Chapter Text
Zack gets called into the auto shop all day Friday, and because Cloud isn’t scheduled, he decides to stop by with some takeout.
The auto shop is full of noise. The storefront smells like febreze, and an old box tv is playing a sports game on the wall.
“Hey there, kid,” Angeal greets at the door.
Cloud nods, “Angeal.”
“Here for the puppy?”
“Yup.”
“He’s in the back,” Angeal points. Cloud waves with the few free fingers he has, and shoulders open the door to the garage.
Zack is on his back working beneath a jacked up car, and Cloud quietly stands and watches him work. Dressed in the mechanic blues, Zack has the top half of his uniform rolled to his waist, and his white tank is covered in grease, which entirely defeats the purpose of his uniform, but Cloud isn’t about to complain about his arms. It’s entertaining to see him so concentrated, but Cloud’s hands are getting cold from the drinks.
“I brought McDonalds,” Cloud says.
“Wha-?” Bang!
Zack reels back and flinches, and Cloud sets the food down on the bench.
“Shit, are you okay?”
“I’m good, I’m good.”
Zack’s mechanic buddies are cracking up on the curb, like a bunch of cackling crows.
“Oh, don’t worry, he does it all the time!” a mechanic hollers.
Cloud frowns and watches Zack roll out on the creeper.
“That’s why you leave with bumps on your head.”
“You brought me food?” Zack beams, totally elated and not at all bothered by the black mark on his forehead. “Wow, thank you!”
Cloud wipes the smudge with his sleeve.
“Be more careful, moron.”
“Yeah yeah. I actually have catlike reflexes, and what you didn’t see was the deadly laser that almost fried my eyebrows off.”
“Uh huh.”
Zack bends down and pecks his mouth hello, and then starts hunting through the food bags.
“Awwwww,” calls the audience.
Zack rolls his eyes in good humor, and elbows Cloud gently. “Let’s go eat in the break room.”
Cloud hesitates, “I didn’t mean to interrupt what you were working on.” Except he kind of did.
“Mahh it’s fine. I have until tomorrow to fix the break lines. C’mon.”
Cloud follows him into the air-conditioned building, and down the hall towards the breakroom. There are card tables and a vending machine, and the floor smells like the same cleaner they use in the café. Zack starts digging into his burger, and Cloud didn’t succeed very well at rubbing off that smudge, but… it’s cute.
“Are you sure you still want to own your own shop?” Cloud asks. “You seem happy here.”
“Yeah, I like Angeal a lot,” Zack nods. “But I still want to do more custom work than maintenance. I’ll either have to open up my own place, or convince Angeal to partner with me.” Zack sips his soda and crushes the ice around with his straw. “Either way, it’s kind of a pipe dream.”
“I don’t think so,” Cloud says. “You’re a hard worker.” Zack looks to him happily, and Cloud glances away, embarrassed.
“You’ve become so cute,” Zack smiles. “Even more than usual. Who allowed that?”
“You’re dreaming,” Cloud says, and steals his fry. Zack sits criss-cross on the chair and talks about the busy holiday season and exams and the new dog Rude adopted and it’s a good lunch, as far as fast food goes.
“Twenty one, twenty two, twenty four!” Marlene giggles, having the time of her little six-year-old life.
“Marlene baby, you missed twenty-three,” Barret says.
“Oh no!” Zack says in a dramatic voice. “I guess we have to start all over again!”
Marlene squeals happily, and Zack resumes bench pressing her on the floor. Every ten reps he pretends that she is incredibly heavy, and Marlene is eating it up like candy.
“He’s good with her,” Barret notes, in a somewhat quieter voice. Barret’s default settings are loud and louder, so an attempt is made.
“Yeah,” Cloud shrugs. “Now you can call him to babysit instead of me.”
Zack lifts her with one hand, and Marlene spirals into another fit of giggles.
“Hey now, Marlene loves when you babysit,” Barret agues. “I’m the one that don’t trust you as far as I can throw ya’.”
“Thanks.”
