Chapter 07 - Crisis of Carousing
Fandom: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (FFVII, Advent Children, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, Dirge of Cerberus)
Pairing: Established Zack/Aerith, Eventual Sephiroth/Cloud (Subject to possible additions)
Rating: Teen (Subject to change)
Warnings: Violence, Language, Pretty much what you'd expect from FFVII. (Subject to additions)
Genre: Time Travel, AU, Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Romance.
Words: 10,602
Summary: At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human.
Special Notice!: First of all, thanks to everyone who has supported us as we worked on this, particularly any and all beta readers :)
Secondly, this is the first of our two planned Holiday Updates! The next will be on Dec 24th or 25th.
We're not sure if we're back to full power with this story or not, but we're hoping to start working on it again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and continue looking forward to more despite our long abscence.
Chapter 06 - Crisis of Commerce
Masterlist
Counter Crisis
by White Mage Koorii & Dragoon-Sama
Chapter 07 - Crisis of Carousing
[ μ ] - εуλ 0001 (December 17th)
The Goblins Bar was in the middle of LOVELESS Avenue, in a part of Sector 8 that Cloud had rarely visited. The street was fairly crowded, ShinRa personnel mixed with normal civilians going about their daily lives. Above them, the clouds darkened as the sun went down behind them, throwing the world into twilight broken by the neon glow of the shop signs and street lamps. The bar itself was almost empty. There were a few patrons in various shadowy corners nursing drinks, and one table holding some sort of card game. The low murmur of the players reached Cloud's ears as he was all but forced into a seat by Edge. The Third sprawled into the chair next to him gracelessly.
"So, what'll you have, eh Cloud?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to signal a waitress. Connally sat down on Cloud's other side, effectively boxing the blond against the wall. Cloud fought down a moment of claustrophobia, frowning in consternation at the situation he found himself in.
"What's this, you buying the first round?" Sparo leaned forward on the table and leered at the Third.
"In your dreams, trooper." Edge sneered. The legs of his chair thumped down again as he rested his weight forward.
"Aw come on," Jac whined, nose buried in a drinks menu. "You guys must get paid ten times what we do!"
"I think I found the real reason we were invited along," Gibbs said sardonically, snagging the menu from Jac's hand.
"Hey!"
"Can't blame a guy for trying," Sparo said, unapologetic. The waitress appeared at his side, notepad and smile at the ready. "Ah, good. Let's start off with something nice and easy, eh Edge? I still need to show you that your fancy mako crap won't do you much good against a real drinker."
"I'll remember that when you're heaving your sissy guts in the nearest toile."
"I'd like a Dumbapple Cider," Connally said, voice raised.
"Chocobo Warbler here!" Jac said, raising a finger and winking up at her.
"I'll have a Junon Brand Whiskey, please," Gibbs said, folding the menu and tossing it onto the table carelessly.
Edge and Sparo were still bent over a second menu, arguing heatedly over the list of drinks, so the waitress turned her smile on Cloud.
"What'll you have then, sugar?" she asked, country accent thick in her voice. Cloud stared back blankly for a long moment, then sighed in resignation. There was no getting out of it, not with the others' expectant gazes on him. He didn't have the heart to tell them why Tifa would often use him to test out new cocktails to make sure of their flavor before she inflicted them on her customers.
"…Materia Martini," he said finally.
"Summons, Magic, Command, Support, or Independent?" The waitress' eyes never left him as she ribbled on her note pad.
"Support." Across from Cloud Jac whistled, and Cloud raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"Dunno," the trooper said with an unrepentant grin. "I'm just surprised it was that easy. I thought you were going to be forced kicking and screaming."
"…I have a friend who runs a bar."
"What's this? You telling me that aside from your ridiculous skills with a sword, unexpected prowess on a chocobo, you also think you can handle your drinks?" Edge growled next to him. "He wants a Summons, and make it three." The waitress jumped when Edge slammed his hand down on the table. His challenging glare was directed across the table at Sparo.
"We're going to have to drag them all back to the barracks, aren't we?" Connally said sotto voce to Gibbs. The Third just sighed, resting his head against his fist as he leaned on the table. “So,” Connally continued in an obvious attempt to get everyone's minds away from the obvious drinking competition that was brewing on the horizon. “What are the SOLDIER apartments like, Cloud?”
Just like that, everyone's attention was on Cloud and Connally. Gibbs nodded at the blond. “I see you've got a SOLDIER sword now too. They promoting you or something?”
“We're neighbors now?” Edge asked as he eyed Cloud critically. “Well, so long as you aren't the type to play loud music I don't care. You remember Leo, Gibbs?”
Gibbs snorted loudly. “Idiot got reprimanded by the Director and relegated to escort missions and overseeing supplies for the foreseeable future. He seemed to think that just because he made it into SOLDIER he was free to do as he wanted. Pissed off all the Thirds is all he did.”
“I heard about that,” Sparo said. “He wasn't allowed on the Mideel mission either, was he?”
“Nah,” Edge replied, amused. “It's a shame. If he had been he might've gotten some sense pecked into him with the rest of our sorry asses.”
Jac glanced over as the waitress came back, hips swaying, and a tray of drinks balanced a precariously. “Here we are, boys. One Dumbapple Cider,” a mug placed before Connally, “Chocobo Warbler,” a tall glass containing a vivid yellow drink before Jac, “Junon Brand Whiskey,” a bottle before Gibbs, “and three Summons.” The last three glasses, narrow necked with a wide bowl that contained a bright red liquid and a single cherry, stem still attached, were placed before Edge, Sparo, and Cloud. “If you need anything else....”
Jac watched her sashay away with a grin then turned back to the others. “So, uh, Cloud...what's the story on you moving up in the world?”
Cloud sipped at his drink, sighing at the strong aftertaste the Summons always left behind. He preferred the smoother taste of the Support, but obviously Edge and Sparo were determined to get him to join their masculine posturing. "I'm not being promoted. It's more of a…special case."
"Hey, don't wimp out on us, Cloud!" Sparo complained, his empty glass already sitting before him accusingly. "Drink that down so we can move on. Bottle of Icicle Freezerburn and three shot glasses!" he roared over his shoulder. Cloud saw their waitress wave in acknowledgment before disappearing behind the bar again.
"If it ain't a promotion, what is it?" Edge demanded, thumping his own empty glass in front of him and eying Cloud's drink. Cloud took the hint, and tossed the rest of his drink down, humming at the alcoholic burn in the back of his throat.
"I'm staying with Zack for now. They…don't know what happened with the mako, yet," he said softly, trying to keep his voice from the rest of the patrons. It was probably a futile effort, with the way Edge and Sparo were already carrying on. The waitress stopped briefly by the table to drop off the frosted white bottle and shot glasses next to Edge's elbow.
"But you are okay, right?" Jac asked worriedly. He leaned over as if he could tell just by looking at Cloud. Even Edge paused from where he was pouring out the three shots, and waited for Cloud's response. Why they were so interested in Cloud's health when it should have been obvious, he didn't know. He supposed he had to remember that they were expecting his old, weak, trooper self.
"There were side effects," he replied shortly. Even though this time had been a more natural accident, Cloud didn't like talking about his mako encounters. It didn’t help that he was forced to basically lie, something he did more often than he liked, however necessary it was. "Nothing harmful, but it was decided I would remain under Zack's supervision for now."
“You're so lucky,” Connally said, though there was a small grin on his face to show he wasn't bothered by it. “Ever since SOLDIER 1st Class Hewley died, SOLDIER Fair is the one everyone really looks up to.”
“That's nothing,” Edge said after he downed his first shot. Sparo was already reaching for the bottle to pour them each another. “Did you hear about what he did in Wutai?”
Sparo snorted. “Who hasn't? I mean, that's pretty terrifying. Not just any man can do that....”
“Well,” Gibbs said. “Most people only focus on what Sephiroth did after he arrived in Wutai. They forget about what Fair did.”
Jac leaned forward looking interested. “What'd he do?”
“Wiped out an entire fortress on his own,” Edge replied, voice low as if this was something to be kept between them. “Everyone in it.”
Connally gave a low whistle, eyes wide. “That's something else.”
“He was only a Second at the time, too,” Sparo said cheerfully. He held the little shot glass with its clear liquid up in a silent sort of salute. Edge clanked his own glass against Sparo's. “To SOLDIER?”
“To SOLDIER.”
That Zack was capable of taking out an entire fortress of enemies did not surprise Cloud. It was the fact that Zack had actually done so that came as a shock. The always smiling, easy going attitude his friend had made it easy to forget that he was a SOLDIER 1st Class, and had earned that rank. Even so, Cloud couldn't bring himself to join in the toast, burdened with the knowledge of how far ShinRa's rot permeated in the program.
Cloud listened silently as the others gossiped, absently keeping up with the competing duo as they drank. It felt like he was hearing about a whole other world, or a slice out of history. In many ways it was exactly that. The only difference was that he was supposed to remember these events having happened, rather than constantly being surprised by the new information. Most of the pre-meteor history had been lost or deliberately forgotten. No one had wanted to remember how their once celebrated hero had nearly destroyed the world.
"Tell me about…SOLDIER Hewley," Cloud asked during a lull in the conversation. He was honestly curious about the man Zack spoke so highly of. "He was…important to Zack?"
"You're not telling me you never heard the rumors about that?" Jac asked, spilling some of his drink as he rocked forward in his chair.
"Maybe some of us don't credit unreliable gossip," Connally said firmly, taking a deep draught from his mug.
"There's believing it, then there's missing it entirely," Edge pointed out. He leaned forward, resting one arm on the table as he eyed Cloud up and down. "Got your head in the clouds or something, Cloud?" The table erupted into roars of laughter as Cloud rubbed his forehead at the tired joke. He had a feeling if they were already acting this out of control, it would only get worse as the night progressed.
“Hewley was Fair's mentor, his teacher.” Gibbs voice, low and gruff, cut into the quiet in the wake of the laughter. “Taught him most of what he knows, I guess. And Fair... Well, he never stopped believing in Hewley, did he?”
Sparo shook his head and toyed absently with his empty shot glass. “SOLDIER Hewley went missing during the mission that took Fort Tamblin. Just disappeared. All the rumors said he went to join Rhapsodos who'd deserted sometime earlier and taken an entire company of SOLDIER 2nds and 3rds with him.”
“ShinRa put out a bulletin that they were K.I.A,” Edge grumbled and made a grab for the bottle near Sparo's elbow. “But there were sightings all over the place. No one believed the bullshit about them being dead. They were traitors, but Fair apparently wouldn't hear any of it.”
“Stood by Hewley the entire time, preaching that he'd never turn his back on SOLDIER and his friends. I don't really think he would have either....Word is that he was all about his honor as a SOLDIER and as himself,” Gibbs added. “Most of the SOLDIERs talk of him pretty fondly. The General and Rhapsodos could inspire awe, but it's guys like Fair and Hewley that inspire loyalty.”
“And now the student has become the teacher,” Jac joked cheerfully. He tipped a cheeky grin in Cloud's direction.
“Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself,” Gibbs grumbled. “I don't know what SOLDIER would do if it lost Fair too. The Director's a real good leader, but Fair's who everyone wants to be like these days. Fair and the General.”
“No one wants to be like ol' Genesis Rhapsodos though,” Edge said with fake sweetness in his voice.
Sparo snickered. “You mean you don't wanna prance around reciting LOVELESS all the time?”
“No thanks,” Edge said fervently, hand to his chest. “I'll leave the epic poetry to someone else.”
Cloud digested both the information and the drink, wishing he could feel the alcoholic buzz that was affecting his companions. It was really no wonder Zack hadn't wanted to talk about his mentor. The only parallel Cloud could compare the situation to was when he was forced to kill Sephiroth that first time, but Sephiroth had never been close to Cloud. He could only imagine how hard it had been for Zack to deal with the betrayal of the one who had taught him so much.
In many ways, Zack was still so much stronger than Cloud could ever hope to be. He was unsure if he'd be able to bring his sword against…against Zack, or Tifa, or any of his friends, if they were to take the same path as Sephiroth. He downed another shot, trying to push back the feeling of guilt that welled up at the thought of his failures. Others may want to be like Zack, but Cloud had gone even further, doing his friend a disservice in his attempt to carry on his legacy.
"Who's up for another round?" Edge rumbled, tipping the last few drops of the bottle into his shot glass. "I need something a bit stronger than this if we're going to get into fanboy rants about their favorite SOLDIER."
"You're just jealous because you don't have your own fanclub yet," Sparo said pointedly. He swiped the glass and downed the contents in one go. He smacked his lips, smirking at Edge's annoyed frown. "Come on, SOLDIER boy, I thought you were going to show me what you got."
“I'm surprised Fair doesn't have a fanclub yet,” Edge grumbled, then held up a hand. “Hey, three Junon Bombs over here!”
“It's only a matter of time,” Sparo said. “I'm willing to start taking bets.”
“Fifty gil on June,” Jac said immediately.
“I'll put thirty on September,” Connally said. The others chipped in with their own bets while Sparo wrote them down, having pulled a small notepad from a pocket.
“Wonder how long it'll take for Blondie here to get a fanclub,” Sparo drawled, his teeth bright against his dark skin as he grinned at Cloud.
“With you girls around he already has one,” Edge shot back as a rather violently red, yellow, and orange drink topped off with actual flames was set in front of him.
The flaming Junon Bomb tasted sweeter than Cloud had expected, which was countered by the violent alcoholic burn. It was much stronger than the shots he'd had, though with all the mako in his blood he might as well have been drinking water. Mako wasn't able to completely cancel out the affects of alcohol normally, but Cloud had touched the Lifestream itself. Tifa herself had lamented the numbing effect, though she didn't have the complete insensitivity to it that Cloud had. As Nibelheim kids they'd already had a high tolerance. The people there all brought up on the 'good brew', and no kid could resist the lure of the adult drink. Even so, Edge and Sparo kept ordering more and more colorful drinks, and Cloud was impressed with how well the trooper was keeping up with the Third. Soon enough, even Connally's face was flushed, and Edge and Sparo were only staying in their seats through what had to be pure stubbornness.
"Lesse…what haven't they had yet?" Jac asked, squinting blearily at the menu in front of him. Sparo swayed back and forth in his seat, a rather cross eyed glare focused in Edge's direction.
"I think they've had enough," Gibbs said, reaching out and plucking the menu from the trooper's hand. "And so have you. I am going to take great pleasure in knowing how much you all are going to be suffering tomorrow morning."
"Heeeey," Jac whined, trying to recover the stolen menu.
"I'm sorry about this, Cloud," Connally said, looking from the army of empty glasses on the table to Cloud. "I should have stopped them before it got out of hand. Are you okay?"
Cloud raised an eyebrow sardonically, and said, "I could have refused."
"You're okay, for a girly looking kid," Edge roared, pounding Cloud's back in drunken abandon. Cloud grunted, then sighed when the Third's hand went up to flag down the waitress yet again. "Let's go ahead and end this night, all or nothing. Cactaur Kickers all round!"
"Edge, I don't think-" Gibbs began, but was cut off by Jac's whoop of delight. The trooper pinwheeled his arms around, narrowly missing Gibbs' ear.
"Uh, I don't really drink the hard stuff," Connally protested, as Gibbs was distracted with keeping Jac in his seat.
"Don't be such a wimp. Don'tcha want to get into SOLDIER?" Sparo challenged, grin taking on a sharper edge. He'd stopped swaying, and was looking much more alert than he had a moment ago. Cloud wondered how much of it had been an act, or if the sobriety was the act itself.
He let his gaze wander around the bar, leaning back as the group argued loudly over the last drink, their patient waitress looking much more tired than she had at the beginning of the night. The bar had filled up as the evening crowd started trickling in, though Cloud noticed that some of the groups that had been in before them were still at their tables. The card game had grown to include half a dozen new players, and the two men were still hunched over their drinks at the next table over.
Now that he'd leaned back and Edge's bulk was out of his line of sight, Cloud had a good view of the two drinkers. All it took was a glance, and Cloud let out a heartfelt, yet quiet groan of dismay. The color was less visible in the bar's poor lighting, but the combination of the red head and the bald man across from him, both dressed in dark suits, could only mean that Reno and Rude were partaking in their favorite off-and-on duty activity.
At the table, the waitress had just finished putting six small glasses down, each filled with a clear liquid, and garnished with a leaf of mint. Cloud paid it no mind, just grabbed the glass and knocked all of its contents to the back of this throat, deeply wishing that the alcohol could affect him so he could forget, for a moment, about the Turks. He set the glass on the table, before becoming aware of all eyes on him. Even their waitress was looking at him, eyebrows at her hair line as she looked from the empty glass to his face.
"…What?" Cloud asked, thrown at the sudden interest.
"…Dude…you just….Cloud, you are the coolest!" Jac crowed, half throwing himself across the table to grab one of Cloud's hands in both of his. "You just downed a Kicker, a Kicker! In one gulp. And you're upright!" The drunken trooper laughed breathlessly.
"Watch it, fool," Sparo said, having rescued his own drink from Jac's sprawl. Cloud just stared in consternation at his trapped hand, unsure if he should try prying the Jac's grip off before he started kissing it.
"Uh…damn, Cloud. Are you sure you're okay?" Connally asked at his side.
"…Why do you keep asking that?" Cloud asked, frowning as Jac released his hand and was hauled back into his seat by a disgruntled Gibbs.
"That sobered me up something good," Edge said, laughing as he picked up his own drink. The Third took a small sip of his glass, slamming it down after a moment as his face contorted in reaction to the strong drink. "Damn! You must have a stomach lining of steel, Cloud! And no taste buds at all," he cried, pounding one hand against his chest as his face flushed bright red. "That's a real man's drink."
“Budge over,” a new voice said brightly, cutting in over the general murmur of the bar.
Connally looked up and nearly fell out of his seat in surprise. “SOLDIER Fair!” The sound of Zack's name had Cloud looking up in surprise to see his friend edging around Connally, followed by another man in a 2nd Class uniform who bore two chairs snatched from nearby tables. Zack's hair was more wild than usual, and even through the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke in the atmosphere Cloud could smell the ozone taint of thunder magic. Grabbing the chair offered by the Second, Zack spun it around and straddled it.
“Just Zack is fine. Nice to see you all again,” he said breezily, then turned to Cloud with a put upon frown. “I see how it is. I'm off saving people from horrible feathery doom and you go out to party without even leaving me an invitation!”
Across the table Jac laughed even as they shifted around so the Second could join them. “Don't be too hard on him, sir-uh, Zack.... We might have kidnapped him.”
“Just a little,” Edge grunted.
Zack reached over and snagged the drink that Connally had left abandoned, considered it for a moment, then knocked it back. A slight coughing fit had him leaning forward against the back of his chair. “Holy...” Zack wheezed. Connally thumped him on the back, and Edge and Sparo broke into guffaws. “Cactuar Kicker? Almost as bad as that moonshine the crazy old man back in Gongaga used to make.”
“Yeah?” Sparo asked leaning forward, eyes bright and glassy with intoxication and curiosity.
Zack winked cheekily. “Tasted like old socks, smelled like a Marlboro, and could lay you out like a Behemoth.”
"Why is it that the best spirits all taste like crap?" Edge asked, taking another ginger sip of his own drink. "Keh! Course, this stuff burns your taste buds right off anyway, so I suppose it doesn't matter."
"You're the one who ordered it," Gibbs said snidely, taking Jac's drink and moving it across to the Second who touched his forehead in a brief, good natured salute. "Here. We don't really need a case of alcohol poisoning on our hands."
"You know, I'm not a kid," Jac complained, staring after the drink longingly, though he didn't make a grab for it.
"Um…Cloud might have had a bit too much to drink too, uh, Zack," Connally said hesitantly. "They kind of conned him into a drinking contest."
"…I'm still sitting right here, you know," Cloud mumbled under his breath, wondering at the trooper's odd desire to mother Cloud over every little thing. It wasn't that he minded, too used to Tifa's own brand of worry, but it was bizarre for a near stranger to be so concerned over him. Perhaps it was because Cloud had been in Connally's troop.
"Geeze, we have two mother hens now," Edge complained, sneering across at Connally. "I thought Gibbs was bad. Let the kid have a good time for once! Don't you think he deserves it?"
“He looks fine to me,” Zack said after giving Cloud a critical look. “Either he can hold his liquor real well, is good at not showing it, or he's been tricking the lot of you the entire time.”
“He's not even swaying,” the Second pointed out, “and they were already going at it pretty well when I got here.”
Zack grinned and reached over to rest a hand on top of Cloud's head before he lifted it to signal for a drink. “I'll have a bottle of Midgar Brew!” While he waited, he turned back to Cloud. “That reminds me...Cloud, this is my buddy Luxiere. Luxiere, this is Cloud. He's sort of an honorary SOLDIER.”
Luxiere extended his hand across the table to shake Cloud's, while Gibbs chuckled. “Honorary SOLDIER, huh? I just hope the desperate ones don't get wind of this and start tossing themselves in vats of mako.”
“I doubt they'd survive,” Edge scoffed. “Cloud's just got so much bad luck it came out good.”
Zack accepted his drink from the waitress with a grin and wink that made her flush, though he didn't appear to notice. He had already turned back to Cloud. Jac leaned back to watch her walk away and sighed. “You think she'd give me her number if I asked?” the trooper asked wistfully.
“With Zack here she's probably forgotten you exist,” Sparo said. His words tumbled together a little more than usual.
Jac sent Zack a soulful look. “You've already got a girl, too. It's just not fair.”
“Sure it is,” Zack said glibly, taking a swig of his drink.
“Zack...your sense of humor is terrible,” Luxiere groaned.
“That reminds me,” Zack carried on, ignoring the disbelieving looks he was getting for that one. “I see you're no longer playing babysitter, Cloud. How did Sephiroth take the news?” All attention was instantly riveted on Cloud, and he sighed inwardly at Zack's lack of tact. Connally had leaned forward so suddenly he'd knocked the table, spilling a few of the remaining drinks as their owners cursed and tried to save them.
"Wait wait wait, you got to talk to the General? Like…one on one?" Connally demanded, giving Cloud a look of such admiration that he shifted in his seat in embarrassment.
"So fucking awesome," Jac muttered in the background.
"It was only to drop off Viri. Not…whatever you're thinking," Cloud protested, holding his hands up harmlessly. He couldn't help but remember his last glimpse of the silver-haired man, and the gentle yet awkward way he'd held the chick. It had been so incongruous with Cloud's vision of Sephiroth, that it was nearly impossible for him to accept that it had really happened. Cloud ducked his chin behind his scarf to hide his frown of confusion.
"No…wait, no fucking way!" Sparo yelped, sitting back in his seat so suddenly the chair legs scraped loudly against the floor.
"What crawled up your ass?" Edge snapped, eying the boggling trooper.
"Cloud…and the General. Look at him!" Sparo spluttered, pointing a shaking finger at Cloud, who couldn't help but feel completely lost at the sudden turn of the conversation. Him and the General…what?
"You are drunk, and an idiot," Gibbs stated calmly, reaching around Jac to whack Sparo none-too-gently upside the head. The trooper yelped, but his shoulders were still shaking with his own private mirth. Cloud looked in confusion between the two, sending Zack a desperate, puzzled look and hoping his friend had a better idea what was going on than he did.
Zack blinked over the top of his bottle at Sparo, then sent a sidelong look at Cloud. He stared for a second, then choked, nearly spitting his drink over the table. Cloud could only watch as Zack wheezed in an obvious attempt to cough up a lung, choke, and laugh all at once. When Zacklooked back up at Cloud , who only felt more bewildered, Zack's laughter just redoubled. “Cloud...” Zack choked, “and...and...” He coughed again, took a deep breath. After a few more choked, near silent laughs, he managed to compose his face into a look of solemnity. It made Cloud inexplicably wary. Zack looked gravely at him, eyes soulful, and asked, “You're cheating on me?”
For a moment all Cloud could do was look at Zack in incomprehension, before he finally caught on to what Sparo had implied. His face flushed in complete mortification, before he paled just as quickly, leaving him light headed and ashamed. The impossibility of that maddened gaze and taunting smile was over laid by the more recent image of Sephiroth protecting the chick from Heidegger's petty attack, and again that awkward moment that Cloud wished he could unsee, just so it would stop haunting his memories. Cloud couldn't separate the madman of his past with this enigma of his present.
Sparo lost it first, collapsing forward against the table in a fit of laughter while the rest of them seemed torn between laughing and just hauling the clearly drunk trooper off. “Sir,” Edge said sharply. “You're hardly one to talk.”
Zack sniffed. “That's a completely different matter. Aerith thinks he's cute too.”
Jac gave a snorting laugh. “I thought it was a secret from your girlfriend?”
“Oh, I introduced them today,” Zack said happily.
He was glad that Zack had drawn the center of attention to himself, giving Cloud a moment to recover from the shock of Sparo's not-so-innocent joke. It shouldn't have hit him so hard, but romance was another of the things that always seemed to go completely wrong in Cloud's life.
Tifa's sad brown eyes seemed to even follow him here, and it hurt that he couldn't give her what she wanted. Cloud swallowed down the lump at the memory of his childhood friend. It was only striking him now, that he would never see her again, not the same strong, gentle woman he'd left behind, who understood why Cloud could never settle down.
He could use her quiet perceptive presence now.
Zack's elbow caught Cloud's arm, drawing Cloud's attention to his friend again, and it struck him, suddenly, how young Zack really looked. He felt lost again, and the almost warm feeling of acceptance he'd felt hanging out with the other soldiers had vanished completely. All he wanted to do was run away.
Beside him Zack straightened from his slouched position straddling the chair and lifted his hands over his head with a groan. “Well, you gossiping girls have fun. I think Cloud and I will go find something to eat, then get home. Man...we totally forgot to get lunch today,” Zack said sorrowfully. Standing up he fished out a random amount of gil and tossed it down on the table to help pay for the drinks.
“Will you be up tomorrow, Zack?” Luxiere asked.
“Yeah, I think I'll be up to check out the mission board and then Cloud and I can go out and see just how well he handles that sword."
Cloud couldn't have been more glad that Zack had made their excuses. He wasn't up for humoring the odd crew anymore, however nice they had been. The fatigue from earlier had returned, leaving his head buzzing and his eyes burning. He stood up to follow Zack around the table only to be stopped by Edge's hand clapping on his wrist.
"Hey, you weren't thinking of running away and making us hard working SOLDIERs pay for your drinks, were you Cloud?" the Third demanded, though he had a half drunken smile on his face and didn't seem particularly annoyed. Cloud freed his arm with a tug, frowning down at the SOLDIER.
"The only drink I ordered never came. I don't see what I have to pay for," he said simply. To his surprise, it was Gibbs that burst out laughing, pounding the table with his fist.
"That's right Cloud! You run along with Fair, and I'll make sure these louts pay up!" Gibbs waved them off, and Cloud was only too happy to follow Zack out.
The cool night air was soothing on Cloud's face after the claustrophobic press of people and tables. He kept his gaze on his feet, until Zack's hand tilted his head up, and then stared into his friend's blue eyes. The mako glow made them shine in the gloom. That glow was imperceptible unless only a few inches away. “You okay?” Zack asked after a moment. “You look a little pale. Sephiroth really wasn't that bad to deal with was he?”
"…I'm fine," Cloud said quietly, looking away as he uttered the half lie. "Nothing bad happened with Sephiroth." That was the point, though. Cloud was still expecting the man to fix him with that maddened gaze, expected his voice to turn into the seductive purr of menace he was so used to. Instead, he was forced to face the harsh truth that this time really was nothing like the future he'd left. He blinked, mulling that thought over again. It was so very different, that it was hard to conceive that the future Cloud knew would stem from it. Maybe…maybe it wasn't such a hopeless quest, to think that Cloud would be able to change things for the better.
Cloud looked back into Zack's eyes a little more confidently. "I'm fine Zack. Really. Thanks…" he trailed off, unsure how to express this gratitude for everything Zack had done for him up until now.
Zack slung an arm over Cloud's shoulders and started tugging him off down the street. “You don't have to thank me for anything,” Zack said. “You just trying to help Sephiroth when.... Well, anyway, that's thanks enough for me, and I almost feel like I should be thanking you.” He stopped to look down at Cloud again, smile bright and eyes alight with amusement. “You're a great guy, Cloud. I don't know about how things went in your past, or anything, and I might not be the same person who saved your life that time, but...I'm glad we're friends.”
Cloud couldn't hold Zack's gaze for long, his words feeling both heavy as lead and light as air. It was nice, so very nice to hear such praise from Zack, to know that those flashes of memory and half deluded fantasy were real. That Zack could still forgive him and call him friend, even when he knew that Cloud had been the death of him. Cloud had believed it, when he'd seen Zack vanish with Aerith back into the Lifestream, but hearing it from the living, breathing man made all the difference.
“Now,” Zack said, voice mockingly serious. “The big question is...what do you want for supper?” The thought of food wasn't particularly appealing to Cloud. His eating habits had never been very good, and were nearly non-existent once he'd spent so much time on his own without Tifa guilting him into a meal or two. Since Nibelheim, in fact, Cloud had really only eaten regularly when others were around to force him to. One look at Zack's face told him that this was another such case.
"…It doesn't matter to me," he said, the weight and warmth of Zack's arm across his shoulder both comforting and unnerving.
Things were so different now. The guilt and longing Cloud associated with Zack and Aerith was being alleviated by their presence, yet at the same time the strangeness of the situation left Cloud feeling more lost than ever. He was not used to prolonged exposure to people, but he wanted to stay close to Zack, to reassure himself that this was real and not another hallucination brought on by fatigue, guilt, and his own mind's delusions. Slowly, though, Cloud was coming to accept that this wasn't a trick of the mind. It was easy to recognize that he'd been sent to the past, but another thing to accept and believe it. Cloud's mind was not the most reliable of places, after all.
The most confusing part of this whole fiasco was Sephiroth. It always came back to the silver-haired man in the end. Cloud could deal with the little incongruities of Zack, who was so much more than the man who had sacrificed so much for him, and he could understand the differences in Aerith, who still had so many years to grow into the self-confident woman he remembered. What made him cringe with both shame and defiance was how unbelievable the differences in Sephiroth were. The man had been the chief instigator of the torment Cloud had suffered for many years, and Cloud didn't want to try to forgive him. But despite Zack's request, he could see that there was something there, something that was both great and sad in a powerful, lonely man. Those long ago feelings of admiration for the General had stirred, and Cloud was more confused than he'd ever been before.
“Alright then,” Zack said, pumping a fist in the air as if they were off to conquer the world rather than just getting something to eat. “I know this great little Wutai place.... Well it's not authentic Wutai, you know, but the food is really good. I never got to eat the real stuff when I was in Wutai during the war. Things were too crazy. First there was storming Fort Tamblin, then I nearly got killed by their big ol' Anti-SOLDIER beasts, and then I nearly got killed by Ifrit, and Angeal disappeared....” Zack fell abruptly silent, jovial expression melting away into a seriously thoughtful one. “You know, it's crazy, isn't it? I left home, determined to be a SOLDIER, and I made it...and all I wanted was to be First Class, be a hero...” There was a long pause, and Cloud didn't think he was ever going to continue.
“Well,” Zack said at last, voice jovial but with an odd note. “I can honestly say I never expected for things to turn out like this.” Ahead of them a little place tucked in among the buildings came into view. A bright lit neon sign announced the name. The door stood open, inviting, and carrying the faint scent of food from within that changed the metallic taint of Midgar's air to something a little nicer. Zack released Cloud and strode toward the little restaurant, Cloud following a few steps behind.
"But…you made it. You did succeed," Cloud said quietly. He knew his awkward reassurances probably didn't mean much, but he felt responsible in a way for Zack's dreams. It had been his fault in the future that Zack wasn't alive to follow them himself, and Cloud had failed in trying to fulfill them on his own. As if realizing that wasn't enough, he added hesitantly, "And I'm sure Aerith thinks you're a hero."
Things had not turned out like Cloud had expected either. When he'd thought of the future at all, he'd imagined a world where things were better, more peaceful. The reality of the years after Meteor had been that forgiveness was hard to find, and Geostigma ate away at people's hope. Then at the moment of redemption, where the future seemed less dark and once again held possibilities, Cloud found himself at the start of it all instead. In some ways, it was hard to swallow, that all of the suffering Cloud went through meant nothing now, but if it was possible to prevent that sadness then Cloud would give himself over as many times as it took.
"Do you ever regret it?" The question was out of Cloud's mouth before he could censor it, but he barely noticed, caught up in his own memories. The chance to do things right was a heavy burden. He was used to the weight of the world on his shoulders, but it was in some ways worse, knowing what could happen if he failed again.
Zack paused in the little recessed niche by the open door. From inside there came the sound of conversation. The smell of food was strong enough here that the stench of pollution was overridden. Zack hovered there, looking at Cloud and obviously contemplating the question. His face no longer wore his usual smile, though it didn't have a frown either. It was completely neutral. A couple of people ran by, one calling after the other about how they were going to be late, and a pair of ShinRa's security force on the distant corner turned to look their way briefly. Finally, Zack said, “You know, regret is a funny thing.
“Do I regret the friends I made, the people I've met? Absolutely not.” Zack looked toward the distant, omnipresent building that loomed over the plate even in its half complete state. “Do I regret some of the things I've done? The people I've lost? Yeah, I guess I do. But...I can't really regret it all, you know? If things hadn't happened the way they did, what if I wasn't here? What if I never met Aerith, or you, or Angeal, even Tseng, Sephiroth...all of my friends. I regret...” he stopped, for a moment, looking just a little pained. “We all have our regrets, but I'm not going to let them rule my life, and you shouldn't either, Cloud. This is our chance.... Second chance, first chance, a million chances over...it's a chance to make things right, and I'm not going to regret that. Not ever.”
Zack had a way of putting things into perspective that Cloud had lost. Even his friends had never been able to express it so eloquently. There was always talk about how those lost would never blame those who survived, and how things were in the past and it was time to move on. Being thankful of the people you met, and the experiences good and bad, was almost an alien concept to Cloud. It was the 'what ifs' he contemplated in a more positive light.
What made Cloud flush in embarrassed pleasure was how easily Zack included himself into the whole mess. It wasn't in Zack's nature to leave things be, yet somehow it was still surprising that he was willing to go so far for an almost stranger, however fondly Cloud thought of him. It reminded him of how good a soul Zack had, and what was at stake. There was no way he'd ever be able to put into words how grateful he was in that moment for Zack's support, and Cloud knew his friend would brush it off as if it was the obvious thing to do. He wished he could think of something eloquent to say in response to Zack's heartfelt words, but his throat felt tight and his mouth was too dry to form words. In some ways it hurt to see Zack so serious, with that unexpected sadness lurking behind his eyes, yet it also reassured Cloud that this was real.
"I can't forget, but…I don't regret it either," he finally said, and realized he really meant it. Cloud couldn't change what had happened to him, but he could try to make sure that his loved ones didn't have to suffer this time around.
Zack gave him a brilliant smile that made Cloud flush again, somehow knowing his friend approved of his words. He couldn't help but give a small smile back. Before anything else could be said the quiet moment was broken as Zack's stomach gave an audible growl. “I'm starving,” Zack groaned in between merry laughs. “Those Griffins had me chasing them all over the construction zone of Sector 3. I think I nearly toppled off the plate again to get the last one, and I don't think I'm lucky enough to find another lovely girl to save my life.”
Cloud followed Zack into the restaurant, listening as his friend ordered a wide variety of dishes from Razor Weed stir fry, to Adamantaimai soup, to the Behemoth bowl. Some were dishes that Cloud recognized, from the infrequent visits to Wutai on Yuffie's behest, but others sounded even more exotic than the usual Wutai fare. Bizarre Bug on noodles? He hoped it was merely fanciful description, and not indicative of what was actually in the meal.
The pair left the diner laden with more food than Cloud thought either of them would be able to finish, despite Zack's cheerful assurances. The night had well and truly set in by then, and the walk back to Zack's apartment was lit only with the buzzing orange street lamps that cast circles of illumination under their metal perches and Midgar's mako-tinted ambiance. Once inside, Cloud stood awkwardly in the entrance way for a moment, feeling like he was trespassing on his friend's territory despite knowing better.
The chill of the night air was mitigated in the apartment, though the heating wasn't on particularly high despite the winter month. Zack sauntered into the room and dropped the bag he was carrying on the messy table, then headed toward the weapon's rack on the wall. Just as with the night before, he pulled the Buster Sword from his back and set it reverently in the space clearly meant for it, lingering. Cloud set his own bag of food on the table, before detouring to his room to drop his sword off, stripping off his boots and scarf as well.
When he re-entered the living room, Zack immediately began talking, though he didn't appear to require any response from Cloud. Cloud had noticed Zack's habit of filling the silences with chatter about whatever came to mind. He didn't mind, as far too often when he was left to his own thoughts they would take a darker turn. “You can sit down you know.” Zack pointed out at the space next to him on the couch. “No one is going to care you if you sit down, relax, and eat. I'm certainly not.”
Zack leaned forward and began pulling containers out of one bag and placing them at random. Occasionally he'd stop to move some papers out of the way so they wouldn't get ruined. Then he pulled the drinks they'd stopped to get; the brightly colored cans had an image of a Moogle mid pirouette balancing three stars of varying size and color on one paw. Above it was emblazoned the name MogCola.
“I've been thinking,” Zack said slowly. “That tomorrow you and I ought to see if there are any missions just outside of Midgar that way we can go out and let you test your skills on. So you can get a feel for things, make sure you're not tripping over yourself. Oh, good, she remembered I'm terrible with chopsticks!” The last bit was clearly not directed at Cloud as Zack triumphantly brandished a couple plastic forks along with a set of simple wooden chopsticks.
Getting out from Midgar for a while sounded nice. The city was still foul with pollution in this past time, a circumstance Cloud had not missed. Edge had survived on the outskirts of the desolate soil of Midgar, but it would take hundreds of years for the place to recover from ShinRa's raping of the Lifestream. He wondered what would happen this time, when Meteor did not destroy the industrial monolith's headquarters. Would ShinRa continue sucking the Planet dry, until Midgar was the center of even more desolation? Or would AVALANCHE succeed in its self-proclaimed mission to save the Planet?
Cloud was poking unenthusiastically at a box of Razor Weed stir fry when Zack's phone distracted the other man, but he only looked up when Zack started laughing out loud.
“Uh oh." Setting aside the utensils he was still holding, Zack sunk back into the sofa. “One of our sources has reported that Sephiroth has recently acquired a pet. What sort of creature would the enigmatic Sephiroth have? It appears he would choose, of all things, a chocobo! Other reports indicate that Sephiroth was seen around the ShinRa building and the Sector 1 train station with a tiny chocobo chick at his heels. It comes as no surprise that someone like Sephiroth would have such a striking and rare black chocobo for a pet! For a fanclub, the Silver Elite are pretty fast, aren't they?"
Cloud knew his face must have been a picture of disbelief as he listened to the contents of the message. Though the other guys had mentioned fanclubs earlier in the bar, Cloud hadn't taken it seriously.
“I wonder,” Zack mused, “how long it will take for little stuffed Viri's to show up on the market. Maybe I'll get one for Aerith. She seemed really taken with him...” Shaking his head, Zack turned to Cloud, eyes wide with mischief. "I bet the looks on the faces of your new buddies from the slums were great when Sephiroth showed up to oversee the delivery himself."
"Sephiroth went…" he trailed off, surprised again that the silver-haired man appeared to be taking such an interest in his newly acquired shadow. "I thought Lazard was supposed to take care of it?" Not that it mattered much. At least they'd be assured that the slum gang would never cheat them out of a single green after the personal visit from the General. Cloud felt his mouth quirk in a reluctant grin at the image. He could admit that Sephiroth was a very intimidating presence.
“Lazard probably told him that pets aren't part of the SOLDIER budget and he'd have to take care of it himself if Sephiroth even bothered to see him about it.” Zack was silent for a while as he dug into his meal with gusto, and Cloud did likewise.
“Speaking of mothers,” Zack said, and it took a moment for Cloud to make any sort of connection with the previous topic. “I should probably write mine soon. I can't remember the last time I sent her a letter, and she's always complaining that I don't contact them enough.” He reached for his drink, and paused with it halfway to his mouth to send Cloud a curious stare. “I remember you said you were from Nibelheim before...er, before Mideel. And you said that Nibelheim was destroyed in the future but.... What about your family? They're okay now, aren't they?”
Cloud froze with his fork in his mouth, staring at Zack in bewilderment. That was true, wasn't it? Nibelheim was still standing, and his mother was alive and well. He swallowed down his mouthful with difficulty, throat tight and his heart beating faster than normal. It had hurt when he'd lost her to Sephiroth, but there had been so many other things that caused him pain that day that her loss had been absorbed into the black terror that Nibelheim's memory inspired.
Zack grimaced slightly and hurried on asking, “What's Nibelheim like? Other than being just a backwater town with nothing but a reactor around?”
"Nibelheim…is not something I like talking about," Cloud said, not looking at Zack. He knew Zack had meant what his town had been like growing up, but there was too many bad memories surrounding that place for Cloud to ever think fondly of it. His childhood hadn't been particularly pleasant, and was hardly worth mentioning. "But…you're right. My mother…is alive…" he trailed off, trying to wrap his mind around that simple fact.
Seeing Zack and Aerith alive and well had almost been expected. Cloud had agonized over their deaths for so long, had glimpses of Aerith from the Lifestream, that it always seemed like they were right there with him. But his mother…it had been so long since he'd allowed himself to think of her.
He'd been a spoiled child, allowed to run around freely and resentful of any interference she tried to impose on him. When Cloud had run off to join the army, he hadn't considered her feelings past informing her of his plans. Despite all that had happened, Cloud could still remember her moment of shocked silence when he'd told her, before his mother had wiped her hands calmly on her apron as wished him luck. She was a comforting presence, but even alive she'd almost been like a ghost to him, visible but not close.
Cloud regretted that now. How much he must have hurt her, leaving her alone like he had to pursue a selfish, and ultimately tragic, dream. But what could he say to her? He was not her child any longer, too changed with the trials he'd faced. Would she even recognize him? Cloud hardly felt anything like the teenager he was supposed to be right now, even though he knew logically he still looked like himself.
“Maybe you should contact her,” Zack offered softly.
"What…I don't know what I'd say to her. I'm not…not really her son, after all. Not like she thinks." Cloud could only stare at the food in his lap, his appetite completely gone.
A knock at the door startled Cloud, and he snapped his head around as he realized the buzzing in his head was not a reaction to his racing thoughts. For a moment he entertained the impulse to tell Zack not to answer the door, knowing who was on the other side. Cloud squashed that feeling as soon as he thought it, aware it was petty. Before he could make a break for the relative safety of his room, Zack had opened the door, and Sephiroth stepped into the room. His eyes immediately locked on Cloud, who tried desperately to avoid that gaze by focusing on the chick in the man's hands. Viri was a ball of misery, fluff drooping and soulful eyes focused on Cloud much like his owner's were.
“Uh, hey, Sephiroth. Did you need something?” Zack asked, sounding completely baffled.
“I admit that I am not entirely sure what to do with him,” Sephiroth said after a lengthy pause. “I found relatively few books on the subject of chocobos, and almost none of them had information on caring for the young other than what Cloud imparted himself. The fact that the chocobo must stay with its parents, and more importantly, the one it perceives as its mother.” Cloud frowned slightly at Sephiroth's words, knowing there would be no getting away from him until Viri was taken care of.
"Have you fed him, sir?" he asked quietly, setting his own food aside as he stood up. Every step forward felt like there was a lead weight tied to each leg, but Cloud managed to remain calm as he approached Sephiroth, holding out his hands for the chick.
"I put out food for him, but he didn't eat it."
The moment his hands brushed Sephiroth's, Cloud realized he'd made a mistake. The cells inside Cloud reacted to the contact, making every hair stand on end as the familiar pull of the Reunion teased at his mind. He felt like he was drowning, his senses suddenly completely overtaken by the sheer presence of the man in front of him. Cloud jerked back, one hand clutching his head as he clenched his teeth against a cry. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth when he bit his cheek.
Viri had let out a terrified warble, falling from the pair's hands and diving under the nearest piece of furniture. His down poofed out, he sat there trembling under the chair in a huddle.
Cloud's heart was pounding in his ears, so loudly that he was unable to hear Zack's worried voice. He stood, half frozen with terror and adrenaline as the rush of the connection tingled against his skin. He was aware of Sephiroth still standing over him, and a wash of emotions he could not name left him feeling lightheaded. It was unlike the previous possession Cloud had experienced, where Sephiroth drove him to commit unforgivable acts.
“You...what....” Sephiroth's voice caused Cloud to snap his head up, caught again in the cat-like green eyes as the silver-haired man failed to articulate his thoughts. He tried to pull himself together; Sephiroth wasn't about to attack him…except that there was a frightening possibility he was. Cloud hadn't thought of the possible ramifications his presence as a failed clone would have on Sephiroth. What if it drove him over the edge, the same way Jenova's honeyed lies had?
“Cloud! Sephiroth? Are you two alright?” Zack's agitated voice filtered in as if through water. Sephiroth broke eye contact first, stepping away to be intercepted by Zack. “Sephiroth-”
“I apologize for my intrusion, I should get back to-”
“Oh no you don't,” Zack snapped. “You both look like you just saw a ghost, and I don't need someone coming up with the story that I'm trying to assassinate ShinRa's star SOLDIER if you collapse in the middle of the court yard. Both of you need to sit down.”
Cloud gasped in a short, quick breath, and shivered at the sudden loss of the overpowering sensation. It was always so hard to fight Sephiroth's control. The man seemed to know how to slip through Cloud's defenses, rip his weaknesses apart and throw him into despair. Despite the fact that nothing of the sort had happened in the minor contact, Cloud was more terrified than ever of this new-old world. Would this Sephiroth, too, try to destroy everything he held dear?
In the moments of distraction as Zack tried to settle them both, Cloud brought himself back under control, unwilling to give away anything more while in Sephiroth's presence. He wracked his brain for an explanation that would satisfy-anything to keep Sephiroth's curiosity from focusing on Cloud's oddities. The irony that contact with Sephiroth nearly eradicated Jenova's mental buzz wasn't lost on Cloud, though, as the annoying feeling had all but vanished. That at least was reassuring; Cloud had been worried that Jenova, supposedly still halfway across the world in Nibelheim, had that much influence here. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Zack instructing Sephiroth on how to feed Viri.
“Cloud? You okay, buddy?” Cloud nearly startled at the sound of Zack's voice so close. He hadn't noticed Zack move toward him in his distraction.
Keeping his face carefully blank, Cloud said, "I'm okay, Zack. It…was probably a leftover reaction from the mako."
He didn't dare look over to the couch where Sephiroth sat, Viri's chirps of complaint settling down into contented coos as the man worked his way through the greens. All Cloud wanted to do was get as far away from Sephiroth as he could, but that would only lead to more questions. The best solution was to get Sephiroth what he needed to care for Viri and get him out of there as soon as possible.
"The…Viri needs…I'll write down some…instructions or something," he mumbled, then turned and strode into his room. It was the best Cloud could do for now, to put some distance between him and Sephiroth. He lingered as long as he dared, staring down at his neat handwriting with empty eyes. Cloud's delivery service had forced him to develop the skill, Tifa watching over him like a hawk at first. 'It reflects badly on your service if your presentation is poor' she'd told him.
What happened? It had been so long since Cloud felt such a strong pull toward Sephiroth. He'd thought he'd brought that under control, that defeating Sephiroth had weakened the man's hold over Cloud's mind. He shuddered again at the memory of that overwhelming feeling. The last time Cloud had let Sephiroth in too deeply, Aerith had….
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Cloud ripped the pages out of the notepad he'd found in the desk drawer. He steeled himself, and promised that next time he wouldn't be caught so unaware by the man. Cloud had let his guard down, because of how sane Sephiroth seemed. He couldn't let that happen, no matter what Zack thought. Reluctantly, Cloud returned to the living room where the two SOLDIERs waited.
They both looked up at Cloud's return, and Sephiroth stood immediately. Cloud helpd out the slip of paper, and Sephiroth took it almost, then inclined his head to Cloud. That cool gaze raked over him once more both curious and distant. “Thank you.”
Without another word, Sephiroth showed himself out as quickly as he'd come. The following silence was broken only by Zack's sigh. Cloud wanted to sigh in relief too, but somehow felt that would be unkind despite the situation. It really wasn't Sephiroth's fault there was such a strong reaction between them. If Cloud should blame anyone, it would be Hojo.
It didn't stop Cloud from looking down at his hand, from rubbing his fingers together in memory of the sensation. He'd been braced for a repeat, but Sephiroth had been as careful as Cloud. Nothing had come of it, not even a return of Jenova's thrum against his mind. The emptiness was almost as jarring as the initial contact.
“Well,” Zack said. “That was interesting. I don't think I've ever seen him so expressive. He looked at you like you were both his saving grace and the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. I think you spooked him real good....” Zack looked as spooked as Cloud felt, though Cloud had no idea why. Zack's words sunk into Cloud's mind, but he hardly had the energy to respond. Sephiroth's saving grace? Perhaps, but Cloud's goal was and would always be to protect his friends. If that meant saving Sephiroth too, he would do it, but he would never put the silver-haired man first.
Zack moved back to the sofa, slumped down, and fished the remote from the cushions. The flickering glow of the television lit up the walls, and Cloud contemplated retreating to his room and locking the world out for a while. He could tell Zack was worried even if his friend refused to pry any deeper than he already had. After a moment, Cloud walked hesitantly back to the couch, picked up his abandoned food as an excuse, and busied himself with eating it to avoid his friend's gaze.
He had, after all, promised Tifa that he would stop running away.
Next time on Counter Crisis it's a Crisis of Celebration!
