Hayner and Seifer would spend pretty much every weekend morning Struggling in Twilight Town. The two rivals took it very seriously, but lately, Hayner had rarely been winning – and for the most part, he blamed it on Seifer's recently odd tactics.
'Jeez, who even hits their opponent on the butt, anyway?' Hayner thought with a blush while walking back to his friends.
"Ahh, good job, Hayner," Roxas said, clapping a hand on his best friend's back, "It was a hard match."
"It's okay, you've just been off your game lately," Olette comforted, "maybe you should give it a rest for a while."
"I can't just give up, 'Lette!" Hayner exclaimed, "I've got to practice more."
"Just so you can cop a good feel, yeah?" Roxas jokingly punched Hayner on the arm.
"That's obviously not why," Olette raised an eyebrow, "Jeez, you're so insensitive, Roxas..."
Roxas smirked and said, "Hey, you were thinking—"
"I mean, we all know that Hayner is a feelings-man!" The brunette girl continued, and Hayner rolled his eyes indignantly.
"Guys..." He groaned, then gave a smirk as he continued, "anyway, Rox, I'm manlier than that creepy redhead friend of yours. He's flaming – and I'm not just talking about his hair."
With a snigger, Roxas said, "Well if you're so manly, prove it."
"I will!" The camo-clad boy put his hands on his hips. "...How?"
"Um..." his best friend looked thoughtfully off into the distance for a moment before a smile spread across his lips and he said, "Get a rematch."
Hayner wasn't convinced. "That's not manly, that's just stupid."
"Is not!"
"It won't prove anything!"
But it was too late for Hayner and his pride. Roxas was already walking over to Seifer and his friends. Hayner, Olette and Pence nervously followed, not trusting what was about to happen.
"Hey, Seifer!" Roxas called out.
The blonde bully turned around to face the approaching teenagers before replying, "What, Lamer? Come to grovel at my feet, hey?"
"Well, I'm sure Hayner's willing to do more than—"
"Roxas, what are you—" Hayner failed to stop his best friend, who continued.
"But yeah, pretty much."
"Oh..." Seifer furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly confused as he continued, "But really, what do you want?"
"Hayner wants a rematch."
"Do not." Hayner's protests were ignored.
Seifer smirked at his rival and said to Roxas, "The Chickenwuss must like losing, then, hey? I mean, he'd be used to it by now, but still..."
Roxas had the facial expression of an old, wise man as he said, "Some people call it losing. Others just call it being the submissive male."
If everyone except for Olette and Pence hadn't been trying to figure out Roxas' odd statement, they would have heard the sound of a camera taking a picture. After the photo quickly developed, Pence quickly took out a pen and scrawled on the tab, "Disciplinary Committee finally learns about sex."
After an awkward minute had passed, Rai couldn't keep it in any longer, "What's he talkin' about, y'know?"
Hayner uneasily tried to identify the strange look in Seifer's eyes, before realisation hit him, and he put his hands to his face.
"Roxas," he groaned, "Seriously..."
His best friend leaned in to his ear and said in a low voice, "Hayner, you can save your voice for Seifer in bed. I'm sure he likes his men verbal."
"Ugh, Rox!" Hayner pushed his friend playfully, a small smile tugging at his lips. The two didn't realise that Seifer, being the closest person to them, had heard what Roxas said, a smile threatening to spread across his face.
When Seifer and Hayner had finally started their Struggle rematch, Roxas, Pence and Olette stood on one side of the pair, while Fuu, Rai and Vivi stood on the other.
"Roxas... what exactly was the point of a rematch?" Olette asked Roxas, as Pence took a picture of the Struggle match.
Roxas merely shrugged and said, "They just need more time together. Who knows what'll happen?"
"Oh... so nothing planned?"
"Nope. But... hey, hold on," Roxas got an idea as he noticed Seifer's beanie fall off, unnoticed to the everyone else. "Hey, 'Lette, can I please have a sheet from your notebook?"
"...Sure." After a moment, the girl gave him a small, ripped-out piece of paper, and gave it to Roxas along with a pen. "Don't do anything... silly, Roxas..."
"What'd make you think that I'd do something silly?"
Olette rolled her eyes with a smile, letting Roxas carry out his plan.
...
After losing his second Struggle match that day, Hayner walked back to his friends with a frustrated look on his face.
"It's okay, Hayner, that was a really close game." Olette comforted him with a hand on his shoulder.
After giving a small smile to Olette, Hayner turned to Roxas and said, stubbornly, "Doesn't make me any less manly."
"If you're so manly, then why don't you..." Roxas trailed off thoughtfully, but Hayner interrupted him.
"Come on, you saw how the last masculinity test went." He raised an eyebrow, and Olette giggled.
"Bet you can't take his beanie."
"Rox..."
"Wuss."
"...Fine!" Hayner gave in with a stubborn, yet determined, look and looked across the Sandlot to where Seifer was standing with his friends.
"Oh, Roxas..." Olette put a hand to her forehead with a slight smile, as Pence bid Hayner good luck with a pat on the back.
He walked up to his rival as casually as he could, before nervously saying, "Hey, guys..."
While Fuu had a knowing look and Rai was too bewildered to say anything, Seifer looked at him suspiciously, without his usual arrogant smirk.
"So... congrats with the match..." Hayner awkwardly tried to get closer to Seifer, who took small steps away from him.
"What're you doing...?" He suspiciously watched the other, knowing that something was wrong.
All of a sudden, Hayner took one quick leap to Seifer, grabbed the beanie, and just ran, out of the sandlot. Soon finding himself in the Tram Common, he found himself tiring, a smile tugging at his lips. However, upon glancing back at his rival, he noticed a small slip of paper fall out of the beanie. Curiosity got the better of him, and he quickly picked up the paper and read it.
"Bet you can't tell him how you feel. 10 munny. And a few sea-salt ice creams. P.S. you can thank me later. –Roxas."
Hayner was too busy thinking of death threats to notice Seifer walk up behind him, until the paper was yanked out of his hands.
The muscular blonde read the note to himself and said, "Ha, sea salt ice creams are getting expensive these – huh?" Then he seemed to properly take it in, and his cheeks heated up slightly. "'Tell him how you feel'? Tell... tell who, Hayner?"
"Uh..." the camo-clad teen was surprised for a moment to hear the other say his name, and for some reason – he didn't want to accept why – he felt excitement welling in the pit of his stomach. "Um... Tell... Tell Setzer than he's an amazing Struggler?"
"Bullshit." Seifer snorted with a grin. "It was in my beanie, so that leaves one option..."
With reddening cheeks, Hayner took steps backwards to avoid Seifer, who was slowly walking up to him. The two found themselves entering a short, narrow alleyway – the kind you'd miss if you weren't concentrating, or trying to find the best escape route like Hayner was. Very soon, Hayner was backed up against a brick wall, trying to find whatever excuse he could to divert the other's attention.
"Um, maybe it was, uh, meant for you? And—"
"Why would Roxas write a note to me, of all people, Lamer?" The taller teen raised an eyebrow.
"Well I don't know what sort of secrets you might be hiding from me, douchewad!" Hayner's failed attempt to play it cool was lost on the other, who was leaning in to the other.
"Really?" Seifer smirked, "Want a hint?"
Hayner wasn't given a chance to retort or escape the other – not that he would have if he could, anyway – as Seifer closed the distance between the two, pressing his lips against his rival's. It was only short, but Seifer pulled away nervously, suddenly remembering his beanie and putting it on.
The other was speechless, to say the least.
...
"Where d'you suppose they are? The Tram Common's pretty big, y'know?" Rai asked, looking in the direction that Hayner and Seifer had run. He, along with Roxas, Olette, Pence and Rai, had stayed in the Sandlot out of confusion.
Olette was concerned that the two were fighting, and she asked, "Should we look for them?"
"Guys, they're fine. They do this sort of stuff all the time." Roxas smiled at them, obviously knowing something that the others didn't. Fuu caught on to this.
"AGREED."
"Huh?" Rai spun around to face her.
"ALONE."
After a pause, Rai shrugged it off and faced Roxas, who was trying to persuade Olette.
"Come on guys, can we just check on them?" The brunette girl argued.
"Fine..." The blonde gave in.
Soon the group found themselves in the Tram Common, realising after a while that they had been walking in circles. They were about to give up, before hearing something rustling against bricks. Instantly freezing, all eyes were drawn into an alleyway. They had finally found the two.
Only, they weren't fighting. They were leaning against the brick wall, kissing – or 'making out', as Olette happily considered it.
After a muffled giggle from the brunette girl, Rai started laughing, "Dude, what the... Seifer never said he was gay, y'know?"
"OBLIVIOUS." The silver-haired female smirked.
"Yeah, I mean, if Roxas can notice it, anyone can!" Olette smiled at her blonde friend. "Have you seen those tops he wears?"
"Well, yeah, but..." The muscular brunette trailed off, incredulously, and the rest laughed.
Olette ordered Pence to take a picture, reasoning that it would make undeniable evidence, and their expressions would be priceless. They soon left without any interruption, deciding that all five of them would interrogate their friends afterwards for all the details.
The two rivals certainly had some explaining to do.
This is my entry for the Beating the Cliche contest held by the DeviantART Seifer/Hayner fanclub, Camobeanie. My prompt was "Bet", as in Hayner gets a bet to confess to or kiss Seifer. Anyway. I can't write kissing scenes, sorry! But I did my best. Didn't want to make it like, sappy or anything. XD But I hope you like this! Feedback is really appreciated, I'd love to know what you thought of this one. C: Thanks for reading! :D
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its characters belong to Square Enix.