A/N:Written for the Zellphie Rev. 8/8/08. Enjoy!
Mama Dincht's Boy
Zell thought he would never witness the clear blue bay of Balamb again after just experiencing the turbulent waves on the Dollet shorelines that were littered with bullets and missiles. That was not counting the high number of casualties from humans, mechs, and monsters. The martial artist gulped as he combed his sweat-ridden blonde locks back, thinking that there was a pretty good chance that he could have lost his life out there. He kind of wished that he took his training more seriously seeing that he could have well been dead if it wasn't for the experienced group of soldiers he got thrown into with. He didn't get the chance he wanted to properly get to know his team members better. Aside for Seifer, who made his blood boil, Selphie, Squall and Quistis were actually decent people. Quistis was serious, but at least she managed to help out the team in the nick of time. Squall didn't say much, and his aura exuded a certain sense of creepiness that just told Zell that he should keep a safe distance away from him.
"Hiya!" a perky voice behind him called out.
Zell's eyes widened before he jumped, startled by the sudden disruption during his peaceful walk back to Garden. The mission left him feeling extremely anxious and edgy, but he felt his body relaxing when he noticed that it was only Selphie catching up behind him. "Oh hey," he greeted casually.
"Hey! That was a pretty close call back there, huh?" Selphie smiled brightly and slowed down her pace until she was walking at a leisure speed next to Zell.
Zell silently wondered how she could look so darn…cheery after a mission that could have cost them their lives. He thought she was somewhat normal during their brief introduction, but now he was starting to think otherwise. Her pale face was marred by dirt stains and her hair was messy with uneven strands sticking out in awkward places, but it was her smile and the way her green eyes were shining with excitement that gave her the tranquil and relaxed demeanor of just an ordinary student, not one who just embarked on a mission to Hell to pass the SeeD exam. "You look awfully calm though."
"Trust me," she said while clutching the yellow ribbon above her chest. "I was terrified, but I had a feeling I would be OK thanks to you and Squall. We were some powerhouse team, weren't we?"
"Ha, we sure were!" Zell flashed a wide grin and flexed his muscle for exaggeration. "You know you guys couldn't have done it without me!"
"What are you talking about? You mean you guys couldn't have done it without ME! I was the replacement, remember?" Selphie playfully scowled and gently punched Zell's arm. She caught his glance for a brief second before she turned away and blinked. She suddenly started to feel a little self-conscious. There was nothing she could do about her messy appearance but she hoped at least her mini skirt wasn't riding up or of her top was lopsided. She trailed a few inches behind Zell and smoothed out her attire while keeping the conversation going for fear that she would have nothing to distract him with. "Um so…you're heading back to Garden now?"
"I guess in a bit. I think I'm gonna go visit my Ma."
"Oh? She lives here?"
"Yeah, she lives right near the entrance of the town. Just wanna say hi to her. It's been awhile since I last saw her and I wanna tell her about the mission." Zell pointed up ahead on the road. "See that little house? That's my home."
"Oh, that must be relaxing, you know, living next to the bay and all."
"Yeah, but it gets a little boring sometimes because it's too quiet."
"Well, you do spend most of your time at Garden anyway," Selphie pointed out. She wondered how it would feel like to live at a place like Balamb. It was too quiet for her taste as well, but there was something charming about the quaint little town that she really liked. "I wouldn't mind spending time here. I'm usually always active so it'd be nice if I could find a place to relax at."
Zell raised a brow, a bit surprised by her answer. "You've never toured around here? It's so close to Garden."
"I never got the chance to I guess. I'm too busy running around the academy trying to get people to join the Garden Festival," she laughed to herself, amused and disappointed at the same time when she thought about how little support she really received for the Garden Festival. "But you should go see your mother. I'll just head back to Garden and hang around there until it's time for us to find out whether or not we made SeeD. I'm so nervous…" The female cadet curled both her hands into tight fists and squeezed her eyes shut. "I wish I could just find out now if I made SeeD or not."