“Your arms are going to get tired eventually,” Tifa laughs, as Zack switches Marlene to his other hand.
“Oh they’re burning!” Zack wails, and once again pretends that Marlene weighs a thousand pounds. “Woooaah, so heavy! What have you been eating?!”
“My vegetables!” Marlene giggles.
“That’s my girl!” Barret says proudly.
“Oh, in that case.” Zack starts to bench her like she weighs nothing, and even Tifa laughs.
Watching him makes something strange settle in Cloud’s stomach. Zack is so different from him in every possible way – sometimes it’s hard to believe that Zack is attracted to him at all.
Zack sets down Marlene when she’s had enough, and he stretches out an arm in Cloud’s direction on the couch.
“Hey babe, you want a turn?”
“Ha. Ha.”
“Come on, I can lift you!”
“Get off the floor you weirdo,” Cloud says. Marlene decides to take a running jump at Zack, and Zack makes a dramatized oof! sound.
“Aye Marlene, take it easy on him,” Barret chuckles.
“She got me with the piledrive,” Zack says. “Wonder where she learned that?”
“No damn clue,” Barret replies innocently.
Tifa elbows Cloud in the side. He turns his head along the back of the couch, and Tifa wiggles her eyebrows. Cloud rolls his eyes.
“Stop that.”
“Come ooon, you think it’s cute.”
Barret starts narrating their wrestling match like it’s a sport, and Zack picks up Marlene and carefully tosses her into the pillows.
“Get the chair, get the chair!”
“Oh, she’s on the ropes!”
Cloud grabs Marlene’s wrist before she can jump back on Zack.
“Hey,” Cloud says. “He’s ticklish on his feet.”
“That’s cheating!” Zack gasps, and then has to actively keep his feet away from a determined six-year-old. Cloud ignores the satisfied look Tifa is giving him. He knows he’s gone soft, you don’t have to remind him.
A darker feeling drops into his stomach and stays there.
The holidays seem to roll around faster each year. It’s worse when you work customer service, because people are bitchy and throw fits about the decorations and the cups and it’s coffee, holy shit, but you’d be surprised what people will complain about. Some of the college kids are okay. Some.
Cloud never had much of an interest in Christmas, besides getting the day off. Tifa always refused to let him celebrate alone, and because Zack has no family either, he gets dragged along too.
Aerith is the one that’s into decorations and tradition and whatever. Cloud doesn’t exactly have all the money in the world for presents, but he does his best. They drink eggnog and watch hallmark movies and Zack nods off on his shoulder and it’s fine. Not a big deal.
Except, when they’re back safely at Zack’s house, Zack pulls out an extra present.
“No,” Cloud frowns. “No way. You got me that helmet. I can’t accept anything else.”
“C’mon baby, this is different.” Zack slides him a box. “Just open it, please? You’ll see.”
Inside the box is an airbrush set. It’s expensive, and Cloud is seriously stunned.
“What is this for?” he croaks.
“Well…” Zack scratches his head. “I was hoping…um. Ha, now that I think about it, this is really shitty, but…I want you to do a custom paint job on my bike.”
“You want me,” Cloud points. “To paint your Harely?”
Zack looks at him with all the sincerity in the world.
“Yes.”
Flattered doesn’t even cover it. Cloud is just straight up intimidated.
Cloud mulls on the paint job for weeks. While Zack is studying for finals, Cloud practices on cardboard boxes and his metal trash can and to Zack’s dismay, his own arms.
Cloud decides to paint a blue and purple galaxy, with a million stars and planets. It reminds him of the day he rolled off his bike and pulled Zack into the grass with him. Zack almost cries when he sees it, because he’s a sap, and Cloud does not cry when Zack cries because Cloud is calm and collected and not at all influenced by Zack whatsoever.
This has become kind of familiar.
Cloud likes the way Zack fits against him. Face squished into the shower wall, Zack lined up against his back, just fucking him sleepy and slow. It’s a marathon instead of a race, and Cloud doesn’t so much see a goal in mind rather than just enjoying Zack’s nose wedged in his shoulder, hand pressed hot against his stomach.
