Disclaimer: not mine... simple as that
Pairing: Hayner x Seifer although it could be taken as Seifer x Roxas or Hayner x Roxas, whiever one you like best
Note: This isn't AU and depending on how people take this so far I may or may not continue it... it works as it's own however I actually have a random plot line stuck somewhere in my head as to what may actually happen. Also, if it does turn longer the pairing will be Hayner x Seifer and no need to squint about it

Who Are You?

"I didn't beat you."

Those words started it all.

I had known all along that they were true, somewhere deep inside, but finally hearing them now I could relax. I let out a soft sigh and looked at my long time rival with an expression that I knew he could read as a silent 'thank you'. He nodded begrudgingly and crossed muscular arms over his chest before turning those icy blue eyes away.

"I know," I decided to speak the words anyway and his eyes shot to me. They shot up and down my body and it took all my self control not to shiver under that hard glare.

"What's going on?" Olette asked softly, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

The icy shards focused on her and narrowed into a glare before turning back to me. "So come on, chickenwuss," he raised his chin and the light hit his sharp features a bit harder and made them look all the more majestic. He was like a God. Even Olette had agreed once in a blushing mess of apologizes afterwards. So had I.

He was just… he exuded such power with just those shards of ice in his eyes. Maybe that was why everyone in Twilight Town actually listened to what he said. He was still a brat, a kid to the adults, but even they seemed to respect his boundaries and treaded carefully over the sandlot.

"I want a rematch."

A grin split my features when he said that. We both knew it was a rematch for a match that frankly… never happened.

It was all about the tournament that had happened almost a year ago. I haven't gone to any of them ever since the last one, because something felt so wrong and so different. I heard from Olette and Pence, who went to write for the school newspaper, that Seifer had only participated in a few of them but was always on the sidelines watching.

It was all because of last year's tournament. Seifer had won having been handed the trophy with the small glass balls that he had later passed onto Sora – the strangest kid ever.

Sora had come out of nowhere. From a different world. We had helped him as much as we could and it had been weeks after his first visit that he returned with a girl named Kairi and a tall silver haired boy named Riku. Every time Sora was there it was different. The two of us had struggle practice as if we had done it since we were kids. He understood me better than Olette and Pence ever could even though we hardly knew each other.

He reminded me of you.

But who are you?

The sandlot was getting a small crowd now that the match had been announced. We haven't fought in such a long time that everyone seemed to be waiting for a fight.

He had won that tournament. I had come in second place.

But a few weeks ago I saw him glaring down Vivi as if he was the cause of all problems in the world.

Worlds. Correction. Now we knew we weren't the only world out there.

I still haven't had the chance to visit any others. Mostly because of mom bugging me to finish school and get into a good college. But also because of Seifer. Because he never left. He had finished high school last year, graduated with an honours that surprised half the town when it was announced.

But back to the fight.

It had already started and I had already lost half my orbs from the blonde. I couldn't concentrate. It was barely any time in the game when I wanted to drop the towel in and resign. I had never done that before. I wondered why.

Then I remembered.

You would have kicked my ass to next Sunday if I had done that. Especially to Seifer. You hated him. I don't remember why. I don't even remember who you were.

I fought back. A jab here, a thrust here, a parry that sent his bat over his head and gave me an opening to his stomach so I could knock more of the balls down. But the bat came swinging right down on my shoulder and I didn't have the chance to pick up any of the red orbs he dropped.

They lay scattered around him as I backed away.

He didn't even bother to grab them. His eyes narrowed and he rushed forward.

His bat came down so hard that even when I blocked it I felt the power rush through my arms and to my chest, feeling as if my heart would explode with the sheer force behind that one blow. Somehow I was able to also block the next one as he backed me up. He was angry.

But he had no reason to be.

He was… angry at you.

Just as I was.

And I decided to return the favour and hit as hard as I could. The first hit caught him off guard, the second came so close to his head that my own eyes widened in worry for a moment, the third was blocked.

The fight seemed to have gone for a lot longer than before. But I haven't fought in forever. And I enjoyed the sheer thrill of the other as he attacked me without any mercy. He wasn't holding back. And I wouldn't either.

We parried and blocked, took hits that would leave our skin bruised and our bodies sore. The orbs between us had been exchanged so much that I was sure I was holding onto my entire original bunch and he held onto all of his. But we didn't care so much about them.

He lunged at me then and swung his bat out wide. The arc came a lot sooner than I thought so my own blocking bat was out of the way as his body crashed onto mine. His shoulder rammed into my ribs so hard I could have sworn a few cracked and all the air was stolen from me.

Then I was on my back.

He was straddling me with the bat held against my neck to keep me from getting my breath back and had me gasping and writhing under his larger, more muscular form. I tried to push it away so I could breathe. I didn't care to win the battle anymore.

I dropped my struggle bat as a sign that I lost but the referee never rang the bell that signified the end of the match. The bat lessened just long enough for me to take more shallow gasps and then I looked up. Ice. Impenetrable ice shards glared down at me with such hatred that I just wanted the ground to swallow me up and never spit me back out again. No person that is ever looked at like that should exist.

"We never fought." The words slipped from his chapped lips and I had to wonder for a moment what he meant. Then it registered and I nodded as much as I could with the bat still under my chin.

"I know."

He released his hold and stood up as graceful as the majestic God of battle that his image portrayed. Then he did the one thing that startled all watching, including myself. He held his hand out for me. He glared down the length of his own arm into my eyes before my limbs finally started moving. I was holding onto my throat tenderly, I had the feeling I would speak with a rasp for the rest of my life. But I grabbed onto his hand and allowed him to hoist me up with no effort on his side.

"I didn't beat you." He repeated with those narrowed shards and it took me a moment to notice his eyes were slightly glazed over. I had never noticed before. I never knew he could do that.

"I know." I sighed in that rasp before I coughed.

He walked past the referee that was about to give him a small prize for the spontaneous battle. He didn't care for it, it seemed. His two lackeys followed him without question. One dark red eye narrowed at me from a distance as Fuu stared, but after Seifer rounded the corner I couldn't look anymore. I couldn't think anymore.

Where were you?

You were the one that clapped my shoulder and smiled tenderly. How did that smile look? You were the one that assured me I would kick his ass the next time. You were the one that I had lost to. Not him.

Because we all know the truth.

That tournament last year. He and I never fought. Even if pictures in the school newspaper show otherwise. Even if he had been handed the unique trophy of first place while I got a small ribbon for second.

It all started with those four words: "I didn't beat you."

And I knew… I wasn't the only one who missed you. I wasn't the only one who knew that you were here. Are you here now? Are you hiding? Are you reading this? I hope you are. Because I may not remember who you are but I remember one very important thing.

You were my best friend.

You weren't here but I remember saying once that it's not how often we see each other but how often we thing about each other. Something along those lines. But I remember clearly that I had said 'think' not 'remember' each other. Because I hated the fact that I could not remember you.

And I revelled in the fact that I wasn't the only one who thought of you.

please read and review
at the moment it will be posted as completed, however if people are intersted in me to continue it, I will
thank you

.sye