#earnfirst

❛  and  we  will  .  .  .  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐙𝐀𝐂𝐊  !  ❜  a  squeeze  of  his  greying-palm  entangled  in  her  hold,  silhouette  leaning  atop  the  raven  as  rain  pours  from  the  heavens  upon  them.  ❛  we're  still  going  to  open  the  flower shop  together.  𝚆𝙴'𝙻𝙻 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙷𝚄𝚁𝙲𝙷 𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙴, 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝚆𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙸𝚂𝙴𝙳.  .  .  .  we'll  go  hiking  through  mt.corel  —  –  ❜  a  hiccup  breaks  her  octave,  opposing  hand  sweeping  bloodied  black  strands  from  dimming  mako-infused  optics.  ❛  i'm  still  going  to  meet  your  mom  and  dad,  and  look  at  all  those  photos  of  you  as  a  little  boy  in  gongaga  .  .  .  𝚆𝙴 𝙲𝙰𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝚁𝚄𝙽 𝙰𝚆𝙰𝚈.  we  can  hide  from  shinra  —  –  we'll  come  up  with  new  names  for  ourselves,  𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄  .  .  .  ❜ 

through  the  pitter-patter  of  gaia's  weeps  marking  the  terre,  army-crawls  another  wounded,  one  dressed  in  the  same  SOLDIER  attire  .  .  .  without  crimson  accentuating  navy  +  black  fabrics.  ❛  zack  .  .  .  ❜  their  octave  whispers,  distraught  and  quiet  as  they  grace  the  florist's  right  side.  a  wince  from  her  hero  —  –  the  one  who  gave  her  company  through  the  solemness  of  the  forgotten  church.  his  generosity  and  nobility  knotted  in  the  crown  of  her  head,  𝙰 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙺 𝚁𝙸𝙱𝙱𝙾𝙽  that  would  𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁 𝙷𝙰𝚄𝙽𝚃 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚁𝚈  to  their  first  date.  [  THERE  WAS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE  MORE.  IT  WASN'T  SUPPOSED  TO  END  LIKE  THIS.  ]

❛ 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄 ?  i'll  call  hojo  myself  and  tell  him  to  fix  you  .  .  .  𝙸'𝙻𝙻 𝙳𝙾 𝙰𝙽𝚈𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙾 𝙺𝙴𝙴𝙿 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴  .  .  .  zack,  please.  ❜  brows  knit  together,  unable  to  control  the  agony  that  spills  from  emerald  irises,  unable  to  decipher  what  fell  heavier:  her  tears,  or  blackening  clouds  empathizing  loss.  ❛  please,  zack,  i  can't  lose  you.  besides  elmyra,  𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄.  you've  been  my  only  friend  —  –  𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃 𝙻𝙴𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙼𝙴, 𝙿𝙻𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙴.  ❜  clearing  her  eyes  of  tears,  the  same  pigment  that  bleeds  from  his  being  marks  divine  features  .  .  .  as  though  they  were  looking  into  a  mirror,  witnessing  the  same  reflection.

❛  cloud  .  .  .  ❜  and  braided  tresses  whip  to  her  collar  with  her  chin  following  to  peer  over  her  shoulder,  the  wounded  slowly  prying  himself  off  the  muddied  terre  to  sit  ‘pon  his  knees.  attentive  to  his  comrade.  ❛  .  .  .  take  aerith  home.  𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐑𝐀 . . . 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍.  ❜  these  words:  attempting  to  mask  pain,  honourable  though  weak  'pon  his  tongue,  cause  her  body  to  lurch  forward  to  entangle  herself  in  zack's  embrace  once  more.  though  cloud  —  –  𝙰 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙷𝙴, 𝙰 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝚃𝙾 𝙷𝙴  —  –  quickly  embraces  the  brunette,  his  grasp  tightening  with  every  wriggle  and  attempt  to  flee  his  captivity.  ❛  𝐙𝐀𝐂𝐊  !   no  !  no, no, 𝐍𝐎, 𝐍𝐎,   zack,  𝙻𝙴𝚃 𝙼𝙴 𝚂𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄 !   zack,  please  !  ❜  her  arms  cannot  reach  upward  to  find  the  materia  passed  down  from  ifalna  —  –  pleading  this  could  be  the  resolution  to  the  soldier's  ticking-internal  clock  leading  him  to  the  lifestream. 

with  what  strength  he  possesses,  the  sound  of  metal  scraping  against  rock  causes  her  eardrums  to  screech,  lids  squeezing  shut  momentarily  as  her  most  cherished  companion  speaks  in  a  final  breath.  ❛  @callmeteor.  my  hopes  —  –  my  dreams.  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖.  ❜  the  handle  slips,  it's  clang  ringing  betwixt  the  three,  and  once  perfect  pools  of  mako  and  blue  roll  where  whites  are  all  that  remain,  an  ascension  of  his  soul  floating  past  the  sky  and  into  the  void.  𝙰𝙴𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙷'𝚂 𝚂𝙾𝙱'𝚂 𝙲𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙴,  still  tightly  held  in  the  hold  of  cloud  strife  who  enacted  on  his  promise  to  the  fallen,  and  limbs  begin  to  violently  tremble.  &  she  can  feel  the  disbelief  settling  within  the  other,  their  breaths  short,  almost  as  though  he  were  gasping  for  air. 

𝚂𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙼  with  all  that  her  lungs  can  emit,  fingernails  digging  within  the  flesh  of  the  arms  that  embrace  her,  torso  bending  as  she  urges  to  release  𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋.  a  touch  of  her  forehead  against  his  attire:  he's  cold.  wet.  an  essence  of  iron  filling  her  nostrils  as  tresses  soak  in  the  blood  of  his  being.  then,  her  shoulders  jump  to  the  soldier's  outcry,  octave  echoing  the  outskirts  of  the  only  home  she's  known.  𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁 𝚂𝙾𝙱𝚂 𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙿𝙾𝙻𝙾𝙶𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝚄𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺-𝙰𝙽𝙳-𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝙷,  for  when  she  breaked  to  fill  her  lungs  with  air,  cloud  would  begin  to  weep  through  her  silence.  &  when  his  hold  ‘pon  her  drops,  allowing  the  cetra  to  cradle  the  first  person  she’s  ever  romantically  loved,  a  parting  kiss  tops  his  blue-tinged  mouth.  ❛  zack  .  .  .  ❜  octave  broken.  morale  shattered  .  .  .  and  arms  surround  themselves  around  her  silhouette  once  more,  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄, 𝐈𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓.

so  aerith  rotates  her  physique,  reciprocating  the  chest-to-chest embrace,  𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙽 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙰𝚁 𝙾𝙵 𝙾𝙽𝙴-𝙰𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁  as  they  grief  the  loss  .  .  .  𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃,  𝐙𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑.

    𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑  .  .  .  fallen  from  the  heavens  without  wings  to  declare  his  holiness,  attire  camouflaged  within  greenery  and  glowing  yellow  blooms  center  of  the  𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐌.  stems  bend  like  the  inquisitive  tilt  of  someone's  head,  pistils  absorbing  unconscious  features  before  directing  their  bewilderment  to  their  tender  caregiver.  ❛  .  .  .  𝙸'𝙼 𝚄𝙽𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝚆𝙷𝙾𝙼 𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝚂, 𝙻𝙸𝙻𝚈.  though,  i  do  hope  he's  unharmed  from  such  a  fall.  ❜ 

    there  is  hesitance  in  the  hand  that  extends  outward  to  brush  black  tresses  from  his  forehead,  𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷 𝙲𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚈 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚂,  digits  gently  clearing  debris  from  his  scalp  +  attire  whilst  he  lays  motionless  against  the  flower  bed.  ❛  𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄.  ❜  sincerity  bleeds,  lips  parted  as  aerith  dares  to  beckon  the  raven  from  slumber  with  a  delicate  kiss  atop  his  mouth  .  .  .  though  the  flowers  urge  differently,  their  gentle  sway  wispily  grazing  his  physique,  calling  him  to  return  to  gaia.  ❛  𝙸𝚃'𝚂 𝙽𝙸𝙲𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙴𝙴 𝚆𝙴 𝙰𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙴, 𝙵𝙻𝙾𝚁𝙴𝚃𝚂.  i  mustn't  stay  long  —  –   mother  would  forbid  my  frolicking  should  she  see  us  here.  ❜

    risen  to  her  feet,  palms  brushing  the  terre  from  the  skirt,  she  pleas  to  the  perennials:  ❛  𝚂𝙴𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙷𝙴 𝙸𝚂 𝚃𝙰𝙺𝙴𝙽 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙾𝙵  .  .  .  and  no  revealing  one's  self.  ❜  though  as  aerith  turns  to  flee,  mindful  to  keep  her  lineage  secret  from  the  rest  of  civilization  —  –  it  is  he  who  lures  her  inward  with  the  low  murmur  of  his  octave,  irises  peering  over  her  shoulder  as  his  physique  adjusts  against  pried  floorboards.  surely  .  .  .  staying  for  only  a  minute  longer  [  only  to  assure  his  well-being  ]  wouldn't  cause  any  harm,  would  it  ?  ❛  .  .  .  𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙾  ?  .  .  .  would  you  rise  ?  .  .  .  𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐎  ?  ❜ 

𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑢.ᐟ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 @𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 ♡

( winter / christmas / holiday themed prompts | @earnfirst )

☎ — [sender] and [receiver] put together a gingerbread house

the pointer finger of a gloved hand was directed at zack the moment that tifa returned to the bar's main floor. she had been intentionally quiet, & while she didn't think she was quiet enough to sneak by his soldier hearing, she caught him anyways–––– popping another of the decorative candies into his mouth.

❛ i knew it! you were eating the candies! ❜

he had denied it when she had asked him before. though she had been fairly certain by the upturned corner of his lip that he was lying, she had no proof. now, she had caught him red-handed ( though, admittedly, she was laughing, & there wasn't a hint of malice in her tone ).

❛ what will marlene say if the gingerbread house has no treats on it!? ❜

she passed him, moving back to her spot on the other side of the cookie house. her hand pressed against the counter, & she leaned against it as she continued with her scolding.

❛ you don't want to disappoint her. ❜

& without so much as a change in her demeanor, she reached for a treat herself, a sweet, green gumdrop, & bit into it with a playful smile.

( spotify wrapped has arrived. send me a number from 1-100 for a starter based on that song, or a lyric from it, or send a 🎁 for me to shuffle | @earnfirst )

🎁 well well well i never planned on you / don't come a-knocking - newsies

let it never be said that zack fair wasn't a hard worker. he rose early in the morning to join the neighborhood watch, did mercenary work after patrol, joined barret for planning whenever he could, & still insisted upon helping with the bar as though he hadn't spent all day doing work for others. she tried to tell him, as she did every evening he insisted upon helping out, that he didn't have to ( well, if she was being honest, the first time she'd told him that if he was helping because he was sorry, he didn't need to ), but somehow he always ended up collecting empty glasses with a rag tossed over his shoulder–––– as if he belonged there.

the first few nights his presence in her space annoyed her. though she had to admit that his help was appreciated, it was still an adjustment to running the place on her own. by the end of the first week, however, they had been maneuvering around each other like he had been there from the start.

the last customer's departure was usually her cue to pour him a glass of something & slide it to where he sat at the bar, leaving him free to relax as she finished cleaning up. but it seemed that she had yet to find the boundaries of his persistence. persistence that was as exasperating as it was endearing.

persistence that led to her being shooed out from behind her own bar.

there were three things on her list every night before she could return home. wash the dishes, stack the chairs atop the tables, & mop the floor. this night, however, she was barred from the sink. he took up more than enough space to block her from getting around him, though her attempts brought smiles to their faces, & in the end it was his hip nudging her own that finally pushed her away for good.

❛ you are the most impossible boy! ❜

her tone, full of laughter, & the smile on her face did not match her chastising words. the way zack's smile grew made her pause, watching him as he laughed. her head shook, her smile softening into something sweet, & she spoke without thinking.

❛ i never planned on someone like you. ❜

( happy birthday, tifa! | @earnfirst )

" sooooooo - " he starts with silly banter , obscuring any hint of shyness with a bold grin and charging fists that circle before him ; his excitement is palpable . " you'd never guess what i heard . " he's vague , failing at being mysterious , and wrought with energy . " annd ya don't have to ! " he motions her over eagerly to a table decorated with ribbon , confetti , a store - bought cake , and a negligently wrapped gift . within the poorly wrapped paper resides a simple bracelet , a casual yet stylish red jacket , and a lavender scented candle . " happy birthdayy ! " he exclaims , arms stretched toward the display as if presenting it . in this moment , he's really hoping cloud hadn't lied to him about the date in question and hoping she doesn't notice the nervous sweat forming at his forehead.

under barret's unyielding stare & marlene's pleading puppy––––dog eyes, tifa had made a promise. the bar stayed closed, today of all days, to allow herself some extra rest ( though she suspected that there would be an unruly & familiar crowd at her door around sunset, if the secret meeting she'd stumbled upon between jessie & marlene was any indication ). this did not mean that she wouldn't be doing any work at all, however. instead, she spent a bit of time in the storeroom, taking a leisurely inventory with her notepad resting on her knee & her hair tired into a ponytail to stave off the spring heat.

if nothing else, she could admit that it was nice to be able to take her time. she scribbled her notes leisurely, humming & tapping her foot as she worked, oblivious to the setup happening just beyond her storeroom door. finally, she scribbled her last note ( she'd need to send jessie, biggs, & wedge out for certain ingredients soon ) & stood, reaching for the door with the intention to find something else to do.

only to jump when she saw she was no longer alone in her work building. her head tilted, jaw slightly dropped as a quick, questioning, ❛ zack? ❜ but he continued, pushing quickly past her shock with a grin & a teasing tone that brought heat to her face but made her smile brightly in return. before she could question anything, he was gesturing to one of the many empty tables in seventh heaven, covered with confetti, presents ( that, admittedly, looked more like marlene had gotten into a store of wrapping paper ), & a cake that was definitely far too large for her to eat on her own. her smile shifted into something like surprise, her eyes bouncing over every item at the table & then back again. ❛ zack... ❜ there were a million thoughts running through her head as she took the slow steps forward towards his surprise–––– ranging from the gratitude she felt for the gesture to the sudden giddiness that it caused–––– before she suddenly realized that her birthday had certainly never come up in conversation before.

❛ hey! ❜ she rounded on him suddenly, her tone far too bright & her smile too wide to be truly angry. she marched up towards him, finger wagging at his face. ❛ who even told you? ❜ she reached out, one arm on his shoulder & the other on his chest to give him a playful shove, laughing all the while ( somewhere in her mind, she wondered when she had become so comfortable that she felt she was allowed to be in space, welcome to touch him whenever she pleased, & able to send smiles in his direction without thinking ).

before he could dramatically lean too far, she took both of her hands in one of his, pulling him towards the table to sit beside her. ❛ c'mon! i can't eat all this cake by myself! ❜ & once they were seated, she took a moment, giving his hand a squeeze.

❛ thank you, zack. this was really sweet. ❜ & if her gaze lingered a little too long, her cheeks growing a bit pink even as no other words came, she hoped he wouldn't comment.