Well so here is the 1 chapter and the story really starts now ;P Hopefully it is to your liking. I still have to work on the personalities so the characters might seem a bit OC.

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! Not the characters! However, I really wish I could own them and then Seph wouldn't go crazy and Zack wouldn't have died.

THIS IS YAOI! BOYS LIKES BOYS! DON'T LIKE DON'T READ!

THANKS TO: Princess Turk

[ THE FATEFUL MEETINGS ]

Cloud Strife was on his way into the building. The Shinra Company's logo shone brightly in the sun, but it didn't cheer up the young boy a bit. He was nervous and all alone, making the decision to leave and join Shinra has been easy, but leaving his mom wasn't easy. It was always just the two of them as long as he could remembered, the other citizens in Nibelheim, weren't exactly neighbor friendly.

Letting out a long sigh, he composed himself before swinging the door open to his hopefully, new home. It has been said that joining SOLDIER wasn't easy and for him it would be a lot more difficult. He was really small for his age. His baby blue eyes, blond gravity defying hair together with his small and fragile frame only made him look more innocent and naive. Those who knew him knew that he was far from being innocent and naive, unfortunately, there were very few people who knew him. He had no friends and was always treated as the outsider.

Coming to Shinra, brought him hope. Hope for a better future in a place where people would treat him as an equal. It might have been stupid with the SOLDIER is founded with classes, but the classes only divide those who have worked hard and succeed and those who were still fighting for a place. At least that was what he thought before he came here.

//////

It was the same. Once again he was being treated like an outsider, the perfect bully victim. The hope of a new and happy home went down the drain. He knew. The gut feeling has already told him, that everything would turn out like they did at home, but he didn't want to believe that. There was nothing he could do. What did the people have against him?

Taking a deep breath, he bended down slowly to gather his things. Carefully, he avoided putting weight on his right side. He was filled with rage when he found the picture of him and his mother completely ruined. Clenching his teeth together he moved his hand to pick up the picture, but was stopped as a foot stomped down right on it. Unable to hold back his rage, he shouted loudly.

"Would you mind! If you people can't leave me alone then the least you can do is watching where you going!" Angrily he shoved the foot away and took up the picture hurryingly. He looked up to give the person a glare, but stopped in his track. The person he was just shouting at, was a SOLDIER, and by the looks of it he was a very high ranked one at that. Gulping, and suddenly feeling very self-conscious and nervous, he stood straight and gave the SOLDIER a wobbly salute.

"I'm so sorry, Sir!" He immediately apologized and looked everywhere but the said SOLDIER. It was clearly that he was going to be punished. However, to his surprise the SOLDIER only began to chuckle before he burst out laughing. Taken by surprise Cloud could only stand gaping at him, and for the first time their eyes met. Violet orbs meeting the baby blues, becoming lost in each other and the laughter finally died down.
"Well hello there," The SOLDIER, being the one recovering from the awkwardness first greeted smilingly, but when he saw that the rookie cadet was still saluting. He said gently, "At ease cadet..."

"Strife." Came a timid reply at first, but finding his confident boost he gave a new salute. "Cadet Cloud Strife, Sir!"

"As I said, at ease Cadet Strife, and drop the Sir. I'm Zack Fair, so just call me Zack. It seems like you shouldn't let your things float around. I apologize for stepping on your stuff." Zack bent down to help him gathering his things.

"No, it was my fault. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have said all those stuff to you." Cloud stuffed his bag with the rest of his things and was avoiding Zack's gaze.

"Nah, it's fine. It's kind of funny anyway. I didn't know, that someone like you could be so harsh." Zack gave other chuckle before the frown on Cloud's face stopped him. "Hey, don't take it personal. I mean you are cute. No! What I mean is that you know, just seem so... ah... I'm babbling, aren't I?" He scratched his neck sheepishly. "Anyway, nice meeting you Cloud and remember don't take it personal!" Giving Cloud a little wave, he ran away in another direction. Dumbfounded, Cloud found himself walking towards the cadet's barracks. That SOLDIER was weird.

//////

"Gosh, that wasn't the best thing to say," Zack mumbled to himself as he made his way to his new apartment. Normally he would be gloating, now that he has become a First Class SOLDIER, but after the Cadet Selection, his mind has made a one-way track straight to one of the cadets. He didn't know why, but something made him wanted to speak and protect him. His baby blue eyes were clear as sky on a sunny day and deep as the ocean. His blond spiky hair forming his small face making him looked like a-

"SURPRISE!"

He found himself falling down on his butt as the door to his new apartment opened. Pouting, he looked up as his closest friends laughed, looking down at him. Angeal, his mentor, was chuckling softly. Genesis was smiling widely, holding his camera for future blackmailing. Even Sephiroth slipped an amused smile. The worst was Reno, who nearly fell on the floor laughing.

"Hey Fair, we did plan to surprise you, but didn't know you would fall on your ass, yo!" Leaning forward Reno reach out a hand to his friend, but Zack grew mischievous and dragged Reno down with him instead. The two's limbs ended up tangled with other as they started to wrestle each other.

"If you two are done playing in front of Zack's door, come inside so we can start eati-" Cutting Angeal off before he could finish his sentence, Zack already has pushed Reno aside and was now running straight into the kitchen. A familiar aroma filled his senses and he was nearly moved to tears. He turned around to face Angeal again, giving him his most grateful smile. Angeal shook his head, but gave him a smile in return. Zack's eyes were lit up like a dog when, it got a bone.

"Come on, what are you standing there smiling for, if you don't start to dig in you won't get some of your Ma's amazing stew." Reno smirked as the comment hit home and Zack started to dig in so fast that he nearly choked.

"Geez, one would believe that after you've join the First you will quit being a puppy. Guess once a puppy always a puppy, right Angeal?" Genesis said amusingly ignoring the glare Zack sent.

"At least one would think he would grow into a dog." Angeal grinned patting Zack on his back. Ignoring the two, Zack turned to Sephiroth, who has been sitting quietly for himself.

"So Seph, you don't have anything to back them up right? Because you really don't need to back them up!" Sephiroth gave him his usual look, saying 'My name is Sephiroth', before he took delight in giving the puppy his gift. A bone.

"Man, will you stop it? I'm not a puppy!" Zack groaned, messing up his spiky hair in annoyance.

"And I'm not a fox, you just have to live with it, man." Reno gave him a sly look and catching it Zack grinned. Angeal and Sephiroth sighed, seemed like they only gave fuel to the mischievous duo, while Genesis only looked amused if not intrigued.

//////

While Zack and his friends were happily chatting and celebrating, Cloud wasn't quite as lucky. He forgot that he would be living in the barracks, which were filled with cadets. All the cadets seemed to have a problem with him. It wasn't like it was his fault that he had the features he had. He didn't see what made him a bully target, but he would do what he could to avoid them. It wasn't easy though.

Already expecting more unfair treatment, he didn't find it shocking that he has been giving the most uncomfortable bunk and its location was meant to make it worse. It lay beside the only window, which was open and it was also where the sun would come through, first thing when it stood up. Luckily, they didn't know that he was quite comfortable rising with the sun, and he was also accustomed to the cold, having lived in the snow filled Nibelheim. The tattered blanket wouldn't give him any comfort against the cold, and his pillow has somehow magically disappeared.

Folding the few garments he has brought with him, he put them into his bag, using it as a replacement for a pillow. To his dismay, they have even gone as far as to ruin his bed. It was nearly soaked and there weren't any dry spot. Closing his eyes tiredly, he took a deep breath before he breathed it out slowly.

"Don't think about it, don't care about it. Just keep ignoring it." He muttered for himself.

"Ignoring what? Talking to yourself, Strife." Burk mocked him while Shaun and Nathan laughed loudly and false. "It only makes you sound more insane. Wait, when were you ever sane?" He laughed and spits flew out of his mouth, nearly hitting Cloud.

"What have you done?" Shaun continued to taunt him. "So terrified on your first day that you wet your bed, Strife?"

"Too bad you can't be running to mom, huh, Mamaboy. You shouldn't even be allowed here." Nathan added spilling his juice over Cloud as he lent forward. "Oh, my bad. My hand just slipped.

Finally after being fed up with him as he didn't reply or do anything, the bullies left him alone. The barracks wasn't divided into rooms. There were only bunks beds around, divided in pairs whereas he was the only one with a single bed. It was like they expected to have an odd number of cadets. This meant everyone who was in the barracks heard or saw what happened, but none of them said a word or tried to help him. They kept to their own business. It was normal, wasn't it? Befriend to the victim, was like turning yourself into one too.

Deciding to not feel sorry for himself, he stood and grabbed something to change into, before leaving the barracks to find the bathrooms.

//////

Reno was walking whistling for himself. The party at Zack has long ended, and he was quite buzzed. Right now he just wanted to lie down in bed. Originally, he would be sleeping off at Zack's, but he had early duties tomorrow, unlike Zack who had the day off, and he was known to be really loud in the mornings.

So here he was wobbling his way to his own apartment, when he suddenly collided with someone, making both of them fall onto the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow. Damn this will definitely not help the already hangover I'll be suffering in the morning." Reno swore as he held his head, trying to not let the world around spin. "Who are you? Don't you know that if past curfew and how dare you crash into Reno of the Turk, yo!"

"Sir, I'm sorry, sir. I'm on my way to the barracks, sir!" Cloud immediately started to apologize.

"Fuck! Enough with the sorry and sirs, as if I don't have a bad enough headache." Looking up he wanted to vent his irritation, but seeing his eyes stopped him. They were so blue. They shone brightly as if there were Mako in them, but at the same time. There wasn't any sigh of the greenish Mako.

It was dark, and Reno being in the conditions he was, couldn't make out the face in front of him. Only the eyes told him who it could have been. It wasn't anyone he knew, because he would never have forgotten such captivating eyes. It was like you could have drowned in them or flying in the blue sky. Suddenly, he found it oddly alike what Zack has been describing earlier, but right now his mind couldn't process what it was.

He was starting to question the person, when the person fled. His eyes showed shock and fair before footsteps leading away could be heard. Hell, his headache was getting worse and he got nothing by running into the guy. No names and no faces, only a pair of lovely blue eyes.

NEXT: THE START OF WHAT?

So Cloud already met Zack and Reno, but don't worry he will meet Sephiroth soon too ;P Well see ya next time and hope ya all like this ! ;D

Review?