Hello readers, I just wanted to start out by saying that my stories have an original character in them named Shasta K Heart. She was just a character I invented in my creative writing classe and I've grown attached, not going to lie. Anywhoi understand that most readers don't like OC's but that's ok, that's why we've been given this great concept called choice and you don't have to read if you don't want to. But if you dare take a venture on this story I promise to deliver you a good read. I love drama, and if you do too, i'm sure we will develope a great andwonderful bond ^_^.

Anywho, thank you so much for checking out the story and I hope that you stay with me for the long hull for I am nothing but the humble servant of the written word and the readers are my lord and masters whom I aim to please. lol how lame was that ^_^ yet kind of ture.

He heard the dinging of the bell as the elevator reached the 22nd floor of Shinra Inc. The door opened smoothly and as a tall uniformed man with raven hair and glittering blue eyes stepped out unto the freshly waxed tiled floor of Shinra's corporate offices. He had been here many times before but yet it still amazed him. It was completely different from the layout of the rest of the building and it was more elegant than any church or cathedral he had ever been in.

Soft lighting came from the dazzling mini chandeliers that hung from the ceiling and the walls painted a cream color that went exquisitely with the black porcelain flooring. It was a rather large area but not a lot of offices, this floor was reserved for the Vice President Rufus Shinra and those who worked closely with him.

He walked the pristine hallways not even noticing the dirty looks he was receiving from the big wigs in their three piece suits. He knew very well that he was not welcomed here, but fortunately for him he had a very special pass that allowed someone as lowly as a SOLIDER to pass through the halls of Corporate and as he turned the corner he spotted it walking towards the huge double doors at the very end of the hallway.

It was his best friend Shasta K. Heart or Shazz for short. She was a rather plain looking woman, short with a slender body, milk chocolate colored hair that came down in layers just over shoulders, and her heart shaped face looked almost child like with it's softness. No Shazz wasn't an extraordinary beauty by any means but the one feature that seemed to stand out was her alluring deep brown eyes with eyelashes so long and thick that there was no need for her to use any mascara to make them look full.

He slowed his pace down a little and slowy started creeping up behind the woman. He was going to get her this time for sure. Carefully he apporached the unsuspecting woman in utter slience, closer and closer he crept and just when he was in arms length of her he reached out and...

"Hello Zack" said Shazz less than surprised

"Awwwwwwww dammit! How did you know it was me?" he whined as he felt his ego begin to deflate. He was Zack Fair, First Class SOLIDER that has been on dozens of covert missions and has snuck into some rather shady areas and yet he could never seem to sneak up on Shazz.

Without so much as a glance back at him she replied, "Well for one thing, you seem to forget that I can hear your boots clomp against the floor and since no one else here wears boots on this floor I have to assume it's you...oh and, they wax this floor three times a day so I can see your reflection in the tiles."

Shazz slipped her key card into the slot on the heavy oak doors, waited for the light to flash green, and then turned the knob to enter her office. Zack followed right behind and walked into what he called Shazz'spersonal prison, granted it didn't have the familiar jail decor, but what she had was much worse. Right behind where she sat at her desk was the office of Rufus Shinra. Shazz was his personal secretary and Rufus put much emphasis on the "personal"

Zack flopped down in to one of the black leather chairs that sat right in front of her desk as she took a seat behind it. She scooted herself closer to the desk and started sorting through the mountain of papers.

"What is it that you want Zack?" she asked in a short tone.

"Oh nothing really, just wanted to tell you something."

"Well you can go ahead and talk, but I have a ton of work to do," she said as he turned her chair to face the computer and began to pluck away on the keys

Zack looked at Shazz with concern. She had been working double her normal hours lately and he knew she was given more to do than what her postition called for. The fact was, Rufus kept her busy 24/7. Why? Because he wanted her, pure and simple. She was just a blue collared worker within the company that did the health and mental health checks on the new SOLIDER recruits. One day while while chatting with the Head SOLIDER, Rufus met Shazz while she was turning in the medical reports. Long story short, she caught his eye and he plucked her out of obscurity and placed her in a job that would always keep her close to him.

Some ladies might find it a privilege to become the object of the Vice President's affection, but Shazz found it a burden. Those who were once her friends stopped talking to her because she was no longer "part of their world" and she was unable to make new friends up in corporate because they thought of her as some commoner that just slept her way to the top, which was never the case because Shazz refused to touch him let alone sleep with him.

Normally Rufus would never take no for an answer, but in his own way, he did have respect enough for her to not treat her like he did so many of the other women that threw themselves at him. However, he did make it impossible for any other man or woman to set their eyes on her. He didn't hide the fact that he wanted her and therefore she became some what of an acquired property for him. Shazz now seemed to wear an invisible sign on her back that said "Trespasser will be shot on site". She was to be his, or no ones.

It was Shazz's lonely existence that sort of started the friendship between her and Zack. He was the only person that was either brave enough or dumb enough to talk with Shazz and fortunately for him Rufus didn't do any thing because one of the top SOLIDER's Angeal saw potential in the boy. Rufus wasn't about to argue with the one force that protected his precious company so he let the relationship continue.

Zack did help Shazz in her loneliness, but it wasn't completely one sided. Being gay and in the military isn't a position one volunteers to be in. He felt awkward around his comrades and honestly some even began to suspect there was something different with their fellow team mate. Shazz told him he could tell his unit that he was nailing the forbidden Shasta K. Heart and she assured him that this would earn him more than enough respect. It's funny how the male mind works, despite Zack's impressive skills and leadership, his comrades didn't trust him for the simple fact that he was different. Once this fake relationship was brought to life, he now had men lining up to be on his team and they would surely follow him into hell and back if he asked.

Though their relationship was strictly platonic, their love and respect for each other was strong. Zach was her one companion and Shazz was his one confidant. He could talk to her about anything, and right now, he need to talk about something pretty important.

"Well ok, I just wanted to tell you that I met someone recently that I really like him," said a very nervous Zack

"That's nice," she said without even looking up from the computer screen. Zack was expecting this cold reaction from her. He was in here every week telling her about someone he liked, but this was different.

"Shazz I'm being serious. I met him on one of our missions andwe just clicked, you know. We are both are country boys who do rather courageously stupid things and have a desire to be the best."

"So ask him out."

"I can't! I just can't waltz up to him and ask him out because I really like him as a person. If I do that than he might get scared and never talk to me again and I don't want to lose him as a friend, plus I said I would take him under my wing and watch out for him. I would feel like such an ass if I took advantage of that."

Shazz looked away from her computer and studied her impetuous friend. "You're really are serious aren't you?"

Zack nodded his head. "I know, everytime I'm around him I get all nervous and sweaty, it's quite embarrassing."

"Oh my God," Shazz said as he moved away from her computer to sit in front of Zack. She was smiling from ear to ear. " I can't believe what I'm hearing. Who is the lucky guy?"

"His name is Cloud and he has radiant blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a rockin body, oh and his smile..." Zack's smile became more brilliant with each detail he described about Cloud. "I mean, everything about him is just beautiful."

Shazz silently squealed like a school girl. "This is amazing Zack! I'm so happy for you, my advice would be to just take this thing slow and see where this takes you because there will be a moment when the feelings will awake in both of you, I'm sure of it."

"Well....." Zack started to scratch the back of his head nervously. "I was kind of hoping that you could talk to him for me, you know, see if he likes me too," he stared at her for awhile and watched as her smile went from sweet, to sarcastic in seconds.

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll pass him a note during recess."

"Come on Shazz!!! Just this one favor." Zack got off the chair and went unto his knees. He put his elbows on her desk and clasped his hands together as if he were praying. "Please Shazzberry!! Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Shazz shook her head no and turned away from him. She couldn't look into those sad mako eye's of his, if she did she would surely give in. "No, Zack, I'm sorry. As much as I want to help you out I just don't have the time to run around playing matchmaker. Between mako reactor's malfunctioning and Genesis going coocoo bananas, I am so buried in paper work I can't even see straight. Plus, Rufus is stressed out to the max and he's been taking his frustration out on me and the last thing I need him to see is me gallivanting around with you."

The dark haird boy got up on his feet and sighed. "I get it, you're busy," he turned around to walk away in defeat when an idea popped into his head and a wicked grin spread across his lips. He headed slowly to the door and said. " I just thought, since you worked so hard that you deserved a little break. My plan was to sneak you into the SOLIDER locker room after hours so you could talk with Cloud in a more sociable environment. Also rumor has it that Sephiroth will be there tonight as well buuuuuuuuuuut since you're too busy..."

Meanwhile Shazz was biting her lower lip and clinching her fists. Zack knew that she had been crushing on Shinra's number one SOLIDER for sometime now and he was being so cruel as to use him to tempt her into doing something she didn't want to do. "Wait!" She called out to her friend.

"Yes," he said curiously as he turned to face her. His smile was victorious as Shazz'sglare burned into him. There was no reason to fear the fire that burned behind those brown eyes, he knew he had won.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Wonderful, meet me in the front lobby after work. I'll have the necessary equipment we'll need to do the job." Zack didn't give her a chance to make anymore protests for he waved good bye and headed right out the door.