[he sees the petals falling and the grin on his face softens into more of a smile. Even if this is all they end up talking about, Zack is glad he can still get Cloud to open up a little. It's different now - they're not teenagers anymore, and while he's seen flashes of it, Cloud isn't the shy but eager country boy he met on a snowy mountain anymore.

Still, this much he's glad for. Zack won't take it for granted]

Even if blonds have a certain appeal - [Zack weren't you DONE teasing??] - I gotta agree, Aerith and Tifa are way cuter. I'm glad it all worked out.

[it's a roundabout way of saying he knows Tifa, but honestly it's the kind of clue Zack would drop, big dumb flirt that he is.

He huffs out a sound that is definitely laugh-like, but the topic is winding down and he made it this far. His tone takes on a suspiciously innocent tone as he reaches for another plaque] Don't say it's a one time thing too loud, you might be jinxing yourself.

[but . . . the secret he shared barely had an effect on the flowers in his hair, which meant - he had to share something a little more serious. He taps the marker against the wood thoughtfully before he writes:

"I still feel like we're on the run."

As soon as he hangs it up, almost an entire blooms-worth of petals fall from the flowers in his hair. He makes a little heh sound as he catches a couple of them in his palm]