Soda

by Rin & Court

*~*~*

A/N: This chapter finally breaks the mold! There is ANGST. SQUISH. AWKWARD SITUATIONS. SEX. Except for the sex part. ....HAHA gotcha there, didn't we? :D

Oh, right, and happy birthday to the OTHER Zac. :3

*~*~*

I missed you so much
That I begged you to fly in and see me.
You must've broke down,
Cause you finally said that you would.
But now that you're here,
I just feel like I'm constantly dreaming.
Cause something's gotta go wrong,
Cause I'm feelin' way too damn good.

*~*~*

10: Departure

*~*~*

Cid sat in one of the uncomfortably hard waiting chairs outside of the executive conference room, staring at the wall opposite him as he absentmindedly nibbled at the nails of his left hand and tapped his foot against the tiled floor in agitation. In his lap laid his briefcase, almost bursting at the seams with figures and paperwork, and underneath the chair was a small collection of rolled up blueprints, all tied together neatly with a single white string.

The pilot frowned and sniffed, digging in his jacket pocket (he was dressed up surprisingly sharply with a suit and tie) for some tissue when the secretary in the corner near the door put a finger to the earpiece in her right ear and turned towards the blonde.

Captain Highwind, they're ready to see you now.

Uh, right, Cid nearly jumped up from his seat despite the dread he currently felt, gathering up his things and trotting towards the door. The secretary pressed the buzzer that opened the entrance and then, as an afterthought, smiled.

Good luck!

Yeah, yeah, Cid grumbled, making his way through the intimidatingly large doors into the darkened lair. Deep down inside, though, he was praying.

The room was set up more like a persecutory courtroom than any kind of area, and Cid felt rather self conscious as he made his way inside and sat down in the single chair at the single table in the middle of the circular-shaped floor. He looked up a few yards from the floor in front of him and managed to make out the intimidating forms of the Shin-Ra executives in the seats raised high above his. From the right, it was Heidegger, Scarlett, President Shin-Ra in the middle, then Palmer, Reeve and Professor Hojo. Cid wanted to visibly squirm under the scrutiny---at least from the last three excluding Reeve; Heidegger and Scarlett didn't seem to give a damn one way or the other, instead deciding to whisper amongst themselves---probably about the Turks and their armaments and the fun that would ensue once they were let loose upon the populace. And Reeve? He had a reputation for being the wimp of the group; young and nervous.

Captain Highwind, the President spoke first in his cold, pompous voice. Your designs, please....?

And so it went. The whole first half of the meeting was a blur of rehearsed, revised lines that Cid delivered with as much fervor as he could muster under the pressure. As soon as he was done, he sat down, breathing hard, taking out a piece of tissue and blowing his nose.

He faintly heard those most involved in the funding of the program---Palmer and President Shin-Ra----conversing, debating back and forth whether the benefits would be worth the monetary spending and whatnot. He looked downwards, trying to block out the banter. Whatever they decided on------well, it'd be too bad if it wasn't what he wanted.

Finally, the President cleared his throat and the pilot looked upwards with eyes that tried not to betray much emotion. The head of Shin-Ra, Inc., stood up.

After much contemplation, we have come to an agreement, he paused before continuing. Although the proposed Space Program's' morale-boosting effects on followers of the news would probably be good for the company, it doesn't seem as if the financial losses would compensate, and thusly------

Cid's heart sank down ten stories, and he swallowed hard, but he managed to hold himself together. Fuck it all, he knew they'd say no from the moment he'd walked in-----after all, why the hell would bullshitting bureaucrats like them care about something they'd promised him after he'd worked so fucking hard for all these years, something he'd kept with even through all the pain and the loss and the-----

Mr. President, if I may....

Cid and the rest of the executives found themselves turning towards the small, hunched man at the far left, who was looking down at Cid with piercing dark green eyes. Hojo paused, smiling almost knowingly.

The space program could be.... How shall we say it...? He stood up. Ah, yes, a forum for knowledge. You see, the Science Department could be another benefiting party of this odyssey into unknown territory----perhaps we could even install atmosphere, temperature, pressure, etcetera---reading devices onto this so-called

When he was met only with dubious and confused stares, the Professor sighed, sitting back down and closing his eyes as if in exasperation, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Of course, if you don't agree with my hypotheses, I can always feel free to sacrifice----hm----let's say a quarter of my department's budget to this vessel of exploration?

The rest of the executives suddenly erupted into exclamations of disbelief.



Well, I think----



What in all the hells?!

Are you out of your mind, Hojo?!

The Professor shrugged, raising his chin as his eyes slid down calmly towards the tense form of the Captain sitting on the lower level. It is my money, after all, and I do believe I can do whatever I please with it so long as it does not impend any progress with experimentation upon my own specimens....

Cid stared back and then looked away. Something was very wrong here, though he couldn't quite place it----something off and incredibly predatory in that man's eyes----but within minutes of the executives' arguments slowly turning into positive recognition of the space program, the wariness had transformed into utter joy, and the meeting room fell into silence.

Well, Captain Highwind, it seems as if you have the go ahead, the President said, quite miffed that he had been prevented from crushing yet another person's personal psyche. He looked down towards the pilot. You will proceed with the aforementioned plan of action....

Yes, of course, thank you, sir, Cid nodded too many times as he stood up, gathering his things together. I'll be leaving within a few days, don't worry----nothing will be delayed--- He managed to stuff all of his belongings under his arms and made his way for the door he had entered from.

