Not interested.

Zack gave a bark of a laugh then - he should have known better. But it was rather funny nonetheless, even with the growing moment between them. Strong arms moved to gently hold Cloud against himself, and he readily moved to run his fingers through those spikes belonging to his partner, and he gently nuzzled the top of his head as Cloud moved to settle himself against Zack’s chest.

Gently, his own arms went around the blond and he tried to hold him closer. He was definitely enjoying this warmth and this comfort. He knew that Cloud was too and at this moment? That was all he could hope for. Cloud feeling safe, secure and loved…. That was all he could really ask for. Speaking of loved – Hearing the words from Cloud immediately made his heart beat a little faster, and he was sure that Cloud would notice. But he didn’t care. If anything, he hoped it would make Cloud feel better. He moved to gently kiss his forehead. “I love you too, Spikes.

Cloud smiled and pressed his face into Zack’s chest. Hearing those words always made him feel warm. He leaned up and pressed their lips together, letting Zack get a feel for the soft, pink lipstick he wore. As he pulled away, he could see a bit of pink on Zack’s lips now.

Tell my muse what they need to hear // accepting!

"It doesn't have to be that way."

Something is wrong with Cloud, and of course, Aerith and Tifa have become friends, so they talk to each other about it from time to time. Actually, it was almost a RELIEF for Aerith, when Tifa agreed with her concerns. Aerith wants to help Cloud; she wishes she can do something for him, but she feels powerless. Nothing seems to work, but she also refuses to give up.

There are concerns in her features as she’s looking at him. “I… I wish I could help you, Cloud. I really do.” She assures, letting a SAD smirk cross her features for a short moment. “I don’t know anything. What I know is just what you showed me. The reactions you have sometimes. Your head hurts often, right ?” She pauses one more time. “I don’t know if I could do something with my magic for that.” And there’s also the fact that Cloud probably knew Zack and doesn’t remember him at all. 

Cloud couldn’t help but to feel a sting of disappointment at that. Aerith definitely seemed like she knew more than she was letting on, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. It’d be so much easier if someone could just... tell him what the hell was wrong with him.

Cloud hadn’t expected any of this either. He still questioned himself and his judgement over it. And still, he couldn’t stay away. Something about Sephiroth just drew him close like a moth to a flame.

A small flush painted his pale cheeks when his hand was taken and handled so softly. It was... strange to see Sephiroth acting like this. Not something he would have ever expected to see, but the other man had become softer the more time they spent together. He gave Sephiroth’s hand a gentle squeeze.

It was cute, seeing how they responded to the mention of Aerith… And he couldn’t help but feel warm about it. Knowing Aerith had people that loved her, and that missed her. A part of him wished that she could be here too, but, still having that feeling of her watching, he knew… When Cloud whispered, he nodded. He didn’t like the idea and he had some words to have with Tseng later but… For now? Zack was going to try and keep the things simple and light, especially with the kids around. As he let go of Barret’s hand, he crouched down and he smiled brightly to Marlene. He had of course noticed the pink ribbon in her hair (and the one on Cloud and Tifa’s arms) and he couldn’t help but be reminded of Aerith too. Like she was a small version of her. So sweet…

“Yeah, I knew her,” he said softly, fondness laced in his voice. “She was my girl, before stuff went into chaos and I… Well,” they knew he died. He gave a nervous chuckle. “I gave her her ribbon, you know?” he said with a gesture to Marlene’s own hair. “On our first date, I told her pink was her colour, and she really took to it, heh…”

Marlene’s eyes went wide with wonder as she absent-mindedly touched her own ribbon. “Really?” She had heard all the stories about Aerith. It had been a no-brainer to honor her memory this way. She was pretty excited to meet someone who had been that close to her before all of this, someone who could tell new stories about her.

Cloud smiled. He was touched that Marlene was taking to Zack so quickly. He’d definitely made a better first impression on the girl than Cloud himself had... Maybe he’d tell Zack that story later. He just knew that Zack would find it funny, and he really wanted to hear his old friend laugh.