As if by chance

Lightbloom

He was eighteen when he first met her.

It technically shouldn't have happened. Zack was a complete hopeless romantic, to be honest, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Not that he read romance novels, but he had a soft spot for fairy tales, as well as chick flicks; but that was expected considering he was the only male in a house of three sisters and a single mom. It really wasn't strange that his earlier childhood friends were female, but either way, he'd developed a great respect for women. He always held the doors open for the girls and carried all the bags when he went shopping with his family. He was respectful, even when he teased his sisters and friends, refused to hurt or embarrass them in the slightest way.

With that in mind, it was easy to say, that today just wasn't his day.

Jogging was long time habit of his since middle school; mom had introduced the idea to him when he was becoming increasingly difficult and hyper. He usually took a longer run in the morning, especially on Saturdays, since little to no one would be walking around in the early morning. Besides, with the silent streets, he could use the time to think about other things, such as homework or planning out the rest of his weekend. The only thing that was running through his head today though was something he wished would just disappear. It had been a whole day and the awful memory was still fresh in his mind.

It wasn't his fault either! He was so tired from his all-night cram session with Cloud for finals; the moment he'd gotten out for lunch, he'd dropped dead under a bush for a nap. It was a well-deserved nap after four finals, back to back—there was no shame in that, right?

It wasn't his fault that Cloud didn't wake him up or warn him he was sleeping right under the benches. It wasn't his fault that when he sat up from his nap, Tifa, Cissnei, and Aqua were right there, or that Aqua's legs just so happened to be near his face when she was standing up. It might have been his fault when he looked up to see who the legs belonged to, but in all honesty, he hadn't meant any harm. It wasn't his fault girls jumped to the wrong conclusions all the time. It was his fault for having an awful friend like Tifa, who used this as an advantage to tease him and sneakily spread the rumor that Zack was a panty-peeping-stalker around school.

Zack groaned, flushing pink and coming to a stop mid-sidewalk. Jogging hadn't helped him think anything through, he mused miserably, pulling out his cellphone to check the time. By the end of the school day, the rumors had expanded to him stalking his whole life; Tifa found this incredibly amusing, considering he'd never met Aqua before in his life. Not that he hadn't known her; Aqua Brightcrest was the most adored-coveted girl in school. The locker room was always buzzing on about how she'd turned someone down and how that one brunet boy was always glaring at anyone who got too close to her. It had been so embarrassing when he showed up to track practice later that day and the entire locker room cheered for him; like it had been a prize to disgrace a girl like that!

Worst of all, she hadn't even slapped him! She just blushed and rushed to class! Three days before graduation and he just had to go and make a fool out of himself! Groaning loudly and flailing his arms around in dramatic distress, Zack cried out in anguish. "I'm so stupid!"

The phone slipped out into the air, flying over the picket fence and landing in bushes by the house. Zack sighed, too distraught to think straight as he vaulted himself over the fence. It didn't matter that he didn't know whose house this was; all that mattered was that he wanted his phone back so he could go home and wallow in misery for the rest of his days. Picking up the phone and wiping the screen, he slumped in defeat a bit before looking up; whose house was this anyways?

He froze.

Aqua reciprocated the action from inside her bathroom, one hand holding up the towel that served as the only barrier between her and Zack's wide eyes. Face burning and the most inhumane sound emitting from his throat, Zack bolted. Not noticing when or where he dropped his phone (he probably flung it somewhere in his panic), he jumped over the fence, full out sprinting down the street.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my—"

Something collided into him harshly, knocking the wind out of him. Landing on the concrete with a loud thud, he whimpered pitifully, clutching his side. Somewhere over the loud drumming noise in his ears, he heard a motor being cut off and hastening footsteps coming towards him. Something tall and brown came fuzzily into view.

"Hey, are you alright? I mean—can you breathe? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"…six?"

"Crap—do you need an ambulance? You aren't bleeding anywhere, are you?"

Shaking his head—painfully, mind you—Zack slowly sat up.

"Whoa—be careful. I can't have you passing out on me; take it slowly."

"I'm fine; just what I needed, actually," He muttered, free hand travelling up to rub his head. "What hit me?"

The voice laughed guiltily. "My motorcycle—you're really lucky. I was just getting to park. If I hadn't already been slowing down, you probably wouldn't be awake right now." The figure was beginning to blur into a teenage boy. Why did he look so familiar? "What were you running from anyways? I've never seen someone take off that fast and I did cross country for a while."

That must be it—he was probably at a meet once…maybe. Zack flushed pink. "I-I accidently peeped into someone's bathroom." He mumbled honestly, getting to his feet. The boy burst out laughing.

"What, was it a guy or an ugly girl? I can't imagine why getting an eyeful would be so bad," teased the company. "Well either way, are you sure you're all right? Do you want me to take you to the hospital, to make sure you don't have a concussion?"

Zack nodded, stumbling forward. "Uh-huh…"

He waved off the boys attempts to continue their conversation, determined to get home so he could drown himself in the tub.

Why did that boy look so familiar?

He got the answer on three days later, on Graduation day, within the five seconds it took his brain to identify the face behind the fist flying towards his face. Terra Night; of course, how could he forget, that was why he looked so familiar. The color drained from Zack's face as he suddenly remembered that Terra was Aqua's best friend since they were toddlers, and that it had been Terra parking right outside of Aqua's house the other day. Also, it had been Terra whom he'd told about accidently peeping into Aqua's bathroom. Closing his eyes and waiting for his just deserts to collide against his jaw, he secretly pleaded to every god in existence that Terra wouldn't kill him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Squinting through his narrowly shut eyes, Zack relaxed once he spotted Reno towering menacingly over Terra, his hand enclosing Terra's fisted one. Riku (whom Zack had never really met, but there was only one platinum blond boy in school and that was Riku) was glaring back at Reno fearlessly. He must be on Terra's side.

"He stalked Aqua and looked at her through the bathroom window! Don't you think I have enough reason to kick his ass?" Terra growled.

"He's stupid," Cloud interrupted. "But not a pervert."

Zack wasn't sure whether or not to be happy.

"Bull." Terra sneered, leaning closer towards Cloud in rage.

The blond's eyes narrowed, furious. "Up yours."

"He didn't mean it," Axel called out loudly, slipping in through the crowd of people who'd managed to overhear and were forming a fight circle. He glared at them fiercely, many of them cowering, the circle slowly dispersing. Terra didn't look convinced but visibly relaxed.

"How do you know that?"

"Because, Terra," Axel began, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "I happen to actually talk to and listen to girls instead of half listening and making wild assumptions. I spoke to Tifa and Aqua, and they said they were positive that he didn't stalk her home or peep on purpose; it was an accident. She also apologized for not shutting the curtains well enough."

Zack had never been so happy to have been friends with Reno; being friends with Reno meant being friends with Axel, who always knew what was going on in school. Axel, who also happened to be one of Terra's best friends. He'd never been so torn between something in his life; for one, he was glad to see Terra leave. He could graduate with a clean-non-bloody face and all his teeth. On the other hand, he graduated with the social life of a rock. A small price to pay for keeping all his teeth that same day.

He never did get his phone back, or see Aqua that day.

In fact, he was already twenty-three when he saw her again.

The years went on and on, high school graduation turning into college graduation. Proud to be out of school at last, he spent a few hours collecting references and building good resume's to work at a police force nearby. He had studied enough to be director of the department but he'd have to work his way up to get there, just like anyone else. Meanwhile, an old family friend (Phil) let him keep a job at the local Greek restaurant. It wasn't a five star job but it offered a decent pay and had flexible hours. Midsummer he finally got the letter he'd been waiting for—a lifetime of his dream was just a day away from his first day of training.

Excited, he worked quickly the next day, grinning the whole afternoon. His smile fell short however, when a new but familiar customer wandered in. Almost dropping his tray, Zack could only stare as Aqua Brightcrest quite literally walked back into his life. Smiling politely his way, she continued towards the counter where she took some forms from Phil and sat down at a table to fill them out.

"Excuse me? May I get a glass of Fizzy Lemon?"

Startled, he nodded, rushing to gather the drink. Fumbling to put it on her table, he fiercely resisted the urge to ask her if she remembered him. So instead—

"What's that?"

Great. He sounded like an overbearing curious two-year old.

She smiled, looking up. Her eyes were a stunning blue. "Final papers Phil wants in—I'm starting tomorrow?"

'And I stop my regular hours tomorrow,' He thought in awe.

"The day shift?"

She nodded. "Yes—Oh, I'm sorry. I've been rude to a new co-worker. My name is Aqua Brightcrest; it's very nice to meet you."

Zack nodded blankly. "Zack Fair…Nice to meet you too…"

He grabbed the papers before she had a chance to cap the pen. "I-I'll take these up for you."

Aqua smiled, collecting her drink instead. "Oh, why thank you. That's very sweet of you." She shook his hand "I'll see you tomorrow then Zack."

Zack waited until she was long gone to burst into Phil's office, begging for a day shift from now on, about how he wouldn't complain no matter how tired he was from training, and something about a fresh start from a high school slip up.

It had taken a while, but after the god sent gift of memory loss, he'd somehow managed to get her to warm up. She'd laugh at his jokes, smile at his antics, and pretty soon, they were best friends. It was a nice change, considering most of his friends had moved out of the city after and during college. Things were looking up. Or at least, that's how he saw it until the day she came back after hours, head bowed and completely drenched. Surprised, Zack put his plates in the sink and shut off the tap. "Aqua? Is everything alright? We're closed now; you didn't have to come back to help."

"I need a hot Elixir."

Nodding, he made the drink quickly, leading her over to one of the counter stools to talk while it cooled. She quietly told him about how Terra had somehow landed himself a troubled seventeen year old boy who was waiting for a trial regarding his family. Getting teary eyed, she voiced her own worries for the two and how she feared that if something were to happen to the boy (Ventus), Terra would never be the same. Silently, Zack watched her cry. Pulling the warm drink out of her grasp, he gently brushed the tears away and smiled. He reminded her that Terra was strong, and even if something were to go wrong, she would always be there to help him back up again.

She let out a small watery laugh, unceremoniously blowing her nose into a napkin. "Thank you," She whispered, taking the drink with a smile but still appearing defeated.

Zack sighed, removing the drink forcibly and setting it on the counter again, arms crossed over his chest. Aqua frowned. "Zack?"

"Aqua Brightcrest," He began seriously. "I have seen you fight off rowdy men at night with nothing but a sponge and food scrapper in your hands; are you telling me that you couldn't help Terra if he really needed you?"

Aqua flushed pink.

"And what about Terra? He would defend you in a second; I doubt he wouldn't tear the skies down for this kid too." Zack smiled at her reassuringly, taking her hands between his. They were surprisingly soft for someone who washed so many dishes; he supposed that new soap she'd brought in had something to do with it. "Don't worry about them so much Aqua; they can take care of themselves. Just concentrate on yourself, alright?"

She laughed softly, meeting his gaze briefly before closing her eyes and nodding. It was only for a brief second, but Zack felt it. His heart stopped, like he'd died for a moment and seen the world in a whole different way.

It was then that Zack realized that there was a very distinct line that separated friendship from falling in love.

He'd definitely felt more awkward around her since then; it didn't really show, but he felt it all the same. It didn't help that everyone saw it but her. Phil teased him constantly while he was on the job and even Axel would poke fun at him while they were training at the station. Axel had turned it into a game; see how flustered Zack gets before he starts overexerting himself in hopes of leaving Axel behind. At least it scored him some good points with the officers overseeing the training.

The worst of it all was he couldn't forget anything. Not since the day he'd first really seen her (no matter how embarrassing it had been) to the events that happened afterwards. It didn't escape his that he was slowly being inducted into her usual group; a week after the incident, she invited him to the beach. He was a guest; a sort of third wheel when it came to Terra and Aqua. It didn't help that they'd taken Ventus along and he'd invited his own two friends, one of which happened to be Axel's little brother or that Terra still didn't like him; that much was obvious, considering he'd been forced to ride in the trunk with all of their things.

And then, there was the time late November where he'd been dragged along into a snowball fight in the park. Terra had taken the chance to try and smash a particularly icy one in his face but he didn't get the chance because Ventus had fallen into the ice of the nearby lake on accident. He would never forget that day because it was the second time Aqua had shed tears behind closed doors for her two of her closest friends. They'd stayed up for hours, just refilling hot mugs of chocolate at her house, shifting in between conversations and sleeping. He remembered the next day in particular because Terra had left Ventus in their care while he took care of personal business.

It was the first time he'd ever heard her get so angry. She'd even cursed at Ventus for his disrespect towards Terra. It was like watching a mother bear go on a rampage, he'd thought, cowering behind one of the corners in the house. After that, she'd sent him to bed, despite it being ten in the morning. Later, she cooked him chocolate chip pancakes and waffles, acting like he'd done nothing wrong. Angry Aqua was not someone to be trifled with.

He didn't recall asking her out; it just gradually grew from being a close friendship to staying the night and making her breakfast or dinner before he left for training at the station. Somehow, it went from a casual good bye at work to a friendly hug. One day, it went from being a meeting with friends at a diner to dinner with her at a fancy restaurant. They were dancing to music in her house, and even watching movies until one of them passed out on the floor. Then suddenly, one day, Lea appeared asking for ice because Ventus twisted his ankle and Aqua introduced him as her "boyfriend". It might have been a slip of the tongue, but he'd been so happy he'd swept her into the air and kissed her out of sheer joy.

Terra would have beaten him black and blue if Aqua hadn't quickly repeated the news.

After that, there were only a few things that really stood out to him. A main on was the night Leon got married; so many things had transcribed that night. For one, it had been the first time (to his knowledge) that he'd made her cry. Unintentional, of course, but he'd done it all the same and he'd never forgive himself for it. It was a night of pure tears; Aqua wasn't the type to cry at a wedding, but after his slip up at the reception and now, it seemed like he'd been destined to see her cry tonight anyways. Waiting for Ventus to wake up from his sickly stupor, he watched Aqua stumble into the room. From the still closing door, he could see Squall standing miserably by the door—the women had banned him from the other occupied room.

Aqua glanced at him and sighed, collapsing into the chair next to him and grasping Ventus's hand. Zack draped his hand over hers, gently rubbing his fingers against the smooth surface of her skin. "How is she?" He murmured, watching her closely.

Her eyes never left Ventus. "It was a mess," she whispered hoarsely, her head suddenly collapsing against his arm. She never showed weakness in front of the others; either he was very lucky to see this side of her or she was completely drained. "She'll be okay, with rest but…women…don't recover easy from that sort of shock."

He nodded quietly, bringing his hand to her face to push away stray locks of hair.

"Where was he?" Aqua whispered.

He flinched, but continued brushing the hair back. "The station called and said they found him on a bus far out of town, sick and wet. He was admitted to Urgent Care when he passed out in the car." Zack chuckled halfheartedly. "He wasn't very happy in his last few moments of consciousness."

Aqua smiled. "No, I suppose he wasn't. He really shouldn't have left on his own; he still didn't know the city very well."

"What do you want to do?" He murmured, rubbing small circles into her back.

"Can we stay here? I want to make sure he's alright if he wakes up."

"That's fine; just let me call Phil and my boss so we don't have to worry tomorrow," He muttered, patting down his pockets in search of his phone.

"Are you looking for this?" Aqua held out a slim phone. Zack was about to grab it when he blanched; that was the phone. The phone that caused him misery whenever he had to walk past Aqua' s bathroom and had ruined his whole high school social life after graduation. Aqua chuckled, slipping the phone back into her purse. "I'd been meaning to ask you about it for a while but it always slipped my mind. You just reminded me."

"I-I—you remember that?"

"Yes"

"But I—How did you even—" Zack could feel the steam rising from his cheeks; nothing could possibly be this embarrassing. Nothing. "You said I was a bathroom creeper!"

"No, Terra said you were a bathroom creeper." Aqua giggled. "I heard it hit the window; I thought it was something else. I should have made sure the curtains were shut better but either way, the past is the past. I don't think any less of you."

Zack should have realized by this point in his life that if he was around Aqua, something would either go terribly wrong or great; this was unpredictable and unreliable. He also had a tendency to word vomit around her too. Tonight, he decided later, he also happened to have no brain-to-mouth-filter. So when he blurted "I think I love you", he was suddenly struck by how idiotic he was and realized he had to have the worst timing in all of mankind.

But it didn't matter because when she leaned in and kissed him like there was no tomorrow, he was pretty sure his bad luck had finally run its course.

Nothing really mattered when the girl he was in love with loved him back too.