I know the challenge was a Zell/Seifer + Squall story, but it turned into
a Squall+ Zell/Seifer all on its own. It just hit me that if Squall didn't
have an SO of his own, and his friends were . . . occupied with each
other, he might have more room to drown in melancholy. Especially
if he were nursing a crush on one or more of these friends. hehe
Therefore, this next section will be Zell's POV. Maybe I'll write a
Seifer chapter, too. Who knows?
Okay, I don't think I have quite the same grasp of Zell's voice, but
I'm gonna give it a shot. :)
*********************************************
Complete Me Miserable
Chapter Two: I Love the Way You Love
*********************************************
I woke up to the fucking alarm sore and stiff and sticky: not the best way to start
the day, ever. Especially not with a major test in third period . . . Oh, crap.
"Squall!" I yelled, fighting my way out of the sheets to fall on my face. Damn, tile
hurts. "Squall! Get your kinky pants wearin' ass out here!"
I was pissed.
Asshole never helped me study last night!
I got to my feet, remembered why I was so sore (and stiff and sticky, yuck), and
staggered to my open door. Open . . . Bastard! How could Seifer leave me like
this!
Okay, I know exactly *how*; no matter how he denies it, that blonde prick is even
colder than Squall. Hyne, I love him.
"Squall!" I yelled again, staying on my feet only because I had a deathgrip on his
doorway. The tiled floor was cold, really cold, and I shivered. "Squall?" I asked
the door (closed, of course! That boy is worse than a girl about privacy) as I
shifted from foot to foot trying to keep warm.
Ooh, but I *was* sore. This was going to hurt later, when we started training. I
think Seifer an' me were scheduled for an afternoon lesson, well after lunch.
Seifer knows better than to let me fight at his back when I'm hungry.
"Squall?" I touched the door, planning to scratch it and whimper like a puppy(a
trick guaranteed to make even Mr. Kinky-pants himself smile); the door swung
open.
"Hey, man, time ta get up," I said gleefully, stepping into his room. The off-limits
rule was only in effect when that door was closed. I grinned to myself. And then
stopped.
Squall's bed had been made, or hadn't been slept in. His room was empty.
Damn.
Grumbling, I dragged back to my own room, and flopped down on the bed.
Ow.
I was gonna *have* to talk to Seifer about being so rough. Okay, not the
roughness. I like the roughness. But I needed to be able to fight . . .
My stomach growled just then, interrupting what coulda become a screaming
argument between my hormones and my brain. Not that my hormones ever
listen to reason.
Anyway, after my stomach reminded me that it was time for breakfast, I went
ahead and got dressed. My usual skater shorts and tank, of course. Can't have
anything keeping me from moving while I try to fight. Not like Mr. Kinky-pants at
all.
Not that wearing a full-length trench ever slowed *Seifer* down. And he looked
*good* when he fought. *Damn* good. ::Drool::
Back to breakfast. I was just opening the door when Squall burst through,
wrapped in a towel and still dripping. Didn't he take a shower last night? He
brushed past like he didn't see me, and of course I followed him. My stomach
growled again.
"Hey, Squall, what's up?" I asked innocently, and he whirled on me, fast enough
that I stopped in my tracks, and gave me the Evil EyeTM. I fought the urge to
keep backing up, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Squall?"
"Not right now, Zell," Squall growled, really, like a big cat, and clutched his shower
bundle closer to his chest. Damn, but he has pretty nipples; pink, like a girl's.
"What's wrong?" I asked. I'm no dummy. I can tell when something's up with
Angst Boy.
"Just go to breakfast, Zell," Squall said tiredly, like he'd deflated all of a sudden.
I nodded wisely.
"You should stay in and get some more sleep," I advised him, purposely ignoring
the dangerous silver glint in his storm-colored eyes. "Me an' Seifer musta kept you
up pretty late last night," I continued, probably unwisely, as I started to daydream
about Seifer's big cock thrusting its way to my very soul, it went so deep, and his
rough hand on my erection, and . . .
