A Company Vacation
This was unprecedented. Or so the Silver General thought as his trademark cold gaze swept out across the building floor where several people were gathered. Had the Board Committee gone mad?
What was troubling Sephiroth had been a memento that was sent out six months ago. An official document that was directed towards every important head of official within the ShinRa Co. ranks. The words had been in bold print upon the headline 'Mandatory Company Vacation'. It was a ploy, a way to force everyone together in one area, in a vulnerable state in order to foster some kind of illusion of camaraderie. Or make everyone uncomfortable. That was, at least, what Sephiroth had thought after he had read the paper and crushed it within his gloved hand.
Did they really have time to spend wasting on such a frivolous pursuit? He was a General, he had missions and a war to run. But no! This was mandatory, no amount of subtle threats or blatant complaints would move the Director. And that was only because Lazard was just as furious about event himself. But, here they were. Six months later, milling about the main floor of ShinRa tower as people gathered and conversed in between carts of luggage racks pushed here and there.
It was disorderly and chaotic. Two things that the Silver General despised. To make matters worse, there was a camera crew currently interviewing President Shinra near the front desk.
Sephiroth watched the man's face turn red as he planted a hand on his distended belly and gave a heartfelt laugh over something the reporter said to him. The Silver General nearly scowled for it, if he hadn't been so well composed and capable of hiding his emotions. This was clearly nothing more than a PR stunt that he was forced to go along with, just so it would make the Company look a little more 'human' and 'down to earth'. More propaganda for the war, no doubt. Not that it truly needed it, in his opinion.
He was loyal, yes, but these sorts of actions went well beyond his comprehension of necessities. What the hell good could come from wasting time at a resort town like Costa del Sol for a whole week? Especially when there was already so much work he was behind on because of an argument between Heidegger, Scarlet and Lazard that had lasted a month straight before this event crawled up on to them.
Even the other two Commanders had been expected to show up for this. It was ridiculous! You simply can't render every head of command useless for an entire week when they could be using that time to garner crucial victories and take key points in a war that you were waging against a country that is well known for its subterfuge. Wutai would take advantage of this lull in combat to retake every position he had pushed towards in the last few months. All of that work. Undone. For the sake of a beach party?!
The sharp snap and crack of stone was heard as Sephiroth unwittingly broke off the arm of the marble Shinra statue that sat in one corner of the floor. He had been so angry and unaware that it was affecting him until it happened. He honestly didn't even remember grabbing onto the statue. The noise drew some attention, unfortunately, which startled the Silver General out of his reverie long enough to realize what he had done.
Shit.
Hugging the arm to his chest, he quickly dashed behind a pillar and looked around. Finding a large basin with a shrubbery planted inside of it, he made quick work of tossing the offending appendage into the middle of the plant and folded his arms, acting for all the world as if he hadn't just defaced one of the most prized gifts to the President he worked for.
Luckily for him, attention was drawn away by the sound of very familiar laughter. He took the chance to peek around the pillar he was currently 'supporting' with his weight. Glowing green eyes spotted the familiar shock of red hair that was Genesis's most identifiable trait. The Crimson Commander was soaking up the attention, as per usual. Of course he couldn't blame the man, the cameramen and photographers seemed to flock to him for his personable appearance. The man had charisma, and he knew it. He could work those men and women into a frenzy to eat at his very fingertips without trying.
To top it all off, Genesis always managed to look amazing in every photograph, or even on television.
It was infuriating.
Sephiroth had no use for the attention, and he was featured just as much, if not more than the redhead, but he did not have the social skills to work the media into a frenzy over himself. Not that he ever wished to. It was a damned nuisance, and he honestly couldn't understand why Genesis ate it up so willingly. Even still, he found his eyes staying a little too long on the Crimson Commander. Picking out details of his characteristic outfit. The glaringly red coat, his turtle neck, the way he tilted his head just so whenever he laughed, allowing his hair to fall to the side and reveal that dangling earring that had, on more than one occasion, gotten the General in trouble for reaching out to toy with.
Shit.
Sephiroth ducked his head and turned his cold stare down to his feet just as Genesis had glanced his way. Why the hell was he staring at the man so much anyway?! And what the hell was that warmth that always seemed determined to fill the pit of his stomach, enough to distract him each and every time he thought of Genesis? The Silver General leaned against the pillar as his hands slid to his elbows where they remained crossed over his chest. His gaze lifted to settle disgruntled upon a random painting of a forest that decorated the wall. What was it about the other man that had his fingertips itching with the desire to touch him, even if every attempt made beforehand had set the other man off in a violent reaction?
He couldn't help himself. He didn't understand any of it, and yet he was compelled. All of his defenses would come crashing down, along with his iron-clad resolve. Each and every time, Genesis's reaction had been unfavorable. Confusion, surprise, uneasiness, even a bit of anger. All of these things fluttered across the red-head's features every time he had bothered to reach out and caress him. Of course it never occurred to him that his timing was always a bit off, or out of the blue, but then he had no experience in these sorts of things.
And that drew on another point, what exactly was 'this sort of thing' to begin with?
He was already friends with the man, and Angeal on top of that. But when he looked at Angeal, he knew it wasn't the same. There was no desire to reach out and touch the raven-haired SOLDIER. Is what he felt for Genesis truly desire? It had taken Sephiroth some time to figure it out, but he was certain that had to be it. Now if he could just figure out the timing issue. Had it occurred to him that Genesis might not even be interested? He supposed not. But then, in his mind, he was certain he could change Gen's mind, if he could just find a way to approach him. But the opportunity had never arisen. Work kept them both far too busy, and every time he found the time to try, he would berate himself for wasting company time with something as trivial as his personal relationship with Genesis.
A difficult task, for sure, when your worst rival was yourself.
"And what are you doing back here, skulking about like a cat in the alley?"
The words were abrupt and Sephiroth found himself caught in a rare moment of distraction, not having realized anyone had sneaked up on him. Naturally, his outward appearance was flawless in delivery, as any startled expression was kept from reflecting on his features, even if he had been caught red handed.
Red. Speaking of red.
Apparently Genesis was the one that had found him. How he managed to disengage himself from the flock of vultures that were the media was a feat that even the Silver General could appreciate. Of course Genesis's tactics were much less brutal than his own. Genesis had tact, Sephiroth had... Sephiroth.
The Silver General's lip quirked faintly at that thought, when had he become a descriptive noun? Alas, Genesis seemed to misread his ghostly smile as something else, which gave Sephiroth a rare look from his friend. Something coy, not that his mind registered exactly what it meant. Genesis's lips had peeled back into a smile, while some unrecognizable emotion flashed in his brilliant blue eyes. Sephiroth was caught. The urge to reach out and touch Genesis was rising at an alarming rate, and he couldn't figure out why or what prompted it. Was it that look he just got? Could he get him to do it again?
Sephiroth's lips parted to say something, but he was cut off as Genesis continued.
"I know why you are back here, avoiding everyone and everything." He murmured with an edge in his tone that spoke of teasing.
Always teasing. Always testing.
Sephiroth felt his jaw snap shut and instead of speaking his mind for once, he merely settled back into his comfortable silence and allowed Genesis to steer the conversation.
Genesis's brow quirked, he had paused as if he expected the other man to rebuke him. However, when Sephiroth offered no such reaction, he gave a shrug and leaned forward, breaking every unspoken boundary rule that the Silver General had silently put into place. Sephiroth shifted on his feet, allowing Genesis within his personal space and remained calm. The smell of the oils Genesis used to keep his coat soft and pliant lifted to greet the silver-haired male and had him relaxing. It was a scent that often followed himself, given his own signature coat's needs.
"You really should learn to relax, this is a golden opportunity. Sure, it is inconvenient, and we both know it has the potential to screw up all the work we've made in Wutai... but..." Genesis gave another shrug and smiled once more. "They say the waters of Costa del Sol's have a somewhat... magical property to them. Anything could happen."
Sephiroth blinked at that and studied Genesis closely.
"There is no such thing as magic." He replied flatly.
Genesis's eye twitched faintly and his jaw tensed. His head fell forward as a low growl filtered up from his throat. Ah. The red-head was already getting irritated. That didn't take long.
"Idiot. You missed the point entirely." Genesis huffed and leaned back, lifting a gloved hand to smack his palm against his own forehead in exasperation.
"I see. What point were you trying to convey?" Sephiroth asked coolly.
Sure, he was composed outwardly, but underneath the surface he could feel his heart racing at the brief closeness they had shared. His fingertips were still itching, to the point of agony, and he damned near let himself go in order to reach out to the red head and snatch him by the belt to draw him back close. The middle of the lobby room floor was hardly the place for that kind of behavior, his mind cruelly reminded him.
Genesis's lips twisted with indignation for a moment as he lowered his hand. "I get the feeling explaining it wouldn't help matters, Seph. You're just too stiff necked. You really don't know how to have fun, do you?"
Sephiroth didn't react to that very obvious attempt to get a rise out of him, much to Genesis's dismay. He studied the Crimson Commander in silence still, even while it frustrated the other man. Every time before, when these kinds of conversations were brought up, he had gotten the feeling Genesis was searching for something. A specific reaction? Or answer... Sephiroth couldn't even begin to fathom what that might be. But perhaps... just this once. They were being forced on this vacation, weren't they? So what could it hurt? Maybe there could be a little bit of 'bonding' coming out of it after all.
"Show me." Sephiroth finally replied.
Genesis's reaction was priceless. The blood drained from his face, leaving him even paler, and his eyes had actually grown wide. Sephiroth watched his lips part as his jaw went slack and his shoulders fell. Had he finally rendered the infamously loud red-head speechless? There was an unaccustomed sense of pride that filled him, causing the corner of his lip to twitch upward in another ghost of a smile. That was the second time in such a short span he had nearly shown emotion. It seemed to floor Genesis even further. Ah, good. Perhaps now was the perfect opportunity to go on the offensive.
One quick glance around allowed the Silver General to note that they were currently passing under the radar. He took one step forward, invading Genesis's space as his head lowered to come level with the Crimson Commander's. Genesis shifted, sliding one boot backwards, but he didn't retreat too far. It was another victory Sephiroth could count for himself.
"You have the perfect opportunity, Genesis. Would you care to take that chance?" He murmured, lowering his head just a touch more so that his breath was now brushing across Genesis's lips.
"What are y-" Genesis clamored to find the right words as color was filling his face once more.
Even now he seemed to be blushing. That was rare.
A third victory to count in his favor. Sephiroth made a sound that could have been an amused snort. He reached up, letting gloved fingertips light on Genesis's lips. He used his thumb to trace over them intimately, expecting Genesis to flip out and push away as he always had before. Was the timing just as wrong now? Whatever confidence the red-head had before seemed to be gone now. He was still struggling to find the right words, and yet he was locked in place.
"Not running, I see. Not this time." Sephiroth commented, then brushed his thumb down Gen's chin all the way down to his throat where the turtle-neck abruptly stopped him. "Come now, surely you see this as a challenge. A week. You have a week to show me what your idea of 'fun' is, do you think you have what it takes?"
The spell he had woven over Genesis was starting to unravel as the red-head's gaze went from shock to a narrowed determination. His chin jerked up defiantly and he gave a snort.
"You think I intend to waste all of my time on you?" he countered.
Sephiroth shrugged and leaned towards Genesis's right side, directly into that earring. He had no idea what he was doing and simply gave into some strange compulsion as his lips parted and pressed against Genesis's jaw where his ear began. He heard the other man suck in his breath sharply and wasn't entirely sure if that was a good reaction, but Genesis didn't take a swing at him, or push him away.
"I... I..." Genesis muttered somewhat uselessly, finding himself short of breath.
When had Sephiroth learned to be so insufferably seductive?
"I think..." Sephiroth spoke softly, "You have a week to show me what you are made of."