Hello everyone! I'm bringing to you a long worked fanfic that I am very happy to announce, is finally ready to become popular. Please enjoy, and if you dislike my pairing choice, I apologize, but please don't flame me.
~Yuki
The bright sunshine of an early Monday morning fell onto the white stone staircase of Paopu High School. The majestic, three story hall of learning was very intimidating to its new students. Cloud Strife was no exception.
The young blond stood at the first step, staring up at the monstrosity. This one school building was bigger than any built where he came from. He took a shaky breath, trying to work up enough courage to go in. School had actually already been in session for a week, but because of moving, he was late. He had no doubt this was going to be difficult to get use too.
After a few more seconds of mental preparation, or lack thereof, Cloud scaled the steps two at a time, and pulled open the large, glass door.
"Time to go, now or never," he whispered, stepping over the threshold.
Zack leaned back in his seat, stretching. He really loved history, but having it first thing in the morning was difficult. The work was pretty monotonous, and their teacher, Mr. Valentine, had a voice that was perfectly smooth and deep. It was so nice to listen too Zack had to force himself to stay alert and pay attention.
His eyes strayed to the large trees outside the window, they were part of the school garden. They were the school's name sake, but only Students who were their in the spring knew why. Paopu trees were an amazing sight to see in Zack's opinion.
"What are you looking at?" The voice came from directly behind him, and Zack turned to see a pair of emerald eyes looking back at him.
"Nothing, Ax." Zack gave his friend Axel Serra a crooked smirk. "Is that spearmint gum you've got?"
Axel snorted and clacked the gum in his mouth, leaning back to reach into his black uniform slacks to snag a piece of gum from the pack, brushing a strand of his ridiculously spiky red hair from his face.
Zack took the proffered piece between his index and middle fingers, his grin growing.
"Thanks, I'll get you a coffee at break." He turned back around, Axel saying something about him being the almighty bringer of caffeinated beverages.
Zack was met with a pair of eyes the color of Axel's hair. Mr. Valentine was leaning languidly on his desk, staring over the black rim of his glasses at him.
"Mr. Fair, it's is only the eighth day of school, and you are already doing nothing but staring off to space and talking to friends during lectures, should I be concerned?" Vincent Valentine's eyes narrowed.
"No sir!" Zack said exuberantly, flashing a cocky smile. "You of all people would know that!"
Zack had been in Vincent's accelerated history classes since entering Paopu High. Zack was actually a very high ranking student, first class, some people called him, though he rarely went around rubbing it in peoples faces...Only when they deserved it.
Vincent turned away chuckling.
"Suppose I shouldn't be worried, and if I find any gum in here after class, the both of you will be having detention with me for the next week's worth of lunches."
"Yes sir!" Zack and Axel chimed in unison.
From the corner of the class, Larxene scoffed.
"Fucking teacher pleasers," she grumbled, refocusing back on the little doodles she had been making of someone getting maimed.
Cloud had been doing quite well with his day. Go to office, get schedule, go to classes, everything had been perfectly smooth. He had even had a nice chat with a very hyper kid named Sora. A bit to much energy for Cloud to handle, but he had been nice. It all went south when he was forced to find the library to get his class books checked out however. He had absolutely no idea where the library was.
It had only gotten worse when he had stopped to ask someone and wound up pinned to a locker by some senior named Genesis getting threatened about being on the wrong turf. (He only found out the crazy guy's name because some girl with a really long pony tail had shouted at him to 'put the little boy down')
After that, Cloud had only gotten more turned around, and it grew worse when he ran into Mr. Xigbar. He was the math teacher, who was not fond of freshmen in any way, shape, or form. Instead helping, he yelled at Cloud for being in the wrong hallway.
Finally, frustrated to the point of tears, and very lost, Cloud gave up and sank down a wall opposite a bunch of lockers and put his face in his hands.
"Fuck you day. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on," he bit out miserably.
"Well that's not a very nice thing to say to the day, it will only get worse."
Cloud went rigid with alarm, then slowly lifted his face up.
An older boy with a mess of black spikes was crouching in front of him.
"Why hello there!" the boy exclaimed, leaning in a little more and peering at Cloud's face, which was turning red.
"Wha? I-hey!" Cloud yelped.
"He's cute alright," a tall boy said from behind the black haired one. What really got Cloud about the other boy (save the strange remark about his looks) was how perfectly crimson his hair was. It was like his head was on fire.
