Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ When Darkness Falls ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Locke slipped his tongue into Zell's mouth, exploring the new land and greeting a new neighbor. 'If someone was doing a documentary of my life, I couldn't explain to them how this happened.' Zell wrapped his arms around the brunet's body pulling him closer to himself. 'One minute we were talking a little awkwardly, then he kissed me... Oh shit!'

Zell pushed Locke away saying out loud. "Oh shit." He stood up and walked to the window.

Locke followed him, turning his head looking around, but he was lost and confused by what had spooked Zell. "What?" He finally had to ask.

"My parents are coming up the driveway." Going over to the stairs, Zell waved Locke along with him and bolted when he followed. Just as his bedroom door closed the front door opened and his parents walked in, sounding as though they were in one of their usual fights. "I told you not to take that road, it's always crowded with traffic. Zell!?" His mother suddenly shouted.

"Gods, what does she want?" He thought out loud. "I'll be right back." Walking down the hall, he scrambled down the stairs and into the kitchen where he heard the two of them talking. "Yeah, mom?"

His mother shoved a ruler into his hands and a few things that were for the bathroom, like hand soap and washrags. "Take those upstairs, but put one of the soaps in the downstairs bathroom." She instructed.

Zell turned out of the kitchen and walked down the hall to the first floor bathroom, and as asked stuffed a soap into the medicine cabinet. He then returned to the second floor, glancing into his bedroom, making sure Locke hadn't gone out of the window or something. He didn't, but his guest looked to be walking around his room and picking up everything that wasn't nailed down. Zell stuffed the rags into the linen closet then joined Locke.

"You play a loooot of baseball." Locke was saying. "...Favorite sport or something?" He held up one of the trophies he got in the 8th grade.

"Ha. Doesn't it wish. I hate playing sports, but my dad makes me do it because," He sat down on his bed. "He doesn't want me being some 'fucking fairy' as he calls them." Zell smiled to himself. "He's a little late for that, though."

Locke smiled and put the trophy back down, joining the room owner on his bed. The brunet leaned over to Zell, wanting to resume their kiss, but the blond backed away.

"We better not. I don't want my mom and dad coming up here seeing us tangled up in each other or something."

Locke backed away with an expression that read: disappointed, but ok. "And anyway, we'll see each other in school, and there's my house when ever my mom and dad aren't home." Locke was standing up now, letting Zell knew that he was leaving. "I mean, my parents are cool about a lot of things especially after the divorce. But, I don't think she's ready to find out that her son is gay."

Zell walked to the door with him; Locke turned around and ran his hand gently across his cheek before giving him a kiss. "I'll see you later, Zell." He walked out of the room, but came back.

"Forget something?" The blond asked.

"Yeah, can you write down your phone number so I can call you tonight?"

Smiling Zell walked back into his room grabbing a pen from a pencil holder, going back over to Locke he finished writing down his phone number in the back of Locke's notebook. "There."

Locke looked it over saying, "Thanks."

"No problem." Zell walked Locke to the front door and he said goodbye to him. 'I hope he knows how to get home from here.' Dincht thought. Returning to the living room, he heard his mother calling him, again, into the kitchen.

"Yes!" He called from the distance while walking to the location.

"Can you hand me that big pot from under the cabinet?" His mother asked when she saw her son appear at the door.

"Sure, why not." Going over to the cabinet, he stooped down and fished around for a pot that was big enough for - whatever it was they were having for dinner.

"So what were you and Locke doing this whole time? You weren't rotting your brains with television were you?" His father asked.

'You mean like you do, your highness?' Zell rolled his eyes answering. "No, he asked me how I won all of my baseball trophies and I told him the games play by play."

Frank smiled proudly, holding his head up. "I remember that game from 97, all those goddamned snot-nosed brats on the other side," His father was recalling again. But hey, at least Zell would have an annoyance free night. "All of them brought their goddamned sisters thinking they were a cheering section." Frank pointed a finger at his son saying. "I better not catch you upstairs with..."

