Disclaimer: Square owns FFVIII.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the nice feedback! ^_^ Oh yeah… Happy Birthday Seifer!!! (It's already the 22nd over here!)

          Seifer plopped down the lush scarlet settee, champagne in one hand, Hyperion in the other. "Now this is what I call a luxury cabin." he chuckled. They were onboard the train bound for Timber. Lucky for Seifer, they were given access to the special SeeD cabin since Quistis was a SeeD, a top-ranked one, to be exact. "SeeD, fucking SeeD!" he cursed under his breath. He never made it to SeeD, thanks to his sorceress' knight escapade. He was fortunate that the Garden had re-admitted him despite his treachery. Headmaster Cid claimed he was under the Sorceress' control. But he knew it wasn't true.

He was possessed by his greed, his pride and his dreams.

Seifer took a healthy swig from his glass. He couldn't stand the fact that his one little move led to his demise. Why did he had to be such an overconfident bastard, following Squall and his little team to Timber, thinking that he would be able to prove that he was a worthy SeeD to his dear Instructor. If he hadn't done such, he wouldn't have been the sorceress' knight, killing all those who got in his lady's way. How he wished things were the way they used to be, back when he and Squall were classmates, Quistis was his instructor, and Rinoa was his.

Yet fate had decided to drown him in the lake of illusions, make him hunger and thirst for power, and leave him fucked-up in the end.

He peered at the motionless figure standing by the window. She was reading the faux letter again. He took another sip from his drink and walked towards her, tossing his thoughts aside. He never liked profound thinking anyway.

"Hyne! What did I get myself into?" she sighed. She felt a hand on her shoulder, a gloved hand, a hand that made her feel secure. "Nonsense, Quistis! You had never needed anyone other than yourself and your Save the Queen to feel that way." She could fight a hundred soldiers without being injured, battle the deadly T-rexaur on her own or even cunningly avoid those Trepies who were always stalking her. She could handle any situation with ease. Yet now, she was confused and uncertain with her own actions.

"Look, Quistis. We already talked about this. Everything's gonna work out fine, alright?" he said as he gently squeezed her shoulder. It was very unlike him to do such a caring gesture. Even he was surprised at his consoling move.

"It's just, what if it doesn't, Seifer? What if Squall and Rinoa finds out about this? What if that Dirk guy causes a rampage and someone gets hurt. We will be held responsible."

"Damn, you think too much. Just believe in me okay!" he spoke in a moderate tone.

"Oh, I don't know, Seifer. Everything's too much for me." she softly said as she faced the man at her back. She saw that he was his other self now. He was no longer the man who taunted her about her every move but was the one who comforted her when she was in tears.

"Shh… It'll be all over soon. We'll all be living happily, you and Squall, me and Rinoa, together." he softly spoke as he tucked a stray wisp of her golden hair behind her ear, his gaze never faltering from hers.

Quistis never believed in happy endings, but with Seifer around, she decided to think twice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          "So where are we heading to now?" Quistis asked as she stepped off the train.

          "Well, I'll be going to Dirk's and leave this letter in his mailbox while you go do your girly-shopping spree." he snickered as he began to head towards the residential street.

          Quistis tugged his gray trench coat's sleeve, stopping Seifer from his tracks. "I didn't come here to go shopping! I thought that we were into this together!" she cried.

          "It would be less obvious this way. Didn't you learn that in the Garden? It surprises me that you're a rank A SeeD, dear Instructor." he scoffed.

          "Well, at least I made it to SeeD, unlike you!" she hissed in her thoughts. She held back the urge to say her harsh words aloud. She was tired of arguing with Seifer. She was getting used to his ridicules anyway. Tolerance triumphed over her soul as she muttered, "Oh, alright. I'll go shopping."

         She headed towards the shopping district, leaving a grinning Seifer behind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          Shopping was every girl's favorite past time, every girl except Quistis.

