Cloud was never the talkative type, and neither were you. Ever since you’ve been hired by Avalanche to help with missions, all Cloud did was give you a short and brief welcome, a two finger wave with a soft “Hey.”

Since you were initially hired to help with missions, you were paired with Cloud on an exploration mission to find new locations and specific items. You and Cloud both walked on a dirt path up a hill in awkward silence. It was unclear to both of you whether the other person wanted to start a conversation or not, so you both stayed silent.

Cloud looked over to you for a moment while you kept your gaze on the ground, kicking a rock up the trail as you walked. He observed your outfit, your face, your body language, until you looked over and caught him staring. You both looked away awkwardly.

“Sorry.”

Cloud apologized, his voice hardly above a whisper. Damn it, why did he have to stare like that? He just made a fool of himself.