bakerstreet | ( nursed back to health shipping meme. )

[A soft snort is Cloud's reply to that, the blonde shaking his head as he pulls his sword free and immediately separates one of the smaller blades from the larger.

When Zack moves, Cloud does as well but instead of going for the group to their side he goes for the Turk up ahead. Said individual doesn't seem prepared for a head on assault and goes to grab their gun--which should have already been in hand come on you newbies--but Cloud's already there. The end of the gun is sliced clean off with the smaller of his two blades while he uses the larger to knock the Turk back with a quick blow to the stomach.

He doesn't so much as pause, darting over towards where Zack is instead to assist the other. The smaller blade is sent flying with a well aimed through, catching one of the Turks in the head, causing them to stumble backwards as blood splatters across the ground. Cloud leaves the smaller sword where it is and skids to slow himself, both hands gripping his larger sword to swing it up and at one of the Turks that Zack had already hit with one of his own blows, the man hitting the ground with a solid crack.]

[ Even as he plants his feet neatly on the ground and swings the buster around in a wide arch, he can't help but track Cloud's movements out of his peripheral, making sure he's still in ship shape. After all, he had still just recovered from all that damage from that poison. Seeing as he's holding his own though, Zack well, winces at first at the sight of that knife to the one Turk's head. But it's brief and he's already moving forward again to take down yet another, this time using the buster to vault off of and come around with a hard kick instead.

He's ready to peel off and take down the next one when a shot rings out and he finds himself stumbling instead with a loud hiss. It doesn't stop him from defending himself when the one he tried to take down tries to go for him instead, but he can't hide the tension in his body as he fights to ebb away the pain, turning to face the one who shot him in the back with an adrenaline fueled glare. ]

Edited 2016-05-22 23:05 (UTC)

[Adrenaline does wonderful things for keeping the body going even when you're still recovering. He'll be fine, Zack~

As fine as one can be, at least, when they witness their friend getting shot. He turns just as the shot goes off and he watches Zack stumble, his grip on his sword tightening. That glare Zack's wearing is matched by the blonde's own as he retrieves his other sword but rather than recombine them he keeps them both out as he charges at the Turk that shot his friend.

If you thought the blow to the that other Turk's head was bad, Zack, you haven't seen anything yet as he swings both swords back with the intent of bringing them both forward in quick slices to catch the Turk in a scissor-like attack.]

[ Quick on the draw as Turks can be, they weren't expecting an attack from behind and they're sliced through and dealt with within moments. With that last one downed, they're left again without company and Zack's shaking his head a bit before he's carefully returning the buster back to his harness for now.

He keeps his hand on the grip, nudging them forward with a nod before he starts down the street again- this time at a jog. Despite whatever worries Cloud has, he's been through a lot worse. This is nothing, he knows. Nothing after he was shot up like he was before. He'll treat it when they're safely on that barge and headed out of Junon. Doesn't matter how much it burns. ]

[Once that one is down Cloud forces himself to calm down, eyes closed for a moment as he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. It had been awhile since he'd gotten that mad. Gotten so mad that he'd just attacked in a blind rage. Certainly says something, doesn't it?

His swords are re-holstered with shaking hands before he's following after Zack, trembling hands clenched into fists as he tries to keep pace with the other. He knows they don't have time to worry about the gunshot wound right now but he's going to fret anyway, his eyes constantly shifting to Zack's back before he makes himself look away again.

Once they're on that ship, though? You are getting made to sit down so he can look at it. No ifs,ands or buts, Zack.]

[ It's not something Zack often sees and not exactly something he enjoys seeing either. But it happened and it's over and they have to move on. And realistically, if their roles were reversed, he would have taken care of that Turk fast, too. Just maybe a bit less brutally.

But they need to keep moving forward. No matter what, they need to make up for the time they just lost fighting that fight. If they miss this barge now, they'll be driven from the city and then who knows where they'll go? Maybe back to the mountains for a while, but that's not really much of an option in the end. They would need to resupply at some point and they just put the two biggest cities on the eastern continent on high alert for them.

Gunshots ring out behind them, but that just gets Zack to run faster. He can feel that wound pulsing like crazy, but still he ignores it. Won't be long now. Just have a little bit longer to go. Just a little further. ]

[He'll work on it, Zack. He promises.

As soon as those gunshots ring out Cloud is breaking into a run, catching up with Zack and falling in step beside him now instead of lingering a few paces behind. The barge was getting closer with each passing moment but one false move and they'd be in trouble.

A stray shot--actually, a most likely not so stray shot--clips his leg and it hurts but it's nothing that he can't deal with, his steps faltering only for a moment before he's right back at it. If that's the worst he got this time around, he'd take it, and as the silhouette of the barge looms ahead, worrying about a flesh wound is the last thing on his mind.]

This is it! [They had to bolt for the ship now which was going to paint even bigger targets on them but hey, just like old times!

Cloud doesn't allow himself to glance at his companion, not wanting to waste any time as he veers and makes a break for the barge, pushing himself to his limit, chest starting to burn now from the exertion.]

[ He only slows once and that's when he notices that stagger. Because seriously, Cloud, he's not going to leave you behind. His gaze darts to the side as he checks him, but when his friend's pace picks up again, he nods to him and continues onward as quickly as he can.

It's when they finally get to the shipyard and he sees that barge starting to pull away and hears that warning that he really starts to book it. He's matching speeds with Spike despite the ache, his own body straining and screaming but he doesn't let up. Not in the very least. They have to make it. They're going to make it-

He leaps. High into the air and for a brief moment, he can't help but grin as he clears the water and sees the deck rushing to meet him.

Then another shot cracks in the air and rather than landing on his feet, he's crashing onto his side and the momentum's still carrying him, sending him careening over the edge. ]

[Everything just sort of moves in slow motion.

Like Zack, Cloud made the leap of faith for the barge as well, managing to grab a hold of the side of the ship and plant his feet against the side. It would have given him enough momentum to propel himself upwards had it not been for one thing--

That shot cracking through the air and the way he catches Zack crashing onto his side then falling over the side out of the corner of his eye.

Instinct drives him and his shorter sword is already being drawn as Cloud let's go with his other hand, dropping down after the other. A hard swing with his sword hand embeds the blade in the side of the ship just as he manages to catch the back of Zack's harness with the other hand, hand clenched around the straps. The force of it all has Cloud's shoulder pulling oddly and his face screws up as pain shoots through his entire arm but he's not about to let go. He struggles to haul himself up with Zack in tow, using the blade to give him enough leverage to get his feet against the side of the ship. Another shot rings through the air and ricochets off the blade, startling Cloud and causing his feet to slip against the side.

They both drop, hanging there again as Cloud struggles to keep his grip on his sword, glancing down at the other man he's hanging onto for dear life.]

Zack!

[ It takes him a moment to collect himself, to regain his focus in the sway of things. His head's swimming and when he tries to open his eyes, he quickly shuts one when he feels something trying to seep into it. Blood. Likely blood. And his head's pounding now, too. They must have nicked him in the head. He'll thank his lucky stars later that it wasn't fatal at least.

But enough to have him hanging off the side apparently? How is he even still-

'Zack!'

Of course. Of course, Spike would. If he turns his head just enough, he can see him hanging onto his sword and from the feeling, he's got Zack's harness, too. There's just one issue and that's how difficult he knows it'll be for him to actually manage to pull them both up. This is a problem.. one that he's going to negate when he sees the side of the ship's not far from him. Boy, whoever mans this ship is not going to happy with the damage he's about to do to it. Reaching back, he takes hold of the buster again...

and lodges it hard into the side, too. He'll figure out how to take it back later, but for now, he's got something to drop to that's not water. ] Cloud- go! I'm right behind you! [ Another shot's fired, but it hits the plating. ]

[Did you really expect him to just let you fall?

He doesn't let go, even after realizing what Zack's about to do, until he's sure the other is stable on his own sword. His fingers unwind from the harness as he gives a quick nod before he's swinging his other arm up to grab his sword. With the use of both hands now he's able to haul himself up onto the blade and reach up to catch the railing. His free hand grabs the hilt of his sword with only little struggle--and a quick retraction when a shot is fired--tugging it free before he's swinging himself up and over the edge.

The blonde lands in a crouch and quickly re-sheaths his sword, staying low but looking towards the railing with a hint of worry as a few more shots are fired from the docks below. Come on Zack, come on!]

[ He's coming, he's coming! It's just going to take him a minute!

That and he has to wait for Cloud to get up there first, so he has enough space to even haul ass up there, himself. But once his friend's cleared the railing, he wastes no time going from hanging onto his sword to climbing up on top of it. From there, he's doing his best to balance himself as well as he can on the buster...

..before leaping up as high as he can into the air. He manages to grasp the railing with one hand though he almost lets go when another shot rings out right near his hand, sparks flying. But despite the searing pain he gets from one hitting him, he reaches down now to dislodge the buster if not messily and return it to his harness. Both hands now freed, he begins yanking himself up despite the way his head's swimming. ]

[As soon as he sees the other gripping the railing and trying to haul himself over the edge, Cloud's up and darting over to help. He leans over to grab the other's harness again right underneath the sword, pulling with everything he has to ease Zack over the railing.

A few more shots clip the railing as he gets Zack on board, stumbling with the weight of the other but managing not to hit the ground. From there it's easy to maneuver Zack towards one of the on-deck doors before anyone comes out to see what all the commotion is, Cloud ducking into the entrance with his friend in tow before he finally allows himself to breath.

His heart's still racing and adrenaline is coursing through him but he gives himself only a moment to clear his head before he's in front of Zack, catching the other by his shoulders.]

How many hit? [His gaze his sweeping over the other man, trying to gauge just how badly he's hurt at the moment. They need to find some place somewhat safe to hide out for now but he just--he needs to check the other over first, okay?]

[ One moment, he's being hauled over the railing and back onto the barge. The next, it's all a blur until he's stumbling in front of Cloud. Cloud, with his hands on his shoulders and his eyes sharp with worry, scanning him over. There's a nick clear cut across part of his forehead, blood still trailing from the wound and over his right eye, but otherwise his wounds can't be seen clearly.

Doesn't mean there aren't more though and while Zack pauses for just a moment, his slightly fogged mind hurrying to catch up in that rush? He finally does nudge the slightest nod over his shoulder. ] Another one to the back- but I'm okay, Spike. Let's find a spot for cover first.

[ Maybe the vaguest of reassuring smiles will help. Maybe so will the way he reaches up to put a hand atop one of Cloud's to give it a squeeze. ]

Stop it. [Don't play this off, Zack. Don't. Your reassuring smiles and your touches aren't going to stave off his worry this time. The blonde is frowning now, his hands squeezing lightly at the other's shoulders before he's shifting him towards the wall so that he's leaning up against it with one of his shoulders.] Stay.

[And yes, that is said as a command, one that he means for you to follow, Zack.

He's already moving around behind the other man to get a look at his back, his frown deepening as he brushes his fingers lightly over where the other's shirt is torn and stained with blood. It's a brief but Cloud is able to at least get an idea of how deep the bullet's gone in, pulling off one of his gloves after a moment and folding it up before pressing it to the wound. It's going to hurt and he feels bad for causing Zack anymore pain but after all that moving around, pressure is needed. The blood is too fresh for him not to do something like this.

Hand in place, he ducks underneath Zack's arm and uses his free hand to hold said arm in place over his shoulders.]

That's not going to be fun to get out.

[ Can't say he didn't try.

But apparently, that didn't do jack. It doesn't discourage Cloud in the least and before he knows it, he's being maneuvered to lean against the wall and he can feel his friend's fingers lingering along his back. The touch around torn fabric's enough to get him to tense, but he doesn't react anymore than that until he feels the pressure of that glove pushed up against the wound to stop the bleeding. He bites his lip hard with a sharp grunt, but he doesn't let anymore escape from him.

