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[i_love_squats]

Who: Zack Fair i_love_squats and Kunsel knows_it_all
When: Backdated to Feb 20.
Where: In the park.
Format: Paragraph.
What: It’s after the V-Day event, and Kunsel’s got something important to show Zack. /tries not to leer
Warnings: Sap? But it'd be manly sap, I swear.

Comments

[knows_it_all]

The bet that Kunsel had made with Zack was more of an added bonus to their meeting than anything else, irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Still, it mattered a little bit to Kunsel, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered to swindle the other man out of an arrangement he otherwise might have won.

Having been en route to the location before Zack had even set out, he was able to ensure that the 1st Class SOLDIER didn't stand a chance at claiming victory. That, of course, wasn't what he was about to tell his friend, lest the other man accuse him of using underhanded tactics to win and compare him to a Turk again.

Shudder.He sat patiently in the park, a smile on his face, barely visible beneath the lip of the helmet he always wore, his Forge in hand. As the other man approached, he pushed himself to his feet and then stretched

[i_love_squats]

Oh! Ooooh, not fair! Zack couldn’t help the sputter at the way Kunsel taunted him, teased him for his lack of speed. He had come running! He should’ve won! There was no way this was fair, none, zip, zero.

Kunsel did something. Cheated. Or…or not cheated, but skirted around the imaginary rules that had never been specified and put into place. Hmph. Too much Turk time, that was it.

“Wish I would’ve. I’m starving.” Which wasn’t too unusual, not really. Moving to find a bench, Zack flopped down and looked up at him. Funny how no matter what angle he was at, he could never see under Kunsel’s helmet. They did a good job with SOLDIER helmets

[knows_it_all]

"I'm not gonna dye your hair, man..."

But he did have a thought on what else to try, an idea that triggered a softer smile to appear on his face, a little distant, but warm. "Actually, I was thinking...you could go back to your old style for a day, you know? Lose the stray lock of hair temporarily, not that I have a problem with it, but...for old time's sake."

He dared to come a few steps closer to the other man, to look down at him...to reach out...and flick the errant black strands of hair that fell before those Mako eyes in a clump. He even dared to chuckle a little, until Zack's next question caused the sound to catch in his throat and appear more a cough than anything.

Oh, right! The thing I was going to...show him...Hands immediately shoved back into his pockets, Kunsel spun and presented the other man with his back, chin tilting upward so that he could look at the sky above the park. Was it a good time for this? The right time? They'd been friends for...well, for forever, or that's what it felt like. Zack deserved to

[i_love_squats]

His… old hair? Blue eyes crossed as he watched the finger approach, feeling the little rush of air as his hair was pushed away. He hadn’t… really thought of that. Really, it was so simple that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, a hidden stipulation that never crossed his mind. There had to be something.

“Well, if we wanted to go authentic old hair, we’d have to cut it.” Which, he wasn’t exactly opposed to, either. It was just hair; it’d grow back, probably sooner than most with all the Mako treatments coursing through his veins. “Hey, if you’re not going to put pink bows in my hair or dye it, you can do whatever you want, man.”

Zack was still smiling (innocent and wide) as Kunsel slammed his hands into his pockets and turned away. The expression softened, drifted away and switched to the perplexed look of someone who didn’t know how they put their whole foot into their mouth and swallowed, but apparently just did. Shiva, was it something he said? Did he have something in his teeth? What the-

Think about whether or not you

[knows_it_all]

"Cut it...sure." They could do that. It'd look good. But then, Zack always looked presentable, even being something of a scruffy puppy, as Angeal called him. That was part of what made him a good 1st Class. He had charisma, and he was handsome.

Sighing, Kunsel found himself looking back over his shoulder at his friend, listening to his words.

Nothing will ever change that.

"Yeah...maybe you're right," Kunsel agreed, although in his heart he wasn't convinced, and wouldn't be until they were past this hurdle together, both Zack and himself.

It was a little like revealing they were long lost brothers, to be honest. Long lost brothers, and he'd known it all along and had simply chosen not to tell Zack...without having a good reason. The only ones that had ever seen what he looked like under the helmet were the scientists at Shin-Ra, and the director of SOLDIER himself, Lazard...at least before it was reported that he'd passed away

[i_love_squats]

The real question was: did Zack trust Kunsel with scissors and his hair? Not that he thought the Second would mess it up on purpose, but the guy wore a helmet; how often did he have to cut his own hair? How could Zack find out if he could even do it right in the first place? For all he knew, the guy could be bald under there! He could be Rude! You know, only smaller and without the facial hair.

“We’ll have to get someone in to do it, then. Or we’ll have to get someone else in to assess your scissor skills.” He cast him a scrutinizing look while pointing at his own hair. “Are you up to the challenge of perfecting all this?”

And when the hands found the helmet, Zack was sure he was just adjusting it. Had to be. It was hot under there, and he had to sweat, and it probably slid down, that’s all. Right?

But then the hands were pulling it up, off, and Zack caught a glimpse of Kunsel’s hair, immediately disproving his previous Rude thought. Zack could feel the wideness of his own eyes, could hear his mom’s voice in his head chastising,

[knows_it_all]

Sucking in a breath of fresh air through clenched teeth, a smile lit up Kunsel's face. The cool air pelted his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, his forehead and chin, and boy did it felt good. Great even. Who cared if his hair was a tousled mess atop his head from wearing the Shin-Ra issued helmet all day long? Appearances weren't exactly high on Kunsel's list of priorities

[i_love_squats]

Unfinished. Unfinished. The hand on his shoulder was a slow burn that had unfrozen him, loosened the ground he was stuck into, but the words themselves were fuel that gave him permission, that let him move. Unfinished, and there was a lot of that, wasn’t there? A mountain of unfinished business, a goodbye that had never been offered, promises unfulfilled.

And Zack? Zack knew he owed it, not for moral duty, but because it was his friend, one of his closest especially after being here and what they had been through. Second chances didn’t come along every day, every week, every month, and here was Kunsel offering something so personal, something most folks took for granted.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and turned with a smile on his lips and his eyes closed. “My Forge’s off, you know. Promise.” And his eyelashes parted, the flare of his blue eyes peeking out, and he looked at Kunsel for the first time. Really looked at him.

Really saw him

[knows_it_all]

"I trust you, Zack. I know you'd never seriously put me out."

He stood his ground as the other SOLDIER turned to face him, his heart slamming inside his chest, butterflies stirring up a whirlwind in his stomach.

And then Zack opened his eyes. For the first time ever he was able to look directly into them without interruption. He knew the blue intimately from his own reflection, but it was still alarming in the way that...this was Zack looking back at him, not himself. They could really see each other.

That was when Zack's hand slid into his hair, combed over his scalp. It was everything Kunsel could do not to lean in toward his friend, to keep the smile on his face tame.

"So, you mean to tell me that you've been telling folks I'm bald...and I still go out with more girls than you do? That's sad, buddy."

And to show the jab was harmless, he threw in a playful wink and a nudge to Zack's ribs with a loose fist.

[i_love_squats]

Oh, oooouch. What a tongue you’ve got on you, Kunsel! Not nice. Not nice at all. Pulling his hand away to rub at the playful nudge, he rolled his eyes and stooped to pick up his glove