Hello, hello ~
I can't believe I'm able to upload another story on fanfiction… on my own! \o/ I have to thank the lovely BMIK for the inspiration she has given me, and for the awesome betaing she has done. Thank you love :3
Back to the story now. It's nothing special but I still hope you like it :) No smut, be warned :( but lots of guuuuuuy looooove ~
Anyways, enjoy the story while I sit behind you with my gun aiming for your head if you do not reply ;)
Have fun!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sephiroth or Genesis, nor do I own ShinRa or Midgar or anything else that belongs to Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix owns them all, and I'm just a poor girl with a lot of fancy!
Snow
It was the first time that it snowed in Midgar; or at least Genesis had never heard of any snowfall before. The town appeared to be too hectic, too polluted, too wrapped up in corruption and suffering to receive this gift. Yet here he was, staring out of the large glassed front of his living room, when outside the fragile flakes danced towards the ground, painting a beautiful picture wherever the Goddess chose to let them fall. It was simply Midgar's turn now.
He had not been able to enjoy the snow like this very often. It rarely, if ever, snowed in Banora or Midgar for that matter. And on missions one couldn't stop to take in nature. Additionally snowfall on missions eventually meant a lot more work, physically and mentally.
But now, while he was home in his cozy, warm quarters, a glass of red wine in his hand, content and blissfully sleepy, he felt like enjoying… no, cherishing the steady fall. The roofs were already covered with a thin layer of white softness, as were the normally dirty and cramped streets. The sky was gray and cloudy; it would have been depressing if not for the snow. Even the parts of the town that normally looked deserted and filthy now had a tender beauty around them due to the gift from above.
Genesis idly wondered whether Sephiroth had ever seen snow in his whole live. He knew that the tall warrior had grown up in Midgar, raised by this scum of a professor, Hojo, and only left the city for missions. Several had been around Icicle Inn, but the red-haired man doubted the other had noticed its elegance in a moment where he would slay enemies or spy on suspicious subjects. Icicle Inn was also not really known for beautiful snowfall; what they called snow rather resembled hail than anything else. Genesis couldn't imagine Sephiroth playing in the snow like he and Angeal used to do back in Banora during the occasional and short winters. He still remembered his parents being furious about the weather, fearing that it might do long lasting damage to the apple trees. The opposite had always happened. As soon as the days got warmer, the trees grew, blooming brighter and smelling better than ever before, their fruits being tastier and sweeter.
"What are you looking at?" A low, albeit soft voice asked into the silence that had settled around Genesis, pulling him out of his day dream about elapsed times to leave him smiling in reality.
"The snow," He answered and took a sip from his wine, the rich taste spreading in his mouth while his eyes focused on the reflection of silver and green in the large windows.
He saw a flash of curiosity in them, along with surprise and confusion. A sick crawl of pity settled in the pit of his heart, reminding him painfully of just how much his friend had suffered in the past. He abhorred ShinRa, most of all Hojo, for what they had done, or had permitted to do.
Genesis felt the other moving closer, his nostrils filling with the smell that was just Sephiroth himself. He smelled of danger and mystery, a faint touch of Mako and silver.
"Why are you looking at… snow?" The word bubbled from his lips like it was something supernatural, something perilous. "It's just frozen water."
Despite himself, the red-head chuckled at that, but stopped when he saw the traces of hurt in the eyes that met his in the mirror. "No, it's not just frozen water," he said simply, allowing himself a soft smile to show Sephiroth he hadn't meant to laugh at him.
Tranquility spread over them. Genesis eyed the taller man closely, noticing that he wasn't what Sephiroth was looking at in return. The other was watching the snowfall, a frown forming on his forehead as he obviously tried to see what his friend was seeing. It was somewhat funny to see that the silver-haired man was trying so hard to understand Genesis, although it was obviously impossible for him. His thought made no emotional connection to what the auburn haired man obviously held so dearly in his heart.
After what seemed like an eternity, Genesis took the other's rather cold hand. He smiled when Sephiroth's gaze finally drifted back to him. They had taken on a desperate shine.
"All is right," Genesis said quietly, his eyes warm, as was his hand; his thumb was only barely brushing over pale skin. They were silent for a moment, green eyes searching aquamarine one's for answers to a pressing question.
Sephiroth knew that he was special – some would call it blessed -, but he did not think so. He was ShinRa's golden boy, their prized pet. He had been raised in Hojo's labs, day after day filled with injections, tests, training. And when he thought it was over, when he had been made part of the SOLDIER program, it had gone on seamlessly. But he lacked basics. He was a wunderkind when it came to combat, no matter which weapon and no matter which tactic. He was resistant to nearly all kinds of poisons and could endure long periods of time without water and food. He had been trained to withstand torture and pain. But what he lacked had proven essential since the day he had come into contact with other people. At first it had just been awkward because he had not known how to behave properly around others. He did not lack manners, but he lacked words, phrases and eventually … emotions.
Children learned how to imitate emotions and eventually how to express them. Sephiroth had not. And he only learned them slowly now that he was grown up.
"Stop overthinking this, would you?" Genesis said softly, his hand reaching up to trace the faint wrinkles on Sephiroth's forehead, evidence of how serious the silver-haired man was taking this. "It's okay, you know," he said good-naturedly, smiling openly at the man in front of him. "Nobody can be perfect, not even you, Sephiroth."
The other shook his head at that and drew his eyes away from the auburn haired man in front of him towards the white city beyond the windows. Before he could open his mouth and voice his apology for – again – being too analytic and cold-hearted, Genesis nudged his side and brought his hand to his lips to place a soft kiss onto those fingers.
"Come on, I will show you that it's not just frozen water," he said with a light chuckle, pulling the taller man towards the door, where he impatiently waited for him to put on some shoes.
"Correct me, if I'm wrong but… shouldn't we dress up more appropriately for the weather outside?" Sephiroth questioned immediately, his boots laced up and secured.
Genesis raised one delicate eyebrow at that, looking at him with mockery. "What? Is a little snow too cold for you? We are SOLDIERs, Sephiroth." He grinned daringly, his eyes twinkling with the mischief that Sephiroth was very accustomed to. He sighed in defeat; not that he had actually really wanted them to put on some fury clothes or scarves or something equally embarrassing, but he did not want to be the one nursing Genesis back to health when he caught a cold again. And Genesis would most likely catch a cold, he always did. One could count on that.
One would think that SOLDIERs, who were Mako-enhanced, battle-hardened and highly poison-resistant, would not catch a cold at all; well, Sephiroth definitely did not and he couldn't remember a time when he had. But Genesis was – as usual – an exception to that rule. As agile and trained as he was in battle, as fragile he was to illnesses.
Oblivious to his friend's thoughts, the auburn haired man grabbed Sephiroth's hand, pulling him through deserted hallways, past empty offices and large windows that showed Midgar from a different, unknown side. Despite the general idea of the whole ShinRa Company there were indeed something akin to holidays, only recently having been installed and Genesis and Sephiroth were one of the few people who had chosen to stay at the headquarters during the week off. The change in policy was most likely because the young Shinra, Rufus, wanted to have Reno for his own purposes for some time and nobody wanted to question the decision because it suited them just fine.
Stepping outside Genesis breathed in the purified air, while small snowflakes landed on his hair, dotting his ablaze strands with white. His silver companion remained skeptical though, watching the snow cling to his uniform and melting due to his body heat.
"Would you stop looking like the snow wants to eat you? I can assure you it's totally safe." The other's rich voice mocked him and he turned his cat-like, emerald eyes to meet oceans.
"I am quite aware that these… things will not harm me, thank you very much," he answered sourly, crossing his arms in front of his chest with an indifferent expression settling on his features. This was Sephiroth's way to pout, actually. Laughter filled the air, absorbed by the peaceful fall, before the red-head nudged his friend and then went off towards the circular plateau with the fountain in the center that normally would carry crystal-clear water. Another evidence of the splendor the company tried to show off with, even though nobody seemed to care that the exact same water should primarily be used for drinking. Now the fountain was off the water that remained frozen and coated with a thin layer of snow.
Reaching into his pocket, Genesis retrieved his gloves and put them on. He bent towards the rim of the trim that adorned the fountain, gathering a small amount of snow from there and started to form a little ball, while Sephiroth was completely oblivious – perhaps not completely, but a bit – to what he was doing, and especially why. The other just stood where they had parted, eyeing his friend warily, but with interest and being enshrouded by the snow that was annoyingly hard to shake off. And yet he had not seen anything of interest that would make him actually like this kind of weather.
That was about to change soon though.
The taller man had just closed his eyes with a sigh, letting his guards down for about the blink of an eye, but that was exactly when something wet, something cold splashed against his strapped chest, exploding there and throwing tiny dewy bits into his face and the rest of his clothes. Sephiroth slowly opened his eyes to inspect the damage done. Did the snow hold a grudge against him to form into a ball and hit him?
Narrowing his eyes he angrily looked up towards the sky, where the white frosty bits fell from gray clouds. Giggling, his counterpart formed another ball, this time aiming a little deeper and hitting Sephiroth's taut belly, which made the silver-haired man flinch a little and drop his gaze to look at Genesis, who was feigning innocence. But this time, the General saw through the situation, swiftly cleaning himself of the remains of the blunt attack, rushing towards the auburn haired man with inhuman speed to knock him over and press him into the snowy concrete.
Gasping Genesis looked up, a smirk stretching over his features again, his hands reaching up to thrust into Sephiroth's moon-spun strands.
"So rough," he purred, watching with amazement how more and more flakes got caught in the silvery mass, giving it a shine that was more than adorable.
"So deceitful," Sephiroth retorted dryly, even though his face showed that he did not mean it. His hands were secretly thrusting into the snow next to them, gathering a small amount in his palm, but not attacking yet.
"Oh, how very offending," the auburn haired man said lazily, stretching a little under his friend, his lean body writhing and moving like a snake, ready to lull its prey into a false sense of security before striking and killing it.
The silver haired man, who was now sitting on his hips, just leaned over him, the glinting strands fanning over them like a curtain and Genesis saw himself confronted with a devious smile. He raised his hand, showing the auburn haired man what it held before neatly pushing all the cold snow into his face, delighted by the shrill squeal that erupted from the red-head's throat, how he began to squirm and struggle. But Sephiroth was a man of patience and not even the harsh pull at his hair could distract him from the task at hand – namely giving Genesis a good portion of his own medicine.
"Stop, stop, stop. It's cold… ow, you ass, it gets in my nose…" The auburn haired man screeched, but his own laughter interrupted him, his gloved hands now trying to push Sephiroth's offending hand away, but to no avail.
"Will you apologize?" The other asked lowly, his hand pressing down to spread the last remnants of snow over Genesis' angelic face and chuckling at the testing flutter of the red-head's eyelashes.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," he hastily replied, his face already wet, soaked and red from the assault and he sighed when the hand finally withdrew. He looked up, white flakes having been caught by his long, elegantly formed lashes. Genesis looked absolutely stunning, and the General would rip anybody's head off, who dared to say the same about the auburn haired man in a salacious manner. Genesis was his, and his only.
"That's more like it." Sephiroth approved, drawing his hands back from the other's pretty, feline face and slowly getting rid of his completely soaked gloves before he stuffed them away. "This… snow seems to have a nasty habit of making everything extremely wet and clammy," he pointed out, his left hand reaching for the red-head's right and drawing it towards him to have the other sit up.
Genesis chuckled, amused, gleaming at his friend from mischievous, blue eyes. "Don't tell me you did not know that," he answered teasingly, his arms wrapping around that strong, delicious neck in front of him. "How can you be so oblivious to the world that is so enticed by you?" he asked no one in particular, looking dreamily up to his lover, his fingers softly combing through the tresses of moon spun hair.
Sephiroth blushed faintly, a healthy rosy color settling on his cheeks while his neck heated a little more. He was flattered, Genesis always knew how to push his buttons in order to receive the desired reaction and sometimes the General hated it because it meant he wasn't in control over the situation. However now was totally different, they were alone and it seemed like this was the only thing which mattered at the moment.
"You know exactly why," he answered quietly, but the smile on his lips told another story. He had come to terms with his past, with the tests and the agony because it was better now – a great part of this having to do with Genesis.
An auburn head was shaken, blazing strands swirling in the cold, light wind. "I did not mean it like that," he answered honestly, leaning in, his lips only hovering before Sephiroth's own.
"I know." The silver-haired man's lips were brushing against his as he spoke and Genesis closed his eyes to mere slits, his whole body singing when the other finally kissed him.
It was a sweet kiss, merely lips moving against lips and it reminded the red-head of their first kiss, how Sephiroth hadn't know if he should rather blush or be furious about the other daring to do such a thing. Fortunately he had flushed, asking him what that was, what this… touch was supposed to mean and Genesis had again seen himself confronted with the damage ShinRa had done to his friend. They had trained him to be the perfect killing machine, ignoring the fact that he was still human, with needs and wishes. Back then, he had wordlessly pulled the flustered and confused silver General into a bone-crushing hug, smiling all the while when he felt the other's arms ultimately wrap around him too.
"And… this is what is so awfully interesting about snow?" Sephiroth asked into the silence that had settled over them once they were seated in Genesis' cozy living room again, covered with a blanket and just enjoying the sight. "I can imagine better places to kiss you," he pointed out nonchalantly, his agile fingers playing lightly over the soft, small hairs at the back of the other's head.
Chuckling Genesis cuddled closer to him, closing his eyes heavily with a sigh and savoring this moment forever. It was one of the few times when they had nothing to do, that they were not rushing past each other because of stupid assignments and missions. As much as he liked the occasional heat of a quickie, he preferred the slow, playful sex they normally had. Nonetheless he sometimes just needed this, cuddling and silence and that warm, bubbly feeling inside of his stomach that made clear, that he had taken the right decision when kissing Sephiroth all these years ago.
"The snowball fight was what I originally deemed as… funny," he replied sleepily. "You can do so much more outside. Building snowmen, snow angels, or just lying in the snow and looking at how it sinks down to the ground…" He trailed off then, his blue eyes opening and his mouth wrinkling into a thoughtful expression. "Even though I have to admit that it was more fun when I was younger."
Sephiroth shrugged at that. "I thought the snowball fight was quite fun." He grinned, his long fingers trailing over Genesis' still reddish face. "Especially the moment you lost."
"Pf, I did not lose, I let you win." The other countered, crossing his arms over his lean chest and craning his neck to look at Sephiroth with a pout gracing his lips.
The General decided to remain silent before upsetting his companion any further, so they settled for Genesis' version of the fight.
Another moment of silence followed, the whole apartment being quiet and peaceful just as the outside. What a nice contrast to how it normally looked around here. A soft sneeze made Sephiroth's mind surface again from where it had been wandering and he looked at his now red-nosed love, who was wriggling and reaching for a tissue to wipe his nose.
"Oh I knew it, I told you to put on something warmer." Sephiroth groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. "You always get ill, Genesis, when will you ever learn?" A surprised look met his, but he just got up – not without protests from his auburn lover.
"Are you proposing that I get ill easily?" the other asked lowly, having sat up, and watched him rumbling around in the nearby kitchen.
"I'm proposing that you always dress inappropriately for your… sensibility towards colds," Sephiroth answered and his voice left no objection. Pouting, his counterpart crossed his arms over the back of the couch. "You're behaving like a mother hen."
"I'm behaving like I don't want you to lie in bed for the next week." Sephiroth's patience seemed to be never-ending, when he prepared everything to brew a herbal tea. In the living room, Genesis just huffed indignantly, but otherwise wrapped the warm blanket closer around his body and snuggled deeper into the cushion. His throat itched slightly, but he would not give Sephiroth the satisfaction of admitting that.
A few minutes of pouting and mopping later, the silver-haired man appeared in the living room again, a steaming mug of tea in his hand. He put it down on the low coffee table and flopped down next to his friend, who still eyed him with angry blue eyes. They were slightly dulled in their brilliance, assumingly from the cold.
"Here," he said simply, passing the mug on to Genesis and watched him closely as he took the first sip.
"Thanks," came the mumbled, rather reluctant reply.
"Oh stop pouting, Genesis." Sephiroth sighed, leaning in to press a kiss against his lover's forehead and smiling consolingly before he rose again. "And think about it. I doubt that it is that bad to be… pampered by me," he said with a small wink before going to the bedroom to retrieve some more blankets and pillows.
Genesis stared after him, dumbfounded. When had his friend changed into a mischievous little tease?
But the mere thought of Sephiroth… pampering him sent a pleasant shiver down the red-head's spine and he smiled serenely.
He would forgive Sephiroth's accusations, but the General would have to make it up to him.
Definitely.
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