Faithless Memories

Agreement

Zack blushed a deep crimson and took a step back. He shook his head several times before he shot her a glare. "Please don't ever mention getting intimate again. I don't want to picture that."

She laughed at his reddened ears before she poked him in the ribs. He jumped with a yelp and gave her another glare, but she could tell he was only trying to mask a grin. She smiled and shook her head at him. "I promise I will be alright. Okay, little brother?"

Zack scoffed and grabbed her into a tight hug. "Who's the little one?"

At his jab, she latched onto his ribs again. He started howling and trying to get away, but no matter how he moved, she was still right there. When he finally gave up and fell into the nearest chair, she relented and grinned at him. "No matter how much bigger you get, you will always be my little brother."

He gave her a tired nod. "Yeah, yeah. At least I know I have family close by."

She ruffled his hair before she turned to stare at the mess the kitchen was still in. She shook her head and sighed. "Hey, do you feel like going to get takeout?"

Zack had been grumbling about her ruffling his hair again while he tried to fix it, but at her suggestion, he looked up with interest. "Can I pick the place?"

She laughed again. "Sure, just don't go to that burger place. The last time I got slimy lettuce." She shuddered at the memory.

Zack looked a little put-out, but he perked up quickly. "Alright, I'll be back in a little while." Kris waved him out while she tried to figure out what to do with the mountain of indigestible sweets.

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Things between Kris and Zack had settled finally after their talk. Mostly, the whole ordeal was just not talked about again between them, but it worked. That was skewed slightly when Genesis shocked her by calling the next day during his lunch. Kris almost didn't answer, but she decided she couldn't hide forever. She tried not to sound nervous when she picked up.

Genesis' voice was genial at her hello. "Kristobel, I am glad that I was able to reach you. I am aware that you work during the weekends, so I wanted to know if you would join me tomorrow night. It would be a casual setting. I will even invite Angeal and the Pu- I mean Zack, if it would ease your mind."

Kris had to fight down a laugh. She found it funny that the Commander was trying so hard, especially every time he caught himself calling Zack a puppy. Even though she didn't want to, she found it slightly endearing. Still, she had to keep in mind that she didn't know for sure what his motivation was. Despite her best efforts, her voice carried her smile. "Commander, I will admit that I am surprised to hear from you. I'm even more surprised that you would be willing to see me in an environment that could be considered hostile."

He scoffed. "Dear, I am aware that your brother holds even less love for me than he did previously, and as we work together, things could become... sticky. Still, some things are worth working harder for."

She paused. She wasn't sure if he meant short term or long term, and it made her worry. She pushed her negative thoughts back. She reminded herself that things were likely to fizzle out quickly anyway, and yet, she wanted to try. It was a strange feeling. She still managed to answer. "Where did you want to meet?"

She thought he might have been upset at her delay, but she could hear his smirk. She rolled her eyes at it. "I will pick you up at 18:00. There is a place in Sector 8 that is perfect."

Despite her own warning to herself and Zack's, she still felt her smile widen. "Alright. Is there any particular dress code?"

"Not at all, although I would recommend not wearing what you wore the last time I saw you. I would hate to have to fight off other interested parties."

She snorted. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes again when he responded. She could just see him doing that little bow of his, and she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning at the thought. "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return. I look forward to seeing you."

"You too." Kris didn't wait for any further response before she hung up. She sat and stared at her phone for several minutes before she got up with a grin. The rest of the afternoon, she would randomly catch herself smiling at nothing as she cleaned. Every time she did, she would remind herself not to get carried away, and yet she still found herself smiling again later.