Disclaimer – No one involved in the writing found within owns Final Fantasy VIII or makes money from the posting of said writing.

A/N – In the writing of Second Chances, there were quite a few scenes that had to hit the cutting room floor, as it were. Some because they ceased to fit in as the plot evolved and others because they didn't involve Seifer, whose POV the story largely followed. Despite these facts, the scenes were written anyway – mostly for practice and giggles – and now we bring them to you as a 'stopgap' between Second Chances and it's upcoming sequel, Happy Endings.

The Cutting Room Floor Presents

Emcey – Originally we were going to keep Rinoa as the Sorceress and generally an oblivious, air-headed brat. But Kit mentioned that our version of Seifer wasn't exactly the sort to date a girl because she had a nice rack. Our Seifer likes substance – aka brains – so we changed things around and figured out how to make Rinoa not only understandable and somewhat intelligent (okay, so I don't like her) but also get rid of her on a good note, which was when the Sorceress!Selphie idea came into play.

Kit – While we were still knocking out ideas with Air-headed!Sorceress!Rinoa in the picture, FH played out a little differently after Squall's promotion to Commander. At that time we hadn't thought of making Xu headmistress either, so... yeah. Different. But the plot outline changed as character-roles evolved. Yet we couldn't resist writing out these two scenes anyway. We'd already come up with some of the dialogue and it seemed like a waste not to at least write it for our own amusement.

Emcey – Now we share it with our adoring audience.

Kit – Please... leave her delusions in peace. Her roommate's sanity may depend upon it.

Emcey – :)

Cut FH Scene One – Quad

Seifer was, to say the least, not impressed with Selphie's 'Grand Plan.' For one thing, she wanted to shanghai him into playing the guitar and singing on command – her command, of course. Not that he didn't enjoy playing for fun, but he preferred it when the audience enjoyed the music, something that wasn't likely to happen what with how Selphie planned to get Squall down to the 'concert.' That was the second big part of the plan, after all; somehow, Selphie seemed to be under the mistaken impression that Rinoa was the perfect person to fetch Squall and drag him kicking and screaming to view Seifer's enslavement.

Okay, so maybe the kicking and screaming part was exaggeration. Squall would be nothing if not dignified, annoyed, and in the process of developing a headache once he inevitably caved to Rinoa's future insistence that he be sociable.

"Go get yourself all spiffy and prettified," Selphie told Rinoa, who bounced happily and took off to do as ordered. "As for you," Selphie turned and poked Seifer in the chest. "You will play the guitar and you will sing and you," poke, "will," poke, "like it." Poke, poke.

None of Selphie's pokes, which had been done rather forcefully, so much as budged Seifer, however. "If that was an attempt to move me, you failed both literally and metaphorically."

"Set up the instruments now, Raijin," Fujin directed.

Seifer face-palmed, as was only appropriate when his staunchest ally – his sister – was in the process of betraying him. "Fujin, tell me that Selphie hasn't already recruited you in this... fubar in the making?"

"RAGE!" Fujin smacked Seifer's arm forcefully – she actually caused him to stumble forward a step or two, much to Quistis, Zell, and Irvine's not-so-quiet amusement. "It will be fun. Raijin volunteered to play the drums and I'm on keyboard."

"As always," Seifer sighed, dropping his hands. "Does the fact that I don't want to mean anything to you at all?"

"NEGATIVE! Find the quad guitar or go get yours from your dorm. Now."

The two of them glared at each other for a long moment, each ignoring Selphie's gleeful expression and the sniggering coming from Quistis, Zell, and Irvine. At least, they were until Seifer couldn't take it anymore. Whirling around, he hit the laughing trio with his glare.

"If you three don't shut up, there will be violence. And don't think you're getting out of anything; Selphie surely has something for all of you to do and I'm certain she'd be more than happy to borrow your whip, Trepe, so that she can pull off the slave-driver look better."

"Kinky," Irvine drawled, leering at the red-headed pixie. "I like the imagery."

"Obey me," Selphie trilled happily, miming a whipping motion and making a 'kachek' sound. Turning to Seifer, Selphie used her biggest puppy-dog-eyed stare. "Please, Seifer? Please?"

"Fine." Seifer pinned Selphie with his highly unamused stare. "But when Squall is too pissed off at Rinoa for being a pushy bitch to appreciate any of this, I'm going to say 'I told you so' and I'm going to rub it in painfully. Just so that's clear." He sneered at them and stalked off.

Halfway out of the quad, Selphie caught up to him. Tugging on his arm, she got him to stop and she smiled up at him sweetly. "I know that you'd be a better candidate for getting Squall to come to the concert peaceably, but I needed something to do with Rinoa. I'm sure once he gets there, Squall will be far too busy listening to you sing to pay Rinoa any attention.

"I do see the way you two look at each other," she added slyly.

Seifer flushed but didn't respond.

"Don't be mad, Seifer."

Sighing, Seifer offered her a half-smile and ruffled her hair. "Coppercurls... I doubt I could ever really be mad with you."

"Hey... my hair!" Selphie giggled and mock growled at him as she straightened her hair by combing her fingers through the slightly mussed strands.

"I can see it now," Seifer laughed, shaking his head at the ridiculous mental image in his head.

"See what now?"

"You growing claws and sprouting fur and fangs. Such a vicious growl you have."

"Oh go get that guitar of yours," Selphie told him, waving him off with a grin and running to the others in order to assign them jobs. With Fujin as her enforcer, there was no way any of them could resist.

Shaking his head, Seifer started off towards the quad exit again. "I don't know why anyone thinks I'm in charge of the posse," he mused to himself. "Fujin is the bossy one..."

Cut FH Scene Two – Stage

Much as Seifer had predicted, Squall was dragging his feet and glaring balefully at Rinoa by the time he finally arrived at the stage Flo had let Selphie set up in front of the Mayor's house. (Flo had to be the most kick-ass old lady ever. If Seifer ever had to choose a grandmother, he'd pick Flo hands down.)

Rinoa was dressed to the nines in the same dress she'd worn at the graduation party about a week earlier. Where it came from, Seifer had no fucking clue. He was pretty certain that she'd left all her crap in Timber, but maybe she'd found some cadet or SeeD who had the same dress. With Rinoa, there was simply no telling.

Squall, on the other hand, was still in his ass-hugging leather outfit that had always frustrated Seifer... though for different reasons now than before. He used to get irritated because leather was not the easiest thing to move in but Squall still managed to be faster than Seifer. Now... the frustration had to do with how badly he wanted to shove that leather-clad body against the nearest hard surface and kiss the hell out of him.

The impulse was not conducive to sparring and Seifer was starting to worry that he was going to be completely useless the next time Squall wanted to fight.

Regardless of Seifer's personal feelings towards Squall and the desire he had to shove Rinoa off the side of the nearest tall building just to watch her go splat on the ground, Seifer managed to play through several songs as the drama that was Rinoa's failed seduction of Squall unfolded.

First, Squall tried to stand around watching the posse and listening to the music. Rinoa kept trying to talk over the music, though, and Squall reluctantly moved off to the side in order to hear her better. Sometimes the brunet gunblader was too polite. He really ought to just deal with Rinoa the same way he had Quistis, but Squall was under the strange impression that Rinoa was more delicate than the whip-wielding blonde woman.

Next, Squall tried to deter Rinoa's interest by sitting on the edge overlooking the solar panel 'sea' below and staring off into the distance even as he nodded absently to whatever she was saying. He attempted to get up and go back to the music a few times, but she grabbed his arm each time. Squall would detach her grip whenever she did it, but Rinoa wasn't good at taking a hint.

Finally, Squall snapped at Rinoa and she shoved him off the edge to the solar panels below. Then she jumped after him, somehow managing not to break her legs despite still wearing her fancy heels.

The girl was a fucking cat in disguise. Seifer just knew it.

Eventually Squall must have done something to chase Rinoa off because she clambered back up the ladder, alone, and stalked off in a huff. Squall did not follow and Seifer took the opportunity to hand his guitar off to Fujin while Quistis gamely took a turn at the keyboard.

Climbing down to the solar panel level, Seifer peered about in the dark for Squall. He spied the brunet around the curve of the 'island' the Mayor's house was located on and wandered over to sit beside the crouched Commander without saying a word. Fujin's voice was gorgeous as she sang, so it was easy enough to sit around listening to the music and wait for Squall to break the silence between them.

Squall stared up at the sky wordlessly for a long while but, when it became apparent that Seifer wasn't going to say anything, he finally asked, "do you think I ought to change who I am just like everyone else seems to?"

"Huh?" Seifer turned to look at the morose brunet. "Where did that come from?" Shaking his head, Seifer shrugged. "Rinoa is spouting off like a moron again, I suppose. You're fine the way you are, Squall. Yeah, sure, I wish you'd be more open around me, but then that's because I've always wanted your attention. Mostly, I just want you to feel comfortable around me as yourself. That's part of the whole 'being friends' thing. So, no, I don't want you to change. I want you to be you."

Pausing, Seifer flushed, grateful that the dark covered his embarrassment. "Hyne... that sounded ridiculously corny. Don't tell anyone I said anything so stupid sounding; I'll deny it to my dying day, I swear."

Squall laughed softly and bumped his shoulder against Seifer's lightly. "Don't worry. I won't say a thing."

"Good." Seifer bumped Squall's shoulder back and grinned.

Smiling back in a hesitant, barely there sort of way, Squall settled down into a more comfy sitting position. "Rinoa seems to think that I need to share every thought I have and trust everyone with all my fears. Quistis is always telling me that I need to be more open and approachable so that other people can depend on me better. Irvine acts like my verbal approval is the rain and he's a dehydrated, droopy plant."

Seifer snorted, trying to hold back his laughter and only succeeding in coughing awkwardly before snickering at the imagery.

Running his hands through his hair in an agitated manner, Squall muttered, "why the fuck am I telling you any of this? I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems."

"You aren't burdening me with anything, Squall," Seifer insisted. "You're venting and I'm listening; that's another thing that friends do. Face it, Squall. You're stuck with me." He stood up and turned to look down on Squall, offering the brunet a hand up. "Rinoa is trying to force something that isn't there. You feel bad 'cause she's genuinely trying to be nice even though she's actually being a complete harpy. Don't let her manipulate you into trying to become someone you aren't, Squall. Just... tell her to fuck off the next time she's talking nonsense, okay?"

"Yeah... sure." Squall grabbed Seifer's hand and let the blonde pull him to his feet.

What they hadn't counted on was being mere inches apart once Squall was standing. They stood there for a long moment, fingers still tangled together, staring into one another's eyes and frozen by the intensity they found there.

Unable to take the tension any longer, Seifer leaned in and pressed his lips against Squall's. He growled low in his throat as Squall kissed back. Pressing Squall back against the wall, Seifer swiped his tongue along Squall's lips, seeking to deepen the kiss. Squall moaned and complied, his face tilting slightly to offer better access as Seifer's free hand reached up to cup his cheek.

"Holy fuck!" Zell's voice ripped the two out of their little world and back into reality.

Panting, the two gunbladers parted and turned to face the martial artist.

"I... uh... Selphie wants you back up on guitar..." Zell stammered. "I'll just... go..."

Squall looked quickly between Zell and Seifer and then bolted for the ladder. Seifer had never seen anyone climb a wall so quickly before.

"Great timing Dincht," Seifer snarled, glowering at his fellow blonde before following Squall's path up the ladder.

Emcey – So there you have it. The original imagining of Squall and Seifer's first kiss. I rather prefer the gravity assisted cliché over the getting caught in the act cliché, but I did miss having the concert scene. We tried to make up for it later, but not having Selphie and Squall there just made it a little bittersweet to write.

Kit – I really love writing Selphie, too, so this outtake was great practice for her random weirdness. Of course, mostly it was done for giggles.