Seifer smiled as Selphie leaped into the air happily, she had just passed her third grade of final seeD battle exams and she was extremely happy. He was about to go give her a few kind words when he noticed somebody walking up to her.

He scowled, it was that chump, irritatingly bigheaded battleaxe Locke, Selphie's boyfriend, well he said boyfriend, even though it wasn't official, they obviously had the hots for each other and so it was definitely a potential relationship in everybody's eyes.

Except Seifer. He hated that guy, so annoyingly perfect, the headmaster's favourite seeD, apart from the favourable Squall Leonheart, of course, but then again, at least Squall had the excuse of saving the world before becoming the hero. Locke was just a jackass, what the hell was the headmaster thinking when taking him on? Except of course his muscled tree trunk arms and army-guy expression which made every girl at Balamb swoon.

Seifer scowled even more.

"So babe, what you up to tonight? You wanna go out and celebrate?"

Locke's deep scratchy voice rung through the hall, it was a voice that just screamed authority and it was a 'don't-mess-with-me-or-ill-kick-your-ass' voice. Definitely.

But that made Seifer smile; one day he'd get the pleasure.

It was after dark. Happy couples were strolling along the promenade of the 'secret place' within the training centre. A place made strictly for love and peace.

Seifer stubbed out his cigarette and pulled out another one from his coat pocket. Scowling, he lit it and puffed out smoke that flew lightly across the sky. Ignoring dark glances headed his way from couples, he sighed and began to angrily stomp his feet on the ground.

"Hey, do you mind?"

A guy who looked no older than 16 was sitting with a girl equally young, she looked as nervous as the guy but Seifer smiled slightly at his braveness.

"So sorry," Seifer apologised without an ounce of sincerity.

The guy surprisingly seemed to pick up on that and he frowned, "Hey, if you have to do that all night, why don't you go do it someplace else?"

"Hmmm", Man, this guy is brave but I still wanna kick his ass, "Yea, well it's too bloody hot in here anyway. I hope you let your mom know where you are, she'll be worried about you." He smirked as he walked off. Kids, they have no idea.

"Seifer! Where were you last night?" Selphie put her hands on her hips as she stood outside his bedroom door. "Why didn't you come out with the gang?"

Seifer groaned and sat up, giving the person outside his door evil looks. "Because little messenger, I am not part of your dumbass gang, not do I want any part of it thank you. Now run along like a good little girl and leave me alone"

Selphie gave a big sigh and before he knew it, she had barged open his door and stood there, like an annoying goddess. Eyes sparkling, hair glowing and her expression were a mixture of questions and anger, well, as angry as a little always-happy brunette could be.

Seifer sat up and gave her a look. "Don't you ever do as you're told? Thought you were just supposed to be annoying. Not aggravating and stubborn." He sighed.

She smiled…"coz you told me that you would come out with us! So how comes you didn't?"

He growled, "Coz…you annoying little girl, I couldn't be arsed…I don't give a crap about a load of annoying teenagers dancing the night away with a crate load of booze. Give me a bunch of fire-breathing fiends to work out with any day."

It was then her face dropped, and she almost looked as though she was going to cry, "A…aren't you happy that I passed my exam? Coz…coz you always said that the day I would pass my third grade, you would celebrate it with me."

He looked puzzled, "Since when?"

She lifted her chin stubbornly, "Since we were eight!"

He rolled his eyes, "That was over 10 years ago messenger girl, now leave me alone."

She raised her head and their eyes met. Her's: green and brown, sparkling angrily. His, a deep relaxed blue and yet hard with a daring look within their depths. It was as if he was challenging her temper.

"Fine." she stated. "I don't care if you don't wanna come with me. It s'ok, I don't need you!"

He sighed angrily as she walked away, head high. Defiant.

"Wait." He said.

She waited.

Seifer got up from his bed and before she could move away he grabbed her, "Don't ever walk away from me like that." He growled and pressed his lips against hers. It was a rash decision he knew he shouldn't have done, but he couldn't help it. He wanted this girl far more than he wanted her to leave.

Their kiss was sweet and passionate, to his surprise and pleasure, she responded to him and pressed herself against him as he held her even closer.

Selphie listened to her heart beating wildly; she couldn't believe Seifer was kissing her! Oh for how long she had wanted…

Wait a minute.

Seifer.

Seifer kissing her?

No. This is wrong…

Breathing fast, they both pulled apart, Seifer felt her slight resistance and he let go. Finding his breath, he looked at her, and slowly said,

"Don't stay out too late messenger girl."

And he walked out, trying not to look at her puzzled face.

The bunch of potential seeD's all sat silent in the classroom. Some listening attentively, some were yawning and one or two flicking bits of paper at each other.

Selphie sighed and rubbed her head gingerly.

Ouch.

She groaned as another headache began its journey inside her brain, teaching kids how to become seeD's wasn't an easy job.

"So…uh anyway guys we were discussing the effects of magic as en element attack…no, um…a Defence Functioning System." She squinted at a textbook, "Uh…I think."

A few boys were playing up at the back and she put the book down, "Hey! Stop fooling around, we need to concentrate on the dangers of uh…evolution of mid level magic to high level magic."

One of the girls put up her hand and Selphie struggled to remember her name,

"Eva" the girl prompted.

"Uh yes…Eva. Uh…OK so you have a question Eva?"

The girl sighed and stood up, "Yeah, I thought Professor Tribal said that we were gonna talk about the forbidden magic levels and how the anti-magic shields in areas can disable the function of status effects of healing magic."

Selphie scanned her mind desperately as she tried to answer the girl's question.

"Well…uh…"

"Eva" the girl prompted again.

"Eva…right…You see, as you know uh…professor Tribal is currently undergoing a medical with the seeD troops and he hasn't had the time to properly inform you on the procedures of the effects so he asked me to go over with you the effects on status effect magic."

"You mean…level magic" a boy looked puzzled.

"Uh yes, that's what I meant. Level magic."

"But you said that we were gonna undermine one of the dangerous procedures. As far as Professor Tribal taught us, the effect of evolution mid-level magic is totally appropriate and safe." Eva looked smug as she related this.

"Well maybe Professor Tribal was talking about the dangers of mid-level magic when battling against fiends with a luck ration of 255 and a status effect of nought. I'm sure Miss. Tilmitt understood the reason for your question, but not the inappropriate way you chose to relay it."

The class turned to the new voice at the door of the classroom. Stood there, with a satisfied polite manner, was Seifer. Looking sturdy and handsome as always Selphie admitted grudgingly.

Eva on the other hand was looking as nervous as a first day student. "Uh…yes sir. Of course."

Seifer looked at the girl hard, "You sure you don't want to repeat the question?"

Eva sat back down and shook her head glumly, the class giggled; they all knew that Eva had a crush on Mr. Seifer Almassy and she was always boasting about him, but in the end, she was just as scared of him as anyone else.

Selphie gave a little sigh of relief and just before she turned to thank him, he had gone.

"Now," she bristled on, trying not to let the class see how shaky she felt, "Where were we?"