Part 2.

IIII

Squall stood back watching Seifer finish off a T Rex. They were in the forest outside of Balamb. Seifer loved to show off, especially in front of Squall for some reason. The blonde had been the one to suggest their little trip. They woke up at dawn and snuck out before anyone else was awake. They were armed only with their gunblades. Seifer had insisted on both of them being unjunctioned so each had a mini supply of items, mostly potions. After sparing with each other three times, each winning one each and the other time Seifer announced it was a draw even though Squall felt he had won. Seifer had turned to Squall and challenged him to a bet. To see how many monsters they could each find and kill in an hour.

Squall had looked bored at the idea. "That's it?"

The blonde had grinned wickedly at him. "The winner gets something from the loser."

"Gets what?"

Seifer shrugged. "Whatever he wants, and the loser has to go along with."

Squall looked sceptical. "Anything?"

The blonde was grinning at him again. "Anything."

Squall shrugged and agreed. "Okay."

Seifer nodded and turned around, looking for his first monster. "Great."

As usual the blonde had cheated. Squall didn't have a chance. The instant any monster appeared Seifer would go after it even if Squall pointed it out.

"You didn't call it." Had been his excuse over and over again.

Squall blinked at his computer screen realising he just read the same sentence five times. He had been thinking about Seifer again. Remembering their past together. They were never lovers or anything close. They were training partners, rivals and… something else. He wasn't sure what. Not really friends but…

Maybe they would have been lovers.

Squall smiled to himself thinking of all the times they almost and then something happened. The monster attack in the forest, Xu walking in on them and that passing scout troop. They did have the worst luck, though they were often together to public places.

Seifer had kissed him that day in the forest as his reward for killing all the monsters, he was probably a second away from shoving a hand down the brunette's pants too if it weren't for that ochu that crept up on them. After that they killed it together and limped back to garden with neither of them mentioning their kiss ever again.

During the summer before the Seed exam Seifer was more distant and he saw less of the blonde. At the time he didn't know why but now he knew about Rinoa. They were a couple during at the summer, or at least that's what she said, he had never asked Seifer about it of course, none of his business.

Someone knocked on the door. He quickly put his hands back on the keyboard to make it look like was busy and not daydreaming.

"Come in."

Quistis walked in with a few things in her arms. Probably paperwork for him to sign.

"Squall I wondered if…." She stopped.

He looked at her expectantly. "Yes?"

She looked uncomfortable. "Do you think it's wise to let Seifer…. Wander the halls?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What? He's not a prisoner, he can do what he wants."

She nodded. "Only he gets a lot of attention that's all, especially this morning when…."

"Something happened? Why didn't you come and tell me?"

"I'm telling you now." She smiled. "And it was nothing major, he went into the cafeteria, which was obviously was full of people for breakfast and some people were a bit… annoyed." She smiled. "Selphie stood up for Seifer, he wasn't too happy about a five foot girl fighting his battles for him though."

Squall half smiled. "I can imagine."

"Oh and Zell punched one guy." She said. "Everyone more or less went back to their food after that."

Squall sat there blinking at her in confusion. "So Zell stood up for Seifer?" He asked, as if that was something out of the twilight zone.

She shrugged with an amused smile. "Unless you believe his story that the guy's yelling was interrupting his 'hotdog time'."

Squall shook his head. "Hotdogs for breakfast?"

Quistis shrugged. "It's Zell." Was all she said.

"What I wanted to ask you was, next time should we have someone take him food? Just for a day or so!" She added quickly. "Until people get used to him again."

Squall wrinkled up his nose, obviously not liking the idea.

"Or someone could go with him?"

"Like a babysitter?"

"I wouldn't put it like that."

"But Seifer would."

She shrugged. "What else can we do?"

"Can't he have a late breakfast when it's less crowded or something?" Squall suggested.

"You're suggesting it, not me." Quistis held her hands up. She quickly handed over some papers. "And while you're down there, he needs to sign these."

Squall pushed his chair back away from the desk and stood, walking around it. He took the papers from Quistis and walked past her. As he stepped past she started to walk with him to the lift.

"Tell Seifer I said hi." She said.

"You could come with me."

She shook her head. "No, I'm sure he'd rather you were alone."

He raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She had that small secret smile, that she often had when she knew something Squall didn't. "It's nothing."

The lift reached the basement level and Squall stepped out, looking back at Quistis who just waved and pressed a button to make the doors close.

The brunette started down the three steps and then round the corner. Seifer was in the same place he was the last time Squall went down there, in the darkened corner at the back.

"I heard you had an interesting morning." Squall said, startling the other man who looked up quickly.

Seifer relaxed, seeing it was only Squall and nodded. "Yeah, some guy had some things to say." He shrugged. "It doesn't bother me." He waved a hand. "You learn to tune it out."

"You ignored him?"

He nodded. "Until Selphie started calling him a whole bunch of names."

Squall walked around Seifer bed and sat on the edge of it.

"She was sitting at my table." Seifer added. "She encouraging the Chicken to sit there too."

