Splintered Dreams

"Costa Del Sol"

Chapter 27


Sun streaked bright and vibrant across the sky and sparked off of the blue, blue water that rolled and hissed against white sand in playful frolic. Costa Del Sol was as vibrant and beautiful as he remembered it, Zack thought, as he and the others—having managed to slip off of the ship via the cargo hold—made their way into town. With its sun-baked brick buildings and cobbled streets, flags and banners streaming in the ocean breeze and laughter blending with seagull cries it was the very epitome of paradise.

"Wow," Tifa spun in a circle. "This place is amazing."

It was her reaction that Zack found most enjoyable, though. Wide-eyed and lips parted, she looked like a kid shown a shiny toy. She'd never been anywhere like this, he knew, and he found he wasn't in a big hurry to remove her from it.

That smile—the one where her back teeth showed and her eyes went a thousand different shades—was damn hard to come by, and he wanted it to last. Even if only for a few hours.

"It's also hot as hell," Barret grumbled, tugging at the collar of his jumpsuit.

Over his shoulder, Zack asked, "Is there anything you don't bitch about?"

"No," Tifa answered for the big man, her teasing smile softening the word. Stepping back, she gently bumped Barret with her hip, getting a grumbling smirk in return.

"I could definitely get used to hanging out here," Yuffie added, nodding up at the clear sky. "Definitely."

Giving up on loosening it, Barret simply ripped the collar open. "We ain't here on vacation."

"No," Zack agreed, eyes and mind still on Tifa. "But there's no reason we can't break here before heading off. Rufus and Heidegger are no closer to Sephiroth than we are. We need some time to regroup and come up with a plan a bit more strategic than we have been."

"I think that's a wise decision," Red added with jaws apart and panting slightly. "This heat has dried out my nose. I need to find someplace cool, and soon."

That thick fur must have been stifling, Zack thought with a twinge of sympathy.

"A change of clothes would be nice," Yuffie added, wiping her brow. "Bathing suit and sandals and all that."

Dark hair coiled in a fist and held to the back of her head, Tifa asked, "And how exactly do we get them?"

"Leave that to me." From her pouch pocket Yuffie tugged free a small bag, heavy with gil.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Barret wanted to know.

"Found it."

"Uh-huh."

"You have your uses," Zack gave a flash of teeth that had the teen blushing to the roots of her hair.

"I don't know how you don't have him tied up somewhere, under lock and key," she said to Tifa.

At that, it was Tifa's turn to blush and Zack found that he liked that fluster on her more and more. It meant she wasn't immune to him, and that maybe she wanted some of the things he did. Please, Gods.

"Moving on," Barret shoved himself up beside Zack.

"Jealous much?" Zack winked at him.

"Y'know, it's too damn hot to kick your ass, but I'll get to it."

"I'll pencil you in."

"Jackass."

"Love you too."

"So...are we? Getting bathing suits that is?" Aerith sounded pretty eager about the idea and Zack couldn't see a reason for them not to have more comfortable attire. Besides...Tifa in a swimsuit was just too much temptation to resist.

"We should probably change into something a bit less conspicuous than Shin-Ra sailor suits, yes," he nodded. "Just don't wander too far. We need to get supplies and information."

"Who the hell left him in charge?" Barret mumbled, not for the first time.

Tifa poked him in the side. "Stop being a baby."

Zack held out his hand. "Yuffie, hand over some money."

"Say please."

"We could turn her upside down and shake it off of her," Barret suggested.

"A sound plan," Red rumbled with an amused gleam in his eye.

"Oh, fine. Here, you big whiners." Yuffie plopped several bills and gold pieces into Zack's palm. "I want the change back," she told him.

He gave the wad a quick once over before pocketing the gil. "Okay, so we'll meet over there, at the information booth, in an hour. Shops are lined up along the street, and almost all of them have clothing so that should be plenty of time."

Tucking the remaining money into her own pocket, Yuffie glanced up at him. "You've never seen women shop before, have you?"

"You appear to be considerably familiar with this place," Red pointed out.

"Been here a couple of times," he supplied. But that was all he said. Reliving Genesis Clone attacks or thinking about Cissinei—who had somehow vanished from the Turks—didn't really appeal to him. He'd much rather focus on the task at hand and enjoy the sunshine while they could. "So, everyone set?"

Nods all around.

"I'll be over beside that building," Red motioned with his muzzle. "In the shade, if any of you need me."

"Would you like me to bring you some water?" Aerith asked as he trotted off.

"That would be nice, yes."

"All right, guys. One hour."


She had never before seen such small scraps of cloth passed off as clothing before and for her that was saying something. Tifa held up a vibrant orange piece that looked as though Red had used it as a scratch pad and shook her head. A few more similarly scant suits were tossed aside until she finally found a one-piece that she could consider 'clothing'. It only took her a few minutes more to decide on the color—dark red—and some simple sandals.

She was tying her hair back when Aerith emerged from the opposite changing stall, in a cute little floral bikini, and gave her a wide-eyed look. "You're not wearing that are you?"

Tifa blinked, glanced down at her bathing suit, flustered. "What's the matter?" She wasn't hanging out anywhere and it covered a heck of a lot more than the other slips of suits in the shop did.

Aerith blinked right back, eyebrows disappearing into her hairline. "You can't be serious..." She shook her head, ringlets bouncing. "If I had your body there is no way I'd hide it."

Defensive, Tifa crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not hiding it."

"Well, you sure as heck ain't showing it off," Yuffie chimed in from behind a rack of sandals. "And that's a shame, because whenever I finally get boobs, I'm gonna flaunt the heck out of them. And I can guarantee that mine will be little hills compared to your boobnormous mountains..."

"I thought the idea was to blend in, and not draw attention to ourselves," Tifa hissed, her cheeks warming. It was bad enough when guys noticed her body, but to have Aerith and Yuffie making commentary on it...well, she didn't know how to react to that.

"Yeah, well there's attention and then there's attention." Aerith informed her as she selected a shimmering gold two piece from the hangers. Thoughtful, she held it up in front of Tifa. "Ooooh," she smiled wide. "This one."

"Wait, what? No. There's not enough material there to be a decent napkin." Tifa turned her back. "No."

Giving a soft, dejected sigh, Aerith started to walk away. "Hmm...I'm not sure I can pull it off. What do you think, Yuffie? Would Zack prefer this one or the pink?"

She was going to have a crick in her neck from snapping her head around so fast, but Tifa didn't care. She gave Aerith a curious look, trying her best not to be upset, and failing; miserably.

Catching her eye in the mirror's reflection, Aerith smiled innocently. "If you won't give the poor guy something to look at, I will." She held the bikini aloft, waggled it back and forth.

Snatching the skimpy little thing from Aerith's hands, Tifa stormed into the dressing room, grabbing a sheer sarong as she went. Outside the curtain she heard Yuffie and Aerith exchange high-fives.

In the stall, Tifa debated for a good five minutes before braving the suit.

"Isn't it weird for you?" Yuffie's hushed voice paused Tifa in the act of tying the sarong around her hips. "I mean, tall, dark, and drool-worthy used to be with you, right?"

Hating herself for eavesdropping, but sincerely curious about the answer, Tifa held her breath and leaned closer to the thin curtain. It was a question that had been plaguing her since Junon, when she had decided that she wanted to be with Zack. How did Aerith feel?

Tifa didn't want to hurt her. She liked Aerith. It was...nice...having another female around. Especially one like Aerith who chose smiles over swears and could heal with magic, but also with heart. The idea of breaking her heart was not appealing, and Tifa wouldn't allow herself to stand in the way if there was something there to rekindle.

"Sometimes," came Aerith's equally soft reply. "But probably not as weird as it should be."

"What do you mean?"

Yes, Aerith, what do you mean? Tifa bit her lip.

"I love Zack." Warmth and sincerity coated her words and Tifa was surprised by how easy the other woman was able to speak it. "And what he and I had was really great, but..." Aerith trailed off, sighed in that quiet way of hers.

"But?" Yuffie prompted.

"But things change. People change. Love changes."

"That's all very philosophical and all, but, uh, it doesn't really answer my question. It doesn't bother you? At all?"

"It did, at first," she admitted and in her stall, Tifa flinched. "But they...connect. In a way that he and I never did. She's good for him, and she needs him—whether she'll admit it or not."

"So, you're okay with Zack being with someone else?"

"No," Aerith corrected. "I'm okay with Zack being with Tifa."

No longer able to pretend she couldn't hear them, Tifa slid the curtain back, only to find Aerith already facing her; expectant.

"Looks like I was right about the suit," she smiled. "You look amazing."

