Home To Mother- Chapter 1
By Matoko Shizaki
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, but what makes you think I would? If I did, I wouldn't be writing this fic, now would I?
Notes: This is just a bit of a drabble I've been working on-- a little something to tide people over until I finish Shooting the Messenger. I knooow I've been so slow with that. But! I just finished high school, so I'm going to have a lot more time on my hands. Stay tuned for the updates!
"So, Zell, when am I going to meet this girlfriend of yours?"
Up until that moment, it had been the typical questions: What's her name? How old is she? What does she do for a living? What is she like? Would you marry her? Yeah, he'd been cool with those… if you overlooked the fact that he bullshat his way through all the questions. But not this time. This question hit him hard. So hard, in fact, that he spit out his tea all over his mother's nice table cloth.
"Zell, honey?" Mrs. Dincht was on her feet quickly, patting his back. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, Ma, fine…" Zell replied weakly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry about the table cloth…"
The once pearly white table cloth, crocheted by his grandmother herself, now had an unsightly stain across it that reminded Zell of something like a chocobo with a broken neck and a club foot.
"Don't worry! I can get that stain out." Mrs. Dincht waved away Zell's concern and sat back down. She wasn't just bluffing either. Mrs. Dincht was a super housewife in her own respect. She had to be to survive raising Zell.
"I-I should get going!" Zell exclaimed as he stood up. "It's been great talking to you, Ma!" Without the slightest intention of answering his mother's question, Zell made a bee-line for the door.
"Wait just a second!"
Zell was stopped dead in his tracks as a strong hand grabbed the collar of his jacket and yanked him back. Apparently Mrs. Dincht hadn't lost her touch in the time he'd been growing up.
"When am I going to meeting your girlfriend?" Mrs. Dincht repeated in a more serious tone. "You sound quite serious about her, and I'd like to meet my future daughter-in-law eventually." She seemed to brighten at the thought. She'd always dreamed of a happy little family and tons of grandchildren.
Boy, was she going to be sorely disappointed.
"W-well… uh… I don't…" Zell stumbled for an excuse.
"How about next weekend? I'll have you both over for lunch!"
"Ma, I don't think--"
"It's settled then!" She smiled broadly, and Zell wondered if there was a threat veiled in that smile, the kind of threat that said If you don't bring her here next weekend, you'll break your poor mother's heart.
Zell never could hold his ground against the "break mother's heart" speech.
Seifer was stretched out on the couch, a book that he'd started but lost interest in spread out over his face to block the sunlight that was streaming in through the window. As per usual, he was taking his afternoon cat nap. He'd come back from training the new SeeDs, kicked off his boots, stripped himself of his shirt, and flopped onto the couch without a second thought. Those who valued their lives knew better than to wake him.
It was too bad there was only one idiot in the world who still didn't know better.
Zell burst in the door, a paper bag in his arms and his keys dangling from his mouth. He clomped across the kitchen, spit the keys into the sink with a loud clank, and dropped the bag down on the table.
"I'm back!"
As if Seifer couldn't tell.
Throwing aside the book, Seifer sat up and growled. The book skidded across the coffee table, taking down several empty soda cans as it fell off and onto the dorm room floor.
"What… the fuck?! Can't you be a little quieter?!"
Zell didn't even respond before he started rummaging through the bag.
"Hey Seifer, I've got a hypothetical question for you. What dress size to do you wear…?" He looked up. "H-hypothetically that is."
His 'hypothetical question' was met with silence.
"Aw c'mon man, just a hypothetical answer! That's all I'm asking for!" Zell pleaded as he closed the bag again.
"What the hell are you up to now?" Seifer asked coldly as he stood and stretched. The muscles around his stomach bulged as he bent backwards, capturing Zell's undivided attention for a moment. With a yawn, Seifer doubled back over and scratched his stomach.
"Nothin'!" Zell replied all too quickly. He looked away and went to the fridge.
"What's in the bag then? And why are you imagining me in a dress?" Seifer strolled over to the fridge after him.
