Disclaimer: FFVIII and all it's characters belong to Squaresoft.
A/N: We hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!!
Alexia awoke slowly. The room was darker now, and her eyes lazily scanned the room for the clock on the dresser. "Seven-thirty?!" she exclaimed. Her shout caused Seifer to stir, who was laying beside her on the couch with his arm around her waist.
"What's the matter?" he asked groggily as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.
"I'm sorry for waking you up." She looked out the window. It was dark out now. Being that she'd slept for quite a while during the day, she'd never get her right rest that night. She would be wide awake until at least four or five. "It's just we slept the day away."
Seifer stretched his arm out to the side. "Who cares? We didn't have anything better to do."
"You mean you didn't have anymore meetings with Edea? Or any orders to give?" Alexia asked dryly.
He didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in her tone. "No, but I do tomorrow." He unhooked his arm from around her body and stood up.
"Where are you going?" she asked as she sat up. The absence of Seifer's body heat left her chilly, so she wrapped her arms around her knees and set her chin on them.
"I need a shower. I'll be right back."
Alexia squinted her eyes as the bathroom light came on, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Where are you going that you need to take a shower?"
Seifer turned to face her on the couch before he shut the door, and replied, "I thought we'd see what Fuj and Raijin are doing. Why don't you call them and we'll all go out together somewhere? We're obviously not going to be able to sleep now."
Just as she was thinking. The idea of hanging out with Seifer and his friends that night seemed appealing to her. Now that she was freshly rested, it would be easy to stay out late and not worry about the following morning. Excited now, she nodded at his suggestion. "Sure!" she said, and grabbed for the phone.
As Seifer disappeared behind the bathroom door and the sound of running water became audible, Alexia dialed the number of Fujin's dorm room first. The phone rang several times before Fujin's unmistakeable voice was heard on the other end.
"HELLO?"
"Hey Fujin, me and Seifer were wondering if maybe you'd wanna go out with us. Maybe to a nightclub or somewhere like that?"
Fujin was quiet for a moment. "SURE. WHEN?"
"Um... in about a half hour I guess. We'll meet you at the front gate, okay?"
"OKAY. EXCITED."
Alexia almost began laughing. She couldn't help but think of it as odd that Fujin was excited, when she hardly *sounded* like it.
Alexia hung the phone up gently, and changed out of her wrinkled clothes. She put on a low-cut tan shirt with bell sleeves, and a short jean skirt, freshening her makeup and re-doing her hair as she heard Seifer shut the shower off.
She heard the door to the bathroom squeak open, and a dripping Seifer stepped out, wrapped from the waist down in an indigo colored towel. He looked her up and down as she applied mascara, and raised his eyebrows.
"Well, well," he commented, placing his already dry hands on her shoulders and breathing in perfume she'd just put on. "I like."
She smirked to herself and made note of the towel he was wearing, which was the *only* thing he was wearing. "No. *I* like." She took his arm and pulled him down to sit beside her, not minding that the couch was now as sopping as he was. She leaned forward and kissed his wet lips.
He laughed quietly and stood up. "Come on, I have to get dressed."
"No you don't," she said looking up at him with an exaggerated pout.
Seifer smiled and shook his head, making his way over to the small closet at the back of the room and opening it. "You called Fujin and Raijin didn't you?"
"Well I called Fujin, and she wants to come, but I didn't call Raijin yet. I just figured if she's going, he will too, you know?"
Seifer nodded as he pulled out a white short sleeved shirt and black pants. "That's true." Alexia watched him comb his sleek, damp blonde hair back in the mirror, and asked, "How long have you guys been friends again?"
Seifer stopped combing his hair back, and stared back at Alexia. "As long as I can remember. Since I got to that Godforsaken Garden, I think."
Alexia looked away. She knew his hatred toward Balamb Garden, but couldn't understand why it was that he felt that way. She knew he was faithful to the Sorceress, but what reason did he have then to hate the Garden?
"So you guys have known each other for a long time...why does Fujin only talk in BIG WORDS LIKE THIS?"
Seifer chuckled slightly, and turned away from the mirror. He leaned over and fell onto the bed, looking up at her. "Raijin and I never could figure out what brought that on. I always figured it had to do with her homelife. And maybe it just stuck like that. She does talk in full sentences ocassionally, though."
"I look forward to that day," Alexia responded, stifling a giggle. He glared playfully at her, and tickled her sides, causing her to outburst in laughter. "Stop, stop! No!"
Eventually she took a pillow from the bed and slammed it in his face, causing the torture to end. Both were laughing hysterically by that time. "That was hardly fair," he told her.
"All is fair in love and war Seifer," Alexia told him with a wag of her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked deep into his eyes. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
She hesitated. "You used to go to Balamb Garden, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Well then... Why are you doing this? Going against it and wanting to destroy it?"
Seifer's brow furrowed, and he abruptly backed off of Alexia. He averted his gaze, and seemed to be going over and over her question. When he looked back at her, his eyes flashed in strong anger.
"What does it matter? I work for the Sorceress now, Alexia. Whoever is against her is my enemy. I thought you had that through your head by now."
Her heart twisted. His tone was uncalled for and unwanted, and she didn't appreciate him using it toward her. "Excuse me? I happen to be your fiancee, Seifer, not one of your under-candidates you can talk to like that. It was a simple question, you don't need to bite my head off."
What was hurt in her heart turned to stone cold fury. She grabbed her keys, and stormed out the door, yelling, "I'll show you yelling match!" before slamming the door in his face and getting in the car to drive to Fujin's.
**********
Alexia sat on the small couch that was actually very similar to the one she and Seifer had in their dorm. Fujin was in the kitchen, making some hot chocolate (for the little girls that were still inside them) while Alexia sat despondantly in the next room.
They had decided not to go out, after Alexia showed up Seifer-less before Fujin could even leave to meet them
She came out and handed her a hot mug and sat down as well. "BETTER?" she asked.
Alexia nodded. "A little. Thanks a lot. I'm sorry tonight didn't turn out to be the fun I made it sound like it was going to be."
"FINE."
Alexia sighed. "It's just... Seifer's been acting really weird lately."
Fujin sipped her hot chocolate, wincing a little at the scalding temperature. "NOTICED."
Alexia blew out another breath of exasperated air. "I just don't know what to do with him."
Fujin set her mug down on the cherry colored coffee table. "You get used to it. He's really dedicated to all this Sorceress crap, and he gets more than a little frustrated if you ask questions. Believe me, I know."
Alexia's eyes looked as if they'd pop straight out of her head. Ironic, that just hours before, she'd been talking to Seifer about Fujin talking in full sentences. She felt a little stab of guilt for poking fun at her.
Stammering as she spoke, Alexia managed, "R-really? You've...asked him questions about this Sorceress stuff before?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but I've learned not to say anything anymore. It's not worth him being mad at me."
Alexia was still shocked that Fujin was speaking normally to her. She tried to get the thought out of her head, but it was difficult. It really was a shock. "Well, what happened?"
"I just asked him what he'd been doing whenever he went to visit with Edea. He'd get angry, tell me it was none of my business, and then he wouldn't talk to me. When he finally did, he acted as though the subject was never brought up."
Alexia thought a moment. Was the Seifer Fujin was describing really the Seifer she had grown to love? She was beginning to believe it more and more as time went on.
Alexia gripped the sides of her hot cup fervently, paying no heed to the burning sensation in her hands. Her mind was focused on Seifer...on Fujin's full way of speaking. She really was good to talk to when she didn't use one word, and Alexia enjoyed it. "I don't know what to do with him. We're supposed to get married after this whole Sorceress War thing he keeps talking about, but I don't even know if I'm ready. I don't know what to do, Fuj."
Fujin reached over and took the steaming mug from Alexia's hands, revealing burn marks she didn't really even notice. Fujin took them in hers, and looked in Alexia's eyes with her single one.
"Don't give up on him, Lex. I've known him since I was six, and take it from me, he can be a real ass when he wants to. But he can also be the sweetest guy in the world if you stick with him. This whole thing with Edea will pass, I'm sure of it. Your wedding seems to be pretty far off as of yet, and it's not worth it to throw in the towel now."
Alexia smiled gratefully. Not only was she insightful, but Fujin was great at advice. She'd have to do this more often when she was stressed out. "Thanks, Fuj..."
Going back to her regular form of speech, she waved a hand and said, "DON'T MENTION."
Alexia looked down at her hands and saw how red they were. "That's what I get, I guess." The both of them laughed quietly.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Fujin exchanged a glance with Alexia. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She opened the door and saw Seifer standing there, looking slightly apprehensive.
"Is Lexi here?" he asked. Fujin nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to come in. She motioned to Alexia, still seated on the couch, who was fidgeting anxiously.
"I have to talk to you, Lex," he said quietly.
"Why? So you can yell at me again like you did before?" Alexia asked with a nasty tone. Fujin gave her a look and shook her head, silently reminding her of what she had just said to her.
Seifer looked down at his pants, brushing away an imaginary crumb. "I guess I deserved that."
Alexia stayed quiet, biting her tongue from a snappy retort. He took her hands in the fashion Fujin had, but tender and lovingly. He stared straight at her, and attempted to redeem himself.
"Look, I'm really, really sorry. Things are so confusing right now. I've been trying to balance my time between you and Edea, and it just hasn't been working very well. I've been having these stupid mood swings and taking it out on you when I shouldn't have, and I can't begin to apologize."
Her hard expression softened, but she let him go on. If he was going to beg for forgiveness, she might as well make it worth her while.
She waited, and then spoke. "How do you want us to remedy that, Seifer?"
He thought about it for a moment, and seemed a little shy as he responded, "Maybe...I could give you more of my time?"
The corners of her mouth rose slightly. "That's more like it. I'm sorry too...you...you don't have to answer my questions about the Sorceress if you don't want to."
He shook his head in contradiction. "No, you can ask me anything you want. I'm not going to hide things from you, anymore." Then he grinned as well, although a bit more crazily, his eyes mischeivous. "You wanna go back home and fool around?"
She smacked him on the shoulder, her jaw dropping a little. "Seifer!" she scolded, giving him a playful glare. "Not in front of Fujin!"
"FINE," Fujin said, giving a wink Alexia's way. She was glad she'd been able to talk to Fujin the way she had, and was thankful for the advice.
"You guys still wanna go out?" Seifer asked, faking hurt on his shoulder.
Alexia shrugged, and replied, "Sure, why not? We still have time, don't we?"
"TIME, YES," Fujin confirmed, checking her watch. "FUN."
And indeed, they had the time of their lives.
A/N: We hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!!
Alexia awoke slowly. The room was darker now, and her eyes lazily scanned the room for the clock on the dresser. "Seven-thirty?!" she exclaimed. Her shout caused Seifer to stir, who was laying beside her on the couch with his arm around her waist.
"What's the matter?" he asked groggily as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.
"I'm sorry for waking you up." She looked out the window. It was dark out now. Being that she'd slept for quite a while during the day, she'd never get her right rest that night. She would be wide awake until at least four or five. "It's just we slept the day away."
Seifer stretched his arm out to the side. "Who cares? We didn't have anything better to do."
"You mean you didn't have anymore meetings with Edea? Or any orders to give?" Alexia asked dryly.
He didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in her tone. "No, but I do tomorrow." He unhooked his arm from around her body and stood up.
"Where are you going?" she asked as she sat up. The absence of Seifer's body heat left her chilly, so she wrapped her arms around her knees and set her chin on them.
"I need a shower. I'll be right back."
Alexia squinted her eyes as the bathroom light came on, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Where are you going that you need to take a shower?"
Seifer turned to face her on the couch before he shut the door, and replied, "I thought we'd see what Fuj and Raijin are doing. Why don't you call them and we'll all go out together somewhere? We're obviously not going to be able to sleep now."
Just as she was thinking. The idea of hanging out with Seifer and his friends that night seemed appealing to her. Now that she was freshly rested, it would be easy to stay out late and not worry about the following morning. Excited now, she nodded at his suggestion. "Sure!" she said, and grabbed for the phone.
As Seifer disappeared behind the bathroom door and the sound of running water became audible, Alexia dialed the number of Fujin's dorm room first. The phone rang several times before Fujin's unmistakeable voice was heard on the other end.
"HELLO?"
"Hey Fujin, me and Seifer were wondering if maybe you'd wanna go out with us. Maybe to a nightclub or somewhere like that?"
Fujin was quiet for a moment. "SURE. WHEN?"
"Um... in about a half hour I guess. We'll meet you at the front gate, okay?"
"OKAY. EXCITED."
