Chapter Thirty-Four: Unhurried

Cloud wanted to talk to Ratcliff in the morning, but there was no rest for him or the other men of the unit. Their routine started early – showers, then head down to the chow hall, then out to one of the few ground compounds for exercise. Cloud was thankful that Ratcliff managed to wake him up right as they were leaving, as he soon realized he was running late. He would have to wait until later to talk to him about Graves, if he even would.

Now that he remembered a good portion of what happened, he almost wished that he hadn't. It was just a constant reminder of one of his friends abandoning him, Ratcliff and the company. Cloud could only guess that it was for revenge, but now that the truth was out, he wanted to talk to Ratcliff to see if he knew anything more. It was no use continuing to lie to him.

He was happy to hear that the psychologist wasn't going to be in until the afternoon, so there would be no session for him. Her schedule was full until the end of the day, so he managed to relax and just do the job at hand without worrying about having to sit through her blathering. And even when she did finally come in, she only said her standard hello to him, as he did to her, and that was it. The day passed quickly with only a few hiccups during, as Cloud accidently mixed up a few patient files, but the full-timer managed to help him sort it out.

The mac and cheese in the chow hall at dinner was for once cooked properly, and even though he sat alone at a table, he was somewhat content. He was hoping to see Zack coming in to eat at some point, but he never did. Cloud decided to just go and see if he was home, even though he was still ashamed of himself. His empty tray was discarded and he realized then that that had been the most he had eaten in quite a while. The past week he really had no appetite, and now it was back to normal.

It really was a bad week, and he just figured it was to be expected with having his last remaining two friends just leaving unexpectedly as they did. But now they were back, and this day was going pretty decently, so he wanted to indulge himself in a bit more happiness by seeing Zack.

He reached his apartment and shuddered at the silence of it, and hoped that he wasn't going to be disappointed. He paused for a brief moment, setting himself up for disappointment out of a newly formed habit, but when he knocked, there was the sound of a pan hitting the counter behind the door.

Cloud didn't even have time to register that happiness of hearing something break the silence, as before he could, Zack was opening the door and standing before him.

"Hey, just in time. I'm making a gourmet meal of grilled cheese," Zack said, laughing.

Cloud just stammered in shock that Zack was actually home, and found that he couldn't say much of anything. He just felt himself smiling.

"Come on in, please." He stepped to the side and gave Cloud an amused look when he continued to stand there. "Do I have to drag you in?"

"No, no," Cloud finally said with a breathless chuckle. He stepped in and began to unlace his boots. "Just … didn't expect you to answer the door so quickly."

Zack moved to the kitchen when he realized the stove was still on but his pan was sitting on the counter. "Want one?"

Cloud finally removed his boots and placed them neatly by Zack's. "No, just had dinner. Although," Cloud said, frowning in thought as he joined Zack in the kitchen, "I might take a bite."

"That's the spirit. One bite, coming up."

"Why don't you just go down to the chow hall for dinner? I should have brought you something better than this."

"What's better than a grilled cheese sandwich? I had a craving I couldn't ignore," he said simply, resuming the cooking of his equally simple meal.

"I guess you have a point. It's quick and easy, and even guys like us can cook them." Cloud leaned against the counter, watching Zack closely. He was reminded of their first date together as Zack cooked, and he continued to smile.

Zack glanced over his shoulder. "Ah, sorry. Where are my manners? Want somethin' to drink?"

Cloud laughed, shaking his head. "No, thank you."

"Well, would you like a kiss hello? And I don't take no for an answer."

"You're in a good mood today," Cloud said thoughtfully, peering over his shoulder to keep an eye on the sandwich as Zack was still looking at him.

"Actually, I had a shitty day. It only just got better when I heard a knock on my door."

Cloud nodded to the pan. "Flip."

Zack looked back at the sandwich and realized he didn't grab the spatula beforehand, so he began to mildly panic as he opened and closed the drawers in the kitchen in search of a utensil. "Where the hell is the damn thing?"

Cloud stepped over to the sink and frowned, looking inside. "It's in here. Is that … the dishes left over from that breakfast you made us a week ago?" Cloud's voice was full of disgust.

