Juvenile

How can you express your love to someone who considers you as his best friend?

Warning:

This is a boy's love story. Don't like it, don't read. If you like it, then I'm glad.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy. They're belongs to themselves and to their owner.


Promise


Zack was confused.

He was sure that he likes girls. Beautiful girls with big boobs and sexy. Hell, all men like that.

But why does his heart always beat so loudly every time he saw Cloud?

When he saw Cloud smiling, when he heard Cloud laugh, he would always felt happy.

And that feeling terrified him. It's terrified him because he had fallen in love for his best friend.

Zack look at the said blonde sitting next to him who pay his full attention to the teacher.

Of all the people in this world, it's weird that he had fallen for his best friend, moreover, this person is a man.

This is somehow makes him stressed.

He was so sure he likes Cloud just because this boy is his best friend. His best friend that always makes him feels the need to protect the boy no matter what happened.

Who knew that he was actually romantically attracted to Cloud?

"Zack."

Hearing Cloud called out for him, Zack snapped out from his mind, "Yeah?"

"…Why are you looking at me?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.

To that question Zack grinned and couldn't help but wanted to tease the cute blonde, "Well, because you're cute, obviously."

He was very satisfied seeing the small blush on Cloud's face. He loves seeing Cloud blush like that, because the boy honestly looks so adorable and Zack want to do nothing but hugging him tightly.

And just imagine him blushing under you when you make love with him. He would totally looks very adorable.

Zack blush a bit at his own pervert mind and ruffle his hair hard. It's really frustrating him for thinking something like this. And that evil voice inside his mind didn't help at all. It was because that voice in his minds that sometimes he thinking pervert things about Cloud.

Sometimes? Are you kidding? You dreamt about him every night.

Zack blush again.

…Okay, maybe he did dream about Cloud every night.

Seriously, if Cloud knew what he's thinking, the boy must be scared like shit.

"Zack, are you okay?" the soft tone filled with worried is what make Zack once again snapped out of his mind and he felt himself laughing awkwardly at the boy. "Nah, it's nothing."

"Mr. Fair, Mr. Strife, I suggested you two to pay attention to my lesson if you don't want me to make you both get punished."

Both Cloud and Zack tensed hearing the teacher spoke to them, they only nodded in understanding, hearing the other student giggling to them.

Zack glanced at Cloud, mouthed the word 'sorry'.

Cloud smile in return, and Zack knew at that very moment Cloud had forgive him.

Oh how much he loves seeing Cloud smile.

-XXXXXX-

"Man I'm beat~" Zack groan, stretching out his hand and yawn before putting his head on top of the table.

He turned his head to the side when he heard Cloud laugh softly, and couldn't help but let out a small smile on his lips, "What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's just that…" Cloud began, turning his eyes to look at Zack, "It's one hundred and fifty seven times."

Zack looked at Cloud with question mark expression on his face. "Huh?"

Cloud chuckle again before clearing his point, "I mean, it's one hundred and fifty seven times that you've been saying that every time we finished one lesson."

He look at the blonde surprised, "What the-? You've been counting? Man, you crazy."

"Hey, you've said that every time, how could I miss that?" Cloud replied back, grinning at Zack.

Zack just laugh at him. Seriously, sometimes he thinks that most students in this school is crazy for not noticing how cute and irresistible Cloud is sometimes.

"Yo."

Both of them turned around when they heard a voice and saw Reno walking to them, a big grin spread over his lips. "What cha doing?"

Zack smile at the red hair boy, of all people in this school, Reno is the friendliest student that Zack ever knew. Unlike other people, Reno never get bothered a bit or thinking that Cloud is weird or something. He treated all people in this school the same, that's what Zack likes from Reno. Though he have to admit that Reno can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Reno really didn't know how to shut up at all sometimes.

"Nothing. Just talk." Zack replied.

"Hmmm…" Reno hummed, grinning widely as he threw an arm to Cloud's shoulder. "Hey, you two want to hang out together later after school with me and my friend? We're going to play bowling. How about it?"

Zack didn't realize that he was glaring at Reno's hand that rest on Cloud's shoulder until he felt a smack landed on his head. "Ouch! The hell?" he shouted, looking up at Reno's face this time.

"Yo, did you hear what I said?" Reno asked a bit annoyed.

"I heard you, I'm not deaf." Zack grunted, glaring at Reno's hand once again before softening his look when he turn to Cloud, "Are you going to go?"

Cloud shook his head, "I think I'll pass."

"Oh come on~ why not?" Reno asked.

Cloud however, didn't answer. But Zack knew immediately what his best friend's thinking about. He's positive that Cloud must be feeling uncomfortable with Reno's friend. Zack have to admit that Reno's friend can be a jerk sometimes.

"We already make plans together after school." Zack lied, noticing that Cloud look at him a bit surprised.

"Oh, really? You guys going out going to hang out together later?" Reno lift an eyebrow, "I was pretty sure that you're going on a date with Aerith later after school."

Oh yeah… Aerith…

Seriously, because of Cloud, he almost forgot that he was dating Aerith.

People think that he's dating Aerith because they thought he loves her. But that's not how it goes. Zack dated her just because he thought that lovely kind of girl would help him forget about Cloud.

Apparently it's not really working.

"Well, me and Aerith didn't have any plans today, so I decided to hang out with Cloud." Zack answered with a shrug.

"Geez, what the hell is wrong with you? You've got such a nice and beautiful girl in your hand but instead of spending your time with your girlfriend you decide to hang out with a guy." Reno shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey! What's wrong with me hanging out with Cloud?" Zack protested.

Reno laugh, "Relax dude, just joking around yo. I know that you two were like… inseparable." He patted both Cloud and Zack shoulder. "Well, later guys." He waved at them before storming out of the class.

"Thanks…" Cloud muttered with a small smile on his face.

"For what?" Zack asked, he got a hint what Cloud was thanking him for, but he just wanted to hear it from the blonde boy's lips.

"For making an excuse." Cloud smile a bit wider, and it was enough to make Zack smile even wider.

Zack ruffled Cloud's hair, "Anything for my Cloud."

He was a bit surprised that he had let out that word instead of the word 'my best friend', saying it with that word seems a bit strange and Zack feared that Cloud might find out his real feeling for the blonde, but when Cloud only smile a bit with a blush on his cheek, he knew that Cloud didn't realize the hidden meaning behind those word.

Of course the boy wouldn't, they are after all, just a best friend.

And it's sadden him.

-XXXXXX-

There are many reasons why he loves Cloud.

And Cloud's kindness is one of the reasons behind it.

That's why when they're now walking side by side to Zack's house while holding their own umbrella since it was rain and they spotted three stray kittens on a box on their way and Cloud have to put his umbrella next to the box so the kittens won't get wet, Zack couldn't help but smile warmly at Cloud.

That's my love.

Zack walk to Cloud and crouched next to the boy so Cloud won't get wet. "You'll get wet" he took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wipe Cloud's wet hair with it.

"I'm fine." Cloud smile a little before turned his attention to the kittens at the box. "Poor them, someone must leave them here." The blonde boy said, picking up one of the kittens and kissed it on the forehead, and Zack felt himself melt at the sight.

"Yeah…" Zack muttered, caressing the other two kittens inside the box. "Too bad that neither of us can take them home…"

"…Unwanted, just like me."

At that one single phrase he heard coming out from Cloud's lips, he have to turned to look at Cloud and notice the sad look on those beautiful blue orbs. "Cloud…"

Must be thinking about his dad.

Zack knew that Cloud hates his own dad for leaving Cloud and his mother alone. And Zack hates Cloud's father for making Cloud suffers. Seriously, what kind of a man would leave his family without any specific reason?

"Hey, come on, don't say that. You know that's not true…" Zack reached out an arm to Cloud, pulling the boy closer to him. "Your mother needs you… and so did I."

This time, Zack couldn't help but feel very happy and relief to see a genuine smile spread over Cloud's lips as the boy looked at him and then put his head on Zack's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right…" Cloud muttered, "I have you…"

And Zack only smile in respond to that words.

-XXXXXX-

When they arrived at Zack's house, Mr. Fair and Mrs. Fair welcomed Cloud warmly to his house. Well, Zack's parents and Cloud's mother has know each other for such a long time, and it was no surprised that Mr. Fair and Mrs. Fair think of Cloud as their own family. It was a very common thing to do.

Inside Zack's room, Cloud was surprisingly quiet. The blonde boy only stare at the window where it rains outside as he sat on Zack's bed and it makes Zack wonder what the boy was thinking about. The look on Cloud's face was… kind of lonely, and sad.

"Hey." Zack sat next to Cloud, linking an arm around the boy's shoulder, "What are you thinking about?" he asked, leaning close to Cloud who seem a bit embarrassed from their closeness.

Damn, he's so damn cute.

"N-not so close…" Cloud pushed Zack gently on the chest, but Zack only grinned and lean even closer to Cloud faces, just because he loves teasing close.

And because you enjoy being so close with him.

"Nope." Zack shook his head, "Now until you tell me what's going on inside that pretty head of yours."

That sentence seems taken Cloud aback as the boy surprised that Zack seems to know that something was bothering him, because the look on Cloud's eyes become dark almost instantly.

And Zack hate it, he really hates it when Cloud was sad.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Zack asked gently, running his finger on the silky soft hair belong to Cloud. He tried to look into Cloud's eyes, but the boy immediately avert his eyes to somewhere else the moment he notice Zack was staring at him in the eye. "You know that you can tell me anything right? We're… best friend, right?"

Best friend. It's hurt a bit to acknowledge that. But that was the only thing that would ever exist between him and Cloud. Best friend. Nothing more.

Hesitantly, Zack saw how Cloud slowly look at him before said, "We're… best friend, right?"

