Chapter 10

"If you don't have a plan for yourself, then you will be part of someone else's." – American Proverb

The morning arrived soon enough and Seifer didn't feel like getting up. It was the most gratifying rest he had enjoyed in a while, and quite peacefully too, since he'd left Deling and all its unpleasantness. Because he can't say he missed being hungry and smelling like a dump, now that he's stretching lazily like a cat under fresh, soft sheets and plush pillows, he didn't see any reason why he should get up from what he might call bliss.

Except maybe for why there were two heads peering over him.

His eyes shot open and he vaulted upright.

Seifer blinked once. Twice. He had to make sure he's fully awake when he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Quistis who appeared none too relaxed and rather weary, planted her fists on her hips and rolled her eyes. "You've got some nerve to ask."

Seifer's memory rushed through his mind in an instant, suddenly remembering where he was. And then why he was there in the first place. This was Quistis' room. And this…was her bed. He remembered that he was supposed to be on the couch, and specifically not on her bed. Seifer remembered being awakened last night from the sound of a door connecting to its latch and noticed Quistis has left the room. When she didn't come back for what seemed like hours, he moved to the bed and found more comfort in it. Why he moved there was a rather ridiculous notion. Perhaps somewhere in his lustful mind, and not to mention, body, he was hoping she'd come back and crawl under the sheets with him. And it goes without saying that he isn't clothed under the sheets. He pulled the blankets higher.

Judging from the dark circles that formed under her eyes, Seifer could only guess that Quistis spent the night awake. An unusual feeling crept up on him that almost felt like guilt. He moved closer to the edge and gave her a sleepily sheepish smile. "There's room for one more," he said and patted the empty side.

Quistis flushed. What the devil? She's never flushed!

"Hey, hey, hey, none of that hanky-panky while I'm here," Seifer almost forgot they had company.

"Who are you?" he asked directly.

"That's no way to address the President of Esthar." Quistis scolded.

If Seifer was taken aback by that announcement, he didn't show it. "Well, this isn't Esthar, and I doubt that his authority stretches over Balamb."

Quistis' lips tightened. She didn't know what to say to that. Once again, Seifer had proven himself correct. But still, she wanted to smack him upside the head for being rude. So she gave Laguna an apologetic look and Seifer, one that could kill.

And then, as if the situation couldn't get any stranger, she heard Laguna chuckle and say, "Almasy, even if I was God Himself – pardon the comparison," he muttered to the heavens then returned to Seifer, "I wouldn't doubt for a minute that you'd question My authority."

Seifer absorbed his words for a moment, then broke into a toothsome grin. He can't remember ever meeting him before, but somewhere in his memory, he was a part of his past.

Of course! He's the Estharian President who had a hand in Balamb Garden's victory five years ago.

Still, there was something about the President that he found compelling, as if he's just the sort of man who can convince almost anyone to do anything. Maybe he is. He wouldn't be the President of Esthar if he weren't. His grin grew wider and said, "That coming from a man of your position, I'd take it as a compliment."

Laguna inclined his head and said, "It was intended as such."

"Excuse my appearance, I didn't know I'd be expecting polite company." Seifer felt the daggers on his back from Quistis' eyes, but he chose to ignore her. That always seems the best course. But it was still difficult not to ignore her.

"It's alright. The past couple of days had been quite unexpected anyway," Laguna returned as he made himself comfortable on the wicker chair at the end corner of the bed.

Quistis made a grave mistake by looking at the man sitting on her bed. It all went against the law of all that's holy and true.

He smiled at her. A genuine, rakish smile.

And the oddest thing happened. The most bizarre, really. Probably more bizarre than what Laguna had told her hours earlier, that no matter how hard she tried to close her eyes, there seems to be no dodging the obvious. Suddenly, she didn't see Seifer. Oh, he's still sitting haughtily in the middle of her bed as if he was some sort of royalty, but somehow it wasn't him anymore. She had been correct when she thought that he was an altogether transformed man. He wasn't someone who boasted about his skills and thwarted all form of authority. No longer someone who was offensively foul at every chance he gets. This is where she thinks she might start screaming. Because she should be glad! She should be elated that he wasn't being such a beast any longer, but this Seifer, bare-chested and smiling as if he owned the world, irritated the grits out of her. And she's growing disturbed by the minute that she might pull all her hair out on the spot.

