Winter Wish

Zack Cloud

"Give it back Zack!" Cloud yelped. Cloud did his best to get back his paper labeled as wish list. "At least give me your sheet!" Cloud pouted to Zack, which only gave him a nice cheek pull by his best friend.

"What's this?! Little Cloud wants nothing for Christmas?" questioned Zack poking Cloud's arm.

"Who said I was done writing!" Cloud snapped back. "Now I need to go Christmas shopping." Cloud said, gathering his belongings and left the apartment. Leaving a puzzled Zack thinking to himself if the young fighter was mad at him or not.

Cloud drove off on Fenrir, to his destination. He went here and there buying things for his friends, but the one that stayed on his mind most was Zack. The raven-haired man had not a clue about how the young fighter felt about him. It saddened Cloud at times, but decided he couldn't give up yet.

Cloud arrived at his last destination. Accessory S.O.S. Cloud walked around just to see what they had. He saw a bracelet that caught his attention. He examined the material and thought it would be great for Zack.

"I Love You" was carved into the bracelet. Cloud gagged at the thought of Zack having this from him.

"I love him, but… I am not ready to confess to him, yet." Cloud thought to himself.

His attention was drawn to two necklaces that were basically a small lock with a small key. He knew it meant to "Open up to me". He quickly bought the item and headed back to Zack's and his apartment. However, he wanted to get a drink refreshing sweet drink before he arrived home.

Cloud arrived at Heaven's Café. He ordered an ice coffee. He looked around to see if he recognized anyone, and as fate had it, he found Zack. He wanted to walk over there, but seeing the girl that Zack was with, stopped him.

Cloud could feel his legs getting weak. He felt his heart shaking slowly break into small pieces. "He deserves someone better than me…" Cloud said sadly under his breath.

Cloud left with tears watering from his eyes. He couldn't stand the fact of Zack being with someone else. He felt his world crashing down, with that; he walked out and quickly drove back to his apartment. Leaving a confused waiter.

Cloud flopped onto his bed listening to music, listening to the lyrics. Even though it was in Korean, he felt that he knew what they were trying to say.

You're my best friend,

But You can't be my boyfriend,

Whenever I look at you,

You always look back at me as just a friend.

You're my everything,

But I can't confess to you,

You live inside my heart.

Tears filled his eyes as he heard the lyrics. It hurted him to know that he couldn't stand beside Zack the way he wanted to. As he had tears in his eyes, he picked up the necklaces of the lock and the key. "This was suppose to be for you…" Cloud thought in his mind.

"Zack deserves someone better than me. Someone who isn't a man either, Zack would want a woman. Someone he can go out in public and be able to kiss, touch, and love." Zack thought. Tears rolled endlessly down his face. He saw the necklace having a label saying "For: Zack" and cried harder.

Cloud's train of thoughts was broken when he noticed he got a phone call from work. "Cloud sorry, but can you come to work? We understand that it is Christmas Eve, but…" Cloud's boss said. "I-I-I can come." Cloud responded. "Thanks Cloud! You really saved us here!" said his boss.

Cloud closed his cell phone, wiped away his tears, straightening himself up, and left. Minutes later, he arrives at Heaven's Café. He barely knew anyone there, but it still paid him money on waiting tables and making drinks.

"Oh Cloud, sorry for the impromptu notice…" his boss said. "It's fine Aoi. What do you need me to do?" Cloud responded. "Can you wait on tables for us, for now?" Aoi questioned. "Sure." Cloud said bluntly.

Walking over to his first table not knowing who it was at the table. "Hello, may I take your order?" Cloud asked not looking at the two people he was serving. Hearing a girl giggle. "Yeah, uh… can we both have a mocha latte?" The man asked turning his head to Cloud. "Oh hey Cloud!" The man exclaimed.

Still not looking up Cloud new that voice anywhere, it was… Zack. Cloud didn't want to look at Zack. "Will that be all?" Cloud asked. "Yeah, thanks." Zack responded wondering why Cloud was acting weird.

Cloud walked away, but faster than he would, trying to hold back tears, but it didn't work. A tear ran down his face, falling from his face glistening from the moonlight provided by the moon outside.

Zack saw the tear drop and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Zack grabbed Cloud into the employee's lounge.

"Hey Cloud, what's wrong buddy?" Zack asked curiosly.

Cloud's eyes widening at the word "buddy".

"Nothing's wrong. I am perfectly fine." Cloud replied yanking his arm out of Zack's grasp. Cloud's hair covering his hurtful eyes.

