There were strong masculine arms wrapped around him. He felt secure and safe with his head nuzzled in a bare chest. Zell felt like his hopes and dreams had come to fruition. He had found someone to love him…and make love to him. Sexual thoughts invaded the warm happy ones, making him feel urgent with needs. And there was Seifer to fix those needs. His body thrilled beneath Seifer's rough hands and scouring tongue. Every touch brought him closer to exploding, both physically and mentally.
In the morning, his sheets were evidence of his lustful dreaming. Embarrased, he grabbed up the laundry in a basket kept near his bed. Yet another chore brought on by that jerk Almasy's hotness.
"Where are you going with that, dumb ass?" asked Seifer meanly as Zell walked by him with the basket of sheets.
Zell had been trying to keep a steady pace just so that people wouldn't get too close a look at his dirty laundry. He wasn't about to be airing that out anytime soon. "To the laundry room." Duh; where else would he be going with dirty laundry?
Seifer covered his face with a gloved hand. "Zell, when has Balamb Garden ever had a laundry room?"
Zell thought about it. He didn't actually remember ever seeing a laundry room on the directory. In fact, he didn't remember having ever washed his clothes there before either. "We don't have one?" he asked feeling foolish. Something seemed odd about that but he couldn't really put his finger on it.
After a good hearty laugh, Seifer answered, "No."
"But shouldn't we have one? I mean, we all wear the same outfits everyday, don't they get dirty?"
Seifer looked confused. He took a moment to look at his grey coat. It didn't look dirty, just as it always was. But, didn't clothes need to be cleaned every once in a while? "I guess not..."
Zell clenched the basket tighter. This was weird. "Especially with how often we battle?"
The two stared blankly at each other. Why didn't the school have a laundry room? Why had they never washed their clothes before? Why had they never noticed that was odd before?
Finally, they both shrugged simultaneously. "Must be a good reason, right Chicken?"
"Maybe I'll go see Quistis about it after class," said Zell, running back to return the sheets to his room.
"Glad you could finally make it to class Zell..." said Quistis. Zell just gave her the thumbs up sign. So what if he was late? There was something strange going on around this garden. Like this morning when he was trying to decide what to wear to class. He had 2 outfits in his closet: his uniform and his Seed uniform. He was wearing his only casual clothes. And they were all clean. Why was it that Quistis wore that god-awful pink outfit everyday? Could it be that those were her only casual clothes? It was all too strange to think of. "And today we are having just a brief quiz about monsters and special attacks, to get your brains started."
There were groans from the classroom. Zell grinned. School was always a breeze for him. He loved fighting. It was the ultimate high. Having a quiz about fighting was like reading a good book. Sure, it took a little effort, but it was all worth it in the end.
"Since last week's quiz was multiple-choice, this week will be question and answer; the final question shall be an essay question. Remember your last sentence should tie all the previous sentences together. You can access it...now. Have fun!"
Zell pressed the button for the quiz and answer 1 popped up. It looked like this test was going to be a snap.
1) Elnoyle cards are need in large quantities to modify into what item?
2) When fighting a T-Rexaur, it is wise to have this equipped to your elemental attack junction?
3) What is the only magic you can draw from a cactuar?
4) Which monster uses the attack "everybody's grudge?"
5) What is the magic used to increase the likelihood of limit breaks?
6) What is the name of the most popular game at Balamb Garden?
7) Where are the three gardens?
8) Blue dragons are found where?
9) The only other point of interest nearby Balamb Garden and Balamb City is what?
10) Opinion question: Who makes the best yaoi couple in FF8 and why?
Yaoi? FF8? What was Quistis talking about? Zell guessed that it was his fault for never reading any of his textbooks. Other than the last one, Zell was sure he had gotten them all right. He propped his feet atop the computer terminal and waited for everyone else to finish.
He looked over at Squall who looked like he was trying to sit on a stick. Squall always looked like that. Plus, he was always thinking so much that you could practically see the words behind his eyes...Or over his head.
Seifer was still looking at the screen. Ha! He was still taking the test! Zell felt cockier now. He leaned back a little more in his chair...
...And fell over.
In an instant he was off the ground, but everyone had seen him fall and the sound of the chair crashing was still echoing. Great. The girls laughed, some men did but not many. Zell had his weapons on him most of the time and that kept everyone in line, except for Seifer of course. Hmmm, Seifer, perhaps he'd think about his dream to pass the time.
In the beginning it was easy to focus on that memory, but more and more he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. His bladder was full. He waited and waited, trying not to think of water, for the class to be over. When the bell finally rang, he happily ran for the door. He didn't knock over any students, because they were all used to Zell doing that. He was just too full of energy to want to be in the way of.
Squall enjoyed being the last one in the classroom. That was at least, when Quistis wasn't the teacher. She always seemed to want to pry into his life, finish his sentences, and laugh at his introvertedness. He was getting to the point where he just felt like saying "Fuck you" and walking out. He was glad none of the other teachers singled him out. Usually his quietness got him overlooked which was what he was going for. So, after her class he left in the middle of the crowd, hoping she wouldn't call him back. She didn't today.
