Part One
Disclaimer: None of the character in this fic is mine. They all belong to our beloved SquareSoft Co. I’m just a humble Final Fantasy VIII addict who are writing this for fun, so please don’t sue me since I’m making no profit out of this fic.
With a roar from the sky, the sky darkened, fortelling the coming of a thunderstorm. The two figures moved and looked up to the sky. As if on cue, rain drops start falling down madly, soaking them from head to toe.
“We’d better go back,” said the tall former Sorceress Knight.
The shorter brunette nodded, and shivered as the chilling wind blow through his slender, yet muscular figure. The Sorceress Knight noticed, and draped his white trench coat over the shorter man.
“I told you to grab an extra jacket, and you wouldn’t listen.”
“…I didn’t know the weather’s gonna….” the brunette paused. “…Whatever.”
The blonde laughed as he walked back towards the giant Garden resting on the field, holding the shivering brunette in his arms while blocking some rain for him. “You’re not giving that figure of speech up, are ya, Squall?”
Squall Leonhart rolled his eyes, and continued to walk in silence. Figure of speech? Since when that ‘…whatever’ thing became his figure of speech?
The two finally made it back to the Garden without being attacked by any monsters. Balamb Garden had settled back to where it was before the Sorceress War, thanks to the mechanical genius Zell Dincht, though not many people would’ve suspected that. The martial artist always radiated an aura of immaturity, not to mention stupidity, to put it bluntly. But under that mask of ignorance was a hidden master of technology. Maybe that’s also why he was appointed as the Director of Technology there in Balamb Garden.
After the Sorceress War, the world had gone under a drastic change. People started to realize the importance of an alliance between nations and the security of the world. The leader of the major Nations– Galbadia, Esthar, and Balamb– formed a group of guards called ‘the National Safety Patrol’ to travel around the world using Ragnorak series to help prevent warfare and future Sorceress attacks. The two active Gardens were now lending forces to rebuild the Trabia Garden, and they also formed a group of special force called the ‘Elite SeeDs.’
The Elite SeeDs featured the people that defeated both Adel and Ultimacia, and their main purpose was to investigate dangerous situation, help perform SeeD tests, occasionally instruct the SeeD cadets, and ultimately, to stop the Sorceress’ in case they struck again. The Elite SeeDs now contained all the people involved in the Ultimacia War, and the former Sorceress Knight and his posses.
Some other minor changes included the public surface of Esthar and its active political movement in the world, the reconstruction of the Orphenage and the progressive movement of the Centra continent.
Balamb Garden itself had gone under some changes as well. The return of his wife had caused Cid to retire, leaving the Balamb Garden in Quistis and Xu’s hands. He originally wanted to let Squall handle the Garden, but the brunette firmly refused this offer, suggesting to let Quistis, who had the experience and ability to lead, take over the headmaster’s job. Quistis then asked Xu to help her, knowing that being both Elite SeeDs and the headmaster would exhaust her.
Irvine Kinneas went back to the Gabaldia Garden, while Selphie Tilmitt joined the Trabia Reconstruction Group, claiming that she will not rest until the last brick of Trabia Garden was set down by her. Rinoa Heartilly resided in Esthar, helping the scientists there explore her Sorceress ability. Zell Dincht moved back to Balamb city to spend time with his mother, though he drove to Balamb Garden everyday to work.
“Man, we’re all soaked!” Seifer exclaimed, squeezing water out of his trench coat and cursing at the weather the same time.
Squall glanced around the Garden, seeing that it was past the curfew time the Balamb Garden set, and frowned a little.
“Keep your voice down, you might wake some cadets up,” he scolded softly.
Seifer looked up from the puddle of water he just made on the floor, and glanced at his watch. “Whoa, that late already? We sure stayed a long time.”
“Let’s just go… your clothes are not going to dry by simply grinding it with your hand.” Squall said, heading towards their room.
Seifer shrugged, and follow the shorter man. He let a silly little smile tug on his lips, and admired his lover at the same time. It was the first time in his life that he has ever experienced happiness, not to mention the feeling of a family and love. To tell the truth, he had never felt any better, and he’s intended to keep it like this.
