Genie in a Cowboy Hat
Author's Notes: Slight AU, the world is the same but the characters are not, Irvine doesn’t know the others and Selphie’s still in Trabia and luckily they never meet IT (Rinoa). Squall is a but OOC I think and maybe Quistis too.
Genie in a Cowboy Hat
A long time ago a scoundrel named Irvine Kinneas shamed his town, he was a thief, a prostitute and an outcast. The mayor of the city paid a witch to dispose of him. Irvine begged for his life but the witch was heartless she transformed him into a genie. Trapped inside his cowboy hat he’s forced to wait until someone releases him. He’ll never be free, only a slave to whomever finds the magic cowboy hat that imprisons him.
The group of cadets marched through the dark cave grudgingly following their leader who was a mean old man.
“Halt! Dig here!”
The Galbadians were digging around this area; their job was to find whatever they had been looking for before they did.
One cadet a brunette boy moved forward with his pickaxe, he didn’t see the foot that was placed in front of him. He stumbled slightly causing others to laugh. The boy turned and glared at a tall blonde, the class bully.
“Squall!” Their instructor warned.
The brunette boy shrugged and walked over to a rocky area to dig.
“Just ignore him.”
Squall glanced to his left to see a short blonde boy who was digging beside him. Zell used to be the favourite victim of Seifer but for the last few months the bully had ignored him. Squall knew Seifer wasn’t one to listen to threats or instructors so he wondered what had happened between the two blondes.
Everyone started to dig with picks and shovels. Seifer and his cronies mucked around purposely throwing their soil where others like Squall and Zell were trying to dig.
Squall sighed and moved farther away to a spot in the corner. He hacked at the rock until it gave way taking the rock from under his feet with it.
“Whoa!”
He fell a few feet into a hole. The top was just above his head and he heard laughter from above.
“Quick let’s fill the hole in!” Someone yelled.
“Are you okay Mister Leonhart?”
“Yes Sir.”
The brunette felt around in the dust and soot that he knelt in, something was buried there. He pulled it out. It was an old cowboy hat. How did that get there?
Squall blew some dust off it and wiped the rim clean. It shook and glowed when he touched it. Squall dropped it and shuffled as far away from it as he could manage. His eyes almost fell out of his head when a man with a long ponytail appeared in front of him.
“God I thought I’d never get out of there.” He stretched lazily, picking up the cowboy hat and putting it on his head.
He looked over at Squall who sat with his mouth open and his eyes wide. “W-w-w-w-w-what? W-w-w-w-w-who?”
The man did a little bow. “Irvine Kinneas at your service.” He paused “what year is this?”
“2065.”
Irvine whistled in amazement. “Wow, 1000 years, huh? Are you my new master?”
“Huh?”
“Did you find my hat?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Then you are my new master; you’re cute too.” He smiled at Squall.
“Talking to yourself?”
Squall looked up to see Seifer peering into the hole. “What?”
“I guess you’ve finally lost it Leonhart.” Seifer shook his head and disappeared.
“But-but-” He stared at Irvine. “He couldn’t see you?”
The Irvine nodded. “I can turn myself invisible. How else am I supposed to get out of here without everyone asking lots of questions?”
“You have the power to-”
“I’ve been reading up on genies a lot of the last 1000 years, I have a lot of power that I can use on my own, but you’re my master so I go where you go.”
“Genie? Don’t genies grant wishes?”
Irvine smiled. “You get three wishes. Please draw them out when they’re over I have to wait in my hat until someone else finds me and I don’t know how long that will take. I like this world too much to be cooped up like that.”
“Squall.”
The brunette looked up at Zell.
“We’re leaving there’s nothing here.” The blonde boy held out a hand to help the other boy out of the hole but one of Seifer’s cronies shoved the smaller boy forward. Both of them lost their balance and fell into the hole. Squall grunted as he hit the ground but Zell hit his head and spilled blood all over the brunette.
Both boys were taken to the medical bay on the ship. Squall kept saying he felt fine but he had to sit there anyway after the nurse saw him talking to thin air.
“Would it be better if I left?” Irvine asked.
Squall and picked up the cowboy hat, holding it in his lap.
He slipped out when the nurse’s back was turned and went to check on Zell. He stopped dead in the doorway of the room next door. Squall hid round the corner watching. This day was getting stranger and stranger.
Zell sat on the edge of the bed, Seifer sat in front of him on the floor and he was smiling. Seifer? Smiling?
