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“I hate shopping with you,” Cloud mumbled as Zack put a bag of five soft fuzzy peaches into the mesh bag Cloud had over his shoulder.
“What?” Zack asked, his head popping up, his expression oblivious and happy. He hadn’t heard what Cloud had said, but it was probably for the best. Cloud didn’t really want to fight or hurt Zack’s feelings, but he needed to express his frustration somehow.
“We only need tomatoes,” Cloud said instead of repeating himself.
“But these are so ripe!” Zack exclaimed. To demonstrate, he dug in the bag, tilting Cloud toward him by pulling too hard on the bag. Cloud grunted and stumbled a little as he righted himself. Zack shoved a peach under his nose and Cloud frowned down at it. It was fragrant, a sweet soft smell that easily blocked out the rest of the strong food smells of the outside market they were in. “Maribel says it’s a final day sale. It’s such a deal!” Zack enthused.
Cloud ignored Zack and instead leaned around Zack to look at the old woman at the produce stand directly behind him. She grinned and waved at him. There were people standing around waiting impatiently to buy something from her, but she was ignoring all of them to watch Zack and Cloud. All the people at the market loved Zack and the old women especially liked to shade Cloud whenever he braved the market for fresh food. He could imagine all the sideways comments he would get if he didn’t let Zack keep his stupid peaches.
“Fine. Whatever,” Cloud grunted, looking away.
“Awesome! You’ll love them!” Zack enthused. Cloud didn’t have to be looking at him to hear the grin in his voice. But, he sort of wished he had been watching when Zack grabbed the bag again and almost toppled him as he shoved the peach back into its own plastic bag with the other peaches.
Cloud had only meant to get some whitefish, tomatoes and garlic to make broiled fish for dinner that night. Cloud had mentioned that he was going to run to the market in Sector 5 to grab some fresh ingredients and Zack’s whole face had lit up. Cloud had regretted it. It wasn’t an invitation for Zack to come with him, but he couldn’t very well tell him to fuck off after he had gotten so excited about it.
Zack worked at Leaf House now that he was officially retired from beating down monsters on the regular and often went into the market on Fridays to get lunch. Thus, why so many of the vendors knew and liked him so much. Cloud had wrongly assumed he had already gone to the market that day for lunch and wouldn’t be interested in going back out.
“Aren’t you going to buy tomatoes from Maribel?” Cloud asked, referencing the old woman Zack had just bought the peaches from. Zack had gone back to looking at other stands excitedly. Zack had told Cloud he was going to buy tomatoes when he first approached the produce stand. It was the last thing they needed and then they could get out of there. The train ride back to Sector 7 wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either. Cloud was hoping to get dinner done before dark, but that wouldn’t happen if they didn’t finish their shopping soon. Besides all of that, it was hot and humid outside in the open air market, cooking meat and baking bread not helping to lower the temperature. Cloud was starting to sweat through his thin dark t-shirt.
“Don’t tell Maribel, but her tomatoes aren’t all that hot. Leo, however,” Zack whispered conspiratorial, leaning in close and taking Cloud by the upper arm.
Cloud fought back a blush and looked away again. It was stupid that he could be both pissed at Zack and flustered by him at the same time. It was possibly even more embarrassing to know that Zack was unaware that he was causing either reaction from Cloud.
Zack led Cloud down the row of haphazardly thrown together stands. They passed bakery stands, more produce, deli stands, handicrafts, second hand clothes and eventually stopped at a small pop up cafe with a chalkboard written up with different caffeine concoctions.
“I don’t think they have tomatoes,” Cloud said drily.
“Annette and Frankie have great coffee!” Zack enthused, like that answered the unsaid criticism Cloud had leveled at him.
A dark skinned man with a friendly face behind thick glasses approached at Zack’s loud declaration.
“Zack!” he exclaimed. “What can I get for you?” he asked, wiping his hands off on a hand towel tucked into the tie of his apron.
“I’ll have a mocha cappuccino with extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup and my friend here will have an americano,” Zack ordered easily.
Cloud noticed the man behind the counter give him a curious look before turning around to start working on their orders. Cloud assumed this was probably because Zack ordered for him. Cloud secretly appreciated Zack doing that. He knew he wasn’t the most friendly of guys and any human interaction he could be spared stopped him from eventually offending someone. Still, he didn’t need more of the market vendors digging into his personal life or rather digging into Zack’s personal life and finding him.
Casting around, Cloud tried to find a nearby stand selling tomatoes so he could buy some himself and save them some time finding Leo’s stand, whoever he was. Luckily for him, Zack was chatting with Frankie the coffee guy while he bustled around making their orders, so Cloud was able to quietly slip away.
There, two stands down and behind them, Cloud saw a produce stand with boxes filled to the brim with little grape tomatoes sitting prominently between bunches of asparagus and bags of crispy lettuce. With a quick glance at Zack to make sure he was still occupied, Cloud stepped away and weaved between other shoppers down to the produce stand.
There was a young girl, probably no older than sixteen with long straight hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck with a stained apron tied over a plain t-shirt and ripped jeans. She noticed Cloud’s determined trajectory for their stand and was already standing at attention when he stopped in front of her.
“Just one box of tomatoes, please,” Cloud said, already digging in his back pocket for his wallet.
“Sure thing! 20 gil please,” she said. “Do you want me to bag one up? Is there a particular box you like?” she asked, her hand hovering over the box closest to her.
“No bag. Whatever box is fine,” Cloud said, pulling the gil out of his wallet and handing it over.
The young woman took his money and grabbed the box of tomatoes she had been reaching for and handed it to him. He carefully sat it on the bottom of his bag so hopefully they would mostly stay in their box on the trip home.
“Thanks,” Cloud said belatedly, remembering at the last moment to be polite.
The young lady nodded, but she was already moving away to the next customer so it was a distracted acknowledgement. Cloud sighed in relief. He much preferred interactions like that than the chatty way that Zack dealt with everyone.
Cloud had only just turned back toward the coffee stand when Zack appeared before him, making him jump back in surprise. He closed his eyes in disappointment with himself and took a deep breath to calm his hammering heart. For being so big, Zack could move like a panther sometimes.
“Aw, you bought tomatoes!” Zack complained, frowning down at Cloud. “Leo will be so disappointed.”
“Just tell him we were in a rush,” Cloud sighed.
Zack’s mouth twisted into a dissatisfied moue, but he didn’t say anything. He just handed Cloud his coffee and then took a lick at the whipped cream piled high on top of his own coffee.
“Thanks,” Cloud said gratefully before taking a big swallow of the scorching hot bitter coffee. He turned and started to walk toward the north end of the market, leading them back toward the train station.
“We don’t need anything else?” Zack asked in a tone verging on whining, trailing behind.
“No, I told you,” Cloud said, trying to hold back some of his frustration. “Just a few things for dinner.”
Zack hummed, a sound Cloud interpreted as Zack thinking that Cloud was wrong in some way, but Cloud ignored it. Zack just wanted to stay and chat with everyone. Cloud knew he enjoyed all the people and the fresh food, still such a novelty under the plate, people like Frankie who were showing their passion for little things like coffee or pot holders, trying to make a little extra money after work.
The rest of their walk back to the train station was pretty quiet. Once they got out of the press of the market, the alleys winding back to the station were mostly empty. Here and there a few old men sat playing cards or on their stoop reading weathered paper backs.
The smell of roasting meat and hot food assaulted them as they got to the station, all the food vendors in full swing hoping to entice people getting off of work to stop at their stand for dinner. Cloud saw Zack looking longingly at the smoked pork stand, but Zack didn’t ask to get any. Cloud would have killed him if he did. They had maybe been together too long to still have dates, but Cloud liked their standing engagement. Every Friday they would take turns making dinner before heading down to Seventh Heaven to spend the rest of the evening with everyone else. It was one of the few things that was steady in Cloud’s life and he treasured it.
Their timing was good and almost as soon as they stepped onto the platform, the train heading west pulled into the station. The train was almost empty, most everyone already off of work, so Cloud and Zack were able to find seats near the front of the train to sit down.
Cloud settled his bag between his feet, bracing it there so the garlic and tomatoes wouldn’t roll away.
They sat in silence for a while, shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, staring out the far window as the underside of the plate flew by.
“Are you angry at me?” Zack asked quietly, tilting his head down and toward Cloud to get a better look at his face.
Cloud’s eyebrows twitched down, but otherwise his face remained impassive. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m not angry,” Cloud replied after thinking about it for a moment. “It’s just hard for me to shop with you.”
Cloud stopped there and frowned out the window. It felt silly how irritated he had been now that they were on the train heading home. This was just how Zack was and he loved Zack, he loved how effusive and friendly he was, he loved that he got along so well with everyone, he admired him. He really had so many things that Cloud did not in the personality department and Cloud normally considered all of those things assets he was proud that Zack possessed.
Zack nudged Cloud’s shoulder to get him to look at him. Zack was frowning, confused.
“What about it is hard?” he asked.
“Just-” Cloud started, then stopped, rubbing a hand over his face. “I just want to get in and out, you know. Just get the ingredients and go home. The more time we waste shopping is less time we get to spend together.
Zack frowned, a small furrow appearing between his brows. “But, we were together. Going shopping together is spending time together,” he protested.
“Together but not alone together,” Cloud rejoined with an irritated shrug of his shoulders.
They stared at one another, Zack still frowning and Cloud steadily frowning harder back at him until a lightbulb seemed to go off for Zack and his mouth melted into a small circle of understanding. Which then turned into a small pleased smile that somehow made Cloud feel even more irritated before he sat back in his chair.
Zack smiled at the ceiling of the train car while Cloud frowned down at the bag between his face, struggling not to let his shoulders come up around his ears. He could imagine what Zack was thinking to himself, and none of it was flattering. Still, Cloud knew from experience it was better to just be blunt with what he was thinking, especially with Zack.
“You’re really cute, you know,” Zack said after smiling at the side of Cloud’s head for a while.
“Shut up,” Cloud said back sharply.
“I forget that you’re shy ,” Zack sang the last word and Cloud elbowed him hard in the side which only succeeded in pushing a happy laugh out of him. “You want me all to yourself,” Zack declared happily between laughs.
“Only so I can strangle you with no witnesses,” Cloud grumbled, twisting away so he didn’t have to watch Zack enjoy himself so thoroughly at his expense.
“Aw, it’s okay, little buddy!” Zack enthused. “It’s sweet! I’ll keep in mind not to intrude on our alone time, okay?” Zack nudged Cloud a little and he turned to look over his shoulder at him with a frown. Zack’s eyes were warm and friendly, his smile soft and fond.
With an explosive sigh, Cloud slumped back into his seat.
“See that you don’t,” he said flatly, surprising another pleased laugh from Zack.
“Yes, sir!” Zack said with a mocking salute.
The tension was broken and the rest of the train ride back to sector 7 was pleasant with both of them making small talk to pass the time. Zack at one point stole the tomatoes from the market bag, juggling them before Cloud threatened him with an early death if he didn’t stop.
The fish turned out as good as it was the last time Cloud had used the same recipe and the crowd at Seventh Heaven was as welcoming as it always was.
That night, Cloud and Zack returned home to their tiny apartment, pleasantly buzzed, leaning into each other as they stumbled through the door. Their dishes were still in the sink and would be waiting there in the morning for them to regret not doing them the night before. Their bed was soft and comfortable when they tumbled into it and their sleep was deep and untroubled when they found it.