Always There (Birthday fic forfantasia0829!)
Title: Always There
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I totally own everything. Yeah. (Lies. Utter liiies)
Warnings: Um, let's say T. Whee? :DD
Summary: Cloud just paying tribute to an old friend.
A/N: Happy Belated Birthday, Sor-chan! :D This is not only late, but, uh, I'm scared about posting Clack, because I fail hardcore at Clack. ;~; But she gave me the prompt of the Disney Song "He Lives In You" from The Lion King II, and when I was writing it, it was very epic. Huh. Yeah. Epic.
Anyway, I hope you like it, and happy belated birthday!
When Cloud had decided to take a day off of his “delivery boy” business, Tifa only frowned and watched him load up his motorcycle.
“Cloud…” she trailed off when the blond didn’t respond. Clearing her throat, she spoke again. “He’s not coming back.”
“I know.” Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword from off the wall and attached it onto the sword holder on his back.
Crossing her arms, Tifa drummed her fingers against her other arm and shook her head. “Then why are you going?”
He shrugged, climbed onto the bike, and turned back to face her. “I’ll be back tonight.” Without another word, Cloud revved up the bike and zoomed away into the morning light.
--
It had taken a few hours to get out of the city, but after weaving through the desert for some time, he’d finally arrived at his destination...the hilltop where he’d watched Zack die.
Steeling his emotions (which, now that he was here, it was a lot harder), Cloud kicked the kickstand of his bike down and climbed off, slowly approaching the hill. Placing the sword into the dirt, Cloud closed his eyes and lowered his head.
“Zack…” he mumbled softly to himself, shaking his head. “I promised I’d live for the both of us… But it’s a hard promise to keep.”
He half recalled saying this to Zack’s grave area while Kadaj and his gang were around, but he knew it had to be said again.
Even though he had no Geostigmata to cause him pain, a sharp sting rang through his skull and he dropped to his knees. Glancing at the sword again, Cloud’s eyes crossed and he collapsed onto the dirt.
--
“Hey! Blondie!”
Cloud cracked open his eyes before trying to instantly close them. Light flooded his vision instantly, and it took him a few seconds to adjust.
When he did, however, he glanced down at his outfit, and realized that he wasn’t wearing his normal outfit. In fact… this looked like the first class SOLDIER outfit. To be even more specific, like the outfit that he watched Zack die in.
“Hello?! Are you listening to me?!”
Blinking, Cloud followed the voice, and saw, despite the fact that his mind told him this couldn’t be true, Zack grinning widely at him. Cloud stumbled to his feet and approached the First Class SOLDIER, shaking his head the entire way. “No…you’re…”
“Dead?” Zack echoed, grinning slightly at him. “Yeah. I know that silly. I mean, look at yourself - same outfit that you wore when I was…” he trailed off, before shaking his head and reaching his arms out to give Cloud a hug. “Come on… I deserve one!”
Cloud held out his arms in awe, but he reached out to touch Zack’s arm, his hand fell through. Zack frowned and shook his arm. “Ah, well, I guess I, or you, can’t stay for long.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and grinned. “I just wanted to tell you I’m always here.”
Raising his eyebrow, Cloud backed away from the now-dead SOLDIER. “Um, what?”
“Do I sound cliché or something?” He frowned. “Aerith said I would…”
“You’re always here?” Cloud echoed, ignoring Zack completely. “What the heck do you mean?”
Zack frowned and tapped his chin. “Would it make more sense…” he thought aloud, glancing to Cloud. “If I said I …uh, live in you?”
Cloud took another glance at the outfit he was wearing, and then back at Zack. “What?”
Zack approached Cloud and gave him wide grin. “Well, you know how Aerith and I are a part of the Life stream, riiight?” Cloud only nodded, prodding Zack to continue. “Well, technically, we’re everywhere when you think about it like that…”
He gave a soft laugh. “But,” he muttered, reaching a transparent hand to Cloud’s cheek. Cloud wanted to close his eyes and think back to times where they could easily touch (well, they were always hidden behind closed doors, but at least they were both alive). “Since we were so close…” He ran his almost invisible hands down Cloud’s arms, where they stayed on Cloud’s back, in a sad attempt to mimic a hug. “I’m kinda always watching over you. No matter what stupid thing you do, I’ll be right beside you.”
Cloud shook his head in almost disbelief, but Zack only smiled and pushed Cloud away. Strangely, that time, they connected. “I’ll always be here, blondie,” Zack said again, shaking his head. “You gotta move on and enjoy life! I love seeing you, but if I see you in the Lifestream again, I’m kicking your scrawny ass, alright?”
Before Cloud could respond, Zack grinned and waved goodbye; another bright light appeared and Cloud had to shut his eyes.
--
When he cracked his eyes open again, he was lying on the ground next to his sword and his bike. He groaned, shook his head, and stood up, slowly pulling his sword out of the ground. Absentmindedly, he placed a hand on his cheek. He could almost hear Zack make some side comment about how much Cloud missed him.
Shaking his head, he climbed onto the bike and started to head down the hill for home. Because he was so busy thinking instead of paying attention to the road, a pile of rocks appeared in front of him, but he saw it took late. Something, however, was able to easily steer him out of danger.
He swerved and stopped the bike before glancing back to the rocks. With a small smile, he mumbled, “He lives in me, huh?” before revving up the bike again and heading home.
