Another chapter. Felt like I did this super fast, but it's still got detail and is close to the same length as the others….so I hope you enjoy it!
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Genesis sat in the back of a rickety vehicle, the bouncing and swaying of the entire area made him feel somewhat sick, but as he spaced out he found that he wasn't as bothered as he thought he would be. At the moment everything was calm. They were at that stage where they only had to wait, but they didn't want to go into battle. At least…he felt that way. He had been puzzling over a few things for the past few days and he wondered when he should bring it up. Gently he pulled off his helmet and stared at his reflection. The dark color of the bruises he had had mostly diminished, although one had stayed prominently on his cheek. He couldn't help but pick up on all of his feminine features. Such full lips that looked dark in color since he was cold, the cheekbones were high and his eyes seemed to smile with the way his eyelashes curled. And this is why I get made fun of. For looking like such a woman. He toyed with the helmet a bit before turning his eyes onto Sephiroth who was twirling the ends of his hair as he waited for their trip to end. I should say something instead of sitting in this really awkward silence. I mean, the guys up front can't hear us, can they? Maybe they can. Well whatever, I should still say something instead of sit here pretending I don't know him…
"I uh…never called my parents…" Genesis remarked after awhile.
Sephiroth brought his eyes over to Genesis as he had spoken, breaking his concentrating from the silver locks. "About going on this mission?"
"Yeah."
"It was merely a suggestion. It's not like you're forced to call them."
Genesis shrugged his shoulders at the thought about it. "I guess they would have wanted me to call, though."
"I'm sure most parents would want their child to call. Why did you put it off?"
"I'm not sure. I guess…I was afraid they'd talk me out of it. They're pretty good at doing those things, making me rethink what I want to do in life. Dad said I should forget being in SOLDIER and that I should instead work on my corporation for apple juice." Genesis snorted. "As nice as it is to do harvest and work with Banora Whites…I can't see me doing that for the rest of my life."
Sephiroth turned to face him more as they engaged in conversation. "Why did he want you to take such a route?"
"Close to home, I suppose. I bet he's tired of hearing mom nag about me…where I am, if I'm safe, if I've done anything bad lately…"
"I see. Do you call them often?"
Genesis thought it over and realized he hadn't called them…since he got into SOLDIER. "No. They don't even know my cell number."
"Is there a reason you avoid contacting them?"
Genesis shrugged, "Not sure why. I guess I'm busy with my own life."
Sephiroth got comfortable again and looked up at the ceiling of the truck as he was rested on a bunch of cargo. He didn't say anything else to Genesis and the redhead wasn't sure why he didn't respond back. The ride continued for a few more minutes in silence before Genesis spoke up again. "Do you talk to your parents at all?" Genesis asked. He really didn't know much about Sephiroth's personal life and he wished he could get to know him better.
Sephiroth slowly looked over at Genesis and wondered what he should even say. "I don't have parents."
"Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't realize they were dead," Genesis replied quickly. Way to go, dumbass.
"I don't know if they're dead, either. I'm an orphan."
Genesis wished he could still take back his words. Why didn't I know this? "I'm…sorry—"
"It's not important."
"Well I just—"
"I never told you. There's nothing to get upset about, you were making perfectly normal assumptions."
"I meant to apologize about not having parents. I mean, I've said a lot about my family to you, I sort of feel like a jerk."
Sephiroth kept his eyes diverted as Genesis apologized to him. Why was he sorry? It wasn't his fault. "It's normal to talk about family. Just because I didn't have one doesn't mean you have to be quiet about yours. Don't worry about it."
Genesis still felt guilty. "So…um…how long have you been an orphan?"
"Since…I was born."
"Do you know their names or anything?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "No."
"Are you ever…curious about them?"
Sephiroth wanted to admit that he thought about it a lot, but instead he shook his head. "I never think about it, it's not important to me." He looked at his phone, "We have a few more hours. You should get some rest." He deliberately changed the subject so as to get it off of his mind. Last thing he needed was to dwell on that before an important mission.
"Um…right…" Genesis replied and got comfortable, or at least tried, on the cargo as well. Nothing else passed between them…
He woke up once he realized the noise had stopped and he wasn't shaking like mad. His attention went to the new noise that was coming from outside. People…lots of them.
The doors opened and broke light on them both, "We've been expecting you, General! We're getting massacred out here without your help."
Sephiroth got up and moved out. He motioned for Genesis to follow and the three of them went into a tented area where maps were spread across makeshift tables. Genesis could see on the far side of the tent a bunch of beds and what looked like bloody bodies, but he quickly diverted his eyes once the operative started talking.
"We've got our men stuck in four pockets here, here, here, and here," he pointed at each colored section of the map. "The entire fort is really complicated, because the walls cut us off in this shape you see drawn here," he traced his finger on parts of it. Genesis thought it looked like stepping stones. "There are breaks in it, but all of the spots are heavily guarded. The best bet to get you in is either to try and maneuver through behind, smash our own hole into the wall, or just throw you over and hope you land someplace safe."
"Do you know how many troops are present on their side?"
"I'd say around two hundred and we only have about…fifty. Not even that. They all keep shipping in but we're not getting any better."
"Is that infantrymen included?" Sephiroth questioned the numbers.
"Yes. Our SOLDIER operatives are down to ten including myself. Five were instantly killed…all 2nd class men. I'm not sure what they were doing, but they tried to pull some ridiculous fly in and instead the entire 'copter went down."
Sephiroth thought those five sounded familiar but he didn't say anything about it. "Any idea how the base is laid out?" The man shook his head. "I'm surprised this is such a problem area."
"They really don't like Shinra, mostly. We were going to bomb the whole place, but it was second-guessed because it's too close to the mako that we need. So…we're taking them out with man power."
"Right. I'll have to see this wall before I judge what I'll do specifically. From there all you'll have to do is be a distraction and keep on the defensive."
"Yes, sir." The man nodded before looking at Genesis. "Another for our ranks?"
"Only for awhile. I need you to keep an eye on him for me. Let him help out but keep him out of battle—"
Genesis was surprised, "But—"
"That's an order," Sephiroth continued.
The figure nodded, "Right, I'll have him work in medical. We're low on men."
Sephiroth looked at Genesis, "You'll thank me later." His eyes went back to the other man. "Get him where he needs to be and meet me back here. We'll start as soon as possible."
The operative nodded and walked off as Genesis followed him pretty bummed. I wanted to prove myself and this is all I can do? Help people who got hurt? I feel so fucking pathetic. "All the supplies are over there. Try to be careful and don't waste anything. Remember, help those that you know you can save…and leave the rest."
"Isn't that—"
"We don't have time to waste. If you need help ask another operative." The man walked off and Genesis felt somewhat lost until someone came in holding his arm.
"I just got shot," the man hissed and showed Genesis the wound, blood poured from it.
"U-Um. Okay. Sit down I'll get it fixed," Genesis replied and quickly began his duty…
The hours went by as Genesis worked with the wounded. Half the time he wasn't even sure if he was doing his wrappings correctly or if he was treating the wrong people, but he didn't care. He wanted to do his best but felt so defeated, as if what he was doing now could have been done by someone else with less talent than him… What if he didn't have any talent? Did Sephiroth know that he failed at being a fighter?
