Title: Never Too Good With Secrets Author: Frog Fish Rating: Suitable for adults, due to sexual activities of a semi-graphic nature. Pairing: Squall/Zell Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Square-Enix. They are used here for entertainment purposes only. Status: Complete. Sequel to "The First Thing You See" Notes: A slightly more sexy vignette, which has been writing itself in my head all afternoon. Hopefully now I can sleep. Summary: Apparently, it was never much of a closet. They've been doing whatever they're doing for about three weeks now, and Squall hasn't said a word about it to anyone. This is for a various number of reasons that include, but are not limited to, their reputations, their positions, and their dignity. Well, it's easy for Squall to keep things to himself, but he isn't quite sure how Zell feels about it. They forget to discuss that sort of thing, when they're alone. It /has/ only been three weeks, after all, and both of them can be excused for wanting to spend what little time they can find together screwing their brains out. They're still teenagers, despite the fact that they've saved the world and continue to attempt to do so every so often in a far more subtle manner than the battles against Ultimecia had allowed for. Still, Squall doesn't want to bring the inevitable discussion up, because he has a feeling Zell will completely not understand why they really shouldn't tell anyone about their relationship for now. He doesn't like arguing with Zell. It's not something he's ever been very successful at, which is why he doesn't try for it unless he can pull rank. Zell is currently devouring the last of the cafeteria's expanded hot dog budget -- they /are/ heroes, and they'd never really asked for much, but the Headmaster had caved at Zell's request for more hot dogs on the menu -- and not paying attention to him at all, which works well, because he's trying to concentrate anyway. On his mission briefing, not on his relationship. He scowls down at it. "That bad, huh?" Irvine leans over his shoulder and skims the briefing before Squall can snap it closed. He levels an icy look at the sniper and gets an innocent look in return. He narrowly misses losing the briefing to Zell's searching fingers as his lover scrabbles to grab the thing. "What's goin' on? 'sit a bad one? Dangerous? Can I go?" "Nothing. No, no, and no." Zell pulls his hands back and folds them on the table, dropping his chin onto his fist and scowling at Squall. "I wasn't even reading it," Squall admits, hoping to wipe the pout off of his face. "You mean it didn't do anything to deserve the infamous Leonhart glare of doom?" Irvine asks, incredulous. "I was /thinking/." They love to tease him. Squall still doesn't understand why. "Oh," Zell sounds disappointed, and Irvine eyes him warily. Selphie chooses that moment to rescue him by swooping in on the three of them, grabbing the last hot dog on Zell's plate and ignoring his spluttering of denial. She chomps down on it, chews briefly, and makes a face. "It's cold." Zell whines in the back of his throat when she sets it back down on his plate and pats his shoulder. "Irvine, I didn't know you were teaching a class." Irvine frowns at the bubbly ninja and scratches the back of his head. "I don't?" "Oh. Well, there has to be about twenty girls waiting at the library for you. One of them said something about a study group? And asked where you were." "Oh, man." Irvine claps Squall on the back and stands, "I completely forgot. They wanted someone to tutor them for their upcoming weapons exam." "Twenty at once, cutie?" Selphie is all smiles and Irvine grins wickedly back at her. "I might need a little help, little lady. Wanna tag team 'em?" She bounces a bit, and when he makes his way around the table slips her arm into his and giggles. "You're so bad, Irvy." "I'll have you know that I am very /good/, in fact." They continue to flirt until they're out of earshot, and Squall focuses his attention back on Zell, who is pouting down at the remnants of his meal. Squall passes him the cookie he hadn't intended to eat anyway, and receives an adoring smile. - - - His fingers are tangled in Zell's hair and pulling tightly against the gel, and Zell is doing absolutely vicious things with his tongue. He tries to breathe, and ends up moaning. - - - He's gone for exactly three days and six and half hours, and when he gets back Zell is leaning against his wall looking as though he's been waiting there the whole time. Zell startles hard when Squall coughs quietly, and then turns and grins at him. Squall smiles back, and makes it one more step before Zell is pressed up against him, easing his hands underneath the leather jacket and laying a large, welcome-home kiss on him in full view of the entire hall. Someone drops something, and Zell slips him a little tongue. Squall can't bring himself to break the kiss, but he does manage to maneuver Zell into his doorway long enough to punch in the access code. They're inside before anyone who might have been in the hallway makes a sound beyond the disbelieving choking. The door swooshes shut behind them and traps them in darkness and silence. Squall thinks maybe the "What the hell were you thinking?" discussion can wait until after Zell takes his hands out of his pants. - - - They don't make a lot of headway into the discussion the next morning, because Zell is already running late and probably doesn't really grasp the gravity of the situation. He offers Squall a bright smile. "Next time I'll wait inside." Which is admittedly a concession, but isn't going to help them in the here and now. - - - He braces himself