First Class

A.N: Now that all the angst is safely out of the way, I feel I can write much more easily. Last chapter felt a tad bit rushed, mainly due to the fact that I’m not an avid fan of writing angst. Please forgive my hasty descriptions. It was a bit jumpy, to say the least. And Zack… *puts head in hands and groans* Let’s just flow with those one-liners of his. lol

Thank you to all those who reviewed!

Now, without further ado, I give you all the reason you started reading this chapter in the first place… romance, lust, and that crazy little thing called love!

There are times I ran to hide,
Afraid to show the other side;
Alone in the night without you.
But now I know just who you are,
And I know you hold my heart;
Finally, this is where I belong.
It is you I have loved all along

(“It is You” by Dana Glover)

Chapter Three
You Belong to Me

Zack knew he was screwed the moment those big blue eyes caught his gaze. Lowering the Buster Sword, he offered the trembling blonde a hangdog grin. “Heya, Cloudy.”

Cloud gazed in awe at him before his lips quivered and he leaned forward. “Is that really you, Zack?” He leaned forward, curled up on his side, face tilted up toward the ex-SOLDIER in expectance.

‘Maybe I can pretend I’m some sort of ghost,’ the dark-haired man thought before mentally slapping himself. This wasn’t a game; he needed to stop treating everything like a joke. Cloud needed to know the truth.

Zack nodded, slowly.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to be around his best friend; to be with him. If the surge of protectiveness in his SOLDIER veins and the bulge in his equally SOLDIER pants were anything to go by, it was the exact opposite; he wanted it too much. He just hadn’t wanted to burden his overly sensitive soul mate with his not-quite dead presence. The kid’s mind was too fragmented for that.

Looking back on that particular plan, Zack realized his error. Hadn’t Cloud’s mind become fragmented BECAUSE of Zack’s death? Allowing his best friend to continue believing he was floating somewhere in the Life Stream hadn’t exactly helped anything.

Zack groaned inwardly. His logic never made any sense, not even in his own mind; which was just sad. Zack was a creature of all action and little planning; “suffering” from a one-tracked mind, a short attention span, and a sickeningly optimistic attitude - a little wonder why he never got promoted to general during his stay in the ShinRa army.

Cloud let out a small noise and the dark haired man snapped back to attention. ‘Focus,’ he scolded himself. Fucking ADHD.

Their eyes caught each other, there was a long pause, and then, “Er… long time, no see?”

Cloud glared at the ex-SOLDIER, outwardly bristling. His innocent eyes were narrowed into dangerous blue slits and his kissable lips pulled back to show surprisingly lethal-looking teeth. Was the blonde actually snarling at him?

‘He looks like a kitten,’ Zack thought, resisting the urge to pick up the petite man and smother him with kisses. Despite his early reluctance at being spotted, Zack wanted to fall down onto his knees and thank whatever deity it was that allowed him this one more chance at loving Cloud. He needed to pull the man into his arms and never let him go.

Zack sighed. He doubted the ex-Cadet would appreciate getting molested by a guy he obviously wanted to beat the shit out of.

It was too bad, really. He could picture going over to Cloud and ripping those silly excuses for pants off and-

“I’m obviously hallucinating now so don’t mind me. I’m just going crazy,” Cloud muttered, struggling to stand up.

‘Maybe Angeal was right. I really need to work on paying attention,’ Zack thought, irritably.

“Well, let me know when you’re done so we can crash, bab- I mean Cloud. I’m as tired as all hell. Chasing you around town is tough work.”

The murderous expression had melted off of his soul mate’s face almost as quickly as it had appeared and was replaced by a look of shock. Zack fought back a grin and moved to help Cloud stand up. ‘And they say MY moods are weird.’

“Please tell me you’re real.”

“I try to be.”

Hands trembling, the smaller man reached out to touch the ex-SOLDIER’s face. Zack nuzzled his hand, brushing his lips gently against Cloud’s palm. The sweet action caused the blonde’s eyes to well with tears. He sobbed and threw his arms around the dark-haired man’s neck.

