Author's Note:
I don't plan to make a habit bothering readers with my little comments up here... But I just wanted to let you know that I do know how to spell the word "great," and that's not what I was trying to spell in the chapter title. Okie! Enjoy!
Statement so I don't get sued or anything: FFVIII and it's characters do not belong to moi!
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Shades of Red
Chapter Two - That's Just Grat
The next morning, the sun was shining and I had a spring in my step. I guess you could say I was my usual self. As usual, I had nothing to do, so I decided to spend my time in the training center. It had been a while since I seriously kicked Grat ass. Do Grats even have asses? Anyways, the point is I had energy to spare, so why not unleash it in the training center?
I'm not really sure why I was so energetic that morning. Perhaps it was the fact that Irvine actually came to my dorm to personally tell me that he likes me, even if it is only the way you like friends. It really gave me hope. Maybe I could make Irvine like me more! Yeah, right. Irvine Kinneas, constantly in female company, having more-than-friendly feelings towards a guy was less likely to happen than the second coming of Hyne.
Whistling to the catchy tune "Eyes on Me," I briskly strided down the hall towards the training center. I was in such a good mood, I didn't think anything could go wrong. However, when I almost got to the training center, who should step in front of my path but the infamous Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee? It was obvious they had just finished training; all three were covered in sweat and they carried their weapons.
"Well, well, if it isn't Dinky Dinchty," Seifer smirked.
I didn't want this to spoil my mood, so I gave him the death glare and tried to walk around the group. Unfortunately, Seifer extended his arm and held Hyperion in front of me to block my way.
"Where do you think you're going, chickenwuss?" Seifer smirked. "You don't even say 'Hi' to us?"
"Get out of my way, Seifer!" I growled. "I don't need to be wasting my time on you."
"Hey, show Seifer some respect, ya know?" Raijin demanded.
"PUNISHMENT," Fujin tersely stated in her low, icy voice. She always sent shivers down my spine whenever she spoke.
"I suggest you three get out of my way right now, unless you'd rather face the consequences," I said with the most threatening look on my face as I could manage.
"What are you going to do, Dincht?" Seifer laughed. "You couldn't take us; it's three to one. Even so, how do you think it would look for a SeeD to beat up on Cadets?"
Pressing the flat of Hyperion's blade to my chest, Seifer forced me to back away. I found myself in a hopeless situation. There really was no way I could defeat all three of them by myself if it did come to a fight. Just when I felt I would have to submit myself to whatever humiliation Seifer had planned, I was rescued!
"I believe you were instructed to move." Exeter in hand, Irvine stepped up to Seifer. "He's a SeeD. As a subordinate, I reckon you should respect his wishes."
"Oh yeah, girly boy? You gonna make me?" Seifer removed Hyperion from my chest and held it in a ready stance. "Bring it, cowboy. It's two against three. The odds are still against you."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Irvine smirked. "Remember, now, the two of us helped defeat Sorceress Ultemecia. Not to mention, you got your ugly ass kicked around more than once."
"Ah, you would know all about asses, wouldn't you, Kinneas?" Seifer retorted. "You want me to move? Make me."
What did Seifer mean, Irvine would know? I didn't have any time to look into it far enough; my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Irvine's shotgun being cocked, quickly followed by a large BOOM as Irvine shot straight at the ceiling. Bits of plaster flaked off and landed directly on Seifer's head. His face turned a deep red, and veins became visible on his forehead.
"Uh, Seifer, maybe we should leave, ya know?" Raijin suggested. "We're lucky Garden took us back, and we shouldn't push our luck, ya know?"
"Whatever," Seifer grumbled, sounding a lot like Squall. "I'll let you off easy this time. Don't think it'll happen again."
As the three morons stalked away, I could hear a small group of Cadets quietly giggling at Seifer's plaster-covered head and shoulders. I was deeply grateful for Irvine's interferance. With a huge smile on my face, I turned to face Irvine. I was about to thank him, but he spoke before I could say anything.
"No need to thank me. I know those guys're always givin' ya trouble," Irvine said while smiling warmly. "It seems like they've got dirt on everyone, doesn't it? It's tough standin' up to them, but someone needs to do it. So, where're you headin' to this bright, shiny mornin'?"
"Just the training center," I replied, acting much more casually than I had last night.
"Me too," Irvine stated, brandishing Exeter. "So, ya wanna partner up with me?"
Of course I did! This would be the perfect way to spend time with Irvine. I could hang out with him yet not have to worry about being obvious with my feelings. Trying not to sound too eager, I agreed with Irvine's request and walked with him to the training center.
