Time after Time
Chapter 11 - Yoru (night)
Notes: Spur of the moment writing spree! Yaaah! Thanks to Rantel for the lovely insight about the end of this chapter. I must have an unconscious pull for cliffhangers. She talked me out of it, though…I think.*cackle*
Time after Time
Chapter 11 - Yoru (night)
“Here, you’re dripping water all over the floor.”
“It’s not like I can help it.”
“Just use the towel, Zell.”
Seifer reached for a large cotton towel high above him on a storage crate. Zell narrowed his baby blues, watching the tall Aryan man sway as he shifted all his weight to one foot. It had to have been a conspiracy. A conspiracy to get them to bond…Wait, that’s what the retreat was all about…Yes…But why else would the towels be up so high? Heck, how did Selphie of all people get access to those towels? Maybe those meddling Tonberries constructed a lift or something…Those critters seemed pretty handy with machinery and mechanical objects.
“Got it.”
Seifer rotated his neck, several soft pops escaping into the still air of the storage tent. He held out a powder blue towel, using another to dry his short golden locks. After a moment, the taller blonde stopped, hanging his still partially dry towel on the rack next to the tent’s entrance. The fingers of his right hand curled along the bottom hem of the t-shirt Zell had brought with him to the bathing site along with a now soaked towel from his earlier bath.
“W..What are you doing…?”
“If you want to get sick, that’s your problem. I plan on stripping down, drying off, and getting warm before I do anything else!”
Tank. Wet Towel. Rubber Slippers. One by one, items joined and became a small pile at Zell’s feet. Mustn’t look up…Mustn’t look up…He’s naked…Wait a sec…He’s naked! NO! Mustn’t look, MUSN’T LOOK!!!
The tall blonde arched a golden eyebrow, drying off his muscular form. Wrapping the overly large towel around his waist, he leaned down so that his face was lower than Zell’s so that he could meet the boy’s gaze. “You can look now, Princess.”
“I…Hey! Don’t call me that, you ass!”
“Feisty are we?”
“Just shut up!”
“Well?”
“Well, what?!”
“Aren’t you going to take off you wet things? You’re going to get sick.”
“…Oh…Right…Can you, um…Turn around for a sec?”
“Oh, why not.”
Deciding to indulge the younger boy with his desire for privacy, Seifer contented himself listening to the soft sounds of the wet clothing being peeled off pale, pale skin, then slowly land on the floor in a pile adjacent to his own.
“Is it just me or are the towels getting…I dunno…Bigger?”
“I think maybe you shrunk in the wash…See what cold water does to your belongings?”
“Shut up! That’s not funny!”
Despite what he said, it was rather funny. Leave it to Seifer to think up some of the more interesting insults. Of course, their banter didn’t seem to hold the same venom it had just days before. Perhaps one kiss really did make all the difference…
“You done?”
“Mhmm.”
Turning on his heel, Seifer was met with a rather interesting sight.
“You weren’t kidding…It DOES seem rather large on you…That’s, what, wrapped around you…FIVE times??”
Pretty Pretty Yellow Journal With The Flowers On The Spine!-
Booooyaka! I told you I’d be able to do it! Nya nya! I now have official proof of what’s REALLY going on! I bet you thought I couldn’t do it! But I did! Woodrow just brought in a video recording of Seifer and Zell. They were K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!! Isn’t that great?? Now they’re finally getting along! Or…Maybe getting there…? Well, whatever it is, we’ll just have to help them out, right? Right!
I wonder how long it’ll be before they start doing the naughty? Oooo! Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I made a video or something for their wedding?? Irvine would have a total riot! ‘Course…Seifer might try and kill me…But he’d never succeed! Hold on, I need to laugh out loud. Done! But wouldn’t that be soooo awesome?? Of course it would! I can make all the Tonberries little tuxedos with those super cute bow ties! Oooh, I can’t wait! I hope this all goes over really really well!
Oh…He looked so sad…Maybe he should try and make him feel better. But what if he got mad? Squall always seemed to be upset. Upset or unhappy…When was the last time he had smiled? Irvine wish he knew. He had wanted to befriend the lonely boy ever since he had arrived at the Orphanage several days after Squall’s arrival. Something about him…Irvine thought that perhaps it was those stormy eyes…Like an open sea. Or better yet, like that wild horse he had seen while riding in the jeep with those soldiers! It had been such a pretty horse! Powerful in form, yet still lean. A dappled gray coat and a mane whiter than fresh snow. Yes…Squall was like that horse.
The lanky red head couldn’t remember a day since that fateful ride out to the Centra Peninsula that he hadn’t wanted to ride that horse. How free he would have felt! He had often imagined what it would perhaps be like, feeling the wind rush through your hair as you spread your arms to embrace the sky…If he was lucky, maybe he would get a chance to do so sometime in the future.
Should the opportunity ever arise, he knew exactly whom he would take with him. Squall. Though he didn’t know much about the other boy, he was certain that no matter what his interests were he’d love riding.
Having made up his mind, he stuck his head around the corner, making his presence known with a small cough. Irvine gave the smaller boy a soft smile, not wanting to upset or frighten him.
“Howdy.”
Squall blinked. Howdy? What the heck did THAT mean? Why was this kid even talking to him? Wasn’t he usually off playing with the girls? Well…Maybe if he talked to him and found out what he wanted, he might leave him alone.
“…Um…How-dee…”
Irvine stepped out from his perch behind the corner of the great stone house toward the marble garden bench Squall was sitting upon. He pointed to the open spot next to the pale boy, brushing back his long auburn bangs.
Squall blinked. He wanted to sit down? What, he wasn’t leaving? Hell, maybe he should just get this over with. He was losing his small amount of patience for company.
“Yer name’s Squall, right?”
“…”
“Well, um…I’m Irvine!”
“…”
“Okaaay…How ‘bout a game? You could come an’ play with me and Sephie and Quistie!”
“…”
“Ya don’t talk much do ya.”
“No.”
“Hmm…Guess game’s out…I could always help you practice talkin’! It’s an impor-tant life skill! Matron says I’m waaay ahead of the rest of the world on that one!”
Squall’s lips twitched. And no wonder. This ‘Irvine’ talked more than the girls did…Which was rather astounding. As far as he could remember, there was always a constant buzz of chatter floating around the Orphanage. Well, except at naptime and at night when they were all in bed.
“I’ll even make it fun, ‘kay? How aboooout….Okay! Got it! You tell me one thing about yerself, anythin’ you want! If you dooo…You can ask me anythin’ you want! ANYTHIN’!”
Squall pressed his lips together to form a thin line. Play along and maybe he’ll go away…Gah, hopefully.
“…Fine.”
“Yah! Okaaay…I’ll ask you a question I guess. Hmm…Think, think…What’s yer favorite animal?”
“Lion. My turn. Are you always this irritating and persistent?”
Seifer licked his lips slowly in memory, staring up at the taunt canvas ceiling of their tent. They had acted as if nothing had happened…It was a rather uncomfortable topic…Placing his hand on his stomach, he slowly traced his navel over the sheet covering his naked body.
“Hey…Zell…You awake?”
“Yeah…I can’t drift off for some reason…”
“Me too.”
“…”
“…”
“…Did…You really want to kiss me? Or was that like, just a little one time thing?”
Seifer turned his heavy gaze to the canvas wall to his right, staring at it intently. He stopped his finger’s journey, pausing at the top of his navel. He bit the inside of his cheek.
“Naw…I meant to do it. Wanted to.”
“…Yeah?”
“…Yeah.”
Zell turned over onto his stomach so that he could look at Seifer. He tilted his head to the side, his wilted crest covering his eyes. Seifer cleared his throat.
“So…What would you say to another one?”
“You…You mean another kiss?”
“What else could I possibly mean?”
“Well—”
“Shhh…Just come here.”
A moment’s shuffle across the clean floor found one almost naked Zell on the bed of one very naked Seifer. Fingertips caressed skin, a palm cupped a smooth cheek. Slowly, the inches became centimeters, then merely a breath away. Seifer’s lips gently pressed against Zell’s, his nose brushing against a baby soft cheek. They remained the way they had met for a moment, then began to move.
After a few heartbeats, it was not enough. Seifer slid a hand down Zell’s side, stopping at a slender hip clad in soft wooly boxers. He slipped two long digits beneath the elastic, his hand dangling from the material. With a small amount of urging, Zell’s moist lips parted, allowing the nude blonde something more exquiste…
No words were exchanged. The only sounds left in the tent were that of moist lips, heavy breathing, and the unmistakable whirring of a camcorder.