Seven in the morning and the alarm buzzed out like a siren on a peaceful countryside. Zell, with his arm hanging loosely onto Lina's waistline, had underestimated the size of the bed and they were right next to each other throughout the entire night. He lifted his arm from around Lina reluctantly to shut off the alarm. Zell yawned and scratched the side of his head lazily; this morning felt different to him than all the other mornings--a lot more full, and the extra sleep was very welcoming--especially with Lina here. Zell sat up and balled his weight onto his other arm. He looked down at Lina who was only now stirring from sleep and smiled. Her long hair was sprawled across the pillow and she looked like she was smiling. She rubbed a hand lazily across her eye, then blinked them open.
"Good morning," Zell greeted tenderly, leaning over her as she flipped on her back and blushed. "I have class." He reluctantly stood up and headed for his desk to bunch up a few loose papers into a neat pile. Lina sat up. Her robe was looser than when she had fallen asleep; she pulled it tight and stared at Zell. "Oh come on..." his face had an incredulous look. "I'm not like that, and besides, I fell asleep before you."
"I know...and you were snoring like a big fat baby!" Lina giggled and Zell threw a crumpled piece of paper at her. She caught it and tossed it back at him. He laughed also as he caught it and flung it into the wastebasket.
"You can stay here if you'd like," Zell said, but Lina shook her head and swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing up wearily. It was moments like that made her realize how tired she really was of standing, walking, running, fighting, sometimes.
"I should head back, they'll get worried," Lina said, reaching for her shoes near the bedside and slipping them on carefully without tipping over. "But thanks, Zell, for everything." When she was done, she looked up at Zell and smiled with her lips but not her eyes. Zell didn't smile; he frowned, then beckoned for her.
"Come here." He held his arms out, momentarily forgetting about his papers. Lina's sad smile became suddenly childish; how great it was to be with Zell Dincht right now. She stumbled to him shyly and threw her arms around him; it felt so good to be there in his arms right there, she could just melt into him. Zell opened the door and they stepped out together, both smiling and chuckling. Selphie, who just happened to be in the area at the moment, caught sight of the spectacle and rushed over to see what was going on.
"ZELL! WHO IS THAT!?" Selphie asked, pointing at Lina as if she couldn't hear what she was saying when in fact, everyone standing in the hallway could hear her. Zell and Lina laughed out loud for almost a minute, until finally, Selphie's eyes widened in realization that that person was LINA! "LINA!? LINA!! LINA!! YOU'VE CHANGED! YOUR HAIR!!! IT'S SO LONG!" Selphie exclaimed, pulling her away from Zell and circling her like she was a vulture hunting prey. "what are you doing in Zell's room? And in a bathrobe!?" Just as Lina opened her mouth to explain, Irvine Kinneas in all his splendor rushed into their conversation.
"WHOA!! ZELL!! What'd you do last night buddy!? You think you could hook me up?" he said, winking at Lina. Lina's jaw dropped; did long hair really make that big a difference!? Lina and Selphie both hit him over the head and he backed away in fright. "W-was it something I said?"
"It's me, you idiot!" Lina roughly brushed her hair up into a neat ponytail and watched as Irvine's jaw dropped to the floor.
"LINA!?" Irvine was shocked. "What were you doing with Zell!?" Both Zell and Lina sighed and explained the best they could--as concisely as they could, since Zell still had class to go to. Selphie and Irvine nodded in understanding and after a short conversation, left on their daily musings. Lina turned to Zell.
"Thanks again, Zell...I'll get going now," Lina mumbled. Zell gave her one last hug before she left, holding onto her for as long as he possibly could--hopefully making it more difficult for her to leave, but her mind was set. She wouldn't come back until she could figure out what to do with herself, her secret and all. Finally, he let go of her, and looked at her--her eyes beautiful with withheld tears, her hair fairer than ever pulled lightly over her shoulder, and her lips in what was supposed to be a smile--and resisted the best he could to kiss her just because his heart felt it was right. "Bye Zell," her lips said, then he watched as her brilliant eyes, hair, and lips turned from him and walked away once again. Would this pain never cease to haunt him?