Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny or any of its characters.
A/N: Lol. The author's first attempt and poor excuse of a Valentine's one-shot…. Not so fluffy or romantic for a Valentines fic though… Originally, this fic started off short; then it just got longer and longer and longer. -_-'… I, unfortunately, may have unconsciously ruined it….
Characters' age- around 13-14ish.
Enjoy. Comment if you want…good or bad, they're always welcome. Happy Valentine's Day!
" " for speech
Italic for either flashbacks, thoughts, or opinions.
Just His First Kiss
February 14, otherwise known as Valentine's Day— is the day all couples looked forward to while the hopeful singles worried about it incessantly. To some- It could be one of the most romantic, fun, lonely or depressing day of the year, or it could even pass by as just another day.
Despite some of his friends had this crazy competition of- who ends up receiving the most Valentines; or the fact that some would annoyingly nag to him nonstop about- hoping to receive Valentines from the opposite gender. Or talk about desperate, some more would purposely leave their desks during lunch breaks, hoping that some girl may shyly leave chocolates there.
Apparently, regardless of all that, Yzak Joule was often one of those who dismissed Valentines Day without a second thought.
For him, classes still goes on, obviously, and so does the practice after school.
He had never been confessed to; never been asked out before, but he didn't really care. Sure, getting flowers and chocolates from girls gives you a natural bravado over the other males and all, but chocolate gets eaten and flowers wilted—so you'd still end up with nothing within the next couple weeks anyway.
Or at least, Yzak used to not care… Of course, until Valentine's Day caught up to him….
It was Feb 14 on the afternoon when it happened. The last official bell of class had rung ten minutes ago. Yzak was simply minding his own business by dropping off his school books inside his distinctive locker before soccer practice. And after awhile of reshuffling his gym bag for equipments associated with the next said activity like—water bottle, towel and T-shirt.
Crazy…
But at the exact moment he slammed his locker shut, he was instantly surprised by three shy looking girls, who managed to sneak up behind him. The uniform they wore clearly indicated that they were students of the school. However, he had no idea who they were, but each apparently was holding up a differing box of Valentines chocolate towards his direction.
All three girls had their head bowed down unable to meet his gaze, embarrassed from blushing much. "Excuse us but-…." The boldest one among the three started. "But could you, please," she swallowed, "give these to Dearka for us?"
WTF!
00000
"Mmmm… Minty…. The card says here that this one is from a girl named Juri Wu Nien." Miguel Aiman read after receiving another share of sweet from one of Dearka's many boxes of chocolates.
Juri-Wu-Nien, huh?
Miguel thought to himself, trying to think of a face. Unfortunately, similar to the previous four other name, the name just does not ring a bell. "Dearka, you player! Do you even know these girls?"
"No. I don't." Dearka Elsman answered bluntly, leaning on one of the many bench found within the school soccer field.
"Unbelievable… how is this even possible?" Rusty Mackenzie muttered. "Ten Valentines and half of them were from girls you don't even know!"
Dearka ran a hand through his hair with a smug air of himself. Obviously, he had won this year's— who got the most Valentines competition. "Must be my natural charm of attracting the ladies."
"And you expect us to believe that?" One of the guys at the back said flatly.
"What about you then?" Dearka asked in return with a challenging grin. "How many did you get this year?" The blond asked.
With that, the guy at the back looked as if he wanted to bury his head, suddenly feeling real pathetic. Muttering miserably, "none…" The male revealed causing Dearka to burst out a laugh.
Revenge was sweet.
"Before you get any cockier… Next time, tell those girls: not to bother giving chocolates anymore if they can't even hand it over properly!" Yzak retorted, interrupting Dearka's self-celebrated celebration.
"What are you complaining for, Yzak? I was the one who handed the chocolates to Dearka. Asagi, Juri and Mayura begged me to help them after you refused them…. Rather harshly." Nicol Amalfi said.
"What's this? Could this be jealousy?" Dearka joked then laughed.
And as expected from Yzak, "I am not jealous!"
