Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You’re going to be late!” Cloud called from the door to his room.

Aerith piped up with a chirp. “Yeah, babe, you’re gonna be late! And so am I! Oh my gosh, I hope Selphie remembered her key today…” She walked out of the door on the same wall as Cloud’s and waved at him with a smile. Walking over, she slipped on her shoes. “I’ll see you after work, okay? I am hoping that my assistant feels comfortable closing on her own so I can come back a little early. Gotta go!”

As Aerith turned to dart out the door, Zack paused her by placing a hand gently on her sternum. “Going without a kiss?” Zack smiled at her with those charming puppy-eyes and she melted. Giving him a kiss, she draped her arms around his neck and hummed happily.

“I mean it guys; would you get out of here so I can get some sleep?” Cloud glowered half-heartedly at them. “I took the night shift just so I would avoid this kind of thing—well some sort of thing with the two of you.”

“Right, right! Going!” Aerith ducked Zack’s further attempts at kissing her and spun out the door to go to work.

Zack sighed, but smiled after her, then shut the door and went to finish dressing for the day. It was a weekday, which meant time on base, which meant uniforms. When Zack reappeared in his black SOLDIER First Class uniform, Cloud felt a twinge of jealousy. He’d always wanted to do something like that with his life, but here he was, paying for his half of the apartment with deliveries. As Zack turned toward him, Cloud hid his look.

“Hey, buddy, if you need some quiet time, just let me know. Aerith’s isn’t exactly great ‘cause of her mom’s health and caretaker always being there, but we can find somewhere else to go to let you get some rest. I mean it.” Zack shook Cloud’s shoulder lightly and gave a reassuring smile. “I should probably beat it if I’m gonna be on time. You picking up dinner?”

Cloud’s jaw dropped at the suggestion. “Really? After a day delivering food, you want me to do it for you? Well guess what “buddy”? You’ll have to pa—”

“Kidding!” Zack cut off his righteous rant. “I’ll pick up stuff for stir fry. Should be good by the time you get in. If it looks like you’re late, I’ll put a lid on it. Alright?”

With little effort, Zack had lifted the anger from his shorter friend’s aura. After watching Zack leave, Cloud set his phone alarm for two—late enough to get plenty of rest but early enough to catch some late lunch and then dinner orders before knocking off for the night.

When Aerith arrived at Gunblades and Roses, Selphie was already inside. The door chimed merrily as Aerith entered, and Selphie looked up from watering the color bowls.

“Morning! I see you remembered your key today.”

Selphie held up a key on a string looped around her neck. “Yup, can’t forget it now.” She turned back to the flowerpots and sang a song as she watered.

Aerith smiled, listening to the song. Something about rain and reading books. She started to arrange the displays to hopefully entice customers, fluffing the bouquets and reorganizing them in the stands.

Once she was done with the bowls, Selphie moved to a stand near Aerith to start rearranging it. She kept stealing looks at the golden sword on Aerith’s arm. “Do you think I’ll ever find mine?”

“Of course!” Aerith was sure that if she’d found her soulmate, anyone could. “Isn’t that why you’re working here?”

“I thought I was working here to pay for school.” Selphie made a face at Aerith, who laughed. Working together, the shop was soon ready to open for the day.

Squall heard the door slam shut before he was finished getting dressed, and shook his head. What was up with that guy these days? It’s not like he and Seifer walked to school hand in hand or anything, but Seifer used to hang around to eat something before his sudden schedule change. Squall stepped into his boots and buckled them, then headed into the kitchen to find a quick breakfast.

He grabbed one of the instant oatmeal cups and heated water to mix in. Once it was ready, he took it to the table and sat, thinking about the conversations he used to not have with Seifer. Like the time he asked for the salt. “Pass the salt,” he’d said. That was a good one. Classic.

But seriously, what was Seifer getting up so early for, anyway? It couldn’t be training. Seifer would’ve insisted that Squall join him, or at least bragged that he was doing it. Maybe he had a before school job? There wasn’t much time between leaving and classes, just an hour or so, but maybe something part time, on campus?

Squall pulled off his ring and idly spun it on the table next to his oatmeal. He probably needed to eat pretty quickly if he didn’t want to be late. Seifer’s weirdness was a problem to be solved later.

It was a little out of his way, but Seifer liked the detour. He’d started coming by the flower shop more often once he noticed the Girl in Yellow. He didn’t know what it was about her that had caught his eye, but she was a bright spot in an otherwise dull world. Just seeing her made his mood better, something that had not gone unnoticed by his friends and roommate. His whole morning routine had changed to accommodate this trip. Every morning, he was up and out of the apartment before Leonhart was dressed. He could make it to the shop just as it opened, look for the girl while pretending to look at the ever-changing displays, and get to class before the teacher passed around the sign-in sheet.

Stopping outside of Gunblades and Roses, he stared into the window, admiring the displays, and caught sight of her pulling flowers out of a cooler. He smiled to himself, uncharacteristically gentle. Now that he'd seen her, he could be on his way.

Kicking off his blankets, Cloud grumbled that he didn’t get as much sleep as he wanted. He had thought the weather would permit him to use blankets, but early summer was here, and with it, an intense heat that hit around lunchtime. He sat up with a grunt and felt his slack face, then slapped it as hard as he could force himself to.

SMACK!

Cloud sat in his pajamas, still staring at the wall at the foot of his bed, only now with a slightly red mark on his cheek. “NNGR!” He grunted loudly and turned to get up. Back into a clean pair of pants and a zippered, high-neck tank, a current favorite of his. Wandering out into the kitchen he started the kettle and grabbed a package of ramen to heat up.

Once he had his noodle soup, he sat down in his chair next to the couch and turned on the TV. A card tournament was on, but it was Triple Triad, not Queen’s Blood, so he didn’t pay much attention at first. However, he started to notice foolish moves before they happened, and got so into it that he was loathe to finish his soup as it had gotten a bit cold.

“If you wanna be a SOLDIER, you gotta act like one!” Zack’s voice echoed in his head. Shaking it, he tossed the idea out. If he wanted to be a SOLDIER, he would need to go back in time and change how he’d left Public Security. With a sad look and a shrug, Cloud drained the bowl and put it in the dishwasher.

When his phone went off at two with his alarm to get up, he double-checked his hair, made sure his teeth were clean, grabbed the key for Fenrir, his bike that he loved possibly more than he loved his friend Tifa, and went to the garage while logging into Ultima Eats and scanning for nearby jobs. With it being late lunchtime, Cloud didn’t expect much, but it was a weekday, and some people were glued to their desks.

It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. The sun was out, there were fluffy clouds in the distance, and there was the scent of flowers on the breeze. Squall breathed deeply as he exited into the sunshine. Squinting a little, he turned and walked around to the back of the building, where there were a handful of trees that he liked to eat lunch in. He sat on one of the low hanging branches, hidden from view by the leaves, and pulled out his lunchbox. He glanced around a bit to make sure he was still alone, and opened it to reveal his sandwich and chips. It was a small lunch, but he didn’t need much to keep him going.

While he ate, he thought about the upcoming break. Spring quarter was over in seven weeks, and he had no plans at the moment, except to watch some Triple Triad. He might even go into a game store and play some, if he felt social enough.

Loire was trying to convince him to go on a family vacation, which was laughable. Didn’t they need to actually be a family to have a family vacation? Loire had lost that chance by missing Squall’s childhood. He’d been traveling the world instead, doing whatever it was that photojournalists did. All Squall knew for sure about his job was that it had taken away his father, and now the man wanted back in his life after Ellone had to raise him herself.

Ellone…he wouldn’t mind seeing Sis over the break. He might even be able to tolerate Loire long enough for a short visit.

“Are you still hiding in that tree?” Quistis’ voice came to him through the leaves.

He had forgotten she knew about his secret place. He stayed silent, hoping she would think he wasn’t there.

“Ah, yes…whatever.” She laughed a little at her joke.

“I didn’t say whatever.” He scowled down at the ground, knowing she was waiting to talk to him about something academic. That was all she did, now that she was a student teacher. “What do you want? I’m trying to eat lunch.”

“Your advisor wants to talk about summer quarter, and what you want to do. I told him I’d let you know.”

Squall’s scowl deepened. There was one thing for certain about summer quarter. He didn’t want to be taking any classes. He needed a break. He forced his face to relax. “I’ll talk to him. After classes. I hardly get any time alone, so could you just,” he turned to look at Quistis, but she was already gone.

Seifer had just sat down at his desk to work on homework when he heard knocking. He sighed, pushed away from the desk and stood to answer the door. He looked through the peephole, and saw a dark haired woman in blue.

Opening the door, he greeted her. “Rinny. What’s up?”

Rinoa smiled brightly at him, and stepped close with her arms out for a hug. “Hi, Seifer. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” As she gave him a hug, she peered around his arm to try and see inside the apartment.

Seifer patted her back a couple of times, then pulled out of her grasp. “You wanna come in? I was working on homework, but I’m due for a break.”

“I would love that.”

He let her into the apartment and gestured to the couch. “Have a seat. You want something to drink?”

She sat daintily on the middle cushion, tucking her duster under her. “I’d love a bottle of tea, if you still have any.”

Seifer smiled at her and went to the kitchen. He called from the other room, “You still like the sweet tea, right?”

“Yup, that’s the one. Thanks.”

He returned to the living room with her bottle and passed it to her. Rinoa shook it gently, then opened it and took a sip. She smiled again, then glanced around the room before settling her eyes on Seifer again.

Seifer sat in the chair next to the couch and watched as she scoped out the room. “He’s not here, by the way.”

She laughed, maybe a little nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I came to visit you, silly.”

“Sure. But we both know you’re looking for Leonhart, and he’s not here. And no, I don’t know where he is. I assume he’s gone to a card club to play Triple Triad, but couldn’t say for sure.”

Her smile faltered a little. “That’s…fine. Like I said, I’m here to visit you.”

“Okay, then. Just so we’re both on the same page. What’ve you been up to?”

“Angelo and I have been training for a dog show.”

“That sounds like a lot of work. Where is she, by the way?”

If anything, Rinoa’s smile grew bigger. “She’s having Grandpa time.”

Seifer laughed at that, knowing that her father was a sucker for the dog. He could just imagine the former general in his office, Angelo lying at his feet while he looked through his students’ assignments. It was just a little weird having your ex-girlfriend’s father as the head of your studies. “And how’s he doing?”

“You might know better than me. He’s your teacher, after all.”

“Nah, not this quarter. I have Biggs instead. Wartime communications. It’s pretty interesting. You know that the messengers of the last century had a special feather on their uniform to denote them as messengers? They were the only people able to safely cross the lines of battle. Y’know, don’t shoot the messenger and all.”

Rinoa watched Seifer talk about what he was learning, smiling gently the whole time. “Still just as passionate, I see.”

He laughed again. “What d’you mean by that?”

“Just what I said. You’re so passionate about your interests, I love seeing it. But that does remind me that I do have something else I need to get going to. Thanks for the tea.” She stood again, and waited for him to show her out.

Seifer stood as well, nodding. “Yeah, of course.”

He walked her to the door, and she gave him another hug before skipping to the stairs, her duster flouncing behind her. Shaking his head a little, he closed the door again and locked it, then headed back to his room to actually get started on his homework.

"Count the money twice, and don't go blow it at Gold Saucer." Aerith was going over the closing checklist with Selphie, who was trying again to close up the shop on her own. “And don’t go down to Sector 6, either.”

"I know, I know. Count the money twice, don't do anything but put it in the safe. Water the displays one last time, turn on the overnight lights in the cooler, turn off the overheads. Grab all my stuff, and lock up. I promise, I have it this time."

"Good, because Zack is making stir fry and I don't want to miss it."

Selphie all but pushed Aerith out the door, promising again that she had the checklist memorized, and wouldn't need to call her for anything this time. Definitely not because she dropped her keys into the safe again.

Reaching the doorway, Aerith laughed. "Okay, I trust you. Have a good night, and if anything goes wrong, please call me. It won't be any trouble."

"You sure? 'Cause you're making it sound kinda like it's trouble."

"I'm sure, I'd rather take care of any issues tonight than have them greet me in the morning."

"Okay...have a good night. Enjoy the stir fry." Selphie conceded. Aerith was right, it was better to tackle any problems as they arose than wait until morning to sort it all out. She shut the door after Aerith stepped out, then went back to the counter and leaned on it. From under the counter, she heard the familiar sound of her ringtone. She reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone to look at the incoming call. Smiling, she answered.

"Hi, Irvy!"

"Hey, Sefie. How's closing goin'? If I timed it right, Aerith jus' left."

"Nailed it. Closing is going. I just know it's gonna be dead in here for the next hour, but the hours say we're open, so open we stay. Who knows, maybe my knight in shining armor will appear and sweep me off my feet."

"Could be. Listen, if you need to hear another voice, gimme a call."

"Will do. I gotta start cleaning up, so I'll talk to you later." Ending the call, Selphie picked up the broom and started sweeping the few petals that littered the floor.

  As she suspected, it was dead for most of the next hour, giving her plenty of time to do most of the closing cleanup. A frenzied woman rushed in just before Selphie was ready to lock up.

"Please, I forgot my anniversary, and my wife is gonna be so mad if I don't have anything for her." The woman looked around, taking note of the displays still full of flowers. "Roses are good, right?"

Selphie smiled. "Roses are good, especially for a romantic occasion. But you know what might be even better?” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Her favorite flower. Do you know what it is?"

The woman stopped, brow creasing in thought. "She likes those big ones, dahlias? The ones that look like sunrise."

Selphie nodded, and went to the cooler. Inside was a bucket full of dahlia stems, in a variety of colors. "Why don't you pick out the best ones? We can add some zinnias and maybe some rudbeckia. I think she'll be really happy."

A few minutes later, the woman was in a much calmer state, holding the flowers gently as she paid and left.

Selphie locked the door and finished the last little bit of closing cleanup she had. She counted the money in the register to deposit it into the safe, and thought to herself that if she took half and went to the casino, and doubled it, then Aerith would be up by a third? Remembering that Aerith specifically told her not to blow it at Gold Saucer, or Sector 6, she just dropped it into the safe, grabbed her stuff, and headed out, locking the door behind her. It had gone so smoothly, Aerith would be so proud.

Squall was sitting in his room, sorting through his extra Triple Triad cards and pulling out any that he had more of ten of in the two lowest tiers of cards, listening to some Lo-Fi beats through his headphones, when he felt a rumble that started low in his gut and rose with cacophony. He placed his hand on his burbling belly and sighed. He stopped his music and pulled off his headphones; he loved those headphones partially because Elle had picked them out and partially because he liked that they had ears.

He got up, shook out the leg he’d been sitting on and waited for the tingling to fade before he tried to move. He padded over to the entrance to Seifer’s room and knocked on the door. At once, they both called crankily, “What do you want?”

Squall twisted the doorknob as Seifer did, opening the door between them. There was a brief silence before Squall did a small hair toss and let out a “tch” while placing his hands on his hips. He stared at Seifer and huffed one last time. “I’m ordering dinner, what do you want?”

“Burger,” Seifer said as he turned back to his desk, then halfway back to add, “and not fast food.”

“What does that even mean?” Squall was honestly confused. He’d thought all burgers were fast food.

“It means order from Crimson Chocobo or someplace with decent burgers.” Seifer picked up his pen and was acting like he was trying to work.

"Okay, Crimson Chocobo. What burger do you want? They have a lot." Squall was silently going through their menu in his brain to figure out what kind of burger he’d get tonight.

Seifer’s voice crammed its way back into his ear canals. "Deathclaw. Extra fries, and I want that spicy mayo for dipping."

"Got it." Squall turned without another word and went to browse the menu and place the order.

Forty minutes later, there was a knock on the door to the apartment. Squall stood as a shoe came flying from Seifer’s room to hit his door, and he heard Seifer yelling.

“Food’s here.”

Squall heaved a sigh, and answered back. “I’ll get it.”

Cloud’s day ended with a delivery to an apartment about four and a half miles from his own. He’d walked the three flights of stairs and knocked on the door. There was some muffled shouting, then a pretty brunet answered. Cloud tried not to stare.

“Ultima Eats, I have your order from Crimson Chocobo.”

“Ah. Thanks.” The brunet reached for the bag while Cloud looked at the order details on his phone.

“Looks like it’s all settled through the app, so here you go.” He handed the bag over, then turned toward the stairs. He heard the door click shut as he started down. He headed home, thinking the entire time about how attractive that last customer was, and the drive home seemed over in the blink of an eye.

Parking his bike, Cloud went up to his apartment and could smell the stir fry from the door. But first, he needed a shower.

Moments later, a muffled shout echoed through the apartment, and Cloud heard Zack through the door.

“Spike, buddy, you okay?”

“I’m…fine. Fine. I’m fine.”

“You don’t really sound like you’re fine. Can I come in?”

Cloud sighed against the door. “Just be aware that I’m not even in a towel.” He stepped back into the middle of the bathroom.

The door opened, and Zack slipped in, closing the door quickly behind him and locking it. “What’s up?”

Cloud turned to face his roommate, revealing a winged lion head on his low abdomen. “I met them today, and I have no idea who it was.”

Zack smiled, genuinely happy for his friend. “Congrats! So, no idea? How many new people did you talk to today?”

Cloud stared at him blankly. “You know what I do, right? It could’ve been anyone. Restaurant worker, client, I have no idea.”

“You’ll figure this out. I know, because when I found Aerith, I couldn’t stop thinking about her for days.” Zack put a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “You shower up, food is almost ready.”

He left the bathroom while Cloud began his shower.

Later that night, while Cloud lied in bed, he thought back to his last delivery, and how pretty his last customer was. If only it were that easy, right?”

After eating, Squall had finished his work and got changed for bed. He stood in the bathroom, brushing his teeth, when he caught sight of something on his chest, near his shoulder. Just barely visible past the neckline of his shirt. He pulled it open more, and stared in shock at the wolf head. He knew what it meant. Of course he knew what it meant. But what did it mean? He shook out of his daze and finished brushing his teeth, then went out to the living room to try and talk with Seifer.

“What do you want, Leonhart?” Seifer was busy doing maintenance on his gunblade, the oil cloth sitting on the table in front of him.

“Is this really a last names first kind of day?”

“No, I guess we can talk…Squall.” Seifer gestured widely.

Squall took a seat and breathed deeply, exhaling slowly. “You’ve never talked about it, so I don’t know if you have any experience with it, but what do you know about soulmarks?”

“You get them when you talk to your soulmate for the first time. They gild when you agree on some kind of relationship. And most people don’t ever get one. Why?”

Without a word, Squall took off his shirt, revealing the wolf head burned into his skin.

“Ho-ly Hyne. You have a soulmate.”

“Apparently. What should I do?”

Seifer put down his gunblade. “There’s clearly only one solution. One of you has to die.”

Squall stared in shock, and he eked out a small “What?”

“Was that not the route we were going? I mean, you asked for my help. My wheelhouse is extreme actions and extremer actions. Which do you want?”

“You’re right, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Squall stood and went to his room, shutting the door behind him. He should’ve known better than to ask Seifer for help. He honestly never expected to get a soulmark. He’d been pretty sure he didn’t have a soulmate. Didn’t he have to like people to have one?

Chapter Text

When Cloud awoke, he was tracing the lines of the lion on his stomach. He tried to think of anyone he met yesterday that seemed…lion-like? Nothing was coming to mind except the gorgeous guy from his last delivery. But that was just wishful thinking. There was no way that—he checked the delivery record on his phone—Seifer Almasy was a lion.

While still in thought, he belatedly heard the apartment door shut as Zack left for the day. He groaned and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.

“Leonhart?” Seifer’s voice cut through his sleepy haze.

“Mm?”

“Why is there a charge for Ultima Eats on my card?”

Squall sat up and looked at his roommate. “You were so insistent on Crimson Chocobo last night, I figured it would be your treat.”

Seifer looked at the order summary and scoffed. “Next time you want to commit identity theft, have the decency to act like me. I tip at least 35%, every time. Service workers are woefully underpaid.”

“Copy that.” The sarcasm was thick in Squall’s voice, but he’d keep it in mind the next time Seifer had a craving.

Seifer turned on heel and left the doorway, then the apartment, the door clicking shut behind him.

What the heck was up with that guy? Squall rubbed his face, then stood to get dressed, pausing to look at the details on the wolf on his chest. He’d honestly thought he was asexual. There had never been anyone that caught his eye. But those eyes. The brilliant blue of the delivery driver last night was burned into his mind. He absent-mindedly rubbed at the image of the wolf’s head as he thought.

Who could he talk to about this whole soulmate nonsense? Quistis probably would have insight, but after the conversation with Seifer last night, he was loathe to talk to any of his small group of friends. There was only one option. He picked up his phone and dialed the one person he could always count on.

The phone rang once before it was answered. “Squall? What’s wrong?” There was concern in Ellone’s voice.

His breath hitched with hesitation. “I need to talk?”

“What’s going on?”

Squall paused a moment, trying to figure out how to bring it up. “Sis, you’d guess that I was…asexual, right?”

“It’s not really my place to presume, but the thought had crossed my mind. Why?”

“I…I got my mark yesterday.”

“I see.”

“Do you?” Squall couldn’t believe his ears. “I thought I wasn’t going to have one, and I was fine with that. Now I have a mark, and that means I have to find them. And when I do, what then? Do I just change who I am entirely for this one person? It’s so…stupid!”

“You don’t have to change anything you don’t want to. Having a soulmate just means there’s someone who complements you. They’ll probably like you for you.”

“You just have to be so mature about this, don’t you?”

He could hear the smile in her voice. “One of us has to be. Do you have any idea who it is?”

Squall paced his room, thinking. “I don’t know. I ran some errands yesterday, and ordered in. Could be a cashier, or librarian, or maybe…”

“Maybe…?” Elle prompted him to continue.

“Maybethedeliveryguyfromlastnight.” The words tumbled out as fast as he could let them.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Maybe who from last night?”

“I know you heard me.”

Elle laughed. “Yeah, I heard you. But did you? Why is the delivery guy a strong maybe?”

Squall kicked the ground, feeling like a kid again. “I dunno. I guess I just noticed him. There was something about his eyes.”

“They weren’t the cold, dead eyes of a seasoned retail worker?”

“Definitely not.” Squall smiled to himself.

“Try ordering with him again, then. Even if he’s not your soulmate, maybe he could be a friend.”

“Like I need another one of those.” Squall’s phone beeped, reminding him of classes. “I’ll talk to you later, Sis.”

“Keep me updated!”

“Maybe. And don’t tell Loire. I don’t want or need his input.”

Seifer was at the flower shop again. He stared into the window, looking for the Girl in Yellow under the guise of looking at the displays. Movement caught his eye as she came up to rearrange the displays again. She paused as he watched, smiled, and waved out the window. At him. Willing the heat in his cheeks to fade, he tentatively waved back. She was either beckoning him inside or challenging him to a fight. Swallowing his nerves, he opened the door.

"Hi! Welcome to Gunblades and Roses. See something you like?" Her voice was a little nasally, but sweet. He wanted to listen to her forever.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, what can I get for you?"

Seifer smirked, then it faded. "Here's the thing. I like this girl, but I don't know anything about her. Are there any hypoallergenic flowers?"

"Um, by definition, no."

"Oh."

"I mean, there's silk flowers, they kinda count."

"But...?"

"But we don't carry them. Just the real deal."

"Okay. What's your favorite flower? Maybe she'll like it, too."

"Forget-me-nots. They're these little blue flowers that grow between April and May."

It was the start of May, maybe they still had some. "Alright, I'll take them."

Laughter bubbled out of her. "We don't really carry them, either. They're wildflowers that grow on the side of the road."

"Oh." He silently willed his flush to stay tampered down until he was done. How was he supposed to know anything about flowers? He was a history major.

"Sorry...If she's anything like me, she'll like wildflowers. We have some, like daisies. Those are cute, and we can dye them any color. It's also a low-stakes way to give flowers to someone. You don't wanna give them something that means more to you than them. Like fancy bouquets are nice, but they have a time and a place, and the first flowers you give a stranger shouldn't be a big fancy thing."

"Who says she's a stranger? I just don't know what kind of flowers she likes."

"You're right, that was weirdly presumptuous of me. I still think smaller is the way to go, especially if you don't know how they'll be received."

"I don't want to argue with the expert, so I'll take one daisy."

She laughed again. "One?"

That pesky flush was trying to creep up his neck again. "Yeah?"

"Okay. Did you want a special color, or do you think she'll like the white better?"

"She strikes me as the type who likes color, but I think I'll go with white to be careful. If she likes wildflowers, she probably likes how they look naturally."

"Good choice." She walked to one of the displays and carefully pulled a single flower from the bunch. "Did you want a ribbon on that?"

Seifer thought for a moment. "Yeah, a blue one."

She smiled to herself while she tied a blue ribbon around the stem, and walked to the cluttered counter with the register. "That'll be 800Gil."

He gawked a moment, then pulled out his wallet and passed over the money.

She took it and deposited it in the register. "Receipt?"

"Nah, we both know I bought it."

"Would you like to sign up for our mailing list?"

He paused, then shrugged. "Why not? If this works out, I'll be by more often."

She passed a card to him to fill out, and it asked for his physical address. He filled it in and pushed back toward her.

"Okay, have a sunny day! I hope she likes the flower." The girl waved at his back as he left the building. He didn't turn, just raised a hand to wave over his shoulder.

Sephie twirled the daisy in her fingers again. The blond guy had forgotten it when he left, but she wasn't about to let it go to waste. She pulled the ribbon off and tied it around her left wrist, and tucked the flower behind her ear. She sighed dreamily.

Walking out from the small back room, Aerith asked, "Is this still about that customer who didn’t give you that flower?"

"Yeah..." She picked the card off the counter and read it again. Seifer Almasy. At least she had a name to go with the chiseled features.

"Hmm, that's new." Aerith pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Selphie's back before showing it to her. "Have you always had this cross between your shoulder blades?"

Selphie's eyes got big, and she squealed. "Oh. My. Gosh! Aerith, you're my soulmate!"

Aerith rubbed the sword on her arm. "I don't think that's right. I already have Zack, and I don't know if you can have more than one."

"But you're the only person I talk to all day."

"Right, and it didn't show up before, so what new thing happened?"

Selphie thought for a moment. "Well, there were our regulars..."

"Right, but new?"

"I dunno..." Selphie toyed with the ribbon around her wrist.

Aerith sighed. "Oh. My. Gosh. Selphie. You are hopeless."

Green eyes met green eyes as they stared at each other. Selphie blinked slowly. "I know it's him. Now I just need to convince him that it's me."

“Aren’t you going to be late?”

“Oh gosh, I completely forgot I need to go!” Selphie pulled off her apron and grabbed her stuff from the back room, making sure the flower was sill behind her ear.

It was afternoon, after classes, and Seifer was on his way to meet up with Rinoa. They needed to talk about the Squall situation. Leonhart had promised a favor to Seifer if he talked Rinoa down some, and Seifer wasn’t one to lose out on a favor.

They’d agreed to meet at a Siren Coffee between their two schools, and Seifer was right on time. He spotted Rinoa at the counter, picking up their drinks.

She walked over and held a cup out to him. “Okay, that’s a trenta sweet tea for me, and a grande Americano for you.”

“Perfect, as always. Good to see you, Rinny.”

They walked outside and sat at one of the café tables. Rinoa set down her drink.

“So, what’s this about? I mean, I saw you yesterday.” Nervousness crept into Rinoa’s voice.

“Yeah…about that. You came to see “me” yesterday.”

“What do you mean “me”?” Rinoa finger-quoted back at him.

“You came to see me, but spent the entire time looking for Squall. You used me to look for him. When you do that, I don’t feel like I can trust our friendship. You’ve used me before.” There was no edge to Seifer’s voice, just raw hurt.

“I promise, the next time I come to see you, it will be for you. I didn’t…I didn’t mean…Sorry, Seifer.”

“We’re moving past it. We’re not all the way there, yet, but we’re moving.” He almost told her about Squall’s new soulmark, but thought better of it. That was Squall’s business. He reached for his drink and noticed a dark mark on his wrist. “Anyway, I gotta go harass him about dinner. Talk to you later.” He stood, and waited for her to stand, too. They hugged for a moment.

Rinoa whispered, “I really am sorry about that.” Then she let go, and Seifer went on his way home.

Once in the safety of his room, he stared at the mark on his wrist. Flowers. Thinking back to the visit with the Girl in Yellow that morning, he pulled out his phone and looked up forget-me-nots. He absent-mindedly rubbed at the mark. It couldn’t be that simple, could it?

Time passed while Seifer thought about the mark and the Girl in Yellow. There was a knock at his door, and he shouted, “What do you want?” Then got up and opened the door. He looked at Squall.

“Well?” Seifer waited.

“What do you want to eat?”

Seifer thought a moment. “Pizza. That garlic chicken, with the artichoke hearts, from that bar we went to with Quistis for trivia night.”

Squall narrowed his eyes. “That’s a tall order. I’m not going downtown to get it. I’ll see if we can order in.”

“And don’t use my card this time!”

“You’re the one who wants the pizza.”

Seifer grumbled. “Fine. Guess that’s fair.”

It was a little awkward getting the picture in the mirror, but Selphie managed to take one of her new mark to send to Irvine. She'd meant to call him at lunch and completely forgot, but he was her best friend and deserved to know about every major change in her life.

Selphie: lookie what happened today!
Selphie: 05xxxxxx.jpg

The image had barely been received when her phone rang.

"You found your soulmate?!"

"Yup. And I know his name, too. Oh, Irvy, he's dreamy."

"Well, go on."

"He's tall, like taller than you, with blond hair and these gorgeous aquamarine eyes. And he has a scar on his face, between his eyes. He could be a model, y'know?"

"Okay, so he's nice to look at, and handsome to boot. But what about his personality?"

"We didn't talk much, just about flowers. He came into the shop this morning after staring in through the window for the past week. Oh, but he bought a flower and left it for me. A daisy."

"He bought you a flower? From your own flower shop? That's a flex."

"Technically it's Aerith's flower shop." Selphie stuck out her tongue, winked and scrunched her nose a bit, "But I get what you're saying. He said he liked a girl but didn't know what kind of flowers she would like so I tried to help him out, but it was really obvious he was just talking about me. Call me conceited."

  "Okay, Conceited. So, what made you so sure at the time that it was you?" Irvine had called from his dorm at the Galbadian Fashion Institute. Falling back on his bed, he got comfortable; calls with Selphie could be a quick question or a marathon.

"Well, he didn't know anything about her and whenever I mentioned the kind of stuff I was interested in he was just like "Sure! Let's try that!" about it all. It was really cute watching a guy like that flounder; he seems like the type that's usually super confident. Anything fun happen for you? Any more potential soulmarks that were actually just a bar stamp?"

Irvine glared at the ceiling. "It was shaped like a dragon, what was I s’posed to think?"

Selphie shrugged as she futzed around with things by the register. "Maybe that you went bar hopping and one of those places was the Ruby Dragon?"

"I'm not gonna talk to you if you're gonna be mean to me." Irvine pouted.

"Irvy..." Selphie cooed sadly. "I don't want you to hang up! I wasn't trying to be mean. I mean it though, have you had any chance encounters?"

"Not a one. But summer's almost here and I'll have a little bit of time off--"

"Does that mean you're coming to stay with me?!" Selphie jumped up and down, then did a back-and-forth bounce and let her arm into the air for flair.

"Yeah, I'm still coming to stay with you. I know I gotta save up a bit of money to help with the extra groceries though. I've got a bit, but I don't wanna be a bad guest." Irvine smiled softly.

Selphie fumed for a moment. "I'll have none of that! Guests are guests, which means they don't pay for things!"

"Sefie!" Irvine whined not entirely unattractively.

"My place, my rules. You can bring extra money for souvenirs or something, but your food is my treat!" She grinned.

"If I can pay for my own meals when we go out, that includes drinks."

Selphie thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Irvine smirked at the thought that creeped into his head. "So, what's his name?"

Selphie sighed as she said, "Seifer Almasy." She gently touched the ribbon on her wrist. "Were you hoping I would forget that I told you I knew but didn't tell you what it was?"

"A little. Now then, I believe you have work."

"If you can call this ghost town "work", anyway. I'll talk to you later, hammer out details of your trip?"

"Sure. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Irvy!" Selphie hung up her phone and turned to find Aerith standing just behind and to the side of her. "Hi, Aerith!"

"Hi, Selphie. How long were you on the phone?" She didn't look upset, but Selphie was cautious.

"It was for a fair bit, I can get into this weird chatterbox flow when talking with Irvy, but I made sure to mind the shop! See? No new fallen petals, no customers came in, and if they had, I would’ve told Irvy bye or just put the phone down to work with them…Is that okay?"

Aerith smiled and shook her head slightly in a calm way. "It's fine Selphie. Like you said, you watched for customers, and you tended to the shop while you were talking. Just try to limit it, okay?"

Selphie nodded emphatically and smiled. "You got it, Boss!"

It was the end of dinner rush, and Cloud was on his way to the next pickup for his last delivery. Fenrir wove through traffic, avoiding other vehicles and pedestrians alike. It was like an elegant dance, keeping balance on the bike, and it was one that Cloud loved. He arrived at Spice, a dive bar that had excellent pizza, shut off his bike, and went in to retrieve the order. He wanted nothing more than for his night to be over so he could go sit at Seventh Heaven and talk to Tifa. He had meant to call her that afternoon, but he'd gotten sucked into the Triple Triad tournament again.

“Order 66!” A tanned man with a bleach blond buzzcut called while setting a box on the counter. He waited at the register with attention, but Cloud could tell this guy was ready to start kicking out customers, emphasis on the kick.

Cloud sidled up and flashed his phone. The blond nodded and the pie was passed into Cloud’s waiting hands. As he left the bar, he couldn’t help but feel like this was destiny, finding another order for Seifer Almasy right when he was looking for something. He had to admit, he had a thing for dark hair. He secured the pizza box to the back of his bike and took off to the address for drop off. He recognized the building, he'd delivered there just last night.

Cloud parked and carefully carried the still-piping pizza to the correct door, double checking it—alright, more like fifth checking, before knocking on the door. There was a short wait. Cloud’s temperature rose with each passing moment and beat of his heart. He wasn’t blushing, but he was flush and was starting to feel the smallest hint of a panic attack. He hadn’t had one of those since he got to meet Sephiroth and his three obnoxious younger brothers.

He breathed slowly to try and force himself to calm down, thinking that maybe he would hit up the bar earlier than later that night. He’d planned on going by after his final delivery, but he wasn’t sure that this wasn’t it.

There was a click.

Squall opened the door to a pretty blond man with brilliant blue eyes, and his breath caught in his throat. It was him again. He stared for a moment before he realized the delivery man was talking to him. "Sorry, what?" Squall verbally stumbled slightly as his eyes refocused.

"Here's your pizza. Looks like you paid through the app, so we're all square. Unless you wanna give me a rave review." The blond was giving a smile, but it seemed a little awkward.

Squall took the pizza box and turned to hand it off to Seifer, who was sitting on the couch and watching the interaction. He floundered for a second when he realized Seifer wasn't standing there to take it; trying to decide where to put the box, he turned back to the door.

"I'll do that." He quickly said to the delivery man, then inwardly smacked his forehead, embarrassed at his social ineptitude. Without another word, he shut the door and brought the pizza to the couch, where Seifer was barely holding back laughter.

"Wow, I have never seen you so flustered. You actually have a crush! This is hilarious."

"Laugh it up. It's not hilarious, it's stupid. There's no way it's going anywhere, so I wish my body would catch up with my brain and end it already."

"You're trying to end it? Do I need to stage an intervention? Let you know that despite your personality, people like you?"

If possible, Squall's face went even more blank. "You know I'm not trying to kill myself. But," he opened the pizza box and grabbed a slice. "Thanks for the reminder." Pizza in hand, he sank down onto the couch, the opposite corner from Seifer.

Seifer picked up the remote and turned on the television, finding a Triple Triad tournament from Deling. The hushed announcer trying to guess at the players' strategies was the only sound while they ate...Until Seifer jumped up and shouted triumphantly as a Same rule and Plus rule were triggered simultaneously and the game was over.

Seifer grinned down at Squall, still on the couch. "You owe me 1000Gil."

"I should never have agreed to bet on Triple Triad against you." Squall shook his head wearily with a sigh.

"Nope. Sure shouldn't."

Cloud arrived at Seventh Heaven in a bit of a daze. It had been the same apartment, and same guy. And he'd stayed cool and professional. Well, if he didn't think about the almost panic attack he'd had waiting for the door to open. This was getting ridiculous, he really needed to talk to Tifa. Heading in, he took a seat at the bar and waited. Not even a minute later, there was a drink pushed into his view.

"You look...introspective. What's up?" Tifa leaned on the bar across from him, nodding to the drink she'd set down.

"Tif, I've had a weird couple of days." he picked up the glass and watched the salt in the bottom swirl gently as the drink moved. He must've looked rough if she’d brought him a Winter Salt with no fuss. He took a sip and sighed. Almost as good as Zack's.

Tifa merely waited for him to continue.

Cloud set down the glass. "I met my soulmate. I don't know who it is, but I met them. And there's this guy..."

Her brows shot up. "You got a crush?"

"Ugh, please don't say it like that. We're not fifteen anymore...but, yeah. I guess. I can't stop thinking about him."

"Okay, no more crush talk. Tell me about the mark."

"It's a winged lion head, right here," he patted his low abdomen, about where his waistband sat. "And before you ask, I don't have any ideas."

Tifa nodded as he spoke, then waited for him to finish his drink. He'd apparently needed it bad, since it was gone in a few gulps. She took the glass and raised a beer bottle toward him.

Cloud shook his head. If he was driving home, he needed a clear head. He was already pushing it with the Winter Salt. "Some coffee, maybe?"

"You got it." She turned to get his coffee, then tend to the bar for a moment before returning, drink in hand. "Here you go. Can we talk about the guy?"

"What's there to talk about? He's gorgeous and now a repeat customer. And his name is apparently Seifer." He stirred the coffee slowly.

"A repeat customer? Wow, that's something. Do you know if he requested you, or did you just luck into him again?"

"He can't make a request for specific drivers, that's not how Ultima works. Eats or otherwise."

"So it was luck, then. And you're sure he's not your mystery soulmate?"

Cloud sighed. That was probably too easy. "He didn't mention anything, if that's what you're asking."

“Have you talked to Zack about this whole thing?”

“Sort of…I talked to him about the mark, but not the guy. It was last night, when I discovered it.”

“Did he get to see it?”

Cloud blushed a little, the tips of his ears going pink. “Yeah. I kinda had a freakout in the bathroom, and he came in to see what was wrong.”

“So Zack gets to see it, but I don’t? I see where I rank.”

“Seriously?” Cloud stood and raised the bottom of his shirt, revealing the top of the mark, then lowered the band of his pants a little to show off the rest of it. “You happy now?”

“Wow, that feels…intimate. But a lion, huh?” She snapped a picture with her phone before Cloud even realized she was holding it.

“Hey! No one said you could do that!”

“Didn’t say I couldn’t, either. I’m gonna…keep this as reference.”

“For what?”

“For if your soulmate comes in here, duh. I might be able to spot them. Maybe they wear it. Or they look like a lion.” A strange look crossed Tifa’s face. “Oh. My. Gods. It’s Nanaki.”

Righting his clothing, Cloud sat back down. “It’s not “Red XIII” or whatever he’s going by these days. If it were, I would’ve gotten it the first time we talked.”

“Maybe it’s only now that he’s going by Red XIII. He’s discovered who he is.”

Cloud scoffed. “I haven’t seen him in weeks, anyway. And this definitely showed up yesterday some time.”

“Alright, alright, not Nanaki, then.”

Cloud gave a soft smile. “Thanks, Tif. I can always count on you to make me feel better.” He drank the rest of his coffee. He was feeling solid now, ready to drive home.

Selphie stared at her phone, waiting for the reply. It had been only a moment since she sent the message to Irvine.

Selphie: you good to talk?

She didn’t have to wait long. Her phone rang as the read receipt appeared on the screen.

“You know, I’ll put down most anythin’ for you.” Irvine drawled in her ear.

She giggled. “You’re such a flirt.”

“You love it. Now, what d’ya wanna talk about?”

“Your upcoming visit. I’m out of classes in, like, seven weeks. How about you?”

“Yeah, about seven weeks. I’m not exactly countin’ down days yet, but it’s comin’ up.”

“So, my couch isn’t a pullout, but it’s still really comfy to sleep on.” Selphie let that hang for a moment before continuing. “So I’ll take it, and you can have my bed while you’re here. You’d just hang off the couch, anyway. Tall person.”

“Is your couch really that short?”

“I am a small person, and I need a small couch. That’s why I have a loveseat.”

“Alright, I’m sold. I’m definitely not sleepin’ on a loveseat again.”

“Wait, again?”

Irvine laughed. “Yeah, again. You think you’re the only person I have sleepovers with?”

“Well, no…but I thought I was the only fun-sized friend you have sleepovers with.”

“Alright, I can hear the pout. And practic’ly see the eyelashes. Maybe some of my other playmates also enjoy small furniture.”

“You make playmate sound so dirty. Or maybe it’s because I know what they are.”

“That’s prob’ly more like it. So, I got seven weeks to figure out dates so I can take time off work. How long am I stayin’?”

Selphie thought for a moment. “Two weeks. That’ll give me plenty of time to show you around and you can see all my other friends, too.”

“Like Seifer Almasy?”

She giggled. “Yeah, him too. And you can see how gorgeous he is!”

“You really think he’s prettier than me?”

“No! He’s way more handsome. You’re definitely prettier.”

Irvine hummed into the phone. “I’ll take it. You’ll have to keep me updated on what kin’a person he is. Gotta make sure he’s good enough for my bestie.”

Selphie wandered to her closet and opened the door to see her full length mirror. She twisted around, trying to see the mark in the mirror. “It almost looks like a sword…I wonder what that means. They have meaning, right?”

“I think so. Maybe he really is your knight in shinin’ armor.”

“A knight, huh? So…if you have a knight, what does that make you?”

“A damsel, I would guess.”

Her nasal laugh echoed through her room, ending abruptly in a snort. “A damsel…me…can you imagine?”

“Yeah. Yeah, Sefie, I can. You don’t give yourself enough credit sometimes.” Irvine’s voice grew serious. “I don’t got much longer before work. I should prob’ly scoot.”

“Okay, thanks for calling. I really needed the talk. And I’ll start working on a schedule for your trip so we don’t miss anything fun. And I’ll talk to you later. And-“

Irvine cut her off. “I’ll talk to you later.” He kissed at the phone, then hung up hearing her laughter through the earpiece.

After parking his bike in the garage, Cloud headed up to his and Zack’s apartment. As he opened the door, the smell of Wutaian-style curry hit his nose. Aerith must've cooked tonight. He hung his keys on the hook by the door, then locked up and went to his room to change. Coming back out in a pair of chocobo print sleep pants and a tank top, he went to the kitchen to get his plate. It was still warm, and he took it to the living room to eat.

Zack and Aerith were cuddled together on the couch, watching "How I Became Your Half-Brother," some sitcom about weird family dynamics. Cloud tucked into his usual chair and started eating. Zack muted the TV and looked over.

"How was your day? Figure out who your soulmate is yet?"

