#cloud's birthday week 2k17

[modeoheim]

A Helping Hand pt 1

part of Cloud’s Birthday Week 2k17.  Summary:  A bizarre cat wearing a cape and a crown comes to Infantryman Cloud Strife for help. Through the occasional favor Cloud starts to learn more about ShinRa, get closer to his crushes, Zack and Sephiroth, and figure out what (or who?) is really behind Cait Sith's actions. Pairings: Reeve/Cloud, Cait Sith/Cloud (???), Zack/Cloud and brief Seph/Cloud rating: Explicit (though not this chapter)

guys I’m SO. EXCITED. to post part one of this. I’ve had so much fun writing this.  If you’re balking at the pairing, my suggestion is to go for it -- this fic kind of isn’t what it appears to be, and, well, I worked hard on it. Go forth ya’ll. 

"See ya," he said, holding up an arm. Zack bumped their forearms together and saw him off with another wink and a two-fingered salute.

"Later, Spike."

Cloud pushed his way out of the bar, gulping down fresh air once he was out. He hadn't realized how hot it was in there. Most of the sun lamps were off now, simulating 'night time' – but there were still enough to make your way around. It took Cloud a moment to realize which way the businesses were that Cait Sith wanted to visit, and then he headed that way.

"There's no one around," Cloud said, "You can speak up. I can tell you want to."

The backpack wiggled. He heard Cait Sith sigh. "…I suppose I can't complain when I'm hitching a free ride on your back, can I?"

"No," Cloud answered, "You can't."

read below, or on [ffnet] or [AO3]

ShinRa Tower was so large a building that walking around the outside of it in its entirety took quite some time. With a few smaller satellite buildings dotted around the main Tower there were all sorts of tucked-away places to hide in.

Most were under video surveillance for that reason; ShinRa took security seriously. Some Infantryperson somewhere was probably watching a couple-dozen computer screens showing footage of these areas, mostly walls, and occasionally the small nook with a bench for reading a book or resting after a jog around the Tower.

Cloud was pretty sure he'd found a small spot not under the watch of a video camera. And if there was one—it didn't matter anyway, it wasn't like he got up to no good out here, he just liked his space. While Nibelheim was mostly empty fields and tundra, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, Midgar had another metal wall every couple dozen feet and cramped hallways packed with Infantry.

He hadn't even realized he was a little claustrophobic before moving here.

And it wasn't even like his special spot was all that great—he was right by an exhaust vent for the building's HVAC. It was super loud and bellowed hot air, but he sat away from it and with enough time the constant drone of it faded into the background like restaurant chatter. As something of an introvert, Cloud needed some time alone every couple days; he retreated here and played games on his PHS or wrote letters to his mother. It was chill and Cloud stayed undisturbed.

Until, one day, the wall whispered, "Laddie."

Cloud looked up from his PHS, pausing his action game with a tap of his finger, and looked around. The acoustics in these little alcoves could get weird. He went back to it.

"Laddie!"

Cloud squinted, peering up and down the side of the wall. "In the vent," came the voice, muffled under the roar of the AC. "I need ya to do me a favor."

"Are you okay?" Cloud scrambled up, moving closer, feeling the sweaty gush of the AC's exhaust.

"Aie aie aie," came the voice, "Act natural! Pretend you're not talking to anybody, eh?"

"Um." Cloud moved to the side, away from the vent, and stared straight ahead. He tucked his chin into his scarf to obscure his mouth. He swallowed. "You're speaking to a member of the ShinRa Infantry," he said, his grip tightening around his baton lying along his right thigh. "Reveal yourself—if you're an eco-terrorist trying to infiltrate the Tower I will report you."

Whoever was in the vent let out a long whistle. "Impressive. The company's been hiring a good batch, it looks like. It's good to see."

Cloud cut off the distracting small talk with an aggressive, "Who are you? I will call my CO in the next thirty seconds."

"Oy!" They sounded outraged. "I work for ShinRa too, I promise."

"Prove it."

"What's your last name? I'll look you up in the database; I have the authorization to do that."

"…Strife," Cloud said, hesitantly.

"Hmm… only one of those currently employed. Seventeen years old. From Nibelheim—interesting place, there's a Mako reactor there, made it special—joined up seven months ago. Looks like you're struggling in your rifle class, nya ha ha."

"What!" Cloud had been thinking about how the person in the vent was either really employed by ShinRa or was a talented hacker, but the rifle comment distracted him. "That's in my file?"

"Yessiree, along with the fact that you're better than average with swords. Did fairly well in the SOLDIER exam with the practice swords."

"Oh." Cloud's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the SOLDIER exam. He fought the urge to stomp off, now hurting at the memories of failure. "Answer my question. What's the best elevator to use?"

"…The one behind the showroom on the lobby floor," they answered. "It doesn't have that couple-second lag when the doors close."

"And who never uses that elevator?"

"The execs. Stuck-up, the lot of them, if you ask me." They sounded a little nervous.

An exec, then, perhaps? Regardless, nobody would know the thing about the elevators if they weren't regularly in the building, actually walking around and not crawling through vents.

"What do you want?"

They sounded relieved. "I need you to block the security camera for me. Move a bit to the left, would you?"

"A camera?" Cloud had been so sure there was no such thing here.

"Obviously, laddie, they're everywhere. Except in here, nyahaha. There you go—a little more left. I can see you on the camera feed. Yes, yes, I know the air is hot—I'm practically melting apart in here. Angle yerself towards the wall. Now lean against it, all casual-like. Yep, you're facing the camera now. Stay just like that."

Cloud held the position he'd been maneuvered into. He squinted at the opposite wall. Eventually he found it; a little out-of-place dot in the concrete wall. Damn. His back was to the vent now, and he stiffened as the metal grate was pushed out from the inside.

"Reach a hand back," came the voice, a little clearer now without the grate, though still quiet under the roar of the AC. Cloud did, and the weight of the metal grate settled into his hand. He held on, hiding it behind his back. He pulled out his PHS and pretended to be playing a game with his other hand. The back of his neck prickled; it was so uncomfortable knowing there was someone behind him that he couldn't see.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to help," came the voice. Cloud snorted, and they continued after a huff, "Getting some readings on the quality of the air we're cycling through the building. I installed a couple new air filters, to get rid of the smog and such, and if they're successful they will be used in some homes under the Plate. Unfortunately, no one is letting me close enough to measure the air quality."

"…Why not?"

"Well, laddie, I suspect it's because they're not working. Why else? It means I have to design some new filters and install them, and that costs money, and my department's budget is woefully low, and…"

They muttered to themselves, and Cloud heard a couple small movements. Metallic scufflings, the sounds of light feet. Casually, Cloud turned his head as much as he could to get an eye of the person who had been inside the vent.

Cloud expected them to be small, because those vents were too tiny for Cloud to fit in, but he hadn't expected a three foot-tall humanoid cat wearing a crown.

Cloud breathed, "What."

The cat turned around. It had a small cape, red, and it was blowing around in the hot air. "Don't be gapin', laddie," it said, "We're on a mission!"

Cloud's head snapped around again and he stared at the wall.

