A/N: Those who had only seen the movie and not played the game, Cloud is not OOC here, he was a cocky and an arrogant jerk in the beginning of the game, then a playful and funny one as the game progresses because of Zack's traits and his own personality (See Crisis Core). I know, I know, he gives us all a headache specially how he turned out in Advent Children after all the events had occured in the past and Geostigma being the last straw for him to sunk into depression and turn into a such a gloomy but smexy man.

Final fantasy and its characters is solely owned by Square-enix (Formerly Squaresoft).

Chapter one

Mako blue eyes snapped open along with a slight gasp of breath, he knew he was dreaming but he had forgotten it and he knew it was not the reason why he was woken up. He listened intently to his surroundings and it made his eyebrows furrow when he finally realized what had what had greatly disturbed him from his deep slumber.

What the...?

He could hear Barret's loud and pressumably angry voice downstairs, he looked at the clock on the nightstand with squinted eyes, it was fifteen minutes before six in the morning. He groaned then heard the door slamming shut downstairs, it was so loud that the items in his nightstand waggled a little.

Someone's being hormonal. Maybe it's his time of the month. He thought with a sigh.

Let us start with that thought first. When someone would look at him, the blonde, spiky haired him, whom you would mistaken as a chocobo when his head would be peeking a little from a fence or a low brick wall, and his most of the time stoic face that looked like he doesn't give a crap in the world, one would think that Cloud Strife 'doesn't know that kind of stuff'. Wrong. Being stuck with sexually deprived males in his time with Shinra Electrical company when he was joining SOLDIER had taught him things that he hadn't intended to learn, be it an accidental eavsdropping from the group of guys discussing women and their bodies from the next table at lunch or his bunkmates taking turns in talking about their sexual encounters, which most of them, Cloud pressumed, were lies, he had even learned about things he didn't know existed and was being done that had him questioning if they were some kind of animal or something.

Cloud let out a frustrated sigh while he still lied on his back in the bed. He still wanted to sleep but Barret's morning tantrum made sure that he wouldn't be able to go back. He rubbed his face with a sigh then scratched his head lazily. He slowly sat up and looked around sleepily while he smacked his dry lips together, then slowly slid his leg down the edge of the bed before he stood up to get his towel hanging on the back of the door to take his shower. He hung the towel on his shoulder before he opened the door to go to the single bathroom that they all shared at their home in the Sector seven Midgar slums.

Seventh heaven, that was the name of the place he's been staying in, it was a bar and a home at the same time. He first ended up there weeks ago when he found the place while he was wondering about in the Midgar slums, he was exhausted, weak and didn't have any money, so he decided to go in and sit down for a while. But as soon as he entered the door, a big gun arm was directly in his chest, it's owner eyed him with eyes filled with fury and hatred. It took him by surprise momentarily before he composed himself with all his might and glared back at the large man. He remembered how their conversation went.

"Who the fuck are you?" Barret asked him coldly.

"And why should I tell you?" He responded in equal coldness, trying to act normal when in reality, he wanted to fall over like a a heavy sack of rice that's been left alone in a corner and lost it's balance, all from hunger, thirst and exhaustion. He raised an eyebrow instead,, Barret did the same.

"Who do you think you are marchin' down in 'ere, with your with your pretty face and SOLDIER uniform and shit?!" He exclaimed as he pushed his gun arm more to the blond's chest who didn't flinch.

"So what if I'm wearing the uniform? What is it to you?" He said in monotone. "And you sounded so gay just now in case you didn't notice." He said with an arrogant smirk. Barret pressed the gun arm further.

"Shut your hole chocobo head!" Cloud's eye twitched. It was Barret's turn to smirk. "And because I fuckin' hate Shinra and everyone involved with it, Tha's why." Barret said.

"I'm not with Shinra anymore, I'm just a mercenary now." Cloud said then gripped the cold metal of Barret's gun arm while he still stared at him with cold blue eyes. "Get this away from me or you'll regret it." He said which pissed Barret more.

"You fucker!"

"Barret!" A woman with brown hair tied in a ponytail with a red bandana on her forehead approached them. They both looked at her as she came nearer. "What's going on?" She asked as she eyed Cloud.

"This guy from Shinra! Tha's what's goin' on!" Barret said as he tugged his gun arm from Cloud's grip. "But he said he ain't workin' with them anymore and he's just a mercenary, do you believe him Jessie?" He asked the woman named Jessie who continued to eye Cloud.

"I don't see why not?" She said as she crossed her arms in front of her. Barret stared at her in disbelief.

"Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me girl?!" He yelled spraying saliva like a shower head while Jessie glared at him.

"Marlene is just in the kitchen, you wouldn't want her to hear you cursing, do you?" She asked while she raised an eyebrow. Barret sighed then rubbed his face with his normal hand. "Besides we can use his help." She said again as she approached the blond, who furrowed his eyebrows at her words. "A mercenary huh? We'll give you a job if you promise to behave." She said with a smirk.

"I hope his pretty boy face has nothin' ta do with this." Barret told Jessie as he made his way towards the kitchen which made Jessie blush furiously.

"Idiot. Of course not." She responded while she looked away blushing. Then Cloud's stomach growled loudly which made Jessie look at him in surprise. He still wore his blank look but a blush was slowly growing on his cheeks.