Cloud has felt weird since Aerith and Tifa got engaged. They’re still too early on to be thinking about something like that, but Cloud can’t believe how domestic he and Zack have become.
Zack pets across his chest and kisses his ear, and Cloud trembles, a noise shaking out of him.
“I love you,” Zack says.
Cloud digs his teeth into his lip, because for whatever fucking reason, Cloud’s eyes start to sting with tears. Where the hell is this even coming from? Cloud’s breathing hiccups, and he rolls his forehead to the cold shower wall, and he blinks rapidly to keep himself from crying out of nowhere. He can feel how much Zack means it, and it’s overwhelming. Cloud gets it together by the skin of his teeth.
“I love you too,” Cloud manages. Zack hears the wobble in his voice but wisely doesn’t comment, just turns his head and kisses him until the water isn’t hot anymore.
“I’m sorry,” Cloud repeats over the sound of Zack’s idling bike. The light is still red, and Zack’s voice comes out muffled through the helmet.
“It’s okay sweetheart. Are you sure you left it there?”
“I don’t really know. It’s not like me to just lose my wallet like that.”
They’re supposed to be making a reservation for a restaurant tonight. Neither of them are the fancy restaurant type, but Zack’s graduation is something worth celebrating.
Cloud sits on the back of his bike and holds his waist. Zack doesn’t seem upset, but Cloud folds up to his back just to be sure. When they pull into the parking lot, Cloud notes that the lights are off on the Café, and no cars are in sight.
“I’ll just be a second,” Cloud says, hopping off the back and grabbing his keys. Zack takes in the dark alley and the empty Café, and cuts his ignition.
“I’ll go with you.”
Cloud hums nonchalantly and approaches the door. The lock always sticks, so Cloud has to wiggle it around before it throws. Zack was standing calmly behind him with his hands in his pockets, but he tenses as soon as he opens the door. Zack whips his head around and jerks Cloud behind him by the arm.
“Cloud!”
“SURPRISE!!!”
The lights go on, and everyone pops out from their hiding places. The whole café has been decorated with little graduation hats, confetti and balloons. Zack freezes in place, and Cloud sets a hand supportively at his back.
“Happy graduation,” Cloud says.
Zack blinks and blinks, and then he starts to laugh hysterically.
“Holy shit! You guys scared the crud out of me!”
Everyone is here. Barret, Biggs and Jessie – Tifa and Aeirth, Reno and Rude and all of his annoying friends. Zack relaxes, and the smile on his face is adorable.
“Congrats on the smartman paper!” Jessie throws confetti.
Zack snickers, and starts to clap and hug people, “Jeez, thanks guys. This is crazy.”
“Make us proud, mister business dude!”
Tifa hands Cloud his wallet.
“And here you are, sir.”
Zack whips around. “Wait, you knew??”
Cloud rolls his eyes, “Of course I knew.”
“Damn.” Zack kisses him fat on the cheek. “You’re a good fucking actor.”
“Mm, I know.”
“Get in here, Fair!” Barret hugs him. “We’ve got moonshine and cheesecake, so jump on in, brother.”
“I’ll also be taking these,” Cloud says, dipping his hand into Zack’s back pocket and removing his keys.
“Oh lord,” Zack curses, but is happily swept up when his friends come to drag him across the café. Tifa pats Cloud on the back.
“He looked surprised.”
“Yeah,” Cloud nods. “Thanks for your help.”
“Oh it’s no problem. You have to come in early Monday and clean anyways.”
Cloud sighs, and watches Kunsel spill over his drink.
They hang out on the booths and drink and have cake, and Zack ends up with his head in Cloud’s lap after a third round of moonshine.
“When will I learn?” Zack whines. Cloud pets his hair away from his face.
“I feel like there are two occasions in life where it’s socially okay to get fucked up,” Cloud says.
“And what are those?” Biggs asks, clearly amused.
“Your college graduation and your wedding.”
