Zell looked at his reflection in the mirror and frowned, he looked halfway decent so why did he feel like such a turkey? The knock on his door surprised him a bit and he wandered over and opened it. Roo looked at him and grinned. 'Guess what!' She said and bounded past him into his room. He gave her a 'what?' look and she frowned. 'You're supposed to guess.' She said and without waiting for him to say anything she carried on. She was really nice but she seemed like a bit of an airhead at times. 'Delta's told me that I am to be your official assistant while you and Selphie are here, isn't that great? Badier 's been assigned exam training to do so he's gonna be busy for a while, so that leaves little ol' me.' She grinned and he nodded with a pleased expression on his face, Delta worked quickly, an admirable quality in a headmaster. 'And my first duty to you is to tell you that an Edea will be calling you at around midnight tonight. Is that the Edea I think it is?' She asked and he shook his head.
'Nope it's the woman that brought me and Selphie up.' She frowned at him.
'You have been together since you were kids?' She asked him.
'On and off.' He said with a shrug. 'Anyway, work has its place but its not now, does this look alright on me?' He asked and she nodded with a frown.
'It looks a little like my SeeD uniform... well not my SeeD uniform obviously, it hasn't quite got the skirt mine has... but it looks a bit like yours.' She looked him in the eye. 'I'm babbling aren't I?' He nodded.
'How old are you?' He asked her shortly and she looked a bit taken aback.
'Erm I'm nearly twenty, I became a SeeD when I was only just fifteen.' She said and he nodded, that explained everything.
'Fine just wondering that was all, we should go and get Selphie and head downstairs.'
*
Selphie heard the knock on the door as she was putting the finishing touches to her outfit. 'Be there in a second.' She yelled as she fastened the silver necklace around her throat. She stood back to admire the full affect. He dress was a bright shimmering blue that came up high on the front and swooped low down her back, only the toes of her strappy blue sandals were poking out from under her full length skirt. She had tied her hair back and pinned it to her head in a twist. She grinned, she looked totally elegant... awesome! She ran to the door and threw it open. 'Ta Da!' She sang to a surprised Zell, Selphie stopped and stared at him, she felt her mouth drop open in surprise. 'You're... you're... wearing real clothes!' She excalimed in surprise, no matter how many times he had said he had bought something she had just expected him to turn up in his jeans and black t-shirt.
'Likewise.' He said with a grin. 'You look...' He looked over his shoulder at Roo for help trying to find the words.
'What he means to say is that you look fantastic, and Zell that's exactly what she meant to say to you too, but your mouths got in the way.' She grinned. 'Now lets go I wanna party.' She giggled and started to move off down the corridor.
'It's true Selphie, you do look great.' He told her when Roo had moved out of earshot, she smiled and struck a moviestar pose.
'I know, I'm wonderful... feel free to worship and adore me.' She grinned and grabbed his hand. 'Let's go already, time for that dramatic entrance you promised me.' She giggled and started to pull him down the corridor.
*
Delta grinned as the music played, most of the students were here, even the youngest ones of about eight or nine, but they were being chaperoned by one or two on-duty SeeDs who were also on look out for any fights that could erupt. Badier had begged off tonight saying he had work to catch up on, even though she had asked him to come. She was talking to one of the instructors when Roo came bouncing up with a giggle. 'They look fabulous!' She said with a grin, Roo always went giddy when there was a party in the offing.
'Who do?' Delta said with a frown and looked towards the main door. Selphie and Zell stepped through at that moment. 'Oh. Yes I see what you mean... question? Are you playing matchmaker again? Didn't I talk to you about that?' Delta frowned at her protege, she was grooming Roo to take over from her when she decided to quit being headmaster and go back to being a regular SeeD. Good thing Roo didn't know that, the girl would have whined something chronic.
'Yeah, sure you talked to me, but not for very long and I didn't listen very hard anyway.' She giggled again and Delta winced, the girl was hyper already and her giggle always did grate on her nerves a bit. But she was damn good at what she did, and people who thought she really was an airhead tended to say more to her than they otherwise would, she was the perfect spy. 'But they look great together... and I am fairly certain he likes her.'
'Of course he does they are best friends...' The pair were making their way towards them and Roo winked conspiritorily.
'Hiya.' Zell said with a grin, Selphie merely waved but was dancing from foot to foot itching to get on the floor.
'Hi, what do you think of our little school dance?' Selphie smiled widley but Zell frowned.
'I think this is the biggest turnout to a 'school' dance I've ever seen, Trabians know how to party.' He looked up towards the silk streamers framing the ceiling and the flowers that decorated around the roof, all white because they were the only colour flowers that ever grew on the winter island of Trabia.
'I think I'm going to have to make a few changes to Balamb when we get back.' Selphie said with a grin. 'They have too much activity organised for them, not enough to kick back and relax.'
'It's beneficial to the students health to have something to look forward to, it's not like a lot go outside for any length of time, especially in the dead of winter.' Delta looked around with a warm look in her eyes. 'A few students can't cope with the weather and have to be transferred.' Selphie nodded.
'Yeah I remember a friend of mine couldn't hack the amount of sun she was getting, you shipped her off to Galbadia, well not you, but ya know what I meant.' Selphie was watching the dancefloor avidly while she talked.
'Perhaps you two should go dance.' Roo told Zell and Selphie obviously itching for the small talk to be over with. Zell laughed.
'Some things never change.' He said and, taking Selphie's hand, left them completely baffled by what he meant.
