Chapter Six
Selphie's little shopping adventure hadn't quite turned out to be what she had originally envisioned. She had imagined some sort of montage straight out of a movie where a couple would try on hysterical outfits and present them to one another as fashionably as possible. Selphie didn't take into account, however, who her costar was when she visualized the scenario.
She had made several attempts to loosen Seifer up and get a laugh out of him, but it would seem an impossible task since Seifer was even more stubborn than he ever was before. She had begged and pleaded to him to try and just have some fun to which his only reply was something of how their definitions of fun had varied greatly. In Selphie-like fashion she marched over to a bench, sat down, and folded her arms where she waited for Seifer to pick out what he wanted to wear.
Seifer timidly strolled through the boutique. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around the hefty price tags on all the clothing items. He really didn't enjoy shopping for himself and the fact that he was shopping with Selphie's pity money made it that much more torturous.
So many thoughts and feelings were running through him that he just couldn't shake. What if someone recognized him as the one and only Seifer Almasy? That was a very real possibility now that he once again looked like his regular old evil self, minus a few pounds of muscle. Yes, he had missed showering, shaving, and hair cuts, but it was the filth and hair that kept his identity a secret. How much longer was he going to be able to keep up this charade with Selphie? It was fun to run around and forget about his life and who he was, if only for a few hours. Fun. Can't remember the last time I used that word.
Seifer glanced back to the bench that Selphie was pouting on but discovered she had crept off somewhere. Just then she came bouncing around the corner with a pair of khaki slacks and a green button up shirt in hand.
"Hey Seifer, look what I found…" Her smile quickly faded as she realized that something was wrong. Seifer tensed up. He wasn't much for sharing his dark thoughts with others, his mind raced as he searched for an explanation for his anxious behavior, but then Selphie surprised him.
"You know I was actually thinking maybe we should stay in tonight." Seifer just stared back at Selphie rather blankly, but she could sense the calm and relief set in over his demeanor which pleased her greatly. When she spouted out the idea of going out for dinner it sounded great, but the more thought she gave to it she uncovered a few negative scenarios that didn't set so well with her.
"What do you say we go grab some burgers and take them back to the hotel, maybe we can even pick up a movie on the way? I hope you like romantic comedies," she lead him out the store with a grin. Oh how he hated romantic comedies…
Seifer wasn't sure if he was more horrified by the fact he was watching a romantic comedy with Selphie Tilmitt or by the amount of food he just witnessed her grotesquely scarf down. The burger, large order of French fries, small side of onion rings, a lime Ricky, and a cookies n' cream milk shake was enough for a man of his size, but her? That tiny little frame just out ate a starving bum. What is this world coming to?
Selphie was beaming. Nothing like a good romantic comedy and a full belly to make her happy and warm her spirits. She glanced at the clock as the credits began rolling on the TV screen.
"Wow, its only 10 o'clock? I wish we had rented some more movies when we were at the store. It closes pretty soon, but I don't really feel like heading back out into the cold. I guess we could just watch some TV until both of us get tired."
"How good are you at poker?"
"What?"
"Do you know how to play poker?"
"Well yeah, but why does that…" Selphie finally noticed what Seifer had in his hands.
"Where did you find those?"
"Doesn't matter. Do you want to play?" There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, something in Selphie's gut told her this might not be the best idea. She smiled a devilish smile.
"Deal me in."
Passing time was the goal and the simple game of poker was accomplishing that, however it was doing so very slowly and painfully. Selphie had remembered poker being a lot more fun than this. There just really didn't seem to be a point. So what if she won a hand or lost a hand?
"Quit day dreaming, my three of a kind beats your pair. Your deal, and shuffle them good this time, I'm starting to think you're cheating." Seifer pushed the cards toward her. She let out a big sigh, how unexciting this game was turning out to be. Her sweatshirt was getting to be a little too warm for her to wear, especially this close to the fire place. She pealed the sweater off and tossed it on the couch.
"Raising the steaks huh messenger girl?"
"What are you talking about?" Seifer eyed the sweatshirt and glanced back at Selphie with his infamous smirk. Her eyes were grew wide with realization.
"Oh ho no, you want me to? I couldn't, no way, huh uh," she shook her head furiously.
"Oh is someone too chicken to play? I guess I wouldn't want to play either if I couldn't win a single hand. You'll be naked in no time," he said leering at her.
"You are such a pig and you are so going down." She snatched all the cards up off the table and began shuffling, she wasn't about to let him get away with talking to her like that.
For the first time since they had started playing Selphie was actually doing okay and keeping up with Seifer. She was becoming more and more anxious though as more and more of her clothes kept coming off. Seifer was down to his pajama pants and boxers but all Selphie had left on was a sports bra and her panties, one more loss for her and Seifer was going to get exactly what he wanted. Selphie couldn't help but smile when she saw the hand Seifer had dealt her, a pair of fours and a pair of jacks. Her smile grew even wider when she watched Seifer smirk and lay down his measly pair of kings. She laid out her hand and Seifer slammed a fist on the table, he hated losing. Why couldn't she just play like she was playing before!?
"Don't look at me like that, you dealt that hand to yourself." Seifer stood up and stripped down to his skivvies. Now it was all or nothing. This game was turning out nothing like he had hoped or planned.
Selphie began shuffling the cards, she knew this next round was it, but she just knew she could beat him. Just one more hand and I've got him, he'll eat those words along with his foot. She ever so carefully dealt out the hands. Her heart began racing and she almost couldn't look at her cards for fear of what they may or may not turn out to be. She took a slight peek at the five cards in her hands. Her heart began beating even faster when she saw what she held. A straight. Five, six, seven, eight, nine. She wanted to squeal with delight, this game was in the bag, but she wanted to conceal her delight. There was more pleasure to be had in look on Seifer's face when he realized that he'd lost. She glanced up at Seifer, brow furrowed as he looked over his cards, he slid two cards in her direction, discards. He's got nothing, this game is mine. She respectively dealt him two more cards. Ever so serious was Seifer's demeanor, even after he eyed his two new cards. He glanced back to Selphie.
"You gonna lay your hand down or what?"
"Gladly." She laid each card down one by one. "A straight." Selphie was beaming.
"Wow… that's a pretty tough hand to beat. Lucky for me that I've got a full house." Selphie's heart sank into the pit of her stomach, no way was this happening to her. He laid out is hand for her to see, three tens and a pair of queens. Selphie froze in horror while Seifer just stared at her ever so villainously.
"You realize what this means don't you?" He asked, eyes locked on Selphie. She crept out of her chair and slowly pushed it back under the table.
"Its getting kind of late, why don't we just go to sleep?" She faked a yawn. Seifer got up out of his chair and started moving himself closer to Selphie.
"Come on Messenger Girl, that's not how the game is played." Selphie kept backing herself away from Seifer.
"Well I just figured since we've been playing for so long and since its nearly one o'clock in the morning, that you would be exhausted and ready to get some shut eye."
"Oh no, I am wide awake as I'll ever be." He was inching himself closer and closer to her when all of a sudden Selphie made a B line straight for her room. Seifer was quick to fall in close behind her. Her eyes were set on that door knob and she could almost feel it in her finger tips when she felt a warm hand wrap around her waist.
"Oh no you don't you cheater! You owe me!" He started tickling her sides and she went down in a fit of laughter. There Selphie was laying on the floor under the merciless hands of Seifer Almasy.
"Ah! Quit it! You're such a jerk!"
"Not until you admit that I'm the grandmaster of poker!"
"Never!" So he continued tickling her sides even harder.
"AHH! SEIFER NO!"
"Say it!"
"Ah! You're the grandmaster of poker! STOP NOW!" Seifer saw that she'd gotten what she deserved, enough was enough. Selphie just laid there trying to catch her breath, but she couldn't stop smiling. She really couldn't recall the last time she heard Seifer laughing like that.
Her smile quickly faded when she realized that Seifer was still looming above her and his hands were still on her waist. Both their laughter had seized. Selphie's heart began beating wildly in her chest, his impish green eyes staring at hers. He was moving closer and closer, their faces were inches apart when Selphie panicked. She kneed Seifer in the stomach amidst her escape from his grasp.
Seifer just laid there in the hallway clutching his aching abdomen. He heard Selphie slam her bedroom door and click the lock shut. He rolled over and dejectedly headed for his couch. Some victory this turned out to be…
AN: Holy cow, its been a long time since I've posted anything! To my loyal fans (all 20 of you or so) I must apologize. I had a little case of writers block. I wrote chapter six and hated it and I wasn't sure how I would be able to follow it up. So walked away for a very long time, then came back and decided to just rewrite the whole chapter and this is what I came up with. I kind of like it and I hope all of you did as well. Keep the reviews coming! I'd like some advice and motivation to keep going with this story. I hope you all enjoy it!!! Muwah! Long live Selphers!
