Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: G-PG
011. red
Red is the color of Summons Materia that you've never held before but heard plenty of. "I'll show you one day!" Zack exclaims as he wraps a strong arm around you. "Beautiful things they are, so full or power, so full of life."
Red is the color of the plateaus surrounding Cosmos Canyon that you've flown over but never actually visited. "I'll take you there one day." Zack whispers in your ear, touching your cheek gently. "Maybe after this mission's over, eh?" And then the helicopter lands and you're moving to the truck, all before you've gotten a chance to answer.
You've crawled as far as your poisoned body will allow you and now the mako, which had been receding, has come back in full force, paralyzing you at the most important moment. You need to move because Zack is right next to you dying and Midgar and help is just beyond the cliff. But you can't, just like you couldn't make it into SOLDIER, like you couldn't save Nibelheim. All you can do is lie on your back, choking inside because you can't even cry.
Red is the color of the setting sun, the dying sun, that you see as the day fades to night.
012. orange
He steps into an apartment that's been empty for five years.
"What are you doing?"
"Peeling an orange."
"Oh, know what they say about orange peels?"
"No, what?"
"That if you can peel an entire orange without breaking the peel and throw that behind you it'll land in the shape of the first letter of your soul mate."
"..."
"But you know what I think?"
"Zack...I think-"
"I think that's a buncha bull shit-"
"-that's for an apple peel."
"-cause how the hell is it supposed to form a Z-huh, really?"
"Yes Zack."
"Oh, well..."
And as the voices fade from memory he notices something in the corner. Lying there is an old orange peel (dry, shriveled, cracked), once in the shape of a S. But time, and mice, have gotten to it and opposing corners have been nibbled on until the peel forms a broken but recognizable Z.
013. yellow
"Hey there, chocobo-head~" a teasing voice sounded from the left.
"Zaaaaack!" Cloud protested when the SOLDIER held him in a headlock and began ruffling his hair.
Zack laughed and eventually stopped messing up the poor cadet's hair. Running his fingers through it and gently untangling the knots he said, "I can't help it, you know. You're hair is exactly like it! Someday I'll get you one."
Cloud scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue. "Yeah? Well you're not one to talk...porcupine head!" shouting the last words, Cloud ducked out of Zack's hold and began racing down the halls.
"What the-? Hey now Spike that ain't fair!" Zack shouted as he chased after the cadet's retreating back, eyes sparkling with laughter.
He stepped into the stable, a bag of greens in one hand. The bird in the stall to his right shifted and ruffled its feathers. A sad smile touched his lips as he walked over to the stall and reached over the gate. With one hand he offered up the greens; with the other he stroked the golden crest.
"Hey there, chocobo-head..."
014. green
Cloud wonders if he bleeds green.
Certainly there has been enough of it in his life. From the green of the Nibelheim mountains in the summer to the green of the flowers struggling to survive in the Church. From the green of Sephrioth's eyes that haunts his dreams to the green of the Life Stream he sees. For five years of his life Cloud has bathed in green and Zack, only Zack, with his blue, blue eyes has been the anchor that kept Cloud from drowning.
Cloud wonders if he bleeds green, but he doesn't think he'll ever know. Because his anchor is gone and he's alone, lost in a sea of green.
015. blue
He's been down in the blasted basement for so long that he's started to forget what the outside world looks like. So when he finally breaks free and stumbles up the winding stairs, the first thing he looks for is a window. And there it was, dusty and grimy, but still a welcome sight.
"Hey Spike," he addresses the still form that's leaning against him, "look, it's the sky. Beautiful, ain't it?" The form shifts and moans, hazy blue eyes drifting in the direction of the window.
Zack grins, hope blooming in his chest for the first time in five years. "C'mon," he declares, wrapping an arm around Cloud's waist, "let's go outside and see it for real."
And together they stepped into the sunlight.
016. purple
The dress is the most hideous shade of purple Cloud's ever seen. To say this would be embarrassing was a gross understatement, but mercenaries were paid to do as they were told. No complaints.
So with a sigh Cloud slipped the thing on, glad that at least the other members of AVALANCHE were still wary enough of his sword to refrain from commenting. But somewhere inside his head, he could hear someone else laughing.
017. brown
Zack doesn't function well (at all) without first having his daily cup of coffee. Cloud has found this out the hard way, seeing as how Zack refuses to even leave the bed before downing a cup. And since Zack refuses to leave the bed, Cloud, by default, can't either due to the tight grip Zack always has around the young trooper's waist every morning. So Cloud learns to operate the coffee machine that sits on the bedstand one-handed, waiting patiently for the rich brown liquid to brew so he can barter for his freedom.
But sometimes Cloud finds it nice to lay in bed with a warm body behind his, a sense of safety and comfort there within a circle of arms that has been so rare throughout his life. So sometimes, sometimes Cloud forgoes making that cup of coffee and finds other ways to rouse Zack.
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