The cat had been hanging something around the wide, curved metal pipe beside the vent that carried presumably air up to the many stories above. It wore white gloves and had a white-tipped tail, most of it a darker black with white patches on its belly and face. It even had boots.

"Are you a monster?"

The cat laughed. "Nay, not a monster—I'm just a Cait Sith!"

"A Cait Sith."

"Yep. And just so you don't go worryin', this little device here ain't a bomb or anything like that—it measures pollution. I poked a small hole in the pipe so it'll measure it."

"Why all the secrecy?"

"Like I said, for whatever reason they don't want me pokin' around the filtration system, which makes me think it's not workin'. They'd rather let something not work than spend the money to fix it to ensure a good quality of life—now isn't that repulsive?"

"Ah…yeah."

After another moment Cloud heard the grate go back onto the wall. "Move back a couple steps," the voice said. Cloud moved more fully into the gush of air. "Lean back onto it as hard as you can."

Cloud pushed against the grate, and he felt small, gloved hands (…paws?) scrabble against the back of his uniform as it pulled. The blond felt the grate snap back into place.

"Thanks," Cait Sith said, "You were a big help!" Then Cloud heard it crawl away, the small thumping noises growing quieter.

Cloud casually inspected the small device hanging around the air pipe. He'd had a few classes on how to identify bombs and this certainly didn't look like one. If it was… well, he was now an accomplice to it.

Weird.

It was a few days before Cloud managed to get enough free time to go out to his usual spot. He wasn't sure what to expect. He was hardly in The Know around ShinRa but he did have a few Infantry friends who were fairly involved with building security and none of them had mentioned the discovery of a mysterious bomb or an intruder in the vents.

The little pollution reader was gone, a tiny bit of sealant covered the tiny hole that had been poked through it, and taped to the back side of the pipe, the side away from the security camera, was a note.

C.S., it said, Thank you again for your help last time. You are a trustworthy young man. If you're willing, I need your help again. According to your schedule you have the afternoon and evening of this coming Friday off. Please come to the stall all the way on the left in the men's bathroom on the lobby floor at five p.m. You're doing ShinRa a great service, even if they don't know it yet. —another C.S.

That was rather…demanding, Cloud thought. And rather rude. He helped someone once, and then there they were checking his training schedule like a creep and asking his help for…whatever they were asking his help for. The handwriting looked elegant and the diction fairly different from how Cait Sith spoke. Was it even the same person—cat? No one else would have known about this… It was ridiculous.

No matter how ridiculous it was, for some Gaia-forsaken reason Cloud found himself hesitantly opening the door to the bathroom that Friday. Some of his friends were going into Sector 8 to party and Cloud had even turned down their invitation, he was that curious about what was going to happen.

He peeked under the stalls; it was empty in here, and he couldn't see any furry legs in the stall all the way to the side. Still, he crept over to it and pushed the door inwards.

Cait Sith stood on the closed toilet seat, body bopping along to some rhythm Cloud couldn't hear. Crown, gloves, furry little face, red cape.

"Cloud!" Cait Sith greeted. "Ya made it. Good."

Cloud looked up—an air vent went into this stall. "You really did leave me that note," he said, a bit amazed.

Cait Sith tilted its head, peering at him with small, feline eyes. "Well, of course. Good help is hard to find 'round here."

"You mean people dumb enough to go along with what you want and not ask too many questions."

Cait Sith rubbed the back of its neck. "Maybe, but you seem like a genuine good sort. I promise, I'm not up to anythin' bad."

"A promise won't do me much good if I get jailed or court marshalled for this."

"You'll just have ta believe me, laddie—ya won't. I'll make it worth yer while for the help, though."

That sounded even sleazier than before, Cloud thought privately. "What was the verdict on the vent?"

"Aye, they're broken, all right. Barely stopping any of the mako smog from entering the buildings at all. Sure, the air inside the Tower looks prettier, and there ain't no green tint to it, but it's not healthy. Ya think people would care more since we're breathing the same air up there in the boardroom!"

We, Cloud thought. Cait Sith is in on board meetings?

Cait Sith sighed. They gestured to a sports bag hanging on the hook on the back of the toilet stall. "Put that on, wouldja? I'm gonna climb in."

As they left the bathroom, Cait Sith a sturdy weight against his back, Cloud asked, "Where are we going?"

"I need a ride down below the plate," came Cait Sith's voice from inside the bag. "I'm a little too conspicuous getting down on the trains myself. I need to visit a couple businesses in Sector 8."

"Why?"

"We installed a version of those air filters on ShinRa partner businesses—prototypes for the commercial ones we plan to install in people's homes. They won't be much help to the public if they'll still be chokin' on smog, will they, laddie?"

"Guess not," Cloud muttered, moving his lips as little as possible as they moved out through the lobby. It bustled at all hours; the rotating group of receptionists never left the front desk unstaffed. When he cleared the building and was outside he said to his backpack, "To the train station?"

"Aye, laddie."

Cloud wore civvies, having learned shortly after joining that if you were off-duty you did not want to wear your uniform beneath the plate. He had his badge, though, and with a swipe of it at the turnstile at the station he got in without his bag being inspected. He shuffled on the train behind what looked like some off-duty SOLDIERs, probably Third Class, and a couple civilians who just lived above the plate. Expensive stuff.

He sat in the back of the train car and carefully propped the bag up in the empty cushion next to him.

"Okay, we're on the train," Cloud whispered. He didn't get a response.

During the ID check halfway down, with the blaring red alarm and the scan of everyone's IDs aboard the train just in case someone snuck on that wasn't supposed to, Cloud asked Cait Sith, "Hey. What's your gender? How should I refer to you?"

"Cait Sith is a boy," was the answer, sounding amused.

"And what's your accent?" It was quite thick; sometimes Cloud had trouble understanding him.

"It's just how a Cait Sith talks."

"A Cait Sith. So… there are more of you?"

"Cait Sith the Third, at your service, laddie."

Cloud muttered, "Seems like I'm the one at your service, honestly."

Muffled laughter was the response.

Sector 8 was one of Cloud's favorite places. Nibelheim's version of nightlife was the single pub full of upset adults avoiding their families. This part of town had clubs and bars, theaters and LOVELESS Avenue. He shouldered his heavy backpack (was Cait Sith made of fucking metal?) and walked in the direction Cait Sith told him to go, towards an offshoot street.

He didn't get far before an arm was slung over his shoulder.

Cloud turned, hands coming up, preparing to knock the stranger away, but they came still to rest for a moment too long on the chest of the person when he realized it was Zack Fair.

"Hey, Spike! Long time no see!"

Zack Fair, the dude he'd gotten along surprisingly well with on a mission last month and who he'd been nursing a wicked crush on ever since. "Zack," Cloud said, "Oh—hey."

The arm around his shoulders squeezed and then disappeared. Zack was so tall, and so grin-y, and so handsome, and Cloud hated that he was 'on a mission' with a crown-wearing cat monster.

"How've you been, man?"

"Good. I've been good." Cloud's tongue felt clumsy in his mouth. "Not busy—ah, I mean, doing the usual thing."

Zack winked at him. "That's good to hear. You busy at all right now?"

"…Well, kind of."

"Aw, c'mon! I wanna buy you a drink. My treat. I've been meaning to come see you ever since the Mideel mission but I've been busy."

Cloud hesitated. He felt a small jab between his shoulder blades, probably Cait Sith's elbow. "Sorry," he began, but then Zack clapped his hands together and tilted his head with his dark bangs falling into his bright SOLDIER eyes just right—

A moment later he was being whisked along beside Zack to a really chill bar, you'll like it while Cait Sith stubbornly jabbed him again, trying to keep Cloud on track.

Tough shit, cat—Cloud was doing the weird little thing a huge favor anyway; they could afford a brief detour.

Zack and Cloud chatted about their week as they made their way there. The bar was just off LOVELESS Ave, and despite it only being about six-thirty the music inside was loud and vibrating. The neon lights took a moment to get used to after being outside in the artificial sun lamps.

There weren't any seats at the bar open, so while they waited for two people to leave they grabbed two drinks and stood off to the side, leaning against a wall. Cloud could feel the thud of the bass through it, moving through his shoulder and even stirring the tequila in his glass.

(Tequila, known to make certain drinkers rather horny, was perhaps not the best choice, Cloud realized as Zack stood so tall next to him. It kind of felt like he was being caged back against the wall… and, Cloud realized a moment later, he kind of fucking loved it.)

"So how's your training going?" Cloud asked. "I think before you mentioned Angeal Hewley pushes you pretty hard."

Cloud remembered almost every word, actually, but he was playing it cool. Zack groaned, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. Hot. "Ugh. Angeal's as tough on me as ever. It's cool though—it's only a matter of time before I hit First Class at this rate."

"Oh yeah? You think you'll be evaluated for it soon?"

"Yeah. Genesis let it slide the other day that Angeal and Lazard have been talking about arranging some sort of mission for me."

"You were really impressive in Mideel…I'm sure you'll do well."

Cloud wasn't sure how to flirt for shit, but he'd realized Zack liked compliments. Zack puffed out his chest and tried to give a casual shrug (he failed). "Ya think so?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah," Cloud confirmed. "Sure do."

With the occasional jab from Cait Sith, Cloud and Zack kept talking. They eventually got bar stools and sat there, Zack buying Cloud three more drinks that were really strong, too—Cloud was tipsy at the end of it and even smacked his elbow back into the bag when Cait Sith hit his shoulder blade, trying to get him to abandon Zack.

"What's in there?" Zack asked, his elbow up on the counter and his hand propping up his chin.

"…Library books," Cloud said, feeling very transparent. "I had more free time than usual this month so, ah, I read a lot."

"Oh yeah, the one a couple blocks East? I like that place."

"Erm, yeah."

"There's a library in the Tower though, just so ya know. Near the SOLDIER floor."

"Oh. I'll be sure to check it out."

"Yeah." Zack smiled at him, his mako eyes lasered in on Cloud's face. "You should."

One last drink—and then Zack invited Cloud to dance. Cloud heard Cait Sith groan under his breath in the backpack.

Shyly, Cloud shrank back, wishing he had his green scarf with him. "I'm not very good," he said—but Zack waved him off with a grin. Then they were on the edge of the dance floor, Cloud still wearing his backpack. Zack gestured at the far wall but Cloud shook his head, yelling over the music, "I'll get tons of fees if I lose the books."

Zack was rolling his hips and working his shoulders now, dancing very casually to the beat—he managed to work in a shrug that looked so effortless. Cloud's robotic joints moved awkwardly at first but he managed to find something resembling what a few other people on the dance floor were doing. It made his backpack bounce against his back and Cloud knew he'd have a couple bruises from where Cait Sith's joints poked into his back but fuck it—it wasn't every day he got to hang out with Zack Fair.

"You look nice in civilian clothes," Zack said. Cloud understood this in a mixture of actually hearing the words and lip-reading. "Aren't you hot though?"

Zack reached out and his fingers played with the zipper at Cloud's collar. His sleeveless shirt had a zipper that went down to his sternum. "...A little," Cloud said, and with the most seductive grin anyone had ever flashed Cloud Strife Zack inched down his zipper bit by bit, revealing a few inches of sweaty collarbones and the upper part of Cloud's chest.

Cloud's hands came up and Zack captured them, pressing them over his beating heart. He spread Cloud's palms and fingers flat and moved them, his own hands covering Cloud's, to his shoulders and then encouraged Cloud to coast them down his arms: over the biceps, stopping briefly to squeeze, past the jut of the elbow, down the forearms and over the wrist…to his hands. Zack entwined their hands and moved Cloud's arms around, making the awkward teen dance more.

Cloud laughed, feeling…delighted, really—he was free in a way he'd never been in Nibelheim.

This was really fucking fun.

Cloud's jam came on next and he danced like a moron, all swinging arms and moving hips as he sang along—Zack laughed out loud, but kindly, and egged him on.

As much as Cloud wanted to stay all evening with Zack (and stay with him into the next morning too, if that's how this sort of thing worked—city people moved so fast)—he could not. The sulking cat in his bag had somewhere to be.

Cloud, wobbling a bit, reached out and pressed his hands to either side of Zack's face. Zack looked surprised, his eyes flicking from Cloud's mouth to his eyes. Cloud fought a smile; no, he wasn't about to kiss him, but Zack clearly thought he was. He drew Zack down, and Zack closed his eyes, but Cloud turned his head and spoke directly into Zack's ear instead.

"I've really gotta go. Thanks for everything, man—I had a lot of fun."

Zack pouted a bit as he stood back up, but he didn't press anything. "Yeah—me too. Wanna trade numbers so we can hang out again?"

They moved to the edge of the bar and they did so, Cloud squashing a gleeful feeling in his stomach. "See ya," he said, holding up an arm. Zack bumped their forearms together and saw him off with another wink and a two-fingered salute.

"Later, Spike."

Cloud pushed his way out of the bar, gulping down fresh air once he was out. He hadn't realized how hot it was in there. Most of the sun lamps were off now, simulating 'night time' – but there were still enough to make your way around. It took Cloud a moment to realize which way the businesses were that Cait Sith wanted to visit, and then he headed that way.

"There's no one around," Cloud said, "You can speak up. I can tell you want to."

The bag wiggled. He heard Cait Sith sigh. "…I suppose I can't complain when I'm hitching a free ride on your back, can I?"

"No," Cloud answered, "You can't."

Cloud felt like a major creep going into the tiny alley behind the weapons store ShinRa apparently had investments in. He wondered if they sold ShinRa weapons to the public or just to select people—he didn't actually care that much. He opened the bag with clumsy, drunk fingers and Cait popped out, his fur matted from being cooped up in there for so long and his crown askew.

"Har!" he barked a laugh when he saw Cloud. "You're still blushing, Spike. Does that happen every time you drink or are you just that fond of Fair?"

Cloud scowled. "You know him?"

"Sure." Cait hopped up on top of the reeking dumpster. "I know all the Firsts and most of the Seconds."

Cloud lost his filter two drinks back, so he blurted, "Even Sephiroth?"

