I Disclaim and you all know it.
Not sure about this chapter, I'm considering rewriting it differently, opinions on the matter would be helpful. Thanks for reading.
CYCLONES IN THE DUST
Stupid Oblivious Chicken
"Seifer" came Squall's indifferent, flat voice. Seifer looked across at Squall, and smirked, his blonde hair was swept up and was so fine it looked more like cat fur than human hair. His green eyes were their typical viridian green, and his smirk was, well, Seifer's smirk.
"Yes Squally?" he asked sweetly.
"Can you let those cadet's out of that broom closet" said Squall, levelling his cold blue stare at the blonde.
"Cadets? In this closet?" Seifer gestured to the door he was currently standing next to with his gunblade holding the handle up. There were shouts from within the class and pounding on the door.
"…yes Seifer, that closet" said Squall patiently.
"…Say please" Seifer smiled innocently. Squall pulled his lips back in a snarl, then not liking the taste of the word, but having to say it if he had any hope of getting to the meeting with his farther on time said the word.
"Please".
"Why certainly!" said Seifer with mock enthusiasm, and with an exaggerate flourish removed the blade. Promptly three cadets tumbled out onto the floor on top of each other with assorted exclamations of 'oof' or 'argh'.
"What do you think you're doing! You're late for class!" barked Seifer, his demeanour changing from casual to aggressive in an instance, viridian eyes flashing like a blade. The cadets scrambled up, and snapped to attention for the Headmaster and the Seed.
"Don't just stand there you useless sacks of Grat dung! Go to class!" snarled Seifer advancing. The three terrified cadets bolted, pale and wide eyed down the corridor, jabbering something with a semblance to 'yes, sir'.
"I wish you wouldn't do that" said Squall folding his arms with a trace of a sigh in his voice.
"Yeah, and I wish there was something better to do, but someone keeps assigning the missions to everyone else…don't they, Squally-boy?". Seifer had resumed his usual arrogant demeanour, and looked pointedly at Squall, who rolled his eyes.
"Whatever"
"…Where's the Cowboy and the Yellow-menace anyway?" asked Seifer sheathing his blade and turning the same instance as Squall walking with him. "Quistis said something about a mission in Deling?".
"Yes, a routine mission. Reconnaissance with an assassination if it's required" said Squall flatly. gazing ahead.
"Eh? I can understand sending the Cowboy then, but why Selphie?" asked Seifer frowning. Squall stopped looking across at Seifer with his impassive expression Seifer stopped and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"…in case something goes wrong" he said, before continuing. Seifer barked a laugh and caught up to the brunette.
"So, in case Irvine misses, you get Selphie to blow the city up? Sometimes Squall, you're to calculated for your own good. I'm glad you didn't send me, I wont have anything to do with it when the shit hits the fan" Seifer smirked.
"Whatever" was Squall's reply, he knew Irvine was unlikely to miss, and Selphie was unlikely to indulge her love for explosives to that degree, she could be manic, but she wasn't stupid.
"I see you're back to your usual self, caught up on your sleep?" said Seifer sweetly, which Squall didn't even dignify with an answer. After a few minuets walking in silence. Seifer spoke.
"Hey Squall" he said. Squall immediately stopped and faced the green eyed blonde, knowing that his use of his actual name didn't bode well.
"What do you want Seifer?" he asked bluntly. Seifer smirked knowingly.
"You know me so well" he swooned mockingly then continued, smirking. "I was wondering if maybe you could put me on a mission with Chicken?" he asked.
"No" said Squall turning and continuing leaving Seifer to stare after him.
"Hey! Why not!" Seifer called jogging to catch up, his coat billowing slightly as he did so.
"…Do I really need to tell you?" asked Squall scathingly still walking briskly.
"Okay, okay. Bad idea, how about reinstating the disciplinary committee? You wouldn't have to run around asking people weather or not they are applying for a disciplinary. I could handle it, and I'd be able to terrorize the cadets officially" Seifer grinned. Squall paused at the lift just as the doors opened.
"I'll think about it Seifer, now go away," he said without turning from facing the lift, eyes fixed on the back of it just before walking into it. Seifer glared at him as the doors closed . 'Stuck up sod' he thought absently. He was so bored. The cadets would be in class for a while yet. He turned and walked slowly, considering his options.
