[ONE YEAR LATER]
"Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class," Sephiroth calls out into his microphone.
"Yes, Sir!" Zack responds as he runs up onto the stage, standing proudly with his hands clasped behind his back.
The entire audience explodes into cheers, and he waves quickly at them before Sephiroth taps on the microphone to regain control of the stadium.
"We are here today to honor your bravery and exploits on behalf of SOLDIER," Sephiroth begins. "You, Zack Fair, are so much stronger than Angeal."
"Ugh, finally someone admits it," Zack agrees with a roll of his eyes.
"You are so much smarter than Genesis," Sephiroth continues, "and someone needs to tell him that reading poetry is lame."
"It feels good to have that acknowledged, thank you," Zack replies.
"You've saved Cloud's life so many times, he's practically in your debt for eternity."
"Hey, that's true!"
"You're the best kisser of all time."
"Sephy, I told you that in confidence," you scold from the wings of the stage with a small smile.
"Sorry, [Name]," Sephiroth apologizes with a glance towards you. "And you are so skilled in battle, you just might be better than me someday."
"Well, let's not go crazy now," Zack laughs, waving a hand in front of him. "Actually... Yeah, you know what, that's probably true, too. So thanks!"
"Therefore, we are bestowing the great honor of labeling you, Zack Fair, the best SOLDIER of all time!" Sephiroth announces.
The stadium erupts in cheers and applause as a lowly Third Class places a diamond-encrusted golden crown on top of Zack's head. He laughs and smiles out at the crowd as they throw roses and flowers onto the stage. He glances to the side, practically beaming when he spots you running towards him.
"I'm so proud of you!" you exclaim, throwing yourself into his arms. "I think you deserve a little treat, huh?"
You start to rip off his shirt, running your hands down his chest as you lean forward and press your lips against his. The stadium devolves into chants of his name as you giggle and reach for the zipper of his pants.
Zack chuckles darkly in his sleep as he turns over, grabbing your sleeping figure and pulling you against him.
You charge forward, a bright red Struggle bat in your hand. Seifer is standing on the other side of the court, his stupid black beanie covering his dirty blond hair.
"You can't win, [Name]!" he exclaims, starting to run too.
The game is currently tied, 99 to 99. Two lone blue balls lie in the middle of the court, just waiting to be taken by you. Seifer reaches for them just as you fly forward. Using all of your strength you reach out, extending your arm towards the male. Your bat collides with his stomach, sending him flying backwards. He skids along the ground, knocked unconscious, as blue balls explode around him. The buzzer sounds, and the Sandlot erupts into cheers.
"And our new Struggle champion, the best we've ever seen, is: [Name]!" the announcer shouts over the roar.
You laugh as you spot Zack running towards you lifting you up into his arms.
"I'm so proud of you!" he exclaims, grinning widely. "I think you deserve a little treat, eh?"
With you still in his arms he leans forward, pressing his lips to yours in a rough kiss. The Sandlot devolves into chants of your name as you giggle and reach down to rip off his shirt... Until suddenly your chest starts to tighten uncomfortably.
"What is it?" Zack asks, placing you down on the ground.
"Can't... ow."
Your eyes snap open as you wheeze for air. Glancing down, you groan loudly when you realize Zack is sleeping with all of his weight on you – again. You try to push him off, to no avail.
"Get... off..." you grunt, pushing on his shoulders as he continues to snore.
As if answering your prayers, the alarm from your phone suddenly starts to blare through the bedroom and with a yelp Zack sits up straight. You smile as you start to breathe normally, reaching over to your nightstand to turn off your alarm.
"Ugh, I was having such a good dream," Zack whines as he flops down on the bed, burying his face into his pillow.
"Number one SOLDIER?" you guess.
He shifts his head so that he's smirking up at you, his blue eyes slowly starting to look more awake. His hair is shorter than it was a year ago, making him look older and wiser. Thankfully for you, however, he's still your Puppy.
"Please, [Name]. Best SOLDIER of all time," he corrects.
"How could I forget," you laugh as he wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you towards him as his lips find yours in the darkness.
His hand trails down your skin, landing at your hip. His fingers stop short when he reaches that key-shaped scar, and he breaks the kiss to frown down at your skin.
"I-I'll go make the coffee," you stammer, starting to move away from him.
"No!" he exclaims, pulling you back under him with a quick movement of his arm. "We have time. You know I love that scar." He leans down, running a trail of kisses down your face. "It reminds me of how strong you are."