Zack smile at the boy, ruffling his hair. "Of course we are."

"You… won't leave me, right?"

Zack was surprised hearing that coming from Cloud, and it makes his heart ached to see how hurt the look on Cloud's eyes. It was almost looks like that Cloud was…. Frighten.

"Cloud, I—"

Zack's word was cut off when Cloud rest his head on Zack's chest, feeling how some of Cloud's hair comfortingly tickling his chin. "You… won't leave me… like my dad did, right?"

That word made Zack turn to look at Cloud, and he didn't missed the teary eyes belong to Cloud before the boy hide his face on his chest. That's when he noticed that Cloud was trying so hard to hold back his tears.

He didn't know what Cloud was thinking right know, sometimes he think that Cloud was thinking too much. But he knew that Cloud was having a lot of trouble, like about the boy's father, and about how other people treated the boy unfairly.

And every time Cloud was having a problem, the boy would always go to Zack to seek for a shoulder to cry on, to seek for a comfort where he felt saved and protected.

Cloud was the type of person who always looks down on himself, thinking that he was useless and couldn't do anything right. And every time Zack told him that it was not true, the boy would only smile softly in a way where Cloud didn't believe his word at all.

For Zack, Cloud was not useless. He never once think the boy like that. Because Cloud had taught him a lot of things.

Because of Cloud, he had learn the true meaning of true love. And because of that, he also learned so many things about himself. He learned how himself could be so overprotective to Cloud sometimes, feeling jealous to all people who dares to touch Cloud, and also feeling sad and happy whenever Cloud felt happy and sad as well.

Being with Cloud and being in love with Cloud had made Zack learned about his true self.

Zack wrapped his arms around Cloud, resting his head on top of Cloud's. "I won't leave you. Never, Cloud. I will never leave you."

When he felt a hesitant arms wrapped around his own body, Zack felt himself smiling a bit before he dare to continue while rubbing his hand up and down on Cloud's back comfortingly, "I promise I will never leave you. Well, not until I died anyway."

A hand hit his back almost painfully, and he heard Cloud spoke, "Don't say things like that."

Zack chuckle, "Well, that's the only thing that could ever separate both of us, you know that. Everyone will die someday. But until day that comes, I will always be by your side whether you like it or not."

No one said a thing after Zack said that, and he could only run his hand to caress Cloud's back and hair gently. When he heard Cloud murmur a slow 'thank you', Zack just smile and tighten his hold on Cloud's form.

If Cloud just knew how important he is to Zack…

Zack continue to ran his hand on Cloud's back and hair, and when Cloud only stay still and a soft breath was sounded from Cloud, Zack smile widely because he knew that Cloud had fallen asleep. It was a very common thing for Cloud to fell asleep in Zack's arms, the blonde often do that even when they're kids. And Zack loves it very much when Cloud fell asleep in his arms, it felt as if Cloud felt saved and protected in Zack's arms, and Zack loves the feeling of holding Cloud and the feeling when he thought he could protected the blonde.

Gently putting Cloud to rest the boy's head on the pillow, Zack laid next to the boy and watched Cloud's peaceful face, and he couldn't resist not to caress Cloud's cheek.

And then, slowly and hesitantly, Zack leans closer to placed a soft kiss on Cloud's forehead.

His heart was beating so hard when he did that.

And Zack knew that he really had fallen hardly in love with Cloud.

"You and I Cloud, are going to be best friend forever! Okay?"

He remember the promised he made to Cloud when they're was a kid, and he felt so horrible to broke their promise.

Zack had broke his promise to Cloud, he had broke their promise where they seal their promise to be best friends forever. Zack felt horrible because deep down inside, he knew that he can no longer think of Cloud as his best friend. Because he had think of Cloud not as his best friend anymore, but as a boy that he had fallen in love with.

"I'm sorry…" he let out a whisper as he ran his finger to caress Cloud's cheek again, so tenderly as if he's afraid that he might broke or woke up the boy if he didn't do it so softly. "…for breaking our promise."

"But you know…" Zack smile softly at the sleeping boy before placing another kiss on Cloud's forehead, "I love you so much…"


Okay… just how bad this chapter is? Because seriously, I'm writing this while I'm feeling so sleepy and really tired, but I forced myself to finish it that day because well, yeah, I just need to write something about Zack and Cloud^^

This chapter was rather angst and fluffy at the same time, don't you think? Oh, and now that you guys knew how Zack's true feeling about Cloud, I hope this story somehow get more interesting to you guys.
Seriously, just how suck it is to know that they love each other yet never aware of that because of the wall between them called 'things that best friends mustn't do'. You guys must be felt very itchy to kill me now XD *LOL*

The first chapter and the second chapter is mostly like only about describing their own feeling to each other. The real trouble and their true story of friendship and love will just about to begin at chapter three. So, I hope you guys would still enjoy reading this.

Thank you so much for those who review me before^^ It means a lot to me^^ *hug*

Review please? *puppy eyes*