A Letter to Home

[theheroics]

Sender: Zack Fair
To: All
Subject: No Subject (Backdated to the first week)

[ Words that begin to appear in the journals are written slowly, as if with intent. The handwriting is... coherent at best at this slower pace, but every word is coming in gradually and seemingly with more frustration.

Guess who thinks this is just a plain ol' journal to use? ]

Dear Aeir
What's up!?
Hello! Hey th———

Hey Aerith.
Hope things are going well?? good for you

[ UGH ]

Sorry it's taken so long for me to write back... I know youve been waiting a long time
I can't call right now but soon, okay?
how are the flowers? you swimming in gil yet?
Theirs theres lots of weird stuff going on that I'll explain when I get back.
So... yeah. See you soon
Regard [ No that was SO STUPID ]
bye

[ The words at the bottom of the page are suddenly cut out, as if completely disregarded or tossed away.

But seconds later another one appears: ]

Hello!

[ Nope that one is gone, too. ]

Comments

[theheroics]

[ Even though Zack had only met Cloud for around a year before the events that followed in Nibelheim, he found himself slowly trying to pick up the pieces of their scattered friendship much like the papers on the floor. Maybe it was alright for Cloud not to remember, as traumatic as it was. But regardless of reason or whether any of it made sense, he felt a sort of calmness wash over him to know that Cloud was still reliant of him.

That through all of this, he was still able to protect him.

He felt a small sting of pride to know what Cloud could count on him, and it was with a half smile that Zack shook his head. ]

Nah, I'll take care of it. Gotta get rid of all this evidence anyway.

[spikyheaded]

I'll leave you to it then.

[Well, if Zack didn't need his help, he'll make his leave, straightening up and heading towards the door. But when he gets there, he pauses at the threshold, considering what comes to him next.

Looking over his shoulder, he casts a glance back at Zack as he cleans up. His mako blue eyes move to stare at a balled-up wad of paper in his roommate's hand.]

You should tell her all that. Aerith. If she shows up.

[He raises a brow slightly, maybe as a sign of encouragement if Zack meets his gaze. But it's gone as quickly as it arrived. Cloud looks back out the room, his tone shifting slightly beneath his breath in an amused exhale.]

Even "what's up".

[Then he takes a step and heads back to his room.]

[theheroics]

[ Zack doesn't make any further inclination when his roommate moves to exit the room. He'd much rather work to get up all of these papers as quickly as possible and pretending this entire fiasco never happened (and telling by the new writing being scribbled in his journal it was likely more nosey people were replying to his mistake).

However as the man reaches down to pick up another piece he pauses, hearing Cloud's voice from the entrance of the room. He turns, just fast enough to see the little bit of expression leaving the man's face as the words settle into the pit of his stomach.

You should tell her that. It takes him a moment to react, his fingers frozen mid grab and a sincere look of thoughtfulness causing his brows to furrow together. ]

Yeah... I will. [ Cloud had long since walked away by this point, but as Zack turns his head to look back at the papers thrown around his room, there's a fond smile across his face.

He'd keep practicing in the meantime until he could say those words to her- everything he's been dying to say for so long.

Maybe even starting with "what's up". ]