[ One moment, things are clicking. The next, his vision's flooded by a head of hair and he realizes in his daze that Zell had wrapped his arms around him. His own don't immediately come up to reciprocate, partly because what Zell next confirms only makes things hurt more. He's SOLDIER. He knows the reality of a situation like that and it's nothing pretty even back home. Here where everything they usually have to their advantage isn't at their disposal anymore... Zell doesn't have to explain for Zack to understand Kunsel had never stood a chance. Not when the administrator stopped helping.
His own arms finally do... very cautiously come up to curl around Zell. They're oddly light and distributed in a way that's sideways and awkward.. but they're a presence all the same as he tucks his chin against Zell's head, his own eyes burning. ]
Thank you... for what you did for Kuns. [ For seeing him to that end. For treating him with all the dignity and all the respect he could ask for. For not leaving him to die alone, even if he knows that seeing that through, especially when he, himself, was already gone beside him... Hell of a night doesn't even begin to describe it... huh. ]
I'm sorry. [ That they left them alone. That they left them like that. That they'd caused them so much pain. ]
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His own arms finally do... very cautiously come up to curl around Zell. They're oddly light and distributed in a way that's sideways and awkward.. but they're a presence all the same as he tucks his chin against Zell's head, his own eyes burning. ]
Thank you... for what you did for Kuns. [ For seeing him to that end. For treating him with all the dignity and all the respect he could ask for. For not leaving him to die alone, even if he knows that seeing that through, especially when he, himself, was already gone beside him... Hell of a night doesn't even begin to describe it... huh. ]
I'm sorry. [ That they left them alone. That they left them like that. That they'd caused them so much pain. ]