One more thing......... Cid stopped in his tracks at the sound of that same sickeningly warm voice and slowly turned around towards Hojo's unnervingly cool visage. I hear you became deathly ill recently, and the tissue you have apparently stuffed in your pockets seems to prove this fact.... The pilot wondered vaguely how gossip had traveled so quickly to the executive in front of him as the Professor continued. You might want to bring a friend just in case the symptoms persist----simply a caution, of course....

*~*~*

"ZAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!" Cid yelled at the top of his lungs, bursting through the front door of Apartment 53 with a large box in his hands and a gleeful look on his face. He fairly twirled around as he kicked the door closed behind him (though it was a rather playful gesture), singing something under his breath as he made his way into the kitchen and dropped his box on the table, trotting to the fridge with a bounce in his step and pulling out a bottle of his best beer. "Hmmmmdeeeedoooodooooooooo.......!"

Zack tended to be the lightest of sleepers. The smallest thing could wake him up, just a movement, a creak of the house, someone whispering, and yet this time a loud yell from his roommate and his hardly discreet movement around the apartment didn't even cause the youth to twitch.

He was at this point curled up on the couch, a blanket pulled over him sloppily (it was only covering his upper body by this point), and there were quite a few things scattered on the coffee table before him. The toaster, for one, and then an array of screwdrivers, bolts, and other materials that may have helped to repair the thing. It seemed that he had attempted to fix it but had failed miserably, and had probably decided to sleep off his agitation at his fruitless efforts. The reason he was so tired was probably thanks to the fact that he had slaved away when Cid had been sick, hardly eating much of anything, nor sleeping very well, and... that had to be made up for at some point.

"Uh?" Cid grunted, arching an eyebrow as soon as he had uncapped the bottle and taken a swig from it. It wasn't usual for his roommate to be so unresponsive to such a loud entrance, and he became slightly worried that perhaps Zack had caught the sickness that he had just gotten over as he walked quickly to the junk room and peered inside. "Hey, you alive in there?"

But the cot was empty and Cid stood back, looking around and finally seeing Zack's sleeping form on the couch whose back had hidden the porcupine-head from the blonde's view. "Jesus, what'd----" He then saw the dismantled appliance on the coffee table and felt just a little bit guilty about making such a damn stink about it earlier.

Grumbling admonitions to himself, he made his way to his roommate and clapped his hands loudly. "Hey, I hate to wake ya up from your beauty sleep, but-----"

He stopped, blinking, his arms falling to his sides as he realized that he would feel bad, waking up the youth when he looked like so peaceful like that... and of course, he was probably wasted from having spent so much energy taking care of the pilot...

As if to remind himself, Cid found himself sneezing, and rubbed his nose as he glared back towards the black-haired one. "Fine, fine, kid, I'll leave you alone......"

He took another swig of his drink and made his way towards his bedroom, hoping to at least finish packing by the time his friend had awakened, but even then, he found himself stealing a glance back at the other.

Looks so damn happy.... Like a little kid or somethin'.

He shifted his weight awkwardly and made his way into the aforementioned room. Something was familiar about this, something he'd forgotten in a few weeks time....

Nevermind.

He just wished Zack would wake up already, dammit.

*~*~*

It was a few hours later when Zack finally woke up from his deep sleep. Even though he now had gotten all of his energy back in rest, he was still groggy from oversleeping, and this was made rather apparent by his droopy eyes, clogged with 'pixie dust', as they called it, and his dragged steps as he rolled off of the couch and then made his way to where he heard noise emitting from Cid's bedroom.

He poked his spiky head in to take a look inside, rubbing at one of his eyes with the back of his hand in a rather childlike manner. "Mmf... what're you doing?" he asked, the sleep clinging to his voice as well as his actions.

"Packin' clothes. What does it look like?" Cid grunted, a million and one hangers strewn across the floor as he carefully folded a pair of green cargo pants and put them neatly into a suitcase. The pilot turned around, eyes traveling over his roommate and his wrinkled clothes. "Just woke up, huh?"

Blinking back said pixie dust, aggravatingly rubbing more of it away so that his vision quit being blurry, Zack canted his head to the side. "Um, yeah... I feel better now, though. Not as worn-out..." He took some more steps into the room, taking a look around. He was... packing? He hadn't been told anything about the other taking a trip or anything, and he faintly wondered if he'd be kicked out once Cid left for wherever he was off to. That might pose a bit of a problem. "What for?

Cid grinned too widely for comfort, clapping a hand on Zack's back with a smug look on his face. "We're goin' somewhere, kid--------and you know why?!"

He walked out the door, waving for Zack to follow him in a daze into the hallway and then into the kitchen, where a large blueprint of what looked to be a large, oblong rocket was laying in full glory, its curled edges held down by a couple of empty beer bottles.

"That's why!" Cid pointed, looking all-around proud of himself. "See that baby? That's what I've been fuckin' workin' on!"

Zack was gawking. Cid was acting happy. He was in a good mood. Zack was pretty sure he had never seen him act like this, with the felicity in his tone and the grin that remained on his face, never faltering for a second. It wasn't normal, it wasn't healthy.

Actually, Cid had been significantly nicer to him after he had gotten over his sickness, even if he was generally mean towards everyone else, including the neighbors and Zack's poor co-workers, but... this was just over the top. "U-um... what sort of trip?" he asked softly, hardly able to form words in his shock.

