Deep End

Chapter 5

By Purple Penguin

Squall fought with his opponent, pushing it back then turning to pull the lever to keep it in place back it snapped back and trapped his leg.

"Ahh!"

The sofa in the living room had struck again, the stupid thing was supposed to fold out but now it protested. All he wanted to do was fold out the inside and keep the back upright so the three of them could watch their movie in comfort. He looked up at the sound of laughter, seeing Zell standing there grinning at him.

"Don’t just stand there, help me." The brunette struggled to free himself.

Zell pulled the back up and into place. "You pressed the wrong bit."

"No I didn’t, this thing’s crap!"

Zell smiled. "Remember when I first moved in here and I had to sleep here because I hadn’t got a bed yet."

"Yeah and it ate you."

"You didn’t tell me it folded up completely, it landed on my head during the night and when I called for help you just stood there and watched me struggle."

Squall smiled at the memory and handed Zell some pillows to put beside the sofa. The spare room where Zell had slept was now bedless or sort of, it had a mattress but the bed part had had a small accident. Squall had said it broke from over-usage and Zell had playfully hit him saying it made him sound like whore. Irvine was coming round later and Squall had said that the two of them could sleep there instead of having to drive home late. The two of them would be on the sofa so Squall was prepared with blankets and pillows. He handed Zell a corner of a sheet to tuck in.

"Squall it’s quite warm in here, I’m sure we won’t freeze to death you don’t have to pile on the blankets."

"Zell this is a sheet not a blanket."

The blonde shook his head. "You’re such a woman."

The brunette frowned but ignored the comment.

There was a knock at the door. "It’s open!" Squall called as he applied a couple of blankets to the sofa/bed.

Irvine came in carrying a six-pack of beer. "Don’t worry, dry those tears for the great Irvine is here."

Squall rolled his eyes. The cowboy put the cans on the side-board and wrapped an arm around Zell, giving him a quick kiss. "Hi baby." He smiled at his blonde lover.

"Irvy we already picked a movie, is that okay?"

Irvine stared at him. "What? Does anyone get naked?"

"I don’t think so."

"NOOOOO!"

"But we thought of you and chose LOTR: The two towers, is that okay?"

He seemed to think about it. "Could be worse I guess."

Zell smiled at him. "Oh and Squall letting us stay here in case you don’t want to drive back in the dark and-" He trailed off to laugh when Squall walked up and held out the bible to the cowboy.

"What’s this?"

"What do you think it is? It’s the bible."

"Why are you giving it to me?"

Squall picked up one of the cowboy’s hands and pressed it to the leather covered book. "I want you to swear of this that there will be no funny business on my sofa in my house."

Zell still laughed in the corner, Irvine glanced between them and frowned. "Me? Did you make Zell swear on the bible?"

"No it’s you I’m worried about."

"You don’t trust me Squally? I’m shocked and appalled."

Squall didn’t move, just kept on holding out the leather book in silence till the other man gave in.

"Okay, okay." Irvine stood to attention with his hand on the bible. "I swear I will not grope Zell and put my hands anyway near that cute little ass of his." He grinned as Zell stopped laughing to turn beetroot colour. "Good enough for you?"

"Yes, very good." Squall nodded, wandering into the kitchen to grab a large glass bowl to pour the popcorn that Zell had brought into. He went back and placed the bowl beside the sofa, rolling his eyes at the love birds who were already kissing in the corner, Irvine’s hands disappeared under Zell’s tank top. Squall cleared his throat, the blonde blushed deeper, pulling his top down tightly and pushing the cowboy away. Irvine just grinned and gave Squall a look at screamed. ‘What do you expected? It’s me.’

The brunette turned away as the phone rang.

"You’d better get that Squall." The cowboy said with smile, already turning back to reach for Zell.

Squall frowned and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Squall? It’s Seifer." The blonde sighed. "Thank god I thought I had fucked up then, forgot to take your number out of my pants before I washed them and now the ink’s all smeared and I got some strange woman the first two times that yelled at me in some language."

Squall shook his head.

"Who is it?" Zell asked.

"That Zell?"

"Yeah he and Irvine are here, we’re going to watch a dvd."

"Who is it?!"

Squall glared at the little blonde. "It’s Seifer."

The cowboy looked up from his groping of Zell.

"Let him join us." Zell said.

Irvine gave him a look like someone had stolen his puppy instead of being angry. "What? Why?"

Squall turned back to the phone. "If you’re not busy, you can join us."

"How’s the cowboy feel about that?"

"He’ll come around, and if not I’ve stocked up on the ice." He chuckled.

"That’s very reassuring."

"Please? Or else I have to sit here and play third wheel to the two lovebirds over here."

Seifer chuckled. "Okay, what are we watching?"

"Lord of the rings: The second one."

Irvine was staring at the phone as Zell dragged him over to the couch the curled up next to his lover.

Squall said bye to Seifer then hung up. "Is he coming?" Zell asked.

"Yeah."

Irvine frowned. "I don’t like that guy."

"Why? Forget about the club he danced with me because you had your hands up that girl’s skirt."

Irvine opened his mouth to protest but then realized that that was probably about right.

"And besides-" Zell climbed into the cowboy’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. "-I’m going to stay here all night."

Squall smiled. They were sweet, if only Irvine knew that Seifer wasn’t the one he should be worried about, it was Nida and Zell had be talking to be already behind his lover’s back. He left the couple to disappear back into the kitchen.

15 minutes later.

"Can we watch it yet?" Irvine whined.

"No we have to wait for Seifer."

The doorbell rang and Squall went to answer it.

"Can we put it on now?" Irvine nudged Zell who got up out of his lap and pressed play on the DVD player.

Seifer raised an eyebrow at Squall’s clothes or lack of clothes. "Is that a new fashion statement?"

The brunette looked down a little sheepishly. He wore only a black vest and a pair of white boxers. "Oh, well I-I was going to get dressed then I didn’t- because it was just going to be the three of us and then after the movie I was just going to go to bed anyway so-"

"S’okay you don’t have to explain to me, I’m not complaining."

Squall stepped back to let Seifer in and shut the door. "You started without me?"

"No we didn’t-" He turned and frowned at the screen. "Zell!"

"What? Irvine made me do it!"

The tall blonde hung up his trench coat and left his shoes at the door then sat down at the far end of the sofa with a big gap between himself and Irvine. Squall switched off the lights then slide up the bed/sofa into the middle next to Seifer. He dragged a blanket with him and handed the bowl of popcorn to Irvine. All fours guys lay on the half folded out bed in the dark watching their movie. Squall nudged Seifer half-way through to point at the two lovebirds. Zell was curled up next to his lover with his head under Irvine’s chin. The cowboy’s fingers absently stroked through the little blonde’s hair while his eyes never left the screen.

"Aren’t they cute?" Squall hissed in amusement to Seifer.

Irvine glanced at them in confusion but they both gave him innocent looks.

The movie ended and Zell sat up, switching on the lamp beside the sofa. "I want a talking tree too!"

The others just stared at him. "Shut up Zell."

Seifer got up and stretched his arms in the air. "My leg’s gone to sleep."

"Squall maybe you should rub it better for him." Irvine suggested.

They both grimaced at the grinning cowboy. "No." Squall said simply then turned to Seifer. "Are you walking home?"

"That was the idea."

"You can sleep in the spare room on the mattress on the floor." Zell suggested. "Or you can borrow Irvine’s car."

"No he can’t!"

"What’s worry with walking?"

"Zell’s almost got beaten up round here but he scared them around."

"Scared them away?"

"Yeah he’s Zell, he only has to act normal and they probably thought he had rabies or something."

The little blonde glared at Squall briefly. "You could share the sofa with us."

His lover pouted. "No he can’t!"

"Why not? Squall’s banned you from touching me below the waist anyway."

Squall shook his head. "Guys it’s okay, he can share my bed."

They fell into silence with Irvine grinning at him then start laughing. "Now don’t go breaking your own rule will you Squally boy?"

"Or Irvine you could sleep with me and Seifer could share with Zell." He said innocently.

"What?! No!"

"Okay that’s settled then." He smiled with himself and disappeared into the bedroom.

Seifer stared after him and whimpered causing the other two to laugh. "Now would be a good time to read the book self-restraint 101." Irvine grinned. "And you know Squall’s really funny about that sort of thing, you’ll probably get sued for sexually harassment."

Seifer walked away from the pair and into Squall’s room.

Zell playfully hit his lover. "What did you tell him that for?"

"What? Squall’s said that to me loads of times."

"But that’s different, he likes Seifer."

"Really? Well it’s fun to worry people isn’t it?"

Zell frowned, pulling the lever so the back of the sofa fell down and Irvine fell with it.

Seifer paused in the doorway of Squall’s room, he flinched when the light went out in the living room. He was trapped now.

The brunette had already striped off his vest and lay under the covers on his side, facing away from Seifer. The lamp beside the side of the bed nearest to Seifer was on but the brunette had turned his one off. The blonde removed his pants, folding them neatly then adding his socks and shirt to the pile on the floor in the corner. He switched off the lamp and lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling.

Squall rolled over, it was dark and all Seifer could see was a faint outline of the other man.

"Goodnight." He whispered.

The blonde rolled over and leaned down to kiss him on the lips just a goodnight kiss.

"Yeah, night."

Squall didn’t roll over again like he had expected him to instead he kissed him back a little more than a goodnight night. They broke apart, staying close with a small gap between them.

Seifer kissed him again, shuffling closer and Squall moved a hand to press to the naked skin of Seifer chest, he opened his mouth to the blonde ending the gentle friendly kisses.

The brunette’s other hand wrapped around Seifer’s neck but when a hand landed on his waist with one finger dipping into his boxers he knew it had to stop.

Squall broke the kiss.

"Goodnight."

Seifer nodded. "Yeah."

They both rolled over facing away from each other, feeling guilty and aroused.

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