A/N: Previously a forum-exclusive on spopococ's Final Fantasy forum (see link on my profile), she said it was all right for me to share this story on this site as well. I didn't edit it from the first posting years ago, so I'm sorry if there's mistakes. My writing style has changed a little, but I hope you enjoy anyways.
-o-o-o-
Zack hurried home after his nine hour shift at the local bank and practically threw himself into preparing for his next six hour shift at the bar. He flew through the door of his and Cloud's apartment and made a beeline to their shared bedroom. If he didn't hurry, he would be late, yet again, for his shift and he couldn't risk losing this job. The bank paid for most of their rent; the bar paid for most of the bills and food. Most, but not all.
He was in so much of a hurry that he didn't notice the blond sitting at the dining room table completely absorbed in his textbooks. It wasn't until the blond stuck his head in the bedroom door with a frown when Zack realized he was home.
"Are you going to be late tonight?" Cloud asked softly watching his boyfriend tear off his own clothes and replace them with dark baggy cargo pants and a skin-tight black muscle shirt. He had to look good to inspire better tips.
Zack started at the sound of Cloud's voice and offered a quick smile as a way of 'hello'. He glanced at himself in the mirror and ran a hand through his raven spikes before meeting Cloud's eyes through the reflection. "Could be… I'll call you if I get a chance to take a break." He frowned at the sight of his blond lover looking down at the floor. "Hey," he said softly as he turned around and made his way over to the blond. He wrapped his arms around Cloud and pulled him against his chest. "No moping, 'kay?"
"I feel bad." Cloud murmured into the strong chest in front of him.
"Not this again…" Zack sighed as he rubbed circles across the blond's back.
Cloud looked up at Zack with sad eyes and shook his head. "It's not fair that you're the one scrambling for us to make ends meat while I sit here at home-"
"Getting an education." Zack finished for the blond. "It's important that you finish your program so we can live an easier life, Cloud. You know this."
"I miss you." Cloud said quietly as he buried his face against the warm muscles of Zack's chest.
Zack smiled softly and nuzzled the blond spikes with his nose. "I miss you too, babe. We just need to do this a little while longer."
Cloud sighed and bit his lower lip. "I feel bad that you're the only one working right now. You're the only one bringing in an income and you're spending it all so we can, what? Barely scrape by?" Zack continued to rub Cloud's back and shook his head, but Cloud continued before he could say anything. "And supporting me? It's not fair."
"I'm investing in my future." Zack pulled Cloud away so he could look into those amazingly big, blue eyes. "Once you graduate you'll be able to make so much more money. You'll be my sugar daddy." he finished with a wide smile, hoping to lift Cloud's spirits. Cloud simply rolled his eyes. "Besides, we need to go through tough times to get a better life. I love it that I can pull us through while you finish college. It's the least I can do for us."
Cloud took in a shaky breath and nodded. "You're going to be late again. Call me later, if you can."
"Of course." Zack smiled adoringly and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Cloud's lips. Cloud responded immediately and deepened the kiss as if it would be the last they'd share.
Zack fell victim to the ministrations of Cloud's lips before Cloud pulled back with a faint blush. "Go." Cloud let out a small smile. "And try not to pick up tonight." he added with a teasing wink.
Zack chuckled and made his way to the front door. "Why the hell would I want to pick up when I have a bombshell at home waiting for me?"
Cloud rolled his eyes and smiled as Zack opened the door, winking at him before leaving for his second job. The apartment seemed so empty without Zack. With a sigh, he made his way back to his textbooks. The least he could do was ace college to better the chances of him and Zack having a comfortable future.
-.-.-.-
Cloud stayed awake for as long as he could before he decided he was fighting a losing battle. It wasn't until 2:45 in the morning when he allowed himself to go to bed. Zack hadn't called him that night which meant that the bar was busy and he never broke free long enough to make a phone call. It also meant that he would be exhausted by the time he got home. The bar closed at 2 but they stayed open long enough for the lingering customers to leave before locking the doors.
Cloud couldn't remember falling asleep; he must have been out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was pulled out of sleep by the sound of their front door opening followed by a quiet click as it closed. He listened with his eyes closed as Zack kicked off his boots and quietly made his way to the bedroom. It wasn't until he felt Zack's weight on the bed beside him before he opened his eyes and looked over at his boyfriend with a gentle smile.