"Hey, Kira!" One of the male called, spotting the brunet who made his way over. "How many did you get?"
"Huh? Get what?" Kira Yamato asked back, confused at first.
"Chocolates." The guy added.
"Oh." Kira paused. He placed down his bag on the bench, and bashfully stared at it for a minute with a slight blush on his cheeks. Truthfully, he was quite surprised himself. "I got two…. Actually…."
"Okay, sorry. I'm late!"
Everyone turned their attention to Mr. Mu La Flaga, their team coach, as the man made his way onto the field.
"So coach, how did that thing go with Ms. Ramius?"
Mu La Flaga replied back with two thumbs up and a wide grin.
"Anyways, getting back on track…." Coach La Flaga opened his notebook to check what was next on the agenda. "Team Captain Tryouts." He read out loud resulting in lackadaisical wails from, not all, but majority of the boys.
"It's that time again?..."
"Can't we just skip?" Another sighed.
With lack of enthusiasm, one of the guys raised his hand, speaking for the rest of the team. "Coach, do we have to? Yzak always rank top anyways…"
Every two months, the team would reassign a new team captain through a qualification test evaluated by the coach. And for several months now, Yzak Joule has always been the most qualified.
Every regular on team had been aware of this continuous pattern and of Yzak's exceptional capability to lead them. Everyone was getting used to this arrangement, but, apparently, that had not stopped their coach from encouraging other members to aim to take Yzak's place month after month.
Furthermore, more than half of the team not receiving a single Valentines could also be a primary cause of this sudden lack of motivation, Coach La Flaga concluded, in an instant, after noticing too well of the many box of sweets that was proudly scattered around Elsman, and at how the boys on his team made disappointed sigh after sigh.
Teen boys these days.
Unfortunately, there was not much he could do to help them there. Coach La Flaga simply shook his head, took out a pen, and then started with the roll call with Yzak beside him. "Aiman, Miguel."
There was a silent pause.
"Oi, Miguel, roll call!" Yzak snapped, trying to get the blond to pay attention. Being Captain of the team, it was his responsibility to help their coach keep the team in check. "Miguel!"
Miguel blinked once- twice before suddenly snapping out from a daze, "yeah?... Oh. Oh, sorry! Here."
"Pay attention next time." Mu shook his head as he wrote a P for present. It was so unlike Miguel to just space out like that. "Moving on…. "Amalfi, Nicol."
Silence again.
"Nicol!" Yzak yelled causing Mu to simply shook his head again.
Next on the list would be…
"Argyle, Sai…. Oi, Sai!" Mu was forced to look up from his notebook yet again. He looked at the boy with glasses in front of him when he suddenly realized- the boy, similar to Miguel, Nicol and several others on his team, apparently, had this strange absentminded look on their faces.
"What is up with these kids today?"
"Coach, I think I have found the problem…" Yzak inflammably answered, pointing toward the scene behind them.
Teenage Girls….
Mu caught on immediately upon turning around. His poor excuse for a soccer team was too busy glancing at the girls across the field to have their hearts and heads in the game! They were looking at Flay Allster, to be exact; the pretty new girl who got everyone looking, especially the guys.
The coach shook his head. What kind of report would he be able to give the principal after this? Mu dropped his arms to his side looking perplexed when he was suddenly struck with an idea. He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully.
Flay Allster, huh.
There was an equation there somewhere.
"Allster," Mu called suddenly causing the girl to turn her attention away from her friends to the soccer team's coach, completely confused. "Could you come here for a moment?"
At their instructor's request, Flay confusedly looked back to her friends who returned several beats-me looks before deciding to come over.
And what happened next- was so out of the blue- that it made Yzak suddenly want to question whatever respect he had for their dear coach.
"Whoever ranks top today not only gets to be team captain but also gets a kiss from Miss Allster here." Mu announced causing a serious uproar. Everyone was stunned, including Flay who was set to be the prize.
"Seriously?"
"No Joke?"
"Coach, you can't be serious!"
"…. That is if Ms. Allster here agrees, of course." Mu added, placing a hand over Flay's slender shoulder. "So what do you say?" He asked Flay rather hopeful. "Just a little kiss for Valentines day."
Flay stayed where she was a moment longer, blushing at the thought of her giving out a kiss so casually. Flay turned to Yzak's direction, noticing too well- how he was emitting a bad vibe before turning to the majority, who had this mirroring plead in their eyes.
Flay Allster never did like to disappoint.
"I'll do it…" Flay swallowed.
"ALRIGHT!" Came the loud hopeful cheers.
"Who cares about not getting chocolates!"
Mu just couldn't help but sweat drop as the boys got their butts off the bench to warm-up… Honestly, these boys are so easy… Lucky, he had gone through that same simple-minded stage as well to know every little twist and turns that's going on inside their heads. What an unconventional way to get motivated.
00000
"I just can't believe you agreed to this, Flay." Miriallia was saying while accompanying their friend on the bench, waiting for the results.
"I just thought it would be fun." Flay laughed.
"That's so daring of you…. But then again, you're not the only one who is…." Miriallia switched her attention to her other friend, Meer Campbell, who was screaming with delight just in front of them which made Flay smile.
"Good luck, Dearka! I'll be cheering you on!" Meer shouted while waving from the sidelines. "Hey, Flay, if Dearka wins can I give out the kiss instead?"
"You gave your chocolate to him, didn't you…." Flay said surely. Apparently, Meer was one of those who were just not afraid to show her feelings.
"Obviously, I think he's pretty cute." Meer pointed out.
"Oh?" Miriallia raised an incisive eyebrow, and glanced over to the soccer field then at the blond. "I think he is just as egoistic as he looks…."
00000
"Ahhhh! Dearka, I love you!"
"I'll be expecting interesting results, you guys!" Coach Mu La Flaga yelled buoyantly out from the side.
Yzak crouched down, tightening his footwear.
This is ridiculous…. Yzak swore under his breath. Everyone should be motivated to win the upcoming championships; not get all riled up to win some stinking kiss from some girl!
As if he would just stand down and make those idiots believe that this team needed girls in or out of the field for everyone to be at their best.
He'll knock them out from their fluffy fictional worlds! Yzak inflamed.
"Alright, everyone, gather around!" Yzak declared, after standing back up to his full height.
Hours later…
And after several rounds with Sai Argyle, Kira Yamato, Rusty Mackenzie, Heine Westenfluss, and some more others, the outcome was fairly obvious. In sports and leadership, there wasn't much of a competition, really. In other academics however, was another story.
"Yzak, you're heartless!"
"Can't you purposely lose to us at least once?" as if that'll ever happen.
"You just wanted to kiss Flay, didn't you!"
"You morons! If you wanted to be Captain so bad then stop slacking off and practice more!" Yzak snapped.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Everyone turned their head towards their coach's direction as the man stepped out from the sideline and into the soccer field with Flay right beside him.
"Congratulation, Captain. You've earned it again! Now come over here and claim your prize." Mu moved away from both Yzak and Flay to give them space.
Flay stepped a gauche step forward; a little hesitant and part shy. She nervously looked at the guy who was about to receive a kiss from her only to realize that Yzak had dismissed the matter without care, and simply turned his back from her approach. "You can just go home. Unlike those idiots, I didn't try out to win a kiss from a girl!" He told her flatly.
And with that, he walked himself back to the bench, leaving Flay to stand there a bit speechless and probably feeling a little humiliated as well.
"Oh, come on, Yzak. Don't be such a spoilsport!" The rest of the guys booed and hissed as Yzak solely made his way closer and closer to the bench towards his teammates.
"Some leader you are turning your back from a girl." Another added.
"You call yourself our Captain!"
And before Yzak knew it, he was grabbed, dragged, and then forcefully thrown forward back into the center of the field where Flay was still waiting for him.
"Go and claim your price already!"
Breaking away from the group, "Fine, already!" He growled then surrendered just to keep their nosy hands away. How bothersome! What is up with these guys and a little kiss anyways?... His mother kisses him all the time!
Yzak stepped forward from the rest, completely irritated. Nonetheless, Yzak obediently stood in front of Flay, presenting her his cheek and waited to let what was supposed to happen just happen.
"Happy?" He let out with a great amount of sarcasm, seeing as there was no other possible way out of this mess.
Awkwardly, Flay eyed at the ground still uncomfortable from what Yzak did at first. But nonetheless, she managed to put up a smirk. "Congratulations."
Yzak roused then looked away, pretending not to care while, honestly, he was a bit flattered having it said by a girl. Although for a fraction of a second, he could have sworn he saw Flay's angelic face twitch, or he could have imagined it. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."
Flay timidly looked up into Yzak's blue eyes, but he wasn't looking back at her. He was uncomfortably looking at air from the many interested glances his teammates were giving them.
At Flay's intense gaze, Yzak cleared his throat. "Just hurry up will you…"
Flay took a deep cleansing breath, and then slowly ran a gentle hand on his jaw line bringing him to her.
Anticipation… Yzak's clock was ticking impatiently. This was taking too long.
And at this, Yzak was forced to roll his eyes. "This is ridiculous!" His brow furrowed, but his eyes were now locked on Flay's. "Look. If you don't want to do it…." He explained, "no one is going to…." But before he could finish his thought and before she could delay any further on what she was about to do, she kissed him. Yzak's eyes flew wide in shock as she kissed him soft and slow with a slightly open-mouth on his lips. Her fingers brushed lightly through his silver hair; caressing gently the fine hairs at the base of his neck before running both hands along his proud jaw and crooked each under his chin sweetly coaxing him closer.
One beat. Two beat. Three beat.
And before Yzak could fully comprehend what they were doing, let alone his response to it, he pulled away and pried himself out from Flay's grasp. Panting hard, he stared at her, one hand cupped over his mouth. His eyes were still wide; he couldn't believe what she had done. She kissed him… On the mouth.
What the hell was she thinking!
The question screamed inside his head, but Yzak said nothing for a moment; didn't trust himself to speak- not when he found his heart was beating twice its normal rate. He tried to get his breathing under control; wetted his lips; swallowed. Then slowly, ever so slightly, still never taking his eyes from Flay's bashful ones, he shook his head and glanced around suddenly aware of who saw them lip lock.
One, apparently, would be his friends and teammates, who were already rushing over towards their direction fully equipped with a crazy grin on each of their faces. Two was Flay's friends at the sidelines, gawking with shock. And number three was coach Mu La Flaga, who had this appalling gape plastered on his face. His dark eyes stared at them; full-blown disbelief reflected back at him, and Yzak could see that what had happened just now was far from the said instructor's original plan.
"Allster, you were only supposed to peck him on the cheek!" Came the man's first instinctive outburst. "We've talked about this!"
Flay turned around, revealing an expression of a surprise of her own. "I was?"
"Yzak, you're all red!" Dearka grappled an arm around his best friend teasingly as the rest of the male population gathered around them.
Unconsciously, Yzak still has his hand on his mouth unable to cease the lingering sensation he had felt there.
Instincts had made Yzak completely aware of the guys around him and how they could be blabbering a whole lot of words right about now, but strangely enough he hadn't heard one of them because he had been too busy looking at her. And he knew, at this very moment, that something was terribly wrong with him.
One beat. Two beat. Three beat.
Abrupt, he forced himself to look away for he knew if he didn't, he would let himself get lost in her angelite depths, never to return to his normal life; a normal life where he could have cared less. He needed to come to his grips that in a short moment, he would never kiss her again, no matter how good or how right it felt when they did. Scratch that... Like he'll ever admit.
However, he could not look away… could not help but notice how the hem of Flay's skirt swirled dramatically as she turned to leave.
Beautiful… Graceful… Alluring… Wow…
**End.