Don't understand?

[incendite.livejournal.com]

When; Sept. 22nd
Rating; ...PG-13?
Characters; incendite and leon_dormant
Summary; Seifer's capable of being nice?
Log;

It was funny sometimes how a new day could change someone's view on a matter. Yesterday he'd been all but convinced that he'd been telling Squall the truth, and today he was having his own doubts about the matter. Probably one of those curses. That or he'd been totally out of his mind, and really once was quite enough that. Therefore it couldn't possibly have been him.

At least, not entirely him. Nope, blame was entirely the city's and he was standing outside the door to Squall's place well... because it wouldn't do to have his rival mope forever. That and he had a vague feeling he should try to put things right.

"Hey, Leonhart. You in there?" he called in the general direction of the door. Knocking wasn't real his style, after all.

Comments

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Squall studied Seifer's face for a long while, as though he thought he could tell just by looking at him whether or not Seifer was trying to yank his chain. Whatever conclusions he reached, though, he didn't really let on. "So... you don't actually believe any of it."

[incendite.livejournal.com]

There was a momentary silence at that, as Seifer reached to find the right words to get what he was trying to say said. And to manage to get the truth of them across right

"Yesterday I'd've told you I meant every word," he finally answered. "Today it's the weirdest damned shit I've ever heard let alone said."

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Again Squall was silent, processing this, trying to get the information through the emotional turmoil that's had him paralyzed since yesterday. Stupid curses. Stupid city. Stupid Seifer knowing how to push his buttons.

"...fine," he said at last, and turned away.

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"You aren't fine."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. But it was pretty damned obvious to him at least. He just didn't have a really good idea of what to do about it.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

It stopped Squall short, and he turned a sharp look toward Seifer over his shoulder, not bothering to face him fully. "What do you care?" he asked harshly.

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"Moping ain't gonna bring her back, y'know."

The question of why he cared was quite simply ignored. Wouldn't catch him admitting to that, oh no. Not him.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

"I know that." As he said it, Squall looked away, staring off ahead of him at nothing. "It's not like I want them to bring her back here for my sake, anyhow."

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"You're still moping, though."

Although he had to admit that what he'd said the other day probably hadn't helped any. But things always looked better in retrospect.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Squall couldn't really dispute it. He was moping. Intellectually, there wasn't even a reason for it - as far as anyone had been able to tell him, he'd go back sooner or later himself, as though he'd never left, and in the meantime Rinoa would be safer. But still...

"So what if I am?" His voice had gone flat again. "Is that against the rules now?"

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"Nah," Seifer answered with a grin. "But I wonder what Rinoa'd say if she saw you like this."

Of course, she wasn't around and that was part of the problem but there wasn't much he could do about that. So he'd just do the best he could, in the meantime.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Seifer knowing how to push Squall's buttons... Squall grimaced. He could imagine a couple of the things that Rinoa might say if she were to turn back up and find him in this mood.

"Yeah, well," he said through gritted teeth. "She's not here to have an opinion."

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"How much have you gotten done since she left?"

Given the way Squall had been moping, he was inclined to say 'absolutely nothing'. But he wasn't entirely sure on that one yet.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

"That's none of your business."

Which is to say... not much. He'd been showing up for his duty shifts for the police force, but with both Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye gone and the prison blown up, that doesn't entail much more than being available in case a crisis broke out.

Which amounted more or less to keeping his Network device turned on.

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"See, that's where you'd be wrong. Can't have you getting out of practice, can I?"

Sure, he could always go and pick fights elsewhere but there was something about fighting someone who used the same weapon.

"Besides, you'd make a shitty commander like this."

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

That actually got a flinch, even if it was just a tiny hitch of Squall's shoulders. Dammit. Ignoring Seifer was easier when he wasn't making so damn much sense.

"--fine," Squall said, with an irritated huff of breath through his teeth. "I won't get out of training. Is there something else you want, or will you go away now?"

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Seifer answered with a grin. "Thought I might try my hand at getting you to stop moping."

Or maybe he was just going to hang around for the hell of it. It was sometimes hard to tell with him.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

It sort of worked out the same either way... but maybe for Seifer, annoying Squall was a step up from having him mope around endlessly.

If so, then the situation was definitely showing some signs of improvement. Squall's voice was sharp with sarcasm. "Yeah? How were you planning on doing that?"

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"I thought I'd work it out as I went along."

Hell, he'd really only showed up to explain the thing about the curse, and even then he hadn't had much of a plan to speak of. But he figured he could work something out later. Not like it hadn't worked before.

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Squall didn't seem to be quite sure what to make of this. He fell silent for a long, increasingly awkward interval, watching Seifer with a steady, uncomprehending look on his face, until finally he sighed again. His shoulders dropped a little as the breath went out of him, as though in capitulation, as though he were realizing once again that there was just no use in arguing with Seifer about... anything.

"Fine," he said, "whatever. Knock yourself out. I'm gonna go get some training in."

Because if Seifer was determined to hang around annoying him into submission, then he might as well give in and get something productive done.

[incendite.livejournal.com]

Seifer couldn't help but grin at that admission. Looked he'd managed to make a difference after all. How long it would last he couldn't say, but he didn't have the slightest bit of a problem with coming back and doing the whole thing all over again.

"Thinkin' about doing a bit of that myself."

Surely Squall wouldn't mind a bit of company?

[leon-dormant.livejournal.com]

Squall didn't really pause to look back at Seifer as he retrieved and shouldered his gunblade and started out of his apartment, turning off the lights as he went. "Not like I can stop you."

[incendite.livejournal.com]

"Got that right."

The only one responsible for what he did these days was him. And sometimes the City, although he wasn't going to be mentioning that one. Instead, he'd just follow Squall on out. Sitting in a dark room wasn't exactly his idea of fun.