Disclaimer:  I don’t own the characters, Squaresoft does.

Warnings: AU.  Cute SxS till your teeth rot.  Some stunts that ordinary birdies would never try at home.

konekomh’s ramblings: 

Big thanks to the readers who have been following So close, yet so far away…  I can see loads of poultries being hurled at me right now.  (koneko ducks behind the couch and peeks)  So here comes a prequel!!  (Yeah, you heard that right.  It’s a prequel) But this can also be treated as a stand-alone fic if you haven’t read So Close…

Hope you like it!

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Prequel to So close, yet so far away…

I do…

by konekomh

Summer breezes danced across the flower field, stirring up a sky-full of colourful petals which then floated down like feathers.  Birds took off to the air when joyful laughter boomed across the field.  Children raced across the vegetation as they poured out from the small white house sitting by the edge of the huge garden.

Far away from the joyful gathering little Squall sat huddled underneath an ancient tree.  Face buried into his knees the small brunette took a hitched breath as he sobbed.  Pearl like tears ran down his porcelain cheeks as the boy whimpered miserably, “Sis… why did you leave me?  I’m all alone…”

One of the children ran to squat by the brunette and poked him lightly on the shoulder.  “Squall, you alright?” 

“…” The boy hugged himself tighter and sniffed.

“Squall?”  Tentatively placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, the blonde child studied his depressed friend closer.

“Leave me alone!”  Frustrated that it was not Sis that came to him, Squall lashed out and granted Seifer with the sight of his teary face.

Seifer flinched but managed to hold himself together.  Startled by the state of his usually quiet friend, the larger child asked, “Why are you crying?  Are you hurt?”

“…” The brunette buried his face between his knees again.  When Seifer tried to pull him into an embrace, Squall shrugged him off as if his hands burnt.

“Fine…” Taking the hint that he was not welcome, Seifer stood to brush his ass and departed to join the others quietly.  With his back turned towards the brunette, he didn’t even notice the tiny hand that tried to grab the corner of his pants hesitantly.

Squall looked up and stared ahead distantly as he noted the people playing merrily hundred feet away from him.  A sudden pang hit the bottom of his heart when he noted miserably that he was an outcast, an outsider to their carefree lives.

It then started to rain.

Squall looked up towards the greyish sky and sniffled as he let the cool droplets fall upon his tear-streaked face.  Sis… where are you?  Please come back. He closed his eyes when the rain started to get heavier.  I’m all by myself…

Bluish-grey snapped open when heavy footsteps stomped across the field and stopped mere inches in front of him.  Seifer had come back with a determined look on his face despite other children had dashed back to their home for cover.  Golden bangs fell over his forehead as the rain soaked him through.  Without a word, he dragged the surprised brunette to his feet and began to lead him back to the orphanage.  Not even once did he let go of the smaller hand which was trying to slip away once in a while.

“Wark!”

Squall stopped in mid-steps, tugging Seifer back.  Without answering the blonde’s inquisitive look the smaller boy turned tail and dashed a few metres back.

There, sitting in the middle of a wreath of white flowers, was a golden chicobo chirping happily at the small boy. 

“Where’s your mommy, birdy?”  He squatted and observed the bird, which immediately left its cushion and dashed towards the boy as if welcoming its mother.

Squall picked the golden feather-ball up in his arms and shielded it from the rain, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as the chick tired to get the water off its feathers.

“Squall!”  Seifer caught up with the squatting boy and leaned down to see what he’s up to.

“Seifer!  Look what I’ve found!  It’s a chicobo!”  For once since Sis’ departure Squall beamed one of his sweat, charming smiles.  Seifer felt his heart warmed considerably despite the chilling rain.

“Yeah.  Let’s bring him back.”

Chocolate brown mop nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

After entertaining Matron who insisted they had to take a hot shower, the boys descended to the living room hand-in-hand.  They stopped in mid-steps when they were greeted with the sight of the golden chicobo dancing to the cheers from the kids surrounding it.

“Wark!”

Upon seeing Squall’s entrance, the bird completely forgot about its performance and dashed towards the brown haired boy, who squatted to welcome his new found friend.

“How are you?  Chico?”  The brunette smiled as he held the bird close to his chest, already naming the poultry as if it were his pet.  Moving closer to the small boy Seifer produced a bunch of greens which he had sneaked from the kitchen earlier and fed the hungry feather-ball.

“Wark!”  Chico couldn’t sound any happier as he acknowledged the name and dived for his treats.

After filling his stomach, the bird immediately started to dance in front of the children to show his gratitude, making Squall beam like the sun at dawn.  Seifer also smiled and wrapped his arms around the brunette when he saw his friend loosen up.

And so the new addition to the orphanage became the favourite entertainment for the kids during the thunderstorm. 

Chico was indeed a very clever chicobo.  He danced, sang and even jumped into their arms whenever he saw Squall or Seifer.  The two always treated him to good food and spoilt him rotten.

However, to the disappointment to the others, they couldn’t find Chico anywhere as he would hide in some of the most secluded corners whenever one of them passed by.  The little bird was a bit wary of the other kids as they were way too hyper.  Even someone less hyper like Quisty would give him the chills as she observed him like he was some monster with a glint from her spectacles. 

“Squall?  Why’s it only you taking care of the dishes?  Shouldn’t Seifer be here as well?”

The boy looked up from his work and met with Matron’s amber eyes.  “He’s teaching Chico some tricks and protecting him from the others.  I promised to dry the dishes if he takes care of Chico while I’m away.”

Matron ruffled the messy brown hair as she knelt in front of Squall, “you two have done a really great job in training Chico.  I’m really surprised he knows he has to use the birdy’s toilet within such a short time.  How did you do that?”

Frowning a little from trying to remember what exactly they’d done to toilet train the bird, Squall ended up saying, “I just told him he had to use the toilet if he wanted to be a good birdy.”

Edea was taken aback.  “You mean you just told Chico what to do and he would follow whatever you say?”  Squall nodded shyly as if fearing he had got the wrong answer. 

“Oh that’s very impressive.”  Perhaps Squall has some special powers with small animals…  His surrogate mother knelt in front of the brunette as she patted his head affectionately, opening her hand she showed a little box of chocolate in her palm.  “Here, take it upstairs and share with Seifer.  You guys deserve it.”

“Thanks Matron.”  Edea smiled when the boy whooped in joy and bounced upstairs enthusiastically, “Seifer!  Look!  Matron has given us some chocolates!  Let’s eat them together!”

The storm had finally stopped.  Gentle breezes were blowing over the flower field glistening with the reminder of the downpour the previous days.  In the midst of the vegetation, a mother chocobo was running all over the field warking very loudly.  The big bird suddenly froze when she heard a weak reply somewhere near the place where the humans were living.

It was early in the morning and the sun was shining brightly into the room where Seifer and Squall shared the bed with Chico in the middle.  Squall sighed contently as he snuggled up his bedmates.  It had been a while since he’d last had a good sleep.

“Wark!”

Bluish-grey snapped open at the sudden outcry from the bird in his arms.  Both boys immediately sat up and stared at their pet as it made for the window flapping its wings wildly while chirping at the top of its lungs at something outside.

It was a chocobo mother looking for her lost baby with a bunch of chicobos trailing closely after.  And Chico was answering her call with vigour.

“His mother has come back for him…” Seifer whispered to himself as he witnessed the scene in front of them.  Squall remained silent as he chewed his lower lip.

“Hey what are you doing?”  Seifer exclaimed frantically as he saw the brunette suddenly opened the window wide.

“Wark!”

Chico danced in gratitude.  He then jumped out of the window to join his desperate mother, leaving a gift behind.  It was a phoenix pinion.

“He’s all alone…” was all he said before the brunette turned abruptly for the door.

Everyone was saddened by the news that Chico’s mother had come to retrieve him.  It looked as if life was mocking them for being orphans.  But then it wasn’t by their choice, right?

Squall held his stance as the others left for their playground without acknowledging him.  No one dared voicing it out with Matron praising the boy for letting the bird go but it was obvious that they were a bit unhappy with him.

Sitting at the doorsteps to the orphanage, Squall watched the others played as silent tears kept trailing down his chubby cheeks.  First Sis had deserted him… then Chico decided he had to join his family and now his friends…

“Hey!  Squally.  Come and join us!”  Seifer hollered when he noticed the lone figure.  “I need a princess here and those two are not good enough for me!”

Failing to get any response, Seifer excused himself and approached the boy.  His steps slowed when he noticed silvery trails glistening on the boy’s cheek.

“Squall, please tell me why you are crying.”  The larger blonde squatted by the sobbing brunette and wrapped him in a tight embrace.  “Are you hurt?”  Squall struggled a little but he soon subdued in the warmth offered.

“Leave me alone…” The smaller boy protested weakly.

“No.”  Squall pouted at the downright refusal.  Seifer smiled and ruffled his hair, “Guess what.  I think I’ve smelt something by that tree.  Wanna dig together?”

“Look Squally!  See what I’ve found!!”

“It’s Selphie’s moggle!  And that’s Zell’s chicobo!!  They lost them a long time ago!  How did you do that?”  Squall smiled at his friend admiringly as he gathered the lost treasures hidden in the buried box.  Selphie and Zell would be thrilled to see this!

Squall stopped in his administration when his small fingers came upon a piece of metal.  It was a ring bearing the carvings of a winged lion.  Comforting warmth encircled the boy upon the touch. 

“Hey!  Take a look at this!”  Seifer picked up the ring and examined it under the sun.  “It’s beautiful!  Squall, give me you hand!”

Squall cocked his head to the side and extended his hand to the smirking blonde, he blinked when the bigger boy slipped the oversized ring into his finger.  The jewellery immediately shrank to fit the boy perfectly.

“Wow…” The boys stared in awe at the magic.

“Can I kiss the bride?”  Squall blinked and pointed a finger at himself with a question mark dangling over the top of his head.  Seifer nodded enthusiastically like a dog after a bone with its tail wagging furiously at its back. 

Squall beamed.

“What are we doing?”  Squall adjusted the colourful wreath on his head courtesy to Selphie as he asked Zell bouncing beside him.  The flowers kept on falling off to the side as they waited for the cue so that the blonde could give Squall away at the “wedding ceremony”.

“It was on the TV.  The Knight killed the monsters and then he married a beautiful princess and then they lived happily ever after and then…”

Zell kept on babbling to Squall after the boys had presented the lost treasures to the gang.  The little boy was ecstatic upon the sight of his lost plushie and he showered kisses all over the brunette’s face despite Seifer’s heated protests.

“You see, Seifer is the Knight and he had defeated the monster earlier…  Irvy is too clumsy to play a decent monster.”  Zell blew the longish bangs from his face as he continued, “I should have played the monster so that I can beat Seifer real bad…”

“Boys, let go!”  Selphie whispered loudly when Irvine waved them over.  The monster-turned-best man was cuing exaggeratingly when he failed to get the bride to move towards the altar under the ancient tree.

“Whoa!  Let’s go, Princess Squall.”

Squall smiled lightly and slipped his arm around Zell’s.  Selphie began hurling flowers in the air when they started the bridal march with the suddenly solemn blonde in lead.  Closing in towards the waiting groom, Seifer turned and grinned so broadly that his handsome face could have split in half.

“You are beautiful!”  Seifer exclaimed as Zell handed him his bride.

Squall blushed at the remark and turned frigidly towards Quistis, who cleared her throat loudly to catch their attention so that she could begin to play her role.

“Seifer Almasy, Knight of Fire Cross.  Are you willing to take Squall Leonhart, Princess of Shiva-land, as your bride?”

“Of course!”

“In sickness and in health…”

“Yes.”

“Through heaven and hell…”

“Sure.”

“Despite he is a boy…”

“Hey!  I’ve chosen him after all!!”

“Forever and ever…”

“You bet.”

“Till death…”

“Skip that.”

Quistis eyed him quizzically as the blonde elaborated with a casual shrug, “Even death can’t do us apart, that’s all.  And yes.  I do wish to take him my mate.”

“Very well.  Then… Squall Leonhart…”

“I do.”

“Squall!  You have to let Quisty finish her speech first!!”  Selphie whined as she sniffed dramatically.

Everyone took a step back and Seifer actually face-faulted at the sight of the impending tsunami of tears.  

Squall sighed and declared in his soft voice, “I, Squall Leonhart, am willing to take Seifer Almasy as my mate, in sickness and in health, through heaven and hell, despite him being a bastard, forever and ever.”  The boy then turned towards the bridesmaid, “Happy?”

“Very.”  Selphie jumped up and down to emphasise her point.

“Hey!  I’m not a bastard!!”  Seifer pouted when Squall giggled teasingly.

“Excuse me, you can now exchange the rings.”

“Already done.”

“Huh?”  Quistis blinked awkwardly.  No way they could perform the exchange that quickly, right?

“Oh, I’ve given Squall his ring and he’s given me my choker this morning.”  Seifer replied nonchalantly.

“But you’re supposed to…”

“Couldn’t take the ring off after I’ve slipped it in.  So that’ll have to do.”  Seifer smiled sheepishly as the priestess gawked at them.

“Oh…” Quistis shifted her spectacles as she pondered over the situation.  Just when Zell began to yawn she suddenly cleared her throat and announced, “you may kiss the bride.”

Brushing the makeshift veil of chocolate brown bangs from the beautiful angel, Seifer kissed his bride on the lips with a loud smooch.

“Ew… Seifer Cooties…” Zell shivered as he mumbled to himself.  The blonde kept it to himself as he saw Squall smiling sweetly when Seifer finished his “horrible deed”.  “At least Squall’s happy…”

“Let me take my bride home!!”  Seifer declared as he tried to lift Squall up in his arms but he ended up doing a piggyback for his bride.  Squall squealed in delight as he threw the bouquet high in the air while clinging tight to the mad dashing Seifer.

The night was quiet as the moon shone in the crystal clear sky.  Only the soft snoring of slumbering children broke through the veil of silence.  After a day of activities the manifestation of power of the sun had to subdue under the serenade of the moon…

Seifer groaned irritably and stirred when he felt movement on his bed.  He was about to issue a series of taunts as he turned.  But then he held his tongue as he came face-to-face with the tear-streaked face of an angel.  “Squall…”

“Seifer… sob I’m scared… sob don’t leave me alone…”

Without further words Seifer immediately dragged the distraught boy to his bed and covered them both with the comforter.  He then tugged Squall under his chin as he put his arm over the waist of the small brunette. 

“I’m not leaving you, Squally.  You’re my bride, remember?

“Hn.”  Squall clutched the larger boy’s shirt tight in his little fist and buried his face in the blonde’s chest.  The sobs were gradually subdued as the brunette burrowed further into the warm embrace.  “Promise you won’t leave me…”

“On Knight’s honour.  And I’ll protect you, forever.  Trust me.”

Gazing into sincere emerald green flooded with love, Squall whispered, “I do…”

And then there were no more tears…

Owari

konekomh’s rambling: 

So the boys were actually wedded before they even noticed it… (Wicked snicker from kitty)

Anyone knows how long a chocobo can live?  (Just asking for future reference).  Btw, I’ve reread So Close and did a little weeding.  Perhaps for those who haven’t read it before would like to have a go with it?

Thanks for reading.  Reviews?  Onegai?

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