![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
cloudthestrife.livejournal.com2011-06-30 02:22 pm
Entry tags:
cloudthestrife.livejournal.com2011-06-30 02:22 pmzackthehero.livejournal.com2011-06-22 05:07 pmEntry tags:
(no subject)
[ the day zack had been waiting for for quite some time had finally arrived. he'd been busy since the crack of dawn, hoping he'd get everything out of the way (work-related and otherwise) so that everything can be properly prepared for the evening. truth be told, there wasn't anything especially thrilling that he had decided to do for him, respecting cloud's wishes for him to not go overboard. the decorations and pizza and birthday cake was minimum enough for his friend, right? he hoped so, anyway, especially since he was turning sixteen. that was a big marker for the boy, and zack wanted to make it as special as possible.
the only problem was his lack of ideas on what kind of gift to give him. usually he was pretty good with presents, but he wanted to do something a little different this time. so he went to aerith in the morning in hopes of her having an idea, tilting his head a little in confusion when she handed him one of her flowers.
i dunno 'bout you, but i don't think a guy would be too happy getting a flower for his birthday. she had shaken her head at him, reminding him that his friend would undoubtedly cherish anything he gave him.
but it won't last. a smile blossomed on his girlfriend's face, nodding before softly saying: mm. but the memory will.
he twirled the flower between his fingers in thought on his trek back towards shinra's apartment complex, quirking his lips upward a tad when he decided it was perfect. cloud swayed more towards the simple things, didn't he? sure, zack liked going overboard with everything whenever possible, but maybe he'd appreciate the innocence of his gift more than something that was glamorous but had no real meaning behind it. for some reason he felt like this was special, holding onto that feeling for as long as he could.
so with a nod and quiet alright underneath his breath, he started to get to work, glancing at the clock every now and then to make sure everything would be in place for when cloud arrived.
the streamers were a mixture of blue and white, sternly promising himself that he wouldn't throw in any pink in there for a joke. (or maybe aerith's light teasing over the new year's party got to him, finding it increasingly more appealing when she had looked thoroughly amused when telling her all about it. really, she was more of an instigator than he had once thought...) he had cloud's magenta mug on the table regardless, the one he had been given from the boy months prior, only to have the little brat start using it for himself despite wanting to get back at zack for something they had been "fighting" over. there were soda bottles and two boxed of pizza laid out, as well as a cake that he designed all by himself (he was pretty proud of it, really). other than balloons and some party poppers to surprise him with, that was the extent of what he had done.
grins at the display in satisfaction, taking one last look at the clock before deciding that it's finally time to stand by the door, poppers in hand while he impatiently waits for his friend to come through his door. ]
the only problem was his lack of ideas on what kind of gift to give him. usually he was pretty good with presents, but he wanted to do something a little different this time. so he went to aerith in the morning in hopes of her having an idea, tilting his head a little in confusion when she handed him one of her flowers.
i dunno 'bout you, but i don't think a guy would be too happy getting a flower for his birthday. she had shaken her head at him, reminding him that his friend would undoubtedly cherish anything he gave him.
but it won't last. a smile blossomed on his girlfriend's face, nodding before softly saying: mm. but the memory will.
he twirled the flower between his fingers in thought on his trek back towards shinra's apartment complex, quirking his lips upward a tad when he decided it was perfect. cloud swayed more towards the simple things, didn't he? sure, zack liked going overboard with everything whenever possible, but maybe he'd appreciate the innocence of his gift more than something that was glamorous but had no real meaning behind it. for some reason he felt like this was special, holding onto that feeling for as long as he could.
so with a nod and quiet alright underneath his breath, he started to get to work, glancing at the clock every now and then to make sure everything would be in place for when cloud arrived.
the streamers were a mixture of blue and white, sternly promising himself that he wouldn't throw in any pink in there for a joke. (or maybe aerith's light teasing over the new year's party got to him, finding it increasingly more appealing when she had looked thoroughly amused when telling her all about it. really, she was more of an instigator than he had once thought...) he had cloud's magenta mug on the table regardless, the one he had been given from the boy months prior, only to have the little brat start using it for himself despite wanting to get back at zack for something they had been "fighting" over. there were soda bottles and two boxed of pizza laid out, as well as a cake that he designed all by himself (he was pretty proud of it, really). other than balloons and some party poppers to surprise him with, that was the extent of what he had done.
grins at the display in satisfaction, taking one last look at the clock before deciding that it's finally time to stand by the door, poppers in hand while he impatiently waits for his friend to come through his door. ]
cloudthecadet.livejournal.com2011-06-06 10:32 pmEntry tags:
(no subject)
[ he didn't want to go. he really, really didn't want to go. in fact, this was probably the first time ever where he'd genuinely felt like he didn't want to go see zack.
after circling the playground near zack's apartment for the fourth time, he sits on the end of a see-saw and buries his face into his hands in misery.
jerk. that stupid jerk. why can't this just be another prank like the last time?
he lets out an annoyed sigh when he feels his face flush at the memory. the last time that he'd been forced into women's clothing had been some number of months ago, also because of zack. only a month into their friendship, zack couldn't have known of cloud's aversion to any implications at how pretty he is. but now, after knowing each other for almost a year? there's no excuse. absolutely none. zack knew him better than anyone (save, perhaps, his mother, but that was his mother. who could know someone better than their own mother?), and he still wanted cloud to--
spotting a stone near him, cloud kicks out in sheer frustration and embarrassment, sending the rock (the poor, guiltless rock) flying.
and of course zack hadn't seen it from cloud's point of view. perhaps he couldn't see it; zack was tall and broad and everything that cloud wasn't, after all.
(that wasn't fair, he tells himself tiredly. much of their physical builds were dependent almost entirely on genetics, and no one had any control over that. not even the great sephiroth. they were made as nature deemed them to be made.
... it's for that very reason that cloud hated nature sometimes. so much.)
he can't even bail on zack either, not with how the other had begged and pleaded. if there's one thing that cloud had found himself unable to deny, it was zack's puppy eyes. and zack had seemed honestly distressed by the idea of going without a date (even if cloud couldn't understand why. it's not like anyone would look down on him or anything), saying how this was only possible with someone he trusted, and how if he asked a girl out (like he was supposed to for these kinds of things), he'd just be leading them on and zack couldn't do that.
taking a deep breath, and giving his cheeks a few encouraging slaps, he gets to his feet and treks the rest of the way to zack's building. he doesn't give himself another moment to think or pause, knowing (knowing) that he would just stop to curse the world and zack some more. then he'd be so late that he would have sabotaged zack's night or something, and that wouldn't do at all. even if the friend that he was going to go help was shoving him in another dress.
when he looks up, he's standing in front of zack's door. lifting a hand and schooling his expression (so that the most he'll be doing is glare, rather than looking so embarrassed that he's about to combust), he jabs his finger at the doorbell, and waits. ]
after circling the playground near zack's apartment for the fourth time, he sits on the end of a see-saw and buries his face into his hands in misery.
jerk. that stupid jerk. why can't this just be another prank like the last time?
he lets out an annoyed sigh when he feels his face flush at the memory. the last time that he'd been forced into women's clothing had been some number of months ago, also because of zack. only a month into their friendship, zack couldn't have known of cloud's aversion to any implications at how pretty he is. but now, after knowing each other for almost a year? there's no excuse. absolutely none. zack knew him better than anyone (save, perhaps, his mother, but that was his mother. who could know someone better than their own mother?), and he still wanted cloud to--
spotting a stone near him, cloud kicks out in sheer frustration and embarrassment, sending the rock (the poor, guiltless rock) flying.
and of course zack hadn't seen it from cloud's point of view. perhaps he couldn't see it; zack was tall and broad and everything that cloud wasn't, after all.
(that wasn't fair, he tells himself tiredly. much of their physical builds were dependent almost entirely on genetics, and no one had any control over that. not even the great sephiroth. they were made as nature deemed them to be made.
... it's for that very reason that cloud hated nature sometimes. so much.)
he can't even bail on zack either, not with how the other had begged and pleaded. if there's one thing that cloud had found himself unable to deny, it was zack's puppy eyes. and zack had seemed honestly distressed by the idea of going without a date (even if cloud couldn't understand why. it's not like anyone would look down on him or anything), saying how this was only possible with someone he trusted, and how if he asked a girl out (like he was supposed to for these kinds of things), he'd just be leading them on and zack couldn't do that.
taking a deep breath, and giving his cheeks a few encouraging slaps, he gets to his feet and treks the rest of the way to zack's building. he doesn't give himself another moment to think or pause, knowing (knowing) that he would just stop to curse the world and zack some more. then he'd be so late that he would have sabotaged zack's night or something, and that wouldn't do at all. even if the friend that he was going to go help was shoving him in another dress.
when he looks up, he's standing in front of zack's door. lifting a hand and schooling his expression (so that the most he'll be doing is glare, rather than looking so embarrassed that he's about to combust), he jabs his finger at the doorbell, and waits. ]
zackthehero.livejournal.com2011-05-25 08:07 pmEntry tags:
(no subject)
[ 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!
