Unrequited

A/N: Ack, this is sooo late and it's short to boot. AND there's still no Yoai. But I can't help it, the plot bunnies are forcing me to write it this way. On the plus side, there are only two chapters left and the last chapter will be smut, so don't worry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy viii, and I do not make any money from these writings.


Squall

A brief flash of light was all the grat saw before it was brutally cut away by LionHeart. Behind the blue blade was a seething Commander.

Stupid Hynedamned knight!

Looking back at the trail of dead monster left no satisfaction in him, he was just too angry and his blade was singing for someone else. Or someones, because he would be sorely disappointed if Seifer had been taken down by just one measly, inexperienced kid with a grudge. Sighing, he berated himself again for not acknowledging that not everyone had been satisfied with the verdict on Seifer. Hyne knows how many complaints he'd gotten when the blond knight had been re-enrolled. He'd assumed they would calm down given time and he had thought he had been correct in that assumption. Now, Seifer was lucky they hadn't had the time or guts to have actually killed him.

A rustle in the foliage to his left reminded him how angry he still was. Readying his blade, he continued his mental tirade on the arrogant knight and where exactly he should stick that ego of his.

Irvine

"So, howya feelin'?" Irvine asked from his position next to the bed.

Seifer gave him a glare that screamed at him to just get on with it. Sighing, he decided to do just that.

"How long have you been getting them?" He kept a neutral tone, but something in his expression must have given him away. Seifer glanced away, seemingly finding the something on the wall incredibly fascinating. Had Irvine known Seifer before the war, he would have found the action strange, but the older man had always acted as such around him. It was to his knowledge that the war had subdued the older man, but not to his experience. Still, he recognized the shame hidden behind the action, and it brought him a small amount of satisfaction to know that Seifer felt bad for deceiving him and Selphie.

The blond shrugged.

"Ya know, I kinda wanted something closer to an actual answer." Tapping the metal rim of the hospital bed, he patiently waited. A few minutes went by before the blond tried again.

"For a while. I don't know Irvine. I haven't been marking my fucking calender." Receiving another patient look, the older man grit his teeth and gave it one last go. "I guess, since about the time I came back."

Nodding, the news wasn't surprising. He'd figured it had started back then and he was sure he knew the reason too, but he needed to do this right and the report implored him to gather more evidence.

"Do ya know who's been sending them?" It was a stupid question and the ex-knight gave him a sardonic look in response. "Ok, I know it sounds stupid, but this is a formal investigation and I need your statement on this."

Sighing, the blond muttered that no, he did not know who had been sending them. If he had, he would have kicked their ass a while ago. Forgoing writing the entire statement, Irvine smiled at his friends predictability. Really, he could've just written this report himself, knowing exactly how his friend was going to respond. he and Selphie had been close friends with the man for almost seven months and he would be ashamed of himself if he didn't know the blond inside and out. Except he hadn't known about the threats and that still irked him.

"I take it these... people don't believe you had been controlled by that fugly sorceress, or do they just not care?" It had been a serious question, really. But it left the blond with tears of mirth steaming down his face as he tried to still his laughter.

"F-fugly, Irvine?" Even the obvious pain the older man was in didn't stop his laughing fit. The violent coughing that followed did though, and he regained his composure quickly.

Still smiling, Seifer quickly contemplated the question. "Hmm, they don't believe it. They think I made it up." At the silent question directed at him, he continued, "they mentioned that at the beginning, how I wasn't 'fooling' anyone with my act."

Sighing, Irvine concluded that Seifer still didn't take these threats seriously if the light-hearted manner in which the man spoke about the subject was anything to go by. Rolling his eyes at his friend, he stood to go. He still had security to investigate and he was determined to catch these guys as soon as possible, lest another attempt is made on the ex-knights life.

"I'll be back Seifer, so don't get to comfortable. Once this is over you'll have ta answer for hiding this from us, got it?" The seriousness in both his eyes and tone were enough to imprint just that. Seifer gave him a slow nod in acknowledgment and he left, satisfied that maybe he got something through to his stubborn friend.

Squall

Finally satisfied that he had done enough damage to the monster population for the day, he turned to leave. He was going to need a shower before he returned to his office (damned if it was his day off) to continue the investigation. A glint in the grass and few yards away caught his attention and moved to inspect the aberration. Reaching down, he drew the silver object up, his mind only needing a few seconds to piece together where he had seen the object before. It was Seifer's choker, the chain broken partway through and covered in the flaky residue of blood. It occurred to him then that this was the site of the attack. There was a startling amount of blood on the ground a few feet away and he berated himself for not noticing earlier.

There were no clues in the vicinity other they a few foot prints that dissipated quickly into the surrounding foliage. The vagueness of the prints and their size gave nothing away to the identities of the culprits and wouldn't aid in the investigation. He glared at them anyway, wanting something to take the blame for the incident and the spilled blood that painted the ground.

Suddenly not wanting to be there, he pocketed to choker and quickly made his way to the showers.