ⅹⅵ┆with his tail between his legs

[shrugs_a_lot]

[ stables filter ]

[Why were girls so complicated...?

Why couldn't they do things without some ulterior motive?

And why did they always make him feel like he was the bad guy?!

. . .

He felt like the bad guy after the smallest quarrel with Sheena about the most stupid thing (one thing she surely didn't think as stupid), bad enough to even decide to come back to the castle from his little... vacations. He wasn't sure how he was going to fix whatever had broken between them, but he'd figure out. Somehow...

For now, he'd probably just head to his room and take a warm shower, it was starting to get cold with the snow.

He dismounts the chocobo as he gets into the castle stables, guiding it to its usual resting place with the idea of feeding it before heading to his room.

He didn't think he'd find someone in there so late though...]

Comments

[bustered]

[Someone's there all right, because the quickly-icing-over Castle is starting to feel confining, but Zack's not stupid enough to leave for the Dead Zone on a horse -- an animal he's still not entirely familiar with riding -- at night, by himself. Oh, he'll think about it -- think and plan and not actually go through with it, because it's just not smart right now. Still, he's out in the stables because it's better than being inside right now, idly feeding pieces of carrot to the horse Cloud had picked out for him ages ago.

The sound of someone coming in catches his attention though. Zack almost stays quiet -- it sounds like the person's headed for the other row, not where Zack himself is -- save that those footsteps are definitely not from a four-legged creature. And thus far he's only seen one two-legged creature in the stables, one that's been conspicuously absent for a while now.

He raises his voice enough to call out and be heard a row over.]

Hey. Anyone there...?

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Well, damn. The one person he had been kind of avoiding...

After all that thinking he was supposed to be doing when he was away, he still couldn't quite explain himself why he had remembered the exact date of Zack's birthday. Not like the guy had been exactly "conscious" to know about it.

Man up, Cloud. You can't avoid him forever. But this place had some timing...]

Hey... [Doesn't look at Zack as he speaks out, but up at the chocobo, petting it on its neck as he approaches. He doesn't allow himself to look too fazed about Zack being there, though.]

Look, it seems you got a roomate. [Definitely not talking to Zack here...]

[bustered]

[Zack straightens a little as the footsteps get closer. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, but it comes out all at once, like a small pressure being released to atmosphere. He's not quite sure what to say, not quite sure what he'd intended when he'd hailed the other person. Cloud beats him to it though, and doesn't even address the comment to him, which makes Zack splutter a little. Yeah, he missed you too, chocobo-head.]

H-hey!! [He can't hide his smile though.]

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Why is he smiling...? Stupid Zack... His smile had always been contagious.

Wait, always? ... No, not now... He gives in and smiles a little himself, nothing too bright, though.

Damn, he had missed him...]

You didn't have to wait for me here. It's snowing. [Only one of those sentences is a tease. Guess which one.]

[bustered]

[Hey, this is Cloud they're talking about. That small smile is a huge victory to someone who can read it. Zack stands, brushing dust off his pants with one hand and offering up the last of the carrot to the horse with the other.]

It's snowing? Really?!? [No Zack, you don't do jackass nearly as well as Cloud does, okay?]

[shrugs_a_lot]

[He catches that tone, c'mon he wasn't born yesterday. He passes by Zack and into the chocobo's stall, then he starts to remove the saddle and all the rest of the equipment off it.]

It is. You better bundle up, we don't want another useless ice sculpture lying around. [Hmm, had that one gone too far? Nah... right?]

1/2

[bustered]

Hey. I'll have you know I was a pretty ice sculpture. [ B| ]

[bustered]

[But the serious face melts away a moment later, as Zack leans on the low wall outside the stall. It's close enough to converse without getting in the way of Cloud tending the chocobo post-ride.]

Good to be back to myself though, gotta say.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Cloud would have thought he was being actually serious if it wasn't for the choice of words.]

Pretty, my ass... [Mutters under his breath. He had been there, for almost a week... Leaning against the cold ice and doing nothing about it... Ah, he rather not remember that, really, it had been a weird week. When he finishes taking all his stuff off the chocobo, it heads directly to the food; Cloud then, takes something like a brush that was hanging on one of the walls, and starts brushing all the dirt and dust off the chocobo's feathers, just as he had seen Choco Billy do it sometimes before.]

Why are you here, really? [As usual, he doesn't look at Zack as he works.]

[bustered]

[Prettier in heels. It's there and he almost says it, but that's taking the tease a bit too far, he thinks. Instead Zack just shrugs, content to lean against the stall and watch Cloud care for the bird.]

Mmm...? Was debating going somewhere, but it's getting really dark and icy and I don't trust myself enough with a horse to ride it safely in those conditions. [On foot Zack would probably go, actually, but he knows he can't get far tonight. And he just got out of his ice prison; he's not too keen on taking the chance of being frozen over again. That, and he'd spoken the truth: the ice would be dangerous for a horse as well, especially ridden by an amateur.]

[shrugs_a_lot]

Hmm. [Cloud keeps on cleaning the chocobo for a bit of a more before deciding it was enough for the evening. He was tired, he smelled like chocobo and the most important, he was hungry.]

Let it rest a bit and you can use this fella to go to that somewhere.

[bustered]

We'll see, yeah. [Doot doot do doooo, awkward silence. Zack straightens, finally, running a hand through his hair. It doesn't do much, spikes just falling back into their usual position.] Glad you're back, though.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Gives Zack a bit of a long stare.]

Did something happen while I was gone?

