Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
"You were so cute yo"
"Were? I'll have you know I'm still fucking adorable!" The blond laughed with a teasing grin.
"Ha ha I'm not denying that. But you were cuter back then, I wish I could have seen it in person"
Glancing back at the old photograph Cloud frowned. It was a snapshot of his class during his first year of cadet training. He barely even remembered it being taken. Even though the image was worn and faded with time you could still clearly make out the young blonde off to one side, almost completely hidden behind the arm of the guy towering next to him.
Although he had been the planets saviour for over a decade now, Cloud suddenly felt some of his former insecurity come rushing back "You wouldn't have even noticed me back then. Just a scrawny little brat."
"Hey" The redhead frowned pulling his husbands face towards his. "If we had met back then, I would have loved you the instant I saw you. Like I said yo, you were adorable. I can't imagine a moment in my life where I wouldn't have fallen head over heels for you."
"Really?" Cloud smiled softly, comforted by the words even though he still doubted them.
"I know it. I've loved you from the start and would have loved you sooner if I had had the chance."
The blondes smile was more sincere this time as he leaned forward to capture his loves lips in a sweet kiss. The photograph fell to the floor forgotten. Whether Reno really would have loved the frail little cadet he once was, was irrelevant. The past didn't matter now, all that mattered was that here and now, they were together and they were in love.
Cloud had forgotten how excitable Zack could be.
Or maybe he had never seen this side of his friend before.
The first time round he only met the dark haired SOLDIER after Angeal had gone AWOL and although still full of energy Cloud got the feeling the loss of his mentor had left the Zack he had known far more subdued than the lively ball of energy in front of him now. It was a sad thought in a way. That he had never realised at the time how deeply his friend had been hurting, since with nothing to compare it too he hadn't known the SOLDIERs personality had altered.
Seeing him now was a joy.
Happy, bubbly, unburdened by the pain and loss his older counterpart had always carried with him however hard he had tried to hide it from his blonde friend, masking it with smiles and laughs. More importantly Cloud noted, watching the black hired male practically dance about the room in his elation, his friend was in love.
Even if he hadn't openly declared it a dozen times in the last ten minutes Cloud would have been able to tell. He glowed. His smile so wide and so genuine it almost made Clouds breath catch to see it.
He wondered if the other Zack had felt this at some point. Part of him hopes he did, hopes the lively young man had the opportunity to feel such joy before everything went to shit. The other part hopes he didn't because from this high, the fall would only have been that much more devastating.
He supposed he would never know and resolved not to dwell on it. Instead choosing to focus on his friends happiness in this moment.
"So its official then. You're together?"
"Yeah, it's official. Its real. It's happening. Oh fuck, it feels like I've waited forever for this moment." Zack finally stopped his prancing and flopped down onto the sofa beside his amused friend his smile still wide and unwavering. A sigh of contentment rushed past his lips followed by a short giggle he couldn't have held back if he tried.
"I always loved him you know? From the first moment I saw him. It was like there was no one else in the world more perfect. Does that sound stupid?" He turned his head, rolling it along the back of the sofa to glance at the blonde, his eyes dancing with his joy.
Cloud smiled softly truly happy for his friend. "That doesn't sound stupid at all. It sounds wonderful"
Zack tilted his head back again gazing up at the ceiling as though he were gazing into heaven itself.
"I can't believe we're finally together. I love him so much Cloud. So much. Absolutely, unashamedly, unbearably, Unconditionally!"
Although he tried to hold it in Cloud couldn't help but let out a light snort at that last one. Zack's head rolled back towards him with a look of curiosity.
Cloud sighed, knowing he should keep his mouth shut and not disrupt his friends good mood but somehow unable to stop himself "Love is not unconditional Zack."
He saw the young SOLDIERs brows draw together in confusion. Clearly surprised by this view point. He should stop. He should just take it back. Laugh off the statement with his best smile and let the happy go lucky male return to gushing about how wonderful it was that his beloved mentor had finally let his heart rule over his head and agreed to pursue a relationship with his lively student.
He's so happy, he thought to himself. Don't drag him down Strife, don't do it.
He couldn't stop though. The floodgate had opened and the words couldn't be held back.
"Love doesn't just jump into life the moment two people meet. It grows. It twists and turns and develops into all sorts of shapes and sizes and like anything else, how well it grows or if it even grow at all depends on the conditions it's in. Change the conditions and even if everything else remains the same the love won't grow the same"
He took a deep breath, wondering how far he would be able to go with this. Unsure how much he was willing to reveal to his friend. Since waking up in the past he had remained stoically closed about the future. Of course he had revealed a great deal of information about major events and the like. Enough detail and foresight of things a normal cadet couldn't possible have known to convince anyone in a position to help him believe what he told them was true and set about righting things.
It was now three months after the point where the original Angeal and Genesis had succumbed to their sickness and Sephiroth had started down his path to destruction. All three SOLDIERs were currently here at Shinra, happy and healthy (both physically and mentally) and life was able to carry on without any little hiccups like massacres or apocalypses to damper the mood.
It was the personal details he never spoke of. Memories of a life that as far as this timeline was concerned never happened and now never would.
But now he had started he had to keep going.
"I was married for twenty three years Zack. My husband loved me. I know he did. Even now I don't doubt that. I don't doubt it was real. I don't doubt it was true. But it wasn't unconditional. Love isn't. It can't be."
He closed his eyes as a memory overtook him.
He was standing by the gates in the main barracks compound, two weeks since time had reversed and still trying to work out how to convince the people of this timeline to trust him when he told them a whole load of apocalyptic level shit was about to hit the fan. He hadn't looked for him, knew it would be best if he kept his distance so it was a surprise when he came around the corner.
The sight of that red hair made his heart swell with a hope that had been absent since he first woke up here. It was all he could do not to grin like a maniac and make a fool of himself in front of a man who in reality had no idea who he was. No idea who they were to each other.
He smiled though. A sweet soft smile that he couldn't shake when those oh so familiar eyes finally raised to settle on him.
"What the fuck are you looking at yo? How about you piss off hu runt? I'm sure you've got some drill sergeants toilet to scrub clean with a toothbrush right? Go on then. Get lost"
Back in the living room Cloud took a deep breath to settle himself. "He loved me. Under the right conditions. With years of experience and shared suffering to draw us together. With a mutual respect for our skills as fighters and a world where hope was sometimes all we had. He loved me."
With regret he noted Zack's smile had dropped in sympathy for his friend. He sighed again. Resting his head back to stare at the ceiling, just as Zack had done previously.
"Love is not unconditional. It can't be. It just doesn't work like that"
Hope you all enjoyed.
Continuation of this story now posted under the title 'Not quite love'