Disclaimers: I wish I owned the characters and songs I will use but alas I don’t so I’m poor.

Warnings: maybe AUish, fluff, ANGST, shounen-ai, yaoi, so if you don’t like that stuff, leave now! Squall+Seifer, SelphiexIrvine, dancing/grinding, and LOUD MUSIC!!!

 

<blah> - lyrics

~~~ - slight change of POV or characters (if any)

****** - flashback (if any)

~*~*~ - scene/time/day change (if any)

Sorry guys, no songs in this one. I planned one, but it didn’t seem to go right ^_^

Fifth Avenue

Epilogue - Hand in Hand

By Elise Maxwell

Squall bit his lip as he stared into the mirror. He fingered the scar upon his forehead. I can’t believe I’m going through with this! I’m starting to hyperventilate. He tried to calm himself and closed his eyes to regain his composure.

“Calm down.”

The brunette turned to see Quistis at his door wearing a soft pink summer dress.

“I’m just so nervous,” he said smiling uneasily.

Quistis gave him a sweet smile. “I don’t know why.” She picked up his jacket and held it out to help him put it on.

He sighed and complied, shrugging the coat on. She smoothed it out and turned him around to face her.

“You sure you want to do this? I mean with how nervous you are.” Quistis quirked an elegant eyebrow.

“Yeah. We’ve waited so long. It’s time we got it over with.” Squall gazed out the window of his old room at the orphanage. The sun blazed its glory on a cloudless calm day. It was perfect. He walked to the door and stopped just inside. “You coming?”

“I’m with you all the way.” Quistis hugged him from behind and pushed him out the door.

Laguna was waiting at the entrance of the house wearing a suit. “Ready son?” Squall nodded curtly. His father crossed the room to a table that held the case of Lionheart. He opened it and retrieved the blade, carrying it to its owner.

Squall took the blade and it naturally slipped into his grip. It wasn’t too heavy or light, it was just the right weight. The surface was unblemished, unmarred and beyond compare.

“Thanks for getting it buffed dad.” Squall let his arm fall to his side, still holding the blade. “Well,” he started, “here we go.”

Squall led the two out of the house and out into the grassy fields. His friends were waiting there. Rinoa was also wearing a sundress; light blue, a color she always looked good in. Selphie wore a short yellow skirt and shirt, and Irvine wore dressy cowboy garb. Zell actually looked nice in khakis and a t-shirt. That was a first. Raijin and Fuujin sat on the grass. She was also wearing khakis and a red t-shirt that matched her eyes. Raijin wore some nice slacks with a button up shirt. Squall commended the display of courtesy with a smile.

“Now I feel underdressed!” Squall smirked taking in the view and breathing in some fresh air.

“So do I.” Seifer said, farther away than the rest. He was wearing his old, baggy black pants with his original vest. It was blue with white edging, intersecting in the center like a cross. He even wore his old dog collar chain. The only thing missing was his gray coat, hanging on Hyperion, which he had shoved into the ground by his side.

Seifer strolled over to his rival and scrutinized the outfit. Patented leather pants, gray shirt, and short leather jacket with fur collar. He ran his finger down the Griever chain Squall also wore. “Down to the tiniest detail,” Seifer said as he let his hand slide down to a leather gloved hand.

“At least it’s not raining this time.” Squall squeezed the hand holding his own.

Seifer let go of the gloved hand and held the brunette’s head. He leaned forward and kissed the scar inhabiting the forehead of Squall. He then let the brunette go and crossed the field Selphie had marked off with small red flags. Pulling Hyperion out of the ground and throwing on his jacket, Seifer turned and nodded his readiness.

Matron led her orphans to the field from the beach just in time. The two combatants nodded to her. She and the children waved as they came closer.

Laguna walked to the center of the field. “Now, I want a nice clean fight boys.”

The two men rolled their eyes as Selphie groaned, “Oh, get on with it!”

Everyone started yelling and he grinned. “You two ready?” The rivals nodded, falling into fighting mode. They saluted each other by holding the blades vertical in front of their faces then swiping downward creating a ‘swoosh’ cutting the air.

Laguna held a fist in the air but the men’s eyes were not on it but upon one another’s eyes. The fist went down, “Go!” Laguna sprinted off the field and the two rivals leapt forward. They charged one another, just like before. It was like a reenactment of the fight so long ago.

You could feel the electricity in their moves. It was fluid, like a choreographed dance. Each parried and thrust in perfect time. Their maneuvers kept their audience in rapt attention, not to mention yelling for the man they thought best to win.

Squall disarmed Seifer but the blonde surprised him with a punch and ran to retrieve his weapon. Squall was on his heels and swung only to meet with the dark steel, protecting the blonde.

“Cheap shot!” Selphie yelled.

Quistis giggled and Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

“You know neither will win,” Rinoa said.