'Can't bother Irvine, and don't have to avoid Yellow-menace 'cos they're on their stupid mission'. He ground his teeth in irritation his gaze becoming a glare fixed on nothing in particular as he walked.
'Quistis is probably instructing somewhere and Squall's having a chat with daddy-dearest. No doubt Ward and Kiros are hogging the training centre, and I have no idea where my Chicken is… why is life so fucking retarded?' Seifer turned into the dorms and walked down the corridor, by now his casual gait had changed to an aggressive stalk in irritation.
'Not even as if Fujin or Rajin are about, them and their stupid date,' Seifer huffed. He'd seen the relationship coming, so he should have expected it. He just hadn't expected to be so bored without the terrible two.
Abruptly he paused hearing a familiar voice cursing loudly. Seifer slowed and stopped staring at a door, a few moments later it opened violently.
Zell stopped and glared at Seifer halfway through the door; his blonde hair was messy and randomly spiked, lacking his usual precision and insane style, His skin was shockingly pale beneath the black tribal tattoo and the sharp blue of his eyes seemed to dominate his face, the only part of him that seemed truly alive and alert. He was wearing a plain black vest and his usual baggy denim and weird trainers.
Several things caught his attention all at once, the fact Zell didn't look like he'd slept for several nights, secondly that the black vest top was much looser than usual, ( and Seifer was one to take in Zell's wardrobe and how well certain items fit) and thirdly the fact he held his left hand in his right wrapped in a white towel steadily seeping red.
"What the hell do you want!" he snarled defensively. Seifer opened his mouth with a sharp retort ready.
'SHUT UP ALMASY!' his mental self roared. His mouth snapped shut and he reconsidered. 'Play nice, remember what Squall said, just be… nice… well, nicer'.
"Nothing really… what did you do to your hand?" Seifer put a tone of boredom and indifference into his voice and reframed from indulging in his usual smirk. Zell narrowed his eyes and tensed.
"…I know You're plannin' something" he growled glancing left and right.
"…Normally, yeah, but I hadn't planned on running into you Chicken, just heard some cursing worthy of myself and wondered why it sounded like you" Seifer shrugged and smirked slightly. 'Fuck, I slipped up, but it's not up to my usual standard, maybe he wont notice'. Zell stared at him a few moments looking undecided, his vivid blue eyes flickering from point to point.
"…Cut my hand" he mumbled closing the door and walking past Seifer, who was startled at the abrupt and stiff motion. Zell wasn't stiff usually, he was fluid 'must be the lack of sleep' he thought. Seifer moved catching up to the blonde quickly.
"How'd you do that?" he asked mildly, keeping far away from his usual mocking tones. He was used to Zell answering questions with a grudging reply, yell or volatile reaction, for him to simply answer was new and interesting.
"I slipped in my kitchen and put my fist into the washing up. Smashed some glasses and plates" he glanced at Seifer expectantly, waiting for the mocking, cutting or belittling remark.
"Going to the infirmary then?" asked Seifer, fighting the urge to say something mean. 'I'm like an addict really, can't help it… well I can, I'm doing it now' he bit his tongue glaring straight ahead, arms tensing with the need to make something out of that perfect little scenario. He could prey on any number of things. Clumsiness, lack of coordination both of which would offend the martial artist who relied on those aspects to fight. Zell stopped and actually stared at him. Eyes shocked, mouth open slightly.
"…What have you been taking Seifer? You on some anti-asshole drugs or something?" he asked suspiciously.
"Just tired is all" Seifer ground out between his teeth, fighting the desire to retaliate to the insult, and oh-so-nearly loosing.
"…Tired?..." Zell asked, looking disbelieving. He shook his head and walked ahead turning into the infirmary. He stopped and glanced back at Seifer, looking like the real Zell, blue eyes expressing his puzzlement and curiosity. Then he shrugged and went into the infirmary. Seifer felt almost giddy knowing he'd revived some small part of the real Zell from his emotional stupor.
Seifer released a breath and relaxed, tension flowing out of him. 'Fuck, who knew being nicer would be that hard!' he thought, feeling mentally drained. There was no way he would put that effort in for anyone else, he just wished Zell knew that.
"Stupid, oblivious Chicken" he mumbled under his breath before some cadets ran passed him laughing. He smirked, eyes glittering maliciously. 'Now to make up for being nice'.