Hero's March: Season One

by FrostByterFang

That fateful battle in the wastes dealt Zack Fair a cruel hand: He barely survives, albeit with permanent injury. Taking advantage of Zack's K.I.A status, Tseng secretly enlists his aid to help free Aerith and Cloud from Shinra's all-encompassing shadow. Zack must use his new identity to protect his friends, all the while they remain ignorant of his survival. AU

24. Take the Fall

I won't lie everyone... this chapter really is different from all the rest. For the record, I won't claim to know anything about romance; and I've never wrote anything along those lines before because I never found myself to be experienced enough in the field. Take of that as you will. Also, it would be sorely appreciated if you see anything wrong here besides the obvious grammatical errors and write it in a constructive review. I'd like to once again point out that editing these things by myself can be difficult, so quite a few mistakes can ghost by me.

Please please please let me know your honest thoughts on this- as its different from what I'm used to. This is my first TRUE attempt, in all of my writing history, to have ever wrote something like this. I can only hope I did Zack's relationship with the people around him (and namely Aerith) any true justice- especially in the latter portion of this chapter. In the meantime, enjoy!

The following POV's are Tseng, Aerith, Zack and Cait Sith- in that order.

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~777~

~Half a day later~

Tseng couldn't help his resigned sigh as he landed the bird at the sight.

Even when he turned it off and unbuckled himself, still he didn't move. He reclined as far back into his seat as he could, quite unable to bear the idea of facing Zack again. He threw a single gloved hand over his face and dragged; letting it rest on his nose while his fingers pinched at the tilak at the center of his forehead. He pinched harshly; enough to redden skin and almost bruise it- anything to distract himself from the aggravating headache that's been settled there for the last half a day. Even the headache meds Hendel had prescribed to him didn't seem to be helping anymore.

When he settled his hands in his lap and sighed for the millionth time, his eyes fell upon a most curious sight: His already unfocused gaze wandered enough as it is; so he was half-wondering if his sight was being even remotely reliable as he numbly observed the trembling of his own balled fists. His brows pinched tightly together, somewhat disbelieving of the anxious display. He lifted a shivering hand and turned it, slowly letting it sink in that it was indeed quite animated in its movements.

I'm... I'm shaking, he wondered in vague disbelief. Even hours after the meeting... When did I ever shake? When was the last time I did this-?

He was beginning to wonder what life was like before he had a permanent frown welded across his visage and a stubbornly aggravating migraine throbbing behind his temples. All the while, he continued to weigh the words that he and Rufus had exchanged prior to his departure, his hands still visibly displaying the apprehensive nuances his face usually concealed.

Tired. Frustrated. Helpless. Trapped. He felt every single one of these emotions war for dominance within; and after every few seconds to a minute he felt each and every individual one in its terrible entirety. He couldn't find a moment's respite, even within his usually calm mind. Tseng's composure had long since fizzled away; leaving an exhausted, nearly hollowed-out shell within its wake.

He had failed. He had failed them. He had failed Aerith. He had failed him... He had failed Zack, and all of the remaining Turks too. No matter the ruse he'd carefully composed for Garm's outward identity, no matter the strides both he and his fugitive friend and comrades had taken, it's proven fruitless in the end. Rufus had outplayed them all, and now Zack was going to pay for it. And in due time, Tseng had a feeling that he and his compatriots will be next on the chopping block after his little omission of Zack's existence.

But Rufus won't be done until he's tired of playing with his new toys. It was the only reason why he deigned to let Tseng leave HQ in the first place- besides his own selfish pursuit of the Promised Land and his need of the extra resources required to find it. If it hadn't been for the promise of actually finding the actual thing, he probably would've sicked Darkstar on him as soon as he walked into the office.

He didn't know how, but he had to face Zack again... and with this very weighty portent in mind. He knew the kinds of expressions he was going to see once he shared this horrendous burden with him. He was expecting it, but that it didn't make facing him any easier. Zack was rather demonstrative and showy to a fault; his great many woes and inflections each as varied and genuine and impressionable as could be- so much so that Tseng could never hope to banish any one of them from his mind.

And the thought of seeing Zack's heart-broken, already gaunt, down-trodden eyes lose the last of their fragile shine is already proving to be a sight he wasn't sure he can bear this particular day. And while Tseng had always credited himself for being a calm and unshakable individual who'd never let emotions rule his judgement, he was helpless to the idea of disappointing the comrades whose very lives depended upon him. What reasonable man wouldn't feel so impotent?

...But he had to tell him. They were friends after all, right? He'd already assured Zack that he'd explain what he could whenever the chance offered it. Losing his friendship would prove more than detrimental if he didn't abide by his wishes. Of all things, Tseng wasn't sure he could bear to lose Zack's trust after all he's done.

But then again, losing his trust is preferable to losing his life... not that it matters much anymore.

These words were a bitter pill to swallow, but the sense within was nonetheless doubtless. Tseng had already resolved that he'd much rather lose Zack as a friend than he would sooner lose his life. For that matter, Tseng would also rather shoot himself in the belly and bleed out instead of doing anymore harm to those he considered his compatriots. However, such an act would accomplish nothing except sew more chaos into the complex web of their lives. If Tseng taking his own life would make things any easier for his companions, he would've already done so.

Tseng eventually regained his composure and his atypical Turk mask with it; letting his shaken hands fall aimlessly to his lap as his eyes carefully scanned the cabins and mine entrance. He wasn't surprised to see that Zack had already taken notice of his arrival and was marching right out of one of the buildings like he was on the hunt. Vincent and Cissnei was seen uncertainly loitering around the door of their cabin, not at all bothering to move from their spot as the former leaned dauntlessly against the door frame and the latter attempted to miserably shrug off the cold.

And considering the thoughtfully impatient look on Zack's stiffened visage, Tseng already knew that this conversation was going to be about as fun as burying an blunt axe into your own best friend's still breathing breast.

Yep. Much rather be dead than be here, he grimly thought. But alas, suicide truly is the coward's way out... isn't it?

Tseng heaved once more, and then reached for his warmer clothes sitting beside him in the empty seat. These were the same fur-lined threads he wore to the Icycle Inn when he met with Reeve recently; the clothes that supposedly belonged to the reticent Mr. Tian Kheng. At the very least, these will help Tseng bear the brunt of the unforgiving weather here.

He paused, his mind wandering back to the head of Urban development. Surely, Rufus wasn't aware of his very recent meeting with Reeve, was he? Surely Mr. Tuesti was still considered safe? That perhaps their arrangements and deals with each other remained covert?

Later. Think about this later, he huffed.

With one last beleaguered sigh, Tseng slipped on the long button-down coat and turned in his seat, grabbing his suitcase on the floor behind him. Once he had that too, he pulled the door open and shuddered as a waft of sub-zero, dry air slapped him in the face. Already, the blistering cold was eating its way into him; drying the air within his lungs and making it feel like he was getting an allergic reaction to a Mideel stinging nettle from inside his own body. He pulled his head further into his coat as would a turtle in its shell; not at all built for this kind of soul-shattering cold. He cursed his former superior's taste in hide-outs and slipped gracelessly from his bird; tucking his arms against his trunk and fighting the need to shiver so pathetically.

Zack's heavy boots crunched to a stop before him; the taller man seemingly not bothered by the wretched zephyr passing them by. However, he cocked his head at the sight of Tseng so clearly freezing his balls off; his expression thankfully lightening into that of a friend wishing to shed some of his own warmth. In fact, his flicked his head and grabbed Tseng's luggage; allowing the man to free up his hands so he could tuck them into his pits. Without saying a word, Zack complacently lead him back to the cabin; staying beside him the entire time as some living bulwark fending off the blistering wind-chill. As always, and despite whatever tangible doubts may be stilling his usual greetings, Zack still felt the almost compulsive and yet mystifyingly unwarranted desire to assist before the inevitable interrogation.

As soon as he was inside the wooden home, Tseng already couldn't have felt more relieved to be seeing a roiling fire burning within its hearth in the living area. He hadn't even been in the cold for more than a few measly seconds and yet he thought he'd never be able to shake off the annoying amount of bitter frost embedding itself into his flesh. He was in front of the fire and warming himself up before he deigned to say or do anything else- having used the brief interlude as a means of getting his scrambled thoughts together. He felt the eyes of all three inhabitants upon him the entire time; their gazes stonier than that of a gargoyle's.

Cissnei was the first to speak, settling herself neatly into a drawn-up chair she dragged from the dining room table. She cocked her head, her tone enigmatically flat. "You're late," she simply started with, her words laced with implied meaning.

Tseng half-way turned his head until he was eyeing Zack instead of the girl; taking in the contemplative scrutiny etched there. Zack was now sitting in the arm-chair closest to the hearth, resting his unscarred cheek in an elevated hand as he slumped over the puffed-up arm. He looked relaxed, but Tseng knew better.

He's awfully quiet... Even distant. He's also clenching his jaw again, Tseng dryly observed.

After a rather bated moment of simply eyeing the other, Tseng sighed and glanced away; unable to the meet the mako-charged neutrality of his comrade. "You're obviously not satisfied with any of our past conversations," he began as he immediately decided to cut to the quick. "-That, or you have some doubts in my intentions. Am I in the wrong?"

Zack blinked in surprise; the reaction being exactly as Tseng had anticipated. He'd apparently hit the nail on the head; although he still hadn't any idea on what could be weighing so heavily upon his friend's shoulders. But the fact that Zack still felt the need to continue to distrust him, even after all that's happened within the last month, felt a bit disappointing- if not a bit hurtful.

With that said though, its probably a good thing Tseng had come here already prepared to sever that same trust.

The ex-SOLDIER's jaw continued its tightened clenching, his mako eyes reflecting more than it actually gave off. His hand slipped from its position on his cheek and settled limply in his lap, the man slumping tiredly in his seat. He shrugged jerkily, "Eh, I guess you can say that. But now I'm more or less wantin' to know why you gave Tifa the letter..."

"Ah. So you know about that little exchange," Tseng confirmed.

Zack's usually friendly gaze briefly hardened at the lack of denial, but then relaxed into calm neutrality. Its a mask he's well honed during the prime of his SOLDIER years. "Well yeah," he muttered. "You're apparently holding out on me or something... cuz now she and Aerith know about me and Cloud is asking questions."

Tseng opened his mouth, but Cissnei went on for him, "As far as we know, AVALANCHE still doesn't know about Zack's identity; with Tifa, Aerith and Cait Sith being the only out-standing exceptions that we know of. As to how the former could've come down to the conclusion they did, we're wondering why you made the decision to incidentally tip-off Tifa. It might not have been your original intention-" She inclined her head, "But she and Aerith share a lot of thoughts together. So it was inevitable that the two would altogether know... And I wouldn't think that you would've given Aerith the letter without it being a calculated, premeditated move."

"Not to mention-" Vincent brought up this time, forcing Tseng's onyx eyes to arrest themselves upon the former's cochineal pair. "-That we're to assume that your intentions with AVALANCHE isn't strictly one to help Aerith escape Shinra so much as it is to use them as a whole. We have reason to believe that even if Zack here had taken up your offer to return home to Gongaga and no longer have anything to do with Shinra, you would've went out of your way to help Cloud get the care he needs anyhow-" He shook his head, folding his thin arms across his chest, "Not that it would've benefited you in any personal capacity. In the past, you've never disguised your intentions to get rid of him and most of AVALANCHE, but you've obviously changed your mind in recent times. You seem rather genuine in your intent in helping Cloud- if not for a more elusive motive."

