A/N: It's chapter four already! I am writing these far faster then I think I have ever wanted to. D Curse NaNoWriMo! CURSE IT! Also, for some reason, I keep writing humor into it. It's SUPPOSED TO BE ANGSTY DARN IT. ANGSTYYY. Why can't I continue angst for more than one chapter? Sigh. Er ... anyway.

Much Cofftea and Muffcakes to InsanityCreator, my first reviewer. I love you so much. D Seriously, it's a great feeling knowing people are actually reading this. If you've read this, pleeeeeeeeeease review. I'll love you forever. Seriously. I may even make you stuff. Is it called a kiriban or something? Yeah, something like that.
I'll write now. oo

commencechapterfour

Ding! Whirr ... click ...

Seifer sighed as he followed a slightly preoccupied Nida through the chilly supermarket. He hated supermarkets for reasons he couldn't even explain to himself, not even in that odd way that always seems to sound better in your head, but when you say it out loud, you sound like a complete idiot. It was just one of those things, and that's how he explained it to everyone, and when he had stopped to think about it a while ago, he had realized that even if he did know, he probably wouldn't tell anyone anyway.

He was also right in assuming that Nida was having one of those inexplicable things, and he didn't mind this so much, but he wished sometimes he'd at least be told things before he was led across the largest store in a thousand-mile radius for five hours while he was wearing quite possibly the most uncomfortable metal shoes in the world. Life was harsh. Then again, he was the one who dragged Nida away in the first place, so maybe this was some sort of bizarre payback? He didn't think so, somehow.

"So, when can we..." Seifer stopped, realizing Nida wasn't anywhere near him and that he'd been standing in the same place for ten minutes thinking about all of this, and he rushed after Nida, finding him in the cold medicine aisle. Nida rolled his eyes and ignored Seifer, a gesture that made him look almost Squall-esque.

"Sorry, ADD moment. What're we doing again?

Nida picked up a bottle of Robitussin and dangled it, his back still to Seifer, who was getting vaguely annoyed at having to do all the talking. Not that having him continously asking questions left and right was any better, he reminded himself. Nida could be such a curious little biznatch.

"You got a cold or something? Man, you've got to learn that Cure still works for that kind of stuff." Seifer sighed. He didn't like trying to interpret silence.

"Er," began Nida awkwardly, turning to face the other man. "Not exactly. I kind of just use it..." Nida lowered his voice conspirationally, so Seifer had to lean in slightly to hear him. "... for the trip."

Seifer jumped backward slightly, a disgusted expression playing across his face. For the trip? He knew Nida was a smoker, and therefore slightly screwed in the head, but he hadn't been expecting this. He had opened his mouth, fully intending to tell Nida off and give him a lecture on how drugs are bad - "No, man, just no,"- and he reached over and grabbed the cough syrup from Nida's hands, thinking about giving him a good hard boot in the posterior, and had he left it at that, it might have been better. But curiosity has a way of destroying good intentions, and after a moment -

"...You can go tripping on cough syrup?"

"Uh, yeah." Nida looked uncomfortable again, like he'd just been caught doing something bad and wanted to run for his life out of the store.

"Oh, geez. Just when I think I've seen everything. Look, just lay off. Any other bad habits I should know about?"

"I - er - take pills for depression, too, but I don't see how -"

"And?"

"... When I'm not taking the pills, some people say I get kind of homicidal." Nida had no idea why he was telling Seifer this.

"Hyne. Any good news?"

"Of course. I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico." Nida grabbed the cough syrup out of Seifer's hands and shot him an apologetic look, hoping Seifer would just read his mind so he wouldn't have to say it aloud. I know you were trying to give me a chance. I'm sorry for making this harder for you. But I did warn you. He frowned at Seifer's obvious annoyance. "Look, I know I'm not the sanest person in the world, but -"

Seifer snorted. "It's not that. I just can't believe you'd have to throw in the damn Geico joke. I mean, it's so cliche. Everyone's done it a billion times already."

There was a good four seconds of reflection before what Seifer had just said was processed through Nida's mind - and once he'd realized that Seifer wasn't angry at him, he laughed aloud with relief. Seifer gave him a bewildered look. This kid's nuts.

"What? What's ... funny?" added Seifer uncertainly, staying a careful distance away from Nida, lest he catch his insanity.

"N-nothing," Nida said, recovering himself and following Seifer. "Hey, don't stay away from me like that. It's not catching," he added, noting the look on Seifer's face.

"Yes, it is," said Seifer stubbornly. "It is a disease, just like your gayness, and if I catch it, I shall never forgive you."

"You're right," sighed Nida acknowledgably. "It is a disease. I contracted homosexuality when a gay man sneezed on me. Woe."

The stony silence lasted about one whole second before both men burst out into tears of laughter. Anyone who might have walked into the situation would have been amused and very, very afraid.

After about five minutes of hilarity, in which the pharmacist cast several perplexed glances down the cold medicine aisle, Nida recovered first. "Man, I thought you'd stopped with the gay jokes when we were like ... twelve," he said, scratching the back of his head. "You never change, you freak."

"Oh, psh. Don't give me that. Everyone loves a good gay joke." Seifer grinned innocently, dodging out of the way when Nida attempted to slug him over the head with the bottle of cough syrup.

"And you thought I was being cliche for mentioning Geico! Hypocrite."

"So you believe me, then?" added Seifer smugly.

"Hmph." Nida crossed his arms in mock-exasperation. "I highly doubt that, seeing that you're the one still paying too much for car insurance."

"Oh, bugger off."

Nida waved in imaginary piece of paper in front of Squall. "I will as soon as you buy the insurance."

Seifer quickly squelched the thought that Aflac was 'the insurance'. "That contract is the devil's contract! As soon as I sign that, you'll be shipping stuffed geckos to my door left and right!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made them both turn around. A couple of timid-looking store employees were hovering behind one of the managers-on-duty, easily recognizable by his maroon vest with a gigantic moogle on the back. Nida inadvertently forgot what he was about to say and decided to stay quiet, something Seifer was very grateful for.

"One of my subordinates"- Seifer was suddenly struck by how eerie 'subordinates' sounded in this situation - "heard you laughing a couple of aisles down. Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Er," began Nida knowledgeably, looking for all the world like he wanted to just hide behind Seifer and dissolve into a blob of nothingess. Seifer wanted to hit him, but thinking that not the best idea in this circumstance, decided to just finish Nida's pathetic start at a sentence for him.

"We were buying some cough syrup."

The store manager's suspicious glare lingered. "I see."

"And then he mentioned Geico," continued Seifer. "And you know how cliche Geico is."

"Mm."

"And -" Seifer paused for a moment, feeling Nida attempt to slip inconspicuously behind him and whisper something in his ear. "He's going to kill us. We should run."

Seifer twitched uneasily. They hadn't done anything wrong, and he was certainly not going to chicken out and run because some store manager guy person in a stupid-looking maroon shirt was glaring at him. "We're going to go and pay for this now," he said in a loud voice, holding up the cough syrup. The store manager took a step toward him.

They ran.

cease&chapterfour

A/N: I like this chapter. A lot. XD The freaky Seifer & Nida bonding AMUSES ME. Though, it didn't turn out exactly the way I expected (again). Is it just me, or does my writing style seem to differ a lot from the writing style in the first chapter?

If anyone has any questions about this or any other previous chapter, just ask in your review and I'll answer in the beginning AN of the next chapter coming up, savvy? nn