Life Begins at Thirty
Chapter 1
By Miss Dincht
This is a YAOI fan fiction starring Seifer Almasy and Squall Lionheart from Final Fantasy 8. The other major characters of the game make an appearance as well. Squaresoft is responsible for the characters, but I’ve taken them under my wing. I hope you like this because I am enjoying writing this. This is the first chapter and hopefully the story should be completed over the next few weeks.
In this story Seifer and Squall are in their thirties, so almost fifteen years have passed since Ultimecia. The story is slow paced at times, but I hope you still enjoy it, and the laid back mood is due to the fact that the characters are more mature. The characters are older, but I still tried to keep them in character. Anyway let me know what you think and if I should keep going. This will be a Lemon eventually, but this chapter contains only mild language and some mature themes.
Squaresoft owns everything but the events of the story.
Life Begins at Thirty
Chapter 1
By Miss Dincht
Squall Lionheart inhaled deeply as he gazed out at the view from the balcony of his new apartment. He was finally free. He had finally come to terms with who he was, what he wanted out of life, and what type of life he wanted to lead. It had taken him years to come to terms with himself, and he may have hurt many people in the process, but Squall hadn’t been able to continue living a lie. He hadn’t meant to hurt Rinoa or their son, but he believed he was hurting them more by not being truthful to them. He still loved them both. He would love them forever. Squall had always loved Rinoa, but he had loved her as would a brother, and he had been foolish to think that that would have been enough to bond them together for life. It would have been so much easier if he been honest from the start, but he had thought that he knew what he was doing, that he could learn to control his true feelings. It had been easy to do just that in the beginning, for Squall had never been an overly sexual or emotional person, but he had grown over the years and changed in more ways than one. He began to see himself for who he really was, and he eventually learned that homosexuality was a part of him.
At thirty years of age, Squall was starting a new life. Long before the divorce papers were finalized, Squall packed his bags and departed, leaving Rinoa the houses, the cars, everything. He had wanted to take his son, but he’d known that Rinoa wouldn’t give Riley up without a fight. The court case was still pending, and although Squall didn’t think he’d get full custody, he at least hoped he’d get visitation rights. He loved his son dearly and couldn’t imagine not having the child in his life. Squall hoped that he and Riley had the strength for a long, drawn out battle if it did come to that.
Squall and Rinoa had been living in Balamb, but after the split, Squall had decided to move to Galbadia. Galbadia had changed significantly over the years. There was an expansion boom after the war with Ultimecia, and now Galbadia was a sprawling metropolis. Squall had thought that it was the perfect place for him to start fresh and meet new people. Squall had retired as Commander from Garden two years ago, and although he was still on the Board of Trustees, he didn’t have a full – time job. He actually didn’t need a job because his retirement checks were enormous, but he wanted to keep busy and find a new career to occupy himself with. He was thinking that maybe he would try something where he could be creative.
The telephone rang, and Squall turned from the view of the Galbadia skyline and moved into the living room. His apartment wasn’t fully furnished yet, and the only piece of furniture in the living room was the couch. He had left Rinoa all of the furniture, and although he’d already gone out and purchased some things, most of it hadn’t been delivered. He’d gotten a telephone only a few days ago, and so far only three people had his number: Rinoa, his lawyer, and Zell Dincht, his closest friend. Squall checked the Caller ID and grinned.
"Zell." He said as he picked up the receiver.
"Yo, Squall!" Zell hollered.
Squall chuckled and sat on the edge of the couch, the only piece of furniture in the living room. "What’s up?" he said. It was comforting to hear Zell’s voice. It made him remember that he still had someone in his corner.
"How you making out, man? I‘ve been calling all damn day. Where ya been?" Zell asked.
Squall smiled. "Out. I did a little shopping, nothing spectacular." He said.
"Hey, man wanna go out or something? Fujin’s taking the girls out for ice cream, so I’ve got nothing better to do than go out with you." Zell said.
Squall laughed. "How is the lovely Mrs. Dincht?" he said.
"Awww, surly as always." Zell said. "Did I ever tell you how bitchy she can get? If she kicks me in the leg one more time I think I’m gonna file for divorce." Zell said.
At the mention of the word divorce Squall fell silent. Zell noticed the tension immediately.
"Oh, shit. Oh, gee. Old Dincht does it again. I think I wake up with my foot in my mouth." Zell said.