Instead, he allows Cloud to do as he wishes. If this will alleviate his worry, so be it. The comment, however, does get a weak chuckle out of him. ] I can't say it ever is. [ But from the worry in Spike's voice, it's apparently deeper than he first thought. Maybe closer to some vitals than he first thought, too. Still, he nudges: ]

At least we made it.

[That chuckle gets a soft sigh out of Cloud but there's a fond sort of upturn to his lips as he shakes his head.]

Yeah, we made it. [And that meant they should get some down time finally. Some time to relax and recover from everything while they were onboard the ship.

Giving Zack's wrist a squeeze, Cloud gently pulls him away from the wall before he starts leading him down the hallway. Most of the sounds he can hear are just engine noise and the rush of water as the barge moves along, helping him lose some of the tension that had built up during their escape. It takes checking several of the doors before he finds one that leads into a storage room and the blonde gently guides Zack inside. There's a large trunk that Cloud doesn't hesitate to use as a chair for his companion, easing him down onto it before he's leaving the other's side to shut the door. For a moment he debates finding a way to jam it shut but, for now, he just locks it. He'll hear the lock turn before anyone enters so that'll be some warning at the very least.

And now that they're in a relatively safe place his shoulders sag and his expression softens as he turns around, making his way back over to the other man.]

...One day we'll have to figure out the trick to both of us getting around without injury, you know that? [He stops in front of Zack and his hand twitches like he wants to lift it but he's fighting the urge to do so.]

[ There's no fanfare to things as Zack plops himself down on the trunk in the storage room. At most, he takes the time it takes for Cloud to deal with the door to deal with his own matters. Namely his pack which thankfully didn't go overboard with him, still strapped to his harness. And then there's the buster which he carefully rests against the nearby wall. Once that's taken care of, he starts to slouch forward only to freeze when his back stings in protest from that, grinding against something in him uncomfortably. Maybe bone.

He huffs at Cloud's comment all the same, eyes closed one moment. Then open the next as he nods to him. ] One day, yeah. Guess today's not that day though, is it. [ He sees that hand twitching- and lifts his own to slowly go and catch it, turning it over. Inspecting it.. ] Thought I saw them get you, too..

It was just a graze, I promise. [It comes out softly, the adrenaline gone now and he feels so tired. That had been the first real bout of energy he'd had to use in awhile and his body was definitely done for right now, even if Cloud wasn't ready to give in just yet. Because there were wounds that needed tending--like that one that was keeping Zack from moving easily.

His hand turns in Zack's, fingers curling around the other's as he gives his hand a squeeze, glancing down at them for a moment.] ...I thought... [When Zack had gone over the edge, Cloud had thought he'd lost him--that he was going to lose him. That the other was going to end up in the water and--

He flinches and closes his eyes for a moment, fingers tightening around Zack's.] Let's..not do that again, alright?

[ He hears that exhaustion in that tone of his. But he also hears that honesty and... he hasn't been limping since they got on the barge, so he should be alright for now... right? Or maybe it's the haze in his mind talking.

But that haze certainly doesn't miss the way he feels Cloud's hand take his. They've... been doing that a lot, haven't they. Ever since he got the brunt of that one attack. When he'd scared the hell out of Cloud before.. and really, he can't blame him. That's twice now he's done that to him. He never would regret those actions, not for a split second, but...

But he can hear that underlying fear. In his voice. And in the strong grip of his fingers. He.. ducks his head in what at first looks to be a nod, but he never raises it. No, instead, he's raising the hands they have clasped together. And maybe it's the blood loss or maybe it's from the way that grazed bullet has his mind all muddled up- concussion, probably a minor concussion -but he touches the back of Cloud's hand to his lips and just... lets things linger as they are a moment. ]

[That touch of lips sends a jolt through Cloud, a wave of a warmth that he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was a simple gesture but that was all it needed to be for his gaze to soften and his fingers to instinctively flex around Zack's. It's all the reassurance that he needed and all the comfort that he could ask for in one simple move and it has his free hand lifting so his fingers can hesitantly then oh so gently run through Zack's hair.

