Disclaimer: Apart from the plot, I do not own Genesis, Aeris or Final Fantasy.

Time seemed to have stopped as Aeris felt the heat emanating from his lips travelling the negligible distance to reach her own. His breath smelt sweet while his skin gave out a manly and musky scent. If it wasn't for her intense fear for her life engulfing her senses, Aeris would surprisingly find the experience..." pleasantly exhilarating." Aeris was both puzzled and horrified at her own thoughts.

A sudden gust of wind forced his hair to wave forward. The tips caressed her face, all the while eliminating all sources of the scarcely available street light. It was just she and him. In darkness...

Aeris' uneasiness increased as she watched him withdraw and take one step back. She felt a sudden chill as his abrupt withdrawal allowed the night cold to penetrate first her clothes and then her skin. She ignored it though and looked towards the strange man. His facial expression was that of a marble statue betraying no emotion.

"Maybe he changed his mind? Maybe he will let me go after all?" she thought, fragments of hope resurfacing and gluing themselves together. She looked at him hopefully.

His expression changed again, that familiar hint of a smirk slowly making another appearance on his face.

"Oh no... He's smiling again." Aeris came to despise that expression. Smiles were supposed to be pleasant and reassuring of course. But that constant smirking of the handsome devil certainly didn't give her any signs of reassurance whatsoever. Because she knew he meant no good.

At that point, Aeris could not hold the tears in any longer, she broke down and collapsed on the cold ground. She didn't care that her pink dress got muddy and dirty, she didn't care about the cold, all she wanted was to go home and forget about this nightmare. No more late night strolls, she promised herself, assuming of course she survived this nightmare. She would never endanger herself like that anymore if this night wasn't her last one on this planet, she bargained.

Genesis watched the girl fall down on her knees. A pang of guilt crossed his heart but only momentarily. He didn't really care anymore. Despite appearances, she was just as insignificant and disgusting just like the rest of the inhabitants whose lowly presence occupied this part of the city, he thought. This was it, now that he started it he would finish it, he decided. And when he was done with this girl, he would continue his night mission until the break of dawn moving on from one scum to the other. He wouldn't rest until his anger against this city – and especially a certain silver-haired arrogant warrior of Sninra Corporation - was drowned.

Aeris felt her tears trailing down her cheeks. The small world around her became a dark blur. Her sobs got louder and more intense. She didn't know what to do. She tried to wipe her eyes with her hand, but something tight suddenly wrapped around her wrist and prevented her from doing so. Through her fuzzy vision she could sense him being really close again. Her blurry eyes registered the dark shadow of his figure in front of her. She saw him bending his legs and kneeling down to her level. Aeris let out another loud sob as she saw him using his teeth to remove the remaining glove that he still wore on his uninjured hand.

"Shhh now... it's ok..." he soothed, as he used his newly ungloved hand to wipe some of her tears away, his other hand still tightly holding her wrist. "Don't cry..." he said, as his hand moved to the top of her head and began to stroke her hair in fluid and tenderly slow motions. Aeris' sobs slightly weakened, and, after a while, they finally started slowing down as Genesis continued speaking to her with a surprisingly calming tone.

"It's ok...nothing bad will happen to you" he reassured her after a long moment of silence. Then he paused. "At least nothing too bad..." he chuckled. Before Aeris had a chance to register his words, he twisted her arm and forced the girl to face the wall, her back pressed on his chest.

"Shhh... now... just relax..." he said as he held her tightly, his mockingly soothing voice sending terrifying shivers all over her body.

"No... please...don't!" Aeris managed to whisper as she felt his hand moving up her arm, reaching her shoulders and finally stopping at her neck. She suddenly felt his hold tighten around her neck and Aeris prayed that whatever was in store for her, it had better be quick and hopefully as painless as possible. Maybe he would strangle her after all, she thought, as her breath became more erratic and laborious. With a bit of luck she would fall unconscious quite quickly, she prayed. Maybe the madman would be at least merciful and give her a quick death.

Genesis chuckled again and released her neck from his firm hold leaving Aeris to take some deep and desperate breaths between coughs. He didn't wait too long though and soon his fingers trailed upwards to reach her lips. They were soft and luscious, he thought as he traced them across her full length repeatedly from side to side. He wondered how they would taste like and his breathing became faster. He pressed his chest even more firmly against her back and brought his head closer pressing his cheek against her own.

The girl struggled but that made him even more determined to go ahead with his plan. He continued tracing her lips with his fingers, and as Aeris slightly parted her lips to make another plea, he forced one of his blood-stained fingers in her mouth, making her gasp.

"How do you like that?" Genesis enquired in a whispery voice.

Aeris tasted the metallic taste of the blood as she felt his finger entering and moving around her mouth. Horror mixed with fury resurfaced once again.

"I'll show him how I like that," she thought, and with that she bit his finger as hard as she could, drawing more blood in the process. She felt him wince behind her and loosening his grip. Aeris took the opportunity and with a skilful movement even she didn't know she possessed, she freed herself from his clasps, stood up and started running.

After a long series of turns into more dark streets and alleys, Aeris slowed down her pace and tried to listen. "No signs of anyone following me" she exhaled. She looked around at her surroundings but there was no sign of anything even remotely familiar. She knew that she was lost. She took a few more deep breaths to calm herself down when she realised her basket and flowers were missing. She sighed. She must have dropped it back then in that god-awful place. She couldn't care less though. As long as she was as far away as possible from that red-haired maniac, everything would be all right, she thought in relief. Now all she had to do was find her way home. But that would be impossible in the middle of the night and she would definitely not risk any more dangerous encounters with strange people. She didn't know what time it was as she had lost sense of time long time ago, but she figured it wouldn't be too long before the sun sent his warming rays down the awakening city and, with a bit of luck, down the dark slums, too. They were rarely graced by its illuminating presence. She would find her way then, she decided. Until then maybe she could crawl in a corner and just wait for the first signs of light, she thought.

With a slight smile, she managed to find herself a corner that she deemed safe enough, and satisfied that she was as invisible as possible from common view, she sat down, curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on top of her knees. She was exhausted, but she wouldn't sleep, as she wanted to be alert for any signs of impending danger. But her eyelids were so heavy... her eyes so tired...but still... she would not allow herself to sleep...

She woke up feeling the faint smell of flowers. It was beautiful. Even though a bit uncomfortable, she couldn't make herself move from her current position. "It was all a bad dream...?" she groggily wondered. "I must be back at my church then..." she thought suddenly feeling really joyful, remembering her beautiful flower garden.

Something was not right though. She could feel it. She was not alone; she could sense a presence sitting right beside her. Could it be a dog, a cat perhaps? What would a cat do in her church though? Confused, she opened her sleepy eyes and slowly raised her head to the side that radiated the disturbing feeling.

Aeris gasped.

"I believe you forgot something" Genesis smiled at her, offering her a yellow flower, the same one she was tenderly picking earlier from her garden using extra care. Aeris froze to the ground and stared at him in silence.

Seeing Aeris refused to make a move to take his offer, Genesis leaned closer and with slow sensually charged movements caressed her face with it.

"I don't suppose you thought I would let you get away so easily?" Genesis winked at her and gave her another chuckle, immediately trashing all traces of hope she had left.

Hehe! What will happen next you think? Poor Aeris... must be the worst night of her life so far...

Oh, and please review if you want to see a new chapter! Thanks!!!