Wounded Emotions
Title: Wounded Emotions
Author: LoveAngel2141
Beta Credit: torncorpse
Characters: Zack Fair, Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough
Written For: 10_themes - Prompt Table Two - Fear
Word Count: 1,273
Rating: PG - 13
Summary: He had fooled himself into thinking that this was the only way. Avoiding her until she finally got fed up with it and decided he wasn't worth the time and heartache. Some where deep inside him, he almost wished that day would come sooner rather than later, before he got overly irritated and ended up hurting her without meaning to.
Disclaimer: I in no way own or am affiliated in anyway with SquareEnix, who just happens to own both of the characters mentioned in this fic.
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Author's Note: Yes, I did actually manage to write and post two prompts in one day. Not only am I extremely proud of myself for this feat alone, but I'm also extremely proud of this fic. I wrote it in about twenty minutes, and despite that, I still think it's really good. So I hope you all like.
This is also dedicated to my amazing best friend Karen (torncorpse) because she gave me the prompt, and the pairing. Thank you sweetie, I love you ten thousand times more now, if that's even possible.
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"I've been trying to get through to you for the past half an hour," A slightly worried female voice sounded the moment Zack had flipped open his cell phone and pressed accept.
"I know, and I'm sorry you weren't able to get a hold of me, but I told you, I've been busy," Zack said making every attempt to keep the annoyance he felt from seeping into his voice.
"I know." The voice took on a slightly saddened tone now. "I just miss being able to spend time with you. I miss talking to you."
It was all Zack could do to keep from sighing. He hated hearing the sadness that laced her voice. He hated knowing how much he was hurting her even more. He had fooled himself into thinking that this was the only way. Avoiding her until she finally got fed up with it and decided he wasn't worth the time and heartache. Some where deep inside him, he almost wished that day would come sooner rather than later, before he got overly irritated and ended up hurting her without meaning to.
"I have a couple days off next week," Zack began, knowing how he had planned to spend them with Cloud. Without the interference of the woman who was supposed to be his girlfriend.
"Really?" He could hear the way her entire mood perked up in the one word, and he felt his own drop.
"Yeah. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Maybe I could come and see you. We could go to dinner." Zack suggested, knowing that he would have to spend some amount of time with her. Hopefully he could get a way with a couple of hours of shopping around Midgar, followed by what he hoped would be a casual dinner.
"You could come over Friday night. I could make us dinner. I'll even make my special chocolate layer cake that you like so much."
He could all be see the smile on her face at the thought of having him all to herself for the entire night. He could also feel the sick thread of regret starting to roll around in his belly. What on earth had possessed him to answer the damn phone in the first place?
"That sounds amazing," He said, hoping he sounded cheerful.
"And since you don't have any work the next day, maybe you could just stay here for the night." She said, her voice suddenly becoming a whisper, giving away her embarrassment for asking her boyfriend to stay the night with her.
Gaia! Zack thought. How in the hell am I supposed to get out of this?
"I would love to babe. If you want I can bring some movies for us to watch?" And maybe, hopefully, your'll fall asleep watching them so I don't actually have to break your heart even more.
"Can you come around seven? That way I can have everything ready?" A quick trip to market, she thought, for the ingredients to make the desert, and for some of the fat round vanilla scented candles she knew Zack secretly loved.
"I'll be there." Silently thanking which ever god was currently looking over him that he was going to be able to hang up the phone, and with it drop this ridiculous charade that he actually wanted to be with her.
"I'll see you then. I love you." And there it was. The one thing he always dreaded having to say. Those three little words were the most hated, and yet the most wanted in all of his vocabulary.
"I love you too." He muttered before snapping his phone shut, and throwing it against the wall, hoping that he would some how manage to break the blasted contraption.
"Having an off day?" Cloud's voice filtered through his conscience, even as his hands came up to rub at his temples, willing the pain that had started to form there away.
"You could say that." He grumbled, knowing that he was going to have to tell Cloud about the new developments.
"Who was on the phone?" Cloud asked as he crossed the room, intent of finding out what had made his boyfriend's mood change so suddenly.
"Aerith." Knowing that one word, that one name could change the entire course of a night between them scared the hell out of Zack. He was tired of living a lie, tired of living this so called double life.
"I thought you were avoiding her?" Cloud asked, stopping in his tracks.
"I was." Zack said, turning around to face Cloud, who was standing in the middle of the living room looking hurt and confused. The epitome of the wounded puppy dog look.
