The Cowboy Recounts the Aftermath
Irvine sighed. He started it all. If he'd never moved to this town, he'd never have met Xu, who would never have gotten drunk that night, so she wouldn't have been right at that corner when Cid Kramer, the fuck, had in his drunken stupor smashed his car into her. But... but then he wouldn't have met Nida. Damn, he felt so guilty about it all. He'd wanted to comfort Nida, help him out... Irvine could tell how close Nida and Xu had been. But then... It was so wrong. He shouldn't have feelings for Nida, not like that. But he did. It didn't help that he and Nida had been spending massive amounts of time alone together, re-writing the play that they were going to preform. Zell made sure he was always somewhere else, probably on a scheme with Seifer for yet another set-up for Nida.
The first one didn't work out, anway. Nida refused to go to Squall's, right after the accident and all. It just fell apart. Irvine couldn't help but be glad about it, even though he knew he shouldn't. It'd been his idea... But he couldn't be involved with Nida. He just can't.
He'd changed so much. Xu's death, even though he'd not known her too well, though he'd known her better than he should have considering how long he'd known her, had shattered his sense of self. Where he'd come from, he'd been in infallable ladies's man. Now... he was holding back. About a boy!
A gentle cough caused Irvine to look up. He'd zoned out. Again. Nida smiled at him, seated next to him on the park bench.
"So, like I was saying... There are times when I come out in a dress, right? Well, how should you and Zell react? I think Zell should be indifferent..."
"You want me to flirt with you onstage?"
"I don't know, I just thought it would be... fitting, for the way you're playing Jess... I mean, you don't have to..."
"Sure." And then with disregard for his better judgement: "It won't be hard. I mean, I bet you're really hot in a dress."
Nida blushed. Irvine probably shouldn't have said that.
"Uh, I mean..." Irvine tried to cover.
"No, you think so?" Nida was clearly interested, and wanted that to be the case.
"Yeah." Irvine sighed mentally. Maybe... this wouldn't be so bad.
The Owner Spies
Seifer had been taking a walk through the college campus when he saw Irvine and Nida sitting on a bench along the path. Curious, Seifer snuck over to stand behind a tree behind the two. He'd just barley managed to get there to listen when they stopped talking. He turned to look. They were making out! Even if it could have been expected of Irvine, Seifer was suprised. It didn't quite seem like Nida. Too sudden.
Seifer laughed to himself. How come they'd spent so much time and energy trying to get Nida and Squall together, just for Irvine and Nida to find each other (disregarding that Nida and Squall had been Irvine's idea)? Maybe things happen better on their own, like how wildflowers are so much more beautiful than those that are tamed in perfect rows.
Back up Seifer, that didn't sound like you. Must have been all that time around Zell's mum or something.
As the silence continued, Seifer began to wonder if he should interrupt them, congratulate them or something. That'd be mean. He shrugged and continued back to his dorm, unlocking it to find it empty. He didn't think that Zell was down at the shop this morning...
And then on the mini fridge was a yellow Post-It (tm) note, with the word 'DOCTOR' written on it. Oh yeah, Zell had to go in early this morning for an appointment.
The Mechanic Gets Bad News
Zell sat on the bed in the sterile, shining hospital room, clad only in a flimsy piece of blue floral cloth called a "hospital gown", humming something or other as he awaited the doctor's return. Eventually Dr. Odine returned, frowning into his clipboard.
"Zell, this news is very bad. I'm afraid that you've contracted the HIV virus."
"WHAT!?!?!" Zell's eyes went wide. He hadn't done drugs, he never shared blood, the only person he fucked was Seifer...
"You know enough about it, I think, to tell me why you might have it." Odine went from the nice, if a little strange, doctor, to an almost psychiatrist.
"My boyfriend, he..."
"Yes, you'll probably want to discuss it with him. He may have it too."
Zell put his head in his hands, not knowing what to think. This meant... that Seifer either had slept with someone else or done illegal drugs and shared needles. And Zell was hoping that it was option B.
He walked into his dorm, answering Seifer's "Hey," with one of his own, and then, "Seifer, we need to talk."
Irvine sighed. He started it all. If he'd never moved to this town, he'd never have met Xu, who would never have gotten drunk that night, so she wouldn't have been right at that corner when Cid Kramer, the fuck, had in his drunken stupor smashed his car into her. But... but then he wouldn't have met Nida. Damn, he felt so guilty about it all. He'd wanted to comfort Nida, help him out... Irvine could tell how close Nida and Xu had been. But then... It was so wrong. He shouldn't have feelings for Nida, not like that. But he did. It didn't help that he and Nida had been spending massive amounts of time alone together, re-writing the play that they were going to preform. Zell made sure he was always somewhere else, probably on a scheme with Seifer for yet another set-up for Nida.
The first one didn't work out, anway. Nida refused to go to Squall's, right after the accident and all. It just fell apart. Irvine couldn't help but be glad about it, even though he knew he shouldn't. It'd been his idea... But he couldn't be involved with Nida. He just can't.
He'd changed so much. Xu's death, even though he'd not known her too well, though he'd known her better than he should have considering how long he'd known her, had shattered his sense of self. Where he'd come from, he'd been in infallable ladies's man. Now... he was holding back. About a boy!
A gentle cough caused Irvine to look up. He'd zoned out. Again. Nida smiled at him, seated next to him on the park bench.
"So, like I was saying... There are times when I come out in a dress, right? Well, how should you and Zell react? I think Zell should be indifferent..."
"You want me to flirt with you onstage?"
"I don't know, I just thought it would be... fitting, for the way you're playing Jess... I mean, you don't have to..."
"Sure." And then with disregard for his better judgement: "It won't be hard. I mean, I bet you're really hot in a dress."
Nida blushed. Irvine probably shouldn't have said that.
"Uh, I mean..." Irvine tried to cover.
"No, you think so?" Nida was clearly interested, and wanted that to be the case.
"Yeah." Irvine sighed mentally. Maybe... this wouldn't be so bad.
The Owner Spies
Seifer had been taking a walk through the college campus when he saw Irvine and Nida sitting on a bench along the path. Curious, Seifer snuck over to stand behind a tree behind the two. He'd just barley managed to get there to listen when they stopped talking. He turned to look. They were making out! Even if it could have been expected of Irvine, Seifer was suprised. It didn't quite seem like Nida. Too sudden.
Seifer laughed to himself. How come they'd spent so much time and energy trying to get Nida and Squall together, just for Irvine and Nida to find each other (disregarding that Nida and Squall had been Irvine's idea)? Maybe things happen better on their own, like how wildflowers are so much more beautiful than those that are tamed in perfect rows.
Back up Seifer, that didn't sound like you. Must have been all that time around Zell's mum or something.
As the silence continued, Seifer began to wonder if he should interrupt them, congratulate them or something. That'd be mean. He shrugged and continued back to his dorm, unlocking it to find it empty. He didn't think that Zell was down at the shop this morning...
And then on the mini fridge was a yellow Post-It (tm) note, with the word 'DOCTOR' written on it. Oh yeah, Zell had to go in early this morning for an appointment.
The Mechanic Gets Bad News
Zell sat on the bed in the sterile, shining hospital room, clad only in a flimsy piece of blue floral cloth called a "hospital gown", humming something or other as he awaited the doctor's return. Eventually Dr. Odine returned, frowning into his clipboard.
"Zell, this news is very bad. I'm afraid that you've contracted the HIV virus."
"WHAT!?!?!" Zell's eyes went wide. He hadn't done drugs, he never shared blood, the only person he fucked was Seifer...
"You know enough about it, I think, to tell me why you might have it." Odine went from the nice, if a little strange, doctor, to an almost psychiatrist.
"My boyfriend, he..."
"Yes, you'll probably want to discuss it with him. He may have it too."
Zell put his head in his hands, not knowing what to think. This meant... that Seifer either had slept with someone else or done illegal drugs and shared needles. And Zell was hoping that it was option B.
He walked into his dorm, answering Seifer's "Hey," with one of his own, and then, "Seifer, we need to talk."