Cait looked over his shoulder, now hanging from the gutter on the roof of the building. "You fancy that bloke too?"

"Oh." Cloud stuck his hands in his pockets. "Pssh."

Cait laughed again, then pulled himself up and disappeared over the lip of the roof. Cloud could hear him though, light footsteps moving across the roof towards what he presumed was the AC unit.

After a minute or two where Cloud tried to look like he belonged in some dank alley Cait came back, a small device in his hand. He climbed into the bag and Cloud shouldered it again. This time Cait directed him to a materia shop. It was noticeably cleaner and better-lit than the other shops on the street, a few of which had sagging boards in place of windows or heaps of trash just beyond the doorstep.

The benefits of being connected to ShinRa, it seemed.

"Around to the side," Cait whispered from the bag. "No, the other side."

"How can you tell where we are so well? Aren't you all mixed up being in there?"

"I'm watchin' from one of the security cameras on the roof of the plate."

Cloud frowned. How was this little monster so well-connected? "…On a PHS or something?"

"In my head," was the answer.

Weird. Cloud went to the other side of the shop. It was at the end of the block and had no smelly, saggy shops on that side. Cloud opened up the bag and Cait scrambled up to the roof as he did before. When he was done they headed back towards the train, Cloud still pleasantly buzzed and enjoying the walk around.

It was so different beneath the plate from up above, and especially different from Nibelheim. It was so bizarre to look up and never see the sky.

"Cait Sith," Cloud said breezily, chattier than normal from the drinks, "It's kind of cool that you seem to care so much about the air quality. I get the feeling that most people at ShinRa couldn't care less about regular people, you know?"

"Aye," Cait replied. "Don't I know it. My department does what it can, but we get push-back every step o' the way."

"Your department?"

Cait didn't answer. Cloud was another small step closer to putting this strange puzzle together.

[cloudvelundr]

@ungarmax said: “cloud + c1!”

... the flowers were time consuming. Really satisfying, but time consuming.

[imagine-that-haikyuu]

clouds

clouds: list your top 5 songs at the moment and how they make you feel

“amigo” by chef’special - 100% my summer jam for summer 2k17 and for the rest of time. it should be the song of the fifa world cup every world cup imo. it’s so much fun. get me on dwts solely so i can do a freestyle to this song. the music video is so cheesy too i love it

“(if you’re wondering if i want you to) i want you to” by weezer - i’m like 22 years late to the party with weezer, but this song came up on my discover weekly playlist on spotify a few weeks ago and i love it. it’s such a great high school crush song and another summer jam for me (for some reason it makes me think of koyuki and maho from beck: mongolian chop squad too)

“alibi” by dessa - still trying to figure out exactly what the song is telling the story of, but it makes me feel kind of dangerous. i think for oikawa’s birthday, i’m going to have the hitman request done for it and this song is fueling my inspiration for it. it makes me miss khr!…

“(it’s a) departure” by the long winters - the mbmbam theme song!!! of course i think of the mcelroys brothers and their infinite wisdom when i hear it. also, it makes me nostalgic for things that never happened to me! namely cute guys hitting on me in high school! it’s on my playlist for the ukai/reader WIP 

“words” by seinabo sey - i first heard this song at the starbucks in the building i used to work at in nyc and it’s another one of those songs i gotta dance to if i ever get on dwts. maybe for a contemporary routine? idk i wish i could sing like seinabo. she’s fantastic

- admin rachel lauren

 “castle on the hill” by ed sheeran - friends are really important to me because they played a big part on making me who i am today. whenever i listen to this song, i get sudden nostalgia and a rush of longing and love and appreciation just flows through me, especially during the chorus. if you haven’t heard it yet, check out this cover by khs--it’s fantastic!

“stand by dreams” from the anime starmyu - THIS IS SO SAD LIKE. I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW SAD IT MAKES ME FEEL. it’s about sacrificing your relationship with someone and your dreams with them for the betterment of the other. and like. every time it plays on my phone i literally cry.

“fly high!!” by burnout syndromes (lol do you guys still even need a link to the song hahaha) - THIS!!! IS!!!! MY!!!!! JAM!!!!!! this is my alarm tone and it just gets me up and ready for the day, you know??? it’s like it’s saying, “DO YOUR BEST!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!! FLY HIGH AND MAKE IT!!!!!!!!” and it just. energizes me like nothing else!

“slow hands” by niall horan - mmmmm sexe sexe yis. this is a really good rumba song and it just makes my hips sway and do the old choreo for basic dancesports rumba hahaha. i’d legit like to dance a routine to this someday.

“that’s what i like” by bruno mars - it’s like, i want to feel like bruno mars, be able to treat my girl to everything she wants, but i also want to be the girl who gets what she wants, you know??? i mean, i’ll settle for a boy/girlfriend for now tho hahahaha

- admin may

ask me literally anything

[spyder-m]

Naruhina Week 2k17, Day 2

FF.net | AO3 | Day 1 | Day 2 - you are here | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |

Day 2: Cravings

Summary: There was only one thing Naruto could think to give Hinata for her birthday. Only one thing that would show how he truly felt for her.

.

Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War and Hokage-in-training, had been tasked with a mission of great importance.

It was late when he awoke to the news. Or early. He couldn’t really tell.

The deserted streets of Konoha were clouded with darkness, making it difficult to gauge exactly what time it was.

Naruto stumbled drearily down the road, his jacket half-open and some of the buttons mismatched, exposing his otherwise bare chest. He had had little time to prepare, needing to live immediately. In his haste, he overlooked his usual mission gear in favour of the clothes nearest by before stepping out.

Determined as ever to not forsake his nindo, Naruto resisted the call of sleep, continuing his trek, unimpeded.

His destination was not difficult to find. Amidst the cover of night, a harsh beacon of light filtered through the air, beckoning him forward.

Naruto took solace in each step, knowing that he was growing closer, his journey nearing its end.

.

Naruto was becoming more and more thankful for the convenience stores that had cropped up throughout the village recently. Unlike the village’s marketplace; which usually closed after dark; these new stores remained open well into the night, something that was particularly helpful to Naruto when his pregnant wife woke up in the middle of the night, craving certain foods.

Naruto nodded lazily to the clerk as he stepped inside, who smiled sympathetically at him. This wasn’t the first time he had come into his store late at night.

He walked the aisles with well-practiced speed and precision, crossing off a mental checklist as he went; not wanting to forget anything.

It was only a few minutes later that Naruto began the walk home; his bags stocked with goods.

He could almost feel his stomach turn, as he looked over the unusual combination of foods his wife had asked for. Red bean soup, cinnamon buns; not fresh, unfortunately, but hopefully Hinata wouldn't mind; jerky and winter melon; foods her teammates liked and had always shared with her when they were on missions together.

He couldn't fault all of her choices though, he mused, eying the cup ramen near the top of the bag.

He’d made certain to get some for himself also, having worked up an appetite on his way over.

.

“Hinataaa,” Naruto’s voice carried as he yawned, the plastic bag hanging limp in his grasp. “I’m back. I got what you wanted.”

Knowing how badly Hinata’s cravings had been, Naruto was surprised when she did not make her way eagerly into the kitchen at the sound of his voice. Instead, the apartment remained as silent and empty as he had left it.

Glancing around, Naruto frowned in confusion and set the bags down on the kitchen counter, before stepping into their bedroom.

“Hinata,” he called softly. “Are you in here?”

His eyes softened as they saw Hinata, curled on her side, one arm stretching of out the opposite end of the bed; as if seeking out his warmth; while the other rested against the swell of her chest, tenderly. Her breaths were soft and rhythmic as she was caught in the midst of sleep, her dark hair fanning out behind her.

With a gentle smile, Naruto lowered himself onto the bed carefully beside Hinata, not wanting to disturb her rest.

It was a relief to see Hinata so content and at peace. While Naruto knew she was overjoyed to be starting a family, and loved their child dearly, the effects of pregnancy had been slowly taking a toll on her. Between bouts of sickness, cravings and the discomfort the increased in weight brought her, the baby had been keeping her up a lot lately. So much so, that even the short time it had taken him to get to the store, had been too much of a wait for her to last through.  

Noticing the sheets tangled at the foot of the bed, Naruto quietly retrieved them, pulling them up to Hinata’s shoulders. His lips brushed affectionately against her forehead, lingering there briefly.

“Sleep tight, Hinata,” he whispered.

“Well,” Naruto thought, fishing through the bag and helping himself to a cup of ramen. “No use in letting it go to waste.”

He stepped into the kitchen, setting a pot of water to boil and beginning to prepare his midnight snack. He packed the rest of the food away carefully, in case Hinata still felt in the mood for it in the morning.

As Naruto sat at the edge of their bed, happily settling into the steaming broth of noodles, he felt arms wrapping around his waist from behind a head cushioning warmly against his shoulder.

"Where's mine?" Hinata asked teasingly.

[modeoheim]

The Green Room part 1

Summary:  Genesis Rhapsodos, after a horrifically traumatic few months at a vengeful Hollander's mercy, eventually escapes and wanders the countryside. He's dying. He collapses in Costa del Sol - and when he awakes, he has no memory of his past life. He becomes Jen, a surfer, a good friend, and a man who is much too average to ever have been associated with ShinRa. Right? Pairings: Genesis/Angeal, Genesis/OC, Sephiroth/Cloud, Genesis/Cloud note: A fic commission for @tekka-wekka​!! Some of you probably remember her Surfer Jen AU - she enlisted my help to make it come to life. Please enjoy! (also, Cloud is in the fic so.... I say it works for Cloud’s Birthday Week 2k17. Also, every year I post some Genesis-centric thing during the week anyway lmao.)

[ffnet] or [AO3]

[modeoheim]

A Helping Hand part 2

for Cloud’s Birthday Week 2k17 Summary: A bizarre cat wearing a cape and a crown comes to Infantryman Cloud Strife for help. Through the occasional favor Cloud starts to learn more about ShinRa, get closer to his crushes, Zack and Sephiroth, and figure out what (or who?) is really behind Cait Sith’s actions. Pairings: Reeve/Cloud, Cait Sith/Cloud (???), Zack/Cloud and brief Seph/Cloud rating: Explicit 

Several hours later, Cloud got a message. 

Check your bag, it said.   

…Wonderful.  Cloud acted like he was going to be sick and was rooting through his pack for a bag—instead he opened his zipper and frowned into a furry feline face. 

“What are you doing here?” Cloud hissed. 

Cait Sith waved with a cartoonish white-gloved paw.  “I’ve got business in the reactor,” he whispered, chipper as always, “And I figured hitching a ride with you was the easiest way ta get there!” 

The blond grunted, “Don’t get me in trouble,” and zipped it back shut, cutting off whatever Cait tried to say. 

 on [ffnet] or [AO3]

[cloudvelundr]

“Problem, soldier?”

Behind the door there was a staccato sound akin to fine gravel being thrown or a scattering of needles.

It was accompanied by a sharp shriek.

“Uh, no?”

@skyeec2 said: “Cloud in E2”

[cloudvelundr]

Reciprocate

Cloud receives a package.

... due to the increased risk we would recommend phasing out the E04 models in favour of reverting to series C, or testing any F- and G-series as with the rate of attacks the E series is quickly falling to an irreparable state. We would tentatively recommend the F2-2 [link: specs] F3.4-2 [link: specs] or the G5-B [link: specs] provided that the units do not emit any byproduct noise in the range of the danger frequencies – testing may be required as this is not noted on any available reports. Likewise, the towers in the Thurmir and Jarfast townships are also affected but the already in service F2-0 will be sufficient as they are in a milder climate zo

“Oh la laa! Someone’s been holding out on us!”

Cloud blinked away from his report to where Sebastian was cackling over one of the oversized reusable crates Shinra sent out most of it’s shipments in. He’d heard him in the hall chatting with the delivery team between the steady sound of boxes thumping down but it’d been easy to ignore: he was on a roll and over the summer shipments came every couple days for as long as they could. The delivery guys had cut through the common area to the kitchen – technically the mess but it really didn’t qualify – a little while ago leaving Sebastian to rummage and start whittling the pile away. The current box had a post office stamp.

“Someone sent a dildo,” he wheezed.

The couriers heads popped back in.

A “what?” filtered faintly though the ceiling followed by a thundering across the room into the kitchen and then Paige was pushing in looking delighted. Andy followed more sedately.

“Did I hear mail order sex toys?”

Snerk. “No- well, maybe. I dunno – just saw it.”

“Well let’s see! Who’s it for?”

“Gimme a sec, gimme a sec! It’s under some shit.”

He dove back in under the amused watch of the gathered. Cardboard slithered and he cursed, and started removing packages: “Henry... Mairi... oh, hey, sir got something heavy... ‘nother for Henry.. Tomeo... hmmm... aaaand here we are!”

He popped up triumphantly, whoever’s prize in hand.

At about a foot long it looked like two boxes taped together, one smallish but wide and another narrow and long like a post on a pedestal, it did look like it could be a dick in a box. Sebastian flipped it around to find the label and read it with raised eyebrows.

“Hey blondie, something you wanna tell us?”

Cloud squinted at the package as Sebastian brought it over, their entirely too happy squadmates looking on. He accepted it bemusedly and checked the sender.

Zack. Of course it was Zack. Except it shouldn’t be.

“... This is too soon for vengeance.”

“Come again now.”

Cloud ignored him in favour of diving for his PHS, blinking almost invisibly in the light of the room. What were the odds, he wondered around the growing bubble in his chest. The top message was in fact from Zack.

It said: why are you like this

Underneath was a picture of Cloud’s birthday gift to him, in heavy shipping paper, wrapped in loving detail with remarkable resemblance to a dildo.

Cloud snorted into his hand. Started to giggle. Slid to the floor laughing.

“You okay down there?”

He waved off the concern and offered his phone to someone’s hand while he pulled himself upright, amusement still bubbling.

Somewhere behind him Paige started snickering.

“I was gonna ask who does that, but apparently you do.”

A quick flick of keys revealed something somewhat lumpy, brightly wrapped in confetti printed birthday paper, sharing the same shape as it’s box so he pulled it out and lay them side by side.

