Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Forgive Me? ❯ Forgive Me? ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I do not own any rights to ‘Final Fantasy VIII (8)’ or its characters. This work is not for profit.

Seifer was making spaghetti, and while he wasn’t too bad of a cook – meaning he didn’t burn water – he’d never made the spindly noodles before. Why was he making something he’d never made before you ask? Because Quistis told him that a good way to get back into Squall’s good graces after having helped Ultimecia would be to make him food. Something he could come home to after a long day at work. Seifer was by this point desperate for anything that would make amends, he missed his sparring partner. Why spaghetti though? Because Selphie told him it was one of Squall’s favorite foods, and when he’d asked Rinoa she’d confirmed that. The sorceress had also thought that what he was doing was really sweet. Seifer had blushed a deep shade of red, like a jalapeno and had gone to the market.


If he was going to cook a good home-cooked meal, it was going to be from scratch! So he’d bought garlic bread; green beans; corn; carrots; peas; butter; chocolate chips; flour; vanilla extract; brown sugar; tomatoes; some minced basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme; salt; ground allspice and black pepper; sugar; olive oil; ground beef and he’d thought about getting ingredients for making the dough and making his own noodles but decided that was a little much and simply bought a package of spaghetti noodles. He brought it all to Squall and Rinoa’s house in Winhill (Rinoa had given him her key) and set about mixing everything together.


He’d mashed some of the tomatoes and mixed them with salt and olive oil into a paste which he used when he made up the spaghetti sauce. Browning the meat and tossing it into the paste and adding seasonings, he tasted it to make sure it was flavored correctly and simply put the big bowl of it in the refrigerator while he went about making garlic bread. Once the bread was in the oven he grabbed the big pot and filled it most of the way with water and set it to boil. It was nearing time for the Leonhart’s to get home after all. He wanted everything to be nice and hot for when they arrived. He was also hoping that Rinoa would arrive before or at least with Squall, because he didn’t want to be facing down Lionheart while wearing an apron. He could do it, he just didn’t want to.


He rinsed all of the vegetables and then cut up the green beans, snapped the peas free, sliced and diced the carrots and scraped the corn from the cob – putting all of it in another pot which he filled with water until all the vegetables were covered and put on another burner. He set the heat for them at a medium temperature figuring that they’d be about perfect once everything else was done.


Once the big pot was boiling he dumped the noodles in and turned the burner down a ways. Next her grabbed out yet another bowl and mixed in flour, butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, brown sugar, a bit of salt and water to make cookie dough. He set that aside also in the fridge for the moment and took out a cookie sheet and put it on the counter on standby. He turned back to the noodles to check and see if they were soft yet and that’s where the trouble started. As has been said Seifer had never made spaghetti before, so when he noticed that the noodles all seemed to be clumping together when he knew they weren’t supposed to – after all just because he’s never made it before doesn’t mean he hasn’t ever eaten it – he panicked a bit. He wasn’t too sure what he should stir it with or what to use to break the noodles apart but he put a little bit of olive oil in the water thinking that it might help and grabbed a gigantic serving fork and attempted to tease the noodles apart. It worked somewhat, but was a slow process once they were finally apart he took one out to test its consistency. He really shouldn’t have. He brought the fork up and the noodle whipped around and wrapped its burning hot self around his wrist and wouldn’t let go. Every attempt he made to dislodge it simply smooshed the noodle into a paste on his skin. Frustrated he simply tried for another, this one latched onto his cheek with the same results. The next clung to the front of his white apron and yet another curled itself around his arm just above his elbow on the opposite arm from the wrist that was first attacked. Seifer gave up at that point and turned the burner off. Obviously the noodles were done.


He grabbed the strainer and dumped them out over the sink and put them back in the pot once the water and drained away. Then he brought out a big sauce pan and took out the sauce he’d made and brought it to a boil and then turned the heat on to low so that it would stay warm. He’d made enough of everything to feed everyone he considered friends, which was lucky for him because all of them seemed to show up just as he was pulling the garlic bread from the oven.


Seifer looked up and over to the living room door as it was pushed open and Squall walked through, the man looked haggard and it bother the blonde greatly. Then Rinoa came in just behind him and smiled over at Seifer, “Hey, smells good.”


Seifer nodded at her and turned back to making dinner as Quistis, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine walked through the door as well. The cowboy closed it softly behind him and wandered over to Seifer, “Need any help?”


The blonde looked up with a small smile, “Nope I got it covered, unless of course you’d like to set the table. I’m glad I made so much even though I wasn’t expecting everyone to be here.”


Irvine grinned and leaned in with a lowered voice, “It’s Squall’s birthday, the present you bought him is out in my car. We figured you’d forget what day it was since you were so stressed about righting things with the man so that you could give him his gift.”


Seifer was floored a bit, he really had forgotten what day it was, he nodded his head. “Thanks.”


Irvine grabbed up his pregnant wife Selphie and they set to work setting the table while Zell kept Seifer’s own girlfriend occupied so she couldn’t tease him about wearing an apron. Squall and Rinoa had gone to their room, probably to change into more comfortable cloths – at least in Squall’s case, Seifer knew he wouldn’t want to sit down to dinner with friends in armor. By this time he’d quite forgotten that he had noodles clingy to him, even the one on his cheek didn’t bother him. So once everything was made he found several potholders and with Zell and Irvine’s help – Quistis was useless as she couldn’t stop giggling over Seifer’s appearance – he set the noodles, sauce, mixed vegetables and bread out on the table. He was just greasing the cookie sheet when Squall and Rinoa came back out. While he was scooping balls of dough out and placing them on the sheet Squall wandered over to him with a grin. Looking up as a hand was clapped onto his shoulder the blonde was a bit surprised to see the smile there and simply blinked at him, all motion frozen.


“You seem to have fought hard to make dinner tonight.” Squall’s voice carried and amused edge.


“What?” Seifer’s green eyes held confusion before they registered where Squall’s grey-blues were aimed. “Oh. Well I’ve never made spaghetti before.” He looked down with a blush, “I didn’t really know how to check the noodles and they’d clumped together and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that either.” His blush deepened and he quickly finished doling out the remaining dough as Squall chuckled. He put the cookie sheet in the oven and set a timer before taking the apron off. He turned to the sink and washed his hands, fighting some more with the noodles on his wrist, elbow and cheek before having the courage to turn and face his friends.


Squall was seated at the table Rinoa to one side Selphie on the other. Next to Selphie was Irvine and next him Quistis, Zell was seated next to Rinoa and there was an open spot next to his girlfriend for him. Clearing his throat he went and sat down, “I hope everything tastes okay.”


Squall smiled at him, “I’m sure it will. You’re a great cook Seifer.”


Seifer’s eyes widened, what was this? Since when was Squall nice to him? The blonde very much doubted that the last few years of animosity were over just because he’d made spaghetti. But he let it pass with a nod; it seemed everyone else knew what was going on but him. They ate dinner with the normal level of conversation and mouths so full of food that they generally couldn’t be understood and yet someone always knew what they were saying. Seifer had gotten up and taken the cookies out of the oven when the timer went off, and after allowing them to cool for a bit he’d plated them and brought them to the table as well. He may not have known what Squall’s favorite food was, but he DID know the man’s favorite cookie. The way Squall’s eyes lit up at the prospect of eating them was all Seifer really needed to feel like he’d accomplished something.


Gathering up everyone’s dirty dishes Seifer took them to the sink and began to wash them, Zell came in and began drying them and putting them away, so the process went much faster than it would have if Seifer was doing everything himself. Rinoa clapped her hands as they finished and had everyone gather in the living room, “Alright everyone, it’s time!”


Suddenly five voices broke out into the Happy Birthday song and while Seifer grinned and joined in, Squall scowled at all of them and crossed his arms over his chest like a grumpy three year old. Giggling Rinoa had everyone bring over their presents for Squall and patiently made him open every single one. Quistis had gotten him a motorcycle to wish she’d wrapped the keys in a neat little box and the bike itself was out front with a bow on. Irvine had gotten him a book by his favorite author, one that was out of print and Squall had been hunting down a copy for a couple of years now. Selphie gave him a handmade stuffed Griever which elicited a smile from the man. Rinoa gave him a photo album of all the years she’d known him and Zell got him a new custom made pair of combat boots. Irvine went out to his car and came back with Seifer’s gift. Seifer had handmade his gift for Squall, he’d designed and built him a brand new gunblade, it was sleek and lighter than most of his other weapons, but it was just as durable as Lionheart if not more so. It also had a 12 bullet cartridge and could withstand any type of bullet that Squall would ever want to use in it. Seifer was rather proud of it. When he handed the cloth wrapped blade to his old sparring partner the man’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas, Easter and Halloween all at the same time. It clicked.


“You already know what this is don’t you?” Seifer sighed, how’d he find out? It was supposed to be a surprise!


Squall uncovered the beautiful weapon which had a detailing of ‘magic lights’ and falling feathers on the blade and stock. “It’s beautiful. I saw it on the bench in your office a couple of weeks ago. I initially thought you were making you a new one until I saw your schematics for it and the magic and feather design.”


Seifer blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Well I’m glad you like it.”


“I love it Sei. It’s gorgeous.” Squall was running his hands over it lovingly.


“The sheath isn’t done yet, I’ll get it to you when Fujin and Rajin finish it.” His two best friends and started a leather working business and Seifer was certainly one of their top customers.


Zell winced which didn’t escape Quistis’ notice, “I’m guess your gift was made by Rajin and Fujin as well?”


Zell nodded, “Yeah, my newest set of gloves was commissioned from them as well. They’re really good.”


“They are.” Seifer smiled rather proud of his friends. But all too soon he frowned again and looked down at Squall. “So, um, can you forgive me for what I did? I’d really like to have a sparring partner again.”


Squall looked up and smiled awkwardly at the blonde, “Yeah, I forgive you. Besides you aren’t so much of an ass anymore and no longer call me or Zell names, so I guess it’s only fair.”


Selphie and Rinoa clapped their hands in delight and Quistis jumped up and hugged Seifer tight in happiness. Seifer simply breathed a sigh of relief and finally felt like he was home. He wrapped his arms around Quistis and smiled into her hair.