There came a lot of shouting and Genesis turned to look out the flap when a bomb went off. He was knocked onto his feet while his head spun. Ugh, that hurt! He tried to upright himself quickly and he felt something go flying by him. Then screams and agonizing noises filled his ears before another bomb went off, dirt blasting itself all over him. Temporarily blinded, Genesis didn't know if he should move or not. I can't keep up, my balance is off, everything is going too quickly and yet I feel like I'm slowed down. What's happening? Why are we being attacked in this safe location?
Genesis watched as the tented area started to fall down on the wounded who hadn't been killed in the blast, and right before his eyes was the answer. The enemy had maneuvered around them. They were too busy with being in the pockets near the walls that they obvious overlooked covering the back end…
He grabbed his sword and went to find a place to hide, but it felt like a useless attempt. People surrounded him and he knew he'd have to fight. He rushed in…
Genesis didn't really remember what all went on. His blade controlled itself while his attention merely snapped toward the nearest moving thing allowing him to slice down anyone in the opposition, but he wasn't retaining the violence and bloodshed. Instead, his mind felt fogged out as he continued to fight for a way to survive. So far he was doing well until a grenade went off near him. The redhead fell over and became caked in clay from the disheveled earth and he wiped at his eyes to get it away. A shard strike to his head sent his already dizzy mind spinning and he fell over again. His grasp lost his sword and he couldn't tell where he was at anymore. Words tried to enter his ears but he heard nothing, just the blasted ringing while he felt the spasms of his muscles in that delicate time.
"Get up you filthy worm," he finally heard and another strike caused him to smack back into the ground. This time Genesis scrambled to his feet and found a gun pointing right at his head. "Another lowly puke. Shoot him."
"Wait!" Genesis replied as he heard the gun get prepared. "Don't shoot me."
"You're only 3rd class, you turd, we have no use for you."
Genesis backed up a little, "Can I call my mom first?"
The guys laughed at him and someone hit the back of his knees making him kneel. "Don't make me laugh."
"I already did," Genesis noted.
"Listen to this guy, such a shame we're going to have to put you out of your misery."
"You don't have to. Please…" Genesis begged. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE! "I have so much I still have to live for!"
The guys started to laugh harder, "Would you listen to him? This guy is a comedian."
Genesis wasn't even sure if that was a good or bad thing to be right before he died. But then he thought of the best way to get out of this, "Look! It's Sephiroth!"
The guys all hooted with laughter, "Oh, now he's trying to pull one over on us. Why would that bastard even be here?"
"I-I came with him here, I'm being completely serious!" Not.
"Oh, so you know that wise-ass General, eh?" One of the men stepped forward and grabbed Genesis's shirt front. His grungy face peered mercilessly at Genesis's for the longest time until a crooked smirk came dashing across his lips. "We're keeping him."
"What? As if he'd know anything," one argued.
"Well then he's going to be tortured until he comes up with something worth hearing, boys. Now…tie him up and let's get out of here. If Sephiroth really is around we don't have time to waste."
Genesis felt himself be bound and pulled away. He wasn't necessarily sure if being kidnapped was a good sign or not. Luckily he wasn't dead, but that didn't mean he wouldn't die in the near future to a bunch of mangy men who looked like they hadn't bathed in weeks. He felt someone strike him on the head and he passed out…
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Sephiroth escaped the fort. Most of the place had been emptied out which really worried him. If the enemy had moved on, then why was everyone still stationed near the walls? But by the time he got to the walls…he understood what had happened. They had pulled one over them.
Before Sephiroth was a decimated area. Operatives and infantrymen scattered the grounds along with the enemy. He walked around in the quiet grounds when he thought about Genesis and if he was safe. A tightening of his chest and throat came but he quickly pushed the feeling away as he ran to find him.
There. The entire tent of the wounded was destroyed. He pushed back the flap and looked for Genesis amongst the bodies when he felt someone grab his leg. His eyes shot down expecting it to be Genesis, but instead it was one of the wounded men. "Help me," he whispered painfully.
Sephiroth bent down and propped the man up. The injury he had sustained was enough that Sephiroth knew he wasn't going to make it. "I need your help. There was a 3rd class SOLDIER in here by the name of Genesis Rhapsodos. He has reddish brown hair, he sort of looks feminine. He was taking care of you and the rest when the attack happened. Do you know where he went?"
The figure winced as he tried to concentrate on Sephiroth's words and the man coughed and shook his head, "I…I just remember hearing them talk…"
"Them? Who?"
"The enemy…I think they captured him…"
"Are you certain? He's not dead?"
"I-I don't…think he is…. They came from…behind and got us all. They must…must have…" he grew silent.
Sephiroth saw that he lost him, the spark in his eyes had gone dull…. He set him down gently and rose. If they captured Genesis he still had time to save him, but the question is where could they have gone? He whipped out his phone and called Lazard, "I need your help."
"I just got information that the entire place has been decimated," Lazard replied, "What is going on?"
"They swarmed from behind when everyone was pushing forward. No one was paying attention. Lazard, they have Genesis—"
"He must be dead—"
"No, they have him. They've captured him."
"Sephiroth, I think—"
"Just listen to me. I need your help in finding him. We must have overlooked a hidden base or fort around this area. He has to be here. I need to find him."
Lazard started to work through his computer, not because he wanted to, but listening to Sephiroth sort of freaked him out. He had never heard Sephiroth sound this way. Almost…scared and frightened. Hearing him like that made him worry, but he chose to only let Sephiroth pursue the dead end in hopes that Sephiroth would come to face the fact that Genesis was dead. "There are three bases in your area, but they're further west of your location. If they attacked from behind they must have backtracked and headed right past their own base while you were inside it."
"Which one is closest?"
"Southwest of your location. Sephiroth—"
"I'll get in contact with you if I need more information." Sephiroth hung up on him and headed out. "Genesis…just hang on…"
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"Sir, we've got the code to override all their stations," a grungy pawn remarked to his leader.
"Good. Everyone, the system is a go. Start the camera up and let's crack into Shinra's world…show them we're not to be messed with."
Genesis opened his eyes and tried to straighten up but found he couldn't. His neck was chained to his feet and his hands were chained in the back. His entire body felt cramped in that position but he didn't want to speak up for fear that they'd make it worse.
"Look, our lovely comedian is awake," someone remarked and the leader smirked, going over to to lift the redhead's chin up painfully.
"Good! Good. Just wait until you see what we have in store for you. Don't forget to smile at the camera, the whole world will be watching you soon enough. Or at least Midgar." He pinched Genesis's cheek and slapped his face a bit before he looked over at the others. "Tell me when we're ready."
"In five…four…three…two…one!"
The camera light turned on and Genesis winced at the lights. Ow. Painful. Not as painful as my fucking position but painful enough.
Back in Midgar, Lazard watched as his monitor instantly picked up on the signal that was corrupting all of the news stations. He set his cup down and felt surprised to see some grungy character standing beside a bent over Genesis. "Wow. They did capture him."
