Blond Silence
By Nix Winter
Disclaimers: No, not yet. Still don't own ff8. 11,091 words to go till I finish my nano though
"You've got the gil, so what is your issue," Selphie asked, fingers smoothing over the grass in the quad, trying to look causal about it.
Seifer glowered, eyebrows drawn together. Rocking his pencil back and forth between his fingers, he tried to ignore her.
"Come on. So Squall's not going. And? Is that the end of the world? You're going to look splendid in a uniform and you have to get your old one refitted. So we have to go into town and you have to buy me lunch."
The side of his face that was scared was particularly good at making disgusted faces, nose twitching. Words were highly over rated. She didn't budge. He put his pencil between his teeth, signed. "Selphie, beautiful muse of words, I'll buy you lunch. I don't want to wear the old uniform."
"Fine. We'll get you a brand new one."
"A tuxedo," he signed, "Black, and I want to get my eyebrow pierced."
Selphie blinked, then signed back, "You have got to be kidding me. Two days before the ball and you want your eyebrow pierced? Like it will get all infected."
Smirks were pretty effective too. "Then I wouldn't have to go!"
She slugged him and he laughed. He'd put on weight since his return and if one didn't see the right side of his face, he looked, well, like Seifer. He'd trimmed his hair alittle, but it was still almost to his shoulders, and it had its shine back. His eyes sparkled wickedly as he doubled up his fist and made to hit Selphie back. She bravely turned her shoulder to him, closed her eyes.
Neither of them saw Squall watching from a walk way above. He wore a long sleeved blue shirt, jeans, nothing special, and he felt that way as well, invisible. He rested his chin on his arms and watched. Seifer had been the ghost, but now Squall felt as if he were becoming one.
From the left side, Seifer looked so normal. Blond hair caught the sunlight that filtered through garden's energy barrier roof, sparkling as Seifer tilted his head back, laughing. He watched Selphie turn, offer her arm for a strike and he tilted his own head, wondering if Seifer would hit her.
What he really wanted to know though was who this brunette was that Seifer liked. Irvine was right though, about there being an innocence to Seifer now, as if years of Seifer's life had just never happened. Sometimes Squall dreamed memories of a younger Seifer, of a beach and laughter.
Out of nowhere, Zell joined Seifer and Selphie, crashing into Seifer before he could hit Selphie. The bigger blond shoved Seifer to the grass and Squall grabbed the railing as if he might jump over, all the way down to the quad.
Seifer brought his arms up between Zell's hit hard and drove the arms part and before Squall could come to his rescue, the two blonds were wrestling around on the grass, laughing like a pair of blond wolves.
Wearing only a black muscle shirt, the muscles in Seifer's arms showed just fine and Squall leaned back where he had been, watching. Seifer really was alright, just like he'd told Irvine that he would be. The frail man that Squall had carried out of that ally had healed into a man that got Zell into a head lock, his face in the grass, while Selphie laughed at something they were saying.
Then from under the shadow of the walk way, Rinoa joined them, wearing a blue summer dress that ruffled in the breeze, her hair down around her shoulders, and a blue back pack over one shoulder.
So quickly the wrestling match shifted, and somehow Zell got the upper hand. Seifer gave a valiant struggle, and somehow missed several good opportunities, only to end being pinned by a triumphant Zell. The grin on Zell's face was heroic, and so bright that Squall worried Rinoa would get sun burned from it.
She bowed, making it a little curtsy, her chin high, dark hair against a blushing cheek and Squall's stomach dropped. She'd been his lover. Granted, that had been months ago, but she had been his only lover.
Zell rose, brushed off grass, then wiped his hands on the back of his pants before bowing back to her, as if she were a princess. She held out her hand and he took it, kissing the back of her fingers, then hiding his face and being very interested in helping Seifer back to his feet.
Squall decided that the scar burned over Seifer's face didn't really show if one got used to looking at it. And then wow, did his hands move through what ever language that was so quickly. Squall bit his lip, trying to watch those fingers move, so he could remember the motions, maybe look them up when he went home. He was going to have to learn this language. Then Rinoa responded in sign and Seifer laughed again. Squall didn't remember Seifer laughing so.. much.
Selphie laid an arm around Rinoa's shoulders and they threw their other fists in the air and cheered, both grinning like maniacs.
Zell laid both wrists behind his head and groaned, to which Seifer stepped forward, moving between Zell and the girls, signed something that blew fire over both Zell's cheeks. Even Squall smiled a little. Rinoa gave Seifer a light shove and complained. Squall decided he was going to have to learn to read lips too.
Then Rinoa turned, looked right at him, smiled so damn sweetly, and motioned for him to come too. Zell and Rinoa looked up at him and he backed away from the railing, not so much as he couldn't see them, just a little. Then Seifer looked up, and Squall wanted to die. So innocent, so welcoming, Seifer smiled, just on the right side and held out his hand, color rising on his cheeks, light, but yet so vivid against pale skin and blond hair and Squall wished he'd never been born.
Zell threw an arm around Seifer's shoulders and motioned for Squall to come on, to go with them wherever they were going. Seifer looked down though, scratching the back of his head and Squall ran.
He'd lost Rinoa and he didn't want her back, not as a lover. He didn't understand what he felt for Seifer, this feather light hope and flutter in his gut, this longing to just watch his old friend a little more. He didn't understand.
Seifer frowned as Squall disappeared, a cloud settling over him. Squall hated him. With slow, pronounced signing, he said, "I don't want to go to the ball. I'm going to stay home and study instead."
Rinoa groaned, stepped forward into his very personal space and grabbed his nose. His eyes went wide.
"Now you see here. He'll be there. So will you. You are going into town to get your eyebrow pierced and then we're getting you a tux and Sel and I are getting new dresses. He doesn't hate you."
"He does," Seifer signed. "I'm an evil monster."
Zell punched him hard then, knocking him a couple steps away. "Shut up that crap, Seifer. Just trust Rinny. She knows what she's talking about. She's a sorceress, ya know."
Seifer's face lost all color. "I didn't know."
"Seifer," she signed. "I am a sorceress, but I will never hurt you, ever. I was found innocent at my trial too. Just like you. We are the same. Am I a monster?"
She held out her hand and their day hung on his response. His fingers were maybe more expressive than his words ever had been. The moments slow, small, he said, "You are not a monster and I am not afraid of you. Zell has a crush on you."
"You prick!" Zell yelled, jumping on Seifer, knocking him to the ground as the blond laughed. "You just wait! I'm gonna get you for that!"
Soon the four of them left for town, the sudden darkness forgotten in plans for the ball.