(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]

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.

[wingenvy]

[It's been hours, but somehow Guy's departure feels too sudden to Zack; more than that, it's entirely unwanted. He'd honestly been about to call after Guy when that almost-question was offered, then retracted just as quickly.

A less impulsive person might have accepted Guy's backpedal, but to hell with that. Zack knows better than to let opportunity pass by without trying to get what you want. You lose too much that way.]

Guy, hold on. You wanna stay?

[explaining]

[The corner of Guy's mouth quirks up.] Guess I was sort of obvious.

I don't want you to feel obligated. [Not that Zack ever has, but he'd just been mentioning repaying his debt a lot today. Guy just wants to check.] It'd be for both of us.

[wingenvy]

[Zack snorts indignantly at that, lifting a brow.]

Do I look like the sort of guy who shares a bed out of obligation?

[explaining]

Hey, you're the one obsessed with paying me back even though I said it's okay a million times, [Guy points out, though he steps back into the room and reaches behind himself to pull off his sleep shirt.] But no, you don't. So rest easy.

[wingenvy]

Pretty sure we won't be doing much resting tonight.

[Awkwardness alleviated - thank god - Zack leans back on the bed, drinking in the sight. Guy is that lean type of muscular that pings all his favourite buttons. A body like that contains strength that can be easily underestimated by some very foolish people. Thankfully Zack knows better by now.]

[explaining]

[Guy snorts and grins, leaning over to run a hand over Zack's shoulder and kiss him. Zack is six-foot-three of muscles like steel, dark skin, dark hair and gorgeous eyes. Guy's not too embarrassed to admit that within a week of their first meeting, he had a wet dream about him.] Mmm- ack. [He pulls back and rubs his mouth.] Sorry, could I get you to brush your teeth? Can still taste the mako. [And it's sorta poisonous and all, so.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack tries - and fails - to hide a bark of laughter, half-hunched as he presses a hand to his mouth.]

Ooh, ouch! Right before things get more exciting.

[He gets up anyway, though- he knows better than anyone just what mako can do to someone ill-suited for it. And while he has no idea what kind of immunity Guy would have against its effects, he's not inclined to find out.]

Don't do anything I wouldn't do. At least, not without me.

[And off he goes!]

[explaining]

[Guy performs the most haphazard cleaning ritual of his life. Cards and bottles moved in case they use the desk, lube and condoms within reach of the bed. It takes all of ten seconds (because Guy is scrambling in his eagerness mostly) and Zack predictably isn't back yet, so Guy goes to him.

Specifically, he slides up behind him in the bathroom and puts his hands up the front of his shirt.]

Thorough, [Guy says from over his shoulder, stroking over Zack's ribs.] Your dentist must love you.

[wingenvy]

Mmmm.

[Zack noticed his approach, of course, but the hands on his stomach is a pleasant surprise, and he shows his approval with a happy noise. He's still scrubbing away at his teeth with a finger - best he's got right now, hopefully the paste will do the job well enough - so instead of an immediate verbal response, he bends down to spit, lining his butt teasingly at Guy's groin level. Yeah, this was totally a good call.]

Lots of people love me. I'm a lovable guy.

[explaining]

You are, you know, [Guy points out just in case Zack was just joking. He waits for Zack to rinse out his mouth before tugging his hips back a bit and presses a kiss to his shoulderblade.]

Thanks. You're too good to me. [He turns Zack around to 'help' him pull off his shirt, grinning at that fine as heck body and relishing in warm skin on skin in the evening chill as he wraps his arms around his waist.] So. You willing to let me spoil you for little bit longer?

[wingenvy]

[Zack grins, his arms dropping to let his fingers explore Guy's sides now that his shirt's off, working to get the other man just as unclothed.]

Feel free. I can already think of a few good ways to pay you back, anyway.

[Not out of obligation or anything, obviously - it's not a debt or anything. He's just more than happy to tease, and to show his appreciation, besides. This sort of thing is all about give and take.]

[explaining]

And I am absolutely, one hundred percent looking forward to those ways. [he remembers your tongue dude

hot damn]

Geez, you're so good at sex it almost makes me sick. How dare you. [He tugs Zack along with him, a hand hooked in his waistband.] C'mon, bed.

[wingenvy]

[Zack laughs, following Guy and trying (badly) not to look too eager. It's not like Guy doesn't know how much he enjoys this already, anyway.]

Yeah, how dare I. It's not even like I get a lot of practice.

[They barely make it to the bedroom; once they're both through the doorway Zack toes the door shut and presses Guy up against the wall, leaning in for another kiss- deeper this time, more intense. The bed can wait, and he's not hiding his eagerness, now.]

[explaining]

Mmmmare you calling- me a sex addict? Look- [Guy puts his hand over Zack's mouth to mock glare at him right in the eye.] ...dammit. Forget it. [Guy puts his tongue back into Zack's mouth, curling his leg around Zack's to rub his heel up and down his calf.

It's not until he's pressing his fingers up and down Zack's back like a man reading Braille that he realizes something and pulls back, trying to peek over Zack's shoulder and not having much success.] Hey- Is this a new scar? This wasn't here before. [They don't talk about the puckered bullet wounds on his chest or the thin, surgical lines all around his joints but ones from fighting are usually safe to ask about. And Guy- well, he doesn't usually bring attention to it, but when Zack sleeps he spends probably way too much time memorizing how his skin looks. Wondering what'll be different next time he sees him.]

[wingenvy]

[It's not really an addiction until you know you can't stop, right? And they've just kinda. Never tried. And he'd rather make out than bother trying, so Zack doesn't argue.

The question is an unwanted distraction, but when Zack realizes where Guy is poking, he laughs briefly and turns his body enough so Guy can see it.]

Oh man, you don't miss anything, do you? Yeah, I got that about two weeks back. There was this excursion to the islands east of Mideel looking for rare materia, and yours truly got hired as extra muscle. I guess some thieves got wind of it and reached the cave first- probably because the idiot leading the team kept getting drunk and boasting about how rich they were gonna get in every town on the way. There was an ambush, and one of them tried to stick a dagger in my spine.

[And since he's here and obviously not dead or paralyzed, he can say that entirely too cheerfully.]

[explaining]

One of them almost succeeded, apparently. [Guy peers at the scar and traces over it with a couple fingers. Zack is not only hardy, he's got incredible recovery time; Guy's witnessed that first hand, on the job they'd worked together.]

Y'know, [he says thoughtfully, rubbing his hands down Zack's sides and squeezing his hips,] I've got a few people who're interested in taking over this place. It wouldn't take me long to train up a new bartender; at least temporary or something. You're always coming back here with some new story about someone trying to put a knife in your back. Maybe you could use a partner to watch it for a while.

[wingenvy]

[Whoa, that... had not gone in the direction Zack had been expecting. He'd been fully prepared to laugh it off and carry on with the fun, but this is actually pretty serious.

Or- well, just to be sure.]

You're kidding, right? Why would you want to leave this place to go tromping around the world?

[It's not that he doesn't appreciate the gesture - it'd be a nice change, admittedly - but Guy just seems so at home here.]

[explaining]

Maybe I have some wanderlust of my own. [Guy shrugs a shoulder and links his hands at the small of Zack's back.] I've got some things I need to do anyway, and I'm not getting any closer to them here. I've gotten comfortable, but that also means I've gotten stagnant. Maybe leaving will help me shake things back up.