Tseng smirked wryly again, Oh yes. This conversation will be a ton of fun. Just wait until I mention Rufus...

He ducked his head and chuckled ironically, his eyes on the wooden floor as he carefully considered their apparently rehearsed words. "I see you all have been putting a lot of thought into this," he meekly stated, not sure of where he should start. So much for his own rehearsal of this conversation- all three of these guys have effectively unseated him in just two minutes of him getting off the helicopter- even one of his most loyal comrades was on to him.

Cissnei produced a thoughtful noise, her tawny eyes rather more like an owl carefully sizing up its flight path before making its kill. She tilted her head again; the quirk something Tseng was sure she was picking up from being around Zack for so long. If anything, her weirdly forward and almost audacious demeanor was another trait she'd already adopted. "We've admittedly talked more about this than we should... that's all we could do for the past few days." She waved at him, "-But now I'm wondering why you're even here... We were sure Rufus had figured out Project Septimus and wouldn't let you leave the Shinra building without asking questions. Even Sir and Freyra thought you were in hot shit."

How right you are, Tseng almost said aloud.

Now in more familiar territory, and a part of the conversation Tseng had definitely (somewhat) prepared for, the man nodded sagely in return. He glided away from the hearth, only to snag a another kitchen chair and drag it over to the fire so he can continue to sit near it. As the fire seared its blazing warmth into his back, Tseng primly settled down and faced every single individual present; being sure to meet each pair of differently colored eyes.

"Actually... that's pretty much the reason for my being here so soon," he began. "I wanted to talk to you all about Rufus... but preferably with Sir present. Is he around, by chance?"

"Still in the mine," Zack shrugged, flicking a thumb over his shoulder. "I think he's talking with Hojo or somethin'."

Tseng nodded, "Did Septimus give you any information on Hojo's findings? Or what he had to say about Sephiroth and the copies as a whole?"

"Enough," Zack returned with a stiff frown, replying to his first query before going to reply to his second. "He admitted that while he was behind the whole clone thing, he's not specifying the reason for letting them loose. He's apparently watching the clones for some sorta reason he's not feelin' like sharing."

Tseng felt himself frown too, tenting his hands together as he considered Hojo's behavior and intentions. This is not a good sign, was all he could say to that.

Vincent spoke up next, "Veld had informed us that Hojo making the clones was an accident at first, but then he proceeded to make more of them for this invisible motive. While we know it has something to do with his obsession with Jenova, I still can't help but wonder what it is."

The Turk head glanced off to the side, "I truly don't see the benefit in letting loose so many demonic aberrations of the same, homicidal individual... Unless he has a way of controlling them somehow. I've never known Hojo to ever let any of his experiments loose, less it be for observation from afar or the grim certainty that they'll soon die off on their own. Maybe."

"But these are Sephiroth clones for crying out loud," Cissnei reminded him. "I don't think even Hojo can contain them... let alone more than a dozen or so of these things! Maybe they escaped on their own-"

Still Tseng shook his head, "Somehow, I highly doubt that. But until the man feels like obliging us, I don't think we should presume to know- less it lead it us to the wrong conclusion. For now though-" He nodded to his current company, "I believe you have questions about my intentions with Cloud and Rufus?"

At their lack of response -save for the hardening expressions- Tseng knew he had their attentions.

"Okay. I guess I should start with your first query-" He gesticulated to Zack. "The one regarding miss Lockhart and her knowledge. As to my dealings with Rufus, I think I'll just tell you instead of waiting on Veld- as he may be another while yet if he's speaking with Hojo."

"Right," he nodded.

"So... You said you know about my giving her the letter then?"

Zack nodded again, propping one leg over the other and slumping forward some more. "Aerith says she didn't put you under a time constraint, and yet you proceeded to hastily pass along the message- through Tifa no less- to indirectly inform her that I'm still around. Where you probing around for something or what?" He narrowed his eyes here, "Or were you testing her for something? Or maybe you were testing me somehow?"

About as straight forward as blunt force trauma. Should've expected no less from a former member of SOLDIER.

Tseng nonetheless replied without any hesitation, and much to the surprise of all those present, "Actually, its both. I wanted to test miss Lockhart's knowledge of you and see how much information she could've already gleaned regarding you. I was aware of the fact that you two have met before in Nibelheim, but I wasn't sure how well she could've known you, per se."

He folded his arms over the rest of the chair and bobbed a single shoulder, "It seems she had more than enough to go by... if she already knows about you. In fact, I've no doubt she would've put the pieces together on her own at some point anyways- with or without my help." He made sure to lock his eyes with every person as he said, "But then, what would she do with that information, once formulated? Would she go on to tip off the rest of AVALANCHE about her suspicions and unwittingly blow your cover as a whole? Or would she keep this to herself, and incidentally save herself, and the rest of us, the trouble?"

He shook his head there, "As it were, I had to play the conversation by ear; pretending to feign any direct contact with you in the off-chance that she wouldn't know anything about you. However, she surprised me when she bluntly inquired about your direct involvement in Nibelheim." He reflected back to the conversation and then went on, "Off-handedly, I wanted to let her know -and on my own terms no less- that if she gained the knowledge that she did, she needed to bring it up with Aerith first and foremost. Aerith isn't a talker, and I trust her with the information I have-"

Cissnei's expression suddenly brightened up; as if a great epiphany hit her. She even threw back her head and "Ohhhhh'd" quite audibly. "I get it now," she quickly interjected. "By off-handedly letting Tifa into the secret and sending her to Aerith, you knew Aerith would inform Tifa that the information is confidential. And even if you obliged Tifa's queries, chances were she wouldn't have believed you- But she'd believe Aerith's words. She'd be able to more readily believe and adhere to the secrecy involved with knowing too much more about Zack than what was necessary. She wouldn't- and therefore couldn't- leverage the Turks with her knowledge of Zack in the future either. And certainly not without compromising Aerith's stance on the matter."

"...What?" Zack cocked his head at Cissnei, a little confused.

The small, child-sized woman nodded her head at him, "Tifa hates Tseng- especially after the whole Sector seven thing. If she had a piece of information she could hold over heads, like say in the case of your survival, she could easily hinder our movements with it."

"She's not that kinda person," Zack blew off immediately.

"No, maybe not... but Barret and the rest of AVALANCHE would've done it. And don't you go thinking that she wouldn't use it if to save another section of the city from getting squashed," Cissnei stiffly reminded him. "And it all woulda stemmed from Tifa just figuring you out on her own and not knowing if she should've brought it up with Aerith first. So with Tseng directing her to a valued source of information like her, just know it saves us a lotta trouble."

Zack still looked skeptical of this, but he remained silent as the Turk girl continued.

"On the side," she elaborated, her eyes now on Tseng. "You wanted to see if Zack would actually reach out to his old familiars or continue to abide by Septimus' strict code of secrecy. You were only testing his reactions and what-not. Right?"

The man nodded, "It was never a matter of trust- as I know Zack is an inherently trust-worthy person. And it wasn't meant to be a stressful circumstance, but that's apparently how it turned out." Here he passed Zack an apologetic glance, "I never wanted it to be that way. I only figured it a harmless enough evaluation of Zack's reasoning and decision-making skills in the field we're in. Even if he reached out to solely Aerith or not, it wouldn't have complicated our position." He shook his head, "It would've only been disasterous if Cloud learned about us though... as I don't want him finding out about Zack yet."

"Why not?" Zack tilted his head.

"I talked with Hendel again before leaving," Tseng began with another sigh. "Besides waiting to see if he'll react to the medicine you were given, he wants to see Cloud in person before you reveal yourself to him. If he was to learn about you, he'd rather it be in a controlled environment like his lab- just in case Cloud has a fit or something instead of a normal reaction."

He shifted in his seat, the fire now a comforting presence against his spine. The embrace was almost akin to that of a lover sweetly trailing their licentious fingers along his musculature; and yet Tseng still felt very cold saying this next part.

"Now, as to the matter of what to do with Cloud and my business with Rufus..." He eyes fell to the floor here, "I want Cloud healthy because yes, I really do need his help in the grand scheme of things. He's literally the only person whose ever had multiple encounters with Sephiroth and his clones and lived to tell the tale... and he's succeeded in killing Palmer despite being out-powered, out-gunned, and out-numbered back at Rocket town." He locked eyes with Zack now, "Cloud can help us deal with Rufus too... especially in more recent circumstances."

"So you really do want to use him," Zack mouthed more or less to himself.

"Correction: I want to use his strength," Tseng amended. "I have no need of him otherwise."

Zack opened his mouth- his expression petulant- but Vincent beat him to it, "What for?"

Tseng raised a brow and indicated, as if to blatantly point out his previous statement.

Cissnei blinked at him now, and then said aloud mostly for Zack's benefit, "So you want to use Cloud... against Rufus? What, like in the way he dealt with Palmer back at Rocket town?"

"No. Not quite that," the head Turk immediately went to clarify. "I only need Cloud to distract Rufus' attentions from Aerith and use him to keep her shielded from him for however long he can. I don't want him killing the president so much as its more for Aerith's own safety. In short, he's Aerith's best bet-" He sighed out his next words, "-And he'll be all that's left of her protection, should we all fail and Rufus decides he'd much rather do away with us sooner rather than later. He's Aerith's shield, and AVALANCHE's best and first line of defense whenever the need arose. He's the strongest of them all- maybe even stronger than Zack at his peak."

Zack blinked, and then looked- thankfully enough- mollified by this reply. He nodded in a distracted way, but conclusively enough to allow Tseng to see that he too agreed to this reasoning. Even whole-heartedly in that manner.

"You said-" Vincent tentatively but immediately diverted, his expression darkening. He unwound his arms and locked his blood-colored gaze onto Tseng's own steel plated one. "-'Should we all fail'... and then proceeded to add on 'sooner rather than later'. Of all words, you pick those terms in particular and went on to say that we need Cloud to defend Aerith like we're already sunk..."

Cissnei and Zack passed each other uneasy glances and then swapped them back to Tseng in-turn. Zack's brows were already anchoring themselves to his molten azures as Cissnei too matched his consternation.

"...I get the feeling Rufus is a now more of a pressing issue," Vincent subtly pressed, taking a tentative step towards the active Turk.

Tseng thinned his lips, his brown knotting further. Yes, now this was the part he's been afraid to broach; the part that would inevitably scare every soul present- including the stalwart Vincent, shitless.

He nodded grimly, sighing so heavily as to betray his reluctant resignation. He shut his eyes too, briefly attempting to tamp down on his still persisting headache. "Yes... Rufus is now a more persistent matter. And to answer your earlier question-" He glanced at Cissnei there, his expression its most doleful yet. "-Also yes. He now knows about Zack and isn't likely to be satisfied in merely dispatching him. He has plans of using Zack... although to what ends elude me."

The hearth chose this spectacular moment to crackle rather loudly; the pronounced collapse of a heavy log finally yielding to the flames' curling tendrils and coming apart along the seams. The room was stagnant with the crisp edges of creeping, sub-zero cold trying to worm its way into it; the heat barely doing anything to keep its crackling wrath at bay.

