Words: 3,283
I'm not dead. but now we can have pictures? That's awesome. Too bad I couldn't draw people to save my life. Enjoy. The next one should be fluffy with Zack and Evie.
A warm thank you to zexydemyx66. Who despite all this long time, came back and was even the first to review the new chapter which greatly inspired me to fix it. Thank you, ever so much. I'm excited to write this next fluffy chapter. Hopefully it's fluffy enough.
I questioned the things Cloud decided to make us watch. I eventually stood from my seat to use the bathroom. I chatted briefly with Cloud's mother before returning to the couch to sit next to Zack who had spread his arms across the back of the couch. I rose an eyebrow and sat quietly. We watched a movie together and by the end of it I realized that Zack's gloved hand had made it to my shoulder. I said nothing as we stood to move into the kitchen. Zack and I weren't used to the small size of the house and found it hard to sit down in comfortably.
Cloud's mother sent us an apologetic smile. We shook our heads and sat down to some of the best stew I ever had and might ever will have for my whole life. We left not long afterwards and headed back to the Inn to get some sleep.
On the way back Tifa walked by and I smiled tightly before glancing at Zack, her words in my head again. She stopped me though on our return to the hotel and our comfy beds.
"Evie?" I turned around and motioned for the two to head on inside without me as I saw him wave me over. It was fairly dark and the town lights were coming on. Not that there was many of them.
"Think you could do me a favor?" I furrowed my eyebrows and turned my head in a confused fashion. She paused almost unsure of what to say as she had now gotten my full attention. "I... could you just sign this for me?" I gave her a skeptical and confused look.
"What do you mean? An autograph?"
"Yeah," she shrugged suddenly unsure of herself. " I just want to say that I met you. Prove it to an old friend of mine. Maybe he'll remember you." I gave her a quizzical expression and we moved together into the light of one of the homes. She had a paper and a pen in her hands. I pulled them closer to me and signed it, to her.
After a moment of hesitation I handed it back to her and tilted my head wondering if that truly all she wanted.
"You sure that's it Tifa?" she didn't say anything and in the light I couldn't see well past her hat. Something was bothering her, that much was obvious. "Do you know..." She trailed off and I leaned down in hopes that she had started speaking quietly and that I would catch it. She was silent.
"Do I know... what?" I asked pushing the subject gently.
"Do you know... do you know if you'll be busy tomorrow?" I gave her yet another skeptical look and shrugged slowly.
"I don't know. I doubt it. Unless Zack takes the men up to the Reactor to check up on it and I'm not invited to go with." She chuckled lightly, warmly. I smiled at this.
"Alright, just wondering." I nodded and we parted saying good night.
I wondered to myself if that's really what she wanted to ask. I doubt it. I headed into the inn and up to my room to head to bed.
The next morning I woke by myself. Surprised by the lack of noise. No one to wake me. No one to greet me. I was curious and got up to get ready quickly.
I headed into the boy's room to find the two still sleeping. I pulled my phone out quickly and smiled I had woken up an hour or so before them for once. I smiled at this. I sat in a chair wondering to myself what Tifa had really wanted to ask me and I heard a noise a murmur come from Zack. He was mumbling something in his sleep.
I smiled to myself and decided that instead of waking them up left. I took a deep breath when I got outside and heard footsteps rapidly coming my way. I looked to the owner to find that it was Tifa. She seemed happy. Or something.
"Good morning Tifa." I said as she stopped in front of me.
"Good morning." She smiled and told me to come with her. I nodded glancing back once at the inn worried that Zack might freak when he couldn't find me.
Tifa lead me up the mountain talking about how she had climbed the mountain after her mother had died and a good friend of hers followed her to make sure she was okay. She talked explaining everything that had happened. When she finally stopped talking we were up the mountain and we had stopped at the edge of the mountain.
"Who was this boy that had tried to protect you?" She tensed suddenly almost as though telling me this whole story wasn;t going to invoke the want for me to ask who she was talking about.
"A good friend of mine," she said, I started rolling my hand silently asking her to complete the thought. "He... made a promise to me a long time ago." My eyebrows furrowed.
Where have I heard this before?, I thought to myself. "His name was?" her face lit up.
"I... he... You probably don't know him," she paused and then almost excitedly, "or maybe you do!" she stopped herself, "But probably not." I gave her a scared and creeped out look. She kept confusing me lately and I had no explanation as to why she was acting this way towards me.
"Tifa.. uh why might I know him?" She hesitated again and it almost irritated me that she had brought me up this mountain to not tell me or ask me what she wants to know so badly. I took a deep breath and noticed the absence of my blade as my lungs filled up easily.
"He left a few years back to join SOLDIER. I haven't seen him in the paper yet. I check everyday to hear about him. But nothing. He wanted to be a protector, a hero..." I chuckled to myself almost without being able to help it.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say the boy was Zack, but I know better. If Zack had known you before this, he would have mention you for sure."
"No, it's another guy... his name's... his name's well," she stopped, swallowing as if speaking his name out loud was something she feared above all else. As she debated with herself I considered what it must feel like to be in her smaller-than-mine shoes.
She'd been promise to, that one of her friends would protect her one day and he'd be a hero, in the news. Nearly five years later and no mention of him. Now after all that time she meets with someone who might have heard about him and she's almost scared to know or even hear if he's okay or if he made it. As I thought Tifa seemingly came to terms with what she wanted to say.
"Well... I mean he has Bright blonde hair, yellow almost actually, and it's really spikey with a huge tuft of it sticking almost straight up. Then has these big bright blue eyes," she muttered almost dreamily. I smirked at the tone of voice. Then what she said registered in my brain.
"Chocobo head?" I whispered to myself. Her wine brown eyes snapped to me and I looked over her pretty face. I couldn't lie to someone who would find so much solace in knowing that the very person they were looking for and were waiting for was in the same town as he and that they had interacted on more than one occasion.
"What... did you say?"
I paused unsure of myself, but then Cloud's words came to mind. I had asked him about his helmet and gave him questionable looks about it the whole time we had been here. I watched her face. He didn't want to know he hadn't made it. I clenched my teeth grinding them in the back of me mouth and took a deep breath,
"I... might know of a guy like that. Though I don't know for sure. No faces come to mind really. Midgar is huge and lots of people have those features," I lied easily. I was assuming she had never been to Midgar to see that the people there didn't often have blonde spiky hair and bright blue eyes.
Her looked downcast but she had hope. I could see it. I smiled to her and I headed back to the town.
Zack was running around frantically when I had entered the square. He ran past me and I gave him a queer look, "Zack what in the blazes are you doing?" he stopped suddenly and turned to me run briskly and wrapping me up in a hug. I wasn't sure if I should return it when I gently pat him on the back before my hormones kicked in. His scent... It was enveloping me. It was delicious. His strong arms were wrapped around me and his hair was tickling my face. His hands squeezed me into his rock solid body frame. I blinked and that was all I could consciously do.
"Holy shit you scared me Evie," he muttered into my neck. He pulled me away and put me at arms length staring into my face. " Are you okay? Why didn't you have your phone with you, or your sword. I thought you were attacked or something." I gave him a blank stare for a moment and then he said my name again. "Evelia."
My thoughts snapped back, "I... forgot, I guess."
"I was worried something had happened to you," his eyes grew soft as they ran along my features.
"Zack, I appreciate the concern but I'm a SOLDIER 1st Class. I'm Sephiroth's ONLY student. I think I can handle myself. I'm tough as nails like you." He paused staring at me his eyes almost sad. "I'm okay, honest. I can handle myself."
"Yeah I know... but I still worry about you Evie. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt," he said weakly. My face fell and I stared at him our Mako infused eyes flashing the reflection of the other's who were the exact same way. My mind faintly noted the feel of his large hands grasping at my arms tenderly, his thumb rubbing my arms. For a time we just stared at each other and in my chest, my heart swelled. Vaguely, I wondered if he had this same feeling I did. One of his hands fell away and slowly rose to brush some hair from my face to behind my ear. He smiled tenderly from his superior height, naturally I smiled and started to lean into his hand.
"Zack!Trouble!" We both snapped from out reverie to see Cloud in full uniform shouting and pointing towards the mountain. I furrowed my brow at Cloud and without a thought began running in that direction. A group of kids were surrounded by... monsters. My face cringed at the thought of that word. It was difficult to say or think without feeling hurt. Tifa was with them standing in front of as many as she could. I ran faster hoping to get power behind it as I jumped up and aimed for a monster in front of her. I landed on top of it crushing it's hard exterior and with a swift kick tore through it's skin enough to kill it. I landed in front of Tifa in a fighting stance. Fists at the ready. Another came and I kicked it into the air before jumping up and punching it right back down the way it had gone up.
Zack had a cleared a way for the children, "Evie take them and get them out of here! I'll handle this." I gave him a skeptical look but nodded. Fighting monsters was easier with a sword. Tifa lead the children and I followed behind them to receive any blows of attacking monsters.
After fighting two more we had made it to the town alive and the kids were shaken. I let them sit but told them to stay. Zack soon caught up with us and he stared at the children, who after calming considerably gave him sad glances. He sent Cloud to look for their parents and lectured them on safety before they were sent home.
I watched the last boy go home with admiration in his eyes as he left. I turned to Tifa with a questioning glance.
"I have no idea what they were doing I heard them screaming and crying but I couldn't do much," her eyes turned downcast. "Then you guys showed up fortunately." She turned to me my boots a mess from the kick to the first monster. I made a disgusted face and lifted the shoe. She giggled lightly and after a pause she left saying her Thanks.
I turned to Cloud who had been standing nearby, "How did you know they were in trouble?" I couldn't see his face well enough to actually tell but he seemed embarrassed by the question.
"I saw her walking along the mountain by herself. I followed her, I was worried she might get hurt going by herself. When I saw her run after the kids I wasn't sure what to do myself... I couldn't protect her as well as you guys could," I said nothing slowly letting the information of both seep into my brain. They had feelings for each other even after all these years. If nothing else they were stronger than they were before. I sighed softly.
"Oh man," I said shaking my head at him and leaving to change from my clothing. I turned my head to glance back at them and Cloud had moved closer to Zack. Zack was talking to him about something as he watched me. I turned my head back around and hoped there was something more casual to wear for the day. I had no intentions of leaving the town.
Fortunately I found a casual SOLDIER shirt with black pants and lighter boots. I pulled my hair back and went to the small pub to sit by myself in the corner with a glass of just water. I stared at it in the corner and sighed deeply. After a while I groaned and put my head down exasperated at how my thoughts only managed to run back to Zack's face as we stared into each others eyes. I could only think of him. It was ridiculous. His words resounding in my head.
I didn't notice when company had sat down to chat until he had said my name. "You alright Evelia?" My head snapped up quickly and I locked eyes with eyes that didn't match my own mako infused ones. Sea green eyes. Those were the eyes I met with.
"It's-" I stopped remembering who I was. A SOLDIER 1st Class. Famous throughout the world. This person had to know me somehow even if I didn't know them. "It's nothing," I corrected quickly trying to cover up my previously snarky tone. He nodded and I looked over his brown hair, admiring what looked to be a soft texture. "Excuse me but do I know you?"
"Oh no, not at all, but I know you. I guess everyone does. You're Evelia Reinhardt, one of the greatest SOLDIER 1st Class Shinra has ever had. A brilliant General, powerful opponent, Sephiroth's only pupil, and to top it all off the only female to ever make SOLDIER." I gave the guy a quirky look. "You're as beautiful in person as you are in the news and in magazines."
I felt my face heat up, no one had ever told me THAT before and meant it as genuinely as he seemed to say it. Powerful, brilliant, pretty, scary, stern, destructive, funny. Those were used to describe me. Faintly I saw two figures enter the pub. "I, uh... thank you." He smiled. He had such a charming smile.
"I'm Josh by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." He stuck his hand out and I shook it firmly. I saw a group of men, some groan and some cheer. Then my eyes turned to him.
"I'm sure it was," my tone suddenly suspicious. He cocked an eyebrow and noticed that my gaze was on the men who were staring at him. He cringed.
"It was a bet. That I wouldn't man up enough to talk to you," My eyebrow rose and I turned to him questionably.
"Really, that was it?" He said nothing for a moment.
"I really did want to meet you. You're famous and how often does a guy from a small town like this get to meet someone who lives in the city and earns one of the highest salary in all of Gaia." I cleared my throat abruptly.
"What?"
"You are among the top ten highest salaries in Gaia and part of the top 5 in Midgar. There was an article about it once. They had interviewed Shinra about Salary estimates. You and Sephiroth had some of the highest salaries. Due to your constant publicity, of course," stated Josh casually. My eyebrows raised curiously.
"Oh... I always figured that I earned about the same as everyone," he shook his head. I smiled awkwardly unsure of how to remain modest after a comment like that. "Right, I'm glad we had this little chat." I said trying to finish the conversation. He grinned however and it was an intoxicating smile. I wanted to smile with him and my face lifted into a grin with his as his eyes danced over my face.
It was quiet for a time, "Can I buy you a drink? Or we go for a walk?" I scoffed gently drinking from the cup in my hand. I sloshed it around for a minute and looked back up at him, my face falling a bit.
"Wait... you're serious?" I wasn't sure what to say. "No need to buy me a drink I have one of my own, thanks. But I'm sure we could talk about something or other until then. Have anything in mind?" I asked gently. It was hard talking to him as he smiled at me. His features I found were surprisingly handsome the more I gazed at first I didn't even recognize him speaking to me.
"I asked what it was like being so powerful." I chuckled a bit. I was surprised to say the least. How is that the first thing you ask me? You could ask me anything you want and this was it.
"Uhm... good I guess? There's responsibility behind being so strong. Lots of people are depending on me. Just about everyone here is depending on me to protect if something bad goes wrong." I shrugged thinking about it. As the years rolled by you realize just how easy it was to protect so many people all the time. All of Midgar needed protection all the time. It seemed daunting just considering the amount of people in the city, but the things I did every day matter. From the missions I do to get a small girl her favorite doll back to cleaning out the sectors from wondering monsters. It saved lives every day and I loved doing it. It was my job, and I was lucky enough to get paid for what I loved doing.
"However, I never need to worry about someone coming to my rescue. Independence comes with the power." I chuckled gently smiling at him. I couldn't get over how handsome he was. He was a new face, one I had never seen before and I was almost upset that I was in all my SOLDIER clothing. Something clicked in my head and suddenly I was all smiles and giggles.