[Cloud's really not giving him any comfort, here. With a sigh Zack heads over and snags Cloud's shoulder, nudging him towards the table.]
Just sit down, I'll get us some shots.
[Or he'll just find them a bottle of something hard and let them work through it. If Cloud's immediately going for booze before he'll even say anything, this is real bad.]
[Cloud does sit down, and he knocks back the first shot and waits until he has the second in hand before he finally pipes up. Honestly he kind of knows he's being dramatic about this and that it's not as serious as he's making it seem, but it's also very, extremely serious.
He cannot be responsible for taking yet another good thing away from Zack. He literally just can't.]
...talked to Aerith about, uh. [Y'know what, second shot down the hatch.] You know she kind of...we were kind of, um, flirting and stuff, when we knew each other? I asked her if you guys were together, and she said yes.
[That makes Zack pause. He hadn't touched his booze yet - lacking the stress that Cloud is clearly feeling already - but that comment has him turning the shot glass uneasily between his hands.]
Yeah? [She'd talked to him, too, but her opinion on it at the time was decidedly mixed. Cloud's not ready. He has to find himself. She doesn't want to ask him for too much. He's surprised it'd come up, knowing all of that.] How you feeling about it?
[GOD.....HOW DOES HE...okay just say it then] She said she wants us both. [MORE SHOTS. Pours another. Zack, please drink, he feels like an idiot over here] And not to, like. Try it out and see who she likes better. Permanently.
[There's several long beats as Zack processes that. Or tries to, at least. He sort of lets it bounce around in his mind a handful of times as he stares down into his glass as if it'll hold all the answers to life's great questions- but mostly because he's not sure he can look Cloud in the face after that revelation. He can feel the anxiety radiating from the other side of the table, and it just makes him more anxious in return.
Wants them both, huh. They'd talked about it before, sure, but it'd never gone in that direction. It had been kind of a worried, evasive conversation for the most part. She hadn't been willing to come out and say what she'd wanted of Cloud, and in the end her decision had been to leave things as they were. That it'd be just him with her, and... she was happy with that. She was good. He was, too.
Was she good, though? Really?
"I liked him. A lot."
"I wouldn't choose at all!"
"I care about him so much, and maybe those feelings could’ve been…"
Looks like she chose after all, in a way. A third option they hadn't come up with before. Honestly? Good on her. Leave it to Aerith to take the unconventional route.
After a long moment (which probably feels a bit like an eternity to both of them, he downs his shot in one gulp and reaches for the bottle to refill. Heck yeah, liquid courage. What the hell does he say to all that.]
You know? I actually kinda got that impression from her when we talked.
[RUB S FACE VERY HARD] Okay I just- Have you heard about this before? Like- multiple people, at the same time? [Takes bottle, bypasses shot glass, pulls like three gulps consecutively. Even a SOLDIER may want to slow down. He'll have to buy Zack a new bottle tomorrow or something.] She's being such a scared little rabbit about it too, I didn't want to talk about it like this with her.
I'm not saying it's bad I just- people get jealous. We'd get jealous. Right?
Of course she's scared about it, she doesn't wanna scare you off when you're still figuring yourself out. [At least, that's what's happening as far as he knows.] She really likes you, man. And- I dunno. Maybe I'd get jealous. But if it'd make Aerith and you happy, I'm pretty sure I can deal with it. That matters way more to me than, like... me calling dibs or something.
[It's kind of weird? Maybe. Maybe a little weird. But they all deserve to be as happy as they can possibly get here, after all the hell they've gone through. If that happiness can be found with each other in an unconventional way... hm.]
I did hear about it, though. There was a lady on the network giving advice a while back, and it's totally a thing. Takes work, and a lot of talking.
[Yeah, same lady Cloud talked to and she was like, what's up moron, people can date multiple people and you should learn how to talk to your friends. Which had seemed like good advice at the time until he was faced with the task of actually doing that.
Either way, Zack talking about 'dealing with it' has Cloud shaking his head, actually pouring a shot so he can relinquish his hold on the liquor.]
I'm not gonna do it. ...I like Aerith, a lot. We didn't...get far, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. But I'm not even talk about trying it if you're unsure.
[Zack snags the bottle back, refilling his glass, draining it, filling again. It's his turn. (A part of him thinks this conversation should definitely be done sober, but for the moment he's ignoring that voice.)]
What's wrong with trying something when you're unsure about it? Anything new's gonna have doubts attached. We try it anyway because it could be awesome. Like I said, Aerith would be happy. You'd be happy. It'd make me happy to see that. [Fuck it, one more shot.] No one's gonna force you into it. But hell if I'll agree that the reason you don't do it is on account of me.
[WELL WHEN YOU PUT IT LIKE THAT, NOW IT FEELS DUMB!]
Because I don't- [Okay. Puts down glass to gesture to Zack with both hands, like "focus here"] I'm not saying Aerith is someone or something to steal away either, but I don't wanna take any more from you. Including opportunities. I'm not gonna be happy if you're upset or like, hate any of this! And I don't thing Aerith would be either, so- So, I'm only okay with trying it if you're okay with trying it, and if you get not okay with it then I'm done. Not you.
Zack exhales deeply at that, burying his face in his hands for a long moment. Okay. Okay. Okay. Hang on.]
Don't call it taking more from me. It wasn't like you did that on purpose anyway, and I'm still not mad about it.
[Much as he sort of wishes he could forget about it, sometimes, he still can't blame Cloud for the fact that it happened, so.
He drags his hands down his face to rest them on the table, leaning back in his chair.]
I don't hate it. I'm... okay with this. I think it's worth trying. No- we deserve to try it. All of us. And you know I'm not the kind of guy who'll give up just because something might be hard.
[And this could be just that. It could be very difficult. In the time since Aerith first told him, he's tried in bursts to imagine her kissing Cloud instead of him, and it's hard sometimes. Makes him antsy. But sometimes it's also... kind of hot, and he's not sure how to unpack that. The fact that it isn't all negative is reason enough for him to give pause and not immediately reject the idea. Right? Right.
He pushes aside the bottle - enough of that, actually - and looks up, focusing properly on Cloud at last.]
[Zack can say he's not mad about it until the sun burns out and Cloud will still be guilty forever! He's decided and no amount of therapy he won't get will ever fix that ok bye
Still, instantly:] 'Course I do. And Aerith too. [It's not a matter of him not trusting them, though maybe it is now that he thinks about it? He is freaked out by the idea of Zack getting jealous. If he gets jealous- well, he doesn't have the right to, so he probably won't. ...probably.]
[There's something weirdly humbling about being so immediately trusted like that, especially considering Cloud doesn't remember most of the shit they went through for him to earn that trust. He blinks for a moment, taken aback, then shakes it off and lets a smile creep over his expression.]
Okay, well... you've got our answer, then. You just gotta figure out your own.
[He can't guarantee this'll go perfectly, nor will he even try to do so. But he can damn well do his best. What more can anyone ask for? Anyway, he hates regrets. He'd regret saying no without giving it a shot.]
[He's...almost there. A kind of wild, carefree fuck it floating around in his head, like maybe he can actually try to grab for something nice rather than scrabbling to stay just ahead of the tsunami, for once.
Cloud rubs the back of his neck, fingers scratching just barely up into his hair at the base of his skull. Thinking.] ...what if this makes it so we hate each other?
[He can't ever let that happen. He can't ever come to hate Zack, or make Zack hate him. Cloud doesn't understand it but it genuinely seems like Zack likes him, and he can't throw that away on a 'maybe.']
[A very fair question, fair enough that even Zack has to give it the thought it deserves, even if, to him, the answer is immediate. Cloud's worried about this, and Cloud's attachment to him is probably more fragile, what with all the lost memories. In this, like in all things, he cannot speak for Cloud.
God, though. Even if he pauses to think about it, his answer doesn't change one little bit.]
I'm not the most altruistic guy in the world. I'll be the first in line to say that. But seriously, man... I could never hate you. You're just as important to me as Aerith is.
[They walked through hell together. Even if Cloud's lost it, Zack remembers. He remembers the days when Cloud's presence was all that kept him sane. Even a girl as wonderful as Aerith couldn't break that bond. She could absolutely dump him for Cloud and he'd still view the guy as his best friend.]
[So...much of that sounds like it cannot possibly be true, but Cloud's not about to start a fight over specifics. That's not what Zack's saying here anyway. Point taken from that: Zack doesn't want to hate him either. So, if they can agree on that...the very basic shit, that none of them want to end up hating each other, then maybe they can just give it a shot.
Cloud's already nodding absently, staring down at the table, before snapping out of it and giving a more purposeful nod as he sighs and sits up straight.] Okay. Right. Then...let's try. And if something goes wrong, then we just...figure it out or- or whatever. [Or give up. But that'll be him, for sure. If it doesn't work out, Cloud is going to back down before either Aerith or Zack has a chance to do it first. That's the only fair way.]
[...Weird. Zack had been trying to coax him into trying, sure, but Cloud agreeing to it makes him feel a lot happier than he'd thought it would. Then again, why shouldn't it? Surely it'll only be a net benefit to him. The people he loves will be happier. Aerith will get to express what she's feeling with both of them. And yeah, maybe he'll have to see Cloud kiss her outright to know if he'll feel jealous, but they're not competing for it. She's gonna kiss him, too. The mental image is actually... kinda nice.
So in the end Zack relaxes in his seat, smiling across the table at Cloud.]
Okay. No pressure, yeah? Go at your own pace, and we'll do it together. We're a team! [Co... boyfriends. Or they will be, if Aerith agrees. Speaking of-] Should we call her over and ask? Or do you wanna talk to her one on one?
[He's not sure if it would come of as too much of an ambush, even if it's something she'd said she wanted. Hey, we talked, and we decided we'll both date you!
Maybe...one at a time. [Taps a couple fingers on the table, chewing on his lip in consideration.] She was so nervous when it was just me talking to her...I don't want her to feel overwhelmed or like she has to reassure us both.
[It's very weird. He's been trying to think about it, test how he feels about Aerith being with someone else instead of him, but it just...doesn't show up in his head. Even if he can see it in his mind's eye, Zack helping Aerith in her garden, them standing with their heads together in the kitchen as they make dinner, them gently combing through the feathers on their new Legend wings, he doesn't feel it.
Replaced.
He just feels...home.] Yeah. One-on-one, I think. No pressure that way.
[Zack exhales a breath, feeling weirdly lighthearted, a stark contrast to the heavy conversation they just had. He reaches out to snag the bottle one more time, capping it rather than pouring another shot. All that worrying, and they sorted it out like goddamn adults. Points to them.]
Tell her to give me a ping if she wants to see me after. We should probably have a talk, too. [Probably. Well, at the very least he'll want to check in. But they can have all the time they need until then, it's not like there's a time crunch.] ...Hey, Cloud? I'm glad you brought this up. I think it'll be okay, but... whatever happens, I've got your back, promise.
[Not so sure about that; why would Zack ever have Cloud's back before Aerith's? But he doesn't want it to turn into a situation where Zack would need to pick between them anyway.
-loyalty wise. Obviously not romantically, it's not like he and Zack are dating each other too.]
Why don't you talk to Aerith first and then send her my way? Since she and I already talked about it and I told her it would be okay. She might be more worried about what you think, she already knows what I think.
You don't think it'd be a little out there for me to go to her first and be like, "Cloud and I talked and he's gonna date you if you wanna"? I really think she should hear it from you, man.
[He's not sure what else she'd need from him. He can call her up and give her his blessing to do whatever she wants, but he assumes she'd trust Cloud if he told her Zack was cool with it. And it's not like she needs his permission, she just needs to know he won't consider it cheating or whatever.]
No, I mean- so you can tell her you're cool with it. [She needs to hear from Zack that he's okay with it first!! What's she gonna do, just take Cloud's word????]
[GODS! Okay then, do that! Cloud gestures like, go ahead before burying his head in his hands, trying to sort out why he feels almost as nervous as Zack just texting Aerith that he's totally down with sharing while Cloud's sitting right there. Then again, he still doesn't understand why someone would want to date him when they already have Zackary Fair, but if he got hung up on every single thing he didn't understand he'd be in fucking outer space.]
