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Chapter Text

Carnal Retribution Act:
Act 1. Verse 2. Under the laws of the Carnal Retribution act, the Appeallant who has pleaded guilty to their criminal wrongdoing can choose to pay for their debts following the commands of the Adonis Macari Corporation (A.M.C) through their Servitude Program. Thoses who decide to pay their debt to society in this manner must report to, and follow the commands and guidelines set out by the A.M.C. until the end of their debt has been fully compensated.

Under the guidance of the A.M.C. and under the Carnal Retribution act, a person may enroll in the Adonis Macari Corporation's Servitude program to pay their debt to society and live out their penance. Under this program, the appellant is considerd employeed as a house Maid or Butler to anyone who purchases or rents their services. While employeed, they must not refuse what is being asked of them as long as it doesnt deny their basic human rights. At the end of each employement, the customer will be asked to write recommendations. Good recommendations take off your time. All needs of an Appellant will be taken care of while under this Servitude Program.

~~~~~~

"M-master?"

"Hmm?"

"May I have permission to speak freely?"

"What?"

"Well... I don't know if you're aware, but today's my last day. I'm going to be released and debt free." Said a beautiful curly haired Redhead with bright blue eyes and a slender build. He knelt on the floor rubbing his masters' foot passionately.

"Oh..You're being released? I just thought it was my last day with you until the break period ended." Said a tall blond man with creamy green eyes who grabbed the redhead off the floor and onto his lap. "Well since today is your last, I'm gonna make sure you never forget me. We have all the time in the world until we have to go. So please me, pet." The redhead silently nodded and passionately kissed his master blushing.

"Y-yes M-master Seifer. I will always cherish you..."

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Relaxing on the bed in his small, but cozy box shaped bedroom Zell happily skimmed through his Combat King vol. 27 martial arts magazine. He had recently gotten his body back to what he deemed to be a "perfect condition." However he felt that he could always use the additional training. Thanks to his best friend he was finally starting to feel more like his old self, before the Servitude.

"Zelly! Open up I know you're in there!! Let me in!" Knocking and shouting could be heard from his bedroom door. With a hefty sighed, Zell dropped the martial arts magazine he was reading onto the bed. 'Speak of the devil and it shall appear.' He thought. When he opened his door, he got pounced into a quick hug by the small figure. "Finally! I thought I was gonna be out there all damn day! Why do you feel the need to lock the door anyway?!" The culprit who barged into the mans' room was a beautiful 160 centimeters tall girl. Her skin was chocolate colored, her shape voluptuous, and her dark brown eyes were only slightly brighter than her skin. Her black curly hair barely went past her shoulders. "If I don't lock my door then your ass would be in here all damn day and I'd never get anything done. Now what do you want Elyse? You know I have to go to check in soon." The fighter couldn't hold back another sigh as he made his way back to his bed. He sat down next to his friend. Who was already on the bed lounging, checking out his magazine that he had left there a few moments before.

"Well that's why I'm here silly. I'm coming with you! My break period is up and I gotta check in as well." She pouted while quickly flipping through some pages. "I just hope that guy Tod doesn't rent me again... He was so fucking creepy. Like we didn't even fuck! He just made me eat different types of food. Sometimes he would jerk off while I was eating too!!" She visibly shivered at the thought. Zell laughed at her as she pouted again, resting her head on Zell's shoulder. The blue eyed man wrapped an arm around her, hugging her gently.

"Well let's hope he can't afford you this time... But we should start heading out though. We don't wanna be late."

Elyse and Zell quickly became friends when they both got transferred to Timber's Servitude Dormitory last year. The small blond was extremely tense upon his first days, always flinching when someone came his way. He never made eye contact and he barely spoke; he was the perfect servant, submissive. It was also his first time in two years that he was able to move around without needing permission to do so. Zell felt like he was free from Adonis Macari's grip. He still had to service people, but at least it wasn't him. Elyse was the one who approached Zell first. She had forced him to lock eyes with her; staring into his sea blue eyes she saw everything thing she needed to understand him. "You're a fighter right?" She asked

"..Excuse me?"

"Which type? Martial arts, boxer, Street brawler? I can tell by your hands. My Pawpa use to be a fighter so I know the signs of one." She smiled softly and winked.

"O-oh... I'm a martial artist... Well I use to be... I haven't sparred in years... I don't know if I still have it in me to fight..I barely have the will to live day to day..." Zell had looked at the floor at if it was the most intriguing thing he ever saw. He didn't have hobbies or interest anymore. They were taken from him along with his dignity. There was nothing left to enjoy in is life he thought.

"Nuh-uh! None of that, now look at me cutie!" Zell slowly, but hesitantly, looked at the chocolate vixen; brown eyes bright with determination. "Listen here sweetie cuz imma only say it once 'kay? You are worth something. I'll prove it to you! We'll start training, we'll learn to fight with our bodies and our minds. No matter what they've done to you... No matter what they will do to... You need to fight... Do you know what those nasty ass men hate the most?! They hate when they can't break us mentally. It's the one thing they can't control. So don't let them take your spirit."

"...I-but.... Why do you care?"

"Cuz... I was once like you..dead inside and out- numb to the world, but then I found hope. I found something to live for and thats what's keeping me going."

"What did you find, what's keeping you anchored in this shithole?" Zell asked.

"A little innocent life, it's growing in me. And I realized that I couldn't give up. Because who would raise my child?! I'm gonna clear this Hynedamn debt and raise my child myself! I owe it to them." She said solemnly.

Zell had given her a surprise glance. She appeared too young to be pregnant and to young to be giving him sound advice. Yet shockingly he felt a warm feeling of trust around her. Having not been able to trust someone in so long, the feeling seemed foreign. He thought that blocking out his feelings would help. He would hurt if he didn't have to feel. Yet all it did was make him hollow. If this girl, this young girl, could grow up and take responsibility. Then he could and would do the same. So without thinking he walked up to her with a startling speed, ignoring the looks of protest coming from her unwavering brown eyes. Reaching out he hugged her tightly and quietly sobbed. He sobbed for himself for the first time in years. He clinged to her like a lifeline as she whispered words of comfort in his ear. That day they became a family.

_________________

Timber's Servitude building was very luxurious. It was a modern day palace of glass: It stood 10 stories high, and was as straight and sharp as a sword. The palace was constructed of one way mirrors so that when you looked upon it you could only see yourself. Many beautiful people could be seen entering and exiting the building.

Walking with his beautiful redhead's arms wrapped in his, Seifer Almasy made his way into the building. He greeted the doorman with a smirk, walking toward a nearby elevator and punching in a code. The door immediately opened, and he rode it to the third floor. When they arrived at the counter the secretary welcomed him. "Mr.Almasy, we've been expecting you. We hoped you enjoyed renting one of out finest servants. Would you be interested in renting or buying another?" The small black haired woman asked. He simply nodded and she handed him a large binder full of available servants to pick from. The redhead that was with him gave him one last kiss and waved goodbye to leave Seifer to browse the catalog. It had everything one needed to know about the servants: pictures, blood type, favorite foods, personalities, kinks, skills, weight, height, piercings, and hobbies. Seifer never really cared about any of that because he knew with his charm (or maybe even intimidation) that he could get anyone to do whatever he wanted. His eyes glanced passed some of the profiles until one completely shocked him. He froze, mouth agape, staring at the picture and name below him. Zell Dincht. 'What the hell is he doing in a place like this?' he thought. Practically running up to the counter he startled the secretary. "Him! How much is he?! I want to buy him?!" Asking louder than he meant to, making him look rather frightening.
"D-Dincht?! W-well you see he's not for sell... You can only rent him and his pricing is from 10,000-100,000Gil." The cyan eyed blond snapped at her. "The fuck?! Why can't I buy him?! Why does he cost so damn much?!" He slammed his hand down on the countertop. "M-Mr.Almasy p-please it's no disrespect to you. It's just that Dincht use to exclusively belong to Mr. Macari. He was gracious enough to release him to the public but under the conditions he can't be bought."

Seifer couldn't comprehend the situation that laid before him. How could someone like Zell be in the system. Then being tamed by the big bad boogie man himself? That made it all the more peculiar. The tattooed freak was impulsive; yeah? But he was extremely caring and noble. So what crime could Zell have committed to be in put in the Servitude Program? The scar on his face burned with curious passion. The sweet revenge he could have, a retribution if you will. A revenge for the wound that bound them together, one that he thought would never come to fruition. Mr. Dincht would come to regret that day, and this would be the prefect opportunity. "Tsk. Fine! I'll be renting him for the max amount then."

_________________

Elyse and Zell arrived at Timber's Servitude building or "The Station" as some of the servants' called it. They proceed to the assigned room for check ins. "Name and ID number?" The clerk asked Elyse first. "Elyse Donovan. 621985." The vixen handed over her ID card to the clerk. They started typing away at the computer with an amazing speed. "Okay Elyse you're being rented for three days and you will be staying with him at his residence. He'll be picking you up later today." The clerk then directed her eyes to Zell. "Zell Dincht. 782589." He handed the clerk his ID card. "Okay Dincht. It seems you're being rented for the max amount of time, which is six months. Please remember that Mr. Macari has granted you freedom. Surely don't want to be punished again after last time. So do behave this time." Zell's mind came to a halt when he heard the amount of time we would be spending with his new renter. This would be the first time in eight months that he would be rented for longer than a month, not since the incident. 'Six months?! I can't..I can't... Not again. Please not again' his mind screamed. The room was starting to spin and his chest felt like was staring to close in on itself. His breathing started rushed until a soft hand on his back pulled him from his thoughts. It was his best friend. She rubbed his back in mini circles; murmuring soft words of comfort trying to calm him in the best way she could. He tried to speak, but his voice felt dry. He swallowed hard and tried to speak again.

"May I ask, who my new owner is?" He said in a weak voice.

"You'll meet him soon enough. Don't worry this time the person renting you this time is a veteran. He's had plenty of servants. He one of our high ranking Renters, so you'll be leaving with him today as soon he's done with the paperwork."

Zell was in a state of shock. He didn't notice that Elyse had pulled him to a nearby couch to sit. He started to recall the last time he was rented for a extended duration; memories filling him with anger, disgust and sadness. "It'll be okay Zelly. You can sneak text or call me everyday. I'll be sure to answer and if he does anything against the rules report him!" His friend tried to calm him. "Thanks Elly." He shut his eyes and hugged her gently, but when he looked up from the hug his face dropped in utter disbelief and horror. Standing before him was Seifer Almasy with his arms cross while wearing his signature smirk.

"Well hello there Chicken-wuss."

Chapter Text

"Well? You just gonna stare at me all day Chicken?"

Appalled at the horror that stood before him would be an understatement to say the least. Zell never fathomed that he would see his former tormentor ever again; he hadn't changed at all either. Seifer was still incredibly tall and well built, his short golden blonde hair styled to perfection as it always had been. The young Master wore an untucked violet long sleeved button up shirt with the first two top buttons undone that showed just a sneak peek of his toned collarbone. Above that he wore a dark grey pea coat hanging unhooked and showing more of his cotton shirt. A pair of dark grey jeans hugged him comfortably, but tightly, that lead down to a pair of black combat boots wrapping his toes to complete the causal look he sported. It all came together tastefully presentable. Where as Zell simply wore a black tee with the popular rock band "The Black Mages" on it, a pair of faded blue jeans with blue and black sneakers. He felt like a peasant, unworthy of the man that was standing before him. Zell locked eyes with Seifer. His glistening green gems piercing his soul with a hidden rage. The signature smirk that had people blushing or cowering laid plastered on his face... But one obvious thing did seem to be different about Seifer. He now had a scar that appeared to be pretty old across his face. The scar went from the middle of his forehead down to the left side of his nose. 'How did he get that scar?' Zell gulped the instant he saw it; feeling a twist of coldness in the pit of his stomach that told him to high tail out of there. He couldnt move, trapped because Elyse was still hugging him and he knew deep down inside he couldn't avoid the man forever. It was only a matter of time until they would pass each other by on happenstance. Though, he wished it wasn't at the station of all places. The small blond didn't want anyone to know- selling his body to repay a debt wasn't exactly the best conversation starter.

Whispering to his friend to let him go. He tried to put on a brave face. Seifer couldn't harm him while he was in this building so there was nothing to fear.

"Almasy... W-what are you doing here? You're a Servant now? I can't say I'm surprised." Zell said, trying to seem smug.

"Ahahaha! Are you kidding me!? You can't be serious. Please don't tell me you're really this dumb Chickie. Because I may have to return you for a much smarter one." Seifer threw his head back laughing loudly.

"Almasy...? Wait?! Zell! Please don't tell me this is the fucking douche bag? He's the one who used to bully you?!" Elyse fixed her gaze towards the taller blond. The vixen looked him up and down. 'Why does Hyne have to bless the worse people with such good looks. It's not fair.' She thought. Knowing exactly how the much tattooed man hated him. She scowled at him without a second thought. Punching him in is beautiful face is what she really wanted to do, but she didn't want to cause trouble for herself or her friend. Zell had told her every single detail; she knew all of the smaller blondes trumatic stories so well that often she would find herself awake in the middle of the night crying for him. Believing that the nightmares that had awoken her from slumber weren't based on true events. How did her friend manage to get this far without giving up? Elyse had a rough life growing up, but compared to Zell's she was inappropriately grateful for the shitty little life she was given.

----

Zell had never truly felt welcomed in life and it all started when he was only a toddler. Innocent and pure to the world and unable to comprehend the hate that was cast before him. He could barely recall their faces; only seeing a distorted vision of two certain figures. He assumed the figures had to have been his parents. Memory providing to be of no help, he could only remember worse bits and pieces (rather than the pleasant) of them yelling or hitting him. Sometimes they would abuse him in ways he wouldn't understand until he was much older. He later learned that his parents were junkies. Many times they would let strangers touch him just so they could get a quick fix. When he acted out after someone touched him, they had beat him till he was black and blue. When he cried, they locked him in a closet till his little voice went hoarse. When he peed on himself, they screamed at him until they got bored. When he asked for food, they starved him until he passed out. This was the world he knew. He never knew what life was outside of being abused, not until he was rescued.

The day when he was taken to the orphanage would always remain to be his most vivid memory. It had been two days and his parents were still sleeping. Zell was starving, but he knew he couldn't ask them for a meal or he would be punished. So he quietly played with his broken toy blocks. When the young blonde got bored of playing he went to check on his parents. The room they were in had a powerful pungent odor that was a sickening distinctive reminder of death, but that didn't stop him from climbing on the bed and trying to wake them again. The bodies were stiff and cold to touch. He started to cry and apologize. He told him he was sorry for being a bad boy; promising them that he would do better. The more they ignored him the louder he had screamed. They had never ignored him before. Anytime the blonde had done something there was always a reaction from them. Eventually a man busted into the room and swiftly took him. Zell could still remember the smell of the man who took him; he had smelled of sour apples. The man had held the young blonde the whole ride, telling him that life was going to be better. That he would have a new family who would love and care for him properly.

When he arrived at the orphanage he was greeted by a beautiful ivory skin woman with long black hair and gentle green eyes. When she went to caress his little pale cheek he flinched incredibly hard. She frowned; who in their right minds would harm a innocent child?

"Why hello there my dearest. My name is Matron. Do you have a name? She asked.

"....." Zell simply stared at her to scared to talk, but then his stomach growled loudly. Matron chuckle softly.

"Are you hungry?"

Zell shakes his head hard in a very up and down nod. She extended her hand for him to grab and he hesitantly took it. It was nighttime when Zell had arrived therefore all of the children were asleep. She led him to small dinner room and guided him to sit in a chair.

"There are other children here that are about your age. Would you like to meet them tomorrow?" She asked while preparing a small bowl of porridge for the young child.

"Matron! Selphie's snorin' to loud again. Can I sleep with you?...Wait who's dis?" A young sleepy boy with blonde hair and curious emerald eyes asked.

"Seifer this is our newest guest. So why don't you do me a favor and watch him for a bit while he eats."

"Kay." Seifer walked to the kitchen table and sat next to Zell while he silently ate. "M'names Seifer. You gotta name kid?"

"......"

"What's wrong? Can't talk? Is your voice box broke?"

"...Z-zell..." He said timidly

"Bells?! What about em."

"No! My name is Zell... I'm five... And my parents were too sleepy to take care of me." Zell started crying.

"Hey! Don't cry kid. I can't even remember my folks. So don't worry. We're all orphans here and Matrons cool sometimes.

"W-what's a orphan?"

"It means you ain't got no mom or dad."

"But I do have a mom and a dad. They're just sleeping." Zell exclaimed.

"You don't make sense. If you're here it means they forgot about you. They ain't coming back, so you're stuck wit us now." Seifer said proudly.

The older blonde was trying to help, but he was a bit crude about it. Seifer never understood the word subtlety, Matron tried to tell him countless time that there was a time and a place to say certain things. He just thought it was always better to tell the truth no matter how painful it could be for the other person.

"You're a lair! I'm not a orphan. They're just sleeping! When they wake up they will get me back!" Zell yelled.

"They ain't coming back! You're acting like a baby!" Seifer retorted

"...am not." Zell started to cry again. "Y-your just mad c-cuz I still have parents and you don't! He yelled while crying.

"And your a crybaby! I can't be friends with weaklings like you!" Seifer said and left Zell alone at the table.

"...I don't need you as a friend... Mom and dad will come back for me..."

Months after the confrontation with Seifer had became a blur to Zell. He isolated his self from the rest of the other children. They all tended to tease him because of the older blonde. Zell never fought back, he only cried. Seifer claimed he was helping the younger blonde. Saying that he needed to toughen up, but Zell knew that Seifer hated him.

Eventually Zell was fortunate to get adopted by the Dinchts. For the first time in his life he learned the meaning of love. His new parents Ma and Pa Dincht lavished the young lad in hugs, kisses, and cuddles. Zell started opening up, he smiled more, laughed a lot, and played hard. He made friends and people young and old alike adored him. His Pa told him many stories of his grandpa 'the war hero'. How he fought for justice and peace. Zell became enthralled by the stories and often told his dad that he wanted to be like his grandfather.

Tragedy still followed Zell when cancer struck his adopted father. The man was such a figure to him, he wanted to live up to the love that he been given. As a result, when Zell turned 13 he decided he wanted to enroll into the military boarding school known as Balamb Garden, wanting to follow in his grandfathers footsteps and become a hero. To make stories that one day he could tell his children, like the ones his Dad told him.

At the Garden students are trained to become the perfect soldiers. They are trained to become SeeDs, mercenaries for hire essentially. What Zell wasn't trained for, was seeing Seifer Almasy attending the same Garden. In the beginning it was fine. Almasy didn't seem to acknowledge the young blondes presents and Zell was fine with that since other students still seemed to tease him; he didn't need the stress of Seifer bullying him too. He figured people still bullied him because he had developed an altruistic, energetic, and impulsive personality. The young blonde seemed to be all over the place; he was also a quick to try to befriend anyone he came across. Because of that people tended to see him as incredibly annoying and childish. Despite this Zell never let anyone bring him down. Well until an unfortunate happenstance occurred.

At the beginning of Zell's second year as a student in the Garden. Things had seem to be to going to smoothly, he had made a few friends and his instructors often praised him for being a model pupil. He never thought that life would continue to spiral out of control until he rammed it in the face. Zell had woken up late that morning. The young blonde was bolting down the hallway in an attempt to reach the commissary; flavored bread and hot dogs were always the first things to sell out so he had to act fast. Zell had run so fast down the hall, too fast to pay attention, and with a hard collision his whole body slammed into the figures around the bend. As his head looked up to apologize, dismay ran down his features as it was no other than the 'Great Seifer Almasy' himself. Zell knew he was in trouble, the taller blonde had been recently elected to be the head of the Disciplinary Committee. Zell had to learn first hand that Seifer would abused this new found power.

You see, it turned out Seifer had followers. They would give or do anything to be acknowledge by him. So when they saw Seifer start to tease Zell, they mimicked. The younger blonde was tolerant for the most part of it. He would only ever react to Seifer, but never to the followers. It was only a matter of time until the followers couldn't take this kid ignoring them any more. Poor Zell never saw it coming; a blade sliding through skin from a sudden assault. The deep cut went from the left side of his forehead down to his cheek. This was the first time that someone had physically assaulted him. To shocked to move, he just sat In his own pool of blood and sobbed till he lost consciousness.

When Zell recovered from his injuries, the attack had left a gruesome scar on his face. He felt like it was constant reminder that we was too weak and cowardly to defend himself. So with the help of begging his friends for some extra gil, he got a tribal tattoo done on his face to hide the scar. Later he learned that the person who attacked him was immediately discipline and removed from the Garden.

A year later after the incident Zell became a SeeD. He was attending the mandatory banquet. Everyone was enjoying the spiked punch and crappy food. At some point during the party someone was nice enough to refill his drink. As his body danced, his head felt lightheaded and tired; assuming he had to much to drink. He decided it was time to call it a night. Zell was approached by five fellow SeeDs. They offered to help him back to his room, surprised by the gester he accepted. Everything seemed fine until the group passed the dormitory wing. Zell was still unsteady, but he noticed he was being lead to the training center. He tried to inform his caretakers that they were going the wrong way, but they oddly ignored him. When they arrived in the training center. He was instantly ambushed. He tried to fight back, but he was intoxicated and... Off. Like his body wouldn't react to what his mind said- had they'd drugged him? He was outnumbered and incapacitated. They easily pinned him to the ground and mercilessly beat him. When the group felt they wanted to stop, they dragged the small blonde into a deeper part of the center. Zell begged them to stop, but with slurred words it only sounded like mumbled goans. Forcibly being stripped and to weak to fight back, he was nude and pinned to the ground on his back, leg were spread wide. He thought he tried to scream but, he couldn't tell if he managed to do so. It was like he was floating on a cloud watching a terrifying horror movie. When he tried to work his limbs they punched him in the face; feeling more of the blow then the pain. One of the attackers held a switch blade to his throat and threatened the battered blonde. Saying that if he tried anything they would kill him. He could barely understand anything they were saying to him. Through heavy lidded eyes he fought to stay awake, but it was just so hard. His eyes were becoming heavier and heavier. Sometimes Zell would come to only to be horrified, he would have to lay there and watch as one of his attackers forced their selves in him, it didn't seem real. He wanted to scream, he wanted to fight, yet his body was unresponsive. Opening his eyes had started to become an even worse nightmare; it felt like each time he blinked a different man would be taking him. He was losing track of time. Zell wasn't aware of how long he had been raped. Finally coming to only feeling fatigue and pain all over his beaten body. He was still on his back laying on the ground. Everything was a blur. He could hear the sounds of the attackers, they were yelling loud, arguing almost. Zell thought that this would be the perfect time to try to escape. When he looked around to check his surroundings, he noticed the switch blade laying on the floor next to him; he grabbed it and pulled the blade out. He was going to make it out of this, even if he had to kill them. The beaten blonde at that moment felt one of them grasp his shoulder and without thinking or looking, Zell quickly slashed his attacker dropped the blade and ran.

Through sheer power and will Zell somehow made it to the infirmary. He was busied, bloody, and delirious. Dr. Kadowaki was instantly by his side trying to comfort him and obtain information. She gave had to give him three hi-potion and a Sleepcast sedative to put him to sleep because she was unsuccessful at calming the young teen. When he awoke three days later, the only words that left his mouth was a demand to be transferred to another Garden.

-----

"You can't be fuckin' serious! Zell you can't go with him!? After everything he's done!" Elyse grabbed Zell by the shirt and begun to viciously shake him.

"Listen Miss, you gonna let go of my merchandise or do I have to pry him from you?" Seifer taunted.

"You bas-" Zell cut off his angered friend. "It's okay Elly. It's not the first time I'll be fucked by someone I hate and clearly it won't be the last...Look, i'll call you when I can okay?" He turned to face his bully. "Well, Almasy...lead the way."

It was a tense silence that filled the room as they made their way to the parking lot. Seifer walked up to a silver sport car; Zell mouth slightly dropping at the sight of it. 'How much freaking money does this bastard have?' The tattoo blonde thought.

"Get in." The scared blonde ordered.

"..." Without a response Zell got in the car.

------

The ride to Seifer's place could only be explained as tense and awkward. During the whole ride neither man said a word. Thankfully Seifer turned on the radio so they didn't have to listen to each other breathe. Currently the popular song Mods De Chocobo was playing; It was such an uplifting beat considering the circumstance and clear feeling of impending doom.

As the car pulled up to the luxrious looking loft next to Obel Lake, a feeling of glamor could be felt just by looking at this incredibly modern home. Two stories of sharp edges, mahogony wood, and black metal outlining all the place the wood didn't touch. Everything came together to a sharp finish. The top floors' walls were pushed back to show a grand balcony overhanging the garage. It looked like an expensive prick lived here. 'You can't be serious... There's no way a SeeDs paycheck can afford all this. I was Rank 28 before everything went to shit and I don't think I could even afford the car let alone this house!' He was quickly taken out of his thoughts when he saw the taller blonde walked toward the front door. Zell sheepishly followed a few ten steps behind.

"I have something I need to do. So go in and explore your new home Chickie. When you're satisfied sit on the living room couch and wait for me so I can house train you."

Zell bit his lip to hold back the urge to talk back. As much as he hated Seifer he couldn't disobey. The punishment for refusing to listen to a client was severe. "Y-yes Sir..."

Seifer smirked and opened the door to let him in. As the duo stepped inside Zell could only stare in awe at the well angled and very tastful living room. Virtually a mini mansion; the light wood that covered most of the floor clashed very well with the dark wood that covered the middle of the ground and lined the edges of the upper floors and stairways. Everything was lined up at such a perfect angle; the couches, furniture, and rugs were spaced in rectangle as if they were placed evenly to align to the skylight. It all seemed very open, pleanty of window space from the ceiling to the front and back doors being glass (most likely bullet proof), and a wide sweeping patio off the front and back sides made it seem more like a luxury summer home than a fully liveable loft. Off the end of the long even hallway came a large open kitchen that had no doors. An island bar sat directly in the middle. Infact, the kitchen itself looked more like a fully stocked bar with a new style refrigerator and an electric stove. The wrap around of the counters had many glasses and drinks covering the wall. The wood on the cabinets was light in color with more of a yellowish tint to it to reach the marble counter tops. Everything could be seen from the living room, the hall way connecting them giving a big line of sight. Inside the living room a raised pedastal of mahogony led up to the sturdy stairs that climbed into a section that seemed all but seperate from the house. A small alcolve wrapped around the top floor that gave clear sight down to the whole living room. The only thing upstairs (beisdes the beautiful art covering the walls) were two doors that lead to the Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom. The Master Bathroom was huge with a giant tub and a walk in shower; it had a similar look too the kitchen. Much more space than the half-bath off the kitchen. The Bedroom was... for the most part basic. The bed was huge sure, but there wasn't a lot of flavor to the room. Well, besides two glaring ommisions. His gunblade, The Hyperion, hung on a mantle above the bed as a reminder of his success and power. However... the right side of the room, the wall that didn't have the glass sliding door leading to the balcony, had odd things hanging on hooks. Odd because they were... Tools.

Bondage, Dominatiom, Sadism and Masochism tools littered the wall. Less of a pride thing like his Hyperion and more like a show of his pure lust. Zell could feel his cheeks redden. 'Is he going to torture me with these?!' Making his way back down the stairs did what he was told and sat on the beautiful brown couch. It didn't take long before Seifer had returned from wherever he had went, the smug smirk still still on his features. He sat on the couch next to the shorter blonde. Zell averted gaze to looking at his chest rather than make eye contact.

"Ahh... What a good chicken. Now get comfortable because we have a lot to go over. And don't worry, I'll go slow enough so you can comprehend everything. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. It seems you're not as dumb as you still look. It seems you've been properly trained, but I'll say it just so we're clear...you may only address me as Master or Sir. If you wish to speak to me, you beg for permission. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I read your bio, it said you can cook, I'll be looking forward to you making my meals everyday. I'll keep the food stocked and if you want to make anything specific just ask me."

"Yes, Sir."

Seifer's face got serious as he straightened up to looked directly at Zell. "Look me in the eyes, Chocobo." The taller mans voice took a dominant tone. Zell shivered, slowly locking eyes with his bully. "Give me your safeword."

He tried to think of a name that he would never utter in times of sexual needs. "H-Hyperion, Sir."

"Ahahahaha...! Wise choice. I'll accept it." Seifer suddenly leaned toward Zell and roughly grabbed his hair, snapping his head back. Zell released a small yelp at the force. "Now that we have a safeword. I can go over the rest later. How about you give me an introduction of what that mouth can do?" Seifer voiced changed to something husky and hungry. He let go of the smaller blonde and relaxed back on the couch and waited for Zell to make his move.

At that command, something changed in the tattooed blondes face as he got on the floor and submissively crawled in between is master legs. He undid Seifer's pants button with one of his hands before he leaned into his crotch head first. Using his teeth and tongue, he pulled down the other zipper effortlessly. A half erected cock bobbed out of the tight jeans (apparently someone likes going commando). Zell's breathe hitched when he saw the remarkable girth, it was only half hard and Seifer was by no means even close to being small. The man had strength, wealth, looks, and a big ass cock. At the tip of his cock, a metal bead poked out of his hole and second one poked out from the bottom of his head. Zell could only stare in a state of awe, he felt a ping of heat shoot down to his arousal. He had never seen or been with anyone who had a Prince Albert piercing. He had heard from Elyse and the others at the dormitory that the feeling of the metal was amazing. Seifer chuckled. "You like what you see?" Zell blushed hard and slowly nodded. "You may touch it, pet. Please me. I'm sure you don't wanna get punished on your first day." Zell shook his head and grabbed the half harden cock eagerly, tightening his grip he gently stroked the base of his length up to the tip. Flicking his wrist till mini Seifer was standing at full attention. Zell looked Seifer directly in his cyan eyes. He saw a lustful desire, he could tell the man was striping him with his just his gaze alone. Zell kissed his tip before eating him whole. A wave of wet heat engulfed the blondes lower half. It took an extreme amount discipline from Seifer to not ram his length down his throat. The scared blonde could tell that Zell was definitely well experienced, but it was apparent that he never took anyone close to his size before. Zell used his hands to stroke what his mouth couldn't reach. Bobbing his head up and down his cock, he lapped his tongue around the head and sucked, tasting the metallic taste of the piercing. It turned him on, he could feel his jeans getting tighter at the thought of wishing this dick was in his ass rather than his mouth. Zell pulled Seifer out of him with an audible wet pop, while gazing at the panting blonde above. He slowly licked the size of his twitching aching cock, submissively teasing him. "Fuck it! Chicken I'm gonna fuck the shit out of ya face." Zell didn't have enough time to react before Seifer grabbed his hair again and forced his rod in the younger blondes mouth. "Relax... I know you can take my cock." That was the only warning he got before Seifer thrusted his length all the way down Zell's throat. He gagged hard, but he desperately tried to stay still as the man ruthlessly slammed into his face. Tears pricked at the corner of his sapphire eyes, no longer able to keep them open he opped to clinching them shut. He moaned when he felt the chilled metal bang against the back of his throat. The moaning sent waves of vibrations throughout his groin, it was to much to bare. Feeling that all to familiar feeling of heat, the pleasure building up, it just suddenly happened. "Ahh fuck! You're a dirty slut, ya know that? I'm gonna come and you're gonna swallow all of it, you better not waste this fucking meal." Zell let out a deep guttural moan as liquid stained his pants from the anticipation. He knew he would be punished for finishing, but he didn't care, feeling the metal bead hitting the back of his mouth was too much to bare. Just as Zell finished, the spike of vibration was all it took to have Seifer shooting his huge load down Zell's throat at the same time. Every last drop slid down his throat. A sudden jerk of motion as Zell's head slid off it, and lips pressed against his in a kiss. Seifer's tongue invaded his mouth, he could taste himself and that only egged him on more. Zell didn't put up a fight and completely gave himself to the scarred blonde. Seifer's mouth tasted like sour apples, and as the young master pulled away Zell pouted with lust heavy eyes.

"Hyne... And here I thought you hated me." Seifer said as he licked his swollen lips and tucked himself back in his jeans.

"I only live to serve you, master..." Zell said in a monotone voice, his blue eyes changing from lust fill to something unreadable.

Seifer didn't know how to respond, he assumed that the smaller would simply reply and look at him with hateful eyes. He was fully prepared to punish him for the defiant look. He didn't expect Zell to be so compliant.

"Hey, did I hurt you or something? If it was too much I expect you to use the safeword. Yeah I know we got history, but even if it is you. I respect my servants and the rules of the house."

"N-no, Sir. I'm fine... Everything was great except..." Zell's voice was still a bit raspy from the activity that transpired, but he sheepishly looked down at his lap to afraid to finish his sentence.

Seifer gripped Zell's face hard and forced him to lock eyes. "Spill. It. Now." He demanded. He noticed that Zell looked terrified as if he was on the verge of tears.

"S-sir I..." He sighed and swallowed hard. Still tasting the remnants of his Master's seed. "F-forgive me, but I came... I know I'm supposed to only come when you command and I failed. I'm awaiting your punishment Sir..."

'Adonis, what the fuck did you do to him?' Seifer thought. He wanted to kick that man's ass, Zell looked like he was waiting for Seifer to savagely beat him as a punishment.

Sighing, Seifer lifted Zell up on the couch and pulled him into a tight hug. He didn't know how to approach this situation. The small blonde looked like a timid rabbit caught in a noose. Seifer softly kissed the shell of Zell's ear, he wanted to wait till Zell relaxed to whisper softly. "Listen cause I'm only gonna say this once. I will never blatantly hurt you permanently as a punishment. Understand?"

Zell's face was buried deep in Seifers chest, but he could very clearly hear the muffled 'yes, sir'. He gently petted the soft blonde locks. He sat there with Zell for about an half hour, comforting him in the best way he could; for having been someone who wasn't used to comforting others.

"Now that you've seemed to calm down some. I'm gonna head out for awhile. I'll be back in about an hour. When I return I expect lunch to be ready and waiting for me."

"Yes, Sir."

Chapter Text

Zell sat on the couch in a daze, still trying to grasp the situation that occurred moments before him. He had just given Seifer oral. No that was wrong; his mouth had been violated by Seifer. Sefier Almasy. Was. In. His. Mouth. It's wasn't the first time Zell's mouth was put on someone's sensitive parts, and with the way his life was headed it clearly wouldn't be the last. Surprisingly that wasn't the main problem the servant was having. No, it was the fact that the scarred blonde had comforted him after his "wretched submissive side" showed up. 'Why would he do that? Doesn't he hate me? Wasn't all this just a joke? One last nail in the coffin to utterly embarrass me?' Zell questioned himself, but he wasn't getting anywhere. He needed his leveler. Reaching in is pocket, he grabbed his cell and texted the one person he could trust

[Zell: >13:26< So yeah. still alive...Well kinda. If you count being a zombie as alive]

[Elyse: >13:26< OMG DO I NEED TO COME AND GET YOU!! ILL KILL HIM TOO!! TELL ME WHAT HE DID TO YOU!!]

[Zell: >13:27< lol No, calm down Chocolate Bar. I'm fine... Its just it happened again. My slutty side showed up. And I looked so fucking desperate Elly. Looking back he probably thinks I'm a huge whore. One would spread wide for anyone who ask]

[Elyse: >13:28< Zelly... Babes...don't think like that okay. You know you can't control that side of you... And screw him and what he thinks about you! You don't need to be worryin ya self over what he thinks. He's a prick and this is just a game to him. Not only does he have to bully you, but he feels the need to rape you too!? It pisses me off that this is legal... We're nothing but slaves. You shouldn't have to cope the way you do..]

[Zell: >13:28< Please don't start with legal rant. Please im begging you! I'll take you out on a date to that new expensive restaurant that opened up near the dorms when I get back! ;-) ]

[Elyse: >13:29< Pretty sure your blonde ass already promised to take me there like five time already xP but seriously did he hurt you?]

[Zell: >13:29< No he didn't..it was weird. He said one simple command and I was crawling over to him to suck him off.. OH btw since I'm sure you want to know he's huge and he rocking a PA. But because I was in my alter ego I came on myself without his permission. I panicked and he comforted me...by hugging me. If he hated me why would he do that...?]

[Elyse: >13:31< Please tell me you're kidding right?! You're making this pretty hard for me ya know... Hyne... Like does he have to be so fucking hot? For your sake I was hoping he was super small... But why is he so damn blessed? I just want to hate him in peace, freely without thinking about fucking his brains out...(Don't hate me for saying that. I still love you babes and I would totally fuck your brains out if given the chance <3) but honestly I can't explain him hugging you. Like you said he was a super jerk(which I can totally believe) and plus the dude only said like fifthten words to me and I wanted to beat his ass. Well who knows maybe hes dying and he wants redemption.]

[Zell: >13:33< Umm I don't even how to respond to you right now lol. You need to chill with wanting to bang every guy you see (including me lmao). I'm not offended if that's what you think, I know Seifer's attractive. It's the fact that he's aware he's so damn perfect and he feels the need to boast about it whether you asked or not. He also treats everyone as if they are below him. But from looking at him it seems someones knocked him down a few pegs cause I don't remember that scar on his face. Guess he wasn't as strong as he thought he was. Being cocky will do that to ya, but getting back to the main point... You think he wants forgiveness?]

[Elyse: >13:34< Hell idk Zelly. He just seems really complicated, but you're right maybe someone whooped his ass and now he's all humble (the scar adds to his sexiness). It could have been impulsive too ya know? Like your alter ego is pretty fucking scary honestly. maybe he didn't know what to do? It's just hard to say. I just wish I could help. Oh I know! I could always come and steal you away, maybe take you to that new expensive restaurant that just opened up near the dorms! :-D ]

[Zell: >13:35< Hahahahaha!!! Okay okay I get it, we'll definitely go when I get back I promise! I've been saving up so we can afford to splurge a bit! We deserve some good food! Speaking of food, I should get up to make the bastard his lunch. He left a while ago and im not exactly sure when he'll get back. Thanks for chattin with me Chocolate Bar. Venting always makes me feel better. I'll try to message you again tonight. I loves you <3 ]

The cell slid down into a back pocket as Zell prepared his mind on this meal. First and foremost, being sanitary needed to be established before cooking any food. Luckily, a side bathroom hung off the kitchen conveniently. It suddenly came to him that he brought no luggage to this mini mansion... Guess living with stained pants wasn't so bad. A light scrubbing on the stains made a large wet splotch that he had to accept. With a slight sigh, his feet found their way into the lavish Kitchen. Where... To even start? His so called master said Zell could make what he wanted but failed to say where everything was. Leaving the only option as searching the cupboards. So many different kinds of luxurious appliances, brand-new stainless steel pans, sandwich makers, crock pots, the whole nine yards. Maybe... An idea sprung to life! Since it was lunch he didn't want to make anything super big, so he decide to make Cajun Chicken Paninis; simple, quick, and easy.

------

"Okay Sir your total will be 1,350Gil" a small petite girl said with a blissful smile.

Seifer handed the clerk 3,000Gil and told her to keep the change as a tip. The girls face lit up with surprise as she stuttered out appreciatation but the Perfect man had already walked away. Seifer, with his magnificent perception, had noticed that Zell didn't bring any clothes or supplies with him to his new home. As such, Seifer being the responsible man that he was had decided to buy his pet a few things. Before returning home he had a few stops to make. After a short drive he walked into a small cafe named: Samantha Soul Cafe. It was owned by two of his dearest friends Fujin and Raijin.

"Unexpected." Said a warm and familiar voice.

"Hey Fuu. I was just in the neighborhood. You got a few mins to spare and talk with me?"

She noticed that her friend seemed to be a bit tense and she guided him to a nearby table to sit. "Trouble?"

"Nah I'm not in trouble or anything just wanted to talk and maybe ask for a favor. Also where's Raijin?"

"Mission."

"Hmm... I see. We gotta find some time to go fishing some time soon. But enough stalling I'll cut to the chase..." Seifer sighed and looked at her with a serious tone. "I found him Fuu. After these few years I finally found him."

Fujin widened her crimson eye. "Dincht?!"

"Yeah...and guess what. He's a fucking Servant now..."

"What?!"

"I know, I wanted to kick his ass for putting this scar on my face. But when I saw him all my hate vanished. He was 'house trained' by Adonis. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That man's seriously fucking sick."

"Condition?"

"I'm renting him right now. He's at my place. I wanted to buy him, but it seems Adonis still wants him. I could only rent. And as for the favor I need some Intel."

"Explain."

"I would have heard if Zell was arrested, but I didn't. Somethings up. So I was wondering if you could get some details on what he did? ...Fuu his life has been nothing but shit. Whatever happened to him I have a feeling he was framed."

"Unrequited?"

"After he scarred me, then disappeared, I won't lie, I hated him. I wanted to bash his face in, but seeing him now, I can't hurt him. Fuu he hasn't defied me once so far. I thought that he would. I just wanna protect him. So yeah I still fucking love him."

Fujin smiled softly at her friend. "Understood."

"Thanks Fuu, I owe you. I seriously owe you one."

When he arrived home, his nose was welcomed by a wonderful smell of seasonings. Setting the many bags in his hands down by the door, he made his way to the kitchen. Zell was nowhere to be seen, but Lunch was on the counter waiting. As the first bite touched his tongue, his jaw dropped so fast the food almost fell out. It was the best sandwich he'd had In his life. Sure the smaller blonde's portfolio said he could cook, but it didn't say how amazing it would be. It took barely seconds for the whole thing to disappear down his throat, and just as the last bite was finished, Zell appeared coming around from the staircase to make his way back to greet him.

"Chicken, there's some bags by the door. Go get em and bring them to me." He ordered.

Zell obeyed and grabbed the bags, taking them to the living room as Seifer settled back on the couch. The master had patted the spot next to him, silently informing the servant to sit next to him. Doing as he was required, Zell reluctantly sat next to his bully and awaited instructions. An irritated sigh escaped the young master's lips before he reached down to grab one of the bags on the floor and tossing it to the tattoo blonde.

"Try them on." He barked.

Looking inside the bag that was thrown at him he saw an assortment of clothing. "W-what?"

"You do know what clothes are right? Or did your friend help you get dressed this morning?"

"I'm not stupid..."

"Coulda fooled me. Now stop wasting my time."

The tattooed blonde pulled the contents out from the bag, his eyes widening in horror. A black and white one piece dress, the skirt part of the dress spreading out in a fluffy lace ruffle. It looked incredibly short; he was sure it would barely cover his privates. "A maid's Costume?... Please you can't be serious. I can't wear this?!" Zell pleaded

"Hahaha! Maybe check the rest of the bag before you say that Chicken?"

Looking back into the bag, pulled out the remaining items. A black and white laced headband, fishnet thigh highs, four inch black heels, a sliver belled collar, and lastly a sliver circular emerald jeweled band. Upon further inspection the servant realize the band was a cock ring, His body went cold.

"Please Seifer... Look I'm begging you. I'M begging you. I can't do this."

"You'll be fine. Now change."

Zell turned and started making his way towards the bathroom, but Seifer gripped his wrist.

"Change here."

"Why?"

"Oh! well thats pretty obvious. Because I said so."

A low grumble came from the servant's lips before the shirt reluctantly came off his torso revealing his small, slender, muscular build. A slow turn to reach for the humiliating outfit gave Seifer a peek at Zell's back. Light scars riddled his skin in various places. The Young Master couldn't control the anger on his face and could only stifle it with a clenched fist. Adonis had to be the culprit, and when Seifer got the chance, would do anything to punish the man for this grave sin. While he was busy mentally cursing the young blondes previous captor, Zell was completely dressed and adjusting the fishnets with a face clearly set with embarrassment. Seifer felt his lower half spark to life in excitement.

"Leave the heels off and go up stairs."

With no choice but to do as he was told, he made his way to the bedroom. Seifer came up from behind him, placing one hand on his hip and the other lightly ghosting his leg trailing up cupping his behind. Bending down to the shell of Zell's ear, he whispered softly.

"Get on the bed. Make sure you're on your hands and knees, ass facing the door."

"Yes sir"

His body shifted forward as he got on the bed and in position; his ass out and presented on full display. Seifer walked the side of the bed. A sudden loud smacking noise could be heard, followed by a strong flare of pain shooting from his lower half. Zell yelped from the unexpected hit. He quickly turned towards his master only to see a smug smirk, but watching a series of hits follow. Each smack echoed the room, Zell's yelps were slowly turning to moans. This egged Seifer on, he increased the pain on each smack, causing Zell to collapse on his forearms, tears threating to spill over as the velocity of the strikes increases, his member bobing full against his abs. Pulsating against the ring band, he could feel it tightening. As each hit tried to bring out his other half. As Seifer continued to smack him, Zell started pushing himself back, meeting the hit. His other side had surfaced.

"Nnhh... More M-master... Please...I need-..."

Seifer smacked him one final time before gently caressing his reddened bottom to smooth some of the pain away. A loud popping noise could be heard a few moments after immediately followed by the fishnet and thongs being pushed down. A single wet finger slowly circled his entrance to make Zell let out a lusty moan, practically begging Seifer to end the teasing. It felt like minutes, but a second later he got his wish, as his Masters's finger slowly entered him all the way to the knuckle. His breath quickened and he felt his body naturally clench, trying push out the unwanted intrusion, despite Zell's wants.

"Fuck... Chickie... So tight. Relax for me." He placed his free hand on Zell's back, hoping to settle him down some.

Trying to regain his breathing, he could feel the pain subsiding, slowing turning into blissful pleasure. As if on cue, Seifer started working his finger in and out of his servant at an antagonizingly slow pace. He whined frustration rocking his hips back. More. He wanted more. He needed more. He wasn't glass and didn't need to be treated as such. Just then a hand grabbed the base of Zell's throat. Restricting him of his air.

"Its seems to me that you've forgotten your place. Since you wanna be fucked to bad, let's see if you can handle this." A second member penetrated the tight opening met with resistance. Lips parted to exclaim pain or pleasure, but nothing came out, unable to scream because of the hand gripping his throat. Several tears running down his face, steams of pre-ejaculate pooling out of his organ. He looked perfect. Letting go of his neck, Zell took in a large inhale. Panting and moaning, he was thankful that his master was kind enough to let his body try to adjust to the forceful invasion. Slowly he starting working into him scissoring and stretching, trying accommodate for his girth. When he hooked his finger upwards Zell released A wanton scream. Finding his sweet spot Seifer kept rubbing the same spot, Zell becoming an utter mess.

"P-please Master... F-fill me!... Make me whole..."

Something inside Seifer snapped, somethings primal, his animalistic urges screaming at him to mate. Hearing this needy side of Zell, was like listening to a symphony only made for him. He could feel his member begging to be freed from the confines of his pants. Fingers slid out from Zell's posterior, hearing a frustrated grunt while in turn.

"Be patient, I'll fill you up real soon." He quickly took off his pants, his cock bouncing free. Squirting a generous amount of lube on his hand he stroked himself, making sure it would slide in with ease. As Seifer looked up at this prize he realized; This was a moment that needed to be savored... So long. This scene had played so many times in his head out of reach. It never should've happened, never in hell would Seifer have a chance to have sex with the person he loved the most. Yet here it was, Zell was on his hands shaking his ass and begging for it. The heavens smiled on the Master today, and it was one thing that he could thank Adonis for before vicious retribution was brought down on him. Today, however, he needed to enjoy this with all he had.

A forceful palm impacted the petite one's back side hard enough to rock him to his forearms. The perfect vision, Zell's bottom sticking straight up and out. He lined himself up against his love and slowly moved past the tight ring of muscle. When his tip entered inside, he paused. The searing and incommodious feeling almost proving too much, It took all of his discipline to not come right then and there. Zell felt different from the rest, like he was constructed just for fucking. Inch by excruciating inch he managed to push himself all the way in. He found himself moaning with Zell.

"S-so full..." Zell whined.

He pulled himself back only leaving the tip and then roughly thrusted back in setting a brutal pace. Gripping Zell's hips hard enough to leave a bruise. Zell was pushing back with a force of his own matching his Master's rhythm. The sounds of flesh smacking echoed gracefully underneath Zell's wailing.

"Master!....I-i can't I-"
Zell reached his hand down to his aching cock, bound by the ring. Pre-cum leaking leaving a trail line down to the bed. He tried to soothe himself, but it was proving to be useless. He need to release.

"Come for me..."

With Seifer's blessing, Zell practically ripped the ring off, shutting his eyelids tightly enough to see stars. The twitching on his member become violent as it orgasmed, his voice cracking as he groaned. His load blasting the bed with vengeance. Seifer followed soon after Zell's tightening walls sent him into a frenzy, he came hard in Zell, filling him up. A slow and torturous pull came out of him, rolling on his side as to not crush him. He looked at Zell's face, he was flushed, panting hard. His eyes shut, tears and saliva running down his face. His normally gelled bangs plastered on his forehead. Seifer thought he looked absolutely beautiful.

"Hey Zell... You okay?"

Zell snapped his eyes wide open. He looked at him as if he'd grown another head.

"What?!"

"N-nothing... Its just that's the first time I've heard you say my name..." He closed his eyes, he was clearly sleepy "it sounds-..." Zell's breathing slow to a soft snore. His body was still on it's knees. Seifer couldn't help but laugh. He pulled up Zell's clothing and with ease he stretched Zell legs down and fixed him up on the bed. A nap wouldn't hurt for either of them after such a busy day. Tucking himself back in his pants he laid next to Zell wrapping a protective arm around him. These next six months wouldn't be so bad.

Chapter Text

Seifer had always been a crude child. Never lying, blunt and honest, regardless of who may be hurt. Back in his younger days at the orphanage he would always tell the other children how he felt. Telling Squall that he was a sissy for hanging around his sister too much, Quistis is to bossy, Selphie was too loud and annoying, Irvine followed Selphie around too much. So when Zell had arrived he never thought anything different, it was true. If he was here it meant that his parents weren't coming back he was telling the truth. When Seifer teased the others they would get upset, maybe even argue back before telling Matron. Never had they cried. When Zell cried in front of him his heart pinged. He had a sudden urge to protect the smaller blonde. He hated seeing those big watery blue orbs. So he told him he could never be friends with a crybaby, which was true. He wanted Zell to be strong, toughen up and be worthy of his friendship. Every chance he got he ruthlessly teased Zell hoping the boy would fight back and become stronger. In the end Zell would always close up and cry. Eventually Zell was adopted. It was very bittersweet, Seifer missed seeing that big smiling face that Zell would sometimes show when he thought he was alone, but he knew the kid was lonely and sad and he'd hoped that having a family would make his life a bit easier.

