This is sort-of like, two one shots. The chronological of the one shots are also kinda…odd. I jumped from one area to another. So yep xD
I spent quite a bit of time on this, so please give reviews
Any kind of reviews are fine – criticisms are more than welcome xD
I do not own Zack, Cloud, I don't, I don't, I don't.
Nor do I own Final Fantasy in any way.
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The moon hung over the hill. The young man, with his sword beside him, lay down on the grassy hill and stared at the sky. He was quite ordinary, with plain black hair and eyes a very dark shade of brown – almost black. He wore light armour, comprising of a fair bit of leather. His sword was huge, a simple design, but a perfect weapon in his case. His arms were well-toned, and so was the rest of him.
Basically, he was a hot guy. And he was taking a rest.
It had rained the night before – the grass was slightly wet, the coldness of the water cooling and pricking his skin. The wind danced around, playing with the blades of grass and rustling the leaves on the tree directly above him, leaving a chill for him to enjoy. Everything was silent, tranquil, at peace. It had been a while since he had done this – just taking a nice, long, well-deserved break. And under a tree if anything. He couldn't actually remember when the last time he had actually sat under a tree was. He was always moving about, keeping himself active. He closed his eyes and thought about his past. Everyone was asleep – he and Cloud were sent to find something. He didn't exactly know what (not that he would care that much if he did), but if he was with Cloud, he should be fine. Perfectly fine.
His thoughts drifted back to when he was in SOLDIER. Now, crashing on a snowy cliff with Tseng and 2 others, wasn't exactly the best of many memories, but in any case, he was glad that he had crashed there. That was the day that he met Cloud. Walking along the cliffs to get to the village, he noticed someone walking next to him, while Tseng and the other guy lagged behind. Idle chatter led him to ask where this person came from, which then led to laughter between the both of them. And that was when he took off his helmet. The first part he noticed was that his hair stood up – odd, considering that that helmet should have forced all of his hair downwards. From that instant, spiky hair and all, he knew that this person, was probably going to be a very big factor in his life in the near future.
He thought about the event that earned him his scar, when he had fought Angeal. A poignant memory, but it was what happened afterwards that would remain with him forever. The waves of emotion that ran through his mind…He put up the Buster to his forehead, remembering the rain that melted with his tears. Later, he knew that Aeris was talking…but he wasn't really listening. Sitting alone at the end of the cold wood of the church, he hardly felt calm in a place of serenity. A pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and he felt the warmth of life. Inheriting the Buster, he went back to Shin-Ra.
Walking to one of the waiting rooms, he stared outside. He knew it was stupid, pointless, and Angeal himself probably wouldn't have liked it, but he couldn't prevent his thoughts as they drifted back to his death. The hot sensation behind his eyes pricked them, and a tear ran down his face. Sitting down in the corner, he felt someone sit down next to him. He didn't look up. There was only one person that he could think of that would do that. "Zack…" his voice trailed off. A gloved hand came into view, resting on his. "You can cry if you want." Zack felt the emotions on an adrenaline high again. More tears started to run down, and he couldn't help but clench his hand around Cloud's, then felt a close and warm hug. "It's ok…" Cloud trailed off. The gloved hand traced out the 'x' on Zack's face, and without a warning, Cloud leaned over and licked it silently. Zack's eyes flew open, but he didn't say a thing. He almost felt like he wanted to hit Cloud, but…relented. He closed his eyes and rested against the wall.
Then, Sephiroth turned traitor, killing everyone in the village. He was also one of Cloud's heroes, and seeing everyone get hurt in front of him…Cloud hated him since then. He idolised him, and even joined SOLDIER to be like both him and Zack. Cloud was just about going crazy when he had to fight his idol through his years as a kid to protect both him and Tifa. "Cloud…finish Sephiroth." Cloud was going to have to be the one to finish it - he had the strength that Zack didn't. He may have been lying on the steps, but he could sense Cloud's anger, Cloud's hatred towards Sephiroth, and the desire to finish him off for injuring those that he cared for. Struggling to get up and see if Cloud had made it, he arrived. He slid down the steps next to him. "Cloud…you did well." He blacked out.
At that time, Zack felt like the weak one. Most of the time, it was Cloud that needed the protection, not him. He felt…odd – he was used to being the protector, and Cloud to assume the role of the protected. He knew clearly that Cloud treated Sephiroth as his second idol, and to see his idol fall like that…was hard. He knew the feeling. Angeal.
Detaching himself from his past and his memories, he snapped back to reality and reopened his eyes. It was as though he was back to when they were in Shin-Ra, he would stare at Cloud, and Cloud would stare back at him. He also noticed that Cloud had reached for his lips this time and not his scar. Cloud's face didn't change one bit, but Zack's turned hot. Something ran down his spine, but he said nothing. Moving closer towards Zack, Cloud placed his hand above Zack's. "It's like when we were back in Shin-Ra, isn't it? I'd lick your scar," he moved his hand over Zack's scar, and slowly traced out the 'x' it formed, "and you'd just go to sleep." He leaned over, barely touching Zack's lips. Zack could feel the heat from Cloud's face now, and heard him whisper something inaudible, before leaning in even closer, and placing his lips onto his.
