Renay

(final fantasy viii) finding the sun

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:14:37 GMT

title: finding the sun
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: seifer/zell
rating: pg
written for: For yaoiboi69, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Seifer didn't know where Quistis and Selphie found the strength to hold him back from the entrance to the infirmary.

"Let go," he said. He kept seeing it in his head, Zell crumbling to the floor, over and over again. Seifer watched Zell fall down and knocked him down plenty, almost every day, but that fall had hurt to watch. He figured he'd be watching it in his head for a long time to come.

Selphie was tiny, but a pretty effective roadblock. "What did you do to your hand?" She was holding onto his wrist, and Seifer finally looked down to see that his knuckles were bloody.

"I punched the sniper," Seifer said. "A few times." The spell washed over him, even as he tried to tug away and go forward. He heard more voices behind him, but he didn't bother turning.

Quistis said, "Seifer, you're in shock, and you should probably sit down."

"What is she doing in there?" Seifer hadn't been there when they put Zell on the stretcher. He had been chasing down the asshole that had shot Zell instead of Edea. Zell might have saved Edea's life, but lost—he refused to think it, and he was startled when Selphie shoved him backwards into a folding chair even as the door to the infirmary opened and Quistis walked over. Seifer ignored the blood on Dr. Kadowaki's clothes and tried to stand, but hands on his shoulders—he didn't even know who they belonged to—kept him down.

"—blood, but he's going to be fine."

Seifer shrugged at the hands on his shoulders. "What is with you people, let me go."

Dr. Kadowaki looked toward him. "Squall, let him go. Zell wants to see him."

No one else got in Seifer's way as he stalked into the infirmary, and if Zell thought he could just throw himself in front of bullets, Seifer was going to wise him up fast. He pulled back the curtain at the first rest area, and all his anger drained out of him.

"Hey." Zell smiled at him from the pillows, and he looked washed out, chest bare but for the white bandage. He was still wearing his dress pants, and Seifer clenched his fists when his eyes crossed black material wrinkled with wetness—blood. "Wow, you look so pissed."

"Because I am." Seifer stayed where he was. "Real smart move with the human shield act, Dincht."

"Well, it worked." Zell laughed, and then winced. "Doc says I'll be sore for a few days, but nothing serious."

"Tell that to the pint of blood you lost." Seifer finally stepped closer to the bed, and he hated feeling like this. "You're not bulletproof."

"Yeah, I got that, thanks." Zell brushed at the material of Seifer's suit with his hand. "So much for that party. I hadn't even gotten to raid the buffet, or force you to learn that line dance Irvine taught me."

"I'm never dancing with you." Seifer thought that was the worst lie he had ever told, but Zell didn't have to know that. He could probably ask for anything right now and Seifer would do it, and that was a strange feeling. He watched Zell's eyes drift closed for a moment.

"You scared me, you asshole." Seifer whispered it, and when Zell's eyes popped open in surprise, found that he didn't even regret it. Zell reached up and grabbed his tie, tugging him down.

Another first, Seifer marveled, was that he didn't even care if every single person in Garden walked in right then and caught him kissing Zell. Seifer slid his hand behind Zell's neck and pressed their mouths together, warm and wet, and damn if he didn't want to crawl in the bed with him. He pulled away, blinking, and feeling angry and helpless and happy, all at the same time, with no outlet. Not with Zell in the bed with a gunshot wound to the chest, anyway. It was a realization that was almost like a let down.

Seifer had known these feelings already.

"Stay," Zell said, voice drowsy. "Okay?"

"Yeah," Seifer said, and Zell was dozing off already, chest rising and falling gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

(final fantasy viii) midsummer

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:14:23 GMT

title: midsummer
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: irvine/seifer
rating: nc-17 / not worksake
written for: For lassarina, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Irvine woke up hot, the air heavy around him, and kicked at the sheet with his feet to let cooler air touch his skin, even if it wasn't much better. He wiped at his face, and swore that he was going to force Seifer to at least buy a fan. Even with the window open to the outside, it was still hot. He turned his head to where Seifer lay on the other side—he always curled away when he slept—but found him awake instead, staring at the ceiling.

"Seifer?" Irvine shoved himself up on his elbows. "Heat bothering you, too?

"No."

And there was a tone Irvine recognized. He grinned, even though it was as hot as hell. He rolled easily, sweat-slicked skin letting him slide on top of Seifer easily, and rocked his hips. "You need to get a fan."

Seifer only smiled. "Maybe I will," he said, and moved his hands to Irvine's hips.

This was something Irvine didn't take for granted—Seifer didn't talk about his feelings, didn't explain his moods, but let Irvine deal with them by taking his mind off them. He hadn't cared about Irvine being a fool with his hands the first time, or all the times since, and Irvine tried not to care that Seifer wouldn't talk to him about what woke him up and kept him up all hours of the night.

He found a nice rhythm, his cock sliding between Seifer's and the curve of his thigh, and rocked. "You've been saying it for weeks." Irvine bent his head, hair falling past his face to stick to both of them. He slowed and stopped, and gave Seifer a smug look. "You promise?"

Seifer had expressions Irvine thought might have scared a lesser man that didn't know how he looked asleep and peaceful. Sometimes it was fun for Irvine to pretend they intimidated him, too, but something was off tonight—Seifer had moods, but this one was different. He turned his head to the side as Seifer glared at him and arched up, once and then again, and Irvine didn't have to be a genius to see Seifer didn't want to be teased.

He moved quickly, pinning Seifer's wrists on the pillow above his head. He rocked up once, shivering with it, and they were both soaked completely when they slid into the motions together, familiar and comfortable.

Seifer twisted a leg behind Irvine's calf and pushed up, and making a low noise in his throat. He kept his eyes open. "Come on, come on," Seifer said, hands digging into Irvine's hips. His voice was almost a growl, and that was new, because Seifer didn't talk, he never said anything, and the surprise of it made Irvine shake and come all over both of them.

Seifer rolled them to the side to press into the slickness between them while Irvine was still trying to figure out what had happened, and a few seconds later Seifer went over, too, pressing his forehead against Irvine's, eyes glazed but amused.

Irvine lay still, not really wanting to move. "What—?"

"If you have to ask—" Seifer didn't bother finishing his sentence, and kissed him instead, rare enough that Irvine finally understood that a line had been crossed.

Irvine wasn't a fool, and decided he was more than fine with operating behind the lines—and kissed Seifer back.

(final fantasy viii) the frog prince

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:14:12 GMT

title: the frog prince
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: fujin/laguna
rating: g
written for: For ovo_lexa, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Laguna held up his shirt. "See? I thought you said you had training in security!" He watched Kiros snort, but decided it would be better if he dealt with this himself. He looked back to Fujin. "This was a nice shirt."

"Yes." Fujin stood at attention, and Laguna sometimes wished she would say more to his statements like everyone else did, chattering like crazy whenever he came into a room. He hadn't been able to get her to carry on a conversation with him for the entire three weeks she had been employed with him.

"Those kids had guns on the street!" Laguna let the shirt fall on the table, and Ward gave him a nasty look as he shoved a corner of it off his plate.

"They were fake," she said. "I can't keep kids from playing with water guns." She shot a look at Kiros and then relaxed. "Security, not a babysitter, remember?"

Laguna waved a hand. "Whatever! I can get more shirts, but really, what happened to kids just putting water in those things? We never put red food coloring in ours."

"Times change," Kiros said, and wiped his mouth. "Ward and I have a meeting with the ambassador from Dollet. Please check your schedule after you finish your breakfast." He stood, and then looked pained. "And remember there's the Research Library Banquet this weekend. You need an escort; stop refusing all the offers you get."

Laguna rolled his eyes as Kiros and Ward left the dining room, and sat back in his chair.

"Am I free to go?" Fujin shifted on her feet. "I need to check in with the guards."

"Sure, sure," he said, and then, "—wait!"

Fujin looked over her shoulder at him, and whatever question he had thought of was gone, replaced by a better one. He didn't know why it hadn't occurred to him before, especially since it meant two guards wouldn't be following him around all evening. "Are you doing security for the banquet?"

Fujin shook her head. "No, they did not need me."

"You should come," Laguna said, pleased he had thought of it.

"You really need that much protection?" Fujin gave him an odd look, and Laguna was suddenly nervous.

"Uh, no, I meant. You should come with me. As my date and my security." He nodded as he left the table. "Beneficial to everyone, right?" He smiled. "You could wear a dress and one of those holsters for your thigh, like they do in the movies."