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Zell nodded.
The taller blonde reached up and gently touched the bandage. “I can kill him for you if you want me to?”
The other man smiled. “No, that’s okay.”
Seifer leaned up to kiss Zell gently.
Squall smiled in the doorway. Good for Zell even if Seifer was an asshole.
When they arrived back at Balamb Squall lagged behind the others and rubbed the cowboy hat. The cowboy instantly appeared beside him with a flash of light.
“So I get wishes that you have to grant?”
Irvine nodded. “Yep, but please don’t say you want my help to destroy the world because I like this world.”
“I won’t, but what do I wish for?”
“What do you want?”
Squall thought for a moment before looked back up at his genie with sheepish expression. “I don’t know.”
Irvine smiled. “Take your time, I’m in no hurry.” He glanced around at his new surroundings. He’d never seen cars, boats or even proper roads before.
“You don’t look much like a genie.”
“Oh would you rather I did?” Before Squall could answer he clicked his fingers. He now wore purple-stripped trousers that flared at the ankles and a baggy purple top with flared cuffs. “Well?”
“You look ridiculous.”
“Would you rather I had my old clothes back?”
“Yes please.”
The genie snapped his fingers and his clothes reverted to normal. “Better?”
“Much. I’m going to get some lunch. Can you eat?”
“I wish. I’ll been 1000 yrs since my last meal.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah.”
Squall brought a hotdog from a fast food van and Irvine hovered over his shoulder breathing in the smell.
“What are you-?”
“Oh sorry. That’s smells good, I forgot how good food smells.”
“What’s it like being inside your hat?”
“Boring. Most of the time I’m dormant, that’s like being asleep but in the beginning I had to read all these books on being a genie.”
“How do you get to be a genie?”
Irvine winced. “Er- well that’s a long story, maybe I’ll tell you one day.”
Squall began to walk home. “When I get back to garden can other people see you?”
“If you want.”
Squall nodded. “I don’t want anyone to see me talking to thin air again; they might lock me up.”
When they reached the directory someone yelled at the brunette.
“Hey Squall!” Zell ran up to them. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Irvine.”
“I’m Zell.” He held out his hand to the cowboy who smiled and waved at him.
He couldn’t touch people except Squall who was his master.
Zell took back his hand shrugging it off. “Squall I didn’t know you had friends, where are you from?”
“Er- not from around here, I’m just visiting Squall.”
“Cool, how long are you here?”
The genie glanced at Squall. “Hopefully a while.”
Irvine watched both guys fell silent and Squall glared at four guys that passed them.
“Hey Leonhart who’s this guy? Friend?” He crooked an eyebrow. “Lover?”
“I wish.” The cowboy muttered causing Squall to look up sharply.
“None of your business Seifer.”
Zell was staring at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in the world until the guys moved on, walking past to lean on the low wall beside the training centre.
“I hate those guys.” Squall watched them pick on random people that walked past. An evil grin slowly appeared on his lips as a thought hit him.
“Hey Zell, you want to see something funny?”
The blonde boy looked at curiously. Squall waited until Squall was leaning back on the barrier with the rest of the guys.
“Wish that low wall would disappear.”
Irvine grinned and snapped his fingers. “Done.”
All four guys lost their balance and fell into the water that ran in a stream around garden.
“Whoa!!”
“SHIT!!”
Squall, Zell and Irvine laughed.
A soggy Seifer grabbed the ledge and pulled himself out of the water. “Shut up!” He snapped, pulling off his trench coat and rung it out.
“How’d you do that?” Zell asked Squall.
“Irvine tell him who you are.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah I’ll keep his secret if he keeps mine.”
Zell looked guilty. “What secret? I don’t have a secret.”
Squall gave him an ‘I‘m not stupid’ look. “Zell I saw you with him yesterday in the medical bay on the ship.”
“Oh.” He fell silent for a minute. “So... what’s up with him?” He pointed at Irvine.
Squall explained to him about finding the cowboy hat and his three wishes, which were now only two wishes.
“No way!” He grinned. “Cool! I’d love to have a genie.”
“No one can know.”
“Of course not. We have a deal right? I won’t tell if you don’t.”
The brunette nodded in agreement.
Later in Squall’s dorm.
Irvine leant on the desk. “Do you have anything in mind for your next wish?”
“No, I thought you weren’t in a hurry to leave.”
Squall stretched his arms above his head. “Can you sleep?”
Irvine nodded. “Would you prefer it if I left for the night?”
Squall shrugged. “You can stay if you like. You said you hated the genie thing, you don’t have to act like on though, do you?”
Irvine grinned. “I think I’m going to like having you as my master.”
Squall smiled tightly, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Thanks.”
Irvine smirked at him and leaned over him flirtatiously. “Where do I sleep then?” He pushed a lock of Squall’s hair from his eyes.
“O-o-o-on the couch if you want....”
The genie chuckled. It had been a 1000 years since he had last flirted with someone. Oh how he’d missed it.
Squall threw him a pillow. “Do you need a blanket?”
“Nah, I’m fine. See you tomorrow beautiful.”
Squall stared at the door in confusion. “Beautiful?” He wondered how anyone could hate Irvine enough to turn him into a genie, he wasn’t that bad and definitely attractive. He forced himself to stop thinking about him, it wouldn’t do to fall for genie, he had to leave at the end of the last wish.
Quistis and Xu stood in front of the headmaster. “It’s serious I’m afraid, we’ll need to get some SeeDs to Centra soon.
“Yes I quite agree, Quistis you will go with them, you’ll set up camp in the Orphanage ruins. You leave tonight. Take those last year cadets with you, it’ll be good experience for them.”
Irvine stood beside Xu but they couldn’t see him. Yes, he was spying on them but Squall had asked him too. Zell had heard that some SeeDs were going on a mission and he wondered if they would have to go too.
“Dismissed.”
The cowboy snapped his fingers teleporting himself from the office and back to Squall’s side.
“You’re back.” Squall whispered quietly. Irvine was still invisible and he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
“Yeah, beautiful.” He pinched Squall’s ass causing the brunette to jump.
Two girls looked at him strangely. “Are you okay Squall?”
He smiled tightly. Irvine chuckled until Squall glared at him. “Don’t, just don’t.”
The cowboy grinned.
“What did you find out?”
“You leave for Centra tonight.”
“All of us?”
“I think so.”
Squall groaned. “Great, stuck in Centra with Seifer and his cronies. I hope his mates don’t go.”
“You hope or you wish?”
“I hope. There’s no way I’m wasting another wish.”
“Okay then.”
Squall started to walk towards the dorms. “Come on I told Zell I’d come to his dorm at 2:00.”
“But it’s only 1:10.”
Squall shrugged and knocked on his friend’s door. They heard shuffling and muffled voices. Zell opened the door half-naked.
“You’re early.” He gestured for them to come inside. “What did you-”?
He was cut off as something banged in the cupboard. “Fuck.” Someone muttered.
Zell looked sheepish. “I have large cockroaches.”
Squall smiled. “Yeah, right.”
Zell knocked on the door and looked inside. “It’s okay, he knows.”
Seifer’s head (The one on top of his shoulders) appeared from the cupboard. “He does?! But-”
“It’s okay. We’ve traded secrets.”
Seifer perked up at this. “Really? What’s your secret? I have the right to know.”
Squall shook his head and was about to say something when Zell cut him off. “They’re together, those two.” He gestured to Squall and Irvine.
Seifer smirked. “So I was right.”
Squall tried to smile. “Yeah.”
Irvine narrowed his eyes when Seifer started to laugh. “And I always thought you were frigid.”
Zell looked disgusted at the remark. “Seifer!”
Squall glared at the arrogant blonde. “We’re going on a mission tonight to Centra, thought I’d warn you.” He told Zell, while avoiding looked at Seifer.
“Thanks.” The short blonde called after them. As soon as the door was shut he turned round and hit Seifer in the chest.
“What is your problem? Squall’s a good guy; you don’t have to be an ass-hole all the time!” He disappeared into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Squall followed the others onto the Ragnorok, as it was night the cadets were given rooms with beds and were expected to sleep through the journey. The cadets were split into groups and five to room together. Squall walked into his room and put his bag down on a bottom bunk while Zell jumped up to the top bunk above him. Irvine was invisible so he sat on the edge of Squall’s bed. Both boys looked up when a tall boy with long light blonde hair came in; he winked at the other two and took the single bed in the middle of the room.
“Who’s that?” The cowboy asked.
“Mathis a major creep, he likes Zell but not in a good way.”
“Oh.” He looked over up and Zell who watched the newcomer. “Do you want me to stick around and keep an eye on him?”
Squall nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
The door opened and Seifer walked in followed by one of his cronies a big muscley guy named Raijin. The tall blonde glared at Mathis and jumped up to the top bunk in the far corner. They all lay in their beds but no one went to sleep.
“I’m bored.” The blonde in the centre of the room said, sitting up. “How about we play a game?”
“Like what?” Seifer asked.
“Truth or dare?”
Seifer made a face.
“Oh come on, everyone plays that, it’ll be fun.”
No one said anything they just sort of shrugged so he took that as a yes. “Great! I’ll start.” He looked straight up at the short blonde on the top bunk. “Zell truth or dare?”
The blonde looked like he was trying to disappear. “Um.. truth.”
“Are you a fag?”
“Maybe.”
“Yes or no?”
“....yeah.” I whispered.
Mathis seemed pleased with this answer and he settled down on his back “Your turn.”
“Okay um... Squall truth or dare?”
The brunette smiled slight knowing Zell was going to pick him as there was no way he’d pick Mathis or Raijin and he wasn’t supposed to like Seifer.
“Truth.”
“Have you ever been with a girl?”
“No.”
Zell already knew the answer to that one but he didn’t really want to play and he didn’t want to embarrass his friend in front of people that could tease him about anything, like Mathis and Seifer.
The brunette looked up at the blonde opposite. “Seifer, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
Mathis sat up wanting to see what Squall would get Seifer to do.
“I dare you to...” He thought of all the things him could get Seifer to do. Go out into the hallway naked or kiss Raijin, but he wasn’t that cruel. He decided to let him off with a nice dare.
“...Kiss Zell.”
The tall blonde raised an eyebrow at him as he climbed own from his bunk; he smirked at Squall as he pasted him. Zell crawled to the edge of his bunk leaning down to kiss his secret lover. Mathis watched suspiciously when Zell’s arms eagerly wrapped around Seifer’s neck and they kissed deeply.
Someone knocked on the door and the lights went out, Seifer stumbled in the darkness on his way back to his bunk.
“Continue.”
“What? But we can barely see each other.”
“So?”
Seifer groaned. “Go to sleep Mathis.”
They all exited the ship and Irvine walked visibly beside Squall. He glanced round at the sand and vast plains of nothingness.
“Wow.”
“Yeah I know it’s not much is it?”
“No I meant it reminds me of where I was born.”
Seifer gave him a strange look.
“Well okay then I wasn’t born in the desert but I was found there.”
“Found? Why? Do the stork get the address wrong?” Seifer snickered.
“I’m an Orphan; I was abandoned in the desert.”
Zell and Squall glared at Seifer or the lack of tact.”
“Oh sorry.”
They walked into the ruins were all the cadets were gathered around an instructor.
“Listen up, this is a serious mission. The Galbadians are really keen on whatever it is they’re looking for they’ve laid booby traps and mines around so watch yourselves. Two people from Esthar came here a few days ago and never came back. The president wants to know what happened to them.” He picked up a clipboard “You will get into groups of four and a SeeD will accompany every group, the SeeDs know the routes they are in charge. Dismissed.”
Squall stayed with Irvine, Zell and Seifer. A blonde woman in a SeeD uniform approached them. “Is this your group?”
They nodded.
“I’m Quistis Trepe; I’ll be the SeeD in your group.”
Squall introduced himself and the others.
“Let’s go then.” She led them out into the desert and held a black device in front of her.
Seifer looked over her shoulder. “What’s that do?”
“It has our route planned out; it detects human life signs and mines.”
“What about the booby-traps?”
“We just have to be carefully.”
Zell frowned but followed the others anyway. They had been walking for a while when the tracking device started to beep.
“What’s that mean?”
“There are human life-signs.... below us.” She frowned.
Seifer frowned at her. They were walking across flat ground; they were as low as they going to get.
“Modern technology.” He muttered.
Squall walked away from the others. “Well maybe it’s-”
He was cut off when the ground collapsed beneath him. He screw his eyes shut waiting for the pain as he hit the ground but it didn’t come.
“H-How the hell?!” Seifer yelled.
Squall opened his eyes to see himself floating in mid-air. Irvine held him under the arms.
“Gotcha.” He smiled.
The cowboy flew back to solid ground putting Squall down at Zell’s feet.
“That was so cool!” The short blonde grinned.
“W-What the hell was that?!”
Squall shook his head. “Seifer don’t worry about it.”
The tall blonde looked round at Quistis. “D-Did you see-”
“The life-signs are down there; we’re going down.” She announced.
Seifer gaped at her.
“Haven’t you ever seen a float spell before?”
“That was no float spell.”
She ignored him and put the tracker around her neck to climb down the hole, Zell followed her. “Come on Seif.”
The blonde gave Irvine a suspicious look but decided to question him later.
“Thank you.” Squall said when they were alone.
“For what beautiful?” He stepped in close for a second, cupping Squall’s chin in his hand. “It’s sort of like my job, remember?” He smiled and turned away, heading for the hole.
Squall let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and climbed down after the others.
He got to the bottom and looked at Quistis for what to do now.
“We’d better be careful there are monster life-signs down here.”
There was a clear path ahead of them; they walked slowly down it with Zell holding a torch ahead of the others.
“Do you think the Galbadians are using this place as a base?”
“Dunno but if they are, where are all the soldiers?”
They stopped dead hearing voices ahead. Quistis pulled Squall behind a rock, Seifer shoved Zell into a wall crevice and Irvine made himself invisible.
Two soldiers in the blue uniform walked along talking quietly to themselves, Quistis tried to hear them but she couldn’t.
“Sir! Sir!” A green uniformed soldier ran up to them. “SeeDs.” He paused to catch his breath. “Balamb SeeDs have been spotted above ground, I think they’re looking for the prisoners.”
The two blue soldiers shared a look and hurried back the way they had come.
Quistis shook her head. “This is bad.”
“Why?” Seifer asked. “If the soldiers are busy above ground with the others we can get the prisoners and save the day.”
She rolled her eyes at Seifer. “The best we can do is stick together and hurry before he soldiers find us.”
Zell leant on the wall listening them.
“Let’s go.”
The short blonde pushed off the wall but the wall opened up swallowing him before closing again.
“Whoa!”
“Zell!” Seifer hit the wall trying to get in. “Wh-What happened to him?”
“A secret passage. We must keep moving.”
“B-But what about Zell? We can’t just leave him!”
“We can and we will. You should expect casualties on a mission like this.” She started to walk down the path.
“I can’t believe you just said that.”
She sighed. “We’ll probably find him on the way, it’s likely the Galbadians lock him up with the other prisoners.”
Seifer glared at her, not knowing what to do. Squall offered him a sympathetic half-smile. “If we don’t find him we can go back and look again without her.” He said ‘her’ like it was a dirty word.
Seifer followed the others after awhile of staring at the spot where Zell last was. “You’re one cold bitch you know that.” He snapped at the SeeD.
Squall sighed and looked at the ground.
“You okay beautiful?”
He smiled up at the cowboy. “Yeah I’m fine. I want you to do me a favour.”
“Name it.”
“Can you go and look after Zell for me? And then try to make it back to us.”
“Of course.” He leaned in close. “If there’s anything you want or any wishes you want to make just say so; I’ll hear you.”
Much to Squall’s surprise and delight; Irvine leaned in to give him a quick kiss. “Look after yourself beautiful.”
The brunette smiled watching Irvine disappear.
“Squall we’re on the move again.” Seifer glanced around. “Where’d your cowboy go?”
“He had to leave; he’ll be back later.”
“Leave?” Okay what’s going on?”
Squall told Seifer everything. “So you wished him away?”
“He went to look after Zell so he isn’t alone.”
“Oh, right good.”
Zell fell down a long slide and hit the ground hard at the end. He groaned and sat up. It was very dark and hot down there like he was near a volcano the walls glowed red in some places and there was a misty smoke in the air. He stepped forward closer to a bubbling noise; he looked horrified at a river of lava that flowed past him.
“Oh Hyne.” Where the hell was he? He turned back to go the other way. There was a narrow passage he hadn’t seen before, it was only just wide enough for him to fit down. He looked out the end, hoping he was still near the others. Zell’s eyes widened in surprise. He had found the prisoners; two people sat in a metal Chocobo cage and a guard paced back and forth.
“There you are.”
Zell jumped and spun round, clamping a hand over Irvine’s mouth, or he would have done if he could touch the genie, instead his hand went straight through.
“ What are you doing here?”
“Squall wanted me to look after you.”
Zell folded his arms. “I can take care of myself. I’ve found the prisoners; you have to help me get them out.”
The genie nodded and clicked his fingers. Zell watched him appear in front of the startled guard.
“Hold it! Hands up!”
Zell snuck up quietly and grabbed the man, quickly and painlessly breaking his neck.
Irvine winced. “I thought you were just going to knock him out.”
The blonde shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“Are you here to help us?” Prisoners asked.
“Yeah, just hold on.”
The genie made the door vanish; Zell grabbed the shocked people and ran out. “Move now, be shocked later.”
“Where is everyone?”
Three soldiers ran past, Zell and the others hid behind some crates.
“We’re being invaded! Intruders!” Another green soldier ran past screaming his head off about intruders.
“They haven’t seen us, have they?” The female prisoner asked.
Zell stared at Irvine. “Go back. Go help Seifer and the others.”
“But are you sure?”
Zell nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
Irvine teleported back to Squall’s side.
“You guys have to get out of here now!”
Seifer jumped. “I wish you’d stop doing that.”
“What is it? What’s happened?”
“The Galbadians know where you are; you have to go now before-”
“I’m not going anywhere without Zell.”
“Our mission is to save the prisoners, we can’t leave.”
Irvine started herding them out. “Zell has found the prisoners; they are working their way out as we speak.”
They rounded a corner and came face-to-face to with two blue dragons, three grats, and three caterpillchillas. They looked back the other way and a large Ruby dragon lumbered up to them.
“Oh shit!” Seifer yelled.
All the monsters attacked at once. Seifer got slashed in the arm, Quistis had to fight the Ruby dragon on her own and Squall lost Lionheart in the battle.
“I wish all these monsters would die instantly.”
“Phew, done.”
Seifer sighed in relief, holding his bad arm as he stepped a blue dragon corpse.
“Now get out! I’m going back to Zell.” He disappeared again and the other three ran back the way they’d come. Quistis and Squall climbed up easily; Seifer took longer with his bad arm bleeding slowly.
Squall lay back on the sand in relief, rubbing his hands over his face.
“So that was your secret then?”
He opened his eyes to see Seifer sitting beside him. “The genie was your secret, you two aren’t together.”
“No, we’re not.”
“But I saw him kiss you.”
“Yeah sometimes I wish he didn’t have to leave. I wish he were human.” He looked up at Seifer again. “Are you worried about Zell?”
The blonde nodded.
“Do you love him?”
“Yeah but don’t tell him I told you that.”
Zell almost jumped for joy when he saw the light of day. “We’re almost out.”
“AHHH!”
Irvine fell to the ground in pain.
“Irvine, are you okay?”
Zell waved the prisoners out. “Go! Tell everyone what’s happened.”
They nodded and left.
The blonde tried to touch the genie but again he couldn’t. The cowboy fell silent then, h didn’t move. Was he dead? Did Squall use his last wish? He was about to go get Squall when Irvine sucked in breath. Did genies breathe?
“Irvine, are you okay?” He patted his hand and both men stared when they felt flesh against their skin.
The cowboy leapt up franticly touching his wrists and chest.
“What are you doing?”
Irvine grabbed Zell’s hand and put it over his wrist. “You feel that?”
“Y-You have a pulse? Did you always have that?”
Irvine shook his head. “It must be a trick, I can’t be human, that’s impossible.”
They heard gunfire behind them. “Let’s figure it out later.” They climbed out of the hole and immediately Seifer crushed Zell in a bear hug.
The cowboy smiled at them and walked over to Squall. “Hey beautiful.”
Squall leapt up and hugged the genie. “Are you okay? We heard you got hurt.”
Irvine placed Squall’s hand over his heartbeat.
“H-H-H-How is that possible?!”
“I don’t know, it can’t be real, it’s impossible.”
“You’re human?”
“De ja vu.”
“What?”
Seifer walked up to them. “You’re all human now?” He smirked at Squall. “And what did you wish for?”
The brunette’s eyes went wide and the he hugged the cowboy.
“What? I don’t understand.”
Seifer pointed to Squall. “He wished you were human and now you are.”
“Really?” He grinned and looked at Squall with hungry eyes. He grabbed the brunette and kissed him passionately.
“It’s permanent then?”
“Likes that way.”
Zell patted Irvine on the shoulder. “So what are you going to do first now that you’re human again?”
“Food! I haven’t eaten in 1000years I’m so hungry!”
Zell grinned and started rambling about hotdogs and how great they were.
“Please stop, you’re making everyone hungry.”
The curse was lifted, Irvine become human again and at last got to live his life with Squall.