A/N My apologies to everyone. This chapter is a bit later than I expected it to be but somehow made chapters of my story disappear on certain days. But this chapter is long and hopefully just as good to you all as the previous ones. I'm also apologizing that Zell isn't physically present in this chapter but I at least explain why he can't be. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.
Headmaster Martine stood in the Grand Office of Galbadia Garden, staring out over the shining concentric rings of hallways below him. Things were starting to look up on this bright sunny afternoon. The fall semester would be starting soon and the returning students were still buzzing with summer excitement.
The phone on his desk beeped, bringing him back to reality.
"Headmaster, you have a call on Line 6," said his secretary Marie.
Line 6, thought Martine. That was the international line. He couldn't think of any reason anyone should be calling. The bank in Esthar called the day before and he wasn't expecting a call from Trabia or Balamb.
"Who is it?" asked Martine.
"It's the Administrator's Office from Balamb Garden, sir."
"...Send it through," said Martine. It was certainly odd to get a call from Balamb. Commander Leonheart was always so self-sufficient.
"Galbadia Garden Headmaster speaking."
"Martine, this is Xu." Martine chuckled to himself. Lacking titles meant that this wasn't official business.
"What can I do for you?"
"A little favor," said Xu. Her tone was such that Martine could tell whatever this favor was, it wouldn't be easy. "I was thinking about doing a little...re-distribution of faculty for this semester."
"'Re-distribution'?" asked Martine. "What do you mean?"
"We want to keep Instructor Almasy on our staff."
Martine was silent on the other end of the line. "Isn't it a little late to be doing something like that? The fall semester starts in under two weeks. And even if I were to agree to this, who's going to pick up Seifer's scheduled classes?"
"We'd be willing to transfer one of our instructors," Xu seemed to always be prepared for any possible flaw in a plan.
"Let me guess, Xu, you've already got the papers drafted for the transfer."
"Actually, they're sitting on your secretary's desk right--"
"You're crazy, you know that. What's the deal? Why are you doing this?" Martine wasn't mad. He actually wished he had someone that efficient on his own staff.
"Well, the reason Instructor Trepe requested Instructor Almasy when she took off was...well...for a personal reason, I guess. She wanted someone to talk with Squall."
"So she chooses Seifer Almasy, previous rival and enemy of both him and Garden?"
Xu sighed. Maybe Quistis' flawed logic was just that: flawed logic. It didn't make any sense. But the whole thing was so much more complicated now than it was two weeks ago.
"Martine, we have reason to believe the two are romantically involved."
"Quistis and Seifer?!"
Xu cringed. "No. Seifer and Squall."
Martine was speechless for a moment. "What?! How?"
"I'm not asking questions," said Xu. "And I don't think you should either."
"Xu, as much as I know you want to help your friend, I believe you're asking too much. It...It's too late, Xu. I'm sorry, but not right now. I'd be willing to help you for the spring semester." Martine paused for a moment. "You've talked with Seifer and Squall about this, right?"
"Well...not really, no." said Xu.
"Listen, Xu. Call me back in December when the semester's over. Then we can talk about this. Otherwise, Seifer's coming back to Galbadia." Before Xu could protest, he hung up the phone.
He went back to his post by the window. This was definitely unexpected. Seifer wasn't exactly thrilled about going to Balamb. Now he didn't want to leave, or at least that's how Xu put it. He either didn't want to leave or there really was something going on. Despite that, he set it aside. He'd ask Seifer when he arrived back. At that moment, he had incoming freshmen and a new semester to deal with.
----
"Knock, knock" said Quistis through the door to Squall's office, though she didn't actually knock. "Xu and I are heading down to the station to see off Seifer. You wanna come?"
"Quistis, I'm busy. As you know, I've seen enough of Seifer."
Quistis giggled but did her best to make sure Squall didn't hear.
"I know you're laughing, Quistis. It's not funny."
"Sorry, Squall." She opened the door. Squall was sitting at his desk, staring at his computer terminal, but didn't seem to be very absorbed in any sort of work.
"Look, Squall," said Quistis. He didn't. "I want you to know that what I saw is just betwe--"
"I don't want to talk about it, Instructor Trepe."
Quistis stopped speaking. Inside, she was beginning to wonder if bringing Seifer to Balamb was a good idea. And she wondered, was Squall miserable because Seifer was there? Or was he miserable because Seifer was leaving...
----
Seifer seemed just as aloof as Squall did as he stepped into his train car, heading to the continent to the west. He felt horrible. Squall at least deserved a proper good-bye. It was as if once they were discovered, they pushed him out the door. He didn't even get a chance to explain himself, although he wouldn't know what he'd say if asked.
The train sped along the underwater tunnel. It'd be several hours before they arrived in Timber which gave him plenty of time to think. He wasn't exactly proud of himself but he wasn't ashamed either. But that didn't matter: the damage was done. Who knew what Xu and Quistis were saying to people? Maybe the faculty back in Galbadia already knew and they'd whispering the moment he stepped through the front gate.
He reached in his pocket and flipped open his cell phone, with the idea of maybe talking to Squall for a moment. But the words NO SERVICE glowed on the screen. He had forgot where he was. He was stuck, without any outside contact, for many hours until he was home.
He finally arrived at East Academy Station in the late afternoon, exhausted from the hours of sitting, doing nothing. And he still had a decent walk through woods before he could even see Galbadia Garden. In order to not feel so lonely, he flipped open his phone and called Squall's cell phone, not caring about the international rate he'd probably be paying.
The phone rang. And rang again. Seifer was convinced Squall wouldn't pick up and pulled the phone away from his ear to close it. But the screen now displayed CONNECTED. But he wasn't getting voicemail. Someone had answered.
"Hello?...Squall?" Seifer somehow knew it was Squall.
Squall was silent.
"I know you're listening, Squall..."
Still silence. Then his voice. "Seifer...where are you?"
"I...I'm in Galbadia, walking back to the Garden."
"Seifer...I'm sorry..."
"No, don't be." Seifer's words were surprisingly calm and reassuring. "It's not your fault. Not at all."
"Seifer,...they want you to stay."
"What?" It was then Seifer realized the predicament he was in. Squall wasn't just a person anymore. He was his. Ever since they had touched one another, ever since Quistis caught them in the Quad, they would be forever connected.
"Xu spoke with Martine. You'll be joining us next semester...if I sign off on it." Seifer was unable to discern what Squall meant by that last part.
The cold night air stung Seifer just as much as Squall's words. "Y-you do want to sign it,...don't you?"
"I don't want you to leave me," said Squall, quietly.
"Are you ashamed of me, Squall?" Seifer began to pick up speed; he was almost home and having such a personal conversation gave him the feeling of being watched.
"...No."
Seifer was about to speak but his phone beeped. Not a dead battery, not no service. Squall had hung up. Defeated, Seifer walked toward the glow of Galbadia Garden.
----
The fall semester, to Squall, was the longest semester he had ever experienced since he had restarted classes at Balamb Garden. No new technology, no new courses, no new administrative techniques for the students to complain about. Squall went through the typical motions as he had done every year. Everything was running smoothly but so slowly, to him at least.
In November, Balamb's sunny climate had transformed to the lush colors of fall and by the beginning of December, a thin layer of frost covered the grass each morning. Squall bundled up in a tan leather jacket one Saturday, heading into town to have lunch with Ma Dincht. His cell phone rang along the way.
"Hey, hey! SQUALL! Oh, I'm so happy to hear you!" said a chirpy voice on the other line.
Squall chuckled. "Hello, Selphie."
"It's been AGES! How are you?" said Selphie. The background noise was loud; Selphie was probably cooking. "What time is it there?"
"I'm alright. It's about twelve thirty; I'm heading out to lunch. How's Irvine?"
"Oh, ha! Irvine's great...well...except for his cold. I'm cooking him some soup for dinner. We're completely snowed in here."
"Well, it's not my fault you decided to rebuild Trabia Garden."
"Oh, hush. This is our best year ever! I just wish it was easier to get places. I haven't left Garden in months. Irvine's trying to get a train link to Esthar, but you know how they can get. Resistant to change."
Squall smiled. Despite all the possible problems about life in the frozen tundra, Selphie was just as happy as ever.
"So," said Squall. "You two coming here for the holidays?"
"Of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world! I'm so excited. I haven't seen some of you since...since..." Selphie paused as both of them finished the sentence. "Sorry."
Squall was silent for a moment, but then reconsidered. "It's okay, Selphie. No harm done."
"Anyway," said Selphie, quickly changing the topic to something more lighthearted. "I've gotta get this soup up to Irvy. Otherwise, I'll be bringing a sick Irvine to Balamb." They said their goodbyes and hung up.
Squall walked into the town. Not exactly being the time for tourists, the town was virtually deserted except for its residents. This used to be Squall's favorite time of year; a tranquil town with only familiar faces present. But today, as he walked down the main street, he felt something lacking. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Squall!" cried Ma Dincht from the doorway. "Get inside before you catch a cold; that coat's not good enough for this time of year."
Seifer ducked inside the Dincht home. It was warm and stuffy like a typical grandmother's home. Not much had changed throughout the years but Ma had expanded her kitchen a bit in recent years. People guessed that maybe she was filling the hole in her heart left by Zell's disappearance with her other love: cooking.
Ma was cooking something delicious, probably her famous seafood stirfry. He was right and as she prepared the table with a heaping amount of food, Squall thought he might be full until Selphie and Irvine arrived.
"Come now, sit down," she said before the food was even touching the table. "You need something on those bones other than skin. Come now, eat before it gets cold."
Squall began eating and Ma sat down across from him, only helping herself after she dished additional food onto Squall's plate. Squall reluctantly motioned her to stop but Ma simply said "Nonsense!" and continued adding to the growing pile.
When they had finally started eating, Ma was first to speak. A skilled conversationalist, Ma knew just how to break ice fast. "So, Xu tells me you've been dating Seifer Almasy."
Squall dropped his fork. "Well, really, it's not dating. He was only here for two--"
"Oh, he's such a nice boy. And so are you Squall. You two make the cutest couple." Squall's face turned red; she was so straightforward about it. "You've really changed, Squall. I would never have guessed someone like you was interested in--"
"This food is delicious!" said Squall, quickly burying his face in his food because he was still red enough to be noticeable. "I bet Zell really liked this."
The ultimate subject change stunned Ma enough to make her stop talking about Seifer. "He does. It is his second favorite."
She knew exactly how to affect him. Squall felt horrible again. They had never found Zell's body and Ma insisted on using present tense with his name. The only problem was no one knew anything. Ever since that dreadful day of Rinoa's death, Zell had ceased to exist to everyone except in memories. And over time, the memories had faded until Zell was nothing but an imprint that no one discussed in conversation.
There were no answers, no explanations. The crash had just happened with no source, no witnesses of the before-hand hours. The only piece of proof they had was this: Zell had been driving. After the crash, Zell wasn't there anymore. The question that had been on everyone's minds was something no one asked: Was Zell a murderer?
Squall and Ma finished their lunch in relative silence. When they had finished their second helping (or at least, the insisted second helping), Ma pushed her plate away and spoke to Squall.
"Squall, I have something to tell you."
"Ma, I'm sorry. I should have been more sensi--"
"No, no. It's fine." She held up a hand that suggested that he listen, and listen good. "I want to tell you something. And it's fine if you don't listen to me now, but maybe someday you'll thank me for it. We, your friends at the school, me,...and even Seifer, we've been watching you. We watched you in pain as you shut down after Rinoa passed away."
Squall cringed but it somehow seemed less painful. Maybe it was because the environment he was in was so warm and comfortable. Ma reached out and touched his hand.
"We care about you, Squall. But you're changing. Slowly but surely, you are. And, Squall, dear, we support you. Sign that form, bring Seifer home where he belongs."
Ma looked like she was about to cry, but Squall wouldn't watch. How Ma knew about the form, he couldn't imagine (Xu was way too efficient for her own good). He stood up.
"Thank you, Mrs. Dincht...Ma." He smiled.
She smiled back. He knew he didn't have a choice now. He excused himself and walked back to Garden, buttoning his coat with a pen in hand.
----
Seifer's last class of the day finally ended. The fall semester at Galbadia had been a horribly stressful experience. So many new students had enrolled this year, as this year, Galbadia opened its doors to freshmen students from as far away as Esthar. He had been teaching basic gunblade training since early afternoon and it had left him feeling a little weak. Strength apparently did known an age.
He stood up from his chair and draped his trench coat over his arm. As he began straightening out the desk for the next day, there was a knock on the door. Headmaster Martine entered with two of his advisors.
"Headmaster, what can I do for you?" said Seifer, greeting him and his comrades.
"Please, drop the titles, Seifer. This is strictly personal." said Martine, smiling to show he had good news. "I'm assuming Balamb Garden has contacted you about adding you to their faculty as a full-time instructor."
Seifer beamed. "Yes, sir, yes they have." He suddenly felt a wave of concern. Maybe Martine would tell him it wasn't going to happen.
"We'll be sad to see you leave," said Martine, "but satisfied knowing we had such a powerful instructor start his career here." Martine's assistant reached among the papers on her clipboard and handed one to Seifer. It was labeled as Employee Transfer along the top. Seifer's eyes opened wide.
"You'll be starting immediately after the holidays for the spring semester. And Xu has emailed me saying that we're to make sure you're there in time for their holiday get-together."
Seifer was ecstatic. He thanked them all individually, shaking hands quickly with Martine before heading out into the hallway. Squall had done it! He had signed the form! As he walked back to his quarters, he felt a little more reserved. But he was still content. He would be with Squall again. He had nothing to feel ashamed about anymore; he didn't care what anyone thought.
He opened the door to his quarters and walked over to his wall calendar. Eagerly, he poked each square as he counted the days off. December 20 marked the end of the fall semester at Galbadia Garden. Mere days. He marked a red "X" on December 21, the day he would be on a train heading to Balamb. Heading home.
----
Today was December 21. 8:51 A.M., Balamb-Fishermans Horizon Standard Time. Squall paced in a narrow line along the rail in the Balamb Station Yard.
"Squall! Have a little patience!" said Quistis who was sitting on one of the steps. "The train is perfectly on time. It'll be here at 8:56."
8:56 sounded like years away. He checked his watch. Four more minutes. He looked over at his sleepy-eyed comrades. They were sitting next to each other in yesterday's clothes, a bit irritated that Squall woke them up so early on the first day they could sleep in. Squall only wanted to make sure Seifer got a proper welcome.
Nida laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Hyne, Squall, you're like a school girl waiting to be picked up for a date." Everyone snickered. Ma Dincht, who was an early riser anyway, guffawed loudly and came up and embraced Squall. They were all happy for him, despite their early rise.
The day after Squall had signed the form, Seifer gave him a call. He had received news from Martine and had even gone to the train station and booked tickets ahead of time. 2:07 am, December 21. Squall thought he was insane but Seifer said he didn't want to waste a moment in Galbadia if he didn't have to. He told Squall that he was coming home.
"Listen! It's coming!" shouted Xu.
