"S-Sir?"
Seifer raised glaring eyes to Sally Regal as she hesitantly entered his office. "What," he asked sharply.
Sally twitched and began wringing her hands after she saluted. "S-Sir, do y-you remember that r-report I gave you this morning about th-that arms raid o-outside Esthar?"
"What about it?"
Sally twitched again as she stepped a little closer. "I... I needed to have it back."
Seifer moved his glare to his watch and swore. He searched his desk and pulled it out from under a pile of transcripts. "I'll bring it out in five," he snapped.
Sally twitched yet again. "Y-Yes, sir."
She hurried out and closed the door behind her. Seifer scrubbed hard at his scalp as he wrestled with his focus.
The door to Seifer's office opened. He lifted his glare from a collection of transcripts. Squall entered, scratching at his head as he read a report with a twisted expression of concentration. Seifer tossed down his pen and crossed his arms. He wasn't getting a damned thing done.
"Seifer, this graph doesn't go with this report." Squall pulled it apart and then offered it forward to Seifer. "And I have a question about a section here."
Seifer grabbed the graph, examined it-- He swore and then went in search of the transcripts the graph belonged to.
Squall watched him with a slight raised eyebrow. "Actually, forget it. I'll just make corrections and have Sally retype it." Squall turned and left the office.
Seifer glared at the closed door and began softly cursing under his breath.
"Yo, Seif--"
Seifer slammed down his pen as he lifted a glare to Zell. He stood in the doorway, leaning slightly back with an expression of surprise on his face. "Dincht, what the hell do you want?" His was the third interruption in five minutes that morning, and Seifer had barely been able to organize his 'to-do' piles.
Zell hesitated before stepping into the office and closing the door behind him. He stepped forward while saying "Dude, what happened?"
Seifer clenched his jaw. What happened? Some son of a bitch is screwing with my thrills! "Dincht, you either have business here or get your ass back above."
Zell dropped a report on Seifer's desk. "I came down to give you this. Something I found when I was surfing the Net for research on a move Sally and I--"
"Dincht."
Zell regarded Seifer a second before leaning his palms against the desktop. "Seifer, what the hell's wrong? Did Quis' cover get blown? Did Zack leak something without Okaying it through you?"
Seifer clenched his jaw.
Zell's eyes widened slightly. "Dude. Was it what I said to Jani--"
Seifer sharply stood. "Get out."
Zell looked up at Seifer before slowly straightening. "Sure, Seifer," he said slowly. "My bad." Zell turned and made his way to the office door, but he faced Seifer again before opening it. "Seifer, I didn't mean to--"
"Dincht," Seifer began harshly as he lowered his gaze to his report-littered desk. He sat back down in his chair. "Get out."
"Yeah. OK. Sure." He opened and closed the door behind him.
Seifer glared down at the reports and transcripts and requests, his expression hardening with each passing moment. 'You'd drop my ass if there was a problem, right?' Seifer swore and sat heavily back in his chair. The problem was the addiction to having her push for a secret. The problem was wanting another button to push. The problem was smelling her musk when she wasn't there. The problem was he wasn't done with the thrill-– Seifer pushed it away and leaned forward again, pulling some reports roughly toward him while wrestling with his focus as he scrubbed roughly at his scalp.
Seifer's computer chirped. He tightly clenched his jaw as he glared at the monitor and the 'Accept Message?' screen that flashed at him. He fisted a hand and then roughly pounded the enter button. A secure web cam window opened on the screen showing Marshal's face. "What," Seifer asked in a dangerously calm voice.
Marshal raised an eyebrow. "Well," he started slowly, "you sent me a report meant for the chief of security in Deling" Seifer ran a hand hard and slow through his hair "and I just wanted to let you know. I destroyed it," Seifer lowered his hand and fisted both as he glowered at his desktop "so you don't have to worry about it getting seen... by... Seif, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Seifer slowly focused a glare on Marshal's face in the web cam window. "I'm not feeling well," he said slowly, firmly controlled.
"I can see that." Marshal leaned forward in his chair as he pointed at Seifer. "Seif, I really think you better take a break."
Seifer nearly grabbed a fistful of hair at the thought of the possibility. "No time."
"Make the time. You do any more screw-ups like this and I know Ahndra's going to be in there busting your ass. I can only cover you so many times."
Seifer clenched his jaw until it ached. "It's fine."
"Like hell. You've never made mistakes before today."
Then who the hell is telling Janine there's a problem! "Get back to work," Seifer grumbled as he punched the 'Terminate' button. Marshal's face disappeared. Seifer rubbed at his forehead for a long time before lowering his head and dragging his focus back to reports and transcripts--
"Hell." Seifer stood and strode to his office door just as it opened. The musk hit him full force in the face, making Seifer's chest tighten. He clenched his jaw. "Larabie."
Janine's brown eyes weren't angry, much to Seifer's shock, but he saw something else. Something that she probably saw in his eyes.
She absently pushed and teased at her spiked black hair as she motioned into his office with her other hand. "Can I have a second?"
Seifer's hands clenched the doorknob a moment before he released it and motioned inside. She passed, sending him another sidelong glance as her movement left a trail of musk bidding him to follow. He did - after closing the door and making sure the blinds were closed. Seifer slowly approached his desk as she just as slowly sat in the chair across from it.
He stood in front of her and leaned back against the desk, arms tightly crossed to keep from doing what he knew she wanted. 'Can you do it and me?' He'd like to try the thrill of finding out.
Janine shook her head and looked up, her brown eyes nearly black. "It's not working."
"No. It isn't."
"I've screwed two classes."
"No comment."
