Chapter Text
It was a normal, busy night at the Seventh Heaven Bar. White and blue collar workers alike had swarmed in for a post-work drink (or two) while some were just looking for a reason not to head home. Like most places in the big city of Midgar, there were times where it could get rowdy but it wasn’t anything the staff couldn’t handle.
“And something strong and bitter for the mister.” The girl tending the bar smiled as she set a drink in front of the blonde man in front of her.
The girl, Aerith, stared at the blonde man inquisitively as he took the drink with a mumbled “Thanks”. He pulled the collar of his jacket up a little further, as if to block out the noise from the other bar patrons and noticed that she was staring a little long for his liking.
“…Is something wrong?” He asked, unsure why he suddenly began to feel nervous. He had never seen the girl before but she was staring at him like she recognized him.
Realizing she was caught, Aerith quickly waved his suspicion away. “Oh it’s nothing, don’t worry about it!” She smiled again, folding her hands behind her back. “I was just about to say that we’re getting ready to set up for the show.” She gestured at the stage a few feet away from them, slightly raised from the floor so that the rest of bar could get a decent view. “I’m going to be singing with Avalanche tonight so don’t leave before you get to see us on stage!”
Cloud grimaced and glanced to the side, trying to avoid her straightforward gaze. “I, uh…” He cleared his throat. “It’s getting kinda late, so…”
“Nope!” She interrupted, nearly making him spill his drink in surprise. “That’s not gonna work. I’m definitely not taking any lame answers like that, Mister. You’re going to watch the show and have fun, got it?”
“But—”
Before Cloud could try and reason with her, Aerith was gone from the bar with a smile and a wave, causing Cloud to let out a sigh.
Well, I guess I can listen to one song while I finish this… He thought in resignation.
He sipped his drink as he watched the stage get set up. It seemed pretty standard from his experience, with someone on the drums, bass and electric guitar and, of course, the bartender girl getting up on the microphone.
Cloud sighed again as he took another drink. Maybe if he was lucky, they would only burst one of his ear drums.
“All right, everybody!” An enthusiastic voice called over the microphone. Cloud glanced up to see a tall black-haired man with the electric guitar slung over his shoulder stepping up to the front of the stage. He grinned at the crowd as they applauded in response and began to chant the band’s name as he tuned up. It seemed like most everyone here except Cloud knew them.
Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the dark-haired man. There was something about him, his charisma, that instantly drew his attention.
“So who’s ready for some music?!” The crowd cheered in response and the man’s smile grew wider. “Then let’s get it started!”
The sound of music soon filled the air and Cloud continued to stare, to listen, his eyes and ears focused on the sounds coming from the man’s guitar and how they blended perfectly with his vibrant, melodic voice.
He was spellbound.
After the concert had finished, Aerith bounced back to her position behind the bar.
“Thanks everybody, we’ll be here tomorrow night too, same time and place!” The man called over the applause from the audience.
“Hey Mister, did you—” Aerith stopped when she saw Cloud’s empty stool and drained glass. “Oh, he left…” She began in disappointment but quickly reversed course when she went to clean up his glass and saw a healthy 200 gil tip underneath.
“Well, I guess he had fun after all.” She said with a wry smile.
Aerith had difficulty hiding that smile whenever Cloud would come back and, without saying anything much besides his order and a short ‘Thank you’ when it was brought to him, would still spend the entire time staring Avalanche as if in a trance, barely touching his drink until the end. Even after Aerith had craftily pointed out the band-specific tip jar, he still was consistent with her tips too.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mister! Avalanche isn’t playing tonight. One of the band members had to call off sick.” Aerith called to Cloud just as he went to sit down at the bar. He gave a visible twitch of embarrassment before shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat and looking off to the side.
“…I’m not coming to see them specifically. I just need to relax after work.” He mumbled.
“Hmmm, well!” Aerith practically glided in front of him, leaning her arms on the bar with a barely repressed smirk. “One of the band members is here hanging out, though. You want me to convince him to put on a solo performance?”
“I already told you, I’m not—”
“It’s Zack! You know, the leader on the guitar? He can play acoustic too, so it wouldn’t be a problem!”
Cloud stopped short, his eyes widening slightly at the prospect. He immediately tried to shift his face back into neutral but it was too late; Aerith already had a knowing grin on her face.
“Hold on, let me go ask him.” Aerith winked before turning and disappearing into the back. Cloud shifted uncomfortably, torn between the pure embarrassment of it all and the excitement and anticipation of the chance to hear a special performance like this. Even though he sounded good with the band, an acoustic performance would let the man’s voice stand out even more, a prospect that had Cloud tapping his fingers against the table in anticipation.
Just as Cloud was getting lost in the fantasy, that voice suddenly echoed into the microphone.
“Hey there everybody!”
Cloud’s head whipped up to see the man, Zack, shifting onto a stool onstage and adjusting the microphone. He was smiling good naturedly, though there was a look of slight embarrassment that made it all the more charming.
