Another chapter for my readers. I hope you enjoy this one. It's short and sweet.

OoOoOoOoOoO

OoOoOoOoOoO

I didn't think I made any impression whatsoever on Sephiroth. We may have had our small talk within the week about things far more personal than he would share with the others, but I didn't think it meant anything. We didn't speak often after that, or at least he was only there to help point us in the right direction and I was too busy to stop and chat. The week had passed, I lost my chance, and soon he wasn't there to order us around. I gave up on seeing him around even though I kept a close eye out for those silver locks or to see the familiar coat he wore. I came up with nothing. It was like that for three more weeks and I began to forget about him completely. Sephiroth meant everything in the eyes of the civilians that never saw him yet always read about him. To me? I met him a few times and now it was as if those readings had gotten it all wrong. In a way I yearned to pick up another one of those magazines to fill my void of his presence, but I scolded myself for such obsessive behavior. I probably only idolized him because he was 1st class. That is no reason to like him. At least, I have a feeling Angeal would say I should choose my friends wisely and on better things then titles and appearances. I should just drop the notion that I'll ever get to know him. Besides, I at least have Angeal. Some of these guys have no one for support, and I can see those are the ones who begin to seem less lively as each day goes by.

Genesis turned his eyes from the food that sat before him on his tray toward the small groups and clusters that scattered themselves amongst the cafeteria. Their somber faces even made his own attitude feel dampened. It's depressing being here with nothing to look forward to. We've been training harder and harder, prepping ourselves for missions. Angeal's already been on one, yet he refused to talk about it for now. I'm wondering if they're that bad. Just yesterday we received news that a 3rd class from the first group had been killed on his mission. We were told to be careful and to always go in well prepared. It only gives me a bad feeling that Angeal and I may, one day, be separated from each other. He's a great friend, I will admit that, and I'm scared of departing from his side. Maybe I'm just too clingy. Maybe that's why I want to see Sephiroth around here, because I grew attached and hopeful when he had talked to me those few times.

Angeal noticed the quiet behavior that Genesis was expressing during their lunch break. It wasn't normal for Genesis to be this soft-spoken or shy on a topic that was bothering him. "You should say what's on your mind."

Genesis glanced up from the mashed potatoes he had slopped around and for a moment he kept his silence up. It didn't last very long, he always told Angeal everything at some point. "I think I'm scared." Angeal leaned forward slightly for him to keep talking. "We've been training a lot for these missions that are dangerous and could actually kill us. I guess I'm afraid of being another number added on to the dead pile. I don't want to screw up, but I'm not sure how well I can trust my instincts anymore."

"Don't doubt yourself. The first mission always feels like the worst. You'll do fine when you're assigned to one."

"I suppose. When I look at everyone who comes back they look so bleak and seem so hush-hush that it makes me wonder how bad it really can be. Everyone looks lifeless…" Genesis picked up the red apple on his tray. "Sometimes I wonder if this was worth leaving Banora."

Angeal smirked, though the subject was a depressing one he couldn't help but feel glad that Genesis wasn't going into this all like a blind man. "It will be worth it. The missions aren't bad. It's just hard to take in sometimes what we're doing. But in the big picture, we're keeping our citizens safe with every action we take. It's a lot on our shoulders, but a duty we should look forward to doing every day that we wake up to." He rested a hand on Genesis's shoulder comfortingly. "It's perfectly fine to have doubts, but don't think you're going it alone."

There it is again, Angeal's uplifting spirit always hitting the right spot. I do feel better whenever he does tell me these things. All the more reason why I need him around me all the time. Sometimes I wonder if I could ever make the right decision without him. "Thanks. You're a great friend."

"As are you, Genesis."

Genesis gave a small frown. He was a great friend? "I don't really feel like one. What do I ever say or do to you that would make me great? I mean, you're the one who usually has the brilliant, well-thought out ideas. You give great advice. You're always optimistic." Genesis shrugged feeling like a terrible friend. "I'm nothing compared to that."

Angeal shook his head. Genesis must be feeling pretty upset if he was reacting like this. "You're entertaining, kind, generous, and your mom makes a damn good pie. What's not to like?"

There was a tiny smile that quivered on Genesis's lips until he saw him. His face lit up, perhaps more in shock then in happiness. "Look, he's back."

Sephiroth had entered in with a tray in hand and a rather bored expression on his face. But as Angeal and Genesis stared over at him the man had picked up on the look, seeing the glowing blue eyes landing on him curiously. He walked over to them, to their surprise, and he took a seat at their table. Gently he picked up the salt and pepper shaker and dressed his mashed potatoes in a few sprinkles of each before glancing at them. "Did you not want me to sit here? Your table is rather empty, I assumed you wouldn't mind."

"We don't mind," Angeal remarked. His eyes turned to Genesis. "Right?"

Genesis nodded. "I just expected you to sit with your friends."

Sephiroth had picked up a napkin from the dispenser and set it neatly beside his tray before gracefully picking up his spoon to dive in at the mashed potatoes. "Friends? That's an interesting term. Who in here do you think I'm 'friends' with?"

Genesis glanced around the room seeing everyone in their own petite, huddled groups. A few were stealing glances at them, but other than that there seemed to be no one in particular that Genesis thought would stand out as a group who'd spend time with Sephiroth. "Well…who do you normally sit with?"

"I try to talk to everyone at least once. But I normally don't come here, or I'm late so I eat by myself."

Angeal nodded, "It would be nice to get to know everyone, this group isn't that large. I'm sure it helps boost morale as well."

"That's what the Director said it would do. A few people are nervous around me, so you can imagine how hard it is for them to eat when I'm right there before them. But the large percentage of people in this place knew me when I was 3rd class, so they're not as intimidated."

Genesis kept toying with his apple as Sephiroth spoke. He felt nervous around him as well, but he also wasn't that hungry. "Even that group that hates you?"

Sephiroth shook his head as he picked up a carrot to eat since he polished off his mashed potatoes. "No, they refused to let me sit anywhere near them."

"Refused?" Angeal questioned.

"They said the seats at their table were full."

Genesis sighed. "And they weren't, were they?" Sephiroth gave a small nod. "Man. That's childish. Sounds like something you'd see in middle school or high school."

Angeal snorted while he ate his peas. A smirk came onto his face and he pointed a finger at Genesis. "That reminds me of the time you told that Susan girl she couldn't sit next to you because someone else was sitting there, and when she found out you were lying she clobbered the hell out of you."

"Because Susan was on steroids or something," Genesis defended himself. He looked over at Sephiroth. "She was like a man with pigtails. There was nothing cute about her."

Angeal chuckled, "I don't know…it was pretty cute how during Valentine's Day she'd stick secret admirer notes in your locker."

"She also put a dead squirrel in my gym bag."

Sephiroth listened to them curiously. He wasn't used to school stories, most of the guys he talked to gave him small talk that their missions were going well and they were looking forward to doing more missions. Someone with a background that linked to someone else in the group was rather different and intriguing to him. "She liked you?"

Genesis nodded. "It was one of those creepy stalker type things. She'd spy on me and I'd try to hide from her. I mean, she was probably the nastiest looking chick you can imagine." His eyes met Sephiroth's and he remembered Sephiroth's taste in women. There was hardly any perception on him. "Let me describe her. Okay, pretend Angeal had boobs and had his hair in pigtails, and then really nasty teeth. And one giant wart right on his nose. That was basically her. A man-woman thing. I'm pretty sure she had more leg hair than you have on your head."

Sephiroth's face was calm as he explained what she looked like. "You didn't like how she looked, I imagine?"

Genesis laughed. "Okay I know your taste in humans is minimal, but I thought you'd at least know the difference between an ugly person and an attractive person. You don't even have to be attracted to anything to think someone looks decent."

Angeal looked over at Sephiroth. His taste in humans? Genesis made it sound rather creepy. "Wait, what exactly are we talking about?"

Genesis spoke up before Sephiroth could even make a comment. "You know how I lost that training session at 4 in the morning because I was sick and Sephiroth was going to can my ass? Well we began discussing why he was single and whatever, and he said it was because he wasn't attracted to girls."

Angeal's expression changed slightly. "Wait. Just girls?"

Sephiroth shook his head, "No, I said I wasn't attracted to either. Careful what you say, someone's going to take it the wrong way."

Genesis laughed, "Sorry. Guys or girls. Anyway, I pointed out some hot girls and he was completely unresponsive."

"My apologies for not caring for how large a woman's breasts are," Sephiroth quipped back.

Angeal smirked before glancing between the two of them. "You did the same test for guys?"

"There weren't any guys around, really, so I asked if he found me attractive and he said I was 'normal' just like everyone else."

A thoughtful 'ah' came from Angeal before he glanced at Sephiroth. "No wonder Sephiroth can't answer correctly, we all know that Genesis has an ugly mug."

Genesis glared, "Har har, you're so funny."

But Angeal only laughed and gave a punch to Genesis's arm. "I'm only joking. Though this makes me curious." He turned his attention to Sephiroth. "You said you grew up here in Midgar. Where did you go to school?"

Sephiroth had been relatively hesitant on the subject. It was personal, but then again these two didn't seem like the type to gossip aside from between each other. "I actually grew up here and was schooled here."

Genesis didn't get it for a minute, as if Sephiroth had left out an entire syllable in his words. "You mean…in this building?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Weird. I didn't know they schooled people here."

"They don't. At least not just anyone."

"Oh I get it, your mom or dad must have worked here and asked for you to get the best education, right? I can imagine learning here would make anyone a genius."

Sephiroth didn't know if he should go ahead with the truth or not. He never spoke up about his personal life, and Genesis had been the first person to hear anything out of him about what he liked or disliked. These two probably talked to him more than anyone else in SOLDIER, and he had been there for a little over two years now. Would it be harmful for him to open up to these two? "I've never met my parents, so no. It wasn't because they worked here."

Never met his parents? Genesis had never read that about Sephiroth. "Oh…what happened to them?"