"Only some of them," Zack said sheepishly. "I got halfway through before Tseng called me and ordered me to his office."

"That's gross, Zack. It's moldy."

"Hey, I'm a victim of circumstance." Zack offered up a shrug and grabbed a fork instead and attempted to flip his sandwich. "Just leave it, I'll do it la-"

Cloud was already squirting soap on the sponge and turning on the faucet.

"Dammit, Cloud. Just leave it, please. Go sit down and relax."

He just ignored him and continued to wash the dishes. "I wish I would've known that you didn't finish washing these. I would've come and cleaned them for you while you were gone."

Zack was suddenly quiet for a moment, looking lost in thought as he checked beneath the sandwich. "Huh," was all he said after that moment was gone.

"What?"

"Just … thinking of something."

"Care to share?" Cloud patted the spatula dry with a dishtowel and held it out to Zack with an expectant face.

Zack took it with a grin. "Nope, not today."

Cloud's expectant face turned to confusion and then almost a pout. "Well, when?"

"Soon. Don't you worry. Now," he said, flipping the sandwich, "about that kiss?"

"I think you should be more concerned with that burnt grilled cheese of yours." Cloud motioned down once more to the pan.

"I like it burnt." Zack shut the heat off and pushed the pan to the back range. "Besides, it can wait. A kiss, however, can't."

Cloud smiled shyly at him, pushing himself off from leaning against the counter. "But … your dinner."

Zack tried to hide the frown that he was sure surfaced its way to his lips. He wasn't too sure if Cloud was just being his usual shy self, or if he really didn't want a kiss and was trying to avoid it altogether. He was now unsure if he should just drop it, or press on.

But Cloud's mouth twitched to the side before smiling a little bit more as he took a step closer. "Well … are you sure I deserve one?"

That frown lifted into a warm smile – soft and understanding. He lowered his voice to a murmur, not to sound sultry, but to convey his seriousness. "You will always deserve a kiss from me, no matter what." He reached up, rubbing Cloud's upper arms. "Is this about the other night?"

"I just felt bad for snapping at you," Cloud said quietly, his eyes darting over to Zack's discarded dinner. "I'm really sor …" He frowned then, stopping himself from saying it as he could see Zack's face from the corner of his eye perk up in anticipation. He was just waiting for him to say it and pin it on him.

Cloud really didn't like when he did that, and he just wished he would let him apologize for something that honestly did need apologizing for. But he sighed a little and frowned to himself before speaking slowly and very awkwardly. "I didn't mean to snap at you and I understand that it was wrong. Next time … I'll try hard to think before I speak so I don't offend …" He trailed off just as awkwardly as he spoke.

Zack stared at him, trying to read the strange expression Cloud had on his face. Who … actually spoke like that? It sounded like gibberish that he would expect that psychologist to feed to him. It was carefully worded and too considerate to be natural, and now Zack was feeling as if he actually missed Cloud's apologies. And now, he was missing that smile that he had on his face not moments before, so Zack just shook his head with a chuckle. "Don't worry, it didn't bother me. You looked pretty tired, and maybe I was being too pushy."

"That's no excuse."

"Sure it is. If I was tired and cranky and I got a bit short with you, would you hold it against me?"

"No, not forever."

"Exactly. Don't stress over it. I'm not bothered anymore, so it shouldn't bother you anymore."

Cloud finally looked at him and smiled again, even if it was smaller than the ones he had just shared. "Thanks, Zack."

Zack just shook his head, dismissing the conversation. He was still unsure if he could kiss him, but Cloud finally stepped close to him. He slipped his arms up against Zack's chest and lifted himself up on his feet. Their lips briefly met in a modest kiss, but it didn't seem to satisfy either one of them, and so they tried again.

Now, it was unhurried; it was sweet. Cloud's lips had felt dry when they started, but as their kissing continued, they began to become moist and soft. It was sensual, with hands that only roamed to caress and with quiet moans to only represent their affection. They didn't move from their spot in the kitchen, as there was no need. It was only a kiss that led to nothing more than more kisses.

