(no subject)

[zackthehero.livejournal.com]

[ alright, he had to admit, that last prank was a bit much. borrowing a dress from aerith to shove his blond-haired friend into before locking him out of his room didn't exactly score him any manly points, finding it hilarious until he overheard some not-so pleasant comments in passing. sure, he had cleared them up to the best of his ability, easily able to sway his fellow SOLDIER comrades as most of them knew what was going on to begin with. (their prank weeks started to become a little famous in zack's social corner, especially when nobody would let him live it down when a mere cadet like cloud outdid him.) unfortunately, the other gossipers were of much lower rank; while he received many apologies and "yes, sir!"s to last him a lifetime, something in the back of his mind told him that it wouldn't end with just a simple demand.

still, it didn't change the fact that he knew he went too far when his friend gave that kicked puppy look and avoided him for a day. a day wasn't that long, but it was long enough for zack to know that he did something wrong.

so, he decided to take him out. do something nice, trying for what seemed like hours to coax the boy from his sulking to join him for some fun. after some damage control and light begging (he didn't mind, especially when he over exaggerated the act in front the people he knew gave cloud a tough time every now and then; he wasn't stupid, after all, fully aware that his friend wasn't exactly treated with the respect zack thought he deserved) he had finally broken through that barrier, gesturing for the other to come along before slinging his arm around his neck to begin their journey out of shinra territory and onto more relaxed grounds.

and what did he do on the way there? talk, of course. tells him stories of missions he's been on, answering any questions cloud would eventually inquire about. that's the same pattern they had for a while until arriving at their destination, having chosen (and quickly suggested, though knew in the back of his mind that cloud would agree anyway) a frequently visited japanese restaurant. the place is casual, somewhat small. a little homey. places like these stirred a peculiar urge in him to change out of his uniform for once to preserve some level of anonymity.

(people either liked, hated, or feared SOLDIERs, zack came to find out firsthand after going out on his own. hell, even aerith herself told him that she found them scary. of course, it wasn't like everyone he encountered recognized who (what) exactly he was, even in uniform, but the sentiment still held true. after some private debating, zack came to the conclusion that he could understand these feelings to an extent.

sadly, it was a double-edged sword. this whole SOLDIER thing, that is. being the best was great and all, but after maturing and gaining a lot of experience in his preferred field of expertise, his eyes were open more to what exactly it meant being a first class SOLDIER; it meant fame and fortune, but also some loneliness and misfortune. a younger him didn't realize this, or perhaps wasn't even consciously acknowledging it, but after all he had been through... yeah. yeah, he now understood why angeal always said the things that he did. this is why a part of him subconsciously wanted to disperse the whole rank-thing as much as possible. especially when out with cloud, enjoying (cherishing) the fact that he could actually connect with someone outside of combat and skill.

it was a comfortable friendship. it was something he held dear. maybe someday he'd be able to express it properly, to form these thoughts into words that the other would be able to properly understand.)

grins and gestures a short greeting to a few people that recognize him (friends, friends of friends, other such acquaintances), moving past the tables and booths to plop down onto one of the chairs at the bar. opens the menu laying out in front of him, humming a bit as he turns the pages. after a moment of silence: ]

Maybe we should just get everything. I'm starving!