Sephiroth woke all the men up early the next morning so they would have plenty of daylight for travelling to the reactor. Tifa led the way out of the village, and insisted that she was capable of fighting if need be, though Sephiroth repeatedly told her that that would not be necessary. Though Zack didn't know why, Cloud stayed hidden under his helmet once again. He was almost positive it had something to do with the fact that he was in his hometown again, and his timid personality was probably getting the better of him. Zack didn't want to pry, though. Cloud would come to him if he wanted to talk about it.

They hadn't gotten very far from the town before monsters started appearing. Zack watched proudly as Cloud helped him cut down enemy after enemy. The boy had improved in leaps and bounds since Zack had first started training him along with the other infantrymen. That seemed so long ago now, but so much had happened in those few wonderful months. It was sometimes hard to believe how different, not to mention lonely, life had been before, and how quickly they had adjusted to being together.

Despite the battles they fought along the way, getting to the reactor turned out to be the easy part. The actual investigation had quite honestly been a disaster from start to finish. Zack didn't even know where to begin. Genesis had showed up and revealed to Sephiroth what should never have been revealed: Sephiroth was far from human. From a mix of Jenova's cells, large amounts of mako, and Gaia only knew what else, Sephiroth had been made into...whatever being he was.

By the time Zack had made it outside the reactor, both Sephiroth and Genesis were gone, and Cloud was lying wounded on the ground after having been attacked. Zack cursed as he ran to his partner's side, regretting having left him outside on his own to keep Tifa away from the reactor. There was no part of that investigation that Zack could say had gone well.

Tifa helped carry Cloud back into town while Zack warded off monsters. He was sure Cloud's injury wasn't serious, otherwise, he would have tended to him back at the reactor. Still, he knew he wouldn't feel at ease until Cloud was alert enough tell him that he was okay. Even then, Zack wasn't sure if all his worries would go away. There was a feeling in the back of his mind that something bad—something worse—was going to happen. He also found himself dwelling on a question that hadn't stopped nagging him since he had learned about Sephiroth's creation: What was Shinra's ultimate goal in the end?

Zack was relieved when Cloud woke up that night. He had stayed at the inn by his side all afternoon, just watching, waiting. Cloud panicked as he opened his eyes, not knowing where he was. He sat up quickly, but settled down when he saw Zack sitting on the bed to his left.

"How do you feel?" Zack asked.

"I-I'm okay, I think," Cloud said, brushing a hand gently over the wound which was currently hidden under his uniform. His face scrunched up slightly in pain, but only for a second. "It's not as bad as it was at first."

"Tifa's safe. Don't worry," Zack said, knowing Cloud would probably feel responsible for not being able to protect her. He was right. Cloud shook his head, hugging his knees.

"If only I were SOLDIER," he almost whispered. Why was it that he couldn't be as strong as he wanted to be? Why couldn't he show Zack that he could fight? He had tried so hard, after all. He looked over at his silent partner.

"Zack?"

The man stayed silent for another minute, trying to choose his words carefully. After everything that had happened that afternoon, SOLDIER was the one place that he wanted Cloud to stay far away from. If it was at all possible to do so, then he wanted to keep Cloud safe from all the lies, the danger, and the questions that might never have answers.

"SOLDIER is like a den of monsters. Don't go inside," Zack said. Cloud felt himself tense up. Zack never talked like this. His tone sounded so dark, and Cloud could tell from his eyes that he'd had a rough day. Cloud readjusted his position on the bed before speaking again.

"What happened?"

Zack was quiet for another long moment, thinking, but not coming up with any answers to what seemed like a simple question.

"I don't know, man... I thought I knew, but..."

Cloud continued to watch as Zack sighed and threw himself back on the bed, hands behind his head, looking defeated. Both stayed quiet for another moment, then Zack spoke.

"By the way, do you know Tifa?"