“Heh, seems like I got a request from the crowd for a little solo performance.” Zack’s eyes scanned ahead of him and Cloud suddenly became very interested in staring at the bottom of his glass. He didn’t dare stare up to see if Zack was looking right at him but he could feel his ears burning as if he was.
“Anyway…!” Zack shifted the guitar, playing a few tentative notes to tune before strumming a chord. “Hope you all don’t mind indulging in a song or two I wrote just for this sort of occasion.” The crowed clapped in response, a few cheers making Zack’s grin widen. Cloud managed to tear his gaze away from his drink so that he could indulge in the way that Zack’s blue eyes sparkled as he began to sing, his strong voice even more beautiful now that it was set against the soft notes of the acoustic guitar.
His voice, the way he sang and played…Cloud would be okay with spending all of his extra tips from work here if it meant he could hear him play like that every night.
***
“Hey Zack, good job up there!” Aerith hopped up onto the stage just as Zack was clicking the microphone off.
“Heh, thanks, it’s been a while since I’ve done a solo performance so I was kinda nervous.” He grinned. “But it was fun! So who was it that wanted to hear it, anyway? You were all secretive when you asked me to do it so now I’m even more curious.”
“Hm, I wonder…should I tell you?” She tapped her chin with a mischievous smile.
“Aw whatever, keep your secrets.” He started to wave her off but was stopped as she grabbed his arm.
“Oh stop pouting already! Come here and I’ll show you.” She roughly pulled him off to the side, shushing him when he started to protest. “Haven’t you noticed how one of the customers comes in every night you guys are performing? He usually sits right…there.” She whispered, nodding in Cloud’s direction. Zack blinked and glanced over, taking notice of the blonde sipping his drink by himself in the corner.
“Oh yeah…I think I’ve seen him. That hair definitely gives him away.”
“Like you’re one to talk! Anyway, he’s basically the best tipper we have! Always something for me and, more importantly, for you guys too. He always orders pretty cheap drinks so I doubt he’s loaded…but he still tips really well every time.”
Zack’s eyes widened slightly. “I noticed that we’d been making more than usual lately, I thought it was cuz Seventh Heaven was getting more business or something. Are you sure it’s him though? I’ve never seen him come up to the stage…”
“He just waits until you’re not looking— Ssh! Stop being so obvious!” Aerith grabbed Zack’s chin and turned it away from Cloud’s direction. “Just pretend you’re in deep conversation with me or something and wait a few minutes.”
“Okay, okay! Jeeze…”
After a few moments, Aerith whispered with glee “There! Look, out of the corner of your eye…”
Trying to be less obvious this time, Zack glanced over his shoulder to see the man Aerith pointed out earlier slinking over to the tip jar at the front of the stage and, faster than Zack had seen before, whipped out his wallet, stuffed a few bills into the jar and practically ran back to his seat at the bar.
“Well I’ll be damned…” Zack smiled and looked back at Aerith. “It really is him, huh? I’ll have to thank him!”
“Well you’ll have to be quick about it, he’s usually out of here too fast for me to— Oh damn it, there he goes.”
Zack quickly turned around to see the seat now vacant with some cash left under the empty glass. “Jeeze, that was fast!” He put his hands on his hips, determination growing. “Next time though…I’ll get him before we get on stage!”
The first few nights Zack tried he ended up getting distracted both before and after going on stage and, by the time he went to look for the mysterious blonde, he was gone. After the fourth night he managed to catch a glance of him just as he was sitting down and made an immediate beeline for him. Zack was pretty sure he unintentionally gave the blonde a heart attack when he leapt into the seat next to him.
“Hey! I finally caught you!”
The blonde stared at him in shock and Zack coughed awkwardly “Hahaha…sorry, that sounded really bad, huh?” He rubbed the back of his head, giving the man a sheepish grin. “Sorry, it’s not anything weird I swear, I just wanted to come over and thank you!”
The blonde seemed to finally find his voice. “…Thank…me?”
“Yeah! You’ve been giving those really nice tips for the past few weeks, right?” He tilted his head with a grin. “I really appreciate it, man! Here, let me buy you a drink as thanks!”
The blonde flushed in response. “You don’t—!”
“Hey, Aerith! Get this guy what he usually orders and put it on my tab, all right? …Oh! And a rum and coke too, please!”
“All right, just make sure to pay your tab on time this month, Zack!” Aerith called from across the bar. Before Cloud could sputter out more arguments, she had already poured the drinks out and had them set in front of the two of them.
“Cheers!” Zack held his drink up cheerfully before taking a drink and, now resigned to his fate, Cloud took a sip of his as well. “Sorry, sorry, I almost forgot! My name’s Zack.” He offered cheerfully. “And you’re…?”
“…Cloud.” He glanced to the side, fidgeting slightly under Zack’s gaze. “And you really didn’t have to treat me. It’s not like I was expecting a reward for giving you a few gil here and there…”
“Hey, every little bit counts, especially here in Midgar.” He leaned over, taking notice of Cloud’s work jacket, the ‘Choco Delivery’ logo plain for him to see. “I mean, I’m sure you’re not exactly making the big bucks working for a delivery company, right?” He held his hands up warily as Cloud shot him a glare. “Hey, hey, I’m not judging! Hell knows everyone in the band is working at least one extra job on the side just to pay rent. It just makes your tipping all the more appreciated, so even though you didn’t ask, I wanted to do something extra to say thanks!”
