There are only a few mainly important things one needs to survive. Those things happen to be food, shelter, possibly clothing, and friendship. Friends help other friends out when they are in a bind or are in need of a good cheering up. They are with you in the greatest of moments and the hardest of times. No matter what, a true friend will always be there for you. Be there when you need to pour out your feelings to that person and make them promise on their life to keep it between you and them until you're comfortable to actually tell it aloud. They are there for you no matter what, right?
Well, Bartz was there for Zidane alright. He was there in front of the Lion's Gate Café waiting for Zidane for about an hour straight through, he was there when Zidane practically collapsed in front of the older brunette, and he was there when Zidane was explaining the awkward situation the Blondie had with his older cousin and his cousin's best friend only a half an hour ago. See? Bartz would defiantly be considered a loyal friend to Zidane.
But the reactions aren't always what one would expect. It varied from person to person. Often they'd be one way if you were sympathetic somehow, or if they were actually meaningful. Reactions of sympathy or empathy aren't usually the kinds of reactions where the person would hug their friend or pat them on the back and tell them that everything will be okay. It all depends on the situation and the person.
Bartz displayed a perfect example of a different reaction from this particular conversation and issue the blond monkey boy had.
"So you saw your cousin and your cousin's friend… kissing? Wow, you're the over-dramatic one, Zidane."
Zidane nodded but then shook his head quickly, still trying to catch his breath from all of the dodging and weaving through traffic on his green and white skateboard. "It wasn't just like a peck on the cheek, Bartz. Hell no. It was, like, serious tongue action!"
Bartz raised an eyebrow curiously at the younger boy. "And I thought Tidus is a worse exaggerator. I stand corrected, Zi. But serious, you know that detail how exactly?"
"I was there!" Zidane shouted, almost in a near shriek. People nearby looked over at the two in their loud discussion. "It was the most scarring image in my life!" He stopped and began to breathe heavily, looking at his friend with the same look he had since about the time he witnessed the horrible images as he put. "I need a drink of water…"
The blond haired stumbled his way past his older friend and into the café. Of course it was busy day for the café and such. Several people were inside, looking at how loud Zidane was through the glass window. But Zidane didn't care. He made himself quite at home in this café by barging right behind the bar and entering the kitchen were all the food was. He stopped suddenly and hid when he hear the sound of voices. One of the familiar Squall Leonhart, who owned the café Zidane was currently hiding in.
"Hold still, Cloud. You're burning up," Squall sighed.
"Ah, Squall. S-Stop. That seriously hurts," the other voice gasped.
"It only hurts because you keep moving around. Hold still."
"Hey! That's a sensitive spot! Cut it out."
"No. If it's sensitive, then that's the right stop."
Zidane covered his mouth when I heard a sudden gasp come from the other man's voice, Cloud. Oh Cosmos, this was yet another awkward moment. What should he do? What should he do? Look and be scarred again? Man up and actually take a look? Oh ew no, that'd be even more awkward. For the love of Cosmos, what?!
When a another gasp came out of Cloud, Zidane shot up from his hiding spot practically screaming. "Oh my Cosmos, Squall! What the hell are you doing to him?!" Zidane stopped himself when he actually got a glimpse of the situation between Squall and Cloud. It was nothing how Zidane expected. Well, besides Cloud being shirtless. But the spiky blonde-haired man was sitting down. His entered face, neck and arm was red and greasy. A blunt frown was displayed on his face as Squall was trying to clean off the grease and bandage up the burns on Cloud's body.
"Zidane? How long have you been hiding there?" Squall questioned. The two men just looked at the younger blond curiously. One of them out of the curiosity of knowing why he was there. The other wanting to know who the heck this kid was. But Zidane just stood there, his eyes wide and his face redder than Cloud's now burned skin. "Zidane?"
THUD!
With the thought of awkward situations occurring, Zidane closed his eyes and went down.
______
"You really are over-dramatic, Zidane. Even if you don't want to admit it, it's true. I mean seriously, you fainted? That's one of the lamest things a guy could ever do!"
The little blond monkey boy glared at Bartz with a pouty glare. Squall had dragged Zidane into the break room and let him lay there for about an hour or so until he regained consciousness. Of course, since Bartz was the ever so loyal friend, stayed by his side the entire time. Occasionally he got bored and took a (manipulated) picture or two for blackmail just in case, but Bartz was still there nonetheless.
"Guys do not faint," Zidane pointed out with a slight scowl. He folded his arms over his chest and continued to brood about his horrible day so far. "Guys pass out because their bodies have been worn out from physical exercise or stress."
Bartz laughed and flicked Zidane's forehead. The grin on his face seemed to make a lot of things happier even if he grinned for a millisecond. The blond reacted back by covering his forehead with one hand and attempting to smack Bartz upside the head with the other. "Calm down, Zi. You're seriously worked up over nothing."
"Of course I am, but it's not over nothing! I saw my cousin make out with a freaking demon today, and I got caught in the most awkward moment even and fai- Er, passed out for an hour! You'd be just as worked up if you were me, Bartz."
Bartz shook his head at his friend. A smile on his face still as he patted the younger male's head. "It wasn't anything awkward, Zi. Squall ran into Cloud earlier today and they were hanging out, but then when Squall needed help back in the kitchen, he spilled soup all over Mr. Chocobo-Head out there. Seriously, his hair reminds me of Boco~"
Zidane couldn't help but laugh at Bartz's comparison. Boco was Bartz's pet chocobo, who he keeps out in his backyard. Even if Bartz lives with a few other people, who aren't the biggest fans of chocobos, he manages to make sure Boco stays out of trouble. After all, that crazy bird likes to flirt with that other bird near him, Bartz had said along with some other things about how that massive chicken was a stud and all. But now that he did mention it, Zidane would now be forced to laugh at Cloud every time he even sees a chunk of his spiky, gravity-defying hair.
"So you ready to go, or you still worn out? I mean, you can stay the night here since it's, like, late," Bartz said, slightly hoping Zidane would stay here at the café or at Squall's place instead. After all, Bartz would probably be too preoccupied with keeping an eye on his two college roommates, another very scary guy just paying rent to live there, and Boco. It was going to be extremely hectic if you add Zidane to the group, who is going on a serious break down at the moment.
"I can get up and walk. There's no why I'm going to stay down for long!" Zidane threw the sheets from over him and sat up, a smile visible on his face even if he was still freaking out from the events that occurred earlier. "Let's get goin'~"
______
Zidane's family was never the richest of people. Way, way back in the old times when the Tribal's made their name, they used to be gypsies, thieves or beggars. Eventually some of them got smart enough to actually get good jobs and such like Genesis or Zidane's Uncle Cid, who is a pilot of airships for what Zidane was told to be like an air force. It wasn't, but Zidane was told to believe it. He might as well since he can never get an official answer from that crazy uncle of his. But since he was no where near rich, he couldn't afford such a nice place to live in. An apartment would have to suffice.
Bartz, on the other hand, lives in a very spacious and very big manor-like home away from the downtown region. How did he managed to get such a lovely home like this? Simple. Chocobo farming and a family inheritance. Boko was the start of it, and since then, Bartz had adopted a bunch of stray chocobos and tamed wild ones for the farm. You'd be amazed how much a chocobo would go for, but Bartz only sold them if the new owner would make sure to treat them with care. That's how Bartz made a somewhat nice living. Also the fact that one of Bartz's roommates comes from a very rich mafia family who wants the best for their 'little ninja.'
"Whoa! You seriously live here?!" Zidane exclaimed, his head sticking out the car window as Bartz drove up to onto the driveway. It was getting dark out, but the left over bits of the sun seemed to hit the manor quite nicely, exaggerating how it looked a bit in Zidane's eyes. "How come you never told me about this place?! You always let me stay at a smaller place, but this is huge!"
"It's still new, Zi. We barely even unpacked entirely," Bartz pointed out. The beaten and dirty pick-up truck jerked to a stop and made a popping sound as it stayed. Bartz parked the old truck and turned off the engine. The kid managed to get such a nice house, but he still isn't able to get a better car. Bartz was going to warn Zidane about how the passenger door where he sat by would jam up sometimes, but apparently he didn't have the worn the blond. He had already wormed his way out through the car's window. "Hey! Careful!"
"I'm fine!" Zidane replied back, a grin on his face as he got out through the window safely. He grabbed his bag and skateboard from the seat and quickly ran towards the manor. "Dude! I'm going to go explore!"
"Zidane! Oi!" Bartz quickly sprinted after his little friend. "Hang on! Be careful for-"
"Hold it right there, evil do-er!"
It was too late for Bartz to stop Zidane on his own. What did cause the monkey boy to slow down to a jerking stop was how a giant, two-foot wide shuriken came shooting down and going right into the group only a few inches from Zidane himself. That was surely a close one…
"Oh my Cosmos, are you okay, Zi?" Bartz quickly went over to his friend, who was sitting on the ground as he looked in shock at the giant shuriken in the ground before him. "Yuffie! I told you not to terrorize my friends!" Bartz shook his head at the shadowy figure on the rooftop, who seemed to shrug back before running off. "You okay, Zidane? …Zidane? Hey! He fainted again!"