Seifer never expected to see Zell again, let alone be attending the same Garden. When he saw him again years later, his heart burned with a new passion. Not just the urge to protect, but something else unexplainable. By then Seifer had formed his posse with Fujin and Raijin. They immediately understood his feelings and often teased him about it until he would storm off.

Seifer often noticed the smaller blonde getting picked on by other students, blinded by rage, he would instill his wrath on anyone who'd harm him. It took two years, but he singlehandedly managed to back the bullies off, as well as claiming that Zell was his and his only to bully. This worked for awhile, the older blonde noticing his crush was able to find friends and work in peace. Becoming the head of the Disciplinary Committee had its perks, but also downsides. He wasn't expecting to obtain followers- a cult almost. Sometimes they would go as far as harassing Fuu and Rai. Part of him regretted his decision to punish the cult for this. He felt that because he lashed out on them for that they chose to attack Zell, it was like he had subconsciously ordered it and Seifer would never forgive himself. He was the one who found Zell knocked out cold, deep gash on his face, blood everywhere. They would pay, whoever did this would suffer.

It didn't take long for the gossip and rumors to spread. The student who did it was practically gloating, smug, preaching his triumphant win over Seifer's most "hated" person. (His words, not Seifers.) it took all of Seifer's willpower and Fuu to stop him from murdering the bastard right then and there. Unexpectedly, Rai was the one who came up with plan to settle the score. Seeing his friend hurt so much took a toll on the brutes normal passive ways.

"SeeDs exams are coming up soon, ya know? So why don't you get revenge then. Make him confess after the SeeDs exam. They'll have to expell him then, ya know?"

Seifer instantly agreed and started planing. Looking out for his two best friends, he informed them that this would be a solo mission. Something that had to be done alone, or risk their tenure at the Garden as much as his. It's true, Seifer was an ass, but he truly respected his comrades and wouldn't let them take the fall for this if it were to go wrong.

The exam was simple, reports had come in that there was an increase in the number bite bugs in the nearby forest. There job was to cut down the numbers. The squad consisted of Seifer(team appointed leader), Nathan Saanich(the one who attacked Zell), and two other randoms that the blonde didn't bother to remember the names of. Seifer only had one job and that to get alone with Nat.

Everything was going according to plan. While fighting off a herd of bite bugs, a T-Rexaur approached, which may or may not have been lured by Seifer with bait. With a tremendous roar, it started to charge, starling the other three. Seifer's blood boiled with anticipation. He quickly barked orders, telling the randoms to stay and fight while he and Nathan lured the T-Rex away. If they didn't return within an hour they were to report to the Garden for a rescue group.

After some time, they managed to escape the creatures attention. The blonde secretly cut himself on his forearm.

"Nathan... Are you junction with some healing magic?"

Still panting heavily the student answered with a shaky breath. "Huh? O-Oh y-yes sir, Almasy, sir!"
He rushed to the older teens side.

"Give me all your magic, I'm hurt." He gestured to his injured arm. Nat looks at him with a small hint of skepticism. "Look tell the instructors how you saved my ass and you can gloat to your friends how I praised you too. You did good luring that Rex away." It physically killed Seifer to speak like that, but there was no other choice. He needed to get him unjunctioned before he kicked his ass. Hearing the blonde praise seemed to have worked because he could feel all the magic now flowing within his core, a pleasant icy chill. Seifer asked if that was all of it before healing himself, as soon as Nathan nodded. He butted the hilt of his Hyperion into the unsuspecting teens face. Knocking him unconscious instantly. Part one of his plan was done. No time to rest though, there was only around thirty minutes before the randoms would call for backup, then maybe another forty-five minutes before they would arrive and start looking. As much as he would have liked to torture the fucker, he knew he would be paying for this. For the rest of his pathetic life.

He dislocated one of Nathan's shoulders and tied him to a nearby tree. Rope gruesomely tight against his chest and remaining arm. Taking the out of socket arm, he hoisted it up to the nearby branch of the tree with rope and covered it in bait blood and meat. Now that everything was set he just had to wake up his victim. A powerful thunder beamed at Nathan, shocking him awake.

Seifer walked toward him with his signature smug smirk, except something about it possessed a menacing tint. Cyan orbs glared into the young teens soul. When the blonde got close enough he squatted down in front of Nat, cupping his cheek. Nat was in a state of shock, he didn't understand what had happened. Until the blonde spoke.

"I heard about what you did to my precious Zell. I thought I had made myself clear when I said that he was mine and you... You had to go and fucking touch him!" He traced a line on the teens face, similar to where Zell's scar was. "Since you think it's okay to fucking touch my property... I'm gonna make sure you can't touch anything anymore. Oh, but don't worry this is only a warning so you can keep your other arm."

Nathan panicked, he sobbed endless cries of forgiveness and mercy. He even swore to come clean. He would confess to harming Zell if it meant that he would be free from this trap. He swore on his life that he would confess no matter what and that's all Seifer needed to hear. The tormentor walked back, far away before mimicking a distinctive whistle. In the distance a thunderous roar could be heard and the shake of the earth as it heading towards them. Seifer gave one last warning in a shout. "If you try to say I caused this 'accident' in anyway. I'll rip your fucking tongue out!"

The teen continued to scream and resist, which didn't help him as the T-Rex was closing the distance. Seifer waited behind a near by tree, waiting for his moment to intervene. It only took a second. The sound of human flesh being torn and crunched. A cracked like blood chilling scream, the job was done. Seifer ran out and shot the Rex with his gunblade, before it could completely kill his victim. Part two of his plan was finished. Now all that was left was to kill the creature, destroy the detached arm, and make sure the other teen didn't bleed out from his new amputation. After he finished defeating the monster and burning the arm, he untied the sobbing teen and laid him down, covering the wound and using the rope to tie a knot above the flesh to stop the bleeding. Nathan weakly begged for a potion.

"That depends...You need to tell the instructors that you were feeling guilty about what you did to Zell, thus making you unable to focus on the mission. After we got separated the T-Rexx caught you off guard, taking your arm. That's when I came to your recuse... That is what happened, right?" Nathan weakly nodded and Seifer gave him one to drink, easing some of the pain.

A week after the incident Seifer got his results for the SeeD exam. Showing true leadership and selfless action, he passed along with the two randoms. When he questioned about Nathan, Commander Cid simply said not to worry and that it was currently under investigation. Since he passed, it was strongly safe to assume that Nathan kept his word and just for further confirmation, it later revealed that he was expelled for the attack.

After that life was seemly peaceful for Zell, well as far as Seifer could see. Still he would tease the smaller blonde and sometimes fight him. Making sure that everyone understood that Zell belonged to him. A year later Zell passed his exam and was attending the banquet. Seifer was required to attend as well since he was a SeeD, which for once he didn't mind; getting buzzed while checking out his crush chicken dance on the ballroom floor made his heart bounce with excitement. He looked away for one minute, just to simply refill his drink and he was gone. An odd feeling struck him, ominous even. Something just didn't sit right. He looked all over the ballroom, until he saw a lively brunette bouncing around, Selphie. That crazy girl kept tabs on any and everyone at the party, too afraid she'd miss something. Grabbing her by the arm he pulled her away.

"Don't ask any questions, just fucking give me a straight answer alright?" He looked at her harshly but before she could answer him he continued "Where's Dincht?"

"Dincht? Dincht.... Oh!! You meant Zell! Umm pretty sure some guys just took him back to his dorm, he seemed pretty trashed. Luckily those guys were there when they were huh?"

Seifer bolted from the ballroom and made his to the dormitory wing. When he got to Zell's door he banged on it relentlessly. With no response in tow, he pressed his ear to the door and listen, nothing. He looked all over and Zell was still missing. The only place he hadn't checked was the Traning Center. Making a quick stop to his room to grab Hyperion, he ran to his destination.

Upon arrival, the atmosphere was still. The search continued for a while until he spotted blood, fresh blood, on the ground. Panic struck, urgency shook Seifer to his core. If Zell was dragged away, then the Secret Area would most likely be where he was taken. Seifer wasted no time; as his body sprinted he could see parts of a cadets uniform scattered about. The closer he got, the louder vulgar shouts and cheering could be heard. The sight that followed churned his stomach. Zell was unmoving, naked, and bruised. While one of the bastards was thrusting violently into his lifeless body. Seifer froze, all he could do was stare at Zell's limp body. Never noticing when one of the attackers approached.

"Hey Almasy! You wanna turn? This fucker got Nat expelled. So we're teachin' him a lesson. Fuck one of our boys over and you get fucked too haha!" The teen went to grab Seifer's shoulder and Seifer went ballistic, punching him square in the nose. He felt the snap, but that didn't stop him. By this time the others were turning around to see what was happening. They charged him, trying to stop the monster, but they couldn't handle the great Almasy normally. Him being enraged was even worse. Seifer blacked out, when his consciousness came too, he was screaming, and two of the guys he had beat were screaming for mercy. He ran into the secret room, to check on Zell. The smaller blonde was sitting up with his back facing Seifer. The older teen raced to his side and gently grabbed him. The next thing he saw was a quick flash of metal to his face, pain and a burning sensation quickly chasing. He cursed loudly and covered his face, trying to stop the pain. Zell had attacked him. Anger was what the proper emotion, but someone like Seifer only grew pervertedly proud. Zell had finally fought back... But yet again he was too late. Again. Zell had been beaten, humiliated, and raped. All Seifer wanted to do was keep the one he loves safe and he couldn't even to that. This feeling was that of a failure, that's all he could think about as he slowly made his way back to his room. He would personally deal with the attackers again. They were going to pay.

Seifer waited a week before going to the infirmary to check on Zell. When he got there all the patients rooms were empty. He had asked the Doctor about Zell, she said he resigned. Wait? Dropped out? Zell's gone? He begged her to tell him where he was, but she claimed she didn't know anything and that Seifer would have to talk to the Commander. His heart shattered. This was the second time Zell had slipped between his fingers. He lost him again for and his time he knew it would be forever.

Chapter Text

It took a few weeks for Zell to get acclimated to his surroundings. Seifer, for the most part, was a fair owner compared to the previous one. Zell was pretty much free to do as he pleased without worrying about being unfairly punished. It had become comfortable; still being treated like a servant, but tolerable. So today, Seifer had come up with a game and it seemed promising enough. The rules were simple: Hand to hand combat, whoever pins the opponent wins. Winner gets do whatever they want to the loser. Zell was a martial arts expert, so he felt rather confident he could win. It would be a breeze! Seifer had only trained on how to use a gunblade... As far as he knew.

The scarred blonde had a gorgeous backyard that would be perfect for the challenge. Seifer was in the shower getting cleaned up and ready, while Zell figured he'd get a head start by warming up. It'd been so long since The Martial Artist had gotten to spar with a live opponent. Excitement filled the trained brawler, but he couldn't (nor wouldn't) let Seifer know. The taller blonde still enjoyed teasing him whenever he could, but Zell could never let it bother him too much.

Walking out from the back door, a shirtless Seifer appeared. Dampened blonde locks slicked back; chiseled abs on full display, his body riddled in some scars that complemented his physique in the best of ways. Zell found himself blushing. How many times this week had he found himself under that body? To touch, feel, and envy. Zell couldn't understand, was it cause he was attractive? Whenever Seifer commanded Zell had no problems servicing, pleasing, him. Normally when an owner asks of him, it's disgusting, annoying, degrading even. Yet someone who's bullied the small blonde for years can waltz right in and Zell silently complies? Maybe some part of him misses his old life. Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome. He didn't know and quite frankly he didn't care.

"So Chickie you ready to lose?" Seifer said with a smirk as he made his way towards Zell.

"You're going down. Just so you know... Sir." The smaller blonde gave a coquettish smile.

After a hearty laugh Seifer got into position. Fist locked and covering his face. Zell also armed up and started to bounce on the balls of his feet, waiting for his opponent to make a move. A small circle was made between them as they both eyes their opposition, the first action was bound to be explosive based on the tension in the air. The young master took the bait, an erupting instep to get close with a hook that could cut air. Raw brute force was what Seifer did well. Unfortunately for him, Zell was the technical type as his training demanded. A slight shift in weight backwards dodged away by a centimeter. In an instant action, Zell's opposite arm came up in a cross past the hook and slammed into Seifer with a cross counter. The force made him take a step back... Would brute force be enough? Of course it would. Seifer recoiled his body with a wide arching shot to Zell just in time to catch 3 shots to the ribs and STILL miss his mark by inches. The fighter had ducked under the swing and got into a low position, then responded with an uppercut right to the chin. This time Seifer had to take a few steps back and scowl. His pet wouldn't make this easy, would he?

A smirk came from the younger blonde. A half an hour had passed and Seifer had landed all of two hits. All of his attacks were telegraphed and so easy to dodge. Easy to counter. Yet Seifer didn't appear to be to distressed, in fact the scowl he had on his face turned into a devilish smirk. Zell was confused. He was clearly winning the match, but the taller blonde was enjoying it? He figures he have to end this match now and win, before Seifer could pull a fast one.

Seifer had Zell right where he wanted him. He took quite a beating for this plan to bloom and now it was going to pay off. He charged Zell, thrusting his arm forward. Zell shifted his body to the side, his fist locked to counter, but Seifer never swung. Instead he used his extended arms to tackled the young blonde, straddling him while pinning his arms. Wolfish smile taking over Seifer's features.

"Looks like I win Chicken."

Zell furrowed his brows and just as he was about to call bullshit and bitch about how unfair and unjustified this was. The young master kissed him passionately. Seifer was an amazing kisser, Zell always found himself easily submitting to his whims. He leaned into the kiss, deepening with his own. Slowly Zell opened his mouth and Seifer quickly filled the void. Normally Zell let Seifer take control, but he was feeling a bit annoyed that Seifer cheated. So their passionate kissing slowly turned into a battle for dominance, where their tongues were the swords. They only pulled away for quick takes of breath before continuing; neither one wanting to lose. Seifer released Zell's pinned wrists and raked his hand down Zell's shirt to find an erect nipple. Given the nub a nice pinch, he was rewarded with sweet symphonic moans between lips. His lower member twitching and aching in anticipation, his pants becoming a bit to tight for his taste. Zell grabbed the back of Seifer's hair with purchase, arching his back in the process, his nipples were one of his many sensitive spots that had the ability to tip him over the edge. Seifer moved his way down, kissing Zell's jaw while making his way to his now exposed neck. Seifer wasted no time in biting his throat, hard enough to leave a mark, and the surprise gasps that left his servants mouth pushed him to bite harder. After intensely sucking and kissing he pushed himself back a bit to admire the work he left on his canvas. It was beautifully large and red. Everyone would know that Zell belonged to him. His inner primal self immersing and if the sparks of pleasurable electricity traveling to his groin wasn't enough to also tell him. Then the sight of a writhe Zell under him could have had him coming right then and there.

"You have no fucking idea what you're doing to me right now. Daddy's hungry and he hungry for you." The last bit of words came out as a growl as Seifer could no long contain his self.

Seifer traveled his face down until he was in front of his lovely prize. He could see a stain of clear liquid from Zell's sweatpants. He pulls down on the elastic waistband freeing Zell's cock that's overflowing with opaque liquid. Seifer wasted no time engulfing his member, swallowing it to the hilt. Zell released a long and much needed exaggerated moan. The inside of Seifer mouth was hot, wet, and soft. The younger blonde would never adapt to such a feeling and Seifer felt like he was drinking the best vintage liquor money had to offer. Gripping the base of Zell's phallus. Seifer slowly pulled off before lapping his tongue at the tip, puckering sweet kisses along the shaft before stopping completely. The sadden whine coming from Zell almost made Seifer throw away any rationally he had with abandon. Once he regain his mind he again tried grabbing on to Zell's sweatpants, Seifer started pulling them off.

"I know baby, daddy's gonna take care of ya, but first we gotta lose the pants. Okay?"

Zell impatiently groaned again, but lifted his hips in a aid to lose his pants as quickly as possible. Once they were tossed aside Seifer put his fingers on Zell's lips and without words the young blonde sucked them. Trying to lube them up as much as possible. Seifer then gently rubbed his now lubed finger against that tight ring of muscle, barely prodding his finger inside. Before Zell could whine again Seifer push his finger in to the knuckle, while taking him whole again and sucking with abandon. All Zell could do was wail in pleasure while Seifer pegged him. One finger eventually became three and Zell was losing his mind, he knew at this rate he wasn't going to last much longer.

"P-please! Sir I'm-I'm g-gonna come."

Seifer release Zell's cock with a loud obscene smack. "Then come. Come for daddy."

Swallowing him whole again, Seifer bobs on Zell's length bringing him to the brink of competition, while thrusting fingers violently in and out of him, hitting that sweet spot. It only takes two hits to his prostate and Zell was seeing stars, arching his back, and wailing like a mad-man. Seifer pulled off him and out of him to release his own aching and throbbing cock. Seifer lasciviously opened his mouth and watched as Zell's release poured from his own mouth on to his own raging length. It wasn't the best lube, but Seifer wasn't going to leave his prize waiting and wanting to get the proper materials. He wasted no time in quickly coating his self with the makeshift lube and got into position. Grabbing one of Zell's legs and hoisting up on his shoulder, he lined himself up and gently pushed in. He couldn't stop the groan that escaped his lips, the feeling of being inside Zell, it was like its own mini euphoria of pleasure. Locking eyes with his servant, his normal ocean blue eyes have been blown black with lust. His softened member coming back to life with a vengeance. Seifer thought Zell was the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on. The older blonde kissed him, trying to give him a distraction from slight pain of entering him. They were sloppy kisses, more lips and teeth than anything, but erotic none the less. Zell gave the okay to continue when he started pushing his hips back, desperately trying rock himself on Seifer. Taking the cue Seifer leans back and pulls out of Zell entirely before thrusting back in and roughly assaulting Zell's ass. Loud smacks echoed along side Zell's moans, who was becoming more debauched by the seconds. He grabbed Seifer's shoulders with such force that crescent shape marks were forming in his flesh. Not that Seifer could give a damn. Not when he's found the spot that makes Zell's jaw go slack. Jolts of tingly sparks start making there way to the center of Seifer's stomach. A tale-tell sign that this would be ending all to soon. Seifer took hold of Zell's fully erected member and stroked it with relentless vigor, bringing him to completion once again. Zell howled and released the death grip from the taller blonde's shoulders as his spunk squirted on both of their stomachs. Zell fell back on the ground, almost seeming lifeless while he tried to catch his breath, but Seifer could feel the walls tightening around him, only being able to thrust hard about four more times before his sights were flushed with white. He erupted, pouring everything he had to give into Zell. Seifer barely manages to catch himself before he fully collapsed on the younger man. Zell's eyes were closed, but he tried desperately to regain his breathing. Seifer lazily kissed the unsuspecting man before pulling out and shifting to lay on the side of Zell. They both just laid there silently, slowly reclaiming their breath and baking in their afterglow. Seifer caressed Zell's cheek. After having younger blonde here for a few weeks Seifer learned that Zell tends to need a lot of after care, even if they don't do any hardcore types of play.

"Hey Dincht, you were amazing... Taking my cock like that, even without lube. I'm proud of you. You'll definitely get a big reward later. I promise."

Zell smiled at being called by his last name, Seifer only did that when he was exceptionally pleased with Zell's performance. He leaned into Seifer's touches affectionately. "Thank you, Sir."

-----

The next day Seifer dropped a bag on the table front of Zell who was casually lounging. Looking up at his master Zell see Seifer wearing a sadistic face. His stomach started to tingle. Whatever was in this bag, he knew it wasn't going to be good.

Zell didn't need to wait for Seifer's permission to open the bag. Inside was a discrete looking box, while opening it up, Seifer took a seat next to Zell casually watching. Zell laid out the contents piece by piece. A purple egg shaped toy made of silicone, a charging kit of some sort, and a device that was most likely used the control to the toy. That feeling of dread in the bottom of his stomach raging out with a vengeance. This was it, he was now truly living in hell.

"Umm? What's all this?"
Zell gulped nervously.

"This-" gesturing towards the items on the table. "-is me cashing in my winnings from yesterday's match. We're gonna play another game."

"What kind of game? Another one where you cheat?"

"Haha settle down Chickie. You know I won that fairly and it's not like you were complaining much after that anyway." Seifer was smiling coyly

Zell looked away embarrassed.

"But don't sweat it, the game will be simple. All you have to do is wear this toy and not come. Pretty easy."

"And? I know there's a catch!...Sir..."

"We're also going to be going out in public. We have some shopping that needs done, but don't worry I'll be controlling the toy with this." The taller blonde points to the remote control.

Zell felt his heart sink to the floor. "You can't be serious...please tell me this is a joke...right?"

Seifer looks at Zell as if he was contemplating his question. "Nope! So hurry up and shower, then Put that bad boy in. So the games can begin!"

--------

Zell had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Well that's not entirely true, but just knowing that he had a little thing pushed up into his rear end, that also has the possibility of vibrating to life at the controls of sadistic man, was haunting. Not to mention that said evil man had up and disappeared while Zell was shopping. Looking at some items, a small vibration started, startling him. Somehow Zell had managed to push the toy fair enough to reach his prostate, so even a light sensation had him instantly on edge. He almost fell in the middle of the isle.

"Young man? Are you okay?" An elderly woman walks up to him gently placing her hand in the middle of his back.

'Shit! Shit! shit! shit! I'm so screwed! What if she hears it, or feels it. If Seifer is watching this he better turn it off now!' Zell mentally cursed himself, but with a shaky smile he turns to the woman.

"Y-yes ma'am, I'm alrIGHT!!" Zell couldnt help but yell the last part as the vibrator spiked, and Zell fell to his knees. Seifer was going to end up a dead man if he kept this going. Some people were just worth going to prison over. The old woman looked incredibly concerned at this point. Zell had to get rid of her and fast!

"S-sorry ma'am it-it's just that I'm not f-feeling very well, but I'll be okay. Tha-thank you for your support."

"Oh child that's alright, I've taken care of many in my life. Now let's get you to a nearby bench to rest, I'll even get you some water."

"No that's quite alright I'll be fine-"

The older woman abruptly cut him off. "Nonsense! Now you will follow me young man! I will not tolerate this foolishness."

Of all the times to meet a heroic elderly lady, this would be the time, wouldn't it? The tattooed man followed her to a nearby bench, where she practically tossed him down and unfortunately, in doing so, caused the toy to slam into him causing an instant release of a wanton moan. He wished Hyne would strike him dead, he could feel his face flushing. This was it, the woman would surely figure it out by now. Yet she didn't, she instead instructed him to sit tight and wait for her return, while she scurried away to a nearby store. Zell looked around for his tormentor, he had to be at least thirty feet away or closer according to the instructions on the toy's box. Plus the said item was still pulsing away. Now that he was sitting down and not being harassed, Zell's body started to react to the sensation. He tried to fight the temptation, but he just couldn't. Luckily for him it was midday and the streets were fairly scarce, most people were either working or at lunch.

He started to grow hard, his face still flushed. He tried palming himself quickly to relieve the tension, but only made it worse. Zell didn't realize it, but he was starting to pant. Slow and surely he was becoming more and more debauched. He wouldn't lose, not this time, Seifer would not have the last laugh.

In a neighboring cafe window, Seifer watched as his servant became undone. It turned him on even more just knowing they were in public. That at any moment, Zell could be caught. Seifer started to palm himself under the table. As soon as Zell came he would whisk him away to a nearby alleyway and fuck him senseless. All he had to do now was patiently wait for Zell to give up... Then just as he was about to up the setting on the toy's control, his cellphone pinged. Looking at the caller ID the name read "Fuu". Seifer turned off the toy and answered the line.

"Fuu?! What's up?"

"Seifer?" A man's voice was on the other line.

"Rai?"

"Yeah it's me, I dropped my phone and it broke again, ya know? Anyway you gave Fuu a mission a few weeks ago right?"

Seifer immediately sat straight up in his seat and became focused on the call, but kept his eyes on Zell. The young blonde looked relieved that the toy stopped moving and was now chatting away with an old lady, like he wasn't just moaning and begging a second ago.

"Yeah I did, what did you guys find anything out?"

"Well it's a lot to take in so I hope you're sitting down."

"Yeah, yeah, just spit it out."

"Okay so you've heard of Rinoa Heartilly, right?"

"General Fury Caraway of Galbadia's estranged daughter? Yeah I've heard about her, but what does she have to do with Zell?

"Let me finish, ya know? Anyways, it turns out that Caraway personally sold his only daughter off to the one and only: Adonis Macari. The reason behind it, apparently she was the leader of the well known resistance group; The Forest Owls. They'd been trying to overthrow his government ruling for years. He's a very corrupted man."

"What a sick fucking bastard. What kind of man sells his own daughter off...Regardless of what's she's doing."