Cloud scoffed. "Yeah, wouldn't you know it, one of my deliveries mentioned they'd also gotten a soulmark and it was...I don't know, a motorcycle key. Of course I didn't."

Zack held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, forget I asked the second part. How was your day?"

"It was fine. Quiet morning, quiet afternoon, and then dinner rush. Nothing really to talk about."

"Sounds better than my day. We were doing maneuvers all day. I was so glad to come home and have it be Aerith's night to cook."

"I don't actually live here, you know. I don't have a night to cook." Aerith slapped Zack's arm gently. “But, oh, speaking of soulmates! Selphie found hers today. He came into the shop, and signed up for the mailing list. His name is Seifer Almasy.”

Cloud couldn’t believe his ears. “Wait, Selphie and…Seifer?” He gaped openly at Aerith, trying to fathom what he was hearing. Selphie, Aerith’s hare-brained assistant florist was soulmates with the beautiful brunet he kept delivering to? It wasn’t fair.

“Cloud?” Aerith gently called out to him. “Cloud, are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, man, you look like someone just keyed your bike.” Zack reached toward him, but Cloud dodged his attempts. He didn’t want to be touched.

There was a burning pit in his stomach, and it didn’t feel like it would go away anytime soon. He hurriedly set down his bowl and walked speedily to his room, slamming the door behind him. Zack and Aerith shared a concerned look. What had upset him like that?

Cloud paced his small room back and forth as fast as his feet would allow him to turn. He ran his hands into his hair and pulled firmly. He dropped into a deep squat and clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth, and trying not to scream.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair!

He had met Seifer and there was something about him that Cloud couldn’t get out of his head. And besides, what did Selphie have that he didn’t? Okay, he could think of several things, mostly genetic, that might be a preferred part for a partner, but not just. Personality-wise, he felt like he was more mature than Selphie, and Seifer seemed pretty mature with his easy-going but aloof demeanor. Selphie was all sunshine and bubblegum, clearly not meant for him, right? Right?

Cloud threw himself onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow, then screamed as loudly as he could. It didn’t help. All that happened was that Zack and Aerith came to his door to talk at him.

“Buddy, you doing okay in there?” Zack asked loudly but gently.

Aerith joined in, “I could go get you some ice-cream for that sore throat you’re going to have. Would you like that?”

He breathed deeply through the material of his pillow and eventually removed his face from it. “I’m fine…And yes, please.” He quickly added. Ice cream sounded like a really good idea right now.

Chapter Text

Eyes like an endless equatorial ocean. That’s what he remembered. Of everything about the delivery man, it was his eyes that Squall couldn’t stop dreaming about, asleep and awake. But for now, he slept. He reached out and felt someone grab his hand. He looked to see who and caught sight of that ocean.

Squall and the blond stood, holding each other’s hands, and then there was a horrendous, cacophonous, pounding bang.

Seifer slammed Squall’s door open to yell, “GET UP LEONHART, IT’S TIME FOR TRAINING!”

“Fuck off Seifer. I’m not doing Shinobi Warrior Duos! with you.” He threw his pillow, but Seifer closed the door, and the pillow hit it surprisingly firmly before dropping to the floor.

Pushing the door back open, “Sucks to be you. Now you have no pillow, and you have to get up.” Seifer walked out of room, leaving Squall slumped on his bed, bereft of the necessities for him to sleep.

Squall grumbled as he got out of bed, thanking Hyne that he wore pajamas, because Seifer had no respect for his privacy. Grudgingly, he got dressed in joggers and a t-shirt. He knew that Seifer would insist that they train together. After all, Squall was already up.

They ate protein bars in silence, Squall because he was still frustrated and didn’t want to actually say something he’d regret later, and Seifer because he wanted Squall to chill out. As they both finished their bars, Seifer looked to Squall and grinned.

“Race you to the park. Loser buys breakfast.” Without giving Squall a chance to respond, Seifer bolted out the door and started down the stairs. Squall was slow to start, locking the door behind him and then taking the stairs three at a time to catch up. They ran the mile to the park, Squall catching up with Seifer enough that the blond had to grab Squall’s head and push him off balance. Squall wobbled for a moment, thinking about his life choices that led him there, namely that Seifer was the closest thing to a best friend he had. What did that say about him? Introspection was for another time, Seifer had just entered the park and was jumping in a circle triumphantly.

They made their way to the obstacle course and started. One at a time so the other could time them, Seifer then Squall. Three rounds in, they hit their stride, but by the fifth round, both were beat. Seifer wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Fuck, let’s get something to eat.”

They walked to a nearby diner, Johnny’s Heaven, which Seifer preferred solely because they did scrambles. Before long they were seated and ordered, and Squall finally had a chance to talk to Seifer about some of the weirdness of the past week.

“Alright, where have you been going in the morning? It isn’t training or a job, so what gives?”

Seifer laughed, brushing off the question. “I thought you might like the alone time.”

“It’s not unwelcome, but what are you doing?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“I’m making the effort to ask, aren’t I?” Squall punctuated his point by taking a bite of his toast.

“When you say it like that…I’m going to Gunblades and Roses.”

“What’s Gunblades and Roses? A gunblade specialty shop?” Squall could see how Seifer was getting the upper hand recently if he were frequenting a specialty shop. Who knew what kind of experts they had on staff to give pointers.

“No, it’s a flower shop.”

Squall stared at him, confusion clear on his face.

“You know, flowers? They grow in dirt and smell nice?”

“I know what flowers are. Why are you going to a flower shop?”

“I like looking at the displays. Seeing the…“ Seifer thought for a moment. “Rays of sunshine.”

“Every morning for the past week, though?”

“They change out the displays every morning. There’s always something to see. Do you know what forget-me-nots are?”

“I’m guessing a flower?”

“Yeah… you don’t know anything about them. They’re these little blue flowers.” Seifer pulled out his phone to show a photo of pretty blue flowers to Squall. “Have you seen them before? They grow on the side of the road. Trying to find some for a flower shop bingo.”

Squall thought about it. “Actually, yeah. There’s a patch of them at the turnoff for the 9, over on 45th?”

“I know the one. Thanks.”

“So, what do I get out of this?”

“I’ll pay for breakfast. You just did me a huge solid. Think I’m gonna get my bingo after all.”

“You were going to pay for breakfast anyway, it was your idea. I was fine going to Siren Coffee.”

“Look, Siren Coffee doesn’t make scrambles, okay?”

Selphie awoke to sunshine on her face as the morning light broke through her curtains and showered her with warmth. With a smile and stretch, she sighed contentedly. It was her day off today, and she was going to relax.

After lying in bed until the sunbeam fell off of her and left her chill, she got up. It was around seven and the day had promise—promise of rest and relaxation! She happily hopped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She had a fairly standard sized tub, but with her small stature, it seemed like it was much larger.

She started running a bath, adding a ridiculous amount of bubble bath—she never felt like it bubbled enough—and some Epsom salt to help soak away the pain. She stripped down and gently stepped in. Humming to herself, she couldn’t help but think of Seifer Almasy.

Seifer had been around the shop for a few days before he came in and she had noticed; he was gorgeous after all. Would he have come in if she hadn’t beckoned to him? As she soaked away her aches and pains and bits of dirt from working at the shop, she kept humming and thinking of him.

She hoped she would get to see him again soon.

Feeling that the water had run a little cool and her bubbles had mostly popped, leaving the water faintly green and leaving her and the water smelling of cucumber-melon, she got out. Once she dried off, she did her hair into her usual flips and got dressed. She put on a yellow babydoll sundress and went to make breakfast.

Breakfast was always nice and easy because all Selphie needed to do was spoon out some yogurt and cut up a bit of fruit to go with it. She grabbed some pineapple, mango, and a handful of blueberries that would get mixed directly into the yogurt. She cut up the chunks of pineapple and mango into manageable pieces and took her food to the loveseat that sat across from her television.

She ate in the quiet, enjoying the textures and flavors of the fruit and yogurt while she casually worked in a puzzle book. When she was done eating, she hung around, doing more puzzles for a while, but as she was getting ready to clean her dishes, she noticed that she’d drawn the cross from her back all over the page.

Every margin, every gap that could accommodate it did. She briefly wondered how inappropriate it might be to get his number or address from his sign-up sheet…She needed to talk to Irvine. Unfortunately, he was working today.

It was noon before Cloud attempted to get up. He’d heard Aerith leave hours ago, but he just couldn’t handle the looks he knew he’d get from her or Zack today. He’d made a fool of himself, throwing a fit like a toddler, and over what?

When he finally dragged himself from bed and out to the living room for food, Zack was sitting on the couch. He looked up when Cloud trudged into the kitchen and followed him with his eyes until he came back to the living room with a bowl of cold cereal.

Cloud eyed him as he sat in his chair, tucking his feet up into it. “What?”

“You doing okay? Sounded like you had a rough night.”

Cloud didn’t respond. There was nothing to say. Zack had heard him sobbing himself to sleep over a guy, of all things.

“You don’t have to talk about it, but you seemed really shaken up by the news about Selphie last night. I know you haven’t figured out who your mark is for yet, but I didn’t think you’d be jealous.”

There it was. Zack knew. He had to. Cloud set the bowl of cereal on the table.

“I mean, just because she found hers first doesn’t mean that yours isn’t still out there.”

Oh, gods, he had it wrong. So wrong. Cloud couldn’t stay silent anymore. “I’m not jealous that she found hers first.”

“My bad. What’s got you so torn up, then?”

“She…she…how’d she even meet him?” He still couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

“Aerith said he’s been coming by the flower shop every day for a week, maybe more. And yesterday, he finally came in and talked to Selphie. Apparently, there’s this girl he likes, and he wanted to give her flowers.”

All this, because of some flowers. It wasn’t fair. “It’s not fair,” Cloud’s voice echoed his thoughts before he could stop it.

“I thought you weren’t jealous she found hers first? What’s not fair?”

“It’s…” Cloud stood and paced a bit as he spoke. “It’s not that she found hers first, that’s whatever. It’s who it is. Seifer is...Seifer’s…” He sank onto the couch next to Zack. “You said I’d know because I wouldn’t be able to get them out of my head. All I’ve thought about for two nights now is Seifer Almasy and his blue-grey eyes.”

Zack pulled Cloud close and wrapped him in a hug. “Are you sure that’s the name? Maybe you misremembered.”

“No, I’m sure.” He tried to pull free, but Zack tightened his arms, rocking the two of them slightly.

“It can wait. For now, I think you really need a hug.”

It was a while before either of them spoke again.

“Okay, do you think you’re calm enough to talk?”

Cloud took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his face. He didn’t know when he’d started crying. “I think so. But what’s there to talk about?”

“How do you know Seifer?”

“He’s…he’s a customer. I’ve delivered to him twice now. The first time was two nights ago, when I got my mark.”

“Aw, shit. We gotta tell the girls.”

Cloud froze. “We can’t tell Selphie that her soulmate is my soulmate! I’ll just…keep going on the way I have been. It’s fine. I can deal with this.”

“Can you, buddy? Because you kinda broke down bad last night and today.”

“I just need some time to get used to it. Squash the feelings into a little box and lock it tight.”

“That’s not healthy. C’mon, get dressed. We’ll see Aerith first.”

Shaking his head, Cloud finally pulled free of Zack’s grasp. “I can’t. Not today. Not yet. Just…give me some time. So I can figure out what to say to Selphie.”

Seifer had just reached the turnoff by 45th for the 9. Squall had been right, there were definitely forget-me-nots there. In fact, there were so many, he no longer felt bad about what he was going to do.

Turning to his pack, he pulled out an extending shovel, a bucket, and a small bag of potting soil. He put some gravel in the bottom of the bucket that he’d drilled small holes in for irrigation, followed by a layer of soil. Then he dug up a couple of shovel-fulls of forget-me-nots and placed them in the bucket with a fair amount of care. He was going to make this work.

Seifer planned to give them to the Girl in Yellow on Monday, when the flower shop was open again. But until then…he packed away his supplies and picked up his bucket, then pulled out his phone and called Raijin.

The phone rang a few times before he answered. “Hey, Seif! What’s up?”

“Hey, man, need a ride.”

“Yeah, I can do that. Where are we picking you up?” Seifer had guessed that Fujin would be along for the ride, and it sounded like he guessed right.

“Turnoff for the 9 at 45th. Warning, there will be dirt tracked into your truck.”

“That’s what the back is for, y’know?”

“Precious cargo. I’m holding onto it.” There was no way he’d let the bucket of forget-me-nots spill out into the back of the truck.

“If you say so. We’ll be there in ten, already on the 9.”

“Alright, see you in ten.”

It was only after he hung up that Seifer realized he hadn’t yet told them about his mark. Something to talk about on the way home.

Ten or so minutes later, Raijin’s pickup pulled onto the side of the road where Seifer was waiting. The window rolled down, and he heard Raijin call out, “Hey, looks like you need a ride, y’know?”

Chuckling to himself, Seifer dropped his pack and the soil into the bed, and went to climb into the back of the cab. He realized that Fujin was already back there, and had laid claim to the entire back for herself. That was fair, if she was stuck riding in the back seat, she could have it. Instead, Seifer climbed into the front seat and set the bucket of flowers between his feet.

“What’s with the flowers?” Raijin looked at him before putting the truck into gear and taking off for the apartment.

Seifer looked at the bucket and smiled. “I gotta tell you something before we get too far onto the road.” He held out his left wrist to Raijin, showing off the mark.

“Soulmate?” Fujin was now leaning between the seats to get a better view of the mark.

“Yeah. Pretty sure it’s this girl that works at a flower shop, Gunblades and Roses. She was talking about her favorite flower being forget-me-nots, and now there’s forget-me-nots on my wrist. Can’t be coincidence.”

“That’s great! Does she know yet?”

“Haven’t really had a chance to find out. It showed up yesterday, and the shop is closed for the weekend. But Monday…Monday, I’m taking these into the shop for her.”

“Then?”

“Then, Fu, we talk about the mark and she agrees to date me or something. I haven’t really thought that far ahead.”

Fujin settled back into her seat for a moment, then leaned forward again. “Cute?”

“Or sexy?”

Seifer thought about it. “A little of column A, a little of column B.”

“So, what’s she like, y’know?”

“She’s chipper and cheerful. Like the embodiment of a sunny day. She always wears yellow, so I’ve kinda been calling her the Girl in Yellow in my head.”

“Name?”

“I don’t know it. Yet. But Monday…”

“You’re pinning a lot on Monday. What if you’re wrong?”

“Shut up and drive. I’m not wrong. It’s definitely her. Everything I know about soulmates says so. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and my mark showed up after we talked for the first time.”

Raijin shut up and drove. A couple minutes later, he turned into the lot for Seifer’s apartment. He pulled into a loading zone outside his building, and parked.

“Thanks for the ride. I’ll let you know how it goes on Monday. We still on for basketball tomorrow?”

“If you think that pathetic vert is enough to get past me, yeah.” Raijin grinned, and Seifer grinned back.

“Alright, see you tomorrow, then. You, too, Fujin.”

“Later.”

Seifer grabbed his stuff from the back of the truck and carried it upstairs to his apartment. He kicked the bottom of the door and shouted, “Leonhart, open up! My hands are full!”

From the other side of the door, he heard, “What’s the secret password?”

“Fuck you!”

The door opened, and Squall stepped out of the way to let Seifer in. He dropped the bag of soil by the door, then carried the bucket to the kitchen and set it in the sink to water the flowers.

Selphie stared at the pages of her puzzle book again. She needed to talk to Irvy, but he was working. She took a photo and sent it to him.

Selphie: i think i have a problem
Selphie: 05xxxxxx.jpg

It was half an hour later when she heard his ringtone. She dove for her phone, landing on the loveseat.

“Oh, Irvy, I think I have a problem.”

“Yeah, I saw that,” He chuckled. “What’s up, buttercup?”

“What does it mean?” She whined.

“It means, you found your soulmate and now you gotta get to know him. Ever’thing I’ve ever read says you’re gonna be obsessed ‘til you do. Then, once you figure out your relationship, you’ll be obsessed in a diff’rent, more socially acceptable way.”

Selphie stared at her phone, then put it back to her ear. “What the heck does that mean?”

“Instead of drawing your mark all over the place, or thinkin’ how to casually bump into him, you’ll jus’ be thinkin’ about him all the time.”

“That’s stupid, I already do that.”

“Yeah, but once you figure out the relationship part, he’ll be thinkin’ about you, too.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

Irvine laughed. “Magazines. And romance novels. I am a voracious reader, prob’ly because I haven’t found mine yet.”

“Is that why you send me all those “learn about your soulmate” quizzes?”

“Yup. They’re fun, though. Right?”

Selphie nodded, though she knew Irvine couldn’t see it. “They are. Oh, hey, I should do one now that I know who he is!”

“You should. And I should get back to work.”

“And I should let you. Just one more thing, Irvy?”

“What’s that?”

“Does Jessa still work there?”

“Yeah, she’s still over in health and beauty. Why?”

“Are they still selling the cucumber melon thing?” If Selphie’s phone had a cord, she would’ve been twirling it around her finger.

“The bubble bath, or…?”

“Yeah, the bubble bath. I might be out. I had a soak this morning.”

“I’ll look, and if we still have it, I’ll pick you up some.”

“Employee discount, right?”

“Yup, only the best for my bestie. Anyway, gotta go. My break’s over in a few, and I still need to do a thing.”

“Okay, have a good rest of your day.”

“I will try my best,” he said solemnly. “Talk to you later.”

They both made kissy noises at the phone, then ended the call.

Rules:
Random
Same
Same Wall
Combo

Squall looked over the rules for the tournament that evening, and nodded. He could work with that. He thought about his collection of cards, and how to stack his deck for the best options. The Random rule would make it more difficult, there wasn’t any guarantee that he’d be dealt cards that would work well against his opponent’s. He was going to win this tournament, there was no question about it.

He wandered the rest of Mythril Mine Trading, eventually settling into the Triple Triad aisle. It was the second-closest game store, and the only one nearby that hosted Triple Triad tournaments. Squall compared the different play mats, and picked out several booster packs to buy.

The crowd for the tournament slowly filled the store. Squall looked for anyone he recognized. Spotting a couple, he headed over to see if they were joining the tournament also.

“Quistis, Xu. You participating?”

Quistis hid a smile behind her hand, and shook her head. “I suppose you’re here to win?”

“Just here to spectate,” Xu added.

Squall nodded. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck, waving it slightly. “Brought my lucky deck. And bought some booster packs to see if I can filter anything new in.”

Xu eyed the booster packs. “Is there any card you don’t own?”

“No, but I can always use duplicates.”

The emcee started gathering the participants, and Squall turned to join them.

“Good luck,” Quistis called.

Squall looked over his shoulder. “Do I need it?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Xu leaned toward Quistis. “This is why I don’t like that guy.”

“What? Why?”

“She thinks I’m cocky.” Squall closed the distance to the group of participants, nodding to the emcee as he did.

It was early evening when Cloud pulled up outside of Seventh Heaven, aiming to talk with Tifa. Hopefully she wasn’t too busy. As he entered, he noticed that the usual crowd had yet to arrive, so there was a good chance he could actually have a conversation. He sat at the bar, and almost immediately a cup of coffee was placed in front of him.

“It’s still early for a Winter Salt, but you look like you need something. What’s going on?” Tifa leaned on the bar next to his cup.

“Oh, not much. My life just crashed around me last night.” At Tifa’s silence, he went on. “You know Selphie, Aerith’s assistant at the shop? She found her soulmate, and his name is Seifer.”

“Your Seifer? The gorgeous repeat customer?” Tifa stood upright in surprise.

“I mean, it’s not a common first name, and he’s got the same last name. I think it is.” Cloud rested his head on the bar, pressing his forehead to the cool wooden surface.

“Maybe I should get you that drink after all. How long are you here?”

“As long as I want. I’m not working tonight, not if there’s a chance he’ll order.”

Tifa shrugged. “I dunno, I think you should. What if it’s a distant cousin or something?”

“A distant cousin with the same exact name? Who would do that?” Cloud’s brow furrowed at the thought.

“I dunno, but I know it happens. I mean, think of how many Cids we know.”

“Hmm.” Cloud sat up to drink his coffee. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I usually am.”

“Okay, you’ve got me convinced. I’ll pop on to see if he’s ordered anything.” Cloud pulled out his phone and opened Ultima Eats. There was an order for Seifer Almasy. It had to be fate. He accepted the order and downed the last of his coffee. “Thanks, Tifa. I can always count on you.”

She laughed. “Any time.”

He paid for his coffee, and headed out to the pickup, Turtle’s Paradise. It was a Wutaian place with good dumpling soup. Whether Seifer was his soulmate or not, he knew good places to eat. After getting the food, he drove to the apartment from memory, and climbed the three flights of stairs, willing himself to take them at a regular pace instead of running. Reaching the door, he knocked.

It opened, and a tall blond stood in the doorway.

“Who are you?” Cloud asked before he could help himself.

The tall blond scoffed. “Seifer Almasy. You always this rude?”

Cloud shook his head. “Sorry, I just…Seifer Almasy has ordered a couple nights in a row, and I’ve never seen you before.”

“That’s because my asshole roommate keeps using my card.”

“Oh.” Cloud was in a daze. This was Seifer Almasy? Who was his customer with the blue-grey eyes? “Well, here’s your order from Turtle’s Paradise. Enjoy.”

Seifer held up his phone, showing that he was tipping 35%. “And there’s your tip.”

“Thanks. Sorry about the confusion.” Cloud thought for a moment. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. “If it’s not too weird to ask, what’s his name?”

“Whose?”

“Your roommate? That uses your card?”

Seifer chuckled. “No.” He shut the door, leaving Cloud dumbfounded on the other side.

It was late when Squall arrived back at home.

“So, did you get kicked out of another tournament?” Seifer barely looked up from his soup.

“No, I won. And then they told me not to come back.” Squall took off his jacket and started toward his room.

“Because…?”

“Because I “aggressively stomped every other player.” So, that makes three that I’m banned from.”

“Are you aiming to get kicked out of every tournament, or just the local ones?”

“Once they realize I’m the only one worthy of going to the world tournament, it’ll all be good.” Squall sniffed, smelling the dumpling soup. “What’s for dinner?”

Seifer shrugged. “I dunno. What did you get on your way home? Because I only ordered enough for me.”

“You’re such a dick.”

“Says the man who keeps using my card to pay.”

“You’re the one with the request!” Squall threw his arms out in exasperation.

“Yet you keep ordering for yourself as well.”

“Consider it tax for putting in the order for you.”

“Well, you’ve successfully confused our regular delivery guy. He thought you were me.”

Squall sighed, patience running thin. Then he stopped, registering what Seifer had said. “We have a regular delivery guy?” Ocean blue eyes flashed in his mind.

“Don’t act like you don’t know. Short, blond, stupid hair?”

“I might’ve noticed, yeah.” He absentmindedly rubbed at his shoulder, thinking about the delivery man. “Who wears their hair that tall, anyway?”

“Well, Zell tries.”

“I’d have better luck, and my hair refuses to do anything.”

“Except look good.”

Squall looked at him in shock. “You think my hair looks good?”

“Yeah, shut up about it.”

“Okay.” He shifted topics. “What’s with the flowers?”

Seifer pointedly did not look toward the kitchen, where a bucket of blue flowers still sat in the sink, or by the door, where there was an open bag of soil. “What flowers?”

“Fine, don’t tell me. I’m gonna get food.” Squall thought for a moment, then went to the kitchen to see what they had. Takeout containers and condiments. He looked at his phone and opened Ultima Eats. “Let’s see if we can get him twice in one day.”

“Just make sure you pay with your own card this time.”

Selphie was completely zoned out at the counter for the flower shop when the bells on the door chimed. She looked up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. “Hi! Welcome to Gunblades and Roses.” She smiled as she recognized her new favorite customer, even though he’d only been in once before. “Seifer, what can I get for you today?”

“See, I kinda forgot my flower here yesterday. I know it won’t be any good today, I figure you probably tossed it or something. Can I get another daisy?” Seifer strode into the shop without any of the hesitation he’d shown the day before, and stopped in front of the counter.

“Sure! Do you want another white one, or do you wanna try color this time?”

He thought about it for a moment. “What goes well with yellow?”

“It depends on the yellow, honestly. But blue and green are pretty popular. Pink is nice, but I’d go with a red instead.” Selphie laced her fingers together behind her back.

“Never seen a blue flower before, let’s try it. The blue that matches your ribbon, if you can.”

She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly at being caught with the ribbon from his flower the day before. “Hehe, yeah…I can do that.” She added dye to a cup and mixed it to what she hoped was the right shade, then put the white daisy in. “It’ll be ready in a bit.”

Silence filled the shop, and Selphie couldn’t stand it anymore. “So…”

“So…?”

“Do you have a favorite flower?”

Seifer laughed. “Everyone has a favorite flower, don’t they?”

“Oh, right. That makes sense. Then, what is it?”

He looked her up and down. “I like sunflowers.”

“That’s a good choice.”

“Y’know, you never told me your name.”

She giggled. “I didn’t? Heh, it’s-“

“Selphie?” There was an insistent knocking at the door. “Selphie, are you in? You have a package sitting out here.”

Selphie blinked, coming to her senses. It was still her day off, and she was home. On her loveseat. With a magazine Irvine had suggested. She got up and opened the door, revealing one of her neighbors. “Thanks for letting me know. I must’ve completely slept through the delivery person knocking.”

She looked out the door at the sky, and realized it was later in the day than she thought it would be. How long had that package been there? How long had she been dreaming? She grabbed her package and said another “Thank you” to her neighbor, then headed back inside to order dinner.

Cloud hadn’t planned on staying logged in to Ultima Eats after his interaction with the real Seifer Almasy, but he’d decided to see what other orders he could do pretty quickly before heading home. A name popped up that he rushed to accept.

He took off for Bika BBQ, then drove to an apartment building he’d visited once while off work. He climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on the door. It opened, revealing Selphie.

“Cloud, you picked up my order!”

“Yeah, I saw your name and decided I wasn’t done for the night yet.”

“Aw, thanks. That’s so sweet.”

He’d been so worried about how he would react to her this morning, he’d been dreading seeing her again. But that had all evaporated when Seifer introduced himself.

“Aerith told me your news. Congrats.” He meant it. It was still wild to him that Seifer Almasy wasn’t his customer.

“You wanna see it?” Selphie was already turning her back to show off.

“Yeah.”

She turned fully, showing the fancy cross on her back.

Cloud looked hard at it. Nowhere near the same mark as his. He felt silly for being so distraught over nothing. “Wow. Not what I was expecting.”

“No?”

“All Aerith told us was a name, and I don’t know…I guess I just didn’t think Seifer Almasy was a cross type of person.

“Yeah, I’ve been sort of looking at it like maybe a sword?”

“I could see that.” Cloud nodded.

“I dunno, though. I’m open to options.”

A soft buzz interrupted them as Cloud’s phone received an alert, reminding him he was still logged in to Ultima Eats. “I should see what that is, and if I’m gonna take it. Nice talking to you, Selphie.”

“Yup! I’ll add your tip.” She waved her phone. “Oh, and tell folks hi for me!” As he turned to check the alert, she closed the door.

He glanced at his phone and accepted the new order, hoping it was actually his mystery “Seifer Almasy” this time.

He drove back downtown to Aphorora, a pub known for its variety of dipping sauces, then back to the building he’d become so familiar with over the past couple days. He didn’t run up the stairs, but did climb them quickly, and knocked on the door to the apartment he delivered to not even two hours earlier.

Seifer, the real Seifer, answered the door. When he saw who it was, he sighed, then called out, “Your stalker’s here.”

“I thought you took care of the Rinoa thing.” “Seifer” answered.

“No, the new one.”

The brunet came to the door, confusion on his face. “You couldn’t just tell me my food was here?”

Seifer laughed as he walked back to the couch.

The other man turned to Cloud. “…hi. Sorry about that. He’s a dick.”

“Is that why you keep putting his name on your orders?”

“It’s why I keep using his credit card. That, and it’s usually him demanding specific food from specific restaurants. His choice, he pays.”

Cloud smiled a little, just a small upturn of the corner of his mouth. “Well, here’s your food. Looks like you’re all paid up through the app, so you’re good to go.” He started to turn for the stairs.

“What’s your name, so he knows what to yell at me?”

“Cloud.”

The brunet nodded. “Squall.”

Cloud started down the stairs, hearing the soft click of the door behind him. Reaching his bike, he logged out of Ultima Eats and headed home, feeling much better than he had that morning.

Chapter Text

He caught a flash of yellow through the windows of Gunblades and Roses, and Seifer couldn’t help the grin growing across his face. Walking in, he was greeted by the brunette behind the counter, but not the one he was looking for.

The shop’s owner, Erin, he thought he’d heard her called, was running the counter and smiled broadly at him. She could easily be the Girl in Yellow’s sister with the brilliant green of her wide eyes and lovely brown hair.

“You’re back!” said the Girl in Yellow chipperly from his side.

He turned to face her. “Yeah, I realized I forgot my flower.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I put it back in the cooler in case you came back! But if it’s not up to snuff anymore, we’ll replace it for free.” She flounced over to the cooler with waiting orders for pickup and collected a single daisy with a blue ribbon on it. Seifer was impressed with how well it had held up. He gently took it from her and looked it over. Pleased, he smiled a bit softly and held her gaze with his.

“I wanted to give this to someone. Someone that makes me happy.” He offered the flower back to her and she blushed.

Taking it gently in her hands, she held the flower close to her, but not close enough to squash it. When she looked back up at him, she had Squall’s face and voice. “Okay, I ask again, what’s with the flowers?”

Seifer snapped out of his daydream and looked at Squall who was standing nearby. Seifer had his wrist turned so the mark was clear to the eye and had been staring at it for quite some time. “None of your business.” He grumbled, turning further toward the table and folding his arms to tuck his wrist completely out of view.

Squall hummed quietly as he thought. “You too, huh?”

Seifer growled quietly. “Can you drop this?”

“Why?” Squall took a drink of his coffee and sat down at the table with Seifer. It was still partially covered with planting supplies.

“’Cause I don’t wanna talk to you about it.” Seifer buried his face into his arms.

“I told you about mine. When did you get it? And does this have anything to do with the flowers from yesterday?” Squall folded his arms on the table and leaned his head on them to look at Seifer from his level.

Seifer grumbled something into his arms.

“I’m going to assume that meant “yes” and move on. Who are they?” Squall wasn’t about to guess at who or whatever had claimed Seifer as its soulmate.

Seifer picked up enough to glower at Squall. Normally it was the other way around, Seifer annoying Squall about something he didn’t want to talk about. Turnabout was fair play after all. “I don’t know if it’s her, and even if it is, I don’t actually know her name. I think I’ve heard it, but I’m not sure that’s the right name. I know her boss’s name is Erin or something and she’s… Sophie? I don’t know. I’m already messing this up. I wanted to be cool and suave, but I feel like I’m a complete doofus like Dincht.”

Squall sighed and sat up enough to kill off his coffee. “At least you have a good idea as to who yours is.” He stood to go into the kitchen. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’ve messed this up yet.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Not at all.” He poured another cup and sat back down across from Seifer. “You’ve talked to her once? Twice? How did it go?”

“I can’t believe you’re interested in this.”

“I have interests other than Triple Triad. Besides, I’ve been researching soulmates since I got my mark.”

Sighing, Seifer raised his head. “It went fine. I bought a flower, and left it for her. I haven’t seen her since, so I don’t know what she did with it. Maybe she put it back in the cooler. Maybe she kept it. I should’ve been clear.” He buried his face in his hands, then raised back up. “What do you mean you “been researching soulmates”? Is that something we can do?”

Squall nodded. “Yeah. The internet actually has resources, anecdotes from people who found theirs, people who ignored theirs, that sort of thing. There’s a few common threads. Like the obsession.”

“You actually get obsessed with your soulmate. I thought it was just part of the story.”

“No, apparently, they’re like a permanent presence in your mind once you find them.”

Seifer nodded. “I guess that explains the Girl. Sophie. Whatever her name is.” He thought for a moment, and looked hard at Squall. “And you don’t have anyone just on your mind all the time?”

Squall shook his head. “No, not really.”

Seifer knew Squall well enough to tell he truly believed that. “Y’know, one of the things I can’t stop thinking about is her eyes. Like sunlit leaves.”

As the words sank in, Squall’s eyes widened.

As Squall fell onto his bed, all he could think of were those luminous blue eyes. Cloud. The delivery man had a name, and it was Cloud. A smile tugged the corner of his mouth at the thought.

Why was it so important that he know the delivery man’s name? He didn’t care about the postal carriers, or package delivery drivers. So why was this Ultima Eats delivery man so important?

Squall fought the urge to pick up his phone and order again, just to see if Cloud would deliver today, too. It was barely lunchtime, so he probably wasn’t even taking orders right now. As he thought about it, his phone buzzed with an incoming message. Looking at it, he sighed. Zell.

Zell: Trying to set up a trivia night thing.
Zell: Spice is hosting one tonight.
Zell: Wanna go?

Squall set his phone down again. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go out tonight. He might not have had class the next day, but he didn’t want to spend all his downtime out with other people. His phone buzzed again.

Quistis: You know I’m always good for trivia.
Seifer: Fuck it, why not? Could use the socialization. And isn’t there a prize?
Zell: Sure is.
Zell: Winners each get 1500Gil.
Zell: Or 5000Gil on a gift card.
Seifer: Good. Winning is sweeter when there’s a prize to be had.
Quistis: You would think that.
Squall: If I agree to go, will you all shut up?
Seifer: Do you know what “mute” means?
Quistis: Or “silence”?

Squall glared at his phone, then pushed the volume down button to mute it. His friends could continue their conversation without him. He’d already basically agreed to go, anyway. Setting his phone down, he stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes. Ocean blue stared back at him.

Okay, maybe he was a little obsessed.

He sat upright. Did this mean the delivery man was his soulmate?

It was overcast as Selphie walked to the fountain square. It was day three of the monthly swap meet, and she was sure to find something unique to give Irvine when he visited. She looked at the large gathering and picked a place at random to start browsing.

It was the fifth stall she stopped at that she spotted Rinoa looking through records. “Hi, Rinny!”

Rinoa looked up and smiled. “Hi, Selphie. Didn’t expect to see you today.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what day I’d be out here, but if I’d known you were coming, I would’ve definitely called to meet up. Whatcha looking for?”

“I’m trying to find something for Dad. You know how he loves his jazz.”

Selphie laughed a little. When she’d stayed over at Rinoa’s during high school, the former general was often found in his study, grainy jazz music playing from a turntable.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“Oh, just something for Irvy. He’s coming out for a while after spring quarter finishes.”

Nodding, Rinoa asked, “Any ideas so far?”

“I have a few, but haven’t found anything that stands out yet.” Scanning the nearby stalls, she spotted something that could be cowboy aesthetic. “Ooh, I think I found something. Catch up later?”

“Yeah. Gimme a call whenever.”

Selphie rushed over to give Rinoa a hug before darting off to the next stall, calling over her shoulder, “Of course!”

Rinoa watched as she bounced away, staring at the cross on her back. She knew that mark, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. How did Selphie even know Seifer?

Selphie practically dove into the pile she’d spotted, picking out a piece here and there before something else caught her eye. A folder with pinups! Irvine would love a vintage pinup thing. She opened it and started leafing through the magazines and signs, finally coming across a cowgirl looking over her shoulder wearing chaps and not much else. It was perfect. She snatched it up and took it to the vendor, and paid. Her mission completed, she wandered the rest of the stalls and stands for anything else that caught her eye.

As she was leaving the square, Selphie passed by the bulletin board and stopped to look at the flyers. There was a trivia night at Spice that night, and she wanted to play. Luckily, she knew exactly who to ask.

Selphie pulled out her phone and scrolled to the first name in her address book: Aerith. Hitting the Call button, she waited while the call connected.

“Hi, Selphie.” Aerith answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Aerith. I saw something that looked like fun, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to trivia night with me?”

“Sounds like fun. Should I ask Zack? Maybe Cloud? He’s been having a rough time lately.”

“Really? He didn’t seem too bad last night when he delivered my order…happy, even.”

“Hm. He had a real bad breakdown night before last, but you’re right, he did seem better last night. Anyway, who should I bring along?”

“Both! Sign says it’s teams of four, and we’ve got four right there. It starts tonight at six-thirty, at Spice. You know, the dive bar with good pizza?”

Aerith laughed. “I don’t know where it is, but I’m sure Cloud does. And if it’s a dive bar, Zack does, too. We’ll be there.”

Cloud woke in the early afternoon. He needed to start getting up earlier, he knew, but the past few days had been so stressful, he was taking any sleep he could get. He headed to the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal, then sat in his chair in the living room.

Zack looked at him as he settled. “You seem better today.”

“I am better today.” He shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

“Okay. So, when you left yesterday, you were sure that you and Selphie had the same soulmate, and were super broken up over it. What happened?”

“A few things happened. I saw Tifa, met Seifer Almasy, and saw Selphie.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, I went to see Tifa, and she talked me down some, then I met Seifer Almasy, who isn’t my customer, by the way. He’s actually not at all like Squall. And then I saw Selphie, and she showed off her mark, which doesn’t look at all like mine. And then there was the second Seifer order, which was actually Squall.”

“Okay, so who’s Squall?”

“Weren’t you paying attention? He’s my customer, my Seifer Almasy. He’s been using his roommate’s credit card to pay for orders, which is why I thought he was Seifer.”

“So let me get this straight. There are two Seifers?” Zack looked confused.

Cloud shook his head and swallowed. “No! Didn’t you listen, his name is Squall, not Seifer. Seifer’s just his jerk-ass roommate.”

Zack smiled and relaxed against the couch. “Go on…”

Cloud drank his milk and set down the bowl. Clapping his hands together once, he leaned forward, “Alright, so here’s what I know… His name is Squall and he rooms with Seifer. Seifer’s a bit of a dick with a demanding palate. Squall said he’s been using Seifer’s card to pay for orders because Seifer brings it up and wants specific stuff. And his name is Squall.”

“You said that part. What else?” Zack bounced his foot lightly.

“What do you mean “what else”? That’s all I know.” Cloud thought for a moment. “He’s a little taller than me, has brown hair that is styled perfectly, and these amazing eyes…”

“Like us?” Zack smirked.

“No, nothing like us. It’s like in this blue-grey sky there’s a ring of frost. I don’t know what it is.”

“Huh…” Zack shook his head and shrugged. “You’re right, not like us at all. So, he’s got good hair?”

“It looks so soft. I want to just pet it…” Cloud’s eyes grew unfocused the more he talked about Squall.

“Well, I have my verdict. What about you, A?” Zack looked over his shoulder at Aerith who’d silently stepped into the room a minute ago.

“I think so too, but hold off on telling him what you mean. Selphie just called. She wants to do trivia night at Spice, and I already agreed for the three of us to join her. You needed a break anyway, Cloud, don’t fight me on this.” Aerith rushed at the end.

“Huh? Oh, hey Aerith!” Cloud, still slightly dazed, greeted her. “Break sounds good. I could use a night off. So, what are we doing?”

“We’re going to Spice for trivia night.” Zack said.

“Cool, I know a great shortcut that makes walking it a breeze.” Cloud got up and rinsed his bowl.

“Wait, we’re not gonna take a ChocoCab?” Aerith frowned slightly. “What if we stick around and get drunk or something?”

“Then we call one for the way back, you silly goose.” Zack came over and gave her a kiss and then the three of them got ready to go.

Squall’s door shook as Seifer banged on it three times, then turned the handle.

“Get ready to go, we’re meeting Trepe and Dincht in half an hour. And you’re coming along, no arguing.”

“I didn’t agree to this.” Squall rolled off his bed and opened his closet, looking at his options. When Seifer got like this, there really was no arguing. He was just as likely to carry Squall to the bar as he was to hogtie him and throw him in the back of a Ryde.

“I don’t care. Despite your best efforts, we are still your friends, and we do want to spend time with you. Just, not always playing Triple Triad. Nerd.”

Squall huffed, but started pulling out clothing. It didn’t matter that he was already dressed for the day. If they were going out, he was going to look good. “Are you going to stand there and watch?”

Seifer scoffed. “You wish.” Then turned on heel and walked back to his own room to finish getting ready.

Ten minutes later, they were both dressed and heading out the door. True to form, Seifer called a Ryde, and they took that to the bar, where Zell and Quistis had already secured a table against one wall. They waved as Seifer and Squall entered, pulling their attention. Seifer gave a half-hearted salute back, and the two of them wove their way through the crowd.

“You’re here! And early! They haven’t even handed out the answer sheets yet.” Zell greeted them as they sat.

Quistis looked at Squall, smiling mischievously. “After your complaint this morning, I thought you wouldn’t be joining us.”

Squall glared across the table at her. “Ha. Ha. As if Seifer would let me miss out on “friend bonding time”. The man is a sadist.”

Seifer merely chuckled, sounding sinister. “You only say that because I woke you up for training yesterday.”

“Oh, are you still training for Shinobi Warrior Duos!? I always wanted to try out, but I just don’t have the reach.” Zell’s interest was piqued.

“You also don’t have the stamina, strength, agility—“

“You can stop any time.” Zell cut off Seifer’s list. “Besides, I’ve got plenty of strength, stamina, and agility. Need I remind you about my job?”

“Ah, yes. The strip mall “dojo” where you teach five year olds how to punch.”

“At least I have a job! And those five year olds can break blocks of wood, okay? And they have the heart and the strength to keep on going!”

“I choose not to have a job.” Seifer was getting by on generosity from Squall’s dad, who was paying for their apartment and utilities.

“How do you even pay for food?”

“I took out a student loan. Like a student. And then I budgeted. Like a responsible student. Unlike you, who dropped out to get a job, what was it again? Right, teaching five year olds how to punch through balsa wood.”

“I didn’t drop out! I’m doing a half load this quarter to save up for fall!” Zell’s voice was getting shrill.

“Boys, boys, you’re both pretty.” Quistis broke through the argument. “Let’s remember what we’re here for. To spend time together, as friends, and stomp the competition.”

Zell sighed. “You’re right. We’re here to stomp the competition. Speaking of, who do we have tonight?”

The four of them looked around the bar, spotting some other people they recognized. Rinoa, Zone, and Watts were sitting together, chatting about something. One of the bouncers, a man in a black vest and camo pants with long hair and tattoos approached their table, drawing attention to Angelo, lying next to Rinoa’s feet. A moment later, Angelo was walking herself out the door.

There was a table with a burly black man with a prosthetic arm, a dark haired guy, a fat guy with a bandanna, and a sporty looking woman with a high ponytail. Another table had four people in dark suits. The rest of the tables appeared to only have one or two people at them.

Seifer scanned the room, eyes catching on a spot of yellow. He actually looked then, realizing it was Sophie. And she was sitting with Erin. And the delivery guy that kept bringing their dinner. And a dark haired man that Seifer was ready to go fight until he put an arm around Erin’s shoulders. How did the delivery guy know Sophie?

He nudged Squall. “Hey, your stalker is here.”

“I know, I already saw her.” Squall was staring at the tabletop, willing a drink to appear in front of him instead of having to fight the crowd to get to the bar.

“Not Rinoa, the new one.”

Zell looked at Squall with interest. “A new stalker? Some guys have all the luck.”