Zack's jaw was its tightest yet; his eyes a shock-wave of primordial fear and ire. His chiseled expression couldn't be harder and stiffer than any other person's that Tseng has seen all throughout his entire life. Truly, he wasn't even sure Veld of all people could hold a candle to the bedrock-quality of Zack's mask.

"-You said... that he knows about me.. that has plans of... 'using me'..." He slowly recited in a small, flat voice; opting to carry on the conversation instead of remaining slack-jawed silent as Tseng had expected. "So... what. He's like, he's onto us now? Like entirely?"

Tseng inclined his head at the weirdly remarkably swift recovery in Zack's surprise- although his composure was at its sheer lowest. His boiling swath of likely helpless rage and intense desire to leap into action couldn't be more evident as Tseng dryly observed the tightening of muscle within Zack's rather sharply defined hands and the straining tendons in his balled fists. Needless to say, the nerves in his neck and jaw-line stood in stark relief. He was wound tightly; ready to come flying apart at the slightest provocation.

There was a brief interlude at these words; with Tseng slowly formulating his response as he briefly revisited the moment when Rufus firmly ordered that Zack carry out his next mission. And while Tseng once again usually credited himself with a usually splendid attempt at a poker mask, it was here even he faltered and winced. He shut his eyes, sighed, and then focused his gaze onto Zack's own so he could betray his every ounce of sincerity in his next words.

"Yes, Zack, he wants to use you for his next goal," he meticulously reciprocated. He tented his hands in front of his jaw and huffed, "And he wants you to do it, without having any say in the matter. And should you refuse it, he said he would, and I quote, 'Give the citizens of Gongaga my regards'."

And it was here did Zack's brittle attempt at composure finally come undone; as the head Turk had expected. The earlier idea that he would leap into animated posturing had been aptly anticipated: Seeing as Zack did exactly that-

And then some.

The ex-SOLDIER had all but flown to his feet and roared; his tizzy-fueled fists suddenly flying around him. One fist even went careening into the old, dust and frost-tinted picture frames lining the cabin walls. Zack went out of his way to break every single one; even going as far as picking up one of the kitchen chairs and throwing it into the table itself. The ancient wood snapped violently in two; easily yielding to the terrible might of the former dog of war. Glass snapped beneath his boots; shattered wood whirled around the infuriated tornado tearing relentlessly through the hapless cabin.

Vincent, Cissnei and Tseng initially did nothing to stop him all the while: With Zack snarling and snapping and lashing out at anything and everything in his path. He even took another chair and broke its legs over his knee and started throwing its splintered pieces haphazardly into the hearth. He whirled and swiped the tables and counters clean of whatever little décor and leftover cups of forgotten drinks were there; their contents spilling across the carpeted floor in darkened halos ironically reminiscent of blood smears. He then easily hefted the armchair he'd been sitting in earlier and went to hurl it out one of the fogged windows-

-Just for Cissnei to furiously seize him in a fervent vice; her arms wrapped entirely around his middle and her face solidly burying itself into his back.

In mid-toss, Zack stood frozen, suddenly quenched of the hellish conflagration sweeping its vicious arcs all throughout his entire being. The molten inferno of wrath literally cracked and dragged itself out of him, leaving him breathless and shaken and unmoving in his stupor. He stood rigidly before them; his arms still suspending the chair above him.

Tseng blinked, shocked when he saw just how swiftly Cissnei's mere touch had siphoned all the wanton hurt and fury out of Zack in a single move. He blinked a few times for good measure, silently observing as the tangible despair whirled out of the ex-SOLIDER in rippling shockwaves that left world-trembling aftershocks.

Cissnei. You're no longer the woman I know, Tseng thinned his mouth as he eyed the pair. You're no longer doing this for just the Turks, are you?

After an abhorrent, pent-up minute like this, Zack huffed and gently put the arm chair down; his shoulders slumping heavily. He bowed his mused head, his eyes concealed by a curtain of coal and his teeth bared like fangs. He didn't remove Cissnei's arms, his lips trembling and his arms shivering all the while as if the Northern cold was finally wrapping its brisk fingers around his very heart. Cissnei merely tightened her hold on his waist in answer, squeezing encouragingly all the while.

No one said anything, and Cissnei certainly knew she didn't need to.

A minute passed, and then another. Tseng didn't bother to break the reverie. He merely did what he did best; waiting it out until Zack himself was in a relatively more fit state of mind. And to demonstrate this, the man eventually moved; briefly relinquishing Cissnei's embrace just long enough for him to turn around and seize the girl herself. He buried his face into her coppery mane, his arms sweeping around her middle and even picking her up entirely from the floor. Cissnei huffed as the air was squeezed out of her, but thankfully Zack was mindful enough of his obscene strength to not make the hug anymore uncomfortable.

She looked kind of hilarious with her feet dangling below her, looking resigned to the vice-like snare of her male companion. She smiled wistfully, waiting until Zack would eventually release her before making any moves of her own. When he didn't budge for yet another minute however, she muttered against his shoulder, "So uh... You gonna to put me down anytime soon? I need to breathe yunno."

He jerkily shook his head.

"Do I have to order you?"

He ignored her.

"...Big baby," she muttered almost fondly, moving her arms in whatever little capacity she could. She moved them under his arms and up his back; palms resting against his shoulder blades. She huffed, shutting her eyes and letting him have this moment.

After a short pause, she glanced at Tseng and inclined her head; proceeding to speak even though she was still essentially being suspended by Zack the entire time. "So, we're apparently at an impasse here. With Rufus knowing about Zack and all, and his apparent desire to use him, what should we do? What is it that the president even wants with Zack anyways?"

"The Temple of the Ancients," Tseng promptly returned, watching the ex-SOLDIER all the while. "He wants Zack to get the key to the temple and get it to me. We're to enter the temple before AVALANCHE and the Sephiroth copies. For some reason or another, everyone wants to get into the ruins in the south. It makes you wonder what could be inside that suddenly invigorated everyone's interests."

"Hasn't anyone ever been in the temple?" Vincent suddenly queried.

"No. No one has ever succeeded in getting anywhere past the entrance," Tseng supplied as he searched his memory of reports from earlier expeditions. "-But with the discovery of the key, and the sudden intrigue of the numerous Sephiroth clones, I suppose I understand Rufus' interests... Whatever's in there, we can't let Sephiroth get to it."

Here, Zack actually did look up, his eyes a little red-rimmed. Had he been crying? Tseng wondered in passing as the ex-SOLDIER finally put Cissnei down. "The... the copies? They want into the temple too?" He slowly entreated, his voice bordering on shaky. One hand lingered on Cissnei, resting listlessly on her shoulder.

Cissnei straightened her tux and frowned, her nose wrinkling. She didn't step away from Zack as she said, "That's... huh. Where's this all coming from anyways?"

Tseng once again took careful note of their thoughtless ease around each other, silently marveling the fact that Cissnei was tolerating having someone so visibly loathe to leave her personal space. If anything, she looked quite alright with having Zack less than hand-spans from her at any given moment. Once upon a time, Cissnei was the kind of person who'd kept boundaries between herself and everyone else- even the other Turks. And while Tseng had been aware of the fact that Cissnei held a modicum of fancy for the ex-SOLDIER, he never figured it was enough to interfere with her otherwise professional demeanor.

Let alone tolerate having him cry into her shoulder.

He shelved this observation for the moment though, choosing to return to the topic of their conversations. He heaved a sigh and propped his jaw up in his hand, closing his eyes as his migraine continued to pulse. He squinted against the dull pain as he said, "...From what we heard, a copy apparently made it to the Bone Village and inquired about the stone from a resident there. One of the people there recently dug it up and sold the artifact to the highest bidder... and to the owner of the Golden Saucer, no less." He tented his fingers on his lap and shrugged at their surprised looks, "Dio likes to collect odds and ends... its a hobby of his. With that in mind, the copy promptly went off in search of it, and we're hoping to beat him to it.

"On the side, AVALANCHE apparently wants into it too... although I don't know why." Tseng caught Zack's semi-watery eyes here, "I'm guessing they want to get into the temple for the same reason we do... to keep Sephiroth from getting his hands on anything important in there. And if its not that, I suppose it would come of interest to them with Aerith showing more interest in her roots lately."

"Its a race, then," Vincent muttered.

Cissnei suddenly winced, "I... we didn't know AVALANCHE has changed their route. Reception's been bed here... If Cait sent an update, I wouldn't have known until after we leave here today."

Zack glanced away, his expression suddenly veering off as his mind strained to work beneath the pressure of these ongoing developments. Honestly, Tseng didn't like the look of it, but he said nothing in acknowledgment.

He continued anyways, "With that all said and done, we need to get moving. We haven't the time to waste." He rose to his feet, his hands folded behind him in a tense parade rest. "As it happens, I'll be personally accompanying you for this excursion. We'll head to the Golden Saucer, and hopefully find a way to liberate the key from AVALANCHE before they start to miss it."

While the initial surprise from this proclamation naturally intrigued and stupefied the group, Zack all too quickly recovered from it and balled his fists. "...We're not gonna actually be fighting them over it, are we?" He sharply bit, his military-trained stare effectively removing all signs of his earlier weakness.

"Not if we can help it," Tseng confirmed, trying his best to allay his agitated and likely highly volatile friend. "We're going to do what we do best; to keep out of sight and out of mind. If we have to, we can use Cait Sith to procure the key without us ever having lift a finger. We can be up and gone before AVALANCHE would even miss it-"

Zack briefly scrunched his brows, and then said with a harsh edge to his voice, "And what then, man? What if Cait can't do it and I'm forced to do the heavy lifting again? I'm not gonna be fighting them, Tseng." He shook his head again, removing his hand from Cissnei, "There's notta a chance in hell. If it came to a confrontation, I'm telling them about the Septimus Sect."

"What?"

Cissnei darted a furtive glance at both men, her lips stiff and unmoving on her face.

Zack took a step towards Tseng, and then, "I was under the impression that if push really came to shove, and we needed AVALANCHE's cooperation in any way to avoid the worst of it, we're to give them just enough info to get them to confide in our intentions. They don't need to know about the Septimus operation in detail, no... but I'm not lying to my friends and familiars anymore than I already have. I thought you guys said we should take advantage of their apparent 'trust' in me... not have me shove a fucking knife in their backs!"

"I never said we-" Tseng started before the other fiercely interrupted.

"No fuckin' way, man!" Zack swiped a perfunctory hand across the space between them, "I became Garm so I can keep my friends and family safe- but that was all blown out to Hell the instant Rufus learned who I was. The only reason I remain Garm now is to protect Cloud's mental sanctity, and that's it. There's literally not much else reason for me to keep this fucking dumb-ass charade up otherwise." He bared his teeth here, "And when I say I'm not fighting AVALANCHE in any capacity, I meant it:

"I'm not going to, no matter fucking what, raise a blade to Aerith or Cloud or the others again. Not now, and not ever to another innocent. I've mired through enough oceans of blood and drowned in it and enough mako energy one too many times. If we can get the key from them simply by explaining our situation, I'm sure they'd understand!"

"Zack-" Tseng started.

He interrupted by jabbing his finger at Tseng, "... And I'm fuckin' doing it-no matter what the ever-loving-FUCK you say. You feelin' me?"

The two stood in suspended and upended silence; Zack tersely posturing like he'd jump at the chance to rip out someone's throat, despite his words. Tseng meanwhile continued to stare helplessly at the man, his thin lips quirked and his brows furrowed so deeply he'd leave the Da-Chao statues blushing. Vincent and Cissnei said nothing to this, merely swapping stares between them and each other.

