[ That question. It feels exactly like he'd expected that last bullet to feel, like something final, a pain so excruciating that it just tears through his existence and drops him so hard that he knows he'll never get up again. Kinda makes a guy just want to lay down and die. What's really left after a look like that?
Don't get emotional. That's exactly what he needs to not do right now. Just take a big swallow of air because he's definitely forgotten to breathe for awhile now, maybe since the first time he spied Cloud standing there, and just center and focus. Except that Cloud is drawing away and into himself like maybe that's it and it ends here and whoops, there's that same pain all over again, what a wild ride it is this time around, like getting on one of those coasters at the Saucer and realizing a half a second before a loop-de-loop that the bar across your lap has come loose.
This is dumb. It's the mako addiction and he needs to not take it personally. (Right? That's a good explanation for it. Or at least it's an explanation and he really needs to hold on to one of those right now.) He's just being ridiculous, getting misty-eyed over someone who is sick and needs help. ]
Hah. You probably don't remember me. It's been... a long time.
[ They've still got whatever it was they had. Cloud's hand reaches out to steady himself and Zack is reaching out at the same time, too, like he feels it's going to happen before it does. He doesn't mean to push these new boundaries; it's so ingrained in him now, fulfilling every one of Cloud's needs without thought, without hesitation, with priority. His gloved fingers close around Cloud's elbow, strong and sure, keep him from going anywhere he doesn't want to be. His heart burrows right into his throat, threatens to choke him with every suffocating beat. ]
Don't think I'm supposed to be here either, but what are you gonna do? Maybe we could help each other, y'know.
[ Small wonder he's not too choked up to talk, but he's always been good at that, just hammering out words when he's got nothing else. ]
no subject
Don't get emotional. That's exactly what he needs to not do right now. Just take a big swallow of air because he's definitely forgotten to breathe for awhile now, maybe since the first time he spied Cloud standing there, and just center and focus. Except that Cloud is drawing away and into himself like maybe that's it and it ends here and whoops, there's that same pain all over again, what a wild ride it is this time around, like getting on one of those coasters at the Saucer and realizing a half a second before a loop-de-loop that the bar across your lap has come loose.
This is dumb. It's the mako addiction and he needs to not take it personally. (Right? That's a good explanation for it. Or at least it's an explanation and he really needs to hold on to one of those right now.) He's just being ridiculous, getting misty-eyed over someone who is sick and needs help. ]
Hah. You probably don't remember me. It's been... a long time.
[ They've still got whatever it was they had. Cloud's hand reaches out to steady himself and Zack is reaching out at the same time, too, like he feels it's going to happen before it does. He doesn't mean to push these new boundaries; it's so ingrained in him now, fulfilling every one of Cloud's needs without thought, without hesitation, with priority. His gloved fingers close around Cloud's elbow, strong and sure, keep him from going anywhere he doesn't want to be. His heart burrows right into his throat, threatens to choke him with every suffocating beat. ]
Don't think I'm supposed to be here either, but what are you gonna do? Maybe we could help each other, y'know.
[ Small wonder he's not too choked up to talk, but he's always been good at that, just hammering out words when he's got nothing else. ]
Get where we ought to be.