A/N: Welcome to chapter 21 of Fractured Love!
I'm so excited for you guys and girls to read this chapter. So I'll just shut up and let you get to reading :).
Without any further ado, I'll let you get to reading. Remember, I do not own FF7 or any of its characters, Zack and Cloud rock, and Sephiroth is the best antagonist ever created.
Enjoy!
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Chapter 21
It was such an immense relief to Zack that Cloud had indeed turned back to normal later that same day. The change was even hardly noticeable. After trying to prompt Zack into a few more games, to which the raven-haired young man agreed until he needed to help out Tifa when their supplier came to deliver their stock, the blonde eventually opted to pout in the corner. He was still a little bit upset about being left out of the conversation earlier that day, and now he wasn't getting any attention. He wasn't causing any trouble though, and was staying out of the way, leaving Zack to unload the boxes from the supply truck without any interruptions. Once he was done he wiped the sweat off his brow and turned his attention back to his best friend. He kindly asked whether Cloud could help out storing them. The blonde immediately sprang up to help out, being used to it from when Zack still owned the item shop back at Nibelheim.
That was the first clue that Cloud had regained his memories, but it didn't become obvious to Zack until Tifa asked where they'd put to beer to refill the tap. Before the raven-haired young man could answer, his blonde friend responded that he'd refilled it yesterday shortly before closing time, so it should still be full enough for tonight.
The reply didn't ring any bells at first. Cloud had refilled the tap several times before whenever he had a good enough evening to help out. But a few moments later Zack connected the dots and happily exclaimed that he could remember again.
Cloud just snorted to that like his best friend was some kind of idiot, "Of course I can remember. It was only yesterday."
Despite wondering whether Cloud could actually remember what had happened earlier that day, Zack was happy that the blonde seemed to be back to normal.
0o0o0
"Zack." Cloud murmured sleepily, being awoken by the shift in his and Zack's shared bed, "Why are you up so early?"
"I have an appointment with Lucrecia, remember?" Zack replied softly before pulling a shirt over his head. He received another sleepy hum in return, but Cloud made no move to get up. He frowned and walked back to the bedside, "Hey Cloud, are you feeling alright?"
"Better than last night." The blonde groaned.
Even though he had effortlessly regained his memories yesterday, Cloud had responded badly to taking his medicine later last night. He'd been feeling sick and tired soon after taking it. Zack had opted to take him up to bed, leaving Tifa to handle the bar alone. Luckily it hadn't been too busy, since Zack had been reluctant to leave Cloud alone even after the blonde had fallen asleep. Perhaps it was the fact that his best friend had vomited before falling asleep. Perhaps it was because the vomit had a weird green glow to it, much like the glow in Cloud's eyes recently. Or perhaps it was because Zack was painfully aware that he was as reluctant to leave Cloud's side no matter what the circumstance as the latter was to leave his.
He had sighed. Once again reassessing his real feelings for the blonde teen as he had done so many times before in the last two weeks. That magnetic pull he'd always felt towards his best friend, the need to protect him, to stay close to him, did it really mean that he actually loved him?
The thought brought the familiar surge of disgust. Even though he'd grown to tolerate the many types of sexualities seen in Midgar, his upbringing just refused to let him identify himself as homosexual. And even then, whether he was gay or not, he should be able to have his own life, shouldn't he? He shouldn't have to practically be Cloud's Siamese twin, right?
So this morning he was actually pretty eager to visit Lucrecia. He was also nervous, since he knew that voicing his thoughts out loud would make them real, and would force him to deal with them. But he was becoming increasingly aware that this was what he needed. If he wanted his own life, whether it was with Cloud or not, he needed to deal with his own issues. But the fact that Cloud still wasn't feeling very well again made him reluctant to leave his side.
He reached out with his hand and placed it on Cloud's forehead, "You still feel a bit warm. Do you feel like you need to vomit again?"
"No." Cloud croaked, "Just want to sleep."
"Okay." Zack replied while he took back his hand, "I'm going downstairs to get some breakfast all right? I'll bring up yours in a bit."
Again Zack only got a hum in reply. Cloud had already drifted off again, leaving his best friend with a dilemma. His mind told him it would be okay to leave Cloud here like this, while his heart wanted him to cancel his appointment so he could stay and care for him.
