Paws and claws

Hi! It's a little late but its for new years and to just reassure people I'm not dead. I am in the middle of starting exams right now so may disappear until june now. It's gonna be tough for me and I hardly get time to write as it is (I started this at Christmas… anyway, here a oneshot! My first attempt at Cloud X Zack and most likely chock full of errors and stuff.

Anyway hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy new year, now I'm off to revise and cuddle my Cloud plushie!

It was around ten when I woke up from my morning sleep. I twitched my floppy black puppy ears, hitting one as it itched and letting out a soft "woof" as my tail swished behind me.

I was lying on my stomach on the large bed I had all to myself. I had this whole large room to myself. Inside this room lay my large blue silk covered bed, white walls covered in pictures, drawings and posters and the wooden floors covered in a small blue carpet. A desk sat in the far corner and a walk in wardrobe sat opposite that.

I took a deep breath in as I did every morning. I could smell my roommate in the living room through the slightly open bedroom door. In our apartment, the kitchen was attached to the living room and -with my heightened senses- available for smelling. I could tell he was cooking bacon by the smell of the fat spitting off the meat in the pan.

My roommate Cloud was one of the cutest boys you could ever meet. The sixteen year old was small with ruffled blonde hair that sat in a mess on top of his head. Nestled into his hair were two white cat ears that stuck up to be seen by anyone and his long white tail was often catching on things uncontrollably making Cloud annoyed sometimes.

His large blue eyes were so innocent and his smile made you think that you could fly just because you were the one to make the Neko boy smile like that. The way he would 'mew' when surprised and purr when happy always surprised me. I loved the way he would curl up on the sofa with his tail curled around his legs and his head in his hands when he came home and fell asleep on the couch.

If you hadn't guessed already, yes:

I, Zack Fair, had a crush on Cloud Strife.

The small blonde, however, was my best friend! I couldn't do that to him when he was so young.

With a large yawn -showing off my sharp impressive canines while I did that- and a sigh I got off my bed and made my way to the door only in my pyjamas.

"Ey, good morning, Cloud!" I called hearing a soft mew in reply as Cloud often did. I smiled before padding over towards the smell coming from the kitchen.

In the kitchen Cloud sat on the countertop with his long smooth white tail swishing and moving the box of tea bags that sat behind him. He was smiling and swinging his legs as the played around on his phone talking to one of his friends from school. His ears seemed to twitch in time with his tail as if something was trying to touch his ears and he didn't want anything touching the creamy white fur that lay there.

"Hai, hai, iie." He droned off answering short questions I couldn't understand because they were pronounced in a foreign language to me. There was a long pause before Cloud looked at me and started speaking with more than one word answers.

I looked away at this point and walked over to the fridge picking out the milk and pouring a glass before yawning and sitting at the table. I watched Cloud as he finished up his conversation with a goodbye – I knew that one from basics he had been telling me- and shut the phone.

"It was one of my friends asking about the homework." Cloud told me looking down at his legs for a second before remembering the bacon as it spat viciously at his legs and tail. Cloud let out a small squeak before jumping down and poking at the almost done bacon.

Cloud went to the university near where we lived while I worked as one of the more important men in the SOLDIER program in the Shinra building three blocks away. Somehow I managed to get enough money to pay for our apartment while Cloud worked 2 part time jobs to try help pay me back by buying food and other things we needed –I wouldn't let him pay any rent, he wasn't getting as much income as me so it didn't seem fair.

"Zack, will you take me to see the lights tonight?" Cloud asked suddenly. I looked up to see he was looking down not wanting me to see his expression. He was squeezing his phone in his hand too, almost as if anticipating a no.

"Lights?" I asked noticing the bacon spit on Clouds tail once more. Cloud let out a wail, glared at the bacon and decided enough was enough. He hastily turned the bacon off and put it onto two slices of bread which he turned into two sandwiches for himself and me.

"Yeah, the amusement park is having a festival to welcome the New Year. My friend told me and I wanna go!" Cloud looked happy and determined as he smiled at my nod in agreement. He bought over the sandwiches and his own glass of strawberry milk that he had put onto the microwave next to him while sitting on the counter cooking the bacon.

"Okay, I'll take you, it could be fun. Just no funny business!" I joked flicking Cloud's ear playfully knowing that it should be him saying that to me. Cloud just blushed and looked away from me.

"It's Saturday... Can we go somewhere beforehand? I don't have a class and you don't need to be in work, maybe we should go out just in case Reno comes here and tries to interrupt our plans," Cloud said softly. He was still looking down and blushing as he held his sandwich carefully between his fingers.

"Sure!" I called loudly noticing a twitch in Cloud's ears and the widening of his smile as he took a small bite out of his sandwich. I devoured my sandwich in a few giant gulps watching as Cloud took his time taking small bites. I could hear the swish of fur against tile as Cloud lazily swept his tail back and forth across the floor. I knew my tail would be hitting the back of the chair if I wasn't on a stool.

"I'll go get ready!" I said loudly smiling at Cloud once again, noticing his ears twitch. Maybe his ears twitched when I was too loud? I thought, looking up at the Neko. That could be the reason he's always so quiet? Maybe his ears are sensitive to me… I frowned, wondering why Cloud ever put up with me if I was so loud.

I watched from the doorway for a minute as Cloud finished his sandwich. He took small bites savouring the taste in his mouth. I smiled for a second before turning around into my room to change.

I pulled on a pair of jeans first being careful not to catch my tail as I did. They were baggy jeans that fit my hips and where the perfect length to pool at my feet around my shoes. I loved the fact that the hem had fallen down and that the bottom of the legs were messy and ripped, I thought it showed they had been worn in more. Next I pulled on a blue shirt that had a yellow cross which extended out from the top right corner of the shirt. The shirt was thick and had a hood attached to it making it one of my favourite shirts.

Next I pulled on my black and grey converse sneakers and some gloves to keep my hands warm. It was winter after all.

When I walked back out into the living room I noticed Cloud was gone. I smiled at the thought of him in his room getting changed. I could almost see it in my head:

Cloud, standing with his bare back to me so I could see the part of his lower back where the tail attached and the creamy white skin that had always been under his clothes for me not to see. I would've been able to see those creamy white shoulders and arms that he always kept hidden because he always seemed to be cold.

In my vision Cloud turned around to me in shock letting me see the rest of his body from a different angle…

I licked my lips smiling and looking back to the door with a wagging tail. I stood wishing for once that I had x-ray vision to see through the door.

Pervert I thought to myself as Cloud quietly left his room and walked over to me. He wore a ehite hoodie and some pale blue denim jeans with his black and white Vans. He also wore a white scarf wrapped around his neck four times which covered half of his face as it pooled by his shoulders. Cloud blushed as I smiled at him taking my hand in his as he ran out of the house.

"Let's go!" Cloud called back at me. He only looked back for a second watching for my nod of confirmation before smiling and tugging harder on my arm.

"You're eager it get there." I said to him with a smile. Cloud slowed down so he was walking beside me but didn't let go of my hand. He turned to me and looked into my eyes with a small sheepish smile and a blush.

"I want to ride the rides before we have to see the fireworks…" He told me quietly. I smiled and scratched the back of one of Cloud's ears making him mew in surprise. I smiled as I watched him blush at the noise he made.

I walked a little ways ahead of Cloud from then on but glanced back sometimes to see he was walking with his hands clasped together in front of him and his head down. His white ears were tinged pink along with his face as his tail curled and got caught around his leg or his wrist like a snake would curl around a tree.

He looked nervous.

"I'll pay for the tickets." Cloud mewed suddenly from behind me. I stopped and turned to him, we were outside the park gates now.

"No, I'll pay!" I said loudly watching Cloud's ears once again cringe back from my voice. "Sorry," I loudly whispered. I could feel my ears as they flattened against my skull in embarrassment. I looked down at my feet then back up to Cloud who was smiling at me sweetly.

"It's okay." He told me with a warm smile as he pulled out the money for the tickets. "I want to pay, Zack. You won't let me pay the rent so I need to be able to pay you back in some way." Cloud said looking down into his wallet with soft eyes.

I know plenty of things you could do to pay me back… I thought to myself in a moment of weakness. (Heh, weakness) pervert… I thought to myself after I realised my thoughts. I shook my head feeling my spikes spray out around my face for a second before I heard Cloud call to me.

"I have the tickets!" he called with a smile waving them in the air while his tail swept back and forth happily and his ears perked up. I smiled and walked over happily following the boy into the amusement park.

The day had been wonderful, we had been on almost every ride in the park and eaten at almost every stall here (well, I had.) we were sitting in a carriage on the big Ferris wheel. I sat across from Cloud who was swishing his tail back and forth happily, like he always did.

"Thank you for coming out with me today, Zack." Cloud said suddenly. When I looked at him he was looking down at his knees with a relaxed smile and half closed eyes. "I had a great time." He added looking up at me with a bigger smile than he had a minute ago.

His smile made my heart thump louder and forced my lips to curl up into a smile. "Say Cloud," I started looking up Cloud looked at me for a second before a screeching noise made him look to the sky behind him. A bang rang through the skies causing me to look up as well.

"Oh!" Cloud gasped with a smile "it's so pretty!" although he was louder, Cloud was still quiet as he always was.

"Here, you can see it better from this side." I offered scooting over for Cloud to sit next to me.

Cloud gave me a bright smile before he came and sat on my side of the small room. "Fireworks are so pretty," he told me with a sigh. I looked at Cloud again his tail was still swaying around while his ears twitched.

