Rating: K+
Couple: None
Time: 4 hours.
Music: The Moulin Rouge Soundtrack, Matchbox 20, Barenaked Ladies
Author: Locked
Date: October 14, 2005
Status: 1/1 (Complete)
Author's notes: Here I am, once again avoiding my bigger projects with a worthless one shot. I like one shots though, because they don't take any commitment. It's kind of nice to be able to just slip away from them after one day.
Let's see, this is a Halloween fiction. It's early, I know, but I'll forget about it if I don't put it up now. Also, it's a pre-game ZackxCloud friendship story. Yes, friendship. I love slash, especially that couple, but I couldn't manage to shift this away from strictly friends. That's okay though, I think it came out all right.
---
Halloween was the time of the year when all of the children were equal. Beneath their costumes, no one could tell whether they were rich or poor, and no one could tell where they grew up. It was hard to pinpoint why exactly, but the children were always so enthralled by the holiday. There were no lavish gifts to spark their interests, only candy and chocolate to rot out their teeth.
The children were happy—the time had drawn upon them again. They could trick-or-treat where ever their little hearts desired. They were not restricted to their neighborhood. So long as they could get there, they were able to leave their sector and travel towards the more upper-class areas. It had always been this way.
This year was different than before.
Children were no longer able to travel upwards for their treats. The young population of the slums did not have the option of getting full sized candy bars. The new rule had been passed not a week before the holiday, and the responses were thoroughly varied.
"What a stupid rule?" Zack put the newspaper on the table in front of a very tired Cloud. "They shouldn't be allowed to do that."
"They are allowed," Cloud reminded him, blinking his exhausted blues at the paper. "Why did they, though?"
"Tired of seeing the dirty lower class, I guess." Zack sat down as well, frowning upon the paper, "This shouldn't be about that. This holiday's for the kids!"
Cloud hummed in agreement, looking only mildly concerned.
"Now what will the kids do?"
"It's not like they won't get any candy. Zack, they're not forbidden from trick-or-treating at all."
Zack looked at the blond as though he were an alien. "You think they'll be happy to find out that they don't get the jackpot treats anymore?"
Cloud merely shrugged. In his opinion, they would live.
"Are you heartless, Cloud?" Standing up again, he made his way over to the window. With a tug, he pulled the blinds back, allowing the polluted morning light to pour into the flat. From behind him, Cloud hissed at the sudden glow.
"Tonight those kids are going to have to suffer with mediocre candy, all just because they're poor!"
"I always did…"
"You didn't live in the city! You grew up in what, a population of six?"
Cloud shot him a venomous glare.
"Come on, we have to do something!" Zack turned on his heel, looking pointedly at the grunt.
There was a minor stare down before Cloud stood and headed towards the kitchen. He did not look very interested at all, which only caused the soldier to follow after him.
"We can help them out! Let's make their holiday a good one!" He grabbed Cloud's wrist, halting him from grabbing a glass out of the cabinet. All he got in return was an annoyed glare and a rough pull as Cloud tried to free himself. Zack's grip only tightened.
"What do you want, Zack? Find someone else to protest with you."
"I don't want to protest, Cloud," Zack explained, releasing him. "Just tell me you'll listen to my idea."
Cloud snatched the glass that he had previously wanted, heading straight for the refrigerator. Why was Zack so worked up over something so small? He did not understand the man's logic at all.
"Cloud," Zack whined, waiting for a response.
"How, Zack? How do you plan on helping?"
That was what the raven-haired soldier was looking for. A smile animated his face as he then explained. All that Cloud could do was listen as he poured himself his breakfast, consisting of a glass of orange juice.
At long last, the blond found himself silently amazed at Zack's plan. Where did he come up with this stuff? "How do you want to go about that? You're not going to be allowed to do that, you know."
"You forget," Zack grinned at the grunt, collapsing on the couch in the living room, "I'm a soldier first class. I have connections."
Cloud quirked a brow, moving to join Zack in the other room with his juice in hand. Skeptically, he asked, "Oh, really?"
"Yeah," he smirked, kicking up his feet. He was not worried in the least.
-
"Come on, Sephiroth! You have to roll with this!"
Zack sat in front of the general, practically begging the man to help him out. Sephiroth, who was behind his desk, looked at him with distinct irritation.
"No," was the flat answer.
"But why?" he frowned.
Working with Zack could be an honor, but it could also be quite like dealing with a headache that would not stop pounding. Sephiroth was feeling as though this situation was partial to the ladder…
He was right.
"It's not important, Zachary," Sephiroth explained, keeping a calm mask in place as he continued to sift through important documents, much like he had been doing before he was interrupted.
"Then what is? Those papers?" he shot back, pointing at the documents.
Of course, they did have "important" stamped all over them, but Zack chose to ignore that.
Sephiroth raised his eyes to Zack, looking a might bit aggravated. He did know that this was going to turn into a raging battle if he did not give in shortly, so he knew what his other option was. Zack was obnoxious indeed.
"What else do you have to do? It's Halloween! Have a little fun for once."
"I'm very busy at the moment, as I'm sure you can see."
Zack knew that this translated to 'leave' in Sephiroth speech. Deciding not to press his luck, he sighed and stood up, "With all due respect Sir, you're a stick in the mud."
Sephiroth merely frowned, pointing sharply at the door. His hawk-like gaze followed the young man, and when it shut behind him, the general went right back to work.
-
"Okay, so that sucked," Zack admitted, grabbing a muffin from the counter as Cloud idly chopped carrots. "Seph's got no fun bone in his body, though. He thinks a good time is spent locked away in his office."
"It's not his job to worry about some kids and their candy," the blond shrugged, putting his carrots into a pot.
"So what, Cloud? Would it kill him to help out?" Zack sighed roughly, taking a bite out of his muffin.
Cloud eyed him in a mix of disgust and uncertainty, which caused Zack to stick his tongue out at him. The grunt frowned at that, going back to preparing his chicken soup.
"All right, so check Soldier off of our list. That leaves us with…" Zack contemplated for a moment before nodding, "The two of us. So, what do you say?"
Cloud side-glanced his friend, looking perturbed by the smile Zack was wearing. "I don't—"
"Think about the children! They'll be so upset!"
"Don't try guilting me into it, Zack. My mom does that to me." Cloud dropped some celery into the soup, turning up the heat on the stove with disinterest.
"Well, does that work?"
Cloud rolled his eyes, snatching the muffin cup out of Zack's hand and into the garbage roughly.
"Relax! Don't get so bitchy," Zack smiled lopsidedly, hoping to just charm the younger man into working with him.
"No, Zack, I won't help you."
"Oh, come on! I help you out all the time! You can't help me the one time I ask for it?" Zack looked utterly offended, glaring at Cloud almost childishly.
Cloud huffed loudly, pointing his chopping knife at Zack in frustration, "Fine! I'll help you!"
Zack was eyeing the knife off-handedly, but managed to smile despite the obvious threat. "You won't regret it."
"I'd better not."
"Now put the cooking utensil down, Strife. It'll all be okay. There's no need to take such drastic measures."
Exhaling through his nose, Cloud withdrew the knife and went back to cutting the vegetables. Curious, he finally asked, "Why do you care so much, anyway?"
Zack's smile grew as he explained easily, "They deserve the same treatment as the rich kids."
Cloud had to let the corner of his lips pull upwards. That was just like Zack to say. Every small problem, every small injustice deserved full treatment and needed to be fixed immediately, according to Zack.
"Got anymore muffins?"
Just like Zack indeed.
-
"I hope this is enough."
Cloud frowned, lugging an enormous bag behind him. Zack had one similar, though slightly more bulbous.
"It'd better be enough," the blond huffed, struggling to keep up with Zack's leisurely pace.
"Let's go, Strife! Keep hustling! You'll never pass the test with that slug crawl!" Zack laughed at the hateful look the blond's face. He enjoyed messing with him, plus it usually got Cloud to do exactly what Zack wanted him to. The blond had no ability to let himself be the butt of the joke.
The sun was setting, which meant that the children would all be running loose now. It was time to start 'The Plan.' What initiated this thought was a young girl dressed up as a moogle. Her pink pompom draped over her right eye, and Zack could not help but think that it was adorable.
"Hey, mister! What'cha doin'?" the small girl asked, batting at the pompom as she attempted to look up at Zack.
"Hauling chocolate," was the bright answer. Zack then pulled out a large bar of chocolate, smiling down at her. "You want one?"
"Whoa, yeah!" she smiled, "But I thought we couldn't get any big ones this year!"
He grinned, "They said you can't go to the upper plate. That doesn't mean we couldn't bring the chocolate to you." Looking thrilled by her excitement, he added, "So, what do you say?"
There was a brief pause, but then the girl opened her small bag and bounced in excitement, "Trick-or-treat!"
Zack laughed, dropping the candy bar into her bag, "Have fun!"
"Thank you!" she rushed over to a few other children, pointing to the duo happily as she spoke.
Cloud shook his head, smiling a bit, "She seems happy."
"Chocolate's magical, isn't it?" Zack offered the blond a grin before a rush of children crowded around them, each stating their lines with excitement.
-
Cloud loved children. Children could be hideously cruel, but they always knew how to brighten up a room. They were so small and innocent, so unaware of most things, but more intelligent than adults gave them credit for. Still, he forgot how they were able to eat all of that candy and not get sick. He decided that he did not have the stomach that he had a few years before.
He was lying on the floor flat on his back, an empty bag of leftover chocolate on his stomach. Zack was on his couch, candy wrappers littering the area around him. He looked ill, but he had an amused smile on his face.
"Good job, partner. Thanks for helping me out."
Cloud groaned in response, reaching his hand up to fumble for his chicken soup. He knew that he had made soup for a reason.
Zack laughed at the blond, "You're a good friend."
With a half smile, Cloud heaved himself off of the floor and grabbed his bowl. "I try," he joked calmly in return.
"Hey, guess what," Zack propped his feet up, looking satisfied.
"What?"
"Your mom's method works."
There was silence for a moment as Cloud tried to figure out Zack's meaning. When it dawned on him, the blond delicately put his bowl on the table.
Zack gave his friend a confused look, expecting a reaction from him. He then watched Cloud slowly reach for a pillow, a blank look on his face.
"Cloud? Hello?"
WHAM!
"That's the last time I ever help you out!"
Zack laughed, "That's okay. I think I'll keep you anyway."
---
Author's notes: Aw, wasn't that cute? Also the longest one-shot I've ever written. I'm so proud!
Sorry if there's any grammatical mistakes. It should be fairly lacking in them since this was written first, but you never know what could slip through. :)
Thank you for reading and have a nice day. Happy not-yet Halloween!
Subliminal message: I love reviews.