Zack collapsed on the bed, not bothering to remove his clothes and looked over adoringly at the blond smiling at him. "Hey you." the ravenet offered as he snaked his arms around the smaller frame, pulling it against his own body.
"How was work?" Cloud asked, nuzzling closer to the ravenet and laying his head against the strong chest.
Zack looked over at the clock and frowned. 3:30 - he needed to be up in three and a half hours to make it to his bank job in time for 8 a.m.. "Busy." he offered up as an answer before burying his nose in the blond spikes.
Both boys frowned but neither saw the other's as they let themselves drift off into much needed sleep.
They didn't move from that position until Zack suddenly jolted up into a sitting position waking the blond with a start. He looked over his shoulder and swore under his breath.
"What happened?" Cloud's panic-laced groggy voice asked as his eyes watched Zack leap out of bed.
"I'm late." Zack answered, a hint of annoyance in his voice for being so stupid and turning off the alarm in his sleep. "Fuck!" he shouted as he struggled to get into more decent clothes.
Cloud looked at the clock and sighed uneasily. 8:20 a.m.. He climbed out of bed and rushed to the kitchen. He quickly prepared a sandwich and all but shoved it in Zack's hand as the ravenet flew out the door with a quick kiss and 'thanks'.
Cloud stood staring at the door for a few minutes after Zack had left. Zack was right; they needed to bear with his a little longer and they would have an easier life once Cloud started a career. A few more months and he would be graduated. He let out a soft sigh as his heart tightened. Could Zack pull this off that long? He was running himself into the ground just to support the two of them and barely had time to do anything other than work or rush to his next job. It made Cloud's heart throb guiltily as he stood there watching the door. The least he could do was study to honour Zack's hard work.
Cloud made it back to the apartment around four in the afternoon from his last class of the day to find Zack sitting in silence on the couch in the living room. "Hey?" he asked uneasily as he let his bag drop to the floor and closed the door behind him.
Zack didn't look up. His eyes remained focused on the floor by the coffee table, a stoic expression ruling his features. Cloud kicked off his shoes and quickly made his way to his boyfriend, sitting on the couch and placing an unsure hand on Zack's shoulder. "What's wrong? Why are you home so early?" he asked. Zack's expression and body language said it all, but the blond was praying that he had mistaken.
Zack jumped at Cloud's touch as if he hadn't realized that Cloud was there and his eyes met those alluringly blue ones immediately. His expression cracked and his face fell in shame as his eyes darted away from Cloud's, filling with tears. "Gods…" he whispered.
"What happened?" Cloud probed gently, panic starting to fill his mind.
"They fired me…" Zack whispered, his breath hitching in his throat as he dropped his head in his hands. "I was late and… tired…" he tried to explain. "They said they've had enough. I tried to explain why I looked so tired, but they didn't listen to me." His voice was becoming more broken with every word. Cloud's heart stopped beating. "They fired me…"
Cloud rubbed his face with his free hand before wrapping both arms around his boyfriend. "We'll figure something out, Zack." he sounded calm although he felt anything but. "It's all right; this isn't your fault."
Zack snorted in disbelief before shaking his head. "Not my fault? Whose fault is it then?"
"Not yours!" Cloud said sternly, an anger rising in his chest. He wasn't angry at Zack, really, he was angry that Zack was blaming himself. "Zack, you've been working non-stop for what seems like forever." He softened his voice and pulled Zack closer. Zack let his head fall against Cloud's shoulder. "Of course you're tired. Anyone would be. We'll find another way to get by."
Zack shook his head and sniffled. "I feel like I let us down. Let you down…"
Cloud pushed Zack back enough to stare him straight in the eyes. He needed Zack to see how angry that made him. The blond poured as much anger into his stare as he could. "Don't you dare for a second believe that!" he snapped. Zack's eyes broke and filled with pain. It made Cloud's body shake to the very core, but he needed Zack to know he was serious. "We just need to find another way. I'll pull out of school and find a job-"
"Absolutely not!" Zack answered with strict authority as though Cloud's suggestion was enough to allow him to find his composure.
"But-" Cloud started before being interrupted.
"I said no! You'll stay in school; you only have seven months left and I'll find another job." Cloud started to speak again but was interrupted immediately. "There's no negotiation here, Cloud, so you might as well drop it. You're staying in school. End of story."
Cloud frowned and looked down at the floor. His education was so important to Zack, as if Zack was positive that his graduating was the ticket to a better life. How could he sit there without protest as Zack tore himself apart doing the practically impossible, though? They barely saw one another and when they did, Zack was completely worn out.
Still, there was no arguing with Zack. Zack would never forgive himself if Cloud dropped out of college, especially because of his own not being able to make enough money.
Cloud sighed in compliance and looked back up at his lover, who seemed to have been running over courses of action in his head. He allowed a small smile. Zack had this undeterred need to take care of them and for that Cloud was grateful. He loved it that Zack often said that he was 'investing in his future' as it made it more real that the man he loved was planning on staying with him for a long time. His heart fluttered and his smile grew. He wanted to alleviate some of the pain Zack was feeling right now.
"I can always whore myself out between classes." the blond suggested, grinning at the shocked look on Zack's face as he searched Cloud's expression.
"Oh, well, there's always that…" he answered, not wanting to disappoint Cloud but not having the energy to respond too much further.
"If you think I'm pretty then others might." Cloud tilted his head catching the violet eyes lightheartedly. "I may be able to bring home a pretty penny." he joked.
Zack scoffed and wrapped his arms around Cloud, pulling his body close again. "We'd be rich."
Cloud chuckled and laid his head against Zack's chest. "Are you going to be late tonight?"
Zack frowned at the routine question Cloud asked every night. "Could be…" Zack answered his routine answer and squeezed the blond tightly against his body. "I'll try to pick up extra shifts at the bar and I'll be out tomorrow looking for a second job." His kissed the top of Cloud's head and sighed contently. All he needed in life was this boy. Along with that came the need to feed him and provide him with a home. He decided right then to stop moping about the bank job and a new determination filled his mind. "I'll find something, Cloud. We'll be all right."
"I know we will." Cloud smiled.
-.-.-.-
Zack made a mental list of places to search for work tomorrow as he mixed drinks for his customers. His boss was very understanding over his current situation and scheduled him in for a couple of extra shifts that week. He could have kissed her.
He was distracted from his list as he saw a group of six college student make their way into the bar. He knew these guys from their previous visits and knew that they tipped well. He watched them file through the bar and prayed they took a seat in his section, smiling when they unloaded at one of his tables.
He placed a drink in front of the woman sitting at the bar with an easy grin and made his way over the others. "Pitcher of Midgar brew or are we mixing it up tonight?" he asked enthusiastically, gesturing with his hands as he smiled at the guys at the table.
"Hey, Zack!" one of the boys greeted while smiling at his favourite bartender. "Yeah, I think we'll go for the regular tonight."
"Hungry?" Zack asked, hoping the boys would spend more. More money meant bigger tip.
The boys looked around at one another.
Zack waited hopefully before prompting them further. "Wings are good tonight. Kenny's in the kitchen which means no skimping on the sauce." he winked.
"Six wings, then. Hot and spicy." his regular smiled.
"Awesome. Be right back with your drinks." Zack said in his most friendly tone. He needed to keep up an animated disposition. It kept the mood light which meant more generous tips. "Kenny! Lets not keep these boys waiting, ya?" he shouted as he made his way to drop off the order to the kitchen. Let the customer know you 'care'. It's was Zack's motto and it earned him more tips and regular customers than any of his co-workers.
The night seemed to drag on and he felt himself losing energy fast. He had a few more hours to go and struggled to keep up his light-hearted and happy charade with his customers. As expected, the six college students left him a nice tip and the lone woman at the bar kept ordering drink after drink, trying harder to grab Zack's attention as the night went on. He played into it, though, flirting with her as it would probably mean a better tip when she left.
He hated it that money was the motivating cause of his actions, but he really needed it right now. No matter how exhausted he was, he milked his customers for as much as he could get, whether it be flirting, keeping boring conversations, or acting like he really gave a damn how crappy their day was. It was all dollar signs to him.
He was mopping up the counter when a customer at another table caught his attention. He dropped his cloth and made his way over to the table.
