Before you Begin: Some notes here, before we get too deeply into this. This is probably going to be a little different from some of the FFVII fics you are used to reading. For one, I'm vested in keeping the characters their actual ages and not turning them into teenagers. Fanlore majority places Sephiroth around 27-28 years of age by the time of FFVII, and Genesis is emphasized to be at ileast/i a year or two older, making him 29-30. We'll stick with 29. So, for posterity, Seph: 28 Genesis: 29 Angeal: 30 Zack:16 Cloud:14 Aerith: 15.
I am going to try to remain canon-compliant up to a point. I will have to embellish some points in order to remain true to the goal of this fic, which is to ultimately get Genesis and Sephiroth together, and to provide a window into their lives beyond the discovery of their origins and how they deal with it. There will also be no Zack/Angeal, in this fic. I know some of you are big fans of them, but in the case of this fic the age difference is far too massive, and I do want to have some heterosexual couples instead of making everyone completely same-sex oriented.
This is a slash fic. This is an M rated fic. It will also be up on A03 in case you like their format better.
Most people who knew Genesis Rhapsodos were under the impression he was arrogant, flighty, and somewhat spoiled.
He was, after all, the son of a very wealthy landlord in Banora; one whose name and renown had practically guaranteed him a place in SOLDIER the minute he queued in line to apply. Shikro Rhapsodos was famous for owning the largest apple orchards in all of Mideel, particularly that of the Banora White; whose juice was famous from Running Chocobo to Costa del Sol. The general populace was prone to forget that it was Genesis who had created the original recipe as a child, preferring to credit the task to someone with more fortune and tenuity behind his name. It was, in some ways, a blessing. Genesis had gone into SOLDIER expecting to be forever remembered as the sorry red-headed idiot who invented apple juice. When that wasn't the case, he'd been relieved.
Circinae Rhapsodos was famous for her beauty...something which she possessed in great abundance. Genesis liked to think that he'd gotten his looks from her, but he knew it was fairly unlikely. His mother was soft, curvaceous with an ovular face and amethyst colored eyes that sparkled out from her halo of endless blonde curls. Her hands were tiny and delicate, prone to flutter like butterfly's wings in the throes of death when distressed...pale as the inside of a pearl. She was never overly affectionate...merely indulgent and somewhat simpering. Adversely, his father had gone grey long before Genesis could remember what his hair color was, and his mother often lamented the fact they had no family photos. Shikro was stern and severe, with features like a bird of prey that Genesis often despairingly compared to his own. He was tall and forbidding with a coldness to him that only Sephiroth could rival.
It was this, more than anything, that had made Genesis outgoing, loud, and flamboyant. Sometimes it seemed like he was always in trouble at school; whether for attending in red leathers and not the standard uniform, or for smoking on the roof of the gym and flicking the ashes onto the superintendent...it didn't matter. As long as he wasn't exuding an unemotional shell of human existence, he didn't care how many lashes he got once he got home. It was worth it...to know he could ifeel/i something among so many people who didn't seem to feel anything. The private educational facility he'd attended was filled to the brim with posh, tight-laced children with what seemed like no other goal than to make more money than their predecessors. The minute a six-year old girl turned to him and started discussing stocks, he'd screamed and run out of the classroom.
Eventually, his behavior got him placed in public school...and he was thrilled. He was able to attend classes with Angeal; his best friend since childhood, and he was certainly allowed to talk about being a rockstar if it suited him. In truth, he'd never really fit in with anyone else. He had 'friends'...sure. The kind whose contacts you always accidentally 'lost' the minute you graduated...but he was still comfortable. He and Angeal always excelled far beyond their classmates in sports, to the point where it made their peers uncomfortable. And despite his reputation for being a 'slacker' and a 'neer-do-well' at school, Genesis always got above-average grades...to the point where he was constantly being observed for cheating. Being good-looking didn't help them either. Angeal had a plethora of adoring would-be girlfriends who he never went out with for fear of the entirety of the male populace hating him. Genesis was simply itoo beautiful/i to warrant any kind of female attention, despite the fact that they giggled and blushed whenever they talked to him. No girl wanted to ask out a man who was prettier than they were. And, sure, he might have plucked his eyebrows in seventh grade…might... But that didn't warrant any speculation that he was 'bent' or-in the case of many of his peers' opinions-'just plain screwy'.
And yes, Genesis had no problem getting into or onto a soft (ish) surface with either gender, but he wasn't a slut. Sleeping with one person a month didn't make you a whore, it just made you healthy. SOLDIERS were required to be discreet about their dalliances, especially ones who garnered as much media attention as Genesis. Discreet didn't mean celibate, however, and he took full advantage of that fact. Someone who'd never gotten laid in high school should at least get some action for being Shinra's number two (soon to be number one, fuck you, Sephiroth) poster boy.
There was a rustle from the other side of the conference room and Genesis narrowed his eyes, tapping a gloved finger on the marble table before writing it up as a potential bad habit. He couldn't see much of Sephiroth from beyond the newspaper-and who the hell read paper newspaper anymore?-held in front of his face, but if he could; he was sure that the visage behind it would be that of cold...celibate indifference. Rumor had it that Sephiroth had never slept with anyone.
"He's married to his job" Angeal had said dryly when Genesis commented on the overall unnaturalness of it. "Besides, even if he is seeing someone, or several someones, is it really any of your business?"
And no, it wasn't. Genesis huffed and toyed with his earring, wondering why on earth he'd bothered to show up to a meeting an hour early.
"Because you can't stand the thought of being later than the Moonlit Prince of Shinra" a nasty voice whispered in the back of his brain.
Miraculously, Sephiroth had already been sitting in the conference room when he arrived...though at this point, he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised. As a Third, he'd been rather convinced that the General lived in a hidden room off of Debriefing. This was-obviously-not true...but it was still strange to wander into an empty gathering room only to find Sephiroth sitting there looking for all the world like he'd like to become some type of furniture fixture. And-of course-the emerald green stare he leveled Genesis' way indicated his intense disapproval of a fellow SOLDIER standing about with their mouth hanging open. There was a rumor circulating in the lower plate that Sephiroth had once stripped an entire house of a fresh coat of paint by glaring at it for longer than thirty seconds. Genesis privately thought this humor was hilarious.
Then, of course, you had Angeal who would have been in the room around the same time as Genesis if it weren't for his mentorship of Zack Fair. Genesis never took trainees...he didn't have the patience for it and people were generally too intimidated by him to come up and ask. Sephiroth was reputed to have taken time out of his schedule to assist promising recruits in the past, and he'd icertainly/i spent a large bulk of time hounding Genesis about perfecting his skills...but he had evidently never chosen a specific trainee either. When asked about it, he'd stated that it was 'unprofessional for someone of his status to play favorites'. Genesis took it as: 'The entire world thinks I'm some huge, silver pie and they all want a piece of me, the fact that I can say no to an apprentice is frankly relieving and I have no intention of doing otherwise.' And that was that.
Angeal had made it to First before Genesis, but that was only because he had a copy of SOLDIER's rules and regulations in his back pocket. Being a SOLDIER was a point of pride for the older man, and Genesis was always careful not to push him too hard when it came to teasing him for his stringent rule-following. He himself had probably broken about fifty rules within the first few months, but he had his name to back him up and he was, frankly, extremely good. That wasn't to say Angeal wasn't good, but Angeal was more to-the-letter when it came to footwork...and he was built like a tank. Genesis liked to improvise, and it caught the attention of his drill sergeants and the people above them. When Angeal had risen through the ranks more quickly than he had, he'd been hurt at first, but his friend had sat him down one late night when he'd drank probably more alcohol than he should have and set him straight.
"You're not a bad soldier, Gen. They're grooming you. If you followed directive you wouldn't be in this position. The higher-ups want you as a First as soon as possible, but your superiors know you won't be an asset unless you learn to heel somewhat...otherwise you're just a loose cannon with the potential to destroy the company."
So...he learned to 'heel' as Angeal called it...and within another six months he'd been promoted to First.
There was additional shuffling in the corner of his peripheral vision, and Genesis watched as Sephiroth neatly folded his newspaper and turned to look expectantly at the door behind them.
"Anything interesting?" Genesis commented blithely.
Green eyes flickered to look at him before returning their attention to the entrance.
"Nothing of note" was the smooth, impersonal reply.
Biting down a sharp retort, the red-headed SOLDIER leaned back in his chair and listened as voices on the other side of the door became clearer.
Making 'nice' with Sephiroth was kind of like plunging your face into a container of dry ice on a daily to bi-daily basis. The man was unresponsive, calculated, and brooding...though Genesis wasn't entirely sure he could help it. He knew little to nothing about his past, though he and Angeal had both attempted to draw him into conversations involving their childhood together. In retrospect...it didn't seem like that man had had a childhood at all. The toys and gadgets both of them had been privy to in their youth might as well have been alien objects from outer space to Sephiroth. If he hadn't been so dead set on being 'frenemies' with the man, he might have felt sorry for him.
Genesis blinked and watched with a frown as Sephiroth abruptly stood at attention; lapels perfectly straight...hair flowing in a singular waterfall down his back...you'd never have known he was sitting. It was like trying to keep up with a freight train who didn't want anyone to ride it, he reflected grimly, scrambling to echo the General's actions as the door swung open. Over the years, he'd tried to make friends...he really had. But Sephiroth seemed to rebuff any and every attempt to know anyone better than to call them a 'colleague.' Rivalry was the only closeness Genesis had with the man...and he'd take what he could get, despite Angeal's insistence it was unhealthy and obsessive.
"Good to see you both here so early."
The thinly veiled sarcasm in the Director's voice was a commonplace occurrence nowadays. It was hardly a secret that General Sephiroth and Genesis Rhapsodos fought over Shinra's…affections...like buzzards over dead meat. Though, to be fair, Genesis was heading most of the recon effort and Sephiroth was just being himself...if you could call being a brick wall 'yourself'. Genesis blew an errant strand of scarlet hair away from his face and did his best not to scowl too loudly.
Lazard sat down at the head of the table and was quickly flanked by Tseng and another Turk whose name escaped Genesis for the moment. Reeve was the second relevant person in line, and he took a chair next to the chair next to Sephiroth. He was surprised to not see Scarlet, but he supposed she was rather swamped in the Weapons Department, especially considering the whispers of an upcoming war with Wutai. Heidegger wandered in five minutes later, accompanied by Angeal, who was looking decidedly resigned. Genesis spared his friend a nod as he sat down next to him, but they otherwise did not exchange any pleasantries. Other than the immediate queque of important persons, no one else of note made an entrance and the conference room door was shut firmly.
"Let's begin, shall we?" Lazard continued, motioning to Tseng, who procured a briefcase from his hand and handed it to the Director. There was a quiet hiss followed by a distinct *'click'* as the latch was disengaged, and then the man was handing sheafs of paper down to the table. "As you can see, we have a crime issue in Sectors 6 and 7."
"That's not so unusual" Genesis said dryly. "And even so, that's a police matter, not a SOLDIER matter."
"And it would continue to be a police matter unless I thought it was absolutely paramount that SOLDIER be involved" Heidegger countered irritably.
"Yes, thank you, Rhapsodos, Heidegger" was the dry reply. Lazard pushed his glasses up and exhaled in a long-suffering, I've-done-this-fifty-times-today way. "The issue isn't crime itself, it's the nature of the crime. We're witnessing three child abductions today, four last week, and three the week before...all in the same area-"
"-Where are the parents of these children?" Angeal interrupted sharply. "Surely you can't be telling us that iten/i sets of parents were so careless as to allow their children to be taken."