Pairing: Established Zack/Aerith, Eventual Sephiroth/Cloud (Subject to possible additions)
Rating: Teen (Subject to change)
Warnings: Violence, Language, Pretty much what you'd expect from FFVII. (Subject to additions)
Genre: Time Travel, AU, Action/Adventure, Drama, Friendship, Romance.
Words: 10,602
Summary: At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human.
Special Notice!: First of all, thanks to everyone who has supported us as we worked on this, particularly any and all beta readers :)
Secondly, this is the first of our two planned Holiday Updates! The next will be on Dec 24th or 25th.
We're not sure if we're back to full power with this story or not, but we're hoping to start working on it again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and continue looking forward to more despite our long abscence.
Chapter 06 - Crisis of Commerce
Masterlist
Counter Crisis
by White Mage Koorii & Dragoon-Sama
Chapter 07 - Crisis of Carousing
[ μ ] - εуλ 0001 (December 17th)
The Goblins Bar was in the middle of LOVELESS Avenue, in a part of Sector 8 that Cloud had rarely visited. The street was fairly crowded, ShinRa personnel mixed with normal civilians going about their daily lives. Above them, the clouds darkened as the sun went down behind them, throwing the world into twilight broken by the neon glow of the shop signs and street lamps. The bar itself was almost empty. There were a few patrons in various shadowy corners nursing drinks, and one table holding some sort of card game. The low murmur of the players reached Cloud's ears as he was all but forced into a seat by Edge. The Third sprawled into the chair next to him gracelessly.
"So, what'll you have, eh Cloud?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to signal a waitress. Connally sat down on Cloud's other side, effectively boxing the blond against the wall. Cloud fought down a moment of claustrophobia, frowning in consternation at the situation he found himself in.
"What's this, you buying the first round?" Sparo leaned forward on the table and leered at the Third.
"In your dreams, trooper." Edge sneered. The legs of his chair thumped down again as he rested his weight forward.
"Aw come on," Jac whined, nose buried in a drinks menu. "You guys must get paid ten times what we do!"
"I think I found the real reason we were invited along," Gibbs said sardonically, snagging the menu from Jac's hand.
"Hey!"
"Can't blame a guy for trying," Sparo said, unapologetic. The waitress appeared at his side, notepad and smile at the ready. "Ah, good. Let's start off with something nice and easy, eh Edge? I still need to show you that your fancy mako crap won't do you much good against a real drinker."
"I'll remember that when you're heaving your sissy guts in the nearest toile."
"I'd like a Dumbapple Cider," Connally said, voice raised.
"Chocobo Warbler here!" Jac said, raising a finger and winking up at her.
"I'll have a Junon Brand Whiskey, please," Gibbs said, folding the menu and tossing it onto the table carelessly.
Edge and Sparo were still bent over a second menu, arguing heatedly over the list of drinks, so the waitress turned her smile on Cloud.
"What'll you have then, sugar?" she asked, country accent thick in her voice. Cloud stared back blankly for a long moment, then sighed in resignation. There was no getting out of it, not with the others' expectant gazes on him. He didn't have the heart to tell them why Tifa would often use him to test out new cocktails to make sure of their flavor before she inflicted them on her customers.
"…Materia Martini," he said finally.
"Summons, Magic, Command, Support, or Independent?" The waitress' eyes never left him as she ribbled on her note pad.
"Support." Across from Cloud Jac whistled, and Cloud raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"Dunno," the trooper said with an unrepentant grin. "I'm just surprised it was that easy. I thought you were going to be forced kicking and screaming."
"…I have a friend who runs a bar."
"What's this? You telling me that aside from your ridiculous skills with a sword, unexpected prowess on a chocobo, you also think you can handle your drinks?" Edge growled next to him. "He wants a Summons, and make it three." The waitress jumped when Edge slammed his hand down on the table. His challenging glare was directed across the table at Sparo.
"We're going to have to drag them all back to the barracks, aren't we?" Connally said sotto voce to Gibbs. The Third just sighed, resting his head against his fist as he leaned on the table. “So,” Connally continued in an obvious attempt to get everyone's minds away from the obvious drinking competition that was brewing on the horizon. “What are the SOLDIER apartments like, Cloud?”
Just like that, everyone's attention was on Cloud and Connally. Gibbs nodded at the blond. “I see you've got a SOLDIER sword now too. They promoting you or something?”
“We're neighbors now?” Edge asked as he eyed Cloud critically. “Well, so long as you aren't the type to play loud music I don't care. You remember Leo, Gibbs?”
Gibbs snorted loudly. “Idiot got reprimanded by the Director and relegated to escort missions and overseeing supplies for the foreseeable future. He seemed to think that just because he made it into SOLDIER he was free to do as he wanted. Pissed off all the Thirds is all he did.”
“I heard about that,” Sparo said. “He wasn't allowed on the Mideel mission either, was he?”
“Nah,” Edge replied, amused. “It's a shame. If he had been he might've gotten some sense pecked into him with the rest of our sorry asses.”
Jac glanced over as the waitress came back, hips swaying, and a tray of drinks balanced a precariously. “Here we are, boys. One Dumbapple Cider,” a mug placed before Connally, “Chocobo Warbler,” a tall glass containing a vivid yellow drink before Jac, “Junon Brand Whiskey,” a bottle before Gibbs, “and three Summons.” The last three glasses, narrow necked with a wide bowl that contained a bright red liquid and a single cherry, stem still attached, were placed before Edge, Sparo, and Cloud. “If you need anything else....”
Jac watched her sashay away with a grin then turned back to the others. “So, uh, Cloud...what's the story on you moving up in the world?”
Cloud sipped at his drink, sighing at the strong aftertaste the Summons always left behind. He preferred the smoother taste of the Support, but obviously Edge and Sparo were determined to get him to join their masculine posturing. "I'm not being promoted. It's more of a…special case."
"Hey, don't wimp out on us, Cloud!" Sparo complained, his empty glass already sitting before him accusingly. "Drink that down so we can move on. Bottle of Icicle Freezerburn and three shot glasses!" he roared over his shoulder. Cloud saw their waitress wave in acknowledgment before disappearing behind the bar again.
"If it ain't a promotion, what is it?" Edge demanded, thumping his own empty glass in front of him and eying Cloud's drink. Cloud took the hint, and tossed the rest of his drink down, humming at the alcoholic burn in the back of his throat.
"I'm staying with Zack for now. They…don't know what happened with the mako, yet," he said softly, trying to keep his voice from the rest of the patrons. It was probably a futile effort, with the way Edge and Sparo were already carrying on. The waitress stopped briefly by the table to drop off the frosted white bottle and shot glasses next to Edge's elbow.
"But you are okay, right?" Jac asked worriedly. He leaned over as if he could tell just by looking at Cloud. Even Edge paused from where he was pouring out the three shots, and waited for Cloud's response. Why they were so interested in Cloud's health when it should have been obvious, he didn't know. He supposed he had to remember that they were expecting his old, weak, trooper self.
"There were side effects," he replied shortly. Even though this time had been a more natural accident, Cloud didn't like talking about his mako encounters. It didn’t help that he was forced to basically lie, something he did more often than he liked, however necessary it was. "Nothing harmful, but it was decided I would remain under Zack's supervision for now."
“You're so lucky,” Connally said, though there was a small grin on his face to show he wasn't bothered by it. “Ever since SOLDIER 1st Class Hewley died, SOLDIER Fair is the one everyone really looks up to.”
“That's nothing,” Edge said after he downed his first shot. Sparo was already reaching for the bottle to pour them each another. “Did you hear about what he did in Wutai?”
Sparo snorted. “Who hasn't? I mean, that's pretty terrifying. Not just any man can do that....”
“Well,” Gibbs said. “Most people only focus on what Sephiroth did after he arrived in Wutai. They forget about what Fair did.”
Jac leaned forward looking interested. “What'd he do?”
“Wiped out an entire fortress on his own,” Edge replied, voice low as if this was something to be kept between them. “Everyone in it.”
Connally gave a low whistle, eyes wide. “That's something else.”
“He was only a Second at the time, too,” Sparo said cheerfully. He held the little shot glass with its clear liquid up in a silent sort of salute. Edge clanked his own glass against Sparo's. “To SOLDIER?”
“To SOLDIER.”
That Zack was capable of taking out an entire fortress of enemies did not surprise Cloud. It was the fact that Zack had actually done so that came as a shock. The always smiling, easy going attitude his friend had made it easy to forget that he was a SOLDIER 1st Class, and had earned that rank. Even so, Cloud couldn't bring himself to join in the toast, burdened with the knowledge of how far ShinRa's rot permeated in the program.
Cloud listened silently as the others gossiped, absently keeping up with the competing duo as they drank. It felt like he was hearing about a whole other world, or a slice out of history. In many ways it was exactly that. The only difference was that he was supposed to remember these events having happened, rather than constantly being surprised by the new information. Most of the pre-meteor history had been lost or deliberately forgotten. No one had wanted to remember how their once celebrated hero had nearly destroyed the world.
"Tell me about…SOLDIER Hewley," Cloud asked during a lull in the conversation. He was honestly curious about the man Zack spoke so highly of. "He was…important to Zack?"
"You're not telling me you never heard the rumors about that?" Jac asked, spilling some of his drink as he rocked forward in his chair.
"Maybe some of us don't credit unreliable gossip," Connally said firmly, taking a deep draught from his mug.
"There's believing it, then there's missing it entirely," Edge pointed out. He leaned forward, resting one arm on the table as he eyed Cloud up and down. "Got your head in the clouds or something, Cloud?" The table erupted into roars of laughter as Cloud rubbed his forehead at the tired joke. He had a feeling if they were already acting this out of control, it would only get worse as the night progressed.
“Hewley was Fair's mentor, his teacher.” Gibbs voice, low and gruff, cut into the quiet in the wake of the laughter. “Taught him most of what he knows, I guess. And Fair... Well, he never stopped believing in Hewley, did he?”
Sparo shook his head and toyed absently with his empty shot glass. “SOLDIER Hewley went missing during the mission that took Fort Tamblin. Just disappeared. All the rumors said he went to join Rhapsodos who'd deserted sometime earlier and taken an entire company of SOLDIER 2nds and 3rds with him.”
“ShinRa put out a bulletin that they were K.I.A,” Edge grumbled and made a grab for the bottle near Sparo's elbow. “But there were sightings all over the place. No one believed the bullshit about them being dead. They were traitors, but Fair apparently wouldn't hear any of it.”
“Stood by Hewley the entire time, preaching that he'd never turn his back on SOLDIER and his friends. I don't really think he would have either....Word is that he was all about his honor as a SOLDIER and as himself,” Gibbs added. “Most of the SOLDIERs talk of him pretty fondly. The General and Rhapsodos could inspire awe, but it's guys like Fair and Hewley that inspire loyalty.”
“And now the student has become the teacher,” Jac joked cheerfully. He tipped a cheeky grin in Cloud's direction.
“Let's just hope history doesn't repeat itself,” Gibbs grumbled. “I don't know what SOLDIER would do if it lost Fair too. The Director's a real good leader, but Fair's who everyone wants to be like these days. Fair and the General.”
“No one wants to be like ol' Genesis Rhapsodos though,” Edge said with fake sweetness in his voice.
Sparo snickered. “You mean you don't wanna prance around reciting LOVELESS all the time?”
“No thanks,” Edge said fervently, hand to his chest. “I'll leave the epic poetry to someone else.”
Cloud digested both the information and the drink, wishing he could feel the alcoholic buzz that was affecting his companions. It was really no wonder Zack hadn't wanted to talk about his mentor. The only parallel Cloud could compare the situation to was when he was forced to kill Sephiroth that first time, but Sephiroth had never been close to Cloud. He could only imagine how hard it had been for Zack to deal with the betrayal of the one who had taught him so much.
In many ways, Zack was still so much stronger than Cloud could ever hope to be. He was unsure if he'd be able to bring his sword against…against Zack, or Tifa, or any of his friends, if they were to take the same path as Sephiroth. He downed another shot, trying to push back the feeling of guilt that welled up at the thought of his failures. Others may want to be like Zack, but Cloud had gone even further, doing his friend a disservice in his attempt to carry on his legacy.
"Who's up for another round?" Edge rumbled, tipping the last few drops of the bottle into his shot glass. "I need something a bit stronger than this if we're going to get into fanboy rants about their favorite SOLDIER."
"You're just jealous because you don't have your own fanclub yet," Sparo said pointedly. He swiped the glass and downed the contents in one go. He smacked his lips, smirking at Edge's annoyed frown. "Come on, SOLDIER boy, I thought you were going to show me what you got."
