Disclaimer: Okay you know what? I OWN THIS HAHAHAHAH!
Seifer: No you don't...idiot...
Grinning Reaper: Wow! I was surprised at the response I got for the first chapter! Thank you for everyone who reviewed especially those who support this fic even though they don't like Slash Amongst Knights And Their Chicken-Wusses! Thank you sooooooooooo much!
Squall: Okay can we continue?
Grinning Reaper: ::sighs:: Yeah okay.
Learning to Like Licorice
Zell tipped his head back and stared in awe at the open velvet black sky. It was such a pretty night. He gazed out at the shoreline and dug his toes into the sand as the surf curled around them. He was well aware that he should be in bed right now. It was very late and it was against the rules to be out side at this hour. But still, as Zell often did he felt called to go to his 'thinking spot' when he couldn't sleep. It was a perfect tiny thatch of sand near a rock on the beach that was just a short walk away from the orphanage. He shut his eyes and smiled as a warm breeze blew on his face. He opened his eyes after sometime and looked around for the packet of jellybeans that was resting by his little lantern. Matron only fed them healthy food so it was a wonder whenever they got any candy. He opened the package and carefully sorted out his favorite flavors and his least favorite and set to eating them. The cinnamon was first of course.
Now that he thought of it they came from the goody bags at Selphie's birthday party. He felt his face heat up slightly remembering that fateful dare that had been troubling him lately. Zell picked up a stick and began to doodle in the sand with it, lost in thought. Okay, so he had kind of been feeling funny since Seifer kissed him even though that was nearly three weeks ago, he got all dizzy and floaty when he was around. Zell had figured that he must have been embarrassed about it still. And it was true that he liked the kiss. But wasn't it natural for someone to like being kissed? Zell looked down at the sand and felt his face get even redder. In the sand were etched a group of little hearts and squiggly lines...and an 'S' or two. Zell quickly erased the mural both shocked and embarrassed. Did...did that mean that he had a crush on SEIFER?!? Of all people?
"But I don't wanna have a crush on him..." Zell mumbled softly. "Well, maybe I don't maybe I just think I do, but maybe I do too." Irvine had said that you were supposed to know if you were in love but frankly Zell wasn't all that sure at the moment. Sure Seifer wasn't that bad looking and he could be a little nice when he wanted to be, when the other kids weren't around usually. He was really brave too. Zell wished that Irvine was here to help him but at the same time he was glad that he was alone. The other kids might think that there was something wrong with him. Boys were always supposed to like girls weren't they? Well there was that one time that they had all snuck and watched a talk show and there was a boy who loved a boy on that...
"Maybe I do like him." Zell decided at last. Even though he decided that Seifer wouldn't like him back but that was okay because Matron always said that it feels good to love someone, even if they don't love you. Zell popped another one of the spicy red jellybeans into his mouth. He couldn't see Seifer liking him; Seifer seemed like the sort who liked graceful pretty girls. Not skinny noisy boys. But really, that was okay. Seifer didn't have to feel the same way.
"Whaddaya doin' out here?" A voice asked from behind him. "Doncha know that you could get in trouble?" The voice was undoubtedly Seifer's. Zell felt his face get hot again and his stomach got all fluttery.
"I couldn't sleep." Zell said at last. "And you could get in trouble too." Seifer looked thoughtful.
"Yeah. I could." He agreed finally, stealing a few of Zell's green jellybeans. Zell let him have them; he wasn't particularly fond of the green ones. They tasted like mint.
"Why'd you come out here?" Zell asked, hoping that Seifer thought the reason that his cheeks were so rosy was because of the lantern light. "Are you having trouble sleeping too?" Seifer sat some distance away from him and lounged back.
"Nah." Seifer said as if that was the most ridiculous thing that he'd ever heard. "I came out to get some fresh air and I saw your light." Which was partly true. Seifer was having trouble sleeping, but he refused to admit even to himself why.
"Oh." Zell replied quietly. Seifer gave him an odd look.
"You alright? You're usually screaming about something all the time." Seifer said stealing two more of the green jellybeans.
"Am not." Zell returned pouting slightly. "You can have the mint ones and the licorice ones too. I don't like those." He added almost shyly.
"Well licorice is my favorite." Seifer replied instantly, popping the two mints he had in to his mouth before the melted in his hand.
"Why?" Asked Zell making a face and poking the ground with his stick.
"Because everyone else hates it." Seifer answered as if that one explanation was a good enough answer. It seemed like the exact reason that Seifer would like anything: Because everybody else didn't. That's just the way he was. He liked going against the grain.
"Does it always have to be like that though?" Zell asked. "Sometimes it's good to like what everyone likes."
"For some people yeah I guess but not for me." Seifer said. "It's boring when things are always the same." Zell blinked and stared out at the sea.
"Well what about the ocean? It's always been breaking waves on the shore. It was probably just like this a million years ago. I don't think that it's boring out here."
"The ocean changes sometimes. When it storms it rough and windy." Seifer pointed out.
"I miss Quistis." Zell said suddenly.
"Where did that some from?" Seifer asked. Zell concentrated on the mural he was drawing in the sand.
"She got adopted last week remember?" Zell said running fingers through his windswept hair.
"Oh yeah." Seifer murmured.
"But I guess that I shouldn't be sad or anything because she has a family to love her now." Zell decided at last.
"Love is so stupid." Seifer said rolling his eyes.
"What makes you think that?" Zell asked looking up at the older boy suddenly.
"It's just stupid is all. All kinds of love is. Kids always end up hating their parents anyway and swear they're never going to be like them and have a kid them self and it starts all over again." Seifer explained.
"If I get a mom I won't hate her." Zell said passionately.
"And then the other kind of love is some guy goes through a bunch of girls and finds one that's the prettiest and marries her and they probably end up getting divorced anyway." He finished.
"Love isn't always like that." Zell replied drawing his knees to his chest. "Sometimes guys don't even like girls and sometimes girls don't even like guys. Like on that show." Zell regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Seifer blinked at him. "Well I mean, I think that it's stupid that you can't love everyone and that-that a person would hate another person just for being in love." Zell continued rocking back a bit. "Plus, you said you're self that it's not always fun the normal way." Seifer meditated on this.
"Yeah. I guess you have a point." Zell almost smiled at that. Then, feeling especially brave he added:
"And when you fall in love you might like it." There was a long pause that lasted several minutes. Seifer took a few licorice jellybeans and chewed on them thoughtfully.
"Hey," He said suddenly. "Can I ask ya something?" Uh-oh. Zell shifted a bit.
"Um.okay." He said at last, fearing what was to come.
"It didn't freak you out or anything when we kissed did it?" Zell felt like a whole ice cream sandwich had just been crammed down his throat.
"N-not really. No." Zell managed to choke out. "What about you?"
"It was okay." Seifer admitted scowling at Zell. "But don't tell anyone I said that." He added quickly.
"I won't if you won't." The smaller of the two agreed. Another long pause. "I wouldn't mind doing it again though." Zell muttered under his breath, soft enough not to be heard.
"Neither would I actually." Or so he thought. The small blonde cringed, turning redder than ever and making a mental note to break his habit of talking to himself. Zell's eyes snapped up to Seifer's and then darted away again to retrieve the last of the cinnamon jellybeans.
"Don't play around Seifer." He grumbled sullenly around his mouthful of candy. Seifer could be such a big jerk sometimes. Really, the big nasty-
"What makes you think that I'm playing around?" Seifer demanded, evidently exasperated.
"You aren't?" Zell asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Tsk, no." Zell could feel Seifer rolling his eyes at him. Zell continued to sketch in the sand.
"Oh. Sorry." He said after a brief silence. He heard Seifer moving next to him.
"Would you mind if I...?" He let the rest the question hang in the air.
"W-w-I-uh...n-no." Zell, who was inwardly panicking managed to reply. He began to push the remainder of the jellybeans around on their little wrapper, his gaze dropped even lower than before. He could feel Seifer staring at him, not moving, just staring. Zell began to worry that maybe Seifer had changed his mind or that he really was playing around with him.
As suddenly as he had before, Seifer leaned over and kissed him again. Surprised, Zell sat there with his eyes open for a few moments before allowing them to flutter shut. This time, the kiss was a bit longer than the set time limit of ten seconds. When the two of them pulled apart, Seifer's hand was resting on Zell's shoulder. Zell smiled at him. Not his usual wide and toothy smile that showed off the little fangs he had, but a tiny and almost shy smile. (Though it's kind of hard for anyone to picture Zell being shy...) Before he had the faintest idea what was happening, Seifer was kissing him again. And again. Zell was beginning to loose count and finally gave up on even trying. They kissed one last time and Zell stared blankly off, his ocean blue eyes owlish and un-blinking.
"Hey." Seifer waved a hand in front of his face. "Space case." Zell snapped back into it.
"Sorry." He said grinning sheepishly. "I was thinking." Seifer smirked.
"Did it hurt?" He asked in a teasing voice. Zell made a face at him.
"Do you think that the others would get it?" He asked Seifer. The older boy looked slightly confused.
"Get what?" Zell's face flushed a bit and he looked at his sand art once more.
"You know..." he mumbled. Seifer grinned at Zell but quickly became serious again.
"I don't think so." He stated at last.
"Then I guess that they shouldn't know then." Zell said thoughtfully as he drew a border around his picture.
"Guess not." Seifer echoed. "I wouldn't want them to start thinking that I'm a baby too." He joked.
"Very funny." Said Zell pulling another face. He tugged on Seifer's earlobe and rested his head on his shoulder.
"That's not a bad eye." Noted Seifer, pointing to the eye drawn in the center of the mural.
"Thanks." Zell said smiling. It was then that he decided that maybe licorice wasn't such a bad flavor after all.
Grinning Reaper: Wooooooooooooo...fluuuuuuuuufffffyyyy.....
Zell: Uh-oh. I think that she's gone over the edge.
Irvine: What makes you think that she wasn't already there? Writing fluff just does that sort of thing to her.
Zell: Oh. Well any way. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. The next chapter should be out soon. Bye the way...reviews are a good thing! ::thumbs up:: So yeah...you know what to do.
Irvine: By the way...the authoress and one of her friends actually had a discussion about that flavor jellybeans we'd all be. Seifer was licorice because it may be nasty at first, but it's a flavor that grows on you. Zell was cinnamon because it's spicy.
Zell: HEY!
Irvine: And me? I'm lemon. ::suggestive smile:: So yeah. There's your proof that Grinning Reaper has too much time on her hands.
Grinning Reaper: Fluuuuuufffyyy..
Seifer: No you don't...idiot...
Grinning Reaper: Wow! I was surprised at the response I got for the first chapter! Thank you for everyone who reviewed especially those who support this fic even though they don't like Slash Amongst Knights And Their Chicken-Wusses! Thank you sooooooooooo much!
Squall: Okay can we continue?
Grinning Reaper: ::sighs:: Yeah okay.
Learning to Like Licorice
Zell tipped his head back and stared in awe at the open velvet black sky. It was such a pretty night. He gazed out at the shoreline and dug his toes into the sand as the surf curled around them. He was well aware that he should be in bed right now. It was very late and it was against the rules to be out side at this hour. But still, as Zell often did he felt called to go to his 'thinking spot' when he couldn't sleep. It was a perfect tiny thatch of sand near a rock on the beach that was just a short walk away from the orphanage. He shut his eyes and smiled as a warm breeze blew on his face. He opened his eyes after sometime and looked around for the packet of jellybeans that was resting by his little lantern. Matron only fed them healthy food so it was a wonder whenever they got any candy. He opened the package and carefully sorted out his favorite flavors and his least favorite and set to eating them. The cinnamon was first of course.
Now that he thought of it they came from the goody bags at Selphie's birthday party. He felt his face heat up slightly remembering that fateful dare that had been troubling him lately. Zell picked up a stick and began to doodle in the sand with it, lost in thought. Okay, so he had kind of been feeling funny since Seifer kissed him even though that was nearly three weeks ago, he got all dizzy and floaty when he was around. Zell had figured that he must have been embarrassed about it still. And it was true that he liked the kiss. But wasn't it natural for someone to like being kissed? Zell looked down at the sand and felt his face get even redder. In the sand were etched a group of little hearts and squiggly lines...and an 'S' or two. Zell quickly erased the mural both shocked and embarrassed. Did...did that mean that he had a crush on SEIFER?!? Of all people?
"But I don't wanna have a crush on him..." Zell mumbled softly. "Well, maybe I don't maybe I just think I do, but maybe I do too." Irvine had said that you were supposed to know if you were in love but frankly Zell wasn't all that sure at the moment. Sure Seifer wasn't that bad looking and he could be a little nice when he wanted to be, when the other kids weren't around usually. He was really brave too. Zell wished that Irvine was here to help him but at the same time he was glad that he was alone. The other kids might think that there was something wrong with him. Boys were always supposed to like girls weren't they? Well there was that one time that they had all snuck and watched a talk show and there was a boy who loved a boy on that...
"Maybe I do like him." Zell decided at last. Even though he decided that Seifer wouldn't like him back but that was okay because Matron always said that it feels good to love someone, even if they don't love you. Zell popped another one of the spicy red jellybeans into his mouth. He couldn't see Seifer liking him; Seifer seemed like the sort who liked graceful pretty girls. Not skinny noisy boys. But really, that was okay. Seifer didn't have to feel the same way.
"Whaddaya doin' out here?" A voice asked from behind him. "Doncha know that you could get in trouble?" The voice was undoubtedly Seifer's. Zell felt his face get hot again and his stomach got all fluttery.
"I couldn't sleep." Zell said at last. "And you could get in trouble too." Seifer looked thoughtful.
"Yeah. I could." He agreed finally, stealing a few of Zell's green jellybeans. Zell let him have them; he wasn't particularly fond of the green ones. They tasted like mint.
"Why'd you come out here?" Zell asked, hoping that Seifer thought the reason that his cheeks were so rosy was because of the lantern light. "Are you having trouble sleeping too?" Seifer sat some distance away from him and lounged back.
"Nah." Seifer said as if that was the most ridiculous thing that he'd ever heard. "I came out to get some fresh air and I saw your light." Which was partly true. Seifer was having trouble sleeping, but he refused to admit even to himself why.
"Oh." Zell replied quietly. Seifer gave him an odd look.
"You alright? You're usually screaming about something all the time." Seifer said stealing two more of the green jellybeans.
"Am not." Zell returned pouting slightly. "You can have the mint ones and the licorice ones too. I don't like those." He added almost shyly.
"Well licorice is my favorite." Seifer replied instantly, popping the two mints he had in to his mouth before the melted in his hand.
"Why?" Asked Zell making a face and poking the ground with his stick.
"Because everyone else hates it." Seifer answered as if that one explanation was a good enough answer. It seemed like the exact reason that Seifer would like anything: Because everybody else didn't. That's just the way he was. He liked going against the grain.
"Does it always have to be like that though?" Zell asked. "Sometimes it's good to like what everyone likes."
"For some people yeah I guess but not for me." Seifer said. "It's boring when things are always the same." Zell blinked and stared out at the sea.
"Well what about the ocean? It's always been breaking waves on the shore. It was probably just like this a million years ago. I don't think that it's boring out here."
"The ocean changes sometimes. When it storms it rough and windy." Seifer pointed out.
"I miss Quistis." Zell said suddenly.
"Where did that some from?" Seifer asked. Zell concentrated on the mural he was drawing in the sand.
"She got adopted last week remember?" Zell said running fingers through his windswept hair.
"Oh yeah." Seifer murmured.
"But I guess that I shouldn't be sad or anything because she has a family to love her now." Zell decided at last.
"Love is so stupid." Seifer said rolling his eyes.
"What makes you think that?" Zell asked looking up at the older boy suddenly.
"It's just stupid is all. All kinds of love is. Kids always end up hating their parents anyway and swear they're never going to be like them and have a kid them self and it starts all over again." Seifer explained.
"If I get a mom I won't hate her." Zell said passionately.
"And then the other kind of love is some guy goes through a bunch of girls and finds one that's the prettiest and marries her and they probably end up getting divorced anyway." He finished.
"Love isn't always like that." Zell replied drawing his knees to his chest. "Sometimes guys don't even like girls and sometimes girls don't even like guys. Like on that show." Zell regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Seifer blinked at him. "Well I mean, I think that it's stupid that you can't love everyone and that-that a person would hate another person just for being in love." Zell continued rocking back a bit. "Plus, you said you're self that it's not always fun the normal way." Seifer meditated on this.
"Yeah. I guess you have a point." Zell almost smiled at that. Then, feeling especially brave he added:
"And when you fall in love you might like it." There was a long pause that lasted several minutes. Seifer took a few licorice jellybeans and chewed on them thoughtfully.
"Hey," He said suddenly. "Can I ask ya something?" Uh-oh. Zell shifted a bit.
"Um.okay." He said at last, fearing what was to come.
"It didn't freak you out or anything when we kissed did it?" Zell felt like a whole ice cream sandwich had just been crammed down his throat.
"N-not really. No." Zell managed to choke out. "What about you?"
"It was okay." Seifer admitted scowling at Zell. "But don't tell anyone I said that." He added quickly.
"I won't if you won't." The smaller of the two agreed. Another long pause. "I wouldn't mind doing it again though." Zell muttered under his breath, soft enough not to be heard.
"Neither would I actually." Or so he thought. The small blonde cringed, turning redder than ever and making a mental note to break his habit of talking to himself. Zell's eyes snapped up to Seifer's and then darted away again to retrieve the last of the cinnamon jellybeans.
"Don't play around Seifer." He grumbled sullenly around his mouthful of candy. Seifer could be such a big jerk sometimes. Really, the big nasty-
"What makes you think that I'm playing around?" Seifer demanded, evidently exasperated.
"You aren't?" Zell asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Tsk, no." Zell could feel Seifer rolling his eyes at him. Zell continued to sketch in the sand.
"Oh. Sorry." He said after a brief silence. He heard Seifer moving next to him.
"Would you mind if I...?" He let the rest the question hang in the air.
"W-w-I-uh...n-no." Zell, who was inwardly panicking managed to reply. He began to push the remainder of the jellybeans around on their little wrapper, his gaze dropped even lower than before. He could feel Seifer staring at him, not moving, just staring. Zell began to worry that maybe Seifer had changed his mind or that he really was playing around with him.
As suddenly as he had before, Seifer leaned over and kissed him again. Surprised, Zell sat there with his eyes open for a few moments before allowing them to flutter shut. This time, the kiss was a bit longer than the set time limit of ten seconds. When the two of them pulled apart, Seifer's hand was resting on Zell's shoulder. Zell smiled at him. Not his usual wide and toothy smile that showed off the little fangs he had, but a tiny and almost shy smile. (Though it's kind of hard for anyone to picture Zell being shy...) Before he had the faintest idea what was happening, Seifer was kissing him again. And again. Zell was beginning to loose count and finally gave up on even trying. They kissed one last time and Zell stared blankly off, his ocean blue eyes owlish and un-blinking.
"Hey." Seifer waved a hand in front of his face. "Space case." Zell snapped back into it.
"Sorry." He said grinning sheepishly. "I was thinking." Seifer smirked.
"Did it hurt?" He asked in a teasing voice. Zell made a face at him.
"Do you think that the others would get it?" He asked Seifer. The older boy looked slightly confused.
"Get what?" Zell's face flushed a bit and he looked at his sand art once more.
"You know..." he mumbled. Seifer grinned at Zell but quickly became serious again.
"I don't think so." He stated at last.
"Then I guess that they shouldn't know then." Zell said thoughtfully as he drew a border around his picture.
"Guess not." Seifer echoed. "I wouldn't want them to start thinking that I'm a baby too." He joked.
"Very funny." Said Zell pulling another face. He tugged on Seifer's earlobe and rested his head on his shoulder.
"That's not a bad eye." Noted Seifer, pointing to the eye drawn in the center of the mural.
"Thanks." Zell said smiling. It was then that he decided that maybe licorice wasn't such a bad flavor after all.
Grinning Reaper: Wooooooooooooo...fluuuuuuuuufffffyyyy.....
Zell: Uh-oh. I think that she's gone over the edge.
Irvine: What makes you think that she wasn't already there? Writing fluff just does that sort of thing to her.
Zell: Oh. Well any way. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. The next chapter should be out soon. Bye the way...reviews are a good thing! ::thumbs up:: So yeah...you know what to do.
Irvine: By the way...the authoress and one of her friends actually had a discussion about that flavor jellybeans we'd all be. Seifer was licorice because it may be nasty at first, but it's a flavor that grows on you. Zell was cinnamon because it's spicy.
Zell: HEY!
Irvine: And me? I'm lemon. ::suggestive smile:: So yeah. There's your proof that Grinning Reaper has too much time on her hands.
Grinning Reaper: Fluuuuuufffyyy..