Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Love By Moonlight ❯ Irvine, my... boyfriend? ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter Seventeen.

"Another turtle neck?" Said his mother when he came downstairs for breakfast.

"Huh?" Zell asked not really hearing her. He looked exhausted and warn out.

"Are you coming down with something?" She asked getting up from the table to feel his head.

"No, no I'm just a little tired I could barely sleep last night." He replied sitting down in front of a box of Lucky Charms.

"I can imagine, there was a dog barking all last night, why people walk there animals that late at night is beyond me."

Ms. Dincht walked to the stove and gave her son some bacon and eggs instead of the cereal. "This will wake you up a lot better than that sugary cereal." She also put down a cup of orange juice.

"Thanks." He said rubbing his eyes. 'It wasn't the dog that kept me awake, it was thinking about Seifer coming back to my house and killing us because I turned him down.' Zell was thinking. 'I know I like him, but I don't know how he feels about me. I mean, he didn't say that we weren't together when I said that we were a couple.'

"Zell sweety are you alright?" Asked his Ma, feeling his forehead. "You're not warm...Maybe you should skip school today?" She suggested.

"No, Ma. I'm fine." Zell replied shaking his head away from her hand. "I really am just a little tired." He scooped three spoon fulls of the egg in his mouth and ate all the bacon, before he swallowed the food completely, he then chugged the orange juice and slammed the glass down hopping up. "Bye Ma." He kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll come home right after school," He said before going out the door.

"Maybe I should let him off, it was just one time and he has learned his lesson." His mother pondered out loud.

"Hey Zell," Selphie was saying. "wanna walk to school together?"

"Yeah." The blonde replied walking into step with her.

"So did you get caught sneaking back in?" She asked.

"Surprisingly, no." He hopped up on a wall and spread his arms out for balance to walk across it. "I ripped my shirt trying to yank it off so quick, but that's about it." He went on.

"What took you so long anyway?" She asked joining him on the wall.

"Well, we were kinda distracted." Suddenly he hopped off the wall with a grin wide enough to run a fast food chain through.

"What's with the smile?" Selphie asked noticing. "Did you guys you know, do it." She said in her teeny voice at the end and Zell laughed.

"You can say it out loud whose gonna hear you?"

Selphie rolled her eyes spreading her arms out and up. "Only the whole town of Balamb, I talk loud remember?" She informed and walked to his side. "So details, what was it like?"

Zell thought about it for a minute then shrugged. "It was nice." Was all he said and her whole face dropped.

"That's it, that's all your gonna give me?" Pushing him in the arm, Selphie walked ahead without him. "I thought we were best friends Zell, and you can't even tell me how good it was." She was saying. "After all I did for you last night."

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Zell was saying. "I'll tell you, but later okay...." She still had a pouted mouth and he pushed her on the shoulder. "Okaaay? Or I won't do it."

She dropped her shoulders in defeat and nodded. "Yeah, yeah but you better mean it. I'm holding you to your word." She informed and walked on in silence.

As the two walked to school, Irvine suddenly came into view and Selphie squinted her eyes to see if it were him or not. "Hey it is," She was saying and Zell looked over at her.

"What is?" He asked.

"Irvine," She raised a hand and placed one to the side of her mouth. "Ir-..!"

But Zell covered her mouth before she could say anything. "Don't bother," He said taking his hand away.

"Why not? He always walked to school with you before." Selphie looked up ahead to where Irvine was and saw that he seemed kind of down.

"Yeah well, we had a fight last night and I would rather not see so much of him for a while." Zell explained.

"When did you have time to fight? I thought you had a date?" She kept glancing at Irvine's sad figure walking and she felt bad for him.

"Hey don't make that face, he started it. I was just leaving when he starts in with his whole 'where are you going' kick, then he pushed me." Zell felt his busted lip and was glad Ma was too worried about his health to really notice it.

"It's still sad," Selphie said and was quiet the rest of the way to school, and Zell couldn't help but think that she were right. I mean, he did start it but it didn't mean he had to hit him back.

"......Fine, I'll make up with him later, if it'll make you wipe that stupid look off your face." He said in defeat.

"Yay!" She beamed throwing her arms around him.

"Girls." Zell remarked quietly.

..............................

Zell walked into the school library and returned the book on Vampire's, it did him no good anyway. He didn't know what type of vampire Seifer was, and his guesses seemed wrong. Seifer for sure wasn't a day walking vampire because he would have seen him at least once or twice in the morning, he wasn't an incubus although he did seem really taken with sleeping with him. The only other one he could think of that seemed remotely like Seifer is a Slavic and he prayed that it wasn't because next to the Upyr, they are the most vicious and merciless of all vampires.

'I just don't think I'm strong enough to take him on, I've felt his strength...on both occasions.' He thought flashing back to yesterday night with a smile on his face. 'Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions about him...maybe he's nice and just wants someone to love.' Zell walked out of the library and down the hall. 'If I happen to be it, then so be it.'

When the martial artist got to the stairs he saw Irvine coming out of the elevator and thought about turning around and running off before the cowboy could see him, but he couldn't, he had to stand his ground....but when he got close enough he turned chicken. "Maybe next time." He mumbled and hid on the side of the stairway. "Maybe he didn't-..."

"I did see you, and Zell we need to talk." Said Irvine, reaching the foot of the stairs. He turned and looked at where Zell was crouched at and the little blonde came out from his hiding place.

"Alright, you caught me. I guess I couldn't avoid you forever." He was saying and sat himself on the stairs. Irvine sat down as well but they were both silent. 'Just say something already, he's obviously waiting for an apology.' Zell was thinking.

'Why didn't I say I was sorry to him sooner?' Thought Irvine. 'He was right, it was none of my business to what he was doin' last night.' The cowboy turned his head away from Zell and sighed. 'Just come out and say it.'

"Irvine-"

"Zell I'm-..." They both started.

"You go first." They said together again.

"Okay," They continued on.

"Wait wait," Irvine said putting a hand over the little blondes mouth. "You go on ahead first." When he dropped his hand, Zell took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Okay, Irvine I'm sorry for hitting you the other day, you just made me so mad and you almost made me late for a date and I don't know, I'm just sorry for hitting you." Zell looked down waiting for the whip lash of insults followed by 'You're darn right, you should be sorry.'

But what Irvine said took him by surprise. "Good, cause I'm sorry too partner. I didn't mean to be so nosey, I just wanted to know where you were headin' because I wanted to ask you out when you were off from your punishment."

Zell blinked letting that sink in then he smiled slightly asking. "You were?" Irvine nodded and Zell turned his face away from him to hide his grin. 'This is so weird, I never thought I'd have two guys in love with me.' He thought.

"Soo, what do you say?" The cowboy asked bringing Zell back to earth.

"To what?" Asked Zell, not really hearing the question in the first place.

"About forgettin' it happened, dummy." Irvine stated standing up and holding out a hand for Zell to take.

"Yeah," taking his hand he stood up. "all's forgotten."

Irvine grinned into slight laugh and placed an arm around Zell's shoulders. "Cool." He said walking them down the hall, even though Zell's class was on the second floor. "So, when you're off how's about that date? Even if it's just to try it out, or a friendly thing?"

Zell heard the plead in his friends voice and nodded. "Sure, I'm not doing anything tonight, unless Ma wants me stay in the house cause I'm still grounded...and sneaking out twice might be hard to do."

"Understood, I guess it'll be whenever you can then." Irvine said letting him go. "I gotta get to class. See ya." Waving he walked down the hall.

"See ya," Zell said.

'....I'm glad we're friends again.' Thought the blonde walking to class. 'It's gonna be weird going on a date with my best friend though, but hey stranger things have happened.' While going up the stairs his mind shot back to Seifer. 'Didn't he wanna see me again tonight?' He wondered. 'Ha, after our little tiff he probably doesn't want to anymore.' Pushing the button to the second floor he waited for the elevator.

'........It's for the better.' Zell walked on to the elevator and went to the second floor.

* * *

"I'm home Ma!" Zell shouted when opening the front door.

"Stop shouting in the house!" She called from upstairs. He heard her footsteps over heard then at the stairs. "Guess what sweety," His Ma began.

"What?" He placed his book bag down in front of the couch.

"I'm letting you off on good behavior, isn't that wonderful?" His Ma asked and he grinned nodded then said.

"Cards night?"

"Uh-huh, order a pizza for yourself, I'm leaving the money under the refrigerator magnet."

She hurried past him. "Then where are you going now?" He asked her.

