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Always the morning after

A Final Fantasy VIII fan fiction

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Disclaimers: Final Fantasy is a property of Squaresoft. I suck at writing so please R/R

For some unknown, quirky reason, Selphie always comes up with the weirdest party ideas. Maybe it was just her, or maybe she liked throwing them into confusion. There was that giant Twister party with all of them playing (except for who was lucky enough to spin) and that Slumber party (with guys in jammies) and now this--a drinking fest, with whoever was sane and coherent after they've drank everything would win something. Selphie wouldn't say what it was, but if it was a keg of beer he was going to back out.

Seifer Almasy picked up the satchel beside him, looking over the inn Selphie had somehow managed to engage for the weekend. It was in a quiet spot, a beautiful, old-fashioned mountain resort, with an unusual feature of a big stone tower standing like a remnant from the past amidst all of this. It didn't match, and he had a feeling it wasn't as old as it seemed. It must be one of those follies people liked making...He hadn't wanted to come here, but he wasn't going to pass up a chance to see someone again.

Because they both knew, they won't see each other in any other way than during these weird parties, with both of them living such separate lives. He wasn't going to let someone else's presence ruin his day.

He knocked at the door, to be welcomed by Selphie in her "hyper" mode, and settled inside his own room, taking off his long gray coat. He wasn't going to need his weapon, a finely crafted gunblade, just like Squall's, but he carried it, just the same. He didn't feel comfortable without it nearby.

He glanced at himself in the mirror, touched his scar. He didn't want to think about the events, back then. But the rift...his eyes narrowed, and he punched the wall beside the mirror, making it tremble from its place. Satisfied at getting his anger out, even if only a little of it, he prepared himself to get gloriously drunk.

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Squall went up to the tower, having refused to get himself completely soused in the drinking spree. The others were starting to act drunk, and he wanted a breath of fresh air. The whole room reeked of alcohol and spilled beer. Trust Selphie to get them to put their hair down, he mused. Even Quistis was drunk, and looked all the more prettier for it. Rinoa had a tinge of pink across her nose. The guys were--well, he was the only one who was sane, for one thing. He never cared much for alcohol anyway, but Selphie was always good at twisting your arm until you agreed to what she wanted.

He realized someone had already reached the tower before he did, and he could hear someone muttering. The moon glinted on blond hair, and Seifer, who had carried a bottle or two of gin or vodka to accompany him as he talked to the moon, stood there, his back turned to the stairs.

"...never cared, you know! Why ssshould I go there and see him with her! Damn stupid to go for a worthless female...even Quistis, no matter if she's older, well, at least she's got that whip of hers, but what does she have? I tell you--" this pointing at the moon "--if he could just realize he made the greatest mistake in his life when he liked that Rinoa person, well, I'll--"

Squall must have made a sound, because he realized he wasn't alone, and looked back, finding Squall standing behind him. His eyes widened, and then narrowed. "You been listening, haven't you?"

Squall didn't get a chance to reply, because Seifer took another swig of gin and continued. "To hell if you heard me! What I said was true. Ask Irvine or Zell now and they'll tell you the same thing...you chose badly, Squall, and you don't even seem be disappointed with your choice. But then, you never showed anything on your pretty boy poker face! I think you don't really care at all about her, you know, but how would I know. You just go silent on one, and then look with those dark brown eyes of yours...you're unfair, you know that? You can look so cold and so hurt at the same time. You think I can stand that, Squall? You think Rinoa cares if you just stare at her with your cute eyes? She doesn't you know how I know? She can't read what you're saying...well I can, and I won't let you close yourself to me that way. You won't get a chance now, because I'm drunk, and now I'll tell you what I have in my mind, and you're gonna listen, cause you have no choice. Why the mother fucking hell do you go for her? Is it because she came on to you? Hell, if that's all it took I'd have come on to you a long time ago...why don't you notice me at all? I know, I ain't dark haired, and well, I won't look good in that party dress she wore when she dragged you to dance. You think I didn't notice? I was there, watching...but if it was all it took for you to notice me, I'll wear that silly dress and drag you to the middle of a hall and dance with you...I ain't asking for your love at all, Squall, even though I love you and I feel like I'm being sent to hell every time I see you with her, but I can't do anything about it, can I? Because you like her! Fucking stupid decision, but I'm here, you're here, and in the end, I'll stand by you. But do you care? Do you ever look at me? No! Damn good drink, by the way," and he finished off the bottle. He threw it down to the ground and when he did he experienced the worse thing he could at that moment.

"Oh my god, I think I'm going to be sick," he groaned, before throwing up most of what he drank over the tower's battlements. Squall walked to him and rubbed his back as he helplessly gagged and vomited. When he felt he could barf no more he looked up, backhanding his mouth, and stared as Squall took out a canteen of water he'd been using for a chaser and handed it to him. He mouthed the word thanks and gargled, removing the bitter taste of bile from his mouth. Squall took the canteen back and they looked at each other, light from the moon falling over them...

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Seifer woke with a splitting headache, obviously not the winner for whatever surprise Selphie had in store for them. He closed his eyes to the sunlight streaming over him, wincing. He was in a room, his shirt over a chair, and he was wearing a plain white one. A gunblade rested on the wall, but it wasn't his. The damned strong sunlight was blinding him...

Someone drew the curtains closed, and he blinked, adjusting his eyes. He squinted up, and saw Squall standing motionless beside the bed he was lying on. All of the events last night clicked, and he realized that this was Squall's bedroom, and that Squall had watched over him as he slept his hangover. The other man was dressed simply, without his jacket or belts, just in his pants and sleeveless white shirt. They were identical. Squall sat down on the side of the bed, an empty coffee mug in his hand, and Seifer remembered all he had said, despite the splitting headache he was having.

"I didn't--"

Squall was looking at him different, he realized. There was an openness in the expression that was different from the old Squall. Squall was looking at him, at last. And he didn't feel comfortable about it. He sat up, about to try standing up, but the hangover got him. He groaned, and Squall's hands automatically went to his shoulders, steadying him.

They looked at each other. Then Squall kissed the scar, the scar that matched his, the scar he made, a long time ago. Kissed it gently, softly, tenderly. He sat there, stunned, as Squall smiled boyishly.

"You'd really wear that yellow dress for me?" he asked, touching Seifer's nose with a finger. Seifer gaped at him, not knowing what else to. He smiled and turned away.

"I'll just get you some coffee."

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"I wonder where it will go?

Will we be the same? (you passed me by)"

-Hear me Cry, Cagnet

It's a lovely, lovely day..."

-me ^o^