"Aerith—"

"It's all about the fit," Aerith continued on as if she hadn't spoken. "When the fit is right, everything else just falls into place. The same suit can look really good on a lot of different people, but when that one special person puts it on...it just never seems right on anyone else again, you know?"

Tifa nodded, feeling warmed and moved by both Aerith's acceptance, and assurance. "Thank you."

"Aw, you..." Aerith reached out, eyes damp, and pulled Tifa into a hug.

"Aw, jeez, you guys, lemme in!" Yuffie wrapped her arms around them both. "Girl hug!"

"You really suck at analogies," Tifa murmured to Aerith in their huddle.

"I know."


Naked.

She may as well have been naked for all the cover the stupid little scraps of cloth offered. Hands crossed in front of herself Tifa shot Aerith a narrow eyed look. She couldn't believe Aerith had actually talked her into leaving the shop wearing it. "This is stupid," she muttered.

Aerith waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, hush. You look great." She paid for her ice-pops. One for her, one for Red.

"I feel...exposed."

"You should feel damn proud," Yuffie interjected after a lick of frozen treat. "I think that guy just crashed his bike."

"What?"

All three turned in unison and spotted a lanky teenager fumbling to right himself around his twisted pedal bike and two other men spilling their drinks.

Aerith's grin was cheeky. "See, fun."

Her smile was infectious and Tifa felt the corners of her own mouth twitch in response.

"Oh, hey, I see the boys." Yuffie pointed.

In the square, Red lay in the shade and Barret, now in loose cargo shorts and white tank top, sat on a bench while Zack kicked a ball back and forth with a couple of local kids. His laughter drifted on the ocean air and tightened something low in Tifa's gut.

Did he have to look so damn good? She wondered, admiring broad shoulders, lean muscle, and thick black hair. He bounced the ball off his knees, playful and unaware of the sets of eyes he was attracting.

"Close your mouth, Yuffie. It's not polite to drool." Amused, Aerith tipped the girls chin up.

Barret spotted them, raising an arm and waving. "Yo, Teef. Over here!"

Zack turned to face them then, the smile on his face devilish and flirtatious and it made Tifa all too aware of how little clothing would separate them should he touch her.

Breathe, she told herself as she walked forward, her eyes glued to Zack. And his violet blue eyes that teased and smoldered, and tanned skin marred by too many scars, but somehow making him all the more appealing, and the way his abdomen flexed as he laughed, and his--

"Ow!" The flagpole seemed to come out of nowhere, smacking her in the forehead and squishing her nose.

Dropping the ball, Zack rushed to her side, hands gentle on her cheeks. "Ouch, Tifa. You okay?"

"Yeah." She rubbed her wounded nose, annoyed. "I was just distracted by..." Solid chest, flexing abs, killer grin. "Distracted. I was just distracted." Then her breath caught, finally registering that he was right there; bare chest and tender smile, so close...

"Hey," he murmured, fingertips brushing hair from her shoulder.

"Hi."

She blushed furious red when his eyes drifted down, widened, and his dimple appeared.

"Aerith picked it out," she said hastily.

"Remind me to thank her." His eyes darkened, voice slightly rougher than its usual smooth timbre. She blushed again, her own gaze shifting a bit away from his, flustered.

Zack knew that touch and close proximity was still new to her, and he wasn't about to go overstepping his bounds so he told himself to back off, or at least he tried. His brain issued the command, but his body refused to obey. In fact, the only portion of his anatomy that seemed responsive was threatening to tent his palm tree shorts.

That was until Tifa gasped, and jumped back, avoiding the cascade of freezing water that sluiced over his head and shoulders.

"What the hell!" Zack spluttered, whipped around to face his assailant. Behind him, ice-bucket still in hand, Barret smirked.

"Why--?" Zack sloshed his hair back.

"For whatever you were thinkin'."

Knowing exactly where his thoughts had been headed—Tifa, him, night, sand and surf, no clothes—Zack couldn't exactly fault the guy, but it still sucked all the breath from his lungs.

"Now that Zack's done overheating, weren't we gonna make actual plans?" Yuffie grinned around her popscicle.

Zack shook the remaining water from his hair. "We were. We can get maps at the information center."

"And food," Yuffie chirped. "Food is a must. I'm staaaaaaarving."

"Fine."

"And we should have a place to stay. No idea how long we're going to be here," Aerith added. "Rather than wandering around, and risk being seen or overheard, maybe we should have a room, or something."

"Anything else on your list of demands?" Barret grumbled.

"Those little umbrella things they put in fruity drinks."

"Uh-huh."

"Why don't you all head to the information center and Tifa and I will go find a place to stay," Zack offered.

"I don't think so, Slick." Barret warned.

"Worth a shot."

Tifa punched him on the arm.

"Ow."

"Keep your mind out of the gutter, Fair," she scolded.

"You can't wear something like that and expect me to think coherently," he told her with a wink.

Blushing, Tifa punched him again.


They managed to get maps, recommendations for a local cafe, and rented a bungalow in short order. Costa Del Sol was efficient and productive, filled to bursting with tourists and similar requests, although Zack highly doubted for the same reasons.

Most people milling the beach and shops weren't on a mission to bring down Shin-Ra and find a mad-man hell-bent on destruction, but he'd take efficiency gratefully.

It was nice, though. Being around the others, almost relaxed, sitting in the Sunlight Glade Cafe. Not to mention Tifa's very surprising, and very appealing attire. He let his gaze slip sideways again and admired the way the gold material highlighted her natural skin tone, and the way her body—toned and shaped by years of training—moved with subtle grace and sway.

She made it hard for him to think...hell, she made it hard for him to breathe.

"You're staring again." She inclined her head, the fall of her hair veiling her eyes.

"I am," he admitted, completely unabashed. He reached over, and was rewarded when, without hesitation, she slipped her hand into his. Heartbeat loud in his own ears, he brought her palm to his lips, kissed it softly.

"You should do that more," he commented, voice low.

"What?"

"Blush."

Barret lowered his menu to glower. "Cut it out you two. We're going to eat, and I don't wanna lose my appetite."

"He has a way of ruining moments between us, you ever notice?."

She smiled affectionately. "It's a gift of his."

"Everything on the menu looks great," Aerith murmured, one finger gliding along the list of local delicacies. "What are you having?" she asked Zack.

"Not sure. Something spicy..." Zack glanced up idly from the menu as the bell above the door chimed. In an instant he recognized the man that entered, even before he removed his hat and sunglasses, revealing the ugly, jagged scar across his face.

"Son of a bitch." All he saw was red.

He was up and in motion, so fast that none of the others even registered what he was doing until he had literally mowed the newcomer down. Shoulder to gut, he drove him into the wall, crashing through tables and screaming patrons. Glass and silverware clattered to the floor as the two men grappled, spilling food and drink and making a mess of the dining area.

The other man was larger than Zack, outweighing him by fifty pounds, and he was using his ham-fists to pummel him in the back. Zack, for his part, ignored the pain and used their close proximity to bare-knuckle punch the other man in the face. Hard hits that knocked teeth free.

Behind him, somewhere that seemed much too far away considering how small the cafe was, he thought he heard shouting and his name, but there was a kind of madness in his blood now—a need to make this man suffer—so he ignored them and focused on inflicting as much pain as he could.

The Shin-Ra Specialist snarled, spiting blood and teeth. "So you lived, you little shit," he ground out. He swung wildly, catching Zack beneath his chin. Zack took one step back, but that was all.

Licking the blood from his busted lip, Zack used his forearm to drive the Turk back again. Brutal, he rabbit-punched kidneys.

Desperate, realizing he was no match for a non-drugged, non-bound Zack, the Specialist clawed, going for Zack's eyes, but Zack avoided the clumsy grope and rammed his fist into the man's exposed throat. Choking, the Turk dropped down, tried to crawl away.

"I don't fucking think so." Zack grabbed him, slammed his head into the floor. Lifted, slammed him down again.

He rose up, and in his mind he saw Tifa's swollen, broken hands, and brought his fists down like he was trying to punch through the floor. He felt—with viscous satisfaction—bone break beneath his hand.

Kill him.

The thought screamed through his head like fire and Zack hit again and again.

Face, chest, ribs.

Again and again.

A hit for every scream. Every cut. Every wound.

He raged.

He pounded.

His hand hurt.

His heart hurt.

"Zack! Zack! Enough!" Tifa was pressed to his back—how long she'd been there, he didn't know. She gripped his arm, her voice soft in his ear, reaching through the blood lust and anger to wrap him in warmth and soothing honey."Stop, Zack. Just stop."

Panting, blood coating his arms and chest, Zack allowed the man to drop back against the wood, barely conscious. He wiped his forearm across his forehead, removing the sweat as it beaded to sting his eyes. "He hurt you."

"Zack..."

