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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]

"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.

He shifted slightly under the weight of Zack's hand on his shoulder, then shrugged it off, turning away from him again.

"I know I can trust you Zack, that's why...I think it's time."

His shoulder armor caught the lights in the park as his arms shifted, hands coming up, planting upon the reflective surface of his helmet and blocking out the image of Zack that was mirrored there. A moment of hesitation...a deep breath to steel his nerves, a glance around to make sure they are alone...

...and then it comes off.

[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, If you keep your mouth open like that, flies are going to zip right in. He felt branded with his shock and astonishment and worry.

So he did the only thing rational: spun on his heel, quick quick quick before he could see too much. His back was presented to Kunsel now, the role reversal, this time from respect rather than worry.

“A-are you sure about this? Maybe you just have a fever or something. You do know I can see, right? Not blind. When you take it off, I can see what’s underneath?”

[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'm sure, Zack," he said, and he turned to face his friend, only a little surprised that the other man had turned away from him.

Zack was as excitable as he was at times, and...always more respectful in terms of privacy. In a way it proved to Kunsel that he really could trust his friend, despite all of the hair-brained pranks they had pulled on each other (and would no doubt continue to pull). "You can look, it's alright. I don't have a fever, I'm thinking clearly. This is...what I called you out here for, you know?"

His helmet fell to his side, still in hand, but as he closed the gap between them, his free hand reached up and squeezed Zack's shoulder, shook it a little, as if the gesture could motivate him to turn around.

"C'mon, it's time. We've been friends for a long while and I don't want to hide from you anymore, Zack. I don't want there to be things left unfinished between us."

[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.

One hand, gloved, moved to reach and ruffle the hair, but stopped long enough to take off the leather that threatened to intrude. Dropping it on the ground, he touched the helmet hair and hmmmed in the back of his throat.

“Yeah. Pretty much how I pictured you. Only with more hair. Don’t worry, though, I’ll keep on telling everyone you’re suffering from male pattern baldness and that’s the reason for the helmet.” And he smiled, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his hair, he smiled.

[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.

“Pity dates, that’s all. They feel the guy who’s head is so big that it got stuck in a Shinra-issued helmet. Or, at least, that’s what I’ll be sure to tell them.” And it was his turn to wink and smile, to be a friend, to lighten the mood over something so important that he didn’t really have words for it.

But it was Kunsel’s heart that got all the ladies, and Zack thought-no, knew- that he deserved it. His heart was as real and as deep as anything, something that shouldn’t ever be obscured by walls or helmets, even if it was inevitable for their line of work. Didn’t matter, though. And it never would.

Fitting the glove back onto his hand and wiggling the fingers inside their familiar leather confines, he looked back to Kunsel. It was so strange to see him like this, open and himself, not hiding, not wanting to, revealing everything, even if it was just his face. Zack had waited so long to see him, so long, and he looked good in his normalcy. Handsome. Honest.

“I feel kinda bad,” he mused. “If I were Angeal, I’d have a story to tell for this kinda thing, but I don’t. Some mentor I am, huh?”