          Quistis sighed as she searched the clothes rack for the hundredth time. Every article of clothing in the boutique failed to please her. They were all too revealing and daring for her. The most flesh-revealing outfit she ever had was her peach battle wear, which only concealed a part of her flat abdomen. Yes, she was that conservative.

          She knew he was close. She could smell his musky and manly scent as it filled the air around her.

          "Quistis."      

          "Oh, Seifer! Well, that was fast. So, were you able to drop the letter?"

          The smug look on his face had already answered her question.

          "You should have seen the look on that dork's face!" he snickered. "He was screaming to death! It was as if he won the Galbadian Lottery! And I actually thought your Trepies were silly! Hyne, Dirk's even worse!"

          "Is that so." Quistis passively replied. It wasn't because she was uninterested in the topic. It was because of jealousy. She couldn't understand what Rinoa had that she didn't. "What is it with Rinoa that guys go crazy for her!" she angrily thought. "Hmm… let me think… she's pretty, nice and extra-sweet while you're just a boring SeeD who can't even teach a freaking class. Heck, you can't even find yourself a fucking mate!" She closed her eyes, trying to relax despite her inner turmoil. She hated it. She hated Rinoa for being Rinoa. She hated herself for despising her bestfriend and thinking such cruel thoughts about herself. And she hated the fact that it was mostly true.

Seifer allowed a touch of concern to creep into his own voice. "Quis, you okay?" he asked as he stared at the still blonde.

          "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot of things in my mind."

          "Thinking of what to wear tonight, aren't ya? What are you gonna wear anyway?"

          "What do you care?" she harshly said. She wasn't in the mood for conversing, especially with him.

          "Well, you better look good cause you're gonna be my escort. It would be bad for my image to be seen with a boring and obsolete girl." he cockily said as he hastily rummaged the articles of clothing on display. He was back to his arrogant and wicked self again.

          "Escort? EXCUSE ME! I'll wear whatever I would like to wear!"

          "How bout this?" Seifer inquired as he proudly raised an all-black wardrobe. It consisted of a tiny backless halter-top and a pair of tight-fitting leather pants. "Any woman wearing this will drive a guy insane, maybe even you could do such a thing in this!"

          "In your dreams Almasy." Quistis said as she rolled her eyes. 

          "Okay, I'll take it then." In one swift motion, Seifer grabbed his wallet and handed the outfit to the nearby salesclerk.

          "WHAT!?! DON'T YOU DARE, SEIFER ALMASY!"

          "Dear Instructor, why did you speak only now? I already paid for it. I'm sorry." he sarcastically replied. It was quite obvious that he was enjoying the enraged look on Quistis' face.

          "RETURN THAT OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

          "Sorry Quistis. Store's policy, no return, no exchange!" he jeered as he pointed the sign that said such.

          "OWW!" The fuming blonde stormed out of the shop, leaving a chuckling Seifer behind.

          "Hey, Quistis! Wait! You forgot your clothes!" he screamed. But the teed off SeeD ignored him, angrily walking towards the train station.

          "Oh well. Guess I'll just have to give this to her in the Garden." he thought as he exited the shop with two paper bags in tow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          "Quistis! Hurry up! It's already 8:00 pm! We're gonna be late!"  a very impatient Seifer shouted in front of Quistis' door.

          "Yeah, I'm coming!" Quistis replied. The door slid open revealing a tall blonde wearing a peach outfit.

          "What the fuck! Quistis, that's your battle wear! We're not going to the Training Center! We're going to a fine-dining restaurant for Hyne's sake! You're not actually gonna wear that tonight, are you?"

          "Well you're wearing yours too." Quistis calmly said as she pointed to his gray trench coat.

          "I wear this everyday for crying out loud!" he pouted. "Why don't you just wear the clothes I bought for you so that we can go to the fucking restaurant already!"

          "I'll rather die than be seen wearing those indecent clothes of yours!"

