Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ The Transience of Memory ❯ Grounded?! ( Chapter 10 )

Author's notes: Typical disclaimer I own nothing of Kingdom Hearts.

 

To all akuroku fans:

If any of you are left… congrats! Thank you for not abandoning me. I have not forgotten Ax & Roxy! Rox is actually going to be in a bit more now, and Axel is on the verge of reappearing. BE PATIENT! It'll be worth it, I promise! Now, onto the chap before my head explodes.

 

 

Chapter 9:

 

Hayner tossed and turned, not quite managing to get comfortable, despite how much he really wished to be asleep. He finally flopped onto his side to face the wall, as close to it as he could get, willing his limbs to become leaden with the precursors of unconsciousness. They twitched uncooperatively.

 

If he could just get through tonight, he'd be free of his grounding already. Seifer had left almost promptly after he and Nanna had emerged from the kitchen. Hayner may have been confined to his room, but he'd sat with his ear to the door, straining to make out voices, sounds, anything. What he did hear was muffled voices, and the faint clomping of Seifer's boots as he left. The front door opened and closed resolutely. He was so focused on the fact that Seifer had just left, that he almost missed the footfalls on the stairs. He leaped back from the door just before it opened, falling into a scattered heap. But! She never used the stairs! Well, hardly ever…

 

“You're hopeless,” his grandmother told him blandly. “And you're also grounded for two days.”

 

He gaped at her. “But, your knees-” He really couldn't get past the fact that she had used the stairs. It'd only ever happened like one other time.

 

“I can get around when I need to,” she huffed. “It's just best I don't make a habit of it. But, did you hear me, Hayner? Grounded. 2 days.”

 

“What for?!”

 

“For causing me mental anguish,” she crossed her arms over her chest. “And for lying about where you've been all the time. And, now that I think about it, maybe I should ground you for longer.”

 

“Nooooo, Nanna! 2 days is fine! I'll do it. Please, I can't take any more boredom than that!”

 

“You'd best think of that next time you decide to start hiding things from me.”

 

“I will, I promise!” God, he hated being grounded. It was so wretched! It also meant two full days of not knowing what had transpired in the kitchen.

 

“So you stay in your room, no phone calls, but you make sure you eat when you need to,” she told him sternly.

 

So, he'd traded one torment for another, all in the span of a day. Gofer to prisoner. How wonderful.

 

 

He stared at the blank white wall in the quasi light, trying to feel the dark with every fragment of his being, wishing for sleep. No, straining for sleep. Oh, but it never happened when you forced it. It was like the whole watching water boil thing. It was no good, but you can't help yourself. You're too impatient to do anything else.

 

He heard a rustle of cloth, but dismissed it as the flapping of his curtains, moved by the wind of the rotating ceiling fan. He liked it on high, but it tended to rustle papers and things all the time. It took a while to tune out those meaningless sorts of noises with ease. Now, he almost always knew what made what sort of noise, so he hardly ever bothered to look anymore. He burrowed deeper under the covers, feeling a peacefulness descending upon him at last.

 

It, of course, was smashed into a thousand jagged pieces a moment later, when someone slipped into the bed behind him. A firm hand clamped over his mouth.

 

Hayner was well on his way to hyperventilating, when a warm body pressed against his. Jarring adrenaline raced through every synapse, blinding him with panic.

 

“Mphf!!!”

 

“Shhh. Hayner, it's me,” a low voice whispered.

 

“mphf?”

 

The hand removed itself.

 

“Seifer!” he whispered ugently as he flipped over, “what the hell are you doing here? You scared me half to death, you bastard! How did you get in?”

 

“I picked the lock,” he said easily, as if telling someone the sky was blue.

 

“You what?” Hayner hissed.

 

“I missed you,” he said simply, searching Hayner's eyes in the dark. “I haven't seen or heard from you in two days.”

 

“But, I'll be off grounding tomorrow! If Nanna finds you here, she'll ground me for WEEKS. Maybe months- or even more, if she finds you in my bed!”

 

“Why stop there?” he said slyly, pulling Hayner to him, catching him in a demanding kiss.

 

The blonde struggled initially. “Seif- dammit, sto… stop fooling around!”

 

Seifer wrestled him down onto the bed, pinning his arms to either side of his head. He could feel the glare he was getting, even if he couldn't fully see it.