At the mention of a new stalker, Squall looked around the room. Who was Seifer talking about? Brilliant blue caught his attention from across the room, and he locked eyes with their delivery man. Cloud. His breath hitched, and he unconsciously rubbed at his soulmark. The next thing he knew, Zell and Quistis were crowded next to him to see what he was looking at.

Across the bar, Selphie noticed the commotion first, then Seifer. Her smile grew, and she waved cheerfully.

Zell was the first to find his voice. “You’ve got a crush? On some random girl? Man, Rinoa is not gonna like that.” Two hands reached out, and both Seifer and Quistis smacked the back of his head.

“It doesn’t matter what Rinoa would like, Squall doesn’t feel that way about her.” Quistis nodded once as she finished her statement, sure that this was the truth. It was, but they were both still way off base.

“It’s not the girl,” Seifer snapped. “It’s the blond. He’s apparently been our delivery guy the past few times we ordered in. And Squally’s got a widdle cwush.”

Quistis looked at Squall, who was still staring at the blond across the bar. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Yeah, neither did he. To make matters worse…” Seifer trailed off. They might not be the best of friends, but even he knew that telling Quistis and Zell about Squall’s soulmark was plowing through a boundary.

“To make matters worse…?” Zell prompted, hoping to hear the rest of the thought.

“Nothing. Forget I said anything. If Squall wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”

“Great, so I’m never finding out.” Zell dropped back into his seat and crossed his arms.

Quistis suddenly laughed, then hid her smile behind her hand. “So, Rinoa is the exact opposite of your type?”

“…I guess. I didn’t even know I had a type. This is all still really new to me, so can you all shut up a bit?” Squall still couldn’t look away from Cloud, but he turned his head toward Quistis.

Selphie was excited to see Seifer. She’d waved and smiled at him, then pointed him out to the rest of her team. He had smiled, well, smirked back at her and given a small wave.

Zack turned to look over at the tall blond. “So that’s the famous Seifer Almasy, huh?” He nudged Cloud with his foot.

“Yup! That’s him. Isn’t he dreamy?” Selphie gushed. “Like I said, he could be a model. Just look at those chiseled features.”

“I’m looking. He’s attractive, all right.” Seifer wasn’t Zack’s type, but he could definitely see the man was attractive. “So’s his friend.”

Cloud stared across the bar at the man next to Seifer. Squall. For some reason, he couldn’t look away.

The spell was broken as an announcement about the event starting got the bar cheering. A couple of servers were passing out the answer sheets. Once Selphie had theirs in hand, she looked at the rest of the table seriously. “What are we going to call ourselves? We need a team name.”

“Team SOLDIER,” Zack supplied, and got a elbow from Cloud.

“You’re the only SOLDIER here, so no.”

“Okay. What about…Growing Ambitions?” Aerith offered.

Selphie nodded. “I like that. It’s fitting for all of us, I think.”

Team name decided on, they waited for the first question.

“True or false: there is a monster called GraBia on Galbadia continent.”

Selphie bounced in her seat. “I know this!” She hushed so only the table could hear. “Irvy told me it’s an urban legend, so false.”

There were two minutes to answer the questions. Before long, the rest of the teams had their pens down, waiting for the next question.

“What is the name of the play Tantalus used to infiltrate Alexandria Castle?”

“Oh, wasn’t it “Let Me be Your Chocobo”?” Aerith was sure she’d heard the name somewhere.

Across the bar, the group with Seifer and Squall looked at each other and wrote hastily.

The table with the ponytail woman was talking quietly, then wrote down their answer.

“What spell, named for a popular gambling game, casts Death on a random target?”

Seifer, Squall, and the blond guy with the tattoo turned to the blonde woman, who wrote down her answer.

Team Growing Ambitions took a guess with “Blackjack.”

The suits at one of the other tables were starting to get a bit rowdy.

“What region does the blitzball star Tidus hail from?”

Zack found himself the center of attention at their table, and raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t know why you’re all looking at me, I don’t know anything about anything, except SOLDIER.”

“Maybe we should’ve studied for this.” Cloud shook his head.

“What creature drops Spider Web?”

The group across the bar turned again to the blonde woman, who wrote her answer without talking to any of them.

Zack was staring at the answer sheet. “This is really tough. I’ve never even heard of Spider Web as a drop before.”

“This famous artist is known for his stylized portraits of heroes.”

Aerith tapped her lip. “I should know this. I have one of his coffee table books on my wishlist.”

“Who was the first Cid to join an adventuring party?”

Cloud looked at his teammates. “It’s not Highwind, I know that for sure.”

From across the bar, they could hear the blond guy with the tattoo. “Unless it’s Cid Highwind, I don’t know anything about it. My sister is a one-Cid kind of girl.”

Rinoa was scratching her head with her pen, and wrote her answer, then scratched it out and wrote again.

“What creature is sometimes used as a postal carrier?”

Selphie bounced in her seat again. “Ooh, messengers! I know this!” She dropped her voice and whispered to the rest of the team, “Moogles.”

Two of the suits were laughing as they wrote their answer.

“Music by this composer is heard in shops everywhere.”

Zack smiled and whispered his answer to Aerith, who wrote it down.

The blonde woman across the bar nodded to her team and wrote her answer.

“Last question for the night: Rufus Shinra is well known for his pet Dark Star. What kind of pet is it?”

Cloud scoffed, muttering “Dark Nation” to the table.

The redhead at the suits’ table loudly proclaimed, “One about the boss? Easy.”

The answer sheets were gathered by servers, and brought up to the emcee, who took them and disappeared into the back to tally the results.

Selphie looked at her friends. “So, how do you think we did?”

“Pretty well, honestly. There were some that I’m sure no one got. Like the Cid question. Who would know that?” Zack crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair.

A few minutes later, the emcee returned, microphone in hand. “Alright, everybody! I have the results. In fifth place, Team Forest Owls.”

Applause filtered through the bar. Rinoa, Zone, and Watts looked a little embarrassed.

“In fourth place, Team Avalanche.”

More applause, and the guy with the prosthetic arm grumbled loudly. The sporty woman put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

“In third place, Team Growing Ambitions.”

The crowd cheered again, and Selphie beamed. “Guys, we did really good!”

“In second place, Team SeeD…did I say that correctly?” The emcee looked at the group across the bar, and they nodded.

Applause rang through the bar again, and the group across the way, Team SeeD, apparently, nodded at each other.

“Which means that first place goes again to Team Turks!”

The bar erupted in cheers and applause. Clearly Team Turks was a favorite. The redhead stood and insisted that his teammates give him high fives, as if he were the one answering all the questions.

Trivia finished for the night, Selphie stood and went through the crowd to Team SeeD’s table. She tapped Seifer on the shoulder.

“Hi, it’s Seifer, right?” She asked as if he hadn’t been on her mind every minute since he walked into the flower shop two days ago.

Seifer looked up at her, smiling. “That’s right. And I never got your name, but you work at Gunblades and Roses.”

“Yup! I’m Selphie. Selphie Tilmitt. So, how did the girl like the flower?”

“Great question, and it deserves an answer. I don’t know because I didn’t give it to her. I kinda left it at the shop…I don’t suppose you found it?”

“I did, yeah. It’s totally a lost cause now, but we’re open tomorrow if you want to try again.”

“Sounds good. I’ll definitely come by. So, who’re your friends?” Seifer looked across the bar to the table she’d come from.

Selphie turned and pointed. “That’s Aerith, my boss, and her boyfriend Zack, and his roommate Cloud.”

He’d almost had the names right, damn. “Do you want to sit? Bring your friends.”

Nodding, she gave an enthusiastic, “Yeah!” before turning and darting through the thinning crowd again.

Seifer stared at her back. A cruz espada, a sword cross. That was his sword. His eyes widened ever so slightly, then narrowed as a grin broke across his face. She was the one.

Back at the Growing Ambitions table, Selphie was sharing the invitation to join the other table. “So, we’ve all been invited to sit with Seifer’s team. Wanna go?”

Cloud was a little dazed. This meant he could be near Squall without having to deliver him food. He stood with Aerith and Zack, and leaving their nearly empty drinks, they followed Selphie back through the crowd to Seifer’s table.

While Selphie and her friends headed back to the SeeD table, Seifer got up and moved to the other side of Squall, leaving an empty seat next to both of them. Thankfully, there was a second table next to them that they could take over as the group grew.

Squall was a little confused at Seifer moving to the next table over, but then he pushed the two together and sat down. Ah, that was his game. He wanted to sit next to the girl, Selphie. He wondered where Cloud was going to sit. The couple was probably going to be on the bench, next to Zell and Quistis, so would Cloud sit next to him? He took a steadying breath.

As Squall suspected, Aerith and Zack sat on the bench on the other side of Zell from Quistis.

Cloud, then, would be sitting next to-

“Hey.” Cloud said as he slid into the seat next to Squall.

“Hey.”

On the other side of him, Squall could hear Seifer talking with Selphie.

“It’s too bad about Rinny’s team. I know she had to have tried hard.”

“Yeah. Wait, how do you know Rinny?” Selphie could hardly contain her curiosity.

“We dated, back in high school.”

“Oh. My. Hyne! You’re the boyfriend from another school! I thought she made you up, ‘cause she didn’t have a date to Homecoming.”

Seifer laughed. “No, I just didn’t have a ride to the dance.”

Cloud looked around the table at everyone’s drink level and stood. “I’m gonna get refills. Who wants what? I know what our table was drinking.”

“I’ll take a Hurricane.” Quistis passed her empty glass to Cloud.

Seifer dropped his glass into Quistis’. “Whiskey double, neat.”

“I’ll take another beer.” Squall found his voice.

Cloud looked at Zell, who raised his glass in salute. “I’m having water. I’m the designated walker.”

“Would’ve figured you for a Red Bull and vodka, honestly.”

Zell grinned, all teeth. “Usually, yeah. But tonight, I gotta make sure everyone gets home safely.”

Cloud nodded, and took the empties to the bar for refills. He came back empty-handed and slid back into his new seat. “Drinks are on the way. They’re sending a server.”

The server appeared not much later with three bottles of beer and a double whiskey, and explained that the cocktails would be out in a little bit.

Turning a little to face Squall, Cloud thought about the previous night’s interaction with Seifer, and asked, “Your roommate always such an asshole?”

Giving a brief nod, Squall said, “Yep, just about. What about yours? He seems…friendly.” At this, Zack looked over and raised his bottle in a cheers. Squall hesitantly raised his bottle as well, then took a sip and turned toward Cloud.

“Yeah, Zack’s pretty great. I mean, all things considered.”

Squall looked confused, so Cloud continued. “He kinda has my dream job…rather, he does what I wanted to do. He’s a SOLDIER for Shinra.”

“You look a little too…informed…to want that kind of life.”

“Are you saying I don’t look dumb enough to be a SOLDIER? Careful how you answer, Zack is right there.” Cloud grinned, teasing.

Squall squinted a bit at Zack, who squinted back with a smile. “Yeah, I think that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Laughter erupted from both Cloud and Zack, then Cloud asked, “Alright, what about you then, college boy?”

Squall looked away, and quietly muttered, “My father pays for everything.”

“Wow.” There wasn’t a hint of snarkiness in Cloud’s voice.

Seifer leaned around Squall’s back. “He also pays for a lot of my stuff, but I at least had the good grace to get a loan to help pay shit back.” He probably had more to say, but Selphie drew his attention again.

“He really is always an ass, isn’t he?” Cloud was a little surprised at how blunt Seifer was.

“I did say so.”

“I don’t think I expected to see it so openly displayed in front of strangers, is all.”

A small snort of laughter escaped Squall.

Meanwhile, Selphie was telling Seifer all about her study program at school, and he was back to listening in rapt attention, practically hanging on her every word.

“There wasn’t really a social media program, since it’s still pretty new, but I basically told my advisor what I wanted to do, and he helped me build my own program! I’m taking photography and web programming right now, and I’m kinda using them to help the other out? I’m making a photography site for all the stuff I’ve learned to do in my photography class with pictures I took along the way. I’m probably going to wind up keeping the coding so I have a workable website right out of school, all I’ll need is a host.”

The server came by with Quistis’ Hurricane, Aerith’s Long Island iced tea, and Selphie’s watermelon daiquiri.

Seifer took a sip of his drink. “Sounds great. If I ever need a website, I know who I should try and track down.”

“Oh, I’ll just give you my number, that way you won’t have a hard time.” Selphie didn’t normally hand out her number to everyone she met, but this was her soulmate. How else could he get in contact with her?

Seifer pulled out his phone and programmed Selphie in, then offered her his number. “Y’know, in case you need it, or whatever…”

Conversation continued, and the night wore on. Soon, the bar was much less crowded, and drinks were finished. Aerith was trying to call a ChocoCab, but Zack kept pulling at her phone. He was clearly feeling the drink tonight.

Cloud rolled his eyes, watching them, then turned back to Squall. “This was nice. We should do it again sometime. Maybe with fewer roommates around.”

Squall looked away. “Yeah, that could be…fun.”

“I mean, if you don’t want to, you can just say so. No hard feelings.” Cloud offered a soft smile.

Melting a little, Squall tried to clarify. “I just meant…I’m not really social, so I don’t know how to…do plans?”

“Cool, I can set something up. Gimme your number.”

Squall hesitated a moment before telling Cloud his number. “How will I know it’s you?”

His phone buzzed with a new message.

Unknown: hey, this is Cloud

The slightest smile played at the corner of Squall’s mouth. “That’ll do.”

“So, you’re not very social, but are there any hard limits on what you’ll do? Like, no concerts, big crowds, that sort of thing?”

“If it has to do with Laguna Loire, I want nothing to do with it. Noise is…whatever, and public places are just places to be alone around people.”

Cloud laughed. “Is there anything you do like?”

“I like Black Chocobo Coffee, but I don’t mind Siren Coffee. I like gunblades, Triple Triad, and I have a bit of a soft spot for chocobos. I mean, how can you not?”

Cloud perked up at the mention of chocobos. “Alright, cool. I’ll think on it.”

Zell set up another Ryde for Squall and Seifer, announcing loudly when it arrived. Neither of them were really ready to leave yet, but Zell had gone to the trouble of getting them transportation, so they reluctantly headed out.

Selphie looked to Zell once they left. “Is Seifer always like this?”

“Depends on what you mean by “like this”.”

“I mean, like, sweet and, I dunno, maybe a little flirty…I mean, he said there’s a girl he likes…”

Zell nodded. “Uh-huh?”

“Who do you think it is?”

“Honestly, Seifer and I aren’t that close. You’d be better off asking Squall.”

Selphie nodded a few times, mm-hmming. “Okay, but I overheard Squall and Cloud talking and they made it sound like Seifer is some huge jerk.”

“Oh, yeah. He’s a total bag of dicks.”

She looked at Zell closely. “Is that why you’re not close?”

“Something like. Did you need a Ryde?”

“Oh, yeah. I meant to order one and got distracted by Seifer.”

“That’s why I’m the designated walker.” Zell continued to order Rydes for the group that was still there, namely Selphie, Cloud, Zack, and Aerith.

Selphie’s Ryde showed up first, then the shared one for Cloud, Zack, and Aerith. Once everyone was taken care of, Zell headed home himself.

When Squall and Seifer arrived home, they each went to their own rooms without a word to each other. Squall hung his jacket up and started to change into pajamas, pausing momentarily to look at his soulmark. He ran his hand over it, feeling the warmth radiating from the wolf head. It almost felt alive. He shook his head, clearing it, put on his shirt, and climbed into bed, scrolling through his music for what he would listen to that night.

He should’ve asked Cloud what music he liked. Or if he liked coffee. Or how he wound up as a delivery driver when he wanted to be a SOLDIER. Squall had really been on the rebound when it came to asking questions. Cloud had asked a lot and said a lot, but it still felt like he’d revealed nothing.

Opening the message from Cloud, he typed a message, hesitating before hitting Send.

Squall: Why Ultima Eats? –Squall

A moment later, he had his response.

Cloud: go to bed ;)

Chapter Text

Seifer awoke at five fifty-nine in the morning, one minute before his alarm was due to go off. He turned it off preemptively, and got out of bed. Still in his sleep clothes, he did a brief workout of planks and extensions to get his blood flowing. After, he went to shower and then get dressed for the day. He was planning again on visiting Gunblades and Roses. This time, he was going to leave a lasting impression on Selphie. Something that proved that he was her soulmate. After his breakfast of a protein bar, he banged on Squall’s door.

“Leonhart! Wake up!”

Groggily, Squall muttered, “I told you, I’m not doing Shinobi Warrior Duos! with you.”

“It’s not Saturday.”

Squall sat up in bed and glared at the door. “Then you woke me up just to be an asshole?”

“Got it in one.” Seifer walked over to the couch and slid into his jacket, one with the cross sword on it, and grabbed his bucket of forget-me-nots from by the door. He left, locking the apartment behind him.

A short walk later, he arrived at Gunblades and Roses just before seven-thirty, and peered into the windows, looking for his Girl in Yellow. Selphie.

Selphie kicked a pebble down the sidewalk as she approached Gunblades and Roses. Outside the shop was a familiar blond man, this time with a bucket.

“Hey! Didn’t expect to see you so early.” She thought for a moment, finger at her mouth. “I don’t know why I didn’t think you’d be here, since you’re always here in the morning.”

“Yeah, I told you about the girl I like, and how I want to give her some flowers…you wanna go inside? I’ll tell you all about it.” He hefted the bucket before she had a chance to see inside, and waited for her to open the door.

Opening the door, Selphie said, “Sure.” She gestured for Seifer to go ahead of her, and closed the door behind them. She waved a quick hello to Aerith, who was busy tending to bouquets, but was definitely watching what was going on.

Seifer walked to the counter and set the bucket on top, keeping the contents out of Selphie’s view. “See, there’s this girl I keep running into. She’s like a fucking ray of sunshine.”

Blushing a little, Selphie thought she knew where this was going. “Sounds like you like her a lot. Did you wanna stick with a daisy, or…” She trailed off, waiting to see what Seifer was up to.

“Actually,” Seifer patted the side of the bucket. “I found her favorite flower, and got some. I just need some help making it look nice.” He lowered the bucket to the floor, and Selphie could finally see inside.

“Oh. My. Hyne. Forget-me-nots! They’re so cute! Oh, Seifer, she’s gonna love them.”

“I really hope so. I know the bucket doesn’t really make the best impression, so what can we put them in?”

“Hang on.” Selphie headed into the back and came back a moment later with a ceramic planting bowl with a pretty gradient of orange, yellow, and green.

Seifer eyed the bowl, then nodded his approval. “What can I do to help?”

Pulling on gardening gloves, Selphie pointed to an open bag. “See that bag of soil? Grab it.”

He carefully hefted the bag to avoid getting anything on his clothes, brought it over to the counter and set it back down gently. Selphie poured some gravel in the bottom of the bowl for drainage, then put several heaping handfuls of soil on top. She made a couple of divots, and carefully transplanted the forget-me-nots from the bucket into the bowl, and packed the roots with more soil. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed a watering can and gave the flowers a healthy dousing. Pleased with her work, she pulled off the gloves and held the bowl up to Seifer.

Seifer took the bowl, and asked, “How much do I owe you? For the bowl, and for your hard work.”

“Well, the bowl is 3000Gil, and I dunno about the rest…maybe 1000Gil? That should cover the few minutes of work and the supplies.”

He set the bowl down and pulled out his wallet. Selphie noticed it was also emblazoned with the cross sword. If she hadn’t already known he was her soulmate, this would be strong evidence. He pulled out 4000Gil and passed it to her, then looked at the counter. “Do you have a tip jar or anything?”

Selphie froze, money halfway to the register. “No? Should we? I don’t think florists are generally tipped, unless it’s a delivery.”

“Hm. Might be something to consider.”

“Don’t forget your flowers this time.” She teased, then took a more serious tone. “Can I…keep some?”

He smiled at her softly, and passed the bowl to her. “Yeah. Here.”

Selphie could feel her soulmark getting warm. “Thanks, I love them…I really liked the daisy, too.”

He thumbed at the ribbon she tied to her wrist. “I can tell.”

She blushed and held onto his wrist, rubbing across his soulmark. “Normally, I’m not so flustered. Does this mean I shouldn’t call you today?”

“You can call me anytime you want. I might not answer, like if I’m in class, or asleep, but you can call.”

“Cool, how do you feel about texting?”

Seifer chuckled. “It’s my preference.”

“Really? I’m annoying, y’know.”

“I don’t think so.” She laughed. “Yet.”

“Listen, I want to take you out, no roommates. No bosses. No bosses’ boyfriends. No bosses’ boyfriends’ roommates. No high school friends.”

“I’ll have to let Irvy and Rinoa know, they’re the only two I still talk to from high school.”

He nodded his agreement. “Yeah, my circle of friends is pretty small, too. All mine went to the Academy with me.”

“You can tell me all about it when we go out. Friday?”

“Friday. What time to do you close?”

“Seven.”

Seifer nodded. “Great. See you tomorrow, I gotta book it to class.”

“Have a good day!”

He waved over his shoulder as he left.

Selphie found a spot on one of the display stands that she put the new bowl on, with a sign that read “Not for sale!” She turned around, seeing Aerith still busying herself with the bouquets. “Hey, Aerith?”

Aerith tried not to drop the flowers she was working with, and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. “Yeah?”

“I just got asked out for Friday, and I’m still good to close, but can I have permission to store some date clothes in the backroom to change into?”

Aerith laughed. “Of course! It’s your soulmate, after all. I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble.”

“I can’t tell if you’re teasing me or not…”

For the first time in weeks, Cloud woke before noon. He hadn’t planned on going almost immediately to bed, but between the couple of beers and getting home around midnight, he passed out pretty much right after sending that message to Squall. He smiled at that thought. Squall. He could kinda see how the lion represented him now that they’d spent some time together. His hand rubbed along the lines of the lion head. He hoped Squall was able to see him in whatever mark had made its home on his body. He hoped he could see it eventually.

Cloud rolled, sat up, and then moved to the edge of the bed to stand. He did a few toe-touches to work out the sluggishness of sleep, then showered and got dressed. He picked up his phone last, looking at the time. It was much earlier than he thought, Zack must’ve just left. Which meant he had the place to himself. He headed into the kitchen for a bowl of cereal, then stopped. He had plenty of time, and more surprisingly, energy. He put down the bowl and pulled out a skillet to start heating potatoes for a scramble. Smiling and humming as he heaped the scramble onto the potatoes in the bowl, he moved the skillet to a cold burner and headed into the living room. Sitting in his chair, he turned on the TV.

News—click

News—click

Zany cartoon noises—click

A flash of cards onscreen caught his attention. He waited to get a look at the play mat. Triple Triad again. He started to change the channel, but remembered the previous night. Squall had said he liked Triple Triad. Cloud left the match playing.

He watched a couple hours of Triple Triad before he decided he wanted Squall to teach him how to play. That was something they could do together. He turned off the TV, locked up, and headed to Mythril Mine Trading.

Ten minutes later, he walked into the game store, riding glasses pushed up into his hair.

Squall was sitting on the floor, boxes of Triple Triad cards surrounding him. He was checking the boxes for new serial numbers.

“Told you, Leonhart, we haven’t gotten anything new in.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” He continued to inspect every box on the shelf. A soft throat clearing caught his attention, and he looked up into ocean blue eyes. Cloud.

“Cloud. Hi.”

“Hi. I was gonna text you today, I had a thought.” Cloud knelt by the shelf with premade decks and started looking through them.

Squall watched as he picked up a deck, looked it over, put it back, and picked up another. “What are you looking at?”

“Oh, I was thinking I wanted to start playing Triple Triad, but I don’t have any cards. I figured a starter deck was the way to go. Any recommendations?”

“Yeah, you don’t want any of those. Here.” Squall looked through the mess around him and pulled several booster packs from three different boxes. “That should be a good start. You’re practically guaranteed ten good cards between these.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Cloud took the booster packs and stacked them between his hands. “Anything else I need to get started?”

Squall started putting the booster pack boxes back on the shelves. “You’ll probably want a play mat. If you want to go all out, there are official coins to determine who goes first, but any coin will work for that. And you’ll definitely want these.” He grabbed a mesh bag of tokens with red on one side and blue on the other.

Cloud walked up to the counter and put down his booster packs, freeing up his hands for looking at more, then went back to the Triple Triad aisle. “Any suggestions for a play mat? I kinda like the look of this one.” He trailed a finger along a rolled leather mat. “But I don’t know if it’s worth it.”

“That’s a good one. Nice and sturdy, and easy to clean. Definitely better than the crappy paper one that comes with the starter decks.”

“Great! All I need now is someone to teach me. Don’t suppose you’re free?”

“I would be, but I gotta get something to eat, and I get the feeling my normal delivery guy isn’t on the clock today.” Squall hoped he wasn’t being too vague.

“If you need someone to show you the best places to eat, I’ve got you covered. How do you feel about Costan?”

“Honestly? I’ve never had it. Hear it’s spicy.”

“It can be. If you’re up to trying something new, I know a place.”

Squall thought about the idea of trying someplace new, and how awful it could be. Then he realized this was a way to spend more time with Cloud, and he nodded. “I’m available.”

“Great, let me pay for this stuff, and we can go. Wait, it’s a school day, right? Do you have afternoon classes?”

“I don’t have classes on Monday, my block is Tuesday through Friday.”

“Guess that explains why you were out drinking until midnight on a Sunday.”

“Yeah, now ask me if Seifer’s got class.”

Cloud made a face. “Oof, poor guy.”

“He did it to himself.”

Cloud paid for the Triple Triad gear, and together, they headed outside. He popped open the saddlebag on his bike to stow their new purchases, and pulled down his glasses. Climbing onto the bike, he turned to Squall and patted the seat behind him. “Hop on, unless you’d rather walk.”

After a moment, Squall reached into his jacket and pulled out his own goggles. He straddled the bike behind Cloud, and slipped the goggles over his head.

Cloud smiled at his preparedness, and then fought to keep his composure when he felt hands around his waist, coming to rest on his soulmark. He started the bike, and they drove off.

Classes were dragging for Seifer. He knew he shouldn’t have been out so late on a school night, but once Selphie had joined their table, he’d been reluctant to leave. The thought of Selphie carried him through until lunch, when he spotted Fujin and Raijin heading to one of their usual hangout spots. He rushed to catch up with them.

“What’re you two knuckleheads doing here?” Seifer’s laugh crept into his voice. He was glad to see them. There was news to share, after all.

“We brought lunch, y’know.” Raijin held up a bag from a deli.

“Hoagies. Chips. Drinks.” With each word, Fujin passed another item to Seifer.

“You guys are the best. What did I get?” Seifer opened his sandwich to reveal a meat trio.

“Just the way you like it, y’know.”

Seifer looked skeptical. “So, grey mustard?”

“Of course.” Fujin rolled her eye.

The three of them tucked in, and the sounds of eating filled the air.

“So, how was your weekend?” Raijin asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Seifer admonished.

Raijin swallowed, then tried again. “How was your weekend? I mean, we saw you on Saturday, but what about yesterday, after basketball?”

“Trivia night with Team SeeD. Went to Spice, ran into my soulmate.”

Fujin gave a look. “Really.” Her voice was flat with disbelief.

“I swear, Fu, I didn’t just draw this on.” He held out his wrist, flashing the mark. Fujin let out an irritated “hmph.”

“So, she know yet?” Raijin asked, eager to hear the update.

“Yeah, she knows. If she didn’t figure it out last night, I hope to Hyne she figured it out this morning. I gave her flowers, and wore this jacket.” Seifer raised a shoulder, emphasizing the cross sword on his sleeve. “Which is the mark she has. On her back.”

“Gag.”

“Listen, just because you’re asexual doesn’t mean you won’t have a soulmate.”

Fujin looked confused. “Not asexual…I think.”

“Yeah, Fu’s not asexual. She likes people.” Raijin paused for a moment. “So, did you guys win?”

Seifer sighed. “We came in second. Team Turks beat us again.”

“We should try trivia night together some time! The three of us, and maybe Rinoa?”

“Rinny was there, too, with her Forest Owl friends. I think she was trying to use Angelo as a fourth teammate, but she got sent outside. Couldn’t hear what was said, but my guess is health code violation. It was pretty serious, because they sent over the bouncer.”

“Yeah?” Raijin flexed his arms. “Maybe I should try and get hired as a bouncer. I think I could do it.”

“It’s a shame I can’t have you as my partner for Duos!.”

“Yeah, having family that helped set up the course, not very Bueno. I mean, I shouldn’t even talk to you about it.”

“And yet…” Seifer gestured at Raijin.

“I’m not gonna tell you the course, Seifer. You can’t make me, y’know? But, uh, how’s Leonhart doing with it?”

“Still denying he’s going to participate. We all know he’ll smell the competition in the air and kick into high performance. Like a fucking Torama.”

“Fool?” Fujin looked a little concerned.

“No, I’m not worried he’s gonna make a fool of us. He’s secretly interested, he just hates waking up early.”

“So,” Raijin switched gears. “You met your soulmate? What’s she like?”

“She’s…amazing.” Seifer looked into the distance, thinking about Selphie. “Um, she works in a flower shop, and is the most beautiful thing in there. She has more rays of sunshine than a sunflower, and her eyes are like leaves in sunlight. Her laugh is nasally, but cute.”

“That’s a lot of how she is physically, but did you get to know her any?”

“Okay, get this: she made her own college program. She’s studying social media, of all things, which I would’ve said was dumb a week ago, but I think it’s really cool. Oh, and she knows Rinny. They’re high school friends.”

“Woah, she knows Rinoa? You two nearly met while dating another girl? Rough.” Raijin shook his head.

“Hadn’t actually thought about that, but yeah. If I’d gone to Homecoming with Rinny, I would’ve met Selphie.”

“Selphie?” Fujin asked.

“Yeah, Selphie. Selphie Tilmitt. Don’t suppose you know her. Secretly went to kindergarten together or something?”

Fujin raised a finger, looking like she was going to say something profound. “No.”

Laughter erupted from the three of them, and they finished off their lunches, cleaning up after themselves.

Fujin stood as her watch went off. “Sorry. Class.”

“Yeah, you guys should go. Thanks for lunch.”

“No problem, y’know. You get to class, too.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Seifer waved dismissively.

Sangria Heaven was a little hole-in-the-wall Costan place in the industrial district. Fenrir slowed on the street outside, and Cloud wheeled the bike to the back parking lot.

“You run hot and cold all over…” Squall was distracted by the warmth radiating from under his hands.

Cloud turned his head slightly and shrugged his left shoulder into Squall’s chest. “You, too.”

Squall was thankful he was behind Cloud so the blond couldn’t see the blush creeping into his cheeks.

Cloud parked and turned off the engine. They headed around to the front and inside, where they were greeted and led to a booth. Despite it being lunch time, the restaurant was only half full.

“Proper dive…Seifer would be jealous. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him.”

“I wouldn’t mind picking up here, if it’s for you.”

“I’ll remember that. Gotta figure out my favorite food here, so I’ll know what to order.”

They looked over the menus and Cloud set his down pretty quickly. He knew he was having pork street tacos. Squall looked over all the offerings and eventually decided on Pollo Fundido, which the menu stated was “rolled flour tortillas filled with seasoned chicken and smothered with jalapeno cream cheese and melted Trabian cheese.”

The server came by to take the order, and Squall stumbled over the pronunciation of Pollo Fundido, but both the server and Cloud just smiled.

Once the server left, Squall looked at Cloud. “I just said that entirely wrong, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

“How am I supposed to say it?”

“Poy-oh foon-deed-oh.”

Squall mouthed this, wrapping his brain around the right pronunciation.

Cloud looked around the dining room and noticed someone at one of the other tables, and hunkered a bit.

Squall looked around the room, trying to decide what had Cloud on edge, and spotted a familiar redhead. The loudmouth from trivia, one of the other suits, and a brunette woman who wasn’t there last night. “Weren’t they at Spice last night?”

“Yeah.”

“They won trivia night last time I was there, too.”

“I’m not surprised, it really seems up Reno’s alley.”

“Which one is Reno?”

“The obnoxious one, with the red hair.”

“Trivia seems up his alley?”

“One – did you see how enthusiastic he was? Two – winning is up his alley. Doesn’t matter what the game is.”

“More customers of yours?”

“Sometimes, yeah. Reno has this habit of answering the door in various stages of undress, and I’d rather not see that.”

Squall smirked a little. “Not your type, huh?”

Cloud looked him directly in the eye. “No, not at all.”

Squall’s cheeks went a little pink at the attention, but their server bringing food stopped anything else from being said.

While they ate, Squall asked again, “So, why Ultima Eats?”

“Honestly, it started so I could make a quick buck and pay Zack back. But I don’t hate being able to choose my own hours and clients. It’s actually really…freeing. I kinda hated it at first, but I really like it now.”

“Hm.” Squall thought it over while he took a bite.

“How’s your food? Not too spicy?”

“No, it’s actually surprisingly mild. There’s bite to it, which is nice, but it’s overall pretty mild.”

“That’s the cheese dampening the jalapeno.”

Squall nodded. “Okay.” He thought for a moment. “How did you and Zack meet?”

“I went to a Shinra presentation, and he was part of the group presenting. We got to talking afterwards, and realized both of us were small town hicks in the big city. He kinda went out of his way to make sure I was okay. Made sure I had a place to stay, food to eat. He’s a real mother hen type, even if he looks more like a hedgehog.” Cloud chuckled a little at his joke.

“Is that how you wound up living with him?”

“Yeah. He found out I’d been crashing on Tifa’s couch and decided I needed an actual bed. And his apartment had another room that wasn’t being used.”

Squall nodded. “Who’s Tifa?”

“She’s my best friend from back home. She runs Seventh Heaven, which is a great place to get a drink without doing obscure trivia, if you ever want to go. I’m probably stopping by there tonight, I have some news to tell her.” Cloud paused for a moment, realizing he was talking a lot about himself and Squall wasn’t. “So, how did you and Seifer meet?”

“We met at the Academy. It’s gonna sound stupid, but we were in the library, reaching for the same book. He’s taller, so he got it. Then we wound up as dorm mates.”

“Sounds almost like a meet-cute.”

Squall shook his head. “It wasn’t. I was ten. And I’ve never had a…meet-cute. What even is that?”

“It’s when you and a future partner meet in some cute way that you’ll laugh about later. Aerith is sure I’ve had one.”

“Don’t you have to have a partner to laugh about it with?”

“Yeah, I’m working on that. So, tell me about the Academy. Sounded like your whole team met there.”

“It was military school. My mom died when I was ten, and Laguna didn’t really know what to do with me, so he chucked me in the Academy so he could keep working. I was in class with Zell first, then Seifer got held back a year. He was originally in the same class as Quistis.”

Cloud nodded along. “Who’s Laguna? You’ve mentioned him a couple times now.”

“He’s my…dad, I guess. He’s trying to make up for missing my childhood by paying for school and everything else.”

“Well, lunch is on me, so he can’t pay for that.”

“I might be trying to bankrupt him a little.” Squall said with a slight smirk.

“You say that, but I don’t remember seeing Laguna’s name on Ultima Eats.”

“Shut up.”

The server came by again to check how the food was and ask about dessert. Squall was ready to say no, but Cloud ordered sopapillas, fried tortillas with cinnamon and honey.

“Tell me more about the Academy. Why aren’t you military?”

“I was part of the Honor Guard in my teens, and took my SeeD test to graduate, but I didn’t really like the being in the military part. I liked learning the history and everything, though, so I’m studying history now. I think I might want to be a teacher.”

“I could see you as a teacher. Some kid would mouth off, and you’d chalk-throw without looking, and the kid would be out for days with a concussion.”

Squall laughed, actually laughed at that. “You think my aim is that good?”

“Sure. We should play darts some time.”

“I’m awful at darts.” Squall hung his head at the admission.

“We should definitely play. I suck, too.”

“Then why do you want to play?”

“Because it’s fun? You do like fun, don’t you?”

Squall stared at him. Cloud’s smile faded the longer he stared. “It depends on what the “fun” is. I like fun when it just happens, not when I’m expected to have fun.”

“Losing at darts isn’t supposed to be fun, so let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To play darts, duh. I’m gonna whoop you.”

“You’re going to spank me?”

“I mean, if you really want me to.”

Squall tried admirably not to blush, instead focusing on the first part of the statement. “Where are we going to play darts?”

“Seventh Heaven. Tifa has a dart board, and they open in, like, half an hour.”

“I thought you wanted to learn how to play Triple Triad. Which is fun, by the way.”

“We can play a couple games of darts, then you can teach me Triple Triad.”

They finished off the sopapillas, Cloud taking the last one. He licked the honey off his fingers, then paid for their meal.

Climbing back onto the bike, Cloud asked, “I didn’t think about it when we left the game store, but do I need to drop you back there, or are you cool to stay with me for a while?”

“I’m good. I was just going to call for a Ryde when I needed it. Another charge to Laguna’s card, you know?”

Cloud laughed. “As long as I didn’t leave your transportation stranded. You have goggles on you, so I assume you have something.”

“I’ve got a bike. It’s…” Squall looked at the bike he was seated on. “Not like this. It’s a Hardy-Daytona.” His voice dropped to a mutter, and Cloud could make out something about a name, but couldn’t hear what it was.

“Well, this is Fenrir.”

“Fenrir. Like the constellation?”

“Yeah.”

Squall gave a chuckle. “Mine’s Griever.”

A moment passed between them in silence, as they both realized the bikes represented the soulmarks they’d received. Squall absent-mindedly rubbed at his mark, then wrapped his arms around Cloud. Cloud started the bike, and they took off toward Seventh Heaven.

Selphie pulled out her phone and texted Rinoa to meet for lunch.

Selphie: wanna get lunch today?
Rinoa: sounds good, want 2 talk 2 you anyway
Selphie: that place with the good grilled cheese?
Rinoa: the 1 with the monstrosity you say is good?
Selphie: that’s the one

A little while later, Selphie was waiting outside Pantera Bakery. Rinoa walked up a moment later, Angelo next to her. As they approached the host, Rinoa asked, “Excuse me, is it alright if we sit outside, since I have my dog?”

The host looked at Angelo. “Outside is the only way you can have your dog here, unless it’s a service animal.”

“No, she’s not a service animal.” Rinoa sighed.

The host showed them to the outdoor seating area and handed them menus. Rinoa took a collapsible bowl from her purse and filled it with the ice water from her glass, then set it down for Angelo.

Selphie watched, fascinated again by the lengths pet owners would go. Or, at least, this pet owner. “Have you ever thought about trimming her fur to cool her down some? Is that a thing she can have done? What breed is she?”

Rinoa laughed a little. “I actually don’t know. All I know is she’s a show dog, through and through.”

“She is beautiful. Can I give her a treat?”

Rinoa made a production of sighing, pulling a treat from her purse and passing it to Selphie.

Selphie turned to face Angelo. “Sit.” Angelo sat, and Selphie balanced the treat on her nose. She waited a moment to see if the dog would take the treat before being told to. After a moment, Selphie was satisfied, and she told Angelo. “Good girl. You may eat.”

Rinoa looked pensive. “I couldn’t help but notice your, um…”

“Soulmark?” Selphie finished coyly. “Pretty, isn’t it?”

“It is. And familiar.”

“Oh?” Selphie was pretty sure she knew what Rinoa was going to bring up, but waited to see if she was right.

“Yeah, remember that boyfriend I had back in junior year? The one from another school?”

“The one I though you made up? Yeah, I remember.”

The server arrived to refill Rinoa’s water and take their orders. Selphie, true to her word, ordered the Grilled Cheese Platter. Rinoa ordered the Toasted Caprese, and the server left to input their orders.

Once the server was gone, Rinoa turned her attention back on Selphie. “You thought I made him up?”

“C’mon, Rinny, what else was I supposed to think? You said you had a date, then you didn’t have a date…”

“Ugh. Nevermind that. What I mean is that your mark is one he wears a lot. And I saw you two last night at Spice.”

“Yeah, I think it’s him, too.” Selphie sighed dreamily.

“How did you two even meet?”

Selphie giggled. “He came into the flower shop. On Friday.”

“You only just met him?”

“Yeah, and we didn’t even really talk until last night. And this morning.”

“This morning? Selphie, you didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” Selphie thought about what Rinoa could be implying. “Oh. OH. No! Hyne, Rinny, what kind of girl do you think I am?”

“Not that kind, which is why I was so shocked.”

“No, this morning he came by to give me flowers.”

“He gave you flowers. He gave you flowers. He knows where you work, and he gave you flowers?”

“Flowers that you can’t buy at a flower shop, Rinny. He gave me forget-me-nots. They’re my favorite.”

“Okay, that’s pretty sweet. And totally in line with the Seifer I know.”

“Yeah, speaking of, what can you tell me about him?”

Rinoa took a sip of her water. “It sounds a little funny, but he’s kind of a boy scout.”

“How do you mean?”

“He’s a stickler for rules and regulations, and he always wants to be ready for any eventuality.”

“So he’s safe to be around?”

Rinoa laughed. “No, absolutely not! He gets wild ideas and has to see them through.”

“So he’s impulsive.”

“Yeah.”

“’kay…kinda chaotic?”

“A little.”

“Cares about people probably more than he should?”

“Yes…” Rinoa looked at Selphie, confusion growing.

“Great! We’re perfect for each other!”

Rinoa hung her head, shaking it a little. “Selphie the chaos demon strikes again. You two are a good fit, now that I think about it.”

Selphie beamed at her friend. “Wonder what his mark looks like…”

Driving over from Sangria Heaven, Cloud and Squall made their way to a different heaven: Seventh Heaven. They parked in the small parking lot along the side of the bar and headed inside. Tifa greeted them. “Hey Cloud! Who’s your friend?” She had whirled and walked away before Cloud could answer but was back after dropping off a drink and waited with her hand on her hip and a friendly smile on her face.

“This is Squall. We’re here to play darts, if that’s cool with you.” Cloud smiled back softly.

“It’s cool as long as you order something….” She walked away again to tend to a calling customer but came back shortly. “What’ll it be?”

Cloud turned to Squall and stared him deep in the eyes. “Do you trust me?”

Squall’s expression was as flat as his answer, “No.”

Cloud winced slightly. “Ouch. That hurts, but fair—you don’t really know me.” He looked at Tifa and ordered, “One Winter Salt and one beer.”

Tifa made a face. “Do I gotta?” Clasping her hands together, she pleaded, “Don’t make me do this…”

Cloud propped a hand on his hip and puffed his chest a little. “I’m paying, aren’t I?”

She sighed, set a bottle of beer down and started pouring Cloud’s drink. “At least I know you’re not going anywhere for a while…”

Cloud grinned. “I’m not drinking on an empty stomach, either.”

Squall picked up his beer and the two of them headed to a table near the dart board. “What’s a Winter Salt?” He asked, curiosity unusually brimming.

“…It’s a military thing. Zack introduced me to it, and Tifa hates making them. It’s supposed to be made with the strongest proof alcohol you can drink and iodized salt.”

Squall gave a look between worried and confused. “That’s all? Just alcohol and salt?”

“Yup, all you need.”

“So is it a salt rim, or…?” Squall still hadn’t wrapped his head around the drink.

“Not just, you’ll see.” Cloud grinned as Tifa brought over the drink and set it down.

“Only one for the day. Hope you don’t need it later.” Tifa looked serious, but soft.

