oh yay! i have had this fic in my mind for a while, and i just now got around to writing it. I really hope you guys like it!
disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts. and everything in italics are flashbacks/Cloud's dream (atleast in this chapter) and everything in normal is present day.
"Come on Cloud! I want to show you something." The eight year old brunette called out from his younger friend's driveway.
"Hold on Squall!" the blonde frantically waved from the doorway as his mother was trying to make him hold still and put sunscreen on him, "I'm coming in a minute!" he giggled.
The eight year old smiled at him, as his friend two years younger kept wiggling in his mother's grasp.
"Okay Cloud, you're done." She sighed, "Please don't try to stay out in the sun too long," His mother always worried about Cloud getting sunburned.
"Okay mom." He said, running out the door.
"Cloud Strife, do not leave your mother without a kiss!" she demanded.
Cloud looked back over his shoulder, then to his friend outside. He immediately blushed. "But mom!" Cloud whined, "It's embarrassing!"
She gave him one of those looks and he walked over to her, kissing her on the cheek. She smiled down at him. "Okay sweetie, go have fun."
"Okay mommy!" Cloud ran as fast as his little legs could take him down to where his friend was waiting.
Squall grinned as his friend was panting in front of him, "The summer festival of Destiny Islands is starting today! Did you want to come?" the brunette asked.
Cloud hastily nodded his head. He loved to go anywhere with his older friend. "Yeah! Race ya!"
Cloud took off in front of the brunette, Squall close behind him. Both laughing as they made their way to the festival.
Cloud turned in his sleep.
"Woah! This is so cool!" Cloud gaped at all of the numerous games and prizes. And there were so many people!
"I know right?" Squall grinned and took his friend's hand, "Come on lets go play a game!" he said taking off with a giggling blonde.
"Welcome boys! Welcome!" a big man in a red and white suit greeted, "Shoot the balloons with the darts and you win a prize!"
Squall pulled out some munny that his parents had given him for the day and handed it over to the jolly man. In return, he received five darts.
"Go Squally! Go!" Cloud yelled from behind him.
Squall smirked; he would try to impress Cloud with this game.
He took one shot and threw it at one of the balloons.
'Pop!'
"Wow!" Cloud's eyes sparkled. A few throws later and he was close to hyperventilating when Squall hit three more balloons.
"Well kid you got one more shot!" the man said.
Squall nodded, he had to make this one. He carefully took his aim and threw the dart.
'Pop!"
Cloud's mouth hung open in awe.
"Wow kid! Okay, pick a prize any prize!" he said, giving Squall the choices from the 'five balloon' section.
"Cloud, what do you want?" he turned to his friend, smiling.
"Huh? But I didn't win anything." The blonde said confused.
"Hm, okay." He turned around and grabbed a pinwheel. That looked like fun.
"Okay boys! Enjoy the rest of your day at the festival!"
"Come on Cloud, blow on it." the brunette grinned as they walked around to enjoy more activities.
Cloud did as he was told and the wheel started spinning, "Wow! It's so pretty!" his eyes were sparkling. Squall really loved how Cloud's eyes lit up like that; it made him feel something that he couldn't explain.
Cloud buried his head into the pillows.
"Why hello there boys." A woman smiled down at them. "Are you two friends?"
"Best friends!" Cloud grinned up at her. Squall nodded in confirmation.
"Well then you two need friendship bracelets." She said, grabbing two from a basket behind her.
"So cool!" Cloud smiled at the bracelets in her hand.
"What are they made from?" Squall asked. They looked kind of a yellowish brown with some hints of forest green.
"They are made from dried paopu fruits. Don't worry; it's just made from the skin and the leaves, so they won't rot or anything. These are made to last." She bent down so the two boys could get a closer look.
Both boys knew the legend of the paopu fruit. Though, they both had their different takes to it.
Squall bit his lip and looked over at Cloud, his bright deep blue eyes transfixed on the bracelets. "I'll take one please." He spoke to the sales woman.
"Alright." She smiled softly down at him, giving him the basket so he could pick out which bracelet he wanted to give Cloud.
She looked over at Cloud.
"I don't have any munny." He said, pulling out his pockets.
