"When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool"

Behind Blue Eyes, By The Who

Quistis followed Seifer, more like stumbled as he pulled, into the training center. She jerked her hand out of his and planted it on her hip.

Seifer turned to her, eyebrow raised as he took in her defensive stance.

"What's wrong now Majesty?"

He asked shifting his weight and angling his head up and away in impatience to where she could only see the side of his face without the scar.

She bit her lip nervously as she stared at his perfect half. Smooth skin, harsh cheek bone and narrowed eye with black lashes framing emerald green. He was gorgeous but she missed the angry slash over his nose and part of his cheek. It was his flaws that made him… Seifer.

"Where are we going, Seifer? And what was Ultimecia talking about?"

His head fell back, eyes closed, before speaking in a weary voice, "We're in the training room, obviously."

Quistis rolled her eyes, "Yes I am aware. But why are we here without weapons? And what did Ultimecia mean by saying you belong to her?"

Seifer opened his eyes and the intensity in their emerald depths startled Quistis. He reached out to her his hand brushing her arm before falling clenched to his side.

"Afraid I can't protect you Quistis?"

Quistis frowned, was he talking about monsters or against Ultimecia…. Or maybe both?

"Or course not, I can protect myself. I don't need you."

Seifer huffed and rolled his eyes. "That's not what you were saying a few weeks ago."

Quistis sighed and waved her hand in the air carelessly as if she wasn't concerned or as if the memory was not as big of a deal as he was making it. "I was just distracted that's all and you caused a minor diversion so I could regain focus. Big deal."

Seifer narrowed his eyes at her, he moved in on her causing her to take a step back nervously at his heated gaze. "Is that all Ice Queen?"

Quistis nodded pushing back the heat and jitters that was causing her legs to shake caused by his nearness. She cleared her throat before muttering a hoarse, "of course".

Seifer raised his hand and cupped her shoulder marveling at just how frail she was no matter how tough she acted.

Gently, he pushed her back till she was against the wall, hands behind her back pressing against the cool cement trying to calm her racing heart and even out her panting breaths.

"Still think that was all?" He whispered into her ear causing her to shiver.

She closed her eyes and moved one hand from the wall to his shoulder, barely pushing him but trying to maintain her composure.

"I wasn't the one who passed out Seifer."

Seifer chuckled and she opened her eyes. He grinned at her while slowly moving his hand from her shoulder down her side, to her hip to her lower back then pulling her forward, brushing her against him.

She gasped, her eyes flying up to meet his, a hazy dark blue melting under his dark green. Her hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck.

"That's true enough, guess I owe you one Majesty. How can I pay you back?"

His husky voice did things to her she had never felt before. How could someone's voice do such things to you? All he had to do was change tenor and she was ready to melt at his feet, no wonder Ultimecia… Ah, that's right.

Quistis looked up at him, her eyes losing their haze. Seifer's eyebrows drew down and he pulled her closer wanting her back to where she had just been, warm, a little fuzzy and damn sexy. Not frigid and distant. He felt her tense in his arms and sighed.

The moment was lost.

"You can start by telling me what Ultimecia meant. Stop avoiding the question Seifer"

Seifer stepped back away from her, letting her go, one hand scrubbing down his face before running back up to his hair pushing it back causing the spikes to point sporadically.

Quistis instantly regretted saying anything as his warmth disappeared and his face went from being soft teasing lover to hardened badass. She quickly rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Funny, she hadn't noticed the chill earlier.

"She didn't mean anything. She is the last person on my mind at the moment and should be the same for you as well."

Quistis swallowed nervously at the hard edge in Seifer's voice. Even when he was annoyed at her he never sounded that… mean?

Another funny, when had she noticed that his voice really held no animosity when he spoke to her? Never did, now that she thought about it.

Shaking her head slightly she watched him turn away from her, his shoulders tense and straight. Such a warrior. He really was Balamb's pride.

"What did she mean when she said you belong to her?"

Seifer shrugged keeping his back to her.

"Hell if I know. That Bitch is seriously fucking deranged. Maybe she has an obsession with me. Wouldn't be the first time some goody two shoes cunt fell for the bad boy, damn Trepe you should know that."

Quistis frowned, "Is that what you think this is between us Seifer? That I'm just infatuated with you because you're the bad boy?"

Seifer turned to face her, his face expressionless.

"It would make fucking sense, right Ice Queen? A month ago you wouldn't fuckin' look twice at me. I save your life one day because I happened to decide to skip class, I drive you home and do something so completely uncharacteristic of me that even I can't make up a fucking excuse for it, and now I can't get the fucking thought of you out of my damn head."

Seifer started towards her, crowding her again. The chill was instantly replaced with heat. His heat, radiating from his too tense, big body and wrapping around her, causing her to shiver for a completely different reason. She took a deep breath trying to steady herself but only became more unbalanced as she felt her body come into contact with his. He was everywhere.

"You keep giving me these looks with those big blue eyes of yours and I don't know what to make out of it. You keep looking at me as if I'm something more, as if you want something from me. As if you expect something from me."

He placed his hands above her shoulders on the wall caging her in his arms. "What is it, Quistis? What is it you want from me?"

He leaned down and nuzzled her ear, his lips softly caressing her neck. Not enough pressure to truly be kissing but enough to tease her senseless.

"I want… umm I…." she stammered clenching her hands into fist. Seifer shifted all of his weight onto one hand still braced against the wall. The other hand ran down her arm to her clenched fist slipping his fingers between hers and pushing his body gently against hers.

"What baby, you want what?" he whispered into her ear.

Quistis gasped, Hyne damn his sexy voice.

Completely furious and highly frustrated with the powerful male in front of her, Quistis reached up and grasped his shirt pulling Seifer down to her and raising onto her tip toes.

She almost grinned when Seifer's eyes widened in surprise.

"This is what I want" she growled at him fiercely before crashing her lips to his.

Selphie hummed to herself as she skipped down the hall.

She wondered what Rinny and Squall were up to.

Probably outside somewhere secretly watching each other, touching appropriately in non-naughty places.

She giggled, man they were a boring couple. Poor Rinoa, how could she stand being with someone so stand offish?

Selphie loved to be touched, to be cuddled and cooed over, to be first and foremost to that certain special someone.

And she had all of that with Zell.

Well, almost.

"Hey pretty lady."

Selphie stopped and her smile widened as she watched the cowboy walk towards her. She giggled at the girls' sighs and stifled whispers around her as Irvine swaggered over to her.

He tipped his hat to her and winked. "May I walk you to class Miss Tilmitt?" he asked in his deep southern twang.

Selphie smiled at him but looked away from him and down the hall.

Where was Zell? He had been disappearing a lot lately. She had thought it was because of his obsession with hot dogs but surely not now, they had just ate lunch not even an hour ago and he had ten of the cafeteria dogs then.

Selphie looked down and frowned. Things really hadn't been the same between them since school started. Zell's obsession with not only his hot dogs but also martial arts was driving them apart. He never wanted to spend time with her anymore unless they were with the gang.

Was it wrong of her to want him to herself sometimes?

"Miss Selphie?" The soft voice asked concerned.

Selphie's smile returned and she tossed back her head. Oh well, Zell would come around. Until then, she'd get to know Irvine better. He was new after all and needed some showing around. Maybe he'd even join the Garden festival committee!

"Of course Mr. Kinneas! I'd be delighted!" Selphie exclaimed turning all of her bubbly attention to the handsome cowboy.

Rinoa touched the water gently watching the ripples form and roll away.

She smiled and sighed peacefully.

Leaning down she ran her fingers over the still water's surface smiling as the water distorted her reflection.

Her smile grew as another distorted head joined hers silently in the water's disturbed reflection. She turned, her warm brown eyes landing on his deep blue.

"Hi Squall." She said quietly. He grunted at her in his usual form of greeting, before sitting next to her on the fountain's cement lip.

He picked up her hand and played idly with her fingers, examining each nail before running his finger over the tip. She smiled serenely at him before gazing back into the pool.

"Rinoa…" Squall hesitated looking up at his beautiful girlfriend. His angel in every way, she was so perfect.

He drew in a deep breath and held it in his lungs, afraid to let it go. Afraid that it was all going to end soon.

How could someone so perfect want to be with him?

Rinoa frowned at her boyfriend. He was unusually quiet and more distant than normal, even for him, which meant something was heavy on his mind.

"Is everything ok, Squall?" She asked him concerned, scooting closer to him and placing her unoccupied hand on his leg gently.

Squall exhaled and looked away from her before shrugging.

Rinoa sighed and placed her head on his shoulder, he would talk to her when he was ready.

She loved how calm he was. Everything in her life was always crazy and hectic. She had school and training and then her father was always signing her up for more and more classes.

Classes that she didn't even enjoy.

No fighting classes, herb classes, magic or even boring history. No, it was always piano or art or languages or some other class that would help transform her into a perfect lady.

Not exactly, the lady that she wanted to be, but a lady some rich man might want to be with.

She turned her head and took a deep calming breath and inhaled the masculine scent of her boyfriend. The only man she ever loved.

The one man her father would never let her be with.

Squall shifts as if he knows her inner turmoil and slips his arm around her shoulder pulling her deeper into his safe, peaceful haven he creates for her.

Right now, for her, as long as she's with him the rest of the world doesn't matter. The frantic noisy life around her just seems to fade away and disappear behind his blue eyes.

He is her whole world and she plans to hold onto him for as long as she can.