Cloud felt like every nerve in his body had caused him tension in that moment. He looked away from Zack, almost as if in shame, and pulled his knees up again.

"Sort of," he answered, hanging his head low so Zack couldn't see his face very well. That had been the biggest lie Cloud had probably ever told. He didn't just sort of know Tifa. Tifa used to be his only friend. Not only that, but that promise he had made to her all those years ago... Well, he hadn't exactly fulfilled it today. In fact, he had failed miserably.

"Talked to her?" Zack asked.

"No."

"I'm sensing some issues here," Zack said, sitting up again to look at Cloud. "Shouldn't you do something?"

Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably, feeling Zack's gaze on him. He thought maybe he should just tell Zack everything that was on his mind, but he didn't want Zack to feel bad, so he stayed quie about itt. There was always the possibility that Zack might feel threatened by Tifa, that he might think he ruined any chance of a relationship between him and Tifa, and Cloud certainly didn't want him to feel that way.

They continued to talk for a few more minutes, and somehow—though Cloud had no idea what he had said that had caused the dramatic change in Zack's mood—the tensions that both of them had been feeling seemed to melt away. Whatever Zack had remembered about Angeal's sword—the one he carried around with him all the time—had made him smile and go to bed in a good mood. Cloud watched Zack for a long while as he fell asleep in the bed beside him. Zack was so brave, even when he wasn't sure how things would turn out, and Cloud only wished he could find the same amount of courage that Zack had to make him show his face in his beloved home once again.

Cloud was feeling under the weather the next morning when they woke up. Zack could tell immediately that something was wrong by the way Cloud was sitting on the bed; he was all slumped over, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"You okay?" he asked, walking towards the boy.

"Let me get a little more rest," Cloud answered.

"Um, that doesn't convince me that you're okay."

"I'm still a little sore from that attack yesterday. I'll be fine, though."

"Maybe I should take a look," Zack said, reaching for the hem of Cloud's shirt. Cloud quickly put a hand on his to stop him.

"Zack, someone might be watching." Zack glanced around him. They were alone in the room, something that hadn't happened much since they had come to Nibelheim. He figured the other men were out keeping watch by the gate.

"And you might be seriously hurt."

"Zack, it's probably not a good idea to—"

"I'm your SOLDIER leader, okay? It's my job to make sure you're alright," Zack told him. Cloud reluctantly nodded, and allowed Zack to pull his shirt up just enough to see the wound. The magic he'd been hit with had burned his left side, high up on his rib cage. The skin there was red with blood and burn marks.

"No wonder that's sore. I should have tended to it yesterday," Zack said, placing a hand just below the injury and stroking the skin with his thumb. Cloud closed his eyes, enjoying the contact even though he couldn't let on. If they started anything, he knew they might not be able to stop.

"I'll bandage that up for you," the SOLDIER said, reaching in the bag behind him and pulling out some disinfectant and a long strip of material. As a SOLDIER, he'd been required to learn some basic medical training for cases such as this one.

Cloud was hesitant to remove his shirt, but he did so when realized that there was just no way for Zack to properly tend to it otherwise. Cloud stayed very still while Zack cleaned the wound. He watched Zack's gentle hands work around the injury, and he found himself yearning for more of that touch.

"Arms up, okay?" Zack said softly, once he had finished cleaning the wound. Cloud silently obeyed and held his arms out to the sides, granting Zack the space he needed.

The blond shivered as Zack's arms slipped around him and began wrapping the bandage around his torso. Zack knew that this was affecting Cloud a bit too much, and he, too, became more aware of the fact that he was enjoying this contact. Zack tried to distract himself from the sudden heat in his cheeks and between his legs, and quickly finished up his work. He then stuffed the remaining medical supplies in his bag before slumping back down on his own bed.

Cloud didn't waste any time in putting his shirt back on. They proceeded to sit in silence, periodically glancing up at one another, then averting their eyes just as quickly as they had come to rest on each other. Finally, after several wordless seconds, the silence was broken.