Squall's lips turned up the nickname.

"And anyway she was yelling at him and he was yelling at all of us by then, getting nearer to our table and then-" He chuckled suddenly. "The chicken jumps up and yells at him for ruining breakfast." He shook his head, looking amused. "Then the guy got up in Zell's face so he punched him." He shook his head. "It was funniest thing."

"Well I'm glad you had fun." Squall said.

The blonde looked up at him. "Yeah it was alright." He shrugged. "Quistis wasn't happy though right? Selphie came down here before you got here, she filled me in."

Squall nodded.

"So what's the plan then? You going to put me on the leash or something?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down his arms slightly.

Squall gave him a look. "Of course not. Quistis was concerned that's all, in case things got worse. I'm sure one of the others will sit with you in the cafeteria…"

"A bodyguard?"

Squall sighed "No."

"I can handle myself." He glared at the brunette.

"I know." He said quietly, not wanting to start an argument.

The blonde sighed heavily and leant back on the wall, shutting him eyes. He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, screwing his eyes shut. When he opened them Squall had moved.

The brunette was kneeling on the floor next to him, concern in his stormy eyes.

"Hello." The blonde said in surprise.

"You could carry on as usual tomorrow." Squall suggested. "Zell's punch might have shut people up a bit."

"Maybe."

"And tonight… You could eat with me?"

Seifer raised an eyebrow. "You volunteering to come with me to the cafeteria?"

Squall shrugged. "Or my dorm."

"You cook?"

The brunette looked sheepish. "A little. Do you like the taste of burnt food?"

The blonde chuckled. "I can do the cooking as long as I don't have to wear a pink apron or anything."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "Pink apron?"

Seifer shook his head with a smile. "Oh it's a Raijin thing."

"Raijin owns a pink apron?" Squall suddenly got this image of the large man in an apron and quickly shook it away. "I don't like the ideas that puts in my head."

"No, the real thing isn't pretty either."

"So…" Squall started to say. "I'll come and get you at… six?"

Seifer nodded. "That's fine, it's not like my schedule is packed solid." He sighed. "There's nothing to do here, don't even have a TV."

Squall sighed and rose into his knees so he could dig a hand into his pocket. He dropped his door key into Seifer hand.

"You can let yourself in and wait for me." He said.

Seifer sat up straighter. "Seriously?"

Squall nodded. "That's my only key so don't lose it."

"I won't."

"And don't move my furniture."

The blonde looked amused. "Why would I do that?"

"Must be a Rinoa thing then, she is always moving my stuff." He shook his head in confusion.

Seifer smiled. "Squall." He said, getting the brunette attention.

He leaned in closer and looked straight into stormy eyes. "Thank you." He said.

Squall stared right back, if he moved a fraction nearer he would have bumped noses with him.

"God, you're so different now." Seifer said.

Squall raised an eyebrow. "So are you."

Seifer shrugged. "Yeah but you were so…"

"Cold? Heartless?" Squall gave him a look.

Seifer chuckled, leaning in with his hand on the side of Squall's jaw. He moved in so that their lips grazed each others when he spoke. "You don't feel cold to me."

He smirked when he noticed that Squall had closed his eyes the moment that Seifer pulled in close.

The blonde closed the gap and kissed him so softly like he was afraid Squall would run away, not that he had ever run away before they just always got interrupted. He had expected Squall to be shy at first or hesitant like he had when they last kissed. He did not expect the other man to grab the front of his shirt and moan into their kiss. Seifer paused for a moment surprised by how eager the brunette was, he got over it quickly moving a hand into Squall's hair and the other under the other man's shirt.

Suddenly Squall was pushing him away, though wasn't doing a very good job of it. "Wait, wait." He held his hands up to try and fend Seifer off.

"What?" The blonde asked.

Squall's shirt was half buttoned and he was flushed and sexy looking and Seifer was having trouble keeping his hands off him.

"I have to go back to work."

Seifer opened his mouth to protest, his hands reaching for Squall again.

"Quistis will come looking for me, she wanted to go over some stuff."

Seifer sat down on his heels looking disappointed.

"Use the key." Squall said. "And wait for me."

When it looked like Seifer wasn't going to take no for an answer he added. "We wouldn't want another scout troop incident."

Seifer smiled. "Oh yeah, it was funny though."

Squall shot him a look. "Funny?"

"Yeah it took me weeks to figure out how to thaw you out."

Squall rolled his eyes.

"And when it looks like I might have a shot a whole load of midgets appear from nowhere to ruin everything."

"Well that's not going to happen this time." Squall said, putting hand over Seifer's that held his door key. "You can make me dinner and I'll um… finish up my work."

"Quickly." Seifer added with a smirk.

The brunette blushed slightly and dipped his head. "Quickly." He agreed.

IIII

Notes: In case anyone's picky enough to notice it, yes I know that Ochus aren't native to Balamb but there wasn't much else to choose from. Bite bugs don't creep up they have wings and I couldn't spell the others things.