"Nothin'!" Zell retorted more harshly as he retrieved a beer from the fridge. He was sure he was going to need this later. He turned away from the fridge, closing it with his back side, and looked up only to connect with Seifer's glass green eyes. The taller blond had snuck up behind him as he was preoccupied with the beer, and now Zell found himself pinned to the fridge. Not exactly what he'd call an even playing field, considering that the idea of Seifer's muscular chest pressed against his own drove him mad.
"I mean it, Zell." Seifer whispered huskily, his face inches from Zell's. "What's going on?"
When he put it that way, how could Zell keep quiet?
"Ma asked me when I was going to introduce my girlfriend to her…" Zell muttered, trying to avoid Seifer's gorgeous eyes. If he looked into them now, Hyne only knew what he'd do.
Seifer paused for a minute, then backed up laughing bitterly. "Oh you gotta be shittin' me…! Your girlfriend?"
"Hey, shut up! It's not funny!"
"Yeah it is!" Seifer instantly calmed down. "I didn't think it was that hard to mistake me for a chick." His voice took on a hard, accusing edge. "I thought you said your mom knew about us." His voice dripped with venom and even though Zell hadn't yet learned never to wake a sleeping Seifer, he knew better than to invite the serpent's bite.
He quickly groped for an excuse, hoping to pacify his lover quickly.
"I didn't exactly say that…" Zell cracked open his beer and took a sip. "I just… told her I had someone serious."
"That's just a little pitiful. You can't admit to your own mom you like to take it from guys." he replied sullenly.
Zell could hear the hurt that had creeped its way into Seifer's voice. Since they'd started dating, they'd sworn not to keep it a secret. Keeping it a secret would mean they were ashamed of it, right? That's what they'd said two years ago. Since then, everyone at the Garden was made aware of the fact that two of SeeD's most macho members were gay lovers. The promise had made it seem so simple. Just tell people you're gay. Sure, Zell thought bitterly as he watched Seifer start to pace, swiveling his wrist as if he was idly twirling his gunblade. 'Cause that works every time…
"Look, Seifer…" Zell started as he stepped away from the fridge and towards the blond. He left his beer forgotten and unopened on the counter. "I just--"
"Just what?!" Seifer rounded on him, his eyes burning with fury. "Tell your mom you're gay, Zell! It's that fucking simple!"
Zell's temper, now tempted to awakening by Seifer's, flared. He clenched his fists and sunk into his fighting stance as was his habit when confronted. He pointed an angry finger at Seifer as he glared.
"That's easy for you to say, you bastard! You don't have any parents to disown you!"
Instantly, he regretted his words.
Seifer's furious countenance crumbled, leaving only a solemn mask in its place. He backed away from Zell and headed towards the door.
"You know, you're right." Seifer growled, his eyes never leaving Zell's as he reached for his shirt that was hung on the coat rack. "You're completely right!" He struggled into the shirt as he talked.
"Seifer, you know I--"
"I don't have any parents! Yeah, it's sooo easy for me because of that. I couldn't possibly understand how hard it is for you!" He ripped open the door with such force that Zell was afraid he'd tear it from its hinges. "I can't fucking understand!" With a final curse, Seifer slammed the door.
"Shit…" Zell struggled to the table and slumped into a chair. In his moment of anger, he'd touched on the one thing that cut Seifer more than anything else: the fact that out of all the children in the orphanage, he was one of the few that had never been adopted. Zell had often wondered if Seifer would have been a much different person if he had been taken in by a loving family. No doubt he would have been a happier person and would have never been Edea's knight. But, as Cid had often told them, the past could never be changed.
He ran a hand through his wild blond hair and sighed. What have I done now? He's going to absolutely hateme for this one… he thought as he inhaled deeply.
There was only one thing he could do.
Zell walked to the counter, retrieved the forgotten beer, and cracked it open. If he was going to go and apologize, he sure as hell needed a good drink first.
Well, there you have it! The first chapter in this little drabble. I expect it to be about three chapters long, so keep an eye out for the next two! And chapters of Shoot the Messenger as well!