#seriouslyzacky

(I tend to unintentionally offend someone and not be aware I said something bad until it's too late. There is an explanation for this and it has to do with my state of mind. However, because people have been faking the disorder for attention on the internet, it got quite the stigma on it. I cannot be open about it due to shame and fear. It's also not my intention to use it to gain pity or attention, so I keep that part of me to myself.

Furthermore, while it's an explanation, simply for understanding my train of thought, it's not meant to be an excuse for any bad behaviour on my part. *nodnod*

“Kunssselllll…”

His throat closes over in terror just as he opens his mouth to scream, forcing him to make a strangled squawk that even the most vocal of chocobos would have been ashamed of. Worse, he’s tried to jump around to face his attacker at the same time that he’s instinctively leapt off of the couch. His arms windmill frantically, but to no avail – Kunsel ends up butt-first on the carpet, and most of Zack disappears behind the couch as he doubles over, shrieking with laughter. Dragging himself upright, Kunsel notices that Zack is only managing to remain standing by the aid of an arm slung over the back of the couch. He mercilessly pushes it off, and Zack collapses to the ground, tears streaming from his eyes.

“I hope you wet yourself laughing, you giant butt,” Kunsel mutters. This only serves to make Zack laugh harder, though Gaia only knows how he manages to hear him over all that noise.

“Y-your… ffface…” Zack wheezes.

“Yeah, well. Didn’t think you were coming back until tomorrow.”

“Finished… ha… early…”

“I noticed,” Kunsel says dryly.

Eventually, the fit subsides, and Zack hauls himself up and around to sprawl all over most of the couch.

“Oye,” Kunsel protests, giving him a shove. “Move, you giant lunk.”

“But I’m so comfy,” Zack replies, deliberately grinding the back of his head into Kunsel’s ribs.

“Butt,” he mutters again, one corner of his mouth curling upward reluctantly.

  It’s not easy avoiding Zack on Wednesday. Much as Kunsel is glad to have him back early, it does cut short the time he had allocated for planning, and he’s glad that Angeal has agreed to help keep Zack out of the way. However, Zack has a knack for stumbling onto things he shouldn’t, and Kunsel has lost track of the number of times The Surprise was almost sprung too early.

  At midnight, an alarm goes off inside the training room.

  Angeal touches a gloved finger to his lips, indicating silence as he opens the door to the training room. Light spills out into the corridor, but otherwise, the room appears empty. Angeal sends Zack a significant look, using his free hand to motion him over toward the computer panel.

“The computer says that the training simulator is in use,” Angeal murmurs, hands gliding swiftly over the keyboard. “But why would anyone want to show an empty room?”

The projection flickers and dies.

“Hojo,” Zack breathes in horror. The maniacal scientist is so focused in his work that he doesn’t even bother to look up from the subject on his table. A subject that is terrifyingly familiar.

“Kunsel!”

Angeal knocks the sword from his hands, but that doesn’t stop Zack from barreling into the projection room, screaming at Hojo to stop. The scientist continues on as if he cannot hear. Zack reaches out a hand to wrench Hojo away from Kunsel… and his hand passes straight through.

Nothing. None of it is real. His hand passes straight through Hojo, straight through Kunsel, straight through the makeshift autopsy table in the centre of the room. A second projection. Not real. Not real!

Angeal punches in a button on the keyboard, and Zack receives his second shock of the night.

“SURPRISE!” the room yells, as the hologram flickers away to reveal that the training room is actually full of people.

  Thank Gaia, Kunsel thinks, hearing the muffled cheering of the people inside the training room. His left leg has almost completely fallen asleep, and it won’t take long for the right one to head the same way. It takes an age for the cheering to die down, and for the sound of Zack’s voice to filter through, demanding to know where he is.

“I know you had something to do with this,” Zack adds, just as Angeal’s message comes through on the PHS.

Now.

“RRRRAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHH!” Kunsel yells as loudly as he can, punching up and through the top layer of cake. It works for all of three seconds, until his left leg collapses and he falls, crashing down on top of Zack in a flailing heap of baked good and icing.

“OOF!” they grunt simultaneously.

The room goes silent except for a few nervous giggles scattered around the simulator.

Zack’s face is the perfect mix of deer-in-headlights (or should that be puppy-in-headlights?) and sweet happiness. Kunsel swallows the lump that has formed in his throat.