Rarely does silence solve anything. However, Sephiroth had to give credit to the fact that silence has less of a chance of making things worse than talking about it can. That was his opinion, anyway.

Genesis had caught up with him halfway down the street and had steered him in the opposite direction, back towards the house that the redhead had acquired here. Here… wherever that was. For all of his questioning, the silver general was at least confident that Genesis didn't know where they were either. He had just made the most of it by selling some mastered materia, exterminating monsters, and finally opening a bakery. There had always been an entrepreneurial spirit in that red-haired man. If he had to make money on his own, well, Seph was not sure what he would have done, other than selling the mastered materia.

Well, the point was that Genesis had figured out how to carve a place for himself in this strange new world, and so by the time Sephiroth arrived, he had no need to worry for such things. Why he was welcome back in this home, especially after what had occurred in the alleyway, he was not sure. A tiny voice in his head was trying to convince him that maybe Genesis had been telling him the truth all along, but the silverette just couldn't believe it. Not after all that they had gone through.

The silence gave him the chance to think, which he did under the guise of reading a book from the home owner's personal library. Gen was sitting on the couch, pretending to watch television, but every now and then, from the corner of his eye, Sephiroth could see the red-haired man stealing peeks at him and blushing. Why they were even together in the living room, the bookworm of a former Soldier had no idea. When they had first arrived, Genesis had rushed off for the shower. Now he was back and wearing silk pajamas in a blood red color that seemed to match his cheeks.

"What," Sephiroth asked after catching the other man's stare for about the hundredth time.

"I imagined you'd have more to say to me after you forced yourself on me."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he folded back the page of the book he hadn't even been reading. "Typical Genesis," he clicked his tongue as he set it aside. "Always the victim and never willing to take responsibility for himself and his actions like a real adult. The first thing you did when we met here, I recall, was to kiss me."

"And I told you why," Genesis glared. "It isn't my fault that you won't believe me."

"Not your fault?" Sephiroth laughed as though the living room had become a stage and the redhead before him was the greatest comedian alive. This was more like the Genesis Rhapsodos he had known all those years ago—bratty, dramatic, and incapable of seeing the fault in his own actions.

"You're still angry with me and I understand…"

"Do you," the silverette cut in with his jade gaze narrowing. "Can you really say that you understand what it is like to be ordered to kill your only friends? To have one of them tell you the painful truth of your existence, not because he cared for you to know, but because he merely wanted something for himself?"

"I was wrong," Genesis lowered his eyes. "I disgraced myself as a Soldier, as a man, and as someone who is in love with you."

What was this feeling in his heart now? To hear those last words, Sephiroth would swear that he was experiencing some sort of joy. But this was not right. After all of the time he had spent as a traveler of the Lifestream, his heart should be dead, really along with his body. Yet he could feel lust. He could feel love. Unfortunately for Genesis, he could also feel anger.

"I will not allow you to use me any further! If you are still rotting…"

"Look at me and see that I am not," Genesis interrupted, raising his eyes sharply. It was true. He was in much better health than he was the last time that Sephiroth had seen him. Everything had been so confusing, starting with waking up in a meadow of this strange place. The usually observant former Soldier hadn't even noticed that Gen's hair was no longer showing signs of degradation. Now he took a good look at Genesis as the red-haired man continued. "I cannot say without lying that I am not trying to gain something from you, but it is not your cells at this point."

"What is it then?"

Genesis lowered his eyes again, "Your heart."

"I have no heart," Sephiroth answered coldly. Not wanting to discuss it any further, he picked up his book to signal the end of the conversation.

Genesis sighed and slumped down on the couch. However, he didn't say another word. Nor did he look Sephiroth's way for the rest of the night, even when he left the room for bed.

The next morning, Sephiroth took a very long shower and then borrowed a pair of silk pants from Genesis. It was odd to see himself in red, but he would get over it. A color was a color, after all, and he couldn't very well walk around naked. Then again, he could do whatever he wanted, it seemed.

Genesis was to be found on the couch, staring at the television while eating one of those ridiculous apples of his. Watching from a short distance, Sephiroth shook his head, as he wondered if the stupid apples weren't the beginning of this in the first place. Upon awaking in that meadow, he had wandered until coming upon a tree, which just so happened to have had Genesis in it. Was it fate? The silverette did wonder.

"You never did try one," Gen had said to him. Then the damn fool had bitten into his apple and kissed Sephiroth.

Yes, that was how this all started. Clearly, actions like that led to alleyway rape scenes.

"I can hear you breathing," the red-haired man spoke suddenly, ruining Sephiroth's, reminiscence. "You do it ever so softly. But I can still hear it."

"I forget at times that you are adept as well," Sephiroth smirked a bit.

"You underestimate me. We were quite evenly matched the last time we had the chance to fight. I've only grown in skill since then. Have you?"

"Clearly enough to rape you," Sephiroth fired off coldly. "For all of your skills, you did next to nothing to stop it."