Alexia almost began laughing. She couldn't help but think of it as odd that Fujin was excited, when she hardly *sounded* like it.
Alexia hung the phone up gently, and changed out of her wrinkled clothes. She put on a low-cut tan shirt with bell sleeves, and a short jean skirt, freshening her makeup and re-doing her hair as she heard Seifer shut the shower off.
She heard the door to the bathroom squeak open, and a dripping Seifer stepped out, wrapped from the waist down in an indigo colored towel. He looked her up and down as she applied mascara, and raised his eyebrows.
"Well, well," he commented, placing his already dry hands on her shoulders and breathing in perfume she'd just put on. "I like."
She smirked to herself and made note of the towel he was wearing, which was the *only* thing he was wearing. "No. *I* like." She took his arm and pulled him down to sit beside her, not minding that the couch was now as sopping as he was. She leaned forward and kissed his wet lips.
He laughed quietly and stood up. "Come on, I have to get dressed."
"No you don't," she said looking up at him with an exaggerated pout.
Seifer smiled and shook his head, making his way over to the small closet at the back of the room and opening it. "You called Fujin and Raijin didn't you?"
"Well I called Fujin, and she wants to come, but I didn't call Raijin yet. I just figured if she's going, he will too, you know?"
Seifer nodded as he pulled out a white short sleeved shirt and black pants. "That's true." Alexia watched him comb his sleek, damp blonde hair back in the mirror, and asked, "How long have you guys been friends again?"
Seifer stopped combing his hair back, and stared back at Alexia. "As long as I can remember. Since I got to that Godforsaken Garden, I think."
Alexia looked away. She knew his hatred toward Balamb Garden, but couldn't understand why it was that he felt that way. She knew he was faithful to the Sorceress, but what reason did he have then to hate the Garden?
"So you guys have known each other for a long time...why does Fujin only talk in BIG WORDS LIKE THIS?"
Seifer chuckled slightly, and turned away from the mirror. He leaned over and fell onto the bed, looking up at her. "Raijin and I never could figure out what brought that on. I always figured it had to do with her homelife. And maybe it just stuck like that. She does talk in full sentences ocassionally, though."
"I look forward to that day," Alexia responded, stifling a giggle. He glared playfully at her, and tickled her sides, causing her to outburst in laughter. "Stop, stop! No!"
Eventually she took a pillow from the bed and slammed it in his face, causing the torture to end. Both were laughing hysterically by that time. "That was hardly fair," he told her.
"All is fair in love and war Seifer," Alexia told him with a wag of her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked deep into his eyes. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
She hesitated. "You used to go to Balamb Garden, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Well then... Why are you doing this? Going against it and wanting to destroy it?"
Seifer's brow furrowed, and he abruptly backed off of Alexia. He averted his gaze, and seemed to be going over and over her question. When he looked back at her, his eyes flashed in strong anger.
"What does it matter? I work for the Sorceress now, Alexia. Whoever is against her is my enemy. I thought you had that through your head by now."
Her heart twisted. His tone was uncalled for and unwanted, and she didn't appreciate him using it toward her. "Excuse me? I happen to be your fiancee, Seifer, not one of your under-candidates you can talk to like that. It was a simple question, you don't need to bite my head off."
What was hurt in her heart turned to stone cold fury. She grabbed her keys, and stormed out the door, yelling, "I'll show you yelling match!" before slamming the door in his face and getting in the car to drive to Fujin's.
**********
Alexia sat on the small couch that was actually very similar to the one she and Seifer had in their dorm. Fujin was in the kitchen, making some hot chocolate (for the little girls that were still inside them) while Alexia sat despondantly in the next room.
They had decided not to go out, after Alexia showed up Seifer-less before Fujin could even leave to meet them
She came out and handed her a hot mug and sat down as well. "BETTER?" she asked.
Alexia nodded. "A little. Thanks a lot. I'm sorry tonight didn't turn out to be the fun I made it sound like it was going to be."
"FINE."
Alexia sighed. "It's just... Seifer's been acting really weird lately."
Fujin sipped her hot chocolate, wincing a little at the scalding temperature. "NOTICED."
Alexia blew out another breath of exasperated air. "I just don't know what to do with him."
Fujin set her mug down on the cherry colored coffee table. "You get used to it. He's really dedicated to all this Sorceress crap, and he gets more than a little frustrated if you ask questions. Believe me, I know."
Alexia's eyes looked as if they'd pop straight out of her head. Ironic, that just hours before, she'd been talking to Seifer about Fujin talking in full sentences. She felt a little stab of guilt for poking fun at her.
Stammering as she spoke, Alexia managed, "R-really? You've...asked him questions about this Sorceress stuff before?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but I've learned not to say anything anymore. It's not worth him being mad at me."
Alexia was still shocked that Fujin was speaking normally to her. She tried to get the thought out of her head, but it was difficult. It really was a shock. "Well, what happened?"
"I just asked him what he'd been doing whenever he went to visit with Edea. He'd get angry, tell me it was none of my business, and then he wouldn't talk to me. When he finally did, he acted as though the subject was never brought up."
Alexia thought a moment. Was the Seifer Fujin was describing really the Seifer she had grown to love? She was beginning to believe it more and more as time went on.
Alexia gripped the sides of her hot cup fervently, paying no heed to the burning sensation in her hands. Her mind was focused on Seifer...on Fujin's full way of speaking. She really was good to talk to when she didn't use one word, and Alexia enjoyed it. "I don't know what to do with him. We're supposed to get married after this whole Sorceress War thing he keeps talking about, but I don't even know if I'm ready. I don't know what to do, Fuj."
Fujin reached over and took the steaming mug from Alexia's hands, revealing burn marks she didn't really even notice. Fujin took them in hers, and looked in Alexia's eyes with her single one.
"Don't give up on him, Lex. I've known him since I was six, and take it from me, he can be a real ass when he wants to. But he can also be the sweetest guy in the world if you stick with him. This whole thing with Edea will pass, I'm sure of it. Your wedding seems to be pretty far off as of yet, and it's not worth it to throw in the towel now."
Alexia smiled gratefully. Not only was she insightful, but Fujin was great at advice. She'd have to do this more often when she was stressed out. "Thanks, Fuj..."
Going back to her regular form of speech, she waved a hand and said, "DON'T MENTION."
Alexia looked down at her hands and saw how red they were. "That's what I get, I guess." The both of them laughed quietly.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. Fujin exchanged a glance with Alexia. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She opened the door and saw Seifer standing there, looking slightly apprehensive.
"Is Lexi here?" he asked. Fujin nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to come in. She motioned to Alexia, still seated on the couch, who was fidgeting anxiously.
"I have to talk to you, Lex," he said quietly.
"Why? So you can yell at me again like you did before?" Alexia asked with a nasty tone. Fujin gave her a look and shook her head, silently reminding her of what she had just said to her.
Seifer looked down at his pants, brushing away an imaginary crumb. "I guess I deserved that."
Alexia stayed quiet, biting her tongue from a snappy retort. He took her hands in the fashion Fujin had, but tender and lovingly. He stared straight at her, and attempted to redeem himself.
"Look, I'm really, really sorry. Things are so confusing right now. I've been trying to balance my time between you and Edea, and it just hasn't been working very well. I've been having these stupid mood swings and taking it out on you when I shouldn't have, and I can't begin to apologize."
Her hard expression softened, but she let him go on. If he was going to beg for forgiveness, she might as well make it worth her while.
She waited, and then spoke. "How do you want us to remedy that, Seifer?"
He thought about it for a moment, and seemed a little shy as he responded, "Maybe...I could give you more of my time?"
The corners of her mouth rose slightly. "That's more like it. I'm sorry too...you...you don't have to answer my questions about the Sorceress if you don't want to."
He shook his head in contradiction. "No, you can ask me anything you want. I'm not going to hide things from you, anymore." Then he grinned as well, although a bit more crazily, his eyes mischeivous. "You wanna go back home and fool around?"
She smacked him on the shoulder, her jaw dropping a little. "Seifer!" she scolded, giving him a playful glare. "Not in front of Fujin!"
"FINE," Fujin said, giving a wink Alexia's way. She was glad she'd been able to talk to Fujin the way she had, and was thankful for the advice.
"You guys still wanna go out?" Seifer asked, faking hurt on his shoulder.
Alexia shrugged, and replied, "Sure, why not? We still have time, don't we?"
"TIME, YES," Fujin confirmed, checking her watch. "FUN."
And indeed, they had the time of their lives.