Disclaimer: FF7 and all of its places, characters, events, etc. in no way, shape or form belong to me. I'm just borrowing them, so don't sue!
Summary: Sort-of AUish…this is more like what would happen if no one had died (well, 'cept maybe Sephiroth…). Clerith and Fack. With the loves of their lives living happily ever after without them, maybe two lonesome survivors can make it through somehow.
A/n: I understand that because of the nature of all the spinoffs and sequels and prequels and whatnot that these circumstances seem pretty out there. There is a good chance I might even try to reason my way around some of the more constricting elements. Consider this a mostly AU story if you have to then, and just go with it. Please don't flame me because my chronology is bad, or my story isn't backed up by actual events. I am aware of this. Thankees!
"I have nothing bad to say about my friend."
Zack was nursing a drink at Tifa's new bar, carefully trying to dodge the questions that the busty brunette threw his way. Although he was definitely the kind of guy who liked to indulge and have fun, he did realize that she only kept refilling his glass in hopes of getting him drunk enough to spill. But what could he possibly say to offer the kind of solace she so desperately craved?
There was definitely no doubt that he was devastated as well. After all that he – that they – had been through, he had really hoped that Aeris would see the light and love him in the end. But all the time that they had lost wasn't something that they could easily make up for. And her attachment to Cloud barred his way. His friend had no way of knowing what had happened in the past. It's not like he did it intentionally. And even if he had, what right would Zack have to balk? He was dead; or so it seemed. Most importantly, they were so happy together. How could he interfere with that and still keep a sense of honor?
Turning his attention back to the moment at hand, he was startled by the intensity of the gaze that Tifa shot him.
"Is it really so easy for you to let go?"
"Well, I'm at a busy bar, with a beautiful lady. What more could I ask for?"
Rolling her eyes, Tifa tried hard to fight back the crack in her voice.
"How could they do this to us? It's not like they were oblivious to what we feel."
"Don't you think you're being a bit one-sided here? What about how they feel? Of all the things you want most in this world, don't you want the one you love to be happy?"
"Of course I do!" She snapped. "But sometimes, I just get through thinking how much happier I would be if I loved myself a little too. Don't you feel the same, Zack? Don't you want to be happy too?"
"Who doesn't? But just knowing that the one I love is happy is good enough for me. It's more than I could have hoped for, if not to have her myself. Moreover, the fact that she's with someone I know and trust, and who is grateful to have her around reassures me that no matter what, everything will be okay. "
"Yeah, sure. Sometimes maybe 'okay' just isn't good enough."
"Tifa...you gotta look at it from their perspective. They're so happy together. They're doing so well. If you broke that up, do you really think that would be what they would want? Do you think you'd get the resolution you want, too?"
Exasperated by Zack's overwhelmingly forgiving personality and good nature (and unintentionally hurtful words), she slammed down the bottle of liquor she was toying with next to Zack's glass and stormed off to get lost in the crush of the full bar for just a moment; a moment of solace for herself.
Zack tilted his head and frowned pensively. Twirling the half-full glass in his fingers, he wondered idly if there was anything he could do to try and help Tifa out. He didn't like to see people hurt, and he'd only seen her like this once before. He hadn't known her very well then, but at that moment too, she had just lost someone she loved without measure…
Taking a sip from his glass and setting it back down, he got up to follow her into the crush of people. Before he could take more than two steps from the counter, a little boy and a little girl blocked his way.
"Hey there. What can I do for you?"
"Zack, is Tifa okay?"
The blue-eyed ex-SOLDIER took a knee so that he could look her in the eye as he tried to find a way to answer her question.
"Well, to tell the truth, she's having a bit of a hard time adjusting to the way things are now --"
"Is she sad because Aeris and Cloud are together?"
Marlene was exceptionally sharp for a girl so young.
"Why would she be sad? Cloud's around more often now, and he smiles a lot more!"
"You're right, Denzel. Tifa should be very happy that two people she genuinely cares about are happy with each other. And to a degree, you're right too Marlene. Someday when you two are older, maybe you'll understand this better. But for now, just know that Tifa is having a hard time adjusting to the distance between herself and all of her friends. Everyone has more or less gone back to their hometowns; trying to rebuild their lives. So if you really want to help, make sure you're there for her as much as possible to let her know that she isn't alone. Alright?"
"But, Zack...Tifa should know that she's not alone; even without us. You're here, aren't you?"
Although he was taken aback by the forwardness of Marlene's response, he couldn't help but smile at her and nod.
"Yeah, I am."
Patting both children affectionately on the head, he stood and took off after Tifa.
He wasn't surprised to find her outside, gazing up at the sky. She was twisting the Cloudy Wolf ring on her finger, and didn't notice Zack standing in the doorway looking at her. Creeping up from behind her, he poked his head over her shoulder and barely missed being elbowed in the face.
"Hey, I was only checking to see what you were up to, nothing fishy here!"
"Zack! You scared me. What are you doing out here?"
Her earlier anger at him seemed to have dissipated in the time he had spent talking to Denzel and Marlene.
"I just told you. I wanted to know what you were up to."
"Nothing really..."
"Say...don't you have a bar to run?"
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"
He shot her a toothy grin.
"No, never."
"Well, at any rate, I suppose you're right There's no excuse for me to neglect the bar. I mean, it's all I've got left in life."
Turning to walk back into Seventh Heaven, she was stopped by Zack grabbing gently at her arm.
"That's not true. Right now it may feel that way, but you know it's not the truth at all. You have this bar. You have loyal customers. You've got friends who care a lot about you and two kids in there that need you more than you know."
"And where exactly do you come in?"
"That's for you to decide, I guess."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"How about a date? Just one."
"You're hopeless."
Pushing him gently off to the side and shooting him a small smile, she continued to walk back into the bar. He smiled back at her retreating form before tucking his hands behind his head and gazing up at the sky. He had barely heard the whisper that followed, but he heard it nonetheless.
"Thank you...Zack."
But by the time he had turned around, she was already gone.