Author: TynDawn
Rating: R for this chapter, mostly language, etc
Warnings (If any): Suggestive situations, Language
Pairing(s): ZackxReno Only hints for this chapter
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came.
Summary: Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever.
Author's Notes: Well, here I am, At home all angsty and lame for not writing for such a long time. I'm sick of being lazy, even If I work…so now, I write and feel less lazy. No real story behind this little…urrr, thing that you are about to read, I raided a yaoi generator for inspiration and turned everything NC-17, cus I can nn Enjoy! And review!!
: Prologue :
In a time that no one knew
"You afraid of a little skinny-dipping Reno?"
The laugh from a dark-haired male echoed in his ears, reminding him that he still had no idea how he'd met the mako-glowing eyed youth just a few years younger than himself.
"Heh, Afraid, what the hell you talkin' bout, yo!" The curt remark from an eagerly stripping red-head had followed just after the Turk's socks had begun dangling upon a tree-branch that was too high to reach later.
"Well, come on then, before someone ends up looking," Zack paused, giving a round of laughter as he backed down into the hidden lake, his eyes sparkling in naïve mischief as he caught sight of Reno's line of vision, "Speaking of 'looking,'" He snorted, silently insinuating that Reno had been…staring.
The red-head fought off his flush, throwing a scowl over at Zack, "I'm not looking," He rolled his eyes, "It's called window-shopping," He defended himself as he plucked the jacket off of his back and threw it to the thicket of grass, allowing it to be mauled by the stare dandelions and wildflowers that tickled over the fabric.
"Oh, is that right?" The SOLDIER cocked an eyebrow up curiously as he coyly crossed his arms over his chest, blocking Reno's view and right to window-shopping. "Enjoying yourself, are you?" He grinned all too cat-like for his own good.
Damn that SOLDIER. He had no idea what the hell he was doing, did he?
But despite that, Reno found himself both glad and shocked at the coldness of the water when he began to wade in, especially when it crept up and between his thighs, sliding up and around his stomach as he slunked in deeper after the spiky-haired rascal known as Zack Fair.
How could the water in Gongaga be so cold when it was so warm and humid on land?
"More than you know," Reno muttered to himself, not fully wanting to admit it, but wanting to have the last word anyway.
Zack only laughed at Reno's disposition as the Turk began to shudder from the cool sting of the lake's depth. "You cold, Reno?" He smirked over at him as he drew in a gulp of breath and ducked under the water, sending an unintentional splash of water over at the Turk who gave out an unhappy curse-word in protest.
When Zack resurfaced, he couldn't stop his laughter when he saw Reno with his hair plastered down to the top of his head and tiny beadlets of water tracing the lines down his chest, down below the surface of the water. Zack trudged over to him, crisp water swirling around his middle, as he neared the Turk.
"You look like a drowned chicken," He observed in mild amusement, to which Reno gave a half-hearted glare.
"I'm a Turk, not a chicken, yo," Reno defended himself cattily.
"I could have called you a cock," Zack lifted his arms as he gave a careless shrug, holding back a laugh, even if it showed through those glowing eyes.
Reno pursed his lips in a child-like manner, protesting as he threw a splash of water at the childish SOLDIER, "You're the cock!" He hissed out, though…there was not a pinch of hostility, just his lack of patience for others.
Zack laughed and shielded himself from the biting water, "Well, I'm the only one here who has one," His laughter became louder when he saw the Turk's flustered expression, the way that Reno seemed to struggle mentally for words that could better express his frustration.
But before Reno could get any words out, he suddenly found himself beneath the surface of the freezing water, the stinging cold liquid nipping at his skin and forcing his hair to stand on end. But, that's when his eyes opened.
Zack really was skinny dipping after all.
There were no pants. No trousers. No uniform slacks. Not even any boxers. No briefs. Not even any tidy-whities. No nothing to hide himself or give himself any sense of modesty.
Right there, right in front of the Turk's nose was…
Was…
Reno's breath bubbled out through his lips, his arms thrashing above the surface as his face suddenly darkened in color, his heart jumping up into his throat at the sight that he'd just been exposed to.
He coughed wildly when Zack finally pulled him back to the surface, the Turk unable to hold himself up had practically fallen into Zack's arms, not caring or noticing that they were so much closer now. His eyes watered slightly from the lack of air and the strain that had been put upon his lungs, the ache that stung his throat from the taste of lake water, and the burning invading his nasal cavity.
However, it was all blown away when something found his lips.
Something warm, moist and tasting faintly of lake-water…but mostly of fresh-air and cinnamon.
Lips?
Yes…lips.
LIPS?!
Reno's eyes widened as air was suddenly forced into his lungs, his eyes flittering as he suddenly jerked away, water being coughed to his side as his fingers dug into Zack's shoulders.
"Wh…what're…you?!" He practically panicked, still trying to catch his breath as his eyes squeezed shut.
Damn, that hurt.
What the hell was that kid thinking?! Was he trying to kill him or what?!
"What the hell, man?!" Reno finally managed to blurt out, still confused about that…that thing…
…That…kiss?
K…kiss?
Was that what it was?
No…it couldn't be.
"Well, I wanted to kiss you, but…it sorta turned into a rescue mission," Zack explained, a lop-sided smile clutching onto his features as he continued to hold up Reno with one arm, while his free hand scratched at the back of his head.
'Wanted to kiss? Kiss?! KISS?!'
Reno's features contorted, and flooded with something of a flush…though, he'd never admit it.
"Y'know Reno, you're pretty cute when you don't say anything," Zack's end of the conversation continued on as his sword calloused fingertips picked away the goggles that were permanently mounted to Reno's forehead.
For once in his life, Reno was speechless
…really speechless.
But…there was something about the situation that had Reno's mind going more than a mile-a-minute. It was racing, just like his heartbeat.
Zack really didn't know what he did to Reno. He had no idea just how many times Reno had dreamed about the SOLDIER, no idea how many of Reno's fantasies that he himself had stared in and made up an entire cast to. Zack just didn't know that Reno felt something for him that the Turk had never once known before.
Zack didn't know that he gave Reno a feeling that terrified the shit out of him.
But of course, they were both lucky that that wasn't a literal statement.
"Yeah," Reno snorted, his nerves distorting the sound of his voice when he suddenly realized that their thighs were touching, "Well…" He looked away in frustration and fluster as he mumbled out, "You're pretty cute too, when you're not trying to knock me off like a hit-man,"
Zack grinned to himself and twirled the goggles around his finger contently before flicking them to the shore-line, not even bothering to watch the way that they skittered over dirt and rubble. But…Reno watched and gave the most playful and sinister looking smirk that he possibly could, pulling the two of them so close that it was almost unbearably.
Each and every part of their anatomy brushing and touching as Reno plundered Zack's mouth, making no request to excavate the cavern of his mouth and only pulling away when breath was absolutely necessary. His lips shook lightly from the cold as he lingered close to Zack, his eyes half-lidded and Zack's wide and thrilled to the core. Hot breath passed between them as Reno's hands continued to cling onto wet skin, his throat shivering as he whispered out lightly, "You looked…like you needed a little more air," He leaned towards him once more, tipping his head as their lower-lips grazed one another, "Yo…"
For one of the first times…
No.
For the VERY first time ever in Reno's life…
He really felt alive, and he didn't have to kill someone just to achieve that feeling.
Zack had given it to him, by just being alive.