There was no particular reason. Cloud just felt like working with him again. He scribbled his name down onto Zack's list. He remembered meeting him after a helicopter accident. During the ride, Cloud had shut his eyes tight. He never liked flying; it always made him feel very sick. No one could tell he had shut his eyes, since his helmet covered most of his face. Even though shaken up and in the cold, he was glad to be walking on foot and even happier after an amusing conversation with his newfound friend: Zack Fair.

Cloud stood at his post with the other 3 recruits who 2 of which had volunteered, and the other had been signed up by his boss, as no further volunteers had signed. Cloud didn't know the other two volunteers, but he was an acquaintance with Lieme.

"So why'd you sign up for the Outlands? These assignments are boring!" Lieme spoke with him.

"I dunno, I like the idea of working with SOLDIER." Cloud said scrubbing some dirt from his helmet with a tissue.

"Yeah but SOLDIER get all the damned fun!" Lieme chuckled.

"I guess I like watching." Cloud looked out the window to his left.

"Where's the thrill Cloud?" Lieme playfully punched his shoulder. Cloud let out a soft chuckle.

"Watching SOLDIER duck when you say "look out" and shoot this giant bird thing behind him."

"Nahhhh- really? You saved someone in SOLDIER?"
"Well we were all pretty run down because it was cold and we were hungry,, we'd lost our supplies, so he fought a few monsters and acted a little smug and stumbled, next thing we know another monster shows up behind him. I yell at him to duck and he dives down, so he was pretty happy with a grunt like me wiping it out." Cloud shrugged with a smile

"Ohhh was it Sephiroth?" Lieme tidied up his helpet hair only to put his helmet back on.

"Nah, he wasn't with us, trust me if it were him, he'd have cut it clean in half before I could have loaded my gun." Cloud held his helmet under his arm.

"You saying this SOLDIER you saved is weak?"

"No, just prefers heavier weapons, plus hunger and cold doesn't seem to hinder Sephiroth... nothing does not even extreme heat." Cloud looked up thoughtfully. "I worked with him once before, and I was dragging my feet gasping for breath and I swear he was skipping happily." Cloud laughed.

"Heyyyyy Spikey!" Cloud turned round to see the familiar grinning face of 1st class SOLDIER, Zack.

"Zack!"

"Zack?" Zack laughed "That the best you got?" he joked.

"I'm no good at nick names—" Zack wrapped his arm round cloud's neck rubbing his knuckled into his head playfully.

"That's your ambition then! Find a nickname for me!" Zack laughed. "Right guys line up!" He smiled and they followed his order, standing up straight as soon as Sephiroth walked towards them "Heyyy dude you joining us or what?" Zack said patting his shoulder. The other 1st class looked at him.

"I'm merely here to assign you." He said simply.

"Ohhh spoil sport! I thought you were coming!" Zack laughed. "You ready guys?" The four grunts nodded once in response, stamping their right foot in line with their left, backs perfectly straight.

"You five will be assigned to the spoilt ruins on the very outskirts of Midgar. It's a simple assignment that I am sure Zack, you can handle." Sephiroth looked at him.

"Cool so we should be home for tea then?"

"I said simple, not easy." Sephiroth turned and left.

"Right okay guys, looking at our supplies... we might be a while." Zack said looking at the details on his phone. "Okay then guys lets head out!" He grinned.

It wasn't too cold or too warm, and the journey was easy enough, it was on foot, Cloud was smiling. Zack could see, even though Cloud had his helmet on. His mouth would only be covered by his scarf if anything. Zack playfully punched his shoulder.

"What you been up to then Spikey?"

"Hm? Nothing much, just assignment."

"Didn't you go home over any break?"

"Nah... my breaks not for a while." Cloud chuckled. He looked over his shoulder "C'mon Lieme!" Cloud yelled

"I didn't wanna come in the first place!" He called somewhat 20ft behind them. Cloud laughed, but then stopped, his grin changing to sheer fright. "Heeyyy LIEME! MOVE!" Lieme looked behind him, a rouge beast, looked almost like a dog jumped from the trees behind them.

"SHIT—" He grabbed his gun.

"IT'S TOO CLOSE! LIEME RUN!" Cloud loaded his gun also but Zack was already by the beast, between it and Lieme who'd stumbled backwards, Zack with ease, disposed of the beast.

"Guess Cloud was right, it is interesting to watch..." Lieme gasped, his knees were shaking.

"you hurt?" Zack held his hand out to him, Lieme took it and was pulled to his feet.

"I'm fine- thank you..." He said feeling a little embarrassed. Zack winked.

"C'mon we haven't got all month." Cloud went to Lieme.

"You okay?"

"Yeah close call." Lieme chuckled slightly.

"There's more of them where he came from." The other two infantrymen looked at each other. Zack started walking again but this time, he and Cloud decided to slow down for the sake of the other three.

They arrived at their destination and looked around for the monsters that needed disposing of.

"I don't know what they're on about." Zack grunted. "I can't find any sign of life here!"

"Me neither." Cloud said. Lieme came up to them.

"Sir, just taking a pee break." Zack nodded at him and he ran off quickly into the trees out of sight. Zack sighed.

"Maybe they got some false readings or something." He said. Cloud nodded in agreement. "Get that damn helmet off, Spikey." He chuckled. Cloud took it off and shook his head slightly, his hair spiking up without any sign of wearing a helmet. Zack smiled at him, and received one in return. There were suddenly a few thuds and crashes from the forest, shaking the floor of the ruins. The other two infantrymen in the distance of the ruins jumped in fright. Zack held his hand in the air as a signal to hold your ground, so the infantrymen froze. Zack pointed to his own eyes with his outer fingers on his right hand. They nodded slightly and all looked in separate directions. Zack looked at Cloud who returned the glance. Zack pointed to his eyes again then indicated the number 4, then pointed in the direction Lieme had gone in. Cloud nodded, but just before he turned to follow his order to look for Lieme, Zack for the third time pointed to his eyes, and with the same fingers, pointed to Cloud with a slight, calm and consternated wry smile. Cloud smiled back slightly, put on his helmet and silently traced Lieme's direction. He kept pretty low to the ground, his gun loaded at the ready. He bit his lip, keeping a sharp eye out for his friend. He cracked a twig under his weight and froze, listening carefully for anyone, or even anything reacting. He continued to move forward, in the distance, something large, red skin, roared. Cloud froze again his heart racing; the large creature took off in a different direction. It stampeded past him, still quite far away, back to the ruins. Cloud continued to silently move forward, until he came to a clearing where the beast was, it had destroyed a few surrounding trees, there was a path of destruction to and fro the clearing, concluding that it was the beasts doing. Cloud wanted to call out for Lieme. He looked around carefully, then stood on something hard. It was the wrong shape for a rock, and it didn't break under his weight, so he looked to his feet, the barrel of a gun exactly like his own. Lieme! His eyes darted around looking for any signs of life, he heard gunfire, the beast had found the ruins where the others were. Cloud had to stick to his order, which he soon fulfilled when he looked ahead, lying, amongst the broken trees.

"LIE—" Cloud covered his mouth and looked around, he quickly darted over to his friends lifeless body. "Lie...Lieme!" He climbed over the fallen trees and knelt beside him.

"Heyy, Cloud..." His voice was hoarse. It was clear he was in agony.

"Lieme, just hang in there I'll call for help!" He pulled the radio out of his pocket, but Lieme started groaning slightly, Cloud looked up at him.

"Cloud wait-"

"Theres no time- we found the monster! I can get you outta here!"

"There's no point..." He panted deeply, slowly.

"What- there is we can save you!"

"No you can't... I can't move... I can't move anything..." Cloud gently removed his helmet, his eyes were bloodshot, and his ears were bleeding slightly. "I can't... see." He was staring blankly toward Cloud, but Cloud could see he wasn't looking at him. Cloud put his hand to Lieme's cheek. "I can't scream... I can... hear my own lungs filling up." He said, Cloud could hear it too. Lieme smiled at him warmly. "You stay alive dude, get outta here... don't worry 'bout me..." he was losing breath.

"Lieme I can't leave you here!" Cloud's voice was shaking.

"Come back for me... but when it's safe... then... then... bury me... with my ... sister..." His eyes started rolling back into his head.

"Lieme!" Cloud yelled, he shook his head, he pulled off the tags from around Lieme's neck and put one in Lieme's mouth and took the other with him. He skidded to a halt, he saw the beast was galloping back toward him. "Shit..." It was at least 50 times his size and going something stupid like 60 mph. His feet were glued to the floor. He couldn't run, it's gaze was locked on him, no matter where he run he'd be dead. He felt someone land behind him, wrap and arm around his waist and lift him up, they landed in one of the trees, a hand round his mouth.

"Shhh..." Cloud shut his eyes, he heard the monster run straight past, not even coming near the tree he was in. Whomever it was who picked him up, took off Cloud's helmet. "Hey, keep it together..." It was Zack, Cloud was sobbing, clutching Lieme's tags. "He's the first mate you've lost, I take it." Zack hugged him tightly. "Come on, keep it together..." he rocked him gently "We... lost the other two as well..." Zack held up the other infantrymen's tags "We still have to follow it..." Zack said softly. Cloud was still shaking, he felt sick. He let out a few groans of distress. Zack picked him up and jumped down out of the tree, putting him down. Cloud rubbed his eyes, and Zack put his arm round his shoulder. "It's okay Cloud..." He said softly, he pressed his forehead to Cloud's left temple. "C'mon, we need to complete the mission." Cloud nodded and put his helmet back on, feeling sick and now embarrassed. Zack patted his shoulder and they followed the trail of the beast. "It won't have gotten far. I did get a hit on it before it left."

They found it, on a lakeside, cleaning the huge gash Zack had left on its leg. But it only took the quiet noise of clothes rubbing against each other to set it off. The large hard skilled rhino like beast roared in the direction Cloud and Zack were in.

"Cloud, aim at the wound and shoot, I'll take care of the rest." He winked, he took off towards the beast, and Cloud followed his order, shooting for the wound, to whilst the beast tried to defend its leg, Zack lashed out for the weak spots.

It took no longer than 15 minutes to kill the beast. Zack stabbed his oversized sword into the ground and slumped to the floor, Cloud ran up to him.

"Are you okay?" He said kneeling next to him. Zack laughed and stretched his arms into the air.

"Yeah..." He smiled.

"...If only I were SOLDIER..." Cloud sighed

"...Well then what?" Zack looked at him with a questioning look on his face.

"Huh?" Cloud took off his helmet and looked at him.

"If you're in SOLDIER, what next?"

"I could have saved Lieme..."

"Cloud... when you're in this situation, when a man dies, it's their own fault. Out here you gotta be selfish, your life matters above the rest, coz one slip to go save a friend, and you could be dead too."

"...Then why'd you save me?" Zack looked over to Cloud, he gently pushed him down and looked down on him. "Now I didn't say: don't save anyone." Cloud looked at him, a little taken aback with being pushed to the floor. "You'd do the same for me... right?" Zack asked, and then stood. He pulled Cloud to his feet then picked up his sword placing it on his back. He took Cloud's hand. "C'mon." He grinned. Cloud nodded and followed him. It took a few moments though to realise Zack had taken his hand. But, subconsciously, he squeezed it tightly.

Cloud was sleeping soundly, but Zack, was watching him. He was on top of him. He looked up his chest to his face. He breathed on his cheek, edging closer. He closed his eyes and pulled away. He sighed softly and chuckled.

"Heh, probably the closest I'll get to kissing you..." He whispered. Cloud stirred slightly, rolling onto his side towards Zack whom lay down so he could continue to watch his face. He eventually drifted off to sleep. In the early hours of the morning, Zack's body clock kicked in and he woke, ready to move on to return home. He looked down to find that him and Cloud had shuffled closer in their sleep, Close enough for Cloud's head to be nuzzled into his chest. Zack chuckled, waking him gently.

"Hmm...?"

"Wake up sleepy head, we gotta get going, its dawn." He said. Cloud sat up and yawned. Zack stood and started doing squat thrusts. Cloud heaved himself up, looking around at the dawn breaking through the clouds. Zack patted his shoulder again. "Do warm ups." He said.

"Hmm..." Cloud was still half asleep. He wondered how Zack woke up so fast. Cloud attempted a squat thrust but before he could push himself back up, he lost his balance and fell onto his butt. "..." Zack burst out laughing, Cloud looked up at him. "Whaat...?"

"That was so cute." Zack laughed, pulling Cloud back up. He turned and began to walk "Come on, we'll walk sow, that can warm you up."

...Did he just call me cute?