Seifer tossed his backpack into the corner of Zell's room and gazed around. His eyes lingered on the shotguns on their display shelf and the punching bag in its corner, contradictory of each other. Seifer raised his hand to run his fingers over the barrel of the top rifle.

Zell's hand shot out and gripped at Seifer's wrist with almost bruising force. 'Not that. Just, please. Don't touch my grandfather's guns.' He released Seifer's arm and the older blonde nodded. He moved over to the punching bag and gave it a good swing. Pulling his hand back, rubbing his wrist where it had twisted, he turned to Zell.

'Thanks again for letting me stay here.' Zell almost shivered at how weird that had sounded. He nodded and waved it off with his Ergheiz-gloved hand.

'Yeah, don't worry about it. Hey? Why ... why don't you come downstairs and help me gut that fish and we can have it for supper.' Zell turned on his heel and headed down the stairs, hearing Seifer's heavy boots hit the steps behind him.

Zell started pulling some spices and plates down from the shelves. He passed Seifer a large gutting knife as he reached for a frying pan. Globbing some butter on it, Zell tossed it on the propane stove. Carefully, Seifer used the blade to remove the fish's head and then pulled it down along its belly. The younger boy watched him work from the corner of his eye.

With a deep sigh, he moved across the room and removed some potatoes. Slipping off his gloves onto a side table, Zell sat down and started peeling the vegetables. He heard the slap of two large pieces of Balamb silver trout hit the frying pan. It sizzled gently as Seifer sprinkled some spices onto it.

The potatoes done, the fighter stood and took them to the sink to rinse them out. He stopped and stared at Seifer Almasy, standing in front of him with the knife held almost like it was Hyperion.

'Seifer? What are ... what are you doin'?' Zell watched carefully as he held the knife more sure, more positively. Gripping his hands on the edges of his bowl, Zell swore at himself for leaving Ergheiz on the table.

Before Zell had known what happened, Seifer had him pushed up against the wall with his hands behind his back and the knife to his throat. Zell laughed and mischief gleamed in his eyes.

'Did you forget that I learned to fight with my feet, too?' he asked silently. He brought up his knee to the side and into Seifer's ribs, throwing him to the ground. Seifer gasped for breath and tried to reach for the knife. Zell stepped onto his hand, pulling Ergheiz over his fingers.

'What did you try that for Seifer?' The blonde shook his head slowly back and forth, eyes trained on the ground.

'You wouldn't understand,' he muttered in a rough voice. 'You just would *not* understand.'

'Try me,' Zell demanded. He kicked away the knife and let Seifer stand up. The man was still taller than he was, but he moved into his personal space.

'She's still following me. I can hear her every night. She whispers to me. It's the same dream every night, I can never kill her. She tells me I need her, that I'm nobody without her. I hear her every night ...' Seifer's eyes started to overflow with cold tears. His shoulders racked with sobs as the tears stained his black shirt.

Zell watched him in amazement. Seifer's face screwed into what appeared to be an attempt at smiling.

'She's still there. In my mind. And I don't want her to affect you.'

'Who's her?' he asked, knowing the answer but fearing it just the same.

'Ultimecia.' The tears strengthened in his eyes and fell freely down his cheeks with no more pretense of resistance.

Zell moved forward and held onto Seifer's broad shoulders. He gripped the man's face and forced him to look into his own azure eyes.

'You don't have to be afraid of her. I'll stay with you.' Zell lightly brushed his lips over Seifer's. Seifer moved into a hug with Zell.

'Thank you.'