Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ When Darkness Falls ❯ Chapter Twenty Nine ( Chapter 29 )

Zell was now sitting at a table in Squall's bedroom, after the big conversation. The adorable but strange vampire lied on the bed, eyes tightly closed and sleeping. Squall gave Zell something casual from his closet to wear and the homeless teen slipped it on; he then asked Squall if he could use some paper and a pen from him, so he could write a letter or two?

Squall pointed to a small drawer where the items were located then turned in for the morning. Zell looked after him fondly before gathering the objects he needed from the drawer; sitting at the table he wrote his thoughts down on the sheets of paper. All the events that had happened moments ago were still playing through his mind giving him option after option for an outcome to this new life he was being forced to live.

But if he was going to choose Squall, he had to tie up some loose ends with people.

~~~Flash Back~~~

When Edgar said: "talk", he had meant he would talk and Zell would listen. The three of them walked out into Squall's room, naked and all, climbing onto the bed. Edgar at the end, Squall in the middle. A gesture which Zell was more than thankful for, and he lay at the end next to the wall; hiding his lower region with a pillow.

"Zell." Lord Edgar said to gain the guest's attention; Squall remained silent. Though he held Zell's frightened hand, in-case he needed some support. "You may stay here, if it is your choice."

That made Zell relax a little. He liked it here and if the Lord of the house said it was okay than far be it for him not to take the invite. "But..."

'There's a but?' He wondered.

"But... if you do." The man parted his lips slightly, running his tongue across his teeth as if the thought of what he were going to say was that enticing. "If you do, you must listen to everything I say, no questions asked."

"But, I..." Zell began to protest, but a squeeze on his hand told him not to say another word.

"It is for your own safety mind you."

"My safe-ty?" What did he mean? Zell backed himself up a bit until his back pressed into the wall.

"Yes. Willpower is not as strong as it could be when it comes to human prey." Explained the golden haired vampire. "If you were to stay here as you are, you'd be at risk each time night falls."

"Risk of what?" Inquired Zell, although he knew exactly what Edgar was talking about. He'd be bitten, maybe killed. But Zell liked to think as a Prince of the house, Squall had some kind of say. He may not know from Edgar, but he was hoping that out of love for Squall he would at least try to hold back his urges.

"Being bitten of course," Edgar replied after letting Zell have his mental moment. "Squall, and of course I, have say, but... some people are disobedient to consequences and don't care what happens afterwards. I myself may become overcome with blood lust for you."

"Would you bite me now.. if Squall weren't here?" Zell had to know, Edgar acted harmless enough, but he could have been putting up a front to make the stupid boy trust him. He really could have.

"You are as safe as any person would be with a trusted colleague." Reaching across Squall, Edgar stroked Zell's cheek lovingly with the back of his hand. Zell wanted to shrink away from it but, with Squall right there, he didn't wanna seem rude.

Edgar smiled smelling his feelings and backed away. "In daylight, when a night walker is awake, the blood lust is not there due to sleep spell cast upon us. Our bodies don't respond as they normally would to bite you."

"So how am I at risk?"

"We have many day walkers as our servants," The lord replied very matter-of-factly. "Why... the former owners of this very house were downstairs wondering how to prepare you as breakfast tonight, before I told them to back off."

"Oh," he downcast his eyes then looked back up. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But, there is one thing you should know."

"What's that?"

"If you do choose to stay with my Squall," he trailed and stood from the bed. "I'll let him explain. Enjoy your morning; but don't keep him up too late, I'd feel for your town when he's cranky."

Departing the bed Edgar crossed the room, opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.

"Hmhm, let out your breath, he's gone now." Squall teased; and received a pinch on the shoulder that he didn't feel.

"You failed to tell me that part." Grouched Zell.

"What part?" Squall continued teasing him, pinching the teen on his shoulder. Though his eyes were lowering with every minute that went by. The time was now 7:20 a.m. So Squall was up waaaay past his bedtime.

"That if I wanna stay here, I have to be a slave."

"I thought I did... Well, Zell it's kinda mandatory." Squall shifted sluggishly as though he was trying to shrug. "It's just as," he yawned. "Lord Edgar had said."

"Oh." His eyes shaded.

He had serious thinking to do now. Being around Squall wasn't gonna give him a clear enough answer, as he would only choose whatever the vampire suggested, which would have obviously been love slave to the 'Lord' of the house. Which he had just discovered wasn't even theirs! He has so many questions. But it would have to wait until tonight, he couldn't keep Squall awake any longer. He had to go back to the shelter to think.

"But Zell, there's one other little thing."

"What's that?"

"If you choose to stay with me... You'll have to be turned into a vampire." His eyes opened fully and he stared straight into Zell's blue orbs causing the alarmed teen to look away with a blush. He had never seen grayish blue eyes before, at least not that close up.

Squall took his wanted lover's chin and returned his gaze on him. "You have to know that."

"But why can't I just stay here as a human?" Zell shifted on his side to get a better position. "I don't think I can handle being a vampire."

"Zell when I went out the other day looking for you, my scent was all over the park from where you had vomited my saliva."

Zell nodded.

"If you hadn't thrown up, you'd already be a vampire. I just needed to bite you one last time..." Squall looked at him lustfully. But it wasn't for blood, but rather for the person Zell would have become.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zell's hand came up to his neck, shielding it as though he thought Squall was planning to bite him right then. All his nightmares and visions of the vampires intruding upon him came rushing back to his mind.

Squall looked into the teen's eyes, reading his thoughts and seeing his visions. "Relax. Your body rejected it when you spit it out at the park." Squall reached out bringing Zell's hand from his neck. He kissed the palm.

"I'll have to start the transfusion over, and it won't exactly tickle, since your body rejected it. That means I'm gonna have to turn you all at once, and hope for the best..." Squall looked into Zell's eyes pleadingly. "If you'll stay with me?"

Tears filled the bottom of Zell's eyes and flirted with spilling over down his face. But, Squall reached up wiping them away. "Don't cry... the pain won't last forever, then we can be together all the time."

"Is that the only way?" Questioned Zell.

"The only way for what?"

"The only way we can be together?" Zell began to wipe his own tears. "If I don't want to be a vampire, does that mean I won't ever see you again?"

"...No." He replied. "No, it doesn't. It just means... well..." The vampire shrugged. "I'll protect you, Zell - - every visit. If anyone tries to start something, I'll kill them... And I'll go see you too, at that home of yours."

'He'd kill for me?' Zell wrapped his arms around Squall and wept a little. He was glad to hear that Squall would protect him, and come visit him as well.

"Hey, sshhh. It'll be just like the first time, right?"

Zell nodded, still firmly planted against him.

"But, Zell, please consider what I'm saying to you... being a vampire would put my worries to rest."

"But, couldn't you stay with me instead?" The teary blond moved back from the hug to look Squall in the eyes. "I could get you a coffin, and stick it in the shelter, then we can live together forever. Maybe even get out of there and find a home of our own, if we could steal enough money."

Squall silenced him shaking his head and placing a finger to Zell's lips. "No, that would never be acceptable. I love Lord Edgar, and will not leave him. That's why I want you here with me..."

