Chapter 2

"Tifa." He said at the end of a long day when all the other customers had left, the edge of regret strong in his eyes. "My name is Genesis."

Her head snapped up to stare at him. Memories instantly clicked into place because she knew that name, everyone had once.

"Genesis Rhapsodos." She said, her voice hoarse with realisation. Anger, confusion, hatred, pity, and a million other things rushed through her. The feelings threatened to choke her and she sat heavily on the nearest bar stool.

"So you do know who I am." He said darkly, looking back at his empty glass.

She knew alright. He was a SOLDIER. One of the best. He had been infamous for the slaughter he wrought on Shinra's behalf, almost as much as S-

"You were in Nibelheim." She shocked herself with how calm her voice was. "The day it burned. And before, at the Reactor." It was almost funny how she could have forgotten such a detail from the worst day of her life. Perhaps she had been so focused on the villain centre stage that everything else had fallen away. What he had been doing there the day her town burned and her family was slaughtered she didn't know.

Her comment shocked him. He looked at her again, realisation in his eyes.

"You were the mountain guide. I had thought Seph-" He cut himself off from saying the name and they both looked away. "I thought he killed you." He said roughly.

"I guess I was lucky." She replied harshly, getting up again with a surge of energy. "Why are you here? What do you want?" Her hands clenched into fists, as much from confusion as her anger. Why him? Why now? What more could the past through in her face?

"I came only for a drink." He said sadly, putting aside the empty glass.

She didn't know what to think, the rush of emotions swirling inside of her made it impossible for her to think straight. She didn't say anything; she just stared at him, the mad swirl of emotions plain across her face. He saw and sighed, hanging his head for a moment.

"I am sorry, Tifa. I should not have been so bold. I will leave you in peace." He rose from his seat. He bowed slightly at her and then turned to leave.

She watched him walk away, shocked that he surrendered so easily. The newspapers had once spoken of a man outrageous and daring, who had the nerve to take whatever he wanted and stand unrepentant afterwards. The one walking away from her now didn't match that description.

He was quiet. Broken. With only the shadow of something vivacious hiding behind eyes tinged with regret.

Dammit all, her hands weren't clean either. She was moving on; didn't he deserve the chance to at least try?

He reached for the door handle.

"He was your friend, wasn't he?" She asked, knowing his enhanced ears would pick it up. "Or did the newspapers invent that too?"

He looked at her over his shoulder. They both knew who she was talking about.

"He was my friend. Once."

His voice was empty and she swallowed dryly. She fidgeted for a moment, building up the nerve to say what she needed to.

"A toast then." She said. "To friends lost."

He spun around then to face her.

"You would toast Sephiroth's memory?" He demanded, confusion and disbelief clear on his face. The unspeakable name was finally out in the open. The building didn't collapse and the world didn't end. The night continued on in absolute silence around them.

"I'm not so selfish as to think I'm the only one who lost something that day." She said quietly. The pain in his eyes couldn't escape her notice. "And you're from Banora." She added.

"You've been there?" He asked, taking a few unconscious steps back towards her.

"I've seen the crater." Or what was left of it. Shinra had so much to answer for.

He returned to the bar in slow strides. Finally he stood in front of her and searched her eyes intently. She met his gaze and held out his empty glass. The look of hope in his eyes, painfully raw, was plain as day. She was hit with the desire to see that hope fulfilled. His were eyes that should shine with delight, not be broken with mourning.

He took the glass. She picked one for herself and the bottle of Banora White wine and served them both, the expensive liquor splashing against the side of the glass.

"To those gone then." He said softly, holding up his glass and meeting her eyes. "And to those who endure in their stead."

She met his glass with a sad smile and together they drank.

It was strong, a little bit sweet and ever so slightly bitter. A good fit. She savoured the taste, closing her eyes for a moment. She opened them again to find him watching her with gentle eyes.

"Thank you." He said, his voice thick with emotion. She ducked her head, unsure how she should feel. A toast to the lost encompassed so many.

He sat again, next to her and facing away from the bar just like she was. She fingered the stem of the wine glass, watching the rest of it swirl. He watched her.

"I've never had this before." She offered self-consciously. "I don't usually drink anything off the top shelf." It was expensive and sophisticated. Not usually her style.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"I like it very much." She said softly, finally looking up at him.

"So do I." He said, something like satisfaction in his expression. His hand stretched out and ran gently along her bare upper arm. She shivered.

"One day," he began, speaking tentatively as though afraid he might scare her away. "Will you tell me about those you lost?"

"One day." She agreed.

Things changed after that day. He had expected to be cast out forever, but it seemed his honesty and forthrightness on the subject meant a lot to her.

They were both less serious now and yet much more so.

Genesis could not have predicted the change, but he was glad for it. He saw less of the wide friendly smile she gave to everyone and more of a small gentle smile that reached her eyes. She brushed his hand when giving him his drink and he kissed hers when saying good night because he knew how to be a gentleman. She laughed and listened and spoke in hushed whispers to him as each evening drew to a close. He treasured every moment.