"I'm nervous too! But hey, we did pretty awesome out there so I think there's a good chance we'll make it! In the meantime, why don't you come with me to visit Ma?"
"W-what!? Visit your mom?" Selphie stammered. Here was a guy who was almost like a stranger to her and now he wanted her to visit his mother? This was too absurd for her. "I'm not sure about that. I think it might be a little awkward?"
"Awkward?" Zell laughed. "No way! Ma Dincht loves having guests over. Come on! She can tell you all about Balamb." He extended an inviting hand in hopes she would feel more comfortable with his offer. "I bring friends to my place all the time, but not recently because I've been so busy with training and assignments. It'll be fun."
"And…she doesn't mind that your friends come over?" Selphie replied slowly while hesitantly reaching out to touch his hand.
Zell bowed his head, suddenly feeling that he couldn't look her in the eye at the moment. "Well truthfully, the thing is that I have never brought a girl over and I think deep down she's starting to suspect that I may be…"
"Gay?" Selphie finished swiftly before exploding into a chain of tiny shrilling giggles that made Zell twitch in response. She shook out the remnants of her laughter from her system and apologized, "I'm sorry! If that's the case, then yes, I'll be more than happy to meet your mother." Seeing Zell's fuming face made the laughter die down quicker, but she still couldn't help but curve her lips into a wide grin. His request was something she had never imagined she would get. "But seriously speaking, are you really…"
"NO!!" Zell burst out, his face turning multiple shades of red that were accentuated by his navy uniform. "Look, it's just that I've…er…never had a girlfriend nor have I brought home a female friend," he said seriously, obviously not enjoying the fact that his words were being taken so light heartedly. "So, what I'm saying is that it would be nice if you came to visit Ma Dincht with me."
"I would be more than honored to come as your guest." Selphie smirked lightly and jokingly gave a SeeD salute to strengthen her playful act. With her free hand, she firmly grasped Zell's open palm and squeezed his hand lightly. "Fine, let's go."
-
Needless to say, the first two minutes of meeting Ma Dincht were extremely awkward. Selphie had always thought of herself as a "people's person" but Ma Dincht's overly zealous character even made her shy away. The moment she stepped through the front door, the older woman had forgotten everything she needed to do and ran towards the door with eyes shining with delight and her lips wide across her lovely but aged face. Selphie had not expected to be gestured in with a single swift pull on the wrist, and Ma's actions were certainly new to Zell as well. The male cadet stood by the door with his jaw open, speechless at the sight before him. Tiny pieces of chopped vegetables were strewn all over the kitchen floor when Ma hastily ran out to greet him and in the process of all that, she had unceremoniously neglected her previous activities. At first, he thought she was thrilled beyond words to see HIM. After all, before he had left for the mission, he remembered how worried she had been. So, to see his precious Ma whizzing past him and heading for the female stranger shocked Zell and left him staring blankly; he wasn't sure what to think at the moment.
Ma went on rambling, not even taking a moment to gasp for breath. Selphie smiled nervously as she tried her hardest to stay attentive to what Ma was saying, but it when through one ear and out the other as quickly as Ma was speaking. The only words Selphie caught in the middle of Ma's ramble were "Girl and gay."
Apparently, those were the only words Zell caught as well. His eyes widened and a nervous look flashed across his face before he slammed the door behind him tightly shut, making the two females in front of him jump in alarm. That managed to stop Ma Dincht from talking.
"Ma, for the last time! I am not-"
"Yes Zell, I can see that now." Ma laughed and turned back to Selphie. "Oh, I am so sorry about how I acted before. It's just that I am so excited to see Zell bring home a lovely young lady such as yourself," she spoke in a calm and motherly tone, a complete contrast to her previous hysteria.
"Um…thanks…" Selphie started slowly, bracing herself for the worst if Ma Dincht decided to ramble on again. But, when she saw no signs of that happening within the next few seconds, she let out a small sigh of relief and bowed her head slightly out of embarrassment and politeness. "Oh, hehe. The thing is that Zell and I just happen to bump into each other on our way home from the mission."
