Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.
A/N: The song in this chapter is "Rhythm of the Night" by DeBarge. For some reason, this is the song I pictured for this flashback scene, it just fits. With Zack trying to get Cloud to loosen up, this song just seems like a song that he would like to dance to. Don't forget to get me your choices of names for the baby! You can come up with more than one, and the more you come up with, the better your chances of winning.
About the next chapter, I have hit a snag. I know what I want to happen, I just have to sit and figure out how I want to get it out. I know that many of you are anxious to finally have a baby, but there are several things that I need to set up first, but I promise that I will get to it.
Thanks to my wonderful beta SubZeroChimera!
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." –Henry David Thoreau
To You I Give My Heart
Chapter 20
~Slipping Away~
Running the last several yards, they dove for the exit while Zack grabbed at the back of the trailer, trying to stop the runaway chocobo. The last attack of a Stinger got the bird spooked and she took off while still pulling Zack's precious cargo uncontrollably toward a bottomless precipice; there was no way he would let it go.
"Stop Marshy!"
There were several times in his life that the proverbial "life flashing before his eyes" had happened. There was the time when he was a kid and he ran afoul of a Touch Me and he had to run for his life to get home to get a remedy from his mom before he got eaten. Then there was the time when he first joined Soldier, one of his first missions, a Hell House attacked him down in the slums, and then the time he fell from the plate and through the church roof when he had refused to fight Angeal.
This time however, it was Cloud's life that flashed for him. All the times she laughed, cried, got angry, got injured, when she saved him from Sephiroth and their first "date" went flooding through his mind...
Getting off the train, it was a completely different world down in the slums. They hadn't really gotten a chance to talk on the train because of all the different security checks and people moving around, but he was fine with just watching the wonder in her eyes as she interacted with the strangers.
That night, she left her hair down, loose around her shoulders. Her white shirt buttoned up just above her breasts, and silver threading intertwined within the material. Shifting in her seat, her tight jeans hugged the curve of her legs down to her military issued boots, he let an endearing smile show at the fact that she wore her combat boots.
It was her curiosity; purity in its rarest form, her aura was flawless. She shined from the inside out, like a star born of love. Skin the perfect alabaster and hair the color of golden rays of sun in the summer time, she was genuine and natural. The deep cobalt blue of her eyes pierced the toughest exterior and he knew right then, that he wanted her for himself.
Exiting the train, unconsciously he grabbed her hand to lead her down the loading platform, but he was unable to hide the chills of excitement ripple through his body.
Walking through the entrance of the bar, he urged, "Come on, this place is great." Watching the upturned lip from the blond made him laugh, but there was no way he was going to let her go without at least one dance.
Pulling on his arm, she leaned close to his ear and spoke over the loud music, "Really? This place is horrible."
Waving his hand, he dismissed, "I thought that at first too, but you get used to it." Cloud was right, the place was a dive. Dry rotted boards served as a bar, while the dance floor was covered in dust and dirt, but the overall smell was fantastic. The brisk smell of food cooking in the kitchen and a few patrons sat on mismatched stools at the bar eating their BBQ and drinking their beer from mismatched glasses.
The packed bar was the most popular in sector 7, and it played host to a variety of people. Everyone from Shinra executives to the poorest slob that the slums could come up with paid their way in to the "7th Heaven."
Taking her by the hand, he pulled her through the weekend crowd up to the bar, "So what do you want to drink?" Getting this close to her was a treat, she smelled of wildflowers blooming in Gongaga, sweet honey nectar with bees circling flowers in a variety of colors. A small wisp of her hair carried by a light indoor breeze tickled his nose as he unconsciously inhaled her scent.
Turning to answer his question, her nose bumped into his and her face blossomed into a beautiful red blush, "-I" backing away, she shook her head, "I guess just a water."
"Oh come on, live a little," Pulling closer to her ear again, he suggested, "They have some great regional drinks here, even from Nibelheim, that's where you're from right?"
Yelling louder than necessary, she answered, "I never told you where I was from."
At her exclamation, a few patrons turned to see what was happening. Realizing his mistake, she actually never did tell him, but he had looked her up after they first met. Angeal still didn't know that he had used his name for the information, but what else could he do? Angeal was sure to understand once he met her himself. Until then, he had a little mess to clean up.
"Uh, sure you did, when we first met, didn't you?" Feeling like he could pass it off because of it being so long ago, he hoped that she would just drop it.
Shaking her head again, she furrowed her eyebrows and said, "I didn't tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to know on purpose, not even my roommates."
Rubbing the back of his neck, he was stuck, she caught him and the only thing he could do was fess up, "Okay, you got me. I looked you up because-"
Turning to leave, he heard her say, "-I don't believe this…"
Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her around to face him. With the momentum and people crowded around, they got pushed closer together, much closer than she felt comfortable with anymore. Trying to recover, he pleaded, "Look, I'm sorry, but you are just so- so-," What did he want to say? Beautiful, charming, fantastic, captivating, sexy, what could he say to make her stay?
"Interesting."
Raising her eyebrows, she asked in a slightly annoyed tone, "Interesting?"
Internally he kicked himself. 'Interesting? What kind of response is that?' Externally, he slid his hand down his face, but didn't let go of her wrist in his other hand, "Come on, let's just have fun tonight and we can get to know each other the old-fashioned way, okay?"
Reluctantly, she sighed, "Fine."
"Stay right here, I'll get the drinks," Dropping her wrist, he tilted his head down to make eye contact with her, "Stay." Not getting a response, he smiled and pointed at the ground with purpose, "Stay. Right. Here."
Letting a corner of her mouth curl up before she caught herself and recovered, she stated firmly, "I'm thirsty."
"Yes, ma'am," Getting to the bar and getting their drinks, he turned to walk back when he spotted a guy talking to her. A flush of anger went through him, a blush of jealous rage, and his heart rate sped up as he watched the guy grab her upper arm, trying to pull her to the dance floor. Taking a deep breath, everything slowed down, he blinked and the rest of the world fell away and as he exhaled, his world flipped inside out.
With speed that he had witnessed only with new Soldiers, she grabbed the guy's wrist with her free hand and before Zack could fully register what was happening, she had the guy in a headlock, his arm locked behind him. Somehow, unknowingly, Zack had walked over to the scene. Gazing appreciatively in her eyes, keeping that needed eye contact with her, he dreamily addressed the guy on his knees, wrapped in the tight hold, "I don't think she wants to dance dude."
For an eternity, but not nearly long enough for him, they stood there, and Zack was unable to tear his eyes from her gentle face. His whole life, he had always been under the impression that he had to be the protector, to save the girl, but here was an entirely different situation. He just thought that he wanted to have a girl, not necessarily weak, but one who needed him to be strong all the time. The type of girl who was a constant ego boost, one that would need him for everything, but now, here he was, holding two drinks, and staring at a petite and delicate flower who was far more than what she appeared, he felt a new type of freedom in his heart.
In a shameless and almost breathless voice, Zack's surprise was not hidden in his loud whisper, "Wow..."
When the bouncers tapped her on the shoulder, she released the almost unconscious man and they drug him out the door. Still holding on to the drinks, he just couldn't tear his eyes from her slight form as she straightened herself up and turned to look at him, "Is that my drink?"
Blinking and breaking the spell, her snapping fingers brought him back to the loud music and crowded bar, "Oh! Uh, yeah, here."
"Thanks," Taking the bottle, she took a tentative sip and then raised her eyebrows at him, questioning, "Why are you staring at me?"
Simple words, nothing fancy, just words, "What was that?"
"You've never seen a man in a headlock before?"
Shaking his head, he tried to regain some of his composure that she seemed to devour with a simple movement of her hand to her hair, "Well, yes. I mean, you've already learned that in training?"
"I have been gearing up for Soldier candidacy. I've already sent in my request form to Director Lazard."
With a wide grin, he breathed out, "Yeah, I remember, I just wasn't expecting that from you…" Tilting her head, she dangerously eyed him, so he quickly added, "Yet."
As if saving his ass, a song came across the speakers that had one of those beats that just made your body move on its own. Grabbing her drink and setting them down on a nearby table, he took her by the hand then quickly dropped it, "You're not going to hurt me are you?"
There was that blush, flushing across her cheeks in a crimson wash, "No." Taking her hand again and starting for the dance floor, she yanked it away from him, "No, I don't want to dance."
Putting himself between her and the music, he began to slowly back up toward the crowded dance floor, all the while shaking his hips and shoulders to the beat of the exciting song. Staring at her, he smirked, "Okay, you don't have to dance; you can just watch me have fun." Calling from the middle of the crowd, he spotted her watching him, "I'll just be the only one having any fun… all by myself." Getting into the song, he lost himself in the lip-buzzing lyrics, the body-banging beat and spirit-thumping energy of the crowd. He closed his eyes and danced blindly as he saw her in his mind's eye, like a fresh morning rain, smiling shyly at him.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he opened his eyes and turned to see her grinning at him, "I thought you were going to have fun all by yourself before I ran into you at the store."
