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Luck on His Side	By : Vovo Category: Final Fantasy VIII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 933 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and its characters are not my property, they belong to Square-Enix. I don't receive any profit from writing this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Word count: 3,647
A/N: Maybe there will be some angst in this chapter.
Luck on His Side
Chapter 9
"And this is my new baby..." Irvine walked proudly through the corridors of his new house. It was almost possible to see his reflection with perfection in the clear white walls and floor. "It even more sexy inside." The place was huge and it might have cost a small fortune, but Irvine seemed to be eager to spend his money. "This is the living room and you can see the pool from here..." There wasn't any wall separating the two places, just a huge piece of shining glass.
"Cool, man!" Zell said excitedly. "But people in here will see if you swim naked there."
"And what's the problem?" Irvine eyed the blond in confusion.
"You said there was a small studio in here." Nida looked around, admiring the architecture of the house.
"Yeah, the other guy who lived here liked music too. We can try things for our songs here."
"..." Squall grunted slightly.
"What, man?" Irvine walked towards him and massaged his tense shoulders from behind. "What's up?"
"We can try as many things as we want, but you know they won't let us do what we want with our songs."
"Ah... It's only for these first albums, they will give us more freedom later."
"You know they won't." Squall escaped from his friend's touch.
"Well..." Irvine scratched the back of his head. "No, they probably won't... but we have to keep trying, I guess..."
"Don't fool yourself."
"Squall..." Nida called his friend's attention. He didn't want the mood to turn sour that fast. They had just met after a little break, it would be bad if they started arguing so soon.
"Maybe we can try another label, after our contract ends..." Zell reasoned.
"Yeah... that's it!" Irvine agreed.
"You know it won't be that easy. They won't let us go like that, if it means they're losing money," Squall said.
"We have one more album with them," Nida said. "Then we don't need to sign another deal with Ultima, I guess other labels will make proposals."
"It will be the same," Squall concluded.
"What else we can do then?" Irvine asked.
"I don't know..." Squall stared at the floor and frowned. "Maybe... Maybe we can try our own label."
Irvine was silent for a moment, until he made himself heard again. "It means we have to do things on our own."
"And wasn't what we were doing before?" Squall asked.
"Yeah... but we were just a school band."
Squall stared at his friends and went silent. What were they? He looked at each one of them and felt he couldn't fit in this band. For the first time since he joined them, he couldn't imagine himself playing with them...
I want to quit.
The words played in his mind. He kept repeating the words in his head, but he felt suddenly overwhelmed by them. A hand covered his face and he lowered his head.
"Squall..." someone called.
I want to give up.
"Squall, are you alright?"
Suddenly, he looked up again at his friends, as if he had woken from a nightmare.
No...
I
Can't.
I can't.
What would be of him without them? They were in this together. They have been together. He didn't even like them in the beginning. Zell was too loud, Irvine was too irritating and Nida... he was too forgettable. What have they done to him? Why did their presence affect him? They were...
"Come here, man." Irvine put an arm around his back gently and led him in the direction of the kitchen. "Sit here." The boy pointed at the direction of a chair.
"I got water for you," Zell brought a glass of water and put it in front of Squall on the table.
The blue eyes watched as the clear liquid sparkled as they were touched by the gentle sunrays coming from a window. Squall lifted the glass and took a sip, not because he needed it, just because he felt like he had to.
"Are you okay now?" Nida leaned over the table and lowered his head to look at Squall's face.
The brunet saw the warm orbs staring directly at him and blinked a few times, trying to make time for his brain to formulate an answer. "Yeah. I'm okay." He nodded, more to himself than for anyone else.
"Do you think you can rehearse today?" Irvine drew small circles with the palm of his hand over Squall's back. "We can do this tomorrow if you're not feeling well."
"No, that's okay." The boy stood up and stared at Irvine in a reassuring manner.
"Alright, man," the other teen smiled. "Let's do this then."
xxx
"This is good," Zell watched as Squall played the guitar.
"I'm still working on it," the brunet stopped playing and stared at the blond.
"It can be a good song, I feel it."
"Yeah..." Irvine said. "I can imagine a car racing through the streets at night... After a great party was over, but you still feel that excitement, that energy..." the boy said enthusiastically. "I can feel it... I think it can be a song about it."
Squall stared at Irvine dully.
Yeah... Whatever...
"Did you guys take a look at the lyrics I sent you?"
"Yeah..." Zell said. "That one about the bar was very good."
"Good, isn't it?" Irvine smiled. "But I think the other one was better, I felt more inspired."
"The one about the party?" Nida asked.
"Yeah! That one!"
"But I liked that other one too," Zell said. "The one about feeling lonely, like you're walking through a desert and you don't know were you going... you just feel so lost..." the blond said softly.
"I sent you that one too?" Irvine stared in surprise. "It wasn't for..." he trailed off nervously. "Forget about that one."
"Why?" Zell asked.
"I didn't mean to send that one. It wasn't for a song, it was just something... I wrote."
"But it could be a good lyric for a song," Nida said. "I thought it was beautiful, actually."
"C'mon, guys," Irvine was getting nervous. "Don't you think it's a little depressing?"
"Just a little?" Zell chuckled. "It's a lot depressing. But hey, people aren't always happy."
"I think you could write more lyrics about feelings..." Nida said calmly. "Not only love, but, you know... other things."
"I don't know, guys..." Irvine stared at his friends. "I don't feel comfortable talking about those sad things..."
"It doesn't need to be about a sad thing," Nida said. "You just don't need to talk always about parties and girls, and you don't need to pretend you're a cowboy looking for love. You can talk about your... feelings."
"I think I'm hungry," Irvine stood up. "I'm gonna get something in the kitchen."
"I'm coming too!" Zell jumped out of his chair and waited for the owner of the house to lead the way. "What do you got there? Hot-dogs?"
"No hot-dog, but there's a delicious pizza from yesterday."
"Hm... cold pizza, yummy."
"Are you coming too?" Irvine stared at the other two band members.
"I'm not hungry," Nida said.
"I think we can leave our songs for tomorrow..." Irvine said seriously. "I just don't feel like it right now."
"Okay..." Nida stared back at Irvine. "But can I show some things to Squall here?"
"Sure..." Irvine turned and walked to the kitchen, followed by Zell.
"He doesn't like to talk about his feelings, leave him be," Squall said after they left.
"He doesn't need to talk about everything he feels, but I'd like him to be more true to himself."
"What do you mean?"
"He pretends he doesn't worry about anything, he's always smiling... It's not normal."
"Do you think he's unhappy or something?"
"No. It's not like that. I just don't like how he tries to pretend he's a different person."
"Maybe he's just like that and he's not pretending."
"I don't know..." Nida sighed in frustration. It seemed he wouldn't be able to convince Squall. "I just think he is much more than he looks. I think he has the potential to write really good lyrics. He could touch people's hearts, if he wanted. I think he has a talent and he could use it to express his feelings, show the world he's a great guy with a big heart."
Squall just stared at Nida for a while, then blinked a few times and couldn't help but asking, "Do you have a crush on Irvine or something?"
Nida blushed deeply. "No..." And took a deep breath. "Just because I say something good about a person, doesn't mean I have a crush or something."
"I know... It's just... you talked about him in a way..."
"He's my friend, okay. I love him, but as friend. Besides, you know who I like," Nida stared at Squall.
The brunet averted his gaze, feeling uneasy. "Do you still feel like that for me?"
"Well, yeah. I can't just erase feelings that easily. I'm human, you know." Nida stared at nothing in particular, focused on the emotion that weighted in his chest. "It's not easy... I don't know if you ever felt like that... To be so close and so far at the same time. Every time I looked at you, I felt..." Nida trailed off, his feelings too strong for him to put them into words. "...And I tried to hide it for so long... I was so afraid to face you. But it was foolish of me... Now you have someone else..."
"Nida, we already talked about it..." Squall said softly.
"No... let me finish it. I haven't told you everything. I..." Nida brushed an astray tear off his face. "You were always that cold and distant guy in school. I wanted to talk to you, but I knew you wouldn't talk to me. And then... I don't know how Irvine convinced you to play in our band, but I'm glad he did it. When I saw you playing for the first time... It was so different from what I imagined of you... The melody was so heartfelt. Like you were saying all those things you couldn't say through your music. And it was so beautiful and I thought you were so special. I think you're so special."
"You... Do you really think so?"
"Yes..."
"I don't think I'm special."
"Try to convince the rest of the world," Nida chuckled softly.
"I don't know what people see in me..."
Nida stood up and stopped right in front of Squall. "You wouldn't be you if you knew..." He smiled sadly. "I envy him so much... There was nothing I wouldn't give to be in his place."
"Don't say that..." Squall stood up and stared directly at Nida's eyes. "You'll change your mind."
"I don't think I will." The boy averted his gaze. "You don't understand..." He turned and headed to the door. "Well, I'm going home now."
