(no subject)
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: PG
084. he
He is just a paper boy, the one they send to do all the filing. He's been with the company for some thirty odd years and knows how to keep his head down. Everything from inventory lists to top secret projects passes through his hands and it's been safe to say they stay in his hands. There's an unwritten rule that if he develops loose lips that would be the least of his worries. He knows it's no idle threat either, he's seen the Turk's 'kills made' statistics.
A few more weeks and he'll have earned his pension, but today he hands in his resignation letter.
The lady at the desk is easily a decade younger than he but she's all ready developed the hard lines in her face that every company employee, civilian or not, eventually gets. He hands her his letter in response to her harsh, "What," and prepares to walk away. But she lifts a thin eyebrow and asks, "And what would be the reasoning for your departure, sir? It's Company policy to question the reason for statistical data," she adds when he turns, confused.
Shrugging tired shoulders he answers gruffly, "Been here too long."
"Your pension's in three weeks," she bluntly says, indicating that she clearly doesn't believe him.
His laugh is more of a bark, loud and bitter. "Ma always said I was too curious for my own good; never did lis'en to her till I came here. Thirty five years I been keeping ShinRa's secrets, and cause'o year thirty six I won't be needin' no pension. Ever wan'ta know how the great General Sephiroth disappeared? Ever want'ta know why? Them be dark secrets behind those questions, ones that make you want'ta dig deeper."
"I tell ya, you'll find everything ya want'ta know down in those archives. I've known for the past five years, known and done not'in cause I thought it were over. But then a call comes in today and the whole damn Science Department's in chaos when I go up there to file them papers. Turks are bein' given orders left and right and den I know the secret I been keepin' ain't over. 'Cept it prob'ly is now and I got dem two deaths hanging over my head. Poor boys, the two of them, not much older than me own son. Those poor, poor-"
There's a shot and a scream and an old man's death. And ShinRa's secrets are kept for yet another day.
085. she
"Cloud?" It's her again; it's been her every day. He can hear footsteps approaching this time, the soft squelching of her boots in the mud. It rained last night.
"Cloud? How long are you going to do this?" Her voice is different today, probably hoarse from the hours of pleading yesterday. He thinks that maybe he should pity her in her blind devotion, but pity is a pitiless emotion and he has none left to give. Besides, he lets his thoughts stray for the slightest moment, he can understand where she's coming from, though she can only begin to understand where he did.
"Marlene's been asking for you," she tries to change tactics, "she wants to know where her Uncle Cloud went. Denzel wants to know why you won't come back." The wind changes directions and if he tried hard enough he'd probably be able to smell her tears.
"Isn't it time to let go? It's over now, Cloud...Jenova, Sephiroth, all of it." Another hesitant step, but he still can't see her reflection in the rusting metal before him. He doesn't know if he ever will.
"Why won't you let me in, Cloud? I can help you, I can! But you have to let me in first!" And therein lay the problem: she was always trying to push her way in when there just simply wasn't enough room.
A new voice suddenly sounded and it once would have startled Cloud into action, but there wasn't enough left of him to bother doing so. "Tifa, it's time to go."
"Vincent, I-!"
"Marlene's waiting for you to pick her up." Vincent's voice is low, quiet like it's always been. After Tifa's retreating footsteps have long since faded away Vincent speaks up one last time. "There are voices in my head too, Cloud," the silent and unspoken accusation that is and isn't lingers in the air.
Voices, Cloud muses, more than one and all of them flowing too fast, cutting each other off. After Vincent is long gone, Cloud manages to rasp out, "But you see, that's the problem. I only have one."
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: PG
084. he
He is just a paper boy, the one they send to do all the filing. He's been with the company for some thirty odd years and knows how to keep his head down. Everything from inventory lists to top secret projects passes through his hands and it's been safe to say they stay in his hands. There's an unwritten rule that if he develops loose lips that would be the least of his worries. He knows it's no idle threat either, he's seen the Turk's 'kills made' statistics.
A few more weeks and he'll have earned his pension, but today he hands in his resignation letter.
The lady at the desk is easily a decade younger than he but she's all ready developed the hard lines in her face that every company employee, civilian or not, eventually gets. He hands her his letter in response to her harsh, "What," and prepares to walk away. But she lifts a thin eyebrow and asks, "And what would be the reasoning for your departure, sir? It's Company policy to question the reason for statistical data," she adds when he turns, confused.
Shrugging tired shoulders he answers gruffly, "Been here too long."
"Your pension's in three weeks," she bluntly says, indicating that she clearly doesn't believe him.
His laugh is more of a bark, loud and bitter. "Ma always said I was too curious for my own good; never did lis'en to her till I came here. Thirty five years I been keeping ShinRa's secrets, and cause'o year thirty six I won't be needin' no pension. Ever wan'ta know how the great General Sephiroth disappeared? Ever want'ta know why? Them be dark secrets behind those questions, ones that make you want'ta dig deeper."
"I tell ya, you'll find everything ya want'ta know down in those archives. I've known for the past five years, known and done not'in cause I thought it were over. But then a call comes in today and the whole damn Science Department's in chaos when I go up there to file them papers. Turks are bein' given orders left and right and den I know the secret I been keepin' ain't over. 'Cept it prob'ly is now and I got dem two deaths hanging over my head. Poor boys, the two of them, not much older than me own son. Those poor, poor-"
There's a shot and a scream and an old man's death. And ShinRa's secrets are kept for yet another day.
085. she
"Cloud?" It's her again; it's been her every day. He can hear footsteps approaching this time, the soft squelching of her boots in the mud. It rained last night.
"Cloud? How long are you going to do this?" Her voice is different today, probably hoarse from the hours of pleading yesterday. He thinks that maybe he should pity her in her blind devotion, but pity is a pitiless emotion and he has none left to give. Besides, he lets his thoughts stray for the slightest moment, he can understand where she's coming from, though she can only begin to understand where he did.
"Marlene's been asking for you," she tries to change tactics, "she wants to know where her Uncle Cloud went. Denzel wants to know why you won't come back." The wind changes directions and if he tried hard enough he'd probably be able to smell her tears.
"Isn't it time to let go? It's over now, Cloud...Jenova, Sephiroth, all of it." Another hesitant step, but he still can't see her reflection in the rusting metal before him. He doesn't know if he ever will.
"Why won't you let me in, Cloud? I can help you, I can! But you have to let me in first!" And therein lay the problem: she was always trying to push her way in when there just simply wasn't enough room.
A new voice suddenly sounded and it once would have startled Cloud into action, but there wasn't enough left of him to bother doing so. "Tifa, it's time to go."
"Vincent, I-!"
"Marlene's waiting for you to pick her up." Vincent's voice is low, quiet like it's always been. After Tifa's retreating footsteps have long since faded away Vincent speaks up one last time. "There are voices in my head too, Cloud," the silent and unspoken accusation that is and isn't lingers in the air.
Voices, Cloud muses, more than one and all of them flowing too fast, cutting each other off. After Vincent is long gone, Cloud manages to rasp out, "But you see, that's the problem. I only have one."