Janine smirked, a damned sexy sight after sleeping in a cold bed-– Seifer lowered his gaze and adjusted his crossed arms.
"So what do we do? Didn't sleep a wink last night for wondering what secret you'd give up next." Janine scoffed. "And forget about focusing in class. Tried all day yesterday and most of today and it just-- The entire day went tits-up the minute I didn't see your tight ass in the elevator this morning."
Seifer continued to breath deep of her musk as his body seemed to absorb the warmth of her closeness and intensity.
"Seifer." He looked up to meet her wide brown gaze. "I didn't tell you about the supposed problem to make you walk out. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem. The last thing I want to do is screw up your job here... but - damn it - after yesterday and today I keep thinking that might happen whether I'm in your life or out of it." She tightly crossed her arms as she leaned back in the chair, her knees touching his as her body slid slightly forward. "So what the hell do we do?"
Seifer leaned down, firmly gripping each arm of the chair as he held her gaze. "Next time, Larabie, I'll tell you when and if there's a problem. Security is my issue, not yours. You teach your classes and give your exams. I keep everyone's ass safe and keep your ass right where it is."
A slow and sultry smirk spread across Janine's face and twinkled in her brown eyes. "And next time someone gets in my face about your job performance?"
"Send them to me. It's not your issue."
Janine uncrossed her arms and slowly draped them around Seifer's neck. "Like hell. It's as much my issue as yours. I started this thrill chase."
Her breath and the musk and her warmth.... His mouth slowly met and moved with hers. She pulled herself closer.
tap-tap-tap
Seifer slowly drew his lips from hers, swallowing hard as he forced back the desire as the deep rise and fall of her chest pressed against his. "Dismissed, Larabie," he said gruffly. "We'll take this up later."
Janine nibbled at his mouth. "Yes, sir." She freed her arms from his neck, lifting one hand to lightly rub and scratch at his scalp. "Damn, I missed that mouth."
tap-tap-tap "Sir." It was Ahndra.
"Second," he called. Seifer caressed Janine's mouth again with his before straightening and drawing her to her feet. "I will let you know when this thrill chase is done, Larabie. Understood?"
Janine smirked as she ran her hands down his chest. Then she stepped back and saluted. "Yes, sir."
She turned, and Seifer gave her butt a hard smack. She chuckled, continuing toward the door as she glanced over her shoulder and said, "Bring it."
"Damn straight." Then he leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms, chuckling as Janine opened the door and greeted Ahndra with a wise-ass remark about performance being just fine. He released a deep breath, and the tension flowed out like a river of fire.
Ahndra stepped inside. "Sir, we need to talk."
Seifer motioned for her to enter and close the door. "Yes. We do."
Ahndra proceeded inside, standing across from him at-ease after giving him a somewhat questionable salute. He held her gaze, arms tightly crossed as he silently waited for her to begin. Ahndra, I swear, if you're the ass who messed with Janine...
"You know why I'm here," she said simply.
"Enlighten me," Seifer said, and if Janine and he hadn't resolved issues, he probably wouldn't have been so calm.
"There seems to be an issue with your focus and your performance," she said calmly. "I have had multiple mistakes reported to me. Mistakes that are inappropriate and uncharacteristic."
"And why do you think that is?"
"Janine Larabie."
He continued to hold her stare, giving her nothing by way of reaction or intonation. Seifer knew it annoyed the hell out of her. "How so?"
"There was a reported disturbance in the cafeteria yesterday during the lunch hour. You and Janine Larabie were reported as having an intense debate. Soon thereafter, performances were seen to decline."
"And do you know what the 'intense debate' was regarding?"
"Subject matter is irrelevant. The discussion and its effects have rebounded into your performance. It isn't acceptable."
"No. You're right. It isn't." Ahndra's eyebrow slightly twitched upward. "Janine was jealous of you, Ahndra."
The eyebrow twitched higher. "Pardon?"
"The 'intense debate'. Janine was giving in to a jealous moment because you were warning her to 'tread carefully'. She wanted to do so all over your ass, due to the fact you were getting in her face about our business. I told her to back off from you, hence the 'jealous moment'." Seifer slightly adjusted his crossed arms, completely enjoying Ahndra's non-plussed expression. "Janine doesn't like being told what to do, especially not when she suspects there might be something going on. I'll be sure to tell her we're just friends."
Ahndra could be visually seen to file the information away. "Her jealousy is a perfect example--"
"I'm not done." The eyebrow raised again, but Seifer ignored it. "Did you tell Janine that it was your responsibility to inform me and Commander Squall of any change in job performance?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
"So that she would realize there was a consequence to her pursuit."
"Her 'pursuit' is none of your business as my second-in-command, Ahndra. Your responsibility is to support me as Head of Security. Your responsibility is to report my actions and responses to Commander Squall as an adjunct to my own reports. Your responsibility, after hours, is to be my friend while minding your own damned business."
And Seifer could feel his temper spark.
He grabbed it with a firm hold. "The minute you went to her with that warning, she backed off from me. Why? Because she knows how goddamned important my role with Garden is. She understands that if anything she does jeopardizes it, she has to back off. She's fine with that. But you hinting at a problem that wasn't there caused hell and jeopardized my job. You screwed up, Ahndra."
Ahndra clenched her jaw and lowered her gaze from his.
"If you think there's a problem, you come to me. Because if you ever go behind my back again..." He let the words settle before saying "Dismissed."
Ahndra saluted and then about-faced to stride from the office. She slammed the door closed. Seifer released a quick and deep breath and scrubbed at his scalp. A corner of the mess of his desk caught his gaze. He swore. Then he laughed. Hell. At least I've got a damned good thing to look forward to tonight.