He always looked so calm and relaxed when he was asleep. Like he could finally stop worrying all the time. Whenever he spent the night cause he was too tired from all the training to get to his quarters, I'd always wake up super early. I guess my body knew that my mind shouldn't waste any of the precious time we had together sleeping if it wasn't necessary. When this would happen, I would watch him sleep. During these times, I memorized the patterns the freckles splattered across his nose and cheekbones made. I loved the way he'd twitch in his sleep, eyebrows drawing together, then he'd relax and smirk, never really smiling. It made me want to protect him and all the innocence his baby-face held.
Then everything changed. And we were running. Running to be free. He was so sick now. Not seeing him for so long made sense. He was going to be a SOLDIER, like me. Like Sephiroth. And now he was going through withdrawal. Another pawn. Just like Angeal. All of the sudden, I didn't care what happened to me. As long as he made it through this. I regretted never being able to see Aerith again, and maybe tell her I loved her. But Cloud, my baby brother that held none of my family's blood, but was family all the same, he was so much more important right now.
Maybe if he hadn't had the Mako addiction, things would have turned out better. Maybe Aerith and I could have lived happily ever after. As it was, I watched over him alone from the space between here and there when I could no longer do it face to face. Until she joined me, then we worked as a team. But before her, I just protected when I could, gave him gentle nudges in the right direction, prayed one day he'd remember me. Then, later, with Aerith's help, we actually changed his course.
And to be able to see him again. Oh. It was perfect. His still so innocent-looking face looking so surprised when he finally saw me, leaning against the doorway. He'd gotten so strong, and even kept his promise. I was so proud.
I couldn't wait to see him here, and test this strength against my own. But at the same time, I wished for it to take decades, because he deserved the full life I couldn't have. He did promise, after all.
A/N Pure drabble, I guess. 398 is drabble worthy word count. Watching Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and this started as a Zack/Cloud pairing, but I have issues with pairing him with people, cause I like him best with me, D. Also, I like Zack with Aerith. A lot. Anyway. This kinda morphed. Now, I know the beginning may seem a bit gay-tastic, but I just think about my closest friends, and how I feel towards them. And the idea was that, somehow, his subconscious knew they didn't have much time together, so it tried to give the as much time together, but he didn't have the heart to wake him up… Would you wake up a sleeping Cloud? So yeah. Reviews would be great. Would like to know if my writing is worth reading. :D