Running his arms in front of his chest like a water-wheel, he stepped backwards as he danced around her, "Loosen up, life doesn't get much better than this."
Glancing around at everyone, she reluctantly began to move slowly, embarrassed. Making another circle around her, he bumped his hip into her rear and she jerked forward a step with the force of the hit. Turning on him, she glared. Without missing a beat, Zack tipped his upper body forward and smiled at her as he continued to shake his hips to the beat, shimmy his shoulders and sing with the chorus, "To the beat of the rhythm of the night. Dance until morning light, forget about the worries on your mind, you can leave them all behind!"
Again, she glanced around and moved with hesitancy until he again bumped her with his hip. Knocking her into a girl across from her, she blushed brightly when she again turned on him. Fearlessly, he smirked at her as he turned and danced in place. Crossing her arms, she let her glare soften when he began dancing in front of her, again bumping her with his elbow as he sang "Tonight is gonna be a night like you've never known. We're gonna have a good time the whole night long, oh!"
Surprising him, she reached up to her hair; grabbed it and quickly tied it loosely at the base of her neck. When she finally began to dance, she tried to match him move for move, starting out competitively. Together they danced and before Zack knew what happened, he was watching her whip her hair around and back as she shimmied and shook in fun, for what looked like the first time in her life.
The sweat on her temples trapped strands of hair and the gleam in her eyes when she let loose, she laughed in what sounded like triumph. Triumph over something that had held her back for so long, something that she hadn't been able to let go of and for some reason Zack was able to help her with that.
After closing time, Zack walked her back to the barracks; she bounced in place, "Thanks Zack. I really had fun."
Placing his hand on her lower back, he led her to the door and moved closer. Gaia, he wanted to kiss her, her inner-light that was bright before, was a blazing bonfire now and he wanted a taste of that joy.
A hand on his chest stopped him just short of her lips, "Wait."
Not moving back, he asked in a quiet whisper, "What's the matter?"
"Um, I'm not here for that."
Standing up straight, he furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"
"I don't want anything like this, I just- I just want to be a Soldier. That is why I'm here," Stepping back, she lowered her eyes, "I'm sorry if you thought something else."
"It's okay," He said, but it wasn't okay. Didn't she see what she did to him? Swallowing down his ego, he added, "I understand, I mean that is why we're all here, right?"
"Good, I'm glad you understand," Sticking out her hand, he looked down at it sorrowfully as she waited for him to take it. When he eventually took it, she smiled and asked, "Friends?" With a firm shake of her hand, he hesitantly nodded in affirmative then she released his hand and walked through the doors; and again, she slipped away through his fingers.
That was the first time he felt that he might love her and watching her walk away that night might have been painful then, but now, this was beating that hands down; the agony of watching the woman he loved being pulled, dangerously fast, in a trailer, pulled by an out-of-control chocobo.
"Stop!"
Barely seeing that Nanaki ran ahead of the chocobo, pacing it and trying to get her to slow, Zack held on and pulled himself up into the trailer. Feet on either side of Cloud, the former Soldier grabbed at the reins and when the wheels hit a large rock, he fell forward, tossed around like popcorn in a popper. A handful of feathers in one hand, held him from falling over the front of the trailer and getting run over. The red dirt passed at an alarming speed, spitting up in his face.
Bracing with his other hand on the side of the trailer, he had to make a choice, fall back on Cloud and maybe hurt her, or not do it and get both of them killed. Pulling on the feathers, he made that split second decision and jerked himself up and over on to Cloud's head and chest. Releasing the handful of feathers that he pulled from the hide of the giant bird, the white feathers blew back on the breeze as he just as quickly moved from her chest and grabbed at the reins again.
"Damn it bird, stop!"
Getting a tentative grip on one side of the reins, he pulled and the bird turned and began to slow. Nanaki ran her down and growled until she finally stopped. Sighing, he relaxed and looked down, there was a boot print on his angel's shoulder, but otherwise looked unharmed. Trying to get his breathing under control, he looked at Nanaki, "Thanks."
Nervously shifting, Nanaki said, "We really should get moving, we were in the caves for far longer than I thought we would be."
Wondering what was making his companion nervous, he held his breath and looked around for the first time since emerging from the caves and he saw that the sun was cresting on the horizon.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."
Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning
