Battle of Egos

Author: Qevna

I don't own the characters. They are property of Square Enix Co, LTD.

Chapter 4 I miss my Autumn

The slap echoed in garden and was followed by shocked whispers as growd witnesed a radical chance in events. Nodoby had seen that coming, least Seifer who held his hand on his reddish cheek.
"Did you just slap me?" Seifer questioned Zell with unbelieving tone in his voice.
"What if I did?! You know damn well what I did and what you did." Zell yelled, not sure what he wanted to accomplish with it.
Angry fighter ran his fingers through his hair and breathed heavily.
"You can't go kissing other people, like.. like that.." He babbled nervously because his slap started to look not deserved.
"Why can't I? This is a free country after all." Seifer smirked. Zell had lost his confident and now Seifer got his golden moment to make his plan work.
" And you were the one who kissed me. I just got caugth in the moment, nothing else." He sat back and watched as Zell struggled with words.
"I..I didn't mean our kiss. The one you shared with Irvine!" Zell replied blushing and rubbing back of his head.
"It didn't mean anything special, it was just a kiss between ex-lovers." Seifer said without much thinking.
"Ex-lovers?!" Zell's voice echoed as he realised that not all was like he had seen it. Irvine wasn't just the ladies' man and Seifer wasn't just Rinoa's bodyguard with benefits. There were more and he now knew that he had been too naive.
"Just forget what I said. And don't bother to find me." With that he ran off leaving Seifer to sit on the ground with confused look.
"What did I say?" His whisper was left to hang in the air.

Next two weeks passed without anyone seeing Zell. Selfie was worrying sick and writing articles and hanging posters on the walls about Zell. She wanted to find him no matter what. There were a few clues and witnesses' statesments but none them had been the one that would lead to Zell. Rumours had started to spread around the campus. Someone said that the fighter had done a suicide. Selfie didn't believe any of them. She was sure that Zell was fine and just needed time to come back. But as the time passed and a new moon was now rising above Zell's disappearance, she couldn't help but wonder the possibility of him being dead.

"Damn you Seifer! This is all your fault! You were the one that fought with him! You idiot! I hate you" She yelled, throwing insults over the knight everytime they passed each other. Every friend of Zell had turned their back to Seifer except Irvine. He still couldn't hate the player but tried to stay neutral. Even so Seifer felt the coldness of people and had started to hate himself, his heart was breaking and his eyes had lost the shine because lack of sleep and worrying. He would give anything if he could turn the time back. All the nights spend with Irvine didn't mean much to him, same emotional charge had been in that one kiss between him and Zell. So many unspoken feelings and hidden dreams, they all had been visible while their lips were connected.

What was I thinking? I had a plan. A really good one if i may say so..Seifer chuggled but the smile died right after it had born to his lips. All I ever wanted was to find a partner to bear this world. And now I lost the chance to be with that special someone I have been after so long. Hmh..

Faint rays of setting sun were lighting the dorm room. He hadn't eaten anything today, just sat there thinking of killing himself. The shame was too much to him to handle. Everyone hated him. After all Zell had been everyone's pet, the silly kid with so much naiveness that it was almost scary. And he was the bad guy, always bullying others and making the teachers yell. But in some level he and Zell had connected. Maybe not understood each other but Seifer felt that Zell was pulling him towards him, with invisible strings. His eyes followed the dust that flow in the rays of light.He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me...It was a verse that he kept repeating over and over again. Why didn't he seen it coming? He had only wanted to make Zell a bit jealous. It worked for awhile, then he screwed it up. "Damn you Seifer, indeed" He punched the wall next to his bed angrily ignoring the pain in his knuckles. "It's better if you disappear... or stop breathing.. He might come back. He is like autumn..Beautiful but it comes when you still hope that the warmth of summer would stay.. And when it comes, the warmth is replaced by things that you didn't even know exicted.

"I miss my autumn.. I don't want winter to come"