Illusion
Part One
Sections with names are presented in the character's POV. Not all of the sections are in specific POV. Most are narrative.
Semi Comedy, Semi Romance, Semi Angsty.....blah blah blah....has bits of other stuff...Lemon *cough* (Not until the later parts you hentais..)
Warnings - YAOI-YAOI-YAOI!!! Angst, Rape-not done by Seifer, Flashbacks, Mushiness, tiny amount of Laguna bashing- done by Seifer, Lots of lusting- done by Seifer, Rinoa bashing- done by everyone....
Most of the characters spend the entire story just wondering what the hell is going on.
Illusion
Part One
Seifer
There was a soft breeze, I could hear birds, which was odd seeing as how I was supposed to be dead. I opened my eyes warily, staring up at the blue sky above me. The clouds were gone...I didn't know where I was...or where'd I'd been? I couldn't quite remember. My entire body hurt like hell. My rib was broken and I could feel myself bleeding. I heard laughter and turned my head. Fujin and Raijin were coming toward me, across the field, dumbstruck faces searching over the flowers, wondering how they'd gotten there. I followed the laughter to the top of the hill where Rinoa sat, crying happily, looking down at a weary looking Squall.
Who smiled....Leonhart had actually smiled. It was small, but it was what it was. In all the years I'd known him, I never, ever, remembered Squall even attempt to smile.
We were back at the orphanage. Ultimecia was gone. The time compression was over. They beat her....They actually did it...
A strange emptiness filled me.
Selphie and Irvine gathered their bearings a few feet away while Fujin and Raijin stopped to look up at the sky, amazed that everything had turned back to normal.
I ignored the wet droplet that made it's way from my eye and lay there, still and quiet.
Trying to figure out what that made me...
six years later-
Seifer departed from the brightly colored transport and gazed around himself, sighing. A new city, new hope that he would actually find some kind of a life in this shithole place with all its shithole people...It had been years since the demise of Ultimecia and still no one would let it go. He'd gone from city to city, hoping to finally settle down somewhere. It had been more than a few times when he'd actually thought he'd succeeded, just to be fired from work or evicted because of his past records. People usually found out who he was.
So here he was. One of two cities he'd attempted to steer clear of. One was Balamb. There were too many people he knew nearby. Zell's family was still living there and with the Garden so nearby he didn't want to risk anything. Fujin and Raijin had returned to their SeeD training almost three and a half years ago, welcomed by Cid. They'd been SeeDs ever since. Seifer couldn't hope for any kind of forgiveness like that. His two former lackeys had stayed with him until they realized they had their own lives to begin. Last Seifer had heard, Raijin had gotten married. He and his wife had settled down in Balamb. He hadn't heard anything about Fujin...
He glanced around, wondering where he should go first, his chest sinking.
Esthar....
It was a big city and the only person here he figured would recognize him would be Laguna, and he'd probably be too busy being the president to notice.
He saw a nice looking redhaired boy go by and glanced at him.
Nice body. Not my type though...
He'd made no secret about his sexual preference... which varied. Fujin and Raijin had never complained. He found himself attracted to all kinds of people, both male and female. They only stuck around for a little while though... He liked it better that way, no attachments, no promises.
"Excuse me." he called to one young woman who was passing by. "Could you tell me where I could find a hotel?"
The woman smiled and pointed down the walkway. "Just past the airstation, take a left at the divide and head toward the center of the city."
"Thanks." Seifer nodded to her, offering her a practiced smile. He walked in the direction she had said, pulling his dark over shirt off and throwing it over his arm.
It was way too hot this time of the year. He cursed himself for wearing such dark clothing, momentarily grateful that he had retired his trenchcoat. After the big battle the jacket was in shreds, far beyond repair.
The only two things he carried with him were a shoulder duffel with clothes and his gunblade case. Wandering around the country called for weapons, if it hadn't been for that reason he would have discarded Hyperion a long time ago. Now that he wasn't fighting for anything there wasn't much of a reason to keep it around anymore.
Two hours and four hotels later, Seifer found himself unpacking in one of the rattiest rooms he'd ever laid eyes upon. The Belhelmel Hotel sat on the far side of the city, away from the stereotypical cleanliness and productivity of the rest of the city. There were a few residential customers and the rent was only one hundred and forty gil a week. It was the cheapest room he could find and there was a bed, a small bathroom and even smaller kitchen and torn sofa and a desk. That was more than enough. He wasn't sure if the television worked, it was an old model, probably built before he was born and hadn't been used since the communication tower had been destroyed. The paint on the phone was wearing off, the walls were stained, the carpet had holes and a bright neon sign peered in through his one window.
He sighed, falling back onto the bed, listening to the sound of a couple arguing in the hallway and the traffic outside. "Home sweet home..."
When night fell he rolled away from the window, throwing the pillow over his face to shut out the lights and the sounds from outside. Crowds of people had gathered in the streets to celebrate the night. He was almost eager to join them, party and maybe create a little havoc. Like old times.
No, he had to keep his act straight so that maybe he could show people that he was capable of good too, which sounded odd even to his own ears.
Me, a reformed citizen.
He closed his eyes, shutting out all the elements around him until the sound was only a dull background noise.
He thought hard, trying to wish himself someplace else.
As sleep drew nearer an image began to appear in his mind.
The field of flowers behind the orphanage, just as he remembered it as a child. It seemed so big, so cast, like it was the largest place on earth and it was all his....He could almost smell it, feel the wind blow his hair back. The sun was setting, making the green of the grass a dark red hue. Birds flew overhead toward the forest of trees in the distance, heading toward their nests. He sat down, letting his hands brush against the cool grass.
"Seifer! Supper!" A little voice called from the house, he turned around to see a small redhaired girl standing in the doorway.
"Coming!" His own tiny voice answered as he stood, brushing himself off.
Something was odd though. Out of place. Selphie wasn't usually the one to call him in....it was always someone else. Someone who'd cared more....Something had happened to that person....
Why couldn't he remember....
The next morning, Seifer wandered from another shop that wasn't hiring and headed for the next.
You'd think that in a city as big as this SOMEONE would be hiring, he thought. Boy, it's just my luck..
He sighed, lost in his own thought when he ran into a what had to have been a wall and fell to the ground. He shook his head to clear it and looked up at the giant mass of person that had sent him reeling.
"Woah, sorry guy," a voice called from the man's side.
Seifer's mood darkened, recognizing the two.
Laguna's lackeys.
Kiros was reaching out a hand to help him up. Seifer took it, pulling himself to his feet. "Uh...no it was entirely my fault..." Low profile, don't make a scene. I don't think they recognize me. "I should watch where I'm going." He ducked his head. "Excuse me..."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kiros study him a little. "Hey, I know you from somewhere...."
Seifer sighed, here it goes. They're gonna throw me in the dungeon at the Presidential Palace. I don't even know if there IS a dungeon...I'm screwed. I know it.
"You worked at the Cafe in Fisherman's Horizon a while ago." Kiros nodded, obviously proud that he'd been able to place the young man before him.
Seifer almost gaped. He didn't really remember seeing Kiros go anywhere near the Cafe when he'd worked there over a year ago. And that Kiros had recognized him after seeing him for such a short time and such a long time ago was impressive. "Uh...yeah."
"Good food there." Kiros nodded. He blinked. "You don't work there anymore?"
Seifer shook his head. "No. I came here for work. No one's hiring."
"Well that's not hard to believe. Every time this season people go job hunting crazy. I doubt there's a job anywhere in the city."
Seifer's face fell. "You mean I came all the way here for nothing?"
Kiros tossed him a sympathetic look. "Sorry to burst your bubble." He paused then, grinning. "Hey, would you mind kitchen duty? They need some people at the Presidential Palace to chauffeur food to the guests that stay for conferences. They need an odds-and-ends boy too." He winked. "Plus I bet you know how to make that diner chili."
Seifer blinked. "You mean me, working at the palace." He stopped. What if Laguna recognizes me....Well, if Kiros didn't then Laguna probably wouldn't. He's an okay president and all but he has less braincells than a Turtapod. "Is it just seasonal work?"
"I dunno, probably not. We have guests all the time. Plus the cooks are always looking for help."
"I wouldn't have to see the president would I?"
"I dunno...he gets pretty busy..." Kiros looked at him oddly. "I'm not sure. Maybe not."
Seifer shrugged. "I'll do it."
"Kiros Seagill, and you are?" Kiros asked, holding out his hand.
"Michael..." he replied, picking a name out of the air. "Michael Vansen." He added, picking the last name from the label he remembered on the back of the blue button down shirt he wore.
I'm so screwed...
"Hurry it up blondie." Hilde, the redhaired, slightly overweight middle-aged head cook called, putting another plate on the steel cutting table. She was one of the few people Seifer could actually saw he truly liked. She seemed like a mother-type but had a sarcasm and wit he found matched his own.
Seifer balanced four plates on a tray already, adjusting them for the trip up the elevator to the royal guest suite. "Chancellor Kay has a "guest" up there." She made quotation marks in the air with her fingers and shook her head.
"Again?" Seifer shook his head. "What flavor this time?"
Hilde tossed him a smirk. "Brunette."
"Ah," Seifer replied. "Another one?"
"He likes his brunettes."
Seifer shook his head. "I've known lots of brunettes. Most of them pretty, all of them were pains in my ass."
"That's the way the cookie crumbles." She sighed. "Not much luck with the ladies, Michael? You'd think with your complexion they'd be all over you."
"Never said they were ladies," he added and headed for the elevator, listening to her cackling laughter.
"Please, you're straighter than a nail and only about twice as round. Which reminds me. When you come back, eat something! You need fat!"
Using his foot to push the button the elevator he laughed as the doors closed.
He'd only been there for two weeks and already it was the best job he'd ever had. He'd had no run-ins with the president yet, and there were so many people around they never thought twice about him when he walked the halls, delivering food. Chancellor Kay had been a guest for the past five days, every night be brought back a different woman, ordering something different for dinner and over twice as much more than they needed.
It was a hell of a lot to carry in just one trip but he managed.
There was something about Kay that unnerved him. It wasn't the odd make-up he wore, which was creepy. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the man always gave him chills whenever he answered the door.
The elevator door opened and he walked down the hallway, stopping at the suite door. He knocked with his foot. "Room Service, Chancellor."
It was a minute before the door opened as a pair of dark eyes met his. Pale make-up covered his face, red liner around his eyes. He looked like a demented circus clown.
"Thank you," a low growl came from the older man as he took the tray away from him.
Seifer felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
What was it about him...
He handed Seifer twenty gil then shut the door.
Seifer released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and walked back down the hall.
"Hey, Michael," he heard a voice call. Kiros smiled at the young man as he walked down the hall with the empty silver tray under his arm. "How's work."
"Work." Seifer replied, watching as the dark skinned man stepped into the elevator. He followed. "I get off in an hour though so it's not so bad."
"You got off lucky. You could be upstairs doing paper work and talking to drawling bureaucrats all day." Kiros stuck a finger down his throat and made gagging sounds.
"So THAT'S what you do." Seifer nodded. "I often wondered about that."
"Oh not just me. There's some people there about your age who are stuck in there two. Lag's son being one. He hates it. His dad is trying to get him elected once he leaves, office which is still a long ways away, about ten years or so. He plans on nominating him for it. But the kid doesn't want anything like that. He's not very comfortable in positions of great responsibility. Put him in charge of two or three hundred people and he's a natural leader, but he doesn't think he can handle an entire city." Kiros shook his head. "I don't blame him."