"Good evening to you all! We have broken into your programs for the time being to give you a rundown of how things work around here. There are many resistance groups out there against Mako drilling and Shinra's filthy greed to destroy our planet. We hate how you're treaty us and we've finally gotten the opportunity to show you that we're not to be messed with. You send on us these little mongrels filled with mako," he went over and yanked Genesis's head up painfully. "Well, we'll show you how we deal with them. We'll show you that these SOLDIER operatives…are nothing but weak men that try to sap our Planet of its resources!" He pulled out a drill and held down the trigger letting it make its whirling noises.
Genesis had popped his head up to see it, "Oh God please tell me you're just a construction worker for the set."
Lazard slapped his hands to his head before moving it down to cover his mouth, "Oh this can't be happening."
The figure laughed heartily, "Such a shame your jokes are going to turn to screams."
Genesis watched him approach and go behind him. He wished he could turn to see where he was going, but his movement was way too restricted. Yet, he didn't need to see to know that it was soon against his back, cradling against his spine. Genesis wished he could do something, but the agony of the drilling only made him cry out and scream in pain. His mind whirled along with the loud noises, and he wished he could pass out, but for some reason he stayed awake.
Lazard kept watching and felt mortified. Why was this still airing? He grabbed his phone and called the President, "We have a crisis going on, we need to shut down Midgar."
"We're on it, Lazard. All the power grids are going to be turned off, but our backup generator is going to reboot it within a half hour. Hopefully by then the airing is finished."
"Right…sir…"
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Sephiroth was blissfully unaware that any of this was happening. He was busy making it to his destination. His mind was set on Genesis, hoping he was okay, hoping that the man would be alive. He lived and breathed for him. If he couldn't have Genesis he wasn't sure there was a point in living anymore…
"Please, God…please let him be safe…" he whispered as he ran toward the distant fort…
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Genesis felt dizzy as the man would push the drill into him and then leave the bit into his back. He wasn't sure how many times he had done it, but it was enough that Genesis lost count. He wasn't even sure how he was still alive.
Lazard kept his eyes on the time as the minutes continued to pass by. Was Genesis dead? Had Sephiroth gotten there already? A few minutes were left before the generator would set them back on…
Then Genesis heard crashing and noises instead of a drill making loud, gnarly noises in his spine. He couldn't discern what was happening, but he found that he wasn't being stabbed into anymore. Now I can focus on all the rest of my agonizing wounds. He tried to lift his head but found he was too weak from blood loss to do so. Someone went rushing past him and there were loud noises and blades hitting together. A gun went off and he felt something hit him but he wasn't sure where he got hit or if it hurt or not.
The system powered back on and Lazard watched with wide eyes at the bloodied figure that was Genesis. He heard the screams and shouts, but it wasn't from the redhead who looked utterly pale and dead in his stiff position. Then he saw it, the long blade that Sephiroth was known for. He was there…he had gotten there. But…was it too late?
Sephiroth killed the last man before he rushed over to Genesis. At first he felt panicked since the boy wasn't moving. "Genesis?" He questioned, hands moving to release him from the chains and shackles.
"Unnngh…" Genesis groaned.
Sephiroth's heart pounded at that. He noticed all the damage to his back and he wondered if he was paralyzed. Was..he too late? "Genesis, try to stay awake for me, okay?" He lifted him up slightly so that he could see his lover's face.
"I'm…okay…I think…"
"I'm going to get you out of here. Do you have any strength to get up or hold onto me?"
Genesis shrugged, "Ummgghh…"
"What?" Sephiroth asked and then Genesis puked blood and God knows what down Sephiroth's front. The warm feeling ran against his exposed chest and slid downward against his skin. "Thanks a lot…"
Genesis tried to laugh but it came out pained, "I'm so sorry. I'm sooo sorry…"
"It's nothing," Sephiroth remarked and pulled out a handkerchief in his pocket, wiping off Genesis's mouth before rubbing some of it off his chest. Grooooossss.
"No really…I just…puked on you in front of national television."
"What?" Sephiroth asked thinking Genesis had lost it.
"The camera…"
Sephiroth looked to his side. Oh God, how long had that been on? Did everyone see that? Had they been viewing this whole time? Had he done something unprofessional? He quickly pushed the fears away and brought his attention back to Genesis. "It doesn't matter." He brushed his hair to the side and turned around, pulling Genesis onto his back. "Hold on if you can, help is on the way."
"Okay, Sephiroth," Genesis replied quietly.
Lazard gave a sigh of relief as the two had gone off camera and the signal was destroyed bringing it back to normal programs of the news. For a minute there he feared they would kiss or something and they'd catch it. He was grateful that they hadn't.
He picked up his phone and quickly sent out a helicopter to retrieve them. "I guess you got what you wanted, Sephiroth…"
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Two weeks had passed. Genesis had gone through surgery to remove all of the drill bits and was working his way through another recovery. He couldn't sleep on his back, get up by himself, or do much of anything, but he luckily hadn't damaged anything vital. He wasn't sure how he got lucky, if he could call it that, but he was glad that once he recovered he'd be able to get back into missions again.
At the moment he was in Sephiroth's bed lying on his stomach. They had released him but said that he'd need to be careful not to overdo it. So…Sephiroth had volunteered to take care of him. And of course it was turning out relatively interesting. Genesis, whenever he was awake, wanted to just ask personal questions about Sephiroth to understand him more. After the mistake he made about his parents he didn't want to screw up anymore than he had.
Besides, it was well overdue.
"If there was something you'd want to change about me, what would it be?" Genesis asked curiously. He had a notepad in front of him with a bunch of scribbles all over it. Whenever a good question came to mind he'd write it down and wait for Sephiroth to come back from doing other tasks to ask him. He could tell the man didn't like a good portion of them, but it did help pry open some conversations that they probably wouldn't have had otherwise.
"Physically or just…in general?" Sephiroth was ironing his formal and casual shirts. Some of these questions were so ridiculous.
"Oh um…I guess both."
"In general I think I would change either your nervousness or your pessimist viewing on things. Physically, I'd either make you taller or maybe change your hair color."
"What's wrong with my hair?" Genesis asked curiously.
"Nothing, really. I think I'd just change your hair to be…just brown instead of reddish brown. Maybe a darker brown. Although that might look weird. I'm not sure what I'm saying," Sephiroth replied and went back to ironing.
"Haha…you being confused is funny."
"What would you change about me?" Sephiroth questioned him back to redeem himself.
"Um…I would change…" Genesis continued to stare at him for awhile, "Your hips. No not your hips, that's not what I meant. I think it's your ass. No your ass is fine, I think I'm getting it confused. Maybe it's your length? Or your skin."
"What?" Sephiroth asked a bit freaked out at all the things he was stating.
"Sorry, I'm not thinking right. I'm stating what I don't mind out loud. I think I'd change your smile."
"My smile? What's wrong with my smile?"
"Sometimes you make it look really creepy."
"And how do I do that?"
"I think it's the combination of your eyes opening too wide when you smile like you've got something secretive to talk about. Or like…you don't show your teeth maybe? You just turn the corners up, you don't stretch your face. Or maybe you purse your lips and then smile?"
Sephiroth covered his mouth with his hand, "Remind me to never smile around you."
Genesis laughed and winced, "I'm sorry. I overanalyzed. It's not even like it's that big of a deal."
"I don't understand how my hips and ass led up to my smile."
"I was working my way up."
"Hmm."
"What's one thing you really like about me?"