“I can’t wait until we get married,” Zack slurs. “I’m not going to drink at all so I can remember everything.”
Cloud can’t help it; he flushes down to his toes. Everyone turns to look at him, and it’s like a sea of grinning sharks. Well, except.
“You two are so gross it makes me fucking sick,” Reno scowls and shoots back a drink. Jessie raises her own in an amen, brother. Rude elbows Reno right in the kidneys.
Cloud knows his face is still red, so he tugs on Zack’s ear as a punishment.
“Ow!” Reno and Zack say.
“Cloud, your taste in men is impeccable,” Biggs snickers.
Cloud rolls his eyes, “Oh just do us a favor and come out of the closet already.”
Jessie laughs so hard she sucks alcohol down the wrong pipe and ends up hacking into a napkin for twenty minutes. Biggs flounders like a fish, and Tifa reaches over to pat his hand.
“It’s okay, take your time.”
“But! I— I’m really not —“
“Aye man, you can’t leave me as the last straight guy in the group,” Barret teases.
“We’ll work on you too, big guy.”
When everyone is ready to uber home, Cloud drives Zack back to his apartment on the back of his space-painted Harley. Zack has sobered up enough to balance upright, and by the time Cloud parks, Zack is good to walk up the stairs on his own. He still looks a bit out of it, but he’s doing well, all things considered.
Zack crawls right into his bed and flops all over the pillows, like a six-foot-two toddler.
“Sorry we didn’t get to go to a fancy dinner,” Cloud says, taking off his suit jacket.
“S’ okay,” Zack mumbles. “This was way better. And you looked hot in the suit, so I like, double won.”
Cloud redresses in sweatpants, and helps Zack with his clothes. He then crawls on top of him, and Zack’s arms lock around his back like a seatbelt.
“Congratulations,” Cloud kisses him. “Can I hang The Human Ego is Amazing on my wall?”
“No,” Zack laughs. “That painting is terrible. You are so much more talented than me it makes me want to cry.”
“Well you figured out why my dishwasher exploded. That’s talent.”
“True talent is making a dishwasher explode.” Zack’s voice is sleepy and gravelly and rough, and it rolls down Cloud’s back. He kisses Cloud again, smooths his hand down to his ass and squeezes, and Cloud huffs.
“No way. You are drunk and I am stone cold sober.”
“Stone cold?” Zack mumbles, his hand returning to Cloud’s hip. “That’s no fun.”
Well, Cloud enjoyed himself, but he doesn’t say that. He sits up to click off the light, and then presses his cheek against Zack’s shoulder.
“You didn’t brush your teeth.”
“Comfy.”
Cloud can’t argue there. He can feel each of Zack’s steady breaths as his chest rises and falls. Cloud finds his hand and threads their fingers together. He has a short moment in his head, where he marvels at how easy it is now. How seamless it is to just reach for Zack whenever he wants.
“Was the surprise okay?” Cloud whispers.
“Hm? Yeah, it was awesome.”
“I told them nothing loud, like poppers.”
“I appreciate that.” Zack mulls for a moment, and then squeezes his fingers. “Most of the time, stuff like that doesn’t bother me at all. But every once in a blue moon something sets me off and it’s like I’m jerked into the past, and I can’t get out.”
Cloud appreciates that Zack can tell him these things now. Cloud presses a hand flat to Zack’s chest, and feels him continue to breathe. There is scar tissue under his hand, and every now and then Zack flinches away, but sometimes Cloud does too. Their world is a learning curve.
“I know the feeling.”
Zack closes his eyes, on the cusp of sleep already. His voice is just above a whisper.
“I don’t have to go to school anymore.”
Cloud breathes him in, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder, as if he could take in the last of Zack’s faded cologne.
“Proud of you.”
Zack hums happily.
“Thanks for sitting through that whole ceremony.”
“Well, yeah. I couldn’t just – not.”
“My dad wouldn’t have,” Zack smiles. “He couldn’t stand ceremonies.”
