Hey! The first week at Shinra for Cloud in detail, along with Detective Zack! Thank you for all the follows/favorites/and reviews! You readers really help me out!

**This is/will be a shounen-ai/boys love story. If one doesn't like imagining two boys getting romantic with each other, one does not have to read it. Italicized writing are thoughts by the characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, Square Enix+Tetsuya Nomura do! Mai and Lusi both belong to the splendid Valor Ebony, they're her characters. Actually, I kinda was the one who created Mai's whole persona/appearance. Hm.

Cloud was clapping slowly at Zack's speech. "Lieutenant Fair's pretty spirited isn't he?" Kris commented to Cloud. "Uh, Yeah he's something." Fair. The cadet didn't want to admit it but that speech was a little inspiring. "You okay?" his dorm mate asked. "I'm fine. I guess I'm tired." He offered a small smile. Kris blinked then nodded. Zack is definitely not…normal. He IS a second class, and he doesn't look that old either. Cloud was lost in his analysis when Kris started talking. "Hey, our classes are starting at about now." Cloud took out the folded up schedule from his pocket and looked at it. He nodded in confirmation. "Looks like I have Mendoza first."

"Ah, he teaches Materia Usage. Don't sit in the front, he tends to spit a bit when he teaches." Kris said. "How do you know about his spitting pattern?" Cloud questioned. Kris shifted his scarf. "A family member works here, I just passed by the classroom a couple of times."

Cloud nodded in understanding. "Thanks for the info." Kris shrugged. "Sure. See ya later." he waved. Cloud waved back. He left the giant auditorium and entered the elevator. Down then up. Never gonna forget that now am I? He found his classroom and noted how many of the seats were taken. Only four people were in the front row so he regrettably took a seat there. Maybe I shouldn't make eye contact so I don't get picked…

After several classes of taking careful notes, Cloud realized that not in a million years would he learn about battle tactics in a regular school. He was ready to retire to the barracks when he heard yelling. Cloud peeked through a crack of a door to the training facilities, which he really wasn't supposed to, and saw an instructor with a group of students.

"Alright miscreants you know what you're supposed to do! Move!"

"Yes ma'am!" the group responded.

The instructor had long black hair with white streaks tied in a high ponytail, and she didn't appear lenient at all. Understatement of the year… Cloud wondered if this woman was going to teach him. This is probably intensive training, from how stressed they look it seems pretty brutal. The officer's stern golden eyes looked over her class and she yelled for six sprints around the gymnasium. "Come on I've seen a grangalan run faster than that! High knees!" She yelled. If she does end up teaching me. "My hearing will be gone by November." Cloud uttered quietly.

- - - Jingle Bells Batman Smells Robin Laid An Egg The Batmobile Lost Its Wheel And Joker Got Away! - - -

"Moved to tears?" Zack laughed. Angeal chuckled at the boy's five mile grin. "That was actually not bad. Good job pup." Zack scowled. "Seriously? Was that necessary?" "Of course it was." Sephiroth spoke.

The trio were currently walking through the halls to Sephiroth's office, hours after the little speech. Well, more like Zack was stalking the general and Angeal was ready to keep his apprentice in check. "Eh. But I know you guys accept me for my true colors! I have proof!" Zack exclaimed. "Proof?" Zack nodded.

"Bull."

"Now now, that speech was supposed to be uplifting. It did the job right? My true colors created that! See?~" Zack explained confidently. Angeal nodded with a 'yeah-i-see-your-point' expression. "Angeal, you are my friend and colleague correct?" Sephiroth asked seriously.

"Of course." Angeal replied with certainty.

"And you've been teaching Zackary for, 2 years now?" Sephiroth unlocked his door.

Angeal nodded.

"Then you know to keep him out of my office." Angeal and Zack were left locked outside, the former shocked he was actually outside the room. "And this is why nailing gelatin to a tree is so difficult." Angeal groaned. Zack smiled sheepishly and kept himself from saying anything for a full minute. New record. Zack knocked on the door quickly, gave Angeal a grin with a quick 'you're welcome!', and ran for his life. Zack was waltzing around one of Shinra's many lobby's and decided to pay a visit or two. "Hey Mai, how's it going?"

