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Stargazers

Chapter Fourteen

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After having been to Gavriel, Cloud has thought there wasn't much else out there to catch him off guard as far as cities go. He was quickly realizing his mistake. The streets of Lavitia were bustling and foreign in a completely different fashion than Gavriel, lacking that festival feel. Warm tones of tan, brown and gold were more abundant, and the market stalls were nearly overflowing with various goods. Many of the designs and patterns reminded him of some the decorations inside of the Gavriel base. There seemed to be an unexplainable mix of styles occurring all over, but most notably in clothing. Half the people he saw were garbed as he expected, but many were adorned with light, pastel colored tunics and robes the likes of which he had never seen before. The air seemed different as well- felt different, or smelled different- maybe both, he wasn't sure. It just seemed thicker, somehow.

He had a million and one questions for Zacks, but was forgetting half of them without ever having the chance to ask. All the unpacking wouldn't have been nearly as rushed if not for a claim Ras made that the last time he and Zacks had a drinking contest, Zacks had bet his superior room at Lavitia and lost. Zacks, unsurprisingly, remembered no such thing, and there were no witnesses to vouch for either of them, so whoever got the majority of their things in the room first won it. Both Cloud and Miran refused to assist.

The buildings were all made out of a pale, almost clay-like material, though it seemed as hard as rock. The one they were staying was huge; wider, taller, and more intricately constructed than any of the buildings surrounding it, ornate towers of various sizes stretching skywards. Zacks had won the room; Ras would have kept up an argument for it if Miran hadn't told him he was being a prat and pulled him towards the door. The size of the room could have comfortably contained several people, and Zacks had convinced him to share the same room again, not that Cloud would have complained. The room itself was gorgeous, the décor as lavish as Gavriel, but far more interesting, and he was too distracted by their new location to care about much else. After everything had settled down, Zacks left to find out when there was going to be a meeting with Rufus.

Cloud explored the room a bit, running a hand over the slightly rough clay-textured walls. There were a few light wall drapes, and the furniture was adorned in one place or another will small, gold-shaded carvings. As he looked around the airy room, he found his eye caught by several thin, pastel green drapes caught up in a breeze from what must have been a large window behind them. When he pushed them aside, however, he was pleasantly surprised to find a small balcony and stepped outside. The strange feel in the air struck him again as he surveyed the city- even the trees were different: taller, thinner, and growing long palms. He leaned against the thin, intricately carved railing and exhaled, running a hand through his hair. Then he nearly jumped several feet into the air as two arms swooped around his waist, "Zacks-!"

"Gotcha! Man, do you jump easily…"

Ohhh ho ho, no. Just because he had let Zacks hold him once- he blushed slightly remembering it- did not mean it as going to become a pattern. "Zacks, ge-"

"You look tired," Zacks said with concern, leaning around to look at him from the side.

Cloud stopped short, line of thought broken by the concerned look Zacks was giving him. "Er… Not too much, I guess I'm just not used to traveling- Oh, would you get off, already?" Cloud pushed away from him, shooting a light glare as the other grinned. "…Besides, shouldn't you be the tired one? You're the one who's been running around, doing most of the work…"

"What me? Psh, maybe, but I'm a beast like that. …Besides, I just found Rufus is having a giant party tonight to celebrate the successful move! Best thing to give someone their second wind."

Cloud frowned, turning back to lean over the railing, "Sounds to me like Rufus is a bit of a dolt."

"Now what makes you say that?" Zacks leaned one elbow on the rail, looking at him inquisitively.

Cloud quirked a brow, "You said yourself that he, what was it, 'rode his daddy's tailcoats' to get to where he is, didn't you? It seems to me that throwing a party right now, when he's trying to get his missing Turk back and trying to track down where those insane village-destroying mages are, seems like a waste of time. Shouldn't he just be getting everyone together as soon as possible so we can move out already? I guess he cares more about having a good time…" Cloud rolled his eyes a bit, before once again studying the people walking below. Zacks didn't say anything, and Cloud's eyebrow twitched as he felt the other man watching him. He glanced over to snap at him and ask what he was looking at, but stopped, blinking at the warm smile directed at him, "…What?"