Cloud glanced back at his drink, some of his initial defensiveness starting to fade. “Hm. Everyone in the band, huh? So you’ve got a second job too?”
“Yup! I work in construction.” Zack tilted his head with a grin. “That’s how I ended up meeting Wedge and getting this whole thing started. Right now it’s a side gig for us but we’re aiming to get a record deal! I mean everybody says if you can make it here in Midgar you can make it anywhere. So we’re definitely gonna make it and hit the big time, baby!” Zack stood up with enthusiasm, practically shouting near the end but then quickly sat down when he realized half the bar was staring at him. “Heheh…But for now, we’ve at least got a consistent gig playing here.”
Zack looked back at him and Cloud did his best to quickly hide his amused expression by taking a sip of his drink. “Well…good luck with that.” He paused, realizing that he had unintentionally sounded more sarcastic than he meant. “I mean—” He hesitated again, mentally cursing himself and his inability to carry on a normal conversation. “You guys sound good. So…keep at it.” He finished awkwardly.
Zack’s smile only brightened. “Thanks! Heh, you know, half the time when people tell us that I’m wondering if they’re putting me on but…” He leaned in slightly and Cloud found himself staring into the other’s eyes. “For some reason hearing you say that makes me feel like twenty times more motivated.”
Cloud glanced away again, trying to hide his slightly flushed expression. “Look, I’m just a guy trying to make it through the day here. Don’t take whatever I say too seriously.”
Zack laughed and clapped a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, the force of it nearly making him drop his drink on the ground. “True, but I appreciate it anyway! I gotta go start getting ready but I’ll see you around, yeah?” He smiled and Cloud could only stare in response before looking away and giving a quick nod.
“Yeah…” He then muttered something that sounded like ‘Break a leg tonight’ but it was so soft and half-mumbled that Zack wondered if he was hearing things.
Despite the man’s awkward nature, there was a gentle sincerity there that had Zack practically slumping in disappointment when he found that he was gone immediately after Avalanche’s performance. “Man he really booked it out of here, huh? Damn…” He sat down at the bar, looking at the freshly placed cash underneath Cloud’s drained glass. “Looks like I just missed him too.”
Aerith laughed as she cleaned a glass. “What did I tell you? He always leaves after you guys are done so you gotta be quick if you want to catch him. But anyway!” Aerith put the newly cleaned glass down and went over to Zack, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. “When he first came in here I knew I had recognized him from somewhere but I couldn’t put my finger on it until now. But I finally remembered!”
After a few quick swipes of her screen she turned her phone around so that it was facing Zack, who rested his elbows on the table as he leaned in to get a better look. “I’ve been following Tifa Lockheart for years…you know, the famous concert pianist? Anyway! I finally realized that’s where I recognized him from. The two used to perform together! See?” She opened up a video which showed Cloud, the same one that Zack had just talked to earlier, on a rather impressive looking stage in front of a piano. “He was a rising star just like her but suddenly retired last year without much of an announcement or anything. It was kind of a scandal—Hey!” Aerith balked as Zack snatched her phone away from her and immediately began playing the video.
“Wow…” Zack’s eyes were locked on the screen, entranced by what he saw: There was Cloud all right, playing some of the most beautiful music he had ever heard. “He’s amazing.” Zack stared at Cloud’s face, the same one that had seemed so defensive and shy before, completely at peace and enraptured in the music as he played. “He’s really amazing…”
Aerith sighed in amusement as Zack watched another video of Cloud’s performance and then another, looking even more absorbed with each one. Unbeknownst to him, one of his bandmates was sneaking up behind him to stare at the screen over his shoulder.
“Wow, what a face!” Zack jumped as Jessie’s voice rang next to his ear. “Kinda makes me wonder what kind of faces he would make in bed...” She smirked.
“Jessie!” Zack whirled around and the girl scurried away with a wink before Zack could catch her. “Come back here—Hey!” He flailed, giving Aerith the chance to grab her phone back as her laughter rang along with Jessie’s.
Elsewhere, Cloud felt a lingering sense of embarrassment from his earlier conversation with Zack, even as he took the train back home. God I’m such an idiot… He sighed. I doubt he’ll wanna talk to me after that…though at least that means I won’t have to make a fool of myself again
The next night, Zack immediately came up to Cloud the moment he entered the bar.
“I knew it!” He cried out enthusiastically, causing Cloud to lean back in response”
“I…what?” He started, still trying to get his brain to catch up with what was happening.
“I knew I was getting good vibes from you…It’s cuz you’re a musician too! You understand the music! Jeeze, why didn’t you say anything!?”
Cloud went pale as a cold, familiar weight dropped into the pit of his stomach and he stayed silent.