Sephiroth sighed and set the iron down letting it hiss, "Oh let's see…" He moved his shirt neatly onto a hanger and pulled up the next one. "I like it when you're naked. That way I can see all of your muscles. Just the slightest movement from you turns me on."
Genesis laughed, "That's…interesting." No wonder he always wants to fuck me. "I hadn't realized you were that attracted to me."
"I can't help it. Now you answer."
"Oh jeez hmmm…" Genesis thought it over. For several minutes there was a long silence between them.
"Can't think of anything?" Sephiroth questioned him after awhile.
"No it's not that, I'm trying to think of what I like most."
"Ah."
"I really like it when you're comforting. Your voice gets sexier and the way you handle me is very soft…really loving." Genesis got quiet, "I think that's when your kisses are the best."
"You like it soft? I didn't know."
"Well now you do."
"I had a feeling that you were either that way or you secretly liked it really hard."
"Oh no. I hate being in pain. I'm like…the whiniest person when I'm in pain."
"Like right now," Sephiroth remarked.
Genesis whimpered and whined until Sephiroth walked over and kissed him. "Hmm, I feel slightly better. Actually, could you help me up?"
"Where are you off to now?"
"I have to piss."
Sephiroth helped him up as carefully as he could, "Try not to hurt yourself."
Genesis shuffled slowly to the bathroom area, "Yeah…you should get me something to eat, too."
"I'm tired of cooking."
"Well that's not my problem."
Sephiroth finished ironing, "It is if you don't eat. Why don't we go out?"
Genesis laughed, "You can't be serious."
"What? It'd be nice to get out."
"Have you forgotten I'm crippled?"
"I know. But it's not like you're doing anything but sitting and eating."
Genesis sighed. "Okay. Maybe. I'll think about it while I pee."
"Such a long time to think," Sephiroth joked.
"Okay I lied I have to shit. But pretend you don't know that."
Sephiroth watched him shuffle away and he shook his head. Oh Genesis…what was he going to do with him?
When Genesis finally came out he pointed at Sephiroth, "Help me get some clothes on."
Sephiroth had been straightening up the bed as Genesis demanded help. He grabbed up some of Genesis's clothes and walked over to him, helping him get on some suitable attire. "I think you're ready."
Genesis stiffly moved over to the mirror and fixed his hair and checked himself out a bit before turning back to Sephiroth, "I don't look fabulous, but whatever."
"I think you look fine?" Sephiroth remarked unsure of what Genesis had to complain about.
"I look tired. You know, I read an article that men are starting to wear makeup as a daily accessory. Just not as outrageously as women. I'm wondering if I should do the same?"
Sephiroth didn't know what to say about that. Why did he want to do that? "You mean you want to…look gay?"
"No, it says straight guys do it, too. I think it wouldn't be too much of a difference. And it's not like I'd do it every day. I'd probably do it for more formal occasions to make me look even more glowing and brilliant than normal."
"Sounds like you want a tan," Sephiroth remarked. "Since when did that even bother you about looking more…brilliant, as you put it?"
"It hasn't bothered me, I just thought it'd be something to try out. Did you know that I have ten different face creams I use?"
"What? Really?"
"Yeah. They moisturize, clean, prevent aging, help skin rejuvenation—"
"Sounds like a lot but…I have a lot of shampoo and conditioner, so I can't necessarily say you're weird."
"Do you use any other hair products?"
"Sometimes I use this foam product after I shower to ensure my hair doesn't get static. And I've filled all of my bottles with hair growth serums."
"I imagine you never need to use gels or anything."
"No, if it comes to styling I don't do anything with it. I just brush my hair."
"I like to style mine," Genesis admitted. "I hate it when they make you wear the helmets because then it always kills my hair."
Sephiroth laughed as they continued their walk for the restaurant. It was entertaining to talk about some of the normal things they did in their lives. He never thought that a subject like this would ever come up in his conversation. But it seemed Genesis was curious to know about everything. "It's one reason why I'm glad I'm in 1st class. I didn't have to keep up the terrible uniforms."
"Did you have to wear a helmet? I can't imagine how you'd get all of your hair up in it."
"Well, you have to remember I started when I was sixteen. It's been a few years."
"Four."
"That's four years of hair growth."
"Yeah but your hair couldn't have gone from short to this long," Genesis remarked as he pointed at Sephiroth's silver locks. "I could see maybe six. But that's pushing it."
"My hair was short. I did tell you I use growth serums in my shampoo."
"I wouldn't think they'd work that well…I want to see pictures of you."
Sephiroth chuckled, "I had a feeling you'd say that. I might show you some. But if I do, I think I deserve to see some of your pictures."
Genesis smirked, "Done deal."
They got in and Sephiroth helped Genesis ease into a booth before he sat down himself. The dinner went rather well and Genesis was glad that he did get to eat out. It might have been because he had Sephiroth for company. And it was really strange, although they were looked at from time to time, Genesis didn't really feel uncomfortable in public with Sephiroth. It was like the prying eyes didn't bother him.
When they headed back Genesis nudged Sephiroth, "I can show you those pictures if we stop by my room."
Sephiroth smiled slightly, "All right."
Once they swung by and retrieved the album, they went into Sephiroth's room. Genesis got some help lying back on the bed and Sephiroth joined him, both on their stomachs as Genesis popped open the book. Sephiroth looked at the first set of pictures and he couldn't help but smirk. "You look like such a goof. Who is that with you?"
"Angeal. He's pretty much in every single picture with me. This was like… middle school."
"No wonder you look funny."
"Thanks."
Genesis turned the page and Sephiroth curiously explored them until they got to high school pictures. "Is that really you?" He pointed.
"Yeah, it was a trend to grow out your hair, so I did."
"You look like a girl."
"I was only a freshman!"
"This one looks better, although you're making a really weird face."
"Making faces is what makes the picture better. And my hair was really short in that picture…"
"Yeah, but it makes you look mature at that age." Sephiroth pointed at another one, "Angeal looks odd being so scrawny. But you look like a twig."
"I pretty much was until I got into the harvesting business." Genesis flipped the page. "See? I started bulking up after awhile."
"I see you like to pose nude at home, too," Sephiroth remarked and pointed at one where Genesis had no shirt on and was doing a ridiculous pose.
"I had pants on."
"I like the tan," Sephiroth joked and pointed at another.
"Oh yeah, that year our apple orchard produced twice the amount it should have and we had to work extra hours to get them all picked. I got scorched."
"Who's that?"
"Oh, that was a girl that I flirted with a lot, but never asked her out."
Sephiroth looked over the blonde and smiled, "She looks very beautiful." As the page was flipped he saw another one of Genesis looking disgusted. "And who is that with you? Why are you making that face?"
"Remember the movie date I was forced to go on? Yeah that was with her. She's not my type. And that's why I made that expression."
"You're so nice," Sephiroth remarked sarcastically. He pointed at another, "You're very dressed up with this girl."
"Oh, she asked me out to prom. She was this troublemaker girl that was pregnant with some guy's kid and she had a bunch of piercings and tattoos. She was really freaky and I was terrified of her, so I said yes instead of refusing."
"She does look…a bit wild for you."
"We were crowned prom king and queen if you could actually believe that."
"Really? What do the king and queen do?"