Zacks put and hand on Cloud's head, tousling his hair a bit before resting both elbows on the railing, folding his hands together. "…I did say that about Rufus, didn't I? And it's true, no question about that. But," he scratched the side of his cheek lightly, as though he were having trouble admitting something, "Just because he didn't get where he is through his own hard work, doesn't mean he isn't a capable leader… He's a son-of-a-bitch, he takes advantage of others, and he's smug as shit about things he had nothing to do with, but he's not stupid. He's damned good at manipulating people… but he also knows their limits, knows how they work. Right now, even if they don't know the details of everything going on, everyone knows things are getting serious. It's easy for everyone to get stressed out, to think everything might spin out of control at anytime. By celebrating something, whatever it is, it makes things seem less dire and gives everyone an outlet so they don't get too stressed out. Plus, it makes him seem more confident, like he has a strong grasp on everything. Keeps everything stable."

"…" Cloud thought about that a moment, again watching the various people passing below. Such benefits had never crossed his mind. "…People are silly things. …Oh- speaking of people, what's with the clothing here? Half the people are dressed like I've seen anywhere else, but a lot of people are dressed in those lighter cloth things… And why is the air so different here? And the ground, too…"

"Curious little bugger, aren't you? Lavitia's a port town- we're right on the coast, here. A lot of the clothes here have come in from Naajir, on the continent south of this one- or at least, the style. From what I here, the clothing over there's a lot better quality, and most of what's in the shops here are just cheap imitations. Haven't actually been there myself, though, so I can't say. So yeah, the ground's gonna be a lot grainier since we're right near the beach and- heeey…" Zacks started ginning, "I'll bet you've never seen the ocean, have you?" Cloud shook his head, and Zacks grinned wider. "Oh, this'll be fun- you've been smelling the salt in the air, that's why it seems different- we've got time before the party tonight, let's go run down and have ourselves a look, eh?"

"Uh…sure…" Some part of Cloud's mind thought this was silly and probably a bad idea, but his curiosity had been piqued- he'd really never seen it before.

---

"Whoa." Cloud stared at the massive stretch of water rolling, crashing, and washing over the sand. He'd never seen anything like it. The water spanned just as far as the sky. The beach continued just as endlessly down the coast as he looked to his left, but on his right it was interrupted a ways down by…something… Are those ships?

"Nice, eh, Spike?" Zacks dropped a hand down on the blonde's shoulder, looking down the beach in the same direction he was. "The harbor's way down there. There're always some awesome ships."

"Yeah…" Cloud looked towards the sand at his feet, something small and white catching his attention.

Zacks blinked as the boy leaned down and picked something up, then grinned, "Sea shells! You find the best ones in the water. It's a shame we don't have more time or I'd say we should go ahead in. Maybe we can come back again in the morning."

Cloud hmmed lightly in response, putting the shell back down on the sand before looking up at the orange and pink tinted sky over the waves. A warm breeze swept past, running through his hair, and he thought it was a shame they couldn't stay a while until it grew dark. He wasn't really fond of the idea of going to a party anyway; maybe he could just skip it and stay here. "It's really pretty isn't-…" Cloud looked at Zacks to find the other man watching him with a smile, and cut himself off, blushing. He hated it when Zacks looked at him like that… it gave him butterflies. "…I was thinking, I don't really want to go to that party anyway, maybe I could just stay here…?"

"P'shaw, like I'm gonna leave you all on your lonesome. Not getting rid a' me that easily-"

"Then maybe we could both skip it... It is really nice out here, isn't it?"

Zacks' mouth opened… and stayed there a second. Internally his mind was torn trying to pick one of two things, and he couldn't place which was higher on his "very-good-o-meter". Party, alone on the beach with Cloud, party, alone on the beach with Cloud…

Cloud raised a brow as Zacks' lips curled into a smile, as though he had just solved something rather problematic. "…?"

Both. "Nope, not skipping! You don't know what's like when Rufus throws a party- great fun, even if you're not drunk! Besides, you can get all spiffed out in some of those Naajirian-type clothes. Good eats, too. C'mon, then, we'd better head back and start getting ready…"

Cloud frowned, throwing one last look out over the water.

"Quit 'cher poutin'!" Zacks quipped, grabbing his shoulders and steering him back to the streets of Lavitia.

---

Cloud tugged at his sleeve a bit, looking in the mirror at the clothes Zacks had brought up while he was getting washed. The light blue tunic fell about mid thigh with bands of gold at the ends of the sleeves, neck and bottom edge. The long, airy white pants he wore underneath had the same bands at the ends. The thin, soft cloth they were made out of felt incredibly light and comfortable, perfect the warm weather.

