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Magic of Valentine	By : Zierra Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 664 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapter 3

It had started shortly after Halloween, a year ago. He�d had a talk with his sister about her butting in and transforming him and although he had been pretty pissed off at first - it was one of those things one had the right to be pissed off about, even someone like Squall - she had made a very valid point.

What harm had it done?

Besides everyone knowing about his rash, although that was a rather big thing that still bugged him, no real damage had really come of it. In fact, ever since, he�d seemed to become just a little closer to everyone. Even Seifer, although that only resulted in verbal abuse.

But especially Zell. He couldn�t deny that he�d always liked Zell; it was just hard not to, no matter how much he annoyed you or made you want to rip your hair out with the roots.

And after that party they had simply gotten even closer, sharing moments together that wouldn�t have happened before and Squall had found himself enjoying them.

He had thought it merely a deeper friendship, a more profound way of understanding one another, until Zell had been sent on that mission a few months ago and Squall had found himself helplessly missing the blond.

�Hyne, I�m so pathetic.�

So that was why he�d panicked after Quistis� visit!

��

A sharp knock on the door made Zell jump, messing up the hair he�d been trying to spike. With an angry sigh he washed his hands free of wax, gel and mousse to open the door.

�Hey, Selph.�

�Er� Hi, Zell.� The petite brunette jumped from one foot to the other and kept looking nervously around. �I just wanted to drop off that CD I borrowed and the movie I thought you-, I mean, we could watch.�

Zell hesitantly grabbed the objects, frowning.

�Thanks, but you could have brought them later.�

�Ha, ha�, she blushed and stammered, eyes rolling wildly in their sockets and Zell just knew she was hiding something. �Well, while I remembered, you know. Uh, see you later!�

�Yeah, sure.�

�And Zell, leave you hair down, you look good like that!�

Zell closed the door after Selphie had darted back down the corridor, eyebrow raised high. Selphie was acting mighty strange, and that was never a good thing.

Shrugging it off, Zell re-entered the bathroom where he commenced a long time staring at his messy tangle of blond hair. He sighed eventually and reached for a comb.

This was the second time he�d been told he looked good without his crest.

Maybe he should take a hint.

��

�I feel so guilty for standing him up like this. I mean, it�s his first time back in months and it�s Valentine�s Day.� Selphie moved restlessly on the sofa. She had just received a first class yelling for going over to Zell without discussing it with Quistis first. Even though she fully supported their current undertaking, she couldn�t help feeling - well, besides guilty - annoyed at Quistis for pulling rank like she had and for having everything run through her for authorization. Like it was her mission, or something.

�I still think it sucks that we can�t at least eat the food! You girls probably don�t know it, but Chickie is a pretty decent cook. Got stuck with him on a mission once, and he made tree bark edible.�

Seifer sat sprawled on a chair, leisurely sipping his glass of Gin & Tonic.

�If all goes according to our plan, he�ll thank us later. If it doesn�t, well, we can cheer him up on your party tonight.�

�Yeah, but if Squall shows, alone, and Irvine was right� Speaking of which, how did you deal with him, Seifer?�

The tall blonde smirked, greenish eyes sparkling with ill will. �He�s having a dinner party of his own.�
�

�EAT!�

�Fuu, he can�t eat with the gag, ya know. And with how he�s glaring and all, I�m not so sure we should be taking it off. We can wait until he gets tired of struggling against the cuffs, ya know.�

Fuujin glared, spoonful of Jell-O quivering in her hand.

Irvine�s muffled curses and promises of painful deaths were promptly ignored by his two watchers.
�
�You are so evil, Seifer.�

�I know.�

��

Squall felt utterly stupid standing alone outside Zell�s door. He had hoped one of the others would have shown up at the same time, but after waiting for two minutes already and the fact that he was kind of late, Squall gave up and knocked.

He felt unsteady all of a sudden, vision blurred and his head spun nauseatingly as the door opened just in time for Zell to grab a steadying hold on Squall�s shoulder.

�Hey, man. You alright?�

�Yeah.� Squall straitened cautiously and offered a faint smile. �Sorry I�m late.�

Zell released him, after patting his shoulder gently and returned to the kitchen. Taking some reassuring breaths, Squall placed the gift on an unmade dinner table and closed the door behind him.

�It�s ok, really. None of the others has shown yet. Maybe we should just forget about-�

Zell turned from checking something in the oven and stared wide-eyed at Squall.

