Disclaimer: Square Enix, not mine
Warning: . Squall x Seifer, will contain Shonen Ai in later chapters, some swearing.
Rating may go up later.
Angel of pure darkness: Yeah well, cockroaches are always hard to kill.
Unity-Song: I'm glad my formats working better. Squall is quite the mother hen!
Gothic angel eyes: I understand complete. I've just finished 1 essay and a prototype, and somehow managed to write up some chapters for both of my fics. I'm pooped.
Redrum: Yeah, Squall's going to be so fun to write. It's just deciding what he's reaction's going to be when he finally does see Seifer...
Verdiani: Glad you like it
Konekomh: A hammer might work better... :D
Hikari Heijin: Don't worry, he'll keep on trying. Anything for his dear Squall...
Chapter 5
Seifer watched from above as Squall began his first lesson with Jewel.
'Go ahead bitch, try and make your move. I'll be waiting and watching and you won't get away with it.'
"Like this sir?" Jewel held up the weapon with two hands, straining to keep it up in the air. Squall sighed and walked towards the cadet.
"No, like..."
SWIPE
Squall barely had time to jump back as the blade swung around, nearly splitting his stomach open.
"Hey! Watch what you're doing!"
"Sorry sir, I didn't mean too," Jewel said sheepishly, mentally cursing Squall's fast reflexes. Seifer bridled at the first attack.
'Try doing that again and you'll be feeling my claws bitch.'
After positioning Jewel's hands properly on the blade, Squall stepped back and grabbed his gunblade, moving into his fighting stance.
"Ok, today we will just be getting the feel of the weapon..."
Seifer watched the rest of the training session in boredom. Because she wasn't actually facing Squall in a fight, Ultimecia was unable to launch an attack on Squall, something Seifer was glad for. Just because she didn't know how to use the gunblade properly, it didn't mean that she couldn't slice him up still, and taking on a gunblade in this form was not Seifer's idea of fun. Waiting until the two had left the training room, Seifer quickly tailed Squall to his office, sliding in unnoticed by the brunette. Squall placed his gunblade next to the bookshelf and sat at his desk. It had been a long time since Squall had trained with another gunbladist, and it made him feel the loss of his rival.
'I never feel the challenge any more. I wonder where he is, how he's doing? If he's still alive.' Squall frowned. It had never occurred to him the Seifer could be dead. He was too much of an arrogant prick to be killed of that easily. The thought that he might be dead left Squall with a strange emptiness inside him.
"Meow."
Squall looked up to see Almasy standing on his desk, nearly touching noses with him.
"Oh, what are you doing here? Got a bit lonely huh? Well, if you promise not to attack anyone, you can stay here with me ok?"
"Meow."
Seifer nuzzled against Squall's arm.
"I'll take that as a yes then," Squall said as he stroked his cat before placing him on the floor. Jumping onto the couch, Seifer sprawled on out and made himself at home.
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Zell stared at the young gunbladist in front of him.
"Hello there ... Jewel. What can I do for ya?" Jewel smiled up at the unsuspecting blonde.
"I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to Squall. It is such an honour to be trained by him and it was only possible because of you, so I brought you a gift to show my gratitude," Jewel said, smiling sweetly up at Zell, holding out a blue box, tied with a pink ribbon. "I even glued the ribbon onto the base so you don't lose it."
Zell smiled as he reached out for the box, opening it carefully.
"Why thank you Jewel, though there was no need to get me a gift. It's ... lovely." Zell pulled out a small pendant attached to a string, covered with dobs of colour and a small feather.
"Thank you, I made it myself, as well as the brownies." Zell smiled falsely as he draped the hideous object around his neck, unwilling to offend the young cadet.
"Thank you Jewel. It's a lovely gift. I have to go now, but these brownies will do just the trick during today's meeting."
Jewel beamed up at Zell.
"Ok then, enjoy."
Zell watched as the young cadet bounded off.
'Weird, but in a nice way I guess. I'm glad she took up gunblading instead of art. I hope her cooking's better. Man, Squall's going to kill me for being late.'
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"You're late."
Zell winced as Squall's cold voice cut across the room, causing the rest of the gang to glare at him.
"Ah, sorry Squall, I got held up talking to a cadet sir."
Squall just glared at the blonde.
"Sit down so we can start."
Zell made his way over to the couch, taking his place next to Quistis.
"What's up his arse?" he whispered.
"Rinoa wasn't too happy to find that the cat had taken up residence in Squall's office, and decided to tell him that."
"It's here?"
Zell looked up, and sure enough, The Beast, aka, Almasy the Cat, was stretched across Squall's desk, batting at one of Squall's office ordainments that Selphie had given him for his birthday. This particular one had a small metal ball attached to a string that swayed around when batted out, which seemed to amuse the killer cat to no end.
'Heh, small things amuse small minds.'
"Zell."
Zell lifted his gaze from the cat to Squall.
"Yes Squall?"
"Repeat the last two sentences I just said."
"Ah, erm," Zell stumbled. Squall narrowed his eyes.
"Pay attention. Now, the President of Esther is holding..."
Zell's hand rummaged quietly through the box of brownies. Waiting until Squall had turned his gaze back to the computer; he opened his mouth to take a bite...
"MEOW!"
"HEY! THATS MY BISCUIT YOU MONGREL OF A CAT!" Zell screamed, jumping up and grabbing the offending cat, biscuit still in mouth.
"You little mongrel! Give it back!" Zell yelled, shaking Seifer, teeth firmly clenched around the brownie.
"Zell! What are you doing!"
"Teaching your cat a lesson. I've put up with it scratching, biting, glaring at me, but stealing my food ... that goes beyond my tolerance Squall!"
Swinging his head, Seifer released the biscuit, sending it hurling out the window.
"Ah! My food!" Zell screamed, dropping the cat as he peered out the window. Squall sighed as he watched the spectacle. By now Selphie was rolling on the floor, laughing, with Irvine looking to join her as well. Quistis managed to hide her laughter a bit better, but not by much.
'Hyne...'"Zell, it was a biscuit. And a biscuit that wasn't suppose to be here as well."
Zell sighed as he slumped back onto the couch.
"I know. Jewel, the cadet you're training, gave me them as a thankyou gift on my way up."
Squall held his hand out.
"The rest Zell. You can have them back after the meeting ok."
Zell sighed as he tied the ribbon back on and held the box out to Squall.
"Here you go...HEY!"
Squall and Zell stared as the offending cat ran, box held firmly between it's teeth by the ribbon, as it jumped up by the window.
"Meow."
The box fell into oblivion. Zell's fist clenched.
"Squall..."
"Ah, sorry?"
"That's it Squall! That. Is. Not. A. Cat. – It's a demon or something. Cats don't just chuck boxes of my food out of the window."
"Zell, clam down," Selphie said, jumping up and restraining the angry blonde.
"It wasn't deliberate. Almasy was just playing a game with you, meowed and accidentally dropped the box out of the window, that's all. It's not a demon, and it's not out to get you. He gets everyone else as well. Its just his personality. Nothing demonic at all."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Zell mumbled rebelliously. Squall reached across, plucked Seifer off the windowsill, and sat back down, placing Seifer onto his lap.
"Sorry Zell. How about I phone the cafeteria and get the to hold a couple of hotdogs for lunch ok?"
Zell immediately brightened.
"Ok then. But the cat's still in my bad books thought."
Squall sighed and the meeting returned to normalcy.
'Good grief, why me?'
Seifer laid across Squall's lap, purring contently with himself.
'I knew there was something fishy with that box. Stupid bitch, trying to pull a stunt like that.'
Squall stared down at the cat as the other's left and he arranged for Zell's lunch.
"What am I going to do with you?"
'Just love me, pat me and feed me some lunch.'
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'So maybe he was able to prevent the idiot from eating the poisoned brownies, but Zell still has the pendent on and as long as he wears that, his energy is mine
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Seifer batter lazily as the colour magnets in front of him. Selphie, in a fit of madness (or sanity, depending on how you normally viewed her,) decided to get something for Seifer to play with that was "bright, colourful and something no other kitty would have!" So the girl went and brought coloured magnets, you know, the plastic ones shaped as numbers and letter that little kids stuck on the fridge. Selphie's excuse for the weird present was because they were bright, light weight and all different shapes, which would keep the cat amused, or at least, that was what The Book said. When Seifer was human again, he planned to find The Book and burn it as revenge for all the trouble it has caused him.
'Like a cat would understand what these are.'
Seifer sat up with a start.
'But I can!'
Jumping up, Seifer peered at the magnets in front of him.
'Ummm.'
Seifer tried focusing on the letters, but the bright colours and close range made it harder for him to identify the letters.
'But not impossible.'
Placing a paw on the closest magnet in front of him, he traced his paw along the outside.
'This would be so much easier with hands, but it's working – I think.'
Seifer was halfway through sorting out the letters from the numbers when the door opened, letting in a exhausted Squall.
"Hi Almasy, I'm home... ah!"
Seifer watched in horror as Squall slipped on the magnets and fell onto the tiled floor.
'Ah my piles!'
Squall glared at the cat.
"That's it. I'm sick of those things getting under my feet all the time."
Standing up, he grabbed the plastic magnets up and shoved them roughly into a container on the bench, screwing the lid on tightly.
"There, no more spills."
Seifer stared dejectedly at the container.
'It was a good idea while it lasted.'
Walking across to the couch, Seifer jumped up and slumped across Squall's lap. Squall stared down at the sulking cat.
"Sulking cause I took your toys huh?"
"Meow."
Squall smiled and scratched behind Seifer's ears.
"Some times it seems as though you understand every word I say, though Rinoa thinks its strange to talk to your cat like that. Maybe she's right."
Seifer nuzzled against Squall.
'Na, don't listen to her. I like it when you talk to me. It makes me feel ... human. I liked it back in the orphanage, when we use to go to the light house, just the two of us and talk about anything that came to our minds. I missed those times, though I never admitted it. I pretended not to care when you became so cold and uncaring, and even managed to fool myself for a while. The GF's helped with that a bit too. I just wish we could pick up from there, and just miss those years at Garden. Neither of us were very good company, though I always strove to be near you. I just want to be me again.'
"Oh well, I don't care what she says anymore. I'm not even sure why I'm still with her. Sure it was good for a while, and I would have to be blind to say that she's not beautiful, but she just... not for me."
'Yeah Squall, you get rid of that lump of sack.'
"But then I'll be alone again."
'Tsh, no you won't. You have your friends, Edea, Cid, others and me too. You were never alone, you just pretended to be. Just open your eyes and you will see. Hey, that rhymed.'
"Ah, all this emotional craps making me hungry. Lets eat. Tomorrow Quistis and I will be taking the first years out on a field trip. Hyne that's going to be hell. Better eat well and get a good night sleep then."
Later, Seifer laid across the top of Squall's pillow, swiping gently at the sleeping brunette's hair.
'Tomorrow's field trip would be the perfect time for Ultimecia to attack. There must be some way I could go.' Seifer laid his head down, plans forming in his head as he fell asleep.
AN: a bit shorter this time, but i've had lots of essays and assignments to do and all that stuff. I know most people say that cats are colour blind but in this fic, he can see perfectly fine. i quite enjoyed writing Zell's part, theres just so much you can do with him. Remember to read and review .