So we've totally reached over 100 prompts. I think once I've got 100 more prompts than I do completed fics, I'll probably cease taking prompts for a bit until I catch up. You know, for the sake of my sanity. So if you're lurking out there and haven't reviewed, you may want to.
Theme provided by: tigerlilith
Rating: T
045. Picture
Hayner knew Pence liked to take pictures of everything, everyone knew that. It was a piece of information generally stored away in his mind, and he ignored the actual act most of the time because it was so normal. As the summer before he entered college drew to a close, however, the brunet man grew more and more pensive. He would look down at his camera, a digital one he got as a graduation gift, and then back up at his sandy-blond friend with pursed lips, like he was considering something. After a short while he learned to ignore that, too, as just another of the teen's quirks.
"Hey, Hayner. Can you come here for a moment?" He asked on a lazy Saturday evening when they were just leaving their normal haunt to head home.
"Sure Pence, 'sup?" The taller man asked, crossing the distance between them after waving goodbye to Olette and Roxas.
"I, uh, downloaded some pictures to this thumbdrive. I deleted them on my camera and computer, I think you'll know why when you see them. Just, take a look at them, tonight? If you get the chance, call me and tell me what you think."
It was easily the oddest exchange they'd ever had, but he took the USB and gave the other an affirmative with a smile like it was the most normal thing in the world. He was easygoing around his friends like that, shit got weird and he just took it in stride. It was about the only way to survive with them. Once home, he decided to humor his photography-inclined friend and look at the shots on the drive, more curious than anything else. Why he would delete them everywhere but the tiny storage device was still a mystery to him, but he was determined to find out.
Pulling up the picture album labeled H&S, he glanced through the first few, wondering why Pence had close to a hundred photos that seemed to be just of him and Seifer interacting. Then he began to notice things. In one, the bully was watching him from where he was leaning against the wall of the sandlot, a small smile on the older male's face. Then, he was laughing at something the scarred man had said, and there was that same smile. In yet another, they seemed to be in the middle of a fight, Seifer yelling at him while pinning him to the brick wall, and Hayner was just staring at his lips like an idiot. The last one he looked at before he really got it was the most telling; the two of them were talking about something and Hayner was briefly looking away, giving Seifer the opportunity to grin behind the fist he was resting his chin on without being noticed. Briefly considering driving his forehead into a solid object, he instead dialed Pence's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Hey, so did you-"
"I did. I'm an idiot," he cut the other off.
"Yeah," the brunet returned simply.
"And Seifer's an idiot."
"Definitely."
"And I'm in love with Seifer."
"About time you got that."
"And Seifer is in love with me."
"Hopelessly. So, what are you gonna do?"
"I guess I have to talk to him, tell him about it. Have a chick flick moment with Seifer fucking Almasy. Hey, Pence, you mind if I just keep the photos for now?"
"Sure, they're for you, do whatever you want with 'em. You going to be around tomorrow, or, uh, occupied?"
"Depends on if I can find Seif or not."
"I'll count on occupied then. The guy might as well have a honing beacon on him for how easy it is for you to track him down. Call me tomorrow so I know you're still alive."
"Will do. Thanks, Pence."
With that the conversation ended and he slipped the drive somewhere he would remember but that no one happening upon his room would easily find. Flopping onto his bed, he decided to just ignore the whole situation for the moment or else he wouldn't be able to sleep and wandering around in the middle of the night tended to get him into an unfair amount of trouble. It was to the point where even he had to label himself as absurdly danger-prone; it was like there was a target painted on his back.
He settled on playing videogames in an attempt to avoid accidentally walking into a gang fight or something equally ridiculous, going to bed earlier than he would normally just because. He didn't feel the need to justify his sleep schedule to himself or anyone else, which was good, because if he did he'd have absolutely nothing to back it up.
The brown-eyed man roused early the next day, more specifically fell out of bed in the throes of a nightmare and bruised his elbow too badly to allow him to immediately return to sleep. The dull throbbing and lingering groundless terror forced him into clothes and out the door before he even checked to see what time it was. Before long curiosity got the better of him and he checked his cellphone, startled to realize it was seven in the fucking morning and he was conscious and moving. Completely inappropriate. He will eventually find some way to blame this on Seifer and guilt him about it later. By the time he's begun to formulate a diabolical plan to turn this into free ice cream, he's managed to walk all the way to the Sandlot without even realizing he was going somewhere. The scarred blond was there, arms crossed and expression confused as Fuu and Rai had what appeared to be an argument. Or they could have been just talking, it was hard to tell when one member of a conversation said everything very loudly and the other made placating gestures toward them even when unnecessary.
"Hey, Seifer!" He shouted, smirking a bit when the man turned to him curiously.
"The hell is wrong with you, lamer, you're not usually up this early," the taller blond replied as he walked over, not so much a question as a statement.
"Not important, I need to tell you I…Oh fuck it," he changed his mind, just grabbing the bully by the front of his coat and kissing him with the sort of heated, rushed roughness one could expect from them.
Pale eyes met his as Seifer pushed his tongue past his rival's lips, instantly and completely into this without needing an explanation because that was just them. They got each other like everyone else didn't. Maybe that's why they couldn't get along for so damn long, they were both the types to dislike someone knowing too much about them, to have the ability to understand them on a deep, meaningful level or some shit. But now Hayner had come to terms with that and had unintentionally allowed himself to fall in love, and apparently the attractive man currently wrapping his arms around him had done the same. One of them pulled away and he wasn't sure who, just that he really needed to breathe and it was incredibly hot when the muscular blond panted briefly against his lips like being any further away was a tragedy.
"Love you too, Hay. What the hell did you do to your elbow?"
