Thank you squallightning and Kureaa-chan for the kind reviews, as well to everyone who faved/alerted!
Drabble number 5 is completely different to all the previous ones as I wanted to have a go at writing a different genre! So please, please let me know what you think! :)
Again, I'm still taking prompts, so if you have any ideas, leave them in a review!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XIII.
If Only You Could Tell
...
4 – Cactuar dance
"Zack, what are you doing?"
"I, my pink headed beauty, am tryin' ta'teach Gordan how to tap dance!"
Lightning raised an eyebrow at the male occupant in the room. She didn't know whether it was the fact that the table was covered with empty spirit bottles or the fact he was only wearing polka dot print boxers with black suspenders or that Gordan was indeed a stuffed Cactuar, but nevertheless, she had come to the conclusion that Zack Fair, was drunk.
Drunk off his perky white ass.
It took a lot to get a SOLDIER drunk, but from the amount of bottles and high percentage in alcohol from each one would easily have any normal person dead ten times over.
Lightning watched the drunken fool as he attempted to stand up, to what she assumed, to start tap dancing.
Oh this was going to be good.
"Zack I never knew you could tap dance," Lightning stated, trying her best to keep a straight face.
"Light! 'hiccup', did yer'not know? Back in my little'ol village of Gongaga, I was tha' tap dancing Queen!" And for dramatic effect, he stretched both arms out, lifting his head up as he dragged out the word 'queen'.
Lightning snorted. This definitely confirmed her suspicions of Zack secretly being a woman inside a straight mans body.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted your tap dancing skills my highness."
"All is 'hiccup' forgiven my buttercup!"
Lightning wanted to vomit at the use of the pet name. Cute was never her thing; more of her sisters however.
"Gordan wants to know when you'll finally start showing him how to tap dance."
"Hush woman!" Zack silenced, placing a finger on his lips for emphasis, "This'is an art! It takes patience and a hella'lot of concentration!" And with that he turned back to the innocent stuffed Cactuar (Lightning had no idea where he got it from- hopefully he didn't steal it from a small child), as it sat on one of the breakfast stools.
He took a deep breathe, pushing his bangs back with his hand before pulling his suspenders so they snapped back against his chest.
And then suddenly his legs were kicking off, his arms flailing up and down beside him as he twisted around the odd few times.
Lightning held a hand against her mouth. The man looked utterly ridiculous.
"See Light? Gordan's gettin'tha' hang of it!"
The woman in question looked from the insane fool to the stuffed still cactuar, back to the fool and then back to the cactuar. Obviously whatever Zack was seeing was completely different from what she was seeing.
"Zack, uh...dear, hate to break it to you but Gordan isn't a real cactuar-"
"YES HE IS!"
" -and I think it'd be best if you went to bed now since you're seeing things that aren't really happening."
Zack stared at her as if she'd just shot a baby chocobo.
"...No."
"No?"
He shook his head at her, "You're mean. 'hiccup' I ain't gonna s'do what'choo say!"
Lightning ran a hand down her face. Oh boy, she didn't want to do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
"SLEEPRA."
And just like that, the man collapsed on the floor and was out like a light.
Lightning watched Zack, as he lay splattered across the floor, snoring ever so lightly.
She weren't going to drag his sorry ass to bed. He chose to drink himself into a coma so he was going to suffer the consequences.
She stepped over the unconscience man, making her way to the bedroom before something on the side table caught her eye.
A permanent marker.
An evil smirk rose to her lips.
Oh Zack was going to have one hell of a morning.
To be continued...
...
5 – What it takes to say I love you
She sat on the linoleum flooring, the smell of antiseptic stinging her nose and the sound of doctors and nurses rushing by her. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, arms cradled around them with her chin rested on top of them.
She had never felt so vulnerable in her life.
As soon as she got the call, she made sure to got the first flight from Eden to Midgar, having to make an excuse to her friends that the Guardian Corps needed her on an emergency. Well, it was an emergency but for totally different reasons.
She still wore her party outfit; a white halter neck fitted dress and open toed pumps. Serah insisted that she wore heels and a dress to Hope's 16th birthday despite knowing how much Lightning hated wearing them.
'If only you could see me now.' She laughed dryly to herself.
She must've looked a state. The flight itself was eighteen hours and she didn't bother changing or removing the very little make up that she wore. Her heels and gunblade currently laid beside her, not bothered that she was beginning to feel the cold.
She hated the sympathetic looks everyone who walked past gave her. It made her feel pathetic. It was as if they knew what she was going through or what she was feeling. One of the things she despised the most was being read like an open book, her emotions being made public to the world.
'Damn it Zack!'
It was all his fault. He had to go and be a bloody hero and rush into that burning building to make sure everyone had escaped safely. And then the darn thing had to collapse with him still inside it. No one realised that there was a second time bomb hidden in the mens toilets, resulting to an explosion that could kill every living being within the perimeter. When she got the call, they were still rummaging through the rubble to get his body out and by the time she landed he was rushed to Midgar hospital, immediately needing to be operated on.
She leaned her head against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent the tears that threatened to fall.
No, she couldn't blame him. He was the most kind hearted and courageous man she knew, it was in his nature to put other peoples lives before his own.
She couldn't take it anymore. No one had given so much as an update on his current condition and she had been waiting there, outside his room for the past four hours now.
"Lightning?"
She looked up the stoic man that now stood beside her. She was so out of it she hadn't acknowledged his presence until he said her name.
"Angeal..." Her voice came out dry and sore, "I-I..have you heard any news?"
The tall man shook his head, choosing to remain standing and lean against the wall opposite Lightning, arms folded. "All I know is that he was in a pretty bad condition when they took him in, I was in the middle of a meeting with the director when I heard he was rushed into the medical centre."
She nodded at the not so useful news. She guessed no one knew of his current condition, only the doctors that were tending to him.
She looked up at the man opposite her, his face blank and his voice even. How could he be so calm?
"He's going to be okay." He said, as if reading her mind. Considering her emotions were on show she wasn't that surprised, "He maybe a pup, but he can hold his own."
She let out a strained laugh, "There is so much one can take."
"That maybe so. But I don't think Zack will want to be known as the 'man who died from a falling building'." He smirked, pushing himself off the wall and kneeling in front of the broken woman, "He has his honour and his pride. I as well as many others believe he was brought here for something much greater." He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, a sincere smile surfacing on his lips, "He's not ready to go just yet. Trust me."
She bit her lip, wanting to believe the older mans words so much. The planet took away her parents. What was stopping it from taking away the man she loved as well?
The door to Zacks room suddenly opened, making both Lightning and Angeal stand up as they watched the doctor approach them.
"Zackary is in a very critical condition." He said, looking down at the clipboard in his hand and he began to read from it, "As well as having suffered from very severe burns on eighty per cent of his body, he's broken three of his ribs, his collar bone, pelvis and all of his right leg. He needs help breathing since he's punctured a lung and so we had to operate immediately to prevent any infection from entering his body."
She stood frozen, the word 'critical' still echoing in her mind. She didn't speak up, noticing the doctor had more to say.
"Despite that being said however," He said, looking up at the two and placing the clipboard to his chest, "He will be able to make a full recovery and so he should be just fine."
She released the breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding, a wave of relief washing over her.
Gods he was going to be okay.
"He is one very very lucky man," He continued, "Despite the amount of mako coursing through his body, the impact from that explosion as well the weight of the rubble should've killed him instantly."
It was then that he turned towards Lightning, "I've never been one for fate and destiny, but I believe the reason Zackary is still here today is because he had something worth fighting for."
He smiled at her, before quickly returning to his professional manner, "It's going to take a lot of time before Zackary will be back to his old self so you both need to make sure no stress is put on him."
Angeal scoffed, "The word stress and Zack don't belong in the same sentence."
The doctor laughed, "That maybe so but that also includes being off duty for the next couple of weeks. No missions nor slaying monsters. Just staying at home and resting in bed."
"That's easier said than done, he's a restless puppy our Zackary is." Angeal smirked.
"Is it possible to see him now?" Lightning cut in. She wanted to see him. To make sure he was okay for herself.
"Of course." The doctor nodded, "Though I must warn you, it might not be easy for you to see him in the state that he is in. Considering the high percentage of mako he has in his body, the burns should heal themselves within a couple of days and the bones in a week or two."
She swallowed, "I understand."
