Summary: Zack is smitten with a certain shy cadet and wants to ask him out. However, he's not sure how to go about this, without scaring Cloud Reno offers to play the role of matchmaker to get these two together. So...what could possibly go wrong? Written for a fic challenge on deviantArt.
Rated T for language and Reno. The usual!
Usual Disclaimer: Squeenix owns all, I do not own Final Fantasy or the characters. This fic is written for fun, not profit.
Another training session had ended; Shinra's SOLDIERS had been running drill with some of the new infantrymen, and it had been a particularly grueling session. Zack sighed, exhausted, as he sat on a windowsill and polished the blade of his sword with a rag. He stared out the window at a retreating group of infantrymen, his eye focused on one in particular - Cloud Strife. The shy blond had caught Zack's eye just a few days prior. They'd struck up a conversation about their respective hometowns - Zack's being Gongaga Village, Cloud's being Nibelheim - and bonded over the fact that they were both country boys. There was something about Cloud's quiet nature that intrigued Zack; made him want to get to know him better. Which was damned near impossible during drill.
"I should ask him out," Zack muttered aloud. He started, as he heard someone enter the SOLDIER training room.
"Who ya askin' out now, Fair?" came a voice tinged with amusement. Zack groaned inwardly; it was Reno, come to pester him again. Probably trying to get out of doing his reports again, Zack thought with disdain.
"None of your business, Reno," Zack retorted, turning his attention back to his sword, and the polishing rag. Really, Zack wasn't in the mood for small talk; he was tired, and although the SOLDIER didn't dislike Reno outright - the redheaded Turk could be a pest at times. Usually, when you least wanted him to be.
"Damn, you're touchy today," Reno remarked, leaning against the wall next to the window. He grinned down at Zack; apparently the Turk was in a good humor. Reno usually was, though; very little seemed to put the man in a bad mood. "What's up your ass, anyways?"
Zack sighed, suddenly feeling a bit guilty for biting Reno's head off. "I'm sorry, Reno," he apologized. "Didn't mean to snap at you like that. It was a long day, and...I've just got something on my mind right now."
"Something on your mind?" Reno pressed, folding his arms across his chest as he studied Zack with some amusement. "Or...someone?"
Zack stopped polishing his sword, and stared at Reno. How did he know that? the SOLDIER wondered, incredulously. Whatever else people said about Reno, the fact remained that the Turk was actually quite good at reading people.
"All right, you got me, Reno," Zack admitted, placing his sword back in its holding place in the rack on the nearby wall. "Yes. There is someone on my mind."
"Who?" Reno asked, his interest piqued. "Is this the someone you're thinking of asking out? Heard ya talking to yourself when I walked in."
"Yes, I know...very little gets by you, doesn't it, Reno," Zack remarked dryly. "It's...one of our new infantrymen. Private Strife."
"The blond kid? Spiked hair?" Reno inquired, raising his eyebrow. When Zack nodded in affirmation, Reno grinned. "Nice choice, Fair. He's a little young for you though, isnt he?" the Turk said teasingly.
"He is not!" Zack protested futilely. He then grinned, chuckling along with Reno. "Well...maybe. I think he's five years younger than me. Still, he's of legal age, at least."
"Legal is very important," Reno agreed, trying to hide a smirk. "I should know. So...why don't you just ask him out, if you like him so much?"
"I can't," Zack fretted. "Cloud...he's so nice, right? And the few times we've talked together, we really hit it off. But...he seems wickedly shy. I just don't want to...scare him off."
"So, let me get this straight," Reno said, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Zack. "You like him - he might like you, from the sounds of it - and you're not asking him out because he's shy? Dude. Seriously. Grow a pair and just ask him!"
"Hey," Zack snapped. "Look, don't you think I've weighed this out already? I don't want to freak the kid out, like I told you. He's just started here, he barely knows me and - "
"And what?" Reno interrupted, sneering. "And, nothing. Look," he continued, standing up straight. "You just leave it to me, yo. I'll arrange things so you'll have to ask him out."
"What do you mean?" Zack asked, wide-eyed, his heart suddenly seized with fear. If Reno got involved, there was no telling what could happen.
"Never you mind, yo," Reno said to Zack as he left the training room. "An opportunity will arise...you'll know it when you see it. But if you don't seize the opportunity when it presents itself, I'll fucking kill you," he said in warning. "Have a nice day!" Reno called back to a stunned Zack, cackling as he shut the door behind him.
Zack sighed, and gathered his belongings as he prepared to leave the training facility. "I have a very bad feeling about this," he muttered.
About a week went by, and Zack hadn't recognized any 'opportunities', as Reno had called them, where he could ask Cloud out. Of course, nothing was preventing Zack from asking Cloud out on a date at any given moment; but no moment presented itself as being 'just right' to the SOLDIER. Soon, he'd forgotten about Reno's promise to 'arrange things' to help the two to get together, and resigned himself to the fact that Cloud was just painfully shy, and he'd have to bide his time - and maybe, just maybe - eventually Zack would be able to break the ice enough with Cloud, and finally ask him out on a date.
It was late afternoon when Zack had finished up another training session with the new infantrymen. Zack had caught Cloud's eye a few times during the training routines, and couldn't help but smile. He's noticed me too, then, Zack thought, fairly well pleased with this knowledge. Maybe...maybe I should just ask him then. I mean, I caught him staring at me like...three times already...
But each time Zack made eye contact with Cloud, the blond would quickly avert his gaze, almost embarrased that he'd been caught staring. So shy he is, Zack thought, wondering just how to solve the problem of getting Cloud to get over his shy awkwardnes enough so that he could finally, finally ask him out.
Zack was therefore quite surprised when he was sitting on the windowsill, polishing his sword as he usually did following a training session, when he saw Cloud approaching him. Well...this is interesting, Zack thought. I don't suppose he's going to ask me out, now is he? The SOLDIER smiled at the remote possibility.
"Cloud," Zack said, greeting him warmly. "Good to see you. Hey, great job at drill today. Anything...I can do for you?" Like take you out to dinner and a movie, maybe?
"I, uh..." Cloud began, scratching his head, seemingly confused. He's adorable when scratches his head like that, Zack thought fleetingly. "I, uh...got your note, sir," Cloud continued, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. "Asking me to see you after drill." He unfolded it and presented it to Zack, who skimmed it quickly.
"That's not..." Zack began, then shut his mouth. Not my writing. In fact...it looks like Reno's. Hmm...
"Well, uh," Zack stammered, clearing his throat. "Actually...there is something I wish to discuss with you, Cloud," he said quietly.
Cloud's face paled. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" he squeaked, his eyes widening in fear. "That note...I wasn't sure what it was about."
Zack's heart fell at how damned nervous he seemed to be making the cadet. Damn Reno and his stupid note! Zack thought irritably. "No!" Zack said, trying to reassure Cloud. "It's nothing like that at all! You're not in trouble, Cloud. Far from it. The note - I'll explain that in a bit. Why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get a coffee or something. Then I can...discuss...things, with you."
"Okay," Cloud replied, a bit unsure. He was relieved when Zack said he wasn't in trouble, but was still confused as to what this - and the note - was all about. Zack exited the training room and killed the lights, Cloud following behind him.
"Please don't think you did anything wrong, Cloud," Zack said kindly, lightly touching his hand to the small of Cloud's back, guiding him toward the elevator. He pushed the button and smiled over at Cloud, hoping to reassure the young infantryman. "I just wanted to ask you something." Zack's skin prickled as he suddenly sensed someone behind him and turned quickly - but too late. A heavy hand on his back shoved him - and Cloud - into the now-opened elevator.
"Get in, yo," a voice hissed in Zack's ear. "Opportunity seldom knocks twice, SOLDIER-boy." Zack was pushed against the back wall of the elevator, along with Cloud, and both spun around quickly. Zack glimpsed a shock of red hair before the doors shut; then heard the unmistakable sound of crackling electricity. Reno's EMR, Zack realized. "What the fuck are you doing, Reno!" There was no reply; suddenly, the numerical buttons on the elevator panel glowed brightly for a moment, then went dead. A second later, all the lights in the elevator went out as well. "Reno!" Zack yelled, pounding on the steel doors of the elevator.
"I can't believe this!" Zack moaned, feeling around in the darkness. "Cloud? I can't see a damned thing, you okay?"
"I'm fine," Cloud replied, his voice tinged with irritation. "Sir? What is going on? Was that Reno who pushed us in here? Why did he do that?"
"First," Zack said kindly, "please - call me Zack. Enough of this sir nonsense." He thought he heard Cloud laugh quietly. "Um...well, this is a long story. Well, not really long, but kind of...embarrassing. Reno...in his own, unique way...was trying to help me."
"By shoving you into an elevator with me and disabling it with his EMR?" Zack swore he could feel Cloud's frown in the darkness. This is not going well, Zack worried. Damn you, Reno! You and your brilliant ideas!
"Yeah, well..." Zack's voice faltered, and he laughed nervously. Cloud will never go out with me now, after I explain... "Reno...doesn't always think things through."
"Where are you, Zack?" Cloud asked quietly. He reached his hand out, and came in contact with the control panel for the elevator. It still tingled with electricity, from when Reno had blasted it with his EMR.
