Disclaimer: I don't own any characters involved in this story, although I have named a couple of locations.
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Chapter 8: Happiness
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The next morning, Riku's plan was set into action. Selphie was first up to bat.
Jecht was washing his car early that morning, when Selphie skated by his driveway. She skidded to a stop and waved at him, a big smile on her face.
Jecht waved a muscular arm back at the girl with a small smirk on his face in response. "How are you this morning, Selphie?" he asked in his gruff voice.
Selphie skated up to the man and grinned. "I'm pretty well, myself. Can I tell you a secret?"
Jecht nodded. "Sure, kid." Selphie was always telling Jecht "secrets." Usually they were new things she'd learned from Riku or Kairi. He wasn't expecting this one.
"Kairi told me that it's not important what someone looks like, if they're a boy or a girl, or anything. You love who you love. Love is blind. Didja know that?" She smiled innocently. "Isn't that just so cool? That means that there'll always be someone out there for me!"
Jecht laughed. "I guess so," he replied, messing up the brunette's hair. She batted his hand away playfully and skated off, leaving the man to wash his car.
- - -
Sora was next. Selphie had laid the foundation. There was no doubt that Jecht heard her, but whether he knew it or not, he was thinking about what she said, as well. Sora was going to bring out the reality.
Jecht was trimming the hedges in his front yard when Sora rode his bike up, coming from Kairi's house. He stopped right in front of Jecht and waved hello. Jecht waved back, then went back to his trimming.
"Hey, Mr. Jecht? Do you have a sec?" Sora asked.
"Sure, Sora, what's up?" Jecht asked, not looking at the kid, but continuing to trim.
"I was wondering what your opinion on homosexuality is."
Jecht stopped in mid-cut. "Why would you ask me something like that, Sora?" he asked calmly.
Sora shrugged. "I read something about how it's been around for so long, and how it's going through some discrimination lately, for some reason, and I'm taking a poll up and down the street."
"Well in that case," Jecht said, beginning to trim again, "I'm not against it, but I wouldn't want someone like that in my family. It's like Selphie told me earlier, you love who you love."
Sora pretended to consider for a moment. "Okay. Thanks, Mr. Jecht." He started biking over to his house, waving goodbye, a wave that Jecht didn't return.
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Kairi was next. She walked down the sidewalk just as Jecht returned home from the grocery store, with "accidental" perfect timing. She was hugging a piece of paper to her bosom.
"Hey, Kairi, what'cha got there?" Jecht asked as the girl turned into his driveway.
"It's a letter from my penpal Kino," she replied, waving it and returning to her chest in a tight squeeze. "Y'know, Mr. Jecht, it's uncanny how well the two of us connect. I…I think I'm falling in love with his personality. How do you know if it's the right one?" Kairi asked, dreamy-eyed.
Jecht laughed nervously. "That's really something you and your mom should discuss."
"Well, what's your opinion?" Kairi asked the man, leaning in to hear him.
"Well," Jecht said, looking thoughtful, "I guess it's when you connect on everything with this person, know what they're thinking, and you can't stand to not be near him or her, or something of theirs. Love is pretty complicated." Jecht laughed out loud. "Listen to me, talking about love. Something must be wrong with me."
Kairi pretended to think for a moment. "Well, I think that love is happiness."
Jecht looked at the girl with a funny expression on his face. "Happiness, huh?"
Kairi nodded. "If you love someone, you're not going to dislike being around them, right? You have to like someone before you can love them, correct? Well, I think that happiness derives from how much you love yourself and other people. I think that love equates to happiness."
Jecht considered for a moment. "I think you're right, Kairi," he laughed. "And here I thought it was about knowing someone. Love is about how happy you are to be with someone."
Kairi looked down at her letter. "Well, I guess I can just love Kino from a distance, since I probably won't ever get to meet him face to face," she sighed and skipped to the end of the driveway and started walking towards Sora's house. "Thanks, Mr. Jecht!" she called, waving.
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Jecht was outside hanging his laundry when he noticed Sora and Riku walking down the street. They were laughing and smiling, and being all sorts of fun together.
Then Jecht noticed it. They were holding hands!
Riku and Sora laughed and stopped in front of Jechts house. They were still laughing when Sora turned to face Riku. They weren't laughing so much when Riku leaned in and landed a long, sweet kiss on Sora's lips.
Jecht's eyes widened. He left the laundry and headed towards the front of his lawn. "Hey, you two, what's going on here?" he asked with a laugh.
Riku and Sora broke their liplock and grinned at Jecht. It was their turn.
"Nothing," Sora replied to the man, wrapping an arm around Riku's waist. Riku's arm wrapped around Sora's shoulder.
Jecht just stared for a moment, then laughed. "Do your parents know that you're a couple?"
"They sure do!" Sora replied with a happy smile. Riku grinned as well, but for a different reason. Their parents didn't know, per se, but if they were watching out their front doors or windows, they would sure be getting an eyeful now!
"Well, you two sure seem happy together," Jecht said, his smile fading somewhat.
Riku nodded as he drew Sora in for a peck on the cheek. "Sure are. I've never been so happy. And I think that Sora feels the same way, too," he added, squeezing Sora's shoulders, who giggled and nodded his agreement.
Jecht's eyes were troubled, now. Riku's grin stayed as strong as ever, but the reasoning shifted. They were getting through to him, it seemed.
"So are you two, like," Jecht stammered, "in love?"
Riku actually was taken aback by this comment. Apparently, either Jecht was more open-minded than he had assumed, or their friends had really helped in breaking through to the old man.
Riku actually thought long and hard, as did Sora. Finally, their gaze met, and they grinned. Sora nodded as Riku answered, "Yes, Jecht. Yes, we are. We're in love."
Jecht's smile had completely dissipated. He was staring at the boys like they were something unusual, something never seen before.
"We'll be going now," Riku said, turning towards Sora's house. He delivered a quick kiss to Sora's head as they walked. Sora just chuckled again.
When the boys had entered Sora's house, Jecht turned and looked at his own house with the same estranged, unfamiliar expression.
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The kids reassembled in Sora's living room at 5:30 that evening. Each one went through their story, and each one seemed to have been a success after Riku told his part with Sora.
"That's great, guys!" Kairi laughed, giving Sora and Riku a hug.
Wakka had a hard expression on his face. Sora was the first to notice it. "What's wrong?" he asked the redhead.
"Thanks, you guys," Wakka said, standing up. His expression didn't soften at all as he said, "You guys set the stage for me. Now, it's time for me to perform."
Riku, Kairi, Sora, and Selphie exchanged confused glances. "What do you mean?" Selphie asked her older friend.
Wakka shook his head slightly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He turned towards the door and rushed out into Sora's front yard.
"WAKKA!" Riku shouted, jumping up after him.
"What's he doing?" Kairi cried, jumping up along with Sora and Selphie.
The teens ran out into Sora's front yard, and were stopped by Riku, who was staring ahead, into Tidus' yard.
Wakka was standing at the edge of Jecht's property. He looked back at the others and gave them his dazzling, confident smile. The "it's cool" smile. The smile that they hadn't seen in over a week.
Wakka turned back to Jecht's yard and started walking forward.
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;; Wakka's goin' for it! YAY! GOOO WAKKA! grabs the pom-poms and does a cheer blush Anyway, how's this gonna turn out? O.o Read and review if you want to, things are just getting' warmed up!