Knowing Innocence
(Working title)
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns all the characters. I don’t own anything.
Knowing Innocence
(Working title)
Chapter 4
I gingerly opened my eyes, the sun shone right in them, I winced closing them again. I tried to raise my right hand to shade my eyes, but it wouldn’t move it was caught on something. I raised my other hand to my eyes and looked down to see why I couldn’t move it. I felt a small smile tug at my lips. Zell was curled up next to me, half-lying on top of me; he held my arm to his chest like a teddy bear. I gently uncurled the fingers of the fist and stroked the jaw line of the adorable blonde. He cuddled farther into me, smiling slightly as he slowly opened his eyes. He frowned seeing my body before him. He looked up at me with confusion and embarrassment in his eyes. Then he realized he was holding on to my arm. He sat up quickly embarrassed, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, trying to explain. He backed farther and farther from me until he fell off the bed.
I tried to kept in the laughter really I did, I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. He sat up, resting his chin on the edge of the bed, glaring at me.
“That’s not funny.”
I pressed my lips together trying to control myself, but when he got up limping slightly, cursing under his breath, I laughing again more quietly this time. I don’t know why he was so embarrassed, we were both fully dressed maybe if we were naked I could understand.
“What time is it?”
“7:00.”
He groaned. “On a Sunday? It’s too early to be talking. Need more sleep.” He looked back at the bed, giving me a ‘you’re-in-the-way’ look.
“What?” I smirked, knowing damn well what he meant.
“You’re in my bed. Please move.”
I stretched lazily, pulling the blankets over me. “Oh but I’m so comfy here. Don’t wanna move.” I buried my face in the pillows, watching him out of the corner off my eye.
Okay so I was teasing him but it was fun to watch him debate with himself what to do next. He glanced between the door and me a few times, before he finally groaned again. “It’s too early to think.” He dived back under the covers of his bed, causing me to laugh.
His embarrassment forgotten he curled back up beside me, clinging to my black T-shirt. I continued to smile as I watched him close his eyes, trying to sleep. He knew I was watching him because his cheeks grew redder by the minute.
I chuckled as one eye opened and glared at me. “Stop looking at me. It’s annoying.”
I gave him my best innocence look. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
“You were watching me. Stop it!”
“How can you tell with your eyes closed?”
“I’m not stupid.”
“You sure about that one?”
He scowled and moved to the other side of the bed.
“I was kidding.” But he didn’t come back.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I liked having him lying against me. When he wasn’t being annoying and messy, he was adorable. I was close to killing the annoying side sometimes but I think I’m starting to fall in love with the other side of him. It was so complicated.
I saw him stir and turn over; quickly I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep.
“Seifer?” He whispered.
Slowly he moved towards me, shaking me.
“Are you awake?” He whispered.
I remained silent, my eyes slightly open to watch him as he smiled slightly and cuddled up to me, resting his head on my chest. I was puzzled. He must have forgiven me for what I said but why did he seem so happy and comfortable to curl up with me if he had freaked the first time.
I shook the thoughts away. It didn’t matter now. I wrapped my arms around him, drifting off to sleep.
I awoke slowly to a strange noise. It sounded like giggling and whispering. I listened hard without opening my eyes.
“Aww, aren’t they cute together.”
That definitely woke me up, my eyes shot open. Xu and Quistis stood beside the bed looking down on us.
“Morning Seifer. Good night was it?”
She can’t had thought we had slept together, we were both fully dressed. I glanced down at the blonde who was clinging to me. I had to get rid of them before he woke up, if he freaked out last time, this time he would have a heart attack.
“Was there something you wanted?” I asked with sarcastic politeness.
Quistis rubbed her hands together in delight. “Tell us all the gory details!”
“There’s nothing to tell. And can you keep your voice down.” I frowned at them but it didn’t seem to stop the teasing looks they were giving me.
Zell shifted in his sleep, we all thought he would awake but he just nuzzled into me. I shot the blonde a puzzled look and cringed at the chorus of ‘Awww!’
“Now that you’ve had your fun, can you leave please?”
They both smiled. “We were going to ask you if you wanted to join us for breakfast but I guess you don’t.”
They turned to leave and I settled back down with Zell. The bright flash startled me; I glared at the doorway. I was horrified to see Xu wave a little yellow camera at me.
“Got ya!” She laughed.
I desperately wanted to get that camera back, but I couldn’t move without waking Zell. I knew my reputation as an asshole would be ruined if anything happened to that photo and I didn’t want Zell to feel embarrassed. He was easily embarrassed; I knew that by now.
The front door slammed telling me it was too late anyway. The sleeping blonde jumped at the sound, sitting up, looking around the room franticly.
“Who was that?”
“Xu and Quistis.”
His eyes widened. “They saw me here with you?”
I nodded. Deciding not to tell him about the photo until it was necessary. Maybe they wouldn’t do anything horrible with the photo, maybe they would only scare us for a while. Yeah and pigs might fly.
“Oh my god, oh my god!” He repeated that for a while, sitting up, resting his head in his hands.
I sat up beside him, leaning on his shoulder.
“What? Are you ashamed of me or something?” I was kidding. I had only said it to lighten the mood, but he seemed to take it seriously.
“No of course not!” He had a look of desperation in his eyes; I didn’t know why he was acting like this.
“I’m just kidding.”
“Oh.” He was acting very strangely, he had gone quiet again, looking embarrassed before he sprinted as fast as he could to the bathroom and locked himself in.
3 hours later.
Zell’s mood was getting weirder and weirder by the minute. He was nervous around me, he would run a mile if I so much as touched him, he had been locked in his room for ages, playing loud music not the same stuff as last time, this was rock music, sounded like Rammstein. (Author’s fave band.)
I was confused as well as a little hurt. He had happily slept next to me last night but now he wouldn’t let me touch him. I had gently laid a hand on his shoulder to silently ask if he was okay, but he had shrugged off the hand and ran away from me. I couldn’t understand it.
The doorbell rang and a gladly opened it, happy for the distraction.
“Ahh! What do you want?!”
The happy, bouncing girl skipped past me into our dorm. “I’m the new editor/writer of the school paper and I want to do an interview with you and Zell.”
I looked suspiciously down at her. “Why us?”
“Because I like you guys and it would make a great story.”
She was hiding something I knew it. Who would want to read about the life of Zell and me? But it would get Zell out of his room and maybe I would be able to ask what was wrong.
“I’ll ask him.”
“YEA!” She bounced up and down like a loony.
Zell opened the door to me but he nearly slammed it in my face when he saw Selphie, I blocked the door with my foot.
Selphie explained what she wanted and promised not to make anything up or write something embarrassing, she would read only what we said.
“So,” She started. “first question. How long have you two been together?”
I swear my eyes nearly fell out of my head. Where did she get that idea from? If I find out those girls had anything to do with it, I’d kill them.
Zell had gone a very funny colour at her question.
“W-What? We’re not a couple?”
“You’re not?” Her smiled told us, she didn’t believe me. “You don’t have to be shy.”
She held up a prototype paper. “This is where your story will go.”
I scanned the text, spotting the cutest couple section. I stared at her in disbelieve. This wouldn’t help me find out what was wrong with Zell. It would probably traumatize him.
“If not, I could put you both in this section.” She showed me the secret crushed section. I shook my head she doesn’t give up, does she?”
Zell looked like a frightened child. “I’ve got to go now.” He whispered hurried, as he ran for corner in his room.
I scowled at the petite girl. “Now look what you’ve done.”
“Looked like I hit a nerve.” She sighed. “Guess its plan B for me then.”
“Which is?”
She lit up like a Christmas tree and waved a yellow camera at me. “And I have witnesses!” She cooed.
She skipped out of our dorm, singing to herself.
I was frozen to the stop in horror. “WHAT?!!”
* * *
Notes: Had to mention Rammstein in there somewhere. It’s what I listened to while typing this. And the best band in the world!