Disclaimer: Character and world property of Square Enix

Pairing: Sephiroth/Genesis

Ratings: M

Warnings: Some language, non-graphic sex, drama

A/N 1 – Thank you ever so much to the wonderful and oh-so-talented Nephilim Rising. You are the best. You helped pull me through my writers block, and kept on my ass to get this chapter finished. Much Love

A/N 2 – I know I haven't updated since before Christmas, but the holidays brought on writers block and the entire month of January was a nightmare for schoolwork. However, to everyone who reviewed last chapter, especially those who reviewed twice, you are awesome and I love you. And for anyone who's still following this story, you guys are da bomb.

&%$ CBV $%&

The alien world of the subconscious refused Sephiroth admittance that night. His thoughts were too scattered to allow him respite in the realm of dreams.

Mother.

The woman falling hysterically, only to be caught in his strong embrace, when he told her that her son was deceased, was set on repeat in his head. Genuine in her grief, her suffering became internalized inside Sephiroth's soul, and for an instant that time ignored, the part of Sephiroth that was still human wished she were his mother. In her first moments of despair, when the loss of her child withered her heart, but had yet to be recognized by her head, she was Lucrecia, woefully singing a song of sorrow, having been made hollow by the ripping away of the sacred life she had brought into this world. In her unparalleled anguish, understood only by others who had similarly had a child stolen cruelly from them, Sephiroth loved her.

But it was not the mocha-skinned, dark-haired woman he actually loved; she was merely a presence, the embodiment of a fantasy that he had cherished since he could first crawl – he loved the idea of her, and so he mourned with her...for her. He did not really love Mother, for he had never known what the love of Mother was like. Even the doe-eyed, sharp witted, strong spoken woman who he had spent hours gazing upon when he was in the Life Stream did not have the privilege of his affection.

The one christened Lucrecia, Hojo's wife, the one who's womb he was conceived in; she should have wept for him when she found out he died. It was her face that should have been stained with saline. Yet, he somehow doubted she mourned him. He could not envision her eyes glistening with tears, nor her lips trembling his name when she found out he had exited this world the first time. Sephiroth had decided long ago that she was better left a pretty puppet forever held in suspended animation in her prison of Mako.

Mother.

Jenova. An alien. A virus. She had given herself to him, had become one with him – had infused him with power and created him an infectious disease. Jenova was mother...the mother who had no want or need of his love. She, who's only goal was to spread, loved him in her singular purposed way, but required no adoration in return. And he, after learning the truth about her, came to love her.

She did not grieve his passing, but encouraged it.

Then they were together. Then they were whole. Then there was only him.

The part of him that was not alien, not virus, the part that was human and weak, the frail half that he refused to rid himself of because it fueled his drive and ambition, ached for a mother to cry over his death. Selfish, it was, but still...mingled with other emotions such as pride and determination, it showed its deceptive face in the wee hours of the morning. So, since sleep was not written in his future any time soon, he allowed himself to daydream. The mocha-skinned woman morphed into his mother, and it was him she was weeping and wailing for.

The ache in his chest subsided just as the sun, in all its glory, painted the skies over Junon pink and orange and purple and blue.

&%$ CBC $%&

Genesis was trapped in a dream that refused to slacken its hold. He had to be. There was no other explanation, nothing else made sense. Besides, as of late, his nighttime journey into the lands beyond had been so vivid, that believing this was a dream was only natural.

He longed to reach out and touch his lover's face, just to assure himself that the alabaster skin wasn't marble. His fingers begged to tell his brain that the barely parted lips were soft, not carved from stone. Inside his head, he was screaming something was wrong, but the emerald eyes, shining with too much Mako, glaring into his own, held him captive, daring him to move.

Genesis couldn't, wouldn't dare, look away; he was transfixed. His lungs refused to work and his stomach had fallen through the floor. It was somewhere within the entire span of eternity that he realized what was wrong, and his first instinct was to scream. Since breath was not his to be had at the moment, no sound was forthcoming. This next feeling was morbid curiosity. He gasped and air rushed in.

"Sephiroth?" The name was barely a spoken whisper.

Sephiroth had...had...aged. Overnight. No, not overnight. In the span of only a few short hours, he had gone from a teen Genesis' age, to a man whose eyes were battle hardened and whose laugh lines pulled up the corners of his mouth ever so slightly.

"Seph," Genesis was truly becoming afraid, "what happened?"

A foreign weight suddenly pinned him on his back to the bed. Genesis was used to Sephiroth being bigger than him, but this man was a monster, and the redhead was being crushed.

"Tell me, Rhapsodos, did you mourn when you found out I was dead, or did you chuckle with glee...or possibly, did you quote Loveless and move on?"

More confused than ever, Genesis shook his head. Last night his boyfriend had asked a similar question, only about his mother. Genesis didn't know what he was talking about then, and he didn't know what he was talking about now.

"Seph, I..."

He didn't get the chance to finish; Sephiroth's mouth was on his, crushing, bruising, hurting.

The silver-haired man broke off the kiss when Genesis started yelping.

"I know you, Genesis. I know how you are and what you are capable of doing. Twice your lying lips spoke words I believed, and twice you killed me. The first time, I died a little on the inside, the next, I was sent into the Life Stream. Now tell me, did you bother crying?"

Drawing on the reservoir of courage that had first sated his fears about leaving Banora and join SOLDIER, that same wellspring of indomitable fortitude that allowed him to stand up to his nemesis, Genesis locked his gaze with Sephiroth's. In those glimmering, green pools of wisdom, knowing far more than any man should, Genesis found the answer Sephiroth was seeking.

Somehow, in a way Genesis could not comprehend, Sephiroth – this older, scary version of him – had moved backwards in time, and was asking for justification for something Genesis had yet to do. How he knew this older version of Sephiroth was from someplace distant was only explainable by blaming this dream he was trapped in. The redhead had long ago accepted that his dream self held answers that his waking self did not possess and in times such as these, his own insight surpassed that of any mere mortal.

"Yes," he whispered, his breath caressed Sephiroth's face, "Yes, I wept." He was imagining what it would be like if his lover did die on him. "I mourned, my love, and my heart, made of fragile glass shattered when it was thrown against the stone surface of death."

Sephiroth lifted the upper half of Genesis' body and peeled the nightshirt away. "A beautiful metaphor, woven by beautiful lips, obfuscating a tongue of venom."

Already shirtless, Sephiroth pressed his chest to Genesis, and the redhead savored the heat they were creating. Their mouths clashed again, and this time Genesis parted his lips, and Sephiroth slipped his tongue inside.

Drawing away, Sephiroth glared down at Genesis again, "I hold you, my pretty little liar, responsible for my demise."

Genesis' fingers trailed up his lover's sides lightly, mingling with silken, silver strands and dampening flesh, "responsibility accepted, though not intended." It was his turn to raise a bit and initiate the kiss, which Sephiroth responded to with passion. When they parted to take in oxygen, Genesis elaborated, "My soul bore the scars of your downfall, my mind fractured from the pain. You ask if I cried, so I tell you again, Yes, I cried. I cried and I bled for you."

At one point, during Genesis' somber speech, Sephiroth had managed to remove both his and his lover's pants, and they lay naked together, wet skin plastered to wet skin, hardness throbbing against hardness.

Genesis moaned as the larger organ stroked his, and Sephiroth drank down the sound, consuming the lust that was building in the smaller youth. The older man rotated his hips ever so slightly, causing a euphoric friction, and the redhead whimpered in response.

"Beg forgiveness for your transgressions, my pretty little liar." Sephiroth stroked Genesis' cheek and traced his lips with his thumb, even as he positioned himself to claim his lover's virginity. "Give yourself to me as penance. Deliver unto me your damaged soul so that I may make you whole again."

Genesis wrapped his arms around Sephiroth's neck and his legs around Sephiroth's hips. "Forgive me for my sins, my love, for it was by word and deed that I wronged you and laid you low." These words tumbled from his lips, though he didn't know what he was asking forgiveness for; it just felt right. "I give myself to you, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, to pay the heavy cost of my trespasses."

It took every ounce of resolve Genesis had to keep from screaming when Sephiroth penetrated him for the first time. White flashed behind his closed eyes and a burning torment raced straight up his spine, extending from there to all other parts of his trembling frame. He hadn't realized tears had sprung up in his eyes until he felt the warm touch of his lover's lips kissing them away.

"Was this the pain you experienced before," Sephiroth was completely still on top of him, his voice low, husky, laden with lust. "My...love," Genesis could detect the hint of sarcasm, "this too shall pass."

"Seph...hurts." Genesis dared not move for fear of bringing another bout of agony.

"Shhhh," the silver-haired warrior soothed, "soon the pain will end and you will start to feel pleasure."

Genesis' eyes fluttered open, and the dream was dispelled. He was still in his lovers arms, and Sephiroth was still buried deep within, but that future Sephiroth, who was so full of malice, was nowhere to be found. In his place was the Sephiroth who Genesis hadn't wronged, the teenager whose eyes were too large and shocking when first beheld.

Deciding that this Sephiroth was the one he loved and trusted, the red SOLDIER released the breath he'd been holding and willed his body to relax. True to Sephiroth's words, the pain subsided and using a kiss to signal when it was alright to continue, the two began to move in harmony. Their bodies instinctively knew the rhythms and patterns of the other, and they were able to carry each other to heights they'd never before experienced.

Throughout the entirety of the event, their lips stayed connected, and not only were they physically completing each other, but their souls were bonding as well, making a promise through their intimacy never to be separated or severed from the other.

As the intensity grew and both ascended the spiral toward climax, Genesis spoke into his lover's mouth. "I love you, Sephiroth." Sephiroth inhaled the words and transformed them into part of his being. Not expecting the sentiment to be returned in a vocalized manner, the redhead was launched over the edge into the waiting arms of orgasm when the silver SOLDIER whispered, "I love you too, Genesis." Sephiroth's climax followed in the wake of Genesis', and the red warrior was suddenly filled with a warm liquid, not unpleasant in sensation.

Long after the physical act had ended, the two were still entwined, neither ready to relinquish their unity, neither wanting to become solitary at the moment. However, they both knew they couldn't meld into one being, as much as they would have liked to in those moments, and so it was Genesis, with cryptic words, who disconnected their link.

"Before we made love, and up until after you entered me, I was dreaming of you," Genesis slid his fingers through his lover's mane of beautiful silver hair. "an older you, from a far off place, and he is vindictive towards me. That you scares me, because I think he wants to hurt me. At least he does in my dreams."

What Genesis said brought both Sephiroth's to attention. He eased himself out of his lover and sat back on his knees. "You dreamed this?"

'We want to hurt Genesis? Why do we want to hurt Genesis?'

'I don't want to hurt him...not anymore...I don't think. I used to blame him...for telling me the truth though at the time, I thought he was trying to hurt me and lied.'

'You need to stop thinking that, because we are not going to hurt Genesis.'

'I just said I don't want to hurt him anymore.'

'Then what is he talking about?'

'I don't know.'

Sitting up and drawing his knees to his chest, Genesis gazed for a long moment into his lover's eyes, debating on whether he should tell Sephiroth about how vivid and sometime horrific his dreams had become in the last few weeks, starting even before he'd murdered Sergeant Blakemore. Did he trust Sephiroth enough...he put a halt on the question, and asked himself another instead, 'Didn't I just swear myself to him, to pay for...for something I haven't done yet? It was a dream, but it was so very real, and this Sephiroth will one day be that Sephiroth, so shouldn't I start trusting him? I mean, I did just give him my virginity, how much more trust can I have in someone?'

Sighing deeply, Genesis decided to explain, "Do you remember the night I woke up in your room, the night I cast a fireball at your lock?"

Sephiroth switched positions to sit on his ass and crossed his arms, "Quite clearly. Please continue."

"Well, that's the night the dreams started to become really intense. I was dreaming that a dragon, who could split the sky open and make it rain blood and fire, had come to get you. And the walls started melting, and I had to find you and save you."

Able to instantly decipher the symbolic meanings behind the dream, Sephiroth visibly paled. He was the dragon, and when he brought down meteor, he had caused it to split the sky and rain fire, and blood if one were to count up all the dead in Midgar when Meteorfall happened. And the melting of the walls of the Shin-Ra building, he had brought down Shin-Ra. He was the dragon and he had come that night to 'get' him. Genesis had known but didn't understand.

Sephiroth reserved making any speculations until his redheaded lover finished talking.

"Then about a week ago, I had another really fervent dream. Seph, they seem so real at the time," Genesis broke his own thoughts to plead his case. Sephiroth merely nodded. "Anyway, we were in this small town, Gaia knows where, and you were upset. I mean, really, really upset, like you were in my dream earlier, and so, using magic, you set the whole town on fire, and then you started killing the towns people, and I didn't understand why. I begged and begged you to stop, but you ignored me."

"Nibelheim," Sephiroth mummered, but not low enough that Genesis' Mako enhanced hearing didn't pick it up.

"What?"

"Nothing...yet, Genesis." Sephiroth was pondering how his lover could possibly have known about the Nibelheim incident. Was the boy able to dream about Sephiroth's past, or was it a future that was set in stone that he was unable to change? He refused to believe that. "Tell me about your dream this morning."

"I was more vivid than the others. You know that feeling you get when someone is staring at you? Well, that feeling was what woke me up. When I opened my eyes, you were staring at me. It took me a moment to realize that you wasn't you, but my dream self knew it was you...only older. You asked me if I mourned your death? You said something like that last night too, Seph, but I know I wasn't dreaming then."

The silver SOLDEIR was at a loss for words. He had hoped to be more careful around Genesis, because his lover could be too astute at times, but now he saw that he wasn't going to be able to hide the truth from the redhead for much longer. The auburn teen had a knack for asking the right questions and deducing the only logical explanations. He could clearly imagine Genesis putting all this information together, but since no logical deduction would be forthcoming, he would draw his own conclusion. He wouldn't know there were two Sephiroth's in one body and would start doing things to sabotage Sephiroth now, in hope he would knock the 'future' Sephiroth off his present course. Genesis could not be allowed to do that.

That path of thinking led to another trail.

'Was I the one with Genesis this morning?'

'Were you? Because I clearly remember starting our intimacy this morning the way I am now.'

'No, I couldn't have been with Genesis. Besides, I'm not even sure we are capable of using mother's power to shape-shift into an adult version of me in the body we are currently in.'

'Are you sure?'

'…'

'Are you sure?'

'...No'

'Then how do you know we weren't with him.'

'Might I reminded you, that just because I am sharing this body with you, I am still part of you, and never before have we suffered a lapse in memory. However, I believe I am beginning to understand what is going on.'

'Are you going to share your sudden epiphany?'

'Of course, you will have to explain it to him.'

"Seph...did you hear what I said?"

"I apologize, Genesis, what was the last thing you said?"

"I said, he...you told me to beg forgiveness for my transgressions. And I did. I haven't even done anything wrong, but you made me feel like I had done something terrible, so I asked for forgiveness and you..." Genesis stopped and hung his head in shame, "you said I could buy your forgiveness with my body."

Sephiroth raised one silver eyebrow, "This future me sounds like a reasonable man, with excellent taste."

Genesis rolled his eyes, "I would be inclined to agree, Sephiroth, but," The redhead paused to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Seph, I already said that you seemed really, really angry at me, and it felt like you were asking me to give you permission to hurt me, bad, during sex. Gaia save me Seph, but I gave you that permission. It was like I sold my soul to you, and...I wanted to. Seph, I know you wanted to hurt me, but it was strange because even though I knew you wanted to, you didn't. It seemed like you were asking my permission for everything you did to me. And I gave it; I gave you absolute power over me, yet you still didn't hurt me. Well, you did a little when you took my virginity, but that woke me up and you were you again. I mean, this you."

Seeing the adverse affect the 'dream' had on his lover, Sephiroth drew up beside him and pulled Genesis into his arms. The red SOLDIER's words confirmed one thing he had suspected long ago. He was incapable of physically bringing harm to the object of his obsession. He had started to become suspect when they had run into each other again in the #5 reactor after Genesis had gone AWOL in Wutai. Sephiroth had been so angry and so hurt that at the time, he wanted to make Genesis suffer. Once the two had been left alone by Hollander and Zachery Fair, Genesis had opened their more private, more intimate meeting with lines that are forever etched into his memory.

"There is no hate, only joy,

for you are beloved of the goddess.

Hero of the Dawn, Healer of Worlds."

The rest of the act that Genesis quoted that day was trivial, and since then, Sephiroth has heard many interpretations of the act, but even back then, he knew exactly how to interpret it coming from Genesis' lips.

'Sephiroth, I don't hate you. You've only ever sought to make me happy.

I love you.

I know, but cannot tell, that you are the key to my salvation.'

It dawned on the silver warrior that day, that he couldn't bring himself to raise a hand against his lover. Oh, he had wounded him gravely with words, but he was entitled to vent his rage at Genesis for abandoning him. However, never again did the thought of causing the redhead bodily harm cross his mind. In fact, it had become tantamount to hurting himself.

While the teenage version of him was absorbing these new glimpse and piecing together all this new information about his lover, the older version was hammering out his understanding of what was happening to Genesis. In a moment of deep clarity, Sephiroth finally fit it together. Genesis was blessed/damned to life in two realities, both constructed of the same environments and same events, yet in one world, he witnessed and experienced reality as everyone else, in the other, he experienced the truth through symbols and hidden meanings. Sephiroth ached for him because he knew his lover would never be able to reconcile the two worlds. What a backhanded gift from Mother!

It also now made sense why soon Genesis would gain an obsession with Loveless. On one hand, in his dream world (Sephiroth now deemed them visions) he comprehended and experienced it, but in his waking world he didn't fully grasp the meaning. That's how he knew the Gift of the Goddess was real, and his urgency to obtain it remained strong.

Now that Sephiroth had figured it out, he felt he knew and understood Genesis better than ever. He felt his love for the teenager he held in his arms deepen and grow.

Turning his head slightly, Sephiroth brushed the redhead's lips with his own, "Genesis, on this day I vow I shall do everything in my power to never to bring harm to you."

Genesis watched a lifetime of thoughts flash through Sephiroth's eyes, though his face remained as if chiseled from marble. His silver-haired lover was as interested in his dreams as he was, if not more. The jealousy came when he saw awareness take root. It was unfair; they were his dreams and Sephiroth suddenly understood them better than he did? Was nothing of his sacred anymore? Was there anything he possessed, be it skill, knowledge, or talent, that the Second Class SOLDIER did not? Frustration coursed through him. He berated himself for having such silly emotions so soon after the first time he made love, but the green head of jealousy remained.

"I wanna know, Sephiroth. I wanna know what you know, and I wanna know now."

"That is a very tall order Genesis, and I do not think you have enough time for me to teach you all I know." Sephiroth tried to make light of the situation, hoping to buy his teen self enough time to figure out how exactly to explain to the redhead the information he'd gleaned.

Pushing himself out of Sephiroth's arms, Genesis sneered. "You know what I mean, so tell me."

"Yes," the silver SOLDIER wholeheartedly agreed, "It is only fair and because I love you that I will explain.

Genesis nodded and waited.

Sephiroth opened his mouth and was about to speak when the alarm bells rang, signifying that instructors and cadets only had another ten minutes before they had to meet in the indoor training facility.

Sighing, Genesis rose. "Promise me, promise me right now, that when we next get the chance, you will tell me everything."

"I promise," Sephiroth remarked solemnly.

"Damn," Genesis gathered his uniform, "I only have ten minutes. That's not enough time for a shower, and Seph...I'm leaking."

Sephiroth's eyes widened, shocked at first by the out-of-the-blue announcement Genesis had just made, then he threw his head back and laughed.

&%$ CBV $%&

Angeal sat in a small dinner just off Loveless avenue, trying to compose a letter to his mother. Today should have been a day of celebration and merriment, instead, the dark-haired teen now wearing the purple uniform of a Second Class, felt depressed, alone. Genesis and Sephiroth, or at least one of the two, should be here sharing this day with him, but both were in Junon.

Pushing away the thoughts of his friends and how much he missed them right now, he finally put words to paper.

Hi Mom,

I know its been too long since my last letter, but Shin-Ra has been keeping all their SOLDIERs busy. I tried to find the time to write, but for awhile it seemed like I never had a break between missions. I truly am sorry, and from now on, I will make the time to write you, even if it's just some scribble on paper telling you that I'm alright.

I've got wonderful news. I was promoted to Second Class today. After changing into my new uniform, the first thing I did was started this letter to you, so I could share my good news. You were right, Mom, as long as I hold on to my dreams and honor I can achieve anything.

Now that I am Second Class, I will get my own apartment, and hopefully I will be able to start a window garden. I still wont have a kitchen, so I wont be cooking, but I have been collecting recipes from all the places I've been and I will send copies to you.

In other news, Genesis' is working really hard on his promotion, but I'm worried about him. He's still a lot smaller than the other boys, and while I stick up for him when the bigger guys pick on him, I'm not always around. I know he will hit a growth spurt soon, but it can't come quick enough for me.

Love Always,

Your son

Angeal

P.S. Enclosed is the gil from my last paycheck. I hope it will be enough until I get paid again.

Giving the letter a once over and determining it was as good as he could make it considering the mood he was in, he folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket.

"Hi SOLDIER," a cheerful voice greeted him. He raised his eyes, his reverie broken by a blond girl holding a notepad and pen. "What can I get you this afternoon?"

Not one who believed in love at first sight, Angeal's belief system changed in that instant. The girl (Amber, her name tag says Amber) was beautiful. Her hair was the color of spun gold, her eyes as clear and blue as a midsummer Banorian sky, her lips were as pink as...Dear Gaia, even in his head that sounded cheesy.

"Um...um..." Yes, he wanted something to drink. An apple juice, and maybe a slice of cheese cake, "and I think that will be all."

The waitress tilted her head and laughed, and to Angeal, it was the sound of a twinkling little bell. "Sweetie, you haven't ordered anything."

"Oh,"his heart thundered in his chest. He had never felt like such a loser, "Apple juice. Cheese cake," the order came out mechanically.

"Okay, an apple juice and a slice of cheese cake, will that be all?"

"Phone number."

Amber, (Angeal loved that name) giggled again.

He blushed and his face turned redder than Genesis hair; he hid it in his hands, "and could you please bring me a bolder? One big enough to crawl under."

"I like you, you're funny," the blond said and held out her hand. "I'm Amber, it's nice to meet you."

Angeal took her dainty hand. "Amber. Name tag. Angeal"

"I'll be back with your order." Still laughing, Amber walked away.

If Minerva cared one whit about him, She would split the sky and strike him dead right there. He was a putz, and somewhere in between "what can I get for you, and 'um', he had forgotten most of his vocabulary. How could he have made such an idiot of himself? He'd talked to pretty girls before; back in Banora he was considered quiet the ladies man. So why was this one girl, cute and pretty and smart and wonderful, having such an effect on him?

Amber returned after a few minutes (five hours because that's how long Angeal would have sworn he waited to see her smile at him again) with his cheesecake and juice. "Here you are SOLDIER boy," she put his items in front of him, then slipped a note beside the desert. "I have cheer leading after I am done here, but I should be home by nine. If you're not busy, give me a call."

"I know how to use a phone," Angeal accreted his knowledge.

Really laughing now, the blond waitress put her palm over her face and shook her head. "I'm glad..." she laughed so hard tears sprang up in her eyes, "that's a really useful skill to have."

The crystalline music of her merriment followed her as she moved away from his table; Angeal took a huge drink of his juice to wash his foot down with. When he was sure she was gone, he retrieved the letter to his mom from his pocket.

P.S.S. I'm in love.

Angeal went directly back to the Shin-Ra building after he left the dinner. He was no longer feeling lonely and depressed, but he still couldn't wait for Sephiroth and Genesis to return, so he could tell them his good news.

As if his day couldn't get any better, no sooner was he in the elevator, than his phone rang. Lazard called him up to his office, and reassigned him to his own apartment. The move from the apartment he had shared with Genesis was simple. Two uniforms, ten pairs of soaks, ten changes of boxers, a ribbon, his ipod and Buster, that was everything he owned.

Once settled in – meaning he put his clothes away in drawers – Angeal had nothing left to do but wait until nine.

He had taken the time to text Sephiroth and Genesis, which he hadn't done earlier because he was so glum – about his promotion and about Amber.

He was proud of himself, he typed to his friends, and he even liked the color, but most of all he liked the pay raise. Then he told them about Amber. He text about how beautiful she was, and the way she made him laugh, the told them how smart she was, and how everything that she talked about was so witty. He told them that he was in love.

Genesis must have been out, because Sephiroth was the only one to reply. His text read,

'Congratulations, SOLDIER Second Class Angeal Hewley, with strong resolve, hard work, dedication and determination, you have served your country honorably and fought bravely against her enemies. You are deserving of your promotion to the rank of Second Class, may you wear your uniform with pride.'

There was a smiley after the text, and Angeal couldn't stop himself from chuckling. Sephiroth didn't joke around much, but when he did, it always brought a smile to Angeal's lips.

The next text was:

'How long have you known Amber, and why did you not tell us before.'

Angeal immediately typed back:

'3:52:18. Not long enough to tell'

'Oh joy. Next week, I will be asking how is the wife and kids'

'Not funny, Seph. How are you and Gen?'

'I got laid and so did he

'Didn't wanna know that.'

' You asked. GTG. TTYL'

'CYA'

Watching the light fade from the sky, Angeal sat by the window thinking about her. 'Please,' he prayed to Minerva, 'don't let me make a fool of myself again.'

The alarm on his digital watch went off precisely at nine. He pulled out his cell and started to dial the number Amber had given him. Then he hung up. What if it was someone elses number, and she just gave him something to shut him up, or what if she was too tired to talk after work and cheering? What if she wasn't home yet, and he annoyed her? What if she had given him someone eles number...he said that one already.

The purple of the Second Class uniform that he had hanging on his closet door caught his attention, reminding him that he had gone after Second Class with everything he had, and though at times it was scary, he pulled through. He took a deep, relaxing breath. How was he to achieve anything if he didn't go after it with confidence and determination? He dialed Amber's number.

And he was glad he did.

It was two o'clock in the morning when they hung up, and though physically exhausted (he went on a mission before he was promoted) the dark-haired teen had never felt so mentally awake. It didn't matter that he had to be up in three hours, the sacrifice of sleep was well worth getting to know Amber.

Before disconnecting, they had agreed to go out Saturday whenever Angeal came back from his mission and when Amber was already off work.

Angeal couldn't wait til Saturday.

&%$ CBV $%&

"Alright, gentlemen, this is the last leg of training before the games." Genesis yelled out to his troupe, trying not to think about how uncomfortable he was having Sephiroth's sperm dripping out of him. "so, we are going to train harder and push ourselves like never before. Because remember, boys, not only am I going for my rank, but this will determine who among you will become SOLDIER and who will stay regular army.

The games will consist of three events. We will have an obstacle course, a game capture the flag paintball, and our last challenge will be a monster hunt. It will be the obstacle course and monster hunt we will be training the hardest for.

Now I'm going to split you up into teams, because I have seen that coordinated units do better in most events, than if we tackled them as one big group. Doughnut, you are leading up Alpha teem, Mitchell, you've got Bravo unit.

Now, before I let the team leaders pick out there teams, I want everyone to congratulate Doughnut." Genesis held up his clipboard. "Cadet Green has lost fifteen pounds in last two weeks. I call that determination. Way to work the fat off your ass Doughnut."

Genesis gave the troupe a minute to give their approval and slaps on the back to Bobby, before settling them all down.

"Alright guys, pick your teams."

After the units for the games were picked, Genesis started his men off with their daily run, then jumped right into training. He took them out to the obstacle course. He ran it first, then let the troupe tackle it and then pulled Doughnut and Mitchell, and showed them what to look for when deciding who would be the best choices to do the course because each squad was only allow to have four participants; two to run the obstacles and two to do the rest.

From there, it was on to teaching about the monster hunt. The first thing the red SOLDIER did was tell them about the forest outside Junon, or what he remembered learning about it in class. The games he'd been involved with to make it into SOLIDER had been held in Midgar. Due to the fact that none of them were allowed off the base – as the Shin-Ra commanders here in Junon thought it best for cadets and even SOLDIERS to learn by the hands on method their first time out – Genesis did his best to explain tracking and hunting in the forest. Growing up in Banora was a priceless experience.

He then recited, from memory, a complete list of the monsters that Shin-Ra had categorized living in Junon Forest. He made sure to include their strengths and weaknesses in that list. Showing them what techniques with both sword and gun worked best against imaginary monsters, had been rather taxing, but in the end, the warrior had felt his squad got a lot accomplished that day.

By the time training was over, all the redhead wanted to do was go back to his room, take a nice, long shower and then sleep.

The figure of T.J. standing in front of the door to his room, was easy to make out from 1,000 feet away. Genesis mentally sighed, and his exhaustion grew all the heavier. He did not want to put up with the blond right now.

"MOVE!" the auburn teen barked as soon as he was in T.J.'s face.

"Awww, don't be like that," the other boy whisper firmly gripped Genesis' hips and walked him backwards until the hit the opposing wall. He had seen SOLDIER Sephiroth go into Genesis' room last night and not come out. When he woke up this morning, rage was coursing through him. He decided in a instant that he was going to show the redhead how he really felt.

T.J. dipped his head forward and grazed Genesis' lips with his own. The boy tasted salt with an underlying flavor of apple. He pressed his mouth harder, and to his surprises, Genesis' lips parted. With his heart beating at a million miles a minute, he grew more daring and slipped his tongue inside.

A jolt of electricity shot through his body when his tongue rubbed against the redhead's. He was really kissing another boy...and not just any boy, he was kissing Genesis Rhapsodos. He became light-headed and giddy on sensation.

Breathless, T.J. finally pulled away. "Genesis," he began, his voice shaky, "I think I'm in love with you."

Genesis was stunned. He had been fully prepared to fight with the other SOLDIER, so when T.J. backed him into a wall and started kissing him, he went into shock. His brain froze and for those several seconds all he knew was touch. His enemy was soft and warm and tingles were shooting into his stomach. His face grew flushed and hot.

It wasn't until T.J. pulled his lips away that Genesis' brain started working again.

'Oh Dear Gaia, I just kissed a boy who isn't Seph," he started to panic, 'Sephiroth's going to kill you, T.J. I'm owned property. Oh, Gaia, how could I do that to Seph. I love him.' Genesis broke out of T.J. hold. 'I just kissed T.J. Collins. Gross!'

"Go away," the redhead shouted and pushed the blond, not caring about his declaration of love.

Genesis ran into his room, and slammed and locked his door.

&%$ CBV $%&

Sephiroth had spent the early part of the day inspecting the Junon facility. He easily discerned its faults, and committed them to memory. The later half of the day was invested in wondering the civilian quarters and hang outs. He made sure to pay special attention to the seedier areas and places were anti-Shin-Ra rumors might be spread and propagated. He had even gone so far as to changing into civilian clothing and taking the elevator down to the sea level.

The silver SOLDIER found exactly what he was looking for in several different places scattered through the city. Try as they might, Shin-Ra was not loved by all.

Regardless of the fact that he may be reconnecting with Genesis and his younger self was falling in love, he still had a purpose in coming here, he still meant to destroy humanity by initiating brutal, bloody wars. And his was taking this opportunity to get a feel for the layout of the land, if you will. To formulate a plot of how and where he wanted to start.

Later in the evening, feeling his day had been very productive, he headed to his lover's quarters. Maybe they would go somewhere for dinner, and spend the rest of the evening talking, him explaining to Genesis the insight he'd had earlier.

Sephiroth rounded the corner that led to Genesis' room, and suddenly he wished he were blind. Genesis, his Genesis, was kissing someone else right there in the corridor. Bile rose up in his throat, but the only action allowed was a narrowing of his eyes.

A rage so poignant that it burned blue, consumed him; his body became paralyzed. He wanted to strike at them, he wanted to tear apart the blond slowly and bathe in his blood. Genesis...he didn't even dare think about what he wanted to do to Genesis.

Then the pair separated and Sephiroth found himself able to move again. A deadly calm stole over him. He pivoted on a heal and walked away.

He had a war to start.