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elegantmadness · 1 year

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Seeds of Doubt, Interlude 1.5

Please refer to the first chapter for character and fandom info; otherwise I'll just assume you know what you're getting yourself into!

Rating: For this chapter, it's T for language and kissy things.

Pairing : Clack, Zakkura, Cloud/Zack

Chapter Summary: Zack can't help but want to make sure Cloud's all right after the meeting, but more details about their accident in Nibelheim bring up an onslaught of feelings Zack thought he'd already buried. Cloud is reluctant to talk about their relationship, but Zack firmly (and emotionally) insists.

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For several seconds after Lazard dismissed them, Zack was seemingly frozen in place, his mind reeling from all the revelations and subsequent implications. He could see Genesis rush from the room angrily: a flash of red in his periphery as the Briefing Room door slid open and no one made to follow. Silence was heavy and cloying in the air, stealing whatever words even Zack might have offered to help lighten the mood. What could he have possibly said anyway? Of everyone in that room he had gotten off the lightest with just a moderate case of mako poisoning and a shot of alien cells which proved incompatible with his already mako-infused system. The reminder nearly made him blanch; that was certainly a thought to discard until he was in bed that night, when the horrors came back to him in the form of nightmares and pieces of memory that plagued him with insomnia.

Lightning was next, her steps every bit as hurried as Genesis’ had been, though they lacked the same fury. Idly, Zack likened her celerity to her own namesake, though he had to bite back the subsequent urge to chuckle.

His heart leapt just a little when Angeal stood to intercept Sephiroth, and while Zack scrambled to stand, he paused when he noticed Cloud noticeably subdued and contemplative, still seated and showing no inclination to move as most of the others had. He couldn’t help the way his gaze wavered between the two until Angeal and Sephiroth stepped out into the corridor, and by then it seemed his decision had been made for him. Leonhart had already disappeared as well, Zack noted absently, and he slumped a little in his seat when Rufus and Lazard finally left the room, leaving the pair of them alone. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d been alone together.

Shit. Had it been Nibelheim? The thought made him antsy somethow, filled him with a strange apprehension that even the toughest missions and scariest monsters couldn’t. Cloud had pulled away from him so much after their accident, had put up walls that Zack hadn’t even attempted to circumvent or demolish, but now? His natural inclination to dive in headfirst was rearing its head again, and how could anyone expect him to just… sit back and watch Cloud try to navigate all this shit alone? Especially when he seemed so lost… in thought and memory and who knew what else.

Maybe he should’ve held his tongue or left well enough alone, but something spurred him forward: forced his lips apart until Cloud’s name was spilling from between them.

“Cloud? You okay?” he asked tentatively, remembering fully how much longer and more excruciating the rehabilitation had been for Cloud than himself. At the time he’d already been a First, and having endured mako injections for years had left him in a much better place to recuperate.

Cloud had been afforded none of that luxury, and Zack firmly believed that Cloud’s strength of will and determination were what had brought him out of toxicosis and back to life. It hadn’t been the Shinra doctors or scientists or even his own constant visits to Cloud’s bedside; he’d clawed his way back to consciousness and coherence and sanity with his own two hands, and Zack’s heart swelled despite himself. He’d felt so helpless at the time, so useless, and he’d lost count of how many times he’d bitterly cried to himself when Cloud had still been vegetative.

Cloud had made significant strides in the years since the accident, strides no one had ever imagined he would have been able to make, but Zack had only been privy to watching from the outside. Whatever bond they’d shared, whatever warm affection and feelings… had been left behind, dropped as though they’d been nothing but a burden weighing Cloud down. Zack logically knew there was more to it even if Cloud refused to share, but the blow at the time had been almost physical. His chest had ached, throbbed like no other wound Zack had ever suffered, but the last thing Cloud needed upon reawakening was Zack hounding him for deep, emotional answers or forgiveness for grievances Zack had conjured himself in his guilt-tortured grief.

Perhaps that was why it was so much easier to imagine Cloud resented him for recovering more quickly, or for not better looking out for him on the mission to the Nibelheim reactor.

It occurred to him slowly: that the ‘accident’ had been Hojo’s fault, and not his own. How could he have… shit, what had the file said? How could he have known that ‘Hojo had previously requested Infantryman Strife as an ideal candidate for one of his experiments’, and that he’d taken his rejection about as well as a child being denied a third helping of dessert.

“I knew it.”

His voice was quiet, small even, and Zack’s eyebrows furrowed uncomprehendingly. Had Cloud known about Hojo’s involvement, or even suspected it? Had Hojo had let something slip during one of his SOLDIER examinations? He had to calm himself before he let his thoughts run away with him; as loathe as he was to agree with Farron and Leonharts’ assessments, Hojo was nigh untouchable – at least, for now.

Was this… white-hot rage what Genesis had been feeling? Zack had always had difficulty seeing eye to eye with Angeal’s childhood friend, though Zack had always suspected it had a great deal more to do with Zack’s ‘infringing’ upon Angeal’s time than any sort of personal dislike. Perhaps it was more to do with Genesis’ more negative feelings; Zack had no problem smiling and laughing and otherwise being friendly and open, but hate? Fear? Anger? These were things he tended to bury or at least mask, and for Genesis they were practically a second skin. At the very least they could agree on their rage for Shinra’s Head Scientist; maybe, if they were ever allowed a chance at him, Zack might accompany Genesis just to hear the bastard scream…

Shaking his head free of the thought, Zack once more pushed his feelings aside; he needed to focus on Cloud for now, and his lips pursed anxiously as he glanced over at the blond.

“Cloud?” This time Zack laid his hand on Cloud’s forearm, and the blond reeled back as though it burned his skin, his mako-tinted eyes widening before he seemed to realize where he was. It only made Zack’s eyebrows furrow more deeply, concern lodging itself deep in Zack’s chest. Even after all this time Zack couldn’t stop himself from worrying about Cloud; he could go toe to toe with any of the other Firsts, had distinguished himself in battles and skirmishes all across the globe, but Zack’s predilection for ensuring Cloud’s safety never abated. If anything, he imagined it had only grown with time, especially after the accident.

“It’s fine. It’s nothing,” Cloud insisted, dragging his arm away before standing. Watching Cloud stand left Zack almost winded; had he done something wrong again already? All he knew, right that second, was that Cloud needed him, even if he wouldn’t admit it, and Zack could bear to let Cloud go again. The concern deep in his chest shifted until it curled around his heart and squeezed uncomfortably, affection bleeding into the twist of his lips despite himself.

Before the blond could get too far Zack was on his feet, his hand reaching for Cloud’s wrist and curling around it gently. “Oh no you don’t,” Zack admonished him teasingly, his telltale grin sliding back into place easily. It was almost frightening how easily he’d cast off his anger and concern and brought that smile to his face, but he somehow suspected Cloud wouldn’t pry. The thought left him a little crestfallen, in all honesty, but if he could help Cloud cope, then it would be worth it. Still, part of him expected to be shaken off with an exasperated sigh, but Cloud instead froze, his shoulders squaring.

Shit. He’d fucked up already. Did Cloud hate him so much he couldn’t even tolerate such a benign touch? Or was it less about the touch and more about all the shit they’d just had to listen to? “Oh, hey. Buddy. It’s okay. It doesn’t change anything-”

“You’re wrong,” Cloud stated flatly, his tone as unflinching and unyielding as steel. Zack winced to hear it, and struggled to keep his smile in place when Cloud turned in his direction, his face utterly unreadable. It was a far cry from the young cadet Zack had taken under his wing years ago, but such changes were inevitable after suffering all that Cloud had. Perhaps it was enough that Cloud hadn’t tugged his hand free. No. It had to be; Zack refused to trample all over the boundaries Cloud had set for himself even if it made something in his chest throb tightly, his airway beginning to constrict until breathing became a struggle.

In the past, he would’ve gathered Cloud into his arms and pressed reassuring kisses to the side of his head and in his hair, but now… now it seemed just holding his wrist to keep him from leaving was almost too much.

Zack had to stifle the sudden impulse to lean over and kiss him, and he blinked a little owlishly before finally letting go of Cloud’s wrist, the skin of his fingers and palm tingling several moments afterwards. They had been together for a short time, so, so happily, but the Nibelheim accident had messed up everything. Cloud had purposefully put distance between them once he’d finally convalesced, had made it abundantly clear that their more intimate relationship was over without so much as offering a halfhearted explanation or apology.

Honestly, maybe it was for the best. Zack still nursed guilt about it all even as that guilt was swiftly being replaced with fury at a certain professor, but part of him also still feared that Cloud resented him for pulling through the mako poisoning so much more easily. The uncertainty of their relationship – could Zack still even call it a relationship? – hung in the air. He couldn’t deny the attraction anymore than Cloud could, and sometimes it was just so easy to want to fall back into familiar rhythms and patterns. His smile tightened at the edges, though if Cloud noticed he didn’t react to it.

“I wish you’d just stop,” Cloud finally sighed, turning back towards the door.

His words were like a physical blow, and Zack staggered upon hearing them, the hopeful glint in his eyes beginning to dim.

So. There was his answer. He’d known it would be, had known it for years, but it didn’t stop Zack from feeling as though a knife were sticking out of his chest. A familiar pressure was building in his eyes, though he could at least keep the tears at bay for now; Cloud didn’t deserve to be guilt-tripped for making a choice, even if it was a devastating one.

Fuck. Why was he such an idiot? Why had he clung to such ridiculous hopes in the first place? He had no one to blame but himself.

“I’m sorry,” he finally found himself saying, his eyes firmly on his scuffed boots. “I know you’re tired of me hovering and worrying, but I can’t help it! Unless you’re saying we… can’t be friends anymore.” He tried to fight the sudden surge of additional pressure behind his eyes, his hands balling into fists against the tops of his thighs. He never wanted to be a burden to Cloud, never wanted him to feel suffocated or bogged down because Zack was being a mother hen, but dammit! Cloud had left their relationship up in the air for years now, and Zack couldn’t just abandon those feelings or pretend they’d never existed. Even if it seemed as though Cloud had moved on without him.

“What are you talking about?”

Cloud sounded tired, and another prickle of guilt added to the ever-growing lump in Zack’s throat. He turned back towards Zack, lips parted as he undoubtedly readied himself to give Zack another scolding, only to pause at the defeated posture that slumped Zack’s shoulders inward and stripped him of any vigor, any spirit. Seeing Zack so discouraged stirred something in him, something wholly familiar and warm in a way that only the sun had managed to make him feel before.

“Zack.”

He couldn’t parse the tone Cloud used, not precisely, but there was something in it that demanded his attention, and he couldn’t very well refuse the blond. Had he ever been able to? Something told him it was unlikely.

It was only minimally surprising when Cloud didn’t immediately start to berate him for worrying so much, though the flicker of shock that widened his eyes certainly was. Distantly, Zack realized a tear had slipped traitorously from one of his eyes, and he plastered a bright grin across his face to cover it up as he wiped it away with a loud chuckle. “Ah, sorry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Zack hated the obvious lie and the self-deprecating tone he’d used to offer it to Cloud, though maybe this was why they’d never talked about their past. Cloud was so closed off, so unwilling to acknowledge his feelings and talk about them it made talking to him seriously almost impossible. Worse, whenever Zack made his attempts and was rebuffed, he always tripped over himself to try and not seem too serious; playing it off as a joke was a horrible defense mechanism, but it was all he really had. He refused to cry, not here, not like this!

He knew the seconds the words left his mouth that they’d been a mistake; Cloud’s eyes narrowed sharply at him, and a hand found itself into the fabric of Zack’s regulation turtleneck. Sheer, unadulterated fury had tightened the attractive lines of Cloud’s face, and Zack knew already he was in for a verbal lashing.

“Why are you crying? What’s wrong?” Cloud demanded, though Zack wasn’t entirely sure how the blond could be so dense. He hadn’t conveniently contracted amnesia since the accident, had he? He had to know he’d been dangling Zack and his feelings over the edge of a dark abyss with no interest in addressing them so whatever they’d had in the past might have been granted the smallest iota of closure.

Nothing! Promise, Spike! Don’t worry about me!

His go-to echoed around in his skull, but his lips were leaden and refused to part for them. Some part of Cloud clearly cared if he’d been so obviously worried about Zacka moment ago, so why had he just left things like this? He knew it hadn’t been simple malice on Cloud’s part, but assuming such things had simply slipped his mind or been pushed aside made Zack inexplicably angry. It wasn’t that complicated, was it?

“Is it about the accident?” Cloud ventured a terrible guess. “It was years ago, Zack, and you’re fine. We’re both fine. Even with all the shit Hojo did–”

“It’s not about the accident!” Zack answered, frustration evident as he pushed Cloud’s hand off of him and shook his head with eyes squeezed shut. “Okay, maybe it is a little, but only because of what happened after,” Zack finally admitted, feeling his tears returning and doing nothing to combat them. He’d held this in for too long as it was.

Cloud foundered at his answer, oblivious to Zack’s meaning. “And what happened after?”

Zack’s jaw grit tightly at that. How coud he not know?!

“You, Cloud! You ignored me, pushed me away, and never even told me why!” His chest heaved for want of breath, though his answer stilled Cloud in place, the blond seemingly lost in his own memories. “Y-you just… you never even told me anything. I tried to help, tried to be there for you, but you told me to leave, to leave you alone.” God, was his voice shaking? Hot tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, and he roughly wiped them away, riding the high of relief-fueled adrenaline as he inhaled a shaky breath.

“And I did. Like a big, fucking idiot I did, because I thought you just needed some space, some time to put all the pieces back together. Only, surprise! You just… decided you didn’t want me anymore.” The pain in his voice was unmistakable, and Zack had to choke nacl a hiccup before wiping his eyes again.

“That’s not true! It was all just so overwhelming–”

“Please, Cloud. Just stop. I tore myself apart trying to figure out what I’d done wrong, tormented myself with how I could’ve stopped the accident from happening, or how I could’ve helped you through the mako poisoning quicker.”

Cloud seemed to take exception to this, and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. “I needed to do it alone, Zack.”

“But why? I’d always helped you in the past.” Cloud glanced away when Zack’s bloodshot eyes lifted to his.

“I just did,” Cloud sighed in exasperation, not quite sure how to explain. Maybe it had been to prove to himself that he could, that his eventual inclusion into SOLDIER hadn’t just been a product of nepotism.

Zack’s breathing had at least mostly returned to normal by that point, and he nodded absently at the less-than-helpful answer Cloud supplied before responding. “All right. Then I just wanna know one thing: why didn’t you break things off?”

“I thought I did,” Cloud insisted, trying to withhold a sigh. Now was not the time to talk about this.

“By, what? Telling me to go away and leave you alone?” Zack shot back tersely. “How was I supposed to know that’s what you meant?”

“Can’t we just… talk about this later?” Cloud wasn’t even sure how they’d gotten to this point, but he was desperate to be free of it.

Zack let out a scoff despite himself. “So, what? In another five years or so? Will you finally tell me what the hell happened?”

Cloud let out a frustrated sound, though before Zack could react, he was suddenly pressed against the wall to the side of the Briefing Room door, a pair of thin, chilled lips against his own.

Talk about your mixed signals.

Was this a dream? Of all the things Cloud could’ve said or done, this had been at the bottom of the list of Zack’s expectations.

It was warm and familiar despite the cold temperature of the room, and Zack’s arms surged forward to pull Cloud close, closer: as close as was physically possible as a shaky breath shuddered deep in his chest. The kiss ended far too quickly, far too chastely, though Zack let Cloud pull back even if he refused to let the blond leave the circle of his arms. His lips twitched to hear the steady rhythm of Cloud’s pulse, hammering a little more quickly than usual, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to nuzzle down into the blond’s hair.

“Look,” Cloud breathed, his point of his nose pressing into Zack’s cheek. “I’m sorry, all right? What I did to you was shitty, but I don’t have a good explanation for it. I don’t even know why myself, aside from just being shit at dealing with people to begin with.”

Zack swallowed before nodding breathlessly, that same, flicker of hope returning despite himself. “Just tell me one thing, Spike,” Zack whispered his answer, his hands itching to drag Cloud closer. “Do you still love me?”

It took Cloud several moments to answer, and Zack could feel his heart pounding more quickly with each second that passed.

“Idiot,” Cloud rebuked him fiercely, strong fingertips pressing against his throat as Cloud glanced up at his eyes before flitting down to his mouth. “I never stopped.” The kiss that followed devoured him whole, but gods if it weren’t worth the wait. Maybe it wouldn’t technically change anything, but at least now Zack knew how Cloud felt; that in itself was a win.

And now that they had all the facts about their shared accident, they could start planning for the demise of a certain asshole who’d never learned to take ‘no’ for an answer.

“No pushing me away again, all right?” Zack demanded rather imperiously, his eyes narrowed down at Cloud who simply smirked in return.

“Is that an order?”

“You're damn right it is!”

#ffvii #ff7 #clack #zakkura #cloud/zack #my writing #ffvii fanfic #ff7 fanfic #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7 #crisis core #ffviicc

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kittymaine · 2 years

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We Met At The Club

// Summary: Zack is hopelessly in love with the bartender at the Honeybee Inn and is determined to get his number somehow. Through luck and sheer determination, Zack will somehow persevere.

This was written for the Slice of Clack challenge, but it is hopelessly late. The theme is cliches and the prompt I chose was drunken confessions. //

"Hey, if that's the last report, I'll head out," Zack said as he stood up from his desk and started to edge for the door.

"You completed the debrief notes for squad 10?" Angeal asked from where he was still glued to his terminal.

"Yep and I marked the spots I think you'll find most interesting," Zack answered quickly.

"And wrote up your report on the incident last week in Junon?" Angeal asked without looking up.

"Yes, sir," Zack sighed.

"Did you mail the expense report to the director?" Angeal asked next.

Zack froze, his expression morphing into indignation. "You didn't say anything about the expense report," Zack said slowly, trying to keep his cool. "Doesn't Remmy usually do that?"

At this, Angeal looked up from his monitor and turned slowly to regard Zack. "You're going to that club again," he said darkly, his thick dark eyebrows coming low over sharp eyes.

Zack blew out an explosive breath and threw his hands in the air. "It's Friday!" Zack exclaimed. "I'm off tomorrow!"

"We've had this talk before," Angeal went on like he didn't hear Zack. "A first class SOLDIER like yourself shouldn’t be seen in such a seedy establishment. It is extremely unseemly."

"It's Wall Market. Everyone there is unseemly. That's what people go there for," Zack shot back.

"Entertaining people and places like that will make it easy for people to get blackmail on you. Do you think the directors would hesitate to manipulate you by threatening to make that information public," Angeal said fiercely.

"Why would they need to threaten me?" Zack fired back, just barely below a shout. "I already do everything they want anyway!"

The two men stared at each other heatedly, Zack's chest heaving with emotion and Angeal as still as a statue.

"I can't tell you what to do on your downtime-" Angeal started.

"Thank you," Zack interrupted to say.

Angeal closed his eyes as if praying for patience before continuing, "But! I want to remind you that I absolutely do not approve of what you're doing and if you end up in trouble you better not come to me for help."

"Understood. Can I go now?" Zack asked in exasperation.

Angeal gave him a long unhappy look before nodding and waving Zack away with a grimace. "Go on. Get out of here," he grunted.

Zack didn't need to be told twice. He was already out the door and making his way down the hall to the elevator. The Honeybee Inn opened in less than an hour and he intended to be there from open to close.

Zack didn't make it in time for the opening door, but the reception area was still practically empty by the time he got there. The sun was still up outside, making it relatively early by the standards of Wall Market.

Feeling giddy, Zack approached the small smiling girl at the reception desk. She was very cute with thick curly light brown hair and a round face dusted with freckles.

"Hello, sir! How can I help you today?" she said with a warm smile.

"Hello!" Zack said back, his voice too loud to his own ear. "I'd just like to drink at the bar, if that's okay," he said in a much lower voice.

"Sure thing, mister!" she chirped. "Are you waiting for someone?" she asked.

"Ah, no. Just passing the time," Zack lied, waving his goodbye before turning and crossing the front room to the well stocked and elegant bar on the other side of the room. He could already see him, his blond hair standing out even in the lush gold trimming of the front room.

Zack took a seat directly in front of Cloud, who had been glaring at him the whole time he crossed the room. Despite the ugly look, Zack felt that Cloud was the prettiest thing he had seen in three weeks. His features were so fine, his hair so fair, even his eyebrows and eyelashes were pale blond. His hair was gelled back in an attempt to control his rebellious pin straight hair, but it was only partially successful. His honeybee uniform was perfectly tailored and starched, as always, the waist coat tucking against his trim waist and the white collared shirt highlighting his strong shoulders, buttoned tight against his long pale throat. To Zack, it was like water after years in the desert.

"Hello, beautiful," Zack grinned as he leaned forward over the bar.

Cloud gave him an unimpressed look and leaned away, putting the glass he had been polishing down on the bar with a soft click.

"I was starting to hope I wouldn't see you again," Cloud said darkly, his voice deep and raspy, a contrast to his almost feminine features that sent a thrill down Zack's spine.

"Sorry about that, sweetheart," Zack said with a saucy wink. "I was deployed for a while, but even Shinra couldn't keep me away from you for long."

Zack could tell that Cloud just barely stopped himself from outright sneering at that line, which only made him grin wider. Not only was this boy beautiful, but he was great fun to tease.

"What can I get you, sir?" Cloud asked in the most deadpan voice he could manage.

"I'll take a dirty pickle, my dear," Zack said with a cheer, slapping the flat of his palm on the counter.

Cloud didn't quite manage to resist wrinkling his nose at that one. "Coming right up," he said before turning around to get Zack his drink.

Cloud served Zack's drink on a small gold gilted black napkin, the murky green drink clashing with everything else in the club, much like Zack himself. The dirty pickle was basically a dirty martini with pickle juice and hot sauce instead of olive juice and it was one of the mixed drinks that Zack liked the most. He had occasion to try almost every type of drink Cloud knew how to make over the past months he had been visiting him, so he felt confident in his choice.

Cloud moved away as soon as he had served Zack his drink, pretended to be busy sorting glasses at the far end of the bar. Zack didn't mind. That was part of the reason he intended to spend all night and most of the early morning there at the bar. Cloud could be very determined, but Zack could be too. He was confident he could wait him out.

Despite avoiding him, Cloud returned every time Zack finished a drink to get him a refill. By the third martini, Cloud was looking faintly concerned.

"Do you think you'll book a host tonight?" Cloud asked, frowning as he took Zack's empty glass and turned to put it in a plastic bin behind him that held a few other dirty glasses.

"And miss your charming company? I would have to be a fool," Zack laughed, pulling a full scale scowl from Cloud.

"Did you want another drink, then?" Cloud asked, glaring at Zack like he wished he could just toss him out himself. Zack was aware that drinking at the bar was not the intended way to enjoy oneself at a host club, but he didn't care.

"Do you know any drinks that are blue?" Zack asked, leaning his head on his hand. He had a pretty good constitution, but that much vodka would make anyone a little tipsy.

"Blue?" Cloud repeated with a frown that looked more ponderous than upset. "Why blue?"

"Just curious," Zack responded with a shrug. "If not, I'll take another pickle."

"No, I think I know one," Cloud responded thoughtfully before moving across the bar to talk to the older bartender who was working with him. Juan was a nice guy and Zack often talked to him when Cloud managed to get away from the bar. He was supposed to be training Cloud. While training, Cloud was serving anyone who came to the bar directly while Juan mixed drinks for the clients sitting with the hosts and hostesses. Juan had tried to intercede in what Zack considered the good natured ribbing he shared with Cloud on Zack’s behalf, but Zack had told him it was unnecessary. He liked Cloud's bite and liked to think that Cloud liked his shameless flirting, though he could be wrong. When he had started this game of cat and mouse he had hoped he would have got his number long before then, but he was in too deep to give up at that point.

Cloud eventually came back with a small tumbler with an opaque bright blue liquid topped with a small neon green straw and a slice of lime decorating the rim.

"Oh, pretty!" Zack breathed after being presented with his drink. "What's it called?" he asked.

"It's a blue fairy. Make sure you just sip it," Cloud warned him, crossing his arms over his chest.

Zack took his advice, sipping slowly from the small straw. Even with the caution, the alcohol and tang of whatever made it blue hit him in the mouth like a jolt of electricity.

Coughing, Zack put the drink down and wiped his mouth. "Oh, my god," he groaned. "What is in that?" he asked.

"Absinthe and energy drink," Cloud answered flatly.

"Holy hell," Zack coughed again, even as he went back to take another tiny sip.

"You know, if you get drunk you can't stay in here," Cloud said wryly.

Zack gave Cloud his most winning grin. "Don't worry about me," he said. "I've got a great metabolism. I'll be fine!"

Two drinks later, Zack was starting to question whether he could trust himself to be okay to go home or if he'd have to rent a room in Wall Market.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cloud asked, frowning at him with concern again.

Zack must have done or said something to concern him but it was hard to keep track. Zack tried to give Cloud a charming grin, but whatever he did only made Cloud frown harder. Zack wanted to tell him that the little furrow between his perfectly shaped eyebrows was charming, but couldn't coordinate his tongue to do it.

"My dear Cloud!" someone said loudly from just behind Zack. Zack might have startled if he wasn't slowed down by all the alcohol in his system.

"Andrea," Cloud said, blanching and clutching the rag he had been using to polish glasses tighter.

Zack carefully turned around on the bar stool that he was finding more difficult to navigate with each drink. Behind him stood a beautiful man that he recognized as Andrea Rodhea. He had flawless tan skin, a carefully shaved face and head and was dressed to the nines in deep red velvet, gold trim and impeccably tailored black pants with shining black leather ankle boots.

“How is our dear bartender treating you?” Andrea asked Zack with a voice like sweet dark molasses.

"He's a peach," Zack said as steadily as he could manage and raised his glass to Cloud. He wasn't sure what he was drinking now. It looked like it was just fizzy water, but he couldn't be sure.

Andrea's smile grew, his eyes crinkling as he turned to look at Cloud. "He is, don't you think?"

"I don't think, I know," Zack said firmly, putting his drink back on the counter with a loud click.

"You know, Mr. Fair, Lena tells me that it's been quite a few months since you've entertained one of our hostesses," Andrea said, taking a seat directly to Zack's left.

Zack wracked his brain, but couldn't remember who in green hell Lena was. Maybe the cute girl who had greeted him at the door?

"I prefer Cloud's company. He's spicy," Zack whispered the last bit in a loud whisper. This earned a loud scoff from Cloud. When Zack sneaked a peek at him, Cloud's was frowning thunderously at Zack. Zack imagined he was wishing fervently that Zack would shut up, Andrea being Cloud's boss and all. Zack, of course, had no intention of doing so.

"If you're interested, I could arrange for Cloud to be your host for the night," Andrea said in a voice as smooth as butter and deep as the sea.

Zack knew his mouth had dropped open at that invitation, but couldn't be bothered to correct it.

"Andrea, what? No!" Cloud protested, throwing his rag aside.

"Cloud, this is an excellent opportunity to practice your hosting abilities on a willing participant. I'd prefer you not be stuck as my bartender forever," Andrea responded to Cloud, casually leaning on the bar with one elbow.

Cloud grumbled something, but Zack couldn't make it out.

"What do you say, Mr. Fair? Would you be interested?" Andrea asked smoothly, leaning in and smiling at Zack.

"Hell fucking yes!" Zack exclaimed. He turned to Cloud excitedly. "Oh my god, Cloud! Be my host, holy shit!"

"God, I already hate this," Cloud grumbled, slumping back against the counter behind him.

"Mr. Fair, I'll take you to a room and then Cloud can come join you shortly once he's presentable," Andrea said, taking Zack carefully by the elbow and steering him out of the front room and through the grand gold double doors that led further into the Honeybee Inn and the small private rooms that were used to entertain clients.

"Presentable?" Zack asked as they circled through the main hallway. "Like, he's going to dress up?"

"Would you like him to dress up?" Andrea asked.

"I think if he gets much more sexy, I'll have a heart attack," Zack confided. Andrea smiled wide again, revealing the charming wrinkles at the corners of his dark eyes.

"I'll see what I can do to get you as close to that heart attack as I can without pushing you over," Andrea said as he opened the door to a small private room with a number of tables with plush red velvet booths, a few occupied but most empty. Zack nervously took a seat, scooting in until he was smack in the middle of the booth.

"I'll have Leah come check on you," Andrea said with a wink before turning away with a dramatic swirl of his long coat.

Zack didn't have to wait long before a tall girl with thick curly hair piled on top of her head sashayed up to his table. She was probably almost as tall as him without the heels. With them, he was sure she would easily dwarf him.

"What can I get you, hun?" she asked around a thick but charming accent.

Zack found himself immediately grinning at her. He had a type and that type was someone who could probably kick his ass if given half the chance. Those heels had his already muddled thoughts swirling. Mentally, he told himself to calm the fuck down. He came there on a mission and he meant to stick to it.

"Just a glass of water for now, I think," Zack said, aware that he was leaning forward in his seat but not sure how to sit back without bringing attention to it.

"Sure thing, sugar," the very tall pretty lady said before walking away with her serving tray tucked into one elbow.

She was back before Zack could really focus himself, putting down a tall glass of water filled with ice and already sweating profusely in the close atmosphere of the club. Zack chugged half the water in the first gulp. He was feeling more than a little drunk and would need the hydration if he was going to survive more drinking before the night was out.

The first glass was gone in short order, but Leah was an attendant waitress and was back soon. Zack ordered another water.

"Sure thing," she said again, before hesitating and turning back to him. "I hope that's not what you order once your host gets here," she added, giving him a searching look.

"It wasn't my intention, but uh," Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Is there a particular reason?"

Leah turned to give Zack her full attention, her full lips pulling up into a sly smile. "You know, our hosts and hostesses get a commission on how many drinks you order. They don't get paid much as a base, so that's how they make most of their money."

Zack's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! Oh, yeah that makes sense."

"I figured I hadn't seen you around much, so I might give you a head's up so you don't upset your lady friend," Leah said with a wink.

"I appreciate it!" Zack replied with a full watt grin, for which he received one from Leah in return before she walked off to check on her other tables with a sway of her hips.

Cloud appeared once Zack was halfway through the second glass of water, walking into the room with an expression that said he felt he didn't belong there. He spotted Zack quickly and made a beeline toward his table, keeping his head down and ignoring some curious looks from hosts at other tables. He slid into the booth, leaving a chaste two feet between himself and Zack.

"Hey," Zack breathed, "You look great!"

The changes weren't huge. The most noticeable thing was that he was in a different uniform. Gone was the mostly black and white waiter. Instead, he had a handsome black jacket webbed and trimmed in the Honeybee Inn's signature gold. His white shirt had no bowtie, the first few buttons open to show a tasteful flash of his neck and collarbone. His hair was a little different too. It didn't look like his hair had been angrily wrangled into a gelled slick, but instead artfully tousled back by someone who knew how to create a careful intentioned mess.

Looking even closer, Zack noticed his eyes shined even more than usual. "Are you wearing eyeshadow?" Zack asked slowly.

"Okay, you can shut up," Cloud said low and fast.

Zack held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, no judgement! Your eyes look pretty! I legitimately wasn't sure."

"Are you going to order something?" Cloud snapped, keeping his eyes trained on the table in front of him, where they had been pinned since he sat down.

"Sure. Why don't you pick whatever you want," Zack suggested. This got Cloud's head popping up, his expression suspicious as he regarded Zack. "My treat," Zack added, in case that wasn't clear.

"Are you stupid?" Cloud asked, frowning angrily. Not the response that Zack was expecting, but at least he was looking at him. "I could order the most expensive thing on the menu and wouldn't even be in the wrong."

Zack shrugged. "How expensive could it be?" he asked.

Cloud's thunderous expression at that told him immediately that he was wrong again. Reaching under the table, Cloud produced a menu on thick expensive looking card paper from some hidden alcove and handed it wordlessly to Zack. Zack skimmed quickly down the menu, his eyebrows rising wordlessly as he got further and further down the menu. As he skimmed down, the prices of some of the drinks were reaching truly astronomical prices. When he finally got to the bottom, he found the last listing of a champagne tower that cost three months of his pay.

"Uh," Zack hesitated. "Maybe just something sweet for both of us?" Zack asked, handing the menu back to Cloud.

Cloud's angry frown was gone. His expression was almost sympathetic, but it was hard to tell with him. Cloud dealt almost purely in angry faces. Everything else was just tiny microexpressions that took practice to parse.

Leah stopped by shortly afterward and Cloud ordered a fuzzy navel for both of them.

"So, uh," Zack started, searching for something to talk about, since it seemed like Cloud was more interested in staring down at the table again. "Is bartending like an initiation you have to go through before you become a host?"

"No," Cloud responded. "I'm not cut out to be a host, but Andrea is convinced I should be one. So, I work as a bartender as a compromise. I used to work in the back of the house."

"The back of the house," Zack prompted.

Cloud's frown got a little more pointed, but he turned to look at Zack through his eyelashes. "Like, cleaning, washing dishes, that sort of thing.

Zack nodded. That made sense with what he had seen so far. That was, until a few things started to click together in his head.

"Uh, how old are you, if you don't mind my asking?" Zack asked slowly.

"I'm eighteen," Cloud said quickly and firmly, turning to glare fully at Zack, which Zack took as a warning not to challenge him on that even though being just exactly of legal age to work at the Honeybee Inn was suspicious to say the least.

"And, how long have you been working here?" Zack asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Cloud responded, squinting at Zack like he was the suspicious one.

"No, yeah, you're right," Zack agreed quickly, feeling that he got as much of an answer as he was likely to get. He could piece the rest together for himself.

"Where are you from, by the way?" Zack asked, changing the subject as casually as he could manage. "You have a bit of an accent. Not that I'm judging! I know I have one too, even after living in the city for years."

"I'm from a small village pretty far north," Cloud answered blankly. So, a safe subject but not a very exciting one, judging from his reaction.

"Not much action there, I guess," Zack said, stretching a little and allowing himself to sink back into the thick red velvet bench seat. "I feel you there. Back in my village you were either a fisherman or a farmer, take your pick, you know?"

This teased a wry smile from Cloud and he seemed to relax a bit, turning and leaning one elbow on the table. "Yeah, in Nibelheim a lot of people hunted, a few farmed, and there was like a mechanic and a general store and stuff. But, yeah, not much to do and not much opportunity if your family didn't already have something going you could get in on."

"How did you end up at the Honeybee Inn?" Zack asked, hoping the question wouldn't put Cloud on guard again but unable to resist his curiosity. "You said you're not cut out to be a host, but it seems like you're pretty committed to staying here."

Cloud frowned down at Zack's hand where it rested relaxed on the table in front of him. He seemed to really be pondering the question, even though to Zack it seemed like there shouldn't be much to think about.

"Midgard wasn't what I thought it would be. The posters and newspaper make it sound so straight forward. Come to the city and achieve your dreams or whatever. But, I got here and it seemed like every door got slammed in my face."

Zack frowned, his empathy already kicking into overdrive. Cloud had to have been young when he first came to Midgard. What had he wanted to do, who did he want to be? Somehow, Zack felt guilty for not being there to help him, like he was somehow responsible for Cloud's experience with Midgard.

"I don't really want to get into it, but let's just say I didn't handle it well. I ended up in Wall Market, just kind of slinking around with no money and no idea what I should be doing. Andrea found me and offered me a place to stay and a steady job. Everything I am right now, I owe him, you know?" Cloud finished, looking up at Zack with a fire in his gaze that Zack usually only got to see when he had succeeded in well and truly pissing him off.

Leah chose that moment to return with their drinks, a small tumbler filled with liquor and sweet fruit juice topped with a cherry and a curl of orange peel like a festive twirl of ribbon. They tapped their glasses together and then promptly drank about half the glass in one go.

"What was it like for you, when you first came to Midgard?" Cloud asked. Zack flattered himself to think that Cloud already looked more relaxed, his shoulders loose and his face a kind of blank that looked more comfortable than forced.

"Well!" Zack started with a grin. "I can't say I had the troubles you had, but I definitely had problems."

Zack then launched into the story of his trip at fifteen from Gongaga to Midgard. It had been his first time ever leaving his village and he had traveled three towns over to get on a train (also his first time ever on a train) and had to make three changes in order to get all the way to Midgard. He regaled Cloud with stories of misread tickets, missed trains, some connecting trips on commuter trains full of workers singing obnoxious pop songs from twenty years ago, falling asleep on a bench in an underground garage, accidentally talking loudly to a cute girl on the silent compartment of a commuter train. He really was naive and it seemed like all he did was make faux paus after idiot mistake after honest accident. This story had been a hit with the other SOLDIER guys in the past and it didn't fail him then either, earning a lot of commiseration, empathetic winces and even some honest to gaia chuckles out of Cloud. The whole while they continued to drink, all cocktails, though Cloud would change up their order every couple drinks.

By the time that Zack was explaining how he had ended up lost in the parking garage while trying to make it to SOLDIER tryouts, he had realized that he was totally blasted. He could tell he was having problems keeping names and locations straight. He also had the feeling that he was probably the funniest person in the world, which usually only happened when he was completely plastered. Even so, Cloud seemed to be permanently smiling, the soft light haloing around his blonde hair and sparkling in his pale blue eyes.

"I think maybe you've had enough," Cloud said with a smirk as Zack tried and failed to remember his inspector's name, even though he was sure he had said what it was earlier in the story.

"You're probably right," Zack slurred. He felt hot, could feel sweat beading at his temples. He leaned back and pulled at the collar of his sweater.

"You know, you'd probably make a better host than me," Cloud said, casually sliding Zack's half empty glass away from him and toward the end of the table.

"Do you really think so?" Zack asked with interest, tipping his head toward Cloud. He regretted it as soon as he did it, the room seeming to tip with him and keep going.

"Definitely," Cloud said with a smile. "You've got great stories, you're fun and you'd be a heartthrob with a little cleaning up."

Zack looked down at himself, already forgetting how the room had swung around when he last moved his head. He had forgotten what he was wearing. Looking down he saw he was still wearing his uniform top, but had switched out his pants for black well fitting jeans and sneakers.

"This shirt makes my arms look great," Zack pouted at Cloud.

Cloud's smile grew sharp and he gave an obvious look at said arms. "You're not wrong," Cloud said, his scratchy voice deepening in a way that sent a thrill through Zack.

"You know," Zack said, dropping his own voice to just above a whisper and leaning toward Cloud, "I think you're probably the prettiest boy I've ever seen. Have I told you that?"

Cloud immediately flushed, a bright pink lighting up across his nose and cheeks. It was probably the first time that Zack had ever seen Cloud blush and it was incredibly charming.

"I think you've mentioned that, but never so," Cloud stumbled, turning away to stir his drink with the small red straw still stuck in it. Zack watched him do so until he felt he should help Cloud finish his sentence.

"Bluntly?" he suggested with a lopsided smile.

Cloud wrinkled his brow as he frowned at Zack, the flush already gone from his face. "Yeah, that," he agreed.

"It's true, though! And, if you were just pretty, I probably wouldn't have fallen for you, you know? Like, someone this pretty who's also nice and friendly, that's a trap, right?"

Cloud was still frowning at him, but now he looked more confused. Zack realized that he wasn't making much sense, that Cloud was probably not sure if he was complimenting him or insulting him.

"I mean," Zack scrubbed a hand through his hair, trying to order his thoughts better through the haze of alcohol. He was so fucking hot. Why did he have so much hair? He needed to cut his hair, he was so hot. "What I'm trying to say is, you're not just pretty, you're wicked sharp and you take your job seriously, even though a lot of other people probably wouldn't! Even though I'm SOLDIER, you never give me any slack, you keep me walking straight and call me on my bullshit. Like, I know I have a type, but it's like someone shoved a pair of pliers in my brain and just plucked you out of it, like wow!" Zack laughed.

He stopped pretty quickly when he saw that Cloud looked even more stuck than before. His brow was so furrowed that his eyes had to narrow and his mouth was open a little like he didn't know what to say to that. Eventually, Cloud knocked back the rest of his cold fruity drink and that seemed to brace him a little.

"You have a type, huh?" Cloud asked, watching Zack from the corner of his eye, sizing him up, which Zack found pretty silly because it wasn't like they hadn't seen each other a million times before. What did Cloud expect to see then that he hadn't before?

"Yep, uh huh," Zack agreed happily, still smiling big at Cloud.

"Care to explain exactly what that type is?" Cloud asked with an impatient tilt of his head.

"Generally, someone pretty who can and will kick my ass," Zack answered easily, nodding his head to agree with his own statement. Sure, he had only ever dated Aerith prior to then, but everyone he had ever had a crush on fit that description.

