Squall hopped out of the vehicle, returning the keys to the rental man. He hated the little town of Winhill, his subsequent birthplace. He walked to the Garden, parked just outside the diminutive conurbation. Stopping at the entrance, he shoved his hands in his pockets and moved quickly past students, instructors, and personnel. He most certainly did not want to be delayed any further.

Bursting into his dormitory, Squall smiled at the beautiful blonde that lay in his bed. He ran over and kissed the wondrous creature that, as of last night, was his lover.

"I love you," Zell murmured Into his ear as he pulled away. Squall smiled warmly at his newfound playmate as he began to strip out of his clothing, suddenly regretting all the belts he usually strapped around his waist and thighs. Seeing how utterly frustrated the lithe brunette was getting, the tattooed blond reached up to help unfasten the intrusive garments. Finally finished with the last restraint, Squall dropped his pants to the floor and kicked them away. He crawled hastily into the bed.

"How was Seifer?" Zell asked, nibbling Squall's ear aimlessly.

"Asleep." Squall muttered, kissing Zell's face and neck. "With Sephiroth."

"What the!" Zell never finished his exclamation as Squall disappeared into the covers.





Six months pass





Snow glistened off of every tree, on every window and roof, and blanketed the ground with unbroken perfection. Seifer hated this time of year and everything that went with it. He never had a family to go home to on Christmas; it was always he and Squall, fighting to keep from breaking down completely.

Sephiroth brought a new light to the holiday. Seifer never knew how much fun it could be when spent with someone you love. However, this Christmas was not going to be spent drinking wine in front of a tree, it was to be spent altering appearances.

A single tear ran down Seifer's cheek as he cut the last of Sephiroth's long, silver hair. Wisps of silver locks littered the kitchen floor. Sephiroth didn't move, trying to show no sentiment for the part of his body he spent twenty-five years growing. Seifer stood before his lover, examining him with critical eyes. The short hair was such a change, but it did make him look strangely younger. "You look like a different person." Seifer muttered, wiping another tear from his eye.

"That's the point." Sephiroth said, his voice cracking a little bit. "Now you."



Seifer was told to leave everything that identified him. Everything. He stood before the box. He sighed a deep and tortured sigh before slipping the lid over the top and sealing it. He wrapped the box in brightly colored paper, and wrote Squall on the top. Although he and Squall spent every Christmas that Seifer could remember together, neither had ever exchanged gifts. But Squall was now one of Seifer's best friend's, which bugged Sephiroth to no end.

Seifer set the gift gingerly on the counter. Sephiroth scowled at it. "Must you?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

"Yes." Seifer said, his hands on his hips. Ending the conversation there and then.

"Okay, now the hard part." Sephiroth said, "He rose to Seifer with an exacto knife in his hand. Seifer winced at the object and bit his lip, nodding solemnly. "Now they say they will alert when tampered with, but I think that's a lie. We'll be extra careful just in case." Sephiroth stepped behind Seifer, putting a hand on his shoulder. "So let's hope for the best."

Seifer bit his lip as the blade sliced into the back of his neck with ease. Blood trickled from the wound and from his lip. A tear swept down his face as the tiny chip was removed. Sephiroth wiped away the blood and tears and placed a Scooby Doo band-aid, a practical joke of Squall's, over the wound, . He handed the blade to Seifer showing no emotion whatsoever, as the chip was extracted.

"You make me feel like a wimp" Seifer sniffed, clearly annoyed, after placing the band-aid over the incision.

Sephiroth smirked, "You are, sweetheart." And kissed Seifer on the forehead. "Now let's get going." He drew a coat onto his shoulders and looked lovingly at Seifer. Living in this house was nice, they had total privacy, except for Squall's visits, which increased dramatically in number the past month or so. But now was a time of change. Happiness didn't come without freedom.

To be continued.I promise