Moving In

Seifer was gone when Zell awoke the next day- he had been sort of hoping to talk to him, but mostly all he felt was relief. He wondered if Seifer was just walking around in the Training Center, or if he had found a partner to spar with. There weren't any students strong enough for him to fight. Even if Seifer had gotten torn apart he should still be able to whip any new gunbladist.

Zell went out again that night, same place, same time, with Irvine once again. There wasn't much drinking, but there was a lot of darts, and a lot of talking. Towards the end, they sat down to finish their drinks when Irvine mentioned the previous night's discussion.

"Did you look? I mean, did Seifer looked all beaten up?" He took a drink of his beer and winked at some young women who were staring at him. They giggled and whispered behind their hands at each other. "Are they old enough to be in here?"

"He looked fine... I don't think so," Zell answered after turning and looking at them. "They don't act like it, anyway."

"Nothing at all?"

"Well, he doesn't wear anything really revealing to bed," Zell shrugged. "It's like he walks in with his ratty old trench coat on and he falls on his face. He usually doesn't bother to take his shoes off; he just sleeps with his feet off the side of the bed. So it was kind of hard to tell- ya never know what he's hiding under there." Irvine quirked an eyebrow suggestively, grinning. "What?! What the hell?" He started laughing.

"I'm messing with you. It just reminded me of a porno I saw once... with a trench coat... and a hot blond..." Zell eyed Irvine. If he was about to go on another porn/sex rant, Zell assured himself he would leave. "Anyways. You're right. Maybe you should try to catch him when he comes home?"

"What?"

"I mean, stay home next Saturday night. See if there's anything unusual. Maybe he's walking funny from a cut, or maybe he's hiding something. Hell, he could be doing drugs for all you know, you don't see him enough." Zell considered it slowly, thinking to himself. He decided that if he couldn't manage to discover what it was that took Seifer away from his punishment before next Saturday, he would stay home and await Seifer's return.

"I think I'll do that," Zell said, finishing his alcohol. "I'm going to head out. I know it's early, but I'm going to see if I can catch him before he gets home." Irvine sighed, mumbling something about how ten o'clock is no time to be heading home. "See ya later, Irvine."

"Bye." Zell dropped fifty gil on the table (a very generous tip included) and headed out the door and into the fresh air. He hoped desperately he would arrive home before Seifer, because if Seifer was somehow escaping punishment, Zell wanted to know. So he could, as well.


When he arrived at the dorm, Seifer was nowhere in sight. Zell had to content himself with reading the latest edition of Weapons Monthly or he was afraid he'd start bouncing automatically if he didn't occupy himself.

Three hours passed before Seifer walked into the room, his usual swagger in place, Hyperion the only thing missing.

"Oh," he said quietly, a sneer on his face, "it's you."

"Yeah," Zell said, not noticing the reception. "Where ya been?"

"It's none of your business," Seifer said, sitting down on his bed and almost self-consciously untying his shoes. "Maybe I had a date."

"Oh, please, Seifer." It was now Zell's turn to sneer. "Who the hell would go out with you when you're locked up in this room with me?"

"Stuff it, chicken," he answered in a rather juvenile fashion. "I'm too tired to fuck with you right now."

"Why are you so tired now? You're usually jumping at the chance."

"I've had a busy day." Seifer pushed both of his shoes under the bed and ran a hand through his hair, something tired written across his frame.

"Busy *week*, you mean."

"Why the hell do you have to be so damned nosey?" Seifer demanded, eyes flashing as he trained his focus on Zell. "I didn't start this shit, Zell. Why don't you back off?"

"I just want to know where you've been!"

"Well it's none of your fucking business what I do, so just shut the fuck up." Zell stood up quickly, nearly knocking knees with Seifer in their tiny room.

"Why do you have to be such a prick, Seifer? It's not like I asked you about the last time you jacked off!" Seifer didn't rise, but glared at Zell, and the tension in the room nearly came to a boil as their old anger flared.

"I'm not being a prick, you're being a jackass." Zell reached out, a scathing reply on his lips, and grabbed Seifer's left upper arm, thinking to himself, 'Not this time. I won't be bullied this time.' But before he could actually say anything, Seifer's eyes clenched shut and he hissed. Zell flinched back instinctively, an all too familiar feeling on his ungloved hand.

Zell looked down, wide-eyed, at the blood on his palm. For a moment, all he could think was that he'd somehow squeezed Seifer's arm too tight, and must've made him bleed, and then Seifer was cursing, a string of words Zell had only ever heard Seifer say.

