#but then he met tk and he fell in love with his soulmate and got swept up into the greatest adventure of his liiiife! 🥰🥰🥺🥺 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tari-aldarion · 4 years

Note

do you have any buddie au fic recs?

I do indeed! First, there’s a Buddie AU fanfic collection on AO3 if you’d like to peruse that.

Here are some of my favorite AU fics:

We Fell In Love Dancing Kizomba by @imyourbuddie (82k, E, WIP) - D/s AU

After tragedy strikes close to home, firefighter Eddie Diaz moves him and his son, Christopher, to LA where they can start fresh. Single fatherhood, new job, and a new town stretch Eddie thin, and his biological Dominant needs are barely met. But the fear of repeating the same mistakes keeps him strung tight and unable to let loose.

Evan "Buck" Buckley loves cooking and teaching children in his cooking class. He's a Submissive, this is what he's supposed to do, what his biology is made to do, and he's good at it. But Buck's always had a dream that's so farfetched for a sub that he never dares to even voice it.

When Christopher asks to take a cooking class for children, the two men's worlds collide. Eddie needs to learn to let go, and Buck needs to learn that there's more to life than just tradition and expectations. And maybe, just maybe, they can find happiness along the way.

Tethers by @allyourfandomsbelongtous (121k, E, WIP) - mechanic!Eddie AU

Eddie's spent years trying to find a place to call home with Christopher, hoping that Shannon will come back and then desperately hoping she wouldn't. He thinks he's in the clear when she shows up at his doorstep, demanding they get back together.

Eddie comes up with a foolproof plan: get a fake boyfriend, convince Shannon he's gay, and live happily ever after with his life mostly intact and Christopher safe and happy. Get rid of fake boyfriend when Shannon gives up, and life can resume as normal.

Enter Buck, and the plan goes to hell in a handbasket.

118 Entertainment by Araloth (37k, E, WIP) - porn star AU

118 Entertainment- One of the preimer adult entertainment companies in the country, and Buck's next big break. Buck's had his own website for awhile, shooting videos in his garage, but this is the big time. Follow Buck as he steps into the world of the 118, and all the new challenges and complications that will come with his new job.

nice to meet ya by @getbvcked (4k, T) - wedding boutique worker!Buck

A cracky AU where Buck works in a wedding dress boutique and Eddie is the hot fiancé...or isssssss he?

Distance and Loneliness are Synonyms by @imadethisforbuddie (27k, E) - actor!Buck AU

Five years ago, Buck made it big as he got a part in the breakout hit called "Station 118". He has everything he could ever ask for, but at the end of the day, he still feels so lonely. He decides it's finally time to go back to his small town where he's left everything behind.

Five years ago, Eddie's best friend tells him that he's leaving. Eddie understands that it's for the best, so he lets him go only to realize that he was in love with him this whole time. It doesn't matter though because Eddie's happy now, though constantly tired from working two jobs, he's built a little life for him and Christopher. It all comes crashing down when he sees Buck again, and everything changes, but his feelings remain the same.

TLDR: A painful AU Christmas fic with a happy ending because we need more of those in this fandom. :)

dancing under red skies by dayswithout (series, 45k) - soulmate AU

Buck hates Eddie Diaz on sight.

aka, a soulmate au.

To Be Whole by mansikka (3k, T) - soulmate AU

They say that when you and your soulmate are ready to meet, whatever they write on their skin will appear on yours, and vice versa. Which Buck thinks is bullshit. Right up until words start appearing on his arm.

I Had A Dream About A Burning House by @evanbuckley-diaz (7k, T) - soulmate AU

When you’re little, its the typical monsters under the bed. In high school, there are nightmares about disappointing people by not becoming all that they want you to be.

It all takes a hard left turn when Buck hits college.

Librarian AU by lullatone (series, 29k) - librarian!Buck

At meet the teachers night, Eddie gets more than in bargained for with meeting Christopher’s new school librarian.

love is (a bright idea) by chocobos (3k, NR) - librarian!Buck

"Wow. You weren't kidding about being wild for dinosaurs, huh?" Buck asks.

He giggles again. “I’m not the kind of kid who jokes about dinosaurs, Buck,” the kid replies, with far too much conviction for a child his age. Or relative age, really.

Mr. Buckley’s After Hours Detention by @tk-strand (11k, M) - teacher!Buck

It’s not like Eddie Diaz planned on this. Really, there was no scenario in his mind where he would ever be bringing his son’s teacher a freaking goody basket to class; a homemade goody basket, no less. Then again, Christopher has never had a teacher quite like Evan Buckley.

and my own fic:

for the next time you get lonely (2k, M) - sex shop AU

Buck's sister Maddie owns a sex shop, but occasionally needs a night out. Good thing Buck's ready to step in and man the store.

But he definitely isn't prepared for a flirtatious stranger to come in and fluster him completely with his brown eyes and devastating smile.

Don’t forget to leave comments/kudos for all these amazing authors!!!

#buddie #buddie fic #fic rec #911 on fox #buddie AU #eventually the gangster au will be finished and then it can go on to this list #*side eyes self*#anon #asks

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bellakitse · 4 years

Text

No Fate I want No World

He’s twenty-six, he’s never heard of someone getting their soul mark five years after their 21st birthday. He stares at the name on his wrist with a mixture of happiness and dread. It feels like fate or destiny, or whatever fucking entity that controls this is laughing at his expense. Why else give him a soulmate after he’s had his heart crushed and almost died. Why now when he’s more of a mess than usual.

What can he possibly have to offer Carlos, whoever he might be?

* A re-telling of the first 3 episodes of the show where TK and Carlos are soulmates.

Written for Lone Star Week Day 7 - Anything Goes

When TK turns twenty-one, he doesn’t wake up with a soul mark as expected. As he searches his body for a name, he tries not to give up hope. Although rare, it’s not unheard of a person getting their soulmate’s name sometime after their birthday.

By the time his 23rd birthday rolls around though, he’s come to accept that he doesn’t have a soul mark because he doesn’t have a soulmate.

Not everyone has one; he tells himself to temper his disappointment. After all, a good thirty percent of the population walks around every day without a soulmate, and live happy, fulfilling lives. Hell, even having a name on your body doesn’t guarantee you happiness; his parents are glaring proof of that. Having each other’s names didn’t stop the fighting that ended in divorce court. His dad was even able to find happiness with his second wife, if only for a little while.

Having, or in TK’s case, not having a soulmate isn’t the end of the world. He reminds himself of that every time he catches a glimpse of someone’s soul mark. He stops thinking about it when he meets Alex.

Handsome, with a charming smile and playful glint in his dark eyes. He sweeps TK off his feet, and before he knows it, he’s in love.

The best part?

Alex doesn’t have a mark either, and TK is so head over heels for the guy, he convinces himself the lack of soul marks on each other is just proof that they belong together.

He didn’t need a name given to him by some unexplained invisible power to find the person he’s meant to be with; he does it all on his own. Take that fate.

It all comes crashing down on his head when Alex answers his marriage proposal with a rejection and a confession. He sits at the table frozen as he listens to Alex tell him about the man he loves, the fact that Mitchell has a soul mark that doesn’t say Alex doesn’t seem to matter. The apology he gives TK before he leaves is muffled under the roaring that is happening in his ears, and while the Oxy he scores off some random dealer mutes the noise, it doesn’t numb the ache in his chest.

Later, when his father asks him if he was trying to kill himself, he says no, but even he can hear the doubt in his voice. When he took the handful of pills, he wasn’t really thinking about anything else but making the pain and voices in his head stop. The ones that tell him the reason he doesn’t have a soul mark, is because he could never be good enough for anyone.

He met someone without a name on their body, loved them with everything he had, and they still fell in love with someone else. Having a soulmate wouldn’t go any better for him, and that’s why fate spared him from having one.

Except – he suddenly has one.

It takes him a few days to notice it, he and his dad are in the middle of packing their apartments, getting ready for his dad’s solution to his relapse when he spots it. Just underneath his watch in a small, neat script is the name of his sudden soulmate.

Carlos.

What can he possibly have to offer Carlos, whoever he might be?

He doesn’t tell his dad about the mark; his watch hides it well enough. The man has enough to worry about between trying to build a new firehouse and TK being a fuck-up. He tries to ignore it; he’s too raw to even think about what it means to have a soulmate now. Still, he can’t help but trace the name when he’s alone, or stop the trickle of hope that creeps through despite his resolve to forget about his mark.

People for centuries have studied the soul marks. Everyone takes classes on them and their history at some point in their education, and every scholar has a different opinion on the subject. The only thing they can agree on is that you can’t escape fate, whether you end up with your soulmate or not, at some point, you will meet them.

TK just doesn’t realize he would meet his so soon after the name appears.

He’s been dancing with the cop from the earlier emergency for three songs now; he feels himself lighter than he has in a while, his smile and laugh aren’t fake for once. Every time the guy brushes against him as they move to the beat, TK feels his body light up.

“Do I get a name?” he asks with a grin, they lean against the counter waiting for the bartender to come back with a beer for his dance partner, and a mineral water for him.

“Only if I get your phone number,” he gets told with a blinding smile, and TK finds himself smiling back, charmed as he holds out his hand.

The cop grins as he hands over his phone. TK saves his number into the cellphone before pressing the call button so that his own phone rings.

“Okay, so what am I saving you as?” he asks again. “Just calling you ‘the hot cop who can shake his hips’ feels like I’m being rude to your badge.”

The cop laughs softly in return. With a hand on TK’s waist, he leans into him, and TK finds himself swaying into his space, his eyes locked on the guy’s full lips, and he wonders if a simple touch of his hand sends his heart racing, what a kiss would do.

“I’m Carlos,” the hot cop smiles at him, and TK freezes at the name. He looks at him again, really taking him in. He’s beautiful, the kind of gorgeous that turns heads. In fact, he’s seen more than one person look in his direction with an interested gaze, and TK finds himself having to push down the sudden flare of possessiveness. Warm brown eyes look at him waiting, and TK takes a deep breath hoping that it will calm down his racing heart.

“I’m TK.”

֎֎֎

By the time Carlos texts, asking if he wants to grab a bite to eat, TK has convinced himself that he isn’t his soulmate. The guy didn’t react to his name in any weird way; he just smiled as he told him it was nice to meet him. He spent the rest of the night getting to know the guy enough to know there was no way he could be his soulmate.

Carlos was sweet, charming, intelligent, and attentive; no way TK got that lucky, and no way did Carlos deserve a mess like him.

He meets Carlos for lunch, and there’s no denying that while he might not be his soulmate, there is some real chemistry there. The energy between them crackles and builds, and when Carlos suggests they head back to his place, TK has to stop himself from dropping to his knees for him right then and there.

They make it back to Carlos’ apartment, practically fused together. Carlos licks his way into TK’s mouth as he presses him against a wall, and he feels his stomach clench with need and desire. He helps him out of his shirt before he pushes him back on the couch, and he finds himself holding his breath as Carlos takes his shirt off before he covers him with his perfect body.

The next hour is a blissful haze for TK.

Carlos takes him apart with his hands and mouth, leaving TK a quivering mess before he finally pushes into TK’s body. TK holds on, meeting Carlos thrust for thrust, he’s never felt this complete while having sex with anyone, and he just wants more. He urges Carlos on, begging for him to sink deeper into him, to push harder, and Carlos gives him exactly what he wants. He kisses every inch of skin he can get his mouth on, his hands touch TK like he’s something precious. He whispers endearments into TK’s ear, calling him baby and sweetheart, telling him he’s beautiful. When he comes, it’s so intense that TK is practically sobbing from all the emotions crashing inside him.

It’s the first time he’s genuinely felt alive since his OD, so of course, it doesn’t last long. He’s catching his breath, laying in Carlos’ arms when he sees it. On his left side, right under his pec, Carlos has his real name written in his handwriting.

Tyler.

TK stares at it, but no matter how much he looks, the name doesn’t change. His name, the one he barely uses, but still.

His handwriting is on this beautiful man who just made him sees stars.

His soulmate.

He gets up in a hurry, half-dressed before he’s out the door, making excuses about work when Carlos suggests in a seductive voice he stick around for round two. He leaves before he gives in to the temptation to stay and bask in the discovery of his soul mate.

He leaves before he ruins him.

֎֎֎

He spends his shift lost in thoughts of Carlos, of what it felt to be with him, and what it means now. He’s read countless articles and books over the years on the subject, all talking about the connection formed between soulmates even before they acknowledge their status.