Squall smiled slightly. "It’s okay, Zell." He said.
"So how are you really, man? Everything cool?"
Squall nodded against the telephone. "As cool as it can be." He said.
"Have you, you know, heard from Rinny?" Zell said.
"Not lately, but I did get a chance to talk to Riley." Squall said.
"Oh, great. You should bring him over again. The girls just love him. He’s gonna break hearts one day just like his daddy." Zell said.
"Zell…" Squall said.
"Oh, shit. Sorry again man, but you know what I mean." Zell said.
Squall couldn’t help but laugh.
"So what are you doing tonight? We have to go out. I don’t know when I’ll get this chance again." Zell said.
"Well, I was thinking about going to a nightclub or something, but I don’t really know." Squall said.
"You should go. Sounds like fun." Zell said. "What club were you thinking about going to?"
"I was looking through the city guide and they had a brief article on this nightclub called Platinum." Squall said.
"Oh. Isn’t that, like, that real classy gay man’s club." Zell said.
Squall laughed. "Not scared of gay men are you Zell?" he said.
Zell chuckled. "Naw, just don’t want them pawing all over me and shit." He said.
"Well, if you want to go I promise not to paw you." Squall said.
"Heh heh. Fine." Zell said. "So what time are we going?"
"How about in an hour?" Squall said.
"That’s cool. I’ll be there." Zell said. "Oh, and Irvine says hi. He and Selphie want your address so they can come see you."
"How are they? I haven’t seen or heard from either of them for a few months now." Squall said. "I thought they might have been angry at me."
"For what? Rinoa? Please. Selphie’s pregnant again." Zell said. "I don’t know how that little body managed to pop out six babies, and now she’s going to have another one."
"What do you expect? She married Irvine Kinneas." Squall said.
"Yeah, huh, well I’d have killed him a long time ago if it was me. I’m so glad we don’t have to go through that." Zell said.
"What?" Squall asked.
"Havin’ kids." Zell said.
Squall chuckled. "I just got this image of you lying in a hospital bed, your legs are spread, and you’re yelling your ass off." He said.
"Fujin never yelled. She punched me a few times, but that was it. You’re right though, I probably would have been screaming my ass off. So, I’ll see ya ‘round seven?" Zell said.
"Yes." Squall said.
"Okay man, see ya then. I’m going to rent a car when I get off the train. You’re driving us back from the club though. I want to get smashed." Zell said.
"Whatever. Bye." Squall said.
Squall gently placed the telephone down. He checked his watch before heading down the hall to his bedroom.
The bedroom was the largest room in the apartment. It was as sparsely furnished as the rest of the house, but Squall had already managed to buy a brand new bed. It was an iron, four – poster affair, somewhat like a canopy bed. A square of metal connected all four posts, and an airy piece of white fabric draped over the metal to hang over the sides of the bed. The sheets were made of the same light, white fabric. He also had a small white desk that stood in the corner of the room, and on its surface was his computer. Everything in the room, except the hardwood floor, was white and Squall thought the room could really use some color. He didn't want anything too bright or wild, just a little something to make the room more interesting. Squall didn’t really know much about decorating – Rinoa had taken care of those types of things – and so he was at a loss as to how he would finish furnishing the room. He was thinking he’d invite Quistis to the apartment to help him with that since she had always had a nice touch when it came to decorating.
Squall went to his closet and opened the door. There was a mirror on the inside of the closet door, and Squall briefly looked at his reflection before examining the garments hanging on the rack.
Squall had never bothered much with his looks, even when he was a teenager. When he was a teen he had strove to be fashionable, and he had taken care of himself physically, but the brunette had never really been aware of how others saw him. People had always complemented him on his beauty back then, but he had never cared what anyone had to say about his looks. When he’d gotten married he’d had even less interest in how he looked, but now that he was on his own, and exploring a new lifestyle, he found himself becoming more interested in his appearance. Squall supposed he was attractive enough, but he still didn’t realize just how lovely he was. The waif – like brunette was still drop – dead gorgeous, even after so many years. He was in great shape physically, and his face hadn’t really changed at all. He had a few lines around the eyes, but that was the extent to which he had aged. His hair was even the same. It was still as thick and glossy as it had always been, and he wore it in exactly the same way. Selphie and Irvine’s eldest child, their daughter Winona, had said that Squall had that "bed – head" look that was all the rage with the young kids. She’d said that for an old guy Squall was pretty hot. Squall smiled as he thought of wild, little Winona, she was going to be a handful when she got older. Of Selphie and Irvine’s six children, Winona was definitely one of his favorites.
Squall removed a short - sleeved, black button down shirt and a pair of black, silk slacks from the rack and held the garments against his body as he gazed into the mirror. He really didn’t know anything about gay men at all, so he wasn’t sure what he should be wearing. He was trying for something sexy, but he didn’t want to seem desperate or easy. Lately, Squall seemed to struggle with even the simplest decisions. He kept forgetting that being gay didn’t mean he had to conform to some sort of stereotype of what he thought a gay man should be. Squall had to laugh at himself a lot because sometimes he could feel that confused little boy that he used to be rising to the surface. He was a gay male, and he knew what he liked, so he guessed he only had to use himself as a guide. He decided that he could learn whatever else there was to know as he went along.
Squall had thought a lot lately about dating and if he was ready for a serious relationship. Now that he was comfortable with his true feelings when it came to love and romance, and wasn’t suppressing his desires, he often let his mind wander freely onto the subject of companionship with another man. He wanted a friend more than anything right now, but he could admit to himself that he also wanted love. And he knew exactly what he wanted in a man, for he’d met his ideal a very long time ago.
Squall sighed and dropped the outfit onto the bed. He’d showered earlier, so all he had to do was change into his clothing and wait for Zell to arrive. He smiled when he thought of his friend. Zell had also changed much over the years, not too much, but he was far more mature than he had been. Everyone had been shocked when they had discovered that he’d been secretly seeing Fujin, but the two had turned out to be a real good match. Zell had brightened Fujin’s outlook on life, and Fujin had kept Zell from getting too out of hand. Zell had turned out to be the best friend that Squall had ever had. Zell had supported Squall through some very tough times.
Squall removed the sweatpants and T – shirt he’d been wearing and slipped into the clothing he’d set out. When he finished dressing he looked into the mirror and examined the reflection he saw there. The clothes were Gucci, and he’d spent a fortune on them. The pants felt like butter and hung from his willowy frame like liquid. The shirt was fitted but not too tight. He left a few buttons open at the top. He considered opening a few of the buttons at the bottom to show off his stomach, but he thought that might be too much so he left them closed. It was a very nice look, casual, but somewhat sophisticated. Squall was pleased. He was also nervous as hell, and he wished Zell would hurry. It was his very first night going out as an admitted gay male to a gay club, and for some odd reason Squall thought that this was a big deal. He spent a good five minutes trying to convince himself that it really wasn’t, but failed miserably. Squall didn’t know why this night seemed so important, but he was so eager to take those first steps. Squall put on his shoes then walked out into the living room to wait for Zell.
At about 6:55, Squall’s Intercom buzzed. Squall rushed to the side of the door and hit the small button beneath the speaker.
"Hello? Zell?" Squall asked.
"Yo, Squall! Yeah! Let me up!" Zell yelled.
Squall pressed the button to open the door, and then went into the bathroom to check his appearance one last time. A few moments later there was a knock on the front door and Squall went to open it.
"Hey, Zell." Squall said.
The blonde grinned.
Zell’s physical appearance was still virtually the same, even after so many years. Of them all, Zell still looked the most like a teenager. Besides the fact that he was exactly the same height, and only slightly bigger – he had a small beer belly – his face was still the face of a 17 year old boy. He even wore the same spiky hairdo, and he still hadn’t removed the tattoo. His taste in clothing had greatly improved over the years, however. Tonight he was wearing a nice pair of gray slacks, and a nicely fitted black shirt.
"Hey Squall." Zell said. "You look good, man. Nice pants."
Zell’s eyes widened when he stepped into the apartment. He hadn’t yet seen Squall’s new place, and the blonde was obviously impressed.
"Want the tour?" Squall said.
"Hell yeah." Zell said.
Squall led Zell through the living room into the dining room, through the kitchen, the two bedrooms, the bathroom, and finally the study. Zell had something positive to say about almost every room, although he did admit that Squall’s decorating skills were seriously lacking. Zell promised that he’d get in contact with Quistis as soon as he got home and arrange for their former Instructor to come over for a visit.
