' Getting to Know pt.1 '
Cloud silently pushed his bike down the road with Naruto right by his side, fuming. " HOW THE HECK DID YOU RUN OUT OF GAS! ", Naruto yelled frustrated. He was mad, mad at Cloud, mad that they had to walk all the way to the nearest gas station which was about 20-25 more miles. He continued his yelling, Cloud decided to just tune him out. He never thought anyone could yell so loud! Cloud's face showed no emotion, this is what made Naruto even angrier, ' just like Sasuke ', he thought. But in the inside Cloud was smiling to himself. He may have not anticipated Naruto's mood, but he got to spend time with him, angry or not.
Naruto had finally given up on being yelling and stalked down the road in front of Cloud. Cloud watched Naruto walk in front of him, watching the boy's every movement. He wondered if Naruto ever got this mad at Sasuke, he hmp'ed and continued with pushing his bike along the dirt road. Naruto looked back at Cloud who looked down at the road, he turned his head back, and bit his bottom lip.
It was tiring being mad at Cloud and it was hard. The last thing Cloud deserved was to be yelled at. Naruto rubbed at his arms, he began to feel remorseful, glancing back at an oblivious Cloud. He couldn't be angry he just couldn't, it seemed at this moment impossible for Uzumaki Naruto to be mad at Cloud Strife.
The Sun began to set in front of them. Colors of light danced in the sky, entertaining any whom watched the spectacle, but our two blondes weren't watching. Cloud looking at his feet and Naruto played with the end of his black shirt. He was beginning to feel kind of home sick, and it didn't help that he was hungry and thinking of his favorite food, ramen. Cloud looked up at Naruto, he was now only a black figure, colorless, but the ahead of him was filled with the colors of the rainbow. The sky was darkening twilight was near. The trees on both their sides swayed, their leaves below Cloud's feet made a peculiar crunching noise, but it was not yet fall. The wind had a incisive chill to it. He watched Naruto's black form jealously with his warm looking jacket blowing lazily on his shoulders. Naruto looked back at him and smiled, a sincere one, an apologetic smile.
Cloud was taken aback, that one smile kind of startled him in a way. That was the last thing he expected from Naruto. A smile? Cloud smiled, and sped up trying to catch up with Naruto. " So your not mad anymore? ", Cloud asked once he caught up. Naruto shook his head, " No I've decided that its hard to stay mad at you long, I almost had to force myself for the last five minutes ", Cloud smirked knowingly even Tifa couldn't stay mad at him for more than ten minutes. But this, this meant more to him than anything else. " Is ", Cloud hesitated for a moment, " Is Sasuke your boyfriend? ", little did he know what reaction this would cause.
" WHAT! ", Naruto cried, his wide blue eyes stared at Cloud with horror. They had both stopped in their tracks, Naruto's mouth hung open. Cloud stared down at him amused, " I'll take that as a no ", and he began walking again the bike now being pushed by Naruto with strenuous effort. " Hey, wait up! ", Naruto said raising his voice so that Cloud could hear him, Cloud looked back at Naruto with a fatigued expression. " Don't look at me like that you're the one that ran out of gas! ", Cloud shrugged and stared at the sunset in a listless manner. " We should be there in an hour ", Naruto tightened his lips as to not complain any further. He shut his eyes thinking of Konohagure, with Sakura waving at him her green eyes showing happiness and her short pink hair bouncing, and Iruka behind her inviting him for ramen, and Kakashi right next to him with his hands in his pockets smiling. Naruto frowned that wasn't right, Kakashi reading his orange colored book with the red sign on it, then looking up for a moment to smile at him and focusing on his book again.
But then the image flashed to Sasuke, he looked at him with his dark eyes. His pale skin, almost like Cloud's, but so much different, his raven bangs covered the side of his face and he was smiling. There was nobody else there, just Sasuke, just a smiling Sasuke. Naruto smiled, but that was also an unreal image, Sasuke wouldn't smile at him. He may smirk, but those were two totally different things. Naruto opened his eyes, night was almost upon them, and the sun was nearly swallowed by the horizon. Naruto looked at Cloud, he groaned, Cloud was starting to be Cloud again, so despondent and unsociable. Naruto decided he liked the images in his head better and closed his eyes again. There was Sasuke, again. The same old Sasuke, same old bastard. It irked Naruto that Sasuke was the one he was thinking of, but gradually Sasuke and his smile began to fade. And a familiar blonde appeared instead, the blond looked up at him with mako eyes, they were sad. He smiled when he saw Naruto, the black clad man didn't say a word though, and he began to fade. And there they were, both of them…together. Cloud and him…together.
Naruto snapped his eyes open, Cloud was looking back at him as they walked. " Who were you thinking about? ", Cloud stopped, Naruto looked at him. Cloud seemed like he was in a Sasuke like mood, Sasuke sometimes asked him questions as if he was his boyfriend. " I… ", Naruto started, what was he to say? " …You ", Cloud nodded. " Me too ", Naruto's eyes widened, Cloud began walking again.
Naruto dropped the bike, ran up behind Cloud, and hugged him. Cloud stopped, feeling slightly guilty for not expressing how he felt at the moment. It was hard to feel this way again he hadn't felt this way for…a long time. Or maybe it just felt like a long time. It scared Cloud, the feeling inside him intimidated him, daring him to fall in love again. The last time he did, the person he loved was taken away from him, he never wanted to feel that feeling of dread ever again.
" Naruto…I ", he turned and faced Naruto, looking down into his eyes. He leaned down slowly down to meet the boy's lips, and suddenly he realized it was twilight. The sun was almost nearly gone. The sky was red and black, and they could hardly see to get back, they...they had to get back. Cloud leaned back up not saying a word and walked past Naruto, picking the bike up and pushing along again. He was determined, determined not to fall in love with Naruto. Naruto stayed frozen to the spot where he was watching Cloud's dark figure walk down the road. This time he didn't yell ' hey, wait up! ', he just stood there watching Cloud walk away. Naruto's heart beat at a million times per second, he could feel it beating against his chest. He began to collect his composure again and walked after Cloud.
Cloud clenched his fists tightly on the bike until they burned. He had an extreme urge to kiss Naruto, but he just…couldn't. He thought of Aeris and Tifa when he looked into Naruto's eyes. Except, Aeris's were green, such a beautiful green, a lush garden green. Cloud squeezed his eyes shut as he thought about her, but he didn't cry, he was just trying to shoo the memory away. He suddenly stopped…thinking. The sound of crickets filled the night air, the sun having finally abandoned them and the moon was slightly visible, being enveloped by the grey clouds. A few stars began to appear in the sky, twinkling like gemstones. The windy night chilled Cloud to the bone, he shivered wondering exactly how far he had driven on the road. Naruto deciding that Cloud needed a rest stopped too watching their surroundings.
Fireflies began to appear dancing along the road around Cloud and Naruto, they looked like miniature fallen stars. They moved in a sleepy way, as if they were drowsy and just getting up from a evening nap to come out into the night and bestow light upon the night creatures. The small fireflies seemed as if they were loitering around Naruto and Cloud, idling around them silently. Cloud turned around, staring at Naruto with great ardor, mixed emotions showed on his features. The icy green illumination from the fireflies shown on his face and Naruto's too. " Naruto I have a confession ", Cloud stated. Naruto who was poking at the fireflies looked up at Cloud, inquisitively.
Cloud seemed to regret what he had started as Naruto's blue eyes bore into him. " Uhhh never mind ", Naruto seemed to not take no for an answer, shaking his head earnestly, his blonde locks flying. " What were you going to say ", he pressed, the wind blew in Cloud's hair, coming over his face. His pale pink lips opened, " I ", he swallowed, " Love ", he walked up to Naruto, " You ", he was confident now seeing Naruto's blush. " Is that a good enough confession? ", Cloud asked smirking, a smug look appeared in place of an uncertain one.
He hugged Naruto burying the boy's head in his chest. The fireflies danced around them still, and the icy green light gave Cloud a warm feeling, but Naruto made him warmer.