"You're lying." Zack snapped. Once again, Zack got a hold of Cloud's arm. Using his other free hand to cup Cloud's chin to turn him Zack's way. "Now tell me… what wrong?" Zack said concern, but yet serious.

Cloud couldn't take it. Zack's touch made Cloud feel weak. "I LOVE YOU!" Cloud exploded. "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU!" he repeated. "That's the problem…" Cloud lowered his voice.

Zack stood their shocked and not knowing what to say. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. Seconds have passed yet nothing has been said.

"That doesn't explain to me, why you are so sad." Zack said hesitating.

"I saw you with that girl earlier today… at this café." Cloud answered his hair covering his eyes still. Tears started to find their way to the floor. "I have been holding it in for a very long time… and seeing you with that girl… it just felt like my world was crashing down…" Cloud said through sobs.

"But it doesn't matter anymore… You won't have to worry about me anymore, or have me get in the way of your life ever again, because… I will be moving out of our apartment…" Cloud said with even more tears dripping because of the last sentence he said.

Cloud released himself from Zack's grip. The touch he will probably never feel again. He ran out of the lounge away from the café and drove away from it all. He knew it would hurt, but he didn't think that it would be this bad.

Tears ran down his face thinking about all the great times spent with his best friend. The one he loved… Now it is all going to end, not a heartwarming memory, but a love scarring memory. He felt that his heart shattering, nothing seemed to matter anymore. All he wanted to do now was to run away… and have the life stream carry him away.

The snow fell on Cloud only making him wet from the warmth of his body. He finally arrived at his apartment. Rushing inside his room and started packing. Many things ran through his head. "Where am I going to go?" "What is going to happen after I move out?" "Will I become something different?" However, something struck in his train of thoughts.

"Will… I ever see Zack… again…?"

Tears raced down his cheeks, he couldn't take the pain, the hurt, any longer. He had to hurry and get out.

"Cloud!" Cloud heard someone call his name from the living room, he known that voice just like in the café. Zack opened the door to Cloud's room. Cloud saw the man who he loved, huffing and puffing. Wet and cold.

"Cloud…" Zack said panting. Zack walked over to Cloud, Cloud backed away. He couldn't take it having Zack so close to him. The more that Cloud looked at his beloved raven-hair friend, the more he conjured tears in his eyes. Cloud closed his eyes wishing everything would just go away.

The next thing he knew he felt strong arms wrapped around him. Cloud opened his eyes to find Zack hugging him. His eyes widened. "Why is Zack hugging me?" Cloud thought. More tears escaped Cloud's eye, he buried his face onto Zack's broad chest. Sobbing and shivering in Zack's embrace.

"Don't leave me Cloud…" Zack said seriously. Clouds eyes shot open shocked at what he was hearing. "I don't know what I would do without having you around… I know I would be lost and lonely though… We've been through too much to split now…" Zack starting talking he could feel tears forming in his own eyes.

"That girl at the café, she's my cousin. Don't worry… I wouldn't ever want to hurt you…" Zack cupped Cloud's chin and brought Cloud's face to look at his own.

"I don't want you out of my life… I want you right there with me, by my side. I want to live everyday with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to spend every holiday with you. I want to… I guess what I am trying to say is… I want to… love you…"

Cloud couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tears still streaming down his face, but not tears of depression, but tears of happiness. Zack's hold on Cloud tightened. He noticed a glistening object in Cloud's hand.

"Hey Cloud, what's that in your hand?" Zack asked. Cloud peered into his hand and showed the two necklaces. "These are for you…" Cloud said handing Zack the two chains. Zack stared down at them. "Open up to me." Zack thought to himself.

Zack wrapped the lock necklace around Cloud's neck. "Open up yourself only to me." Zack said shyly. A blush crept onto Zack's face. "Cloud…?" Zack whispered. "Yeah Zack?" Cloud responded getting even closer to Zack with a blush on his face.

"What did you want for Christmas…?" Zack turned redder.

"My winter wish to come true…" Cloud said shyly. Zack looked at him puzzled.

Cloud pulled Zack in for a soft kiss that lasted for what seemed eternity. They pulled apart panting for air.

""Merry Christmas, I love you Zack…" Cloud said blushing.

"I love you too Cloud." Zack smiling.

Owari~

Sorry… to be honest, I didn't really like this story at all! This is my first fanfiction… Review and tell me what you think. Thank you for reading. It's in the middle of the summer for me, but I miss the winter. So this is it for the story (: