Never Tear Us Apart: Part II
by tir-synni
A/N: In the game, Cloud was able to get back on his feet fairly quickly because he had Zack as a sort of backup. He couldn’t rely on his own strength, so he relied on Zack’s. In this AU, Zack never died, so Cloud’s forced to rely on his own resources. Hmmm....
Chapter II: The Nature of Weakness
Often, Aeris would watch him, the cold stranger with the brilliant blue eyes. Even after five years, she could still remember the way Zack’s eyes had lit up when he was talking about him. He had described an angel, shy at first but growing bolder with him. She remembered the way Zack had glowed recalling his laugh, his smile. Aeris wondered what it would have been like knowing that person.
Looking before her, she doubted she would ever have that chance.
“How is he?” Elmyra’s soft voice whispered beside her. Aeris graced her mother with a sad smile.
“The same,” she murmured. Together, they looked back out the window. Only three weeks had passed since Zack and Cloud’s dramatic entrance, but already, Zack was on the road to recovery. He wielded his Buster Sword with all the strength and grace of a 1st class SOLDIER. “I have to train,” Aeris recalled Zack saying. “I can’t go out there feeling as weak as I do now.” Soon, Aeris knew, Zack would show no signs of his captivity. The only experiments done on him involved Mako, which kept up his physical strength and endurance.
With his young lover, however, the circumstances were different.
With sorrowful eyes, Aeris glanced beyond Zack. Sitting silently in the shadows, Cloud Strife watched Zack practice. His strength was returning, but the experiments tore at his body still. Aeris wasn’t sure if Hojo’s experiments kept him grounded, or it was the overall horror of those five years. For half a decade, pain and fear had dominated his life. The eyes of a wild animal stared out from his pale face, only calming around Zack. Only Zack kept him grounded, kept him sane. Around Aeris and Elmyra, the threat of fangs and claws were always there. And even with all her skill, Aeris could not discover what changes were still occurring in Cloud’s body, and what would be the end result.
Sensing he was being watched, Cloud’s fierce sapphire eyes glared at Aeris, his white face placid. Quickly, Aeris turned away from those animal eyes. Despite her treatment of him, Cloud still regarded her and her mother as potential threats. Aeris could not find it within her heart to blame him.
“You ready to try, Cloud?” Zack asked, setting his awesome blade down. He flashed Cloud an encouraging grin.
Aeris felt her mother tense beside her. This was the first time Zack had offered to let Cloud try. Up until this point he had been content to have Cloud watch. When Cloud had begun walking on his own for the first time, Zack had fretted constantly. Never where Cloud could see, of course, but Aeris could always tell. And now, Zack was attempting to have Cloud wield a sword? It took Aeris a moment to realize her nails were digging into the palms of her hands.
Cloud’s vivid eyes went from feral to soft in a heartbeat. Even from a distance, Aeris could see the nervousness radiating from his slender form. Zack’s eyes glowed hopefully as he kneeled beside his young lover, and Cloud hesitantly met his eyes. Aeris could only look at the picture they presented for a moment before looking away. The intensity surrounding them almost blinded her.
“Here,” Zack’s voice arose again. Aeris forced herself to turn back. Something in her felt like she had to witness this, even as the rest of her screamed negative. Between the two of them, they transformed a seemingly casual scene into something totally intimate. Aeris’ breath caught in her throat as Cloud silently climbed to his feet. Zack’s lips moved, but Aeris couldn’t hear what he was saying as he stood behind the other warrior. Quietly, he helped balance the unsteady youth. Cloud’s small, bare hands gripped the handle tightly. Zack’s larger hands dwarfed his. Together, they stood, balanced in Aeris’ yard. They held Zack’s Buster Sword in their hands, and Aeris saw Zack’s lips moving constantly. Once, twice, they swung the gigantic sword in a practice swing. Cloud’s slender body shivered with the strain, but his grip was steady. Their lithe bodies moved as one. Aeris’ breath caught as Zack clutched Cloud’s hands tightly, then let go.
Immediately, Cloud stumbled forward. Slender arms shaking with exertion, he struggled to keep standing. Zack stood behind him, fists clenched and voice rising high enough for Aeris to hear it. “C’mon, you’re doing fine. Find your center of balance. Just keep her steady, okay? You’re doing fine.”
Cloud’s chest heaved under his black tank. For a moment, one shining moment, he stood steady. The Buster Sword was balanced gracefully in his hands. Breathing hard, Cloud stared at the shining blade in his . . . right before it tumbled out. Zack barely caught the collapsing blond before he hit the ground.
Aeris struggled to see Cloud’s face, no longer attempting to be subtle. The youth avoided her, avoided them all, staring at the blade. She couldn’t see his eyes, but by the look in Zack’s, she knew it was bad.
“That was great, baby,” Zack’s soft whisper carried to Aeris and Elmyra. “Now we know for sure you can do it. Remember, when you got sick once? It took you a bit to get back to your old pace. It’s just like that.”
Cloud never looked up. His glowing blue eyes were focused solely on the blade. The hand closest to the handle of the sword convulsed sharply. Finally, he wrenched his gaze back up to Zack. Mutely, he stared at the older man. Zack smiled encouragingly at him, but Aeris could see the fear in his eyes. Had it been too soon? Had Cloud reverted back to his silence? Aeris could sense the darkness inside Cloud pulsing, and she closed her eyes.
Zack’s startled yelp forced Aeris’ attention back on the scene. Viciously, Cloud had snatched the sword up. On his knees, he balanced the blade. Hard eyes stared from a frozen face. Shaking visibly, Cloud fiercely slammed the large blade into the serene grass. The ground gave, and Cloud used that to push himself back to his feet. For a moment, he wobbled, then again he was balanced. He held the blade in the air once more. Behind him, Zack was still on his knees, his eyes wide with shock. Elmyra’s nails dug into Aeris’ arm, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at her mother.
In one smooth motion, Cloud drove the icy steel into the earth. The tip drove past the surface, and when Cloud finally released the handle, the great sword was halfway into the ground. Defiantly, he whirled to face Zack.
“I will not be weak again,” he snarled fiercely. “I won’t!”
Aeris could see Cloud swaying, exhausted by the ordeal. If she could see it, she knew Zack could as well. However, Zack made no motion to steady him, like he might have a mere hour ago. Quietly, Zack arose.
“You never were, Cloud.” Zack’s words barely made it to Aeris’ ears. Tears burned Aeris’ eyes as he silently held out a hand. Cloud hesitated, then clasped it tightly. The pair left the Buster Sword in the ground. As Aeris watched, they walked soundlessly back inside, hand in hand.