"Unprofessional." Fujin crossed her arms.

"Beneficial," Laguna said again. "Anyway, I won't...touch you inappropriately or anything. I'm a gentlemen!" Fujin cast a glance down at his clothes and Laguna wrinkled his nose at the crumbs even as he brushed them off. "So, what do you say?

Fujin shrugged. "Fine," she said, and then gave him a cool look. "But no thigh holster."

(final fantasy viii) these are things

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:13:43 GMT

title: these are things
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: seifer/zell
rating: g
written for: For squeemu, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Seifer slid his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows caused by moon shift and change into different shapes. The room was cold, the warm autumn in Balamb sliding away during the nights to hint at how cold it would be during the winter. It was never that bad, and Seifer was looking forward to it for the first time in years.

Beside him, Zell shifted and turned. He never took up a lot of space, which had surprised Seifer six months ago when he had found himself pulled into Zell's life, whether he wanted it or not. Things had changed; he did want it now, and wanted to keep it, and not just because it meant he wouldn't be sleeping in seedy apartments somewhere else. Not that he would ever tell Zell that.

Zell was enough work when he thought Seifer was just in it for fun. He'd freak out if he knew Seifer cared. Hell, Seifer had spent two weeks freaked out himself, but he was better with self-knowledge these days. Seifer moved his hand out to barely run his hand over Zell's hair, which was a mess. The touching thing was new, too, and Seifer didn't know how he felt about the desire to put his hands on Zell all the time. He moved his hand to run his fingers down Zell's neck, still warm from his previous position.

He didn't expect Zell to sit up suddenly, and jerked back so fast he cracked his elbow on the wall. Rubbing it, he nudged Zell with his leg. "What the hell was that?"

Zell turned around to look at him, eyes still sleepy. "I thought—never mind."

"Probably just me. I've been awake." Seifer tugged him back down. "You've been so jumpy lately."

Zell turned to his side, eyes wide. "Did you forget about the fortune teller?"

Seifer covered his face with his hands. "Not that again. It was a week ago, and she was acting. Get it? It was a job, to weasel money out of morons." He snickered. "Successful, but not true."

Zell punched Seifer in the shoulder half-heartedly. "Shut up, you weren't there. I saw myself in her little ball thing."

"Your reflection." Seifer was tired of hearing about whatever it was Zell had heard, and to make matters worse, Zell wouldn't even tell him what it was. It was a bitter thought that the woman had known who Zell was and that he was involved with Seifer, and had predicted someone was going to break into the house to kill them all for letting Seifer stay in town. He had never met more assholes in his life than in the last few months.

"It wasn't." Zell rolled to his back. "And anyway, it's not the fortune I'm jumpy about, it's that I can still hear it coming true."

"Hear it?" Seifer was curious. "So she predicted someone was going to tell you something? That's just asking to be mocked, give me a break."

Seifer jumped when Zell's hand touched his hips under the blankets, and stared at Zell's profile while Zell's eyes followed the shadows on the ceiling. "Well," he said, "it's not that, I said it wrong. Just—she said someone would tell me something without words." He turned his head, and for the first time, Seifer wondered when the hell he had left himself get this deep.

"Oh," he said, like an idiot.

Zell just smiled.

(final fantasy viii) clarity

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:13:32 GMT

title: clarity
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: seifer/zell
rating: pg
written for: For chaosraven, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

"Ow! Son of a bitch, that hurts." Zell shoved Seifer's hands away, but Seifer wasn't giving up. "Would you—stop it, it's fine."

Seifer only raised an eyebrow and settled his hands back on Zell's skin. Seifer didn't know why Zell was acting macho when his side had practically been ripped opened, but Seifer figured he would've done the same thing to save face if it had been him. "Yeah, I hear bleeding to death is what everyone is doing these days." He cursed himself for not drawing enough magic before they had left Timber, and there was no way he could leave Zell to go draw some from any of the monsters in the area now. It was an even worse idea if the monsters were anything like the one rotting behind the trees in front of them. He'd have to start worrying about getting them away from here soon, before the buffet opened.

"I don't like that look." Zell stared at him and then started twisting around trying to see the wound, which just made blood flow from it faster. Seifer felt it under his hands and winced.

"Yeah, genius, make it worse. Stop moving." He shoved Zell down to his back and ignored his complaining about hitting his head on a rock. "I'm trying to think."

"We have Hi-Potions." Zell pointed to their packs.

Seifer rolled his eyes. "If we were back at Garden, I would tell Kadowaki you said that just to see you get lectured. Don't be an idiot." They had an emergency kit, and Seifer thought if he could patch Zell up enough to keep him from bleeding out, he could get him the ten or so miles back to Timber to a doctor.

"It's not good, is it?" Zell didn't sound scared, just resigned. "I mean, the look on your face says enough, but I'm starting to feel kind of sick."

"Yeah," Seifer said, refusing to lie. "It's bad." As if the drive home the point further, blood started tracing lines down Seifer's wrists. He had never done a patch job, except on dummies and small cuts, and that had been years ago during cadet training. Doing it on Zell was another matter completely, and he hated it.

"Man, Quistis owes me big time for this mission now," Zell said. "I'm not even supposed to be here! It was supposed to be that other guy."

"It'd make it easier for me if it was," Seifer said absently. "I could just leave him here and go get some magic to fix this." Zell sucked in a breath and grimaced. Seifer felt Zell's muscles tense under his hands, and wanted to punch something. He was startled when Zell looked back at him, amused.

"What," Zell said, "you can't leave me here? I mean, I should be fine for a little while."

"Forget it." Seifer pulled his hands away and wiped them on the rags from one of their pallets. "I'm going to try to close the wound as much as I can, so we can make it back."

"Wouldn't it be easier just to go find a monster to draw from?" Zell's voice was tired. "Are you even any good at stitches?"

"I'll remember," Seifer said. "And stop nagging me. I'm not leaving you here leaking blood everywhere. Too much of a risk."

Zell laughed as Seifer reached for the kit, and said, "You really do like me."

Seifer didn't even have it in him for a snide reply, especially since Zell was laughing—it was enough to assure him Zell wasn't feeling like dying any time soon. "Shut up and roll over," he said, and got down to work.

(final fantasy viii) ace in the sleeve

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:13:21 GMT

title: ace in the sleeve
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: irvine/selphie
rating: g
written for: For first_seventhe, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Irvine watched the girls he had been talking to walk away, giggling as they went, and smiled to himself.

"You're such a flirt."

Irvine turned in his chair to face Selphie across the table, and picked up the construction paper and scissors he had been working with before his guests had come over. "I was just being friendly." He started cutting out the traced flowers, thinking that after this festival was over that he never wanted to see a flower made from construction paper again.

"And flirting." Selphie smiled as she worked, hands moving through paper and glue and glitter faster than anything Irvine could ever manage. "It's like you do it automatically to keep them at a distance."

Irvine stopped cutting his paper and frowned. "Pardon?"

Selphie didn't even look at him. "You flirt with all these girls but you don't really talk to them. Why is that?"

Irvine felt trapped, and debated making an excuse to leave, but that was likely what Selphie wanted him to do, so she could harp on it later. "So, being a nice guy is a defense mechanism now?"

"Yes." She rolled her eyes at him. "The way you do it is. Quistis explained it really well, she said you keep yourself as a symbol, instead becoming a person." She laughed. "Quistis being all thinky again, but I understood." Irvine considered the implications of Selphie and Quistis discussing him, and wondered at it.

Irvine shifted in his seat. "Is this because I don't flirt with you?"

Selphie threw an empty glue stick at him; it bounced off his elbow and hit the floor. "No." She paused. "Well, maybe, but we've shared a blankie, so I have one up on everyone else."

Irvine winced. "Oh, yes, please spread that around."

Selphie finally stopped what she was doing. "You use it to keep people from getting too close." Her cheeks colored and she wouldn't meet his eyes, and Irvine suddenly wondered when and where he had missed all the signals he was suddenly getting. "But you don't use it on me, so—"

Irvine laughed, and then sobered at Selphie's hurt look. "I don't flirt with you because it doesn't impress you. You've got some mighty high standards, Tilmitt."

Selphie gaped. "High standards?"

Irvine grinned. "I'm not the only one who knows how to keep the wolves at bay." He thought he was good at reading people, and he had read Selphie loud and clear months ago: hands off. She sent it out like a beacon. She was friendly, but that's all she was. Irvine thought it was a fine thing for her to accuse him of using his charm to keep people from him, when she did the same thing. He doubted she would appreciate him pointing it out, though. Instead, he did the next best thing, and nudged her foot under the table.

