Hey guys! This is my first fic so go easy on me please! This is something I put together in a day or so, I thought of it in one of my extremely boring school classes. I love Zaqua, and I'm disappointed there aren't many fics for them, so I wrote this.
EDIT: This has been rewritten as of 12/15/19! This poor fic needed help.
Zack tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. His muscles were sore from his training today and his body wouldn't let it go. He rolled over and looked out the window, watching all the stars flicker across Olympus Coliseum. He found it hard to believe that every star out there was another world. It blew his mind how many people and worlds were out there. Perhaps one day he'd be able to see them all.
Zack's thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps by his room. He brushed it off, as he assumed his tired mind was playing games with him. When he heard a sniffling noise to accompany the footsteps, he knew it wasn't in his head. He sat up in bed and listened for another moment.
He started to worry that it was Aqua, who was spending the night at the Coliseum to replenish her energy from her training. She'd been here more often lately because of the growing stress of her relationship with Terra. Things hadn't been well between the couple lately, as Aqua hadn't spent a night in their apartment together in Radiant Gardens in several weeks. She had admitted that she'd been jumping couches for a while, and when Aqua was actually home, Terra wasn't.
Zack had been pushing his feelings for the blunette down for several months. His heart hurt to think of her sobbing and alone in the cold. He grabbed a blanket from his bed, slipped on his shoes, and wandered into the hallway. He walked into the courtyard of Olympus Coliseum. The stars reflected off of the towering golden statues, offering little light for the courtyard. Zack almost turned to go back inside until he saw her figure curled up in a ball under one of the tall statues. He recognized her instantly. "Aqua?
Aqua's head shot up and she looked at Zack with wide eyes. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were bloodshot. Her hair was messy and out of place. She was dressed in a loose shirt and a pair of shorts. Blue slippers hid her feet from sight. She looked worse for wear. "Zack?"
"Yeah, it's me. What's going on?" Zack asked as he slowly approached her. He was afraid she'd run if he moved too quickly, like a skittish deer.
"Nothing. Just tired," she sighed with a fake smile. Zack sat down beside her and nudged her shoulder.
"Aqua. What's really going on?" She couldn't even meet Zack's eyes. It tugged on his heartstrings to see her so down. She was the kind of person to bottle everything up. It was rare to see her actually show real emotions.
"I think Terra and I are done," she quietly admitted. Zack felt his heart jump into his throat.
"Aqua, I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" Aqua played with her lip for a while as Zack tossed the blanket over their shoulders. He scooted closer to her to find warmth. She gave him a weak smile.
"Thanks. I should have seen it coming. I guess it just didn't feel real until I left. He's packing his stuff up tonight and he's leaving tomorrow morning. There's a million things running through my mind and it's just so much to process. I'm having a hard time accepting that I'm on my own now."
"Hey, come here," Zack said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his arm and let her weight fall into him. "You're going to be okay. You're one of the toughest cookies I've ever met. You'll come out on top. I know you will. You're never down for long either," he encouraged. She nodded as the tears finally stopped.
"Thanks, Zack. That's sweet," Aqua said with a light tone to her voice. Zack could see her eyes slipping shut. He had a feeling that she hadn't slept well in weeks.
"Let's get you inside. You look like you need some sleep. Some real sleep," Zack said as he stood. Aqua didn't move. Zack chuckled and scooped her up into his arms. "Alright sleepy head, let's go. To bed with you," he joked. Aqua hummed lazily in reply. "You're so tense. It's going to be okay. You can relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to you while I'm here with you," he assured her. She pressed herself closer into Zack's chest.
Zack carried her down the hall to the spare room she'd been frequenting. He shifted her in his arms as she looked up at him. Aqua couldn't deny that she had always felt something for the young hero. Her commitment to Terra always held her back, but now that she was on her own her heard thumped loudly in his presence. Zack definitely had found a place in her heart quickly after he'd initially asked her out a while back. Even though Aqua had turned him down, his offer never truly left her mind.
Zack set her down in the empty bed. He tossed the blankets over her and sat on her bedside. Zack pushed her hair back and smiled down at her. "Gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks," she replied. The bed she was in felt cold and empty. "Hey, it's pretty cold. Maybe it would be better if you stayed here? We could both keep warm a little better," she admitted quietly. Zack's cheeks flushed.
"Well, sure, if that's okay with you." Aqua peeled the blanket back and scooted over. Zack slid under the covers beside her and fixed the pillows and blankets. He turned to face her and pulled his body into himself. "Is this okay?" Aqua nodded sleepily. She slid closer and laid her head on his chest. He threw a protective arm around her and tried to relax. His heart was beating wildly.
"Thank you, Zack," she muttered before she fell asleep peacefully. Zack smiled and followed her into sleep shortly after.
The sunshine crept into the room early the next morning. Zack attempted to roll over, but realized he couldn't when he saw Aqua lying on top of him. He smiled sweetly as her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful and content. He wished he could wake up like this every morning.
Aqua shifted and awoke slowly. She smiled and stretched under the sunlight. Zack nudged her lightly. "Good morning." Her eyes shot open at the sound of Zack's voice. It was clear to him that she didn't remember inviting him into bed. Her wide eyes met his.
"Hi." Zack released his hold on her as she gathered her thoughts. "Um, what…"
"You asked me to keep you warm last night. I hope I didn't overstep a line," he said bashfully.
"Oh! No, not at all. I was really tired last night. Thank you for taking care of me and not taking advantage," she said as she rolled out of bed. Zack stood as well.
"Yeah, of course! Last night will be our little secret," he said with a charming smile. Aqua chuckled and fidgeted.
"Thank you. I'm going to gather my things and head back to the apartment. He should be out by now and I've gotta reorganize and throw out a lot of stuff…"
"I think you should stay here today," Zack said boldly. Aqua raised an eyebrow.
"I think I need to head back. I've got so much to do-"
"You can do it tomorrow," he said as he walked over to her. "Listen, Aqua. I like you. I like you a lot. And I know things are really raw with Terra right now, so I don't expect anything from you and I hope I'm not putting you in an uncomfortable position. I value your friendship too, so I understand if-"
"I think I like you too, Zack," Aqua admitted. "And I think a day spent here in Olympus wouldn't be the worst thing. As long as you don't make me eat that weird dish you tried to cook last time," she said with a light chuckle. Zack rolled his eyes at her.
"It's not like I got cooking lessons from someone. C'mon, I'll escort you to the kitchen and we can figure something out," he said with a toss of his head. Zack held his arm out to her and she took it gratefully. Aqua reached up and kissed his cheek before the two of them made their way towards the kitchen. Zack squeezed her arm closer and smiled down at her. Aqua knew her broken heart wasn't going to be fixed overnight, but she felt certain that she had taken the first step in the right direction on her road to recovery. The only thing left to do was to follow the path and see where her journey would take her.
To say she was excited was definitely an understatement.