[Accidental Voice]

[herobydefault]

Aerith's back. Wonder if I should go in there with the Restore again... She was kidnapped. No warning, nothing. Stupid, stupid...she was suffering and I just stood there, again.

[A thoughtful pause, then a few metallic clicks before] ...Yoko... Don't think she's here anymore; she might've been kidnapped. Roxas was. ...no, he'll be all right. He's tough.


Everything's so uncertain. Tifa...Zack...the boys...


...damn it. Shut up.

Comments

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

Yes Zack, I am listening to myself. That's how I know that I'm not making sense.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

Then obviously you need to make sense of it before you make a big deal out of it.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it. [He picks at a loose thread on his boot.] But you know how she is, she can tell whenever something's bothering me. I can't even lie to her.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

I don't know if you've noticed, Spike, but you have a natural talent for making a big deal out of everything.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

Fine then, forget I said anything. [Cloud stands and resumes walking.]

[Action]

[wingenvy]

Are you gonna get pissed off at me for being honest now? All I'm telling you is that you take things way too seriously.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

I'm taking this seriously because she's important to me, Zack! [Cloud turns, and he's more pleading than irritated now.] I don't know what I'm doing, every time we talk I make it worse- What if she starts spending all of her time with him, because I'm being such a hassle? But every time I think of that something else stupid ends up coming out of my mouth, or I'll start acting weird but I can't help it and- Rrrrgh- [Cloud digs his fingers into his hair in frustration, crouching down and feeling more sixteen then he had in the past three years.]

[Action]

[wingenvy]

Cloud, you and I both know that Tifa's not like that. If she's like most girls I know, she'll go through this phase where the boyfriend is her whole world, right? Practically everyone does that, and they don't even realize it. You gotta tell them how you feel, or they won't notice at all. But you also have to give her space and let her enjoy it, because that's how relationships go through the whole 'blossom' stage. Don't be such a kid about it.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud just stays where he is for a while.]

...okay.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

[Hey buddy, have a hand on your shoulder. :/]

No worries, Spike. You've still got me, and she'll be back.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you earlier.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

It's okay. I know it's not easy, dealing with this. But it really does get better.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Another long pause. Cloud still doesn't look up or move.]


...will...I ever catch up...?

[Action]

[wingenvy]

Catch up? What do you mean?

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud covers his face, seriously ashamed now.]

I feel like I'm...like I'm...handicapped or something, because I don't...

[He takes a breath.] I don't...understand the things you and Tifa and...everyone else seems to. And sometimes I can't even explain how I'm feeling, or...or I don't understand people, or I don't even know what to say...I feel like I'm stupid...

Is it always gonna be like this...? Because of what happened? Am I always going to...act like a kid, or...

[Action]

[wingenvy]

Spike... hey. Some people aren't naturally social, no matter how they grew up. You've always had a rough time fitting in, right? So it's kind of expected that you're not perfect at this stuff. It's not a big deal, and nobody's gonna criticize you for it. You'll get better over time.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

How much time? [Cloud shakes his head.] It's been three years since Tifa fixed my head...I don't feel any different.

And-and what if I was wrong? What if...what if I broke it off with Tifa because I didn't understand, not because I didn't love her, or... [He looks up.] What if I do still love her, and I'm just...

Zack, what should I do?

[Action]

[wingenvy]

[Oh Cloud. Y u always ask the hard questions. :|] Spike, I can't really tell you what to do because you don't know how you feel. Once you figure that out, I think you'll know what to do from there. Right now, though... my advice is to give Tifa some space to do what's best for her. If things work out, be happy for her. If they don't, then be there for her if it hurts. And if, after awhile, you really know if you're still in love with her, then try to win her back. But if you don't think you can make her happy, you can't stand in her way when she tries to find someone who can.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[Cloud scoffs, looking down again with a hand over his face.] I can't make her happy. Look at me, I can't make anyone happy.

[Action]

[wingenvy]

[SMACK. And it's a hard one, too, so he'll actually feel it.]

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

[OW- And Cloud was crouching so he falls over, too.]

Wh-what the hell, Zack?!

[Action]

[wingenvy]

I figured I'd jog your memory a little.

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

...

[Stare, rubbing his head.]

What?

[Action]

[wingenvy]

You can't make anyone happy? Are you kidding me?

[Action]

[herobydefault.livejournal.com]

You don't look very happy to me. [Cloud starts ticking off reasons on his fingers.] Simon's blind, which is my fault, Denzel's constantly in danger or being hurt and I can't do a thing to stop it, Tifa's furious with me, Mother's furious with me-