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Chapter 3.

IIiiII

Seifer woke up feeling like his face was twice the size it was yesterday. He sleepily rubbed it, winced in pain and then remembered.

He prodded his cheek bone gently with a single finger.

Great, he probably had a nice bruise by now.

He glanced sleepily over to his left, light peered in through the gap in the curtain. It was early the other guys still looked asleep as far as he could see.

He shut his eyes again, maybe went back to sleep he wasn't sure but suddenly the room lit up as someone came in through the curtain and he heard stumbling, someone cursed quietly.

He opened an eye slightly.

A figure was stumbling around the dark, tripping over things. He only saw the back of their head as whoever picked up the things he had knocked over and then continued on his way in Seifer's direction.

The tall blonde shut his eyes again, turning his face away slightly and trying to doze.

He was aware of the stumbling stopping and footsteps sounded like they stopped near him, he could feel eyes looking at him. Probably just one of the guys getting back into their bunk. The figure must have knelt next to his bunk because someone leaned over him and he could hear breathing.

Fingers trailing lightly over the bruise that he had inspected himself early. He jumped slightly at the contact but didn't open his eyes right away, expecting it to Matron or one of the girls worrying about him.

His little jolt had made the owner of the fingers jump back and sit up on their heels. And that's how he looked when Seifer opened his eyes, his pupils going wide at the sight of Zell sitting beside his bunk. The little blonde looked equally shocked and almost panicked. His mouth opened and closed a few times as if trying to think of a good reason for him to be there.

"Sorry." He said.

Seifer didn't say anything, he wasn't sure if he was awake or not. This could be a dream, if it was then so far it was damn good one.

"A-About your face I mean." He added. "It looks pretty gross." He glancing down at his lap. "I was just- you know- concerned." He was getting redder by the minute that Seifer thought he might just die of embarrassment any second now.

"S'okay." He heard himself say. "I've forgiven you."

The little blonde nodded, still not meeting his eyes and then he awkwardly got up to leave with a muttered. "That's good."

Then he was gone and Seifer blinked at the strangeness of - whatever that was.

He stared at the top bunk for a second before.... The sound of sniggering filtered into his brain and brought him to his senses.

He turned to the right and saw Irvine and Raijin propped up and smirking at him from their bunks.

He sighed. Great, just what he wanted. They wouldn't let him forget this for a while.... Not that he was likely too.

He sat up on the edge of his bunk. "Well?" He asked them. "Get it over with."

Raijin blinked innocently at him. "We don't know what you're talking about, you know."

"Whatever little comments you're dying to make, tell me now and get it over with."

Irvine shook his head with smile. "No, no we're happy that you two are getting along so well, aren't we Rai?"

The dark man below nodded. "Yeah man, 'course."

Seifer shot them a suspicious look. "Fine well I have to go and take a shower."

"Oh don't use all the hot water, Matron says it takes ages to heat up again."

He nodded.

"If you want to save water, you know, you could ask Zell to share the shower with you seeing as you two get along so well." Raijin said, trying to squash a smile but Irvine didn't bother he laughed.

Seifer glared at them both. "Oh fuck off." He headed for his shower.

The tall blonde locked the door to the tiny room behind him. The tiles were black and it quite dark in there. Only a single bulb illuminated the room and it flickered a couple of times. A small shower stood on the left with a tiny sink opposite the toilet, which was next to the door. The girls had looked through plans to make one of the other rooms into a large bathroom and this into a cupboard or something.

Seifer caught his reflection in an mirror above the sink, that had a couple cracks in the top. He stopped and peered at his cheek, angling his face to get a good look. Chickie was right it did look gross, all dark red and angry looking. He opened the cupboard under the sink looking for something he could use after his shower to help stop the swelling. He wrinkled his nose at half of the stuff in there that looked like it had been there when they were kids. He changed his mind and shut the door again, stripping off his clothing and stepping into the shower.

Seifer turned on the taps and the water came on cold, causing him to jump back at the unexpected cold, hitting the back of his head on the tiles.