Cloud swallows, suddenly finding it a little hard to breathe. The air is very quiet, a touch intimate.
“And your mom?”
“She could stand still for hours.” Zack snorts, “I didn’t inherit much from her. She was a great general, though.”
“Your mom was military?”
“Both parents, actually. It’s um…it’s why I joined.”
Cloud presses his lips between his teeth, and then asks outright, “Is that how…?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry.”
Zack shrugs.
“It is what it is.”
Cloud hesitates for a moment; takes in the quiet, safe place they’ve built here and says, “Never knew my dad. My mom was a worrier, though. When she got sick, she would pray every day that I would find a wife who would love me. I think her biggest fear was for me to be alone.”
Zack pets down his side, and rolls his head to look him in the eye. It’s hard in the dark, but Cloud nearly has his face memorized anyways.
“She sounds very sweet.”
“She nagged a lot.”
“I think that’s what moms do.”
You’re probably the one my mom prayed for, Cloud thinks, but doesn’t say. Zack yawns, and Cloud covers his eyes with his hand.
“Go to sleep.”
Zack snickers, and gently pulls his hand away.
“Are you going to fight off all my bad dreams?” Zack teases.
“Yes,” Cloud says. “Personally. Unless there are ghosts. Then you’re on your own.”
“Ghosts huh?” Zack dozes. “I’ll fight your ghosts.”
“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger,” Cloud drawls.
“You wish you had the same chaotic energy as Ed,” Zack says as he enters the café.
Cloud snorts as he continues to count out his drawer. Zack hops up and sits on the edge of the counter, and Cloud doesn’t even look up.
“I just wiped that down.”
“My ass is clean, promise.”
“Not if you’ve been rolling around in a pigsty all day.”
“I actually went home and showered first, thanks,” Zack says. “Also where’s my kiss?”
Cloud sighs through his nose and pretends like it’s a chore to lean over and kiss him. Zack hums happily and grabs him by the neck and it last a few moments longer than necessary, because kissing Zack still makes his mouth tingle. Shut up.
“There. Now let me finish counting.”
“Fifty-six, seventy two, eighty nine,” Zack calls in random numbers. Cloud slugs him at the side of his thigh, and Zack starts to laugh. Cloud continues to count out the drawer, and Zack gives him a few minutes of quiet. Cloud can feel him watching, but says nothing. Zack kicks his feet and hums. “As much as you complain about working here, you put a lot of love into this place.”
Cloud writes out the deposit slip and seals it in a bag.
“Well…” Cloud closes the drawer. “Tifa gave me a fresh start at Seventh Heaven. And she really cares about this place, so…”
“Her passion seeped into you via osmosis?”
“That’s a terrible way to put it, but sure.”
Cloud crouches down into the cabinet, and is surprised when the door chimes.
“We’re closed!” Cloud calls from the floor. He goes to stand, but becomes rigid when Zack’s hand flies down to stop him. Cloud looks up at Zack’s perch on the counter, and his shoulders are straight as a board. Cloud peeks over the counter – and it’s just a kid in a face mask. He looks normal, but it takes too long for Cloud to spot the sharp lump in his hoodie. Zack sees it right away.
“I’m going to do us both a favor,” Zack says. He slowly pulls up the side of his shirt, where his holster rests. “Turn around and walk away, and I won’t say a thing.”
The kid looks between Zack and his hip. Zack nods encouragingly, and the kid turns right out the door and leaves.
“Fuck me,” Cloud whispers. He rises from his crouch on the floor, and Zack hops off the counter to go flip the sign and lock the door.
“Post holidays,” Zack explains. “Damn kid looked so nervous, thought he was gonna’ shit his pants.”
“Tifa gives away what she can,” Cloud says, resting up against the counter to breathe away the adrenaline. “But this is all she has, you know. We’ve only been breaking even lately because business has picked up.”
“You need to be more aware,” Zack lectures, rounding the counter. Cloud dips his fingers in Zack’s beltloops and hauls him closer. That weird, squirmy feeling is back – a doubt that Cloud doesn’t want to confront just yet – so he swallows it down.