"Nothing, just…wear crowns and sit in wagons during parades and wave at people. Actually…" Genesis flipped the page, "There we are."
"My…what a lovely couple you two make."
"Not as great as when Angeal and this really muscled chick won homecoming king and queen," Genesis pointed at another picture. The two were flexing their arms in the same position. It was relatively hard to tell who was the man aside from the fact that Angeal had facial hair. "She picked me up once and carried me on her shoulders. It was weird."
"That's…odd," Sephiroth replied doing his best not to sound rude.
"And this was during our last summer in Banora," Genesis moved his hands over the last few pictures.
Sephiroth pointed at one, "That sword, is it yours?"
"The rapier? Yeah. I have it here, I don't use it, though."
"So you learned fencing?"
"Yeah, I got formal lessons and then Angeal taught me the more…rogue way to fight."
Sephiroth thought it over, "You practiced with that sword though, right?"
"Yeah. We kept it blunt for training and then sharpened it before I got here. Then they gave us blades so I put that one up."
"You should tell Lazard you have your own sword and you'd like to use it."
Genesis stared at him critically, "Why? It's just a sword."
"I think it'd help your fighting technique. If you learned with that one, you're bound to show improvement."
"I never thought about that…" Genesis murmured. "Next time I'm able to move I'll try to remember to switch to it."
"I notice Angeal has one, too?" Sephiroth replied and pointed to the large sword he held proudly in one picture.
"Oh, yeah. His family scraped the money together to get him that one. He doesn't use it either, but he pays homage to it a lot. If he goes on any mission outside of Midgar he wears it."
"Did he ever explain why he doesn't use it?" Sephiroth asked.
"He told me that he wouldn't want to ruin it. He mentioned that it's an honor that his family sacrificed so much to help him, and that he'd rather keep it close to him. He's got a lot of pride." Genesis closed the album since there weren't any more pictures. "So. Your pictures?"
Sephiroth felt a bit guilty. Here Genesis had presented an album of wonderful pictures and he didn't have as many. He moved over to a drawer and pulled up an old envelope. "You have a lot more than I have. So…sorry if they're not as entertaining." He got back down beside Genesis and settled the few that he had before them.
Genesis was pretty surprised to find that only one was an actual picture, the rest were from newspapers or magazines. He picked up the photograph and noticed the edges were bent. It looked like it had gone through quite a lot. It was a picture of Sephiroth as a toddler getting a shot, except he wasn't noticing the needle since he was staring at the camera. "No wonder you don't like checkups," Genesis tried to joke as he continued to stare at it. "You're a really cute kid. So um.." He tried to think of a good way to put it. "Were you part of a foster family?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "No."
"Did you live in an orphanage than? This photograph makes me think of what they do at vet clinics, where they put pictures up of animals that need to be adopted." He hesitated. Oh that sounded really terrible. "I mean, not that you're an animal. Or that orphanages are like vet clinics. Um. That's not—"
"No, I didn't live in an orphanage," Sephiroth answered the question truthfully.
"Oh. So…well…where did you grow up?"
"Here…" Sephiroth replied. "In this building."
"You…lived here. Shinra Headquarters? Your…whole life?" Genesis questioned that. He felt like he was getting this wrong.
"Yes."
"Who…I don't get it. Did a parent take care of you? Did anyone? I mean, you couldn't have just—"
"The company owns me," Sephiroth answered. "I spent most of my time in the Research Facility."
"With scientists?" Genesis wanted to clarify.
"Yes."
Genesis looked back at the crumbly photograph, "So…they all took care of you or what?"
"I suppose you could call it that. I don't really remember much about it."
"What do you remember?" Genesis looked at him. "I mean, if you want to talk about it—"
"It's fine. I remember Professor Gast. He was one of the top scientists around and I looked up to him. But he went missing…I don't remember why."
"So he was sort of your…fatherly figure?"
"I don't really know."
"Any women in the science department you attached to?"
"No, the only women worked as secretaries around here. They all did like me, though. Some of them still work here."
"Oh…" Genesis set the photograph down and looked at the newspaper clippings. He felt awkward making Sephiroth talk about his experiences, as if he wasn't supposed question it. "What about these?"
"That's when I first got into SOLDIER. I was the only 16 year-old. It made a lot of news, quite a few people thought it was child endangerment, but you know Shinra…he shut them up." He pointed at the next one. "I made it into 2nd class really quickly after I joined. That was after one of the missions we were on. It was to help promote entry into the elite group."
Genesis settled them down and picked up the last two magazine pictures. "And these?"
"That's when I became 1st class. The article was, once again, promoting entry. It didn't say too much about me. All my personal information is kept a secret. The only ones who know much about me are all the head figures in Shinra. And…well…you." He looked at the other one, "And that was an ad promoting SOLDIER again. That was when I first got my Masamune."
"Your hair is…short. It doesn't look too bad, either."
Sephiroth neatly piled the pictures up, "It's a funny story behind that picture. I was in one of my classic moods and I really didn't want to go. Lazard had to drag me there, and then I complained during the entire photoshoot. The photographer turned me around and told me to shut up and to look behind me. It helped make the shots look more serious…and you wouldn't be able to tell that I'm in a bad mood."
"Yeah, you just look angry, but more in a kickin' ass kind of way."
Sephiroth tucked them back into the envelope. "Lazard, back then, wasn't the Director. He was just part secretary part babysitter in a sense."
"Babysitter to you?"
"Basically. Shinra really didn't see too much potential from him, but then decided that if someone could keep me in line then it might as well be Lazard."
"So is he kind of like a brother to you?"
"Haha, no," Sephiroth laughed. "God, no. He was an asshole."
"That hasn't changed," Genesis murmured.
"He always made me moody because he had to be the one to order me around and get me together. And I don't particularly enjoy taking authority from others."
"No wonder you were so determined to get into 1st class. Being a General meant taking shit from no one."
"Right." Sephiroth turned his eyes onto Genesis. "Feeling okay?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Yes. I'm not the one that had drill bits in my back."
Genesis chuckled and then winced. "Yeah. Just thinking of the noise freaks me out." He brought his eyes back to Sephiroth and noticed the man was being quite silent. "Sure you're okay?"
"Yes. Why are you asking?"
"You just look upset."
"It's nothing."
"So it's something but you don't really want to talk about it?" Genesis remarked.
"Right."
"Is it about—"
"Genesis, pretend we never talked about my past." Sephiroth got up and put the envelope away. "I'm not supposed to tell people and if you said anything to anyone—"
"I won't…I wouldn't do that," Genesis interjected. "I respect your privacy."
Sephiroth looked at him and a moment passed before he sat back down. "You're right. I just…got worried for a minute there."
I can understand the fact that he's afraid of having anyone spread his personal matters around the company, that would scare me as well, but he really needs to trust me. I would never do that. At least, never intentionally. And I'd find a way to make it up to him if it ever did happen. But it won't. Because obviously now I'll be too freaked out to even talk about him for fear of saying anything I shouldn't. Genesis and Sephiroth stayed quiet and it got very tense between them, almost as if they had just fought but really hadn't. Genesis didn't know what to even say after that. Should he try to comfort Sephiroth? The man always seemed to reject comfort, though. Yet was it appropriate to ignore it?