 

He nuzzled Hayner's neck, going purposely to a spot he knew drove the blonde crazy. He heard the barest hitch in the other boy's breath, felt the slightest easing in the tensed muscles. “How long would she ground you for this?” he mused aloud, as he pressed against him. He had discarded all but his boxers before joining Hayner in bed, and was pleased to discover the blonde had gone to bed in a similar fashion. Their bare skin met everywhere, shivering between the shared body heat, and the coolness from the fan.

 

“Years,” Hayner breathed, shuddering against him. It was ridiculous how fast he responded to Seifer. His resistance was laughable.

 

“How about now?” he whispered. He covered Hayner's mouth with his, muting desperate moans as he ground their hips together in sensuously slow movements. He'd been thinking of nothing but Hayner for the last two days. He'd wanted to see him, talk to him, touch him. Everything had seemed to conspire to drive him out of his mind with these cravings, reminding him of the time they'd had together. He'd had to avoid the couch- it sent such vivid images racing through his head. Painfully erotic images, that tortured him without ceasing. It was driving him crazy, and now he wanted Hayner as badly as he ever had.

 

“She'll… sentence me… to… life,” Hayner gasped out. Or she'd sentence him to death. Either seemed likely. But, the fear of discovery was dissolving around him, as hands ran down his belly. “Seifer…” he moaned “why do you do this to me?”

 

“Because I need you,” he replied huskily, tugging down the blonde's boxers. “I don't want to let you out of my sight. The past two days were killing me.” He slid down Hayner's body, trailing lips and kisses down his stomach, making him squirm. He traced the arch of Hayner's hip with his tongue as he finished pulling the boxers down his legs, and off. He got rid of his own as well.

 

“Did you miss me?” Seifer asked, as Hayner tossed helplessly under his hands. He ghosted a palm across the boy's need, as he worked his way back up his trembling body beneath him.

 

“Y-yesss.”

 

“In what way?” he prompted. He hovered over the blonde's mouth, his words sending shivers through the other boy. His chest constricted with the knowledge of how much he was drawn to this boy, how much he was starting to care. He traced the lines of Hayner's face, caressing him with his eyes, memorizing every detail. He took in the delicate flutter of his eyelids, the curving shadows of his lashes on flushed cheeks. The way his brows drew together, as his breath came quickly through his soft and pliant lips.

 

“I wanted… to know how things would… be from now on,” Hayner panted. “I can't stop thinking about you… but-,” he groaned as Seifer wrapped capable fingers around him. Why did Seifer always have to make him talk when he could hardly even think?

 

“But?”

 

“But I want you,” he murmured with embarrassment. “I want you to do this to me. Over and over.”

 

Seifer kissed him deeply, as he stroked tender skin. The younger boy's hips were arching upward as he sought more sensation. The sight and feel of Hayner was fueling his desire, making him ache almost painfully. He wanted to be inside this wanton creature, enclosed in grasping arms and legs.

 

 

“Hang on a second,” Seifer said quietly, breaking free so he could hang over the side of the bed to rifle through his clothes. Figures they were a bit out of reach, he thought as he stretched. Hayner's hands followed him down, kneading the taut muscles in his back as he tried to keep his balance on one arm. They were tracing intricate patterns down the small of his back, trailing down to his thighs, making him suck in a breath.

 

He was momentarily distracted as he felt a wet heat tracing the curve of his ass, fingertips massaging and scraping lightly at the skin. His eyes closed as the touches sent eddying ripples of pleasure through him. His hips were pressed tightly into the mattress in this position, intensifying his reaction to Hayner's bold exploration, forcing a groan through his lips.

 

He could practically hear the smirk in Hayner's voice as he let out a pleased laugh. Oh, no you don't, brat. He rallied himself and soon found the tube of lubricant in his pants pocket. His goal firmly in hand, he slid back onto the bed, and fixed Hayner with an intimidating, predatory gaze.

 

Hayner, not suitably taken aback by this, reclined, and smirked at him openly.

 

“You are so asking for it,” Seifer growled. He advanced upon the tease, turned on even more by the amused challenge surfacing in his brown eyes.

 

He spread some of the lube on his fingers, so he could properly prepare his lover, then leaned forward to bite Hayner's neck sharply.

 

“Ahhh!” Hayner gasped.

 

Seifer smiled winningly at him, and proceeded to bite him several more times.

 

“Ow, Seifer…. quit it,” he laughed, pushing at him, as the miscreant followed the bites with soft, teasing lips. His protests went unheeded, Seifer's broad shoulders not budging an inch, his light blonde hair tickling his chest. Somewhere along the way, the slight pain inflicted by teeth, and the warm pleasure of lips and tongue were getting intertwined. They melded together, deliciously complex, sending fresh desire pulsing through his aching flesh. He bit his lip to cut off the mewl that threatened to breach his mouth.

 

“Serves you right,” Seifer grinned.

 

 

He stretched him methodically. The whimpers Hayner made were sending him into a frenzy, each hushed noise pulling at the tightness in his gut till he thought he'd explode.

 

“Come here,” he said, sitting back on his heels when he'd finished. He pulled Hayner up onto his knees and stared at his lithe perfection. His brown eyes were half hidden by lowered lids, smoky dark with lust. Seifer's heart was pounding frantically in his chest, as Hayner came to him. “Closer,” he murmured huskily, “I want you to straddle me.” He wasn't sure the blonde would go for it, but it was worth a try.

 

Hayner tentatively moved to do so, with only a brief hesitation, a bright flush visible on his cheeks.

 

He put his hands on Hayner's hips as he flicked his tongue over a nipple. He felt a jolt go through the blonde's body. He sucked on it with varying intensities, wandering away periodically to nip at the smooth skin of Hayner's chest, until the boy was suitably distracted. His legs were trembling, their strength leaving them.

 

Seifer placed Hayner's arms around his neck, holding him in a loose embrace. “Lower yourself onto me,” he said unsteadily. He helped guide him down, catching the blonde's lips with his as soon as they were in reach.

 

 

Hayner panted into his mouth, clinging tightly to Seifer as the pain subsided. Another time, another weird position, he thought with vague amusement. But it was more intimate this way. Seifer held him in a gentle embrace, a hand skimming calmingly over his back. Something about it made him feel warm inside… cared for… It made him smile.

 

 

Seifer buried his face in Hayner's neck, shakily breathing him in. They were as close as two people could be, and yet he wished there were some way to take it further. Some way he could reach inside to brush against the essence of him.

 

The thought was a foreign one- one that made him want to stop analyzing the feelings that kept cropping up so persistently now. He felt Hayner's hands cradle his face, lifting it to a tender meeting of lips.

 

He moved his hips upward, his body flashing with heat, as Hayner rocked to meet him. He tried to cast the thoughts away as they thrust against each other, to focus only on the riot of pleasure overloading his senses. But some fragile thing deep inside of him was shaking loose. He was dangerously close to admitting something that might have a profound effect on everything. Hayner moaned deeply as he came, his body rigid and arching, pulling them tightly together with clawed hands. They dragged wonderfully down his back, as the blonde's body forced his release from him. Seifer gasped, as it throttled through him, clutching the blonde tightly as he rode it out. I think I love you, Seifer thought at him before they collapsed.

 

 

 

**********

 

Hayner was woken by the steady beat of a heart sounding in his ear. Or maybe it was the infernal twittering of that damn bird outside.

 

They had fallen asleep like this last night- exhausted, sated, arms wrapped around each other. Hayner's skin shivered itself into goose bumps, the fan still whipping the air coolly around the room. Not only had they fallen asleep on top of the sheets and comforter, they were facing the wrong way. Feet in pillows, heads on nothing. Except, Hayner's head was resting on the older boy's chest, which was why the pulsing heartbeat was so loud. He hugged Seifer closer, trying to utilize his body heat to keep warm. Light was streaming through the un-curtained window, still pale, but gathering strength.

 

 

“Hey,” Seifer said quietly, rousing him from the half-sleep he'd drifted into.

 

“…hmn,” he inquired.

 

“You have a shower on this floor, don't you?”

 

“…yeah.” Hayner blinked sleepily.

 

“Great.” Seifer climbed out of bed, searching for his boxers. Hayner rolled over, intent on going back to sleep.

 

 

Something made of cloth hit him in the head just before he achieved unconsciousness. He reached a dexterity challenged hand to his head, pulling the thing off, and holding it up to unfocused eyes. Blue. Blue, and recognizable. His boxers. Great. Hayner promptly flung them away and tucked his arms between him and the bed, huddling for warmth as he tried to settle back into sleep.

 

“Shower,” Seifer insisted.

 

“Go ahead,” Hayner mumbled. “I'll take one later.”

 

“Won't that seem suspicious? ” he prodded. Two showers in the morning? The Grandma was swift. She'd notice.

 

“Nn.” Hayner apparently was too tired to care. Or maybe he was always like this in the morning. Cute, rumpled, and unintelligible.

 

He hooked an arm around Hayner and pulled him to the edge of the bed, and hoisted him into his arms. “You're coming with me.”