"You think I can kick your ass?" Cloud asked, again with the suspicious squint.

"Yeah. Don't you?" Zack asked, returning Cloud's squint with one of his own.

They stared at each other for a long while like that until Cloud finally broke the silence.

"Do you want me? To fight you?" he asked, letting his suspicion collapse into confusion again.

"Uh..." Zack trailed off, confused himself. He was way too drunk to navigate this conversation with any kind of grace. He felt like it was getting away from him, but couldn't figure out where and when it had happened. "No?" he finally responded with an upward lilt at the end like he wasn't sure. "I'd rather date you, but I guess if that's off the table, I'd take a few love taps."

"Are you serious about that? Dating me?" Cloud asked, frowning thunderously again.

What was Zack doing? Where had he gone wrong in this conversation? Regardless, he felt like he couldn't back out of it.

"Well, yeah. I mean, that's what I've been saying for months, right? I'm kind of completely fucked up over you," Zack said with his own confused frown still firmly in place.

There was that blush again. What were the chances of causing that twice in one night and so close together too? Zack's eyebrows climbed his forehead at the sight, but Cloud didn't seem to notice.

"You're SOLDIER. First Class, no less. You could date anyone," he said fiercely. Zack wondered if Cloud would end up fighting him before the night was out. He seemed angry enough at that moment. Zack wasn't a masochist, but getting stepped on by Cloud felt a little enticing. Just a little bit.

"I don't know about that," Zack frowned. He could easily name a boatload of people who'd probably rather jump from a three story building than go on a date with him, but it probably wasn't worth it to argue that point. "Besides, even if everyone in the world lost their mind and wanted to date me tomorrow, I would still only want to date you."

They were stuck frowning at one another again. Had Zack not been clear about wanting to date Cloud? He felt like he had been, but his head was still so muddled it was hard for him to be sure. He tried to think back to previous visits to the Honeybee Inn and previous pick up lines he had used on Cloud. He could remember complimenting him, telling him he was attractive, things like that. Cloud had to know he had been interested? Or, had he thought he was just messing with him? Zack was so confused.

Eventually, Cloud huffed and turned away from Zack to rustle in the little hidden compartment under the table where he had pulled out the menus. He came out with a felt tip pen which he uncapped. He held out his hand expectedly.

"Uh?" Zack said intelligently.

"Your hand," Cloud clarified, wiggling his fingers in a 'give me' gesture.

Zack obediently placed his right hand in Cloud's left and Cloud turned it over to bare his wrist. The tip of the pen tickled as Cloud quickly wrote something over it. When he let go and capped the pen, Zack pulled his hand back to see a number. A simple ten digit number inked on his arm.

"Holy shit," Zack breathed.

"You can't tell anyone," Cloud said fiercely. "If Andrea finds out, I could get in big trouble. Hosts aren't supposed to meet with clients outside the club. I could get fired," he whispered.

Not that Zack could really feel it. He was still staring at the numbers on his arm, trying to imprint them in his memory, on his fucking soul.

"I think I'm gonna cry," Zack said in a hoarse voice.

"What the fuck," Cloud deadpanned.

"Are you for real?" Zack asked, finally looking up at Cloud with naked desperation.

Cloud glanced away again, fiddled with the pen still in his hands. "Are you for real?" he asked in a much lower voice.

"About dating you?" Zack asked. "Hell yes. Are you kidding me? I don't think I've ever been more for real about anything! I am the for realest!"

"Okay, okay! Keep it down!" Cloud hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sorry. Fuck, sorry," Zack whispered, rubbing a rough hand over his face, realizing he had gotten pretty loud for a second. He felt a little out of control and wasn't sure what to do about it.

"I'm not promising anything," Cloud said firmly. "Just a date. Nothing more."

"Yeah, yes! Of course!" Zack agreed significantly more quietly, if with as much vigor.

"If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. And, if you're an asshole, I will kick your ass," Cloud added.

"Absolutely, I am completely on board with all of that," Zack agreed again.

Cloud held eye contact for a long moment afterward and Zack held his end of it, even if he did sway a little to the left and right.

"Okay," Cloud sighed, seeming to find what he was looking for in Zack's expression.

"Okay," Zack echoed back happily.

Cloud signalled down Leah again, but instead of ordering more drinks he asked her if they had any rooms available.

"Oh?" she responded with a lascivious smile and a raised eyebrow.

" Just a room," Cloud responded sulkily.

"Oh," Leah said, turning her disappointed look on Zack. "Well, yeah, I suppose he could probably use one. I'll go check."

"A room?" Zack asked blearily. He was starting to get really tired as the adrenaline of finally landing a date with the perpetually unavailable bartender of his dreams finally started to wear off.

"Dude, you're smashed. There's no way you're making it back to Shinra tower," Cloud said blankly.

Zack pouted at him, but it seemed to have no effect.

Leah came back in short order.

"We sure do, hon," she smiled at Cloud and then at Zack. "Mr. Fair, why don't I help you to a room. We couldn't let such a good customer get lost on his way home! We'll keep you nice and cozy and safe here tonight," Leah sang, firmly taking Zack by the upper arm and guiding him stumbling and swaying out of the booth.

"Cloud," Zack said as he was led out of the room. Cloud had just gotten out of the booth himself and had paused by the table. "Thanks a lot! I had a great time!"

Cloud frowned that small doubtful frown again, but it cleared off his face so quickly that Zack almost thought he had imagined it. With a small wave, Cloud acknowledged Zack before turning and disappearing through another door.

The next morning when Zack awoke, he was tempted to consider the whole of the previous night a dream. He would have if not for the fact that he had woken up in a small back room of the Honeybee Inn and still had the slightly smudged numbers written on his arm. That number was both terrifying and exhilarating. Zack wasn't sure if he could measure up to whatever expectations Cloud had, but he had never backed down from a challenge before and he wasn't about to start then.

#ff7 #clack #cloud/zack #fanfiction #andrea rhodea #host clubs #alcohol #kittywrites

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