"Exactly my thoughts, and apparently Zells too. So remember back at BGU how Dincht up and vanished into thin air after becoming a SeeD? Well according to the intel we've recovered, it turns out he was transferred to Trabia Garden. It seems he was well liked there and had a well known 'status'."

"......"

Raijin could feel Seifer's rage through the phone. So he decided to hold off on telling him the horrible things he'd found out about Dincht. He knew that Seifer wanted him to get straight to the point, but he also knew that Seifer would want every detail. It was rather difficult dealing with this topic. So he opted with telling the easiest things first."

"So after a few weeks her going 'missing', Rinoa's grandmother shows up to the Garden and requests for assistance in saving her, but Trabia refused. Going after Adonis is a death wish that no one wants, Ya know? Yet somehow she managed to get in contact with Zell and he 'singlehandedly' volunteered to save her granddaughter on the spot. I suspect that the Garden sent him on a solo recuse mission, then sold him off as collateral damage when Adonis caught wind. Ya know?"

"....Rai... Hold up... Lets go back a few steps... Zell was transferred? I was informed by Dr.Kadowaki that he resigned."

Rai was slightly taken aback by this, he'd thought that Seifer would be screaming and raging by now, yet he was terrifyingly calm. Fuujin and him had always known their best friend was in love with the younger blonde. They even tried to help secretly when he was being bullied, it just wasn't enough and after reading his files, Raijin wished he could have done better to protect Zell.

"Yeah he was definitely transferred, I don't know why she would lie about it though. She's the one who signed off on it. The reason why he was transferred so quick was because at the banquet of his exam, he was publicly intoxicated and then went onto fornicate with a group of SeeDs. On his file it said he claimed rape, yet she marked him as a satyriasis and put a note saying that she didn't find any evidences of rape and it was most likely a case of 'morning regret', but since he admitted to being drunk and having intercourse. So he was no longer welcomed at the BGU."

"...N-No... This is all my fault..." Seifer whispered.

"Seifer... You couldn't have known. It's not your fault, ya know?"

"Raijin... What happened to Zell at Trabia, and please... Don't leave any details out..."

"W-Well remember how I was saying that Dr.Kadowaki stated him
as a satyriasis? Well she publicly released that information to the Garden instructors and students... Seifer... I'm so sorry, but she set him up for failure over there. He was known as the Trabia's favorite whore. Even the faculty abused him."

Seifer wanted to scream, rage, cry, and puke all at once. He felt sick to his stomach and he wonders if this is what Zell felt like everyday. He wondered if he's no better than the rest. He's been taking advantage of the blonde for weeks, calling it 'love', but was he contributing to Zell's pain? Could anyone truly survive life this way? Seifer had too many questions that needed answering. Looking out the window he see Zell still happily chatting with the old lady, a wonderful smile gleaming off his face as if he hadn't a care in the world. Zell was given a horrible life and yet he was making the best of it. Seifer vowed that that damn Doctor would pay.

"Tell me how he became a servant...?"

Seifer sounded pitiful and this broke Rai's heart, people always tended to assume that he was just some bovine brute, but that wasn't the case if they'd taken the time to get to know him. Raijin is actually compassionate and overly-caring and he almost broke down sobbing when he heard Seifer's weak voice.

"He 'kidnapped' Rinoa, but they didn't manage to get far. The Garden tipped Adonis off when Zell reported in. After that the files stopped, but it appears that Zell is a special case. He wasn't arrested for the kidnapping. I've been looking everywhere and can't find anything on it, Fuu too, ya know? So you're gonna have to ask him yourself, but I did find out that Rinoa Heartilly was never taken back with Adonis, meaning she's free."

"Have you spoken with her?"

"No, Fuu went to go meet with her personally and interrogate her. She wanted me to wait till she returned to relay all the information at once, but I just couldn't, ya know?"

"T-Thanks Rai... For everything, but I should go now... I have a lot of things to think about right now."

"You're welcome Seif, but please try not get into to much trouble okay. We love you and we don't wanna see you hurt, ya know?"

"I know... I'll take care myself."

Seifer hung up and tried to regain his composure. It took ever fiber of his being to not break down into a sob. He needed to collect Zell and head home right away. He needed Zell to come clean about his past. When he walked up to the bench to find that the old lady had disappeared. The small blonde noticed that something seemed off and tensed up. He hadn't seen Seifer this pissed looking since his days back at the Garden.

"Go and remove that toy. Then get to the car, we're going home..."

Zell didn't protest and did exactly what he was told. The car ride home was eerily silent. If he'd done something wrong he'd wished Seifer would just come out and say it already. If this was all part of the game Zell was going to become agitated.

When they got inside the house Seifer told Zell to sit on the couch. Doing as he was told, he sat, not making any eye contact. Seifer stays standing next to the couch, fixing his eyes on Zell.

"Zell listen...We need to talk..."

Zell's eyes widened and looked up at Seifer, noticing the scarred man had a pained look on his face. Whatever was wrong had to be something incredibly awful because Seifer never called Zell by his first name. The small blonde couldn't shake the bloodcurdling feeling he was having. What could be so bad that Seifer would look at him like that?

Zell answered Seifer nervously "About what, Sir?"

"About your transfer to Trabia Garden and the kidnapping of Rinoa Heartilly."

Chapter Text

Zell's blood went cold and he was pretty sure his heart stopped. Maybe he hadn't heard Seifer correctly. Yeah that had to be the case because why now, of all times, would he bring something irrelevant like that up? He clenched his fists on top of his knees to stop them from trembling. There was no point in telling Seifer what actually happened, so he wouldn't say it. Zell was clean from any disease so he had nothing to worry about. Maybe Seifer wasn't into sloppy-seconds; Zell was pretty sure that everyone in that Garden fucked him at least twice, even the girls. Rinoa? He hadn't heard that name in a long time. Was she free, or was she forever trapped in this system like Zell was? He had a feeling he was about to find out.

"There's nothing to talk about." Zell said nonchalantly.

"Zell don't do this to me-"

Zell lost his patience and snapped. How dare Seifer...! The past needed to stay where it belonged. He didn't want to talk about it and especially not to Seifer of all people. So he cut him off, shouting.

"Don't do what exactly?! Are you upset that hundreds of people got to fuck me before you did?! Well news flash Almasy, no one in the program is a virgin!!" Zell shrugged baring a defiant scoff. "Or are you disgusted that I was pretty much broken in before I became a slut to the Community?!"

Seifer didn't think Zell would react like this, he had to approach this calmly or he would risk the blonde closing up. The Young Master brought his hands up, as if to surrender to the younger man. "Zell just talk to me... I'm hear to listen... Just tell me what they did to you."

"Pffh... I'm damaged goods alright Almasy? So why don't you just quit while you're ahead, okay? It's bad enough that I have to serve you. Haven't you had your fill already? You've humiliated me, beaten me, hell you've even fucked me! You've won! I have nothing left to give you! Yet you insist on embarrassing me more!? Fuck you Almasy!"

Zell stood up and tried to storm off, but Seifer grabbed him. Turning him back around he pushed him hard on the floor, affectively pinning him.

"Let. Me. Go. ALMASY!" Zell screamed.

Seifer eyed Zell calmly.
"Not until you tell me..."

"WHYYY?!!"

"How about you tell me, then I'll tell you... Tell me your story and I'll tell you mine..."

Zell fixed Seifer in the eyes with pure hatred, but Seifer showed no signs that he was joking or that he was going to release his grip. So Zell didn't have much choice.

"Fine..."

Seifer already knew why Zell wanted to be transferred, but he wanted to hear his side of the story, so he asked again. "Why did you transfer to Trabia Garden?"

"Because... The day I became a SeeD I was gang-raped... If I'd known it'd be worse at TGU, I would have stayed." Being forced to recant his torture was painful. The world had been cruel, no matter where Zell had gone.

"Transfers normally take a long time, how did you get out so fast?"

"Dr.Kadowaki, she saw what they'd done to me. I was covered head to toe in bruises and cuts. Yet I still managed to walk into her office demanding that she transfer me and she did... She clearly 'saw' my potential..."

"Did she say anything else?"

"Just that I need to be careful and change my ways. That bullies like you can smell my weakness a mile away... But it seemed like I should have been watchful of her instead. I knew something was off about it when she didn't want to pursue the one who slashed
my face. Luckily for me payback came his way and he got expelled, but I paid the price for that too. But I know she's the one who sold me out to the highest bidder. Unfortunately that was to 'that' Garden. I know she made my records seem untenable against my allegations too..."

"I see..." Seifer subconsciously tightened his grip on Zell's wrist. Dr.Kadowaki had her judgment day coming and very soon at that. She would pay for what she did to his beloved Zell and possibly others too. Seifer was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a whine and saw the man below him wincing. He loosened the grip, but not enough to where the young blonde could escape. "What happened when you got to the Garden?"

"A group initiation... I had to personally 'introduce' myself to every single person there at that time, and by 'introduce' I mean get raped by everyone including the teachers. I also had to learn how to not fight back in that first week too. I was sent to the infirmary shortly after with several broken ribs, a concussion, internal bleeding from my ass, and a collapsed lung. And even as I recovered I was forced to give handjobs until I was fully healed." It may have not been the entire garden, not everyone was a monster but... It sure did feel like it.

Seifer could feel the bile rising up his esophagus. If he could blow up Trabia Garden, killing everyone inside with one quick hit of a button, he would and with no regrets. "What about about Rinoa Heartilly?"

"What about her? She had nothing to do with that."

"Why doesn't she? She's the reason you became a servant right?"

Zell started hysterically laughing and this sent chills down Seifer's spine. He'd thought that Zell had managed to keep things together, but he was wrong, so very wrong. "hahahhahaha!!! Oh man that's a good one..."

"..."

"Hehe Almasy, you're real funny you know that? Haven't you been listening to me? You think you would have guessed it by now, but I'M the reason I'm in the program. I went willingly to my Master! I willingly walked into this life and once you enter it not even death can save you from it. You leave when they say you can."

"You... Tried to kill yourself?"

"Who hasn't..." Turned his head to the side to avoid the look of pity.

"Why?... Why didn't you seek help?"

"WHAT HELP! THIS- this is all I've ever known... The only kindness I've ever gotten was from my Ma and Elyse and I've hurt them both enough..."

"What do you mean?"

"My Ma... I think she's seen what they've done to me... Sometimes she gets this look when she looks at me, but I'm not sure for certain. They would take videos of the most embarrassing things and then threaten to send it to my family when I'd acted out. And Elyse... When I first met her she was pregnant... I... murdered her unborn child. The price I had to pay for disobeying my Master. I still don't have the courage to tell her the truth."

This was the first time Zell showed any emotion beside anger since he started talking. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, threatening to spill over. Those two beautiful woman were his last strings, his ties of humanity. If he lost them, his mental barrier would break and he'd have nothing left. Seifer in turn felt like an utter failure. Zell was broken and it was his fault. All he had to do was not be a little shit to him when he was child. If He had comforted, Zell instead of pushing him away, things would be different. Zell would have been strong and loved by many.

And Murdered? Zell's not a killer. Seifer softened his eyes before he spoke. Trying to soothe him. "You're not a murder..."

"You... you just don't get it!" He snapped. "My Master... All I had to do was- but I didn't- I'm not like them- I wouldn't!" Zell was spitting out words, his thoughts jumbled up because what he was trying to say didn't make sense. His chest started faltering. He was panicking.

Seifer tried his best to calm him, trying to get Zell to match his breathing. "Relax.... Breath and speak slow. I'm not going anywhere and I'll listen." Seifer assured.

"After I became Master's favorite private toy. He gave me a job."

Zell turned his head to the side and closed his eyes in shame. Seifer's heart ached and every time Zell called that bastard 'Master', he couldn't help but to feel angered. Even now, Adonis was not present, yet still had full control over the blonde.

Zell continued.
"I had to help care and train the newbies that entered Master's personal stock. At first it was just simple stuff, you know? Feeding them, cleaning them, aiding them, and consulting them." Zell sighed. "Some just didn't understand... I told them it's easier to not fight, that Masters not like the rest. He plays with your insecurities and exploits them... I should have listened to my own damn words... I'm-I'm just so weak."

"You're not weak! You were taken advantage of!" Seifer couldn't help but think about how much of a fucking hypocrite he was. He was doing the same thing. He tried to push the thought away, but stayed there... Glued to the back of his head.

Zell ignored him and continued to speak. He looked like he's on autopilot at this point. His once wetted eyes now hollowed with a dead expression. "Master likes to play games... and I should have seen it coming." Zell looked at Seifer and the older man tensed. "Tell me this Almasy. What would you do, if you had to pick between 'breaking in' a child or having an unborn child be aborted? Hm? Which one would you pick and guess what? If you chose neither, both die. Painfully."

Realization hit the scarred blonde like a ton of bricks. Zell saved a child at the expense of his friend's. It was a hard pill to swallow and he now understood his guilt. Adonis was famously know for giving ultimatums. Impossible choices that reflected a human's true nature.

"Zell... I'm-I'm so sorry."

He tried to shrug, but really count pull it off, since he was being held down.

"Eh... Don't sweat it... You're one of many... After a while you all look the same. I just smile and nod, then I get rewarded. Speaking of... I told you my life story, 'Sir', so, I do believe it's time for my reward."

Seifer hesitated, he'd never seen the blonde so painfully assertive, but he couldn't back down. Zell needed to know that Seifer was on his side, always had to the best of his abilities. "Zell do you remember the one who slashed your face?"

"No, I didn't see who did it..." Zell looked perplexed, why would he be asking that?

"I was the one who found you bleeding out on the floor after that attack. His name is Nathan Saanich and for doing what he did to you I had his fucking arm ripped off."

"Pffh. Yeah right, like you're my hero." Zell remarked sarcastically.

"I'm serious... I did it on the day of my SeeD exam. I made him confess to Cid, he was expelled after that."

Fixing on the older man's eyes, the blonde saw no hints of perjurer, but he saw guilt and a large amount of it.

"...there's more you're not telling me... Finish the rest." Zell demanded.

"Zell... What I'm about to say is going to hurt, but let me finish the whole thing before you freak."

"..."

Zell face remained unchanging. He neither nodded nor shook, just watching, waiting for what Seifer had to say. The older blonde gulped nervously, fully expecting the worst reaction possible. Yet pulling his self together for Zell's sake.

"You're the one who gave me this scar on my face. I-I saw them-"

Zell's eyes widened in realization at Seifer's words. He had been there. HE'D also raped him. Zell started screaming like a banshee, fighting with all his might to get Seifer off of him. He became erratically uncontrollable.

"FUCK YOU ALMASY! HOW DARE YOU! YOU RAPED ME THEN GET OFF ON IT BY ASKING ME TO RETELL IT! WHILE YOU PLAY THE HERO!LET ME GO!!!"

"ZELL RELAX AND LISTEN TO ME! ITS NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"

"FUCK YOU!!" Zell continued to violently struggle.

"ZELL STOP! I FUCKING LOVE YOU OKAY! I ALWAYS HAVE! I WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY HURT YOU!!"

This managed to make Zell freeze for a second and Seifer chose this moment to force his lips against the younger man. He couldn't take it anymore. Seifer didn't want to see his love in pain and he didn't want to be the cause of it. If he could fix this, all of this, he would, even if that meant taking on the world. Zell needed healing.

Zell's teeth immediately bit down to draw blood on his master's lips. Pulling back, Seifer licked the metallic tasting liquid off his bitten lip. Zell was now eyeing him with pure hatred, but this didn't stop him as he went back in for another kiss. Zell turned his head to the side in an attempt to avoid the oncoming assault. Seifer licked the shell of his ear and the blonde shivered. Zell hadn't been this scared since Adonis first touched him.

Seifer whispers into his ear. "Zell... I love you okay... You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you, but now I'm gonna fixed this I swear. No one will hurt you ever again."

Seifer trailed his tongue down Zell's neck. Lightly pressing kisses against the salty flesh. Zell tasted like ambrosia, heavenly angelic and pure. Adjusting his hands so that only one hand gripped both of Zell's wrists, the other hand was free to trace all over the incapacitated man's body. Zell was paralyzed with fear, he didn't want this, every touch felt like tiny needles pricking his body, like a poison slowly invading his body. His 'other' side wasn't taking over and for the first time in a long time, Zell would have to deal with the pain of being raped. And in a barely audible voice, he begs.

"Please... Seifer please stop."

Unfortunately Seifer was to caught up in violating his body under the illusion of love. Each touch felt like mud was being smeared on. Zell couldn't help the tears building up in his eyes, his throat hitched as he tried to hold back the sobs. Once again the sounds of his agony falling on deafs ears. Seifer was practically ripping the servants pants and boxers off. He also pulled out his own hardened member as he placed a finger in Zell's hole, still loosening from the earlier activity. The moment he placed a second finger, a heart wrenching wail penetrated his ears. Zell was begging and sobbing.

"P-please Seifer... I-I'm so sorry... Please-please don't do this.... Not... Like this... I don't... I don't want this!"

His tears flowed like a faucet, mixing with his saliva, slicking from his mouth and down his face. He looked terrified, his whole body trembling to the point that it looked like he was seizing. How could Seifer not have noticed...? He was no better than the rest... he's almost raped, no, that's not right, he'd been raping Zell from the very beginning only this time if he'd followed through he would have lost Zell forever if it already wasn't to late.

He quickly let go of the grip on his wrist, handprint glowing red in its wake, Zell shifted onto his side and cradled himself in a fetal position, throat hitching as he cried.

"Zell... I'm so sorry... and I know nothing I do can ever be seen as forgiveness for what I've done to you. But please don't doubt that I love you... please..."

His vision became hazy and soon realized that he was also crying. He rested his head on Zell's stomach. After a while Zell's beathing slowed, he had exhausted himself and probably passed out. Overwhelmed with grief, Seifer follows shortly after.

-------

A loud continuous ringtone woke Seifer from his slumber, Zell was still silently sleeping under him and suddenly everything came flooding back with a vengeance, he quickly answered the phone to not wake the younger blonde.

"What?!"

"Woah Almasy relax, it's Leonhart."

Of all the times for the Ice Princess to call, it just had to have been now.

"Well no shit. Like I couldn't tell that when I heard that sissy ass voice of yours. What do you want?"

He could hear a light sigh on the other end of the phone and he rolled his eyes. He was about to be called out for a mission, he just knew it.

"You're requested for a mission, I expect to see you here immediately."

Seifer tsk. He fucking knew it. Now wasn't the time for this. Zell needed him now more than ever. He wondered if he could get out of it. Maybe even have someone cover for him. Seifer always did his jobs, maybe not the way most would like it, but it gets done, none the less. So if he refused, Squall should get the hint that the blondes truly busy.

"And if I refuse?"

"It's Macari. There is no refusing, now get here and pronto, you know he hates waiting."

Seifer stilled, if Adonis was calling for him then that means the man's caught wind that he's rented Zell. That could possibly mean one of two things: One being he's prepared to show gloat all the things he's done to Zell and two, he wants to negotiate Zell's life. When he first wanted Zell he had gotten pissed that he couldn't buy him, Seifer didn't make a huge scene, but that wouldn't stop people from talking. So he was sure Adonis was aware of that by now. Either way he was fucking screwed, for lack of better words. That was the last person he wanted to see, how easy it would be to slice that man's throat and worry about the repercussions later. In the end though, someone, who's probably way worse, would just take Adonis' place and then Zell would truly be lost. Seifer placed his hands over his temple, head was pulsating from an oncoming headache. He would have no choice but to leave soon, which meant he would have to wake Zell, it's either now or never right?

"Zell... wake up..."

Zell didn't even stir, Seifer gently shook him instead.

"Zell, you gotta get up."

Zell slowly came too, puffy bags already forming under his eyes. He looked like he'd been hit with a truck. Zell looked at him with caution, uncertain of Seifer's intentions. The scarred blonde had to reassure him that he wouldn't hurt him. Seifer stepped back a few feet to give the younger man some room, essentially trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"I would never harm you... But look, Zell, I have to go on a mission and I'm not sure when I'm coming back. So just make sure you don't leave the house. You know the rules. We'll talk more when I get back, just think about what I told. Okay? You think you could do that?"

"...Y-Yes, Sir..." Zell replied weakly, his voice hoarse from screaming and crying."

"No, Zell none of that 'sir' shit... Just call me anything but that. I'm serious about what I said. I love you... Look why don't you message your friend. If she's available. I'll go get her and she would be welcome to stay until I return."

The tattooed blonde was shocked, he hadn't expected Seifer to react this way. This was the fourth time he said those words. How easy they poured from his bruised lips. Zell knew they were lies, but he didn't have any more strength to stand his ground and as always it was just better to smile and nod; less pain that way. Reaching on the coffee table for his cell he messaged Elyse. She responded back quickly saying she was free. Seifer informed Zell that he'll be headed for the Station and she should meet him there.

After picking Elyse up and dropping her off he didn't say a word to her or Zell. Seifer quickly packed his travel bag before grabbing his Hyperion. 50,000 Gil was left on the table to cover their expenses. Zell needed someone he could trust right now and unfortunately that person wasn't him.

The drive to Balamb Garden was short lived, luckily for him they happened to be currently parked near Timber, but it did give Seifer some time to clear his thoughts. Forcing Zell to tell him about his past was wrong. He abused the blonde in a way that he'd probably never done before. All he could hope for was Zell forgiving him, but judging by the enraged glare he received from Elyse before walking out the door, he knew it wouldn't be any time soon.

----

Seifer practically busted into the Commander's office as if he owned the place. Squall sighed heavily in the process.

"Welcome... And make yourself at home, Almasy." The brunette said sarcastically.

Seifer completely unfazed did just that and slouched in a nearby chair. "So what does he want me to do?"

"Well firstly- w-w huh?!You look like shit and wait? What happened to your lip?!"

Seifer sucked his teeth. Since when has pussy boy ever cared about is injuries.

"None of your damn business! Now get on with it! You rushed me here!" Seifer mumbled under his breath. "Fuckin' pussy boy..."

"Whatever... " Huffing and choosing to ignore the not so subtle insult, Squall walked back over to his desk and pulled out the faxed over paperwork. Quickly analyzing its contents. "Anyways it's simple bodyguard duty. It'll be easy, it's not like anyone would ever attempt to assassinate the guy anyways."

"Location?" Seifer asked unenthusiastically.

The blonde yawned obnoxiously loud and the younger gunblader couldn't stop his eye roll, but instead of giving Seifer the satisfaction he ignored him and continues.

"Deling City, The Galbadia Hotel. It seems he's holding some kind of event there. It's going to be three days worth of work. So make sure your bags are packed."

"When do I have to head out?"

"Two days from now is the deadline. Thought ideally it would be better if you left now..."

"Hmmm... Alright."

Seifer got up and was making his way for the door when a thought hit him. When he was finished dealing with this job, he could come back and 'handle' a certain Doctor. Turning on his heels, turn back to face his childhood rival.

"Oi Leonhart? How long you plan on staying docked here?"

Squall tilts his head to the side confused. Seifer never really cared about the Gardens whereabouts, so why did he care now? He must be up to something.

"A week or two at the most after you've completed your mission, why?"

Seifer could barely contain his excitement. This was perfect. He would have plenty of time to do his job, then come and have a private chat with the Doctor. The only problem he had now was standing right in front of him. Out of everyone Squall always suspected that Seifer had something to do with the incident with Nathan and the 'accidental deaths' of a group SeeDs. Seifer had to give him some credit on his hunches, but those boys deserve it for harming Zell and causing him to leave.

Seifer tried his damnedest to not smile, opting to use his signature smirk instead as he tried to retort.
"Jeez ice princess, it's not like I'm gonna go on a mass-murder spree so chill out and stop assuming the worst in me."

Seifer said this jokingly, but the brunette wasn't having it. He crossed his arms and fixed the scarred blonde.

"You and I both know it wouldn't be the first time You've tried though... Headmaster Cid may have believed your lies, but I'm not dumb. I know what you're capable of."

Seifer feigned a look of shock.

"Wow Leonhart, it must've taken a lot of energy to get all those words out! So why don't you shut the fuck up now, unless you wanna have a panic attack... again."

Seifer knew it was a low blow, poking fun at Squall's anxieties was a fucked up move and judging by the look on squall's face, it struck a nerve, but he didn't care. He didn't have the time to be playing these game with the Commander. So before the brunette could retort, he left the office.

The blonde got in his car and headed for Deling City, His hands gripping the steering will all his might. If Adonis wanted to talk about Zell, well then. So be it. Seifer planned on working out a deal for his freedom. No matter what the cost. No one would take advantage of him anymore. This would be Seifer's retribution.

Chapter Text

It had been a long drive from his home to Deling City. The scenery was bland: long stretches of wastelands and plains blending together in one brown color. Only the sky and occasional seaside was there to enjoy. Though, it wasn't like Seifer had payed attention to any of it, even the radio was silent. This entire business with his beloved just... Wasn't escaping his thoughts. What had happened with that Rinoa woman? He needed to know what went on between the three of them. Zell claimed she had nothing to do with it, but Seifer decided to take that with a grain of salt. So dialing a number on his cellphone seifer made a call; hopefully these last remaining fragments could help him see what he'd be up against. Seifer knew Adonis' connections were global. He'd worked for him a few times in the past, but going against him was a different ball game. Seifer wouldn't have much information, but he refused to go in empty-handed.

