Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Lightning. ❯ Chapter, the Thirtieth: In Which Seifer Gets Dressed Up ( Chapter 30 )

Kitty: Woooooow! Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is sooo awesome! You should all go see it! GO NOW! Or... well... wait until you finish reading the chapter... Yes. BUT THEN GO!

Eoko: I haven't seen it yet. But, oh well. I have other things to occupy myself with.

Kitty: Other things I won't watch because of spoilers. -waits impatiently for Kingdom Hearts 2 to be released in Australia-

Eoko: Yea, I've been making a KH2 gmv. I haven't even gotten past the first two Gummi Ship missions, but I really don't care about spoilers. I can love the chars a lot more now because of it. -kills Sora- Um, right, so I've had to remake this fecking piece of shit about 3 times, and it's not going well, so I'm very meh at the moment.

Kitty: Meanwhile, I'm making my Reno costume for Melbourne Anime Festival! It's so exciting! If any readers are Australian and are going, look for Reno! It's probably me!

Eoko: And don't kill her with glomps of doom. I need her to write and RP with please.

Kitty: But by all means, glomp me. Err... what is this chapter about? I don't even know.

Eoko: It's the one where Seifer gets all dressed up.

Kitty: Mmm... Seifer all dressed up... Well, Seifer looks good whatever he's doing. Too bad we have no IDEA what our Seifer is doing... COME BACK VAL!

Eoko: Like that'll happen anytime soon. Bleh. Maybe we should just let them go read now?

Kitty: Good idea! Enjoy the chapter, faithful readership!

Chapter, The Thirtieth: In Which Seifer Gets All Dressed Up.

Seifer may have been an arsehole, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew Zell’s powers of persuasion and he knew Irvine wouldn’t be able to act like everything was alright. Therefore Seifer was pretty damn certain Irvine would have ratted him out by now. What Seifer didn’t know was if Zell would wait until tomorrow to confront him.

It was that uncertainty that had given the tall blond the extra incentive he needed to finally put on his SeeD uniform. Shock and surprise were very useful tools. He hoped that if Zell saw him wearing his uniform the initial anger might get set aside. The fighter had said they were sexy. And he knew he was sexy, so the combination must be damn near mind blowing.

That’s right. Seifer Almasy had not only put on his SeeD uniform, but he was also going to attend the ball. How could he not? All those smug shits that mocked him and said he’d never pass. It was damn time they got their words shoved back down their throats, figuratively speaking of course.

He’d already decided to try to be on his best behaviour. The fact was, if Irvine hadn’t entered the picture, he’d have passed with even better marks, he would have gone to the ball with Zell- as a friend probably- and he would have been good anyway. When he was around Zell he didn’t need be to a total shit. Sure, sometimes he was, but he didn’t need to be, and the little blond could command him swifter than she could. Seifer shuddered.

With his new appointment to SeeD he knew he would have even more chances to get closer to Zell. There was no way his feelings would dissipate on there own. He wanted Zell. He wanted the spunky fighter to be his again, and just his. Sure, in a different way, but what did that matter? Seifer had only realized he was possessive of him when he was taken away. How did that saying go? ‘You never know what you’re missing until it’s gone’? Fucking sayings…

- - -

Zell sat on Irvine’s bed kicking his feet back and forth while he leaned back on the cowboy’s mattress. Said cowboy was currently in his bathroom trying to make himself look perfect for the evening.

“Irvine! You look amazing, I’m sure! Let me see!” Zell called/whined. He had gotten ready and headed over to Irvine’s an hour ago. Now they only had- Zell glanced at the clock on the bedside table- fourteen minutes.

“I don’t! This has to be, like, just right,” the cowboy called back, checking his hair in the mirror again.

“Then let your boyfriend see so he can tell you it is just right and we can go. We’re going to be late!” Zell called, sitting up straight again.

“I thought we agreed I was takin’ you to the SeeD Ball,” Irvine queried, opening the bathroom door and stepping out. He spread his arms to the sides a little and turned as he moved over to the blond boy.

Zell grinned, getting to his feet. “You look even sexier than you did for the field exam.” He wrapped his arms loosely around the cowboy’s waist.

Irvine squeaked and smiled down at him. “Don’t molest me before we, like have to go. It took ages.”

“You don’t usually take ages.”

“This is important. I have to look good.”

“You always look good, Irvine!” Zell chuckled and leaned up to kiss the cowboy softly.

He smiled back at Zell. With the blond always telling him how beautiful he was, it was getting exceedingly difficult to deny it. That or it was just damn difficult to deny Zell, period. “You goin’ to be good, Dincht? Not going to start anything uncivil with Seifer?”

Zell made a bit of a face, then relaxed and nodded. “Yea yea, I’ll save his tongue lashing for tomorrow. You’re going out with your friends again, right? Since I’m busy with Seif?”

“Yea,” Irvine said softly smiling at Zell. “My life doesn’t revolve around you, Dincht. Don’t get too cocky or we’ll really have to start, like, callin’ you Mini Seif.”

They both made faces at that then hurried out of the dorm and to the ball room. Didn’t want to be late.

- - -

With the infamous Selphie Tilmitt as the main planner behind the look of the SeeD Ball, it had gone a little overboard. It was a good thing she didn’t get to have control over procedures and only got to be on a panel for music selection.

The good thing about this overboard was it wasn’t like Valentines exploded, or the Easter bunny switched from a basket to a grenade launcher. It was elegance to the extreme. There’s a description you don’t hear every day. Chandeliers filled with candles hung from metal chaining that ran from pillar to pillar in an almost web-like pattern. The room was warm and glowed softly with the light from the many tiny flames. The tables of drinks and food were covered in elaborately embroidered table clothes and every serving platter and dish was silver with etched designs. Sure, most of it was cheap knock offs, but it still looked good.

Upon entering the room Zell and Irvine both found it to be a little too dim compared to the standard florescent lighting in the halls. After squinting around the room for about five minutes their eyes adjusted perfectly and they could see from one side to the other with no problems.

They stopped to chat with the Cadets, though not all were cadets now. Illo and Anasha had passed their exam. After a little while of chatting it became clear how they were all there. Illo had brought Harada, Anasha had brought Hiro, Selphie had brought Rikan and Terry, even though that didn’t work, and Terry was gay. But whatever, the whole gang was there. And no one really gave a damn anyway.

The Cadets, plus Irvine, Selphie and Zell sat at a circular table, nibbling at their food and chatting to each other. Rikan kept sending little looks Irvine’s way and Zell kept glaring back. Fucking cadet looking at his boyfriend.

After Anasha had shown Irvine the note Zell had given her, and after he stopped blushing, she had begged for permission to at least tell Harada. After the girls it wasn’t long before Irvine felt at least a little alright about telling the others about him and Zell. Illo and Terry had grinned knowingly, Hiro had made some joke about lack of straight people in their group and Rikan had just about cried, despite the fact Irvine had already told him to fuck off, just in nicer words.

Most of the group was in an intense conversation about how different little party hotdogs were compared to actual hotdogs. Who started that I wonder? When Illo noticed that Terry had not added anything to the discussion he glanced toward his friend to find him staring in the direction of the doorway with his mouth hanging open.

“What are you…?” Illo asked, turning to look in the same direction. His mouth also fell open and now they where both staring. “Oh, yum.”

Harada, hearing this, hopped around in her chair to give him a swat. But she too caught sight of the eye candy and nearly fell off her chair. Illo’s attention moved back to her and reached out his arm to stop her chair from toppling. “And you took ballet for how many years, Miss Graceful?”

She would have whacked him one for that too, but that would required her looking at him in order to get a good hit in. “Is that… who I think it is?”

Well, that was all the others at the table needed to stop their ludicrous conversation and all look toward the door, where a tall, handsome young man stood, still… eyes probably still adjusting.

“It’s Seifer!” Selphie squeaked happily.

“In his uniform,” Zell added. “I knew it would look good on him.”

“Good is an understatement, Zell. I mean look at how much Terry is drooling!” Hiro laughed and leaned back to avoid a swat from the other young man.

“I’m not drooling. I’m appreciating,” Terry said firmly.

“Well, here’s your chance to appreciate close up, cause he’s coming over.” And indeed he was.

“Probably spotted Zell,” Irvine said quietly, shifting his chair a little closer to Zell’s and curling his fingers around his hand under the table. Zell smiled at him and then looked up at Seifer when he came over.

“Seif, you got all dressed up,” he grinned up at the taller blonde from his seat.

“Glad you noticed. Don’t I look hot?” Seifer grinned cockily at the whole table and winked at Irvine just to make him uncomfortable, but he did it so he could also have been winking at Terry or Zell. Had to avoid any possible pummelings from Zell later.

“I told you, you would. The uniform is flattering.”

“Yea, even you don’t look like so much of a chicken wuss in yours.” Another cocky grin and a tilt of his head. “Dance with me?”

Zell chuckled at the comment then cocked a brow at the question. He looked to Irvine and tilted his head slightly, asking for permission.

Irvine blushed a little. Zell was the dominant one. Why was he asking if he could do something? Seifer was his friend, they could dance. He still wasn’t sure if he’d have the courage to get out there on the floor with Zell. He gave two little nods and a soft smile. “Yeah, have fun.”

Seifer felt almost sick at how they didn’t even need words to communicate. He and Zell didn’t need words either. Zell understood him. Zell was the only one that really understood him. Fucking cowboy.

The taller blond extended a hand for the shorter to take and pulled him up from his chair. He turned, the hand holding Zell’s resting on his shoulder so Zell had to reach up a bit as he was dragged away.

Just as they found a spot on the floor the song that had been playing came to an end and the well known Waltz for the Moon began. Without even having to ask who would lead Zell set his left hand on Seifer’s shoulder as the gunbladist set his right on the fighter’s waist. Their free hands linked together and they began to dance.

Selphie chuckled. “Well, they’re certainly better than Squall was. He was so clumsy! He nearly knocked Rinoa over a hundred times!”

“It wasn’t even close to a hundred, Selphie.”

The hyper brunette clasped her hands over her mouth and slowly turned to glance up at the Commander. “Hi, Squall! Didn’t see you there!”

“Obviously not.”

“How you doing?” she asked cheerily.

“I came to personally congratulate Miss Anasha Birch, Mister Illo Ditermin and Mister Irvine Kinneas.”

“Please Squall. You don’t have to be so formal,” Irvine said, blushing a little. ‘Mister?’ Yeah right.

Squall rolled his eyes. “This is a formal gathering, and it’s my job as Commander to congratulate the new SeeDs.”

“You going to congratulate Seifer?” Selphie asked, grinning evilly.

The commander glanced out onto the dance floor, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Mister Almasy seems to be busy at the moment so I’ll have to congratulate him later this evening.”

“You’re putting it off,” the brunette girl said, poking at his uniform clad thigh. “You just don’t want to tell your rival that you’re happy he made SeeD.”

“I am happy he made SeeD. Now other, qualified, SeeDs can watch his every move and I can stop having Zell do it.”

Irvine blinked at the commander. “Zell doesn’t watch Seifer for you, Squall.”

“I know that. But it sounds better if it looks like I’m making some effort to keep him in line, even if I’m technically not.”

“Shhhh,” Harada giggled and Squall glanced at her like he thought she might be mentally ill in some way. “The Galbadian Spy Bugs might hear you.”

So… he could cancel thought from his previous consideration of her. “Uh… yes… So, congratulations on joining the fine ranks of SeeD. In order for us to best dispatch you, we would appreciate it if you would make a list of other SeeDs you would both work well with and poorly with, and give reasons for each. These lists can be handed into Miss Tamitha Rapture. They will be kept as confidential as possible, etc, etc, etc.”

“That was a lot of words, Squall.”

He rolled his eyes again. “Speaking isn’t difficult when you’re practically reading from a mental script.”

Selphie giggled and offered Squall a seat which he politely refused, mumbling something about business with the headmaster. Which was probably bullshit because Cid was over getting a couple of glasses of champagne for himself and Edea. But he could always drink and discuss business with Squall at the same time.

The rest of the evening consisted of more snacks, champagne, talk and dance. Selphie didn’t even pester numerous people to join the Garden Festival Committee. Thankfully enough psychos- nice, charming young people had already joined. By the time the ball was over, everybody was more or less happy and pretty sleepy.

- - -

Zell sat on his bed looking up at the ceiling and contemplating how he was going to confront Seifer about the Field Exam. This was still suppose to be their little private celebration of him passing, but all he could think about was how upset he was that the taller blond was still picking on Irvine.

Considering that, he thought it would be best to just come out with it from the start. Once that was settled he could stop thinking about it and they could enjoy the movie. Mmm, Lonny.

But back to the problem. Would he be able to be rational about this, or was he just going to jump in head first and screaming… hopefully the former… or something in between. Didn’t need Seifer getting defensive on him right from the get go. He was so much more difficult when he did that.

- - -

Seifer on the other hand was planning things out. Considering the fact that Zell hadn’t said anything even remotely related to his behaviour at the Field Exam he was sure the tattooed fighter would be bringing it up tonight. Zell wasn’t the type to just let something like this slide by.

But that didn’t mean Seifer couldn’t make him think it was absolutely nothing and forget about the whole matter. He smirked to himself. It would go perfectly. Zell was his best friend. He’d want to believe that Seifer hadn’t done it, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to convince him that he hadn’t. As long as he didn’t outright say Irvine was wrong/crazy/paranoid, then everything would be fine and he’d be curled up with Zell watching sexy pirates in no time.

He went about making snacks, also known as putting things in the microwave for however long it told him to and got everything ready. He set the movies by the DVD player, put the blanket over the back of the couch, moved the coffee table closer to the sofa, etc, etc.

When that was all done he went into the bathroom to make himself all clean and sexier, then into the bedroom to change. He chose a jade fitted tee, and a pair of black slacks. After he was dressed he admired himself in the mirror for a few minutes before doing one more check of everything.

He grinned when he heard the sound of his door sliding open. Zell had arrived right on time. He came out of the kitchen, smiling at the shorter boy but his smile fell a little when he saw the seriousness in Zell’s face. So this was going to happen right now. Well, he was ready for it. “Hey Zell. What’s up? Looks like you have something on your mind.”

Zell looked up at him and cocked his head to the side a little. “I do,” he said quietly, still trying to decided how he’d say what he was going to. “About the Field Exam, and Irvine.”

“What about it?” Seifer asked breezily as he got the snacks from the kitchen and took them over to place on the coffee table. Hyne, could he sound believable no matter how much he lied.

The fighter gave a little sigh. “Irvine told me how you were treating him, Seif. I thought we agreed you weren’t going to bother him anymore. You can’t just go messing with my boyfriend.”

Seifer made a disgusted little face while he was turned away from the little blond. “What do you mean?” he asked in a voice that sounded as if he really wasn’t aware of what Zell was talking about.

Zell blinked. Did he really not know? “Irvine said you were doing everything you could possibly do to disobey him without actually disobeying him.”

Seifer turned to face his friend and cocked a brow. “Now I’m confused. Was I or wasn’t I actually disobeying him?”

Zell closed one eye and scrunched up his face. “Alright, forget that. He said you gave him shit the whole exam.”

“Don’t I give everyone shit? Hell, I still give you shit, Zell.” He came back from the kitchen with the last plate of snacks.

The shorter blond made another face as he thought some more. “Well, yea, you do give everyone shit. But Irvine was so upset! It had to be more than just you being yourself.”

Seifer turned to Zell, head cocked to the side gently, face soft, and one hand on his hip. “Hey now. I swear I wasn’t doing anything special to piss him off. Just being me. Maybe I should have realized he doesn’t really know me, and he’s still jumpy from how we treated him before.” That’s right. Make Irvine sound like he was making a valid observation, but make himself off to be innocent at the same time. Add a bit of the fact that Zell had been the bad guy too, and bam, he was on the winning track.

“I know you care about him, Zell. Why would I still be acting like a shit when I know you’d come and beat me up for it? I’m blond, I’m not stupid.”

Zell snorted and chuckled a little. “Isn’t that an oxymoron?” He looked down at the ground as he thought for a moment more, then looked back up at Seifer. “So… You really didn’t mean it? You were just being you, which granted, can be pretty bad by itself, and you weren’t trying to make his exam hell?”

Hell yes I was trying to make his exam hell, and it worked. “Of course not, Zell. Tell you what. I’ll even tell him I didn’t mean to upset him next time I see him.”

Zell brightened at that. “Really?? I think that’d make him feel a lot better. And you better remember that he still remembers you as a huge arsehole, so you better act extra un-arsehole-y around him, got it?”