“I'm surprised Fair doesn't have a fanclub yet,” Edge grumbled, then held up a hand. “Hey, three Junon Bombs over here!”
“It's only a matter of time,” Sparo said. “I'm willing to start taking bets.”
“Fifty gil on June,” Jac said immediately.
“I'll put thirty on September,” Connally said. The others chipped in with their own bets while Sparo wrote them down, having pulled a small notepad from a pocket.
“Wonder how long it'll take for Blondie here to get a fanclub,” Sparo drawled, his teeth bright against his dark skin as he grinned at Cloud.
“With you girls around he already has one,” Edge shot back as a rather violently red, yellow, and orange drink topped off with actual flames was set in front of him.
The flaming Junon Bomb tasted sweeter than Cloud had expected, which was countered by the violent alcoholic burn. It was much stronger than the shots he'd had, though with all the mako in his blood he might as well have been drinking water. Mako wasn't able to completely cancel out the affects of alcohol normally, but Cloud had touched the Lifestream itself. Tifa herself had lamented the numbing effect, though she didn't have the complete insensitivity to it that Cloud had. As Nibelheim kids they'd already had a high tolerance. The people there all brought up on the 'good brew', and no kid could resist the lure of the adult drink. Even so, Edge and Sparo kept ordering more and more colorful drinks, and Cloud was impressed with how well the trooper was keeping up with the Third. Soon enough, even Connally's face was flushed, and Edge and Sparo were only staying in their seats through what had to be pure stubbornness.
"Lesse…what haven't they had yet?" Jac asked, squinting blearily at the menu in front of him. Sparo swayed back and forth in his seat, a rather cross eyed glare focused in Edge's direction.
"I think they've had enough," Gibbs said, reaching out and plucking the menu from the trooper's hand. "And so have you. I am going to take great pleasure in knowing how much you all are going to be suffering tomorrow morning."
"Heeeey," Jac whined, trying to recover the stolen menu.
"I'm sorry about this, Cloud," Connally said, looking from the army of empty glasses on the table to Cloud. "I should have stopped them before it got out of hand. Are you okay?"
Cloud raised an eyebrow sardonically, and said, "I could have refused."
"You're okay, for a girly looking kid," Edge roared, pounding Cloud's back in drunken abandon. Cloud grunted, then sighed when the Third's hand went up to flag down the waitress yet again. "Let's go ahead and end this night, all or nothing. Cactaur Kickers all round!"
"Edge, I don't think-" Gibbs began, but was cut off by Jac's whoop of delight. The trooper pinwheeled his arms around, narrowly missing Gibbs' ear.
"Uh, I don't really drink the hard stuff," Connally protested, as Gibbs was distracted with keeping Jac in his seat.
"Don't be such a wimp. Don'tcha want to get into SOLDIER?" Sparo challenged, grin taking on a sharper edge. He'd stopped swaying, and was looking much more alert than he had a moment ago. Cloud wondered how much of it had been an act, or if the sobriety was the act itself.
He let his gaze wander around the bar, leaning back as the group argued loudly over the last drink, their patient waitress looking much more tired than she had at the beginning of the night. The bar had filled up as the evening crowd started trickling in, though Cloud noticed that some of the groups that had been in before them were still at their tables. The card game had grown to include half a dozen new players, and the two men were still hunched over their drinks at the next table over.
Now that he'd leaned back and Edge's bulk was out of his line of sight, Cloud had a good view of the two drinkers. All it took was a glance, and Cloud let out a heartfelt, yet quiet groan of dismay. The color was less visible in the bar's poor lighting, but the combination of the red head and the bald man across from him, both dressed in dark suits, could only mean that Reno and Rude were partaking in their favorite off-and-on duty activity.
At the table, the waitress had just finished putting six small glasses down, each filled with a clear liquid, and garnished with a leaf of mint. Cloud paid it no mind, just grabbed the glass and knocked all of its contents to the back of this throat, deeply wishing that the alcohol could affect him so he could forget, for a moment, about the Turks. He set the glass on the table, before becoming aware of all eyes on him. Even their waitress was looking at him, eyebrows at her hair line as she looked from the empty glass to his face.
"…What?" Cloud asked, thrown at the sudden interest.
"…Dude…you just….Cloud, you are the coolest!" Jac crowed, half throwing himself across the table to grab one of Cloud's hands in both of his. "You just downed a Kicker, a Kicker! In one gulp. And you're upright!" The drunken trooper laughed breathlessly.
"Watch it, fool," Sparo said, having rescued his own drink from Jac's sprawl. Cloud just stared in consternation at his trapped hand, unsure if he should try prying the Jac's grip off before he started kissing it.
"Uh…damn, Cloud. Are you sure you're okay?" Connally asked at his side.
"…Why do you keep asking that?" Cloud asked, frowning as Jac released his hand and was hauled back into his seat by a disgruntled Gibbs.
"That sobered me up something good," Edge said, laughing as he picked up his own drink. The Third took a small sip of his glass, slamming it down after a moment as his face contorted in reaction to the strong drink. "Damn! You must have a stomach lining of steel, Cloud! And no taste buds at all," he cried, pounding one hand against his chest as his face flushed bright red. "That's a real man's drink."
“Budge over,” a new voice said brightly, cutting in over the general murmur of the bar.
Connally looked up and nearly fell out of his seat in surprise. “SOLDIER Fair!” The sound of Zack's name had Cloud looking up in surprise to see his friend edging around Connally, followed by another man in a 2nd Class uniform who bore two chairs snatched from nearby tables. Zack's hair was more wild than usual, and even through the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke in the atmosphere Cloud could smell the ozone taint of thunder magic. Grabbing the chair offered by the Second, Zack spun it around and straddled it.
“Just Zack is fine. Nice to see you all again,” he said breezily, then turned to Cloud with a put upon frown. “I see how it is. I'm off saving people from horrible feathery doom and you go out to party without even leaving me an invitation!”
Across the table Jac laughed even as they shifted around so the Second could join them. “Don't be too hard on him, sir-uh, Zack.... We might have kidnapped him.”
“Just a little,” Edge grunted.
Zack reached over and snagged the drink that Connally had left abandoned, considered it for a moment, then knocked it back. A slight coughing fit had him leaning forward against the back of his chair. “Holy...” Zack wheezed. Connally thumped him on the back, and Edge and Sparo broke into guffaws. “Cactuar Kicker? Almost as bad as that moonshine the crazy old man back in Gongaga used to make.”
“Yeah?” Sparo asked leaning forward, eyes bright and glassy with intoxication and curiosity.
Zack winked cheekily. “Tasted like old socks, smelled like a Marlboro, and could lay you out like a Behemoth.”
"Why is it that the best spirits all taste like crap?" Edge asked, taking another ginger sip of his own drink. "Keh! Course, this stuff burns your taste buds right off anyway, so I suppose it doesn't matter."
"You're the one who ordered it," Gibbs said snidely, taking Jac's drink and moving it across to the Second who touched his forehead in a brief, good natured salute. "Here. We don't really need a case of alcohol poisoning on our hands."
"You know, I'm not a kid," Jac complained, staring after the drink longingly, though he didn't make a grab for it.
"Um…Cloud might have had a bit too much to drink too, uh, Zack," Connally said hesitantly. "They kind of conned him into a drinking contest."
"…I'm still sitting right here, you know," Cloud mumbled under his breath, wondering at the trooper's odd desire to mother Cloud over every little thing. It wasn't that he minded, too used to Tifa's own brand of worry, but it was bizarre for a near stranger to be so concerned over him. Perhaps it was because Cloud had been in Connally's troop.
"Geeze, we have two mother hens now," Edge complained, sneering across at Connally. "I thought Gibbs was bad. Let the kid have a good time for once! Don't you think he deserves it?"
“He looks fine to me,” Zack said after giving Cloud a critical look. “Either he can hold his liquor real well, is good at not showing it, or he's been tricking the lot of you the entire time.”
“He's not even swaying,” the Second pointed out, “and they were already going at it pretty well when I got here.”
Zack grinned and reached over to rest a hand on top of Cloud's head before he lifted it to signal for a drink. “I'll have a bottle of Midgar Brew!” While he waited, he turned back to Cloud. “That reminds me...Cloud, this is my buddy Luxiere. Luxiere, this is Cloud. He's sort of an honorary SOLDIER.”
Luxiere extended his hand across the table to shake Cloud's, while Gibbs chuckled. “Honorary SOLDIER, huh? I just hope the desperate ones don't get wind of this and start tossing themselves in vats of mako.”
“I doubt they'd survive,” Edge scoffed. “Cloud's just got so much bad luck it came out good.”
Zack accepted his drink from the waitress with a grin and wink that made her flush, though he didn't appear to notice. He had already turned back to Cloud. Jac leaned back to watch her walk away and sighed. “You think she'd give me her number if I asked?” the trooper asked wistfully.
“With Zack here she's probably forgotten you exist,” Sparo said. His words tumbled together a little more than usual.
Jac sent Zack a soulful look. “You've already got a girl, too. It's just not fair.”
“Sure it is,” Zack said glibly, taking a swig of his drink.
“Zack...your sense of humor is terrible,” Luxiere groaned.
“That reminds me,” Zack carried on, ignoring the disbelieving looks he was getting for that one. “I see you're no longer playing babysitter, Cloud. How did Sephiroth take the news?” All attention was instantly riveted on Cloud, and he sighed inwardly at Zack's lack of tact. Connally had leaned forward so suddenly he'd knocked the table, spilling a few of the remaining drinks as their owners cursed and tried to save them.
"Wait wait wait, you got to talk to the General? Like…one on one?" Connally demanded, giving Cloud a look of such admiration that he shifted in his seat in embarrassment.
"So fucking awesome," Jac muttered in the background.
"It was only to drop off Viri. Not…whatever you're thinking," Cloud protested, holding his hands up harmlessly. He couldn't help but remember his last glimpse of the silver-haired man, and the gentle yet awkward way he'd held the chick. It had been so incongruous with Cloud's vision of Sephiroth, that it was nearly impossible for him to accept that it had really happened. Cloud ducked his chin behind his scarf to hide his frown of confusion.
"No…wait, no fucking way!" Sparo yelped, sitting back in his seat so suddenly the chair legs scraped loudly against the floor.
"What crawled up your ass?" Edge snapped, eying the boggling trooper.
"Cloud…and the General. Look at him!" Sparo spluttered, pointing a shaking finger at Cloud, who couldn't help but feel completely lost at the sudden turn of the conversation. Him and the General…what?
"You are drunk, and an idiot," Gibbs stated calmly, reaching around Jac to whack Sparo none-too-gently upside the head. The trooper yelped, but his shoulders were still shaking with his own private mirth. Cloud looked in confusion between the two, sending Zack a desperate, puzzled look and hoping his friend had a better idea what was going on than he did.
Zack blinked over the top of his bottle at Sparo, then sent a sidelong look at Cloud. He stared for a second, then choked, nearly spitting his drink over the table. Cloud could only watch as Zack wheezed in an obvious attempt to cough up a lung, choke, and laugh all at once. When Zacklooked back up at Cloud , who only felt more bewildered, Zack's laughter just redoubled. “Cloud...” Zack choked, “and...and...” He coughed again, took a deep breath. After a few more choked, near silent laughs, he managed to compose his face into a look of solemnity. It made Cloud inexplicably wary. Zack looked gravely at him, eyes soulful, and asked, “You're cheating on me?”
For a moment all Cloud could do was look at Zack in incomprehension, before he finally caught on to what Sparo had implied. His face flushed in complete mortification, before he paled just as quickly, leaving him light headed and ashamed. The impossibility of that maddened gaze and taunting smile was over laid by the more recent image of Sephiroth protecting the chick from Heidegger's petty attack, and again that awkward moment that Cloud wished he could unsee, just so it would stop haunting his memories. Cloud couldn't separate the madman of his past with this enigma of his present.
Sparo lost it first, collapsing forward against the table in a fit of laughter while the rest of them seemed torn between laughing and just hauling the clearly drunk trooper off. “Sir,” Edge said sharply. “You're hardly one to talk.”
Zack sniffed. “That's a completely different matter. Aerith thinks he's cute too.”
Jac gave a snorting laugh. “I thought it was a secret from your girlfriend?”
“Oh, I introduced them today,” Zack said happily.
He was glad that Zack had drawn the center of attention to himself, giving Cloud a moment to recover from the shock of Sparo's not-so-innocent joke. It shouldn't have hit him so hard, but romance was another of the things that always seemed to go completely wrong in Cloud's life.
Tifa's sad brown eyes seemed to even follow him here, and it hurt that he couldn't give her what she wanted. Cloud swallowed down the lump at the memory of his childhood friend. It was only striking him now, that he would never see her again, not the same strong, gentle woman he'd left behind, who understood why Cloud could never settle down.
He could use her quiet perceptive presence now.
Zack's elbow caught Cloud's arm, drawing Cloud's attention to his friend again, and it struck him, suddenly, how young Zack really looked. He felt lost again, and the almost warm feeling of acceptance he'd felt hanging out with the other soldiers had vanished completely. All he wanted to do was run away.
Beside him Zack straightened from his slouched position straddling the chair and lifted his hands over his head with a groan. “Well, you gossiping girls have fun. I think Cloud and I will go find something to eat, then get home. Man...we totally forgot to get lunch today,” Zack said sorrowfully. Standing up he fished out a random amount of gil and tossed it down on the table to help pay for the drinks.
“Will you be up tomorrow, Zack?” Luxiere asked.
“Yeah, I think I'll be up to check out the mission board and then Cloud and I can go out and see just how well he handles that sword."
Cloud couldn't have been more glad that Zack had made their excuses. He wasn't up for humoring the odd crew anymore, however nice they had been. The fatigue from earlier had returned, leaving his head buzzing and his eyes burning. He stood up to follow Zack around the table only to be stopped by Edge's hand clapping on his wrist.
"Hey, you weren't thinking of running away and making us hard working SOLDIERs pay for your drinks, were you Cloud?" the Third demanded, though he had a half drunken smile on his face and didn't seem particularly annoyed. Cloud freed his arm with a tug, frowning down at the SOLDIER.
"The only drink I ordered never came. I don't see what I have to pay for," he said simply. To his surprise, it was Gibbs that burst out laughing, pounding the table with his fist.
"That's right Cloud! You run along with Fair, and I'll make sure these louts pay up!" Gibbs waved them off, and Cloud was only too happy to follow Zack out.
The cool night air was soothing on Cloud's face after the claustrophobic press of people and tables. He kept his gaze on his feet, until Zack's hand tilted his head up, and then stared into his friend's blue eyes. The mako glow made them shine in the gloom. That glow was imperceptible unless only a few inches away. “You okay?” Zack asked after a moment. “You look a little pale. Sephiroth really wasn't that bad to deal with was he?”
"…I'm fine," Cloud said quietly, looking away as he uttered the half lie. "Nothing bad happened with Sephiroth." That was the point, though. Cloud was still expecting the man to fix him with that maddened gaze, expected his voice to turn into the seductive purr of menace he was so used to. Instead, he was forced to face the harsh truth that this time really was nothing like the future he'd left. He blinked, mulling that thought over again. It was so very different, that it was hard to conceive that the future Cloud knew would stem from it. Maybe…maybe it wasn't such a hopeless quest, to think that Cloud would be able to change things for the better.
Cloud looked back into Zack's eyes a little more confidently. "I'm fine Zack. Really. Thanks…" he trailed off, unsure how to express this gratitude for everything Zack had done for him up until now.
Zack slung an arm over Cloud's shoulders and started tugging him off down the street. “You don't have to thank me for anything,” Zack said. “You just trying to help Sephiroth when.... Well, anyway, that's thanks enough for me, and I almost feel like I should be thanking you.” He stopped to look down at Cloud again, smile bright and eyes alight with amusement. “You're a great guy, Cloud. I don't know about how things went in your past, or anything, and I might not be the same person who saved your life that time, but...I'm glad we're friends.”
Cloud couldn't hold Zack's gaze for long, his words feeling both heavy as lead and light as air. It was nice, so very nice to hear such praise from Zack, to know that those flashes of memory and half deluded fantasy were real. That Zack could still forgive him and call him friend, even when he knew that Cloud had been the death of him. Cloud had believed it, when he'd seen Zack vanish with Aerith back into the Lifestream, but hearing it from the living, breathing man made all the difference.
“Now,” Zack said, voice mockingly serious. “The big question is...what do you want for supper?” The thought of food wasn't particularly appealing to Cloud. His eating habits had never been very good, and were nearly non-existent once he'd spent so much time on his own without Tifa guilting him into a meal or two. Since Nibelheim, in fact, Cloud had really only eaten regularly when others were around to force him to. One look at Zack's face told him that this was another such case.
"…It doesn't matter to me," he said, the weight and warmth of Zack's arm across his shoulder both comforting and unnerving.
Things were so different now. The guilt and longing Cloud associated with Zack and Aerith was being alleviated by their presence, yet at the same time the strangeness of the situation left Cloud feeling more lost than ever. He was not used to prolonged exposure to people, but he wanted to stay close to Zack, to reassure himself that this was real and not another hallucination brought on by fatigue, guilt, and his own mind's delusions. Slowly, though, Cloud was coming to accept that this wasn't a trick of the mind. It was easy to recognize that he'd been sent to the past, but another thing to accept and believe it. Cloud's mind was not the most reliable of places, after all.
The most confusing part of this whole fiasco was Sephiroth. It always came back to the silver-haired man in the end. Cloud could deal with the little incongruities of Zack, who was so much more than the man who had sacrificed so much for him, and he could understand the differences in Aerith, who still had so many years to grow into the self-confident woman he remembered. What made him cringe with both shame and defiance was how unbelievable the differences in Sephiroth were. The man had been the chief instigator of the torment Cloud had suffered for many years, and Cloud didn't want to try to forgive him. But despite Zack's request, he could see that there was something there, something that was both great and sad in a powerful, lonely man. Those long ago feelings of admiration for the General had stirred, and Cloud was more confused than he'd ever been before.
“Alright then,” Zack said, pumping a fist in the air as if they were off to conquer the world rather than just getting something to eat. “I know this great little Wutai place.... Well it's not authentic Wutai, you know, but the food is really good. I never got to eat the real stuff when I was in Wutai during the war. Things were too crazy. First there was storming Fort Tamblin, then I nearly got killed by their big ol' Anti-SOLDIER beasts, and then I nearly got killed by Ifrit, and Angeal disappeared....” Zack fell abruptly silent, jovial expression melting away into a seriously thoughtful one. “You know, it's crazy, isn't it? I left home, determined to be a SOLDIER, and I made it...and all I wanted was to be First Class, be a hero...” There was a long pause, and Cloud didn't think he was ever going to continue.
“Well,” Zack said at last, voice jovial but with an odd note. “I can honestly say I never expected for things to turn out like this.” Ahead of them a little place tucked in among the buildings came into view. A bright lit neon sign announced the name. The door stood open, inviting, and carrying the faint scent of food from within that changed the metallic taint of Midgar's air to something a little nicer. Zack released Cloud and strode toward the little restaurant, Cloud following a few steps behind.
"But…you made it. You did succeed," Cloud said quietly. He knew his awkward reassurances probably didn't mean much, but he felt responsible in a way for Zack's dreams. It had been his fault in the future that Zack wasn't alive to follow them himself, and Cloud had failed in trying to fulfill them on his own. As if realizing that wasn't enough, he added hesitantly, "And I'm sure Aerith thinks you're a hero."
Things had not turned out like Cloud had expected either. When he'd thought of the future at all, he'd imagined a world where things were better, more peaceful. The reality of the years after Meteor had been that forgiveness was hard to find, and Geostigma ate away at people's hope. Then at the moment of redemption, where the future seemed less dark and once again held possibilities, Cloud found himself at the start of it all instead. In some ways, it was hard to swallow, that all of the suffering Cloud went through meant nothing now, but if it was possible to prevent that sadness then Cloud would give himself over as many times as it took.
"Do you ever regret it?" The question was out of Cloud's mouth before he could censor it, but he barely noticed, caught up in his own memories. The chance to do things right was a heavy burden. He was used to the weight of the world on his shoulders, but it was in some ways worse, knowing what could happen if he failed again.
Zack paused in the little recessed niche by the open door. From inside there came the sound of conversation. The smell of food was strong enough here that the stench of pollution was overridden. Zack hovered there, looking at Cloud and obviously contemplating the question. His face no longer wore his usual smile, though it didn't have a frown either. It was completely neutral. A couple of people ran by, one calling after the other about how they were going to be late, and a pair of ShinRa's security force on the distant corner turned to look their way briefly. Finally, Zack said, “You know, regret is a funny thing.
“Do I regret the friends I made, the people I've met? Absolutely not.” Zack looked toward the distant, omnipresent building that loomed over the plate even in its half complete state. “Do I regret some of the things I've done? The people I've lost? Yeah, I guess I do. But...I can't really regret it all, you know? If things hadn't happened the way they did, what if I wasn't here? What if I never met Aerith, or you, or Angeal, even Tseng, Sephiroth...all of my friends. I regret...” he stopped, for a moment, looking just a little pained. “We all have our regrets, but I'm not going to let them rule my life, and you shouldn't either, Cloud. This is our chance.... Second chance, first chance, a million chances over...it's a chance to make things right, and I'm not going to regret that. Not ever.”
Zack had a way of putting things into perspective that Cloud had lost. Even his friends had never been able to express it so eloquently. There was always talk about how those lost would never blame those who survived, and how things were in the past and it was time to move on. Being thankful of the people you met, and the experiences good and bad, was almost an alien concept to Cloud. It was the 'what ifs' he contemplated in a more positive light.
What made Cloud flush in embarrassed pleasure was how easily Zack included himself into the whole mess. It wasn't in Zack's nature to leave things be, yet somehow it was still surprising that he was willing to go so far for an almost stranger, however fondly Cloud thought of him. It reminded him of how good a soul Zack had, and what was at stake. There was no way he'd ever be able to put into words how grateful he was in that moment for Zack's support, and Cloud knew his friend would brush it off as if it was the obvious thing to do. He wished he could think of something eloquent to say in response to Zack's heartfelt words, but his throat felt tight and his mouth was too dry to form words. In some ways it hurt to see Zack so serious, with that unexpected sadness lurking behind his eyes, yet it also reassured Cloud that this was real.
"I can't forget, but…I don't regret it either," he finally said, and realized he really meant it. Cloud couldn't change what had happened to him, but he could try to make sure that his loved ones didn't have to suffer this time around.
Zack gave him a brilliant smile that made Cloud flush again, somehow knowing his friend approved of his words. He couldn't help but give a small smile back. Before anything else could be said the quiet moment was broken as Zack's stomach gave an audible growl. “I'm starving,” Zack groaned in between merry laughs. “Those Griffins had me chasing them all over the construction zone of Sector 3. I think I nearly toppled off the plate again to get the last one, and I don't think I'm lucky enough to find another lovely girl to save my life.”
Cloud followed Zack into the restaurant, listening as his friend ordered a wide variety of dishes from Razor Weed stir fry, to Adamantaimai soup, to the Behemoth bowl. Some were dishes that Cloud recognized, from the infrequent visits to Wutai on Yuffie's behest, but others sounded even more exotic than the usual Wutai fare. Bizarre Bug on noodles? He hoped it was merely fanciful description, and not indicative of what was actually in the meal.
The pair left the diner laden with more food than Cloud thought either of them would be able to finish, despite Zack's cheerful assurances. The night had well and truly set in by then, and the walk back to Zack's apartment was lit only with the buzzing orange street lamps that cast circles of illumination under their metal perches and Midgar's mako-tinted ambiance. Once inside, Cloud stood awkwardly in the entrance way for a moment, feeling like he was trespassing on his friend's territory despite knowing better.
The chill of the night air was mitigated in the apartment, though the heating wasn't on particularly high despite the winter month. Zack sauntered into the room and dropped the bag he was carrying on the messy table, then headed toward the weapon's rack on the wall. Just as with the night before, he pulled the Buster Sword from his back and set it reverently in the space clearly meant for it, lingering. Cloud set his own bag of food on the table, before detouring to his room to drop his sword off, stripping off his boots and scarf as well.
When he re-entered the living room, Zack immediately began talking, though he didn't appear to require any response from Cloud. Cloud had noticed Zack's habit of filling the silences with chatter about whatever came to mind. He didn't mind, as far too often when he was left to his own thoughts they would take a darker turn. “You can sit down you know.” Zack pointed out at the space next to him on the couch. “No one is going to care you if you sit down, relax, and eat. I'm certainly not.”
Zack leaned forward and began pulling containers out of one bag and placing them at random. Occasionally he'd stop to move some papers out of the way so they wouldn't get ruined. Then he pulled the drinks they'd stopped to get; the brightly colored cans had an image of a Moogle mid pirouette balancing three stars of varying size and color on one paw. Above it was emblazoned the name MogCola.