"Quistis could make your house look fantastic." Zell said as he waited for Squall to lock the door to the apartment.
"I know I need help. I just don’t know what to do with all that space." Squall said. He turned once the door was securely locked and headed down the hallway toward the elevator. Zell followed.
"Quistis will know what to do. Hey, you should have a house warming party or something. We can invite the whole gang. I can bring food. We’ll rope Irvine into bringing the liquor. It’ll be great." Zell said.
Squall nodded as he stepped onto the awaiting elevator. "I like that idea. Let’s do it." He said.
Zell stepped inside after him. "How much do you pay for that place? It’s fucking huge. Gigantic." Zell said.
"About 8000 Gil monthly." Squall said.
Zell whistled. "Well it is prime real estate and it’s not like you can’t afford it, eh Commander?" He said.
Squall smiled. "Well I wanted a mansion like yours, but I just couldn’t seem to scrape up the money." He said.
Zell grinned. "Fuck you." He said.
Squall laughed.
"So the party is on then?" Zell asked.
Squall nodded. "Certainly." He said.
When the elevator reached the lobby the two friends got off and headed outside. Squall chatted briefly with the doorman of his building as Zell went around the corner to get the rental car. The big, black SUV roared around the corner a few minutes later. Squall bade the doorman farewell and hurried around to the passenger’s side of the car.
"I’m so glad to be getting out of the house." Zell said as Squall climbed into the car.
Squall smiled as he eased into the seat and fastened his seat belt. "What do you think Fujin will say when she finds out you’re hanging out a gay clubs?" he said.
"Awww, she won’t care. She’d probably be in to that kinda thing. Fujin can be real kinky." Zell said.
Squall shook his head.
"So where is this place?" Zell asked as he guided the car into the middle lane.
"Ah, I think it’s just a few blocks up from the Galbadia Shops. They’ve built so many new buildings around there." Squall said.
"Tell me about it." Zell said. "Did Galbadia really need another shopping mall?"
"You can never have too many shopping malls." Squall said. "I used to hate going to malls with Rinoa, but I’ve been having fun shopping on my own."
"Ugh, I hate women shoppers! Fujin shops like the average guy though. She doesn’t even try clothes on. She’s in and out in like two minutes. Say Squall, how do gay men shop?" Zell said.
"Like everyone else." Squall said.
"Oh, well I just thought…uh never mind." Zell said.
Squall smiled.
Zell always drove like his life depended on how fast he could go, and in just a few minutes they had already reached Galbadia Station. It was a nice summer evening, clear and rather cool, and the streets were crowded with people looking for some entertainment to pass the night away. Squall was looking forward to enjoying himself tonight too.
"So, Squall, tell me about this club." Zell said.
"Well, it’s supposed to very classy. There is dancing, music, and the usual stuff, but you can also have dinner if you’d like." Squall said.
"They have drinks?" Zell said.
"Of course." Squall said.
"Then you know I’m all for it." Zell said.
"You probably wouldn’t want to get too drunk." Squall said.
"Funny." Zell said. "I just hope I don’t see anyone I know. I’d hate to see some poor guy who wasn’t out yet, but was sneakin’ around. Hey, uh, Squall, did you ever…you know, like sneak around on Rinoa?"
Squall sighed. "No, Zell." he said.
"You’re not mad that I asked that, are you?" Zell said.
"Yes, maybe a little." Squall replied.
"Sorry." Zell mumbled.
The two men fell silent.
Squall gazed out of the window as they passed the Galbadia Hotel. They would reach their destination soon, and the thought of what awaited them made Squall’s stomach flutter. He felt stupid for feeling like some green school kid, but he was new at this, and he hadn’t really had any major changes in his life for awhile. He was learning to adjust, but he knew it would still take some time.
Squall had told Zell the truth. He had never cheated on Rinoa with anyone, man or woman. At least not physically. Mentally he had indulged himself with fantasies, dreams, and even pornography at times. It pained him that he’d lived a secret life for so long, yet he had to admit that he wouldn’t have had Riley if he’d chosen this path earlier. And Riley was more than worth it. Squall wouldn’t have traded Riley for anything, and there were many good memories, even with Rinoa. Squall didn’t feel as guilty when he thought of it that way.
"There it is." Zell said.
