Authors notes: companion to ‘The Ring’ but from Zell POV

Disclaimer: Ah…the usual…all these beautiful characters from FF8 belong to Square and not me *sob*. This is the Zell POV to ‘The Ring’. This one-shot turned possible duology (this can’t be a proper word! ^_^)has become a trilogy! Wedding coming soon! Enjoy this until then!

This is YAOI - boys with boys, caring, desiring, kissing, hugging, groping…um, yeah…but that’s why you’re reading this, yes?

The Wish

By Garden’s Gnome

I hear a dull thud as someone or something hit’s the floor but I don’t care. I’m being kissed. And it’s not just the sweet kiss that has my head spinning, it’s the person sharing it with me. Squall ‘the ice prince’ Leonhart. Guess we can’t call you that anymore.

Your lips are warm and soft, your hands feel nice holding and caressing mine, you taste so nice but I’m needing air. Then, I’ll kiss you some more. Once I remember how. Damn, you’ve got a beautiful smile. I think I’m going into shock. You just kissed me and now you’re holding up someone’s hand…Oh, yeah that’s mine. With your ring on it. Huh?!?

“I love you,” you say and I know I’m blushing. You love me! Hyne, finally I can say all the things I’ve wanted to tell you for so long. I almost want to cry for all the joy I’m feeling. Then you say something I never thought I’d hear from your lips. “Marry me?”

Oh, yeah. Definitely shock now…see, I can’t even speak…must get the body to move before you think that I don’t want this, before you walk away. There we go, a nod. Then another. But for the life of me I can’t take my eyes off of the ring. The ring that you gave to me that I then gave to Rinoa, no matter how much I wanted to keep it. If I’d had the time, I would’ve made a copy and given that to her and kept the original for myself to have a part of you close to me. But that doesn’t matter now because I get to have both. Forever.

Suddenly we are surrounded by our friends. I want to keep you by my side but I’m also curious as to what caused that thudding sound. Giving you a blinding smile as you are dragged into one hug after another, I spy a form on the floor attended by Doctor Kadowski. Good old doc, always on duty even at celebrations such as this. Wandering closer, I see my suspicions confirmed. Rinoa fainted. Guess the sorceress couldn’t handle it.

“I could carry Rin to the infirmary for you,” I offer Dr. K who just shakes her head and smiles gently to the person approaching us. I feel arms slip around my waist and immediately know it’s you.

“You’re not going anywhere without me,” you say as you spin me in your arms and capture my lips again.

I almost break the kiss to smile at the wolf-whistles and cat-calls around us but your hand on the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair, tells me to stay right where I am. So warm and soft. I would never have believed it if anyone had said that you’d propose to me tonight. I’ve wanted you for so long. Too long.

I’d seen you around the Garden a few times being hassled by Seifer. Would love to see the look on his face right now. Hope he made it out okay. He wasn’t such a bad guy, just had a few too many pushes in the wrong direction. Wish I wasn’t thinking of all this right now. Just want to fall into you and never return but my mind won’t let me. It’s determined to find the one turning point in our relationship. When I wanted more.

At first I only wanted to be friends, to get you to loosen up some. You never smiled and rarely spoke more than a few words at a time. I saw you as a challenge. I love those. From then on I tried to talk to you at every opportunity. Even resorting to waiting outside the library to get you to play cards with me as you wandered past. Look where that got me. A huge crush from the librarian. Hope this doesn’t hurt her feelings too bad.

At first I thought you were interested in girls but when you gave all three of our female companions the same treatment, I began to wonder. Could you like guys? Which lead to the thought of - could you like me?

Then we thought Seifer had been executed. Your reaction was…unexpected. It made me jealous that you were so worried about him but I guess we all were concerned but this was one of your more vocal outbursts. I had to get away and think on what I was feeling. So I went and did some push ups. But that didn’t stop me from watching your ass as you walked past. Mmmm.

After that it was one thing after another. The attack on the sorceress. You getting iced by her. When I heard Rinoa scream your name…my heart almost stopped. But then we were caught and taken to the prison. I’m so glad we got out of there. I’m so glad I found you alive. Had to contain myself to just tossing your gunblade at you when all I wanted to do was hug you and never let go.

Then I saw you and Irvine talking after the missiles had been launched at Trabia. I knew he wasn’t a threat to my chance to be with you like Rinoa was. It was after that splitting of the group that I never left your side again, and you never seemed to mind.

Going back to the Garden and getting it to fly was really cool. When I wasn’t sleeping, I was out on a balcony, wishing on every shooting star that I would get a chance to be with you. Then Rinoa asked for a copy of your ring. I didn’t completely believe her reason that it looked cool and she wanted one like it. And I never did understand why you gave it up so easily. But that show of trust in me made me want to tell you there and then how I felt, but we had a Garden to protect. I thought there would be time later.

Then Rinoa went to sleep and wouldn’t wake up. You seemed to withdraw from the group. And when you went to space, it was the first time since the escape from the prison that we were separated. So I looked after Matron and worried about you. If you would come back safe. If you would come back to me or back to be with Rinoa. And you did come back safe, but with her by your side and in your mind.

I could see what she was doing to you. I’d seen it done to Seifer and knew that it could not be stopped unless you wanted it to end. I heard the words spoken, the promise made and wished with all my heart that you were saying them to me and not her. The orphanage was our place, our past and she had no right to be there. Hell yes, I was jealous and I was frustrated because I was powerless against a sorceress to get you back to us, back where you belonged.

All I have ever wanted was for you to smile and be happy. With Rinoa I saw you begin to open up so I tried to forget what I felt for you. But I asked for the impossible. You are part of my earliest memories and now I know you’ll be part of my last.

Before you came in tonight, I’d been listening to librarian and found that I would never feel about her the way I feel about you. Then Rinoa came through the door and went straight to Quistis and Selphie, her eyes full of tears. I was almost going to go see if you were okay when you came into the doorway. I could feel your eyes on me but couldn’t tell what this meant. So I ignored you approaching the table until you arrived. How was I to know you’d kiss me. And in front of the whole Garden! But I’m glad you did.

Breaking the kiss as once again the need for air makes itself felt, I hold you close and shiver slightly as your arms slide across my back and pull me closer.

“How soon can we do this?” I hear you ask, your breath warm as it whispers across my ear.

That’s right, in all my befuddled ramblings through my mind I forgot to think about the possibility of getting the ceremony over with so that we’d be together. The sooner the better.

“Love you so much,“ I say as I place my lips on your neck before loosening my arms around you. I want to see your face. “Is a week too long?” I ask, leaning back to look into your eyes, now a deep blue with flecks of grey. Hyne, you’re so beautiful Squall.

“Just perfect,” you say and quickly look up at the glass dome above us. I follow your lead and grin at the shooting star that streaks through the night.

I’ve always wished for you, and now it’s come true. I’m never letting go.

END

Notes from Gnome: *grumbles* Gah, was planning to work on Ch5 of ‘In The Cards’, but this wouldn’t let me go! At least it’s half written and like this one, writes itself…Don’t you just love fics that know exactly where they’re going and only need you to sit at the computer with a generous supply of chocolate and tea. And as much as I love my hot shower after work - A pox upon it!!! *grins* I always start writing stuff in the shower. Problem is I like looooong, hot showers but once I start thinking about writing, I can’t get out fast enough. Actually resorted to pinching one of mum’s note pads last night because it was late and I needed to go to bed but I also needed to jot fic notes or it would be no sleepies for moi. Anyways, now that this is out of the system - off to bed! Bye ^_^ *wanders away still grumbling*

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