Zack felt dampness soak through his shirt and his heart nearly broke. The sniffle undid him, and after threading his long fingers through his soul mate’s hair, he pulled him closer. Nonsensical words escaped from his throat and he cooed them to Cloud, shamelessly. The thrum of the blonde’s heart increased in tempo, concerning Zack.

“I watched you die,” Cloud whispered, his hands moving restlessly over the ex-SOLDIER’s body. He nuzzled Zack’s collarbone with his nose, the tears falling harder. Broken sobs escaped from his throat.

Restive fingers slid up Zack’s arms, ghosting across his biceps and around to map the broad expansion of his back. They slid up into his hair, caressing the ebony strands before moving forward to his explore his face.

Cloud pulled back a little from his chest to stare intently into his eyes. A single digit traced the outline of his scar, memorizing it through touch. Cloud’s eyes were red rimmed, still streaming tears, but he had stopped crying.

For the moment.

Blue eyes locked onto mako-enhanced blue-green ones and stayed that way for several long moments. Zack could read the confusion in Cloud’s gaze and see the hurt in their beautiful depths. What mattered more was that he could feel his soul mate’s relief at seeing him again. Cloud made him feel wanted and nine-kinds-of-stupid all at the same time. He wasn’t sure if he liked that combination or not.

“How did… how did you survive?” the blonde asked, suddenly bashful.

Zack paused. That very same question had been niggling at him for the past couple of days, as well. ‘How DID I survive,’ he wondered.

Scratching the back of his head, he frowned. If it were anyone else in Zack’s place, he was almost certain that they would have joined the Life Stream by now. So, then why did he live? Was there a sole purpose? Was it destined? Did he even want to know?

Shrugging, Zack sighed. “I don’t have a clue. It was like one minute I was floating in the dark and the next… BAM! I saw you walking away. It all just came rushing back to me, ya know?”

Cupping a hand to the blonde’s cheek, he watched Cloud’s face shift through a variety of expressions before settling on one that looked down-right pissed. Oh shit. Had he said something wrong? Was he not supposed to touch Cloud when he was like this?

The smaller man narrowed his eyes dangerously before rearing back his hand and punching Zack in the face. Hard. The ex-SOLDIER was almost positive he heard his bones creak.

Grabbing his cheek, he narrowly avoided Cloud’s next right hook.

“Aah! Shit, Cloud! What the hell was that for?” Rubbing a hand against his sore face, Zack was torn between turning the bitchy little shit over his knee or taking the punishment as was his due; not like he knew why it was his due, though.

They scowled darkly at each other and in the next moment, all hell broke loose.

Cloud launched himself at Zack, flailing at the ex-SOLDIER in a flurry of fists, teeth, and surprisingly sharp nails. His small hand caught in the Zack’s hair and he yanked with all of his strength. A knee managed to find itself a cozy niche in the man’s abdomen.

“Oomph!”

The moment Zack felt teeth in his neck, survival mode kicked in. He roared and flipped Cloud onto his back, straddling him. “Cloud! Where’s all of this coming from? You need to stop hitting me for a second and just calm down!” Zack snarled, pinning his best friend’s hand over his head. What was Cloud’s problem? If he had such an issue with being touched, he shouldn’t have plastered himself all over Zack!

“I couldn’t have said it better myself. You DO have only a half of a mind, you…puppy!” Cloud taunted him back, shooting daggers with his eyes.

‘Oh, so he wants to play dirty, does he? Well two can play this game,’ Zack thought, his adrenaline surging. No one called him a puppy!

“Suck my balls, you whiny little Chocobo!” Okay, maybe not the most intellectual comeback, but it would do in a fight or flight situation.

“Grow a pair and maybe I will, Neanderthal!”

“I’m too busy trying to get my last pair out of your mama, girly-boy.”

Cloud growled and thrust his hips upward, in a pathetic and unwise attempt to get Zack off. Pathetic, mainly because the ex-SOLDIER outweighed the blonde ex-cadet by a good twenty-five pounds; unwise because the motion brought both of their groins into contact. Cloud’s pants still gaped open from when the 8o’s men from early had tried their hands at foul play.

Each man was sporting a hard-on, albeit for slightly different reasons.

Zack suppressed a groan as at the stimulation, letting his head fall next to Cloud’s face. Black strands of hair fell around them, shielding the two from the rest of the world. Hearing the younger man inhale sharply, the ex-SOLDIER tilted his face toward the vulnerable ear and smiled. “Hello to you, too”

He heard Cloud stifle a soft laugh and just like that, the tension ebbed. Relaxing under Zack’s reassuring weight, Cloud looked up at him through a heavy-lidded gaze. “You’ve been alive this entire time,” he stated softly. “Right under my nose. You were so close we could have brushed by each other. Was that you on the train?”

Deciding Cloud was sane again, Zack released his wrists. He wisely opted not to answer that question, not wishing for another pointless fight. Their gazes met and he saw the hurt in the blonde’s eyes before it was squashed down.

“Tell me, Zack. Was this friendship a… burden for you?” Cloud asked, trying to hide the disappointment on his face. Hurt radiated off his thin form, broadcasting loud and clear. Even if Zack hadn’t had his mako enhancements he could have still felt it.

The ex-SOLDIER wanted to kick his own ass. “Don’t ever say that!” Zack admonished. His voice was thick with barely concealed emotion. Sitting back on his heels, he let the blonde sit up; still keeping a protective hand on the man’s waist. He was unwilling to relinquish the contact. The dark-haired man allowed himself to think that Cloud needed the touch, too.

“I… No, enough excuses out of me. You deserved better than that, Cloud. I shouldn’t have left you alone to fall apart like that,” he said. Guilt reared its ugly head, clawing at his gut. He was such a jerk. There was no way he deserved Cloud’s forgiveness. It was the result of his thoughtless actions that caused his soul mate such misery. He was the worst kind of man. He deserved-

A light touch on his arm drew Zack from his uncharacteristic musings. Cloud caressed his arm lightly, his lips parting. Blue eyes lit up with awe and all traces of hurt anger left their depths.

Damn, Cloud’s moods changed fast.

“You’re alive. Zack… You came back to me.” Cloud’s voice broke. “You came back to me.”

Trembling arms drew the ex-SOLDIER down, clutching at him with desperation. Zack felt all of his apprehension flow out of him and he let himself sink into Cloud’s embrace.

‘I am alive, aren’t I?’ Zack thought in slight astonishment. He hadn’t died despite all the odds against him. This second chance at life had to be a sign. ‘You can’t get rid of me that easily, world… not when I’ve got something to live for,’ Zack thought, mentally shaking his fist at Fate.

He sought out the blonde’s hand, lacing their fingers together. Nuzzling his nose against the ex-cadet’s neck, he lost himself in the blonde’s scent. Whatever god had graced him with the re-gift of life, he owed them a round of sake. “Thank you,” he whispered huskily into Cloud’s hair.

Yeah, he owed them big time.


*~*~* *~*~*


Aerith clutched at her bleeding stomach, eyes fluttering open to gaze absently at the church’s broken ceiling. The flowers she had spent so many years on-that she had poured her sweat and tears into- lay crushed around her fallen form, drenched in a viscous layer of her blood. Was her legacy fated to die with her? She reached out blindly, grasping at anything that would anchor her to the rapidly fading world. Her fingers closed around the thin silk of a flower petal. Rose, if she could remember correctly; it felt… like a rose petal.

Brilliant white light tinted the edge of her vision. Was it already time to go? A translucent, silvery figure stood over her, love etched on its perfect, beautifully androgynous face. Reaching out, it brushed one pale hand against Aerith’s pallid cheek. The pain faded into nothing, leaving her with a sense of peace. For the first time in the last several long hours, she felt free.

“Are you sure this is what you want, child? It isn’t yet your time, you are well aware,” the image spoke, its elegant mouth barely forming the words.

Aerith nodded. A sad, ghost of a smile whispered across her lips before disappearing into nothing.

“In my mind, I was the reason for his smile. It made me so happy thinking that if I just tried harder, I could make up for all of the pain life forced upon him. He’d been dealt so many hardships that I couldn’t…” Aerith paused, her voice catching in her throat. The ethereal figure waited patiently, stroking her hair back from a sweaty forehead.

“I knew what fate had in store for him. I couldn’t let it happen. I was right, wasn’t I?” She looked pleadingly at the figure before her. Unfettered, hope shined brightly in her eyes.

The figure brushed its hand across the young woman’s eyes, tears streaking down its unearthly cheeks. “That is not my question to answer, child. If it felt right then that is all that matters.”

Aerith smiled once more and nodded. “It feels right. He gave us all so much. I wanted to return this one small wish: He said once that he wanted wings. This is me, letting him fly. Hopefully Zack will understand. Right, mama?”

The Goddess ran her hand over Aerith’s eyes, shutting them. A moment later, pale green light released from the young woman’s body, escaping into the Life Stream. The ethereal figure paused a moment, her lips moving in silent prayer. After several long moments, the Goddess rose from her knees and tilted her head towards the sky. “I must confess, I do not understand. How someone can give up their life in exchange for another is beyond me.”

A pale streak of light trailed from the thick clouds in answer. Aerith’s voice filled the dredges of the small church, echoing in the confines. “What can I say, mama? We humans are strange creatures.”

The Goddess nodded sagely and unfurled her wings toward the ceiling. “If you say so, child.”

*~*~* *~*~*


Cloud clutched Zack’s hand close to his chest as he made his way down the motel stairs. There was no way he was letting the man out of his sight; not when he had just gotten him back. Zack seemed to be thinking along the same lines, his gaze often returning to Cloud’s own for reassurance.

The blonde took comfort in the strength of the man behind him, basking in his masculine aura. He didn’t know where they stood as a twosome but he did know that he would be an emotional wreck without the ex-Soldier by his side. He wanted Zack as more than a friend but, for now, he was content in being with the man in any way he could.

When they arrived at the front desk, Zack stepped to the forefront and offered the woman from early a suave smile. He blocked Cloud with his big body, subconsciously shielding the ex-Cadet from her gaze. The gesture caused a nameless emotion to swell inside the blonde’s chest. Cloud turned away, cheeks flushing. It was all he could do not to throw himself at the man.

The receptionist glared at them from over her romance novel. “We don’t give refunds,” she barked, slapping the book down onto the desk. “If you’ve got a pro-”

“Is that ‘Her Savage Warrior’ by Ronda Hearts?!” Zack cut the woman off, throwing his hands excitedly out in front of him. Fingers still firmly intertwined with the man’s, Cloud was jerked forward.

The receptionist paused in the middle of her tirade, her mouth falling open. “You… you know Ronda Hearts?” The woman ventured cautiously.

“Are you kidding me? I live and breathe her death-defying heroes! My favorite book is ‘One Night in Your Arms’. Gotta love the kinky emphasis she puts on sword-wielding SOLDIERs.” Zack nodded at his own sword and grinned unabashedly at the older woman. “But trust me, not all of it,” he paused for dramatic effect. “is a myth.”

The woman actually squealed, fanning herself like a schoolgirl. Cloud looked on with disbelief.

“You’re a SOLDIER?!”

Zack nodded, sagely, white-lying through his teeth. “First Class, ma’am. Born and bred to protect beautiful women, such as yourself, from wicked,” he paused again, capturing her wrist in his free hand, and planted a kiss on her palm. “conniving,” he continued, punctuating the word with another suave peck. “rapist thieves… Such as the fools in Room 34B.”

The receptionist’s face turned from a flustered pink to a raging red in record time. “Rapists, you say? In MY motel? Are you sure?”

“As sure as I am that you make my heart race,” Zack quipped.

The woman blushed but promptly ignored his overly suave comeback. “There’s no way those bastards are staying here. Just give me a second to phone their room and…” Zack cut her off with a finger to her lips, nearly causing Cloud to gag in disbelief. The lady was actually buying this bullshit?!

