-14-

Traitors

Seifer's eyes had undergone a scary change…the warm verdant orbs were replaced by cool emeralds that spoke of anger and betrayal. He cast the tape recorder into the drawer and walked out of the apartment. Any feelings he had left for the brunet he had tenderly mad love to before...he had lost…

"What's up with you, Seifer. It's been a while since you drank yourself to oblivion like that." Irvine frowned.

The blonde just coughed and ordered another glass.

"Hey, don't you think you've had enough to drink for one night?"

"I…still can't forget…" Seifer whispered before downing his scotch, shaking his head, and ordering another one.

"Forget what?"

"The princess…he left…he killed me."

"What the hell…Seifer, you had too much to drink…you're not making any sense."

"Father wants to become…president... and he makes sacrifices."

"Of course he makes sacrifices…life is full of them" Irvine frowned, trying to understand his blonde friend.

Seifer shook his head, "He sacrifices people…Squall too…he left…" Seifer let out a shaky breath as everything he ever believed in, everything he ever trusted and hoped for shattered into a thousand pieces. The tape had revealed to him more than he had ever dreamed to know.

Squall was an assassinator, his assassinator…Seifer buried his face in his hands, but he didn't cry….the man he had lain with, the brunet he had made love to with all the gentleness he could muster…the grey-eyed friend he had unconditionally trusted…

The blonde smirked, looks like it didn't take much to make a man cold and cynical…

Irvine stood up and pulled his friend to his feet, "Comon, I'll take you home."

Seifer offered no resistance as he sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window, his head pounding painfully.

"Where's Squall?"

"He's dead."

"He's dead?" Irvine cried.

"No…No...he's as good as dead."

"What?"

Seifer closed his eyes, "He's going to kill me…no he was…he left."

"What are you saying?" Irvine groaned in exasperation.

"I slept with him."

"What? Since when, Seifer!"

"Today…in my cabin.."

"What cabin…"

"The one in the mountains." Seifer whispered.

"I see." Irvine frowned, in truth he didn't see at all, but he knew something was seriously wrong. "Are you still going to have the party tomorrow night?"

Seifer's eyes widened and he frowned…right…he had arranged a party in a hotel and it was tomorrow…great timing…

Squall closed his eyes and hugged his knees to his chest. His heart was heavy and there was no hint that he had ever smiled in his life on that cold face of his.

'What is Seifer doing now?' Squall mused, tears falling from his grey eyes on their own accord.

'Probably cursing you and hating your existence.' The brunet stood up and walked away from the bench he was sitting on…a sad smile on his lips as he walked over to Seifer's apartment.

Irvine glared at Squall, who was standing there in the middle of the street, looking at the apartment with longing in his dreary eyes, "What did you do to him?"

Squall frowned and shrugged. "Don't shrug your way out of this…he's drunk himself into a damn stupor…what happened?"

The brunet gritted his teeth and glared at Irvine, "Does Seifer have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"It's pretty complicated but he needs my protection…he does."

"Well…we are having a party at the Plasma hotel tomorrow at ten." Irvine shrugged, "I suggest you don't bother coming though…he said you're dead…"