To Trust A Cop

Beta: working on it
Notes: A little, little more explanation and insight and so on… though not much. *grin*


21

Squall jolted awake and sighed heavily. His hand flailed a moment over the edge of the bed before finding the alarm and silencing the damn thing. He groaned as he sunk back to his previous position on his stomach. He was fucking sore!

“Hyne who ever came up with the brilliant idea of alarms?”

Squall jumped high and turned, blinking stupidly at the ruffled blond. He had completely forgotten about the man. The blond was sprawled at his back, taking up most of the small bed. The bed covers were messily wrapped about his hips and a leg, leaving the rest exquisitely naked. Squall couldn’t help but eye the perfectly, masculine shaped body.

He seemed to marvel at the sculpted muscles every time he studied them. He quickly snapped his eyes away and had green eyes narrowed at him as if the cop hadn’t quite been able to focus before. The blond lazily smirked and the hand not behind his head tried stroking Squall’s hair. The youth ducked his head and so avoided the contact. He wasn’t the one liking being stroked like a damn pet.

“Want to have some morning fun?” Almasy purred and got up at an elbow.

The brunet felt a tightening between his legs as a large hand stroked his naked back and a wet tongue licked his shoulder. The youth turned around and sat up though wincing slightly.

“I don’t set the alarm because I like the sound of it.” He muttered and put his feet on the cold floor.

It was dark outside though the sky was probably lightening up. Squall yelped as his waist were caught and used to manhandle him back down. He yelped again as his neck was bitten harshly. He twisted sharply and somehow managed to turn to his stomach half laying over the blond. He glared but was only rewarded with an amused smirk.

“Let go. I have work today and am already sore as it is.” He demanded without getting a response he wanted.

“Sucking is fine too.” The cop murmured huskily as he massaged Squall’s buttock and nibbled his jaws.

The youth made a frustrated noise and squirmed to avoid the nibbling and to be free. The cunning bastard made him press certain bothered regions of his body into the man’s thigh. He put his nails in the broad chest and pressed down with bloody intention. Seifer hissed in pain but only held him harder.

“Where did your mood run off to?” He muttered and stopped his playing though not letting go.

Squall defiantly snorted but said nothing.

“And what was that yesterday? It’s the second time I catch you in a funny mood.” The cop asked while arching an eyebrow.

“Like I need to explain myself.” The youth snorted.

“Has it with those drawings to do?”

Squall clenched his jaws and avoided a nibbling at his lips. He felt strangely excited to tell the man the whole think. He couldn’t explain the feeling. Why did he want to babble about it to this man like some giddy child?

“Come on kitten, I’m dying of curiosity here.” Almasy hugged him harder once to get his attention.

“Dying of curiosity? Why?” Squall arched his eyebrows.

“Because if there is a way to get you into that mood, I want to know about it.” The blond leered and Squall rolled his eyes.

“There’s nothing like that.”

“But it’s about those drawings you’re obsessing over, right?”

Squall eyed the man for a long while until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Once he started speaking about his meetings with his idol there was nothing stopping him. To his credit he succeeded keeping his excitement in control and didn’t make a fool of himself. The look on the blond, however, made his stomach churn.

He was released somewhere in his story and sat up in the bed with crossed legs. When he finished the cop only studied him and seemed to be thinking and contemplate things. It made Squall nervous for dome stupid reason. The cop’s opinion shouldn’t bother him or stop him.

“Isn’t it like three years since you quite school?” The cop then asked.

Squall frowned. Did the blond think he couldn’t do it or what?

“Think I can’t make it?” He asked without being able to mask his indignation.

“I didn’t say that. Just that it was years since you read anything and that test is in a few months.”

Squall got to his feet feeling angry.

“It’s not so hard.” He muttered and snatched up his clothes for the day.

“Oh? Then why haven’t you taken the test before?”

“Because…” Squall silenced and glared at the man.

He made a frustrated noise before locking himself in the bathroom. Leaning against the door he felt nauseous. Fear. This whole thing. What if he couldn’t do it? He’d taken that test before but hadn’t made it. What said it would be different this time? Why had Quistis given him this offer?

He showered and then went about his daily routine feeling worse and worse instead of better. He would fail and she would see what an idiot he was and would take back her offer. The blond seemed to notice his dark mood and didn’t try to initiate useless conversations.

*****

He inhaled deeply from the smoke and watched the boy speed off to his work. The youth hadn’t said a word after locking himself in the bathroom.

Seifer didn’t want to make him sad, it was counter productive to his intentions, but someone obviously had to knock his head to get back some sense in it.

The brunet had looked completely smitten as he had spoken about the whole thing. The cop had contemplated to ask the motive to this kind offer, but had held his tongue. Squall wasn’t stupid. Either he had already thought about it or would. Seifer had no wish to make the boy sad when this high humour obviously led to some glorious fucking.