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Just sit down, I'll get us some shots.
[Or he'll just find them a bottle of something hard and let them work through it. If Cloud's immediately going for booze before he'll even say anything, this is real bad.]
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He cannot be responsible for taking yet another good thing away from Zack. He literally just can't.]
...talked to Aerith about, uh. [Y'know what, second shot down the hatch.] You know she kind of...we were kind of, um, flirting and stuff, when we knew each other? I asked her if you guys were together, and she said yes.
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Yeah? [She'd talked to him, too, but her opinion on it at the time was decidedly mixed. Cloud's not ready. He has to find himself. She doesn't want to ask him for too much. He's surprised it'd come up, knowing all of that.] How you feeling about it?
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Wants them both, huh. They'd talked about it before, sure, but it'd never gone in that direction. It had been kind of a worried, evasive conversation for the most part. She hadn't been willing to come out and say what she'd wanted of Cloud, and in the end her decision had been to leave things as they were. That it'd be just him with her, and... she was happy with that. She was good. He was, too.
Was she good, though? Really?
"I liked him. A lot."
"I wouldn't choose at all!"
"I care about him so much, and maybe those feelings could’ve been…"
Looks like she chose after all, in a way. A third option they hadn't come up with before. Honestly? Good on her. Leave it to Aerith to take the unconventional route.
After a long moment (which probably feels a bit like an eternity to both of them, he downs his shot in one gulp and reaches for the bottle to refill. Heck yeah, liquid courage. What the hell does he say to all that.]
You know? I actually kinda got that impression from her when we talked.
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I'm not saying it's bad I just- people get jealous. We'd get jealous. Right?
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Of course she's scared about it, she doesn't wanna scare you off when you're still figuring yourself out. [At least, that's what's happening as far as he knows.] She really likes you, man. And- I dunno. Maybe I'd get jealous. But if it'd make Aerith and you happy, I'm pretty sure I can deal with it. That matters way more to me than, like... me calling dibs or something.
[It's kind of weird? Maybe. Maybe a little weird. But they all deserve to be as happy as they can possibly get here, after all the hell they've gone through. If that happiness can be found with each other in an unconventional way... hm.]
I did hear about it, though. There was a lady on the network giving advice a while back, and it's totally a thing. Takes work, and a lot of talking.
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Either way, Zack talking about 'dealing with it' has Cloud shaking his head, actually pouring a shot so he can relinquish his hold on the liquor.]
I'm not gonna do it. ...I like Aerith, a lot. We didn't...get far, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. But I'm not even talk about trying it if you're unsure.
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What's wrong with trying something when you're unsure about it? Anything new's gonna have doubts attached. We try it anyway because it could be awesome. Like I said, Aerith would be happy. You'd be happy. It'd make me happy to see that. [Fuck it, one more shot.] No one's gonna force you into it. But hell if I'll agree that the reason you don't do it is on account of me.
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Because I don't- [Okay. Puts down glass to gesture to Zack with both hands, like "focus here"] I'm not saying Aerith is someone or something to steal away either, but I don't wanna take any more from you. Including opportunities. I'm not gonna be happy if you're upset or like, hate any of this! And I don't thing Aerith would be either, so- So, I'm only okay with trying it if you're okay with trying it, and if you get not okay with it then I'm done. Not you.
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Zack exhales deeply at that, burying his face in his hands for a long moment. Okay. Okay. Okay. Hang on.]
Don't call it taking more from me. It wasn't like you did that on purpose anyway, and I'm still not mad about it.
[Much as he sort of wishes he could forget about it, sometimes, he still can't blame Cloud for the fact that it happened, so.
He drags his hands down his face to rest them on the table, leaning back in his chair.]
I don't hate it. I'm... okay with this. I think it's worth trying. No- we deserve to try it. All of us. And you know I'm not the kind of guy who'll give up just because something might be hard.