Tender pecks, upper lips rolling over bottom ones, even a shy flick of a tongue … each held the release of a longing to see each other; to taste each other once again in this way. Warmth was captured between their bodies and their mouths, and it was savored, enjoyed. Each subtle shift against the other seemed to only bring them closer, uniting them in a way that they perhaps had forgotten. It had felt like an eternity for them since they last were like this, and so an eternity they would take together with this kiss.

Parting was just as unhurried, and even just as sweet. A soft murmur from Zack accompanied Cloud's smile, and Cloud's content blush accompanied Zack's loving caress of his cheek. And even though they pulled away from each other, that warmth shared was still resonating between them, enveloping them with the feeling that they had missed dearly.

They both wanted to say so much to each other then, and yet, not a word was said between them. Zack simply turned to plate his dinner, and Cloud just watched him with the same interest as he would if Zack had been doing something more interesting. This was the type of silence that could make Cloud happy, and now, silence didn't seem so bad.

The television was turned on as they sat, and they both took an odd comfort in seeing that their sitcom was on. Zack ate his dinner in peace, after Cloud snagged the first bite, and Cloud even replaced the plate in Zack's lap when he was finished.

"You made yourself right at home, didn't you?" Zack said, smiling down at Cloud who had reclined on the couch with his head in his lap. "I didn't even have to beg."

Cloud went to speak, but cut himself off with a rather cute yawn. "I guess I just missed you," he finally said. He blinked slowly and suddenly he looked really tired.

Zack began to stroke Cloud's head gently, almost petting him. "I missed you too. Sorry that I was gone for so long."

"Don't worry, it's understandable. What did you do? You look tanner than usual."

He scoffed, staring into the television. "Was forced on a vacation for some unknown reason. I just think the missions were scarce so they had to do something with me."

Cloud laughed lightly, and it was such a comforting sound. "A forced vacation? That's strange. I would love to take a vacation, forced or not."

"Well, they sent me to Costa Del Sol. It was pretty nice there, actually, aside from not wanting to go."

"Hm … I bet." Cloud stretched a little, readjusting his cheek against Zack's thigh.

"Actually … are you into all that?"

"What?"

"The beach scene."

Cloud paused for a moment, thinking. "I guess so. It's nice and all, but I never really gave it much thought before. I don't see why not."

"Ever been to Junon at least?"

"Nope."

Zack was the one to pause in thought now, but his hand didn't pause its stroking of Cloud's hair, and that seemed to be lulling him into a sleep. "Well, maybe I can take you there one day. They have excellent seafood. Better than Costa Del Sol, actually. You like seafood?"

"You're not setting me up for a lame joke are you?"

"No, no, I'm being serious! Besides, I've been done with my sandwich for a while now."

Cloud went to sit up but Zack pushed him back down onto his lap gently. "Yeah, I like seafood …"

Zack resumed the stroking once Cloud settled back in place. "Then how 'bout I see if we can go together one day? I don't think it'll be anytime soon, seeing as I just came back from a vacation, but I can try."

"That sounds great," Cloud said, glancing up at him with a tiny smile. His eyes were looking half-lidded and his voice came out heavy with drowsiness. "I'd like that."

"And … maybe we can relax on the beach together all day until the stars come out."

"Now, that sounds sappy."

Zack frowned, but it took him a minute to realize through Cloud's sleepy voice that he was being sarcastic. He responded with a chuckle and brushed his hand over Cloud's forehead. "You know that I do sappy so well."

"I know, I'm getting used to it."

He let out another chuckle, followed by another comfortable silence. They stayed like that for a while, the sounds of the television being ignored by the endearing sounds of Cloud's breathing as he eventually fell asleep in Zack's lap. He stirred for a moment, but only to crawl further onto Zack's lap and settled when the man resumed stroking his head.

It was a wonderful feeling, having Cloud so close to him again, and so Zack allowed his head to lean back and his eyes to rest. One hand sought out the remote control blindly while he kept his other in Cloud's hair, and he turned the television off. He wanted nothing to interfere with their peace, and so he reveled in it for as long as he could until he himself fell asleep.

There was a sharp movement in his lap and it caused Zack to startle awake. As his senses began to collect, he heard and felt Cloud fussing against him. The boy was clutching his uniform trousers in his hand and twitching as he slept. It was mostly in his shoulders, but his legs were shifting against the couch as if he was in a significant amount of discomfort.

"Cloud, hey," Zack muttered, groggy.

Cloud didn't respond. He continued to mildly convulse against him with a soft whimper.

"Babe, wake up." He shook his shoulder, glancing to the clock on the wall to see how long they both had been asleep for. It was at least an hour and a half. Cloud had a little bit more than another hour and a half to get back to the barracks. He then wondered if Cloud was back on full-duty again, but as he lay there on the couch in pain, he could only assume he wasn't. "Let's move you to the bedroom, come on."

He finally gave a groan as a response but remained asleep.

Zack rubbed his eyes, barely feeling awake enough to move himself. He was too relaxed and too content prior to this. "Cloud, come on," he said, lifting him gently as he slipped himself from beneath Cloud's body. "I'll carry you then." He stood and bent over him, wiggling his arms beneath his shoulders and knees, then scooped him up. He prepared his muscles for lifting his weight, but found that the boy was a bit lighter than what he remembered from the first time he carried him.

He gave Cloud a kiss on his forehead before taking him to his bed. He placed him down on the side that he had slept on each time he had stayed over. He bent down, removing his knee armor, then his shoulder armor on his uniform. He wanted to strip him down more to be comfortable, but thought better of it. He didn't want to risk making him uncomfortable, or to trigger any bad memories by doing so, even if it was with good intentions. Instead, he pulled the blanket over him and gave him one more kiss, but this time on the lips.

Cloud let out what almost could have passed for a coo, and Zack couldn't help but kiss him one last time. He thought he felt Cloud kissing him back weakly, and when he pulled away, his lips were parted as if he had. Zack stood and watched him sleep for a few minutes, smiling at each rise of his chest as he breathed, and each subtle movement of his eyelids. Whatever pain he was in seemed to have subsided, so Zack took that moment to slip out into the living room to clean his current mess and his past mess in the kitchen.

The dishes were cleaned fairly quickly, as he wanted to crawl into the bed with Cloud and cuddle. He was surprised at the rate they were cleaned, given his usual laziness in taking care of such things. Any other time he would have thought of an excuse to put them off until later, but he also knew that Cloud would wash them given the chance. So he finished putting the last dish away and swiftly headed back towards his room.

There was a knock at his door and he froze in place. After a brief silence, he decided to ignore it and head into the bedroom, but the knocking continued. Zack sighed and shut the door softly to not disturb Cloud and went to see who would be disturbing him this late.

Kunsel stood before him, strangely dressed in a 3rd Class uniform with his face mostly hidden beneath his helmet. It took Zack a few moments to recognize him, and he looked nervous.

"Kunsel?"

"Zack, we need to talk."

Zack scoffed, leaning against the doorway. "Oh, so now you come around."
"C'mon, man, let me in."

There was a moment of hesitation, but Zack eventually stepped aside and let his friend in. He entered and sat down on the leather couch, not even bothering to remove his helmet as if he was afraid that he would be caught speaking with Zack.

"Want a drink?"

"No, it's okay," Kunsel said, sitting down stiffly. "Look, Zack, it's been killing me."

Zack sat down next to him, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table. "I'd imagine so." He wasn't even going to pretend like he didn't know what Kunsel was referring to.

"Your place isn't bugged, is it?"

Zack scoffed again, frowning at him. "I highly doubt that."

"I wouldn't put it past 'em."

"Then if you're not gonna talk …"

Kunsel shook his head. "No, let me. I can't take it anymore. You know how I am."

"Yeah, I know. I'm surprised you lasted this long without spillin' the beans."

"Well, they're really watching my phone, just so you know. But I don't think I was followed." Kunsel smiled a little and Zack could tell he still seemed nervous.

"So what do you wanna say?"

"Want me to tell you everything I know?"

Zack shrugged nonchalantly. "Better late than never."

"I know and I'm sorry. I was ordered."

"Since when do you really take orders to keep your mouth shut to heart?"

"They've never monitored my texts."

Zack sighed, glancing him over. He already knew most of what Kunsel was planning on telling him, and now he was more curious to know why he was dressed in a different uniform than with what he had to say. And as Kunsel told him everything he already knew, he didn't even bother feigning surprised. But when Kunsel began to add in minute details such as overhearing Cloud plead, 'Please, don't do it. I'll do anything else', and then his constant repeat of Zack's name, it proved to come as a shock to him.

It must have been apparent that he was horrified over hearing this, as after a few awkward moments passed, Kunsel had reached over and gripped his shoulder tightly.

"You all right?"

Zack found himself nodding yes, even though he wasn't.

"It's sick, I know."

"He was … really calling for me?"

Kunsel nodded solemnly, his hand dropping back down to his own lap. "Yeah, heard him in the truck ride home. It was hard to hear him but after a few hours of it, it was apparent what he was saying," he said quietly.

It was then that Zack was thankful that Kunsel spoke in a very calm tone. He only really got loud when he had a few beers or when he was yelling at the army cadets. He was used to speaking softly and had trained himself to be respectful of certain conversations due to the amount of knowledge he knew and his ability to somehow keep it under wraps even after sharing it out loud. So Zack wasn't too worried about Cloud waking up and hearing the conversation taking place out in the living room, as he knew Cloud would surely be distraught over it. He was also thankful that Cloud didn't snore very loud, otherwise he would have to explain why the cadet was in his bed to Kunsel.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, but eventually Zack finally dropped the cold act he was trying to put towards his friend, and he smiled at him. "Hey, thanks, Kunsel. I really appreciate you telling me all this."

"Well, I've been dying to tell you, because I know that he's your close friend and all. He must've been acting pretty damn strange this whole time."

"It's to be expected. But you've been acting pretty damn strange yourself. Why the hell are you in a 3rd Class uniform? Did you get demoted or something?"

Kunsel laughed then and it was a welcomed sound. Zack had missed their friendship dearly since this rift was formed between them. "No, not demoted. This is my old uniform that I put on sometimes so I'm not recognized."

"What?" Zack said, chuckling.

"Why do you think I hardly ever take my helmet off and hide my red hair beneath the balaclava?" He shrugged, finally looking as if he was relaxing. "If people recognized me, I wouldn't be able to snoop as much as I do."

"So you wear your old 3rd Class uniform to hide the fact that you're you?"

"Yep."

"And what – do you have a closet full of wigs and dresses too?"

Kunsel grinned sarcastically, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table. "Hey, don't judge. At least I'll admit to my elaborate schemes."

Zack lifted an eyebrow at him, unable to tell if Kunsel was only joking about the wigs and dresses. For some reason, Zack wouldn't put it past him.

"You, on the other hand, still won't tell me who you're seeing. So, until you do, you have no right to sit there with your eyebrow all raised at me. So go on – put that eyebrow down gently."

Now, Zack's chuckling turned into laughter, and for a moment he had forgotten that Cloud was asleep in the other room. He quieted himself down and instead opted to reach over and give Kunsel a brotherly hug. "You're an oddball. Thanks for cheering me up."

They pulled away and Kunsel shrugged one more time. "Naturally. You've seemed … down lately."

"How would you know? We haven't even seen each other."

"Trust me, I know everything."

Zack folded his arms across his chest and grinned slyly. "Everything but who I'm in love with."

"Wait … in love?" Kunsel's eyes widened, and he actually removed his helmet in shock. "Not 'dating'?" He tugged back the balaclava, his rather wild hair finally showing. It was no wonder that he hid it. "Not 'seeing'? Not 'screwing'?"

Zack lifted his eyebrow again.

"Love? Actual love?" Kunsel watched as Zack offered up yet another shrug. "Aw, man … that's so sweet."

"Are you patronizing me?"

"Maybe slightly. I find it hard to believe that you're in love with someone this fast." He began rubbing his chin in thought. "At first, I was thinking it was just a simple fling. Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type fling, you know. But now with this new development, it leads me to believe that this lucky person is someone you've known for quite some time."

