The Boy From Gongaga [KH/FF]

"It's not the first time I've been stood up."

"Yeah I heard about that," Zack chuckled, "I just assumed you'd have a whole line of guys competing to be your boyfriend by now."

"Well," you swatted your left hand to the side, "No line here. I have to admit though... this one is the one that stung the most."

"You really liked this guy?" Zack asked leaning forward onto his elbows, curiosity in his bright blue eyes.

"No... not exactly. I just felt like there was a genuine connection," you sighed, spooning more ice cream into your mouth.

"His loss," Zack said, leaning back again.

"Definitely," you agreed, laughing with him, "Anyway, enough about my non existent love life. It's been forever since we last talked, I think it was at..."

There was a moment of silence as the both of you tried to think of where you'd last seen each other.

"Reno's party!" The both of you said at the same time. Then the two of you couldn't stop laughing as memories of the party came flooding back.

"I can't believe Rude got so drunk," Zack said.

"I know! Poor Reno had so much trouble trying to take care of him."

"Yeah. That was right before I started working here," Zack said.

"I heard you quit the football team," you said, "I'd always thought you loved football and that you were aiming to play professionally after college."

"Yeah, I did," Zack sighed, "Not too many people were happy about that, my parents especially. I mean I love football, always will, I just... I guess I just realized I wanted to do something else with my life, you know?"

You nodded in response.

"I quit the team and changed my major to Sports Medicine. It sets me back a little bit graduation wise but I know it's what I want to do. And quitting the team meant no scholarship. So that's when I got the job here," Zack said sliding both his hands to the side to emphasize his point.

"That's great! I mean a tough decision to make but great that you found what you really want to do," you were already almost finished with the ice cream.

"What about you?" Zack asked, "Tifa said you've been having some trouble with the whole 'my future is looming' situation."

"Does Tifa talk about me that much when she's over at yours and Cloud's place?" You asked, surprised he even knew.

"Sometimes," Zack grinned at you, "Sometimes I ask about you," he continued, a glint in his eye.

"You do?" You asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Zack leaned forward, "of course."

You weren't aware that Tifa talked about you to Zack. It wasn't that you minded, you just didn't think he'd be interested in any details about your life.

"Well... majoring in Biology had seemed like a good idea in the beginning. Now I honestly don't know," you said, sighing, "But I only have a few months till graduation so I'm just doing my best to hang on. I'll figure out my life after I graduate."

"I think most people never actually have their lives figured out," Zack said, genuinely smiling at you, "it's more of a taking things as they come. I'm sure you'll figure it out though."

"That's true, something I'm definitely working on," you said.

You'd never really paid attention to it before but every time you talked to Zack you always felt better. You weren't sure what it was about him but it seemed like his positive attitude was contagious. It probably helped that he was very nice to look at, you wouldn't talking to him all day.

"You know, I think this is the longest conversation we've probably had in a setting that isn't someone's party," Zack said, laughing.

"I think you're right," you said, joining in.

Zack put his elbows on the table, slowly leaned forward with his usual flirtatious smile.

"I wouldn't mind continuing this conversation over dinner sometime," he said.

Zack Fair just asked you out, on a date. You were having some trouble wrapping your head around it. You could tell you probably looked a bit dazed but you quickly composed yourself.

"I–," before you could answer you were interrupted by another voice.

"Zack! Break's over, your help is needed in the back."

"Damn," Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You wasted your break talking to me?"

"I wouldn't consider it wasting," Zack said, giving you that same smile.

Since when had that smile given you such an extreme case of butterflies?

"Zack!" The same voice called.

"Sorry (Y/N), I gotta go. The ice cream's on the house and–"

"Woah, hold on! I'm paying for that bowl," you said fishing for your wallet from your purse.

"No it's fine, really. It'll just come out of my paycheck, it's cool."

"Okay, I'm definitely paying," you said, the money already out on the table.

Zack looked at you, realizing you weren't going to budge he sighed and stood up.

"Fine, I'll be right back with your check."

Zack quickly rushed to get your check and set the little mini holder on your table before scurrying off to where he was needed. You payed for the ice cream in cash and left a large tip. Before leaving you made sure to write your number on the receipt that was going back with  a little message.

Grabbing your receipt and putting it in your purse you quickly made your way home. You hoped to say bye to Zack yourself but he was too busy in the back.

It wasn't until you got home and inspected the receipt that you realized Zack had written something on the back.

"Hoping to continue that conversation," you read aloud.

Underneath that was his number.

"P.S. He was a huge idiot for standing you up but maybe I should be thanking him," you couldn't help but giggle.

Maybe you should be thanking him too.