Cloud smiled at her. “Thanks Tifa, you’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget it.” She turned and walked back to the bar.

Squall stared at the glass with softly swirling salt in it. “That’s… a lot of salt.”

“You don’t drink all the salt, that would just straight up kill you and even Zack isn’t that stupid.”

Squall snorted a laugh. “You always talk about your roommate like that?”

“Nah, usually I’m singing his praises, but he’s not here to defend himself.”

“Is this what you would’ve ordered for me if I had trusted you?” Squall looked at the Winter Salt and back to Cloud’s entrancing eyes.

“Yeah. You wanna sip? I promise it’s good.” Cloud thought briefly and took a sip before offering the glass. “Look, you’ve seen me drink it now, I’m not trying to prank you or anything.”

Squall stared at the glass again and said “No.”

Cloud laughed. “That’s fair, but can I ask why?”

“You already drank out of it. I don’t like sharing drinks.”

“Oh…If you get curious enough, I’ll order you one.” Cloud smiled and took another sip.

Squall took a swig of beer. “What if I hate it?”

“Then you hate it and I’m out 1000Gil, but Tifa would be thrilled.” Cloud snuck a quick sip before setting down his drink and went to pull the darts from the board. “Do you want red or blue?”

Squall had another sip and moved to Cloud and the dart line. “Blue.”

“Okay.” Cloud passed the blue darts to Squall and got in position. He hit two on the board, but the third hit the wall. “Nice! I think. I’m not really proficient at darts.”

Squall gave the tiniest smile. Cloud hadn’t been joking; he really did suck at the game. Squall stepped up to the line and…didn’t do much better.

They went back and forth for an hour, trying to get their points down before Cloud sat, drinks long gone. “Okay, I give up! This always looks like more fun than it actually is.”

“Now can we play Triple Triad?”

“Yeah. Do you wanna stay here or go somewhere else?”

“Here’s fine.”

Cloud stood and started to head outside.

“Where are you going?” Squall was legitimately confused.

“To get my cards and stuff. Unless you happen to have two full decks on you?” He added with a laugh.

Squall reached into the pockets of his jacket which hung from his chair and pulled out two decks of cards, a sachet of red/blue colored tokens, a leather play mat, and a small booklet that read “Rules”.

“Oh…wow. You really like this game.” Squall looked a little embarrassed, but Cloud reassured him. “It’s okay, I’m the same way with Queen’s Blood.”

“I’ve never played Queen’s Blood.”

“From what I can tell, It’s similar, but definitely not the same game.”

“From what you can tell?” Squall spread the play mat, a beautiful dark brown leather, pressed with the constellations of GFs.

“I might have watched a bunch of Triple Triad this morning before going to the game store.” Cloud sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head.

“Why the sudden interest?” Squall offered both decks to Cloud, Cloud tapped one and took it, while Squall took the other.

“This guy I met last night says he’s into it and I want to get to know him better. So, I figured, see what the fuss was about.” Cloud picked up the rule book and started reading.

“Oh.” Cloud’s words sank in. “Oh.” Squall looked at the table. “I don’t want to give you the wrong idea here. I’m not…interested in people. From everything I’ve heard and read, I’m asexual.”

“That’s okay. We can still try and be friends, right? I really do still want to get to know you better.

Squall looked at Cloud in surprise, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. His eyes softened, and he said, “I’m gonna crush you.”

“If that means we can still hang out, I’m cool with it.” Cloud went back to looking at the rulebook. “Some of these make no sense.”

“Yeah, when you get certain rules together then it makes more sense. We’re going to be playing with Random and Open. Normally I would play with Trade or Difference as well as other rules, but these are all my cards, so there’s no point.” Squall proceeded to spend the next several hours demolishing Cloud at cards.

“Wow…You were not joking.” Cloud ran a hand through his hair.

Squall merely nodded. “Told you.”

“On the bright side, I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!” Cloud turned his hand loose from his hair to rub lightly at the back of his head.

“Good, we’ll try different rules next time.” Squall did a brief hair toss to adjust his bangs as he started to put everything away.

“There’s gonna be a next time, cool! You wanna get something to eat? It’s close to dinnertime for regular people—not college students that order Ultima Eats at nine-thirty.”

Squall thought for a moment. “There’s this place Seifer loves to visit; they have gourmet burgers.”

“You talking about Crimson Chocobo?” Cloud thought about the famous family friend burger bar.

“Better than Crimson Chocobo. It’s called Ignis Grill, ever hear of it?”

“Surprisingly, no, can’t say I have.” Cloud shook his head and shrugged.

“Rinoa tried to ambush me with a date once, luckily Seifer was with me. He completely ruined the mood, so I totally owed him.”

“There’s a story there, and I can’t wait to hear it.” Cloud settled the tab with Tifa and promised he’d be by later to talk.

They headed back out to the bike and Squall called directions into Clouds ear, making him flush with every word. Thankfully the restaurant was nearby, and he had a chance to calm down as Squall dismounted Fenrir.

When Seifer returned to the apartment, there was no sign of Squall. His bedroom door was even open a crack. Seifer checked on the small window box of forget-me-nots that he’d kept and made sure they had plenty of water. He wandered into the kitchen to see what they had available. Opening the fridge, he found take-out containers and condiments. Hanging his head with a sigh, he shut the door.

He went to sit on the couch, opening Ultima Eats on his phone. He scrolled through the restaurant listings for something to jump out at him. He eventually settled on Kashkabald Steakhouse because he wanted their famous Bloomed Onion—and steak. It took about forty-five minutes to arrive and Seifer was expecting to see Cloud delivering it, but when he opened the door, it was someone else. He thought about asking if this delivery person knew Cloud but figured that was a really long shot, so he double checked his order for Bloomed Onion dip and once he found it, he tapped in his 35% tip and sent the person on their way.

He pulled out his phone and texted Squall.

Seifer: Hope you know that whenever you’re eating, it’s on your dime.
Squall: …whatever

He stared at the response for a moment, then turned on the TV for a rerun of Shinobi Warriors Duos! that came from last season. After a bit, he took a photo of his soulmark and sent it to Selphie.

Seifer: 05xxxxxx.jpg
Selphie: is that…???
Seifer: My soulmark? Yeah. That’s you.
Selphie: hope you know that’s my new background
Selphie: 05xxxxxx01.jpg
Selphie: 05xxxxxx02.jpg
Selphie: 05xxxxxx03.jpg
Selphie: take your pick!
Seifer: I’ll get a really good one soon. But for now? It’s 02.

True to his word, he set the picture as his background. He stared at the bare patch of peachy skin on her back, and the cross-sword in between her shoulder blades. Something about the image caught his eye more than the mark did: Her look.

In the picture, Selphie was looking over her shoulder, and seemingly, right into him. He looked into those green eyes long enough to feel the heat from his soulmark rise. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, letting it out slowly. She was already his, they knew this, so he was allowed to think about other things, like his food!

Quickly checking his food, he found that the insulated bag they sent deliveries out in was very good and quickly pulled out his onion and dip to start. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers, one for now, one for later. He settled back onto the couch and began to eat as an ad for the next season of Shinobi Warriors Duos! came on.

Cloud and Squall arrived at Ignis Grill and parked on the asphalt lot next to the grill house. As they got off the bike, they stretched and took in the sight of the low, sprawling restaurant. It was plainly decorated outside and quiet, but a pleasant murmur greeted them when they opened the doors. They got on the list and stood near the wall, letting others take the few benches that were available, and were seated within twenty minutes. They sat and were given menus before the host walked away.

Cloud whistled. “This place is fancy! I should’ve known by the name.” He paused. “I feel a little underdressed, honestly.”

Squall looked him up and down, then nodded. “You’re fine.”

“Are you sure—they have cloth napkins.” Cloud held his up lowly for Squall to inspect as proof.

Squall looked around the room and pointed out several tables where people were dressed casually. “See? We’re fine.” He included himself so Cloud would feel more secure.

They looked over the menu and both decided on burgers and soda. Squall had a cola and “the Golden Egg”, which was brew-battered and fried bacon, maple syrup, white cheddar, a friend egg, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and the house sauce. Cloud chose a Prof. Dipp soda and “the Crown City Dive-Style” which was two patties blackened on one side, bacon, Trabian cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled yellow onion, and a creamy sauce.

They waited for their food in silence, sipping at their sodas and listening to the ambient noise of the restaurant. It was rare that either of them found someone that would be in such companionable silence, so Squall found this to be quite nice. He thought about the silence he had with others; Seifer was really the only that he knew would stay shut up and that was because he liked the quiet too. It was so nice, unlike some people, like Zell, for instance. He always wanted to talk about something. He wanted to talk about his mom, his sister, his studies, his students, what he was doing at any given moment. He was exhausting. But not Cloud.

Their food arrived, leaving their eyes wide at the size of the burgers. Their burgers were tasty, their drinks paired great, the salad they came with was fresh and crunchy, and the shoe-string fries had the right blend of salt and pepper.

Cloud paid the bill, then looked at Squall. “Ready to head home? It’s been a long day.”

Squall gave a tiny nod. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Cloud drove them back to Squall’s apartment building and Squall climbed off the bike. Cloud opened the saddlebag to let him get his game store purchase. There was some hesitation on both parts, neither one was sure of the next step.

Cloud decided to play it safe by saying, “This was a fun day. We should do it again sometime.”

Squall nodded. “Yeah.” He turned to leave. “Well, bye.”

“Bye.” Cloud gave a small wave as Squall headed up to his apartment.

Squall stopped and turned to look over his shoulder. “I have classes the rest of the week, but I’m free Saturday-Monday if you want to get together and play more Triple Triad…And maybe you can teach me Queen’s Blood.”

Cloud smiled. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you sometime soon. Who knows, maybe I’ll be delivering for you this week.”

Seifer looked up from his seat on the couch when Squall unlocked the door and came in. “’Bout time.” Seifer tilted his head up. “I ate without you.”

“That’s fine. I ate without you, too.” Squall shrugged off his jacket and draped it on the back of a chair, then carried the game store bag over to the couch. He sat down heavily, getting comfortable while Seifer watched out of the corner of his eye. He pulled the booster packs out of the bag, opened one and started sorting them into piles.

“Good haul?” Seifer asked as he turned his attention back to the TV.

“Not really. Mythril Mine didn’t have anything new. I just bought some to see if I could get anything decent for Sis.” He opened another pack.

“How is Elle?” Seifer sneered at the advertisement interrupting his show and hit mute.

“Haven’t talked to her in a couple of days. I should call her tonight.” He expertly opened and began sorting a third booster pack.

“Say “hey” for me.” Seifer liked Ellone. She’d been kind to him when few were and had never looked down on him despite some trouble in his past.

“I will.” Squall promised. “How was your day?”

“How was my day?” Seifer looked over with an amused grin.

“Forget I asked.” Squall had opened all the boosters but began re-sorting some of the cards based on number and placement.

“No, that’s kinda sweet. My day went well. Talked with my soulmate a bit. You wanna see her mark?” The amusement was gone from his grin and he simply looked happy and contented.

Squall thought for a moment, looked at Seifer’s expression, and said, “Sure.”

Seifer pulled open his phone and showed off his background: Selphie Tilmitt standing at a mirror with her dress open in the back, so the mark was fully on display, she smiled coyly over her shoulder.

“Well, there’s no doubt it’s you.” Squall turned back to his cards.

“Heh, yeah.” They lapsed into silence after that, amplified by the muted television. “Okay, how was your day?”

“Fine.”

“You spend all day out at the game store, and your day was “fine”?” He leveled a stare at Squall, who met him with apparent apathy.

“I didn’t spend all day at the game store. I was only there for an hour, hour and a half tops.” Squall picked up a small pile of cards and set them to one side, then gathered all the other piles and merged them; he’d clearly picked the best cards to give Elle and would likely donate the rest.

“Okay…then what did you do the rest of the day? You clearly weren’t here.”

“I spent the day with Cloud.” Squall got up and put Elle’s cards in his jacket pocket and the rest on the table before circling back to the couch, crouching in the corner and trying to make this not seem like a big deal.

“Your stalker, Cloud? Cloud the delivery boy?” Seifer started laughing.

“Delivery man, and yes.” He looked up and at Seifer again. “And he’s not my stalker.”

Seifer laughed again. “I can’t believe this. Why would you spend the day with the loser who brings our food?”

“He’s better company than you are.” Squall verbally bit with a dark look.

“Oh yeah? How so?” Seifer tilted his head smugly.

“Well, for one thing, he’s not a total ass. He doesn’t treat every interaction as transactional. He actually gives a damn about what I’m thinking about, instead of dragging me off to train for some stupid show that I don’t even care about.” He gave a short huff and flipped his hair in annoyance.

Seifer readjusted how he was sitting so Squall was front and center to him. “Are you breaking up with me?”

Squall looked at him flatly. “We would need to be together to break up, ass.”

“We live together, go to school together, train together…I ask again, are you breaking up with me?”

Squall sighed. “No. Seifer, I’m not “breaking up” with you. Doesn’t your soulmate have some opinions about this?”

“Don’t know, haven’t talked to her about it.” Seifer opened his phone and texted his new favorite person.

Seifer: How would you feel if I were in a committed relationship?
Selphie: gonna need more info, hun
Seifer: Like, if I were in a relationship that had certain… expectations.
Selphie: oh. my. Hyne. you’re fwb with someone!!
Seifer: Absolutely not.
Selphie: dang, there went that fantasy. we could had a threesome!
Seifer: Not. Happening.
Selphie: threesomes in general, or just with this person?? ;p
Seifer: This person for sure, maybe in general. I’ll have to decide on a case by case basis.
Selphie: as long as we’re not just chucking out the idea entirely
Seifer: Why are you so on about this? And you never answered my question: how would you feel if I were in a committed relationship that isn’t sexual in the slightest?
Selphie: 1. it’s funny
Selphie: 2. I like to broaden my horizons with new experiences
Selphie: and 3. as long as it’s not romantic, I don’t think I mind
Seifer: As long as we’re both on the same page. There’s definitely no chance of this going romantic.
Selphie: alright…is this about that sourpuss that was at your table?
Seifer: LOL
Selphie: so that’s a yes

Squall had turned to his phone for entertainment once Seifer had brought out his, and was presently browsing videos of how to repair gunblades with ramen. When Seifer burst out laughing, he jerked his head upwards to see if it was his phone or the still-muted TV; it was his phone.

“Selphie called you a sourpuss.”

“Should I care?” Squall looked back at his phone. This had to be a trick, right? There was no way they were actually repairing this gunblade with ramen.

“This is your future roommate-in-law.” Seifer sounded mildly hurt.

“Gag.” Squall said with little more attention.

“Man, you and Fujin, both. Can’t I be happy?”

“Sure, I just don’t want to hear about your romantic escapades. And apparently, neither does Fujin.” Squall quirked an eyebrow as he tilted his head a bit, emphasizing his point.

“Now, really, why’d you spend the day with Cloud the delivery boy?”

“Man. Delivery man.”

“You’re really insistent on that—you get proof?” Seifer leveled a doubtful look at him.

“He’s in his twenties, same as us.” Squall gave a non-committal shrug.

“And yet, you’re still “college boy”.”

“Last night, maybe. But not now.”

“Oh? You finally get some?” Seifer sneered.

“Fuck off, I’m not talking about this with you.”

Seifer raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Your love life is off the discussion table.” He unmuted the TV and picked back up his phone, and sent a text.

Seifer: If I can trust your tact and subtlety, I need your help.
Quistis: With what, pray tell?
Seifer: I need you to distract Leonhart for a couple of hours, and hopefully get him ready for a date.
Quistis: You’re setting Squall up on a date? With who? Why?
Seifer: The delivery man he likes.
Quistis: Why’d you say it like that? And he’s too awkward to make the first move.
Seifer: Ask Leonhart. But you got it in one.
Quistis: I think it’s really nice that you want to do this for Squall.

Seifer looked up from his phone with a diabolical smirk, then chuckled inwardly, returning to his chat.

Seifer: Thanks, but I don’t do “nice” things.
Quistis: Bet your soulmate would disagree.
Seifer: Don’t bring her into this.
Quistis: So, when are we doing this?
Seifer: Let’s meet tomorrow to figure out details.
Quistis: Lunch, or after classes?
Seifer: Lunch.

By the time Seifer looked up, Squall had gone to his room, leaving him alone in the living with the past season of Shinobi Warrior Duos! playing in the background.

Squall: You good to talk?

The phone rang a moment later with a cheery vocalsynth cover of a playground song with a techno beat backing it. His personal tone for Ellone.

“Why do you do that? If you just say “yes”, I would call you.” Squall asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.

“Because I like the idea of you hearing my ringtone.”

“You’re in luck, because I took my phone off vibrate just for you.”

“You like hearing my ringtone too!” Ellone gently teased.

“Why do you think I chose it?”

Elle giggled. “What’s up?”

“First off, Seifer says hi.”

“That’s nice of him. Hi, Seifer. Now, what’s on your mind?”

Squall didn’t bother trying to deny that he had something bugging him. “I have a major crush, and I’ve been flirting? I guess. I don’t know.”

Elle’s voice lost all teasing. “The last time you called, you were having a crisis because you got your soulmark. Is it the same person?”

Squall rubbed at his soulmark, a gesture that was becoming all too common. “I really hope so, because otherwise, this is a cruel joke.”

“Even the universe isn’t that cruel. Now, tell me everything.”

“His name is Cloud, and he’s…pretty. He’s got these amazing eyes that kinda glow. They’re the clearest blue I’ve ever seen, like one of Laguna’s photos from the tropics.” Squall started pacing his room as he spoke. “He’s quiet, with a snarky sense of humor, and he’s so...nice. Like, I explained this might not go anywhere romantic because, well, I’m me, and he just accepted it. And still wants to be friends. And he’s got a motorcycle—a custom one. It’s named Fenrir, after the constellation. And my mark is a wolf head. I’m pretty sure he’s my soulmate, but I don’t know how to bring it up.” The words tumbled out of him as fast as he could think them.

“Sounds like…you two need to hang out more.”

“That’s great, Sis, but I don’t “hang out”. I grudgingly go to events because my friends drag me to them.”

“And then you spend time with your friends. That’s hanging out.”

“Even so, I already spent most of today with him.”

“And…?”

Squall stopped pacing, then started up again as he recounted his day. “And it was…really good. We met up at the game store, then he took me to lunch. We went and played darts for a little bit, and then I taught him how to play Triple Triad, then he took me to dinner. It was good. It was really good. We sort of have plans to meet up over the weekend, too.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“I want to talk to him about it, the soulmate thing, but I just don’t know how to bring it up.”

Elle thought for a moment. “Ask what he knows about soulmates. Tell him you’ve been researching them lately. Not why, just that you have.”

“That’s a good plan. It’ll work over text, too. Guess I know what I’m doing when I get off the phone with you.”

“Alright. Anything else you need to get off your chest while I’ve got you?”

“How are you?” Squall paused a moment. “How’s Laguna?”

“I’m good, enjoying the nature here. It reminds me of home. Only now Uncle Laguna is here, so I guess this is home for now.”

“And Laguna? How is he?”

“It’s nice you’re making an effort, Squall. He’s good. Busy, but good. He misses you. We both do.”

“I’ve been thinking of coming out for summer quarter, since I’m not taking any classes then. Maybe stay a week. Maybe more, depending on how the first week goes.”

“That sounds wonderful! We’d love to see you.”

“I’d love to see you, too.” It was clear Laguna wasn’t included in that. “I have some stuff for you.”

“Oh? You haven’t missed my birthday, or any holidays, so what’s the occasion?”

“You’re my sister, I love you, and I love spoiling you.”

“Will you tell me what it is?”

“No, it’s a surprise.”

“Oh…I’d tell you.”

Squall scoffed. “No, you wouldn’t. You’d tease me constantly about knowing what I’m getting.”

“I would never! Okay, maybe a little. What’s the point of being a sister if I can’t?”

“I couldn’t possible say.”

There was a couple moments of silence before Elle spoke again. “You gave me broad strokes, give me details about your day. He took you out for two meals, what did you get?”

“We went to a Costan place, which was tasty. I had pollo fundido and sopapillas. And for dinner, we went to Ignis Grill, that gourmet burger place that Seifer’s obsessed with? It was really good, too.”

“You went to Seifer’s favorite restaurant without him? Your idea, or Cloud’s?”

Squall paused. “Mine. It was a nice day, and I wanted a nice end to it.”

“So why not your favorite restaurant?”

“He’d laugh at me.”

“He wouldn’t. Would he?”

“He’s a delivery man for Ultima Eats, he probably judges people on their restaurant choices all the time.”

“You think he’d judge you for liking Quin. A. Quen’s?”

“Yes.” Squall thought for a moment. “So much so that I would rather die than let him know.”

Elle laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that bad.”

“Really, Sis? Two full-grown twenty-somethings running around Quin A. Quen’s?”

“I’ve given it thought, and I love the idea. We should go when you visit.”

A sigh escaped Squall. “Okay. That’s fine. But Cloud never hears of this.”

“Only if Uncle Laguna gets to come with us.”

“He’s just gonna get stuck in the tunnels of the playspace again.”

“Probably, but he’ll be there.”

Squall made a face, but agreed. “Fine.”

“Don’t make that face, I can hear it freezing. Cloud will definitely laugh if he catches you stuck like that.”

“You don’t even know him!”

“Yet.”

“And if you keep this up, you won’t.”

“Oh, posh. If he’s the one, I’ll meet him. You won’t be able to resist introducing us, the two most important people in your life.”

“I’d say you think highly of yourself, but you’re right.”

Elle’s voice took back on a teasing tone. “I do think highly of myself, thanks to you. Knowing I’m important to the most closed off person on the planet is a huge ego boost.”

Squall looked at the time, realizing just how late it was getting. And he’d had a very busy day. “I should let you go. Thanks for listening to me ramble.”

“Any time. You’re my favorite brother, after all. Have a good night.”

The line went quiet as Elle ended the call. “You, too.”

Squall opened his bedroom door and called out to Seifer, “Elle says hi.” He closed the door again and collapsed onto his bed, still holding his phone, trying to gain the courage to actually text Cloud about all this soulmate stuff.

Cloud parked his bike and slowly made his way into the bar. He owed Tifa some information. “Hey Tif, can I get a beer?”

“You seem in a good mood. Not too high or low, because you asked for beer instead of Winter Salt, but a good mood.” She nodded at her assessment.

“That, and I already had my Winter Salt today, remember?”

“Yeah, I was wondering if you did.” She smirked.

“Of course I remember. It’s part of what I want to talk to you about.”

“Alright…” Tifa gave him a side glance and waited.

Cloud finally sat at the bar and Tifa gave him his beer. “The guy I came in with this afternoon, Squall? I think he’s the one.”

“The one? That’s…pretty heavy.”

“Zack said I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about whoever I got my mark from, and he fits the bill.”

“What about your customer? Seifer?” Tifa leaned on the bar.

“Yeah, funny story. Squall was using his roommate’s card to place orders, so he’s my “Seifer”.”

“Why was he using his roommate’s card? Is he broke or something?” Tifa waved at a group of people leaving. “Bye! Great seeing you! Come back soon, okay?”

When Tifa was back to their conversation, Cloud explained. “Not exactly…He’s apparently pretty well off. Or at least, he doesn’t have to worry about money because his estranged dad pays for things like his apartment and tuition.”

“Must be nice…” She muttered, then asked, “So why use his roommate’s card, then?”

“Because Seifer—the actual Seifer, is kind of an ass. And has particular taste, so when he wants something to eat, he has to pay for it.” Cloud took a few soothing gulps of his beer, foam tingling down his throat.

“That makes sense. So, when do I get to meet him?”

“You kinda already did. This afternoon, when we came in for darts.”

“Yeah, didn’t really get to meet him. You introduced us, then went to the back to play darts for an hour, then played cards for, like, four more hours. I wanna meet him for real. If he’s the one, shouldn’t I vet him or something? Or is that gonna be a Zack thing too?” She planted a hand on her hip.

“Are you still jealous I moved in with him?”

“A little. You were fine on my couch, then he offers you a bed and you jump right in it!” She raised her hands over her head dramatically, then crossed them over her chest.

“He offered me my own bed, thank you. And a room to put it in. Which means I have my own space to do whatever I like.”

Tifa pouted a little. “Yeah, but now he sees you all the time, and I have to wait for you to actually visit.”

“Anyways, as my best friend, you do get to vet Squall…if this goes anywhere. Which it might not. We may just stay friends.”

“I’m sorry, what? If I got my mark, I’d do everything I could to find the guy, then once I found him, I’d be like “Hey”.”

“He’s pretty sure he’s asexual. And that’s fine. I don’t want to pressure him into something he doesn’t want, that isn’t how soulmates should work. They should be on the same page. And besides, I can take care of myself, if you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean, yes. You’d really be okay with a platonic soulmate?”

“It’s not ideal for me, but if that’s what the universe decided, it’s what I’ll take. Better than nothing.” Another drink.

Tifa nodded. “So when can I meet him for real?”

“He doesn’t have classes on the weekend or Monday. I guess make an offer and I’ll pass it on.”

“Alright, yeah. I’ll mix him up his own cocktail. Something I get from his vibes, y’know?”

Cloud grinned. “That’s a plan. Do you want any interests or anything?”

“Well I know he likes you and Triple Triad. Does he like bikes? And what’s his feeling on fruit?”

“Yeah, he has a bike.” Cloud fished his phone from his pocket and messaged Squall.

Cloud: how do you feel about fruit?
Squall: Fine…why?
Cloud: Tifa wants to make you your own personal cocktail
Squall: Okay…
Cloud: Do you have any favorite fruits?
Squall: I like lemons.
Cloud: salt rim or sugar?
Squall: Both?
Cloud: i think we can handle that
Squall: Why does Tifa want to make a cocktail for me?
Cloud: it’s something she does. a bartender thing
Squall: And when am I getting this cocktail?
Cloud: your choice. you don’t even have to come have it, but Tifa wants to get to know you
Squall: Why?
Cloud: because I think you might be my soulmate, and she wants to know the important people in my life|

Before sending the last message, Cloud stared at his phone for a moment, then erased it.

Cloud: because you’re my new friend, and she’s my oldest friend. and she wants to take care of me. you have a big sister, Tifa is basically mine…even though i’m older
Squall: I get that. When do you want me to come by?
Cloud: whenever. i can be here or doing something else if you think that’s better
Squall: Maybe be close by if I need backup? Not right next to me or anything, but within earshot? I’ve been ambushed before.
Cloud: right, you mentioned a Rinoa?
Squall: I’ll tell you about it next time we have some time.

Cloud put his phone away and looked back at Tifa, who was drinking some water during the rare quiet moments at the bar. When she put it down, she said, “I have never seen you so excited to text with someone. You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“Like I said, I think he might be the one.” He put a hand over his mark. “Tif, it feels warm when I’m near him, when I think about him. If this isn’t it, it’s a cruel joke the universe is playing.”

She leaned over the bar and hooked her finger into his waistband and pulled a little to see the mark again. “I dunno, Cloud, I’m just not sure I buy that this guy is a lion.”

“His bike is called Griever.” Cloud looked at her flatly.

“Like the constellation?”

“Yeah, just like mine is Fenrir.”

“…like the constellation.” She groaned.

Looping through the few pictures she’d manage to snap of her own soulmark, Selphie smiled to herself. It was rough, trying to get the angle right in the mirror, but she had managed a few pretty good ones. She’d sent her favorite three to Seifer.

She was surprised when she saw the mark he had for her, but it made sense in a way. Forget-me-nots were her favorite flower, after all. Maybe Seifer didn’t have one, which is why her mark was the symbol he wore. She wasn’t really one to look too deeply into symbolism, but there had to be a reason why the universe chose the marks it did, right?

She closed the gallery on her phone and stared at the background for a few minutes, just admiring. It was a branching sprig of forget-me-nots in the shape of a heart. Selphie loved it. There was definitely something that resonated with her, and she couldn’t wait to see it in person. Friday couldn’t come soon enough.

Getting up from the loveseat, Selphie headed into her bathroom and ran water in the tub. She adjusted it to just the right temperature, and dropped a fizzing bath bomb in, once the tub was full enough. She watched it bubble and dye the water for a moment before unlocking her phone again.

Selphie: i need more bath bombs.
Selphie: you know the ones I like
Irvine: Alright, I’ll bring some when I come visit.
Selphie: but that’s 7 weeks away
Selphie: can’t you ship them or something?
Irvine: You know I’m trying to save money to come visit you, right? Shipping is expensive.
Selphie: i'll pay
Selphie: how much???
Irvine: You know, I think I’ll just wait and bring them with me, along with your bubble bath. Save you some money, too.
Selphie: ugh, you don’t have to be so considerate all the time

Irvine: I do. You know I have a reputation to uphold.
Selphie: i do…that’s why i love you
Selphie: oop, bath is ready!
Selphie: gotta go!
Selphie: 😘💛💛💛

Selphie turned off the water and set down her phone on the sink counter before sliding into the tub. A nice soak to finish off the night was exactly what she needed.

Chapter Text

Seifer awoke to his text notification. Blearily, he reached for his phone to check who was messaging him so fucking early. As his eyes adjusted, he realized it was a text from Selphie.

Selphie: are you coming to see me today?

Seifer stared at his phone for a moment before realizing she was waiting for a reply.

Seifer: You don’t work today.
Selphie: nope, but i have classes…
Selphie: we could meet up on campus
Selphie: ooh, i could come to the history building!
Selphie: is it all historical and stuff???

Seifer laughed, and started getting dressed for the day, pausing every so often to check for a new message.

Seifer: We can meet up at some point, but lunch is no good. I’m meeting with Quistis to go over something.
Selphie: which one is Quistis again?
Selphie: is she the foxy librarian?
Selphie: should i be worried???
Seifer: You already know my ex-girlfriend and *checks notes* are friends with her. You don’t have to worry about my childhood friend.
Selphie: you sure?
Selphie: because i've read stories where the childhood friend is harboring a crush
Seifer: Yeah, but not on me. On Squall. And I’m pretty sure she’s over it already.
Selphie: okay, if not lunch, when?
Selphie: wanna get coffee at the C building?
Selphie: they’ve got a brand new kiosk
Seifer: Yeah, that’ll work. I’m on break around 10:30.
Selphie: okay!
Selphie: see you then!!
Selphie: bye~

He watched the multiple messages fly in, and smiling, put his phone away. Next order of business was waking up Leonhart. He walked to Squall’s door and pounded on it, then opened it. “Wake up Leonhart. You got class today. You should really invest in an alarm clock at some point.”

Squall raised a middle finger at Seifer for his trouble. “Why bother? I have you.” He started to get up and out of bed.

Seifer went to the kitchen for breakfast, and spotted the box of Cinnamon Loops Squall had left out. He picked it up and shook it gently. There was just enough for one bowl. Squall would probably be really upset if someone were to eat them. He grabbed a bowl and poured the cereal in, then added milk.

Squall emerged from his room, dressed. “You’re eating them with milk? It’s one thing to steal my cereal, but to defile it with milk? That’s just disgusting.”

Seifer looked at him and ate another spoonful. “Mmm, so good. Bet your boyfriend’s a milk drinker.”

“Who?” Squall was confused.

“You know, the delivery boy.”

“Ah, Cloud. Delivery man.”

Seifer smirked. “Okay, that time you did it on purpose.”

Squall walked into the kitchen, exhaustion clear on his face.

Seifer watched as Squall looked around. “What?”

“Oh, just trying to figure out what I’m going to eat this morning. Oh, I know.” Squall reached into the cabinet above the refrigerator and pulled down a fresh box of Cinnamon Loops. He poured a bowl for himself, then fixed a cup of coffee and sat to enjoy his breakfast.

“Alright, Leonhart. I see your move.” Seifer scooped up another spoonful and continued eating.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you’re still here. You’re usually out the door by the time I get breakfast.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t work today, so we’re meeting up on campus at break.”

“Oh.” Squall ate another bite, then, “Who?”

“My soulmate? I showed you her picture?”

“Right. The one with your cross one her back. Is that what you’ve been doing the past week and a half?”

“Going and seeing my soulmate? Yes.”

Squall didn’t say anything in response, just nodded and had more cereal.

Seifer narrowed his eyes. “How do you eat cereal dry?”

Squall shrugged. “Spite, and it tastes better dry than soggy.”

Seifer drained his bowl, then rinsed it and left it in the sink. “Whatever. I’m heading out.” He grabbed his jacket and left.

The sound of the door shutting woke Cloud. Zack must’ve just left. This was becoming a habit. Rolling out of bed, Cloud went into the kitchen to fix breakfast. After eating, he cleaned up a little around the apartment, then sat down to watch some TV, hoping that maybe there was more Triple Triad on. He was in luck, there was a tournament playing, but there was no telling how long ago it had been recorded. While he watched, he took the time to open and sort through his new cards, something he hadn’t had a chance to do the night before. To his surprise, there was a gold border in every pack. Two were Guardian Forces, Carbuncle and Phoenix, and one was a face card of a woman he didn’t recognize.

Picking up his phone, Cloud typed out a message to Squall.

Cloud: thanks for the help choosing booster packs. i got a face card! i have no idea who she is, though
Cloud: 05xxxxxx.jpg

Ellipses flashed across the bottom of the screen. Squall was typing.

Squall: That’s Edea Kramer. She’s an actress.
Squall: Do you want an anecdote?
Cloud: are you asking if you can tell me something? yeah, please do
Squall: The Academy? Where I went to school? The headmaster there is Edea Kramer’s husband. He’s…not really cut out for the job.
Cloud: wow, a brush with greatness…sort of. are you in class right now?
Squall: Yeah. Why? What are you up to?
Cloud: watching some old tournament and sorting my new cards. i almost have a deck ready to go. i think i need another twenty or so booster packs
Squall: You know, you only need five cards to play. You don’t need a lot.
Cloud: says the man who carries two full decks. anyway, i wanna get some more so i don’t lose all my good cards right away
Squall: That’s a solid plan. And it’s basically what I did, too. Get a good amount of buffer until you can learn strategy.

There was a lull in the conversation while Cloud sorted through his cards, choosing what his best deck might be. His phone vibrated again.

Squall: Hang on, I’ve gotta move. I’m still here, though.
Cloud: bad reception?
Squall: No, the teacher didn’t want me on my phone during the lecture, and gave me the ultimatum to either put my phone away or leave. So I left.

Cloud stared at his phone in shock. Squall left class to keep talking to him?

Cloud: you left? you could’ve left me on read, i wouldn’t mind. i wasn’t even really expecting a response when i first texted you
Squall: It was a boring lecture. For history it was a boring lecture. I’m glad for the diversion.
Cloud: is it too much to hope that you’re free to meet up and help me choose more booster packs?
Squall: I already walked out of the lecture. Might as well.

Cloud fumbled his phone in excitement trying to text back.

Cloud: cool. see you in fifteen? twenty?
Squall: Something like.

Cloud turned the sound for his phone on, so that if Squall messaged again, he would hear, then went to get dressed.

Ten minutes later, Squall pulled up to Mythril Mine Trading and turned off his bike. He headed inside and immediately went to the Triple Triad aisle. The clerk watched him enter and sighed. “There’s still nothing new since yesterday, Leonhart.”

Squall didn’t even look at him as he responded. “That’s fine, not what I’m here for.” He started pulling the booster pack boxes off the shelf to rearrange them so the good boxes were in the front. He’d just put the last box back when Cloud came in. Looking up as he stepped into the aisle, Squall greeted him. “Hey.”

“Hey. I can’t believe you ditched to keep talking to me. That’s wild.”

“Like I said, boring lecture.”

“So, what are your recommendations today?”

Squall pointed at the shelf. “The first three boxes are all good packs.” He picked up one of the boxes and showed the barcode on the side. “See, if it ends in seven, it’s good.”

“How can we be sure that no one has swapped packs into the good boxes?”

“You can’t, but that why you choose from front, middle, and back.”

“Okay…um, gimme a number.”

Without hesitation, Squall said, “Eight.”

Cloud counted and took the eighth pack. Again, and again. Five times, until he was through the first box.

Squall watched him go through all three boxes this way. “Ultima Eats pays well, huh?”

Cloud stopped, a little embarrassed. “I get by. Seifer’s 35% tips are a nice bonus. But you’re right, I should probably stop here. Still need grocery and rent money.”

“I didn’t mean-“

Cloud smiled. “I’m not offended. But you’re right, that’s probably enough for now. I mean, who knows if I’ll even like this hobby in a couple of weeks?”

Squall’s face fell. “Oh.”

“No, I mean-“

“You’re right. You’re not required to like my favorite hobby.” A slight upturn at the corner of Squall’s mouth gave away that he was teasing.

Cloud caught it. “Ah. Gotcha. But even if I start to fade on Triple Triad, I still need to teach you Queen’s Blood.”

“Speaking of, that’s the next aisle over. Wanna help me get started?”

They headed into the Queen’s Blood aisle, and Cloud pointed out the booster packs. “There are more Queen’s Blood cards than there are Triple Triad, but all the booster packs in one series have the same set of cards. Your best bet is to pick up one of each series to get the most complete deck.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. You can get cards from beating people, and some of them are rare, but that’s basically it.” Cloud shrugged.

Squall breathed a sigh. “Amateurs.”

“It’s up and coming, just released earlier this year. Not like Triple Triad that’s been around for over a decade.”

“You calling my hobby old?”

“Nope, just experienced.”

“I’ll take it.” Squall started gathering booster packs. “Is there anything else I need?”

“You’ll want a play mat. And a bag of these.” Cloud held up a bag of green and red pawns.

“Okay. Anything else?”

“Nope, now, you’re ready to play.”

While Squall inspected the play mats to choose one he liked, Cloud went to the accessories aisle and found a nice leather pouch with space for five decks, pawns, and a play mat. He wandered back into the Queen’s Blood aisle as Squall chose a leather play mat with an embossed grid. “You can’t really stick this in your pocket, but this should fit nicely in your saddlebag.” Squall reached for the pouch, but Cloud held on. “It’s a gift.”

Squall looked like he was going to protest, but just let out a small huff instead. “Alright. But this means I’m taking you to lunch.”

Selphie was fifteen minutes into her vlog when Seifer arrived. She noticed him walking over and stopped her recording. Tucking her phone into her pocket, she tried not to rush over, but she definitely speedwalked to him. “Hey!”

“Hey, yourself.”

“Hey, myself-ie! That was dumb. That was really dumb. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what?” Seifer looked around as if he had missed something.

“Oh, me telling you that I was just finishing up a vlog when I saw you coming over.”

“Is that part of your Social Media program?”

“Sort of…I was doing it before the program, but I really got into it because of class. Having to do a vlog a day, make good habits, you know how it goes.” Selphie shrugged as they started walking toward the C building.

“What do you even talk about if you’re doing a vlog a day?”

“Basically anything that crosses my mind. You said you were studying history, right? I wanna say military history, I promise I was hanging on every word.”

Seifer nodded. “Yeah, military history.”

“That’s cool. Are you planning on teaching? I can’t really imagine anything else to do with a history degree.”

“I’m gonna research history.”

Selphie stopped, tilting her head in confusion. “Isn’t that what you’re doing now?”

“No,” Seifer shook his head. “Right now, I’m studying history. I want to research it.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Researching is like in depth studying. Visiting historic sites, reading the actual documents, that’s research.”

“Wow, that sounds cool, and not boring at all.”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“No! I mean it. It really sounds cool, and I’d love to hear you talk about your favorite time in history.” Selphie started walking toward the building again. “We should get our coffee.”

Seifer fell in step beside her, adjusting his pace to keep up with her short stride. “What coffee do you drink?”

“Don’t laugh. I drink blended chocolate chip java.”

“Is that even coffee?”

“It has java right in the name! What do you drink, then?”

“As long as we’re not laughing at anybody…” Seifer trailed off.

“Go on.”

“I like white peppermint mocha with extra whipped cream and sprinkles on top.”

Selphie stared at him for a moment. “It’s not even winter.”

“It doesn’t have to be winter to have peppermint.”

“I feel like there’s a story here. Did you always drink it?”

They stepped up to the coffee stand and placed their orders, each paying for their own drinks, then stepping off to the side to wait.

“No,” Seifer continued. “I started because my roommate makes a face whenever I put anything in coffee, so I wanted to see how far I could push it.”

“You did this to make your roommate mad? And you fell in love with it?”

“I’m not “in love” with my drink,” Seifer finger quoted before picking up his cup. “If anything, I’m addicted because of the sugar. Though I do have to say, it’s so much better than the Americano I had with Rinny last week.”

“Yeah, that happens.” Selphie nodded sagely. “It’s how I wound up drinking blended chocolate chip java.”

“Oh? What did you drink before?”

“Cappuccino. Then Rinny gave me one of these,” She held up her cup. “And the rest is history. Which you’re possibly interested in, but maybe not because it’s not military history?”

“No, it’s history between my soulmate and my ex-girlfriend. I want to know.”

“Okay…well. Which part did you want to know?”

“Any.”

Selphie thought for a moment. “We met on the first day of freshman year. She seemed nice, I was nice, we were nice to each other. We kinda hit it off. And now, neither one of us will leave the other alone long enough to end the friendship. We’ve tried.”

“And what’s this about a made up boyfriend?”

“Okay, well, if your chronically-single friend one day said they had a partner that they just hadn’t mentioned in the entire time you’d known them, you’d think it was a little hinky, right?”

“How far into the school year was this? You mentioned Homecoming.”

Selphie nodded. “Almost a month in. I heard about you just before Homecoming. It was super embarrassing for Rinny because she talked you up so much, and then you didn’t even show up.”

“Yeah, I told her ahead of time that I didn’t have a ride over. That way, she didn’t waste money on a ticket for me.”

“But see, then she never brought you around on the weekend or anything! She didn’t show you off at all! I would’ve shown you off. Can I show you off?”

Seifer grinned at the thought. “Who do you want to show me off to? I already know Rinny, but I don’t know…what was the name? Irving?”

“Irvine. Yeah, he’s coming out for summer break.”

“I’d ask if I should be jealous, but if he hasn’t already tried snatching you up, then I’m not worried.”

“We have a “mutual respect” for each other’s future endeavors. Which is to say, we’re both hopeless romantics looking for our soulmates.”

“Well, I think you won that race.” Seifer held out his wrist, showing her the heart of flowers.

Selphie bit her lip a little, and looked up at him. “Can I touch it?”

“Why not? It’s you.”

She hesitantly reached out and brushed her fingertips across the mark, sending a wave of warmth pulsing up Seifer’s arm. She stared at his wrist. “Did it just…glitter?”

“I don’t know, I wasn’t watching the mark.”

A blush crept up Selphie’s cheeks as she realized he must’ve been watching her instead. She turned her back to him and pulled her cardigan off her shoulders, revealing her mark. “You can touch if you want.”

Seifer pulled the cardigan down a little further, exposing the full mark, then ran his fingers across it, watching intently.

Selphie felt a pulse of warmth centered on her soulmark that spread across her back, and shuddered a little.

“Yeah. It definitely glittered.” Seifer’s voice was quiet, unsure.