"Zack, I'd really like to talk to you later, alone, if that's okay," Cloud almost whispered. Their eyes finally met in a continuous gaze.

"Sure. We'll find a safe place to talk."

Zack visited the old manor in Nibelheim later that morning after Tifa had informed him that Sephiroth was there. Sephiroth refused to leave, however, wanting only to browse through the hundreds of books that lined the shelves in the basement. Zack did as he wanted and left him alone, but that awful foreboding feeling just wouldn't leave him.

The rest of the afternoon had turned out to be uneventful. Sephiroth still hadn't come back, and because they couldn't just leave without him, and because they hadn't been given any other orders, the Shinra troops just mingled around town. Zack couldn't say he minded, though, because it gave him a chance to conjure up ideas about what Cloud's life might have been like here.

Zack liked the town's layout. The houses were situated in a circular fashion, leaving the centre open except for a large well. The houses were all similarly constructed, each with wooden framework and cream-colored paint on the outside. He had fun guessing which house was Cloud's, but when he saw a blond woman standing outside one of them, he instantly had a pretty good idea which one it was.

It wasn't long after Zack's exploration of the town that his phone beeped, and he checked the message he had from Cloud.

Hey, do you want to come over to my house?

I want you to try Mom's cooking.

The thing is, I haven't been home yet since

I've been here. I hadn't been able to make up

my mind about it, but I decided that I should

show my face...but going home alone is a bit

uncomfortable, so I was hoping you could join me.

Zack looked up from his phone and glanced over at the boy at the village gate. He was sure he could see an embarrassed smile under that helmet. The SOLDIER smiled, and typed back into his phone:

Of course I will. Just let me know when you're ready

and I'll go with you.

Cloud looked up at Zack when he received his reply and gave him a thankful nod. He hoped that going with Zack would make him feel better about it all.

It was about 4:00 in the afternoon when Cloud messaged Zack again, and they met in front of Cloud's house.

"You ready for this?" Zack asked, but he could tell the boy was tense by the way he held his body.

"I guess so, but I'm really scared." Cloud was squeezing the material of his glove with his opposite hand, anxiously.

"There's no reason to be scared. You're both going to feel so much better once you do this. And I'll be right there with you."

"Yeah..."

"I can fill in the gaps if there are any awkward silences!" Zack said, shoving a triumphant fist into the air. Cloud laughed, though it contained an anxious tone. Zack wished he would loosen up.

"You can do this. It really won't be that bad," he assured the boy.

"Okay..."

"One thing. Before you go in there, I think you should take off your helmet," Zack said.

"But—"

"You don't need to hide. Besides, she's going to want to see your face."

Cloud hung his head low, and Zack tried to peer under his helmet.

"Okay?" Zack asked.

"O-okay."

Zack carefully lifted the helmet off the boy's head, and ran a hand through one of the golden strands that fell alongside Cloud's jaw.

"Nothing to be afraid of," Zack whispered. Cloud shyly smiled up at the older male, hoping no one had seen the gesture shared between them. He was grateful for it, though; it gave him confidence.

Cloud sucked in a breath of air, then held it as he knocked lightly on the door, feeling somewhat hopeful that his mother might not hear him. The two men heard shuffling coming from inside the house, however, and a moment later the slim woman that Zack had seen earlier appeared in the doorway. Her blonde hair, which looked only a shade darker than Cloud's, was pulled back into a loose ponytail. The expression in her eyes seemed to shift when she saw her son.

"Cloud?" she asked, blinking as if she didn't believe it could really be him.

"Hi, mom," Cloud said, his voice weak. The woman's lips formed a smile as her eyes flickered between Cloud and Zack, who could have both sworn the woman's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Oh, where are my manners? Come in, come in," she said, holding the door open and motioning for them to enter. Zack followed Cloud into the quaint little house and Cloud's mother closed the door behind them.

