Chapter Summary:
The General finds out that his connection to the Director of the Turks runs deeper than anyone imagined. Dealing with this won't come easy to a man that can hardly understand his own emotions, let alone those of the man who's been avoiding him for the last four years. Luckily, Sephiroth has a sister that can talk to the Planet and a friend who knows Loveless backwards and forwards. That ought to help… right?
—
Sephiroth entered his room in a flurry of leather and silver hair, mind racing as he struggled to recall every single interaction of his with Vincent Valentine in the four years since the man had returned from Nibelheim. Specifically, he was trying to remember if Jenova had ever reacted to the other man's presence before Galian came at him earlier at the labs.
The first time they had seen each other was during the meeting where Soldier had been informed that Vincent would rejoin Shinra as Head Turk. The four Soldiers First Class had been there, as well as Sephiroth's father, Rufus, Lazard, and Cloud. Other than introducing himself and stating his desire to forge an amicable relationship between his department and Soldier, Vincent didn't say much. He just sat there while Professor Faremis explained Vincent's condition in broad strokes and Cloud vouched for the man's strength and control over the creatures that took up residence in his body.
At the time, it had seemed a little odd to Sephiroth that Cloud had been at that meeting at all, even taking into account how close he was to Zack. His account of Vincent's character struck him as unnecessary and out of place, making it even harder for him to understand why he had been allowed to sit at the meeting at all. He asked Lazard about it afterwards and the Director of Soldier explained to him that Cloud had personal ties to Vincent given that the Turk had meet the Second's mother during his last assignment. Besides, it had been the blond who found the gunman in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, and both he and Kunsel had witnessed first hand the raw power of Galian when it managed to slip free of Vincent's control. Because of that, Cloud was concerned that Soldier might not approve of the gunman's return to the company if they deemed him dangerous, so he asked Lazard for a chance to speak in Vincent's favour. Not seeing the harm in it and thinking it would help Vincent's morale, the Director agreed.
Trying to forget the fact that he felt irrationally jealous of the young blond's connection to the gunman, Sephiroth focused on his mental state at the meeting. He remembered being curious about Valentine, having read the reports regarding his mission as security for the Science Department detail stationed at Nibelheim during the Jenova Project's early stages, but that was about it. Jenova had been mostly silent for some years at that point and, although he could still sometimes hear her whispering in the back of his mind, he could ignore her without difficulty. He hadn't heard her once during that meeting, nor during any subsequent meetings that involved the new Head Turk.
It was, in fact, the opposite—whenever he was close to Vincent, his mind felt clearer and freer than at any other moment. The only exception, other than his earlier encounter with Galian, had been during the previous night, when Vincent's eyes flashed gold right after he excused himself and rushed to the restrooms. During that fraction of a second, Sephiroth had felt something in the coldest corner of his mind stir with fear and resentment. It was gone as soon as it came, and its disappearance coincided with the Turk's abrupt departure.
And then there was the incident at the labs. Jenova had begun to stir as soon as he heard Galian's first howl, although at the time he was rather preoccupied with finding out where the howl was coming from so he easily ignored the shrill voice fluttering about inside his head. Seeing Galian rapidly shifting between his own form and Chaos's provided yet another distraction, and it wasn't until Jenova went into full hysterics that he was forced to acknowledge her presence. There was no doubt in Sephiroth's mind that something about Galian greatly disturbed the alien presence in his body. At the same time, he was certain that something about Chaos almost completely neutralised Jenova, as she had gradually stepped back after his appearance. He could clearly recall her frustration but it was her fear that stood out the most.
He went into his studio and powered up his computer, intent on reviewing everything he could find on the creatures living within Vincent. He knew he would probably have to get further clearance from the Science Department but he was fairly confident his father would help with that.
'Speak of the devil,' he thought as his phone rang and the caller ID told him it was his father calling.
"Father?"
"Sephiroth. Where are you?"
"In my apartment. I—"
"I need you to pack your things and move to our house. It's an indefinite thing so make sure you bring everything you'll need. It's already been cleared with President Rufus and Lazard so don't worry about that."
Sephiroth frowned and closed his computer with more force than he meant. "What? Why do I—?"
"Please just do as I ask, son. I promise I'll explain as much as I can later tonight."
He could argue for a few minutes and incur in his father's anger, causing his inevitable stay at his parents' home—because there was no way Sephiroth would win this argument, not when both Rufus and Lazard had already green lighted his move—to be an unpleasant ordeal for everyone involved. Arguing, therefore, was a waste of time and breath.
"Understood. I will pack everything I need and be home in a couple of hours. I'll just stop by to check on Angeal and Genesis before leaving, if that's acceptable."
"Of course. Just stay as far away from Director Valentine as you can."
His frown deepened and a cold feeling gripped his chest. "Is this about what happened in the labs?"
After a slight hesitation, Gast said, "Yes. But I can't discuss it over the phone. Just get packed and go home as soon as you can."
"All right."
The call ended and Sephiroth started moving on autopilot. He was used to packing at a moment's notice given the nature of his work, so he'd learned how to be quick and efficient about it. He debated whether to carry his two suitcases to Angeal and Genesis's apartment or have someone from the company deliver them to his parents' while he visited his friends. Deciding he didn't want to risk any of his belongings getting damaged or going missing—again; those blasted fans always found a way to steal his belts, leaving him in the really awkward position of having to denounce their theft to Security, meaning Heidegger had ample opportunity to laugh at him whenever they met—, he took the suitcases with him.