"Fuck." He muttered, rubbing his skull.

He had the temperature set to hot but....

He stayed away from the spray and tampering with it gently at first then getting more annoying he just hit the pipes.... And water turned hot.

He blinked at disbelief then chuckled and shook his head. Stupid old building.

Remembering Irvine's warning he made it a quick shower, he remembered as soon as the water was on that he had forgotten to bring any soap in with him and there wasn't any in there. He washed his hair in just water.

Chickie sure was strange sometimes, he knew the little blonde had thought he was asleep and hadn't expected him to wake up so Seifer didn't think it meant anything except that he was just being concerned as he had said.

Not that the others would believe that if they found out and if Irvine and Raijin knew it was only a matter of time before everyone knew. Raijin would tell Fujin and Irvine would tell Selphie and that would be enough.

IIiiII

Zell walked into the living room for breakfast, the girls were already sitting around the table with Edea. Matron and Quistis had half a newspaper each.

"Good morning dear." Edea said when he walked in.

Selphie had a spoon sticking out of her mouth, the others nodded at him or waved.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Rinoa kicked the last available chair out in his direction.

"You're all finally up then, I thought you guys would sleep the day away." Quistis teased.

"Hey!" Zell defended. "I've been up for hours, I went for a run down on the beach! When I left all of you were still asleep!"

"Really?" Quistis arched an eyebrow.

"Yep I just went back to get changed and err stuff."

"Are the others up too?"

He nodded. "They were awake and talking when I left." He poured himself a bowl of cereal. "Milk please." He held out a hand to Fujin who had the milk last.

Zell had just put a spoonful of breakfast into his mouth when Irvine walked in, wearing jeans and a dark blue vest top. He was shoeless and hatless.

"Morning ladies."

The table chorused with calls of. "Hi Irvine."

"Morning Irvine."

Then the cowboy's eyes fell on Zell and he added. "....And Zell."

The little blonde rolled his eyes.

There weren't any chairs left so the Irvine leant on the back of the sofa chatting away with some of the girls.

"You just get up?" Quistis asked.

"Yep." He nodded. "I was waiting to go in the shower but Seifer's taking his time, making himself look beautiful....since I'm sure he has his admirers." Zell glared at Irvine, the girls didn't notice. "Or at least people that molest him in his sleep." He chuckled.

Selphie's spoon fell from her mouth. "What? What was that about molesting?"

"That comment yesterday about an orgy was a joke wasn't it?" Matron asked.

"I did not molest anyone!" Zell said, turning to address Irvine who grinned at him.

Now the whole table was staring at Zell.

"What?" He asked.

"What happened?"

"Nothing!" He insisted. "Don't listen to Irvine, he's a knob!"

"Zell was touching up Seifer."

"I was not!"

"Ooooooooo!" Selphie said.

"Stop that!" Zell insisted. "Look I was asking Seifer if his face was okay 'cause it looked really gross and stuff and I apologized, that's all! Honest!"

"And he touched him." Irvine added.

Zell started to go red. "I hate you." He spat at the cowboy, who laughed.

"Like this." He got up and ran a hand down Selphie cheek.

The petite girl squealed. "REALLY?!"

Zell was very red now. "I was checking his injury."

Fujin scoffed.

"I was!" He said. "You guys are mean!"

Edea smiled at him. "Seriously dear we're happy for you, aren't we?"

The rest of the table agreed with her.

"There's nothing to be happy for! I was just concerned, that's all! I-It's not like I'd do it for any other reason is it? I mean he's Seifer, I wouldn't want to feel him up I just-"

And then Seifer walked in.

The table went silent, the girls got on with their eating. Zell sat there red faced and still, Irvine stood leaning on the sofa with his arms folded.

"Everyone goes quiet as soon as I walk into the room that's suspicious." He said.

Quistis stood from the table and offered her seat- next to Zell- to Seifer. "I'm finished, you can have my chair."

