Runaways

An: The song don’t belong to me, but beside that, FF8 characters belong to Squaresoft. Oh well, guess I don’t own… meh… me understand that me poor… don’t rub it in!!!

Runaways

We Could Be Gone

~

Steve walks warily down the street
With his brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet
Machine guns ready to go

~

Seifer Almasy strolled down Esthar’s blue streets, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, hiding the scar that caressed the skin between his golden brows. The street was strangely deserted as he wandered along. He continued, a long black trench coat replacing his old white one with the red crosses. This black one was plain and unadorned, so that he could blend into the background easier.

~

Are you ready hey are you ready for this?
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat yeah

~

Suddenly he was surrounded by several tens of Estharian guards with their weapons pointed at him. At the head of the troops stood Squall Leonhart, his gunblade Lion Heart naked in his hand, hanging by his side. Seifer reached a hand into his trench coat and drew out Hyperion as several Estharian guards lost their nerve and started shooting. None of the bullets hit Seifer as he swept Hyperion in a controlled arc around himself, deflecting the bullets.

~

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

~

Squall stepped forward, placing his back against Seifer’s, defending him against the Estharian guards.

“What are you doing Leonhart?”

“I’m as wanted as you are. Discovered conspiracy in Garden and they turned on me. Even Laguna’s turned on me.”

“Your father?”

“Yeah.” With that Squall leapt away, cutting a swath through the guards. Seifer followed, hard on his heels, defending his back as they busted their way through the pack and broke into a controlled run along the road. Seifer ran beside Squall and felt out of shape when he started to pant before Squall.

“Why’d you defend me?”

“Hell if I know, missed your ugly mug I guess.” Squall laughed as they continued to run for the outskirts of Esthar.

“If we can make it to the plains, I’ve got the Ragnarok waiting. We can fly it to say Timber, catch a train to Winhill and hide out until it dies down a bit.” Squall spoke levelly, hoping to follow that plan.

“I can hold them off, if you’ll swing over here in the Ragnarok and drop a ladder for me. It means it’d work.”

“Draw my GF’s then, just leave Shiva. I’ve got Eden, Doomtrain, Cactuar and Tonberry. That’ll give you a better chance till I get back.”

“Ok, drop your defences.” Seifer ripped the four GF’s from Squall’s mind and junctioned them as Squall paused, clasping a hand to Seifer’s shoulder.

“I won’t be long.”

“Better not be.” Seifer smirked at Squall. Squall broke into a sprint as Seifer slowed and turned, calling Doomtrain as the guards drew near.

~

How do you think I'm going to get along
Without you when you're gone
You took me for everything that I had
And kicked me out on my own

~

“SEIFER ALMASY! SURRENDER AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN A FAIR TRIAL. RESIST ARREST AND YOU WILL BE EXECUTED HERE AND NOW!” Seifer laughed and gestured to them.

“BRING IT!!!” The guards ran at him in groups of four. Each time, Seifer annihilated them with the GF’s and Hyperion. The sound of engines made Seifer smile, as he looked up from the massacre around him as more guards swarmed at him. The ladder dropped down towards him. The windblast from the Ragnarok sent everyone to their knees. Seifer took advantage of that and leapt for the ladder, climbing one handed as the other swung Hyperion at any of the guards that tried to follow him up the ladder. The ladder started to retract by itself, so Seifer stayed still, letting Squall pull him in. He rolled over the edge and into the landing bay as the hatch snapped shut behind him. The sound of bullets pinging off the Ragnarok sent Seifer towards a lift that looked like it went to the cockpit. He ascended and found Squall sitting in the pilots seat.

“Hop in the seat to your right and man the weapons will you?” Squall didn’t turn as he activated the low cannon. Seifer sank into the chair and looked over his controls. He fired the low cannon at the guards and watched as the road and surrounding buildings got blown to smithereens as well as the guards before Squall took off.

~

Are you happy are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat look out

~

They’d made it to Winhill and had been there for a year now. Seifer looked up as Squall came into the house they were in bloody and covered in monster guts.

“Have fun?”

“Yeah, Shiva loved the workout.” Seifer shook his head and turned back to the kitchen in which he was currently cooking. Seifer had turned the front room of the house they had bought into a restaurant and they made a comfortable living from that and Squall becoming, as Laguna had done, the towns Monster Hunter. He got paid for how many he killed. Squall slumped down into a chair by the kitchen table and tiredly wiped at the blood running from a cut on his forehead.

“Here, let me tend that.” Seifer kept all the curative spells they found as well as the items. Squall didn’t often need any, but occasionally they got a hit on him. Seifer would patch him up when he got back to their house. The whole town thought that they were a married couple, which was part of Squall’s cover. They also thought that Squall was female. He’d let his hair grow long, so that it fell partway down his back. Seifer put it up every morning in a high ponytail, letting him keep the bangs around his face their original length. Squall didn’t mind pretending to be the female. He did change their last names. Squall was now Squall Le Masy, as was Seifer, Seifer Le Masy. When asked why Squall had such a masculine name, it was blamed on the parents.

“Ok.” Squall smiled and leant back, so that the cut was under direct light. Seifer preferred to wash and bandage that cast spells. Squall didn’t mind, he didn’t like the use of spells anymore that Seifer did. It brought back too many memories. Seifer washed the wound and decided that it didn’t need bandaging. It was at that point that the bell, installed by the door, rang, implying that there would be customers waiting for Seifer to serve them.

Seifer had also changed in appearance. His hair was longer and hung in his face, several locks obscuring the scar that they both shared. Squall used make up on his to cover it up. Seifer found an elderly couple seating themselves at one of the window tables. He picked up two of his menus and headed over to greet the couple.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Lemonade would be wonderful.” The man spoke and Seifer smiled and nodded, leaving the couple to their menus.

~

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

~

Six years they spent in Winhill. They discovered that they loved one another. Seifer proposed to Squall and they got married, quietly in what was supposedly a renewal ceremony. Seifer was serving customers in his restaurant when Squall came running in, his long hair flying behind him. Seifer smiled, giving a quick glance to indicate that they weren’t alone and swung Squall around in his arms affectionately, planting a gentle kiss on Squall’s lips. He gently ushered Squall into the kitchen and sat him down at the table.

“What is it love?”

“Soldiers, coming over from Timber way. Have to hide the gunblades.”

“Hyperion is in her case under our bed. I’ll get the key for the basement if you’ll fetch her down with your case.”

“Ok.” Squall bolted up the stairs to their bedroom as Seifer dug the key out of hiding and unlocked their basement door. Squall went down with the two gunblade cases. Seifer followed with the GF holding crystals.

“Put the GF’s away as well. In case they have a magic expert.” Squall nodded and drew all the magic from Seifer before putting the GF’s into their crystals. He then dumped all his magic into another crystal and locked them into his gunblade case. They then hid the cases between the support beams and the floorboards of the floor above. They had prepared for this day. Squall straightened Seifer’s hair and Seifer fixed Squalls ponytail.

“Right?”

“Right. You wanna go and see if the customers need anything. I’ll check on the food that’s cooking. Change first though, into that summer dress I bought for you and some sandals.”

“Lose your combat boots for your dress shoes.” Squall spoke over his shoulder as he headed up the stairs back to their bedroom. He returned with his hair loose around his face, the summer dress was pale blue shot with silver thread that swirled around his knees fetchingly. His feet were encased in buckled sandals of a silver colour. Seifer smiled warmly and watched, fascinated as Squall made a show of drawing his hair up into a high ponytail that reached down to his hips. The customers, that had several young men, watched in awe. Squall had explained his flat chest with the cancer excuse. People had been very sympathetic and understanding. Seifer had changed his shoes and handed Squall three plates for one of the tables. It was then that the soldiers burst through the door. Seifer stepped in front of Squall protectively, frowning at the soldiers.

“This is a restaurant sirs, if you be so kind as to either take a table or leave, you are upsetting our customers and my wife.”

~

Hey
Oh take it - Bite the dust bite the dust
Hey Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust ow
Another one bites the dust he he
Another one bites the dust haaaa
Ooh shoot out

~

The soldiers stared at Seifer and then at Squall who was standing quietly behind Seifer, balancing the plates in his hands.

“We’ll take a table thank you.” Seifer nodded and escorted the six of them to the large table in the middle of the room and handed out menus as Squall placed his plates at the correct table.

“Your wife is rather flat-chested for a woman, isn’t she?”

“She had breast cancer about eight years ago, do you want to see the medical records?” The soldiers backed off in shock. Squall had joined Seifer, looping an arm around his waist. Seifer dropped a kiss on his forehead and gently guided him away.

“What are your names?” A soldier called after them.

“I’m Seifer Le Masy and this is my wife Squall.” Seifer bowed and watched the distrust develop on their overly expressive faces.

“Weird name for a woman.”

“My mother died during a squall having me and my father thought it would suit me. My eyes are blue and grey, like a squall, so I think it does as well.” Squall spoke softly his pale thin hand resting in Seifer’s large tanned one.

“And you sir, Seifer is a rather unusual and rare name…”

“I don’t know what my mother was thinking. I was left on an orphanage doorstep in a blanket with a piece of paper pinned to my blanket. It said simply Seifer Le Masy.” Seifer shrugged and drew Squall into his arms, holding the brunette tenderly, running a hand over his belly in a suggestive way.

“Ok, we’ll talk more later.”

“My wife may not be available. We’re hoping to have a child and she needs to rest just in case.” Seifer smiled down at Squall. He looked up at Seifer with a grin and turned to lavish a kiss on him. When the kiss broke, Squall left and headed for their bedroom, having gained a good reason to go and rest.

“Should we start planning a baby shower?” One of the locals spoke and Seifer shrugged.

“We’re hoping. Eight years is a long time to be trying though. I don’t want to hurt her feeling and suggest that maybe we can’t have children. I hope we will conceive sometime soon. We both want a child.” He smiled again and tendered the bill for one of the couples over the far side of the room.

~

There are plenty of ways that you can hurt a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him
You can cheat him
You can treat him bad and leave him
When he's down
But I'm ready yes I'm ready for you
I'm standing on my own two feet
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
Repeating to the sound of the beat

~

Later that night, Squall woke to find Seifer still not returned. As he swung his feet to the ground, a pained scream echoed through the house. Squall gasped and pulled on his dress, running downstairs barefoot, hair streaming behind him. He paused halfway down, by the mirror where he kept his makeup. He covered his scar carefully and then continued for the restaurant room. He peered carefully in the mirror that reflected what was happening in the room from the hall wall. Seifer was being pinned down and raped by the soldiers while the leader stood there, gun pointed at Seifer and laughing.

“We aren’t even looking for that pair anymore. Seifer and Squall are believed dead. We just use it as an excuse to pillage and rape villages that are small enough to be insignificant to the larger authorities.” Squall bit his lip hard seeing Seifer broken and bleeding on the floor. Squall found the key for the basement and got Lion heart out of its case. He ran back to the hall and looked in the mirror again. They seemed drunk and Squall sighed softly before charging into the room with a roar, laying about him with the gunblade, killing all six of the men. Seifer was lying so still, that Squall panicked and shoved the body on top of him off harshly, falling to Seifer’s side.

“Seifer?”

“I’m ok, go get the spells. I’ll need at least two curagas, ok?”

“I’ll be back soon honey.” Squall laid a soft kiss on the back of Seifer’s neck and hurried to put his gunblade away and junction Shiva to control the magic he needed. He returned to Seifer’s side and tenderly rolled his husband onto his back. After healing Seifer, he helped the tall blonde up the stairs to the bathroom. Squall ran a bath and helped Seifer into it.

“I’ll be back soon. I’ll get rid of the bodies and then come and join you.” Seifer nodded and relaxed in the hot water. He let the heat work out the pain remaining in his stiff muscles and smiled as he remembered the way Squall had charged to his defence. The dress had been flying around him as he swung about with his gunblade, slaying the men for having touched his husband. Seifer smiled as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs to join him. Squall stepped into the bathroom and saw Seifer smiling at him.

“You’re really ok?”

“Yes love, I’m fine. Come in, the water is wonderful.” Squall smiled and stripped off his clothes, climbing in to straddle Seifer’s hips.

~

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone and another one gone
Another one bites the dust yeah
Hey I'm gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust
Shoot out

~

Squall cried when he woke up to find he was at Garden. Seifer was nowhere to be found. But Squall knew it wasn’t a dream, because on his hand was a plain silver ring and his long hair fanned across the pillows. He leapt from the bed at the sound of guns and ran towards the sound, having scooped up Lion Heart from beside him. He found the firing squad and Seifer lying in a pool of his own blood. Squall fell to his side, tenderly lifting the dying blonde into his lap.

“Seifer…” Squall choked on his own tears as he looked down into the fading jade eyes.

“Squall, I love you. Always have, always will…” Seifer drew in a ragged breath, blood coming from his lips as he choked on the blood filling his lungs. The holes in his chest showed enough. His lungs punctured and his stomach filled with lead bullets, no healing magic could save him.

“Seifer, don’t die!”

“Squall love, we knew … from day one that … this would happen. That … one day we would … be found and that … you would be taken … back to garden and … that I would be killed … We lived our life together … and I don’t regret … a moment of it … I love you Squall … won’t ever … stop … loving …”

Seifer died in Squall’s arms. Squall keened over the body, holding his beloved so close as the blood pooled over him and slowly cooled. None of the people present tried to get near Squall. He just slowly laid down, Lion Heart still in one hand and cradled Seifer’s body to his own.

Squall died there. He died of a broken heart. The SeeD’s present told of it as if no one before had ever pined and died for a dead lover. They say that Squall lay there for days, didn’t move, didn’t eat, didn’t drink. Just lay there and whispered his love to Seifer’s body. Some said that there was a presence with Squall as he laid there, something that felt golden and jade and loved. Others said that Lion Heart glowed blue bright enough to light the entire garden until it slowly dimmed as Squall faded away to nothing. There were the few that said that Squall simply held his breath on the fifth day and died on the seventh. How ever it happened, it was through no external means that Squall died, but they say that he looked the wife in his blue and silver summer dress and silver sandals.

~

End