Respire' Amor - Between the Lifestream and the living.
- a Cloud x Zack One-Shot

Author Comments: ... I REALLY Don't know what got into me.. I was real bored.. I just finished Crisis Core so I thought I'd write something... ehehe...

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Even though everyone knew that the death of Aerith bothered Cloud because he couldn't do anything to prevent it, there was one death that bothered him the most, one that he didn't want anyone to see him think about to much because the memories of his death made him regret just staying in shelter the whole time.

"Your gonna... live for the both of us..." a voice whispered lightly.
"Noooo!!" shouted a young Cloud Strife at the top of his lungs, he was kneeling near his Idol, Zack Fair. Zack Fair, Soldier 1st class now dead. The last thing Cloud ever saw of him was then when he died at the feet of Shinra soldiers, before he died he passed on the sword Angeal Hewley had given to him down to Cloud for him to keep as a memory of him.

"I said we were going to live for the both of us... I'm sorry Zack... I failed you" Cloud whispered to himself as he was in Aerith's church thinking back to his times a Shinra inflitry man helping Zack.

"I feel lonely without you..." Cloud mumbled.

Little did Cloud know that someone was listening in on him. It was none other than Tifa Lockhert, one of Cloud's friends.

"What the... is he still thinking about her!?" Tifa thought to herself as she began to get fustrated, she has strong feelings for Cloud and she just felt like coming out from behind the seats of the church and begin to confront him... but she knew she couldn't do it. She would have to ask him later no matter what! Tifa kept listening quietly in the shadows of the church.

"Zack...Zack...Why did you have to die... why couldn't it have been me instead!? I want you to be here, I want you to be here with me.. next to me... patting me head like you always would, conforting me..." Cloud began to tear up as he was sitting down near the materia box with his motorcycle at his side. The soft crying could be heard from were Tifa was.

Tifa was shocked at what she has just heard.. Did Cloud love Zack more than her? Her mind was racing, she couldn't take it anymore she couldn't hear anymore of it, she was in rage.
"How could he love him more than me!? a Guy!! A GUY!" Tifa yelled in her mind.

Cloud lost in thought had not heard anything around him, especially the loud thumping of Tifa feet heading over to the door.

"What would Tifa say if she heard me saying this?... She knows Zack... but... she hated him because he was a SOLDIER.. I still remember that... when Sephiroth caused all that trouble in Nibelhiem...I bet she'd hate me. But I just can't hold this in any longer! I want to say it... I want her to understand... I thought she was a nice girl but she isn't for me, I want Zack... He's the one I wanted but... I can't have him anymore can't I... I bet he wouldn't even feel the same way as me.."

Before Tifa could leave she heard those words... She now knew that Cloud didn't care for her in the way she thought. She left with tears in her eyes. She left the church in a hurry back to the Seventh Heaven bar. Not caring if Cloud would ever come back, what he said broke her heart, but she couldn't throw him out. She would wait for him to come home, like she always did.

"Heh... maybe I'll just keep dreaming.. I know he woudn't like me that way..." Cloud said as he layed on the church floor, he stared at the roof of which he had fallen from, he heard the same happened to Zack. Cloud's blue eyes stared at the cealing as if he were just waiting for Zack to fall thru at any moment. After a while Cloud closed his eyes. He heard light footsteps but ignored the fact of whose they were.

"Cloud... I'm back.." a soft voice said. A warm hand was placed on Cloud's forehead as it slid down to his chest.
"Huh!?...That voice!.. Could it be?" He thought he was just dreaming but he opened his eyes to see none other than Zack Fair, the love of his life... "Zack, how could yo--!?..." Cloud was intruptted by a kiss on the lips from Zack. It was warm, like his hand, it made Cloud feel diffrent than before...more alive, he remembered the good times when Zack would offen take care of him.

"Cloud.. I missed you... I really did!" said Zack as he seperated his lips from Clouds.
"I hope you've been taking care of yourself... and the sword. You have right?" Zack said as he smiled as he layed on top of Cloud hugging him closly and resting his head on Clouds' chest.

"Of course I have... and I see you yourself have too... but still something's bothering me" whispered Cloud as Zack placed his hand on Clouds' hair and moved his hand thru his hair brushing it lightly

"What is it?... Is it because I'm suppost to be part of the lifestream now.. and I'm suddenly here?.. well.. I guess I should explain.. You see when we were experiements of Hojo's he made a copy of both of us but instead he used my body infused with the powers we both had to fight. One of the copies was just lying around so I now inhabit it's body... and the first person I decided to visit... was you. I decided to do it because of you. I love you Cloud"

What Zack said made Cloud have a fuzzy warm feeling in his heart. He was glad that Zack would do all of this to see him, better than that.. he said he loved him!. It made Cloud wrap his arms around Zack and hold him. They were now in the same position as that day.. when Zack had died. Cloud now slowly began to lay down on top of Zack and began to tear up and cryed on Zack's chest.

"When you cry... your eyes, they begin to shine brightly. Your so cute Cloud... but please.. don't cry, I'm here now Cloud.. I won't leave you.. We'll be together for as long as I can stay this way, as long as we can, as long as you'll love me... I'll be there for you...my love."

They layed on the church floor together by each others side, Holding each other tight. both crying softly. The two friends.. now lovers had reunited after years of seperation.. between the Lifestream and the living.