Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ One in a Million ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 1 )

Title:

Author: I_nv_u50

Pairings: SquallxZell

Warnings: Obviously if the pairing is Squall/Zell then it would be shounen-ai. I.e., Slash. If you need it more direct, boy/boy love.

Disclaimer: I wish I did own them, but I don't. The muses moved into my head, and that's that.

Chapter rating: PG-13 for swearing.. I think its only one word though. Fuck Irvine, he ruined my beautiful PG story T.T

Irvine: (smirks) You said it, not me.

Author's Notes: This is the first chapter, in an unknown amount. Actually, I have no idea when squall and Zell are gonna give up this bunny, but hey, I'm not complaining ^^ Anyway, this is just the 'introductory' chapter, it will get better .. I'm not sure, but if I did some characters OOC I'm sorry T.T And forgive me any spelling and grammar mistakes, I think I found most of them though.. Anyway, please enjoy, and please please review!! ^^;;

Zell: I'm a singer in this one …

Squall: (dryly) will wonders never cease…

Zell: (sticks his tongue out at Squall) You're a fine one to talk!!

Squall: Make it stop, make it stop.

Zell: (blinks)

It was a gray and miserable looking day the day Zell Dincht, A.K.A Eden, singer superstar extraordinaire, landed on the Plains of Esthar. A section of the grassland had been cut, deholed and smoothed over in anticipation of the arrival of the private aircraft of the famous singer.

Multitudes of fans, both male and female were waiting eagerly by the area it was rumored to have supposed to land. Hundreds of them weren't dressed warmly enough for the cold weather, and they huddled in the middle of the masses, collecting as much body heat as possible.

Then, hours after the first fans had trickled their way to the impromptu airfield, a girl pointed to the sky, and screamed. High up in the sky, high enough to be in the sunlight, but getting lower even as they watched with bated breath, there was a glint of silver. As it circled closer, it took the shape of an aircraft, impossible to see the exact size of it, but it looked huge. Finally, it straightened out, and the fans tried to break past the security guards as the plane landed and slowed to a stand still.

As one thrilled fan reported to a somewhat resigned journalist, Zell had come out of the plan, handed out a few autographs, accepted a few gifts, refused desperate proposals of marriage, and climbed into the waiting limo with his manager, Seifer Almasy, in which case the limo sped of, destination still unknown to the enthralled fans.

Selphie, the fan, struggled back to her car with her boyfriend and started to discreetly follow the limo while the other fans were still packing their things and talking excitedly to each other.

Irvine drove the car, merely because Selphie kept looking at the autograph she had received. He listened with an absent ear as she gushed, and put his minor tracking skills and good eyesight to use, following the limo all the way to the Presidential Palace.

"Hey, Sefie?" he ventured without much hope in breaking her diatribe. He was right. She didn't stop. So Irvine just parked the car in the tour-group/public parking lot and waited until she shut up.

She did when she saw the President of Esthar approach the car.

"Irvy! Is that … Is that?!"

Irvine looked up from where he was contemplating his belt buckle and started. "Shit Sefie, have you been following Ellone again?"

Selphie pouted. "No. Not recently."

Irvine sighed and, not for the first time, pondered his girlfriend's sanity.

A few months ago, she had been obsessed with the whole presidential family, due to an article in The Esthar Times, by the renowned journalist Quistis Trepe, especially Ellone, the sister-in-law of the president, and said to have slight magical powers. Selphie, always one to do things to the fullest, had done so, and had begun to hero worship Ellone almost as much as she did Laguna, the president. Eventually she had gotten over it, but not before an official complaint by the Palace's security team, who were forever being surprised by the resourceful teenager and resented it. Thankfully though, it had come to nothing, the whole family was made up of nice people, who, if confused by Selphie's obsession, just accepted it, and she was now proud to call herself a half friend of most of the family. This had been enough to end her worship with Ellone, and while she still admired the lady, she didn't try to stalk her anymore.

