"What the fuck did you think you were doing?" Seifer's eyes burned jealousy and anger, his hand gripping Rinoa's arm tightly, not hard enough to hurt, but holding her still before him so she got the full effect of his displeasure.

"Dancing. With, what was his name?" She said, her large eyes blinking innocence and surprise. He saw the moon reflected in them from somewhere outside, making her dark eyes look like pools of silver moonlight.

"His name," Seifer hissed through gritted teeth, "is Squall."

"Oh!" And she laughed, dared to laugh. "That one."

"Yes. That one. You knew it was him." His hand tightened on her arm. "Touch him again and I will kill you." The serious, threatening quality to his voice was no joke.

"Why? Seifer, what - "

"You're an idiot." He curled his lip into a sneer. "Shall I spell it out for you? I am in love with that man. I am the only one in the whole world who has earned a place in that icy heart of his, I am the only one who has been with him through anything and everything. I am the only one who deserves him. You have no right to go sliding in on him just because you're between men." His words came out harsher than he intended, but he was deadly serious, and she cringed from his words.

"How arrogant. I wouldn't be breaking any laws by making him love me." She said, her voice soft but firm, trying to look into his eyes, trying to be angry at him for what he implied. She prided herself on being able to read her ex-boyfriends perfectly. She was sure there was something beneath the anger, something else that would explain it better. But all she saw was truth - he was utterly sincere in his love for the man she had just danced with. That just made her angry.

"Rinoa, listen to me. Touch Squall, and I will snap your neck. Do you understand?" His green eyes narrowed at her, catlike in the half-light.

"I understand." She tore her arm out of his grip. "Oh, I understand." She laughed softly, suddenly understanding. And suddenly feeling nothing but contempt for her ex-boyfriend. "Poor, jealous Seifer." And she turned, with a flick of her hand in dismissal, not without a twinge of guilt. But she would show Seifer. Someday, she'd earn a place in Squall's heart fairly - and see how Seifer liked it then.

Seifer let her go. He hoped she had understood what he was saying. He didn't want to have to break her neck, after all. Ex-girlfriend she might be, but she had proved to be a friend above and beyond that.

Rinoa's steps were quiet as she walked up to him, but he didn't start as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Seifer." She said, sincerely.

"It's me that should be saying that, to everyone. I don't deserve to be here, to be accepted." He said, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't matter.

"You're only here for Squall, because you still love him, aren't you?" She said, gently. He looked at her, surprised by her sudden understanding. She repeated herself, as if repetition could make the words impress themselves on his mind. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged again, his eyes resolutely turned away from the dancers. He didn't deserve to be a part of this celebration, he didn't deserve to be a SeeD today, because of all the things he had done to them. But they accepted him back. Even Squall seemed to. He didn't deserve any of it. "You got him while I was away. Fair play."

"But love isn't a game."

"Isn't it? You won, Rinoa." Seifer heaved a sigh, and her heart ached to see him so humbled. "Leave me alone. Go dance with your loverboy."

"Squall isn't my 'loverboy'. I may have got him to notice me, and he may have accepted me, but his heart is too full of someone else already for him to love me." Her eyes were big and concerned, searching Seifer's closed off face. He raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. Someone else won."

"Seifer." She sighed and started tapping her foot. "For someone intelligent, you're incredibly slow." She raised her hands, pushed at him gently. "Squall is out on the balcony. He could probably do with company. You're his friend now. And," She gave him a conspiratorial smile. "I think you should ask him for a dance."

He followed the push, always willing to spend time with Squall. Ever since the whole thing with the sorceress Seifer had wanted to make things up to his friends, the SeeDs that had fought against him. They all understood too easy, gave their forgiveness too freely. Even Squall, who couldn't really afford to forgive his sworn enemy.

He went out onto the balcony. Squall stood there, alone, watching the stars. "Hey, Leonhart." Seifer said, in what he hoped was a friendly voice. So close to Squall, his body screamed into a state that was partly defensive, partly wanting to just grab Squall and crush him close.

"Seifer," He said softly, just acknowledging his presence.

"Sorry I missed seeing you dancing with the princess," He said, a little humour in his voice, "I hear you're quite the dancer, now. Or at least, better than you were the first time."

"Yeah."

Seifer would almost have thought Squall was trying to push him away, if Squall was, well, not Squall. But this was normal Leonhart behaviour, of course, and Seifer knew it well. "Care to show me your new dancing skills, then?"

"Rinoa's gone." Squall turned, leaning against the rail of the balcony, his eyes examining Seifer's expression curiously. "Probably won't be in Garden again for a while."

"Why the hell would I want to see you dance with Rinoa? No," Seifer smirked, holding a hand out, "I'm asking you for a dance, with me, now."

Squall smiled, a flash of an expression that could have been pleased over his face. "Only if I can lead."

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "What? Nah, Leonhart, you couldn't handle it."

"Trust me, I could. And it's the only way you'll get a dance from me tonight." Squall ducked his head slightly, smirking. His hair brushed along his cheekbones, and all of a sudden, Seifer was longing to touch him, run his hands through that hair and kiss him. "And besides, how would you see if I can dance if you led?"

"Point taken," Seifer said, rolling his eyes, still reluctant. "If it's that important to you, you can lead."

The song playing was a slow one. A ballad of love and rejection and yearning, of unrequited love. Seifer thought it appropriate as he stepped closer to Squall, and after a moment of awkwardness, was drawn into a dance - still out on the balcony, of course - by the smaller man. It was an opportunity to be close to Squall, and Seifer thoroughly enjoyed it, even if he didn't like playing the part of a woman in the dance.

It was dark, the sun having gone down hours before. And in the coolness of the night, the warmth between their bodies as they danced, silently, was a comfort. And something Seifer craved more of. Squall's eyes were liquid silver, a beautiful sight in the moonlight.

Inside, the song came to an end, and the dance stopped as well, Seifer the tiniest bit regretful and pretending not to be. Squall looked up at him, his eyes still moon-silver.

Seifer couldn't resist bending his head and pressing his lips to Squall's. Just a brief, chaste kiss - he almost felt that he didn't deserve anything more. He pulled back and looked down at Squall's face. His expression was something unreadable, but his calm silver eyes were closed.