Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.
Just Because
Sephiroth looked up from his papers as Zack walked in.
"What's up, Seph?" Zack asked.
"I am doing paperwork," he replied.
"Well duh! I meant…ya know…it doesn't matter what I meant. Wanna come see a movie with me?"
"Am I being ordered to see a movie?" Sephiroth asked.
"Ordered? No, you see a movie for fun, not because you're ordered to, Seph."
"If I am not being ordered to see this movie, then I see no reason to go."
Zack stared at him for several minutes, by which time, Sephiroth had already returned to his papers. "You're kidding me right? You see a movie for fun! F-U-N, ever heard of it?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Sephiroth scoffed. "Of course I have heard of fun."
"Have ya ever had any fun?" Zack asked, smirking.
"I did not join SOLDIER to have fun, Zack."
"Neither did I, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten how to have a good time."
"My idea of a good time is settling down with some warm tea and a nice book, not seeing actors pretending to be someone they are not. I believe you should work for your money, not play pretend," Sephiroth said, signing some more papers before stacking them neatly at the corner of his desk.
Zack blinked, stared at Sephiroth, and blinked again. "You never just went out and did something because it looked cool, or 'cause ya just wanted to do it?"
"No, Zack, I have not. Why should I?"
"You've never just booked it 'cause you wanted to run? Never screamed just 'cause you felt like it? Have you ever done something just because you wanted to?"
"Just because? Not that I can remember. And my memory is quite good."
Zack grabbed Sephiroth's arm and pulled him to his feet. "You're coming with me to see that movie, Seph, whether you like it or not. You need some fun in your life, and not some ol' romance novel you call good reading."
"I do not read-" Sephiroth argued.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," Zack interrupted, dragging Sephiroth behind him as he headed for the door.
Sephiroth was surprised; he had not expected the movie to be so riveting. He shared this fact with Zack.
"I told ya, Seph," Zack grinned, "never doubt the amazingly awesome, Zack Fair!"
Sephiroth smiled at this. "Don't worry, I've never doubted you."
"Good. You'd be surprised how many people do. It's like…they think I'm just a big ball of energy, no brains a'tall," Zack moped.
"I don't blame them."
"Hey!" Zack said, indignantly. "I have some brains!"
Immediately after saying this, Zack walked into a pole. Sephiroth said nothing as he watched Zack pick himself up.
Once they had returned to the ShinRa building, Sephiroth said good night to Zack and continued up to his office to finish the rest of his paperwork.
The next day, Zack returned to Sephiroth's office to take him out to lunch.
"Where are we going?" Sephiroth asked, as they walked down the street.
"This new place. They take your picture if you can eat twenty-five hot wings in under five minutes."
Sephiroth was confused. "Why do they take your picture for eating their food quickly?"
"To put in their hall of fame. Haven't you done that before, Seph?"
"I eat to enjoy food, not to be famous," Sephiroth said. "Besides, I already am famous, in case you had forgotten, Zack."
"Then you have not lived!" Zack shouted. "C'mon, Seph. You must live at least once in your life."
"Why do you want to eat wings for a picture?"
Zack shrugged. "Just because."
"I don't understand you sometimes," Sephiroth muttered.
"That's me! The always elusive, Zack Fair!"
Sephiroth chuckled as he held the door to the restaurant open for them.
Sephiroth stared down at his plate of hot wings; they looked much too greasy for his taste. He couldn't figure out how Zack was stuffing his face with them.
"C'mon, Seph," Zack said around his thirteenth hot wing. "Eat up! You only have three minutes left on the timer!"
Sephiroth looked up at him, then back down at his dish. Shrugging, he picked up a piece and bit down.
Three minutes later, both men were finished.
"Dang, Seph! I didn't know you could eat that fast!" Zack had just barely finished it time, whereas Sephiroth had finished with over a minute to spare. Granted, he was now chugging down his glass of water.
"I don't know how you managed to talk me into that contest, Zackary. That was the spiciest food I believe I've ever eaten."
"But ya still did it, yeah? C'mon, let's go get our pictures taken for the hall of fame!"
Sephiroth refused to move until he had had another two glasses of iced water.
Later that week, Sephiroth was at Zack's apartment to drop off some files. He entered after he heard Zack call for him to come inside.
Sephiroth was befuddled at the sight he saw before him: Zack was sitting in the dark–save for a single lamp, which was illuminating the far wall–with his hands poised in front of him.
"What are you doing, Zack?" he asked.
"Shadow puppets," Zack grinned up at him.
"Shadow puppets? I see no puppets anywhere," Sephiroth said, glancing around.
"You don't know what shadow puppets are?" Zack asked, incredulous. "You use your hands to make different shapes on the wall. Like this." He made a strange figure on the wall. "See? A bunny."
"Has that bunny been exposed to mako?"
"That's not fair Seph, you can't judge my skill as a puppeteer when you've never done it yourself."
"I will not disgrace myself with something as silly as shadow puppets," Sephiroth said, turning away. He stopped when he heard clucking behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked, turning back around.
"Calling you a chicken, Sephy."
"I am clearly not a chicken, Zack. I am much more evolved than a bird."
"It's a joke, Seph. I'm saying you're too scared to try shadow puppeting."
"Why would I be afraid of shadows?" Sephiroth didn't think he would ever be able to follow Zack's logic.
"No, Seph," Zack sighed. "Afraid to try being a puppeteer."
"I'm not afraid of anything."
"Then get down here and I'll show ya the basics."
Zack then proceeded to teach Sephiroth the art of making a dog, a bunny, a bird, and, Zack's personal favorite, a rock. "It's just so simple! And as everyone knows, the best things in life are the simplest things."
Before Sephiroth left, he asked Zack why he had been making shadow puppets to start with.
"I don't know, just because," was his reply.
Sephiroth left Zack's apartment twiddling his thumbs.
Zack didn't show up at Sephiroth's office for over a week, which was strange. So Sephiroth went out in search of him, and found Zack glued to his computer in his own office. Zack glanced up when he heard his name called.
"What can I do for ya, Seph?" Zack looked like he hadn't slept well for several nights.
"Is something wrong?" Sephiroth asked.
"I just have a lot of files to go through now that we have new recruits," Zack replied tiredly.
"Hmm…"
"Sephiroth?"
"Would you like to go down to the pond to skip some rocks, Zack?" Sephiroth asked.
"Skip rocks, why?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "Just because."
Zack smiled and stood. "You bet." Stopping at the door, Zack turned toward Sephiroth. "I'll race ya."
Sephiroth grinned. "You're on."
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