"I didn't know Laguna had a son." Seifer blinked. "Was he ever married?"
"Not long," Kiros said. "His wife died a few years after the kid was born."
"Ouch," Seifer muttered. "That must have been horrible. How did his son take it?"
Kiros shrugged. "He never really knew her. He spent most of the beginning of his life in an orphanage."
"I can relate." The blonde nodded, he tilted his head at Kiros. "So, what's Laguna's son like?"
Kiros thought for a minute. "He'd kind of perfectionist, really quiet most of the time, but he's fun once you get him around people he knows. A few of his friends came by about a month ago. He was a lot of fun then. He's usually hanging around the training room when there isn't much else going on. Besides that he's a hard worker, Laguna's crutch and a terrible driver....not much else." He saw Seifer laugh a little and huffed. "No, seriously, you have to see this kid drive. He's a speed demon."
Seifer shrugged as the elevator stopped at the second floor and the door opened. "He doesn't sound so bad."
Kiros started to step out and looked back as he did. "See you around."
Seifer's smile as the doors closed and the elevator continued it decent down.
Hn, Laguna has a kid...
Climbing off the transport (the only one that even came CLOSE to that part of the city) he began his walk toward the hotel, passing groups of young people, headed for parties or nightclubs or just some midnight entertainment.
He lit a cigarette as he walked, taking a deep drag and letting it out slowly, watching the smoke trails as they moved upwards, masking the people around him.
None of them paid any attention to him. He was just another face in the crowd. Which was fine, who needed people anyway.
You do, he told himself. Come on, without Fujin and Raijin you've been going soft, letting your guard down, letting people walk on you...you need stability man, you need more lackeys.
"Hey, you wanna party?" a young girl who couldn't have been past the age of fifteen called to him from her place in front of a brightly lit bar/dance club. She had her arms wrapped around her uncomfortably. Inexperienced, probably her first night "on the job". She wore clothes far to short and revealing, too small in some places too large in others.
Seifer couldn't even bear to look at her. "No thanks."
She flushed and looked embarrassed, her eyes welling up. She didn't want to be there. She was scared.
He stopped walking and looked at her. A small part of him pitied the poor girl. Her eyes looked both terrified and hopeful as he reached into his pocket.
She flinched almost reflexively as he took her small hand and placed forty gil, most of his week's pay, into it. "Go home."
She looked grateful and nodded. He just hoped it was enough to keep her off the streets for a night.
You're getting too soft.
He ignored the looks a group of men standing along the pub walls as he walked by.
One, dark with several tattoos and a shaved head, stared too long.
A moment of fear passed through the blonde as he saw a flash of recognition in the man's eyes. Then it was gone.
Still he walked faster, refusing to look at anyone, hoping he didn't have to stay around there much longer.
He got back to the hotel to find the landlady knocking on his door. Sighing he walked up, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned, surprised, her elderly features recognizing him quickly as she frowned. "Where's the rent."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white envelope, handing it to her. The last of his pay for the month. "Next week's is in there too."
"Good boy." She nodded, patting him on the arm. "You're the only one who pays on time. Oh, the water's gonna be shut off tomorrow. They're repiping. It should be going again within the next few days or so."
Seifer sighed. Great, just my luck.
She turned and walked down the hallway as he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
He'd made some attempts to clean the place up but it still looked like shit. He'd bought a fan which sat beside his bed, the only non-neccesity he'd bought since he began working. It just got so god damned hot in the small apartment...
He flopped down on the bed, his feet hurting, his body sweating and the only energy he had left was to lean over and turn the fan on. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the fan blow over him, drowning out everything else.
"Seifer?" a little voice called as sleep drew nearer.
"Ya?"
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Nothin'."
There was a light gasp of joy. "Cool! A buggy."
"I found him."
An image flashed and Seifer found himself looking down at a pair of two little boys, crouching down behind the lighthouse at the orphanage.
"What kinda buggy is it?" the little brown haired boy asked, blinking. "He's pretty."
"I dunno." the other one told him, blowing his blonde hair away from his eyes.
The brown haired boy sat down crosslegged. "Whatcha gonna do with 'im?"
"He's gonna be my pet." the bigger boy replied in a proud little voice. "He can be yers too."
Gray eyes looked hopeful. "Really? I never had a pet buggy before. Cu'we name him Bob?"
"Sure." the little blonde shrugged. "He can stay in the lighthouse so matron don't squish 'im."
"'Kay."
"You guys are stoopid..." another little voice came as a little blonde girl peered down at them. "Bugs are gross."
"We're NOT stoopid. Yer stoopid." The blonde challenged.
"Am not!" the little girl huffed. "I'm telling Matron that you have a bug!"
"Quisty, no!" Gray eyes widened. "She might hurt'im!"
"I'm telling! I'm telling!" she cried, rushing back to the house.
The brunet picked up the bug and began to run with it toward the field.
"Where're you goin'?" the other boy asked.
"I gotta get him to the big place," the first replied, his little legs flying.
The blonde glanced back at the house before he ran after him, toward the field of flowers...
The image left as quickly as it came, leaving Seifer confused.
Why do I keep having these stupid dreams about the orphanage? ....No... they're not dreams, they're memories....but I don't know where they're coming from....Why can't I remember anything else?
He sighed, rolling over. It must be the effects of the GF training. It messed with all our heads...
Maybe I'm just goin' nuts...
He stood walking into the bathroom, removing his clothes to take a shower, catching a glimpse of himself.
A few random tattoos littered his body, a small snake on his chest, his first tattoo while he was still a trainee in Garden, the fire cross on his shoulderblade... He removed his watch which hid the triple row of scars on his wrists; the failed suicide attempts. Not even Fujin and Raijin knew about those.
He sighed and turned on the shower. He let himself relax, just standing under the flow, the water running planes down his body, massaging his tired muscles.
He huffed, I need a vacation already...
He went back to work the next day, still tired, glad that Chancellor Kay wasn't going to be around for the next few days, at a meeting somewhere else, which meant less work for him. Hilde had ten pies in the oven and several different food projects going at once when he got there. Busy as always.
When he walked to where Hilde was usually working he heard voices and saw two people talking with the cook. One was Kiros, the other was a young, brown haired man with round sliver framed glasses. They were both leaning over the counter, the hem of the dark, high collared work shirt the young man wore folding under the metal counter, molding against a pair of semi-tight black pants.
"Hey, Michael." Hilde smiled.
The two men turned, the brown one's face looked shocked before he looked back at Hilde, watching her as she continued her work.
Seifer glanced at the side of the face that was visible to him, studying the soft, chocolate hair, shorter bangs reaching just passed the thin, furrowed eyebrows into a pair of gray-blue eyes. They angled down sharply but evenly to where the bangs were longer, brushing just past his cheekbone. He was cute, Seifer had to admit, guy-pretty. Not many guys fitted that description. They were usually handsome or they weren't, almost never pretty. This one had a nice high cheekboned face, soft features save for the sharp jawline.
He smirked. Yes, very pretty.
The stranger had continued to look away allowing Seifer a few more seconds to study the rest of him, ignoring the fact that he seemed familiar. There was potentially a very nice body underneath the cloth and the blonde was taking every opportunity to check it out. He was only a few inches shorter than Seifer as both he and Kiros straightened and turned to him.
"Michael." Kiros smiled, putting his hands on his hips. "Meet Laguna's son..."
Seifer began to reach out his hand, seeing a potential future in this one, but paused. His eyes widening as he finally placed who the young man was even before Kiros said his name.
The scar....
No, no way, not here...not him....
"....Squall Loire."
Seifer's throat went dry.
