Shopping: Chapter Five:

Zell did a double take when he saw Squall waiting for him. Squall was never out of his office before five. However, there he was. Leaning against the wall, dressed in dark gray sweats, black sneakers, and a black tank.
"... Squall?"

The faintest of smile tipped Squall's lips before he stepped forward. "Needed to talk to you, but didn't want to bother your training."

Zell, aside from his Seed duties, had taken on a class of students. It was mostly self-defense training, and a few were planning on adopting that as their fighting styles. A few White Seeds came three times a week to train in the more 'ninja' style class of weapons.
Gunbladers were now a rage as well, but the Lionheart and Hyperion models had been retired.

"What's up?"
"Need you to do something for me."
Zell furrowed his brows thoughtfully, then grinned. "Rin said you might come speak to me. I suppose I'll need to see it before I make it?"
"...."
Zell laughed. "Oh, c'mon Squall. You knew she'd tell me. Rinoa can't keep a secret to save her life sometimes. And besides, only Selphie was off limits."
"Does Irvine know?"
"Nope. She figured he would blab to her. But she had to tell someone that she was..."
Zell trailed off, and Squall waited. With a slight shake of his head, Zell continued. "She was happy that you were finally doing something that was your own idea."

Instead of Squall's usual death glare, he just smirked slightly. "Well, Irvine's ideas got him further then it did me, now didn't it?"
Zell stared after him, as Squall calmly turned. He walked forward a few feet, then glanced over his shoulder. "Well?"
"Huh, hm. Oh yea..." Zell grinned, then started walking towards him.


"Duuuuude. This is a sweet layout!"
Zell had been drooling over the television for the past five minutes while Squall set up the dvd. He fast-forwarded through the dance, pausing on a good close-up of Sarah.
"I need the tiara made. You still have the model one you made for Selphie last year?"
Zell nodded, "Oh hey, you have some paper an' a pen? When do you need this by, anyway?"
"In two days."
"What?" Zell whirled around. "Two days! What the hell am I, your last minute resort?"
"Actually, Quistis suggested that you do it."
"Oohh..." He accepted the pad and pen, quickly sketching a design.
"Well, it's not gonna take me long, but still..."
"Laguna had one made, but I need to fit for Selphie."
Zell nodded, jotting down notes.
"And you?"
"What?"

Zell grinned, snagging the remote from the couch. He pressed play, pausing it on Jareth when he stepped out from behind the fan for Sarah to see him.
"Your hair."



"Hey, Irvine!"
He glanced over his shoulder, smiling as Selphie walked towards him. It faded when he noticed that something was a bit off, she didn't have the usual spring in her step.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't find Rin or Quisty - anywhere! And we had to go over some stage setups."
He recalled Rinoa telling him that she had to go shopping earlier. But now, it felt like she was telling him not to tell her that.
"You know... I haven't seen Rinoa since breakfast. But, I bet I can help ya out."
Selphie arched a brow at him, a little miniature Squall. He had to bite his lip to keep from snickering. "How?"
"I know where Quistis keeps the copies of the Festival plans."
Selphie was known for loosing papers, so Quistis made triple copies of everything. One for Selphie, one she kept, and one she stashed. Just in case.
Selphie grinned, throwing her arms around him.
"You're a lifesaver!"
"Well, what are friends for?" He grinned, scooping her hug in a hug and then twirling her around. For the first time since the 'almost kiss' yesterday, Selphie laughed.

All along the way to Balamb, Zell had been telling him ways to do his hair. However, Squall had flat out refused bleaching.
"Don't want to look like Tidus."
Everyone claimed the hero of the Final Fantasy game had been based on him. What did that say for Yuna then, who looked a bit more like Selphie then Rinoa?
So now, they were on their way to a shop. Zell claimed to know the perfect place to buy a wig.
"They do custom work. I know a clerk there; she'll get it done tonight. Trust me."

Squall had decided to trust him. How bad could it be?


When he stepped inside the store, he almost walked immediately back out. But Zell grabbed hold of his shirt. "You go back, and I'll bleach it tonight."
That had been enough to keep Squall inside, though he crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. Zell stepped around, flipping the sign to closed. And placed the out to lunch sign next to it.