Sephiroth shook his head, "I don't know, I wasn't given details."

Angeal finished his drink and set the glass down. "Have you asked?"

"No."

Genesis toyed with the apple still. "Why not? Aren't you curious? I mean, what if they're still alive?"

Sephiroth shrugged, the first time he ever gave an indifferent approach to answering someone's question. "If they're alive it means they abandoned me, so it'll only be a burden for me to come back and bother them."

Genesis shook his head. "How did you come to being here, then? I mean, how did Shinra explain that?"

"I don't know. They didn't tell me that either. I'm assuming I was either dropped off or found."

"You're not going to ask about that either?"

"Would those details affect me in any way? I don't think so. There's no reason to get worked up over something that means so little. What two people lost or gave up has given the rest of the world a savior. Their sacrifice can be easily dismissed."

Genesis hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe it felt unsettling because it seemed so open-ended and mysterious. Why would someone abandon Sephiroth? "I guess I'm just weird, I'd be curious as hell to figure out everything. I like finding the answers to questions that bother me."

Sephiroth had finished off everything on his plate by now and started to question what he had been saying. "I never bothered worrying about it." But in reality, he had questioned himself several times about his time in Shinra and who his parents were. He never asked anyone about it because he didn't want to seem like the type that was searching for something that he could never obtain. In fact, though no one knew about it, part of the reason he had strove so hard to become 1st class was a small hope in someone revealing themselves as his parents. It never happened. He did feel disappointed, but then again…he lost something he never had in the first place. So, in actuality, he couldn't feel too upset over it. "Are you going to eat that?"

Genesis looked at the red apple that Sephiroth had asked about. He shook his head. "No it's too bitter. Do you want it?"

Sephiroth nodded and was given the apple easily enough. "How is it bitter? Apples are rather sweet."

"Dumb Apples are far sweeter than those. They've got a nice bite to them. These taste flavorless in comparison."

"Dumb Apples?" Sephiroth questioned his wording.

"Banora Whites. In Banora they're called Dumb Apples because the trees bloom in odd seasons of the year." Angeal smirked. "Surely you've tried one before."

Sephiroth shook his head, "I haven't."

"Not even the juice?" Genesis questioned. He had hoped that Sephiroth would have at least tried that since he was the one who came up with the recipe.

"No. It doesn't come directly here at Headquarters, they usually pay the grocery store that's not too far from here for a box of it. But I'm rarely here, and I rarely eat in the cafeteria. So, as you can see, I've never had an opportunity to try it."

There went a small part of Genesis's hope. "Oh. Where do you usually eat?"

"Since I'm on missions it's either whatever packets of dried food you're given or whatever you can catch based on where you're at. If not there, then in my room I can make something."

Genesis frowned, "You have a kitchen in your room? I don't remember seeing that."

"It's the door on the opposite wall of my closet. You were too busy sleeping to see anything."

Genesis wondered why he had missed a detail like that. Too busy sleeping? Pff. He had been sick during that time, of course he wasn't going to remember much of anything. "Your closet was nice aside from all the crap in it."

Sephiroth glanced at him and then at the time. "Don't you two have things to do?"

Genesis and Angeal both stared at the clock feeling like their break needed to be longer. Genesis sighed and nodded, "Yeah."

But Angeal was the smart one. "What are you doing tonight, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth thought over his schedule, "I have tonight off since I just returned from a mission. So, sleeping."

"You could do that….or you could join Genesis and I for some fun."

Genesis wondered what 'fun' meant. He didn't know Angeal had something planned for them. Or was he making it up as he went just so that they had a reason to be around Sephiroth more? Would a 1st class really want to bother with two 3rd class operatives?

"What does your fun exactly entail?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. Don't worry, it'll all come out of Genesis's wallet."

Genesis frowned, "Oh thanks."

Angeal smirked back at him. "You owe me a few favors. This will make up for it."

Sephiroth glanced between the two before giving a small nod. "I suppose I'll join you if that's what you want. I'll be in my room for the rest of the day."

"We'll be sure to bang on your door anytime we get a break just to make sure you're still alive," Angeal remarked before watching Sephiroth leave with his things. He grabbed up his own and looked at Genesis. "Have you noticed that Sephiroth seems more interactive to us then anyone else?"

"A little, yeah. I was surprised he told us about his parents."

"Right. Something personal, yet he told us from the beginning he doesn't talk about his personal life. You know what that means…" Angeal paused and glanced at his friend with a cheery smile. "He likes us."

"He might just generally find us intriguing because we know each other."

"No, he would have only listened if he only cared about that aspect of us. He did mention he didn't have friends."

"You think he wants us to be his friends?"

"Why not? He notices that you and I have been friends for a long time. Intriguing to him, perhaps, but that also means we've never had a bad conflict between each other that would ruin our friendship. A person who wants friends would want a friendship that would last. After watching us interact he's already determined if he likes us, and so far he keeps coming back for more."

"I never really thought about it that way."

"Sephiroth strategizes things because he's too shy to do it any other way."

"Oh. Yeah okay that makes sense."

"You know what else this means?"

Genesis shook his head. He didn't think this could go beyond the reasons that Angeal had already given. "What else could there be?"

"That he's attracted to us." Angeal looked at his friend. "In a non-sexual way, of course, but there's an attraction. We're the only people so far that have piqued his interest in this way. At least from what I can see."

"Oh. Hey, you're right. That actually makes me feel better that someone like Sephiroth would want to spend time with us. I mean, I suppose I've never pictured the two of us ever having a third person in our friendship." Genesis headed down the hallways with his friend, knowing they'd have to split up soon. "But having Sephiroth as a friend would be nifty."

Angeal lost his smirk. "Because he's 1st class?" He thought that Genesis wouldn't have such shallow thinking, but he had to remember that not everyone was modest with their thoughts.

Yet Genesis didn't actually think that way. "No. It's not because of that, surprisingly enough. The day that I had talked to him before we disappeared for his missions I had actually felt…something. Like a connection. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it was a good vibe I was getting from him. The kind I get from you because I know you're my friend and I can trust you."

"Ah, well that's an instinct, and a good one at that. I had that feeling as well talking to him today." Angeal stopped as their roads now forked in different directions. "Start thinking of fun things for us to do tonight. I'll tell you my idea once we're back in our room."

Genesis nodded, "All right, partner." He watched as Angeal soon went off. With a small, hopeful breath Genesis went down his own.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Man I am so tired. I've been anxious all day to see what Angeal has planned for us that I couldn't come up with any good ideas for late night time together. Maybe Sephiroth will just want to talk again? I keep asking myself that same damn question and then I always remember Sephiroth doesn't talk too much. We'd run out of things to say so damn quickly… Genesis popped the door open and came in finding Angeal already there. "Okay. Tell me your plans."

"Make yourself look nice. We're going out to eat."

Genesis nodded, "Sweet. Did you plan anything beyond that?"

"No."

Genesis shook his head. "I couldn't think of anything. Maybe we'll think of something while we're eating?"

"Quite possibly."

Genesis struggled out of his clothes to put something nicer on. If Angeal wasn't going to wear the Shinra gear then he had no reason to keep his uniform on as well. Now that he thought about it, he wondered what Sephiroth looked like without his trademark outfit. He hadn't ever thought of the guy having 'casual Fridays' or dressing down on off days. "Have you talked to Sephiroth?"

"Yup. I woke up him up and told him what we're doing, he should be ready any minute now."

"Good." Genesis smoothed down his shirt against his abs, "You know, if everything goes well I wonder if we'll take him to the bar?"

Angeal laughed, "What, you want to see how he'd react to a girl rubbing herself all over him?"

"Yeah, it'd be funny to watch." Genesis glanced at himself in the mirror and fixed his hair slightly before nodding. "Okay. I'm ready."

When they moved over to Sephiroth's door Genesis didn't bother knocking, and he let the door slide wide open. Sephiroth was brushing his hair. "You could knock first, you never know what I might be doing in here."

Would Sephiroth actually do anything weird in his room? "Well, considering you have no attraction to anything, I can't imagine whatever you're doing in here being disgusting or bad."

"What if I walk around naked all the time? Then what?" Sephiroth set the brush down as he finished and rose. He looked sharp in his attire, but Genesis had never noticed that Sephiroth was rather lean and lanky without his shoulder pads on.

"I'd visit more often," Genesis joked.

Sephiroth had fallen silent as he turned the lights off and locked his room up. He thought it was odd that Genesis would admit to such things. When did the boy become fascinated in seeing him naked? "I thought you said you didn't like boys?"

"I don't? I was joking. Don't tell me you've never exposed yourself to humor before."

"You didn't sound like you were joking."

Angeal decided to break in, "That's because Genesis only knows how to speak in two ways. Either like he's completely serious, or he's like a total dumbass. So, you'd either get a rather confusing question about visiting you more often, or you get what you just got."

"If I had to choose," Sephiroth remarked, "I'd prefer Genesis to be serious. It would make everything he says a mystery whether he meant it or not."

But Angeal wasn't sure about that. "You want Genesis's behavior around you to be mysterious? Do you know how badly that could wind up?"

"You make it sound like I'm out to rape him," Genesis complained.

They had reached the outdoors and heard the buzzing of life begin around them. The sky above was rather dark and gloomy, but a few glowing signs had lit up the place in the moon's absence. "So, Sephiroth, how often do you go out to eat?" Angeal glanced behind as the man was casually walking with them.

"Not often."

"Why not?"

"I wouldn't mind doing it more often…but I'm too busy. Once I get back from missions I'm too tired to get out of bed, and if I do have energy I'd rather not go out since it's nice to be inside my room for once."

"Sounds rough."

"I'm used to it."

Genesis held the door open for them when they got to the restaurant and eased their way inside. They were escorted to their seats promptly and handed some menus. When their waitress walked off Sephiroth glanced through the items before speaking up. "There's another reason why I don't go out very often."

Genesis perked up. Sephiroth didn't need to be prompted this time to speak. What else could he have to say? "What's that?"

"Just watch our waitress, you'll see."

They weren't sure what he meant by that, so they waited for the perky girl to return to their table. Her eyes buzzed over them before locking right on Sephiroth. She nervously smiled and giggled slightly before pointing at him. "You're Sephiroth, right? The legendary Hero? The one and only 1st class SOLDIER?"

Sephiroth gave a small nod, "I am."

Her hand went to her mouth to contain the squeal she was about to let out. When her hand removed itself from her face she blurted out, "May I have your autograph?"

He wasn't going to be a jerk and say no. "Yes, you may."

Her smile was plastered all over her face when he said that. "Thanks! Okay, let me get your orders and I'll bring you something to sign." They had ordered and she went off bubbly as ever. Genesis and Angeal glanced between each other before landing their eyes on Sephiroth.

"She's pretty cute, I don't see why you wouldn't want to go to restaurants more often," Genesis pestered.

Angeal reinforced Genesis's statement. "I agree, that would probably make my day if it happened every time I went out to eat."

"Both of you are focusing on the person that does the motions rather than the motion itself. Asking someone for their autograph, don't you find that somewhat detrimental?"

"To what? It's perfectly healthy to look up to someone," Genesis argued.

"Idolizing over someone who isn't in your field of work seems rather defeating of the purpose."

"You protect the Planet. What's not to idolize? We draw hopes from your strength."

The girl came back over to them and handed each their drink before she handed over the picture. It was one he hadn't seen before, but he did feel like it was rather familiar. It was him leaning against some railing looking down at his reflection in the water. Genesis gave an approving nod. "You look nice there."

Sephiroth looked for a good spot to sign. "Almost a shame I'm ruining it."

The girl giggled, "Well, having the real deal would be even better than the picture, but I don't think you come with a price tag."

Angeal smirked, "That means it's free."

Genesis snorted, "Only if you can pick it up and carry it out without the owner noticing."

Sephiroth gave a small chuckle which caught all of their attention. "Sorry, but I just tried to imagine her carrying me out of Headquarters." The others laughed at the image as well. This girl was pretty short, and there wasn't much to her.

"You might be surprised at what I can do," she finally defended herself, though with that perkiness about her.

"I think she's challenging you," Genesis remarked.

"Oh, I'd have to forfeit."

"Why?"

"My arms are sore."

The waitress gave another bubbly laugh, "That's okay, you could probably beat me without lifting a finger. Let me get your dinner so you boys can finally eat."

Genesis had waited for the girl to move off before turning his attention back to Sephiroth. He was relatively surprised at how he handled the situation, but he had a feeling that Sephiroth normally deflected all conversations before they could even get that far. "Are your arms actually sore or were you just saying that?"

"They're actually sore, I just finished with a mission earlier this morning that lasted for quite awhile. Or don't you remember that I was absent?" Sephiroth took a sip of his drink while Genesis pondered about the missions.

"Sore from doing what?"

Sephiroth had realized that was a stupid question but answered it anyway, "From killing people with my sword. Try swiping your blade through the air repeatedly for an entire week. I think you'd feel tired after awhile."

Angeal interjected, "I think Genesis believes you're too superhuman to get sore."

But Genesis quickly rejected that notion. "No, I just didn't realize he was killing that many things for that long." There was some hesitation until he decided to offer up some help. "I could massage your arms later if that would make it any better."

Sephiroth didn't know what to say. He quickly looked over to Angeal wondering what he had to say about Genesis's massages. Were they actually worth it or was Genesis joking around? He really was a mystery.

"You should take him up on that offer, he actually has a magic touch when it comes to massages. Once I kinked my back pretty badly while helping with our apple harvest and Genesis came over saying that he could help. I thought he was going to hurt me more than help, but as soon as he finished I never felt better." Angeal had said it with a serious face as well, so Sephiroth could tell it wasn't a lie. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"All right. Perhaps later."

Their dinner had gone relatively well. Genesis felt pretty pleased that Sephiroth was enjoying himself, or at least showing some interest in the conversations they had, and he believed that their friendship would definitely grow. Perhaps they were still in the beginning awkward stages of being friends, but it didn't feel like it'd stay there for long.

Genesis watched Sephiroth finish off the rest of his food. "You know, I just kind of noticed this but you eat a lot. I mean, you do a lot of crap but my goddess you can eat."

Sephiroth had picked up the last bread roll when Genesis made this comment. He never noticed how much he ate because during his missions he normally went days without meals. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Angeal smirked. "He's saying you'd be a fatass if you weren't in SOLDIER."

"Perhaps. I don't eat that often. During missions you're too worried about your surroundings to even think about if you're hungry."

"You get worried?" Genesis questioned.

"Yes, all humans worry about something."

"Sorry, I guess I just never expected you to express much emotion."

Sephiroth wondered why. "Is it because I'm 1st class you think that way?"

"I'm not sure. I guess it's just your personality." Genesis toyed with the napkin he had used.

"Hmm. I've been told I'm rather moody," Sephiroth reflected. He had finished his meal, as large as it was, he was the only one that had finished his plate and then some. After Genesis paid for them, and their waitress frolicked about them until they left, Sephiroth felt as if he should return to his room and be finished with it all. On the contrary, it wasn't like he didn't want to be around them. As oddly as it sounded, he was enjoying these 3rd class kids far more than anyone else he had been around in his life. Still, he didn't want to become too personal to two others that he had no idea would last beyond the first week.

But Genesis was focused on being around the guy as much as he could. He didn't want to break from him just yet. "Hey, we can go to your room and I can give you that massage you wanted."

Sephiroth glanced toward him before nodding, "That sounds fine." It'd be easier to chase them away when he needed to. They arrived within his room and Sephiroth was treated to a very nice massage. He had never thought that arms could be massaged from their soreness, but Genesis somehow made the pain go away. "Maybe instead of being in SOLDIER you should become my personal assistant? I'm sure President Shinra would understand."

Genesis smirked. "What exactly would that pay me?"

"We could negotiate."

"Does it feel that good?"

"Yes, as unbelievable as that may be, it feels very nice."

Angeal nodded solemnly, "Told you."

Genesis continued his work. He wondered if he kept this up if that meant Sephiroth would like him more. Was it sad that he was willing to try anything to get him to be his friend? "I'd give you a full body massage, but this is just our first date. Wouldn't want to move too fast."

Sephiroth assumed that was a joke. "How many dates does it take to get a full body massage?"

"Good question. I've never got there before, but I have been somewhat tipsy enough to do it to some girl I didn't know."

Angeal rolled his eyes, "He looks for good excuses to touch someone inappropriately."

"Massaging isn't inappropriate," Genesis defended himself.

"When you're drunk and you're mostly groping it is."

Sephiroth let Genesis work on the other arm, his body appreciating each moment that it was allowed to enjoy the soothing touch. "I'm not sure if I want to go that far for a massage. You might grab something you shouldn't."

Genesis couldn't imagine what he would do if that ever happened. Probably die. Yeah. Dying would sound pretty rational if he put his hands down Sephiroth's pants. "If we were both drunk you'd never know."

That had Sephiroth worried. "Well, now that you've given me that warning, I'll be sure not to drink with you."

Genesis shrugged, "What if you like it?"

"Hmm. If I liked you touching me? I wonder what would happen then."

"You are 1st class, you could probably rape someone and no one would be able to point fingers at you."

"Oh yes, they'd say that you wanted it. I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to plow through the 3rd rankers."

Angeal and Genesis laughed at that. Oh the imagery. Genesis started on Sephiroth's shoulders, letting his fingers work around all of the taut muscles that were hidden underneath his shirt. "I'm still surprised that you don't find people attractive," Genesis heckled.

"If I was would it make any difference?"

"Of course," Angeal chimed, "It'd make Genesis fight that much harder for your attention."

"Would not," Genesis griped. "You're going to make everyone think I'm into guys if you keep those comments up."

"On the contrary, some of your own words lead people astray," Sephiroth admitted.

"It couldn't be because he's grabbing up your body at the moment," Angeal humored. But he could see the glare he was receiving from his friend. "Calm down, Genesis, I'm only joking around."

Genesis would have shot back an insult, but as he brushed his fingers against Sephiroth's sides, the figure jolted slightly. It had caught his attention and made him wonder if Sephiroth was ticklish. "Don't tell me that our 1st class SOLDIER has soft spots. Did that tickle?"

Yet Sephiroth shook his head, "No, that spot is tender. I was stabbed there during a mission and it's still recovering."

"Still? How long has it been?"

"Several months."

"You were stabbed even though you're in 1st class?" Genesis couldn't believe it.

"I was saving a civilian against an enemy and I hadn't expected them to try a shot at me. Just because I'm in the top rank doesn't necessarily mean that I'm invincible."

"It'd be cool if you were," Genesis claimed.

Angeal snorted, "You're a dork." He received another infamous scowl from his friend. "If you keep doing that your face is going to stick that way."

"Only if I keep looking at you."

Sephiroth turned to look at Genesis and was surprised to see the look on his face. "Do you two fight often?"

"Fighting? This isn't fighting, this is like…child's play," Genesis corrected him. "I don't think Angeal and I have ever fought over anything." Angeal shook his head, unable to recall a time when they weren't friends.

"Oh. It's hard to tell. The two of you say a lot of things that I would have considered unfriendly toward each other, but I suppose I'm wrong."

"Yeah. We might say something but we hardly ever mean it." Genesis finally grabbed at Sephiroth's hair and braided it. "When you're close friends with someone you could say anything you really want without being judged."

Sephiroth glanced back and saw Genesis toying around with his silver locks. He smacked the redhead's hands and began to undo the braid. "I'm not a doll, you can't play with me."

Genesis rubbed his hands, he hadn't expected that. But it only made him smile. "You sure? I thought that's why you had long hair!"

"No." His response was very blunt and there was no explanation or comeback.

"It smells nice. Was that a part of your scheme as well?"

"My scheme to do what?"

"Stun your enemies with your aroma."

Angeal chuckled, "I think I wouldn't be very stunned if I fought someone with lilac scented shampoo. That would just hint to me that I'm too close and about to get my head chopped off."

"It doesn't smell like lilacs," Genesis murmured.

"Because it isn't, and no I'm not telling you what it is. And no, you may not get closer to find out," Sephiroth declared.

"Now look whose playing mysterious. Must be something fruity or flowery if you're too embarrassed to say."

Sephiroth shook his head. He wasn't embarrassed at all. "I'm not embarrassed about shampoo."

"Really…"

"Yes. If you're dying to know my secret, it's 13 different shampoos mixed into one."

"Huh. That's pretty creative. Keeps everyone guessing, that's for sure."

Angeal couldn't even imagine what 13 scents mixed together would still smell nice, but then again…Sephiroth had long hair. He probably experimented with that stuff. "Sephiroth, do you really care what the media thinks about your looks?"

"I've never bothered to read what they have to say about me, so no. I don't care."

"You've done interviews though, right?" Genesis asked.

"Only a few. They never asked me why I look the way I do."

"But you're not a particular fan of getting your picture taken, are you?" Angeal bargained.

"Not really." Sephiroth wondered what had brought on this topic. It wasn't too personal, was it? Well. Genesis already knew about his shampoo and him getting stabbed. Talking about getting his picture taken couldn't be that bad…

"Why's that?" Genesis questioned.

"It's unsettling."

"Unsettling?"

"Yes. There's something about the intentions behind it. I always wonder how many pictures they take in the few seconds that we cross paths. Tens? Hundreds? Is there someone out there who has thousands of pictures of me and I don't even know who they are?" Sephiroth gently shook his head. "At first, when they take your picture amongst your comrades you think nothing of it. But when it becomes just yourself, and their eyes are always on you wherever you go…it makes you wary."

Genesis hadn't thought about that. It did sound a bit overwhelming, but Sephiroth seemed to handle it all very well. "But you don't bother reading anything they publish."

"No. I look at the pictures sometimes. Everyone's allowed to be a little self conscious, right?"

Genesis nodded, "Yeah I suppose. Find any pictures you like?"

Sephiroth's signature smirk gently played across his lips, eyes brightening at the thought of what pictures he had liked. He had torn a few pictures out of magazines with himself in it and shoved them away into a book. It was like his own photo album, though the pictures were mostly of him in SOLDIER. He hardly had any of his childhood besides the few photos that someone might have taken of him during his stay at the Headquarters. Should he really bother showing these 3rd rankers those pictures? Then again… His eyes glanced between the two. They were nice people. Though he didn't want to be personal with anyone, they had been relatively friendly so far. They even took him out to eat and paid for him, he should at least show some gratitude. If they wanted to see his favorite picture then they could obviously do just that. He got up and went over to the closet, pushing aside some crap and watching most of it topple onto other things. He reached into the abyss and pulled out a dusty black album which he wiped off with his hand. Quickly he flipped through it before finding the right picture and he handed the album to Genesis. "There. The one on the right."

Genesis curiously absorbed what was set before him and was surprised to see a bloody, dirty Sephiroth heroically helping a bashed up woman that had a baby bundled up in her arms. "That's interesting. You look busy."

"The building she was living in had been overrun by monsters. It was on the verge of collapse. She lived on one of the higher levels. We were told not to travel too high because of the buildings structure, but I went all the way up to pursue any civilians and to kill off as many monsters as I could. When I found her she said the floor was empty but that she couldn't escape because the elevators weren't working. You can't see it, but that woman has been unable to use her legs for years. I decided I had a choice: either continue upward and find more people with the risk of dying coming closer, or to save this woman and possibly risk having unknown civilian casualties happen in the upper part of the building. I went with a gut feeling and carried her all the way down. When we got out the building toppled. I saved her life and her son's life." Sephiroth looked toward the window at the blackened night outside. "She sent me photos of him, saying thanks for giving her boy a chance."

Angeal smiled at that, "That is quite a story for one photo. You must feel enlightened to know that your risks helped someone."

"I did. Though…" Sephiroth hesitated. "She died a few months later. She had been battling with health problems for years." He bashfully looked to the floor, "Someone asked me if I would adopt her kid. I may have saved his life, but do I need to take ownership of it as well? Besides. I was young at the time it happened, I doubt I'd be able to handle a baby."

"Understandable, it wasn't your responsibility to take care of the child," Angeal responded.

"The most I could do was recommend it to some foster parents. I checked on the living conditions and the people who were taking care of him. But that was it. Director Lazard told me not to take it personal about the kid. He said that it'll happen thousands of times, and that I can't make everything perfect for the abandoned kids out there."

"But you want to, right?" Genesis asked.

"One of the few reasons why I'm in this line of work," Sephiroth commented. He noticed that Genesis started to paw through a few of the other pictures, but he didn't bother to stop him. Curiosity wasn't a completely terrible thing.