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!
zackthehero.livejournal.com2011-05-09 10:03 pmEntry tags:
(no subject)
[ the months they were on the run seemed to have passed them by in no time, or so zack thought as they continued to move forward towards their newest (and hopefully last, at least for a while) destination.
lucky for him he was smart (or so he claimed) and carefully calculated which paths shinra would take, where they would first look; working with them for so long, zack was already well acquainted in knowing their tactics and the things they would take into careful consideration when searching for their ex-employees. in hindsight, he was pretty lucky to know where to go to avoid shinra without any hitches to his plans, especially when his main concern settled on his blond companion who had yet to properly respond to anything he did or said; that was the only "hard part" of this whole ordeal. not that cloud was a burden to him or slowed him down, but he had never had to care for another person because they couldn't function or think for themselves. which was fine by him, he decided to just wing it and go with the flow, much like everything else he did in life. it just took a while to get used to, but things started to become rather routine and natural after doing it every single day.
heh. guess this's what it's like having a kid-- a thought that crossed his mind one day many months back as he changed cloud into a (somewhat still damp) pair of clothes. he had taken it upon himself to quickly drench and scrub at them when they looked a little too gross, even for his tastes, quietly amused at himself before ruffling blond hair and scooping his friend up to move onward.
still, he didn't mind in the least, especially when things started to get more peaceful and nobody around them even took a passing glance when they arrived at more populated areas. they had finally moved far enough for him to feel relatively comfortable in settling anywhere, a feeling he had not experienced in-- how many months had it been? two? six? nine? zack really didn't know, didn't think it was terribly important or worth too much speculation. as far as he was concerned, they had all the time in the world to adjust themselves back into civilian life.
speaking of civilians: if his eyes weren't deceiving him, then he would have to say that they would soon be arriving to another town. a rather quaint, nice-looking one, but the man they hitched a ride from only mentioned going north-east to some area zack had never heard of before. there was a brief mention of chocobos and grassy lands, but other than that... ]
Guess we're gonna be in for a surprise!
[ --is what he said to his friend at his side, patting his shoulder before relaxing back to continue his conversation with the old man.
two hours came and went quicker than he expected, craning his neck to get a good look at their new "home" before the truck came to a complete stop. stepping out of the truck and adjusting the bag he had acquired throughout their journey on his shoulder, zack then reached out to pick up and hold his friend with ease, adjusting him a bit before giving a brief thanks and a promise to come visit the old man at the chocobo farm later. with the man's directions fresh in his mind, he swiftly located the town's hotel and bought them a room for the night. it was almost a foreign concept to zack, who soon realized that sitting on a bed felt really good and was a luxury compared to sleeping outdoors.
but first he made sure cloud was settled, placing him on and up against the headboard of one of the beds with practiced skill only he was capable of. with a grin he pushed on the comforter with his hands, looking his friend in the eye as he gave a quick comfy, ain't it? before pushing himself away to check the rest of the room out. ]
lucky for him he was smart (or so he claimed) and carefully calculated which paths shinra would take, where they would first look; working with them for so long, zack was already well acquainted in knowing their tactics and the things they would take into careful consideration when searching for their ex-employees. in hindsight, he was pretty lucky to know where to go to avoid shinra without any hitches to his plans, especially when his main concern settled on his blond companion who had yet to properly respond to anything he did or said; that was the only "hard part" of this whole ordeal. not that cloud was a burden to him or slowed him down, but he had never had to care for another person because they couldn't function or think for themselves. which was fine by him, he decided to just wing it and go with the flow, much like everything else he did in life. it just took a while to get used to, but things started to become rather routine and natural after doing it every single day.
heh. guess this's what it's like having a kid-- a thought that crossed his mind one day many months back as he changed cloud into a (somewhat still damp) pair of clothes. he had taken it upon himself to quickly drench and scrub at them when they looked a little too gross, even for his tastes, quietly amused at himself before ruffling blond hair and scooping his friend up to move onward.
still, he didn't mind in the least, especially when things started to get more peaceful and nobody around them even took a passing glance when they arrived at more populated areas. they had finally moved far enough for him to feel relatively comfortable in settling anywhere, a feeling he had not experienced in-- how many months had it been? two? six? nine? zack really didn't know, didn't think it was terribly important or worth too much speculation. as far as he was concerned, they had all the time in the world to adjust themselves back into civilian life.
speaking of civilians: if his eyes weren't deceiving him, then he would have to say that they would soon be arriving to another town. a rather quaint, nice-looking one, but the man they hitched a ride from only mentioned going north-east to some area zack had never heard of before. there was a brief mention of chocobos and grassy lands, but other than that... ]
Guess we're gonna be in for a surprise!
[ --is what he said to his friend at his side, patting his shoulder before relaxing back to continue his conversation with the old man.
two hours came and went quicker than he expected, craning his neck to get a good look at their new "home" before the truck came to a complete stop. stepping out of the truck and adjusting the bag he had acquired throughout their journey on his shoulder, zack then reached out to pick up and hold his friend with ease, adjusting him a bit before giving a brief thanks and a promise to come visit the old man at the chocobo farm later. with the man's directions fresh in his mind, he swiftly located the town's hotel and bought them a room for the night. it was almost a foreign concept to zack, who soon realized that sitting on a bed felt really good and was a luxury compared to sleeping outdoors.
but first he made sure cloud was settled, placing him on and up against the headboard of one of the beds with practiced skill only he was capable of. with a grin he pushed on the comforter with his hands, looking his friend in the eye as he gave a quick comfy, ain't it? before pushing himself away to check the rest of the room out. ]