For now he did what he told Cloud he was going to do. He quietly left the room and walked downstairs to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast. A few minutes later he was joined by Tifa. She was still in her pyjamas, and her long dark brown hair was dishevelled from sleeping. Zack immediately felt a bit guilty. Tifa always got dressed and brushed her hair before she came down. Apparently the evening at the bar alone had been more tiring for her than she'd let on.
"Morning." She greeted him while hiding a yawn behind her hand, "Where's Cloud?"
"He still isn't feeling well." Zack replied as he prepared some toast.
"Same as last night?" She asked with concern.
Zack shook his head, "He claims to be feeling better, but is still tired. I'm considering cancelling my appointment."
If Zack hadn't been turned away from her, he would have seen the growing frustration in the girl, "Why?"
The tone of her voice made Zack turn around to look at her with wide eyes, "Why, to take care of Cloud of course."
"What about me?"
Zack frowned in confusion, really not understanding what Tifa meant, "What about you?" He asked slowly.
"Zack!" The teenage girl hissed, "Could you for once stop thinking you're the only one who can take care of Cloud? I'm here too. I care for him too. I can take care of him too. It's not like he's clinging to you anymore. Why won't you let me help out?"
Zack was stunned by Tifa's tirade. Tears had started to form in the girl's eyes. She'd clenched her hands into fists at her sides, sniffing in anger as she let the tears fall with her head held down.
"Tifa...what about the bar?"
"How is that a problem Zack?!" She raised her head to cast her blazing eyes at him, "I'm sick and tired of being disregarded. I feel like the only thing I'm good for is keeping this bar up and running."
Zack couldn't help but feel guilty. It was true that he'd hardly involved Tifa in Cloud's recovery. He'd kept her up to date about his therapy, but other than that he hadn't involved her. She never partook in any of the exercises Cloud had to do and he never allowed her to monitor Cloud taking his medicine when he should. Whenever Cloud needed something, he was the one to provide it, not Tifa. It was natural for him to do so, so instead of asking Tifa for help, he had only worried about her finding out exactly why the two were still sharing a room and bed.
He stepped forward and enveloped the distraught girl in his strong arms. Even though she briefly considered resisting, the hug just felt too good to Tifa to work her way out of it. Zack had always been the caring one, and even though she was upset with him, his hugs could make anyone feel better at any time.
She even allowed herself to sob openly against his chest. All of the stress of the past two weeks just seemed to flow out of her. Seventh Heaven being successful was amazing, but is had truthfully also become a way for Tifa to forget some of her troubles. In the beginning she had a lot on her mind with opening and managing the bar, leaving Cloud's care in Zack's seemingly capable hands. But especially as of late she'd been dying to get more involved with Cloud's recovery. The bar was doing well enough for her to start thinking more about it. She loved him after all. Ever since they were kids she'd wished that they could one day be together. Fate had allowed her the opportunity to some degree, but Zack was standing in her way. She'd kept quiet until now, but not anymore.
"I just want to help out too Zack." She sniffed.
"I know. I'm sorry Tifa." Zack replied calmly, gently rubbing her back for emphasis, "I'm just so used to be the one taking care of Cloud."
"But you're not alone anymore Zack." She raised her head to look at him in the eye, "Let me take care of him. You won't be gone for long, right?"
Zack needed some time to consider it. Cloud was sleeping right now, and didn't seem to have any direct need to have Zack nearby. Plus, he would be back within an hour. Lucrecia's practice was practically around the corner and his session was planned to take half an hour. It should be all right to leave his best friend with Tifa for that period of time, right? But what if he woke up while Zack was still gone, and he would have an anxiety attack because he wasn't there? Was the risk worth it?
Tifa noticed the dilemma that Zack was facing. She could understand his reluctance, but also needed Zack to agree. It was high time he allowed her to become more involved, and be free to leave Cloud's side for a period of time. He was about to join the SOLDIER programme for crying out loud.
"You need to learn to trust in Cloud's ability to cope and in my ability to make sure he does cope. Isn't this why Lucrecia wanted to talk to you in the first place?"
That comment hit a sensitive nerve. Could he trust Cloud to cope? Could he trust Tifa to know what to do if he didn't? Tifa had seemed to hit the nail right on the head. Him not able to let go was what made Lucrecia offer him some help in the first place.
"Please trust me Zack." Tifa continued, "When you join Shinra you'll have to trust me as well. Why not start today?"
'You don't have to remind me.' Zack thought in frustration, but he didn't say it out loud. Joining Shinra and leaving the two behind was a dark grey cloud looming over his head. He knew better than anyone how difficult that separation would be. He also knew the girl was right. This was the reason why Lucrecia wanted to talk to him, and this was an opportunity for him to let go and start trusting Cloud to Tifa's care. It was with great reluctance, but instead of becoming angry at her he decided to take a deep breath and nod his consent.
0o0o0
To say that Vincent was surprised that he saw Zack walk in alone that morning was an understatement. He had fully expected to see both boys come in together, even if Lucrecia wanted to speak to just Zack. Perhaps he'd made an error in judgement, and Cloud had actually become more independent than he'd originally thought. Then again, as the raven-haired young man stepped in through the doors, he could see the obvious signs of stress and worry on his features. He was fidgety, and kept looking at the door as if he was about to bolt. That in itself proved to Vincent that this had been the right call.
He couldn't contain his curiosity though, "Good morning Zack." He greeted, "Didn't Cloud come with you?"
Zack put his hands in his pockets in an attempt to keep them still, but it only seemed to make him even more uneasy, "He wasn't feeling well this morning."
"Nothing bad I hope."
"It doesn't seem to be." Zack took his hands out of his pockets again, taking out his keychain and fiddling with it, "Tifa insisted that I'd go anyway. She wants me to trust her."
Vincent nodded in understanding. Though it was obvious that Zack was uncomfortable, the fact that he was here while Cloud wasn't well provided him with a small glimmer of hope for him. He was also quite pleased that Tifa had kicked him out. The girl always seemed to be yearning to help out as well, and apparently she had the backbone to stand up to Zack. It was probably a good experience for all three of them, but it seemed that Zack could use a little bit more reassurance.
"Tifa seems like a capable young woman. I'm sure they'll both be fine."
Zack nodded nervously. The action didn't fit with how the young man held himself. He was having trouble with this, but it would probably inadvertently provide Lucrecia with an excellent setting to provide Zack with some help and advice. The receptionist decided to leave that to said therapist though. He might be observant and could sometimes offer sound advice to the psychologist, but the truth was that he didn't really have the expertise to offer any kind of treatment.
"I'll let Lucrecia know that you're here." He offered instead.
Luckily for Zack he was the first patient of the day. Both receptionist and psychologist had even come in earlier, because otherwise there wouldn't have been any room in the schedule for Zack's appointment, and Lucrecia had been adamant about having it as soon as possible.
Zack was allowed to step into the office as soon as Vincent had announced him. Vincent shot him a reassuring look before closing the door for him, but it did little to still Zack's worries. If given the choice, he would head back home right away.
"Good morning Zack." Lucrecia greeted him with a smile and a wave with her hand to indicate for him to take a seat, "Thank you for being able to come here so soon."
"Good morning." Zack returned politely while he quickly walked up to the desk and sat down on the chair.
It felt a bit wrong to be sitting still though. It almost felt like he was back in school back home, only worse. He'd been the kind of boy who just couldn't remain still in his seat, which had driven his teachers nuts. Some had tried to figure out what to do about it, but nothing really helped. Zack had just always been a bundle of energy and a very excitable boy. He never meant any harm, but that didn't mean his behaviour was acceptable. Having to sit in a chair now felt something like that, but the reasons were very different. In an attempt to keep himself seated, he quickly opted to bounce his knee instead.
The action didn't go unnoticed by Lucrecia, and she decided to get their session going without any delay, "I'm glad you decided to come here Zack. I know how dedicated you are to Cloud, but you must never forget yourself either."
Zack nodded, "I know. I've been thinking a lot lately Lucrecia, and perhaps this will help me."
"That's the idea. What often happens in situations in which someone is ill, whether physically or mentally, is that people are constantly asking about the welfare of the one who is ill, and they tend to forget about asking the same questions to the ones who are taking care of them. This can lead to a lot of frustration and resentment." She paused as she readjusted the glasses on her nose, giving Zack some time to process her words, "You are in a similar situation. Everybody including you is focussed on how Cloud is doing. But right now it's not going to be about Cloud. It's going to be about you."
Zack felt both relieved and nervous about that prospect. It would on one end be nice to have himself in the centre of attention for once, but at the same time he was scared of laying himself bare. He guessed what the therapist had told him in an earlier session with Cloud was true. It was easy to talk about Cloud's problems, but it was a lot harder to talk about his own.
"I'll…I'll try my best." He said nervously.
Lucrecia nodded approvingly and folded her hands on the desk in front of her, "Now before we start, I would like to ask you what you would like to achieve from these sessions."
"Sessions?" He wondered about the plural.
Lucrecia cocked her head, "Yes Zack. Just one session won't be enough to make some real progress. Though you won't need to come as often as Cloud, I would like to see you alone at least a few more times while I'm still able to. Once you join SOLDIER I won't be able to continue being your psychologist, and I want to prepare you as well as I can."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Well, I uhm… What I would like to achieve from these sessions is uhm…" Zack fell silent for a moment as he really contemplated the question.
He pretty much knew the answer. Even if Tifa hadn't spelled it out this morning to him he knew. He wanted to know how to deal with Cloud's situation better, and be able to let go so he would be more confident in joining SOLDIER. Actually, when put next to each other, he suddenly realised that these were actually contradictory wishes. Perhaps that's why it was suddenly so hard for him to provide Lucrecia with an answer.
Suddenly an answer just slipped right out of his mouth, "I want to have a normal life."
Lucrecia cocked her head in interest, "And what does a normal life look like for you."
"Back when we were still kids, Cloud, Tifa and I talked about our dreams." Zack started retelling the memory of the three children on the water tower. The day they made their promise to follow their dreams. The day before Cloud's father died, "I want Tifa to be successful with Seventh Heaven. I want Cloud to get better and achieve whatever he wants to achieve."
"So let me get this straight." Lucrecia mused, "In order for you to have a normal life you want others to be successful?"
Zack's initial reaction was to confirm her assessment, but before the words came out of his mouth he stopped and frowned, "I…I guess you have a point there."
The psychologist nodded and shot him a gentle smile, "It is not wrong of you to concern yourself with the welfare of other people Zack, especially when you care for them as you do. It's also not wrong to sacrifice some of yourself if a loved one needs you. What you have done for Cloud is nothing short of commendable. Believe me when I say I've seen relationships end over smaller matters. However, there is only so much you can give. At some point you much be honest with yourself and set your limits. It may sound selfish, but without that selfishness you'll only bring yourself down."
Zack sighed and raked a hand through his hair, "But what are my limits? Caring for Cloud is all I know. Ever since we were children I've looked out for him."
"I think the answer is quite easy Zack. What do you want to achieve for yourself?"
The raven-haired young man stared at the psychologist for a brief moment. Again he found himself answering almost automatically, "I want to join SOLDIER and become a hero."
"Very good Zack." Lucrecia nodded in satisfaction, glad with the small progress she was already making. The hardest part had yet to come though, "Now I want you to think about this very well. What do you need to do in order to make that dream a reality?"
"Well, I pretty much don't have a choice in joining the SOLDIER programme. It was part of General Sephiroth's deal that he would take us to Midgar if I would join."
The mention of her son's name briefly filled the brunette with sorrow. She couldn't let it show though. Zack was the one who needed her help now, "Yes I know Zack. But what will happen after you'll get into the programme? What do you need to do to actually succeed?"
"Well, I would have to train hard of course. SOLDIER isn't a place for pansies as Commander Rhapsodos likes to say."
Lucrecia hummed and nodded, though she was far from done, "In most people's circumstances that would certainly be true. But again think of your situation Zack. Besides working hard, what do you need to do?"
Zack sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn't beat around the bush any longer, "I would have to trust that Cloud is okay."
"Indeed." Lucrecia nodded in satisfaction again, "You know I'm doing the best I can in order to prepare Cloud for that day. But I will tell you now Zack, dealing with mental problems as severe as Cloud's takes up months, even years. I would be very surprised if Cloud will breeze through it when the time comes."
"But that means…" Zack turned visibly pale, "How can I even think of leaving him knowing that?"
"Because you need to be selfish Zack." Lucrecia countered, hoping she wasn't pushing him too much, "You have been there for him when he most needed it, but now you must work towards letting it go. Cloud is here, in Midgar, getting the help he needs. When you leave he won't be alone. You're not abandoning him Zack, just leaving the caring into other people's hands."
Zack couldn't contain himself any longer. He just couldn't sit still anymore. The nerves and worries proved to be too much for him. So he stood up suddenly. For a brief moment Lucrecia was worried that he was going to walk out on her, but instead he started pacing through the room. The movement served as some outlet for his frantic emotions, though it only took the edge off of it. It was better than sitting back down though.
The psychologist knew that she had to be careful now though. She knew that she had pushed Zack perhaps a little bit too far. She had questioned him to the point where he had to admit defeat, and he didn't seem like the kind of person who took defeat well. Even though she had praised him for what he'd done, she was also in a sense the harbinger of bad news. Along the lines of her assessment she was basically implicitly telling him that he was doing it all wrong. Though that was hardly the case in her opinion, that didn't mean that some changes weren't necessary. And change, most of the time, was hard, especially in this situation.
For now she just let the young man pace, observing him as his thoughts were obviously racing inside his head. The selfless guy needed to become more selfish, and he probably didn't really have a clue of how that would look like. He would likely feel guilty over choosing for himself for once. It was a common occurrence for someone in his situation. So as soon as he was ready, she would have to make it clear to him that becoming selfish would actually turn out for the best of all people involved, including Cloud. As long as the blonde could cling to his best friend, he couldn't make the steps he needed to take.
After a few minutes, Zack finally stopped pacing. He sighed and raked his hand through his hair again while he admitted, "I don't know if I can do that."
"I understand." Lucrecia shot him a sympathetic look, "But that's exactly why I wanted to have these sessions with you. I want to prepare you, so you can do just that."
"I know… But how can I join SOLDIER knowing that Cloud is out there needing my help?"
"I think that's not the right question to ask yourself here Zack. The real question is, does he need your help?"
Zack shot the woman an indignant glare, "Of course he does. I wouldn't have let it get so far out of hand if he didn't."
It took a while for Zack to realise just how exactly he had phrased his words. The questioning expression Lucrecia shot him made him think about them. He suddenly paled and clasped his hands in front of his mouth. It was at that point that Lucrecia knew that she had finally hit an important part of Zack's emotions if he was reacting like that. If she treaded carefully, she might actually achieve more than she'd expected this session.
"How have you let things get out of hand Zack?" She asked carefully.
Zack actually whimpered a bit at that. It wasn't as if he was about to cry, but rather as if he was asked to do something he really didn't want to do. Or in this case, talk about. He had actually hoped to avoid talking about what he was alluding to. Though he was keenly aware that is was part of the problem he had hoped it actually wasn't, and that he could fix everything while he mentally shoved the matter under the rug.
But apparently that was not going to happen. He took a while to compose himself. He was grateful that the long-haired brunette allowed him the time for it. After taking a few deep breaths he removed his hands from his mouth. He couldn't relax though, so he stood rigidly with his head bowed as he confessed to his personal sin.
"For some time now Cloud and I have been…sexual."
Lucrecia was both pleased and surprised at the confession. She had actually anticipated that something like this was going on, but also hadn't expected this to be the matter that was holding Zack back. She could clearly see how this was affecting him. There was nothing left of the cheery and slightly cocky young man that would sometimes shine through during her sessions with Cloud. Apparently Zack's real character was covered in a thick layer of shame, which somehow revolved around the matter he had just confessed to.
"I can see that this is something you're really struggling with Zack, but could you help me understand it a bit more? How is you and Cloud having sex such a problem?"
"I am not gay!" Zack shouted as he lifted his head. Despite his denying words, Lucrecia could see the conflict going on behind his eyes, "I don't love Cloud. At least, not like that. Or do I? I just don't freaking know anymore! But I shouldn't love him. He's my best friend. I never thought anything else about him before coming to Midgar. Even back in Nibelheim I didn't, though it was already going on then. I just…I just…" Zack just didn't know what to say anymore.
"Zack, I can see that you're upset, but I need you to calm down." Lucrecia tried to soothe him, "I won't be able to understand what you're talking about otherwise."
Luckily, by acknowledging his upset state before asking him to calm down helped. It was one of the oldest tricks Lucrecia had learned in dealing with people who were angry or upset. It had never failed her before, and it wasn't failing her now as well.
Zack closed his eyes as he tried to compose himself again. Indeed being acknowledged in his feelings, made him feel more open to listen to the woman. He took a few breaths again and even sat back in his seat. His posture was slumped over, but it felt oddly good to finally get all of his confused feelings off of his chest. Now that it was out, it was a lot easier to continue talking about it.
"Nibelheim is a very traditional town." He began explaining, "I was raised with the notion that homosexuality was wrong. My parents were never really outspoken about it, but I nevertheless grew up with this traditional mindset. I planned on joining SOLDIER, finding a girlfriend along the way and eventually have a family. But that was all shattered when Cloud needed me." He paused briefly to sigh and once again rake his hand through his hair," I had thought that I would help him get back on his feet and then resume chasing after my dreams, but Cloud never got back on his feet. I took over the item shop so I could keep him close. His need to stay close to me gradually grew over time, until one night he had an odd request." His face contorted into one of loathing, or was it shame? Lucrecia couldn't really tell, "He wanted me to have sex with him. He was babbling something about making him feel good and take the pain away." He said tensely, "I didn't know what to do, but after a lot of pleading from his side I eventually caved in. It eventually just became a part of our regular routine. I never liked doing it though, but I didn't know what else to do..."
"You didn't want to harm Cloud even more than he'd already been." Lucrecia concluded compassionately once Zack had trailed off, "You had to watch him being hurt, and wanted to do everything within your power to make it stop."
Zack nodded, "I guess you could put it that way." He took another breath again, "But even after coming to Midgar Cloud has still been making that particular request. He's even grown more adamant about claiming that he loves me, and I…I just don't know how I feel about him anymore. Considering all I've done for him, how easy it has become to just give in…it just makes my head spin so bad that I cannot even think clearly anymore." He paused to look the psychologist in the eye, "What do you think? Do I actually love Cloud?"
She regarded him back, seeing the hope that she had the answer to his question swimming in his eyes. But sadly she had to disappoint him, "I'm afraid I cannot give you all the answers Zack. I can tell that you are a very caring young man. It is not strange to want to make sure your loved ones are all right, whether they are family, friends or love interests. Your dedication is admirable, if not destructive to yourself. But at this point I cannot tell whether your feelings about being intimate with Cloud stem from the traditional views you grew up with, or from actually not being gay."
Zack lowered his eyes again as disappointment settled in. Why was it so hard to find some decent answers? Was this what Cloud felt every time he had to do something new? At the very least he could now relate better.
That thought actually made him frown. Relate better? Wasn't the entire point of this that he related too much? Or tried to at least? Now he was actually becoming more uneasy. Instead of walking out of Lucrecia's office with a better idea of how to handle his situation, he now feared he would actually walk out with more doubts and questions.
Thankfully Lucrecia picked up on Zack's confusion. She was actually happy for it. It really showed that she was making some progress, even though Zack probably didn't feel that way right now. She glanced at the clock, seeing that they had about five minutes left. Perfect.
"If it's any consolation Zack, I do know how to help you find some answers." She offered, making Zack lift his head again to look at her with a hopeful expression.
"How?" He asked with interest.
Lucrecia grabbed a clear sheet of paper and a pen, and held them out to the young man in front of her, "Earlier this session we talked about what you wanted to achieve. I want you to write that down."
Zack took the offered items and did as he was told, writing down I want to join SOLDIER and become a hero in large, bold letters.
Lucrecia nodded in satisfaction before continuing, "Now I want you to take that with you, and hang it up somewhere where you can see it multiple times a day. Then, whenever you need to make a decision, I want you to think about whether it will help you reach that goal. If yes, then do it, if not, then don't. Even if it makes you feel selfish to Cloud's situation. It'll be very hard at first, but this will actually also be better for him in the long run."
Zack stared at the words he'd written down while the therapist spoke. Having written it down somehow made it that more tangible. He liked this suggestion, and reverently folded the sheet so he could put it in his pocket.
He then nodded in determination, "I will. Thank you Lucrecia."
0o0o0
A/N: Gaia! Such a looooooooong chapter for my standards. Over 5600 words while my usual target is between 4000 and 4500. It just had to be this way though. I wanted this chapter to focus on Zack's struggles and how he was going to deal with it. Then the idea for Tifa popped up and I just couldn't leave it out. It was about time Tifa decided to become more invested in Cloud's care. I am so satisfied though. That traditional view Zack had about his future, so recognisable for me personally. But life doesn't turn out like we want it to. Also, the whole writing down goals and hanging them in plain sight thing, I believe that is a totally legit method of helping people achieve their personal goals.
So yeah, lots of stuff happening in this chapter. We're nearly ready to move on to *uses ominous voice* the dreaded day *end ominous voice*. Wow, I never expected it would take me 20+ chapters to get to that point, considering I hadn't really planned out all the details I wanted to happen in one month's time. A lot of ideas just spawned as I was writing or due to your lovely reviews. This is going to be my longest story ever, since I'm probably not even halfway there :3.
Until next time! Leave a review on your way out please!