Hey, everyone! This is my new multi part fic. I'm hoping to write something close to or more than 30,000 words for it during April, since that's the target I set myself for a challenge. It's going to be fun, right?

Before you read, you need to know two things. One, it's in POV, which shifts, and two, it's slash, Seifer x Squall style.

In future chapters, I may have to cut some of it out and give you a link to the full chapter (which will probably be posted on my writing LJ), since this site doesn't allow NC17 fanfiction. You can read that or not, as you wish, but the parts of the fic needed for plot will all be here.

This fic is dedicated to my close friend and sister, Lisa, because quite frankly, she's the only damn reason it's being written. When I said I was writing a fanfic for this challenge, she was the one who helped me cook up an idea. And she's the only reason I managed to start writing it, and will no doubt be a great help with later chapters, too, as she always is.

Edit: And, thanks to the ever wonderful Lisa, I've edited more into this chapter, to break up Seifer's POV at the end and reduce confusion.

Squall POV

There's way too much paperwork to deal with today, thanks to this rebellion. Supposedly led by my ex-rival, though a part of me thinks that surely he isn't this stupid, it's suddenly become my problem because apparently no one else can sign these papers. It shouldn't take this much to get a SeeD operative into their ranks.

They're hiding out in Centra, but they started in Deling City. Alright, get a SeeD to go to Deling City and gather more information…

I hate doing this. I might not be the most interesting person in the world but I'd at least like some variation in the monotony. I'd kill for some kind of distraction today, even if it wears two outfits simultaneously and is called Rinoa.

It's only a few minutes after I thought that that some god apparently heard my thought.

"Squall?" My father stands in the doorway, smiling at me sheepishly, coming closer to the desk. Kiros stands behind him, always a silent presence wherever my father goes. "I didn't call, I wanted to surprise you, I'm sorry if you're busy."

I stand up, liking nothing better than to be swept off in Laguna's babble. Normally, it would irritate me; today I'm tolerant of anything that gets me away from paperwork.

"It's okay, just paperwork."

My father hugs me tightly, never expecting me to hug him back. When I do, tentatively, return the crushing embrace, he stiffens a little in surprise, squeezes for a second longer, and then steps back. "It's so nice to see you, Squall; I wish this wasn't official business, but…"

"But?" I raise my eyebrow. I wouldn't have put it past my father to find some small thing to come and see me about that could have been handled through a phone call, but he looks serious, biting his lip.

"Kiros, could you bring him in?"

The dark-skinned man nods, going out and coming back in a moment later. And then I'm face to face with my ex-rival, ex sorceress's knight, currently rumoured to be in charge of a rebellion.

Laguna bites his lip, looking worried at the flash of something between us, "Maybe I shouldn't have done this, maybe I should have called you first…"

Seifer looks at me for a long silent minute, our eyes meeting, rivalry forgotten roused again by the slightly derisive look at me, as if he thinks I've fallen, become somehow beneath him in being confined to this office. I had missed having him around, until this came up. Now I remember the old feeling of wanting to strangle him.

But then the arrogant look is gone, and he straights up, crossing his arms in front of his chest and using his height to his advantage. "I needed to talk to you, Leonhart, but I couldn't get near Garden without your lackeys trying to kill me."

"So you use my father? That's unlike you."

"He asked for my protection, said he could explain when he got to Garden…" Laguna says softly, filling in the blanks that Seifer wouldn't. "I had Kiros watching over him all the time, but he hasn't caused any trouble. I think you should at least listen to him, Squall."

I raise my eyebrow, letting the silence in the room force someone to speak.

Not surprisingly, it's Laguna. "I'm sorry if I shouldn't have done this, Squall, but I knew you were looking for him, and he did ask -"

Seifer interrupts, "Squall, will you listen to me and give me a chance?" He shifts slightly and gives me another look. I'd almost call this pleading, except that Seifer doesn't plead, ever.

"I'm listening."

"I'd rather not have to go through all this with an audience, you know." He's still giving me that look. That look that says how much he hates doing this, how much he hates having to come to Garden with my father for protection, and how much he hates lowering himself to asking favours.