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I totally own everything. Yeah. (Lies. Utter liiies)
Warnings: Um, let's say T. Whee? :DD
Summary: Cloud just paying tribute to an old friend.
A/N: Happy Belated Birthday, Sor-chan! :D This is not only late, but, uh, I'm scared about posting Clack, because I fail hardcore at Clack. ;~; But she gave me the prompt of the Disney Song "He Lives In You" from The Lion King II, and when I was writing it, it was very epic. Huh. Yeah. Epic.
Anyway, I hope you like it, and happy belated birthday!
When Cloud had decided to take a day off of his “delivery boy” business, Tifa only frowned and watched him load up his motorcycle.
“Cloud…” she trailed off when the blond didn’t respond. Clearing her throat, she spoke again. “He’s not coming back.”
“I know.” Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword from off the wall and attached it onto the sword holder on his back.
Crossing her arms, Tifa drummed her fingers against her other arm and shook her head. “Then why are you going?”
He shrugged, climbed onto the bike, and turned back to face her. “I’ll be back tonight.” Without another word, Cloud revved up the bike and zoomed away into the morning light.
--
It had taken a few hours to get out of the city, but after weaving through the desert for some time, he’d finally arrived at his destination...the hilltop where he’d watched Zack die.
Steeling his emotions (which, now that he was here, it was a lot harder), Cloud kicked the kickstand of his bike down and climbed off, slowly approaching the hill. Placing the sword into the dirt, Cloud closed his eyes and lowered his head.
“Zack…” he mumbled softly to himself, shaking his head. “I promised I’d live for the both of us… But it’s a hard promise to keep.”
He half recalled saying this to Zack’s grave area while Kadaj and his gang were around, but he knew it had to be said again.
Even though he had no Geostigmata to cause him pain, a sharp sting rang through his skull and he dropped to his knees. Glancing at the sword again, Cloud’s eyes crossed and he collapsed onto the dirt.
--
“Hey! Blondie!”
Cloud cracked open his eyes before trying to instantly close them. Light flooded his vision instantly, and it took him a few seconds to adjust.
When he did, however, he glanced down at his outfit, and realized that he wasn’t wearing his normal outfit. In fact… this looked like the first class SOLDIER outfit. To be even more specific, like the outfit that he watched Zack die in.
“Hello?! Are you listening to me?!”
Blinking, Cloud followed the voice, and saw, despite the fact that his mind told him this couldn’t be true, Zack grinning widely at him. Cloud stumbled to his feet and approached the First Class SOLDIER, shaking his head the entire way. “No…you’re…”
“Dead?” Zack echoed, grinning slightly at him. “Yeah. I know that silly. I mean, look at yourself - same outfit that you wore when I was…” he trailed off, before shaking his head and reaching his arms out to give Cloud a hug. “Come on… I deserve one!”
Cloud held out his arms in awe, but he reached out to touch Zack’s arm, his hand fell through. Zack frowned and shook his arm. “Ah, well, I guess I, or you, can’t stay for long.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and grinned. “I just wanted to tell you I’m always here.”
Raising his eyebrow, Cloud backed away from the now-dead SOLDIER. “Um, what?”
“Do I sound cliché or something?” He frowned. “Aerith said I would…”
“You’re always here?” Cloud echoed, ignoring Zack completely. “What the heck do you mean?”
Zack frowned and tapped his chin. “Would it make more sense…” he thought aloud, glancing to Cloud. “If I said I …uh, live in you?”
Cloud took another glance at the outfit he was wearing, and then back at Zack. “What?”
Zack approached Cloud and gave him wide grin. “Well, you know how Aerith and I are a part of the Life stream, riiight?” Cloud only nodded, prodding Zack to continue. “Well, technically, we’re everywhere when you think about it like that…”
He gave a soft laugh. “But,” he muttered, reaching a transparent hand to Cloud’s cheek. Cloud wanted to close his eyes and think back to times where they could easily touch (well, they were always hidden behind closed doors, but at least they were both alive). “Since we were so close…” He ran his almost invisible hands down Cloud’s arms, where they stayed on Cloud’s back, in a sad attempt to mimic a hug. “I’m kinda always watching over you. No matter what stupid thing you do, I’ll be right beside you.”
Cloud shook his head in almost disbelief, but Zack only smiled and pushed Cloud away. Strangely, that time, they connected. “I’ll always be here, blondie,” Zack said again, shaking his head. “You gotta move on and enjoy life! I love seeing you, but if I see you in the Lifestream again, I’m kicking your scrawny ass, alright?”
Before Cloud could respond, Zack grinned and waved goodbye; another bright light appeared and Cloud had to shut his eyes.
--
When he cracked his eyes open again, he was lying on the ground next to his sword and his bike. He groaned, shook his head, and stood up, slowly pulling his sword out of the ground. Absentmindedly, he placed a hand on his cheek. He could almost hear Zack make some side comment about how much Cloud missed him.
Shaking his head, he climbed onto the bike and started to head down the hill for home. Because he was so busy thinking instead of paying attention to the road, a pile of rocks appeared in front of him, but he saw it took late. Something, however, was able to easily steer him out of danger.
He swerved and stopped the bike before glancing back to the rocks. With a small smile, he mumbled, “He lives in me, huh?” before revving up the bike again and heading home.