Star Shadow: *pulls out her mallet of doom and thwacks Stratos with it several time in succession* How could you have done that to my chibi muse you -- you jerk!

Dark Stratos: Star! Stop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

Star Shadow: *turns to readers* He KILLED my new muse!!! *continues hitting him*

Dark Stratos: I helped get a new chapter out!!!!

Star Shadow: After a few MONTHS! *thwack* And it doesn't even go well! Why'd you have to kill 'im!?

Dark Stratos: I'm Sorry, OKAY!? I was just jealous!

Star Shadow: *thwack thwack thwack*

Disclaimer: Do you think I honestly own FFVIII? You do? Well then, you need to see a therapist, because I think it's apparent by now that I don't.

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The Journal

Star Shadow and Dark Stratos

The Bond

Seifer stared at the shorter man who was currently occupying his door way. Cold eyes looked at him, as if scrutinizing him for some unknown offence. Seifer could only look into those eyes that he had always found so interesting. He wished his eyes were as different as the ones before him. It was interesting the way blue-gray eyes turned into a brownish-green center with a small jagged line separating the colors. The slight extra color had been nearly impossible to see before Ultemecia's attempt to destroy the space time continuum , but recently it seemed to stand out more.

Squall raised an eyebrow as a question to enter, and Seifer moved aside. After giving a half-hearted glance around the almost empty room, Squall turned to it's occupant who was currently staring at him mutely. This was a bit of an awkward situation for him, and he could almost feel the silent confusion emanating from his rival as he closed the door. He was already starting to get a headache.

"I have some aspirin if you need something."

Seifer's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he realized he had unconsciously brought his hand up to massage him already pounding temples. He responded with a curt nod and watched the tall blond move to make a small search for the bottle of pills that were so very needed at the moment.

The silence between them was horrid, and the tension could have been easily cut with a butter knife. After handing a glass of water and the pill bottle to him, he was almost shocked to see Squall dump five or six of the 500mg pills into his hand. Was he trying to knock himself unconscious and get sent to the med-ward? Something must have portrayed his thoughts because when Squall looked up at him after downing the last pill he explained himself in the shortest possible manner.

"High tolerance."

"Ah…"

Well that made sense. The guy had to get dozens of headaches with people like Zell, Selphie, Quistis and Rinoa around. The only one that he didn't seem to mind was that Irvine guy, and that was because he almost never bothered him. How Squall did it, he just couldn't comprehend, but it was fairly obvious that it had something to do with his tolerance for painkillers.

Squall put the glass and bottle down on the nearly spotless desk and sat down in it's matching chair. He really didn't know what he wanted to say. He sunk into his own world of thought only to be reawakened by the same person he felt the need to speak to.

"Just tell me what you need to say already. If I got expelled for the past, I got expelled. I didn't expect this to last this long anyway."

Squall looked to the bed where Seifer was currently laying with his arms behind his head and an ankle on a raised knee. When did he move to his bed? Had he really been so out of it that he hadn't noticed? Why did he feel so… so comfortable again?

"Where did you get the idea that you were getting expelled?" he asked before he could stop himself. In response, Seifer just looked at him with a bored expression. "That's not why I'm here."

"Well…" Seifer trailed off, eyes glazing over slightly in thought or memory.

"I was worried," Squall said, his back turned to rival, one of the very few he could stand for extended periods.

"Uh-huh…" Seifer responded in a very disbelieving tone.

"I haven't heard about you doing anything, and it's strange."

"I don't wasn't to take any chances."

"Whatever…"

The silence was no longer as tense as it had been, in fact, it was actually nice. It was only after a minute or two that Squall chanced a look at the bed. Seifer was just relaxing as if nothing was wrong. He felt the same. It was just as claming as the last time that they had done this, and that had been before Seifer had become the Sorceress' Knight, before the chaos, disillusionment and destruction wreaked they're havoc upon the entirety of the unsuspecting world. That had been the time when he most wished for these sessions that they so rarely had.

He slowly rose from his seat, so as to not disturb the other rooms occupant. He felt better now, and he could not deal with all the stress he had upon his shoulders. The only sound heard as he crossed the room was the soft jingling of his belts hitting one another.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah. Have to, but you can come talk to me if something's bothering you. It's nice to take a break from everything if you just want to unload on someone."

"Thanks. I might take you up on that offer sometime, Leonheart."

Squall left the room without another word. He steeled himself as he left someone in contemplation, yet feeling much better. That person whom he had recently seen for the first time struggling for something that felt more than just lost.

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Star Shadow: *thwack* I really hate you right now Stratos!

Dark Stratos: I'm *thwacked* Sorry!

Star Shadow: If you were confused by that last part, go re-read chapter four. *thwacks* You'll get it.

Dark Stratos: *thwacked* Read and Review *thwacked* or nothing new will come! *thwacked* We're looking for 40 reviews before the next chapter *thwacked* comes out! Come on Star! *thwacked* I'm really sorry! *thwacked*