Through Life

Zack followed Barret from the destroyed reactor. The AVALANCHE leader demanded they all split up and meet back at headquarters- Zack followed Cloud anyway.



Cloud saw her first. He bent to help the brown-haired girl to her feet, offering a hand to grip and an arm to lean on. She looked at him with bright greed eyes, pink lips parting to speak. She saw Zack, hoping lighting up her face. He clasped his hands beneath his chin pleadingly. She slowly blinked once and smiled at Cloud.



"What happened?" she asked in a soft voice.



"Listen, you have to watch out." Cloud told her. Her voice was so familiar... why?



"Would you buy a flower? They're only one gil."



Zack dug into his pockets and produced five gil ,which he handed to Cloud to give to the girl. She pulled five flowers from her basket and handed them to the blond with a content smile.



"Thank you."



Cloud said "You're welcome" and continued walking. Zack, not once meeting the girl's gaze, followed.



"Midgar full of flowers, wallet full of money." she whispered.



"You never fixed the cart."



"I was waiting for you."



Zack chased Cloud. "I have to go."



She watched him go. "It was nice to see you again...Zack."



Cloud stopped and Zack ran past him. The ex- SOLDIER realized his mistake and turned back to Cloud. His eyes widened drastically.



"Stop there."



The blond turned to see soldiers running towards them, swords raised high. Zack mock sighed and took his own in hand. He ran to meet them, leaving Cloud behind. He finished the two quickly, but not quickly enough.



"Zack."



More were coming from the other street. "That's as far as you go."



Zack and Cloud backed up. "Really? Darn." Zack chuckled.



"He's right."



The new voice came from behind them. He turned and cursed, meeting the barrels of a dozen soldiers.



"I really don't wanna make a scene." Zack lamented. "So we'll see you guys later."



Zack grabbed Cloud and leaped from the bride onto the train running beneath it. Zack climbed onto the side, hair whipping around his face. He threw the side door open and jumped in after Cloud. He closed the door to see the other members of AVALANCHE staring at them.



"We're here." Zack bowed.



Barret growled at them. "This is docking your pay."



Zack grimaced. "Jeez. Sorry."



Jessie smiled brightly as Barret calmed down. "You guys worried me."



Zack liked her tone much better than Barret's and turned to talk to her instead. "You didn't think we would leave without our pay, did you?"



Cloud secretly pinched Zack. The ex-SOLDIER bit back a yelp of surprise and forced himself to not turn around and demand to know what the blond was thinking, pinching a man like that. He kept a light smile on his face as Jessie spoke.



"Alright. Let's go." Wedge said as the train stopped.



Zack was grinning as he walked off the train. Cloud walked in front of him, oblivious to Zack's intentions. So once the others were out of sight in the slums, he didn't expect Zack to grab him. One armwent around his waist, the other hand covered his mouth.



"Za-mph!"



"Shhh. Don't wanna alarm them, do you?" Zack teased.



"What are you doing?"



"Um... jumping you?"



"Why?"



Cloud turned his head to try and look at Zack. The older man held him firmly in place.



"You look good with flowers."



The blond blushed. "Zack..."



Zack whispered. "It felt good, getting back at them. Really did something for me."



Cloud felt Zack press against him, sliding suggestively. The ex-cadet chuckled nervously.



"Zack, we're outside."



"So we are. We're alone, too."



Cloud stated calmly despite his racing heart. "Zack, wait ten minutes until we're inside. Please?"



Zack faked a loud sigh. "I'll help you with that fun side someday."



"Not today."



"Deal!"



Zack released Cloud and ran for headquarters. As Cloud ran after him, he remembered where he had heard that flower girl's voice.



He had been at Zack's apartment alone when the phone rang. He answered it, and a girl had asked for Zack. When Cloud told her Zack was out, she had him take a message to please meet her in the church because she wanted to ask him about something. Cloud promise to relay the message and she said goodbye. They both hung up, when Zack went home Cloud told him the message,and that was the end of it.



It was the same girl. Cloud was certain.



Said flower girl knelt in the sector six church. She clasped her hands beneath her chin, closing her eyes and parting her lips. She breathed in the smell of the flowers, deep in thought.



Her Zack was alive. But that blond... was that who Zack told her was his lover? The same kid who had answered the phone- Zack's phone- five years ago? It may have been six years since she and Zack had dated, but she still held him in her heart.



Maybe she could find him again.



-T.B.C.-

If you didn't play Crisis Core, you didn't understand the conversation between Zack and the flower girl. "Midgar full of flowers, wallet full of money" was what Zack said to her when he suggested selling flowers. He built a cart for her to keep the flowers in, but it broke. I'm pretty certain a wheel fell off, if I remember correctly, that is.

Review, please! Hope you're all liking it so far!