The Side of You I Didn't Know
Hello dear readers and faithful followers! This story is a prompt I received from a fellow and gifted author Kender20! :D I hope you guys enjoy it, it won't be long, originally intended to be a one shot but…well…it's Zack and Angeal we are talking about here ^.^
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and Kender20 owns the idea! :D
Chapter 1: My Mentor the Ice Man
Zack blocked a harsh blow from his mentor diagonally, jumping away in time to dodge another swing of the standard SOLDIER sword.
Angeal Hewley, 1st Class SOLDIER.
Zack was panting heavily, while Angeal looked like he didn't even break a sweat. Angeal frowned and said sharply:" Your posture isn't straight enough. Remember – a member of SOLDIER always stands tall in front of his enemies.",
Zack shook his head and said:" Yeah but…it's just you here. Can we take a break? Please?", he clapped his hands together in a plea, his glowing blue mako eyes blinking desperately.
Angeal sighed, he said displeased:" Zack, we've only been training for two hours. And what pup told me he wants to become 1st Class?",
Zack hung his head down, tugging uncomfortably at his purple turtleneck. He would never understand why they were made to wear turtlenecks of all other attires, the baggy pants were great, granted a lot of mobility on the battlefield but those damn shirts…
Ugh…
Angeal shook his head in mild amusement and relented:" Alright, five minutes.",
Zack's head shot up at lightning speed, his blue eyes shone even brighter. In fact, he practically tackled his mentor into a tight hug, making the older man feel uncomfortable. He wasn't used to physical contact – unless it was to defeat his enemies of course. Angeal threw Zack his lunch, as he eagerly caught it in his hands it reminded him of a puppy catching a cookie in mid-air which made him smirk.
The two ate in silence, until Angeal's phone rang.
Zack didn't pay attention, thinking it was his friends, also First Classes, Sephiroth and Genesis, but Angeal's sudden change in tone made him lift his head curiously.
"Hello. Yes, I am actually.",
The man chuckled.
Chuckled.
Zack's jaw hung open, truth be told he hadn't known Angeal for very long, a few months actually.
Zack listened intently as Angeal turned his back to him and continued talking to whoever the hell was on the phone.
His tone was lighter, missing the sharp edge and commanding tone it mostly held.
"How are you doing? Everything alright? Ah, I'm sure she is, does she miss me?",
Zack's eyebrow rose in confusion.
"I know she is my mother, of course she would miss me. I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense again am I?",
A laugh.
Zack could hear a distinctively feminine laugh come from the phone.
A woman.
Zack leaned forward, his curiosity burning.
"Listen, if you're available – I mean if you have the time, would you mind meeting up in the afternoon? I will finish early today so uh…if you have time and-", he was cut off.
Zack had quietly sneaked behind his mentor, he could see the corners of his mouth tilting upwards in a genuine smile.
"Oh, yeah of course! Yes, yes. I'll be there. Bye Lena, take care.",
At first, Zack thought his mentor was starting to get a heat stroke…or a fever, but he realized with a start that he was actually blushing.
BLUSHING!
Zack fell forward, falling face first into the ground, when he lifted his face up, he met the stern stare of Angeal directed at him.
Oh, oh.
Angeal crossed his arms and asked:" What are you doing, pup?",
Zack sat up quickly and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, he was busted big time.
He cleared his throat, then remembered something and teased playfully:" So…Lena huh?",
Angeal's eyes betrayed his surprise and embarrassment, he hit Zack on the back of his head and growled:" Didn't I tell you to stop eavesdropping on people Zack?!",
He groaned and asked again more seriously this time:" Sorry but who is Lena? A lady friend?",
Angeal seemed embarrassed by the question but nevertheless answered:" She…we grew up together in Banora. Out of all the girls that lived there, Lena was the only girl who spent time playing with me and Genesis when we were children. She and I had a particularly strong bond together… As I left for SOLDIER, she stayed at Banora and often spent time with my mother since her parents died some time after because of an illness. She moved in here a few months ago and yeah…",
Zack pressed:" And…?",
Angeal growled sternly:" Get back to training pup!",
Zack scrambled away as Angeal slashed at him with his sword.
Damn that man.
Well, Zack finally saw how Angeal looked when he smiled.
He would definitely investigate further about this.
Zack had to smirk at that as he barely parried a blow from Angeal.
In the afternoon:
Angeal was talking to his fellow Firsts when he heard his name being called
"Angeal!", by a feminine voice.
He turned around, the discussion dying as all three heads turned to the source of the voice.
There she was.
"Lena!", Angeal waved back watching as the woman was sprinting towards him.
He met her halfway and hugged her tightly around her waist, spinning her in the air as they laughed together happily.
Once he set her down, he took a good long look at her. After all, they hadn't seen each-other in years.
She was still the same as he remembered her – long, dark hair, expressive, hazel eyes that were shining with happiness, light freckles dusting her cheeks, a light tan skin tone though not too tan, just suggesting she was out in the sun often.
She was wearing a beautiful summer dress, as the temperatures were very warm in the afternoon, with…
He had to smirk widely.
Combat boots. He chuckled internally.
In their childhood Lena always stuck out from the other girls like a sore thumb, she was the only one who never wore sandals since she couldn't run in them, the only girl who helped her mother and father out in the fields instead of being inside and playing with dolls. She was the only girl willing to play with him and Genesis and get dirty while playing.
Angeal shook his head and said:" Still the same as ever I see.", she smirked and countered:" Well, you didn't change a bit Geal now did you?",
He had to chuckled at that, no, it seemed he didn't.
Suddenly Sephiroth's voice broke through the atmosphere:" Angeal, won't you like to introduce us to your lady?",
Angeal sent him a discreet glare to shut him up about "his lady" when Genesis beat him to the punch by saying with a charming smile:" Oh this young lady here is Lena, our childhood friend. We used to play together as kids when we were young rascals challenging each-other who could climb the highest tree.",
Lena smiled as Sephiroth bowed lightly and said while taking her hand and kissing it:" It's a pleasure to meet you Lena. I never knew Angeal had such a…lovely friend.",
His smirk turned devious as he noticed Angeal's fist clenching in annoyance at his little show, Lena only smiled at Sephiroth and hugged Genesis tightly.
The red haired man was usually emotional but the moment his childhood friend hugged him, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and said with a kind smile:" I missed you knucklehead…",
She giggled and asked playfully:" Who are you calling knucklehead huh? You're even worse Gen.",
He shook his head and kissed her cheek in a friendly peck, which she returned.
Lena returned to Angeal's side and suddenly grasped his hand in her smaller one, the tall dark haired man was slightly stunned at her forward action.
What stunned him even more was when she said cheerfully:" Well then, gentlemen. Geal and I have a date to be going on now! We will see you guys tomorrow I'll come visit and bring everyone an apple pie I made from our Dumbapples!",
She waved at the duo as she half dragged Angeal behind her, who was sending death glares at his smug friends.
Zack had to hold his hand over his mouth to not laugh out loud, so this was Lena huh?
Well, certainly a natural beauty. How he was going to enjoy teasing Angeal about it later…
Lena asked her partner as they continued walking aimlessly:" Say Angeal, what is it like to be in SOLDIER? You rarely talk about it and it was ages since you sent your mother a letter, she's worried you know.", Angeal frowned.
He hadn't meant to make his mother worried, he would have to write to her this week. He cleared his throat and answered:" SOLDIER…well…when I was 2nd Class back then it was-",
Lena suddenly interrupted him:" I don't want to hear about the past Angeal…what is it like now?",
He knew she was perceptive and smart, but he never knew she was this good.
He sighed heavily and said quietly:" SOLDIER is like a den of monster…don't go inside.", his childhood friend asked him surprised:" But I thought you loved SOLDIER?",
Angeal smiled bitterly and said:" I love helping people and protecting them from monsters and other evil soldiers. But the price you have to pay to join SOLDIER and to be 1st Class…sometimes I ask myself if it was worth it…", his usually high held head was down, his walls were down.
He never could keep a secret from her, never could hide his true feelings from her…except…
"Angeal…", she said quietly, serious. He rarely heard her use this tone before, she was always a cheerful person. He suspected once he would introduce her to Zack, they would have a big sister and little brother relationship. "…what's wrong?",
Her hazel eyes looked up into his own, pleading for him to tell her the truth. And he gave in. Telling her everything, what SOLDIER was doing, was Shinra was really doing behind their façade…everything.
He knew he could trust her, she would never tell a single word, not even when she was being tortured for the information. She held her word as sacred as he held his and that was one of the things they had in common: honor.
She smiled and looked up at the sky, she commented sadly:" Midgar doesn't have many stars does it?", Angeal looked up as well. He had missed star gazing, he used to do it with Genesis all the time in Banora while they ate Dumbapples and talked about all kinds of things.
"I always looked at the stars when I missed you Angeal…", she turned to him and said with a smile:" They reminded me of you a lot, shining so bright even when the sun hid them from view they still stood proud and shone even brighter when darkness settled over the sky.",
Angeal looked down at her, her expression open and kind, just like it always was. He found himself feeling the strong urge to hug and for once, he followed his gut.
He hugged her. Tightly. Stroking her hair, holding her close to him, hiding her from anyone's view. And she returned his hug just as tightly. They didn't hug for long but both felt better after it.
They went to take a bite to eat at a local stand, Angeal paying for both their hot dogs, with Lena protesting furiously at his chuckling frame.
Their date was drawing to a close as it was getting late, Angeal was walking her back home to her apartment. She turned to him when they arrived in front of her doorstep and said:" You didn't have to walk me home Geal, I'm a big girl I can take care of myself you know?", she playfully clenched and unclenched her fist smirking at him.
Angeal shook his head:" I didn't want to risk it, Midgar isn't like Banora you know that Lena.", he warned her. She only shook her head and said:" I know Geal but you can't always be around to protect me from everything.",
Angeal stepped closer and said quietly:" Then let me try to protect you from everything while I am around…",
She looked up into his serious face, regarding him for a moment. She smiled shyly and went up on tiptoes, kissing his cheek. He stood still, frozen on the spot from the unexpected action.
She turned her back to him and said softly with a warm laugh:" Good night Angeal, watch yourself out there.", before she entered and locked her door.
Angeal stood there for a while longer, rubbing the spot on his cheek where she kissed him and smiled slowly.
As he was walking back in the direction where his apartment was, he suddenly said with his eyes still closed:" You know, it's not very honorable spying on people pup.",
There was a loud thump, indicating a heavy body fell to the ground. Zack emerged out of nowhere, pulling a few twigs out from his wild, unruly hair. His grin was sheepish as he said:" Uhh, sorry there Angeal…I uhh…I was in the area when I saw you walking alone here and-",
The older male sighed and said:" Say it.", and Zack exploded. He shouted:" SHE WAS SO COOL MAN! And so beautiful too! Man Angeal how comes you never talked about her till today?! She's awesome! I like her boots! And that kiss at the end?!", he wolf whistled with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.
Angeal's eye twitched in annoyance as he delivered a right hook to Zack's jaw, though not too hard, and sent him flying. He sighed and said:" I may answer some of your questions if you stop salivating all over the floor mutt.",
And that was just fine with Zack.
I hope you guys (especially my fellow author Kender20) liked the story! Like I said accepting prompts everybody! (from all the animes you can find on my profile!) J
