And I hereby introduce... Zack! Yay! Huzzah!

Zack Fair, SOLDIER Second Class, was walking down the hallway, just killing some time and amusing himself with imagining how it would sound to introduce himself as Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, when the sound of a voice, backed by an overly inflated ego sounded far enough away that it was only because of his mako enhanced hearing he could tell the words clearly.

"So this is where the little fag's been hiding? Have you been all grief stricken since your boyfriend went away?"

Zack frowned. That had not sounded like anything but an insult, and aside from the childishness of the wording, insulting people, who were obviously minding their own business (hiding?), was pretty rude.

"Are you sure you're not the one missing a boyfriend, Carman? After all, you're the one coming all the way out here just to see me. I'm sorry to disappoint you though. Contrary to popular belief, I don't swing that way." Sarcasm was dripping off the new voice, which was higher and smoother than the other and obviously came from the one who had been there first.

"You little brat!" The first voice growled. Or rather tried to but when his voice broke at the last word, the exclamation was rather less threatening than intended. Ah, the virtues of teenage boys. The next words, however, made a chill run down the SOLDIER's spine and he began hurrying towards the room where the commotion seemed to be happening. "Guys, get him!" The dull sound of wood meeting wood soon after made Zack break into a run.

He skidded to a halt outside the slightly ajar door of a training room. The sound of fighting could still easily be heard, at least by a SOLDIER standing right outside the room, and Zack surmised that the victim must've been holding his own against... well, however many others there were.

He banged the door open, hoping the sudden sound would simply make them all stop.

At his appearance only one of the four boys looked in his direction; one with bright golden, messy spikes for hair and a slight built, one who opened his mouth in surprise and cried "Zack!" Just before one of the two others (the third was lying on the floor, seemingly out cold) took advantage of his distraction and whacked him over the back of the head with his practise sword.

The small guy's knees gave out and he was on his knees, blinking in surprise before his eyes rolled up and he was falling forward almost in slow-motion. He was out cold before he hit the floor.

Zack rushed forward, just in time to violently wrench the weapon out of the hands of the biggest of the bullies before he could land a hit on the unconscious blonde. The SOLDIER kept the smaller one's hand in his grip, holding just tight enough that the kid would know he meant business. It had only been two years since he himself had been a cadet, his rise to Second Class had been swift in part thanks to the war, but he was a superior officer and while he didn't enjoy waving that fact under other people's noses for the sake of it, he would use his rank when he thought it necessary.

"What's your name and number, cadet?" He asked coldly. War was one thing but attacking a comrade who was down was beyond unforgivable.

"Why should I? Just because you're playin' all high'n mighty. Get lost."

Zack growled an tightened his hold on the kid's wrist, feeling bones strain under his fingers. "A Second Class SOLDIER is asking you a question, cadet. Name and number."

The cadet gulped as he finally recognized the uniform and realised that the unusual luminescence in the older boy's eyes wasn't all natural. "C-cadet Irwin Carman, sir, 033186-06C. I'm sorry sir, I mistook you for another cadet."

Zack nodded and let go, feeling the slightest prick of satisfaction as the cadet rubbed his hand. "Get you comrade to the infirmary." The boy in question seemed to be waking up. The blonde was still unconscious. "When you're all checked up, and I don't expect any of you to be kept there, you will report to commander Walker. I shall inform him of your transgression. You, cadet Carman, will be held responsible for making sure all three of you turn up. Dismissed."

And then, without so much as a glance in their direction, he knelt and scooped up the limp form of the small cadet and left for the infirmary.

He was still muttering angrily about solidarity and camaraderie when he arrived and delivered the boy into the arms of the nurses, who immediately called for the doctor to emerge from the back room. Zack warned them about the other three boys on their way, then left to report to Walker.

- - -

Cloud woke feeling wonderfully lethargic. Like sleeping in late on a Sunday morning and waking up to freshly baked buns with butter and jam. That is, he was feeling wonderfully lethargic until a headache hit him like speeding train. He groaned slightly and turned his head away from the light.