"Hey," he said when she jumped and flushed again. "Want to go somewhere and neck?"

She threw another glue stick at him, but Irvine was pleased when she didn't say no.

(final fantasy viii) what it takes

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:12:41 GMT

title: what it takes
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: selphie, irvine
rating: g
written for: For jabbberwocky, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Selphie ignored her clock, because she already knew it was telling her she was late. She grabbed up her books on her way out the door, pausing only to snag the file folder sitting on her table and ignoring the fruit she had set out for breakfast—she didn't have time now, after spending her eating time going over her notes. Quistis was going to lecture her for being late again, but at least it had been worth it. She stuffed the folder between her books so the papers wouldn't fly out as she walked down the hall.

The dorms were still mostly deserted—it was early, but she wasn't surprised when an arm draped over her shoulder. She looked up and smiled, but didn't stop walking. Irvine kept up with her and tipped his hat up. Selphie didn't know when he slept. He always seemed to be awake and wherever she was.

"Where are you off to?"

"Oh, a meeting."

Irvine laughed. "I didn't think you had to get all snazzed up for party planning meetings."

Selphie almost stopped, but remembered that she was late and couldn't afford to. This meeting had Quistis and Cid and Xu on top of everyone else. She shrugged Irvine's arm off her shoulders. "It's not about a party, it's about Trabia." Irvine took the brush off like it hadn't even been done. Selphie sometimes admired that and sometimes hated it—it made it impossible to embarrass him, even when he really deserved it.

"Oh, then it's business. Still trying to get funds to help Trabia rebuild?"

"I'm never going to stop trying," Selphie said. "I spent all last week in the library researching ways to earn money for the project. If we do it long term and in stages, there's no reason why it wouldn't work." She resisted the urge to pull out all her charts and information, because she didn't really think Irvine would care about the details. Irvine wasn't from Trabia. She knew he had lost his Garden, too, but it was different from her. His could still fly.

Irvine whistled. "Lot of work, you know."

This time, Selphie did stop. She considered Irvine for a second. "Do you think I can't handle it? Like, I'm too stupid and should just go plan a party?"

Irvine only raised an eyebrow. "That's a trick question, because I can only say one thing. Did I say I thought that?" He reached forward and smoothed out the shoulders of her uniform. "You plan a mean party, Selphie. You apply those brains to this business mess and you'll have them eating out of your hand."

Selphie smiled. "I never thought of myself doing anything like this." It was true, but it didn't feel wrong. Anyway, she could go back to doing parties and festivals any time. Right now, Trabia needed her more than the social scenes did, and she had surprised herself. She was good at numbers and regulations and everything she thought was too boring and hard. "I think I like it."

"You wear it well," Irvine said. "Now, go and take all their money."

Selphie grinned. "I plan to," she said, and left Irvine laughing in the walkway as she ran to catch the elevator.

(final fantasy x) the forfeit of bliss

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:22:45 GMT

title: the forfeit of bliss
fandom: final fantasy x
characters: seymour, yuna
rating: g
written for: For soo_hyeong, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Yuna stared out the frosted glass toward the ocean. She didn't bother looking toward the sky, because she knew it would be too much for her to bear. Instead, she kept her eyes on the waves breaking toward the city on the edge of the sea. She had come back to her birthplace, finally, but she felt nothing, even though she knew this was the only place she and her father had ever been together.

Yuna had told Lulu she understood the hope people invested in her. All their energy and wishes given freely, time and resources shared even though many of the families didn't have it to spare. But they always had hope that someone was fighting for them. She thought she had understood it, but she had never been a position where she placed her hope in other people.

She broke her promise to herself and slid her eyes toward the blue sky, knowing the disappointment would hurt, but not caring. Cid could fly—she had seen it. But they didn't know where she was, and her Guardians—she squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the window.

She jumped when she saw Seymour standing in the door, and said, "Lord Seymour. I didn’t hear you."

"You looked so thoughtful. I didn't wish to interrupt." He stepped forward. "You don't look happy, Lady Yuna."

Yuna thought it was a ridiculous statement, but she played along. "I worry that my Guardians are hurt."

"Guardians are required to be strong, yes?" Seymour lifted a hand and brushed her hair back. Yuna didn't bother to flinch away. "You should trust in their abilities."

She hadn't trusted them when she should have, and Yuna still regretted it, even if she had thought agreeing to Seymour's proposal would be helpful. She nodded, and Seymour trailed his hand down her arm before moving away.

"I have brought your dress," he said. "I thought it would please you." He gestured to the wall, and Yuna saw the dress he must have hung there while she was caught up in daydreams.

"Thank you. It's very pretty." Seymour liked elaborate things, she was finding. She followed the train of the dress. She couldn't even tell where it ended, or how long it was.

"You belong in white." Seymour brushed the skirt and let the fabric slide through his fingers. "It suits you well." He turned toward the door. "Although when you wear it, you would look more lovely if you smiled. Remember that many of your people will be watching us—you don't want to make them unhappy." He smiled, but it wasn't kind, and Yuna clenched her fist and forced herself to return it.

"Of course." She didn’t like the guilt Seymour had been plying her with. It made her realize how over her head she was, and she wished she weren't alone.

"Very well. Get dressed. The ceremony will begin soon." Yuna met Seymour's gaze no matter how much the malice in them bothered her, until he left, as silently as he had come. She waited a moment before walking towards the dress, and when she lifted it, she refused to wipe away her tears.

(final fantasy x) common ground

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:21:23 GMT

title: common ground
fandom: final fantasy x
characters: auron, jecht
rating: g
written for: For not_cynical, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Jecht was missing from his pallet when Auron went to wake him for guard duty. Auron stood looking at the empty blankets for a moment, listening to the trees around them. A stray pyrefly swept by on the breeze in the air, and a few feet away from where he stood, Braska made a small noise in his sleep. Auron winced to hear it, but he knew his friend had not slept peacefully in a long time.

Auron regretted that his protection and his sword could not extend to Braska's sleep, as well. Auron looked from Braska's sleeping form to the path a few feet away, leading into the forest. Auron could not leave Braska unprotected. There was only one place Jecht would go late at night, but even so—

"I can hear you worrying from over here."

Auron turned around to see Jecht step from the trees. Water dripped off of him, and Auron had been correct—he had been swimming. He had been seeking water for a week now, whenever he could. This wasn't the first time Auron had missed him sneaking off to swim by himself.

"Braska has spoken to you about going off by yourself."

"Why do you think I do it at night?" Jecht grabbed his sheet off his bedroll and rubbed at himself with it. "Braska worries too much about everyone else. I'm not gonna get in any more trouble." Jecht stared at him. "And I'm not going off to drink, either, so don't bother accusing me of that again."

Auron frowned. "I hadn't thought of it. Are you?"

Jecht didn't bother to reply. "Water's nice. Maybe you could try it. You'd think relaxing was a sin, the way you've been glaring at me."

"It isn't time for us to relax," Auron said. "We are Guardians."

Jecht threw the sheet down; he cast a look towards Braska as he turned to his side under his blankets. "No reason for acting like we're already dead. We still gotta live."

"You've done enough of that for all of us." It was a horrible thing to say, and Auron regretted it the moment Jecht's face went from casual to hurt and angry. Braska had asked Auron to be kind and to trust Braska's words even if he couldn't trust Jecht's.

"Yeah, well, that's over now." Jecht pulled up his sword. "I'm not going to beat my brains out getting you to trust me. But I said I was done, and I am. You want to nag me about the past, you might as well, since you nag me about everything else, anyway." He shrugged. "We're in it for Braska, right? I'll keep my word for him."

Auron didn't know what to say. "For Braska," he said, and it was almost a question. If they could find no common ground elsewhere, Auron thought, then—

"Then we agree. That's one thing." Jecht grinned, but it held no humor, and he didn’t speak to Auron again before hefting his sword and turning his back, settling in for his guard shift.

Auron went to his bedroll, but instead of rest, found only regrets.

(final fantasy viii) accidental romance

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:20:06 GMT

title: accidental romance
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: sefier/zell
rating: g
written for: For chaosraven, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Zell stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float by from his back. Beside him, Seifer was flipping through that morning's newspaper—Zell thought he had made sure Seifer didn't have one, but he didn't think Seifer was going to let him start frisking any time soon. He sat up and grabbed the paper out of Seifer's hands.

"Hey—" Seifer wasn't fast enough, and Zell chunked it as far away from their blanket as he could manage.

