Author: Okami Tabor (WOLF)
Title: Gifts of the Goddess
Summary: Returning from a mission late at night, Sephiroth notices his friend still awake and permits himself the chance to see Genesis.
Rating/Warning: K+ for a little blood… Genesis X Sephiroth
Note: This is completely random and was written with no plot in mind nor did I have any idea where it was heading. In a sense, I kind of just let my brain come up with whatever it wanted and went along with. So, the story wrote itself out. Let me know if it's worth keeping up, and please let me know if you see any errors, even if they are minor.
Yet another successful mission, Sephiroth mused dismally as he returned to his room late at night after his attempts to thwart the newest Wutai attacks went as Director Lazard had predicted. His muscles ached from over usage—who knew that the Wutai would send in so many fighters— and he had to drag his battle worn body through the deserted SOLDIER hallways, his body slightly bent in a slouch. Luckily there were no third or second-class SOLDIERS to espy this rare spectacle, or surely the silver-haired man would be reprimanded for not keeping a good image in front of lower ranking coworkers. Still, at times, Sephiroth did not care about his image, hence the icy attitude, but knowing it better to not incur the wrath of his higher subordinates; he was keen to follow any orders. Creeping down the rooms with disdain over his appearance, the man finally managed to reach his room, which fortunately was adjoined with Angeal and Genesis' rooms, so if he ever needed assistance with anything, they were always nearby—not that he allowed his prideful self to commit such an act…
Yet it was this fact alone that drew his attention to the faint sheen of light that crept bellow the metallic door's gap. Maybe it was his mako-enhanced pupils that permitted him to recognize that it was Genesis' room that omitted the slight beam, but just seeing the barely visible illumination intrigued the first class SOLDIER. Had Genesis stayed up all night reading LOVELESS again? Or was he fast asleep in a chair with the infamous book nestled on his lap as he silently basked in his fantasies about the Goddess' gift. Whatever the occasion, Sephiroth allowed himself to press his pale ear up against the cool door, trying to listen for the quiet sound of slow, rhythmic breathing or the delicate flap of pages as they were turned.
Not surprisingly, or maybe it was surprising, the sound of paper hissing as it was flipped reached his ears. Reading…at this hour? Genesis, you never change. Sephiroth granted himself a soft chuckle, and without so much as knocking on the door or waiting for permission, he opened the metallic door calmly, waiting to espy the sight of his friend. With the door fully open, the man found his companion slumped against his bed garbed in nothing but his boxers, trademark book in one hand and light brown bangs obscuring his face. Even with the brown veil, Sephiroth knew that his companion had not so much as even lift his eyes from the book he was thoroughly engrossed with. Or so he thought.
"You're late." Was all the shorter male stated, eyes still focused on his reading material. His eyes, also mako-enhanced, were a shade of lighter blue than Sephiroth's own, and they had a lesser apparent green "spiked halo" around the pupil. They kept to the light colored paper pages before him, shifting from a slow right to a quick jolting left as he reached a new line of words. When his eyes did cease their shifting, it was only when they rested on the tired fighter before him. His only response was a minor rising of silver eyebrows and a slight twitch at the corner of the lips, as if to fight the instinct to keep distant or to indulge in the moment.
Then, like a holy incantation or appealing mantra, Genesis spoke in a silky voice as his eyes closed in thought: "'Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall—'"
By now all of the acts in LOVELESS were pounded into his brain after hearing the words spill from his companion's mouth, and out of conditioned response from being literally quizzed on the subject, Sephiroth muttered the rest of the act with ease, "'—my return.'"
He got a small nod and a characteristic grin, ever laced with an arrogance that no man could erase. "You remember, huh?"
"No thanks to you…" Sephiroth countered, leaning his sore back against the metallic door he had previously used as a means of eavesdropping.
"The gift of the Goddess…" This time, as he spoke, his sky blue and green tinted eyes revealed themselves from under the eyelids, watching everything their prey did as he too acted with bravado usually reserved for certain occasions. "How I desire it…" This was said in such a soft-spoken voice that the other doubted that he was deemed to hear it. Maybe all of Hojo's experiments were getting to him…
"And pray tell, what is the gift like for you?"
"It has you in it." Genesis leaned forward so that his body tilted in such a manner that his leg came up for his right arm to rest on while his left balanced his position. His book closed now, concealing the memorized acts within
"I see. And what am I doing?"
"Oh, this and that." The brunette looked away momentarily, looking out his window to see a plump, almost tangible full moon. The stars that kept it company were miniature diamonds glinting in pale comparison to their larger heavenly-bodied brethren.
The tiredness that had once enveloped all of Sephiroth's prior actions now became more awakened by each statement the other man made. It was as if the other's words held a magical potency that healed and soothed the General's pain with each word he spoke. Still, he could not conceal his prior tiredness and as Genesis stared out at the moon, silent, his magic seemed to cease. All of his previous aches came to him through slight throbs or weak limbs. Still, pride prohibited the silver-haired SOLDIER from allowing his comrade to know it. This, they both knew, and when Genesis turned to face his companion, his grin held a mocking appearance. He must have felt pleasure out of remembering how human Sephiroth was once he was battle-worn and blood-tainted. To know that under there cold exterior there was a real life human being, mortal and not immune to the certainties of death, must have comforted him immensely. Still, he too displayed human emotions, ones most witnesses mistook as nonexistent, showing sympathy at his friend's fatigue. The sardonic smirk transformed to a concerned frown.
"Go ahead and rest here for the night, I'm afraid you'll collapse on the floor before you reach your room." The brunette shifted his body to the other half of his bed, inviting the other to settle on the warm lavender sheets. Interestingly, the silver-haired General did not quarrel about the suggestion, even though he was certain his partner knew very well that it would only take him five seconds to enter his room and flop onto his bed. Still, he only arched a gray eyebrow in amusement at the offering, and accepted it by walking away from his support to sit next to the man.
"You and being afraid don't mix too well, Genesis." The thick voice was not meek although it was tired, and it held an edge of humor to it, one that did not go unnoticed by Genesis. His trademark blue-emerald irises glistened with a playful façade as the man settled next to him.
"Did I say 'afraid'? Well I meant I was concerned."
"That still doesn't appeal to me either." His statement was awarded a soft, velvety chuckle and the opening of the once sealed book.
"Same here." The brunette smiled, a delicate one, a fragile one—a grin that could easily be shattered if someone said the wrong thing in its presence. It was a reassuring smile that held a silent vow on luscious lips. Sephiroth found himself lost in the almost unnatural display he was presented, but his tiredness got the better of him, and finally daring to look away from the rare spectacle, he closed his eyes, finally aware of his battle scars and over used muscles. He was out almost within a matter of a few seconds, but it took him some time to be accustomed to all the faces he saw once his eyes were closed. All the faces of the men he slaughtered, the people who got in his way, the humans who stared in horror and fear at the glistening blade that thrust itself through there organs, ripping them like paper.
It was not often that Angeal or Genesis saw Sephiroth sleep, so to auburn-haired man, this was also a treat. If not more for the fact that Sephiroth was willingly letting the other see him in such a vulnerable position. The content and relaxed state of his companion encouraged him, and he softly began reciting the acts within the book once more, using it like a soothing lullaby to ease his best friend's disturbed mind, robbing it of all those bloody misfortunes. Before he even reached the final act, however, the brunette also knocked out, his worry at ease now that he knew Sephiroth had returned safely.
Come morning the two will have ended up right against one another, LOVELESS still revealing its text as it perched on a nearby-unused pillow. The words it held within materializing invisibly and playing itself softly through the two minds, its voice a perfect imitation of the soft tones only Genesis had. Comfortingly it would speak out:
"The infinite mystery The gift of the goddess is what the three men seekBut their fates are scattered by war
One becomes a hero, one wanders the land
And the last is held prisoner
But the three are still bound by a solemn oath
To seek the answer together, once again."
LOVELESS, Act I
With the act spoken so softly and delicately, the two minds were at ease, relishing in knowing that they were alive to see another day and given yet another opportunity to reenact the famous play and search for the infinite mystery the Goddess had presented before them. Still, at that moment, Genesis swore that he had already found his gift, a transitory bliss of knowing that his dearest friend was alive and slumped against his body in his own internal pleasure.