Final Fantasy VIII TwentyFourSeven

**24/7**

**By: Moomba**

**E-mail: Carbuncle25@hotmail.com**

* * *

NB I clearly don't own any of these characters. As always I just use them for my selfish writing purposes.

A/N This fic is for Anime D of the Seiftis Board. It's just my way of saying thanks to a really cool person who's willing to take time to help people out, even if she doesn't know them too well.__

~ ~ ~

_"Children! Time to come in now, the tide is rising!" The voice of a raven beauty said atop of a weather beaten trail of stones, sand and concrete._

_From this vista point a clear view of the long stretch of beach and the tall erect structure of a lighthouse could be seen, it's bright beacon flashing and illuminating the darkening sky. There was going to be a storm._

_"Hurry!" she called, counting the number of figures that were shouting and running towards her. She panicked when she saw only four heads scrambling up the path. "Squall! Where's Seifer and Quistis?!"_

_It had begun to rain._

_A boy of dark hair wearing dark pants and an orange t-shirt with black stripes turned to point back at the beach. The woman felt someone tug at her black dress. She looked down to see the face of Zell and Irvine looking up at her, barely containing themselves to tell her what was going on._

_"It was Seifer's fault!"_

_"He made her cry!"_

_"She has only one shoe!"_

_"Ok, ok. Hush the two of you!" Edea softly instructed. She craned her neck and peered down to the beach. Amid the curtain of steady rain she couldn't see a thing save for the blurry outline of the lighthouse._

_"I'll go get them!" Selphie's voice piped, making a mad dash. Edea quickly held onto the back of the girl's denim dungarees._

_"No, Selphie. I want all of you to go back into the Orphanage, ok? Remove your shoes and socks and dry up by the fire, understand?" she instructed._

_Four heads nodded in unison._

_Edea gently ushered them up the path and watched till the darkness swallowed them. Turning back, she hurried down to the beach, shouting their names as she went._

_"Matwon!"_

_"Here! I'm here!"_

_Her first thought when she saw that the beach was deserted was that the tide had swept them away. Her heart beat rapidly accelerated at the very thought but then gave an anguished cry of relief when she whirled round to the sound of voices to see them huddled beneath a sand dune. They were both vying for space and stopped when they took note of their Matron's bedraggled form, hands on hips and staring at them with a very stern expression._

_She shook her head in resignation when lips began to wobble. Nobody liked a telling off, especially when wet and likely to catch cold._

_"Let's go," she said, picking the small form of the girl called Quistis into her arms. "Come on little soldier." She looked over at Seifer getting to his feet and dusting his pants free of sand._

_The blond boy seemed pleased that he received no bad words from Matron and happily led the way back to home. He whined when Edea spoke. "Because of you two I'm very very wet. So you better have good excuses." As they left the beach behind them, the sound of distant thunder rumbled in the heavens._

~ ~ ~

Someone was pounding on my door and I was vaguely aware of myself slowly sitting up in bed and squinting to read the digital read out of the clock on the bedside table next to me.

12:47am it screamed.

12:47am?! I groaned sinking beneath rumpled sheets and held back a yawn, my eyes drooping from the sheer effort of trying to keep then open until another barrage of knocks assaulted the electronic door of my room.

What was going on? Was it an emergency? Was I being summoned? Was it even important?

My sleep-induced mind was still too hazy to assess these questions let alone provide answers so I decided that the pounding had to stop because I was likely to develop a headache.

Shifting in place, my body protested when I tried to swing my legs over the edge of my bed. I so did not want to be doing this. Gritting my teeth together I pushed myself up and out into a wobbly standing position and stayed like that until I decided it was safe to move.

With the lights still off, I fumbled my way towards the general direction of the door with the hallway light seeping beneath the doorframe guiding me. On my journey there I successfully managed to stub my foot at a wall corner and stumble over what suspiciously felt like slippers. Lucky for me my reflexes had somewhat awakened since getting up from the bed, my arm flailing out and grasping onto a chair.

Thank you chair.

Ah and there was that ever persistent knock that sounded like it was running out of patience, something similar to a rhino charging against metal. Must be painful. I briefly wondered whether Headmaster Cid would soundproof my door. It wouldn't hurt to try and forward this idea to him. The Commander sleeps in a reinforced steel room for Hyne's sake. Surely a SeeD like me deserved a little more?

Hissing a mild oath in the darkness I groped for the button on the control panel that would release the lock on the door to my dormitory. After several unsuccessful tries and pounding from my side of the door as well as the other, I finally managed to get the incessant knocking to stop.

If I had the strength and inclination, for such a late - or rather early time in the day, I could have produced an indignant scowl or frown. As it turned out I couldn't manage to do either. It perhaps had something to do with the fact that I had trouble identifying my visitor to frown or scowl at. A problem because my vision was a current state of black and shadows smudged into a messy blur. I squinted, this action failing to aid my situation.

Feeling my temples starting to throb, I concentrated very hard, blinked many times and focussed my vision.

What my eyes discerned from all this nearly sent me stumbling backwards in fright and shock. I was staring straight at a chest. A naked one at that, one that had a flat stomach and well tones muscles-

What the?!

Mentally slapping myself I forced my eyes to drag themselves upwards. For the second time at such an early start to the day I groaned despite trying to hold it back. Why me of all people. Out of the entire Balamb Garden population why did I have to endure this constant torture and suffering? I'm seriously beginning to think someone up there hates me. It usually _is_ me who ends up carrying the heaviest of crosses on my shoulders and I'm beginning to get fed up of it.

Now I'm beginning to wonder what I must look like standing there in the doorway in a huge plain white cotton t-shirt with the Balamb Garden SeeD logo emblazoned across my chest. Large was what they gave me. They had run out on the Small sizes and so I was stuck with a pile of Large ones instead. Useless for the purposes of wearing it outside my SeeD attire yet they made terrific pyjama substitutes especially since the climate on Balamb Island has reach its peak.

Behind me the sole window in my dorm was thrown wide open, a slight breeze carrying in the scent of Jasmine from the garden outside brushing my bare legs. In contrast, the breeze from the hallway was cold, causing goose bumps to appear on my arms. I shivered involuntarily.

I now understand why I have a bare chest right in front of me and why this person is clad only in loose pyjama bottoms. The humidity was overbearing. While I've managed to thoroughly distract myself from the current situation I've come to realise that eyes are staring down at the top of my mussed up straw blond hair. I've got to stop staring at that chest because it's starting to unsettle me.