The twin roar of motorcycle engines cut as Cloud and Squall pulled into the parking lot outside of D. Riley’s, a greasy spoon that Squall was fond of. He and Cloud dismounted their bikes and headed inside. As they walked in, Squall raised two fingers at the man behind the counter, who nodded. Squall then walked the narrow path of the diner, picking the booth furthest from the door and slid into a seat. Cloud followed, sliding in across from him.

The man from behind the counter came over with a couple of menus, flatware, and a glass of grapefruit juice, setting it in front of Squall before looking to Cloud, “Would you like coffee?”

Cloud nodded slightly. “Yeah, thanks. And sugar?”

The man nodded. “Right away.” The server walked back to the counter and grabbed a pot of coffee and a mug, bringing them to the table. He poured the dark liquid into the mug and gestured to the side of the table where the sugar jar was. “Help yourself.” With another nod and a smile, he headed back to the counter.

Cloud stirred in a spoon of sugar and gave the coffee an experimental sip. Squall watched intently as Cloud made a face and poured in another spoon of sugar.

“Yeah, the coffee here sucks, but the food is great. I’d stick with the juice, personally.” Squall shook a little salt into his juice and stirred it, taking a drink.

Looking over the menus, Squall knew almost immediately what he wanted: a sampler basket with fries, a chicken strip, some onion rings, and a couple of mozzarella sticks. Cloud took a little longer to decide but ultimately chose a grilled club sandwich. When they set down their menus, the server from the counter came back to take their orders.

Once he’d left again, Cloud looked around, then back at Squall. “So, do they only have the one server?”

“Dixie, but she only works Fridays, after school.” Squall took a sip of his juice.

“Oh. So, you come here often?”

“I guess.” Squall flipped his hair out of his face only for it to land right back where it had been.

“Often enough to know the schedule for one of the servers?” Cloud smiled cheekily.

“I only ever see her on Fridays, and she offered more information than I asked for. She’s an awkward kid, and I make her nervous.”

Cloud frowned a little, pondering this, then perked up with a sly smile. “Maybe she thinks you’re cute.”

Squall let out a small sigh. “I am, unfortunately, her type. I’ve seen her boyfriend.”

Cloud hummed a little, thinking this information over and sipped at his coffee and gagged. Pushing the cup away, he said “I forgot about that. I don’t think there’s enough sugar to make that drinkable.”

“Like I said before, should’ve ordered the juice.” Squall took another sip.

Cloud nodded and got up to go to the counter. He came back a moment later with a glass of orange juice. “So what’s her type? Quiet, snarky, and a bit nerdy?”

“Do you really want to talk about the waitress that isn’t here?”

“I want to talk about you and it seemed like a good transition.”

Squall went a little pink and muttered into his glass, “Whatever.”

“Okay, we won’t talk about the waitress, her boyfriend, or you.” Cloud thought. “Do you wanna go to Seventh Heaven after this? They’ll just be opening and shouldn’t be too busy. I promise, no darts.”

“Sure.” Squall shrugged.

“Great, like I said last night, Tifa wanted to make you a drink. Unless you don’t want to do that just yet, which I understand.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“Cool. So, how’d you get into Triple Triad?”

“Thought we weren’t talking about me.” Squall gave the tiniest smirk, then looked to the window. “During finals of my freshman year…last year…I was walking and there was this guy sitting in one of the hallways who called me over and basically threw his deck at me, saying he was out of the game but if I wanted the cards, I could have them. I was going to throw them away, but I actually looked at them, and they were pretty cool. And Seifer is always on me to be more social, so I used Triple Triad to interact with people.”

“Wow.” Cloud looked out the window as well and silence descended on the table for a couple of minutes until the server brought their food.

Squall pulled his basket closer and grabbed the ketchup, squirting a large amount into the middle where all the food met. “What about you and Queen’s Blood?”

“I backed their Quickfund, so I’ve been in since day four or so.” Cloud smiled, more proud than anything.

“No wonder you want me to play it.” Squall dipped several fries into the ketchup at once and ate them.

“Hey, it was a very successful campaign, as evidenced by the entire aisle for it at Mythril Mine…But it will be nice to have another person to play against.”

“So, you either don’t know anyone else who plays, or your friends are so sick of you being an awful winner or a sore loser that they won’t play with you anymore.”

Cloud’s mouth dropped open in protest, and he even began to rise out of his seat. “I don’t think I’m an awful winner. It’s just that my friend group is very small. Tifa, Zack, and Aerith. And sometimes Selphie. And now you, it you’re cool with it.”

“I’m…” Squall looked at his glass, then back at Cloud. “…cool with that. Look, I’ll say this to save us some time: I’m awkward as fuck. I’m antisocial, and the people I bother talking to is generally out of obligation.”

Cloud folded his hands. “So, what’s your obligation to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep talking to me.” He took a small bite of his sandwich, chewed, and swallowed it well before Squall responded.

Squall rubbed at his soulmark. “I…I don’t…” He let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know that I have one. I guess that’s what makes this nice.”

At lunch, Seifer found Quistis waiting outside his classroom. As the rest of the student filed past, she asked “No Squall today?”

“Am I his keeper?” Quistis narrowed her eyes at him. Shaking his head, he said “He left early. Dicking around on his phone and got kicked out of class.”

Quistis sighed. “So, his study habits haven’t changed.”

Seifer shook his head. “Nope.”

They began walking toward the commons so Seifer could get some lunch. Quistis tossed her hair and said “Y’know, if he’s serious about this history degree, he really needs to knock this sort of thing off.”

Seifer stopped walking and faced Quistis, raising a hand and counting on his fingers “One: in his defense is was a boring lecture. Two: Don’t tell me, tell him.”

Quistis chuckled, holding up her hands in surrender. “That’s fair. What did you want me to do to help set him up on a date?”

“I just need you to set up a meeting with him at a restaurant or something. Tell him you’re worried about his degree trajectory or something like that. Then you stand him up and delivery boy Cloud comes to save the day.”

“You said man earlier and were very specific about it.”

Seifer chuckled. “Yeah, because Leonhart is very insistent on man.”

“Okay, but how do we convince him to go to Squall?”

“That’s the easy part. The guy’s a simp. He’s picked up every one of our orders since last week. Every single order we place, he picks it up.”

Quistis’ eyes were large as she blinked at Seifer. “So, he’s got a crush?”

“Could say it was a crush, yeah. Anyway, I’m gonna text him that Squall’s waiting for him at your choice in venue. And to dress nice.”

“You think it’ll work?”

“Like I said, the guy’s a simp.”

Quistis continued to walk with Seifer while he collected his lunch. Shaking her head at the last, she said “If it’s really that easy…”

“Trust me, Squall’s the hard part.”

“Do you think they’ll actually have a date? Or just an awkward dinner?” Quistis began looking at restaurants on her phone.

“I don’t know, but either should be fun to watch. Too bad I’m going to be busy.”

“Turtle’s Paradise, seven. What do you have going on?”

“Got it. Anyway, I’m doing anything but that.” Seifer paused as he sat down at a free table. “Speaking of programs, how’s mine looking?”

“You think I’m checking up on you?” She looked up from her phone briefly with a smirk.

“Honestly, I’m a little hurt that you’re not.”

“Don’t be. You’re well on track.” She clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then started to wander away, typing at her phone.

After lunch, Cloud and Squall drove over to Seventh Heaven, which was just opening for the day. Cloud walked in first and headed to the bar to say hi to Tifa. Squall went to sit at the table they had the day before.

“Could I get a couple of beers?” Cloud sat at the bar, waiting for Tifa to go talk to Squall.

She mixed a drink and took it over to the table where Squall was sitting, and set down the glass. “Made this for you.”

Squall looked at the pale drink with a curl of lemon peel. “What is it?”

“It’s a Lemon Drop. I think you’ll like it.”

He picked it up and sniffed, then sipped, licking a little of the rim. “Hmm. Salt and sugar rim. I do like it.”

“I’m Tifa.”

“I guessed. Squall.”

She nodded and sat. “So, you like Cloud.”

He thought it over for a moment. How did she mean? “I…” He rubbed at his soulmark, flashing the side of it. “Yes. He’s friendly.”

Tifa grimaced. “He’s not gonna like that.”

“Why?”

“Because he likes you, dummy.” She stood and walked back to the bar.

Cloud watched as she came to a stop next to him. “Well, he doesn’t look dead inside. Or, at least, not any more than usual. He does look a little like you slapped him, though.”

“I should’ve, with what I heard.”

“What did you hear?”

“I can’t tell you, it was in confidence!”

Cloud’s voice raised in pitch a little. “You can’t just drop a bomb like that and expect me to go pick up pieces, Tifa. What if there’s another one, waiting to explode?”

“Relax, you’ll be fine. Now go, sit with your friend.”

Cloud took the beers and walked over to the table, pondering the emphasis on friend. He offered one of the beers to Squall. “She didn’t ask you anything weird, did she?”

“I can say for certain she did not. She didn’t ask me anything.”

“Then why do you look poleaxed?”

“She confirmed something for me. I hadn’t considered the full context of what she said, even though I had picked up on it earlier.”

Cloud hummed thoughtfully.

“You know, now would be a good time to teach me Queen’s Blood.” Squall held out his key. “You can even get it from my bike so you know I’m not running away.”

“Weird way to say it, but okay.” Cloud took the key and went outside to get Squall’s cards and play mat, then his own cards and bag of pawns. He came back in a moment later and started setting up the game.

Squall was a quick learner. Within the hour, he had figured out strategy and was actually posing a challenge to Cloud, whose friends were very casual players.

When Tifa came by to pick up their empties and offer another round of drinks, Squall looked up. “What brand of coffee do you keep?”

“Bandersnatch.”

Squall made a face, looked at the play mat, then at his empty glass, and asked for another Lemon Drop.

Cloud asked for another beer.

“Pace yourself, boys.” Tifa patted Cloud’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper to him. “You’re doing fine, keep it up.”

Cloud rolled his eyes and shook his head a little.

Tifa headed back to the bar and returned a couple minutes later with their refills. Cloud and Squall kept playing.

“This is nice. I haven’t had a challenge in a while.”

“Hmm, wouldn’t know what that’s like.” Squall looked at Cloud over the rim of his glass, smirking.

Cloud nodded. “Okay, I see your game. Kid gloves: off.”

“Good. I’d hate to think this was your best.”

The next few hours were spent playing game after game of carefully fought pawns. It was clear that Cloud was no longer holding back, and Squall was catching up quickly.

Finishing yet another game, Squall stopped shuffling his cards. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“Sure, where to?”

“My garage.”

“I don’t remember seeing a garage at your apartment building.”

“That’s because it’s not there. It’s close, though, so I can walk there. You can either ride with me, or bring your bike.”

“I’ll take my bike. I don’t like leaving it unattended.”

They settled their tabs, or more accurately, Cloud settled his tab. Squall’s Lemon Drops were on the house. They headed out and mounted their bikes, driving to a garage about a block from Squall and Seifer’s apartment.

After her afternoon classes, Selphie stopped by Gunblades and Roses to help Aerith with closing. The bell on the door chimed as she entered and announced, “Guess who got a check-plus-plus on her project! That’s, like, a B.”

Aerith laughed. “It isn’t an A? But, congratulations.”

“I dunno, it might be. No one’s really explained it to me…I just figure it’s better than the check-plus I got on my last project.”

“I’m sure it is. More plusses has to be better, right?”

Selphie grabbed her apron and put it on, then started checking on the plants, paying special attention to her forget-me-nots from Seifer, then began her cleanup chores. “So…I was kinda thinking…we’ve met some cool people recently, and it would be a lot of fun to hang out more. What do you think about going out tonight?”

Aerith looked up from the counter. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“I know you opened, so if you need a nap, take it during my shift! I can hold down the fort.”

“I’ll have to think about it,” Aerith repeated herself. “And check in with Zack to see how he feels. He’s got work in the morning, and so do we, but I might be able to come out for a drink or two.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m gonna text the group and see if I get any bites.” Selphie pulled out her phone and typed a message into the ever-growing group chat. It was originally just Rinoa and Irvine, then Selphie added Aerith, who added Zack, who added Cloud, and Rinoa had added Zone and Watts. After trivia on Sunday, team SeeD had been added as well.

Selphie: i know it’s tuesday, but does anyone want to go out tonight?

She didn’t have to wait long for a response.

Irvine: Wish I could, bestie.
Zell: What the heck, I only have afternoon classes tomorrow.
Zell: I’ll come out.
Seifer: You’re finally coming out? Congrats, that’s a big step.
Zell: Shut up.
Zell: I’ve been “out” for years.
Zell: Being pansexual is nothing I’m ashamed of.
Watts: You tell him, sir.
Zell: Being a dick, on the other hand…
Seifer: Yeah, yeah, I know the rest. So, Sunshine, what’re we doing?

Selphie smiled to herself at the nickname.

Selphie: thinking club, maybe Fate?
Zone: I’d go, but clubs aren’t really my thing. makes me nauseous.
Selphie: anyone else?
Watts: No thank you, sir.
Quistis: I’d love to go. There’s a test tomorrow, so I don’t have to prep for it, really.
Zack: that’s a no for me, sorry. gotta be up too early tomorrow.
Aerith: I’ll come out for a drink, but can’t stay long. I’m not as young as I used to be.
Zack: babe, don’t say it like that, now i feel old.
Seifer: Sure, why not? It won’t be any worse than staying out on Sunday.
Rinoa: i’m in.
Selphie: ooh, princess is gonna come out with us? sure you don’t have a curfew???
Rinoa: you know better.
Rinoa: any chance Squall will come?
Seifer: No idea. He left class and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.
Rinoa: he what?
Seifer: Yeah, got on his phone during lecture, then just left. But it didn’t look like an emergency. Maybe an “I need out of here” emergency, but not an EMERGENCY.
Squall: Pass.
Selphie: 😢
Seifer: Trust me, we don’t need him. He’ll just bring down the mood.
Cloud: i'm gonna skip, too. sorry, Selphie.
Selphie: oh…you WILL be missed.
Cloud: maybe next time
Seifer: So, that’s me, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Rinny. Not bad for a night out.
Aerith: And me, for a drink or two.

Aerith looked up from her phone and caught Selphie’s attention. “At least you won’t be alone once I leave. Rinoa will be there.”

“True, but I still wish that everyone were coming.”

Squall unlocked the garage and he and Cloud wheeled in. Squall headed into the break area and started up coffee.

Cloud looked around, noting the well-maintained tools. “You do a lot of work here?”

“Yeah. Mostly the bike. These,” Squall rested a hand on the tool chest. “Were a group present from my friends a couple of years ago—graduation present. They knew exactly which to get me, so thanks, Zell. Or Seifer. Maybe Quistis. For all I might grumble about them, they do know me pretty well.”

“Yeah, I’d rather have a few friends that know me well than a lot of friends who barely know me at all.”

“Same. I guess I kinda take them for granted. Coffee?”

“Please. Spoon of sugar?”

Squall gave a look. “Heathen.” He poured in a spoon of the sugar he normally kept for just about anything but coffee and handed it to Cloud. “It’s potato plastic, so it’ll break down. Don’t leave it in the coffee too long.”

“Good to know.” Cloud took the cup and stirred it, then set the spoon aside and took a sip. “Oh, that’s good.”

“Black Chocobo. Best out there.”

“So rich and smooth. Acidic. Bold. Other coffee words that I’ve heard people use but didn’t understand until now.”

Squall smiled a little. “If you want more, it’s all I keep.”

They sat, each tucked into a corner of the loveseat, half facing each other. Squall nudged one of the coasters on the coffee table toward Cloud and they both set down their mugs.

Cloud took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking a lot about something, and I’d like your input on it.”

“Alright. I warn you, I’m not terribly insightful.”

Cloud stared at his coffee for a moment before speaking again. “How do you feel about the soulmate thing?”

Squall ran a finger around the rim of his mug. “I don’t…hate it. I mean, at least I know there’s someone out there that will get me.” He paused and looked at Cloud. “What about you?”

“Yeah. I didn’t really give it much thought until recently. I mean, I’d hoped to find mine, but I think I would’ve been fine without.”

“Would’ve been?”

“Yeah, I got my mark just recently. And…” Cloud trailed off, nerves starting to rise.

“And?” Squall thought he knew what Cloud was going to say.

“And…I think I know who it is, but I don’t want to come on too strong.”

Squall hummed and sipped at his coffee. “Hmm. I got my soulmark recently, too.”

“Oh yeah?” He perked up, half worried, half hopeful. “I know it’s personal, but do you have any ideas about yours?”

“I have some ideas, but yeah. I don’t want to scare him off.” Squall stared off at the wall and took another sip of coffee before looking back at Cloud.

“I think whoever it is would be lucky to have you in his life.” Cloud didn’t want to get his hopes up, but there was a possibility. Was it too much to hope?

“You don’t know me…I only have the friends I do because they don’t let me stay alone. If I try, or go out of touch too long, one of them comes to find me. I don’t voluntarily talk to anyone except my sister. I’m not special or good, I’m sour and closed off. And I just haven’t been awful enough to push you away yet. Give me a few days, I’ll probably turn bitter.” He looked away again, not wanting to risk eyes contact with the beguiling blond.

A look of panic crossed Cloud’s face. This isn’t what he meant at all. He could hear Zack in his head, though, saying “Calm down, be yourself. It’ll work out.” He shook his head to clear it a little and looked at Squall with resolve. “That’s not what I meant. I want to get to know you better. Every part of you. The card shark, the awkward anti-socialite, even the bitter and hurt. I can’t stop thinking about you, and if this is too heavy, I get it, and if you need me to leave, I get that too.”

Squall lifted his gaze to the wall again, thinking for a moment before draining his mug. He stood and poured another cup and asked from the counter “Since when?”

Cloud realized he was talking about the mark. “Since Thursday, when I delivered to you the first time.”

“So, you weren’t picking up our orders by accident.”

“Not after the first time, no.”

Squall came back to the loveseat and sat, facing Cloud more directly. After a few minutes of silence, he asked “Can I see it?”

Cloud’s breath hitched, and he nodded, standing. “Nothing funny, I promise.” Then he exposed his lower abdomen where there was a winged lion’s head. He watched Squall’s face intently, looking for any sign of recognition.

“That. That’s Griever.” He wanted to touch it.

“I thought it might be.” Cloud righted his clothing and sat back down. “I’m guessing…you’ve got Fenrir, then?”

Squall shifted, setting back down his coffee, and pulled off his shirt, exposing his soulmark.

Cloud’s eyes went wide, and he leaned closer. “Can I…touch it?”

Squall nodded. “Yeah.”

Cloud reached out and gently ran his fingers across the lines, feeling the mark warm beneath his touch.

Squall fought to get his gloves off, finally pulling a hand free. He pulled at the band of Cloud’s pants and touched Griever. A shock ran through both of them and Cloud leaned closer, aiming to kiss Squall, who put a hand on his chest.

“I don’t like kissing.” He said quietly, hoping not to have ruined this.

“Oh. I should’ve guessed that.” Instead, he nuzzled into Squall’s neck, cheek resting on Fenrir. Squall relaxed and then wrapped his arms around Cloud.

The afternoon had been slow, and it was finally seven. Time to close at Gunblades and Roses. Aerith locked the door and Selphie started the final closing cleanup. It had taken all of fifteen minutes, but by the time they were done, Seifer was waiting outside in a Ryde to take them to the club, a bar called Fate, known for dancing and their handsome bouncers.

Climbing into the Ryde, Selphie greeted Seifer. “Hey!” She looked him up and down. “So, this is your club gear, huh?”

Seifer looked over at her. “What, did I miss the memo about the dresscode?”

She scooted in closer to let Aerith into the Ryde. “It’s just a bit more revealing than I thought it would be. Fishnet is a bold choice, but I like how small it is.”

“You look very…glittery.”

“I am!” Selphie hugged him tightly. “And now you are, too.”

Aerith laughed, and the driver took off.

A short while later, the Ryde pulled up outside the club. They exited the car and started looking for their friends. Zell walked toward them from one end of the block, waving, followed by Rinoa.

Selphie shrieked in excitement. “Hi guys!” She rushed over and wrapped Zell in a hug first, then Rinoa.

Zell laughed a little, not used to the random affection. “Uh, hey, Selphie. Thanks for the invite.”

“Sorry, you’re my friend now, and friends get hugs.”

“No problem. Just not used to it is all.”

After their hug, Rinoa looked up and down the street, hoping to see more of their friends. Seifer tapped her shoulder when she turned her back, surprising her with a “Hey.”

Rinoa jumped a little at the touch, but relaxed and rushed Seifer with a hug. “Hi, Seify.”

He gave her a quick squeeze, then let go. “Glad you could make it, Rinny.”

Quistis walked up from the other side and Seifer grinned at her. “Thanks for the heads up about that test.”

“It’s not your class that has a test tomorrow.” She tossed her hair over a shoulder.

“And here I thought we were cool.”

Quistis laughed. “Are we ready to go in?”

They joined the line at the door, and soon flashed their IDs at an intimidating man with facial piercings and a studded leather jacket. As they walked into the club proper, the music grew louder, and Quistis leaned to Zell. “Was the bouncer a relative of yours? Cousin, maybe?”

Zell stopped in the entryway and looked at her. “Really?”

Seifer and Quistis laughed, but Selphie frowned. “That’s not cool.”

“You can’t tell me they don’t look a little bit alike. Similar build, hair, hair color?”

“That’s like asking if you and Zelly are related.” Selphie cracked a smile. “Besides, that guy was tall.”

Zell gaped, but Selphie continued. “He was tall, and you’re short. You can’t be related.”

“I’ll have you know, I’m the tallest one in my family.” Zell’s voice pitched higher.

Selphie looked at him seriously. “And you’re nowhere near as tall as the bouncer was.”

Quistis and Seifer laughed again, Aerith, Rinoa and Selphie joining in. They all headed further into the club and staked out a table.

Quistis sat down and announced, “Okay, you go have fun for a while, I’ll hold down the table until someone is tired of dancing, then I’ll go.”

The group split up, going either to the dance floor or to the bar.

Selphie grabbed Zell’s hand. “Hey Zell, no hard feelings, right? I was just teasing.”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Great! Come dance with me!”

“Are you sure? You wouldn’t rather dance with Seifer?” Zell tried to retrieve his hand from Selphie’s grasp, but she held tight.

“What makes you think that?”

“Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that his cross sword is on your back?”

“Oh, is that his?” Selphie laughed. “Just because you and I aren’t destined to be a thing doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. C’mon!” She pulled on his hand and they went to the dance floor.

Seifer, in the meantime, headed to the bar to order a round for the group. He knew what most everyone had a preference for: Redbull and vodka for Zell, a Hurricane for Quistis, watermelon Daquiri for Selphie, a spiked pink lemonade for Aerith, a whiskey double neat for himself, and he hoped Rinoa hadn’t changed her order from a Cherry Blossom.

He returned to the table, and a server brought their drinks. Rinoa sipped at hers. “Shame not everyone could make it.”

“Well, between school and jobs, most of us are pretty busy. Speaking of, how’s your “rebellion” going?” Quistis had heard about her friendship with the budding activist group from Seifer.

“At least I’m helping a cause!” Rinoa stood up, getting ready to start something.

“Ladies,” Seifer started. “Remember that you’re mature adults that can handle disputes without violence. Against each other, or me.” He couldn’t easily step between them, but he could remind them that they didn’t want to be blacklisted from one of the few decent clubs in town.

Both Rinoa and Quistis looked away guiltily, Rinoa rubbing her arm a little. “You’re right.”

Seifer grinned. “Who is?”

Quistis looked at him, annoyed. “You are, Seifer.”

“If you’re so mature, why don’t you dance with me?” Selphie’s voice cut through from behind him.

“Two reasons. One, I was getting drinks,” he handed her the Daquiri. “And two, you were already dancing with Dincht.”

“So?” She took a sip of her drink and smiled. “Ooh, that’s a good watermelon Daquiri.”

“So, three, someone had to make sure that these two,” Seifer gestured to Rinoa and Quistis. “Didn’t get kicked out for catfighting.”

Selphie laughed. “Quisty would never. She’d take it to the bathroom and keep it private.”

Quistis raised an eyebrow. “Quisty? That’s one I haven’t heard since grade school.”

Selphie looked at her. “Would you rather I didn’t? I can try and stop. But I like giving people nicknames, so it might still slip out sometimes.”

“Yeah, she called me Rinny once, and it’s stuck since freshman year of high school.”

“No, it’s fine. I just haven’t heard it in a long time.” Quistis took a sip of her Hurricane.

Seifer looked at Rinoa. “Is that where that came from?”

“Sort of. Mommy calls me that, and Daddy picked it up from her. Selphie was over and heard him say it, then let it slip at school one day. Since then, other people keep picking it up and calling me Rinny, too.”

“And here I was, thinking I was original.” Seifer smiled ruefully.

In unison, Selphie and Rinoa reassured him. “You are original.”

Rinoa then added, “You just didn’t beat us to this one.”

Selphie set down her half-empty glass and pulled on Seifer’s arm. “We’re losing the lead. Come dance with me.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll go dance with the cutest girl here.”

Selphie looked around suspiciously while the rest of the group snickered. “Who? I’m right here, y’know.”

Seifer booped her nose. “You, cutie. Let’s go.”

As they walked toward the dance floor, Rinoa and Aerith both noticed that Selphie’s mark was starting to shimmer.

The smell of fried fish and malt vinegar permeated the air of the garage. Cloud dipped his fries into a pool of vinegar and took another bite. “Y’know what would be perfect with this?”

Squall looked at him, eyebrow raised.

“Beer.”

Squall raised a finger, then got up and went to the mini-fridge. He pulled out two bottles from most of a six-pack, opened them and passed one to Cloud. “Better?”

Cloud took a drink. “Much.”

They sat in silence for another couple of minutes, then Squall asked, “Okay, so why delivery? Why not school, or a different job? Why not military like you said Zack?” He nodded to himself. “Zack is.”

Cloud laughed and raised his bottle in a salute. “Because I flunked out of all of them.”

“How do you flunk out of a job?”

“Oh, that’s easy. You stop showing up.”

“Why would you…? Did you just…hate it? Because I get that.”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, after I tried college, I started working for Shinra. I tried the easy desk job first, but that was boring, so I joined the infantry and tried for SOLDIER. Didn’t make it. Got embarrassed, and stopped showing up.”

“Oof.”

“Yeah, Zack’s the only one, well, now you and Zack are the only ones that know about my spectacular failure. I went into a pretty bad depression after, and he took care of me while I found myself again. So, between that and getting me a room of my own, I owe him big time.”

“Tifa doesn’t know? Isn’t she one of your best friends?”

“I couldn’t…can’t tell her I even tried. It’s…complicated.”

They lapsed into silence again, alternating food and drink, when Squall started. “How long have you known Aerith?”

“A couple years now. Zack introduced me pretty soon after he took me in.”

“Was it weird?”

“Which part of it?”

“The three of you, adjusting.”

Cloud shrugged. “For the first year, I pretty much kept to myself. When she came over, I’d be in my room. I mean, I was in my room most of the time anyway. It was while I was pretty low. But once I started getting up again, it was a pretty easy adjustment. She’s over pretty often.”

“They seem…friendly. Is that a bad thing to say?”

“They are friendly, so no. Unless you mean it in some condescending way.”

Squall thought for a moment, back to that afternoon. “Why would Tifa be upset if I thought someone was friendly?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the situation? Can you give me more detail, or is this private?”

“Would you be offended to be called friendly?”

Cloud thought it over. “It depends. Who’s calling me friendly, and is there something more on the table?”

Squall took a sip of his beer. “What if I called you friendly?”

“I think I’d be fine with it. You already said this probably isn’t a romantic thing.”

Squall looked at the table, the floor, anywhere but Cloud’s eyes. “I don’t know what this is.”

They fell into silence again, finishing off their food and first beers before Squall stood to get them refills. As he sat back down, he pulled out cards. “So, what do you want to get schooled at first?”

“I think I’ll be doing the schooling. In Queen’s Blood.”

Once she pulled him onto the dance floor, Seifer didn’t stop dancing until Selphie was ready for a break. He was energized, feeling good.

They headed back to the table to sit for a few minutes and let someone else dance for a bit.

“Whoo!” Selphie spun in her seat. “Okay, this is kinda wild to say, because I always have tons of energy, but I feel really energized, y’know?”

Seifer nodded. “Yeah, I’m feeling it, too. Do you think they put something in the drinks?”

Zell shook his head. “Not unless it was the bartender. The drinks have been watched all night so far. Although Selphie might be feeling it because she’s downing hers so fast."

“Hmm.” Selphie sipped from her Daquiri as she considered this.

Aerith gave Selphie a hug around the shoulders. “I’m heading home. Otherwise, I won’t be able to open in the morning. See you tomorrow!” She gave a wave to everyone else and left out.

“I’ve been on and off the dancefloor so much, I feel like a table tennis ball. Are clubs usually this rough?” Rinoa walked up to the table, pushing hair out of her face again, wishing she’d worn a headband or something.

“Hey Rinny,” Seifer caught her attention. “What was that drink we got in Deling that summer we visited your mom?” Seifer squinted slightly, trying to remember.

Rinoa hummed slightly and tilted her head. “Stiff Daddy?”

“That kinda sounds right. I’ll check with the bartender.” Seifer counted up the group and went to order. “I need five Stiff Daddies.”

The bartender grinned. “We’re not really the right club for that. Sounds like you want the Manhole.”

Seifer chuckled and shook his head. “I walked right into that one. But do you make the drink?”

“We do. I’ll get them out to you in a few.”

Seifer returned to the table and soon a tray was brought over with five clear tumblers filled with dark liquid and brimming with fog. “Great, the Stiff Daddies are here.”

Seifer began passing them out. Once everyone had theirs, Rinoa quickly stood and offered a toast.

“I’d like to propose a toast!” Rinoa said with a bubbly voice. Seifer narrowed his eyes but didn’t interrupt her. “I hereby toast all my friends who were willing to come out on a school night to party!”

“Hey! That’s supposed to be my toast!” Selphie stood and leaned toward Rinoa, frowning. Seifer slipped Selphie’s cup into her hand and nudged it upwards. “Oh…” Selphie started to get it. “I have a toast, too! I want to thank you all for being some of the best friends a girl could ask for. I have some other great ones, but they can’t all make it here tonight for kinda obvious reasons. To Friendship!”

The table cheered, loudly calling “To friendship and partying on a school night!”

As they drank the Stiff Daddies, each of them were hit with a level of intoxication that put them on the brink of consciousness. While they tried dancing off the effects, the drink had hit them hard. Pulsing beats echoed their way through each of them, and it was hard to tell what was the music and what was their own hearts beating in the moment.

Stepping from the dance floor and drinking some water, Seifer checked with Selphie. “Do you want me to ride back with you to your place and make sure you get home safe?”

Selphie giggled, “That’d be great. I think even I’m done for the night.” She leaned into him and sighed. “Take me home.”

Seifer called for a Ryde and the two said their goodnights. They waited in the cool, early morning air outside of Fate. When the Ryde got there, they climbed in and headed to Selphie’s apartment. When they arrived, Selphie was almost asleep leaning against Seifer, but after nudging her a little, she came around.

“We’re here, Sunshine.” He smiled at her. Turning to the driver, he said, “I’ll just be a minute.”

Selphie blearily climbed out of the Ryde, followed by Seifer and they walked to her apartment. She unlocked the door and walked inside, leaving the door open for Seifer. He came through, helped walk her to her room and take off her boots so she could curl up in bed. Seifer figured that she’d wake up in a few hours, get some water and get more comfortable.

He gave her a small kiss as she snuggled into bed.

“Night, Seify.” Selphie murmured, unintentionally using the name she’d heard Rinoa call him.

Seifer smiled and headed out, locking the door behind him and climbed back in the Ryde. When they arrived at his apartment, he paid his full fare and tipped, heading inside. He went for his room, stripping down and pulling on lounge clothes before he collapsed onto his bed and immediately passed out.

A couple hours passed of playing Queen’s Blood before Squall insisted they switch to Triple Triad. Cloud grinned. “Tired of losing?”

“A little, yeah. Is this how it feels to play against me?”

Cloud nodded as they swapped the game setup. “Kinda. I don’t really mind because I’m still learning, but you are a beast.”

A few games in, Cloud noticed the time. “Shouldn’t we get you home? You have classes tomorrow, right?”

Squall nodded. “I do. But I don’t really want to go home.”

“I get that.”

“Home probably means dealing with Seifer and his questions. “Where have you been all day? Who were you talking to when you left class?” That sort of thing. I don’t have the energy to deal with it tonight, so I think I’m going to just stay here. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Well, then, I should probably get going. Zack will likewise have questions, but I don’t mind answering them.” Cloud stood to start packing up his stuff.

“You could stay.” Squall surprised himself with the offer.

Cloud paused. “I could stay.”

“Do you need to tell Zack where you are?” A slight teasing tone crept into Squall’s voice.

“I should. At least let him know I’m safe.” Cloud pulled out his phone and sat back down.

Cloud: hey, i'm staying out tonight, but don’t worry. i'm safe
Zack: where? so that i know you’re safe.
Cloud: at Squall’s garage

Cloud looked around the garage again.

Cloud: it’s nice, he has a break area and everything

He waited a moment, then sent another message.

Cloud: and i have news to share. tomorrow
Zack: okay, so you’re gonna sleep on the cement floor of a garage? that’s not really great. and what do you mean, you have news to share?

Cloud glared at his phone, then sighed and dialed. “I mean I have news to share with you tomorrow.”

“Why can’t you just tell me now? Is it something you can’t say in front of your boyfriend?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Cloud started to protest. “He’s not…it’s complicated. I’ll tell you about it. Tomorrow.”

“Okay. But seriously, are you sleeping on the ground? That’s not good for your back. Or your hips. Or shoulders. Or any part of you, really.”

Cloud covered the mic on his phone, pulling it away from his ear to ask Squall, “What’s the sleeping arrangement? Zack is worried I’m going to injure myself sleeping on the floor.”

Squall looked up from his cards. “I figured we would sleep on the couch with our feet on the coffee table. I have a couple of space blankets and some pillows. It won’t be the most comfortable, but it’s what I can offer.”

Cloud nodded, then went back to his call. “There’s a couch we’re sleeping on.”

“You’re sleeping together?!”

“Goodnight, Zack.” Cloud ended the call and quickly put his phone on silent, then toed out of his boots. “I hope you don’t mind, I have trouble sleeping with shoes on.”

Squall shrugged. “It’s fine. I was figuring we’d use the pillows for our feet, anyway. The coffee table is hard.”

“Sounds good.” Cloud sat on what he was quickly coming to think of as his side of the loveseat, and after kicking off his own boots, Squall sat next to him. They put the pillows from the corners beside them onto the coffee table, and propped their feet up.

Squall grabbed a couple of space blankets from next to him. “It gets chilly in here, so I thought we’d share.”

They unfolded the blankets and spread them across their legs, cuddling together in the middle of the loveseat. Cloud rested his head on Squall’s shoulder, and Squall leaned onto Cloud. Drifting off to sleep, Squall thought to himself that a pullout couch would be nice if this happened again.

Chapter Text

Seifer was ready to wake up Squall with aggressive knocking, but stopped in his path to Squall’s door when he heard the front door unlatch. He looked, saying “Oh. You’re up. Where have you been all night?”

Squall shut the door. “The garage. I didn’t want to be woken up whenever you came tromping through.”

“I’ll have you know I was home at a reasonable time, and in bed shortly after. Dreaming peacefully, all night long. Should’ve come out, it was fun.”

Squall stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “I had my own fun, thanks.”

Seifer crossed his arms with a smirk. “Oh. Triple Triad?”

Squall gave Seifer a cold look before ducking around him, and into the bathroom, where he started up a speedy shower and quickly got dressed.

Seifer had, in the meantime, gone to the kitchen and helped himself to another bowl of Squall’s cereal, which he was still eating when Squall returned.

“Again?”

With his mouth full, Seifer spoke. “What?”

“You’re eating my cereal again?” Squall huffed lightly.

“I figured you had enough for us both.” Seifer shrugged.

“Buy your own food, Seifer.”

“You first.” He pointed his spoon at Squall.

“Fine. I’ll start letting you put in your own orders, and we’ll see whose food actually gets picked up.”

“You really think your boyfriend is the only Ultima Eats driver in town?”

Squall gaped. “He’s not my—”

“Whatever.”

As Cloud came in, Zack was stepping out of his room in a towel, another in his hands drying his long hair. Cloud stepped into the living room, walking loudly enough that Zack looked over and smiled. “Hey buddy, didn’t hear you come in.”

“I, uh, just got home.” Cloud rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, you look like you stayed out of trouble. So, was the couch comfy?” Zack lightly teased.

“Not really, but the company was good.”

“Glad to hear.” Zack brought his hands together, leaving the towel around his neck, and tilted his head to the side slightly in a pleading gesture. “Could you do me a favor?”

“…What is it?” Cloud asked cautiously.

“Could you scramble me up some eggs while I get dressed?”

Cloud chuckled. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Cool, thanks.” Zack went back to his room to get dressed, coming out a few minutes later in his uniform. He made a cup of coffee and sat at the table. “So, you’ve been kinda scarce lately.”

“I’m not depressed, if that’s what you’re asking.” Cloud looked sure.

“No! No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…that guy…” Zack trailed off.

Cloud raised an eyebrow, slowly crossing his arms.

“Is he nice?”

“Not really, but I think that’s okay.”

“So, you like a not-nice guy? Do you have bad taste in men? I think I knew that when you didn’t like me. I’m great.” Zack boasted mostly to himself.

“What?”

“I’m used to people getting accidental crushes on me, but you didn’t, so…Am I just not your type?” Zack looked beseechingly at his roommate.

“Why do you think I agreed to live with you?”

“Wait, that was a crush? You had a crush on me? I’m honored.” Zack smiled at him and ate the last of his eggs.

“Zack, we’re not talking about this right now.”

“That’s fine, you said you had news to share.”

“You wanna talk about that now?” Cloud asked.

“Well, I’ve gotta have something to keep me going through the day.”

“Oh, the “beautiful soulmate” isn’t enough for you?” Cloud laughed a little.

“Aw, you think she’s beautiful too? You know, we’ve talked about it before, if you wanna join in some time. She thinks you’re cute, too.”

Cloud covered his face with his hands. “I’m not third-wheeling in your relationship.”

Aerith exited Zack’s room, dressed and ready for the day.

Cloud looked between the two of them a few times before deciding on what to say. “We’ll talk about this later. In the meantime, I need more sleep, and preferably in a bed. I’ll see you guys tonight. …But I’m working, so don’t wait on dinner for me.”

“Okay, I’m opening, so I can take care of dinner.” Aerith smiled at them.

Zack raised his hand. “No, Babe, I got it. I’ll pick up on my way home.”

Cloud gave a brief wave as he yawned and headed for his room, leaving Aerith and Zack to figure out dinner plans on their own. He went to his room, changing into pajamas before flopping onto his bed, a hand tracing over Griever. As he felt the gentle warmth of Griever and the soft mumblings from the other room, he fell to sleep before either of them left.

It was late morning when Selphie awoke. She sat up with a yawn and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As she blinked until her vision returned to normal, Selphie smacked her mouth and made a face. Getting up, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and by the time that was done she was wide awake, so she hopped in the shower. A good scrub later, she was carefully curling her hair into three large sections. Once she’d done a touch of cover up and blended it, she went to the kitchen.

Coffee and a muffin in the kitchen led to another cup heading over into her recording area/studio. She sat down on the mustard yellow, spin-top, low back stool that she’d thrifted and went to spin but sat her coffee down in time not to splash it. After a second spin and giggling wildly, she hit the record button.

“Hey guys, it’s me, Selphie! With me today, I have no one because it’s one of my days off; let’s hear it for people getting to take breaks!” She giggled again and fixed her hair. “No, really, I wanted to talk about something that I’ve mentioned a few times recently—soulmates. I…heh. I, uh, I got my soulmark recently. I wanted to talk about what it’s been like getting to know my soulmate so far.

“I saw him out the window of the shop one day and I waved him in…I think he’d been there for a few days, but he only came in late last week. When he came in, he gave me this story about getting a flower for a girl he liked.” Selphie’s voice dropped to a whisper, “He was trying to find out about me!”

She drank some of her coffee and smiled. “…We wound up seeing each other at a trivia thing with friends. Their team was so good. They have this girl, whose name I’ll keep private, who knew almost all the answers right off the bat but get this! They didn’t even win!

”…We went to a club with some of our trivia friends and it was wild. Every time I’m around him I have so much energy I could power the sun. He makes me feel warm, and safe, and cared for…He’s everything I want, guys. I want this, I want him, more than I’ve ever wanted anything and it is so hard to be a responsible person and not just try and kiss him all the time.”

An hour passed and she’d recounted the past week and her hopes about the coming days, but, blushing, signed off, turning to show her soulmark, “So you all know that I’m not joking…”

When she stopped recording, she paused for a bit to drink some water and looked at her monitor. After a minute, she opened up a video chat and called Irvine. She waved when the call connected and chirped, “Hey, Irvy!”

“Hey, Bestie. How’s things?” Irvine’s relaxed tones helped soothe Selphie’s complicated feelings.

“Wow…answering a video call with a mud mask on. Brave.” She stared deadpan at his greyish mask.

“I knew it was you.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, but what if I had Seifer with me?”

“He doesn’t know me, I don’t really care what he thinks.”

“You should!” Selphie stood up, hands on her desk, “You’re my bestie and he’s my soulmate.”

“Lemme rephrase, I don’t really care what he thinks about me, long as he doesn’t try to stop us from talkin’.”

“Pretty sure he’s gonna be fine. He asked about you a little.”

“Oh, yeah? What’d he wanna know?” Irvine leaned back and propped his feet up.

“Why you and I aren’t a thing.”

Irvine laughed, rich and smooth. “Of course that’s what he’s worried about.”

“Well you are a catch.”

“Oh, stop. You know it’s all about you.”

At lunch, Squall was back in his favorite tree, hidden from the view of passersby. He was enjoying the quiet when the soft crunch of shoes on the ground below drew his attention.

“Squall? We need to talk.” It was Quistis. It was always Quistis.

He frowned, but didn’t come out of the tree. “So talk.”

“It’s about your academic progress. I’m worried about you.”

He scoffed. “Don’t be. I’m not your problem.”

“No, you’re my friend.” She stepped under the tree and looked up at him. “And after that stunt you pulled yesterday, walking out of class, I’m even more worried for you.”

A sigh. She was pulling the friend card, which meant she was serious. “Okay. Is it why I left? I’m sure Seifer already mentioned it was a boring lecture.”

“He mentioned that, yes, and also something about a cell phone. But I can’t get into it with you right now, I have a meeting to get to. Let’s meet tonight around seven.”

“Tonight?” He’d planned on going home and getting some decent sleep.

Quistis crossed her arms and shifted weight from one foot to the other. “Yes. I had a dinner plan that fell through, so now you’re my dinner plan. I’ll meet you at Turtle’s Paradise at seven.”

“Turtle’s Paradise? Really?” He’d hoped that she was finally over her silly infatuation, but asking him to a well-known date spot didn’t bode well.

“What? I said I had a plan that fell through. The location didn’t change, the person I’m meeting did.”

“Fine.”

Quistis walked back out from under the trees, leaving Squall alone.

Cloud had woken up early in the afternoon and got ready for work. He’d already missed a few days of deliveries this past week and thought he would try and earn some of that back. He checked his phone as he headed to his bike, logging into the delivery end of Ultima Eats and scanning for nearby deliveries.

Seifer Almasy’s name was on the first screen of text. That meant probably two things: Squall, and Seifer’s 35% tip. He accepted the order and went to pick it up. The delivery address was for the college.

“Makes sense.” He thought, “Squall’s got class today.”

Walking into the H building where the drop-off was listed, he looked around the near-empty hall for Squall, but Seifer caught sight of him first.

“Hey there, Delivery Boy—sorry, Man. Got my grub?” Seifer held out a hand for the bag that Cloud dropped lamely into it.

“Honestly, I was expecting—”

“Leonhart? Yeah, bet you were. He’ll be waiting for you at Turtle’s Paradise tonight at seven.” He applied the full charge to his phone and popped a small pastry into his mouth.

Cloud blinked at him. “Sorry, what?”

“I said that Leonhart will be waiting for you at Turtle’s Paradise at seven. Don’t stand him up.”

“I—” Cloud started to stammer and Seifer turned.

“Later.” He said with a hand waving over his shoulder.

Completely dumbfounded, Cloud returned to his bike to scope out what other orders had come in since apparently he was off before seven tonight. Better make it six.

Selphie arrived early afternoon for her closing shift at Gunblades and Roses. Aerith meticulously went over the closing checklist again.

“Count the money twice—”

“Aerith, I’ve already successfully closed on my own once, I think I can manage.” Selphie put a hand on Aerith’s arm.

“I know, I just worry.” She looked at Selphie with worried brows.

“I didn’t take the money and gamble it away, I’m not gonna do it this time, either!” Selphie pumped a fist and gave an encouraging smile.

“I know, but this store is my baby. And you’re a good babysitter, Selphie, but it’s my baby, and I’m always going to worry. It’s a me thing, not a you thing.” Aerith gently took Selphie’s hand from her arm and held it in both of her hands reassuringly.

Selphie nodded her understanding. “Okay. Are you heading out now, or are you gonna stick around with me a bit?”

“I’ve got to get going. Remember the bouquets—if you’ve got downtime, you’ve got worktime.” Aerith gave her a brief hug. “And remember—”

“Aerith! I got it!” Selphie said, raising her voice a little and planting her hands on her hips.

Aerith shrank back a tiny bit and smiled again. “Right. Good night. Good closing.”

“You got it!” Selphie pumped a fist again as Aerith walked out.

Selphie went to the register and got their list of orders, going about collecting flowers and started making bouquets; most were the same, a mix of pink roses, chrysanthemums, and lilies, with some other flowers if the customer had a special order. She carefully built each bouquet then stored them in the fridge for the weekend.

She only had a few customers, so on her breaks between bouquets, she was watering flowers and, more often than not, cooing over her forget-me-nots. She sighed gently, thinking about Seifer, feeling her soulmark warm her back and her heart flutter.

Selphie: Thinking of you
Selphie: 05xxxxxx.jpg

Selphie smiled at the picture of her with her flowers and tucked her phone away, ready to get back to work on bouquets.

Squall hadn’t bothered changing to go meet Quistis. He walked out of his room, sliding an arm into his jacket. Seifer looked up as he closed the bedroom door and raised a brow. “You’re not going out like that, are you?”

Squall looked down at his tee-shirt and riding pants. “What? I’m just meeting Quistis.”

“And she’s our friend. Put in some effort.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s doing you a favor.”

Rolling his eyes, Squall headed back into his room and came out a minute later with a button down shirt over his tee-shirt, a couple buttons undone and the collar spread wide. He looked at Seifer before putting back on his jacket. “Better?”

Seifer couldn’t help but laugh. “Good enough. Better than I thought you’d do.”

“Whatever.” Squall finished slipping his jacket on and left, arriving a bit later at Turtle’s Paradise. He walked in and gave the maître d’ Quistis’ name. He was led to a table along the back wall of the restaurant, between the kitchen door and the windows looking out at the street.

Cloud arrived a few minutes later, telling the maître d’ that he was meeting someone, and pointed out Squall before walking over.

Squall looked up as he approached, a smile starting to form that was quickly overtaken by confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought…” Heat started to rise in Cloud’s face. “Seifer said…I should go.” He’d been played, and had fallen for it completely. He started to turn to leave.

“Wait.” Squall reached out. “Stay.”

Cloud practically fell into the chair across from Squall. “Are you sure?”

“We should probably talk about…” Squall nodded toward Cloud, and rubbed his soulmark.

“Yeah. We should.”

Squall stood and pulled off the button down, leaving it on the table, and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”

Cloud looked up at him in confusion. “What?”

“You don’t want to have this talk in public, do you?”

“No, you’re right.”

“We can get food after. Something fast.”

Squall exited the restaurant, and Cloud talked for a moment with the maître d’ to make sure there wasn’t any bill to settle. He headed outside after Squall, and met up in the parking lot. After a moment of silent communication, they climbed onto their bikes and took off for the garage.

Seifer’s phone buzzed, and he picked it up to check the message.

Quistis: I think it might be time to panic.
Seifer: Why should I panic?
Quistis: They’ve left the restaurant.

His bark of laugher rang through the empty apartment.

Seifer: Together?
Quistis: Hard to tell, I wasn’t in the restaurant.
Seifer: I’m gonna text to see if he answers. You should, too.

Thumbing to a different text thread, he sent a message to Squall.

Seifer: How’s your date going?

Seifer set down his phone, not expecting a response. Thinking for a moment about what he could do with his newfound free time, he picked back up his phone and called Selphie.

She answered on the first ring. “Oh, hi!”

“Hey. How was closing?” He stretched out across the couch, sinking so that he was laying down across the whole thing.

“Not bad. Kinda lonely. Lot more orders for Mom’s Day. So. Many. Bouquets. On the bright side, I smell like flowers!”

Seifer grinned. “You work in a flower shop. I figure you smell like flowers most of the time.”

“You’re just saying that because you like me.”

“Maybe, but there’s gotta be some truth to it.”

“So, what’s up?”

“Do I need a reason to call?”

There was silence for a moment before Selphie cautiously said, “…no…That was more of a general “What’s up?”, like what’s going on?”

“Oh. Playing matchmaker. I sent my roommate out on a date with your buddy Cloud.”

“Whoo, that’s a tall order. Cloud doesn’t date.”

“Really?” Seifer didn’t sound too sure of that. “He seemed pretty interested to me.”

“Alright, well, for as long as I’ve known him, Cloud hasn’t dated. Squall is the one with the scar that matches yours, right?”

“Yeah, that’s Sourpuss, as you so eloquently put it.”

There was about thirty seconds of silence before Selphie started up again, a whine creeping into her voice. “Can we meet up? I already closed and I’m bored!”

“Don’t we have class tomorrow?”

“Who said it would be late?”

“Okay, but gotta meet up quick, because it’s already after seven.” Seifer wasn’t sure how long after seven it was, but he didn’t really care.

“Great! Let’s go somewhere we can talk. I want to get to know you better.”

“We’re talking right n—“

“In person! I wanna see my mark!”

Seifer laughed. “Okay, okay! How about the waterfront? I love fishing there with my friends.”

“Sounds great! I’ll meet you there.”

Selphie ended the call first, leaving Seifer staring at his phone for a moment before getting up to make sure he was dressed for the waterfront. He wanted wind- and water-resistant, so he grabbed his trench coat and headed out, locking up after himself.

The two motorcycles pulled into the garage, engines cutting in tandem. Squall closed the door and started a pot of coffee. “Want a cup?”

“Yes, please. I get the feeling we might need it.”

Squall sat on the loveseat and stared at the ceiling for a moment before speaking. “Okay. What does “soulmate” mean to you?”

“Jumping right into it, huh? Okay, uh, soulmate…someone who…” Cloud looked for the right words. “Someone who gets me. That compliments me. We’re compatible in a way that I’m not with others.”

Squall sat forward and pulled off his shirt. “What does this mean to you?”

“Um…” Cloud stared, not sure what exactly Squall was asking. Then realization hit. “Oh, you mean the soulmark. That…uh…it’s Fenrir. He’s the lone wolf.”

Squall nodded once. “This,” he touched Fenrir. “Is a sign that maybe I’m not actually meant to be alone. Griever…” He gestured toward Cloud’s midsection. “Is alone, too. He’s a guardian, a force of nature. He doesn’t need anyone because he’s so strong. I thought I was the same way.”

Cloud was quiet for a moment. “…do you feel weaker for having me?”

Shaking his head, Squall said, “No. If anything, since we met, I’ve felt emboldened.”

“Emboldened, huh? I think I get that.”

“Why were you at the restaurant?”

“I told you, Seifer said that you’d be waiting. But you weren’t waiting for me. And I’m an idiot. Apparently a transparent idiot.”

“I was waiting for Quistis to tell me about my “trajectory” because her date plans fell through and she had an opening for me, I guess. Sounds like she and Seifer are up to something, trying to get us alone. Idiots.”

Cloud couldn’t meet Squall’s gaze, he was still embarrassed by the fact that he’d been played so easily. “Yeah…them…”

“I mean it. We were moving at our own pace, why’d they have to get in the middle of it?”

“Maybe they didn’t know.”

“They didn’t need to know. You’re my soulmate, not theirs. They don’t have any stake in this other than my mood.” Cloud looked up as Squall spoke, deer in the headlights at his possessive outburst. Squall continued. “Are your friends harassing you?”

“Not exactly. They’re asking questions; questions I haven’t exactly had a chance to answer.” Cloud took a deep breath before continuing. “Could you put your shirt back on?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Squall pulled his tee-shirt back on, smoothing it over his stomach.

“It’s just…very distracting.”

Squall stood to get coffee, returning to the loveseat with two steaming cups. He passed one to Cloud, who took it gratefully.

Cloud slowly stepped toward the loveseat and sat next to him. “So, what does “soulmate” mean to you?”

“To me, it’s someone who understands me on a level that no one else does. Doesn’t necessarily get my hobbies but understands and respects that they make me happy. Someone who has similar, but not identical, taste. Their own person as much as mine.”

“I like the sound of that. So, I’m your soulmate, huh?”

Squall avoided looking at Cloud. “…yes.”

“What do you want from me, then?”

“Just…what we have is fine with me. I like that you’re…my friend and we’ve been having fun. I…I don’t want that to change, but I feel like if I don’t take the chance on this with you, I’m going to miss out on something amazing.”

Squall hesitated as he finished, then moved closer, until they were face to face. He leaned, closing the distance between them, when Cloud put a hand to his lips. “I thought you don’t like kissing.”

“I’m willing to try with you.” He pulled Cloud’s hand away from his mouth and gently pressed their lips together. Squall pulled away, uncertainty clear on his face. “We’ll figure it out.”

Seifer was already waiting at the waterfront when Selphie walked up, staring out at the water as the sun was starting to set. She quietly crept up from behind and wrapped her arms around him, giving a cheery “Hi!”

Seifer stiffened a moment before he realized it was Selphie, and he relaxed against her. He patted her hands, inviting her to stand next to him instead. “C’mon, you can’t see anything with your face buried in my back.”

Loosening her grasp, she stepped under his arm and stood next to him, one arm still wrapped around his waist. He put an arm around her shoulders.

“Was your day good?”

“I mean, it wasn’t awful, but there were a lot of bouquets. It’s basically my life this week. Any time we’re not dealing with customers, it’s bouquets.”

Seifer hummed. They watched the sun start to dip below the horizon before he spoke up again. “So, do your folks live around here?”

“Hehe, no.” Selphie leaned her head against his chest. “What about you?”

“I don’t talk to them anymore.”

“Oh. That’s so sad!”

“Is it? I’m fine with it. They forgot about me, so I just returned the favor.” Seifer’s voice was light, as if he weren’t speaking from a place of trauma. Maybe he’d already come to terms with it.

Selphie frowned, pouting a little. “I didn’t ask Rinny anything, because I wanted to hear it from you. Was it awful? How could they just forget about you?”

“I “acted out” as a kid, so they dropped me in military school as soon as they could. I guess they didn’t care to pick me up after graduation. But by that point, I had friends, and me and Leonhart had experience as roomies, so it was a no-brainer that we’d keep living together. It hasn’t been bad, except when he wastes my money to buy food for both of us.”

“Why is it wasting money if he’s buying food for both of you?”

“Because he has his own money. And last I knew, he was trying to spend it down. And on top of that, I have to carefully budget with my loans.”

“Huh. Okay. That’s fair. Do you work at all? That’s rude, sorry.”

Seifer laughed. “It’s fine. I don’t have a job right now, but I’m working with Quistis to get a work-study job, doing basically what she’s doing now, but next year. Y’know, running one of the younger classes alongside the professor.”

“That’s so cool!”

“I guess it is, isn’t it? I was just thinking it would look good on a resume.” Seifer paused for a moment, then looked down at Selphie. “Do you wanna walk for a bit?”

“Sure.” She took his hand and held it as they walked along the waterfront, admiring the lights of the city starting to come on as it got dark. “You know, in a couple of weeks, it’ll still be bright out at this time.”

“Mm-hmm.” Seifer nodded. “Anything special you want to do on Friday? Or am I planning the whole thing?”

“Let’s plan together. What do you like to do?”

“I’m thinking dinner is obvious. Do you like sports?”

“Love sports. Anything where I can hit a ball is pretty great.” Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “Not to scare you or anything, but I like hitting things.”

“Things?”

“Balls, random buttons, you know, things.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like trouble at all.”

Selphie grinned at him. “I never said I wasn’t trouble. So, are we thinking a game? College level or pro?”

“I have a couple friends that work at the arena, so I’ve got an in. I’m pretty sure the Anacondaurs have a home game we could see, if it starts late enough. Otherwise, I know where there are batting cages we could play with.”

“Ooh, intimate training.” She bit her lip, then burst into giggles.

“Yeah, super intimate. You in your cage, me in mine. Seeing who can hit more.”

“We’re getting competitive? You may want to rethink that.”

“No can do. It’s who I am. Leonhart could tell you.”

“Fun’s fun and all, but I do have a competitive streak.”

“As long as you aren’t a sore loser. Or winner.”

“I might be a sore winner. But I take my losses in stride. What about you? How do you deal with loss?”

Seifer thought about his response for a moment. “Historically, not well. I’m a very emotional person.”

“Interesting.”

“You are, too.”

Cloud nestled in a little closer, nuzzling against where he knew Fenrir was. “What are we going to do?”

Squall thought for a moment, wrapping an arm around Cloud and squeezing him a little closer. “For my part, I think I need to limit when we see each other. Hard limits. No more talking during class. Quistis was right about that.” He rubbed his hand up and down Cloud’s arm. “I can’t stop thinking about you. And when you talk to me, I’m yours.” He gently set Cloud upright and stood. He grabbed a couple decks of cards and the Queen’s Blood mat, and started setting up a match.

Cloud scooted to the edge of the loveseat and looked the table over. “Not Triple Triad?”

“If you would rather…”

“No, I can kick my soulmate’s butt at my favorite game. I don’t mind.”

Squall finished setting the board up and passed Cloud his cards. Picking up his own cards, he sat across from Cloud, facing him.

They flipped for it, and Cloud wound up going first. They played in the quiet for a few games before Cloud interrupted as Squall was resetting the board again. “We really should talk more about this. I get the need for distancing.”

“We can talk. I just…can’t talk and be right next to you at the same time right now.” Squall looked up at the ceiling. “It’s so stupid. It’s hard to look at you.”

“Yeah, let’s talk about that part. I…understand that you’re not into dating and stuff. Is this so different?”

“I don’t know.” Squall dragged his hands down his face. “I’ve never felt like this toward anyone before. You’re unique. You’re something outside my norm, but you’re a piece that fits into my life perfectly. Like something I didn’t know I was missing. You’re warmth. Whenever I think of you, there’s a warmth. When I got your message, and I saw it was from you…” Squall looked at Cloud. “I smiled. I don’t smile much. There’s only one person who can reliably get one from me, and you’re definitely not her.”

Cloud nodded in understanding. “So, then, other than the friendship we’ve been building already, is there something you want from this relationship? I’m open to exploration, whatever that means for you.”

“How patient are you?”

“I can be very patient.” Cloud looked a little smug.

“I know you can be patient, but how patient?”

“Good question. I’ve never really had to test my limits.”

“If you think can be patient, and help me through it, I’m willing to try to be something with you.”

“For you, for us, I think I can wait until glaciers melt.”

“You might have to.”

Taking the short walk from the waterfront to Selphie’s apartment, she and Seifer traded questions back and forth. Thinking for a moment, she asked, “Okay, favorite movie?”

“Easy! The Sorceress Knight. Starring, ironically, Squall’s dad.”

Selphie gasped. “No way! Sourpuss’s dad is a movie star? Shut up!”

“It’s true. He did one movie, and it’s my favorite movie of all time.”

“That is so cool!”

“Okay, favorite monster?”

“Ooh, tonberry, for sure. They’re so cute, with their little tails and lanterns and stabby little knives.” Selphie imitated a tonberry stabbing.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised. It’s a very you answer.”

She looked at him slyly. “How would you know?”

“You think I don’t have a read on my soulmate?”

“Alright, what’s this “read” saying?”

“You,” he booped her nose. “Are high energy and quirky, so I shouldn’t expect normal girl answers like moogles or chocobos to questions about favorite monsters.”

She paused in thought. “Okay…you might be on to something there.” They came to a stop outside her apartment building, and she turned to face him. “Favorite…flower.”

“Forget-me-nots.” He leaned down toward her.

She raised on tiptoe, and he met her in the middle with a kiss. A moment later, they parted, a little breathless. Selphie took a step back. “Okay…we should probably stop there…because I would love to invite you inside, but if we keep kissing, I’m afraid of what might happen.” She twisted her hands together. “That was really nice.”

“We should definitely do that again sometime. But you’re right. We have things we need to do tomorrow…classes to attend, shops to close. I’ll, uh, talk to you later.”

“I could wait out here with you for your Ryde, if you want.”

“I’d like that.” He sat on the curb and set up the pickup.

She sat next to him, and they sat together in silence while they waited.

The Ryde showed up ten or so minutes later. “That’s me.”

“That’s you.” They stood, and she suddenly had a thought. “Okay, you can open the door and even get in, but don’t shut it yet!” She ran up to her apartment, and opened a window a moment later, waving out it. “Okay, I’m in my apartment,” she called. “So you know I got inside safe, and I can see you getting into your Ryde!”

Seifer paused as he got into the Ryde, turning and waving back at her with a smile. He climbed in, closed the door, and the driver started off toward his own apartment.

Cloud stowed his cards in the saddlebag on Fenrir, and straddled the bike. He turned to Squall. “I’ll talk to you later. We’ll actually do dinner, maybe tomorrow?”

“Okay.” Squall offered his hand, which Cloud took and got a gentle squeeze in response. “You can text me.”

“Right, but not during class hours.”

A slight smile played on Squall’s mouth. “Not during class hours. I break for lunch at eleven forty-five, and finish with classes at three.”

Cloud nodded, made sure he wasn’t forgetting anything in the garage, and waited for Squall to open the door. He waved as he rolled out, Squall closing the door behind him.

Ten minutes later, Cloud pulled into the garage at his own apartment, parked, and headed up. Expecting to hear chattering from Zack and Aerith when he opened the door, and maybe smell food cooking, he was surprised that all he heard was the sounds of a blitzball game coming from the living room. Suddenly feeling nervous, he stepped into the apartment and locked up behind himself. “Zack?”

“In here, buddy.” The TV clicked off as Cloud came into the living room, and spotted the takeout wrappers on the coffee table. “I brought dinner. Wasn’t sure when you’d be getting in, but I figured that sandwiches keep pretty well.” Zack gestured to the wrapped hoagie in front of Cloud’s chair. “Mustard? Stone-ground…”

Cloud grinned, all traces of nervousness gone, then sat, ready to dig in. “So, I know I promised you an explanation.”

“Yup, that’s why Aerith is at hers tonight. Figured this was something you wanted to talk about, just us.”

Cloud took a bite of his sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. “That’s good. Yeah. Listen, I figured out who my soulmate is, and we’ve been doing some talking. That’s where I was last night, was with him.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s he like?”

“You kinda…met him already. On Sunday. At trivia.”

“No shit, the brunet with the scar that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of? I should’ve known.”

Cloud laughed a little. “Yeah…Squall.”

“Squall?” Zack’s voice was a little incredulous.

“What about it?”

“Nothing, just the two of you are a pair.” While Cloud took another bite, Zack asked, “So, you done the big talk yet? Know where you stand?”

Cloud nodded, swallowing. “Sort of. We’re…exploring options.”

“Interesting choice…what options are there? Because I thought there was, like, one.”

“Squall’s not really into dating. Or stuff like that. So, we’re exploring options. Like not dating.”

“Friends without benefits?”

Cloud choked a little. “If it comes to that, yeah.”

“But you like him.”

“Yeah. He’s interesting, and fun to be around in a weird way. And you’ve seen him.”

Zack nodded. “Okay, fair point. And he likes you?”

“I mean, he’s open to spending time with me, and trying new things, so I think so.”

“So, what’s the problem again?”

Playing a little with the wrapper on his sandwich, Cloud avoided eye contact. “Like I said, he’s not really into the dating thing, or stuff like that. At least, he’s pretty sure he’s not. But he’s willing to explore it. With me. Like, we kissed earlier, even though he turned me down before.”

“Progress?”

“Yeah. Even said it wasn’t as bad as he thought.”

“Who kissed who first?”

Cloud squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what Zack was getting at. “Are you saying I’m a bad kisser?”

“No! I wouldn’t know. Because you never let me kiss you.”

“Yeah, because as long as I’ve known you, you’ve had Aerith for that.”

“Heh, yeah.” Zack scratched the back of his head. “But seriously, how did the kiss go?”

“Well, he kissed me, and it was short, but he said it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Probably because it was a regular, closed mouth kiss. Nothing weird with tongues or anything like that.”

“Oh, he’s a no-tongue guy. That’s different. You just need to brush up on your smooching techniques is all.”

“I don’t know if this is something I want to “fix”.” Cloud folded his hands. “If it happens, it happens, and I’m okay if it doesn’t. Really.”

“I think that’s the right attitude. With a soulmate, everything is balance. Give and take. Supporting each other. I’m glad you already see that.”

Cloud smiled, feeling more confident in his budding relationship. Whatever form it would take. They finished their sandwiches while Cloud told Zack about the restaurant “date” mixup, and then Zack caught Cloud up on his day. Soon after, Cloud went to his room to get ready for bed. As he undressed, he noticed that his soulmark was starting to turn gold. He finished getting ready for bed, then slid under the covers, hand resting on Griever.

“Real cute, Seifer. You and Quistis set that up on your own, or should I be thanking Zell, too? Maybe Rinoa?” Squall locked the door behind him and stood in the doorway to the living room.

Seifer raised a brow. “You didn’t have fun?”

“We left immediately.”

“I heard. But did you have fun?”

Squall shifted his gaze. “Eventually.”

“It was just me and Quistis. No one else had anything to do with it. And I’m the mastermind, so you can let Quistis off the hook, too.”

“Why?”

“Why? Why what?”

“Why did you do it? Things were going fine.”

Seifer held up a hand, counting off on his fingers. “One, it was funny. Two, how was I supposed to know how things are going between you and the delivery man if you don’t talk to me? Three, did I mention it was funny? You should’ve seen how fast he agreed to meet up when he heard you’d be waiting for him.”

“It’s not funny, Seifer.”

“Say that less like a twelve year old girl.”

“Wow. Misogyny. Sure your new girlfriend will love that.”

“Oh, like you’re some shining beacon of perfection. Does he know about your dad?”

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “If you can’t see why this isn’t funny, there’s no chance I’m giving you any details about my relationship.”

“…It’s him, isn’t it?”

Squall narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You got your mark recently. It’s him, isn’t it? No wonder you were so insistent on delivery man. Everything about this is hilarious, actually. Everything.”

“So what if it is him? What’s so hilarious about it?”

“That you’d find someone so much…like you. But with that kind of shelter dog energy.”

“I’m done talking about this with you.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to bed, anyway.” Seifer got up and headed to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Squall went to his room and pulled out his phone.

Squall: Are you free to talk?

A moment later, his phone vibrated, and he answered it. “I know it’s late, but I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Ellone’s voice was soft with concern.

“I know who it is.”

“Great! So, why do you sound so upset?”

“Is “it’s complicated” an acceptable answer?”

“Of course. Do you want to try and talk through it?”

Squall took a steadying breath. “Yeah. Remember how I mentioned that delivery guy?”

“I remember.”

“He’s wearing Griever like a belt buckle.”

Elle hissed a breath in. “That’s…definitely you. But the placement seems really…intimate?”

“I think it’s meant to be.”

“How so?”

“Well, I dunno…my soulmark is a wolf. His name is Fenrir. He’s as special to Cloud as Griever is to me.”

“So his name is Cloud?”

Squall paused a moment. “Yeah.”

“You sound like you match, then. Where’s your mark?”

“Upper pec, toward the shoulder. We were kinda…cuddling, I guess, on the couch in my garage, and he just fell asleep on me, my soulmark. It was nice, and he looked so peaceful. I like him, Sis. I like spending time with him. I think about him all the time. I…walked out of class yesterday because he sent me a text…I’m sure Loire will be happy to hear that.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but is he a bad influence?” Elle sounded worried.

“No. I’m just…excited. And distractible. And to be fair, it was a boring lecture.” Squall cradled the phone to start getting ready for bed. “How are things back home?”

“Oh, same as ever. Uncle Laguna is off on another trip.”

“Yeah? When is he getting back?”

“In about a month.”

Squall frowned. “So, he’ll be there for my visit in a month and a half.”

“Yup. He’s made sure of it. Said he didn’t want to miss any visits from his son.”

“Well, when I visit, I have a new game for you. I think you’ll like it.”

“What is it?”

“Queen’s Blood.” Squall wasn’t sure if she’d heard of it yet.

“Ooh, I’ve seen the posters for that.”

“There’s more cards than Triple Triad, but it’s a lot easier to collect them all. I’ll have a deck for you.”

“Can’t wait to learn it. Oh!” Elle’s voice rose with surprise. “Time for lights out.”

“Alright, but from who? Who’s Sis-sitting?”

“Ward. He flashed the lights at me, then left. So it’s time for lights out.”

“Okay. I’ll try and call earlier in the day so we have more time to talk next time.”

“Sounds good. Goodnight, Squall.”

“Goodnight, Sis.” He ended the call and set his phone on the charger. He pulled off his tee-shirt and caught a glint of light reflecting off the golden lines of his soulmark. Breathing deep, he pulled on his sleepshirt, then climbed into bed and rolled onto his side. He wrapped his arms around himself, putting a hand over Fenrir. “Goodnight, Cloud.”

Chapter Text

Selphie was already working into her routine by six-thirty, doing stretches and a Sun Salute yoga form. When she was done, she rolled up her mat, set it under her bed and went to shower. As she hummed and sang in the shower, steam rolled over the stall and masked the mirror. When she got out, she dried off and wrapped up in a fluffy butter yellow towel. She wiped the mirror clear and started her skincare and makeup routine.

She finished up and went to pick out a dress. She was very into dresses this summer, and she’d collected quite a few yellow dresses, most covered in flowers. One that looks like it ties at the shoulder? Sure! She dropped her towel and grabbed her underclothes, then dropped the dress over her head, letting it fall into place.

She double checked her look, then pulled on a pair of medium brown boots and grabbed her bag, she would need it for class. Leaving her apartment, Selphie headed down to Gunblades and Roses.

As Selphie stuck her head in the surprisingly stuffed store, she asked towards the counter, “You want some help in here?”

Aerith smiled and waved her in. “I’m making bouquets, but I can’t run them to the fridge on my own until the crowd clears out.”

“I can do that!” Selphie bounced her way over to the counter, stopping every now and then to tell a customer good morning. She carefully grabbed an armful of bouquets and walked to the fridge, placing each one gently in a bucket. After Selphie’s second pass, the door opened again and both she and Aerith chimed, “Welcome to Gunblades and Roses! Be with you in a minute!”

Selphie turned and saw that Seifer had just entered. “Definitely be with you in a minute.” Seifer just raised a hand and looked around the shop, finding the forget-me-nots in a planter.

Selphie approached him and pushed a small watering can into his hands. “You can give them a little water. They’re thirsty.”

Seifer carefully watered the small flowers to moisten them, just enough to keep the soil damp and looked back up to see Selphie cooing over him. “You good?” He asked as he straightened up and handed back the small can.

“Yup! Ready to go!” Selphie grabbed her bag and yelled “Bye Aerith! See you after class!”

Aerith waved after them. “Have a good day, you two.”

Seifer grabbed the door and held it for Selphie. She ducked under his arm and waited for him to join her. Once they were both outside, they took each other’s hands and walked to the campus together.

“Have a good day, buddy!” Zack called as he left for the day, locking the door behind him.

Cloud sat up and rubbed at his face, then got up to start his daily cleanup. There wasn’t much to put away, just some clothing, but he preferred to stay on top of it instead of letting it pile up. Once his room was tidied to his satisfaction, he went out to the kitchen to make breakfast. Another day, another egg dish. Today was a bacon and tomato omelet, which he took into the living room to eat while browsing the TV to see what was on.

After he ate, he got dressed and opened Ultima Eats on his phone to see what kind of breakfast orders there were. This was a trial run—he didn’t normally pick up orders this early, but if he was awake, might as well earn some money. And if he was working, he wasn’t watching the clock, counting down minutes until he could message Squall. There weren’t a lot of orders yet, but there were enough to start off the day on a high note. He chose a pickup from Siren Coffee, then headed downstairs, to his bike.

Squall opened his door cautiously, expecting that Seifer was on his way to “wake him up.” To his surprise, his roommate was nowhere to be found. As far as Squall could tell, the apartment was empty, except for him. Relishing that there was no one to hear, he spoke out loud. “Must be going for flowers again.”

He went to the kitchen and made his coffee, then got a bowl of cereal. The box was getting low, he noted, so he would need to pick up another couple boxes soon. Maybe hide one in his room. He sat at the table and ate his cereal like a civilized person, no sugar and no milk. He pulled the newspaper closer from where Seifer had left it, and started looking it over. He normally had a chance to see it after Seifer was done, but it looked like he hadn’t even opened it yet today. About the time he got to the comics section, his phone beeped to let him know it was time to leave. He grabbed the comics and headed out.

Seifer and Selphie stopped at the entrance to campus to talk a moment before heading to their respective classes. As their steps slowed and stopped under a large oak, Selphie twisted the point of her toe on the ground.

“So…wanna get lunch later?” She chirped.

“Yeah, how about the caf here? That way we can talk more.” Seifer smiled down at her.

“Sounds great!” Selphie began to pull away, then stopped. “You know, you should learn how to cook. It’ll save you money.”

Seifer didn’t respond. Selphie began to panic and backpedaled, “I’m sorry! That was rude, and I have no idea about your financial situation other than what you’ve told me, so I don’t really know if you’re even struggling or anything. I just know that people who eat out a lot tend not to cook at home.”

Seifer snickered. “Heh, you’re right. Do you know how to cook?”

Selphie held her hands behind her back and twisted them as she spoke. “Um, the basics. I can follow a recipe. And…I know basic knowledge about cooking, like tips and tricks you’re supposed to learn along the way?”

Seifer shrugged. “I can follow a recipe. It’s just time consuming.”

“On the days I make lunch, I’ll make lunch for you, too.”

Seifer gave a genuine smile. “I’d like that.”

Selphie nodded. “So, from tomorrow on, I’ll always make lunch. Unless I’m completely pressed for time. Or I don’t have class. So, Monday and Wednesday, you’re on your own, buster.”

Seifer tried not to laugh. “Buster?”

Selphie laughed.

He nodded in thought. “Yeah, I think I can handle lunch for two days out of the week. And if you’re pressed for time and can’t make anything, I’ll buy.”

Selphie smiled up at him. “Okay, that sounds fair.” She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Then, when she’d got that out of her system, she went on toe to kiss his cheek, then paused and kissed him on the mouth.

He hugged her back as they kissed, then they parted. “You’re getting your sticky lip gloss on my face.”

“That better be the only thing you’re complaining about.” She shot him a look.

“Definitely.” Letting her go, he checked his phone, “Alright, I gotta get to class.”

“Okay. I should probably do the same.” She popped up to give him another quick peck, then headed off towards her class. Seifer watched her for a few seconds, then turned and went to his own.

Lunch rolled around, and with it, a fresh influx of orders. Cloud paused between his last drop off and taking a new pickup to message Squall.

Cloud: hey, how’s your day going?

Immediately, he saw a response being typed.

Squall: Not bad. Seifer was even gone this morning, so I had the place to myself. Looks like just because they know they’re soulmates doesn’t change the fact that he wants to see her every morning.
Cloud: I can attest to that. I definitely wanted to see you this morning

There was a noticeable pause before Squall started typing his response.

Squall: I did, too.
Cloud: do you have lunch plans today? I can bring you something
Squall: Sure, let me set up an order.
Cloud: I meant, just get you lunch, not deliver it
Squall: Oh. What were you thinking?

Cloud looked across the street from his last drop off and focused on the sign for D. Riley’s.

Cloud: i was thinking I could go out to D. Riley’s for a sampler pretty quick
Squall: Two things: where’s the ketchup, and what are you going to eat?
Cloud: i’ll bring the ketchup, even if I have to buy a bottle from them. and i’ll have chicken and fries
Squall: Okay, I’ll send Quistis to meet you.

Cloud drove across the street and placed the order to go, getting it quickly, and taking off for the school.

Squall put his phone back into his pocket, still hiding in his tree. As a small breeze blew by, he called out calmly, “Hey Quistis?”

“Yeah?” Her silken tone called back to him.

“Other than spying on me, why do you hang out here?”

Quistis gave a shrug she knew wouldn’t be seen. “I like the fresh air on my break.”

“Oh.” After a moment of twirling a leaf in his fingers, Squall continued, “Could you go get Cloud from the entrance to the building and bring him back here?”

Quistis cocked her hip and leaned towards the tree. “So things went well?”

Squall’s lip twitched slightly in agitation. “Shut up. Or I will blame you, instead of giving you the pass that Seifer negotiated last night.”

With a flick of her bangs, “Tch. Touchy.” She walked back around the building to come back a couple minutes later with Cloud, who was carrying a paper sack.

Squall leaned out of the tree enough to be visible and gave half a wave.

Cloud stood at the base of the tree and passed up the bag before climbing into the tree, himself, next to Squall. “Ketchup and your sampler should be on top.”

Squall wiped his hands together a few times unhappily. “Did they give us any wet wipes?”

“I don’t think so. Pretty sure those are only given out for ribs.”

“We’ve both got tree sap on our hands.” Squall showed his hands to Cloud.

Cloud finished getting comfortable and wiped his hands on his pants. “Actually…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer. He squirted out a bit and passed it to Squall. “You would not believe the filthy things I’ve had to touch at this job.”

Squall squirted a fair amount of sanitizer into his palm and passed the bottle back. He rubbed his hands together. “I can’t even imagine.” He said deadpan, but serious.

“I’d tell you about them, but I don’t wanna turn you off your food.”

Squall gave a single nod. “Another time then.” Looking inside the bag, he chuckled once. “You really did get the ketchup from D. Riley’s, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I said I would. Pops, the guy at the counter, just let me take a bottle. Said he had plenty more in the back.”

Squall nodded. “Sounds like Pops.”

They pulled out the trays of food and dug in. As they chewed in the gentle breeze, Squall paused. “I told my sister about you. We haven’t had a chance to talk about it, but I let her know the basics.”

Cloud nodded as he finished a chicken strip. “Sounds like the conversation I had with Zack last night.”

“Yeah?” Squall looked more interested than he meant to.

“Yeah, he seemed a little weirded out by the concept of being friends without benefits, but if it works for us, he’s for it.”

“Glad we have his support.” Squall laughed lightly. “Friends without benefits?”

“His words, not mine. But I mean, it is a pretty apt description.” Cloud dragged a couple of fries through the ketchup and ate them in a single bite.

“You’re right.” Squall paused. “About that…you sure you’re still up for that?”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, like I said last night, I’m good with whatever you want us to be. Whether that’s friends or something else.”

Squall looked down. “It’s good to hear that. I was…worried that you might change your mind.”

Cloud looked at Squall and smiled. “Not about this.”

After a moment, they returned to eating, and a moment later Squall spoke again. “So now you know where my lunch spot is, so you can find me at lunch.”

“Now I know.” Cloud raised a hand and placed the other on his chest. “I promise, I won’t abuse this knowledge.

Seifer rocked back and forth on his heels, hoping he’d chosen the right cafeteria. They hadn’t exactly been clear that morning on which one to meet at. He was waiting mostly patiently for Selphie, who came bouncing up a moment later, a little out of breath.

“You okay there, Sunshine?”

She leaned, hands on her knees, and looked up at him. “Yeah…just…ran here from across campus.”

“Why didn’t you say to go to the other cafeteria, then?”

“Because I didn’t think about it.”

Once Selphie caught her breath and was good to go, they headed into the cafeteria proper, and over to the counters. Selphie looked around at the different offerings and pumped her fist, heading over to a line. “Yes! Fresh pasta.”

Seifer scoffed and grabbed a plate from one of the cold boxes.

Selphie, curious, wandered out of line and over to see what he had. “Whatcha got?”

“Pasta alfredo.”

“But it’s cold.”

“And there’s microwaves.”

Selphie thought a moment. “…You’re buying leftovers? From the school?”

“It’s not leftovers, it’s freshly made every morning. It’s really good.”

She picked up a plate and inspected it before nodding to herself. “We’ll see about this.”

After paying, they took their plates to the microwaves and heated their pasta, then tried to find a place to sit. Looking over the full tables in the cafeteria, Seifer looked to Selphie. “You got anywhere else we could go?”

“It’s a nice day, we could sit in the Quad.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Quickest way there is,” Selphie spun and pointed. “This way!”

They walked out to the Quad and found an unoccupied bench in the shade. Selphie opened the lid on her pasta. “Well, it smells good.” She took a small bite, and smiled. “Mmm. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.”

“So, you like it?”

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded enthusiastically.

Seifer opened his own pasta and dug in. It was good, as always, but he quietly chewed his bite.

Selphie swallowed hers. “This may be the best pasta I’ve ever had.”

“And you wanted to get one from the counter.”

“Now I know better.” She took another bite, savoring it. “How did you find out about this?”

“Surprisingly, I stumbled onto it on my own. I had…not much pocket money one day, certainly not enough for one of the counters, but this was in my budget. Tried it, and haven’t looked back.”

“Hmm.”

They ate, just enjoying their food. When they finished, Selphie took their stuff to the nearest trash can. “Okay, so, we have another half hour before either of us have to get back to class. What should we do?”

Seifer looked around. “Like you said, it’s a nice day. We could sit out here and play twenty questions some more.”

“Okay! Let’s see, from your friend group, how’d you meet Quistis?”

“She was my classmate until I got held back a year.”

“Why’d you get held back?”

“I think,” He booped her nose. “That it’s my turn to ask. How’d you meet Irvine?”

“He was my neighbor across the street growing up. We went to the same school all the way through graduation, then he went into Fashion Design, and I’m doing Social Media, so we had to go to different schools for the first time ever. It’s been pretty lonely without him, but I’m making new friends. Like you! Now, why’d you get held back?”

“I had a dispute with a project partner. We couldn’t keep it quiet, our teacher came to see what the issue was. We both kind of exploded on him. Due to “unbecoming conduct,” we were both punished. My partner pled his case better, so didn’t get held back. He was gone the next year, and I could work toward graduation in peace. You ever do anything really messed up?”

Selphie avoided his gaze. “I have…shoplifted a few times. And I cheated on a test once, but I got caught. Other than that, I’m good, I promise.”

“Shoplifted, wow. I have a followup question, but it’s your turn.”

“Do you wanna make out?”

“Right now?”

“Is that your question?”

Seifer grinned. “Should it be?”

Selphie shoved him playfully. “Just ask your stupid question.”

“What’s the most expensive thing you shoplifted?”

“A 300,000Gil top.”

“Yes.” He leaned in close.

“Yes?” She leaned closer.

“Yes, I wanna make out.”

Selphie doubled over laughing, then climbed into his lap and kissed him.

Cloud’s next couple of hours were spent picking up and delivering orders, stopping only when the list started to slow down around two. He headed back home to clean some around the apartment, make sure that he had put the dishes from this morning into the dishwasher and start it, then relax for a little before getting ready for his dinner with Squall. Around three-thirty, he knew he was in the clear to message Squall.

Cloud: what’s the dress code for tonight? i probably should’ve asked at lunch
Squall: Depends on what you’re in the mood for.
Cloud: i have options? ooh…
Squall: This is my treat, so you get to choose where we eat.
Cloud: okay, definitely casual, then. i’m thinking fast food of some kind
Cloud: Jessie’s? i’m suddenly craving a Freezy
Squall: Are we eating there, or…?
Cloud: let’s meet at your garage around 6. we’ll ride together, then back to the garage to eat?
Squall: Sounds good. I won’t need to stop at home for anything.
Cloud: cool. see you in a bit

Cloud carried his phone to his room to figure out what said casual without being too casual. Or too dressy. Something just right. He pulled out every shirt he had, and opened the closet door to stare at his pants. He was so engrossed in the task that Zack’s voice from the doorway startled him.

“Hey, buddy, what’s all this about? Place looks great, except for your room.”

“I’ve, uh, got a date…sort of.”

“And judging by the fact that you’re actually going on it, I assume it’s with your soulmate.”

“Yeah…” Cloud couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face.

“Good for you, man. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Zack.” Cloud stood, looking around the room at the piles of clothing. “I don’t suppose you could help me figure out what to wear?”

“What’s the dress code?”

“Casual. We’re doing fast food, then eating at the garage.”

Zack looked his roommate over. “And what’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”

“I guess nothing, I’ve just been in it all day. Thought I would, I dunno, spruce up a bit.”

“Okay.” Zack stepped into the room and to the closet, grabbing a pair of riding pants at random, then one of the many nearly-identical shirts from the pile on Cloud’s bed. “There you go. And…” He tugged the sleeve of a jacket hanging on the door. “This jacket.”

“Just make it look effortless, huh?”

“Well, I’ve got no stakes in it, except your happiness. And since you like all your clothing, something thrown together should look fine. By the way, I’m gonna be at Aerith’s tonight. So if you two get up to any funny business, just keep it in your room, okay?”

Pink spread across Cloud’s cheeks. “That’s very unlikely to happen, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Alright. I’m just gonna grab a few things and head over.”

“Have fun.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

A few minutes later, Zack was back out the door, and Cloud was left with the piles of clothing. He sighed, then started folding his shirts again.

“Bouquets, bouquets, bouquets. What could a mom want more?” Selphie paused for a moment, thinking. “Ooh, unless she has allergies.”

It was still a couple of hours until closing, but Aerith had already left to get ready for her night in with Zack. Time was passing pretty quickly as Selphie worked her magic on another arrangement for Mother’s Day. She wasn’t so caught up in her task that she didn’t hear the bells on the door chime with someone coming in.

“Be with you in just a moment!” She called before setting down her latest bouquet.

“Hey, Sunshine.”

She gasped and looked up. “Seifer!” She rushed from behind the counter to give him a hug.

“So, I talked to my connections at the arena, and we’ll have to pick up the tickets tomorrow, since they aren’t printing until day of. And you’ll get to meet my best friends.”

“And if that fails, batting cages!”

Seifer nodded. “And if it fails, batting cages.”

“What are your friends like?”

“Well, one works security, and one works admission. You’d think Raijin would be security, because he’s this big beefy dude. But he’s a sweetheart. Fujin, on the other hand, is a little bottle of rage waiting to be shaken enough to explode. The three of us, we’re a posse.”

“Aw, that sounds cool!” Selphie clasped her hands together, swaying a little. “I can’t wait to meet them. Will we have a chance to talk with either of them?”

“Maybe a little bit, but they’ll probably be working.”

“Some other time, then.”

“For sure. This isn’t the only time you’ll see them. If you’re gonna be in my life, you’ll see them. And they’ll definitely see you.” Seifer looked around the shop, then asked, “Can I get a bouquet?”

“Yes…” Selphie was intrigued by what bouquet he could be asking for. He said he was estranged from his parents, so probably not anything for Mother’s Day.

“See, there’s this girl I know who likes daisies.”

The tiniest gasp escaped Selphie’s lips. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, and I’m taking her out tomorrow, so I want to make sure I get her something nice.”

She laughed, blushing a little. “Okay, so daisies. Anything else?”

“I don’t know. What other wildflowers do you keep?”

“Well, hmm. Not much. Coneflowers. More coneflowers. They come in different colors.”

“Sounds perfect. Some daisies, and yellow coneflowers. They come in yellow, right?”

“Mm-hmm.” Selphie nodded, and started getting the flowers together. A few minutes later, she held a beautiful bouquet of white and yellow. “Would you like to take it with you now, or pick it up tomorrow?”

“Better pick it up tomorrow. Who knows what could happen to it overnight at my place.”

“Okay.” Selphie put the bouquet into the fridge, toward the front. Most of the other orders were getting picked up on Saturday. Seeing the fridge full of bouquets, she was reminded of her weekend plans. “Oh! We’re normally closed all weekend, but we’re open Saturday because of the holiday. Someone has to be on register and can’t step away to get bouquets out of the fridge, so I’ll be here all day, too.”

“Makes sense. I’ll try to steal you away for lunch. Or maybe I’ll just bring you something.”

“That could work.”

Squall was waiting outside the garage for Cloud. At just before six, Cloud slowed to a stop in front of Squall. Squall raised a hand and said, “Hey.”

Cloud pulled off his glasses and made eye contact with the brunet. “Hey. Wanna take your bike, or mine?”

Squall looked at the bike before him. “Will we have enough space for the Freezies?”

“Ah, you need to ride in the “fast food-mobile”.” Cloud turned to the side and pulled out a grate extending over the rear wheel. “Guess we’re taking mine.”

Squall gave a solitary chuckle, then wheeled his bike inside and slid the door shut and locked. He pulled his goggles from his pocket and slipped them on, swinging a leg over the rear of Cloud’s bike and sitting behind him. Squall wrapped his arms around Cloud’s midsection. Before Squall could really tell they were on their way, they were there and pulling in at Jessie’s. Cloud parked his bike, and they headed inside to place their order. Squall paid as they brought out the chocolate Freezies, and they waited for the food. Once they had everything, they headed back outside and Cloud secured the food to the cargo grate.

“I expect you to keep everything from falling, okay?” Cloud gave a teasing smile as they got settled.

“Don’t you do this multiple times a day, without a passenger?” Squall shook his head before Cloud headed back to the garage. Once they were stopped outside the garage, Squall carefully got off the bike and opened the door for them. Cloud rolled inside, set his bike on the kickstand and got off, picking up the food in a smooth motion.

Walking to the break area, they unpacked their food: a Wedge’s Double meal with fries and a chocolate Freezy for Cloud and a Biggs’ Bacon Classic meal with fries and a chocolate Freezy for Squall and a side of onion rings to split. Squall paused by the kitchenette to grab the hot sauce and shook a fair amount into his Freezy, then ate a spoonful. He closed his eyes and made a happy noise.

Cloud watched Squall skulk around his habitat with ease until the hot sauce. He widened his eyes. “Did you…just put hot sauce in your Freezy?”

“Yeah.” Squall pinned him with a stare. “You’ve seen me put salt in my juice, is this so different?”

“I…guess not. I’ve just never thought about spicy in my icy before.”

“No teasing until you’ve tried it. Go ahead, you can dip a fry.” Squall offered his Freezy and Cloud hesitantly picked up a fry.

He dipped his fry into Squall’s Freezy and tried it. “Okay, that’s not as weird as I thought it would be. Just a little kick of spice.” He smiled.

“Mm-hm.” Squall nodded sagely. Cloud reached to dip another fry, and Squall moved his cup out of the way, instead nudging the hot sauce bottle toward Cloud. “If you want more, you have to use your own Freezy.”

“But I want the sweet Freezy, and then the spicy Freezy for the fries.” Cloud gave a tiny smile and large eyes.

Squall stared him down. “Whining isn’t that attractive, Cloud.” He dunked a fry and ate it as if in spite.

Cloud grinned. “Good to know. That’s something stupid I picked up from Zack. How do you find such good food combinations?”

Squall nodded. “I actually got the spicy-sweet from Loire. Salt-sour is from my mom.”

“And ketchup for everything?” The bottle from D. Reily’s was sitting on the kitchenette.

“That’s Elle.” Squall took a huge bite of his burger.

“Oh. Who’s Elle?” Cloud took the opportunity to eat some more as well.

When Squall had swallowed, he wiped his mouth. “My sister. Sort of. She’s always been like a sister to me, but we aren’t actually related. When Elle’s parents died, my mom started taking care of her. So we grew up together.”

“Kinda like me and Tifa. She’s my only friend from back home, and she’s definitely like a sister to me. She’s younger but acts like my older sister. Always trying to watch out for me.”

“Unfortunately, Elle actually has the age to go with it.” Squall smiled, then buried it in his burger as he took another bite.

“Tell me about your family. You’ve mentioned a little bit, but what’s your favorite memory of your parents?” Cloud tried to sneak a fry into Squall’s Freezy, but got his hand batted away.

“My favorite memory of Loire is the day he fell off a cliff and broke his leg. Unfortunately, it meant that he relied on us until it was healed. But it also meant we scrapped that hiking trip. I like hiking, just not with him.” Squall glowered momentarily, then dunked a fry in his Freezy and pushed it towards Cloud.

Cloud ate it from his hand and made a humming noise. “Hiking is fun. But why don’t you like it with…uh, Loire?”

Squall sighed softly. “He has trail songs memorized and insists on starting sing-alongs. He gets all pouty if you don’t join in. He’s…really juvenile.”

Cloud hissed. “Starting to see why you don’t like him that much.”

“No,” Squall shook his head and locked eyes with Cloud, “My dislike of Laguna Loire comes directly from my childhood. He wasn’t there. And when he was, he tried to use money to solve any problems we had.”

“That’s, from what I understand, pretty typical behavior for an absent parent. They try to be the “fun” parent by giving the kids everything they want.”

Squall nodded. “Yeah, well, me and Elle just wanted Mom back. And no matter how much money he threw at it, that was the one thing we couldn’t have.”

Cloud nodded a few times. “Okay, then. What’s your favorite memory of your mom?”

“It sounds kinda hokey, but she helped the flower shop back home. She’d go out and dig up wildflowers for the shop. When we were big enough to help, she brought us with her. I remember thinking “Man, am I an adult now…”.” Squall couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “What about you? Memories of your parents?” Squall popped the last bit of his burger into his mouth and wiped his hands together.

“My mom was great. She was there for me whenever I needed her, helped me with homework, we baked together…Mom stuff, y’know? I never knew my dad, and she never talked about him.”

“So, no dad. Just a great mom, and no siblings.”

Cloud smiled lopsidedly, “I have Tifa, and I think she counts about as much as Elle does. Man, her dad hated me. Could never figure out why. Like, we got into trouble, but he hated me before that.”

Squall finished his Freezy and pointed his spoon at Cloud. “I don’t want to insinuate anything, so I’ll just be out with it. I think he might be your dad. Classic bad dad, already in a relationship.”

Cloud thought it over. “It’s possible? But I’ll never know for sure. He won’t talk to me, and mom died six years ago. That’s actually why I left town. Wound up here, found Tifa again.”

“Then I think you made the right choice. If all that was left for you in…Nibelheim? was your mom, I think you made the right choice.”

“I think so too. There’ve been some rough patches, but everything has worked out pretty well for me here.”

Squall got up and started the coffee pot, then sat back down with Cloud. “You said that when you first came out here, you stayed with Zack because you were in a pretty bad depression. About SOLDIER?”

Cloud looked to the side but clarified. “Sort of. I had been staying with Tifa, on her couch, then I met Zack at a job fair at Shinra. We hit it off and he offered me a place to stay with my own door. So, I kinda jumped at that chance. It really came in handy a few months later, when I hit that depression.”

“I understand.” Squall got up and got them coffee while Cloud finished his food. Before all of them were gone, Squall snuck a fry and dipped it into Cloud’s chocolate Freezy. “Okay, these seasoned fries are the best.”

“Yeah, Jessie’s is pretty good all around.”

Squall wrapped an arm around Cloud, and they cuddled on the loveseat for a while. “I could get used to this.”

“What?” Cloud looked over at him.

“Friends without benefits. Even the friends I have that don’t want to date me are way too invested in my dating life.” He gently rested his head against Cloud’s.

After his stop at Gunblades and Roses, Seifer went home to get a head start on his studies. Finals were coming up in the next month or so, and he wanted to be prepared. Once home, he looked through the apartment and realized there was no Squall. He was alone. Doing a small victory dance, he went to his room and gathered his books and notebooks, intent on taking over the dining table for studying. As he was getting settled, his stomach rumbled. He should probably eat something, but what? He knew there wasn’t much in the way of ingredients in the kitchen, so cooking was out of the question. He pulled out his phone and looked at the icon for Ultima Eats. What to order? Something high energy, but would help with the studying. Instead of opening Ultima Eats, he opened his texts.

Seifer: What do you snack on to get your brain going?
Selphie: i like yogurt or donuts. sweet to get you going, but protein or carbs to keep you going!

He stared at her reply. Even though she was first on his mind, maybe Selphie wasn’t the best to ask about this.

Seifer: Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.

He thumbed to his conversation with Quistis.

Seifer: Hey, what’s your favorite brain food?
Quistis: I’d have to say it’s more of a menu. Dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, peanuts, soy, fatty fish, avocados, berries, broccoli, kale, and top it off with a big ol’ mug of the dark stuff—coffee.
Seifer: No, I mean, like, one thing. What’s your go-to snack when you need to prep for something?
Quistis: Try sushi.

Seifer leaned back in his chair and opened Ultima Eats, scanning the sushi offerings. He decided on something not too crazy, he hoped. It sounded straightforward enough. He put in the order and started the timer on his phone to track how long the delivery took.

He was hard at work memorizing battle dates twenty minutes later, when the doorbell rang. He stood and stretched, then sauntered to the door. He opened it, half expecting to see Cloud, but wasn’t too surprised that it was a different driver. Tipping a little extra for the speedy delivery, he took his food and headed back to the dining table to continue working.

When Seifer opened the tray for the sushi, he had to wonder if he should’ve let the driver go already. Did salmon nigiri normally look like that? He thought sushi was wrapped in seaweed. Picking up his phone, he did a quick image search of salmon nigiri and was pleased to find that what was in his tray was pretty typical. Good. He wasn’t too sure about eating seaweed, anyway. He picked up a piece and tried it. Not bad. He poked at the green blob on the tray with his chopstick, and tasted it. Spicy, but not bad. He picked up a little more on his chopstick and grabbed another piece of nigiri. Chewing thoughtfully, he examined the pile of fleshy shavings. Was it fish skin? Gross. He picked up a piece and sniffed it. Tangy, but not fishy smelling. He tried it, and made a face. Whatever it was, he wasn’t a fan.

After his sushi, Seifer considered the advice he’d been given. He got up and went into the kitchen, and pulled a box of donuts from the cabinet above the fridge. He pulled one out and tore into it, savoring the sweet fried dough. Thinking for a moment, he nodded to himself and grabbed another.

Heading back to the dining table to continue working, he sent a message.

Seifer: Good call on the donuts.

He saw Selphie start to type a response and sent another message.

Seifer: Do you know anything about sushi?
Selphie: i know what I’m talking about, especially when it comes to donuts.
Selphie: yeah, I know sushi. you should, too, or was Rinny not doing the sushi thing when she was dating you?
Seifer: We never got sushi, no.
Selphie: we should get sushi some time! and i can show you my favorite donut shop!!
Seifer: Sounds good. Sushi after the game tomorrow?
Selphie: we could definitely do that.

Seifer set his phone to the side and started back into his studying, managing an hour of uninterrupted study time.

After they had finished eating, Cloud and Squall cleaned up their trash. Sitting back down, Cloud turned toward Squall. “Rare opportunity at the moment.”

Squall looked at him sidelong. “Oh? What’s that?”

“My roommate’s not home.”

Squall thought about this, wondering if Cloud was actually offering what it sounded like he was. “I see.”

“Do you wanna see where I live? Maybe see if there’s a tournament we could watch?”

Squall smiled slowly. “There is. It starts in about fifteen minutes, so we better hurry.”

Cloud rushed to his feet. “Fifteen is plenty of time. Grab whatever you’re gonna want.”

They packed up the cards and play mats, but Cloud stopped Squall from grabbing much else. “Don’t worry about snacks, unless there’s something you really want. Though, if you wanna grab a can of coffee, I haven’t had a chance to go shopping yet, so I don’t have the right brand.”

“Glad you mentioned it.” Squall went and grabbed a can of coffee, tucking it under his arm as he zipped his jacket.

Taking their bikes, Cloud led Squall the short way to his and Zack’s apartment. Squall left his bike in the parking garage under to the building with Cloud’s, and Cloud led them up to the apartment, Squall still carrying the can of coffee under his arm. Cloud unlocked the door and stepped in, turning on the lights as he went.

“This is the living room, there’s the dining room and kitchen, and,” Cloud turned to the left, “That one is my room, bathroom’s in the middle, and then Zack’s room.”

“There’s a lot of blue.” Squall observed.

“It’s Zack’s favorite color, kinda my favorite color. What’s your favorite color?”

Staring a little too long at Cloud’s eyes, Squall muttered, “I haven’t really thought about it…but blue is nice.”

Cloud grinned. “Sit anywhere you like, except that chair.”

“Is that Aerith’s chair?” Squall quirked an eyebrow.

“Nope, it’s mine.” Cloud thought for a moment. “I mean, if you really want to sit in it, you can.”

“I’ll give it a test drive. See if it’s comfortable.” Squall’s eyes narrowed. “You’re afraid that if I like it, I’m going to try and steal it every time I come over.”

“Guilty.” A guilty look even crossed Cloud’s face.

Squall gently sat in Cloud’s chair, rocking it a little, then spinning it around a few times. “This glide’s nice. Who makes this?”

“Shinra, like everything else.” Cloud shrugged and flopped onto the couch.

“Right…is this the model I?”

Cloud scratched his head lightly. “I don’t actually know. I wasn’t there when it got bought.”

Squall nodded to himself. “Huh. I’m pretty sure this is the model I. I’ve got a model II, for my desk at home. But now I’m thinking I should’ve gone with the model I.”

“So, you wanna keep your butt there or try the couch?”

Squall stood smoothly. “Oh, I’m definitely gonna try the couch, after I wander through your kitchen.”

“I’m suddenly feeling very nervous, and I don’t know why. It’s not messy.”

Squall went into the kitchen, found the coffeepot and unplugged it before doing a deep clean on it. Once it was cleaned to his satisfaction, he made a pot with the grounds he brought, picking up the can of old grounds and dumping it whole into the garbage before placing the Black Chocobo can where it had been.

Cloud had come from the couch to watch the show and when Squall came to a stop, Cloud pointed to the mugs and said, “Take your pick.”

Squall picked a mug that said, “Not Before I’ve Had My Coffee”.

Cloud looked at him and shook his head. “You can’t keep that, you know.”

Squall frowned and let out a soft, “Meanie,” before he realized. “Sorry, that was…”

“Unexpected.” Cloud finished.

Squall shook his head. “Stupid. I’ve been talking to my sister too much. She’s who sends me the mugs I keep at the garage. I have a collection at the apartment, too, but I keep the ones from her at the garage.”

Cloud reached over and picked up his favorite mug, with a design Squall was very familiar with—Fenrir.

“Really?” Squall raised a brow.

“What?” Cloud asked as he sidled up to the coffee pot.

“Fenrir?”

“What about him? I’ve had this mug for years.” Cloud held the Fenrir mug close to him before forcing it down so he could put sugar in it.

Squall took a sip of his coffee and headed to the living room to set it on the coffee table. “One more thing. You have to let me laugh at your room.”

Cloud smirked, though he looked unsure. “What makes you think you’re going to laugh?”

Squall shrugged. “I laugh at everyone’s stuff. Not to be malicious, it just happens. It’s not like I’m looking down at you, laughing. More like I’m down here with you, laughing.”

Cloud grumbled a little. “As long as you’re not making fun. Just, gimme a second.” Cloud went into his room and sighed in relief that he’d put away his clothes before going to the garage. He came back out and nodded. “Okay, you can see.”

“So, you already put away the incriminating stuff?”

“Yup, stowed my porn in a place you’ll never find it.” Cloud grinned.

“Darn.” Squall said flatly, then walked past Cloud and into the room, looking around. “Nice room. Any chance we can break into your roommate’s room?”

“Why?”

“I get the feeling someone like that has a lot lying around.”

“You’d be wrong. Aerith keeps it pretty tidy.”

“She’s the one who’s always over, right? But runs a full business and keeps a full shift there?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

Squall got still and quiet, voice small. “Do you think they’ll like me?”

“Yeah, Zack kinda has to, and Aerith likes everyone.”

“Why does Zack have to?”

Cloud smiled softly. “Because you’re my soulmate. We’re going to be in each other’s lives, so he either has to get on board or leave, and I know he’s not leaving.”

“C’mon, we have enough time to refresh our coffee.”

They headed out of Cloud’s room and refreshed their cups before settling in on the couch to watch the tournament.

“Irvy, look out! You nearly fell down that ravine!” Selphie shouted into her headset. They were playing Digadoo, an open world game about exploration and building.

Irvine laughed. “I’m fine, Sefie. I jumped it, and I’ll jump it again. Just to show you.”

“No! I believe you, just…don’t risk it. You’re carrying all our adamantine, and I don’t want to lose it. Let’s just get back to the base.”

They arrived safely back at their base, built into the side of a mountain. Selphie watched Irvine deposit the adamantine into the chest, then looked in the chest herself to see how much they had now. “Okay, that’s another six blocks of adamantine, so we just need five more to start building our beacon. Then we can log off for the night.”

“Alright! So, Miss Mineseeker, which way is the nearest adamantine?”

Selphie’s avatar spun to the left. “It’s…” She stopped spinning, seemingly at random. “This way.” She started walking in the direction she was pointed, trusting that Irvine would follow her.

Which he did, knowing that she had a weird sense for where to find ores in the game.

When she finally reached a sufficiently rocky spot, she started her dig down. “Digadoo!”

“Digadoo!” Irvine called after her, already collecting the items she dropped while digging.

An hour later, they were finished building the beacon and saved out of the game. Selphie reclined in her computer chair. “Oh my gosh, that was so good. I thought I lost you over that lava.”

“Honestly, I did, too. But my double jump was workin’ today, so I was able to get to safety.”

“You know there’s no double jump in this game.”

“Oh, you don’t believe me?”

“Irvy, that’s such an urban legend.”

“I know the double jump is real. I used it. Today, even.”

“That’s what you say, but I’ve never done it. Ever. In the three years we’ve been playing together.”

“And I’m sayin’, it exists. I’ll show you, next time we play.”

“Uh-huh.” Selphie’s voice was flat.

“I will! You’ll see!”

She changed tactics. “I think we get to go to the Sky Garden now.”

“Is that what the beacon does?”

“Yeah, it teleports you to the next dungeon.”

“Sounds cool, I can’t wait to explore that.”

Selphie spun in her computer chair, not ready to end the call. ‘I know there’s a fashion show from Galbadia on tonight, do you wanna watch it together? We can make fun of all the weird design choices…”

“I would love to, but don’t you have class tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I miss you, Irvy. I miss spending time with you.”

“I’m glad to know you aren’t gonna forget about me with you and…Seifer? start dating.”

“Shut up, you know his name is Seifer.”

“I do know his name is Seifer.” Irvine laughed.

“Anyway, do you wanna watch an episode of The Great Wild with me?”

“You know I can’t say no to that.”

“Great, I’ll swap to earbuds.” Selphie’s call momentarily went silent, then she reconnected and went to sit on her loveseat. She turned on the TV, and changed to the Historical Facts Channel, hearing Irvine do the same. They watched the episode together, chatting about everything in their lives at the commercial breaks. It was a quick hour, but soon the show was finished.

“Hey, Irvy? Before we say goodnight…”

“Yeah, Sefie?”

“Raincheck on the fashion show? Because that does sound like a hoot.”

“Yeah, raincheck. Maybe Monday?”

“Yeah, Monday.”

“Alright, I’ll call you after I get out of classes, and we’ll set it up.”

“Great, cool. Goodnight, Irvy. You’re a good friend and deserve good sleep.”

“Sefie…”

“Okay, dialing it back.”

“Goodnight, bestie.”

“Goodnight.”

“I’d stay over, but I don’t have anything with me.”

“Yeah, and you have class tomorrow.”

Squall and Cloud were standing by the door, delaying saying goodbye for the night. Squall stepped close, pulling Cloud into a tight hug. Cloud wrapped his arms around Squall, snuggling in.

His muffled voice came from near Squall’s neck. “This has been nice.”

“Yeah.”

When they pulled apart, minutes later, Squall looked around the room. “I’ll actually have to pay attention next time I get to meet Zack.”

“I can make that happen whenever you want.”

“Cool.” Squall glanced around the room again. “I guess you’ve been to mine, but haven’t been inside. I should probably remedy that.”

“Just maybe.”

Squall shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. “Okay, I’ve gotta head out.”

“Okay.” Cloud thought a moment, remembering something Squall had brought with him. “Do you want your coffee back?”

“No, I’m sure I’ll come over again sometime.”

Cloud smiled at the thought. “Cool. Any time.” A different thought crossed his mind. “Oh, by the way, I’m not delivering tomorrow.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I’m helping Aerith at the flower shop.”

“Doesn’t she have a whole employee to do that?”

“A whole employee that has class tomorrow. It normally wouldn’t be a thing, but with the holiday this weekend, Aerith is gonna be swamped.”

“Understood.” Squall nodded, then finally stepped out the door and, with a wave, went down to the garage. He got onto Griever, slipped his goggles into place, and headed home.

Seifer was still up when Squall got home. He had moved from the dining table to the couch and had one of his textbooks propped up on his knee. He looked up when Squall entered. “About time you crawled in. Thought you might be staying at your mancave again.”

“It’s a garage. And I thought about it, but didn’t want to get up early to come get clothes again.”

“I guess that’s fair. What were you doing tonight?”

“There was a tournament.”

“Oh. Competing, or just spectating?”

“Spectating. I was watching it on TV.”

Seifer narrowed his eyes. “Since when do you have a TV at your garage?”

“Since never. I wasn’t there.”

“Ah. With your boyfriend, then?”

Something clicked in Squall’s head, and he smirked a little. “Yeah.”

“Holy Hyne, you’re serious.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’re asexual, aren’t you?”

“What if I told you sex isn’t a necessary part of a relationship?”

Seifer laughed. “Okay, now pull the other one.”

“I’m not joking. Cloud and I have an understanding.”

Laughter dying, Seifer nodded. “Alright, lemme see it.”

“See what?”

“Your mark, duh.”

Squall pulled off his shirt, revealing the golden lines of Fenrir.

Seifer stood and stepped close, putting his wrist next to Squall’s mark. He stared at the marks, a flash of annoyance crossing his face, then he stepped away just as quickly and fell back onto the couch. “Well, good luck with that.” He picked back up his textbook and opened it up to the chapter he’d been reading.

Squall watched him for a moment before turning and heading to his room to get ready for bed.

Behind him, Seifer shook with irritation. How dare his mark be gilding already?

As the door shut behind Squall, Seifer remembered about his newspaper. He shouted at the closed door, “Did you steal my comics this morning?”

There was silence.

“I know it was you!”

Squall’s door opened a crack. “Then why did you ask?”

“Don’t. Do it. Again.”

“Take your paper with you next time.” Squall shut the door again, letting Seifer fume.

Chapter Text

Early that morning, Selphie sent a message to Irvine.

Selphie: you good for a video chat??? i need help with my date outfit.

A moment later, her phone started playing a techno beat as a video call request came through. She picked up her phone and answered the call.

“Oh, Hyne, warn me if you’re gonna be answerin’ naked!

“Oh, shut up, I’m wearing a towel. And unders.” Selphie tightened her towel again, glaring at the phone.

“You know I’m jus’ teasin’. What’s the date?”

“Hopefully a blitzball game. The Anacondaurs are playing tonight, and Seify has an in at the arena. And we have tickets waiting for us.”

“Seify, huh?”

“Yeah, Seify. Around other people, it’s Seif, because I don’t wanna embarrass him. But I don’t care if I embarrass him in front of you.”

Irvine raised an eyebrow. “An’ why’s that?”

“’Cause you’re my bestie…”

“Aw, you know I jus’ wanted to hear it. So, what’re you thinkin’ for clothes?”

Selphie set down her phone on the edge of her bed, propped up with a pillow.

“Okay, so…” She stepped out of view of the camera and got dressed, coming back into Irvine’s view wearing an Anacodaurs away jersey, in white with green and gold trim, and short shorts. “This is the fit. And I was thinking about wearing those really cute yellow sneakers I have.”

“Sounds good. So, what’d you need my input for? Seems like you got it all figured out.”

“Does it look good? Do I look sporty?”

Irvine laughed. “You’re worried about lookin’ like a poser?”

“A little…I don’t really do sports that much.”

“You look good. It’s not like they’re gonna ask you to get in the sphere and play, you jus’ gotta sit there and look cute, which you do.”

Selphie’s face dropped. “What if he’s really into blitzball?”

“Sefie, nobody’s that into blitzball…except the players.”

She snorted a laugh. “Okay, so I’m worried over nothing. What else is new?”

“Jus’ happy you’re aware of it this time. So, what were the five backup outfits?”

“Let me show you.” She paused, halfway out of view of the camera again. “How’d you know there were five?”

“Lucky guess.”

Squall got out of bed a bit grumpy. He hadn’t slept well, and it was all Seifer’s fault. It was Seifer that brought up the idea of Cloud being his boyfriend, and he’d just agreed to it, without a thought. Squall had been thinking about it all night. This was something he and Cloud needed to talk about. Dragging a hand down his face, he grabbed his phone and sent a message, not really expecting a response this early.

Squall: Can we meet up later today? I need to run something by you.

To his surprise, he saw that Cloud was immediately starting a reply.

Cloud: do you wanna talk now?
Squall: I didn’t expect you to be up.
Cloud: it’s been a weird night. Zack being gone makes the place louder. should i call?
Squall: No, this is really a face-to-face conversation thing. But nothing bad, don’t worry. Just, need to see you in person.
Cloud: do you wanna come over? you know where i live now. or i could swing by the garage.
Squall: I’ll come over. You said Zack is still out?
Cloud: yeah, he won’t be back until this afternoon.
Squall: Good. See you in half an hour? Make coffee.

Squall got dressed and went to the kitchen, surprised that Seifer wasn’t there, eating his cereal. He opened a cabinet and stared at the shelf with his mugs, deciding on which one to take with him, and wrapped it in a sheet of newspaper from the recycle stack. He grabbed his school bag and headed out, going to Cloud’s.

About ten minutes later, he knocked on the door.

Cloud answered, still in pajamas. “Hey, come on in. Coffee’s ready for you.”

“Great.” Squall followed him in, shutting the door behind him. “I brought something. Don’t know that it’ll fit in your cabinet, though.” He pulled the wrapped mug from his jacket and opened the paper like he was carefully unwrapping a present.

“’Too stressed to be blessed’?” Cloud couldn’t help the grin. “Another one from your sister?”

“It’s from Zell.”

“I like it. It should fit, too. I’ll make sure Zack knows it’s yours, which means it’s off limits. He might make noodles in it otherwise. He seems to think that mugs are acceptable vessels for noodles.”

“Heathen.”

Cloud nodded his agreement, and poured coffee for Squall. He picked up his own mug and turned to lean against the counter. “Do you wanna sit?”

“Yeah.” Squall walked into the living room and sat on the couch, in the corner closer to Cloud’s chair.

Cloud followed him and settled into his chair, folding his legs under him, and waited for Squall to start.

“Last night…Seifer was being Seifer, and he said something that keeps playing in my mind.”

“Having heard about him, I can’t even imagine what he could’ve said that got under your skin.”

“It’s not so much under my skin, as it is a…revelation, I guess.” Squall stared at his coffee for a moment. “He called you my boyfriend.”

“Oh.”

“And I agreed with him.”

“Oh.”

“And since I’ve been thinking about it all night, I realized you deserve to have a say in this.” Squall raised his gaze to look at Cloud, who was watching him intently.

“I’m fine without a label, if it’s something that you want to avoid. I can just keep calling you my soulmate.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m asking what you want.”

Cloud went quiet, contemplating, and finally nodded to himself. “I’d like the label, but I know there’s baggage that comes with it. Assumptions. And I know that our relationship isn’t…typical. But I do really like the idea of calling you my boyfriend.”

Squall lowered his head, smiling. “I’d like that, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I think I know you well enough after the past week to tell you’ll respect my boundaries. And I know you’re not the one making assumptions about what our relationship is, or what it entails.”

“Cool.” Cloud took a sip of his coffee. “I know that kissing is off the table unless you make the first move, but how do you feel about the little things, like holding hands?”

Silently, without looking up, Squall reached over and took Cloud’s hand. “Mostly in private, but…I like it. It’s comfortable.”

Cloud gave Squall’s hand a squeeze. “I can deal with that.” He looked at his phone to check the time. “What time do you need to be at campus? I don’t wanna make you late.”

Squall also looked at the time. “I should get going after this cup.”

The sound of the door shutting woke Seifer before his alarm. He looked at his phone for the time and decided that fifteen minutes wasn’t worth trying to sleep more. Instead, he got up and dressed, and took advantage of his extra time to stop at Kefka in the Box for breakfast before heading over to Gunblades and Roses to walk with Selphie. On the way, he texted her.

Seifer: What do you order at KB?
Selphie: kb?
Seifer: Kefka in the Box? What do you order for breakfast there?
Selphie: 2 sausage croissants, 2 hashbrowns, and a caramel frap. why?
Seifer: Oh, just thinking about stopping for breakfast.
Selphie: and you texted me to just make me hungry???

Seifer didn’t respond, but his phone vibrated again a moment later with another reply from Selphie.

Selphie: meanie.

Chuckling to himself, Seifer put away his phone and strolled into Kefka in the Box to place his order, including Selphie’s overly sweet “coffee” drink. He got the food and continued on his way to the flower shop. He didn’t see her waiting for him outside, so he went inside. The shop was busy again with last minute orders for Mother’s Day bouquets. He looked over the crowd, but still didn’t spot her. “Selphie?”

“Just a minute!” Her voice cut through the crowd murmur from the back of the shop. A couple minutes later, she stepped out of the back room. “Oh, hi, Seif!” She grabbed a couple more bouquets from the counter and deposited them in the fridge. “Just one more day of madness, then my mornings will be free again. All these bouquets are going out either today or tomorrow, and I’m so glad. I never realized how many moms are in the world.”

Seifer handed her the drink and held up the bag. “Hungry?” Her eyes got big. “Starving. On the way to school? ‘Cause, Aerith, I’ve gotta get going.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have help coming in a little bit.” Aerith gave a small wave, as if telling her to go ahead.

“If you’re sure…” Selphie stopped at the door, confused. “Who do you have coming in? I thought I was your only employee.”

“Cloud agreed to come fetch things today. It’s basically delivering. And it’ll keep him busy all day.”

Seifer snorted. “Good luck distracting him.” He put an arm around Selphie’s shoulders and led her out, passing over the bag in the process.

Cloud sat down to breakfast, sipping from his second cup of coffee. Black Chocobo really was good. Breakfast this morning was a scramble with sausage, cheese, and bell pepper.

Squall had left about an hour before, leaving his mug. Cloud smiled at their conversation that morning. “I have a boyfriend.” He said it out loud, testing it out. “I have a boyfriend.” The second time seemed easier. Maybe it was one of those things that he’d get used to saying, but for now, the words brought Squall to the forefront of his mind and made him giddy.

After breakfast and cleanup, he went to his room to get dressed, then headed out to Gunblades and Roses to help Aerith for the day.

As he entered, the bells on the door chimed, and Aerith called in response, “Be with you in a moment!”

Cloud worked his way through the small crowd to the counter. “Hey, what do you want me to start with?”

“Oh, Cloud, just in time. Watch the counter for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

He stepped behind the counter and started taking notes on what the next customer wanted in their bouquet. He’d just finished the second order sheet when Aerith came back.

“You’re a lifesaver. I’ve got this, you’ll be running bouquets to the fridge. Grab an apron from the back.”

Cloud went to the back room and grabbed an apron. He made sure to leave Selphie’s purple apron alone, and instead grabbed a light blue with embroidered flowers on the bib. Pulling it down over his head, he headed back into the chaos of the shop.

As class was dismissed, Selphie grabbed her bag and started out of the classroom. She took a peek inside to make sure the lunch she’d packed was still there and wrapped. Walking the halls, she went out to the bench where she sat with Seifer the day before. They’d agreed it was now their spot, so that’s where she waited for him.

She didn’t have to wait long. Not even a full minute later, Seifer vaulted over the back of the bench and landed, sitting. He rested an arm across the back of the bench and grinned at her.

“You’re energetic today. First, you surprise me with breakfast, and now…whatever that was.” Selphie pulled out the lunch and passed a container to Seifer.

“I guess I’m just excited. Tonight’s the night, you know?”

“I’m really looking forward to it. Haven’t been to a game in ages.”

“Yeah?” Seifer paused in poking through the contents of the container to look at her. “We used to go throughout summer, me and Fu and Rai. Then high school, and college, and jobs. Now we take our time where we can. We go fishing once a month.”

“That sounds like fun, too. I’ve never been fishing.”

“It’s not for the faint of heart. We use bait.”

Selphie made a face. “Live bait?”

“Sometimes, yeah.”

“I dunno…maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it. Usually, when I’m hooking something on a line and dangling it in front of a predator, the thing deserved it.”

“And how much experience do you have with this?”

“Enough.” Her voice was flat.

“Okay, no live bait when we go fishing, then. Easy enough.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Seifer shrugged in agreement. It wasn’t really a big deal to him whether they used live bait or not. The relaxation was the key.

“Okay.”

“Back to the date, though…you big into blitzball?”

“Um, it’s probably my favorite of the –ball sports.”

Seifer chuckled. “Yeah, it’s pretty fun to watch. Never tried it, though.”

“I’ve always been intimidated by the lung capacity you need…Irvy says it’s fun, but I dunno.”

“Same. Irvine’s played it?”

“Yeah, he’s played most things. Sports, games, instruments. He’s very well-rounded.”

“Sounds like.” Seifer sucked a breath in through his teeth. “You think we’ll get along?”

“Are you worried? Because you shouldn’t be. He’s really happy at the idea of meeting you.”

“I hope I live up to the hype.”

Selphie kicked her feet. “You know, I play guitar.”

“Oh yeah? You any good?”

“Yup. I was in a band for a while.”

“A band, or just band?” Seifer poked her side.

She brushed his hand away. “A band.”

“That’s cool. What happened with it?”

“We, uh, broke up. Irreconcilable differences. I haven’t really had a chance to pick it up again, but I’d play for you…if you wanted.”

“Hell yeah, I want you to play for me. Do you know anything by Verdant Period?”

“I love them! I was a big fan of their early stuff growing up. Amygdala Soup is probably my favorite song…by them. Not my favorite song favorite song.” She paused. “Though I have to admit, I learned how to play Street of Shattered Nightmares first.”

“Those are both good. Think about it and surprise me with a song some time.”

“Okay.” Selphie smiled coyly at him. “We’ve finished eating. You know what we have to do now?”

“What’s that?”

“Smooch, silly.”

“Hey, Cloud?” Aerith locked the door for lunch. “I know you’re already helping me a lot, and you’re not delivering today, but…”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “But…?”

“Would you get me lunch? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, what do you want?”

“You know that Mideelan place?”

“Which one? There’s three in town.” Cloud was pretty sure he knew which one she wanted.

Aerith turned to face him. “Really? Wow. Um, the one with the window that says “Come as guests, leave as family”.”

“Yeah, I know which one that is. Bella Balaskas.”

“That’s it, yeah. I want a gyro salad, and a side of pita and hummus.”

“They have really good hummus.” Cloud went to the back room to take off his apron and trade it for his jacket. He unlocked the door and slipped out, watching Aerith lock it behind him. Twenty minutes later, he was back with food, and knocking on the door for Aerith to let him in.

She unlocked the door and opened it, taking the tray with her food as Cloud passed her. She locked the door again and opened the tray, inhaling deeply. “Oh, this smells heavenly.”

Cloud pulled out a smaller bag and unpeeled his gyro wrap. “Yeah, I’m glad the food sits behind me when I’m driving. People might not get their orders otherwise.”

Aerith laughed. “That’s not true, you’re too responsible for that.”

“Nice that you think so.” He looked at his phone, checking the time. “Hey, do you mind if I duck out for a little? I won’t be gone for more than an hour, I promise.”

“Hm. Does this have anything to do with…Squall?”

Cloud couldn’t help his smile. “Yeah. He’s on lunch, and since I can’t text during the day, I’ve decided I like bringing him lunch.”

“That’s sweet. Yeah, just be back by one.”

He quickly finished his wrap and headed back out to the campus.

Squall was relaxing in his tree, chewing thoughtfully on a protein bar. The last few days with Cloud were replaying in his mind, culminating in one thought. He had a boyfriend. He would need to talk to Elle soon, and the sooner the better.

Squall: I have something to tell you, but it’ll have to wait until tonight. Call at the usual time?

He didn’t have long to wait for a response.

Ellone: By usual time, do you mean just before bed?
Squall: Yeah.
Ellone: Any hint on what kind of news you have?
Squall: It’s about my soulmate.
Ellone: I can’t wait to hear.

“You up there, or did I come by for nothing?” Cloud’s voice sounded from the base of the tree.

Squall startled, but played it cool. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Squall: Gotta go, he’s here.

His phone vibrated again as he put it back in his pocket, but he didn’t look at it. Instead, he leaned around the trunk to see Cloud, holding a plastic bag. “Is that…food?”

“Yeah. It’s kinda what I do.”

“What kind of food?”

“Mideelan. I know you like fries, but how do you feel about herbs and feta cheese?”

“I…don’t know. I’ve never had fries like that.”

“That great! I love introducing people to new things. Here.” Cloud held up the bag for Squall to take, then climbed into the tree. “I have to be back at the shop by one, but I wanted to see you.”

Willing the pink to stay off his cheeks, Squall tried to ignore the second part of the statement. “How’s that going?”

“Not bad, but my feet are starting to hurt. The floor isn’t exactly great for standing for hours. I’ve moved a bunch of bouquets into the fridge, and took some orders. Aerith doesn’t trust me to make the bouquets, which I totally get, so I’m mostly trying to keep her workspace clear.”

Squall nodded his understanding, pulled out the tray of fries and took one.

“Lemme guess,” Cloud started. “Needs ketchup?”

“Surprisingly, no. I think ketchup might ruin the flavor. Hummus, on the other hand…”

“Okay, you’ve never had Mideelan, but you know hummus?”

“Everyone knows hummus. You can gets tubs of it at the grocery store. People really like bringing it to parties.”

Cloud looked a little surprised. “You go to a lot of parties, then?”

“No, but I hear about them from people who do. Like Quistis. And Sis.”

“Ah, that explains it.”

“Disappointed?”

“Relieved. I’m not huge on parties, but if that’s part of your life, I can learn to cope.”

Squall took another couple of fries. “I never thought about feta on fries. Melted cheddar, I like, especially with crispy bacon bits. But never considered feta before.”

“Oh, man, have you had the cheese fries at the bowling alley? They’re so good, especially with some ranch. Or ketchup.”

“No, I’ve never been bowling. Not for lack of people trying.”

“It’s fun, you might like it.”

Squall thought about it. “How many people do you need?”

“Technically? One. There’s plenty of people that bowl on their own.”

“Maybe I’ll try it, then.”

Cloud grinned. “Alright. Or there’s the chaos of bowling with friends. It takes longer, and it sometimes feels like you aren’t playing as much as with a smaller group, but taking over a couple of lanes is fun. Tifa dragged me out with some of her local friends a while back. They seemed like nice enough people, but not really my scene.”

“So, you get along with Zack’s friends more than Tifa’s?”

“Aerith is a no-brainer, I practically live with her. And Selphie…kinda counts as a Zack friend, but she’s more Aerith’s. And it’s hard not to like her.” Cloud thought for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually met any of Zack’s friends, other than Aerith. He talks about a guy called Kunsel, but I’ve never actually met him, and his mentor, Angeal. Again, never met him.”

“Hm. I’m kinda stuck with Academy friends. I’m not particularly social.”

“I noticed. It’s one of the things I like about you. How’d you wind up with them, anyway?”

“Zell was in my class. We were partners for a couple of projects. Seifer was a year ahead, originally, then moved to my and Zell’s class my second year. I didn’t actually meet Quistis until just before graduation. She…ugh.” Squall turned away.

“What was that?”

“She…confessed feelings for me. That’s how I met her.”

“Oof. Is she still carrying a torch?”

“I hope not. But if you wanna talk to her, she’s probably not far. She hangs around here at lunch.”

Cloud leaned and looked around, but didn’t spot her. “She must be giving us a little privacy.”

“A rare favor. I’ll be sure to thank her later.” Squall looked at the fries again. “So, what did you bring me?”

“Mideelan fries.”

“That can’t be all you brought.”

“No, I also brought you a gyro wrap. It’s tasty.”

“Is that what this,” Squall held up a smaller bag with a foil package. “Is?”

“Yup. And if you don’t like it, I’ll eat it. Except for the part you ate off of. I’d eat from the other side.”

Squall raised a brow. “You’re willing to kiss me, but you won’t eat after me?”

Cloud looked amused. “You’re willing to kiss me, but you won’t drink after me?”

“Okay, fair point.”

“Wait, you two have kissed?” Quistis’ voice came from beyond the cover of the tree.

Cloud froze where he sat.

“Oh.” Squall’s face went neutral. “You’re back.”

“Sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“Just my peace of mind. And lunch.”

Quistis took a deep breath. “But really, you two kissed?”

“If you need something to report to Seifer, that isn’t it.”

“Okay, what is?”

Squall rolled his eyes, settling his gaze on Cloud. He smiled, just a bit, then pulled a loose piece of bark from the tree and threw it at Quistis. “Go away.”

“Yeesh, I’m going.” The sound of her footsteps faded.

Squall pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s probably gonna come back to bite me.”

“Probably.”

“But it was worth it.”

Cloud looked at Squall seriously. “Are you okay with her knowing?”

“I’m fine with it. It’ll all come out eventually, anyway. None of them can keep their mouths shut for very long.”

“Okay. You gonna try the wrap before I have to leave?”

“Yeah.”

“I recommend peeling as you go.”

“I’ve had mission-style burritos before.” Squall unwrapped the end of the gyro and took a bite. “What’s the meat in this?”

“It’s a mix of beef and lamb.”

“It’s delicious.”

After classes let out for the day, Seifer headed home to get ready for the game. As he walked up to the apartment, he saw Squall unlocking the door. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

They entered, Seifer locking the door behind them. He started toward the bathroom to shower before getting dressed.

Squall watched Seifer from the couch as he came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting ready for a date. You should try it some time.”

“Ha. Ha. Don’t I need to be dating to go on a date?”

“Yeah, I didn’t hear you complain when I called your delivery man your boyfriend. In fact, you agreed with me. So…”

“So…?”

“So you’ve got a boyfriend, which means you’re dating someone, which means you’re expected to go on dates.”

A look of confusion crossed Squall’s face, and he got up to go to his room.

“You’re one of us, now, Leonhart.” Seifer called after him, then continued his process of getting ready.

He went into his own room and stared at the closet. He looked briefly at his phone for the time, then nodded to himself. There was plenty of time to choose what to wear, no rush. He started with pants. He found a pair of joggers with contrasting reinforced knees. Rummaging through his dresser, he pulled out several jerseys, all for the Anacondaurs. He chose his favorite, an away jersey in green and gold.

Putting the clothes aside, he set an alarm for an hour and a half, and sat down to work on a little homework before finishing getting ready.

Gunblades and Roses was still busy when Selphie arrived after classes. She quickly went to the back to grab her apron and slipped it over her head. Coming back into the shop, she went to the work table and started making bouquets, Cloud coming by every so often to move one into the fridge. She’d made three bouquets before Aerith noticed that she was there and helping.

Finally, there was a lull in customers, and Aerith was able to come to the worktable and help for a little. “Sorry I didn’t see you come in. It’s been like this all day.”

“I kinda guessed, which is why I went right to work.”

Between the two of them, they were able to get the stack of orders to a reasonable amount. Cloud alternated between moving finished bouquets to the fridge and sweeping up around them. Selphie smiled at him as he grabbed another bouquet. “Glad to have you on the team, Cloud.”

“I remember Aerith’s complaints from last year. I didn’t really have anything else going on, so it made sense to offer.”

“I’m just glad I have you this year, Selphie. I’ll stay tonight as long as you need, but I think we’ll have it under control by closing.” Aerith put a ribbon on another bouquet, then walked back behind the counter as another customer came in.

Together, the three of them worked until four-thirty, when the crowd died down, and Aerith got ready to leave for the day. “I know it’ll get busy again as people get off work, but you should be able to handle it. Any bouquets you don’t get to tonight, just put the order forms in the binder under the counter.” She smiled at Selphie. “Remember to count the money twice…”

“And don’t take it to go gambling. I remember.”

Cloud laughed at the closing instructions. “Is that a thing you need to worry about?”

“Cloud, have you met me?” Selphie asked.

“Yeah, you don’t seem like the type to steal from work and then gamble with the stolen money.”

“Well, no, but I do get crazy ideas sometimes, and need someone to tell me not to steal the money and blow it at a casino.”

“Which is why we go over the closing checklist every night she closes.” Aerith put a hand on Selphie’s shoulder. “But I know she’ll do fine.”

Selphie beamed at the praise.

“Well, I’m gonna stick around until you close, just keeping things tidy and moving bouquets for you.” Cloud let Selphie know his plans. “And, y’know, just keep an eye on you to apparently make sure you don’t steal the money and go to a casino.”

Selphie giggled. “Now you’re getting it!”

Aerith waved as she left, the bells on the door chiming merrily.

The next couple of hours passed in a blur of customers and bouquets. As Aerith predicted, the crowd picked back up around five, and showed little sign of slowing until almost seven.

“Cloud, would you please take this sign and put it after the fifth person outside?” Selphie grabbed a triangle sign board and handed it to Cloud.

He took it outside and set it down with an apology to the people behind the fifth customer. “Sorry, but it’s almost closing. We’ll be open again tomorrow until seven, so please place your order then.”

Seifer arrived at Gunblades and Roses just before seven and headed inside, much to the disappointment of the people who’d been waiting in line. “Sorry, folks, I’m just picking up. I paid yesterday.”

There was some grumbling, but nobody really made a fuss.

Inside, Selphie was finishing up with the second to last customer. She handed them their receipt and looked up to see who she needed to shoo out. “Seifer! Hi! We’re almost done for the day.”

“Great, I need to pick up an order?”

“Cloud, could you please get the daisies and yellow coneflower bouquet out of the fridge? He paid yesterday.”

Cloud got the bouquet and passed it to Seifer. “You bought her flowers from her own shop?”

“I’m helping a local business, and doing something nice for Selphie.”

“And he asked my input on it, so it’s something I like.” Selphie piped up from the counter, where she was helping with the last customer.

“Yeah, she helped pick it out. And she made it.”

Cloud just shook his head and smiled while Selphie finished taking the order for the last customer, then locked the door.

“Seifer, can you hang on to those for another five minutes while I go get changed?”

Seifer raised the bouquet in acknowledgement while Selphie disappeared into the back, coming out a few minutes later in short shorts and her own Anacondaurs jersey.

Seifer smiled. “You look great.”

Cloud looked between the two of them, grinning. “You match, that’s so cute.”

“Shut it.” There was an edge to Seifer’s voice.

Selphie bounced over to take her bouquet and slipped her arm around his. “Let’s go meet your friends!”

All three exited the shop and Selphie locked up. “G’night, Cloud!” She called as he went around the back to the parking lot.

“Goodnight, have fun!” He waved over his shoulder.

Seifer looked up and down the street, searching for something, then spotted a car coming their way with the familiar Ryde sticker on the windshield. “Our Ryde’s here.”

The car came to a stop in front of the shop, and they climbed into the back. The driver looked at them in the rearview mirror. “Arena?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

The drive was short, and they were let out a couple blocks from the main entrance to the arena. Seifer led them to the left of the main entrance, toward the staff entrance.

Selphie picked up on their path. “Oh my gosh, how much trouble are we gonna get in?”

“None, if we play it right.”

“So, our tickets aren’t just waiting at the booth?”

Seifer shook his head. “No. Fujin has them.” They got to the staff entrance and Seifer pulled out his phone, thumbing through his recent contacts to find Fujin’s number, and called her. “Yeah, we’re here.”

There was muffled speech coming through the phone, but Selphie couldn’t make out what was being said.

“Okay, see you in a couple.” Seifer ended the call and looked to Selphie. “Fu will be out in a minute with our tickets. She sounds in a good mood, so that’s promising.”

“Should I be worried that you have a friend of small stature with what appears to be a bad attitude?”

“Why would her height matter?”

“You’d be surprised what short people are capable of.”

“Not short.” Fujin had slipped out of the staff door without either of them noticing.

“I’m not short, either. I’m fun sized.” Selphie smiled. “You must be Fujin. I’m Selphie.” She held her hand out for a shake.

Fujin stared at it, then nodded and shook her hand. “Fujin.” She looked to Seifer. “Soulmate?”

Seifer nodded. “Yeah, that’s her. My soulmate. Selphie.”

Selphie spun and struck a pose. “Ta-dah!” She doubled over laughing.

“Doofus.” Fujin shook her head a little. “Rai owes me.”

Seifer turned a glare at Fujin. “What did you bet?”

“Money.” Seifer’s look hardened. She continued. “Bet she’d be normal. Not like Rinoa.”

“Hey, Rinny’s normal! And my friend.” Selphie interjected.

Fujin looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. “Complicated…”

“Anyway, you have our tickets?” Seifer didn’t want to miss the opening kick.

“Here.”

“Thanks, Fu. We owe you. Hey, how much did you bet Rai?”

“20,000Gil.”

“Small potatoes.” Seifer scoffed a little. “If it were bigger, I’d ask for half.”

Selphie grabbed hold of Seifer’s arm. “It doesn’t matter how small it is, I should ask for half.”

“Enjoy.” Fujin turned and disappeared back through the staff entrance.

“Guess you’re not getting half.” Seifer said. “Let’s go find Rai.”

“Okay. You say he’s big, right?” Selphie started looking for tall people in a sea of tall people.

Seifer chuckled. “I may have undersold it.” He spotted Raijin at the ticket booth. “There he is.”

They walked over to Raijin, who was sitting in the ticket booth with a line in front of him. Seifer watched the line for a moment, then nudged Selphie. “We may have to catch him after the kickoff.”

“Alright. Should we find our seats, then?”

“Yeah.” Seifer nodded, and they headed into the arena to find their seats.

Squall sat at his desk, homework open to one side of him. Spread across the desk were Queen’s Blood cards, all face up so he could see the stats. There was a small stack of five cards in front of him, and he stared at the rest on display. His hand hovered over one, then moved on. This was going to be harder than he’d thought.

His plan had been to work on homework so he could spend the weekend doing whatever he wanted. Instead, he had started his homework and was struck by the idea to optimize his Queen’s Blood deck. Maybe the best strategy was getting rid of all the really weak cards first. He started piling up what he considered were weak cards. Queen’s Blood definitely wasn’t as intuitive as Triple Triad.

His phone beeped with an incoming message. It could only be Elle or Cloud. He hoped it was Cloud; he was talking to Elle later that night.

Cloud: i was thinking about what you said last night, that i'd been to your place but never inside. is it cool if i come over?
Squall: Is it going to bother you if I’m working on homework?
Cloud: shouldn’t. am i gonna be a distraction?
Squall: Possibly. But come over anyway.
Cloud: cool. i know Seifer’s not in, since he came by to pick up Selphie when we closed
Squall: How’d he look?
Cloud: ridiculous. happy. should i bring dinner?
Squall: No, I’ll cook something. It won’t be fancy, but it also won’t be takeout.
Cloud: is there anything i should bring?
Squall: A mug.
Cloud: i know just the one.

Squall got up and went to the kitchen to start dinner. There wasn’t much in the apartment, but he had pasta, sauce, and chicken. Enough to make chicken alfredo. Thinking about it, he messaged Cloud.

Squall: You’re okay with chicken and dairy, right?
Squall: For dinner, I mean. I know you’ve had both.
Squall: Okay, I’m cooking now, so knock loud when you get here.

About the time that the water started boiling for the pasta, there was a loud knock at the door. Squall turned down the heat on the pot, then went to the door to check who it was. Seeing Cloud, he opened the door to let him in. “Hey.”

Cloud smiled as he came in, holding a mug to his chest. “Hey.”

“I just started the pasta, so I have about eight minutes before I need to drain it.” Squall led Cloud into the kitchen. “Do you…want coffee?”

“Sure.” Cloud set his mug on the counter. It had a surfing chocobo wearing a tropical print shirt and text that read “Life’s a beach at Costa del Sol” printed on it.

Squall picked it up to inspect the design. “You brought a souvenir mug?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to bring Fenrir. He doesn’t leave the apartment. Besides, I like the surfing chocobo.”

“Well, you’ll need one more. For the garage...or I could ask Elle to find you one.”

Cloud looked at the shelf of mugs bearing sarcastic slogans. “I feel like I need to actually talk to her before she can choose a mug for me.”

“That could be arranged. I’m supposed to call her tonight…to talk about you, actually. I normally call her just before bed, though.”

“We’ll set something up later. Maybe this weekend?”

“Sure.”

Squall drained the pasta and checked on the chicken, pulling it off the burner and cutting the breasts into bite sized pieces. He poured the pasta back into the pot, opened a jar of garlic alfredo sauce, and stirred it in. Finally, he opened the cabinet and pulled down two plates, spooning some pasta onto both and topping them with chicken. “Okay, let’s eat.” He went to the dining table, Cloud on his heels. Squall set the plates down next to each other and sat, waiting for Cloud to sit next to him. “It’s no sampler from D. Riley’s, but I think my chicken alfredo is pretty good.”

“It smells good.”

“Sorry I don’t have garlic bread. This was kind of a last minute plan.”

“I could’ve brought some. But I thought asexuals always had garlic bread at hand. Y’know, better than sex, and all that?”

Pink colored Squall’s cheeks, and he ducked his head. “I wouldn’t know about that, but garlic bread is really good.”

They dug in, and Cloud made a happy noise. “This is good. But you know what would make it next level?”

“What’s that?”

“Parmesan cheese.”

Squall stood and went to the refrigerator, pulling out both a canister of powdery grated cheese and a partial wedge. “Do you prefer powder or shredded?”

“For this, shredded.”

Squall nodded, then put the canister back and rummaged through a drawer until he found the cheese grater. “Just tell me when.”

A couple moments later, Cloud nodded. “Okay, that’s good.”

Squall grated some cheese onto his own plate, then put it away and sat back down.

The game was going great. The Anacondaurs were up by four, and they hadn’t needed to pull anyone yet.

“Wow, this is the most scoring I’ve ever seen in a game of blitzball!” Selphie’s eyes were locked on the sphere in the middle of the arena, trying to take in all the action happening inside it.

“Yeah, that guy Bickson?” Seifer pointed to one of the players. “Hardest hitter in the water.”

“But he’s a visiting player…”

“Yeah, that’s why we gotta watch out for him.”

A tone cut through the sounds of the arena crowd, signaling the end of the first half. Selphie bounced in her seat. “Oh my gosh, this is so cool!”

“C’mon, let’s go get some hotdogs.” Seifer stood, stretching his arms over his head.

Selphie launched out of her seat like a rocket. “Let’s GO! Have you messaged your friend to see where to meet him?”

“Yeah, that’s why we’re getting hotdogs.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

They climbed down the stairs to the landing and headed into the ring around the arena, looking for the nearest food vendor. They didn’t have to look long, there was one every hundred feet or so, alternating with the team shop. Approaching one of the food stands, they got in line. Seifer whirled around a moment later when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Surprise gave way to joy when he came face to face, sort of, with Raijin. Seifer grinned.

Selphie stared up at Raijin. “Wow, you’re tall!”

Raijin looked down at her, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Heh, yeah.” He regained his composure. “I’m Rai. Raijin, but you can call me Rai, y’know.”

Selphie attached herself to him in a tight hug. “Hi, Rai.”

“Do I need to be worried?” Seifer teased.

Still wrapped around Raijin, Selphie shook her head. “Nope, this is a friend hug.” She squeezed his middle, then let go. “I’m Selphie. Thanks for helping us get tickets. ‘Cause this has been a lot of fun, and I’m really looking forward to the second half.”

“No problem. Me and Fu get a discount on tickets, and Seif agreed to pay us back for them. It’s win-win all around, y’know?”

The line moved, and they stepped forward to place their orders. Two hotdogs, with packets of mustard and ketchup, and little cups of relish. They were handed the food, hotdogs wrapped in foil bags, and stepped away from the line to talk more.

“So…” Selphie started. “How long have you known Seifer?”

“Since the Academy. We were originally in the same class, but Seif got held back a year. It sucked, ‘cause he was my go-to partner, y’know?”

“I heard about him getting held back. You weren’t the partner he had a fight with, were you?”

Seifer and Raijin laughed. “No, that was a teacher-assigned partner.” Seifer clarified.

“Oh. That’s good, though! Friends shouldn’t fight enough to get one held back.”

“I agree.” Raijin nodded. “You ever been held back?”

“Nope! And all the fights I’ve had with friends were small potatoes. I’m still friends with them, too.” Selphie clasped her hands. “This is great, I didn’t really get a chance to talk with Fu. Can I call her Fu?”

“No.” Seifer and Raijin answered in unison.

Selphie laughed. “Okay. Fujin, then. Until she tells me otherwise.”

“How’d you two meet? Seifer hasn’t really said.”

“Oh, he was staring at me through the window at work, so I invited him in one day. After he left, Aerith, my boss, told me about the mark on my back.”

“Your mark is on your back? If it’s too personal, tell me no, but can I see it?”

Selphie thought about it, but shook her head. “I’d have to take off my shirt or something, and, no offense, I just don’t know you that well.”

Seifer smiled, and Raijin nodded. “I get that. Maybe some other time.”

“Yeah, she normally wears dresses, so it’s pretty well on display usually. But like I told Selphie, this isn’t the only time you’re gonna see each other. You’re one of my best friends, and she’s my soulmate. You’re both important to me, and I’d like for us all to be at least on friendly terms.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Selphie, you seem pretty chill, y’know?” Raijin offered his hand for a fist bump.

Selphie bumped his fist with hers, then opened her hand and made an explosion noise. “I am. Actually, I’m not. I have a lot of anxiety. But I can be chill.”

A tone sounded throughout the arena again, marking the end of the break. Seifer put an arm around Selphie’s shoulders. “We should get back to our seats and eat these hotdogs.”

Raijin nodded. “Yeah, the game’s back on in a couple of minutes, and I gotta get back to the box. Good to meet you Selphie! We’ll talk later, y’know?”

“Yeah, totally! Bye, Rai!”

“Later, man.” Seifer led Selphie back into the stands and to their seats, where they opened their hotdogs and condiments.

As they doctored their hotdogs, Selphie thought about the meetings with Seifer’s friends. “He seems nice. Nicer than Fujin, anyway.”

“He is. But Fu’s not bad. She’s just…awkward.”

“I get that.”

“I can’t imagine you being awkward a day in your life.”

“Seifer, I’m constantly awkward around you.”

He shook his head. “I don’t see it.”

The players re-entered the sphere, and the game resumed.

After dinner, Cloud and Squall were sitting on the couch, leaning against each other. There wasn’t a tournament on yet, so they were watching Devotions, a soap opera that Ellone got Squall watching for a time.

“So, this is Devotions. Elle got me started on it. I don’t make it a habit, but I’ll watch if it’s on. The main story is that Stacy’s half brother’s father, Ricardo, has come back to town, trying to win their mom back from his twin brother, Carlos. I think they’re still looking for the pirate treasure that supposed to be in the bay, but they might’ve finished that storyline already. It was a couple years ago, so I can’t be too sure what’s happening now.”

Cloud glanced over at Squall. “I’ve never gotten into soap operas, but this is fun.”

“Honestly, this one probably has the best writing, which is saying something.” The show came to a commercial break, and Squall started to get up. “I’m gonna get more coffee. Do you want some?”

“Yeah, sounds good. Um, where’s your bathroom?”

“In the hall, it’ll be the only open door.”

“Thanks.” Cloud stood after Squall and headed to the bathroom.

Squall poured the last of the coffee into his cup and started a fresh pot. He downed the coffee, then stared at the pot, willing it to finish brewing faster. It didn’t.

A couple minutes later, Cloud came back to the living room and settled back into his spot on the couch. “Should we just turn this off? Maybe play some cards? Or you could show me your room, since I showed you mine.”

“It’s only got another fifteen minutes, and I can watch from here.”

“Yeah, but then I don’t have you to lean on. I’ll have to steal your spot and lean on the arm.”

Squall sighed. “Okay. We can turn it off, cards does sound more fun. But I’ll still be a couple of minutes, since I had to start a fresh pot. You can get the game set up.”

Cloud started setting up the play mat and had a thought. “Hey, Squall…”

“Hmm?”

“What’s the worst card you have in Triple Triad?”

“I have all the cards, so…”

“Yeah, but what’s the worst one?”

Squall didn’t even have to really think about it. “PuPu. It’s so unbalanced, it’s barely usable.”

“I think my worst ones are the first five or so…”

Squall scoffed. “Put some effort into it. It’s your challenge, challenge me properly.”

Cloud thought for a few minutes while he finished setting up the play mat. “Okay, I think my worst card is probably Torama. It’s only good for defense. And just barely.”

“I agree. Shitty card. What brought this on?”

“I had a thought. What if we played with only our worst cards?”

“Finally.” The coffeepot finished brewing, and Squall poured two cups, stirring sugar into Cloud’s chocobo mug. “I like the idea. It’s easy to win if you’re only using good cards, but to win using bad cards is a true test of skill.”

“Yeah, I thought you might like it.” Cloud settled back onto the couch, waiting for Squall to join him.

Squall carried the two mugs into the living room, passed one to Cloud, then sat on the couch, facing him. “So, we’re going to choose our five worst cards?”

“That’s the idea.”

Squall picked up his deck and started shuffling through it, picking out a card here and there to make a small stack to the side. He then went through that stack and chose the five worst cards he had out of the bunch: PuPu, Torama, Jelleye, Belhelmel, and Buel.

Cloud flipped through his deck, choosing his worst cards: Torama, Tri-Face, Blood Soul, Death Claw, and Tonberry. He set them aside and put the rest of his deck back into the case. “So, what rules are we playing with?”

“Might as well play with Open. Trade One as a formality. And Same.”

“Okay. That sounds challenging enough. Flip for it?”

Squall pulled out a commemorative token from his first tournament and set it on his thumb. “Whoever it lands on goes first. Call it in the air.” He flipped the token.

While it spun, Cloud announced “Tails.”

It landed tails. Cloud considered his cards, settling on Tri-Face in the top middle.

Squall watched intently, then looked at his own cards. He set his Torama in the middle spot. No cards captured yet, but it wouldn’t take long to gain the advantage.

Cloud played his Tonberry to the left of the Torama, flipping it. He smirked.

Squall set his Buel in the bottom middle, below the Torama, flipping it back to his control and tying the board. He met Cloud’s eyes, waiting for the next move.

Cloud’s Death Claw went in the bottom left, flipping the Buel. This was going pretty well.

Squall played PuPu in the top left. It flipped Cloud’s Tri-Face, tying the board again.

Cloud set his Blood Soul in the top right. He couldn’t flip his Tri-Face back, but at least Squall wouldn’t be able to flip it, either.

Squall stared at the board, thinking, and finally placed his Belhelmel in the middle right. The board was tied for the last time. He glared at it, knowing he’d lost.

Cloud’s final card, his Torama, went into the last space in the bottom right, flipping the Belhelmel and winning the game by two. He grinned. “That was fun. We should do it again some time.”

“We should. I’ll actually put effort into it next time.”

Cloud gaped. “You let me win?”

“No, but I didn’t really try to stop you, either. Choose your card.”

Looking over Squall’s hand, he chose PuPu.

“Of course you would.”

“Are you mad because you lost your PuPu?”

“A little, yeah.” Squall sighed. “I’ll just have to win it back.”

“If you can. I think we’re actually pretty evenly matched at this point.”

Squall shook his head. “No, I still mop the floor with you more often.”

“So, another game, or do I get to see your room now?”

“Yeah, alright.” Squall stood, offering his hand. “C’mon.”

Cloud took the offered hand, and was pulled off the couch onto his feet, then led down the hall to the furthest door.

Squall opened it and stepped in. “Here you go.”

Cloud followed, looking around. It was a little messy, just from the day. “I could’ve let you tidy up first, sorry.”

“It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting company is all.” Squall quickly moved through the room, gathering a few things and tucking them away. Dirty clothes into the hamper, his school bag next to his desk.

“I kinda invited myself over. Sorry for that, too.”

“It’s fine. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t’ve agreed.”

“You mentioned something about homework, too. Should I let you work? I can go back to watching Devotions.”

Squall smiled. “It’s extra credit, so it’s not dire. And I have the whole weekend to work on it.”

“As long as I’m not getting you in trouble.”

“You’re not trouble.”

“I’ve definitely heard otherwise.”

“From…your dad?”

Cloud shook his head a little. “I’m still not sold on that theory. But yeah, he’s one of them.”

Squall chuckled. “Just a bit of parental humor from the guy who doesn’t like parents.”

“I’m sure you liked your mom.”

“I did.”

“I wish you could’ve met mine. She would’ve liked you.”

Squall sat in his desk chair, spinning it to face Cloud. “I doubt that. I go out of my way to not be likeable.”

“I guess I’m just stubborn, then.”

“You are. I like that about you.”

Pink tinged Cloud’s cheeks at the compliment. “I don’t think you’re unlikeable. I think you’re complicated, and a little emotionally constipated. But I’m not going anywhere, so don’t think you have to change for me.”

“Emotionally constipated?” Squall feigned offense. “I guess that sounds about right.”

“I’m not gonna lie and gloss over your flaws. They help make you who you are.”

“And who am I?”

“Squall Leonhart. My friend without benefits. My boyfriend. My soulmate.”

Squall stared up at Cloud, unsure of what to say.

Cloud stepped close, hugging Squall’s head to his stomach.

Tentatively, Squall wrapped his arms around Cloud’s hips, and they stayed like that for a few minutes. “I like spending time with you.” His voice was muffled by Cloud’s shirt, but the words were clear enough in the quiet room.

“I like spending time with you, too. I’m glad we found each other. I can’t imagine my life without you now. I…didn’t realize how stuck I was, but you’ve pulled me out of the mire.”

Squall let go of Cloud, and Cloud released his head. Squall took his hands before he could step too far away, and pulled him down for a soft kiss. “I still don’t think I like kissing, but I don’t mind kissing you.”

The game was over, and the Anacondaurs had put up a good fight. It even looked like they might take it until the final score that brought the Goers the win. Regardless of the outcome, it had been a great game. Selphie and Seifer made their way to the exit chattering about their favorite plays. They waved a goodbye to Fujin as they passed her, then to Raijin as they turned the corner by the ticket box.

“So, sushi?” Seifer offered his arm, which Selphie happily latched onto.

“That was the plan. Timber Line is this way, it’s not too far, and it’s a sushi-go-round, which is actually the best.” She leaned against his shoulder, then looked up at him. “What kind of fish do you like?”

“Salmon was good yesterday. I like tuna.”

“Ooh, divisive fish choice. People either love or hate salmon. I’ve never met anyone that was indifferent about salmon. How do you feel about crab?”

“It…has flavor?” Seifer wasn’t too sure, honestly.

“What about the flavor?”

“There’s not much of one. I don’t really go out of my way to eat it, though.”

Selphie nodded. “Okay, good enough. If everything else is gross, we can get crab roll or something.”

They walked the short distance to Timber Line, and got a table with a rail next to it. Seifer looked at the menu, then at the rail. “Okay, how does this work?”

“Okay, you see how the plates on the rail all have a different color ring? That’s how they figure out how much to charge you. There’s always a little tag or placard or something that tells you what each thing is, and you just grab it off the rail as it passes you.” Selphie punctuated this by pulling a pickled cucumber salad off the rail.

Examining all the plates as they passed, Seifer eventually chose a plate of cucumber-avocado roll.

They took the tops off the plates and tried their selections, trading bites from each other’s plates. It may have been a faux pas, but neither of them really knew enough about sushi etiquette to know better.

“So, you and Rinny discovered sushi together?” Seifer asked in between bites. He’d pulled another plate, plain avocado roll, and was working his way through it.

“No, not really. Rinny went on vacation and came back “cultured”. But not like yogurt or cheese. Like people.”

“If you mean like people, why the air quotes?”

Selphie giggled. “Because she’s “cultured”, not cultured. Duh.”

“That doesn’t answer my question at all, but okay. Have you tried this one?” Seifer held a piece of the avocado roll for Selphie to eat.

“Yes…” She took the piece and ate it. “Avocado roll is delicious.”

Seifer watched the plates passing on the rail, and was surprised to see there wasn’t any nigiri to be seen. “If I wanted the slab of fish on rice, the nigiri, how do I get that? Do they do special orders, too?”

Selphie beamed. “They do! Just a sec.” She pushed a button on the wall by the table, and they waited. A couple minutes later, one of the servers came over.

“Yes? What can I help with?”

“We’d like some tuna nigiri, please and thank you.”

The server nodded and retreated to the kitchen, coming out a little while later with tuna nigiri on a plate. “If there’s any other special request, just let us know.”

“Thank you, we will.” Selphie turned her attention back to Seifer and the nigiri. “Go on, have one. I’ll have one, too.” She picked up a piece and ate it in one bite.

Seifer picked up a piece and sniffed it, then popped it in his mouth. “Hmm, I think I like the salmon more, but I’m not sure yet.”

“How do you feel about octopus?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never had it. I don’t think I have, at least. I had squid a couple of times, and that was weird, but good. Kinda rubbery.”

“Yeah, octopus is, too. But if you put a chunk into batter and then fry it, it’s pretty tasty.” Selphie eyed the conveyer to see if takoyaki was out, or if they would need to order it special.

“So, what do you want to do after this?”

“You could…come over. I could show you around. I don’t have a roommate, so we wouldn’t need to worry about anyone interrupting us.”

“No roommate? Nice.”

“Yup,” Selphie confirmed. “No roommate.”

Cloud stood by the door, readying himself to head home. “Dinner was good. I should cook something for you sometime. Maybe we can have a sleepover and I’ll cook breakfast.”

“You could stay over tonight. I have no idea when Seifer will be back, and he’ll wake us up ridiculously early for weekend “training”, but if you wanted…”

“Sounds great. Let me run home and grab stuff for tomorrow? I’ll be back in, like, twenty.” Cloud started to turn for the door, then thought about the breakfast plan. “Can I see what you have in the fridge real quick? Just to make sure I don’t need to also bring breakfast stuff.”

“I think that’s the first time anyone has ever asked that question. The guest doesn’t usually make breakfast.”

“Is that not why I’m staying over?”

Squall stared at Cloud for a moment. “…I guess so. I just figured that I would cook, since it’s my place.”

“I mean, if you’d rather sleep in, we could go to mine. Zack’s home tonight, and Aerith is there, but you’re welcome to pack a bag and come along.”

Squall looked down the hall at Seifer’s door, thinking about how annoying it was, being woken up at the buttcrack of dawn for Shinobi Warrior Duos! training. “Alternatively, we don’t go anywhere. You can borrow something of mine, and wash your clothes. And you can help beat up Seifer.”

“Beat up Seifer?”

“Yeah, when he bursts in at zero-dark-thirty like the Flavor Punch man to wake me up for “training”. His idea of training, at least.”

“And your door doesn’t have a lock?”

“What’s the point?” Squall shrugged. “He’d just break the door.”

“And risk the deposit? Oof.”

“It doesn’t matter to him, he’s not paying for the place.”

“Back to the topic at hand. I would love to stay over, and I’m totally fine wearing something of yours. But where am I going to sleep? I can take the floor, if you’ve got a sleeping bag.”

Squall looked away, but not before Cloud saw the pink in his cheeks. “I was kinda figuring we’d just share my bed.”

“Okay, sounds great.” Cloud took off his jacket and hung it back up. “I just need to let Zack know.”

“Do you want some privacy for that?”

“Nah, it’ll be quick. Unless you just don’t want to hear half a conversation.”

“It’s fine.” Squall went back to the couch and sat in his spot.

Cloud pulled out his phone and called Zack, pacing a little as he talked. “Hey…Yeah, I’m not gonna be home tonight…Shut up…I mean it, shut up…I’ll see you tomorrow…No, I’m not coming back just to cook you breakfast…Goodnight, Zack.” He ended the call, then stared at his phone before dialing again. “Hey…I needed to say goodnight to Aerith, too…Calling you back was the fastest way to do it…Yeah, goodnight, Aerith.”

Calls completed, Cloud went back to the living room to sit next to Squall, curling into him. He rested his hand over where he knew Fenrir was, and pet it gently.

Selphie fumbled her keys and dropped them outside her door. She bent and picked them up with a laugh, and unlocked the door. Stepping in, she turned on a light and swept her arms outward. “This is it, home, sweet home.”

“Looks different when I’m not carrying you to your room and putting you to bed.” Seifer looked around the room. “I was half expecting inflatable furniture.”

“No…not since my first year here. Irvy told me he needed real furniture to sit on when he visits, so I got some.”

“I get that. So, when he visits, what’s the sleeping arrangement?”

“We’ll probably share again.” Selphie realized how that sounded. “Unless that’s a problem.”

“Why would it be? You’re my soulmate, and you already told me that the two of you don’t date each other.”

Selphie beamed. “I’m so glad you trust me. Because I would be really offended if you didn’t.”

“You make trusting you easy. I’m a little wary of his intentions, but if he hasn’t already snatched you up, then I guess I have nothing to worry about.” Seifer looked around the room again. “Last time I was here, I didn’t really have a chance to look around. Gimme the tour?”

“Sure!” Selphie showed him the apartment, starting with the smaller rooms: the bathroom and her bedroom, then the kitchen/studio office/living room. “And here’s where I rest my butt after a hard day.” She planted herself in her spot on the loveseat.

Seifer wandered the room, inspecting her knick-knacks and tchotchkes. He found a photo frame with four photos in it; one of a much younger Selphie with presumably her parents, Selphie and Rinoa making silly faces, one of Selphie and an auburn haired guy that Seifer was sure must be Irvine, and one of the guy with Rinoa and Selphie all making faces. “So, this must be Irvine.”

“Yup, that’s him. He’s pretty hot, right?”

“Not my type, but I can see why someone might think so.”

“If you two got in a fight, would you have a walk-off?” Selphie pondered for a moment.

“What?”

“You know, a walk-off. Like models do?”

Seifer laughed. “Do I look like a model?”

“Actually, yeah. You’ve got the good jawline and facial structure, and your eyes are really pretty…” She got a dazed look and giggled a little.

“Hyne, you’re serious.”

“Of course I am.”

Seifer sat next to her. “I think…” He leaned close. “That I would probably lose a walk-off against your fashion designer friend.” He kissed her cheek.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I don’t have a model walk. I stride. Or stalk. But I’m pretty sure neither of those are photogenic enough for a walk-off.”

“You stalk?”

“Yeah, like a jungle cat stalks its prey.”

“Ooh, scary…” Selphie grinned. “Are you being for real right now?”

“Yeah. Okay, I might be a little out of practice stalking, and I’m aware how that sounds, but back at the Academy…I stalked. It was kinda my thing.”

“Sounds hot.”

Seifer relaxed into the loveseat, and rested an arm across the back. “So, I’ve got some questions. Kinda heavy questions, but I think we need to sort them out before we get into any funny business.”

“Okay.” Selphie turned to face him, giving her full attention. “Ask away.”

“What do you want out of this soulmate thing?”

“Everything.”

Seifer chuckled. “Can you elaborate?”

“I mean, I want everything it can be. I want the romance, I want the…rawr, I want the friendship, and someday, I wanna marry you, and that’s really heavy, isn’t it?”

“It is, but that’s why I want to have this talk. Because, yeah, I want what we have already, but I also want the friendship, the partnership, the romance. And yeah, maybe someday even marriage.”

“I figure that if anybody’s gonna get me, it’s gonna be you.” Selphie cupped his jaw and strained upward to kiss him.

He raised his head just out of her reach. “One last question, then. Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

She sat up as tall as she could, still trying to reach him. “Yes.” She climbed into his lap and gave him a peck.

Squall tossed a tee-shirt and pajama pants at Cloud. “These’ll be a little big, but the pants have a drawstring, and the shirt shouldn’t be that loose.”

Cloud caught the clothing. “Thanks. I’ll just go get changed, then.” He left Squall’s room to go to the bathroom, where he stripped to his underwear and pulled on the pajama pants, tightening the drawstring and rolling the cuffs a couple of times. He paused while putting on the shirt, catching Griever glinting on his stomach. He smiled, then pulled on the shirt and went back to Squall’s room.

Squall had already changed and was on the phone when he came back in, shutting the door. Cloud sat in the desk chair, rocking it gently while waiting for Squall to finish his call.

Squall pointed at his phone and mouthed, “Sis.” He tilted the phone back toward his mouth. “Yes, I’m serious. We both are…We have an understanding.” He paced between his bed and the door a few times before sitting on the edge. “I can tell you more later…No, he’s spending the night.” He leaned back against the bed. “I promise, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Squall rolled onto his side and sat up again. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll call earlier tomorrow. Yes. I can see if he’ll talk to you, too. I’m sure he will, but I’ll check. Okay. Goodnight, Sis.” He ended the call and looked at Cloud. “Sis would like to have you on the phone when I call tomorrow. You up for that?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Okay. So, we’re ready for bed whenever. Do you want to watch more TV, or play some cards before we sleep?”

“Nah, if Seifer is gonna wake us up as early as you say, I kinda want to just go to bed. If that’s okay.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Squall climbed into bed, settling onto his side and holding the blankets open for Cloud to join him. “I’m normally a middle sleeper, so this will be different for both of us.”

Cloud turned off the light, then slid into the bed, snuggling close. “Zack says I’m a little clingy, so I’m gonna apologize in advance.”

“Do I want to know why Zack knows you’re clingy?”

“Some nights, I don’t handle being alone too well. Zack will pretty much always make room for me.”

Squall raised a brow. “Even when Aerith is there?”

“Yeah, she’s been there for it, too.”

“Hmm.” Squall put an arm around Cloud, pulling him a bit closer. “You don’t need to worry about that now. I’m here.”

Cloud wrapped his free arm around Squall. “Thanks.” He thought for a moment. “Are you okay with late calls? Like, if I need someone?”

“Definitely. Remind me in the morning, and I’ll put you on the same permissions in my phone as Sis. She’s the only other person I’ll always pick up for.”

A warmth spread through Cloud’s belly, starting at Griever and working its way outward. A similar warmth pulsed from Fenrir outward, across Squall’s chest and shoulder.

“You could stay over.” Selphie offered.

“I could stay over.”

“You could stay in my bed.”

“I could stay in your bed.” Seifer looked at his phone for the time, and nodded. “I will stay in your bed.”

Selphie squealed in excitement, then rushed to her room, pulling Seifer along with her. She made a beeline for the bed, but Seifer stopped. “Just so you know, I’m sleeping in my underwear.”

“Why bother?” Selphie gave a conspiratorial wink. “We don’t need pajamas for what I wanna do.”

Her message was clear, and Seifer thought it over. They’d known each other a week, but it felt like a lifetime. She was his girlfriend now, and his soulmate forever. Fuck it. He stripped off his outer layer and kissed Selphie deeply, sitting them both on her bed.

Selphie moaned softly into his mouth as she ran her hands through his hair. Breaking the kiss, she stared into his eyes. “I want this. I want you. Tonight.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Chapter Text

Selphie’s alarm blared a rock song, and she stretched, yawning, when her arm collided with something solid. Seifer’s head. “Oof, sorry. Not used to that.”

“Having someone else in your bed? Glad to know.” Seifer rubbed his head a little, not that it really hurt, but more to make sure his hair wasn’t too mussed.

“Yeah, that. I could get used to it, though…for the right person.” She sat up, and turned to get out of bed when Seifer caught her arm, pulling her back close to him. He traced over his mark on her back. “It looks different today.”

“What do you mean?” She started squirming to the side, trying to see over her shoulder what he was talking about.

“It’s gold. Shimmering gold.” He held out his arm to her so she could see the flowers on his wrist were also gold.

“It’s gilded? They gilded?!” She reached for her phone and unlocked it before passing it to him. “Take a picture!”

Seifer took a quick photo and handed the phone back to Selphie.

She gasped in excitement and practically threw the phone back at him. “Take a picture with both of them!”

“With both of them?”

“Yeah, put yours next to mine. I wanna show Irvy. He’ll be so jealous!”

Seifer sat up and laid his arm against her back, marks next to each other, then took another photo. “Send me a copy of that one, yeah?”

“Of course.” She took her phone back and sent the images to both Irvine and Seifer without any explanation. Her phone started a different rock song, and she nearly dropped it. “Oh, that’s my backup alarm. I gotta get dressed so I can help Aerith today. Last chance to get bouquets for M-day.”

“How many alarms do you need?”

“On a usual day, just the one. But when it’s something really important, like today, I set three. But if I get to my third alarm? Hoo, boy, that’s gonna be bad.” She stood, stretching as she did so, and started getting dressed.

“What’s the deal with the third alarm?”

Selphie’s face turned somber. “It’s a song that will get stuck in your head for days. And it’s set for the absolute latest I can get ready, it I rush everything and skip eating.”

“Well, you’re not skipping eating.”

“Of course not. That’s why I got up with the second alarm.” She finished getting dressed and stared at Seifer, still sitting on her bed. “You gotta get up, too. You’re leaving with me.”

“It’s gonna be real obvious I stayed the night.”

Selphie paused in her bouncing. “What do you mean?”

“I have the clothes I wore to the game last night. A jersey and joggers. Anyone that saw me will know.”

“So? Are you embarrassed?”

“You know what? Not in the least.” He got up and started getting dressed. “Just thought you might be worried about what your neighbors might think.”

“Nah, if they’re gonna judge, whatever. You’re my soulmate. It’s just the first time you’re staying over.”

“I like that. “The first time”. You wanna get a little stash of clothes at my place?”

“Sure?”

“I gotta go home to change, I might as well take some of your stuff with me.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Lemme pack a bag.”

It didn’t even register to Squall that he was sleeping in on a Saturday. Seifer hadn’t woken him up early. Nothing had. He nuzzled closer to Cloud, pulling the other man tighter against his chest.

Cloud woke up with the movement. “Hmm? Oh, good morning.” He offered a lazy smile.

“Morning.”

“I thought we were gonna get woken up ridiculously early. What happened?”

“No Seifer, apparently. I guess he didn’t come home after his big date.”

“Oh, good for him.” Cloud paused. “And Selphie.”

“Do we really want to congratulate her on that? Seifer can be pretty awful.”

“Yeah, but they’re soulmates. I figure he’s gotta at least be nice to her.”

“Nicer than he is to his roommate, I hope. Unless he took her training this morning.” Squall stared wistfully at the ceiling.

“What even is this training?”

“A mile run to the park, then five rounds on an obstacle course. He thinks we’re going to do Shinobi Warrior Duos! together.”

“Okay, what is Shinobi Warrior Duos!?” Judging by name alone, Cloud thought it was something Tifa would be interested in.

“This sports competition where teams of two go through an insane obstacle course. If they win one round, they move on to the next. There’s only been six total victories where they cleared the final stage, and two teams have done it twice each. So there’s really only four teams that have gotten total victory.”

“And he wants you to be his partner for it? Why?”

“His first choice works at the stadium, so can’t compete. Other than that, I have no idea. I have to assume it has something to do with our friendship.”

Cloud nodded. “And you don’t want to do it?”

“If he had asked, I might be more amenable to the idea. Instead, he just decided this on his own and made it my problem.”

“Okay. You have a standing invitation to sleep over any Friday you want to avoid training.”

“Don’t joke. I’ll take you up on it.”

“No joke.”

Squall grabbed his phone and looked at the time. “Wow, we really slept in.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not. What time is it?”

“Eight-thirty.”

“Okay, wow, we did sleep in.”

Squall let go of Cloud and sat up. “I think you promised me breakfast.”

“I did indeed. Let’s get coffee.”

They stood up out of bed, and Cloud raised his arms in a stretch. Something caught Squall’s attention, and without another thought, he reached over and lifted the hem of Cloud’s shirt to look at Griever.

“What’s up?” Cloud had relaxed his arms, but still had them up while Squall inspected his mark.

It was definitely gold, and shimmering. Squall pulled off his own shirt while Cloud stared.

“Is that…are we…did they gild overnight?”

“We bonded. In whatever way is ours.”

End