You'll notice, in this fic, my strong belief that Seifer is not a bad guy. Written for my Seifer/Squall claim at fated(underscore)children on LiveJournal, for the themes "forgive and forget", "separation" and "saying goodbye".
Seifer's voice is a little choked as he looks at me. "Took 'em long enough to decide, didn't it?"
Long enough for the rest of us to forgive and forget. Long enough for my relationship with Rinoa to be a thing of the past. Long enough for Selphie and Irvine to be married, and Quistis engaged. Long enough that I assumed they'd let him free. Long enough for me to learn to love.
He's been here for two years, never leaving Balamb Garden's protection. It's been... frustrating, for us all, and mostly him. We know he's innocent, and we assumed... but no. Guilty as charged, after two years. We took Balamb's rules for his trial. Twelve jury members and a majority vote. If three people had held out, we would have had a hung jury... but only my father and I stayed resolute that Seifer was innocent. I lost count of the times we adjourned and met again and re-adjourned over the past two years. Again and again with the same outcome - undecided.
But one by one every member of the jury voted him guilty, and they got the majority vote.
Seifer is to die, soon. Tomorrow. Too soon.
They gave him enough time to mend the torn parts of his life, enough time to fall in love and to have someone fall in love with him. But that was all they have allowed him, and they'll take him away forever tomorrow.
"It's not forever," he says softly, as if reading my mind, his hand cupping my cheek, but I shake my head.
"Don't hold much faith in an afterlife, somehow."
He smiles slightly, shaking his head, "I didn't think you would."
We sit in silence for a long moment. Then he picks up his wine glass, putting mine into my hand. He doesn't drink, just holding it up and watching the light reflect from the glass and the crimson liquid. "Let's forget about it for now."
"I can't." I put my glass down, the wine slopping over the rim onto my hand.
He smiles again, sadly, and that sad smile tears at my heart more than his hateful words ever did, more than anything he ever said to hurt me ever could. He takes my hand and raises it to his mouth, licking away the wine, savouring its taste and the subtler taste of my skin beneath. I pull my hand away from him, trying not to look at him like I'm taking in every last sight and sound of him. Trying not to remind myself that tomorrow, there will be no Seifer.
"Come here." He opens his arms to me, and I move closer, leaning my head against his shoulder. "I love you even more for trying to change things," he breathes, his mouth against my ear.
"It wasn't enough, though," I whisper, bitterly. "We never had a chance, they all connived and cheated and threatened that guilty verdict out of people who might have helped."
"You tried," he says, insistent, and pulls me closer.
"I wish tonight would last forever." The words slip out without me even thinking about it.
He just smirks slightly, a smirk of pure mischief that I've grown to know and love. And fear, because it means a night of teasing. They gave us long enough for hope, long enough for this to happen, but only one night to say goodbye. And it's not long enough. This is the last time…
"Ssh, don't think about it." He wipes away the tear escaping, "It'll be alright."
No. No, it won't be alright.
It will never be alright again.