Squall was gone.
Damnit! His door closed, nearly on my nose, as I ran after him. I pounded on the
door, aware that I was repeating myself, but hey, what're friends for?
"Open up, Squall!" I yelled. "This time I *know* you're in there!"
"Go away!" He said, quietly enough that I might've missed his voice had I not been
nursing a bruised fist. I sighed.
"Stop sulking!" I yelled some more, beginning to wonder if I'd need a band-aid for
my poor hand.
"I'm not sulking," Squall said, all uber-calm and icy. "I don't sulk."
"Sure you don't, Sulky-Lips," I said cheerfully. Then I sighed. My stomach growled
again. "Look, I'm going to breakfast. If you aren't down there in ten minutes I'll-"
"You'll what?" Squall growled again, this time sounding really dangerous. I gulped,
before grinning again.
"Do the naked tango with Seifer," I began, waiting for his response of 'What, again?'
before continuing, "In *your* bed."
I grinned. Evilly.
"Fine! Whatever!" Squall yelled. I could hear the sounds of him getting dressed.
Someone should probably tell him that leather squeaks too much for him to sneak
up on *anybody*. Not that sneaking's his style. . . Not that he doesn't look damn
fine in leather . . . Not that Seifer doesn't look even better kicking his leather-clad
ass . . .
I grin evilly. Again.
"See you in the caf!" I yell at the door, not waiting for his grumbled response.
Damn I'm hungry.
I leave our dorm whistling.
***
"Zell."
"Seifer." I want to launch myself at him and cling to his neck and kiss him
senseless before stripping him naked, but we have an agreement. In public,
I have to act all growly and Squall-like. So I growl, "Ready to get your but kicked
in training, Almasy?"
I almost got him with that one! That was a smile, I saw it!
"The only one getting his ass whupped in this relationship is you, Dinct," he
taunted, sending those perfect, tigery shivers down my spine. I glared up at him.
"Whatever," I toss off, knowing he'll just die inside, and saunter over to join the
line. There had better be some hot dogs left. If Squall made me miss out on my
favorite food . . .
"Stop pretending to be Leonheartless, Zelly," Seifer called after me. "Only the big
cats can afford not to care. Chicken-wusses need not apply."
"What did you call me?!" I whirled around, forgetting all about hot dogs as I turned
on Seifer. Heck, I was getting turned on myself. How did no one ever figure out
that these fights were just foreplay for us?
"You heard me," the bigger boy said, all blonde and tall and muscley. Yum.
"Go eat your breakfast, Chickie."
"You just wait, Almasy!" I yelled at him as he turned and casually walked out
the double doors. "I'll get you yet!"
Hyne, I felt like an evil super villain. And how come he gets ta call me pet names
in public? Ain't fair.
"Good morning, Zell," a voice said, and I turned to find Quistis watching me with
one raised eyebrow. I shrugged.
"Hey Quisty," I sighed, trying to sound all dejected. And it wasn't that hard. I
couldn't kiss my lover in public, and Squall still hadn't gotten his kinky-pants
wearin' ass down here. Grrr.
"Is something wrong, Zell?" she asked, looking nearly as worried as I felt. I just
shrugged, playing it cool.
"Nah. Just had a run-in with Seifer," I said, twisting the truth a bit. "An' Squall
forgot to help me study last night, and he won't come down to breakfast and he
wouldn't talk to me and now I have this test I haven't studied for and--"
"Woah!" Quistis laughed, holding up one hand. "Okay, first, in what class in the
test?"
"Tactics," I said miserably, hoping the puppy-dog eyes would work on *someone*
this morning. Quisits gave me an odd look, so I stopped.
"That's odd," she then said, and I resumed the puppy-dog eyes. "That's Squall's
favorite course. Is he planning to attend this morning?"
"I dunno," I shrugged. "He said he was coming down, but that was a while ago.
Course, he had ta get dressed, and that can take him a while."