She had a sad look on her face, not because he wasn't going to buy one, but because she could tell that he really wanted to give one to the brunette.
"That's ok sweety." She then turned to Squall. She didn't think that it was fair to have one friend pay for it and the other to get let off the hook. She shook her head down at him and told him to keep his munny.
"Here you go." She said, now handing the basket over to Cloud. "Pick whichever one you want."
Cloud thought for a little bit, looking back and forth between the bracelets and Squall. "None are very pretty…"
The saleswoman giggled. "But it's the legend and the thought that counts, right? And besides, if you two were to ever get separated, you will meet in the end. Your destinies will be intertwined forever."
That was one part of what Squall thought about the legend, but his mother always told him that the paopu fruit is something that you share with the person you love.
"Hmmmm, then I want this one!" Cloud said, pulling out one of the bracelets that he thought was the prettiest.
The woman nodded, "Now make sure to give them to each other okay?"
Both boys nodded at the nice lady as they made their way through the rest of the festival.
He gave out a content sigh in his slumber.
They ended the day with them watching the sunset on one of the many beaches of Destiny Islands.
"I really had a lot of fun today Squall." Cloud grinned up at his friend.
Squall nodded, smiling back.
"Oh no! We forgot!" he panicked.
"Hm? What did we forget."
"The bracelets! Oh I hope their magic hasn't worn off yet!" the little blonde said, digging through his pockets, relieved when he brought out the piece of jewelry.
"Heh," Squall chuckled, "I don't think the magic can be worn off Cloud. Our friendship is too strong for that to happen."
Cloud beamed up at him.
Squall absolutely loved that face. "Here, what wrist do you want it on?" he said taking out his own bracelet for the blonde.
Cloud thought for a moment, "Um…this one!" he said, sticking out his right arm.
Squall smiled at him. "Okay." He tied the bracelet carefully onto Cloud's right wrist. He didn't want it to be too tight.
"Now which one do you want yours on?" Cloud said ecstatically.
"Hmm…" Squall looked down at both of his hands. "How about my left." He grinned, sticking out his left arm.
Cloud nodded and tied the bracelet around his friend's wrist with only a little difficulty.
"There! Now we are going to be friends forever! Even when…I move to Twilight Town." Cloud all of a sudden got quiet. He didn't like talking about moving away from the older brunette.
Squall also had a sad look on his face. He was dreading the day that Cloud would move, and it was happening soon.
"It's not fair." Cloud pouted. He looked absolutely miserable, like a kicked puppy.
Squall moved closer to him in the sand. "It's okay Cloud…these bracelets mean that our lives are going to be connected forever. I'm never going to be gone as long as you wear it."
Cloud looked up at the brunette with big, sad eyes. "You promise?"
Squall slowly nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. He didn't even realize that he leaned in and kissed the blonde.
Cloud stared wide eyed when Squall kissed him. It felt weird and nice all at the same time. It almost seemed like a promise.
Cloud smiled, his blonde hair tussled all over his pillows.
Squall pulled back. That kiss was totally unintentional, but he felt like something was controlling him, some emotion that he was too young to yet understand. "I'll never forget you Cloud, even when you do move away." He pulled the younger into a tight embrace, "I promise."
'Beep Beep Beep Beep-'
Cloud groggily shut off his alarm clock. He hated getting up and going to school this early, especially after that dream of his childhood. College totally sucked.
He turned on his side and yelled out a profound amount of curses as his back collided with the floor and his head hit the nightstand.
"Ow, dammit." He said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked over at his sleeping roommate, Axel. Damn him and his afternoon classes. He wished he had that luxury.
He quietly got up and went into the bathroom, getting ready for the long day of school and work ahead of him.
Once he got dressed and was finishing packing up his book bag, he paused. Something did not feel right, it was like something was missing. He did a once over of his check list of clothing and he searched through his bag making sure that he had all of his stuff. He took his hand out from the contents of his black bag and was petrified. Where was it? It wasn't on his wrist!
He frantically searched the bathroom, looking in every nook and cranny there was, then going over to the night stand where he fell, maybe it got untied and fell off.
Cloud finally lay down on his stomach on the floor and let out a big sigh of relief when he found it underneath his bed.
He held it close before tying it around his wrist. He hardly ever took it off, except for whenever he showered or worked. He didn't want it getting dirty. He worked as a waiter at a local pizza place where the college kids and locals liked to hang out, "Hallow Bastion's Pizza and Pub", so he got his fair amount of spills and sauce on him.
He stared down at it as he remembered his dream. It all seemed so vivid and real, like when it really happened. He's been having that dream more frequently now, and he didn't now why. Though, he had no complaints.
Cloud got up and slung his back pack loosely over his right shoulder as he made his way for the first class of the day. He waved to the kids that also had morning classes. He passed by Roxas, who looked about as unhappy as he was at having to get up so early. They nodded their greetings to one another; it was way too early for conversation.
Cloud's mind slowly drifted back to his dream. He loved, and hated it. Ever since he moved to Twilight Town he hasn't seen him, spoken to him, or written him. They both were too young at the time to have a cell phone and his mother wouldn't let him make long distant calls to the islands. She said it cost too much. Whenever he moved to Hallow Bastion to go to college, he tried calling Squall's house. Even after all this time, Cloud never forgot Squall's phone number. But when he called, a person he didn't recognize answered the phone. Apparently Squall and his family moved about six years ago.
To where, he didn't know, and it was impossible trying to find out. He knew, he tried. Cloud realized his train of thought and smirked. He sounded like a stalker. But…that day, that evening, it was nothing like he had ever experienced before, even though he was only six when it happened. Even now when he thought about it, it made something inside of him hurt. Like a longing, and empty space that couldn't be filled.
He was torn from his thoughts as someone slung their arm around him. He turned over to the person and smiled, "Hey Zack. What's up?"
"Biology." He groaned. "The usual with you too?"
"Yeah," he sighed, "Physics."
Zack looked like he was going to puke, "Ewwww! I freaking hate that class!"
"Doesn't everyone?" Cloud shrugged him off as he walked into his first class of the day. "See ya Zack."
"See ya buddy! Try not to die of boredom!" he yelled after him.
Cloud sighed as he threw on his blue apron and hat. He hated this uniform, but hey, he got paid to wear it, and that's all that mattered.
"Hey Cloud!" a girl bounced into his face.
"Hey Yuffie. How are you?"
"Oh I'm fine! Oh my God I just have to tell you this!"
"Yeah? What is it today?" Cloud smirked over at her, this happened every single day that they had the same shifts.
"So like I was at the library, and I couldn't reach this book right? Well this oober handsome guy got it down for me! Isn't that hot?" she squealed at him.
"You were in the library?" he said, cocking his head to the side.
"Earth to Strife! You are oh so totally missing the point here! He was gorgeous!" she beamed, slinging her apron around her middle.
"Okay Yuffie, I see where this going." He said, going to his post, it was five minutes until their shift actually started, so they had time to spare. "Shoot. Tell me everything about this gorgeous guy."
Yuffie giggle sporadically. Cloud just sighed and leaned against the wall. He gave up on fighting with her to not tell him every single detail about a guy she just met. It was just a waist of time, so he humored her and gave in as always.
"Okay! Well he is tall, dark and handsome!"
Cloud's eye twitched. She started every conversation about a guy she liked this way.
"And he was so masculine! Oh man! His muscles whenever they flexed to hand me that book! Oh Hyne!" she chirped.
"You got three more minutes Yuffie." He sighed.
"Gah! Oh no! This guy was too awesome for me to have to explain him in three minutes!"
"I suggest you do if fast then."
"OhmyGod OK! So he had like these intense grey eyes a brown silky hair! And-"
"How do you know it was silky? Did you touch it?" he smirked over at her.
"Well I would like to think that it was silky! It looked that way!" she huffed, "Anyway! And then he had this scar across his face that just made him look so manly that I about melted into my shoes! It accented his sexiness in just the right way that it made him even more sexy!"
Cloud glanced down at his cell phone for the time, he put on the stop watch, "Thirty seconds."
She took in a big deep breath, obviously getting ready for a good description. She finished inhaling.
"Times up." Cloud pushed himself off the wall, "Get to work Yuffie."
She exhaled, "Aww! But Cloudy!" she pouted.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that? And it's our shift now. So I suggest you start working."