Now he was waiting for Zacks to be done getting washed and changed in the bathroom, then they would leave. He really wasn't looking forward to it, he thought as he headed over toward the balcony again, leaning over the rail. He'd much rather just spend the evening practicing magic. He held up a hand idly and formed a little orb of ice in his palm, until he was distracted my laughter drifting up from the streets below. Two girls wearing light, flowery colored robes for the party scampered by, obviously excited to be done up so prettily. He sighed, running a hand through his hair- maybe tonight would be fun. Sure, he normally didn't do well with large groups of people, but that was back home, not here. And Zacks was here, although sometimes… Sometimes he wasn't sure how to handle Zacks. Zacks didn't hate him. In fact, for some inexplicable reason, Zacks seemed to rather enjoy his company, something he wasn't all that used to. Sometimes when Zacks would hold his hand little too long, or look at him a certain way, or tell him he looked cute when he smiled... sometimes it seemed liked Zacks really liked him. And he would brush it aside to the back corners of his mind. He must have been misinterpreting things; no one in their right mind would like him that way, much less someone as amazing as Zacks, it was just wishful thinking. Wait, wishful thinking? What did that mean? Gah… Time to stop thinking. His path of thoughts had led him down similar roads more often ever since Zacks had hugged him in the rain. He'd never felt anything as reassuring before in his life- nor as intimate, which he was still trying to sort out. Cloud had felt closer to Zacks since that night- more like they were friends, good friends, and less like he was just tagging along.

His fingers curled tighter around the balcony's railing before he let go, folding his arms across it and slumping over. He really was pathetic. Wonder if he has any idea how he gets me all mixed up. He snorted lightly- he wasn't amazing like Zacks, his little mortal brain could only handle so much.

"Oi, Spike! Do I look sexy, or what?"

Cloud nearly jumped, a bit startled out of his thoughts. He turned around and turned pink at the sight greeting him. Zacks was leaning leisurely against the entranceway to the balcony, curtain hand pinning the curtain to the wall behind him. He was dressed in an outfit similar to Cloud's, the pants white and bands of gold in the same places. But his tunic was white as well, cut differently- higher on his hips at the sides and falling lower in the front and back. A matching, loosely tied gold sash was slung around his waist. Cloud's mouth was parted slightly at the sight before he quickly came back to reality, crossing his arms and averting his eyes, "Feh, get over yourself."

"Aw, I'm hurt!" Zacks pouted with mock offence before swooping closer and back into the boy's line of sight. "You mean you don't think I look shhnazzy?" He inquired, ridiculously wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Cloud stepped back, turning away again and fighting to keep back a smile, "You're ridiculous…"

"And you're adorable when your face is all red."

"You- I-…Gah!" Cloud struggled for a response and failed, realizing his cheeks were turning redder the more he tried to suppress it. Zacks laughed at him. Cloud crossed his arms, "I hate you."

"No, you don't!" Zacks chirped, throwing an arm around Cloud's shoulders and steering him towards the door. "Party time!"

---

It was gorgeous, Cloud thought, as his gaze trailed the decorative edges of the golden archways. The room was huge- like a main hall of sorts, except that it was opposite from the main entrance, open arches leading into a spacious garden area at the back of the building. There was light, upbeat music in the air, though it could hardly be heard over the lively hum of conversation. Exotic looking flowers were arranged in various formations near the many banquet tables to either side of the room, covered with more food than Cloud had ever seen in his life. Zacks took no time in grabbing Cloud's hand and leading him through the mass of chattering people, despite the boy's protests.

Seeing the huge room and massive amount of people was one thing, diving right into was another, and Cloud was beginning to feel crowd anxiety issues itching nervously in the forefront of his mind. He subconsciously tightened his hold on Zacks' hand for security. It's okay, you're not alone, it's okay, you're not alone…Of course you're not alone, that's the problem! Cloud winced at how painfully bad he was comforting himself, and decided it was time to stop thinking again, and just hope things got better. Some pretty girls waved at Zacks and he smiled at them handsomely, but kept moving, pulling on Cloud's arm to bring him closer as they came near one of the food tables, "There is so much food you need to try- Rufus gets stuff from all over the place, and- aw, SWEET, is that cake what I think it is?"

It was mind boggling how quickly Zacks was able to zero in on his favorite foods; Cloud would swear the man had built in radar, if he didn't know better. He quickly found himself being drug around from table to table, Zacks suggesting a little of this, a little of that, and "Oh, a WHOLE lot of that!" And although not nearly as excited about it as Zacks was, Cloud was rather appreciative of the food as well. He had been too distracted until this point to realize how hungry was, and everything here was better than anything he'd ever had before in his life. Zacks kept trying to get him to eat more, and Cloud had to explain he wasn't a food devouring machine, unlike someone, and would rather not make himself sick. Zacks gave him one of his Cheshire grins, and Cloud quickly averted his gaze. Zacks noted with curiosity that the boy seemed to be having more trouble looking him in the eye than usual.

Eventually, Zacks lost interest in the food in favor of going outside. As they pulled away from the tables, Cloud could have sworn he saw Hojo near the wall out of the corner of his eye, but when he looked, the man was gone. He brushed it off as part of his imagination- he couldn't imagine Hojo possibly being interested in an event such as this. The music grew louder as they passed through the golden arches and into the moonlit gardens. Cloud could make out an array of musicians on the far side of the garden, and various fountains surrounding the large open area where people were drifting about. Though there were still many people, something about being in the open air made it seem far less constricting, and Cloud found himself able to relax more easily. As his blue eyes scanned over one of the more intricate fountains, he caught sight of some familiar faces, and apparently Zacks did too.

"Hey, there's Ras and Miran! C'mon, let's see what they're up to," Zacks spouted before heading in their direction.

"Well, look who's here! Someone find us some Dragon's Breath and the party'll really get started-"

"Ohhh, no you don't, not again," Miran cut off his taller, green haired companion, jabbing him in the side with his elbow. "You've been drunk enough this past week to last lifetime."

"Pah, I was only kidding, anyway…" Partially, Ras mentally added to himself as he and Zacks exchanged a grin. "So, how's short stuff here like Lavitia?" Ras asked, his golden eyes roving towards Cloud, "S'your first time being anywhere near here, isn't it?"

"Er…yeah. Never really traveled much. It's nice here, though, I like it."

"I was showing him the beach earlier," Zacks piped in, "First time he's seen the ocean."

"Really?" Miran asked, looking at Cloud with interest, "I can't even remember the first time I saw it- I grew up near here. What'd you think?"

"Uh oh… Don't look now, Zacks," Ras interrupted before Cloud had a chance to answer.

Zacks looked over his shoulder, got a look on his face that seemed mixed between trapped and exasperated, and made an 'Eee…' sort of noise. Cloud raised a brow, seeing some gentleman he didn't recognize waving in their direction his other arm wrapped around some girl's waist. "Guess I'd better go say hi. You stay here and play nice, Cloud, I'm sure these two jokers will keep you entertained…" Zacks turned and waved back half-heartedly, heading over to the mysterious individual.

"…Who's that?" Cloud asked, curious. Usually Zacks wanted him to meet any of his friends, like Ras and Miran, and he hadn't seemed to be jumping be joy at the prospect of going over.

"Oh, never mind him, just another chap with the mind of a pigeon," Ras huffed.

"He's nice and everything, just a bit stupid. Spends too much time worrying about girls and money. Sensitive, though, so he's a bit hard to get away from. Also, one of Zacks' fans. He's got quite a few, so he tends to get hunted down at things like this…"

"Ah…" Cloud wasn't really surprised- Zacks was more than unique, swordsmanship skills besides. It isn't every day you come across someone who seems to make the world go round. His gaze found its way back to the arches leading inside, and he found himself growing curious as to whether he had really seen Hojo earlier or not. "Excuse me," he murmured, before leaving Ras and Miran, stopping just inside the gold archways. As he peered around the edges of the room, he couldn't find any trace of him, and wondered if he'd imagined it after all. It didn't matter, except that Cloud knew Hojo hated it when he spent too much time with Zacks. He didn't really give a rat's ass what Hojo thought of him being with Zacks, but it would be nice to know ahead of time if Hojo was going to be more bitter than usual the next time he went to see him.

He hadn't been inside for terribly long before he noticed several individuals looking in his direction and started becoming very self conscious, his social anxieties acting up. One girl's pretty smile warped into a judgmental sneer in his eyes, and there suddenly seemed to be far less space in the room, as though he had suddenly become trapped without realizing it in a place where no one wanted him. Outside, outside good, just stop thinking and get some air… And as he passed back through the archways, out of the golden light and into the blue, he realized he still couldn't get his thoughts together. He didn't spot Zacks, Ras, or Miran, and decided to take this opportunity to take a breather from the party, wandering farther off to the left side of the gardens away from where all the guests were gathered. The music grew farther away, as did the chattering, until he had gone far enough to feel as though he could breath properly again. He sat himself down on a nearby stone bench, running a hand through his blonde hair before taking the time to really study the cobblestone-like pathways leading through the garden. His eyes followed them as they twisted about between the beautifully arranged flowers, statues, bushes and vines. As his gaze walked along a particularly pathway, he noticed the plants seemed different, and found himself getting back up to follow the pathway with his feet instead of just his eyes.