It was maddening.

And very dangerous.

Then, as if Seifer couldn't shock her further, in his deepest baritone voice, she heard him speak in all the civility an honorable gentleman can articulate, "So, to what do I owe the honor of this visit, Mr. President?"

She had no idea that he was even capable of intelligent speech.

Maybe if she recognized even just a little touch of sarcasm in that, it would've made her feel a bit better. But to her disappointment, his tone didn't even bear a slight acidity of cynicism. It was, Quistis thought disgustingly, a sincere gesture.

She was unexpectedly jealous. Seifer had never demonstrated any form of courteous interaction with her. Even if she was providing him with room and bed, all he did was infuriate her. All of a sudden, he decided to be friendly towards Irvine, now he's being polite with Laguna!

The air suddenly grew thick.

"Actually, I just got through telling Quistis of my uh…purpose," Laguna uttered.

Seifer's gaze shifted to Quistis who tried to appear busy studying the floor. He looked back at Laguna and asked, "And what does this 'purpose' have to do with me?"

Laguna shifted uncomfortably in his seat then turned to Quistis and said, "Would you mind if you could excuse us for a moment?"

Her head snapped up and forgot whatever object it was she was staring at on the floor. What now? The situation is becoming more peculiar with each second. What kind of discussion does he need to conduct with Seifer that she doesn't already know? And why would he require her to leave? Unless Laguna kept a few details unsaid that was meant only for Seifer's ears. However, he did say that she may share the information only to those who know of his presence at Garden. And that would be Irvine.

And just Irvine. How Lovely.

Is Laguna trying to get his hand in on this?

The old man is up to something. He might be a little goofy sometimes but he's still a crafty old man.

In any case, who was she to question his integrity? If privacy is what he needs, then privacy will he get. And right now, Irvine seems to be the only guy she can talk to regarding him.

"Alright. I'll be back in two hours," she said curtly and scurried towards the door.

But before she managed to shut it, she heard Seifer call out. "Come back with food!"

As if he could think of anything else, Quistis thought.

The hallway suddenly looked more like a road to senselessness than a mere marble-tiled corridor, because Irvine just might prove himself useful for conversation. Although Selphie usually was the first person she'd come to talk to about distressing subjects, this specific subject, particularly him, warrants a conversation partner whom she can do bodily harm to.

She didn't want to mention his name. She'd rather refer to him as him, or better yet, the Golden-haired Frustration. It didn't take him anything more than just a sharp retort to annoy her. And just seconds ago, he didn't even say anything than just smile at her and it almost brought her down to her knees. A smile, for crying out loud!

Maybe Laguna dropped something in her milk that caused her to react this way.

Strong, black coffee became more and more inviting than it smelled. She definitely needs something strong to keep her on her toes, keep her aware at all cost of what exactly she is feeling. And keep her awake since half the day has already gone by. Lord, this is going to be such a long and funny day.

"You what!?!" Seifer thundered. He was shoving one foot in his pants when Laguna's words had hit him full force.

After Quistis had left the room, he couldn't ignore the sense of dread that crept up on him; dreaded what this man was about to say. But surprisingly, nothing Laguna had mentioned was worth dreading about. Until that one last significant information he'd just heard. He was stunned.

Seifer listened well enough to what the old man had to say. The rest of what Laguna told him made sense. Clearly, a brilliant man couldn't have made a better president. His leadership spoke of immeasurable greatness when he began to recount his role in the first and last Sorceress Wars. Seifer was probably too young to even remember Adel's dominance over the world, but the Ultimecia period stood out in his memory than any event in his life. He still couldn't bring himself to believe that the man standing before him was the same mastermind behind the success of both campaigns against the evil sorceresses. From the way he regaled the moment of triumph of cleverly trapping Adel, to the cunning strategy of defeating Ultimecia in her own world, he sounded more like a journalist than a president.

