Title: I Don't Care.

Rating: PG.

Pairing: Irvine/Fiona with a hinting at Herman/Moonbay. Oh, hush. After seeing that upper-body shot of him, I'm stuck on the thought that Herman is nothing but hot. @_@
Notes: x_X Okay. First. I'm used to calling Fiona, 'Feene.' So.. if there's Feene instead of Fiona once or twice, excuse it, eh?

This is a bit.. lacking, in my normal descriptions and stuff.  I was lazing around in class today and, poof. The idea came to me. That's why it's so short and.. blah. oO;

AND, YES, I KNOW I SHOULD GET TO UPDATING OTHER THINGS, BUT THIS CAME FIRST AND DIDN'T NEED ANY SPELL CHECKING OR REVISION. I DON'T THINK. So.. nyan.

-           -           -           -

"Why do you keep staring at her like that?" Moonbay was persistent when it came to questioning, going to the extent of extending her arm and literally jabbing him between the shoulder blades when he didn't come up with a response within the oncoming few seconds. He blinked.


Was he staring? That would be just -- excellent, if he was. Oh, yeah. Perfect. Just what I need -- "Hey, Irvine, why're you goggling at the little girl?" He, Irvine, shook his head and shot a look back at his sassy partner.


"I'm thinking." He put a bit of an emphasis on the word 'thinking,' and looked away, focusing on, this time, nothing in particular.

"No. You're staring at Fiona." She responded airily, though hints of confusion could be heard easily through that. She poked a finger in the girl's direction.

"She's in front of me; I can't help that." He pointed out and, growing agitated, decided that if she kept this questioning up, he would up and simply leave.

"Are you sure?" She inquired once more with a raised brow. She kept glancing between the small, blonde girl and the eye-patch wearing male beside her, as though trying to see something that wasn't there between the two.


"Positive." He even gave a nod as he spoke this word. Was he?

"Alright, then." She sounded doubtful. He scowled. As if she had any reason to even care; her and that Herman obviously were up to something when their backs were turned and 'contract' discussions were going on between them two and only them two.

Without any more of a conversation, left in silence if one could exclude the joyous talk between Fiona and Ban, the group trekked on.

-           -           -           -

"You're doing it again." Moonbay quipped once more, out of nowhere. He had seated himself atop one of the larger rocks within the area of the ruins that they had stumbled across while aimlessly traveling. Ban, Fiona and the Zoid were not too far off, still in a watchful distance, slowly walking between the ruins. Every once in a while, they would stop, Ban would point and Fiona would examine it. She wasn't having visions or daydreams or deja vu, so, from this distance, he assumed that it was null.


"Hum?" Irvine turned from his not watching and looked behind him. Focusing the lenses upon his eye patch, he zoomed in upon the angry face of the Gustav-driver.


"Staring at her." She responded snootily and jumped from the low rooftop behind him. The lenses unfocused and she stepped out in front of him, hands upon her hips.


"What are you talking about?" He eyed her incredulously and folded his arms over his chest. This was getting old.


"I've been watching you! You're--" Why Moonbay was pulling her hair out over nothing was beyond him. She pointed a finger in his face accusingly and scowled. "Staring at her, constantly!"


"No." He responded simply and lamely, crossing his eye momentarily to gaze down at the finger. She didn't move the finger, not even an inch. "That's rude, you know."


"I don't mean to sound paranoid," She bit out and dropped her hand, soon crouching down to eye level with the Command Wolf pilot. "But, just what are you planning to do with her?!"


"I'm not staring at her." He stated slowly and clearly, just in case she had some sort of listening inability. She let out a groan of frustration and did the only thing she could in this matter -- turn on her heel and stomp away.

He honestly wasn't staring at her! Am I? He was watching that stupid Ban, Oh, really? Keeping track of his stupid antics, Not the girl? Watching his every little move, Not the girl.. at all? So when the time would come, he could take the Zoid And the girl.. right? and high tail it out of there triumphantly.

Irvine, He growled mentally and unfolded his arms, propping one elbow up upon his Indian-styled folded knee. He cupped his chin in his palm, scolded himself a bit more and then chided for all his mental-being to hear, Shut up.

-           -           -           -

"He knows you're staring at her." Moonbay, once more, plopped down beside Irvine. This wasn't what he needed to hear, especially since he was eating this disgusting, canned food once more! "He said he sees you doing it constantly."

Upon hearing that, he choked on a forkful of food. "What--?"


"You heard me."


"How the hell can you go about, saying things like that?" He cleared his throat of the food and snapped in annoyance. Moonbay looked taken aback, though stood her ground.

"It's true." She added stubbornly and glanced towards both Ban and Fiona. They were still poking around the ruins. "He doesn't like it; they love each other, Irvine. You know that, right?"

"Quit that." He snapped once more and shoveled a forkful of the food into his mouth. Much to his dismay, his throat seemed to have become tight in some suppressed sense of emotion and he began to choke on the food once more.


"You quit that." Moonbay gave a single, resounding smack to the back of Irvine, before pushing herself to her feet and stalking off, once more. He sneered at her retreating back, snagged his canteen of water from his bag and went about fixing his current, though smallest, problem. With that accomplished, he hurriedly devoured the food, kicked off his boots and set off to bed.

Emotions are for the weak. And you're not weak, right? He could reserve them for when he was old and wrinkled. After Ban and Fiona are married, huh? This was pointless..

-           -           -           -

The sun was creeping over the horizon much like his consciousness was creeping over his being. He groaned quietly and slung an arm over his eyes. It was quiet all about the campsite, not one peep from anyone. Even the organoid, who normally snored louder than thunder itself.

Finding this suspicious and deciding that it was time to resort to some of the fruits he had picked up and hid away in his Command Wolf, he removed his arm, shoved himself upright and stretched.

They hadn't abandoned him, as he thought they did. Sleeping bags were scattered around the area, though the most dominant cluster was that of Ban and Feene's. Zeke was curled within the small gap between the two, nose tucked against his tail as though trying to ward of the cold he couldn't feel. Irvine, in spite of himself, sighed and pushed himself to his feet.


He was hungry. Not hungry but also obsessed with a girl that came out of a pod. Nope. Not him. Just hungry. Nuh uh. He grinned at his own conclusion and strolled along casually. To get to the Command Wolf, he would have to pass by both Ban and Feene and Moonbay's sleeping area. That would be bad, His sub-conscious stated, though sounding happier than depressed. He scowled.


Moonbay came first. She was curled beneath both her pillow and blanket, mumbling and giggling loudly about something. He was tempted to sidle over and kick her lightly and repeat some of the curious things she was incoherently going on about, though that would result in more 'Quit tha~t' speeches. Those were bad. Irvine didn't want them.

Then.. the cluster of three came up. That was fine. Completely, totally fine. He kept his attention diverted, though it was hard to miss the sight that lay before him. Ban was sleeping quietly, drooling and jerking his head about as though he were five and back in his bed in the Wind Colony. Most of the sleeping bag was left folded open, his one arm slung out haphazardly in the direction of Fiona. She was half way out of her bag, half way curled within one of his arms and partially using his arm as a pillow. She was murmuring something about Deathsaurus', papayas, water and anger, briefly thrashing around before settling.


He hated the fact that he had enhanced vision. He hated it especially since it could take the sight before him and enlarge it, make it well defined. Despite the darkness of the dawn, he could see every horrifying detail. Moonbay was right and..

This actually hurt.


His lips curling into a bitter sort of smile, he kicked himself mentally and continued on his stroll. That was okay. She might've been cute and all, but.. she wasn't his type. Then what is your type? Not Fiona. She's too sweet. Too cute. Too innocent. Too helpless. That's why you want to whisk her away though, isn't it?


At times like this, he could kill himself for having a mind.

Behind him, he could hear Ban stirring awake. Ban wouldn't question the fact that he was awake and wandering about so early. Ban, most likely, didn't care. But, then again, Moonbay had run her mouth earlier..

Nope. No confrontations this morning. Through the corner of his eye, he could see Ban blinking himself awake temporarily, eventually focusing on Fiona. He, not wanting to wake her, shifted carefully, pulling her closer into a hug which she carelessly accepted through her own sleep induced haze.


Once more, Irvine's throat felt dry and tight, as though he were choking on the air itself. He exhaled shakily and continued on the stroll, which was turning into a brisk, confused jog. Don't care, eh?

"No," He snarled angrily, though quietly. "I don't. It doesn't matter."


Really, now? What're you goin' to do, Irvy? Go and cry?


Oh, just what he needed. His own self acting smart. Ignoring the echoing words, he heaved himself onto the leg of the Command Wolf, eventually opening and pulling himself into the cockpit. Ban, this time, did turn his head and look in the direction of the Wolf, though the cockpit was closed and secured shut before he could get a glimpse at the pilot.


Irvine, still breathing shakily, nearly trembling in a sense of unbridled -- compassion? Hate? Love? He couldn't read his own feelings, he didn't want to. It hurt! God, it hurt, so damn bad.. He, if he were in his right mind, would've gotten up and gone. He should get up and go, he told himself, and go back -- home. Away. So far, he would never think of this matter ever again.

But.. it doesn't matter?

But it doesn't matter. It never would.

( end A/N: .. That was so lame on my part. ^^; You can't blame me. I was talking about Gumby and 80's cartoons [Mostly Gumby. Gumby rules.] and it was making me think weird. But.. *CRIES* I LOVE IRVINE! ;-; He's like.. a cute pirate, with a really good voice. "ARR! _O"

.. GUMBY~! *blinks* He~rman. )