"He cut you and made you scream." His fingers curled, spreading open wounds on the backs of his knuckles. "He broke your hands."

"And you made me better." Trembling, her fingers threaded his damp hair, cupped his face. "Stop, okay. I don't want this."

And with that, she sucked all the fight from him. Head bowed, he took a shaky breath.

From behind them, Yuffie spoke up. "Uh...we should probably go."

"Yes, I believe we officially lost any hope of being inconspicuous."

"Because a talking cat goes completely unnoticed," Barret remarked, but he too was on his feet. "But, yeah, we've worn out our welcome." He gestured to the man behind the small counter, wearing a bright floral shirt and a shotgun in hand.

"Please leave," he ordered in a trembling voice.

On his feet, Zack refused to meet any of their eyes. "Let's go." He walked away, straight and stiff.

"You okay?" Aerith placed her hand on the small of Tifa's back.

"Yeah." She looked down at the bleeding man at her feet. She remembered all of Zack's wounds. Every one of them. "I couldn't let him kill like that," she said, quiet. "But I wanted him to." Crouching down, she leaned in close to the Turk. "If you can hear me, then you'd better listen. Come near us again, for any reason, and I'll personally cheer him on until you're a mass of bloody goo and then I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you. Relay that to all your kind."

When she stood, Aerith blinked owlishly. "You're scary."

"When I have to be." Tifa agreed. "Yuffie, pay the man for damages."

"What? Awww, man."

On their way out Tifa kicked the Turk in the side—for good measure.


The water stung, but not as much as the disappointment he knew he'd see in Tifa's eyes whenever he got brave enough to look in them.

He'd lost control.

He'd wanted blood.

He was more than capable of getting it.

It was natural for him—easy for him—to fight. And he had wanted to see that man bleed. Wanted to hear him scream.

With a long sigh, he shook off the water.

There was a light knock on the door. "Zack?"

"I'll be right out," he called.

"Just wanted you to know that we're going to the beach for awhile," Aerith replied. "Barret thinks it might be a good idea to question some of the people about Sephiroth."

That made sense. It was a good step. At least someone was still thinking. The idea that it was Barret was mildly amusing. "All right. I'll be done in a minute."

"That's okay, you should rest. You didn't sleep last night." Her voice was gentle, edged with concern, but firm. "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

Great. Now even his team didn't want to be near him. "All right," he echoed again. Defeated, he splashed cold water onto his face.

He took a few more minutes to wipe off his neck and chest before padding barefoot into the main area of their rented bungalow. The meager contents they'd managed to haul with them from Midgar were piled next to more recently acquired items, but they were still woefully low on supplies.

Zack made mental note purchase potions and softs, as well as basic medical items and extra clothes. They wouldn't need much, but it was better to be prepared than caught off guard. He pulled the stool out from the small island, rested his chin on his palm and stared at the wall.

He hated feeling this out of sorts.

"Instead of sulking in there, you could always join me out here."

Zack's head snapped up, surprise raising his voice to a rather unmanly octave. "Tifa!"

Leaning against the jamb of the sliding glass patio door she nodded towards the deck. "There's a swing thing out here that I can't figure out."

"A swing thing?" he repeated dumbly, making his way towards her.

"Yeah. It's like a net on poles."

"Ah. A hammock," he said, spotting what she was referring to. The small porch faced the ocean, the hammock tied near the cottage and overlooking the sand and surf. "You lay in it."

"I figured that much," she scoffed. "I'm not a complete idiot. But since I've managed to fall out of it twice now, I think I'm probably doing it wrong." She rubbed her backside.

Distracted for a moment, Zack cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, they aren't complicated. You just have to distribute your, uh, weight, evenly."

"Ok, show me." She nudged him.

Obliging, Zack laid in the hammock, sighed when it dipped and his body relaxed into the mesh. "Like that," he told her. When she still looked dubious, he held his hand out to her. It was shaking, he noticed, and hoped she didn't.

Cautious, she took it, allowed him to tug her down next to him. "Oh. Nice."

Yes, Zack silently agreed.

Tifa let her fingers glide along and in between his, careful of his bruised knuckles. Zack never would have thought such a simple motion could be sexy, but the way his blood thickened and senses honed in on her sweet scent and soft skin, he was quickly reassessing his 'sexy' standards.

Curled on her side, nestled against him, she fit perfectly. Maybe it was the romantic in him, he didn't know, but it was like she was made for him.

"Tifa...?"

