Following Orders
Angeal/Zack
PG
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Angeal sighed and resisted the urge to twitch an eyebrow irritably. Zack was humming. Just sitting there on the floor and humming happily to himself. He was supposed to be reading a text in preparation for their next lesson. And, well, he did have the book open, but he was just lying there on his stomach on the floor of Angeal's office, kicking his feet back in forth in the air and swinging his head from side to side as he stared down at the book. Humming.
He couldn't possibly actually be reading.
In fact, there was no reason he should still be in Angeal's office. If Angeal recalled correctly—and he was sure he did—his exact words to Zack had been, "Go read this book." Go. As in out.
Apparently, Zack hadn't seen it that way. No, he'd just plopped straight down on the floor where he'd been standing and made himself comfortable. Quite comfortable.
Angeal cleared his throat. "Zack."
The humming stopped. Zack looked up. "Yeah?"
"What are you doing in here?"
Zack blinked. "I'm…reading."
"Uh huh." Angeal noted the hesitation. This time, his eyebrow did twitch irritably. "Can't you read in your dormitory?"
Zack shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I just…" Zack bit his lip. "Can't I stay? I'll be quiet, I promise."
Angeal started to shake his head. The boy was a distraction. He was too loud, too…Angeal stopped that line of thought before it started. Sixteen was too young for that kind of thinking. He tapped his finger against his desk. Stared. Tapped some more. Finally, he snorted. Shrugged. "Fine. Just mind you keep your mouth shut, pup."
Zack nodded and slid his eyes back down to the book.
Angeal went back to scouring the mission plan Sephiroth had sent over to him regarding their mission out to one of the reactors tomorrow. But he could see Zack shifting nervously out of the corner of his eye. The boy's head was twisting slightly, and he was squinting, his eyes poring over the book, but not moving from side to side, not moving like he was actually reading the words. It struck him then—Zack really hadn't been reading that book the entire time he'd been in here. Angeal scowled. "Zack," he said again.
Zack looked up. "Huh?"
"If you're not going to read it, you might as well just skip the lesson."
"I uh…" Zack looked away and ran a finger down the edge of one page. "I was…"
Angeal just shook his head.
Zack sighed. "Um…Angeal. I can't read this."
"Why not? The concept too difficult for you, too far beyond your training?" Angeal swallowed down a sigh of disappointment. It would have been beyond the capabilities of mostbeginning Soldiers, he knew, but he'd been hoping that Zack…
"That's not it," Zack shook his head. "At least, I couldn't say whether it's beyond me or not. Angeal…I can't read."
"You can't—" Angeal stared. Had Zack really just said… "Not possible. You passed the Soldier exams."
"Well, yeah but…" Zack sat up and snapped the book closed. "You know the Soldier exams. They're oral. One on one, to make sure we can't cheat. I didn't have to read or write anything to take them."
"And studying?"
Zack shrugged. "I found other ways to study. Soldiers were always willing to talk. And I got in groups with the other cadets. Someone was always reading out loud, and…I've got a good memory."
Angeal nodded. That was true enough. Zack was intelligent. Highly intelligent, loath though Angeal was to admit it sometimes. "So. Why did you never…" The words fell off. Angeal just didn't really know how to finish that sentence.
Zack laughed and rose to his feet, dusting off his pants as he moved. Grinned. "I'm a farm boy, Angeal. My family was…well, let's just say they didn't have the kind of money it took to send me to school. And neither of them knows how to read. They don't need it."
"But Zack…how did you pass the literacy test?"
Zack's grin faded. "I…" He shook his head. "I cheated, Angeal. Swiped a copy and had some grunt read it out to me, memorized the whole thing. Guy didn't even know what he was reading or who I was."
Angeal took a deep breath. Shiva. This kind of thing would get Zack kicked out of Soldier. And…it was Angeal's duty to report it, to… Angeal swallowed and kept his eyes fixed on Zack.
Zack didn't look away. His blue eyes were glued to Angeal's, proud. Defiant, even. "They wouldn't have let me in, Angeal. They wouldn't have let me in if they knew I couldn't read, and I'm good. You know I am!"
Angeal just stared, duty battling with desire behind his eyes. He had orders regarding this sort of thing. He could lose his place as easily as Zack could. Angeal rose to his feet and moved around the desk. He jerked his head at Zack. "Sit down."
Zack didn't move. "What are you going to do?"
"Sit."
Zack sat, in one of the chairs before Angeal's desk this time.
Angeal stared at the book. He couldn't do it. Not to Zack. Not to Zack. He picked up the book and slammed it down on the desk in front of Zack, ruffled a hand through the boy's disheveled hair and tried not to think about how good it felt. Perhaps in another year or two, when Zack wasn't his student anymore…but not now. Angeal snorted and flipped the book open to the first page and tossed a stern gaze down at Zack. "It's good to know there's something you can't do."
"Yeah, but…" Zack grinned, the gleam coming back into his eyes. He licked his lips. "I've got this feeling it won't last long."