Once again, I apologize for the heavy delay to this chapter. College is not the nicest time consumer.
edit: I apologize for the sloppiness! I've edited this chapter so the typos should be limited to near zero.

Bros Before Hoes II

Genesis POV

The last few weeks… have been what most people would like to say "a mixed bag". I simply take each day like a handful of nails…

The mornings are wonderful at least. Waking up besides a sleeping, sometimes drooling, Sephiroth is enough to get me on my highest of horses. However, it's when I get to work that the horse is shot and I'm pushed back on my ass to face a horrible truth. Angeal no longer speaks to me.

I hardly get a glimpse of him anymore, as if he's completely changed his route around the Shinra building in order to avoid me all together. And it's not as if he isn't here, Lazard would have sent an e-mail to all 1st Class SOLDIERs as to the where-a-bouts of the strong-faced man. He was here… but he wasn't to me.

He doesn't answer my emails.
He doesn't pick up his cell phone nor house phone (blasted caller ID!).

Even when I worked up the courage to visit his modest apartment in Sector 8 last week, I'm either greeted by Zackary, who states that Angeal isn't there, or by complete silence.

Have I really just destroyed our friendship? A lifetime friendship torn because of one man? I can't help but cringe at the thought of breaking one of my own worth-wild philosophies. Friends are far more precious than any lover, husband, wife, or one-night stand that ever comes my way. Even Sephiroth…

Sephiroth…

Come to think of it, I haven't seen him today. Yes, he's been there with me for the past weeks that I haven't come across Angeal. He's been… so wonderful to me that it's borderline creepy. I've never seen Sephiroth act so sincerely towards anyone else in his life. Even his method of sex has toned down and he sometimes he simply kisses me for minutes upon minutes upon the hour.

I might get cavities on my heart.

I know that he's softened his attitude when around me in order to make me feel better. He's doing everything he can to make sure that I don't cry or frown nor sigh. It's as if whenever my eyes become the least bit glassy, he's been struck by the largest, most violent lightening bolt in all of the world and he must curve the pain between us both.

But today, I don't see Sephiroth either. He was acting rather peculiar this morning when we woke up. In stead of molesting me awake, he simply held me close that morning and whispered:

"Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

What woe I must be putting Sephiroth through because of my own actions. I didn't expect him to respond so… negatively to my sadness. And not negatively in a bad way; more in the way of 'I'll do anything for you if you'll just cheer the fuck up already'. Ya know, that type of thing.

Oh dear… the mental image of me as a crying baby and Sephiroth shaking a rattle in front of my face is stuck…

In any case, the fact that both Sephiroth and Angeal haven't spoken to me all day is just one more distraction here at the Shinra building. And it's really not the best time to do so. The President is bringing the Wutai chief into his building today to talk on negotiations to drain mako from their village. Being the tree-huggers that they are, the Wutai chief has shut down the President's requests time and time again. Those two have been butting heads for a long time and their troops (as well as our troops) have been sent to stand-by locations just in case this meeting does not go well.

In-between walks about the Shinra building to make sure Wutai scouts are stationed within the confines of our headquarters and worrying about Sephiroth and Angeal, I can hardly concentrate long enough to make reasonable decisions. Or so I can imagine… spotting Wutai troops doesn't take that much concentration… not for someone of my prestige anyway.

"What do you want?"

"Just a moment of your time. Care to spare?"

"Depends. Must be something that you give a damn about so it must be important…"

What's this? Do my inhumanly perfect ears deceive me? That can't be… but… my ears are never wrong. Ceasing my oh-so important task of scouting the building, I use my infamous sneaking technique to silently approach a nearby conference room in which the door was locked. However, I can hear through any door as if said door didn't exist. Pretending as if I was guarding, I ease dropped to my desire.

I had the right… this was Sephiroth and Angeal talking and I have a right to know what they've been doing...

…without me…
…all day long probably…
…bastards.

"You're being awfully pushy about this."

"There's no other opinion I can think of. Genesis has been completely unbearable these past few days. You're my ticket to better days."

"Should I be flattered?"

