First Meeting
Cloud met Zack five years ago, back when he was just another nameless infantryman lost in a sea of standard issue helmets and nerves. Zakc had only recently earned the promotion to SOLDIER 1st Class, his Buster Sword strapped proudly to his back. His energy was magnetic- easy confidence, radiant charm, and an infectious grin that never seemed to fade, even in the dead of winter, including when they were climbing a snowy mountain.
They had been sent on a mission to Modeoheim, the kind of remote, frozen hell that most SOLDIERs and troopers dreaded. Cloud, however, was used to the sort of weather as he had grown up in Nibelheim. He remembered how the snow was thick, silent sheets of white. He remembered Tseng’s low voice as he fell behind after a short while, and how he and Zack hit off immediately. They had crashed in the snow, Tseng had told them that there wasn’t any signal, that someone was used to the terrain. Zack’s response had been “yeah, yeah, I’m a country boy,” then proceeded to lead the four up the snowy mountain. Cloud was able to keep up, Tseng a little ways behind but definitely out of breath. The other infantryman was behind Tseng, further behind than him. Zack turned around and said to not fall too far behind, then told the infantryman that, “at least someone’s keeping up,”. Cloud’s response was, “well, I’m a country boy too.”
“From where?” Zack had asked the younger male, slowing to a stop shortly after.
“... Nibelheim,” answered the infantryman after a short pause, standing in front of the taller male. Zack had laughed at the name, finding it endearing. “What about you?”
“Me? Gongaga,” Zack said after he stopped laughing after a moment. “Hey! What’s so funny about that? You know Gongaga?” he had asked when Cloud started laughing at the name.
“No, but it’s such a backwater name,” Cloud answered, chuckling a little still.
Zack grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he often did. “Ditto Nibleheim.” He turned to look back at Tseng. “Good news, Tseng! Me and…”
Cloud removed his helmet, and brushed his hair out of his mako tinted blue eyes. Zack swore his heart skipped a beat at seeing this pretty boy. “Cloud.”
“Me and Cloud here are both backwater experts!” Zack said with enthusiasm. Tseng waved them off as a way to get going, saying they would catch up when they reached an nearing cliff overlooking a Shinra outlook.