A/N: I apologize for this chapter. I've never been able to get it to a point that I'm really happy with. However, it does contain some important character development. If I ever ger it right, I'll update the post.

"Impossible"

Priestess Sara stared in shock through the partially open door of the classroom. The scene before her boiled her rage and broke her heart all at once.

Sara had been harboring a secret crush on the strong and noble Alex almost since the beginning of classes. True, she still knew little about him, except for his large size (almost six and a half feet tall), long caramel-brown hair visible from under his helmet reaching to his middle back, and strong conscience. Being publicly corrected in the dining hall had been very embarrassing and painful, and had threatened to end Sara's infatuation with the young paladin. But Sara had realized that Alex was correct. The hazing of Thomas was unjust. Sara had come to realize that, even though she had not been an active supporter of Cecilia's actions, her attitude of indifference had helped the situation to grow.

Sara still sat with her friends during lunch, but would defend Alex (and by extension Thomas) whenever the topic of their friendship came up, which was often.

But no matter how embarrassing her scolding was or how often her friends teased her about her attitude toward Thomas being seen as against the line set by Cecilia and Lenard, nothing had hurt more than what she saw taking place in that unused classroom.

Alex had his helmet off. Sara could see the golden colored piece sitting on a desk next to Alex.

Who had his arms around someone else! With his face bent over that other someone's face, pressing his lips to theirs.

Their positioning left Sara still unable to see Alex's face, but that was irrelevant.

Because Sara could see who had won the affections of the most desirable student in the year, if not the whole school.

The Shaman Thomas Walker!

Alex was gay!

"Impossible" shouted one part of Sara's mind. Yet she was seeing proof right before her eyes.

Falling back from the door, Sara's mind tried to make sense of what she had just seen. Something was wrong.

Her anger flared brightly. Lenard was right! Thomas was somehow forcing Alex to like him!

Ignoring all other possibilities, Sara jumped to her feet. Slamming the door fully open, she charged into the room.

"What do you think you think you're doing!"

Thomas turned to look at the incensed little priestess who had just burst in on the most pleasant surprise he had ever known.

Alex had never cared that everyone at the school thought she was a man. As far as she was concerned, male and female bodies were different wrappers over a person's true self. But having been around Thomas almost exclusively for the last several months, she felt she had seen enough of his true self to be confident in her decision. Thomas was a person she would proudly share her heart with.

But Alex (Or Alexia as her mother had named her) had very little idea about how to convey her feelings to Thomas. She had had several male friends in her hometown, but none of those boys had made her feel like this. And she had been too busy working to pay much attention to the older children who had gone through the trials of a new first love to have learned anything from them.

So, Alex had decided to be direct. Distracting Thomas with a discussion about the history lesson they had just completed until the classroom had emptied, Alex took her helmet off at school for the first time. Then she reached around and dragged Thomas to her to share her first kiss.

Thomas had been around Alex long enough to have realized her biggest open secret. As Alex had just finished explaining, the teachers and students were very wrong about her. She was a woman, and always had been.

The surprise was in how Alex apparently felt about him. Not that he was complaining. Until he had concluded that Alex was female, Thomas had treated her as he would have any other man. And once he had learned the truth, he did not want to change their relationship to the more typical boy-girl model. That did not mean he was not attracted to Alex. In fact, his dreams had lately been filled with ideas about how to express his feelings without changing their established dynamic.

Apparently, Alex was not willing to wait patiently for him to make a move.

Thomas had been looking out a window at the sparing going on in the practice field during a lull in his conversation with Alex, when he was suddenly pulled into his friend's chest. An instant later Alex's mouth came crashing down on his own. And when Alex's arms wrapped around his back, it was the most natural thing in the world to follow her example.

That moment of bliss had lasted for almost a whole minute before they parted. Looking at Alex's handsomely feminine face, Thomas grinned.

As Alex replaced her helmet, Thomas turned to the infuriated priestess. "I thought I was expressing my affection to Alex. What I don't understand is why it matters to you?"

"I…I mean…it's just… why you…." Sara sputtered to a halt. Fortunately, Alex came to her rescue before she died of embarrassment.

"Seriously, Thomas. With sisters of your own, I'm surprised at your lack of tact. Would you leave us for a couple of minutes?" After Thomas had left the classroom. Alex focused on Sara. "First, let me say it is what you think. I am in love with Thomas. What I don't understand is why it concerns you?"

"Isn't it obvious?! You're both boys!"

"Why is it important what reproductive bits we have? Aren't our feelings the most important factor?"