#interaction continued?

@strifesoldier | Cloud Strife sent;;

' You and me. Your body near mine, close. I'm not right when you're not with me. I get the shakes ' oop zack made him codependent...

Vulnerability, no matter how small or largely given, was always a difficult thing to express; Years of forcing himself into the mold of what Zack thought was the ideal hero only further forcing him to push the overwhelming desire to rely upon someone else to the back of his mind. Being relied upon was the closest he'd ever come to sharing a vulnerable moment with anyone and it was something he cherished far more than even his own life. That much so had never been in the question though, only further proven with each moment where he took a beating to protect those he cared for most, often coming as victorious in each battle he'd carelessly chosen for himself.

Perhaps it was the hubris of a man who has lost damn near everything already or maybe it was just the delusion of someone who had grown lonely over the years, someone who felt as though nobody bothered to know who he was outside of his uniform and rank; At least not until after he'd managed to establish a connection with another person for the first time since... ( Nevermind. ) Zack has come to rely upon being needed, feeling helpful and he's long since found that purpose at the side of his blonde companion. While he'd known that Cloud was capable of taking care of himself well enough, he also couldn't scratch the desperate itch to feel helpful, to do more than just stand beside the other man silently like some brooding shadow.

Though that's what he's become, hasn't he? Bitter and violent should he feel it necessary to be so, a trained killer unafraid of ripping and rending through flesh that managed to be snagged within the maws of an enraged beast, many saw the once proud warrior as nothing more than a monster as of late; A creature that thrived on combat and the destruction of the very people that made him into who he was today, but not Cloud, never Cloud apparently. Lips curl into a gentle grin at the idea, he was helpful to someone at the very least, even if he'd grown all too protective throughout their time beside one another and perhaps he cared far more than the average friend should have, but then again; Average friends don't go through the same horrors as the duo had to endure together. That's how Zack justified it, anyways.

A rabid guard dog trapped in an endless loop of biting despite never wanting to bring harm to those unfortunate to cross into Zack's poor graces, a feature of which was far easier done than said given how low his tolerance for anyone daring to cause problems for either Cloud or himself truly had become. That dependency, as it seems to be, is reciprocated. Though that hardly came as much of a surprise, being without the blonde felt off, something so viscerally incorrect that his very being often trembled with wrath when the two were separated for too long and the verbal confirmation he wasn't the only one to experience that... ( Validating, freeing even. )

“ And here I was, stewing about whether I'm being overbearing towards you. ” He huffs out, amusement glimmering within mako stained eyes; An odd calmness kept Zack completely and uncharacteristically still. At times such as this, he'd often be pacing or doing squats, clears his mind and allows the former SOLDIER to focus on his surroundings but instead he simply sat, jaw twitching while his tongue feels at the sharp canines meant for rending through his foes and that familiar emptiness he'd been so prone to slowly seeps in. “ I'm always here though, always nearby until you tell me to go away and mean it, I promise. ”

@defiant-ex-soldiers || Cloud Strife wrote;;

“ You're joking. ”

Turquoise eyes gleam curiously, confusion flickering within a typically calm expression. The same smile had been offered hundreds - thousands of times before, part of Zack's charm he'd guess, or it would be in better circumstances. As it stood, standing in a bar that he's pretty sure he helped name while staring at a few somewhat familiar backs of heads wasn't the former SOLDIER's ideal way to kill time, but if it meant getting well needed socializing in then he'd simply have to swallow the bitter taste within his mouth and cope.

It was much better than focusing on the judgemental gaze he'd received from passers-by anyways, not like Zack could blame them given his eyes were a damn giveaway of prior affiliations; Death on papers be damned he was still technically a work horse for Shinra at some point in his life and the company didn't exactly show much love for any of the residents within the slums. War hero or not, former first or not, the raven haired man understood far too well the apprehension that was thrown towards him, it was the whispers he wished he could ignore.

How he wished he could simply rip the mako that danced within his blood out, cleanse his body of the enhancements and perhaps then some; Unfortunately it was an ichor that forever lurked within his body, going into overdrive and effectively leaving Zack all the more vulnerable to hushed insults, not like they weren't deserved; The worst though was when his ears would occasionally pick up familiar voices, ones he'd yearned to hear once more but never quite being able to find the ones who they belonged to and tonight just had to be one of those nights.

