Title: By a Sunset

Author: Rageful Fairy

Rating: R

Warnings: M/M suggestive content a little later. Yaoi alert for chapter one once it comes out!

Summary: Romance blossoms when Seifer returns to Garden. Squall/Seifer and a little bit of Squall/Rinoa

Author's Notes: 'Sup my people?! Okay, so here's the deal. This will have some suggestive Squall/Seifer content up in here! There's also a bit of Squall/Rinoa content, too. But that's for latter!

Prologue : Rethink

I sat in a chair in Squall Leonhart's office. Y'know, in one of those professional office chairs with the spinny seats and the wheels. This kid has more responsibility than he can handle. He's about nineteen... twenty and he's the commander of Garden! He's basically the Headmaster. That lazy ass Cid never even done anything when I was a student back in 'a day, anyways.

I calmly watched Squall sign and ruffle through many papers. Those papers are the papers that are gonna get me back in Garden. Yeah, yeah, I know I was too old to be readmitted into Garden. But hey, ain't my fault that I had to go around and flaunt the title of the Sorceress' Knight for almost a year. But I left that, lived a few years, and came out of those few years with some priorities for once.

I wanted to be a SeeD. And with my connection with Rinoa, she got through to Squall and he's letting me back to Garden. Damn, was Rinoa a suck up! She knows how to get what she wanted and what she wanted was me to come back! Why? Well, because I made her want me to come back to Garden. I offered to pay for it.

I thought about the older days. When I was just badass... not the Sorceress' Knight. Myself and Squall got into a little brawl before the SeeD exam. He wasn't supposed to get hit. He left his guard weak! Ain't my fault! He got that scar after that. I have one too, but that's not the point.

The point was... he was my rival. And damn, he was a good rival. I hated him. He hated me. Right? No! Well, it was right at that point in time. But no, not after the SeeD Ball.

That's when our Squally hit puberty! I saw him getting close to my girl at the time, Rinoa. I have to admit, she was looking good. That white dress hugged her in all the right places and her smile was the only thing that made the damn room light up when the lights went down. But she wasn't the only one looking good.

Squall was looking good. He was just begging to be taken to the dance floor. I was hoping to be the one on the floor with him. But, Rinoa got there first and I was okay with that. I couldn't ruin my badass reputation getting a little dance-action with Squall anyway. But it was not cool that he put his hands on Rinoa. Dance? Sure. Hands? No way in hell. I don't care about that now. But I still do feel jealous.

I'm not jealous toward Squall because he took the girl that used to be mine. But towards Rinoa who got the guy who just started looking hot the day I saw him give in to dance with a girl. I usually don't mingle with the same sex... but, Squall's irresistible.

Then he was. He still is. I even find it intriguing the way he sneaks me a stare with those stormy blue-gray eyes as he signs the countless papers. His signature looked like a thin scribble across a dotted line. He stacked the papers in a pile, mumbled something I didn't understand but that was okay since it wasn't toward me anyway. Squall reached to grab a manilla portfolio to put the papers in and then he looked up at me.

And that was the coldest stare I've ever seen in the world. It was the signature look from Squall and well, when you see that look you don't feel like the best person in the world.

"Your portfolio is completed. You are now a member of Garden's student body once again, Seifer. Welcome to Balamb Garden," he said to me lousily. Looks like he was really excited to have me back. Not.

"Pleasure doing business with ya, Leonhart," I said as I roused from the seat that was starting to get a little uncomfortable.

"Wait. You'll receive your schedule in the morning. You are free to go around Garden as you please. You're dormroom is room number 604 and your roommate will be Miss Rinoa Heartilly who also recently became a student at Garden," he told me, almost robotically.

I could only scowl. "You're letting me sleep in the same room with your girl?"

"I am, as there were no other rooms avaliable except for the single rooms but they are reserved for the SeeD members only," Squall told me.

"Then who shared the room with Rinoa before if there's to be two people per room?" I questioned. Was Squally actually gettin' some somethin'-somethin'?

He blushed. "Miss Heartilly was sharing a room with myself, as my room was just a place to put my things," Squall told me. I didn't expect him to say anything.

"Hmm, someone's getting a li'l somethin', I see," I teased as I exited the office. I wanted nothing but to be the giver of the li'l somethin' he could've been getting, but hey. I can't go thinking those thoughts, can I? 'Sides, who's to be sure he's getting somethin'? I was just teasing him, just like I did a long time ago.

I didn't hope to make myself appear familiar, even though I looked the same as always. I never did get a wardrobe change. My clothes fit me and my personality perfectly. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Garden hated me 'cause I helped the sorceress and all. But... okay, let's not go there.

I knew this place all too well. Been there, did that here, and had my first fight over there and met Fujin and Raijin in that place over there. Yup, a stride down memory lane. Not to seem emotional or overjoyed that I'm back, but I really miss this place. It was my home, so I kinda have to be happy that I'm back.

I wanted to chill out now. I was tired and just bored. So to go and reminisce, I wanted to hang out in the Quad. So many things went down in there, it's unreal. You don't even want to know half of the things that I saw in there.

It's almost time for the sunset, and surprisingly there was a free bench at the Quad,

and not many people were there, either. I wanted to treasure this moment. In the Quad... about to break the first rule since my return to the Garden. Smoking! I needed a smoke, so I took advantage of the time when nobody around me.

I took out a cigarette and my lighter. I lit the lighter and watched the light of the small flame dance in the air as I held my cigarette up to catch the flame. Once my cigarette did, I just smoked... nothing special. I got myself comfy ontop of the bench, sitting on the backrest, and leaving my feet on the seat of the bench.

My legs were spread widely as I let out a breath of smoke. The toxicity of the cigarette smoke filled the air. To me, it was just luscious. It didn't smell like daisies, but hey, is something aflame supposed to? No? Alrighty 'en!

The sun was beginning to set as my cigarette began to burn to nothing. I spit out the but and saw a black boot come out of the shadows to step on it, immediately.