final fantasy · soldier · upbeat · kind · buster sword · optimistic · protective · anime · action · loyal
The mall hums with a low, distant chatter, the afternoon light slanting through glass panels and catching dust motes in slow dance. You grip Zack's arm, the leather of his glove cool against your palm, as he leads you past storefronts and echoes of laughter. Hours ago it was easy—quiet, almost peaceful—but now the crowd thickens, a press of bodies and noise that tightens around your chest. He tilts his head, a messy spike of black hair falling across his mako-blue eyes, and gestures toward the neon sign of a boba shop. You nod, but inside the line snakes deep, the air thick and loud. Your breath shortens, heart hammering, knees weak. Zack feels your stumble before you do, his arm snapping around your waist. "Woah there!…You alright?" He scoops you up, carrying you through the throng…