"Person? No longer woman?"

"Hey, can't rule out any possibilities."

"And what would those be?"

"Just … possibilities."

"Alright, man, whatever you say," Zack said, chuckling.

They continued to chat for a bit, but Kunsel eventually stood and donned his helmet once more.

"You in charge of the barracks tonight?" Zack asked, glancing over at the clock, worried that Cloud was still asleep. It was close to lights-out.

"I will in the morning. Hey, uh, don't tell anyone I told you all this, okay?"

"Of course not."

Kunsel nodded and went to the door but stopped when Zack spoke again.

"Besides, I already knew."

There was a very perplexed look on Kunsel's face as he turned, and he took a step forward but stopped when his boot hit something on the ground. He glanced down at the shoes by the door, but ignored them and looked back up to Zack in shock. "How did you know already?"

"You're not my only little birdie."

"You mean … I've been stressing over this for the past two weeks, and you already knew?"

"I guess you have."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never answered your phone," Zack said simply.

Kunsel sighed, pulling his helmet on tighter to hide his features, and he opened the door. "Guess you're right. I've learned my lesson. Sorry about it all, Zack."

"I don't blame you, I would've been spooked too."

"Wait … so Cloud hasn't told you anything yet?"

Zack shook his head solemnly. "No, and I don't think he will."

"You gonna ask him about it?"

He looked off to the side, his eyes scanning his closed bedroom door. He was quiet for a while, a frown slowly coming across his face. "I … don't know how."

Kunsel nodded, even though Zack didn't look at him. He found himself frowning as well, and his shoulders slumped as he finally stepped out in the hallway. "I don't blame you." He waited until Zack said a quiet goodnight, and he shut the door.

It had taken a few minutes to wake Cloud, and he was very disorientated when he woke, but after a cold glass of juice, he was ready to head back to the barracks. Zack was reluctant to let him go back, and he had offered to see if he could be excused for the night, but Cloud refused. Cloud just fixed his hair quickly, then went to leave with Zack following behind.

"You don't have to walk me back to the barrack," he said, looking at Zack.

Zack was walking very close to him down the hallways, and the few people that they were passing gave them a quick glance before continuing on. "Hey, that's what I'm supposed to do. I am your boyfriend, after all."

Cloud stopped walking, frowning at him. "Don't say that."

"What?" Zack stopped and turned to face him. "Boyfriend? Well, isn't that what we are?"

"I don't want you to call me that, and I don't want to call you that either."

He laughed dryly, almost taking offense to what Cloud was saying. "Why not? What's so wrong with it?"

"It just … sounds funny, is all." Cloud twisted his hands together, his eyes cast down at the floor.

"I admit, it kinda does," Zack said, shrugging. "But those are the facts. We are what we are."

Cloud lifted his head slightly, peering at Zack with a hopeful look through his hair in front of his eyes. "Can't we call us something else?"

Zack pulled Cloud off to the side next to the wall, glancing around. He spoke quietly when no one else was around, and his hand gave Cloud's arm a gentle touch. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"A little …"

Zack smiled wide then, happy to hear that Cloud was voicing his opinion about such a subject; it gave him hope. "Well, I won't say it then. I'll just call you Cloud."

"T-thank you."

"Or babe."

"… Zack."

"Or Angel."

Cloud lowered his head again, and as he did, Zack thought he saw him make a face at that. He remembered Cloud making a similar look the time before.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?" He began walking through the empty hall again, his pace faster this time.

Zack trailed behind a few steps, frowning at him. He decided not to ask. "I have tomorrow off I think. You should stop by when you're done with your duties."

Cloud stopped, glancing to the closed door of the barrack, then to his watch. He seemed to relax when he realized he had a few minutes still. "Sure," he said, finally smiling at him. "I'd really like that."

"Great. Can I kiss you goodnight?"

"But … what about the cameras?"

"Just a quick peck."

"Well … I guess so–"

Zack watched as Cloud's eyes darted past him, and he heard footsteps coming their way. He looked over his shoulder to see Ratcliff and Pawn coming down the hallway. Pawn was carrying a chessboard with him and Ratcliff was giving them both a friendly wave.

"Hey!" Zack said, smiling at the both of them. "Good to see you guys."

Ratcliff nodded, giving Zack a handshake when it was offered to him. He found himself being pulled into a friendly hug afterwards, followed by a few hard slaps on his back. "Good to see you, yeah. Nice tan."

Zack offered his hand to Pawn, who only just stiffly and awkwardly saluted him instead. He just chuckled at the boy and opted to return the salute. "Thanks, I made the tan myself."

Cloud smirked a little. "What a strange thing to say."

"Well, I did, sorta," Zack said, watching as Pawn excused himself and entered the barrack. "You guys played chess?"

"Yeah, he's teaching me. Hard game."

Zack nodded thoughtfully. "I don't have the patience for that."

"You don't have the patience for most things," Cloud said, almost mumbling as if Zack wasn't supposed to hear.

"You're right, I don't. Especially for that goodnight kiss I asked of you."

"Zack …" Cloud said, glancing to Ratcliff briefly.

"What? He knew about us from the start." Zack looked back at the man, and he just nodded slowly. "See? So it's okay. Only if you're comfortable."

"Please …"

"Hey, after insulting me and my patience, I think you owe me one," Zack said playfully.

Cloud eventually stepped forward, giving Ratcliff a look that begged him to look away, which he did.

Zack rubbed Cloud's shoulders as he leaned down, smiling as their lips touched lightly. He was about to pull away, but stopped when he felt that Cloud was beginning to increase the pressure of the kiss. He sighed with happiness and was surprised to feel that Cloud gave him a few extra pecks as they parted.

Ratcliff looked back when they were done, shifting on his feet. "We should get inside, it's almost lights-out."

"Yeah, sorry," Zack said, chuckling. He let his hands slowly slide from Cloud's shoulders and down his arms, not wanting to let go. "I guess I'll let you go now."

"Goodnight, Zack," Cloud said quietly, a small smile on his face, below a large blush on his cheeks. He glanced warily to Ratcliff and turned to enter the barracks.

"Night," he said to Cloud, then looked to Ratcliff who had a slight grimace on his face. "Night, bud."

He nodded, his eyes briefly meeting Zack's before he smiled. "Yeah, night," he said flatly, and followed Cloud into the barracks.

Graves could see it in the distance. In fact, he had smelled it first, even before his eyes could make out the twinkling lights. Dust, sand, coal – it hit his nose in that familiar way that reminded him of everything he left behind. He hadn't been there in years, barely contacting his family with a pathetic handwritten letter, so seeing – smelling – it now was an overwhelming sensation.

And even though he was dreading going back, the pain in his leg had increased over the past few days and he needed rest. He was fearing that the puncture wound was becoming infected, but he had been too busy pushing himself to properly tend to it. After Zack had let him pass in the resort, he didn't want to stop and look back. He was angry at himself, as when he exited the town, he saw Mejia climbing into the back of a truck with a couple that was fleeing from the Genesis copies. He tried aiming a few single shots with his rifle at Mejia, but the truck took off too quickly to be in good range.

So he walked the direction the truck went for about a day, following the tracks in the ground. He only took a handful of breaks. He soon found that no matter how strong he thought he was, exhaustion was always lingering and heavy, so he was forced to rest and regroup. He was running low on ammunition and his water supply was thin, having used a good portion to flush his wound along with the few potions he had. He had a choice to make – keep his wound clean, or save his water to cross the vast desert ahead.

There were no villages between Costa Del Sol and Corel and no bodies of water, so he sparingly used his supplies. Food was nibbled, water sipped, his clothes used to wrap his thigh to help keep it free from bacteria … wherever he could cut corners, he would. Sleep was scarce as well, but soon waves of delirium struck him, so he forced himself. He wanted to store up enough energy to get through the desert.

He knew it well, having grown up in Corel. The desert was beautiful in its own haunting way, but was deadly if underestimated. The heat would be stifling during the day and sunstroke was common. But at night when the sun set, temperatures would plummet to freezing, putting travelers at risk for hypothermia. The extreme temperatures alone were enough to claim even the strongest and most prepared individual.