Fifteen minutes later, he was about to knock on the door to Genesis and Angeal's apartment when it flew open inwards and he was face to face with an enraged Genesis. The slightly shorter man gave him a withering glare with his blue eyes before trying to move past him. However, as soon as he noticed the suitcases in Sephiroth's hands, Genesis stopped and looked at his friend with curiosity rather than barely contained fury.
"Are they sending you off somewhere?"
Sephiroth couldn't help but smile lopsidedly and shrug. "In a manner of speaking. I'm to move back to my parents' house for an indeterminate amount of time. I was just here to let you guys know and check on you."
Genesis hesitated, obviously caught between wanting to speak to his friend and not wanting to be in his apartment for whatever reason. With a sigh, he went back inside and motioned for Sephiroth to follow him.
They had barely made it to the living room when Angeal came rushing out of the hallway leading to the master bedroom, managing to look concerned and relieved at the same time. Sephiroth immediately caught on to the fact that his friends had just been in a quarrel of sorts, most likely romantic in nature, and he'd intruded on Genesis's no doubt dramatic exit. He felt suddenly awkward and, not wanting to get caught in the middle of a lovers' spat, he picked up his suitcases from where he'd left them and tried to leave.
"Like I said, Genesis, I'm just going to my parents' for a while—"
"Don't you dare leave like that," Genesis said.
He whirled around so quickly that he made himself dizzy. He stumbled a couple of steps to the side and would have fallen to the hardwood floor if Angeal's quick reflexes hadn't allowed him to be at his side in the blink of an eye to keep him upright. With an angry scowl, Genesis shoved the taller man away and went to stand by the wall, bracing himself against it to avoid a repeat of his ungraceful mishap.
"I told you I don't need your pity, Angeal."
"And I told you it's not pity, Gen! You're not well and you need to rest while Professor Faremis finds a way to stop whatever's eating away at your strength. You've already been pulled away from the energy summit next month, and if you don't slow down and take care of yourself you're going to end up in administrative leave!"
Sephiroth looked from one of his friends to the other and found himself having to avert his gaze from the couple. He could read all that Genesis wasn't saying in his body language: I don't want you to look down on me, Angeal. I want us to remain being equals and that can't happen if you're constantly worried about my health. I will not become a burden to you.
Angeal's eyes spoke volumes, too: I love you too much to see you injured out of your stubborn sense of pride. I want us to fight side by side like we've always done, so please let me help you. You are not a burden—I want to be by your side through all of this.
Most painful of all was that he was certain that both men knew what the other thought and felt, yet neither of them could find the right words to say to make things right between them.
Genesis was arrogant and vain and took great pride in having climbed the ranks at Shinra on his own steam, Project G's enhancements notwithstanding. When they made it into the Soldier program, he had created a whole elaborate competition between himself, Angeal, and Sephiroth, something which the other two men didn't exactly agree with but had never been able to discourage entirely. For him to find himself getting the extremely short stick of Project G's side effects had been a great blow to his pride, not to mention his self-esteem.
When they first realised his healing abilities had greatly decelerated, causing wounds that would normally take a few minutes to heal to remain open for hours and leaving behind pale markings that weren't quite scars, Sephiroth's father had recommended that Genesis's field work was cut down at least in half. That had been two months prior and Genesis had gone for another evaluation two days ago. The preliminary results ended in yet another recommendation for the auburn-haired man to lower his physical workload, which in turn led to his participation at the energy summit in Modeoheim to be cancelled. Sephiroth had not seen his friend since before the decision was made but it was plain to see that he hadn't taken the news well.
All through this process, Angeal and Sephiroth had done their best to make Genesis feel like things hadn't changed. They still practiced together at least once a week, never pulling their punches or showing mercy to one another. However, Sephiroth had missed their last two sparring matches entirely on purpose—he noticed how weak Genesis was getting, how much longer it took for him to recover from a parry or a leg sweep. He talked about it with Angeal and the other First agreed with Sephiroth's conclusion that it was best if he didn't fight Genesis anymore. The red-cloaked Soldier would never forgive him if he saw the hesitance in his eyes whenever they sparred.
Together, Angeal and Sephiroth came up with suitable excuses for the General's absences. He had a feeling Genesis knew the truth, though, but if he did he never said anything. Sephiroth had kept tabs on his friend through Angeal and his father, and he knew the auburn-haired man was showing no signs of wanting to take a break to take care of his health. In light of the last test's results and the small exchange between his friends a moment before, Sephiroth guessed that Genesis's stubbornness and Angeal's desire to keep his lover in one piece had somehow sparked a fight that led the shorter of the three men to try to escape the apartment.
Except he ran into Sephiroth and now here they all were, standing around awkwardly in the living room, neither of them knowing what to say to cut the tension until Angeal just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Going away to your parents', Seph? Who are you running away from?"
Under normal circumstances, the glare Genesis shot his way would've had Angeal apologising almost automatically but the larger man didn't bite. Instead, he moved to sit on the couch while gesturing for Sephiroth to do the same. He didn't bother with Genesis, knowing his lover would do whatever he wanted.
Glad for the small reprieve, Sephiroth left his suitcases on the floor near the door and sat next to Angeal.
"I'm not sure," he said, answering Angeal's question. "Director Valentine, apparently, but I don't know why."
That piqued Genesis's interest and pried him away from the wall. He sat on the armchair closest to him, and Sephiroth couldn't help but notice the small wince that flashed across his friend's face as he did so nor the relieved half-sigh that escaped his lips once he was settled in the comfortable leather.
"How can you not be sure?" Genesis asked.
"Start from the beginning, friend," Angeal suggested.
"Yesterday, shortly after Lazard told me I'd be replacing Genesis at the summit, I ran into Director Valentine at the elevator."
He waited for a breath to see if his comment about the summit would elicit some sort of comment or response from either of his friends. When neither said anything, he continued.
"He seemed… tired. I don't know why that encouraged me to engage him in conversation and invite him to go out drinking with me. He didn't seem keen on the idea, not until I mentioned that he and I would be working together in the near future. In the end he agreed to go out to dinner, but only because he saw it as an opportunity to talk about work."
"Are you sure about that?" Genesis asked. He had curled up on the armchair, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his head on his knees.
"How do you mean?" Sephiroth asked. He feared Genesis would go on a tangent but he had to admit that, in spite of his faults, his friend was far more knowledgable about interpersonal relationships than he was.
"Did he say he only wanted to talk about work or are you just assuming this?"
"He didn't say it right then. At dinner, though…" Sephiroth sighed and shook his head slowly. "I expressed a desire for us to get to know each other better outside of work. I said I would like for us to become friends and he… he said he wants to look after me but that he doesn't think he can have friends ever again."
"That's strange," Angeal said, leaning back on the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. "I've seen him go out for lunch with the Turks sometimes. Even with Cloud. The kid really looks up to him and Vincent has requested his assistance a number of times."
Again, Sephiroth had to suppress an irrational sense of jealousy at the mention of Cloud.
"I know. I asked about that, and he said none of them are his friends. The Turks are the Turks and Cloud sees him as a father figure, a fact he doesn't seem to mind. Other than that, though, he seems completely cut off from the world, at least emotionally."
"Did he say why?" Genesis asked.
"He feels out of place, I think. And… he also seems to believe he won't live much longer. He mentioned that the protomateria that stabilises Chaos is malfunctioning and it'll become a problem if he can't fix it."
The other two Soldiers knew about as much of Vincent and Chaos as Sephiroth did, so neither inquired about that.
After a long pause, Genesis leaned forward, looking intently at Sephiroth.
"What is your interest in Vincent Valentine, Sephiroth?" Noticing the look the General gave him, Genesis held up his hand to stop him. "Listen. He's been back from Nibelheim for over four years now, and he's been working for the company for the last three. There have been plenty of opportunities for you to approach him before yesterday and yet you never did. That's the norm for you, Sephiroth—you don't approach people out of the blue. Yet you did with Director Valentine and, please don't be offended, but you seem very disillusioned that he disregarded your intentions. I would like to know why."
"Why does it matter?" Sephiroth countered, crossing his arms across his chest in a way that made him seem younger than his thirty years.
"Because any advice I can give will depend upon that."
Sephiroth thought about it for a long moment. He hadn't stopped to think about the reasons behind his disappointment, instead wallowing in the disappointment itself. He was angry at himself when he didn't find a logical answer, something neither of his friends missed.
"Ah, I see," Genesis said. His lips curved in a small smile that was only half mocking; the other half was actually concerned.
"See what?" Sephiroth asked. He was trying very hard not to pout.
"You don't have a logical explanation," Angeal intervened. "If you did, you would've come up with it in the blink of an eye."
"That means it's a matter of the heart," Genesis continued. "And those are tricky, my friend."
"What's your advice, then?" The pout was there now, whether he wanted it or not.
Genesis shook his head slowly. "Leave it alone until you figure out why becoming his friend is so important to you. If you keep pushing without knowing that, you risk harm not only to the Director, but to yourself, as well."
"Well, that shouldn't be particularly difficult," Sephiroth said with a huff. "Apparently one or both of the creatures living within him have taken exception to me and I have to move in with my parents' to avoid their wrath." He paused for a moment and decided to voice the entirety of his concerns and suspicions. "I don't think it's me, though, not exactly."
"You mean Jenova," Angeal said. He sat up and turned to Sephiroth fully.
The silver-haired Soldier nodded. "I went to the labs earlier today to talk to my father over lunch. I hadn't been at his office for more than five minutes when a howl came from one of the examination rooms. It was one of Vincent's creatures, the one they call Galian. For some reason, Father was taking tissue samples from it when it woke up and attacked the orderlies. It took Chaos a while to rein in the creature, and in that interim… Jenova went crazy. She was shrieking, angry and panicked. Before I could react, Chaos finally took control of Vincent's body and Jenova's voice faded away. It was like Chaos was somehow able to subdue her."
"Have you told Gast any of this?" Genesis asked, a hint of hope in his voice.
"I think he knows. Maybe not all of it but enough to want me to stay away from Vincent. He didn't want me in the room with him—when Galian broke free, he called Toru and told him to send Tseng over but to tell me to stay put. I went, anyway, and when I got to the exam room Father tried to get me to leave. When Chaos took over, he ordered me to go; in fact, he told me to leave the floor entirely. Father agreed with him. He was the one who arranged for me to move back to my parents'—he even cleared it with Rufus and Lazard before calling me."
Angeal and Genesis looked at each other, all fight gone from their eyes and replaced by a cautious sort of optimism. None of them voiced their thoughts on that front, however, choosing to focus on their friend and his current situation.
"You'll still be showing up for work, I suppose," Angeal said.
Sephiroth managed a smile. "Of course. Someone has to pick up Genesis's slack."
"Very funny," Genesis said. "At least one good thing has come from your father grounding me."
"And what's that?" Sephiroth asked.
"I don't have to deal with incompetent cadets anymore. That wonderful privilege will now fall upon your distinguished shoulders, my friend."
Sephiroth groaned; he hadn't thought of that. Angeal and Genesis laughed at his expense and he eventually joined them. When his laughter died out, he sighed and flopped back on the couch, all thoughts of propriety and grace long since gone. He covered his eyes with his left arm and pouted.
