Damn those eyes, those steel gray eyes, the fucker shoulda had blue ones. I can hate blue eyes, but Puberty-Boy had to go and have gray eyes. I shook my head, tossing a piece of the broken road down into the sea below me. He had to go and show mercy. He had to let me live.

The anger within me surged to the surface, my temper rearing it's ugly head. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream.

Flashback

The courtroom was decked out, every space filled with the students and crew of Balamb Garden. I grinned wryly, Well, I had tried to kill them, couldn't blame them for wanting to watch me go down.

The handcuffs were rubbing my wrists raw. I hadn't had a shower in days and strangely enough, that didn't bother me. These people would rightfully hate me even if I was clean as a whistle.

I looked up at the table that headed the front of the room. It didn't surprise me to see Quistis, Cid, or Squall there. I had expected that. I knew that I had physically jumped when my eyes met a dark swirling brown. Rinoa was decked out, in full Sorceress form, staring at me with black heartless eyes. . . I thought, maybe in her, maybe she would see that this all started because of a lingering affection for the enthusiastic, albeit a bit naïve, friend. With a sinking feeling in my chest it was clear to me that I wasn't worth the dirt on her shoe. Asking Rinoa to speak to me, much less speak for me, was too far a fetch.

I recognized Selphie from the mission with Squall and Zell, she had been the messenger girl, her adorable brown hair and heart shaped face were the same, but her eyes held a knowledge and a maturity they hadn't before. Chicken Wuss stood out on the high and mighty table staring down at me in a haughty fashion almost identical to the way I used to look at him. Something to be tossed away. Something unworthy.

Useless.

A failure.

I recognized the cowboy, I had fought him along with Zell and Squall back when I was trying to meld Rinoa and Adel.

I took a quick glance around, as the guards sat me down in a seat before the High Table. Edea was there, in the third row, second to the last seat. Her eyes were downcast. My heart plummeted, if Edea could turn away from me, all hope was lost.

I looked up to the High Table, staring my adversaries in the face. I faced them as a man knowing his fate was near to end.

"Seifer Almasy, student number 8776. You are in fact this person?" Quistis asked, standing up.

I nodded, there was no real reason to argue, deny, scheme, or connive. I was caught, there was no hope.

"Cid," Quistis said, taking her seat.

Cid stood, staring me in the eye. Well that was quick, all they had to do was confirm the obvious and then 'off with his head' .

"In Seifer's defense, Edea Cramer wishes to speak."

In my daze of confusion the uproar of all the students of Balamb Garden was nearly lost to my ears. My jaw fell open and hope lit fire to my chest. Edea glided towards the front of the room, ignoring the screams against her, the threats being thrown. I have never been and, will never be someone for mushy, gooey happy feelings. So the emotion that went careening through my system made me a bit uneasy, although I wasn't going to be the one to admit it.

"I plead for this man's life, because he was under the control of Ultimecia."

If I had expected any defense, it had not been that one. Everyone on the High Table, including Cid, knew that I had been in my right mind! This didn't fit right! I searched the eyes of those on the Table, but no one would look at me. I had to have some kind of an explanation. Then I hit your eyes, those damn gray eyes and there it was, plain as day. They were lying for me. I was almost convinced there was a little drool coming from my unhinged jaw and open mouth.

"Seifer Almasy, has your hearing been damaged!" Cid all but yelled.

I jumped staring at him, "No. . . No sir."

"Then I ask again, were you under the control of Ultimecia when the acts which you are being prosecuted for were committed?" Cid's voice held steady through his question, his deep brown eyes locking onto and pleading with my own.

Well fuck me, they were lying for me. The question that was running through my mind however, was why. I didn't deserve this, not what they were giving me. A free ticket out, no chains, I'd live. It may be an existence of exile, but I would live. I hastily replied, "Yes sir."

Cid grumbled sitting back down, and then you stood up. It was like I couldn't look at anything else for that moment, you had me completely entranced. Whether it was the fact that I knew you held my future in your hands or the fact that I was scared shitless, either way, it was the first time in my life I actually took a good look at Squall Leonhart.

Grey eyes were hidden behind a veil of dark brown hair, that frickin gravity defying hair. A slim and toned body, stood with grace and poise. The uniform clung to your body, lighting up the muscles in your chest and arms. Strong firm thighs and equally elegant legs with well polished shoes just visible beneath the table. Sitting below this legend on my arse, smelling like I had been in a prison cell for the past two weeks hit me in full force. For once, Leonhart had beaten me.

"Seifer, the acts in which you committed began because you defied orders. You came to Timber against the wishes of Headmaster at that time."

I started to get a little defensive, I had gone to save Rinoa after all.

"However, your actions were... grounded in good intension's. It is the finding of this court that you be removed from Balamb Garden. You will be placed on probation and restricted to Fisherman's Horizon. The findings of this court are as following: Not guilty."

You nodded slightly to the guards, but I was too busy staring at you like a dumbstruck fool to even notice the handcuffs disappearing and you just stared back. . .

End Flashback

And now, I have only one question. "Why? Why me?"

"I would have thought the answer to be obvious," a voice said from behind me.

I spun around, almost loosing my footing on the pier, noting idly the noises of more broken gravel slipping into the sickly looking water. To my surprise, there you were, like you fuckin appeared on cue. "What would be obvious?"

The slight upward quirk of his lips only infuriates me. I am just so frickin angry! I had wanted to learn why for almost a year, and here you were, giving me some bullshit attitude.

"Because before Ultimecia, before Adel, before Rinoa, there were seven kids at an orphanage. You were one of those seven kids. Besides you were put in danger because you wanted to rescue Rinoa. Your deed in the beginning made me think. I didn't quite understand. So, I decided to go on a hunch, and I let you go," he said.

It was evening and the sun was setting behind you, and all I could think was damn those eyes. Damn those gray eyes.

A.N. So yeah, I just got in the mood and sat down and wrote it. Tell me whatchya'll think ok?