"He's an only child, Frank." Brandy interrupted. She patted her son on the shoulder, but it was only to shift him a but so she could walk past to put grocceries away, not to comfort.

Zell heard his father mumble "oh yeah".

"Now where was I?" He asked, about to finish the story that Zell knew by heart, hell he lived it! But his father sometimes talked about it like it was some kid whom Zell should look up to.

Leaving the kitchen, he headed back upstairs to his bedroom avoiding being asked to do something else. "I wonder if Selphie's at home yet?" He fell onto his bed. "Probably not." The words were spoken into the pillow. Car doors closed outside causing Zell to pop his head up. He pushed off the bed and went over to look. Peeking through the blinds, he saw Selphie and Rinoa getting out of Sabin's car.

She leaned over in through the window giving him, Zell assumed, a kiss. But when she backed out all she had in her hand was another bag. Rinoa was rocking back and forth on her heels then she twisted slightly and shielded her eyes looking up at Zell's window. He pulled the blinds up, feeling caught, and waved to her.

He couldn't see her face but from the speed of her wave he could tell she was smiling. Selphie turned around seeing her friend's actions then she looked up and waved as well. Zell banged the window and gestured with his hands for her to come over. Selphie raised her arms up and down. Cocking an eyebrow, Zell wondered what the hell that girl was getting at.

"Pull your window up!" He heard Rinoa shout, she must have seen his clueless expression. When the window slid opened he heard their little giggles. "I have to put my stuff in the house first and check the machine."

"It's not really urgent or anything," Zell was saying. "I just need to talk to you."

Selphie laughed again, saying casually. "Number one or number two?"

"Number one." Zell said.

Rinoa looked as though she was about to be blind from her eyes falling out of her head. She had no clue what they were talking about. For them it meant: Is it number one, gay related or number two, anyone can hear. Caraway wasn't a close-close friend of Zell's, just a school friend he's known since the eigth grade. So she doesn't know that he swings the other way.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." She said going into the house with Rinoa following.

Zell closed his window then walked over to the bed. He picked up his notebook and started scribbling on the last sheet. "Locke Dincht. Zell Cole." Turning his nose up he closed the book saying. "Good thing we can't get married, our last names suck on each other." He slipped the notebook under the matress and walked downstairs to open the door for Selphie. He hoped Rinoa didn't take it too hard. But this was more of a him and Selphie alone kind of conversation.

His mother looked out of the kitchen seeing her son standing by the door. "Don't go too far, I'm making your favorite dinner."

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm waiting for Selphie." Zell replied. 'And I wish she'd hurry up.' No sooner had he thought it did the door swing open, causing him to jump back out of the way.

"Sorry," The girl said. "You shouldn't stand by doorways, you could get a nose job."

Glancing into the kitchen, Selphie said "hello" to Zell's parents, before he could drag her up the stairs. When they were behind the safety of his closed door, he picked her up cheering. "Locke and me kissed!" He said setting her down.

"Oh my god!" She shouted happily. "That is so great! How did it happen? When did it happen? Tell me everything!"

He steered her over to the bed and sat down still holding her arm. "Okay, picture this." She nodded to show that he had her full attention. "We're sitting on the couch, cause my parents left."

"You told me that."

"Right, well, when they were gone we got to talking about people we were seeing. It got around to him saying he experimented with this kid when he was younger. But the guy moved, and went straight on him!" Zell cheered. "Isn't that great?!"

"Uh-huh." Pushing him in the chest she urged him on. "So what happened next?"

"Well, he told me that he saw his ex in school this year; remember the albino I said Locke was looking at his dick, when he went to the bathroom?" Selphie nodded. "That was him. And I thought, Great. Now they're gonna start dating or whatever, but they aren't. Then Locke asked me about Cloud,"

"I hope you didn't tell him that you're still in love with him?" Said Selphie.

"Not exactly, but sort of." Selphie made a sound of disbelief and Zell shook his head. "No, you don't get it. Locke said until I get the call from Cloud, how about me and him get together? And next thing I knew we were kissing."

