Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Snow Drift ❯ The right stuff ( Chapter 4 )

"Now lets see..." Zell unfolds the instructions that tell you how to put together a crib. Looking it over he glances at all the pieces being laid out by Irvine and Selphie.

Rinoa had a class so she left them to take it, but in her place Quistis came over. Baby Kait has been placed in a little bouncer that can be set down whether floor, chair, coffee table, or even a counter top so he can sit in the kitchen with Squall who is making a lunch of chicken stir-fry for them all.

"Can you hold up the sides you two?" Zell asks his friends.

"The back ends or the side pieces?" Selphie looks at the mess spread about the floor.

"Uuuhhh, how 'bout if Irvine picks up the front end and you pick up the side- can you hold it?"

"I'd be pretty miserable if I couldn't hold it." Selphie snickers at the implication that her arms may be too weak to hold up a crib wall.

"I was just looking out for you." Zell replies as though her comment were serious. "Alright... screw driver?" He picks up the screw driver he asked Quistis to bring over with her as well as other tools for them to build the baby's room. "Check. Screws?" Picking up a sealed plastic bag from the floor he again says. "Check. Hold the pieces together so I can put the screws and brackets in."

Doing as they're told, Selphie and Irvine press the pieces of the crib together. Zell sets down the instructions then makes his way around the barricade to the open space and kneeling down he opens the bag pulling out one flat silver bracket and two screws setting to work to seal the crib. Once done he stands then presses his weight down on it to be sure it won't move or shift. Three good shoves earns it a nod of approval.

Grabbing the end piece in one hand and the side wall in the other he looks over his shoulder. "Okay, get the other two pieces and hold them up."

Releasing their grips on the assigned object Irvine grabs the end piece again and Selphie the other wall pressing them close together so they're ready to be bolted. Letting go of the already bound pieces Zell quickly screws in the other two pieces, scaring them all when the former bits of crib leaned to the side smashing onto the floor.

"Ah!" Selphie yelped from start clutching the crib a little tighter.

Irvine snickered at Selphie's frightened admittance to being startled and they all turned their heads when Squall came in.

"What happened?"

"Crib fell." Says Zell still twisting in the screws to the other side.

Rolling his eyes, Squall turns to head back to the kitchen, though, not before saying to them. "Keep it down, the baby is asleep and I don't want him waking up to cry the rest of the afternoon."

"Sheesh, what a grouch." Mutters Zell giving the other wall and end piece a shoving to test it. "Perfect, now we put them together and I screw in the rest."

"What about the frame?" Asks Irvine looking down by his foot where a slatted bed frame rests.

"Oh yeah." Scratching the back of his head, Zell looks over his options.

Rolling her eyes Selphie says to herself. "And this guy wants to be a mechanic."

"I've got it!" Grabbing the frame he nods. "Put that piece against the wall, right, and I'll slide this into place- screw it in, then we add the other side."

Doing as they're told the two set the crib against the wall. Zell lifts the frame getting help from both Irvine and Selphie who hold it in place while he screws it in.

"Hold onto that while I put the other side on." He asks while retrieving the dropped side and headpiece, wheeling it over he puts it in place after the two of them change their hold on the frame by sticking their hand through the slats of the side and end piece. "Alright, now we screw it in-.."

"Eh, maybe Selphie should do that partner." Irvine suggests. "Her arms are smaller than ours."

Cocking his head Zell looks over the layout of the crib realizing that he probably would get his arms stuck if he shoved it through an opening to screw the crib together. "You're right."

Grinning, she takes the screw driver and teasingly says. "Jealous?" Getting to work she screws the crib together.

The three of them take a step back to admire their work.

"Looks good enough to sleep in." Says Irvine grabbing a hold of the mattress dropping it into the crib. "Sturdy." He informs them but says it mostly to himself. "Maybe we should have put the sheet on first, the mattress is kind of a tight fit."

"No, we'll just pull it down at the sides." Selphie is already making herself busy snapping the sheet into place. "See. Gimme those liners." She holds out her hand closing it when the soft bed lining hit her palm.

