Soda

by Rin and Court

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A/N: How the hell is it that we fill in so many pages of text with such incessant babble? Oh well. XDDD It's EXPOSITION, DAMMIT. Now. Enjoy. Please. XDDD

*~*~*

I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everybody can see these scars
I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe this is real
So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got.

*~*~*

6: Mr. Highwind's Neighborhood

*~*~*

According to Cid, there were three people that lived in Midgar Apartment Complex 22.

Himself.

Celia.

And the rest of them.

On the first floor was Miss Delouise and the love of her life, Josh. They spent most of their time in the manager's office at the forefront of the complex, right near the door with a window overlooking the sidewalk outside. That was her way of keeping track of all the comings and goings of the tenants, and whether they were telling the truth about their financial situations or spinning tall tales that would buy them a few extra weeks at the complex. Her actual room was right across the hall, the small one with no other rooms above it, leaving a clear space upwards so that certain tenants who paid extra would be able to have a view of sunlight from their bedrooms until the final plate was put into place. One of these tenants was Cid.

The other people on the first floor were the misfortunates: Harvey Delawney, a poor businessman who worked underpaid hours for Shin-Ra on regular days as well as the weekends. No one saw him much, but rumor had it that he had moved out of a different apartment complex when his wife had left one day with his two kids. A divorce had soon followed. A sad, sad man, his neighbor accross the hall always said. Always had a hopeless sort of look on his face that could never quite be rubbed off.

This neighbor was a character unto himself. He was seen all the time because of the fact that he seemed to always be sitting in his doorway, a cigar usually clenched between his teeth, though at the same time usually not lit. He didn't work, and no one knew if he ever really left the complex; he was a relic from the early years of the Wutaian War, hit in the head by some shratnel on an early mission. He'd obviously survived, but something in his head had never been right since, and so he had been honorably discharged and was now on the Shin-Ra Army's retiree payroll at age forty. No one liked to mess with him much, not even Miss Delouise, somewhat because Shin-Ra didn't like it when their mistakes from the past were messed with, and mostly because of the double-barrelled shotgun he seemed to have slung over his shoulder at all times. Not a thing Miss Delouise felt she could do about it, even when the tenant marched around through the halls on a rare occasion, saying that "Major Nate's watchin' ya!" That's all that anyone ever called him. Crazy old Nate.

*~*~*

Zack had become just a bit too accustomed to the dim lighting in the junk room, so the blinding light that came in from the window the next morning was quite a shocker. Confusion was prominent when he first opened his eyes and took a look around, but the last events of the night before came back to him soon enough. The jacket he was still nestled in was just as warm and he had taken quite a liking to it. He was sure he'd be wearing it a lot more often from now on...

Sitting up and sifting some slender fingers through his unruly hair, it took him a few seconds to notice the sleeping form on the floor. He blinked through crusted eyes. Why didn't he just...? Zack didn't see any problem with them having just shared the bed, but maybe Cid was uncomfortable about stuff like that or something.

Whatever.

He slowly slinked off of the bed, straightening his clothes and being careful not to step on Cid as he walked out of the room into the hallway and then towards the kitchen. He was hungry. He didn't have a chance to shove anything down his throat, however, as he heard the gruff, angry-but-too-tired-to-kick-your-ass voice from the hallway.

"....Good morning..... Kid."

Zack turned around, blinking at the man with ruffled hair and black-rimmed eyes, who was currently standing in a worn-out blue bathrobe and a pair of white socks pulled up to his ankles. Cid was in the act of yawning, a hand to his mouth as he let out the sigh and then looked back down to Zack. He moved his mouth once, twice, as if trying to get the morning taste out of his mouth when he suddenly froze. His eyes widened a bit, but only slightly; he still wasn't fully awake.

"Where the hell did you get that....?"

Zack felt a smirk pulling slightly at his lips, trying to force them upwards as he saw Cid's morning clothes. He had to admit he looked sorta endearing, wearing such uncharacteristic things, and he also realized that a robe and slippers were probably pretty comfortable, much more preferable to his boxers and jacket. Well, actually, he really liked the jacket.....

In any case, he frowned slightly when he saw Cid's disconcerted expression about him wearing it, as if Zack had done something wrong. Cid had said he'd been free to get anything from that closet... so why the fuss?

"Picked it up from the closet," he finally answered. "You know... Where you told me to look for clothing....? I was cold last night..." He had a puzzled expression on his face, unaware of doing anything wrong and upset at being chided for no good reason.

"I said CLOTHES," Cid growled in response, glaring at Zack as he stormed past him towards the counter, where he grabbed the loaf of bread that sat upon it and ripped off the twisty-wire that held the wrapping together. He snatched the loaf up, grabbing a knife and focusing intently on the act of cutting two slices out of it. "I didn't think you'd be rummaging through and opening fucking boxes that look as if they don't wanna be opened.... SHIT." The knife had nicked Cid's left index finger, and he jumped slightly, yelling out colorful adjectives as he immediately dropped the knife. It clattered down onto the linoleum as Cid grabbed the finger with his opposite hand and began to rant rather hysterically.

"What the HELL is this place tryin' to do to me---KILL ME or something??! JESUS. And as if that isn't enough, some punk kid has to come in and start stealing my crap and my time and go through my old shit---not to mention sleeping in my own damn bed---what the hell do you WANT from me?!?!?-----ARGH." With that last guttural cry, his injured hand went flying to the counter, sending the two pieces of bread into the air and then onto the floor of the kitchen near where the knife had been dropped.

All Zack could do was watch in shock. Many times during Cid's rants he tried to get some words in, a "Well--" or "But--", but this time he hadn't been given a chance.... Wincing as Cid cut himself, he was suddenly feeling rather guilty... but he hadn't known that he didn't want him looking through the boxes. Okay, maybe he could have had a bit more common sense, but he still didn't know why his roommate was so upset about it... It was still strange how Cid spoke about Zack as if he wasn't there, like he was talking to himself or something....

The porcupine's eyes were eyes were narrowed meekly as Cid finished the climax of his tirade, and in response, he slowly knelt down to pick up the knife and the two pieces of bread.

"What...?" Cid blinked downwards as Zack cleaned up his mess, and then, after a moment of hesitation, bent down and picked up the piece of bread closest to him. They both stood up at the same time, and Cid sighed, putting a hand to his ear and scratching the back of it in embarrassment as he halfheartedly tossed his slice onto the counter from whence it had come. "Yeah.... anyway...."

"Sorry. I didn't know you didn't want me going through that stuff..." Zack said exanimately as Cid trailed off, slowly pulling the jacket off. "Here." Loosely holding the blue article of clothing in one hand, he extended it towards Cid's general direction, already feeling the warmth rush out now that he was left with just a short-sleeved shirt and some boxers. No socks, either. "I don't want anything. Look... I... I think I'll leave for a while or something." He didn't want to be around the blonde much longer, not now, not when he knew all he would get from him was some more yelling, feel more guilt. Sure, he might be running away, but he didn't know what else to do.

Cid looked at the jacket, and then looked to Zack, his expression drained from his previous rant and violent movements. "No.... no.... wait...." He slowly raised his right hand, pointing a finger and then, as if confused about what kind of gesture he should make, twirled his finger in the air a couple of times at the younger. "You.... uh, put it back on."

Zack had been preparing to go take a shower so he could get properly dressed and go out... somewhere, and so he was already turning around when Cid decided to be a bit nicer. Blinking as he turned back around, one arm still outstretched with the jacket in hand, he watched him carefully to make sure he wasn't kidding and then slowly started to pull the blue garment back on, feeling the warmth return again. Sighing softly in relief, he lowered his head and closed his eyes as it was re-absorbed.

After a second his head was lifted and he gave Cid a full smile, eyes alight with gratitude. "Thanks." He was now grinning from ear to ear.

Cid looked towards Zack in the daze of the morning, from the patches on the jacket's sleeves (which were still rolled up) that said "H/W" and "Air Force" to Zack's face and looked away, rubbing his eyes as if looking at anything for too long would make him blind after the darkness of sleep.

"You look good in it." He turned away, giving a low "shit" as he realized the injured hand was bleeding more than he had thought. It was a pretty bad cut, as became evident when he held up a finger and Zack was able to make out a few thin lines of blood that were running down into Cid's palm. The pilot gave a grunt, walking quickly towards the bathroom with his hand held limply in the air, as if he didn't want to stress it more than it already was. "Yeah, whatever, keep it---I needed to dust out old memories and shit anyhow...."

Well, it seemed Cid did have some of a nice side. Zack nodded and decided he might as well go to the bathroom too and wait for Cid so he could take a shower when the blonde was finished bandaging himself.... when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"...Huh?" Zack wasn't aware Cid had any friends that would come to visit, much less this early at the morning. Raising both eyebrows, he headed over to the door and cautiously creaked it open. He had to jump back a few feet at the shout that came forth as soon as he did so.

"What's all this yelling been about, huh?!"

Blinking, Zack took a few cautious footsteps forward to see an old woman in a faded purple dress with overly large glasses and a rather annoyed expression.

"Eh? You aren't the one that used t'live here. Is Mr. HIGHWIND still here?"

Zack canted his head to the side in confusion. "Um. Who're you again...?"

"Miss Delouise. The landlady. I ain't never seen you before...." A suspicious, critical gaze.

"Well, I just started living he--"

"That's nice. Now, WHERE is Mr. Highwind? I need to speak to him about a few things..."

"Err. Um..." Zack was rather flustered; the lady that was probably a head shorter than him still managing to be intimidating. "He's... I-I'll get him." He quickly ran off to the bathroom, which wasn't far from the door, just across from Cid's room, and burst in.

"CID!!!! Miss... Delahuey... or... something.... well, she's here for you!" He cringed a bit after the announcement to let him know that it probably wasn't good news...

".....Delouise....... DELOUISE?!??" Cid whirled around towards Zack, his eyes wide as he gripped the sides of the sink as if for dear life. There was now a bandage on his finger, much like the one on the left side of his forehead that Zack had yet not seen him take off. "Shit. Um."

He quickly closed the door so that they were both in the small bathroom, unseen by this person that Cid obviously didn't like. Zack wanted to laugh at how frantic Cid was acting, this time over a woman that was probably three times his age. The black-haired one was thinking of a delectable insult to throw at the blonde when Cid slammed the door and grabbed him by the collar just as violently as usual, all niceness that he might have been endowed by the scene in the kitchen gone as he growled into the younger's face.

"Don't you EVER open the door for her unless you have to. EVER. And if you do, TELL ME and then you tell HER I'm not home." He waited a moment for all this information to sink into Zack's mind before he pulled down Zack's head even farther. "You GOT IT?!"

Zack's eyes were widened as Cid went about drilling said instructions into his head, giving a few nods at proper times and finally breathing out a hurried, "Got it," as he finished. "So... what should I--"

It seemed the landlady had invited herself in. "Yellin', again! I tell ya', youngsters these days..." There was a banging on the bathroom door, as if from a monster intent on getting in. "Mr. Highwind, I suggest we make this as painless as possible. Just come out, will ya'?"

Zack cringed, knowing he was really gonna get it for this. He yanked himself out of Cid's tight grip, opening the door and then flying out into the living room. Or rather, that's what he would have liked to have happened, had the landlady of doom not grabbed him rather harshly by the back of his jacket this time. "No, you stay here... I need to speak with the both of ya'." Her face was set in determination, then softening just slightly as she said, "Now let's sit down, shall we?" Grabbing Cid firmly by one of his bathrobe sleeves with her free hand, she dragged both of them out to the living room like schoolboys that had done something wrong, sitting them both down on the couch and then setting herself in between them.

As Zack chanced a glance at Cid, he was surprised to not see anger but instead a rather obvious "oh, shit" expression as he sat on the couch, almost as rigid as an actual juvenile delinquent waiting to be lectured. He also seemed to know exactly what he had done wrong as he sighed, holding his forehead in his hand as he looked towards Miss Delouise with a slightly disgruntled, slightly pleading expression.

"Whatever I did.... I'll stop." He grumbled apologetically, looking away from both of the other people on the couch. It took almost all of Zack's will to stop himself from cracking up then and there at the way his roommate was acting. What the hell could there be to be so afraid of some old land---

"You don't even know what you did?!" she barked, rounding on him, Zack feeling lucky that she had forgotten him for the moment. "Well, I'm gonna educate ya'." She started counting on her fingers with each point. "The constant yelling, the throwing of things, and those Coke bottles that keep ending up on the sidewalk... you just about killed Josh!"

Zack wanted to inquire about this Josh person, but he doubted this was the time. She kept on going. "And that mouth o' yours-----!!!! There are children right across the hall from you. AND." One of her hands shot back to grab at Zack again, and he just about choked. "WHY didn't you tell me about this one movin' in?! You know I'm supposed t'be informed of whenever someone else moves in-----just how long have you been here?" Raging eyes were turned back to look at Zack.

