Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm not dead, as you can see! Sooooo sorry for this delay. It wasn't planned. I got caught in between buying a new house, and having internet and computer problems. And at the same time being busy with writing my PhD thesis! I managed to draft a new chapter though, so here it is! I wanted to make it a bit better but I hope this will do for now.
(By the way, see if you can spot the Zoolander reference, LOL! I was watching the film recently and I thought to apply it to Genesis for fun! LOL I've even made a parody video with Genesis – video link on my profile page).
Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Genesis, Aeris or anything related to Final Fantasy.
Genesis barely had a moment to evade the flying vase that suddenly found his way towards his head. It crashed loudly on the wall behind him.
"Huh! I suppose I shouldn't have brought you in my apartment after all! Now you have... ammunition!" Genesis exclaimed as he dodged another flying object - a photo frame this time.
"You're damn right, you shouldn't!" a furious-looking Aeris shouted back, already holding her next choice of available weapon, a golden-encrusted replica copy of Loveless.
"You want... to put that... down..." Genesis warned her, his tone revealing more frustration than he actually intended.
"Do not thr..." his sentence was cut short, as just like the rest of the makeshift weapons, he saw his beloved Loveless flying towards him, too. This time, with a dexterous move of his hand Genesis caught it in mid-air without even flinching. A frown formed between his eyebrows. That girl was... dangerous.
Aeris was momentarily stunned by his reaction, but she didn't waste time in the search for more objects to throw at him - preferably sharp. Her eyes caught a glimpse of an open door that led to what looked like a big study room with lots of books. With her "weapon" supplies dangerously low and her heart madly beating, she dashed to the door. She tried to close it shut as fast as she could, but with Genesis following hot on her heels, she only managed to move it by a mere few inches. Genesis forcefully shouldered the door, hitting her and sending her down on the floor.
"Oh no, you won't..." Genesis scolded her furiously as he gripped her arm and forced her to stand on her feet again. "You've caused enough damage already!" he exclaimed, all the while glancing quickly around to ensure no harm came to his precious Loveless collection, which occupied a good part of his library.
Suddenly a sharp pain registered on his neck and chest; it felt like like nails maniacally scratching against his skin surface and digging deeply into his flesh.
"Damn it Aeris!" he exclaimed. "You've got some really sharp nails there you know..."
"Hmph! I wish they were sharper!" Aeris shouted at him as she struggled against his tight grip.
Genesis chuckled. Was it him or had she inflicted quite some damage on him in such a short time, he mused. Maybe he lost more blood now from these injuries than the ones he had suffered in his training sessions with Angeal and Sephiroth.
"Ha ha ha! You're something else Aeris!" Genesis laughed.
"Anyway, I think I need to take a shower to wash all this blood and dirt off me," he remarked pointedly. "I think you need one urgently, too" Genesis laughed again, commenting on her less than presentable condition.
Aeris looked at her blood-stained dress properly for the first time since the start of her ordeal. Indeed, she was in a proper state. Not that she really cared; what difference would it make if she ended up dead anyway, she thought. She took a small step back, as far as Genesis strong hold would allow her anyway. As if by miracle, one of her hands, still free from Genesis grasp, made contact with something heavy located on the wooden table behind her back. It felt like a bottle, Aeris realised, and it quickly found its way between her fingers. Hope would die last. One moment later it had landed on top of Genesis' head.
For a moment nobody talked or moved as the liquid contents of the now smashed bottle poured down Genesis's head, shoulders and chest, before dripping on the polished wooden floor. It smelt like wine – well, red wine judging by its colour. After a few more moments of stunned silence staring at each other, they both recovered: Aeris frantically trying again to escape from his tightened grip and Genesis blinking and shaking his head to remove the remaining traces of glass fragments from his hair.
His lips shrunk as if he had sucked on a really sour lemon. What was with this woman and this undesirable effect she had on him? For the umpteenth time in the last few hours he seemed to have lost his concentration. He never lost his concentration under attack or in battle. Her attacking attempts were feeble and laughable but how could this small weak female take him by surprise in such a way? This was unbearable and inexcusable. He was angry with himself but most of all her. Why had he saved her when she fell anyway? Why did he feel terror in the thought of letting her die? She was just scum from the slums, right? Innocent-looking but still scum... His earlier fight with Sephiroth was already forgotten, a distant memory. He was still upset though, and now the source of his frustration was her... just her.
She would be punished, he decided. He smiled as he most certainly knew the way he would upset her the most.
Aeris felt her feet leave the floor and screamed. Genesis had grabbed her by the waist and as if she was a feather, he lifted her and hoisted her on his right shoulder.
"Where are you taking me?" Aeris screamed even louder. Maybe her end was near, she thought teary-eyed. Perhaps breaking that bottle on his head hadn't been such a good idea after all...
"Please, don't kill me," Aeris begged in between sobs. Her fists met Genesis' back with all the strength she had left, which was not much unfortunately. Not that she could ever match his strength, even if she was fully recovered.
Not paying attention to her pleas, screams, and occasional kicks and punches, Genesis kept walking and entered another room. Aeris weakly lifted her head and soon realised that the new room was the bathroom. It was quite big and elegant. White and gold tiles covered the walls, while the whole decor with its statuettes, dried flowers, wicker baskets and aromatic candles gave the whole space a spa-like atmosphere. A killer with good taste... Aeris thought bitterly before succumbing to another wave of crying sobs.
She heard a sound of what seemed to be the shower door being flipped wide open and she suddenly felt the full impact of her back and bottom meeting the cold white-tiled shower floor.
"Aaoow!" she momentarily forgot her less than perfect situation, just to send a death glare at Genesis who was now standing on the edge of the shower door grinning down evilly at her.
So, was this shower cubicle where she was going to meet her end? Aeris returned her thoughts to her dire situation. A droplet of blood formed on her forehead and trickled down her eyebrow, pausing on her eyelashes and blurring her vision. Aeris touched her forehead and sighed. She must have hit it on an edge or a door frame somehow during her struggle. Why was this happening to her?, she thought again and sniffed.
"Tell me something Aeris," Genesis said entering the cubicle himself before closing the shower door behind him.
"How come you appear to be so innocent?" he continued as he came closer to force her up on her feet.
Aeris' body obeyed as if it belonged to a rag doll. She looked defeated and in a zombie-like state. At least her soul was ready to meet her maker. What would it feel like being absorbed into the lifestream?, she wondered. Would she meet her mother again? At that thought she smiled, confusing Genesis even more.
"Ha! Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you," Genesis said after a moment, reading her thoughts. "Well... I think not. This will depend on how well you treat Loveless from now on!" he laughed.
"Anyway... I'm genuinely perplexed...." he said closing in on Aeris. He lifted her chin up to have a closer look on her injury. "You are not something you come across every day... And definitely not in the slums," he continued.
"You are NOT either!" Aeris exclaimed suddenly waking up from her trance, shooting another angry glare at him.
"Hmph!" Genesis laughed. "Most anusual... you are indeed..." he said as he slowly traced Aeris bloody forehead with his fingers. "It seems I wasn't the only... casualty from our little encounter after all... Because... Well, look at this mess you caused," he remarked pointing at the blood and dirt on his face and body.
Aeris' blood boiled. As if...
"You little..." she stopped and growled for lack of appropriate insulting words. She just couldn't find a word insulting enough for him. "How dare you!" she finally said and punched him on the stomach, a move she instantly regretted, as she was certain she managed to hurt her fist more than his stomach. Muscles made of steel, she thought, and to her embarrassment she even blushed a little at the thought.
"You were the one who suddenly decided I needed a night-time flight!" she eventually shouted, adopting her earlier - but still quite fake - brave stance.
"Best in town! And free of charge, too!" Genesis replied quite amused.
Aeris fought the urge to punch him again, but her previous experience made her decide against it. Instead she remained silent, fuming inside. She knew by now how unpredictable this... Genesis guy was, and she decided she wouldn't take any more unnecessary risks. Not until she had a better plan formed in her mind, something, which, she had to admit, did not seem even remotely likely at the moment.
"Hello? Anybody in there? Genesis' voice echoed in the cubicle while waving a hand in front of her unmoving eyes.
"Huh?" Aeris was suddenly back to the grim reality once again. She blinked and quickly averted her eyes from the muscled chest before her, only then realising she was unconsciously staring at him like that all this time. Adding further to her embarrassment and frustration, he had seemed to notice.
"See something you like?" Genesis said winking at her and giving her a cheeky smile.
"Huh?" Aeris repeated at loss of words.
"Boy, oh boy..." Genesis laughed. "Either I'm really really really ridiculously good looking, or you really did hit your head really hard!"
After a few moments of silence and seeing there was not a chance of getting a reply, Genesis moved closer to a petrified Aeris.
"That wound needs to be cleaned," he remarked in a barely audible whisper placing one hand gently on top of her head while the other reached right behind Aeris' back opening the hot water valve.
"...and healed," he continued, before placing his lips on top of her wound giving it a long and bloody kiss...
Hmm.... This chap came out quite humorous... LOL! It's the New Year effect perhaps... xD
But I still wonder if the next chapter will return to the... darknesss (as poor Aeris is terrified anyway)... lol