driftfleet | Yaugur System Mingle

[Okay, now he's laughing (breathlessly) because Cloud's taking it so personally. He taps at Cloud's arm.]

Stop, stop! You're scaring them away-!

[Cloud lets him go easily enough, because a) they are scaring the chocobos, who are now squawking in mild alarm and annoyance as they try to get at the greens they've dropped and b)he's not really mad. Not really.] Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't do the same thing.

[The laughter fades into a softer chuckle as Cloud backs off, and he leans in to close the distance again, looking very seriously into Cloud's eyes as instructed. It's not like it's a tall task. As Aerith said all those years ago-- pretty.]

I wouldn't. I'd name him Weather.

[/POKER FACE]

That's because you're a dumbass. The listing goes 'Bird' then 'Jockey' so you'd be 'Weather Fair.'

[SHIT he thought that was a lot smoother than it was.]

Well--!! It sounds like a forecast, then!

[HONESTLY that put out little sulk is way better than the smooth Zack. Not that Cloud didn't enjoy that too, or...something.

Either way it's funny, so Cloud snickers and leans over to jostle Zack with his shoulder.] I like it. Suits you.

[Zack huffs, but it's quiet and without venom, so he settles back into his place as the chocobos tentatively wander back to close in around them. He lifts his hands to try and coax them closer.]

So why'd you like Storm so much? I thought gold was like the top-tier of chocobos. Wasn't just the name, was it?

[It's not like it really matters, he just wants to hear that passion in Cloud's voice again.]

Yeah. [Feeds a chocobo a few green seeds before hooking a finger in its beak and leading it over to Zack's hands, depositing some food there. A couple more wander back over, curious.] He was a runt. Billy said he wouldn't even make it to first molt, let alone be big enough for racing, but then he just kinda...shot up. Defiantly, almost.

Hah, speaking of stubborn. Sounds just like you.

[His eyes widen again as more birds creep in close, this time with more quiet delight than surprise. He might just be a little bit in love with everything that's happening here.]

I'm glad you didn't give up on him. I always liked rooting for the underdog.

You make it sound so noble, but mostly I just wanted to rub it in Cid's face when he told me it was too runty. [Tosses what's left of his own greens so the chocobos wark and start scratching at the dirt for shreds of food.]

Why can't it be both? There's something epicly altruistic about proving someone wrong.

[Maybe. Probably. Anyway.]

So, I love this. Did I mention that I love this? Am I giving off that vibe? Because I do. Love this.

I am getting that vibe, actually. Pretty cute of you. [Resigns himself to being the feed fetcher and heads over to steal more handfuls of greens.] Maybe we can steal one of these guys. Think it'd be cruel to keep one on the ship? Nami already has Biri, I don't see why not.

[Zack's smile shifts at that, oddly shy. Cloud's words and the offer struck a chord, but even so, he shakes his head.]

Nah, no way. Biri's fine because he got stuck like we did. These guys? They ought to stay right here where they can stretch their wings.

[He lifts a now empty hand, and one of the chocobos boops his beak against his palm, nosing around for stray threads of hay.]

I'm okay with just visiting.

[Whhhaaaat is that look? Cloud's never seen that on Zack's face before. He needs to see it more closely and roughly 2098342 more times.] I'm sure they'd be okay. I used to take the birds up on the Highwind all the time. You just gotta stable them properly.

Cloud, my man, you know I love and support you, and if you wanna steal a chocobo I am down to help you out in heist attempt #2. Just don't do it for me.

[If you can fly, you ought to fly free. That's just how he feels now, that's all.]

[Leans back against the fence, gripping the plank behind the small of his back with both hands.] What if I want to do something for you? What should I do then?

[Zack pauses at that, a momentarily conflicted look on his face- there's an answer on the tip of his tongue, a joke too real for him to say. He doesn't trust his own sincerity in this moment. Instead he shifts closer, leaning in curiously.]

You know you don't have to do anything, right? Why so serious all of a sudden?

[Like he didn't kind of start it.]

Serious isn't always bad. [Mimics Zack's posture, leaning a little closer. Too close for friends? Yeah probably, but Cloud doesn't care.] You're always telling me I don't have to do something...Zack, I already know.

[Closer still- too close, now, enough that Zack can catch a whiff of him even amidst the farm scent of the chocobos, rough and distinct. He should move back, get some distance between them, retreat before he does something he might regret later.

He doesn't move. Licks his lips, tries to drop his gaze, but it's more of a struggle than he'd have thought. Is it weird to stare? It's totally weird to stare. Shit.]

Mr. Smartass. I'm not gonna give you a shopping list- what do you think I want?

[His brain doesn't even get a chance to offer any input.

Cloud's leaning in before he thinks, lips to Zack's before he realizes, drawing back before he understands what he's done.

The doubt and insecurity starts up almost immediately, pinch his brows together but he swallows and steels himself, doesn't look away. He may have just destroyed what relationship he has with Zack with that, but if he did then he'll face it head-on like a man.]

[Ah-

Ah, shit-

Zack pulls away at the same time, too startled to do anything else. His eyes are so wide, like he can't believe that just happened, like he maybe just daydreamed it because he wanted it so badly, but- but no, that feeling on his lips is real and familiar, and Cloud's looking at him like-

Ah shit-]

Good guess, [is his breathless whisper, because it was, and it is, and he's just gonna go ahead and kiss Cloud back. Just- just to be sure. Just to know.]

[That brief moment of Zack staring plunges Cloud's gut down to the vicinity of his toes, but then he says that and he leans forward like he's gonna kiss him back, and then he does kiss him back, and-]

"Hey! What're you kids doin' in there!"

[Cloud scrambles back with a half-delighted,] Shit, [grabbing for Zack's hand and making a break for the opposite fence as the chocobos wark and warble around them, stamping the ground as the birdkeeper storms over.]

Edited 2018-07-26 05:32 (UTC)

[Shit, indeed. Zack almost calls back that they're not even kids, because he's still too shellshocked to properly process any of this, so it's a good thing that Cloud has the sense to drag him off, which snaps him out of it enough to follow.

With a dash and a leap he's hefting himself up over the fence, focusing only on getting away without being recognized. If they're marked as chocobo thieves, that means they can't go back and that would be a terrible tragedy. Their new flock would surely miss them. The man seems disinclined to chase too far after them, thankfully, and they're too fast for his older legs to follow, so after a few sharp turns and a jog down a back alley behind someone else's barn, they're outside of his territory and scot-free.

Now they just have to deal with... all of that.]

Oh man... talk about bad timing, huh, buddy...

[Shit, oh shit. They'd kissed. A whole two times! And Cloud started it! What the heck!!]

[It's not really hard to outrun the...probably aged caretaker, by the sound of their voice, but Cloud still feels like he should be out of breath by the time they find an empty alley to hide out in. Cloud peeks past the corner to see if they've been followed, half because he's not sure he can look Zack in the eye yet and half because he really would like to avoid getting arrested on an alien planet.

...can't really avoid it forever though.

At least when he turns around, Zack looks as unsure as he feels.]

-oh my god. [Hands up in his hair,] She was setting us up on a date.

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