Summary: I've been wanting to do this for a while… A collection of CloudxZack songfics, so here it is. Some will go together, and some won't.

Rating: Teen. Mostly for later chapters, but like always it could go up.

Contains: Yaoi, language and violence. If you don't like don't read! :P

Don't be too harsh… I'm not rich enough for a PSP so no Crisis Core, sorry if the characters are a little OOC, because these take place during CC.

Well, enjoy and make sure to review!

"Don't taint this ground with the color of the past
Are the sounds in bloom with you?
Cause you feel like an orchard of mines
Just take one step at a time"

"Keep your chin up, and legs locked, Spiky." Zack Fair suggested to the young cadet.

"Like that'll help." Cloud Strife muttered restlessly shifting his weight between his two black boot clad feet.

"Sure it will." Zack chimed happily, lifting his sword he harmlessly lunged at the small teenager who staggered backwards in surprise. "Come on Cloud! Always be prepared for an attack!"

Cloud glared at him and sparingly took his advice. He tilted his spiky, blonde head up a few degrease and locked his knees in place. He tightened his grip on his sword's hilt and dragged it upwards.

"There we go!" Zack beamed. "The rest'll come naturally if you keep that stance."

Cloud was paying attention now, and easily parried Zack's head cut. Zack laughed to cover his embarrassment and said something about how he was going easy on him. Zack pulled his sword up so the tip was behind his right shoulder and swiped it down to his right foot. His sword rammed into Cloud's with more force then he had meant and a metallic ring echoed throughout the training grounds as Cloud lost his footing and fell backwards onto the hard dirt ground.

"Sorry." He murmured, extending a hand to help him up.

"I can't do it." Cloud said angrily, slapping away Zack's hand.

"Don't talk like that," Zack ordered, frowning as he abandoned his sword to take a seat beside Cloud.

"It's true."

"No its not." He argued, wondering how in the hell did he become so unconfident. He chose his words very carefully before spoke again. "You've got great movements and potential, and once you learn to access them you'll be unstoppable."

"Whatever."

"Stand up."

He reluctantly did as he was told.

"Let's try this again," Zack offered kindly.

"Whatever," Cloud repeated.

They repeated the move several times until it became second nature and Cloud was able to parry without a thought. A beautiful grin tugged at the corners of Zack's mouth.

"There we go, Spiky!"

Cloud allowed himself a shy smile – beating Zack felt nice – but it quickly faded when he realized Zack was putting his sword back in its holster.

"Where are you going?"

"Time's up. I've got to go train other cadets."

"Oh." Cloud bit his bottom lip to mask his distaste.

Zack turned on his heels so he was facing the young blonde. He extended a hand and placed it on his shoulder.

"You want to be in SOLDIER don't you?"

"Of course," he stuttered.

"Well then you've got to be strong."

"How?" He hesitated and then quickly tacked on "sir."

Zack let out a small chuckle and ran a gloved hand through Cloud's chocobo hair. "You'll figure it out, I know you will."

"And you seem to break like time
So fragile on the inside, you climb these grapevines
Would you look now unto the pit of me on the ground
And you wander through these to climb these grapevines..."

No response.

Cloud dropped his sword in desperation and once willingly crashed to the dirt beneath his feet.

"Cloud?"

He called the young cadet by many names, but rarely his first name – it has just slipped out. And yet it felt so natural he did it again, but an edge urgency tainted his velvet voice. He kneeled down so their faces were level.

"What's wrong?"

Tears fell openly from Cloud's sapphire eyes and streaked down his porcelain skin. Zack grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet. He kept his hands there as Cloud's sobs began to subside, only to return with full blown force. He slammed his head into Zack's chest. Hesitantly, Zack brought his hands to the cadet's back.

"I'm… I'm not gonna make it into SOLDIER. I'm too scrawny and not strong enough. I'll never get in." He confessed to the thick, black collar of Zack's uniform.

For the second time that day, he ran his hand through Cloud's gravity defying hair. But this time it was different. His fingers involuntarily knotted into the golden locks at the base of his neck, gluing the boy to him.

"It's going to be all right." He reassured him.

"I'll say it to be proud, won't have my life turn upside down
Says the man with some, with some gold forged plan
Of life so incomplete, like weights strapped around my feet
Tread careful one step at a time"

Cloud brought his hand to the strap of Zack's shoulder pad and held on for dear life.

"D-don't leave," Cloud stuttered.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Zack whispered.

"Stay." Was all he could muster.

"And you seem to break like time
So fragile on the inside, you climb these grapevines
Would you look now unto the pit of me on the ground
And you wander through these to climb these grapevines..."

And he did. As sure as hell, he stayed with Cloud for as long as he needed him. And lord, did that boy need him.

"To know, to feel, to play me once again
Do you denote from what we feel
Do you not know, I see you play the game
Do you denote..."


'Orchard of Mines' - Globus.
You see that little button down there? Click it! :D
(And if you have a song you would like to see in here, don't hesitate to tell me!)