Genesis's phone went off and he watched as Sephiroth handed it to him. He opened it up and looked at the message inside. "Lazard wants to talk to me."
"Does it say anything else?"
"Nope."
"I'll help you get there."
"That's very sweet of you," Genesis replied and got help standing up. He jammed his phone into his pocket and walked with Sephiroth to the elevators. But once he got in he snorted and looked at his boyfriend. "Hey…you know what would be funny? If you carried me in there. I think he'd freak."
"Carry you? How? I'll hurt you if—"
"Piggy back, baby. Let's do it, it'll be funny!"
Sephiroth looked at the floor number before bending a bit to help get Genesis on his back. Of course, the elevator stopped and open one floor before theirs. A secretary walked in and looked at the two curiously before she took her own corner of the elevator.
Genesis had a hard time not laughing so instead he decided to start up a conversation with her. "How's your day been?"
She looked at him and gave a small smile, "Fine. Are you okay?"
"Back injury. I wouldn't carry him otherwise," Sephiroth justified.
She covered her mouth as she gave a cute laugh, "I suppose so."
The doors opened and Sephiroth started to head out while Genesis waved goodbye to her. "She's pretty damn cute. Should have asked for her number."
Sephiroth didn't say anything to that, merely carried Genesis into Lazard's office and watched the blonde give a shocked and horrified expression. "Please tell me you didn't carry him all the way here like that."
"Why?" Sephiroth questioned and let Genesis off and before taking a seat.
"You looked like a hooligan. And why would a 1st class SOLDIER—"
"I don't care. Why did you need Genesis?"
Lazard sighed and looked over at Genesis deciding to ignore Sephiroth's presence. "Genesis, please take a seat."
Genesis painfully eased himself down into his seat. "Um…so did I do something wrong again?"
Lazard gave a gentle smile, "No, Genesis. I called you in to go over medical records. Due to certain circumstances listed under our codes for those that fight in the elite group SOLDIER, you often can qualify for health benefits and payment deductions. You were kidnapped by the enemy, and considering you've been saved you fall under one of our categories of getting free medical help. The surgeries you've had to remove the drill pieces from your back are paid by the company, along with physical therapy, any medications you take for the pain, and possible visits to counselors or therapists."
"Oh…so…this was just to say that I don't have to fork over my paycheck?"
"Yes," Lazard replied. "Also, I wanted you to consider going to our counselor. Perhaps you feel perfectly fine after this…odd experience…but there are other personal matters that you can openly discuss with them."
Genesis at first thought that Lazard was just doing his job, but after he made that comment it sort of clicked into place. "Did you want me to go and tell them I'm madly in love with Sephiroth and I enjoy getting down on him every night?"
Sephiroth almost said something but Lazard's shocked expression had made him stay quiet.
"First off, I'd prefer that you didn't say Sephiroth's name. You really do need to keep this…to yourselves. Along with that, if that is what you want to discuss with the counselor that is perfectly fine. I merely am stating that you've gone through a lot and if you told your counselor they could help you through any stress that you're feeling."
Genesis looked over at Sephiroth and then back at Lazard. "Wouldn't it make more sense if I just bothered you about it all? Considering I shouldn't be saying anything about Sephiroth, that would make it really hard for me to talk to a counselor."
"I'm not exactly in the necessary field of study to be diagnosing your mental activity."
"True, but I can tell you're the kind of guy who likes something juicy and gossipy. You don't have to necessarily talk back in order to fix a stress related problem."
Lazard looked over the redhead critically, "You're saying you would rather confide in me all of your deepest, darkest secrets?"
"Yeah. Not that I'd have to do it often but…"
Sephiroth didn't get why Genesis would want to even say anything to Lazard. Especially after all of the things they went through.
"I think you've damaged more than your back, Genesis," Lazard admitted.
"I bet you'll enjoy it if I came in and told you really pointless yet interesting things. Like did you know Sephiroth shaves his legs?"
Sephiroth freaked out, "Genesis! That's me you're talking about."
Genesis nodded, "I know, right? But if he's my counselor, technically that would be perfectly acceptable for me to tell him. And it's not like he could say anything to you back. So we're all good."
"I don't think I want you to disclose our relationship to him," Sephiroth argued, "Or anything that relates to me."
Genesis stared at Sephiroth and then back at Lazard, "Well, what if something in our relationship suddenly bugs me, or if I'm worried about you? Then what?" He looked over at Sephiroth, "For example, what if I thought you were a sex addict?"
Lazard wasn't even sure if he was truly witnessing this…
"A sex addict?" Sephiroth asked a bit offended. "What would even—"
"It's just an example. But technically, if you have looked at how many times we've—"
Lazard interrupted, "Okay, okay. Enough. Genesis…you may only tell me things that are about you and your personal problems. Not about Sephiroth or your relationship. I don't want to hear it. Sephiroth, same for you. If you feel the needs to come talk to me…fine. Other than that you'll have to find other ways to settle your disputes. I'm not a marriage counselor. Now please, take your…argument somewhere else."
The two got up and headed out, the first thing Sephiroth did was turn and glare at Genesis, "A sex addict? Really?"
"What? I was just…making conversation. I panicked a little. And anyway I was just curious what his boundaries were in case I did need help. Not that I'd ever go to him anyway, Angeal is easier to talk to about personal things. Lazard always gives me that weird look like I'm crazy."
"Because you are," Sephiroth remarked bitterly.
"It was an example, Sephiroth. You're really taking that one to the heart." Genesis continued to walk with him and they got back in the elevator. "We do have sex a lot. Like…every time we see each other, actually. We just have long breaks in between them. Such as, you going on missions, or me getting hurt."
"So you really do think that?" Sephiroth asked.
"I wouldn't…necessarily say that you're an addict, but I can tell it's something you prefer in our relationship over other things."
"What do you mean? Are you saying that I don't care for you?"
Genesis shook his head, "No, I'm just saying that…you'd rather have sex with me rather than…" Genesis trailed off as he tried to think of something. "Well. Rather than do something else."
"You make it sound like I'm just using you," Sephiroth remarked back as they headed down the hallway.
Genesis fell quiet for awhile until they reached Sephiroth's room. "You're not using me, I know you're not. I guess just…sometimes it feels that way because we don't always connect. I mean, earlier today I asked what you liked about me and it linked to my physical appearance getting you off. And you have a tendency to get your way whether I want to be a part of it or not. It's not like you're being terrible but…just stepping down a little would be helpful. We were sort of there earlier today, discussing pictures and personal things…"
"So you hate it that I find you attractive, you don't want to have sex, and the only thing you want to do is get into my personal life?" Sephiroth made it sound really offensive and crude of Genesis.
"That's—no, I wasn't saying—"
"You're right. We were doing fine earlier today talking. But sometimes you speak up too much as if you always have to be talking. I don't like talking about my personal life, Genesis. Maybe you do. Your life was better than mine by a long shot. Don't go running up to others and telling them any of my personal secrets." Sephiroth hesitated, "You want to know more of what I think? Fine. Sometimes you drive me crazy. All of these ridiculous questions you come up with hardly have any point to them and the insight they give us is minimal on what the other person is. You're not going to feel 'more connected' with me if I brush my hair twice a day and you do, too. That's idiotic. You're complaining the only thing I care about is your physical appearance? Yes, you're an attractive person, but it's not like you won me over with your looks. And come to think of it, the longer I get to know you the more I miss what I saw first. You used to have a great attitude and you were funny. Now you say dumb things and have absolutely no self-confidence. It's annoying to deal with all the time. Then when something bad happens to you all you do is refuse to speak up and let it keep happening until someone rescues you."