And then, it was Vincent who broke the silence with a final snap of his cape's flaming ends. He turned on the ball of his heel, and was suddenly at the door.

"What the- Vince, where the heck are you even going-?" Cissnei suddenly bleated.

"-I'm making due on that promise I made in Rocket Town," Vincent all but snarled with very real animistic abandon. His already near-guttural crackle of a voice snagged everyone's attentions, his tone and words enough to freeze Hell nine times over within itself. He didn't even look over his shoulder as he added on, "I'm going to take the bird myself, fly over to Midgar, and put a few rounds in Rufus' noggin right in his own apartment. So long as I'm around, he won't hurt or threaten another living soul again-" And then his promise became an thrumming undertone that carried every bit of his malice when he said, "-I'm drag him through all the nine layers of Hell before I let him have his way."

Zack blinked and let his mouth flap a few times before smirking almost adoringly at the undead other. However Tseng stopped every one of them when he spoke up next.

"No one's going anywhere yet!" he sharply interjected. He huffed, relaxed his composure, and then, "-While I can't argue that reasoning could achieve a mutually beneficial means to an end, consider this, Zack: What if Rufus is actually counting on you squealing about your precarious position and plans on using that to his advantage? What if he doesn't have enough intelligence on us as we think he does, and if you said the wrong thing to AVALANCHE, he'll simply get it from them in the long-run? He plans on capturing and killing them eventually anyways... so whatever you tell them, he'll just torture out of them once he inevitably tosses you aside. Hell, he could target them a helluva lot sooner if you said the wrong thing!"

Zack threw back his head like a started horse, his expression stubbornly and mutinously feral.

Cissnei darted concerned stares between each of them, and then tentatively offered, "Well... what if you just told Zack what he can or can't explain? What to filter and what not? If we can do this without any treachery or bloodshed at this point, it would be preferable."

Vincent nodded conclusively next to her, all the while Zack rapid-fire nodded in agreement.

Tseng huffed again, and shut his eyes. Gods I'm so tired, he briefly thought before he continued on. "I suppose we could just do that, yes... but you'd have to accept the fact that whatever repercussions you wrought from this are essentially your responsibility. Giving them the wrong portent- Hell, even the highly edited version- would and could still yield catastrophic results. You're still making them a target, no matter what you do!"

"THEY'RE ALREADY A FUCKING TARGET," Zack blustered right back in a cacophonous roar that shook the ancient rafters above them. His long, proud nose wrinkled in a way that looked more like the snarl on the muzzle of a rabid wolf- complete with the effect of his bristling hair on the back of his neck, bared teeth and slightly sharp-tipped incisors. Once again his arm went swinging and Cissnei had to veer away from the sudden, angry arcing trajectory of it. "I mean fucking hell Tseng! Its not like Aerith would ever STOP being a target! You told me that yourself at the start of all this! I. Fucking. Know. That-!"

He stopped, his colorless lips suddenly blanched of even more color and took a long, resigned breath. His wheezing became noticeable; brought about by his over-excitement. He repeated this pattern several times, his eyes pinched tightly shut as if in pain. He almost struggled to breathe, but was quickly gaining control of himself with now refined practice. Nonetheless, Cissnei was at his side and moving gentle digits across his back in familiar comfort.

Meanwhile, Tseng waited until Zack had found himself before continuing. "I- Its not that I don't understand your reasoning, Zack... But you also need to understand that if this goes FUBAR, this will finish destroying whatever little advantage we have left."

"Did we even have any to begin with...?"

The words came not from Vincent or Zack, but from Cissnei herself. She didn't remove her hand from Zack, but her tawny eyes were dead-locked onto Tseng squarely. Her words were quiet, barbed; stiff and unyielding and cold and precise in every way. There was no chill or animosity in them- they were merely practical, but inquiring in surgical nuance.

The head Turk couldn't say anything here, his usually reserved expression freely regretful. He could only look on, searching the deepest reaches of his own mind to supply the trio with the right answer. He knew Cissnei was looking for something here; whether it be some sort of validation or reasoning to continue standing behind this however, was beyond him. Tseng wasn't sure if it could be either or or something else more elusive.

So, he said after a gradual pause, having carefully mulled over each and every single one of his words, "I'd like to think we still have some ground left to stand on, yes."

"-'Like too'-?" Cissnei echoed, her gaze stern.

A sigh. And then, "I haven't finished evaluating just how much of this operation Rufus is aware of. There may be a chance he's unaware of Reeve's involvement, or the fact that Reeve supports our motions." Tseng folded his arms and stared into the hearth nearby, "And personally, I don't think he was ever enlightened onto the true nature of Zack's relationship with Aerith either. Its possible he'd only want Zack to do this not out of spite of his relationship or to test his loyalty to the cause, but for something else entirely. Perhaps it could only go as far as until the retrieval of the Key and not be for anything else-"

"And do you sincerely believe that?" Vincent curtly interjected.

Tseng bobbed a shoulder, "I can't say for certain. All I know is that Rufus was away on assignment for some quite time... years bordering on a decade. He'd been gone during Zack's acquaintance with Aerith and the peak of his career, and its an observation I haven't ever put into any report. Ever. If another Turk reported it, I would think I'd know about it."

Zack blinked at this, his expression going vaguely slack-jawed at the implifications. Likely, he couldn't quite believe that Tseng had never reported the details of he and Aerith's ties to one another- but he can't seem to outright disbelieve the claim either.

It was true though: Tseng had never really put down the details. He was ruthless most times, yes, but not utterly black-hearted. If he did, the president and Hojo would've used Zack to bring Aerith into the Shinra building a hell of a lot sooner. They had no qualms nor care for Zack's feelings on the matter; as they would've likely lynched him just long enough to get Aerith to surrender.

And when this clearly dawned on Zack, his expression shifted. He darted meditative stares at the floorboards, and then slumped. He believed Tseng, and it was evident on his face. "So Rufus really doesn't know about me and Aerith... huh," he glanced back at the Turk. "He's just testing us for something... and by 'us', I mean literally just the few of us. Right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Tseng nodded, feeling slightly encouraged by Zack's clear shift in disposition.

"So he doesn't know- but that doesn't mean he won't figure it out or realize it for himself eventually," Cissnei countermanded.

The head Turk merely huffed and looped his hands behind his back again, his expression contemplative. "All I can say to that is that we- or rather, I need to find out while you three do what he wills. There's also one other thing-" His slate-gray gaze landed onto Vincent, "I don't think he knows about you being connected to this either. There's no evidence to support that. We could use that to our advantage."

"By letting him stick a bullet or three into that brat's skull?" Zack lopsidedly offered.

"No, but... maybe, for something else," Tseng conceded.

"Wishful thinking..."

Vincent whirled and glanced away as Cissnei released her grip on Zack's vertebra. She tilted her head, "So then... what now? What do we do?"

"Once I've spoken with Veld, we'll be leaving post haste," Tseng went on to announce. "And we'll discuss how to go about this along the way. Make sure to pack your things."

Once again, Zack was shocked by the brusqueness of this order, but he didn't question it. After all, Sephiroth and/or his cronies were on the hunt for what's essentially a priceless treasure; and one with more than just its fair share of importance. With whatever could be inside the temple, it could ultimately make-or-break whatever Hell the next few days brings. It was time to set things into motion, and Tseng just couldn't shake the curling, fraying chill that had firmly embedded itself in his gut and frosted his veins. And the feeling that maybe, just maybe, this whole venture would only be a grievous mistake- no matter who undertook it.

He could only hope Rufus doesn't know as much as he believed, and that they beat Sephiroth to the prize.

---

~777~

~Another day later~

~Golden Saucer, Ghost Hotel, apartment 211~

Aerith sighed as she watched Tifa go.

It was a sigh of many things; some being her soft-hearted exasperation as well as sisterly fondness for the other woman. It also contained hints of her tension though; as she inwardly prayed Cloud would be more receptive to whatever Tifa had planned for tonight.

He hadn't been feeling very well... that much was obvious. Even the usually oblivious Yuffie had started taking notice; and Cid was now asking questions about how long Cloud's been shouldering these insufferable migraines and bouts of hallucinations and asking about the legitimacy of his condition. For good reason, he's asked everyone if Cloud was even fit for battle half the time and just how much of his outward demeanor was a farce. To say the least, calling his reaction mixed when Aerith elaborated on as much as she could would be an understatement.

When they last stopped for camp, Tifa had taken Aerith aside to ask if she should mention Garm and his words to Cloud; but her doubts held her back. That, and her natural apprehension. Of course Cloud would inquire about when Tifa has had the chance to speak to Garm, as well as the legitimacy of his words... but what would be the real kicker is if Cloud asked Tifa why she even trusts the man as much as she does. And if she were to oblige the query- even in some part- it could compromise Zack's identity all the more. It was weird enough that Garm had sought them out back in Wutai, so of course Cloud would want to know why he'd done so, and not be given his assured explanation as promised.

So for the time being, Aerith and Tifa settled on a compromise: They say nothing until Garm gets back with the medicine, and then have him talk to Cloud. Besides, it gave them time to formulate their responses ahead of time for when the 'talk' inevitably happens. Its bad enough that Barret now knew about Zack- but Aerith could only guess that the others would soon know- if not already.

At least Yuffie didn't suspect a thing, but Red? Aerith didn't know if he did or didn't know. Cid didn't know enough of Zack to entertain a guess, and its not like the two had been connected in any prior way. And even if Cid did learn about him, he'd still likely accept Zack within his good graces after Garm's help in Rocket town.

Back in the present, Aerith huffed and pressed her forehead against their shared guest-room door; feeling rather lonely in her current ruminations. Yuffie had left to explore the Golden Saucer while Tifa was yet on another date with Cloud. Barret and the rest were doing Gaia-knows-what. She was all by her lonesome, at a loss for what to do.

They were staying here, for the time being. The cable car that was naturally the only way in or out of the Golden Saucer had unceremoniously broken down; and no one knew why or how when it had been functioning just a few measly hours ago- if that. It would've had to happen while Cloud was taking on Dio's challenge. Cait showed up not long after they acquired the stone, looking rather disquieted and announcing suddenly that the group had to stay here for the night. Not that anyone minded... seeing as they were staying in the hotel, with complimentary service free of charge.

But you had to admit, the timing of it was just a bit too convenient, said some sort of inner voice at the back of Aerith's mind. She nonetheless huffed again, her head warming the wood of the door and closing her eyes as she considered their situation. And to think, she wondered. By this time tomorrow, we'll likely be at the Temple of the Cetra itself.

She finally extricated herself from the door, meandering aimlessly to the night-stand with the shiny rock sitting pretty right beneath the lamp. She gently caressed its watery surface- watching with rapt fascination as the orb seemed to glint more poignantly as her fingers ghosted across its seamless, strangely lukewarm surface. If standing water could become something like glass without freezing into ice, its exactly what this orb was. Its utterly devoid of any other distinguishing features save for its shimmery, polished appearance; colored an incredible cyan that no shallow sea or mid-morning sky could hope to match. It was slightly larger than average materia, not looking too different from magic materia other than being the size and color that it was.

Aerith continued fiddling with it, and then wholly took it into her hands and rested on her bed. It was one of three sets, not looking any different from the other two sets in the room- except that it sat in the middle and had her clothes spread over the lower end of it. She planned on using the washer here while they had the chance; seeing as she and the others knew they'll likely not encounter another available one for quite some time. There was some advantages to being stuck here, after all.

A few moments into her ponderous wanderings, she suddenly perked up. Her eyes visibly pinned, and then relaxed as she sought out that distracting something that crept along the edges of her senses. She couldn't help but felt initially apprehensive, but then her smile came so easily that it took even she by surprise. Without another thought to it, she was suddenly up and out of the bed and depositing the stone back onto the night stand. She went to the door, waited a minute, and then opened it up without any reason for it. She even stood to the side, smiling brightly all the while as if expecting a guest.

To anyone else, they would not see or sense the disturbance that had oh-so subtly shifted the unassuming air before her. The sound of a sigh greeted her, and then a slight zephyr rustled the finer hairs along her temples. It gingerly gusted by her, a wind where there was none; flowing right into the room and stopping somewhere in the middle of the large space.

Aerith shut the door, locked it, and then slowly turned around-

-And carelessly threw her arms around the neck of the now uncloaked figure hovering uncertainly by the edge of her bed. She buried her nose into his chest; the assailing prevalence of mako-enhanced maleness flirting around her nostrils. She happily dug her face into his collar, ignoring the bump of the respirator mask and tightening her hold around the man's shoulders.

Zack Fair returned the embrace, almost shyly in fact. His arms found themselves tangled around the woman's middle and fumbled at the last second. He wanted to fully reciprocate the eagerness of the endearment, but the cumbersome mask pointedly reminded him of the barriers between them and he sought to immediately rectify that. He used one hand to extract it and his goggles, throwing both to the floor without any thought to it. His arms ensnared Aerith's waist and refused slack; tightening to the point where it was almost physically painful for the both of them.

The climbing ivy arms continued to strangle the standing bulk of trunk and neck; Aerith growing increasingly more desperate to erase anymore space between them. The wellings of her earlier isolation and the ruefulness accompanying it brought the tears forth; unbidden and unwelcomed as they were. She fought the sniffle- so dearly fought it- but it won out and escaped her throat in a piteous whimper that's almost undiscernible to normal ears.

Almost being the operative word.

Zack's grip grew two-fold, and then slackened to prevent her any injury. His nose was buried somewhere along her neck and tousled hair; Aerith's profound lack of a braid giving him a flower-scented sanctuary to hide his face in. He heaved against her, his breath leaving his chest in huge, gulping strangulations that more than suggested his own fervent desire to cease with the walls between them.

There they stood, for uncounted moments of time, simply being there. Nothing of Zack's face can be seen as it remained lost beneath the jungles of auburn tresses- his shoulders rolling with his every pained, sinful breath. Aerith laid her ear upon his heart, closing her eyes and seeing nothing and yet everything as she felt out the thunderous palpitations rattling against his ribs. Her tears ran unchecked down her cheeks, but dried almost immediately as she listened to the hammering cadence of him.

Eventually, as with all good things, the embrace came to an end. It didn't die completely though; Zack and Aerith parting just enough to allow barely an arm's worth of space between them. Still their hands and limbs remained lingering onto the other in some sort of way. Aerith's rested on Zack's chest, tangling her sinuous digits around the zippers and buckles as if considering removing them. She wanted him to get comfortable, to not have to bear anymore of the weight he both literally and metaphorically shouldered.

Zack meanwhile kept his passive gaze on her all the while, doing nothing to resist her. He eyed her, watched her, marveling her. His aurora-touched gazed literally danced the longer he stood there, as if drinking and savoring her very proximity. He knew he would continue to drink in the image of her well into his evening, long after he eventually left.

But first.

He sighed, and then reluctantly breached the reverent silence in-betwixt them. "Heya," he began simply.

Aerith prettily inclined her head, her hands coyly playing with his leather straps keeping his weapons on his back. "Hey," she returned in-kind, her voice a sacred murmur.

Zack's smile was tiny, but there nonetheless. He huffed, "Sensed me again, didn't you?"

"Should I not have?"

The man chuckled ironically, "Remind me not to play hide and seek with you. I'd be thinkin' you're cheating the entire time."

Aerith shrugged nonchalantly here, although yes, in the past she's had her fair share of troubles playing the game with some of the neighborhood children. It wasn't a popular game they could play whenever Aerith was involved into the equation. The memories were old but painful in the sense of being akin to ancient bones having been broken and mended and aching from the damage with time. It only proved to Aerith just how different she was, even from other children.

Even back then, the one time she believed she had a window of normal to crack open and peek upon, still she couldn't do more than just look in. She couldn't be a part of any normal outing in her youth. The only time she felt like she was anchored to the earth at all and felt some sort of semblance of normal and understanding was when her mother- both her late mother and adopted- had held her in their arms and let her cry into their bosom long hours after the day was done. Like any mother around the world would do for her ailing, lonely child.

And then she met Zack.

Zack hadn't known she was any different. He hadn't known any better, at first. He merely thought her a beautiful angel and smiled charmingly, easily falling into her inner circles of trust and genuine friendship just within hours of meeting. They connected immediately and intensely- standing on even ground when even he said, "Normal is over-rated anyways." He understood her to some extent, supported her, and she felt and did very much the same. They felt normal being around each other- a comfort that became their oasis. Doing mundane things like picking flowers or selling them or eating out or whatever came to mind, memories she eagerly held onto throughout the years he's been gone.

Sometimes, Zack would follow Aerith around the neighborhood in the Sector Five slums, and the people there grew familiar with the sight of him and Aerith hanging onto each other's arms. It was such a normal thing, and Aerith had cherished and counted every moment. It was what made his disappearance so heart-wrenching for her- and it was no wonder she couldn't find anyone else. There literally had been no one else who could've helped Aerith feel so blissfully mortal and ordinary. It had been a luxury no one else until Cloud had afforded her- and he was loyal to Tifa and no one else.

"So uh... I believe Tifa, you and Cloud were expecting me?" Zack went on to more blithely bring up, interrupting her musings.

"I dunno," she playfully and innocently bantered. "Where we?"

He grinned a bit, a crooked quality that was almost cheeky before it promptly lessoned back to its former appearance. "Come on. You missed me, and you know it," he tossed out rather casually.

"And don't I know it," she murmured before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Her hands gave up their wrestling match with the leather straps and wound back around him, pulling him to her. Stupid buckles, she only half-wondered.

Zack blinked, and then repressed an involuntary shudder that still crept up his spine and flipped his gut. His small smile was suddenly more lurid as he hugged her in-turn. He did have to relent though, and settled for pressing his forehead against the side of her head. Aerith smirked as she understood the effect her presence still had on him after all this time.

Aerith: 1. Zack: 0. Might as well start keeping the score from henceforth.

"So uh... do you always dress like this every time you think of me at night? Cuz I'm not only loving the look, but I can't help feeling flattered by it too!" He playfully pointed that out with a tug on the spaghetti-strap over her otherwise bare shoulder; his expression equal parts predatory as it was flirtatious. He made it a show to appreciatively look her over too, his smile insufferably sewn into place despite whatever had been ailing him earlier.

Aerith forgot that all she was wearing right now was her long, thin, knee-length pink gown and basic underwear. She'd been preparing for bed, honestly. She found some sense to blush a bit, but also found that for some reason or another, she also didn't care Zack was eyeing her in as little clothing as he's ever seen her in.

Huh. Weird, she suddenly concluded when she realized that the above was true. She and Zack had always stayed modestly dressed whenever they saw each other, he in his uniform or basic civvies and she in her super plain white dress. Its no wonder he beseeched her to change it up once in a while- starting with the pink flare she'd grown to adore over the years. White was bland to her now.

White used to be normal. Used to be safe. Average. No one looks at you when you're wearing plain clothes... But I wanted Zack to notice more... to have more, didn't I?

She smiled at him, showing her teeth and inclining her head. "Hm. Well... maybe I do?"

"Annnnd... I see its pink too," he deliberately pointed out.

Could his grin get anymore wolfish? HONESTLY.

"...So what if it is?" She asked innocently.

"Were you expecting a ruggedly handsome, late-night caller to come slipping through your window?" He goaded suggestively, even though she knew he was merely blowing hot air.

"I dunno... it probably would've been more stylish than hovering outside my door like some lost puppy," She coyly tossed at him.

Here, did his smile finally falter. He made an 'ick' face and said, "Yup. Mood's been effectively ruined. Can't have you callin' me a damn puppy every time you think of me."

"Awww... but you're so cute!"

"Eeek... no. Just, NO. I mean, I know I'm cute and all, but dudes don't like bein' called cute, Aerith."

"But you just said you knew you were cute."

"-And that STILL doesn't mean I wanna be hearin' it. See, there's a difference in knowing it and hearing it, sweetie."

"Call me sweetie again, and I'm throwing you out."

Zack lifted both hands in surrender. "Okay okay...You don't call me cute, and I don't call you sweetie. Even?"

"Steven."

"Whose Steven? Should I be kicking his ass?"

Aerith giggled almost uproariously; only to let loose after all this time. It didn't matter that Zack's attempt at humor could be cringe-worthy at the best of times- because even then, she knew she'd find him funny, even if Hell did or didn't freeze over.

Zack in-turn smiled too, his grin lessoning a bit until it was a small, demure thing. His face was suggesting something insidious though, and with his presence here, Aerith couldn't help but find something of it troubling. As quickly as the easy banter had happened, it was gone as soon as she saw the pain writhing within him. He was suddenly tense and wound like he half-expected Shinra to come marching in here and demanding she give herself up.

The thought within itself instilled unnerving sensations whip-lashing within her, but she knew better. She knew Zack wouldn't think twice to give up as much of himself as he could to help her. After all, he's done it before- both for she and for Cloud. And it was something he was still doing, even now.

Speaking of which.

Here, Zack's eyes fleetingly glanced at the door, and then back at her. "So uh... we gonna be alone a while? 'Cuz I believe I promised you a full disclosure, and I don't want the rest of AVALANCHE in general to come barging in here for any reason," he dipped his head and scratched at the back of it, his expression bordering sheepish.

Aerith nodded almost excitedly, and then tugged on Zack's wrist while leading him to her bed. "Sit," she rather firmly ordered.

"Jeez... Thought I'd be taking you out to dinner first..."

"Zack..."

"Alright alright... I'll be serious."

"You better," She sniffed at him as they took a seat on the left side of her mattress, facing the window of the guest room.

Once they got comfortable, Zack proceeded to extract his weapons and placed them on the floor in front of him. He leaned his hybrid sword against the night-stand and immediately took notice of the orb, his eyes suddenly enigmatically flat. He blinked once, and then turned back to Aerith. He gestured to the orb next.

"What's that?"

Aerith smiled uncomfortably, not sure what she could or couldn't tell him. However, upon recollection of the fact that Zack assured her an explanation, she decided to oblige him- in some part. "Not-uh-uh! You said you'd tell me first," she smirked.

"Really, Aerith?"

She pouted a lip at him.

He huffed, and then rested a hand on the back of his head. "We'll be sittin' here a while if I had to tell you the whole damn thing... You sure we won't be gettin' any interruptions-?"

"...You're stalling."

Zack had the graces to look embarrassed and slumped. His eyes were suddenly rimmed with designer bags and his fatigue couldn't be more apparent. "I... I know," he muttered. "Its just... its a lot to unpack and its kinda on the painful side. If you get my drift."