~~~End Flash Back~~~

Zell sighed heavily as the last of Squall's words played through his mind. 'Edgar.' He wouldn't leave Edgar for him, did that mean Squall didn't love him as much as Edgar? Or did it just mean he was that loyal to the man? He wasn't sure of the answers, and he didn't dare ask for fear of what he might hear.

Settling with his own truths, Zell made a firm decision. Folding the piece of paper in half, he stood and walked it over to the small side table beside Squall's bed, then placed the slip of paper down on top of it.

Leaning down, he kissed the forehead of the sleeping figure then backed away from the bed. "Sleep tight, Squall. I hope you understand my choice." That said, he walked out of the room praying that nobody would see him leave then try to hurt him, what with his exiting unescorted and all. But as soon as the door opened a man stepped in front of his path.

"Good morning, Mr. Dincht." He said with a smile.

Zell returned the smile, feeling it would be better to play along with whatever the man was planning until he was at least close enough to the front door. "Lord Edgar has requested that I take you home for the morning. Come with me."

'I shouldn't trust this guy... but... Lord Edgar did tell him to do it, but it might be some kind of trap.'

"Please, sir, I have a busy morning of grocery shopping once you've been safely dropped off." The man held an arm out, suggesting that Zell exit the home and go with him. Taking the offer, though still on guard, Zell followed the man out to the garage. The two of them got into a car.

The daywalker remained determined in his assignment of taking Zell back to which ever shelter he had come from, there might even be a considerable human bonus in it for him afterwards. With a smile crossing his face, the happy man drove faster.

