It was long after curfew when I crept through the hallway, hoping perhaps that the curse slept like everyone else did. So with my small load of laundry, my Save the Queen, a few dozen elixirs, all the blue magic I could carry and a couple of GFs, I made my way to the elevator entrance.

Was I taking chances? Hell no.

Anyway, the elevator ride went without incident. And with a quick and stealthy sweep of the room, checking for potential hazards and finding none, I put in my gil coins, loaded in the whites, pushed the start button…yes, it was easy enough, things seemed to be in order, unfortunately, this wouldn't last. As the doors made their automatic shifting sound and I realized I wasn't going to be alone.

Remember the underwear bleaching t-rexaurs I was talking about? Here he comes.

"Well, well, if it isn't Garden's most newly reappointed instructor."

"Well, if it isn't Garden's most newly reappointed jerk," I replied as coolly as possible.

"So good to see you too Quistis."

I finally turned to face my adversary. He was smirking like he always did. That little act that always managed to get under my skin. He was holding a load of laundry big enough to choke a Marboro. It smelt like one too.

"So what are you doing here so late?" I questioned.

"Eh, couldn't sleep, the monsters in the training center are a joke this late at night. Nocturnal my ass. Lazy bastards. So I figured I would just head on down to the only other 24-hour service opened in this establishment. Didn't think I'd be running into any grats down here." He gave me a look. "Guess I was wrong." He chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh nice, did you think that one up all by yourself? That must have taken a lot of brain cells for you. Better sit down and rest after that one. Don't want you to forget how to breathe or anything."

"Hah, you wish." Was his only reply.

Perhaps now is a good time to explain hostilities. Honestly, I've never wished anything bad for Seifer. Throughout the hell of the events four months ago, he suffered too. He was human just like the rest of us, and that made him weak; we all saw that. We all could forgive him. I think maybe that's what really got to him. Getting readmitted back to Balamb was a real shock for him as well. But he refused to acknowledge his gratefulness to anyone. Instead, he covered all those feelings up behind the sarcastic bastard that he had always been.

"Surely these can't be yours Quistis," he said waving my black satin underwear in my face. "Who on earth do you wear these for?"

Sometimes however, it becomes increasingly hard to resist that urge to choke him.

"Give me those," I said as I snatched them away. "Is there any decency in you at all?"

He didn't seem to hear me.

"I mean, obviously you aren't the entertaining type, unless maybe you're giving all the trepies a tuurnnn.bllphffhtt!"

"Seifer, I'm not above leaving you lipless. Now please, just shut that big flapping mouth of yours so we can finish this laundry and get the heck out of here." I proceeded to release his lips with a shove.

"What's the hurry? Oh…don't tell me you believe all that evil laundry room crap. C'mon Quistis you're bigger than that."

"Yes, I do believe it, I've been witness to several incidents down here. It's simply too many to be coincidence."

"Oh please, its all just a big load of blobra shit."

"Your metaphors are charming Seifer."

"Why thank you."

"I don't like charming."

"Meh, your loss."

"So why do you have such a big load of laundry?" I questioned him. "Surely not because you've been…putting it off because of something."

"No," he said defensively, "I for one have more important things to do than wash clothes. Besides Raijin and Fujin usu…I mean, I just don't have time.

"What was that about Raijin and Fujin? Hmm? I think I missed that."

"They usually do it for me I said!"

"Why'd they stop?"

"I have no damn clue. Neither one of them will tell me. The only thing I can get out of Fujin is 'SOAP.' and 'EVIL.' And every time Raijin hiccups, bubbles come out of his mouth."

"So you've finally been forced to do something for yourself. Oh, Seifer, this is such a big step for you, I'm so proud."

"How about you just concentrate on getting those trepie stains out of your clothes, hmm? That shouldn't be too hard, I'm sure there are plenty of them."

Damn the nerve of that guy. Trust me, as one who speaks from experience, it's overwhelming. I dug my nails into the palm of my hand as I clenched and unclenched it tightly, trying desperately to resist the urge to cold cock that smirk right off his face. Wouldn't look good on my record, after all.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as he removed that old dirty trench coat that he had wore since he was 16. It was ripped and torn around the bottom edges. It was hardly standard dress protocol. Then again, Seifer had never been standard.

"Why do you even bother washing that thing?" I questioned. "Why don't you just buy you a new one?"

He was quiet for a moment, a first for him.

"Because sometimes you need something to remind you." He said as he ran his hands through the folds of the coat. "Some stains never come clean." He sighed and threw it in the machine. I realized that we were not discussing old laundry anymore. And suddenly, I had this overwhelming urge to comfort him.

"Seifer…it's never too late, the stains, they fade…with time." What kind of philosophical detergent did I just spill? Hyne that sounded stupid!

He looked at me dumfounded. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Shoot! I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Oh I don't know," I replied as I tried to force the blush down that was storming my cheeks. "I read it on a Ziggy calendar or something, I guess."

"Well, don't quit your day job eh?"

"Hey, I was just offering some words of encouragement buddy, not that I should be encouraging anything from a stupid self-righteous arrogant…

The rest of my genius and brilliant comeback faded as the machines suddenly stopped turning, and the lights went out. Yes of all times, Balamb Garden picks now to experience a blackout. Now, when I am in the last place I want to be in the dark, with the last person I want to be with in the dark.

"Shit!" His voice rang out in the darkness.

Seifer apparently had similar feelings.









~*~ Chapter 2! That's a wrap. Yes, I have decided to stretch this a bit beyond two chapters…maybe 3 maybe 4. Depends on all the embarrassing situations I can put these two into. So here they are, stuck in the dark, in laundry hell. What evil lurks here in the darkness? Will they fall into the recesses of madness? Will they get out alive? Will they live to tell about it? Will they ever see the light of day AGAIN?!?

Yeah, they'll be fine…I promise.

Comments and suggestions always welcome! They are tacked up on my refrigerator to be adored for all time! Long live frozen dinners and reviews! ^_~