Angeal/Zack
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"I need your help."Angeal looked at Zack. "What?"
"I need your help," he repeated, slower this time.
"Yes, Zack," Angeal glared, pulling his sweater down over his head and reaching down toward the bench to grab one of his belts. "Unbelievable as it may seem to you, I did get that part. What I meant was, what stupid thing do you need my help with now?"
Zack's mouth opened, closed again. His customary grin fell down into a dark scowl. "He's not stupid."
Angeal's ears pricked up. He? Since when did Zack acquire a he? "Hngh," Angeal cleared his throat and laced the belt through his bottom loops before reaching for the second one. "Put your clothes on, Zack. I don't need to see everything you've got all the time. Leave that armor off though." Angeal shook his head. "Nasty scratch I put on the right spauldron. Needs to be mended."
Zack nodded and grabbed his pants, shoving his feet into them and jerking them up roughly. He zipped and buttoned them before yanking his sweater down over his head and shaking his wet hair back into place. He'd really needed that shower after finishing up practice with Angeal. They both had. "So," he said, "You gonna help me?"
Angeal sat down on the bench and pulled on his left sock, his left boot. He leaned down and tugged at the laces. "Don't know. What do you want?"
Zack shrugged. "It's just…there's this kid…"
Angeal finished lacing his left boot and tugged the right one onto his foot. "Uh huh."
"Yeah. He wants to try for Soldier. And he's really good, don't get me wrong! It's just that…that…"
Angeal sat back on the bench and stared at Zack, who was fiddling idly with the buckle of his top belt. "That what?"
"I don't know, Angeal," Zack sighed. "He's so nervous. He's got zero confidence in himself, and he's terrified of everything!"
Angeal cocked an eyebrow at that, keenly interested. Zack had never shown any fear of anything in all the time Angeal had known him (generally to his own detriment), and he'd never really seemed to have patience with anyone who was afraid. Angeal grunted. "And you think he'd make a good Soldier?"
"Well," Zack bit his lip. "Yeah. I do. He's good, Angeal. Really good. He's got nerve and talent and potential. It just feels like he's been, I don't know…knocked down all his life or something. He told me…" Zack laughed, an angry laugh Angeal had never heard before. "He told me he's afraid of the open sky. What could do that, Angeal? Make someone afraid like that? I mean…the sky…"
Angeal frowned. The kid didn't sound like much. But he'd never known Zack to take an interest in someone like this. Zack was the kind of guy who was friends with everyone and close to no one in particular. Everyone loved him, but no one really knew him. And no one even realized it. Angeal studied the determined, protective look on Zack's face. Zack was serious about this. For whatever reason, he really wanted to help this kid. Angeal almost laughed. His student was trying to pick up a student. He couldn't help but be a little bit jealous, a little possessive in his own right. "All right," Angeal said, rubbing a towel through his hair one last time before tossing it at Zack. "I'll help."
"I mean, he's just a…just a…" Zack looked up, catching the towel by reflex alone. He blinked. Grinned. "You will?"
"Yeah. You want to train him up, right?"
"Yeah. This is…this is great, Angeal!" Zack dropped the towel and launched himself at Angeal, arms spread wide.
Angeal shoved him back with a fist to the chest. "Don't get excited, pup. Just bring him by my office tomorrow afternoon."
Zack grinned sheepishly. "Yeah," he said. "Okay." He gathered up the rest of his belongings and bolted for the locker room door, not even bothering to put his boots on his feet. "Thanks, Angeal! I've got to go tell him!"
Angeal shook his head as the locker room door slammed shut behind Zack. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly he'd just gotten himself into.