Phantom Dreams

~two hours later~

Squall rubbed his eyes,getting dsomething to eat,before heading down to seifer's room,knocking on the door.

Seifer had left the door unlocked. And he was still sitting in the chair looking out the window. His hair down. No longer in the small pony tail. His gaze was lost to the view.

Squall pushed it open,walking over,looking out to."Its nice out."He shook his head a little."Have you eaten?"

"No." Seifer says leaning back against the chair with a sigh. Rubbing his hand over his face.

Squall looked down at him."Do you want something?I was just getting ready to cook my own food."

Seifer sighs. "I'm not really hungry." He says softly.

"ok."Squall sighed a little,looking out the window."Selphie's coming to find you in about a half an hour.So...dont be to hard on turning her down on the classes ok?"he said,sure the knight didn't want the classes,but didnt want his friend hurt anymore then he'd already did for the day.

"what classes?" Seifer frowns looking up at squall. "What are you up to?" he asks standing.

"Selphie has decided that you need to get back in the game. So she's introduced a fitness class to everyone,but the main reason is to get you to come."He shrugged a little."It'll be interesting,if nothing else."

"and if I refuse?" Seifer scowls crossing his arms over his shoulders.

Squall shrugged,"More likely then not,she'll come up with something else for you to do."

Seifer scowls and sits down.

squall sighed,turning to go."well,I'll see you later seifer."He said,heading for the door.

"ah Squall!" Selphie smiles walkingf down the hallway. "Watcha doing down here? Eh?! This is Seifer's room?" Selphie grins backing the gunblader up back into the room.

The commander nodded,looking down at her,planting his feet to keep from letting her come in,standing just inside of the door,not wanting to disturb seifer's peace more then he already had."Yes."

Selphie frowns. "Squall, let me in." She says unhappily.

Seifer stands up and walks out of the bedroom.

Squall sighed a little hearing him come out,stepping back."sorry."he said,seeing she was unhappy,not wanting a repeat of before.

"goodie! Seifer! Ah I have the greatest Idea let's go to the Cafeteria and eat together." Selphie grins happily.

"why?" Seifer asks warily.

Squall smirked a little,glad the hyper girl was focusing on someone else and not him."Seifer,its better just to go along with her then to ask questions."He advised,"am I invited on this dinner?"He asked,looking at the woman.

"Of course!" Selphie shirps.

Seifer just groans and grabs some socks pulling on his worn boots.

Squall smiled a little,reaching out mussing up selphie's hair."How many names did you get for class?"He said, dropping his hand,walking out with the two.

"Eight!" Selphie smiles taking both of their arms. Linking them with her own.

Squall sighed a little,wanting to pull his arm away,finding it awkward to walk the same pace as the shorter girl,but dealt with it."Did you convince irvine he wanted to take it to?"He asked,having not seen anyone but her,quistis,and seifer all day.

Zell snorted a little,looking up from his food,seeing the trio come in,before looking at his friend"irvine,you have to see this."He said,nodding towards the group,the two tall gunbladers looking uncomfortable and at odds with the short brunette.

Irvine looks up and swallows his food before coughing and taking a drink then staring. "Holy mother of my chocobo." He syas softly.

"Maybe I should go." Seifer says trying to get his arm back. everyone in the Cafeteria had stopped and was watchign them all now. He didn't relish the fact.

"Nonsense! You're in my company. And they should all pull whatever it is up their buts right out right now!" Selphie says easily keeping his arm hooked with her own. "Right Squall?" she smiles brightly.

"whatever you say selphie."He said,looking down at her,a slight smile hovering at the edge of his mouth,even as a blush stained his cheeks,despite a year as commander,and everyone looking to him for things,he still wasn't used to people looking at him.

"holy mother of your chocobo?"Zell grinned,looking at his friend, really,the things irvine came up to say.Smiling,he waved at selphie, gesturing her to come over.

"At least I don't fashion my hair to look like them." Irvine grins.

"Look theres Zell and Irvy! Come on!" Selphie smiles dragging the brunette's over to the table. "Hey Irvy go get us three some food kay?" she smiles happily making Seifger sit down. Knowing Squall would do that on his own.

Seifer sits. "I'm really not that hungry." He says trying to get out of this whole thing. He pulls his hair back into a short pony tail though. Wanting to look a little normal.

Zell sputtered a little,looking at his friend."My hair does not look like a chocobo's!"He growled,looking at the man.

Squall frowned a little,looking at seifer almost worriedly, before turning."stay irvine.I'll grab the food."He said, leaving, since the cowboy was already sitting and comfy and he had yet to.

"you so,like do! all you need to do now and strut around and go, like Wark!" Irvine imitates a chocobo perfectly.

Seifer grins a little. Settling back into the chair.

Selphie giggles. "It's true zell! It really is! Isn't it seifer? Hey! Is that why you used to call him Chicken all the time?" Selphie asks eyes wide.

"I thought some of you would have figuresd it out earlier." Seifer smirks.

Squall smirked a little,settling two trays of food on the table,sliding into his seat.Raising a eyebrow at the subject, really,it was amusing to watch zell get bent out of shape, but the only amusment showing on his face was in his eyes, the rest of his face blank.

