Seifer kept his patience while they seemingly walked through the whole city of Balamb.

"Where are we going, Quistis?  We've been walking for Hyne knows how long, and I'm fucking starving.  So it's up to you if you want to follow me, but I'm going to get something to eat."

"Fine." Quistis stated.

"Is that all you can say?  Don't turn into Fuijin now.  She already gives me a headache!" Seifer said, slightly piqued at her one-syllable responses.

Quistis didn't respond as she walked into the small café.  She didn't even look behind her to see if he was following.  She figured that if he were really that hungry, he would follow.  He wasn't that stupid.

Sure enough, after Quistis seated herself, she heard the little bell on the door ring.  Seifer sat down across from her, making sure he made his presence noticeable.  He roughly scooted his chair in, and banged his elbows on the table.

"Stop being so immature, Seifer." Quistis plainly stated.

"And your little phase with only 'fine' as your answer was mature?" Seifer spat out while glaring at her.  They sat there for a while, Quistis' icy blue eyes trying to put out the flame in Seifer's emerald eyes.

"Excuse me, what can I get you two." The waiter asked nervously, sensing tension between the two.  Quistis broke the glaring contest and looked at the waiter and smiled.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee, thank you."

"And you, sir?" The waiter looked towards Seifer, who was looking at the menu.

"I'll have some spaghetti with meatballs." Seifer mumbled angrily, forcing the menu into the boy's hands.

"All right, I will be back with your food!" The young man tried to sound enthusiastic, as he scurried off towards the kitchen, anxious to get away from the glaring couple.

Quistis then started laughing.

"What's so funny!" Seifer barked.  Quistis still didn't stop laughing.

"You scared that poor boy away!" Quistis choked out in between her giggles.  Seifer smirked.  She was pretty when she laughed.

"Me? What about you? You have one mean glare!"  Quistis stopped laughing, and glared at him again.  Seifer wondered what he did wrong, until Quistis started giggling again.  Whoever thought that Quistis would get a kick out of scaring a poor waiter? She's definitely a strange one…

The apprehension in the room was dropped.  Quistis decided to start a real conversation with Seifer.

"So…Seifer, can I ask you a question?" Quistis asked uncertainly.

"Yes, I will pay for the food, Quistis." Seifer smirked.  Quistis rolled her eyes.  She stared at his facial features.  From his green eyes, down to his chiseled jaw line, and back up to the scar that Squall once gave him.  He really was handsome.

"Did it hurt?" She whispered almost inaudibly.

His brows furrowed in confusion.  "Did what hurt?"

"When you got the scar, did it hurt?"

"Not much…it hurt more knowing that more people went to visit Squall rather than me.  I mean, at least I showed some sign of life…he was just cold, and yet more people admired him." Seifer looked down at the kitchenware.

"I'm sorry." He heard Quistis say.  Seifer slowly looked up and found Quistis staring at him with sad eyes.

"For what? I'm the one who should be sorry about everything…all I did was hurt you and the others…"

"For not visiting you." Quistis cut him off.  It was finally her turn to look down.  "I didn't think you cared.  You never did seem to."

"Here's your food, sir.  Your coffee, ma'am." The waiter put down their ordered goods in front of them.  Thank Hyne for his timing! Seifer thought.  The subject was getting too touchy anyway.

"When did you get contacts, Quistis? You look nice without your glasses."

Quistis felt her face heat up a little. "Um…actually want to know something?  I never really needed glasses, I just thought it made me look smarter…"

"Well it did, but…" Seifer swallowed a meatball. "It also made you look mean, and old!" He said while waving his fork for more emphasis.

Quistis tried to suppress her smile and attempted frowning at the same time, which made her face look distorted. "That's not nice, Seifer!" She sipped her coffee to prevent herself from laughing.  The ends of Seifer's lips twitched.  It was nice seeing her laugh with him after the hell he had put her through.

Seifer looked down at his watch.  It already had been two hours!  Time sure flies when you are having fun…why does it always have to work that way?

"Quistis…" He started.  Quistis looked up to see Seifer pointing at his watch. "It's been two hours already…" He swore he saw Quistis slightly frown.  Maybe she enjoys spending time with me? "But…if you want we can talk some more?"

"Sure…that's what Madam Sherri wanted, right?" She smiled, then continued "but…can we get out of here? It's getting kind of stuffy…"

Seifer nodded and called for the paycheck.  Quistis gave him two gil for her coffee.  "Quistis, I said I would pay." He forced the two gil back in her hand, and paid before she could protest.

They walked out of the café, faintly hearing the bell ring behind them as new customers entered it.

"Where to now?" Seifer asked.

"Let's just…walk…" Quistis said.  That sounded stupid, isn't that what we're doing right now?

"You know, Trepe, you're okay."

Quistis was shocked.  Seifer Almasy was complimenting her?  Maybe they could actually get along.  One year after the Sorceress War did do a lot of good to his character.

"Thanks."

*****

A/N: OKAY! TOTAL MUSHINESS! BUT I LOVE MUSHINESS! *sigh* I made a new personality for Seifer, because I would think after a year of being lonely, a person would WANT to make friends. *shrugs* you don't have to like it, but I like mushiness!  And this story is going to be as mushy as it can get, because I am a mushiness lover!  Anyway, enough with the mushiness! The mushiness goes to all the Seiftis Forever Board members!