They had been dancing around whatever this was for awhile and even now Cloud wasn't sure what it was exactly. He knew it was a comfort. He knew it was familiar. He knew it was right. And that was enough, wasn't it?

It's those thoughts that prompt him to lean down, fingers curled against the back of Zack's head as he presses his lips to the top of it. The thought of losing his companion had been more than Cloud had wanted to deal with and this..was helping. Both to ease those fears and the worry he had over the other's injuries. Not to say he would forget about them anytime soon but for right now?

Right now they could wait just a little bit longer.]

[ In retrospect, really, a little part of him will wonder if he'd been nuts. Will wonder what would have happened if he hasn't been right in that feeling. But that's a thought for far later, a thought that doesn't even drift to him right then. Not when he can feel Cloud's grip tightening just a fraction. Not when he can feel fingertips comb gingerly through his slightly tangled hair. He leans just a bit into that touch before pausing when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye.

For a split second, he wonders- but that train of thought's cut off abruptly as he feels the way his head is cupped like that.. and then he's not sure at first because his hair's pretty thick, but then there's the soft breath of Cloud's latest exhale too close to be anything else but..

He just really did that, didn't he. Zack opens his mouth.. Closes it. And then he's reaching up with his own free hand despite the ache to curl it around Cloud, pulling him into an semi-awkward embrace. Awkward if only because his face is now currently buried against his chest as he murmurs: ] I'm not going anywhere.. okay?

[Cloud only has a moment to process that he actually did just do that before he's being tugged into an odd sort of embrace. His arm ends up wrapped around Zack's head and shoulders slightly as he sort of hunches over the other man and it's...awkward, yeah, but it helps him ground himself.

A shaky breath leaves him as he nods and ducks his head.]

I know...I'm not either. [Because there wasn't anywhere else he wanted to be. Sure he was going to miss his friends but right here, with Zack? This is where he had chose to be. Where he needed to be. And nothing was going to change that.] ...You're stuck with me.

[For better or for worse, right?]

I'm okay with that.

[ For better or worse, for real. Cloud can bet on that.

The friends he's made through Cloud are great. They're absolutely wonderful, in fact, and he'll miss them, too. Just- Cloud and him.. what tied them strongly together might have been the worst thing to have ever happened to them in their lives. But it's also what drew Zack so strongly to him in the end. It's something no one else would be able to understand because no one else had experienced it- and he would never want them to. But Cloud.. Cloud gets it. Gets it and has been there ever since. And with him, that growing feeling...

A feeling that keeps his arm wrapped around his friend for a moment longer before he finally.. finally releases him. Finally leans back and looks up at him with that soft smile he reserves only for him as his gives his hand another little squeeze. ] So.. I hate to kill the mood, but I don't think I'll be sleeping any time soon otherwise.

[ He nudges a nod back, indicating his back injury. In the process of all those little movements, he might have procured a little sweat on his brow and his muscles seem a little stiffer. But despite the pain, he still ducks his head to give his hand one last kiss before he releases it, so he can use his hands to start reshuffling himself on the trunk. ]

[The threads of fate worked in strange ways and while Cloud never really believed in that sort of thing, sometimes he wondered considering everything they had been through. Considering everything that kept them together.

Cloud pulls back as Zack leans back, unsure of what to say or do now but the other man seems to have that covered.

And it gets a momentary blank look out of the blonde before he's frowning.]

You should have said something sooner. [And sure he should have probably thought about it sooner but he'd been distracted. Just like he is now as Zack kisses his hand like that. His fingers flex against Zack's and he just--no. As much as he wants to hold onto the moment, there are more important things to worry about. So he draws his hand away after giving Zack's hand a squeeze, briefly leaning in to brush his lips to the other's forehead one last time before he's making his way around the trunk to get a look at his back.]

Getting your shirt off isn't going to feel great but I need it out of the way. [The one glove he still has on is set aside as he takes a moment to go through the pouches on his belt to find what he needs, pulling out a few things that he keeps on hand at all times.] I'll try and be as careful as I can.

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