Memory Lane

By Snare-chan

Pairings: Seifer/Hayner
Ratings: K+
Category(ies): Romance/Friendship
Warning(s): None
Status: One-shot, complete
Summary: Seifer and Hayner share a history together, and it all started at Sunset Hill.

Notes: For Christmas, ShadowSpirits wanted some Seifer/Hayner, so… I originally wrote her a little something else, lol. It was still Seifer/Hayner, but for another one of my stories that she had read. While I enjoyed writing that, and she didn't have anything specific in mind, I still felt as if I was cheating and not giving her a unique gift. I wrote this up next and aimed to make it a bit more romantic than my previous attempt, though it's so light and fluffy it can be taken as the start of a friendship. Maybe? Man, I can ever tell with these two.

Disclaimer: I dun own Kingdom Hearts; wish I did like everyone else. They should put KH in stock, then I'd buy it all!

Sunset Hill was a good place to go if anyone was searching for a peaceful place to hang out. It was secluded – far from the usual, claimed spots, like the Clock Tower or the Sandlot. But Sunset Hill…no one owned Sunset Hill. It was too beautiful and independent for one person or a whole group to call theirs, because it showcased the sky, and such a space was too wide for someone to gather and claim.

Hayner was heading there, hands stuffed in his pockets as he ambled up the winding path toward the highest point. He could spot the multiple hues streaking above, vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows melting towards the horizon. He knew he'd reached his destination when the sun finally made its appearance, nearly blinding in its intensity, save for the fact that it was half gone into the ground.

At first, he shielded his eyes from its rays, needing to adjust to seeing it this close, unhidden. Twilight Town had tall buildings that typically blocked out the harshest light, creating a hazy glow everywhere. Here, out in the open, there was nothing between him and the sunset except fresh air.

And, apparently, Seifer.

He groaned when he saw the blond standing near the edge, his broad back to him. Thankfully, he was alone, not that the presence of Fuu or Rai mattered one way or the other. Seifer was the bigger threat, and whether he was by himself or with his posse, it was a pain in the butt to try and put up with him.

For a heartbeat, he thought about turning around and returning home for the day, or browsing the shops (as boring as that would be, because he was broke and window shopping reminded him too harshly of that fact), but mulishly chose to plow onward with his previous course of action. Hayner had as much right to be there as Seifer did, and just because he'd been there first didn't mean he could hog it. To assert that fact, he plopped down on a rock and slouched over his seat like a possessive bird laying claim to its perch.

To his confusion, the blond didn't react. His eyes flicked in his direction, a mere cursory glance to assess who it was that was disturbing the tranquility, and then ignored him. Unsure if he preferred that to being snapped at or threatened, he kept quiet.

For five whole minutes. Somewhere, that was a broken record.

"Alright, so what's your deal? By this point I'd have figured you'd be picking me up and throwing me down the hill for invading your bubble," Hayner said, frank.

"Tch," the other sneered, the manifestation a welcome relief despite how subtle it was in comparison to his usual, deep lip curl. "And ruin the ambiance with your crying? I can beat you up any time I want, but this moment – this moment comes only once."

Hayner, expression sinking, declared, "That's real deep, Seifer. Real deep."

Seifer's sneer went up a notch, but he didn't retaliate beyond that. True to his word, he left him alone and leaned against the railing instead, resting his arms across the top of it and his chin over them. Slightly concerned, in the sense that a mouse would be concerned that a cat hadn't snatched it up with its claws yet, he kept his attention on the older boy. His aloof attitude was…the exact opposite of who he was.

"So, did your goldfish die, or something?"

Slowly, Seifer inclined his head to look at him, giving him a glare that stated he should keep silent if he wanted to live. Ever willing to push his buttons, Hayner didn't stop.

"Because, and I was five-years-old at the time, remember that, I lost a goldfish once. I named him Mr. Tails and I had him around for a whole week, but it was like we were friends for years. When he passed away, I almost cried. Almost. So it's okay if you're sad that-"

"What are you doing here?" Seifer interrupted.

"I like it here," he confessed, finding it easy to admit that much in front of the other. "But the last time I visited was…"

Hayner trailed off, feeling as if there was a closer date than the one he was going to say, but unable to figure out when it was. Eventually, he bobbed his shoulders up and down in a heavy shrug.

"I had nothing better to do, and I thought I was due for a break. Why are you here?"

Seifer didn't comment, his mouth closing tight and ducking into the folds of his arms. Pestering him further didn't garner him another word, an annoyance that left Hayner brooding. What was wrong with him?

Furthermore, why did he care?

Suddenly, the blond was shoving away from the railing and storming off, leaving Hayner behind. This was initially what he'd wanted, for Seifer to get lost and lighten the atmosphere, but he wasn't expecting to find a moody imposter of his rival.

"Ya know, I think we first met in this very spot," he said, hearing the other's footsteps halt abruptly at his back. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we did. It was a long time ago, and I'd just met Pence. He liked hanging around the Underground Concourse – he was kind of weird like that, but it's what got me interested in him in the first place."

"I don't care," Seifer said strongly; notably, he was still standing there, listening.

"You didn't back then, either. I remember that much! You…you, Rai, and Fuu…wanted…uh, what was it you guys wanted to stop us from doing, again?"

"You wanted your ball back. The white one that you found in the alley."

"Oh, right. We were playing catch with it and we lost hold of it, and you caught it. Then you chucked it over the edge here and we never saw it again. Jerk."

He glanced over his shoulder, catching Seifer smirking at the memory. Noticing Hayner looking at him, he let his expression fall.

"Finders-keepers, lamer. I could do whatever I wanted with it."

"I bet you were jealous that we wouldn't let you play with us!"

"Because you were afraid I'd win against the three of you?"

"No," Hayner said, getting into the swing of things. This was the Seifer he recognized, who had an arrogant streak in him a mile long and was as stubborn as him. The blond was looking more like himself, too, crossing his arms across his chest, legs getting into an immovable stance, and his scar standing out against his eyes, which were alight with facing an opponent.

"That would be a yes, then. Got it."

Forgoing his maturity, he gave Seifer the raspberry.

"And with our conversation reduced to the gestures of babies, I'm outta here," Seifer informed him, dismissing Hayner with a wave as he continued towards the train station.

Watching him walk away, he recalled a scene similar to this; at the end of the same day they had met, this had happened, too. Certain people and situations really didn't change, sometimes.

"Hey, Moody!" Hayner called. "Happy birthday, and try acting your age, okay?"

Seifer stiffened, but refused to look at him. He'd heard him all right, body paused one step from going around the bend in the road, before he disappeared.

Next year, Hayner vowed to himself, he was changing things up and getting him a toy pony. That would totally cheer him up.

-Fin-