning he leaned against the wall and glanced into the living room to make sure Squall was still out of sight. “Well I’m sure we can brainstorm a few ideas here.”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right there,” she suggested, knowing they were back at the Commander’s apartment.

“No, we can talk like this. I just put our baby down for the night and I don’t want to wake him.”

There was silence for a moment, but he heard stifled laughing after a short pause, which he took to be consent.

“Don’t let Squall hear you talking like that, he’s liable to run you through,” she said with mirth. There was only one person in the entire world who ever talked about Squall like that, and she hadn’t heard these comments since before the war.

“Our baby thinks the missile was from Esthar and now Fenrir is found dead. I’m no expert, but I’d say something is going on.”

“You have no idea,” she sighed.


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