"Oh, he's waking up."

"Doctor, it says in his file that he's latrophobic, maybe..."

"Nonsense, Hella, Manley specifically noted that Strife could control it."

"Yes, but..."

Cloud slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, the room was much too bright, and he had to blink a bit to clear his vision and figure out where he was and why his head hurt as though it had been run over by a rabid chocobo. When he registered that the white splotch hovering over him was in fact a man in a white coat, his first response was to lash out before the instinct to flee took over. He was out of the bed and running towards the door before the dazed doctor or surprised nurse could react.

He had to get out. Panicked, jumbled thoughts of was running rampant in his head, urging him to go even faster, especially as his progress through the relatively small room was like running through jelly and he was going too slow and he felt half blind and maybe there was cotton in his ears because everything felt muted but he didn't have the time to check his ears, he simply had to get out.

The door opened before he could reach it and an older, muscular teen stepped through the door.

Friendly, his mind supplied helpfully through the jumble of thoughts. Not enemy.

And yet when he reached the other teen, he was caught and effectively retrained despite his best efforts to get lose and just run.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong chocobo? You shouldn't be running into people like that. Scratch that, considering the whack you took, you probably shouldn't be up and running at all."

In spite of the restraint exerted over him, Cloud found himself calming as the voice chatted on, not caring what it said, just that it made him feel less frightened.

Zack looked up the second the kid no longer seemed on the verge of trying to make a break for it and asked the room at large; "What the fuck?" The kid was leaning heavily on his shoulder still trembling slightly and more likely than not still woozy, but the SOLDIER thought it best to figure out what had happened before helping the cadet back to the bed he had abandoned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Zack." Man, he loved the fact that he was on first name basis with all the female staff. "Cadet Strife suffers from latrophobia, fear of doctors, however it was believed that he could control it. Can we ask you to stay? I mean, just until cadet Strife is conscious and fully aware of his surroundings again, of course." She fiddled with her sleeve a little, blushed and looked too damn adorable to refuse.

Zack looked down at the kid still leaning against him. Fear of doctors? That had to have been the understatement of the year, the kid had been terrified, ready to tear down whatever obstacle in the way of his escape. Fear of doctors... yeah, right, like calling Sephiroth 'strong'.

"Where is the doctor anyway?" He asked.

"Uh, well..." She hesitated, shooting a look around the room. The Second Class noted that the three bullies from earlier had left, probably dragging their feet to Walker's office. Good, would've probably only made it worse if any of them had seen the cadet's panic attack, what had Hella called him? Strife? ...That was sort of a very cool name. "Cadet Strife knocked him out when he woke up and found doctor Howe about to check on him."

Zack coughed discreetly, trying and failing to hide his amusement. He remembered Doctor Howe from when he had been subject to the man's attentions after having gotten into a fight or two and the man had always seemed patronizingly overbearing and self righteous.

The nurse smiled shyly, probably knowing what went on in the SOLDIER's mind. "I tried to warn him that the circumstances were different, seeing as cadet Strife was unconscious, but cadet Strife woke up before I could."

So. The kid had woken up and the first thing he did was lash out at a perceived threat. Regardless of whether the threat had been real, that was some reflexes.

"Well, you two take care of the dear doctor, I'll supervise Strife."

While they had been talking, Cloud was slowly calming down. Enough so that when the teen he had been leaning against gently pushed him in the direction of one of the beds, he went on his own. The SOLDIER stayed right behind him, hovering a bit until they both sat down on the edge of the bed.

So, Cloud thought. He had knocked down the doctor apparently. That was almost funny except for the fact that the vestiges of the panic that had overwhelmed him earlier was still making him jumpy and search the room for the threat.

"Strife was it?" Cloud simply nodded, his eyes still roaming the room, noticing the two nurses crouching by one of the other beds. "Hey, Spiky, I'm talking to you, didn't your mother teach you to look at people when your talking with them?"

Cloud looked up into a pair of luminous, indigo eyes. Mako eyes. "Y-you're a SOLDIER!" He exclaimed, surprised and suddenly all but forgetting about the rest of the room. It was the first time he had seen a SOLDIER up close.

"Damn right I am, SOLDIER Second Class Zack Fair, at your humble service." He made a little bow from his sitting position, even though the introduction was obviously unnecessary, since the cadet had recognized him on sight before. Pride swelled a little in his chest, maybe he would even soon get a real fan club like the one all the Firsts had? But if Strife was a fan, he'd have to be gentle and not overwhelm him, despite the urge to jump him and just crush him to his chest. Besides, the kid was still looking a little frightened. Wait, if he was a fan shouldn't he already know that Zack was in SOLDIER?

Deciding stuff like that was for later contemplation, he got his prioroties in order. First, calm down the cadet. "So, Strife, that's a pretty unusual name...?"

Cloud shrugged, uncomfortable. "I guess."

"It's pretty cool. Fair's unusual too, but it's nowhere near as cool as Strife. It sounds like a judge's name, doesn't it? Or perhaps a woman's? I suppose it depends on what kinda 'fair' you're talking about." He smiled, reassuring the cadet that he wasn't being resentful or anything, just talking.

"I like it," said cadet piped up. "It's..." Reassuring. Safe. "Nice."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is. I just wish people hadn't called me Fairy back when I was a kid. Can't tell you how many fights I was in because of that nick name." He grinned. "Of course, once I became a cadet and people realised that I was a combat genius, they stopped." Cloud rolled his eyes. "Hey! At least I haven't started any rows since I was ten. They were all started by everyone else." He smiled proudly, knowing he was distracting the smaller boy, who was beginning to regain his colour. He noted out of the corner of his eyes that Dr. Howe was walking, although escorted by the two nurses, to the back room.

"So... your accent's not Midgar. Where're you from?"

"Nibelheim."

"Huh. Never heard of it. Small?"

"Uh-huh."

"Reactor?"

"Yeah."

"Huh, me too. Gongaga." He grinned. The only other country boys he had met in Shinra had fallen out of the SOLDIER program or never even dared enter. "So's it holding true? The small town and one reactor theory?"

"Yup. Nothing else out there. ...Unless you count trees and monsters. Plenty of those." What was it about this SOLDIER that made him feel so at ease and, dare he think it, talkative? The blonde hid a frown.

"Really? What kinda monsters do you have then? In Gongaga we were mostly dealing with touch mes and kimara bugs although if you were really unlucky, you could run into a flower prong. Everything else stayed well away from the village."

"Dragons, nibel wolves and valrons were the most serious threats really."

"Wow, that sounds cool. In a sort of morbid and dangerous way."

"None of those ever actually ventured really close to the village, only lesser, stealthier monsters ever did that, so it wasn't so bad."

"Still. Dragons, man. Wow." He was about to ask some more questions when the door opened and a new set of footsteps entered. Cloud went rigid, his mouth snapping close with an audible click of teeth. Zack turned and nodded at the new doctor, who had entered. Dr. Bowen was a much better doctor in Zack's own not-so-humble opinion. For one, she was a woman, which was always a plus, for another she was incredibly patient and thankfully lacked Howe's penchant for superiority complexes.

"Hello, Ann, you look as fine as ever, are you still insisting that your lab coat isn't tailored just for you?"

"Still flirting, I see. You can't be the one they called me in on my day off to check on, right?"

"Come on, you know that if I was actually really hurt, they'd had me in another section altogether. 'S Cloud here, you gotta check up on." 'Cloud here' had turned pale again although not as bad as he had been. He was continuously shooting glances between Zack, the doctor and the door. "You might wanna read his file first, though."

She frowned, but retreated into the back room where the terminal keeping all the files on the cadets were kept. One of the nurses emerged, not Hella, Judith, and began straightening the bed where Cloud had been until his panic attack and subsequent clubbing of the doctor on duty.

"So... latrophobia, huh?"

The boy looked decidedly uncomfortable and rather embarrassed. How cute.

"I guess we all have them. Irrational fears, I mean."

That made the kid blink and directing a disbelieving gaze at the SOLDIER. "You can't have phobias," he stated, as though it was the most illogical thought to ever have been processed.

"Oh, really?"

"You're a SOLDIER!"

"Yes, I know." He grinned at the continuously doubtful look sent his way. "I'm still human though."

"But... but..." He was flailing, obviously trying to reconcile the picture of an unbeatable warrior in his head with this new revelation. "Then what is it?"

"Can you keep a secret?" The flat stare he received for that almost made him laugh outright. "Spiders."

Strife was staring at him, mute for a couple of seconds. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Would this face lie to you?" His best innocent face could probably get him out of a charge of murder, although obviously he had never tried, but if exaggerating it sufficiently was enough to make the kid try and suppress his mirth with a cough, then he didn't mind looking stupid. "Really. I don't care if it's big spiders, almost the bigger the easier to deal with, really, I just don't like the thought of the small, fast ones... crawling on me." He shuddered theatrically, noting that the kid was hiding another grin with his fist. Well, mission accomplished, Strife had calmed down again.

"You know, I still only know your surname. Isn't it a bit rude when you know my full name and title?"

"Uh..." He was still trying not to laugh, that little runt. "Clou... I mean cadet Cloud Strife, sir."

The SOLDIER grimaced. "Please don't call me sir? It makes me feel old. I used to call my uncle 'sir' and he was this huge old man with a beard! Do I have a beard? No. I barely even have to shave yet, I most certainly do not have a beard, so I will not accept you calling me 'sir'. At all."

"Uh, okay, Fai-.."

"Zack. Call me Zack."

"Zack, then." They both smiled, just as Dr. Bowen emerged into the room once again with a clip folder in her arms and nurse Hella on her heels.

"So, I understand you have a rather acute case of latrophobia? At least considering the shiner, Dr. Howe is sporting." She couldn't quite hide the amused gleam in her eyes.

"Uh, sorry ma'am, he surprised me." Zack had to blink at the shift in the cadet's demeanour. Going from grinning and talking with confidence to a SOLDIER Second, he had just done a one-eighty and was now talking in almost hushed tones, hands forming fists before loosening only to become fists again and he kept his eyes firmly trained on the doctor to the exclusion of all else.

"Surprised you?" She asked mildly. If she was trying to calm the kid down, she was not succeeding. His hands were fisted into the covers now, trembling slightly. He was still staring straight at the doctor.

"I was waking up and he was hovering over me. It surprised me. I didn't have time to understand what was going on before he was there."

"Hmm... Manley did write a note that you were controlling it even if that was when you were fully conscious. I'm surprised you had such a panic attack over it though. That's... unusual to say the least. Do you have any idea what might have caused this fear?"

"No."

"No? Most latrophobic people are afraid that their doctor's going to pronounce them dead or the fear's an extension from a fear of needles or the like. Are you cer-..."

"I don't know, okay? When I was five I hit my head and got amnesia and when I woke up I was just mysteriously afraid of doctors. My mum says I never had that fear before, so I just. Don't. Know!" How could he explain that blinding certainty that he was going to be hurt really, really badly? He started when he realised that both Zack, the nurse and the doctor was staring at him in surprise. The nurse was even adopting a look f reproach. Then he remembered what he had just said and more importantly in what tone it had been said in. "Sorry, ma'am," he mumbled. "It's just... frustrating."

"That's... quite alright. I-I understand."

"Can you just get this over with, please? I don't really feel comfortable in medical facilities." The disinfected smell overriding any living smells had been a constant in the back of his mind, regularly reminding him of where he was and why.

Understanding his predicament she checked his eyes and temperature quickly and efficiently while doing her best to avoid sudden movements, as those seemed to make him flinch. He answered her questions of whether there was pain, aching or experiencing a lack of sensation with as few words as possible, although he kept strictly respectful.

"Well, you have a slight concussion, but otherwise you seem no worse for wear. You're gonna have to drink a potion, obviously, and I'd like to keep you here the rest of the day at least, for observation and rest but..." Her predicament was fairly obvious; with Cloud so obviously tense and on edge, there was very little chance he'd get any sort of rest in the infirmary but she couldn't send him back to his dorm alone.

Lucky for her, Zack Fair was there to save the day. "I don't mind supervising." One of the nurses came over with the potion Dr. Bowen had asked for and it was handed to Cloud with a stern stare. The blonde didn't hesitate in downing the concoction.

"Oh, no, we can't ask a SOLDIER to look after a cadet." She looked scandalized at the very idea, not to mention any actual execution of it.

Zack merely shrugged and smiled winningly. "I'm off duty, I have nothing to do and to be frank I was bored outta my pants. I was really only looking for trouble to get involved in when I heard the commotion." His smile turned lopsided, just the right mix of casual flirting and sincerity. It might not work on Angeal, unless Angeal let it work of course, but he had never met a woman he couldn't peg and he had known Ann for some time now.

Angeal was the whole reason he was finding himself so bored in the first place, since the man had left him to go on a mission with Sephiroth. Normally, his mentor would be deployed with himself, however since this was merely a mission to impress the peace delegation from Wutai (or show them superior strength, something like that) ShinRa had chosen to go with its two top dogs.

Genesis was somewhere else in the building, a training room probably, destroying things. Apparently his temper wasn't appropriate for a mission of this sort.

Zack wasn't resentful though, he'd far prefer to stay here where he could do something rather than standing at the back of some stupid diplomat, who wasn't even there to bring peace, just to get the Wutaians to capitulate. The SOLDIER Second knew he'd lose his temper at the pretence. Then again, both sides probably knew that peace talk wasn't the true agenda, it was just an excuse to fall back, regroup and take a breather.

Zack felt his smile was becoming a little strained at the depressing thought process. Dr. Ann Bowen capitulated.

"Just make sure he doesn't sleep in the next five hours. And get him a double serving at dinner, using a potion to accelerate the healing can be pretty tough on your metabolism. Besides, I doubt it'd hurt him." Zack threw her a smart salute before herding the smaller boy out the door. Amazing how he had kept so quiet in there.

"Hey, sorry about, yanno, talking over your head and stuff," Zack apologized once they were out of normal hearing range of the infirmary. "Didn't mean to ignore you or anything." Giving a sheepish chuckle, he placed both hands behind his head, his fingers buried in soft midnight spikes.

"It's okay," the other teen replied in his quiet, smooth voice.

"So... what happened in there? I only came because I heard the Carman kid half the floor away, why'd he come bother you like-" He stopped as he noticed Cloud's glare. The fuck? Oh. "Ah sorry. Didn't mean to imply you were childish." Carman though didn't seem to have much of a chance of actually getting into SOLDIER. Receiving mako shots and surviving demanded a somewhat flexible mind, which was part of the reason they were never administered to clean individuals above the age of eighteen.

"Anyways. Real impressive there, that you could keep all three at bay, even incapacitating one, top o' the class, huh?"

Cloud rolled his eyes at Zack's assumption, wondering what in the world had happened. He was by far the worst in his class. Even if it supposedly was the best class, he still sucked. And he hadn't just been holding the three bullies at bay, he had been winning until he was distracted. His entire body was almost singing with elation now that he was away from the infirmary and he desperately wanted to share that he wasn't useless with a sword, it was just that Mårdh made him so damn unbalanced with all his nitpicking. He had just held off three other cadets, and while neither of them were the best, that title was reserved for Fuentes as Mårdh pointed out time and again, they had all received their fair share of praise.

And he had been winning in a three-on-one battle.

But then, it felt a little like bragging to tell the SOLDIER walking next to him, and he somehow desperately didn't want to give the wrong impression and make him go away. Besides, he really didn't know what had happened, he had just reacted, and if he couldn't repeat it...

"It was just... a freak incident," he hedged, thankful that the guy hadn't interrupted him while he pulled his thoughts together.

"A freak incident?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. "They underestimated me, so they had lots of openings."

"Hmm." He still sounded doubtful, but let it rest. "So! Cadet. Like being in the army?"

They lapsed into a discussion about army protocol and ways to get around it. Cloud had started out hesitant, knowing that he was after all speaking to a SOLDIER, a superior officer, but his worries about saying too much or being disrespectful was soon put to rest as Zack laughing told him about a teacher he had had, who had been subject to a rather cruel joke combining the man's tendency to always have a glass of water in class and a tasteless, colourless laxative. The SOLDIER insisted that he hadn't been involved as more than a spectator, but that it had been fun to watch nevertheless.

After a little coaxing, Cloud told a bit of his trouble with Mårdh. Zack frowned.

"Always remember to give people the respect they're due, but don't forget that you're due some respect in return. Of course, you can't demand that while you're only a cadet, but you still gotta remember it."

Cloud was genuinely thankful for the advice. It felt... nice, after the almost constant derisive comments he had been subjected to, to be told that he deserved respect. He hadn't really noticed, but the constant barrage had been wearing him down and now he didn't even have Martin to distract him.

They went to Cloud's dorm since Cloud had to rest, something the boy vehemently denied but with Zack on he other end, he really was given little choice. At least the rest of his dorm mates didn't see him being forced to lie down while Zack sat against the wall, since they were still in class or doing homework in the library until dinner.

At dinner, Zack insisted that Cloud followed him to the SOLDIER mess hall, since Cloud wouldn't have to deal with any stress by his comrades. The blond cadet rolled his eyes at the excuse, pretty certain it was because the food for the SOLDIERs were better.

It was more problematic after dinner, as their room saw a great deal more traffic. Zack had collected his sword and a maintenance kit and was absently sharpening, cleaning and oiling, while talking with Cloud or whoever else came into the room. Except the one time Irwin am in. The boy received a smile with far too many teeth, just as Zack was testing the edge of his blade. Needless to say he disappeared quite quickly. Most of the others disappeared rather fast as well, once they realised Zack was a SOLDIER and Angeal's protégé to boot.

Cloud had refused to lie down again and had placed his pillow and covers against his head board, so he could sit comfortably, doing circuit calculations for ME while every so often commenting on Zack's ongoing monologue.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face not longer after Zack had left.

NOTE: I fucking love Zack. Oh, who am I kidding? Everyone loves Zack XD How can you not love Zack?

Now that that's over with... *bangs head into a wall* I can't seem to get Cloud's characterization down. He keeps wanting to fluctuate between mature and immature, angsty and not-angsty, happy and freaking angry. And the shifts are friggin sudden! Ugh. I don't even have these kinda mood swings when I'm PMSing, geez.

Btw, the title is still tentative. You're still welcome to suggest other possibilities.

And now that I don't have to deal with freak OCs (seriously, wtf, Martin just butted in!) I will likely pull the pace down a little, be a little more detailed. It will, however, also mean that less actual stuff will happen in each chapter..

And to Johnny-on-the-spot: I like keeping my chapters short, to tell you the truth. Well, for now at least. Ensures relatively regular updates, you know?

Also. Disabling PMs is rude *pouts* I usually reply to all of my reviewers with cookies and thanks. Which reminds me... where are my cookies?

Reviews are welcome as ever! I give you cookies! Mmmh, coookies...