Before anyone could say another word, Cloud had been enveloped in his mother's arms. His eyes widened in surprise, then he relaxed. Zack smiled at him, 'I told you she'd be glad to see you' practically written across his face. Cloud smiled back at him as he wrapped his arms around the woman. When they parted, she brushed a hand through Cloud's hair and looked him over. He had grown up so much since she'd last seen him.

"I'm sorry to barge in without letting you know I was coming."

"Barge in? No, sweetie, I'm just glad to have you home," she said, stroking his hair. "And who's this?" she asked, turning her attention to the other man.

"Oh, sorry, Ma'am. I'm Zack. Cloud's friend," he said, shaking her hand. Cloud glanced at Zack and nodded gratefully. He figured Zack must have been preparing that introduction for a while. The word 'friend' had slipped off his tongue so casually that Cloud almost believed that was all they were.

"Nice to meet you, Zack," the woman said, smiling. She glanced back at Cloud and clapped her hands together, looking so happy that Cloud could hardly believe it. All this joy she was feeling was because of him, and it was difficult for him to understand why. He had been expecting her to at least be a little bit angry with him for leaving the way he did, telling Tifa and not saying a word to her.

"You two will be staying for supper, won't you?" Cloud's mother asked, bringing Cloud out of his thoughts.

"Oh, um, yeah, if that's alright," her son answered. Zack almost laughed at Cloud's uncertainty. The woman obviously wasn't going to say no when she was so clearly delighted by his arrival.

"Of course, sweetheart. That's why I asked."

She walked right over to the cupboards and started rummaging through them, trying to round up something to make.

"It's been so long since I've had to cook for anyone but myself. I hope I haven't lost my touch," she said. Cloud shook his head.

"I'm sure you haven't, Mom. Whatever you make is going to be delicious."

"What do you like to eat, Zack?"

"I'm not a picky eater. I'll eat anything," he said, smiling at the woman.

"Now you two have a seat, and talk to me while I get some food ready," she said, pulling several ingredients off the shelves and lining them up on the counter. Cloud glanced at Zack and they sat down beside each other at the kitchen table.

"Where should I even start?" Cloud asked, partly to himself.

"From the beginning. We have lots of time," his mother answered. Zack watched Cloud as he nodded and tried to collect his thoughts.

"Right. You mean when I left... Well, I got accepted into Shinra only a few days after arriving in Midgar, and was put into the infantry class. We do a lot of guard duty and patrolling. We don't see a whole lot of action, but we do take part in some missions," Cloud explained.

He wished he had some incredible experiences to tell her about, but even after three years of doing infantry work, he had nothing exciting to share. Maybe it was better that way. His mother was probably happier knowing he wasn't in constant danger.

"Did you meet some new friends there? Your letters were so vague, I hardly knew what was going on in your life."

"Yeah, just a few friends. Luxiere, my old roommate, and Kunsel, who is one of Zack's friends. And Zack, of course. We officially met a few months ago," the blond boy said, casting a quick smile at his partner.

"Officially?" Ms. Strife asked.

"Yeah. I knew who Zack was since he's in SOLDIER, but it wasn't until we were on a mission together that we were properly introduced."

"Oh, you're in SOLDIER, are you, Zack?" the woman asked, glancing back at the man as she peeled a potato.

"Yeah, but it's not always as great as it's cracked up to be," Zack answered, folding his arms. He had said that mostly for Cloud's sake so he wouldn't feel so bad for not making it into SOLDIER himself. Zack figured if Ms. Strife was led to believe that SOLDIER wasn't such a great thing, Cloud wouldn't have to feel nearly as guilty.

"I guess there are good and bad aspects to everything," the blonde woman said.

"Well, almost everything," Zack replied, winking at Cloud, and hoped he got the message. "Sometimes there's just good," he added.

Cloud gave him a shy smile in return.

The three made more small talk while Cloud's mother prepared supper. Finally, they sat down to eat their respective platefuls of potatoes, peas, carrots, and meat with Ms. Strife's fantastic homemade gravy. Cloud felt as if he had never left as the familiar tastes and flavours brought back memories of home. Neither Cloud nor Zack had had a meal this wonderful since they had been at Shinra, and it was quite a welcome change for them both. Zack complimented the woman's cooking, and Cloud agreed immediately with a grin on his face.

"So, you two are here on a mission, are you?" Ms. Strife asked, as they ate. Cloud let Zack answer the question.

"Yeah. We're here... Well, we were here to investigate some activity near the reactor. Now, we're waiting for one of our comrades to finish some of his own, uh, business."

"I see."

"We could be here for a few days. We don't really know for sure," Cloud said, popping a forkful of potato into his mouth.

"If you don't have other obligations, you're welcome to stay here for the night. You too, Zack, if you want to," said the blonde woman. Cloud glanced at Zack for an answer, and Zack could tell from the look he was getting that Cloud wanted to stay.

"If Sephiroth doesn't show up tonight, then I see no reason why we can't. I'll stay with you, Cloud, just so the teams will be even. Don't want to leave you on your own with no back-up. I'll check with the two other infantrymen at the inn to make sure they're okay there for the night," Zack said. Cloud nodded at him, though both of them knew that had really meant 'this may be our chance for some time alone'.

"Okay. Mom, is my room—?" Cloud started to ask.

"It's exactly as you left it. I couldn't bring myself to change a thing," Ms. Strife answered. Cloud smiled, relieved.

A few more wordless moments passed—people were filling themselves with food at the time—before Ms. Strife struck up a conversation.

"Cloud, have you seen Tifa since you got here?"

The blond was sure that had he had food in his mouth in that moment, he would have choked on it. Instead, his fork clattered clumsily to his plate, and he picked it back up in great haste, hoping to smooth over the incident. He figured it hadn't really helped as two pairs of eyes were still watching him.

"N-no, I haven't," he admitted, staring at his plate. Zack now knew he had been right in believing that Cloud knew Tifa. He just wasn't sure how they knew each other.

"Oh, why not? She'd love to see you. She hasn't been the same at all since you left," the woman announced.

"I just... can't, Mom." Zack kept his eyes on Cloud, wondering what he was hiding.

"Why not?" Ms. Strife asked. Cloud paused for a long moment, pushing his food back and forth across his plate with his fork.

"It's complicated," he eventually answered. His mother waited to see if he would elaborate on that response, but when nothing but silence followed, she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Well, she has grown into a fine young woman. I think she's had a crush on you for years now. And when she sees how much you've grown as well... Ha! I don't think there will ever be any breaking you two up." She began to clear away the plates from the table, except for Cloud's which still contained the remains of supper. Cloud and Zack shared a long, intense stare. Cloud looked ashamed, and Zack wished they could say what was on their minds right then and there.

For the first time, Zack felt like he didn't know Cloud at all. For sixteen years of Cloud's life, Zack had played no part. In fact, he hadn't even known Cloud had existed. And maybe Cloud had had a crush on Tifa, too, in the past, and perhaps if Zack hadn't come along, they would have ended up happy together.

There were even more what ifs plaguing both their minds, and they could tell just by looking at each other that they were having similar thoughts: What if Cloud's mother knew about their relationship? What would it be like in the future if they came to visit her? Would Zack become part of their family? It hurt them both to think about because they knew they couldn't tell her. Not yet, at least. It was too soon. But it was so hard to hide it when their time together had been so incredibly amazing. Cloud was determined to make sure, if nothing else, that his mother knew he was happy. He figured she would at least be content knowing that.

Zack left Cloud's house after supper to give Cloud and his mother some time to catch up on their own. Meanwhile, he checked up on the other men, and responded to some e-mails he'd received since he'd gotten to Nibelheim. At nightfall, he returned to the Strife residence. After saying goodnight to Ms. Strife, and thanking her once again for supper and her hospitality, Zack followed Cloud upstairs to his room.

Cloud stood, mouth agape, and took in his surroundings. Just as his mother had assured him, his room hadn't changed a bit. His bed still stood in the middle of the back wall, the nightstand just beside it. The window on the right—which was the only thing bringing any light into the room—looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long while, and a layer of dust had collected itself on the dresser. In the corner was a toy chest, and a large red rug covered most of the wooden floor.

"I'm sorry, Zack. I didn't think it would be so dusty in here," the blond said.

"That's okay."

"I guess Mom really did have a hard time coming in here. She couldn't even clean it." Cloud felt a hand on his shoulder, and he closed his eyes to soak in the comfort further.

"She really loves you. You feel better now that you've come here, don't you?" Zack asked.

"I do. But I'll feel even better once we—" Cloud closed the door and turned the lock, then took Zack's hands in his own and led him over to stand in front of the window. Cloud wrapped Zack's arms around his waist and held them there as he stared through the glass which overlooked the unlit town.

"Once we hold each other?" Zack asked.

"Mm-hmm," Cloud replied.

They stared out the window together for a few long moments, not saying a word, but feeling so much better now that they could touch each other without having to be secretive about it.

"I missed home so much. I just couldn't let myself think about it because that only made it hurt more," Cloud finally said, breaking the silence.

"I know. I feel the same way sometimes... Hey, Cloud! We should go to Gongaga together. You know, my hometown?" Zack said, excitement in his voice.

"Sure. I'd love to go with you."

"Great! We can go see my house, and you can meet my parents."

"Yeah. It'll be fun," Cloud smiled, as Zack kissed the top of his head.

Silence came next, and Zack could feel himself start to worry as another nagging question rose up in his mind again. This time, he knew he had to ask it.

"Cloud, you and Tifa—" Zack started, but stopped when he became unsure of where that question was going to end up. He felt Cloud's body stiffen in his arms.

"What happened between you two?" the SOLDIER finished. Cloud knew he couldn't keep this from Zack any longer. It wasn't worth it.

"She was pretty much my only friend in this town. And I think we did sort of like each other back then. Before I left, I promised her I would become a SOLDIER, and that I would save her if she was ever in danger. That's why I can't show my face here. I failed her on both accounts," Cloud told him. Zack pulled Cloud in tighter against him, and shook his head.

"I doubt this was your only opportunity. You still have lots of time to join SOLDIER, and you'll get your chance to prove yourself to her."

"Zack... I can't become SOLDIER. The mako... makes me sick, remember?" Cloud struggled to get the words out.

"I don't believe mako is what makes the SOLDIER," Zack said, spinning Cloud around to face him.

"It's what's in here, right?" Cloud asked, placing a hand over Zack's heart.

"That's what I was going for, yeah."

Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Cheeseball," he mumbled. Zack's jaw dropped, and he saw Cloud grin wildly, as if he knew he was in trouble.

"Oh yeah?" Zack asked, tauntingly. He would have gone for an all-out tickle attack on Cloud had his mom not been home. Hysteric laughing probably wouldn't have been the easiest thing to explain. Zack opted for a noogie instead.

"Here I am trying to cheer you up, and you call me a cheeseball, huh?" he teased. Cloud released a restrained laugh as Zack fluffed his hair back into its original state.

"I appreciate it anyway," the blond admitted. Zack gave a small smile, but wished he could do more to make the boy happy.

"We should get your sleeping bag set up," Cloud sighed.

...

Of course, the sleeping bag was there to act more as a decoy than anything. If Cloud's mom came in in the morning, there would at least be evidence—false evidence, but evidence nonetheless—that Zack had been sleeping on the floor. In reality, Zack was in his sleeping bag for about three minutes before Cloud had begged him to stop taunting him and come join him in the bed.

Cloud's bed was a lot smaller than Zack's, especially since Cloud's was only a single. It was certainly cozy, though, since no matter what they did, their bodies always touched. This, of course, wasn't a problem for either of them. An eager Cloud snuggled his way into Zack's arms almost immediately, and lay his head against his chest.

"Cloud? Do you really not regret it?" Zack asked, suddenly. Cloud glanced up at him for a moment, then put his head back where it had been.

"I told you, I never could."

"Yeah, but—"

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about earlier. It's embarrassing, but I want you to know that... I'm really glad my first time was with you... 'cause I don't know how it could get any better than that," Cloud explained, his cheeks a visible pink even in the mere moonlight, which didn't come to a surprise to either of them.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. I mean, maybe we should have waited 'till we were a bit older, but I'm still really glad we did it. The moment just felt right." Cloud buried his head against Zack, timidly.

"I'm sorry... I sound like an idiot," he muttered.

"No, you don't. I agree with you one hundred percent. That night was so special. It was to both of us. But, I actually meant, do you regret all of this? Our relationship, everything we've shared?" Zack asked, and he could tell from the hurt look Cloud gave him that he shouldn't have had any doubt.

"Zack, why would you even ask that?" Cloud stared up at him with those big blue eyes, his beautiful smile far from his face now.

"I don't know. I guess it's all this stuff about you coming home, and your past with Tifa, and everything," Zack answered, running a hand through his black spikes.

"What do you mean? You think I'd rather be with Tifa?"

Zack shrugged a response.

"Zack, I wouldn't be happier with her, if that's what you think. Even if my mom would be more... accepting of a relationship with her than with you, it's not what I want."

"It's not?"

"Of course not. You should know that by now," Cloud said.

"I know I should. I guess I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box," Zack sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Are you still happy with us?" Cloud asked, worried that maybe the problem may lie with Zack, rather than with him.

"Of course, I am. It's not that I'm not happy. Lately, I've really been thinking about our future, and what life might be like for us later on. I promise you, breaking up is the last thing I want to do."

Cloud wrapped his arms around his partner. He wasn't sure if it was all these secrets about Shinra that had Zack so shaken up, or if he really was doubting the stability of their relationship, but Cloud felt that it was his job to get Zack over this rough patch. After all, Zack had helped him through more rough patches than he could count.

"Zack, I love you," he said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Zack smiled in surprise, as that was the first time Cloud had told him he loved him—with the exception of the night they'd made love—without him initiating it first.

"I love you, too. I'm sorry, Sunshine, I don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel like I'm in a dark place right now," Zack sighed, rubbing his fingers in a circle over Cloud's lower back. Cloud gave him a sad smile.

"Don't worry. I'm here to help you out of it. I'll be your light."

Cloud propped himself up on one elbow and leaned his head in against his partner's neck, and began placing gentle kisses on his soft skin. Zack knew that something had fallen away that night at his apartment. Everything that had happened had caused them to become both physically and emotionally closer than they had ever been. Zack was sure of that now, as he was certain that before that night Cloud would never have done what he was doing in that moment—kissing him in such an intimate manner as he drifted off to sleep.

"You know, that line you just said... It kind of sounded like you went all cheeseball on me," Zack teased, though his voice sounded tired now.

"It's okay," Cloud whispered between kisses. "It was intentional."

A/N: Hey, happy Sunday everybody! I hope everyone liked this chapter. As I said in the last author's note, this is one of my favourite chapters. As you can see, there are parts from Crisis Core again, which I put my own spin on. Also, it's been a while since played FFVII and I'm a little rusty on my facts. I think I remember reading somewhere that Tifa and Cloud being friends was actually a false memory. I'm not sure. I left it in the story anyway 'cause it kind of works as a plot device for more Clack, and Clack is good! Thanks for all the support, guys! You all rock!