It all happened a year ago, if his memory didn’t fail him. Then again, after the time compression, who cared about time anymore? At least he didn’t. He recovered from his injuries after a long rest, and was wondering around the Globe until he traveled back to Balamb. Quistis accepted his re-application as a SeeD cadet, of course, under some restrictions. He was required to pass the SeeD written exam upon his entrance, and the field exam a week after.
“You better pass these tests to prove to the others if you’re worthy enough to come back,” Quistis said with an authoritive tone, “You know that some people still hold grudges against you because of the Ultimacia War, and they didn’t care if you were under her control.”
And so, he did it, and was accepted back as a normal SeeD. Over the three months period, he helped out the Elite SeeDs in every possible way, and was finally promoted as the Elite SeeDs. Raijin and Fujin, however, had no trouble getting their promotion right after they pass the SeeD exam, which Seifer had mockingly complained on how Quistis and Xu was giving special treatment to his posses.
Once he was accepted back to Balamb, he was reaquainted with Squall, the first and only love he had ever had in his life. He kept it a secret for 17 years, and he wanted to keep it that way, as long as Squall was happy with whoever he was with. But, he soon notice the friction between Rinoa and Squall, how she kept wanting to change him and he couldn’t comply.
Squall became best friend with Seifer quickily, which surprised everybody, even Seifer himself. Their rivalry seemed to be in the past, and Squall would sometimes talk to Seifer about how hard he was trying to work the relationship with Rinoa out. It hurted Seifer deeply, not only because the one he loves was sitting in front of him talking about the woman, but more about the suffering Squall was going through. He had gave Squall advices, consults, and encouragements. Hynes knows how HARD that is! But if it would bring the smile on the brunet, or even just to wipe away the darkness engulfed the brunet because of his depression, Seifer would do it wholeheartedly.
Finally, Rinoa couldn’t take it anymore, and Squall didn’t want to save the relationship, as they broke up at last. Rinoa accepted Laguna’s invitation, and moved to Esthar to join the science project Esthar was doing on the Sorceress’ power. Squall devoted himself to the jobs at Elite SeeDs, and involved in some of the political issues happening around the world.
And Seifer just supported Squall in every way, thus earning himself a nick name of “The Lion’s Posse,” which he didn’t mind at all.
After about six months, Squall couldn’t fight with his curiosity anymore. He entered Seifer’s room one day, when Seifer was working his butt off on creating a new SeeD written exam.
“…Seifer?”
Seifer looked up, surprised to see Squall standing in front of him. “Yeah?”
“I need to ask you a question.”
Shrugging, he gestured Squall to sit on the bed, while he stood up from his chair and poured two cups of coffee for both of them. “Shoot.”
Squall stared at Seifer, a puzzled look in his eyes. “…Why?”
“Why… what?” now it’s Seifer’s time to get confused.
“Why do you… care?”
Seifer stopped his drinking, and looked at Squall from the steam of the coffee. His mind spinned to find the best way to answer the brunet, but he couldn’t find anything besides the truth.
“Seifer?” Squall asked again, since Seifer wasn’t answering.
“….Because I love you.” Seifer muttered, his words mostly to the black liquid, instead of the beauty in front of him. Goddamn this was hard…
Squall leaned towards Seifer, didn’t hear what Seifer was saying. “Repeat?”
“Damn, you sound like Fujin without the capitalized words,” Seifer joked, trying to change the subject.
Squall narrowed his eyes, “Don’t even try, Seifer Almasy. What did you say while ago?”
Seifer sighed, “You’re not letting me go, are ya?”
“No.”
Seifer sighed again, totally defeated. “Fine,” he said, “But this might jeopardize our friendship.”
“No it won’t. Just spit it out,” Squall said firmly.
After a long pause, Seifer finished his coffee, and knew that he couldn’t hide behind his mug anymore. He placed the cup down on the table, and looked at Squall with burning passion in his eyes. “…. I care because….” he paused, “Because I love you.”
Awkward silence filled the room, as Squall stared at Seifer, his emotion unreadable. Seifer stood up, and got himself another cup of black coffee, and stayed at the counter to sip it.
Finally, Squall broke the silence. “You’re…gay?”
That completely took Seifer by surprise, causing him almost spitting out the coffee in his mouth. “No! Hell no! You see me going after that chicken-wuss or that Irvine Kinneas!?”
Squall furrowed his eyebrow, “Wait, then why–?”