Sephiroth wasn't finished. "You're so pathetic at times. You let everyone walk all over you. You're always nervous. You're always scared of what others are thinking about you. Well…now you know what I think."
Genesis, during it all, felt completely demeaned and quite heartbroken at all that Sephiroth had revealed. Surely he wasn't that bad, but he didn't want to argue more with Sephiroth on the subject matter. The words had been said and the pain was sinking in. He did feel put on the spot about it all and his emotions were taking over, making him stay silent as Sephiroth watched him critically. He felt like Sephiroth was judging him now. All Sephiroth would be able to do is to deem everything he did as unworthy and spineless—assuming that Genesis's efforts were about as intelligible as a 3rd grader.
"I-I..I just…" Oh God, I'm going to cry. I can't hold it back. He stammered a bit and took a slight breath to try and hold it in just so he could speak out a sentence. Anything would do. He didn't want to just stand there and be quiet. "Maybe you feel…like everything is running perfectly and that love is apparent whenever we have sex or whenever we do something quick together that doesn't require me talking or doing anything stupid, but…I feel wanted and loved when someone wants to sit down and talk to me, to make me laugh, to spend a whole day doing something pointless but enjoying it all. I don't mind all the physical contact. I know you like it. Because I love you I want to give that to you, to make you feel great. I just wished you'd do the same for me so that I don't feel like I'm just some subordinate person around you. If I mention I'm not feeling well I want you to respond, to comfort, to help not…tell me to suck it up." Genesis took a few more breaths before finally saying, "I was doing all of those things because I'm afraid that I'll always be out of your life. I don't want to think that things are going to work fine for us in the years to come when they're not. I don't want to discover five years from now that you always avoid stepping on the cracks on a sidewalk, or that you start brushing the right side of your hair and finish on the left. I guess maybe the details don't matter to you, that you're perfectly fine with just seeing me as some retarded, funny person that you can have at whenever you want, but I enjoy feeling like I have a part in it all…"
Genesis sighed and shook his head, "I just want to feel loved."
Sephiroth watched the redhead lower his head a bit and he saw that Genesis had finally started to cry. That…wasn't what he had meant to do. He realized that they were obviously coming at this in different angles. Sephiroth never pried the relationship because he assumed things just happened later on. Genesis was building it up, Sephiroth thought it'd just…happen.
And now look what he had done. All the nasty and terrible things he had sniped at Genesis were suddenly coming back and biting him in the ass, showing that he shouldn't have been so cruel to Genesis for being curious. He was already thinking long-term for their relationship…he was the one thinking of ways to keep it going. What if he had gotten bored of the sex and wasn't prepared for all of this? This fight…probably just saved their relationship.
Sephiroth moved forward and pulled Genesis against him gently so as to take care not to hurt his back. "I'm…really sorry, Genesis, I…what I said…" He felt speechless. "Look, I do love you. I'm sorry I'm stubborn and hard to work with. I might not show it the way you show it…but I do want you to know that I do care for you." He kissed Genesis's head and rubbed his side softly. "Why don't we lie down for awhile together? You can get comfortable and then maybe get some sleep?"
Genesis wasn't crying anymore but he did wipe off the tears that he had shed. He merely nodded, a bit shocked at the entire situation to really have anything to say.
Sephiroth helped him get ready for bed and soon Genesis was neatly lying on top of Sephiroth. It was nice to lie there and hold each other, and soon enough both of them were passed out from the day's emotional roller coaster.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Sephiroth woke up in the morning and looked over at the clock. Was it really time to get up? He was enjoying just lying there doing nothing…
But then he felt it. Genesis had shifted slightly and his thigh rubbed right up against Sephiroth's region. He inhaled sharply and held his breath for a minute, the feeling of that touch lingering on him for awhile. Then Genesis moved again and it came right back tenfold and Sephiroth couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
Crap. He was getting turned on by all of this. He wondered if Genesis would even want to have sex with him after last night, though? Sephiroth nuzzled his nose against Genesis's neck and whispered to him, "Genesis, wake up."
Genesis grumbled a few times until he lifted his head, "What?"
"You're turning me on."
Genesis took awhile to process that, but he finally replied, "Why did I have a feeling it'd be something related to that?"
"Genesis…you keep rubbing up against me, I can't help it."
"Then I'll roll off…wait…I can't my back would flip shit," Genesis rationalized. "Guess you're just going to have to suffer."
"Or we could—"
"Not right now," Genesis replied and settled back into Sephiroth. "Too much work."
Sephiroth felt Genesis move is leg again and he growled in his lover's ear, "You're doing that on purpose."
"Well now I am!" Genesis laughed and sighed, "Help me get up."
"With pleasure," Sephiroth grabbed Genesis boxers to pull them off.
"Not THAT kind of up. Stand me up. I need to piss. Or do you enjoy golden showers?"
"Eugh," Sephiroth remarked and helped Genesis out of bed. He watched the redhead stiffly move out of the room. God. He was burning for him…. Yet, as he thought about that he started to realize something…
Genesis had just finished peeing when the door opened up, "Wh-hooaa!" Sephiroth grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a slight shake.
"Genesis, I think I'm addicted to sex."
Genesis kept staring at Sephiroth. Well, this is awkward. My wang is still out and I haven't washed my hands. What should I… "Can we discuss this once I'm done? Go get some clothes on.."
Sephiroth looked down at Genesis. Right. "Sorry." He left the bathroom.
When Genesis finally came out he saw that Sephiroth had at least gotten some clothes on. "So. Sex."
"What if I am?"
"You probably are. Looking at our history, we've never had sex with others before…becoming a couple. So now we're super hyped up about being able to do it because now it's not slutty since we're in a relationship. But we do it a lot, and you're always turned on. So I could see that…yeah you are."
"I wonder why you're not…" Sephiroth posed the thought to Genesis.
"Because…I take it in the back door?" Genesis responded. "Not that it's a bad thing. I think it's still a bit different, though. Feeling wise."
"Are you saying you want me to bend over?"
Genesis gave a slight laugh. Whoa. Do I? "I don't know. Maybe we could try it…later. I'm supposed to go to the doctor's soon."
"Right…I'm going to run by Lazard's to see if I need to do anything. I'll send you a text if I'm going anywhere."
"Okay."
Once Genesis was ready he moved for the door, but he stopped and turned to Sephiroth. "You should kiss me before we head out."
"Right now?"
"Well yeah. I mean, I'd suggest before we split our different ways, but considering we're not allowed to do these things outside of your room…"
"Oh. I see your point." Sephiroth leaned in and gave him a warm kiss before the two went out. Genesis headed off to the doctor's and he went straight for Lazard. Of course, he wasn't there to see if he had any missions. Instead he sat down and looked at the blonde as he corrected his glasses and prepared for the worst. "I think I'm addicted to sex."