"Uh... a-about a week..." Now he understood why Cid was so scared...

"A WEEK." She stood up in utter shock. "Mr. Highwind, I have it in my mind to fine ya' extra this month for what you've done. If you don't STOP, I do swear that there'll be consequences. Dire consequences." With that, she spun on her heel and headed down the hall until she was out the door, which she slammed rather loudly, causing Zack to wince.

They were both silent for about half a minute until Cid finally looked to Zack, an incredulous look on his face.

"You know, she's the only person who calls me 'Mr. Highwind'....?"

Zack had to snicker at that, just because it was a strange way to break the silence. "It sounds weird... I like Cid." He grinned brightly, some of that warmth from the compliment a little earlier still present. He pushed himself to his feet and started for the second time towards the shower.

....And again he was intercepted by the ring of the doorbell. A sharp gasp nipped in his throat at the sound as he quickly turned around and looked down the hall at the door, which was standing there like it always was, but this time a bit intimidatingly. Zack didn't know if he wanted to risk answering it, but he took a deep breath and tip-toed over anyway, looking through the eye-piece that could let him see out. Not viewing anyone out there, he frowned and stepped back to open the door.

Once again, no one in front of him... well, not until he decided to look down.

"TRICKORTREATSMELLMYFEETGIMMESOMETHIN'GOODTOEAT!!!!!!" A loud shout came from the small body of a small boy at the foot of the door. However, the pain in Zack's shin as the boy punched it wasn't very small at all, nor was the humiliation as the kid gave out an evil laugh of delight which stopped as soon as a bark came from Bronco and the dog began to run for the doorway, a growl in her throat. However, the kid seemed to have anticipated this, for he was already zooming away, his small feet padding on the green-carpeted floor of the building's hallway, back through the door directly across the corridor, which was soon slammed shut with a loud BAM.

Zack was now doubled on the floor, clutching at his injured leg in the immense pain that the tiny little kid had somehow managed to inflict upon him. He was trying not to scream in agony from it, remembering quite clearly how angry the landlady had been about the yelling that had come from Cid's apartment as of late, and he fought to push the pain away, cursing his Mako for usually only deciding that injuries were important enough for speedy healing when there was blood spilling from his veins.

No blood, no pain. Bull-fucking-shit.

The door across the hall was opened again. The boy was back, but this time he had a little friend with him. Well, more like a twin sister. As soon as the girl saw Zack, she squealed a high-pitched scream and ran across the hall, pouncing on him and attaching herself to his leg. "NEW NEIGHBOR, NEW NEIGHBOR! WHEEEEEEE."

Zack was about ready to murder himself at this point.

The boy came up behind her, a toothy grin on his face. "See, Kailey, I told you!" he chirped.

"Yeah, yeah! You were right, Kevie."

Matching names. How sweet.

"ARGH. Kid. Get off, PLEASE."

"Noooo..." The girl whined, sounding like she was about to burst into tears. "We have to be in-tro-duced first," she explained in a sing-songy voice.

"...Uhh... a-all right..." He got into a sitting position, the pain in his shin finally subsiding. "I'm Zack."

"HIYA, ZACK. I'm Kailey." She waved maniacally with one hand, the other still wrapped around his leg.

The boy stepped forward, puffing up his chest importantly. "And I'm Kevie. We're your neighbors! We already introduced ourselves to Cid. Are you his friend...?"

Zack gave a nod. "Yep. That's about the gist of it."

"Do you sleep with him?" Kailey asked, innocent as could be.

Zack's eyes widened and his cheeks were immediately flushed scarlet. "N-no---I mean, NO!!!!... Why..." He blinked. "Where'd you get that idea?!?"

The boy answered all-knowingly. "Well, Miss Meroni sleeps with her friends..... my daddy said so!"

Zack froze for a moment, before a grin began to spread across his face. "Oh, reeeeeeeally....?" However, when he saw the puzzled looks this garnered from the children, he decided to not interrogate them about any details they might know, seeing as he didn't want to corrupt their poor little minds too much.... Though his curiousity had been perked about this.... "Meroni" lady..... "Anyway. Me and Cid.... it's nothing like that."

She blinked. "Like what...?"

"...Uhh... f-forget it..."

"Kailey," Kevie urged in annoyance, bored of the new neighbor for the time being. "Let's GO now. We need to put water into our new squirt guns!"

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed in response, finally de-latching herself and running about the door with her brother.

