Midgar, Gaia -- Sunday

[intraspective]

Little changed in the hospital room overnight. The girl slept, the boy slept, and machines continued their monitoring—more to be safe than out of true need for them—and if the nurses came by to check on them (but always careful not to wake them) a little more often than necessary…

Well, there was nothing wrong with that, was there?

And in this manner, time passed until morning.

[For ze puppy. NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[intraspective]

"Yeah," she said, blinking hard. "It is. But I still--"

[puppy_fair]

Zack shrugged and snuggled in a little more, actually scooting up onto the bed to sit beside her.

"It wasn't your fault," he murmured, pulling her close. "It wasn't. If anything, all of that was because of me, Ino."

He'd almost lost her, because of some grudge against him.

[intraspective]

He moved and she was shifted and when things settled, it all felt right. Ino leaned against him, using his solid presence to prop herself up as she focused on the simple pleasure of being held.

"It's not your fault either," Ino said stubbornly.

[puppy_fair]

"They wanted me," Zack pointed out, softly. "They would have left you alone, otherwise. They don't have any interest in civilians."

[intraspective]

"They also wanted me 'cause I'd killed a few of their own," she said, ducking her head and closing her eyes. "They'd not gone after me before that."

[puppy_fair]

... Oh, wow. Excuse Zack for sitting there in a bit of a daze, please.

"And that's my fault too," he noted, a little more quietly still. "They were talking about me that one time, weren't they?"

[intraspective]

"That's not the point," she protested, twisting her head to peer up at him. "It weren't your fault."

[puppy_fair]

"You were trying to protect me, weren't you? And then it turned out that I was out fighting the Crescent already."

And he'd stumbled through the door a bloody mess. He was worse off this time around by the end of it, though.

He still hadn't gotten around to worrying about most of the worst of the holes in him. But at least they were clean, now? Thank goodness he was SOLDIER.

[intraspective]

"And it's their actions that are the problem," she said mutinously. "Not yours. You didn't make up their minds for them, they did that all themselves."

[puppy_fair]

"They did," Zack agreed. He really couldn't deny that. "I think some people might argue that I gave them a reason to, though."

And he'd left them alive. Over and over again. That had been his real mistake, hadn't it?

[intraspective]

She... wasn't going to say that.

"Reason ain't the same as making them," she pointed out.

[puppy_fair]

"I guess not," Zack sighed, nodding. "They just... they want their home back, you know? Maybe I was just... too soft."

Zack Fair. Worrying about being too soft.

The world would commence ending in 5... 4... 3...

[intraspective]

"If they thought that," Ino replied, fussing with her hands. "Then I think that... you corrected that impression."

Thoroughly.

[puppy_fair]

"I guess that's one way of putting it," Zack agreed, something like a mumble taking over those words.

It was hard to think things like that if you were dead, wasn't it?

"I got you back."

And he'd maybe lost his mind completely to the bloodlust that SOLDIER was made for, somewhere along the way.

[intraspective]

"You did," she murmured, the touch of a sigh in her words. Well, she'd tried. "I love you."

She always did, but right now it felt--right--to say it.

[puppy_fair]

"I love you, too," Zack replied, smiling tiredly. And then, because he clearly hadn't asked a thousand times already, "How are you feeling?"

[intraspective]

"Right now?" she tilted her head back at him. "Like I'm safer than anyone else."

Which answered his question in theory, but not the one he'd meant when he asked.

[puppy_fair]

Zack exhaled, in a soft, breathy huff of a laugh, glancing sideways to grin at her.

"And would you keep feeling safe if I stretched over you in order to get that potion that Tseng left? Or would it be better off if I walked around?"

He was a lot of puppy, and she was a very wee, kind of easily smushed Ino.

[intraspective]

"I... think I'll be okay?" she said slowly. "We can try the leaning over thing."

[puppy_fair]

"I'll try not to crawl on you," Zack promised, giving her another little kiss on the cheek before making a reach. He probably looked like he had the most precarious balance in the world, balanced on one arm and one knee with the other arm stretching out in front of him. But he was SOLDIER. It would take a decent shove to knock him over.

Just... try not to mind the view of his armpit too much, Ino? You have no idea how much you owe Dr. Sialeeds for making him shower, today.

[intraspective]

Ino couldn't help but smile, touched at his care, even as the smile turned to a bit of a giggle.

Look, armpits were funny and she felt very small with him leaning over her like that.

[puppy_fair]

Zack found himself laughing a bit, too, as he eased back to sit on the bed, holding out the potion toward her.

"Did you want this now, or should I call the nurses for that juice so you can get the taste out?"

Hi-Potions. They tasted awful, and they worked. Like Buckley's!

[intraspective]

Ino wrinkled her nose as she gingerly took the potion. Dropping it would be a horrible waste.

"...Juice," she decided, because seriously, she'd need the juice. "Please. And for you too."

[puppy_fair]

"Juice for both of us," Zack agreed, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek before more or less oozing out of the bed again.

He was going to have to take one of those potions himself, sooner rather than later. The doctors were probably poised to tackle him at the exit if he didn't. But he had his priorities, and she didn't need to know how badly he looked under the fresh uniform that he'd put on.

Ino first. Period.

"Maybe they'll have some apple," he decided, making his way to the door to flag down a nurse.

[intraspective]

"Apple would be fine," she said, toying with the straw.

Pink and bendy. Seriously, did he think she was five?

And yes, yes if Ino had any idea of the fact that he was not treating his injuries she’d have been quite displeased. As it was… she didn’t know.