Zack's New Do
Genre:Humor/angst/hurt/comfort
Rating: T for a happy little Zack rant
Pairings: CloudxZack TsengxReno

Tseng hissed as rain began to fall through the gaps in the metal ceiling. The Turk had managed to pull himself to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side, and the crimson running over the hand that was clamped there.

"Cloud..." He looked at the now soggy blond cadet, "We need to find Zack, he's been gone for a long time, Nnn..." He winced as he straighten up properly.

Cloud gave him a worried look, hovering by his superior's side.

"Are you okay?" He looked at the blood that was pooled where Tseng had been sitting on the ground a few moments prior.

"I'll be fine, I've been in worse situation's..." He turned his gold gaze on the young infantrymen and sighed, "Lets go..."

They quickly made their way to the room where Zack had just finished fighting Angeal....and Tseng suddenly wished he had told Cloud to stay behind.

Their, on the floor, dripping wet, sat Zack, staring blankly at Angeal's lifeless body. In his wet, dirty hands, he clutched the Buster sword.

"Zack!" Cloud rushed forward. Tseng tried to reach out to grab him, but the sudden movement sent a wave of pain up through his side. He slammed a hand over his mouth, all but falling over from where he stood. When he drew the hand back, it was coated in sticky crimson.

"Zack..." Cloud knelt next to the SOLDIER 1st class, touching his shoulder.

"Cloud....?" Zack turned to look at him and his eyes looked with the younger boy's, then he collapsed into Cloud's arms, exhausted.

"Is he h-hurt?" Tseng tried to get his voice steady.

"Nothing severe, just some scratches..." Cloud brushed Zack's sodden hair from his face with his finger's.

Tseng backed into a wall leaning heavily on it and groaned, he was surprised he was even still able to move.

"You need medical attention." Cloud said firmly when he looked at the Turk's pale face.

"I can't really argue with you at the moment, we've got back-up on the way, but it might be awhile..." Tseng watched his vision blur. That was a bad sign, he couldn't leave Cloud here alone. Passing out wasn't an option.

Cloud gave Tseng was firm look.

"Sit down and rest, I'm fine, I'll wait for the back-up to get here."

Tseng smiled at the kid's enthusiasm and made a mental note to recommend him for second class at some point.

Tseng sat in the infirmary bed with a genuine, Tseng approved, pout on his face while Reno sat beside him, trying to cheer him up to no avail.

Tseng's hair was out of its ponytail, falling loosely over his shoulders and into his face. He have a stern look to a nurse who passed by. Reno frowned.

"You scare them when you do that you know." The redhead laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't care." Tseng grumped.

His injuries had been bad, bad enough to keep him unconscious for almost two days, and now he had a steady throbbing on his left side, where the *** guard hound had taken a bite of him.

"you always pout whenever you get injured, but it could have been way worse,yo. You lost enough blood to kill a normal man, I don't know how you survive some of these things...." Reno frowned, his voice tinted with amusement and wonder.

Just then, a couple of familiar figures came into his room.

"How are you feeling sir?" Cloud stood at attention, but he looked like he wanted to go over and give Tseng a hug.

"I'd be happier if I could get out of here..." Tseng glowered, Cloud's blue eyes lost some of their spark.

"He's afraid of hospitals." Reno grinned, this earned him a smack on the back of the head from Tseng, who was apparently able to sit up long enough to do so. The older Turk cringed and sank back against the pillows. Reno turned and gave his hand a pat.

"Don't be that way, yo. I'm just playing with you." The redhead grinned at his boss.

Zack hadn't said a thing, but he suddenly side stepped Reno and Cloud and stood in front of Tseng, giving him a huge, heart felt smile. His eyes didn't have their normal sparkle though.

"We didn't think you were going to make it, I'm relieved that you're recovering so quickly. I like having you on missions." Zack nodded, his hair getting in his eyes.

Tseng looked surprised, and a tint of pink flushed his cheeks. He looked down at the white sheets and mumbled some string of nonsense words.

"Awww, you got him all flustered, OW!!" Reno scored a second smack, this time on the face and Cloud had to hide his giggles behind his hand.

"Well, I'm Glad that Tseng is alright." Cloud beamed. He and Zack were walking down the Sector 5 Slums's main road, towards the church. Cloud had seen the old building on his patrols before, but Zack seemed to be bee lining straight for it. When he stopped abruptly outside it, Cloud almost plowed right into him.

"Its a church...." Cloud stated bluntly, not knowing what else to say since Zack hadn't been particularly talkative today. He had pulled Clod from a training exercise that afternoon to accompany him on some "business", and that was as much explanation as the blond had gotten, granted Cloud was happy he got to go see Tseng.

"I...I feel so guilty, I was always pestering him about everything, and then I accused him of killing his own mother...when she had killed herself. He never said anything...or explained anything, and now he's gone, and I still don't understand a thing. Its like..." Zack ran a hand through his hair, Cloud eyes were fixed on him as the SOLDIER grew more frustrated, his words running together as he spat all his worries out, "Its like some big old mystery! I have no idea what he wanted me to do! Hell, I don't know what the hell I am ever doing any more!! Lazard is gone, Sephiroth is never around, the whole *** world is falling apart!! And.....and Angeal, " Zack whirled around and looked up at the sky, his back to Cloud, "YOU ***!!! I DON'T KNOW WHO'S SIDE I'M ON ANYMORE!!!!! what's honor is mine to protect a-anyway......" Zack's voice broke and his shoulder's slumped, he was now staring at the ground.

Cloud took a few steps forward, then put a hand on Zack's shoulder, trying to figure out something to say that would be appropriate his own mind had shut down a bit. Of all people, he really hadn't expected Zack to not know what to do. It scared him.

"I....I....ummm....dammit..." Cloud stumbled, but Zack wasn't listening, he had proceeded to bury his face in his hands, and cry like the end of the world had just his him in the face. Cloud had to wonder how such a sensitive, kind person survived in SOLDIER for so long.

"I never had a chance to meet Angeal, Zack, but I'm sure he had a reason for the things he did." Cloud tried soothingly, Zack was unresponsive. The cadet wished he had received his mother's gift for comforting people.

"Maybe...the honor you're suppose to protect, isn't something so obvious...SOLDIER honor, and personal honor....maybe their two are completely different things...." Cloud said, he was more thinking aloud than anything, Zack talked a lot about honor, but he had been wondering about Shinra recently, and if it really was causing as much damage as he had heard.

Zack hiccuped, then looked at Cloud through watery, MAKO blue eyes, something seemed to click, and Cloud saw a hint of the person he knew through all the grief there.

"You'll figure it out Zack, besides, even if you don't think you will, I know you can, so don't worry." Cloud said gently. Zack proceeded to glomp the Strife and continue sobbing.

On the walk back through the slums, Zack seemed much more relaxed, he had really needed way to vent everything, and Cloud had really helped him see clearly again, the blond always said he was no good at helping people, but just his presences was calming.

"Ya'know what Cloud...." Zack said thoughtfully to the distracted blond.

"huh?" Cloud turned to look at Zack and blinked his blue eyes.

"I think I need a new hairstyle..." Zack gave a grin.

"Yeah..?" Cloud gave Zack an odd look, but all the blond could think about, was how Zack's smile would never hold the same light it use to.

I guess that's what pain and grief do to people...I hope things get better....