Disclaimer: See previous dozen chapters

AN: Here you go, 5:20 AM and I'm writing you all a story. Can you tell how much I hate how working night shifts screws up my sleeping habits?

Seifer awoke a minute or two before Zell, and just decided lay there, content, until Zell woke up. He could feel by the stretching of the lithe body below him when Zell had woken, and could even feel when Zell grinned, realizing that Zell used his whole body language to express the smile, and couldn't help a similar look crossing his own face. After enjoying the moment, Seifer opened his eyes and rolled back in the bed so he could look right at Zell and meet his eyes as he spoke the next question.

"So, which one of us is going to tell the others about this?"

Zell paused.

"…You?"

Seifer gave a small growl and Zell hastily finished "And me…?"

"Better."

Seifer leaned into Zell and chuckled, smirked, and bit softly on Zell's ear. Zell's eyes flashed wide open, and then got a very different look.

Two hours later, a freshly showered pair of blondes stumbled out of their dorm and toward the cafeteria. Dropping his tray of hotdogs on the table and sliding into the chair next to Seifer. He looked up and around the table. Everyone but Quistis was there…and she sat down next to Squall in a matter of moments.

Cramming down as many hotdogs as he could, Zell waited until everyone else had finished eating before trying to speak. After the first attempt, he finished eating and tried speaking without a mouthful.

"So, ah, I, well, Seifer and I, kinda have something to tell you guys."

In the following silence and a handful of waiting looks from the others, Zell started to babble inanely, turning red. Noting the distress, Seifer just heaved a sigh, reached one hand behind Zell's head, and pulled Zell's lips to his. After a shocked moment, with his eyes flaring wide open, then narrowing to slits, Zell's tongue began to counterattack Seifer's, until he remembered where, and with who, he was, and pulled away, face burning bright red. Seifer merely gave a contented smirk and leaned back in his chair, feet up on the table.

"I think they get the point now." Zell couldn't believe it; Seifer was having the time of his life with this.

Selphie blinked, then grinned at Irvine, who just shook his head at something. Quistis however was sitting staring at Squall, who hadn't so much as blinked.

"…I think you broke Squall."

Snapping back to attention, Squall sputtered slightly, then resumed his stoic attitude. "…Congratulations."

The rest of the meal had gone by with its fair share of awkward silences and jokes, but Zell generally thought it had gone all right. Seifer however, couldn't keep the smirk off his face.

"Did you SEE the look on Squall's face? We so should have had a camera with us. Puberty boy's not going to live this one down for a while, eh Chicken-wuss?"

Despite not sharing his lover's enjoyment at the expense of a friend, Zell was just glad to see Seifer in a good mood, and was practically dragged back to the dorm, destined not to leave 'till morn.

That night, Seifer woke up, the right side of his body cold, the left being warmed a certain Balamb boy, and opened his eyes, looking directly into the face of another of Shiva's ice constructs.

"Whadda want this time?" Seifer mumbled, grabbing for a pillow to cover his face, but not finding one not in use.

"Just a reminder." Shiva's construct gave a ring off, like that of a small bell, and exploded into millions of sparkling snowflakes, before melting in midair, the only evidence she had been there, the small puddle on the floor that would dry long before sunrise.

He was really going to have to figure out how to appease Zell's goddess.

Zell wandered the halls, painfully aware of the snide comments being sniggered at him from behind books; innocent looks in place whenever he glanced at them. After running into Seifer…literally, too absorbed in his surroundings to watch his path, he whispered a question to the bigger blonde; "How can you stand the comments?"

It took Seifer a moment to understand, then an understanding, and sympathetic look flashed across his face. "I'm used to it. Sorceress Knight, foe of SeeD, remember?" Seifer tried to act light-hearted, disconcerted to see Zell so down. "And when did you start caring what morons thought of you?"

Zell's eyes held a spark as they met Seifer's. "I've always cared what you thought about me"

Seifer pantomimed a blow to the heart. "You've slain me…"

"Bah, get up." Zell tugged on the overdramatic Seifer, who was now splayed out on the floor, clutching his chest.

"Mortally wounded, our hero breathes his last…"

Zell crouched next to Seifer's face and whispered again. "Do I need to do mouth to mouth then?"

A look of mixed devotion and lust crept into Seifer's eyes. "Last one to the room's on bottom" Springing up, Seifer took off for the rooms, Zell hot on his heels, murmuring, not unhappy, about insatiable blondes.

Wrapped in the blanket, Zell listened contentedly to the sound of Seifer dozing softly, and pulled himself closer to the man, enjoying the moment, the sounds, and the feelings he felt for him.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he woke up, and felt Seifer slowly massage his back. Regretting it, Zell turned over to face Seifer and curled up close to him.

"Seifer…" A soft whisper, Zell tried to keep his tone clear and unwavering, unlike his emotions

An arched eyebrow indicated the older man was listening and Zell continued, somewhat reluctantly.

"You won't leave me, will you?" Zell was sure that he had kept the need and uncertainty out of most of that, and waited, each second an eternity, for the reply; which, when it came, was simple, short, and to the point.

"Never." Seifer pulled Zell closer to him, the smaller man curled up and resting his head on Seifer's broad chest. Seifer realized then, just how innocent, and just how vulnerable Zell was. And wondered if perhaps Shiva was right to protect him so fiercely…after all, he would do the same for this man he loved, his Zell.

AN: I don't think I'll be updating this one for a while, there's not much left to do with it. At least, until I can think of more. But I think this is one of the last handful of chapters. Just going to wrap up loose ends

And thanks again to all that reviewed.