Quistis and Seifer sat at a table, glaring at each other. They had checked into the first hotel they had come across, and it happened to have a bar/ nightclub. Alcohol sounded good to the pair. Very good. So, shortly after checking in, they had snagged a table towards the front area, near a stage. Drinks *had* sounded good.

Until they found out it was Karaoke night.

Seifer winced as a slobbering drunk woman belted out some pop tune and hit a sour note. Quistis gulped her shot of vodka, picking up the bottle on the table to pour herself another shot.

The pair had long since run out of things to call each other, going through every insult in the book, and even adding in a few of their own. Now they just sat in silence, glaring and wincing and getting drunk. Seifer had bought new clothes, discarding his coffee-stained clothing from the trip to FH. He wore a wife beater and jeans, simplistically sexy on him. Or so Quistis briefly thought as she sipped her drink. She remained in the green tank and shorts. Neither cared how informal they looked in the slightly ritzy place.

Quistis frowned, then grinned maliciously as she got up from the table and disappeared briefly behind the stage door. She reappeared soon after, blinking innocently and sitting down. Seifer got worried. His worry was soon justified as an announcer came out on stage, ushering the drunken singer back into the audience after a brief round of applause.

"And next on our list, please welcome.... Seifer Almsy???" The crowd blinked in surprise, recognizing the name instantly. All eyes turned to the table he shared.

"No... Way.... In... HELL am I singing!" Seifer hissed, getting a tad uncomfortable under the audience's piercing stares.

"Backing down, Seifiepoo? Are you SCARED of a wittw SONG?" Quistis asked, faking pity. Seifer swore underneath his breath, and with a glare to the audience that made their blood freeze, Seifer took the stage. The club had a live band that knew pretty much every song known to mankind. Seifer whispered a song title, then took the mic. Quistis sat back with a grin on her face, a slight feeling of glee running through her. The band began to play, and Seifer fastened his intense gaze upon Quistis. Her heart stopped in her chest at the gaze, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. Seifer began to sing.

~*It's the reason for my pain

In a season to celebrate

I don't wanna be full of hate

For anybody, but it's too late~*

Seifer's voice was sultry and low, with just a hint of a gritty edge that emphasized his song.

~*Everyone has been in my face

Telling me that I'm a disgrace

Showing me things that I must face

Telling me that they need their space~*

The female audience perked up to his song, instantly infatuated with the powerful man. But Seifer ignored them, keeping his eyes on the blonde woman sitting in the front row, singing only to her.

~*I cant' love you anymore

I'm scared of the sound of it~*

Quistis felt her heart flutter. She blinked at this, and quickly took a large swig of her vodka.

~*It's the reason why I'm down

I'm beaten been pushed around

Hit the ceiling without a sound

Everyone I know considers me a clown~*

Seifer felt that the song spoke so many things that he could not. It was almost like the song was written ABOUT him. He ignored a few stray pairs of panties that were thrown on stage by a few over zealous female fans.

~*I can't love you anymore

I'm scared of the sound of it

I can't love you anymore Woman, I just wanted more~*

~*I can't love you anymore

Scared of the sound of it

And woman, I just wanted more

It's the reason why I'm here~*

Seifer's voice died down as the song ended. Every female went nuts, and a few more panties hit the stage. Seifer gave them all a cocky grin and bowed. The husbands and boyfriends were glaring at him with all their little hearts. Seifer walked off stage, stopping to whisper something to the terrified announcer. He then rejoined Quistis at the table. She was looking at him in wonderment. She knew that the song must have related to him on so many levels. But which? Seifer gave her a snide grin, and Quistis was instantly brought back to reality as she heard her name being announced over the mic. She froze, a deer in the headlights look appearing on her delicate little face.

With a low growl at having her own little game turned against her, Quistis stalked to the stage. She was just blitzed enough not to care about the crowd, but not so that she was incoherent and unstable. She told the band her song, then turned to face the audience. A few man whistled at her, and she winked in their general direction. Then she began her song.

~*You cannot quit me so quickly

There's no hope in you for me

No corner you could squeeze me

But I got all the time for you, love~*

Quistis grinned at Seifer, and gave him a slight wink before looking back out into the crowd. Her voice was rich and full, with a sensual vibe that kept the audience's attention... Especially the males.

~*The Space Between

The tears we cry

Is the laughter keeps us coming back for more

The Space Between

The wicked lies we tell

And hope to keep safe from the pain~*

Quistis glanced over at Seifer. He looked interested, raising a blonde eyebrow at her. He gave her an encouraging smile, which filled her with courage.

~*But will I hold you again?

These fickle, fuddled words confuse me

Like 'Will it rain today?'

Waste the hours with talking, talking

These twisted games we're playing~*

She looked him straight in the eye as she sang her next verse.

~*We're strange allies

With warring hearts

What wild-eyed beast you be

The Space Between

The wicked lies we tell

And hope to keep safe from the pain~*

Seifer swallowed. Hard. He was lost in her blue eyes, and he felt a slight pang in his heart when she looked away.

~*Will I hold you again?

Will I hold...

Look at us spinning out in

The madness of a roller coaster

You know you went off like a devil

In a church in the middle of a crowded room

All we can do, my love

Is hope we don't take this ship down~*

She smiled softly to herself, as she began the next verse, it holding her own private meaning to her.

~*The Space Between

Where you're smiling high

Is where you'll find me if I get to go

The Space Between

The bullets in our firefight

Is where I'll be hiding, waiting for you

The rain that falls

Splash in your heart

Ran like sadness down the window into...

The Space Between

Our wicked lies

Is where we hope to keep safe from pain~*

Quistis' smile broadened as she launched into the next and final verse.

~*Take my hand

'Cause we're walking out of here

Oh, right out of here

Love is all we need here

The Space Between

What's wrong and right

Is where you'll find me hiding, waiting for you

The Space Between

Your heart and mine

Is the space we'll fill with time

The Space Between...~*

The audience applauded wildly, and an additional cheer was added when she coyly waved to a table of men in the corner of the room. She plopped back down at her table, slightly out of breath. It was a rather long song, and Quistis hadn't sung it in ages.

Seifer flat out stared at the woman in front of him. She was blushing slightly, shifting slightly under his gaze before looking up to meet it. Sparks flew. Seifer took a large swig of vodka. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blonde pair was leaning heavily on each other, giggling drunkenly as they attempted to operate the elevator that would bring them to the hotel room they shared. Quistis giggled a little loudly, watching the world wobble. Like a cube of jello.

"Jello. Tee hee." Quistis said, leaning more heavily on Seifer.

"Qwistisisisiisisisisissh, m'dear, I do believe you are drunk. Shkunk Drunk." He blinked a little bit. "I do believe that I'ms shkunk drunkt too."

The elevator chimed softly, and the two stumbled out into the hallway. Seifer fumbled with the hotel keys, frowning slightly as his hand wavered too much for him to get the key in the lock.

"Shutpid lock keepsh movin." He grumbled, finally succeeding in opening the door. They stumbled into the room, Quistis managing to make it to one of the twin beds before collapsing. Seifer closed the door, then flopped down on the other bed. Neither spoke.

"You know, Seifiepoo? I've always admired you." Quistis rambled suddenly, managing to turn her head to face the blonde man. "Whenever you got a chance to follow your dreams, you just went POOSH, and CHARGED through all obstacles to obtain it. No regrets. No inhibitions."

"No, no no no no no Qwistish. You're so strong and brave. You never let anything phase you. I admire YOU." Seifer replied, waving his arms around. Quistis managed to stand up and stumble over to Seifer's bed.

"I was singin' about you, you know." Quistis said quietly, sitting down next to his prone form.

"You were?" Seifer asked, sitting up in surprise. "I had hoped that you were, you know."

"Really?"

"Really."

They sat there for a few minutes, side by side, their drunken minds trying to process the information. Finally, Seifer turned to face Quistis, and timidly kissed her gently on the lips. She returned the kiss, moving so that she could get a better angle. They laid back, holding each other, a companionable silence over them. Quistis curled against Seifer, resting her head on his shoulder, before falling asleep. Seifer soon followed, burying his head in her hair and sighing, breathing her sent in and rolling in over in his mind like a fine wine.

It was the most restful sleep of his life.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the ship captain continued to get as drunk as humanly possible.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ya ya ya. I know. This was just bound to happen. Well, it occured to me that i wasn't doing any sort of disclaimer, so here it is.

I own FF8. Really, I do. *holds up CD case* I bought it at walmart. So HA! ... right...

The song Seifer sang was "It's the Reason" by Oleander. Look it up, it's a really good song.

The song Quistis sang was, obviously, "The Space Between" by the Dave Mathews band. All who do not recognize it should go and listen to it obsessively until they see the Seiftis-y-goodness in it.

More coming later!