fourstrings | and if you say run, I'll run with you

and if you say run, I'll run with you

Help, they’re making us

[ A message like that from Cloud would send Zack running at the best of times. It’s not technically breaking any rules to use the company data to find out where he is, and it puts him at ease a little to see he’s in one of the training rooms – until Zack gets there and peeks through the glass of the door.
The orderly lines. The fact that everybody is in PT gear, not uniform. And the fact that Genesis – who Zack is pretty sure by now is at least a little bit of a sadist – is at the front of the room.

It’s time for the lessons.

Zack panics. What kind of friend is he? Why didn’t he warn Cloud? But – it’s early! They don’t usually do this until you’re pretty high up in the ranks! It’s only used for showing off at formal events and, on very rare occasions, infiltration! It’s too soon! It’s Genesis enacting some cruel ploy, Zack just knows it. He’s not even required to instruct, he’s just doing it for his own sick glee! So Zack throws open the door, points at Cloud, and musters his very best attempt at a stern voice as he says I need an assistant. Strife, you’re up.

That, as it turns out, was a mistake.

Genesis turns to face him, the motion smooth as silk, a wicked smile curving his lips and a look of malice glittering in his eyes. If you want one of my students, he says, you will first assist with a demonstration. Which is how Zack ends up letting Genesis lead him in a paso doble in front of the gathered infantrymen. It’s… fine. It’s fine! Zack likes dancing! He doesn’t even mind that he’s not leading, except that he’s being led by Genesis, and the dance requires a lot of intense eye contact, tight turns with their bodies close, and a terrifying incident in which Genesis picks him up by the hips and spins him. But the music is loud and fast, and it’s not so bad when he reminds himself that this is for Cloud, who doesn't deserve to be dropped in a situation like this unprepared.

The dance finishes. Zack bows to Genesis, just like his own lessons hammered home. Genesis offers a sweeping bow in return, something that effortlessly communicates messages such as I know what you’re up to and don’t mess with me, you little shit. Zack straightens, and tries not to pout. ]

Can I get on with my work now?

[ The nod Genesis gives him is almost imperceptible, so Zack beckons to Cloud and hurries the both of them back outside before that maniac can change his mind. ]

What an asshole.

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[ cloud can't help the little sound he makes when zack pulls away -- dangerously close to a whine, like someone who's been offered dessert and then had it pulled away after one delicious spoonful. (or two. or three? he's kind of losing track.)

but. that's... a very serious question, right? first dates are serious. what if they end up having kids? they'll have to tell them all about the first date story -- wait, does zack want kids? should cloud ask? no, no, there's no way that's pre-first date material! ... is it? ]

Umm. [ summoning the few braincells that haven't melted into useless, kiss-drunk slush. it's a monumental task. ] ... food?

Mm. Food sounds good. We'll do that.

[ It doesn't sound nearly as good as more kissing. But they can't just kiss and not go on dates! Then how will Cloud know Zack's serious about him?

That doesn't mean they can't do more kissing now, though. Zack leans in, gives another one of those little soft kisses with every intention of going in for more - and then the music playing changes. And it's a piece he actually knows and likes, and before he realizes what he's doing he's curling his arms back around Cloud, swaying to the music. Not quite the kind of dancing they're here for, but still! ]

[ well! that's settled.

cloud doesn't pick up on the music change, not at first. not until zack slides his arms around him, and then... oh. this? this is way better than waltzing.

... and he can't resist the urge to give into the little fantasy his mind has been laying out since that first moment when zack stepped closer. leaning into the other boy, tucking his head under zack's chin and letting his cheek rest on his shoulder. not the best position for more kissing, but... wow. ]

... this isn't a dream, right? My alarm's not gonna go off in five minutes?

Hope not. That won't be as good to dance to.

[ Man, it feels so good like this. Zack knows Cloud can be a little sensitive about how small he is, but like this? It's perfect. The way Cloud fits so perfectly against him, head tucked in close, the line of their bodies warm against each other. Cloud's young and there's still time for him to hit a growth spurt, but though Zack would never voice such a treacherous thought? He kind of hopes he doesn't. That they can stay just like this, and be old men dancing together this way someday. ]

You smell good.

