Ages:
Squall = 16
Cloud and Seifer = 17
Roxas and Sora = 10

Tempus Fugit

First Date

"Seifer… Seifer!"

Seifer cracked open his bedroom door to peer down at the nervous-looking brunet standing there wringing his hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Seifer growled, rubbing the sleep out of one eye. "It's two in the fucking morning. Shouldn't you be getting beauty sleep for your long awaited date tomorrow?"

"That's the problem," Squall whispered. He worriedly glanced over his shoulder to the bedroom where the Strife brothers were sleeping. The twins had a habit of waking up in the middle of the night to wander around the kitchen.

Seifer raised one eyebrow. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You've been going on about this forever in your own stupid pessimistic way."

There was silence for a moment before Squall fearfully whispered: "I don't know what to wear."

Seifer stared at him for a moment and then shut the door in his face. "Go back to bed, princess!"

Squall began pawing at the door in misery. "Seifer… Seifer! You've got to help me! Come on! You owe me!" He could hear the tall man shuffling around on the other side. "Seifer… please." He slid down the door and landed with his back to it. "I know you think I'm being stupid, but this means a lot to me. I can't mess this up. I can't."

There was a muffled curse before Seifer opened the door.

Squall tumbled backwards into the room and stared up at his tall blond friend.

Seifer rolled his eyes and lightly kicked Squall in the side. "Whatever. Just get in here before you wake up the twin demon children."

Squall got to his feet and shuffled into the bedroom. He stood just within the doorway while Seifer shut the door and flicked on the light with a muttered curse.

"Alright, princess. Just what is the problem?" Seifer asked, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Do you not want to go on a date with chocobo-head or something? If that's what you're planning on telling me then I'm going to beat your ass for spewing such bullshit. And don't give me this 'I don't know what to wear' shit. You're not that much of a girl." He decided to try a new tactic when he got no response from the confused brunet. "You scared or something? Am I going to have to start calling you chicken wuss?"

Squall clenched his fists, unable to take Seifer's taunting. "S-shut up. S-so what if I'm scared? You'd be scared too!"

'Ah ha! Now we're getting somewhere,' Seifer thought smugly. "Is that so? I dunno. I don't think I'd go knocking on my roommates door at two in the morning to ask advice on what clothes to wear for my date. That sounds like something some pathetic, love struck fool would do."

Squall glared at him. "Shut up. You have no idea what I'm feeling. What experience in dating do you have that lets you mock me?"

Seifer flinched. The little brunet had him there.

Squall continued on, gaining back some of his old fire. "The only experience you have is from watching those stupid daytime movies with Selphie and Rai!"

"Hey! You watch them more than I do!" Seifer retorted.

""You're the one whose always watching them when I come home!"

"Only because Matron and Sora watch them while we're at school!"

"And yet you make no move to change the channel? There's something called a 'remote', you know."

"Shut up! You're worse than I am! At least I don't sit down with food and homework while they're on!"

"Like you've never done it!"

"No, I turn it to some cool action movie. You know; the good, non-girly kind."

Squall wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that statement and settled on directing an icy glare in Seifer's direction. "Whatever."

Seifer smirked, pleased to have won that battle. However, there was still the issue of Squall being nervous about his date.

Damn.

Why'd Squall have to go to him about this? Why not Selphie? She was the hopeless romantic type of girl. Or Matron? She had years of experience and could give excellent advice!

But no. Squall couldn't choose either of them. He had to choose one of the absolute worst people for giving advice about relationships. He had to choose his roommate. His rival. His best friend. The one person who was like a big brother to him.

Seifer Almasy.

"Fuck," Seifer muttered, running a hand through his short hair. "Fuck, Squall. I don't know what you want me to tell you. Just, y'know, be you. Hell, it's you and Cloud. You'll be fine. It'll be just like every other time the two of you hang out. It's not like you weren't all lovey-dovey to begin with."

"We aren't lovey-dovey…"

Seifer snorted. "Like hell you aren't! You two sleep in the same bed, for Hyne's sake! Matron has pictures of you two curled up together! Both from now and when you were kids. Face it, princess. You two were destined to be together."

"I thought you don't believe in destiny," Squall remarked.

"I don't," Seifer replied. "But even a blind man could see that you two were going to be together one day. I'm just glad that it's now. If you'd waited too long you'd probably get together from pent-up sexual frustration. And then it'd just be awkward."

"You really aren't helping."

"That's what you get to coming to me for advice!"

The two boys glared at each other for a moment before Seifer broke eye contact and ran his fingers through his hair again. They weren't going to get anywhere if they continued on like they were, but he couldn't help but pick a fight with Squall! It was instinct!

"Look, you really don't need my help," Seifer said. "If he agreed to go out with you then it means he likes you for you and not anything else. And I betcha ten gil that Cloud is just as nervous as you are. You two should talk to each other, not come running to me. Not that Cloud can actually talk but- ugg! You know what I mean!" He crossed his arms over his chest and shoot up straight so he could glare down at Squall and appear intimidating. "Now get out of my room, Leonhart!"

With the barest hint of a smile on his face, Squall began to walk towards the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and looked back at his blond rival. "Hey, Seifer?"

"What?"

"I…" Squall hesisted. "Thanks."

And then Seifer was blissfully alone again. He stood still for a few seconds and then walked across the room to shut off the lights. As he settled into his bed for the night, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find someone who could make him as happy as Cloud made Squall.

End

Okay, so it's not much about Squall and Cloud's first date like the title might imply, but it's still relating to it!

If you hadn't noticed, I'm going to start putting the ages at the top of the page before the actual chapter starts. It makes things less confusing. And I'll put all of the Tempus Fugit stories in timeline order once I start reorganizing my profile.

As of November 30, 2009 it goes like this:

1. TF: The Accident

2. TF: First Date

3. TF: Greatest Regret

4. TF: Brothers-in-law