Disclaimer: Anything relating to Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley, Sephiroth or Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix. I belong to myself, as Final Hikari belongs to herself ;D Enjoy!
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"Hurry up in there, will you?" Angeal slammed his fist down on the door, his impatience getting the better of him. For the last twenty minutes, he had been ever so patiently waiting for both Genesis and Sephiroth to finish in the bathroom. This wasn't unusual for the pair, however, this was the longest that they had ever taken. Angeal was less than impressed, wondering why his two closest friends cared so much about physical appearance.
"Hey, give us a break! Seph hasn't even gelled his hair yet…" A muffled voice came from behind the door, signalling that Angeal wasn't getting out of their apartment anytime soon. With a growl, the SOLDIER paced back and forth down the hallway, wishing that he would be allowed to get on with his day. Meanwhile, within the depths of the bathroom were Genesis and Sephiroth, both of whom were crammed in front of the mirror adjusting their hair.
"Hair straightening thing, please." Genesis mumbled, clicking off the hair dryer and placing it down on the bench. Sephiroth mindlessly passed the redhead the heated tong, oblivious to the fact that he was holding the handle. Without realising, Genesis closed his hand around the ceramic clamp, the heat seeping deep into his pain sensors. "HOLY!" Yelling, Genesis' reflexes kicked in, making his hand release the tong. The appliance hit the floor with a clang as the SOLDIER dived for the sink, turning on the cold water tap forcefully. "You idiot!" Genesis snapped, growling in pain due to his singed hand.
"My bad." Sephiroth replied casually, hardly taking notice while he fingered gel into his abnormally silver hair. Outside, Angeal put his palm to his face, merely shaking his head. Such was the foolishness of his friends that the public didn't see.
A few minutes later, the sliding door to the bathroom glided open with a picture perfect Sephiroth stepping out of the doorway.
"Finally, one of you is finished." Angeal said gratefully, peering his head into the bathroom to see Genesis still cowering over the sink. "Hey, I thought all that fire materia you had would prevent burns!"
"Oh, very funny, man." The redheaded SOLDIER growled, finally ceasing the water flow. "Just take one long look at my hair, would you?"
"…what's wrong with it?" Angeal asked, not intending to insult Genesis. Narrowing his eyes, Genesis gave his childhood friend a piercing glare, striding out of the bathroom with dripping hands. He towered over Angeal, pulling at the still slightly damp strands of chestnut hair that flopped over his face.
"What's wrong with it!?" Genesis exclaimed, fire igniting within his eyes. "What do you mean, 'what's wrong with it?' It's so…fluffy…and not straight…and lifeless."
"Yeah, so?" Angeal questioned further, disregarding his own safety. Angeal's childhood friend grabbed him by the shirt collar, glaring right through him.
"My hair straightening tong is broken, my hand is burnt…and MY HAIR LOOKS HORRIFIC!" Genesis yelled, releasing Angeal's collar and storming down the hallway, back to his part of the bedroom. "I'm staying here. Screw missing out on a day's pay. I can't fight with a hand like this anyway."
Angeal started to move to follow Genesis to talk some sense into him, but Sephiroth held out a hand to stop him.
"Just leave him be, Angeal. Let him cool off, and maybe he'll show up later. It's not worth it." Sephiroth explained quietly, making sure Angeal understood. Shrugging, the raven-haired SOLDIER turned around and the two SOLDIERs made their way towards the apartment building's main elevator.
"We're leaving, Gen!" Angeal shouted as they exited the room.
"I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful…" A less than audible response came from where Genesis was slumped on the edge of his bed, his face in his left hand. His burned right hand lay limp at his side, red and slightly swollen from the intense heat of the straightening tong. He remained like this for a few minutes, silently sulking in his own misery.
"What a fantastic start to the day." Genesis muttered, heaving himself off his untidy bed. His hand throbbed, his head ached, and worst of all, he was locked in. "No freakin' way!" Genesis slammed his fist into apartment's front door, howling in pain as he grasped hold of his injured hand. It was only 8 o' clock in the morning, and he already managed to have the worst day in his life. Can't even go out to buy a new hair tong…
Slumping against the kitchen bench, the redhead let out a mournful sigh. Then, without even thinking, Genesis grabbed his red gloves off the bench in the kitchen and dashed towards the open window, hurling himself out into the crisp morning air. I don't give a crap if I'm not meant to do this outside of ShinRa…
Unfurling his magnificent black wing, Genesis breathed in deeply, feeling the exhilaration and freedom of just letting go. The air swirled around him, the wind rushing up into his feathers and catching them in the wind. With a few powerful strokes, the SOLDIER soared up into the sky, looking like a mere bird in the bleak sky of Midgar. Closing his eyes, Genesis accelerated up through the clouds with grace and precision like a hawk. He yearned to break free into the clear blue sky above the polluted atmosphere that sheltered the mako-powered city, to fly freely in the currents of wind and just be himself.
