A/N: Yes, Fujin and the creator of Sailor Moon share the same last name. It sounded catchy when I selected it months ago and it still does now. Also I'm aware (after writing this months ago) that there's a good chance those two smoked at least a few cigs before reaching Balamb Town. Frankly, it can be implied but... ya know.

Exiting the SeeD dormitories, Squall went to walk off the Garden premises. Docking Balamb Garden in its original location was the smartest decision all the veterans voted on. Having a mobile garden wasn't feasible in the long run and most of those raised in Balamb, missed their families, the beach, the culture, and the cuisine. Squall absolutely missed the food.

Feeling satisfied in not being followed, he reached in his inner jacket's pocket, plucking the cigarette with his lips from the carton before taking the lighter out. As he attempted to ignite the light, he was met with no resolve. Striking but no consistent flame. Cursing in frustration, a voice managed to take him out of his misery.

"LIGHT, LEONHART?"

Turning his head, Squall noticed the presence of Garden's own Fujin Takeuchi. The very person Zell suggested that he should see. How things enjoyed coming into place for him.

Fujin knew Squall seldom accepted help, and Squall wanted to be just that level of stubborn on purpose. His thumb burning a cherry red from stroking the lighter wheel several more times. Squall sighed in annoyance. "No." He didn't mean it, just as Fujin didn't believe him. The 5'5 woman reached over to him and struck her blue wheel, the flint creating the ember Squall needed.

As Squall inhaled, he realized that quitting smoking was amongst the compromises he made for his relationship with Rinoa. Removing the cigarette from his lips, he expelled a trained billow of smoke from his lips and sighed in relief afterward. Damn, nicotine hadn't tasted so good until this moment.

The silver-haired woman snorted before igniting her own cigarette.

They silently took drags on their smokes while enjoying the relaxing sounds around them. Smoking while the wind flirted with them and the smoke clouds. Squall tilted his head expressing his thanks, Fujin shrugged finding it no problem.

More silence passed and the cherry-eyed woman was curious.

"I haven't seen you smoke in months. What's the occasion?" The Wind of Balamb inquired. Fujin's concise speech was reserved for people that meant next to nothing to her, a defense mechanism to keep others unworthy out. It was nice to know that in private he wasn't shut out by her in that regard.

Squall opened his mouth only to pause when he realized students were coming towards them. Luckily, the cadets were held up in a conversation that paused their efforts. He sighed and turned in the direction of leaving Garden, "Walk and smoke? I have something to pick up in Balamb." He jerked his head toward the road ahead and the shorter woman shrugged, opting to walk with him.

Their silent stroll was pleasantly devoid of any small talk. A comfort for Squall, truly. The thought of Fujin striking up a conversation about menial topics caused his features to shift into bewilderment. Fujin observed this when noticing out of her peripheral that he was looking at her. Squall dismissed with his hand that it was nothing. That sidelong look from her visible right eye didn't go unnoticed.

The walk to town didn't take long. They could have taken a vehicle or the charter bus that was scheduled to make its round of pickups, but found this worked better.

Squall still wasn't sure how he should breach the conversation, regarding what Zell suggested earlier. He felt bad that he found himself comparing and contrasting his current relationship with Rinoa to his first with Fujin. For starters, these were two distinct women that experienced contrasting versions of him. Already that was unfair, and he needed to remember that.

However, Rinoa has been working his last nerve and he doesn't know if the war made him patient with her or complacent with how he handled it.

The thoughts varying from positive to negative were weighing on him as they entered the town proper, some of the native islanders waved at them and they returned the sentiment in kind.

Finding the two were at the butt of their respective cigarettes, they found a trash can to snub the dying embers before disposing of them. They walked into the nearest convenience store as Squall was purchasing another light and a pack of cigarettes. His nerves told him that he was going to smoke the remaining pack before the week was out.

While there, Squall knew he had to breach the conversation somehow. As he waited for the clerk to fish in the back to replenish the supply upfront, he turned to Fujin, "Can I ask you something?"

The woman placed an energy drink and her favorite spicy chips on the counter, waiting for the worker to return. "About?"

"Us, back when we dated each other—it's nothing bad!" The Commander quickly prefaced as the paler woman's right eye glared and her face transformed into a grimace.

"Becoming sentimental while you're still seeing Caraway's daughter?" The words were unintentionally scathing, and Squall knew it was because the thought made her uncomfortable. He did not want to create a hostile moment between them, their past relationship was already a touchy subject as is. He avoided bringing it up but for once, he needed self-analysis. Squall and Fujin managed fine with their professional relationship and repairing their fractured friendship. A process, but one he was happy to have.

"Not sentimental, really. Zell suggested I talk with you about any boundaries we set in our relationship and I have to figure out how to properly set ones in my current one." Furrowing his brows, he turned fully to Fujin. "Honestly, I don't remember us ever discussing boundaries, if at all."

On cue, the clerk returned with the carton of cigarettes Squall requested, while simultaneously putting a new slot of them away in front of them. He paid with the paper gil he had on him versus using his card. As he handed the money to the cashier, Fujin had a pensive look on her face.

"We had some," She started. With the end of Squall's transaction, her items started being scanned. "But we were similar about many things that there were unspoken rules regarding topics or behaviors. If we didn't know, we asked one another before anything happened."

That was a true start.

Squall nodded silently, allowing the words to sink in. She had a point. There were few arguments if any, and they were pointless. Usually, they forgave each other promptly afterward. Sometimes, as a couple, they allowed their emotions to bottle up until one or the other expressed genuine interest in hearing about it. Back when Squall was obstinate in sharing the intimate nature of his emotions.

Upon receiving their items, they left and walked towards the docks to enjoy the healthy breeze coming in. Instead of sitting on the bench nearby, they sat at the edge of the pier, legs dangling free.

"The few spoken boundaries we had were: no discussing our relationship to anyone, no horror movies before bed, no making out in front of my little brother, and no being rude to my friends or family." Fujin listed easily. The no horror movies before bed was Squall's rule. The night terrors would break him out in a cold sweat and he couldn't go back to sleep afterward.

"Except when provoked by Seifer." Squall added his small anecdote to the last one, causing the shorter woman to let out a dry laugh.

"Yes, you two immature assholes were allotted some leeway." Squall had to give her that, he tried being civil for her sake but Seifer just wanted to push buttons. All the correct ones to solicit a reaction or enough of one to cause Squall to say something scathing. Reaching into her front pocket, she retrieved another cigarette.

How time had passed since then. A war could really change people, for better or for worse.

The two enjoyed the silence once more, but Fujin knew Squall wasn't finished with his questions. If he was trying to find meaning in his current relationship, he had to dig in his past to bring to light more things.

However, the next question caught Fujin off-guard. Equally, Squall was caught off-guard from the surge of boldness for asking.

"What was the reason we broke up?" An eyebrow arch and her jawline going slack, almost dropping her cigarette in Balamb's Ocean.