“Alright give me my phone.”

He took a picture and sent it.

you’re one to talk

and that’s not your coffee table

i sent it to your apprtmt why are you opening it on base

The reply was almost immediate.

i may have forwarded my mail

i’m in icicle for two more weeks but mom was sending cookies

And then the phone rang.

“Zack I swear if there’s chocobo underwear in this thing it doesn’t matter where you are I will find a way to hurt you.”

“Dammit I knew I forgot something.”

There was an echoing quality to his voice. Other voices were chuckling a little too loudly in answer.

“... You’re on speaker phone aren’t you?”

“No point pretending the peanut gallery can’t hear us.”

“Point,” he agreed and switched his as well in favour of poking his gift. There was something hard and brickish wrapped in the not-underpants. “Anyone I know?”

“Don’t think so? Guys this is Cloud, sender of suspiciously wrapped objects. His birthday’s the week after mine.”

“You mean his name isn’t Spike? You lied to me Fair. I’m hurt.”

“Ivo?”

“Real deep. Right here.”

“Piss off.”

“Seriously though, is it a dildo?”

“No. No it is not.”

“Because it’s really convincing.”

“... In my defence I was bored.”

“You’re sure?”

“Zack, I’m a craftsman. Fake fake dick isn’t hard to do.” Someone laughed again. “Besides, Aer might kill me.”

“’Cause this wrap job’s a work of art.”

“Just open the damn thing.”

“Hear hear!”

“You too, Spike.”

“Please,” Andy leaned on the couch, a smirk colouring her words, “show us what wonders the sad penis holds.”

“Fine, fine – happy birthday, dork.”

“You too, nerd.” Paper ripped. “... of course you wrapped it in puppies and cupcakes. Why did I think you wouldn’t.”

“I have a giant roll of that stuff,” It was a rather lovely pastel blue too. Cloud hefted his gift and considered where to start, “I’ll using it for years.”

Cloud heard Zack sigh before another heavy rip and rustle came over the speaker, and decided to open the shaft before the heavy thing could escape on it’s own – already he could see holes where the corners were trying to work their way free. When he ripped in it tried to anyway, nearly slipping free in an explosion of obnoxious sport socks.

The audience pouted.

“Aw, no dildo.”

“Nice whetstone though.”

“Did you have to pick the most eye peeling socks you could find?”

“Duh. Did you have to use duct tape?”

“Well how else was I supposed to attach the banana to the egg thing?”

“He’s got you there, Fair.”

“Why would anyone even need a two egg travel case.”

“Lunch? Hard boiled is a thing.”

“You could put the cream egg things you like in them.”

“Point.”

Click.

“Score! Banana has candy!” A patter of little thumps.

“Of course you immediately dump them.”

“Mmm. Where did you get the fruit things?” Zack asked, clacking one against his teeth, “I can never find them.”

“Places.”

“That’s helpful.”

“I aim to serve,” he replied, plucking at the remaining wrapping.

“Pff. Liar.”

The paper gave way to another pair of socks – the thickest, fluffiest he’d ever seen, and probably the first he’d wear out come winter – which were bundled around a small, flat plastic case. The clasp was stiff but snapped open to reveal game data cards.

“Awesome,” Cloud grinned. The new Tales of Zelig was first up. “I know what I’ll be doing all winter. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome! Two of them were already yours though – I grabbed them when I put the cases with your stuff.”

“Thanks, I didn’t realize I’d forgotten them.”

“No prob.”

“Now finish yours.”

“Yeah, crack open your balls, Fair.”

“That sounds wrong,” Paige muttered. Cloud thought he might’ve flinched.

Sebastian sniggered. “Psssh. It’s hilarious and your know it.”

There was a popping noise and a pause.

“Dude.”

“Cloud, are these what I think?”

“Are they spawns of the materia you keep threatening to steal? Yeah. Yeah they are.”

“You meme loving fuck, I am going to lord this over Genesis forever.”

“Does the commander not have them?”

“No, they’re super rare. Like how you even have them I don’t know.”

Cloud sat back, pensive. “Really? ‘Cause I literally just... found them.”

“Because your luck is stupid. Man, I have only ever even heard of like three Knights, and yours is one. There was a Turk sharpshooter who had one but it went missing when he did.”

“And the last one?” asked one of the couriers.

“There’s supposed to be a green mage on one of the Goblin Islands. Don’t know who it is but even Genesis won’t touch them. But you just found it on a scree. And the water-healing thing- you said you woke up on the way to Midgar and saw it in the bushes but it doesn’t even have a name.”

“Huh.”

“So yeah, it’ll piss Gen off so much. It’s gonna be great.”

“You’re nuts.”

“He’s not like the rumours – the Firaga Incident didn’t actually happen.”

Paige and the delivery guys looked dubious.

“Yeah, I haven’t met him but his men are stupid loyal. You don’t get that by being the crazy who lights your people on fire.”

“These materia probably wouldn’t cooperate with him though. He’s more dark red and these are definitely white and light. He’ll still be jealous as Hel.”

“Now you just have to keep Treasure Princess away.”

There was a pause.

“Treasure Princess, Fair?”

“... Shit. She will won’t she.”

Cloud started laughing quietly into his hand.

“You had ulterior motives, didn’t you?”

“No- I forgot about her until just now. She only really bothers you. But you’ve got to admit it’s funny.”

“I guess.”

“Oh stop pouting.”

“I am not p-”

“He totally is.”

“Traitor.”

“Well,” Andy stood and stretched, “thank you boys for the entertainment, but some of us need to get back to preparing for patrol.”

There was a sudden cursing from the phone: “Shit, us too.”

“Come on Paige. Happy birthday Fair.”

“And Cloud, gift wrapping champion. You guys deserve each other.” The other voices echoed.

“Thanks peanut gallery.” Cloud replied to fading sounds of their movements and switched the PHS back to his ear as his squad wandered back to wherever they had been. The couriers had vanished. He could hear the sound of candy wrappers shuffling as Zack gathered the treats from wherever he’d dumped them. “You too?”

“Yeah. They’re my team – there’s marlboro breeding grounds sprung up nearby.”

“Ew.”

“No kidding.”

“Still, good birthday?”

“It was alright. Quiet. One of the guys bought a cake – it was actually fantastic. But... I’d rather been home.”

“Hmm,” Cloud agreed, arranging his own things on his computer to move. The report could wait a bit. “Same. I think Adam is threatening to bake something, but.”

“Yeah.”

“Still, not a bad place to spend it.”

“And not bad company either.”

“No – the looks I got for that package though.”

Snerk. “It’s the baby-face,” Zack said. “They forgot you’re twenty and a little shit.”

“No, they know that,” Cloud replied, sliding past Sebastian and into the hall.

Sebastian looked up and grinned, “Yeah, it’s ‘oh god our next captain is the kind of guy who sends dildo shaped presents.’”

“Yeah. That.”

“But he also warks back at chocobos, calls anything vaguely canine a puppy, was probably responsible for the glitter ATVs, and is generally a massive nerd, so I don’t know why we’re surprised.”