He gave her a suspicious look. "Thanks." He dropped into the chair. "Ooh cereal." He got a bowl and started pouring his breakfast. Fujin passed the milk before he even had to ask.

Selphie and Rinoa were whispering to each other and everyone else was smiling strangely their glances flicking between Seifer and Zell.

"Okay what's going on?" Seifer asked.

Zell picked up his bowl. "I'm going to eat outside."

The tall blonde frowned until Irvine dropped into the now empty chair, the cowboy was grinning at Seifer.

"You told them." He accused.

"So it's true?" Selphie asked, her eyes wide with delight.

"No it's not, whatever he said it's not true, you know you can't trust this guy." He jerked a thumb in Irvine's direction.

"Raijin was there, he'll back me up."

"Well you can't trust him either!" He picked up his bowl. "Eating outside sounds like a good plan to me."

IIiiII

Seifer knelt on the roof of the building nailing down tiles, he was shirtless in the hot sun. He occasionally reached back a hand to rub at his hot shoulders. Irvine and Zell were up there too, Zell on the other side of the roof and the cowboy was behind Seifer. Raijin was right below them whistling a tune as he fixed up some a crumbling walls. In fact it was a same piece of music over and over again and Seifer was getting more and more annoyed.

"Would you shut up already!?" He yelled.

"Hmm?" His friend came into view. "What's that?"

"Shut up, you're driving me crazy!"

Raijin frowned. "What's up with you, you know?"

Seifer growled. "I'll tell you what's wrong with me, I'm boiling up here, these fucking tiles are not sticking down, I have this-" He waved a hand at Raijin. "This stuff all over my hands AND your whistling is driving me CRAZY!!"

The dark man shrugged. "How is that my problem, you know?"

Seifer glared homicidally at him. "It will be your problem when I get down there!"

The blonde stared at his poor blistered palms, if only he's argued more when the others voted not to bring magic with them as it 'wasn't needed'. He huffed. Stupid so called friends. His hands hurt, his face looked gross, which people had been telling him all day

"What are you bitching about now?" Irvine said, shuffling over the roof in Seifer's direction.

"Look!" Seifer showed the cowboy his hands.

"What the hell is that stuff?"

"I don't know, it starting coming out when I took off some loose tiles."

"Does it hurt?"

Seifer shot him a mean look. "Of course it fucking hurting!"

"Then I wouldn't touch it again." Irvine said.

"Oh thanks for the great advice oh masterful one! It's not like I was trying to get it on me but it's everywhere!"

Irvine shook his head. "This could only happen to you."

Raijin had started whistling that tune again.

"RAIJIN?!" Seifer yelled.

"What?!"

"Can't you whistle a different tune?" Zell asked from the other side of the roof.

"I guess I could." He smirked at Seifer. "You have any requests, you know?"

Seifer just snorted.

Edea came out and looked up at them, her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. "Maybe you boys should take a break, it's awfully hot out here today."

The girls were out by the cliff pouring bottles of water over their heads to cool off. Selphie inspected her poor red shoulders and Fujin did the same, being pale skinned she burned easily. Rinoa flicked her hair back and it slicked to her head. She shivered as water dripped down her back inside her top.

Selphie walked around the building following the other sounds of someone still doing work.

"Squall!" She called. "Squall, Matron's called a break we're going in for lunch and-err-" She smiled. "Burn treatment."

"Uh huh." He said, still mixing his cement.

"Oh my god!" She gasped. "You've almost done the whole wall!"

He blinked at her. "I did start before you remember?"

"Yeah but-" Now she felt bad for not doing very much all morning. She shrugged and grabbed his arm. "Come on, we're making sandwiches."

He pulled back. "Okay I just want to finish this first."

"You can finish it later, don't go being a workaholic again or you know what'll happen."

He looked at her. "You wouldn't."

"I would, I'd go and get the gang and we'll force you to have fun."

He grimaced and let himself be pulled towards the house. "Okay." He muttered.

IIiiII

TBC