"The mission? They sent a cute girl like yourself out there into a battlefield!?" Ma covered her mouth in horror.
"Ma, it is a military school in case you forgot." Zell rolled his eyes. Sometimes his foster mother could be a truly dense person even though she was smart in other areas.
"Hush Zell. I was not speaking to you." Ma raised a finger, demanding silence from that simple gesture. "It's not polite to interrupt your girlfriend here. Have I not taught you any manners?"
"Oh no!! Zell and I are not-" Selphie cried nervously, but her words were brought to a halt by Ma, who seemed to have the wrong idea.
"I'm just saying it would be a shame if anything happened to such a sweet and cute girl like you. Please tell me my son did his job protecting you." Ma glanced in Zell's direction with a sharp eye, a somewhat menacing look for an old sweet lady.
"Oh no! It's really okay! I'm more than capable of protecting myself! I've done a lot of training so I was super prepared for the mission!" Selphie burst out quickly, feeling bad for her new friend being badgered by his mother. It must embarrassing enough for him to have his mother hound the first female he had ever brought over.
Ma Dincht turned to his son with a scowl on her face. "Zell Dincht! That means you have not done your job well!"
"Say what!?" He couldn't remember recalling that he was supposed to be responsible for anyone but himself. Still, he had kept a keen eye out for her because she did look quite vulnerable during their brief introduction. He had expected their replacement to be someone other than a small female in a revealing uniform armed only with nunchucks and a few spells. To his relief, she had indeed been more than prepared for the mission.
"I guess chivalry is dead these days." Ma rolled her eyes and turned her attention towards Selphie again with a surprised look. "Oh! Sweetheart, I don't even know your name yet. I'm Ma Dincht, Zell's foster mother. I apologize for my son's disrespectful manners. You are the first girl he has ever been with after all." She smiled warmly and extended a hand.
"Oh! I'm Selphie Tilmitt. A cadet at Balamb Garden! Nice to meet ya!" She let out a sigh of relief, as her previous anxiety seemed to be ebbing. With a smile of equal pleasure, the young girl reached out and shook Ma's hand. "Zell has been very nice to me in the short amount of time we have met."
"Selphie, what an adorable name. Please, sit down!" Ma Dincht pointed to an empty seat, as she took her own. "Please, have some tea and cookies, dear."
Zell glanced around for another chair. He had forgotten that the table only seated two people, just for him and Ma. Ma rarely had guests over and he would be at the academy most of the time, so it was logical that she wouldn't go out of her way to purchase more seating. But, his legs were aching at the moment and he could really use some tea and cookies as well. "Hey, what about me? Where do I sit?"
Ma Dincht smiled sweetly. "You can stand like a gentleman."
With a deep sigh, Zell moved to the small sofa by the windows. He was debating on whether or not he should steal a cookie, but he noticed there weren't many to begin with. Even tea was out of the question since there were only two cups on the table, and if he were to grab one, he was sure that Ma would reprimand him to no end for being so rude in front of a lady.
"So Selphie, tell me how Zell managed to win your heart."
It was a question that neither Selphie nor Zell had expected to hear so suddenly. The female cadet stole a quick glance in Zell's direction and found that he was giving her a soft, desperate, and pleading look that was screaming "SAVE ME!"
Selphie bit her lower lip, unsure of what to say exactly. She had only known him for a few hours, which was definitely not enough time to actually know what type of person he was. What if she said something stupid that made no sense? "Uh, well Mrs. Dincht…" she began slowly, trying to think of something generic that would apply to most guys her age. The only other person she had met was Squall, and she assumed they were good friends since they got paired up together for the mission and they also seemed to work well with each other from what she recalled. "Err…Zell's a really responsible person."
Ma look sincerely shocked. "Really, is he? I still have to cook and clean his room for him! It's always a mess."
