Speaking His Language (Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Zack)

[SexualOddity]

For anyone who doesn’t know the fandom: Zack and Cissnei work for the same employer (ShinRa). Zack is a SOLDIER (similar to special forces), Cissnei is a Turk (similar to an intelligence agency).

 

There are no spoilers in the fic itself.  People might be curious about why the Turks are monitoring Zack’s girlfriend, so I’ll put a spoiler box below for that, but it’s not discussed in the text and I don’t think you need the info to understand the fic, so it’s fine to skip if you want to stay spoiler-free

Spoiler

 

 

ShinRa are very interested in tapping into the powers of an Ancient race who were all but wiped out.  Aerith’s biological mother was the last pure-blooded member of that race.

 

This follows on from my fic Humanity.  You don’t need to have read it, but if you would like more background, you can find it here:  Humanity

 

@solitaire-au worked her magic on this as a beta-reader.  Honestly, I wish you could see how much these change from what I can produce on my own.  She’s so insightful and she deserves so much credit for getting this story to the point it’s at.

 

—

 

Ah, crap.  Any other fucking day…

 

Looking through the transparent doorway, Zack sucked air through his teeth and grimaced.  Ordinarily, he’d be happy to see Turks in the fitness centre.  There was a friendly competition between all of the ShinRa’s forces, and that usually meant that these training sessions descended into some kind of ridiculous competition.  Zack was all over that shit under normal circumstances, but, unfortunately, these weren’t normal circumstances.

 

He had a med check the next day.  It was weird that he’d be looking forward to a med check, but this one was different.  He hoped it would be his ticket back to active service.  It’d been about two weeks since he’d discovered his pretty intense allergy to one of the chemical ingredients in smoke grenades.  To his catastrophic misfortune, the resistance had been there to discover it right along with him.  Not only had they rewarded him with two arrows in his leg, but they’d since embraced the use of smoke grenades with boundless enthusiasm. It was widely considered that the second Zack stepped out the doors of ShinRa HQ he’d be set upon by dozens of insurgents waiting to lob the things at his feet.  ShinRa’s response to that had been not to let him step out of those doors at all - not until he was signed off for active duty and equipped with specialist allergy meds designed solely for use in combat.

 

Halfway there, he thought, feeling the weight of the vial he had clipped to his belt.

 

Halfway didn’t count for much though, which was why he’d spent his recent days simmering with useless energy, left behind on mind-numbing light duties while his friends shipped out to deal with all of the latest threats. Lately, almost every wall and floor that surrounded him was made of metal and everything he ate was produced in the mess kitchen.  Worse, since HQ was full of SOLDIERs returning from fights against the resistance and their smoke grenades, every breath he took had a reasonable likelihood of making him need to sneeze.

 

All of that meant that this med check had to go well.  That considered, crazy, competitive training sessions were probably not the best idea.

 

He hovered awkwardly in the corridor, weighing his options.

 

There was always the VR room.  That had it’s own risks, of course.  For reasons Zack didn’t entirely understand, the simulated monsters in that place inflicted actual damage.  He could keep his head fighting monsters, though.  Competition with an actual person had a tendency to short circuit his brain and override his powers of restraint (not that they’d been anything to write home about to begin with).  He was just about to turn on his heels, deciding for once in his life to actually employ some caution, when Cissnei waved at him through the glass door.

 

Oh.  Right then.  Guess that settles it…

 

Fixing a grin on his face, he waved back and pushed the door open.  “Hey,” he said, trying to sound relaxed. “Long time no see.”

 

Cissnei was at one of the rowing machines along the side wall.  In spite of everything, it was nice to see her.  She was friendly, unusually warm for a Turk, and she was interesting.  Every now and then she would say something completely unexpected, and Zack enjoyed just getting her talking, tuning into words and her facial expressions, waiting for the next time she’d say something that would take him completely by surprise.

 

And she’s also beautiful, his brain supplied, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.  He had long since decided that he was definitely, one-hundred percent spoken for, but his body and his instincts had always seemed to have a hard time getting with the programme.

