NO NUMBER

@thestrifeofapuppet

“Well this is fantastic.”

It had grown dark and Zack and Cloud still had no idea where they were. They had been separated from the group when Zack had decided to go exploring. The blonde had followed the older male, or course, and they had both gotten lost. The raven haired man sighed as he looked at the sky, sitting on a fallen tree. He felt awful.

With exhaustion tinging just about every part of the blond’s body, he wondered how long it would take for the two of them to catch up with the rest of the party, loud breaths passing through his lips as he tried to suck in oxygen lost from the rush. He implicitly trusted Zack, of course; he expected that the First would be able to bring them both back to the group, though he couldn’t help the impatience within his body. He needed rest, after all.

Before he could question Zack (in a polite, roundabout way, of course) on where they were going, the First himself took a seat on a tree, making Cloud blink tiredly at him. What worsened a feeling of dread within the pit of his stomach was the remark that left the other teen afterward -- which indicated to him that this was no short stop.

Gee, thanks.

Like I would know. You just suddenly snapped, burned down my entire village and everyone in it, and then beat Zack up.

by lanimalu (collaboration blog: Final Crimes)

Is that what you were trying to demonstrate when you skewered me with your sword?

【✦】‖ Carrying the unconscious friend through this battlefield was a burden- but it was more towards these people following them with guns being the burden. Never did he ever think that his friend being this way was troublesome, and he would never think it either. Since him and Aerith were the only two people he could trust, he would do anything in his power to protect them. Aerith would have to wait at this point though, he needed to get through this with Cloud first.

Placing him against a large sand rock, Zack stood up and readied himself to charge into the battle in front of him. many men surrounded then as if they were wanted criminals but in reality, they were the escaped experiments that carried things that they didn’t want others to know about. How corrupt this company is.

❝Don’t worry Cloud, you just stay here and leave this to me, alright?❞

Yet, in spite of the fact that Cloud would have believed Zack would benefit from simply leaving him there, from dropping him, from abandoning him, when the man propped him up against the rock and gave him those words, horror trembled through every pore in his body despite his inability to move a muscle. Ice sliding into his stomach, his dimly lit eyes captured the other man lifting and turning, poised and ready to face an army, an army that Cloud knew, Cloud knew, he couldn’t possibly win against.

No. Please. Please... Don’t leave me. 

Every time Zack disappeared momentarily, or Cloud’s consciousness lapsed, the thought shot through his mind. His breath demonstrated minute panic as his savior stepped away from him, light beginning to engulf his body at the edges of Cloud’s sight. Muscles tingled in a sheer need to get him back, get him back, please don’t go no no no, but every time before this one, the effort failed. Why he even persisted, he didn’t know; the only knowing that he contained was that of the fact that he needed Zack, and if Zack didn’t come back...

Sometimes, in some situations, persistence paid off.

“Z... Z-Zack,” he sputtered, voice weak, impossibly frail and raspy from its disuse, but nevertheless, peeling out into the world around him as it became clearer and clearer and his hand stretched forward, reaching, reaching for the man as his back retreated from him. He screamed at his legs inside to move, move, move, because Zack couldn’t do this alone anymore. He couldn’t do this to Zack anymore.

And Zack couldn’t leave him. Not again.

        Oh, she hoped she was.

Granted, he definitely smiled more with her. With everything else serving to confuse and rattle him, Aerith served as a respite from all that. Every playful comment rang a chord within him, and he didn’t know why -- but it was something that kept Cloud drawn to her.

In many ways, these two seemed to be similar with their actions and thoughts, and it fuelled them both with their actions- different reasons, but similar pains and burdens.

The silence was welcomed between the two, as it left room for thoughts and feelings to calm themselves, or at least remain calm in his case. He had long forgotten that dream until slumber called him once more, but it seems that the blond was still concerned. He wasn’t complaining about that, but he was still lacking the understanding as to why. He was okay now, but it was still nice to see friends looking out for each other.

❝I am aware… Just as I am here for you.❞ He replied to the other as he spoke again. ❝I am fine, Cloud. Again, I apologise for concerning you.❞

“If you’re sure,” Cloud said uncertainly, slowly. He paused thoughtfully, before an idea came to him. “Y’know, maybe the two of us should go out somewhere. I...don’t really know if there’s anything in particular you like to do.” Embarrassing to admit, when Vincent was supposed to be his friend. But maybe this was a good enough time as any to try to bridge that gap between the two of the. “But I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with you. Usually I’m with Barret or Tifa...”