Laguna Loire, president of Esthar, was an unusual president. But he was so cheerful and silly; it was almost impossible not to like him. Oh sure, he had made some enemies, but with the help of his family and the combined efforts of his advisors, he managed to usually stay out of trouble. But he was cleverer than he looked, or acted, and nothing important usually escaped him.

He bent down and peered through the window at a cringing Irvine and thrilled Selphie. Laguna would always be her hero.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Tilmitt and Mr Kinneas. Any stalkers lately?"

She grinned back at him. "Not that I know of sir, but then I haven't looked."

He grinned and looked around quickly, before ducking his head to speak to them again. "Since you're here, may I ask you a favor?"

They accepted; both of them happy to do so, even if he hadn't been the president, and he invited them back into the palace to talk.

When he led them through numerous hallways, bantering with Selphie and joining Irvine in a few teasing remarks, Irvine blinked.

The Presidential Palace was a huge building, with political rooms near the front, and the family rooms near the back.

As it was common knowledge that the back rooms were strictly for family and special guests only, Irvine was a little surprised when he found himself and Selphie in what looked to be a drawing room.

Laguna gestured for them to sit, and they obeyed, looking at him questioningly.

He hesitated before he started to talk. "I'm not sure if you two know or not, but I'm betting you do, but Zell Dincht is staying with us on his vacation as a special guest." He paused for them to insert a non-verbal agreement. "He has requested a tour guide, preferably one around his own age or younger, just to show him around Esthar, the usual places of interest, etc. Seifer, his manager as I'm sure you know would, but Seifer claims he's too busy, and Zell claims he's too bossy. Well, I've put forward Squall - my son, you know, I don't think you've met him yet - and he isn't too happy about the arrangement. Knowing him, I'd guarantee the trips are going to be really quiet, so would you two like to join the party and provide some conversation?"

Selphie squeaked, which was answer enough for Laguna, and he turned to acknowledge Irvine's acceptation before offering the Palace as a hotel of sorts.

This they accepted easily, and Laguna showed them the phone so that they could call their parents, telling them it would be about a month.

'Sparring and how not to kill your partners'. It sounded interesting. In a way. Squall glanced irritably at Raijin, his father's hired bodyguard whose job it was to tag along behind Squall whenever he left the palace.

Squall half understood why it was necessary, but it still annoyed him, he was improving with his gunblade all the time, with the help of his tutors and books he had bought unknown to the rest of the family. He didn't need a bodyguard.

"Raijin. I'd like to buy that book."

"I don't know Squall, ya know? You already have enough combat books, and Miss Edea wants you to concentrate more on your studies now."

This was true, but could Squall help it if he preferred to read about more and different techniques rather than the uses, endangerment and rarity of adamantoises? It was an obvious question, even he would have told you that.

Squall shrugged, and started back to the limo, wondering idly if the new guest had arrived at the palace yet.

When the limo arrived, Fuujin, the chauffeur stepped out and opened the single back door for him. When he climbed in, he was startled, but didn't show it, to see a young man already in the back seat, staring at him curiously.

After a second, the stranger spoke. "Hey baby, I'm Zell, you must be Squall." He held out a hand to shake.

Squall looked at the hand, then stared back at Zell, thinking.

Wasn't Zell the name of the singer his father had invited?

Yes, Squall was sure it was. Uninterested, he turned to stare out the window, ignoring Zell and think up some ways to get that book.

Well. This was different. Zell had heard about how impersonal the president's son was from Seifer, but he hadn't been expecting this. The kid was beautiful. He had dark, brooding, sulky good looks, that would only get more perfect in later years, and his chestnut brown hair shone in the muted light filtering through the windows. He also, Zell noticed with amusement, had a band-aid on his nose.

Zell cleared his throat, curious. "What happened to your nose?"

He had to repeat the question to gain Squall's attention, and a slight blush stained Squall's cheeks. "I made a mistake …"

"'Scuse me?"

Squall stared at Zell, obviously wondering if Zell was deaf, making Zell hide his amusement. "I didn't dodge in time." He said, rubbing his nose self-consciously, his eyes still peering at Zell through thick, dark eyelashes.

Zell, slightly nervous under the kid's unwavering gaze turned towards his window to watch the Esthari sunset. But for the rest of the ride, he could feel Squall's gaze on him.

When they arrived at the Palace, Squall literally leapt out of the limo and dashed inside.

Raijin held the door open for Zell with an apologetic air. "He probably just remembered Miss Ellone comes home today, ya know? Really excited."

Zell nodded, not sure if he could imagine the impassive teenager as excited, and waited for Raijin to take him where he was supposed to be, because he still got lost in the palace.

Raijin seemed to be following already-issued orders and took Zell to a drawing room.

When he was announced and entered, it was to find Squall staring mistrustfully at two other teenagers and glowers at his father.

Selphie squeaked again when Zell entered the room, and Irvine had to hold her back, shooting apologetic smiles in Zell's direction. Squall frowned, before easily sidestepped Zell, and was about to walk out when Laguna's voice stopped him.

It had been said that Laguna had been in the army before becoming President, and his tone when scolding merely backed up the idea, as Irvine listened to his scolding with amazement, Selphie with respect, Zell with slight confusion and Squall with obvious amusement - if you knew what to look for.

As Laguna started to wind down, footsteps were heard, and a young women's voice, which made Selphie perk up immediately and Squall whirl around with the first real expression on his face that anyone in the room, excluding Laguna, had seen.

And Laguna's sister-in-law, Ellone stepped into the room to find the atmosphere anticipated, except Squall, who looked happy to see her, if only for a few seconds.

Laguna stopped any conversations that might have happened in the bud, by telling Squall to show Selphie and Irvine their rooms, and to help Zell find his again.

Frowning, but silent, Squall led them through corridor after corridor in a maze that had the others lost in a few minutes.

Irvine, watching the seemingly sullen teen while Selphie chattered with Zell, came top the conclusion that he would respect squall, but Squall would drive him crazy if long periods were spent with him alone.

After dropping Selphie and Irvine at their respective rooms, Squall turned to Zell, driven by the need to ask a question.

"Do you know where you're sleeping?"

Zell scratched his neck sheepishly. "Yea, but I'd get lost if I went alone."

Squall looked thoughtful for a second. "Really? …. What number?"

"Room 1064, I think." Zell grinned, and Squall nodded, looking away, a tinge of pink shading his cheeks.

No one knew it yet, but Squall was slowly finding out he was gay. Not that his family would mind, or discriminate or anything, but Squall really didn't want anyone to know about his love life, however little there might be to know.

And, looking at Zell from the corner of his eye as he led him to the correct room, Squall argued with himself, silently, impassively, and logically. Yes, Zell was hot. No, he probably wasn't gay. But impulse made Squall stop a few steps away from the wanted doorway. Zell stopped too, confused.

"Would you … would you like to … to come watch?" Squall got out with a little difficulty.

Zell smiled in bemused astonishment. "Watch what, baby?"

"Watch me fight." Squall blink, shocked that he had actually made the offer.

Zell realized this, and accepted before Squall could take it back. With a curt nod that Zell would have given points to in the military, Squall gestured towards the door, and walked off down the hallway. Zell watched him go before going in to change for supper.

Supper was normal. For the family. Sure, there were some guests, but they fell easily into the routine. Seifer talked about future plans and concert venues, Selphie and Irvine listened in awe and mentally took notes, Ellone, Raine and Laguna lightly teased Squall, and Zell joined in occasionally, not having his head bitten off once for it, which surprised and pleased the family, making them accept Zell faster than they had been.

When it was over, and everyone had gone back to his or her room, Zell following Ellone back to his, thanked her, and opened the door.

On the floor, just inside the doorway was a note, with a map scrawled on the back. Flipping it over, Zell quickly read over it, and grinned.

Sparring Room

9pm

Squall