"-And you ruined my fucking trench coat," he said at last, standing. Zell stammered something about an apology, mind whirling, wondering how he'd hurt himself, when Seifer pulled off the outer layer of almost-destroyed clothing and revealed a large section of injured arm.

The white cloth that served as a bandage extended from shoulder to elbow, and much of the cloth was a shade of crimson Zell was all too familiar with. Seifer hissed again and walked into the bathroom, the door open, and Zell watched in the mirror as Seifer removed the cloth.

It was a long, flawless cut that had rended muscle and flesh, the middle of which Zell had ignorantly wrapped his hand around in anger. Seifer used his right hand to take a washcloth from a drawer and began cleaning the blood away with warm water.

"That... that looks serious."

"It's nothing," Seifer answered, and Zell had to wonder who in Garden could be good enough to flay Seifer like that. The only person he imagined that could ever fight Seifer and so much damage-

"It's Squall, isn't it!? You've been training with Squall all this time!" Seifer's teeth were clenched as he washed away the blood from his wound, but he managed to squeeze out what would have been an injuring retort under other circumstances.

"And he gets a fucking hint," Seifer muttered, eyes all but closed.

"How the hell did he get you so good?" Zell asked, almost angry. How could Squall be such a prick? And why didn't Seifer go to the Infirmary to get patched up? Dr. Kadowaki would've blasted him with cures and sent him on his way.

"He caught me when I was open, that's all." Seifer said, finally seeing a slow in the bleeding. "I'm not as fast as I used to be." Zell caught his breath when Seifer admitted this weakness- Seifer never said anything like that.

"I... I'm sorry," he answered, watching Seifer lose too much blood in the bathroom and wishing he hadn't grabbed him.

"You should be," Seifer answered. They stood there, Zell in uncomfortable silence. Seifer was in pain, and though Zell never would've admitted it, he felt terribly sorry for the other man. "...It's fine," Seifer said after a little while, searching the bathroom until he found a large quantity of bandages in the medicine cabinet- every dorm room was fully equipped for emergencies, as students had been known to create quite a few. He started to bind himself, but Zell rushed forward.

"Let me-"

"Save it," Seifer answered, angry that Zell felt he needed help. "I can take care of myself, chicken." Zell drew himself up, trying not to respond to the taunt- Seifer was angry at being seen injured. That was normal enough. And it was his fault that Seifer was bleeding again anyway.

The silence in the room stretched on and on until Seifer finally walked back in and sat down on the bed. Then lay down, an arm over his face. To all appearances, Seifer would be sleeping soon, and that nearly drove Zell insane with questions.

"You've been training with Squall?" Zell asked, sitting down. Seifer made a grumpy sound in reply. "Trying to keep busy?"

"Trying to get stronger," Seifer answered. When he didn't offer more, Zell sat down on his own bed and watched the other.

"Why?"

"It's been a long time, Zell, since I was the master gunbladist." Zell waited, but as before, Seifer didn't continue. He bounced a few times on his bed, and then finally pressed on.

"Is that why you've been using magic all the time?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you use your gunblade on me."

"Because I thought you were a weakass, okay!?" Seifer snapped, angry. "Now will you leave me the fuck alone?!"

Zell didn't believe for one moment that's what Seifer thought. He knew Seifer wasn't stupid- he'd seen what Zell could do. If Seifer thought himself weak, he wouldn't be stupid enough to take Zell on without even footing.

"I think you're lying."

"Will you just leave me the hell alone? I'm tired and I want to go to sleep!"

"If I don't get these answers now, I'm not gonna get them."

"I'll fucking answer them tomorrow!" Zell stopped bouncing, surprised.

"You will?"

"Yes! Anything! Just leave me the hell alone!" Seifer gestured vaguely at the ceiling. Zell grinned. After a few moments of silence, he pressed on.

"You swear?"

"Yes, fucking hell, just shut up!" Zell grinned. He flipped the light off and took off his shirt and pants, leaving himself in his boxer-briefs. He climbed into his own bed to think things over, grinning still, wondering just how much he could milk out of Seifer tomorrow. After a long period of grinning silence-

"G'night, Seifer."

"Argh!" Seifer yelled and tossed an extra pillow at him. And Zell laughed, just a little, and lay in the dark to think things through. If Seifer really *was* so weak, then why was he only fighting Squall? Why didn't Squall patch Seifer up with a little bit of magic? Why didn't Seifer go to Kadowaki, if Squall refused? A million questions buzzed in his head until Zell's eyes finally creaked shut, and he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

***

So much anger. Eeeehehehehehehehe.

Um, that's it for now. I know it was a fast update, but I really felt like doing it. ^ ^ Thanks for reading! Please review! (I live for them!)