"Actually, you should."

Eh? What are they talking about… they… they better not be talking about what I fear they are! I have half a mind to go in there right now and demand an explanation! How dare Angeal leave me high and dry –even though I… kinda deserved it after what I said to him -

"Don't get near me!"
"Angeal…"
"I swear to the gods, Sephiroth!"

"Does my presence intimidate you that much? What haven't you seen of me that you're frightened of?"

"S-shut up…!"

What? Are they? I press my ear harder against the door, but all my perfect ears can hear is silence. Do they know someone's listening? Or are they being purposefully quiet? And why did Angeal stutter? He never stutters… unless… no.

Both of them are traitors. Traitors to me.

I want nothing to do with either of them!

I can hardly hear my angry footsteps back to my position near the President's office because of the rambling. ranting thoughts going on in my head. They had to have been having sex! Had to… it's the only time Angeal stutters… the only time and no other!

H-how could they do that to me! How could Sephiroth do that to me? After sticking up for me –wrongly probably- against my friend and he goes right back to him! All he cares about his what his eyes and dick can get a hold of. I should have known better; I was the fool.

"I'm going home…"

Fuck the President
Fuck Wutai

Being at home right now, alone and away from the two biggest bastards on earth, is better than uselessly guarding two stubborn fools, one fatter than the other…

-I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to wash clothes. Sephiroth had taken up doing the house chores while I was in my little funk over Angeal. He really did keep this place spotless, probably for himself and not on my part. But then again, he did wash my clothes too-

-probably so he'd have a nice-smelling partner.

And why am I doing laundry at nine at night, for that matter? I guess… because it reminds me of him. Both of them, actually…

As I lay down on my comfortable couch after finishing the fifth load of clothes, I can't help but ponder as to what I'd been doing these past hours. After stalking out of Shinra HQ, I can't recall much. Did I cry? Did I scream? Did I destroy anything?

…

…

…nope, the house still looks fine.

Maybe I should go to a doctor if I can't even vividly remember what I did between a seven hour period. All I can recall is… is the sound of Angeal's voice in the kitchen, washing his hands and Sephiroth's voice in the living room with the faint echo of cards being shuffled on the table. I could hear Angeal talking, but unable to remember what he said, but whatever it was made Sephiroth grin and laugh over in my direction.

Angeal came back from the kitchen with a plate of doughnuts and sat them on the table while Sephiroth pours some water for Angeal, some liquor for himself, and tea for me. I remember then looking at me contently, Sephiroth tapping the deck of cards in his hand, eager to start. I can't remember what I did, nor can I remember past that point.

Did that even happen? Or is it something my mako-infused mind conjured up in order to calm me down from my swirl of anger? Or perhaps it was a vision of what I wish for. Do I wish for peace and calm between my best friend and my lover? Do I just want us all to be happy and friendly towards each other? Is that even a possibility any longer with the two of them having an affair behind my back? I guess my brain can always dream.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Damnitittahell-!" the loud knock on the door horribly startled me and I found myself rushing to the door without checking to see who it was first.

"Thank goodness you answered."

I wish I had checked first… then I wouldn't have answered.

"You're the last person I want to see right now, Angeal."

SLAM!

"What the-?" I can hear my so called friend's exclamation through the apartment door. I press my back against the door, as if expecting him to kick the door in. However, all I hear is a gentle sigh. I can feel him press a bit of his body against the door, as if set on staying where he is.

"Am I going to have to talk to you through the door?"

I don't reply.

"Genesis, I know you're right there. If you're going to act like this—"

"I have every right to act like this!" Damn it! I didn't want to say anything, but my continuously rattling brain seems to want answers from Angeal. My heart wishes not to be hurt by this man, my supposed friend, however, and the result of this clash is the vulgar blurting of my emotions.

"And why is that? What have I done to deserve this treatment?"

"You should damn well know, you two-timing bastard! You hypocritical horn-dog! You… not best-friend-person!"

"W-what?"

"How dare you…? How could you?"

"Genesis, what did I do wrong?"

