Diclaimer: Sue me, go on, sue me! Yes...I own Final Fantasy...I just though I'd put Squaresofts name on the boxes and everything because it was funny. I never wanted people to recognise me. 'Oh look, there's the creator of FF!' So I gave all my money and fame to Squaresoft...yeah...if you haven't guessed, I'm being sarcastic. I don't own Final Fantasy. Duh.

A.N: My first fanfic up! yaaaay flames welcome, so just RR and tell me whatever you think about it, whatever you think should be done, spelling etc. Whatever! Loads of pairings here...hope I didn't overdo it.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!"

"It's ok, it was just a dream...you're ok,"

"Sorry..."

The muscular, short haired blonde sighed and turned over to try and get back to sleep. His dark blue eyes glittered in the darkness, his breathing uneasily loud and jagged. He took a deep breath, gripped the duvet tight and squeezed his eyes shut forcing the emotions that were flooding out of him back down into his subconcious where they belonged.

The tall shadowy figure at the bottom of his single, SeeD issued bed turned away and stepped into the doorway. He turned and held onto the doorframe, resting his forehead on it; he wanted to say something, but simply sighed, tapped the frame lightly and shut the door

"Night Zell."

"Oh, hi Squall...what're you doing up at this hour?"

The broody brunette looked up from the floor to face the long haired cowboy stammering nervously in front of him.

"Went to Zell's. Going for a walk"

"Yeah, great! Um...well...better go...bye" Irvine mumbled, beads of sweat forming at his temples.

Squall stepped past him.

/Probably snook into some girls dorm. Whatever. I don't care./

He casually walked past the Garden Faculty, postitioned carefully at the edge of each walkway round Garden. He stopped at the only one not guarded: the training centre. The one faculty member who watched him now turned his attention to other things, ignoring the newest student to train through the night. Another kid obsessed with fighting. Now he wasn't being watched, he continued to walk round the huge circular passage in Balamb Garden. Passing the Faculty member stood at the entrance to the car park was tricky, and hearing the shout of "What're YOU doing? No wandering after hours" Squall had already thought of an excuse.

"I'm warming up. To train. No monsters out here"

The short, fat man in yellow dungarees and yellow hat warned him of disobeying Garden rules and left him to it.

Squall headed for the main entrance and shook his head at how the faculty always forgot by the next night. The man at the gate was asleep, as usual, so he leapt over a barrier and left Garden.

Finding a moonlit spot on a banking, he layed down and lit a cigarette.

"Hey...thought you quit, ages ago?"

Squall looked up to see a tall dark figure stood over him, his trenchcoat blowing in the light breeze. The man sat down next to him and swept a hand through his short blonde hair. The second blonde haired, blue eyed guy to talk to Squall.

/I'm so popular/

"So Ice Princess, gonna offer me a smoke, or what?"

"Fuck you, Seifer" Squall growled, closing his eyes.

"Fine" Seifer replied, lighting one of his own.

They smoked in an angry silence, the night surrounding them in an unescapable awkwardness.

"So wanting to get away from Cid and his Cronies?" Seifer asked, wincing at how loud even his whisper was.

Again, silence.

Squall took a last drag of his cigarette and flicked it effortlessly across the field. He lay still again, eyes closed,
not answering Seifer's question.

"How come I always get the gang on me 'cos I'm cold and nasty to you, when it's me who makes the effort and YOU who acts cruel and icy?" Seifer jumped up and glared down at Squall who had now barely opened his eyes to look at him. He turned away and walked towards Garden.

"Don't expect any more niceties Squall. I did my bit, it's your turn to make the effort now."

Squall waited until he was sure Seifer had gone and put his hand to his head, slowly pulling it upwards through his hair, strands of silky brown hair twisting between his shaking fingers. He closed his eyes and sobbed. No tears fell from his ice blue eyes, but he cried, cried until his head ached and his glands throbbed and his chest felt as if it would implode.