I don't know why but I pretty much had to force out this chapter…

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII nor its characters. I also don't own the ideas taken from Love Monster.

Cloud wasn't sure whether he was having a bad day or just another really weird day. Without Reno there, everything seemed a bit wrong in a sense.

Normally he'd just pair off with Reno for hand to hand but instead, as soon as it looked like Johnny was about to grab him, Lieutenant Fair came out of nowhere and dragged him into a corner, shoving a piece of paper into his face. He recognised it as the letter he had sent to General Sephiroth declining his invitation to join the mentoring programme.

"Explain Spikey."

Cloud blinked in surprise. "I declined?"

"Yes…" Zack drew out the word in an obvious tone. "I know you did. What I would like to know is why you did so, because I won't take the fact that you think you're not good enough as an answer."

Cloud was guessing that 'Reno doesn't trust you within ten feet of me,' wasn't a good enough answer either.

He glanced around the room and noticed that, although they couldn't hear them a lot of the other cadets were watching them, or more specifically, Johnny and that rat that he still hadn't learnt the name of, were looking like they wanted to burn holes into the two of them.

"Do you mind if we discussed this without my peers listening in and watching us?"

Zack blinked at him for a moment as if he was just processing Cloud's words before he looked around. Most of the cadets that had been staring at them quickly averted their attention elsewhere.

Cloud didn't even have the chance to think before Zack grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of the training hall. After a short walk and an elevator ride he was practically thrown onto Zack's couch while the Lieutenant settled himself into another couch opposite him. Angeal walked out to see what the commotion was about and as soon as he noticed the serious look on Zack's face, he walked straight back into the room he had previously been occupying.

"Now explain."

Cloud seemed to stare at Zack for a long time while he thought over his possible answer. His main concern after all had been Reno. The weasel was only just reaching his dream and if Cloud was with Zack, it would just cause Reno more concern, not that he wasn't already concerned over the other cadets and their frequent cornering but that probably wouldn't be an answer that Zack would accept.

"Sir, have you ever been bullied before?"

Zack looked somewhat taken aback from the question. Hell even Cloud himself was surprised that the question came out of his mouth. Zack looked thoughtful for a moment before he finally lent back on his seat.

"Can't say that I have."

"You ever heard the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions?"

"A few times… Never really understood that saying actually…"

Cloud just shook his head and thought for a moment before he decided to just get straight to the point. "Basically what I'm trying to say is that if I join the mentoring programme it will just give my peers a reason to be jealous and more of a reason to corner me in dark hallways just to beat the hell out of me because I'm getting special treatment and they're not. Not to mention, in case you haven't noticed, Reno's no longer around so I'm pretty much stuck on my own."

Zack seemed to stare at Cloud for a long time while he tried to process what Cloud was trying to explain before it hit him. So that's what Luxiere meant when he said that Cloud had no one else but Reno. A small grin started making its way across Zack's face and Cloud looked a bit worried before he was suddenly yanked out of his chair.

"Come on Spikey we need to go see someone."

Cloud pretty much froze in both shock and surprise as Zack wrapped his hand around his wrist and dragged him back out of the apartment and into one of the nearby elevators.

"Sir… Where are we going?"

"To see General Sexy." Zack pulled out a piece of paper from his pocked and shoved it in Cloud's face. The cadet vaguely wondered if Zack thought of a new name to call General Sephiroth every time he saw or talked about him, along with wondering why Sephiroth was requesting a meeting with him about his declining joining the mentoring programme.

He didn't have that much time to think because before he knew it, he was being dragged out of the elevator and down a familiar hallway. Zack didn't even stop as he burst through the door to the General's office. Said General merely moved the papers that he seemed to have been working on to the side of his desk and put one of the trays of papers on the floor just as Zack dumped Cloud in the only guest chair and sat himself on the desk where the tray had previously been.

"Um… Sir…?" Cloud stared at Sephiroth a bit awkwardly wondering if it would be weird if he stood up again just to salute.

"Lieutenant Fair I thought I told you to just give the paper to him, not force him into coming to my office as soon as you could." Sephiroth said as he turned his attention to his Lieutenant.

"I just wanted to be here when you talked to Spikey General Sex on legs." Zack grinned back at Sephiroth while Cloud just sat there guessing that the General was used to Zack's random names because the only reaction Zack got was a slight twinge of an eyebrow before Sephiroth turned his attention back to Cloud.

"I believe you know what you're here for cadet."

"Yes sir."

A small grin appeared on Sephiroth's face at the Halfling's reply and Cloud didn't know whether he should be happy or somewhat worried over the look. "Despite the fact that Lieutenant Fair was the one that originally forged my handwriting and sent you that recommendation in the first place."

Cloud couldn't even bring himself to be surprised about that while Zack made an indignant sound in the background.

"I believe that for the sake of this army he had a good idea. Since my Lieutenant is mostly brawn and nearly no brain…"

Another indignant sound came from Zack's general direction.

"… I believe that he'll be the best person to train you in areas that you lack."

Just as Cloud was about to open his mouth and decline again Zack piped up. "Tell him about the perks Seph."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at this before he spoke up again. "If you choose to accept the recommendation you'll be moved into Zack's quarters, seeing as how he's the one that's going to be training you. When you become a SOLDIER you'll be moved into your own quarters. You'll no longer have to attend regular classes, only you'll still need to pass some written exams, but I'm sure that Zack can help you out with everything but anything maths based is beyond him so you'll have to study all that on your own."

Cloud looked somewhat surprised at this. He thought that he'd still be stuck in the barracks if he joined in… But if he was staying with Zack, then Reno wouldn't have to worry so much about him anymore, well despite the fact that he didn't trust Zack as far as he could throw him. Either way accepting Zack as a mentor was looking more and more appealing by the second.

"Also you'll get a higher pay check." Zack added.

"And you get a higher pay check." Sephiroth repeated while rolling his eyes at Zack. "It's only slightly higher than regular cadets though."

Cloud seemed to think over their words for a moment before he turned his attention on Zack. There was one more thing that's bugging him. "General Rhapsodos…"

Sephiroth let off a large sigh at that while Zack just grinned. He jumped off Sephiroth's desk and ruffled Cloud's hair while the Halfling fought the urge to knock the hand away. "Don't worry your little head over it Spikey. If General stick up his ass does anything to you he'll have to answer to me."

Cloud didn't know whether he should be relieved or worried at Zack's words.