"Where the hell is the fucking bathroom?" yelled Zell. He was holding his legs close together and looked like he REALLY had to go.
Squall wanted to help him out, but suddenly he couldn't think of where exactly the bathroom was. And when Zell approached him for an answer, he shrugged. "I don't know. I never really thought about it before."
Zell's eyes grew wide. Twice in one day! This was just too weird. No laundry room, no bathrooms? What kind of torture chamber was this school? Why didn't anyone else have to go to the bathroom? That did it, he was going to see Headmaster Cid! Right after he peed in a bush...
"So, Mr. Dincht brought it to my attention that we don't have one, and I'm pretty sure we should need one, it's being installed tomorrow."
Oh yeah, a bathroom. Hadn't he heard Zell shouting something about that in the hallway earlier? Squall couldn't really remember. Did they need a bathroom at the garden? It seemed like they should.
As he left Cid mumbling to himself, Squall passed by Irvine. You couldn't miss passing by Irvine. It would be like walking by a Cinnabon without taking a sniff. There was always something about him which caught the eye or in Squall's case, his entire body.
"Hey," he said. This was quite a speech for Squall and Irvine appreciated it. He came to a stop and posed smiling in front of his friend.
"Hi Squall, what are you up to?"
What had he been up to? He couldn't remember: too much studying or too much hanging out with Rinoa. It was one of the two. "I think I was going to go study."
Irvine made a face. No man that studied as much as Squall deserved to get a girl. Well, Irvine had some free time, perhaps he could save Squall from his poor, lonely fate. "I have a better idea. Come with me to see Selphie."
Do something else
Go along with it
"I don't think so..."
Irvine held out the hand that wasn't carrying his gun. "Come on."
"Okay." Why had Squall said that? He didn't really feel like going. Oh well, just go along with it for now.
Zell was getting sick of peeing in bushes. Just until tomorrow, he assured himself. And now he was sitting in his room thinking that he was hungry. So, he could just go to the cafeteria and eat. But, all they had was hot dogs. And they were probably out. He exhaled loudly before standing up. Okay, time to do something. He had been moping ever since he got back from classes.
He ran out of his room ready to find something to eat in this damn place that wasn't meaty, rubbery, and phallic. He found Seifer instead. Slightly meaty, but he'd do...
"Hey Seifer! I have a question!"
"Yes, you ARE an annoying chicken wuss," joked Seifer. It was always so much fun to pick on Zell. He got so pissed, usually.
"What is there to eat besides hot dogs?"
Seifer leaned his head to the side. Zell wanted to eat something other than hot dogs? "Why would you want to?"
Zell was getting that feeling again. It was the feeling that something was very wrong in the way of there being no other food in Balamb garden besides hot dogs. "Let's say...let's say they are out of hot dogs."
Seifer thought about it. Then, not thinking of anything he got angry. "I don't know! Do I look like a restaurant guide to you?"
Then it hit Zell, there weren't any restaurants in all of Balamb. The fishermen caught fish all day, but never gave it to a store to sell. Well, Zell would just have to catch himself a fish. He could cook it in his mom's house. After all, he had been fishing since he was a kid.
"Balamb has fish! Of course! But Seifer, something really weird is happening... Come with me." He didn't know why he had suggested it. He knew that Seifer would just laugh at him. But he knew he'd feel safer if someone else was with him. Especially the guy from that wonderful dream, the one he would NEVER forget.
Do something else
Go along with it
"Why would I want to hang out with you chicken?"
Okay, that was the typical Seifer response. But, it was dark and the ocean was so large and dark. "Come on Seifer, what are you, afraid to be by the ocean at night?"
"Fine Chicken Wuss, let's see which one of us is scared of the dark." Now why did he say that? He didn't want to go along with Zell...
The night was cold like it always was by the ocean. But it was nice, at least to Seifer. Zell on the other hand was freezing his ass off. His fishing pole jittered in his hands.
"You are going to scare them off Zell," whispered Seifer in a warning tone. He could see just how cold Zell was though. It was kind of cute how he wasn't about to give up though. He would sit out here and die of hypothermia before he went inside. "Maybe we should go for a swim."
Zell wanted to be angry about that suggestion, but just the mere idea of it made his body shudder. How cold must this water be if the night was this cold? Finally, he was prepared to say something rude to Seifer when a coat was thrust in front of his face.
Seifer's coat? He looked confusedly beyond the coat to Seifer who was sitting there in his vest. "Well, take it."
Could he really take Seifer's coat? Actually, since he had already grabbed it, he should be wondering if he should wear it or not. It was warm. He slipped it over his shoulders.
"As soon as I get cold, I'm asking for it back!" said Seifer. Zell believed that. Yet, as the night grew even darker and the stars came out, Seifer's fishing pole began to shake, and not from the fish. Zell wanted to offer the coat back, but then they would just have to repeat the cycle. So, they sat.
Seifer was freezing. Why did he have to give Zell his coat? He didn't even like the guy...much. He very subtly moved closer to Zell, feigning a stretch. Oh he could feel warmth. He wanted to warm his hands on Zell like a fire. Wait! What was he thinking? The hypothermia must have hit his brain first.
Just as he was about to give in and ask for his damned coat back, he felt a bite. Thank god! They could eat and he could get warm. He began the long process of reeling in a fish. Zell was yelling advice at him and he wanted to deck him. What made Zell think that he knew more about fishing than him? He lived by the ocean too dammit.
"The hunters have returned!" shouted Zell as they returned from ocean. When they weren't immediately greeted by his mom, he realized she must be asleep. Upon looking at the clock that made sense since it was nearly midnight. They had been out in that cold for nearly 4 hours! It was amazing they weren't dying from pneumonia. Just as Zell thought it, Seifer sneezed.
"Oh shit. I've caught a fucking cold and it's all your fault!" accused Seifer before becoming a lump on Zell's couch.
Zell sighed, removing the coat and going to prepare the fish. It smelled wonderful as it was grilling up. It helped that his mom had shown him so many good ways to serve fish. It had been nice sitting next to Seifer. Even if they hadn't done much talking, just having him near felt good. It gave him plenty of ideas for some fantasies he planned on having come the next few days.
You dare me to go skinny dipping? Fine, I'm as badass as you. Oh no, Seifer, you can't swim. I'll save you. Hmmm, a reward for saving your life? I'll take it.
Zell was lucky the dinner didn't burn to a crisp.
He was disappointed to find a shivering, sleeping Seifer once the meal was done. Here he had a cute little fish and potatoes combo and Seifer was going to miss it. Zell sighed. Oh well. He ran upstairs to grab an extra blanket for Seifer. After all, it wasn't like he was going to be willing to share a bed. He might as well stay on the couch.
Seifer stopped shaking in only a few minutes. Zell knew because he set up his dinner at the table in front of Seifer. Who needed TV? He alternated looking around the room and looking at the cute sleeping blond.
Now that he had eaten, he felt better, better than if he had eaten another damn hot dog. He must have just been sick of them after so long.
Seifer looked so sweet. It occurred to Zell what he was going to do about five seconds after he did it. Then, he knew that he should probably impale himself on Seifer's gunblade and save Seifer the trouble of having to kill him for it. He kissed Seifer, close-mouthed, but not a peck. He felt Seifer awake underneath his face and the panic set in. Zell jumped up and put his fists up.
"I didn't mean it Seifer! Don't kill me!" he was mostly scared, but a little bit of him was so happy.
Seifer looked at him groggily. Why the hell did Zell kiss him? Oh well. No harm done. It wasn't that bad actually...but that lingering smell. "Oh great Zell, kiss me with fish breath." He closed his eyes, grabbed at the blanket tightly, and fell back to sleep.
appeared over Zell's head. He could feel it. He looked up at the lingering question mark. That caused another one to spring up beside it. "Ahhhh!" screamed Zell.
"What?" asked Seifer, grabbing at his blade. His strong hand grasped the handle as his body came out of the chair.
"I've got question marks over my head!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Zell was swatting the air over his head. "I looked up and there were question marks!"
Seifer studied Zell. He always thought that Zell was a little eccentric, but he didn't think he was crazy. "What are you talking about? And...why did you kiss me?"
"LOOK!" Zell yelled, pointing above Seifer.
And sure enough, even though he only caught a small glimpse of it...there had been a question mark there. He jumped away from the couch towards Zell. "What the hell was that?"
"I've been trying to tell you. Weird things are happening at Garden and no one is noticing. Cid had to put in bathrooms cause he realized we didn't have any! And our clothes don't get dirty!" Zell was nearly hysterical.
Seifer grabbed his shoulders. "Zell, calm down! We'll talk to Cid about it in the morning. For now, all we can do is go on fighting monsters."
"Yeah I guess so," said Zell, beginning to sit down again. Then it hit him that it didn't make any sense to ignore a weird thing that was going on. "Um, Seifer, that's a stupid idea."
Seifer felt the anger. It had made sense. Actually, no, it really didn't. But nothing did at the moment. Zell had kissed him dammit, how was he supposed to focus on anything else? "You kissed me."
"Yeah, sorry about that," apologized Zell. "You didn't seem too angry."
Seifer grabbed Zell's shirt collar. "Of course I wasn't. I was sleeping Dincht!"
Note to the readers: I'm sparing you the whole Seifer-kissing-a-guy-after-grabbing-them-by-the-collar maneuver. You can all thank me later
Zell's mother called out then, possibly saving her son's life. "Are you boys okay?"
"Yes mom!" called Zell after Seifer released him. "Hey mom, do we have a bathroom?"
Zell was kissing him again. But this time, it was open mouthed. It was wonderful. Zell's agility was a plus when it came to lovemaking. His hands seemed to cover all of Seifer's body. Why hadn't Seifer ever thought about this before? Zell was perfect. He decided to tell him that. "You..." he started saying before he realized had woken up; had woken himself up by speaking in fact. Shit! It had been a dream.
Seifer looked around the empty living room, fish going bad on the coffee table. Well, that was unpleasant. He trudged grumpily to the top of the stairs and opened the door to Zell's room.
"Wake up Chicken Wuss," he said shutting the door behind him. "I severely hope you brushed your teeth before you went to bed."