Aerith pressed herself up against his side, leaning her head against his shoulder. "We have all night," she murmured.

"But aren't you sharing a room?"

"Yuffie will be out picking the employees' pockets most of the night- seeing as most of them are shifty Shinra staff anyways. And Tifa can just go sleep with Cloud. Honestly, they both need to do it anyways. I swear the tension between them is just- UGH." She rolled her eyes, "They should just get it over with. Yunno?"

Zack cackled there, looking mighty like he almost bit his tongue just to keep from laughing too hard. Aerith smiled along with him.

"They out on a date date or something?"

"Nailed it in one!"

He threw up one arm and huffed, "Fucking finally. I swear Cloud needs to stop pinning over her. Its the saddest thing ever. And here you're callin' me the puppy. You see how he looks at her!"

"True," she nodded.

Zack smirked and then suddenly pulled from her grip. "That reminds me-" He began, pulling off his coat completely and rummaging around in its inner breast pockets. He suddenly fished out a plastic baggie with some vials in it: Two were basic orange prescription containers with pills, and the remaining one was a glass cylinder with mako energy in it and a dropper taped to its side. Aerith frowned at the sight of it.

"That's... that's Cloud's medicine?" She slowly queried.

Zack nodded and placed it in her hands. "I take some of the same things he does. I can say with certainty that it'll work for Cloud's symptoms for his J-Cell poisoning and Sephiroth cell contamination. His amnesia though... that's gonna hafta be treated with time and patience and support from friends and my doctor in person." He gestured to the mako vial and the dropper taped to it, "That's for his SOLDIER conditioning. He'll need just a tiny smidge of that- at least an ounce straight from the glass- once a week until its empty. Hopefully by then, he'll be seeing my doctor in person and he can finish getting weaned off of mako for good. Stopping it cold turkey doesn't do anyone any favors. He needs to ease off of it, in gradual phases."

Zack's brows grew heavy at some foreign recollection, "After all, I should know. I spent the last year not being pickled in the shit and it started fucking with me in every sorta way. When I got back on it, I got headaches and pain a lot less. I've been needing less and less of it as time passed. At this point, the only really heavy medicine I take now is for my traumatic Pneumothorax."

Aerith placed the medicine down beside her, her expression shifting to concerned and saddened. She lifted a hand to his chest and inclined her head, "Does it still hurt?"

"Naw. I'm solid. I have good and bad days, but today is thankfully the former," He grabbed her hand into his own, his expression warm. He pulled it closer to his heart, his grip on her unrelenting and yet ginger. "Don't be worryin' so much. Sis and Hendel and Vince have all been lookin' out for me. And I got you too, so I know I'll be okay."

"Keep talking like that, and you'll melt all the ice off of the Great Glacier," Aerith sweetly (and somewhat jokingly) purred at him- even though a part of her was aware of the fact that he was trying to deflect it in some part. She kept the observation at the forefront, but didn't hassle him for it.

Zack blinked once in blatant shock of the flirty comment, and then grinned insufferably more. "-Or all of the clothes off of Minerva herself," he returned in almost matched nuance.

You shameless flirt. Glad to see you're still in there somewheres.

"Blasphemy," she crisply retorted while telling herself to inwardly cool it, knowing she was probably coming off as too strong right now. But still, she couldn't help but be happy to see him.

"What can I say? I'm a regular ol' sinner," He added on with a steadily lowered undertone.

"Thought regular was over-rated?"

Zack cackled winsomely in response.

The Cetra blinked and cocked her head, deciding to downplay the creatively suggestive banter a tad. As it was, it felt good to be like this again- after all these years. However, the mood for it had passed, and he was here on some kind of business- this she can see.

"So, tell me about them. About Vincent and Hendel, I mean. And for that matter, tell me the whole damn thing."

Zack breathed out in a great, swift whoosh of air, his expression more solemn. "Okay then... Guess I gotta..."

She crept up and smashed herself against his side, glad he'd removed the vast majority of his inner and outer walls (and his protective clothes in general) to permit her proximity. All he wore now was a basic navy tee and his combat trousers, which he couldn't remove without being in his britches. She leaned her head into the nook between his collar-bone and defined jaw, immediately finding comfort and solace in the fact that it was a spot she found still perfectly fit her. The lingering after-scent of his natural scent was honestly clean; as if he's been showering as religiously and as often as possible. Beneath that smell however was the faintest aroma of mako energy and sweat; as if he'd been sweating while he no doubt walked across the Golden Saucer to get to her.

Black hair curtained and pooled around her scalp, the man leaning his unscarred cheek against her crown. His voice dipped lower- an intimate and soft octave meant only for her. It was almost a perfect whisper as it swept against her scalp and lifted scraggly hairs. His arm wound against her side, pulling her further into him.

"Huh... Guess I'll start with when I got deployed to Nibelheim then," he ruefully began, his familiar and genteel timbre resonant both against and inside her very being. Aerith shut her eyes, already picturing the setting before he even said, "I'm sure Cloud didn't really recite the story with all the details intact..."

---

~777~

And so he poured his heart out to her.

He felt wounded; bonelessly, bloodlessly, wretchedly wounded. Wounded and bleeding and cold deep inside his core. As if someone- or more namely Sephiroth- had actually ripped his trunk wide open and poured out all his viscera. When he'd made the joke about being a sinner, it had been half-hearted, true, but grotesquely genuine in some ironic sense.

Zack nonetheless spoke to Aerith most of his qualms; his story, and what brought him here today. He didn't try to glorify his reasoning or motivations; deciding that such a thing would only sound like paltry attempts to remain in her good graces. If she had any opinions to give, any judgements to pass, he'd want to hear them straight from her heart- unfettered and unbiased in whatever capacity, and no matter how much they'd hurt. He felt very much like aforementioned sinner in a confessional; going on and on about the years that's passed and the times he was actually able to recall not being in Hojo's lab. If he deserved even an iota of whatever love she had left to offer him, he believed truthfulness the best policy and hoped for the best therein.

So when he finally got to the battle of the wastes, he didn't bother censoring himself when he told her about the death of all of those men. How he mercilessly laid them all out to bare in the high-rise hills and blood-soaked soils; and how his injuries were so bad that it eventually drained him of what little of his humanity and common sense he had left. His deadly SOLDIER focus gave him only one goal: To destroy the enemy at all costs.

It was the mantra of his life- his madness and salvation. He stopped faltering, stopped hesitating; stopped seeing the lines that separated man from monster. He killed in progressively creative and more colorful ways the further on the battle went. Until finally, fucking finally, the towering, but exhausted and blood-caked monster was gunned down by the persistent and heavily thinned-out stalwart army.

When Vincent told him some couple of weeks ago that it took a special kind of fatalistic madness to do what he did, Zack didn't dare disbelieve it. He even supported the statement, and revealed to Aerith that his animistic tunnel vision was what saved him. He watched her face all the while, inwardly cringing as he watched her expressions wax and wane in phases varying between concern and... something else he hoped wasn't horror or shame. He kept his own reactions to her concealed, carefully evaluating the woman's degree of regard from simple observation.

After he caught her up to speed with all of that, he went on about his time as Garm Sturges. He didn't tell Aerith about Tseng's idea of using Cloud to shield her; as the Head Turk admonished that he'd keep that to himself for the time being. He didn't mention Rufus yet either; not that he intended to keep that from her. If anything, Zack hoped by bringing up Gongaga's precarious predicament that it would help yield a better fruit to this endeavor. If he could explain this to her, he figured she wouldn't turn him down if he politely asked for the key on the beside table.

Yeah. He knew what it was. There was literally nothing else in the world like it, and the only explanation for the thing's almost spectral presence was that it was Cetra in origin. He didn't think Aerith would've deflected the query so fast, but hey, he would've done the same in her shoes. After all, its been years since they've actually had the time to sit and talk like this. Years! It would be within reason that she'd skirt around some of his queries until she better understood the stranger sitting beside her, wearing her boyfriend's usually friendly and mild-mannered face.

Once he was finally and thanklessly done, he did one more incredible thing: He withdrew from his coat beside him the shiny black box containing all but one of her letters, still as pristine as the day she sealed them. He hadn't opened the box after all, having ducked out after his initial attempts.

"I got your last letter... the one the Angeal copy got it to me," He started.

Aerith watched his hands, but her eyes darted back up to his own, "It didn't make it, did it?"

The ex-SOLDIER huffed forlornly, seeing the grim expectation sewn into her otherwise pragmatic expression. "Yeah... but it passed on easily enough. Body didn't linger. He was ready to move on."

She nodded, her breath softly whooshing out of her as she eyed the box in his hands.

He held it up to her, and then placed the surprisingly heavy object into her lap. "Tseng gave me these weeks ago, but I never actually had the balls to open 'em after all the shit I've been through... I didn't think I wanted to see if you... Yunno." He winced, his expression unguardedly vulnerable. His gaze lingered passively over his lap and his arms rested on his knees as he slumped over. "One of the only things that kept me going throughout that long slog through Hell 'n back with Cloud was believing that you still gave a damn about me and what we had. So when I got your last letter and not the others... well, I guess a tiny part of me was glad for the fact that it was so vague. Didn't think I'd take it if it explicitly and out-right declared that we're officially through- not that I woulda blamed you if you felt that way."

He stopped, huffed, and then added on, "After all, its been literally years for you. Me? My perception of time, as I've earlier said, its been essentially fucked. Even my own body didn't even know what it was doing in the weeks after Nibelheim." He touched a hand to his sharp jaw-line, "I literally only started growing facial hair a few weeks ago- Cissnei and Hendel tell me my body is catching up to the years it missed. Talk about a literal slap to the face, huh? And considering that, I can only imagine what it must've been like for you, missing me and stressing over me for so long... I completely understand if you'd wanted to end it at some point."

Aerith's expression had turned a variety of shades -or poignant lack of them- at many parts of Zack's story; but this bit in particular seemed to snag something within her that made Zack feel both guilty and perversely glad she bothered to exhibit such. It meant that she cared for him still, and a selfish part of him couldn't help but be glad of the observation and yearned for it. Nonetheless, he felt immediately reprehensible and moved his eyes to the floor.

"Whatever you have to say to me, I'd much rather like to hear it from you in person," he started, hoping he didn't sound like he was coming up with some kind of lame excuse for not opening her letters. "I didn't want to go through all this, and find out that you didn't want anything to do with me anymore... only to hear from it from a piece of paper. If you and I had to end it right here, I need to know it here and now." He withdrew his gaze and jerked his shoulder, "Not that I wouldn't leave if you didn't ask... If you don't want to see me anymore, I'd-"

Aerith's arms were suddenly clamped around his neck and knocking the letters to the floor, completely forsaken in their entirety. The weight was forgotten; lifting metaphorically and literally from their perch upon their persons. Aerith's grip was a vicious, tightened thing- one that refused to yield no matter the last walls and gaps in-between them. And really, considering a person of Aerith's caliber, who would expect any less?

She continued to hold onto him, willing an even breath back into him- as her own took on a rattling resonance that shook her entire being. She refused to look him in the eyes anymore herself; feeling far too infuriated and angry at Shinra and not wanting to reflect that onto Zack right now. He needed the little bit of solace he could get.

