DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters.

A/N: Okay, I KNOW that there are WAY too many time travel fics involving FFVII, but I could never find the things I wanted in everyone else's, so this cliché monstrosity was born.

No beta, so I apologize in advance for the spelling/grammar mistakes I will no doubt accidentally overlook even after proof-reading this fifty million times...

All I can really say is that I hope you enjoy it XD

Also, if you visit my tumblr mystorystar not only will you get story updates, but drawings, concept pages, suggested music, etc for this story. Anything relating to Barcode Anonymous will be tagged with #Barcode ANON

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Tick-Tock, Drop Like a Rock

This, Zack thought as he watched Cloud rub his head, his gloved fingers coming away bloody, is not good.

"Dude, I am so sorry! I totally didn't mean to drop you!" Zack frantically apologized, sounding, and feeling, very much like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

One second, he was dead, floating around in the lifestream without a care in the world. The next, he was in the middle of nowhere, dragging a semi-comatose Cloud to Gaia knows where. He was so taken aback that he accidentally dropped the poor guy, causing him nick his head on a horribly placed rock. The guilt Zack felt was instant.

Zack wasted little time helping his companion into a proper sitting position so that he could estimate the damage. Thankfully, the gash on Cloud's temple looked a hell of a lot worse than it really was. Thank you! The last thing I needed was to start whatever the hell this is by makin' the kid need stitches. He pulled out his handkerchief and, after dampening it with some water from his canteen, wiped Cloud's face clean of dirt and blood.

"Can't have you looking a mess." Why was his voice shaking so badly?! Breathe, Zack. No need to freak out. It could be worse. He cast Cloud look. His eyes were as distant and foggy as ever, yet there was something akin to recognition in them.

"Z... Zack?"

The ex-SOLDIER made a very indignant noise before leaning close to the blond, not wanting to miss whatever it was he had to say, but alas, he made no further attempts to communicate with the ravenet before his eyes fluttered shut. A surge of panic and frustration flooded Zack's senses and he resisted the urge to shake the smaller man. He instead decided to focus on finding shelter so that he could freak out without the risk being ambushed by ShinRa troopers. Well, there was that and the fact that the sun appeared to be setting.

"Shelter, shelter, shelter," Zack mumbled as he slung Cloud over his shoulder and examined the surrounding area. "Where the hell are we even at? That looks like a forest over there. You don't mind roughin' it, do ya?"

Silence.

"Good, because I don't think we have much of a choice, buddy."

Honestly, it took way longer than Zack expected to reach the tree line. It was pitch black by the time he found a good place to rest and he was more than grateful towards his enhanced vision. He tripped over enough roots as it was. He could only imagine how hard it would've been if he'd been a normal-stupidfuckin'Hojo-guy.

He propped Cloud up against a tree stump and began digging through their backpack. "130 gil. A box of crackers. A couple cans of soup. Is this jello- Wait... No. It's strawberry applesauce. How the hell do you eat this stuff, Cloud? It's disgus- Oh! You're awake!"

Cloud stared at Zack, looking a combination of concerned and severely disoriented. Zack grinned sheepishly at him as he pulled out a battery powered lantern and turned it on, placing it between them.

"Are you hungry?"

Cloud's gaze fell to his feet and his mouth twitched into a frown. "Why am... I..." He weakly shook his head. "Z... Zack... You're not... You..."

"Died?" Zack supplied, immediately getting at what the blond was trying to say. "I know, right? Like, what the fuck is going on...?" Wait a minute... Zack shot to his feet, knocking the lantern over and staring down at his friend in disbelief. "Holy shit, Cloud! You remember me dying?! Then that means... Did... Did we get sent back in time?!"

The sheer volume of Zack's voice caused a bolt of pain to shot through Cloud's head. He winced, one eye closing, and slowly rose his hands to his ears.

Zack clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyebrows furrowing. "Sorry. I guess your head hurts enough as it is without me finishin' it off."

"I guess I'm still... a bit poi... poi... pois..." A small growl of frustration rumbled from Cloud's throat. "Stupid fuckin'..." Another growl. "...mako."

Before he knew it, Zack was hugging Cloud, his shoulders shaking. Cloud stiffened from the sudden contact, but eventually relaxed in his friend's arms, his forehead resting against Zack's collarbone. He took a shuddering breath as he inhaled the long forgotten scent of tropical trees, sweat, and raspberry shampoo. Slowly, but surely, Cloud's arms wrapped around him to return the hug, all the while telling himself he wasn't going to cry.

Yeah, Zack thought as his shirt absorbed the salty moisture leaking from Cloud's trembling form, This could've been a hell of a lot worse...

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ZACK: (crying over dramatically) I love you so much, Spiky! You're like the little brother I never had!

CLOUD: Zack... Please... You're crushing me! (-;)

A/N:(snickers) Okay, so be sure to review and don't be afraid to ask me any questions you may have. I will do my absolute best to respond to you guys :) Once again, if you visit my tumblr mystorystar, you will be able to view a lot of the bonus content that goes with this story. Also, don't be afraid to send me PM's or asks. I actually encourage it.

SEPHIROTH: REVIEW!

A/N:(O_o) Dude, you are way too early! We still have a long way to go until you make an appearance.

SEPHIROTH:(pouts)

A/N:Fine... You can help with the outros...

SEPHIROTH::D