The sky seemed an eternal blue, stretching beyond the light into a deep color that Cloud felt he could just barely see. He blinked lazily, and opened his eyes slowly, gaze falling on a new sight, equally pleasant.
Zack sat on a bench in the park, alone but wearing a smile. Cloud couldn't resist the urge to return the smile, even if it wasn't meant for him. As he watched, Zack suddenly leapt to his feet and stalked once around the bench. He attempted to sit again, but a few seconds later sprang back up and began a set of squats.
Cloud shook his head indulgently. Zack could never be still. Even the tips of his black hair bounced and swayed with his movements.
Cloud took a step forward and abruptly stopped. Zack had frozen mid squat, staring down the path with his smile frozen. As a pretty girl in a pink dress skipped into view, his smile melted into something warmer and more peaceful than before.
Cloud didn't mean to watch their date like a stalker, but for once, Zack was so absorbed in Aerith that Cloud could easily lurk in the distance. His feet dragged on their own as the couple found a small dip in the grass, partially shaded by a small tree, and Aerith eagerly unpacked their picnic as Zack spread the blanket.
By himself, Cloud settled against a massive tree, sitting so that he could easily turn his head and see his best friend. His smile wouldn't fade, no matter what he tried, because every time he saw Zack's silly wide smile, his own smile yearned to return it. But it was for Aerith that he smiled, and it was she who smiled back.
A single tear created a path of wetness down his cheek when Zack laughed, Aerith's gentle giggles weaving in and out like a song. Cloud wished he too knew how to play it.
Zack was and had always been his best friend. For a long time, he had been his only friend, but even after Cloud found others he could relax with, Zack was still the one Cloud missed and longed for.
The grass under Cloud was soft, and it must have been soft by Zack too, because he soon sprawled backwards, tenderly pulling Aerith to lay her head on his chest. He had once handled Cloud like a jewel as well, when with every tear he had shed after Sephiroth murdered his mother felt like a drop of blood drained from his life. Zack had cradled him in his solid arms, letting him recover in the safety and quiet of his embrace. It was this that let Cloud peer blurrily from his sorrow and hate and learn a new emotion: love.
Cloud ran a hand over his eyes, surprised to find his eyelashes weighed down with teardrops. He stood, resting his heavy head against the tree, and watched Zack hesitantly kiss Aerith. He delicately pressed his lips to hers, then with slightly more force when she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he pulled back, Cloud saw a smile he had never before seen. It was one only for Aerith, for the one he loved. Cloud still smiled, but it was a smile laced with tears, as his heart wanted to soar at seeing such a precious smile. But his heart was heavy and dragged deeper than before as Cloud realized he would never see that smile face to face.
Suddenly the day seemed a mockery of his emotions. Even though it was a clear and sunny day, Cloud couldn't see through the fog and felt the heavy downpour only a broken heart could bring. Cloud's feet moved on their own, and this time, Cloud didn't care, because no matter where they went, he would find himself there alone.