          "Dammit Quistis! You're impossible!" Seifer released a long sigh of defeat. "Tch, let's just go alright! You wouldn't want to keep your beloved Puberty Boy waiting."

          "Oh come on, you're just excited to see your little whiny princess!" she taunted.

          "I'M SICK OF PLAYING YOUR SHITTY GAMES! THAT'S IT! I'M GOING TO THE RESTAURANT, WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!" he yelled as he started to walk away.

          "Hey, Seifer! Wait for me!" she giggled. She was shocked at Seifer's sudden burst of exasperation. She was even more surprised at the fact that he was getting annoyed at her little hecklings. It was always the other way around. A small smile curved her lips as she followed the pissed man.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          The restaurant was a small but decent one. It lay beside the harbor, thus revealing a picturesque view of the calm sea.

          "We really appreciate your presence here." Rinoa cheerfully exclaimed. "At first we thought you two would decline our invitation, but I guess we were wrong. Thanks for coming, guys!"

          "It's nothing, Rin." Quistis assured.

          "Anyway, we have something important to tell you guys. Squall, why don't you tell them?" she said as she looked at his sapphire pools thoughtfully.

          Squall took a sip from his wine glass and cleared his throat. "Uhh… I suppose you have heard the news about me and Rinoa…"

          "He's talking about the rumors about wedding… Hyne, let it be falsehood…" Quistis thought.

          "Well," he continued. "As a matter of fact, it is true. Rinoa and I are going to get married this Saturday."

          Her heart sank upon hearing about the marriage from Squall's mouth. Seifer noticed her discomfort and squeezed her hand, signaling her to say something.

          "Well, I'm so happy for you two!" she flatly said while faking a smile. "Don't worry Quistis. The plan is bound to work. The pain will go away soon." she assured herself.

          "Looks like Puberty Boy's leaving the pubertal stage heading towards adolescence." Seifer chortled.

          "Whatever." Squall shrugged.

          "Oh wait, there's something else we wanted to tell you." Rinoa interrupted as she flashed a smile at the brown-haired man seating beside her.

          "Quistis, Seifer," Squall calmly said. "Rinny and I decided to make the two of you our maid of honor and best man for the wedding."

          "YOU WHAT?" the two cried in unison.

          "We've chosen you two to become our maid of honor and best man." Squall composedly repeated.

          "Are you out of your mind?" a frantic Seifer yelled. It was crazy and ironic. Ironic that they chose the two who were out to destroy their relationship to become their maid of honor and best man.

          "Seifer, we've been through a lot of things, both good and bad, but despite all these, we still consider you as a friend. And Quistis, you've been a very close friend of ours. You're like a sister to both Squall and me. That's why we chose you two, to express our gratitude for all of the things you have done for us." the raven-haired girl exclaimed.

          Guilt filled her soul as she heard Rinoa's sweet words and saw the glimmer in the couple's eyes. "What has gotten into me?" she thought. "How could I do such a cruel thing to them?" Her musing was cut short when a tall redhead clad in a tacky black tuxedo approached their table.

          "Dirk! What is he doing here?" a wide-eyed Rinoa asked herself.

          "Oh Rinoa, your beauty never ceases to amaze me." he said while fidgeting the bouquet of red roses in his hand. "Oh! I didn't know that this was going to be a group date. That's alright, Rinoa, what's important is that you're here and so am I." he said, oblivious to the angry glares Squall was sending him.

          "Who the hell are you?" a furious Squall yelled as he rose from his seat, catching the attention of all the people in the other tables. "Rinoa, do you know this jerk?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the red-haired man.

          "Well, I'm her date. And who may I ask are you?"

          "Dirk! What are you talking about?" Rinoa cried.

          "Rinoa, you told me to meet you here. It's all here, in the letter you gave me." He brought out a small carefully folded paper from his trousers. Squall immediately snatched the letter from his hands and read it.

           He looked up from the letter and to the girl in front of him. "Rinoa, how could you?" he faintly said. Pain and anger was visible in his hazy blue eyes.

