(no subject)
Title: Introductions
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters/Pairing: Cloud, Denzel, musing about Zack and flashbacks.
Genre: Musey general, drama.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cloud introduces Denzel to someone very important to him.
Fenrir kicked up bits of sand and flung them against his face, little pinpricks of stinging sensation that barely registered on Cloud's scale of tolerable pain. The arms were secure around his waist -Cloud found himself subconsciously checking to make sure his passenger had a good grip every so often- and he neared the outcrop, braking slowly. Fenrir rumbled to a dissatisfied stop and Cloud killed the engine, the arms slipping from his waist as Denzel hopped down from the bike.
"This is it?" he asked, small voice even smaller in the vast space the wastelands surrounding Edge provided.
Cloud nodded, pinching the nosepiece of his sunglasses and leaving them to hang around his neck. With a sort of silent reverence, Cloud approached the sword jutting from the ground, slightly askew. With a firm hand he corrected it before taking to a knee before the monument. Denzel glanced at him before following his example, kneeling. "Why'd you want to show me this, Cloud?"
The wind whistled in the distance, hissing through the many crags surrounding the outcrop, flowing around the bouldiers like an intangible river before Cloud murmured an answer. "This is where the man who gave his life to save mine died." He could feel rather than see Denzel tense behind him, and he filtered gentleness into his tone. "It's all right. I think...I've come to terms with it."
Denzel was silent once again before, shifting his weight into a more comfortable cross-legged position, he asked, "What was his name?"
"...Zack Fair." Cloud's fingers reached out and he traced the designs on the hilt of the massive blade. "He was a First Class SOLDIER, but more than that he was the best friend anyone could have. I was lucky to know him."
"He sounds really important."
Cloud chuckled, the sound surprising him and Denzel both. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Zack, do you have any missions, or do you really have all this time to goof off with me?"
"What're you talkin' about, Spike? You're like a mission in itself. 'Teach serious kid to have a life, First-Class difficulty level.' You're practically a full-time job."
"I was a weak, dumb little kid, and Zack made time for me."
Denzel cast Cloud a doubtful look. "I can't picture you weak, Cloud."
"Well, I was. I still am, in a way." Cloud moved to sit beside Denzel, propping himself up with his hands behind himself. "A lot of the strength I have now, though, I learned from him. He taught me to fight, and keep fighting. Somewhere along the line, I lost sight of that...but I think I got it back again."
Denzel took it in with a nod, eyes moving to gaze at the sword before he murmured, "Can I say something to him."
Cloud blinked, glancing down at the boy before tilting his head in an inviting gesture. Denzel didn't bother standing, crawling over to the sword and clasping his hands in prayer. "Dear Mr. Zack, thank you for saving Cloud. He's really important to me and a lot of people, and if it weren't for you, we'd all be a lot sadder." And Denzel leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the Buster Sword in a warm hug.
"Augh, Cloud, you need to stop being such a cute little kid! You make me wanna just hug the life out of you."
"S-stop saying such weird stuff, Zack! Geez, in public..."
Cloud pursed his lips, and he stood with Denzel, taking the boy's hand to lead him back to Fenrir. Denzel paused, however, his eyes fixed on the sword over his shoulder. "What's wrong?" Cloud asked, glancing over and seeing nothing.
"...nothing, I guess. I thought I saw a wolf."
"No wolves out here, Denzel. They can't live in the wasteland." Cloud ruffled Denzel's hair before they climbed back atop Fenrir.
"Wow, that's some hair! Okay, then I'll call you Spike. That's a good name."
"...I'm Spike...? Have you looked at your own hair lately? Uh, sir?"
"Ha ha! Yeah, I know, but I get to give you a nickname since I outrank you, so Spike it is!"
Fenrir rumbled and Cloud left the sword behind him in the dying sunlight, and the wind whipped around his hair and it was so familiar that Cloud had to lift a hand to his head to check for any etheral fingers.