 

He carried the weight easily, despite the sleep-deadened limbs swinging freely and awkwardly.

 

“Whadaya doing?” the blonde mumbled in protest, unaware of his impending doom.

 

Seifer made an effortless beeline for the shower.

 

Seifer got closer and closer to the bedroom door. Hayner squawked and frantically flailed as understanding finally dawned upon him. He was now both naked and wide awake, being carried bridal style to where his Gran might see them. “What are you doing!” he hissed, the door looming menacingly before them. “Put me down!”

 

Seifer reached for the doorknob, a devious smirk on his face.

 

Hayner hid his own face against the thug, a dismayed sound riding on his exhale. That Nanna might see them like this if they left the room didn't even bear thinking about.

 

Seifer's forearm rotated as he twisted the knob, and the door creaked open cautiously.

 

 

“Hayner, dear,” Thelma called faintly. “Can you come down here a moment, now that you're awake?”

 

Hayner went rigid. He then beat his way out the miscreant's grasp, which was easy since Seifer let him go immediately, and made a spectacular dash for his shorts. He tread as lightly as possible, knowing that she'd be suspicious if she heard him running about. He pulled on the camo shorts, fastening them as he made his way back. He ran his hands twitchily through his hair, trying to calm the disarray he knew was upon the wavy mess.

 

Seifer grabbed his arm, a serious look on his face. “You're not going down there?”

 

“Well, what am I supposed to do?”

 

“Hayner,” he said. “If you go down there, she'll know.”

“Not necessarily…”

 

Seifer looked at him balefully. “You look guilty, smell like sex, and suck at lying. It's a done deal.”

 

Hayner turned red. “Do you have to be so crass about it?” he said with annoyance.

 

“Hayner?” Thelma called out again.

 

“I'm just being realistic,” Seifer replied. “Now tell her you were just about to get in the shower, and you'll come down after.”

 

Hayner pulled his arm out of Seifer's grip, and poked his head around the door. He couldn't see her. “Nana,” he called, “I was just about to take a shower…” he tried to put some petulance in his tone, to indicate his desire to not be interrupted from his intent to cleanse. “Can't it wait?”

 

“Sure, dear, that's fine.” She must be in the kitchen. “I just wanted to tell you that Pence called a little while ago, and somebody named Bo called for you the other day.” Ah, post-grounding messages. He hadn't noticed the phone ring this morning though.

 

“Thanks, Nanna, I'll be down later.”

 

“Call Pence back now, if you can… he said it was important.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Hayner sagged against the doorframe, turning a half-hearted glare on Seifer. “Being with you is gonna give me a heart attack.” He took a deep breath, and grabbed for one of the thug's crossed arms. “C'mon, she's in the kitchen.”

 

They passed the top of the stairs, the only part of the landing that was readily visible from below, without incident. Hayner indicated the bathroom to Seifer as he went to the small kitchen at the end of the little hall. The bay window was ablaze with light, making him wince. He quickly turned his back, and grabbed the portable phone from its cradle on the wall, just inside the doorway. The floor was slightly gritty beneath his bare feet, attesting to the room's lack of use. He kept the phone in here, instead of in his room, as it had a tendency to ring when he was trying to sleep.

 

It was a pleasant room, small, but somehow airy. The window took up most of the back wall, transparent white curtains framing its length. A large dark-wood hutch took up the bulk of the wall on the left, less imposing for its old wood-framed glass doors, which allowed the light from the window to pass through its bulk. The sink and stove shared the same wall as the phone, being directly to his left. The pantry was across from the hutch, just past a solid four-seater, dark wood table that seemed to take up much of the room with its old world feel. The walls, what you could see of them, were a tired, light blue. It used to be Nanna's favorite room, when she still used this floor, and now it was Hayner's. He felt bad about not cleaning it, but he wasn't home all that much - and cleaning was not at the top of his list when he was.

 

He dialed Pence's number, and shuffled to the bathroom as it rang. He leaned on the wall just outside, not wanting to suffer the echoing of the tiled room.

 

“Hello?” Pence answered.

 

“Hey, you called?”

 

“Oh, yeah, I was wondering if you've heard from Roxas lately? I was trying to get a hold of him the past few days…”

 

“Er. Yeah, I talked to him the other day. He's not answering his phone lately though, so I'm gonna go by his place to bug him today. What did you need him for? I can relay the message when I see him.” Yeah, if I see him. He tried to make light of it all, despite his own concern. No need to drag more people into this. If Roxas was having a hard time over something, the whole world didn't need to know.

 

“Okay, that's cool. Olette is having a violin recital in a couple days, and Roxas is the only friend I've got who doesn't mind stuff like that - so I wanted to extend an invite.”

 

Hayner grinned. “Going to support your new girlfriend, is it? Though you've been going to those for a while now, and letting her drag you shopping, and-”

 

“Shut up, Hayner.”

 

“You're so whipped.”

 

Pence sighed. “I know.”

 

“Listen, I gotta go. But we should hang out again soon. You guys have been pretty absent the last couple of weeks.”

 

“Straight. It can be soon, since Olette'll have some time free after this thing.”

 

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

 

Hayner pushed off the wall and entered the bathroom, setting the phone down on the counter. Seifer stopped pacing.

 

“Done?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, it was no big thing,” Hayner said, closing the door.

 

“Aren't you going to return your other call?”

 

Hayner looked up at the veiled sharpness in his tone. “Other…” He wracked his brain. OH. “Bo?” He'd forgotten that he'd even given the mohawked guy his number. He made a face, remembering the awkwardness in the hardware shop. `Let me make it up to you…' “He can wait.” It had probably been the party-invite call.

 

Seifer was giving him an unreadable look again.

 

“What?”

 

“Why does he have your number?” There was a definitely a thread of menace working its way through those words.

 

“Why not?” Hayner replied defensively. “He's a friend… sorta.” He trailed off as Seifer stalked towards him.

 

“Can you honestly believe that, after that time at the beach?” he growled.

 

“Y-you saw that?” he stammered.

 

“Of course I did. I couldn't miss it.”

 

It was bad enough that it happened. In public. But he hadn't thought anyone had seen. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the remembered hands and voice. Come to think of it, Seifer had been looking at him after that.

 

“Hayner.” Seifer's voice was sharp as he gripped his shoulders, and shook him. Hayner found it hard to meet the intensity in those light eyes. “Why does he have your number?” he repeated.

 

He knew Bo wanted to get in good with Hayner. Hell, he knew Bo wanted Hayner. And he seemed devious enough, determined enough, that this could become a problem. Especially, if Hayner didn't see it coming. Or… if he was interested.

 

Seifer clenched his teeth. He couldn't afford jealousy or anger. And trying to control this situation would only make it worse. Most of all, it would say that he didn't trust Hayner.

 

 

“I ran into him and Zane at the hardware shop the other day,” Hayner said around the tightness in his throat. Why did he feel like he'd been caught doing something bad? He hadn't done anything! “I wasn't going to talk to him after the beach thing. But Zane sent him to help me find the tape,” he muttered awkwardly. “Bo brought the incident up and apologized profusely over it. I said it was okay, to forget about it. I mean it wasn't really okay,” he amended, “but he seemed sincere. As I was leaving, they mentioned a party or something, and asked for my number so they could get a hold of me later.”

 

“Bo is the one that asked for it, wasn't he?” Seifer guessed.

 

“…”

 

“And he's the one that took it, in the end?” Seifer prodded.

 

“… now that I think about it, yeah.” What was he getting at? He watched a flicker of something spark briefly in the pale blue eyes. Something that didn't match the anger in his voice, or the irritation on his face.

 

“I won't try to tell you who you can and can't see,” Seifer said stonily, “or who you should be friends with…” he paused, seemingly caught up in some kind of internal battle. A frown was etching itself onto his face, his fingers tightening on Hayner's shoulders. He cursed under his breath. “Just-” Their eyes met. “Watch yourself around him.”

 

 

Seifer let go of the younger boy, and turned to the shower. He slid his boxers off, and kicked them aside. Goddamn fucking Bo. He was stealthily moving in on Hayner, and the boy was too naïve, and trusting to realize it. Though it was those exact qualities that had given Seifer his opening. If the timing had been different, would Hayner be with Bo now, instead of him?

 

He knew now how he really felt about the blonde… but just what was he to Hayner?

 

 

 

___________________________________

TBC

 

*gimps out on the personal replies*

In favor of working on the next chapter, so forgive me… I'm short on time this week and want to get it done XD

 

But thank you for all your comments! (*group glomp*)

 

One thing I will mention though: I AM working back to the akuroku. Really. Roxas will be showing up a bit more, and it will transition. (it's a sort of timing thing that is necessary. But, AXEL WILL BE BACK! Oh, yes. And there will be steaminess to be had for the golden couple. You. just. have. to. WAIT! I'm not really evil, I just plot this way.)

 

P.S. stalkers from AFF, you have a special place in my heart. you weirdos ;*