Once again I force my eyes away from the vision before me to meet that gaze I somehow know is piercing and unfaltering at the same time. During my ascent I stop to stare at the silver dog collar like chain hanging around the neck. For some strange reason I want to touch it. Hyne, am I properly awake yet because I feel like I'm in a dream. These cannot be the thoughts of Quistis Trepe.

Past the neck I see lips set into a straight line, eyebrows slightly raised and one raised a fraction as if questioning me, blond hair a little bit long at the back but cropped with a few fronds fanning over the forehead, framing a face that I knew all too well. Eyes made of the purest jade.

~ ~ ~

I didn't want to believe it, but here's the truth: Seifer Almasy is standing semi naked at my door way at the ungodly hour of 1:05 in the morning. No one would believe me if I tried to tell anyone because it is a well-known fact that he and I fight like alley cats. In short we don't like each other very much. He hates my guts and I him. No love lost between us at all. It's all very mutual as I once explained to Selphie in the driest tone of voice I could muster.

So why is he standing here before me now with a look that would reduce a junior cadet to a pile of tears? Who knows? What I do know is that I'm returning his look with my own cool, collective stare. It seems to be more effective when you have blue eyes, and mine have been described to have chips of ice in them when I pull off my own kind of piercing looks. Useful talent if I ever had one. I'm saving the 'ice dagger' look for when I need it. At the moment I want answers because my bed is beckoning me to return to it. It'd happily comply but this gigantic oaf is blocking my way. He's happily stepped in the middle of the doorway so there's no chance of me closing the door on him.

I sigh, fold my arms and tap my bare foot impatiently.

"What do you want?" I ask in the most uninviting tone.

"Move out of the way." he says.

I blink. Did I just hear what I thought I heard? I have just dragged myself out of bed with a great deal of tremendous effort and now some arrogant, overbearing fool was ordering me about?

I fake a laugh and shake my head. "I'm sorry, but I think you've been sleep walking. This is the women's dormitory and you seem to be under the impression that this is your room."

"Cut the crap Trepe and move your ass out of my way."

What?!

"Don't talk to me like that you-!"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because the next thing I know I'm being hoisted up into the air, his hand on my arse and carrying me back inside my room. And he didn't stub his foot or trip over a stray slipper. Bastard...

When he sets me down I right hook him on his jaw, sending him reeling.

"What the fuck?!" he yells, clutching at his injured face, green eyes sending me a death glare.

I easily ignore them and narrow my eyes at him, the ice dagger look coming into play. The door is still open and I didn't bother to close it because I'd be throwing him out there soon.

I stride over to my bedside table to switch on the lamp there. "What is the big idea?" I demanded, hands on my hips. "Who the hell do you think you are barging your way in here and groping me!"

"Groping?" Seifer muttered, slowly working his jaw to make sure it was still hinged in place.

"Yes groping!" I shouted. "Why the hell are you here to begin with?!"

He winces at the loudness of my voice. "Pipe down will you." he says, moving to close the door.

I'm dumbfounded and my mouth is hanging open like a fish. The guy was unbelievable. "Just tell me why you've decided to haunt me at a time like this?" I hissed at a quieter level.

"Raijin's snoring was driving me insane. I couldn't sleep." He replies in a fashion that makes me want to smack him. It doesn't help that he casually plops himself down on the beige sofa positioned next to my desk like he owns the place.

I feel my right eye twitch and a vein in my jaw throb. Was this guy for real? "That's the reason why you've been banging on my door all this time? Because of _that_?" I said with controlled anger.

"Yup,"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" I shrieked, causing him to frown at me. Why was he frowning?

"Sssh," he says to me like a child. "You'll wake up everyone."

"Oh we wouldn't want that!" I derided excess sarcasm. "But it's ok to wake me?!"

"You'll survive."

It wasn't me that was going to need to survive. I was going to strangle the guy before the sun came through the horizon.

Seifer's head lolled onto the armrest. "Geez, he was so fucking loud. It was worse than a storming train rolling over Chocobos. I was starting to get hives."

Beautiful imaginary.

"What gave you the idea that you'd be welcome here of all places?"

He shrugs. "I dunno."

I give up. I can't hack this anymore. "You must really hate me." I said, flopping onto my bed, facing him.

"Aw come one! Have a little sympathy!"

"I'm afraid I ran out of that a long time ago. For you anyway."

He folds his arms behind his head. After a pause he decides to come up with, "You're such a bitch."

"Thank you for the compliment." I return. Hyne was I tired.

The next thing he says I almost didn't catch because he says it like he's talking to himself. "You always used to come into my bed whenever you were afraid of the thunder."

That strikes a chord with me and I wanted to pretend that I didn't hear him but I find myself intrigued. Guardian Forces can be a blessing and curse, a bit like life at times. These beasts unleash tremendous amounts of power and can greatly enhance your natural abilities. We utilise them a lot here in Balamb Garden and I for one have been using them for quite some time now. The price I and everyone else who uses them pay is our memories. Under the junction system developed by the world renowned Dr. Odine, Guardian Forces become apart of ourselves, an extension if you will like the way our weapons are when in the heat of battle. It's a marriage of sorts. We take a little and give a little.

It doesn't seem like much at first but it's at times like these that I wish I hadn't used GF at all. Sometimes it was fun to reminisce. I had my share of a dark past but not all of my past life was like that. I had fun times too, didn't?

Forgetting that I was supposed to be angry with him, I look over to where Seifer has stretched his length across the entire sofa. I say his name and he slides his eyes over to where I'm sitting.

I see him take note of my bare legs and how the large t-shirt comes mid thigh. I reach over to grab a pillow and place it on my lap. He frowns then looks back up at me.

"What?" he says rudely.

It's my turn to frown. "You _are_ here under my generosity you know." I remind him.

"Didn't think you were capable of _that_."

"I make allowances when I want to." I say.

Great. The moment is gone and silence soon lapses.

I don't like silence especially when I'm sharing it with someone like Seifer. It makes it all the more uncomfortable and him making me uncomfortable is not something I want to voice out loud. "What was that you said earlier; something about thunder? I didn't hear you properly."

Orbs of jade widen when I say this. "I wasn't talking to you," he said, looking away.

"Sure you were," I insisted. Something inside of me is nagging me to pursue this topic. It's too intriguing to let go. "Come on." I cajoled. "You did drag me out of bed and thanks to you I can't sleep anymore."

Silence.

"You're not turning into another Squall, are you?" I tease lightly. He doesn't seem to like this because he flashes me an annoyed look. "The crickets are getting lonely outsi-"

"Alright!" he snaps at me and I resist the urge to grin triumphantly.

I slide onto the floor with pillow in tow and listen carefully.

"You don't remember much, do you?" he says quietly, staring at the ceiling and at the eerie shadows that the objects in my room are making.

"GFs do that to you, Seifer." I say soberly. "I didn't want to believe it myself but scientific evidence have concluded that there is a direct correlation between memory loss and GF usage."

Seifer grunts something that sounds like a grunt of agreement. "I've used GFs a lot too I remember bits a pieces. They don't all fit together but I remember enough to get the overall picture."

I don't say anything to this and wait for him to continue.

"You never did like thunder." he says, his face concentrating hard on what he had to say. "We were all at the beach. Matron was calling us in because of the storm. The sky had turned black and it was beginning to rain. You got left behind because your shoe had come off and I was yelling at you for being such a slowpoke. I also said something about a monster was gonna eat'cha if you didn't hurry up. That got you scared and it was made worse by the sound of rumbling thunder right above the beach. You must've got really freaked out because you started screaming and crying, pigtails sopping wet, one foot with no shoe.

Matron gave me the greatest telling off of my life and you whacked me with your shoe when we were all drying off by the fire. For a girl you hit hard you know. I don't think you knew your own strength back then."

All this time I was listening with the utmost attention, his words like a spell, enchanting me as he brought the past back to life in such a short space of time. Since then my tolerance to the sound of thunder has risen to a certain degree. My SeeD training had done that. When undertaking missions we had no choice on what terrain or weather conditions we operated, so I felt it was important that I exorcised that weakness in me. Still, when the odd storm passes over Balamb's land I would cower at the great rumble from the heavens. Damn Seifer for doing that me. Then again, the scolding from Matron more than even the score. Plus the whacking he mentioned.

A smile played on my lips at the recollection. As for me and my strength. Well, what could I say? Other than dolls, watching the boys play fight was a past time I enjoyed witnessing. I remember wanting to join in but ended up really hurting Zell in the stomach. I wonder if he remembers that?

I broke myself from my reverie when I became aware that Seifer was talking again. I smiled at this too. This was rare moment in history in the lives of Seifer Almasy and Quistis Trepe. We were more or less civilised. Imagine that? Him laid out on the sofa and me cross-legged on the floor like pals. Yeah right.

"... Centra always used to get lots of storms. One at least every week if we were lucky. It was during those times that you snuck into the boy's rooms and crawled into my bed. The first time you did that I thought you were a cockroach or a rat."

"Hey!" I object, affronted by the comparison.

"What did you expect? You just slithered in next to me!" Seifer argued. "I ended up making you cry because of that and you were screaming your little head off about it being my fault and me being a monster. So I let you stay. Then Zell being the big mouth that he is started yelling the house down the next morning when he saw you. 

I reckon the only reason why he went into a fit like that was because you found out that he slept with a stuffed Moogle doll. We all kept telling him to go sleep with you and Selphie because only girls had dolls. That made him cry too. Geez, what a wuss. Even after he blabbed, Matron didn't seem to mind that much. She thought I deserved it, as penance for causing you to have a phobia of thunder."

He paused for moment as if to gather his thoughts. "So you'd think having snuck into the guy's room all those times, me crashing out here would be peanuts."

"The circumstances are a little different now, Seifer." I said patiently. "And those times at the Orphanage were all your fault!"

Seifer simply eye rolled. "And how are the circumstances any different from before? You're still bossy. Kissing people's ass-"

"I do _not_ kiss people's arses!" I defended heatedly. "And I'm not bossy." I added uncertainly. Ok, so what if I liked to control situations. That was healthy wasn't it?

He snorted derisively. "You've also got a bitchy streak which seemed to manifest during puberty. Urgh, you were such a pain back then, breaking up all those fights and making sure Squally boy was ok, like he was freakin' fine china."

"You were not meant to be fighting outside class rooms to begin with! Be grateful I stopped the fights before the Instructors discovered. Detention would have been a sure thing." I said, stretching my legs before me.

I remember all too well the times when Seifer would make comments about Squall, be it his hair, the way he walked. Squall hated it the most when he was taunted about Ellone. That was when fists started to fly and bruises started to emerge. At the time I couldn't figure out why it was Squall I always ran to to make sure he was ok.

I realise now that mentally Seifer was the stronger one. Ellone's abrupt disappearance from Squall's life had a devastating affect. We all missed her, but not as much Squall did. He shuttered himself, barricading himself away from the rest of the world. Ellone leaving changed him completely and nothing we or Matron could do had any effect on him.

"And no I didn't favour Squall over you."

"Just had a major crush on him." Seifer corrected for me.

I gave him the finger and hugged at the pillow I still had with me. "What about you?"

"Tall, sexy and damn-"

"You idiot," I hissed. "I mean 'you' as in insufferable, stubborn, causing unnecessary trouble."

"My point exactly. Nothing has changed much, Trepe. So why are you saying the circumstances have changed?"

"Because they have!" I exploded. Couldn't he see that? "You're breaking Garden regulations and you could have been seen. Gossip spreads like wildfire in Garden; you know that from personal experience. I for one would not like to discover stories of you and me-"

"Be grateful it's me and not someone like that Vincent loser. And don't bitch about Garden rules, Disciplinary leader here, ok? I think my sanity takes priority over rules." he said.

"You didn't have to make so much noise!"

"You weren't opening the bloody door!"

"Because I was asleep?!"

"Are we going to be like this for the rest of the early hours of today? I kinda want to sleep."

"Thanks to you I can't anymore!" I shouted, jumping to my feet and walking over to my closet. I tossed something to him. "And for Hyne's sake put something on."

"Why, am I putting you off? Or rather, on?" he said, coupling his words with an infuriating smile that is sending me over the edge.

I try to sound indifferent. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Seifer held up the garment. It was one of the t-shirts that I was wearing. He looks over at me. "If I wanted to impress you I'd have taken more clothes off."