It’s been romanticized in popular culture, that sex between soulmates is supposed to be like no other sexual experience. TK has always believed that to be bullshit, he’s had great sex without a soulmate, it’s something he excels at, but now, having been with Carlos, he has to reconsider his position on the subject.

Sex with Carlos is like nothing else he’s ever experienced, and just hours later, he’s already craving the feel of the other man’s skin under his hands. He yearns to hear again all the breathless sounds Carlos made when they were together.

This is why, even though he knows it’s a bad idea to go back to him without telling him it’s his name on his skin, and that he’s playing with fire. When Carlos calls him over after midnight, he can’t do anything but go to him.

He’s antsy when he gets to his place, itching under his skin to touch Carlos again. When he opens the door, looking gorgeous in that pale blue dress shirt, TK for a split second thanks whatever higher power decided to give him a soulmate so breathtakingly beautiful. Even if he doesn’t deserve him, and there is no way TK is going to be able to keep him, he’s thankful.

That thought turns sour a few minutes later when Carlos keeps him from kissing him the way he wants, and with a proud smile shows TK all the effort he’s put into the night for him. TK sits down at the table reluctantly as he tries to stop all the ugly thoughts already running through his head.

He doesn’t deserve Carlos. If he knew what a mess TK really is, he would run away. When he finds out they’re soulmates, he’ll be disappointed.

He comes off short, and then before he can stop himself, he comes off nasty. He sees the flash of hurt and confusion on Carlos’ face and feels gutted – so he runs. He gives Carlos a half-assed apology and leaves.

֎֎֎

What happens between him and Carlos, plus Judd poking at him, leaves him angry, reckless and self-destructive, proving further what a mess of a person he is in his current state.

He ducks the first swing of the redneck’s fist and then the second, feeling a rush when his own fist connects with the guy’s jaw before his buddy jumps in, knocking him to the floor. The whole thing is over in a matter of minutes, and before he knows it, he’s being pushed into the back of a squad car.

He’s guided to a desk, still cuffed and told to wait for one of the officers to bring him his paperwork, and mumbles a thank you when he’s offered an ice pack. He’s not exactly surprised when Carlos is the officer that sits down at the desk. TK has decided that fate is indeed real, and it’s fucking with him.

“Seriously?” he can’t help but question. His heart beats loudly at the look he finds in Carlos’ brown eyes.

“Austin’s a small town TK,” he shoots back sarcastically. “Or should I say, Tyler Kennedy.”

TK’s breath freezes in his lungs, and he feels a painful thump under his chest when Carlos gives him a hurt look.

“Were you ever planning on telling me?” he questions quietly, shaking his head sadly when TK doesn’t answer, and all TK wants to do is touch him, to make it better somehow, but he doesn’t know what to say.

Carlos shakes his head again; he tells him no one is pressing charges, hesitating for a moment before he continues.

“I’m not trying to be your soulmate,” he tells him, his voice faltering slightly. “Or even your friend if you’re not into it, but you should talk to someone about why you felt compelled to do something so suicidal.”

TK stares at him; his voice still lost at how close to home Carlos hits with his words. He sighs sadly at him, and before TK can stop him, he’s grabbing his wrists to uncuff him.

He knows the second Carlos sees his name on TK by the gasp he lets out.

“The second I saw your full name on the file, I knew,” he whispers, still staring at TK’s wrist. “I knew you had to be my soulmate, it’s the only thing that explains everything I have felt since I met you,” he looks up at him, and TK can’t help the sound that escapes his mouth when he sees the hurt in Carlos’ eyes. “But I still didn’t believe it. You didn’t say anything, you saw your name on me and said nothing, why, Tyler? Was it because you didn’t want it to be me?”

“Because I’m a complete fucking mess,” TK blurts out, desperate for Carlos to understand that it’s him, he’s what’s wrong here, not Carlos. “I didn’t even have a soul mark until a couple of weeks ago.”

Carlos frowns at him, his confusion obvious. “What? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” TK says helplessly, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “I didn’t get one when I turned 21 like everyone else, and eventually came to terms with the fact that you didn’t exist for me.”

“That’s my handwriting,” Carlos points at his wrist. “My name.”

TK nods softly, giving Carlos a half-smile. “It’s my handwriting on you too.”

“I don’t understand,” Carlos says, looking as lost as TK feels. It breaks TK’s heart, and he can feel the urge to fix it clawing its way inside him.