�Wow! That color is really good on you. Matron was right.�

�Thanks�, Squall said, hoping that his heated cheeks weren�t turning red. In the wake of the compliment, Squall searched Zell to offer something back. The blond was actually wearing the button-down SeeD shirt, but didn�t look affected by it at all, together with a pair of black slacks. Squall noticed that Zell�s hair was down, and that caught him by surprise. It wasn�t the straight and carefully planned back slick he�d had on Halloween, but a slightly messier, natural version, which was very agreeable with him.

�Nice hair�, he managed, although compliments and the like still tasted funny to him, judging by the thankful smile Zell gave him, he must know how to deliver them at least.

�It was Selphie�s idea this time. And sort of yours, I suppose. She stopped by to drop off a movie before she went A.W.O.L. You wanna watch it while the food cooks? I must have misjudged the time a little. Here, have some appetizers.�

Unsure what to answer - and to what - Squall automatically took the offered tray of tiny sandwiches and followed Zell to the living room. He took one, a toast with mayonnaise and shrimps, and ate it quickly.

Zell was already putting the bootlegged DVD into the player and gave Squall a quick and apologetic smile before offering a soda to the brunette.

�You want something to drink? I�ve got the fridge loaded and need some help with making space. I mean, I thought we�d be a few more� They didn�t say anything to you, right? Of course not, then you wouldn�t be here all by yourself, would you?� Squall accepted the soda, popping the cap with his thumb and watched Zell under chocolate bangs.

The martial artist looked at Squall as he leant against the wall. �You don�t have to stay if the others are no shows. You don�t have to stay at all.�

Squall stared down at the appetizer in his hand. Did he want to leave?

The intro of the movie started and Squall felt relived that his own answer wouldn�t be the only sound in the room.

�I�ll stay�, he said, not sounding very certain and not looking Zell in the eyes. �I�ve got the shirt on, right?�

Zell made some sort of snort, but it sounded amused, aside from the hurt that had showed in his eyes before, and the bitterness in his voice.

�Yeah, wouldn�t want it to go to waste.�

��

Halfway into the movie, the egg timer went off in the kitchen and Zell bounded out of the sofa to turn it off. The chicken looked absolutely delicious and his mouth watered at the mere sight of it. Hyne, he was hungry!

He let it stay in the oven for a moment longer, but turned the heat off as he reached into the fridge for two sodas and returned to the movie.

Squall had lain down to his side, head resting against the armrest and appeared asleep. Zell had learned a while ago that thinking that Squall was sleep was not the same as the brunette actually being asleep, so he sat down on the other armrest and watched the movie again.

After another five minutes, Zell decided that he should remove the sherbet from the freezer so it wouldn�t be too hard and setting the table would probably be a good idea. He had planned for a buffet, but when they were only two it seemed� unnecessary. And maybe he should open that bottle of wine he�d bought so it..?

�Hey, Squall? Doesn�t that guy look an awful lot like Lag�?�

Squall was asleep, an adorable little pout on his lips to boot. Zell smiled, unable to feel anything but the slight tingle in his stomach.

�What a great guest you are, falling asleep on me like this�, he jokingly scolded the sleeping Commander as he bent down and gently shook a dark blue shoulder. The touch lingered over the fabric, basking in the radiating heat of Squall�s body. Zell wanted to move his hand away but it kept itself there on its own accord. It even stroked gently over the shoulder. When Squall made a soft mewling sound, Zell giggled and pulled away, a bright red staining his cheek. �And way to go making me feel guilty for waking you up.�

Squall stirred, brought to awareness by his voice, roughly rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

�Hey there. I just wanted to tell you that dinner�s ready. If you want?�

�Good, I�m famished.�

Zell offered him a hand and hauled him to his feet.

�I�ll just get some plates and stuff. Go sit down at the table. Take whichever chair you want.�

He�d made small cards for the seating arrangements, but luckily had hadn�t placed them on the table. It would have been so embarrassing if Squall saw how much work he�d put into this and then been stood up. He still felt bitter about it but he supposed it was natural.

He thought that everything was back to normal, that nothing had changed while he was gone, but apparently he�d been wrong. Maybe Selphie and Irvine wanted to do something on their own. And maybe Quistis had gotten brave enough to tell Seifer how she felt, although things hadn�t seemed that way to him. But why hadn�t they just told him that? Why leave him high and dry like this?