"One to look for a damn launch site," Cid pursed his lips, removing the bottles and flipping through the prints that laid underneath the one that was currently visible. "See-------" He pulled a sheet out from the others and held it open in his hands. "I'm gonna need a whole townfull of engineers, mechanics, rocket scientists----literally------in a big, open space so there's plenty of room for a control station, and----"

Cid looked towards Zack, expecting some kind of reaction by now, and frowned at the youth's state of shock, a bit wounded that his friend wasn't taking as much interest in his project as he had hoped. "What? Somethin' wrong?"

Zack quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's not that!" he assured him, pulling a hand up and lightly patting Cid's shoulder a few times. "It's just... you're..." he paused for a moment to stare at the other's brightened countenance yet again, "...you're acting so happy. I've never seen you like this before." He smiled in return, mirroring the joy on the other's face.

"Oh," Cid blinked, a bit unsure of how to react to that comment. Was he really that-----

Wait.

There's a reason for you to be this way, remember? I just can't... think of it now.

"So, anyways," Zack had already continued, stepping a little closer so he could get a better look of the blueprints, "when are you leaving?"

Cid realized he had zoned out for a second and looked back towards the blueprint, answering Zack's second question. "Uh, well, we're gonna hit the road tomorrow at six so we get past all the traffic outta the city----load of mother fuckers trying to get to work-----and we should arrive at Junon a coupla days from now, then we have a ways to go from there, past the Nibel mountains---that's the destination we've sent surveyors to look at, but I need to give the final go, and since I usually fly, I figured it'd be an interesting change to do the whole thing by car."

His thoughtful expression turned into a hopeful smile and he turned back towards the other. "Well?"

"Um, wait..." Zack grinned cheesily, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to think of the nicest way to break his opinions to Cid, who seemed as excited, as a little kid, making it much harder to burst his bubble.

"Why am I going with you? I mean, I have nothing to do with this---" he gestured to the blueprints, "--thing, and I'd probably be more of a nuisance than anything. I'm not much for traveling, and it'd probably be better if I didn't go, don't you think? I can stay here... and... watch over the apartment, take care of Bronco..." He pointed at the dog, who was snoozing happily under the kitchen table.

Not to mention Nibelheim wasn't somewhere he'd like to visit again.

Cid answered slowly, trying to explain himself without sounding as if he cared whether or not Zack was around too much. Since I'm always flyin' everywhere, I figured a car trip would be an interesting change... And the bosses wanted me to drag someone along in case I got sick again or something. He shrugged. Anyways, you seemed like the best man for the job, he smiled, Celia has been buggin' me to take care of the mutt. He nodded towards the dog.

This was great. How was he supposed to explain to Cid that he'd much rather not go? After saying Zack was the best man for the job, flattering him like that..... It was true that the porcupine head got compliments rather frequently, but it was also true that they were usually commending his looks, not his kind-heartedness. For some reason, this struck Zack, made him a bit more accepting of the idea. Maybe it would turn out to be fun after all, even if he wasn't much for traveling. "O-okay. I guess I should start packing then, right?"

Cid smiled, though his enthusiasm seemed a bit dampened by Zack's previous comment, "See, I figured you'd like gettin' out of this shithole once in a blue moon, ah?" He began rolling up the prints and tying them together with bits of twine. "Anyway, yeah, prob'ly a good idea for ya to start gettin' all your shit together..." He glared upwards for a moment. "Not that any of those clothes are really yours."

*~*~*

"Ungh," Zack grunted in frustration as he pulled one of his and roommate's many suitcases down the stairwell, packed full of clothes and other oddities that Cid had somehow decided they needed for whatever reason. All Zack had requested was that they take was a couple cans of Coke, and that in itself had been enough to send the pilot into an uproar. He had convinced him in the end, though. Still, why didn't he have the rolling suitcases? Zack was hardly able to even drag this hulking thing, much less carry it, and the pain that was creeping up his back from having to do this three times already was getting to him. He was kind of curious as to how this was all going to fit into that tiny piece of trash scrap metal Cid liked to call a car. Yawning lightly, having just woken up (the blonde running around through the apartment had been enough to do that), he sighed in relief as he finally reached the lobby, depositing this particular piece of luggage with the rest of them, all gathered in a group near the doors that led outside into the cold morning air.

Cid stood there, foot tapping on the ground with his arms crossed and his back facing the other as he glanced at his watch every now and then. When he finally saw Zack make his way out the door, he frowned, a little bit more like his old self under the stress of an early morning departure. "C'mon, kid, we gotta beat the traffic!" He hissed in the silence of a neighborhood that hadn't quite woken up yet, snatching up his own luggage and leading his companion towards the parking lot. "They're gonna drop it off, they said, once the paperwork was done.... fuckers, you can never trust 'em...."

The air was unbelievably frigid as Zack followed after Cid, attempting not to drop the luggage or somehow cause it to burst open and make all of the clothes empty out on the pavement. That would not be good, and it would also involve getting his head yelled off by the blonde. No, that would suck. Luckily, he managed pretty well for the most part, only having to stop a few times to get a better grip on the suitcases. Still, the freezing winds made his hands numb and this was nothing close to comfortable. He didn't remember the last time he had been awake and outside this early; oh wait, yes he did. When he had walked Bronco. That had sucked royally, too. Yes, Zack now decided that he would never leave his current form of shelter until it was past eight. Or... maybe nine. Yeah, nine. If he could help it, anyways. Sometimes... other... forces... made it impossible for such a goal to be achieved.

"What are you talking about?" Zack squeaked, only hearing fragments of Cid's inane mumbling.

However, any kind of response that might have come from the blonde was cut off by the squealing of rubber on pavement as a large green jeep came swerving around the corner, causing Zack to drop his luggage in shock and Cid to stare wide-eyed. The porcupine-head could hardly believe it when the car pulled up into their parking lot, coming to an abrubt stop and causing Cid to run forward, voice loud and arms flailing.

"HEY, I PAID OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND GIL FOR THAT!!!!!!!!!" Cid shouted, glaring murder at the young, springy form that bounced out of the driver's seat through the passenger door. The pilot blinked suddenly, a quizzical expression on his face, and he pointed a finger in confusion at the young man. "You're not the guy from the dealer-------Who the hell ARE you?!"

"Diedrich, Captain Highwind, sir! Er---Tyler, that is," the kid grinned, grabbing the bewildered Cid's pointing hand and shaking it a bit too ferverously. "The company sent me down to drive this over-------I'm new in the department----junior position--------friends call me Tamago-------pleasure to work with you, sir, and if I might say, your visions for the technology and engineering wing are--------"

"Yeah, yeah, stop shootin' your mouth off," Cid grumbled, pulling his hand away as if it'd been touched by a child's dirty fingers, and walking back towards his luggage (which he had, like Zack, dropped on the ground at the sight of the squealing car), and started hauling it towards the jeep. "I've got a boat to catch."

"Of course, sir!" This "Tamago" didn't seem the least bit discouraged, and instead turned his attention to Zack, whom he grinned at brightly. "You must be Mr....um....." He blushed sheepishly, looking down. "Can't quite remember, but...." He looked back up. "You must be Captain Highwind's assistant, am I correct?"

Before Zack had a chance to respond, the young man grabbed the black-haired youth's hand (which hadn't even been outstretched in the first place) and shook it too. "Pleasure to meet you! I hear you're new too----you and the Captain must be pretty good friends if you were able to bypass all the lowly work, yes? Right?"

God, did that kid ever stop talking?

For once, Zack was a bit flustered, his usual suave mood that he pasted on when dealing with others thrown out the window when he was practically attacked by this stranger. He even felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment (and that was a rarity in of itself) as he fumbled for words. "Well, err... y-yeah, I'm Zack, and I... guess you can say I'm his assistant," he replied a bit shakily, rubbing the back of his head with the hand that wasn't clutched in a death-grip by the other.

"Well, it was a bit of a strange situation to begin with -- I won't get into the gritty details now -- but yeah, I guess you could call us friends." It was more that Cid had wanted to keep an eye on him and make sure the other got enough of his own pay to cough over his half of the rent, but it was okay to blur the lines a little, right? In any case, he had by now gotten over his initial surprise and was now able to turn on that ever-lovely Zack Charm. "Pleasure to meet you, too, Tamago. Glad to know another newcomer. I'm sure I'll see you around the office, right? We should eat lunch sometime." He winked at him deviously. "After we're back from the trip, of course."

It was best to cut this off before Cid started to yell at him about being late and so on. "Anyways, we'd really better go now. Like he said, we have a boat to catch."

"Damn straight!" Cid called back, a bit grumpy about having to load everything into the back of the car and tie it down singlehandedly as Tamago introduced himself to Zack and vice versa. He buckled himself into the front seat of the uncovered car, and Tamago glanced back from the pilot to Zack, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Uh, yeah! Sure! Lunch!" He winked back and took a step away. (Cid had begun to go so far as to honk the horn, yelling the dubious phrase: "COME. THE FUCK. ON!!!!" )

"Sorry!" Zack hissed silently enough that Cid wouldn't hear it, waving to his newly-acquired friend as he ran for the jeep, moving around it until he reached the passenger's side, where he snapped the door open and then jumped in, slamming said door behind him and strapping himself in. Cid tended to be a crazy driver when he was in a rush.

"All right, let's hit the road!" Zack whooped, throwing one arm in the arm excitedly. He hadn't wanted to go on this trip initially, but now he had might as well make the best out of it.

Cid didn't grin this time, instead muttering something else as he turned the ignition, shifting gears and turning his head back, a hand on the back of the seat as he pulled out of the horrendous parking job that Tamago had gotten the car into. He turned back towards the windshield, pointedly not looking back even as Zack saw the young man's reflection in the rearview mirror, waving maniacally with an oblivious grin on his face.

"I don't like that kid," he turned towards Cid to see him grumble, hands clutching the steering wheel as he made his way onto the ramp to the highway. "Too damn... hyper." He glanced at Zack for a split second before putting his eyes back on the road. "What were you talking to him about, anyway?"

I dunno, Zack shrugged, one of his hands stretching out to roll down the window as he leaned into the cold air, letting it wake him up a bit more, watching the other cars on the freeway absent-mindedly, an arm resting on the door, spilling out of the car a tiny bit. He's not that bad---seemed like a cute kid.

Cid gave Zack an incredulous stare, swerving suddenly as he realized he was two inches away from the next car. What the hell does THAT mean?!

Zack turned his gaze back to the man, blinking. Exactly what I said. His upbeatness is endearing. And he's not bad-looking, either. He looked back out the window, watching the clear sky. How old do you think is, anyways?

Now why would you want to know that? Cid growled, speeding up as soon as he got to a half-empty stretch of the freeway. At the cold silence that came from the other, he shrugged, answering as his voice became a little less stern. I dunno... seventeen... eighteen?

Pro'lly twenty-one, Zack sighed hopefully to himself.

Cid murmured, vaguely wondering why those lines sounded all too familiar. His eyes narrowed. Though I dunno about the not bad-lookin'' shit.

Zack shook his head in dismay. You just don't know a pretty face or a good fuck when you see one. Not that I'd expect much more from you. After all, it was as if the man next to him didn't have any sex drive to speak of, and Zack seriously doubted he could appreciate the finer displays of both genders.

Cid nearly crashed into another car again with a loud verbal response to go along with it. DAMMIT, kid, you and your... one track mind... It looked as if he wanted to add something more, but he bit his tongue, deciding against it.

With a sigh, Zack turned to look at Cid's disgruntled face in disgust and then went back to examine the few cars speeding by them. You just don't see good opportunities when they walk up to you and fall into your lap.

An awkward silence. Cid shifted his weight a little.

.........But anyways! The porcupine exclaimed, breaking the quiet and clapping his hands in excitement as he grinned at the driver. Let's make this trip fun!

Cid sighed in resignation and his voice escalated slightly into the upbeat mood he had been in during the previous night. He smiled, flipping on the radio.

*~*~*

The weight was heavy, and as Colonel Rigdon raised it up towards the ceiling, he found himself sweating from his temples and lowering it back down as quickly as he could. He rested it on the rack on top of him, bringing the back of one of his hands to his forehead and breathing hard. Perhaps he was taking too much stress on at one time...

He slowly got up, wincing at the pain that shot down his leg from sitting in the same position for too long. Rubbing his thigh with one hand, he made his way to the kitchen counter with minimal difficulty and leaned against it with the help of his other palm. Sighing, he sat down on one of the stools and grabbed a bottle of water in front of him, uncapping it and taking a long swig.

He closed his eyes, thinking hard. They hadn't called him yet, and it aggravated him. Not so much that he was forced to keep cooped up in both his home and in the Shin-Ra HQ that he frequented so often, but that with every second that slipped away, he knew that his quarry was getting farther and farther out of his grasp....

He clenched a fist, looking up towards the wall opposite him, upon which hung a framed photograph of a group of uniformed men, all hanging onto each other like the best of buddies, grinning with as much carefree insensibility as one possibly could. Rigdon recognized his own, younger face among the others, and for a brief moment he smiled.

But it was only for a brief moment, for then he remembered exactly what he was training for. He grit his teeth, slamming his fist down on the countertop as he looked away. He.... it.... won't get away. I won't let it.... I swear, you'll get what you deserve....

The phone rang, and his head snapped up. As quickly as he could, he made his way to the line and picked up the receiver. Hello, Rigdon here.

Good morning, Colonel, a quiet, smug, familiar voice caused shivers to run down the man's spine. I have some information that you might find intriguing....

The colonel instinctively stood to attention, wincing at the pain from physical exertion that raced through his body. What is it, Professor?

A pause. J-V is on the move....

*~*~*

Cid and Zack drove the whole day and a little in the night, and when they finally reached the inn halfway between Midgar and Junon, Zack had already fallen asleep in the passenger's seat. Nothing much about the ride had stimulated his interest anyway, except for a series of staggered conversations with Cid that hadn't lasted long once they both realized that silence was much more comfortable.

The radio had been on most of the time, so sometimes they had sung along to familiar songs and then laughed at themselves afterwards. That had been fun. But for some reason (a strange one, Zack thought), once they had exhausted the usual subjects of conversing, they seemed to fall into placidity, as if neither of them wanted to continue on into the subject of their own selves.

In any case, they'd only made two stops at a couple of gas stations for snacks and bladder-relief, but otherwise, the trip had been rather uneventful, and all-around boring.

Zack woke up slowly to the sound of the car's tires rolling on gravel and looked towards Cid with bleary eyes as he let go of the wheel and switched off the ignition, turning towards Zack with tired eyes. He could have sworn the blonde stared for a moment before shaking his head and asking: Hey, kid, you awake yet?

Zack smacked his tongue against his palette in a vain attempt to get rid of his morning taste. Yes, morning taste at whatever time of night it was. In an effort to form words, he came up with, Wer aw uwee?, which roughly translated to, Where are we? With a glazed look around, he found the place they were stopping for the night was some no-name hole in the wall. The terrain let him know they were making rather good time, however. Cid must have been driving fairly fast.

As he cleared his throat, he gave Cid a hazy (but more lucid than previously) glance. Since we're only staying for the night, I'm going to take just one of my bags up. No way he was lugging every suitcase up multiple flights of stairs again. It just wasn't happening. Curling out of the position he had acquired while sleeping, he un-snapped he seatbelt, pulled on his shoes which he had kicked off sometime during the car ride, unlocked the door, and then rolled onto the gravel road they had driven onto just outside of the inn.

Zack hissed, his arms immediately enveloping himself in a hug. It's as cold as Icicle Inn out here! Shivering slightly, he moved around to the back of the jeep so he could unload one of his suitcases. Open up! he ordered, slapping his hand on the back of the vehicle so Cid would press the appropriate button to unlock the rear door.

And it was unlocked, Cid slamming the actual car's door shut and coming around the side, opening up the back and handing Zack his duffel bag as he pulled out his own. He also grabbed an additional suitcase, a thinner one. "So I can look over the blueprints..." He explained, frowning at Zack's confused expression. They gathered up their things and made their way through the parking lot that only held about three other cars, though a few yellow chocobos were tied to a fence nearby. Zack smiled. You never saw many chocobos in Midgar....