But, he threw away the rests of the cigarette and opened his car, something was off here. Seifer shouldn’t interfere with whatever the boy wished to do, but the cop had seen too many greedy men and woman take advantage of younger people to let it happen to the kid so easily.

Sitting in the closed car, he ruffled his hair. Why by Hyne would he care if the brunet ended up a “slave” to this Trepe? So what if he forever would be in debt to her and would probably never get her off his back? It would probably not stop their fuck-buddy relation.

Green eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. Still it nagged at him. Who knew what kind of bitch this Trepe was? Damn it. Worst case scenario and this could make him lose one hell of a fuck partner. Maybe a visit was in order?

*****

The big office was in an oak theme. The walls were in oak panels and the door was heavy and carved from oak. The desk was a wide history and carved in elegant shapes, that too in oak. Part from the full bookshelves and archives, there was a few sculptures and a couple portraits.

Gifts from different members of the high society she called friends, little more than useful connections really. Quistis sorted the papers on pieces of art that had been sold before putting them in a binder. Her income buzzed and she pressed the button with an elegant manicured nail.

“Yes?”

“There is a man named Seifer Almasy here to see you, madam.” Her secretary announced and Quistis frowned.

She could not remember any meeting this day and certainly none with an Almasy.

“He is not scheduled for a meeting, should I send him away?” The secretary asked.

She kept her frown in indecision. She really did not like unscheduled meetings with people she didn’t know. But… She was to tell her secretary to send the man in when the woman made a shrilled cry.

“You can’t go in there!”

Quistis looked up as the doors burst open and a very handsome man stomped in as if owning the place. Her shocked secretary came after tipping rapidly at her high heels. The elegant business woman stood and eyed the man who stopped about in the middle of the room. She recognised him from somewhere.

“I am sorry madam.” Quistis waved away the flushed secretary.

“Rude entrances will catch my attention, but hardly my respect.” She coldly told the tall man.

He was mundanely dressed, but it only enchanted his looks and she guessed he knew it. She could clearly see his lineage in the set jaws, straight nose and large but still well placed eyes. Green eyed and blond, she had expected those colours though the intensity to the eyes was something she wasn’t quite prepared for.

“I’m not patience by nature.” He sneered and walked up to her desk.

He was tall. Taller than she had first assumed… and broad shouldered. She couldn’t help but feel her stomach make small flip flops. It was quite natural to be attracted to a handsome man, she told herself. That it was something unusually for her was beside the point.

“What earns me this rude privilege?” She asked and smiled without letting it reach her eyes.

She knew a predator when she saw one. She knew to not show throat to one too. The man sat down in one of the plush armchairs and put his ankle at his knee. Quistis sat down again, intently watching the man. She couldn’t help but be curious as to why an Almasy was visiting her.

“We have a common acquaintance.” The blond said directly.

Somehow she wasn’t surprised they didn’t indulge in sweet talk before business.

“You’ll have to be a little more precise than that I’m afraid. I know a lot of people.” She said sharply.

“He’s a young brunet.” The man smiled humourlessly.

Quistis knew instantly who he man was referring to. She had seen them together at the opening of her newest gallery, she thought. The blonde leaned back in her chair and put her elbows at the armrests and her fingertips together. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Squall Leonhart.” She said slowly and from the lack of response she concluded it was correct.

“What about him?” She asked as the large blond didn’t seem to push forward.

“What is your intention with him?” The man asked slowly and clearly and it sent shivers down her spine.

There was something positively dangerous in that tone. But she held her face clean of anything. Then she frowned.

“What do you mean?” She asked and he gave her a stare as if she was stupid.

“I’m talking about this laughable offer you gave him. What’s the catch?” He said silkily.

It made her shiver again and go cold. How could anyone have such piercing eyes? She knew she herself had a reputation of sharp eyes, but it was actually scary seeing the same treat in someone else.

“There’s no catch. I’m offering a very talented artist my help at getting somewhere.” She said coldly and corrected her glasses.

She flinched as he burst out in a dry laughter.

“Please, don’t mock me. You’d think I buy that? He’s so far from your reality it’s a joke.”

She stiffened her back and glared.

“If you mean his lack in previous education; that is no concern. We have made an agreement I am sure he can handle.”

“No, I don’t fucking mean that. I mean his social status. He’s a low class factory worker without family or connections. You’re from high society and probably have dozens of kids with loaded parents just dying to pay whatever to get into your school. You’re giving a street dog a home.” The blond growled and she blinked.

“Mr. Almasy, I am well aware of who he is. Do you not think I have had him checked? Are you afraid I take a criminal under my roof?” She bit out.

“No, stop acting stupid. I want to know what your intentions are. So far no catch has surfaced, but I bet there’s one.” He growled and leaned forward with elbows at his knees.

She couldn’t help but have her stomach clench.

“And what business is it of yours? What are you? His guardian?” She asked frostily, not ready to speak about private matters.

“I’m fucking him.”