          "Squall, what are you talking about?" she softly said, her voice quivering. She was confused, confused about Dirk's sudden appearance and Squall's sudden words of hatred. Whatever it was in Squall's face, made her heart shatter into a million pieces.

A pair of emerald eyes twinkling with mirth watched the little dispute.

"Too bad there's no popcorn!" he snickered in his thoughts. It was like a melodramatic movie, wherein the guy finds out that his girl had been cheating on him and goes crazy. Everything was going out as he planned. Dirk came, Squall is hysterical and his poor Rinoa, breaking down. He could smell the sweet scent of victory nearby.  He eyed the slim figure seating next to him. Pleasure was also seen in her aquamarine orbs.

          The brown-haired man furiously crumpled the piece of paper in his hands and threw it to a befuddled Rinoa. He took one last look at his fiancée's face and walked away.

          "Squall! Where are you going?" a near to tears Rinoa asked, ignoring the crumpled paper in her hands.

          "It's over, Rinoa. It's all fucking over." he shouted as he exited the restaurant.

          "Squall!" she screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks. She wiped the tears on her weary face and ran towards the exit, only to be stopped by Dirk.

          "Get your hands off me, you creep!" she hissed. She was out of control. Everything was happening too fast for her, Dirk's claiming to be her date, Squall's breaking-up with her, the eyes all focused on her. She couldn't take it anymore.

          "Ri-rinoa?" an extremely hurt Dirk stuttered. "Wh-what about the letter, the letter you gave me?" He too was on the verge of breaking down.

          "WHAT LETTER!?!" she screamed.

          Dirk's misty eyes pointed at the crumpled paper in her small hands.

          She hastily unfolded the letter and read it, her face showing expressions of shock and disgust. "I DID NOT FUCKING WRITE THIS THING!" she screamed, her breathing, ragged.

          "B-But.."

          "Just leave me alone, Dirk!" she cried as she ran towards the exit, ignoring the stares and gasps of everyone in the restaurant.

          A bouquet of roses fell from his shaking hands, its silky scarlet petals meeting the cold floor.

          He stood there for a moment, frozen and brokenhearted. The only woman who reigned his entire life hated him. He touched his cheek with his fingers and tasted the clear salty liquid flowing endlessly. He saw everyone intently looking at him. He sighed and headed towards the exit, forgetting about his bouquet of roses on the floor, forgetting about his high hopes for the night and trying to forget about Rinoa.

          The restaurant was filled with noise as the shocked people babbled about the unexpected incident. On the other hand, two blonde figures kept silent and still.

          "Seifer…" she softly said as her eyes met sparkling emerald ones.

          "We did it Quistis," he ecstatically said. "Squall and Rinoa, they're through!" his lips formed into a genuine smile.

          Quistis felt sorry for the three heartbroken souls, but the sweet taste of victory was too luscious to ignore.

          "Seifer! I can't believe it!" she said as she broke into laughter. The thought of Squall and Rinoa not together anymore erased all feelings of guilt and pity she felt a while ago.

          "I can't believe it either." a thrilled Seifer said. He raised his wine glass in the air, receiving a puzzled look from Quistis. "Let's make a toast." he said.

          "A toast?" a muddled Quistis asked. Nevertheless, she lifted her wine glass to the air.

          "Here's to our triumph." he proudly said.

          "And to us!" Quistis added.

          They clinked their glasses and quaffed the sparkling white wine.

The taste of the champagne was sweet and intoxicating, but the feeling of success was even more gratifying.

A/N: Has Squall and Rinoa broken-up for good? Did Seifer and Quistis really attain their goal? Is this really going to be a Quiefer? Well… you have to stay tuned for the next chapter to know the answers to the first two questions. (I'm so sorry for the cliffhanger!) But I assure you; this is going to be a Quiefer! ^_~! They are the ultimate couple! Anyway, don't forget to review and Happy Holidays to all.