It wasn't a long walk before the found the warm inside shelter of the inn, completely deserted except for the man at the check-in counter. They walked across the wooden floor until said counter was reached, and Zack immediately set down his bag when they got there, his cold fingers hardly able to hold the strap of the bag properly. He rubbed his hands together and then brought them to his mouth to blow his warm breath into them, then glancing up at the man who looked tired and bored.

"A two-bed room, I suppose?" the clerk asked drearily. Zack nodded, not thinking he had any reason to consult Cid on it, since it wasn't something that required much for debate. He moved aside once this was done so Cid could pay; after all, there was no way the pilot was trusting him with any money.

As soon as Cid had checked in with the man at the counter, he walked back past Zack, giving him an acknowledging pat on the shoulder. "C'mon, kid..."

They made for the stairs, climbing them, both lugging their belongings along with the dampened enthusiasm about a trip that comes after a day of being cooped up in a car with nothing to do. They got to their room---the first down the hall---and with a jingle of the keys, Cid stepped forward, unlocked it, and creaked it open.

It was dark inside, and the pilot frowned, groping for a lightswitch next to the door, finding one, and clicking it on. He blinked. The interior wasn't so bad, a little musty, maybe, but that was it.

"There we go," Cid smiled, walking forward and giving out a sigh as he fell into the bed closest to the small bathroom at the front. He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, enjoying a brief moment of rest.

Zack sighed and dropped his bag ungracefully near the foot of his bed, which was closer to the window and farther from the door. He pulled his arms skyward in a long stretch, yawning rather loudly as he did so, and then let his arms fall down to his sides with a thump. "Mmf," he murmured, taking a quick glance around. "Not too shabby, eh?" He paced over to the window and pulled back the drapes, peering out of the two-story window down below. Not much of a view, just more grassy plains, with a few spots of brown here and there. He was sure he'd be seeing lots more country roads after this, anyways, and so he turned back to his bed, leaping onto it and then jumping up and down on the springy mattress a few times. "Wheee!" he yelled, flapping his arms up and down with each jump.

"Meh?" Cid opened one eye slightly,

"Look Cid, I'm FLYING!" Zack yelled the last word, vaulting from his bed across to Cid's own one, toppling on top of the man in a jumble of limbs which ended up sending both of the falling to the floor.

"MRRRFFFFFFFUMMMPPHHHMGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Cid yelled in his muffled voice as they landed on the ground, rolling over several times until they came to a painful stop at the wall that separated the bathroom from the rest of the area. Cid gave out a groan of pain, clutching his left hand to his forehead.

"Zack, what the fuck---------" He said in an angry hiss, in no rush to alert the innkeepers to his and his friend's frequent arguments. He pulled the hand away and looked around with dizzy eyes at his surroundings, blinking several times before he simultaneously realized with both his vision and the pressure on the rest of his body that his roommate was, in fact, lying on top of him.

After Zack recovered from the tumble (that little fiasco had been a serious miscalculation, for he hadn't expected them to fall off the bed), he wrenched his eyes open, for he had been wincing them in pain, having cramped his arm into a strange position and banged his legs on a few things, and then blinked down at Cid, who he was perched on top of.

There was a long moment of silence where they remained stuck in their positions, staring at each other.

"... Hi," Zack said meekly, finding he was unable to move. It was partly because his legs were twisted in such a strange position that he wasn't sure how to get out of it, and partly because he was frozen still. Why? He wasn't sure himself.

"Uhhhh....." Cid stared back, vaguely feeling his cheeks flush red across his face. He tried to say something, but found that his throat had locked up along with the rest of his body until he finally found the presence of mind to shove Zack off of his helpless form with his arms and force the youth to the floor next to him. However, he still didn't say anything nor get up, instead remaining tense on the floor with his fists clenched at his sides as he stared up at the ceiling.

Zack was sprawled out on his stomach next to the blonde, breathing heavily. It may have been from his hyper jumping, but it was more probable that the situation he had gotten them into was the cause of it. Wiping his own blush from his face before lifting his head up, he glanced at Cid. And you are blessed with yet another of Zack's Many Screw Ups. Grinning toothily, he scrambled to his feet and headed back to his own bed, sitting down on the foot of it and crossing his legs. So, you wanna shower first, or should I?

Cid laid on the floor for a moment, also heaving slightly as he slowly pulled himself upwards, running a hand through wisps of his short blonde hair as he staggered into the bathroom.

I'll go take a shower... He muttered almost half-dazedly. A nice.... cold.... shower...

He closed the door behind him and Zack watched him disappear into the bathroom, hearing the sound of the lock being turned soon after. The porcupine cocked his head, bit confused. That was weird...

Suddenly, the door slammed back open and Cid walked out, quickly grabbing his duffel bag and backing through the entrance to the bathroom once more. Forgot... my clothes... um... yeah...

After a few awkward blinks, slammed the door again. Zack blinked a couple more times and then sighed, leaning back onto the bed and closing his eyes.

...Cid, you have problems.

*~*~*

He was running. And running. Pushing himself so hard, chest heaving and clenched with sharp intakes of breath, sucking cold air into his lungs and causing himself to fall into cold sweats, freezing and boiling hot at the same time, as if his lungs were going to burst, his legs were going to give in, already throbbing from being pushed too hard. Still he felt them grabbing at him, deathly frigid hands reaching out for his hair, his arms, anything... to pull him back, stop him from continuing onwards. Onwards to what? He didn't know, but he couldn't let them catch him, no matter what.