All Genesis knew was that Tifa was too precious for him to lose, even if she wasn't really his to begin with. He'd just have to remedy that.

Genesis strode into the bar, feeling nervous and doing a fine job of acting as though he wasn't. It was still morning and the bar was closed. So it wasn't really a bar he was entering but a home. Here he wasn't a customer but a guest.

Someone else was just leaving as he entered.

"Goodbye Tifa." A blonde man with absurd spikes of hair called. He was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around for the currently missing brunette.

"See you Cloud! Be safe!" She called, her voice muffled by the distance. She must have been in the store room.

"You too." Cloud mumbled, looking down with disappointment and turning to leave.

He was startled by the sight of Genesis. Clouds eyes narrowed at him, obviously having noted the glow in his eye. The blonde took a step back, his hand instinctively moving towards his hilt.

Genesis scoffed at him.

"Good morning, Tifa!" He called out.

"Genesis! I'll be out in a minute, just make yourself comfortable!" Her voice returned.

Clouds head snapped around to look where her voice had come from, and then whipped back to look at him with even greater dislike. His hand most begrudgingly lowered from his weapon. Genesis crossed his arms and remained unmoved.

Cloud scowled and offered no comment. He brushed past Genesis, out the door to the monstrous motorbike waiting by the curb.

What a rude individual.

Genesis dismissed it and was about to find himself a seat when he was faced with a child. She must have snuck in while he was puzzling over was the recently departed Cloud and now she stood right in front of him. She watched him with an adorably studious expression.

"Do you like Tifa?" she asked, apropos of nothing at all.

"I like her very much." He replied easily. "You must be the delightful Miss Wallace." He had seen her on occasion during the days along with a little boy. She had a pink ribbon in her hair and looked about nine years old.

"My name's Marlene." She said with a smile, sticking out her hand for him to shake. "And you're Genesis." She stood closer to him, giving him a look of strict inspection. "Do you like macaroni cheese?"

"Yes I do, though I prefer spaghetti bolognaise." He replied airily, unbothered by the random nature of the question.

"Me too. Do you like flowers?" She enquired, her head tilted to the side.

"Of course, who doesn't like flowers?" He wasn't about to wear them in his hair but he appreciated beautiful things.

"Some people don't like them." She replied sombrely. "Do you like colouring in?"

"I cannot say that I do, Marlene."

She gave him a look of grave disappointment that had him scrambling for something to make up for it. "I play the violin." He offered, having no idea if that was an adequate substitute.

She hummed in thought, apparently deciding whether or not such an answer was worthy. Genesis had no idea how he had suddenly come to be at the mercy of a nine year old.

"Cats or dogs?" She asked, returning to form.

"I confess I am a cat person."

"Do you like apple pie?"

"I love apple pie." He said with a smile.

She looked at him very seriously.

"Can you make apple pie?" She asked with narrowed eyes. He felt his smile grow wider.

"Only if you're very good." He replied in a mock serious tone. She huffed at that. "Have I passed the test Marlene, or do you have more questions?"

"Just one more." She said, holding her hands behind her back. "Are you respectable?"

He gave a short chuckle at that. "I'm sure that's a matter of opinion. What do you think?"

"Hmm. Daddy says girls should only talk to boys who are respectable." She replied, delivering her father's edict with a nod.

"Your father is a very wise man." He observed. More than one father of beautiful girls had pronounced him grossly unrespectable in the past but he liked to think he was a better now. He wasn't quite the self-obsessed heart breaker he had been, but he was hoping he still had the charm that had served him so well in those days.

Tifa finally emerged from the store room, her hair escaping a messy bun and her leather skirt shorter than the one she wore while working the bar.

"I see you've introduced yourself, Marlene." She said. The little girl turned and skipped back to her.

"I like him Tifa, but I'm not sure he's respectable." She said, giving her report with absolute seriousness. Tifa's smile was equally serious as she nodded in understanding.

"Oh dear. Should we send him away?" She asked.

"He says he can make apple pie." Marlene said, looking back at him unsurely.

Tifa laughed at that. "Oh, well, in that case."

"Can we keep him?" Marlene asked in a whisper he heard clearly. Tifa, who had been looking at him when she asked, blushed and looked back to the little girl. Genesis restrained his smile from being too smug.

"Alright missy, you've got homework to do." She said.

Marlene was promptly sent upstairs and it was just him and Tifa. She smiled at him and retied her hair.

"I hope I am not intruding?" He asked with a smile. The light of day did wondrous things to her complexion and wine red eyes.

"Not at all, I'm sorry for making you wait. What did I miss?" She asked, sending a sly look in the direction Marlene had disappeared.

"As nerve-wracking an interrogation as I have ever endured. I suspect she has Turk training." He replied with a wry smile.

"Rude does babysit on occasion." She said.

"I sincerely hope you're joking." He replied, remembering the lethal silent Turk.

"Don't tell her dad, he'll have a fit."

He had no idea whether or not she was joking and she thought that was hilarious.

A/N: Thanks for reading! And I lied, there's still one more chapter, I just couldn't be bothered cramming it all into this one. Reviews are always appreciated :)