Zell moves the crib out from the wall to help her fix the other side; a pillow whizzes by his face landing in the crib, next came a blanket. "Irvine if you throw that mobile I'll deck you."

That comment only earned him a laugh from the cowboy as said item had just been picked up. Snapping it into place on the wall of the crib, he sets up the little music box by attaching it to the bare hook at the end of the handle. "If this thing starts playin' in the middle of the night I'm chuckin' it out the window."

"Ahahaha." Zell snickers.

"Don't laugh, I saw you runnin' for your life when that bird moved that armor in Winhill."

"I didn't." He defends his honor, although he can clearly remember that he did.

"Squall says lunch is ready- oh, you've got the crib together? That was fast." Quistis steps into the room to admire the handy work. "Let's hope it doesn't fall apart."

"Don't jinx it." Selphie walks out the door heading for the kitchenette.

"Of course it won't fall apart, it was constructed under my care." Says Zell exiting the room as well.

Waiting for the two to get out of earshot Quistis stops Irvine from leaving the room. "Irvine, you got a crib for him? Does that mean you and Squall intend to keep the baby?"

"Nothin's certain." He shrugs. "Squall seems hell bent on gettin' the little guy outta here but I don't know, keeping him wouldn't be too bad."

"Squall said he called Sis', though."

"He did. She's gonna take him while I'm on my mission tomorrow."

"In the meantime?"

"In the meantime, Kait will be stayin' with us."

"Kait?"

"I named him myself." He heads out the door.

Following she says. "Squall's been calling him 'the baby' since I got here."

"He just needs some warming up time." Irvine shrugs.

Zell spoons a plateful of food out then hands the dish over to Selphie; Squall is pouring drinks while the blond sets the meal out on the counter top slash table top since there are three stools set in the living room.

Taking a seat beside the chair swiveling Selphie, Irvine grabs a fork. "Alright, load me up."

"Here you go."

"Thank you." Digging in he stops eating after three bites. "Eh, Squall... I don't mean to nark your cookin' but I don't think these noodles are done."

"They're done." Squall insists with a glare coming Irvine's way.

"No, look. You can't even get 'em to twist around the fork."

"Its not spaghetti, you know; just lift it." Snaps the cook taking a bite of food for himself.

Playfully the male snickers. "I don't think I want to."

"Aaaw," Says Zell cocking his head to rest it against Selphie he cocks it in return. "Its like watching an old married couple."

"Watch it Dincht." Squall growls taking his meal from the counter into the living room. Still pissy he mutters. "I don't see any of you volunteering to cook."

"I would have if I'd known you couldn't cook a noodle." Irvine holds the almost limp strand between pinching fingers looking it over.

"Whatever." Squall replies. He never said he belonged on the cooking channel, he was just making lunch for Hyne's sake.

"Don't feel bad, I like it done this way." Says Selphie taking a bite. "Although ten more minutes wouldn't have killed it."

"Would have cooked it though." Snickers Zell.

"Will you all shut up."

"Yeah, yeah. That's enough." Irvine says to them. "We're sorry." Taking a seat beside his lover he plants a tiny kiss on his lips.

They often do that to let the other know that its just teasing, even when their fights are serious they do it to let them know the anger is only temporary.

"Hey Quistis, did you see Seifer today?" Asks Zell finding his lover to be a good change of subject.

"He's at Garden harassing the kids in disciplinary."

"Mm. I'll just call him then."

"Speakin' of calls, did Sis' ever call back with her answer?" Irvine reaches for Squall's phone that's sitting on the table.

"Not yet." He scoots the under cooked noodles from beneath the, thankfully, perfectly cooked vegetables.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it; she might just come by instead of calling. It's been a while since she's seen us." Irvine picks at a baby corn before eating it.

"Where will Ellone stay once she gets here?" Asks Quistis unable to see Ellone, the elegant woman that she is, cooped up in the barracks with a baby. She can't even believe he and Irvine have agreed to it, surely they have funds for one of the small apartments in town.

Since Balamb town is small and its building relatively the same the apartments only have two stories an upper place or a lower is the only option. The place also has flats, and the usual two stories.

"I guess we could rent an apartment if they're cheap." Squall thinks out loud. "The mission shouldn't take long so it would be kind of pointless to make living arrangements for something that isn't permanent."

Irvine couldn't help but feel a pang of emphasis on those last words as they sounded directed towards him. He doesn't doubt that Squall will turn the world upside down looking for Kait's parents while he's away. He wouldn't mind it if they were found because honestly he has some choice words to say to the couple but he can't just keep their kid because he sees them as unfit. He has no right to judge them over a stupid mistake, but still he'll always wonder about the poor kid when he goes back with them. Zell's ringtone called them from their thoughts.

"Its Seifer. I'll see you guys around, okay?" Zell stuff the phone back into his pocket. "Let me know what you plan to do about Sis', I'll ask Ma if she can stay at the house with her until she has to leave."

"Thank you, Zell." Squall says before the blond could get away.

"Always lookin' out buddy." He waves them goodbye then exits the small home.

"I'd better get going too." Quistis checks her watch. "I'm sure Headmistress Edea has something for me to do."

"Bye." Says Irvine.

Squall offered a nod to her departure.

"Looks like its just the three of us." Says Selphie rinsing her plate in the sink.

The baby looked as though he had been startled in a dream and woke from his sleep screaming. Irvine hopped up from the couch almost too quickly and if Squall hadn't grabbed the plate from his lap in the nick of time it would have fallen to the floor.

"Want me to make a bottle?" Selphie asks between the cowboy's soothing words to the child.

"Do you know how?"

"Um, no. But its got instructions doesn't it?"

"Here, I'll do it." Squall gets up from the couch. He actually had been looking over the instructions for a bottle while making their lunch and sort of avoiding small talk with Quistis- she's not the best conversationalist out there but then again neither is he.

"What can I do?" Selphie asks watching the two move about the small living space like it were a breeze.

"You can help me change him." Offers Irvine with a shrug.

Glad to be able to help she follows the native Galbadian into the baby's room.

Squall removes the formula from the cabinet where Quistis put it away. The two of them set up the kitchen while the others took care of the baby's room. Taking down a glass bottle he then spoons some powder into the bottle adding some water from the filtered tap at the sink, he grabbed one as he and Rinoa passed by it figuring they'd need it. As the water fills in the bottle his phone begins to ring, the buzzing of the vibrator causes it to move around the coffee table top. Putting the bottle on hold he rushes to his phone picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Squall, I got your message. What's wrong? You never usually call unless its something important."

"I'd rather see you in person, but I can tell you now that I need your help and if you could come as soon as tomorrow that would be very helpful."

"Alright, I'll buy a train ticket as soon as you hang up."

"Thank you. I'll meet you at the train station, then, to pick you up."

"Okay."

There is an awkward silence between them for a moment.

"Laguna says 'hello'."

"...Yeah, tell him I said 'hi'." He replies rather stiffly.

Laguna is exactly why some things in life like children and responsibilty for them bothers Squall. He can't even make a connection with actual living family because he can't get over the fact that he's been abandoned so many times in the past- sure, some of the time it wasn't by choice but that shouldn't have stopped them from returning when they could. Maybe some day he'll be super mature and want that bond with Laguna but for right now he can't do it and last thing he wants is a connection with someone elses kid to have him rely on him only to be disappointed when he's not around.

"I will. See you soon."

"You too." Hanging up, he looks over seeing Irvine and Selphie enter the living room. "Sis' said she can make it, we only need to hear from Mrs. Dincht about them staying with her."

Irvine nods then glances at the un-made bottle. "Guess I should finish with that." He says passing by into the kitchen.

Sensing trouble Selphie walks over to Squall touching his shoulder. "Can you help Irvine out with Kait, even a little?"

'What the hell is this? I was helping out up until the phone call and I don't need you telling me how to be or get along with me boyfriend.'

Headcocked as she wonders what the male is thinking about she then shakes her head in exasperation. "Just remember, okay? I have class. See you two around."

"Bye Sel'." Irvine calls to her. When the door closes Irvine sets the bottle into a pot of water to warm it through. He's quiet which for Irvine is odd but he can have his moments.

"...You need any help?" Squall asks.