Seriously. How far can even angels fall if Aerith had felt such a vicious, animal-like ferocity gripping her innards and making her feel so sick from the belly up? And to think, she could hate Hojo so much before- that was now paltry compared to what she was feeling now.

And Zack could see that, the longer the she held him; the more her own slight body shook. So of course, he returned the embrace. Of course he could feel her hatred as his own. Of course he could feel every bit of her worry and love and heart as it bled into himself. He was merely the receiver- the receptacle as she poured out her own intermingling array of confusion and grief and anger in this strangulating hold that grasped at him- all without words.

He buried his face into her neck and hair again, feeling immensely... at peace.

At actual. Fucking. Peace.

It was such a novel sensation, it was literally robbing Zack of his air before he silently remembered to breathe. He sighed into her, sinking into her warmth and feeling his eyes droop steadily shut in perplexing placidity. His hold on her tightened, and then he felt moisture build in one of two places: There was the feel of Aerith's own silent tears, again, and then there was his own.

He felt trails vanish into the sweeping forests of auburn; his cheeks and face still firmly pressed into her mane. He huffed again, and sought to straighten himself out so he could further envelop her body with his own. He wanted so desperately to erase the last spaces in-between them- to completely eliminate the gaps between their bodies. He was a gluttonous, endless, black hole; wanting to consume the holy light of the sweeping star caught within the precipice of his twisted horizons. She was hopelessly caught, and he would never let her go again.

And for that next few minutes, they simply held each other as they had earlier; unable to get enough of the other. Zack stayed concealed within her woodsy warmth, getting lost in the infinite, nurturing reaches of Gaia's own blessed arms. He let this feeling of serenity eat him from the inside out; filling him with a renewed sense of purpose.

Sure, Rufus' hands being caught in this pie was sure-as-shit bad, and there's the fact that Zack was being essentially used to further Tseng's ends... but somehow, that ceased to matter to him. He knew why he was still here. He knew why going on like this was worth it; and that was enough for him. If it meant he could eventually find the end of his own long road, and have it with Aerith no less, than any length he went to was worth the throes.

He opened his eyes, and then recalled his reason for being here. It was a splash of ice water upon his naked being, but it was within reason that she'd agree, right? He blinked, and then reluctantly let her go. For now.

But before he could even open his mouth, Aerith said, "You'd think after all that, after all that shit and drama that seems to be the story of your life, from your words to your actions until this point, that I'd seriously let you go now? Not-uh." She furiously rattled her mused head. "There's no way in Hell- not the living kind or otherwise- that I'd let you walk out that door and not think to come back. And I'm not just saying that just because its pity or empathy or some other bull-shit emotion from misplaced guilt or hurt."

She touched his face, fingers daintily following softer curve and sharpened planes along his visage. They once fluttered to the healed bullet hole in his temple and to the more recently acquired cut along the side of his nose- a relic of his scrape back in Wutai. She kept going, eyeing every new wound and scar he's ever incurred since he's walked out of her church for the last time several years ago.

"There hasn't been one day... not one day... that's gone by and I didn't think of you," She continued earnestly, her expression tempered steel. "There's a reason why I wrote you so many letters," she went on to say, leaving deliberate pauses in her sentences so to let the full brunt of their impact settle where they needed to be. "After a while, I became aware of the fact that none of them were getting to you. But I wrote anyways, because it was the only way I could feel so close to you. It was to your memory that I was still speaking to. They were conversations to a ghost, and I couldn't seem to find it within myself to stop speaking to it. I couldn't just let you go, no matter how many years went by."

She laughed a little pitifully there.

"Yunno, anyone else would've found someone else and moved on. A normal person would've done that...but I couldn't." She bobbed her naked shoulders there, "Literally, you were -are- the only person I could ever imagine picturing myself with. I couldn't just... let you go. Not after all the good you gave me. Not after you helped me realize the kind of person I can be." She reached again for him again, her eyes almost beseeching, "Zack, I don't think even if you said to end it right now, that I'd ever truly be able to let you go. I could let you walk out too, yes, but I would never truly feel wholly myself without you either. The confident, stronger me you see today-"

She grabbed his right hand in both of hers, and then moved them to her face. She let his fingers slowly cup her cheek, and she leaned right into it- never breaking eye-contact all the while. "This me you see now, its because of your influence. This part of me, it belongs to you, and to you alone. Even if I ended up with another man, I would never truly be able to say farewell to all the good you've gifted me." She smiled almost cheekily then, "And I think I speak for everyone else whose ever known you... when I say they became better versions of themselves too. After all, Tseng still thinks saving your life was more important than his Turk fellows. Even for one minute, he cared for you as much as I do, or as Cloud or your parents do. You should never forget that."

Zack was, needless to say, simply stunned. He could forge no other response- to unwind the tangling mess of lumpy tongue sitting heavy in his dried mouth. He merely let his hand stay lingering on her face, his chest both heavier and lighter than its ever been. He gave her a slow blink, and then leaned towards her-

-And she met him half-way, eagerly.

He's kissed her before, many times in fact. However, none of the prior embraces of lips and tongue had ever felt so... final. Final? Was final even the right word for it? Well, whatever it was, it was there and hanging out in the open; and it was the only decent way he could hope to describe this moment in time. There was a quality to this particular tango that beheld a more powerful significance. It was as if Aerith was truly letting him have the part of her that he's always wanted. And the versa versa held true; the longer they sat, they longer they remained intertwined.

It was a long, languid motion- not quick nor desperate or even seeking. It was bordering lazy, but not quite that either. Maybe it was experimental, but Zack didn't know that, nor did he care. He'd missed his lover, and she him. He'd been burning the very soul out of him from all the violence, and she'd done the same- but the difference was that she actually knew how to mend the damage. This kiss was a way to bridge whatever little space had stubbornly remained between them. If he had to go any further for confirmation, he knew it wouldn't take much persuasion from both parties.

Literally, the rest of the world eclipsed- a profound inhalation of all things shapely and definition leached away. The lack of any solid foundation beneath his feet felt like he was being suspended into empty ether; taken up and out of the angry throes of the world by the accepting, grasping hands of the angel flying him away from it all. He was flying high, dauntless of the idea of falling back down. He knew he needn't have worried so much anymore- seeing as he knew Aerith would catch him should he fall back down.

Serenity painted him. It blended the grayed colors of his hide; defining them with something more vibrant and alive. She inflamed his flesh; scorched him, burning him without burning him out. He loved her, and loved her increasingly more with every moment they spent whether near or far from one another. If he hadn't truly loved her then, then why would he still feel this way now? After all that time he spent away, one would think he probably would've fallen out of love with her as well.

But no, he hadn't. Literally every time he's laid his weary head to rest during that long road to Midgar, he prayed to see her again. She was literally the last thing he thought about every night before sleeping and the first thing he thought about when he awoke. When concern over Cloud hadn't fogged over his wel-being, it was Aerith's naturally ethereal spell that continued to invigorate him. And to add to it all, she'd been the last thing on his mind when he thought he was taking his last breath.

Right now, said worries were no longer tangible. His literal breath meant nothing to him; as he could endlessly drown in her inebriative aura all day every day, for the rest of his highly shortened life. He forsake breath so to continue devouring the sinfully succulent fruit nibbling back at him. He tasted her- her warmth and peachy fragrant aroma lazily curling around and inside of him. His thunderous hammering had thrummed down to a tapered flutter; a leaping of his heart that literally floated up and out and free of the worldly stresses that once bogged him down.

It was finally, after they eventually pulled away, did it occur to him that he felt no longer so innately paranoid and wounded. He stared down at her, his eyes leveled with hers, and he found his reason to keep on smiling- or rather, had found it again. He smiled, right here and right now, and then pressed his forehead to hers. He applied pressure; an embrace of mindsets without actually intertwining thoughts. He silently willed into her his adoration and joy, feeling his eyes continue to water from the sheer ecstasy of it all. His breath rattled- but it wasn't from his old wounds. It was the kind of warranted shaking that betrayed his inability to coherently draw breath- simply because he loved her so fucking much.

Shit... what was he here for again?

He felt his brow pinch there, but his eyes remained shut as he savored the returned and sustained press of her own temples. Her bangs ticked and tantalized his nose- betraying the fact that's she showered today. He merely drank it all in, not really wanting to break this amity's collectively drunken pull.

But then, one of them had to speak at some point.

"You may be different," she sighed in-between them without withdrawing from him. "But you're still Zack. You're still the one person I'd ever want to be with."

"M'skocked that you do," he reciprocated breathily, wishing he could get some fucking control of himself. His breathing just wouldn't right itself, "I'm not exactly as sexy as I used to be."

Aerith giggled and finally pulled away, her eyes smiling as much as her mouth, "You say that, but you still think you're some hot shit, huh?"

"You obviously still like what you see," he goaded with a cocky curl and roguish twitch of brows. He threw out his arms, "Might as well get used to seein' it!"

Aerith grabbed his chin and rattled his stupid head playfully. "So. Smug. Still," she enunciated.

Zack waggled brows, and then let his grin fade off. He had to get back to business, eventually. Its not his fault that Aerith was so fathomlessly distracting though. He sighed and tried to get himself back to his Garm mindset, and then tossed the bed-side table a glance.

Right. Gotta ask her eventually before it gets any harder to do so.

"So uh... weren't you going to tell me about that fancy doo-dad on the table?" He said, knowing he was being blunt.

Aerith cocked her head at him, a nuance she picked up from him so many years ago. She blinked once, and then slid her beryl gaze over to the Cetra's key. "You know fully well what that is, don't you," she said with a hint of a query, but also quite matter-of-fact.

Zack nodded, not releasing his grip on her hands. "I was ordered to do something I really don't like," he told her out-right. He winced again here, "But I also wanted to run it by you and the others so we don't hafta to come to blows about it."

When Aerith said nothing to this, he elaborated, "See, the real reason why I'm here is because... Rufus seems to know about me now. Yeah, I know-" He saw her expression blanch here, "I had the same reaction. He also told me that if I didn't do it, he'd..." He shut his eyes here, as if in great pain, "-He'd blow Gongaga one last funerary kiss for me, should I refuse him. And see, he wants into the temple too, but he needs the key in order to do so. So he's sending me and Tseng to investigate in person... You see my problem here?"

Aerith nodded slowly, her face suddenly rigid in quality. She shut her own eyes too, "Great mood killer..."

"...Yup."

"God. And to think, I thought I couldn't hate Shinra more."

"Pretty much..."

She huffed again, switching glances between him and the key, "So, do you have any idea what he wants in the temple so badly for?"

"He thinks the way to the Promised Land sits inside... Either that or there's some sorta treasure in there that's worth dying for. As it is-" Zack felt his full professionalism stitch into place here, his stare hardening as he elaborated, "-Sephiroth wants into it too. Reports say the clones are trying to get in. Vince says its a race to the same prize for all parties."

Aerith was shaking her head, her expression rather similar to his, "I can say this much... I don't think the answers to all of Shinra's questions and pursuits are in there... But this bit about the Sephiroth clones is rather concerning-"

"No kidding," Zack bobbed his shoulders, but then he was raising a brow at her. "So, you really don't think the way to the Promised Land actually does exist-?"