"Anything else bothering you?" Angeal asked.
"What if my interest in Vincent does end up being romantic?"
Genesis stood up slowly and gingerly picked his way towards his friend. He had Angeal make room for him on the couch and he sat next to Sephiroth, pulling the slightly stockier man towards him so Sephiroth's head rested on his lap. Stubbornly, Sephiroth continued to cover his face with his arm; Genesis allowed him that small barrier and began combing his fingers through his friend's long silver locks. Sephiroth sighed and relaxed, allowing the auburn-haired man to comfort him.
"If you ask me, I think it might be," Genesis eventually said. "But there's also a very good chance that you're idealising Director Valentine. We all know his backstory and, well, one would have to be heartless not to be moved by it in some capacity. Additionally, you have more reason than most to admire the man."
"More than Strife?" Sephiroth asked. He was aware of how petulant he sounded but he didn't care. Not when he was with his two best friends.
"Aha," Angeal said. "Jealous, are you?"
Sephiroth huffed and did his best to curl all his 6'1" on the couch while keeping his head resting on Genesis's lap.
"I don't know. I guess," he said once he was more or less comfortable on his right side. "I can understand Vincent's attachment to the Turks—they're a family of sorts and they have their own code. 'Once a Turk, always a Turk', and all that. But Cloud Strife?"
"A chance connection," Genesis said placatingly. "Much like yours with Valentine."
"It's not as if Cloud could be an obstacle if your feelings turn out to be romantic," Angeal chimed in. "He has Tifa and he sees Vincent as a father figure, not a potential lover."
"You're creating a tempest in a teapot, Sephiroth. You need to figure out what Director Valentine's connection to Jenova is and you need to sort your feelings out. Until then, you should not be worrying about Cloud, the Turks, or anything else."
Sephiroth sighed and nodded as best as he could given his position. "All right. Given that you'll be spending a lot of time here, is it okay if I pick your brain now and then regarding this?"
"I'd be offended if you went to anyone else."
"Way to leave me out of it, guys," Angeal
Genesis smiled and reached back to kiss his lover's cheek. "We're a package deal, Geal."
"You're rhyming, so I'll take that as my cue to leave," Sephiroth said as he disentangled himself from Genesis's hold. He stood up and stretched, feeling a bit lighter than when he came in. Eying his friends carefully, he said, "Are you two going to be all right?"
Genesis and Angeal looked at each other for a moment. It was Genesis that said, "Yes, I believe we will. I'll… I'll try to be less stubborn and let Angeal help me out a bit more."
Angeal smiled and rested his forehead on Genesis's shoulder. "Good. I'll try to be less of a mother hen and more understanding of your situation."
"You're not off the hook for chickening out of our sparring sessions, though," Genesis told Sephiroth.
"I'll bring you some of Aerith's flowers and tea next time."
"All right, you're off the hook."
Sephiroth grinned and leaned down to kiss the top of Genesis head and to pat Angeal's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't bother getting up, I'll see myself out."
Genesis waited two minutes after the door closed behind Sephiroth before curling on Angeal's lap and resting his head on the other man's strong chest.
"He's got it bad," he said.
"Hmm? Got what?"
The auburn-haired man rolled his eyes and punched Angeal lightly on the shoulder. "He's in love with Director Valentine."
"Now, Gen, just because—"
"Of course neither of you would notice right away. He's so out of tune with his own emotions he wouldn't recognise love even if you described it clinically to him. And you—it took you years to notice how I felt about you, not to mention how you felt about me. For me, though, both of you are clearer than Loveless."
Angeal chuckled and wrapped his arms around Genesis, drawing him closer to him as he kissed his forehead. "You got me there. Are you sure, though?"
Genesis sighed, sadness creeping into his voice as he replied. "Yes. I'm afraid our friend has a long, painful road ahead of him. I cannot claim to know how Valentine will react to the news, but I do know that if he does have feelings for Sephiroth, he won't readily accept them. I mean… after everything he's gone through already, can you imagine falling for the son of the woman he loved? Even if she hadn't gone and betrayed him and experimented on him with her husband's help, the fact that he once had feelings for her must be a strong enough deterrent in his mind. To say nothing of the creatures he now harbours."
"Creatures that could be the answer to your health problems and Sephiroth's."
Closing his eyes, Genesis held on tighter to Angeal. "I don't want to get my hopes up on that front. But yes, the thought crossed my mind when Sephiroth mentioned what happened at the labs. If Vincent's creatures are, indeed, the answer to our problems…" He paused, a frown creasing his brow. "That would bring them closer while pulling them apart, I'm afraid."
"Makes you wish Hojo were alive just so we could butcher him, doesn't it?" Angeal asked.
"Indeed."
About an hour after leaving the Shinra Building, Sephiroth arrived at his parents' house. He went into the living room and called out to his mother and sister but received no answer. It wasn't exactly a surprise given that it was barely after five o'clock and Ifalna and Aerith usually got off work at that time. With a sigh, Sephiroth went to his old room and unpacked before taking a quick shower. He did his best not to dwell on Vincent but the incident at the labs kept circling back into his mind, unbidden and relentless. In an effort to keep his mind occupied, he went to the backyard to check Aerith's flowers and plants.
As he watered Aerith's favourite lilies, his mind wandered towards his friends. Angeal had an open invitation to visit Aerith's garden, given his affection for all kinds of plants. Genesis, on the other hand, wasn't overly fond of potted plants because they tended to foster bugs and if there was something city-boy Rhapsodos hated, it was bugs. Somehow, this fact had made its way to their fan clubs and an email began to circulate detailing a conversation between Genesis and Angeal where the auburn-haired Soldier complained about the bugs that came into his apartment because of Angeal's plants. That had been before they moved in together, something that had thankfully not reached their fans' ears. Sephiroth could barely imagine the PR nightmare that would ensue if his friends' fans found out they were living together, amongst other things.
Sephiroth was happy for them, and not only because he knew that, in spite of Genesis's stubbornness, Angeal had managed to keep Genesis calm in the face of his deteriorating health. It had been Angeal who nearly dragged Genesis to Gast's office to examine an array of cuts and bruises that hadn't healed overnight after a skirmish with Avalanche operatives outside of Midgar. If he hadn't done so, Genesis probably would've waited until something much more serious happened and that might have proven fatal for the Loveless enthusiast.
Idly, Sephiroth wondered if Vincent had someone like that in his life. Not a lover, but someone who would drag him to the doctor's office when he was unwell, whether he wanted it or not. Given that Tseng was at his father's office earlier that day waiting for the Director, Sephiroth supposed he did. But that was because both Vincent and Tseng were Turks, wasn't it? Would Vincent allow anyone other than his Turks to care for him like that?
Perhaps Cloud, he thought bitterly.
There it was again. Jealousy at the mere thought of Cloud. It made no sense, particularly taking into account what Angeal had said about the Second having a girlfriend and seeing Vincent as a father figure. Then again, perhaps he wasn't jealous of Cloud so much as of how close he was to the Director. After all, Angeal had also mentioned that the blond went out to lunch with Vincent on occasion, in addition to working with the Turks at the gunman's request. That, in turn, reminded him that the Director had never requested his help—whenever a Soldier First Class was required to work with the Turks, however infrequent that was, Genesis was the go-to person. Even Angeal had worked with them on occasion, although it had always been a spur of the moment thing.
Sephiroth wondered if his friends knew more about the situation than they let on during their conversation.
"You're going to drown them, brother."
Aerith's sweet, slightly mocking voice tore him apart from his realisation. He shut off the valve on the hose and turned around to find his sister standing under the archway that divided the patio from the garden itself, smiling at him with that all-knowing glint in her emerald eyes. He left the hose on the ground and walked over to Aerith, hugging her tight and soaking up the sense of calm that always seemed to radiate from the young woman.
"You're so tense," she said as she rubbed his back. "Is everything all right?"
With a slow shake of his head, Sephiroth held his sister at arm's length. "Not really. I… I might need to talk to you about some things later, if you have time."
"Of course," Aerith said.
She hooked her arm on Sephiroth's and together they walked back into the house. The brunette led her brother into the kitchen, where their mother was putting away some groceries. Sephiroth kissed his mother's cheek and started helping out with the stuff that needed to go into the higher shelves.
"It's good to have you home, dear," Ifalna said.
"So Father told you?"
"Tell what?" Aerith asked. She was getting ready to make dinner.
"I'll be staying home for… well, I don't know how long."
"Oh," Aerith said. "Zack didn't mention anything when I talked to him before coming back home."
"I didn't tell him," Sephiroth said. "I just talked to Genesis and Angeal before leaving." Noticing the disapproving look Aerith shot him, he raised his hands in a defensive position. "It's no big deal. I'm not taking a vacation or anything. I'll let him know tomorrow when I go in to check on Gen."
"Hmm," was all Aerith said.
"Your father didn't tell me why you'll be staying with us, though."
Sephiroth closed the last cupboard and sat on a stool at the bar that divided the dining room from the kitchen. "I think it has something to do with Director Valentine but I don't know the specifics. Father said he would explain it when he came home."
Aerith fumbled with the bottle of tomato sauce she was trying to open. Sephiroth noticed the minute widening of her eyes as well as the way her shoulders tensed up, but it was there and gone in a flash. Not wanting to put her sister on the spot, he let it slip and returned his attention to his mother.
"Is Vincent all right?" Ifalna asked. "Your father and I were supposed to review some files together but Toru called around noon to let me know Gast would be busy with Vincent most of the day."
"I don't really know," Sephiroth said. "I went to talk to Father around lunch time and… there was an incident involving the Director. Galian went on a bit of a rampage while undergoing some tests. Nothing major, though."
"That poor man," Ifalna said, shaking her head sadly. "I wish there was something we could do to remove those creatures from him without harming him."
"Dad hasn't given up," Aerith said softly.
"I know. But it sounds like Vincent has, sometimes."
"Because of the protomateria, you mean?" Sephiroth asked.
"You know about that?" Ifalna sounded surprised.
Sephiroth nodded slowly as he peeled an orange he took from the fruit bowl. He wasn't particularly hungry but he needed to do something with his hands, otherwise he'd offer to help Aerith with dinner and that wouldn't end well.
"He mentioned it in passing last night."
"Last—? Oh, right. Aerith said she and Zack ran into both of you at Tifa's bar. Well, how much did he say about it?"
"Not a lot. Just that he won't last very long if he and Chaos can't find a way to fix it."
"Put simply, yes. He's not suffering any side effects yet, I don't think. Your father seems confident enough that they'll be able to stabilise it before it becomes a real problem."
Sephiroth frowned. "Vincent sounded much less optimistic when he brought it up."
"He's not the most positive of people when it comes to his condition," Ifalna said with a shrug.
While he mulled this new information over, the phone rang. Ifalna picked it up in the living room, leaving Sephiroth and Aerith alone. He divided the orange in two and went over to his sister, offering her half. She smiled at him and took the fruit, popping a slice into her mouth as she tossed some chicken into a hot pan.
