Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this chapter apart from "Thtevie Athcough".

Chapter 2 Finding Seifer

"Aw crap!" Selphie cursed as another gust of wind sent her sprawling against a wall. It was dark and raining now, so Selphie's plan of finding Seifer before nightfall was not going well. "Why the hell couldn't he have chosen to run a pub on a busy road like most normal people?! Oh no, he had to choose one that you have to walk down lots of dark stinkin' alleys to get to. It really isn't practical for- oh, there it is FINALLY!"

She sighed in relief as she saw a dim lighted sign saying 'Hyperion', swinging in the wind. It was obvious that the sign needed oiling as the swinging motion made a creaking noise. Selphie stood in front of the pub, her green eyes looking the building up and down as she hoisted her rucksack further up onto her shoulder. "Not bad Seifer. This place looks pretty good. I wonder if you'll welcome me with open arms though...."

Selphie was so lost in her thoughts of what Seifers reception of her would be that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone until a gruff voice with a lisp spoke. "I don't know about theifer my pretty but I athure you that I will welcome you with more than open armth...."

Selphie turned sharply, her green eyes wide. She frantically tried to think of a way to get rid of this man without hurting him as she was feeling way to tired to fight. "Uh, thanks. That's very nice, but Seifer is expecting me so I'll be going now." Selphie said, trying to control the shaking in her voice. As she reached for the door handle, she cursed, finding it locked as it was a sunday night so no pubs would be open.

The man chuckled, then started coughing, the phlegm rattling in his throat from too many years smoking rolled up cigarettes. "It doethn't look like you'll be going anywhere me dearie. Tho why don't you come over here and let Thtevie Athcough take care of you?"

Selphie squealed as the grotesque man reached out a large dirty hand to her shoulder. Turning, she started pounding on the door of the pub. "Seifer! Let me in! Quick, help me!"

"Now now thweetie, no need to thcream. Jutht give me thum money and a kith and I'll be on my merry way." He groaned as he picked up Selphie's wet form, pulling her away from the door.

"No! Let me go! Oh, please let me go!" Selphie sobbed, shivering from the rain and from fright as the man roughly frisked her for money and valuables. Selphie shut her green eyes, silently praying that the foul smelling man would take what he wanted then leave her alone.

When Steve was satisfied that the only possesions Selphie had were in her rucksack, he took it from her and swung it over his shoulder. His hideous features contorted into a horrible smirk as he watched Selphie stand passively in front of him with her eyes closed. Her cheeks were pale due to the cold which made the redness of her lips stand out even more and the man couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips. Slowly he reached out a finger and ran it across Selphie's lower lip, muttering "Now, how about that kith thweetie?"

Selphie's green eyes opened wide as the man leaned down to kiss her, but suddenly a 'whoosh' was heard as a baseball bat swung through the air, and a 'thud' as it hit the man in the back.

"Argh!" Steve shouted as he crawled on all fours, rubbing his back.

Selphie looked to the man's assailant and she sighed in relief. "Seifer..." she whispered, her body trembling.

"Theifer man, what wath that for?! I wath only having thum fun!" Steve cried indignantly as he stood up, swinging the rucksack back onto his shoulder.

Seifer turned his icy blue eyes to Steve and held up his baseball bat menacingly. "Oh is that right Steve? Well, you wanna see my idea of fun?"

Steve shook his head frantically and ran away, his boots pounding down the wet street.

"Are you ok?" Seifer asked warily as he let the baseball bat drop to the floor, his eyes studying Selphie carefully. It had been two years since he had last seen her and the pain leaving her had caused, had not diminished at all in that time.

Selphie looked up at him, her red hair plastered to her childlike head, her green eyes wide, her rosy lips parted slightly. As she stared at him silently, Seifer frowned as he was afraid that she may have gone into shock. Stepping closer to her, Seifer tentatively reached a hand out to her shoulder. Within a second, Selphie darted forward, wrapping her arms round his waist, clinging to him with all her strength.

Seifer sighed and rested one hand on the small of Selphie's back and the other hand stroking her wet hair. "It's alright, nothing's going to hurt you now."

As Selphie clung to him she began to sob, her body shuddering with the force of her emotion. "I....was so....scared. I completely....froze." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her pretty face and mixing with the crystal rain drops that already lay there.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I think I would have frozen too if that big lummox had approached me." Seifer said, trying to make Selphie feel better.

Selphie laughed through her tears and thumped Seifer playfully on the chest. "You liar! You just hit him with a baseball bat. You weren't scared."

Seifer laughed with her for a few seconds then stopped as he stared into her eyes, getting lost in them for a few seconds. His blue eyes roamed her face, resting on her lips, his tongue involuntarily flickering out to moisten his own. As he stepped even closer to Selphie, she thought that he was going to kiss her. The moment was gone in a second though as Seifer seemed to shake himself free of something and said "Hmm. Yea. So... lets go inside, before we both get ill."

Selphie sighed silently and nodded as she followed Seifer inside the pub. She continued to follow him upstairs, vaguely noticing the wet footprints they were both leaving across his polished wood floors. Seifer didn't say a word until they reached a closet, Reaching inside he pulled out a soft pale blue towel and handed it to Selphie. "Here you go. You can use this to dry yourself off a bit." He then went into another room and pulled out a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and a dark blue hooded sweater. As he handed these to Selphie, he noticed the questionning look in her green eyes. "Uh, you are staying the night aren't you?"

Selphie chewed her lower lip, running her small hands over the fabric of the clothes that Seifer had handed her, feeling the softness. "Yea, I have no where else to go."

Seifer nodded, reserving comment, then opened another door and motioned for Selphie to enter. As she did so, she saw a double bed, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a television. "Uh, this is a spare room I had made up in case anyone came to see me".

Selphie could tell from the sad way that Seifer said this that no one ever did come to see him. "And did anyone come Seifer?"

Seifer looked at her, the hurt visible in his eyes as it was obvious that he had been hoping for a long time that Selphie would be the one to come and see him. "No. No one came. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm a busy man. So...uh, how long are you planning to stay?"

Selphie shrugged. "As long as it takes me to find my feet I guess. I mean if thats alright..."

"Yea, of course it's alright. It'll be nice to have some company...."

Selphie chuckled "Seifer, you run a pub, you've always got company!" She could have instantly bitten her tongue for the callous way she had said that though, as Selphie knew that Seifer had meant he wanted the company of a friend.

Seifer, stared at the floor silently for a second then said "Um, yes, you're right. Well, I'll leave you to get dry. I will be in the room across the hall if you want me. I'm just gonna watch some television." Without waiting for an answer, Seifer turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Selphie sighed and rested the back of her head against the door as she whispered "I've missed you Seifer."

NB: Should I continue? Review and tell me!