“And what are you, my hero?”
“Cloud –”
“Thanks,” Cloud blurts, before he can lose his nerve, and leans up to kiss Zack’s cheek. “Tifa does not find out about this.”
“Oh. Agreed.”
Be it his apartment or Zack’s house, Cloud doesn’t spend many nights by himself anymore.
Zack gets knots in his back from working longer weeks at the auto shop, so it’s become a thing to sit on his thighs and rub out the sore spots. Zack says he likes when he does it because Cloud has strong hands. Cloud thinks he’d like it whether he has strong hands or not.
Cloud pumps more lotion into his hand, and works his thumb back into the spot at his shoulderblade. Zack doesn’t make any sound, but he does exhale happily through his nose.
Zack’s body is so different from his own. Cloud is more petite and defined, but Zack is full of active muscle. Not just the stuff you build at the gym – but thick and strong from constant use. He likes that Zack is squishy in a couple places. Behind it is rock solid definition.
Cloud hears a short grunt when Cloud rolls his knuckles into his traps.
“Here?”
“Yesss gorgeous,” Zack purrs. It tingles down his spine, and Cloud digs his fingers a little harder with a huff.
“You don’t have to keep calling me that.”
“Hm?”
“We’ve been dating for a while,” Cloud explains. Zack goes quiet for a moment, before he rolls to his back from under Cloud’s thighs. He then looks up at him.
“So, what? Because we’re steady I can’t find you attractive anymore?”
Cloud rolls his eyes, “That’s not what I meant.”
Zack’s large hands hold him by the knee, and soothe upwards. His eyes are full of open sincerity.
“Cloud, you are clever and talented and I could spend a thousand hours just sitting in a room with you,” Zack says. “But you are also the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. I can’t lie about those kinds of things.”
And of course, the burn in Cloud’s throat comes back. He has to swallow multiple times, but the sting wont leave his eyes. He gets angry that he’s lost control of himself like this, but it feels like somethings been building in him – a hellish doubt he can’t control, and it’s pushing at the front of his mind like a dam.
“How can you just say that stuff so easily?” Cloud grits, and rubs the heel of his hand against his eyes. Zack’s face falls with concern, and he pries Cloud’s fingers away from his face.
“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”
Cloud looks at the wall and swallows. His nature is to say nothing, but Zack keeps a gentle grip on him, as if to let Cloud know he’s not going anywhere.
“How do I even say it?” Cloud exhales. He stares at the wall and mutters, “This terrifies me.”
Zack finds his hand and squeezes.
“Us?”
And that’s just it.
“A part of me is always worrying,” Cloud croaks. “That I care too much. That the honeymoon phase hasn’t ended yet. That I look like an idiot.”
“Stop,” Zack snaps sternly, and Cloud jerks to look at him. “Do you really think me? The one that bugged your ass every day in that coffee shop, is going to walk out on you?”
“I don’t know,” Cloud huffs. “You make my brain stupid.”
Zack starts to laugh, and the atmosphere lightens with it.
“Now you know how I feel.”
Cloud’s heart sinks and swims and just sputters about in his chest.
“Oh.”
“I get like that all the time,” Zack says. “Sometimes I feel really shitty things. I get jealous and possessive and it’s terrible.”
Cloud’s eyes widen, “What? You do?”
“Yeah, I’m a piece of shit,” Zack laughs. “But I choke it down and work past it, ‘cause I know you’re coming home with me, and not anyone else.”
“You’re not a piece of shit,” Cloud mumbles. His brain still can’t wrap his head around all this. “Who are you even jealous of?”
Zack rolls Cloud to his back and crawls up in his face, and Zack’s hair rains all around them.
“Anyone you give your wonderful attention to,” Zack grins.
“Sap,” Cloud barks, and Zack giggles like a kid.
“There he is!”
Cloud feels years better. Somehow, Zack makes it so easy to speak with him about things that Cloud would never voluntarily say out loud. It makes Cloud want to be there for him, too. Maybe...they can really be in this for the long haul.