The sound of the rumble of the train echoed from the entrance of the transcontinental tunnel. The station worker waited as the train slowed to a stop and aligned the stairway with the door. Obviously, this wasn't the busiest train of the day, especially with classes being over. Only a few passengers had stepped out before Seifer emerged.
Squall pulled him from the steps and into a tight embrace. Nothing felt more satisfying than this. The few seconds they hugged was the most powerful feeling he had felt in a long time. Seifer stroked the back of his head for just a moment before breaking away to greet the others.
Xu walked up to him. "Welcome, Instructor Almasy," she said. Her gripes with him were long gone now that she saw what he did for Squall.
Quistis had gone through the trouble of bringing one of the vans from the school to take them all back. They all piled into the confined back area, although Squall graciously gave pleasantly plump Ma the spacious front seat. Quistis stepped into the driver's seat and drove away with textbook perfect driving skills.
A thin layer of snow covered the ground of the island. It wasn't much and would probably be all that Balamb would get. Near the mountains, the snow was thicker but the road was clean the entire way. Quistis parked the van on the east side parking lot and ushered everyone out into the hallway.
Balamb Garden was extravagantly decorated for the holidays. Seifer awed at the amount of sparkling lights that ran around every one of the dividers between the individual areas of the Garden.
"Suggestions from Selphie," said Xu, unbuttoning her sweater a little, mostly because she was warm but also drawing some attention away from the renewed boy love. "You all know she'd throw a fit if we didn't at least have lights up."
Quistis chuckled. "You should see what else we did, Seifer. We've got a huge tree put up in the Quad."
"And don't forget Ma's recipes that we're using in the cafeteria," said Nida, glad to relate to them at least a little. Ma smiled at him.
"This is all for our party?" asked Seifer. The students had left and the school was mostly deserted.
"Yes, to some degree," explained Xu. "But, really, the only reason we're doing this is..."
"Let me explain," said Quistis. "You don't want to disappoint Selphie."
Squall remembered horrifyingly Selphie's passion for explosions, fire, and chaos.
"When do you expect they'll get here?" asked Seifer. They looked at him as if he were talking nonsense.
Quistis giggled, "Sorry, Seifer, but Irvine and Selphie aren't exactly a couple who follow rigid schedules. We don't know when they'll be here or even how they'll be here. But they'll be here. As random as they can seem, they're two of the most dependable people I know."
"There's higher people on my list of dependability," said Seifer, smiling and catching a glimpse of Squall. Seifer placed his arms around him, just testing what he said.
"Well, come now! I'm sure the food's getting cold. We could at least welcome your newest staff member!" Ma had somehow ended up behind everybody. Her words intimidated everyone in moving toward the cafeteria where the banquet was to be served.
Squall looked over at Seifer as they walked together. They walked close but didn't hold hands. There was some sort of spark between them that didn't need physical contact...at least at that moment.
----
The sun had set and Selphie and Irvine hadn't shown up. No matter; they still had a few days before the holidays actually started.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you over these last few months," said Squall, stepping into his dim quarters. Rather than rearranging assignments, Seifer opted to sleep in Squall's quarters again.
Seifer looked up from unpacking and smiled at Squall. "I do, Squall. I felt it too." He set his stuff down and walked up to Squall, gently drawing him close and planting a kiss on his lips. "You're certainly special to me."
Squall pulled Seifer closer to him and kissed him again, a deep kiss. Their tongues wrapped around each other playfully at first. Seifer pulled Squall's body tightly to him. He was so hungry, starving for Squall's body. It had been too long for them. Seifer slipped his hand to Squall's waistband, loosening his pants and making Squall hiss a little.
Out of nowhere, a huge explosion sounded and the resulting blaze lit up the night sky. Interrupted by this, Seifer and Squall followed the crowd of people downstairs to the front gate. Everyone was gazing at a destroyed airship which had crashed in front of the Garden. Out of the smoke, two familiar faces dressed in overstuffed winter gear emerged. It seemed that Selphie and Irvine had finally arrived.
