Spark

Part Two

...and Selphie continued to run, enjoying the cat and mouse game.



One of the lessons he was grateful that Rinoa taught him was to live in the moment. Selphie only further iterated it when they began this cat and mouse game.



The Lion found the experience exhilarating and constantly kept him on his toes. Weeks after that conversation, they found themselves in situations where they would normally talk, share meaningful insight, and one or the other throws a flirtatious barb the other's way. Squall had to admit, he was caught off guard and it showed in the pink tint of his face. Selphie's giggling caused Squall to smile and he couldn't help but chortle and smile back. These were the moments they were alone and not within earshot or visibly seen by others. Their private moments became more exclusive with the nature of their flirting.



Two months passed and Selphie allowed herself to be caught with the proposal of going on a date. The delighted and excitable features caused Squall to smile, bashfully so. He was still trying to navigate how to handle this side of Selphie. He appreciated the fact that there was no pressure, no pushing his boundaries without his permission, and most importantly, no prying eyes to offer unsolicited opinions or advice.



From that date out to Deling, they had many more to accommodate for their thirst for adventure and traveling. They even spent their time in lesser-known towns and cities, enjoying everything they found. Selphie would always take pictures of their findings for her blog, documenting them for the cadets and SeeDs alike to have a taste of hidden gems found around their world. However, Squall saw how big Selphie's grin was when they explored a new street, store, or even unknown beaches or archeological treasures that they discovered had a history. Every new experience, Squall couldn't help but commit to memory Selphie's face for everything. Even when she'd tug his hand to want to see a closer look at something, her eyes, the color of spring itself, jerked at his own heartstrings.



It was at that moment, Squall realized he loved Selphie and he wasn't sure if it caught up to him then or if it was a feeling that welled inside him for months, perhaps years.



Some time had passed when he emotionally got his bearings together before he asked her out to officially be exclusive with him. Squall didn't get a verbal answer but her throwing her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his abdomen, and kissing his entire face before kissing his lips served as all the answer he needed.



Months became a year, then a year became two, three, and eventually, they reached four years together. They had their difficult times, being SeeDs, traveling out to accommodate clients, and fulfilling their end as mercenaries. Occasional miscommunication and misunderstandings, but they talked through their issues as emotionally mature adults. Sometimes it took a little prodding depending on which one spent time trying to formulate what they wanted to say, but it always paid off in the end. The two of them made sure to continuously ignite that spark in their relationship, especially when they were on opposite ends of the world from each other.



Unfortunately for them, they missed their four-year anniversary date and Selphie found herself briefly bummed out before an idea came to her while on the video call with Squall.

"Hey! Do you want to spend it in Esthar? There's still so much of the country and continent we have yet to explore!" The exuberance in her voice caused the brunette, who was ignoring the paperwork on his desk to chuckle and give her a crooked grin. Being the President's long-lost son had benefits, especially regarding privacy. He told Laguna immediately upon accepting this news that he did not want to be followed like he was royalty; he was just a mercenary that happened to be the President's son.



"Considering I've been here for almost two weeks now," He shrugged while twirling the pen in his right hand. "What did you have in mind?"



"There's this hotel that just opened up six months ago in the northern part of Esthar and it has the best of both worlds: the enjoyment of the city and the rural aspect!" Naturally, the latter aspect would sell Squall. While he appreciated the culture and the beauty that Esthar offered, it was still a metropolitan city, so it was a different brand of loud which still proved to be headache-inducing. Not as boisterous as Deling, but still not quiet. During Selphie's talking, she sent the link to him in the chat and he clicked on it, the site readily accepted the New Standard language since it was presented that way, not the Esthari or Olde Centra used for most sites in Esthar. Browsing he was intrigued by how the hotel had rooms that had influence from all over the globe, from their own Estharian architecture from Olde Centran living quarters, rooms modeled after Balamb, Dollet and Deling existed as well, along with smaller living civilizations on the coastal tips. To say he was impressed by the attention to detail in the designs for each room was an understatement.



I can enjoy the Deling City room experience without having to be in Deling City? He selected the honeymoon suite out of curiosity, even though he had a reason for it. I don't have to be in this place, I already like it.



"When did you want to do this?" He inquired, already setting an idea for when he wanted to book the rooms.



"Is two days from now ok? Figured it would be a good start to my vacation." Selphie pondered, before stretching and letting out a well-earned yawn. She had returned from her ambassador duties from Trabia and was back in Balamb Garden. The time difference alone would put anyone asleep, so taking on the thirteen-hour time difference was not ideal, with and without the aid of the Ragnarok.



"Of course," With a few clicks, he confirmed the dates and found Selphie's yawn contagious, so he hid it behind the back of his hand. "Don't forget to enjoy some sun while you're still awake, I know how you get when you don't go outside at least once." Squall couldn't hide the smirk as he started to pack away some of the completed piles and left the unfinished ones for the following day.



