Blue eyes slowly opened and looked around the room. He wasn't in his office anymore. Must have passed out again… he thought to himself as he sat up. "Whoa! Hey there Ruf!" now there was a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. Pausing in his attempt to sit up he looked up at the voice. "Well look what the cat dragged in... and here I thought you were dead. Last time I checked you were covered in bullet holes." Rufus muttered with a dull smirk, a sarcastic flare in his eyes. There standing before the young president was none other then Zackery Fair, back from the dead and as idiotic looking as ever. The SOLDIER grinned back at the blond male. The same grin from all those years ago. "It takes a lot more than that ta kill me ya know?" His tone, light hearted as he gently pushed Rufus back down. That caused the blond to let out a chuckle. "Just like a cockroach." He sneered playfully. Zack gave his best mock pout and puppydog face. "Aww you don't mean that… Right Ruf?" Rufus shook his head and smirked.
"…" The blond male stared up at the ceiling. "…I missed you…" there was no smile on his face as he said that. A darkness taking over the light that was in his eyes. The time for playing was over, now it was time for serious discussion.
"Heh…" Zack shifted slightly, he didn't know what to say. He just stared down at the blond, he wanted to reach out and run his hands through Rufus' blond silken locks. To tell him everything was ok now. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, just not yet. He needed to make sure he was allowed to at first.
Rufus saw this, "It's not like you to hold back…" he muttered a small smile spread on his lips as he closed his eyes, laying his head back down on the pillow. Zack took this as an 'OK" and ran his hand through his former boss' hair. "You scared me Ru…" he mumbled plating a small sweet kiss on the young president's temple. "I walk in and find you unconscious on the floor… it's not a pretty sight…"
Rufus waved it off with a flick of his wrist. "That happens a lot…" he muttered wanting to brush it off as normality. He just laid there enjoying the others attention and presence. "I just over worked myself…" Zack quirked a brow but said nothing, he knew the blond would tell him in due time.
"If you say so Rufs…" he smirked lightly and messed with Rufus' hair. The blond let out a light chuckled at the ex-SOLDIER's actions and smirked. "I am your boss after all…" he stopped and flicked an eye open. "I think…" he muttered staring up at Zack. "You are planning on coming back right…?" Zack had on a look that was unreadable. "I dunno Ru… considering what happened to me it's a bit up in the air…" he looked away and sat back, his hand falling from his former boss' hair. "I mean I really want to be here with you… but there are just bad memories ya know?"
Rufus bit his lip. Yea, he knew… how could he not know? The blond male sighed. "Just to what you want…" he muttered not wanting to pressure the SOLDIER to decide right away. He looked away not wanting Zack to notice the darkness creeping back up in his eyes. Rufus sighed again and turned back over. For a while the sat there in an awkward silence. "Look…" Rufus finally spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "I don't want to pressure you into anything… Zack take your time, I'm not going anywhere yet."
Zack perked up, it was the 'yet' that bothered him. He frowned "yet…?" his eyes narrowed fearing an answer. "What do you mean 'yet'…? Rufus, what is going on? Does it have to do with you passing out?" Rufus, upon realizing his mistake flinched. "Zack, I swear its nothi—"
"Bullshit…" the former SOLDIER growled interrupting the blond and giving him a stern look. "You are going to tell me right now Rufus, or Shiva help me, I will go find out myself." There was no avoiding it now, the damage had been done. Zack stared at Rufus, his Mako colored eyes gleaming with determination and also slight anger. "There is not getting out of this Shinra… you are going to tell me." He was worried, no… beyond worried, Rufus didn't look good, he looked thin, maybe even too thin, he was much paler, and it looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. The SOLDIER pushed Rufus back down on the couch, his hand lingering on the young president's chest, holding him there. He leaned close fierce mako met tired ice in a desperate plea for answers.
Rufus sighed. He knew there was escaping this. After all even he couldn't hide from the truth forever. "Zack…" Rufus kept his voice light but somber, the severity of the situation brining him down. His eyes took on a darker look than before, the sharpness melted into despair as he thought of what to say. "I'm…" for once in his life he hesitated. Him, Rufus Shinra, leader of the most powerful organization in the world, hesitated. "I'm dying…" There, he said it, but he didn't feel any better about it? How could he really? He was dying. Stricken with the disease that has killed many before him.
Zack was shocked, no, there was nothing to describe how he felt, there was no word ever made that could express the sadness, the shock, the hollowness he felt when those words left the blonde's lips. "Ru…" he muttered, the words caught in his throat making his voice crack. It was a quiet, broken sound. "You can't be serious…" he smiled. "C'mon tell me you're joking…that you didn't mean it…" his face fell into that of complete sadness at the look on the president's face. "…oh gods…no… not you Ruf…" he bowed his head his jaw set and hands trembling. "Goddammit!" he punched the bed. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" he shouted in anger. Tears of frustration gathered in his eyes. They were supposed to be happy. To live together… He looked back up at Rufus, his blue eyes no longer held a fiery spark.
"Now you know why I didn't want to tell you…" The blond looked out the window not wanting to see the look in the SOLDIER's eyes. Suddenly arms wrapped around him and all he could see was the ceiling. A shocked expression was written on the young man's face. "Z-Zack…?"
"I wont allow it…" those words were hollow, bitter, and yet… they held a resolve. A type of fire, determination. "I won't allow you to die!" he held the blond tighter his shoulders shaking in both rage and sorrow. "what ever it take Rufus I will not let you die." At this the blond smiled. He knew, no matter what, no matter what dangers, sorrows, pains, joys, or even moments of love. No matter all of these, Zackary Fair, Zack 1st class SOLDIER, protector of the weak and innocent, this Zack had his back. And with that thought he closed his eyes and hugged the idiotic puppy back. Only two words fell from his lips. "I know…" this is what he had been looking for. He knew now this is what he needed to fight for. "I know…"