In fact, it had claimed many lives over the years. The land was mostly flat, and the horizon was visible for miles, but it all looked the same. It was surprisingly more disorientating than if it had been lush terrain, as there were few natural landmarks along the way, and a quick encounter with a monster could leave a traveler forgetful of their original direction. Citizens of Corel had tried to create landmarks in the area that led travelers back to the town if they were to lose their way to the coal mines, but the strong winds and sandstorms would blow them away.

After the death of a few of the town's children who became lost while exploring, volunteers banded together to form a service to patrol the desert on chocobo and carriage for any travelers who might have lost their way. They would be picked up and carted back to town to safety, and even free of charge. The citizens didn't want to see any more deaths out in the desert, so they operated on donation.

Graves was more than grateful to hear the familiar warking of a chocobo nearby. It was just in time too; he had been walking for three days now, and his water supply was nothing but meager drops in a bottle. He was even down to his last energy bar and cigarette. His skin was chapped and sandblasted raw, even his sunglasses were scratched from the harsh winds whipping the sand about. His leg had been feeling a bit better, despite all this, and when he knew he was near the town, he used the last of his potions instead of hording them. It was hard to part with them any other time, never knowing when he would be able to buy or even find another one next.

He heard the carriage driver shouting back to him from the perch that they would be arriving soon. Graves sat up and stared out through the front again. The smell of coal was getting stronger. The town would have the potions he needed, it would have the food he craved, it would have a nice bed to sleep in. Hopefully, it would have the man he hunted.

… To be continued in Chapter Thirty-Five: Labels.

Ending Author's Note: Hello! A few things to mention!

The joke that Cloud mentions while they're talking about seafood is a childish joke that people play on each other (not sure if it's just English-speaking people) when they're eating. Someone will ask if the other likes seafood, and when they say yes, the person will take a bite of food, chew it up, then say, "Then see food!" and they spit their tongue out to show the chewed-up food. Seafood and "see food" is pronounced the exact same, obviously. It's really just a gross joke, and yet for some reason I don't put it past Zack. XD

Balaclavas are a head scarf-like headpiece worn beneath helmets in the military. They can cover the entire face, or just the head and neck. They're generally worn as protection of their skin, and are also flame resistant. If you look closely, SOLDIER members wear them. :D

Also, obviously we don't know what Kunsel looks like, so I'm going off good ol' fandom. I've seen several fan-art pieces of him with red hair, and I think it fits him. Kunsel as a redhead = win. I love Kunsel, by the way. *swoon* OH! Speaking of redheads, did anyone notice that Reno does NOT have his ponytail in Crisis Core! I just noticed that the other day while re-watching the scene where you meet Cissnei and I was stunned! No ponytail! *dies!*

Also, this is a strange question, but would anyone know where I could download really awesome Zack and Cloud skins for the Sims 3? I haven't looked yet myself, but just thought that I would ask you wonderful people first! Anyway, I'll keep my blabbling to a minimum …

Hope you enjoyed the Clack fluff in this chapter! There will be even more to come. So, wander back on June 29th for the next chapter! Thanks for reading and enjoying!

EDIT 06-23-10: HELLO! More amazing Malady fan-art! MeykoLove has draw eight new pieces! There are some concept sketches of my OCs in there too! It all looks so amazing! Here are the links. Remember to remove the spaces:

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Mejia-Trials-168687997

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Graves-Trials-168687927

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Elici-Trials-168687813

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Ratcliff-Trials-168687745

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Collage-168687673

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Joining-ShinRa-168687607

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Imagining-Cloud-168687518

http : / nolfalvrell. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Chibis-168687403

EDIT 06-25-10: NYAAAA! lady-yuna7 has drawn an awesome realistic version of Ratcliff showing his naughty side! She did an amazing job! Check it out!:

http : / lady-yuna7. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Realistic-Ratcliff-169004662

If, for any reason, these links don't work, head over to my profile to find them. They are linked in there, and you can also find them on my personal deviantART page which is also linked in my profile on here. Enjoy!