Zack Fair was a perceptive bastard. He had the art of reading people down to a science, and the science of dealing with all types of people down to an art. He knew when someone *coughsephirothcough* was hiding something, he knew when Kunsel hooked up with Jhonson from fourth company, and he was right there when Kyle reported in in as a daddy.
But for the life of him, he could not figure out Cloud Strife. The boy was such an enigma, happy as a clam one moment, and ready to murder someone the next. A wrong touch would fire him up, and someone would end up ass-kicked. Oh, he knew that cloud knew that he knew he was hiding something, and was very good at redirecting his attention.
Cloud was cute. It was a camp not-secret that he was the hottest piece of ass to come in since Major Niven, from Corell. And since his field promotion to Third four months ago, he'd been keeping up hard with both his combat training and his medical duties. The kid had sort of become the camp 'mommy' with a whole bunch of small injuries taken to him for treatment over flirting. But if one hand strayed a little too far south…
It drove Zack nuts to think of all the men who hit on his little Cloudy. And it drove the General even more nuts that the small blond wouldn't stop damaging random fingers for inappropriate touches. Granted, a Cure from another medic usually fixed it, but Cloud was sometimes a little more vicious than necessary. And Zack wanted to know what the FUCK he was hiding.
It wasn't until a month or so later, when he was patrolling with Cloud, that he found out. And it was a rather unusual way, too. It still made Zack laugh heartily at the thought.
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Cloud had been in a bad mood all morning. It had gotten to the point where Cloud had point blank told the guys who flirted that he was Not talking to them. And after that spectacular blowup in the mess hall, Zack was also being wary of the small blond. It wasn't every day that someone went flying after all.
Master Sergeant Mortimer Howard, decorated soldier and commander of a small company, was laughing with his friends as they headed for the mess line. He was lucky enough to land himself the coveted spot behind Cloud Strife. He had been after the blond for a few months now.
Cloud was fuming. That morning Reno had nearly let slip her secret, but he had covered. It was still enough to make her want to take all his pretty fucking red hair and chop it off. Now though he grabbed his tray, grumbling.
Then the hand reached out, and fondled. No, not just fondled, full on groped her ass. Without even thinking she had spun around the tray smacking into Howard's head as she snarled. The man went down like a sack of potatoes and his foot smacked his jaw.
"touch me again like that, any one of you, and I make sure your kids don't have any more siblings." she hissed, and the people around her backed up three steps. She dropped the dented tray on the man, stepping out of line.
Only a single pair of clapping hands split the stillness as she stormed for the exit. General Sephiroth applauded the young woman, as she grabbed her sword from the rack beside the tent.
She had something to go kill.
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Zack found him later, standing over the decimated body of a random monster, panting heavily, Materia arm bracer glowing with two mastered materia. The brunette approached him slowly, a doggy bag in hand.
"Hey, Spike. Heard you skipped lunch." he said evenly, and Cloud turned to him. Bright blue eyes locked onto his hand, following the food. His appetite was flaring at him, and Zack grinned as he tossed it over, the blond reaching into the bag.
"Zack, you're a godsend." he said, sighing as he tore into the sandwich. Zack grinned. Then he noticed his pants.
"hey, spiky, you get hurt?" he asked, and Cloud looked down. The last bite of sandwich went flying as he squawked, looking down.
"Shivas icy tits!" he hissed a little as he dug into his bag, pulling out some bandages. "Zack! I'm going to need new pants!"
"Uh, cloud? Not going to use a Cure? It's all glowy and mastered now." he said, pointing at his armlet.
"Not gonna stop 'cause of a Cure, Zack." Cloud said, flushing. "I've…fuck." he grunted as he sat down. "I'm not exactly…promise not to rat me out?" he asked, eyes pleading. Zack could NEVER say no to the puppy face.
"C'mon, spiky. Not gonna tell your dirty secrets to the camp." he said, smiling as he ruffled soft hair. Cloud groaned.
"Better not , Zack." and Zack froze. His voice had gone up at least an octave, and he was folding the bandages into a pad like shape. "turn the fuck around."
Zack spun. His face was fiery as he heard a uniform zipper and rustling, then another zipper. Cloud….he put the pieces together.
"you're a girl." he said, and Cloud sighed, running a hand through his hair agitatedly. He-no, She- nodded in resignation.
"Yeah. I'm a girl. Two X chromosomes and all." he said, and he snorted. "if Shinra had known I'd have been slapped behind a desk faster than a fucking Chocobo around a track. I couldn't live like that." she said, grabbing her sword. Zack just looked at her, stunned.
Then all living hell broke loose. Five Wutaian ninjas leapt from the bushes around them.
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Which led to now. Zack was watching the blond work out against a couple other Soldiers, snarling as one of them tried to get her in a headlock. Zack knew that his little protégé was a slippery brat, and she slammed an elbow into his gut, winding him enough to get free. Zack whooped as her wooden sword knocked the feet out from the other man and she held his own sword at hs throat, hers back at the other.
"Good, Spike!" the man at her feet said as she hauled him up with a boyish laugh, tossign him to his friend to be dusted off.
"Maybe next time you guysll' catch me distracted, yeah?" she said as she tossed his sword to him. "I call the showers!"
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Oh no! now what'll happen? Zack, Reno, and Seph know….what other things could I POSSIBLY do?
Go on, tell me. 'cause I haven't the foggiest! If you have an idea, shout it at me and I'll consider it. 'cause as of now it's looking like blackmail city for me. Meh.
Love you guys tons, keep telling me how I screw up! It's really useful knowing what I can go back and fix. Maybe once it's done I'll go back and fix all amy typos.
PM me if you want to be my beta! I'm looking for someone to fix my grammar faux pas.
Rabid.
