The smell of the dining area hit Zack like a wave to the face: an amalgam of cheaply made pizza, greasy fast food substitute and cafeteria mystery meat. No one said ShinRa actually cared about what it's employees ate, unless they had a lab appointment that is. Zack waited for his sense of smell to get used to the interruption, but was a bit relieved when he saw Cloud wrinkle his nose.

Zack hesitated between the food lines and the seating, looking at the blonde carefully gripping the inside of his elbow.

"Any idea what you're hungry for?" Zack asked.

"I threw up fifteen minutes ago, so no," Cloud said, "Whatever doesn't smell like deep fried shit." Zack snorted before actually looking around.

"Is there something that isn't cooked?" Cloud asked, "Salad or something. I don't think my stomach will agree with the grease content of this room." Aha! Salad bar ten o'clock.

"Yes," Zack said, starting off towards it, "Erm...do you need help getting a plate?"

"You can just make two if you wanted to get one," Cloud said, "I'm not that picky usually."

"Done and done," Zack said, "here. There's a seat here, I'll be right back." Cloud found his chair and sank into it. Zack felt a mild bit of relief. Guiding Cloud around was adding a surprising amount of stress...or maybe it was just Zack not wanting to fuck up again. They had a good start right now.

The vegetables were fresh at least. Zack inhaled deeply to get the smell of the room out of his nose for a moment. Then he started piling on, making a guess at what Cloud would like and figuring he could pick off the stuff he didn't...hopefully. He waffled over dressing before deciding on some vinaigrette that smelled (and tasted) rather fruity and delicious.

Cloud was swaying a little when Zack came back, but he didn't look as sick as before. There was color coming back to his face.

"Here," Zack said, "Hopefully I didn't pick out any nasty stuff."

"So long as there's no olives you're probably fine," Cloud said. Zack exhaled.

"Whew," he said, "I hate them too, so we're good." He plopped into his seat and dug in. Cloud ate more sedately, but seemed pleased with Zack's preparation. It took Zack a good, long moment to realize that he was staring rather creepily at Cloud. He shook his head trying to figure out what was up with him.

"Is something wrong?" Cloud asked.

"Hmm," Zack asked before remembering that Cloud couldn't actually see him staring, "oh nothing. I'm usually just a chatterbox most of the time."

"Oh," Cloud said. He paused for a moment then said, "I'm not the best talker."

"You were doing fine earlier," Zack said, "but it's fine. You don't have to chitchat if you don't want to."

"I've been dead silent almost the entire trip," Cloud said.

"You were about to throw up," Zack pointed out.

"And now I'm feeling better," Cloud countered.

"Why are you trying to make me think you're a jerk?" Zack asked with a laugh. Cloud seemed surprised at himself, then shrugged.

"I kind of am one," he said.

"You're nervous," Zack said, "I was too during my first mission." Cloud looked like he was going to ask something. Finally he got the courage for it.

"What was your first mission?"

"Monster hunt," Zack said, "I forget what they were exactly. One of them made off with my boot and I had to walk half a mile without it. Angeal still doesn't let me live it down. It still counted as a success."

"...Did you not tie it or something?" Cloud asked drily.

"...I didn't," Zack whispered conspiratorially. Cloud snorted and covered his mouth again.

"Lesson learned though," Zack said at normal volume, "Double knot your laces before a mission."

"Let me write that down," Cloud said.

"Here, I have a question though," Zack said, "Are all engineers this sarcastic?" Cloud face fell for an instant. Zack decided that irony and Cloud had a bit of a rough patch behind them.

"Mostly," Cloud said, "We get hardened by people mocking our pocket protectors." Zack chuckled at the joke and let the faux pas wither behind them.

"My turn," Cloud said, "Who is Angeal? I don't really know much about other SOLDIERs." Zack paused. How could Cloud not know?

"Not even Sephiroth?" Zack asked.

"I know of Sephiroth," Cloud said, "It's not like I've ever seen him though. I was just a grunt remember." Zack nodded, then remembered Cloud couldn't see it, and cursed himself inwardly.

"Yeah," Zack said, "Well...Angeal is a first too. He's my mentor, helped me get to First Class. I think you've met him...just not formally."

"Was he the one at the meeting with the President?" Cloud asked. He faintly remembered a stern voice offering to give Cloud a SOLDIER bodyguard. Faintly.

"Yeah," Zack said, catching on, "he actually requested me to go with you. I guess he thought it would be a good experience."

"What's he like?" Cloud asked.

"Well...stern, but really...kind at the same time," Zack said, "Most First classes are like that. They understand, but they don't take any crap. Angeal though...Angeal is the kind of guy who would stop and lend a helping hand just because he can. He...he kinda reminded me of my Dad.

"Alright, I've been curious about this," Zack said, "What is Director Tuesti like?"

"Insane," was Cloud immediate respone.

"What?" Zack asked.

"He has at least eight different projects going on at the same time," Cloud said, "I don't know how he runs the department and his own life at the same time. We all get to test out his latest schemes too. Most of the time they work. Most of the time."

"He's smart though?" Zack prompted.

"Oh brilliant," Cloud said, "He's just really excitable. He can be distracted by just about anything. Unless he's worried...like he probably is right now."

"Huh," Zack said, trying to fit that in with the tired and strict looking director he saw around ShinRa from time to time.

"Don't talk to him about his cat either," Cloud said, "he will literally never shut up." Zack lost himself in a fit of giggles.

"Cat?" he asked.

"Yes," Cloud said in a serious tone, "you will regret it."

"Sir yes sir," Zack said, "I keep that in mind." The conversation faded for a moment. Cloud was finishing up his meal, looking the most alert he'd been all day. Zack decided to go for it.

"So...how was growing up in Nibelheim?"


Cloud tried not to show his knee jerk reaction to being questioned about his hometown. He still hated the place. He would probably never return when and if he convinced his mother to move away from the hell hole. He tried to figure out how much to tell Zack. He didn't want a pity party. That ship had sailed when he left. He didn't want the "oh that's so brave" he got all the fucking time.

"It sucked," he said. Zack didn't respond. He was waiting for a bit more. Cloud didn't know what to give.

"I can imagine what small town kids do to the odd one out," Zack said, "I was too. I think the only reason they didn't toss Touch Me's at me more often was because they were scared of my Dad."

"Yeah...well," Cloud said, "It's a bit harder when you're the target they pick because they don't expect you to fight back." Except you did fight back, Strife. You gave out your share of unwarranted bloody noses. Tifa did too.

"That does sound suckish," Zack said, "Did they throw snowballs or does Nibelhiem have it's own brand of indigenous creature designed to bring hell to the locals?"

"They preferred to pound me into the ground," Cloud said, "Not that they succeeded that often. I got into the army for a reason."

"My Mom hated when she caught me fighting," Zack said, "She made me sit on the back porch until Dad came home to talk to me. 'They started it' wasn't an excuse with them, but...I think Dad started to understand towards the end. Etiher than or he figured I was gonna run soon. He started walking with me more often and it stopped.

"What about you?" Zack asked, "Did your Dad try and toughen you up?"

"Oh," Cloud bit his lip, "He um...my Da died when I was a baby."

"Oh," Zack said, "I'm...sorry. What about your Mom?"

"Ma is the best," Cloud said, a sort of far off look on his face.

"Yours too?" Zack asked.

"Oh yeah," Cloud said, "She did...everything for me."

"Mine too," Zack said, "I remember her reading to me when I was little. I kind of miss it."

"Me too," Cloud sighed, "that was before she started looking for braille books. I miss her voice the most."

"I also remember her her mad broomstick wielding skills," Zack said, "I think she's a better swordswoman than most Third Classes. The woman knows how to sweep away some very vicious frogs if you know what I mean."

"They really turn people into-"

"Yep," Zack said, "I've had it happen. It's not as much fun as you think."