The line rang three times before there was a sharp feminine answer.
"Hello?"

"Fuu. It's me, listen I need that info on that girl."

"TROUBLE?!" Slight panic could be heard on the other line. He figured Fujin would be on edge given the circumstances.

"No, more like an opportunity has opened up." Seifer answered.

An audible sigh could be heard. The blonde visibly winced, whatever she was about to say wasn't going to be great. He tried his best to brace for the impact of the news.

"Seifer... Zell gave his freedom in return for Rinoa's."

Hands clenched on to the steering wheel so tightly that knuckles started to scream white. Seifer knew this was the answer all along, but having it comfirmed didn't make it any better. All he could do was recall Zell's earlier words- 'I'm the reason I'm in the program!' Even after everything he'd been through, Zell was still selfless, only befitting that he'd fall victim to the Ultimatum game.

Seifer must have subconsciously said the last part out loud because Fuu hummed seldomly in agreement.
"Affirmative."

Seifer was still lost in thoughts, if he was understanding this correctly, it meant he only had one choice for saving Zell, but who knew how many games he would have to play in the process before he'd get the one he needed. Seifer could only think about how he was going to approach this powerful and dangerous man. If Adonis wanted, he could easily sell Seifer into the world of the Servitude Program in the blink of an eye, but that wouldn't stop Seifer. He had to do what was right for the sake of Zell, he owed him that.

"Seifer?" She asked sadly.

"Y-Yeah?" The gunblader had almost forgotten he was on the line still.

"I know you love him, but is he really worth this? He's not in danger or anything. Why not leave things the way they are?"

Almost immediately Seifer snapped back.
"I don't expect you to understand, but Zell never deserved any of this. If I had protected him better, none of this would have ever happened. So yes! He's worth it." Seifer ended the call and turned his cell off just in case she tried to call back. He didn't need anyone trying to question his feelings for Zell.

The rest of the ride to Deling city became a blur
When he finally arrived at the hotel, irritation instantly swallowed his mind. Before he could even park, the establishment was swarming with men and women alike. The party hadn't even started yet, paparazzi were flashing away. Lucky for Seifer he spotted what appeared to be a valet worker.

The Valet did their job, checking the luggage and making sure to send it up to the right room on whatever floor, before pulling away with Seifer's car and leaving him amongst the crowd. The young man's eyes shifted up at the building before him, a sight he had seen pleanty before. A building of old money, one that only the ritziest of people procured rooms in. The atmosphere: fancy dresses, smells of rich wine, and quiet jazz would be heard, seen, and smelt from the main opening of the doors. With an influx of people always going and coming. Even with this many people lined up for the event, it wasn't bustling with noise even though it felt crowded. The building itself was made of the smoothest stone almost impossobly tall; chips in the brick were here and there but they added to the charm of it all. It wasn't old, it was wonderfully aged. Something you couldn't just buy with money, but only with time. Classic, in a sense. And as Seifer pulled his senses away from this piece of history, something new came to view.

Standing in his path into the building, and looking to his direction; a bald dark-skinned man in a pressed suit attempted to stand tall and intimidating towards Seifer, who was taller and even more intimidating. If he was in the mood, he would've scoffed. The Doorman stood with dark tinted glasses and lips pressed so firmly together they were practically inexistant. A slight nod, and Seifer had permission to enter. With an irritated look, he traveled inside.

The interior greatly contrasted the outside; where one looked aged the other looked... fresh. A large extravagant room filled with just as many people inside as were outside. Red velvet carpet came down from the main stage covering the entire lobby floor. The smoothest chairs in the world built in odd designs that made them look "artistic". Paintings from the most expensive artists, not aesthetically pleasing but fancy? Vases on marble pedestals up against walls filled with watery pink roses. It was all much for Seifer's taste, but it's not like it mattered anyway. What he was really looking for was the man of the hour through the sea of faces and bodies. And, like before, his scouting was halted by the greetings of yet another strange man in a suit. This time with paler skin and unnatural red hair. His hair was slicked back into a spiky ponytail that was shining all to bright, yet it went surprisingly well with his goggles pushed up on his forehead and two distinctive red scars (or tattoos?) under his bright blue eyes.

He had a confident smug smile on his face.
"Welcome Mr.Almasy! The names Reno, my boyfriend Rude told me you'd just arrived. I'm to be you're partner for the next few nights, courtesy of Mr. Macari, of course."

"Where is he?" Seifer Looked around seeing if he could catch a glimpse of him.

"If you're worried about the upcoming job, look no further, I'll be briefing you for your work." Reno took a step closer, boldly treading his hand along Seifer's clavicle. "As I said before, we're going to be partners and not just in the bedroom." He said while winking.

Normally Seifer would play along back, maybe even plow this kid into submission with his 'boyfriend' looking on, but now all he could think about was Zell. He felt so disgusted; he'd never lost control like that, if someone said stop, regardless of being a servant or not he would obey- he just wasn't wired that way to hurt people like that.

"-go?"

Seifer's eyes re-adjusted, focusing back on his escort. "S-sorry I didn't catch that."

"I asked if you were ready to go, to our exclusive room?"

Seifer nods and was led to the elevator. The walk to the room is silent. Reno occasionally bumps shoulders and hands on to the scarred man. Instead of pushing him back or accepting it, he tries his best to ignore it without coming off as disrespectful. The last thing he wanted to do was to make enemies in the presence of Adonis.

The elevator led up to the second from the top floor. High up penthouses that only rich people paid for, but of course someone of high esteem must live on the top floor. It could only be the person he was supposed to protect. So he was led down the hallway towards his room and when he arrived with the Red Haired man opening the door, Seifer's mouth almost fell to the floor. This was a Suite? It looked more like a grandeur Apartment than a hotel room. It was almost bigger than his personal home's first floor! Everything seemed as if it was dipped in gold. It wasn't but the frames of anything metal definitely were. The edges of all the beige furniture were lined in the golden metallic sheen. The floor was spotless, a large chandelier hanging from the middle of the room hanging over the glass table in the middle of the room, surrounded by three full couches and two chaise lounging chairs. Red carpets under it all and lining the hallway that led to the main foyer. The walls were pearl white, a mirror right in the opening with fresh fruit by the door on a small side table. The floor was spotless, the room itself having a lot of open area to walk around in and minimal furniture. Everything looked priceless, like if you touched it it might shatter. Upon stepping into the open room, two doors could be seen closed off to the side, a third door open to the other side where a toilet could be seen. Near the bathroom door was a rather exquisite looking kitchen. with it's own entire bar and wine rack covering a side of the wall. A dozen different bottles of wine littered the wall, opposite of that was a large metal refrigerator that looked way newer than his own. The edges of the counter tops as perfectly symmetrical as they were even seemed lined in gold. A lot of unnecessary adornment that would've made regular people think they were high class. It was all just a shit show... Almost pathetic.

The blonde really didn't haven enough time to take in his sights as Reno,wasted no time in trying to pounce Seifer, grabbing his waist from behind and caressing his body, but Seifer was faster. In a quick motion he removed himself from the red-head's hold. Managing to, somehow reverse the roles. The blonde now had his hands on Reno's waist where he pushed him back, a bit to roughly, against the door. The younger man didn't seem to be discouraged by the roughhousing. Instead he seemed more interested.

Reno smiled coquettishly at his 'partner' of the night. "Ahh. So you like it rough? That's fine by me."

He tried to move forward to touch Seifer again, but Seifer grabbed his wrist and pinned them against the door. Narrowing his gaze to show his seriousness. "Listen, I've got nothin' against you, but I don't need 'takin' care of tonight or for the rest of my stay."

All the servant could do was nod helplessly, to fearful of what the other might do. Seifer tended to look intimidating to people who weren't familiar with him. The blonde tried to reassure the younger before this could be taken a number of wrong ways. So putting his charms to the test he released Reno's hand, opting to slowly carassing the slightly shaken man's cheek. "Listen, it's not you kid. Trust me I would 'love' you pound you into submission." Seifer slowly ghosted his lips along the others neck, getting close to his skin, but not taking the final step of touching, this caused Reno to shiver. Seifer knew he had him in his hands now, next was the finisher. "But, I'm sure you understand, having a boyfriend in all. I also have someone at home waiting for me. So why don't we just enjoy each other's company as 'strictly business'. Think
you can do that for me?"

If the red tint rising in Reno's cheek were anything to go by, it was safe to assume turning down the kid had successfully worked. Still nervousness anchored itself in the pit of his stomach, never was one for anticipation, but all he could do now was wait for his response.

With a sheepish nod of approval from Reno, Seifer sighed in relief. He steeped away from the disheveled kid, leaving him to his thoughts by the front door, Making his way to the nearby large sofa to sit. The couch was firm, but had the right amount of softness to balance it out properly. He found himself in a tranquil state despite the happenstance. Not even realizing he'd closed his eyes till he heard shuffling nearby. Figuring now would be as good as any, he should try to get to know Reno some. Without even opening his eyes Seifer called out to the kid. "So...How long you been a servant?"

Judging by the sudden stop, Seifer assumed he hit the nail in the coffin. He didn't need to open his eyes to see the kid had tensed up.

"Is-is it that obvious?" He barely heard the meekly reply.

"Nah... you hide it well, but you're easy to submit. A tell-tale sign of a servant."

"It's been about three years... I was at the wrong place at the wrong time... And now here I am..."

All Seifer could do was hum in acknowledgement. What more could he say anyway? Wouldn't change the fact that this kid was stuck in the system, most likely over something insignificant. Seifer could feel the start of a headache forming, he couldn't help them all. He could only help one. As much as it annoyed him, it was life and he just had to accept that. Damn... He could really go for a drink and maybe even a smoke. Anything would be better than staying here for the mean time. So rather than keeping Reno in the dumps, it'd be better to take a break. "Hmm... Why don't you rest up kid. You can brief me on the job tomorrow, I'm gonna step out for a while."

Seifer thought it would be best to let the kid have some breathing room for a few hours. He knew a lot of the people in the program have horrible pasts and bringing them up was never good. Plus he wanted to head to a place that wasn't so... Bustling with vigor. A strong glass of whiskey was calling his name.

The red-head looked at Seifer with an unreadable expression, but quickly nodded, seeming to not want to put a damper on his mood. He wished the blonde a goodnight.

-------

Once the blonde managed to walk a few blocks away from the hotel, the noise, and the people, The city mellowed out to be quite lively, but calm. Most of the visitors and tourist were at the hotel, so the people that were around had to be locals. With the sun setting, the the city appeared to glisten in gold. It was beautifully enriching.

Passing by many bars and clubs Seifer eventually found what appeared to a hidden gem named Siren's Call. It wasn't on the forefront like most of the other establishments, but as the name suggests, it sent a beacon of some sort. Calling for the blonde to enter. Just like a Siren entrapping her prey.

The Siren was comforting, homey, pleasant. The dim lights made the atmosphere soft, and like the city itself, quiet. Unlike the smooth jazz at the hotel lobby which had a bit more energy, this one felt relaxing. Like background music to make you relax, but you can't help but notice it for what it is at the same time. The olive walls with saffron hues was easy on the eyes. A man in an apricot sweater sat at a large black piano in the back, his eyes closed as if the world around him didn't exist besides the music. That, was passion. Small lamps covered every table made of dark wood, next to brown leather lounging chairs for maximum chill. The bar stools had no backs, only tan cushions covering four sturdy wooden legs. It wasn't an overwhelmingly large place but it was... Nice. Quality over quantity was always the better choice, more room never meant a better establishment. Just more people to ruin the fun.

After taking in the sights before him, Seifer refocuses not only on a nearby barstool, but the figured occupying the next one over. He couldn't stop the smirk over taking his features. It'd been awhile since Seifer last saw him, but as always, he never seemed to change anyway, and out of all the orphanage crew, beside Zell, he was the most tolerable.

"Well howdy, Gunslinger Kinneas." Seifer said mirthfully, while taking his seat next to the astound gunman.

"Well I'll be... If it isn't Seif! Hyne-damn man, it's been a while." Irvine chuckled as he stood up to give his old acquaintance a friendly half hug, to which Seifer accepted. "So what brings you out here to old D.C man?" Irvine then looked at him with a coy grin. "Looking for some fun?"

"Haha...Nah. Nothing like that this time. Here on business unfortunately." As he finished his answer, the bartender approached asking the blonde for his order. A double whiskey, neat, was his response. As the waiter walked to the back to prepare his drink, Irvine's low whistle of approval danced into his ears. Seifer couldn't help but to remember his time with the young cowboy. Normally, Kinneas would strictly stick to members of the opposite sex, but after being publicly humiliated and dumped by his first love Selphie; Something in him snapped. Irvine needed someone to control and dominate him. He would search for anyone who was stronger and bigger than him. Along the way Seifer eventually got involved and with his help, successfully got the cowboy back to his old charming self. Though both were in agreement that there was no spark between them and it was a benefits only type deal.

The bartender returned with Seifer's drink in hand, sliding it towards him and returning to his duties. Irvine pulled out a cigarette, lighting it, then took a long drag. Seifer waited till the cowboy finished before picking the cig from the gunner's grip, taking a much needed drag. Seifer could only sigh in content as the nicotine coursed through his body.

Irvine lowly chuckled. "I thought you quit." He remarked as he slid an ashtray towards the other.

"Yeah, I did. Just been a rough few days." Seifer said as he flicked off some of the debris.

"Well shoot, I'm in town for a while, so talk to me partner. You know I'm good for it."

Seifer knew Irvine wasn't the type to go blabbing his mouth off to others. Especially since Selphie was the main one who gossiped about everyone behind their backs. Thankfully she was no longer in his life anyway. Plus the cowboy had a few skeletons in his closet that only Seifer knew about. So it wouldn't hurt to confide in him a bit.

"Alright then, answer me this. When's the last time you heard from Zell?"

"Zell?" The young man tilted his head curiously, trying to recall the person who Seifer was talking about. It took him a few seconds, but when realization hit, the brunette hit the table a little to excitingly. Also earning a few glance from the other patrons. "Wait! You mean Dincht the crybaby kid!? The one we grew up with back at Matrons?"

"The very same." Seifer said expressionless.

"Well Hyne... I haven't seen him since he was adopted. I remember shortly after he left, I got picked up by my folks too. Why? Did somethin' happen to 'em?"

"Well he's alive and kicking if that's what you're asking. He's also in a bit of trouble..."

"Trouble? I always assumed he be to timid to get into any problems. What'd he do?"

"It's not about what's he's done, more so about who he's involved with... And that someone happens to be one of the most powerful men on the globe currently."

"Sorry if I'm speakin' outta terms, but why does any of that matter? You never seemed to like young blondie anyways. You always kinda picked on him."

"I picked on everyone, but honestly I just did it hoping he would get stronger, hell even maybe try to kick my ass or somethin'. But all I did was make things worse. Now Macari has him."

The gunslinger furrowed his brows. "Mm..seems like he has a hold on everyone lately." He paused to take a sip of his drink. "You also avoided my question though. What's Zell to you?"

"Right now? He's nothing but my Servant...,but I love him, always have ever since we were all kids."

"Shit...man...that-that's a lot to take in Seifer."

Seifer nodded in agreement downing the rest of his drink and asking for another. Irvine also did the same before continuing. "So what do you plan on doing? You gonna fully pay off his debt?"

The scarred blonde received his drink and chugged it back in one go. Grimacing as the warm liquid burned his throat, the balance between the pain and pleasure of the drink sent tiny pricks of endorphins throughout his body. "If only it were that easy...Apparently he's one of Macari's personal 'toys'. Buyin' isn't an option. So I'm hear to strike a deal with him. Maybe give him something of value in exchange for Zell's freedom."

Irvine eyes widen in shock and concern.
"You can't be serious! You and I both know that he doesn' make deals. He can only get off by playing those sick, twisted games of his. He can't be trusted Seifer. You're better off ramming your sword down his fucking throat!"

"If I kill him...Zell will be forever lost in the system. Many others would be fucked over too. Yeah the world would be better off if he's dead, but we all know another one will take his place and they have the possibility of being much more dangerous than him."

Irvine could only clench his fist, obviously irritated. "Seif, I know we ain't all that close, but that doesn't mean I want you getting yourself hurt. You've been there for me when no one else was. Please you gotta reconsider." The cowboy begged.

"You should know better than anyone what a first love can do. It never goes away. Yeah, you can place a bandage on the wound, but it doesn't always stop it from bleeding. I was content with having you or others please me. But to see him again, hear him, touch him, taste him. It's a bad concoction. And I hate to say it, but I'm fucking obsessed. He's fallin' through my hands so many times, Irvine. I-I can't- no I won't let him go again. I just won't."

The gunslinger could only look at the gunblader flabbergasted. He was ready and willing to give his life up for Zell. It pained him because he knew the feeling all to well, there were some days where all he could do was cry because even if she did come back, begging to start anew, he wouldn't accept her. She destroyed his heart beyond repair. Seifer patched back together what he could. Even given the man a new found confidence, but it doesn't stop the 'what-ifs'. But Irvine also knew that with love comes great sacrifice. "He doesn' love you back does he...?" The words came out as a whisper of realization, an epiphany almost.

"No...I don't think he does..."

"Yeah I figured...you only stated that 'you' loved him, not once mentioning his love for you at all....look I gotta ask...you haven't like..lost control right?"

"What are you trying to say?" Seifer asked with a bit of venom.

"Easy fella....you know how I got with Selphie...I'm just asking...has it gotten 'that' bad?"

"No...I confessed though...told him to think on it till I got back." Seifer looked Irvine in the eyes, teal orbs fixed with determination. "But no matter what happens, he'll have his freedom in the end."

--------

When Seifer returned to the hotel room, it was a bit passed midnight. Irvine and the blonde had had a few more drinks before they took a stroll around town, leisurely chatting. Eventually they decided to call it a night, since Seifer was there on business.

Tomorrow or rather later on that day, the gunblader would have to have a chat with his young 'partner'. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing here. The word 'bodyguard' had been thrown loosely at him, but he knew that we wouldn't just be standing around 'babysitting'. Gratefully he made sure to pack two tailored suits for the evening in question, just in case.

Seifer decided that before he would sleep for the night, he'd take a much needed shower first. Going to bed reeking of booze and smokes wouldn't do him any good.

Luckily the suite had personal bathrooms so he didn't have to worry about being disturbed by Reno. Seifer didn't have time earlier to check out his bedroom.

Where the walls of the living room was a pearl white, the walls of his bedroom were a dark shade of ocean blue, the sheets matching the walls lined with a gold trim. The bed sat in the middle of the room, four wooden poles jutting up from each side of the raised bed, a silky looking fabric rapping around the top of all of them and connecting them. It was tall, a shorter person would have to crawl. Seifer's bags sat right in the middle of them, next to that a white robe and a pair of slippers on the floor. A sturdy birch dresser sitting off to a wall with a small desk and a mini refrigerator next to it. A tray of hors d'oeuvres on a small tray next to another bottle of wine. Obviously they sparred no expense. A large closet door was off to the side of the door near the desk, one he probably wouldn't be using. The other side of the room was left to full view window with a sight of almost the entire city. Everything looked like ants from up here... But they weren't ants, were they? They were people like him. They weren't beneath him, or at least not in importance. Their lives mattered too. All this business with the Macari corporation had really gotten him thinking. Did any of these people really deserve to be in the servitude program? Was it really better than serving whatever sentence they were supposed to pay for? To be treated like a slave. It just... Wasn't right. Seifer snapped out of the longing stare into the bright lights of the city. He hadn't relaxed in days. He really needed a shower...

As his body moved to the bathroom, he finally had a chance to inspect the it. The walls were, again, pearl white. This time however, with tints of lavender lining the edges of the sealing and baseboards. It gave the room a slight purple tint, the color reflecting of the shine of the white. A large counter-top covered the left side of the room with two full sinks equipped with soap dispensers and hand towelettes. A full body mirror opposite the bathroom door, and a large shower to the right with a big glass door. It had to be sealed enough to not let the water out, right? The walls of the shower seemed made of marble, a bench that was attached to the wall jutting out to make it seem like a shower and bath. It was big enough to house around eight people, but for now would only need the one.

When the warm water hit his grimy flesh, he couldn't stop the sigh seeping from his lips. He hadn't noticed how tired he was until then. Thinking about his own exhaustion, made him start wondering about Zell. He wondered if he should send a text, but decided against it. There was no way his friend wouldn't let the him respond anyway.

Seifer knew it was wrong, but that didn't stop his thoughts from thinking about Zell's small muscular frame. Not an inch of fat on him. He knew Zell would get up every morning, just before the sun rose to workout. Seifer loved that the fighter had that kind of dedication. He wanted to touch him, feel how each muscle would twitch under his palm, writhing in pleasure, begging for more, and Seifer's cock started to awake and twitch in appreciation at the thought. Taking his member in hand, Seifer gave it a tight slow stroke. Starting at the base and working his way to the tip, making sure to lightly tug at top of his barbell. Biting back a moan, Seifer pulled at it again. The piercing went through his frenulum, making his member extremely sensitive from each pull and touch. The warm water falling on his member made him wished that it was Zell's mouth wrapped around him. Tongue darting out and lapping around the metal attached to his tip. Seifer started to pick up the pace as his imagination ran rapidly. Zell's bright cerulean eyes looking up at his, while he fucked his face with abandon. The younger blonde was always such a good boy, not many were able to say they could fully take Seifer's length. Yet Zell took it like he was fucking created to have his mouth take a cock. The scarred blonde huffed out a chuckle, pleasure was consuming him, but he found he kinda funny that one of Zell's favorite foods was hotdogs. Like the man was secretly practicing.

Seifer backed against the wall to give himself more leverage. Now that he wouldn't immediately fall, the blonde bent his knees a bit to thrust into himself as his stroked with vigor. Every time he's reached the head of his penis, he would twisted his wrist just so. No longer able to bite back the groans of satisfaction. He was way to worked up, so knowing he wouldn't last much longer. He took his free hand and cupped his balls. Roughly rubbing the mold of flesh, squeezing them in time with every thrust upwards of his hips. Seifer was so lost in the pleasure that he could no longer feel the water. He wished it could have Zell's firm ass in his grips, entering that tight ring of muscle. How he wanted that wet blissful heat to engulf his member, to hear the others voice wailing for more because of him and his cock. It was with that, that final thought, sent him over the edge. Instead of grey shower tiles, his vision flashed white with stars as he roared and climaxed. Seifer couldn't hold his weight anymore, knees gave in as he slid down the shower's wall, exhaustion finally taking over his body. When his sights returned. He looked down, his hand was still coated with his seed. Guilt and regret took over before he could even come down from his postcoital bliss.

How could he even look at himself? Using Zell as sexual fodder. Even after what he did to the smaller man. Putting his hands under the running water, he watched as the opaque liquid vanished from his palms. Part of him wished it was himself being washed into the drain. Seifer wasn't a coward, never would he decamp and yet here he was, sitting on the floor in a bathroom shower, fingers pruned and the water wavering between warm and cold. Fearing that he could potentially fuck up Zell's life. This alone was enough to put the man on edge. Seifer knew he couldn't sit there forever and pounder over this, so he hoisted himself up and quickly washed off all the dirt from his body. Toweled himself dry and got in bed. Not even bothering to put clothes on. As soon as his bed hit the pillowed he succumbed to fatigue.

The next morning he was awoken to a firm knock on the door. He couldn't help be to yell in annoyance.

"What?!"

"Breakfast is ready..." With that, Seifer quickly jolted up. That voice didn't belong to Reno. The redhead's voice was more energetic, while the one he just heard was more monotone. 'Oh yeah that's right. The kids got a boyfriend...' Seifer thought to himself as he sighed. Today was going to be a long day, he just knew it. The banquet, event, party, or whatever the hell it was considered, started tomorrow night. The blonde still had to be briefed on the job and fill out the paperwork, that he knew was pretty much pointless. Once again Seifer was thankful that someone brought his bag into the room. It would definitely be pretty bad if he had to sneak out of the room naked to retrieve his clothes. Putting on some jeans and a shirt, the blonde made his way into the living room. The fragrance of bacon, eggs, and coffee waltzed into his nostrils, stomach instantly rumbled. Yeah everything smelled great. Seifer really wished he could be enjoying Zell's cooking, but this would have to do.

The first thing that he noticed was the man with dark sunglasses, he remembered that he was the doorman from yesterday. Once again he was in a tightly pressed suit, mouth still looked like it never even existed. The man was sitting next to Reno on the couch eating. When he noticed Seifer he sat up, ready to introduce himself, but before he could open his mouth, Reno hopped up and did it for him.

"Mr.Almasy this is Rude, Rude this is Mr.Almasy. He's here to help with watching over the boss tomorrow night." Reno said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you." Rude stated as he held out his hand for a shake.

"Likewise." Taking his hand to return the gesture.

After the introducions were finished, Reno told Seifer to grab some food and eat while they go over the protocols.