“Barely, considering your choice of words, Chickie,” Seifer chuckled and ruffled the little blond’s hair which caused him to yelp and grab at his arm. “Yea, I got it.”

“Good! Or else I really would have to beat you up.” Now Zell was happy, and Seifer was grinning with his victory.

The gunbladist wandered over to the couch and sprawled over it while Zell headed over to the DVD player. He was wearing a baby blue, sleeveless t-shirt with a low turtleneck collar- very queer- and a pair of white shorts that actually stopped above his knees, granted, only by an inch or two.

“Hey you got two movies,” Zell commented and Seifer raised himself onto an elbow a little. He’d forgotten to put that second one to the side before Zell got here. Crap… “What else did you get?” the fighter asked, but he was already taking Pirates of the Kashenrahi off the top to see for himself, making the question null and void.

Seifer bit his lower lip a little as Zell’s eyebrows lifted nearly to his hairline. “That one’s, uh… not for both of us to watch…”

One of Zell’s brows lowered while the other stayed lifted in question as he turned to face Seifer, still crouching by the DVD player. “Porn?”

“Like I said, not for us. For me, later. Remember, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Zell’s face hadn’t changed. “Are these guys martial artists?”

“What? They have good bodies.” Fuck fuck fuck.

Zell grinned a little and set down the movie on the floor. “Seifie likes to watch martial arts porn, does he?” he younger blonde rose from the ground and sauntered his way over to the couch, hopping onto the arm and looking over at Seifer.

The elder boy looked at him a little funny, and not just because he called him Seifie- ick. “Sometimes…”

“Seifie should have just asked,” Zell teased, grinning and pretty much falling onto his hands and knees on the couch cushions before slowly crawling up and over Seifer’s legs and body. “Since he has a little martial artist with a good body right… here.” The grin on his lips widened as his face neared Seifer’s.

“Zell, what are you…?” He was cut off as the fighter’s lips hit his, hard and sweet. He moaned and wrapped his arms around the little blond’s body. He didn’t care why this was happening, but he was damn well going to keep it for as long as he could.

“Mm, Seifer…” Zell murmured again his lips. “Seifer, Seifer, Seifer….”

“Seifer!”

“Huh? Yea? Wha?” he jumped a little and looked around wildly. Awww, fucking…

“I said, ‘don’t all guys in gay porns have good bodies?’ You perv. You were daydreaming about your little movie, weren’t you?” Zell smirked and set down the DVD and picked up the one they were going to watch again.

Seifer was too busy trying to calm down after his little daydream. Fucking sexy Dincht… being all hot and provocative… okay, so that was just in my head… so good…

Zell turned on the DVD player and put Pirates of the Kashenrahi in. Grabbing the remote he headed over to the couch and looked down at Seifer. “Seif, move your butt over. Seif!” He swatted at one of Seifer’s legs.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, sorry.” The gunbladist shifted onto his side and against the back of the sofa, resting his head on the small cushion on the arm of the couch.

“You are so out of it,” Zell chuckled and sat down. He skipped all the adds and hit play when he’d reached the main menu. After that he set down the remote and curled up against Seifer, using the older boy’s arm as his own pillow.

Seifer’s breath was a little shallow, hoping Zell wouldn’t notice his reaction to his little daydreaming episode. But he couldn’t help the smile forming on his lips as he draped his arm over Zell’s body.

As the movie played Zell grabbed at snacks and munched on them, sometimes grabbing one for Seifer too and trying to put it in his mouth without looking. He only hit Seifer in his nose and cheek about four times and in the eye once. He’d got swatted on the arse for the eye one. “Ner, sooorry. If you want it get it yourself, ya big baby.”

“No, warm,” Seifer said snuggling Zell tighter against himself.

“You and your warm. If you like the heat, pull the blanket down.”

Seifer liked that idea, so he regretfully released his arm from around the shorter blond and reached behind him to yank the blanket down over the both of them. Then he snuck his arm back under it and around the little body once more.

Zell cutely snuggled the edge of the blanket under his chin and squirmed around a little until he was comfy again.

Seifer barely held back the groan. Stupid chicken wuss turning him on with such simple little things. He cocked a brow when the stupid little chicken in question gave a happy little ‘mmmmmm’ of his own.

“Captain Jecht Swallow. You can pillage my body any day.”

“You little whore. You’re taken, and you’re top.”

Zell snorted and elbowed Seifer in the ribs lightly. “First off, I doubt I’ll be making it with Mr. Movie Star, Lonny Dett, and second, there are just some men you let have their way.”

“Is that right? Well, I sure as hell ain’t rolling onto my back for Lonny Dett, pirate or no pirate.”

Zell chuckled. “That’s cause you’re one of the uber-tops.” Zell could just picture the look on his face. “You know. Someone who’s top all the time. Well, maybe not all the time. But the type that could top a top.”

“You saying you’d bottom for me, Zell?” He knew this wasn’t a good little path to be marching down, but hell did he want to hear the answer.

The martial artist chuckled. “You mean if I wasn’t with Irvine and we were more than best friends? Well, if that’s what you’re asking, then ya. I’d let you fuck me.”

Seifer stared at the back of Zell’s head. He almost thought he was daydreaming again, save for the fact Zell had mentioned Irvine, so he knew he was actually in the wonderful realm of reality. “Shut up and watch the movie or else I might take you up on that offer.” Oh, the truth… what a wonderful escape. Hell, Jecht had used it on the guards a little while ago.

Zell snorted and elbowed him in the ribs again. “You sleaze. You ain’t coming anywhere near my arse.”

Seifer decided to not mention the little fact that Zell’s arse was pressed right up against him at that very moment, being practically as close as was physically possible. But thinking about that was an even worse path to stride down at the moment.

They continued watching the movie, commenting about Jecht and Wesley, about where, when and how they fucked throughout the movie and about why Wes was using Anastasia to make people think he was straight. He was at the very least bi.

Most of the conversations just had Seifer picturing himself as Captain Jecht and Zell as young Wesley Tanner. Fuck his over active, sex crazed imagination. And fuck that little body pressed up against his. Mm, that wasn’t such a bad idea. Okay, yes it was, but he could still think about it.

Zell yawned a little as the movie ended, snuggling against Seifer and under the blanket. He closed his eyes softly and smiled. “You’re right. Warm is good.”

“You tired?” Seifer asked, even though it was a redundant question.

“Mhmmmm.” Zell rolled over and wrapped an arm around Seifer’s waist. “Can I stay the night?” He rubbed his face against the taller blond’s chest and smiled again.

Seifer blinked a couple of time, then smiled down at the younger boy in his arms. “Course. You’re always allowed. S’why you have a toothbrush over here.”

Zell snorted and nodded, rolling back over to get up. He stretched up onto his tiptoes and reached as far as he could above his head.

The gunbladist took the opportunity to perv at the tattooed boy’s arse and his visible muscles as they flexed.

Said tattooed boy turned around and took him by the arm, tugging him until he got up. “’me on, Seif. Lez go brush our teeth and go ta bed.”

Seifer leaned down to grab the remote, turning off the DVD player and the TV before tossing it onto the couch and following Zell into the bathroom. The two young men brushed their teeth, then Zell brushed out his bangs and Seifer washed his face.

Zell moseyed out of the bathroom, tugging off his shirt, which got stuck for a few moments before he ripped it off. He tossed it in the hamper and took off his shorts, tossing them in as well.

The taller blond came out of the bathroom to find Zell stretching again, this time in nothing but his boxers, then crawl into bed. Hyne, was he a sight. How did he never notice? Zell could have been his. Hey had toothbrushes and a drawer of their things at each other’s dorms. They slept in the same bed. They joked and played and wrestled. How had they not become more? Seifer mentally smacked himself, knowing it just had to be his fault.

He stripped down to his own boxers, tossing his clothes in the hamper after Zell’s and joined the little blonde in his bed. He smiled at Zell, his eyes closed as he nuzzled the pillows and yawned again. “Go to sleep,” he murmured, sliding in close to the fighter.

“’m trying. Quit talkin’, Seif.” Another yawn and a bit of snuggling up against the warm body of his near-nude best friend. “Mmm, good. Night…”

“Night, Zell. Sleep well.” Seifer smiled again, moving so his chin was resting on the top of Zell’s head. He slung his arms around the martial artist and fell asleep not long after, imagining this was how it really was.