A/N: I couldn't find anything online that said when Fujin's birthday was, so for the sake of the plot, let's pretend it takes place in early December.
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"You got any turmeric?" asked Rajin.
"Turmeric? No, why?"
"Eh, gotta make jerk chicken for some work thing for Fu." Rajin stuck his head into the refrigerator.
"Yeah, help yourself to anything that's in there while you're here," said Seifer. "Just don't screw in my bed again. Fu's like my sister, and you, well, you're you."
"We'd never do it in your bed, ya know," replied Rajin. "Only on the couch…and that one time on the kitchen floor."
The couch he'd eaten a stray chip off of last night. The floor he walked across barefoot every day.
"I didn't hear that," replied Seifer.
"Which part?"
"Any of it."
As much as he appreciated Rajin watching the dog and the house while he was gone, he was seriously going to have to look into covering everything with plastic slipcovers from now on.
"So, how's it goin' with that website, ya know?" Rajin asked, snickering. "Summon any love interests lately?"
"Tell you what," said Seifer, pulling on an old sweater. "You get to make fun of my love life when Fu gives you your nuts back."
"Hey, I do what I want, when I want!" said Rajin, straightening up. "Fuj doesn't control me!"
Seifer chuckled. "Yeah. Right. Should I call her and tell that?" He picked up the phone.
"No, don't!" said Rajin quickly, holding up his hands.
Realizing what he had just done, he glared at Seifer, who was grinning. "Fuck you, man."
"Hey, don't look at me," replied Seifer, replacing the receiver and dumping a few haphazardly rolled up items of clothing into his duffel bag. "Not my lasso around your dick."
"It's just, well, she thinks I'm out grocery shoppin', ya know. She's got a work party thing in the tech department tomorrow, they've got up some new Garden communication system up n' running, an I'm supposesta make the entrée." At Seifer's chuckle, Rajin glared. "Just wait till it happens to you, ya know."
"What, getting incrementally neutered?"
"No," replied his friend. "Fallin' in love. It's like, suddenly, all that stuff you used to make fun of other people for doesn't seem so bad. Sure, Fuj runs a tight ship, and sure, I hafta make some stupid chicken for this stupid work party that's gonna bore me ta death, but if it all means I get to be with her, then...I don't really care, ya know?"
Seifer stared at him. "Wow."
Rajin smiled, thinking his friend finally understood.
"...she really has turned you into a complete pansy," finished Seifer, chuckling.
"Kiss my ass man," replied Rajin testily, draining the rest of his beer and tossing it into the trash. "So, we still on for dinner next week?"
That's right, thought Seifer. I agreed to cook for Fuj's birthday.
Between the stupid Guardian Hearts thing, the revelation that Lady_Shallot was actually Quistis Trepe, and the damned dog eating his last good pair of socks, it had been a long, crazy, and stupid couple of weeks. He had completely forgotten about the birthday dinner he and Rajin had planned for Fu.
"Yeah, sure," replied Seifer, pulling on a knit cap. The ocean got cold after dark, and Seifer had learned early to cover every available inch to protect himself from the icy sprays that crashed over the deck at night.
"Can we bring something? Wine, or-"
"Whatever's fine," replied Seifer. "I'll be back in four days. And Rajin?"
"Yeah?"
"Let me know if you need some help."
"With what, the jerk chicken?" his friend asked, looking hopeful.
"No, with finding those balls of yours."
Seifer could hear his friend muttering grouchily all the way to his bike.