There was hardly anybody at the training center; the only other people were a small group of Cadets who were careful not to stray too far from the exit. Looking for a challenge, Irvine and I wandered towards the back of the "jungle" where the tougher monsters usually showed up. It wasn't really a long walk, but it seemed to take forever. I didn't dare say anything to Irvine, because I knew I wouldn't be able to contain myself, and I'd end up looking like a fool. So, I just stared at the path ahead, silently walking side-by-side with Irvine. Finally, Irvine broke the awkward silence.
"Those monsters sure are hiding real good today," Irvine commented.
"Real well," I corrected.
"What?"
"The monsters are hiding well," I explained. "You need an adverb; "good" is an adjective."
"You little know-it-all!" Irvine chuckled as he lightly punched me in the arm.
What the heck was that? He finally broke the silence and I corrected his grammar. No, I couldn't even continue the conversation like a normal person. Of course, the awkward silence came back, but what could I say to Irvine? I tried to find something to say, but Irvine thankfully spoke again.
"Hey, Zell, why is it you act all different around me?" Irvine pondered.
"I... I do?" I stammered.
"Yeah, you're usually all talkative an' stuff, but the second I come around, you freeze all up like a chocobo in the headlights," he pointed out.
Oh Hyne, what do I do, what do I do! What should I say!
"You know what I think?" Irvine smiled arrogantly. "I think you--"
I didn't let him finish. I couldn't. This was a very, very bad topic, and it could go no further. I cut him off and screamed, "HEY! Check out that Grat! Let's get it!" I ran as fast as I could down the path. I didn't really see a Grat, but I couldn't think of an easy way to put an end to that conversation. Irvine chased after me and quickly caught up because of his long legs.
"Where is it! I don't see anything!" he gasped between breaths.
"You missed it!" I lied. "It got away."
Irvine opened his mouth to say something, but he was smacked on the back with a vine before he could say anything. He stumbled and would have fallen over if I hadn't caught him, but now was no time to enjoy holding Irvine; there was a monster to fight! Irvine quickly spun around to face the Grat that assaulted him. While Irvine backed away to make it easier for him to shoot, I closed the distance between me and the Grat and instantly began assaulting it with punches. Irvine shot at the Grat, careful not to hit me as I leaped around its body in attempt to tangle its vines.
The two of us were doing great! I even succeeded in tangling its limbs, which allowed me to take a breather while Irvine went all-out with Shot. However, we really underestimated this Grat. While it was tangled up, it released its sleeping powder. I quickly did a backflip to get away, and I was lucky enough to have avoided the effect of the sleeping powder. On the other hand, Irvine wasn't as lucky. He was dead asleep in the dirt, cuddling Exeter with a stupid grin on his face. He looked so cute!
I didn't have much time to admire him, however, since the Grat had untangled itself and began advancing on Irvine's unconscious body. I ran towards the Grat and hit it with a jump side kick, which sent it flying back several feet. The Grat used it's arm-like vines to stabilize itself before attempting another assault at Irvine. Although I had a clear disadvantage (I have two arms and Grats have four), I fought my hardest to protect Irvine. Finally, the Grat became annoyed with my persistance; it wrapped a vine around my ankle, pulled my foot from beneath me, and effortlessly tossed me aside.
"Irvine!" I called, hoping to wake him up, but it did no good.
The Grat prepared to thwack Irvine with one of the thick leaves that rested at the end of each vine. I tried to get up to continue fighting the Grat, but it turned out the Grat sprained my ankle; I couldn't walk on it at all. I had to protect Irvine, but there was no way I could hobble to his side in time. I could feel the rage burning inside me; it felt as if I were on fire. Just as the Grat was about to hit Irvine, I pounded my fist as hard as I could into the ground, sending quakes in the ground towards the Grat. The Burning Rave hit it at full force, knocking it over. The Grat lay there, unconscious; I had defeated it!
Full of relief, I crawled to Irvine's side, hoping I would be able to wake him up by myself. I mentally cursed at myself for always forgetting to bring items to the training center while lightly shaking Irvine, hoping he would wake up. Little did I know at the time, Irvine was a heavy sleeper. I became tired with my failed attempts to politely wake Irivne, so I finally resorted to screaming his name while slapping him on the cheek a few times.
"Whhhaaaaaaaattt?" Irvine finally grumbled.
"You were asleep!" I explained. "Nothing I did could wake you up."
"Ya couldn't just use an awakening?" he whined as he stood up, brushing dirt off his jacket.
"I, um, didn't bring any items," I replied with a sheepish grin.
Irvine rolled his eyes at me before saying, "Well, don't just sit there! Let's go!"
