[Fira continues to bark at Cloud, elated to see him after having gone missing for who knows how long. She leans into his touch, lapping at his fingers as he tries to pet him. It was almost enough for him to forget the dread that began welling up inside him before he hears the all-too-familiar, yet oddly hoarse, voice of Zack calling out his name.
The pit in his stomach grew, and he finds himself swallowing a lump in his throat.
Slowly, after one last pet of Fira's head, Cloud got back up onto his feet, exhaling deeply, and taking as much time as possible to face Zack and look him in the eye.]
Hey—
[There's a moment of surprise when he sees Zack, his eyes growing wide when he notices how deathly pale the other man looked. His clothes were unkempt and his hair disheveled, and though it was still early enough to be considered morning, he seemed rather out of character to see Zack this way.
Taking a cautious step forward, Cloud extends his hand, only to stop and bring it back down to his side. While he had never been someone with a way with words, he finds it even harder to find something to say. He quickly tries a few in his head (You look like shit, Long time no see?, Are you okay?), but none of them feels right. And, honestly, he isn't even sure he wanted to know the answer to some of those.
Eventually, he settles on:] Looks like you've had a rough start.
[ It was a image Zack had seen a hundred times over; Cloud walking into the room, and Fira greeting the man so excitedly. For a split second it was almost as if the man had never left at all— that this was just some bizarre scenario the former SOLIDER had concocted in the back of his head. Yet the more he observed, the more he honed in on those little facial expressions Cloud made, all reality come down on his shoulders like a waterfall. Cloud had left, and suddenly he was back again. Just like that.
The "hey" rattled him slightly, causing Zack's eyes to whip up from Fira's face to Cloud's. He pauses at first, mouth agape and for once in his life the raven haired man found he couldn't mingle together a single sentence. What was he suppose to say? Welcome back? Where the hell were you?
I'm sorry?
Zack watched as that hand was raised and retreated, opting finally to force his body to move forward, stepping into the full interior of their living room. Fira glanced between them as her head tilted to one side, she was still smiling, and even barked at Zack to dethatched him from his dazed disposition. Almost as if she was urging him to say something. She always was such an attentive girl.
Eventually Zack will let out a tight chuckle, bringing a hand to the back of his head and giving it a shake, likely messing it up more. ]
Not much sleep these past couple nights. [ He forces himself to admit before drifting his gaze up to lock onto Cloud's. He was trying to study those facial expressions again— to get some kind of idea of what the man was thinking. Tough shell to crack, that one. ]
You, uh. You back now? [ Damn. That was awkward. ]
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The pit in his stomach grew, and he finds himself swallowing a lump in his throat.
Slowly, after one last pet of Fira's head, Cloud got back up onto his feet, exhaling deeply, and taking as much time as possible to face Zack and look him in the eye.]
Hey—
[There's a moment of surprise when he sees Zack, his eyes growing wide when he notices how deathly pale the other man looked. His clothes were unkempt and his hair disheveled, and though it was still early enough to be considered morning, he seemed rather out of character to see Zack this way.
Taking a cautious step forward, Cloud extends his hand, only to stop and bring it back down to his side. While he had never been someone with a way with words, he finds it even harder to find something to say. He quickly tries a few in his head (You look like shit, Long time no see?, Are you okay?), but none of them feels right. And, honestly, he isn't even sure he wanted to know the answer to some of those.
Eventually, he settles on:] Looks like you've had a rough start.
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The "hey" rattled him slightly, causing Zack's eyes to whip up from Fira's face to Cloud's. He pauses at first, mouth agape and for once in his life the raven haired man found he couldn't mingle together a single sentence. What was he suppose to say? Welcome back? Where the hell were you?
I'm sorry?
Zack watched as that hand was raised and retreated, opting finally to force his body to move forward, stepping into the full interior of their living room. Fira glanced between them as her head tilted to one side, she was still smiling, and even barked at Zack to dethatched him from his dazed disposition. Almost as if she was urging him to say something. She always was such an attentive girl.
Eventually Zack will let out a tight chuckle, bringing a hand to the back of his head and giving it a shake, likely messing it up more. ]
Not much sleep these past couple nights. [ He forces himself to admit before drifting his gaze up to lock onto Cloud's. He was trying to study those facial expressions again— to get some kind of idea of what the man was thinking. Tough shell to crack, that one. ]
You, uh. You back now? [ Damn. That was awkward. ]