Crisis Core: The Novel

Chapter 50 - Love

STANDBY. The order was to standby. Zack knew now that the real horrors of war were the things you couldn't do anything about, the things you were forced to accept without contest. Now he watched the world fall apart around him, and could do nothing.

Nightfall in Nibelheim was always the same, sepia fading to dismal grey. An auric glow emanated from candlelit windows and the bonfire in the center of town. Zack did his rounds in monotonous sequence. He could practically do it with his eyes closed at this point.

He saw Cloud shuffling down the road, shoulders hunched with his hand in his shirt—he was hiding something.

"Whatcha got there?" Zack prodded.

"The solution to our Genesis problems."

And Cloud pulled out a bottle of Bacchus' Brew. Zack's eyes flew wide.

"OH MAN! You're a genius! Where'd you get that?"

"My mom."

"Jeez, your mom has a problem!"

"Why do you think I left home?" Cloud unscrewed the top, took his pull, and shoved it into Zack's chest. What the hell, why not? Zack took his pull still laughing.

They cajoled around town without a care in the world, sauntering down dead alleys that turned into stumbling down main streets. Half way through the bottle by the time they got to the bonfire, Zack flopped into a chair giggling while Cloud sat on a cooler next to him.

"Man, I'm kinda paranoid," chuckled Zack. "I hope I don't act like an idiot and start taking my clothes off or something."

"Don't worry, I'll watch you," Cloud reassured him.

"I like never do this."

"Really? I've been doing this since I was 13. What were you doing when you were 13?"

"Tch, getting laid."

Cloud laughed.

The townspeople all sat around the fire full of smiles and folk music. If the situation around them was dire the only thing they could do was try to enjoy the time they had left. Many of them were Native, many more than Zack thought at first, and he just now noticed different languages being thrown around. They gathered in a ceremonial circle singing ritual songs to ward off evil spirits.

And speak of the devil, Tifa bopped over and sat on his lap.

"Hi Zack," she smiled like she was riding a horse side-saddle. His eyebrows shot to the sky.

"...Hey."

"What's up?"

Wrong question to ask.

"Uh...it's a two-letter word, usually means the opposite of down." He was so loaded.

She laughed with a little shove against his chest. "You're so funny Zack."

She was flirting with him, good God what was he supposed to do here? Her voluptuous backside curved into his midsection like memory foam. He wanted to stick his tongue somewhere gross and illegal.

"You should be careful about sitting there...You might get hurt," he warned.

"Oh well that's a boast now isn't it." And she flicked his pants. Oh...My...Gawd.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

"N-no, what I mean is you might get your heart broken. I'm practically a married man back where I'm from."