for a lecture when he meets with Headmaster Cid a little later on that morning, but only gets a chance to debrief on his mission before the Headmaster waves him away and answers what his secretary has assured them both is a very important phone call. Squall frowns at him, and gets another wave before he leaves. - - - Irivine slaps him on the back when Squall sits down for lunch and leers at him, "I hear you got a nice little welcome home, commander." He scowls at the redhead and leans over his mystery pizza with an unhealthy level of concentration. He can practically feel the entire cafeteria watching him, but when he chances a glance, no one is looking his way. "Come on, Squally-poo," Irvine mocks, reaching over and ruffling his hair, "Don't be embarrassed. It's good to see you getting some action!" Squall hunches down a little more but can't stop himself from looking over at his fellow SeeD. Irvine /is/ the first person to actually talk to him about it all day. He should probably take advantage of Irvine's ease and see if he can get a little information out of him. "What are they saying?" "Who?" Irvine swipes his roll and winks over Squall's shoulder at someone in the distance. "The students. The faculty. Our fellow SeeD." "Oh. /Them/." Irvine grins at him and bumps their shoulders together before getting up to leave, "I hear you practically broke the door down trying to get him alone, tiger." Squall glares at him until Irvine holds up his hands and backs quickly away. - - - Squall doesn't see Zell again until that night, and he has to go looking for him. Zell is entertaining Quistis and Selphie in his dorm room when Squall finally looks for him there, and is apparently telling them the story of how they'd gotten together. Quistis is smiling behind her beer and Selphie grins at him as he seats himself in one of Zell's chairs. Zell leans into Selphie and whispers about the kiss Squall had laid on him from out of nowhere, and how it had been cute but not really earth-shattering. He's loud enough for Squall to hear it anyway, which was probably the point, because Zell is grinning over at him wickedly and Selphie is muffling her laughter in his shoulder. Quistis tells him in a stage-whisper that it's okay, he'll have plenty of opportunities to practice if Zell's going to be such an exhibitionist, anyway. Squall drags his feet up from the ground and wraps his arm around his legs loosely. He wishes the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Zell promises Quistis that there will be no more PDAs, and when he gets pouted at gestures towards Squall. All three of them pout at him until he blanks his expression and pretends he isn't part of the conversation after all. - - - He's doing his best not to scratch at Zell's back, but Zell is doing /his/ best to make Squall lose his mind. He settles for biting, because it also serves the purpose of occupying his mouth, thus keeping him quiet. The bed bangs against the wall anyway and, despite the rather expensive reinforcement to the Gardens infrastructure since the war, wakes up Zell's neighbor. There's a banging on the wall, but Zell completely ignores it and goes for the win. - - - Cid looks at them, obviously disappointed, and Zell squirms in his seat next to Squall. Squall himself is examining the cup of pens on the Headmaster's desk and feeling more like an unruly eight-year-old than he probably did when he was actually eight. "I expect you to set a better example for the Cadets at Balamb, and even your fellow SeeD." Zell squirms a bit more, and then smiles hopefully at Cid, "Sorry, Headmaster. We'll be quieter next time." Squall feels himself turning a mortified shade of red, but Cid just beams back at them. "Just be a bit more discreet, boys. We all have to live together, here." Zell bounces out of his chair and grabs Squall's hand, pulling him up with him. "Sure thing, Headmaster. Sorry about all this." Squall can't hardly believe that they're getting off with a warning, and wonders if the entire garden has gone absolutely crazy. But he follows Zell out the door anyway, and counts his lucky stars. - - - Rinoa hums thoughtfully at him over the line. Squall shifts against his counter and scowls at his sink, waiting for a response. "Wow. Zell. Really?" Squall shifts again and studies his ceiling with intensity, "Yes." "Wow. Since when are you gay?" She asks, incredulous. Squall shrugs and doesn't bother answering. She's used to conversations without his active participation. "Bisexual, then. Because, well, you're /really/ not gay. I remember fondly." He lets out a frustrated breath and she giggles at him. She laughs at him for a while, and finally asks, "Does this mean I get to have a bitch-fight with him the next time I visit?" He hangs up on her, and he feels a little better. - - - "So, wait. You thought everyone would be shocked and surprised that we're dating?" Zell is forking the last of Ma's world famous spaghetti onto a plate. He swears that it's actually better cold, and Squall refuses to test the theory. He ate dinner in the cafeteria an hour ago anyway, and ate it quickly enough that he didn't have to endure /too/ many catcalls. Zell's neighbor was apparently a gossip, as well as being a snitch, and if Squall had anything to say about it wouldn't make it very far past his SeeD exams. "Why wouldn't they be?" Squall asks. Zell grins and settles himself next to Squall on his couch. He leans over and kisses Squall cheek. "Why /would/ they? I've been flirting with you for years, baby." Squall watches him eat for a little while before getting up to steal a fork. For some things he will have to suspend his disbelief.