“I had a really bad break up in New York,” he starts, swallowing hard as he wonders how fast Carlos will run when he’s done explaining. “Like nuclear bad, and then I relapsed.”

“You mean with me?” Carlos asks quietly, looking away from him.

“No,” TK answers just as softly, the shame he feels turning his stomach. “I mean with substances.”

Carlos looks at him, his eyes going wide. “The champagne at dinner – ” he whispers, his face drops as he looks at him with remorse.“ – I’m sorry.”

TK shakes his head quickly, hating the guilt he sees in Carlos’ kind eyes. “You didn’t know, and I didn’t handle that at all. I'm the one that’s sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Carlos assures him with a half-smile, and TK shakes his head again.

“It’s not, I was a jerk,” he tells him.

“After my break up, I scored some Oxy,” he continues, taking a deep breath before saying the next part. “I OD’d, my heart stopped, and my dad and crew brought me back. A couple of days later, your name showed up on my wrist.”

He looks up at Carlos, having said the last part looking at the desk, and he feels his heart squeeze at the tears he sees in Carlos’ eyes.

“TK,” he whispers brokenly. “I –“

“You don’t have to say anything,” he pushes himself to say before Carlos can tell him he can’t deal with the mess of a person he is. “I don’t expect anything from you, not after the way I treated you, or now that you know the truth. Fate is an asshole to have saddled you with me. You deserve so much better – “ he cuts off, gasping when Carlos wraps his hand around his wrist, his thumb pressing on his name.

“Carlos – “ he whispers breathlessly, his body lighting up at the touch. There is no way they didn’t touch each other’s soul marks when they had sex, TK gets that now. The intense feeling of warmth and contentment is back, and TK feels whole.

“Are you going to try to make all the decisions in this relationship?” Carlos asks calmly, though his eyes are a few shades darker than usual as he runs his thumb back and forth over his name. “Because that’s not going to fly with me.”

“R –relationship?” TK stumbles, his insides feel like warm melting butter. “Carlos –“

“Tyler.”

TK lets out a soft sigh. “I usually hate when people call me that, but it sounds nice coming from you.”

“Well, I’m your soulmate,” Carlos smiles gently at him, his fingers are still touching TK’s soul mark, and he can feel himself caving.

“I’m such a mess, Carlos,” he says in a last-ditch effort to remind himself and Carlos why this is a bad idea. “You shouldn’t be with me because fate wrote our names on the other, you deserve better.”

Carlos looks at him, considering his words, and TK tells himself that he’ll be okay when Carlos agrees. He’ll find a way to survive Carlos not touching him after this.

“There’s a lot to unpack here,” Carlos answers finally, his voice soft but firm. “Let's start with this, I get to decide what I deserve, not you,” he holds up a hand when TK opens his mouth. “Two, you say you’re a mess – okay, I can concede that point, you haven’t exactly been easy to deal with.”

The corners of his mouth quirk upward, taking the sting out of his words.

“But guess what, TK, everyone is a mess in some way or another,” he continues. “You have baggage, and so would the next person I choose to be with.”

TK can’t help but make a face at the thought of Carlos with someone else; it makes Carlos grin.

“You don’t like that?” he questions with a teasing tilt to his voice. “Does the idea of me with someone else bother you? Do you know what the solution to that is?”

TK glares at him, pouting when Carlos chuckles softly at him.

“Now you mentioned fate,” he moves on, his voice still gentle. “Fate isn’t everything, we have free will, and if you don’t want to be with me, there is nothing I can do about it. But fate did decide for whatever reason that we are a good match, and the way my skin sings when I’m around you – I don’t believe it was wrong in its decision. I can’t make you be with me, TK, but I do think it would be a waste not to try to make us work.”

“Carlos, I – ” he trails off, covering his hand with his, feeling the warm skin under his fingertips.

“I know you feel it too,” he whispers, his eyes show such honest affection, his feelings for TK plain to see.

He was with Alex for two years, and he never looked at him the way Carlos is looking at him right now.

“We deserve a shot,” he pleads. “You say you’re a mess? Then let me help make it better; let me be there for you. All I ask is for a chance.”

“I might hurt you,” TK whispers, feeling a knot in his throat.

Carlos nods. “I might hurt you too, but I promise I’ll try very hard not to.”

TK bites down hard on his lip, feeling his eyes sting when Carlos’ expression goes painfully soft.

“I also promise not to leave unless you explicitly tell me to,” he tells him, his hand already wiping under TK’s eye before the tear even spills.

He gets to the root of TK’s fear so easily, for a second, he wonders if he can read his mind. This has been his real fear from the moment he first saw his soul mark; people leave TK; it’s what they do. He can’t even blame them, he’s the common denominator for every person that has walked away from him, so there has to be something wrong with him. He’s learned to live with it, but he doesn’t think he could live with finding his soulmate, loving him, and then watch him walk away, he’s just not strong enough for that.

“Do you promise?” he asks, his voice cracking painfully.

“Yes,” Carlos says with conviction. “I’ve known you for such a short time, and I already love you, and it has nothing to do with our soul marks. It’s you, TK, it’s impossible to know you and not love you. If you have me, I’m not going anywhere.”

TK closes his eyes as more tears run down his battered face.

“I want to kiss you so badly,” he hears Carlos whisper. He opens his eyes to see Carlos looking around; it reminds TK suddenly that this whole conversation has taken place at Carlos’ place of work. He feels himself blush even as his heart flutters under his ribcage with warmth and hopefulness.

“I can take you home,” Carlos offers with a hopeful look of his own.

TK frowns at him. “Don’t you have to finish your shift?” he asks, and he watches with confused enjoyment as Carlos’ face goes pink.

“I was actually already done when you came in,” he says with an embarrassed look. “I just stuck around because I wanted to be near you, and begged my coworker to let me be the one to release you, that’s when I saw your file.”

TK stares at him for a moment before he starts laughing, the tension of the night releasing, making the situation funnier than it actually is, especially when Carlos rolls his eyes at him.

“Come on,” he says, standing up from the desk. “You can laugh at me on the way home.”

TK is still chuckling as he gets up and follows Carlos out of the precinct, only stopping when they get to Carlos’ car. He puts a hand on his forearm, drawing his attention.

He comes to a decision and steps into Carlos’ space slowly, giving him time to step away. Carlos just watches him patiently, his eyes closing a second before TK brushes his lips against his, pressing against them softly. Neither of them moves to deepen the kiss for a moment as they bask in the feel of each other, but when they finally do, it’s like touching electricity. Everything inside TK lights up, and he thinks he must have been an idiot to believe for one second he could walk away from this.

He’s a mess of a human, that hasn’t changed because he met his soulmate, and yet he feels lighter than he has in the longest time just by being in Carlos’ arms.

Fate and destiny aren’t everything; not all soulmates make it, he knows that, but he also knows Carlos is right. They’ve been given a gift, and it would be a shame to waste it.

“Home?” Carlos murmurs when they break the kiss, a little out of breath, and a beautiful smile on his face. TK understands he means more than just his place by the word, so much more.

“Home,” TK answers back, and he knows by the way Carlos’ smile grows, he understands that TK means more too.

#911 lone star #911lonestarweek #911lsweek #tarlos #tarlos fic #tk x carlos #911 lone star fic #my writing

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ectocosme · 6 years

Text

firm grip

[AO3]

words: 1909 (might be easier to read on ao3)

pairing: Zack/Cloud

no warning

Cloud struggled to get air into his lungs. The hard fall had broken something, though all his body was on fire so he wasn't sure what was wrong. Keeping his head above the thick matter was instinctive but shot knife-like pain through his chest. If he didn't drown into the mako, the broken things inside him would surely kill him.

“Quick, your hand buddy!” someone yelled from above.

Instinctively, Cloud reached out for the arm sticking from the railing. The burn of mako in his eyes made his vision blurry. The panic coursing through his veins cleared enough with the words, his soulmate's words. They weren't uncommon for troopers and SOLDIERs and some had already mistaken a stranger for a soulmate the seconds it needed for the other to talk to them for the first time. Though Cloud was certain this man was his. He was certain. Those words of help, of compassion and hope to go through – as his mother said – were finally told by his soulmate.

The hand that grabbed him slide a bite because of the mako before stopping when Cloud's grabbed back. The other lifted him with ease. In the blurry world Cloud was in, he noticed mako-blue eyes and black hair on a moving face.

