Song_prompt for Dark Kana: Author's choice, 'Invisible Touch' by Genesis.
It's not like Zack hasn't had plenty of girls. He's a SOLDIER, and good-looking - if he does say so himself. He's fun to hang around with. He's had plenty of flirtations, some one-night stands, even one or two who might have qualified as girlfriends. But somehow, he keeps coming back to Aerith, to the detriment of all his other dalliances.
And it's not like he's even got her into bed, yet.
He knows she doesn't tell him things; that she keeps secrets, and dangerous ones at that. The Turks are around a little too often for comfort, and it takes awhile for Zack to realise it's not him they're watching. (He kind of hopes none of them are telling Cissnei about it, because he maybe kept flirting with her just a little longer than the rest after meeting Aerith.)
And sometimes - she does things. Knows things that she shouldn't, or acts just a little bit strange so that he finds himself looking at her, wondering. Then she smiles at him, deliberately charming and winsome, and it's as if that should be enough to make him forget all his doubts and questions.
Admittedly, it does; at least until she's no longer right there smiling at him.
It's when she cons him into building her a flowercart - him! Building things as if he'd stayed in Gongaga to be a common labourer and not a SOLDIER, a hero - it occurs to Zack that she has him wrapped around her little finger. That she knows it, and deliberately manipulates him into doing what she wants. And although he'd normally drop any girl who tried to order him about with pouts and demands, he still can't imagine saying no to her.
He's got it bad, and he's not quite sure what to do about it.
On the other hand, it's not like there's anything malicious about it. She laughs and she teases, and he's sure if he'd told her no and meant it, that would have been the end of it. She doesn't talk him into doing anything he knows he shouldn't do, isn't after company secrets, doesn't even seem to brag to all and sundry about nabbing a SOLDIER, something that he's had others do. He likes Aerith, maybe more, and that's something he really needs a little bit of time to think about.
Away from her.
This latest mission should give him time for that; it's to the middle of nowhere and likely to be uneventful despite the company he's keeping. But Aerith has been particularly jumpy the last few days, and while it's probably nothing, he decides to ask Tseng to keep an eye on her.
It's not like the Turks aren't watching her anyway.
Tseng agrees more easily than Zack expected, and it's only as he's saying thanks that some flicker of expression crosses Tseng's face and he realises.
He's hung up on her, too.
Tseng, the ultra-cool, dangerous Turk, the one that rumours say is in line to take over as their head when Veld retires, is in love with a flower girl from the slums. Zack's flower girl.
He should be jealous, but hey, he's the one that Aerith is dating. Instead, as he walks away he shakes his head in rueful amusement.
Man, that girl is dangerous.