“Because I love YOU, not men! You just HAPPENED to be a man!!”
Squall’s frown deepened, “What, is it MY fault!?”
Shaking his head madly, “NO! I’m not saying it’s your fault! No!” he took a deep breath to calm himself down, “This conversation is going nowhere…”
“You’re telling me.”
Awkward silence again, and AGAIN, Squall broke the silence. “I need time to think about this.”
This time, Seifer was dumbfounded. “HUH?”
“Like I said, I need time to think about this.”
“About…. what?”
Squall groaned, slapping his forehead dramatically. “About my feeling, what do you think!?”
Seifer stared at Squall with his jaw dropped, “You’re not gonna… like, what was the word I’m looking for? Feel disgusted?”
“Why should I?” Squall asked.
“Why should… I DON’T KNOW!!” Seifer started waving his arms madly, his mind was in a mess. “Because that you should?! That you’re not gay and some man like you!? Especially if that person is me!? You have tons of reasons to feel disgusted, dammit! Why aren’t you?”
Squall got up of Seifer’s bed, putting the half-drank cup on Seifer’s table. “You’re weird,” he said before he left the room.
Seifer stared after the closing door, his mouth never closed from the shock. Finally, he broke down into a hysterical laugh, and crashed to his bed, hugging the bedding that Squall sat on. “Me!? Weird!? What!?”
And that was about four months ago.
Squall avoided Seifer for an entire week. He wasn’t present at the daily Elite SeeDs meeting, he wasn’t at his lectures, and nobody had seem him for an entire week. It was as if the man just disappeared from the face of the Planet. Seifer blamed himself solely for this, and was deeply depressed.
A week later, Squall showed up in the cafetaria, and dragged Seifer away to the secret place that Quistis took him before in front of everyone at dinner time.
“What’s going on, Squall?” Seifer asked, his voice full of concern, “Where were you the whole week?”
“Bend down,” Squall ordered.
“Huh”
“Bend down! You’re too tall!!
Seifer obeyed, and bended so he’s about Squall’s height. Squall then took off his Griever pendant and put it on Seifer, adjusting it so it lands right in the middle of Seifer’s chest, and smile happily like a little boy. “There.”
Seifer gaped. “S…Squall? What’s…. what’s this?”
Squall had this really cute smile on his face, totally out of character, but enough to make Seifer want to cover his lips over the shorter boy’s. “Well, you know where I was for the whole week?”
“No….”
“I went back to the Orphenage, and talked to Matron.”
Seifer nodded, dumbfounded.
Squall continued, “I told her what you said, and asked her what I should do to sort out my feelings, since I’m not good at it.”
“Uh-huh….”
“So she helped me, and this is the answer.”
Seifer felt that he was kind of getting what Squall was saying, yet he was afraid to jump to conclusion. After all, he had been wanting Squall’s love for as long as he can remember, but all Squall seemed to do was to reject him and push him away. And now… is this a dream? If so, please don’t let him wake up now…
“Seifer?” Squall waved in front of the dazed-out Sorceress Knight. Seeing Seifer wasn’t responding, Squall tip-toed and kissed Seifer on the lips quickily.
That brought Seifer back, but the impact was too shocking that Seifer’s eyes widened, and he jumped. Appearantly, jumping because of shock and/or if the person wasn’t mentally prepared was definetly NOT a good idea. Seifer landed on his butt, and sat there with his jaw dropped.
Squall kneeled down, and looked at the stupid-looking Seifer. “Don’t tell me this is my fault again,” the brunette said.
Seifer stared at Squall, and looked back down to the Griever pendant. He started chuckling softly, and ended up throwing his head back, laughing his ass off. Squall chuckled too, and they just sat there, laughing.
That’s how Seifer and Squall got together. To their surprise, their friends weren’t shocked at the news of them being a couple at all. In fact, Zell even commented with a ‘DUH!’ and Quistis with a ‘Finally!’
Seifer came out of the bathroom, and found Squall sitting on the bed reading some of his student’s homework, and checking mistakes every now and then. Seifer snuggled next to Squall, as the brunette shut down the laptop.
“We better get some sleep, Squall. We still had that mission tomorrow,” Seifer said, stifling a yawn.
Squall nodded, “…Whatever.”
“Will you quit that!?” Seifer laughed.
“No way.”
The light was shut off.