Now they were on the floor, nipping at his feet, attempting to grab his ankles and pull him down to the floor, crash and burn. Falling into oblivion wasn't really on his to do' list. And so he continued, watching as his hard breaths became mist in front of his eyes, mist he soon whipped by in his desperate sprint to get... away...

Find yourself.

*~*~*

Sleeping near to the window meant that the light of day reached Zack first, piercing through the blinds and then his sleep. It had been the first time in a while that Zack had slept in a real bed (damn that cot) and so he was nice and refreshed after a good sleep, though he sensed something negative clinging to them as poison might hang in droplets from a forest leaf...

He shook his head.

Probably jus' me....

Slipping out of the bed, he took barefoot steps over to Cid's bed, peering down at the man was was still snoring, hair ruffled into disarray. He stepped away to look out of the window again, though now it was bright outside and he could see a few sunshine-colored Chocobos frolicking on green plains. I wonder what time he was planning on getting up...

About now, it seemed. The pilot slowly stirred awake, yawning slightly as he woke up. He sat up, stretched his arms, and then looked to Zack's form, perched next to the window. Auuuuugh... um... what time is it?

Well, that had been quick. Zack had been prepared to wait an hour or two before the other woke up. Which was strange, because usually Cid was up before him, and yet he had still felt like the blonde would sleep in for whatever reason. Driving was draining, after all. It was amazing how just spending an entire day in a car could drain you of all your energy, but it did.

Twirling around, sable strands flipping with him, he paced back over and took a quick look at the clock, only to see it was flashing 12:00 in red characters. Twitching slightly as he was very tempted to smash the thing, he instead cooled down and smiled halfheartedly at Cid. "I don't know, but we may as well go. Sun's already out, after all." With that, he made his way for his duffel bag to obtain a pair of clothing so he could change out of his pajamas.

"Yeah," Cid yawned once more, pulling his covers off of himself and walking towards his duffel bag, squatting down and zipping it up. He had slept in the clothes he was planning to use the next day, so he was all set as he pulled his shoes on over his ever-present socks, shouldered the bag, and grabbed his case. He got up, cricking his neck. "So. Ya ready to go?"

Um, sure! The youth responded after a slight pause, wondering to himself how his friend could just decide to up and leave without shaving or brush his teeth. Weirdo. Lemme just... um... get some clothes on.... And with that, he grabbed a couple of items from his bag, deciding that the pilot was simply a strange little man that couldn't help his own eccentricities.

I mean, the damn man stays a million miles away from sex! He said to himself, slightly exasperated as he made his way into the bathroom. Wonder why that is, anyway.... Probably wants to get hitched first or something.... Yeah, that's it....

So he got ready.

*~*~*

Even though Zack had slept so well the night before, he had to resort to doing so in the car as well, because there was really nothing to do. He had stared out the window for as long as he could, had gotten a bit freaked out when things started looking the same, including every single Chocobo, and had decided he needed to rest his eyes after staring at one fixed place for so long. Luckily sleep came easier than he had expected, the soft lull of the radio playing helping him to drift into unconsciousness.

*~*~*

Through the hazy smoke, he felt he was standing, until the ground faded away, evaporated into the grey-black smoke that hung around him, a thick gas-like substance, and he almost felt like coughing except it didn't actually clog his throat. When the floor fell away, he was floating, almost as if the smoke was helping him stay levitated in the void he was trapped in.

He knew what this was, he wasn't confused at all. She wanted to talk. She wanted to chat. She wanted to say hi and then kick him in the gut. She wanted to watch him scream at her, hear his angry cries pierce through the dream.

It's been a while, hasn't it, dear?

He tensed up, feeling the growl already forming as his blood boiled. "I was sort of hoping you wouldn't come back."

Laughter. He felt his hair stand on end. Like you really thought that was going to happen. I always come back, after all; once I've infested someone, I don't just leave. You should know that rather well by now. It felt like there was a soft wisp brushing against his cheek, though it felt disturbingly like someone's hand. He flinched back. "What do you want from me this time?"

Well, I'm sure by now you've figured out that things aren't so simple anymore. You know what I have done, even if you may not know why. But, Zachary... what are you getting into?

His blood was now cold. "...What do you mean?"

You do know why you weren't allowed to leave, don't you? Why your soul just couldn't bear to go?

"Of course I do. It's not like I've forgotten what happened then. What he... you did to me and.... him....."

You certainly don't act like it. Carefree days spent with this one, like the other never existed. Isn't he the same as all of them? You're just going to screw up like you did before, Zachary. You're simply repeating your mistakes over and over again, causing pain to one more poor soul.

"You're wrong. I'm not hurting him."

You're helping him, then? You are aiding him?

"Well..."

That's doubt I hear, Zachary. Doubt.

"Stop it! I'm not going to screw up this time! I may not really be helping him, but I'm not hurting him, either."

How can you be so sure about what lies behind those bright blue eyes of his? Have you really looked?

"I'm not hurting him. I haven't done anything wrong."

Or maybe you're just telling yourself that. You may not be causing him pain yet, but it is only a matter of time, my sweet.

"Stop it. Stop calling me those things. I'm nothing to you."

You wound me. You're one of my favorite toys, after all. You're always so... stubborn. You don't so easily fall into my words, it takes you a while before you give in and believe the truth I speak.

"That's because it isn't the truth."

When have I been wrong before?