“I know,” Quistis answered. “We just have to wait until they realize, that neither is better. They are the same in life, love, and battle.”

Sparks flew between the opponents’ steel. Concentration was the game

“Not totally.” Rinoa looked down at the grass. “Seifer doesn’t fight as by the book as Squall. But the air of battle brings them alive. So no matter what, their feelings are very similar. It will end in a draw, every time.”

Metal rang out in the field, keeping the spectators’ attention. Then it suddenly stopped and some gasped.

“Oh my,” Quistis remarked. “You were right.”

Rinoa glanced up to a truce. The two men had disarmed one another at the same time and seemed to be at a stalemate. They stood stiff at the center of the field.

“Fight, fight, fight!” Zell chanted to himself as he taped the battle with Selphie’s camcorder. Quistis smacked his shoulder and shot him a dark look, which shut him up.

The rivals stared at one another, trying to understand what the other was thinking. Finally, their stances relaxed and they bowed to one another.

Everyone began to cheer and ran into the field, congratulating each of the men. As the group began to disperse, talking amongst themselves, the two men looked at one another.

They rushed forward and kissed, catching the other in an impenetrable embrace. Everything else disappeared as they lost themselves in their love. They smiled and rubbed foreheads when their lips parted.

“Aw!” Selphie sniffled. “They’re so cute, like two kittens.”

Quistis rolled her eyes and Zell taped the heartwarming interaction.

“They better thank me for recording their moments together,” he muttered.

“It’ll be a nice anniversary present,” Fuujin put in.

“That’s a good idea. But who would give it to who?” Zell asked.

“We would give it to the both of them.” Quistis grinned.

Fuujin poked Zell. “You know, to show we care too.”

Zell shrugged off the poke. “And we do.”

“A lot.” Rinoa joined them. Then she whispered, “I bet they’re sweaty.”

“Sweaty is soooo sexy.” Zell looked through the camera and pretended to drool liked Selphie.

The group laughed as the two men eventually joined them, hands linked.

“Come on guys,” Seifer looked down at Squall. His Squall. “Lets go home.”

Squall squeezed the blonde’s hand. Lets go home, love.

“You’re leaving Rinoa?” Seifer asked.

“Selphie is moving in with Irvine so Zell is moving into her room, and I’m finally going back. Father agrees that Zell is enough protection.”

“And you have Raijin and Fuujin about a block away,” Seifer answered.

“Yup!” She picked up two of her suitcases and hauled them out to her car. Seifer grabbed the last and followed her.

“I’ll miss having you around,” he said as she closed the trunk.

“Not as much as you’ll like having me gone.” She grinned. “I think you two deserve some time to yourselves. You haven’t gotten much in to two weeks you’ve been ‘officially dating.’” She brought up her hands to elaborate the words.

Seifer laughed as Squall came up behind him and hugged him.

“Allo me lover.” Seifer smirked.

“Not yet.” Squall let go of him and hugged Rinoa.

“See? He’s planning things!” the blonde spouted.

“Take care guys,” Rinoa laughed and got into her car. She started it and drove off waving.

The men put their arms around one another and waved.

“So a fresh start.” Seifer kissed the brunette hair beside him.

“Yeah.” Squall tightened his embrace and gave the blonde a peck on the cheek.

“Let’s have some dinner first, I’m starving!” Seifer offered.

“Okay,” Squall agreed. He followed his boyfriend up to the door and stopped at the top of the stairs. He looked back out at his past, then turned to Seifer standing in the doorway, waiting. Hand in hand they turned their backs on the past, and knowing well not to forget it, walked in to create a new future, together.

 

THE END

 

 

How was it guys? You likie? I feel like doing a followup so if anyone has any ideas email me: elise_maxwell @ yahoo.com

I didn’t own any of the songs I used or the characters of FF8. If you have a problem with how I portrayed them, tuff, I’m not changing it. You write what you want and I write what I want.

 

For those of you who started on the followup:

 

Youwishyouknew: god I do wish I knew who the hell you were! Thank you so much for sticking through the fic to the end and to my followup. It means a lot!

DarkSquall: I’ve read some of your stuff and I love it. Thank you so much for reading mine!

Daze: hehe, keep checking back! Tis Very very kawaii!

Tristen: so glad you read both and liked them so far. Hope you will like the new ones I upload soon!

Ponder: I’m glad you liked!

Redrum: like I said before, I’m planning more sxs ficcies so keep checking in!

Angel: hehe, I’m glad you like it so much to read it over and over. I do that too!

Hybrid: no its not over, as you can tell ^_~ and im glad you liked the Eskimo kissing!

Sidhe_ranma: hey! Thankies so much for reading! I’m loving everyone’s reviews!

Persephone: im continuing as fast as I can! Trust me, its getting hard to write…

SquallLeonhart: glad that you liked it and hope you will like the rest as I finish. Its going slow but I’ll get there!

 

Thanks to everyone who read and especially those who lasted through the whole thing and read the followup! I’m so grateful!

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