Room 504, Monday Late Night

[intraspective]

There had been a party! And it had been an awesome party but parties had to end eventually, really, and so it was way late at night that Ino found herself, with the birthday boy himself, outside of their room.

Keeping a promise and dealing with a sudden attack of nerves.

"Hey," she said softly, while getting the door open. "Have fun tonight?"

He had, she knew it. But it was still somehow important for her to hear it just then.

Before she gave him one more gift. One that he wouldn't expect.

[For the birthday boy.]

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[intraspective]

"You do," she said, and he would probably not have expected the fact that her next move was to retrieve a neatly (and brightly) wrapped present, in a box. Or to wander over to offer said box to him.

It was just an album, a fancy leather one, utterly full, no page blank, with pictures, after all. He could handle it.

She hoped. They were very important pictures after all.

"I gave you the necklace," she said quietly, "because it ties you to me."

Bonds of friendship, bonds of loyalty. Did it make her selfish to do that?

"This," Ino continued, "is a gift just for you."

And his memories.

[puppy_fair]

The next few moments were a bit of a jumble of emotions, all crashing into one another, like speeding cars in an icy parking lot. No matter how hard Zack attempted to steer them, they still went veering out of control.

First, of course, there was that initial note of confusion as she handed him the box. This really wasn't what he'd been expecting, he'd thought that the necklace was going to be it, and he'd been thrilled with it.

The confusion gave way in a matter of seconds as he opened the box, smiling and saying thank-you, because he really hadn't expected anything else and today had already been awesome.

Thankfulness into curiosity. A photo album? Of what? Oh, the plot, it thickened!

And, as he opened the book and slowly came to recognize the pictures that were within, all of that melted away, into something else. Something that he hid away from everyone, as much as he possibly could. People didn't get to see Zack get misty-eyed. Not if he could help it.

"Angeal..." He turned the page. More photos. Just Zack and his mentor. A picture of the two of them on one of Zack's first missions, Angeal standing back with his arms over his chest, looking perhaps slightly exasperated at Zack's puppylike enthusiasm. A photo of them during their downtime, just hanging out in the common area on the SOLDIER floor. Training. Lecturing. The day that Zack had been promoted from 3rd to 2nd. Memories. "How did you get all of these?"

[intraspective]

"You've got a good friend in Tseng," she said, her smile very gentle. "He helped me out."

[puppy_fair]

"Well..." Zack was smiling again. It wasn't the smile that he used to cover up something deep and terrifying, though. This was a smile that was better for the burning in his eyes, one that actually seemed to fit in spite of the occasional sniffle. "I guess I owe him some thanks for this too, then."

But, one thank-you at a time. His gaze lingered on a photo of Angeal and himself, killing time in transit on their way to Wutai.

And then he shut the book, set it down gingerly on the bed, and was holding his arms out for Ino. He needed a hug.

He really, really needed a hug.

[intraspective]

Her arms went around him as she responded to that silent need of his and Ino pressed her lips to his head and resisted the urge to ask if she'd done good.

If he liked it.

It wasn't a present she wanted to--break down that way.

[puppy_fair]

He liked it. He loved it. This was something...

He'd never be able to top this. Zack had his doubts that he'd ever really be able to properly thank her for this.

But he could hold on to her. He could cling for dear life and bury his face in her shoulder and maybe he wouldn't actually start crying, but that was a tough call all on its own.

[intraspective]

"I love you," she murmured, fingers toying with his hair as she closed her eyes and just breathed in the moment.

[puppy_fair]

"And you're my very precious person," he replied, sighing and nuzzling on in. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Ino."

She was way too good to him.

[intraspective]

She was not. She'd never be good enough for him.

"I..." Ino closed her eyes. "I just wanted something that was--just for you. Something that mattered."

[puppy_fair]

"Well, you managed that," Zack decided with a small, sort of ragged exhale that was edging its way into a shaky laugh. "Wow, did you ever manage that..."

There were going to be many wibbly hours spent flipping through the photo album. It wasn't quite the same comfort as the Buster Sword was, but it was there, full of memories.

"It's more than I could have asked for."

[intraspective]

"I'm glad," she murmured, pulling away enough to be able to look at his face.

She'd worried, about if he'd like it.

[puppy_fair]

If she was going to pull away, then he was going to lean forward to kiss her.

Partly because now was a very good time for a kiss. And partly because if he could get her to close her eyes, then he could have another moment or two in order to get his head around the prospect of her seeing his tears.

He still wasn't good at this.

[intraspective]

He didn't have to be good at it so long as he was trying and Ino willingly melted into that kiss, making it gentle but lingering and underneath it all a great deal of love, as her eyes fluttered closed.

Kisses. She could keep kissing him like this forever.

[puppy_fair]

And it was a nice kiss. It was a beautiful kiss, but unfortunately, even the ones that people want to have last forever had to end sometime, and this one in particular was going to be broken by Zack, with a sniffle and something that was just barely recognizable as a choked-back sob.

He felt a little stupid as he leaned back, lifting a hand to his face to rub at his eyes, yes. His gaze turned down toward the floor.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Just something in my eye."

[intraspective]

Ino was going to wriggle around so that she could curl/lean/take over one of his sides and claim it as her own to use as a pillow and heater and teddy bear all in one.

"Of course," she murmured, and was just a bit amused.

[puppy_fair]

That was met with a tired attempt at a smile. If he was going to be the human teddy bear, then maybe now was a good time to lay down and pull her a little closer still.

"What, you don't believe me?"

Zack, nobody believes you.

[intraspective]

"Nope," she said, snuggling in and sighing. "Not at all."

[puppy_fair]

Sniffle. Pout. Et cetera.

"Well, I guess..." He sighed a bit. "It's a great gift, Ino. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm just being all... weird."

He was sad. He'd done a lot of burying, and never really actually coping, and he was horrible at this. He really, really was.

[intraspective]

"Not weird," she said softly. "React how you want, not how you think I'd want."

There was a reason she'd not given it to him in public after all.

[puppy_fair]

"I... don't know how I want," Zack replied, and that fell down to the barest mumble. "I'm no good at this, Ino."

[intraspective]

"Good enough for me," she said fiercely. "And I don't take second rate."

[puppy_fair]

"Nah, just 1st Class." There was maybe a faint hint of an attempt at teasing, hidden in there somewhere. "You're an Ino of very distinguished tastes."

[intraspective]

"I am," she said, closing her eyes. "And the one I've picked is pretty damn special, just so you know."

[puppy_fair]

"Well," Zack decided, "that's because you have really good taste."

He laughed softly, and then snuggled in closer and let his own eyes drift shut.