"You've got some strength into those arms!" the other commented.

Another hand held onto his belt and holled him up. Cloud met the cold metal of the railing, his breath uneven as he struggled to make his lungs works.

“He's gonna fucking die,” someone commented a bit further. Cloud recognised a trooper's voice, but couldn't remember his face at the moment. Cloud didn't even try to look at him. Though he did attempt to pierce through the pain induced fog in his head. He needed to see his soulmate.

“Sir, the monsters!” yelled a gruff voice.

“Shit! I'm on it, stay back,” Cloud's soulmate said.

Cloud coughed, felt the taste of blood but clenched his teeth and forced himself to look up. The clash of a sword against some hard-skinned body pressed him. On the railing, upstream, a man dressed in black fought against a monster as blurry as him. Cloud could see them only because of the mako glow. They moved a bit farther, onto a big platform and their silhouette blended together.

Even if his breath left his mouth like a long hiss, Cloud straightened up from his forearms to his knees. He faltered, the echoes of boots hitting the ground making his head buzz.

“Man, don't force yourself. I'll make us leave the place, don't worry.”

Cloud wavered under the hand on his shoulder. Darkness filled his vision a second but came back at the cry of pain from his faceless soulmate. He jerked up, groaning at the effort and swatting away the hand holding his forearm. Cloud would be a hundred time cursed if he let his soulmate being killed. Not under his watch!

Another pained sound and nobody moved! Anger melted with fear in Cloud. He shot up then ran toward the waving form of what he thought was a monster.

“Stop! You're going to get killed!”

Cloud ignored the man. He fought to get any oxygen in his lungs as he ran straight toward the monster.

“Don't come, buddy!” his soulmate shouted from the other side of the platform.

The shout only fuelled Cloud strength. He saw the glint of something silver even with his failing vision. He grabbed it, stumbled at the weight but found back his balance in a heartbeat.

“Come!” he yelled at the beast.

Something charged him. He heard the sounds of claws scratching the metal, the breathing of the creature but had trouble seeing it. He took a defensive stance when he felt it approach. The collision was so violent it made his arms shook, but a grin stretched on his face. He couldn't see now, but he had seen the monsters earlier. They were similar to wolves. For Cloud, fighting wolves was a second nature.

He pushed the sword to his side sharply. The creature biting on it followed the movement and left its side unguarded for a second. Cloud bend down, took the army issued knife. He jumped, his feet pressing on the beast's shoulder. Using the uneven platform he reached the creature's back too high for him normally. There, he planted the knife between the shoulders' blade.

The monster howled in pain. It shook himself to get rid of Cloud, but he took out the knife and struck a second time. The monster stumbled, a deep grumble escaping its maw. It fell on the side and Cloud stumbled when his foot hit the ground. He fell back, hitting his head. The creature dropped on his legs, trapping him.

He heard footsteps, then saw a dark silhouette but fell unconscious before seeing his soulmate.

Coming back to his senses, Cloud yelped at a touch on his arm elicited searing pain. Though, it was short lived.

"Ah, I see you're awake. Sorry for that, we're taking a bit of blood to see if the mako is still affecting you." a woman spoke, a white coat over her back. Even though his mind was all fuzzy, Cloud focused on her. She smiled, "You were in a mako coma for a few days, but it seems you'll walk it off." Cloud thought he hallucinated when she leaned down, winked at him and said, "I made a little commentary in your files to make you retake the mako tests. I'm pretty sure the guy who did it made a mistake, your body is totally able to absorb the mako without any problem. Better than that even."

“I-I was in a co-coma you said,” Cloud slurred. “How it is no-not a problem?”

She patted his arm, "It was unrefined mako. Anyway, rest now."

Cloud did so. For a few minutes, then he remembered the words said by his soulmate. An unknown man in the twenty Cloud didn't know at all. He'd been chosen for the mission at the last minute because they lacked a guy. His soulmate could be anybody! At least, Cloud was confident in recognising his voice.

He was shaken awake from his daze by a nurse, "Your squad came to visit you. Do you feel like it?"

Cloud hummed, his brain fog still strong. It was only when she left that he recalled he joined a temporary squad for this urgent mission. He knew nothing of the other men. Why would they want to see him?

“Dude! You were so cool!”