Aerith focused on the ground, her eyes wandering to the forgotten box of letters. She prettily pursed her lip, silently taking her time in weighing the answer as she retrieved the parcel. Once it was in her hands again, she turned it over and huffed, "I don't know as much as Shinra thinks... even the Cetra themselves had never managed to answer that riddle. There's a reason why our civilization withered and died a slow, tenuous death over the span of millennia and I'm its sole survivor. If we knew how to actually find the Promised Land, I wouldn't think I'd be in the fix that I am... not to mention that my ancestors would've already done it."

She still refused to meet Zack's eyes as she added on, "As it is, Shinra's wasting its time trying to get me to show them... 'cuz I don't even know where to look. I've always figured the legend was a metaphor of some kind and not really anything tangible. Yunno?"

Zack winced, his teeth bared in a strangled grimace. "Geez... I can't imagine that answer won't smooth over well with Rufus..."

"No, he certainly wouldn't like hearing that," Aerith sighed.

After a minute spent like this, she passed the box back to Zack, "On an unrelated note, you should keep this. I still want you to read them all... you may like what you see."

Zack gently received the gift with a wane smile, his shock-blue eyes an alluring summer sky that swept Aerith into its fathomless depths. He wordlessly nodded, tucking it away with velvety care.

Aerith then reached over and passed him, pressed up against his solid form as she reached to the table and retrieved the watery-kissed sphere with some evidence of trepidation. She turned it over in her hands, watched Zack a moment, and then slowly turned that over to him too.

"You might as well take this too... Its fair to say that so long as you keep Rufus happy, Gongaga should be safe another day. Right?"

Even though this outcome was exactly what Zack had hoped for, a miniscule part of him hadn't thought she'd actually relinquish the key so easily. He barely noticed he was taking it, he was so abjectly stunned. after he swapped glances between she and object, he blinked dumbly and cocked his head.

"You... you're sure?"

"Its what you want, isn't it?" She queried back, trying to make heads-or-tails of his current expression.

Zack eyed the key again, and felt something else within him melt at the idea that she'd so willingly trust him on this. Nonetheless, he had to ask for her stance on the matter. "It's not what I'd want, no. I want nothing more than to be done with all this nonsense and just go... I dunno. Back to Midgar and to the church, or to see my parents again in Gongaga. Don't have much in the way of a home left otherwise."

Aerith reached over and grasped the hand holding the key, "Well, you have a home now... and its with me. Whenever you can finish this, I'll still be waiting for you- as I always have and always will."

She leaned over and kissed him again, the man suddenly unable to recall his other weighty questions. Zack could only blithely return the sentiment; pressing back with all his shouldered fervor. Once they withdrew again though, Zack pressed his forehead against hers; wrapping an arm around Aerith and depositing the orb in the middle of mattress. He drew her up against himself, and then rested his cheek against her crown.

"Yunno... those aren't light words to just be throwin' around," he told her.

"But you knew my doors would always be open though. Right? Its why you came all that way," Aerith murmured into his chest.

"Won't your mom be trying to boot me out with a frying pan? Maybe tack on a threat or two about staying away from her only daughter or she'll castrate me and send my family jewels back to their makers if I didn't?" he half-way joked, remembering all of Cissnei's playfully descriptive barbs.

"Better to ask for forgiveness than permission," Aerith smiled, her expression quite coy.

"Your mom's scary though..."

"I won't let her chase you out. Period," Aerith stated quite primly. "You're a sick, injured, practically dying man with no real house and a will to support his loved ones in whatever other capacity. Mom wouldn't like it at first, but she wouldn't turn you away as easily as you'd think. In fact, I think she'd even willingly let you in herself-" Here she smiled, "Albeit grudgingly- and after beating you within an inch of your life herself."

"How reassuring," Zack snickered.

"Right?"

Zack let out another breathy huff, and then stilled. Aerith meanwhile sighed and shut her eyes, dreamily sampling his presence through only smell and touch. Her own arm had gone around his trimmed waist, leaning her weight entirely into him.

"I gotta ask though," Zack started to say before she promptly shushed him.

"Zack. We're enjoying the moment here. Why do you have to keep asking so many questions?"

"-But its important though," he almost whined, although his tone was also eerily serious.

Aerith huffed, as if in surrender, and then concentrated on him.

Once he knew he had her attention, he shook his head and kept her pressed up against himself as he ventured on. "Wouldn't the others... yunno. Wouldn't they get mad once they learned you essentially gave away your hard-earned progress to the dreaded Turk trainee? They'll think you've lost your god-damn mind. And frankly..." Here he shuddered, "I don't think I'd want Cloud punching my lights out again the next time he saw me. He may not have ever been in SOLDIER... but he would make a real one sweat in his uniform. Like, a whole bunch of them... on that note."

"He'd love to hear that from you."

"Even so."

Aerith furrowed her brow there, and then lifted her head free of his own. She looked him dead in the eye as she said, "Then why don't you do what you promised to Cloud and talk to him? You don't have to tell him about yourself personally... but you should tell him why I gave you the key and why he needs these meds. I could do it, but I feel like it would be more effective if he heard the answer straight from its source."

"Shit... I've forgotten about that..." Zack sat back and propped his weight up on his arms, slumping backwards into the mattress. "I did promise him back in Wutai... and just after Rocket Town..."

The Cetra nodded meaningfully and inclined her head towards the guest-room door. "So, are ya gonna do it? Or do I have to drag you out by the ear and make you?"

The ex-SOLDIER conceded here. "Yeah yeah yeah. Guess I gotta do it sooner or later," he admitted.

"That's the spirit!"

"The spirits can kiss my sexy ass. At least that part of me is still intact."

Aerith giggled out loud here, her eyes lighting up in a way Zack distractedly thought resonated like refracted light shining off of refined beryllium in gem form. He genuinely enjoyed watching her, truly felt good doing so, his belly suddenly no longer clenching at the idea of speaking to Cloud again. The woman beside him was a balm to his worn nerves; her genteel, lilting hum a singing resonance that instilled boldness where there wasn't any before.

In fact, her open display of mirth was contagious; and soon Zack found himself laughing along with her. He shut his eyes and wheezed; unable to laugh as he used to. It came out almost whistling, and the sound made Aerith laugh harder.

Eventually, they both settled down and Aerith said, "Cloud and Tifa should be getting back from their date soon. I know it would be a real bummer for them to get the news from you right now though... so..."

"What're you askin'?"

Aerith pouted out her lip again, deciding to be frank. "By chance... are you not allowed to stay here with me? Just for one night? Maybe tell them tomorrow or something?"

Zack sat up here, working his jaw and speculatively sizing her up. He frowned, knowing that Tseng and the rest of his fellows waiting just outside the park for him. He shook his head, unable to look her in the eye there, "While I can't deny that the idea isn't tempting, I'm in no position right now to take up your offer." He scratched his head here, "I want to... but..."

"Tseng, right?"

"Yeah. He, sis and Vince will be wantin' to get a move on. And really, I'd rather not put it off if it means Rufus will have a reason to get testy."

Aerith visibly hung her head, breathing out rather heavily. "Figured I'd at least ask," she trailed off in a dispirited manner.

"Aerith, I-"

"...I know. Its not your call. Not here, not yet," she carefully murmured just between them. "But someday soon, it will be. Right?"

"Of course," he returned with a solid nod.

"Then... for this one moment, I suppose I can't ask for anything else," She relented. Her expression waned, and then she pleadingly grasped at the neck-line of his tee. "Do you think that maybe, you could at least stay here for just a tiny bit longer? Just until Tifa and Cloud get back..."

And it was here, did Zack smile more heartily and returned the heated clamp of his hands around her own. "I s'pose Tseng and the others could wait another hour. Or two," he throatily returned, leaning forward and breathing these words along her bare neck.

Aerith's skin prickled at the warming sweep, shuddering minutely when Zack didn't exactly pull away. They lightly touched heads again, she burying her nose and cheek into his wild black ruff and he having not extracted himself from her suddenly alluring throat. And yes, while Zack was quickly losing some control over the messy spillage of emotions rioting violently beneath his fevered skin, he knew enough to not actually try anything-

After all, it wasn't like they'd exactly been alone all this time...

---

~777~

Cait Sith had actually slipped in with Zack- and all without Aerith's knowing. He'd met with Zack just moments before the couples' reunion; having spoke with Tseng and the ex-SOLDIER about acquiring the key. An hour before then, he'd been ordered to sabotage the cable-car- if to keep AVALANCHE from leaving the Golden Saucer before the Turks got here. Once he knew what had to be done, he'd reluctantly followed Zack into the room when Aerith opened it. As a machine, she couldn't sense his presence- and it was something he discovered some time after their meeting.

Once Zack and Aerith settled upon the bed and began talking, he slipped under it and waited, wondering if theft would indeed be the answer. But once Aerith had willingly surrendered the orb to Zack, he knew he needn't had bothered to come here. He felt like he's intruded enough. He hadn't needed to hear this heart-breaking truth in its entirety- as it would only continue to harden Reeve's resolve to hurt Shinra all the more, and in a way that would make him likely to be reckless and more liable to be caught. He also felt it an intimate insult- not just to Zack, but also to the wonderous and intimate ardor he and Aerith shared.

On the side, and although he was made from Shinra technology, Cait Sith couldn't help feeling a budding kernel of hatred for his makers as well. He perfectly understood the true reasoning for his conception and construction now... He was an infiltration machine, and it was within his... destiny, for lack of better words- to do what he can to destroy Shinra.

And destroy it he shall. Gladly.

For the moment, Cait Sith watched them for only a second longer before averting his camera eyes- only having kept his gaze on them if to make sure the Cetra wouldn't note his exit. He was supposed to be recording them, dammit, and as a machine, he really shouldn't feel anything like shame and embarrassment curling at his sensors. But here he was, watching them, wishing so much for them to resolve their rampant problems and amity in time, once Shinra was nothing but a nasty memory at the very back of everyone's minds. He wanted this Zack Fair to find his peaceful end, but the odds of that happening were, oh... if he had to give it a rough estimate, something along the lines of 00.023%.

Zack held Aerith tightly and sampled her skin along her neck before moving up to her jaw and face; looking for all intents and purposes quite distracted. However, Cait Sith had to give the man some credit- he retained more than just his awareness as his ears caught the subtle shift of Cait's tail and boots upon carpet. He pulled Aerith into himself to conceal her vision, opened one eye, and caught Cait's own and flicked his gaze to indicate the window of the guest room.

Cait got the memo- he got up and at it before Aerith was all the wiser. He cracked it slightly, wincing when it groaned minutely, but thankfully Zack's own proximity had kept Aerith preoccupied enough to not notice. Thankfully the employees took care of their facilities too- so the window made no further protest when Cait Sith finally cracked it open enough to slip out.

The cat nodded at Fair, passed him a wane smile of his own, and raised a thumbs' up.

I'm rootin' for ya kid, he silently willed to him before he shut the window and crept down. Once he was at ground level, he sighed with relief and considered the prior information; frowning when he realized he couldn't exactly edit the conversation and give Reeve and the rest of his employers the details of the convo without involving so much of Zack's own personal stakes in it. So, truly at a loss, he did they only thing he could do-

He reached into his own velvety belly, split the Velcro seam along the border of white and black, and proceeded to his blue-box core. He fingered along its edges and pressed at one of the orange buttons there, sighing in a way that was a habit born from watching organics and not so much as a need to do so himself. Once the deed was done, his face went blank, and then it fell back to its peppy mirth as he sealed the Velcro back and went on his merry way.

~Record deleted~