"And?" Cloud asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Zack return his gaze to the window. The afternoon sun was pouring through it, illuminating the entire apartment in a golden light.
"I'm spending Friday night with her." Zack said quietly, bracing himself for the storm that he knew was to come. The weather outside may have looked warm and peaceful, but inside it was icy and cold.
"I thought we agreed you weren't going to do that anymore?" Cloud said, his voice taking on an accusing air.
"I have to." Zack started, before he was cut off by Cloud.
"You have to? Or is it because you want to?" Cloud asked, his voice holding that same air of accusation, now mixed with a heavy dose of the need to hurt as he was being hurt.
"You know that's not why." Zack said as he turned around to looked at his boyfriend. He had no real way to defend himself. No bargaining chips to pull that could possibly work against Cloud.
"So instead of just getting it over with and breaking up with her, you have to do this? You have to go and spend the night with her, knowing that I'm going to be here. Alone. In your apartment. With my heart breaking in a million pieces. And I'm just supposed to sit here while your out fucking her? I'm just supposed to sit here and feel like my entire world is ending?" Cloud yelled his emotions breaking through into his voice and on to his face, as the first bitter tears spilled from his crystal blue eyes.
"Cloud..." Zack's own voice was thick with his own tightly locked up emotions, knowing now was the time to finally let go of them.
"Don't Cloud me. You've made your choice. I see that now." Cloud muttered as he began to back out of the room, his hands down hanging dejectedly at his sides. His head lowered into his chest, trying to hide the salty tears that were now burning paths down his cheeks. "I guess I just always thought you would choose me."
"Cloud..." Zack said again, trying desperately to get the man to stop. His heart was screaming at him to do something. Anything. Just make the pain stop.
"I hope your happy with your girlfriend. I'll come and get my things later." He could see the tears streaming down Cloud's face, no matter how hard he tired to hide it.
Before he could say anything, Cloud was gone. He could hear the heavy wooden door slamming back into it's frame through the dim buzzing that was currently sounding in his ears. Falling to his knees, a scream ripped through his conciseness consciousness, and with a sick kind of wonder he realized he was the one who had made it. Burying his face in his hands, sobs began to wrack through his body as his world fell around him.
Author: LoveAngel2141
Beta Credit: torncorpse
Characters: Zack Fair, Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough
Written For: 10_themes - Prompt Table Two - Fear
Word Count: 1,273
Rating: PG - 13
Summary: He had fooled himself into thinking that this was the only way. Avoiding her until she finally got fed up with it and decided he wasn't worth the time and heartache. Some where deep inside him, he almost wished that day would come sooner rather than later, before he got overly irritated and ended up hurting her without meaning to.
Disclaimer: I in no way own or am affiliated in anyway with SquareEnix, who just happens to own both of the characters mentioned in this fic.
-----
Author's Note: Yes, I did actually manage to write and post two prompts in one day. Not only am I extremely proud of myself for this feat alone, but I'm also extremely proud of this fic. I wrote it in about twenty minutes, and despite that, I still think it's really good. So I hope you all like.
This is also dedicated to my amazing best friend Karen (torncorpse) because she gave me the prompt, and the pairing. Thank you sweetie, I love you ten thousand times more now, if that's even possible.
-----
"I've been trying to get through to you for the past half an hour," A slightly worried female voice sounded the moment Zack had flipped open his cell phone and pressed accept.
"I know, and I'm sorry you weren't able to get a hold of me, but I told you, I've been busy," Zack said making every attempt to keep the annoyance he felt from seeping into his voice.
"I know." The voice took on a slightly saddened tone now. "I just miss being able to spend time with you. I miss talking to you."
It was all Zack could do to keep from sighing. He hated hearing the sadness that laced her voice. He hated knowing how much he was hurting her even more. He had fooled himself into thinking that this was the only way. Avoiding her until she finally got fed up with it and decided he wasn't worth the time and heartache. Some where deep inside him, he almost wished that day would come sooner rather than later, before he got overly irritated and ended up hurting her without meaning to.
"I have a couple days off next week," Zack began, knowing how he had planned to spend them with Cloud. Without the interference of the woman who was supposed to be his girlfriend.
"Really?" He could hear the way her entire mood perked up in the one word, and he felt his own drop.
"Yeah. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Maybe I could come and see you. We could go to dinner." Zack suggested, knowing that he would have to spend some amount of time with her. Hopefully he could get a way with a couple of hours of shopping around Midgar, followed by what he hoped would be a casual dinner.