"...You can't hurt me. You can't. I won't let you. So leave."

Watch yourself, Zachary. Make sure you don't bring anyone down with you. Especially him.

"I won't."

You lie. You lie to him as well. Why don't you speak more often? Because you have nothing to say, nothing you can reveal about all you've done wrong, all the black marks on your record. If you keep hiding things, it will all turn out badly. Mark my words. There's no avoiding it. You'll hurt him... somehow.

"Then let me go before I can!"

That would be too easy. Good night, Zachary.

And then he went from floating to falling.

*~*~*

He woke up.

Zack jumped up from his position lower in the seat, pulling so far up that the seatbelt pulled into his skin. Gasping heavily and ignoring the digging feeling for a moment, he stared straight forward, eyes widened as he gazed into nothing, chest heaving up and down sporadically. After a moment he fell back down and sunk lower into his seat, still breathing hard.

Cid had been staring at the road for a while, vaguely aware of the fact that Zack had fallen asleep while he nodded his head to the music. Suddenly, he heard the sound of movement coupled with the hard breathing, turning his face slightly towards his friend, a concerned expression dawning upon his face as he saw the look of fear in Zack's eyes. Hey---you all right? he asked, taking his right hand and patting the black-haired youth's back and then rubbing it. He was rather worried...

The comforting touch was appreciated even though it didn't offer too much for consolation. With one hand placed over his face, he moved a few fingers so he could see the other through one eye. I'm fine, he breathed, attempting to reattain a proper breathing pattern as he straightened, removing his hand and putting all of his hair in place, for it had been thrown into a mess with all of the sudden actions. Just fine...

Cid arched an eyebrow dubiously, looking back to the road as he slowly pulled his hand back and placed it back on the wheel. You don't look too good.... We could stop at a gas station or something if you want... Get some snacks...? The pilot arched his neck, as if trying to see what laid over the horizon.

Zack insisted, despite the fact that his voice was shaky, as were his hands. He stared down at them apathetically as he shook, and as much as he tried to stop it, stop the shaking, the cold breathing, the sweat, that horrible feeling in his stomach, he couldn't. I'm okay, I'll be fine. D-don't... worry... about me... He bowed his head, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself down.

Cid's eyes narrowed, and he muttered something in a low voice, unexpectedly swerving off the road into the pastoral landscape around them, slamming the brakes on as he came to a stop a few yards from the highway.

What are you doing?! Zack exclaimed, the surprise chasing away his fear for a split second. Cid turned towards him, his full attention now focused on his friend. Don't just pull over like this and make a scene!

the pilot growled in retort, eyes hard and serious as he temporarily towered over the younger of the two. Don't act like I'm a fucking idiot or something. He took his hand and shoved Zack's shoulder backwards into the seat. You think I can't tell when someone's damn scared outta their fuckin' head?! He breathed hard for a moment before continuing. You were diggin' into my damn business when I was fucked up a week or two ago, and now it's my turn. So... He leaned back, resting an elbow next to the headrest of his seat as he scowled. What's wrong?

Growling animalistically at the other as he pushed him roughly and found it fit to lecture, Zack glared indignantly, throwing his arms up in disbelief. You can't make stupid accusations like that; I wasn't trying to pry anywhere while you were sick! What you did end up saying was your own damn fault.

The black-haired youth's eyes turned to the side, taking a glance out the window even though there was absolutely nothing to see. I... just had a bad dream, okay? he said lamely, his breathing still making it hard to speak. A sudden, disconnected thought suddenly raced through his shaken mind. He felt his hand cupping over his mouth. Oh, Cloud... he breathed softly, wincing his eyes closed. God... dammit...

Cid arched an eyebrow, blinking as his friend leaned forward, hugging his arms to his chest and bending his head downwards, expression hidden by his long locks of pitch-black hair. The blonde jerked suddenly, grabbing Zack's closer arm and pulling him upwards a little harder than he meant to, mostly due to concern for the other. Hey, hey------stay with me, kid!

Zack looked desperately at the other, the small bit of pain lingering in his arm not even regarded as he stared at Cid with hurt eyes. Don't you understand? I thought you of all people would... I... don't... wanna talk about it.... He felt the sobs clogging in his throat, but no, he wouldn't...

Pulling his limb away from the other's grasp, Zack threw both arms to his sides, doing his best to look strong and failing miserably. Stop it, don't worry about me... please... I don't need your... sympathy... I don't deserve your concern.

The pilot stared, not sure how to react to Zack's outburst. He slowly pulled his hand away, blinking some more as he opened his mouth and then closed it again, biting his lower lip. He hated dealing with sentimentality. Hated it. Like he couldn't do anything, being the big, useless bastard he was. He clenched his hand into a fist involuntarily, regretting having grabbed his friend a moment before. His throat locked up, and Cid swallowed hard, the most useless he'd felt in years.

Zack mumbled. His breathing was finally starting to level out, even if he was still shaking slightly. I promise... I'll be okay, all right? No worrying about me, I'm tough as nails. He smiled crookedly at the other, hoping he believed him. Frankly, he didn't even know if his own words were lies or excuses. Just keep on driving. Oh, and Cid? You might wanna stop at the next station anyways. I need to pee.

The blonde laughed as best he could, trying to go along with Zack's avoidance of the situation and hating himself for it. Maybe if he'd been able to face problems like these in the past, he wouldn't be like-------

Stop it. We've been over this already.

Cid nodded, smiling weakly. We could get you some Coke if you want....