"So your job is really simple, you just have to protect Mr. Macari from any harm, but he has requested that you obey some ground rules. As standard protocol, you'll be given an earpiece so we can all communicate." Reno, then paused to take a sip from his coffee. Once he was done with that, he pointed out with his index finger. "First things first, the boss has stated that you can't be armed. He said it will upset those who are attending. Second-" Another finger joined the first. "You have to be dressed up, you're supposed be his hidden ally. If you dress to intimidate, people will avoid the boss. This would be troublesome for a host right? Also Mr.Macari said that if you don't have any suits with you, you are to inform his secretary after this and get a suit tailored. And lastly you are to remain by Mr. Macari's side the whole night. Never get to close unless he asks of you, and never stay to far behind. You're his peace of mind for the night. So-" Reno claps his hands together "Any questions or concerns?"

Seifer was still absorbing all the information. Reno must not have realized it, but he talked incredibly fast. Literally a mile a minute. He was pissed that he wouldn't be able to carry Hyperion, but bitching about it would get him nowhere this late in the game. He tried his damnest to suppress a much needed scoff.

Thankfully he brought his own suits, last thing he wanted was to 'owe' Adonis something. Following him around wasn't ideal, but as long as Seifer wasn't forced to partake in any of the conversations, he could care less about 'babysitting'.

"Nope, like you said the job's simple. I think I can handle it, and as for the suits, I already have some with me."

"Okay! Then we're all good for the day. You can pretty much do what you want until tomorrow. Oh! I almost forgot!" Reno ran into his bedroom for a moment and returned just as quickly. He held out a cellphone to the scarred blonde. "Here! It's a burner cell, In case the ear pieces go dead or we needed you for something while you're out today. Once the party is over tomorrow you can just throw it away. They're a dime a dozen."

After that they finished their breakfast in silence, save for Reno's occasional chatter. Rude was the first to finish and leave. Being the doorman meant no time to relax. Reno left shortly after, stating he had to check in with security details. Which left Seifer all alone in this luxurious hotel room, with nothing to do. He'd turned his phone off yesterday after his conversation with Fujin. He knew there was no way in hell that Zell would call or text, so the needed to turn on his personal phone fell short.

He figured since he had nothing to do and it was still a bit to early to crash the open bar, a nap wouldn't hurt. He was still a bit exhausted from last night anyways.

When he came to, it was from a loud obnoxious chime, increasing in volume with each ring. It was the burner cell. Before he answered the cell he checked the clock. It's was about eight when he got woken the first time, now it's about one in the afternoon. He's been out for a while. He answered the phone groggily.

"Hello?..."

"Umm...H-Hello? Mr.Almasy?" Shy sounding female was on the other line.

"What do you need princess?"

"M-Mr.Macari would like you to join him for a private d-dinner tonight. Is this a-acceptable?"

Seifer shot up from his position. This was it, the moment he'd been waiting for, subconsciously he gripped the phone tightly. It seemed like nap time was over and after tonight, Zell would have his freedom.

"Yeah, tell him I'll be there...Early."

Chapter Text

His body throbbed, being suspended in the air by ropes for hours at a time would do that though. By now Zell was too weak to move. This- his punishment, was only just the beginning. Zell was naked and hanging in the middle of a room, back facing the door, unaware of if anyone was coming and going. He was tied up in a series of integrated hanging ropes. With his arms wrapped up behind his back, the tight ropes laced out across his upper chest forming a pentagram. If Zell shifted his head forward the ropes would put pressure on his throat, choking him. It was his master's intention to make him watch what was going to happen; Zell wouldn't be able to look away. The lower part of his body was tied up as well, legs were spread apart with a rod so he had no way of closing them. While ropes were binding his thighs and calves together. There would be no escape. This was his punishment.

The blonde finally had enough of Adonis' games, he had bit the man's lips, causing the crimson fluid to pour. He'd hoped the punishment would be death, but of course not. The man got off on the misery of others.

He heard the door open and the familiar sounds of shoes clicking against tiles approached, then suddenly stopped. The silence was deafening, the blonde thought he had imagined the man coming into the room until a sharp pain jolted across his bare bottom. A yelp ripped from his throat before an unexpected series of constant attacks riddled his backside. Moaning in pain was his only option, with each strike, skin welted- making the pain more apparent to the sensitive aching flesh. When the beating was done all Zell could do was pant heavily as his master walked to face him. But before he could see his face a cloth shielded over his eyes, the man's breath caressed his ear.

"Perhaps my expectations for you were a bit abundant, Mr.Dincht. Because this insolent insubordination will NOT be tolerated." Adonis remarked while snaking his hands up to squeeze Zell's windpipe with purpose. "No one will love someone like you if you can't behave. This will be the start of your punishment."

Zell couldn't breathe, this was it. Finally, he'd pissed the man off enough to end him. All he could do was gag and struggle until his mind went blank.

When he came back to reality, Zell was staring at the floor. Unsure of when he blacked out, but Elyse still had a tight grip on the younger man's shoulders, even though the door had been shut for some time now, she still glared at it with hate. Seemingly oblivious to her friend's bewilderedness.

Why was he thinking about that now? What caused that repressed memory to pop up? Why was Seifer randomly spitting out confessions?

Eventually the woman returned her attention the blonde. He hadn't moved or spoken a word since her arrival and she worried deeply. "Zell, sweetie? You okay?"

Her words appeared to fall on deaf ears, for her friend still didn't hear; his head continued trying to wrap it's self around the events that took place prior. 'ZELL! I FUCKING LOVE YOU OKAY?!' Seifer's words just kept repeating in Zell's mind. Love huh? Funny way of showing it. None of this made sense and why did Seifer go digging up his past? The man had no right.

A gentle rub on his back broke him from his thoughts.

"Zelly...?"

Looking up, Zell could see the concern and worry on her face. It pained him to see his best friend like this. "I'm fine. He didn't do anything."

"You really think I would believe that?" She scoffed. "You blacked out..."

"Elly, I don't- Why am I like this? Why am I weak? Why do people want to control me?"

She hugged him instead of answering. How could she know? Nothing she can say will change the past, she can't fix the trauma that coils through his veins. All she can do is spoon feed him love and support in hopes that over time, these fatal wounds become more stable.

___________

Out of all of his suits he brought, Seifer pulled out the best one. He needed to dress to impress, since Adonis was a sophisticated man. Seifer was just finishing up clipping his cuffs when he heard a knock. Opening the door revealed a small petite woman who looked strikingly like Zell. Seifer wondered if she was sent here on purpose, maybe the start of some kind of mind game. If he knew Adonis at all, it was definitely for his twisted plays.

"Mr. Almasy, y-you said you wanted to attend dinner early?"

Without a word the scarred man grabbed his suit's jacket and made his way towards the door to follow his little chaperone. Assuming through his actions, and lack of words, that he was ready to go, she began leading him away from his own room. It was about five in the afternoon, that's early enough.

This hotel really was massive. While sure, you could appreciate it as a monument from the outside, the inside could only be described as 'impossible space'. It seemed like a maze that the girl easily navigated, turning around each corner with precision but making sure Seifer could keep up. Which of course he did, it was Seifer. But to think this place was supposed to hold the party and auction with enough space to have hundreds of people at once. It was its own hall with a hotel attached. When they arrived, the girl stopped next to the double doors and gestured for Seifer to enter. Opening the golden bejeweled doors, determined steps made their way inside.

The marble sprawled from the door way and crafted itself as the walls for the whole room. Where usually you'd have countertops and floor made of marble, this was something of a surprise. The entire floor, gliding all the way to the wall and up it was what looked like a single slab of marble all the way to the ceiling, light gray in color with waves of cream rippling throughout. As if the entire room was carved from one entire entity, instead of built piece by piece like a regular room. Who really had the tools to move a slab of stone that big to make a room out of it? Seifer could assume that this place, while attached to the main hotel, had to be a little ways away from it from the fact that there was a sky light letting you see the morning sky. The sun might be visible too, if not blocked out by the massive tower of a hotel in the way. Supporting the roof from the ceiling were four marble pillars, also looking as if they were infused with the room around them. Red tapestry wrapped around each pillar, flowing from the ceiling to the floor and caressing the ground with their velvet embrace. Perfectly and symmetrically placed in between all four pillars was a very long dining table; many unoccupied seats on either end but only one that really mattered one all the way at the far end of the table, turned to the direction of the doorway but almost far out of view.

The gold framed chair that faced him had a red cushion that covered the front and back. Inside it sat a man that Seifer knew all to well. This wasn't the first time he had seen this walking "Divine", or sitting as you may. When his eyes finally got a look at the old man, it was like he hadn't aged a day. His smooth face gave the impression of being in his late twenties, but to expect that this man was well over forty was unprecedented. His pale complexion gave him a slight glow, hazel eyes looking all the more bright in comparison. His short midnight hair was just long enough to reach his chiseled jawline, leading to the lips that always seemed in a tilted up smirk. Smug and in charge, a smile that meant he was always enjoying what he did in the face of the public. Though, the rosemary red lips made it seem like he was wearing lipstick. His eyebrows were sharp, his ears were perfectly curved. An expensively tailored suit with an eggplant color stretched down to his wrists, which tapped the end of the chair as if he was impatiently waiting for something, and the metal clank of his amethyst ring clanked every time it hit the gold. Other than that, the rest of his body was average, not tall, not short, not bulky, not frail. Like he trained for a fight, but didn't try to hard at it. As if he ate all the right things just to maintain his figure, but chose not to indulge. We all know however, he definitely did indulge. Though not in caloric intake, but of the flesh.

This was indeed Adonis Macari.

While he sat at a long table, it was still almost as if his presence still pranced the room. Sitting as the control board, his hand and words directed the symphony of people that danced about the place. They were all in a tizzy; many people running around trying to set up the room for the evening festivities. That didn't take away from the food that covered the table now though.

"Ahh. Mr. Almasy, welcome. It's been far too long since our last engagement." With the flick of his wrist Adonis gestured for the blonde to sit.

The dinning table was far to large and elaborated for Seifer's taste, but doing as he was told he sat. A waiter appeared shortly after placing a glass of wine down. While trying his best to not look like a creature waiting to pounce on its prey, the gunblader downed the wine that was given to him.

"So this is where the event is being held?" Seifer spoke up to him, trying to take his job a little seriously. His eyes had begun scanning the room, looking at all possible exits and entrances to know where he might need to cover.

"Oh, of course! But the event you're ruminating on will happen tomorrow's eve! Tonight, I will have the most delicious event!" His hand waved in the air as he spoke, exaggerating his words with his form. A second event? That wasn't in the briefing.

"Tonight's event? I assume that I'm scheduled to bodyguard you there too? Because that wasn't-"

"Relax, Mr. Almasy! Rest assured, you will be paid triple for your service as long as you're performing your duties. As well as, keeping this Auction... Clandestine," An auction that he had to keep secret? You could only guess what he was selling, and at this mention, something immediately caught his attention. Upon examining the room further, multiple pillars could be seen against the walls. Upon them stood statues of extreme realistic quality in very aesthetically pleasing postures, the stone they were made of as smooth as the marble in the room. Yet just as he began looking away from one, it sneezed! On reflex, Seifer stood up in surprise; but Mr. Macari was faster.

"YOU THERE!" he pointed directly at the 'statue' as if he were smiting it. "A philistine shall not be tolerated," he snapped his finger at it when looking in the direction of a doorman. The worry on the statue's face was immediately apparent, as two people in suits walked up to it and nearly ripped it off it's pedestal. They began screaming "NO! Please I'm sorry! It was a sneeze I promise not to do it again! Please I don't want to be fed to Bahamut!" the words of the painted person became shallow as they were dragged out of the room. As if they were waiting for this, another person of a similar build and completely painted came running in the room. They climbed upon the pillar, and assumed the exact pose the last one had, and their lives went on as if they always had been there. Besides that fact that it was very noticeable that all the other 'statues' in the room were suddenly much more- tense.

Seifer stared at it in "...Disgusting..." his words were low enough that his benefactor didn't hear. Adonis turned back around with a smile, sitting back in his throne and gesturing his new bodyguard to do the same.

"My apologies, Mr. Almasy, for the insolence of my art. They wouldn't be doing their duties very well if they moved!" He almost seemed to laugh at it in jest. Seifer sat down with an uneasy look, a nod. "I-it's alright."

"Now, Mr. Almasy, I hope you're as famished as I because Dinner tonight will be absolutely divine. I've called in the best chefs from around the continent and they've promised me a meal befitting of a Sorceress!" Adonis made a slight glance towards a waiter- to which they promptly left the room with haste. "We shall be having the freshest Bouillabaisse, with a side of Broccoli, sprinkled with chili flakes and lemon toasted pinenuts. Our companionship beverage will be White Bandol wine infused with ice magic. It leaves an ever lasting chill, I assure you." Adonis's full attention wasn't on his guest, but on the room itself. While he did indeed speak to Seifer, his body was never really turned entirely in his direction. 'Mr. Almasy' wasn't important enough to have his full attention.

When he finished speaking-Almost as if he planned it, in which case, was incredibly likely- the waiter, with two others now accompanying him, bought out the fancy meals and placed them before the two men.

After an elaborate and pointless toast, the two men dug into their meals. Seifer tried composing his thoughts together. How would he bring up Zell? Would he even be taking seriously? So caught in his own thoughts he barely registered that Adonis was speaking to him.

"S-sorry, Didn't catch that." Seifer stuttered out.

Without missing a beat the glamorous man repeated himself. "Now Mr. Almasy, was the crimson reprobate of satisfaction? A tad to presumptuous for my taste, but very efficient none the less." Adonis smiled a bit too smugly.

"RENO was just fine, good kid." Seifer made sure to pronounce Reno's name as hard as possible. The kid was still a person and deserved to be treated as such.

"Just fine? Well, that's simply unacceptable! That will not be tolerated! My products were created to give the ultimate experience of hedonism."

It was hard holding back the bile rising from his esophagus. The last time he'd encountered this- monster, Seifer didn't really communicate with him, but now? Listening to this man speak to him personally. Adonis was sick and twisted; referring to people as products? The system was made to give people who committed petty crimes a chance to redeem themselves, not to become currency among the affluent. All this time Seifer thought he was helping others pay off their debts, but were they even being released?

"Reno is amazing, he really wore me out. I'm still in a daze. Look, can we talk about something else?" Seifer lied. It was better this way. He didn't want the kid getting in trouble just because he didn't want to fuck. And after seeing what had occurred with the 'statue' it wouldn't be fair to cause those kinds of problems.

"May I ask what's keeping you so distraught?" Before Seifer could even answer the man continued. "My blonde proletarian not satisfying you enough?"

Proletarian? Blonde? He wasn't referring to Zell was he? Seifer gritted his teeth. "What!?"

"Come now, don't be a brute. I know everything. So tell me...Have you had to discipline him?" Talking a sip of his wine, Adonis, looked far to amused. "He was fairly easy to tame, once I found the right method, of course. But every so often an animal will still try to bite the hand that feeds them."

"Stop talking about him like that! He's not yours!" Seifer growled, slamming his hands on the table as the chair fell to the floor from him as he pushed off. It taking everything in him to not jump the table and strangle the man.

"Oh! But he is, remember, I own him. Though, I'm intrigued, what does that make you? You're renting the harlot."

"It ain't like that. It's different, I want to keep him and protect him from people like you."

Adonis could barely keep his composure, chuckling as he took another drink. "You want to keep him? Oh my! You're besotted with him, how prodigious!"

"Let me have Zell then. Clearly you've moved on to better things since he's rentable. Name a price and I'll get it."

"Hmm...What a proposal, but currency is nothing to me. Yet maybe something 'can' be arranged."

"Name it."

"I propose this. In exchange for Zell Dincht's contract, you, Mr. Almasy, are to become mine. Now I implore you, I s the harlot worth it?"

A chill ran down Seifer's spine. Surely the man had to be joking, right? Maybe in a fairytale, this would be treated like a joke, but this was reality. A reality where people like Adonis call the shots. As much as he loved Zell, Seifer had to think it over. He would possibly be subjugated to the same torture as Zell. Guilt washed over him as he took a step back. Could he really give himself up for his love? An act of ultimate selflessness. The emotion read on his face gave way to his conflicting thoughts, something Adonis really reveled in. It was a true delicacy, the inner turmoil of ones true self! As much as he wanted to savor it more, he spoke up to releive the tension.

"Relax Mr. Almasy! We have plenty of time for you to arrive at a decision. How about so: by the time you are to depart, I will have a contract for you. Sign it, and the harlot is free to do as he pleases, vindicated of his past misconducts. Do not, and he shall be returned to me immediately, also you shall never see him again."

Seifer stormed out in a fit of panic. Many thoughts ran through his mind. On everything, Zell truly deserves the world. But to sacrifice himself for his beloved? To become a slave of the system, this was a big deal. No, to become solely Adonis' was the problem. The man was a sadistic creep. He completely disposed of a person for simply sneezing. Sneezing!

______________

After locking himself into his room until it was time to work, Seifer organized his thoughts. He knew is his mind what he had to do. He knew what the right thing was to do. All that had to be done now was to finish his job and cash in the check.

A few hours past and Seifer, with a helpful guide, made his was back to that elaborate dining hall. In only the small time till now the room that once seemed still and pretty like a painting, had evolved into something truly alive. The walls before that were only smooth marble now held elegant banners flowing and waving from every wall. Bloodorange rays danced from the new light fixtures that clouded the ceiling, covering everyone in a redish tint. Giving everyone a spot in the lime light. Like a theater where every person was an actor with a complex role; moving about the room in a wave washing over the delicate decorum. Each person was inspecting their surroundings, oogling over the statues that stood their most absolute composure on their pedastals.

He couldn't believe his eyes. The spectators, or more likely customers, who surveyed these pieces of living art all had an uppity feel to them. Like they were the cream of the crop; important officials who were more signifigant than the average. A disgusting group of people at a disgusting party. To add to the "flavor" of the party showing off its wares, they couldn't eat off regular plates. Oh no, they had to eat off living naked people covered in uncooked fish. Even further, Seifer noticed something very odd about the statues. While they were still live people standing as before, these all looked like completely different models. As if the entire cast had been scrapped for that younger more energetic actor; younger being the key word here. These figures all looked very petite and youthful: like adolescent teenagers. Not doused in stone colored paint but wearing delicate and alluring articals of clothing; equal parts boys and girls alike. Seifer couldn't take his eyes off them. They'd looked almost too young. He felt a sick pull in the bellows of his stomach. There was no way this man was selling kids, that goes against everything. He wouldn't believe it! Seifer had no choice but to cast it out of his mind. His job wasn't to judge the people he was hired to protect...But it was so hard not too. He'd be doing the world a favor. Hyne, Eliminating someone like Adonis, he would be crowned a king by all. His body was naturally tempted to move up to one of the people out on display. He was just about to grab on to a young girl when a swift slight pinch came to his side. He flinched, managing to not quick turn and disarm this foe.

"It's me- don't freak out. I gotta take you to Master. We gotta hurry though." It was Reno, and from the sounds of it he sounded a bit winded.

He didn't have any time to question the redhead as he whisked away in a hurry.

When he caught the chance he glanced down at Reno's attire- or rather lacking of clothing. Clad in basically nothing except for bow tie around his neck, suspenders, and g-string. He had to give the kid some credit. Reno's body was amazing, tone and lean. Not incredibly defined, but he definitely works outs. He has the ass of a voluptuous female, jiggly and bouncy. Maybe he should wreck this kids world. Considering in a few days his life could change or go back to normal, prior from his first encounter with Zell.

No, Seifer shook his head in an attempt to focus! Nothing was set in stone yet, there was always a third option. Just finding it was the problem. 'There has to be another way, There just has to be', he chastise himself.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Seifer almost didn't realize he had arrived to the "guest of honor". This time though, he was dressed in a royal gold suit, accented with a bedazzling shine. Very similar to the eggplant one. His clothing of choice 'clearly' gave the man an aura of wanting to be the center of the attention. Once again 'gracing' his "god-like" presence towards all those who happened to look in awe.

All except Seifer, who thought he looked like a foolish washed up chicken with all those damn ruffles coming out of his suit.

Adonis was currently sitting in his makeshift throne. Annoyingly gold plated, with jewels encrusted all over it. The damn thing shines brighter than Carbuncle's Ruby Light. Now, how in Hyne was Seifer supposed to do his damn job if he couldn't even see?!

As the night progressed, Adonis made his rounds to all of his abettors, Seifer exactly five steps behind. Close enough to save him if need be, but far enough away that he doesn't have to participate in any conversations. Though he watched in disgust as the man pours poisonous liquid gold down each listeners throat. Nothing but a manipulator. No matter what becomes of himself, this night would be reported Squall. From keeping his ears opened throughout the night Seifer did indeed find out that this silent auction was going to be selling the people on the pedestals, and they were in fact, children. Seifer would be damned if he'd let any of these kids be sold. All that could be done now was to sit and wait, unfortunately.

Immediately after that thought, something in the corner of Seifer's peripheral sparkled. Without thinking the blonde acted, pushing the extravagant man down to the ground. Seconds after, a bang ricocheted, bursting an actual statue that would've been Adonis' head if he hadn't had been moved.

On cue, a loud feminine scream erupted followed by the rest of the crowd. Screaming and hysteria followed, people scurrying to escape. The children on the pedestals hopped down to follow the crowd; be damned what punishment come if they were alive.

"STAY DOWN!" Seifer shouted in the man's ear.

Unfortunately Seifer was disarmed because of the damn no weapons rules set in place. So he quickly had to come up with a plan. Because of the orange glow to the room he was at a huge disadvantage. He had no idea how many shooters were involved currently.

He made a dash to one of the closest marble pillars. Next to it, a silver platter laid on the floor that he hoped was titanium. If not, he knew that the bullet would pierce through. With little options, He grabbed the tray and quickly pulled it up towards his face to protect himself. He made a dash towards Adonis, quickly grabbing him and tossing him behind the golden throne. He was safe, at least for now. As soon as Adonis's position was secured, a shot ricocheted off the tray, thank Hyne it didn't Pierce. He returned to his position behind the pillar. The shot on the tray had come from a specific direction, and judging by the position Seifer held it and the dent in the metal, he could approximate the positioning. Reinforcement had entered but fortunately they were quickly neutralized by the attackers.

"Shit! This isn't good!" Seifer grunted.

"Oi! Almasy!"

Seifer looked in the the direction where his name was being called. It was Reno and Rude. Both hidden behind a table that had been flipped for cover. Rude was holding on to his Hyperion! That was the good news at least. Bad news? There was no way Seifer or Rude could make it to each other without getting shot up. But Rude was one step ahead of him, with all his strength tossing the gunblade to Seifer with surprising accuracy; good thinking. Seifer reached his hand out to grab, before a solid shot struck off its trajectory; the weapon flying next to a separate pillar and smacking the ground. "Damnit!" An exasperated grunt.

This sniper was good, had smart instincts and quick reflexes. The Gunblader looked for an avenue to traverse the room, when a sight shocked him. Spiky red hair streaked across the room between the crowd of people, running at full speed to the fallen Hyperion. Rude could be seen reaching out in protest, but Reno was on a mission. The best way to protect the master was to get Seifer his weapon! The shooter wasn't focused on him, and didn't catch it in time before Reno reached the gunblade and tossed it over Adonis to get to its' owner. Just in time for the red head to catch a bullet to the side of his head. His body crumpled against the marble pillar, sliding down it and crashing to the floor; a valiant sacrifice for his master.

Rude roared in pain as Seifer caught Hyperion. There was no time to mourn, that wasn't their job. From the position that shot at the red head, there had to be a second shooter. Snipers always had spotters, so it made sense, and Rude had immediately locked on to their position. In a flurry of movements he dashed across the room, flipping past the obstacles and dodging the straggling guests. In no time flat, he reached the second shooter, faster than they could react. A powerful fist collided with the shadowy figure, knocking them clean out, but just as he turned around a blue beam struck him right between the eyes. His body staggered back as if trying to fight the inevitable, before falling back right onto the body of the second assailant. That was two sacrifices for Adonis.

Hopefully, they were not in vain. Watching all that transpired had given Seifer the perfect view of where everything was. The original sniper's figure was in clear position, giving the Gunblader the perfect opportunity since they had already aimed a different direction be shooting Rude. Hugging the wall closest to him, he moved up at staggering speeds using the stone pedestals as cover. Before he knew it, he stood right next to the Sniper. Hyperion was brought around to swing at the shadow, in just enough time for them to dodge out the way and aim at Seifer. There was no time to think, just react. He came around for another slash but stopped as he looked at the shooter. They had frozen, lowered their weapon and looked back to Seifer in disbelief. This made him hesitate, the snipers long brown hair almost covering his whole face. Why did he hesitate? As he questioned it, the sniper threw something against the ground and an explosion of smoke erupted around them. Seifer started to cough and cover his mouth, he wasn't getting away.