"They aren't being abducted right under their noses, Hewley" Heidegger growled. "These children were taken walking home from school, or playing in that blasted park in Sector 6. And you need to remember that this is a city, not a small town growing blue apples for commerce. Things like this happen every day."
"I will reiterate Commander Rhapsodos' question, then" Sephiroth cut in. "Why are we here?"
"The populace is panicked" Reeve replied, eyeing the silver-haired man steadily. "Whether you find the perpetrators or not, your presence would still be invaluable to preventing unrest."
"You want us to make appearances within the Sectors?" Angeal said doubtfully.
"That, but more subtle" Lazard aceded, leaning back in his chair. "We want you actively participating in this investigation-and I know it's not standard-but all three of you aren't scheduled for anything within the next month, you can afford to earn your payroll doing something for a change. This needs to be subtle, gentlemen. If you're too ostentatious the perps will know you're there for show...and they'll either move to a different sector or stop altogether." He paused and his gaze swept the room impassively. "Genesis, you'll be paired alternatively with Commander Hewley and the General on every other day. Hewley, any day you're not with Genesis you will be expected to bring Fair with you and it will count as a training exercise. Sephiroth, when Genesis is not with you you'll be on your own, but expect to be shadowed" the blonde man's eyes flickered briefly to the Turks behind him. "Are there any questions?"
"Do we have any idea of the reasoning behind the abductions?" Sephiroth pressed.
"Children are rarely abducted outside of two reasonings" Tseng replied, speaking for the first time. "One is….assault of various natures...and the other is for a purpose. To either raise them to follow a cause or to attain a means to an end."
"You forgot to mention that five of the ten children are dead" Reeve said dryly.
Genesis snorted and Angeal turned white.
"An...accidental oversight, I'm sure" Sephiroth said icily. "After all, Shinra has such a positive reputation when it comes to working with children.
"That will be enough" Lazard said sharply, two pale pink spots high on his cheeks the only indication of his discomfort. "The cause of death for those five children is unclear, which is why the information was classified." He shot a dark look at Reeve upon uttering the last word. "Now ar-"
"-In what condition were the bodies found?" Genesis interrupted, ignoring the murderous look Lazard shot him.
"Always the same" Heidegger muttered. "Left exactly where they were taken, same clothes, not a scratch on them... nothing in their systems. Wouldn't even know they were dead if you didn't look close. Just….not breathing."
The red-headed man nodded pensively, his gaze on the table as he considered the man's statement.
"Any other questions?" the Director asked tightly. When no response was forthcoming, he continued. "Are we all in agreement?"
Genesis murmured an assent as his two fellow Firsts did the same.
"Good. You'll receive emails regarding your schedules tomorrow, and I fully expect all of you to participate. Meeting dismissed, Heidegger, Reeve, stay a minute so we can discuss that submission over Order 12...the President wants your responses by
this evening."
Genesis clenched his teeth and stood to follow Angeal, who had risen a few moments beforehand. He was momentarily surprised to see Sephiroth follow his lead, but shrugged it off and continued to the exit.
"Thought you'd be staying for something like that" the red-headed SOLDIER grumbled once they were out in the hall.
There was a long silence, and he began to resign himself to not receiving a reply
"As dedicated as I am to this company, I have no reason to sit in on a detailed report regarding the President's massive order of Wutain cheese."
Genesis stopped and blinked rapidly, turning to face the other man; who raised a sardonic brow.
"I...guess that wouldn't be your area of expertise" he said disbelievingly.
"No" Sephiroth said, evidently losing his patience and sweeping by him to continue down the hall. "You'd know if you read the tabloids that I'm not partial to coagulated milk protein."
It took several moments for the General's words to sink in...and by then he had already disappeared.
"I don't like you!" Genesis hollered. "What the hell makes you think I'd read tabloids about you?! And who the FUCK cares if you like cheese or not?!"