 

She was out of her usual uniform, in yoga pants and a crop top.  Like her Turk suit, they were black, making her copper hair seem more vibrant, as well as the tanned skin on her arms, and on her neck, and on her toned abdomen that was visible beneath…

 

Eyes up Fair, for fuck’s sake.

 

Zack shoved his hands into his pockets.  In what was probably an overcorrection, he glanced up at the ceiling, hoping he wasn’t blushing, and resolving - with a pang of guilt - to call Aerith as soon as he was done with his training.

 

Cissnei twisted to sit backwards on her seat so that she faced him as he entered. Her eyes twinkled, as they often did, in a way that made Zack feel like something was going over his head.

 

“Been busy?” She asked, her face lighting in a smile

 

Zack gave a snort.  “Not as busy as I’d have liked.”

 

“So, what’s new?”  She smiled.

 

Zack’s eyes narrowed as he approached the machine.

 

Oh come on.

 

He wrinkled his nose.

 

Ughhhhh. Fuck.

 

He squeezed his eyes shut and slammed a hand up under his septum.  He hoped that if he pressed hard enough, he could squeeze back the fluttery feeling that was batting around in his nose.  It was beyond his reach though, lodged into some super deep spot where every quiver was maximally aggravating.  His nostrils flared, apparently having their own ideas about how the tickle could be resolved.

 

Cissnei looked up at him with something between confusion and amusement, and he knew he was blushing then, the tops of his cheekbones and the tips of his ears beginning to turn hot.

 

He should be used to this by now.  It sure happened often enough.  His best friends barely even reacted to it any longer: they just chucked tissues at his head and left him to get on with it.  Still, something about the thought of sneezing excessively in front of Cissnei made Zack’s toes curl inside his boots.    

 

The sensation that had started as a flutter grew sharp points that pricked at Zack’s nose until tears sprang to his eyes.  He switched the hand under his nose for a tightly clenched fist, hoping to delay.  Against his will, his lips parted.

 

“Just give me a minute,” he said.  His words were breathy, itching already beginning to steal his air.

 

He wandered across the room, his nose twitching uncomfortably.  He could feel Cissnei’s eyes on his back as he stood square to the wall, propping a hand against it.  The feeling bristled and ignited, awful need spreading right across his face. He pulled back, hating the sound of his own yearning voice as it broke though into his shaky breaths, struggling for satisfaction in spite of him.

 

“HUH…Huh-uhhh ehh… Hahhh-ahhhHAHhTCHhEW! HuhhISHHhEW! HUHT’SHUH!”

 

He barely had time to feel ridiculous, or to wish the ground would swallow him up, before the feeling was ramping up again.  The muscles around his eyes and nose strained, reaching for something beyond his grasp.  He lifted his elbow, overwhelmed by a flurry of involuntary blinks. Prickles pattered through his sinuses.

 

“HUhHTCHhh!  HuuUHHTCHh! Hhuhuh… Uhh… HuHUHTCHUhh!”

 

Well, that was a great start….

 

At least the itching backed down enough that he trusted himself to straighten.  He turned back to Cissnei with a laugh and a shake of his head.

 

“So, I have allergies now.”  He ran a hand through his hair, his grin sheepish and his teeth gritted.  “That’s pretty new.”

 

“Yeah.  Heard that had something to do with the resistance bringing smoke grenades to every fight.”

 

Zack held out his hands as if in a plea.  “Seriously?” When she didn’t respond, he made his way back over to where she sat at a rower.   “You know, there’ve been assignments where I’ve done all kinds of awesome shit, and no one’s ever heard of ‘em.  Why is that the one that you’re all talking about?”

 

Cissnei shrugged.  “Probably something to do with you propping up the black market on combat accessories.”

 

She was most likely right, so Zack settled for an eye roll over any further protest.  He hesitated when the beginnings of a sneeze enquired deep in his sinuses.  Moving his hands vaguely in front of his face as a precaution, he gave a tentative sniff.  The tickling seemed content to hover ominously, so he let it be, leaning against the windowsill as Cissnei resumed her exercise.

 

“So, how about you?” He asked.  “You done anything fun?”

 

“Ah, you know how it is,” she said between rows.  “Mostly classified.”

 

“This is why I love hanging out with Turks,” Zack said with a shake of his head.  “The conversation.”

 

He swore under his breath when the lingering itch turned pin-point and badgered at the side of his nose.  He pressed at it with his fingers, lowering them slightly when it lost it’s urgency, only to raise them again when it returned, sharp enough to make his breath catch.

 

He clamped his fist around his nose and gave Cissnei a helpless shrug, looking down at her through squinted eyes.  “Gonna warm up… over…huhh…over… there-HEYYISHHhhEW!” He groaned.  “Ugh.  Shit.  Sorry.  Think someone’s used these rowers after a grenade attack.”

 

“You’re pretty… sensitive,” Cissnei said, rowing fast now, her voice interrupted by the effort of her movement.

 

Zack winced.  “Yep,” he said, drawing out the word resentfully.   His lip crinkled in distaste.  He hated having to talk about himself in these terms.  “Apparently mako enhancement works on allergies as well as people.  Could have lived without finding that out, to be honest.”

 

He heard the rhythmic whizz of metal on well-oiled metal as Cissnei continued her workout, and he set himself up on a treadmill, programming the speed to increase in increments.  He picked a slower acceleration that he would typically have gone for, hoping she wouldn’t notice.  He couldn’t imagine that she spent a great deal of time assessing his usual patterns of treadmill speed, but honestly, you never could be too sure with Turks.   He wriggled his nose experimentally and decided that he felt better now that he was on the far side of the room.

 

They exercised in silence for a while, and Zack was pleased to notice that he could hit the limits of the machine without too much resistance from his leg.  When Cissnei finished her workout, she turned to him, resuming her reverse position on her seat and rubbing her forehead with a towel.

 

“So, how is your girlfriend?”  Cissnei asked, her tone smoothly neutral.

 

Zack looked up so fast he almost lost his footing, forgetting to move as the treadmill turned below him.  He straightened, recovering his pace, but he didn’t relax.  He was an idiot probably, but he hadn’t expected this.

 

“Think… we’ll call it… classified,” he said, the meaning cool and clear in his words even as he panted a little from the exertion.

 

Cissnei held up her hands, apparently getting the message.  She looked up at him from the rower with an expression that was serious, but still entirely composed.  Somehow that just made Zack angrier.

 

“It was a friendly question, Zack.”

 

He snorted.  There were no friendly questions in the Turks, and Cissnei knew it.  It was their job to watch Aerith.  Fine.  Whatever.  But if they thought he was going to be part of their surveillance, then the whole lot of them could take a flying leap.

 

“I thought… you’d be different,” he muttered between inhales, his eyes not leaving hers as his feet hammered against the belt in a sprint.

 

“Zack…”

 

He jerked his head away, bumping the stop button with the bottom of his fist.  “You know what’d be real nice?” Leaning on the handrails, he breathed deep, as sweat trailed past his temple.  “If you guys would drop the agenda for once,” he exhaled in a forceful huff, “and just be my damn friends.”

 

She just looked at him.

 

“Whatever.”  He grabbed his water bottle and slung his towel over his shoulder.  The muscles in his back and shoulders felt pinched and tight, and his body shook with energy even as his heart rate slowed from the exercise.  “Was thinking about getting in some VR-training anyway.”  As he headed for the door, his nose tingled insistently.

 

Oh, so that’s not over either.  Fucking fantastic.

 

He scrunched his nose, blinking as the itching sizzled into a burn.  He’d have liked to have made it out the door before sneezing, but his already-flaring nostrils said that wasn’t going to happen.  He raised the crook of his arm as he walked and his steps slowed, his awareness of everything but the riot in his nose dissolving into a storm of irritation.

 

“HhK’UHhSHhUh! HUHT’TuSHHUHhh! HuHT’SCHUH!”

 

“Zack…” Cissnei said softly as he straightened.