The garden's arrangement here was different, indeed- rose bushes. All rose bushes, red ones. It was perplexing, but enchanting seeing so many large, red blossoms and the sight grew more impressive when the pathway merged into an open, circular area, where the moonlight seemed to practically pool across the stone. A separate, smaller path branching off the circular area led up several small stairs to a stone gazebo-like structure, while a similar path to the one he was on now lead back towards the building, where a another set of stairs lead up to a large, open balcony, the entryway of which likely lead to one of the larger rooms in the establishment. He vaguely hoped Zacks was still preoccupied with his admirers and wouldn't notice he was gone, because he wasn't ready to turn around and leave this entrancing place just yet. He stepped out into the center of the circular area, admiring the nearby statues. One of a half-naked woman carried a large jug on its side upon her shoulder, a rosebush spilling out its rim. As he studied her face, he was beginning to think he rather liked statues, until the ice statues the people of his home had been turned into came to mind, and he tore his gaze away from the lifeless eyes of the stone woman.

A quiet moment passed before he decided he had better head back after all, but just as he was about to turn around his heart leapt as he felt something sharp pressing into the small of his back, followed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Not so fast. Don't try anything."

Cloud stiffened, immediately cursing the fact that he didn't have his own sword with him while trying to tell his heart to slow down.

"Who are you, and what are you doing out here?" The voice asked.

"…Cloud Strife. I was just… getting away from the crowd, getting some air." Cloud thought he heard the man behind him shift his weight, and there was a brief, but heavy pause, as though he were thinking. He repressed a shiver as he felt the sharp object trail its way up his back to the base of neck.

"…Cloud… Now where have I heard that name before?" The man commented, Cloud standing stock still and silent as the sword continued trailing its way around his neck as its owner circled around to study him from the front. Cloud still couldn't make out the man's features clearly, as he had stepped right into the shadow of the statue he had been studying. The sword's tip moved upwards under Cloud's chin, pressing slightly to force him to tilt his head upwards. He made out a smile form on he figure's features, "Ah, ha ha… that's it, you're that lad Zacks picked up. Tseng and Hojo have both made mention…"

The sword lowered away, and Cloud stepped back as the figure stepped forward and into the moon's light. He was fairly tall and dressed in noticeably expensive-looking clothing, white with gold embroidery, and a head of blonde hair brushed back tidily. His tone turned casual, "I apologize if I frightened you, but one can never be too precautious…"

Cloud didn't respond, his heart having yet to slow down and his mind bereft of things to say in response. Right now he wanted nothing more then to turn and walk right back the way he came, but he found himself too intimidated to really do anything other than take another step back, unsure if the man before him was completely sane.

"A quiet one, then? Well, that's alright. I can understand why you'd want to get away from the party, people can be rather tiring after so long… Not too many people ever show up in my rose garden. It's a bit secluded for that purpose, a bit of a personal sanctuary, if you will."

Cloud managed to find his voice, deciding this was a good time to get out, "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll just head back…"

"Oh, nonsense, it's alright. I don't mind sharing my sanctuary every once in a while. I saw you noticed my favorite statue. Do you like roses, Cloud?"

"Er…" He had never really thought about the flower much before, but he did find this garden wonderful. "…Yeah. I haven't seen them too often before, but they look really nice."

"They grew on me too. Good to know you appreciate more than just magic, unlike Hojo. He's too stiff to make for very good company. And most of the prats out there can get so suffocating, at times like these," the blonde man tossed his head in the direction of the party, before bringing a hand to rub his temple wearily.

Cloud wondered as he watched if the other man was having personal issues- he seemed confident but stressed. "…I'm just not fond of crowds," Cloud responded quietly, not sure why he was bothering.

"Oh? You do seem like the introverted sort. I usually take comfort in having others around, but sometimes… Well, sometimes if the company's not right it's just frustrating- smiling facades and whatnot. Then I find my garden makes for much better company, you understand?"

