Plot: There were side effects from the magic caused by the Time compression, and now that Seifer's back, things are getting even more troublesome.

Warnings: Yaoi (SeiferXZell)

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all its characters are owned by Squaresoft or SquareEnix or whatever they want to call themselves. I'm making no money from this, but if you want to sue I've got a $20 bill and… (cleans out pocket) 16 cents.

Tainted – Part 9

Zell was about ready to yank all his hair out. It hadn't even been a day yet and Seifer was already driving him up a wall! Everywhere he went, (which in that tiny dorm there wasn't really that many places)… there was the larger blond, standing there, just… looking at him. Not speaking, not moving, barely blinking… just… looking. It was driving him nuts!

But he wouldn't react… he'd just keep his cool… and not let on that Seifer was bugging the shit out of him!

"Chicken."

"WHAT!?"

Seifer smirked at the outburst.

"You're jumpy today."

Zell glared.

"Food's here."

"Food?" The sudden scent of what was indeed food, and more importantly processed meat, suddenly broke through his anti-Seifer barriers. He'd been so distracted trying to keep away from the older blond that he hadn't even noticed the obvious delivering of lunch.

He entered the kitchen to see two large bags placed on top of the tiny table. Seifer took his normal seat, pulling one of the bags towards him and taking out his steak and cheese sub. Unwrapping the foil, he took one bite, then turned back to the thunder man who still stood at his door.

"As much as I like having you watch me, Chicken, I'm sure you'd enjoy eating much more." He said after he swallowed, his eyes darting over to the second bag before turning his attention back to his own food.

Snapping back to attention, what his mind wandered to he wasn't sure, but he went and grabbed the bag off the table and opened it. Four hotdogs, each with a different topping.

"How'd you know what I wanted?"

Seifer looked up from his sub, shooting the shorter man a look that read 'are-you-stupid?-cause-you-can't-be-serious'.

"How'd you know… no onions…?" Very little people realized this, that he detested onions, so when someone usually got him a Loaded he had to stomach them.

Seifer shrugged, turning his attention back to his sandwich.

A different thought suddenly came to Zell's mind as he looked across the table at all the food.

"How did you pay for all this?"

Seifer swallowed, leaning in for another bite, "From your wallet." He replied, before filling his mouth again.

Zell growled… so much for leaving his wallet on top of the fridge. Taking his seat, the rest of the meal was in silence at the two men finished their food.

9 9 9 9 9 9 9

Zell was nearly crying in hysterics as he flipped through the photo-album on his lap. Pictures of memories he'd long forgotten due to the sacrifices. Photographs of instances in time never to be lived again. Snapshots of reminiscences stolen from an ancient time… or so it felt. How Seifer had collected all these memoirs was still completely blowing the smaller blond's mind, but he wasn't worrying over it at the moment.

'Cause now, at this exact moment, he was propped up on Seifer's bed, the album in his lap, the large blond leaning over to look and laugh at the pictures with him, and each had a glass full of vodka in their hands.

How did this happen? Well…

Zell listened carefully, not fully sure he was hearing what he war hearing. At first he thought he was imagining it, then he thought he was dreaming, now he thought he was going insane, cause it surely couldn't be what he thought it was…

He walked over to other bedroom door, listening closely… oh dear god, it was!

He knocked, "Seifer, I'm coming in." The only response he got was more of that frightening sound.

Cracking the door open, his eyes widened, mouth falling open. Seifer… the bad ass, jerk of an asshole… was… chuckling. And not like that base low, evil chuckle that usually resulted in Zell with a wedgie, titty twister and an empty wallet. No, it was more like Seifer's version of giggling… but not nearly as girly and giddy.

The elder blonde didn't even look up from his lap, a large book laid across it. A photo album. Zell remembered seeing it when they were packing away the knight's things. The group of them cleaning up had flipped through it, amazed at some of the memories it stored, but that was over two years ago, with most of those memories sacrificed.

But that didn't explain the normally overly manly blond's sudden drop to such flightiness. What did explain it was what he was holding…

"Seifer!"

Looking up from the album, the drunken man grinned a bit at the shocked martial artist, "Chickie! Come join me! Pull up a bed!"

Dumbfounded, the tattooed man quickly gained his composer before storming in and ripping the half empty vodka bottle out of the drunkard's hand.

"Where did you get this!?"

Seifer's grin fell, a sour look now crossing his face. "Jeeze, if you wanted some you coulda ass'd. I woulda shar'd."

"Where. Did you. Get. This."

Seifer pointed over to his boxes of things, the grin returning, "Can't b'lieve you guys d'n't find it what when you were pack'n."

Zell growled, noting to himself to go through all of the other's stuff and make sure nothing more like this had sneaked through. First he had to dispose of this.

"Where you going?"

"To dump this."

He didn't get far after that. A series of crashes and bangs from behind him caused him to turn, only to get plowed over by a brick wall. He'd managed to save the glass bottle from shattering, and the alcohol from spilling, but he was trapped under a very annoyed, very inihibriated, and very heavy Seifer. The larger blond was laying flat on top of him, but with his arms out at full length, Zell managed to keep the bottle out of the older man's reach.

"Give me the bottle, Chickie."

"Get off me, Seifer."

"Give me the bottle."

"Now."

"Not until you give me the bottle."

"I'm serious, Seifer. Get off!"

"Fine." Lifting himself up, Seifer placed both hands on either of the shoulders beneath him, legs trapping the other's. "There."

"What there!? Get off me!"

Seifer scoffed, easily keeping the smaller man pinned beneath him as he struggled. Normally Zell wouldn't have the slightest problem in throwing a man even twice Seifer's size off him, but the vodka he held was hindering his movement, he couldn't let the other seize it back. "What's the matter with having that anyways? I know you guys have drunk before." The entire cannibalism thing making his eye twitch.

"Cause we're in the student dorms! Not to mention that detainees aren't allowed those privileges."

"Well detainees aren't allowed out of the basement either but I've obviously been given an exception. And seriously Chickie… what student is going to come in here." Seifer raised an eyebrow. "I'm not leaving, you're not leaving. No body's coming. No body will know."

"Get off me, Almasy…"

"Not until you give me the bottle, Chickie."

Zell growled low as he stared at the bottle, only a little less than half of it missing.

The martial artist mentally kicked himself… he was going to regret this…

And that's how he somehow ended up where he was, laughing at photos of a 3 year old Selphie and 4 year old Quistis messily trying to braid a 3 year old Irvine's hair, turning it into a tangled mess. The next picture was of a terrified Selphie and bawling Irvine, the little girl's figures painfully tangled in the long auburn locks. The final picture was of the same little boy, eyes drenched in tears, but now with short brown treads. Accompanying the shots was a clump of long tangled auburn hair.

"This is amazing, Seif!Where'd you get this?" Zell finally asked, flipping the page to look at various snapshots of all the kids playing on the beach. Squall moping off in a corner alone with just a pail and shovel. Selphie splashing wildly in the waves while Irvine tried to protect himself from the onslaught of water. Zell covering his head as he ran away from a sand baring Seifer, who in turn was getting chased after by a scowling and discipline ready Quistis.

"Matr'n." The large blond replied, flipping the next page. He was nestled just behind the smaller boy, chin resting on the other's shoulder for support as he looked down at the album. This was just a series of all the kids asleep, cute enough were even Seifer was drunk enough to almost coo at it. Quistis curled up in her comforter; thumb nestled securely between her lips. Irvine sprawled out, mouth wide open and a bit of drool escaping. An empty bed yet slept obviously slept in… Squall curled up tightly in his blanket, completely cocooned in his own little world. Selphie upside-down and tangled in her sheets. And finally, under the caption "There was a thunderstorm," Zell and Seifer curled up in a bed, a giant overstuffed chocobo trapped securely between the two.

Zell blushed red at the final picture before flipping the page, hoping Seifer hadn't seen that one yet. Unfortunately…

"Hehe… the thunder chickie was scared of lightning." Seifer commented, grinning down at the picture.

Zell's blush just deepened, eyes not moving up from the pictures. "I got over it…" Seifer turned his grin to the younger man, his nose brushing up against the tattooed cheek. They were so close… but Zell didn't seem to notice. He took another sip of his drink. "So ha' come she gave it to you?"

Seifer's shrugged, turning back to the book, "She gave it to me after I failed the SeeD exam the first time. I don't 'member her words at the moment," he glanced down at this almost empty drink. "but she gammi this."

Zell nodded, not questioning the explanation, what was the point? It made perfect sense! He flipped the page; they'd reached the birthday pictures. Zell at 2, Selphie at 2, Squall at 3, Quistis at 4, Irvine at 3, Seifer at 4, Zell at 3… and so on. "So you've had this f'over four years and you never told us?"

"Course not… what was I ganna say? 'Come on everyone! Let's party like we did when we were 5 again!'" He drained the rest of his drink, tossing his empty cup in the direction of the trashcan, but missed by at least 3 feet. "Look!" He pointed to a picture entitled 'Selphie's 4th' of himself shoving a large wad of cake in Irvine's face, causing the birthday girl to cry, the preschool Zell to look like his favorite toy was just smashed, Quistis's face to go beet red… and even Squall looked a bit upset over the destroyed cake. "Even back then everyone hated me."

"Maybe if you we're such a pain in the ass we'd have liked you more! I mean look!" Zell pointed at another birthday picture, 'Zell's 5th,' "you blew out all my candles! That's like… the best part!"

Seifer grinned again, mumbling, "I wonder if I got my wish…"

"What?"

"Nothing,"

Letting it slide, Zell flipped to the next page. This one had a title, "Young love." One picture was of Squall and Quistis; Squall was squatting in the large field of flowers looking up at the elder blonde standing over him, a single yellow tulip in her hand and held out to the boy. Another was of Selphie and Zell, the small boy desperately trying to escape from the bouncy girl who currently had her lips attached to his cheek. The next was of Selphie kissing a grinning Irvine's cheek, Zell standing the background desperately trying to wipe at his cheek. Another was of Zell and Seifer again curled up together and sleeping in a single bed, this time the overstuffed chocobo forgotten off to the side.

"She's got a lot of us in there." Zell jumped at the whisper that came directly into his ear. He jerked away, causing the unsteady gunblader to tumble as his leaning post disappeared. "Ow… why'd you move?"

"You scared me."

Seifer groaned as he attempted to sit back up, but ended up tipping over on to the bed again.

"You're drunk." Zell stated as the older man tried to sit back up again, in vein.
"Usually what happens when you drink." And he tried a third time.

Zell shook his head as he stood up, wavering in his own step a bit… crap… he'd drunk more than he meant too. Looking down at his the cup still in his hand he found it completely empty. When did that happen!?

A hand suddenly grabbing onto his had him yanked back onto the bed, tumbling onto the garden issued sheets. Getting up he found impossible, not only because the sudden movements had caused his head to spin, but a heavy arm held him securely down.

"Seif… let me up."

"Gmm…" Was the grunted reply into the bed beneath them, but it wasn't a positive sounding one.

"Seif… come on…"

And again, the response was a grunt, but this time it was accompanied by the arm around him tightening, pulling him closer to the other body.

"Seif…!?"

The elder blond turned his face to the younger, eyes cracking open from their sleepy haze caused by the vodka. "Mm?"

"What are you doing?"

Seifer's eyes fell shut again, "Getting my wish..."

"…what?"

But Seifer had already fallen asleep, the alcohol finally taking over, with Zell still trapped in his arms.

TBC…

AN: I'm sorry for the delay everyone!!! I had completely lost where I was going with this and I had to completely rethink it. I'm still not entirely sure… but we'll see where this takes us.

If this chapter sucks I apologize some more, but I've left you stranded for so long I figured I'd tell you I was still alive and still working on this. Thank you all who are still with me!