The secretary's lead snapped from the loud voice. "Lieu-, Zack hi." She smiled back warily. "Is there something you need me to look up?" Zack shook his head. "No nothing like that." Zack caught an idea and looked back at Mai. "Actually if you don't mind, can you try to look somebody up in the system? I'll buy you Wutainese for lunch! It's your favorite right?" Zack picked up a pencil and started twirling it around with his fingers. Mai took off her red glasses and rubbed her eyes, "I haven't had Wutainese in forever…Hmmm. Alright." She rested her chin on the edge of her palm. "Name?"

"Strife, he's a recruit." Zack watched her tap away at the keyboard and twist the monitor towards his direction. "This one?" The screen displayed a photo of the blond and information that was on his application sheet. "Yeah that's Spike. Or," Zack looked at Spike's full name. "Cloud Strife?" Zack smiled widely A fluffy cloud. The nicknames really can go on forever. "I remember this boy, he was really quiet. Why are you stalking him?" Mai said. Zack raised an eyebrow. "I am not 'stalking', I just want to know what makes this boy tick." The fez does 'nomadic' mean for hometown? Does he commute a lot? But he looks so young. This is gonna be more difficult than I thought, understanding you.

Zack tapped the desk a couple of times and aimed the monitor towards the girl. "Thank you fair maiden, your cooperation has been noted." Zack said with what he thinks is a 'British' accent. Mai gallantly kept in a laugh and sufficed with a smile. " 'Welcome." Zack smiled back and put back her pencil. " on Wednesday?" Mai shrugged an approval. The soldier walked off, whistling a tune.

- - - Jingle Bells Batman Smells Robin Laid An Egg The Batmobile Lost Its Wheel And Joker Got Away! - - -

A few class days passed by and Cloud was finally starting combat training. The gymnasium he was in was spacious and also contained a section for weights. Cloud hoped that his head wouldn't bust open from on of them. About forty other cadets were in the room with him and were in their little groups, some just standing against the walls. Please stop that... A couple of people were looking at him and talking quietly. However, Cloud didn't have a chance to think about what they were saying because a shrill whistle erupted along with the clacking of boots.

"ATTENTION!" The cadets immediately fell into line at the order. Ooooh. Cloud recognized the instructor to be that rather frightening woman he saw days ago. Just his luck for those thoughts coming true. "I am Officer Hikaru, you may call me Lusi but that's AS FAR as you're allowed! Got it?"

"Yes Ma'am..." A lot of the cadets were startled by the woman's extremely serious expression. "Excuse me? Do you fricking get it?!"

"Yes Ma'am!" The cadets tried to yell as loud as humanly possible, and Cloud could hear his ear pop. "Good! Now I'd like to get started with some maneuvers that could assi-" The double doors in the back of room slammed wide open and made the instructor's announcement stopped.

"Lusimarucha, how's your class going?" What. The. Frack. Zack waltzed into the room and left Cloud restraining himself from groaning. "Fair, I told you not to call me that!" Hikaru's face was red with anger and embarrassment. "But it's your name, it's only appropriate to call you by your name." The orphan watched the little dispute in mild amusement. Zack made eye contact with Cloud and the blond looked away immediately. He really didn't want attention towards himself. "Well, I just came in to inspect the recruits. I spot a lot of promise." Zack smiled at the group of students. Cloud raised eyes carefully. "Hey, watch it." Somebody next to him whispered harshly. He sorta stepped on the guy's boot and the other didn't look that pleased. "Sorry." Cloud mumbled.

"HEY." Footsteps approached Cloud and he wanted to cover his face with his scarf. "Were you speaking out of line cadet?" Cloud opened his mouth to speak hesitantly- "No, you know what? I know what I saw. Do you not take this seriously?" Officer Hikaru was giving him a glare that could smite demons. "I-I do, Ma'am."

"Oh really? Should I make you understand how important discipline is?" "I understand discipline Ma'am." Cloud noticed that Zack was eyeing him and he really wanted this moment to die. "FAIR." Lusi turned to Zack "Do you think that YOU need to show him what it's like out there?" Rhetorical, please let it be rhetorical. "Any spots open for infantrymen on your next mission?" Damn. "Uhhh I'll have to check..." Zack looked just about as awkward as Cloud did. "Then I'm assigning him to your next mission, so he sees he can't just fool around when a bullet is 2 centimeters away from his head." Ma'am. Where is that bullet now?

A/N: Ooooo They have to work togetherrrr!~ Yeah. lol Look forward to the next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated!