Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Lightning. ❯ Chapter, the Forty-Third: In Which Zell Cools Down. ( Chapter 43 )

Kitty: Zell is hot! He doesn't need to cool down!

Eoko: Even that godly blond needs to tone it down once or twice! Oh... I know what happens in this and next chapters. XD!

Kitty: Of course you would remember this part... -giggles-

Eoko: -snickers-

Kitty: But we don't want to give away what happens. -zips up lips-

Eoko: Nope. You'll have to wait another week.

Kitty: But in the meantime, you can enjoy this chapter, and join our KH2 RP! Now that I have the game, we'll be starting sooon!

Eoko: YES! And tell your friends about it! Web address in chapter 42!

Kitty: Just... nobody take Axel. *presses fingers together, grinning sheepishly* I might yet want him.

Eoko: He's already reserved with Sephiroth and Xemnas until you've chosen.

Kitty: Whee! I have reserves. lol

Eoko: Yes you do, cause you're my co-boss. Now, go read people!

Kitty: YES! Read, our Minions, read! And say all together, really loudly, EOKO! WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER! and she'll know what I'm - er... you're talking about.

Chapter, the Forty-Third: In Which Zell Cools Down.

Hyne, he was bored. He was in desperate need of something to do. After the little outing with Selphie (which, okay, he had enjoyed) he’d slept half the day. He wasn’t surprised at that since, after the dinner and the movie, Selphie had dragged him all over Esthar to various nightclubs. She said she’d got permission to borrow the Ragnarok so they could go there, but he doubted that. His sleep in had occurred in Esthar and they had dragged themselves home at around two in the afternoon. He’d spent the rest of the afternoon with ice on his skull.

He woke refreshed this morning, at around ten, and was currently lazing around in the bath over his latest issue of Guns ‘n’ Guys. It would be better, he mused, if he was currently lazing around in the bath in Zell’s lap over his latest issue of Guns ‘n’ Guys. It was boring this way.

He managed to make the bath last until eleven, then he climbed out, dried off and padded naked around his room tidying. Zell was neat to the point of obsession and he nearly always spent the first three minutes of time in Irvine’s room picking things up. But the last three days without him being there, it had got a bit out of hand, so used had the sharpshooter become to Zell’s doing it.

He wished Zell were there to watch him tidying up in nothing but his own skin…

“Stop it,” he muttered. “It’s pathetic.”

By the time he got dressed he’d managed to waste the morning and decided he was hungry, so he took himself off to get some lunch, wondering what Zell was doing.

- - -

Zell couldn’t remember a time when being alone with Seifer had been so damn awkward. Even when they hated each other it hadn’t been like that. They’d spat and hissed and cursed at each other, or even fell upon each other and beat up each other. It had never been so stilted and stiff.

But Seifer didn’t seem as affected by it. He seemed his perfectly relaxed self and Zell knew him well enough to be able to see he wasn’t only pretending to be relaxed. He was pleased with himself.

As they stalked their prey, learning its habits and movement patterns, he had time to think about Seifer. Everything clicked into place.

It made sense, now, why Seifer was finding it even more difficult to be friendly with Irvine than ever before, and why he wasn’t even trying. His terrible mood and his reluctance to explain it were clear now.

“You really are blond, Dincht…” he muttered disgustedly at himself.

“Hey?” Seifer replied, turning a little to look at him.

“…Nothing… Let’s stop for lunch. It’s nearly noon anyway, so we’ll have to head back.”

Seifer nodded and reached for the pack on his back. They hadn’t bothered with the snowmobiles and they’d found that, even though the thing moved fast and would pull away from them, it would stop roughly every hour to eat, giving them time to catch up.

Lunch was largely silent and Zell could feel Seifer’s eyes on him. He tried to ignore it, but it made his belly flop disconcertingly and his heart beat faster.

Hyne.

The gunbladist had always been hot. Of course Zell had thought about him, dreamed about him… and okay… touched himself over him, but… But what?

Zell rubbed at his forehead as though that would get rid of the thoughts there, but without success. Bubbles of conversation burst inside his head, and Diablos laughed at him.

He’s… I know he’s a bastard…

…Still so sexy, and…

…Teases me all the time, but…

But…

…I love him…

I love him…

Selphie…

I love him!

He looked sharply up. Seifer was just finishing his lunch, licking his fingers clean, and his eyes were intense, like he could read Zell’s thoughts.

Poor little Chicken… Diablos sneered. Thou art torn…

Zell snarled and uncoiled like a spring, striking out with one hand to grab a fistful of Seifer’s clothes. He jerked him forwards, went onto tiptoes and the gunbladist’s mouth was on his the moment it opened.

It was fire, ice, hunger, sex. They devoured each other like starving men falling upon their first meal for months. Seifer held him demandingly and gently all at once and he in turn clung to Seifer, tears frosting on blond lashes.

It was so different… so different than kissing… than…

“Oh, Hyne, Seifer…” Zell choked, pushing away. “I… c-can’t… Irvine… Irvine’s too-”

“Fuck Irvine!” Seifer snarled. “I’ve been around longer than Irvine!” He snarled the name like a curse.

“No… Seifer… No!”

Zell turned, running a hand through his hair and Seifer trudged after him. After they’d been walking an hour or so, Seifer could remain civil no longer. Alright, so maybe civil wasn’t exactly what he had been…

“Zell!”

The fighter flinched, but ignored him.

“Zell! Don’t fucking ignore me, you blond little chicken wuss arsehole!”

“You’re blond, too, Seifer…”

Seifer seriously considered strangling Zell with his bare hands.

“What’s so Hynedamned special about Irvine anyway?”

“Don’t, Seifer…”

“No! I’m really interested. What is so fucking great about him that you won’t even think about me?”

“It’s always about you, Seifer…” Zell sounded tired.

“Well, now I want it to be about Irvine. Do tell.” His tone grew sly, then. “Is it how he moans…?”

“Seifer.”

The gunbladist ignored the warning in Zell’s voice.

“Maybe it’s how he squirms or begs.”

“Seifer!”

“Or does he suck you off like a two-gil whore?”

Crack.

Seifer blinked up at Zell from the snow-strewn ground, holding his nose.

“Fuck you, Seifer! Don’t ever let me hear you…” Zell snarled, then his voice broke. “Fuck you…”

And he whirled and walked off.

“Zell! Zell, you can’t just piss off and leave me here! I think you broke my nose!” (1)

“So cure it!” Zell snarled.

Seifer muttered irritably to himself for a few seconds in hopes that Zell would change his mind, but he kept walking.

“Hynedamned PMSing fucking chicken…” Seifer hissed, then did cure his nose, because it hurt like a bitch.

Zell ignored him until they were in sight of the tent, when he snarled “fuck you!” again.

“Zell, talk to me!”

He spun to face Seifer, hands fisted at his sides.

“What do you want me to say, Sei-”

He cut off, eyes widening as the ground beneath him cracked, the snow shifting. He barely had time to yelp before it heaved and pitched him down into the hidden lake under his feet.

“Zell!” Seifer cried, Heart leaping to his throat. “Zell!”

The fighter’s head broke the surface with a gasp and his lips were already going blue. Seifer went tearing down the snowbank towards the lake, but it grated and shuddered ominously and he had to back off. Zell grabbed for the edge and they both cried out wordlessly as the ice broke off and he plunged under again.

Hyperion was rarely used for anything but her purpose, but this time, Seifer didn’t hesitate. He wrapped the tail of his jacket around the sharp end and flung himself down on his stomach, reaching out for Zell with the grip end.

“Zell!” he called desperately when the fighter surfaced again. “Oh, Hyne, Zell, grab it! Grab it!”

He did, with purpled fingers gone numb and nerveless. His grip slipped and a sob tore free of Seifer’s throat, but Zell’s other hand came up and he had it.

“Seifer…” he whispered, barely a breath, but the gunbladist heard it and he pulled with every inch of muscle he possessed, dragging the fighter laboriously free of the water.