Squall snapped out of his reverie and looked in the direction that Zell was pointing. On a large, two – story building, a large neon sign flashed the word Platinum in red, pink, green, then blue. There was a long line of both men and women, but mostly men, standing on the red carpet that had been laid out on the sidewalk. Smaller groups of mixed gender stood in front of the club, or off to the side, chatting with their friends or leaning against expensive cars. It was a very posh group, young, hip, and wealthy. The ladies were lovely in their skimpy black dresses and strappy sandals, and the men were divine in their stylish, designer outfits. Squall had never seen so many attractive men gathered together and so openly showing affection to their male lovers and friends.
"Wow." Zell said as he examined the crowd. "We’re going to have a tough time finding a parking space."
"We could park in a garage." Squall said.
"That’s probably the best we can do." Zell said. "You’re going in half though, these damn garages can be expensive."
"Cheapskate." Squall said.
"Hey, I’m not your date." Zell said.
Squall smiled. "Whatever." he said.
Zell pulled into the nearest garage to the club. It turned out to be just a block away from the place, so after a short walk the two men reached the nightclub. They had to wait in line for about 45 minutes, but as soon as Squall entered the nightclub he felt it was worth the wait. He liked the place immediately. It was very classy, but an air of debauchery lingered just beneath the surface. The design of the club was very clean and modern, very European. There was a large dance floor in the center of the club. A throng of bodies had gathered on the glowing tiles, all of them dancing wildly to the loud Pop music. Small, wooden tables lined three of the walls around the dance floor, and in the center of each there was a glowing candle and a vase with one red rose. People sat at the tables in couples or larger groups, dining and talking amongst themselves. There was a long bar against the farthest wall and what seemed like hundreds of people were leaning against it, fighting for one of the bartenders’ attention. A stairwell near the bar led up to the second floor, where there was another dance floor, pool tables, and more of the smaller dining tables. It was a very nice establishment.
Squall was accosted by a very attractive, young man almost as soon as he got inside, but Squall refused the offer to dance and headed for the bar. Squall was just starting to get his bearings, and he thought he’d feel more open after having a drink. Besides, the young man had looked far too young for his tastes.
"So what do you think?!" Zell cried over the loud music.
"Nice." Squall called back over his shoulder. He felt Zell grab his shoulder and hold on to it tightly as they made their way through the crowd. Several more men accosted Squall, but he politely refused them all.
"Hey, some guy pinched my ass." Zell said when they reached the bar. His lips turned down and he rubbed at his backside. "That hurt."
Squall laughed. He pulled out his wallet. "So what do you want?" he said.
"You’re buying?" Zell said.
Squall shrugged. "Why not?" he said.
"Kamikaze." Zell said. "Make it double. I think I’m gonna need it."
Squall smiled and raised his money for the bartender to see it.
After getting their drinks, the two men made their way to one of the side tables. Zell sat watching the crowd, but Squall watched his drink.
"You seem nervous Squall." Zell said. "Lighten up."
Squall smiled. "This is just new to me." He said. He caught sight of two men kissing at one of the other tables.
"Hell, this is new to me too, but I’m having fun." Zell said.
Squall sipped at his Marguerita.
"So, Lionheart, what do you want in a guy?" Zell said. He leaned forward and grinned. "Am I your type?"
"Maybe." Squall said.
Zell got excited. "Have you ever, like, dreamt about me, all naked and stuff." He said.
Squall smiled. "And if I told you yes?" he said.
"I’d be honored." Zell said.
"I don’t think so, Zell, and if I did it was purely unintentional." Squall said.
Zell sneered. "Gee, thanks a lot, Pal." He said. "No, but really, I have to know, were you gay back then? When we were teenagers?"
"Yes, I think so. I remember thinking about guys, but I just blamed it on hormones. I wouldn’t let myself think about it too much." Squall said.
"So have you ever fallen in love with a guy?" Zell asked.
"Yes, but shouldn’t that be obvious?" Squall said. He took another sip of his drink.
"Someone I know?" Zell prodded. He gulped at his Kamikaze.
Squall nodded. "Actually, yes." He said.
Zell snapped his fingers. "Let me guess! Okay, so if it wasn’t me…Irvine?" he said.
Squall almost choked on his drink. "No. Irvine is very attractive, but no." he said.
"Aaaah, Nida?" Zell said. He scratched at his spiky head.