The clear statement made her blink repeatedly. She was waiting for him to blow of the joke. He was joking, wasn’t he? She had a hard time judging it. The silence stretched. She had nothing against homosexual, but imagining the blond as one was… Well, it just didn’t fit in her scoop of cooping. Maybe she could see the brunet as one, but it was different.

“You are… lovers?” She asked trying not to seem as embarrassed as she was.

“No, fuck buddies, ever heard of it?” He smirked and for some reason it made her feel hot.

“Of course… So you are concerned that he has gotten himself into something way over his head? I assure you, he is not stupid.”

He rolled his eyes as if exasperated.

“I’m concerned at losing my fuck partner. He had apparently looked away from the fact of your social differences and that you did not state any conditions.”

“I did. He will have to work very hard for this. I am not giving him anything freely.” She persisted.

“Stop it, damn it! Give me the real reason before I lose my patience!” He suddenly roared and she jumped in her seat.

She twined her hands and eyed the miffed man. Quistis had an ulterior motive, but she was truly interested in the youth. He had talent and an eye and heart for the art she hadn’t seen in a long time. As she had told him, he drew things nobody did anymore.

“Well… If you insist.” She started and he nodded with a little look of victory in his face.

“Wasn’t you the one accompanying him to my newly opened gallery?” She had to ask.

She was fairly sure about it. Seifer Almasy wasn’t someone you forgot easily even if you just saw him at a distance. At the time she had noticed the brunet when she was searching for the companion of the blond. Hadn’t the man had someone with him, she might have initiated a conversation.

“Yeah. You sent that man to ask all those questions, didn’t you?”

It surprised her he had guessed that. She nodded and he gave a nod back as if acknowledging his theory. Quistis didn’t bother asking how he had guessed it had been her, just assumed he was as sharp as herself.

“His talk about the painting was very fascinating. He saw something only five before him did, those was the headmasters at two schools and other high artists. I noticed he returned to that painting quite often.”

“Yeah, he liked it for some reason.” The blond muttered and Quistis smiled.

“I recognised the artist streak in him and so did my colleagues, though most of them though him to be an amateur and that his outlay about my painting was childish and exaggerated. That he was only trying to impress.”

She couldn’t decide what the man thought about what she was saying, so she continued.

“We got in on education and promising artist and so on and I might have been a little angry at their assumption you had to have fine bloodlines and loaded parents or a successful childhood to be a good artist. I said that Squall, of course I didn’t know his name at the time, could be as good as any of the students and might even go farther than them.” Quistis said softly.

“And they laughed at the thought, right?” The blond snorted and she gave a thin smile.

“Why, yes. Said that a slum rat couldn’t possible know enough about art if he at all knew how to handle a brush.” Quistis felt the slight she had felt at the time.

Something told her the man already knew the outcome of that evening but she continued anyway.

“It ended with us making a bet. I saying I could make an artist out of him if he was already painting, and them saying against.” Almasy nodded.

“And there’s some money at stake to, isn’t it?”

Quistis coloured. She didn’t make a habit at betting money on people’s life like that, but this time she had been angry.

“…Yes.” She admitted and he nodded.

He ruffled a hand through the blond strands and at last let his gaze wander from her. It made her oddly relax.

“So this whole thing is just a way for you to flick those idiots on the nose?”

Quistis didn’t argue the point.

“And for what reason didn’t you tell him this?”

“Because I needed a stronger motivation from him than money or a silly bet.” She sniffed.

When she had gotten the records on the boy she had been slightly stunned. Of course, the papers only stated his personal facts such as colours, height, age, name and birth certificate. He didn’t have any known parents for that matter. But what had distressed her somewhat was the red stamp over education that state he had none and the appearance in the crime registry.

She had fear she had bet money on a lazy half criminal teenager that just had an overly strong interest for art. But meeting the brunet had eased her. He might be a little on the shy and tentative side, nothing that couldn’t be sharpened away.

“You realise that when he get’s back down to the earth, he’ll ask you for the reason?” The man murmured.

Quistis kept her expression neutral. Of course she knew that. She hoped that Squall wouldn’t lose interest or cringe back if she told about the bet. The youth had seemed so promising and it had been fairly easy to light his fire. She could just imagine the painstaking effort it would take to convince him back if doubt was seeded in him.

“I know that. I don’t need some jealous brute telling me that.” She snapped and it made the blond arch both eyebrows.

Then he chuckled and rose.

“Just so you know.” He said airily and went for the doors. Quistis shot to her feet angrily.

“Was that some kind of threat, Mr. Almasy?” She asked sharply and he shrugged.

“You choose.” The man said sharply before exiting somewhat more silently than he had entered.

She could just stare at the doors. The nerve! The arrogance! She sat down with a huff, feeling like a bird with ruffled feathers. What gave the man the right to come and… and question her intentions like that? They were obviously not so close either. The damn bastard was just jealous about what he saw as his property.

She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. If possible, she would make sure Squall got help to be rid of the bastard.


Author’s note:
Please, please review. I know I’ve been less than fast lately but please, I so need encouragements.