[And this could be just that. It could be very difficult. In the time since Aerith first told him, he's tried in bursts to imagine her kissing Cloud instead of him, and it's hard sometimes. Makes him antsy. But sometimes it's also... kind of hot, and he's not sure how to unpack that. The fact that it isn't all negative is reason enough for him to give pause and not immediately reject the idea. Right? Right.
He pushes aside the bottle - enough of that, actually - and looks up, focusing properly on Cloud at last.]
Do you trust me?
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Still, instantly:] 'Course I do. And Aerith too. [It's not a matter of him not trusting them, though maybe it is now that he thinks about it? He is freaked out by the idea of Zack getting jealous. If he gets jealous- well, he doesn't have the right to, so he probably won't. ...probably.]
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Okay, well... you've got our answer, then. You just gotta figure out your own.
[He can't guarantee this'll go perfectly, nor will he even try to do so. But he can damn well do his best. What more can anyone ask for? Anyway, he hates regrets. He'd regret saying no without giving it a shot.]
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Cloud rubs the back of his neck, fingers scratching just barely up into his hair at the base of his skull. Thinking.] ...what if this makes it so we hate each other?
[He can't ever let that happen. He can't ever come to hate Zack, or make Zack hate him. Cloud doesn't understand it but it genuinely seems like Zack likes him, and he can't throw that away on a 'maybe.']
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God, though. Even if he pauses to think about it, his answer doesn't change one little bit.]
I'm not the most altruistic guy in the world. I'll be the first in line to say that. But seriously, man... I could never hate you. You're just as important to me as Aerith is.
[They walked through hell together. Even if Cloud's lost it, Zack remembers. He remembers the days when Cloud's presence was all that kept him sane. Even a girl as wonderful as Aerith couldn't break that bond. She could absolutely dump him for Cloud and he'd still view the guy as his best friend.]
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Cloud's already nodding absently, staring down at the table, before snapping out of it and giving a more purposeful nod as he sighs and sits up straight.] Okay. Right. Then...let's try. And if something goes wrong, then we just...figure it out or- or whatever. [Or give up. But that'll be him, for sure. If it doesn't work out, Cloud is going to back down before either Aerith or Zack has a chance to do it first. That's the only fair way.]
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So in the end Zack relaxes in his seat, smiling across the table at Cloud.]
Okay. No pressure, yeah? Go at your own pace, and we'll do it together. We're a team! [Co... boyfriends. Or they will be, if Aerith agrees. Speaking of-] Should we call her over and ask? Or do you wanna talk to her one on one?
[He's not sure if it would come of as too much of an ambush, even if it's something she'd said she wanted. Hey, we talked, and we decided we'll both date you!
Maybe a little weird.]
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[It's very weird. He's been trying to think about it, test how he feels about Aerith being with someone else instead of him, but it just...doesn't show up in his head. Even if he can see it in his mind's eye, Zack helping Aerith in her garden, them standing with their heads together in the kitchen as they make dinner, them gently combing through the feathers on their new Legend wings, he doesn't feel it.
Replaced.
He just feels...home.] Yeah. One-on-one, I think. No pressure that way.
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[Zack exhales a breath, feeling weirdly lighthearted, a stark contrast to the heavy conversation they just had. He reaches out to snag the bottle one more time, capping it rather than pouring another shot. All that worrying, and they sorted it out like goddamn adults. Points to them.]
Tell her to give me a ping if she wants to see me after. We should probably have a talk, too. [Probably. Well, at the very least he'll want to check in. But they can have all the time they need until then, it's not like there's a time crunch.] ...Hey, Cloud? I'm glad you brought this up. I think it'll be okay, but... whatever happens, I've got your back, promise.
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-loyalty wise. Obviously not romantically, it's not like he and Zack are dating each other too.]
Why don't you talk to Aerith first and then send her my way? Since she and I already talked about it and I told her it would be okay. She might be more worried about what you think, she already knows what I think.
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[He's not sure what else she'd need from him. He can call her up and give her his blessing to do whatever she wants, but he assumes she'd trust Cloud if he told her Zack was cool with it. And it's not like she needs his permission, she just needs to know he won't consider it cheating or whatever.]
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That's it? I can just text her, hang on.
[Pulling out his comm to do just that. This will definitely solve the problem.]
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