Until the Day I Die
Zack Fair & Cloud Strife
A/N: Hey everyone! This was a request fic for Amaya-chan67 - I hope you enjoy! (I don't own Final Fantasy, Square Enix, this song, or the band.) This is a song fic for 'Until The Day I Die', by Story of the Year :3
000
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you, for you
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
A blonde cadet was scurrying through the hallways, trying to get where he was suppose to be. But how could a first day cadet know where the Training Room was? The Shin-Ra Building was so vast, it took even the great General Sephiroth two months to know exactly where everything was. Too busy staring at a building map, the young man ran straight into the toned body of a SOLDIER.
"Ah! I'm sorry sir." He said, standing at attention. The raven-haired Shin-Ra oppertive chuckled, resting a gloved hand on the boy's shoulder.
"At ease, at ease." He pulled his hand back, only to hold it out a second later. "I'm Zack, nice to meet cha." Unsure of what to do, the guard stared at Zack's hand. A SOLDIER was never friendly with a guard, everyone knew that. So why was this one making a stand?
"…Cloud, sir. Cloud Strife." Zack grinned widely.
"Cloud, eh? That's a nice name." The cadet blushed as Zack turned, signaling him to follow. Cloud quickly ran after Zack who was already at the top of the stair case. "C'mon, I'll take you where you've gotta be."
"Ah, thank you sir." After a few moments of traveling down a long corridor, the two finally came to the Training Room door.
"Here you are! Good luck, kiddo." Zack gave a wink and started down the hallway. He paused, and craned his neck back to look at Cloud. "Oh, and Cloud?"
"Y-yes sir?" A brilliant smile flashed across the man's face.
"Don't call me sir."
As years go by
I race the clock with you
But if you died right now
You know that I'd die too
I'd die too
Zack smiled. He couldn't believe the day had come. The day that he, Zackary Fair, would be giving his best friend, Cloud Strife, his very first training sword. Cloud was a bit scared, walking into the Training Room and the first thing he saw was Zack, very hyper and jumping up and down, a highly sharp sword in his hands. Cloud knew he should have turned back there.
"CLOUD!" Zack ran over slamming oddly into Cloud.
"W-what Zack??"
"HERE!" He thrust the sword into Cloud's not so waiting, open hands, almost skewering the poor boy.
"…What's this?" Zack looked like he was going to fall over.
"Cloud, this, is your pride and dreams." The blonde's eyes widened, staring at the sword in his hands. Zack smiled at Cloud, amused by his cute and awed face. "Well, that is until you receive a sword like mine." Zack patted the handle of his buster sword, strapped loosely on his back. Cloud's expression stayed the same for the next 3 minutes. That's about how long Zack's attention span was. Sighing, the older boy went behind the confused guard, putting the sword into Cloud's hands and showing him how to hold it. Cloud blushed, but tried to grip the handle and show Zack that he had what it took. Zack breathed against Cloud's neck, ghosting his lips over the soft skin. "Ready?" Unexpectaily, he let go of Cloud's hands, the sword falling straight to the ground faster than gravity's pull.
"Hey! That wasn't fair!"
"Course it is, that's my last name, isn't it?" Cloud glared, making Zack laugh loudly.
"You distracted me." He mumbled, lifting the sword up weakly. The dark haired opprative smiled, wrapping his arms loosely around Cloud's waist.
"You want me to stop?" Cloud turned in Zack's arms, resting his arms around his boyfriend's neck, planting a soft kiss on his lips.
"I never said that."
You remind me of the times
When I knew who I was
But still the second hand will catch us
Like it always does.
"You're back!" Cloud ran into Zack's open arms, flinging him self into the young man's arms. When he was back in Zack's arms, it was like the world melted. Nothing mattered, all worries went away, and everything was perfect for that moment. Zack squeezed Cloud tightly, taking in the scent of training that lingered on him.
"I've missed you so much." A ruffle of blonde spikes, and the atmosphere was brightened.
"I've missed you too." Cloud laced his fingers with Zack's and smiled, leading him down the hallway.
"What's been going on since my absence Cloudy?"
"Mm, not much. Genesis got mad at a group of cadets and recited all the acts of Loveless that he knew. They were dead silent after that." Zack burst out laughing, his arm that was wrapped around Cloud's side squeezing tighter.
"Ah, good times."
"Yeah…" Cloud smiled up at Zack, "it was really lonely without you here."
"Mmm, I'm sorry." Zack kissed Cloud's forehead. "I really hate being away from you for so long Spiky, I really do."
"It's alright, I understand. It's you job, right?" A tender smile spread across his face.
"…yeah." Zack sighed, stopping in his tracks. Cloud stopped too, the hand wrapped around his waist restricting him from walking.
"Zack?" Another powerful arm was swung around Cloud, pulling the smaller boy up against Zack's body.
"Cloud," Zack's voice was serious, and meaningful, "One day, I promise you. One day, we'll get out of here. You and me. We can start a life together, okay? Just, hold on till then, yeah?" Cloud buried his head in Zack's chest.
"Yeah. I can do that." Another bright smile, and a chaste kiss. Zack kept his promises, and Cloud knew it.
000
We'll make the same mistakes
I'll Take the fall for you
I hope you need this now
Cuz I know I still do.
-
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
-
Should I bite my tongue
Until blood soaks my shirt?
We'll never fall apart
So tell me why this hurts so much
000
My hands are at your throat
And I think I hate you
But still we'll say, "remember when"
Just like we always do, just like we always do
"Angeal….why…" Zack dropped to his knees, the hidden emotions buried deep within him taking over. Sadness, denial, confusion. A friend had turned against him, what was he suppose to do? The SOLDIER banged his fists on the hard earth, fighting back raging tears. I hate him, I hate him! Someone who swore to protect him, someone who practically raised him, gone for betrayal.
"Ah…Zack?" Cloud silently crept over to where Zack was, soaking wet in the pouring rain. He had looked everywhere for his boyfriend, and to find him outside in the Shin-Ra training field? Cloud knew something was wrong. He knelt down, resting a hand on Zack's quivering shoulder. "Zack…it's okay." Zack turned, ready to smack the hand away. But then he noticed who it was. Cloud…he found me. One look into the concerned, bright blue eyes of the other's and Zack broke down. It was so comforting…everything that Cloud said. Everything about Cloud was. His voice, his face, his eyes. Zack knew that what Cloud said, was, or would become, true.
"I-I still can't believe it." His voice cracked as he buried his tired head into Cloud's shoulder.
"It's okay Zack. You can cry." Cloud had always been a mature figure in Zack's eyes. He took care of Zack in hard times with the same love as a parent to their child. "But…in times like these, you have to remember the good things... remember when you were smiling and having fun. If you think about what he's done wrong, that'll only build up your hatred. And when he comes back, and everything's better, you'll feel even worse. So, keep your spirits up, right Zack?"
"…right." Why is it that everything Cloud says... so reassuring?
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
Yeah I'd spill my heart
Yeah I'd spill my heart, for you
"Hahh…that was intense, eh?" Zack muttered, trying to regain his breath. Cloud and Zack had been fighting virtual Wutai oppertives for over 2 hours. It seemed easy, but the damage that the inflicted was real, as the two had just recently learned. A cocky smile flashed on Zack's face as he looked at Cloud. The blonde was braced against the cool, steel wall, taking deep breaths.
"Y-yeah." A faint smile and chuckle. That's my Cloud, a little trooper. The couple managed to make it out of the Training Room and into Zack's nicely air conditioned SOLDIER room. Collapsing on the bed, Cloud and Zack shut their eyes, letting sleep take over their worn bodies.
"Next time…we're only setting the level on Hard…" Cloud titled his head to stare at Zack for a brief moment.
"…you set the level on Expert SOLDIER level?" Zack chuckled as Cloud weakly smacked his leg. "Dumb ass." The guard rolled over so that he was lying face flat on the smooth sheets of the bed. It was a surprise to the boy that Zack was even mentally capibale of making his bed. A gentle hand rested it's self on Cloud's back, rubbing between his shoulder blades in small circles.
"Heh…I just did it to show off for you." Cloud felt his face go warm against the sheets.
"You…did?"
"Yeah. I always try to catch your attention when I'm training. You're what keeps me pushing Cloudy." An awkwardly silent moment went by before Cloud rested his head on Zack's chest, looking up at Zack.
"Everything I do everyday…Zack…is to make you proud," Feeling his face go warm again, Cloud rested his head back into Zack's toned torso. "I try hard…everyday, so that you can notice me, and be proud to call me your boyfriend. I'd do anything for you Zack…I would die." Zack took Cloud into his arms, placing chaste kisses along his forehead.
"Cloud, you don't have to try hard for me. I'm already so proud of you," He gave the young boy a bright smile, "But it seems that both of us are trying so hard to make the other one proud, huh?" Zack nuzzled Cloud's neck, planting another soft kiss. "I'd die for you too, in an instant. But we're both alive and happy right now, and I like it that way. Until the day I die, Cloud, I'll be proud of everything you do."
My hands are at your throat
And I think I hate you
We made the same mistakes
Mistakes like friends do,
My hands are at your throat
And I think I hate you
We made the same mistakes.
"Ah…I don't want you to go." Cloud whispered, leaning against Zack's strong shoulder. Zack slung his arm across Cloud's own shoulder.
"I don't want to go either." The dark haired boy stared out into the softly falling snow that was beginning to cover the Shin-Ra helicopter sitting before them. It was early in the morning, and Cloud was trying to enjoy the last minutes he had with Zack before he went on another mission. It was an important one, too. Shin-Ra was going to try to get Angeal and Genesis back, all at once. "…I don't want to see him." Cloud sighed, his eye lids becoming the slightest bit heavy.
"I know. It's going to be hard, Zack. But once you get them back to Shin-Ra, I'll be waiting for you. Right here. And we can do whatever you want to. I heard the General talking, and after this, they're not going to have to go on as many missions. So we can spend more time together." Cloud's tired voice was enthusiastic for such an early hour, and Zack smiled.
"Yeah, that's good. I just…I don't know what I'm going to say or do. I'm not sure I even have the will power to get in that damn helicopter." Cloud twisted and kissed Zack's neck.
"You can do it Zack, I know you can. I understand that it's hard, and that it feels like you've made a huge mistake, but you haven't. You haven't done anything wrong, okay?"
"Zack! We're ready to go!" Tseng called, waving Zack over.
"Coming!" Zack kissed Cloud strongly on the lips, making sure that he message of his love got over to the younger boy. "I love you Cloud." A quick hug and Zack dashed over, hopping into the chopper with a serious face. Tseng climbed aboard too, making his way to the pilot's cabin. Cloud shield his eyes and watched at the helicopter took off, the loud propellers drowing out all other sounds. He smiled, fingers brushing against his lips that were still warm from Zack's kiss.
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you, for you
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you, for you
Until the day I die
I'll spill my heart for you
-
Until the day I die
Until the day I die
-
"I love you too, Zack. Forever."
000
A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :3 Again, this song was 'Until The Day I Die' by Story of the Year! Still accepthing fanfic requests ;) Thanks so much to Amaya-chan67 for requesting! This was really fun to write :3