IMPORTANT NOTES: The rating of this fiction has been changed to M. However, the story itself can be enjoyed with or without the scene that caused said rating. As such I will be uploading two versions of this chapter.

The (A) Version: LIME. Graphic sexual content is removed, but some more vague mention of intimate contact remains.

The (B) Version: LEMON. Contains Graphic Sexual Content not suitable for minors.

(A) Version can be found below. For (B) Version, please skip directly to Chapter 3B.

Choose whichever is your preference. I don't want to turn people off to the story as a whole because they find lemons 'icky' or anything, and I don't write lemons for my health, but there are times I think they are appropriate to the story. The (A) Version exists for those of you who disagree.

Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII (and Kingdom Hearts)

Pairing: SeiferZell (with mentions of IrvineSquall and others)

Warnings: Boy/Boy Love.

Notes: Sequel to "First Snow".

For What It's Worth

Chapter 3(A): Love to Hate You

It had been three days now. He'd been trapped in this cave with an emergency blanket, Zell Dincht, and a stockpile of chili for three days. And every time he woke up in those days Seifer had the same problem: there was a warm, firm body curled against his side, a hand resting limply against his bare calf, and soft breath against his collarbone that caused certain parts of his anatomy to pay a bit more attention to their surroundings than he would like them to. It was Zell, after all. Zell. Seifer had always thought 'not if he was the last man on earth', but his body, as of late, didn't seem to want to agree with him. He lived in constant fear that Zell would wake up, move his hand just two and a half inches to the right and notice. It was to his great relief--and disdain--that Zell never did. Relief because it would be a hell of an awkward situation. Disdain because waiting it out and trying to force his mind onto completely un-arousing topics day in and day out was becoming more and more of a chore.

He and Zell didn't have much to say to one another. They'd hated each other so long the possibility of coexistence seemed completely ridiculous. And yet, here they were…naked in one another's arms. Seifer didn't miss the irony. But more importantly, while Zell was still asleep…ah what to think about…Taxes! No…Seifer was a SeeD now, he didn't really need to worry about taxes…School! Oh wait, no, he was out of school. Chili. Absolutely. Chili was the least sexy thing in existence. Three meals a day of chili an all you could think of was how brown and messy and slimy it was, and how it really kind of looked like dog food and…

Zell shifted against his side in his sleep with a soft moan. Seifer figured it was a 'nooo, I don't want to wake up yet!' moan, but all thoughts of the nastiness that is Chili flew right out of his brain when something firm brushed against his thigh and he realized Zell was having a very, very good dream.

Seifer bit his lip, determined to 'be good'. If asked why it was so important his only answer would be 'because it's Zell'. Seifer was not known for his monogamous nature. In fact most people were sure he didn't have a monogamous bone in his entire body. He tended to agree with those people. Even if he technically had a boyfriend that had never once stopped him from sleeping around, and yet…something in Seifer had deemed Zell 'off limits'. After all, he hated Zell. He hated that stupid chocobo hair, and those blue puppy dog eyes, and the way he got over-excitable when called 'chicken-wuss' and you just had to laugh at him and think about how much he'd grown up from being a little cry baby back in their orphanage days…and he hated the way Zell rubbed up against him in the midst of his pleasant dreams, thinking he was someone else.

…and he hated the way his body responded.

His mind spun and before it could catch up with his body he tackled Zell to the ground. Startled into consciousness, Zell blinked up into dangerously narrowed eyes. "Sei--?" he didn't finish even that much before Seifer crushed their lips together in a hungry, bruising kiss. Zell's eyes widened in shock. He didn't even manage the presence of mind to struggle.

"I hate you," Seifer panted when he released Zell's lips. "…more than anyone else. Never forget that."

Zell opened his mouth to answer but wasn't given the opportunity as Seifer descended again. He felt the other man's hardness against his inner thigh and stilled in surprise again. 'N-no way…' the smaller blonde thought. He was strong, strong enough to push Seifer off, surely but…why didn't he? Why? When his mouth was given back to him for a few moments as Seifer's mouth worked its way across his jaw and down his throat he said, breathing heavily, "…I hate you too."

The words, though, he knew, as Seifer became more eager and he himself got swept away into the pure physical rush of it all, didn't really mean a thing.