“No need to concern yourself. I salvaged your honor by kicking the shit out of them. When I heard how they were planning to come down here in the middle of the night and have their wicked way with you, I just couldn’t sit around. You understand… don’t you?” He gave the best puppy eyes Cloud had ever seen in his life. The woman fell for his bull like flies in shit.

“Of course I understand! And let me tell ya, sir, that there is no way that will ever happen. Just let them try and rape me when I’ve got myself this little piece.” She drew a vicious-looking shotgun out from under the desk. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

She stood up from behind her desk, carefully placing the book on the desk, and grabbed the gun. Releasing the safety, she offered Zack a smirk. “I’ve got myself some guests to kick out.”

Cloud waited until the woman was all the way up the staircase before confronting the ex-SOLDIER. “You are a lying sack of crap, you know that, right?”

Zack grinned and brought Cloud’s hand to his lips. At the feel of the man’s lips brushing gently against his fingertips, the blonde blushed. His unsatisfied arousal pulsed warningly in his pants. “Cut it out,” he hissed, trying to wrench his hand free. Zack only grasped it tighter.

“My Cloud is so cruel to me,” the ex-SOLDIER sang, ruffling his hair. Cloud was loath to admit just how good it felt to feel Zack around him again. He settled for his trademark blank look and wriggled out from under the touch.

“If we want to stay here longer than a day, we need to find jobs. I don’t about you, but my gil is running low,” Cloud said, turning towards the motel entrance doors. Taking a few steps forward, he was suddenly stopped by a firm hand on his wrist. A second later, arms wrapped around Cloud’s waist and drew him back towards a firm chest.

“Don’t go,” Zack whispered fiercely. His voice was husky with emotion, belying his usual carefree expression. His arms tightened slightly. “I’m not ready to let you out of my sight yet. Just… a little while longer, okay?” Cloud paused, understanding tightening his chest. Zack wasn’t as unaffected by all of “this” as he seemed. Mouth going dry, Cloud turned in the man’s arms. The sight of the ex-SOLDIER’s damp eyes was his undoing.

Wrapping his own arms tentatively around Zack’s torso, he wept. All of the chaos and confusion he had been feeling since seeing the man alive released themselves in the bittersweet tears. Relentless fear that had been plaguing him since Zack’s “death” didn’t so much wash away as they just faded; he knew it would still be in the forefront of his mind but, for now, he was free.

Wiping his eyes shakily, Cloud finally looked up. Subtle tear tracks marred Zack’s face- a testament that the turmoil was shared. “You either,” Cloud said, finally. At the slight confusion on the ex-SOLDIER’s face, he clarified. “You can’t disappear, either. You’re not alone, Zack.” Realization showed in Zack’s eyes and a beatific smile lit his face. Cupping Cloud’s cheek in one gloved hand, he positively glowed.

“No, I’m not.”

TBC

Next Chapter Preview: a job hunt, a hooker’s solicitations, a jealous Cloud, an epiphany, and a little tender lovin’. Stay tuned!

A.N: I’m really sorry about that long delay. I actually had about five pages written three days after I posted chapter two, but I developed writer’s block. I’m still kind of flagging for ideas, so any help will be greatly appreciated! Just write your ideas in the review section.

Review Responses:

sephcounttheways: I went back to re-read what you meant by “one-liners” and nearly died in embarrassment. I had no idea I was making poor Zack that cheesy but lo and behold! ^_- I think he’d put Tony Montana to shame with those que cards of his. Lol Has for Cloud, he just angsts himself out to the max. Every time I tried to write the guy even remotely happy, he’d hit me over the head with a proverbial frying pan. Lol
Btw… (here it comes) I absolutely LOVED your newest chapter of “Blonde Ambition”! The ending part where you wrote a little bit of Sephiroth’s childhood made me cry. You managed to write it with humor but I could feel the emotions you were hiding behind the words. I hope Seph lets Cloud heal him. Maybe he’ll be able to say “those three words” someday. I’ scold you for taking so long to update but alas... lol