Leaning against the dishwasher, Sephiroth ate some of his orange. When he realised his mother was talking to his father on the phone, he deemed it safe to pry a little into Aerith's earlier reaction—after all, their parents' phone conversations took at least ten minutes, particularly if Gast was working late. When he was younger, he used to think they were exceedingly cloying; now, however, he couldn't help but smile at the pet names they had for each other and was amazed that they were so in love even after nearly thirty years together.
With a small smile, he nudged Aerith's foot with his. "You know something."
Not turning to look at him, she replied, "I know lots of things."
"You know something I don't." Anticipating her evasive reply, he added, "About Vincent."
Flipping the chicken and then moving to check the water she had set to boil for the pasta, the young Cetra looked troubled. Sephiroth frowned and gently grabbed her wrist once she let go of the ladle she'd used to stir the water.
"Hey," he said. "What's wrong, Eri?"
'Eri' was the nickname Sephiroth had come up with for Aerith when they were younger. He didn't use it often anymore, only when he wanted to tease her or reassure her. It brought a small smile to her lips now, although Sephiroth could still see the uncertainty in her eyes.
"It's not something we can fully discuss in the time it will take mom and dad to finish talking. It might be best to wait until you've talked to dad."
"Okay," Sephiroth said. Wanting her to relax, he decided to change topics. "I promised Genesis I'd stop by tomorrow and that I'd bring him some of your flowers and more of that herbal tea you sent him a few weeks ago."
"What are you making up for?" Aerith asked.
The mirth and mischief were back in her voice and eyes, making Sephiroth feel better.
"I ditched our last two sparring matches and he was threatening to lord it over me."
"That would do it. I'll leave them ready for you in the counter. How is he, anyway?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "The same, more or less. He has to go back to see Father on Monday for a follow-up of his last appointment and his field work load has been cut again. He won't be representing Soldier at the summit next month."
"He can't be in a very good mood, given all of that."
"I think he and Angeal had just had an argument when I dropped by earlier to let them know I'd be staying here. Luckily, that whole thing with Vincent distracted them from their own issues for a while. They seemed to have patched things up by the time I left."
Aerith emptied a packet of pasta unto the boiling water and then prepared a baking dish. "At least something good came out of your ordeal."
"Who said it was my ordeal?"
"Like you said, I know things." Before he could reply, she said, "Could you light the oven for me, please?"
"Sure."
Less than an hour later, all four members of the Faremis-Gainsborough family sat at the table eating Aerith's oven-baked chicken pasta. As per Ifalna's request, Sephiroth and Gast refrained from discussing work related matters, so the conversation inevitably stirred towards Sephiroth's birthday.
When Gast and Ifalna officially adopted Sephiroth, they found out that no one had ever celebrated his birthday until he turned 13. They asked him why and he said that Hojo had never told him the date of his birth and had never made any effort to take part in the usual social conventions such as birthdays. It wasn't until Sephiroth met Angeal, Genesis, and Rufus on the year he turned thirteen, which was also the year Hojo got him into the Soldier program, that anyone took an interest in his birthday. All of them found it odd that their new friend didn't know when his birthday was and they tried to get Sephiroth to convince Hojo to tell him at least the month of his birth so they could celebrate with him. At the time, however, Sephiroth was still very much under Hojo's strict influence and never dared question his biological father. The other boys then decided to pick a day at random to give presents to their friend, the 15th of October being the chosen date.
Surprisingly, the boys weren't that far off. After returning to Midgar, Gast went through all of Hojo's files on Sephiroth and found that the young man's birthdate was October 6th. He informed Sephiroth but the silver-haired youth decided to keep celebrating on the 15th. Given that Hojo had never bothered with a birth certificate, Gast decided to humour his son and set down October 15th as his official date of birth when the adoption papers were drawn.
This year, Sephiroth's birthday would coincide with the energy summit in Modeoheim, so the plan was to celebrate afterwards.
"I imagine you will want something low key once again," Gast said good-humouredly.
"Well, yes. Nothing has changed since last year so there's no one new I'd like to invite."
That wasn't quite true, but given the fact that he couldn't be in the same room as Vincent without something going horribly wrong he wasn't about to invite him to his birthday party.
Once again, Aerith faltered at her brother's comment, nearly dropping her fork to the floor. Their parents said nothing so, once again, Sephiroth let it slip.
"Where do you want to have the get-together?" Ifalna asked.
"Seventh Heaven would be fine," Sephiroth said. "Unless you're tired of it."
"Not at all," Gast said, waving his fork.
"Is there anything you would like as a present?" his mother asked.
Sephiroth thought about it for a moment. Usually he asked for practical things like mastered materia or some new piece of armour or equipment that might come in handy in the battlefield. And, usually, his family and friends would oblige him while adding something less practical and more recreational. That's how he got most of his books and where his growing collection of porcelain figurines came from. The Turks had even given him an incense kit the previous year, something he never would've chosen for himself but that he'd found very useful more than once.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to choose, though, so he still hadn't come up with anything.
"I really don't know," he said with a small shrug. "I guess I'll let you decide."
"Well, there's still time so if you think of—"
Ifalna was interrupted by the ringing of Gast's phone. With a sheepish smile, the man apologised and went into the living room to answer. He came back not five minutes later and sat heavily on his chair.
"What is it?" Ifalna asked.
"Work related is what it is. Now, Sephiroth, about your birthday—"
Ifalna rolled her green eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, dear. It's obviously something important so go ahead."
"Vincent is awake," Gast said. "Tseng called to let me know. He said Vincent is a bit tired but otherwise seems to be holding up all right. I'll check on him tomorrow."
"That's good news," Ifalna said with a smile.
"Yes. Perhaps not the only good news we'll have in the next few days, either."
Aerith stood up and went to the sink to rinse her plate. Sephiroth took that as a cue to end dinner.
"Father? Could we have that talk now?"
Gast exchanged a look with Ifalna. She smiled and started clearing the table.
"I'll make some coffee and tea. You boys go to the living room." She paused for a moment before placing a gentle hand on Aerith's shoulder. "You, too, sweetie."
Aerith nodded, kissing her mother's cheek softly before following the two men to the living room. While Gast took up his favourite armchair, Aerith sat next to Sephiroth on the couch, curling on his side and holding his hand. Sephiroth looked at her and immediately tensed up.
The last time she'd looked so serious had been a few months after they first met. The Science Department had found the secret laboratory where Hojo had hidden Jenova and Aerith had been the first one to enter the room where the conservation tube was kept. As soon as she approached it, the creature lashed at her telepathically. Even being just half Cetra, Aerith was able not only to withstand the attack but to force the creature to submit. Aerith never told anyone what it was Jenova told her but she spent the next week and a half in a serious mood, barely speaking unless directly addressed. She also kept away from Sephiroth and anyone who had been injected with Jenova's cells.
Seeing her so somber worried him, but the fact that she was actively seeking physical closeness with him reassured him, somehow.
"I take it you don't know why Vincent went to see me today," Gast said.
Sephiroth shook his head. "No. I didn't even know he was there until I arrived to your office. I'd talked to him earlier that morning and he said he felt better than he did last night."
"I'm not sure how he was planning to handle this," Gast started after a short nod, "but I feel you have a right to know what's happening, given that you're directly involved." He took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Galian Beast, one of the creatures Hojo spliced into Vincent, has been dormant for almost two years now—Chaos and the Director saw to that in order to make Vincent's life that little bit easier. However, its biological processes continued to run, just at a very slow pace. Now it has gone into mating season, something Chaos cannot stop, at least not on his own. This has caused a hormonal imbalance in Vincent's body that has, in turn, affected Chaos himself and will affect Vincent in the long run."
Sephiroth felt Aerith's hands tightening around his but he directed his question to his father.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Galian didn't try to attack you earlier today, son. It was trying to claim you as its mate. I didn't want you to come close to it because I feared Chaos wouldn't be able to control it in time. We were lucky he did, but it's clear from his reaction to your presence that it took him a great deal of effort to control his own impulses once you were in the same room with him."
The silver-haired man's eyes widened and he was speechless for a while. He had no idea how to respond to that nor how to appropriately react or feel about the information. At the same time, Vincent's rejection of his offer for friendship made a lot more sense now. Unless…
"How long has Vincent known about this?"
"Since last night. He said Chaos told him about it while you two were having dinner."
The flash of gold across Vincent's eyes had been Chaos, then. The quick retreat to the restroom… The flush on the older man's face when he returned. Aerith's comment about how Vincent felt a bit warm…
He turned to his sister, confused. "You… knew?"
Aerith shook her head slowly. "Not really. I knew there was something wrong with him but not only because of his body temperature. I felt…" She paused and sighed. "I've always been able to feel Chaos within Vincent. He was, after all, born from the Lifestream and is, in his own way, a Planet Protector like mom and I. Last night I felt he was agitated, and I felt it had something to do with you. Both he and Vincent were concerned about you, but Chaos… I can't explain it well. But, from what dad tells us, I suppose I was feeling the turmoil caused by Galian's base instincts. Except…"
"Except what?" Sephiroth pressed.
Aerith looked sideways at her father before focusing her gaze on her brother's face. "I don't think Galian's hormones are the sole cause of Vincent's disquiet. I think Vincent and Chaos have mixed feelings about you, Sephiroth. I also think that your sudden interest in Vincent has stirred up some sort of debate between them."
"Are you saying Vincent and/or Chaos may be attracted to Sephiroth beyond Galian's impulses?" Gast asked.
The young woman shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I haven't been around Vincent very often or for very long, but…" She sighed again, pouting slightly. "It's hard to describe the movements of a person's Lifestream. There's just no words. But I do know that he wants you to be safe and happy, to protect you."
"He said as much, but he was hesitant to talk to me even before Chaos told him about Galian's… impulses," Sephiroth said. "Even before he knew, he didn't want to get involved with me."
"That makes sense," Aerith said. "It must be uncomfortable for him to think back on how he couldn't stop Hojo and Lucrecia from experimenting on you."
"So I gathered from our talk last night," Sephiroth mused. Before the topic could stray in that direction, he returned his attention to his father. "Why does Galian want me as its mate?"
"Well, that has something to do with what I said about more possible good news," Gast said. "I'm not done with the analyses, but from what I was able to see today on the tissue samples I took from Galian and Chaos, I can tell that there is a relation between them and Jenova. Moreover, Galian seems to be related to the Cetra."
Aerith sat up and blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't found anything specific yet, but some old books on Cetra culture make reference to large beasts they kept as guardians in certain areas. One of the descriptions vaguely resembles Galian's form, so I'm guessing that Hojo found remnants of one of these creatures somewhere close to where we discovered Jenova and, true to his nature, experimented with whatever tissue samples he managed to obtain. If my hypothesis is correct, his experimentation with Vincent wasn't as aimless as we originally thought. I think he was trying to come up with a failsafe of sorts in case the experiments borne by the Jenova Project became unmanageable."
"So… he implanted Galian unto Vincent to have someone—or something—strong enough to subdue an individual with Jenova in their system?" Sephiroth asked.
"It's possible. If Galian's ancestors were loyal to the Cetra and fought Jenova alongside them, then it makes sense that it would react to the Jenova cells in your body."