He says this quite seriously and I feel myself begin to redden. It was a well-known fact between the females of Balamb Garden that Seifer was a hot topic with a body and looks. It wasn't helping me having him in my room and embarrassing me. I feel myself getting annoyed.

"Just put it on," I snapped. I hazard a glimpse at my clock and am hardly surprised to see that an hour and quarter has gone by. Thankfully Seifer doesn't return with a clever remark and obediently pulls his head through the material.

When he wasn't being rude or annoying the hell out of me, Seifer could be a really nice person. I often wished the other side of him would make more of an appearance because it's so much easier to get along with him that way. Then again I suppose he does have a reputation to maintain as a tyrant of young cadets and SeeDs alike. We can't get our way all the time, so I guess I should be grateful to even catch a glimpse of his alter ego.

With the t-shirt on him, he sits up straight with an expectant look. As for me, I've climbed back into bed, the pillow I was previously hugging covering my face. I wasn't suicidal yet but I was damn close. I hear him clear his throat and I mutter something he doesn't hear.

"I heard that," he says.

Ok. So he did hear me. "What do you want now?"

"Don't I get a pillow or something?"

"No," I reply shortly. "You have the sofa. Be thankful you're not sleeping on the floor."

He thinks I didn't here him but I distinctly hear the "B" word being uttered before he lies back down and rolls away from me so that his back is facing me. I reach over and flick the lamp off. Finally.

Seifer was lucky it was a Friday night, or rather early Saturday morning and not the beginning of the week or else I would have been forced to use Save the Queen at some point. Yes, I was given my Instructor license back but my job was more flexible than before, allowing me to go away on missions when called without ruining my class schedules. I currently have a stack of SeeD Theory Exam papers that need marking. The results need to be logged onto Balamb Garden's system for filing away before they are redistributed to the students. The process is painstakingly tedious and of course I'm not the only Instructor grading exams so sometimes we experience a system overload due to the high bandwidth trying to access the online network. 

By my reckoning, Seifer is one very lucky guy. Any other time I would have flat out refused. Come to think of it I would have refused despite his circumstances. That troubles me a little. Although… I _am_ tired. I returned from Balamb Town with Selphie and Zell at around midnight. Selphie insisted that we go to a bar and 'chill out' as she says. One thing that needs to be understood is Selphie never takes 'no' for an answer. Thus, to Balamb I went. In her own way, Selphie is one the most persistent people I know. The other is sleeping on _my_ sofa and thank Hyne he doesn't snore or he would have found himself on a hard cold floor in the hallway when he woke up.

I'm absently thinking about the Orphanage after Seifer's little story when a guilty thought creeps into me. I've slept - or rather fallen asleep - on that sofa before and from experience I know that it isn't the most comfortable place to rest your back. I had a neck cramp for two days straight and since have never slept on the sofa. And while I'm 5' 6", Seifer is over six feet long. I roll on my side to face him and see that his feet are hanging over one end of the armrest, whilst his head is resting awkwardly on the other. I chewed on my bottom lip.

Several minutes of uncertainty and I finally flunk one of my pillows, striking him on the head. He doesn't say anything, no complaint and no thank you either. All he does is take the pillow and places it on the armrest for him to lie on.

Satisfying my nagging conscience I settle back down, breathing deeply and willing the dark abyss to take me. I would be happy if I didn't wake till the following because I was shattered mentally and physically. I was sure the tension at the front of my skull was going to turn into a headac-

"Does the pillow come with a complimentary blanket of sorts?"

I bolt right back up. He seems to sense my ice dagger stare from the silence because he tuts and lies back down again. This tactic works because I find my self scrunching up my own blanket and propelling at his head with the intention of inflicting some sort of damage.

To my surprise he catches the thing, an arm rising through the air, his timing spot on. I know because it's the second day of the full moon and light coming through my window is bright enough to see his movements.

Slack jawed, I move to the linen closet and withdraw a spare blanket. I thought he had gone back to sleep. This didn't seem to be the case. As I picked my way back to my bed, avoiding my slippers as I did so, his voice rose from out of the gloom, scaring me slightly.

"I didn't know you were the lace type,"

I freeze in place in my move to get on my bed. "E-Excuse me?!" I sputtered. The feigning of ignorance doesn't pull through quite well but I play along that vein anyway.

"You heard," Seifer said; rolling over to face me now, green eyes boring holes into mine.

I didn't realise this but I had my right leg raised and planted on the bed whilst the other was still on the floor. The t-shirt even though it was extremely large for me, failed to hide my underwear as my position hitched the material up. Seifer notices this too and diverts his eyes.

Beat.

"What do you think you're ogling at?" I say calmly.

He doesn't meet my gaze. "Nothing," he answers. His eyes seem to be permanently fixed.

"Do you want to be thrown outside the window?"

"No..."

"Then quit looking at what you're looking at!!"

"What _am_ I looking at?" Seifer asks me nonchalantly, his gaze sliding upwards to my own.

I hate that. Seifer has a penchant for answering questions with questions and cornering me to a position I had wriggle out of without embarrassing myself.

Damn him. "Shut up and go to sleep."

He's still eyeing my legs and Hyne only knows what perverted thoughts are running through his fertile brain. "I have a problem," he states.

"I honestly don't give a damn," I said, collapsing onto my bed in a pile of tired muscle and bones.

"I can't sleep anymore. I'm too distracted."

I let out a breath. "What the hell is that meant to mean?" I know what he means, or what he's trying to insinuate but I won't let him make me feel ridiculous anymore.

"I think you do. You tell me." For some reason his voice has taken on a deeper timbre and I sense those jade orbs are on me again.

Contrary to the rumours floating around Garden about me being a frigid ice bitch with a legion of adoring males and females called the Trepies, I do have a caring side to me. I just don't show it too often, especially given the environment I live and work in. It's something I've had to be very careful about. I didn't want faculty members and students thinking I could be patronised or trampled upon.

To answer the speculation of me being a lesbian because I haven't shown open interest to guys and that I tend to be seen quite a lot in the company of Xu or Selphie, it's complete and utter lies. I had that little episode with Squall, didn't I? Just because my attempt to win him over backfired, it didn't mean I was resolved to hunt down females instead. If I wasn't so good humoured about it I would have done something reckless like dated the first guy that crossed my path.

Balamb Garden has many good-looking men. Some with abysmal personalities, others that are too introverted for my liking, some too conceited for their own good.

If I were to describe my ideal type of man, he'd have be someone that was sure of himself - confident. Be able to balance my personality well. He'd also have to have a caring, gentle side to him, someone who was understanding and able to comfort me when I was down. And just to be superficial, he'd have to be taller than me. Wishful thinking I know. But hey, until Mr. Right comes along, I'm entitled to those wishful thoughts, right?

Great. With such an active mind, thinking all these thoughts - I'm unable to sleep myself. Cursing softly I switch my lamp back on and find that Seifer has been staring at me all this time. The more I look into those aquamarine depths, the more freaked out I become. Jade, emerald, aquamarine... I can't quite figure out what colour they are. They shift continuously under different light intensities. Sometimes they even appear blue like mine.

Right at this moment his eyes have undergone some sort of change because they are not normally like this. They've softened, if that's possible. It might have to do with his eyebrows. They're normally bunched into a frown but they're relaxed now and he looks almost... serene - content.

"Didn't you're mother ever tell you that it's rude to stare?" I said, breaking eye content.

"I don't remember much of my mother," Seifer replied, his voice ever so slightly defensive.

It's a sensitive subject so I try to even things out.

"I don't remember my mother at all." I'm not remotely sad, I'm not angry. I have no reason to be. I have no recollection whatsoever of my maternal parents; who they were, what they did, what their names were. I suppose I should feel a little sad. I am at times when the world is really getting to me. It reminds me of all my failings and how unwanted I was and still am.

Thinking about it now, I feel a stinging sensation at the corners of my eyes. No... I'm not...? Am I...? It's all very well I build this ice barrier around me. I like that barrier. It makes me feel stronger. I'm invincible. But once that layer of ice is melted away I become vulnerable and I turn into a sobbing mess of despair and helplessness. I hate that weakness in me. Why all these weaknesses?

Without warning the dam breaks and a solitary tear rolls down my right cheek, followed by two on my left... and then a stream. Why? Why now? Why with him here with me? Seifer is the last person I want to witness this weakness in me. It only shows to him that I can be harmed another way. I feel myself hating me even more.

"Quistis?"

Wow. That throws me off course. He's actually called me by my first name. He never calls me by my first name because a) he hates me and b) he has the same regard for me as he does with the inhabitants of the Training Centre. It's always Trepe or Instructor even though I've long stopped being his Instructor for how many years now. In my depressed state I conclude that he is attempting to be nice because he can see that I am upset for reasons unknown to him. This makes me mad. Pity from a man that didn't respect you, as a human being was more humiliating than belittling me in class.

He calls me by my name again.

I feel myself starting to crumble. It's unfair. I hate this guy but somehow he always manages to make me cry directly or indirectly.

I hear the rustle of material and from my bent form on my bed I can see the blanket being pushed back. He's sitting up now and moving towards me.

"What's wrong?" His voice actually sounds concerned. What gives? What's going on? "Are you sick? Do you have a headache? Are you on your period?"

He's crouching at my beside so I smack him lightly at the side of the head. A small smile emerges which makes me want to cry even more. Why was the bastard being so nice all of a sudden? Why did periods have to be the reason for everything when there was something wrong with a woman?

Using the back of my hands I wipe away at stray tears. I expected him to return to the sofa after this but he surprises me once again my coming to sit beside me on the bed.

Next to him I feel considerably small. I never did appreciate his height until the time I shared the elevator with him. In that small confining space, Seifer seems to fill it all. He's in fact taller than Irvine. I always thought they were equals but Selphie has rightly pointed out that that was only because of the hat Irvine likes to wear.

"What happened just now?" he asks, bumping me on the elbow, which is too friendly even for him.

I shake my head. "Nothing," I said.

At this precise moment I notice something. My hair is down. I realise this because strands of it are sticking to my cheek from where tears have dried.

Nobody has ever seen my hair outside of its standard flip style that I hold up with a spring clasp - another first for Mr. Almasy beside me. I also realise I'm being extremely open towards a man that I actively dislike. I've never been open like this before. So why now? Why of all people with _him_? So many questions and not nearly enough answers.

I've gotten very silent lost in my own thoughts and a fist full of memories. I didn't have anything nice to remember about my childhood. When I went away to live a family that would have me, I wasn't happy there. The atmosphere living in Deling City and living with a upper class family was daunting for a child my age then. I didn't help by being uncooperative. I couldn't help it. I didn't feel like I belonged with this family. The couple had two children of their own already and why they wanted another child from an Orphanage by the sea was beyond me.

When it came to Seifer I never did have nice memories of him. Only when the storms came did I go running. I guess I ought to thank him for tolerating me all those times I'd come crying and shivering. Other than that he did his utmost to make me cry or mad. I can't remember one instance where we got along. Even at meal times we would fight. He'd start by flicking peas with a spoon across the table at me. I'd ignore this but then he'd pepper me with pieces of chicken! Chicken!! They final straw came when he launched a chicken leg, which smacked me, square on the face. What normal child would do such a thing?

I think I started crying at that point feeling humiliated because the boys were laughing at me and pointing at my face saying I had goopy sauce still clinging to my cheek. That spurred me into action and I grabbed a fistful of the contents of my plate and flung it as hard as I could.

Irvine who got into the spirit of things yelled "food fight" and soon the stone kitchen area where we ate became a war zone of flying potatoes, gravy, meat and an array of other vegetables.

Matron must have heard the clatter of dropping plates because she came running in screaming with her hands in the air. Her screaming scared Irvine and the piece of food he was holding ended up hitting her in the chest. That was when the fighting stop and we all stared at the brown splodge that stood out like a sore thumb on her black dress.

We all got told off for that incident with Seifer and I carrying the weight of the blame. Our punishment... No play time for three days. I remember us sitting by the window in the kitchen watching everyone else running about in the flower field. We ended up playing I-Spy but then that lost it's appeal and we were forced to carrying on watching from the inside looking out.

The food fight was one example of many things he's done to make me miserable. Other times included tugging at my hair and removing the braids Matron did, stealing Selphie's pet frog and putting it on my shoulder knowing I wouldn't be able to take it off because I couldn't stand the thing, or shoving a fistful of wet sand down my back...

"I hate you," I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I know," he murmurs back.

