No Regrets, Just Lessons Learned

Zack lazily brushed his teeth as he mulled over the days events. After his shower, Aerith had insisted they help her mend their torn uniforms. Zack hadn't seen the point but Aerith insisted she could sell them down in wall market for a couple of gil. He couldn't really argue with that, the uniforms themselves being to distinctive for him and Cloud to keep wearing them. So the afternoon was filled with sewing, poking and bloody fingers (because those needles were sharp!). Afterward, Cloud help Aerith in the kitchen fixing dinner. Once they were sitting down to eat Aerith filled them in on her plan.

"Give me three, maybe four days and I should have enough gil for the tickets." Aerith announced.

"Herrf, oouh panf ooh naah," Like hell he was going to let her do that. They were already staying here for free, not to mention all the food the two of them ate.

"Zack don't talk with your mouthful! Look you've gotten food all over the table!" He flinched at the scolding and meekly swept the crumbs to the floor.

Rolling his eyes, Cloud filled in for him. "Zack's right though, we can't do that. You need that money, I'm sure we can find-"

Aerith turned her glare to the blond and Cloud's mouth shut with a click. "Oh really, and how do you plan to do that, sell scrap metal through the window?" She sighed, taking a bite of food off her cooling plate, "I know you guys don't like it but it's the only way you'll be able to afford them. Beside, I'm sure you're not just going to leave me here right? Once you've found a place just send two tickets back for me and mom.

"Now eat, the foods going to get cold and you two need to fatten up. Eat."

He didn't like it, but she was right, there was no way they could come up with the money in under a week. He still wasn't sure where they were even going to go, neither one of the choices seemed very sound. In Wutai ShinRa had very little sway over the country's actual laws and legislation; they could hide out there without fear of soldiers searching for them. On the other hand, given his previous position in ShinRa there was a chance that they would be deported out of the country before they even had a chance to settle. Wutai was a gamble.

On the other hand, although ShinRa owned Icicle Inn, there were many smaller villages scattered about in the snowy mountain side and without a reactor up there, ShinRa didn't even put most of them on the map. Not to mention winter was coming fast and soon they would be near impossible to get too. If they could find one of the smaller villas to stay and work at, it might buy them enough time for the heat to die down. That was a big if though, there was a chance they wouldn't be able to find a place quick enough and it would be very easy to freeze to death up there.

The cost for either trip would be about the same though, the price of a ticket to Wutai would be twice the cost as one going up North, but they would need heavy coats if they were going into the mountains. It was something the three of them could decide later though, right now he had to concentrate on getting ready for bed.

"Zack, are you done yet? You've been brushing for ten minutes." Huh? Oh, oops. Cloud watched him skeptically, before turning back to the bedroom.

...Wait. Poking his head out the door, he saw a brief flash of blond hair disappear into his room. His room. Spitting he tossed the brush onto the counter, then sauntered into the room and there was Cloud, already nestled in bed. Bright blue eyes turned his way and looked at him expectantly. Slowly he reached out and switched off the light.

Okay, he could do this. Just because he was having dirty thoughts about Cloud didn't mean that Cloud was. Vise-versa of course because why would Cloud be thinking dirty thoughts about himself and now he was head rambling. Right, bed.

Strolling over to the suddenly too small bed, he slipped under the covers. He could still see the tell-tale glow of mako eyes watching him though. It was unnerving to say the very least. Just as he opened his mouth to question, Cloud spoke.

"Hey Zack?"

"Uh, yeah Spike?"

There was a brief silence before Cloud turned away, "never mind."

"Hey, none of that. Remember the rule, if you start talking you've gotta finish. It's not fair if you stop." Silence. "So..." He felt more then saw Cloud roll back to face him. He waited patiently knowing Cloud would talk after nervously going trough the words in his head.

"When I was- Um, I mean, when we were coming here, you know, from the labs..."

Suddenly Zack didn't like where this was going.

"Did you, uh... what happened? I mean, I remember a lot of stuff but I don't know what was... real because there were a lot of pictures and voices talking but I could hear you too and-"

"Cloud, slow down. Good, now breathe." He heard a deep breath being taken then slowly let out. "Just... give yourself a few days, okay? You just woke up two days ago, you need to be patient, it'll all sort itself out with time. Right now you need to get some sleep. We still have a lot of planning to do."

He could tell Cloud wasn't happy about it. "Look, if it's still bothering you in the morning, we'll talk then, okay?"

Silence then a small sigh, "kay. Night Zack."

He shuffled down a bit as Cloud cuddled closer, "night choco- Ow! Hey that hurt! It's an endearment!"

A loud banging from the next room preceded the yell, "you two, quiet down in there! Some people have to get up before noon you know!"

"Yeah Zack," Cloud whispered and Zack could just hear the smirk.

With a grumble he closed his eyes.