"Please tell me you didn't do it on purpose," Cloud said. Zack remained silent. "Oh my god!"

"Mom never let me live down that one either," Zack sighed.

"I wouldn't," Cloud said holding back his laugh. Zack laughed for him.

"What about your Mom?" Zack asked.

"Oh...I don't even know where to begin," Cloud said, "She's...she's one of my heroes. She's nice and all...most of the time."

"I bet she raised hell over you," Zack said, "mine sure did. I'm not sure why people were afraid of Dad. Mom was the terror."

"That's one way of putting it," Cloud said, "I used to get picked on because she'd be in my school every other day, screaming at the teacher for doing something or other wrong. Then one day...I knew she did everything she could to give me the best and I stopped caring so much about it. If she had someone to yell at then it was probably for a good reason."

"You weren't left out of it?" Zack asked.

"Oh hell no," Cloud said, "I got yelled at plenty. I deserved it too. She doesn't take crap from anyone. I guess I got that from her."

"It's a good trait to have," Zack said.

"So what was being a frog like?" Cloud asked, hiding a smirk. Zack shared what he remembered (the experience was rather garbled and mostly full of flashing color anyway) and lingered over his mother's reaction a little more, seeing how Cloud enjoyed it so.

Then Cloud started on a story of how his mother's only car broke down on the way to see a ridiculously expensive doctor in Rocket Town. She had pushed it the last few miles with Cloud at the wheel following her directions.

"You're joking," Zack said.

"I'll have you know I am an excellent driver," Cloud said, "if I have a good navigator that is." Zack laughed.

"So..." Cloud said, starting to get the swing of how a conversation went, "why did you join SOLDIER?"

"Well," Zack started, "Did you ever read stories about people doing great deeds? Saving lives, winning battles, that kind of stuff." Cloud nodded.

"I always liked those. I used to wish I could, y'know be in one," Zack said, "Then...I heard about SOLDIER, and...Sephiroth. I figured this was the closest I could get." Cloud nodded again.

"Makes perfect sense," he said.

"What about you?" Zack asked, "What started your SOLDIER dream?" Cloud hesitated.

"It can't be worse than mine," Zack assured him.

"Oh it could," Cloud said, "but...alright.

"I didn't really care much for SOLDIER when I first heard about it," Cloud admitted, "I'm not the best fighter, but I can hold my own. I didn't know what I wanted back then. Just to get out of the town, I guess.

"Then I started hearing about Sephiroth and...you know...his..."

"His what?" Zack asked. It was completely lost on him.

"Isn't he deaf, or something like that?" Cloud asked.

"...He's what?" Zack asked. Why hadn't he heard of this?

"I think someone only said it once," Cloud said, "It was never talked about when I tried out. I guess I latched on to that little fact. And then...well if he could be deaf and be a hero then maybe I could be blind and do the same." Zack was still trying to figure out if what Cloud said was true or not. He'd worked with him once or twice, but he'd never imagined...

Then again...those hand signals Sephiroth had developed...

"Huh," Zack said, "I think your reason is better than mine."

"You don't have to patronize me," Cloud said.

"I'm not," Zack said, "Honest. That sounds like a really admirable goal. I'm almost sorry it didn't work out."

"Well I'm not," Cloud said, "Engineering turned out to be more fun than I thought." Cloud readjusted himself in his seat and Zack realized how ungodly uncomfortable these metal seats were.

"You want to find our old spot?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Cloud said, "I think this steel is trying to merge with my tailbone." The both stood up. Zack took a brief hold of Cloud's arm before jerking away himself.

"Sorry!" he said, "I forgot I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Cloud said, and took his previous handhold. They started back. Zack took out his PHS and sent a message to Angeal.

An hour away from the second pickup point. Everything going fine. Is Sephiroth deaf? He sent it without a second thought, knowing Angeal was used to his play by play texting strategies.

He got a response quicker than he thought.

Right on time. He's hard of hearing. I thought you knew about his hearing aid.

"I'll be damned," Zack muttered.

"What?" Cloud asked.