Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ senseless ❯ Yzak Admits Defeat ( Chapter 1 )

"You never cease to amaze me, Yzak Jule!" Dearka smacked my shoulder hard as he sat down next to me, causing my glass's contents to slosh uncontrollably and almost spill. I was hunched over the bar counter, wallowing in self pity and tipple, when he had arrived late, as usual. I didn't get to see him much, what with his disgusting half Natural family being quite a handful. Well, who was I to deny him? He had, after all, forever been better at this relationship craze than I. He was, and still is, so smooth and cool with his words that even I melt when he smiles at me.

"Shut up," I replied without stirring or looking at him.

"Don't be rude." He teased.

"I'll do what I want, damn it. You know I-"

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've heard that speech before." He interrupted me while he read a badly kept menu that needed desperately to be re-laminated. The dark skinned man had indeed heard my `I supported my nation `til the very end' speech before, but I felt such satisfactory pride rubbing it in.

"You didn't really invite me here to retell your heroic version of that final battle, did you? Hell, Yzak, how long ago was that?" he decided on a drink and ordered while I became flustered with his mind-set towards me. I am not that predictable, damn it!

"No, I didn't." I replied with a scorn on my face. He was so shocked he twisted his neck abruptly and looked directly into my eyes. I had never been someone who could express their feelings well without having a temper tantrum, so what I was about to tell my blond friend took some guts and would essentially be ridiculous. My eyes dropped down to stare at my glass.

"I'm lonely." I mumbled slowly. My finger tapped on my glass's side to distract a feeling of awkwardness swelling within me. I watched for what seemed like eternity air bubbles rise to the liquid's surface, or catch onto ice cubes, when really I had waited just a few seconds before glancing over to Dearka, who had not said anything. He was leaning against his left hand whose elbow dug into the bar counter with a smile he was trying to keep from creeping over his face. His purple eyes scrunched at the corners with amusement and his lips pressed tightly together to try to keep himself from giggling. The attempt was too much for him and he burst into uproarious laughter.

"Why is that funny?!" I demanded as I spun around in my stool with clenched fists. Tears were brimming out of Dearka's squinting eyes and he motioned with his hands for me to calm down.

"When do you have the time to feel lonely?" he smiled playfully after crossing his arms and slouching over the bar counter. As I turned back about to face it too he must have seen the distress in my face. His tanned naked elbow nudged my shoulder and I glared at him sideways through my lengthy silver hair.

"I just don't have any time to." I wasn't sure if he was going to continue to ridicule me after I said that.

"Time for what?" Dearka had received his drink and was sipping it with a baffled frown upon his face while he listened to me.

"To meet women." This feeble attempt to ask Dearka for help had me rubbing my already throbbing temples. "Look, forget it." I hastily got up out of my chair and began to step away from my bothersome friend. Before I made the third step something clasped around my right upper arm.

"Okay, okay, okay!" I was swung around to meet Dearka's sly smile. "It's really easy, Yzak." I rolled my eyes at him.

"No, it is." He continued cheerfully. "I'll bet you any amount of money you want to pick up the next chick that enters this place!"

What kind of brainless thing to say was that?! I yanked my arm from his grasp and plopped angrily back into my seat. My arms were crossed and my face was frowning with exasperation.

"I don't need your money." I told him through clenched teeth. "My position in PLANT is higher than yours will ever be." I never would appreciate how lucky I was to have a friend like Dearka. I state the most discourteous things and he still tolerates me.

"Well, then." He finished his drink and set the empty glass on top of its fee. "Just pick up the next woman." He shrugged as he made his way to the exit, making it perfectly clear to me that he really did not care, and indeed why should he? As I watched him I scowled. What a prick.

The restaurant's only exit and entrance's large, grey door was pulled open gently just as Dearka reached it. He had stopped suddenly, as if he were shocked at whatever stood before him. He stepped aside so whoever was there would be able to enter with more ease.

Watery blonde hair moved with poise passed him and emerald green eyes scanned the establishment with solemn interest. My peach boy stood behind her now with an energized smile across his face. He gave me thumbs up with a pert wink of his right eye before he burst out the doorway and into the busy streets of the PLANT colony. I cringed with the comprehension that I would have to do this. Not only for me, but for my ego who was not going to stand being disgraced by Dearka's blunt jokes about this topic yet again. My conscience and paranoia argued with each other as I stood up slowly onto queasy legs. I brushed myself off and did a very rough job of straightening the folds out of my clothes. I had taken a couple of steps before I figured out that my target was in fact approaching me, also. Her height stopped centimeters from my brow and her mouth had a warm, friendly smile. Her emerald eyes still had that cheerless and solemn look to them that was somehow familiar to me. I felt like I had watched them brim with tears once, long ago. I smiled back, hoping that asking her out would be easier than I first considered.

"Do you know where the bathrooms are?" She asked with a rather boyish voice. Without thinking, since the scenario I thought was happening had been replayed in my head for the past two minutes, I replied.

"Would you like to go out sometime?" the request was stiff and awkward. I felt myself cringing with mortification and I began to sweat. "I mean, over there in the corner!" an incoherent "Shit!" was heard as I turned and rushed back to my seat and violently fingered through my trouser pockets to find my wallet. I was indeed lucky that the sparse number people that were actually in this bar were seated far enough away so they did not become aware of my wretched actions.

As I turned to bolt for the exit, she stood right behind me with a bewildered look and asked,

"Um … who are you?"

"Sorry." I averted my eyes as I pushed myself passed her. She reached out and pulled back my shoulder before I got any closer to leaving her.

"I mean," She started with her affectionate smile. "I am interested but I'd like to find out what your name is first, at least. You know?"

I faced her and held out my hand to shake hers. She took it and I introduced myself.

"I'm Yzak." I had a formal, stern expression on my face and she had the same.

"My name is Nala."