Zack was one of the most miserable people I've ever met.

The sun had set hours ago, and Zack was just finished talking about the summer in Costa Del Sol he and Sephiroth had gone to as a vacation. Before that, he was talking about how he knocked over his instructor for the Soldier initiation exam quite by accident, and someone declared that he passed with flying colours. Even before that, he was regailing me with a tale of how he single-handedly beat his Turk friend in a drinking contest, that consequently, the friend didn't remember the morning after, and then tried to challenge him again calling Zack a cheat and a liar. The results of the next contest were still up in the air.

But every single time I tried to get him to talk about his home, his family, or where he came from, he would answer me with one or two words, and then change the subject. He was avoiding it entirely, and that made me worry. Something, some memory, about his home hurt him a lot.

"And then what happened to the baby chocobo?" I asked curiously.

"Sephiroth wanted to keep it, and I told him there was no way they'd let it into the Shinra building. So he took it to the Chocobo Farm, way out past Kalm. I think it's still there. Say, we should go there some time and see if we can't go for a ride! There's this awesome cave just past the marshes, if you're not afraid of a little danger," he continued without end.

"Me, afraid of danger? No way!" I grinned and hugged his arm, catching him off guard. At least he was talking to me now, although I think I bored him a little when I started talking about flower names and meanings when he wouldn't say anything.

He stopped and seemed to choke on his next breath. "So... Are you any good at fighting?"

I had to stop and think about that. "Well, I have a friend who's been trying to teach me self-defense, but beyond that... Not much, really."

"You have to be able to fight if I'm taking you outside the walls of the city. Do you know how to use Materia?" he pressed.

"Mmm-hmm. I don't have any though," I said. Not counting the White Materia, anyways.

"I'll loan you some. We should definetly get Seph-man in on this."

"Hmmm, I think it'd be more fun if it were just you and me, Zack." His next breath strangled him. How am I so intimidating to him? "I mean, because Sephiroth would probably be such a downer..."

"You're right, maybe not him... Oh! I know this blonde kid who could use a tussle with some monsters. He's so quiet and nervous, yet he wants to be in Soldier..."

"Hmm, not him either. He sounds like no fun."

"Then who could we..."

I wrinkled my nose in annoyance. I turned to look him square in the eyes. "I've got a question. Why do you look like you want to run away when I suggest we spend time together - alone, even?"

"I- You- Uhm, it's hard to-"

I crossed my arms, and if I were standing I'd be tapping my foot impatiently.

He sighed after collecting himself a bit. He seemed to sigh slower on purpose, and hesitated a few seconds after that, as if waiting me to provide an answer for him.

"I'm waiting," I provided. Not what he was banking on, I bet.

"It's hard to explain." His face was cherry red. He wouldn't meet my eyes. He was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and breathing unsteadily. The signals all came together.

"Oh! I get it!" I said, jumping to my feet. I ran to stand a yard or so away from him, and pointed at him accusingly. "You like me!"

His face turned even redder as if his darkest secret had been revealed to a crowd at the slum market mid-afternoon. He got to his feet quickly and held his hands infront of him erraticly in an attempt to defend himself from an oncoming flood.

"You like me! You like me!" I sang, playing up my fifteen-year old immaturity which was also part of my charm. I skipped in a circle around him, singing and giggling all the way.

"Now, Aeris, wait-"

I stopped and turned to face him again, clasping my hands behind my back and leaning in, with my best pout prepared. "Are you saying you don't like me?" I whimpered.

"U-uhm, n-no..."

"Tee hee." I poked his nose. "You like me then!"

Zack was completely lost. I guess they don't condition Soldiers against a fifteen year-old girl's version of psychological warfare. He was frozen stiff, unable to move or speak. Again, like he was caught in a truck's headlights, too afraid to move and too afraid to run away.

Afraid of what, though? I already spilled the beans for him.

I took a step forward and hugged him. After several stunned moments, he hugged me back tightly, desperately even. Then the answer came to me. He was afraid of losing someone he cared about because he already had.

Author's note: Wow, they really are getting shorter, aren't they? Although I've always been one for telling it by the key moments. I mean, I just finished the Twilight series, and, while they're all very good books, I don't really care how often Bella chooses to brush her teeth or feign interest in the romantic troubles of her girlfriends. Excellent story, excellent plot, lots of filler and a bit of exposition I could have puzzled out all by myself :P