by NightsDawne
[You people know by now that I can't work on just one project at a time, right? Anyhoo, I'm concurrently writing a tangent to the Cupid's Trio stories, a yuri for Fuu and a certain perky brunette. It's called Melting The Ice. I promise I'm not going to drop Six Men or any of the other fics I'm writing. Honest. It just gives me something to do when I'm stuck in a bit of writer's block! So, R&R on my little Selfuu, please? =)]
Chapter 5: Oh Tannenbaum
Seifer froze, furrowing his brow at the sudden sound of jingling bells behind his shoulder. He handed Veddy to Ward silently and hesitantly looked over his shoulder, then groaned and dropped his face in his hand. "Irvine...."
Irvine beamed, bouncing his head so that his hat jingled again. He'd traded his stetson for a furry red number trimmed in white, the pointed end sporting a white pom-pom with three jingle bells wound around it. "Ain't it cool? I got you one, too."
Seifer stiffened as Irvine pulled the hat over his head. "Why do you always have to buy stupid shit and then make me be seen with it?"
"Because it's cute." Irvine stepped back and looked over the results. "Course, it's more in the spirit of the holiday if ya smile, gorgeous."
"It has.. a pom-pom." Seifer scowled.
"Shut up, he's making me wear one, too." Squall walked up, trying to keep his head still to avoid jingling.
"This, though, this is the kicker!" Irvine cheerfully planted a miniature version of the hat on Veddy's head, which was promptly removed by the toddler for an examination. Veddy gave it a shake, squealing with delight at the opportunity to make noise. "Ain't that adorable?"
"If he gets to take his off I'm not wearing mine." Seifer snatched the hat off of his head to stick it in his coat pocket. Irvine sniffled, jutting his lower lip out a bit and batting his long lashes. Seifer frowned. "Don't look at me like that." Irvine stepped in close, wrapping his arms around Seifer's shoulders and nibbling his ear. Seifer clenched his teeth in resistance. "Don't.. do that.." Irvine added a bit of lobe sucking. Seifer sighed in defeat as Irvine pulled the hat out of his pocket and put it back on him.
"There now. You're just so cute I could eat ya up. Hey, Kiros, get a picture of us!" Irvine grabbed Squall and pulled him to his side.
"No, don--" Seifer's protest was cut off by a flash and the soft hum of film advancing. "Cowboy, you're going to get so fucked for this," the blond muttered.
Squall rolled his eyes. "I don't think that's going to discourage him, Seif."
"Hey, boys, what do you think of this one?" Laguna waved them over to the center of the tree lot.
Irvine dragged his boyfriends with him, the trio sounding like a sled crossing Trabia's snowfields, much to Squall and Seifer's chagrin. "Yahoo, that's a beaut, Laguna!"
Laguna blinked at them. "Oh, it's your hats. Guess we won't lose you guys now. What do you think, Squall?"
Squall sighed and looked up at the 12 foot pine, glancing up in annoyance as the movement elicited more jingles. "It's a tree."
"Thanks for the stellar identification, dumbass." Seifer walked around it. "Looks good, Laguna. Kind of big, though, isn't it?"
"I've got a cathedral ceiling. Besides, it's the best tree on the lot and we want the best, don't we?"
"Do you have enough decorations to cover it?" Seifer gave one of the branches a shake.
"I was thinking we could just buy a bunch at the mall. Is it okay with you, Squall?" Laguna nibbled his lip, looking to his son.
Squall shrugged. "It's your tree."
Laguna sighed. "Our tree. We're having a holiday together, remember?"
Squall put his hand on his hip. "It's fine, alright?"
"I'll go pay for it and arrange to have it delivered to the house." Kiros grabbed the tag off of it and headed for the sales stand.
"This is gonna be so cool, doncha think, darlin'?" Irvine hugged Squall from the side. Jingle jingle.
"Whatever."
Seifer frowned around the tree. "Who pissed in your chocobo puffs this morning? Have a little holiday spirit, babe."
"I'm wearing a fuzzy jingling hat in the middle of a paved lot filled with imported trees and it's over a hundred degrees." Squall sulked.
"The limo's air-conditioned," offered Laguna apologetically. "We can wait in there and then head to the mall. That's air-conditioned, too."
Squall nodded, turning and walking for the limo, the others trailing behind. Irvine squeezed Laguna's shoulder and gave him a reassuring grin. "Things'll be better when we start decoratin'."