He swiped at the last known position, the metal of his blade clashing against an unknown metal. Keep pushing, they're on guard. Seifer leaned into the figure to pressure them to the ground. All the weight he pressed into suddenly disappeared, and Seifer stumbled forward almost falling on his face but catching himself. A blunt force struck him in the arm, really making him hit the ground. He immediately got his balance back, standing at attention with Hyperion at the ready with one arm. Whoever had struck him hit hard, it felt like his arm was broken. On top of it he couldn't tell where the assailant was, the smoke clouded everything. So he closed his eyes trying to see if he could hear his opponent.

Everything had gotten a lot quieter since the room was finally clearing out, and Adonis couldn't see Seifer. His head peaked out over his magnificent throne, just for a blue light to fly right past his head. A girlish shriek came from his lips as he ducked back down. It was obviously too dangerous!

From out of the smoke, the protector emerged in a fierce rush, directly towards the dark assassin who assaulted his client. A steady stride as he rammed into the gunner, knocking the Sniper to the ground. With Hyperion aimed directly at him, and them on their back, the assailant had no choice but to put their arms up in surrender. Seifer didn't blink, smirking at his opponent with superiority.

"...Hyperion."

Seifer's eyes widened at his weapon, and codename, being uttered by the person in front of him. And as his eyes adjusted and he finally got a good look at the man's face, the realization came to him instantly as if he should've already known.

"Exeter?"

The codename of the Garden's best sniper: Irvine Kinneas. Seifer had wondered why he was in town when he saw him at the bar, but to be attempting to assassinate Adonis Macari himself? There had to be an explanation.

"What're you doing here? On whose orders?" Seifer spoke calmly with his gun still pointed at his old acquaintance.

"C'mon, ya know I can't say. But you know this job needs to be done! How can you sit by and protect-"

A loud clapping came from the throne, Seifer didn't look away, Irvine looking at the man of the hour.

"My my, Mr. Almasy, you truly are reputably superior! How exquisite! Truly worth every penny," Adonis stepped away from his grand hiding spot clapping his hands. A smug attitude as he came up to the last two men in the room.

"It is a shame about the other, mmm, protectors. But alas, you have saved my life, and that is what is important. Go ahead, finish him off! Don't concern yourself with the clean up, it shall all be handled!"

Seifer looked at Ivrine with grimace of annoyance. He in turn received a look back. They both held back a sigh.

"Chop chop! I don't have all day. My time is precious, and I've got to make up for-"

Adonis' words were cut short as both men simultaneously pointed their guns at him. A look of pure shock struck him as he took a step back, an exaggerated gasp being let loose.

"Shut the fuck up!" Seifer started. "In all honesty, I should let this guy shoot you, but then I wouldn't gain from it, now would I?"

Adonis still looked astonished to say the least. "Are you threatening me?! HOW DARE YOU! Almasy, Do you understand that 'I' can have you rotting in the most repugnant dungeon for the rest of your shallow pathetic life! I can make sure you'll never see that whore again!"

An exasperated sigh let loose from Seifer. The last straw breaking the camels back. He spun his Hyperion around to the hilt, and in a fierce stride, slid towards Adonis whose babbling kept up even as this demon approached. The octave of his voice got higher with each step, a sudden fear creeping up with each move. Adonis didn't have time to defend himself as the butt of the gun bashed into his face; blood coming from his nose as he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Another sigh came, this one of relief. "Thank HYNE. I've waited too long for that," and as satisfying as it was, it wasn't as sweet. He had to make sure he didn't really hurt him, so he had to hold back immensely.

"They ain't dead." Irvine mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Order was only to kill prince charmin', the others were hit with sleepin' bullets. They'll be fine after a bit." Rubbing the back of his head the gunslinger slowly rose to his feet.

"Whose orders?"

"C-Commanders." Irvine responded sheepishly, he knew he shouldn't have told, but Seifer looked pretty pissed and he wasn't trying to get socked again. Seifer was dangerously heavy-handed.

Squall's orders? Seriously?! Why didn't he feel the need to involve him in this elaborate scheme? He could have killed Irvine. When this was over Seifer was definitely going to kick Squall's ass.

"Look, I can't let you kill him. I have some unfinished business-"

"Are you serious?! I know you saw! He's sellin' kids man! He's a pervert!"

"I have to save Zell!"

"Is Zell's freedom worth millions?!" Whatever Seifer was going to retort with fell short on his tongue. As much as he loved him, the brunette had a point. "Yeah, didn't think so, plus Zell would obviously be recognized as a SeeD. The paperwork would be rushed for him. He'd be cleared before most."

"He wouldn't...I don't have time to explain it, but just trust me when I say the Gardens have betrayed him." Seifer extended his gunblade, pointing it towards Kinneas. "I won't let you kill him."

"What if we blackmail'em?"

"What?" Seifer looked at him with confusion. Blackmail? Maybe give him a taste of his own medicine and throw him an ultimatum. Irvine needed to clarify things first.

"Make him relinquish Zell's contract, then the moment it's in ya hands, I kill him. Everybody wins."

Before Seifer could answer he heard multiple footsteps from the entrance door. It would be troublesome to be caught chatting it up with the assassin. Thinking quickly, Seifer hoisted an unconscious Adonis on shoulder and told Irvine to follow him. Until they could work something out Adonis would have to be missing for a few hours.

Or maybe forever.

Chapter Text

It was a quarter to midnight, Dr. Kadowaki sighed as she set her pen down on the table, stack with filled out paperwork in a neat pile. Earlier that day there had been a SeeD exam, as usual many students got injured in the process from being inexperienced and reckless, but fortunately there were no deaths this round. Whenever a student died, the paperwork and procedures were grueling; not to mention dealing with the family if they had any. Finished with the last of her paperwork for the night and having sent her two student apprentices to their rooms for the night about an hour ago, she believed it'd be a great idea to get some fresh air, but before that she pulled a flask out from her desk drawer and took a quick sip before putting it back. The night shift wasn't normally busy, since most faculty members and students were sleeping. Not to say that someone wouldn't wake up with a stomach virus or fever, but it wouldn't hurt to get away for a half hour or so before that had the chance of happening. Taking off her coat, Doctor decided to put on a jacket she recently bought instead. Once dressed, she locked up the infirmary and left. Traveling through the Garden halls at night had always felt relaxing, totally different from the hustle and bustle during the day, with teens chatting and yelling all throughout the day. While walking an occasional guard or two would wander past her and wave in understanding, the night shift could be exhausting, so breaks were important. When arriving to the exit the Doctor pulled out her keycard to open the mini gate; normally a guard would be watching from the nearby box opening the gate so she didn't have to, but oddly enough no one was there...strange. Shrugging it off as nothing she made her way outside.

As she arrived at her destination, the night was equally as calm as the inside. Only the sounds of the waves clashing together filled the silence. Pulling out a cigarette, she sighed as she took a much needed drag. The trafficking business hadn't been doing well since Adonis' disappearance. Forcing the doctor to lay low until things cleared up, a pity really. The two assistant girls she'd been training were fresh for the taking, since the need for underground doctors was on the rise. Plus, useful product sold more. Now, all of that was on hiatus, which meant a loss in profit.

"You mind letting me take a hit of that?" Dr. Kadowaki almost lost the flimsy stick when the unknown voice startled her, noticing that she wasn't alone anymore. Turning to look at the man she immediately relaxed, "Hyne Almasy, almost gave a lady a heart attacked," she laughed.

Seifer looked a bit worn, dark rings around his eyes, skin pale rather than his usual cream tone. He was wearing a black long sleeve turtleneck with one of his arms in a sling.

Seifer chuckled, "Wouldn't want that now would we?"

Pulling out another cig, she gave it to the blonde, helping him light it as well. The dim light from the cig made him look menacingly, but she paid that no mind as she visually inspected the man.

"What brings you out here? You should be resting, letting that arm heal up too," She stated.

"Needed a breather, Squall chewed my ass out for fuckin' up my mission," he lied.

"Oh I heard about that, have they found any news about Adonis?"

"Nah, its like he vanished into thin air. When everything went down so much was happening, and the man insisted on not following my orders. The poor son of a bitch if you ask me. If he'd listen he still be here."

"Yeah, well these things happen for a reason I suppose."

"Must suck now though, with being unemployed and all, huh?"

Her eyes widened as her own skin went pale, "W-What are you talking about?!"

Her eyes darted at him, a grim death stare looking back at her unflinching, his expression cold and emotionless. "Your side business, ya know. The one where you sell children to the highest bidder."

The Doctor faltered, cigarette falling from her lips. This time actually hitting the ground.

Seifer continued, "Your little shop caused people a lot of pain. I think it's time we close it up for good, ya?"

"I- What are you talking about Seifer? Are you implying that I'm selling children? How could you even think I would do such a thing." She took a few steps back looking at the doorway, that he was conveniently in the way of.

"Damn," Seifer laughed breathlessly, "I feel sorry for you, wanna know why?"

"W-Why?"

"Because," he closed in on her, "If you keep on acting like you're all innocent, when I start pulling your teeth out, your gonna wish you really were innocuous. Now run. I love a good chase."

She immediately darted towards the door to get past him to get inside the Garden, only to meet his arm smashing her straight to the ground.

"C'mon Doc. You can do better than that."

She panicked. The world was to her back, she could run in any direction, but each pathway she took would be game over. The Doctor didn't get up, trying to figure what her options were.

"O-okay Almasy. W-what do you want from me? I promise I'll never-"

A sharp scream came from her mouth as Seifer crushed her ankle, the blow had been so forceful, her skin ripped opened, revealing the meaty bleeding flesh; his death stare looking down at her with solidarity.

"I want you to never take a breath again. But, we'll get to that. Eventually."

The last thing she saw before her world faded to black was Seifer's boot coming down directly her face.

__________

Zero degree water suddenly covered her whole body as it shocked her awake. The good Doctor's whole body began shivering, no layers of clothing to protect her body from the impact besides her base bra and panties, her good black lace! The freezing water seeped from her hair into her eyes, strands of soggy hair falling onto her pupils. She couldn't get it out, her eyes wouldn't close! Panic set in even before she got a good look around the room. She began screaming, realizing that her mouth was already propped open she couldn't bite down. All she could do was scream and shiver, her hands bound behind a chair so she couldn't get the hair our of her eyes. Deep breaths, panicking wasn't going to get her out of the situation. As her eyes finally adjusted to the room, there wasn't much there to see. A lone dim light hovered in a slow pendulum overhead, a single simple drain placed directly under the chair. It didn't shine bright enough to reach the walls. "E-ello...! Ith anyone there?" the pronunciation of her words were surprisingly clear. A small shuffling noise came from in front of her, her posture perking up in hopes of something to help figure out what was going on!

As the figure moved into the light, his face slight hidden in the cover of darkness, her blood ran cold and she recoiled back into the chair. Seifer stood there menacingly; the same dull hatred that was on his face before.

"It was time to wake you up. You like my work? Took a couple of hours but," He brought a chair up in front of her and took a seat, "Now it's fun time."

Tears began coming down her face "Lease don't...! Just stop this" She tried to beg, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"But that's what I'm doing Doc. I'm stopping you."

Seifer's hand glowed blue as he pointed at her, Thunder leaving his hand to strike it. The simple spell felt like a Thundara, her whole body convulsing from the pain of the electricity. Her head fell slack, just staring at the ground and breathing heavily. Her eyes were so dry, she wanted to blink so bad. The sound of wood sliding across concrete came, she tried to lift her head to see where Seifer was going as he slid into a darker side of the room. As he came back, she noticed that one hand held a giant bag and the other a funnel. The panic began setting in again as she leaned back to try and get away. Seifer dropped the bag next to her before grabbing her throat, whipping her head back to look directly up at the single light that hung from the ceiling. He slid the funnel down her throat, she struggling to escape from his grasp.

“Are you hungry? I’ve got a real treat for you.”

Seifer grabbed the bag with his free hand, ignoring the pain of his broken arm, and dumped it above the funnel. “They might not all get in but, that’s okay.” Terror cascaded over her face as a rain of maggots fell all over her. Half of them fell in the funnel, wriggling and sliding down her throat. The other half covered her entire body, falling over her nose and open eyes. The shaking got worse, the disgusting larvae wriggling all over her.

“They say that maggots can eat living flesh. I wanted to see if they’d eat you out from the inside. That’ll take a while though, but I can be patient.”

An automatic reaction, her body began trying to reject the maggots by throwing up. Seifers hand gripped around her throat tighter, the vomit that came up not being able to escape her body.

“Doc, you’ve gotta swallow your food.”

The lack of oxygen came, her body trying to squirm free from his grasp and take a breath, drowning on vomit and insects. Kadowaki’s whole body tried to reject Seifer, kicking away from her tormentor and falling back,her hands being crushed under the force of the chair falling over top of them. The funnel flew out of her mouth as the bile projected across the floor, a pool of maggots and whatever she’d eaten for dinner that day coalescing under her face and in her eyes. What followed was a coughing fit, trying to regain her breath from nearly drowning on her own stomach contents. She turned her head up a little so her face didn’t stick to the sludge and bugs, the tears adding some salty content to it.

“That’s what it feels like.”

The coughing fit continued, her being unable to reply to him.

“Drowning in your own vomit, unable to do anything because you're trapped. That’s what it feels like in the system. Have you ever seen it?”

Seifer grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up so that the chair sat upright properly. “I used to not think about it. I used to just indulge in those stuck in the system. Then I saw it. I realized,” her looked her dead in face, the same unflinching look of hate. “The entire world is filled with disgusting filth who are using people to their own whims. Their own profit. And you’re one of them. You’re a disgusting person who sells people for their own profit. So I thought I’d let you feel it. Let you feel how really disgusting you were. To feel what it was like to be in the system. What it was like to drown.”

A rag covered her face, her head shaking to try and dislodge it. The sound of a spell going off came as water suddenly poured over her face, her breath being lost to the waterboarding. She struggled and struggled, as if she were in an ocean of water trying to swim to the surface desperately before the water filled her lungs. The water would stop for a second, giving her a few seconds to catch her breath before another Water spell would cascade her in agony. She felt like she was slipping away, all her energy dissipating into the darkness of the room. Her pointless screams becoming quieter. Seifer continued to cast the spell repeatedly, until he began noticing that her body seemed to be in a lull of movement. He removed the rag, her open eyes hanging to the side looking like they’d lost their light. She wasn’t dead but, she looked like she was about to pass out.

“Leaving me already Doc? Not yet, just a little more.” He slid a pen out of his pocket and popped the cap open. A long thing needle stuck out at the end. With a powerful thrust, he jammed the shot of adrenaline straight to her heart, and with a gasp of breath her eyes came to light again, her senses going into overdrive from the energy.

“We’re just getting started.”

________

Walking down a corridor was a young man wearing a cowboy hat; his thick leather boots being heard with every step against the concrete. the lights out here were just as bad as in the cells. His face looked a little discouraged, like he was fed up with all this. How long was Seifer going to drag this out? It had been an entire week! His agitated stride, the echoing going down the long concrete hallway, stepped with vigor towards his destination. Each room he walked past he had to check the doorway for the number; Ivrine hadn't been down here long enough to really get a bearing on his surroundings, but it's not hard when they're all labeled. 'Zero four oh nine', he mumbled. There it was; a soft sigh parting from his lips as his fist raised to knock on the door. Just in time for a shrill scream to pierce through the cracks, making him jump back a little. His fist clenched, and impacted the frame three times for a knock. It took a few seconds, the sounds of metal clanging hitting the solid floor, before the slit in the middle of the door opened up to reveal a pair of angry scarred cyan eyes.

"What?" Seifer spoke very to the point.

"We need ta talk," He matched the enthusiasm with his own grim expression.

"I'm kinda busy here. It can wait," The slit slammed shut loudly.

Ivrine gritted his teeth and attacked the metal, pounding on it with the back of his fist. "Hyne damnit Almasy, get out here!"

The door jutted open, the pressurized lock letting out a long cool hiss sound. It swung wide open, a blast of wretched air smacking the Cowboy in the face. He tried to cover his nose, but the sight behind the door suddenly shocked the smell away; for it was much worse than the stench. Seifer stood directly behind the door, one arm gripping the edge of it as if blocking the way in. His shirtless form glistened in contrast to the red splotches of liquid covering his body. Kadowaki sat with her head hung low, her hair hanging towards the ground as one lump of dried up mess; like spilled syrup on one's head but never cleaned up. Multiple gashes covered her body, her underwear had long since fallen to the floor. Looks like her tormentor had gotten carried away with the cutting and didn't care to make sure not to cut the strings. The bruises and burn marks that covered her body almost made her once beige skin look charred, though not the crispness a third degree burn would have. Her right arm seemed disabled, dislocated at the shoulder with gashes running up it. Brown stains covered her legs, for what could only be described as excrement. Shaking, she slowly brought her head up to look at Ivrine. Her eyes, which had previously been stapled open, looked at him with lids half closed. Only a black void could be seen of her left eye; her brown right eye giving a look to Ivrine that said everything it needed to with that one look.

Please help.

"What!?" Seifer yelled, shocking Ivrine back to reality.

"I-I...," He stammered trying to regain his composure. The look of horror on his face said a thousand words, but he only needed to hear that one from the poor doctor. "C'mon out here. Best not do it in front of...," He turned his head away, not being able to even look in the direction of the room.

Seifer groaned, walking out and slamming the door shut activating the locking mechanism for the somewhat complicated metal door. "There's nothing you need to tell me that's as important as-"

"You takin' all yer frustrations on that woman!?" He was angry, but knew that confronting Seifer physically was a losing battle. He had to use his words.

"Damn straight," He didn't apologize for what he was doing. She was getting everything she deserved. "Justice."

"That ain't justice Almasy! That's just fuckin' horror! How long are ya goin' ta do this? Huh? The longer it goes on, the deeper you fall into darkness. Darkness ain't justice."

"Pft." Seifer's fists grabbed his collar, pushing him up against the door. "Do you know what she did?! If I have to chase the darkness to make her pay then that Hyne damn what I've gotta do!"

"How ya gonna stay with Zell in the light, if you're too far in the dark...?" The words rung true, Seifer froze wide eyed. He was right. He was doing it again, going too far, past the point of fixing it. Just like when he almost raped Zell... He was doing this to become a better man but, was that what this was getting him? His fingers let go of Ivrine, his body stepping pack in a stunned state of inner turmoil.

"W-what... What should I do then Kinneas...?" A shock to the cowboy as he watched tears fall down Seifer's face. "I keep fucking up!" His fist pounded against the metal door causing a loud echoing bang to shiver down the hallway. A calm hand reached out, touching him on the shoulder.

"End it, Seifer. Move on."

Looking back to his co-conspirator's eyes, they seemed determined. As if trying to give a little light back to Seifer's own green orbs. A solemn expression falling on his face and a deep sigh. He turned to the door and opened it with a new resolve. The dim light came into the room and Kadowaki lifted her head up to look at her tormentor. She had learned the first day to greet him every time he walked into the room, less the beating be more severe.

"A... A friend of mine gave me some advice. It's time... to end this." He stepped up to her, his rough fingers slipping across her throat and gripping it tightly. He took a deep breath, and squeezed. Squeezed with all of his might. Her body began thrashing about kicking from the crushing lack of oxygen. Seifer just stared blankly down at her, his body only moving to adjust to hers and keep the pressure. After a few minutes, her movement began to slow. He watched as the twinkle in her eye slowly faded until it became a dull void, as dull as the hole of her other eye.

Ivrine watched with a pit in his stomach, the feeling of disgust making him feel a slight queasy. He turned, moving to walk away down the hall away from the gruesome sight. There were bigger fish to fry, and Seifer needed to get his head in the game to tackle the next monster... Adonis.

__________

Adonis laid expectantly on his cot, the constant screams from that unknown woman had started dying down, which probably meant she was dead and he was next. Not that he thought it mattered, "All precious things must eventually rot," he mumbled plainly.

The pale man welcomed being in the disgusting room, it wasn't like he was new to it, back in his younger days his very own punishment room looked the same. Maybe missing a few chains, whips, and toys, but the thick air of death and depression smelled sickeningly extravagant and reminiscent. His Master would be turning over in his shallow grave if he saw how right he was about the Adonis. Adonis had fucked his way out of slavery and rose to the top, becoming an owner himself, eventually paving the way and creating the marvelous system that was implemented around the world, it wouldn't matter if his time was up, he go down in history. The thought of such fame and remembrance turn the man on, his phallus stiffing against his underwear. Being back in a dungeon reminding him of home, and how he missed being the perfect submissive masochist. He wished Seifer would barge in and destroy him, unsure of what's holding the bulky blonde man back. Zell could never please a man the way he could, the sooner Seifer realized that, the better off things would be. Every time the scarred blonde walked in room he appeared perturbed, only ever managing to punch Adonis a few times before storming out to make the woman scream instead. All Adonis did was greet him, like an obedient dog. If Seifer couldn't handle being Alpha, while the pale man waited in heat like an Omega, then he should just kill him already.

His erection strained against pants, but he knew better than to touch, even without a Master it was against the rules. The main one being, edge twice, then if Master allowed, release on the third. If not, edge until the next day. It was a rule he faithfully instilled in all of the pets he trained (the one's that survived). Yet it'd been so long since doing it himself he feared he may fail, already being at his limit. Thankfully just as he was about to release Seifer walked in.

Seifer stopped in the middle of the room, looking at the man with mild disgust, "get up."

"Certainly, my lord." Adonis sat up on the flimsy cot, making sure to get on his knees, he crossed his arm behind his back and widen his legs. Showing the blonde everything he had to offer, "will you make me scream like that woman?"

Seifer couldn't help but scoff. "Is that what you want?"

"It's what you want."

"You know you're not getting out of this alive, so why not make it easy for yourself?"

"Mr.Almasy, do you like beautiful things? Things that make people jealous or intrigued?" Adonis smiled wickedly, "I turned trash into diamonds. Just think, what would Zell be without me? Let me answer for you...A dead whore."

Seifer charged forward and slammed his hand on Adonis' throat, choking him against the wall. "Shut the fuck up about Zell," he growled.

The man wheezed, but didn't struggle as the blonde strangled him, he looked at Seifer with hazel eyes, lust spreading throughout his body. Seifer let him go and backed away.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're enjoying this."

"This is who I really am. Adonis Macari is nothing more than a persona, someone I needed to be. The real me is so much more...entertaining." with exaggerated hand motions, Adonis laughed softly, "if I hadn't stabbed my Master to death, I would have been a prized inamorato."

Seifer didn't interrupt, he truly didn't give a damn about this man's past, but maybe that Adonis was finished playing games. Probably was just getting everything off his chest before it was too late.

"Turns out my Master really did love me, being treated like a philistine apparently equals being loved. After I disposed of him, I found a letter. He planned on giving me his entire fortune, planned on releasing me, so I was no longer a slave. It pissed me off. The man didn't love me at all, I know it! He had every intent on replacing me for a younger model! Look at me Almasy! I don't look a day over twenty-five. It was a lie! It had to be. So I killed him, took his fortune and took his name. I went to school and I learned. The world would know Adonis. The perfect slave owner. I couldn't kill him again. So I decided to destroy his legacy."

Seifer widened his eyes. All of the damage this man had caused, for what? Fixing his gaze of anger, the blonde growled, "You ruined countless of people's lives just so you could punish a dead man?! Do you even understand what you've done?!"

Adonis' shrugged, "Oh I understand, I simply don't care. Those people were simply fodder and now that I've been caught you expect me to apologize? What for?! I'm not sorry! If I could, I would do it all again! The only way to stop me is to kill me, Mr. Almasy."

"Then tell me where Zell's contract is located. I know it wouldn't be in the archives with the normal ones."

"Hm. Even now you fret about him. You know, doing all this for him is pointless, he won't return your love. Creatures like us are incapable of loving. To him, your nothing more than a man whose mind only wonders about his phallus getting quenched. You're an imbecile if you think otherwise."

"You're probably right, but Zell deserves this and even if he turns me away, I won't regret it."

"How admirable."

"Tell me where it is Adon-"

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT! THAT IS NO LONGER MY NAME! ADONIS IS DEAD!"

Seifer stepped back from the outburst, it was unexpected. "Then who are you? The real you?"

At the question the pale man instantly deflated, "m-my name... was Jasper. Master allowed me to keep my birth name. The only real thing about me honestly." He sighed, "I grow bored of this, if I'm to die there should be no point in me reminiscing. I ask of two things Mr. Almasy. If you deliver, I'll give you the location of all files that belong to innocent people."

His facade of being difficult had finally dropped, and Seifer had to seize the moment. "What do you want?"

"I want you to make love to me. I want to know what it's like to go slow and unhurried. To not be a whore, waiting on command to please. I want to know normalcy at least once." A strange request but surprisingly... Tame. At the end of the day Adoni- no, Jasper, was a regular guy just like everyone else. He just wanted love.

"The second?" he asked almost hesitantly.

"When you finish, killing me that is, I would appreciate a funeral of some sort. But I want to die as Jasper. I don't care how you dispose of me, only that someone was there, mourning."

"Alright, I'll accept you're deal," Seifer walked up to the man and grabbed his hand leading him out of the room. As the door opened, Ivrine stood there with a surprised look on his face, almost protesting.

"Where are we going?" Adonis questioned.

"My room, we'll finished everything there."

__________

The rain somberly poured from the sky as if the heavens weeped a tear for the once walking divine. It washed over Seifer's face as he looked down at the grave, a blank expression on his face. The title of the grave read "Here lies Jasper." He wanted to be remembered for who he really was, no matter who shitty of a person he turned out to be. Footsteps could be heard sloshing around in the mud behind him, Seifer un-moving at the noise but knowing just who they were coming from.

"Seifer, I-"

"Shumi Village. That's where they are."

"Where what-"

"The files. The files for all the innocent people who don't belong in the program. As long as you give me Zell's you can have the rest of them. You and the Ice Princess can have them for your case. Got it?"

Ivrine took his hat down, a strange expression over his face. One that could only be described as a mixture between relief and sadness. He extended his hand and offered a spare umbrella to Seifer, to which he didn't react to and let the cowboy walk away. He stood there in the rainfall quietly, reflecting on his life in comparison to the Jasper, and Adonis's, gravestone.

Chapter Text

Three months. It had been three whole months since Zell heard anything from Seifer. The man left for a mission, but hadn't returned, with zero insurance that he was even alive. Rather than feeling worried, the young blonde felt a bit jealous; missed the old days at the Garden when he could go on missions and forget about the woes or the people treating him like crap. He missed helping others, missed getting down and dirty. Maybe one day he could open up a mercenary shop; assist people with mundane day to day tasks as a job. Maybe...Well, at least he could dream about it.

Having the house to himself was nice at first, especially when Elyse was still hanging out with him. But it wasn't long before she had to leave, though she made sure to stop by every now and again to check in. Now that it was lonely and silent, Zell realized he'd never been alone for so long before, when it was good or bad, someone had always been nearby. It was an eye opening experience, but it made him come to terms that he longed for companionship. As the time passed, Seifer's confession always seemed to drilled its way into Zell's brain, no matter how hard he tried to forget or ignore it. But since he was alone, Zell realized, in the end, the smarter option would be to just tell Seifer how he felt. Seifer said he was in love, and the younger blonde was confident he would respect his answer; he just hoped the man would accept the news well. It wasn't that Zell wasn't willing to forgive and forget, just trying to find love while being considered nothing more than a toy for other people's pleasure wouldn't be beneficial. Both parties would end up hurting in the long run. At the end of the day, Zell was owned by another man, not even the great Almasy could save him from that.

Nowadays, The martial artist spent his time training and cleaning, only leaving the house to purchase cleaning supplies, food, and toiletries. He had just finished cleaning the house for the day when a loud knock banged on the door, sounding quite urgent. When he got closer he heard an all too familiar voice on the other side rambling.

Opening the door revealed Elyse, standing outside the door looking rathered disturbed, "Chocolate Bar what's the-"

"We gotta talk, let me in now!" She quickly pushed passed him, heading over towards the couch. Zell waited for her to get settled before speaking again.

"What's wrong?"

Elyse had taken a shaky breath. She looked down at her trembling fingers, grasping them in order to stop them. "I heard a rumor....That Adonis is missing."

"What...?"Zell's blood ran cold, his throat constricting tighter than normal, he almost croaked, "please tell me you're joking."

"Do you think I'd drive all the way out here to make a joke like this? Come on Zell!"

Missing? Impossible, that man never had a reason to go into hiding. What did that mean for Zell and the others?

"How long?" He questioned, quickly joining her on the couch.

"Dunno, but the staff workers were trying to keep it on the down low, so maybe for a while? What does this mean for us? Does he have a replacement or something?" She looked at Zell expectantly.

"He's a perfectionist, I've never seen him have an assistant that wasn't a servant. So I'm pretty sure the business is running without an owner right now. If this is even all true," Zell brushed his hair back while jumping up to start pacing around the room. Panic slowly setting in, he wondered when the agency would call, or if they would. Who would he belong to now?

Zell didn't have time to think on the thought long. A sudden loud noise rattled the front door, making both parties jump in terror. After a quick and silent conversation using their eyes, they decided that Zell would take the lead opening the door since he continued to train in the arts. While Elyse would stay back with her hand on the ready to call the authorities if things went awry.

When he opened the door, immediately the sight of a fancy car obscured the view. A familiar figure with long flowing brown hair continued going about his business. The man's back was facing Zell and doing something to the passenger seat of the automobile. The blonde took a cautious step forward, trying to understand the situation before having to engage with the person. He quickly came to the conclusion that said person in front of him couldn't be from the agency, the car was to nice for a servant to be picked up in. Being impulsive as ever, the tattooed man jumped the gun and decided to call him out.

"What do you want and why are you here?"

He could tell the figure was startled, the subtle jump confirmed. The man slowly put his hands up in a show of surrender and turned around, "well I'll be. Been a few years, Zell. Ya know, technically ya asked me the same thing twice," the man said with a smirk.

Irvine Kinneas.

Zell hadn't seen him in a incredibly long time, the gunslinger looked much more beautiful without the hat, plus his hair was untied, flowing lightly against the wind's current.

The blonde's face warmed in color, shying away from looking at the man in the eyes; his submissiveness showing. "W-What brings you here? Seifer's not home."

"Oh I know, came to return him. He's pretty sick though," stepping to the side, Irvine's body no longer hid Seifer's. The older blonde was slouched over in the passenger seat, unconscious, pale and gaunt. Zell's mouth was held agape as he took a step back; never thought he'd see Seifer looking so pitiful, but he assumed there's a first for everything.

Without waiting for the gunslinger to ask, Zell started to help with getting the unconscious man from the car, his dead weight making the process more difficult than it needed to be.

When they entered the condo, instead of taking Seifer upstairs to the bedroom, the two men placed him on the couch. While carrying him Zell noticed how feverishly hot his body was, "Elyse get me a big bowl of ice water, make sure the tap waters cold too...and a rag! Hurry his fever is bad!"

He barely recalled her responding, her highheels quickly clicking away to retrieve the items. He looked towards the burnette, "Irvine, start removing his clothes while I go get some medicine and fresher clothes for him, please!" Zell didn't wait for the confirmation before he hastened upstairs, rushing to the medical cabinet. This was something he was use to doing, caring for the sick and injured. Autopilot set in as Zell found comfortable but removable pajamas for Seifer.

When he got back, Elyse was already dabbing the rag across Seifer's body. Trying her best to lower his temperature, while cleaning off any gunk and sweat. Even with the freezing water grazing his skin, the scarred blonde hadn't awoken, or flinched at the ministrations taking place. His sickness putting him in a deep slumber.

"Shit!"

"What's wrong?"

"I was kinda hoping he would wake up with the cold water," Zell explained, "it's not safe to give him liquids while unconscious."

It was Irvine's turn to speak up, "Well we gotta do somthin', he kept refusin' to see a doctor. If he gets any worse I'm gonna have to take 'em anyway."

"Well, we have to give him a suppository...," Zell mumbled. Of all the things that needed to be done, shoving a pill up Seifer's ass was not on that list, but judging from his friend and Irvine, he was going to be forced to do it.

Elyse scoffed, "Zell, Sweetie, I hardly know the man..." She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid in an attempt to exclude herself.

Both then looked towards Irvine, who was causally tying his hair in a bun. When he noticed both eyes on him, he stepped back, astonished. "Woah now, look, Seif 'n' I go way back. But the last time I tried to hit his G-spot the man damn near killed me. Yer on yer own Zell, trust me. He won't care if it's you."

"You've gotta be kidding me. You're both jerks, ya know that," Zell stated. Clearly annoyed that he had been instantly betrayed.

"Look, Zelly you're the one prolonging this. He's already sick and naked, just shove the pill up his bum and call it a day, damn."

"Fine, help me turn him over and bend his knees up."

The three of them fell into a quiet rhythm as they got Seifer into position, once the medication was administered and the immobile man was dressed up, Zell went about making them all lunch. He thought about making Seifer some soup, just in case he awoke, but ultimately decided against it, figuring he probably wouldn't have the strength to eat yet.

After making some pasta salad, the trio carried Seifer upstairs to his bedroom, leaving more medication and a glass of water on the end table. Irvine and Elyse headed back down stairs, leaving Zell behind. Standing near the doorway, he leaned back, trying to contemplate his next move in silence. This all seemed so strange. 'What happened to you?' He walked up to the side of the bed, and examined Seifer's face.

Seifer looked deathly, his once peach skin looked pale and sickly. His normally full cheeks, were indented and hollowed. Dark rings with blue spider-like veins covered the circumference of his eyes. The scarred man normally kept his hair short, but now it had actually grown out down to his ears, longer than Zell had ever seen. Zell smiled softly as he brushed some of the hair away, the length was about the same as Squalls. If Seifer had heard that aloud, he probably would've went on a rampage. Without thinking, Zell leaned closer to study the man's face. He still couldn't believe that this was Seifer, it didn't seem real. What could have happened to him to make him look so pitiful, so vulnerable? Irvine surely must know, but would he tell him? Zell pondered, did he have a right to know? If he got hurt this badly the mission probably was top secret.

All the while, the Martial Artist couldn't help but feel a slight ping of sadness. All these weeks he'd sat in this house waiting for Seifer to get back to practically break his heart, now the only thing he felt was worry. Worry if the man was ever going to wake up, worry for what the future held between them... And worried about his feelings wavered. If it had been months ago and he saw Seifer like this, would he of cared? Would there be any malice towards him in thinking that karma finally came around to bite him? After all this time, had Seifer actually been harboring these feelings and not known how to express them? It seemed genuine enough but... That doesn't erase the pain. Yet sitting here, watching the very vulnerable face of this once strong man, was almost a spectacle. How many people ever got to see the great Seifer Almasy in such a state? Zell was someone who got to see sides of this man that no one else did... There had to be something too that.

________

When Zell finally made his way downstairs, Elyse was gone and only Irvine remained, resting on the couch while massaging his temples. Irvine either didn't notice Zell had arrived or he simply didn't care. Zell decided to not hold it against him because he looked exhausted. He must've been driving for a long while.

Before joining the resting Gunslinger, Zell decided to fix him a glass of whiskey, hoping that would relax the man. When he returned, he noticed Irvine stopped moving. Zell almost thought he'd fallen asleep until he heard a sharp sigh.

Setting the glass down, Zell joined him, "Hey Irvine? Why don't you take a nap? Almasy's not getting up anytime soon and I don't think you're okay to drive if you're so tired."

Irvine didn't look up, just continued massaging his face. "I appreciate it, but no can do. Gotta report back the Commander. Just wanted to get him settled in before I left."

"But I wanna talk with you before you go though."

"'bout?" The Gunslinger glanced his way.

"What happened to Almasy? His arm is messed up, he has a fever, he looks emaciated. It's like he was a prisoner or something! Why haven't you taken him to Dr.Kadowaki? She would've helped him!"

Zell watched as the Gunslinger grimaced, also noticing how the brunette tightened his fist. What the hell was up with him? It was a simple question.

"Ask him when he wakes up. Not really my place to say," Irvine's voice sound strained. Almost foreign to how he normally spoke. Something definitely happened.

That was enough. Zell practically bounced off the couch to get in the man's face. "That's bullshit and you know it! I have every right to know what happened to him!"

It was like a light switch, Zell thought as he saw Irvine's expression change. He didn't look angry, rather his face was now similar to 'his', a false sense of security. Irvine looked gentle and kind, but Zell knew the words leaving his mouth would be nothing but malice. "Do you now? Aren't you some high service whore? Dropout of the Garden because you couldn't get enough cocks? Yea, I've heard the rumors." Irvine scoffed, "Zell, do you even know how to love? Especially someone like him? He spoke as if you two were lovers, but cleary it's one sided. Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, but Seifer is a friend. So I'm gonna say it once. Stop hurting him."

With wide eyes, Zell just gawked at him. To spout such ignorant garbage as if he knew the truth. "How dare you...." He knew nothing! Seifer gets a welcoming pity party, while all his life, Zell had been stepped on. Very few had cared for him and he would never just stand here and let Irvine-who didn't know his story- talk down to him like a spec of dusk. No. No matter what life threw, Zell knew he was a survivor and nobody would tell him differently. "I didn't ask for this!" He yelled, barely containing the tremble from leaving his voice, "I could have been somebody. But you're right, I'm a whore. I chose to get raped. I chose to get beaten. And I definitely chose for Seifer to fall in love with me. Sorry, I hadn't realized this was my fault." Zell remarked sarcastically, tears streaming down his face, but he held his head high up, silently daring the man to talk more about something he knew nothing of.

"I... Seifer raped you?" Irvine paled as his heart almost stopped, there was no way. That Seifer wasn't capable of something like that.

Zell turned his head away in disgust, not wanting to even look at Irvine.
"Maybe get all your ducks in a row before you talk next time Irvine."

"Shit..."

Irvine started to look sick, and he didn't want to elaborate, but it was wrong to have him thinking Seifer was a deviant, even though he almost did. "He didn't though...Seifer's an asshole, but he's no rapist. Funny, my childhood bully turns out to be my savior. What a crappy story."

"I'm sorry Zell, really. I didn't mean to- look, it's better if Seifer talks with you. I only know what've I seen from my prospective, and to tell you the truth? It ain't good. That's why I lashed out." He stood up, scratching the back of his head with a somber expression. "I really shouldn't get in between this. So I'm gonna head off." He walked off towards the door, putting on his coat and hat. Before he walked out the door, he turned back to Zell. "Oh. One more thing. I brought in his luggage, let him know that first when he gets up."

And that was it, once again Zell was alone, but this time Seifer was nearby. Somehow there was comfort in knowing that.

_______

His body felt heavy, trapped beneath a blanket of guilt. Unable to move, Seifer could only replay the recent events, twisted and distorted to please his nightmare's expectations. While Adonis' words resonated him to his core.

"You're doing all this for Mr. Dincht? Quite unfortunate, but he won't return the feelings. I was training him to become my predecessor, I was in the process of breaking his mind, corrupting the way he views the world. It didn't take much, the poor sap. I'm sure you've read his file, so you know, right?"

Instead of Dr.Kadowaki sitting in that death chair, Zell sat instead, face void of any expression. Seifer couldn't stop his body from moving closer, he screamed for Zell to run, yelled to will his body to stop.

Neither listened.

Unable to control himself, Seifer lifted his gunblade, pointing it directly towards the younger blonde. The sharp blade skated across the tribal tattoo, Zell didn't even flinch when his skin was nicked. Blood trailed down his face, but it wasn't important. Those soulless blue eyes starring directly into Seifer mattered more.

Zell was controlling him, Adonis had won, and now the world was going to burn for it. The young blonde smiled, sweet, loving and caring.

And then Seifer pulled the trigger.

Seifer gasped as he opened his eyes, his heart paced and once again his body felt heavy, but exhaustion settled in too. Everything hurt and Seifer couldn't quite place where he was. He was about to call for Irvine when he looked over to his side.

Zell was next to him, napping away peacefully. The blonde looked so soft, his normally spiky hair laid flat, covering his face tattoo. His mouth hung open as he snored, probably soaked the pillow with his drooling.

It'd been a few months since he last saw Zell, but somehow the hyperactive punk always managed to look so young and carefree. His angelic face never revealed the pain lurking inside.

Seifer knew about the trauma that happened while he was at both Gardens, and he could only imagine the hells with Adonis, but unfortunately that was all eventually brought to light. The documents found at Shumi village revealed everything. Zell's childhood before the orphanage, his life at the Gardens, and the endless amounts of activities he's done in the Program. Seifer knew everything and it made him physically sick.

The fact that Zell was even by his side now spoke volumes about his character. Seifer couldn't wait to set him free. The fighter could finally be his own man, make his own decisions. Those celestial blue eyes would widen in disbelief and Seifer would show him, prove to him that it was real. For the evidence laid in his luggage.

He wished he could touch him, but physically Seifer was chained to the bed in heavy blankets and mentally, after what he's done, touching someone pure hearted like Zell, the gunblader firmly believed it was the same as committing a sin. Seifer promised himself he would never hurt him again. Fully intended to keeping his word, the scarred blonde laid there, content with watching his companion sleep.

Unaware of the time, Seifer laid and watched, but eventually his throat screamed for some form of refreshments. His mouth was barren, tongue flet like it was one step from crumbling away. He opened his mouth to speak, but ended up having a coughing fit.

Zell came to almost instantly, hopping up to check Seifer's fever before noticing the man had woken.

"...Water," Seifer managed to croak, his voice a former shell of what it normally was.

Zell hummed affirmatively as he reached for the glass of water resting on the bedside table. Carefully Seifer tried to raise his head, thankfully the other was there to assist. The cool water felt like heaven as it seeped down his throat, his tongue rejuvenating also.

"Thanks."

"Mmhm. How ya feelin? Think you can eat?" Zell placed the glass back on the table, tucking the other back in bed.

"Food...sounds great," Seifer whispered, couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten, but he knew he threw the contents back up. Appetite wasn't exactly there after the lives he's taken recently. Always needed a few days to desensitize himself from the situation for anything sounded appealing.

"Alright, well sit tight. I'll go make some soup." The blonde hopped off the bed and started to make his way to the door, but Seifer's yell startled him.

"Wait! P-Please stay."

Zell huffed looking back in confusion, "can't exactly make soup up here."

"We need to talk."

"And it can wait. S'not like I'm going anywhere, plus you're sick. So you don't get a choice. I'll be back."

________

A few days had passed and Seifer was pretty much back at full health. He still looked gaunt and underweight, but his fever had faded. Zell catered to the man, nursing him and seeing that he was taking proper care of himself.

Seifer still was unable to inform Zell of his freedom. Any time he tried to initiate a serious conversation the blonde made an excuse to be somewhere else. Seifer didn't want to push him, but damn was it irking his last nerve. He appreciated Zell being here, but he wanted to rip the bandage off quick. He knew the blonde wouldn't stay here once he received the papers. So why prolong it? Seifer came to terms that Zell would never be his. So the faster his company left, the better.

It was noon, which meant that Zell was most likely out in the backyard working out.

Today was the day Seifer decided to confront and tell him. Walking to the back door, the scarred blonde waited. Zell would be finished soon and blocking his path was the only way to stop him from escaping with some lame excuse.

Just as he finished the thought Zell was headed his way. Not paying attention or noticing the other's presence.

Seifer walked forward, effectively blocking the blonde's path, before he had a chance to speak, the older blonde spoke first.

"We need to talk about your position in the Servitude Program, Zell." Seifer said plainly, he kept his emotions leveled and his face passive. Yes, he was elated to bring Zell the news, but at the same time disheartened. He didn't want him to leave.

"Whaddaya mean?" Zell's heart quickened, stepping back from the sudden progression. He hadn't heard much from Elyse and he'd been so busy with Seifer that checking the television didn't come to mind. Had Adonis called and come to collect? He didn't want to go back to Adonis. He rather go back to the dorms or stay here with Seifer. It wasn't right, but if Zell had to manipulate the older blonde he would. If Adonis had to go into hiding, he was probably angered beyond belief. Zell assumed that Adonis would need him to eradicate the stress.

"You're no longer my servant," Seifer said.

"W-What?" His heart was pounding, eyes began to tear up. Sounded like Seifer didn't even put up a fight. "After that shitty confession, after I nurse your ass back from the brink," the tears freely fell. "You're giving me back to him!"

"What?! Zell, no-" Seifer was cut off before he could finish. He didn't understand why Zell became so hostile, then it hit him. Zell probably assumed the worse.

"NO! I-I get it...I...when's he coming?"

"Never."

His breath was gone, it took a moment for him to respond. "...Huh?"

Seifer walked over to his luggage, left untouched after confirming the contents were still intact. Grabbing the documents he walked back over to Zell and handed it to him.

"Read it."

Taking the documents, there were two manila envelopes; he didn't understand why these were important right this second, but he opened one of them anyway.

The moment he saw the top of the paper he knew what it was. He hoped this wasn't a joke. Seifer had actually managed to obtain his contract, his proof of enslavement.

Seifer's face softened. He gave him a moment to read it, still somewhat stoic. "It's yours, Zell. Do whatever you want with it."

Shaking, Zell tried looking at the other, but his vision blurred. The flood gates opened as he freely wept. This... For the first time in his life, Zell was free.

His fists clenched the envelopes tightly, Seifer lifting Zell's arms up to make sure he didn't ruin the documents with tears. Putting his papers back, he opened the other envelope. The contents turned out to be Elyse's contract as well. Not one miracle... but two. Maybe.

Maybe he'd been truly wrong about his current caretaker.

He tried to stop shaking and sobbing long enough to speak. "H-How?"

"Not important."

"Like hell it's not! Master would never just hand me over!" He wanted to believe, but all his life the odds were stacked against him. Adonis' wealth equaled power and even the Great Almasy wouldn't be strong enough to over take him. There was no way Seifer played the Ultimatum Game.

"Well he didn't have much choice, and he won't be a 'Master' of anybody ever again."

Zell didn't need Seifer to spell it out for him. Adonis was gone, indefinitely.

Placing the contracts gently on the table, Zell turned back around to face Seifer. Cyan eyes looked back at him, Seifer seemed happy, but looked forlorn. The martial artist couldn't stop his feet from walking forward. Part of his mind screamed for him to stop, while the other encouraged. Seifer shouldn't look so pitiful. Slowly, Zell placed his hands on each side of the other's face and pressed his lips against his. At first Seifer didn't return the kiss, but eventually his resolve must have cracked because he placed his hands on Zell's hips. The kiss was languid, but soon became something feverish and passionate, both were reluctant to break away.

When they did, the room was silent except for the heavy panting. Seifer didn't know what to think. Why would Zell? How could Zell? None of it made sense and he definitely wasn't expecting to be kissed like that. Hopefully the younger blonde wasn't doing this as some type of reward.

"Zell, if you're doing this because of what I did, then stop. I didn't do that so I could fuck you."

"I'm doing this because I want to. I...look let's not think about it now." Zell smiled fondly, "I'm free now and I want to do something because I can, not because I'm told."

"You sure about this?"

"Yeah, I am. We can talk about what it means tomorrow. Now let's go up stairs."

__________

Several weeks passed since Zell and Elyse became free. Zell and Seifer sat down and talked. The young blonde said he wanted to finally live his life, maybe travel a bit or open a shop. He was explained how he wasn't ready for a relationship, needing time to recover and seek therapy. Seifer wouldn't deny him, he told Zell he was more than welcomed to stay as long as needed, but the fighter declined. Telling him that Elyse had found a small place for them to stay. Before he left, Zell told Seifer to keep in touch, he didn't want to lose the only other person who cared for him.

Now Seifer spent his days leisurely. He was suspended from the Garden regarding the incident with Adonis. Not that he cared, was due for a vacation anyway. Luckily enough he wasn't fired when he punched Squall in the face for leaving him in the dark during the mission.

Irvine checked in a few times after Zell's departure, keeping him company and in the loop with Garden gossip.

Seifer was relaxing on his couch, flipping through channels when his phone started to ring. Assuming it was Irvine, the blonde made no to rush to answer it. But when he saw the caller ID and read the name he almost dropped it answering.

"U-Um hey, sorry for the sudden call, you busy? I can call back later."

It was Zell, the gunblader hadn't really called or texted since the others departure. Hearing his voice, he could tell Zell felt naturally happier.

"No, please don't hang up! How are you? Everything alright?"

"Yeah! Things are really looking up now. I landed a job at a small town clinic, so I'm helping people."

"I'm glad." 'And I miss you', Seifer wanted to say, but he knew it wasn't appropriate.

"Well, I was actually in the neighborhood. Kinda wanted to know if you would like to hang out. Maybe go out to eat?"

Zell couldn't see it but Seifer's face of surprise was something most people never saw. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"If you say yes, then I guess I am. I've done something thinking."

"Hopefully not too much."

"Shut it! Anyway, I've been thinking and if you truly care about me, I want you to prove it. I'll tell you now, things aren't easy and I still have problems, but if you love me like you said you did... It shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship, but I don't see why we can't talk. Get to know me while I get to know you."

Seifer couldn't believe what he was hearing, Zell was approaching him, even after everything that's happened. Honestly never thought he'd have a chance like this. Progress, Zell was healing, he made this decision on his own accord. Seifer was proud.

"Zell I accept you for who you are, always have, always will. Now I won't get into everything now, rather not do this over the phone. So where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"I'm outside your door."

Looking towards the door in horror, Seifer ran to the door faster than he would admit to and opened it. Zell looked healthy, he'd put on weight, but remained fit. His ocean blue eyes looked lively. The fighter had a shy smile on his face. He truly seemed happy and that alone almost made Seifer's heart burst.

"Hi."

"What the fuck would you've done if I said no?!" He spoke a little flustered.

Zell put his arms on his waist with a defying smirk. "Would you of honestly said no?"

And for the first time ever, Seifer chuckled, his cheeks warming and arms crossing against his chest. "Well then... ready to go I take it?"

"Yup. Take me to a hotdog stand!"

Seifer grabbed his keys and headed for the car, neither said anything as they buckled up and drove to their destination. But while driving the two intertwined their hands, both becoming one. It was a long road ahead, but Seifer was willing to walk that path as long as Zell continued to create it.