Hey, sorry for the extremely long delay. To make it up, here's two chapters at once.

5

"And that's about it," Seifer told the albino, smiling as she looked over the list of things to buy. "I've got the money, and Squall will be here in about three days. Zell's agreed to help us on board the Garden and we can get the hell out of here." Zell squirmed a little at this, but Fujin nodded.

"EXPLAIN," She told Seifer, and left, giving an obvious wink to Zell. "WILL RETURN." The door shut and Zell arched an eyebrow.

"A dress?" he demanded.

Seifer scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… About that…I told the boss you were the uh… chick." He watched as Zell rolled his eyes. "Bottom just didn't come to my head first, all right?"

Zell sighed, looking over the copy list. Among it were regular shopping items, then cover-up and a dress, Zell's dress size (fitted by Fujin), and then some armor and weaponry.

"Um, Zell, there's something awkward about the gang and I."

"What?" Zell asked, looking up. Seifer looked away. Zell suddenly felt concern, and while a little voice told him that it wasn't his business, Zell asked again. "What?"

"The gang boss… he's…"

Zell froze, worried. Seifer looked so fallen, and the boss seemed so much like him. "He's your brother," he suggested.

"Not my brother. Not anyone's brother," Seifer told him. "Zell, the boss found us as we fled the lunatic Pandora. He's keeping us here, trying to coax us to give one of our gang up, and so we've been debating. We give him our statement in three days. However, I have a feeling he'll be interested in you in exchange for our freedom, and Zell, I don't want that." Brokenly, Seifer buried his face in his hands. "I'm so stupid, Zell…"

Zell didn't know what to say. Reaching over the table he held Seifer's head, not sure of what to say. "What's with the dress, Seifer?"

"I told him… you were the girl," Seifer stated. "He demanded to know who was in the shower, and I told him my boyfriend, and he asked if you were a sub and I said yeah, you'd wear dresses and he looked at you and he liked you and now you're in danger." Seifer took a breath. "I've fucked up, Zell. I'm sorry."

Zell held him softly as Seifer cried into his arms, the feeling so strange and alien but altogether good. He managed to get Seifer to the bed and Seifer fell asleep thanks to a sleep spell, and Zell kissed Seifer a kind of goodnight as the scared blonde napped away his stress. There was something oddly romantic about that.

Goodnight, hell it was hardly day, Zell thought to himself. Realizing he was still in one of Seifer's bigger shirts, he noted his cover-up all smeared. He laughed as he went into the restroom to wipe it off.

The cheerful sun met him as he finished washing the last dish, smiling to himself. Everything was going well. At least, for now, and Zell was determined to enjoy it.

Zell hummed to himself as he then moved to finish drying the dishes. Seifer wasn't so bad, he decided. Not the creepy bully he used to be. Now that Zell was starting to understand him, Seifer actually seemed decent. Zell then went to cleaning up the kitchen, albeit there wasn't much to be done. Seifer was already kind of neat. Zell figured the roaches could go, however.

Seifer emerged from the room later on. "Zell?" he asked, and Zell nodded at him, placing the can of roach spray underneath the sink. Seifer nodded back, happily, and sat down on the sofa.

"What do you normally do on a day like today?" Zell asked, slinkily sitting next to him, resting his head on Seifer's shoulder. Seifer's head covered his and he responded, "We've been supported only by this gang, Zell, but we can't get out of the building. Fujin is the only one, because she doesn't speak the same as you and I. And…I'm sorry…"

Zell gave him a slight punch. "So what do you do?" he asked again, and he caught his breath as Seifer turned to him, shocking green eyes that just melted him then and there. Seifer leaned over and kissed him, gently as their lips met briefly and then pulled back.

"I think about doing that," Seifer stated coolly. He flipped on the TV.

Zell was a mess. Seifer had just kissed him outright, and now he was ignoring him. His mouth wouldn't work and he just sat agape. Finally, he managed to get some sense- he'd liked it, Seifer had done it, and he wanted more, no matter how loud he had promised not to be.

"What was that?" Zell suddenly yelled, and Seifer flinched, though his victorious grin was obvious and pasted on his face. He turned is full body around, staring at Zell like the fighter was edible and delicious. Zell gulped but was eager; he was terrified but felt awesome. He made a note to flirt more often.

He stared at Seifer wide eyed until Seifer suddenly pounced, pinning Zell to the sofa. Zell was underneath the bully and looked up at Seifer's eyes. Seifer smirked. "This," he answered, kissing Zell again.

Zell moaned into the kiss this time. It felt so good, how could he not? Seifer's hands roamed up and down his sides as he himself was clinging onto Seifer's back. Seifer pulled away for a second, and Zell knew he was flushed, but didn't realize Seifer would be so.

"Zell," Seifer whispered, but Zell pulled him down, and whatever Seifer had wanted to say was forgotten, lost between a new dance of tongues and breaths.

Neither heard the door open, or they might have jumped up. Neither heard the sharp gasp, or they would have felt horrible. Neither saw the angry eyes as they tore themselves away, or they would have protected each other.

But they did hear the huge thump as yet another member of Seifer's posse fainted, the shock too much for the big man to take. Seifer was blushing, Zell noted, and he inquired as the two helped the staff-wielder up to the bed.

"He likes you," Seifer admitted, looking away. "He'd probably be better for you anyway, I mean…" Seifer's face grew angry and Zell noted that Seifer was now probably going to try and force him away, so he placed a quick kiss on Seifer's cheek.

"That doesn't mean I like him, baby," Zell stated, winking.

Seifer was the one speechless, left with shock at how well Zell was starting to read him.

Fujin was worried, and it wasn't how the men kept sneering at her, or the way the clothes had been so cheap. Seifer and Zell were kissing. They had been kissing, and she'd heard rumors of the boss lusting after both Zell and Biker. She'd heard rumors they were getting out. She'd been told by Seifer that they had a ticket out.

She would not have guessed Seifer had sunk that low. She'd known Seifer had pined over Zell for years- even with Ultimacia, the topic of Zell brought some familiarity to his eyes. Seifer had always told her that you didn't get attached in a prisoner exchange, but here he was, kissing the prisoner. Seifer was going to give up his heart for them? To give Zell to somebody… evil? She shook her head, hurrying along.

She had a feeling the boss was headed there now. She scampered up the apartment to Seifer's door, knocking on it. The door opened to Raijin, who looked teary-eyed. "SEIFER?" Fujin demanded, and Raijin burst into sobs on her shoulder.

"Oh, Fu, it's like I feared, ya know?"

Fujin felt her heart drop as she kicked the "thunder god" in the shin and headed for the bedroom. Seifer sat there, quietly. "ZELL?" She asked, and Seifer looked up.

"Zell…" Seifer had tears in his eyes, and wouldn't look at her.

Fujin dropped the bag. Zell was gone. This couldn't be happening. She would not let this happen. Her eye narrowed and she began thinking of a million plans for revenge.

"Who's calling my name?" Zell asked, poking his head out of the bathroom. "Hey, Fujin. Raijin saw us make-out and, well, he's kinda upset about that. But he's a nice guy," Zell stated, and Raijin shut the door. Fujin walked over to Raijin and kicked him.

"RAIJIN, MINE," she stated plainly and Raijin scratched the back of his head.

"Fu, I like guys too, ya know?"

Fujin only glared her response. Raijin scratched the back of his head. "Okay."

"BOSS, COME." Fujin warned, and she and Raijin hurried out of the room.

"Fujin, I love ya a lot, ya know? I'd die for ya." The words faded into the hallway and the door shut.

Seifer swallowed, trying to avoid Zell asking questions about how scrunched up his face looked. However, Zell looked in the bag before even looking at him.

"This is a really nice dress, Seifer," Zell remarked. "But do I really have to-" he was hushed as the two heard footsteps up the stairs. Zell took the bag and flew into the bathroom. Hurriedly, he put on his cover-up. It was exactly the right shade this time and he thanked Fujin a thousand fold for being so perceptive. The dress flew on next and he growled at the zipper. He raced out of the room and Seifer helped him with his dress, both worried and hurried about the whole situation.