[ Nice one, Zack, very smooth. Very communicative of your romantic thoughts. ]

[ this is probably the first (and only!) time in cloud's life that he's actually thinking it's not so bad to be short. after all, he's at the perfect height to be able to put his head on zack's shoulder and lean against him, and --

oh. hang on. moment busted, because he has to smash his face into zack's chest just to muffle a snort of laughter. ]

What, you're into cheap shampoo?

I think I'm just really into you.

[ Again, this could be romantic - smooth, even! - except that Zack follows up by dropping his face into Cloud hair and huffing him. Hopefully there's at least a little recovery in the way he then prods at Cloud's face with his own until he reveals a cheek, rests his face there for a moment, and follows with: ]

Yup. This is better.

[ And kisses there, just for good measure. It's official: he's never gonna get tired of kissing Cloud, no matter where. ]

Wha --?!

[ it feels like the kind of line cloud would laugh at if he heard it in a cheesy romance movie, so why does it kinda work when it's zack saying it to him?! embarrassing.

but the way that zack noses at him until he gets a cheek to kiss is enough to kickstart another fit of giggling, and cloud can't help but counter by leaning up to press another kiss to the corner of zack's mouth. ]

Do they teach you lines like that back in Gongaga?

[ Wait, that was so close to his mouth! Zack chases it, follows it until he can land a kiss on CLoud's lips, and laughs. ]

Man, I left Gongaga when I was 13. My idea of a slick move was to spend hours hunting for a sticker they'd like and then shove it at them saying I found it.

[ An approach that actually had a shockingly high success rate. Hmm... do they make Sephiroth stickers? He'll have to hit up that one lady on reception, she'll know for sure! ]

[ is this what being boyfriends is like? just like being best friends, except there's kissing involved? (and maybe even more excuses to touch zack's biceps.) it's... awesome, and a lot easier and less fussy than cloud had ever imagined it being. ]

Does that mean I'm not getting a sticker? [ aw, bummer. ] I should've held out.

Hey! I've matured! My game is way better now.

[ And he tips Cloud's face up so he can look him in the eyes, brushes a thumb over the rise of Cloud's cheekbone. ]

You get a whole sheet of stickers, and me admitting I looked for them on purpose.

[ cloud can't help but grin at that. not just because of the promise of stickers! but at the thought that zack likes him enough to want to use his game on him, that he sees cloud as someone worthy of the chase.

... even if they're just kidding around, it's nice. ]

Oh, Mr. Fair. [ in his best swooning-southern-belle voice. ] You shouldn't --

[ but exactly what zack shouldn't have done will forever be a mystery. because cloud is interrupted by the sound of someone banging sharply on the door, and then a voice barking about people hogging the training rooms. ]

[ OH SHIT

BUSTED!

Zack grimaces at Cloud, quickly cuts the music (it wasn't that loud, maybe they didn't hear it?) and makes a raised fists gesture at Cloud - hoping he'll get the cue to adopt a sparring stance and forgetting that if they didn't hear the music, they definitely wouldn't hear him if he gave Cloud a quiet instruction. Still, he moves over to the door preparing his best fib, opens it -

and sees a third there. It's his lucky day! He puts a hand on one hip, does his best to look unimpressed. ]

Problem?

[ There's a long, heavy pause while the third's eyes flick over Zack's shoulder to where Cloud is and he clearly weighs up what he's about to say. Finally he settles on no, and walks away. Zack barely waits until he round the corner before he puts a hand on the doorframe, the other still on his hip and he leans forward and exhales in a loud hooooooo of relief. ]

Okay. Phew.

[ He turns back to Cloud with a grin. ]

We probably should get out of here, though. Why don't you come up to my room to... uhh... file those reports I definitely pulled you out of training to do?

[ what... kind of sparring pose is he supposed to do with zack all the way over there?! and it's not like he has a lot of time to actually think about it, because zack is opening up the door and --

... cloud ends up just putting his fists up and squaring off to thin air, because that's totally what normal people do in here, yep.

thankfully, the third barely even gives cloud a passing glance. and oh, wow, it's... kind of hot to watch zack pull rank? he's usually easygoing to a fault, the first to tell any of the junior officers to drop the sir, so... yeah, this is kind of new.

and maybe his brain is still in the gutter even after zack turns back to him, because that...? sounds a lot like an innuendo. ]

Um. [ there's a cherry tomato blush crawling all the way up to the tips of his ears, and he promptly drops eye contact to zack's boots. ] Uh, y-yeah, that's cool.

[ oh jeez. it's not that kissing wasn't great -- it was awesome! and it's not that cloud hasn't thought about... doing more. especially with zack! it's just... oh boy. but this is how people in big cities do it, right? at least, cloud's heard the other cadets in his corps talking about going out on the weekends and hooking up. and he doesn't want to look lame or old-fashioned!

... maybe he can come up with an excuse to lock himself in the bathroom for five minutes and look some stuff up on his phs, at least. ]

[ Zack isn't quite intuitive enough to realize Cloud's mind has gone straight to the gutter, even with the blush. After all, it's not like Cloud hasn't been in his room before! He must just be rattled by their close escape! So Zack bounces in place and grins like an idiot. ]

Cool! I've been meaning to get you to come by anyway, I just got Tonberry Torment Three and the co-op is meant to be awesome. Also, I'm hungry. Wanna get a pizza? Not as a date. I'm gonna do that right.

[ And here, unfortunately, he winks at Cloud and shoots him with a fingergun. ]

Oh. Oh!

[ is he... disappointed? no, not exactly. but also kinda? it's not like he wanted to rush into Doing Stuff with zack, but also... zack is really, really hot, so it's also hard not to be bummed out about the idea of not Doing Stuff with him.

confusing.

still! hanging out with zack is also never a bad thing! which is why he's quick to brighten up. ]

Yeah, that sounds fun. You mind if I meet you there in a few? I'm gonna head back to the barracks and change into civvies.

No prob. See you soon!

[ That's actually a great idea. Zack gives Cloud a brief kiss followed by a probably-aggravating hair ruffle before he heads off to his apartment, where he changes into civvies himself, because if they're gonna goof off they might as well goof off right. That turns into a whole thing though; he starts out in a tshirt and sweats, decides that's way too slobby when he's tryna woo Cloud. Changes into a closer-fitting t-shirt and then, in a fit of perverse inspiration, the same sweats but with nothing underneath. Gotta show off what he's got to offer, right? Except that makes him blush and feel like a creep, so then it's nice jeans (with undies) and a collared shirt, which one look in the mirror tells him looks like he's halfway ready for a job interview. And even if he is kinda interviewing for the job of feeling Cloud up sometime in the future, he looks like a huge dork. Eventually, he settles on keeping the jeans and changing back into the tighter tshirt, figures he looks cute enough but not too formal or too slutty, and with no shame at all, dumps all the rejected items into the bottom of his closet.

By the time he's added just a touch of cologne - the one Angeal gave him after making him use a fira on the one he bought himself - he's definitely out of time to order pizza. Would have been romantic to order for Cloud, but maybe letting him choose is better. Boundaries, and stuff! At least his room is tidy enough. All he has to do now is not freak out about the fact that he unthinkingly invited Cloud back out to his room after making out and slowdancing. Hopefully he won't have too much time to dwell on the dawning realization that it probably made him seem at least a little like a creep! ]

[ and down in the barracks, cloud is going through his own version of... pretty much the same. it kinda helps that he doesn't actually have that many civilian clothes to choose from -- but that mostly means he's pawing through what he does have in an effort to find an outfit that looks the least shabby and worn. process of elimination helps him settle on a t-shirt and jeans; sure, the jeans have a hole in the knee, but that sorta makes them cool, right? and the t-shirt has obviously been through the wash a few hundred times, but that means it's soft and, uh, maybe the faded look will pass for vintage?

whatever. it's the best he's got!

there's no chance he's going to duck into one of the shared bathrooms and run the risk of trying to spruce up there -- sometimes it feels like some of the cadets in his unit just hang around and wait for something to tease him about, and this feels like ammo. so he ends up trying to tame his hair using nothing but the mirrored surface of the elevators, which... isn't great. but zack was willing to kiss him with fresh helmet-hair earlier, and this has gotta be almost an improvement, so.

okay! wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans, swallowing hard, and then... knocking on the door of zack's apartment. (it's not like zack hasn't given him the code and told him a hundred times over to just let himself in, but cloud's mom always said that was rude.) ]

[ Perfect timing!