Zack crambled as quickly as he could to slam the door shut and, still sitting on the floor, leaned his back against it, breathing heavily. "... Oh... my... fucking... GOD."

"So," Cid was already standing there, his arms crossed upon his chest and an apathetic expression on his face as he looked down at the victim of the children. "I see you're gettin' acquainted with the neighbors....."

He looked past Zack, at the now-closed door, as if he had x-ray vision that could penetrate through it and the door across the hall. "Those little brats.... The parents buy 'em all the damn toys they want, so they think they own the world or some shit like that......"

"Yeah... real acquainted..." he grumbled as he started to pick himself up and take a few more deep breaths before brushing himself off. He shook his head at Cid's comment about the demon children. "...Well, I guess some kids end up like that, huh? Parents screw up their lives for 'em..." He started to pick at the wall absent-mindedly. "I don't wanna know what they'll end up like when they get older..."

"Hope they don't get any older," Cid retorted, his hands in the pockets of his bathrobe as he walked towards the kitchen stolidly. He flumped down into one of the chairs with a sigh, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his head with one hand. "Brats like that shouldn't live past age ten.... Unh?" He blinked upwards towards the toaster that was still sitting stubbornly upon the counter. "......I still need to fix that...."

Zack followed him into the kitchen, shivering slightly as his bare feet once again stepped onto the cold kitchen tile. He was about to sit himself down as well when Cid made the comment about the kitchen appliance. He tilted his head to the side slightly as he examined it for a bit. "...Yeah..." There seemed to be an idea flickering in his eyes, but it left as soon as he took his eyes away from the toaster.

Slinking into the seat opposite to Cid's, he took a moment to just look the other in the face for no real reason. There was something that bothered him about Cid, something he hadn't been able to figure out... until then.

"...Why don't you ever get rid of that stubble?" came the random question that seemed to float out of nowhere. "It looks so bad... you'd look a lot better if you just shaved more often..."

"Huh?" Cid's eyes moved to Zack, where they stared blankly for a moment as he brought the hand that had been on his head to his chin. He had accumulated quite a bit since the last morning he had shaved--three days before--and to Zack's eyes, was looking rather scruffy at best. Cid didn't seem to agree with this diagnosis, however, as he narrowed his eyes and glared.

"What the hell do you care how the fuck I look?!" A disgruntled grunt as Cid looked away. "Not like people are linin' up to see me as it is---it doesn't fucking matter."

"Pfft." He shook his head in dismay, apalled at the other man's attitude. He really should have been used to this by now, but somehow it still managed to amaze. "I was just saying. It bothers me, that's all. Shaving takes, what, five minutes? But you're just too lazy." Sighing in annoyance, he stood up from the table and walked towards the bathroom. "I'm still thinking about going out or something," he called over his shoulder as he walked away. "So I'm taking a shower."

"Going out....?" Cid echoed dully. "Yeah sure." He looked towards the fridge, wondering if when he opened it to get some butter, more coke would be present than when he had last checked. Zack seemed to have a neverending supply of-----

Wait.

"HEY!!!!" Cid spun around in his chair, standing bolt upright and chasing after Zack. "Whaddya mean, 'going out?!'" Down the hall, to the bathroom door, leaning heavily upon it as he looked with wide eyes towards the his roommate, who was currently facing the mirror on the opposite side of the small room, pulling off his shirt. "One week in this place---" Heave. "---barely moving from the couch---" Heave. "---and you've already got a frikkin' girlfriend?!"

Zack was pulling his shirt over his neck, but paused as Cid burst in, leaving the fabric linked around his shoulders as he started at the blonde. "Whuh...?" he asked initially, not aware of what the pilot was getting at until the mention of a girlfriend. He continued to stare for a few moments longer before bursting out into laughter, the peals of it harshly cutting through the air-----and through Cid's dignity. He grabbed the side of the sink with one hand and held his bare torso with the other as he tried to calm himself, finally managing to surpress any more giggling as he took a few deep breaths.

"Geez, you really look into things too much, Ciddy. I just meant to get some fresh air, go somewhere...... Yannow...." A wicked glint in his eyes. "If you really want me to go out that much, I can always take you along." He winked at his roommate suggestively, then proceeded to take the shirt off entirely and throw it into the hamper. Now he only had his boxers on. He paced over to the shower and turned it on, feeling the water with the fingers of his right hand before turning to the blonde again.