She harrumphed and stalked off, she was only angry for about two seconds. A new record, normally it's only one and a half.
Cloud straightened out his uniform as he made his way to wait tables.
His normal group was there, as always, the two sophomores, Sora and Roxas, accompanied by a couple juniors, Riku and Tidus.
"Hey guys." Cloud said, walking over to the group. "Where is everyone else today?"
Sora spoke up for the group as expected. The boy took every chance to talk that he could. "Pence and Olette are out on a date, and Hayner had to finish his history report, and Axel is...well, being Axel." Roxas groaned at that statement.
"Oh, I see." He smirked. "Is it the regular for you guys today? Or do you want to try something new?" Not like they haven't tried everything on the menu.
"The usual." They spoke in unison.
Cloud shook his head and looked over at the next table he was going to be serving. It was the same group of girls that came to see him every day except Tuesdays. He hated serving them, but it worked in his favor, because whenever he would flirt with them he would get bucket loads of tips from their possy.
He was heading back to go tell the order to the people cooking in the back when he got quarter backed by Yuffie. She fell on top of him, grinning like a child that just found out they were the heir to a candy store.
"Yuffie, what the hell? This better be good." He glared up at her.
"Oh it is!" she yelped, bouncing up and down on his pelvis. They were starting to get strange looks from some of their customers.
"Yuffie, seriously, get off." He gritted out.
"Oh, Cloud who cares? You're gay! It's not like this is affecting you!" She stopped bouncing as he glared at her. She quickly switched to her intended subject, "I can't talk to him!"
Cloud whirled his head around. Yuffie not being able to talk? "What is it? Who is he?" This must be one hell of a guy to make Yuffie not be able to talk.
"It's that guy from the library!" she said, bounding off of him. "I tried to show him to his seat, but I didn't want to act like a stalker since I just met him a couple hours ago!"
Cloud got up and brushed himself off, "Yuffie, do you even know his name?"
"Uh…um well…I…no." she hung her head in defeat.
"Did he even talk to you?"
She just sagged her shoulders lower.
Cloud rubbed his hand across his face, "Then technically, you didn't meet him."
"But Cloudy! At least just come with me!" she begged.
"No." he turned around to go put in the order.
"But, but I-"
"Hey."
Yuffie yelped and jumped about six feet into the air. Once back on the ground, she turned around and blushed. It was the mystery man from the library.
"Uh….h…hi." she squeaked.
"Listen, I'm just here because you left your bag at the library."
"Oh, uh, how did you know it was mine?"
He gave her a look that said, "It had your I.D. in it dumbass." She blushed even more. Now she was starting to feel more confident. "Well," she said getting closer, "How did you know where I work?"
He kept looking at her with a non-readable expression as he pulled out her hat for the pizzeria.
"Oh. A heheh." She giggled. "Silly me."
"Hey Yuffie, everything alright?" Cloud said, walking back out into the main area to see someone that he didn't recognize. But by the description, he looked like the guy that Yuffie met from the library.
Cloud stopped walking once he was beside his friend. He gave him a good once over, but stopped when they made eye contact. Those eyes, they seemed so familiar. They were a cold grey, like the beginning of a snow storm, yet warm and intense, resembling a thunderstorm.
They both stayed like that for a while, not really saying anything to each other. Just staring into one another.
Yuffie looked back and forth between the two, "Do you two know each other?"
Her voice made Cloud realize what he was doing and he looked away. "Hm? Oh, no." The blonde said and moved around the petite girl. "I'm going to go wait more tables." On his way back he tried to think. Those eyes...maybe...? No...Squall's eyes were never cold like that. He shook his head and went back to focusing on his job, giving up his false hope.
She nodded, and looked back to thank the mystery man for bringing her back her bag. But he had already left.
The man walked back to his apartment on the other side of Hallow Bastion, not even questioning the blonde that he had met. The other man was right. They had never met. He didn't look familiar to him at all. If he ever met a man that beautiful he would have surely remembered. Especially a man with those eyes.
yay! first chappie done! i don't really expect this story to be more than about five chapters. but we will see where it goes. please Read and Review. ^^ reviews feed my brain for more ideas and give me motivation. and also, i'm going to a con this weekend, so i'm going to be gone...again. ^^;