by NightsDawne
Chapter 6: Excursion
Sephiroth rubbed a towel over his hair. "Are you sure this is going to work?"
Seifer leaned against the frame of Sephiroth's door. "Why wouldn't it? Everyone knows that Sephiroth has silver hair and besides that, he's dead, right?"
Sephiroth pulled the towel down and surveyed the effects of the wash-out auburn hair dye Seifer had brought back with him. He had to admit, he wasn't even sure he recognized his own reflection. "I guess so." He sighed and pulled his hair back into a ponytail, then walked out of his bathroom. "Well?"
Seifer grinned. "Doesn't look a thing like you. Here, put these on." He held out a pair of mirrored sunglasses.
Sephiroth slid them on, effectively hiding any hint of his mako eyes. "I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this."
"You don't have a choice." Seifer slid on his own pair of shades and walked out. "Come on. Pizza and beer and people. I'm not letting you hide here like a chickenwuss."
Sephiroth followed with a sigh. "I don't even like beer."
Sephiroth looked up as Seifer set their dinner on the red checkered tablecloth.
"One large pizza with everything, a pitcher of beer, and," Seifer paused to smirk, "a carafe of white wine."
"Excuse me if I have taste." Sephiroth poured himself a glass and took a sip. "..Not that this is good wine."
Seifer sat down on the opposite bench of the booth and filled his own glass. "Are you going to complain all night?"
"I just don't see why we really had to leave the house for this." Sephiroth glanced around the room. "The only other people here are the employees and that family with the kids who keep throwing toppings at each other."
"Okay," Seifer conceded, "it's not exactly a wild party. I can't help it if this is a dead town."
Sephiroth chuckled, taking a slice of pizza and picking off the pepperoni and sausage. "It's quiet."
Seifer eyed Sephiroth's napkin. "I can't believe you'd let pepperoni and sausage go to waste."
"Maybe I'm just storing up ammunition to throw at you."
Seifer snorted. "At least it will be the things that taste the best." He picked up a slice and bit into it, drawing back a bridge of cheese. He watched Sephiroth follow suit, trying to be neater about the entire endeavor. "Just eat it. That's what napkins are for."
Sephiroth chewed and swallowed. "You've got sauce on your chin."
Seifer grabbed a napkin and hurriedly wiped it off. "And now I don't. So is it this dead everywhere?"
"Quiet," corrected Sephiroth, then shrugged. "The big cities are mostly rebuilding. They were the first targets of the Weapons. Rocket Town is the closest one, but it was as quiet as Nibelheim until after the Weapons. One of my father's friends took over as mayor there and turned it into real city."
Seifer grinned. "Road trip. Sounds like the place to visit."
Sephiroth sighed. "You're not willing to stay in one place for long, are you."
"I like a little action, there's nothing wrong with that." Seifer took a drink from his beer glass. "Maybe we can even drag old Vinny out of the cobwebs."
Sephiroth wrinkled up his nose. "He hates being called Vinny."
"I won't say it in front of him then. So are we on?"
Sephiroth sighed. "I guess I do miss traveling. Before everything happened it was a new place every week."
"Cool. Road trip." Seifer nodded with finality, then looked over as the door to the pizzeria opened, a young woman with long brown hair striding in with a highly unusual companion, a waist-high stuffed moogle of nearly global proportions, a robotic black cat sitting on top of its head. "The fuck..?"
Sephiroth looked over, then ducked his head down quickly. "Tifa Lockheart and Cait Sith," he whispered. "She's the mayor here."
Seifer raised a brow. "What's with the cat and the moogle?"
"Shh. Keep it down." Sephiroth sighed. "Her boyfriend is mayor of Midgar, so they don't get to spend a lot of time together. He's an engineer and he made Cait Sith. He can talk through it and keep in touch that way."
"That's.. bizarre." Seifer looked at the young woman as she turned away from the counter, letting her odd sidekick finish making their order. "She's coming this way."
Sephiroth sank down in his seat. "Oh no."
Seifer cast him a grin. "Relax, will you? You're acting suspicious." He turned his attention back to Tifa and nodded a greeting. Sephiroth groaned softly and tried to act casual.
"Hello." Tifa offered a friendly smile. "I don't recognize you and I know everyone in town. Tourists?"
"Sort of." Seifer offered his hand. "I'm Seifer Almasy, this is Steve.. Steve Whiner." Seifer's smile betrayed a touch of a wince as Sephiroth kicked him under the table.
"Pleased to meet you." Tifa shook Seifer's hand. "I'm Mayor Lockheart, but you can just call me Tifa. Everyone does. Are you alright?"
"Oh yeah, fine." Seifer rubbed his shin. "Old soccer injury."
"Oh." Tifa smiled again, then looked at Sephiroth, tilting her head. "Have we met before, Steve? There's something familiar about you."
"No!" Sephiroth swallowed, picking up his wineglass and drinking half the contents down.
Seifer grinned. "You might know his uncle. We're visiting him as a matter of fact. Vincent Valentine?" Seifer endured another kick, this time returning it.
Tifa's face lit up. "Oh, Vincent! Of course I know him! I never knew he had a nephew. You both have soccer injuries?"
"Played on the same team." Seifer planted his feet on top of Sephiroth's. "Don't mind him. He gets nervous around pretty women."
Tifa blushed with a laugh while Sephiroth just blushed. "Flattery is a bad habit, Seifer." She looked to the side as Cait Sith bounced his way over, spilling half the pitcher of beer on the way. "Looks like my dinner is ready." She gave both men a grin. "It was nice meeting you. Tell your uncle not to be such a stranger, Steve. I live two miles from him, it's not like he can't come visit more often."
"We'll be sure to pass on the message." Seifer nodded in reply to Tifa's little wave as she took the pitcher from Cait Sith to salvage any chance of a drink and followed the toy to a table.
Sephiroth yanked his feet out from under Seifer's. "You enjoyed that," he hissed.
"Will you stop being such a pisspot? Nothing happened." Seifer leaned back, drinking his beer.
Sephiroth sighed in defeat. "Steve Whiner?"
"It seemed to fit. Eat your pizza, Steve."
"Admit it, you had fun."
Sephiroth lifted his eyes from the road at his feet as they walked back to the mansion. ".. I had fun. Are you always that competitive?"
Seifer laughed, his eyes flashing more brightly for a moment without the sunglasses for disguise. "Only when it comes to fighting, sports, and whack-a-mole. Okay, maybe I'm a little competitive, but I won."
"Only because you broke the machine."
"Is that a challenge to a rematch?" Seifer looked sideways at Sephiroth, raising his brow.
Sephiroth grinned, opening the gate and holding it for the blond. "Any time you feel up to it. Of course, since we broke the one here, we'll have to take a detour on that road trip. I've always wanted to go to the Gold Saucer. I hear they have an incredible battle arena."
"Battle arena, huh? Sounds fun." Seifer strode through, Sephiroth following after trying unsuccessfully to close the gate without it creaking. "How far of a detour?"
"It's only across the mountain pass. We could spend a day there, then go to Rocket Town." He grinned to Seifer as they entered the mansion. "Thanks, Seifer. I had a wonderful time."
Seifer smirked, leaning back against the door as he closed it. "Sound like you're expecting a goodnight kiss."
Sephiroth frowned. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant it was nice not feeling like a prisoner of my own past. I got to be around people, even if I wasn't really me."
Seifer's smirk softened to a smile. "Hey, what are friends for?" He ran his hand through his hair, a few moments of expectant silence hanging between the two before Seifer looked away. "I'm tired. See you in the morning, Steve." He started up the stairs.
Sephiroth sighed softly. "Goodnight, Seifer." He made his way to the library, not quite ready for sleep himself. Is this the way all friends felt about each other? He wasn't used to this sort of relationship, but then again he'd never known anyone like Seifer. One moment he could be arrogant, overbearing, and irritating, the next moment those same qualities seemed to be confidence, protectiveness, and affectionate teasing. Sephiroth ran his fingers over a row of books, looking for one he hadn't ready three times already, wondering if they'd accepted a guest into their home or a tornado. The calm he had settled into during the past two years with Vincent had been overturned in a matter of two days.
"Where have you been?" Vincent's soft question was as usual completely unannounced by warning sounds of approach. Sephiroth turned, a smile crossing his face as his eyes met those of the older man.
"Seifer took me out." Vincent's silently arched brow made Sephiroth consider his phrasing. He dropped his eyes. "Not like that. It wasn't a date or anything. We just went into town for pizza."
"I see. What happened to your hair?"
Sephiroth pushed his bangs out of his eyes. "It'll wash out. But it worked. Not even Tifa Lockheart recognized me." Sephiroth waited for a rebuke, a reminder of the risks he had taken in venturing out in public, but Vincent only nodded. "We're going to the Gold Saucer and then Rocket Town. Do you want to come?"
Vincent smiled a touch. "I guess it's time you started having fun again. You never had a childhood to begin with."
Sephiroth laughed. "It's a little late to have one now. Come with us, father? Please?"
"Why? Because I'm one of the heroes and can get you in for free?" Vincent took a step closer. "Or is it because you don't want to be alone with him?"
"What do you mean? We're friends." Sephiroth chuckled. "I'm not afraid of him. I'm stronger than he is."
Vincent studied the shelves, silent for several moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was not as cold as usual. "I waited too long to be honest with my feelings, Sephiroth. I lost the woman that I loved because I was afraid to tell her what was in my heart. Don't make the same mistake."
Sephiroth swallowed. "We're just friends, father."
Vincent turned his ruby eyes on Sephiroth, his expression still, but his gaze seeming to penetrate to the younger man's soul. "Don't waste your chance for happiness."
Sephiroth bit his lip, looking down. By the time he lifted his eyes again, Vincent was gone.
