Cloud audibly growled when he saw the long line of cadets trying to cram themselves into the already small elevator. But seeing Jason lunging himself over the crowd and flopping onto the heads of their fellow classmates had Cloud laughing with tears in his eyes.

Wanting to actually get to his first class on time, Cloud decided he would rather take the stairs. Pulling the door to the stairway open, the small blonde began the long trek up to the 27th floor. Cloud's nerves hadn't let him sleep too well last night, not to mention the odd dreams that had occurred all night woke him constantly.

Gripping the railing, the blonde cadet began stair hopping as he made his way up the never ending stairwell.

Just as he was passing the door to the 20th floor, said door flew open; effectively knocking the little blonde onto the floor and rendering him unconscious.

Cloud woke to someone smacking him in the face, albeit gently, but slapping him none the less.

"Can you hear me yo? Oh geez don't be dead, I'd get in so much shit, and I really don't want to file all of that paper work yo." Cloud opened his bleary eyes and could vaguely make out some strange red blob hovering over his face.

"Huh…"

"Thank Odin you scared the shit outta me yo! I thought I had gone and killed another o' you guys." Cloud's response was somewhere between a grunt and an angry groan.

"Hey don't be like that yo, and since when do you SOLDIER cadets take the stairs anyway?"

Perhaps it was the head trauma, or the fact that he was probably late to his first class, or maybe it was the fact that the redhead had not only hit him with a steel door but then proceeded to smack him in the face, but Cloud was feeling extremely cocky right now.

"Since when do TURKs assault cadets with doors?"

"Heh, not bad kid. Not the best comeback I've heard, but not the worst either yo." The redhead lit a cigarette before proceeding to grab the little blonde's hand and hoist him to his feet.

"So where were you headed yo?"

"Battle Tactics." Cloud grumbled as he clutched at his head. Now he wasn't so sure if the TURK had hit him with a door or a train.

"You SOLDIERs, always gotta be on top eh?" Cloud glanced over to see his companion waggle his eyebrows in a not so subtle way.

"Uh, what?"

"He's innocent yo. How cute."

"I'M NOT CUTE!" Cloud shouted, waving his arms around as the TURK backed into the opposite wall.

"Heh, noted yo. So, do you need to go to the infirmary or what yo?"

Chapter 20: Tell him you do

Chapter 21: Tell him you don't

Author's Note: Reno, stop giving me so much trouble today would you? He did not want to make it easy to write for him today. Neither did Angeal. Sephiroth was just being anti-social, as always. Even if you don't read the other chapters, at least read the author's notes. They explain some things I didn't cover here. I can only repeat myself so many times before I start bashing my head against my computer desk. Anyway, Thank you for all of your support! Sincerely, Kay.