(no subject)

[explaining]

Who: Zack Fair & Guy Cecil
What: Friends with benefits. A lot of benefits.
Universe/CR: AU FF7/TotA Mashup



[It's a slow night. It's not usually a slow night; despite the improvements to the quality of life, living in Edge is still difficult and Guy's bar is on the opposite end of town as Tifa's Seventh Heaven. He doesn't have any delusions, either; he's handsome and he's always smiling. He can't cook like Tifa and he doesn't have the experience putting together a drink like she does, but with this many thirsty people he's not sure they really have to compete, anyway. Besides, he's met her. She's a lovely person, and the children she looks after are darling.

Still, Guy has his own regular clientele, and the night's not really complete until he's seen all of them. When the last regular trickles in and calls out a greeting from the door Guy finally settles with a warm grin and gives out a round for free (of the cheap stuff, he's not a saint). It's a small crowd, he can afford it and generosity will buy a lot of repeat business. Besides, he has his eye on a piece of fontech that just came out of Junon that he would kill to get the blueprints for, but he'll settle for his own appliance to take apart as he wishes.

It's getting late and Guy is cleaning up, only a couple stragglers hanging out near one of the pool tables, and he's taking inventory and writing a supply order list in his head when the bell chimes over the door.]

Have a seat, I'll be right with you!

Comments

[explaining]

You keep saying you owe me, [Guy calls after his retreating back, then leans to shout up the stairs after him,] but you realize I'm never going to collect!

[Whatever, Fair. You're doing him just as big a favor letting him look after you. With Luke gone-

With Luke...missing, sometimes Guy feels like a mother bird with an empty nest. Just having someone to look after for the night is enough. It's just enough to be needed every once in a while.

Guy finishes cleaning up the bar, ducks upstairs to dig out Zack's sleeping clothes and sets them on a stool outside the bathroom door, then returns downstairs to finish taking inventory and put out all the lights. He hesitates, then grabs a couple bottles of liquor (scotch for him, mako for Zack) and heads over to his room to read and listen for Zack.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack laughs and waves him off, whether Guy can see him or not. They can sass the night away and never get tired of it, he's certain of that. For now, though, the shower awaits.

He leans his sword against the wall as he passes the guest room - it's heavy enough that he's never really had a fear of someone stealing it, and he'd prefer it be more in reach at the bedroom than anywhere else - and disappears into the bathroom for a while, stripping off his clothes and hanging them up by the door. Within seconds he's under the water, eyes closed, indulging in the warm, wet heat. Yeah, definitely much better than the river. The pressure in Edge has always been crap, and he knows he can't waste too much time or he'll be rinsing off with cold, but sometimes you just can't not do this. Moments of calm in a life like his are few and far between.

Cloud would understand, he thinks. Guy probably would, too, since he's like that, but that's not something they talk about. He figures they both prefer it- everyone needs a friend who doesn't know any of your secrets, right? Who hasn't heard about your dirty laundry? Who gets it, but doesn't... you know, know.

No overthinking it. Overthinking gets you into trouble, remember?

Ten minutes later he's wandering back down the hall, one towel tied around his waist, another smaller one around his neck to catch the water trickling from damp hair. He has the clothes Guy left out tucked under his arm, and as he passes Guy's room, he raps on the door with his knuckles.]

All done, if you wanna claim the bathroom.

[explaining]

Thanks, [Guy calls from inside. He's out of his room before the door to the guest room closes and he catches a glimpse of shiny wet black hair and a long, lean back before he looks away and ducks into the bathroom himself. A quick scrubdown -his showers have gotten pretty military-quick since he moved here- and he's out as well, throwing on the first loose-fitting set of clothes he has and toweling his own hair dry. He snags a pack of cards, the bottles and heads over the guest room to knock on the door with his foot.]

Hey, let me in before I drop these.

[wingenvy]

[Zack opens the door a moment later in his PJs, though the towel around his neck is still there, since it takes a while to dry that much hair. His gaze drops immediately to the handful of treats Guy is carrying and immediately offers a bright smile, reaching out to take something out of Guy's too-full hands.]

This is gonna be one hell of an IOU if you keep treating me like this, man.

[explaining]

[Get the liquor so Guy can start shuffling the cards.] Just bring me some fontech next time you swing by. [He hooks an ankle around the desk chair and pulls it out over next to the bed, flipping the cards easily through his fingers.] So what first? Heart's Hand? Junon Hold 'Em? Strike? -Actually no, I don't want to play Strike with you, you always win. [Damn reflexes-dependent game.]

[wingenvy]

Aww, you know that means that I'll want to play Strike, right?

[SOLDIERs. They have this thing about victory. It's probably the mako or something.]

But since you're being so generous, I guess I'll let you choose.

[explaining]

Why not good old fashioned poker? [Guy starts passing out the hands.] We'll bet a drink. Loser takes a shot.

[wingenvy]

Hah, alright. You're on.

[Zack sets the bottles down on the table and settles himself down in front of it, cracking his knuckles.]

But I can't promise you that I'll be in any condition to carry you to your room later when you lose!

[explaining]

Good thing we're in your room then. I won't have to move you far. [CHEEKY GRIN RIGHT BACK ATCHA

Five hands later and Guy's winning, but only by three majority.] I guess you forgot how good I am at bluffing.

[wingenvy]

Shaddup.

[Zack, five shots and a full cocktail into a bottle of the only alcohol mix that can actually get him tipsy, is not the most graceful loser. He also apparently forgot that he's kind of terrible at poker.]

It's not my fault I have such an honest face.

[explaining]

I guess not, but you should probably work on that if you're gonna stick with the mercenary biz much longer. You're lucky you're so hardy. [Guy reaches over and pounds Zack on the chest a couple times, smirking.] You wanna switch games?

[wingenvy]

I don't know, a few more shots and I'll be drunk enough to invent a good poker face. Comeback King, yeah?

[Although that might make him drunk enough that he can't remember how to play. It's a bit of a gamble, really.]

[explaining]

[mmmkay gonna just
take that bottle] Well, I hate giving up my edge, so why don't we just share the one I'm using? There, that's better. [Also probably because he's seen Zack drink liberally before but not this liberally. Maybe that mission was more difficult than he let on.]

[wingenvy]

Spoilsport.

[He's not really complaining, though; it's probably wise. He's happy to have a good time and mellow out after a day like today, but getting plastered really isn't his style. It'd just make him lousy company, and that's no way to thank Guy for all of this.]

Heart's Hand? For a change of pace. And maybe so I stop losing every round.

[explaining]

[Guy deals out the cards, not subdued but a little quieter. He takes a drink and slides the bottle over to Zack, rearranging his cards.]

What's your plans for tomorrow? If you don't have any, you're welcome to stick around.

[wingenvy]

Mm... nothing on the go yet. And I don't want to overstay my welcome.

[Guy's too polite to kick anyone out - well, okay, kick a friend out - but constant company can get a little tiring. Even if they do have fun together, one does still have to work in the day.]

But I am a jack-of-all-trades, so if you want an extra hand with the bar tomorrow, I do sometimes work for food.

[explaining]

Shh, sh. You hear that?

[Guy holds a hand up to his ear, but there's nothing. He drops his hand pick out two cards.] That's how quiet this place is without anyone else in it.

[wingenvy]

[Zack quirks a brow, mulling that over for a moment. Yeah, he's never been especially fond of silence. It reminds him too much of long, lonely nights in a laboratory basement with no one but himself and his comatose best friend for company. Silence is something he can happily live without.]

If you're looking for noise, I can start howling at the moon from the roof or something. People do weird things when they're drunk, or so I hear.

[explaining]

Gods. [Guy holds up a hand.] No, not necessary.

Just. [Their hands are a bust, so Guy collects them and reshuffles.] I know you don't like to stay put, but. You can stay as long as you want.

[wingenvy]

[Another moment of quiet; it's a little uncharacteristic, but what can he say? It's been a weird day. And this rush of unexpected kindness has thrown him for a bit of a loop. Their encounters have always been pretty brief- some fun, some laughs, some drinks, some... other things... it varies. But sticking around afterwards isn't really their thing. Self-preservation, he'd always assumed. They have a system, and it works.

He doesn't like to rock the boat.]

Putting it that way makes it sound like I'm afraid of commitment. Am I that bad?

[Or maybe, is it that obvious?]

[explaining]

You're not bad, Zack, [Guy laughs.] You just have some powerful wanderlust. I don't think that's a bad thing.

I just want you to know you don't have to keep a running tab of whatever I offer to you. Me being nice to you isn't because I want something in return. [He pauses.] But seriously, some fontech would be nice.

I like having you around.

[wingenvy]

Alright.

[Well.

As long as we're being honest.]

I like being here, so we're even.

[Or close to being even, anyway. He'll keep an eye out for some tech that Guy might like- whether he's actually keeping track of a tab or not, Zack Fair always pays his debts. Which can be good or bad, you know, depending what said debt actually is.]

[explaining]

Great. [They're skirting around the main problems, Guy knows it. His loneliness and worry over Luke, his abandonment issues. Zack and whatever he's got: probably something to do with that friend of his, Cloud, and that church he visits in the old Midgar slums and all those surgical looking scars.

But Guy won't ask. If he asks, Zack might ask and it'll just ruin everything.

So he just deals another hand.] You're pretty good at this one.

[wingenvy]

I've been getting a lot of practice lately, I guess.

[Zack gives Guy a little nudge with his shoulder. Time between Guy removing the mako liquor and now has sobered him up some - for SOLDIERs, it never takes long - and with the relaxing company, he's more like himself again. Probably a relief to them both, though he'd never admit it and Guy likely would never ask.]

[explaining]

With who?! I'm going to get jealous. I can't believe you play drunk card games with someone other than me.

[And this is comfortable. Zack being Zack, Guy being Guy. There's no reason to drudge up anything that'll just end with everyone depressed; and that's not why they're friends, too. They're friends to get away from that.

Guy has to foist the bottle off on Zack because he keeps sipping and at this rate he actually will get drunk.]

Geez. Is it seriously that late? I should get to bed. [Guy pauses at the door, running a hand through his hair before turning to face Zack.] Do you... [He stops and shakes his head.] No, nevermind. Sleep well, Zack.