Zell gaped,hands fisting,but looked a little lost at what to do."Shouldn't we be calling you chicken to then irvine?"he smirked a little."you're sounding like one."

"No thats called a 'skill' you might not have heard about them." Irvine laughs.

Selphie giggles. "It's okay Zell! I'm sure if yuo really wanted to Squall would let you beat Irvine down in hand to hand." Selphie offers.

Seifer just smiles watching them. Digging into the food Squall had brought. He wasn't really thinking about it.

Zell sighed a little,before looking at irvine,raising a eyebrow.

Squall snorted a little,eating his food."Didn't you want to talk about something sel?"he asked,hoping to steer the conversation away from the fight that was sure to break out.

Irvine looks at his food. Couldn't deny it. Zell was the best in hand to hand.

"Yes! Seifer sign this!" Selphie smiles putting the paper in front of him.

"No." Seifer says right away.

Squall smiled a little,eating his sandwich,chewing thoughtfully, wondering just how long seifer's stubborness would last against selphie.

zell frowned,looking at his childhood tormentor."Why not?"

"Why shuold I. Its just another plot of your to embaress me." Seifer says eating.

"It is not! I want to help! So I'm helping the whole garden! Squall and Quistis agreed it was a good idea and a good way to intigrate you back into Garden." Selphie says matter of factly.

"Go selphie!" Irvne cheer's happily.

Squall sighed,looking at seifer,not knowing what would happen, but sure soon enough someone's temper was going to snap the leash.

Zell frowned,looking at the blond."We're not trying to embrass you.We just want to help."He said,before thinking about it,really,it sounded odd for him to being saying he wanted to help seifer.

"I don't want to be intigrated intop anything." Seifer scowls.

"Like Hell you don't! Now you listen here you big lump! You came here for help and your going to by Hyne get some wether you want to beleive it or not! We are the only one's who understand what you went through. We saved you for Hyne's loving sake! Now sign the damn paper." Selphie hisses angrily. For a small yallow bouncy woman. She was sort of terrifying.

Irvine claps.

Seifer signs the paper.

Zell grinned."go going selphie."

Squall raised a hand,ducking his head,his chin resting against his upraised face to hide the smile he was trying not to show. Really, he didn't want seifer to realize he was laughing-abiet silently-at the whole thing.

"Awww! You guys are so much fun! I'm gonna buy icecream for you all!" Selphie claps her hands smiling happily.

Seifer groans softly. Leaning back picking at his food now.

Irvine takes off his hat. "Ma'am that was a right pretty sight." he compliments and blows an air kiss making Selphie giggle.

Zell smiled a little,watching the two of them."Ice ccream sounds good."

Squall smiled a little,raising a eyebrow at seifer."do you even like ice cream?"He asked,mildy curious,having never seen the man eat any.

"Of course I do!" Seifer snaps standing his chair falling. He scowls and walks off. He was not ready for this. For them. For any of this. He needed solitude. He was walking fast to the doors.

Selphie had gone silent. A sad but thoughtful look on her face.

"Perhaps we'll get his later then." Irvine says putting his hat back on.

Squall sighed a little,running his fingers through his hair, resisting the urge to go after him.

Zell looked at seifer,"yea...maybe later..."HE said,looking thoughtful for once.

~after~

Squall knocked on seifer's door,holding a bowl of ice cream, wanting to check to make sure he was ok,but not wanting to invade his privacy by just going in.

The door opens. Seifer was on the floor in the living room area an arm flung over his face.

Squall walked in,looking down at him."brought your ice cream."He said.

"thanks." Seifer mumbles.

"uh-huh."Squall sighed a little,heading to the kitchen,before pausing,looking at him."do you want it now?"

"sure why not... what kind is it?" Seifer asks spreading out on the floor. looking up at him from below.

"Neopolitan.With sprinkles."Squall saaid,walking over,standing near him,feet on either side of a arm.

Seifer smiles. "Good give it to me." Seifer says stretching one arm up. Not the one between Squall's leg's. He was being lazy and he didn't care. He was also ordering Squall. Which was starting to be fun again.

Squall held it out,just out of reach."Dont order me around seifer."He said,looking down at him,looking more relaxed and at ease then ever in the ex-knight's company.

"Dammit Squall Give me the icecream." Seifer scowls. His green eyes flashing to life once more.

"There you go.Ordering me around."He tilted his head,lowering the bowl a little, before pulling it away,really for once it was nice to be the one giving seifer a hard time."It should really be me ordering you,seeing as I'm commander and all."

Seifer growls and uses the arm between Squall's legs to grab the leg and pull him down. "Gimme the Damn icecream Or else." Seifer growls narrowing his eyes. He was sort of pinning him down now.

Squall growled at him,squirming a little,before sighing realizing despite training for the last year, size was gonna beat out muscle."fine,fine take it."He smiled a little,handing the bowl over.

Seifer grins and takes it still laying on Squall. He starts to eat it. Perfectly comfy.

Squall sighed,making himself comfy,looking up at the man."Are you just going to lay on me?"He asked,comfy himself,but wondered if seifer planned on stay there.

"Oh yes. I like it right here." Seifer grins slowly eating his icecream.

"As long as you're happy I guess I can live with being a pillow."Squall said,hands resting behind his head to act as a pillow.