"Hm?" She angled her head, the sun glinting off dark strands to light them with hidden fire.

"I'm sorry."

"Zack."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

"You lost yourself a little bit back there," she said quietly after a time, emotion heavy in her voice.

"Yes. But you brought me back."

She turned and her mouth found his.

Her lips were as soft and as giving as she was. She sighed as her body molded to his, a sweet sound that played his heart as well as his senses. Her hands brushed his shoulders, his neck, his face, until they buried themselves in his hair and he took the kiss deeper.

She moaned softly when he took his mouth from hers and trailed slow, open mouthed kisses along her jaw, and down to the pulse of her neck. His hand—calloused fingertips—slid up her leg as his mouth toyed with her ear.

"You have the softest skin," he murmured, face close. So close she could see the green flecks buried in the sea of blue.

She brushed her lips across his forehead, retreated and allowed her own hands to skim across his chest, her eyes going dark and liquid at the puckered scars there.

Bullet wounds.

She'd seen enough of them over the years to know, and her heart bled for him. There were so many. She didn't need him to tell her...she knew. He got those trying to save Cloud.

He tensed beneath the inquisitive pads of her fingertips, but he didn't retreat. He allowed her to trace each one, and when she felt him shudder, she angled her head, kissed the silvery tissue.

"Tifa." His hands cupped her hips, held her steady as he gently nestled between her thighs.

She felt the hard press of his arousal through his shorts, and it had her gasping, feeling flushed and anxious. His hands and lips seduced her senses, and she melted and coiled simultaneously. Fear mixed with pleasure and she trembled. "Zack, wait..."

As much as Zack loved the feel of her in his arms, the sound of her breath quickening, her pulse speeding up, he knew she wasn't ready for anything more, so he eased back, his smile tender. "We should get some sleep," he whispered. "Neither one of us slept last night."

She bit her lip, hand toying with the longer strands of his hair. "You're not disappointed?"

His mouth settled over hers, taking her breath with the slow intensity of his kiss. "Tifa, you could never disappoint me. You're with me...it's more than I hoped for. More than I deserve."

She frowned at him. "Zack, if we're going to be together, you really need to stop being so dumb." She let out a breath, caught his face between her palms and spoke with steadfast sincerity. "You are not unworthy, or undeserving. You are not a monster and you are not a failure. You are wonderful, and brave, and the most genuine person I have ever met, and if you don't pull your head out of your ass and see that, I'll be forced to beat you."

"Tifa—"

"I'm not done."

"Oh. Okay."

"And, yes, you scare me, Zack. Not because you were SOLDIER or because of the things you can do, but because of the way you make me feel. I tried to ignore it, and that didn't work, and I've come to accept it, but that's still taking some getting used to, and if we're going to work as a couple, then you need to be steady and sure of how you feel, too." Emotion swam in her eyes. "That is, if that's what you still want..."

Something in his heart bloomed. From ash and dark, it blossomed and spread until his blood warmed with it and the smile on his face threatened his ears. "To be with you?"

Hesitation appeared at the corner of her eyes. "Yeah."

"More than anything." He made a vague gesture at their tangled limbs. "I thought that was pretty obvious."

"Yeah, well, there's sex and then there's a relationship."

Zack cocked his head. "I'm not much in the mood to be used for sex, Miss Lockhart. It's a relationship or nothing."

"You are such a liar. I could totally use you for sex."

"Saw through that, did you?"

"Like glass."

Barely there, Zack let his fingertips glide over the skin of her arm, back and forth. He watched the sun glitter off the ocean water, nuzzled into her hair, and let the heaviness in his heart go. "We're together," he confirmed. Drowsy and content, he turned her carefully, so she was cheek to chest and closed his eyes. "Definitely together." And he wasn't letting go.


He didn't know how long they slept but the sun had set when he heard the front door and footsteps.

"They're back," he murmured against her ear, rousing Tifa.

She nodded, immediately awake. "How'd it go?" she called once they were in the bungalow.

"Well, we didn't find Sephiroth," Aerith said.

"But we did find someone that might have some answers," Barret added, coming up behind her. He shoved a smaller man forward.

All the warmth and heat Zack had gained from laying in the sun drained from him.

"Hojo."


AN: Well, Hi! I hope everyone is having a good weekend! This chapter ending up surprising me continuously, so I hope you all found it enjoyable. :) Thank you all for the kind words and the encouraging and heartening reviews. If you don't already know it, please know how much I appreciate them and you. 3