"Fireworks are overrated," I told Cloud quietly as I felt his tail connect with mine. Cloud's tail had a little thing about it that if it hit something it tried to curl around that thing like a snake and Cloud would have to pry it free most times. Cloud let out a squeak and I sat up a little straighter at the feel of the tail wrapper around mine.

"Cloud..." I whispered as another firework went off before us. Neither of us paid much attention to the sky right now.

"I'm sorry Zack, I'll untangle it," Cloud told me trying to give me reassurances I didn't want.

"No, Cloud. It feels... Nice," I told him with a smile. Cloud looked at me with a small smile of his own before his eyes flickered down to my lips. I noticed and leaned in close to his face wanting Cloud to be the one to show me what he wanted.

"Zack..." He whispered softly, closing his eyes. I hummed in response feeling that saying his name at a time like this didn't fit. I felt his lips smile before me and the breath that came from Cloud's nostrils. The feeling was so different to anything I had ever felt. They say that you only ever meet one true love in this life; I could've believed the people who said that right now... I was so close to Cloud.

At the same time as the next firework eruption, Cloud pressed his lips to mine. I felt my eyes widened for a second before they closed in bliss. I was enjoying the happy moment. The kiss lasted for a good few minutes, I could only tell timings by the exploding fireworks that still bloomed in the skies like fires. I felt when Cloud wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I felt happier now than ever before.

Cloud pulled away shortly after trailing his tongue over my lips. "Zack," his panting voice said quietly. I smiled at Cloud and pulled him closer tucking him away in my arms do he leant on my shoulder with his hands holding my shirt.

"Cloud, I... I love you," I told the boy seriously. I watched Cloud peak up at me before turning his head up to me to see my full expression. A wide smile spread across the small boy's face.

"Watashi no koinu…" Cloud whispered as he started hugging me around the middle tightly. "I love you too,"

I smiled at Cloud not really understanding what he said but understanding that he had answered me.

Cloud loved me.

I kissed Cloud again, watching as his face turned pale pink like the colour of rose petals. This time I felt his tongue a lot earlier into the kiss and opened my mouth in acceptance allowing him to explore the new territory he was being let into. I could feel Cloud's tail moving against mine creating some kind of friction that made Cloud squeak and pull away.

"Cloud, do you want to stay in my room with me tonight?" I asked the blonde as he tried to untangle his disobedient tail from mine. My question stopped him. Cloud turned to face me looking into my eyes with his big innocent blue ones.

"I would love to," he whispered as a blush painted his cheeks again. Cloud kissed my cheek and grabbed my hand as we watched the last of the fireworks together. Cloud leaned his head on my shoulder and sighed as I felt his tail hit mine again and curl once more. This time I just hugged Cloud as he tried to look round at them. I didn't mind them being like this, I don't think Cloud did either.

Once the fireworks ended, the wheel turned to let us down. Once safely on the ground Cloud untangled our tails again by slipping out first before standing there and waiting for me.

"Are you ready to go home?" I asked the small blonde as he grabbed onto my arm so while his one hand was holding mine the other was holding the crook of my elbow as if he was afraid to lose me.

"Yeah, Home would be good now," Cloud told me softly. We started towards the apartment when something unexpected happened: it started to snow.

"Oh!" Cloud exclaimed opening his mouth but covering it with his hand as he did. "I haven't seen snow since I was two," Cloud told me with a smile. He held my hand tighter. "It's colder than I remember," he added closing one eye as a snowflake fell under it.

"Let's get out of the snow before it gets colder." I suggested. Feeling Cloud nod into my shoulder, I carried on the walk to the apartment, it wasn't long before we were home.

"Zack…?" Cloud asked as he entered the house behind me. The snow had somehow turned into a storm on the way up turning from fluffy white flakes into hard hail stones that rained down from the black sky. Thunder and lightning also started up and as it would any cat, Cloud was suddenly scared and shaking as soon as he heard it.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to stay with you?" the boy asked. He looked like he was trying to make himself small, his ears were flattened against his head and he was curling in on himself. I looked up and nodded before a clap of thunder was heard. "I'm scared," he whispered at the sound of the storm. With a soft smile I pulled the smaller boy close.

"You think I'd let you stay alone if you were scared?" I whispered into his ear which had sprung up as soon as I grabbed at Cloud to show his surprise at my actions.

"I…I…well,"

"I wouldn't," I told him biting on his ear softly. Cloud let out a small yip but snuggled into the embrace with a purr. "Besides, I already invited you to stay in my room tonight," I told him feeling as Cloud rubbed his ears against the underneath of my jaw, purring lightly.

"I love you, Zack,"

"I love you too, Cloud," I whispered back smiling at his purr.

I think I was going to be happy from now on…

Tell me what you think, grammatical errors and spelling aside…