"How long have you been here?" he asked, taking a seat across from the blond.
Cloud looked up from his text and smiled at Zack. "A while. Was wondering how long it would take before you noticed me."
Zack smiled as his exhaustion melted from the sight of his boyfriend. "Sorry, I was busy with people."
"Don't be sorry. You're working hard. It's actually kinda sexy." Cloud smirked and closed his text. "She seems to like you." he nodded towards the woman at the bar.
Zack glanced over his shoulder at the woman he had been serving for hours now then looked back at Cloud. "She's lonely."
"As long as you flirt just for the money." Cloud winked, chuckling at Zack's surprised expression.
"Of course. Hey, I snagged a couple of extra shifts this week." Zack said, rubbing the back of his head. "And hopefully tomorrow I'll find something else to do."
Cloud nodded. "I hate seeing you burn yourself out."
"I'll be fine." Zack said, reaching over to take Cloud's hands in his own. "It's not forever; we'll be okay after you graduate."
"If I find a job." Cloud added.
"When you find a job." Zack corrected. He scanned his customers and frowned. "Stay awhile, 'kay? It's nice when you're here with me."
"I'll be here." Cloud smiled adoringly, eyes softening.
Zack got up and tended to his customers whose drinks were getting low. The rest of the night went by smoothly. He looked over and smiled at the blond who was now absorbed in his textbook. Every so often they would look to one another at the same time and exchange a loving smile. It was so clear to Zack why he wore himself out; he would do anything for his boyfriend. He loved to be able to provide for him while he was in school and the prospect of the rest of their lives kept him going.
Cloud had a hard time concentrating on his textbook. The music was one distraction, but his guilt was the major one. Watching Zack moving non-stop to serve people made him feel guilty, like there was something he should be doing to help Zack. Zack had made it perfectly clear that he would not allow Cloud to drop out of school. He would do anything for Zack and sadly he began to fantasize about how much money they probably could bring in if Cloud had… done things for cash.
He shook his head at the idea. It disgusted him to think that he would ever do such things, but the extra cash would help Zack out tremendously. He shook his head again and delved into his studies. He would do anything for Zack, but he doubted Zack would ever allow that.
It didn't matter anyways. Zack would find a new job soon enough and they would be back on track. 'Back on track' wasn't the most comfortable life style for them, but Cloud kept reminding himself that it was for a few more months.
Closing time came about and Cloud hung behind with the lingering customers so he could walk home with Zack. It was late, really late, and Cloud had a class the next morning. Really he had a class this morning seeing how it was 2:00 a.m.. Cloud closed his textbook and rubbed his eyes from the exhaustion he felt. He knew it wasn't the best idea to stick around the bar all night, but Zack's smile kept him going. Every time Zack looked in his direction his face broke out in a smile. He seemed happy that the blond had stuck around.
Zack finished wiping down the bar and made his way over to Cloud's table. "You look tired." he said softly, stroking blond bangs back from big blue eyes. Something so beautiful should never be hidden.
"I'm all right." Cloud responded, tilting his head towards Zack's hand. "Are you done now?"
"Just waiting on the rest to finish up and pay their tabs." Zack answered, adoring eyes never leaving those of his boyfriend. "You should head home. You have a class in the morning, ya?"
Cloud shrugged and took Zack's hand in his own, holding it against his cheek. "Yeah. I want to stay here with you, though. I wouldn't get any sleep until you came home anyhow."
Zack's smile widened as his eyes softened. "Hopefully they'll hurry it up so we can get going."
Cloud nodded and closed his eyes. The warmth from Zack's hand felt good on his skin and his scent, although tinted by the smell of booze, relaxed him. He could fall asleep anywhere as long as Zack was by his side. He was gently pulled from his drowsy state when Zack moved his hand slightly.
"I need that back, babe." the ravenet said.
Cloud opened his eyes and let Zack's hand go as his boyfriend stood up from the table to meet the woman at the bar. She smiled at him as she pulled her wallet out from her purse.
"Is that your boyfriend?" she asked, smile widening as her eyes darted from Cloud back to Zack.
Zack grinned then smiled in Cloud's direction. "Yeah, he is."