"To D.S.'s market in Dollet with Thea', she wants to get her shopping out of the way so she'll have more time to herself next week." She picked up her jacket and he helped her slip it on. "I figure I might as well go with her, and do some shopping myself, that name brand stuff comes and goes." Adjusting the coat on her shoulders she kissed her son goodbye and walked out.

"Great, the food that never ends. Uuugh!" He groaned. "Guess I'll watch some t.v." Walking over to the couch, Zell sat down and looked for the remote. "Now where...." He felt around under the couch cushions, then flipped them up when his hand didn't go deep enough. "Nooo," He looked at both side tables and still saw nothing. "Greeat, now I have to look around."

Ding! Dong! "Maybe Ma put it someplace?" He wondered going into the dining room.

Ding! Dong!

Seeing that it wasn't in there he walked into the kitchen. "Not in here."

Ding! Dong! "Come in!" He snapped.

"Geez, try opening a door for a person." Selphie was saying as she walked in. Zell came from the kitchen with frustration written on his face. "Tough day?" She asked.

"No, I can't find the remote." Zell griped.

Selphie gaped at him and shook her head. "You're serious?" She said.

Walking over to the t.v. she crouched down and pointed. "They do make buttons ya know." But he hadn't heard her over himself.

"I give up." The blonde let his weight drop on the chair and his back sank down shrinking him lower.

"Here it is." Selphie announced.

"Where was it?" Zell asked sitting back up reaching out a hand to take it from her when she got to the chair.

"On the t.v stand." She sat down and crossed her legs smoothing her jeans creases out with her hands.

Zell flicked through the channels looking for Young Hercules, but since it wasn't on yet he turned on G4.TV. "Ooh Filter." Selphie chirped. The two watched the show in silence then the girl turned to him with an impish smile on her face. "Zeellll, did you forget that you were supposed to tell me something?" She asked.

"Like what?" He asked turning to her as well.

"Like ohhh, I don't know how you had sex last night." Selphie reminded.

"Oh right, well forget that. Guess what?" He distracted.

"Alright, I'm game. What?" Asked Selphie.

"Irvine asked me out." Stated Zell.

"He did? When? I thought you were fighting?" She asked.

"At school, right after we made up. He said if I wasn't still grounded, then maybe we could go out."

Selphie's mouth dropped and she tossed her arms around him. "That's so great, I always thought if anyone should be together it should be you two." Pulling away she looked at him with curiosity. "So did you say yes?"

With a nod he answered. "Yup. And since Ma gave me pizza money anyway we can have that." Selphie nearly screamed with happiness and Zell stuck a finger in his ear.

"Don't shout in the house Selph', Ma's orders." She laughed and turned back around looking at the t.v. "This is so exciting." She muttered to herself. a little silence then Selphie giggled lowly.

"What?" Asked Zell looking at her.

"Do you think, Diane is a lesbian?" She wondered to him.

"Oh yeah," He commented. "her and those two girls from G4.TV, you know the blonde and brunette."

Selphie nodded. More silence. "I hope Zelda wins, I love that game. Link is so hot." She was saying. "Why if I had two minutes with the guy-..."

"Keep dreaming," Zell said. "He's not real and if he were he'd be with Zelda, or another guy."

Selphie shoved him in the arm and shook her head. "Well jerk of the day, I'm going home to do my homework." She got up and slapped him on the arm to say goodbye. "This one you'd better tell me about, no stalling or subject changing. Dork." With a wave she was gone and he crossed his arms.

"Tch, I do not change subjects." He commented. 'Although, now that I hear it out loud maybe I should rethink this whooole, dating my best friend deal...no good can come from it...and what if Seifer tries to get into my house when I'm not here?'

"Decisions." Zell said out loud and changed the channel.

"In local news, another man was found in the park dead along with his dog, the man's throat like the other victims was slit, but strangely the dog just had a broken neck." The anchor man was saying. "Still no evidence of who's behind the sudden murders or why, but there will be more news on at ten tonight, channel 3."

Hearing that he thought about the barking, the dog and the owner with the dog. "Seifer would have gone back through that way to get to the woods...." He said in what was supposed to be thought, then remembered his words from two nights ago.

"I can't promise that, I have to kill to survive." Feeling the frown creep up on him he said lowly.

"Or to spite."