~ Memories are to be meant as something good, but some memories should be left hidden away. ~


As time passed quickly, with Zell healing at an extremely rapid pace, both Zell and Irvine grew closer together. They spent their time together searching for old scrapbooks, photos and, journals. The two managed to locate even the very most personal things, like Rinoa's diary, though
that wasn't a very exciting item to find. The two seemed inseparable once again, their childhood bringing them together once more. Of course, there were those people who disapproved of this "closeness", it just wasn't right for two grown men to be hanging out with each other, behind locked doors, all day long.
But Zell and Irvine could care less about these people, they just wanted to remember the old times, or did they want something more?

**********

The cowboy walked swiftly down the halls of Balamb Garden, he nodded to the people he would pace by. He never hung around long though; he had much more important things to do, Like be with Zell. Irvine suddenly stop realizes just what that statement had implied; he couldn't be, could he? There was no way he
was falling for the blonde, was there? The old scrapbook fell out of his hand, falling to the floor with a light thud, but Irvine seemed to not notice, too busy wrestling mentally with what he had just thought.

"No, there is no possible way." He whispered out loud.

"No possible way for what?" The voice startled Irvine, making him jump back a few inches. Zell looked at him, grinning when he realized he'd scared the "macho" cowboy. "Anyway, what were you talking to yourself about?"

"You, actually." Irvine replied, tilting his hat so Zell wouldn't see him blush.

"Me?! Why?"

"Just because, I, uh, was thinking about how small you are." But, even before the words floated out of his mouth, he knew he didn't sound very assuring to Zell. And how right he was.

Zell stepped closer to Irvine, using two fingers to lift up his cowboy hat slightly, his blue eyes probing Irvine's gently. Irvine blushed harder at the innocence written all over Zell's cherub face. "Why, Irvine? Why were you thinking about me?"

"I just wanted to analyze our friendship a little." He replied to Zell's gentle voice.

"Oh Irvine! You're way too anal." Zell bent down to pick up the loose pages of the scrapbook on the floor, not even noticing Irvine's queer expression. Dear God, Zell didn't even know how sexual that sounded. He so small and....well innocent. The tall cowboy winced when he thought about how perverted his thoughts were, of course Zell wouldn't
know about something like that, at least he hoped not. The blonde with the tattoo on his beautiful face rose, smiling at Irvine as he handed him the stack of papers.

"Guess, I'll see ya around Irvine."

Irvine just nodded, watching as the smaller boy walked off. He lifted his head to the ceiling. Oh damn, someone up there surely has graced me. Anyone would fall for a person like Zell. But, is it right for me to do so? He shrugged the thought off with a slight turn of his broad shoulders. He hadn't even seen Seifer in the corner, a smirk plastered to his stern features. Poor Irvine
was totally clueless on how his old rival would ruin his life, and Zell's.



~Priceless is this wonderful friendship, but certain people could destroy it forever, hurting both the cowboy and lightning sprite. There is no forewarning in a situation like this, what could've been an old friend can turn
their back on these two swiftly. Is there anyway to stop this horrible plan from taking action, or will these two old friends be lost from each other forever? ~