"Why does it want to mate with me, though? Why not just kill me?"
"You said it just now, Sephiroth," Gast said. "Galian wanted to subdue you, to make you submit to it. I doubt Hojo found a complete specimen or even a 100% viable tissue sample. He must have tampered with whatever he found and it's very likely he ended up with something that was far more instinctual than logical. As long as it remains victorious over Jenova, the manner of said victory is unimportant."
"But Jenova went hysterical when Galian took control. She didn't shut up until Chaos reined Galian in."
"You heard Jenova again?" Gast asked, taken aback. When Sephiroth only nodded, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"There was no time at the lab or afterwards. Don't worry," he added quickly when he saw the concern in his father's eyes. "I couldn't even make out what she was saying, if she was saying anything at all. All I heard was angry and panicked screaming, and I felt a lot of fear and loathing when Chaos spoke to me. Like she resented him."
"She would," Aerith said. "Chaos is the one being in the entire Planet that could effectively take her down. She's alien matter, an infestation, and Chaos's job is to ensure the integrity of Gaia's soul. The only reason he never came forth when Jenova first arrived was because the damage she caused was focalised and the Cetra were, to an extent, able to contain it and her."
"If you knew all that about Chaos and Jenova, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Sephiroth asked.
Ifalna entered with a tray with a mug of coffee and three mugs of tea. She set them on the coffee table before taking her cup of tea and sitting next to Sephiroth.
"Because I asked her not to," she said.
"What? Why? If we'd known about this sooner, then Genesis—"
"Sephiroth, you must understand. There are no guarantees that your father or anyone in the Science Department will be able to come up with a way to harness Chaos's powers to neutralise Jenova completely. And even if they do, there's no way to know what her absence from your bodies will cause. It could kill you, dear."
Seeing the anger in Sephiroth's cat-like eyes, she set her mug back on the tray and cupped her son's face in her hands.
"Sephiroth, my son, I want nothing more than to see Genesis healthy again and to know that that aberration's voice will never again haunt your days and nights. But after everything Vincent has been through, I could not ask him to consign himself to a laboratory to be poked at and prodded again based on nothing but suppositions and baseless hypotheses. Especially when it could get you killed—everything he's ever wanted is for you to be safe, Sephiroth."
"They're not baseless—"
"Not anymore," Ifalna interrupted. "But they were four years ago, and they remained so until today."
"You also have to take Vincent's feelings into account," Aerith said. She was still holding Sephiroth's hand and she could feel it trembling. "It's likely he'll want to help, but…"
"But what?" Sephiroth asked, turning to look at his sister.
Aerith searched his eyes for a moment and seemed disappointed at what she found—or didn't find—in them. "You really don't understand, do you?"
"Understand what?" Sephiroth sounded frustrated.
"Your own feelings. The reason why you approached him, the reason you were so upset last night when Zack and I arrived and gave Vincent an opening to leave early. The reason why you're so troubled and concerned for him."
"I think what your sister is trying to say, son," Gast intervened, "is that you might be developing feelings for Vincent. Perhaps even romantic feelings," he added.
He wanted to tell them all that it was ridiculous, that they were reading too much into things. He couldn't, though, because Genesis and Angeal had arrived to the same conclusion through different paths and by taking different facts into account. He didn't believe in love at first sight and knew this wasn't it, either. But he knew life was a cycle, that the Planet was alive and had a will of its own. He'd always known that it wasn't a coincidence that he ended up being the adoptive son and brother of the last two remaining Cetra. And it seemed now that it wasn't a coincidence that Vincent had ended up with the two creatures in the entire Planet that could hold the key to neutralising Jenova and thus healing one of his best friends.
It hit him then, why Aerith was so sad—because the hesitance and frustration were only a cover for the much more poignant truth: Aerith was heartbroken for him and Vincent because the very thing that drew them together could be the one thing that kept them apart.
Vincent would allow Gast to investigate Galian and Chaos's connection to Jenova without much objection, no doubt about that. But as soon as he heard who had ensured that connection he would attempt to sever all other ties with Sephiroth. There was no way the gunman could allow any sort of intimate relationship to develop between them, not when knowing that, at least on his part, the physical attraction was engineered by the man who killed him and made Sephiroth the target of his twisted experimentation. If he had been reluctant to befriend him before finding out that Galian wanted to mate with him, it would be virtually impossible to convince him to put that aside and give Sephiroth a chance.
Sephiroth doubted Vincent would quit the company, not when the fate of the Turks could end up in Heidegger's hands, but he would probably arrange things so that he didn't have to face the General at all. In the short term that meant seriously altering the energy summit security plans. In the long run… Sephiroth didn't even want to think about it.
But if Chaos was the key to eliminating Jenova and they could get rid of it forever… Wouldn't that mean that Galian would lose interest in Sephiroth? Wouldn't that open at least a tiny window of hope for them? Whether friends or lovers, Sephiroth knew he wanted Vincent to be a part of his life now. He couldn't say why but there was no use denying it.
"Stop thinking, brother," Aerith said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "One thing at a time, otherwise you'll drown like those flowers you were watering earlier."
"Aerith is right," Gast agreed. "I still need to finish analysing all the samples, and I need to speak to Vincent about what I've already found. Then I'll work on suppressing Galian's impulses so you two can talk things over without any unfortunate interruptions."
Sephiroth sighed heavily but nodded, pulling Ifalna to his side with his left arm while he held Aerith close with his right one.
"I don't suppose I can ask for that talk as an early birthday present, can I?"
Gast stood up and kissed the top of Sephiroth's head. "You can. I promise to do my best to make it happen."