Fighting the urge to whip his face around to where he'd guess the voice came from was always the hardest part, even if it sounded more biting than the one his mind usually conjured up, and much the same as always, Zack lost that fight quickly. Impulses were one hell of a fight for a man that rarely ever bothered to control them, if he'd learned anything it was to simply give up trying to look less insane around others, not like anyone would notice the frantic way his gaze flickered anyways.

“ Holy shit... ” A whisper, body tensing at familiar tufts of blondes and yet he can't help but feel out of place, those blues weren't familiar at all to him, not in the way Zack had hoped anyways, the glare he felt lingering upon his features made him wish so desperately that he didn't keep his hair slicked back, wished he could hide behind the long raven lock that covered just a sliver of his features. Normally he'd be elated, to finally see a familiar face, or at least one of the faces he's been hoping to see anyways.

Now all he feels is dread. He knows the words are spoken towards him, why else would the blonde be looking in his direction, though now he wonders if Cloud even recognized him, remembered him at all. Is he angry that Zack had disappeared after his battle with the platoon? Or maybe he has no clue who Zack is and he's just as apprehensive towards SOLDIERs as the rest of the folks within the bar. So many thoughts run through his mind and that damned lack of impulse control gets the better of him again, forces his legs to walk towards the shorter man and force an easy going smile upon his face.

“ Usually that comes after I say something stupid, ” His throat feels dry, trying to force words out; Wants to test the waters and see if perhaps his assumption was wrong and maybe Cloud was just shocked he'd be there too, but he can't bring himself to get that confirmation, knows the idea that he'd been forgotten despite doing his damned best to take care of the blonde on their run from Shinra would rip whatever was left of his pride from him and that wasn't something Zack wanted to risk. “ You were staring pretty hard - I think - can I help you with anything? ”

@dcyseeker | Aerith wrote;;

“ zack . . .” there’s a pause , the name leaving her quietly at first before it becomes much louder , earning the attention of the people around her . “ zack !”

she doesn’t hesitate to run from the group , pushing through the people there to get to him . her arms are outstretched , bodies colliding with him as she practically leaps on him . it’s been years , too many years .

The sun, it always felt so nice upon his bare arms when the weather permitted it, allowed him to remember his home of Gongaga and reminisce on simpler times, times where he didn't have to hide away, keep his tags stashed beneath the black tank top that shielded so many secrets from those in the small town he'd found himself residing in during the recovery from his injuries just a year or so ago.

The townsfolk were kind enough, took care of him when he'd been on death's door without asking for much of anything in return save for assistance with the occasional odd job, or at least that was until the local mechanic nearby had decided Zack would make for a good student, thought maybe giving the strange man with no last name a job and help get him back on his feet without giving him a handout would be a great idea, and that was enough to satisfy the guilty feeling within his heart.

After all, he needed the money to make it back to Midgar, to get back to Aerith's church and apologize for the last six years of being missing. Once he'd had enough to leave he'd make sure to give thanks as best he could before running back into the arms of his first love, or at least that's what he planned to do. Gods he missed Aerith so much, how he hoped she hadn't moved on without him or at the very least was happy if she did. He gets lost in thoughts of the brunette, what he'd say or do when he saw her again, or at least that's until his enhanced hearing picks up a familiar voice.

He'd been well ensnared in his duty, enough that he'd only caught the tail end of his name, soft as it was there was no mistake of the fact he'd been called and that voice was one he hadn't heard in years yet still remembered so damn vividly. He visibly perks up, turquoise eyes scanning the crowd before seeing a familiar pink bow and brown hair bouncing and he finds his heart soaring with giddiness. Zack can hear her footsteps, can see the green eyed woman that haunted his dreams and memories rushing towards him and he grins like a fool, opens his arms and sweeps her into his embrace the moment she fumbles into his chest, desperately clinging onto Aerith as though she were simply a figment of his mind, a cruel hallucination despite feeling the warmth of her body.

“ I was supposed to make it back to you, not have you randomly bump into me before I could make my grand entrance... ” He whispers, fingers burrowing into the back of her hair as the beginnings of tears sting within his eyes. His heart hurt, truly it ached so terribly to finally have her back in his embrace, to see her once again and know that she hadn't forgotten him. “ I missed you, Gods I missed you so much. ” He whispers, voice quivering with relief mixing into grief, so much time had passed after all.

@grieverled | Squall Leonhart sent;;

Do you dance? — For Zack.

( listen,,, you reblog dance themed askmeme and expect mr ‘bad dancer’ not to ask??? )

Amusement quirks the corners of plush lips, turquoise eyes glimmering with mako flickering to stare at the brunette. Zack's silent, momentarily of course, to gather his thoughts and figure out how to answer the question. The short answer, of course, is a resounding yes. He does dance, even if he weren't part of SOLDIER, where being limber and able to maneuver with ease was a necessity in the field, his mother had ensured that he'd be able to move from a very young age. Tawny fingers gently tap against his thigh, rhythmic in nature as was everything pertaining to Zack Fair and yet it wasn't a predictable beat.

A gentle hum rocks through his chest, rumbles deep within his throat much the same as a growl of warning with no bite to it, playful in nature. “ I do, ” He begins, lips curling into a toothy grin, sharp teeth fully displayed as though he were a wolf watching dinner and biding his time before diving in for the kill. “ But not the sort of dancing you're thinking, and definitely not any sort you're used to either. ” In all of Zack's time in Midgar, he's yet to find someone to dance with, or at least someone who kept up with him anyways. Clapping a hand against his knee, the raven haired man pushes himself into standing, offers a hand to the Turk with that same damn grin sat atop his features.

“ Wanna give it a go? ”

“ i don't stick my neck out for just anyone. ”

Lips curl into a gentle smile, not many trusted a woman with glass embedded in her flesh, Miriam was no stranger to that fact in her hundreds of years of living, it was the audacity with which most often reacted to her that left a sour taste in her mouth. To be compared to a demon, a monster or some vile beast simply because she was different, because she had power thrust upon her as a child and couldn't reject it because the agency of a young girl in London back then didn't matter as much, her consent meaning nothing to her so called guardians meant to care for her and the other children of the orphanage. Miriam was used to apprehension, she wasn't used to others sticking up for her though.

The white haired man, Dante, had gone to bat for her, defended her as though he's known her his entire life and that had to have meant something, right? It meant the world to her, anyways, and she made that evident the moment she'd had a second alone with the much taller man. Crystalline blues gaze up at the man, features far less stern and much more gentle as she offers her thanks only for him to dismiss it.

“ I don't stick my neck out for just anyone. ”

He had said, grin tugging the corners of his lips upwards into something she would have taken as patronizing had she just met the man but with how well Miriam had come to know Dante, it only made the raven haired woman laugh softly. “ Perhaps not, but... Not just anyone would come to my defense. ” She speaks, stands upon her toes and playfully bumps her hip against his in some form of friendliness. “ So, thank you again for that, I owe you one. ”

@pulchralilium||Aerith sent;;

"you promised" There is a quiet anger in her voice, seething behind glossy eyes that are brimmed with tears. "You promised me" Repeated, twice as angry and twice as hurt. The tremble in her lip is matched by the radiating anger that shakes her to her core. "And you were reckless. Over and over, and over" She's nearly shouting it, clutched in her own arms. "How could you be so reckless Zack?" Hurt, anger, the terms to describe it barely feel appropriate. Instead, Aerith feels betrayed. Worst of all, she's so relieved that he's okay that the tears are nearly spilling over. She wants to curse at him, swear that if this was how he'd conduct himself she'd leave. Instead, Aerith quietly collapses into herself. Terrified that ShinRa would take away another person from her life. That Zack's career, would be why she'd end up alone. And for a moment, she questions if she can do this. If this pain, this worry, was worth the love they shared. "You promised" And again she felt like the little girl left alone to fend from the world.

Silence. Shame settling hot deep within the pits of his belly as he listens quietly, flinching at each reminder of his failure as both a partner and a SOLDIER, though he hardly considered himself one anymore, the dull throbbing within his still freshly healing body serving as the final reminder of what he hadn't been able to do. Eyebrows furrow, pitifully attempting to find the right words while knowing damn well nothing he has to say will ever validate his poor choices, even if they were all made out of necessity. Cloud needed him, that in of itself was what drove Zack to act so recklessly, it was no longer just his life on the line after all and what happened within the wastelands was his own foolish attempt at taking back some form of control, to finally have his own life within his hands and not at the mercy of the Turks nor Shinra.

