Unexpected
Lunch time at the WRO complex was much like a high school lunchroom. It was similar to a food court that you would see at a shopping mall. Adorned with different types of food vendors, long beige tables that had connected circular metal seats out from under them and the hustle and bustle of people trying to get their food and either leave or sit down with their friends and chit chat. Your higher end superiors were a rare thing to see, but food fights and conflicts between the lower ranking recruits wasn't.
"Pizza…" A tall bulky raven haired SOLDIER stood in the middle of the food court, his forefinger and thumb resting on his chin while tilting his head side to side. "Or a sub…"
"Pizza…"
"Or a sub…" Life shouldn't have such hard decisions to make. Zack finally scooted over to the sub station rocking back and forth from his toes to his heels, never one to be still. He approached to the sandwich artist, glancing down at all the toppings and sighed. Great, now what do I want on it. I don't want Turkey, I don't think the chicken is really made from chicken, so what do I want…. Ah ha! Finally he had come to a conclusion.
"One pizza sub please!" Grinning he slid down watching her make the sandwich, his mouth began to water as she stacked cheese and pepperoni onto of the sauced bread then baking it. After getting it wrapped to go he then arrived at the cashier, who was preoccupied with a familiar red head. Zack stood there waiting patiently as he could but Goddess was he hungry! He crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat ever so loudly. Bright blue eyes eased over to meet his own and he couldn't help but develop a wolfish grin.
"Can't you see she's a little busy Fair?" Reno retorted, obviously bothered that Zack's hunger issues were interrupting his flirting.
The petite blonde cashier took notice of the other man that was in her view now and you could practically see the stars in her eyes.
"Oh Commander Fair! I'm so sorry for your delay." She batted her big brown eyes at him. Zack could have sworn he saw drool drip down from the young girls mouth as she stood there mouth agape. A devilish thought popped into the young SOLDIER's mind.
"That's quite ok," He glanced down at her name tag, "Ria." Leaning in closer he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I would just like to pay and be on my way, if you wouldn't mind that is?"
"Oh n-n-no charge sir, it's been my pleasure to have served you." Man was this girl infatuated.
"Why thank you sweetness, you have a good day now." He winked at her grabbing his sandwich and waltzed towards a table.
"Yo!" Reno was hot on his heels.
"What'dya go and do that for? I was making progress and here you come mister big and mighty to snatch the spotlight."
Zack snorted looking over to the angered Turk. "Yeah, looks like it was going real well for ya." He spotted Cloud sitting a table by himself and plopped down in the seat across from him, Reno following suit sitting beside him.
"How's it going spikes?" Zack unrolled his sandwich from the wrapper and took his first bite.
Cloud nodded munching on his own food then replied, "Can't complain too much."
Reno peered into the plastic container. "What you got there man?" Zack elbowed him gently.
"His homemade lunch, Aerith makes his food every morning before he leaves. Say how's her cooking nowadays, any better?" If the grimace on Clouds face was any sort of a reply, Zack took it as a no.
Reno chuckled and tried to swipe a pepperoni off Zack's sub only to be popped on the hand. "Now see, if you would have ordered something instead of macking on the cashier you would have food now." Reno only shrugged and leaned his chair back.
"Do you ever straighten out your uniform? It looks like your clothes have been through hell!" Zack managed to choke out around his mouth full of food.
Glancing down the Turk noticed a piece of chewed up bread had landed on his sleeve, he brushed it off with slight disgust, "Nah, the ladies like it like this."
Deciding to interrupt the friendly banter between the two, "You guys hear about the new deployment out to Corel?" Cloud gave up on his lunch and settled for some conversation.
"Ya, looks like Angeal and Seph are gonna lead this one. I don't know why though, I would hardly think there would be any resistance to the rebuilding of their town." Zack wolfed down the rest of his sub and wiped his mouth.
Cloud shrugged, "Maybe because the last time someone said they were trying to help their town it blew the whole place up."
"Wait a minute yo, they're sending Romeo out on the field?"
Zack laughed as his younger blonde friend sent him a look of confusion. "Romeo is Reno's nickname for Sephiroth, making Tifa-"
"Juliet of course!" Reno waggled his eyebrows. He had always found the Lieutenant hot, even when she was a bar maid. "Fitting don't cha think? Them being all star-crossed lovers and shit." He lit up a cigarette.
Cloud's eyes sank down and made a grunt, expressing his distaste for the topic.
"Bout time you came to accept the fact aint it Cloud?" Zack now spoke with a serious tone, "It isn't like this is news man. Tifa and Seph have been together for a while now, is it really that hard to be happy for your childhood friend?"
You could almost see the fire burning in his eyes, "How am I supposed to be happy? She's with a maniac that couldn't possibly love her. He's got ulterior motives, I know he does."
"Cloud, you gotta give up this whole conspiracy thing. We've all been back for a while. Neither Sephiroth nor Genesis has done anything to anyone to give the first inkling that they were up to something."
"You sure you just aint pissy that you missed your chance with Lieutenant Hotness?"
"How many nicknames you got Reno?" A wide eyed Zack asked.
"A list yo."
"Anyways, not that I think Reno's point is valid but Sephiroth is a human being who made mistakes. We all have. He's still capable of loving, and if Tifa could forgive him, why can't you. I mean you gotta admit man when you see those two together it's like you can physically see the love, ya know?" He pleaded with his best friend. "You got Aerith and she's got Seph. Shit, look at me and Reno!" He slid his arm over the shoulders of the Turk who was blowing out smoke. "We aint got nobody but ourselves!"
"Aw Fair didn't know you felt that way!" Reno chuckled.
"Psh. You wish."
"It's just weird," Cloud finally spoke, he prodded the contents of the lunch container still wondering what it could possibly be.
"Well Cloud if you're not gonna go spend time with Tifa while she's all alone, have no fear I will." Reno thumped his cigarette in the metal can and stood throwing one of his arms up in the air.
"Have no fear my lady hotness! I shall save you from your loneliness!" He proclaimed in front of the whole food court, before Zack snatched him back to a seated arrangement.
"You goof. You know that Genesis is going to fall into place when Sephiroth is gone." He explained with a nod of his head.
"Yeah, what's up with that?"
Cloud decided to stop brooding for a moment to take part in the conversation. "I've wondered that myself."
"Eh, well Gen just cares for her. Especially when Sephiroth is gone it's like he's her guardian angel or something. It kinda freaked me out for a little while then I just figured Gen's just playing the big brother role. If it was anything else I'm sure he would be sliced and diced by now."
The buzzer sounded alerting everyone that the food court was closing and the three warriors stood, Reno saying his goodbyes and walking back over to the cashier. Well he's certainly persistent I'll give'm that. Zack slung his arm around his friend's shoulders and began walking with him.
"Come on buddy, I'll walk back with ya."
Cloud didn't say anything his mind analyzing the conversation that had just taken place. It couldn't be possible. Could Sephiroth really love Tifa? Since the announcement of their relationship, Cloud hadn't been too close with his friend. Maybe he should spend some time with her, but it was hard. He and Tifa had always had common ground when it came to Sephiroth-well used to before all this. Their hatred for the man had always driven them, and now…? He simply felt betrayed and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get over that.
A/N
Hey guys, I know I have abandoned this story for a year. For that I apologize, Im a medical student and it has been a rough year. I couldn't access my account under my first name so I made another and I have several chapters written that Im trying to type up and post for you to read. If anyone would even start looking at this story again, I don't know, but regardless I'm still going to post them because the storyline I have for this piece of literature is great in my eyes. Im on a break from school so lets see how much I can post.