Does he think me an idiot? Does he dare to stand there outside my apartment and demand that I EXPLAIN the folly of the circumstances here? Do I have subject myself so that this idiot may understand what I mean by 'wrong'? Unfortunately, that seems like the case…

Opening my door the tiniest of bits, I muster the physical control to not punch Angeal's face in while I tell him exactly what wrong he's committed.

"How can you stand there and look me in the eyes after avoiding me like the plague? And not only that, but daring to… daring to start an affair with Sephiroth!"

"Gen—"

"Oh he'll get an earful of this too, that fucking bitch, daring to sleep with other men while committed to me? Am I not good enough, because by all high standards, I damn well am!"

"Geeeen—"

"And you! That dog Zack of yours must be rubbing off on you for you to DARE come to Sephiroth for your sexual needs like a hound limping back to the master who abused him. Sephiroth is mine, not yours!"

"Genesis, shut the hell up for TEN minutes!"

I flinch; whenever Angeal's curses, it's for a good reason and I instinctively bend to his will.

"Listen to yourself; you sound like a babbling woman. And I tend to give you more credit than that, Genesis." Angeal sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

What! How dare he compare me to—

"Especially since you're absolute false. I would never touch Sephiroth again after what happened between us and especially after you took sides with him. Of course I'd avoid you; you obviously don't need me anymore. Why should I engage with you after… humiliating me like you did?"

Yes… that's right. Angeal must have felt completely demeaned that day. It's no wonder that he didn't want to speak to me. And Sephiroth for that matter. B-but—!

"T-that doesn't explain why I heard you two behind closed locked doors this afternoon! If you didn't want to speak to us that badly, then why were you talking with him?"

"It's not like I did so voluntarily."

"W-what? So Sephiroth forced you to have sex with him?"

"Genesis! We. Did. Not. Have. Sex. Get it through you mind. I didn't even want to be within the same section of Shinra as the two of you, and I'm still mad at you, for that matter. But that bastard pushed me into that room and locked the door."

R-really…?

"In his own little Sephiroth Crescent way, he basically pleaded with me to make amends with you because you've been so miserable since that argument. I still didn't want to be there, but he kept me in that room until I eventually promised that I would come here and talk with you."

Sephiroth did that for me? He humbled himself for me?

"He even apologized. He looked really… desperate and disgusted. As if he wanted to be the one to fix your depression problem, and coming to me for help was like a blow to his pride and ego as your lover. Makes no difference to me; as long as I'm away from him."

Sephiroth talked to Angeal for me…? He was selfless for me?

"So Genesis… you going to let me in or am I going to have to continue to—"
"I'm sorry…"
"…eh?"

I smile a soft smile and open the door a tiny bit more.

"I said that I'm sorry, Angeal. What I did to you was… inhumane. You're my friend and you come before my lover and I lost sight of that just because I was grumpy that day- no… no there is no excuse Angeal. Please, forgive me."

My friend looks marbleized by my apology and simply stands there at the door, staring at me as if I've revealed the secret to life. It's… cute to see a surprised Angeal, especially from a man whom doesn't wear his emotions on his masculine arms at all. After a while, the marbleized Angeal shook from its foundations and a smile grew upon his chiseled face, causing his cheeks to thin his eyes.

He always has a stunning smile. How could I possibly completely trade in my beloved friend Angeal for Sephiroth? I love him for reuniting me with my beloved friend and giving me this chance to apologize, but as I watch Angeal enter my home only to ask if I'd like to go out for doughnuts, I'm reminded that if I had to trade everything in except for one aspect of my life, I'd keep my precious Angeal Hewley despite my love for Sephiroth.

Why? I can not say, but… I just feel as if friends are simply a bit more important than any love I find on this earth. But... I still would like that daydream I had that afternoon to come true. Maybe I'll tell Angeal about it.

"Come on Genesis. The doughnut shop will close in a few hours."

"Oh yeah! Let me just put on my shoes."
"And some pants maybe?"
"Yes, that would be smart, wouldn't it?"
"Heh, yeah."

I hope they have chocolate glazed.