Cloud nodded. "…I understand." Back in his village he felt like that all the time, finding more comfort in books instead of people. But recently, as he realized, he did enjoy being with Zacks and his ridiculous antics. Even Miran and Ras, to a lesser extent. Maybe it was just a matter of having the right company. But then, why couldn't you get along with even one single person back home? Cloud questioned himself, believing it impossible that no one in the entire village, except his mother, was ever the right company. Because I'm not the right company, he answered himself, gazing at one of the rosebushes sadly. Then he vaguely wondered why this stranger didn't seem to mind his presence- maybe he should try to excuse himself again before he said something stupid. But then what, go tag along with Ras and Miran? Try to hunt down Zacks and pull him away from his fans? Wander around like an idiot by himself some more? How did he always manage to make something so simple-like attending a party- something so ridiculously awkward? It seemed to be the only thing he was good at. He realized the stranger was watching him and turned his gaze back to him.

"…Let's sit down," He walked to one of the stone benches, gesturing next to him with his hand for Cloud to follow suit, and took a seat. Not quite sure if he had any other options, Cloud hesitantly walked over and sat down. "A beautiful night, isn't it? Makes it easier to forget about everything else in the world, for just a little while. Do you have any dreams, Cloud?" He asked, prompting the boy further when he received an inquisitive stare, "Goals, you know. What do you want out of life?"

Cloud was quiet a moment, thinking carefully. "Just… to be better, I guess."

The blonde stranger tilted his head, "With magic, you mean?"

"Yeah, but…not just magic. I want to be stronger…physically and mentally. So I can change things, instead of just watching. I sound stupid, I know-"

"No, no, not at all. That's difficult, though. Really changing things, that is. Don't want to go for some simpler, like fame and fortune?" He smiled wryly.

"…It would be nice to be liked," Cloud replied, pulling his knees up on the bench and circling his arms around them, "I'm not fond of being hated. Other than that, I guess I don't really care that much."

"Not too concerned with riches, then?"

"…Not, really, no." He studied the stone ground in front of the bench for a moment before glancing at the other man, only to find he was being watched again. He blushed slightly and quickly looked away- quickly enough that he was oblivious to how the other man had shifted closer. "…How about you?"

"What, me?" The other man chuckled as though it were a silly question, "Oh, I don't even know anymore. I'll figure it out sooner or later, always do. In the mean time, I just keep an eye on those I'll need to rely on in the future."

"…Wouldn't it be better to just rely on yourself?"

"Of course- when you can. But you never know what's coming. Sometimes you need others. You have to realize when those times are and accept them. …You make for good company, Cloud."

Cloud looked up and realized, to his surprise, that the stranger had gotten a lot closer, and wondered exactly when that had happened. He also realized the man was looking at him a little strangely. "Uh… thanks…" He tried to discretely decrease their proximity, straightening his back and leaning away a bit. A moment passed where Cloud began feeling rather flustered under the other man's stare, before the stranger started leaning in. Cloud wondered if he was going crazy, because it almost seemed like the other man was trying to…to…

"I'd better go!" Cloud nearly jumped off the bench, and was further surprised when the blonde stranger grabbed his wrist and stood almost as quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I-er- Zacks is probably looking for me. I sort of disappeared on him, and its getting late, so, um… It was nice talking to you? But I better go," Cloud pieced together the jumbled reply as he stepped away, and the stranger released his grip.

"I see. Yes, it certainly was nice talking to you, Cloud…" He smiled at the boy's retreating back as he left in the direction of the party. Nice indeed.

As Cloud hurriedly retraced the paths he had taken away from the party, he tried to piece together what had just happened- who the hell was that, anyway? He hadn't ever asked for a name, not that it really mattered- he didn't know anyone, and wouldn't be here for long, anyway. He passed the original stone bench he had been sitting on and the music in the air began growing louder again. He was just telling himself to stop thinking about it when suddenly he was far too busy thinking about the searing pain shooting through his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, one hand clutching his hair. Against the sea of black behind his closed eyes, there were suddenly spots flickering in little explosions of brilliant color and fading, like afterimages of lightening. After a moment, it passed, the pain receding from his mind. Cloud slowly opened his eyes and released the grip his hand had taken on his hair, looking around a though the garden would give him some sort of explanation. … Just a headache, I guess?

---

"There 'e is! Yo, Zacks!" Ras called to his companion as he spotted the boy walking vaguely in their direction. The three- Ras, Miran and Zacks- were all outside, fairly close to the fountain that the first two had been standing by.

"Cloud!"

"Oomph-!" Cloud would have lost his balance as Zacks leapt at him from the side, had the other man not taken a steady hold on his shoulders.

"The hell'd you go? I didn't see your spiky head anywhere!" Zacks exclaimed as ruffled the boy's hair.

"Just…wandering…" Cloud trailed off, half-heartedly bating at Zacks' hand.

"You seem a little out of it, there, Spiko…"

"Sorry… I just… don't do well with crowds…"

Zacks held him at arms length for a moment, frowning. "…Pah. C'mere."

"Wait, what-" Cloud had little opportunity to protest as Zacks grabbed his upper arm, dragging him through the crowd, up closer to where the musicians were, and where people were happily clapping and twirling about. There were two girls drawing particular attention, circling about and mirroring each other as they danced. Then, with a bit of a start, he recognized one of them as Aerith.

"Y'see? Wouldn't wanna miss out on all the fun, would ya?" Zacks grinned at him, clapping happily at his side. Cloud smiled a bit, feeling a little less out of place, and hesitantly raised his ands to clap along as well. The musicians began to change the song they were playing, and the crowd's attention dispersed amongst itself again, Aerith and the other girl catching their breath and exchanging smiles. She looked over and spotted him and Zacks just as the music started picking up again, and that was when Zacks decided it would be a brilliant idea to shove him forward, nearly stumbling right into the girl. Aerith took hold of his hands with a smile, and suddenly he was dancing with her- or something awkward resembling dancing- in a whirl of sound and movement. Golden bracelets glinted from her right arm as her laughter darted about him. In fact, his senses were so distracted that it became easier to ignore the others around him, and he found himself really beginning to enjoy himself. He caught sight of Zacks next to them dancing with the other girl, and at an opportune moment the partners switched, Zacks spinning Aerith around like a pro. Cloud stepped back, intending to catch a breather, when suddenly they switched again, Zacks grabbing his arm and spinning them both about.

There was something amidst the music and movement that made him nearly feel delirious, and he was fairly sure the only reason his mind wasn't clouded with fatigue was because he was running on pure adrenaline. Zacks was giving him a grin that spread well into his eyes, and Cloud realized he smelled lightly of some sort of cologne. He could no longer tell when he was moving or when it was the rest of the world dancing for him, relying only on the steady arms of the handsome swordsman guiding him through the secret steps that kept the music from leaving him behind. The music seemed to be drawing to an end, and Cloud found himself stopped short in Zacks arms, heart leaping to his throat and freezing at the proximity of the other man's face, able to feel the other man's breath on his cheeks as the song ended. In the brief moment of musical silence, through a devilish grin, Zacks whispered, "Let's book it," grabbing Cloud by the arm as the music started up again and dragging him through the crowd before his mind had the chance to process what was going on.

---

"What are we doing?"

"What d'you think we're doing? C'mon!"

Cloud was bewildered as they half-ran through the streets of Lavitia, recognizing the way they were going as the same way they had taken to the beach earlier. "…Are you crazy?"

"I sure hope so, because that would most certainly explain a lot!" Zacks' grip on his arm had slid down to his hand while they were moving, and Cloud found himself wondering if he was the crazy one as he allowed this obviously mad individual drag him through the city in the middle of the night. He decided this was what he got for telling himself to stop thinking so many times in one night.

The beach came into view, and they finally came to a stop, Zacks releasing his hand as they stood in the middle of the sand, as he stared out across the waves, he decided that it might be a good thing to stop thinking sometimes. The ocean seemed like a giant, rolling abyss of black, appearing more deep and endless without the sun's light. The night air, too, was more still and only seemed to magnify the rumble of rolling waves. It was intimidating and comforting at the same time, making him feel small but lulling him into a sense of calm eternity. For several moments they stood, just staring out into the black depths of the ocean at night. A warm breeze passed, and Cloud allowed his eyes to wander, following the light reflections off the water's surface up to the large, pale moon set comfortably in the night sky. His eyes trailed over the stars and back down to the sand before finding their way to the man standing next to him, quiet for one of the rare times since Cloud had known him. The white of the Naajirian tunic he was wearing practically glowed in the moon's light compared to the surrounding darkness. That outfit really did look nice on him.

He looked back out over the water, amazed at how serene everything was now, when only moments before the world seemed to be spinning far faster than normal. Zacks was really something else. Not only was he an expert- more than expert- fighter, and have a charming, whirlwind of a personality, he was also probably the most handsome person Cloud had ever met. He could easily understand why he had so many fans, and the adoration of so many girls.

"Oi, Cloud…"

"Huh?" He responded as he turned to see the other man looking at him, slightly surprised by the sudden break in silence.