"You shouldn't read those things," Zell said, and ducked Seifer's lazy fist. He grabbed a brownie and shoved it in Seifer's face. "Eat this. Selphie's brownies are great."

Seifer took it, but didn't unwrap it. He looked out over the field. Zell had driven away from everything. There was nothing around them but trees and grass and a lot of food, from his mom and Selphie. Zell was still feeling guilty—only Selphie knew where he was.

He hated not being honest, and he had been doing it for weeks now. He was kind of pissed about it, because Seifer barely talked to him except to insult him. At least that hadn't changed, he guessed.

Seifer put the brownie down without touching it. "You're controlling my reading material as well as my social calendar, too?"

"I know what you were reading." Zell did know, too well, all the articles and letters in newspapers and magazines calling for Seifer to be arrested and executed. Only a protection order from Cid kept it from happening. Zell didn't like Seifer to read the things, anyway. It depressed him and then he wouldn't talk at all, not even to hurl insults. "It's not healthy! Anyway, you don't have to hang out with me. You can always say no."

"I did," Seifer pointed out, "several times. You kept hounding me."

Zell shrugged and fell to his back again. "You looked lonely."

"Ah, pity from Zell Dincht." Seifer shrugged off his coat. "I never thought I'd see the day I sunk so low."

Zell glared at him. "So why do it?"

"Because I have party invitations pouring into my mailbox. Why do you think, genius?" Seifer lay back as well. "At least you're sometimes mildly entertaining, when you're not censoring what I read." He turned his head. "I should be asking you why you waste your precious hero time on me, but I've known for two weeks."

"What the hell are you talking about? I was trying to be nice, what else would I be doing?" Seifer gave him a hard look, and it was familiar enough for Zell to see it wasn't necessarily a nice one. He pressed himself up on his arms as Seifer rose and crawled toward him. It should have looked ridiculous, but Seifer looked annoyed enough that Zell figured he was about to get the crap beat out of him. He felt his heart speed up.

"Oh, you really don't get it?" Seifer had the advantage of weight, but Zell knew Seifer wouldn't be able to hold him down for too many punches. Zell could wiggle out fast enough. "You missed all the signals?" Seifer shoved at Zell's arm and Zell lost his leverage, landing hard on his back. Seifer crouched over him and trapped Zell's hips with his legs, and Zell was cheered. Only a moron spread their legs over a—

"Oh, shit." Zell flushed as he figured out what the hell Seifer was talking about and tried to rise up. "Shit, shit, shit, no, Seifer, you've totally got the wrong idea."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Want to test that theory?"

Zell blinked. "Test it?"

Seifer only smiled and bent down, and Zell had half a second to be mortified before Seifer kissed him, nudging his mouth open. Zell squeezed his eyes shut and thought he should maybe punch Seifer in the head or something, except it was hard to care when Seifer touched his face, too, fingers barely grazing but making Zell tremble with it, anyway. His eyes flew open to stare into Seifer's, which were more blue than green today. Zell flushed at the thought, and—and—fuck. Seifer was right.

Seifer pulled away and gave Zell a smug look. "So you finally figured it out. Thanks to me, of course."

Zell frowned, and there was no damn way he was letting Seifer best him. "Figured what out?" He watched Seifer's eyes narrow and tried to keep from laughing. "Guess you didn't do it right," he said, and grinned as he tugged Seifer back down.

(final fantasy viii) benefits of silence

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:19:54 GMT

title: benefits of silence
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: sefier/zell
rating: r / not worksafe
written for: For chaosraven, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Seifer let himself into the house with the spare key Zell had given him. He didn't bother turning on any of the lights. In the well-kept foyer, the lemon cleaner Zell's mom used made Seifer wince as the smell from his clothes floated up around him. It was worse than outside, where at least the breeze could carry it away.

He climbed the stairs, pulling off his clothes and leaving them as he went directly to the bathroom. He was thankful Zell was the only one home—it was Mrs. Dincht's month to visit friends in FH, so he was safe enough. Seifer knew one day he was going to come in late at night and find himself at the end of the bat he knew Mrs. Dincht kept in her room. As he turned on the shower in the tiny bathroom, he snorted at himself. He wondered what he would say to her: telling her he was Zell's friend would likely get him laughed at, telling her the truth would get him laughed at and then beaten.

Everyone knew Zell had better sense than to get messed up with a failed SeeD and suspected Galbadia spy. Everyone, Seifer thought, but Zell.

The water was like heaven when he stepped under the spray. He leaned against the wall and let the water beat against his neck. Sometimes he thought being Galbadia spy would probably be easier than being a real Esthar spy, and he swore next time Laguna told him that a mission would be easy he would laugh in his face. Five assignments in a row had sucked, and Seifer was tired of it, and surprising enough, tired of lying to Zell.

He didn't move when the curtain of the shower was tugged back and the cool air hit him. Seifer thought if he wasn't so tired, he could probably make an effort and feel the disapproval rolling off Zell. Seifer blamed Quistis for teaching Zell that trick.

Zell said something, but Seifer didn't hear it over the water rushing past his ears. He looked up to Zell's sleepy frown, and then reached out to tug him into the stall.

"Holy shi—Seifer, what the hell, I'm wearing pants."

Seifer pressed him against the tile. "Take them off." Even as he suggested it he was shoving the soaking sweat pants over Zell's hips so they landed in a heap around his ankles.

"You've been home for five minutes and you're already—" Seifer kissed him to shut him up, but Zell pushed back and glared up. "What the hell, do you realize it's been three weeks? And you just come home like it's not a big deal?"

Seifer debated for a moment, then said, "Not now, Zell. Please."

Zell gaped at him and then practically growled when Seifer put his hands on Zell so he could press their hips together. Seifer wanted Zell to get it without him having to say anything else, and he didn't care if that was unfair or if he was playing dirty as he rocked forward. His thumbs smoothed over wet skin, and he was startled by the realization he had missed this. He felt cold suddenly, even with the hot water still falling on him.

Zell blinked and then the annoyance on his face was gone, what Seifer could see of it through his wet hair. He reached up to shove it out of Zell's eyes, not really caring that it was too personal, that it crossed all the lines between them he had drawn himself.

Zell laughed and finally put his hands on Seifer's wrists. "Okay," he said, and reached up to tug Seifer down. Zell still kissed with no finesse at all, but when he stepped out of his wet pants so he could shove Seifer into the wall, Seifer found he didn't mind at all.

He was home.

(final fantasy x) homecoming

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:19:27 GMT

title: homecoming
fandom: final fantasy x
characters: auron/braska
rating: nc-17 / not worksafe
written for: For muggy_mountain, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

The hymn in the temple floated on the air as gentle as ever. Braska was only half-listening as he rested against a wall.

It wouldn't be long now. The word had come to him that the warrior monks had returned from their field exercise. Braska knew it was Auron's regiment—he had been counting down the days.

He was crazy, but he didn't mind. What did he care for rules when his heart made so much more sense?

It wasn't long before the monks began to drift into the temple, prepared to serve in prayers for Yevon. Braska waited until he saw the familiar form enter, and moved to intercept. He was glad of his robes, because his hands were shaking.

"Auron."

Auron turned, and Braska had to work to hide his wince. A large bruise spread across Auron's cheek. Auron quickly performed the prayer. Braska wasn't used to it yet, and it still felt odd.

"I would like to speak with you," Braska said. "Concerning your interrupted lessons in Al Bhed."

Auron nodded. "Yes, sir. I am at your service."

That alone made Braska flush—he was glad for the dim light. "Please come with me." In the suddenly crowded temple full of worshippers, Braska was sure no one would see them slip out of the main hall.

"Braska, that was so danger—" Auron's voice was tense as they came into the lift chamer, and Braska wasted no more time before pushing him into the familiar alcove that would hide them from view if anyone entered, and covering Auron's mouth with his own.

"I missed you," he said, pulling back to tug on Auron's robes, desperate for warm skin.

"Braska, this is—the others are just outside." Auron's breath caught as Braska ran his hands over hot skin. He winced when Braska brushed his side. "Just bruises," he said, when Braska jerked back.

"Such rough work." Braska didn't have to hear any more warnings, because Auron's hands were on him now, as well, at his hips, pressing them together. Braska nuzzled at Auron's throat, breathing him in. He'd bathed and smelled like soap. Braska didn't let himself think about it before dropping to his knees to tug at Auron's pants, already loose on his hips. Braska stroked through them and laughed when Auron arched silently into his hand. His knees were shaking against Braska's chest. Braska kissed Auron's bare stomach, liking the fluttering of muscle under his lips.

"Braska, you—not here," Auron said. "And not that."

Braska ignored the first part. "I think it's the best idea I've had all week, actually." The pants came down easily and Braska curled his hands around Auron's waist and licked the curve of his hip. "You'll feel better for it," he said, smiling.

A cough from the chamber was like a snap of a whip, and they both froze. Braska listened closely—two sets of robes and quiet voices, he thought, even as he moved a hand over to wrap around Auron's cock. He was quick and careful, but it didn't stop Auron from jumping and almost throwing him to the floor. Braska grinned upwards into Auron's horrified face and put his finger to his lips. He paid no mind to Auron's emphatic head shaking.

"Braska, we'll get caught." Auron's voice was so low Braska almost didn't hear him. The fear came across enough to make Braska stand, press close and kiss him until he relaxed enough for Braska to feel comfortable enough moving his hand, a slow stroke up and back down. Auron shook against him, but said nothing else.

Braska kissed Auron's jaw under his ear and said, "Can you be quiet?" Auron was still and Braska moved back to stare at him. Braska thought maybe he had finally gone too far. The guilt bloomed up slowly, like it always did when Braska thought too closely about what he and Auron were doing.

He went to move away, and was startled when Auron pushed into his hand and shuddered. "Yes," he said, and the heavy feeling was gone from Braska's heart as he muffled his laughter and pressed back in touch Auron with no more hesitation.

(final fantasy viii) betting man

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:19:12 GMT

title: betting man
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: irvine/sefier
rating: r / not worksafe
written for: For first_seventhe, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

When Seifer failed to wake up after Irvine made all sorts of noise with the television, he decided he was tired of waiting and plopped down on the bed to shove at Seifer's hip.

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

Seifer grunted from under the pillow, but didn't move. Irvine had a sneaking suspicion that he had been awake the entire time. He yanked the covers down, grinned at Seifer's ass and then laid a hand on it. "Come on now, it's gone ten in the morning. Should I be proud of my skills or apologizing to you for being too much for you to handle?"

Seifer turned fast, and Irvine didn't complain when he was hauled up by his arms and pinned to the bed. "Too much for me to handle?" Seifer's voice wasn't drowsy, so Irvine had been right. Seifer was still warm from the bed, and Irvine worked a leg between his, liking the heat.

"Well, nine hours of sleep is a bit excessive, if I do say so myself."

"We're not running on SeeD time, Kinneas." Seifer frowned down at him. "Last I checked you were on leave, this was a hotel, and it was your idea."

Irvine lifted his hips a little, and was pleased when Seifer's cheeks colored. "So far it's been a great idea, but I'm hungry and breakfast service is over." He shifted his wrists under Seifer's hands. It wasn't a tight hold at all, and it gave him an idea. Irvine laughed and said, "My vacation, right? So you should go get us breakfast."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "Me? I'm not a servant."

"Would it help if I said please?" Irvine liked winding Seifer up when he could, and it was damn hard to do under the best of circumstances.

"No," Seifer said, lowering his head to kiss Irvine's jaw. "Not happening, and anyway, I just found something better to do."

Irvine turned his head to give Seifer access, debated for a minute. "Now, that's a great idea and all, but it doesn't help me even a little."

Seifer's free hand trailed down Irvine's side and hovered at his hip. "How's that my problem? I don't need to eat right now." He slipped his hand between them and wrapped it around Irvine's cock.

Irvine arched into it, and then it was a quick movement to put them back on equal ground as he rolled them both, tangling sheets around their legs. "Guess you've decided, already, then," he said, as he cupped Seifer's neck. "Never mind about the wager. You wouldn't have done it anyway, likely."

Seifer stilled his hand, and Irvine regretted that for a moment, but the expression on Seifer's face was priceless. "What?"

Irvine went straight down to take Seifer in hand. "I was just thinking that the person who comes first should be the one getting the food around here. That'd make it fair." He twisted his wrist, slid his mouth across Seifer's cheek. "But seeing as how my research says you'd lose—"

"Lose?" Seifer's tone was lazy, and it tickled Irvine down to the ground. "Oh, so you think you have more staying power?" Irvine let Seifer press closer, and the kiss he delivered was hard and fast. "You're on."

Irvine grinned as they both moved their hands and knew this bet was one he didn't mind losing at all.

(final fantasy viii) full reprisal

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:18:59 GMT

title: full reprisal
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: irvine, martine
rating: pg
written for: For shanaqui, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

The fire from the blast had melted the paint off the walls. Irvine ignored the burn of it as he strolled down the familiar hallway toward the stairs. He knew he would be lectured later for going off the mission schedule, but it hadn't been on the schedule for Galbadia Garden to start destroying itself.

Irvine took the stairs to the second floor by two, hoping that Martine hadn't already shot himself in the head out of desperation.

"Irvine, where are you?" Selphie's voice was washed out over the radio—they really needed new ones.

"2F, heading for the elevator." He stepped onto the landing and out of the corner of his eye he caught a small movement. It was enough to send him spinning; the soldier's gunfire missing him by inches. The man was already hit—it was no wonder he had missed. Irvine's head ached from the noise, and it was with regret he raised his gun and pulled the trigger. He didn't stop to watch the solider slump to the ground, and refused to think about whether or not he had a family—wife, kids, an ugly dog.

All the soldiers here had thrown their lives away already by helping Martine steal the Garden.

"Irvine! What the hell are you doing, man?" It was Zell this time, angry and breathing heavily. "I've got like six guys dogging me."

"You're good, you can handle it," Irvine said, pressing the button for the elevator. "Stall, I'll be there soon."

"Stall? Stall a bunch of guys with guns and fists the size of my head? You're fucking crazy, what are you doing?"

Irvine thought it was ironic the elevator music was still working after everything the Garden had been through. He smiled and pressed the button for the headmaster's office. "He's here. I'm taking him out." He reached up to flip off his headset, ignoring the static from Zell and Selphie's shouts.

Irvine had visited the office plenty of times: to be praised, scolded, and given assignments that made his skin crawl. He stepped into the foyer and down the short hall, squinting through the smoke. He could close his eyes and walk this path if he had to.

"It's over." Irvine let his finger hover over the trigger. "We're in Garden and we're not letting your people hurt anyone else." He stood still and listened, afraid he had been misled on purpose by the radio message of one of the soldiers he had killed.

Irvine heard the floor creak behind him too late to turn before his lower shoulder exploded in pain, making his vision blacken at the edges. He barely kept a grip on his gun as he staggered towards the wall to have something solid behind him. He heard laughter as he leaned back and looked into the smoke. His arm hurt like a bitch—Irvine guessed at a knife, and as Martine stepped toward him, his suspicions were confirmed.

"All alone, Kinneas?" Martine asked. "Thought you were smarter than that."

"You trained me." Irvine made sure to not let go of his gun. He wouldn't be able to switch hands quick enough, but if he could just get his arm up once—

"No need to split hairs." Martine lowered his arm. "You made a mistake coming here. I know your skill better than you. You've gotten sloppy."

Irvine felt nauseous and dizzy, but if he was going to bleed to death in this hellhole, he was damn well taking Martine with him. He took a deep breath and raised his arm, straight and still, ignoring the ripping pain and tears rolling down his cheeks. He pointed his gun right in Martine's shocked face.

"No," Irvine said, thinking of Quistis and her bright smile. "You made a mistake by going rogue and killing my friends."

When Irvine pulled the trigger, he lost his grip on the gun, but it didn't matter. It fell to the floor with a soft thud. Irvine watched Martine die before he hit the floor, and then let himself slide down the wall, shoulder and arm throbbing. He refused to give into the urge to pass out and grinned at Martine's lifeless eyes.

"That was for Quistis, you son of a bitch," Irvine said, reaching up to turn his headset back on. "Good riddance."

(final fantasy x-2) to fix; to patch; to mend

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:18:48 GMT

title: to fix; to patch; to mend
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: paine, nooj
rating: g
written for: For owlmoose, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

"You're going."

"I'm not."

"You're so going."

"Rikku—"

Rikku stomped her foot, and Paine winced against the echo in the hallway. "Don't start with the respect point thing again! You're going and that's final."

Paine crossed her arms. "You had no right to volunteer me without asking."

Rikku shrugged, and Paine thought she looked too smug for her own good. "Well, I've gotta help Buddy with repairs and there's no way I'm sending Brother to meet with them for funding! We'd end up paying them money." She pouted. "Come on, Paine. Just this once."

Paine rolled her eyes; if she didn't do it she'd be whined at for a week. "Okay, fine. But next time, ask."

Rikku grinned and jumped. "That's awesome! Nooj is waiting in the engine room to walk you to the meeting! Good luck!"

Paine only had time to blink at trailing streaks of a scarf as she processed what Rikku had said and—what a brat, she thought. Paine gave the bulkhead door a hesitant look, and decided it would be better to get it over with.

Nooj was right where Rikku said he would be, staring down the lowered ramp to the outside. He greeted Paine with a nod as she headed down to him, and Paine returned it. For what felt like the hundredth time, Paine regretted that Yuna was off on vacation with Tidus. She was the politician, not Paine.

"You look well," Nooj said as they exited the airship. "I trust sphere hunting is still successful."

"As well as it can be." Awkward, awkward, awkward was all it was, and she really hated polite conversation. Of course Baralai and Nooj would organize the meeting on the other side of Luca. "We—We're hoping the combined governments will help us fund more searches." It felt like something Yuna might say, but she was no Yuna.

They circled around the walkway slowly, avoiding a group of children as they continued on. How much older Nooj looked struck Paine—it had only been three months since their last meeting. She supposed for a man who thought about dying all the time it was normal to look so haggard.

"Perhaps they will. Baralai left this morning for Besaid to meet with Yuna about it."

Paine stopped walking. "Excuse me?"

Nooj faltered in his steps and turned to look at her. "Yes, Rikku said that Yuna was vacationing, but she asked Baralai if he couldn't visit for the discussions. Perhaps there was hints about Baralai treating it as a business vacation from Gippal and I—he has been working very hard."

Paine was going to strangle Rikku, or maybe toss her off the airship. "Then where are we going?"

Nooj only stared at her. "Rikku said you wished to see me. I came as soon as I heard you were in town for airship repairs."

"Oh, did she."

Paine tried not to see how Nooj's face fell, but it was hard to ignore. "Ah, I see. Maneuvered, were we?"

"It seems so." She shifted on her feet. "I—I'm sorry she wasted your time."

Nooj frowned. "Must it be a waste? Luca isn't busy. We could have lunch."

Paine was at once tempted and scared. They had done this already, and she didn't want to go through it again. "I'm not sure it's a good idea."

Nooj didn't get closer, but his voice lowered. "Paine, I regret many of the things I said about my future the last we spoke. I assure you I'm—working on them." He stared off into the distance. "If anything, I had hoped we could be friends again."

She had spent so much time angry over Nooj's depression; it was hard to know what to say to him. She watched him for a moment, and then said, "Lunch, then. Just for an hour."

Nooj nodded, and smiled. "You can choose the vendor." He picked up their path again, and Paine followed a few seconds behind. Lunch wouldn't hurt, she guessed. It was just lunch. Not a date. And maybe it would go okay.

But she was still going to make Rikku miserable when she got back.

(final fantasy x) missteps

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:17:41 GMT

title: missteps
fandom: final fantasy x
characters: auron, lulu
rating: g
written for: For saharasnow, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

The fire crackled and cast odd shadows on the tent where Yuna slept with Rikku. It rustled as one of the girls jostled in their sleep, and Lulu hoped it wasn't Yuna. Too many of her hours were spent in silent worry and stress.

She turned her eyes back to the fire and the man sitting an arm length away from her, powerful hands moving over her doll, the firelight catching the needle in his fingers. The moogle looked so small on his lap, stark against his dark clothes, even though it was covered in mud from her fall during the fiend attack. Lulu closed her eyes to take a deep breath. She had cried on the battlefield, her torn moogle in her arms. She had lost her focus, made a mistake—taken her eye off the target, as Wakka would say.

Auron's silence had not ended since the battle, and Lulu's face colored with the shame of it. She was no longer a child to make these mistakes, and she was embarrassed for herself. She knew no one judged her—except for Auron. But that was unfair, because she didn't know what he was thinking. None of them ever knew, save for Tidus, and Lulu couldn't decide if she envied him for it.

The needle and thread moved like a dance, and she wished she were less sore so she could have taken up the job herself. It felt like she was making Auron pay for her bad judgment, and that galled her worse than the event itself. He had taken it from her an hour ago after she had struggled with it through the pain, and she hadn't known what to say—hadn't expected the skill in him. The more she learned about the man in front of her, the more intrigued and confused she became.

"Thank you, Sir Auron." She forced herself to meet his gaze. "I appreciate your kindness."

He pushed the needle through fabric, pulled, and repeated twice more before looking up at her. "It is only a tool. It can be mended." He went back to his work. "Yuna does not know the magic yet to mend her Guardians should they fall."

Lulu felt her hands shake at the rebuff. "It was a momentary lapse. It won't happen again."

"Chappu gave you this doll." He said it with no inflection, and Lulu was surprised. "Yuna told me this earlier. But Chappu is gone, and you and Yuna remain. Would you forsake her and yourself for a memory attached to stuffing?"

Tears threatened, but she held them back. "I have never—I have always been strong enough. It was never an issue."

"The closer we get to Zanarkand, the worse things will be. You must take more care." Auron bent his head over his work, and tied off the sturdy thread he was using. He held the moogle up at her, and flopped its arm at her in a silly greeting. She smiled at it, and the seriousness of his expression while he did it. No longer ripped down the side or missing an arm, the moogle looked the same as it had that morning if she ignored the dirt.

"Thank you," she said, when Auron handed it back to her. He startled her by touching her arm, fingers holding her wrist gently. His skin was softer than she had imagined it would be, with all his sword work, and she flushed, unable to keep it back.

"You would know what is real, and what is only in our heads. I hope you have learned this today." His voice was quiet, missing his normal brusqueness.

"I have. You don't need to worry." She wouldn't let it happen again; saving a moogle, gift or no, wouldn't save anyone. Yuna was her charge now, and she had never been able to save Chappu from any of his big dreams.

"I would like to see you at the end of our path," he said, and took his hand away to stand. She stared at him, touched and unsure of what to say. She chose only to nod, and he might have smiled at her, she thought, before moving to the edge of their camp to relieve Kimahri.

Or perhaps it had just been a trick of the firelight. She fingered the tight stitching on her moogle.

Perhaps.

(final fantasy x-2) the luckiest day

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:17:29 GMT

title: the luckiest day
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: paine/nooj
rating: g
written for: For owlmoose, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Nooj stared into the engine room, lips pursed. He could still hear Gippal and Baralai's laughter in the hallway behind the closed bulkhead door. Sometimes he wished he could demote them on principle for being brats.

"Well, this is lucky." Paine was trying not to laugh at his displeasure, too, and Nooj wondered how long she'd last.

"I'd like to know how."

Paine's eyebrow went up, and she glanced back at the nest. "Well, my parents used to tell me chocobos laying eggs in a place where people lived was lucky."

"Mine told me it was a bad omen." Nooj remembered that well enough, among the other bad memories from his childhood. Bad memories were so pervasive; it was all he could dredge up when thinking back to his family. "Two years of bad weather and Si—" He paused. "It seems as if our concepts of these eggs is quite different."

Paine walked forward to stare at the huge nest and the two eggs sitting in it. Nooj had been to some of the chocobo farms that had bred and fostered the Chocobo Knights, but the eggs were something he had never seen. Of course, Fate had to arrange it so the first time he did it meant two eggs on his ship and the mother nowhere to be found.

Too late for breakfast, he thought, but kept his mouth shut.

"I didn't think anything would come in here, with the smell," Paine said. Nooj agreed; the engine room reeked after its soak in the ocean for so many years. They hadn't cleaned this part of the ship yet. Paine looked toward the ramp leading out into the field. "I guess she really needed a place to lay the eggs. Think she'll be back?"

"I wouldn't know." Being a captain of an airship was a headache, and he had no idea how he had let the others talk him into it. Yesterday it had been the plumbing, the day before that, a leak in the engines. Today was the day for finding chocobo eggs and everyone else wanting to keep them.

"Maybe we should treat them like they're lucky." Paine stood up and crossed her arms, and gave him a pleased look. "Our ship, our rules, right? Unless you want to be negative about it; don't let me stop you."

He ignored the jab. "My father—" Nooj paused when Paine's face registered surprise. He knew he didn't speak of family that much. It was too easy for him to forget how much he was still keeping from Paine—from everyone. "He said a month before I was born, a chocobo laid eggs in our hut while we were out fishing. They couldn't go anywhere near the door for over a week."

"So your parents thought it meant bad luck?"

"Everything had meaning, especially if it made them victims." Nooj thumped his cane on the floor, nodded. "Perhaps I prefer your way." Nooj didn't expect Paine to look at him the way she did, with a hint of promise.

"Trying to score points with the pilot, captain?" She was teasing him on purpose. Nooj reminded himself they were on duty, and Baralai and Gippal weren't above recording anything they saw that looked interesting if they stumbled across it. There was no reason to give them cause.

"If I say yes, how many points do I earn?" He didn't expect an answer, but the warm flush he teased onto Paine's face was worth it. "If the chocobo chose our ship, perhaps it's a good blessing. It was a safe place." It was a surprise to him that he felt like he understood the chocobo now—safe spaces were hard to find outside the cities these days, or even inside them.

"Well, I guess that means we'll leave the door open." Paine backed away from the nest to stand with him. "Lucky us."

"Indeed," Nooj said, and damn any recorders, he thought, pulling a startled Paine close to kiss her.

After all, luck had been on his side for months already.

(final fantasy viii) holding tight to loyalty

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:17:12 GMT

title: holding tight to loyalty
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: raijin, fujin
rating: g
written for: For nanthimus, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Raijin plopped down across the table from Fujin. She looked up, a quick flash of red and black, and then back to the notebook in front of her. She had her written exam after lunch, and Raijin had been helping her study for it for the last two months. He wished he felt as ready as she was, but his had been pushed back again. It made him wonder if he was going to remember everything long enough to take the exam.

"How's it going?" Raijin didn't like asking; sometimes it was bad news, like more nasty letters or threats. Fujin had the same air around her no matter her mood was.

"Fine."

Pages rustled, and Raijin stared down at his lunch he didn't want very much. He didn't want to do it, but the decision had been made already. If he didn't tell her, she would hear it from gossip. Raijin wasn't stupid no matter what some of the graffiti on his door said. He knew how that would end for him. "My exam got pushed back again."

Fujin's fingers stilled from their distracted dance on the tabletop. "I see."

"Don't get all mad." It was a waste of time to ask, but he made the effort anyway. "Said I wasn't ready, assigned me more practical work."

"Excuses." Fujin flipped her notebook closed. She lowered her voice and said, "I thought four months would be enough time for them to stop judging us."

"Well, you can't exactly blame them." Raijin pushed his fries around on his place with his fingers, not meeting Fujin's gaze. It was always the same deal with her, silent lectures over guilt and the blood he still sometimes dreamed was on his hands. "We've just got to tough it out, not let them get us down. Hey, you get to take the exam today, you know? We're wearing them down, Fu."

"Leonhart." Fujin said it like a curse, and Raijin couldn't disagree. Leonhart always looked at him like he had seen a ghost. Maybe seeing Raijin everyday reminded him of Seifer. Raijin didn't know, but he was kinda tired of being judged by Leonhart and everyone else, too.

"So we'll have patience, right, like Seifer told us to," he said, even though it was getting harder to follow the advice. It had come with a depressing goodbye, and Seifer had vanished on them, leaving an empty bed in the hotel room and a bunch of unanswered questions. It didn't matter how many times Fujin told him that it was for the best that it look like ties had been cut. Raijin didn't think he would ever stop regretting it, because it didn't just look like they had been.

"Protect each other. Don't give up on your dreams." Fujin didn't even bother to mask the sadness in her voice as she quoted Seifer's last note to them. "He made it sound easy."

"Maybe it was to him, after everything he went through, you know?" Raijin shrugged, and stole Fujin's peanut butter cookie. "Maybe one day when we're SeeDs, we'll see him again. Just cause he said it was permanent doesn't mean we might not run into him."

"Small world." Fujin smiled. "For SeeD."

"And he'd be disappointed if he finds out we screwed it up. Bad reunion news and stuff. So I'll guess we'll just keep on, you know?" Raijin grinned at Fujin's nod, and bit into the cookie, cheered.

(final fantasy viii) the things we are given

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:16:50 GMT

title: the things we are given
fandom: final fantasy viii
characters: rinoa, watts
rating: g
written for: For mneme_forgets, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

"You keep fidgeting." Rinoa straightened the tie Watts had tugged loose again. "Cut it out."

Watts looked over Rinoa's head into the mirror. The last few weeks had felt surreal, but today was the worst. He stared at his reflection, marveling that the people who had fixed his hair had done the same thing he did every morning, but with triple the time and with way more gel.

"Are you listening to me?"

Watts looked down, face flushing at Rinoa's stern look. "Well, I—no. Sorry."

Rinoa's palms smooth over creases in his suit, and Watts wondered if the amount of sweating he was doing was going to stain it. It was a rental, after all, and he didn't want to lose his deposit, especially since it was Laguna who had—

"Stop it." Rinoa's tone was mild as she pinned on the white rose and spray of blue flowers Ellone had chosen.

Watts blanked his face, because Rinoa had a creepy way of knowing when his thoughts slid over to Laguna. Zone said he looked like he was constipated, and one of the escorts had been quick to tell him that he turned purple, and then made it worse by reminding him that purple wasn't part of the color theme. Watts liked most of Rinoa's friends, but that girl had a weird sense of humor.

"I can't help it. Ellone and I will see him everyday. I—I mean, we're getting married. He'll know things now." Watts took Rinoa's wrist.

"You're just extra nervous today, is all." Rinoa stepped back and eyed his clothes. "I'm not really supposed to share the secret," she said, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. "But between you and me, Ellone is gorgeous today."

"Of course she is." Watts knew all about these tricks. "She's gorgeous everyday."

Rinoa laughed. "You'll never trust girls again after me, will you?"

"Probably not." Watts grinned at her, nerves soothed a little bit by the old joke between them. At least he wouldn't have to go it alone. Rinoa would be on one side, Zone and Kiros on the other. "But you're a special case, I guess I should."

"You big meanie." Rinoa opened her little handbag and stuck three fingers in to dig around. Watts wasn't sure how anything fit in it. "I have something for you."

Watts watched her pull out a wrapped bit of black fabric, tattered at the edges. "A gift? I hope this doesn't replace the toaster I asked for."

"You asked everyone for a toaster to win that bet with Zone." Rinoa glared, but it was full of too much humor. "Some people—like me—do get creative wedding gifts."

"What's this?" She placed it in his hand, and Watts pulled back the fabric to reveal the contents. His eyes met hers, shocked, before staring at the rings again. "What?"

Rinoa lifted a shoulder, eyes fighting tears he hadn't noticed before. Watts knew better than to call her on it, so he kept silent and waited for her to tell him.

"Laguna gave them to Squall, because—" She sighed. "I was dropping hints, so Laguna thought it was going to happen. He tried to give them to Squall, but he said he wasn't getting married." Rinoa closed Watts fingers over them with one hand as she wiped her eyes with the other. "I can change his mind, and anyway, I know that Ellone was closer to both Raine and Laguna. So I asked Laguna if I could give them to you."

"Guess he likes me more than I thought."

"He said he wished he had thought of it first, actually. He offered to give them, but I didn't think of it until yesterday. I figured you'd probably have a nervous breakdown if he tried so soon to the wedding." She shifted on her feet. "Will you take them?"

"Of course," Watts said, staring at the silver bands in surprise.

Rinoa threw her arms around him in a quick hug. "That's great. Ellone will be thrilled. She might cry, Laguna said she would, so—"

Watts knew how to handle Ellone. It was everything else that was trying to give him a stroke. "I'll be okay."

Rinoa held out an arm. "I'll walk you to the aisle."

Watts pocketed the rings, liking the way they clinked together, feeling better than he had all morning. He took Rinoa's offered arm. "Lead the way."

(final fantasy x-2) weaknesses

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:16:18 GMT

title: weaknesses
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: paine/nooj
rating: pg
written for: owlmoose, for the ff_press birthday celebratory ficbit meme. Originally posted here.

Paine trailed her fingers through the shifting sand beside her as it tugged on her skin. In front of her, the water of the oasis sparkled under the sun. The growing winds shifted the palms and grass growing up from the sands in slow, sweeping motions.

"You'll burn out here in that bathing suit."

"I'm fine." Paine twisted her head to look at Nooj, making his way toward her. "How's the ship?"

"Gippal says we'll be back underway in an hour." He didn't sit beside her, but stood close enough where he could trace his hand along her hair, smoothing through tangles. "Our ship doesn't like the sand, it seems."

