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Cloud Strife loved bugs. There was no denying it. He loved the way they looked, the feel of them crawling over his fingers, the pinch of their pincers and the scratch of their legs... They were fascinating. He never kept any as pets, though, since he felt it was wrong to keep them trapped. The only time he ever considered breaking that rule was when one was damaged or injured, but even then he felt it was nature's place to decide what happened next; he only helped when it was a man-made thing that got in their way of survival.
He picked up earthworms from the sidewalk and put them back in the ground.
He would carry a beetle, though it would leave his hand smelling rancid after--and he was nearly run over once, from a parking lot to the nearest safe spot.
He would scoop them up from pools, bare-handed.
Slugs and even wasps were welcome. Yes, he might get stung, but he wasn't allergic so it was fine.
Cloud had friends, good friends, but they weren't that interested. Aerith and Sora were like his sister and brother, but both were the same as his mom in the way they listened and nodded their heads... but when asked later they would often have no clue what he was talking about, even though he had given them a full run-down about something. They wanted him to be excited and happy about insects, but their own batteries ran low if Cloud talked about them too long. Sora was kind of creeped out by them, though, but he always did his best not to seem so so Cloud would include him (he was a sweetheart). Aerith didn't mind them, but she preferred butterflies, bees, and ladybugs (for her garden, mostly).
Tifa was more open about it; she thought his interest was cute, and would even give him (organically killed, meaning they had been found dead/died of old age) bugs on boards and in glass boxes as gifts... But she preferred it when they sparred. She only wanted to talk about boxing, weapons, and opening up her own dojo (all things Cloud could enjoy, though no where near as much). She often referred to him as "the buffest nerd she had ever seen".
Cloud didn't care if he was a nerd or a geek or a freak... There was nothing wrong with having an intense love for insects. Everyone had their favorite something, right? Those who weren't his friends were scared of him due to his cold exterior, and those that were loved him just fine. Who cared what anyone else thought?
Then, he came. Cloud scowled to himself as he half-hid behind Tifa in the hopes of avoiding an introduction and kept his eyes on the nearby fence. They had decided to meet for a movie, and Aerith had brought her new friend along--a man she claimed was more anti-social than Cloud. Cloud huffed and kept his eyes on the fence. The new guy's name was Leon.
Cloud didn't care, for Leon or the movie. He only came because Tifa threatened him. But then... Leon did something he didn't see often. Cloud happened a glance at the brunette as he suddenly walked away from the group, as if to leave. A car had to pause as Leon walked around it and bent down near the tire--nearly getting himself run over. Aerith clapped her hands to her mouth and gasped as Sora ran behind Leon as if to save him, but Leon got away fine. He walked over to the fence and... dropped something over it. Next door was a lush, wild yard.
"What were you doing, Leon?" Aerith asked as he approached. Leon sniffed his hand lightly, and then held his hand out as far as he could--it apparently smelled.
"... Nothing," he claimed, but Cloud leaned in and sniffed his hand.
"It was a beetle."
Leon jerked his steel-blue eyes over to Cloud with wide, surprised eyes and a quirked brow.
"... Eleodes beetle species are capable of expelling this type of secretion," Cloud muttered.
"Only about thirty percent, though."
Cloud snapped his eyes back up. That was when he noticed... Leon was a brunette. A pretty brunette--handsome, even. He had a scar on his face, olive-toned skin, and he was twice as muscular as Cloud. Taller, too. Cloud forced himself to nod, but couldn't speak.
"Oh no, not another one!" Tifa lamented playfully.
Leon offered the tiniest of smiles. Cloud's heart skipped a beat.
"... You're going to need something stronger than bathroom soap," Cloud commented, louder and more confident this time.