 

She did look genuinely grieved, Zack noticed with some surprise as he rubbed at his scrunched-up nose.  He pushed the thought from his attention though, and made for the door, telling himself that he couldn’t be bothered.

 

“Who d’ya think would be faster to a hundred squats,” she said, behind him.  “You or me?”

 

Zack turned.  He blinked at her.  “…me?” he answered, not trusting the question.

 

“Care to test that theory?”  She stood with a smile, taking a stand on one of the mats near Zack in the centre of the room.

 

Zack just frowned.  “What are you doing?”

 

He’d proposed this kind of challenge a million times.  Cissnei had always just laughed.  Squats were Zack’s thing.  When he was younger they were a release when restless energy made him feel fit to burst.  Now, they helped him think, cleared his head amidst the shitshow that had been most of the past two years in SOLDIER. They were almost his default mode. Everyone knew it.  Most people had cracked a joke about it.  His eyes narrowed.  Cissnei didn’t play against loaded decks.

 

She held up her phone, timer set, and started the exercise.  “I’m getting a head-start over here,” she warned.

 

He came up to stand on the mat by her side, and cocked his head at her.  “You know you can’t win this, right?”  He asked, genuinely confused.

 

She smiled, panting a little, and gave a half shrug as she moved.  “Thought I might have an advantage right now.”  She looked at him pointedly, eyebrows raised.  “How is your leg?”

 

Zack dropped his head back and sighed, rubbing a weary hand against his forehead.  “You guys really do know everything.”

 

The sounds of her movements indicated that her pace had slowed, and he looked down, finding her waiting to meet his gaze.  There was competition in her eyes, daring him, but there was something else too, something that was at odds with the Turks and their clinical efficiency. Apprehension?  Hope?

 

He closed his eyes with a sigh, finally recognising the gesture for what it was.  There was a price, he supposed, for trying to make friends with Turks.  Ultimately, it was a matter of whether or not it was worth it.  He watched her for a moment.  Her jaw was set, determined, as she did the exercise that he loved.  She faltered a little when she noticed his eyes on her. 

 

He blinked down at the mat, shaking his head, but when he looked up again, his stare was all challenge.  He dropped into his first squat.  His left leg was just a little stiff, just a little resistant.  Some part of his brain noticed that - some small, sensible, under-utilised part of his brain.  The rest of it lit up with determination.  There was some catching up to do.

 

[MusicaDiabolos]

Love these characters great story!

[SexualOddity]

3 hours ago, MusicaDiabolos said:

Love these characters great story!

Aw thank you for commenting I love them too.

[solitaire-au]

Aww, I love how much punishment poor Zack goes through!

I loved the reference to his friends now being used to his allergies and him being OK with it, but the thought of having sneezing fits in front of a beautiful woman he finds attractive embarrasses the heck out of him. 🥰 

I would love to find out how Aerith reacts to all this! (His allergy I mean, not his continued attraction to other women! I imagine she would not be thrilled, so he’d be keeping that part to himself.)

[SexualOddity]

12 minutes ago, solitaire-au said:

Aww, I love how much punishment poor Zack goes through!

I loved the reference to his friends now being used to his allergies and him being OK with it, but the thought of having sneezing fits in front of a beautiful woman he finds attractive embarrasses the heck out of him. 🥰 

I would love to find out how Aerith reacts to all this! (His allergy I mean, not his continued attraction to other women! I imagine she would not be thrilled, so he’d be keeping that part to himself.)

Probably will be yeah 😅 Bless him, his heart's in the right place, he's just a little rough around the edges.  There are some really lovely moments in the game that drive home how he feels about Aerith despite his somewhat distractable nature!

 

I might be able to hook you up with some stuff with Aerith's reaction. I do have some scenes drafted for the multi-part sequel to Humanity that have Zack and Aerith. At the moment that story only exists as a jumble of disjointed bits and pieces, but assuming I don't end up cutting them from the finished product, they'll probably see the light of day eventually.

 

Thank you so much for your suggestions and advice on this story. You always spark so many ideas and I'm so much happier with the finished products when they've had your touch on them.