"True," Quistis said absently, as though she were thinking. "Well, to solve one
problem, let's go over the review for the test, and we might have time for a few
drills and examples . . ."
"Great!" I grinned, relieved. Tactics has to be my worst subject, after history.
Put me in a fight and I'm good to go, but ask me to start planning stuff . . . Ick.
"Let me just get a tray . . ." I continued, grabbing a rectangle of molded plastic
and clattering it down the row. "Hot dog, please!"
"At seven am, honey?" The cafeteria lady gave me a strange look again. You'd
think they'd just go with it after a while . . .
"Yes!" I insisted. "That's when they're fresh, and hot, and tasty . . ." Drool is so
embarrassing.
I left the line triumphant, tray of hot dogs in hand. Quistis trailed after me with
just a cup of coffee, looking sick for some reason. I ignored her angst happily,
and settled down to a fine meal.
I love hotdogs.
I was totally blissing out(is that a real word or have I been listening to too much
TEEN Radio?) when in walks Mr. Kinky-pants himself. He does sulk, I swear to
Hyne, and one of these days I'm gonna wipe that sulk off his face! If I can ever
catch him asleep. Too damn fast, otherwise.
"Hey, Squally!" I stood up to yell, knocking my text books to the floor and my
water all over Quisty. I froze. She glared. Squall came over.
"Don't call me that, Zell," he said, sounding all tired and angsted out. Quisty
was muttering under her breath as she worked at her skirt with a small paper
napkin. It was just leaving little white speckles on the cloth; I was just glad I
couldn't actually hear what she was muttering. I'm too young to be corrupted.
(Evil grin.)
"Geez, sorry, man," I tossed at Squall, sitting back down to my lovely breakfast.
He glared again. "And what crawled up your ass and died?"
"More a question of what crawled up yours, actually," Squall said, so quietly
that Quistis couldn't hear him and I almost didn't. Almost. I could feel my jaw
tightening.
"You wanna saw something, Leonheart," I ground out, fighting to keep from
jumping to my feet and going for him right there. We were best friends, after all;
he deserved a chance to explain.
But he just sat there, staring up at me with those cold eyes. Like he didn't care.
Aw, that was it! I was on my feet, bouncing into a preparation kata even though
he didn't move.
"Say it again, Squall," I said loudly. "You got a problem, I wanna know!" I was just
about seeing red, and that cold bastard looked like he was . . . I dunno, something
really cold and still! Hyne, he pisses me off sometimes!
He finally looked away. "Whatever," he said quietly, and I just deflated. Never can
stay mad for long. Damn, but that apathetic routine gets me every time. Quisty was
staring at us like we were insane, so I sat back down.
"Do we need to talk, man?" I asked him, worried now that my anger was gone.
He shook his head.
"No, Zell. It's my problem."
Cold, like I said. Hell, everybody else calls him the Ice Prince behind his back.
Not to his face, though. I kicked enough asses to make that point.
"Hey," I protested, picking up a hot dog. "You got a problem, I got a problem.
We're best friends, right?"
He just looked away, toying with a peeling strip of tabletop.
I sighed, looking over at Quistis. She was doing that 'stare at us like we're
specimens' thing again. Makes me shiver.
"Well," I dragged out, searching for anything to talk about. "We never did study
for that test."
Squall's brows actually crinkled.
"Sorry," he muttered, ducking his head to hide his eyes behind jagged bangs.
Time to tie him down and trim his hair again.
Woah, waitaminute! *Squall* apologized?!
"Sure," I said, slightly stunned. "No problem." And just like that, he dragged
my Tactics book over and started ruffling through the marked pages.
Cool. Like a fucking icicle.
I very carefully did not look over at dear Quisty.
"No problem at all."
***
A/N I'm trying to balance Zell's time between his lover and his best
friend. In my experience, the best friend is thought about and mentioned
almost as much, though in different terms, of course. And Zell can
appreciate Squall's body without wanting to jump him, just like he'll
probably salivate over Irvine when he shows up.
