There's a part of him that still feels responsible for Zack, that he must find the cause of distress and do something about it even though the man is grown now and has been getting along just fine without him for years.
And he's the cause, this time. Zack had always bounced back quickly. A less than flawless mission, training that wasn't going as expected, trouble with one thing or another ... but those were different.
Minor. The worries of a child. He could fool himself, if he closed his eyes and disregarded where they were, think that time had somehow turned back and something not-him had gone terribly wrong. But those days were past. It takes a while before Angeal says anything, waiting until tears begin to run out, waiting until he can trust his own voice to be reasonably calm and steady.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-01-21 06:01 pm (UTC)And he's the cause, this time. Zack had always bounced back quickly. A less than flawless mission, training that wasn't going as expected, trouble with one thing or another ... but those were different.
Minor. The worries of a child. He could fool himself, if he closed his eyes and disregarded where they were, think that time had somehow turned back and something not-him had gone terribly wrong. But those days were past. It takes a while before Angeal says anything, waiting until tears begin to run out, waiting until he can trust his own voice to be reasonably calm and steady.
It takes time. "Are you going to be alright?"