"Yes, but what is such a cute little blond doing sitting in the Junior hallway?" The black haired boy raised his eyebrows.
"I...I got lost," Cloud stumbled.
"Well, let's get you un-lost huh? I'm Zack, Zack Fair, and this is my buddy Axel." Zack stood, well more like jumped, into a standing position, and offered Cloud a hand.
"C-cloud Strife, I...Thanks," Cloud mumbled, looking down at his feet once he was up. Thank god the whole world wasn't out to get him, just a bunch of older boys with crazy hair. Not that he could talk on the hair subject.
"Well Cloudy, where ya headed?" Zack gave Cloud his signature lopsided grin.
"The library," Cloud said quickly.
"We were just headed there, gotta find a mate of ours." Axel leaned over Cloud's shoulder and smirked. Cloud meeped. The guy was seriously like six foot, easy.
"Forward MARCH!" Zack declared, putting a hand on Cloud's elbow and hauling him forward.
This was going to be interesting. He could tell. This Zack guy must have a few screws loose. Not that Cloud minded though, it was sort of fun.
Zack gave Cloud's arm a friendly squeeze, pointing to doors and explaining what was what.
"Hey, Why don't you already know where the library is? Freshmen got orientation and a tour of the school last Monday." Zack gave him a curious glance as they rounded a corner.
"This is my first day, I just moved here," Cloud replied sheepishly, then hurried to keep up as Zack and Axel started going down a set of stairs three at a time.
"Really? I started new here my freshmen year too! Where are you from?" Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulder's when they hit the landing and steered him through the crowds, getting lots of stares from younger students who knew who Zack and Axel were.
"Nibelheim!" Cloud squeaked as they dodged a boy with an armload of books.
"Really? I'm from the country too! Gongaga." Zack waved to someone they know, and then Axel snorted.
"Great, another country kid, we'll have to give you a tour of the city some time, Demyx would like that, he knows all the surfing spots on the beaches." Axel shuddered.
"Ax doesn't swim, he's afraid of water," Zack snorted.
"Shut up you!" Axel slugged Zack in the arm.
Cloud giggled and smiled at Axel. Zack mock glared at his red-headed friend.
"That's okay, I don't like boats very much myself." He let Zack steer him through another hallway. He must have really gotten turned around, which apparently was going to be easy to do in such a big, crowded place.
"Why?" Axel grabbed a door open and they stepped inside.
"Long story," Cloud replied, then realized his was standing in a library the size of his old house, "Holy-"
"Big right?" Zack smiled.
"Yeah, um understatement." Cloud looked up at Zack and could have killed himself when he felt his cheeks flush again, "thanks for the help."
"Anytime." Zack smiled in a very gentle way that earned him a strange look from Axel.
"Hey guys!" A shout and some giggling came from a few tables as a scrawny, tanned, mullet-ed, and smiling teen came scrambling over to them.
"Heya Dem!" Axel smacked Demyx on the back grinning.
Cloud stared at the tanned boy, his uniform sleeves rolled up to show his well muscled arms.
"This is Cloud," Zack announced to Demyx, who was peering at the blond curiously.
"Hell, you could be related to Roxas if I didn't think twice! You look to happy to be Roxy though." Demyx smiled. He had a nice smile, relaxed, and a nice voice. He had a nice everything. He was just radiating nice. Like a really happy laid back nice guy. Cloud liked it.
"Nice to meet you," Cloud sputtered out. Demyx giggled.
"Nice to meet you too, you just got in today right?" Demyx ran a hand through his mullet.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.
"I've got friends in low places." Demyx smirked. Cloud stared at him, and then Demyx burst out laughing.
"Demyx is strange like that." Zack shrugged." He just...knows shit,"
"No..I see what you guys don't," Demyx replied, shrugging. Cloud felt a prickle of curiosity."Anyway! I have to go; swim meet today. Hey Cloud, come hang out with us and we'll help keep Genesis and his oggly-booglies from buggin' ya!" With that the tanned teen turned and bolted.
"...he was-" Cloud started.
"Something else...always has been." Axel's voice made Cloud turn. The redhead was pink in the face, and his green eyes were somewhere else entirely away from the present. Zack smiled knowingly.
"Yes well, let's get Cloudy here his books."With that Cloud was being lead by the shoulders again towards a counter across the room.
Cloud felt his heart speed up. He obviously was going on an adventure, just as he had hoped when he left Nibelheim.