“I've been thinking,” Zack said slowly. “That tomorrow you and I ought to see if there are any missions just outside of Midgar that way we can go out and let you test your skills on. So you can get a feel for things, make sure you're not tripping over yourself. Oh, good, she remembered I'm terrible with chopsticks!” The last bit was clearly not directed at Cloud as Zack triumphantly brandished a couple plastic forks along with a set of simple wooden chopsticks.
Getting out from Midgar for a while sounded nice. The city was still foul with pollution in this past time, a circumstance Cloud had not missed. Edge had survived on the outskirts of the desolate soil of Midgar, but it would take hundreds of years for the place to recover from ShinRa's raping of the Lifestream. He wondered what would happen this time, when Meteor did not destroy the industrial monolith's headquarters. Would ShinRa continue sucking the Planet dry, until Midgar was the center of even more desolation? Or would AVALANCHE succeed in its self-proclaimed mission to save the Planet?
Cloud was poking unenthusiastically at a box of Razor Weed stir fry when Zack's phone distracted the other man, but he only looked up when Zack started laughing out loud.
“Uh oh." Setting aside the utensils he was still holding, Zack sunk back into the sofa. “One of our sources has reported that Sephiroth has recently acquired a pet. What sort of creature would the enigmatic Sephiroth have? It appears he would choose, of all things, a chocobo! Other reports indicate that Sephiroth was seen around the ShinRa building and the Sector 1 train station with a tiny chocobo chick at his heels. It comes as no surprise that someone like Sephiroth would have such a striking and rare black chocobo for a pet! For a fanclub, the Silver Elite are pretty fast, aren't they?"
Cloud knew his face must have been a picture of disbelief as he listened to the contents of the message. Though the other guys had mentioned fanclubs earlier in the bar, Cloud hadn't taken it seriously.
“I wonder,” Zack mused, “how long it will take for little stuffed Viri's to show up on the market. Maybe I'll get one for Aerith. She seemed really taken with him...” Shaking his head, Zack turned to Cloud, eyes wide with mischief. "I bet the looks on the faces of your new buddies from the slums were great when Sephiroth showed up to oversee the delivery himself."
"Sephiroth went…" he trailed off, surprised again that the silver-haired man appeared to be taking such an interest in his newly acquired shadow. "I thought Lazard was supposed to take care of it?" Not that it mattered much. At least they'd be assured that the slum gang would never cheat them out of a single green after the personal visit from the General. Cloud felt his mouth quirk in a reluctant grin at the image. He could admit that Sephiroth was a very intimidating presence.
“Lazard probably told him that pets aren't part of the SOLDIER budget and he'd have to take care of it himself if Sephiroth even bothered to see him about it.” Zack was silent for a while as he dug into his meal with gusto, and Cloud did likewise.
“Speaking of mothers,” Zack said, and it took a moment for Cloud to make any sort of connection with the previous topic. “I should probably write mine soon. I can't remember the last time I sent her a letter, and she's always complaining that I don't contact them enough.” He reached for his drink, and paused with it halfway to his mouth to send Cloud a curious stare. “I remember you said you were from Nibelheim before...er, before Mideel. And you said that Nibelheim was destroyed in the future but.... What about your family? They're okay now, aren't they?”
Cloud froze with his fork in his mouth, staring at Zack in bewilderment. That was true, wasn't it? Nibelheim was still standing, and his mother was alive and well. He swallowed down his mouthful with difficulty, throat tight and his heart beating faster than normal. It had hurt when he'd lost her to Sephiroth, but there had been so many other things that caused him pain that day that her loss had been absorbed into the black terror that Nibelheim's memory inspired.
Zack grimaced slightly and hurried on asking, “What's Nibelheim like? Other than being just a backwater town with nothing but a reactor around?”
"Nibelheim…is not something I like talking about," Cloud said, not looking at Zack. He knew Zack had meant what his town had been like growing up, but there was too many bad memories surrounding that place for Cloud to ever think fondly of it. His childhood hadn't been particularly pleasant, and was hardly worth mentioning. "But…you're right. My mother…is alive…" he trailed off, trying to wrap his mind around that simple fact.
Seeing Zack and Aerith alive and well had almost been expected. Cloud had agonized over their deaths for so long, had glimpses of Aerith from the Lifestream, that it always seemed like they were right there with him. But his mother…it had been so long since he'd allowed himself to think of her.
He'd been a spoiled child, allowed to run around freely and resentful of any interference she tried to impose on him. When Cloud had run off to join the army, he hadn't considered her feelings past informing her of his plans. Despite all that had happened, Cloud could still remember her moment of shocked silence when he'd told her, before his mother had wiped her hands calmly on her apron as wished him luck. She was a comforting presence, but even alive she'd almost been like a ghost to him, visible but not close.
Cloud regretted that now. How much he must have hurt her, leaving her alone like he had to pursue a selfish, and ultimately tragic, dream. But what could he say to her? He was not her child any longer, too changed with the trials he'd faced. Would she even recognize him? Cloud hardly felt anything like the teenager he was supposed to be right now, even though he knew logically he still looked like himself.
“Maybe you should contact her,” Zack offered softly.
"What…I don't know what I'd say to her. I'm not…not really her son, after all. Not like she thinks." Cloud could only stare at the food in his lap, his appetite completely gone.
A knock at the door startled Cloud, and he snapped his head around as he realized the buzzing in his head was not a reaction to his racing thoughts. For a moment he entertained the impulse to tell Zack not to answer the door, knowing who was on the other side. Cloud squashed that feeling as soon as he thought it, aware it was petty. Before he could make a break for the relative safety of his room, Zack had opened the door, and Sephiroth stepped into the room. His eyes immediately locked on Cloud, who tried desperately to avoid that gaze by focusing on the chick in the man's hands. Viri was a ball of misery, fluff drooping and soulful eyes focused on Cloud much like his owner's were.
“Uh, hey, Sephiroth. Did you need something?” Zack asked, sounding completely baffled.
“I admit that I am not entirely sure what to do with him,” Sephiroth said after a lengthy pause. “I found relatively few books on the subject of chocobos, and almost none of them had information on caring for the young other than what Cloud imparted himself. The fact that the chocobo must stay with its parents, and more importantly, the one it perceives as its mother.” Cloud frowned slightly at Sephiroth's words, knowing there would be no getting away from him until Viri was taken care of.
"Have you fed him, sir?" he asked quietly, setting his own food aside as he stood up. Every step forward felt like there was a lead weight tied to each leg, but Cloud managed to remain calm as he approached Sephiroth, holding out his hands for the chick.
"I put out food for him, but he didn't eat it."
The moment his hands brushed Sephiroth's, Cloud realized he'd made a mistake. The cells inside Cloud reacted to the contact, making every hair stand on end as the familiar pull of the Reunion teased at his mind. He felt like he was drowning, his senses suddenly completely overtaken by the sheer presence of the man in front of him. Cloud jerked back, one hand clutching his head as he clenched his teeth against a cry. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth when he bit his cheek.
Viri had let out a terrified warble, falling from the pair's hands and diving under the nearest piece of furniture. His down poofed out, he sat there trembling under the chair in a huddle.
Cloud's heart was pounding in his ears, so loudly that he was unable to hear Zack's worried voice. He stood, half frozen with terror and adrenaline as the rush of the connection tingled against his skin. He was aware of Sephiroth still standing over him, and a wash of emotions he could not name left him feeling lightheaded. It was unlike the previous possession Cloud had experienced, where Sephiroth drove him to commit unforgivable acts.
“You...what....” Sephiroth's voice caused Cloud to snap his head up, caught again in the cat-like green eyes as the silver-haired man failed to articulate his thoughts. He tried to pull himself together; Sephiroth wasn't about to attack him…except that there was a frightening possibility he was. Cloud hadn't thought of the possible ramifications his presence as a failed clone would have on Sephiroth. What if it drove him over the edge, the same way Jenova's honeyed lies had?
“Cloud! Sephiroth? Are you two alright?” Zack's agitated voice filtered in as if through water. Sephiroth broke eye contact first, stepping away to be intercepted by Zack. “Sephiroth-”
“I apologize for my intrusion, I should get back to-”
“Oh no you don't,” Zack snapped. “You both look like you just saw a ghost, and I don't need someone coming up with the story that I'm trying to assassinate ShinRa's star SOLDIER if you collapse in the middle of the court yard. Both of you need to sit down.”
Cloud gasped in a short, quick breath, and shivered at the sudden loss of the overpowering sensation. It was always so hard to fight Sephiroth's control. The man seemed to know how to slip through Cloud's defenses, rip his weaknesses apart and throw him into despair. Despite the fact that nothing of the sort had happened in the minor contact, Cloud was more terrified than ever of this new-old world. Would this Sephiroth, too, try to destroy everything he held dear?
In the moments of distraction as Zack tried to settle them both, Cloud brought himself back under control, unwilling to give away anything more while in Sephiroth's presence. He wracked his brain for an explanation that would satisfy-anything to keep Sephiroth's curiosity from focusing on Cloud's oddities. The irony that contact with Sephiroth nearly eradicated Jenova's mental buzz wasn't lost on Cloud, though, as the annoying feeling had all but vanished. That at least was reassuring; Cloud had been worried that Jenova, supposedly still halfway across the world in Nibelheim, had that much influence here. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Zack instructing Sephiroth on how to feed Viri.
“Cloud? You okay, buddy?” Cloud nearly startled at the sound of Zack's voice so close. He hadn't noticed Zack move toward him in his distraction.
Keeping his face carefully blank, Cloud said, "I'm okay, Zack. It…was probably a leftover reaction from the mako."
He didn't dare look over to the couch where Sephiroth sat, Viri's chirps of complaint settling down into contented coos as the man worked his way through the greens. All Cloud wanted to do was get as far away from Sephiroth as he could, but that would only lead to more questions. The best solution was to get Sephiroth what he needed to care for Viri and get him out of there as soon as possible.
"The…Viri needs…I'll write down some…instructions or something," he mumbled, then turned and strode into his room. It was the best Cloud could do for now, to put some distance between him and Sephiroth. He lingered as long as he dared, staring down at his neat handwriting with empty eyes. Cloud's delivery service had forced him to develop the skill, Tifa watching over him like a hawk at first. 'It reflects badly on your service if your presentation is poor' she'd told him.
What happened? It had been so long since Cloud felt such a strong pull toward Sephiroth. He'd thought he'd brought that under control, that defeating Sephiroth had weakened the man's hold over Cloud's mind. He shuddered again at the memory of that overwhelming feeling. The last time Cloud had let Sephiroth in too deeply, Aerith had….
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Cloud ripped the pages out of the notepad he'd found in the desk drawer. He steeled himself, and promised that next time he wouldn't be caught so unaware by the man. Cloud had let his guard down, because of how sane Sephiroth seemed. He couldn't let that happen, no matter what Zack thought. Reluctantly, Cloud returned to the living room where the two SOLDIERs waited.
They both looked up at Cloud's return, and Sephiroth stood immediately. Cloud helpd out the slip of paper, and Sephiroth took it almost, then inclined his head to Cloud. That cool gaze raked over him once more both curious and distant. “Thank you.”
Without another word, Sephiroth showed himself out as quickly as he'd come. The following silence was broken only by Zack's sigh. Cloud wanted to sigh in relief too, but somehow felt that would be unkind despite the situation. It really wasn't Sephiroth's fault there was such a strong reaction between them. If Cloud should blame anyone, it would be Hojo.
It didn't stop Cloud from looking down at his hand, from rubbing his fingers together in memory of the sensation. He'd been braced for a repeat, but Sephiroth had been as careful as Cloud. Nothing had come of it, not even a return of Jenova's thrum against his mind. The emptiness was almost as jarring as the initial contact.
“Well,” Zack said. “That was interesting. I don't think I've ever seen him so expressive. He looked at you like you were both his saving grace and the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen. I think you spooked him real good....” Zack looked as spooked as Cloud felt, though Cloud had no idea why. Zack's words sunk into Cloud's mind, but he hardly had the energy to respond. Sephiroth's saving grace? Perhaps, but Cloud's goal was and would always be to protect his friends. If that meant saving Sephiroth too, he would do it, but he would never put the silver-haired man first.
Zack moved back to the sofa, slumped down, and fished the remote from the cushions. The flickering glow of the television lit up the walls, and Cloud contemplated retreating to his room and locking the world out for a while. He could tell Zack was worried even if his friend refused to pry any deeper than he already had. After a moment, Cloud walked hesitantly back to the couch, picked up his abandoned food as an excuse, and busied himself with eating it to avoid his friend's gaze.
He had, after all, promised Tifa that he would stop running away.
Next time on Counter Crisis it's a Crisis of Celebration!