A/N: Wow, giant chapter this time around. Mainly because, contrary to the title, I *didn't* want to drag this out too long, lol. Shout out to poor Reyaa who is back to working full time (and then some) and I miss her terribly. Enjoy.
Seifer - The following day
Making my way into Aerith's garden, I saw her sitting on the ground, her back settled against one of the cherry blossoms, a book in her hands. I couldn't help but smile as I took her in, sitting myself down beside her.
"Hey beautiful." I murmured, kissing her cheek. Although I couldn't get it up for her, that didn't mean I had had no feelings whatsoever for her at some point throughout our short marriage. "Penelo and Hayner ready?" I asked.
She gave me a smile and nodded. "Yes. But it's just Penelo today. I did tell you that Hayner has the weekends off and it seems he's out and about this weekend."
Eyebrows rising in surprise, I leaned back, "Oh?" I wanted to ask where he was, but it was none of my business.
"It seems he ran into Cloud on the farm and of course Cloud invited him into town to 'hang out'. And since it's almost impossible for anyone to say no to that boy, I guess Hayner had a good enough time, he's out with him and some friends again tonight."
I cringed. Out with Cloud? He was gonna have a boyfriend by the end of, well... tonight. "That's great!" I faked as best I could, getting up on my feet. "Well, where's Penelo? We gotta get going."
Aerith gave me a knowing look. "You know where her room is. And I'm not going to point out that your behavior of late hardly makes it easy for Hayner to hang out with you." She sniffed disdainfully in my direction as she settled back to reading. "But far be it from me to have an opinion on the matter."
I rolled my eyes, "Your body sustains on having opinions for everything alone." Leaving her to her book, I suppressed the frustration building inside of me best I could. It was annoying to be frustrated when that frustration was pointed at none other than myself. I'd made a decision, and I was going to stick to it. Crushing on Hayner was bad news, I knew that and I'd made the right choice distancing myself from him, even if Aerith had given me somewhat of a green light where it concerned him. It could only create trouble. Crushing on your daughter's babysitter just screamed wrong. Nodding in confirmation and my re-found stable mind on the subject that was Hayner, I felt a lot lighter by the time Penelo and I got to the farm, ready to tackle another week of work.
A couple of days later
Pushing hard on the broom, I swept the last bit of hay out of the stables, straightening back up and smiling at the tidy-ness of the place.
"Hi dad." Frowning, I looked over at Penelo who was now petting her pony, Cupcake. "What are we eating tonight?"
Putting the broom away, I walked over to pet the pony as well. "Where's Hayner? Normally you spend Wednesdays with him."
She blinked up at me, "Didn't you see his note on the fridge?" When I shook my head, she patted my belly, "Silly dad. Well, he's going out with Vaan tonight. You said you were okay with him leaving me in your care for tonight."
My frown deepened. "No I didn't."
"Yes, you did." Penelo returned.
I shook my head, picking her up and placing her on my shoulders when she gestured for me to do so. "I didn't. I would remember agreeing to something like that."
She giggled as I started walking quickly out of the stables. "He warned you about it on Monday, you said you were okay with it, and then said he'd leave a note on the fridge to make sure you'd remember. Clearly that didn't work." Okay, so my forgetful mind had once again gotten the better of me. But...
"Vaan, you said?" I edged. Please let it be a uni-sex name...
Penelo hummed, "Yes. He and Hayner are dating, but they're not boyfriends. Hayner was very specific about that when I said Vaan was his boyfriend."
Dammit. Picking up the pace to get back to the house faster, this only amusing Penelo as my was stride was making her bounce on my shoulders, my fun was dying more and more the closer I got to the house. Setting her back down on the floor, I opened the door and stepped into my living room.
"Is he gone already?" I asked.
"Did you want to talk to him?"
I frowned at Penelo, "No..."
"Oh, just seemed like you needed to since you're acting very pushy."
"Stop letting your mother put words in your mouth." I scolded. Giggling, she shrugged and then ran up the stairs to go play in her room. My eyes were still fixed on the staircase as at that same moment Hayner was walking down, looking... Well shit. Clearly distance wasn't going to kill the attraction I felt for him. The slacks and button down shirt he was wearing were really, really doing his tight and lean physique justice.
"Woah, eh, fancy..." Seriously? Why was I given the ability of speech? But then it got worse as I let my eyes scan over him slowly, appreciatively, without brain permission whatsoever. Ah fuck, blind me.
His cheeks reddened slightly, but I noticed a decidedly stubborn set to his jaw. "Yeah. I left you a note reminding you that I was going out with some friends tonight." He paused as he got to the bottom and ran his fingers through his hair. Chocolate colored eyes were wary as he added, "That's still okay, right?"
No, no, it really wasn't okay... "Have fun!" Must. Choke. Self. "Penelo!" I growled, managing not to smack my head against the wall on purpose as I ran up the stairs, hoping my daughter would oblige me and distract me with some Lego building, Barbie dress up, doll tea party or puppy puzzling.
About to walk into my daughter's bedroom, instead of the warm welcome I needed, I got a high pitch shriek, bordering on the ultra sonic that only bats and dogs could understand at this point before her door slammed in my face.
"Boys aren't allowed, Dad!" She screamed.
"Oh, fine!" I shouted back, angry at the situation really, not at her. I heard her stick her tongue out and make noise with it, telling me off that way, and just because the adult in me had left the building for the evening, I returned it, puckering out my lips so I could mimic the farting sound before stomping my way back down the stairs again. When I noticed Hayner staring at me rather weirdly, I stopped in my tracks.
"What?" I barked.
He raised his arms in defense. "Dude. Nothing. Just, are you all right?" He cleared his throat and gulped. "I haven't seen you around for awhile and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to, you know, help you out or something." I could tell he was sincere, but I noticed that his eyes strayed to the clock on the far wall, checking the time. My heart twisted as I realized he wanted to get out of here and meet his date already. Shit. Reaching up, I scratched my hair, wincing down at the ground.
"No, ehm... Sorry, just, go have fun and I'll see you later okay?" I muttered, avoiding looking at him again before moving to the kitchen. Beer. Beer was going to be my best friend tonight.
I heard him follow me into the kitchen. "Are you sure? It's okay if I'm late or something. Really, they won't mind." Opening the bottle, I quickly gulped a few swallows down before turning to look at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine, don't you worry your pretty little heaa-" WHAT THE FUCK? "Just go!" Groaning, I dropped my forehead against the side of the fridge harshly. "I'm a disaster..." And then I started banging it a couple of times before moving and gulping down some more beer. "You're awesome." How had I gotten drunk already? That's scientifically impossible! "Holy fuck, just leave before I make this even worse!" I shrieked, eyes wide as I couldn't believe the lack of control I had over my mouth and mind right now.
His face was shocked and he took a tentative step forward, his hand outstretched. "Seifer, really what's going on? Did I do something wrong? Dude, you're totally freaking me out here."
The urge to grab the hand and pull him flush up against me was monstrous... "I just really, really need to pee." I declared, managing to hold back on the want, quickly circling him as I ran off, escaping to the bathroom.
A shocked, "What the hell?" Followed me and then a few moments later I heard the front door open and close.
Sighing in relief, I stepped out of the bathroom, smacking the side of my head as punishment for my stupidity as I walked over to the front door, pursing my lips as I couldn't stop myself from looking out the little window to see Hayner leave. What I hadn't expected was to see this Vaan character too. I'd figured Hayner would have gone to meet him somewhere in town, but...
"Oh that is so freaking unfair!" I growled, eyes narrowing as I watched Vaan lean in to kiss Hayner. "Pain, ouch, rock, six feet under, evil, evil, evil, evil..." I let out in a muttered string, practically incoherent, as I watched Hayner grasp the guy's hips. Breathing in and out deeply, I'm not quite sure why I kept watching and didn't just walk away as this was close to what torture must feel like. Face twisted in a grimace, I was still staring as they drove away.
"I hate myself." A declaration at myself as no one else was here to witness it before I made my way to the stairs, going to Penelo's room and knocking softly, waiting for her to open her door. When she did, she frowned up at me and I pouted down at her.
"Your daddy needs a hug." I felt better already when Penelo didn't bat an eye at this, quickly offering me her arms so I could pick her up and get the hug I wanted.
Hayner
While Vaan was busy walking to his side of the car after opening my door, I couldn't help but glance back at the house, worried about Seifer some more. He hadn't seemed all that steady to me, and I felt guilty for leaving him at home with Penelo if he wasn't feeling well. Not to mention that those few words we'd just spoken were the most I'd really heard from him for awhile.
And it didn't take a genius to spot how he'd checked me out when I was coming down the stairs. What the fuck was that about? I mean, he'd made it pretty clear that there was just nothing that could happen between us, and then he goes all slack jawed at me and made me annoyed at him for checking me out. Ugh. I sighed and plopped into my seat, closing the door behind me. Really, that guy just didn't make sense to me.
Vaan did the same, buckling up a he gave me a quick smile, starting the engine, "So how about we get some fries down at the chip shop just the two of us and then meet the guys at the bowling ally after?" I nodded, my thoughts still a bit preoccupied with Seifer and leaving him home alone with Penelo.
"Yeah, that sounds fine." Again, I glanced back at the house as we pulled out from the driveway. Could he possibly have needed me to stay and watch her?
I felt Vaan's hand above my knee, "You okay, mate?"
I sighed again, loudly. "It's just my boss, Seifer. He was acting really weird as I was leaving and I'm kinda worried about him. I mean, I get the evenings off from watching Penelo and it's not like he can say that I can't go out and do stuff, but he was really off tonight." My fingers tugged on my hair and I swiped it out of my face.
He shrugged, "Maybe he's just having a bad day. Probably nothing."
"Yeah, I'd have thought that as well, except he's spent the last few weeks kinda being weird around me." I snorted. "When he could stand to be around me apparently. I thought that he thought me an okay au pair when I first started. He'd even offered to introduce me to Cloud and everything himself." I glanced over at Vaan trying to explain just how weird Seifer was acting. "And then, all of a sudden, he goes completely cold. Like, zero talking to me, relaying messages through Penelo and notes. What's up with that?"
Vaan shrugged again, only this time it was accompanied by a frown on his forehead, "Don't know, Hayner. Maybe he's just been busy? I don't know anything about the farm deal, but I'm sure they must have busier seasons like any other job." He chuckled then, "Like Christmas at mine, we cut a whole lot more people off from the electric privilege as people sort of 'forget' to pay their bill and spend the money on presents instead."
I rubbed my hand over my face, nodding absently at his words. "And he downed that beer awfully fast when I left. I hope he's not planning to keep drinking while Penelo is home. Hells, why is he being so difficult?"
"Okay, I guess we're staying on that then." Vaan murmured, taking his eyes off the road for a second to spare me a worried glance. "You want me to drive you back and do the date another time? I mean, if you think your boss' state," He emphasized the word boss quite meaningfully, "is indeed that worrisome."
My arms crossed over my chest defensively as I thought about what might happen should I go back. "Ha, that would probably have the opposite effect. I could worry all day and Seifer wouldn't give a rat's ass about it. He's already made it ABUNDANTLY clear that I'm beneath his notice." I could almost feel myself pouting.
Vaan let out an amused, short laugh, "Hah, so that's what's going on." He said knowingly, putting a deep frown on my forehead as I had no idea what he was going on about. He grinned my way, "So you're saying you'd rather not skip the date because Seifer will ignore you anyways, rather than not wanting to skip the date cause you really want to spend time with me?"
Oh. Shit. Now I felt like a complete and utter dick. "Vaan...I'm-" I cut myself off. What was I supposed to say? I'd basically just spent the first ten minutes of my date with him ranting about another guy and being ignored by said guy. Glancing over at him, I tried to stutter out an apology, even though the damage was probably already done.
He patted my leg, still smiling, and it was a genuine one, "Don't worry about it, Hayner. We've not even shared more than ten pecks, haven't properly made out yet, and so far all our dates included the guys where we were hanging out as friends more than actual possible future boyfriends."
He shrugged, "Rather find out your heart's set on another now than somewhere in the future where I created some kind of attachment for you." I saw that he'd turned at some point while I'd been ranting, driving the car back to the farm. "But no more dates, okay? I'm glad we straightened this out, but I don't want to try anything with you while you're hung up on your boss." At least he knew what was going on in his head, unlike others.
"We can still be friends right? Cause you're a real great guy and I would hate for you to stop coming around just cause of this slight hiccup."
"Yeah." I tried to smile, knowing that if I could have gotten Seifer out of my head, I may have had something worthwhile with him. But I guess I was just hung up on someone I couldn't have. Returning a real smile to Vaan, I grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I am really sorry about this." I muttered sheepishly. "I suppose, I'll get over him at some point."
He squeezed back, "I'm sure it'll all work out. Believe me, I know what it's like to have a crush on someone you can't possibly have anything with." He confessed. "So I get it's complicated and sort of one track minded until you manage to sort things out in your head." He smirked then, "Don't expect me to wait for you though, I'm a catch and won't be single for long." Winking, he then slid the car to a halt. "No hard feelings, mate, promise."
I smirked at him. "I wouldn't expect you to. But who knows, anything can happen." He really was a nice guy, and I got the feeling he didn't expect anything to happen between me and Seifer. Hell, I didn't expect anything to happen. But I couldn't move on unless I truly got an explanation from the guy. This little stunt he pulled, avoiding me and what not, was just not gonna cut it. I needed black and white answers. "Thanks for helping me settle in and I'll see you around, yeah?" Leaning over, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
He smiled, "No problem. Just don't make anything harder on yourself than the situation already makes it, okay? Don't want you hurting over that guy. He isn't worth your time." My lips thinned in a small smile. And that's what makes this suck royally. I totally thought he was.
Seifer
"Daddy! I'm going to go play outside with Snuggles and Cookie!" I heard Penelo thunder down the stairs as she announced this, leading me to look back over my shoulder and the couch to smile her way.
"Kay, just stay on your play ground so I can see you from the window-"
"Whenever you want." She finished for me, nodding her head and waving a flippant hand my way as she tore the front door open, Snuggles and Cookie on her heels, making me laugh at how small they made her look what with the size of them. Much like me though, she had them wrapped around her little finger.
"Hi Hayner!" She said brightly, squeezing past him, dogs on her heels as she flew outside, leaving Hayner standing in the open doorway. Shooting off the couch, I frowned his way.
"I-" Wasn't he supposed to be on his date? How much time had gone by? Looking down out my watch, I shook my wrist, then shook my head, and looked at the clock when I realized I still hadn't put new batteries in my watch. "You're home early." I declared, realizing he'd not gone longer than thirty minutes.
He shrugged and gave me a small smile. "I changed my mind about it. I think I'd rather just stay here this evening and hang out with you and Penelo. Did you guys have dinner yet?" Walking in, he plopped down on the easy chair next to the couch.
"Err..." Would it be really rude to ask him to change? Those clothes looked too nice on him. How had Vaan allowed him to walk out of his reach? "No, we didn't." Sitting back down, I frowned at the turned off television screen. "You-" I cut myself off, standing again, "I'll just go check on Penelo." Good plan, just shove the distance back there, it would cool my mind.
"Sounds good. I'll come with you." He said simply, standing up as well. "She did promise to show me the cool play set you had set up for her."
And I sat back down again. "Never mind." Penelo didn't need to see her father trying to kill a boner. Not that I had one yet, but the lack of sex I'd participated in since my last boyfriend and my attraction to Hayner? I was bound to suffer from one shortly. "We can just... hang." Shifting into several different sitting positions to try and find one I was comfortable with, I took a few quick glances his way. "So, eh... How've you been?" Awkward much?
Since standing up from the chair, Hayner must have taken a few steps forward as suddenly he was plopped down at the other end of the couch from me, his fingers pushing his hair out of his eyes. He shrugged.
"Pretty good. Got to hang out a bit with Cloud and some friends. Got to know the town." Eyeing me, he asked, "How have you been? I haven't really talked to you in awhile."
Gritting my teeth as that frustration with myself was bubbling up again, I ground out, "Fan-freaking-tastic." And I shot back off the couch again when he'd turned his body as to engage into proper conversation with me. "So what's for dinner?" I rolled my eyes at myself as I marched over to the kitchen. "You wouldn't know that. Let me re-phrase. Let's see what I'm cooking tonight!" Opening the fridge, I stuck my head in, hoping the cold would freeze my brain and give me my sense of normality back.
Again, he stood up and I heard him follow me into the kitchen, leaning against the counter a few feet away. "You need some help? I actually didn't eat while I was out."
I snorted, "Wonder how you could have, you were barely gone thirty minutes." Pulling out the box of eggs, I shoved them into his hands. "Omelet!" Wait... "Holy hell." I muttered, taking the box back from him as I realized I had to start the omelet and that wasn't going to work if he was holding the eggs.
I noticed him smile at me, as he let me have the carton. "I'll grab some veggies from the fridge to chop into the omelets. You liked peppers in yours, right?" Without really waiting for an answer, he slowly leaned past me to grab what he needed, and I could smell a faint whiff of cologne.
Jesus Mary Joseph... I plastered myself as far away from him as possible, gulping as the sudden close proximity was too much. "Yeah, hot-" What? "Peppers, I mean hot peppers." No I didn't, "No, not hot peppers, I'd need milk with that, just peppers." Licking my lips, I inhaled sharp and quick, "Can you, like, give me my personal space back?"
"Oh?" He looked at me, blinking slowly as he if he suddenly noticed how fucking close he was standing to me. "Oh sure. I'm just gonna grab the cheese and then I'll be outta your way. Two seconds." And with that he leaned even further into the fridge to pull the cheese out. "Got it!" Pulling back with a smile at me again and his arms full of produce, he turned to the kitchen counter to drop it all.
My lips parted as I noticed the small smirk playing on his lip. That shameless little brat! "You-" No! Control, Seifer, freaking control! I could play, I was very good at playing, and games are my forte. My daughter could back me up on this. Well, maybe not on flirting games but- What was it about this guy that made me forget where my brain was? Shaking myself, I opened a drawer, pulling out a large bowl and unhooking the mixer from the wall as to start beating the eggs.
"He a good kisser?" I asked, breathing in steadily as I tried to get back to regular me. The annoying one, the one that pissed Aerith off in the funniest ways. "I looked." I added.
"Meh." Hayner shrugged, and dug around the drawer to pull out a sharp knife. "He was okay, I guess. But we decided that we'd be better off as friends. Which is why I was home so early." He was chopping tomatoes like a pro while his voice answered casually. He knew exactly what was going on. He knew, had known when he'd walked back through the front door, and had started this game with a head start, not letting me in on it right away, if ever hadn't I noticed the smirk. Fine.
Halting in the beating of the eggs, I moved closer to him, using the reach tactic he'd just used, pretty much bumping into his side as I grabbed the salt, "Pretty sure he wasn't holding you right." I murmured close to his ear, stepping behind him, my breath hitting the nape of his neck as I then grabbed the pepper too. And then I moved back to my eggs.
He didn't even bother hiding his shiver as my breath had tickled the back of his neck. "Yeah." Hayner breathed out. "I'd probably need someone with more experience than him to really show me how a real kiss should go." Grabbing a pepper, he smiled softly and started cutting it.
My dick twitched. He did not just say that. "Probably more about the chemistry than age-" Fuck. "I mean, experience." Right? "Age. No, experience. Shit." Pushing the bowl and mixer away, I closed my eyes, grumbling under my breath as I reached up to rub my temples. I was too old for this.
Hayner chuckled softly, still content to slowly chop the peppers for my omelet even though I'd given up on beating the eggs. "I think that chemistry is the most important aspect of any relationship, regardless of experience." He gave me a pointed look, an eyebrow raised. "Or age."
Peeking at him from the corner of my eye, I allowed a small smile. "I agree on that." But he was still my daughter's babysitter... That'd be awkward. And why was I even considering this? "I'm sorry," I blurted, then, whatever pit of courage I'd held onto not minutes ago, gone again, "I gotta-" I shrugged, shaking my head. "I don't know, just-" Finish your sentences, dude! "I'm- Fuck!" Hitting my palm harshly onto the kitchen counter, my body turned towards him, I scanned him over, gulping, shaking my head, tearing my eyes away, wondering how I was going to move away from him, let alone figure out how I was gonna make my way through this situation. Aerith wasn't gonna fire him just cause of my feelings for him, and the distance I'd placed between him and me was clearly not something he was willing to put up with. Why couldn't everyone just leave me alone?
His eyes were suddenly locked with mine, and I was fascinated by how they seemed to be searching my face. Seemingly to make up his mind about something, he looked to be...pulling back? "So, hey. Are we still on for omelets, or did I just chop a ton of vegetables for homemade salsa or something?" He grinned, holding up a pepper. "It's just as good with chips, ya know." His smile looked so easy going.
Offering him the bowl with the beat eggs mutely, I kept staring at him as he started tossing the cut up vegetables in there. My attraction for him was gonna continue to grow now that I knew it was a mutual thing. It was clear he'd pulled away for my sake, or maybe he'd backed off like I did because he was bothered by our positions. In any case, things would get hotter and hotter but neither of us was going to do anything about it. At least, I knew I wouldn't, and while I was boiling and about ready to burst, I...
"Don't want things to be awkward." I murmured, leading him to look up at me in question. "I don't know what to do with you." I remember telling him that same thing first time I'd met him. The meaning wasn't the same anymore though. "Imma go check on Penelo, be back in a second." Breathing out steadily, I quickly walked away
Hayner - the following weekend
I waved goodbye with Penelo to Seifer, keeping my smile easy going with no perceived pressure behind it. After that dinner with Seifer on Wednesday, following my aborted date, I'd pushed him as far as I dared to. At least now I knew that he wasn't really that concerned about our age difference. It must be something else and I had a feeling that if I could bounce ideas off someone, I'd be that closer to figuring it all out.
"Come on, Penelo. Your mom wants you ready to have dinner with her and Zack in town tonight and you need to get changed."
"Okay! They said I got to pick the restaurant and I know just the one!" She bounced inside, forever a ball of tireless energy while I quickly dropped our duffel bags near the laundry room as I followed her.
As I helped her get dressed, I thought about who the best person would be to talk to about Seifer. Probably someone who knew him, and who hadn't just realized I was crushing on him. I snorted; I definitely didn't want to confide anymore in Vaan about this. I nodded along with Penelo bragging about how cool Zack was, and it reminded me that Cloud actually seemed to know Seifer pretty well.
I mean, he worked for him and all that so he's probably known him for years. And I bet he'd be at the pub tonight with Leon. It was Friday, and so far it seemed like it was tradition for them.
Once Penelo was all dressed, I took her to her mom, chatting absently on the phone and Aerith gave me a smile and wave to signal that I was off the clock. Good thing. I jogged to my room, grabbed my keys, wallet and phone and jumped in my car headed for town.
It wasn't too packed when I arrived, and I spotted Cloud's motorcycle in the parking lot. Thankfully, Vaan's car was absent, so I wouldn't have to face him just yet. My feelings were still a little weird when it came to him, but I figured it was just the potential I had felt with him. Nothing seriously stunning, but I couldn't deny there had been something there. Tucking that thought away, I focused on the blond spikes I could see in the distance, smiling when Cloud noticed me and waved me over.
"Hey, Cloud. Fancy meeting you here." Waving the waitress a signal for a beer, I plopped down on the same couch I'd first sat on when coming here.
Cloud grinned, "I'm always here. From the relieved look on your face when you spotted me, I'm assuming you were trying to find me." Leaning back in his own couch, he kept the grin intact. "So what's up, Hayner? I heard about your little situation with Seifer." When I winced, he shook his head, "No worries, Vaan isn't too broken up about it. No attachments created yet. But from what I understand you created one for your boss."
I glared at him. "Dude, seriously. Is there nothing you Irish keep close to the vest? How's a guy supposed to have secrets around here." I grumbled out my thanks as the waitress dropped my beer off, taking a swig to hide my discomfort. And here I thought I could ease into this conversation.
He laughed cheerfully, "Oh come on, Hayner, don't be that way." Clinking his glass to mine, he took a swallow. "Now, spill your guts already, what's going on?"
Sighing in defeat, cause really, he probably knew the entire story by now, I answered. "Well, it seems that Seifer and I have sort of a...chemistry going on. But apparently I did something or there is something that's really putting a crimp in the whole thing. At first I thought it was the whole age thing, but now I'm pretty sure it's not." I cringed. "I pushed the issue on Wednesday and from his reaction, it's not the age. But I didn't dare push him further to figure it out."
He chuckled, "Seriously, you want to get anywhere with Seifer Almasy? You're going to have to push, and I don't mean subtly, lightly, weakly, or just a tad, but like, really push until he's keeling down over the freaking edge."
He grinned, "How else do you think he allows me near him? I know I have the occasional streak of obnoxious, he wouldn't bear with it unless I'd pushed and made him see I'm not too horrible a friend to have." A quick shrug. "And you're right; it's not the age thing. He was with Leon, remember? Leon's older than you and I, but still younger and well, in a less mature situation than Seifer is." He reached up to rub his chin, thinking it over, trying to figure out the answer that had been eating away at me for days now.
"He's not into anyone else, that's for sure, I'd have heard about it... Aerith wouldn't stop him from dating anyone, even if he's ten years younger and her employ-" Understanding dawned on him. "It's cause you're the babysitter. It's icky."
I smacked him. "Of course it sounds icky when you say it like that! I'm an au pair. Pffft, babysitter. You make me sound like a 13 year old girl." Could it really be that? Of course it made perfect sense, even though I'd never really thought of him as a real boss since Aerith had been the one to hire me and all.
He slapped my hand away, "Well you are ten years younger than him and even if you got a fancy title, bottom line? You babysit his daughter." He shrugged again. "Also, Seifer is just really bad at romance, relationships and your general flirting and what not." Cloud burst out laughing then, rubbing a tear away as he probably remembered something. "Actually, I was being nice there; Seifer Almasy royally sucks at the whole making his feelings slash attraction clear to anyone. Disastrous, horrible, insanely incapable." Looking up when his brunette boyfriend came to join us, he tugged Leon down onto the couch beside him. "Hi!" A quick kiss. "Hayner's got a crush on Seifer."
"God, Cloud! Really?" My face probably couldn't get any redder at this point and not only because I'd known that Leon and Seifer had dated and now they really didn't get along.
"I was just telling Hayner how horrid Seifer is at relationships." Cloud continued to ignore that thing called privacy.
Leon hmmed at me, giving me a hard stare as though he was trying to read my mind. Nodding suddenly, he gave me a small grin. "Yeah, he really is. But for some reason, I'm kinda getting a stubborn vibe from Hayner here. Almost like he's gonna be able to handle it. Hmm, we'll see." Clinking his glass with Cloud's, he took a drink of his own beer.
Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Leon was actually encouraging me to continue to crush on Seifer. Raising my eyebrows at Cloud, I asked. "So, what am I supposed to do about the au pair thing? It's not like I can quit or something. Besides, Aerith is my boss technically. Not Seifer."
Cloud gave me a dull stare, "How would I know? I'm not Oprah." He looked at Leon, "I'm kind of sad she stopped airing her show." And then he shook his head, looking back at me. "Don't quit your job, he's hot, but not that hot. Just-" He was cut off by a jealous growl coming from Leon. "Oh shut up, you dated him for his ass and we all know that." Cloud pointed out, returning his attention to me. "Just find a way to show him it doesn't have to be icky."
I snorted. Someday, I'm going to feel more comfortable to razz Cloud about watching Oprah, but my mind was currently trying to figure out how in the world I was supposed to make things less 'icky'. Really, it all came down to the facts. Aerith hired me, Aerith paid me, and therefore Aerith was my boss. Seifer was, at best, an outside contractor or something, in no way connected to the au pair part. Yes, he was Penelo's dad, but I was only in charge of Penelo half the time. The other half, I was a normal guy, right? I sighed.
"What do you think Aerith would do if I hit on Seifer? Would she fire me?"
"Aerith's cool, I think so long you don't mix your flirting with working hours, you'll be fine." Cloud offered.
I groaned. "Still, how the fuck am I supposed to bring up this subject? Oh hey, thanks Aerith for the bonus this week, by the way, you don't mind if I participate in sexual acts with you ex-husband right?"
Cloud laughed, "He's funny. Hayner's funny." Another chuckle, "She's the one that introduced Seifer and Leon because she knew her ex-husband needed to get laid." Leon smacked him. "I'm not lying, am I?" Cloud protested, rubbing his arm. "Talk to her before making a move on Seifer if that'll make you feel better."
I dropped my head into my hands and let out a majorly whine noise. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about this. Shit! But really, you guys get it, right? He's really something..." He was just a bundle of everything that really sort of appealed to me. How could I not have the hots for him? I could feel my rational side rolling its eyes at my melodramatic behavior, but dammit, this situation was filled with drama.
Cloud nodded, "He's a hot sugar daddy."
I had the satisfaction of hearing Leon sputter and about to choke on his beer, and I laughed loudly, finally feeling comfortable with these two. "I'll talk to Aerith. Because I'm not going to do anything to get fired and if she's not okay with it? Then I'll just have blue balls till Penelo reaches college."
About a week or so later
"Okay, don't forget your seatbelt young lady." I tried my evil eye out on Penelo, getting only a giggle in return. Epic fail on my threatening demeanor with this kid, but at least she still listened to me without the threatening looks. "I'm watching you, ya know." I grinned at her.
"I know!" She responded, buckling up and settling in as she waited for me to take off. "To my castle, carriage driver!" She used the best snob voice she harbored, waving a weak in the wrist hand towards the front window, pretending to righten her invisible crown on her head at the same time.
That brought on a laugh. The little scamp. "Yes, your highness. Right away, m'lady." I mock bowed as I started the engine. "Will my lady require anything before arriving at her palace tonight?"
She nodded, "Do you know what I will be eating? I do hope my daddy, king Seifer, isn't forcing me to eat green stuff again." She grimaced, "Princesses don't eat green food, Hayner."
"Yes, m'lady. But this humble servant of yours does not know what the king has ordered for dinner." I cleared my throat nervously, hoping that I could actually pull of what I wanted to this evening. "I will be returning to Queen Aerith's to have a conference with her. I am sorry, m'lady."
Penelo giggled, shaking her head, "My parents are divorced, silly, mom lost her crown when she divorced dad." She really didn't seem to suffer from all the issues I'd suffered from when my parents had divorced. I guess a clean break up wasn't impossible. "Mom is very happy with Zack, but Zack isn't king material." She nodded her head at me wisely, pointing at the turn we had to take that led onto the road that would bring us to the farm, even if I already knew where it was, she always did this.
"But you know, I don't mind if you like dad." She then said, nearly making me grind the gears in a sputter type reaction of surprise. "I asked mom why dad is alone, and she said that he is because he's complicated and that because he's complicated, nobody has the motivation to put up with his silly face." She crinkled her nose; probably not sure she understood half her mother had declared about her dad with that.
"Mom said that dad has to get over himself and just admit that he likes you." She smiled at me then, "Dad's kind of shy though, so I don't think he will because like mom said, he's complicated."
"Say what now?" Really, I think there was something in my ear. I could not have heard that correctly.
She looked up at me with big eyes and a slightly confused twist of the mouth. "It was really hard to repeat all that the first time, don't make me do it again." She sighed heavily, "Mom talks a lot and fast and uses big grown up words all the time. Not the same as dad, because mom doesn't swear."
"No, just tell me that part again where your mom says that your dad likes me. Does that mean she wants your dad to say he likes me?" I was hoping not to confuse Penelo too much, but if Aerith was giving this whole thing a green light, I was gonna count this conversation a win.
She thought it over carefully, rubbing her chin as she took on a thinking pose. After a moment, she nodded her head, "I think so. She's very annoyed with dad for being..." She giggled, "I think she said he's uptight and a bit crazy, that if he just told you what he feels, he'd feel much better."
"Ha, yeah. I can see that. Well, I think that if your dad likes me and your mom doesn't care, then he should definitely tell me." I bit my lip and asked tentatively. "What do you think, Penelo?" It was important to me that I got green lights across the board from the people who were close to Seifer. Aerith was important, but I knew it was the little girl next to me that really had the hold on Seifer's heart.
She smiled, "I don't mind. You're cool, like Zack." Then she laughed, "But dad never says anything, if you want to know something, you have to ask. Pushing is very effective, like mom always says."
"Huh. Cloud said the same thing." I muttered. Fine. Raising my eyes to the ceiling of the car for a moment, I finally gave in. "Fine! I'll push! Sheesh." When Penelo looked at me, I quickly pointed out the farm, anxious to end this slightly awkward conversation. "Look! There's the farm!"
She raised an eyebrow, "I know, I've lived there my whole life." She puffed out some air then, "Boys are really weird." You've no idea kid. No idea.
Seifer - a couple of days later, Friday evening
I could see Hayner trying to smother a smirk along with Leila's mother as they watch me tug on Penelo's jacket. Ignoring them, I looked at my little girl.
"Don't eat too much candy, you know how hyper you get, and brush your teeth if you end up eating a lot of it anyway." I shook my head, rightening her pig tails, "Scratch that, brush your teeth tonight and tomorrow morning. I bought a new one, miss-I'm-never-happy-with-the-things-I-already-own-and-make-my-dad-run-out-to-the-store-to-buy-me-new-crap-willy-nilly-whenever-I-want." I gave her a pointed smirk. "I know you'll be up late as you'll be partying with all your friends, but be nice to Leila's parents and sleep in tomorrow to give them a break. No swearing, loud screaming or being difficult." I looked at Leila's mother, who was now not only trying to smother a smirk, but a full out laugh at this point. "There won't be any boys, will there?" I looked back at Penelo, "You're too young!" I blinked when she blinked. "Sorry. Just," I kissed her nose, "Be good."
"She'll be fine." Leila's mother assured, "I'll bring her back to you tomorrow early afternoon." She promised, reaching out to take Penelo's hand so they could go to her car. Standing up, I worried my bottom lip as I watched her take Penelo away from me.
"She's growing up too fast. I don't like it."
"I don't think any parent does, Seifer. But she's awesome. She'll be okay." I could tell he was trying to comfort me, and I felt him pat my shoulder giving it a squeeze before dropping his hand. "Come on, you can drink beer and brood on the couch till you go to bed." He chuckled.
I nodded, glad he understood. "Thanks." Throwing the front door closed, I marched over to the couch, plopping down, and doing just as he'd predicted, I began brooding. It's only when he held out a beer bottle to me that I realized I'd let him wait on me. Taking it, I gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I could have gotten that myself."
He rolled his eyes, then plopped on the couch next to me, not touching but definitely close. Clinking his beer against mine, he then grabbed the remote. "Dude, relax. I was already getting one. Don't brood too hard, you're gonna get a headache."
I snorted, "Dude? Alright then, been a while since I've been called that." Chuckling, I decided to follow his advice and avoid the headache, pinning my eyes on the television.
Hayner settled comfortably into couch, smirking as he changed the channel, obviously trying to find something that wasn't a made for TV movie. "So, how are you doing this week? I noticed that you're back to talking to me a bit more."
I detached my eyes off the screen, frowning over at him, "I've never changed my behavior towards you." The slightly higher pitch and forced nonchalance could inform the ducks out in the pond across the field from my farm that I was lying through my teeth.
Hayner snorted. "Yeah. I'd believe that if you hadn't spent weeks communicating through Penelo to me. Next you'll tell me you aren't a natural blond." I watched as he took a swig of his beer, his eyes glancing my way, daring me to disagree.
I smothered a grin, "I'm so a redhead." And then I patted my crotch, "You're welcome to check and see if that's true." Wait... Holy fuck! Laughing first, my eyes then widened as I smacked my palm over my mouth. "Why am I like this?" I shouted against my skin.
Choking on his beer, laughing out loud, Hayner tried desperately to catch his breath. "Holy shit, holy shit. Wow, I thought it'd take a lot longer to get that invitation, but I'm game." His eyes were watering, but he was smiling at me.
I let out a sad, blubbery laugh, "He's game." Smacking the heel of my hand against my palm, I groaned. "He's game! This situation is so fucked." I declared, but before I gave him the time to answer or share his thoughts on that, I momentarily forgot why I'd held myself back all this time, tilting my body his way, my hand reaching up to grab the base of his neck, guiding his face towards mine. "I-"
Then I stopped, pulling my body away, but my fingers threading into his hair. "No. This is bad." But... Shaking my head, I turned my face back to his, tugging on his hair as I brought my mouth inches away from his, my breathing heavy as I was trying to make a fucking decision but couldn't seem to be able to grasp onto what that decision actually was!
Thank goodness he at least understood that much, because I didn't have to wait very long before I felt his fingers claps my shirt, pulling me those few inches closer so he could press his lips against mine. They were firm, but he didn't push me too hard, instead he paused, I guess giving me a chance to respond.
I loosened the hold on his hair some, scratching his scalp gently instead as I moaned softly against his mouth. I'd wanted this, very badly. Now that I was doing it? I was right for wanting it in the first place. Reaching up with my other hand, I cupped his cheek, parting my lips as to turn the peck into a proper make out session, my body sort of on auto pilot as I pushed forward, moving him so he'd lie back on the couch. Sucking his bottom lip between mine, I could feel my heart thundering as my fingers kept on scratching his scalp, the other hand slipping down to his neck, fingertips resting against his jugular so I could feel his blood rush beneath it.
Then I popped free for a moment, sort of contradicting myself as I nudged his knees apart to settle myself comfortably on top of him all the while saying, "But I'm thirty. I'm a dad, ex husband and kind of an ass." He was so, so hot...
"Dude. Shut the fuck up, stop thinking about it and keep kissing me, or I am gonna kick your ass." With both hands fisting in my shirt now, he yanked me back down on top of him, and moaned softly when my hips pressed down on his.
I choked on a groan, eyes rolling into the back of my head, "See, I knew I had the hots for you for a good reason." Reaching down, I grasped his thigh, lifting it over my hip so I could push my crotch firmly into his, grinning as I managed to catch his next moan with my lips.
His hands released my shirt and wound around my shoulders, massaging them as he thrust his hips up into mine. Releasing my lips for a moment to pant against them, he gasped, "Took you fucking long enough to do something about it." He smirked as his lips gently attacked mine again.
I chuckled through his kiss, "Hey, give me a break, I'm the old one here, practically going senile, don't blame me for being a tad slow around the edges." Slipping my hand down, I grasped his ass, kneading it as I hummed in appreciation against his mouth. "This ass..." I whispered. "I'd elaborate, but I'm thinking my erection is doing a bang up job all on its own."
"Yup. It's uh, quite an impressive reaction." Laughing, he pulled up the edge of my shirt so he could run his fingers along my back, urging me to continue pressing down on him. "And you aren't old, stupid." I could almost hear the eyeroll in his tone. But before I could respond, he was devouring my lips again, his tongue mapping out the interior of my mouth, lapping and coaxing me to fight back.
Giving him what he wanted, I deepened the kiss gladly, pushing down on him repeatedly, rhythmically, while moving my hand up to his side, sliding it under his shirt so I could touch some skin, his moans music to my ears and his body beneath mine- A higher pitch than his usual noise escaped him, body surging upwards and his forehead knocking into mine, all the while we nearly bit each other's tongues off when he'd reacted-
Sitting up, I grabbed his ankles, guiding his legs around my waist. "I guess you're ticklish then."
"I'll deny that till my dying day, Seifer." He murmured, out of breath now as we continued to move faster and faster against each other, his legs almost crossing behind my back while his moans were almost in time to my thrusting. "Oh god, you feel so good..."
Grinning, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him off his back, wrapping my arms around his waist to keep him in a sitting position onto my lap. "Right back at you." I groaned out softly, my lips pressed against his neck, and I let my tongue slip out so I could wet the skin there before gently starting to suck on it.
"Ah come on, Seifer. I work for your ex wife." He pushed my face away, only to position it slightly lower along his collar bone, as he fell back into a rhythm with his body. Murmuring in my ear while he nibbled along my jaw line he said, "Gotta be able to hide that hickey, ya know."
"Goody goody." I declared, before obliging him and leaving a mark slightly lower while my hands ran down his back, both palms grasping his cheeks as I held him there firmly so I could thrust up against him quicker and more harshly, getting greater friction. I wasn't sure how I felt about what this would lead too, coming in my pants? Hadn't done that in a while, and when you reach a certain age? It just feels so immature. Of course, the current horny state of my mind was blowing that off and going, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it! "Oh fuck, I don't know what it is about you, but-" I cut myself off with a moan, picking up the pace some more.
"Kiss now, talk later." He bit out, panting against my neck, before moving to cover my lips again. Suddenly, his whole body tensed while he pulled away from me to let a low moan escape him.
"You're coming without me?" I scolded before glaring and letting him drop back on the couch so I could move on top of him again, attaching my mouth to him rather fiercely as I worked myself to the edge.
"Your. Fault." He tried talking against my lips, before finally giving up and wrapping his arms around my neck to hold me against him.
Biting down onto his bottom lip, I made sure not to hurt him through that as I stiffened, a muffled but loud groan pulling out of me as the orgasm tore its way through. "Holy mother of-" Panting as I slowly came down the high, I kissed his lips softly then, my body relaxing as I settled back down on top of him properly, ignoring the sticky mess in my pants and his as my mouth slid off of his, my face resting down onto his shoulder as I tried to catch my breath.
He chuckled, pulling me more comfortably on top of him, his arms now loosely holding me in place. "Good then? Cause I think that it was fantastic." He pressed a kiss against the side of my head, sighing happily. "It's a good thing I brought some clean clothes over here, or I'd raise some eyebrows walking around in yours."
I chuckled, closing my eyes as I breathed him in. "If I didn't have an eight and three quarter year old daughter running around this place, I'd keep you naked and tell the eyebrow raisers to go screw themselves."
"Really? I'd be your naked slave for the rest of my life?" He hummed. "Sounds nice."
Kissing whatever skin of his I could reach on occasion, I couldn't help but ask, "Why me though, Hayner? Again, I'm ten years older, an ex husband, a dad, kind of an ass and well, I'm not sure cause I was looking through my front door window that's pretty small, but from the glimpse I caught? Pretty sure Vaan would beat me in a beauty contest."
His fingers trailed lightly over my shoulders and I could tell he was thinking of what exactly he wanted to say. "I can't really explain it. But I think it's all of those things together that really make you so fucking appealing. And dude, come on. You are the hottest guy I've seen in forever. Vaan looks like an adolescent puppy compared to you. Don't compare yourself to him. He wasn't what I want."
I grinned, "My wrinkles and occasional grey hairs are pleased with that assessment."
Hayner - A month or so later
"So, Aerith didn't say why she wanted to talk to you? Isn't that kinda weird?" I raised an eyebrow as I smirked at Seifer behind the wheel of his truck. It was strange for them to not say straight out what they wanted to, and I'd already accepted that there were virtually no secrets between Aerith and Seifer. I honestly found it rather comfortable that they got along so well. Still, it seemed odd that Aerith would insist on talking to Seifer when he dropped me off, instead of just explaining things over the phone, but oh well.
Turning onto the road that led to Aerith's house, Seifer shrugged, "Weird, sure, but nothing bad. She sounded happy and excited, so I'm guessing she's keeping it from me only because she wants to announce it in person." He parked the car quickly once in front of the house. "Don't forget to tell your mom about working on your math, Penelo. I know it's no fun, but if you work on it while little, you won't have to worry about numbers when older."
"Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Although, women have always confused me with how their minds work." Penelo giggled and I turned around to stick my tongue out at her while unbuckling my seatbelt and climbing out of Seifer's car. I pulled her backpack out and handed it to her as she round the vehicle and watched her dash inside. "You know, I'm still amazed at how she always seems so happy to go from house to house. You and Aerith are seriously rocking the normal childhood for her."
I felt his hand land on my neck, turning my face so he could plant a soft kiss on my lips quickly, "Aerith says it's cause I'm gay. No sexual tension, jealously or lingering romance looming over me and her, thus making it easier to get along." He gave my ass a squeeze, grinned and then made his way into the house.
"Perv." I mumbled after him, smirking as I took that chance to stare at his retreating backside. Takes one to know one, I suppose. Still though, I couldn't help but feel that familiar twinge of envy of Penelo's situation. But I tried to ignore it, knowing there wasn't really any reason for the feeling. So what if she got the benefit of two parents in her life, two places full of such love and support that I knew she wouldn't have any doubts that she was loved or cherished when she got older. She was a lucky kid, and she deserved this. It just reminded me that there were some of us who weren't as lucky growing up. Shaking my head, I shoved my thoughts aside and jogged up the front steps to head inside. There was no point in dwelling on the past now. And it only served to depress me.
Hearing voices coming from the sitting room, I quickly made my way over and noticed Zack standing behind Aerith with one of his million megawatt smiles on his face. Well that answered that question. Something good must be happening. I came up behind Seifer, and nodded a greeting, waiting for them to spill whatever news they had.
"So..." Seifer waved his hand at the couple. "What's up?" He asked, but then just as soon reached up to cover his ears as Aerith released a high pitch squeal, leading Zack to laugh happily at her.
"Seifer!" Aerith bounced over to her ex husband, Seifer's eyes widening in surprise as he caught a hold of her, patting her back and offering me and Zack a raised eyebrow as Aerith hugged him tightly in what seemed to be sheer excitement.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Seifer threw at Zack, who only chuckled in return, walking over to Aerith so he could grasp her hand and shove the engagement ring in Seifer's face.
"I do hope it's bigger than the one you got her." And then he waggled his eyebrows while Seifer 'oh'd' in understanding at his ex-wife's funny behavior.
Laughing softly, he nudged Aerith into Zack's arms. "I was 21 and broke, believe me, this one is a hundred times better than the gum-ball machine ring I gave her."
I smiled at Aerith when she glanced at me. "Congratulations you two. I was wondering when I'd hear some wedding bells around here." Joking aside, I was really quite happy for them, and if those smiles were any indication, I could see that they were deeply in love and really deserved to have this kind of happiness. Noticing Penelo off to the side, I felt my brow furrow in worry. How was she going to take this? I mean, I know she adored Zack, but that is a big step up from 'mom's boyfriend' to 'stepdad'.
Aerith noticed her too then, waving her over which led Penelo to run quickly into Seifer's arms, pressing her face against his side while his arms wrapped around her automatically. Crouching down, Aerith tugged gently onto one of her pigtails with a smile on her face.
"Will you mind very much sharing this big castle with Zack?" Looking up at her dad, I saw a slight frown of worry, but when Seifer only smiled down at her and nodded, she seemed to let out a sigh of relief before moving into her mom's arms.
"I don't mind." And then she smacked Zack's thigh, "But you're not getting my room!" Laughing when he picked her up, tickling her sides, he then tossed her over to Seifer, who caught her without effort, settling her quickly onto his shoulders.
"I'm happy for you, Aerith, you two deserve this." Seifer said, leaning over to place a kiss on Aerith's forehead before shaking hands with Zack.
"Same here." I added, giving them both a handshake, and then I figured I better excuse myself so they could be together as a family. "Again, congratulations." Pulling away, I gave Aerith a nod to let her know I was going to let them be alone. Still caught up in her excitement, I'm not sure she really noticed, but I didn't let it bother me.
It was hard to really categorize my emotions at this point. My feet started walking and it wasn't long before I ended up in the gardens on the bench that was closest to my rooms, with my legs crossed, leaning back against the large tree behind it. At first glance it would seem that this development with Zack and Aerith shouldn't really affect me, but despite my best efforts, I knew exactly what was going to happen.
My contract had only been for three months, with the option to extend should the family decide that they would continue to employ me. With this sort of marriage on the horizon, I had the feeling that Aerith wasn't going to be working after she got married. Zack was a well off man himself, and with him working, she wouldn't need to. They'd no longer need someone to stay at home with Penelo, that somebody being me. So, really, while this was fantastic news in and of itself, it was effectively signing my resignation for whenever they got back from their honeymoon.
And that...sucked. I sucked in a breath as I felt my chest constrict almost painfully. This was probably the closest place I'd had to a home in years and I guess I should have been more careful not to grow too attached, knowing my employment could really end three months in. I sighed in defeat. Too late now. I'd even gone ahead and purchased more clothing and things that weren't going to fit in my suitcase, breaking the first rule of living and traveling in a foreign country. Only own what you can carry. Bad Hayner. Bad planning all around.
Glancing back at the door leading to the main house, I grimaced again as another thought hit me. What about Seifer? Once my contract was up, I'd have only a few weeks to either find employment or something else, or I'd lose my work Visa and be forced to leave anyways. And...Seifer. The guy I'd been becoming rather attached to after all these weeks. Where was this going to leave us?
I suppose, if he really wanted to, he could hire me as his au pair, but that would throw us way back in the employee employer thing that we'd barely managed to move past in the first place. Ugh. I took a deep breath, my eyes gazing up and telling myself that the reason I wasn't blinking, was not the tears gathered there, but because only cool people didn't blink.
"Hey," Seifer could sneak up on people like the best, not sure where he'd gotten that skill, but he'd done it again, making his presence known with his soft murmur rather than footsteps or a door closing. Sitting down beside me, he offered me a soft smile. "What's going on, Hayner?" Reaching up, he brushed his thumb over my cheekbone, his eyes fixed on mine, letting me know he probably could see I wasn't doing so good right now. "Or, do you not want to talk about it?" I generally didn't, which was why he assumed I didn't want to right now.
I didn't trust myself to answer without my voice being shaky, so I shrugged and quickly swiped my hand across my face. Taking a few moments to clear my throat and try to gain some sort of composure, I finally looked at him again. "It's kinda nothing too big. Just thinking and what not." I offered him a watery smile. "Wow, married. That's a pretty big deal, right?"
He gave me an amused frown, "Well, it was kind of obvious. I suppose it's a big deal." He shrugged, "They're good together." Cupping my cheek, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly against mine, whispering, "What are you thinking about, Hayner?"
Not fair, kissing me when I'm vulnerable. Stupid Seifer. I sighed, and then leaned back against the tree again, not looking at him before answering. "This just means that my contract won't get renewed like I hoped. And...I kinda liked it here is all." I glanced his way, giving him a half smile. "Ireland kinda grows on ya."
Now he pulled back, confusion settling on his facial features. "Oh..." He scratches his head then, "I didn't think about that..."
Shaking my head, I tried not to think about it for fear of what I might do with him sitting right here next to me. "Yeah, it sort of hit me all of a sudden as well. But...I guess that..." I tried to come up with something to say about what could happen now that I'd be out of a job, but I was afraid of what he would say if I started thinking out loud about my options. I didn't really know where I stood with him. I mean, we definitely hadn't been together that long, and I wasn't really sure what sort of advice I was willing to take from him.
Seifer cleared his throat, standing up and frowning down at me in a way that told me he was clearly trying to sort through many conflicted thoughts at once in his mind right now. It's the same one he'd sported back when he couldn't decide whether to kiss me or not.
"Miami will be glad to have you back, I'm sure." He grumbled out, blinking before he spun on his heel and marched off and out of the garden, leaving me sitting there rather dumbfounded.
"Okay...ow." I rubbed my hand across my chest, palming the center of it over my heart. "Seriously, ow." I chuckled humorlessly. Well, I suppose that cleared that up in some ways. Although, he was wrong about one thing; I'd never go back to Miami if I could help it. But at least he was gone now, which meant that the tears I'd been holding back pushed forward once again. I convinced myself it had nothing to do with Seifer's words and everything to do with leaving Ireland. Well, tried to convince myself.
A/N: I am gonna blame this cliff hanging ending on Jasmine. I abused her as my beta last week as I was too lazy to go over what me and Reyaa had written myself. And I just felt the unbearable need to torture her:D If she wasn't such a good sport about it, I wouldn't do it;)