Like a tiny bullet, the redhead shot out of the last cloud, feeling his entire body drenched from the water vapour. Shaking his hair, Genesis caught a wind current and cruised along it, relaxing his elegant wing with a sigh of relief. Man…I feel so much more alive now.
He remained in his peaceful state of mind for a few more minutes, ignoring the ache in his right hand. He then angled his primary feathers upwards, banking in a wide circle and breaking free from the current of air. Tucking in his wing slightly, Genesis streaked through the air, losing altitude as he headed towards a gap in the clouds. The clean air whistled past his ears, his hair being blown about behind his head in a wild fashion. Retracting his wing suddenly, Genesis sailed down through the sky, entering the familiar air above the massive city of Midgar. Here it goes…
Flying at an incredible speed, Genesis swooped down fast, his mako eyes trying to catch his apartment block. Once locked on, he then extended his wing and took control over the flight, angling himself directly towards the very window he had jumped from. The SOLDIER then fanned his wing out to full length, the surface area acting as a brake to slow himself down. Smiling to himself, Genesis glided towards the balcony, changing his body position as he neared the apartment. Almost coming to a complete halt, Genesis flapped his wing several times as his feet gently landed on the railing, barely making a sound.
Without a word, Genesis stepped down and allowed his wing to dissipate into a mass of silken black feathers. His footsteps echoed throughout the silent flat as he stepped back inside, allowing the cosy warmth of the room to envelop him. He gently closed the window behind him, proceeding to collapse onto the sofa adjacent from it. Looking up, he managed to catch his reflection on the window's glass.
"No way." Genesis mouthed, seeing his hair actually looking decent. Sitting up, he discarded his gloves and ran his fingers through it, feeling the familiar, silky texture that often came after straightening. A smile pulled at his lips as he stood up and stepped over to the bathroom to get a better look.
"A bit windswept, but…" Genesis picked up his comb, running the teeth through his chestnut hair. Within a few moments, the SOLDIER's fragile locks of hair were restored to the state they usually were. Who would have thought that flying could fix your hair…
Shrugging, Genesis stepped out of the bathroom, allowing his left hand to grab one of the apples that was sitting on the bench. After taking a bite from the Banora White, the SOLDIER returned to his place on the lounge. "My hair may be beautiful again, but I still can't wield a sword…"
Genesis eyed his still swollen hand, wistfully hoping that it would suddenly just heal. Unfortunately, he received no such luck, even with an incredible will power. With a defeated sigh, his unburnt hand grabbed the television remote and pressed the 'on' button, sending the screen crackling into life. "Probably nothing but crap on anyway."
Flicking between the stations with boredom, Genesis paused as his eyes rested on the familiar figure of Sephiroth, who was busy talking to someone. No, it can't be…
"Oh…oh no. Please don't tell me that's…that's…" Genesis stammered, now fully alert and staring at the television with shock. A familiar female held a microphone up to Sephiroth, who seemed to be getting more and more reluctant at speaking.
"So Sephiroth, what you're telling me, the entire public, is that Genesis refused to come to ShinRa because of…his hair?" The female pressed, trying to force the information out of the elite SOLDIER. Sephiroth looked around, fearing that his comrade may very suddenly ambush them all in rage.
"Uhh, well, yeah…" Sephiroth mumbled, much to the pleasure of the female with the microphone.
"Oh, what a scoop! What happened, what happened!?"
Genesis just gaped like a fish at the television, finally recognising the female to be one of members of Red Leather.
"Oh no you don't." The redhead spoke, staring daggers into the TV. Sighing deeply, he forcefully pushed the sliding window pane back open. Genesis then took a running leap, sailing over the edge of the balcony. Snapping out his wing, he sped like a rocket towards the streets of Midgar, heck-bent on finding the location of filming. Was it…Sector 8?
With sharp mako enhanced vision, Genesis focused in on the fountain of Sector 8, quickly locking on to his target: the cameraman. Or woman, to put it more correctly. Fanning out his feathers, he reduced his speed as he flicked up his wrist, a ball of flames igniting in his palm. He was now only about fifty metres above them, coming to a halt and hovering in mid air. Squeezing one eye shut, the SOLDIER accurately aimed his wrist towards the ground, tucking his wing in and beginning to descend. Taking the opportunity while the filming crew were on standby, Genesis took a quick swoop towards the ground, releasing the fire spell from his hand.
"Okay, we're back on air in 3...2...-" The member of Red Leather examined her watch, only to be interrupted by an explosion behind her. "What the!?"
By now, the camera crew had dived away from the area, sheltering themselves as their cameras erupted into flames. Sephiroth, in the meantime, just looked upwards, seeing the familiar redhead swooping overhead.
"You…are so…dead." Genesis took a skidding landing, stumbling over his feet as he used his wing to balance himself on the ground. Sephiroth couldn't help himself, doubling over into a small fit of laughter at the circumstances.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! They ambushed me on the way to the HQ!" Sephiroth spoke between his chuckles, his eyes watering. You're a bit late, Genesis. All of Midgar already knows your secret.
Genesis walked briskly over towards his friend with silver hair, glaring right at him. The female who was interviewing Sephiroth just watched in awe, mesmerised by her hero, Genesis.
"'Sorry' isn't gonna cut it, buddy!" Genesis snapped, whacking Sephiroth upside the head with his good hand. In truth, he was far more angry at the girls, but it wasn't in his nature to abuse the opposite gender. "You could have just left! Not spoken! Gone!"
"They threatened me, man!" Sephiroth said defensively, waving his hands in front of his face.
"With what!? They're chicks, man. Harmless." Genesis reasoned, trying to keep his wing tucked as close to him as he could. However, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he Red Leather members had already pulled out handheld cameras, and were now filming the entire argument.
"You want to bet on that, Gen?" Sephiroth said, raising an eyebrow. "Have you ever been tackled to the ground by one of them?"
"Well, no, but…"
"There are no buts, Gen! It hurts! I swear, girls can be lethal."
"I still don't believe you…" Genesis mumbled, looking sceptical. Clearing his throat, Genesis turned on the group of females, trying to keep his anger and feelings of humiliation at bay. Now, back to the topic at hand…
"I'd turn those off, if I were you." Genesis growled, glaring. "If you had any compassion, you would have respected my hair habits and left Sephiroth alone, wouldn't you?"
"But Genny, all we wanted to know was how you did your hair…" one the girls trailed off, trying to look innocent. It wasn't working terribly well, unfortunately.
"Alright, fair enough if you weren't recording live on Midgar TV and making out like doing my hair was some big drama!" The redhead yelled, seething with embarrassment. "Now the whole freakin' city knows!"
"Well, actually…they don't." Sephiroth said, cutting in. "I never actually told them what happened. All I said was 'something happened with his hair.'. That could mean anything."
"Sure, anyyythinnng." Genesis just rolled his eyes at Sephiroth, then returned his gaze back to the girls. "Well, if what Seph said was true…"
"Which it was," Sephiroth said, passing a slight wink at the girls that Genesis didn't notice. "Then we can all get on with our lives, can't we? You chicks can go right on not stalking my friend here, I can go to ShinRa, and Genesis can continue to mope around the apartment."
"Sounds good." Genesis grumbled, unfurling his wing. "Later, Seph. You girls better not do anything like that again, you hear?" Launching himself into the air, Genesis Rhapsodos stroked his wing forcefully, ascending into the sky. "Show some more respect, and maybe I'll come across less hostile." With that, he swooped away in his usual fashion, leaving a few black feathers in his wake.
"Oh, my gosh, thanks for covering." The girl with the microphone giggled, slapping high-fives with her friends.
"Anytime, ladies. That was revenge for the time Genesis sliced half of my hair off…" Sephiroth mused, remembering how he had come so close to ramming his own sword right back at his friend.
"We owe you so much, Seph!" Giggling, the girl who operated the camera bounced over towards him, beaming. "Now we know just how much dear Genesis cares about his looks. So vain, huh?"
"Indeed. It's such a pity that this has gone public, isn't it?" Sephiroth smirked, winking.
"Totally," the girls agreed, still full of giggles. "Good thing we recorded with hand cameras as well as the tripod ones…" the camera girl winced, seeing one of her friends trying to work out the loss.
"Darn it!" One of the others said, her eyes straining over a calculator screen. "We lost, like, heaps of gil because of them getting incinerated."
"Oh, don't worry about it, Leigh. We'll make more with the priceless argument and the truth behind Gen's hair habits."
"S'pose you're right, Ly." Leigh sighed, storing her calculator in her pocket. Giving her glasses a push up her nose, she strolled over towards Sephiroth, extending a hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."
"You too. Just keep the percentage on the profits coming, and I'm all eyes and ears for you." Sephiroth smirked, shaking a hand with Leigh, partner in crime with 'Lioneh' as one of the leaders of Red Leather. Lioneh stood beside her, nodding her head in slight approval.
"You know, you only have to use my alias when Genesis is actually around. " Lioneh said, giggling a little.
"Oh, fine, Amy." Leigh grumbled, motioning with her hand to the other two girls. "Alrighty, let's get this little mess cleaned up and moved away!"
As the small portion of Red Leather went to work, Sephiroth waved a hand and strolled off, his knowing smirk turning to a grimace of worry.
"Genesis will literally kill me if he ever finds out…"
"Too late."
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A/N: Oh, gosh. This went far further than I ever thought it would XD; It started with two paragraphs about a month ago, and then just yesterday or the day before I read it and decided to continue!
And for those who didn't catch on, Seph was lying to Genesis. Ohh, so mean! o: And also, the person who says 'too late' at the end is Genesis. He was watching them the whole time afterwards, lurking in the shadows. MWHAHAHA. Seph is seriously about to get owned XD;
Anyway, hope you enjoyed another one shot from Lionneeehhh! :D
P.s: Hope you don't mind yourself being in here, Final Hikari! -giggle-
Oh and um...who can pick the quote from Howl's Moving Castle? x3;
~ Lioneh the cheetion.