A/N: At last, we get to the good stuff. What do I mean? Well, read below to find out. ;-)

Chapter VIII: Hopelessly Lost

As quietly as he could, Seifer pushed open the door and slipped back into his and Rinoa's apartment. Much to his relief, his fiancée had yet to arise from her beauty sleep. He was fairly certain that she would not react well to his accompanying Zell home...

If Zell could find a way to call that crumbling shit hole a home.

Why did bad things happen to good people? Seifer couldn't help but feel the guilt weighing upon his shoulders. He nearly destroyed the world. He should be locked up or executed or something for his crimes... But no, if he really looked at it, he had it easy. A fiancée, two friends, a nice place to live, and his stomach was never forced to tolerate anything more disgusting than Raijin's interpretation of hot wings. He had the privileges that should have belonged to Zell instead.

"Mm, Seifer, are you awake?" Rinoa's voice came from inside the bedroom.

Seifer hesitated for a moment, then half-heartedly answered, "Yes."

The bedroom door opened and Rinoa emerged, dressed in a see-through black lace teddy. Seifer looked at her, surprised to feel little excitement at the sight.

"I wanted to make up for last night," she said in a breathy voice. She approached the blond man ran her hands down his chest and playfully tugged at the sizable package between his legs. Seifer stepped back away from her and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked, more disappointed than concerned by his reaction. "Would you rather screw that pathetic excuse of a human being you dragged in last night?"

"I, uh ... No!"

"Liar!" Rinoa hissed. "Then why did you leave with him an hour ago?"

"What?" Seifer attempted to act as though he had no idea what the dark-haired woman was talking about.

"Don't you 'what' me!" Rinoa cried. "I came out here forty-five minutes ago and you were gone! You went off with him, didn't you!"

"Yes ... no ... I mean ... It's not what you think!" Seifer told her. "I just walked him home."

"Hyne, I did it again!" Rinoa yelled. "First Squall, then you... I must have a thing for gays."

"Rinoa, I'm not gay!" Seifer argued. "You're being ridiculous!"

"Am I, Seifer? Am I really?"

Seifer couldn't be sure if he only did it to silence his fiancée's hysterical ranting, but the next thing he knew, his mouth was pressed forcefully upon her hers, kissing her with the hunger of a starving wolf. Immediately, Rinoa forgot that she had been so upset and welcomed the attention. She reached down and unzipped Seifer's jeans, and within seconds, the two began to fuck like rapid bunnies right against the front door.

Zell sat on the roach infested floor, and stared at the note Seifer had left him. He shouldn't have blown up at the taller man like he did. Seifer wasn't just helping the despondent little man so that his own mind could rest at ease. He really did want to help, and what did he get?

"Completely shit on by me," Zell answered his own question. "Oh, Zell, why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?"

Zell stood up and went into his bedroom. After changing his undergarments, he laid down onto the soiled mattress and eventually drifted into a deep sleep.

"Damn, I need a cigarette now," Rinoa moaned. She leaned against Seifer's shoulders as they laid upon the floor together, sweaty and half naked. Rinoa grinned seductively at her betrothed, while he stared blankly across the room.

He didn't love her. He never loved her. What had just transpired between them wasn't even based in lust. The whole engagement had been based on gratitude, one that had already come with the price of her tyrannical behavior. He had only given her what she wanted just to prove a meaningless point...

Little did she know that he fantasized about someone else while they were having sex...

It wasn't another woman.

"Zell..."

Zell opened his eyes, and his jaw dropped.

"...Squall?"

The late ex-Commander of Garden stood right before his eyes, surrounded by an aura of white light. Zell tried to sit up, but Squall gestured for him to stop.

"You don't belong here..."

"I know," Zell admitted. Somehow he felt as though saying that lifted one of the many burden upon his shoulders. "But how am I supposed to get out? I can't find a decent job, no one wants to be bothered with me..."

"Seifer..."

"But, I..."

"You're having doubts."

"Yes," Zell confessed.

Squall raised an eyebrow. "Because ... you're starting to feel the same feelings for him as you had for me."

"...Yes."

Squall gently took Zell's hand. "Zell, it's time to move on. It's time to let another into your heart and end your suffering."

Zell gazed into the deep blue eyes of his deceased lover. Letting go of his pain... A new beginning with someone else... If Squall believed it was possible, then it must be.

"Yo Dincht, wake up!"

The image of Squall faded quickly as Zell was brought back to the conscious realm when his mattress lifted and dumped him on the floor. The little man took a moment to realize what was going on, and glanced upward into the face of Irvine Kinneas.

"W-what do you want, Irvine?" Zell asked, trying to put up a brave front.

"My money, you little bitch." Irvine removed his green sunglasses. "Either you cough up the cash now, or—"

"Or what?" Zell glared at the pimp.

Irvine laughed, then kicked the man square in the gut. Zell groaned painfully and slumped over. Irvine snapped his fingers, leading his cronies to begin rummaging through his apartment. Their ransacking didn't take very long, as Zell owned little furniture. One of the thugs found the measly rent money he had hidden in the sagging armchair in the other room, and brought it back to Irvine.

"So you HAVE been holding out on me," Irvine said, counting the Gil. "This is pathetic, but it will do. Boys, teach this whore to know when to pay up."

As Irvine's men surrounded him, Zell sank into despairing defeat and closed his eyes, waiting for the blows to begin.