Ah, dammit! For someone who doesn't clean his room, he doesn't really look like a slob! "Umm…I meant he's a really responsible person on the battlefield!" Selphie replied quickly, trying to save herself and Zell from being interrogated when she had no correct answers to offer. "Yeah! You should have seen the way he took on this huge robotic spider! It was very impressive!" Beneath the table, she had her fingers crossed and she knew it was visible to Zell as well. Thinking back to it now, she and Zell were running for their lives, and it was mostly Squall who did the most fighting. But, they couldn't be blamed for that because Squall did have the most thunder spells and he also had Quezacotl junctioned. But that's okay…Ma Dincht doesn't have to know that!
"Oh my! But Zell, your gloves don't look damaged at all! You guys were fighting a gigantic robotic spider!" Ma Dincht exclaimed as she stared at Zell's hands with concern, but the worry faded when she didn't see anything too damaging on his gloves.
"Um…well…it's because I was THAT good, Ma!" Zell laughed nervously. Inwardly, he knew he only delivered a few punches to the spider and then left Squall doing most of the attacks. Let's face it…gunblades could be replaced but his limbs could not.
"Aww, that's very cute! So I guess my Zellie here kept an eye out for you, huh?" A newfound happiness swept over Ma. She had never thought she would see the day when her little boy would mature into a true gentleman.
"Um…" Selphie tried to think hard, but she couldn't really remember an instance in which she had caught him staring at her, whether it was to make sure she was OK or because she was wearing a rather skimpy outfit. Actually, she did catch him looking at Seifer a lot, especially when she was looking over the edge of the cliff she was standing on. Yep, she saw his red tinted face and his shaking hands in the air as if he was trying to resist the urge to either punch Seifer or touch him. Perhaps Ma Dincht really does have a reason to suspect Zell may be…"
"Hahaha, of course!!" Zell interrupted a little over dramatically. "When you have a lovely damsel in distress, you can leave it up to Zell to save the day!"
"WHAT!? I'm no-" Selphie interjected, but the desperate look in Zell's eyes again made her give in. "Uh…well…yes, I suppose. Oh, what would I have done without him?" Selphie cried with an equal amount of drama. Grr…I'm gonna get him later for this!!
"Aw, you two are so cute!!" Ma squealed a bit too loud for Selphie and Zell's ears. "So then, what made Selphie so attractive to you, Zell? I want to hear all the details!"
Oh great…this should be interesting. "Well, Selphie…um…well she…uh…"
Oh Hyne! I can't believe he can't even say one nice thing about me! Selphie crossed her arms across her chest with a slightly annoyed look on her face, waiting a bit impatiently for Zell to say something nice about her. Can't he just state the obvious? I do have a mini skirt on…
Zell glanced nervously in Selphie's direction and accidentally caught a glimpse of a shade of white beneath her black skirt. He instantly turned away and found his face heating up in embarrassment. He couldn't' say that he felt attracted to her because of THAT. What would Ma think of him if he were to say something so crude? "Well, she does have a cool haircut!"
Selphie beamed, she had always been proud of her cute hair.
"Her hair?" Ma seemed to be a bit confused.
"Yeah! It's totally awesome! Just looks at all the hair sticking out like that… like spikes!"
Oh Zell! You are such a moron!! Selphie felt a tiny surge of anger welling up inside of her, obviously very insulted by his comment, which indeed showed that he had no experience when it came to complimenting woman. She tried her hardest to remain calm although she knew she couldn't resist a small scowl. "Gee…thanks…"
"But! It's also the way her eyes shine through the messy bangs! It's almost like an unnatural eerie glow, I'd say…" Zell resisted the urge to shudder when he glanced in her direction. A warm faint light was radiating from her brilliant emerald eyes. He found them to be creepy, but hauntingly beautiful at the same time, though he could never hear himself tell her the latter.
Selphie didn't know whether or not to be flattered or annoyed by his remark. Since she couldn't find a middle ground, she decided to let him slide on that one.
"And umm…I guess how skimp- err…I mean cute she looks in her uniform!" Zell laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, a gesture he often found himself doing out of habit whenever he was placed under an easy circumstance. He prayed under his breath that no one caught his accidental choice of word.
