Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Alliance ❯ Chapter 6

“Alliance”

Chapter 6

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(Warning: Possible spoilers for all FF7 game/movie titles)

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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Cloud kept getting two kinds of funny feelings and they kept getting stronger as days went by.

 

First, there was Zack. His friend had always been a flirt but the blonde slowly began to suspect that he flirted with him more than anyone else. He continued to dismiss it, telling himself that it only seemed that way because Zack loved him…platonically, of course. It made sense that the handsome ex-Soldier would give him more attention than anyone else.

 

Then, there was Reno. The redhead was busy but even when he was utterly swamped, he always found the time to plant a wet one on Cloud, throw an arm around him or grope his bottom and his already shaky sense of public propriety had taken a downhill slide. He did it most often in front of Zack and Cloud became sure that the Turk felt threatened by his friend.

 

Zack's recovery was coming along nicely and by the third day, he was released and began submitting to some of the tests that Reeve had requested. He was given a suite a couple of doors down from Denzel and Marlene and he started working out with swimming first, wisely holding off on the more rigorous exercises until more of his strength returned.

 

The kids both loved him right away. In many ways, Zack was like a big kid himself. They went swimming with him whenever they got the chance and Cloud and Tifa both shook their heads with fond amusement when those pool gatherings turned into splash fights—usually instigated by Zack.

 

Today was just such a day.

 

~*****************************~

 

“Cannonball!”

 

Marlene wiped water out of her eyes and looked up at Zack with alarm. “Oh nooo, Zack! I hate those!” She made a warding gesture at him.

 

Zack grinned at the little girl mischievously. “Oh yeah…better get out now cupcake, `cause here I come!” He took a running leap from the diving board just as Tseng walked into the pool room and started towards him. Marlene paddled toward the ladder as fast as she could but Zack was hurtling through the air too fast for her to make it out in time.

 

“This isn't going to go well,” Tifa muttered to Cloud out the side of her mouth as she and the blonde hastily backed against a far corner of the pool. Zack tucked his legs up in his arms and hit the water with a great splash. Despite her protests, Marlene giggled when she was lifted by the resulting wave and Denzel hooted gleefully.

 

Tseng stood impassively as he was drenched from head to toe. The Wutaian calmly reached into a breast pocket and withdrew a handkerchief, wiping his face with it as Zack surfaced with a wild yell.

 

“I'm glad to see that your zest for life isn't diminished,” Tseng commented.

 

Zack turned and looked up at him with a surprised expression. He cringed a little when he saw that he'd inadvertently bathed the Turk leader's tailored suit with pool water. “Ooh, sorry about that, Tseng. Where have you been hiding?” He scanned the other man with his eyes. “You've hardly changed at all, except your hair's longer.”

 

“I've been away on scouting missions,” replied Tseng with a faint smile. “I thought you were supposed to be exercising.”

 

Zack treaded water and shrugged. “This is exercise. I'm just having fun while I do it.” He splashed Denzel abruptly, making the teen yelp and splash him back.

 

“Fair enough,” Tseng conceded. “I thought I'd drop by to say `hello' to you. I also wanted to apologize. I had letters that I've been holding onto for years, addressed to you from Aerith. Had I known this would occur, I would have kept them and given them to you. Instead, I gave them to Cloud because I thought he should have them and he chose to send them off in the Lifestream.”

 

“Oh that,” Zack said with a shrug. “Don't worry about it, I got `em.”

 

Tseng looked decidedly mystified. “You did?”

 

“Yeah.” Zack grinned at him. “What happened to all that Wutaian spirituality of yours? He sent them through the Lifestream and that's where I was.”

 

“I see,” the Turk said softly, a faint smile tugging his lips. “Well then, I feel much better. Enjoy the rest of your day, Zackary.” He gave Cloud and Tifa a polite nod before turning and heading back to the door. Reno came in as he was leaving and the redhead greeted him as they passed.

 

“So this is where all of you are,” Reno commented. He walked around the swimming pool to the corner where Cloud and Tifa floated and he squatted down behind them. “I've only got a few minutes to hang, Blondie. C'mere.”

 

Cloud turned to look up at him with round eyes. “Uh, we've got kids here…” he reminded. Tifa was also looking disapproving.

 

“Don't mind us,” Denzel said as he closed his eyes and covered Marlene's with his hands.

 

“Hey! What's going on?” the little girl complained.

 

Reno grinned and cupped Cloud's chin with one hand, bringing his mouth to his for a brief, aggressive kiss. He chuckled at the blonde's muffled protest and he ruffled his damp hair when he was finished. “Keeps me going through the day.”

 

It was on the tip of Zack's tongue to comment that Cloud must be a pretty damn good kisser but he restrained himself, if only for Marlene's sake. Obviously his friends weren't ready for the little girl to know what kind of relationship Cloud was in. He thought they were being a little paranoid and he doubted they'd be as worried about it if Reno were a woman instead of a man. Marlene didn't strike him as the kind of person that would freak out over it. Shrugging, the black-haired fighter swam to the ladder and got out of the pool so that he could take another dive.

 

Reno stood back up and gave Zack a thoughtful look. He was wearing dark blue boardshorts. They weren't anything special but they looked good on him and he had a great body, pale as it was from lack of sun exposure. The man's body was smooth, lacking any scars since it hadn't seen battle yet. The redhead couldn't help but notice the way the wet material clung to Zack's skin and he grinned when his eyes fixated on the crotch area. No wonder he didn't wear briefs. Reno's sharp eyes noted the size of the bulge and he figured Zack was hung pretty well.

 

The sight of the former soldier in his swimming trunks nudged Reno's memory all the sudden and he laughed. “Hey Fair, remember that time the copies attacked us in Costa del Sol and you fought `em off with an umbrella?”

 

Zack paused with one foot on the diving board and he grinned back at the redhead. “Oh yeah! Good times, man.”

 

Cloud looked from Reno to Zack with an interested expression on his face. “An umbrella?”

 

“Yup,” Zack admitted. “I was on vacation…at least that's what the company called it…and these genesis copies attacked me on the beach. Reno and Tseng were there to keep an eye on me and so was Cissnei.”

 

Reno shrugged when Cloud looked at him suspiciously. He'd always guessed that Zack knew it wasn't a coincidence that the Turks were “vacationing” at the same time he was. “He needed some time off and they wanted to make sure he wasn't going to go unhinged, yo. Anyhow, we got attacked first and after Rude and I fought `em off we went down to the beach to see if the others were okay. We got there just in time to see Zack kicking ass with one of those giant beach umbrellas. He was swinging it around pretty as you please, like it was his sword or something.”

 

“You're serious?” Cloud looked at Zack with a little half-smile.

 

“I wasn't expecting to get jumped,” Zack said wryly, “I didn't have my sword on me so I improvised.”

 

“I'd like to see that,” Cloud scoffed.

 

Zack looked around at the tables and chairs lining the walls and he smirked at one of the large umbrellas. “I could show you right now, buddy. I don't know if I've still got the moves since I haven't started training yet, but there's one way to find out.”

 

Cloud considered the offer and he nodded. “You're on. I want to see this.”

 

He swam to the ladder and Reno watched him get out with a surprised and delighted expression on his face. Zack walked over to one of the tables and pulled the umbrella out of the hole in the center, snapping it shut and swinging it in an experimental arc. Cloud approached and did the same with another umbrella, smiling openly at his friend as he moved into position.

 

“I'll try to take it easy on you,” the blonde promised.

 

“Not too easy,” Zack advised with a confident smirk, “I'm out of practice but I'm not a pushover.”

 

“Are they gonna attack each other?” Marlene asked with wide eyes as the two fighters got into a combat stance.

 

“Guys, I don't think this is such a good idea,” Tifa warned, “Someone could get hurt.”

 

“It's safer than swords, Sweet Cheeks,” Zack said, his blue-violet eyes never leaving Cloud. “We'll be practicing with those soon enough too.”

 

Tifa lapsed into silence but the look on her face suggested she didn't feel any better about their horseplay. Reno watched with anticipation, wondering when they were going to start. The two fighters eyed one another silently, looking quite serious. Suddenly they both exploded into motion and their umbrellas crossed as they took a swing at one another. Zack grinned and Cloud smirked before they broke away from each other. Cloud hopped over a low swing his dark-haired opponent aimed at him and Zack dodged as the blonde spun his umbrella over his head and aimed for the black-haired man's chest.

 

Marlene and Denzel made excited exclamations as Cloud and Zack rolled, spun, stabbed and swung at one another. Despite his earlier proclamations of being out of practice, Zackary was fighting like it was second nature to him. His style was similar to Cloud's but not quite as aggressive. Whether this was because he preferred to focus on both defense and offense or because he wasn't in practice was anyone's guess.

 

Cloud feinted to the left and he managed to catch the other man off-guard and nearly scored a hit, but Zack blocked his attack at the last minute with a little grunt of exertion. The counter-strike was expected but it didn't come from the direction Cloud anticipated and he winced as he got a glancing blow on his shoulder.

 

“Sorry man,” Zack huffed, grimacing sympathetically.

 

“Happens sometimes,” Cloud grinned.

 

He didn't pause, keeping Zack on his toes and barely missing him several more times. He could tell his friend was getting into his element more with each passing minute and it was hard not to be distracted by memories. Seeing Zack fighting like this brought him back and Cloud felt a thrill as the other man's swings grew more and more precise. With a little practice every day, Zack would be as amazing as he used to be. He was already impressive now and Cloud doubted that the others noticed the little discrepancies in his timing and balance.

 

Zack felt his adrenaline pumping and he smiled, missing that rush. Cloud was good…really good. He'd always known he had some amazing potential and he was glad the blonde proved SOLDIER made a mistake in passing him over. He knew Cloud wasn't attacking him with full strength and he was distantly grateful for that as he broke into a sweat. While he was confident in himself, Zack was also practical and he wasn't about to pretend he could take on a much stronger challenge than the easy sparring the two of them were doing.

 

He felt a strange sensation zip up his spine as his adrenaline peaked and Zack frowned in concentration, ignoring the brief opening he spotted out of fear that he could inadvertently cause serious harm to his friend if he took it. It felt like his strength was building rather than failing, despite the amount of effort it took to keep Cloud from gaining further advantage over him. Zack gasped sharply as he felt a popping sensation in his shoulder blades and he held up one hand and lowered his umbrella.

 

“Hold up,” the black-haired fighter panted as he rolled suddenly stiff shoulders and tried to loosen the muscles in his back. “Feels like I'm getting a muscle spasm or something.”

 

Cloud did stop, but the way he did so gave Zack pause. The blonde abruptly dropped his umbrella and stared at him with a doll-like expression of shock on his fair features. He took a couple of steps backwards and tripped, falling to the tiled floor numbly. Zack frowned down at him in concern.

 

“Hey, you all right?” Zack started to take a step towards his friend, who was staring up at him with glossy blue eyes. The black-haired fighter glanced at the others in the room and he noticed that they too were staring at him with the same bewildered expression. “What's up, guys?”

 

“Uh,” Reno said stupidly, pointing at him. For once, the noisy redhead was speechless.

 

“Dude,” Denzel exclaimed, “You've got wings!”

 

“You turned into an angel!” Marlene added, her brown eyes shining with more wonder than fear.

 

Zack glowered in confusion. “Huh?”

 

“Look over your shoulder,” Cloud said through stiff lips, pointing up.

 

~Okay, now they're scaring me because I don't think they're kidding.~

 

Zack glanced over his right shoulder and he gave a start. A perfect, graceful white wing hung suspended in the air. He looked over his left shoulder and found a matching one. Panic shot through him and he turned in a circle, trying to get a better look at the protrusions.

 

“What the hell?? Get `em off!” He began to turn in circles like a demented marionette, waving his arms frantically.

 

“Cant. They're kind of attached to your back,” Cloud said in an awed tone.

 

Tifa quickly got out of the pool and ran to Zack's side, fearful that he'd knock into something and hurt himself in his alarm. “Zack,” she called as she reached out for him, “calm down, okay? You'll hurt yourself!” She dodged as one of his sweeping wings nearly hit her. She caught hold of one of his hands and called his name again, more urgently.

 

Zack stopped spinning in circles and let Tifa take both of his hands. His chest rose and fell rapidly with his panicked breath and his eyes were wide and dilated. “I don't get it,” he rasped. “What the hell am I?”

 

“They said you were treated with G-cells,” Reno said as he gathered his wits and circled the pool. “The files said you were the `perfect specimen' too, yo. Genesis had a wing and so did Sephiroth and your boy Angeal, remember?”

 

“They had ONE wing,” Zack reminded. He glanced over each shoulder again, once at a time. “Unless I've forgotten how to count, I've got two of `em.”

 

“Yeah,” Reno agreed as he stopped by Cloud. He grunted softly as he pulled on the blonde's hand and helped him up. “They also deteriorated, man. Well, except Sephiroth…but he was part of that `S-project' like Cloudy, here.”

 

“You don't think this is going to happen to him, do you?” Zack said with a concerned look at Cloud, forgetting all about his own troubles for the moment. He could handle just about anything that happened to himself but the thought of anything else happening to the blonde drove him crazy.

 

“Hey, I'm no scientist,” Reno shrugged, looking at his lover thoughtfully, “but my guess is if he was gonna sprout a wing or two, he'd have done it by now.”

 

Zack felt some relief at that observation and he calmed down a little. “Well, I always envied Angeal's wing,” he said with an ironic twist to his lips. “I never thought I'd sprout a pair of my own, though. Man, this is just crazy!” He stretched both wings out experimentally, working muscles he'd never had before. The others stared as the white feathers spread to an impressive span and Tifa gave a little sigh of admiration.

 

“Maybe we should have the science team take a look at you,” Cloud suggested with a gulp. Seeing his handsome friend standing there like that with a pair of huge white wings and the afternoon sunlight beaming through the window on him was something he didn't think he'd ever forget.

 

Zack looked at him through damp, disheveled black bangs and nodded slowly. “I think you're right, Goldie. I need to know what triggered this and whether I'm going to be permanently stuck with these. If I am I've got a lot more training to do, `cause fighting's going to be a whole lot different with a set of wings.”

 

~********************************~

 

Reeve was going over more reports concerning the Deepground files when someone cleared their throat at him. He looked up just as he was lifting his coffee to his mouth and he promptly dropped the mug in shock. He hissed a curse as the hot coffee spilled all over his lap, but he couldn't tear his eyes off the spectacle of Zackary Fair standing over him in a pair of drawstring sweat pants with two sweeping, white wings rising from his back.

 

“Yeah, I'm right there with you, pal,” commented Zack dryly, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

 

Cloud, Tifa, Reno and the kids stood behind the black-haired man, all of them looking at Reeve expectantly, as if to say: “Well, fix this!”

 

“When did…how did…you've got…” Reeve stammered as he yanked his reading glasses off his face.

 

“Uh huh,” Zack nodded. “That's what I'd like to know.”

 

“I…I'll call for someone…go to one of the examination rooms, would you?” Reeve's mouth felt like it was full of cotton as he gestured. Zackary wasn't looking a bit pleased and considering they were still researching the effects of what was done to him, the engineer was faintly worried that the young man might lose his temper and grow further appendages.

 

Vincent walked into the office just as Zack and the others turned around to file out of it and the gunman halted, staring at Fair with narrowed crimson eyes. “You've grown wings,” he observed calmly.

 

“Yup,” Zack agreed. “They just popped up out of nowhere.”

 

“Interesting.” Vincent leaned to the side to peer behind the group at his lover. “I take it this only just occurred?”

 

“Seems so,” Reeve confirmed. “We're going to look into it and figure out what triggered it. Hopefully the wings are the only things he'll sprout.”

 

Zack turned around and stared at him with bugging eyes. “'Hopefully'?? I better NOT grow anything else, man!”

 

“It's documented that most other recipients of the G-project manifested a single wing,” Reeve said cautiously, “I'm guessing that the presence of two and your lack of deterioration are symptoms of the perfected treatment. I really don't think we can expect any more additional body parts but we should do some testing to be safe.”

 

“Told ya,” Reno said smugly. “It could be worse, man. You could start falling apart like the others did.”

 

“Yeah, I'm real lucky,” Zack muttered.

 

~************************************~

 

“Well, I rather expected something like this to happen,” the scientist explained as he checked Zack's vitals.

 

“But you didn't say anything!” Zack mumbled around the thermometer in his mouth. “If you thought this was gonna happen you guys should have told me!”

 

“We couldn't be certain,” Professor Green said, his hazel eyes bemused. “I expected the wing growth to happen sooner, if it was going to happen at all. The good news is according to the research files, you should be able to make them come and go at will.”

 

“So I'm not stuck with them?” Zack queried hopefully.

 

“Theoretically, no,” the scientist answered. He checked Zack's pulse and wrote down the results. “Of course, Genesis and the others didn't have two wings. I'm counting on the fact that they could manifest their single wings at will to assume you can do the same. Tell me, what were you doing when this happened?”

 

“I was just horsing around with Cloud.”

 

Professor Green paused and glanced at them both. “Define `horsing around'.”

 

“We were…uh…sword fighting,” Zack answered.

 

“Only we were using umbrellas,” supplied Cloud.

 

“You were sword fighting with umbrellas?” repeated the scientist with a frown.

 

“Yeah…you know, for practice,” Zack shrugged.

 

“Hmm. The adrenaline spike might have triggered the manifestation,” theorized the scientist.

 

“That sounds about right.” Zack remembered the rush he felt just before the wings broke free.

 

“It's my fault,” Cloud said softly.

 

Zack looked at him with a frown. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I'm the one that wanted to see you fight with an umbrella.” The blonde sighed and averted his sapphire eyes.

 

“Hey, that's crazy talk.” Zack reached out and ruffled his friend's hair. “You didn't make this happen and you didn't hold a gun to my head and force me to spar with you. If the adrenaline rush caused this, it would have happened sooner or later.”

 

“I guess.” Cloud didn't sound fully convinced.

 

“He likes to feel guilty,” Marlene informed Zack in a whisper.

 

“That's not true,” argued Cloud with an annoyed look at the child. “I just…feel responsible.”

 

“Well, cut it out,” Zack insisted with a sigh. “How were you supposed to know this would happen? You just wanted a little friendly duel with your old pal. Heck, if anything it's probably a good thing this happened sooner than later, you know?”

 

“How is it a good thing?” Cloud's brooding expression didn't drop.

 

“Because it gives us more time to discover how and why it occurred,” the professor answered before Zack could formulate a response, “and Mister Fair will have more time to adjust to it. Better that it happen in a safe environment than in the middle of a real fight.”

 

Cloud thought about the looming threat of Deepground and he had to agree. “So what happens next?”

 

“We'll run a few more tests,” answered the scientist, “meanwhile, I think Zack should concentrate on learning how to use his new wings, as well as trying to learn how to de-manifest them.”

 

Zack sighed. “I guess if Angeal and the others could do it, there's got to be a way.” He closed his eyes and concentrated, imagining the wings shrinking into his back. After a moment he opened one eye. “They still there?”

 

“Yeah, they haven't budged,” answered Reno.

 

Zack grumbled.

 

~************************************~

 

An hour later, Zack still had his wings but the professor was able to confirm that he shouldn't grow further appendages, based on the research.

 

“I don't know what to tell you, son,” Professor Green said to the frustrated young man. “I can't make them go away for you…unless you'd like me to amputate them.”

 

“Uh, I'll pass on that,” Zack said with a nervous smile. “Guess I'll just have to get used to it until I can work this all out.” Reno had to go back to work and Tifa and the kids had gone to get some food at the cafeteria, leaving only Cloud to stay with him. He looked at his blonde friend and shrugged. “Guess there's nothing else they can do for me right now. I don't know about you but I'm getting kind of hungry.”

 

“Yeah, let's go get something to eat,” agreed Cloud.

 

Zack hopped off the examination table and thanked the professor before exiting with his friend. They spotted Reeve on their way out of the research department and he hurried over when he saw them.

 

“Well? Did you get any good news?”

 

“Yes and no,” Zack replied. “I'm not going to sprout tentacles or anything but they can't tell me how to make these go away either. I'm going to have to figure that out on my own.”

 

“I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually,” Reeve encouraged, “I can't imagine them growing so suddenly if you can't make them retract as well. Maybe you should just try to relax a bit…have some drinks and calm your nerves.”

 

“Sounds like a good plan,” agreed Zack. “So, the cafeteria has a bar, doesn't it?”

 

“Yeah,” Cloud provided. “They've got a decent beer and liquor selection. Maybe if you toss back a few you'll mellow out enough to make your wings go away.”

 

Reeve chuckled as he considered the spectacle Zack was going to make, walking into the cafeteria like that. “You don't seem like the shy type but I should warn you, people are probably going to stare.”

 

Zack shrugged. “Let `em. As long as nobody comes at me with pitchforks and hoe handles I can deal with it.”

 

“If my people come up with anything new, I'll call you right away,” promised the engineer.

 

~***********************************~

 

Zack ordered a full pitcher of beer for the table after he and Cloud sat down with Tifa and the others. Denzel looked at the pitcher with wide eyes and then at Zack.

 

“Are you gonna drink that whole thing by yourself?”

 

Zack laughed softly and pointed out the three mugs he'd gotten with it. “No way. Your guardians are going to help me.”

 

“None for me, thanks,” Tifa said with a little grimace.

 

“Aw, sorry Tifa. I'll go get something else for you if you want.” Zack didn't seem the least bit worried about the stares he was getting from other people in the cafeteria. The poor bartender had been so fascinated with him that she'd left the beer tap going until it overflowed in the pitcher. A guy in a suite tripped over his own feet while passing their table and he ended up wearing half his dinner.

 

“That's sweet of you, but I'm just not a big drinker,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe it's because I work with the stuff all the time. I'm also kind of picky when it comes to other people mixing my drinks. I like them done a certain way and most people don't get it right.”

 

Zack clucked his tongue and gave her a look of mock disappointment before pouring a mug full of beer for himself and Cloud. “Can't say I didn't offer.”

 

Cloud took a bite of his taco and glanced at Zack's full plate as the other man picked up an eggroll. “Chew it this time,” the blonde mumbled after swallowing.

 

Zack smirked at him. “Yes, Dad.” He took a bite out of the eggroll, careful not to bite off more than he could chew. He was getting better about his eating habits but he knew that if Cloud didn't remind him now and then to pace himself he'd probably have choked a half a dozen times again by now.

 

“He almost killed himself with his first meal,” Cloud explained when Tifa and the kids looked at him questioningly. “He started stuffing his face and he choked.”

 

“Zackary,” sighed Tifa with a smile.

 

“Hey,” the black-haired fighter protested after swallowing, “you'd have pigged out too if you hadn't eaten anything for…how many years was I dead again?”

 

“Five,” Cloud and Tifa answered together.

 

“Wow, you guys answered that fast,” Zack mused. He took another bite, chewed and swallowed. “Sounds like you kept track of it pretty good.”

 

“I lit a candle every year after I found out you were gone,” Tifa said. Her voice broke and she hastily looked away, blinking.

 

“Nuh-uh,” Zack said firmly, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. “Don't do that again, cute stuff. I'm here now and if you start getting all teary-eyed on me you'll bum me out.”

 

“Sorry,” she said, smiling tremulously as Marlene patted her back and Zack rubbed her hand. “I think my mind is still trying to catch up to the fact that you're alive again. That reminds me, have you tried to contact your parents yet?”

 

Zack withdrew his hand and took a drink of beer, shaking his head uncomfortably. “No. I want to but I'm afraid. I'd love to know how they're doing and all but Dad's heart wasn't so good before I died and I don't want to give him a heart attack.”

 

“Maybe Rufus can have someone check in on them,” offered Cloud sympathetically. “I know Cissnei visits them once in a while. Maybe when she gets back you could ask her?”

 

“Cissnei,” Zack murmured with a smile, remembering the Turk girl's gentle brown eyes and kind smile. “I still don't get why she ever joined the Turks. She seems way too sweet for it.”

 

“I got the same impression,” Tifa agreed.

 

“Well, Reno told me she's one of the best operatives they've got, so I guess it takes all kinds,” Cloud said with a shrug. He took a few swallows of his beer and had another bite of his taco.

 

Irony comes in many forms and they discovered this as Reno hurried into the cafeteria looking for Cloud. Upon spotting him, the redhead covered the distance with long strides and bent over to whisper in his ear. Cloud stared at him with huge sapphire eyes as he was informed that the girl they had all just been talking about was lying in the infirmary in a broken, bloody mess.

 

“Uh, excuse me guys,” Cloud said as he got up and walked away with Reno.

 

Zack watched with narrowed eyes as Cloud and his lover stopped in a corner of the cafeteria to talk privately. The redhead was agitated, his gestures animated and jerky as he talked to the blonde. The look of horror on Cloud's face suggested that whatever Reno was telling him was bad news, indeed.

 

“Did you catch anything he said?” Tifa murmured, also eying the exchange with worry.

 

“Something about Cosmo Canyon,” Zack muttered back. Both of the kids looked concerned and he tried to ease the tension, guessing that Reno's news wasn't something for young ears to hear. “Hey, did I ever tell you two how Cloud and I met?”

 

~**********************************~

 

-To be continued