Squall smiled. "No, but Nida’s cute." He said.
Zell shrugged. "Quistis would kill you though. Ah, was it Cid?" he said.
Squall laughed. Zell joined in.
"You know that was a joke, right?" Zell said.
Squall laughed again. "I kind of figured it was." He said.
"Hey, you might like older guys. Ah, let me see, was it…what was that jerk’s name? Oh, yeah. Giovanni. You remember, that conceited dude that was always hanging around in the Library?" Zell said.
"Him? Ah, no." Squall said.
"Kiros?" Zell offered.
Squall chuckled. "Kiros is a nice package, but no." he said.
"Damn, I can’t think of anyone else. Oh, wait, let me think. Ah, maybe it was…uh, no, ah was it, um, let me see…SEIFER!" Zell said.
Squall’s eyes widened. "What did you say?" he asked.
Zell was shaking his arm violently and looking over his head. "S – S – Seifer! It’s Seifer!" Zell yelled.
Squall looked at his wide – eyed friend in bewilderment, then turned to look behind him.
There, on the second floor, standing right above them, was Seifer Almasy, Squall Lionheart’s one time rival. Squall’s heart fluttered at the sight of the majestic blonde, and the world around him seemed to fall away from his senses, making him numb to all but Seifer. Squall blinked to make certain that it wasn’t a vision. It was indeed THE Seifer Almasy. There was no doubt about it. He was wonderful, gorgeous, still a perfect specimen of manhood. He was slightly more muscular than Squall remembered, but then the brunette hadn’t seen the larger man in several years.
Squall had last seen Seifer three years after the Ultimecia fiasco, and by then Squall had been married with a son on the way. He’d heard about Seifer many times after that because Quistis and Selphie tried hard to stay in touch with Seifer, but most of what he’d heard had never been enough to satiate his curiosity. He would always act as though he wasn’t interested in any news about the blonde, however, and so eventually the girls stopped bringing Seifer up altogether. On the day he’d last seen Seifer they had only talked briefly. Squall had spoken harshly to Seifer, and Seifer had spoken just as harshly to him, but despite parting on bad terms, Seifer had always lingered just beneath the surface of Squall’s thoughts. Squall had always wondered what his life would have been like if he’d only admitted he’d wanted his blonde rival. For a brief moment, as he stared at Seifer, he couldn’t help but regret some of the choices he’d made. In that moment, he felt that if he could have found some way to go back in time and keep his son he would have. Squall had wanted Seifer badly from the beginning, but when he was a teenager he’d been far too scared to admit it. Squall thought at the time that to admit such a thing meant that he was unnatural and weak. To admit that would have meant that his rival had beaten him, and in those days, Squall wouldn’t have given Seifer anything that might have shifted the balance of power in the blonde’s favor.
Seifer had previously been talking with some of the patrons of the club, but when he finally noticed, and recognized, the wide – eyed brunette that was staring up at him he moved toward the steps. Squall turned around abruptly and stared at Zell, mouth agape.
"He’s coming downstairs!" Zell said in a rather loud whisper. "Oh, man, I haven’t seen Seifer in like five or six years."
Squall swallowed and wondered if now would be a good time to go to the bathroom, or check on the car, or something. He agonized with the choices laid out before him for several seconds, before deciding to calm down. Squall reminded himself that he was a grown man, not some fool teenager who blushed at the mere sight of their crush. Squall cleared his throat, took a sip of his drink, and made ready to act as natural as was humanly possible considering the circumstances.
"Well if it isn’t little Squall Lionheart and his old pal, Zell Dincht." Seifer said as he sauntered up to the table, hands hidden in the pockets of his black pants. He wore a white cotton, button – downed shirt that was open at the collar, revealing his chest. The familiar choker chain rested against his collarbone and gleamed in the dim light.
Squall acted surprise and hoped his true reaction to Seifer’s appearance didn’t show. He offered his hand and Seifer shook it. Squall brushed his lengthy bangs out of his face and tried not to grin too widely. "Seifer!" he said. "Wow, you know I thought that was you. It’s been awhile, so I wasn’t certain."
Seifer smirked and nodded. He looked at Squall through narrowed eyes and licked his lips. "You look good Lionheart. Marriage must be treatin’ you real nice." He said.
