Things in the Night

DISCLAIMER: No profit. No ownership. Character's belong to Square.

I wanna aplogise, this is a slow chapter but things will be picking up now most everyone is accounted for. ^^;

Chapters will be tentativly posted every saterday. And thank you for the reviews!!

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Zell woke up earlier than he would have liked for a mission day, but he was dressed and in the cafeteria in time for breakfast the way he liked it.

“Hotdogs this early?”

Zell didn’t even have to look before he felt Irvine press against his back and loop long arms around his shoulder to peer at the tray full of processed meat. Zell leaned back against his best friend.

“Gotta get em before they’re gone” Zell looked straight up at him and grinned. Irvine gave a sleepy chuckle and went around to the nearest free chair.

“Your eating habits never fail to scare me, buddy” Irvine shrugged, leaning the chair back, swinging his heels onto the table. “Hm, this is new” The cowboy tilted his head and ran a finger over the red collar.

Zell shifted in his chair. “Yeah, it was a gift. I really like it though. Gonna keep it on cuz it’s water-proof and all”

Irvine gave a little frown. “Really doesn’t suit you at all. You’re too muscular to wear something around your neck like that” he offered. “Aw well, if you’re THAT bent on wearing it, who am I to tell you otherwise. Makes you look constrained, that’s all”

Zell felt a chill down his back, was Irvine reading his mind or something.

“So! Ready for today’s mission? We’re getting arms to the revolutionists in Timber, gonna be fun” Irvine changed the subject suddenly a moment before Selphie came up with a tray of hot coffee for everyone.

“I want a GERNADE LAUNCHER!” Selphie chirped, giving Irvine his cappuccino in exchange for a kiss and Zell a chi tea for a head-rub.

“Hon, Owls need the grenade launchers. You got a rocket ship, what more you need?” Irvine laughed.

Selphie put a finger on her chin, eyes gleaming. “You!” She exclaimed, glomping him. Zell laughed too and shook his head.

“Selphie, you already have a grande mocha?” He had to ask. Selphie shot him a while look that said “maybe”. “We gotta be in the garage in about twenty mins, guys. You all ready?” Zell asked.

“Yup!” Selphie held up her nunchucks, causing alarm from several cadets. Irvine quickly pushed them down under the table. “Whops” She blinked. “I think I need to eat something to take the edge off my buzz” She decided.

Zell voluntarily gave up one of his hotdogs for that special circumstance.

The three chatted and finished their drinks before getting up and filing out.

***

Seifer was coming in just as Zell went out, Zell did a double take before shooting him a dark look. Seifer frowned but kept moving, Rajin was behind him and pushing him forward.

Raijin wanted his fruit loops and Seifer wasn’t going to stop him. Zell passed and went on his own way as Seifer stopped before the line as Raijin hopped in, eager for his cereal. Fujin dawdled, coming up to stand beside Seifer. The two observed Raijin virtually dancing for his cereal before Fujin’s temper flared and she gave the large man a swift kick that abruptly sobered him up. Raijin sulked as Seifer just growled.

“You don’t look so good, Seif, and we gotta give that werewolf guy his distemper shot, ya know?” Raijin asked, giving Seifer that sad-puppy look.

“I look like crap. I found the Incubus last night” Seifer growled more. He wouldn’t be civil until he had his own food and some caffeine.

“…WHO?” Fujin asked, loudly enough to make Seifer twitch.

“Chicken Wuss. I didn’t believe it at first. Bitch tired to feed off me. I collared him. Now we gotta keep him fed” Seifer told his posse, staring back at their surprised expressions.

“Man, I thought it was that girl, Selphie , ya know? Only she’d be a succubus. She’s still kinda weird, but she’s so nice, ya know. She gave me a candy bar, and she helped me with mechanics of defense, and loaned me her med kit. So I guess she’s too nice to be a succubus, ya know?” Raijin was just short with another kick.

“No one is ever too nice to be anything. They can be tricking you, or they could be tricking themselves into rationalizing the harm they cause” Seifer told him sourly. “Especially the ones that think if they always take a little it’s not really stealing from the human’s life force or health”

“…Zell one of those, right?” Raijin hazarded a guess. He figured he was right by the look of death Seifer sent him. Raijin balked before realizing he was next and skipped ahead to order everyone’s breakfast and acquire his beloved Fruit Loops.

“…PROBLEM?” Fujin asked Seifer when her brother was gleefully distracted. Seifer’s brows furrowed more, but he shook his head.

“Just trying to wrap around this, if Zell was a pain in the ass already, and Incubi are as much pain in the ass as I can handle, as is, how the hell am I gonna stand Dincht?”

Fujin regarded him coolly with one eye.“…MEDICATION. BOTH.”


“If only” Seifer huffed, as Raijin came victoriously out of line with everyone’s usual. Seifer rescued his and Fujin’s trays before they met the floor, and quickly claimed a table.

No sooner had he salted his eggs then Instructor Trepe sauntered over.

“No business before breakfast” Seifer scowled. She probably had hers over an hour ago.

Quistis smiled. “Allright. I’ll let you eat. But I’d like to congratulate you on finding the little incubus problem”

Seifer began salting his hash browns. “It was a strike of the Incubus’ sheer stupidity. I swear, he’s got to have no spiritual perception at all. My room is holy enough the Special Case students wont go near it” he gripped, as Quistis appeared to be smirking.

“He had a rough night, ya know. He got raped in his sleep, that kinda makes you cranky, ya know?” Raijin opened his mouth before he realized it and nearly had a fork driven into his thigh. Quistis was smirking, this was certain.

“I’d imagine so. I hope you weren’t too rough on him when you woke up, where you Seifer?” She asked, flipping idly though the sugar packets in the center of the table.

“Probably, but he wont be careless again, I’ll tell you that right now”

“Who was it, exactly? You said it was one of mine but I didn’t quite understand what you wrote in that e-mail”

“You’d have gotten the report in three hours, Instructor. Anyway, it’s one of yours from your classes and your little clique. The hot-dog obsessed one”

Quistis honestly looked shocked. “Zell? But he doesn’t even fit the profile, I was sure you’d blame Irvine”

“Time profiles don’t match up. The occurrences started before he came over here. No, it’s old hotdog-sucker. …Maybe that shoulda tipped us off, come to think of it”

“Oh dear, I hope you really weren’t too rough on him” Quistis looked worried. “He’s more fragile than you think, you know. I’m sure he would have surrendered peacefully, even to you”

Seifer groaned internally. He was being molested while he was sleeping, and defended himself when he awoke. He was just a little vindictive when his sleep gets disturbed.

“He’s sturdier than he looks, too” Seifer mumbled, more to himself.

“Oh! I have to get to class” Quistis glanced at her watch before standing up.

“Don’t work too hard” Seifer told her dryly, but she was already walking away.

Seifer tuned out the world for the rest of the day, he’d get to deal with Zell tomorrow.