"Seifer, I'm scared," Zell whispered to him, wondering if there were gun men or if the boss was going to kill them both. He could beat their asses, but he still hadn't junctioned, and the boss specialized in magic.

"Shhh," Seifer stated, kissing Zell on the forehead and sitting him down. "It'll work out all right." Guilt poured through him, and Seifer felt like puking.

Two knocks and Seifer moved to open the door, Zell watching patiently.

It was Earl, the neighbor. Relief washed over both their faces.

"The boss will be here tomorrow at noon," Earl stated, staring at Zell as Zell blushed. "He wants a lunch with you both." Earl bowed and walked away, and Seifer sighed, closing the door.

"Gave me a heart attack," Seifer stated, sinking in the chair across from Zell. Zell shrugged and pulled at the zipper of his dress, hoping to be out of the thing. "Can you help, Seifer?"

Seifer calmly motioned for him to stand up, undoing the zipper in the back. He noted Seifer watching him hungrily, but he didn't want this to end badly. He could start to see Seifer's reasoning: that this wouldn't end well for anybody involved. Don't get attached and when Seifer dies…

Hyne, he was already sad, and Seifer was right behind them.

Zell placed the dress nicely down on the sofa, sitting on the other side. "I'm worried, Seifer. What if Squall won't take you in? What if I have to leave you here?"

Seifer looked at Zell, knowing Zell wanted to be comforted but also knowing that Zell needed an ounce of truth. "Let's worry about that when the time comes," Seifer told him.

Zell nodded, realizing now he was mostly naked and that this was actually quite embarrassing. He quickly picked up the shirt he had worn before and put it on, knowing Seifer was probably chuckling to himself. Stupid Seifer.

"I don't have much in the way of movies," Seifer stated, "but we can watch something to pass the time."

Zell nodded, very pleased when Seifer sat next to him. Zell leaned into Seifer's chest, comforted, and sighed. This had to have been a perk of the mission.

Seifer turned on the TV, his hands shaking. He swallowed. Hyne, Zell was here and almost naked and beautiful and he was going to give it up. He was going to give Zell away.

He was going to hurt Zell. Seifer got up suddenly and moved to the bathroom, spilling out the contents of his stomach. He was going to hurt Zell. Zell was just so fucking innocent in this, these weren't his problems. He'd rescued Zell just to turn him in so Seifer could have his own problems removed?

He puked again, cursing the stupid idiosyncrasy.

Hands suddenly placed themselves on his back, rubbing it gently, and it felt good, oddly enough. Zell was comforting him. Tears threatened to come harder, but he wouldn't, not at all. Zell was suddenly no longer annoying or pathetic like Seifer had tried to force himself to see, but Zell was caring, Zell could be rational, Zell was kind. Fuck, Seifer didn't want to see Zell as kind. He didn't want to look up into Zell's face and just stare in awe.

"Seifer? Are you sick?" Zell asked gently, and Seifer shook his head.

"Naw…just a weak stomach, remember, Chicken?" Seifer smirked to himself. That always made Zell mad.

Instead, he got a chuckle. "If I'm a chicken, does that mean you're going to eat me?"

Seifer was taken aback. Zell wasn't angry, no, Zell was flirting. This wasn't right. This wasn't-

Zell took a washcloth and wiped his mouth and hugged him. "Brush your teeth, Baby, and lets get back to that movie, huh?" Zell walked away, almost singing to himself.

Seifer tried not to cry. Zell had slipped through his defenses that had taken so long to build up, and not only did Zell keep surprising him, and not only had his whole crush suddenly explode on him, Zell had his heart and Seifer was falling faster, deeply hoping Zell's arms would be there at the bottom to hold him.

Fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen.

uh-oh. Has Seifer told Zell the truth? Would I be asking if he has? Oh, well, on to the next chapter, eh?