"…You really look nice in that."

"…" Cloud's eyebrows rose slightly, surprised at the compliment. "Uh…" Was all he managed before he found himself turning pink, and looked back at the waves as he muttered a 'thanks' under his breath.

When Zacks spoke again, the grin was apparent in his voice, "Too bad it's gonna get all sandy."

Wha- crap! Cloud quickly rolled forward and to the side to avoid the other man's leg that had come out of nowhere to try and knock his feet out from underneath him, and swept his own leg out to catch the back of the knee Zacks was still standing on.

"Whoa," Zacks responded as he felt his knee give out, catching himself on the sand with one hand and flipping himself backwards to land back on his two feet with a surprising amount of grace, "Hey now, you've gotten better!" His grin grew wider, "Guess I'll have to stop going quite so easy, eh?"

Good, Cloud thought, readying himself and smiling lightly in response, I can improve faster.

The two began a game of sorts that pretty much involved Cloud trying to avoid being sent flying into the sand butt-first. With Zacks pressing him harder than usual, he was doing a pretty good job of it, mainly by rolling and keeping close to the ground. This was working all fine and good until Zacks got a feral grin on his face and leapt at him, sending them both to the ground in a messy tackle. Not done yet, Cloud told himself as he felt his shoulders press harshly into the sand, refusing to be pinned as usual. Using the momentum of Zacks' leap, he bucked his legs up and to the side, springing Zacks off of him and freeing his shoulders. He quickly rolled to his feet, ready for whatever was coming next, and realized he was more winded than usual, reminding him how long of a night it had been. Then he noticed that Zacks had stopped, just standing there and looking quite satisfied with himself. "You really have gotten better."

Cloud blinked as the man suddenly dropped, lying on his back in he sand with his arms folded behind his head, and closed his eyes. He didn't look like he was getting up any time soon. A little bewildered, Cloud let his arms fall to his sides, stepping closer and looking down at his dark haired companion.

Zacks cracked an eye open, at the boy looking down at him, He looks like an angel with the moon hitting his hair like that. He gave him a lazy smile and, much to his disappointment, Cloud quickly looked away, eyes going back to the ocean. "…You've been doing that an awful lot tonight," Zacks commented, continuing to watch him with one eye.

"Doing what?"

"…Avoiding looking me in the eye, that's what."

Cloud seemed to falter a minute, as though not sure how to respond to that. "…You're being silly."

"Am I really, now…?"

"Yes, you are." Cloud folded his arms and continued watching the ocean, glad it was dark enough that the other man probably couldn't tell he was blushing.

It was quiet for a moment. Then Cloud yelped as his legs were suddenly swept out from underneath him, and he fell back on the sand with an 'oof,' Zacks rolling over and landing one arm on the boy's other side, successfully pinning Cloud with the upper half of his body. "…I win," he chirped lightly.

"…Pah," Cloud responded grumpily, before pushing Zacks' chest to tell the other man to move off already. Zacks rolled back to lay at the boy's side, one arm outstretched, and they both laid there, too lazy to get up. After a moment of lying there, his hand moved to Cloud's hair, ruffling it. Cloud raised his arm to rid his hair of the offending hand, but instead found his own insistently smacked away. He accepted defeat and didn't bother protesting, too worn out to really care. Over time, the ruffling slowly turned into gentle stroking, only helping Cloud grow drowsier as they lay there on the beach, eyes drifting further shut until all the little bright spots that were stars were gone from his sight. Barely hanging onto the edge of consciousness, and knowing he would fall asleep if they stayed there any longer, he murmured something along the lines of "m'tired," and only felt the man pull him closer in response. His mind was brimming with roses and dancing, stars and soulful black depths, feeling comfort under Zacks' gentle caress in his hair and the light scent of his cologne.

"…Y'know, Cloud," He barely heard Zacks whisper under the rumbling waves lulling him into slumber, "…I really do like you an awful lot."

---

Author's Notes:

The author apologizes for the span of time it took to present this chapter. She would like to let the readers know that she will be revising/rewriting the first several chapters due to discontent with their writing quality. This will not prolong the update of the next chapter, nor will it be necessary to re-read the revised chapters for reasons of story comprehension.

As a second, unrelated note, the author would like the readers to know that she will be attending Otakon this year (2006), and will be cosplaying as Zacks as he appears in Crisis Core. Please feel free to contact the author via email if you will also be attending, and would like to meet.

Thank you to all who review. You make my heart warm when all else is cold.