Cloud gave a faint smile in return before closing his eyes and laying his head down on the table.
"He's cute." the woman said, eyes beaming at Zack.
"Very." Zack confirmed as he ran her credit card through the POS machine.
"Do you share?" the woman asked next, her eyes staying on Zack with a hint of a devious smile playing across them.
Zack looked up from the POS machine back to the woman. "No, I don't." he answered, feigning friendliness until she added the tip on the credit slip.
"Not even for top dollar?" she asked again, filling out the slip and signing it.
"Top dollar?" Zack asked, raising his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The woman passed the credit slip back to Zack and smiled. It took a lot of energy for Zack not to look down at the tip amount. "I mean, with a guy like that people would be willing to pay for his… company."
"Like a whore?" Zack scoffed and filed the credit slip before he accidently looked at the tip amount.
The woman laughed then looked back at the slumbering blond. "I'm thinking ten grand."
"Ten grand?" Zack almost shouted before he caught himself. "For one night?"
The woman looked back at Zack and grinned. "Providing he keeps proper company, that is."
"You'd pay ten grand to sleep with my boyfriend?" Zack laughed in disbelief. "Sure, sure."
"Tonight?" the woman asked. "I can get you the cash before we take off."
Zack's jaw almost hit the counter as he stared unbelievingly at this woman. "I think we're going to have to pass."
"Fifteen." the woman negotiated.
"Absolutely not." Zack retorted without missing a beat. "I'm sorry, but my boyfriend's… affections are not for sale."
"Twenty." she cut in, eyes holding Zack's with intense determination.
"I think it's time for you to go home." Zack shook his head and collected the day's sales slips. "Would you like me to call you a cab?" he asked in a curt, yet polite manner. His head was still wheeling from the offer and he needed her to leave before to offer sounded too good to pass up. How do you put a price tag on your boyfriend?
The woman grinned then stepped away from the bar. "All right. You win." She started walking towards the door then looked back. "I could have made you a rich man." she added before leaving the bar.
Zack stared after her in disbelief before turning his gaze towards Cloud who was still half asleep on that table. He let out a heavy sigh then began closing the till. He counted his tips and smiled when he found he pulled in a great night. The last slip startled him the most.
"One thousand dollars?" he whispered to himself. He was used to receiving generous tips, he was good at what he did, but it took him a couple to attempts to convince himself that that was actually his tip amount from the woman at the bar.
He looked up at Cloud and smiled. He knew that this would ease the blond's mind until he was able to find another job. He was looking forward to seeing that smile spread across his lover's face, the thought in itself making himself smile wide.
He collected his things and walked over to Cloud, placing a hand gently on the blond's shoulder. "Hey, babe. You about ready to go?"
Cloud's bleary eyes scanned the bar as he stood up from the table. Zack shouldered Cloud's bag and wrapped an arm around him. "S'everyone gone?" the blond asked before yawning.
Zack smiled and tilted his head. "Everyone has left. Lets get you to bed."
Zack led Cloud out from the bar, locking the door behind him, and steered the sleepy blond home.
Once inside the small apartment Cloud looked as though he was ready to drop where he stood. Zack guided Cloud to the bedroom and laid him down on the sheets. Cloud looked like he was out of it before his head hit the pillow. Zack smiled down at his lover and took the blond's boots off before tossing them to the side. He lifted Cloud enough to cradle him in his arms and shuffled Cloud's shirt over his head before placing him back down against the pillows. Cloud murmured something unintelligible in his sleep, causing Zack to pause and look adoringly at the sleeping blond.
"You're too damn cute, Cloud. You have no idea what you do to me." he whispered as he brushed the blond bangs back from his face. "I love you more than anything else in this world."
Cloud mumbled something else Zack couldn't catch, causing the ravenet to chuckle lowly to himself.
Zack unbuckled Cloud's belt and shifted his pants down his lean form leaving the blond in his boxers. He made quick work of his own clothes before settling into bed beside Cloud. He set the alarm for Cloud's class and pulled the blankets up around their bodies.
Zack shifted so he was spooning Cloud and pulled the blond's frame tight against his own. He felt Cloud shift back against him and smiled again. His heart throbbed for this boy and although he would never admit it out loud, Cloud had him so tightly wrapped around his little finger.