"Oh, Squall’s not married." Zell offered cheerfully. "He just got divorced."
Squall was mortified. He glared at Zell until the blonde was sufficiently chagrined. Zell cleared his throat and looked at Seifer.
"It’s cool seeing you man." Zell said to the blonde. "What are you doin’ here?"
"I should ask you that." Seifer said. "You do know what kind of nightclub this is."
"Duh?" Zell said. "Of course we know. Straight guys can’t come here? You know that’s discrimination, right? Besides, Squall’s gay, so –"
Squall uttered a sound of disgust and shook his head. He glared at Zell and the blonde shrugged.
"Oh. Sorry." Zell mumbled.
Seifer was grinning from ear to ear. "Did I hear what I thought I just heard? So, you finally decided to come clean, huh, Lionheart? Sure as hell took you long enough."
Squall folded his arms over his chest. "What does that mean?" he said.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Seifer said. "So what are you men drinking?"
"Kamikaze." Zell said as he lifted his glass.
Seifer grabbed the arm of a passing waiter and whispered in the guy’s ear. The guy nodded and hurried off.
"Why don’t you two come up to my office." Seifer said.
"Your office? You run this place?" Zell said.
Seifer nodded. "I own it." He said. He turned and headed up the steps.
Zell got up to follow. "You comin’?" he asked Squall.
Squall nodded and grabbed his drink. He followed Zell up the steps.
Seifer’s office was located on the second floor near the front of the building. The room was nice and spacious, and cooler than the club because it was air - conditioned. Shelves of books lined two of the four walls in the office. One wall was covered by one – way mirrors through which one could look out over the entire club. The other wall had a large window where one could look out over the street. A large, black desk littered with books, papers, and magazines stood in the far corner of the room, and a wide screen television stood in front of the desk, scenes from some cheap, grade B, horror film flashing across the screen. Movie posters, various photos of celebrities and others, and paintings of nude men hung in frames on the black walls. A table piled with liquor bottles rested against the wall with the mirrors. There were five chairs in the room besides the one behind Seifer’s desk. Squall chose to sit in the chair near the television, the chair closest to Seifer’s desk.
"Nice office." Zell said as he examined his surroundings. He moved to the one – way mirrors and gazed down at the dance floor.
Seifer sat down in the chair behind the desk and put his feet up on the desktop. He was wearing combat boots. He took a cigar out of the pocket in his shirt and lit it.
"They can’t see me right?" Zell asked.
"Nope." Seifer said. He gazed at Squall intently, and the brunette tried to keep from squirming in the seat. Squall stared back, but Seifer eventually won that contest.
Zell snickered and lifted his middle finger at the crowd below. "Nice place, Seifer. How did you manage this? Selphie told me you had a business, but she didn’t really go into details." he said.
"How is Baby Girl?" Seifer said around the cigar.
"Baby Girl is about to have another baby." Zell said as he turned around.
Seifer shook his head. "Fuck, what does Kinneas feed that girl? Fertility drugs?" he said.
Zell laughed. He grabbed a chair and turned it backward before crashing into it. "I don’t know, man, I just don’t know. We’re still trying to figure it out." He said.
"So what is that now? Four or five?" Seifer asked.
"Seven." Zell said.
Seifer just shook his head. "That should be illegal." He said. "So how are your little baby chicks doin’?"
"They’re fine." Zell said.
"How’s my girl?" Seifer said.
"Fu? Oh, she’s great." Zell said. "She’s been wanting to see you, but no one knew where you were."
"Now you know, so tell her she can come down to see me. How’s your kid, Squall?" Seifer said.
"Oh, he’s doing well. I’m so proud of him. He got all A’s on his report card this term and he just joined his school’s soccer team. He also won the school art contest." Squall said.
"You gonna send him to Garden?" Seifer asked.
Squall shook his head. "I don’t think so. He has showed interest in it, but I’d like him to try something else." He said.
Seifer nodded. "What was his name again?" he asked.
"Riley." Squall said.
"Yeah, Riley. That’s right. I remember." Seifer said. A grin spread across his face. "So, you and Rinny called it quits, huh? When was this?"
"About six months ago." Squall said.
"Bet she didn’t take that too well." Seifer said.
"She kicked him out of the house." Zell said.
Seifer laughed and coughed on the cigar smoke. "I’ll bet." He said.
Squall shot Zell a baleful glance. "Zell, please." he said.
Zell smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
"Where are you staying, Lionheart?" Seifer asked.
"At the Galbadian Towers." Squall said.
Seifer nodded his head. "Nice." He said. "I know a guy who lives up there."
There was a knock at the door.
"Yeah?" Seifer said.
The door opened and a slim brunette walked into the room holding a tray of drinks. This was not the waiter Seifer had spoken to earlier, but someone else. He was wearing skin – tight, shimmery black pants and a tight red shirt that rode up over his stomach. For a moment Squall thought he was seeing a younger version of himself. The boy actually didn’t look anything like Squall, but he had a similar build, the delicate facial features, and a mop of silky brunette hair atop his head. He couldn’t have been more than twenty. The boy stopped, looked at Squall, sneered and then rolled his eyes rather dramatically, but his face brightened considerably when he looked at Seifer.
"Hi, Seifer." He said as he placed the tray on the edge of Seifer’s desk.
Seifer smiled and moved his feet from off of the desk. The boy immediately sauntered over to him and sat in his lap. Squall looked at Zell and Zell looked at Squall. Squall was shocked and appalled, but he made his face appear as expressionless as possible. He watched as the young man giggled happily and flung his arms around Seifer’s neck.
"Oh, Seifer, I’ve been looking for you all day. Were you up here the entire time?" The boy said as he played with the collar of Seifer’ shirt.
Seifer smiled as his eyes roved over the boy’s body. "I’ve been busy. Now why don’t you get off my lap, I have company." He said.
The young man pouted and stood up. He put his hand on his hip and glared down at the blonde. Seifer simply leaned back in his chair and grinned.
"This isn’t over, Seifer. I know you still want me." The boy said.
Seifer shrugged. "Daniel, I told you that if you still wanted to work here you would have to except that we can’t see each other any more. I’m trying to be nice here. We can be friends, but that’s it." He said.
Daniel sucked his teeth and stomped toward the door. Before making it to the door, however, he stopped to glare at Squall one last time. "I don’t know what you think this old – timer can do for you, Seifer, but I’m the real thing baby! I know you’ll come crawling back!"
Seifer laughed. Zell laughed too, but he covered his mouth so Squall wouldn’t hear it.
"Whatever." Squall said. He folded his arms and glared at the pouting young man.
Daniel stuck his tongue out at Squall and with that, he was gone.
"Crazy bastard." Zell said. He looked at Squall and laughed.
Squall looked at Zell and shook his head. Then he looked at Seifer.
"Who was that?" Squall demanded.
One of Seifer’s eyebrows lifted at the tone in Squall voice. "Just a friend. Squall. Don’t let him scare you." Seifer said. "He’s all talk. Besides, I’m moving on to something bigger and better."
"I heard that." Zell said. He raised his empty glass in a toast then reached for one of the glasses on the tray.
Seifer crushed his cigar out in an ashtray then got up. "Look, gentlemen, it’s been nice, but I have some work to do." He opened one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out two laminated cards. He handed one to Squall and one to Zell.
"Whoa! VIP passes." Zell said. "Cool!"
"They’re good forever. You can come whenever. You don’t have to pay and you don’t have to wait in line, and you get access to everything." Seifer said.
"Thanks!" Zell said. He stood up and shook Seifer’s hand.
Squall sighed and rose from his chair. He slipped the card into his pocket. He watched, somewhat forlornly, as Seifer walked to the door and opened it. He wanted to say something to Seifer so badly, but he couldn’t find the words.
"It was nice seeing you guys. Drop by again soon." Seifer said.
Zell grabbed a fresh drink and headed for the door. Squall hesitated for a moment, then followed. He and Seifer both stared at each other. Squall felt a tingling in his belly. Seifer licked his lips, and Squall thought he could almost taste Seifer in his mouth.
"Hey, Seifer!" Zell shouted, shattering the moment.
Seifer looked away from Squall and down at Zell.
"Hey, Seifer, why don’t you come to Squall’s party. We’re gonna have a little house warming thingie this weekend. Everyone would love it if you came." Zell said.
Seifer looked at Squall. "You want me to come, Squall?" he said.
Squall jumped slightly and licked his lips. "Sure. Of course. I’d love it if you came." He said.
Seifer smirked. "Then I’ll come." He said.