Originally written for Clack Day, 2013. Reposted: 05/15/2015.
Hope you all enjoy!
Beta'd by the lovely, wonderful and very helpful, DarkIceAngelFlare! Thank you!
I do not own Final Fantasy VII, I wouldn't have killed off Zack.
Blue eyes snapped open as Cloud awoke with a start, images of the dream that he had disappearing as he slowly blinked. No… That hadn't been much of a dream, more of a forgotten memory. The memory of the first time he and Zack had met, on the mission to Modeoheim. Sitting up, the sheets falling away from his bare torso, Cloud rubbed his eyes as a faint sad smile spread across his face as he thought of the memory. For a moment, he wondered why he had had that particular dream. Mako-blue eyes glanced at the calendar and almost immediately Cloud's mood went from fine to depressed.
Ah… September seventh… The anniversary of Zack's death.
A faint scowl graced his lips as he stood, wearing only his sleeping pants, and bare feet silently moved across the floor as he reached for the bathing towel he kept on a hook on his closet door.
Tossing the towel over his shoulder, Cloud then grabbed his usual, modified First-Class uniform instead of his weekend one.
He already had the feeling that today wasn't going to be pleasant.
The brunette behind the bar of Seventh Heaven hummed softly to herself, a cleaning rag in one hand and a glass in the other as she readied for opening the bar that day. While she didn't get too many customers during the day, Cloud's Delivery Service kept the place busy enough.
Tifa smiled as she heard the shower turn on upstairs. Setting the glass that she had been cleaning down, she began to set the table for breakfast which was staying warm on the stove.
The country-girl had talked Barrett into taking the kids – Denzel and Marlene – out for the day and had sent the three off early that morning. If luck was on her side, they wouldn't be back until after she had asked Cloud out on a date.
Hearing the water shut off, Tifa glanced up at the ceiling for a brief moment before heading over to the stove and started to put her 'famous' raspberry waffles and eggs onto two plates.
Tifa frowned as she heard the bathroom door slam shut. Normally Cloud would be more careful when doing such things… Unless he was having an off day or was upset.
The blonde-haired male made his way into the bar as Tifa was setting a pitcher of orange juice on the table.
Looking up, the young woman smiled and stood properly, tucking a lock of long hair behind her ear as she greeted Cloud. "Good morning, Cloud. I've made breakfast." She waved a hand at the table.
Nodding slightly, Cloud made his way over to the table and sat down – Tifa following suit a second later – and purposely avoided her gaze as she started to talk.
"You know… I was thinking that maybe we could go out to lunch today. Barret's looking after Denzel and Marlene so it's just us an-"
Cloud zoned out as he picked at his waffles and eggs, letting the woman talk. It wasn't long before Tifa noticed that Cloud wasn't listening and she frowned worriedly.
"Cloud…?" she asked questioningly and Mako-blue eyes glanced up at her before the other stood.
"Sorry Tifa… But… I'm going out for the day," he murmured, practically fleeing the room, a gloved hand reaching out to the bowl where they kept spare Gil and Fenrir's keys – on the side table in the hallway. Snatching up the keys and without a glance back, Cloud jerked the front door open and hurried out, heading for his bike.
Brown eyes watched him leave the room in worry and confusion.
She had seen his eyes, the despair and haunted look in them… That hadn't been there when he had gone to bed the night before, so what could've changed? A nightmare, perhaps?
Frowning, Tifa glanced at the calendar before sighing softly, noticing the date. So that was what was wrong with her childhood friend.
Standing up, Tifa started to clear away the leftover breakfast. She knew that today was the one day of the year that Cloud practically shut down and hid away from everyone. Hardly anyone knew why. Tifa supposed the Tseng did, as he never bothered Cloud on September Seventh. They did drink together in the middle of the night on that date though.
Tifa's lips twitched faintly downwards in worry as she remembered what exactly had happened the year before when Barrett, Cid and Yuffie had bugged the swordsman to his last nerve before he had snapped. Those three had learned the hard way not to mess with Cloud on that day, seeing as they had to use Curaga multiple times and had run out of Potions.
Brown eyes glanced through the window as she watched Cloud race away with a loud roar of Fenrir's engine but didn't bother to do anything more. She knew that he would wander back when he needed to. She just prayed to the Goddess that Cloud would be alright.
It was almost instinct that he headed towards where the old Shin-Ra building used to stand. He barely paid attention to where he was going, used to the paths and roads by now, only paying enough attention to avoid running people over as he raced through the streets of Edge.
Cloud wanted… no… needed to visit his and Zack's old apartment that was located where the center of Midgar used to be. Blue eyes blinked behind his goggles and he changed course as he neared the ruins that once used to be a grand – to most people – city. Slowing down as he neared the old building, he regarded it in slight surprise. Cloud hadn't thought that the place would still be standing after everything that had happened to it.
Huh.
Stopping Fenrir just outside the doors, Cloud dismounted the bike and made his way into the building, one hand placed on the handle of First Tsurugi as he headed towards the stairs and began the long climb.
Cloud hesitated as he faced the door that would lead into their old apartment, the plaque on the door reading: "Lt. Zackary Fair."
Slowly he reached out to the door handle, a keycard in his hand as he slid it through the lock. The soft familiar beep and click of the lock as it disengaged was the only other sound that Cloud heard. Taking a breath, Cloud slowly opened the door and stepped inside the apartment he hadn't dared touch until today, not even after he had regained his own memories.
His heart almost seemed to shatter and his throat tightened uncomfortably as Cloud took in the sight that was his – Zack's – old apartment. Dust seemed to cover every surface in the front room and the following ones. Taking in a sharp breath, Cloud moved into the apartment, letting the door behind him swing shut with a soft 'click'.
Blue eyes looked over the old couch where he and Zack would often fall asleep on during Zack's nights off, still curled up together from when they had been watching a movie. Taking uneasy steps, Cloud moved towards the bookshelf, a faint smile on his lips as he looked over the names of the books. Unknown to most, Zack had been a big reader – not as obsessed like Genesis, but close. His fingers brushed against the covers of the books before he paused and his eyes widened in surprise as he reached his old copy of LOVELESS.
Cloud had always loved the old poem book. The book was something his mother had given him when he had left Nibelheim. Carefully pulling the book out of the group, he flipped it open to the first page, where his mother had left him a note, wishing him good luck with getting into SOLDIER. A lone tear dripped down his cheek at seeing his mother's handwriting again.
Dear Gaia, he missed her.
Softly closing the cover, Cloud used Mini to shrink the old poem book and he continued on, looking at his and Zack's old items, shrinking the few he wanted to keep. Cloud froze when he reached an old photo frame. Trembling fingers picked it up and he was unable to look away as tears began to silently drip down his cheeks.
The timestamp on the photo dated it the day before that damned mission to Nibelheim. Zack was grinning as he laughed, his arms wrapped around Cloud, pulling the young cadet against his chest while Cloud himself had been blushing as he had struggled to get out of Zack's tight grip.
Smiling faintly as he recalled that day, how nice it had been and calm. Well, as calm as it could get in Shin-Ra… The calm before the storm, he supposed. Shrinking the photo as well, Cloud continued to walk around the apartment, stopping here and there to add another shrunken item to his bag, carefully filling it up.
After going through the apartment, Cloud stepped outside of the door, shutting it behind him. He heard the lock click as it reengaged. His eyes flickered around the hallway and lips curved downwards as he saw Reno leaning against the wall across from the doorway.
"Was wonderin' when you were goin' ta show up here, yo." Reno smirked, pushing away from the wall, his electro-rod resting in his hand and against his shoulder. Cloud's gaze flickered around the hallway once more and Cloud noticed Rude waiting down the further down corridor.
"What do you want, Reno?" Cloud asked softly, his gaze returning to the redhead.
"Boss-man's got a job for ya," Reno replied hesitantly, shifting uneasily. He wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for Rufus threatening to withhold certain pleasures for a month. He – along with Tseng – had been close to Zack and Cloud before the accident and knew what today was.
Not that Cloud really remembered them, much to the two Turk's disappointment.
"Not interested," Cloud said almost automatically, moving to pass Reno – who stepped out of Cloud's path.
"I'll tell Boss-man then, yo," Reno responded, watching the blonde leave. "I hope he remembers soon. Tseng misses talking to his itoko*," he said to no one in particular.
Sighing, Reno turned towards his partner. "Let's head back, yo. We tried."
Pushing his goggles onto his forehead, Cloud sat down in front of the Lifestream-water mix in Aerith's Church. Crossing his legs, blue eyes peered around curiously. To his surprise, he didn't see a single sign of the Crimson Commander there. Perhaps he too knew what today was, though Cloud doubted it. The Commander often disappeared before reappearing a day or two later.
Gazing at the Buster Sword, Cloud felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes, a deep shame filling him once again as he recalled how it had been treated by him, how Zack's beloved sword had rusted and cracked.
After regaining most of his memories after fighting Sephiroth for the third and final time, he had thrown himself into repairing the buster Sword, nearly sending Tifa into a panic at the same time. He had shut everyone out until he had repaired the sword.
And now it rested in Aerith's Church.
Reaching out, a gloved hand grabbed the hilt and Cloud pulled the sword out of the sand between two of the floorboards, uncapping a bottle of sword polish at the same time in his other hand.
Once a week he retreated to the Church to polish the Buster Sword and sometimes – if the Commander was there - he'd talk to him too. Genesis had practically blown up when he had noticed the degraded state of the Buster sword. Rubbing a cloth covered in polish over the blade, Cloud winced as he recalled the heat and burning feeling of his skin when Genesis had tried to roast him alive. It had taken weeks of Restores and careful cleaning, sharpening and polishing to get the Buster Sword back to its original state. All done under Genesis' careful eyes, of course.
Cloud could remember the lecture word for word that Genesis had given him, about how Zack should be ashamed for who he had chosen to take the Buster Sword after him. Of course, Cloud had retaliated with the fact that he had no memories at the time and that his mind had been damaged several times afterwards. The blonde had also pointed out that he hadn't meant to let the Buster Sword get to the state it was in and how if he had had his memories that he would've taken proper care of it.
That had led to a huge fight over who had the rightful claim to the Buster Sword – Cloud as Zack's Living Legacy, or Genesis as the last remaining member of Angeal's family. Cloud had won in the end, though they had come to some sort of compromise. The sword would stay in the Church under Genesis' ever watchful gaze, unless it was needed.
Though their personalities clashed most of the time, he and the redhead had somehow bonded over their love for LOVELESS. How odd. They sparred often too, in Materia, Hand-To-Hand and Swordplay. So far, Cloud was winning, 20-23. (Not that he was counting, or anything.)
As he set aside the rag and replaced the Buster Sword into the sand, Cloud's PHS started ringing.
Grimacing at seeing that the caller was none other than Rufus Shinra, he answered, listening to his half-brother's feeble attempts of getting him to join Neo-ShinRa and start a new world order. Cutting off Rufus halfway through his attempt, Cloud simply told him that he wasn't interested and to stop calling him.
Of course that had led to Rufus attempting to guilt trip him into working for him. In the end Cloud simply told him to 'shut up' and 'go screw yourself' before hanging up and blocking Shinra's number.
Cloud would later swear he had heard Genesis' soft chuckles from someplace in the back of the Church. The blonde knew that Tseng would hack into his PHS and unblock the number within a few days, but he didn't mind too much. It would give him a reason to give Shinra a piece of his mind.
Tear-filled eyes gazed at the Buster Sword. His ungloved hand rested against the handle of the sword that some days seemed like his only hold on reality. The hot tears that silently began to run down his cheeks were ones of regret, love, longing and despair.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Cloud rubbed his eyes before slipping on his glove again as his PHS rang again and lips curved downwards. Surely Tseng hadn't already unblocked Rufus' number? Cloud didn't know if he could stand a round two with the man yet.
Relief filled him as the caller ID showed it to be Vincent Valentine.
That though, made Cloud raise an eyebrow. Vincent hardly ever called, whether it was because he didn't know really how to work a PHS – they were after his time at the Turks – or because he had hardly anything to say. He was a very quiet man after all.
Knowing that whatever it was must be important, Cloud flipped the PHS open and held it to his ear. "Strife here," Cloud said simply, knowing that the ex-Turk would hear the greeting hidden in his tone.
"Cloud," was the simple reply and a corner of Cloud's lips curved upwards slightly into a half-smile.
"Is there something you need, Vincent?"
"Actually…" the gravelly voice answered, "There is. Tell me, Cloud." Here the man hesitated and Cloud raised an eyebrow.
"What is it, Vincent?" Cloud asked, his half-smile slipping into a frown.
"Do you know a Zack Fair?"
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~Snow.
~Snow.