The light pressure from Cloud's lips, the heat from his face, and the warm and firm touch of his hand caressing his face, inclining it to tilt so that Cloud could kiss him. Zack didn't know how to react again. He didn't hate himself this time, he allowed Cloud to continue. He felt his own face turn even warmer, and tried to move but couldn't. He wasn't even sure if Cloud would let him. Cloud seemed to have some kind of magic that affected him in a way that Aeris didn't, and that magic made him vulnerable, weak. It felt right to Zack, and didn't at the same time. Cloud guided his tongue into Zack's mouth slowly, and Zack felt his own body react. The hairs on his neck stood up, and the adrenaline that ran down his spine was now on full flow. Cloud's touch sought for warmth, and seemed to tell Zack that Cloud needed him. Cloud's tongue toyed with Zack's, and Zack felt himself inviting the kiss, almost as though he was welcoming it. Letting Cloud have full access to his mouth, Cloud seized the opportunity to have one of his hands run itself through Zack's hair. Zack himself, let his own hand pull Cloud closer, and shifted himself so Cloud would be able to move from his awkward position.
Cloud withdrew himself from Zack's mouth to his surprise, and smiled at Zack. "Zack…I…"
Zack stopped him by leaning forwards and placed a finger over his mouth. He smiled too. "I know what you're trying to say." He closed his eyes and felt something inside of him burn with passion. Suddenly the atmosphere didn't seem as cold as before. Cloud's eyes seemed to light up and looked into Zack's own eyes. Zack felt himself being drawn into those blue orbs, and let his forehead touch Cloud's. Cloud closed his eyes, and so did Zack. Honestly, Zack had no idea where their relationship, if it could be called that, was going to go, but he was willing to take the chance. Cloud licked Zack's scar one last time, before letting himself fall asleep against the tree, both of their heads on the ground, next to each other. As Cloud drifted off to dreamland, Zack smiled, before closing his eyes.
The moon hung over the hill. Two young men, lying next to each other, slept on the grassy hill under the sky. They were both quite ordinary - one with plain black hair, and the other with blonde hair - , one with eyes a very dark shade of brown that seemed black, and the other a startling shade of blue. Both of their heads were next to each other, wearing their light armour that couldn't safeguard them from the emotions of each other.
Basically, both of them were hot guys. And both of them loved each other.
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Zack
I felt drenched – lying in something that I was sure was my blood. The familiar metallic tang was rampant on that cliff. Lying at the top, all I could see was the rain that pelted down from the skies. Oddly, I felt that something was familiar about that rain, that someone was grieving for me. Was it Aeris? Guess I wouldn't know. My hand, though clenched, was barely around the hilt of the Buster. It was quiet. I could feel my breathing slow down, and heard somebody coming, slowly, if anything, in the rain. Then he came into view. That slightly moronic and yet comforting face, came into view.
"Zack…" was the first thing he could say at the time. I felt something within – I knew it myself. My time was at an end. Keeping a smile on my face, I was going to have to make this short and sweet. To be honest, I couldn't help but smile. He was the one that I truly cared about. And he was going to be the person that I would see last before I'd move on.
"On my behalf…"
"On your behalf?"
"That's right. You will-"
"I will?"
"Live." I had struggled to put my hand around his neck, and to bring his head down towards my heart, to let him listen to that beat one last time, before I would move on. What strength I had left, I placed it all in him. I hope he will understand the meaning behind that move – he always was a little slow. But that was what made him, him, I guess.
"You are the proof that I existed." I felt my hand fall from his neck. Raising his head, his eye was stained with my blood, as was his hair. There it was – the mark, to prove that I had once existed, and that I would always live in his heart. I pray that he will never forget me, he was my only pillar to prove that I had existed.
Smiling at him, I turned my gaze onto the buster, with my outstretched hand, dragging it across towards him. The buster was one of the few things that held a big part of my life, part of my soul, which I now dragged across the rocky surfaces of that mountain, covered in a coat of my life, my memories, my dreams, everything.
"My pride and dreams, I give it all to you." Thrusting it into his hands, that was just about the last thing I could do. My consciousness, and the last part of me, was ebbing away. There was only one last thing I wanted to tell him, and with that, I would be gone.
"I am the proof that you existed." He said. I never did manage to finish what I wanted to tell him, to tell him of…everything actually. The time that I spent with him, the memories that we had…but I guess that he accepted what I told him, what I entrusted to him, was enough for me to accept, to leave at last. Closing my eyes, the rain coating me once more, I could almost hear Aeris crying for me, as though she knew that I was going to leave her behind.
When I reopened my eyes, the storm had passed, and he was gone. I guess even in death, there were some things that you had to let go off. In this case, I had to let go what I regretted not telling him, even though I was satisfied with his answer. My body felt light - I saw the feathers of angels' wings dancing around me, enveloping me in the serenity only achieved in death, with a hand, reaching out for me, to pull me into the unknown. I wasn't able to survive, but I would always watch over him, and besides, in the process…I asked him a question that he would never hear.
"Hey…I've become a hero, right?"
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Cloud
I was thrown too far away from him. At least, now, I could move. My clothes, soaked in the rain, weighed me down. I raised my head, and crawled over. At that moment, he was the only person I could think of. Edging over towards him, bit by bit, I could see his body there. Pulling myself towards him, something reacted inside of me – something was wrong. Something, was coming to an end.
Dragging myself such that I would be in his view, all I could say was his name. It just came so naturally to me, to say his name one last time. Confusion ran through me at that point – at the look of his wounds, he was going to die. With wounds that deep, and being so far out in nowhere, there was no way that I would able to find help in time, to save him. That part of me was confronted by another part of me, yelling at myself, at why I would even think about that. Zack WAS going to make it, I would be able to save my beloved friend. Conflict ran through like crazy, such that the only word that I managed was his name. That was all. He smiled to me, and I realised that this might be the last – NO! Zack was going to be FINE. His smile mattered the world to me, but I couldn't react. Fear gripped me – I was going to lose my best friend, the person that I truly loved. Adored.
"On my behalf…" he trailed off. I was scared, I truly was. to watch someone, anyone, die before you is bad enough, but to watch your best friend, the one that you hold so dearly just…die in front of you, and you're unable to do anything about it, is worse. I kept him talking, to make sure that he was alive, to make sure that I would be able to say what I felt just before he would leave. I wanted to make my feelings known.
"On your behalf?" I left off for him to continue.
"That's right. You will-"
"I will?"
"Live." He put his hand around my neck, and brought me down with a surprising amount of strength. Closing my eyes, he led me to where his heart was. I listened to the beat intently – it was sometimes clear, sometimes fading away. But it was there. However, it was getting slower. Something stained my eye, and it touched my forehead. A scent I recognised as blood, Zack's blood, was making its mark on me.
"You are the proof that I existed." his hand slid from my neck, the cold, wet leather brushing across my neck and face. Bringing up my face, I stared at him. He was smiling, I was sure of it. Blood, running down his forehead, but he was surely smiling.
His attention turned to the buster, but I could only look at him, until the sword came into view. I wanted to remember everything about Zack, such that I would never, ever, forget about him, that I would never leave him behind in the dust. "My pride and dreams," he held the hilt of the buster, dragging it across the stony cliff, "I give it all to you." Handing it to me, I took it, and he lightly shoved it into my hands. The buster was practically everything to him. His life, his memories, and all his dreams, were poured into this single weapon. I was holding something of Zack's, something that would never allow me to forget about him. Ever. I found myself speaking.
"I am the proof that you existed." I was like a robot, repeating everything that he had said. All I needed was one more sentence from him, and I would tell him everything, I would reminiscence everything with him, I would talk about our past, just to keep him talking, alive, with me.
He smiled at me one last time, and his eyes closed. Reality sunk in. He was gone.
I didn't get to say…what I wanted to tell him so badly. I pray that he knows that I wanted to tell him, that he would know in his heart.
The frustration built up within, was released. A single howl that no one would ever hear, apart from Zack's soul and I. Throwing back my head, I stared at the skies above, with Zack flashing back into my mind. Everything in my life, had a part of Zack in it. He was everything to me, and now…he was gone. He wouldn't smile that reassuring smile again. I was alone.
The sun started to clear the rain and the clouds, and an aura started to surround Zack. As I stared at his lifeless body, I could almost hear him talk to me.
"Hold onto your dreams," I looked at his face, smiling, and at peace, "if you want to be a hero, you have to hold onto your dreams." I realised there and then, that Zack had taught me so much, and I had never found the right opportunity to appreciate my thanks. He was the one who helped me so much, and he cared about me infinitely more than anyone else that I knew.
"Thank you." My hands held the hilt of the sword, "I will not forget." Standing up, I stared at him one last time, and felt something prick my eyes. Holding them back, knowing that Zack would rather not see me like this, I said my final words and left. Turning my head away from him, I dragged the sword across the floor, making that final impact on the world, as evidence to prove that Zack Fair existed.
As I made my way down the cliff, I continued to make that impact, bringing with me everything that was left of Zack that would remain eternal, his spirit, I was sure, would watch over me for eternity, till I joined him in Paradise. I shed a few tears, finally, praying that he would overlook it.
"Goodnight…Zack."
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