"Hn. You mean you don't wanna hurry on out and search for his parents? I'm touched by that, but no thanks I'm good."

Sighing in agitation he walks to the counter dividing the two rooms. "Its not like I want you to be in this alone, what do you want from me?"

Irvine smirks. "I want you to help me see that this kid- even for now, doesn't feel like he's been alone. Can't you see that its a terrible place when you're feeling that way; you should know, all that cryin' you did when we were kids, you think you were the only one."

"I wasn't crying, I was just... the baby isn't old enough to feel alone. He doesn't feel anything but hungry and wet."

"Naah partner, you're never too young to realize when its just you." He removes the bottle from the pot giving it a test by squirting a drop or two on his wrist. "You may not remember me, but I remember me and I cried lots of nights when I realized that all the playin' was done for the day and it was back to just me. I wasn't picked on like Zell, or helpful to Matron and Sis' like Quistis, I wasn't the world to myself as Selphie is so I couldn't just go off and play, I followed her around. Then there was you, if you didn't have it your way you didn't want it any way so you just left us alone. Ha, you could have made such an impact on me if you'd of just stopped wonderin' when Sis' would come back and start seeing that you could have been lonely with someone. But you, of course, did have Seifer's attention at some point."

"What are you getting at?" He follows him into the bedroom.

"What I'm getting at, is that he was abandoned and I felt abandoned, same as you... so why can't we keep that from happenin' to someone else? Said it yourself he ain't stayin' so come on, love him for now."

"...I'm sorry." Says Squall, leaning upward he kisses the male on the lips. "How 'bout we feed him and give him a bath."

Smiling that thin feline smile of his Irvine kisses Squall back with a little more pluck. "That's the guy I know deep down."

"Yeah, but I'm not doing the vomit thing."

"He'll get ya sometime."

...

"You should really come see the baby," He sighs, tilting forward as a wash of pleasure courses up his back when Seifer thrust up into him. "He's so cute, they even named him."

Moaning himself, Seifer gives the shorter blond something to shut up about as he drives him home picking up from the once very slow pace. Verbally silenced Zell can only grunt and groan, tightening his grip both above and below and to Seifer's enjoyment on the inside. Their mouths reconnect allowing their hurried breaths to run laps in and out of each other. Zell's thighs twitch at Seifer's sides and a few quick jerks of the shorter blond's member leaves the two of them shaking to a stop as they climax.

Kissing his lover a few times more, Seifer then sits up to say. "Don't talk about children when I'm trying to get off- its a boner killer."

"Sorry," He wipes sweat from his forehead. "You know Sis' is coming."

"Goody-goody. What for?"

"She's gonna take Kait until Irvine gets back from his mission, Squall's acting like a mom with postpartom, plus he wants to help the search teams look for the kids parents..." He trails off.

"And?"

"And I thought maybe you could help him out."

"Why the hell should I help Leonhart do anything?"

"Because I'm asking you to, and besides you know you two are friends- maybe even best friends."

"My best friend is Hyperion's blood." He says speaking about his black and flame colored new gunblade.

"Oh yeah, and who do you think went to the trouble of getting you the horn piece you need?" He cocks a fine brow.

Rolling his eyes, Seifer says. "Fine, I'll help Leonhart out in his little search. Better hope lonely man doesn't end up falling for me, he's never had a real friend before."

Snickering, Zell gets out of bed to dress. "I should say the same to you, but I won't."

"Damn right you won't." He tosses a pillow in the males direction hitting him on the rear.

"Aaaw this pillow feels like your punches."

"Say that again,"

Grinning, Zell has to poke the bear. "Aaaw this pillow- ow! Seifer!" He scrunches in when the males fist aims at his gut and yet he goes on. "feels like your punches."

Wrestling him to the ground, Seifer pins Zell to the floor. "Little pest, for that so sex for ten days. No kisses either."

Leaning up, the plucky male steals a kiss from his lover right then. "Ha ha!"

"Chicken-shit. I'm getting dressed and then I'll go invite cry baby to come look with me."

"You won't regret it." He says to the retreating male.

"I already do." Replies Seifer as the bathroom door closes.