The brunet smiled politely and for a second Seifer thought he didn't recognize him. But the eyes, the eyes told him that he did. Surprisingly, he said nothing about it.
"He's helping Hilde with all the grunt work," Kiros continued. "He's a good worker. We'll probably have him around for a while."
"So...MICHAEL, is it?" Squall's eyes studied him, the light tenor of his voice vibrating in Seifer's chest. "Kiros told me a lot about you."
Seifer swallowed, answering uncertainly, not quite sure what he should do. "All good I hope..."
"Nothing but the best." Kiros smiled genuinely. "Well," he patted Squall's arm. "I have to be getting back to your dad. See you later Michael."
"But-" Seifer started, but Kiros was gone and Hilde was working around the corner on her pies. Out of eyeset and earset.
The two merely stared at one another, eyes locked. Squall could have murdered him right then and there, but he simply watched.
"Been a while," the blonde offered, finding it hard to look at the other young man, and hard to look away. So, this is what Squall Leonhart had turned into... "You look good."
Squall leaned in closer, his face stoic. "Let's just get one thing straight. I won't tell anyone who you are, you can keep your job." His face darkened, his eyes turning to slits. "But you stay AWAY from my father. I swear, if anything happens to him and I find out you had ANYthing to do with it, I will PERSONALLY bury you alive."
Seifer never thought anyone could ever be that intimidating, or frightening, especially considering the way he used to be. He watched as the young man turned and walked toward the elevator.
Seifer scoffed loudly, blinking at the closing elevator door.
Just my luck, I find the greatest job in the world and Leonhart's my boss.
He tried to hold his composure, but inside he was jittery.
Squall was his rival, usually there was a pure hatred that always sparked between him.
But there was none of that now. A deep irritation, yes. Anger, and frustration, of course. But mixed with it was some kind of indescribable tinge of fear and regret that he couldn't quite place.
He huffed to himself, blowing it off. Stupid fuck, I'll beat the shit out of him if he ever threatens me like that again.
The curse was empty, he knew, only to please himself. The blonde had to admit, he was a little glad to see his old rival and classmate. Even if Seifer hated his guts and would sooner kill him than start a friendly conversation with him, a familiar face was a familiar face, and he hadn't seen one in a very long time.
Squall walked upstairs into his father's secondary office, grabbing the assistant's arm and dragging her out into the hallway. Her one good eye blinked at him questioningly as he pulled her down the corridor and releasing her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, studying him. He was clearly unnerved by something and that made her worried.
"Seifer's here."
Her eye widened. "Are you sure it's him?"
Squall nodded. "He's working downstairs in the kitchen. Kiros brought me down there to meet him. When he described him to me it just sounded so familiar....he's going by the name of Michael now." She said nothing, but looked away. "He doesn't know you're here, I wasn't sure if you wanted him to know. But if you want to see him he's still downstairs." He sighed, his face lightening. "I had to tell you. I know what he means to you."
"Thank you." She nodded and walked past him. He watched her, unmoving until she disappeared into the elevator before sighing and walking off in the opposite direction.
He walked to the large picture window at the end of the hall and stood, scanning over the city. Everything looked so peaceful from such a height, the people rushing back and forth.
He rubbed the back of his neck, not sure of what to do. He couldn't just forget Seifer was in the building, working for his father. He couldn't ignore the fact that he had tried repeatedly to kill his friends....
And the torture...
He couldn't ignore the fact that the memories of the pain woke him up at night. The face that haunted him. The cold blue eyes, soulless, merciless eyes...
He sighed, closing his own eyes, letting the sun warm his face.
I wonder what Dad would do...
Seifer was washing off the main counter when the elevator opened and a young woman walked in, coming toward him.
It took him a second to recognize her and when he did he almost cried in joy.
"Fujin!!" He tore around the counter and hugged her, picking her up and squeezing her tightly.
She laughed, lightly slapping his arms. "Alright. Alright I can't breathe."
He set her down, but refused to let go of her. "God, I missed you so much. What are you doing here?"
"I work here," she told him, straightening her clothes as he released her. "I'm Laguna's assistant."
"God, look at you." He held her at arms length. "You look beautiful."
She blushed lightly. "Thanks...you look great too. Nice tan."
"I've been doing a lot of traveling." He smirked, tilting his head. "Have you talked to Raijin lately?"
She nodded. "I talked to him the other day. His wife is pregnant."
Seifer let out a laugh, truly happy for the first time in years. "Rai's gonna be a dad? That's awesome!"
Fujin smiled. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it over lunch. My treat."
"I'm really not dressed to go out." He told her, looking down at his clothes, dusted with flour.
She threw her hand out in front of her. "Oh, come on. Live a little."
He only smiled. "Well, if I don't you'll probably beat the shit out of me."
She winked. "That too."
"So, how long are you staying in town?" Fujin asked, looking over the top of her iced lemonade, studying him.
"I don't know," he told her. "As long as there's work."
"You're lucky you found what you did." Fujin assured him.
"Yeah, I have to thank Kiros. He's the one who gave me the job." Seifer popped a french fry into his mouth. "He never would have done it if he knew who I was." He looked at her. "Leonhart wasn't very happy to see me."
"Well, considering what you did to him and his friends..." Fujin trailed off. "I'm sure he'll see that you've changed.
Seifer smirked changin the subject. "So, what's with the full dialogue thing? I thought you were just sticking to two word sentences and shouting."
"Yeah, it was hard to get a job when all you say is "RAGE" and "AFFIRMATIVE". The guys were good enough to help me pitch in for speech classes."
"The guys?"
"Oh," her face flushed. "you're not gonna like it..."
Seifer looked at her wide-eyed. "No....you're one of Squall's crew now?"
"Not his "crew"." she corrected. "I'm just one of his friends now...he's not such a bad guy."
"He's an ass kissing pretty boy." Seifer huffed.
"You know that's not true," she told him. "He never asked for all the responsibilities Cid gave him. He was as much of an ass kisser as you were."
"Yeah, but HE never let a chocobo loose in the cafeteria his freshman year." He laughed to himself. "I bet he's doing something really important right now like making sure his dad doesn't blow up the world."
Squall shook his head as his father continued his victory dance through his presidential office. Kiros had made the ultimate mistake of landing on Boardwalk with two hotels and three houses.
Squall had to feel for the guy.
Kiros on the other hand had a small pout on his face as he threw his arms over his chest and sighed. "My, aren't you the gracious winner..."
"Oh, leave him alone." Ellone chided from her seat beside her brother. "How often does he win."
"About as often as we have to see him do that stupid victory dance." Squall muttered, trying not to look amused by his father's antics.
"Oh, and yours is sooo much better." Laguna huffed, tossing his son a grin.
"Yes, yes it is." Squall replied, matter-of-factly. "And I think everyone here would agree."
"Oh please, my moves are so much better." The president peered over at his second in command, winking. "Wouldn't you agree Kiros."
"Submissive is better on you." Kiros told him. "You don't need moves."
"Oh, gee thanks."
Squall shook his head, chuckling. Laguna and Kiros had been lovers for as long as he could remember, which was perfectly fine with him. Anything different was most likely to spell disaster.
Which brought him to Seifer.
What am I going to do about him? Should I do anything at all? Well, I can't just go on knowing that he's here and not do anything....Fujin tells me not to worry, that he's changed....but I have to worry. I know Seifer. And it scares me to think that I could be wrong about him....even more than if I knew he was planning something....because if he's changed...does that mean he remembers?
He felt a nudge and saw Ellone watching him as Kiros attempted to stop Laguna from carrying his dance into the hallway. "Are you okay?"
He offered her a weak smile. "Yeah Sis, I'm fine..."
"You're lying..." she told him.
He sighed. "I know...."