"You could come over Friday night. I could make us dinner. I'll even make my special chocolate layer cake that you like so much."
He could all be see the smile on her face at the thought of having him all to herself for the entire night. He could also feel the sick thread of regret starting to roll around in his belly. What on earth had possessed him to answer the damn phone in the first place?
"That sounds amazing," He said, hoping he sounded cheerful.
"And since you don't have any work the next day, maybe you could just stay here for the night." She said, her voice suddenly becoming a whisper, giving away her embarrassment for asking her boyfriend to stay the night with her.
Gaia! Zack thought. How in the hell am I supposed to get out of this?
"I would love to babe. If you want I can bring some movies for us to watch?" And maybe, hopefully, your'll fall asleep watching them so I don't actually have to break your heart even more.
"Can you come around seven? That way I can have everything ready?" A quick trip to market, she thought, for the ingredients to make the desert, and for some of the fat round vanilla scented candles she knew Zack secretly loved.
"I'll be there." Silently thanking which ever god was currently looking over him that he was going to be able to hang up the phone, and with it drop this ridiculous charade that he actually wanted to be with her.
"I'll see you then. I love you." And there it was. The one thing he always dreaded having to say. Those three little words were the most hated, and yet the most wanted in all of his vocabulary.
"I love you too." He muttered before snapping his phone shut, and throwing it against the wall, hoping that he would some how manage to break the blasted contraption.
"Having an off day?" Cloud's voice filtered through his conscience, even as his hands came up to rub at his temples, willing the pain that had started to form there away.
"You could say that." He grumbled, knowing that he was going to have to tell Cloud about the new developments.
"Who was on the phone?" Cloud asked as he crossed the room, intent of finding out what had made his boyfriend's mood change so suddenly.
"Aerith." Knowing that one word, that one name could change the entire course of a night between them scared the hell out of Zack. He was tired of living a lie, tired of living this so called double life.
"I thought you were avoiding her?" Cloud asked, stopping in his tracks.
"I was." Zack said, turning around to face Cloud, who was standing in the middle of the living room looking hurt and confused. The epitome of the wounded puppy dog look.
"And?" Cloud asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Zack return his gaze to the window. The afternoon sun was pouring through it, illuminating the entire apartment in a golden light.
"I'm spending Friday night with her." Zack said quietly, bracing himself for the storm that he knew was to come. The weather outside may have looked warm and peaceful, but inside it was icy and cold.
"I thought we agreed you weren't going to do that anymore?" Cloud said, his voice taking on an accusing air.
"I have to." Zack started, before he was cut off by Cloud.
"You have to? Or is it because you want to?" Cloud asked, his voice holding that same air of accusation, now mixed with a heavy dose of the need to hurt as he was being hurt.
"You know that's not why." Zack said as he turned around to looked at his boyfriend. He had no real way to defend himself. No bargaining chips to pull that could possibly work against Cloud.
"So instead of just getting it over with and breaking up with her, you have to do this? You have to go and spend the night with her, knowing that I'm going to be here. Alone. In your apartment. With my heart breaking in a million pieces. And I'm just supposed to sit here while your out fucking her? I'm just supposed to sit here and feel like my entire world is ending?" Cloud yelled his emotions breaking through into his voice and on to his face, as the first bitter tears spilled from his crystal blue eyes.
"Cloud..." Zack's own voice was thick with his own tightly locked up emotions, knowing now was the time to finally let go of them.
"Don't Cloud me. You've made your choice. I see that now." Cloud muttered as he began to back out of the room, his hands down hanging dejectedly at his sides. His head lowered into his chest, trying to hide the salty tears that were now burning paths down his cheeks. "I guess I just always thought you would choose me."
"Cloud..." Zack said again, trying desperately to get the man to stop. His heart was screaming at him to do something. Anything. Just make the pain stop.
"I hope your happy with your girlfriend. I'll come and get my things later." He could see the tears streaming down Cloud's face, no matter how hard he tired to hide it.
Before he could say anything, Cloud was gone. He could hear the heavy wooden door slamming back into it's frame through the dim buzzing that was currently sounding in his ears. Falling to his knees, a scream ripped through his conciseness consciousness, and with a sick kind of wonder he realized he was the one who had made it. Burying his face in his hands, sobs began to wrack through his body as his world fell around him.