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Title: Press Conference.
Description: More from the 24/M/Del Universe - Squall faces the public eye.
Pairing: seifer/squall
Rating: PG
Word count: 680
Notes: Drabbles/ficlets tend to be written at work, so they're not as lucid as some of my writing. They're also completely unbeta'd unless otherwise stated, please forgive this.
I knew it had been a mistake to see the physio nurse before the press conference but she'd insisted. In front of the cameras with my shoulder still aching like I'd screwed it up again I'd be pale as a ghost. My nurse was a bitch. I knew I'd have to face some pain and hardship but surely this was too much.
I'd never been afraid of pain, I had a high tolerance but that feeling that I was going to be violently ill at any moment meant that she was pushing too hard.
"Kiddo?" Laguna nudged my foot to get my attention. "You okay?"
Even at 28, ten years since he'd told me he was my father, he still called me kiddo. I wondered if he'd ever stop. "Just recovering. I'll be fine."
"Could’ve put it off. Another day wouldn't have mattered."
"Last time you delayed a day they thought you'd had a heart attack," I forced a smile, even though I didn't feel like it. "Thirty minutes won't kill me."
He smiled and, as Kiros bought the meeting to a start, squeezed my hand gently. He was a good man, even if he hadn't made a brilliant father for the first two thirds of my life. He'd made it up to me since then.
The questions were all about me, as we'd expected. When had I come to Esthar? "Last summer." Why had I come? Why hadn't I announced my decision? "To be closer to my father and because I wanted to get back on track with my shoulder before I advertised my presence in any way."
There were other questions before someone asked about my relationship. Someone from a trashy tabloid - I didn't care much about the name - stood and offered me a simpering smile. "Can you deny the rumours that you're living with your male lover?"
I looked at her, sizing her up. With my fake but still enough to make Seifer weak at the knees smile in place, I shrugged. "Why would I deny the truth?"
Most of the room gasped. The questions sped up. Who was he? How long had I been with him? Was he my first lover?
I answered as best I could without naming names. Seifer was t the back of the room wearing his distance glasses. I'd never thought of him as cute until he'd walked in wearing them one day. Not just cute. Sexy cute. Scarily sexy cute. I'd not told him that yet, though. I was waiting ‘til we cracked open a bottle of whiskey ‘til I admitted it.
I only glanced at him a few times, making sure he was still there without bringing any attention to him. When they asked for my lover's name outright, I refused to answer and they badgered me, trying to get the mystery man's name, accusing me of having something to be ashamed of.
That was when Kiros called an end to the conference. It had been thirty five minutes in fact, and I was fine with it ending there. It was a further ten minutes for everyone to file out before Seifer could slink up to the stage. He grinned at me, and I had to steel myself against jumping his bones right there. "How's it feel to be out of the closet?"
"Miss the moths. Who will I walk to now?"
"After that? I think you used your word quota for the next three months so nothing to worry about." He held his arms out and I moved to him, letting him pick me down off the stage, but he didn't put me down just yet. "I'm proud of you."
"You know it won't be long before the find out who I'm with, right?" I kissed his hair, leaning back far enough to see him in those glasses. "I can't keep them from that forever."
"Baby," he smiled, kissing me and setting me on my feet. "I have nothing to be ashamed of, and everything to be proud of."
"Mmm, let's just see how long that lasts."
Description: More from the 24/M/Del Universe - Squall faces the public eye.
Pairing: seifer/squall
Rating: PG
Word count: 680
Notes: Drabbles/ficlets tend to be written at work, so they're not as lucid as some of my writing. They're also completely unbeta'd unless otherwise stated, please forgive this.
I knew it had been a mistake to see the physio nurse before the press conference but she'd insisted. In front of the cameras with my shoulder still aching like I'd screwed it up again I'd be pale as a ghost. My nurse was a bitch. I knew I'd have to face some pain and hardship but surely this was too much.
I'd never been afraid of pain, I had a high tolerance but that feeling that I was going to be violently ill at any moment meant that she was pushing too hard.
"Kiddo?" Laguna nudged my foot to get my attention. "You okay?"
Even at 28, ten years since he'd told me he was my father, he still called me kiddo. I wondered if he'd ever stop. "Just recovering. I'll be fine."
"Could’ve put it off. Another day wouldn't have mattered."
"Last time you delayed a day they thought you'd had a heart attack," I forced a smile, even though I didn't feel like it. "Thirty minutes won't kill me."
He smiled and, as Kiros bought the meeting to a start, squeezed my hand gently. He was a good man, even if he hadn't made a brilliant father for the first two thirds of my life. He'd made it up to me since then.
The questions were all about me, as we'd expected. When had I come to Esthar? "Last summer." Why had I come? Why hadn't I announced my decision? "To be closer to my father and because I wanted to get back on track with my shoulder before I advertised my presence in any way."
There were other questions before someone asked about my relationship. Someone from a trashy tabloid - I didn't care much about the name - stood and offered me a simpering smile. "Can you deny the rumours that you're living with your male lover?"
I looked at her, sizing her up. With my fake but still enough to make Seifer weak at the knees smile in place, I shrugged. "Why would I deny the truth?"
Most of the room gasped. The questions sped up. Who was he? How long had I been with him? Was he my first lover?
I answered as best I could without naming names. Seifer was t the back of the room wearing his distance glasses. I'd never thought of him as cute until he'd walked in wearing them one day. Not just cute. Sexy cute. Scarily sexy cute. I'd not told him that yet, though. I was waiting ‘til we cracked open a bottle of whiskey ‘til I admitted it.
I only glanced at him a few times, making sure he was still there without bringing any attention to him. When they asked for my lover's name outright, I refused to answer and they badgered me, trying to get the mystery man's name, accusing me of having something to be ashamed of.
That was when Kiros called an end to the conference. It had been thirty five minutes in fact, and I was fine with it ending there. It was a further ten minutes for everyone to file out before Seifer could slink up to the stage. He grinned at me, and I had to steel myself against jumping his bones right there. "How's it feel to be out of the closet?"
"Miss the moths. Who will I walk to now?"
"After that? I think you used your word quota for the next three months so nothing to worry about." He held his arms out and I moved to him, letting him pick me down off the stage, but he didn't put me down just yet. "I'm proud of you."
"You know it won't be long before the find out who I'm with, right?" I kissed his hair, leaning back far enough to see him in those glasses. "I can't keep them from that forever."
"Baby," he smiled, kissing me and setting me on my feet. "I have nothing to be ashamed of, and everything to be proud of."
"Mmm, let's just see how long that lasts."