Selphie grinned at her thoughtful boyfriend, she loved the sun even though she spent most of her life enjoying the winters the Trabian continent offered. She was dressed to even go out and enjoy the weather Balamb offered in early August. "I will~ oh! I have something for you to enjoy too!"



Right as Squall turned back to the video call with Selphie, he was amidst asking "What do you ha--- Selphie!" He hissed when she not-so-innocently allowed the strap of her emerald sundress to accidentally slide off one of her shoulders and she revealed she wasn't wearing a bra. For emphasis, she cupped the underside of her breast and winked at Squall. The man in question was flustered. It never fails, Squall has been seeing her for four years, more if you count the courtship period, and this still caught him off guard. He tells himself he'll learn his lesson one day, but that day felt so far off.



"Oh oops, I forgot to put a bra on~" No she didn't. They both know she didn't forget anything.
Squall facepalmed to mostly hide his blushing features but made sure his middle and ring finger were split enough to allow one steel-blue eye to observe the teasing act. This was the one time he was ever so grateful that his office in the Presidential Suite was private otherwise he would be scrambling to hide the imagery Selphie was painting, exclusively for him.



Shrugging the other strap off, she leaned down underneath the desk her laptop was on in her SeeD dorm and brought up an intentionally titillating bra to put on. By the craftsmanship, it was expensive lingerie from a boutique in Dollet. The embroidery and rhinestones were a testament to that. Seems like there were more gifts to uncover at a later date, Squall thought as his uncovered eye remained focus on the actions. He wasn't stupid in realizing that this little "show" of hers was stirring him to create the appropriate tension in his pants.



After she (un)necessarily tweaked her nipples, she decided it cover herself and clasped the bra in the back. Selphie knew it's been well over a month since they had seen each other for longer than a hello or quick lunch break. Which the latter didn't always require food. The two of them were suffering a brief drought. This was her way to show interest without being too crass with her words, but teasing with her desire. It evoked the reaction she wanted, a man that desired to see his significant other and partake in friendly activities. The thought alone stirred the pool of desire in his lower abdomen and he couldn't wait to finally see her.

--


Two good nights' worth of rest had passed. Yet, there was an event that occurred in the early Esthar morning he heard a door open and close. The distinct soft footsteps, the eager and clumsy way he heard shoes come off and clunk on the ground. The shifting and shuffling of clothes, hearing them drop to the floor with an airy whoosh sound. The dip on the opposing side of the mattress indicated that this body would be coming closer to him in his vulnerable state. He knew it was no threat as he felt the body curled up behind his back. Eyes still closed, he stretched before attempting to roll over on purpose near the body that wanted to cuddle him. His smile started to grow as he continued to try to roll on the other party, until they called him out, "Unf--! I know you're awake."



If the delicate small hands trying to reach his torso and the scent of Trabian's primroses weren't good enough hints, the soft voice with the Trabian accent did. Rolling in the opposite direction, he felt the hands retract as he was positioned on his stomach. Squall opened one eye to trace out her figure in the darkness. Esthar's city lights from the window were arranging luminous spots over her green eyes, her décolletage, and her exposed shoulder. At that moment, Esthar's lights never looked so good.



"Well, this is one way to wake me up," The Lion mused groggily in the dark, blinking as he pulled his significant other closer, she complied with limited resistance. "Thought you wanted to wait till I came and got you from the Air Station?" He asked softly, against a tuft of auburn hair.



"You sometimes work late 'n m'ght've forgot'n to go to bed at a reason-reasonabl-- decent time," The fatigue and slurred nature of her voice apparent. When Selphie was tired, certain words became difficult to pronounce, and the Squall had to admit that he found that rather endearing. She yawned into one of his pectorals while nudging him to roll onto his back which he conformed for the smaller figure. Her facial features coming into vision of the fluorescent night lights of the outside world. "'Nd... I miss sleepin' nex' to you, so I came here early." She admitted, caressing his face before leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.



Squall couldn't help but chuckle against her lips before asking, "Worn all my shirts already?" Even in her tired disposition, she visibly pouted through the dark. For a woman that pouted, her tone of voice was never overly whiny, something the couple both hated, "They don't smell like you anymore." As she laid her head down on his chest, pulling the blanket over both of them. Softly she mentioned that while washing them does remind her of the smell of what he uses in his laundry, it didn't change the fact that she missed the owner of said clothes.



Sleeping was unbearable for both parties apart, even though they can manage fine with sending each other messages before bed. Selphie would send pictures of herself in bed, saying how much she missed him. Squall after a while would do the same for her. It was the emotional aspect that they longed for one another. They knew when they chose the life of SeeD that it involved sporadic hours, questionable sleeping schedules, and urgent missions with high-paying clientele. However, knowing that they had the upcoming weeks to make up for lost time, it meant everything to them.



Both parties couldn't help in reaching for one another for several more kisses before settling down and succumbing to the calm of sleep.