Zack was laughing again.

Cloud groaned and kept going. “You both suck.”

“Heh. Anyway, I really gotta go now. I’ll try to call you again soon.”

“Alright, say hi to Aerith for me?”

“Will do! And I’ll find you those chocobo boxers!”

“Zackary Fair, Don’t You Fucking Da-” Cloud cut off at the dial tone: “And he’s gone. Jerk,” he murmured fondly and with a shake of his head made his way to his room.

Stuffing the socks in a drawer and the stone with his maintenance supplies, Cloud settled into his desk and flipped his computer back open. And paused. And closed it again.

He reached for the little case, and flicked through it’s contents. It was mid August, still summer most places but there cooling soon and much work blowing in on the wind. It could well be winter before he got another truly quiet hour.

“Try’n’a spoil me,” he murmured, and slotted one into his console instead.

The report could wait.

[modeoheim]

The Green Room part 2

Summary:  Genesis Rhapsodos, after a horrifically traumatic few months at a vengeful Hollander’s mercy, eventually escapes and wanders the countryside. He’s dying. He collapses in Costa del Sol - and when he awakes, he has no memory of his past life. He becomes Jen, a surfer, a good friend, and a man who is much too average to ever have been associated with ShinRa. Right? Pairings: Genesis/Angeal, Genesis/OC, Sephiroth/Cloud, Genesis/Cloud

more adventures of Jen and his ragtag group of surfer friends, @tekka-wekka‘s AU, for Cloud’s Birthday Week 2k17.

[ffnet] [AO3]

[cloudvelundr]

@drneverland said: “Emoji sheet, Cloud + B3. Cloud BLEP”

[cloudvelundr]

You were warned about coming to places like this - that you oughtn’t make bets, even with terms you think clear, nor accept even the least of things without buying it first - nothing in such a place can be free - and you certainly should never follow anything home. Avoiding the pretty people with eyes too bright for their shadows and dressed like warnings written in their own feathers was probably understood, but you were never very good at listening for that, were you?

@asylos said: “B8 Cloud! Lil demon chocobo.”

[modeoheim]

Rockin' my beautiful sunshine birthday boy at otakon day 2 ☀️ (BTW TODAY IS DAY 2 OF CLOUD's BIRTHDAY WEEK 2k17 - GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!)

[modeoheim]

Otakon is over! I'm going to go home, relax, and get working on Cloud's Birthday Week 2k17 stuff! Can't wait to go see what everyone else has accomplished so far~

[spyder-m]

Naruhina Week 2k17, Day 1

FF.net | AO3 | Day 1 - you are here | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |

Day 1: Gifts

Summary: There was only one thing Naruto could think to give Hinata for her birthday. Only one thing that would show how he truly felt for her.

.

Naruto sat perched on his usual stool at Ichiraku's, gazing vacantly into his bowl of ramen. It was as though he hoped to find the solution to all problems hidden amongst the cloud of steam rising steadily from the broth.

There was a break in Teuchi and Ayame's workflow as they watched their most loyal customer picking lazily through his noodles with a single chopstick. They exchanged a look of concern, wondering where the usual enthusiasm and vigor with which he ate his favourite meal had gone.

Though, from the way he was slouched, his brow furrowed, it seemed there was something weighing heavily upon his mind.

Naruto sighed, tucking his free, gloved hand deep into his jacket pocket, sheltering it against the chill. Thin layers of snow coated the streets behind him, a sign of the Winter season having long since set in.

Hinata's birthday was just around the corner, and he still hadn't thought of anything to get her.

He had just finished scouring the marketplace, hoping that something would stand out to him. Yet he had trudged away, empty handed, hoping perhaps some miso ramen would lift his spirits.

"What's with him?" Sasuke asked Sakura as they approached the stand, nodding towards the blonde. Though, his impassive tone seemed to suggest he didn't particularly care. Sakura rose a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to lower his voice.

"He's upset that he can't think of anything to get Hinata for her birthday," Sakura whispered.

"He's worried about that?" Sasuke snorted in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure he could give her a lump of coal and she'd happily accept that."

"Be that as it may, I think he wants to get her something special. Something that shows her how much she means to him." Sakura said, her eyes holding Sasuke's.

He shrugged in response, his hands fisting into his pockets while Sakura released a low breath. She walked towards the ramen stand, Sasuke shadowing her silently.

"Naruto?" Sakura said, touching him on the shoulder. His eyes widened, the unexpected contact breaking him from his stupor. "Are you okay? You haven't touched your bowl."

"Oh, Sakura-chan." Naruto turned, setting his lips into a tight smile. "I'm fine. Just needed a moment to let it cool down, heh."

Naruto began scooping up generous helpings of noodles from his bowl, chewing them thoughtfully.

Though he was still disappointed by his unsuccessful search, he dish did bring Naruto some comfort, settling in his stomach and warming him. He savoured his treat, slowly and deliberately, allowing himself time to reflect.

He could feel Sakura's gaze lingering on him as he ate. Piercing, as if searching his expression for any tell-tale signs of how he truly felt. Naruto tried to feign nonchalance but couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Eventually, her hand came to clasp his shoulder once more, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Don't worry yourself too much, Naruto. I'm sure you'll think of something eventually."

She turned away with a wave, readjusting her coat and stepping back out into the busy streets. Sasuke offered him a simple nod, before disappearing into the crowd after her.

.

For as long as he had known her, Hinata had always been something of a mystery to Naruto.

For someone like him, who was open and almost unapologetic in how he expressed himself, someone like Hinata; who was cautious in how of herself she exposed; stood out to him.

No matter how close they got, she always seemed to retreat from him at a certain point. as though he threatened to breach some intimate boundary. He had seen it ever since they were young, in the way she would shrink behind other people or hide her face behind a veil of dark of hair. How rarely she would raise her voice, sometimes speaking so softly that he would have to strain just to hear her.

He thought, at first, that it was just her shy nature. Yet, he could help but notice, that it was only around him that her cheeks would flush, that she would glance anxiously at her feet.

Somehow, though, that resistance only served to draw him closer, to entice his interest in her.

The more he managed to see beyond the veil, the more he recognised.

The more qualities he found that reflected his own. It was slow, and at times, painstaking, but he could find the patience to find, to understand, each and every part of her.

With her birthday around the corner, Naruto wanted to get her something, something that could express exactly how he felt.

Naruto knew that he was just an orphaned kid, someone who had spent most of his life getting by on the bare-essentials. That there probably wasn't anything he could possibly offer her, the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, of material value.

Yet, he also knew that Hinata deserved more than just empty, material possessions.

She had lived a fairly luxurious life in the Hyuuga compound. Yet, for a large part of her childhood, she had been starved of something more vital to her wellbeing. Something as simple as affection. Love.

The death of her mother early on, coupled with being raised by an, at times, cold, strict father had created a void inside of her that could not be filled with fancy jewellery or clothes. Even now, there were still scars the lingered. Some of which appeared all too painfully familiar to him.

He wanted to give her something that would show how much he appreciated all that she had gifted him with so selflessly.

Something that couldn't be so easily bought or sold.

