ACT III - The Missing Piece
Ripples form on the water's surface.
The wandering soul knows no rest.
"So tell me, are you happy now, Gen?"
Genesis is twenty-five, a Soldier 1st Class and the Crimson Commander of the ShinRa forces, when the question is posed to him for the third time, Angeal's gleeful tone and the low lights of the Wandering Chocobo Inn masking his best friend's concern for his wellbeing.
It hasn't been much since the last time the two of them had come here, to their favorite hangover tavern, as Genesis often puts it, not without a hint of spite in his tone for his newfound habit of drinking away those nights when sleep eludes him, his brain seemingly unable to shake off the creeping sensation of uneasiness that slowly but steadily eats away at his insides.
Last time they came here was less than a month ago, and by that time Genesis had only started to acknowledge that the feelings he harbored for Sephiroth went far beyond a teenage crush, admiration, desire to emulate, or even close friendship. Now, three weeks and a little vacation in Banora later, Genesis and Sephiroth have finally taken their relationship a step further, but it's all too clear to Angeal that they still have issues to solve.
Issues that begin with Genesis's need to constantly live over the top, his only way to shake off the feeling of unworthiness that poisons him (not that Genesis does this intentionally, Genesis doesn't know what the problem is, but Angeal, yeah, Angeal knows, has known for ages). Issues that continue with Sephiroth's little-to-no capacity to understand his friend's inner weakness (not that Sephiroth doesn't want to, but handling Genesis is a task that demands a conspicuous amount of sensitivity, and growing up in a lab doesn't exactly help in developing good social skills, Angeal guesses). Issues that thus end with the inevitable competition that is always lurking between the Silver General and his second in command, transforming their every interaction, and most likely now those in the bed too, in a never-ending pissing contest.
The worried Soldier 1st Class wonders if his two friends are ever going to acknowledge that there are issues between them at all, let alone thinking of solving them.
"I am a Commander of Soldier, I have fame, a fan club, Loveless plays, a hangover tavern... I even have sex with Sephiroth now. I have everything I wanted."
Genesis's too quick blabbering followed by a even quicker gulp of beer is the proof that "almost everything" would be a more correct answer; but Genesis doesn't say that, because he knows all too well that, no matter how hard he tries, he still can't quite point what that "almost" stands for.
There's nothing worse than living less, when you yearn for something more.
Jon Bon Jovi – The Last Night