Her sleepy smile was met with a soft, tired one from Zack in turn. Not sleepy, no. Just spent. As though he'd been pushing himself onward through some sort of muck that was too thick to slog through, and now he wanted little more than to just throw in the towel for a bit.

Not having to get up just yet was great for that sort of thing, wasn't it?

He wrapped her up a little more tightly in his arms, and he sighed.

"There are supposed to be thunderstorms later today, I've heard," he said, a sort of soft rambling, just to fill dead air that had been dead for days, now. "Probably not the greatest day for training outside, anyhow. But there's always the Salle, or the gym, or I could look into booking a portal to--" He checked himself. Midgar seemed like a place that was still just a bit too touchy, especially right now. "--Rocket Town. We still haven't been there, yet."

And then he bit his lip and listened for a minute. Half listening, half scrambling for more things to say, more words to fill the quiet with.

To a response like that, all Zack could do was nod and bury his face against her, in that little dip between her shoulder and her neck. If he buried his face there, if he nuzzled in, then she'd never have to know how badly he just winced, then.

"You'll like it there," he murmured. "I think. It's a small town, too, and the air is fresh out there. It's surrounded by countryside, and..."

He was running out of words. He'd attempted to ramble the whole week away, and now he couldn't manage much more than another tired sigh, that came out in a little 'whuff' against her shoulder.

This wasn't working.

"When?" Zack pursed his lips faintly, thinking that one over. He didn't have anything planned for the weekend, and even though he had class later on today, there was no reason why they couldn't just pack up and head off tonight, was there?

He tilted his head a bit, thoughtfully. Scratched at the back of his head a bit. Licked at his own nose. Let out a thoughtful 'whuff' and thumped his tail against the bed.

... Wait. That 'whuff' had been kind of more like a 'woof,' hadn't it?

Well, drat.

But he was a snuggly puppy at least, right? With the fuzziest floppiest ears in the world and a cold, wet nose that he was now pressing against the side of her face?

... Which he was going to lick, now, for good measure. Because there was no way that anyone could ever say no to adorable puppy kisses, right? The power of love was totally stronger than dog breath.

Yes, yes he was, wasn't he? But he was a wiggly idiot! See how much he wiggled, flopping around on paws that were too big for the rest of him (and so far as puppies went, he was a fairly decent size himself) and into her lap, tail wagging behind him at a mile a minute?

She talked! She talked to him! And he was now the happiest puppy ever and if she said that he was an idiot, then, darn it, he so, so totally was! Bark! Joy! Hooray!