The Garden, Monday Early Afternoon

[intraspective]

Karla had let her pick the place for where the healing was supposed to take place and, while her hotel room had the advantage of privacy, Zack wasn't the only one of them who wanted to be out amongst nature for as long as possible before heading back to Midgar.

So Ino had picked her old garden, the one that she'd planted ages ago, behind the stables.

She arrived early, making sure to get there before Karla did, and took her time wandering through the trees, eating a few chocolate cherries off the chocolate cherry tree and inspecting the pillow tree and the blanket tree (and thinking about that period of a few months, back then, that she and Zack had camped out here, since he couldn't bear to leave Angeal's sword in the locker) and all of the plants that she still considered hers in some way, despite the fact that it had been five years and counting since she'd seen them all.

They were still alive. Thriving, even.

Ino found that comforting.

[Expecting one, but totally open!]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"Way more."

And when Zack turned to look at her, he was smiling. Not the big, forced smile that was full of sunshine and had earned him that Puppy nickname. Something smaller. More sedate. Tentatively hopeful.

Real.

"So... how soon can we make the transfer?"

[intraspective]

Ino blinked. Then blinked again.

"You--you're serious?"

[puppy_fair]

"Sure," Zack replied, blinking back at her. "I mean, like you said, it's not permanent, right? Just until things settle down again and everyone's back on their feet. Midgar isn't really working out for anybody right now, and you're not going to get any better if you're breathing in that smog all of the time on top of everything else. Besides... it'll be like an adventure. I haven't gone adventuring in a while."

[intraspective]

"... Oh."

Somehow... somehow, Ino hadn't thought it would be so easy. Nothing between her and Zack really was, these days, when it came to plans.

"You'll have to talk to Max," she said quietly. "So he can get an idea of where to put you and to talk 'bout Cloud."

[puppy_fair]

"I'm definitely going to want to do that," Zack agreed. "Cloud's going to need a very particular kind of care... Especially if he's still giving off Mako radiation."

Zack frowned thoughtfully for a moment before continuing.

"And I might ask him if I can start small. Keep working my way up... Carefully. Everyone should be careful, these days, maybe."

[intraspective]

"Because we've proven to be so good at it?" Ino asked, unable to help herself, though she kept her voice light.

She looked at him. "It's a good plan."

[puppy_fair]

"We're terrible at it," Zack laughed wryly, shaking his head. "Which is maybe why it's such a good plan by comparison. But I... I think I want to give it a try. See how that works out for the both of us."