"Perhaps I mistakenly believed that you wouldn't. Perhaps I should also admit that I did want to see how far you would go."

"Clearly, enjoyed it."

Genesis fidgeted with a pillow from the couch a few moments before standing with a huff, "I'm going for a walk. You can join me if you want or stay here and congratulate yourself. Whatever makes you happy."

"I thought it was obvious by now that torturing you is what makes me happy," Sephiroth smirked at Genesis.

"Smug bastard," the redhead sighed as he placed a hand to his forehead in that overly dramatic fashion of his. "Still, if this is a part of what I must endure to find redemption in your eyes, so be it. Come then, my torturer. The morning awaits us."

Sephiroth started to question the fact that they were going to walk outside in their pajamas, but then decided against it. Genesis had already arrived in the kitchen and was going out through the sliding door into the great expanse of his backyard. The meadow that Sephiroth awakened in was actually nearby, as Gen's house was in the quiet seclusion of the wilderness and surrounded by tall grass, wildflowers, and trees. The only thing that seemed out of place was a lone tree some fifty or so feet away, from which those damnable blue apples were growing. Sephiroth was not even going to ask how Genesis had accomplished it. He would just accept that it was there.

Genesis led the way to it, being silent at first. But he turned to Sephiroth at length, smiling just a bit. He looked happy, though the silverette wasn't sure where to place his finger when it came to why. That pretty red hair covered head had always been too hard to get into. In this and so many ways, Genesis was more like him than Sephiroth gave the poetic man credit for.

"Have you ever put any thought into what you would do if there were no Soldier?" The question was posed casually, but it still caught Sephiroth slightly off guard.

He shook his head, "Hm, not in the past. Of course now, there is world domination. I've become the perfect monster that you said I was."

"Oh, Sephiroth," Genesis sighed. They neared the tree now and Genesis grabbed a branch to lightly swing himself under it. The gesture itself was just so carefree and typical of man's behavior when he is in the company of someone he adores. But what sense did that make?

"You're glaring at me. Are you trying to figure out if I'm playing a game still?" The redhead chuckled as he closed his eyes for a moment. "In so many words, we fucked last night. It didn't go the way I would have planned it, but I do realize that I can't have everything my way."

"Genesis," Sephiroth spoke in his "I'm going to draw Masamune" tone. The only problem was he didn't have Masamune with him. What a loss. He would look ridiculous wielding it in his pajamas, anyway.

"You know, the files spoke of a real woman who bore you. They say that she died after your birth, but they were also written by Hojo."

"Who is my father, yes," Sephiroth nodded slowly and then laughed at Genesis look of shock and horror. "What's the matter? Wasn't that in the files?"

"Uh… I can't say that it was…"

Sephiroth couldn't help but to laugh. The way that Genesis phrased himself and the look on his face was absolutely priceless.

"It's terrible to realize it, actually. Once I found out, I looked into a mirror and… saw it. Family resemblances." Sephiroth shuddered but then waved his hand as he leaned against the trunk of the tree and shut his eyes. Obviously, this was as far as they were going to walk, which was a shame. The air here was heavy with the scent of those annoying apples, which he hated for… well… no good reason, actually. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"To ask if you, as intelligent as you are, truly believe in the words of Professor Hojo when it comes to matters like that," Genesis answered with a certain fire. "Can you truly? Think of what they would stand to lose if you had a mother who would claim you."

"Well, he did tell me that he was my father," the silverette shrugged. "Come to think of it, he would be sure to claim such a glory. As for my mother, perhaps she was murdered."

He said this without any feeling at all. Opening his eyes and seeing Genesis raise his eyebrow, he shrugged. "Well you did murder your parents. Are you really surprised that I could be indifferent to my birth mother?"

"Such cruelty," Genesis spoke softly and then pulled himself onto that branch. "But I will endure your cruelty if only to pretend that these moments between us are indeed perfect."

"Clearly, there is something very wrong with you," Sephiroth shook his head and shut his eyes again. "But go on. We have nothing better to do today, aside from going to that ridiculous bakery of yours."

"Of course anything that makes me happy is ridiculous or boring or beaten into your head," Genesis pouted. He then ended up sighing after it was obvious that he was not going to be babied here. "Oh, perhaps I had no point at all. But the truth is, I wanted to point out that we are two children left to cruel fates by those who should have protected us and loved us. To know that I was not wanted by my own parents…"

Sephiroth remained silent as he tried not to remember the days as a small child when he had asked "Where's mommy?", only to receive a hateful answer from Hojo. Finally, he had been told that his mother was Jenova and that she had died, but it had only been to make him shut up and not out of any pity. Was there a point in dwelling on that? Why was Genesis talking about any of this? What did he want Sephiroth to do- cry it out with him? It wouldn't happen.

Forever one to demand attention, Genesis cleared his throat, "Hm, Sephiroth. Answer one question for me and then I will shut up if you would like."

"You won't," the silverette smirked. "But ask anyway."

"If I had but one orchid for each time you were cruel to me," the redhead sighed. "Well, it is about that day, after I was injured. Why didn't you come after me?"

Once again, Sephiroth was caught off guard by one of Genesis's question. Opening his eyes once more, he narrowed them slowly as they studied the redhead's face and found the expression unreadable. That meant he was hiding something, but when was he not? Just how long he had been planning all of this, the silverette wondered. Everything seemed to have its purpose, including the walk and the fact that they had stopped under this tree.

He decided that he might as well give a straight answer or he would never hear the end of it without resorting to violence. Genesis was, most of the time, entirely too stubborn to be dealt with any other way.

"I didn't think it would make much of a difference," he answered in a flat tone.

"It would have made a world of difference…" Genesis's tone was soft and his facial expression soon matched. He no longer seemed to be hiding anything. Everything became far more confusing because of this. "It would have made such a difference, that I went no more than thirty feet down the hall and then stopped to wait for you. You never came and so I left."

Sephiroth was now so surprised that he found himself actually stammering. This was so unusual for him!

"Well, Angeal was being Angeal," he finally managed.

"Of course Angeal was Angeal. Angeal will always be Angeal," Genesis sighed, but he was also smiling.

With the grace of a true Soldier, he slipped down from the branch and went over to Sephiroth to put his arms around him. Though the silver general went stiff, Genesis did not relent and laid his head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Sephiroth. Did you feel it too? The excitement? The wanting? Every time we sparred, I realized that just the clashing of our swords wouldn't do it. I wanted more. I wanted you. I wanted to be the hero so that I would not be worthless to myself and to the parents that abandoned me. But also, I wanted to be the hero so that I would not be worthless to you."

His logic center was about to fry, being given so much to process at the moment. Thus, it felt logical to first shove Genesis away and then to pin him against the tree by his throat.

"Are your emotions really so repressed that you have to treat me this way?" the redhead asked softly. His eyes showed clear hurt, the same as they had shown that day. Curse that day.

Taking a deep breath, Sephiroth let go of Genesis and turned away. He could not just accept this because it made no sense to him. At the same time, it was now obvious that he was hurting Genesis. Again…

"Angeal," he started.

"Is my friend," Genesis finished. "And the one who jumped between us that day with that cheap standard issue sword of his. He never realized that we fought with that intensity because we really wanted what happened in that alley. You even admitted as it was happening that it was what you want. I want that and the love that you admit you had."

"It's dead," Sephiroth replied, but even to himself, his voice did not sound sure. What was happening to him? He was supposed to be as flawless as a god, yet he found himself trembling like a lost lamb.

Clearly, he had emotions. There was that remnant Loz, wasn't there? He was forever the one crying and then the other with the funny name would tease him. Those three… they were pieces of himself, but…

"Sephiroth…" There was a hand on his shoulder now and when he turned, he found Gen staring at him with eyes full of worry. "If this is hard for you, it is my fault. In a way, I abused you. But in the end, I acted mostly out of fear. What a terrible fate for life to end without realizing any of your dreams. I feared it more than anything."

The silverette remained silent and did nothing, even though there were words beneath his tongue and his body wanted to move. He was statuesque, much like that bird at the top of Fort Condor—alive, but seemingly frozen forever in silence.

Still, Genesis would not give up on him. Sephiroth wondered if this was the meaning of love in front of him—not giving up even when logic said that you should. If that was the case, then shouldn't he abandon his fight to remain logical? Shouldn't he try to stop thinking and just feel? Why was that so hard for him to do?

"Sephiroth, please," Genesis all but whispered to him. "If lust is all that you can feel for me, then lust for me. Be as you were last night. Do whatever you want to me, but don't shut me out."

Finding himself able to speak, he had but one question. "Why?"

To his annoyance, Genesis folded his arms and smirked at the silverette as he shook his head. "Well, I can definitely see the resemblance between you and Hojo."

A death glare was given, but it went largely ignored. The red haired man was in a good mood now, perhaps because he knew that he was breaking Seph down.

"Not everything needs a logical answer, Sephiroth."

The silverette turned his head to glare at the ground. Genesis knew him well—as intimately as a lover would. "There's no Angeal to get between us now. The only thing doing that is you and I know why. You're hiding behind logic because you're afraid."

Sephiroth wondered in that moment if he had the power to set someone on fire just by glaring at them. He did turn to Genesis, but what he gave him was not quite a glare, though it had about the same amount of anger behind it.

"I am afraid of nothing!"

"Prove it!" Genesis eyes were the only part of him that was on fire at the moment, at least visually. "If you are not afraid and not hiding behind your logic, then prove it to me right now."

Angered at being called a coward, Sephiroth turned on Gen and surprised even himself.

"I love you…"

(AN: Gen's line about wanting an orchid for every time Sephiroth is cruel to him is not only a slight reference, but kind of has some symbolism. Orchids represent love, beauty, luxury, and strength. I think it fits nicely with Genesis and things that he would want and admire. 3)