Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Paint The Town ❯ Dirty Little Secrets ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is the property of Square-Enix. No profit is sought from this work.

 

Paint the Town

Dirty Little Secrets

 

“Hey there, gorgeous! How's my girl doing?”

 

Aeris giggled as she looked back over her shoulder. “Why don't you go ask her? I think I passed her on the corner near Wall Market.”

 

“Oh, you are so mean!” Zack wailed as he slumped heavily into a pew. “I'm not that low.”

 

Aeris said nothing, but she flashed a little smile at Zack before going back to snipping blossoms for her basket. Zack frowned at her. Normally he enjoyed watching Aeris tend her flower bed. The view was terrific. But damn, when even his sweet little girlfriend was taking shots at his love life, he knew his reputation had gotten out of hand.

 

He sighed. At least no one seemed to have heard about his little curtain-shopping trip with his very male General. That would be one strike too many. Wild, wayward Zachary, going for any pretty thing on the field, never mind which team it was on.

 

“I'm not that bad,” he grumbled a bit.

 

Aeris set a few yellow flowers gently in her basket and looked back over her shoulder. “I know you're not.”

 

Zack watched her for a while, quiet for one of the rare moments in his life. “I really wish you wouldn't go near Wall Market, Aer.”

 

The girl shrugged. “Business is good there.”

 

The soldier scoffed. “It sure is.”

 

“I mean my kind of business. It's a Saturday night. Guys want flowers to impress their dates.” Aeris stood up and dusted off her dress. “There's more going on in Wall Market than just… well, you know.”

 

“I know.” Zack got up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to let his hands sink too low. He pulled her in close and rested his cheek on her head. “I just don't like the thought of you out there with that kind of crowd.”

 

“I can handle it, Zack,” Aeris murmured against his chest. “I'm a slum girl. I'm tough and rugged and I know how to handle myself.”

 

Zack swallowed and hugged Aeris tighter. She was so small and soft. He knew her words for the empty attempt at reassurance they were. Aeris was not strong, not physically, but she had her life and he had his and they had to be apart sometimes. That didn't mean Zack had to like it.

 

“Got your staff with you?”

 

“Always,” Aeris replied cheerfully. “It's on the second pew.”

 

“Hmm, you should keep it closer. You never know when something might pop up.”

 

Aeris laughed lightly. “This is a church, Zack.”

 

Zack held her at arm's length and looked into her eyes with a rare sternness. “Some people have no concept of the sacred, Aeris. I don't want you hurt.”

 

The laughter left Aeris' eyes. “I know,” she said softly. Zack folded her into his arms again and slowly began to sway.

 

Aeris leaned in closer to his warmth. Zack was usually such a bright, cheerful person, lighthearted and able to enjoy anything. It was rare to see him serious, worried even, but it happened occasionally and when it did, Aeris had to remind herself that her boyfriend was a soldier.

 

Not just any soldier, but Shinra Special Forces SOLDIER First Class. He had been in a war. Only for a brief time, considering how long the war had been going on, but her mother always said battle stayed with a man. Zack must have seen some ugly things in his time.

 

Aeris sighed and closed her eyes. She pressed her check against Zack's chest and listened to his heart. It was steady and strong, like Zack was. The girl smiled contentedly into his knit shirt and made a sound halfway between a sigh and moan.

 

“Is something wrong?” Zack asked.

 

“No,” Aeris murmured. “I was just thinking.”

 

“Mmm, about what?”

 

“This and that, nothing important.”

 

Zack rubbed her back lightly. “Anything you can't tell me?”

 

Aeris shook her head. “I was wondering how things went with that friend of yours.”

 

“Oh,” Zack said. He looked up at the lofty ceiling as he considered it. “I suppose it's coming along. I helped him fix up his place this morning.”

 

“That's good.”

 

Zack tilted his head down again. “Was that all?”

 

The girl nuzzled his chest a little to hide her smile. “I was wondering what boxer shorts you were wearing today.”

 

Zack's arms dropped. He stepped back and stared at the sweet picture of innocence that was his girlfriend. She stared up at him with impossibly vacant wide, green eyes. Zack glanced around a bit. Then he turned his back to Aeris and took a peek down his pants. He cleared his throat and looked back at her over his shoulder.

 

“Singing frogs.”

 

Aeris covered her mouth with one hand to hold back a giggle. “Can I see them?”

 

“This is a church, Aeris.”

 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*

 

Time: 1hr 27mins

Music: Le Grand Tango - Astor Piazolla

Notes: Yeah, Zack's wacky underwear is back! The puppy chapter will be along eventually, I promise. I'm not making anything resembling an attempt at decent pacing in this fic. I could, but I really like this half-random `seeing where it takes me' business. Events and themes should follow off `Rising Through the Ranks' and tie in somewhat to `Path of Seduction', but since I put nowhere near that kind of effort into this fic, please pardon any errors and inconsistencies here.