Startled, Cloud opened his eyes to a smiling face he had no recollection of. The man was in his thirties and if Cloud had nothing against middle-aged men, but if he was his soulmate, he'd be very disappointed. The guy in his face backed away, presenting a trooper uniform. Cloud sighed in relief.

"I wish you were one of my comrades," another trooper said.

Four men excitedly praised him for his act of bravour*tk. Giddy, Cloud basked in it. People rarely praised him.

"You come thanks our best guy without me?" a fifth person said as he came nearer. "Man, you're all mean to me. What did I do to you?"

Cloud's breath was stolen away by the man. He was like carved by the loving hands of Odin. A creature of dreams created by a god. The SOLDIER Zack Fair wasn't an obscure name as to never having appeared on posters, but it was the first time Cloud had seen him. From what he gathered a few days earlier, he was one of three SOLDIERs that accompanied them.

Cloud prayed all his gods the young SOLDIER was the one. He recalled black hair and blue eyes, which weren't rare in SOLDIERs. Far from it.

The young man with an easy smile extended his hand that Cloud took automatically. A grin stretched his lips. Cloud stared at them a bit too much, not noticing he was squeezing the man's hand with as much strength as him. Since he entered the army he learnt to give strong handshakes. He looked soft so he needed to make others lose this idea quickly.

“Yup, still a good grip. Glad to see you alive,” Zack exclaimed, winking at him. “Alive and not a vegetable. Would have been sad to lose a good man like you.”

Cloud's heart thumped at the other's praise. Somehow it had double the effect than the guy's words. Then what exactly Zack had said clicked into his mind. Cloud sputtered, lost his words when Zack turned around, saluted everyone and went away.

"Wait," Cloud wheezed out, holding onto the man's top without care for the troopers still here. Zack stopped and turned back to him. His first sentence to the man. But, as he opened his mouth his previous certainty faltered. He stuttered, "If- if... you really are my soulmate I'll always have your back or else I'll let a Nibel dragon eat me."

Zack previous curious expression was suddenly opening with a grin. He beamed, the smile making his face more handsome. Cloud's heart skipped a beat with joy. The other men kept silent, feeling the mood shift.

"Hey," he called softly. "That's my words! Well, my soulmate's words.”

Warm and callused hands wrapped around the one clenching on Zack's top. Cloud let go of it, his breath hitching as Zack came back to his bedside. He looked up to met Zack's sparkling eyes. Having said his first words to the man Cloud was now struck mute by the realisation. He was meeting his soulmate for real, without a concussion making Zack's silhouette looks like a moving black fog.

Zack jumped on the balls of his heels. He had the expression of someone whining the jackpot.

"I've found my soulmate!" he exclaimed a laugh following his words.

He still clutched Cloud's hand to his chest like a trophy. The troopers cheered for them, clapping each other and Zack's shoulder. One made a move near Cloud but proved intelligent enough to only pat him then drag his colleagues out. On the other hand, Zack couldn't help slightly jump up and down, laughing quietly.

"Sir, stop jostling this poor guy or I'll be forced to kick you out of the medical ward!" another nurse yelled from the other side of the tent.

“He's my soulmate!” Zack boomed.

“It's fine ma'am,” Cloud said back. “It's not hurting me. Really.”

He huddled on himself at the glower from the woman and sighed happily when she didn't oppose anything else. Cloud was hurt on the other side anyway. Though, the heavy medication he was under already made him doze off. He yawned, lifting a bit his head after it had fallen but struggling to open back his eyes. He startled at the knuckles brushing his cheek and blinked awake. Zack's worried expression shifted for a beaming smile.

"I'm gonna let you sleep, buddy," Zack said, ruffling Cloud's hair, making him grumble. "Don't worry, I'll come back soon. Though, I need to know: wanna grab a bite together when we get back to Midgar?"

Cloud's heart swelled with anticipation. For a moment his sleepiness was forgotten. He clutched Zack's fingers still around his hand and nodded with energy, "Yes! I do."

Zack chuckled, jumped on his feet again. He put his hands behind his back like he tried to force himself not to cling to Cloud, then sauntered off, almost whistling.

#final fantasy vii #zack fair #cloud strife #clack #zakkura #fluff kinda #soulmates #ecto writes #and rarely edit with the care it should

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