“Zell?!” Seifer cried, pulling the fighter into his arms.

Zell’s eyes slitted open and Seifer’s heart stuttered when he realised the fighter’s lips matched the colour of his gaze.

“C-cold… S-s-s-ei-fer… So…”

“Shh… It’s alright. I’m here.”

Zell’s eyes flickered shut again and Seifer clambered to his feet, hurrying for the tent.

“…Cold…” Zell repeated in a whisper.

“Stay awake, Zell… You can’t fall asleep.”

“Nnn…”

The gunbladist put the heater on high and stripped Zell of all his soaking clothes, tucking him under the blankets. He still shivered and he was still blue. Seifer didn’t hesitate to strip himself naked as well and climb in beside the fighter.

Zell didn’t move.

“Zell…” Seifer whispered against his ear and the fighter twitched.

“N’t m’ears…” Zell muttered.

Seifer arched a brow, then closed his lips around the fighter’s earlobe, suckling gently. Zell shuddered from head to foot and sighed.

“Cold…” he whispered again and gave a tiny whimper.

“Shh, baby, I’ll warm you up…”

Maybe it was taking advantage, but Seifer honestly told himself it was the only way to get Zell warm again, He rolled atop the fighter and caught his mouth, working until there was a sluggish response. He rolled his hips and the fighter trembled, cold arms winding tight around Seifer’s shoulders.

Zell sighed. Some part of him clamoured that this was wrong, that there were reasons he shouldn’t be doing it, but Seifer was so warm and so gentle and he couldn’t fight it.

I love him.

- - -

Irvine knocked lightly on Squall’s door, absently scratching his ear with his other hand.

“Yes.”

Irvine peeked around the door, then went in when Squall smiled at him. Wait… Squall smiled…? Naw, it must just be a tic.

“Howdy, Squall,” he said.

“Irvine,” the commander replied, not looking up again.

“Er… how’s things?”

“Fine.”

“Good...”< br>
“What is it, Irvine?” Squall finally looked up again, pen poised against paper.

“Um… I were wonderin’ if you heard from Zell…?”

Squall blinked, then stood, coming around the desk again leaning casually against it. Irvine followed his lead, tilting his hat back with a finger then crossing his arms over his chest.

“They radioed Saturday and said they’d radio again tonight.”

“Tonight…? Shouldn’t they be comin’ home by now…?”

Squall shrugged.

“Guess they must be enjoying themselves.”

Irvine wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

“Can… can I speak to Zell… tonight?”

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Rules,” Squall replied with another shrug.

Irvine sighed, but nodded.

“Well has… he said anythin’… about me?”

Squall shook his head.

“No.” (2)

Irvine ducked beneath his hat to hide his eyes, sighing.

“Guess he must be workin’ hard.”

Squall moved in front of Irvine, reaching up to take off the hat. His other hand came to the sharpshooter’s cheek and he lifted the sky-blue eyes to his own.

“He’s with Seifer,” the gunbladist said as though that explained everything.

Irvine tried to look away, but Squall held him.

“So what?”

“So… you know what.”

Irvine shook his head free of Squall’s fingers and started to stand, but the gunbladist’s hands came to either side of him, against the desk.

“Squall-”

“You’re beautiful, Irvine… You deserve better…”

Irvine opened his mouth to speak, but found it captured by Squall’s own, a slick tongue plunging within. Automatically, he melted under the overt dominance in the movements of the gunbladist’s tongue, but in the next heartbeat, he pulled away, pushing Squall back.

“Don’t touch me…” he whispered hotly, hand coming to his lips.

“But, Irvine, Zell-”

“Loves me! Zell loves me. And I love him. I can’t… I wouldn’t do that to him!”

Irvine grabbed his hat, pushed past Squall, stalking to the door.

“Irvine-”

“Don’t ever try somethin’ like that again!” he snarled and managed to hold back the tears until he was in the elevator.

- - - - - - -
(1) That’s twice Seifer’s got his nose broken by saying something stupid about Irvine. *grins*

(2) He lies! He lies!