Zack can't help smiling at the fact that Cloud knocks - he always does, and it's cute. He had this whole thing planned where he was gonna open the door, sweep Cloud in with an arm around his shoulders, and kiss him the second the door closed again. Super smooth, right? Except he opens it and Cloud's standing there in cool jeans and a tshirt worn enough that it sort of drapes over the new muscles that are starting to bud with all his training, and Zack's mouth goes dry and then suddenly pretty wet.

Is he literally drooling over Cloud? Jeez. ]

Hi. Wow. Come in!

[ zack stares just long enough to let cloud start to form the vaguest sense of panic that maybe this outfit... wasn't okay? did he miss some kind of signal that he was supposed to dress up? and he's just opening his mouth to blurt out an apology before he turns on his heel and flees back to the barracks when --

oh. oh. whew. okay!

and with that out of the way, cloud gets the chance to appreciate what zack is wearing as he steps into the apartment. it's not like he hasn't seen zack in jeans and a t-shirt before...! but he's also never been allowed to stare, and. wow. zack sure does have... pecs. and shoulders. and biceps. ]

Hi. [ soft, almost shy. ] You look... nice.

[ smooth. ]

Yeah.

[ NO! ]

I mean - you too. I swear I'm not gonna turn into a huge booger just because we're dating now, please don't change your mind.

[ He grins, and duck to give Cloud a kiss in the hope that'll make up for what was definitely a display of boogeration. Idly, he takes a looser part of Cloud's shirt between his forefinger and thumb, rubs at it gently. It's just as soft as it looks. And then he smiles, a horrible idea dawning. ]

I like this shirt. What kind of fabric is it?

[ it's funny -- cloud almost forgot how nice it is to be able to kiss zack like this, nice and easy. like they've been doing it for ages already, even if his heart still does a little flutter like it's the first time.

but... that?

cloud blinks. once, twice. ... then fixes zack with a deadpan look, voice flat. ]

If you say boyfriend material, I'm going back to the barracks.

[ He was 100% going to say boyfriend material. It's kinda better that he got Cloud to say it, though! ]

You say that, but I have confidence in my charm. And the fact that my apartment smells at least a little less like feet than the barracks do. C'mon, come sit with me.

[ He heads over to the sofa and collapses into it. It's so good like this; hanging out the way they always do, but now with added kissing! Kissing is the best. Kissing Cloud is the best, ever. ]

I didn't order pizza yet. Figured this way you could choose, and also I got so carried away tryna get cute for you that I forgot I was hungry. So we can do that, or we can bust out the game, or we can just... you know. Hang.

[ And kiss? ]

[ the thing is, zack is 100% right to be confident in his charm. cloud would hang out with him even if his apartment did smell like sweaty cadet feet. (but that doesn't mean cloud has to go and confirm it for him!)

but he's more than happy to follow zack over to the couch, and even to flop down beside him! ... and then, in a feat of Bold and Daring, to even lean up against him, because that's boyfriend territory, right? ]

... you got cute for me? [ impossible not to sound delighted about it. ]

[ Wow. Not so long ago Cloud was super shy even about accepting when Zack offered to help him with something. Now here he is, plonking down and leaning against Zack like he thinks he belongs there just as much as Zack does. It's nice! And furthermore, it's hot. Zack slings an arm around Cloud's shoulders, welcoming him in to the space he's claimed for himself, and gives his best puppy pout. ]

You sound surpised. Does that mean it didn't work?

[ Yes, he's fishing. ]

Yeah, you kinda missed the mark.

[ he's trying his best to maintain a Super Serious face, but the effect is ruined by the way he's going pink all over again. ]

I think you got, um, hot instead.

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