[bustered]

Uh... I'm not an ice sculpture anymore? [That's about the extent of excitement, in Zack's book. Of course it goes unspoken that Cloud wasn't there, but there's no sense in bringing it up. He may have had very good reasons for it, and Zack knows he shouldn't judge. Still, it's not exactly easy because he'd wanted Cloud's company, and the blond hadn't even responded when he'd filtered in the journal.] Oh, and it's getting real cold here, even inside. I don't know what's up.

[shrugs_a_lot]

It's Paradisa, that's what's up. [Hmm, somehow he was expecting something more than that, but that worked. It probably was better that way.]

[bustered]

Yeah, guess so. [Trust him Cloud, it is better that way. It's best entirely not to mention the missed birthday, and Zack hadn't really been actively around for that weird illness thing. Other than that he's just been relishing the feeling of warmth again, and trying to not encourage Angeal into mother chocobo mode.]

You doing anything tonight?

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Who is even talking about your birthday? He was expecting some mention of the kissing but, yep, it's definitely better not to mention it either, right?]

Yeah, I have to wash my hair. [You make it too easy, Fair.]

[bustered]

[Zack's not even really thinking about the kissing! He's been lucky as far as the nutcrackers are concerned, and he's certainly not interested in the "game" some of the residents seem to be making of it.]

Brat. [Yeah, he does make it easy. But he understands too, because the first thing he does after returning from camping is to shower off.] If you're heading back to the Castle though, I'll walk up with you.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[There is the lightest smirk on Cloud's face at Zack's comeback. But he won't say no to some company. Picks up his stuff, Buster included, and after giving the chocobo a last pet he starts heading to the stables entrance.]

C'mon, then.

[bustered]

[Zack falls into step beside Cloud, a shortened stride so he doesn't outpace the blond. And he's actually okay with the silence this time, partly lost in his own thoughts and partly just enjoying being with Cloud.

The sky though, with the growing display of colored lights staining it -- some kind of atmospheric effect, seemingly -- is really pretty, and makes him slow a minute to just look.]

[shrugs_a_lot]

[He had been watching the sky the entire time he had been heading back to the castle, but he understands it can be, well, mesmerizing. Instead of looking at the sky, he looks at Zack looking at the sky. There isn't much in his mind as he does, except for the same old thing he rather not think about.]

[bustered]

[Normally, having someone stare at him would give Zack that feeling of being watched, that singular, peculiar sensation of having attention focused solely on you. With Cloud though it's different, probably because of how comfortable he feels around the blond. Even so, it is cold and they shouldn't linger too long -- and Cloud wants a shower, he knows -- so after a few minutes Zack shakes his head, dismissing wandering thoughts and returning his awareness to the present.]

Heh. Sorry about that.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Hey, Cloud, Cloud! Stop looking at your friend... He will think you're weird or something (like everybody else does, yeah?). Thing is he doesn't want to stop looking, why? It's one of those unrecognized feelings Zack gives him, but it's not unpleasant, he just likes being around him, looking at him while he can. What a strange thought.

Hey--oh! Now he's the one looking at him.]

Lost you for a moment there.

[bustered]

[The sky is really pretty okay?]

Found me again though.

[It's said with a smile and another few steps toward the Castle. It's not nice to hold Cloud up too much when Zack knows he wants to get inside and clean up. And isn't there something else he should be telling Cloud? Zack can't quite remember what though -- it can't have been important, right?]

So, where'd you go?

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Gives a little smirk at that answer, maybe not even realizing it at all.]

The town in the Dead Zone.

[bustered]

[He'll get a slight jostle from a shoulder as they walk. What's that smirk about, huh?]

Oh? How was it?

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Returns that bump, with a little more strength.]

It was alright. No castle shenanigans whatsoever. [No one that knows you either.]

[bustered]

[Re-bump! Because they are so mature.]

Sounds like a nice vacation.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[His bump is more like Cloud shoving him now!]

It was...

[bustered]

[Hey, Zack still has the height advantage!]

Good to be back?

[shrugs_a_lot]

[He wouldn't dare to shove a midget!]

You know... I think it is. [And gives Zack a bit of a smile.]

[bustered]

[He might tickle one, if he's so inclined...]

It's good to have you back, you know.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[If Zack likes getting beaten, he just has to ask!]

I know. [snrk.

Oh, at last, they are getting close!]

[bustered]

[Spike, you still owe him from the punch in the jaw. Don't think he's forgotten!]

Yeah. I know you do.

[Are they? Oh hey look, they are! And really, for a possibly-evil, possibly-soul-eating Castle, it does know how to make itself look pretty, especially all decorated.]

[shrugs_a_lot]

[This time it's Cloud who stops for a moment to look at it. It wasn't much, it was sometimes a pain in the ass, but even then they kept returning to it. Maybe it was the castle influence but in the end, it wasn't such a bad place.]

[bustered]

[The thing is, whether or not they both remember it, they've had worse. Sure, the Castle is a crazy place, but if you can accept crazy, it's not too bad.]

I feel like I should warn you, it's a little cold inside too.

[shrugs_a_lot]

[And before walking away:]

It's not cold. Are you cold?

[bustered]

I've been cold for a while, yeah.

[It's just a reaction to having been so long on ice, and the Castle icing up itself, but Zack is really missing Costa del Sol right now.]

[shrugs_a_lot]

[Cloud too... Cloud too.]

You can always make some squats for body heat, you know?

[bustered]

Have been. I think it's half up here. [He taps his temple for emphasis; some of the chill must be his mind playing tricks on him, because with SOLDIER metabolism what it is, he shouldn't be feeling this much of an effect, not with so relatively little exposure.]