"I'm over here," came a voice from what seemed to be a few feet away. Cloud then felt two boot clad feet knocking into his own. He grinned, and put a hand out in front of him.
"I guess you found me, then," Cloud murmured. "So, uh...Zack? You said you wanted to ask me something?"
"I did," Zack replied. He was standing so closely to Cloud now, in the murky blackness of the darkened elevator, that the infantryman could feel Zack's warm breath on him. Cloud almost felt intoxicated, standing so closely to Zack, and he began to feel very, very nervous. What could Zack possibly want to ask me? he worried.
"But first," Zack was saying, "I...want to apologize. For all of this. The note, the elevator - that was all Reno's doing," he said disdainfully. "I swear to Gaia, that'll be the last time I tell him anything personal."
"Anyway," Zack continued. "Reno...orchestrated all of this, just so that...I could ask you out on a date, Cloud. So what do you say? I don't blame you if you run away screaming after all this bullshit that Reno pulled. You probably think I'm some kind of psychotic now, trapping you in an elevator with me - " Zack couldn't stop, he continued babbling nervously, imagining that Cloud probably had a horrified expression on his face by now, having learned that this was all a set up.
It was ridiculous, Zack realized. The whole situation was...ridiculous. And it's all Reno's fault. I'm going to fucking kill him when I see him! If we ever get out of here...
"Yes," Cloud replied softly. Zack felt slender fingers enfold around his forearm. He shook his head; surely he was hearing things? Hallucinating in the claustrophobic darkness of the elevator?
"I beg your pardon?" Zack stammered. "Can you...repeat that?"
"Yes," Cloud said again, laughing. "I'll go out with you. Can I ask you...why...did you go to all this trouble, though? You could have just asked me."
"I...well, I just..." Zack stuttered, realizing that any explanation he could give Cloud would sound ridiculous. And the mere fact that he'd gotten Reno - of all people - involved...really, what the hell had Zack been thinking?
"I was afraid you'd say no," Zack confessed. "Or...freak out on me, or something. You just seemed so...nervous around me, so shy."
"That's because I've liked you for a long time," Cloud admitted, feeling his face redden. Suddenly he was thankful for the thick darkness that surrounded him. "But seriously...you thought that ambushing me into a dark elevator was a good way to get me to say yes to a date?" Cloud commented dryly, chuckling softly.
"I swear, the elevator part wasn't my idea!" Zack protested, laughing along with Cloud. "Reno was trying to help."
"His methods are bit unconventional, don't you think?" Cloud remarked. He inhaled sharply as he felt Zack's body move closer to his own. "So, ah..." Cloud began nervously. "When...do you want to go out on our date?"
"Maybe we should try getting out of here, first," Zack muttered. "I don't know how I'm going to do that, in the dark - "
"Oh wait! I have this!" Cloud exclaimed, interrupting. He reached into his pocket and produced a ball of Cure materia. As his fingers made contact with it, a greenish glow emenated from the orb, dimly lighting the interior of the elevator. Cloud looked up at Zack, who was regarding him curiously. "What? Something wrong? At least we can see now, right? I got this from Lazard, he said it was okay to keep it - "
"No, nothing's wrong," Zack said quietly. "You just look - in that light, just like that - "
~you look beautiful~
"Um...you look really nice, Cloud," Zack finished, blushing. Cloud grinned, and held the materia a bit higher, the green light now illuminating Zack's face as well.
"Thanks. So do you, Zack," Cloud said in a near-whisper. "You look..."
~like the sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on~
"You look really, really good," he said, smiling.
"Thank you," Zack murmured, grinning down at Cloud. He glanced up at the ceiling, and squinted. "I think I can bust through this panel up here, and get us out," he said, surveying the surroundings. "We'll have to climb up the elevator shaft a bit, though. You game?"
"I think so," Cloud replied. Zack reached up over his head and began removing the ceiling panel, as Cloud held the materia aloft in his hand, lighting the area so that Zack could see.
"Zack?" Cloud began, staring up at Zack as he hoisted himself through the hole in the ceiling.
"Yeah?" Zack replied, grunting as he stuck his head back down through the ceiling, extending an arm to Cloud. "Come on up, I've got you." Cloud pocketed the materia, the elevator now lit slightly from overhead lights far above. Zack caught Cloud's arm in a firm grip and began hauling him up.
"What were you going to say, Cloud?" Zack asked him, as they both sat atop the elevator car.
"I was going to say," Cloud said, grinning cheekily. "You doing anything after?"
Zack laughed heartily. "You're a wiseass, Cloud," he said teasingly. "I think we're going to get along just fine, you and I."