Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Plot Synopsis: Genesis awakens, redeemed in the eyes of his Goddess, and is freed from his long slumber. His awakening stirs another. Sephiroth/Genesis. Sephiroth's POV (mostly).

Author's Note: I think I'm running out of things to say on these. For now. . .an explanation for Vincent's behavior, because you all demanded it, whether or not you like the results. Genesis and Seph do a little bonding (Seph's idea of bonding, not Gen's, sorry). Beta'd by Littlehouseinthewoods, the world's best beta, and a fellow Genesis Awards nominee. Check out Minerva's Gift, if you haven't already. That said, enjoy the tale :)

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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody

Chapter 35

There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess. Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds.' -Loveless Act II

Vincent leaned back against the wall of rock at his back, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazed unseeingly into the dark night sky. The others had made camp a short while ago, near the southeastern tip of the Southern Mountain Range. Yazoo's health had taken a turn for the worst, his breathing becoming so labored that Vincent had begun to fear for his life, when Kadaj had declared that they were stopping no matter what anybody had to say about it.

As much as he disliked the youngest remnant, Vincent had to admit that he'd been grateful when the boy had taken charge of the situation. Seeing Yazoo in such distress and being unable to reach out to him had been agonizing, but Vincent had seen the pride in that beautiful, inscrutable face, and he'd known that his interference would not be welcome. He had lost any rights he might have had to Yazoo the moment he had said, "No", and while the knowledge ate at him, he had no one to blame but himself.

This is the way it has to be, Vincent thought, lowering his chin until his face was all but hidden in the cowl of his cloak. He couldn't allow Yazoo any closer to him than he already had. Their involvement had been a mistake. He'd known it even as it happened, but he had lacked the strength of will to walk away. When Yazoo and his brothers had attacked Cloud in the Sleeping Forest, the beautiful young man had given him all the motivation he needed to end their bizarre, addicting relationship, and he had done so just in time to watch his pretty one die.

This time, he had done the right thing--the best thing--for them both, Vincent comforted himself. He had ended it before it could begin again, saving them both from a lifetime of misery and disappointment. Yazoo was young; he would recover from his disappointment. As for himself. . .well, his heart had been broken long ago. There was little enough left of it, certainly not enough to risk it for a man who wasn't capable of understanding love as it really was.

'Coward,' Chaos hissed from the depths of his mind. 'Our pretty one returns from the dead for us, and you turn him away out of what? Fear?'

"It is for the best," Vincent shot right back. 'He is too young--too damaged--to know what it is that he wants. We cannot take advantage of him in such a way.'

Chaos snorted, the undignified sound echoing painfully through Vincent's head. 'Such noble words,' the demon all but spat at him. 'They do not hide your fear, host. You reek of it.'

Vincent didn't answer, fully intending to ignore the ancient entity, when its next words cut him to the core of his rotten soul. 'You will do to this one what was done to you, then? You are pathetic, human, and not worthy of our pretty mate.'

'What do you mean?' he demanded silently.

The demon fell stubbornly silent, but that didn't stop him from making his displeasure known. Images flowed into Vincent's mind, memories of a beautiful emerald-eyed woman, and the heartache she had caused him before his death at her husband's hands.

"Stop!" he gasped aloud, reaching up to clutch at the spot where his heart had once rested, but to no avail. The images kept coming, devastating him with their intensity, and reminding him of all that he had yet to atone for.

Lucrecia, sobbing as she pulled her hands from his and ran from him, and then smiling as he embraced her husband and ended all of his dreams. The cold, uncharacteristic anger on her beautiful features as she and Hojo informed him that they were going to use their child in the upcoming experiment. Lucrecia, collapsing onto the floor, as the child she carried inside of her threatened her very life. Beautiful Lucrecia, gasping with horror as she stood over his dying body, Hojo's insane laughter eclipsing his everything else as his world faded to black.

As though it were happening now, Vincent could feel the mako Lucrecia had used to save his life. It burned through his system like fire, its acidic taste filling his mouth, its cloying scent overwhelming his enhanced senses. Lucrecia had combined the mako with a tainted portion of the Lifestream in her misguided attempt to save his worthless life. She had poured all of her energy, energy that she should have saved for herself and her unborn child, into saving him.

Vincent shook his head in silent denial of the past. He hadn't been worth saving. He had failed Lucrecia on the most fundamental of levels, and it had taken him almost forty years to even begin to forgive himself for his failure. Lucrecia herself had forgiven him, though. It had been she who had restored the Proto-Materia that Rosso The Crimson had ripped from his chest to him, she who had given him the power to not only control Chaos, but to merge with him, for the sake of The Planet.

Together, they had defeated Omega, and Vincent had been surprised to find himself actually missing Chaos after the demon had been set free. Now, he found himself wishing that Aerith had left him out of her plans to save Gaia, if only because his body was not his own, and never again would be, if they were successful. There would be no chance for redemption, now. He would be damned forever, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

'Do you think that I'm happy about this?' Chaos growled angrily. 'The last thing I want is to spend all of eternity tethered to you, human!'

'Stop.' Vincent demanded mentally, wincing as the memories continued to flow behind his blurry eyes. 'Enough.'

'Is it, host?'

Vincent shuddered violently. 'Gods, yes!'

The thought whispered through his mind, tinged with desperation and longing and bittersweet pain, but thankfully, the images finally stopped. Vincent found himself leaning back against the mountain, gazing at the bright night sky through moisture-blurred eyes, his eyes full of tears that he would never allow to fall. Loving Lucrecia Crescent had destroyed his life, and he refused to put himself through that again. Call it fear or survival, the end result would be the same, and that was all that really mattered to him.

'You are a coward, Vincent Valentine. I rue the day that woman bound me to one such as you!'

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual," Vincent muttered under his breath.

"Dark one?"

No.

Vincent froze at the quiet, melodic whisper, shocked to realize that Yazoo had approached him without alerting him or any of his demons. As his heart jumped in his chest—and not from fear—he closed his eyes and prayed for the strength to once again do what was necessary.

'Pretty one!'

He ignored Chaos' sudden excitement, focusing on bringing his own exhilaration under control. He had to stand firm, he reminded himself. He couldn't reveal his weakness to the one responsible for it. He wouldn't survive another fiasco like he'd gone through with Lucrecia. It had to be over. It had to be.

'Gutless human!'

Vincent raised his head slowly, schooling his features to blandness, and forced himself to face the man he had so recently rejected. Yazoo was standing no more than five feet away, his beautiful features stark, the expression echoed in his gleaming silvery green gaze. Vincent's chest tightened painfully in response to that bleakness, and he felt his resolve waver precariously.

"Why?" the young man asked in a whisper, and it was all Vincent could do not to reach for him and damn them both.

'Damn us?' Chaos scoffed. 'He belongs to us, host.'

"Does it matter?" he asked at length, praying that the boy would go away and leave him to his grief before he did something that they would both live to regret.

A sudden gust of wind swept past them, lifting gilded moonlit strands and flinging them across Yazoo's delicate face. "Yes," he whispered, and Vincent shuddered at the raw quality to the other man's normally smooth voice, "it matters."

Vincent quickly looked away from those beloved, too-pretty features. "You're wrong," he said shortly. "It doesn't matter, Yazoo."

It can't.

'Shut it, human. Of course, it matters. Tell him that it does.'

"Dark one, please, what did I do? Was it because we hurt Nii-san?" Yazoo took a step towards him, his long elegant hands in their black gloves spreading out in a supplicating gesture. "We didn't understand, then. We didn't know that what we were doing was wrong. We were only trying to please our mother, to reunite with Sephiroth so that we could be whole. We didn't understand why you and Nii-san fought us, not then."

'Take him, host!'

Vincent didn't answer, unable to speak as emotion rose up to choke him, and Yazoo bravely moved closer. "We never meant to hurt any of you, dark one. We were only doing what we believed we must."

'He is ours.'

"Please," he begged, reaching out to touch one shiny silver buckle on Vincent's cloak, "don't punish me for the past. I know we were wrong—that I was wrong—but I'm not the man that I was then. I've learned from my mistakes. I know that I can make it up to you, that I can make you happy, if you'll only give me the chance--"

'Yes!'

"Stop it." Vincent's voice was a mere rasp as he pulled away, moving sideways along the mountain face to avoid physical contact, unsure whether he was talking to Chaos or Yazoo, but equally determined to evade both. "I meant it when I said that it didn't matter, Yazoo. It's over. Just walk away."

'Claim him, host, before he listens to your inane words and leaves us!'

"But I came back for you," Yazoo whispered, his eyes following Vincent's every graceful movement as he pulled even farther away. "Dark one, I love you."

'Claim him, now!'

The slender young man took a gliding step towards him, reaching out with both hands, and Vincent had had enough of both Chaos and him. He grasped Yazoo's slim wrists in his own hands, for once uncaring if his clawed gauntlet drew blood, desperate to get the boy away from him before something happened that he could not take back.

Vincent looked at him with calm red eyes that belied the mass of emotion writhing within and said, very, very softly, "But I don't love you."

'Host, what are you doing?!'

Pain flared through those stunning silver-green eyes, flashed across the young man's elegant, dainty features, and then it was gone. As though a light had switched off, the life left the other man's face, drained out of his eyes, and left him looking as cold as Vincent had once believed him to be. Yazoo didn't speak as he jerked his hands away and stepped back, and Vincent was grateful for it. Chaos was roaring with rage inside of him, testing the boundaries of his physical self-control, even as his admittedly conflicted feelings for Yazoo threatened to undo thirty-four years of lessons most painfully learned.

The boy finally turned and walked away, heeding Vincent's words just a little too late to save himself, and Vincent's heart bled as he forced himself to watch. The other man stood tall, his back ramrod stiff, his head held high, his heavy silver mane swaying over the supple lines of his back and shoulders, and Vincent smiled to himself as the first tear fell. Yazoo might hate him now, but he would understand someday. He had saved them both from a lifetime of misery, and eventually, the boy would be grateful to him for it.

'Grateful?'Chaos snarled, enraged. 'You are lucky he did not kill you for your betrayal!'

Vincent closed his eyes and sighed raggedly into the night. 'He will recover, demon. Let that be enough.'

The demon's anger all but vibrated inside of him, making his teeth ache as he clenched his jaw shut to combat it. 'In the words of your own kind: fuck you, host!'

Vincent smiled humorlessly as the demon withdrew, its abrupt departure enough to leave him gasping with the pain of it. He had done it, he thought wearily. He had held fast to his convictions, and he had assured himself that Yazoo would not approach him again. Yes, it hurt, but he would find a way to live with that. It was over and it was for the best. And maybe, if he repeated that to himself often enough, he would one day begin to believe it.

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Sephiroth sat several feet away from the campfire, Genesis sitting quietly at his side, as his green gaze continually strayed to the path Yazoo had taken when he had left camp. He noted that Kadaj and Loz were doing the same from their place on the opposite side of the campfire, looking up from the rabbits they were skinning so often that it was a wonder they hadn't hurt themselves in the process. Cloud was doing his best to distract them both, but Gaia's Golden Weapon wasn't the most social man on The Planet, and it showed as he tried and failed to engage the boys in conversation.

Loz looked like he was on the verge of tears, while Kadaj was wearing what Sephiroth had come to realize was a typically angry expression. Cloud looked both worried and frustrated, and Sephiroth himself felt uneasy, if only because his boys had already been hurt so much.

Yazoo hadn't spoken in the five hours they had traveled through the plains, not even when his breathing had begun to become irregular. He had stubbornly pushed himself past his current physical limitations, until Kadaj had forced the entire party to stop and camp for the night. The youngest remnant had used his unexpected, rather amazing healing abilities on his brother once again, and Yazoo's first action had been to rise and walk away.

Strangely enough, Kadaj hadn't protested. He had merely ordered Loz to accompany Yazoo, and they had returned a short time later with eight small rabbits. Sephiroth had been surprised once he'd realized what they had done. There hadn't been any need for the boys to hunt for their food. There were enough of them there that they could have shared in the chore.

But he had quickly realized that Yazoo and Loz were doing what they must have done after first escaping Shinra's clutches two years ago. They were following the same behavioral patterns that they always had, patterns that had kept them alive and free when they had escaped from the remnants of Shinra Inc. It had never even occurred to them to ask for help, or to include any of them in their plans. They were simply doing what they believed was necessary to survive, regardless of the fact that it was no longer necessary to do it alone.

Kadaj had rejected his offer of assistance with a snort, waved Yazoo away with all the hauteur of a king, and commanded Loz to help him with the rabbits. The middle remnant had merely nodded and left the camp, and Sephiroth was uncomfortably aware of where it was he had most likely gone. Unfortunately, he didn't believe that Vincent would offer the shattered young man the comfort he probably hoped for. Vincent hadn't so much as looked at the boy during their journey, not even when his breathing had become so labored that Sephiroth had feared his heart would simply give out beneath the strain.

Sephiroth simply couldn't reconcile the quiet, solemn man who had embraced him so warmly with the one who had turned his back on Yazoo with such devastating ease. He had thought that he understood Vincent Valentine, that the man's motivations and reactions, so similar to his own, meant that he was an honorable person. Regrettably, Sephiroth had forgotten that his own idea of honor was very different from other people's definitions--a trait he was suddenly afraid he had inherited from his natural father.

Had his human genetics played a greater role in his actions in Nibelheim than he had previously thought? he asked himself worriedly. Had he inherited his mental instability from Vincent Valentine, and not Jenova, as he had previously assumed? Or had his madness been inevitable due to his upbringing? A case of nurture versus nature, perhaps?

A soft hand ghosting over his hair startled him out of his silent reverie. He turned to find Genesis watching him, his haunting blue eyes filled with concern, and felt his heart turn over. He banished images of fire and madness from his mind, all of his focus centered on the man who gazed at him with such loving worry.

"I am fine," he murmured, forcing a smile to lips.

"Bullshit," Genesis whispered succinctly in return, and smile became genuine.

"Truly, Gen, I am. . .okay."

The other man tilted his fiery head to one side, his fine-boned features softening dramatically. "You're worried about Yazoo," he said, adding, "Don't think you can fool me, Sephiroth. I know you too well."

"Yes, you do," Sephiroth allowed, sliding an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. He breathed a kiss into cinnamon-scented hair as corded arms banded around his waist in return. "You're right. I am worried about the boy. He seems. . .fragile, for lack of a better word."

Genesis only nodded as he rested his head on his lover's shoulder. "He reminds me of you, Seph, of the way you were when I first met you."

Sephiroth froze, cringing inwardly at the description, which echoed his own thoughts upon first meeting the middle remnant. "I had noticed the... similarities, as well," he admitted cautiously. "I do not like knowing that he—that they—have been hurt as I was. And for Vincent to add to it as he has. . ."

"I know." Genesis raised his head, his eyes flashing with blue fire, outraged on Yazoo's behalf. "You saw them, Seph. Vincent was happy, before Cloud did. . .whatever it was that he did. What the hell happened to change all that? What did Cloud do that changed that?"

He restored his memories to him, Sephiroth thought unhappily. "I don't--"

"And don't try to tell me that you don't know," the other man cut in, his voice a fierce whisper. His stunning aristocratic features were set in stern lines as he continued, "I've let a lot of shit slide, Sephiroth, but I think you owe me an explanation. Several, in fact."

When only silence met his words, Genesis raised one auburn brow in an expectant manner. Sephiroth fought to hide his rising panic at the stubborn, determined look on his lover's refined features. "Gen, I--"

He broke off, dropping his arms and looking away. His hair slid into his face, and he welcomed the protection it provided, no matter how ephemeral it might be, as his mind raced to provide a suitable explanation that would not reveal his monstrous nature to the man he loved, nor force him to lie to keep it concealed.

"You do not understand," he whispered at last, squeezing his eyes closed as his bloodied past flashed before them. "I-I don't want to lose you, Gen."

"Sephiroth." A red-gloved hand appeared in his line of vision, and then slid under his chin to gently lift his head. "Open your eyes and look at me."

Sephiroth flinched, but the hand on his chin only tightened, and he knew that Genesis wouldn't allow him to put this off any longer. He opened dark, fearful green eyes to the other man's, and Genesis' touch changed to a comforting caress.

"You know that I love you," the other man told him gently, stroking the side of Sephiroth's face as he tucked his hair back behind his ear. "Nothing you say could shock me, or make me love you any less. You can trust me, Seph. You do know that, don't you?"

Sephiroth continued to gaze at him in silence, his angelic features suddenly echoing the frightened expression in his silver-green eyes, and Genesis was stunned to realize that Sephiroth wasn't allowing his feelings to show, he simply couldn't control them. "Are you really so scared of me?" he asked in a low, bewildered murmur. "Have I really hurt you so much, Seph?"

Sephiroth uttered a deep sigh and shook his head in the slightest of motions. "It was Hojo," he muttered, his deep voice so quiet that Genesis had to strain to hear it.

He waited for Sephiroth to continue, reining in his impatience as his lover fell silent once again. "What was Hojo?" he asked, careful to keep his own voice calm and soothing.

"The 'J' cells."

Genesis didn't push him for a more detailed response. He merely made an encouraging sound and continued to stroke Sephiroth's hair out of his face. "The 'J' substance was an active factor in my physical development," Sephiroth said suddenly. "Do you remember when I told you that?"

"Yes, I do." He smiled at the memory. "It was the night you told me about the boys. The night I first told you that I loved you," he added for good measure.

That gained a slight, short-lived smile from the other man. "Yes, it was." The smile faded, and Sephiroth's expression became solemn once more. "The 'J' cells do more than simply enhance physical strength. The can also create a neural pathway that links those who carry the cells to one another."

"Ah," Genesis said with comprehension. "So that's how Kadaj was able to communicate with you and Cloud. Telepathically."

"Just so." Sephiroth tapped the side of his own head with a gloved hand, the gesture emphasizing Genesis' words. "Vincent had somehow lost the majority of his memories. While I don't know the particulars on how he did so, I do know that he also carries the 'J' substance within him, and that Cloud used the link to restore those memories to him tonight."

Genesis' hand stilled as he contemplated his grave lover. "Can you do that?" he asked curiously. "Share memories with Cloud or Vincent, I mean?"

Sephiroth was silent for so long that Genesis thought he wasn't going to answer. "I honestly do not know," he answered with a slight shrug. "I have never tried the process, nor do I wish to. I find the thought of another in my mind to be...repugnant."

"Understandable," Genesis murmured, his tone thoughtful as his hand resumed its ministrations. "So, Cloud was able to give Vincent his memories back. How did he end up with them to begin with? Was it the link?"

"No." Silver brows came together as Sephiroth frowned. "It does not work that way. Cloud had memories of Vincent, and the time they had spent as friends. Cloud used those to essentially awaken the part of Vincent's memory that he himself could not access. Vincent's mind did the rest."

Genesis mimicked his frown as he thought it over. "He opened the door to Vincent's memories when Vincent couldn't. Is that what you're trying to say?"

The frown disappeared, replaced by a surprisingly warm smile. "Yes, it is." Sephiroth gazed for a long moment before leaning down and brushing a kiss across his lips. "Such a clever kitten," he murmured with admiration. "I should have known you would understand."

"Yes, you should have," Genesis admonished even as he leaned forward to initiate another, longer kiss. "So, are the 'J' cells what made Masamune disappear earlier, too?"

Sephiroth stilled, and then let out a low laugh, no longer afraid of his lover's reactions. "Perhaps, too clever," he whispered, his deep voice soft and seductive. Genesis' full lips trembled against his own, and he laughed again as he drew back. "Yes, Genesis. The cells were what enabled me to wish Masamune away. Again, I do not know how it works, only that it does."

Genesis sighed breathlessly even as he asked, "Do you know where it goes?"

"Sorry, but no."

The other man adopted a sulky expression, and Sephiroth couldn't resist the urge to pull him close. Genesis didn't protest as he found himself firmly ensconced on Sephiroth's lap, held in place by strong, possessive arms. Genesis had taken the truth—partial though it regrettably was—better than Sephiroth had ever dreamed that he would. Perhaps, he had made a mistake in withholding so much of it from his beautiful, passionate lover.

He thought of Nibelheim, and Genesis' cruel, hate-filled words in the reactor, and quickly chastised himself. Yes, Genesis was understanding now, but only because he had hidden the bulk of the truth from him. If Genesis had seen himself as a monster in the past, it was likely that he would feel the same way now, and set himself on the same destructive path. No matter how badly Sephiroth longed to be completely honest with him, he knew that he couldn't be. Much like himself and Angeal, Genesis' sanity depended on the illusion that he was a human being. Sephiroth would never take that away from him, regardless of the emotional difficulty that keeping such a secret caused him.

He tightened his hold on the man in his arms, burying his face in short, fiery locks. "I love you, Genesis."

Genesis' arms tightened around him in return. "I love you too, moonbeam," he said tenderly in return. "I don't suppose you know how Reno knows Kadaj?"

Sephiroth was startled by the sudden shift in conversation, but he didn't let it show as he drew back just enough to join their mouths. "You will have to ask one of them," he whispered against warm lips. "I'm afraid that I do not have all of the answers, kitten."

Genesis quickly lost interest in the subject as Sephiroth's tongue began to do wonderful things to his own. He'd ask Reno about it later. Right now, he had other, more pressing concerns to contend with. Like the hard-on that was pushing insistently against his ass, and the murmurs of their companions, which served to remind him that they weren't alone, and probably wouldn't be for some time to come.

He groaned with disappointment even as he thrust his hands in Sephiroth's silky fall of hair. He might not be able to get laid tonight, but he sure as hell wasn't going to be horny and frustrated alone!

Sephiroth shifted the slim, rounded curves of Genesis' ass until his erection was pressed directly against the heart of him. Genesis responded by digging his heels into the ground beside him and pushing himself more firmly against him. Sephiroth brought one hand up to tangle in Genesis' sleek cap of hair, taking complete control of the kiss, even as his free hand burrowed under the other man's jacket. He released the latch that held Genesis' weapons belt in place and plunged his hand under the hem of the soft black cowl-neck.

Genesis felt his lover's hand on the sensitive skin of his lower back and shivered passionately in response. He broke the kiss and hugged Sephiroth close, dragging his lips up the strong line of the other man's jaw. Sephiroth let out a faint, ragged groan, and he grinned as he latched onto one succulent earlobe.

"What do you say to reconnoitering the area and checking for 'hostiles'?" he asked in a sensual murmur.

Sephiroth uttered a small, shaky laugh at that. "I don't think that this," he thrust against him once, "could be considered hostile, Genesis."

"Well, considering what you like to do to me with it. . ." Genesis let his voice trail off as he raised his head suggestively, a wicked smile curling his kiss-reddened lips, and laughed softly at the other man's violent shudder. "Hmm, my thoughts exactly. So, what do you say? Are you game?"

Sephiroth smiled slowly, the loving gesture full of the dark sensuality that had always excited him, and Genesis swallowed hard. He slid off of Sephiroth's lap, pulled his weapons belt and harness away from his body, and threw it to the ground. It landed with a thump, drawing all eyes to then, and Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh as he pushed himself to his feet. He reached out and grasped Genesis' hand in his own, tugging lightly even as he closed the distance between them. He was lowering his head for another kiss when a loud snort sounded, startling them apart.

"Oh, give it a rest," Kadaj snapped, glaring at them hotly. "Can't you two wait until we reach civilization to fuck?"

Azure eyes widened with outrage, and then narrowed as Genesis opened his mouth to deliver a stinging retort. A low gasp distracted him, bringing his attention back to Sephiroth, who was wearing a suddenly pained expression. "What's wrong?" he asked, immediately concerned.

Sephiroth only shook his head and turned away, his mako-green gaze focusing on a slim figure in the distance. Yazoo was coming towards them, his arms wrapped around himself as if he were cold, his head hanging so that his hair partially concealed his face. His dainty, almost feminine features could have been carved from stone, so expressionless were they as the boy passed right by them and went straight to his brothers.

Genesis watched with both surprise and concern as Yazoo's brothers immediately stood to meet him. Loz wrapped his arms around his brother, the tears he'd been fighting all evening finally breaking free, even as Kadaj slid his arms around Yazoo's waist and hugged him tightly. The middle boy never spoke as he put his arms around Kadaj in return, he merely held on to him as though he were the most important thing in the world. Loz did the same to him, and they stood like that for endless minutes, each drawing comfort from the other, and shutting the world around them out completely.

"I think it's time I had a talk with Vincent Valentine," Sephiroth snarled, and Genesis was startled by the fury he heard in his lover's normally controlled voice.

"No." Cloud shook his head as he wrenched his gaze away from Kadaj and his siblings, his bright blue gaze meeting Sephiroth's evenly. "I'll talk to him, find out what's going on."

"And do what?" Sephiroth all but growled, his anger not diminished in the least, as he shared his remnant's pain.

"I don't know," Cloud snapped with exasperation, approaching his nemesis with silent steps, wondering why everyone expected him to have all the answers. "I'll talk to him and take it from there. Just. . .stay here with the boys, okay?"

He glanced over his shoulder, his youthful features taking on a worried cast. "Make sure Kadaj doesn't do anything stupid," he added in a low, tense whisper. "You know how he gets when he's angry."

Sephiroth gazed at him for a long, tense moment before offering a jerky nod. "Very well," he said, forcing his own anger back as Yazoo's pain continued to buffet his own emotional defenses. "Make sure Vincent understands that there will be consequences if he hurts Yazoo, again."

Cloud winced at that, hating that Vincent had hurt the boy, even as he was surprised by Sephiroth's protectiveness. "I'll talk to him," he repeated, adding, "I feel it too, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth released a long breath and raked an agitated hand through his overlong hair. "Thank you," he said at last. "I. . .appreciate your efforts on Yazoo's behalf."

Cloud barely refrained from rolling his eyes at that. "Yeah, sure thing," he muttered, turning away and striding determinedly from camp.

Genesis waited until he was out of sight to set a hand on his lover's arm. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

Sephiroth covered his hand and squeezed gently. "You could help me comfort the boy," he said with a touch of embarrassment. "I would like to, but I do not know how to go about it."

The other man sniffed with mock disdain and tossed his head spiritedly. "Watch and learn, Sephiroth."

He marched over to the boys, who were now sitting on the ground, still huddled together as they shared Yazoo's pain, and extended a red-gloved hand. "Sephiroth is worried about you," he told the boy in a soft voice. "It would mean a great deal to me if you would spend some time with us and reassure him that you're all right."

Kadaj sneered at him but didn't speak as his words had the desired effect. Yazoo finally stirred, lifting his gilded head to look up at Genesis with shuttered green eyes. "He feels it, then?"

Genesis nodded, his expression softening. "Yes," he answered as gently as he could, "he does."

Yazoo slanted a glance at Loz, who nodded with eager encouragement, then at his youngest sibling. Kadaj gazed at Genesis with reluctant admiration before grudgingly giving his consent. "You can go," he said magnanimously. "Sephiroth needs you, after all."

"Thank you, tenshi." Kadaj only shrugged as he pulled away, and Yazoo didn't think twice as he slid his hand into Genesis'. "And thank you, Genesis. I do not want to cause Sephiroth any distress."

Genesis merely smiled as he pulled the graceful, willowy boy to his feet. "Seph has wanted a family for a very long time," he told the boy as he led him around the fire. "Your happiness is very important to him."

Yazoo heard what he didn't say and looked at him with a faintly fond expression. "And to you, as well," he murmured uncanny perception.

"Yes, you're important to me, too." He squeezed the boy's hand and came to halt before Sephiroth. "Now, I think we should all sit down and get to know each other. Seph?"

Sephiroth looked nervous as he nodded and slowly lowered himself to the ground. "I would like that very much," he muttered, his discomfort obvious.

"Of course, you would." Genesis tugged on the boy's hand as he dropped to the ground, and Yazoo slowly followed suit. Genesis watched as the boy knelt on the ground, his movements showing his uncertainty, his pretty features mirroring Sephiroth's uncomfortable expression, and sighed dramatically. "You two are going to be the death of me."

His words were met with identical expressions of confusion, and he quickly shook his head. He shifted closer to Sephiroth, who automatically put an arm around his shoulders, and opened his own. "Come here," he said, smiling as the quiet, reserved boy flew to him in what Genesis knew was an uncharacteristic way.

Genesis flashed his lover a quick, satisfied smile and shifted just enough to settle the slender young man between them. He closed his arms around the boy, who immediately turned his face into his shoulder, and ran a hand through his heavy silver hair. "Better?" he questioned lightly, and was rewarded with a silent nod.

He cast a pointed glance at Sephiroth's free hand, and Sephiroth smiled faintly as he got the hint. He set his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed very gently. "We are here," he murmured, and Yazoo responded with a ragged, relieved sigh.

"I'm sorry," Yazoo whispered, his voice so faint that Sephiroth had to struggle to hear it.

"For what?" he asked with surprise.

"The kiss." Yazoo shifted just enough to look up at the man who held him. "I know you're not mine anymore, but I had to have one last taste. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Genesis told him with a small smile. "I was flattered, truth be told."

Yazoo merely blinked those heavy-lidded eyes at him, and Genesis uttered a soft laugh. "Yes, you surprised me," he admitted, "but so long as you don't do it again, I can live with it."

The boy didn't respond, continuing to gaze up at him with Sephiroth's eyes, and his heart turned over. "It's all right," he assured him, cupping his head and urging it back onto his shoulder. "I can only imagine how hard it must be, sharing memories with Sephiroth. It must get confusing, at times."

"Sometimes," Yazoo answered quietly. "But I know that you don't belong to me anymore. I assure you, it won't happen again."

"Then, we're good, aren't we?"

Yazoo nodded again, and Genesis combed his hand through the boy's hair once more. He slanted a glance at Sephiroth, who was smiling with faint gratitude as he shifted and wound his arms around them both. Thank you, he mouthed, and Genesis smiled lovingly in return. To have Sephiroth look at him like that, as though he had just moved a mountain for him, was enough to make him feel giddy with happiness. Sephiroth meant more to him than he would ever know, and he was determined to make their unusual family a happy one, no matter how hard Kadaj fought him.

Keeping that thought firmly in mind, he rested his chin on Yazoo's head and began to talk. Not about anything important, just little, everyday things that the boy had missed out on, being raised in a laboratory. He spoke of his childhood in Banora, of the trouble he and Angeal had gotten into as children, of the first time he had met Sephiroth. Yazoo eventually raised his head and began to ask him questions, seemingly fascinated with the normality of his life. Genesis answered him as honestly as he could, and was rewarded as the boy began to offer small tidbits about himself and his brothers in return.

Sephiroth listened to his lover speak with a wide smile. Genesis always knew what to do, he thought affectionately, no matter what the situation. He was asking Yazoo questions about himself, and offering things about himself as well. He quickly discovered that Yazoo had an interest in history, which Sephiroth also shared, as well as an avid fascination with poetry, much to Genesis' delight. Sephiroth listened with fond resignation as they began to discuss various poets and their work, returning time and time again to Loveless, and its mysteriously missing final act. They debated different interpretations of the poem itself, as well as their own theories on what ACT V should be.

He had never been so glad to be left out of a conversation in his life, Sephiroth thought with a silent laugh. It was enough to be here, holding Genesis and one of his boys, as they included him in what he knew was an important moment in all of their lives. All they lacked were Kadaj and Loz, and he glanced over his shoulder even as he thought it. Kadaj shared a glance with Loz before shaking his head negatively. This moment was for Yazoo alone, and they would not interfere with it.

He felt the sentiment through their shared bond and smiled to show his understanding. The pain they had felt from Yazoo, the utter and complete emotional anguish, had frightened them, and they wanted it gone. While Sephiroth didn't believe that what he and Genesis were doing would banish the boy's heartache, he could only hope that it would help him cope with it, so that he did not do something—either to himself or to others—that he would regret later. There had already been enough of that in their tainted pasts.

Sephiroth's gaze swept over the camp, taking in Angeal and Zack and Aerith, who sat with Reno and Cissnei, and were discussing their next move, before stopping on the path that Cloud had taken. He could only hope that the other man was able to talk some sense into Vincent. If nothing else, he needed the assurance that the former Turk wouldn't do anything more to harm Yazoo. The boy had been through enough.

He tightened his hold on Yazoo and Genesis, moving closer in an unconsciously protective gesture, and closed his eyes. It would all work out, he thought, ignoring the desperation that tinged the sentiment. He and Cloud would defeat Jenova, and Genesis would help him create a stable home environment for their boys. He would contact Hollander as soon as they had settled in Wutai, and he would fly the scientist in with his own funds if he had too. Together, they would find a cure for the degradation process, and hopefully, they would never have to use it. He would save Genesis and Angeal both, and save all the rest of them in the process.

The future lay open before them, and he was determined to conquer it, for them all.

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Cloud found Vincent sitting on a large boulder, his arms wrapped around his knees, his face hidden in the cowl of his cloak. His sable hair cascaded over his back and shoulders, a deep contrast to the crimson of his cloak, and the too-pale whiteness of his skin. Cloud sighed to himself as he climbed up to sit beside his friend, wishing that he could do something to relieve the other man's pain. Unfortunately, he doubted that Vincent would let him.

"Are you all right?" he asked at length, not really expecting an answer, but wanting Vincent to know that he wasn't alone.

"I hurt him."

The low, ragged whisper surprised Cloud, but he didn't let it show as Vincent raised his head. "Was it necessary?"

Vincent didn't hesitate as he answered, "Yes."

Cloud nodded and moved closer, touching his shoulder to the other man's. "I'm sorry, Vincent," he told him softly. "I know how hard this must be for you."

"I told him I didn't love him, Cloud." Vincent lifted his head just enough to meet his gaze, and Cloud was startled to see tears in his deep red eyes. "You should have seen his face. He was. . . devastated."

There wasn't much Cloud could say to that. He'd felt the results of Vincent's rejection himself, after all. "You did what you thought you had to, Vincent. No one can fault you for that."

"Chaos accused me of doing to Yazoo what Lucrecia had done to me." He paused, observing Cloud's appalled expression, before hiding his face once more. "He was right."

Cloud quickly shook his head, then realized that Vincent couldn't see the gesture. "Don't say that, Vince."

"But it's true," Vincent whispered, the sound muffled as he hunched his shoulders.

"No, it's not." Cloud put his arm around Vincent's shoulders, hating the tremor he felt running through his friend's slender frame. He might not agree with what Vincent had done, but he knew the other man well enough to know why he'd done what he had, and the last thing he wanted was to see Vincent punish himself for it. "You had a tough choice to make, and you made it. Right or wrong, you did what was best for you. That's all any of us can do, Vincent."

"I keep telling myself that he's young, that he'll recover." Vincent shuddered. "What if he doesn't, Cloud? What if he reacts like I did?"

"He's strong," Cloud rushed to assure him. "They all are. He won't let this destroy him, Vincent. He'll recover, I promise you."

"I hope so." Vincent heaved a thick sigh and pulled away, reaching up with a gloved hand to swipe at his eyes. "Kadaj is going to be angry with me, Cloud. I don't want you to let this come between you. If it comes down to a choice between him and I, I don't want you to choose me."

"It won't come to that," Cloud told him firmly. "I won't let it."

Vincent looked off into the distance, his eyes locked on something only he could see. "And if it does?"

"Then, I'll deal with it."

Vincent shot him a skeptical glance but didn't comment. What Cloud didn't add was that Kadaj, while unstable and emotionally and undoubtedly vengeful, was terrified of losing him a second time. He would do just about anything to keep Cloud with him, even if that meant letting the man who had emotionally wounded his favorite brother live.

Cloud hated the cynical part of his mind that thought such things, but it was the truth. As much as he loved his little tyrant, he wouldn't allow Kadaj to harm Vincent. He was here to save all of them, and that included his closest friend.