Gold Saucer
The Gold Saucer certainly wasn’t somewhere Cloud had expected to return to- ever. Not after everything. But here he was again, the garish lights and artificial cheer almost too loud, too bright, too much. Still. It was better than being in Nibelheim. That town was nestled in the shadow of the mountains, stirring too many memories, most sharply edged and unwelcome. The Saucer, at least, had distractions to ease his mind off of the town they had just left.
He wasn’t looking forward to the crowds or over the top attractions. The search for the keystone felt more like a chore than a mission. What he really wanted- more than anything- was just a moment to breathe. Preferably with Zack. Beside him, the man in question was walking in sync with him, rocking on his heels with quiet energy. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes, those bright mako tinted green eyes- kept flickering toward the people around them, waiting for a break in the crowd. Watching for a second of quiet, something that had been short in supply lately.
There was a subtle eagerness in the way he moved, not impatient, but hopeful. Cloud could feel it, the energy lingering between them. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about the kiss they shared back in Nibelheim, about what it meant, if it changed anything… The look in Zack’s eyes made it obvious. It wasn’t going to be a one time thing. Ever. It never had been anyway.
They got into the hotel- the Haunted Hotel-, checked into the rooms and were inside, Zack shut the door behind him, groaning softly and ran his fingers through his hair. He set his buster sword against the wall before striding over to the smaller man, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing his nose into his blonde chocobo feather-like hair. He inhaled Cloud’s scent, grip tightening slightly. “Hi,” he murmured softly in a low voice.
Cloud barely had a chance to react as he felt a familiar pair of strong arms around his waist. Zack. A smile tugged at his lips as he leaned back into the arms that held him tight in a protective grip. He tilted his head back ever so slightly to look up in those green eyes he loved so much. “... Hi,” he whispered back, hands settling on Zack’s forearms, giving into the embrace he adored.
Zack hummed softly at Cloud’s response, eyes slipping shut for a brief second as he soaked in the moment- a rare quiet one, just the two of them without the weighting of the mission or the trauma they had over their heads. His grip remained firm but gentle, and even if he let go, he was afraid Cloud might slip away from him again. He squeezed lightly. “Missed this…,” he murmured against his hair, voice barely above a whisper, like speaking too loudly would break the fragile piece between them. “Missed you.”
Cloud’s breath caught for a second, though he didn’t pull away. Instead, he turned in Zack’s arms slowly until they were facing each other, only inches apart. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. He searched the other’s face for a moment. Blue eyes studied Zack’s face- strong, tightened jaw-, he saw it all: the amount of trauma… committing every detail to memory. The faint scar on his cheek from when Angeal swiped his blade near the man’s cheek, to the way his lips quirked when he smiled, how his eyes held a little too much emotion for someone who pretended to be lighthearted. Cloud smiled, cupping the man’s face lightly. “You aren’t losing me,” he reassured, voice steady despite the ache that throbbed behind his ribs. “Not again.”
Zack nodded, not trusting himself to speak his opinion. He let out a long breath, and leaned down, capturing the smaller’s mouth into a kiss, soft and tender, full of love as well as passion too. He loved this boy more than anything and he wasn’t about to lose him. He poured his emotions into the kiss, hands sliding up to hold the back of Cloud’s thighs, pulling him close enough. Cloud didn’t pull away. He didn’t need words; he didn’t need explanations. All he needed was this- Zack, safe, real and here. His fingers threaded through the other man’s hair, anchoring him in place, grounding both of them here in the face of war.
Zack finally broke away, pressing his forward against Cloud’s, inhaling his scent again. “Does this make it official? If so… I’d like to take you on a date tonight,” he told Cloud after a moment of silence, looking at those pretty blue eyes he loved to stare at so much. Cloud looked at him, blinking. He was caught off guard for a second before a soft laugh escaped his lips- quiet but real. The kind of laugh Zack hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Do you want it to be official?” Cloud asked, raising a brow, cocking his head to the side a little, looking at Zack as he did all those years ago, warning him not to snoop around in the small town. Zack’s boyish grin was replaced by a warm smile. He took half a step forward, closing the space.
“Yeah.. I do,” Zack whispered, bringing the shorter boy into a soft, sweet kiss. “I want it to be real. I wanna be yours. Love you, keep you alive, damnit. I want to be your boyfriend, Cloudy.” Was he getting sentimental? Oh, absolutely. Did he care? Not one bit. His green eyes met Cloud’s blue orbs, shining with pure love.
Cloud stood agape, shocked to say the very least. He was not expecting that from the black haired boy. He felt equal parts of warmth and aching. Now, Zack had always been able to cut right to the chase, and break through his defences which he adored about him. He smiled after a moment, snaking his arms around Zack’s neck. He leaned his head against his chest, humming softly. “.... Beat me to it.”
“What?” Zack looked down at the blonde in his arms. “Whad’ya mean?”
“I was going to ask that later,” Cloud admitted, blushing bright pink.
Zack grinned, placing a kiss to the other’s forehead. “So… That a yes?”
Cloud playfully punched Zack in the shoulder. “Yes. Idiot.”
Zack only smiled wider, eyes gleaming with joy, and before Cloud could react, he swept the blonde into his arms with surprising ease. With a delighted laugh, Zack spun him around in a dramatic twirl (a/n: Disney princess twirl reference), complete with the full body lift and a flourish of movement that would have had birds singing if they weren’t indoors.
Cloud yelped in surprise, ears bright red as he was lifted off of the ground, clinging to Zack’s shoulder, half exasperated, half laughing. “Zack- what the hell?!”