"Takes after its captain, then." Paine smiled as fingers tugged gently on her hair. "Grumbles a lot, demands to be oiled."

"Are you insinuating that I can't handle sand?" Nooj's tone deepened, and Paine pulled her hand away from the tiny circle of sinking sand to stand up.

"No, I'm saying you grumble about sand." She glanced at him, wanting to smooth away the slight frown there. "Sand, chocobos, Baralai's cupcakes...I know all your weaknesses." The wind whipped around them, and Nooj braced against it.

"You missed one," Nooj said.

Paine looked toward the water, and them smiled and stepped forward, putting a foot in the water lapping against dry land. "I guess I did." She went forward, bare feet sinking into the wet sand under the water. It was cold against her skin as she went deeper, goose bumps spreading upwards, ignoring the beating heat of the sun. She looked back to see Nooj's face gone slack and the chill of the water in the wind was worth it.

"Paine—" Nooj's voice caught as Paine slid her fingers under the bottom of her top.

Her lips curved upwards. "Let me show you the one I forgot."

(final fantasy x-2) endings and beginnings

Thu, 24 May 2007 22:12:24 GMT

title: endings and beginnings
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: rikku, paine/nooj
rating: g
written for: owlmoose, SURPRISE FIC ATTACK! Originally posted here.

"The cake is pretty good," Rikku said. The delicate white material of her dress wasn't stained yet, but Paine thought it wouldn't be long at the rate she was tearing through the buffet. "She was pretty, wasn't she?"

Paine looked toward the beach where the villagers had strung lights in a haphazard circle to create a lit dance floor for later that evening. Yuna and Tidus were swinging each other around to a fast tune from the band near the cliff. "Yeah, it was a nice ceremony." She frowned. "Well, except when Vidana—"

Rikku winced. "I didn't leave them out on purpose."

"I'm sure having a two year old wear your underwear on his head during a wedding is fine." Paine wasn't paying attention any longer—she had seen who she had been waiting for.

Rikku was silent beside her. "I wondered if he was going to haul you away immediately." She popped the rest of the cake she held into her mouth. "Guess he at least let you hang around a little while. This is really it."

Paine looked away, down to the sand. "We had a good run, Rikku." Of all of them, Rikku was the most upset about the end of the Gullwings—and it wasn't even truly the end, to Paine's eye. "You told me just three weeks ago you didn't mind Leblanc that much anymore."

Rikku wrinkled her nose. "Yeah well, it's not the same! You're going to go off and make spheres; Yunie's going to do whatever it is married people do. It's not really the Gullwings without you guys, even Buddy says so."

Paine was surprised at that, but shrugged it off. "Things change."

Rikku sighed and nudged Paine to the right with her shoulder. "Go on, he's waiting on you." She winked at Paine, and Paine smiled at the crumbs still on her lips—Rikku would always be Rikku. "Don't be too grumpy all the time, okay? Having a boyfriend is supposed to make you happy." Paine rolled her eyes as she walked away—Rikku would never be convinced Nooj made her happy.

He didn't watch her approach, his eyes on Yuna and Tidus, now pressed closed, not even bothering to dance anymore, even though the music was still upbeat. Paine thought she understood that feeling. "Is it time?"

Nooj's glasses caught the setting sun. "Whenever you're ready." He sounded happy, and Paine had been waiting a long time to hear it in his voice, just like that, happy just because he could be.

She reached out and linked their fingers, pleased when he squeezed back. "Let's go home," she said.

(final fantasy x-2) into the rising sun

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:42:20 GMT

title: into the rising sun
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: paine, nooj, baralai
rating: g
written for: owlmoose, originally posted here. Meta-fic for darkness, dawn.

The metal under her heels made sounds like bells as she walked over to where Baralai was sleeping at his post, curled into the leather of his seat. His breathing was easy and face smooth, light playing over his features. Beyond the windows of the glass in front of them the sun, still hiding behind the horizon, was teasing the sky a shy pink and orange. Paine smiled at it, thinking back to days where she had watched the sun rise on the Celsius every morning.

Nooj's approach was told by the sound of metal on metal as he made his way from the hall into the room. He never stayed in bed long after she rose and hadn't for quite awhile. "So much for our navigator taking the night watch."

"The autopilot can handle it," Paine said. "Gippal made sure."

Baralai shifted and mumbled, but didn't wake as Paine stepped up into the pilot's seat. Nooj reached her and placed a warm palm on her back. "I suppose Baralai has extensive plans on where we'll be going today, prepared before his nap."

"No." Paine stared through clouds as they passed them. Under her, the faint vibration of her ship—their ship—set her more at ease. "Today's the last day before we go back. Today is just going to be for us. No sphere hunting today."

Nooj tightened his hand on her back. "Where do we feel like going?"

Paine just smiled back at him, and shrugged. "Wherever we want. As long as it's together, right?"

A smile—not so rare as they used to be, but pleasing to her anyway—crossed Nooj's face. "That's correct." He raised his eyes to look ahead, glasses glinting with a brand new sun. "Take us away, pilot."

(kingdom hearts 2) under

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:07:21 GMT

title: under
fandom: kingdom hearts 2
characters: riku/roxas
rating: nc-17 / not worksafe
written for: owlmoose, originally posted here.

Riku had dreamed of it, but never expected it. It floated through his mind like they highest paopu fruit he could not reach to taste, only watch and want to distraction. Riku tossed in his sleeping bag on Sora's floor, trying to find a comfortable position.

He never expected it, until he was yanked out of the place between sleep and waking by warm hands on his hips. He jerked; eyes opened to darkness but for the glow of a waning moon. Fingers trailed under his shirt with a focus that startled Riku into a moan.

He breathed in, then said, "Sora—" Fingers with a purpose, he thought, that knew what they wanted. They peeled back sweatpants like they had peeled back his defenses so long ago.

These were not Sora's hands.

He arched into the wet palm that closed around him, feeling Sora-but-not laughing above him in a voice that was his in every way but the most important one. He rolled his hips up, up, up, fingers clenching but finding no purchase in the worn-down carpet.

The mouth that moved to muffle him as Riku spilled over Sora's hand was firm, and Riku shook through it and let himself be silenced. Roxas, his mind said, as his mouth was unable to.

Roxas.

(final fantasy x-2) dwelling on dreams

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:04:49 GMT

title: dwelling on dreams
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: beclem, wakka
rating: g / worksafe
written for: owlmoose, originally posted here.

The sand was wet and warm when Beclem sat down beside the hunched figure; even his hair was flat from the rainstorm he had sat through.

"Wakka," he said.

He didn’t answer, but Beclem wasn't surprised. He rubbed his face to wipe off the mist still falling. "You've been out here all night. We're worried."

"Not everyone is worried." Wakka finally looked up at him. "Yuna is. Tidus is. Rikku might be. I sent them away for a reason."

"You're both young," Beclem said, ignoring the hint. The man in front of him was like a mirror that had broken and was now cutting his palms. "It’s normal to argue. She’ll come ba—"

"I left her," Wakka said suddenly, and Beclem was stunned into silence. "Means I left Vidina, too. It's all gone wrong. Nothing like I thought, you know?"

"Maybe it wasn’t meant to be," Beclem said, and he had said it once before to Chappu, in tears over the same woman so long ago. Beclem didn't know Lulu. He didn’t want to know Lulu, the woman who had broken an entire family of men.

"You don't—you can't know." Wakka shook his head, sending water flying. "We've all lost people, but no one I know has ever lost like this."

Beclem only sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "You’re wrong," he said. He thought of Chappu, destined to be friend forever, Sent away. He thought of Wakka, beside him, torn into pieces by his own hands that had pulled Beclem in but just as quickly pushed him away.

Wakka looked at him, startled. "Wha—"

Beclem just shook his head and held out a hand. "Let’s go back," he said. "Together."

(final fantasy x-2) the end of the gaunlet

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 04:00:28 GMT

title: the end of the gauntlet
fandom: final fantasy x-2
characters: beclem, yuna
rating: g / worksafe
written for: owlmoose, originally posted here.

He hasn't changed, she thinks. His voice is unmistakable even through the buzz of the crowd of blitzball fans, reading the riot act to his companion. Yuna looks at the pair almost fondly, remembering when she had been on the receiving end.

"Hello, Beclem," she says, and he's looking at her, a little shocked. It has been a year, but it seems so much shorter than that to Yuna; he looks the same. He stares for a moment and Yuna somehow expects derision—Beclem’s never handed out niceties for nothing.

"Lady Yuna," he says, and she’s surprised when he smiles.