Squall stared at Nida, without knowing what to do. "See you tomorrow," he said eventually.
The bassist turned his head slightly to glance at the brunet that didn't left his thoughts. "See you."
xxx
Squall got out of his car quickly and climbed the stairs to Seifer's apartment. He searched for the key in his pocket, but it seemed to be a difficult task at the moment. The brunet had tried to enter a grocery store, but he knew it was a bad idea when he heard one of his songs coming from a cell phone of a teenager nearby. So he went back to his car and raced towards Seifer's place.
The keys...
The brunet took a deep breath and tried to be calm. Slowly and carefully, he picked the right key and opened the door. Only when he heard the click of the lock closing the door and stared at the living room, he could relax again. He threw away the stupid cap he wore to disguise himself and removed his sunglasses. How he missed the days when he could walk freely through the streets, without anyone yelling and running after him.
Squall walked to the kitchen and wondered what he could do. He hadn't been able to buy food and he didn't remember if Seifer had any stored. There was beer for sure, a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of vodka, a bottle of wine, energy drinks, orange juice and milk. There was an apple, a piece of pizza forgotten in a corner and...
Frozen lasagna.
Squall picked the box as if it were his salvation. He closed the fridge and turned the lasagna to read the instructions. It didn't seemed too difficult, he had to take it off the package and put it in an oven or a microwave. The boy did very difficult things in life before, he was sure he would be able to heat a lasagna, even though he had always depended on his mom, the school's cafeteria and restaurants.
Microwave—the microwave seemed to be a better option. It would be like pop corn. He put the lasagna in the microwave and set the timer. His blue eyes watched as the food started to rotate hypnotically.
That should work.
He set the table and waited.
Squall couldn't deny he was a little nervous he could ruin the only food they had, but then there was always the pizza option. Thinking about it, he should have ordered pizza. Much more easier, but then there was the risk of the delivery guy recognizing him and that would prevent him from going to Seifer's apartment for some time.
The beeps from the microwave warned Squall that his meal was ready. The brunet opened it and poked the lasagna with a fork to test its texture. It seemed good, it even smelled good. Apparently, that was a mission accomplished.
It was then, Squall heard a door opening and if he was luck that wasn't a robber.
"What smells so good in here?" the blond arrived loudly and let his stomach guide him towards the kitchen. He was surprised to find the table set and a brunet staring at him. "Did you cook for me?" Seifer smiled.
"Yeah... sort of..."
"What is it?" the blond sat at the table.
"A lasagna. I didn't do it... I just found it on the fridge."
Seifer stared at Squall with an expression of incredulity. "There wasn't a lasagna in the fridge."
The brunet stared back in confusion. "There was."
"No... I haven't bought any..."
"There was a lasagna in the fridge." Squall stared at him seriously.
Seifer stared at him some more before his expression lightened. "I think I bought one some months ago, but I thought I had eaten it. I didn't, did I?"
"..." Squall thought about it. "Do you think it's better if we order pizza?"
"No... bring it here, let me see it."
Squall removed the lasagna from the microwave and put it on the center of the table. "So... what do you think."
Seifer poked the lasagna with a fork and stared at it in deep concentration. "Seems okay... I think we can eat it."
The brunet was relieved. He picked the orange juice from the fridge and filled the glasses before he sat at the table.
The lasagna was divided in two and placed in two plates. Seifer cut a piece of it and put in his mouth tentatively... "It tastes good. It really does."
Squall smiled slightly and tasted a piece of it too. "It does."
"I'm very proud of you... That's a great lasagna."
The brunet chuckled, but soon his expression changed when he felt his cell phone ringing. He wasn't in the mood to answer his mom or Irvine, but it seemed rude to turn off the phone... if it were his mother. Squall saw that it was the other option, but decided to answer... He knew Irvine would call Seifer if he didn't.
"Squall, you need to come here."
"I'm with Seifer..."
"Come to the hospital, now, right now!"
"What happened?" Squall picked the despair in Irvine's voice and started to feel nervous.
"I don't know, man, just come here. I don't know what to do... Come here, please..."
"Wait... Calm down."
"Justcomeherenow!" Irvine yelled.
"Okay, I'm coming." Squall stood up and stared at Seifer. "I need to go to the hospital."
"What happened?" The blond could tell it was serious and followed the brunet through the apartment.
"I don't know yet."
"I'm coming with you..." Seifer put a hand on Squall's shoulder before he opened the apartment's door.
"No... you don't need to."
"I'm coming with you and there's nothing you can say to make me change my mind."
Squall stared at Seifer and sighed. "It can take a long time, you have work tomorrow."
"I don't care..." the blond opened the door. "I'm going with you." He stared at Squall to urge him to follow. "Come on, let's go."
The brunet convinced himself that it would be impossible to make Seifer change his mind, so he just went in the direction of his car and waited for the blond to come in. He started the engine and drove through Balamb's streets in a hurry, glad there wasn't much traffic at that hour. Probably he would take some speed tickets, but he didn't care about it. Irvine rarely showed something different than his nonchalant attitude, and that worried Squall. He hoped the other teen was only overreacting, but deep down he feared something bad had happened.
It didn't take long before they reached the hospital. Squall hated to be in a place like that and he hoped he could get out of there soon, but he knew it wouldn't happen. As soon as he could, he found a desperate Irvine standing at a waiting room. The long-haired boy was pacing from side to side and looked at Squall as if he was his savior. Irvine hurried to his friend and squeezed his shoulder for reassurance.
"Squall, you're here..."
"What happened?"
"Yeah! What happened!" Several eyes stared at the tattooed blond who had just arrived. He was breathless and looked as if he had come running to the hospital. Zell walked towards his friends and stared at them in confusion.
"It's Nida," Irvine finally said. "They told me he was unconscious or something. I haven't seen him, they didn't let me."
"Who told you that?" Squall asked.
"The doctors."
"Did you bring him here?"
"No, it was the cleaning lady, she found him and called the ambulance. Then she called me."
"Did you call his parents?"
"They were in a trip in Timber... They said they are coming, but I don't know when..."
Squall nodded and sat on a chair nearby.
"What are you doing, man?" Irvine asked in exasperation.
The guitarist stared up and frowned slightly. "I guess there's nothing more we can do right now."
"Yeah, Kinneas, he's right," Seifer patted Irvine's back and took a seat right next to Squall. "The doctors are examining him and his parent's are coming. There's nothing we can do but wait, for now."
Irvine looked at the blond with a expression of disbelief, but then he realized that Seifer might be right. He sat on a chair opposite from the pair and decided to wait, chewing on his nails unconsciously.
Seifer stared around at the waiting room and held back the urge to get out of the place and never come back. There were other people around—tired sad faces and bodies like shadows haunting the corridors. It was so unnerving.
"Chicken, will you stop it?" The blond asked in annoyance as he watched the younger boy pacing around.
"Will you ever stop calling me that?" Zell shouted suddenly, making several heads turn in his direction. The tattooed blond tried to calm himself down, he took a deep breath and uncurled the hand that had closed into a fist. "Are you six or what? Why are you here in the first place? Nida isn't your friend, you shouldn't be here."
Seifer was surprised by the boy's reaction and opened his mouth to retort, but he willed himself not to say anything.
"Calm down, Zell," Irvine said.
"Why are you telling me to calm down? Are you defending him?"
"I'm not defending him. It's just that arguing won't help anyone here."
Zell stared at his friend in astonishment for a moment, but then took a deep breath and decided to calm down, but not before making sure that "it was him who started."
The time passed slowly, as if it would stop at any moment and they would be trapped forever in that waiting room. They were tired of staring at each other, staring at the ceiling, staring at the floor, staring everywhere and seeing nothing new.
Seifer squeezed Squall's thigh slightly to call his attention. "Do you want to eat something? We didn't have much time to finish our dinner," the blond smiled sympathetically.
"No, I'm not hungry, thanks. But if you want to go eat something..."
"No, that's okay," Seifer smiled and caressed Squall's knee. "It's a pity our lasagna is getting cold there."
"I'll make another when we get home."
"Is it a promise?"
Squall nodded.
"Then you better keep it, or I'll have an excuse to punish you..."
"Hey, can you two save it for later?" Zell asked "I'm not interested in your... things."
"Okay, Chicken," Seifer stood up. "I'm gonna get some coffee. Anybody wants some?"
Squall's eyes gained a hopeful gleam. "I do."
Seifer stared at the brunet. "Okay, anyone else?"
"No, thanks," Irvine said.
"I'll be right back..."
Just when Seifer was turning, a doctor came in their direction. The footsteps echoed through the silent corridors in its even march.
Irvine stood up right away, his heart thundering in his chest.
"How is he?"
x
x
A/N: Thank you AerithBunny, I'm so glad you like this story, I hope I won't let you down.
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Luck on His Side