"Aww, I'm glad you like it! I thought the skirt was kind of short, but it' sooo cute at the same time!" Selphie beamed and unconsciously smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt, hoping that it would make it seem longer. She suddenly felt a bit awkward again knowing that Zell's foster mother was sitting straight across from her, and that she was probably thinking about very questionable things because of her attire.
"Heh, who knows, maybe Headmaster Cid will be nice and promote you to SeeD because of it!" Zell couldn't help but joke.
Slephie shot him a threatening look, her eyes sharp like daggers. She would never ever consider something like that to gain rank even though she knew he was joking, or maybe he was half messing with her. "ZELL!! YOU JERK!!"
Zell waved his hands in front of him in defense. True, he didn't know much about the girl, but he had a feeling that he would be at her feet begging for mercy if he were to ever experience her wrath. He couldn't help but notice the way her eyes roared to life, yes, those eerie but sparkling serene emerald twin pools. 'Whoa, calm down! I said I was kidding!"
"Zell, I agree. That was a very inconsiderate thing to say. Please don't ever do that again!" Ma Dincht scolded with a roll of her eye. "You do that again and I'll feed all the left over hotdogs in the fridge to the neighbor's dog."
The martial artist slumped further into his seat knowing that his Ma was someone who will always remain true to her promises. "No…that's torture…"
Ma Dincht winked and gave the younger girl a mischievous smile. "Selphie, in case you didn't know dear, hotdogs are Zell's ULTIMATE weakness. Now you know how to truly get to him!"
"Oh, why thanks for the tip, Mrs. Dincht! I'll be sure to keep that in mind at all cost!" I've got you now, ZELL!
"Aww…this is no fair…two women teaming up against me…what have I done to deserve this?" Zell moaned pitifully.
Ma shook her head. Sometimes she would forget that her son was seventeen and not seven. "Stop whining Zell, and please continue telling me about your lovely girlfriend here and what else you like about her! I want to hear everything."
Ah great…I don't know what else to say… didn't I say enough? How much is there to say about one woman? Zell turned to Selphie again, hoping that she would save him from his dilemma, but unfortunately, telekinesis wasn't a prerequisite when it came to applying for SeeD. He didn't want to stare so he closed his eyes momentarily and tried to think back to the mission during the brief time they have met. He recalled how cheerful she looked when she introduced herself as the party's replacement. Damn, even for a mission she was so spunky. Random images flashed before his mind; images of fighting, running, magic, attacks, potions, everything came rushing back to him at once, and it made him feel like he was reliving the very moment of their heated battle again. But, at least it gave him enough ideas on what else to add, and this time, he was speaking from his heart and mind. "Well, I admire the way Selphie remains enthusiastic even in the most dangerous situations. Her cool and calm nature really helped us ease our own stress when we were fighting on top of the Dollet Communication Tower. Hm, and for a girl, I guess she has decent strength." He caught Selphie throwing him another sharp look as soon as he made that comment, but he ignored her and continued speaking. "She was excellent with magic, much better than Squall and I combined actually, which shows she really does train hard. Unlike other girls I have trained with, I've never once heard Selphie whine or panic. She made sure we were all together when we were running to the shore, and she even helped motivate the injured cadets to keep on fighting. I guess I was really lucky to have her in my squad…and I guess things would have been a lot different if I didn't have her with me. Her sweet, caring, and responsible nature really came through for us…and for me."
Ma Dincht and Selphie sat speechlessly, their eyes wide with shock and their facial features unmoving, making Zell feel extremely anxious. Did he say something wrong again? "Um…I'm done?"
"Oh…Zell…my…I don't know what to say. That was so…" Ma Dincht started, but she didn't know how to finish her line. She had never heard her son speak so poetically about anyone, especially not a girl. She turned to Selphie and smiled inwardly, knowing that the sweet girl before her was the one who managed to open her not-so-young Zellie up to be the true and mature gentleman she had always hope he would turn out to be one day.
"That was absolutely beautiful!" Selphie cried with no pretenses attached. She spoke from her emotions, which were genuine and touching. She had never heard a guy speak about her like this, praising her like she was some kind of deity.
Zell blushed furiously, unsure of what exactly he said that was making the women in the room swoon over him. "Uhhh…thanks?" He needed something to distract him from the awkward pause that followed so he tapped his foot nervously against the carpet, the low thuds somewhat helping the silence but not quite. His heart was beating faster than his adrenaline rush during battle, and that was when he knew something was seriously wrong: his heart was beating like that because of a WOMAN! "Um…I think I better get going now. Headmaster Cid probably expects us to be back soon…" he quickly said to change the topic.
"Oh, of course of course!" Ma shook her head quickly as if she was trying to knock herself out of a trance. With a tender and proud grin, she stood up and made her way towards the kitchen again. "I'll let you two young lovebirds head back to the Garden. Take care of her, Zell! I expect to see her back again!"
"Sure thing…" the martial artist grumbled under his breath and stood up quickly. With Ma's back facing them, he hastily tugged on Selphie's cuffs, urgently begging her to leave the house. The young female seemed startled, like she was still trapped in daze, mesmerized with everything that had just transpired. "Come on, Selphie! We don't want to be late now, do we?" Zell spoke between gritted teeth, practically about to force her out of her seat and just carry her small body out the door.
"Oh! Yes! Well um…thank you very much for your company, Mrs. Dincht! It was so nice meeting you!" With a curt bow and a small wave, she found herself outside Zell's small house in a blink of an eye. A loud thud erupted behind her and she noticed Zell immediately shut the front door as quickly as he could. "Hey! I barely finished saying bye to your mother!"
"Er, that's okay. She knows!"
"Hehe…you look awfully nervous about something."
"No…"
"Yes…"
"What?"
Selphie shrugged. Maybe she was thinking too much into nothing. After all, everything he had mentioned before about her was all part of an act. He probably didn't mean everything he said. "I don't know…but what you said about me before was really sweet. I was honestly touched."
"Well…I really did mean everything I said. I didn't know what else to say about you and I didn't want to make up random crap, so I decided just to be truthful about everything. I thought back to our mission and what I have seen from you to draw my conclusions," Zell admitted truthfully.
"Oh, well thanks…it was very nice of you." This time, it was Selphie's turn to feel embarrassed. She turned around before Zell could catch a glimpse of the small blush that was threatening to show itself upon her pale face.
"No problem! After all, I should be thanking you for…uh…pretending to be my girlfriend." He felt a bit strange saying that, but he FELT even stranger saying that. It wasn't like they were actually dating, but he did feel a lot more connected to the mysterious stranger because of their little own private mission. "I should pay you back for it."
"Hm…I know what you can do for me!" Selphie replied with her back still turned towards him.
"What is it?"
Selphie clapped her hands together excitedly and felt her stomach growl. She hadn't paid much attention to it for awhile, but now she was exhausted and hungry from the mission. "You can treat me to some hotdogs!"
"WOW! Sure! I know the best place we can get them actually!" Now, he was DEFINITELY interested in getting to know her more.
"Where?"
Zell grinned. He had been around a lot of places in search for hotdogs, but the best stuff was always made from home. "The cafeteria at Balamb Garden of course! Why don't we stop by before we get our results? I can sure have some right about now…"
"Tee hee, OK then!" Feeling her blush subsiding, she turned around and gave her sweetest, and maybe even flirtatious smile. People have told her she was an innately charming person, but for some reason, she wanted to go beyond that and add just a tiny touch of playfulness to the already light mood. She felt her own smile widen when she saw Zell flashing a broaden grin with a pleasing sight of pearly whites. It was a calming and reassuring smile that resonated some bond of trust behind his usual shy demeanor…or at least it appeared like that when he was with women. "Let's go, shall we?"
"Yeah, come on!"
As they walked towards the entrance of the town of Balamb, both of them exchanged a quick mutual look of understanding that this could be the beginning of something interesting.
-Fin