Rating: T for safety.
Warnings: Alcohol and tobacco use. Cloud/Zack pairing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.
A/N: A short one-shot I wrote just for fun. Enjoy.
Cloud could hardly take one step into the smoky club without coughing. He could already feel the cancerous spots hardening to his lungs and just when he thought about leaving, he spotted a black haired man's eyes looking him up and down. Cloud blushed a bit and looked to the floor. He was still in his uniform like the other cadets he'd come in with and he asked himself why the man of such rank would be staring at a grunt like himself. Oh no, Cloud thought, what if he tells my officer? I'm not twenty-one, what the hell am I doing here? Cloud began to panic but his hyperventilating was interrupted by the people who pushed him in further, trying to get into the club.
Cloud's friends called him over to the table they had somehow managed to find. He could barely hear their shouts over the blaring music and his eardrums were about to burst but he squeezed his way through the purple and blue and green light-streaked bodies anyways. He finally found the table claimed by the cadets until he realized… "There's no room." The infantrymen chatted among each other, one suggesting Cloud pull up a chair and ordered their drinks as they flashed their fake IDs.
Cloud looked around him for a chair and just as he spotted one, it was taken by the black haired man he recognized as Zack Fair. The soldier carried the chair to Cloud's table, spinning it around and sitting in it backwards, straddling the chair with muscular jean-clad legs. The cadets greeted and cheered for Zack as they each took a gulp of their newly arrived beer. It sloshed around in their cups, cheering harder when someone's glass spilled all over the table. Cloud stood next to his fellow infantrymen and the young soldier, feeling extremely out of place. He wondered why he agreed to come here as he left the table and found a lonely stool at the bar. He knew this would happen and he knew he would regret it.
The bartender was a burly man who intimidated Cloud as he grunted out, "What d'yeh want?" There was no fooling this man – He could tell in a heartbeat Cloud was lying if he dared show him the fake ID. Cloud shrugged and shook his head, stuttering for a Raspberry Lime Rickey. The bartender came back with his drink, mumbling something along the lines of: "What a faggot drink. Why do all the fruit cups come here?
Cloud sighed and took a sip of his overly sweet drink. He was almost embarrassed to be seen with his "faggot" drink but shrugged as he realized he'd actually be able to remember the night and function tomorrow. Maybe my performance in training would actually be equal to the others tomorrow, Cloud thought. The fact that everyone else needed to be hung-over for Cloud to have a chance at beating them upset the blond and he almost smacked himself when he realized they had the day off tomorrow. He cursed to himself, preparing to apologize to anyone who had been offended to it. Why would they be? It's not like these people are any better, Cloud thought bitterly.
Cloud poked at his lime with his bendy straw, wondering how long he had been sitting miserably at the bar to be able to have four Rickeys. "This is pathetic," Cloud told himself aloud. He began to swivel in the stool, unable to remember if he paid or not. Screw it, he shrugged. He fully turned and bumped into a firm chest and fell back onto the stool. A half smoked cigarette fell to the ground and was quickly stomped out as Cloud spurted out apologies frantically. A hand touched his shoulder and a clean shaved, attractive face with mesmerizing blue eyes met Cloud's
"Don't worry about it," said Zack. He lit another cigarette, only taking his hand off Cloud's shoulder for a moment and he leaned against the counter. The spiky haired blond stared in awe at the first class. "Looks like you're the only smart one of your group," he said lowly, peering into Cloud's nearly empty cup. "Raspberry Lime... That's my favorite." He licked his lips. "I told your friends to go home." Cloud nervously began saying he should go catch up with them until Zack interrupted with, "But I think you should stay and dance with me." Cloud watched Zack's ashes fall into the tray along with the still burning cigarette and he gulped at the scent of Zack's cheap cologne mixed with alcohol.
"M-M-Me?" Cloud couldn't help but stutter.
"Y-Y-Yes," Zack mocked, showing stained teeth through a smirk. He pulled Cloud, gripping his hand tightly as if not to lose him, into a large group of dancers. Tugging Cloud's waist to his, the blond wrapped his arms around the tall man's shoulders and they ground their hips together in the flashing lights. The music couldn't be loud enough for Cloud now as everything but Zack's touch was drowned out and his stomach grew butterflies. Maybe the other grunts wouldn't remember the night, but Cloud vowed to keep it in his memory forever.
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