*
Selphie beamed with joy, she knew exactly what he meant. At the Balamb dances it had always been them that had started dancing first. At the first proper Balamb garden festival dance the pair of them had taken to the floor with obvious pleasure, they had been the only ones not terrified of making fools of themselves, Selphie figured that she did it often enough anyway why should one more night make any difference. Quistis had refused pointedly and threatened to tear out Zell's eyes if he didn't leave her alone, Irvine had said that it wasn't his sort of thing and Squall had just raised a single eyebrow at her when she had asked. Rinoa had stayed glued to Squall's side that first time but over the years she had joined the pair of them out there, as she had become more confidant in her relationship.
The music was fun and lively and they were enjoying themselves. Then a slow song came on and they stopped and stared at one another for a second, Zell recovered first and held out his hand to her. Selphie was surprised by the blood that came rushing to her face but she took it and curtseyed as she did at Balamb's SeeD balls. He laughed at her and slid his arm around her waist. She kept her face down until she had gotten her blushing under control then she looked up at him. His eyes slid down to hers and he gave her a quick grin, she looked around.
'You ever notice that this hall is like a total recreation of this years SeeD ball?' She asked and he frowned slightly and took a quick look around.
'You mean except without the unpleasant undertones?' She looked at him for a moment and then laughed.
'Or the throwing up incident... I dunno we could recreate it, you got Irvine hiding somewhere?' He winced and she thought she might have gone too far but his sense of humour kicked in and he gave a wry chuckle. 'Your black eye is healing nicely by the way.'
'Gee thanks. I notice your best features too.' He winked at her, then he got a serious look on his face. 'You still mad at me over that? You said you were going to have words with me but you never did...' He bit his lip.
'I got over it, Zell. I'd probably forgive you most things if I'm honest.' He swallowed hard and look away past her head. She looked down toards her feet. 'If I'm more honest...' She mumbled.
'What was that?' He asked her, his face serious.
'Nothing important.' She shook her head. The music began to move up tempo and they dropped each other like they were on fire. 'So... want a drink?' She asked and he nodded vigourously. They moved away to the refreshments table.
*
Zell watched Selphie dancing. She had been asked by people several times already, but they were nearing the end of the evening and they'd have to go wait for Edea's phonecall in his room, alone, together. He was dreading it if he was honest, he had never felt awkward around her before, she was Selphie and he loved her. In his moments when he was alone he could admit that to himself. But that dance had communicated something to him that he wasn't sure he was ready to face. He shook his head... even if she was feeling the same thing, which he wasn't sure she was, she had only just split up with Irvine. That in itself would give him some time to figure out what to say. He looked at his watch and when the song was finished he was waiting behind her. She looked up at him and smiled brightly.
'We have to go.' He told her as a slow song kicked off again, she looked around, held out her hand to him and gazed at him with puppy dog eyes.
'One more dance?' She asked him and he sighed and gave her a salute and a wink. She smiled beautiously at him and he could feel his heart melt as he took her in his arms. She slid her delicate arms around his waist and lent her head against his chest, he did it before he could stop himself. He kissed the top of her head and he felt her shiver, his mind was already screaming at him that he was an idiot but he wasn't sure he cared any longer. He had wanted to be like this everyday for nearly seven years, when you have what you've wanted in your arms after that long it's very hard to listen when you are being told that you have to give it up. He lent his cheek against her hair, with his eyes half lidded, whatever happened, if she was taken away from him again, he had this moment, and it would last him the rest of his life if he needed it to. The thought made him smile. He had spent his nights imagining her face and her laughter. Seven years he had spent wanting to be with her, he remembered the day when he had first fallen for her, it was just a moment in time when they were on a mission together. They had been standing by Obel lake and she was laughing, then on a grey day the sky had just shone a ray of light which seemed to light her up from the inside. From that day on, when he had closed his and cleared his mind, it was her he saw. When the song ended, she drew away from him and looked up into his eyes with a sad smile. He breathed deeply.
'We should go.' He said and she nodded.
*
Roo winked at Delta across the hall and her friend gave her a flat look. She was right, she knew she was, so she stuck a tounge out at her commanding officer. At that point Delta was extremely tempted to give her the finger, but being aware of the people surrounding her merely raised an eyebrow. Roo read the expression on Delta's face and grinned.
*
Selphie looked around Zell's room in astonishment. 'How is it so messy? You only brought one bag.' He grimaced and shrugged and began dragging his clothes up off the floor. 'You don't have to tidy up for me Zell.' He looked at her and dropped the clothes he had picked up.
'Make up your mind.' He said softly and went and slumped into his comfy chair. She looked at him for a short moment, he was hurting and she knew it was her fault. She went and sat on the arm of the chair next to him.
'I'm sorry.' She said and he looked up at her questioningly. 'I'm sorry... for the way I am... for the way I can be... I think too much, I know most people think not enough... but... I'm sorry.' He took hold of her hand.
'Selphie. Don't apologise for who you are. If you weren't who you were, I wouldn't...' He stopped and looked her in the eyes, she saw the pain in them and she knew. She hadn't guessed before but now she knew. She leant her head forwards and kissed him, she moved back to look at him. He stared at her like he was a rabbit in headlights, then he stood up and walked across the room. 'I can't do this.' He said without looking at her and he began to laugh, the hollow joyless laugh that comes when you've reach the end of your tether. 'I really can't.'
'Zell?' She asked tentatively. He turned to her.
'Selphie, if I don't say this now, and believe me I've spent years rehearsing it, I never will say it to you. I'm sure you know by now and it scares me more each year. You know I love you, but I can't do it this way. Not now, not like this. You've only just split up with Irvine and it would really kill me to be your rebound bloke.' She tried to interrupt him.
'Zell I...' he shook his head at her.
'I will not be anyone's second choice, you've told me who you want and I respect that. Nobodys second choice, especially not yours.' She watched him with her heart breaking, he had just opened up his heart to her, and without giving her any chance to respond closed it again. He was shaking and he looked as if he was going to be sick. She stood up, to tell him how she felt.
The phone rang.
And the moment was gone.