You can only smile as you rest your hand on the back of his neck, pulling him up so that your lips capture his. He grins into the kiss before reaching a hand between your intertwined bodies, running his fingers up your thigh.
Because of the hot summer days, you've taken to sleeping with the window open.
To keep yourselves from sleeping in, the blinds are usually open, to allow in sunlight.
Allowing a man dressed in black to stare inside from his place on the sidewalk, watching you with a hidden grin.
[♥]
You didn't think it was possible to do something more boring than paperwork but somehow Sephiroth had found it – making copies of paperwork! While being his assistant could be at times fun and exciting, it was mainly an utter bore... Which is actually how you'd describe life in Midgar. The city is dark and dreary, but it could at times be interesting.
"Still copying?" another assistant asks as she enters the computer lab.
"Sadly," you reply, barely glancing over at her. "Why, do you need it?"
"I can wait," she offers with a smile. You nod, focusing your attention back to your work. "Hey, [Name]?"
"Hm?"
"Is, um... Is Cloud single?"
Your head snaps up, staring up at the young woman with slightly widened eyes.
"U-Uh... Is he... Um... Yes, yes he's single," you quickly stammer out, giving her a smile.
Cloud had moved to Midgar a few months prior, which had been completely uncomfortable at first. He could barely look at you for the first couple weeks without stammering out some gibberish and running off. Eventually, however, the relaxed friendship returned between the two of you, and you were finally able to joke and laugh with him as if nothing had happened. It could still be awkward if he caught stolen touches and glances between you and Zack. But, ultimately, you loved having him around, as you had missed him greatly. It also made you incredibly happy to see the two best friends acting as friends again.
The thought of him dating, however, hits you like a ton of bricks.
"He is?" the woman asks in disbelief, shaking her head as she starts to laugh. "It's funny, I asked him if he wanted to grab dinner and he said he couldn't. Something about not being ready?"
You stiffen before grabbing the copies from the machine, slamming the lid down harder than you intended.
"Yeah, he's just shy."
"Really shy," the woman agrees before collapsing into a sigh, taking your place at the copying machine. "You're so lucky, [Name]."
"Why's that?" you ask, pausing in the doorway to the room as you glance over your shoulder at her.
She merely grins back at you knowingly.
"Oh, don't be so naïve. You know you hit the jackpot with Fair."
You laugh at her statement, shrugging your shoulders slightly. She quickly grabs her copies, hurrying to catch up to you as you make your way down the hallway.
It was funny, thinking of the past year with Zack. The two of you had gone through so much to get to where you are now... He had been incredibly understanding for the first few months, when you'd wake up in a cold sweat screaming and grabbing the scar on your hip. As time passed, your body and your mind slowly healed. To the outside world, you know your relationship looks perfect. In so many ways, it is. But you know he has the same fears as you – specifically, that it will all come crashing down and once again you'll be thrust into war and turmoil. You know there's a reason why he wakes up during the night to make sure you're still there. Why you never head to the store or to a coffee shop alone. He'd never admit it, but you know that watching you die destroyed a part of him.
"I know," you finally admit, biting back a smile.
"What do you know?"
You come to a stop, glancing up when you realize you're about to walk right into a grinning Zack and Cloud.
"O-Oh... Hey, Cloud!" the girl exclaims, batting her eyelashes as she all but attaches herself to his hip.
He shoots you a look that clearly says "what the hell," and you stifle a snort of laughter.
"Hey, why don't you show Cloud the copier? He's always wanted to learn how to use one," you tell your co-worker.
Her face perks up and Cloud glares at you as he's dragged down the hallway.
"Another suitor?" Zack guesses, watching the woman and the blond walk away.
"He's almost as popular as you," you reply, smiling as Zack winds an arm around your waist. "I gotta get these to Sephiroth," you add, holding up the stack of papers.
Zack groans, his face falling slightly.
"I'm hungry, though," he complains, giving you his best pout.
You gently pat his chest before leaning forward, pressing your lips to his in a quick kiss.
"Lemme just drop these off and then we can grab something to eat. Okay?"
He rolls his eyes before leaning down, his lips capturing yours once more. You can feel yourself starting to melt into his touch before you lightly push him away with a laugh.
"Never get sick of that," Zack comments with a smile, ruffling your hair before he heads down the hallway. "Come get me when you're done. I'll be with Cloud."
You watch him walk away for a second before making your way to Sephiroth's office, a goofy grin on your face. You turn the corner, almost immediately coming to a stop when you spot a man standing in the middle of the hallway. He's wearing all black, but not as a SOLDIER uniform. Just black pants and a black jacket.
