ZxC- Dealing with the Dead

"You're back."


Cloud walked around the corner of the doorway, smiling a little with his innocent blue eyes locked on a pair of bright glowing ones. The younger of the two ran up and hugged the older enthuestiastically. there had been a war going on, and being a SOLDIER, he had been the one to settle the score between Midgar and Wutai. It was horribly bloody and violent, brother turning against brother. Woman turing on husbands. Children turning on parents. It had been so horrible that only the 1st Class SOLDIERS had been allowed outside Midgar.

Zack smiled a little, but the smile only lasted for a moment before he slumbed infront of the dark iron door, head rested on his knees. "Zack? Are you okay?" Cloud asked, leaning down next to him and getting onto his knees infront of his friend. Zack shook his head slowly, "Cloud... I did horrible things."

"Horrible things? What sort of horrible things did you do?" Cloud asked, a little worried.

"Women...children... families... I slaughtered them! They pleaded with their dying breath and I was forced and ordered to leave them behind to die, Cloud. I hate myself for it! SOLDIER or not, they seem to forget a half of everyone inflicted with mako is still human... we'renot puppets! I feel terrible Cloud!" Zack explained, crying a little.

Cloud blinked, Zack had killed people? Woman and child alike... families? Hell no.... just hell no. Cloud crawled upt o Zack and hugged him around the neck softly, Zack blinking in suprise as Cloud place dhis head of black hair in his shoulder. "Zack... its okay."

"How is it okay?! I killed them Cloud! I'm a monster for hell's sake! I've killed innocent children for the sake of bloody warfare! I've sent women to bloody graves! Husbands to battlefeilds! Look what I've done!" he accuse dhimself effortlessly, Cloud refusing. "No.. that was Shinra. That wasn't you doing all of those things. War is like that, and its not your fault. Stop blaming it all on yourself, okay?"

Cloud....

Zack wrapped his bloody and bandaged hands around Cloud's body, pressing him to his warmer skin that seemed to relax the younger. Being away for a couple of weeks because of a war with Wutai wasn't much fun, expecially if you had to leave the one you cared for the most behind  unprotected. Their only communnication method had been cell phones, and Wutai's signals weren't the best, beleive him. So it was about 5 minutes a week they'd get to talk. Now, Zack was holding the one who kept him sane in his arms again, and damn did it feel wonderful.

"If it weren't for you, Cloud, I would have become insane long ago." Zack proclaimed sadly, Cloud ruffeling his hair. Zack then looked at his love's blue eyes, "You wanted to become what I already am. A SOLDIER.I don't want you to become what I have already dealt with. SOLDIER is like a den of monsters....don't go inside. Cloud, I'm begging you. Please, abondon your sword and run from the cave of demons."

Cloud kissed Zack's forehead. "I'm not running from the one I love. If the one i love is a monster, then I'll happily become a victim."