It had to be perfect.

It had to be just right.

.

A large gathering was held at the Hyuuga estate to commemorate Hinata's nineteenth birthday. Her father had spared no expense, arranging banquets of food and wait-staff.

While Hinata appreciated the gesture, she was not particularly fond of the extravagant celebration, nor being such a focal point of attention. She preferred spending time amongst the close company of her friends and immediate family. Instead, she found herself sharing polite, albeit forced, conversations with guests she wasn't entirely sure she'd even met before.

Still, it came with being the clan's heiress, Hinata supposed. Hopefully, she could grin and bear it for another hour or so, and carefully make her exit when non one was watching.

The evening would improve exponentially, however, as she was quietly whisked away by her friends, her father too engaged in conversation to notice.

They each took the time to greet her individually, offering her warm embraces of words of congratulation. Though her cheeks were bright and she ducked her head bashfully with each kind word, Hinata was giddy, happiness warming her too her core.

She truly could not be more grateful to have such wonderful friends.

Though, from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice one person in particular, keeping their distance.

.

"Here, Hinata." Kiba exclaimed, eagerly thrusting a package into her hands. "This one's from Akamaru and I."

"Oh Kiba-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, "You didn't have to... "

"Tsk. Are you kidding me? It's the least that I could do."

"That's so sweet of you, KIba." Hinata said, leaning forward and hugging her friend tightly. His hand reached up, gently cradling her head. "Thank you."

Before she could begin to unravel the paper, she was startled by a short, indignant bark as some wet and rough nuzzled against her leg.

"Oh? Did I forget to thank you as well, Akamaru-kun?" Hinata smiled, kneeling down and scratching the dogs head.

"Come on, come on!" Kiba pressed, with all the rambunctious enthusiasm of a puppy. "Open it already!"

"Alright, alright. Settle down you two." Hinata teased, returning to her feet.

"Oi, dobe." Sasuke muttered, flicking Naruto across the forehead. The blond flinched, holding his face with a whine. "Stop gawking and give your present to her already."

"Sasuke-kun's right, Naruto." Sakura said, as they watched Hinata speaking with Kiba and Shino from the other side of the room. "Everyone's given their gifts to Hinata. You're the only one left."

"I know, it's just… I don't know what to say."

"That's a first," Sasuke drawled, earning him a deft thump across the shoulder from Sakura. He rubbed at the numb sensation in his arm, muttering under his breath.

"Come on, Naruto." Sakura encouraged. "There's no reason to be nervous. It's just Hinata. You talk to her all the time! You're friends!"

"This is different, though." Naruto protested.

"But you spent so much time planning it. I can tell that you'll be dissapointed if you don't follow through."

With a sigh, Sasuke pushed himself from off the wall, stepping towards his friend. He realised that, given Naruto's stubbornness, their chances of convincing him to move on his own were minimal.

With this in mind, an idea came to Sasuke. Without a word, he roughly shoved Naruto, making him stumble into the middle of the room.

Barely managing to regain his balance, Naruto growled, turning toward Sasuke with a clenched first.

"What the fuck, Sasuke?! You asshole-" before the words could even finish forming on his lips, Naruto realised that he was standing just a few feet away from Hinata, who was watching him with wide eyes.

If the smirk etched across Sasuke's lips meant anything, what he had done clearly hadn't been an accident.

That bastard.

"Oh- I, uh... Hinata." Naruto acknowledged, waving lazily. "It's good to see you! H- happy birthday."

"Ah- Thank you, Naruto-kun." She answered, flushing. "Although, I feel like I haven't seen you much tonight."

"Yeah, sorry." Naruto said, glancing to one side. "I could see you were talking. I just- I didn't want to bother you."

"Oh, it's no bother. Really."

Noticing the brief lapse in conversation, Sakura stepped forward, making sure that Naruto did not forget the very reason he had approached; or been pushed towards; Hinata in the first place.

"Naruto," she said, with ales than subtle nudge. "Don't you have something you'd like to give to Hinata?"

"Eh? Oh, right! I just- I just don't have it on me, right now… Hinata, could you uh- come with me, for a second?"

"Eh?" Hinata exclaimed, her entire face lighting up noticeably.

"It's not like that!" Naruto countered, waving his arms dramatically. "I just… I wanted to give your gift to you in private. I- is there somewhere we can go... to be alone?"

"A- alright then." Hinata said, a hesitance in her voice. She wasn't entirely sure what was going own, but she felt that she could trust Naruto. "Here, come this way."

She gestured towards a nearby door, leading Naruto outside.

"What was that about?" Kiba asked with a puzzled expression. Sasuke simply pointed towards Sakura who was holding her hands against her mouth, bounding up and down on the balls of her feet excitedly.

.

"I'm happy that everyone was able to come tonight." Hinata spoke, as they stepped out into the night, the breeze pulling lightly at her hair. "It's not often that we're able to all be together like this."

"Yeah." Naruto answered, his eyes remaining fixed on the girl beside him.

They only strayed when she turned to face him, his head pulling away with abrupt force, afraid that she may have caught him staring. He tried to concentrate instead on the plethora of stars blanketing the night sky, but found that the image did not compare.

"So..." Hinata's voice carried through the empty air. "You- you said that you had something for me?"

"Right." Naruto swallowed, finally looking towards her again. His breath caught the sight of those familiar, yet distant eyes, watching. Waiting for him.

"Hinata, I'm really sorry." He began. "But I- I couldn't think of anything to get you for your birthday. At least, not anything that could say what I wanted to."

Hinata frowned, not quite following.

"W- what do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

"I- I like you, Hinata..."

His words were soft, but pulled at her heart with unrelenting power. She looked at him, her eyes bulging in disbelief, yet recognising, from the firmness of his stance and the determined expression on his face, that what she had heard was the truth.

For once, her gaze did not falter, but held with his own, resolute, allowing him to take in with clarity and detail all that had alluded him before. Naruto found himself inching closer still.

"There was... something I was thinking of giving you. But I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not."

Swallowing, Hinata was surprised she was even able to find her voice.

"W- whatever it is, Naruto-kun, I'm sure I'll love it."

Naruto's released an anxious breath, his hand fidgeting at the back of his neck. He closed his fist, resolve building in his chest as he turned towards her.

"A- alright, then. Close your eyes." He requested.

Hinata's stomach churned in anticipation, suddenly overtly conscious of the even slightest movements, the sensation of Naruto standing so close to her. The heat radiating from his body, the strength and warmth of his hand as it rested against her arm.

The gentle caress of his lips brushing against her own.

Hinata's mouth broke open in a gasp, falling limp into Naruto's arms as they surrounded her, warmly, firmly. Perfectly.

Naruto, for all he had tried, had only been able to think of one thing he could give Hinata, one thing that could capture just how he felt about her.

A kiss.

Her very first one.

Little did Naruto know, however, that; standing there, with him, surrounded by her most precious people; Hinata could have asked for anything more.

As they parted, a thin whisp of breath slipped from their lips, rising into the cool air. Naruto rested his forehead against her own, heat radiating from his skin.

"Happy birthday, Hinata." He whispered into the night.