Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Lightning. ❯ Chapter, The Twenty-Fifth: In Which Lightning is Presented. ( Chapter 25 )

Kitty: Yay for Zell! He found Lightning! But will his daring plan come off?!

Eoko: What are you, the spokesperson for the next James Bond movie? That actually reminds me of a Role Play...

Kitty: Oo! I remember that one! It rocked!

Eoko: Estharii spy teddy bears ftw! Oh right, fic, Lightning, chocobo.

Kitty: Wark!

Chapter, The Twenty-Fifth: In Which Lightning is Presented.

Selphie was totally zoning out. She knew she was zoning out, even without Anasha and Harada having to keep poking her when they wanted to ask a question. She'd agreed to help them with their assignment on insect-type monsters, but she really wasn't being all that helpful. It got to the stage where she appologised and left them to it.

She didn't know what to do, for once in her life. Helping people and playing match-maker was fun, but this time... this time it was hard to know if she should be playing the game.

Zell had come and asked for her help earlier that day. Normally it would be simple. Of course she would help him! But this time she'd been reluctant. Eventually, she'd given into his pleading, but she still wasn't sure it was the right thing to do.

And it all came back to Seifer.

She knew he cared about Zell, and she was pretty sure she was the only person other than Seifer himself to know it. Zell obviously didn't know it, or things would probably be a whole lot different - or at least a whole lot harder - than they seemed to be for him.

She sighed as she walked along the corridors, deep in thought. But in the end she realised there was only one thing she could do. Irvine was just too miserable. She had to help reconcile him with Zell, and deal with Seifer after that. Though... just how she was supposed to "deal with Seifer", she had no idea.

- - -

"Irvine. Irvine. Irvine. Irvine. Irvine. Irvine."

Irvine plugged his ears with his fingers and did his best to ignore her, even going so far as to sing "Eyes On Me" at the top of his lungs, despite the strange looks he was getting from other students and SeeDs in the cafeteria. Selphie just kept on going.

"Selphie!" he growled eventually, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Why do you wanna go ridin' so bad anyway?! You know I don't like to since I... since Lightnin's been gone."

"But you're still a cowboy! It's still in your blood! C'mon! Please...? Please, please, please?!" And she made her eyes go big and round and pleading, in a manner she knew Irvine had never been able to resist. He groaned and turned his eyes away, but there was a resigned sigh on his lips already.

"Alright. But only 'cause it's you, and you won't, like, care if I maybe cry."

And he knew it was likely he probably would. He was already fragile, and going down to the boarding stables always gave him a feeling of sorrow now. But she was too cute for her own good, and he could never say no to her for long.

Selphie dragged him down the garage where she borrowed a car and they drove off to the Choco Beach Boarding Stables, the little brunette humming happily to herself and Irvine staring silently out the window.

He felt so lonely. It was like he'd forgotten to do something, or lost something, but he didn't know what it was, and a despondent kind of feeling had settled on him and seemed intent on staying. No matter what he did, he couldn't dispel it... Except when he saw Zell.

He'd done his best to avoid the little blond, but it wasn't that big of a Garden and besides, they'd had another class, in which he was partnered with Seifer again. But when he saw Zell, the empty feeling was replaced with a yearning so strong, he'd almost given into it several times. A yearning to just have those arms around him again, to feel those lips against his own - and more.

Hyne! He was even dreaming about Zell. He knew what the fighter had under his shirt, he'd seen it when they swam together or trained together - before Seifer came back - and a couple of times in class when Zell had got too hot to keep his shirt on. And he was hot in more ways than one. Irvine was man enough, now that he knew what he was, to accept the fact that the fighter was damn fine.

And you want him, yesss...?

"Shut up, Levi..." Irvine muttered and Selphie glanced at him, but he waved away the question as to what the Guardian Force had said.

Selphie pulled up with a screech of tires and plume of dust that made several chocobos out to pasture wark in fear and scurry to the other end of the fenced paddock. She piped an apology at them as she bounced out of the car and around to drag Irvine out.

