Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ TKO- Total Knock Out ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

chapter 13

'Things are pretty quiet this morning. I wanna ask Squall if he's o.k. but I'm not sure I should.' Zell kept his gaze on the punching bag in front of him but he still saw Squall on the bench from the side of his eye. They'd both had miserable sleeps the night before and forced themselves to get up early to go to the gym. No one had said much since then and now Squall was acting distant and Zell was basically training himself.

'I wonder if there's something I could do, he'd probably say forget about it. I wonder if Seifer's alright and Irvine? ugh this is not how things were supposed to be.' He punched the bag really hard frustrated and sent it flying forwards and it came back and hit him in the chest. "Fuck!"

Squall looked up from where he sat and saw Zell leaning against the bag. "Zell," He called his name and Zell turned his head. "Get over here." Zell sighed and did what he was told sitting on the bench beside Squall.

"Don't let it bother you just focus on your training." Squall said keeping his head down. "What?" Zell asked pretending not to know what he was talking about. "My problems are my own don't let it bother you." "No Squall your problems are mine too because your my coach and you live with me and I'm your best friend, so just talk to me..........please?"

Squall sighed and looked at Zell. "I don't know what to say, its- forget it I'll get over it. Come on you've got work to do." He got off the bench and headed to the weights. "Great." Zell walked off disappointed that Squall didn't open up to him and who knows how long this would go on.

* * *

Irvine was sitting at the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons until Seifer came out of his room.

"You're up late." Irvine said following Seifer to the refrigerator with his eyes he watched him get a drink. "Long night." Seifer replied opening a bottle of sunny delight. He took his drink and went to sit on a stool. "Yeah me too, how's the leg?" "Better." He capped his drink and went to stand near the couch Irvine was sitting on. "I'm not good at this serious stuff ya know but anyway I'm sorry."

Irvine quickly turned his attention from Seifer and back to the TV. "Don't be, you're not the easiest person to live with at times but neither am I and I know that now. I'm sorry too that I've been a real ass lately and pretending it was everyone else's fault." Irvine looked back at him then and Seifer moved himself to sit beside the other man.

"So what do we do about it? These issues." He asked and Irvine shook his head looking away again. "Forgive and forget, try to be better so it doesn't get to this point again. I don't know." They sat in silence for a moment listening to the television and staring blankly at the screen.

"It works for me." Seifer finally said and Irvine turned his head to him again. "Yeah?" Seifer nodded and Irvine smiled weakly, not because of the way they were patching things up but because there was more he wanted to say but knew he couldn't get it out.

"Well ok then," He held his hand out for Seifer to take. "Partners?" Seifer shook Irvine's hand and agreed. "I'll see ya later." Seifer said suddenly getting up. "Where ya goin?" Irvine asked. There was another long pause between them as Seifer put his boots on and grabbed his coat. "Just for a walk, nowhere really." "Oh, alright then, try not to get ran over." Seifer chuckled lightly and opened the door. "I won't."

After he left Irvine turned the TV off and sat in the silence. He'd never felt so alone in his whole life. He couldn't go to Squall not now, he wouldn't know what to say or if he'd even want to hear it.

Seifer stood outside their apartment against the door. 'I should have said something else, ugh I can't think about this now any of it. The games are what's important now' He pushed himself off and went to the elevator.

When Seifer got to the front of the building he saw a group of people outside the apartment. He walked over to the guy at the front desk who smiled when he came up to him.

"How's it goin' champ, saw the game last night, great entrance." "Uh yeah, who are they?" Seifer asked staring out the door with a puzzled expression. "Oh right they showed up a few minutes ago askin' to see you, I think their reporters, I couldn't let 'em in though not without yours or Irvine's permission. So I figured oh well leave 'em out there." "What do they want?" Seifer said more to himself as he walked to the double glass doors.

The male reporter turned around hearing the doors close and the crowd rushed at Seifer angrily with questions. It was a small group of adults and two reporters. One with a recorder in his hand and the other from a newspaper with a pen and notepad.

"Seifer can we get a statement on the rumors going around about you using drugs?" The man with the recorder asked shoving it in his face. "What are you talking about?" Seifer said being backed against the door. "Is it true?" "How dare you call yourself a role mode! doing that shit." One of the concerned mothers asked. "What's really going on in the boxing scene are you the only one doing this?" A man yelled from behind.

Seifer was confused seeing a bunch of angry questioning faces he couldn't get the door back open or move at all. "I- I don't know what you're all talking about but I can't answer anything now."

"Were the drugs yours from last night?" "Don't you know that's illegal what do the boxing execs say?" "Are you getting a free ride?"

"I don't know I can't talk now." He answered. The guy from the newspaper was writing down everything and the group of adults were shouting obscenities while the recorder was being shoved at his face.

Inside the building the man at the front desk was watching and not liking what he saw. He grabbed his phone and dialed their apartment room.

Irvine picked up "Hello, hey Kinneas we've got a problem down here a group or mob of people seem to be harassing Seifer. I don't know what about but it doesn't look good." He listened to other end then hung up. He walked from around his desk and started pushing the doors open. Everyone backed away thinking it was Irvine giving him time to get out.

"Alright you're all going to have to leave now, what's going on here?" "I don't know but I gotta get out of here." Seifer said pushing through the crowd but before he could get anywhere a police car rolled up in front of the building. The officers quickly got out and Seifer froze.

"Mister Almasy please remain where you are." The officer said.

"What, why?"

"What the hell is goin on out here?" Irvine asked breaking through the crowd. As soon as he stepped out the mob hounded him with the same questions.

"Seifer what are they talkin' about?" Irvine called to his partner. Seifer shrugged from where he was.

"Is it true that Seifer's been on drugs during the championship games, is he using steroids?" "Is he getting a free ride in the league?" "My son looks up to you people!"

Irvine stared around at the group just as confused as Seifer was.

"Alright everyone step aside," the other officer said. He broke the crowd away from Irvine and got everyone quiet. "Thank you kindly officer." Irvine said tipping is black studded cowboy hat. "Don't thank me yet sir, we heard there might be drugs in this area and came to check it out."

Irvine immediately shot Seifer a worried glare but Seifer didn't notice, he had his head down staring at the street. "And from what these people are saying we might find it here." "Look officers I can assure you there ain't nothin' illegal in this building, well except for maybe me and my fine good looks heh heh." "This is no laughing matter mister Kinneas." The officer crossed his arm and glared firmly at Irvine.

Irvine looked from the cop to the guy with his recorder sticking out to the man writing everything down and then at the angry parents. Seifer was crouched down now still staring at the street with the other policeman watching him.

"Look I'm sorry but I can't help you right now. I don't even know what's goin' on but I assure you officers, and people that Seifer is not on any steroids and is legally entered in the games." "Can you show us your apartment........ coach?" The officer said with a rude tone.

Seifer suddenly stood up and walked over to where Irvine was with the other cop right behind him. "No he can't and there's no reason to." Seifer interrupted.

"Seifer-"

"Shut up Irvine, you guys can't search anything without a warrant and I don't see one." Seifer said standing in the cop with the attitudes face looking down at him. The cop nodded to his partner and slowly backed off. "Alright then, but we'll be back. Lets go." He went back to the car but his partner lingered behind.

"I hope everything works out alright, I love watching you fight and Irvine you do a great job and all." He whispered to them. "Why thank you." Irvine said the man nodded and backed up.

"Alright everyone else clear out now lets go." The group listened to the officer and slowly departed from the building. "What was that all about?" Their land lord said from behind them. "Who knows, maybe someone's spreadin' rumors." Irvine said trying not to sound suspicious.

"Well hope it doesn't get out of hand." The man waved and went back inside the building.

"Don't say anything." Seifer said quietly. "About what? I don't know what the hell is going on do you?!" Irvine shouted. "No and will you keep it down!" Seifer groaned angrily and roughly pulled his hands back in his hair.

"Well somebody knows what's goin' on obviously or that," He threw his arm in the direction of where everyone just left. "would have never happened." "I said I don't know alright," he sighed heavily "look last night I had something with me before I left an-" "That powder shit again right?" Seifer couldn't answer so he just turned away. "I dropped or dumped it out ok someone must have seen it on the ground..." "Near your fucking motorcycle and immediately assumed it was yours. Just fucking great."

Irvine pulled his hat off and started pulling on his ponytail. "I told you time and time again to knock that fucking shit off now look what happened. I hope you're happy." "Happy why the- do you think I like this? Eventually the fucking league officials are gonna hear about this too then it'll be all over the news and gods knows what else'll happen. I'm going to be out of the games and that's it. I'll have nothing left nothing!" Seifer punched the apartment door stupidly forgetting it was glass and his hand went through it. "Damnit!"

"Seifer." Irvine tried to help him but Seifer pulled away. "I'm fine alright." He held onto his hand and started walking away. "Where are you goin? don't do this now Seifer, Seifer! shit." Irvine started crumpling his hat in his hands wanting to go after him but he stayed where he was. When Seifer was out of sight he went back inside the building and saw the curious look on the land lords face but ignored it and went to the elevator.

.........................................

In a newspaper building not far away a story was already being written from the notes the reporter took and at a local news station the man with the recorder was playing back the tape to his co workers. While the police officer worked on getting permission for a search warrant from the judge.

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Well that was intense, its 9:21 pm right now and I just finished this chapter so I hope you all like it. There's a little more drama to go through before things start getting better so hang in there. -Linkin