"I bet you're hungry." She said after a few seconds of silence.

"...no shit."

Cloud chuckled while warm water was running down his bare body, he gently ran his hands on his hair, his face upwards to meet the water coming out from the slightly rusting shower head. Today was the day that they were going to bomb the Sector 1 reactor and he was clearing his mind for the mission.

When Jessie said that they were giving him a job, he never thought that she would ask him to be part of their eco-terrorist group named AVALANCHE, a group set out to go against Shinra electrical company and their corrupt ways on providing energy source using mako, the liquified form of the planet's lifestream which was being extracted using their reactors, and it was destroying the planet slowly in the process.

Cloud turned the valve of the shower to stop the running water and proceeded to dry himself with a towel. He then wrapped him lower half before he went out the door, bumping into Jessie who was carrying a basket full of clean laundry.

"Oops, sorry." She said looking down to see her way over the pile of clothes, Then her eyes widened when she saw a white towel on the floor and it was when a masculine hand grabbed the towel hastily that had her walking away while letting out a tiny scream of horror. Cloud swallowed after he put back the towel on then went back to his room to get dressed in his SOLDIER uniform.

Good thing she didn't see my thing though. He thought with a blush of embarassment. Once he was done, he went downstairs to get something to eat, he went straight to the fridge and opened it, he rested his forearm on the edge on the fridge door while he scanned the contents inside, his stomach growling slightly, but his vision was blackened when someone covered his eyes from behind and it made him smile when he heard a giggle. He held his gloved hand over to hers then put it down to turn around and smile. Green eyes glint mischievously as she giggled behind her fingers.

"Aerith, what are you doing here so early?" He asked with an amused look. He had met her when he was wondering around in the slums before Barret took him in, she was selling flowers by a corner and she asked him if he wanted to buy a flower from her but he declined because he didn't have any money. She teased him at how a handsome guy like him who could have a girl working and providing for him with just one look didn't have money. They both laughed at her joke and they clicked instantly after that, he would go to Aerith's spot whenever he can but when he started to stay in Seventh heaven, she was the one who was always visiting him, and eventually,she knew that it was also the hide out and headquarters for AVALANCHE, she too had expressed her dislike for the tyrannical company for reasons she didn't disclose.

"I got bored! Plus, I wanted to see you." She said with a sweet smile. He smirked then ruffled her bangs. "Hey!" She exclaimed while she giggled as he closed the fridge door and made his way towards the dining table where a sandwich was sitting. "Oh, I asked mom to make that." She said as she trailed behind him. "That's for you." He looked at her with a small smile.

"Thanks." He said, totally grateful of his blessing.

"What? No sandwich for me?" Wedge said as he made his way to the kitchen, yawning loudly. "Jessie! Make some breakfast will ya?" He yelled as he buried his face inside the fridge just like Cloud before.

"Oh do it yourself!" Jessie yelled back that made Wedge scoffed.

"Wish Feefee was here already..." Wedge mumbled. Cloud raised an eyebrow while Aeris tilted her head to the side.

"Feefee?" The flower girl inquired. Wedge looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah, well I guess nobody mentioned anything but we have another member who is currently away to get new weapon supplies." He said as he pulled out a box of cold pizza to heat up. "She's our best fighter at the moment."

"She?" Cloud asked as he munched on his sandwich.

"Well, yeah. From what I heard from Barret, she'll be back tonight." He said while he placed a pizza in a saucer. "I wish she would come home already because," He cupped his hands in front of his mouth."I can't stand anymore of Jessie's cooking!" He yelled upwards which Aerith giggle and Cloud chuckle.

"Shut the hell up!" Jessie yelled back down which made Wedge cackle.

"What was that casserole last night? It looked like it came out from badly produced horror movie, with rubbery tentancles and shit?" He yelled again which made Cloud chuckle again.

"Then starve to death you ass!" Jessie yelled back angrily while Wedge cackled.

"Why was Barret being loud so early?" Cloud asked irritably, remembering how he was so cruelly denied of the deep sleep he hasn't had for a while as he munched on his food. Wedge shrugged.

"Biggs sleep walked to Barret's room and decided to cuddle with him, when Barret felt him all over his body, he cursed out loud which awoken Biggs and it is not recommended for someone sleep walking to be woken up suddenly so Biggs started to yell while he was on top of Barret, strangling him and shit." He said casually while Cloud and Aerith raised their eyebrows.

"That's..." Cloud said. "I don't know how to feel about that."

"Good thing Marlene sleeps in Jessie's room." Aerith said. Then she giggled when she imagined it it all happening.

"I've been telling Barret to lock his door but he never listens." Wedge said.

Cloud stood up after eating to go out for a while.

"Where are you going?" Aerith asked him.

"Just out."

"Can I come with you?" She asked.

"Uhh.. Yeah sure." He said as he scratched the back of his neck which made Aerith giggle, then she clung unto his arm before she dragged him away outside the door,surprising him. While they were walking about, or in his case, stumbling, someone caught Cloud's attention, a young girl with long raven colored hair was talking animately at her friend, she reminded him of someone he knew long ago and it made his brows furrow.

"Cloud?" Aerith inquired with her brows raised. "Something wrong?" He smiled slightly then ruffled her bangs.

"Nothing." He lied. Then he looked back at the girl. "Nothing at all..." He said quietly that only him could hear.