I can't help thinking that the old Seifer would have cleared his name himself. But now he seems more aware of the fact that he can't do everything alone, that he does need the backing of other people.

"Seifer, get on with it." I glare at him with the words, hating how well I can analyze him.

"Fine. That rebel group you're after, I don't have anything to do with them at all. They came to me, asking me to lead them, because I have the reputation to get them into the open and all that shit." He holds up a hand before anyone can butt in, determined to get his say, "And I said no, because I'm not stupid enough to get into even more trouble. I do know some things about them, which I'm willing to share – if you clear my name of this crap about me being the leader."

"You're not exactly in a position to be putting conditions on information, Seifer." My voice is chilly, but his eyes catch at mine, the little spark always there in my heart flaring a little. I've never shown it, never wanted to show it, but I do admire him and care, somewhat, about what happens to him.

His stance strengthens; all pride and arrogance, his eyes still fixed on mine. "But you need the information, don't you, Squally-boy?"

He can read me too well; he knows everything I don't say – always has, really.

"What can you tell me?"

"Their aims, their leaders, their forces," he tosses the words out lightly, as if the information is nothing. But the information he's offering – it makes all this damnable paperwork unnecessary.

Time to bargain for it, obviously. "You tell me it, and I'll clear your name. On one other condition."

"What?" he asks, and he's deadly serious as he says softly, "I need to be cleared, this isn't just a joke, you know, Leonhart. People pretty much all want to get rid of me, and this would be a perfect excuse."

It almost hurts to think of him being killed, but I don't dwell on that, simply nodding. "I want you to help SeeD put down the rebellion."

He snorts, "You're asking for my help in battle? You were the winners, princess, no need to rub it in."

Laguna is about to say something, but I cast him a silencing look. "Does that matter? If you want your name cleared, surely you can help us in clearing it for you?"

What I say is partly true, but there's another part to it. I'd like to see him earn some kind of redemption… something, at least, to stop people being so negative about him. I believe him when he says he didn't want to do any of it, but that's because I know him. That's a rare privilege, really, whether it is as a rival or a friend, so not many people will accept his word.

There's a long moment of silence as he holds my eyes again, gauging what I've said, measuring me up, trying to find any loophole or any trick in my words.

"Fine," he says with a sigh. "I don't really have a choice." And then, more bitterly, "Seems like I never do, when it comes to who I fight."

Laguna takes a breath, about to say something again, but I'm not having it. "Kiros, could you escort Seifer to Quistis's office? She can watch over him until this visit with my father is done."

Kiros nods, the comment addressed to him startling both Seifer and Laguna, who appear to have forgotten he was there. Fools, since Kiros is very dangerous and while he wouldn't hurt Laguna or anyone else without being commanded to – or extreme provocation, of course – if it was anyone but Kiros, that would be a danger.

Kiros makes the blond leave before him, and then he's gone, shutting the door softly behind him.

Laguna smiles at me, running a hand through his hair nervously, "I hope this hasn't caused trouble for you…"

"No, it's saved me from a lot of paperwork, which is a good thing."

"Ah," he smiles in relief. "Then, if you don't have paperwork, would you like to go out somewhere for something to eat?"

Lunch sounds good, and the babble of my father a welcome distraction from all these thoughts, one of them more persistent – and more unsettling – than the rest. I really have missed Seifer.

Damn bastard, putting more conditions on me like that. I knew he would give me a chance to clear my name – it's Squall, after all, honourable to a fault and always with perhaps a touch more concern for me, as a rival, than people might expect. I just didn't figure he'd take advantage of my need to be cleared to make me help him even more.

I can't think what they'd need me for, though. Squall has all the skills a fighter could want, and I doubt he's stopped training just because they gave him a pen and a chair and asked him to command. He must need me for something else, or maybe he doesn't even really need me, maybe he has some other reason… Maybe I'm imagining it, but maybe he actually cares.

Mind you, I should have known. He's always believed me that I did everything I did against my will. Perhaps naively, he forgives me for the things I did. He wants me to prove myself innocent, this time, to people's eyes. They don't believe his words alone, and while I'd never believe words alone myself, I'd never worship him, either. At least not the way they do.

So it says a lot that they won't take his word for it. It speaks of the hate they grew for me, the suffering I caused them while possessed. While I'm not overly fussed about people, I never wanted to do that to them – but they won't believe me. People won't believe me that I'm not really such a grade A bastard. I suppose I don't blame them, since that's what all the bad guys say.

Kiros disturbs me from my thoughts, touching my shoulder to get my attention. "This is Quistis's office."

Quistis? He calls her by her name? "Since when did you lot get on first name terms with the gang?"

He just shakes his head, "Laguna is here a lot, and they're in Esthar a lot. It's not surprising, unless you've been off somewhere unknown since the sorceress war."

Oh, thanks. It's not like I didn't want to be here, but I couldn't come back. I'm not welcome here.

Or anywhere, really.

"Go inside," he prompts me, stirring me out of that thought.

And of course, I do. I'm the prisoner here, I'd better behave.

Quistis, rising from her desk in surprise, looks just the same as ever. Strong, strait-laced, the kind of person that doesn't even notice how kinky it is to have a whip for a weapon.

"Hey, Quisty," I try for the old smile.

"Seifer?"

Kiros comes in behind me, pushing me forward a little. "Squall said you'd look after him until he was done with his father."

"Of course," she says, smiling, "I'm sure I can handle Seifer." She picks something up from the desk, moving round it.

Shit. Handcuffs? She's getting kinkier every time I see her.

"You're technically a criminal, Almasy, so you have to wear those," Kiros says when he sees my raised eyebrow, as if it's not a big issue.

"Fuck no, I'm not being chained to the wall or whatever!"

Quistis narrows her eyes at me. "Seifer, don't be an ass. You know we have to do this, for the safety of Garden."

"I'm not a fucking criminal!"

"We don't know that yet," she says smoothly, and before I really realise it, she's caught my hands and trapped my wrists in the handcuffs. "Sit down. I've got some work to do."

I sit, reluctantly, since there's nowhere else I can go.

"Shall I stay, or go back to Laguna?" Kiros asks her.

She smiles at him, a little smile between people who know each other well. "You can go back to Laguna, I'm sure I can handle Seifer on my own."

I hate this. This is going to happen everywhere I go. I've got nothing better to do than sit and think, and simmer slowly. I know trying to hold a conversation with Quistis will be pointless. She probably thinks I'm guilty anyway.

Ultimecia didn't only run my life to ruins while she was alive. In a way, she's still doing it now. It's my punishment. Squall is a little ambitious if he thinks that by helping him I can redeem myself in anyone's eyes.

Ultimecia really didn't like failure. She also didn't like the fact that I fought against her, once I realised how she was manipulating me. The one person she truly feared was Squall, after coming to know his strength through my – rather fond – memories of him, and he was the one person I refused to kill.

Since then, I'd say he's become even more a force to fear. He's matured a little, strengthened emotionally and grown up. I can see why people trust him and adore him so much. He's the perfect candidate for a hero if there ever was one, a perfect person for kids to looks up to. 'If you eat up your greens, you'll get big and strong like Squall Leonhart.' Hah.

He seemed… happier, today, than ever before, though that's not quite the word. 'Lighter' might fit better. He seemed to be more open, certainly he seemed to have a comfortable enough relationship with his father – shit, that's strange, that guy having a father, but he looks quite like him – they're both prettyboys.

And as for the lighter attitude, well… There's always been a kind of seriousness deep rooted in him, but he's let that give way a little, and there's a touch of humour possible in those eyes, too.

I should know the difference, however minute – I spent years studying him like he was some interesting book. We've never been friends, but that's never mattered, either. It was just as important to know my rival as it would have been important to know him if I was his friend – or, as I had wanted, as his lover. I know him better than most; simply because of the time I spent fighting him, learning to read when I was pushing him too far.

I misread him, once.

That's why we both have scars on our faces. Proof that getting cocky can be extremely dangerous.

So, he wants me to prove myself. Fair enough.