"Thanks, Spike."
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Characters/Pairing: Cloud, Denzel, musing about Zack and flashbacks.
Genre: Musey general, drama.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cloud introduces Denzel to someone very important to him.
Fenrir kicked up bits of sand and flung them against his face, little pinpricks of stinging sensation that barely registered on Cloud's scale of tolerable pain. The arms were secure around his waist -Cloud found himself subconsciously checking to make sure his passenger had a good grip every so often- and he neared the outcrop, braking slowly. Fenrir rumbled to a dissatisfied stop and Cloud killed the engine, the arms slipping from his waist as Denzel hopped down from the bike.
"This is it?" he asked, small voice even smaller in the vast space the wastelands surrounding Edge provided.
Cloud nodded, pinching the nosepiece of his sunglasses and leaving them to hang around his neck. With a sort of silent reverence, Cloud approached the sword jutting from the ground, slightly askew. With a firm hand he corrected it before taking to a knee before the monument. Denzel glanced at him before following his example, kneeling. "Why'd you want to show me this, Cloud?"
The wind whistled in the distance, hissing through the many crags surrounding the outcrop, flowing around the bouldiers like an intangible river before Cloud murmured an answer. "This is where the man who gave his life to save mine died." He could feel rather than see Denzel tense behind him, and he filtered gentleness into his tone. "It's all right. I think...I've come to terms with it."
Denzel was silent once again before, shifting his weight into a more comfortable cross-legged position, he asked, "What was his name?"
"...Zack Fair." Cloud's fingers reached out and he traced the designs on the hilt of the massive blade. "He was a First Class SOLDIER, but more than that he was the best friend anyone could have. I was lucky to know him."
"He sounds really important."
Cloud chuckled, the sound surprising him and Denzel both. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Zack, do you have any missions, or do you really have all this time to goof off with me?"
"What're you talkin' about, Spike? You're like a mission in itself. 'Teach serious kid to have a life, First-Class difficulty level.' You're practically a full-time job."
"I was a weak, dumb little kid, and Zack made time for me."
Denzel cast Cloud a doubtful look. "I can't picture you weak, Cloud."
"Well, I was. I still am, in a way." Cloud moved to sit beside Denzel, propping himself up with his hands behind himself. "A lot of the strength I have now, though, I learned from him. He taught me to fight, and keep fighting. Somewhere along the line, I lost sight of that...but I think I got it back again."
Denzel took it in with a nod, eyes moving to gaze at the sword before he murmured, "Can I say something to him."
Cloud blinked, glancing down at the boy before tilting his head in an inviting gesture. Denzel didn't bother standing, crawling over to the sword and clasping his hands in prayer. "Dear Mr. Zack, thank you for saving Cloud. He's really important to me and a lot of people, and if it weren't for you, we'd all be a lot sadder." And Denzel leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the Buster Sword in a warm hug.
"Augh, Cloud, you need to stop being such a cute little kid! You make me wanna just hug the life out of you."
"S-stop saying such weird stuff, Zack! Geez, in public..."
Cloud pursed his lips, and he stood with Denzel, taking the boy's hand to lead him back to Fenrir. Denzel paused, however, his eyes fixed on the sword over his shoulder. "What's wrong?" Cloud asked, glancing over and seeing nothing.
"...nothing, I guess. I thought I saw a wolf."
"No wolves out here, Denzel. They can't live in the wasteland." Cloud ruffled Denzel's hair before they climbed back atop Fenrir.
"Wow, that's some hair! Okay, then I'll call you Spike. That's a good name."
"...I'm Spike...? Have you looked at your own hair lately? Uh, sir?"
"Ha ha! Yeah, I know, but I get to give you a nickname since I outrank you, so Spike it is!"
Fenrir rumbled and Cloud left the sword behind him in the dying sunlight, and the wind whipped around his hair and it was so familiar that Cloud had to lift a hand to his head to check for any etheral fingers.
"Thanks, Spike."