“ I did promise. ” He whispers, hoarse and weak from lack of use. “ And I kept my promise, didn't I? That I'd come back to you no matter what… There was a detour but I'm here now and I won't be going anywhere again. ” A pause, dull eyes staring down at Aerith apologetically, he knows he's filthy, knows he has to look as terrible as he felt since he'd barely managed to get himself back up after collapsing after the fact. Perhaps he'd been too foolish, to willingly almost toss his life away in such a matter, he regrets giving Buster away to Cloud before they'd parted completely, not because he didn't care or cherish the blonde enough to pass it down but because now that Zack was alive still, he hated the lack of weight upon his back, hated how vulnerable and terrified he felt and even moreso now that he'd found himself feeling as though he still had to ensure the safety of more than just himself.

“ Cloud needed me, Aerith... I couldn't just leave him behind to deal with... With whatever was being done to us, I wasn't going to just abandon him. ” He continues, finally finding something to say at the very least, an explanation but never an excuse, the former SOLDIER was just as angry at himself as she was. “ Believe me when I say I tried to return without doing something... Something only an idiot would do but Shinra's persistent, I didn't want to be reckless but I had no choice. ” Hesitation lingers within his features, exhaustion clear in his face as he hesitantly opens his arms, moves to wrap the brunette into his damn near desperate embrace to make an attempt at reassuring her that he was there and alive and had no intentions of disappearing again, not for a day and never for another four years.

He hates that he's caused her so much grief, hates that the pain within her features and the rage in her heart is caused by his actions, even if those actions had been forced upon him by Hojo. “ I've a new promise to make you too, one that I'll also never break. ”

" hey supercop , missed me ~? "

Icy blue eyes flick upwards, landing atop the very familiar and very handsome features of her companion; Despite the attempt at a scowl for being interrupted, Jill can't help but to smile at him and laugh. He always did have a way of lightening her tense moods, paperwork being a pain in her ass as always leaving her beyond irate towards anyone other than the man standing in front of her. “ Like the plague. ” She jokes, slowly setting down the paper she had been mulling over for far too long in favor of standing up.

She stretches slightly, sighs softly at the popping of her back before long legs bring her to standing right in front of the man, a curious smirk sat atop her features. “ To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from such a busy man like yourself? " She hopes he's here to actually visit, knows Carlos isn't the type to dump more work onto her and even then she's come to grow apprehensive towards guests in her space; Maybe it'll be a nice dinner date? One could dream.

“Do not leave me, swear that you will never leave me.”

Spring greens shimmer with an unsung confusion, of woes swirling deep within uncertainty as pallid hands rest within her own and multi hued eyes stare deep within Kotoha's soul, easily picking away at any thoughts she might have because the man before her truly did know her better than anyone else; including herself most often. How long had it been since she'd fled from her horrid past, since she'd joined the temple and taken far too well to the leader of Paradise?

Certainly long enough, long enough to have planted roots, deeply seated within the room meant for worship and within the hearts of the many who sought refuge all the same. Inosuke was properly walking by now, able to be somewhat independent and enough to cause her heart to leap with both joy and terror upon realizing he'd ran off somewhere while she looked away for a mere moment. The leaves had fallen from the trees and regrown and she'd had many nights simply basking within the presence of the blonde that spoke ever so tenderly to her, even affectionately were she to believe hard enough.

Plush lips purse a moment, body relaxing as it often did when she'd offer a gentle squeeze to Dōma's hands, large and freezing within her grasp, and finds herself nodding along almost silently, words catching in her throat as though she couldn't promise such a thing. Though in truth, she couldn't. Life was ever fleeting, after all, there was no promise she would be at his side until his own inevitable death, and even the thought of simply being without the ethereal man before her stirred something hideous deep within her chest.

Tension slowly eases into her soft jaw, the gentle clack of Kotoha's teeth against each other breaking her silence momentarily before an easy smile washes it away quickly. “ I swear it, I'll always stay at your side Dōma. ” Because being beside Dōma meant safety, comfort and contentment, joy and eternal happiness at the end of her life, but most importantly it meant the warmth of feeling wanted, treasured even.

“ Pinky promise that you'll never leave me too? ”