"I hope so." Laguna returned the smile, hiding his discouragement.
"Goddammit! Put it back! Do you have to grab everything that's a toy?"
Kiros looked over to Seifer. "He's only nineteen months old, Seifer."
"No, he isn't, he's eighteen years old. Irvine, you don't need another rc car." Seifer grabbed the box and stuck it back on the shelf.
Irvine pouted. "But it's a purple jeep. You know I always wanted a purple jeep."
Seifer grabbed Irvine's hand, dragging him to the decorations aisle. "Just stay away from the toys?" He gave Squall a wink on the sly, the brunette nodding and quietly dropping the purple jeep into his shopping basket along with all the toys for Veddy. "Now help me get lights, babe."
Irvine sighed. "What color?"
"I dunno." Seifer looked over to Laguna, who was busy playing with the toy train display. "Goonie! What color?"
"Whatever you like, guys." Laguna flashed a grin. "Goonie. Cute."
"Appropriate," muttered Squall under his breath.
"They don't have black." Seifer grabbed Irvine's arm before he could be distracted by the train. "Decorations, cowboy."
Irvine furrowed his brow. "How goth can you get darlin'? Black festival lights? Hey, how about purple?"
Seifer eyed Irvine. "Do you know any other colors?"
"You should talk. Okay, what about blue?" Irvine waved a box of mini lights.
"Blue works." Seifer dumped several boxes of blue lights into Ward's cart. "Now what else?"
Irvine blinked. "Why you lookin' at me?"
"You're on the festival committee with Selphie. You do this shit, not me."
Irvine shrugged. "I just sorta hang things up high where the girls tell me to, gorgeous."
Squall sighed, leaving his cart and Veddy in Kiros's care to save his decor clueless lovers. "Garlands, balls, tree topper." He picked up a garland to toss in the decorations cart.
Irvine raised a brow. "Green garland with blue lights?"
Squall looked at the garland and put it back, glancing to Seifer as he moved his hand over the rack. Seifer shook his head, then nodded. Squall picked up a blue garland and tossed it in the cart, then got several more from the same spot. "Okay, balls."
Irvine giggled. "He said balls." Seifer smacked the back of Irvine's head. Jingle jingle. Irvine straightened his hat and bounced over to help with the balls, again raising his brow at Squall's selection. "What is it with you and green?"
Seifer sighed, reaching around Irvine to help Squall out. "He's color blind, dumbass. He can't tell the difference between blue and green. Makes him great with camoflage, though. Can see right through it."
"So that's why you always wear black, darlin'?" Irvine looked at Seifer from the corner of his eye. "What's your excuse?"
"I like black and I can kick the ass of anyone who has a problem with it."
"So goth he craps ash." Squall winked at Irvine, grabbing a star and tossing it in. Irvine cracked up, then went silent at Seifer's look.
Seifer shook his head. "I'm not goth."
"Well, what are you then? Trenchcoat, black clothes.." Squall tugged on Seifer's sleeve.
"I'm me. Fuck, I'm being critiqued by Cowboy Bob and Baby Punk T."
Squall looked down. "This isn't punk."
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Black leather and bondage pants?"
"I happen to like the buckles. They're practical." Squall frowned.
Seifer snorted. "Practical? For what? Hooking your handcuffs to?"
Squall narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who likes handcuffs! The straps, for your information, provide good support for combat. That's my lead leg."
Irvine smiled and waved to the elderly couple passing by with rather shocked expressions. "How about we talk about fashion at home, darlin's?"
Seifer grabbed Squall's ass with a smirk. "Support. That explains the belt then."
Squall jumped, spinning around. "Just get the balls, Seifer!" He paused, eyeing the elderly couple, who were hurrying away. "... Festival tree balls!" He looked back to find his boyfriends doubled over in laughter. "Oh just shut up."
"Everything going okay?" Laguna smiled, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked over.
"Yeah, we got everything, I think." Seifer snickered and tweaked Squall's cheek. "You're blushing."
Squall slapped his hand away. "Whatever. Let's go." He stormed over to Kiros and took back his cart.
Seifer slapped Laguna on the back. "Don't worry, Goonie. It's not you this time."
[Thanks to necrofish for the ash crap line. ;). Okay, I know things seem to be wandering, here, but yes, there will be a point to the story eventually!]