And what would he have done if Squall hadn�t shown either, with food for six and no one to share it with?

�You need help?�

Squall stood in the doorway, leaning his head against the post.

�Nah, it�s alright. You don�t have to-�

�I wanna help. Just tell me what to do.�

Zell�s head tilted slightly to the side. Oh, he just had some weird déjà vu. Wasn�t this the same kind of response he�d gotten last Halloween?

�Erm, you can take those plates, and the glasses.�

Squall did as told, returning a while later empty handed.

�It looks really good, and smells good too.�

�Thanks, it�s Ma�s recipe. I�ve never made it myself before, so I don�t know how it tastes. Just how it should taste.�

Squall smiled and reached over to snatch a part of the chicken.

�If it�s horrible we can just smell it and eat the salad instead.�

With a sincere laugh, Zell laid the finishing touches to the meal, putting the salt and pepper shakers in his pocket.

�It tastes great�, Squall told him, slowly chewing the stolen piece. � Lucky you have so much of it.�

Squall followed him into the living room, carrying the salad bowl and the dressing. Once they were seated, Zell offered the potatoes to his friend and Squall eagerly supplied himself with food, licking some sauce from the chicken off his fingers and grinned at Zell.

�You always cook this good?�

�I don�t know. I like to think so.�

�If you keep this up you may put the cafeteria ladies out of work.�

Zell smiled faintly by pure habit, but his head was thinking of something completely different. He tilted his head slightly and caught Squall�s eyes.

�Hey, Squall? Are you under that spell again?�

Stopping halfway to his mouth with a forkful of food, Squall stared at him.

It was almost answer enough for Zell, because if Squall hadn�t been, he would have stood up and stormed out the room, the subject still a little too sensitive to talk about.

�Why do you ask?�

Oh, definitely.

�Why, Squall? Why tonight?�

Putting the fork into his mouth, Squall bought himself some time. Zell waited patiently, not really sure how he should behave now that he was almost 100 certain. Was this good or bad news?

�It�s Valentine�s Day�, was all Squall offered as an explanation.

��

The dinner had been eaten in almost complete silence, but Squall didn�t mind. Or, at least not too much. He was too busy enjoying the meal to actually bother with any kind of conversation, although Zell looked more than a little bothered. He�d been draining the wine bottle almost all on his own, and he began looking a little tipsy.

He suspected he needed to offer the blond some sort of justification, because he had to know that Ellone wouldn�t try to pull something like last Halloween behind his back again.

He put the cutlery aside, and began tearing small pieces of the paper napkin Zell had offered him. It made for great distraction and a reason not to look into eyes too blue.

�Squall?�

Apparently it was quite obvious he had something he wanted to share, and Zell sounded eager to hear it.

�I called sis.�

It was all that was needed although it explained very little.

�Why?�

The tearing continued, although Squall�s hands began to shake. He had never been at a loss for words, because whenever he found himself without a comeback, he used his favourite word. It wouldn�t do now, though and on top of it all, he had the emotional overload that came with the crumbled walls that usually kept him protected.

�I� I don�t know.� His eyes flickered hastily over Zell, just scouting his reaction. True to his personality, Zell looked more intrigued than anything else, and a little confused. �I guess� No, I don�t know.�

�But you can�t just have called Elle to have her place that spell on you again without giving her a very detailed explanation. I know her, and she wouldn�t� Ok, maybe she did, but she wouldn�t do it again. So what did you tell her?�

Squall tore a big piece off the napkin in a forceful pull. He really didn�t want to talk about feelings, maybe that�s why he always kept them bottled up and in check. Or tried to.

�I told her there was someone I needed to talk to without restriction.�

�Who?�

Squall chuckled.

�I don�t know. Who do you think? It wasn�t like I called her back today, asking her to postpone the actual - what do you call it? - casting to 5 PM. She said it would take about an hour and I think she was right.�

Zell, obviously still not catching on, frowned. Squall sighed and leant closer to the table.

�I wanted to talk to you, Zell. We being alone just means people won�t overhear, and I won�t tell them about stupid rashes again.�

With a hand over his mouth, Zell fought to hold back laughter. �But it was damn funny.�

�Yeah, I bet. Listen, this thing won�t kick in for real for another half an hour. Sis says it�s gradual both into it and out of it. So I�ll still be somewhat me for a while longer. Could we just wait until�? Well, until I won�t stumble over every second word I�m trying to say?�

The blond bit his lip, nodding very slowly. �There�s just one thing I want to ask you; What are we talking about, so I can prepare notes.�

�Us. You and me.�

��

It was almost on time for dessert when Squall suddenly giggled. Zell looked up, with an amused frown. They�d been discussing his mission in Timber and Zell had gotten to the part where he was forced to share a room with a drag queen from Esthar and how he had tried to get Zell to wear mascara to accentuate his eyelashes, which apparently was very long although too fair to be noticed.

�I�m sorry�, Squall said between fits. �I just got the worst mental picture in history.�

�Then I guess we�re even with that rash of yours.�

Squall gave him a beaming smile and the most intense look the brunette had ever given him. Zell�s heart skipped a few beats, his lungs suddenly filling up with too much air to hold. He wasn�t sure how stuff with the spell worked but he could tell it was different this time, and knowing there was magic involved made it very much more different when Squall had actively chosen to be put under a spell.

Only to speak to him.

�You wanted to talk about something?� Zell asked cautiously, collecting their plates to simply have something to do.

Squall helped him, looking like the lost little puppy dog that Zell often wished he would be.

�Yeah.�

Squall produced a shy blush and Zell found it adorable that his Commander was capable of such an endearing feature.

Zell loaded the sink with dirty dishes, all while Squall hovered like a ghost in the doorway. Deciding to give him some space to collect his thoughts, Zell turned to the fridge and the thawing sherbet.

�What do you think of me, Zell?�

The blond spun around, taken aback by the question. �What I think about you? How do you mean?�

�Just that, what do you think of me?�

Setting aside all thoughts of dessert, Zell turned to his friend.

�What kind of question is that? I think you�re great, Squall. All of us do. I mean, shit� You�re like everyone�s role model around here.�

�I meant you. What do you think of me?�

The words stuck in Zell�s throat, blocking his airway and clogging his blood. His teeth were grinding furiously against each other, trying to find something to say.

Suddenly Squall moved and turned off the overhead light in the kitchen. All that seeped in was the soft candlelight from the dinner table in the living room. The brunette moved closer, but without breaching the personal space.

�Be honest, Zell. I want nothing but the truth, but I want all of it.�

Even with some distance between them, Zell felt Squall�s presence like a moth felt a flame. He stepped forward, taking a bold risk but figuring it worth it.

�I like you, and I think you�re amazing.�

He could barely make out Squall�s face in the twilight, but he was sure the Gunblader was smiling.

�You do?�

Well, that was a tone of voice he�d never heard the Commander use, clearly audible even over the loud thumping of his heart.

�Yeah. A lot.�

This time Squall came a little closer.

�I like you too, Zell. A lot.�

They stood there, staring into each other�s eyes for a moment and Zell was so caught in the depth of those stormy grey eyes he knew so well that he almost flinched when Squall�s fingers slowly interlaced with his own.

�I�ve wanted to tell you that for a while, but I wasn�t sure. Not until you�d been gone for a month. I kept wanting to call you, just to make sure you were alright and I don�t think I�ve ever been so glad at seeing someone�s handwriting, no matter how sloppy it is.�

�Hey�, Zell protested half-heartedly, hand tightening around Squall�s, but finding himself at a loss for words.

�Is that ok with you? Or� what?�

Zell smiled, hearing the uncertainty in a normally so commanding voice and decided to take a daring risk. He scooped into Squall�s sphere and craned his neck slightly to barely touch noses with brunette.

�I�m a okay with it, baby.�

There seemed to be a minute where time stood completely still until Squall tilted his head and moved in for a kiss. Zell almost pulled away until he realized that he wanted this and that Squall wanted this, no matter how fast things seemed to be moving for them.

Lips touched, briefly at first but electrifying. They pulled back, but not far, assessing their reactions. Zell licked his lips, feeling his bottom lip tingle and closed the distance between them again.

The kiss deepened, and both jumped when tongues suddenly made close encounter. Squall�s free arm wound itself around Zell's waist to pull him closer and the martial artist let his other hand rake through messy chestnut strands.

When they finally pulled apart, Zell chuckled breathlessly.

�I most definitely like that.�

�Me too.�

Zell grinned and turned towards the counter. �You want some dessert?�

�I thought I had that already.�

�Hey man, this took me two hours to prepare, you can at least taste it.�

TBC
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Magic of Valentine