But when Laguna got to the part about him. The part that he didn't know for five long years which began after being barred from Garden. For five years, unbeknownst to him and mostly to everyone else that Laguna had been his constant shadow.

"Seifer, you have to realize that given my position, I have a duty to the people to guard and protect them at all costs. I was hoping you'd understand that," Laguna answered to his outburst.

"And I'm supposed to feel better from that? That I'm doing the people a great big favor by letting myself be spied on? For five years!" he burst out. "It wasn't enough that I was expelled from Garden."

"I knew you would feel this way. But if it would relieve your mind that during your surveillance, you had my protection."

"Just as you protected Adel in outer space and check on her yourself?" Of course, he would do the same to him. Not in the physical sense of course, but Laguna did have his goons to do that job for him.

"I had a responsibility to control any possible threat that might arise. You can't deny that you had your hand in almost destroying the world." Laguna said mildly.

Just as he'd thought. No matter how many years might coat his past, trust was still something remotely possible to salvage.

When he got his head out of the neck hole of his shirt, he didn't feel any different. "That doesn't change anything," he said bitterly. "The point is you deliberately invaded my life. Not to mention, that you weren't satisfied with my behavior of one year, not even two! You can't justify why you had to go on spying on me when I clearly have nothing threatening."

"That was the reason I had in the beginning; to make sure you're not a danger to society. But as you said, you are no more a threat to the world."

Seifer held his height with his hands on his hips and gave Laguna one of his piercing stares. Just when he thought he'd finally lived his life according to his own devices, without someone to turn to and make it through the day without anyone's support, when all along he was under suspicion, in observation as if he was some sort of bacteria being studied under a microscope. He had been vulnerable. And he never hated feeling anything but. "It took you a while to realize that?"

Laguna shook his head and said, "Seifer, I know you're a good man. It's only that you don't want the world to see you as such."

He flung a hand in the air in mock gesture. "What do you think I've been trying to do these past five years? Even if I become a monk I doubt that half the earth's population would change their minds about me."

Laguna didn't say anything.

He hoped that the old man felt a little twinge of guilt, but Seifer couldn't tell what exactly he was thinking. There seems to be more than just what he's letting him on to believe. Oh, he truly believed that Laguna has some sort of master plan mapped out in the beginning, or he wouldn't have continued spying on him this long.

It was probably why he required Quistis to leave.

Seifer decided to break the silence. "Does Quistis know?"

Laguna looked up. "That you were under Esthar surveillance?"

Seifer nodded.

"Yes, we've talked about it all morning. And I think Irvine is about to learn of it too. But that is the least of your concern." Laguna motioned for Seifer to sit down.

Something tells him that what's coming up next required him to be sitting down.

Seifer seated himself on the bed and propped an ankle over his knee. "Why do I suddenly get the feeling that you've got another surprise, Laguna?" And in a sarcastic tone he said, "Really the suspense is killing me."

Laguna just grinned. "You caught on well. I asked Quistis to leave for a reason."

"I know." It was obvious to him that whatever the old man is about to tell him is something he didn't intend for Quistis to hear. It was very odd how he almost felt as if he wanted her there, that he might have felt a little bit more in control of the situation; he would have felt less in tatters. Odd and perturbing.

"Call me Uncle Laguna." The elderly man beamed. "Everyone will soon follow if they heard you calling me Uncle."

"What?"

To his surprise, Laguna pulled out a piece of paper and pen from Quistis' desk and wrote something he couldn't even begin to imagine what. Then he sat himself on the wicker chair before he returned his attention back to a disconcerted Seifer. "You're life, Mr. Almasy, is about to become more interesting." Then he offered him the piece of paper.

Seifer stared at the folded piece in Laguna's hand. He knew he shouldn't take it. But he felt the whispers of fate taunting him, daring him to reach out and do exactly that. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe the simple desire to shift the course of his life to something 'interesting'. But whatever the reason, he still should not have taken it.

But he did anyway.

Seifer read the words.

And then he sank deeper to the bed, bloodless and breathless.

"I don't believe you," he whispered. "I don't believe you."

A/N: A week eh? Sorry about that bit. I know I know, it was short, but not to worry, Chapter 11 will follow at the end of this week!