The title comes from Silverchair's "Miss You Love"
a Squall+ Zell/Seifer all on its own. It just hit me that if Squall didn't
have an SO of his own, and his friends were . . . occupied with each
other, he might have more room to drown in melancholy. Especially
if he were nursing a crush on one or more of these friends. hehe
Therefore, this next section will be Zell's POV. Maybe I'll write a
Seifer chapter, too. Who knows?
Okay, I don't think I have quite the same grasp of Zell's voice, but
I'm gonna give it a shot. :)
*********************************************
Complete Me Miserable
Chapter Two: I Love the Way You Love
*********************************************
I woke up to the fucking alarm sore and stiff and sticky: not the best way to start
the day, ever. Especially not with a major test in third period . . . Oh, crap.
"Squall!" I yelled, fighting my way out of the sheets to fall on my face. Damn, tile
hurts. "Squall! Get your kinky pants wearin' ass out here!"
I was pissed.
Asshole never helped me study last night!
I got to my feet, remembered why I was so sore (and stiff and sticky, yuck), and
staggered to my open door. Open . . . Bastard! How could Seifer leave me like
this!
Okay, I know exactly *how*; no matter how he denies it, that blonde prick is even
colder than Squall. Hyne, I love him.
"Squall!" I yelled again, staying on my feet only because I had a deathgrip on his
doorway. The tiled floor was cold, really cold, and I shivered. "Squall?" I asked
the door (closed, of course! That boy is worse than a girl about privacy) as I
shifted from foot to foot trying to keep warm.
Ooh, but I *was* sore. This was going to hurt later, when we started training. I
think Seifer an' me were scheduled for an afternoon lesson, well after lunch.
Seifer knows better than to let me fight at his back when I'm hungry.
"Squall?" I touched the door, planning to scratch it and whimper like a puppy(a
trick guaranteed to make even Mr. Kinky-pants himself smile); the door swung
open.
"Hey, man, time ta get up," I said gleefully, stepping into his room. The off-limits
rule was only in effect when that door was closed. I grinned to myself. And then
stopped.
Squall's bed had been made, or hadn't been slept in. His room was empty.
Damn.
Grumbling, I dragged back to my own room, and flopped down on the bed.
Ow.
I was gonna *have* to talk to Seifer about being so rough. Okay, not the
roughness. I like the roughness. But I needed to be able to fight . . .
My stomach growled just then, interrupting what coulda become a screaming
argument between my hormones and my brain. Not that my hormones ever
listen to reason.
Anyway, after my stomach reminded me that it was time for breakfast, I went
ahead and got dressed. My usual skater shorts and tank, of course. Can't have
anything keeping me from moving while I try to fight. Not like Mr. Kinky-pants at
all.
Not that wearing a full-length trench ever slowed *Seifer* down. And he looked
*good* when he fought. *Damn* good. ::Drool::
Back to breakfast. I was just opening the door when Squall burst through,
wrapped in a towel and still dripping. Didn't he take a shower last night? He
brushed past like he didn't see me, and of course I followed him. My stomach
growled again.
"Hey, Squall, what's up?" I asked innocently, and he whirled on me, fast enough
that I stopped in my tracks, and gave me the Evil EyeTM. I fought the urge to
keep backing up, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Squall?"
"Not right now, Zell," Squall growled, really, like a big cat, and clutched his shower
bundle closer to his chest. Damn, but he has pretty nipples; pink, like a girl's.
"What's wrong?" I asked. I'm no dummy. I can tell when something's up with
Angst Boy.
"Just go to breakfast, Zell," Squall said tiredly, like he'd deflated all of a sudden.
I nodded wisely.
"You should stay in and get some more sleep," I advised him, purposely ignoring
the dangerous silver glint in his storm-colored eyes. "Me an' Seifer musta kept you
up pretty late last night," I continued, probably unwisely, as I started to daydream
about Seifer's big cock thrusting its way to my very soul, it went so deep, and his
rough hand on my erection, and . . .