Kage: Oh, those bastards certainly did! At the same time, I got an immense kick out of making the bad guys extremely cliché. Thank you for your kind words! *hugs you*

BlueBlaze: You liked the Cab driver? I had plans to use him later on in the fiction but it’s still in debate. He seems like an extremely enigmatic character; one prone to spouting random riddles and weird pieces of advice. :D And oh no!!! You noticed the one-liners, too?! Lol I actually didn’t realize I wrote them in until I went back and re-read my work. At first, I was mortified but it seemed to work out in the end.
I actually wrote the original chapter with a brief mention to Zack’s hard-on but it just wouldn’t flow with the rest of the story. Damned muse. I could picture that entire part in my head, too. *sighs*
My friend constantly berates me for my lack of descriptions. Lol She says, “You’re such a guy, Potato! (nickname) You always want to rush into the action bits but leave the lovely little details to the imagination. Gotta be an American thing.” So, now you’re my official new best friend! Lol *hugs you*
But of course I look forward to you reviews! Yours make me laugh every time I read them; simultaneously providing me with insight. It’s refreshing to know that if you work hard enough, you’ll get good results. And I don’t think my ego could get any bigger. ^_-

Nusku: You’re loyal to the cause! *hugs you again* I’m sad that I don’t see any stories from you, though. I bet you’d be an amazing contributor! But, guess what! If you ever do decide to write something for them, I’ll be there cheering you on every step of the way. The more love, the better! Thank you for your review! It made me blush for some reason. Lol

Sekre: you guessed right! I hope this chapter was okay… It’s really difficult for me not to rush results. For example, I had originally planned putting an erotic scene in here. It felt a bit too soon. Continue to support me and I’ll work my hardest! *hugs you* Thank you for your review!

Mimi-chan: It was only a small whirlwind of anger that Cloud released but it was so fun to write! Lol You liked the dialogue? That makes me really happy. Although, it’s slightly discerning that whenever I go for a really emotional feel, it turns out humorous. The same goes for romantic… it turns into angst. :D
And oh hells yeah! I agree with you! Nobody touches Cloud and gets away with it; not if they want to contend with Zack’s Buster Sword. Hmm… that gives me an idea for next chapter. You’re my muse! Whoo! Thank you for your review!
ZacksTenshi: My first looooove! *hugs you and breaks into dance with you* lol I don’t even know where the idea for those goons came from; I just knew that I wanted to go for a really cliché bad guy that would move my story forward.
Was my action writing okay? It’s not my first time writing fight scenes but it is my first time with Zack. (whoa, no matter how I write that, that sounds kinky. Heh) I was kind of worried that I made him too aggressive… hmm…
Oh! You have no idea just how hard I tried to convey how Cloud felt. *sobs and goes to hug you again* Like quite seriously, I spent half of a week asking random people how they would feel if they lost someone they loved and they all of sudden came back to life. I got a lot of, “…” and “?!” Also a little of, “so, how DOES crack taste, weirdo.” Lol (I swear I’m not a crack addict. Though, I can’t dispute the “weird” comments.)
Thank you for the reply And I luv you and your awesome/amazing/wonderful reviews!

Jenypher: Wow! You like my other stories, too? That’s such an amazing compliment. You have no idea! *hugs you* Please continue to support me and I’ll try my best! Thank you for taking the time to review. It means a lot to me.

Hiro: I didn’t exactly update soon… *hangs head in shame* I’m sorry! Next chapter won’t take me nearly as long as this chapter did, I swear! Thank you for you kind review. It made me happy.

Hi-chan: omg! Heya! *hugs you* But of course I added you on youtube. How could I ignore an amazingly creative person such as yourself? It’s an honor to have such a talented person appreciate my story. (I think I may have said that before. Lol) Are you going to write some more? I’m still looking forward to another amazing story from you. You do the Zack/Cloud community proud. Thank you so much for the review and for adding me as your friend. Much love!