Zell kept two sheets of paper and a pen to write with. He was sure Squall wouldn't mind. He just needed to write two more letters, and he'd be done. Today was the day for a lot of planning if he was gonna decide on his future. As far as he knew there were three options. 1. Staying with Squall, living as a vampire. 2. Remaining at the shelter with all his new friends, becoming a better thief and living life on the edge or, 3. The sudden appearance of Seifers affections to consider.

'Could I really stay with him?' He wondered. 'I know one of these notes is for Selphie... but, whose gonna get the third?' Placing the sheet of paper on his leg, Zell twisted the pen so that he could write with it. Just as the tip of the pen hit the paper the car passed over a welt in the street causing the tip to run up the paper.

"Aw fuck," he held the paper up into the light. "So much for presentable dramatics." Shaking it off, he started to write again beside the part that said 'Dear'.

Selphie walked out of her house, expecting to see Sabin waiting for her, as he usually does. 'I'll totally surprise him by being outside before he honks the horn.' But when she got outside the car was nowhere in sight. Furrowing her eyebrows, she thought that was kind of strange. Sabin was always outside waiting for her; what made today any different?

"Seifer..." She muttered. "Great, he's jealous of...RRR!" She pounded her hips with her fist. Shoulders slumped, she started walking again. A heavy sigh came from her as she lowered her head. "I can't believe it. I hope he's not mad at me or something." She kicked a rock into the distance.

"Not like we were havin' sex or something." She moped.

The sirens were heard before the cars came into sight. Selphie looked up just in time to see three cop cars speeding down the street past her. "Wonder what they're in such a hurry for?" Looking after them a bit longer, Selphie began her slow walk to school again.

At the Cole residence.

Locke is in his room lying on his bed. His back was stretched out over the mattress, and his legs were extended to the floor short ways. The frowning brunet was tossing a tennis ball up and down into his hand. His eyes are sad, his face.. sad. And at this point being branded dead wouldn't have bothered him at all.

'That fucking asshole...' He thought. 'Seifer... hmph. What the fuck kinda name is Seifer anyways?' His lips twisted. 'I wonder what Zell's doing?' He shook his head. 'Don't know why I'm thinking about him, though... it's not as if I love him or something. He's the one that's all - - full of emotions...' He thought in mock tone. 'But still... I didn't know he'd be thrown out of his house..' He rolled over on his side. 'But what can I do? He can't live here with me, my mother would freak out.'

There was a knock on the door before it pushed open.

"Can't you wait for an, 'enter'?" The distraut teen asked. His mother placed a hand on her hips then raised her wrist tapping her watch. "Ehem, it's already going on eight." She began to say. "Remember that place you used to go to hmm, what was it again, oh yes - - SCHOOL."

"Alright alright, get off my back already." He sat up. Locke grabbed his books and headed out the door past his mother.

"Hey," she called grabbing the sleeve of his jacket.

"What, I thought you wanted me to leave?" He asked.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She held her cheek in her son's direction. Rolling his eyes to the ceiling but with a smile, he leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Thank you, have a good day, baby."

"I'll try."

Locke stalked down the hallway with his mother watching his back. Taking it upon herself to explore her son's room a moment, just to see why he had been hanging out in there for so long, she saw one of his pillows partially turned. "Hmm, messy child. Haven't I taught him anything."

When moving the pillow, she saw a sheet of paper underneath. Picking it up, she didn't wanna read the note but couldn't help herself from taking a tiny peek.

Dear Mom,

'It's for me?' She thought opening it sincerely. Skimming down the sheet she saw that it was halfway finished before her eyes went back to the top of the page and she read,

Dear Mom and Conrad,

You might be wondering why your son would write you a note, huh? Well, I've got something to tell you that I don't think you're gonna like too much. I Locke Cole, your son... am GAY. Not the happy kind, but, the... well gay kind.

I've known since I was young maybe like 13 or somethin', and I've been hiding it from you since. I've had sex with guys before, lots of guys in fact. And the reason I'm telling you now is so that when I kill myself you'll know why.

Everyone at school found out about me, and there's a good chance the jerk that told everybody was gonna tell you, too. So I figured that it's better I told you myself. It would be better if it was face-to-face... but I just can't bare the looks of disgust you're gonna give me.

The woman clutched her chest and bit back tears. Feeling her knees buckle, she sat herself on the bed and continued reading.

I... I'm probably gonna go off somewhere and do it, maybe before school or aft-...

"No..." She wept into her hand. That was the end of the note. "No, no no... not my baby..." A loud sniffle ran through her lungs, and she clutched the note to her chest. Remembering the sight of her son walking down the hall away from her, maybe forever...