Zell felt the water run over his body. He hadn't taken a hot shower in a
long time. It felt great.
Zell was thoroughly confused about what had passed between Rinoa and himself. He convinced himself that it was a consoling hug. He was her guardian now, even if she didn't know it. He stepped out of the shower.
Something was up with Rinoa though. She had locked herself in her bedroom and wouldn't let anyone in. Occasionally, she came out for food. Only Quistis and Selphie had seen her. Girls were intuitive like that.
Rinoa hadn't even let Angelo in. Zell had let Angelo stay with him. Rinoa had been in her room for two days.
Zell put on his usual outfit minus the jacket. He only put on his black muscle shirt. Zell was training today. He opened the door to his room.
"Come on Angelo." Zell called. Zell always started by running around the whole garden. He walked towards Selphie's room. He always checked on everyone before he went running, it was especially important to him this week. He knocked on Selphie's door.
"Selph, you there?" Zell asked. The door opened.
"Hey Zell." Selphie said smiling slightly. She waved him into the room. Quistis was sitting on Selphie's bed. Quistis smiled as she saw Zell.
"What are you guys doing?" Zell questioned.
"Just Talking, about…everything really. Irvine and Her. Seifer and me. Rinoa and Squall. You. What's been happening." Quistis commented. Zell appreciated the way she hadn't put Rinoa and him in the same pairing.
It had only been three days since Squall's death had been announced to them. It all happened so fast. Since Rinoa had been locked away for 2 days, everything truly happened in one day. Everyone was still hurting and would probably never stop hurting.
"That's great… where's Irvine and Seifer?" Zell asked.
"Seifer went to Balamb, shopping. I didn't want to go." Quistis said seriously.
Zell almost laughed. Quistis not wanting to go shopping?
Selphie had a quizzical look on her face.
"That's weird, Irvine just went looking for you." Selphie said concerned.
"Don't worry about him." Zell smiled as he spoke.
There was an uncomfortable silence. All 3 were afraid of the next question. Zell broke the silence with a whisper.
"How is she?"
"…"
"Not good. Zell, we've tried talking to her, she's so depressed and angry and an assortment of other emotions. Zell, you were wrong. She doesn't hate you. She almost smiled when we had a conversation about you." Quistis said gleefully. Quistis looked to Selphie for support.
"Yeah, she really did." Selphie smiled.
Zell had an empty look on his face.
"What's wrong Zell?" Selphie sincerely asked
"…Stay away from conversations about me around Rinoa. I don't care what you two say about me when you're alone or even with Irvine and Seifer but don't talk about me around Rinoa." Zell commanded.
"Zell, we weren't talking bad about you at all, it was all compliments and a little teasing." Selphie said honestly. Quistis nodded her agreement.
"All we said was how you…" Quistis started.
"I don't want to hear about it. Just leave me out of your conversations with Rinoa." Zell pleaded.
Zell left the room, leaving the two puzzled girls alone.
As he walked towards the infirmary, where he started his run around the garden, he ran into Irvine.
"Zell, what are you doing here?" Irvine asked semi-nervously.
"Starting my run." Zell replied.
"Can I run with you?" Irvine asked. Zell nodded. "Where to?" Irvine questioned.
"Around the entire garden." Zell responded.
Zell started running, not even checking to see if Irvine was with him. Angelo was trailing at Zell's heels. Irvine ran behind.
Zell tried not to think…past the cafeteria…past the Quad…past the hallway to Rinoa's room. (No, don't think Zell.) Zell thought. Zell ran towards his haven, the training center. He always ran through there. He could feel Angelo's panting breath on his ankles. He could hear trailing footsteps, a yard or two behind him. He could feel the sweat run down his forehead as he pasted the training center for the 6th time. He entered the 7th time, lucky number 7.
Zell could hear talking in the training center. Then he remembered they taught a class in there. Zell skimmed past the class behind the students who sat learning a lesson in fighting.
"Zell!" the Instructor called. Zell stopped running and turned towards her. "Possibly you could teach these kids a lesson, they're not understanding it."
"I'm kind of training right now. I'm running." Zell said catching his breath.
"Please." The Instructor said sweetly. Zell could never resist a chance to help someone, let alone a pretty face. Zell sighed and nodded. He walked to the front of the class. He studied the rather simple (for a martial artist) combination of moves. A right jab, left jab, double drop kick, mid- kick, high kick, roundhouse kick, mach kick. Zell would have finished it with Burning Rave. Zell started to explain how it worked.
However, the females in the class were too busy staring at him to listen. They stared at his muscle shirt, which contoured his body and his finely toned, lean physique. They stared at his hair which had begun to droop onto his face, filled with sweat. He had a husky smell about him, the smell of his masculine body mixed with the smell of a strangely mesmerizing deodorant. The entire group of girls sighed in unison.
The guys found the lesson interesting. They were being taught by a pro. They listened intently as Zell explained.
"You see, the hardest part of this combination is the transition between mo…" Zell began.
"Zell…Wait…Up!" Irvine panted.
Irvine looked around and saw the class. Seeing the young girls around him and trying to maintain his reputation he instantly caught his breath. He winked at the young girls. They were too busy staring at Zell to notice him wink. Zell wiped the moist hair that hung over his eyes back over his head. Zell sighed.
"If you can't keep up Kinneas, don't run with me." Zell said, clearly frustrated.
Irvine didn't even notice Zell had spoken to him.
"Anyway, work on the transition and you'll get it right." Zell said and then demonstrated the combination twice.
"Now listen to your instructor." Zell said in a mock-fierce voice and smiled that toothy grin of his.
Zell started to run again, he noticed Irvine had decided to stop running. Angelo followed him faithfully though. He ran back to his room, intent on taking another shower.
He entered his bedroom and headed for the bathroom.
"Zell…"
Zell jumped slightly and turned around.
"Selphie…How'd you get in here?" Zell asked suspiciously.
"You left the door open." Selphie responded. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Fisherman's Horizon with me for a couple of days."
"Yeah, who else is coming?" Zell questioned.
"Just you and me. I thought we could have some time to talk. Quistis could be alone with Seifer and also look out for Rinoa. Irvine could have some alone time." Selphie smiled slightly as she talked. Zell was surprised that Selphie wanted to go with him.
"Sounds great, when?" Zell asked.
"Now." Selphie replied.
"Okay, I just need to take a shower and pack and tell Quistis to look after Angelo." Zell commented.
"I already packed your stuff and told Quistis. Besides, it doesn't bother me, you can take a shower when we get there.
"Okay." Zell said dumbfounded, he pet Angelo and said goodbye.
Zell was thoroughly confused about what had passed between Rinoa and himself. He convinced himself that it was a consoling hug. He was her guardian now, even if she didn't know it. He stepped out of the shower.
Something was up with Rinoa though. She had locked herself in her bedroom and wouldn't let anyone in. Occasionally, she came out for food. Only Quistis and Selphie had seen her. Girls were intuitive like that.
Rinoa hadn't even let Angelo in. Zell had let Angelo stay with him. Rinoa had been in her room for two days.
Zell put on his usual outfit minus the jacket. He only put on his black muscle shirt. Zell was training today. He opened the door to his room.
"Come on Angelo." Zell called. Zell always started by running around the whole garden. He walked towards Selphie's room. He always checked on everyone before he went running, it was especially important to him this week. He knocked on Selphie's door.
"Selph, you there?" Zell asked. The door opened.
"Hey Zell." Selphie said smiling slightly. She waved him into the room. Quistis was sitting on Selphie's bed. Quistis smiled as she saw Zell.
"What are you guys doing?" Zell questioned.
"Just Talking, about…everything really. Irvine and Her. Seifer and me. Rinoa and Squall. You. What's been happening." Quistis commented. Zell appreciated the way she hadn't put Rinoa and him in the same pairing.
It had only been three days since Squall's death had been announced to them. It all happened so fast. Since Rinoa had been locked away for 2 days, everything truly happened in one day. Everyone was still hurting and would probably never stop hurting.
"That's great… where's Irvine and Seifer?" Zell asked.
"Seifer went to Balamb, shopping. I didn't want to go." Quistis said seriously.
Zell almost laughed. Quistis not wanting to go shopping?
Selphie had a quizzical look on her face.
"That's weird, Irvine just went looking for you." Selphie said concerned.
"Don't worry about him." Zell smiled as he spoke.
There was an uncomfortable silence. All 3 were afraid of the next question. Zell broke the silence with a whisper.
"How is she?"
"…"
"Not good. Zell, we've tried talking to her, she's so depressed and angry and an assortment of other emotions. Zell, you were wrong. She doesn't hate you. She almost smiled when we had a conversation about you." Quistis said gleefully. Quistis looked to Selphie for support.
"Yeah, she really did." Selphie smiled.
Zell had an empty look on his face.
"What's wrong Zell?" Selphie sincerely asked
"…Stay away from conversations about me around Rinoa. I don't care what you two say about me when you're alone or even with Irvine and Seifer but don't talk about me around Rinoa." Zell commanded.
"Zell, we weren't talking bad about you at all, it was all compliments and a little teasing." Selphie said honestly. Quistis nodded her agreement.
"All we said was how you…" Quistis started.
"I don't want to hear about it. Just leave me out of your conversations with Rinoa." Zell pleaded.
Zell left the room, leaving the two puzzled girls alone.
As he walked towards the infirmary, where he started his run around the garden, he ran into Irvine.
"Zell, what are you doing here?" Irvine asked semi-nervously.
"Starting my run." Zell replied.
"Can I run with you?" Irvine asked. Zell nodded. "Where to?" Irvine questioned.
"Around the entire garden." Zell responded.
Zell started running, not even checking to see if Irvine was with him. Angelo was trailing at Zell's heels. Irvine ran behind.
Zell tried not to think…past the cafeteria…past the Quad…past the hallway to Rinoa's room. (No, don't think Zell.) Zell thought. Zell ran towards his haven, the training center. He always ran through there. He could feel Angelo's panting breath on his ankles. He could hear trailing footsteps, a yard or two behind him. He could feel the sweat run down his forehead as he pasted the training center for the 6th time. He entered the 7th time, lucky number 7.
Zell could hear talking in the training center. Then he remembered they taught a class in there. Zell skimmed past the class behind the students who sat learning a lesson in fighting.
"Zell!" the Instructor called. Zell stopped running and turned towards her. "Possibly you could teach these kids a lesson, they're not understanding it."
"I'm kind of training right now. I'm running." Zell said catching his breath.
"Please." The Instructor said sweetly. Zell could never resist a chance to help someone, let alone a pretty face. Zell sighed and nodded. He walked to the front of the class. He studied the rather simple (for a martial artist) combination of moves. A right jab, left jab, double drop kick, mid- kick, high kick, roundhouse kick, mach kick. Zell would have finished it with Burning Rave. Zell started to explain how it worked.
However, the females in the class were too busy staring at him to listen. They stared at his muscle shirt, which contoured his body and his finely toned, lean physique. They stared at his hair which had begun to droop onto his face, filled with sweat. He had a husky smell about him, the smell of his masculine body mixed with the smell of a strangely mesmerizing deodorant. The entire group of girls sighed in unison.
The guys found the lesson interesting. They were being taught by a pro. They listened intently as Zell explained.
"You see, the hardest part of this combination is the transition between mo…" Zell began.
"Zell…Wait…Up!" Irvine panted.
Irvine looked around and saw the class. Seeing the young girls around him and trying to maintain his reputation he instantly caught his breath. He winked at the young girls. They were too busy staring at Zell to notice him wink. Zell wiped the moist hair that hung over his eyes back over his head. Zell sighed.
"If you can't keep up Kinneas, don't run with me." Zell said, clearly frustrated.
Irvine didn't even notice Zell had spoken to him.
"Anyway, work on the transition and you'll get it right." Zell said and then demonstrated the combination twice.
"Now listen to your instructor." Zell said in a mock-fierce voice and smiled that toothy grin of his.
Zell started to run again, he noticed Irvine had decided to stop running. Angelo followed him faithfully though. He ran back to his room, intent on taking another shower.
He entered his bedroom and headed for the bathroom.
"Zell…"
Zell jumped slightly and turned around.
"Selphie…How'd you get in here?" Zell asked suspiciously.
"You left the door open." Selphie responded. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Fisherman's Horizon with me for a couple of days."
"Yeah, who else is coming?" Zell questioned.
"Just you and me. I thought we could have some time to talk. Quistis could be alone with Seifer and also look out for Rinoa. Irvine could have some alone time." Selphie smiled slightly as she talked. Zell was surprised that Selphie wanted to go with him.
"Sounds great, when?" Zell asked.
"Now." Selphie replied.
"Okay, I just need to take a shower and pack and tell Quistis to look after Angelo." Zell commented.
"I already packed your stuff and told Quistis. Besides, it doesn't bother me, you can take a shower when we get there.
"Okay." Zell said dumbfounded, he pet Angelo and said goodbye.