techno

"I like techno..." Dearka said carefully. "It's like, the only thing I can dance to."

"That's because you're a peasant, and you don't know a waltz from a tango, Elsman," Yzak stated. He rolled his eyes as if to say Dearka had forgotten the natural order of life.

"Um, peasants don't technically exist anymore, Yzak..." Athrun said tentatively.

"Well than how can there be royalty?" Yzak asked, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, that's riiiight," Dearka realized. He turned to Athrun. "Hey, you must be a prince, because you always date princesses." He smirked.

"It's called 'courting,' but no, I don't." Athrun remained aloof, which really wasn't helping his case.

"Yeah, you do. First the Pink Princess, and now the Princess of Orb." Dearka grinned happily.

"But I'm not a prince," Kira said. He shrugged and opened up a book. (Yours Until Dawn, by Teresa Madeiras.)

"That's because you're an idiot," Yzak replied simply. "And because I don't like you," he added snippily.

"So you like Lacus?" Dearka asked slyly.

"No, he does!" Yzak yelled, pointing at Kira and feeling tainted because he had referred to the ex-Strike pilot with a simple, non-insultive pronoun.

"Cagalli?" Dearka continued.

"Knock it off, you bastard! Athrun likes her!" He glowered at Dearka.

"Wait...why don't you like Cagalli?" Athrun asked, looking slightly worried.

"What?!" Yzak's formidable glare settled onto Athrun with eerie and disturbing calm. "I don't like her because YOU DO."

"But we're friends, Yzak...so..." Athrun continued, sure that one's training buddy should accept one's girlfriend. (Although in Athrun's case it was his constant rival who was supposed to accept his mortal enemy's sister. Athrun should have checked the details of his thoughts a little better.)

"You can share your Pocky, but not your girlfriend," Dearka explained, laughing.

Athrun turned pink. "That's not what I—" Athrun began.

"Real friends don't steal each other's girls." Yzak's voice rang out icily as his gaze settled on Kira.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Yzak?" Kira asked, calmly looking up from his book.

"You stole Lacus from Athrun!!" He sounded more like a volcano exploding than a man.

"What?" Kira looked confused. He looked to Athrun, who shrugged.

"It's kinda true, Kira. We were engaged."

"Oh...but everyone's happier this way."

"Well, Yzak still doesn't have a dance partner," Dearka mused.

"Neither do I," Athrun said, and then explained to the weird looks coming at him. "Cagalli doesn't really know a waltz from a foztrot... You know, she only likes techno and stuff..."

"Hey, um, Athrun," Dearka asked as if he were trying to be nonchalant. "Are we 'real friends'?"

"Er...what's a foxtrot?"

Everyone suddenly stared at Kira.

"Even Dearka knows it's a dance, idiot," Yzak sneered, obviously enjoying his superiority.

"What do you mean, 'even Dearka'?" Dearka asked while Athrun began trying to explain the foxtrot to Kira. "Dude, you keep this up and you won't be leading anymore."

"Is that some kind of threat, Elsman?" Yzak asked, eyes flashing more due to being called "dude" rather that anger at any mischief from his subordinate.

"I'm just saying it takes two to tango, Commander," he replied smugly.

"Fuck you."

"Fine. Be my guest. You know what they say about freak dancing..." Dearka trailed off but Yzak didn't seem to understand.

"Freak dancing?!" Kira said in surprise, interrupting Athrun, and obviously having only heard the last two words. "That's like..."—Kira looked down, gathered some courage, and went on in a whisper—"...sex on a dance floor!" He looked embarrassed and a little outraged.

"It goes hand in...hand with techno, you know." Dearka winked at Yzak.

"Never." Yzak was glacial.

Dearka shrugged. "Then I guess Kira was bound to lead me, and well, maybe Athrun will follow in my stead, eh partner?" Dearka gave a sideways glance to Yzak.

"What?! HIM?!"

Kira suddenly knew he was in danger.

"Not if he's dead, Elsman!" Yzak cried, launching himself at Kira so forcible that the couch rolled over backwards and Kira's book went flying. Yzak sat on Kira and tried his best to strangle the younger pilot.

"I should have warned you," Dearka began, peering over the tipped couch with Athrun. His voice dropped to a whisper. "He gets a little violent..."

Yzak suddenly went still and looked directly at Dearka.

"You're next, Elsman."

Remember, there are more Gundam SEED Shorts. You can find them by using my pen name Tobi Tortue, or you may find some written by my sister anja-chan. Check them out! And remember, an author does well do get even one word for a review, so please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!