"This is a restriction section," you call out, holding the papers to your chest. "You can't be here if you're not an employee, Sir."
"Sir?" the man repeats with a tone of amusement.
He chuckles as he raises a hand, pulling back the hood of his jacket. It takes every ounce of strength to not collapse in shock when his face is revealed from the shadows. You take a step back, slowly shaking your head.
"N-No," you finally stammer as he takes a step towards you. "I-I watched you die. I saw your... body."
His lips curl up in a twisted grin, his golden eyes just as wild as you remembered.
"Sometimes what you see can't be believed," Vanitas responds, his pace quickening.
You drop the stack of papers as you turn around, running down the hall as fast as you can. No footsteps can be heard behind you, only causing you to become more unnerved. Finally, you spot Zack meandering down the hallway as he heads towards the copying room, whistling as he walks.
"Zack!" you cry out.
He comes to a sudden stop, looking over his shoulder.
"[Name]?" Zack asks, noticing the panicked look on your face and the way your chest is heaving as you try to catch your breath.
Shaking uncontrollably you stumble towards Zack, holding onto his arms as he grabs you, trying to keep you standing. You start to point wildly behind you, but no one's there.
"V... Van... He... I... Zack, he found me!"
A flash of alarm crosses over his eyes as he looks over your shoulder.
"What did you see, [Name]?" Zack asks slowly, trying to calm you down.
Is this a dream? Your imagination? After all, no one followed you. You hold your head in your hands, grabbing onto your hair with a gentle tug. Pain shoots through your scalp. No, this is definitely real.
"Vanitas," you respond breathlessly, looking up at Zack. Your vision is blurred with tears. "He just... appeared, down there in the hallway. I think... it's happening, Zack."
As soon as the words leave your mouth, you notice Zack's eyes land on something behind you. His face hardens, and you immediately recognize the change. No longer is he your Zack. No, now he's a SOLDIER.
"[Name], you're going to run down this hall. Find Cloud, okay? He'll keep you safe," Zack tells you, his eyes locked behind you.
You start to glance over your shoulder, but his hands quickly grab your head to keep it still, his eyes darting down to yours.
"Don't look back. Just run."
"And leave you?!" you hiss, still holding onto his arms.
"Not that I don't love listening to this," Vanitas calls out from behind you, "but... well, I'm getting a little bored."
"Go!" Zack snaps, pushing you behind him as he grabs his Buster sword from behind his back.
You stumble a bit from the shove, quickly turning on your heel and watching Zack run towards an awaiting Vanitas. Their weapons clash, sparks flying through the air from the action. You start to move backwards, your gaze fixed on the battle being waged in front of you, when suddenly you bump right into a solid figure. A hand quickly clamps over your mouth before you can scream, and you look up to see Vanitas. You do a double take, looking between the one behind you and the one fighting Zack.
"Quite the hero, isn't he?" Vanitas asks you, his eyes locked on Zack. "Strong, handsome, courageous. Not the brightest though. Can't believe he fell for this... again."
Your eyes narrow in confusion until you remember the day he killed you. Multiple Vanitas' had been fighting then, too.
"Hey," Vanitas calls out just as his duplicate vanishes into smoke.
Zack glances around in bewilderment before he notices you and Vanitas behind him. For a second, you see his façade crumble as he shoots you a dismayed look. A muffled sob leaves your mouth as Vanitas ducks his head slightly, gently smelling your perfume.
"Let her go," Zack orders, sobering up as he points his sword at Vanitas.
"You know what, I don't think I will. But on the bright side, this morning gave you plenty of enjoyable memories with her, right?"
Zack's eyes narrow in disgust as you start to gag at the implication. He had been watching you for who knows how long, doing who knows what.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you," Zack growls, charging towards the two of you.
"Better luck next time, Fair."
Your world grows black as you disappear into the darkness, Zack's face the last thing you see and him calling out your name the last thing you hear.
Zack comes to a stop when you vanish in a flash of smoke. His shoulder collapses against the wall and his sword falls to the ground as his hands rise to his head, starting to pull roughly at his hair. This had to be a nightmare, some sick joke... Right?
"No, no, no, no," he mutters, his eyes wide in manic fear. "Shit. Fuck. SHIT."
He slams a fist against the wall, pushing himself back up to a standing position. With a shaky sigh he glances at where you had been standing just moments prior. Shaking his head and doing his best to block out the look of horror you shot him before you disappeared, he takes off in a sprint towards Sephiroth's office.