Kalli's Journal

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War Games

"Where are you going?" Aerith asked, leaning out the front window of her house as Squall passed by. "Come in! I've almost finished my dress for the Spring Festival and Cloud is being an absolutely perfect dressmaker's dummy, save for when I stuck him with a pin..."

Squall could hear Cloud's retort from somewhere in the low, stone house but he knew that his friend wouldn't dare get within distance of the window. It was enough that Cloud owed Aerith enough favors to even be stuck acting as a doll, but for someone to see him? Squall chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm going up to the castle," he said. "Did you know that Ienzo has studied tactical warfare as well as science? We've devised a little game using some miniatures that Lord Ansem had... I can't manage to win though, yet."

"Cloud's in a dress!" Aerith called, quite loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear.

"I'm sure it won't be the last time," Squall replied, giving a small wave before continuing on his way.

He had other things on his mind, after all, like the little army he'd been assembling on a table deep within the castle, in a room that he didn't doubt was known only to himself and Ienzo, and the castle's master.

He'd fought many fake wars on the weekends, Ienzo scolding him for each bad move and promptly decimating him. And at times the young tactician-turned-scientist would get caught up in the games, pleading for Squall to stay later and later until they were both falling asleep, hands clutching model soldiers and weapons absently.

Squall smiled as he ran the few steps to where he knew Ienzo would be, knocking at the door once before pushing it open. He had a few new models he'd made jammed into his jacket pockets, crude compared to the pewter figures that Ansem had provided, but recognizable and hopefully enough to turn the day's battle in his favor.

"Elaeus has taken to teasing me about my dolls," Ienzo said softly, his mouth curling to a mirthful smile as Squall shrugged off his jacket. "And what have you brought?"

"How did you...?" Squall began, digging for his new units.

"I can smell the fresh paint," Ienzo admitted. "Everything has a unique scent - paint, pewter, even you and I."

"I took a shower," Squall said quickly, holding out his hands to show Ienzo what he'd brought.

"Not like that," Ienzo replied, chuckling as he took a piece from Squall and looked at it. "Shouldn't you have been doing homework instead of spending hours on these?"

"No," Squall said, slipping over to the table to see if Ienzo had laid out the day's campaign.

So far, there was nothing, save for an added mountain created from a few scraps of wood and a grey book spread overtop.

"I thought we could create a scenario together," Ienzo explained, seeing Squall's curious face. "Perhaps if I put my troops on the mountain and..."

"I take it from you?" Squall asked. "You'd have a high-ground advantage."

"But you've brought some long-range warfare," Ienzo countered, pointing at Squall's new creations. "I believe with a little luck that you could have me today."

Squall shivered, watching as Ienzo leaned against the far side of the table, silver-blue hair blocking his eyes for a moment as he grabbed at the pewter figures he called his army. He knew the young scientist thought little of physical affairs - he often chided on the romance and drama of his colleagues.

Still, Squall couldn't help but watch with a quiet curiosity as Ienzo laid out his army, trying a pattern that Squall knew he'd seen in a book. A few toy soldiers tried to slip away and clatter down the makeshift mountain and Squall reached to grab them, his hand colliding with Ienzo's and blocking his instructor from catching anything either.

"Aerith could probably help me make a paper maché mountain," Squall suggested, watching as Ienzo blushed a moment before trying again to set his figures upright. "With flat spots..."

"And here I thought I took these games too seriously," Ienzo said, finally looking up and smiling. "I enjoy the challenge both of defeating you and giving you something to think about. I wouldn't still be so interested if you didn't learn from your losses."

Unsure of how to take that seemingly backhanded compliment, Squall just nodded.

"Now, where would you put your army?" Ienzo asked, sliding silently around the table. His white lab coat was open, revealing dark clothing beneath.

"I would have them come at night," Squall said. "In darkness."

Ienzo laughed. "But won't my scouts see their torches?"

"And what would your scouts do about it?" Squall questioned. "Your army won't attack mine at night."

"Hmm..." Ienzo was fast as he closed heavy curtains over the room's only window, casting the table into near darkness. Squall squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He couldn't even see the makeshift mountain.

"Okay, but I get torches."

"Torches..." Ienzo agreed, sparking a small spell that set a tiny little ball of light onto the center of the table. "There, to scale that is the sum of your torches."

"But I can't just roll in during the middle of the day, either," Squall commented, thankful that he even knew where Ienzo had settled, to his side but not making his presence known.

"Position them," Ienzo said, taking Squall's hand in his own. "See how your men handle darkness."

"Yeah..." Squall knew he was shaking a bit as Ienzo guided his hand across the table, dropping a mounted unit near the speck of light. Until he deposited the figure, he hadn't realized that Ienzo seemed nervous as well, his youth almost too apparent as Squall glanced over.

"I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?" Ienzo asked, "I wouldn't want to ruin this..."

"No!" Squall exclaimed, quickly slipping his hand to rest on top of Ienzo's. "Not at all!"

Ienzo chuckled again, taking another of Squall's army and holding it out. "You're making a bold move - do you assume my men are all in their tents, attending to any physical needs they might have?"

"I want your mountain," Squall replied, setting another figure in place. "And be your army dumb enough to sleep or whatever when they're expecting... Are they expecting me?"

Ienzo was quiet a moment. "They are simply waiting for the right move to be made."

"And this is that move?" He knew he hadn’t let go of Ienzo's hand yet, forcing his instructor to use his other to toy with the tiny canon that he'd created. Somehow, he also knew that they weren't entirely talking about the fictional battle that they were laying out.

"Yes."

The first kiss was awkward, building from sloppy to desperate in a slow burn as Squall tried to guide Ienzo and slip his tongue past the soft warmth of Ienzo's lips. He knew that he'd have to admit eventually where he'd learned to play such games - years of testing things out with Cloud to make sure they either were or weren't as gross as they sounded from schoolyard rumors.

And as second kiss moved to third kiss and the pewter figures had all tumbled down from the mountain again from the force of Ienzo's body crashing against the table, Squall could feel the hard press of Ienzo's arousal against his thigh.

"You..." Squall began, wondering why he had been thrust into the role of experienced instructor all of a sudden. For so many months he'd followed Ienzo's lead, basking in the knowledge of a prodigy barely older than he was.

"Up until now... war and science, knowledge... But..." Ienzo's rambling explanation was cut short as Squall kissed him again, running a hand down Ienzo's side to settle just beside that obvious arousal, waiting to see if Ienzo wanted to be touched or if he should stop playing this game and go back to the one previously begun.

Ienzo broke the kiss quickly, grabbing at Leon's hands and pulling him over to one of the room's few pieces of furniture, a low, soft sofa that they'd admittedly spend the night together sleeping on before, each one taking half and balling up awkwardly, somehow afraid that the moment they were currently experiencing would happen when neither was expecting it. Not that Squall had really ever expected it. Been curious about it, yes, but not expecting.

Kicking a leg up across the length of the sofa as he sat, Squall pulled Ienzo around to lean against him, hands fumbling with the buttons of Ienzo's pants.

"Squall..."

Squall froze, not entirely sure that he should continue.

"Don't stop."

Fair enough, Squall decided, pushing away the fabric blocking him and forcing a hand down to pull Ienzo's arousal to a place where he could easily stroke it. Ienzo hissed and shivered against him, whispering something that Squall didn't think was even for him to hear. He had no trouble slipping his other hand up under Ienzo's shirt, running over soft, smooth skin as his mouth found Ienzo's neck. He vowed to leave a mark, red or purple and showing at least temporary ownership. He wanted one battle to his name.

Ienzo's erection felt foreign in his hand and he couldn't help taking a few seconds to get used to the feel - the length and girth locking in his mind as he attempted a couple rough strokes. Writhing against Squall, Ienzo moaned, bringing one of his own hands to cover Squall's. But Squall didn't mind the guide as he brought the fluid from the tip of Ienzo's arousal down to spread as lube, beginning a series of fast strokes that he wished he could see.

The only light they had was still that tiny bit on the table, pushed near the edge but illuminating what it could to force away the drapes of darkness on the rest of the room. Squall didn't care, his desire to finally share some of his own knowledge mixed with a haze of lust was finally rewarded with a sharp cry and wet warmth. He couldn't help bringing a pair of fingers to his lips, tasting Ienzo's seed as the scientist lay limp against him, breathing hard yet staying perfectly silent.

And he wondered, as he licked away the semen from his fingers, if Ienzo could feel the hardness pressed against his back, demanding after such a delicious experience. He wondered if Ienzo would try to take back the day's true mountain and make it his own.

"Squall," Ienzo whispered a moment later. "Guide me."

Squall wanted to chuckle - they were still playing games, he knew. And yet again, he didn't quite expect to win.