As he feared. Lazard gave a deep sigh and wondered what he had done in his life to deal with this. "Right. Sephiroth…" Was he seriously going to go through this? "You just feel this way because it's your first relationship and you're allowed to… do as you want. But having sex is just a benefit of having a relationship. You shouldn't do it all the time or else you might grow…irritable or angry at your partner if they don't please you the way they used to. Do what you can to take it down a few notches. Find a hobby that you two can enjoy that doesn't require leaving your room or getting naked."
"You can have sex without getting naked—"
"You know what I mean," Lazard barked. "Just don't think about it."
"How?"
"Easily enough. Every time you get into the mood think of someone that turns you off. Or keep yourself busy."
"How many relationships have you been in, Lazard?" Sephiroth questioned him. "Not that I don't trust you, I'm merely curious."
"A few. None that are as exciting and scandalous as yours, I'm sure."
"Hmm.." Sephiroth thought it over before standing up. "Thanks for the tips. Oh, do you have anything I can do? Genesis is at the doctor's right now."
Lazard smiled and grabbed a stack of papers, "Actually…here you go. I need everything sorted, checked through, and signed in that stack."
Sephiroth sighed and sat back down and looked at the stack. Great. Well…he could at least do this until Genesis was back….
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Genesis slowly rose up and sighed at the feeling of the new bandages on his body. Yet…it was another thing that he'd have to get used to for awhile until he healed. "Thank you," he remarked to the doctor.
"It's a pity you had to get hurt. I heard that you were ordered to stay back for safety matters…well…and look what happened. Thankfully you're not dead, but I wonder if this could have been avoided?" The doctor neatly handed Genesis his shirt. "Try not to think on it too much. Enjoy your day."
Genesis felt astonished. If…Sephiroth hadn't told me to stay…I would have been with him. I would have been perfectly fine…wouldn't I? I could be…training or something right now, back on missions, doing something I like.
Not…like this.
Genesis glanced down at the bandages and stiffly put his shirt on before leaving the area. It plagued his mind. How…how did it work out that way? Sephiroth needed to know…
Genesis headed to Lazard's office and saw the silver-haired figure in there working on papers. Dare I interrupt? He told me I stay quiet about everything…maybe now is the right time to speak up for once… Genesis went in and both of them turned to look. "So…something just sort of…came to mind." He sat down gently and looked at Sephiroth. "You ordered me to stay back and help in the medical unit, remember? But if you hadn't had done that…if you had at least let me follow you…I probably wouldn't have been hurt."
Sephiroth felt completely astonished at his words. "Are you blaming me for what happened to you?"
"No, I wasn't blaming you I'm just saying—"
"Whoa, hold on," Lazard interrupted. "You ordered Genesis to stay back? Even after I told you—"
"I'm the General, if I don't think he's prepared for certain things then it is clearly within my jurisdiction to override your orders."
Genesis butted in, "But you haven't seen my potential. You've hardly seen me fight. If I was there with you I think you would have seen something than how I first acted around you…"
"So you are blaming me for this," Sephiroth looked back at him.
"I just wished you'd give me more of a chance! You should have seen me fighting before I got taken hostage, I was doing what I was supposed to do. But you're always going to see me as incapable because you refuse to watch in fear that I'll get hurt."
"Because every time that you've ever done something you do get hurt. I think you would have been wounded in some other way if I had allowed you to follow me and you know that. Just look at your past injuries in other missions!"
"People ganged up on me after all of my missions, that is a peer situation, not my personal doings."
"You could have defended yourself better, you leave yourself open for attacks," Sephiroth argued.
"I do not, I refuse to fight morons just because they call me names and beat me up over assumptions. I would only worsen the situation if I fought them and you know that. You only think that fighting back is possible because you're the strongest person in this entire building, if someone picked a fight with you then you would have easily ended it. That's not what it's like for everyone else. Some of us have morals and obligations, rules and regulations that we have to follow in order to stay here. It's not like we're all on pedestals. I think if everyone was verbally harassing you that you wouldn't fight back as much as you'd like to. You have an actual image to keep up, if everyone knew you were fighting you'd get in trouble."
"No one fights me because they know not to mess with me. This isn't the point, the point is—"
"That you two are fighting and it's rather unnecessary," Lazard interrupted. He neatly fixed his glasses as usual and folded his arms over his chest as the two sat before him looking stunned and huffy. "Why are you fighting? Is there a point to this? Genesis, I can understand you want to be recognized as a good fighter. In due time I am certain that you will be able to prove those skills…perhaps once you're healed…well…" Lazard hesitated, "I don't want to act like I'm picking favorites or to have this get out to anyone else. But considering the situations you've gone through, you've been stifled in quite a few ways. You did get forced out of participating in the last testing for 2nd class. If you heal quickly and prepare yourself for the tests I can get you into an early testing. You'd be by yourself, of course, but sometimes we have to grant special permission for operatives to go through faster than others. You'll be able to show if you've improved from when you came here, and with that if you do happen to fail there will be no foul because you can easily go into testing with everyone else when it comes up in the future months…" Lazard leaned forward, "How's that sound?"
"Are you serious?" Genesis asked a bit boggled by it all. He could show he had potential? "I'd…really like to, yeah. Once I'm better."
"Yes, of course."
Sephiroth still felt jilted. Genesis just burst in and blamed him for everything. He was doing his best to help him heal…and now he was the bad guy?
"Now…I hope you two are still in good terms with each other. Genesis, you should go rest for now. Sephiroth is doing some paperwork and I'm certain he'll run off once he's finished with it."
Genesis nodded at Lazard and looked at Sephiroth and noticed the look he was giving him. "What? You look angry."
"You just blamed me for something I couldn't control and then you're perfectly fine because now you can do testing early."
"Just forget about it," Genesis remarked. "It was a bit crazy of me to blame you for any of it anyway. I mean, technically I could have tried to kill them instead of been kidnapped…but I submitted because someone was holding a gun to my head."
"Just…go to bed," Sephiroth suggested. He didn't know if he could discuss this anymore. He was stuck in between angry and upset that he let something so cruel happen to Genesis. When the redhead walked out he sighed and looked at Lazard. "Is it bad I'm blaming myself for all of it now?"
Lazard kept his eyes on Sephiroth, "Although you might have been able to control having him follow you, it wasn't your fault that he got kidnapped and hurt. You didn't know at the time that he was actually alive and really…you didn't know if they were torturing him or just holding him in a prison cell. You did your best, don't blame yourself. Besides, if Genesis knew you were thinking that way I'm certain he'd be upset he ever said anything. You two get way too caught up in the details sometimes…"
Sephiroth sighed, "Yeah, you're right." Though he still dwelled on the thought. All of these things kept creeping up on them…how many more arguments were they going to go through? Would it…end them at some point? His eyes descended to the papers and he went back to work. Hopefully this was just a bad week…and nothing terrible was to come in the future.
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More awkwardness and drama to come in following chapters. I'd try to put more awkwardness in each chapter, but I've started to realize how hard it is to do in the length of chapters I make. So you might be seeing a lot of plot and a few awkward scenes. Not that it's a bad thing…right? I'm sure you guys enjoy the plot with the awkwardness…
Anyway, more awesomeness to come! Stay tuned!