"Did you need anything else before I go, sir?"
Seifer looked up from the recently received transmissions from Trabia and Deling security chiefs. Sally Regal stood in the doorway of his office, uncertain and timid as always. Seifer smirked. Regal thought she wasn't good at confrontations, but she faced him every day while doing her job better than anyone had ever done it.
Regal was damned good at confrontations.
"What did I tell you about asking that question, Regal? You ask and I'll give you something."
Regal nodded. "I-I know, sir. I just thought I could help, so you didn't have to stay so late all the time."
Seifer's smirk widened. "Go home, Regal," he ordered gruffly, waving her away as he focused again on the reports littering his desk. "Or I'll call Dincht to come and drag your ass out."
"Yes, sir. Good night, sir. See you Monday."
Seifer waved her out, restraining the plotting and planning of the pranks and sarcastic quips he'd never be able to do without Dincht breathing fire and Squall yanking Garden's best asset from security. Sally Regal was as easy a target as Dincht and Squall had ever been. Only one problem: She took it a little too personal. Even for Seifer.
Tears from someone like Sally Regal took all the fun out of it.
Seifer gave a slight scoff as he set a report aside. Even Rinoa takes it better than Regal. She even dished it back. Seifer smirked. Not like Larabie, but enough to make it fun.... Seifer's smirk molded to a frown, and he absently lifted his coffee mug for a-– it was empty. Seifer swore and set the mug firmly down, reminding himself - again - to purchase a coffee-maker for... his... office...?
The scent of strong coffee made Seifer look up. The smirk returned as he leaned back in his chair, tossing a report back onto his desk. Janine Larabie entered, two mugs of coffee in hand and wearing a tight-ass pair of black leather pants and a sleeveless black-silk tank. Damn.
Larabie kicked the door shut. "I hear the tell-tale signs of an empty coffee-mug. Good thing I had to come down here anyway to complain about lax security."
Seifer slowly accepted the coffee mug. "Lax?"
One of Larabie's lips twitched as she leaned one hip against the left side of his desk and slowly sipped her coffee. "Yeah. Shocked me, too."
"Explain."
Larabie's brown eyes held laughter as she rested one hand on the desk and leaned her weight onto it, twisting her body in just the right way... "It seems there's a restricted area in the Training Center where any little ass can go and do gods-know-what without any fear of capture or consequence."
Seifer's eyebrow rose. He knew exactly--
"Come on," she said as she slowly straightened from the desk. "I'll show you."
I'll bet. He sipped his coffee, but it didn't wash down the curiosity to see just what she'd show him. Seifer's lip twisted in a lop-sided smile as he lowered his mug again. "File a report. I'll look into it tomorrow."
Raising her chin, she vocalized an "Oh-h-h. You know about it but take bribes to look the other way. Ri-i-ight."
He lifted his cup. "Oh no. You found me out."
Larabie chuckled. "I see I'll have to take this up with Commander Squall..." She leaned against the desk as before. "Unless you can offer me an... incentive not to?"
Seifer lowered his gaze to his reports. Damn. "I'll let you know if I think of something that isn't illegal."
She laughed. "Hey. What's the fun in that?"
Lips twitching higher, Seifer watched out of the corner of his eye as Larabie straightened and moved to stand behind his chair. She leaned her full body against it while wrapping her arms around the top of his shoulders. Musk burned the smell of coffee out of his nose and memory.
Then Larabie traced her lips very lightly along his jaw before whispering "I can think of a couple things that aren't completely illegal" in his ear.
Seifer could visualize more than that, especially when she continued her lips back along his jaw to tease the corner of his mouth– Hell. Why not... and he pulled her around to sit across his lap as her mouth accepted his, her arms around his neck and the musk and the silk....
Larabie very slowly pulled back, nipping at his lower lip with her teeth before smirking up at him. "Hello-o-o, security," she said in a low tone.
Seifer chuckled and attempted to lift her out of his lap. She resisted, pushing him back into the chair with hands on his arms as she held his amused expression with her laughing gaze.
"I don't think so," she countered firmly. Then she moved closer, again wrapping her arms around his neck as the chair tipped back.
Seifer's hands rested on Larabie's hips. Felt damn good, especially when she settled into his hands and his lap with that sexy smirk that reeked of arrogance. "You going to explain this to the people out in the security office?" he asked.
"Explain what?" She kissed his cheek to the side of his mouth. "I'm sure they get it." She chuckled against his lips. "More than you maybe."
Seifer pushed back, pushing her completely out of the chair to stand. "I'm not your joke," he stated in a low and calm voice, face hard.
Her smirk vanished as she stared up at him. When he moved to step past, she caught him by the arm. His green eyes sparked as he looked down at her. "Seifer... It's not like that." And her voice sounded... soft.
Seifer didn't look away as he clenched his jaw. "Fine. Dismissed."
"Okay," she said, still holding his gaze.
Seifer pushed past and opened the door, glaring to the left as she approached, paused in front of him, and then passed out into the security office. He slammed the door shut...
...and swore.
« † »
Janine paced in front of her computer desk, hands alternating between hips and running through her spiked black hair. "Shit," she hissed again and again, even though she couldn't hear it. Irritation and aggravation always made her take her assistant devices off. Janine liked stewing in silence, hearing only her own thoughts. Of course, tonight she heard the simulated and assisted voice of Seifer saying 'I'm not your joke.' Janine released an exasperated breath. That was one danger with pushing buttons as a hobby: Pushing the wrong damned one.
"Shit!" Janine kicked a dress shoe across the room as her fingernails dug into the material of her black denims. She threw her hands up in frustration and grabbed up her gunblade, muttering "damned, big-mouthed bitch" as she hooked the gunblade on its scabbard.
Turning for the door of her room, Janine purposefully forgot to re-attach her assistant devices as she jerked open the door and strode down the hall toward the main corridor. It had been a harmless joke. Innocent. Unintentional, if nothing else. I should've known...
But how? She didn't know anything about Seifer Almasy except for what everyone else did: mind-controlled by a sorceress from the future, led Galbadia Garden against Balamb Garden while in search of some girl called Ellone (while still under the control of same sorceress), suspended from Garden after the sorceress' defeat, and then re-instated by Commander Squall as Head of Network Security once he passed his Field Exam. Seifer was the reason all the Gardens had agreed to begin working together. He had been the instigator.
Seifer Almasy's life had been damn tough, making him one of the most jaded people she'd ever met. And he's hot! Janine gave another shake of her head as she clenched her jaw. Then she turned left into the main corridor and headed for the Training Center hall. Damn it, Seifer. I didn't mean anything! Ever heard 'All work and no play...' But it was too late-–
Janine stopped, hands on hips as her fingers tapped and her eyes glared. "Like hell," she mumbled.
She stepped forward again, striding past the hallway to the Training Center to continue around and then up the stairs to the main lift. She pressed the call button and then resumed the tapping of her fingers against her hips. Seifer Almasy was a helluva lot of fun, and that hadn't been expected. Sure she wanted to fool around, but she wanted to have fun!
The elevator arrived and opened, revealing Seifer leaning against the back. When he looked up from glaring at the floor, he continued to lean, arms crossed. Janine stepped aboard and up to him as the elevator doors closed. Sally Regal would likely have fallen all over herself in an effort to apologize for living.
Janine's frown deepened as she held his gaze. "So now what? Did I slit my own throat? Was that the only shot I got at you?"
Seifer minutely adjusted his crossed arms as he held her gaze.
Hands on hips, Janine continued to regard him. "Well? I'm not begging. You don't want it, fine. I'll move on. Rather not. Don't think anyone else will be this much fun. I'm like that. I click and that's that."
"You lisp."
Arching an eyebrow, Janine leaned slightly back. "Huh?" She focused on his lips as she leaned more toward him. "Say again."
"You lisp."
Confusion muddled the frown. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm talking about you and me getting it on and you're talking about some damn lisp? What lisp?"
Seifer watched her face, hard. Then he motioned toward her with a slight lift of chin. "You're not wearing them, are you?"
Irritation flared. "And what the hell does that have to do--"
"Can you hear me?"
Annoyance made irritation burn brighter. "What the-– What part of '96% hearing loss' do you not understand from my report? No, I can't hear you!" Janine's voice broke, and she gave a blink of surprise as she stepped back and covered her mouth, just staring at him.
Seifer didn't look away.
Janine had been deaf or nearly deaf for more than five years, and she had thought all the loss and mourning that came with losing a part of oneself had been dealt with.... Apparently she'd been wrong, and now Janine began to understand why he held the position he did. He had a natural instinct about people.
Seifer straightened, lowering his arms to his sides as he stepped toward her. "Find someone else," was all he said before again moving to pass her.
Janine stepped into his path, holding him back with hands on his chest. "Why? Because I'm deaf?"
He lowered his gaze to hold hers. "Garden is my life."
"And what the hell does that have to do with you and me?"
"Everything." Seifer pushed her hands from his chest and moved past, pressing the 'Doors' button and then stepping off.
Janine turned to watch him, gauging him with crossed arms and-- She followed. "Seifer. Wait."
He halted and faced her, eyes guarded. Expression calm.
She moved to stand across from him. "Give it a try. What can it hurt?" Seifer said nothing. Janine released a quick breath. "Seifer, I'm not trying to oust Garden. It's my life as much as it's yours. I just want a break. A laugh. A release from the damn seriousness." She smirked. "I want a thrill."
Seifer held her gaze; still serious, still intense, still guarded. Then he stepped forward so fast and kissed her so hard that she barely had a moment to think before the thrill had her full-force. Then Seifer pulled his mouth so very slowly from hers that it felt like it was still there. Even when she could feel his breath against her ear, his mouth continued to burn hers... and then...
...she heard "Bring it, Larabie" hummed against the area behind her ear.
Janine's eyes snapped open and she stumbled backward, staring at Seifer in shock as she covered her mouth with both hands.
He stood there, arms at his sides and expression as guarded as before.
"H-How..." Janine lowered her hands. "H-How did you..." And she tried to ignore the tears she felt burning. "I... I haven't heard anything for three years..."
Seifer didn't respond. He only stood there watching her.
Janine stepped forward, and she grabbed firm hold of the front of his black-silk shirt. "I heard you! How?"
Seifer slowly reached up to touch the area behind her ears. That place she always attached her assists. "Vibration. There. Uses the bones like... an amplifier."
Janine stared up at him with wide eyes.
"Your assists. Same principle," he continued, still carefully guarded and controlled.
And Janine had been wearing them for so long that she had 'forgotten' how they worked. Wearing them since the Wendigo attack. Trying to fight the inevitable.
The coming silence.
Janine closed her eyes and tilted her head as she leaned closer. "Do it again," she whispered. "Say something. Anything."
Seifer's warmth surrounded her, and then his lips were again behind her ear, humming words... that she... heard. Her arms surrounded his neck, her hands in his hair and pressing his lips tighter against her skin as she moved closer... hearing. Hearing. Hearing.
But then the humming stopped and she felt only his rough breath against her skin and the deep rise and fall of his chest pressing against her. Janine knew where she wanted this thrill to take her. Sex with a man who understood how to make her hear? Hearing her name in his voice and not an amplified–-
Seifer gripped her arms and pushed slowly back. Janine kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to see or hear the refusal to what she knew they wanted. That insane desire to experience an almost absolute stranger. The thrill of the risk and the 'after'... But Janine knew there waited a deeper thrill at the end of a more subtle chase. The thrill of having a proud man like Seifer Almasy pursue her.
Janine slowly opened her eyes, immediately focusing on the guarded emerald of a man always in strict control. Her lips tilted upward. "You are one damn sexy man, Seifer Almasy."
Then she kissed him, slow and deep, while giving him one last taste of the prize at the end of the hunt. Once she pulled back, she caressed the lipstick from his mouth with her thumb while sending him an inviting glance and a lop-sided smirk. Then she turned to walk away. Her smile widened when she could feel his eyes on her. Show me what you got. I'll bring it.