"Well, Cid, I know you might wanna watch me strip, but I think it's just a little too early in our relationship," he joked. "So, mind getting out?" he grinned playfully.

Cid could do nothing except blink in complete and utter shock as those words fell upon his ears. They weren't serious, of course, and Cid knew this; Zack was always joking about everything just to get a kick out of it when Cid responded with an insult or an indecipherable grunt.... But this time... for some bizarre reason......

"................What. The. FUCK." Cid's eyes were fairly dinner-plate size as he yelled. "DO YOU THINK THAT SHIT IS FUNNY OR SOMETHING?!?!?" He took a halting step backwards from the bathroom door as his voice dropped down a bit. "I mean---DAMN. Don't freak me out like that, man. It's just not.... right." He seemed to have gained control over himself again as he stood there, breathing hard, but this fact was contradicted when he exploded again.

"JESUS FUCKING CRAP!!!!!!!" He slammed the door hard enough to shake the walls of the room, causing another crack to appear in the ceiling. His indignant voice was still audible from the hallway, albeit muffled and quieter and quieter as he walked farther away.

"God damn it.... stupid.... what the hell does he think I am, some fucking homo or something?!?!.....FUCK_TARD...."

Zack hadn't actually expected him to respond that harshly; he remembered how much he used to joke with the other SOLDIERs he'd been forced to room with at one time or another back in the day, and most of them got so used to it that they could laugh along with him and even throw in a similar jest every now and then. And he had never gotten anything even close to something like this as a reaction, not even when he was doing such a thing to someone for the first time. He himself was pretty much openly bi, ready to get it on with either sex if he felt the need for it, but a good romp wasn't really what he had been looking for. Just a reaction, and that is what he had got. He snickered slightly, even if he was rather surprised, and had to wonder a bit about how truly... confident Cid was about his sexuality.

Sighing as he felt the apartment shake, he stripped down completely and jumped into the shower. Well, one more thing to tease him about....... Right?

*~*~*

Zack had gone out in the end, but he had found there hadn't been much to do. The slums weren't exactly the perfect form of entertainment, and he had found himself returning to the apartment after just a few hours. Though he had managed to pick up some more Coke... The rest of the day had been wasted away just laying around, considering it had been a Saturday and so neither of them had any real work to do, even if Cid insisted on spending all of that time cooped up inside his work room. They didn't talk much after the shower much, for whatever reason. Whether this was on purpose or not on Cid's part was a mystery, but whatever it was, it left Zack to his own devices.

Sunday hadn't proved to be much different. Zack had just sat around reading a random book he had picked off of Cid's bookshelf, playing some more cards, and watching television, as usual, all the while with a can or bottle of Coke in hand. It was a wonder that the kid had never gotten a cavity.

He was flipping through the channels, staring at the clock that read 5:05 PM... how had it gotten so late, and blinked when he stopped on a channel they usually weren't supposed to be receiving. He heard the tinkling voice a woman, "Coming soon to all viewers, though not without a fee, the p--"

A yell of shock suddenly came from the Cid's workroom that Zack had to cringe at--(What've I done wrong this time...?)--and it wasn't surprising when the mechanic tumbled out a few seconds later, his hands full of blackish grease and an expression of discontentment on his face.

"Zack?" He said cooly, calmly, wiping his hands on his t-shirt as he walked to the couch and stared down at the younger one in slight disgust.

Sighing, the porcupine flicked off the television and turned to look at the blonde from his perch on the couch with as apathetic of an expression as he could muster. "...What is it...?"

An unexpected question. "..........What time is it?"

Zack blinked at him in confusion. "Uh.. it's 5:07 pm now...."

"And the date...?"

"Sunday.... the sixth, I think?"

"....Shit." Cid slapped his hand to his forehead, pulling it away with a blank looj when he realized he had gotten grease on his face as well. "I have somewhere I need to be tonight," he said dully, still staring at his hand.

Zack raised both eyebrows at him. "Need to be...?" he asked slowly, not liking the sound of this. Surprises were good and fun, but he didn't appreciate things being sprung on him at the last moment... "What are you talking about?" he asked rather bluntly, tone overly bitter as he eyed the pilot carefully.

"It's a party," Cid growled in a disgruntled manner, turning away and glancing at a paper that had been lying on the counter since Zack had first arrived there. "At----six-thirty. DAMMIT." He turned his head and yelled back at Zack. "We need to get ready!!!"

"We.....? Hey----WHAT?!"