"About that, Irvine," I softly chuckled, "I can't walk."
"What!"
"Yeah! It was hard work fighting that Grat all by myself while you took your little beauty nap!" I exclaimed. "Can't you just cast cure or something?"
"Zell, we've traveled together for a long time, right?"
"Right."
"Have you ever known me as the type to use magic?"
"Nope," I replied, waiting for Irvine to say something before realizing what he meant by this. "Oh! No cures, huh? Well how about a potion or something?"
Irvine didn't reply; he merely chuckled.
"What's so funny!" I demanded.
"I forgot to bring items too."
Great. Neither of us had any means of healing, which meant I would have to go to the infirmary to be healed by Dr. Kadowaki, but I certainly could not walk there; it was on the other side of Garden! That would mean Irvine would have to carry me. I chewed my lip nervously, waiting for Irvine to suggest a way to get me there. I was afraid that if I said anything, I might seem to eager to be carried by him. Actually, I became a bit worried as to what Irvine had in mind; his mouth spread into that mischievous grin of his.
"Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to carry you, Zell," Irvine grinned.
A look of shock spread across my face. Irvine probably thought it was me being afraid of being carried, but I was actually surprised that he instantly offered to carry me. Also, it may have been my imagination, but Irvine seemed as eager to carry me as I was to be carried by him. Still, I didn't say anything, even as he bent to lift me into his arms.
"No objections?" he taunted. "Don't look so eager, Zell, someone might think you're into me."
"What! I'm not eager to be carried by you!" I protested. "I just don't see any other way to get to the infirmary."
"Relax, I'm just kidding!" Irvine giggled as he pulled me to my feet, giving me support as I balanced my weight on one foot. "I'll give ya a piggy-back ride so it'll look more manly."
I gave Irvine a weak smile as he turned around and crouched down so I would be able to climb onto his back. Dirty thoughts filled my head, mostly having to do with riding Irvine's backside. I quickly shook myself out of it. Oh, Hyne, that would just be horrible if I got a boner while getting a piggy-back ride from Irvine. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tightly hugged his shoulders. This was the perfect opportunity to be close to Irvine without it being weird. As Irvine began walking me towards the infirmary, I lazily rested my chin on his shoulder.
"Pick up the pace, will ya?" I playfully whined.
"Geez, 'your majesty,' you're lucky I don't just drop you right now," Irvine teased.
Being this close to Irvine, I could easily smell the musky cologne he always wore, plus the scent of gunpowder always lingered on Irvine; I guess that comes with being a sharpshooter. His hair also smelled magnificent - like some sort of flower. I never really noticed what his hair smelled like, since I was never really close to his head before this. After some time, I was yanked out of my reverie by the sound of Irvine's voice.
"You doin' okay back there?" Irvine asked. "You're awful quiet."
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," I quickly replied. "Just spaced out for a bit."
I told myself I really need to be more careful. Honestly, I was shocked that Irvine wasn't getting suspicous already, but how could I act naturally? If I were to talk my head off like usual, I'd slip. If I stay silent, something seems wrong. Irvine already could tell something wasn't normal, but he hopefully couldn't decide what it was.
"Alright, we're here," Irvine announced as he helped me into a chair. "While you're here, you might want Dr. Kadowaki to check your head too."
"What's that supposed to mean!" I replied.
"Somethin's up, Zell. I can tell," Irvine explained. "I ain't no psychologist, but there's definitely something wrong
with the way you been actin' lately. I'm worried 'bout ya, man."
Yay! Irvine was showing concern for me! I did the best I could to hide the giggliness I felt inside. "I told you before, Irvy, everything's alright."
He gave me a questioning look. "'Irvy'?"
Shit.
Thankfully, this conversation was unable to continue; Dr. Kadowaki stepped into the room and interrupted our little chat.
"Oh, dear. What is it this time, Zell?" she asked.
"Sprained my ankle fighting a Grat," I replied.
"Ah, the great Zell Dincht, one of the few who took on Sorceress Ultimecia, is defeated by a Grat," Dr. Kadowaki teased.
After poking at my ankle several times, Dr. Kadowaki finally decided to put an ankle brace on my foot. I could walk back to my dorm with Irvine's assistance, but I had to stay off that foot for a week before coming back to see Dr. Kadowaki.
"But how am I gonna perform necessary functions, like taking a shower or going to the cafeteria to eat hot dogs!" I wondered.
"Don't worry 'bout it," Irvine smiled. "I got ya covered."
I tried my hardest to keep a huge smile from spreading across my face. One full week of doing nothing with Irvine as my personal servant... Man, I really should have remembered to thank that Grat.