"Well I'll let you go see him alone first while I'll get us some coffee," Angeal said, patting her on the back before making his way to the canteen.
"If you need anything, I'll just be down the corridor attending to one of my other patients." The doctor gave her one last smile, before turning around and heading towards the direction he pointed to.
"Thank you." Lightning blurted, though it almost came out as a whisper "For everything."
"It's my duty, as of yours to see Zackary." He smiled, "Now I won't delay you any longer as I'm sure you're eager to see him."
She watched the doctor walk away, before turning towards the door and placing a hand on the handle.
The nerves suddenly settled on her, her heart beating heavily against her chest. What if she didn't like what she saw?
'Pull yourself together Light.' She hissed frustratedly, placing her forehead against the door. For nearly twenty four hours she had been waiting to see Zack, the worry and the stress gnawing at her ever since she got the phone call. And the moment she was allowed to finally see him she wanted to back out?
'And you call yourself a soldier.' She muttered darkly to herself.
Taking a deep breathe, she swiftly opened the door and walked into the room.
Although expecting it, Lightning couldn't help the hand that rose to her mouth.
Zack laid unconscience on the bed, a mask over his mouth to which was connected to a breathing machine along with drips and a heart monitor attached to his body. The whole of his right leg was in a cast, most of arms and left leg covered in ordinary bandages, the hospital gown covering the rest of his body. His face however, was what shocked her the most. The whole left side of his face was severely burned, a bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead, pulling his hair away from his face.
Lightning slowly approached the bed, pulling the chair that was under the windowsill besides it.
"Hey you." She whispered, gently placing both her hands around one of his bandaged ones.
She half expected him to say something back. He was never the quiet one, no matter who it was he could always hold a conversation.
She could feel her tongue catching in her throat- no, she had to be strong.
"It was Hopes 16th birthday today, you of all people know parties aren't my thing." She'd keep the conversation light, talking to him as if he were awake, "If you saw me right now, I'd guarantee your chin would be on the floor". She chuckled dryly to herself, having momentarily forgotten she still had the mid thigh length dress on.
"You'd then tell me I should wear dresses more often...which would then result to me punching you in the face."
She shook her head, "I don't know why you put up with me. I'm the worst possible girlfriend a guy could have."
She could feel the tears prickling the surface of her eyes,"I'm sorry, for not showing much affection towards you. I find it hard. Expressing myself. Ever since my parents died, I-I've found it hard to trust people. I swore that I'd devote my life to protect Serah...b-but then you walked into my life.
She laughed, finally letting the tears fall,"Who would've thought. Stick up her ass Lightning fall for playboy Zack Fair."
"Am I really worth fighting for Zack?" She asked, wiping her hand across her eyes, "The doctor said you should've died, but there was some sort of will power inside of you that told your body to keep on living. I don't deserve you." She said honestly, brushing his knuckles against her lips. "You are a wonderful human being and who ever doesn't agree is blind or downright stupid."
She leaned her cheek against the back of his hand, one of her own reaching towards him and tracing the side of his unburnt face.
"...I love you Zack Fair." she whispered. "I-I'm sorry it's taken a bomb to blow up in your face and a six storey building to collapse on top of you with me having to travel half way cross the world for me to finally say it." She laughed breathlessly,"Though I don't think it even counts since you're not conscience to witness it."
"I promise though...I-I will say it again when you're awake okay? It may take time, but I will." Lightning yawned, the tiredness and exhaustion finally catching up on her.
"I'm not going to leave you." She whispered, placing her head on his waist and fluttering her eyes closed. It didn't take her long to fall into a deep slumber, her bangs swaying across her face as her breathing evened.
Unbeknownst to her, the hand that was intertwined with her own tightened ever so slightly, his finger tips curling around her own.
...
4 – Yes, this was inspired by the Cactuar summon in Crisis Core. The dance in this one shot is exactly the one Zack does in CC (I thought it'd be more hilarious if he was under the influence of alcohol).
5 – Never have I written quite an angsty piece (and I didn't mean for it to be that long) but I really wanted to put Lightning in the spot light. Since I've portrayed to be someone who refuses to show their emotions (a sign of weakness I suppose) I felt that whenever she did, she was on her own or the other person was unaware (in this case, Zack being unconscience).