Squall was gone.
Damnit! His door closed, nearly on my nose, as I ran after him. I pounded on the
door, aware that I was repeating myself, but hey, what're friends for?
"Open up, Squall!" I yelled. "This time I *know* you're in there!"
"Go away!" He said, quietly enough that I might've missed his voice had I not been
nursing a bruised fist. I sighed.
"Stop sulking!" I yelled some more, beginning to wonder if I'd need a band-aid for
my poor hand.
"I'm not sulking," Squall said, all uber-calm and icy. "I don't sulk."
"Sure you don't, Sulky-Lips," I said cheerfully. Then I sighed. My stomach growled
again. "Look, I'm going to breakfast. If you aren't down there in ten minutes I'll-"
"You'll what?" Squall growled again, this time sounding really dangerous. I gulped,
before grinning again.
"Do the naked tango with Seifer," I began, waiting for his response of 'What, again?'
before continuing, "In *your* bed."
I grinned. Evilly.
"Fine! Whatever!" Squall yelled. I could hear the sounds of him getting dressed.
Someone should probably tell him that leather squeaks too much for him to sneak
up on *anybody*. Not that sneaking's his style. . . Not that he doesn't look damn
fine in leather . . . Not that Seifer doesn't look even better kicking his leather-clad
ass . . .
I grin evilly. Again.
"See you in the caf!" I yell at the door, not waiting for his grumbled response.
Damn I'm hungry.
I leave our dorm whistling.
***
"Zell."
"Seifer." I want to launch myself at him and cling to his neck and kiss him
senseless before stripping him naked, but we have an agreement. In public,
I have to act all growly and Squall-like. So I growl, "Ready to get your but kicked
in training, Almasy?"
I almost got him with that one! That was a smile, I saw it!
"The only one getting his ass whupped in this relationship is you, Dinct," he
taunted, sending those perfect, tigery shivers down my spine. I glared up at him.
"Whatever," I toss off, knowing he'll just die inside, and saunter over to join the
line. There had better be some hot dogs left. If Squall made me miss out on my
favorite food . . .
"Stop pretending to be Leonheartless, Zelly," Seifer called after me. "Only the big
cats can afford not to care. Chicken-wusses need not apply."
"What did you call me?!" I whirled around, forgetting all about hot dogs as I turned
on Seifer. Heck, I was getting turned on myself. How did no one ever figure out
that these fights were just foreplay for us?
"You heard me," the bigger boy said, all blonde and tall and muscley. Yum.
"Go eat your breakfast, Chickie."
"You just wait, Almasy!" I yelled at him as he turned and casually walked out
the double doors. "I'll get you yet!"
Hyne, I felt like an evil super villain. And how come he gets ta call me pet names
in public? Ain't fair.
"Good morning, Zell," a voice said, and I turned to find Quistis watching me with
one raised eyebrow. I shrugged.
"Hey Quisty," I sighed, trying to sound all dejected. And it wasn't that hard. I
couldn't kiss my lover in public, and Squall still hadn't gotten his kinky-pants
wearin' ass down here. Grrr.
"Is something wrong, Zell?" she asked, looking nearly as worried as I felt. I just
shrugged, playing it cool.
"Nah. Just had a run-in with Seifer," I said, twisting the truth a bit. "An' Squall
forgot to help me study last night, and he won't come down to breakfast and he
wouldn't talk to me and now I have this test I haven't studied for and--"
"Woah!" Quistis laughed, holding up one hand. "Okay, first, in what class in the
test?"
"Tactics," I said miserably, hoping the puppy-dog eyes would work on *someone*
this morning. Quisits gave me an odd look, so I stopped.
"That's odd," she then said, and I resumed the puppy-dog eyes. "That's Squall's
favorite course. Is he planning to attend this morning?"
"I dunno," I shrugged. "He said he was coming down, but that was a while ago.
Course, he had ta get dressed, and that can take him a while."