"Aww," Genesis cooed as he pointed at a picture, "It's a tiny Sephiroth." The picture showed Sephiroth when he was close to the age of five holding onto a table, giving the camera a confused look. "If they had bathtub shots of you then I'd really laugh. My mom did those types of things."

Sephiroth shook his head, "I don't think I'd save those types of pictures."

Genesis pointed out another one. "Ha, you even ate a lot when you were a kid. Look at you." It had Sephiroth sitting at a table with a fork in his mouth and a plate full of food before him, though the expression on his face looked pretty perturbed. "You look grumpy, too."

"I was eating, it's unnecessary to take pictures when someone's eating. It's called common courtesy."

Genesis looked at the next page and noticed some of the age gaps. "You don't have a lot of pictures of when you were little."

"Did you expect more?"

Genesis shrugged. "I don't know…people like taking pictures of little kids. Someone should have taken more of you."

"Perhaps they did and didn't give me the picture? It's not like they had to hand it over."

"I suppose." Genesis looked through more of them and found that most of the pictures were concentrated on Sephiroth during his time in SOLDIER, especially if it was a magazine shot. When he shut the album he looked up at Sephiroth and bashfully handed it back, "Sorry, I didn't even ask to look at any of those. That was rude of me."

Sephiroth took the album from the redhead's grasp and he shook his head in return. "No, it's fine. I keep forgetting I even have it." He let it flop onto an empty spot back in the closet. "I'd fill it with more pictures, but as you can see the only ones I find are from magazines."

"We could fill it together," Genesis suggested. He noticed the odd looks given to him by Angeal and Sephiroth. "Whenever we're hanging out, we should remember to take a picture, that way you can fill it up with some great memories."

"Together," Sephiroth repeated that word to himself. What a concept. The three of them as friends? Was he out of his mind? "How often do you expect us to be around each other? I'm 1st class, you're 3rd. My missions take me across the Planet, yours bind you here." Sephiroth glanced at them. "It'd be a rare occasion for us to see each other."

"Unless we rise in our ranks," Genesis fought back. "Angeal and I were in the top ranks during the entry exams. You shouldn't take that so lightly and believe that we will stay at 3rd class forever."

"Correct, I should be wary of such a belief. However, you don't pass through the ranks without years of experience. Shinra only boosts it's ranks if it comes to a crunch. You see, if enough people in SOLDIER are killed then the Director promotes people to a higher status. Those operatives are then able to command infantrymen and newly added 3rd class operatives. But in that situation, it doesn't matter how good you are, it all depends on how quickly you can devise a plan to stop our operatives from dropping like flies. We're supposed to be a super power, but that doesn't stop us from dying. If you survived through such a situation like that…" Sephiroth pushed his hair out of his way. "Then I could see us talking more often. Unless you fascinate the Director I don't think you'll budge from your position. Everyone has been in a standstill."

Angeal held his hand up so Genesis wouldn't snap or say anything stupid. "Don't worry, we'll fascinate him all right."

"What?" Genesis questioned Angeal. He was starting to lose faith already, what was Angeal seeing that he wasn't?

"Genesis…we grew up together and we've gone from measly farmers to operatives with some training. If we continue with our goals, with this training, we will eventually ascend in rank. It's inevitable." Angeal cautiously looked to Sephiroth before giving a thoughtful smile, and his looked spaced a moment as if remembering something good. "Embrace your dreams, whatever they may be."

There he's done it again, baffled me unintentionally with his skillful articulation of goals and dreams. How does he do it? And every time he speaks like this I fall for it over and over again. I'm like a love-sick crooner that gets over a crush and falls for it all over again. It's so true, how our dreams are almost a reality. Look at the two of us, we've gone from nothing to something with our training. We have to be different than the others, I will not believe otherwise. We can prove to Sephiroth we're something. And if that's not Angeal's goal…then I'll make sure it's kept as mine.

Genesis finally broke into a smile and nodded in agreement to Angeal's statement before he rose up. "He's right, we'll get there." He snapped his attention toward Sephiroth who had kept his poised position throughout the daring speech. "You'll see, Sephiroth, we'll be right beside you one day. And, who knows? Perhaps beating you at your own game."

Yet Sephiroth looked unaffected by his declaration. So many before him had said the same thing, and most have fallen to their deaths. Sephiroth knew he would have to push the two away and let them try and follow their murderous dream. He knew he'd have to let them die in battle since he would not be there to protect them. They'd never reach him. And with those thoughts, he was almost plagued with sadness.

He quietly pulled out his phone and skimmed through his emails before arriving at a particular one where he scrolled through it and found what he was looking for. Gently Sephiroth brought his eyes over to Genesis and his smile played against his lips, though it was fake. "Your first mission is tomorrow. Perhaps you can prove to me then if you're up to such a challenge?"

There. He had bound Genesis to his own fate. He'd become reckless and die, and soon after Angeal would die without his friend. Then Sephiroth would be alone again, as it was before, and things would fall back into their regular rut. He didn't need friends, did he?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Tada! Next time we might seem some interesting action! I thought this would be a nice second chapter, still in its introductory phases in a way. Anyway, please review and leave some comments! I like reading what you guys think.