A/N: Well, I managed to squeeze in another chapter after all. There will only be probably…2 or 3 more chapters in this story and they will come in about a week's time with any amount of luck.
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII (and some Kingdom Hearts)
Pairing: SeiferZell with mentions of others
Notes: Sequel to "First Snow"
Standard Disclaimers Apply.
For What It's Worth
Chapter 8: Tell Me You Love Me
"Hope you're in the mood for trout," Seifer said, kicking off his boots. It had been a joke at the time—find a small town, become a fisherman, but it turned out it was a rather quiet, peaceful life. He left early in the morning, came home in the late afternoon just a bit before sunset. Zell was usually sitting at the kitchen table organizing whatever odds and ends he'd collected over the course of the day: money, potions, magic he'd drawn, fruit and vegetables the old lady down the road sometimes gave him when she harvested more than she needed.
Today was no different. Zell looked up and wrinkled his nose at Seifer, getting up from the table to take the bucket of fish. "Not until after you shower," he grinned. "I'll start cleaning the fish," he said, resting a hand on Seifer's chest and giving him a kiss on the cheek before pushing him towards the restroom.
"Join me?" Seifer asked with a smirk.
"Pervert. Go shower," Zell replied.
"Tell me you love me first," Seifer quipped. He couldn't help it, he was so happy with this new life he could hardly stand it. He could feel himself becoming sappier by the minute but he was just so love struck that at the moment he just didn't care.
"I love you," Zell answered. "When you're clean."
Just as their lips came into contact the phone rang. Seifer cursed under his breath at the interruption. "Go bathe," Zell laughed, giving him another light push. "I'll answer it."
Seifer frowned a little, but finally retreated to the shower. When he came out Zell was pacing the kitchen with a stupid grin, overflowing with energy that was the usual sign of his being in a very good mood. "Who was it?" Seifer asked ruffling a towel through his hair to dry it.
"Laguna," Zell grinned. "We have a wedding to go to."
Seifer blinked. "Laguna is getting married?"
Zell grinned and shook his head negatively back and forth. "Nooo…but his only son is." That grin could stop traffic. "Squall and Irvine are getting married. Laguna called to invite us to the wedding. Or, me and my significant other, who just so happens to be you."
Seifer frowned a bit. "I can't go."
"Whaat? Come on! You can't be serious. Squall Leonheart is getting married. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see him acting all cute and lovey dovey in public you know."
"They won't want to see me," Seifer sulked. In case you forgot, I almost killed Irvine."
Zell waved it off. "You've almost done a lot of things that there are no hard feelings for any longer. You have to come."
"You're insane," Seifer said. "No way."
"If you don't come, you're sleeping on the couch for a month," Zell complained. "I want to show you off, you know. I'm the only one who's boyfriend is still a big secret. You haven't even let me tell Ma."
"So naturally now you want to tell everyone at once."
"The couch," Zell said. "A month. And in case you're feeling slow, that means no sex."
Seifer frowned.
"No sex. No cuddling and no kissing either," Zell insisted huffily crossing his arms over his chest.
Fate worse than death anyone? Seifer sulked a little as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Fine, I'll go, but don't blame me if it ruins the whole wedding."
Zell grinned again and glomped onto Seifer. "Everything will be fine, you'll see. I want to be there for my friends' wedding, Seifer. I want my lover to be there with me. You understand, right?"
"Yeah, you're a romantic and a hopeless optimist," Seifer retorted, sighing and leaning back into Zell's arms. "And it's going to get me killed someday."
Zell laughed lightly at that. "Don't worry," he joked. "I'll protect you."
"Don't even joke like that," Seifer complained.
"Why not?" Zell teased. "I'm the monster exterminator in the family. You're just a fisherman."
Seifer crinkled his nose at the quickly becoming familiar joke. "Yeah," he said, "but the bottom doesn't protect the top. My masculine pride won't stand for it."
Zell chuckled and straddled Seifer's lap. "Your masculine pride needs to get over it," he said, lowering his head to finish the kiss Laguna's phone call had interrupted.
"Mmn. And your masculine pride needs to cook my dinner," Seifer teased back. "Preferably in nothing but an apron, given the option."
"The last time me and my masculine pride tried that we had blackened flounder for dinner," Zell chuckled.
"Just proves you need more practice," Seifer retorted. "No time like the present."
"You're incorrigible," Zell complained.
"I'll get the apron," Seifer said, nipping lightly at Zell's jaw. "You take off some of those extra layers."
Zell made a scoffing noise. "Next time you're wearing the apron."
---
"Stop pacing," Zell complained, following Seifer around with his tie.
"I can't do this," Seifer said, stressing a little—another thing only Zell had the privilege of seeing. Squall and Irvine's wedding? No way. Impossible. What was he thinking, agreeing to this? Weddings were supposed to be happy affairs. If Squall saw him he was dead. On the one hand he wanted to apologize, really—not that he could—or at least show his support. He was glad Irvine wasn't dead, and glad they were happy together. If not for them, he would never have gotten together with Zell, after all. For that much at least he owed them one. But he'd almost killed Irvine, he'd never been particularly good to Squall—something he understood now that he had someone precious to him. He wasn't wanted here. What was he thinking? He couldn't attend their wedding. He'd ruin everything!
"Of course you can. The bride is supposed to get cold feet, Seifer, not the guests."
"They hate me."
"They do not. Probably," Zell answered. "You're already here, anyway."
"I'll ruin the wedding," Seifer protested.
Zell finally managed to stop him from pacing and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Nothing can ruin the wedding of two people who love each other that much," he assured. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll buy you a hat and you can go in disguise," he teased.
The fact that Seifer actually paused to think about it made Zell laugh. "I'll make sure it's black," he teased, "to match your tux."
"I hate you," Seifer complained.
"You love me," Zell replied.
Seifer sighed. "…that too. You'd better be right about those two not holding grudges or you might be bringing me home in lots of little Seifer pieces."
Zell smiled and leaned up to give Seifer a kiss. "You worry too much. Now, I'm off to see the bride. I'll meet you back here before the ceremony."
"For the record, I still think this is a bad idea."
Zell grinned up at Seifer as he fixed the larger man's tie. "I've had worse," he answered before jogging off to surprise Squall, chuckling to himself as he imagined the dumbstruck look on Commander Leonheart's soon-to-be-betrothed face. 'This is gonna be so great.'
Ah, but first, there was the small manner of a black hat. Zell chuckled to himself. 'I'll get the most ridiculous one I can find in five minutes or less. Then Seifer will refuse to wear it and stop being such a chicken. Either that, or I'll have some amazingly hilarious blackmail material.' Zell felt confident that that alone would make this one of the top ten best days of his life, but then, life is full of its little surprises.
---
To Reviewers:
shrouded-obsession: Yeah, that does kind of suck, but I'm hoping to make up for it a little with the third story. And I agree, they ended up being so adorable together--though I'm not sure how in character I'm managing to keep them. Heh. And yes, the moving is almost over, thank god.
So...more to come as soon as I can get to it.