Zack beamed, still in mid spin. “What? I just got the guy I’ve been crushin on for years- not including the whole Aerith thing-! I’m allowed to have my moment.”
“You always have your moments,” Cloud deadpanned, giggling as he was set on the ground, but he kept his arms around the other man. Neither said a word after that, eyes meeting. Then, without giving him a chance to protest again, Zack leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips- soft and lingering, the kind that said finally and always. His hands cradled Cloud’s face, thumbs brushing his jawline as if memorising the way he smiled into the kiss.
When they finally parted, Cloud was a deep shade of red. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love,” Zack quipped, eyes twinkling.
“Still an idiot.” Cloud rolled his eyes but smiled.
“Yours though, stormcloud,” Zack replied, stealing another kiss for good measure.
Two hours later, the couple walked hand in hand down the path of Central Park, away from the theatre where Cait Sith had dragged them all to see LOVELESS. Cloud had not been a fan. He found the whole experience painful, and despite Zack’s newfound understanding of Genesis’s obsession with it, Cloud still couldn’t get why anyone would subject themselves to that kind of play. He wasn’t sure if Genesis had understood it. But Zack? Zack could tolerate it, especially now that he could relate to the depth of the play.
Speaking of, Zack was usually the talkative one, and now he had been oddly quiet as they walked. The bright lights of the park illuminated their path, and though Zack seemed to be distracted, Cloud’s attention was pulled more to the lights to make him squint. He could feel that his boyfriend’s energy was off, so he nudged his shoulder, gently squeezing his hand. “You’re quiet.”
“Hm?” Zack blinked, looking down at his lover, chuckling a little. “Yeah… Just thinking about Geal is all. I get why he hates LOVELESS so much, and why Genesis would quote it every time.” He laughed, shaking his head and slid his arm around his boyfriend- Gaia, that was something he would never get used to- and tugged him closer, kissing his head.
Cloud sighed softly, shifting against Zack’s side. He didn’t mind the quiet, besides, it was more precious. Plus, it was cute how Zack tried to understand the people he cared about, no matter if they were dead, alive or how frustrating it could be. Neither of them noticed Tifa and Aerith, both had been walking behind them a few moments ago. As the two watched, Aerith’s face broke into a grin so wide it was practically glowing. Her heart was soaring, happy that her best friend had finally figured things out with the guy she had seen him crushing on for years.
She couldn’t help it. She let out a squeal of excitement, nudging Tifa. “Did you see that?! They’re so cute together!”
Tifa looked over, her lips twitching into a knowing smile. “It’s about time,” she replied, glancing back at the pair. “They’re perfect for each other.”
Aerith nodded enthusiastically, bouncing on her heels and scooting closer to the other woman. “Like us,” she hinted, brown doe eyes looking at the other’s lighter ones. She smiled softly before kissing Tifa on her cheek, turning pink herself.
Tifa blinked, caught off guard but smiled nonetheless. Then, she grabbed Aerith by the collar of her shirt, smashing their mouths together. “Like us,” she echoed, pulling away from the sudden kiss. Aerith blushed, leaning into Tifa’s arms. They stayed like that for a few minutes, before they headed back to the hotel they were staying at for the evening.
“C’mon, Cloudy!” Zack grinned, tugging his boyfriend toward the short line for the infamous Skywheel, practically buzzing with excitement. His energy was infectious, and even though Cloud hesitated, feet slowly slightly as they neared the base of the towering structure, he didn’t let go of Zack’s hand.
The giant ferris wheel loomed high above them, lights casting a kaleidoscope of shadow on the pavement below. It rotated slowly, each glass pod swaying gently in the evening breeze, glowing like lanterns against the night sky. Cloud looked up at it, brows furrowing. Heights weren’t exactly his thing. And even though the gut churning motion sickness he’d once suffered from had dulled over the years, a rocking glass capsule hundred of feet in the air wasn’t necessarily appealing. “I dunno, Z…”
Zack turned, eyes shining under the soft lighting in the lobby. “I know,” he said, knowing what Cloud was subtly hinting at, his tone soft. “I remember. We don’t have to if you aren’t comfortable. I just thought… Y’know… A moment with just us before we have to go track down Shinra and keep moving… We can bail if it’s too much.”
Cloud hesitated for a second, his eyes flickered between the ride and the hopeful look on Zack’s face. He exhaled through his nose, heart pounding louder than he’d like to admit. But then he saw it- that look of quiet patience. Zack always knew Cloud needed a little longer to breathe, and somehow that made all the difference.
“Okay…. If I feel sick, I’m getting off,” he finally mumbled, cheeks bright pink.
Zack nodded, a grin lighting up the night. “Okay. I’ve got you, stormcloud.” He kissed his cheek, squeezing his hand before walking up the ticket taker. He handed her their tickets, then climbed into the enclosed pod, holding a hand out for Cloud to take hold of. Cloud slowly took his boyfriend’s hand and stepped into the pod, sitting down beside him on the bench.
Zack wrapped his arms around Cloud, holding him against his chest, resting his chin on his head, kissing the crown of his head, rubbing soothing circles on his hip. “Told you it’d be okay.”
“Shut up,” Cloud mumbled as he watched the lights in the sky. He had to admit. It was alright.
While this wasn’t what he expected their first date to actually be, it was good. Good enough for him at the very least. He leaned back into Zack’s hold, staring lovingly at him, kissing his cheek before he started back at the lights.
This was good.
Now, their mission was to stay alive and Cloud hoped he could get a second date with his boyfriend after everything was done… After Sephiroth was killed, when the world went back to normal so to say…