He sighed and tugged his hat on, then walked with her as she continued bouncing into the stables. There was no one there. Irvine frowned and squinted into the dusty half-light, finally making out a shape in the difficult illumination. Selphie took a step back, and so did Irvine when the figure took one forward, showing himself to be none other than Zell Rubedo Dincht.

"Selphie..." Irvine said, meaning it to be accusatory, but it came out pleading.

At the sound of his voice, there was a soft "kweh", and Irvine's eyes widened as Zell gave a gentle tug on the lead rope he held in his hand, and a chocobo stepped forward. It had the tiniest of scars down the left-hand side of its beak, and Irvine had only ever seen one bird with a scar like that.

"Lightnin'...?" he whispered, voice choked.

The chocobo warked joyfully, dancing on the spot and tugging at the lead rope. Zell lifted a hand to stroke his neck, then let him go, and Irvine was already moving forward. He threw his arms around Lightning's neck and the bird instantly laid his head on the sharpshooter's shoulder, warbling contentedly when the half-gloved fingers of one hand smoothed through his crest.

Zell met Selphie's eyes and she lifted her hands, the silent gesture easy to read. It's in your hands now, Zell. And with that, she turned and left the stables. Zell's eyes slid back to Irvine's face and his breath caught in his throat as he was reminded all over again just how beautiful the sharpshooter really was. The sky-blue eyes suddenly opened to catch his.

"Z-Zell... How...? Why...?" He couldn't seem to form a complete sentence and he let go of the bird, which happily lowered his head to fish around in the straw layering the floor in hopes of finding a nice bug or two or some dropped greens.

"How...? It wasn't so hard. I called some places, paid some people. He's yours again, Irvine... like he should be. I'm sorry you had to sell him."

"But I..." Tears came to his eyes at the thought of having to give the bird away again, because he knew he couldn't afford to keep it. "I can't keep him here... I had to send him away before... because... because I can't pay... I still owe them gil from when they kept him as long as they could before..."

"No, you don't."

Irvine blinked at him.

"Wh-what...?"

"I paid your debt, and a month in advance. And when that runs out, I'll pay another month. And I'll keep paying."

Irvine swallowed, tears of an entirely different sort making his throat tighten and his hands tremble.

"Why? Why would you go to all that trouble to find him, and pay to keep him for... for me?"

"Because I love you," Zell said simply and Irvine could only stare.

There was nothing in those four gentle words that expected anything in return for what he was doing and saying. There was nothing that wanted to guilt Irvine into doing something he might not want. Just simple affection, tenderness.

"Because I love you," Zell repeated. "And I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry you had to sell your bird because I made you keep failing your classes. I'm sorry I hurt you when you found out I was - am - Rubedo. I'm sorry for everything. I just want to see you smile. That's all. You smiled for me when I was Rubedo, I want you to smile for me when I'm not. I'd do anything to see you smile again..."

Irvine tore his eyes away from Zell's, only because if he kept looking at the fighter, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist the little voice inside of him that cried touch him, touch him, touch him, touch him, touch him!! TOUCH. HIM!

"Zell... I-I... I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you'll be enough, if you smile."

Irvine looked up again, falling instantly under the spell of those sapphire eyes, and he couldn't help but smile, which in turn made Zell smile, a tender light in his eyes that made Irvine's entire body feel warm. The sharpshooter shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, chewing nervously on his lower lip, then he flung himself at the fighter, unable to resist it any longer, and buried his nose in the choco-fuzz hair, silent tears running down his cheeks.

"Thank you... Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

Zell hesitated, uncertain for the first time in a very, very long time, then carefully put his arms around Irvine's waist, letting out a sigh of relief when the sharpshooter relaxed against him, hands fisting in the back of his shirt.

"You're very welcome," Zell murmured, rubbing his back gently.

"I don't know what to do..." Irvine whispered after they'd stood like that for what seemed like an age.

"It doesn't matter," the fighter replied. "Don't think about it."

Irvine couldn't think straight and he knew it was because Zell smelled so good and it felt so good to be held by him... again. He pulled away suddenly and the fighter let him go, watching him as he went back across the stables to Lightning, urging the chocobo's head up.

"C'mon, darlin'. It ain't healthy for you to be rootin' around in there."

He led Lightning to the stall Zell indicated and supplied him with enough greens for his dinner. While he munched happily away, Irvine ran a brush through his feathers and plucked out the dead or ragged ones. The activity was just something to do and Zell knew the sharpshooter was using it as a request for silence and time to think. The fighter let him have it. It wasn't as if watching him was at all difficult or a chore. It made a smile dance around his lips.

Irvine finished what he was doing and put the brush aside, then turned to find Zell watching him intently. The close scrutiny made him shiver and he swallowed, wanting the fighter with a sudden intensity that took his breath away. He took a step forward and Zell straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall.

"Zell... I-"

"Hey! You fella's a'right in here?"

They both looked to the stable doors, the spell between them broken, and Irvine blinked several times. What was he doing? Even if... though... Even though he had forgiven Zell - and he realized he truly had - it was far too soon to... He needed to take some time, to get to know this Zell, before they took that step.

"Yeah, we're fine," Zell replied, smiling companionably.

"I've said it afore 'n' I'll say it ag'in, Mr. Kinneas, that's a damn fine bird yer got there. I'm glad yer got 'im back," the stable owner commented, sauntering bow-leggedly along the stable to where Irvine was just closing Lightning's gate behind him.

"Yeah, me too. I got Zell to thank for that," Irvine replied, throwing a warm smile in the fighter's direction.

"Anyways, we'll look after yer bird sure 'n' certain, Irvine."

"Thanks. I know you will. Anyways, we better get outta your hair. I'll come back my next day off and take him out."

"He'll like that fer sure."

The stable owner tipped his hat and waddled on out, Irvine following behind him. Zell stood where he was until the sharpshooter looked over his shoulder and arched a brow.

"You gonna take me out for lunch, or just stand there with Lightnin' all day...?"

Zell grinned and by the time he left the stables, Irvine was already sitting astride his motorbike, hat stowed and helmet on, waiting for him.

Damn, his bike was sexy!

- - -

They're probably together right now. His hands all over that smooth skin. His tongue tasting that warm mouth. His fingers tracing those tattoos. They're probably somewhere right now making love. Love! Zell loves him. Zell loves him! Fucking cowboy prat... Like he knows anything... I-

"Seifer! Are you even listening to me?!"

Seifer literally jumped, head jerking out of his hand where it had been propped and jade eyes blinking stupidly at Quistis.

"No," he answered truthfully, highly amused when her pretty eyes nearly popped out of her head. "I'm not."

"This is important! I need to tell you now so you don't have a heart attack or something on the day."

"Tell me what, Instructor, dear?"

"...You really weren't listening. Okay, this time, listen."

"If you say so, beautiful."

"Oh, please, I know I'm not your type."

"You just never can tell."

Quistis sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and she shifted uncomfortably. She didn't relish breaking this news to him, but since she knew him better than any of the other Instructors, it had fallen to her. They hoped he would refrain from killing her.

"The last however many Field Exams you've taken, you've been Squad Leader and, to put it bluntly, fucked up. You don't take well to leadership, because you seem to take that small amount of power as being a license to do whatever the hell you want, which it isn't."

Seifer arched a brow.

"And your point is...?"

"My point is, Seifer, that for the Field Exam, you'll be taking in two week's time, you won't be Squad Leader."

"Oh, yeah? What moop are you putting me under, then? Some cadet who'll make frightened bunny-eyes at me and do whatever I tell him or her to do anyway?"

"Hardly," she said dryly.

"Who, then?"

"Irvine."

And I thought this day couldn't get any worse... Fucking Hyne!