I then feel his hand touching the top of my head... he's patting, no stroking it. Ok, that has got to stop because that's making me feel weird and Seifer showing affection towards me cannot be a good thing.

"Can you not do that?" I say, trying to sound annoyed but not quite.

"Do what?"

"Petting me like I'm some kind of dog," I said, batting the hand away.

I'm not the only one who's the observant type. Seifer seems to have paid close attention to the fact that I've overcome my small emotional bout. "All done with the tears, I see."

"Yes,"

"Gonna let on why you started hosing on me?"

"It was nothing, Seifer." I'm now back to feeling tired.

"Hmm," he doesn't believe me. Oh well. He can question me all he likes but I won't spill.

Seifer reached out to touch my hair again. It was a ghost of a touch but I felt it none the less. I flinched at this touch and his hand dropped to his side.

"I hated it when you pulled at my hair," I tell him, curling my legs beneath me.

He it looks like he knows what I'm talking about because he responds almost immediately. "You were the only one that had long hair. Messenger girl had her hair worn short."

"Her name is Selphie," I inform him and to this he shrugs.

"'Sides it was fun,"

That confirms things. "I always knew there was a masochistic side to you,"

"Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment." He agrees. Again he reaches out to touch my hair. He grabs me by the arm when I attempt to move away. "Let me braid it."

The more I sit here and talk to this man the more he ends up surprising me. Was I being wise? Was he being wise? I don't think he realises how much dirt I have on him. I could seriously taint his reputation as being the resident 'bad boy' of Balamb.

"Do you even know how to braid hair? My impression is you're very good at _un_-braiding, not the latter."

"Sure I do," he insists. "Rinoa taught me how."

I feel a twinge when I hear that name. I won't deny that I feel slightly jealous towards General Caraway's daughter. We get along just fine, but deep down inside me there's a quiet hostility for this girl I cannot lay to rest. It's odd how a simple twist of fate can alter the lives of so many people. How one person can make themselves feel like they belong amongst a group of childhood friends. I feel violated somehow. I know this young woman through the ordeals we've gone through and yet she's managed to win herself a boyfriend and my friends all in one go like a raffle.

I sound so selfish and bitter that I almost resent thinking this way. But I can't help it. That's the way I feel. Now Seifer is bringing her into my room by mentioning her. I'm telling myself to grow up and snap out of it when I feel fingers lacing through my hair and brushing at my scalp. So he was serious.

"Seifer, you better not be making fool out of me." I warned.

Seifer rakes back my hair from my face with a large right hand and I become silent. "Been there, done that. I've moved on to better things," he says, beginning to section my hair. "Hey do you have hair ties I could use?"

Getting to my feet I rummage through the drawer of my dresser, hands coming into contact with elastic. On my way back I flick the lamp on and settle back down next him. I hand to him the ties and wait.

He says, "You gotta sit in front of me,"

"There's no room," I said. "And I'm not sitting on the floor. It's freezing down there."

"Sit this way," Seifer lifts his tall frame off my bed and comes to sit at the top where the headboard is.

Twisting around so that I'm facing the doorway, I scoot backwards until his feet touches the small of my back. I can't believe I'm allowing this to happen. Temporary lapse of sanity I guess.

"You're gonna have to move back a little more, I can't reach." His voice tells me.

My weirdness radar alerts me to take caution. "Are you up to something?" I ask suspiciously.

Behind me I hear a growling noise that I've come to associate with when his patience is being tried. From my experience as his Instructor, I have come to know that Seifer has one of the shortest fuses in Garden. Right now I can't think of anyone else who has a quick temper such as he does - maybe Zell, but his temper doesn't flare into something dangerous. Seifer... Well, we all know what happens when he loses control and things get out of hand. Squall is a perfect example of Seifer's handiwork and while I have no doubt that if I pushed hard enough, Seifer wouldn't hesitate to strangle me, I don't particularly want to push him to his limit.

"I can't fucking reach if you're sitting a smile away!" he snarls with exaggeration.

"Fine," I snapped, scooting back some more. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic,"

Hyne. The most mundane of tasks couldn't be performed without some form of abuse. Imagine _living_ with the guy. Now _that_ was a scary thought. I shuddered involuntarily.

"Don't you want to put something on? Maybe cover that ass of yours that you keep flashing around?"

"It's not like I'm doing it for you benefit!" I said, rolling off the bed.

"I always thought you saved something special for me," Seifer said lazily.

Pretending I didn't hear him I stomped to the clothes closet. "It's funny coming from you. I would've thought you'd say take more _off_."

He grins. "Hey I'm all up for that too."

Casting him a withering look I search for a few moments amongst a stack of clothes and pulled out a pair of cotton shorts in pink. Ducking into the ensuite bathroom of my room I remerge wearing them. Because of the enormous t-shirt you couldn't see the shorts to begin with. It would hopefully shut him up.

"Didn't that make much of a difference," He said, green eyes travelling the length of my legs. "Then again I'm not complaining."

I let out a harsh breath and sighed, arms raised in defeat. He was impossible. "What would you have me wear then?!" I declared. "A sackcloth? A bin liner?"

Seifer sank his head back against the pillows, thinking about the question. "How about... nothing- oh wait, I got it...  racy suspenders and-"

"Ok, that's enough!" I overrode loudly. "It was a rhetorical question, FYI!"

"Should've stated that to begin with."

"I can't win with you!" I fumed. "Is there any point?"

"You gonna let me play with your hair or what?" He asks me from the bed.

"You can fuck off!" I said, holding my ground.

"Whoa. Did uptight Trepe just swear? I'm impressed." Seifer laughs like it was the funniest thing in the world making me scowl.

I didn't need to listen to this. I didn't need to endure any of this. It was my room and I was the one walking out!

"Hey where you going?" He asks, quickly sitting up. "Aw c'mon, don't be like that! I was just kidding aroun-"

In situations like this a hinged door would be much more effective because I really wanted to slam one shut. Deaf to his objections I slammed my palm on the console and stomped out into the eerily lit hallway.

From there I wandered past the rows of quiet dorms, through two sets of glass doors up to the junction where the living quarters splits to the male and female dormitories. At this junction stands a drinks machine. I always wondered why it was situated here, but tonight I was glad it was here. The nearest vending machine from the dorms is outside the Cafeteria. Even though I was venting off steam, I wasn't going to trudge the halls to down something cold.

Popping the fifty-gil piece into the slot I thumbed for a soda, which momentarily clanged down the bottom of the machine. Taking the can, I held it in my hands for a while letting the icy sensation to jolt my nerves before popping it open and taking a gulp.

"You're gonna catch cold without these on,"

Just as soon as I took in a mouthful of liquid it all can spraying back out again as I choked painfully at the sound of an unexpected yet familiar voice.

I found him to be standing directly behind me with my peach coloured slippers dangling on his fingers. "Are you trying to kill me!" I cried, clutching at my chest. "What's the matter with you?!"

"According to Matron, Dr. Kadowaki, Raijin and Fujin; I'm what they call 'misunderstood'." He states.

"Disturbed more like," I muttered, shaking my hand free of soda. "Why are you tormenting me?"

"You need these." Seifer wiggled his fingers to indicate what he meant.

I tossed him a cold look over my shoulder as I made my way back to my dorm with the intention of locking him out. "Like you care."

Seifer shrugged, "I don't," he concedes, "But then I don't want you bitching for the rest of the morning when you come down with something. You and I both know that's what you're gonna do. I'm trying to avoid the inevitable."

"Admit it, you hate me." The way I say it, it comes out more of a challenge than a question. I wonder if he will pick up on that?

"Hate's such a strong word…."

I laughed harshly. "Despise?" I offered.

I laughed harshly. "Despise?" I offered.

"Despise is such a strong word..."

I strangled sound at the back of my throat. "Ok, so you don't like me very much. I get the picture; we can drop this conversation. Here," I tossed him a fifty-gil piece. "My treat,"

He caught the coin with one hand and stared at it like it was a foreign object. He instantly became suspicious. "What gives?" he asked, lightly tossing the coin in the air and then catching it.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing,"

He wasn't buying it. "You're up to something."

"I'm currently juggling different methods of killing you, none of which involves a dinky coin - but who knows. I might be able to do that someday if I get pointers from Irvine.

Seifer snorted, flicking the coin and catching it on the back of his hand. "He'd be too busy finding opportunities to touch your ass or look down your shirt."

"Irvine," I said with some force in defence of the cowboy. "Is not a pervert as some may believe." It was known fact that the man originally from Galbadia Garden had a strong penchant for pretty faces and women in general - but when you got to know the guy he actually had a serious and gentle side to him. I personally couldn't see him as boyfriend regardless of the times he's flirted with me. Maybe it was because he was too flirtatious that I found off putting.

Seifer didn't seem convinced. "Oh please!" he scoffed. "You're defending the guy? He's like every other normal male."

I didn't want to hear this. I already had my own opinion formed. I wasn't going to be convinced otherwise. Seifer it seemed wanted to say his bit.

"You don't think he thinks of naked women or has The Girl Next Door magazines stashed somewhere in his dorm? The guy can't keep a celibate thought for one second. He probably thinks perverted thoughts of every woman he passes all the time!!"

"Look Seifer, get yourself a damn drink ok!" I shouted, taking a vicious gulp of my own - my actions sending me into a fit of coughing.

Walking off, I hoped that Seifer would take my words to heart because the moment I was out of his sight, I sprinted down the hallway and back to the female quarters, soda sloshing all over my hands.

I could see my door. It was there. And he was nowhere to be seen. I was going to be able to sleep, yes! Jamming my left hand into my pocket I withdrew it to find it wasn't holding anything...

It was then that I realised my stupid mistake. Groaning aloud, I leant onto the cold metal of my dorm room, banging it in the process. So close... Yet so far...

"Looking for this?"

A plastic card with a magnetic strip came into my side vision.

"Next time you shouldn't leave in such a strop," Seifer advised in an arrogant voice I didn't like as he reached over me to swipe the door.

It opened with a small whirring sound. This was my chance. Launching myself through the door and sprinted with an outstretched hand to slap the door back shut. Seifer must not have seen this tactic of mine coming because when I turned round to see that the door was quickly shutting... And to my horror it was shutting on his fingers... no his hand... NO! His arm?!

Cursing Hyne with what strength I had left I watched with growing panic at his intentions. He had wedged himself in between the closing door and was attempting to push the electronic door back into the wall slot. I didn't doubt for second his capabilities. Those muscles on his arms weren't there for decoration and I didn't want to have to feed a half backed story to Headmaster Cid on why my door was wrecked.

"Seifer that's enough!!" I hissed in alarm.

"That wasn't a very bright thing to do, Trepe!" Seifer said through gritted teeth as he struggled against the heavy metal door. "'Cos now you've got me pissed!"

"I only want to get some sleep!" I said. "Is that too much to ask?!"

"No shit! What do you think I want? A slumber party where we can do each other's nails and shit?" He retorted, his chest heaving at the effort of pushing against the force of the door.

"Alright!" I said. I could see he was hurting himself. That would mean a broken door for me, and a sprained arm for him. Explanations for Headmaster Cid and Dr. Kadowaki. "But promise you won't cause a ruckus once I retract the door."

"Trepe!!"

"Promise!"

"Of all the fucking petty things at a time like this!" He cursed, losing his grip on the door. "Oh shit-!"

I turned my head away but couldn't block out his cry of pain, followed by...

"Argh. Get this thing off of me. NOW!!"

Obeying, I released the door's lock and took a hesitant step back. From just that little episode he looked so haggard standing there, his silhouette filling my room in an ominous way. Seifer lifted his left arm and wrapped it around the region of his chest. He lifted his blond head; green eyes flashing with something that looked discerningly liked malice at me.

"Seifer," I warned, taking another step back.

He followed my movement with a step forward; saying nothing but eyes speaking volumes. It was evident from his facial expression that I was going to be executed. Those kinds of looks were only reserved for extreme cases, and I suppose I over stepped his boundaries.

"Seifer," I repeated, nervous now. I licked my lips and stepped back further; the backs of my legs coming into contact with the bed end.

"I didn't promise," he said, again forward. His voice was laden with menace.

Deep beneath the surface I always had a fear for Seifer and I think it was beginning to show. I sidestepped the bed moving into the open space of my dorm and frantically thinking of where I could run.

"I-I didn't mean for you to- to get hurt! Please! Don't do- You shouldn't have-" I blubbered incoherently.

He wasn't listening because he continued to come at me, deaf to my pleas, closing the gap between us with each step.

"Seifer!" I was panicking now. He had me cornered at the sofa with the only exit being out of reach as Seifer stood in the way of my escape route. "Don't- don't-!"

Seifer took one last step, my direct vision in front of me being his chest. Here was a familiar position. His next movement scared the hell out me. He leant towards me in one sharp motion, causing me to fall over myself in fright and onto the sofa.

I squeezed my eyes shut at the closeness of his face and the feel of his hot breath on my skin. In my thin t-shirt and fear of him striking me, I shivered against my own will. Heart beats slipped by. I could hear mine thumping mightily as I sat there cowering like I did as a child when the skies were angry. Being in the mercy of Seifer Almasy definitely was the lowest point in my life. I vowed that I would never let a man over power me; and here I was - Quistis Trepe at the mercy of an enraged bull. A fine way to screw the start of my weekend, I thought miserably.

Time continued to roll by and still no movement from Seifer who loomed above me, his arms resting against the wall. Just as I was beginning to think I was being let off, he moved to deliver the finishing blow.

Holding my breath, I squeezed my eyes tighter; gasping when I felt pressure on my face. At first I believed it to be his fingers doing Hyne knows what. This sparked my curiosity so I risked opening one eye a fraction to find my initial thought to be wrong.

The man was kissing me at the corner of my lips!! Could this get anymore confusing or weirder?!

Sensing my want to say something, Seifer moved a fraction of his lips so that he was partially covering my own.

He closed his own eyes when he spoke in solemn tones. "Attack," He said. "When the defences are down. That's the key to success in every battle."

I blinked once. Twice. Was he saying what I think he was saying? I had both my eyes fully open now staring at him with a mixture of revolt and disbelief. The moron still had the cheek to be kissing me! Breaking the contact by pulling away in disgust, I looked up to see him goggling at me with that infuriating smug grin of his.

"You are such a bastard!" I yelled, pouncing on him with renewed energy - the action sending us sprawling on the carpeted floor, knocking the wind out of Seifer who was on his back and me straddling his hips. I didn't waste time and began pummelling his chest with my fists.

Wincing, Seifer managed to bark a laugh. "You fell for it! You're so gullible like that."

The guy was unrepentant!

"Bastard!" I repeated with increased anger reflected in the strength of my strikes. "This is why we don't get along. Why I hate you so much! Because you become a jerk the instant I think I could like you!"

"I'm a very difficult person to like," he tells me as a matter-of-factly.

Complete and utter bastard... "You're going down!" I declared, flexing my hands to strangle him.

He out manoeuvres me by a second and reaches out for my ribs, brutally assaulting me with a volley of well-placed tickles.

I gasp out, quickly losing breath as I laugh. "S-Stop!" I commanded, writhing one way to escape his hands. "That's enough. S-Seifer, stop!!" I squealed, feeling remarkably silly and childish at the same time.

"Do you surrender?"

I don't answer him and the tickles intensify up to a point where I can't stand the brutality any longer.

"A-Alright!" I said, thumping his arms. "I give in, already. Please!"

I'm glad he chose to stop then because I was on the verge of crying from the sensation that was quickly turning into pain the more my ribs were tickled.

Collapsing against his chest, I struggled to exhale and remained silent for a good few moments. His hands on my head were the next thing I felt when I next opened them, having felt the need to drain the adrenaline from my system. I didn't know about him, but I was exhausted.

"Trepe?"

"Hmm?" I murmured, listening to the beat of his heart while I rested.

"Don't try and pull a stunt like that again. You'll never win."

"Seifer?"

"Yeah?"

"Speak for yourself. Oh and do me a favour?"

"What's that?"

"Don't pull a stunt like that again. Because next time you'll get a black eye."

He's thinking. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"I honestly don't."

"You kissed me." I said.

"Most women would be flattered. Most women would give an arm and a leg." He says in a frank way.

"I'm not like most women." I replied, shifting my head to more comfortable position.

The hand that was still against my head began to move in small strokes. "You got that right. You aren't like most women." He concedes.

"Is this going somewhere?" I sense that he's trying to insult me.

"Not at all. I'm agreeing with you." Seifer said. "You're a heck of a lot of trouble, did you know that Trepe?"

"Trouble?" I laughed. What was the guy talking about? Trouble was _his_ middle name, not mine. "That's a new name to me. Whatever happened to bossy or bitchy?"

"That too,"

I eye rolled and closed my eyes. Bossy, bitchy, trouble. At the end of the day I didn't care what people said or thought about me. Their opinion was their own. They were entitled to it.

For the umpteenth time this day I felt myself giving way to sleep. Seifer too must have felt the same way as I did because he had stopped stroking my head but kept his hand on the crown of my head.

In retrospect I suppose the picture of us lying on the floor was a very odd one indeed. If Zell or anyone else from the original Orphanage group stumbled into my room and saw us on top of each other, tongues would certainly have wagged. But seeing as we were behind closed doors and the door was locked, such a thing would be very unlikely so I was content in the fact that I wouldn't be waking up to the surprised faces of my friends.

As for me, it felt bizarre to be sleeping like this - legs in between his, one hand resting on his shoulder whilst the other was bunched into a fist on his t-shirt. For just one night, to hell with disliking the guy. I was going to finally get some rest. Something I was lacking for the past three or four hours. Or so I thought.

"Don't you think you should go sleep on the bed?" he asks, voice laden with tiredness.

I wriggled in place and brought my head higher so that it now rested on the crook of his neck. "Here is just fine," I tell him, unaware that my lips are touching his skin.

"I'll catch cold," he mildly protests, testing my patience.

"Seifer," I said, gripping his t-shirt tighter. "Let's just sleep ok?"

"Ok... Hey," he says, his voice sounding distant to me. "Mind if I crash out here again tonight?"

That question makes me think. I do so for some time before finally answering. "If Raijin's snoring is bad, you can."

Seifer was surprised to hear me say this. He thought I would refuse straight away. Sleeping is a bit like hypnosis. You're conscious to a certain extent... your words still your own, but not quite? It's not a very good explanation because in my state I don't understand it myself. None the less I know I have told him that I was willing to take him up under the conditions.

This time he's testing my sanity. "You sure?"

"Perfectly,"

"I'll hold it against you," Seifer warns, his arms coming round to envelope me in an embrace that I don't mind at all.

I smile against his neck. "I'm counting on it."__


End file.

Final Fantasy VIII, Angst