"Yo! Liz!"
A girl came out of the back, saw Zell, and grinned. Squall blinked as she vaulted over the counter, and seemed to hop over to them. But what caught his eyes was the image on her shirt. A close up of Jareth, holding up a crystal, a taunting smile on his lips.
"Zell!" She hugged him tightly, kissed him, then smacked the back of his head.
"You were supposed to call me last night!"
Then she glanced up at Squall, back to Zell, then back to Squall again. Winked. "And who might you be, cutie?" She leaned towards Zell, whispering loudly. "Is this the one that calls you..."
"LIZ!" Zell yelped. "No. This is Squall."
She stilled, then glanced up at Squall again. That's when he noticed that she was... Damn, she had to be even shorter then Selphie, but not by much.
"Yep. They defiantly based him off you."
"Oi. Show some respect to my boss, will you? Honestly..."
She smirked, and poked him. "If you wanted him to get respect, you brought him at the wrong time. Wait till Jenny is working."
"Whatever. I need you to work some magic on him. He's going to a costume ball."
"Ok." It was sudden change, one minute hyper, then next studying him as though he was under a lens. Squall shifted, a bit uncomfortable.
"Who as?"
"Jareth."

She smiled again. "Wow. Whoever she is, she's very lucky."
Squall eyes widened a bit, as she headed to the back. He looked at Zell.
"Explain."
Zell grinned, running a hand through his hair. "That's Liz. Met her through a training class. She was the only one able to throw me. Afterwards, we just started talking."
"Does she..."

Zell shrugged. "Often pick up on things like just now? Yea. And I dunno if or if not. Never asked."
Squall nodded. As she walked back towards them, holding a few different wigs, Zell smiled again. But it was a changed smile; he'd seen Rinoa and Irvine flash it at each other. But he didn't know exactly what it was, till just now. The smile of someone in love.

"Ok! Let's see what works, and then I'll make it tonight. With the blue, right?"
Squall nodded. "Yes, I have the outfit already made."
"We gotta pick up some contacts too."
"You're really going all out, aren't you? Over here."
She led them to the left, Squall glancing at some of the other items for sale. One rack held nothing but candles, a rainbow of colors. Next to that, a slim glass bookcase, holding spell books tarot decks, and runes.

"What is this place?"
"Hot Topic meets Planet K meets... uh, an occult shop? We don't get many people over twenty five in the store."
"I see..."
"Grab the chair of your choice, and we'll begin."
"...How long will this take?"
"It depends. After all, we have to find one that'll fit, is the right color and look, and you have it like it. First time wig shopping right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, two hours at least."
He groaned softly, slumping down into the nearest chair.
"Hey, but it might not." She grinned, and patted his shoulder. "Besides, Zell will entertain you, won't ya Zell?"
"Yep!"


By the end of the first hour, Squall was more tense then a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Liz shook her head as she pulled off the forth wig.
"Zell, talk to him, I'll be right back. I have an idea..."
"Remind me to kill you later for this, ok?"
"Hey, if you kill me, Selphie's tiara doesn't get done."

'Damn.' Squall scowled, and Zell knew what it meant.
He started laughing, and just picked up a wing at random, placing it on Squall. He managed to pick up a hot pink one, and not knowing which end was which, it was placed on backwards.
When Liz came back out, Squall was holding the wig apart like it was a curtain, since Zell had jammed it onto his head. Zell, being the friend he was, was leaning back in another chair. Laughing.

"Gods..." Liz muttered, and shook her head.
"I told you to entertain him, not piss him off!"
"Now, get that wig offa him, Zell, I think I have the perfect one for the soon to be King here."


It took them twenty minutes to get the wig off and Squall's hair back to some resemblance of normal. As Liz fussed around with the new wig, he saw nodding.
"I think this is the one."
She moved out the way, so he could look into the mirror she'd been standing in front of.

The ends were paler then the top, more a white gold then yellow. They brushed the top of his shoulders, and it was a silky weight against the nape of his neck. Gold fringe covered his scar and eyebrows, the rest cut diagonally to end a few centimeters above his chin.

He looked totally different. Even Zell agreed. "Maybe you were supposed ta' be blonde. That would explain the 'always zoning' look you have in your eyes."
Liz elbowed him in the ribs, none to gently.
"Don't mind him. Do you like it?"
Squall nodded.
"Alright! I'll go ahead and fix it tonight, and add the blue. Zell, you'll pick it up tomorrow, right?" He nodded.

As they left, she put the 'Open' sign back on.
"You boys have fun now! And Zell, try to stay alive till after the ball is over, alright?"
He gave the thumbs up sign, and she just chuckled as Squall gave him another glare.

When they got back to the Garden, Zell headed for his room, and Squall headed for his office. He might check his messages before calling Laguna, and making sure everything was going well over there.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, Selphie sprang up from her seat.
"Where have you been?!"



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Notes: Dun Dun Dun.... ^_^
Disclaimers: Square owns everyone but Liz. As usual. :sigh:

Once again, thank you all for the nice reviews. ^^
:has Zell dance around in the pink wig and a hula skirt for everyone: