#firstclassheroism

Bitter Soulmates Prompts || xxx

         Such a heavy topic that Cloud hadn’t wanted to engage in, but that mark upon Zack’s wrist had been unmistakable, exactly the same as his own. Same patterns, same faded lines, same curls. Cloud knew it well, he’d carried it since birth, indicating that his soulmate was already alive by the time he was born.

         Zack had carried his since the moment Cloud entered the world, right? He was older by a few years, but it seemed as if he’d chosen to ignore it whilst Cloud studied his, wondering who he was connected to. He had hoped it had been that girl back home, he’d never seen her mark up close.

         Now here he was though, wrist out stretched next to Zack’s, examining the markings, checking for any difference after they’d both managed to catch a glimpse of each others. Cloud’s heart sunk, his throat became dry, palms sweaty. 

         Why Zack? Anyone but Zack? Someone so bright and bold didn’t deserve to be bogged down by Cloud’s weight, no one deserved that actually, and perhaps the redness of Cloud’s wrist revealed that, showing where Cloud had scrubbed and scrubbed at that marking to try and get it to peel away in the shower every night.

         ‘I’m not very good with commitment, or soulmates, or love.’

         And Zack shouldn’t have to be, he was free, he lived. Cloud was the clip being attached to his wings. He shouldn’t have to change for him.

         Bloodshot and puffy eyes glanced up at Zack, before Cloud took his wrist away from Zack’s to wipe at the corners of his eyes, sniffling once as he shook his head. “You don’t have to be,” he muttered, coughed, tried to pass off the quivering of his lips as him just having a cold or something. “You don’t have to do anything. Not commit to me, be my soulmate, love me, anything… They’re just markings caused by the lifestream. The same marking equals soulmates thing is just popular belief, I’m sure…

         (What’s so strange about a scar, that it’s on my face? Coming from someone with a scar on their face too, it’s not that strange.)

         Lost in thought, as usual, saying what he wanted in his head but never out loud. Perhaps for a good reason since Squall wasn’t the biggest fan of letting go of the story behind his scar, especially not to someone who was proving themselves to be rather annoying when he had work to be doing around Radiant Garden.

         Two sentences had left this man’s lips and Squall already knew he was going to bring on a headache, and he had thought those pixie girls had been headache inducing enough. What were their names again? Rikku was one of them. They had been a bit of pain, and now he had this pain to deal with. Great.

         All he had done was come out to greet him, ask him who he was and what he was doing in Radiant Garden as he didn’t seem like much of a threat, and this was the response he got? This was why he left the niceties to Aerith usually.

Zack chuckled warmly as Cloud stiffened up, wrapping his arms around him. “You’re cute.” Cue the eskimo kisses. Of course, they had to practice /other/ kisses besides those.

         “Ah–! Yes, sir! Right away, sir!” Cloud stiffened instantly, back straight, hand at his temple in a salute before–

         Wait… What did Zack say?

Zack placed a hand to his chest. “Wow, ouch. I’m not that awful, am I?”