The mountains are still full of snow come spring, so they pack up their cars and carpool in caravans up to the ski resort. Renting a cabin for ten people is already enough of a shitshow, but organizing everyone to snowboard down the same slope is a waste of time.
Barret takes the bunnyhills and uses Marlene as an excuse. Zack immediately drags Cloud to the highest slope, and shoves him on the chair.
Snowboarding next to Zack is just like anything else. He’s always where Cloud expects him to be, and always has his back. They zip and ride around each other, and when Cloud passes close, he can hear Zack laugh.
Zack looks good in the snow gear. He’s a natural snowboarder, and Zack even hits some of the hills. Cloud can’t stand to be outdone, so he follows his lead and even lands most of the jumps.
Aerith and Tifa are skiing side by side like two old ladies that can’t figure out the brakes, and Tifa ends up taking a nosedive into a snowpile. Cloud can’t help it; he laughs. Tifa’s middle finger flies up out of the snow, like a daisy.”
“You have such a twisted sense of humor,” Zack tells, slowing to a stop at the end of the hill.
Cloud plays naïve, unclipping his snow boots from his board. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Zack scoops up snow and shoves it down the back of his suit, and Cloud almost murders him in cold blood.
“Zack and Cloud are fucking on the hill!” Jessie tattles to Biggs.
“I’m actually committing homicide,” Cloud explains flatly, his hands wrapped around the many layers of Zack’s neck, straddling his lap. “I’d appreciate it if you looked away.”
“Looked away from what?” Biggs teases. Cloud nods, and Jessie cackles as Biggs hauls her towards the ski lift.
Zack laughs, because he’s basically impenetrable through his snowsuit, and he reaches up and pulls Cloud’s goggles off his face.
“Hey, before you kill me. Could you reach into my front pocket?” Cloud gives him an unimpressed look, and Zack urges him on. “Come on, just do it!”
Cloud takes off his snow glove and sighs, shifting back to dig around Zack’s pocket. He pulls out a plastic baggy, and raises an eyebrow.
“What is this?”
“Open it!” Zack says. “And fast, my back is getting cold.”
Cloud pulls the string and…they’re earrings? They’re spiky and expensive looking, and Cloud looks at them carefully, so he doesn’t drop it in the snow.
“What is this?”
“Happy anniversary!” Zack cheers. “Do you want to move in with me?”
Cloud’s heart lodges in his throat.
“What?”
“Reno is moving out, and if I don’t find another roommate, I’ll probably have to move out too, and seeing as there’s an empty room…”
Cloud looks at the earrings a moment longer. Somewhere, sometime, Zack went out and shopped for him. He snowboarded all day with this dumb present in his pocket. Of all the stupid, dramatic ways to ask…
Snow is sticking to Zack’s eyelashes. His cheeks are pink from the cold, and Cloud imagines his own are even more so.
Cloud carefully places the jewelry back in the baggy and pockets it.
“We won’t even use the extra room,” Cloud says.
“I know.”
Cloud sets his family of cacti on Zack’s kitchen counter. He takes a step back, looks around the living room and hums, twisting the back of his earring.
“Well then. Welcome home, I guess.”
Zack follows after him with a box in his hands, flipflops on his feet and candy in his mouth.
“Oh baby, I forgot. I have another car I want you to check out in the shop. They requested a pinup mural with a mermaid, and I think you could pull off something totally sick.”
Cloud plucks the lollipop out of Zack’s mouth and sticks it in his own. Zack looks to him with those big puppy eyes, and Cloud turns on his heel, knowing he’ll follow.
“Maybe for the right price.”
“Hey gorgeous, will you make me some coffee?”
“Nope. The kitchen is closed.”
“But it’s only three minutes to seven!”
“You can unlock extended kitchen hours if you marry me.”
“Ohhhh okay, that was super smooth. I mean – yes, but I’m mad you beat me to it.”
“I had to beat you to something.”