[Tentatively Zack lifts his head to look at Cloud, lingering misery mixed with genuine surprise in his expression. That's something he'd expect Aerith to say, not... not Cloud. It's true that they're friends now - proper friends, not just something Zack says to make it a real thing - but they've been kind of at arms length for a while now, still learning about each other, figuring out how this relationship works. Aerith being the chain that links them all together has helped a bit, but it's been a gradual process, for sure.

This, though... it's slow, but finally Zack's lips curve into a small smile, lifting his shoulder to bump it against Cloud's.]

If that's true, then... I'm glad. The garbage that you go through shouldn't be the only thing you define your life by. There's lots of good, too. Even if you don't see it.