Throwing her arms around him she knocked him over. "Yay! I'm so happy for you!" Selphie squeezed him within the hug, then she kissed him right on the lips. Unfortunately, that happened right as the bedroom door flew opened.

"Uh oh." Zell said sitting up pushing Selphie back with him. "Mom, this isn't what it looks like, we werrrrree..." He looked to Selphie for help.

"Rejoycing." She shrugged. Brandy blushed and waved a hand backing away saying a stream of "Sorry for barging in."

When the door was closed and her foot steps retreated Zell turned to Selphie, beating her on the arm.

"Whaaat? I didn't know what to say." The hyperactive girl exclaimed.

"Yeah, but rejoycing?" His mouth lay agape in shock. "Do you even know what that means?"

Selphie twisted her face up and stood. "Whatever. Call me tonight, okay?" She walked out of his room.

Zell went downstairs with her. "Bye, Selphie," He closed the front door after her. Going into the kitchen his parents were silently watching him as he strolled over to the refrigerator to get something to drink.

"Looks like you and me are gonna have to have the birds and bees talk, eh son?" Frank said with a weird smile on his face.

"No need, I already know. I take health class, remember?" Said Zell, rather smart-assed. With his parents eyes still plastered to him, Zell was beginning to get really uncomfortable and he turned to them asking. "What?"

"How long you and Tilmitt been sleeping together?" His father asked.

'So much for my theory of a good rest of the night.' The blond thought. "Dad we're not sleeping together. She's my friend, and she's seeing somebody."

Frank made a sound in his throat while nodding. "It figures. Sneaking around will get you nothing but a black eye. You'd better cool your jets, and find someone else. Or you're gonna end up waiting around for Selphie until you're old and dead."

'What, are they suddenly deaf when I talk?' Zell wondered.

"Although," His mother was saying. "Have you seen the way that girl dresses sometimes? I wouldn't be surprised if she was leading on every boy in school."

Zell rolled his eyes leaving the kitchen saying. "Don't talk about Selphie, okay; I'm gonna take a shower."

"Dinners in an hour." His mother said.

Zell walked slowly up the stairs as though a moment with them is life draining. He didn't in-fact get in the shower, he just closed the door to his bedroom and lied down. 'Tomorrow can't come sooner.' He thought.

...

That night on the phone with Selphie.

"So are you guys gonna have sex or something?" Asked Selphie between chewing.

"Maybe, what are you eating?"

"Granoala bar."

"Oh." He swallowed before he went on talking. "I wonder if he's ever gotten that far with that one guy or no? Me and Cloud never had sex, but we came pretty close."

"You should have asked him." She stated.

"I couldn't ask him, that would be like saying you're not desireble because I'm not your first."

Selphie made some kind of sound. "That's bullshit, who thinks that?"

"Plenty of people, believe me."

"Like you'd know from plenty of people." Selphie commented.

"I meant friends, jackass."

Selphie looked out of her window and down into the lawn. "You're about to be reeeally happppyyy." She said out of nowhere.

"Why?"

She giggled and said. "Locke's coming. I'll see you at school. Have fuuuunnn."

At first Zell thought she was lying, but she hung up so abruptly it must be true. Click. Click. A faint sound hit his window. Zell got off his bed and walked over to the window pulling the blinds up, looking down. It was Locke! Cole moved his hands up and down.

'Again with the up and down.' Zell absently thought. 'It's not the best sign for open the window.'

"Hey," The visitor whispered. "Can you sneak out?"

"Yeah, hang on." Zell walked to his bedroom door and turned the lock on it. Going back over to the window, he grabbed onto the gutter pipe and lowered himself onto the grass. "What are you doing here?" He asked, falling into step with Locke.

The brunette shrugged saying casually. "I was at home bored to tears and I figured maybe you were bored too, sooo we could be bored together."

"My hero." Zell joked. They walked silently along away from the Dincht home, but Zell didn't want them to have nothing but silence between them all the time, especially if they were gonna be a couple now. "So, where're we heading?"

"I don't know. Do you have a park around here?" Locke asked.

"Yeah, it's a little far from my house, though."

"That's okay, I like sightseeing." They were silent again.

"Are you gonna sit with me at lunch, or are you still gonna sit with your other friends?" Asked Locke after a while.

"I don't know... I don't wanna seem rude to them." Zell worked the situation over in his head. "I think I'll sit with them one last time and then Tuesday I'm all yours."

Locke chuckled softly. "The IT table not so great anymore?"

"It's not so much that, I just have no clue what they're talking about yet."

They were silent another minute. "Do you tell Selphie everything?" Locke asked out of nowhere.

'I know what he's getting at.' Zell sighed and rubbed Locke's shoulder. "It's fine, Selphie never tells anybody anything we talk about or do."

"As long as that's true." Locke stepped over a tiny hoop fence outlining the grass to the park.

Zell glanced down to make sure his foot was actually over it before he went by. The park itself had playground equipment for the children and benches to sit on for the adults. It was larger than most of the parks in that area because people used the side walks and paths for skating and bike riding. Locke and Zell walked to the first set of swings they saw and sat down. The night air was a little chilly for the middle of August, so they moved back and forth slowly so they wouldn't catch too much cold air.

"I'll bet I can swing higher than you." Locke dared and Zell shook his head.

"You'd win that bet. I'm afraid of heights." He looked down at the dirt kicking a rock from the sand.

Locke couldn't believe his ears. Whose afraid of heights? "You're kidding?" He commented, standing up.

"What are you doing?" Zell asked, standing up incase Locke had any intentions of pushing him against his will.

"I'm not gonna push you, I just thought you'd wanna sit on the chairswing instead." He took Zell by the hand and walked him over to the chairswing that was attached to the same bar of the normal swings. They sat next to each other, with their arms wrapped around the other person's waist and shoulder.

'This is a switch, when Seifer found out I was afraid of heights he twisted me around in the swing and shoved me off into the distance.' Locke nuzzled his face against Zell's cheek, moving their mouths together until they could kiss. 'I could get used to this every night.' Thought Zell.

In the distance, on the merry-go-round, a lone pair of eyes was watching them. "Humans." Squall mumbled under his breath. He had been at the park most of the night lying in the center of the merry-go-round with his legs bent, spinning it in lazy circles with his mental powers.

He had just finished killing five people and had decided on a break. Only to have his peace ruined by whomever those two were.

Breaking the kiss, Zell climbed off the swing. "You wanna go on the merry-go-round?" He asked.

"Sure." He got off as well, following him over to the merry-go-round where Squall was lying. The vampire watched their approach. Sitting up, he jumped off of the thing backwards and landed on the grass beside it. "I wonder how come it's moving." Locke looked around, holding onto one of the bars to stop it.

"You think someone is here with us?" Zell looked around for anyone, then right at Squall but he saw no one.

The vampire, although standing right out in the open, was hidden in darkness. Unseen and unsensed. He observed the two as they spun the thing as fast as their arms could make it go then grab the bars, climbing on for a ride.

'I'd be doing the world a favor killing these two.' The vampire thought approaching the merry-go-round. It was then that Zell chose to let go of the bar and he came crashing into Squall knocking him to the ground.

Pushing the teen off, Squall's nails scratched into the little blond's back ripping his shirt.

"Ow!" Zell said.

Locke hopped off and walked over to where he had landed, helping him up. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Zell looked behind him on the ground seeing nothing, but the pain on his back was more than real. "I think I landed on a cat or something."

"A cat?" Locke looked around, but saw nothing. "I don't see anything."

"It doesn't matter, let's just go home. My parents are gonna kill me if I'm out on a school night." Said Zell.

"Okay."

They made for the park exit, but Zell looked over his shoulder, seeing a guy through a peek of moonlight that hit the slide. Then he was gone in the next shadow that passed by the moon.

'I wonder who that was?' He wondered.