-5-

Friends

Squall stifled a yawn as the movie came to an end. Seifer was sleeping comfortably, his head cradled on Squall's laps. Zell had long before gone to the bathroom, a beer can in his hand, and Irvine had his arms around Selphie, who was crying because the movie had been 'sad'.

Pizza boxes were littering the tables, half already empty. After the movie finished, Selphie turned the lights back on and smiled at the sleeping blonde, "I see he likes you already to sleep like a baby."

Squall shrugged, his steely eyes trained on Irvine, who smiled nervously, "Anyway, buddy, since our host happens to be out and our host's body guard seems speechless, we'll just be on our way."

"Where the hell is Zell?" Selphie asked as they waited.

"Must have been too many hotdogs. Dude, you might wanna turn on the ventilation system before the smell turns into poisonous gases. Wouldn't want you to lose your job so soon after you got it."

Squall raise an eyebrow as Zell walked in, "Hey…it's a damned sin to talk about others behind their backs."

"Well, now that you're here, it wouldn't be behind your back at all." Irvine wound his arm around his friends' shoulder and waved goodbye to Squall, who had slipped from beneath the blonde and walked them to the door.

"Nightie nightie, Squally." Squall frowned in distaste, causing the trio to burst out in laughter as they left the apartment.

Seifer was yawning and stretching as Squall walked back into the living room to clean up after the mess.

"God, that was refreshing. It's pretty late; Squall…if you want to sleep that is."

The brunet sighed, "Yeah. I think that is a good idea."

"You…like my friends?" Seifer asked as he stood up and walked to a cupboard to pull out a blanket and pillow for his guest.

Squall shrugged, "They're okay, I guess. You like them, though."

"Yeah, I do."

"Then that's what's important." The brunet's expression had turned dark and a hard glint had taken over the beautiful grey eyes.

"Squall?"

"What?" The brunet came out of the kitchen, frowning like usual.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep on the bed?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Squall took the pillow and blanket, choosing the sofa Seifer had been sleeping on earlier.

Seifer smiled and turned off the lights, "Okay then. If you need anything…I'll be in my room. Make yourself comfortable, okay?"

"Yeah yeah." Squall flashed the blonde his second smile for the day before he walked off to the bathroom to prepare for bed. The couch was warm and smelled faintly of Seifer's cologne. Grey eyes were fixed on the dark ceiling as pictures of Ellone flashing in his mind.

Seifer watched the boy sleep sometime in the middle of the night. The brunet looked so innocent, almost like an angel while he was resting so peacefully, his face not twisted in the usual annoyed frown.

Squall looked untroubled, but Seifer knew there was something wrong in the brunet's young life.

The blanket was draped over his hip, exposing a bare chest that carried a few scars here and there. Seifer frowned, what would drive a boy like him to do this kind of work? Money…probably…Seifer turned to walk back into his room. The idea that his father actually cared bothered him, but being gullible and lax by nature, the blonde shrugged off his suspicions.

Closing the emerald eyes of his, Seifer pondered about his new friend…the cynical, jaded brunet who had reached for his gun the moment the doorbell had rung.

The smell of pancakes flooded into Seifer's room, dragging him out of his peaceful slumber.

S

quall was just dropping a bunch of pancakes onto a pate when Seifer walked in, a bright smile on his face, "Good morning sunshine. How was your night?"

Squall shrugged, "Good."

Seifer grinned at Squall, who was dressed in a pair of snug faded jeans and a shirt the complimented his eyes and figure. Although the boy's muscles couldn't compare to Seifer's bulky ones, there was ferocity and strength carved into the pale ivory skin.

Squall's frown was emanating an ominous threat to anyone who dared to step forward.

"Well, well…Mr. Get-the-hell-away-from-me has a feminine side too."

Squall rolled his eyes as he set plum syrup on the table along with a glass of fresh apple juice.

Seifer stretched, "When did you get up?"

"At dawn."

"What? Why?"

"To exercise."

"Where?"

"Outside."

"What do you mean?"

"I run, dammit…I run at dawn. Okay?"

"Aha." Seifer sat at the table and frowned, "Where is your plate?"

"I don't want to eat."

Pulling an apple from the fridge, Squall quietly bit into it, leaning against the marble platform by the sink.

"You made pancakes for me?" Seifer grinned.

"Don't flatter yourself. It's something I like to do."

"What? Cook?"

"Just eat already…I didn't poison it or anything."

"I know that. I trust you."

"Hoho…don't please. Don't be such a fool."

"Why? You're my friend."

"You decided that on your own. I didn't do anything to earn your trust. Stop being so naïve."

"Anybody who's somebody would be glad to be trusted so fast."

"Yeah, but I'm a nobody, so these rules don't apply."

Seifer's viridian eyes snapped to Squall's stormy face, "That's not true."

"What do you know!" the brunet snapped.

The blonde was for once speechless. The great, overconfident, cocky flaxen was stunned speechless by a brunet who had deemed himself insignificant.

Squall turned away from Seifer's penetrating gaze, ludicrously worried the blonde would be able to read his mind.

"You sure are strange, coffee top."

Squall shrugged and finished off his apple, filling a glass with cold water and setting it in the sink after he was done.

"We'll be going to get furniture in a few minutes."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. Your pancakes are delicious, darling."

Squall snorted and snapped on three belts, hooking his gun and whip to the one at his waist.

"I'll change and we can leave. Mary, the housekeeper, has the key to my apartment so we need not wait."

"She has the keys?" Squall sounded horrified.

"Yeah…so?"

"Don't tell me you trust her!" Squall wailed.

"It's not that I trust her…it's just there is nothing precious here to protect."

Seifer looked sad for a moment but his cheery smile soon returned, "You should relax, my paranoid protector. It'll make you sick."

Squall snorted as Seifer left to change, "Better sick than dead."

"You're strong, you wouldn't die easily."

"Some deaths are better than others." Squall whispered, but Seifer had heard and thoughts of a spiritually and emotionally hurt Squall followed him to the bathroom…