"True," Quistis said absently, as though she were thinking. "Well, to solve one
problem, let's go over the review for the test, and we might have time for a few
drills and examples . . ."
"Great!" I grinned, relieved. Tactics has to be my worst subject, after history.
Put me in a fight and I'm good to go, but ask me to start planning stuff . . . Ick.
"Let me just get a tray . . ." I continued, grabbing a rectangle of molded plastic
and clattering it down the row. "Hot dog, please!"
"At seven am, honey?" The cafeteria lady gave me a strange look again. You'd
think they'd just go with it after a while . . .
"Yes!" I insisted. "That's when they're fresh, and hot, and tasty . . ." Drool is so
embarrassing.
I left the line triumphant, tray of hot dogs in hand. Quistis trailed after me with
just a cup of coffee, looking sick for some reason. I ignored her angst happily,
and settled down to a fine meal.
I love hotdogs.
I was totally blissing out(is that a real word or have I been listening to too much
TEEN Radio?) when in walks Mr. Kinky-pants himself. He does sulk, I swear to
Hyne, and one of these days I'm gonna wipe that sulk off his face! If I can ever
catch him asleep. Too damn fast, otherwise.
"Hey, Squally!" I stood up to yell, knocking my text books to the floor and my
water all over Quisty. I froze. She glared. Squall came over.
"Don't call me that, Zell," he said, sounding all tired and angsted out. Quisty
was muttering under her breath as she worked at her skirt with a small paper
napkin. It was just leaving little white speckles on the cloth; I was just glad I
couldn't actually hear what she was muttering. I'm too young to be corrupted.
(Evil grin.)
"Geez, sorry, man," I tossed at Squall, sitting back down to my lovely breakfast.
He glared again. "And what crawled up your ass and died?"
"More a question of what crawled up yours, actually," Squall said, so quietly
that Quistis couldn't hear him and I almost didn't. Almost. I could feel my jaw
tightening.
"You wanna saw something, Leonheart," I ground out, fighting to keep from
jumping to my feet and going for him right there. We were best friends, after all;
he deserved a chance to explain.
But he just sat there, staring up at me with those cold eyes. Like he didn't care.
Aw, that was it! I was on my feet, bouncing into a preparation kata even though
he didn't move.
"Say it again, Squall," I said loudly. "You got a problem, I wanna know!" I was just
about seeing red, and that cold bastard looked like he was . . . I dunno, something
really cold and still! Hyne, he pisses me off sometimes!
He finally looked away. "Whatever," he said quietly, and I just deflated. Never can
stay mad for long. Damn, but that apathetic routine gets me every time. Quisty was
staring at us like we were insane, so I sat back down.
"Do we need to talk, man?" I asked him, worried now that my anger was gone.
He shook his head.
"No, Zell. It's my problem."
Cold, like I said. Hell, everybody else calls him the Ice Prince behind his back.
Not to his face, though. I kicked enough asses to make that point.
"Hey," I protested, picking up a hot dog. "You got a problem, I got a problem.
We're best friends, right?"
He just looked away, toying with a peeling strip of tabletop.
I sighed, looking over at Quistis. She was doing that 'stare at us like we're
specimens' thing again. Makes me shiver.
"Well," I dragged out, searching for anything to talk about. "We never did study
for that test."
Squall's brows actually crinkled.
"Sorry," he muttered, ducking his head to hide his eyes behind jagged bangs.
Time to tie him down and trim his hair again.
Woah, waitaminute! *Squall* apologized?!
"Sure," I said, slightly stunned. "No problem." And just like that, he dragged
my Tactics book over and started ruffling through the marked pages.
Cool. Like a fucking icicle.
I very carefully did not look over at dear Quisty.
"No problem at all."
***
A/N I'm trying to balance Zell's time between his lover and his best
friend. In my experience, the best friend is thought about and mentioned
almost as much, though in different terms, of course. And Zell can
appreciate Squall's body without wanting to jump him, just like he'll
probably salivate over Irvine when he shows up.
The title comes from Silverchair's "Miss You Love"