[ Zack could feel the uneasy raise of heat in his blood as he clenched his fists harder, attempting to push down any sudden or negative feeling that threatened to wash over him. He couldn't loose his cool or go too far into a defensive mode, not with the possibility of actually scaring Cloud away. Yet with that simple apology, he knew Cloud had taken his words to heart.

His own shoulders relaxed as hands fell limp to either side. As then, quietly, a sudden half chuckle brushed across his lips. ]

Heh. Knowing her? Probably figured it out faster than I did.

[ She was beyond witty, and smarter than any person he's ever known. ]

But I'm not planning on keep it a secret from her. I just— [ Damn. Feelings were just so complicated. ] —time changes people, I guess.

[ He still cared for Aerith, deeply, and those romantic feelings never went away even after all of these years. Their kiss had proven that even more. She was the main reason he wanted to make it back to Midgar in the first place. Why he fought so hard and pushed his body to the limits all for a chance to be free. Yet, thinking back on it, he had the desire to see that Cloud was protected and safe, too. Maybe something had sparked back then, but the more and more their friendship grew, the more Zack was beginning to understand where the butterflies came from.

Yet therein lies the problem. Was it truly possible to have these feelings for two people at the same time? That was likely the question that was eating Cloud alive, too. ]