I've yet to understand what drives him. Like right now, for instance. He sits alone in the middle of the Training Center, polishing the blood off his gun-blade. Leather encased fingers hold the blade like it's a cherished lover. And perhaps, it is. It's saved his ass more then once, considering he is one of the only two in this Garden to wield one. Although it's a short-range weapon, you still don't want to get close to its wielder. The edge of the blade is kept to a sharp, deadly edge. And if that won't stop you, the special bullets made for it... just might.
And so, why am I sitting over here, watching what is a rather private moment? Because, I am *the* chicken-wuss after all. Even now, I still can't approach him. I had gotten used to the taunts long ago, I just responded to it to please him, and keep up appearances. Even now, Quistis is maybe the only one who knows how I feel about the ex Knight. But he doesn't feel the same about me. I've always seen that sheen of scorn in his eyes when speaking to me. He regards me as a mere chicken-wuss, worthy of his contempt, and that's about it. So, I torture myself by watching him. Yearning for something I'll never be able to have. Hyne, I sound depressing, don't I? Not the usual, over-hyper Zell. Well, even us flaky blondes have a deeper side. I prefer not to show mine too often. Quistis did, and look where that got her. The man of her dreams dates another. Now, that's sad.
Ah shit, I must have moved something, cause he's looking over in my direction. No way I can slink off now. Good thing he can't see through the bushes I'm hiding behind.

Seifer arched a brow, head tilted to the side. While cleaning off Hyperion, he had junctioned Enc-None. But something... Or someone... Was in the bushes over there. Maybe an overzealous cadet, daring to do battle with him. Seifer had had to put up with a lot of shit, even after being pardoned and accepted by Squall and following. So, who was watching him? He wanted to find out. He slowly rose from his crouching position, griping the handle of Hyperion even tighter. The cleaning cloth fell to the ground, forgotten as he started to move to the bushes.

~Fuck, fuck, fuck... He's coming. What do I say? Just stopped to take a leak. yea...~
Zell eye's moved side to side, as he tried to figure a way out of there without being seen. And if caught, he was also trying to think of a good excuse. Seifer frowned as a familiar shock of bright yellow could be seen.
~Zell? What the hell is he doing back there? Making out in the bushes... heh, never would have thought he had in him. To bad that's against the Garden's rules.~
Seifer ignored the slight ache of that thought. Zell making out with someone else. He had long hidden his feelings for the smaller blonde, behind his rather cruel pranks and taunts. No one had ever suspected that he liked him, and that was how he wanted it.

Zell started to back-peddle, as Seifer drew closer.
"I know you're back there, so come on out. And whoever is with you." A pause. "Chicken-wuss." Softer. Zell gritted his teeth, and moved out from the left side of the bush. Seifer had Hyperion casually resting against his shoulder. One blonde brow arched as he waited for the other person. "Alone?"
"Yes."
"And what were you doing back there? There aren't any monsters for about ten feet."
Eyes the color of a clear summer sky glanced downward. "I was..."
He couldn't finish. And he felt the blood rushing to his face. Although he was an even tan color, one could tell when he was flustered, or blushing. He wasn't dark enough to hide that.
Seifer frowned as Zell cheek's turned to a slight rose color. What the hell had been doing back there, if no one else had been with him?
"I was..." A pause. "I was watching you, Seifer."
"...." Seifer blinked. Chicken-wuss had been watching him? Why? Eyes narrowed slightly, he asked the question he had just thought.
"Because..." Zell looked to the side, eyes closing slightly as he decided to admit the truth, once and for all. Full speed ahead, and all that.
"I've fallen for you." Painful. It was oh so painful, to speak it aloud. He kept his eyes closed, waiting for something to either strike him, or to hear the sound of footsteps walking... or running away.
Seifer was floored. Zell was admitting that he loved him? How was such a thing possible? He'd been a mean little bastard to Zell ever since he had arrived at Garden. Three years of name-calling did not make a person fall in love with you, it was supposed to keep them away.
He reached out with a hand, gently running his fingers over the edge of one of the black tendrils upon Zell's face. The smaller boy had flinched at first, then stood still as though in shock.
~He's touching me... I can't believe it...~
"How long have you felt this way?"
".... Since I first saw you. But I figured... That you would never return it. Because you hated me from the first moment we met, even when we were younger..."
Oh yes, Seifer had remembered their childhood as well. But even then, the boy with the big blue eyes had put a sort of enchantment over him. But Seifer had always wanted to be a Knight. Knights protected princesses, and sorceresses. Not boys. So, in order not to loose sight of his goal, he had always tormented Zell.
"Even though I said that I hated you, that you were arch enemy... I never hated you Seifer. I couldn't."
At that soft confession, Seifer's fingers fell from Zell's tattoo, and instead cupped his chin. He tilted his face so Zell was forced to look at him. But he still had his eyes closed.
"Open your eyes, Zell."
He did so, his blue eyes dark with emotion. Seifer sighed inwardly; he knew how much this must have cost him. Telling someone you loved him or her was not an easy thing. Especially if thought that person hated you.
"I guess it's only fair that I make a confession too..."
Zell's eyes widened slightly, and he tried to keep the disappointment from entering his eyes. Either Seifer was going to tell him that he loved Squall, or he was about to laugh at him and then beat him to a bloody pulp.
"All the times I've called you a name... Or pulled a prank on you... It was to hide my own feelings. Knights are supposed to protect girls, not boys. Even if that boy could enchant a man faster then any women he'd ever seen."
Zell blinked. "Are you saying... You..."
A familiar smirk danced over Seifer's lips as he leaned forward. "Would you rather I showed you, Zell?"
His jaw dropped, at hearing his name pass from Seifer's lips. But that moment of disbelief passed as soon as those lips were against his own.


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A/N- A short Seifer/Zell one piece. Although, if people like this one, I might make a full blown story for them two. :) Also, if this one gets okay reviews, I might do two other pairings for Zell, both also one-shots. ^_^
So, you know the drill. Like it, hate it, let me know.