[incomplete]

[zacked]

Who: Zack, Naminé.
When: Evening.
Where: Their house, upper level.
Rating: TBA.
Warnings: Character death; TBA beyond that.
Summary: So, Zack's figured out that there's no getting better from his sickness. Naminé insists on staying with him during this time.

Comments

[zacked]

Zack, honestly, had learned to not care so much about losing memories. It sucked, yeah, but death sucked, too; didn't mean either stopped him very well, did it? For whatever he forgot, there were so many people from his world to tell him, or maybe the Gods themselves would have, if he had asked, and no, he could no longer recall his emotions over certain things, but... didn't take a genius to figure out how he would have felt, did it? And what was important to him remained important; he created new bonds, maybe even stronger than the last. (Tseng was a good example of that, right? Tseng, whom he didn't remember at all, but apparently had been one of his good friends, someone who had done so much for him during times of trouble.)

... besides, Zack never allowed himself to dwell on it much. Then or now. No point in wondering what he might forget, what he might have to do to make up for that--he still held on hope that he'd survive and that'd be that. In any case, he'd dealt with it when and if it came with the same sort of easy grace he dealt with most things. As he had told Cissnei, this whole process was a lot harder on everyone else than it was him.

"You're cheating!" he protested, allowing himself to wander away from his thoughts and back to what was before him. He scowled lightly at the screen, opting to stick more to basic moves than the combos he usually wasted so much time on figuring out. From the looks of things, Naminé would win this match, too, but, aah--she was lucky. That was all. "You just wait, Princess. I'll make a major comeback and then we'll see who's laughing."

[crepusculine]

It helped, really, for them to focus on other things. Even if it was something as pointless as a video game. Had Zack been feeling up to par, chances were he'd have wiped the ground with her in such a game - but for now, winning kept him on his toes and alert(ish), and that was all she wanted. That was why she was there, to help make him comfortable, right?

She shifted closer to him, and this time it was her head that dropped to his shoulder, and she resumed her button-mashing (there was a technique to it, honest!). After a moment of thought, seemingly out of nowhere, she absently said, "I love you, Zack."

[zacked]

Those were words that had Zack pausing, had both his gaze and his attention wandering from the screen and down over to Naminé. His most favourite words in the world, perhaps, and hearing it right then was... well, even better, if he were entirely honest. Because even if he had wanted and preferred to be alone, and even if he was making it a point to keep as normal as he could and lock down anything else he had going on, he--well, it didn't mean he wouldn't get or wasn't already some level of lonely, right? So Naminé being there with him, her saying that, they were both definitely welcomed with him. They made him feel better.

Without even really paying attention to what he was doing, Zack was setting his controller down and shifting, not wanting to disturb Naminé but enough so that he could slip his arms around her. He buried his face against her shoulders, turned just enough so that he didn't have to close his eyes. He was silent for maybe a moment or two before he answered, "... love you too, Princess."

[crepusculine]

Just as carefully and quietly, Naminé, too, set aside her controller. Her arms went around Zack in return, and warm hands lifted to ghost across his face, smooth his tousled hair back. She couldn't say she knew how he was feeling because... well, she couldn't imagine it. But she had an idea, and she knew that whatever it was, it was likely not a happy feeling. That was enough to bother her.

"I love you very much," she said softly, continuing to stroke her fingers through his hair, gentle and soothing, familiar. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me. Have I told you that?" She didn't think she had, but... perhaps it was time he should know, then.

[zacked]

Zack didn't think she had said that before, either. Personally, he was rather free in admitting that Naminé was the best thing to happen to him, if not just because he knew he never could have stood Purgatorium without her, but... well, he had never asked Naminé how she felt in return and she had never really offered the information. Not like he would have thought she would have said differently, really, but, aah--still, it was nice to hear, wasn't it? Because maybe sometimes he worried and maybe sometimes he thought that--

Zack pressed a kiss against the blonde's arm in response, nodding a little. The hands at her waist curled unconsciously around the fabric of her dress. "You know it's the same for me," he said quietly. "You know you're everything to me."

[crepusculine]

That easily brought a smile forth, and Naminé nodded a little, tilting her head to press a soft kiss to one of his cheeks. One of the blonde's hands dropped, catching hold of Zack's and relocating it to her stomach. He always seemed to like doing that, so... she hoped that maybe it would make him feel a little better now. Besides that, she always liked it, it never failed to be... oddly relaxing, somehow. (Better still when she'd wake up to discover Zack with his head on her stomach and murmuring soft things to it. There'd been many times she had pretended to remain asleep, just to listen to him for awhile.)

"...This weekend," she said thoughtfully, wanting to keep talking, keep the mood light, "we should go on another date. It's been a few weeks, hasn't it? Maybe I'll plan it this time and surprise you, for a change." Because surely, by the weekend this would all be over. She had hopes that it would... one way or another.

[zacked]

The quickest and easiest way to distract Zack, without fail, was of course the baby. From the moment Naminé had moved his hand, his attention had been diverted and focused as well as it could be right then. (Because if there was anything Zack had been certain he'd never get, it was--) He let his fingers stretch lazily, palm pressed flat against her stomach, as it so often was. And he liked doing that, yeah. It made him feel... well, happy. Alive, perhaps, in a way that nothing else could.

Just because he was so focused now upon the baby, though, didn't mean that Zack didn't catch Naminé's words. And he wondered, briefly, if he'd be better by this weekend, but--truthfully, he didn't want to think about it dragging out so long. It had went on long enough and, anyways, hadn't Medea himself told him that this sickness tended to move rather quickly? "I think I'd like that," he answered, not even aware when his eyes slid shut a moment later. "I'd even wear something nice, just for you~."

[crepusculine]

Naminé kept her own hand pressed gently over his, tiny in comparison. Her eyes lingered on him and she shifted slightly, so that he could lie down, if he so wished. She didn't mind being used as a pillow. Her free hand continued stroking through his hair, delicately toying with dark strands, and another kiss was dropped to his face.

"I would like that. I'll get a pretty dress, if you'd like. ...I think I look funny in them anymore, but you seem to like them..." Her head tilted, and she paused in the petting to push some of her own hair back from her face. "We can even go play some games somewhere; playing them on the big arcade screens would be fun, wouldn't it?" Really, anything was fine with her. If there was one thing Naminé was good about, it was being easy-going. She was willing to try most anything at least once, even if it was something as silly as playing video games (because watching Zack play by himself always seemed like it'd be boring for him, to her).

[zacked]

Zack didn't honestly mean to lay down. It was just, well... Naminé was so warm and comfortable and her movements were relaxing him. Not to mention that, yeah, he was very tired when it all came down to it and therefore maybe it wasn't any surprise that, a few moments after Naminé moved, he was shifting as well. Just enough that he could rest his head upon her lap, legs drawn up and that hand still upon her stomach. His eyes, for the time being, stayed shut.

"You look pretty no matter what you wear, baby," he answered, speaking honestly. He thought she was gorgeous and couldn't understand how or why her advancing pregnancy would affect that, at all. Maybe he was just weird, but--that's the way it was. "Mm. We should definitely try that~."

[crepusculine]

She wasn't sure whether him lying down pleased her or not, but said nothing of it. She'd promised herself that, no matter what, she would respect whatever it was he wanted to do. If... going to sleep, resting, was what happened, then so be it. He knew his body and what was going on with it better than she did right then, and so-

But maybe she blinked back a few tears at the sight of him that way. Closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in, slow and steady, and she pushed his hair back again, smoothed her hand down over his shoulder, down his arm, to his side. "I'm glad you think so." The words came out a soft whisper, barely audible over the game music still sounding in the background - which muted shortly thereafter when she reached over to grab the remote and mute the volume. "...You look handsome in most everything. I'm not so sure about dresses; those tend to just make me laugh." Idle chatter, tone soft; still, she managed to keep her voice gentle and betraying the general sinking feeling she felt inside of her.

[zacked]

Zack gave a soft, tired laugh that trailed off into a yawn he managed to (mostly) bite back. He shifted a little restlessly, more in an absent attempt to keep himself awake than anything else. It wasn't like he was drifting off just then, though, so he wasn't too worried about it right then; he was more interested in simply enjoying the moment between them. (Whilst they could, right?)

At least, he was more comfortable then than he had been in a few days, when he thought about it.

"Good thing they're only for the sake of amusement, then," he replied. Or maybe it was more like to see everyone's face, because so many were shocked and speechless just at the idea. And, no, he'd definitely never get the point of that. But, people were silly. "Otherwise, my feelings might be really hurt there."

[crepusculine]

Naminé bit gently on her lower lip, silent a moment. "I would still love you, even if all you wore was dresses," she admitted, somewhat teasingly. (Though it was true, but... still. She'd have stared at him. A lot.) "...Not so sure I'd be seen in public with you, but... ah, it'd be embarrassing to have my boyfriend look better in a dress than I do."

Her fingers traced his jaw, tickling up the side of his face. A single fingertip touched to his earlobe, and slowly began to trace and circle his ear in light, slow strokes. (She had some distant, far-off memory of... someone or another, having a parent that did this to them when they were younger to help soothe them to sleep.)

[zacked]

Zack made a noise that was supposed to be a laugh, but instead came out as a quiet and tired sigh. He found himself shifting, inching a bit closer to Naminé and curling around her, head tilted into her touch. There was some distinct part of him that thought this... was way, way too comfortable. But, even as he was thinking it, Zack knew he'd no sooner move from his position right then than he would suddenly take to dancing. (It was just too nice, he thought.)

"Mm," he murmured in reply, pressing a warm and incredibly lazy kiss against Naminé's stomach. He had the urge to yawn once more then, but he still managed to swallow it back. "... you're much prettier in a dress than I could ever hope to be, Naminé..."

[crepusculine]

"I suppose it's good that they're all I ever wear, then, isn't it?" She resisted the urge to shift, not wanting to disturb him.

A part of her wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, demand he open his eyes and fully wake. Sit back up, play another game with her. Keep her company. Talk to her. Anything at all that would keep that sick, sleepy sound from his voice that tore at her heart every time he spoke.

What would she do, she wondered, if he did slip away from her and she found herself unable to wake him? The thought made her eyes sting with fresh tears - which she stubbornly blinked back - and for a moment, her hand stilled. The gentle motions picked back up, however, intent on comforting, soothing, relaxing as much as possible.

And, "I love you," she said again, because when in doubt of what else to say... those words always seemed appropriate no matter the situation.

[zacked]

"Mhm." Zack didn't rightfully know what he would have done, had Naminé ever come to him in pants or something like that. Not that he'd mind it--she was free to wear what she wanted and he'd always think she was beautiful--but it definitely would have been weird. For as long as Zack had known her, the blonde had always wore dresses (occasionally skirts) and so anything else would have made him blink for a moment or two.

... of course, blinking would have required opening his eyes. Which he was distinctly aware of, then, he couldn't seem to convince himself to do. But he was so tired and Naminé was so warm, so comfortable. How long had it been since he had slept, anyways? It didn't seem like that long ago, but then again... it felt like it had been too long. Zack didn't remember ever feeling quite so tired before, maybe once or twice, but this--

"I love you, too," he murmured, only barely catching the words, only barely thinking to reply. (Or maybe it was more instinct.) Maybe a nap wouldn't be all that bad, he thought. Just a little one, right? Maybe he'd even wake up and feel better...

[crepusculine]

She swallowed hard again, swallowed back the sound of a whimper wanting to make itself heard. She refused to get upset - refused. So she took a slow breath, as shaky as it was, and bowed her head. It was the first and only time she would say this, but she wanted him to know... it was all right. She'd be all right, and no matter what happened, if he slept now, he'd feel better when he woke up.

"...Sleep, Zack. I'm not going anywhere."