A/N: First of all: To everyone out there – I'd like to wish you a very happy, successful and inspiring New Year; and I hope you had wonderful holidays.

And now, very briefly, to this chapter: Believe it or not, we are still in the introduction part of the story… This is the last chapter needed for set-up, though. However, that means information and dialogue rather than actual action. I seriously hope you will not be too disappointed. (Can you see how hard I'm struggling not to say 'I'm sorry' yet again? I am, of course. For being late, for being not epic enough, for… oh, just ignore me… :)

Anyway, we are now entering Part III. The opening quote here might be a tad unusual on the first regard, for those who know the song. It's taken from Joan Armatrading's "The Weakness in Me". Although the title is a close to perfect match, the rest of it might not seem to fit the story, as it is about being caught in a triangle relationship and having to make choices. Still, I would argue that the complete first verse and chorus can be read in a way that would make a lot of sense, if you squint a tiny little bit... Anyway, the lines I'm quoting here should be pretty obvious.

And finally: Dedication time! (My list still contains three awesome people with pending dedications… Don't worry, I'll get to you soon.)

Dear Natalia

I'm pretty sure you did not expect this to happen so soon. Actually, it was supposed to be even sooner, for it should have been a Christmas (Yule) surprise (something of no material value, remember? ;), which is now severely delayed due to my constant lack of time. So it is a New Year's surprise now. Hope you still like it.

I wish you wonderful, inspiring and happy 2010, filled with tons of ideas for writing and lots of funny conversations with your lovely muses!

Thank you for everything, honey.

PS: "Every time you come across a reason why this just had to be your chapter, take a sip."

III. Denial

~oOo~

I'm not the sort of person
Who falls
In and quickly out of love
But to you I gave my affection
Right from the start

You make me stay
When I should not
Are you so strong
Or is all the weakness in me?

~oOo~

The sky over Midgar was grey. Grey like concrete, like steel, Midgar-grey. If there wasn't such a colour term already, one ought to invent it. It had been raining all morning, and during the last hours, the heavy raindrops had turned into a softer, yet equally persistent drizzle.

Ever since Genesis had woken up this morning, a matching dark grey curtain seemed to weigh heavily on his mind, although he was not completely sure why that was. Nothing too depressing had happened recently; in fact, it even looked as if his life was slowly getting back on track. His overall condition was approaching a normal level again, and even Marlowe had managed a grim 'Not bad' during yesterday's training.

However… that strange tiredness was still there. It hadn't gone worse, but it hadn't gotten better either. And that wasn't even the most irritating part of it. What really bothered him was waking up in the morning with an unexplainable feeling of anxiety and not being able to shake off the weight of this emotion during the whole day, no matter how hard he tried. It must have been caused by something in his dreams, he knew that much, but he could remember nothing about them, not a single event, not even an isolated image.

The sound of voices interrupted his thoughts. Genesis sighed almost inaudibly. According to most of his comrades, this was as low as it got: Introduction to Materia for members of the Infantry who had never even touched that stuff before. At least they all had what Major Stevenson, Shinra's Chief Materia Instructor, referred to as 'a minimal spark of talent', which had been determined through a row of tests every member of the Infantry or Guard had to take at a certain point of their career. To be selected for SOLDIER, a talent for Materia was inevitable, but for the rest of the Army, it was an optional asset, not more. In the best case, they would receive a very basic training allowing them to handle most standard varieties.

Having to teach basics to absolute beginners wasn't exactly one of his favourite assignments; he knew that already, although he had never done it before. The worst thing about this task was that those beginners had absolutely no idea of what using Materia was like, but they thought they knew. Such an attitude was annoying enough in any other lesson, but when it came to Materia, it was downright dangerous. A series of minor and major incidents had finally forced the Executive Board to issue the order that every candidate had to complete a series of simulations first, before he was given permission to handle real Materia, a circumstance most people did not know about until their very first lesson.

As Stevenson himself had pointed out the day before: 'First thing you need to do is bring them back down to earth. It is usually the best option to crush their expectations in the very first minutes, as the last thing you need is them behaving like a bunch of kiddies faced with the first snow of the winter, running their VR training like a snowball fight. It's only a simulation, but there's enough to be messed up. Always start with theory, save the mesmerizing parts for later.'

Hesitantly, Genesis had finally decided to stick to those rules, even if that would inevitably brand him as arrogant and haughty in the eyes of his students. After all, he was used to being labelled with terms like that, not only by fellow SOLDIERs, but especially by lower ranks.

Although he somehow felt bad for having to disappoint them first of all, he still had to smile inwardly. Most of those soldiers were his age, or even a year younger, facing him with barely veiled curiosity and a hint of expectation. Looking closer, the expressions on their faces reminded him of his very first contact with Materia a few years back. Truth be told, there were still times when he couldn't help but be mesmerized, fascinated by the miracle of it all.

A brief glance to the clock above the door informed him that it was time to start the lesson, and Genesis tried to concentrate on the first words to say, looking for a way to make them sound less condescending. Yet in the very moment he turned away from the window, something odd happened. It lasted only for a second, but from the corner of his eye, he saw his reflection in the window glass. A very changed reflection, but one he instantly recognized. His heart seemed to skip a beat at that sight, but when he tried to concentrate on its details, it was gone. If it had ever existed at all. Maybe his mind had just been playing tricks on him. Again?

With a brisk movement towards the middle of the room, Genesis decided to put those thoughts on hold, and turn to the task at hand.

"Infantrymen, I'd like welcome you to your first Materia lesson. I can tell you right now that this lesson will not be what you expected, and that you will not necessarily like it." His words were met by a few frowns and low disappointed remarks, yet every single one of them had been in the Infantry long enough to learn the very basic rule of 'Never contradict a superior officer, at least not too openly'. Genesis continued, in a tone he actually hated himself for, because it was plain matter-of-fact, bare of any emotion, and therefore felt like he was acting a role instead of being himself. "I know you are all dying to get to the practical part, but before even thinking about that, there are a few core points you have to understand. Let's start with a bit of grey theory: What exactly is Materia?"

He could see them roll their eyes in disbelieve. Every Army recruit, woken in the middle of the night after only two hours of sleep, would have been able to answer this question by giving the correct basic definition.

"I know what you are thinking right now: 'Crystallized Mako. Every child knows that.' However, if that was the only crucial point, I would not ask you, would I? So in conclusion, there must be more at stake here. You all have to be aware of the fact that although Materia is first and foremost a weapon, it is also something entirely different from a sword or a rifle. Who of you can tell me what it is that you do with Materia in the first place? How does it work?"

Silence.

"Come on, it's not that difficult. Anybody?"

Finally, a voice from the back row shouted the word Genesis had expected to hear: "Magic."

"Magic," Genesis repeated slowly, as if he had to savour the taste of that word, before he continued with a trace of irony: "That sounds good, doesn't it? Exciting. There is just one problem: It's not entirely true. To be precise, not even close to true at all. Sorry to shake your worldview, but what Materia allows you to do is nothing like those things witches and wizards perform in the fairy tales you doubtlessly read when you were younger. In fact, the most obvious thing Materia and magic have in common is the first letter."

He actually heard some laughter as a reaction to the last statement. At least they still find it amusing…

"Materia use is 90% plain and boring science, nothing but manipulation of natural forces. As you will see, the harder you try to manipulate them, the more difficult it gets. And there is another thing that distinguishes what you are about to learn from performing magic tricks." Trying to meet their eyes, he continued in an unexpectedly warm tone: "Materia allows you to do basically everything, as long and as often as you like, doesn't it?"

Affirmative murmuring followed that statement.

"I strongly recommend getting that nonsense out of your heads, right now. That's an order." He took a deep breath, before he continued in a slightly less furious tone: "If it was like this, why are we still at war with Wutai? A single person with enough Materia would have been more than sufficient to send that whole island to the bottom of the ocean. But that's not the case, you see.

Therefore, I want you all to know that even fighting with Materia, as superior as it seems, is still fighting; it is tiring and cumbersome, and it demands both skills and sacrifices. You will learn that even an experienced Materia user can only cast a certain amount of spells in a row, sometimes only one, and that there are limits that can not be crossed, no matter how hard you try or how good you get. Therefore, Materia use has a lot to do with strategy, just like any other form of fighting. Don't ever forget that."

~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~

"Tanner, that's a sword you are holding, not a club, so stop using it to bash your opponent."

The addressed SOLDIER Second Class paused a moment to return a brief "Understood, Sir", before he tightened his grip around the weapon again to continue with a slightly more refined technique.

Sephiroth could not help but feel slightly amused. Angeal had a special way to make even criticism sound rather well-intentioned than reproachful, as long as he could see that the person addressed was at least trying.

Due to the fact that Sephiroth had just returned from his latest mission in Wutai, his daily schedule was slightly reduced to compensate for the efforts he had put in. Not that it mattered to the famous SOLDIER anyway. No employee of the Company could remember seeing him tired or overworked before, not even once. Instead, it was being out of tasks that made Sephiroth appear strained. So at those rare occasions when he wasn't given any work by the military department, he just started looking for some.

Originally, he had just come over to hand Angeal a copy of his latest Wutai report file as promised a few days ago, but in the end, he had decided to stay a bit longer after his friend had made a playful remark about the fact that the performance of those Seconds improved drastically when they realized they were being watched by a 'living legend'.

It was a rare treat indeed, since Sephiroth was the only member of the Shinra Army who was excluded from some official rules and duties, amongst those the obligation to help out in training of lower ranking Army members whenever being based at Midgar with no other assignments.

Normally, SOLDIERs had only few obligatory lessons, mainly theory, and were responsible for organizing most of their practical and physical trainings themselves. If they were not assigned a specific task or mission, the rest of the day was spent either with teaching others or doing office paper work. The latter was of course the most unpopular task available, and even Sephiroth was no exception from this unwritten law.

Maybe this was the reason why he preferred a little chat with Angeal to returning to his desk, although he was not really fond of small talk in general. "They must trust you quite a lot if they allow you to train Seconds already."

Angeal showed him an almost flattered smile: "Truth be told, I never thought about it that way, I just took over the task I was given. It's better than having to teach Materia basics, like Gen, though he would doubtlessly disagree."

Sephiroth looked up. "So he's back on regular duty? In that case, his capability must be close to normal again."

Angeal made a vague gesture of uncertainty. "That's what everybody is thinking, but I have my doubts about it."

"Why that? Did he mention feeling unwell to you?"

This time, Angeal shook his head decidedly. "No. Gen would rather die than to admit anything that qualifies as weakness," And unfortunately, this is meant literally. "However, if he thinks he needs to do so around others, fine, but how can he possibly think I'm not realizing how much he's still struggling? I mean, I've known him for such a long time, so he can fool anyone else, but not me."

"What did you expect?" Sephiroth realized instantly that this question might have sounded a tad to harsh, and he tried to correct that while he continued: "He's been acting like he needed to prove himself to the entire Shinra Army ever since he was out of hospital, throwing himself into his work and training schedule like nothing happened."

Although those words sounded rather unmoved, Angeal could make out something like underlying concern. "You are right," he returned. "It shouldn't surprise me. After all, it's so much like him. Maybe I'm just scared it might be the Initial-Mako-Treatment-behaviour all over again." He only realized that he had spoken the last sentence out loud after he had done so already. It surprised him. Maybe that was due to the fact that he needed to focus his attention more on his students than on this conversation.

Sephiroth waited for a moment, obviously not wanting to create the impression of prying, before he added: "You will have to fill me in on that point. It's not like I know every line in your dear friend's Personnel File the way you obviously do."

"It's not in there anyway." Angeal was aware of the fact that he had to choose his words carefully now. Even though he knew that Sephiroth would not possibly go around and tell everyone, it had never been his intention to compromise Genesis, not in that matter, anyway. Still, again to his own surprise, he found himself trying to explain: "He was exactly like that after the Initial Mako Treatment before we were promoted SOLDIERs. I don't really have to tell you that the first days afterwards are extremely bad. For Gaia's sake, 'bad' is still an understatement… However, the worst part is probably when you have to get used to those improved senses. Not that I have any experience in that matter, but when they say it's comparable to being on a really bad drug trip, I believe that makes sense. After all, it made me appreciate for the first time that the science wing is so dull and grey. In the very moment when I first saw bright colours, I thought I would go insane… Luckily enough, those heavy side effects are supposed to last only a few days, a week tops; but after that, there should be no persistent indisposition, until your next update, that is."

"'But don't worry; no matter what, updates can never be as bad as the initial procedure.' At least that's what they tell you, isn't it?"

Angeal instantly realized the slight hint of bitterness in that statement, and wondered not for the first time if those really intense headaches he used to get after every Mako update treatment were in fact a blessing, not a curse. "True or not, it worked fine for me. I have to admit it took me quite a while to figure out that it wasn't the same for Genesis. He started suffering from nausea and attacks of dizziness again pretty soon after we were officially released by the Science Department. They also tell you at least a dozen times that such symptoms could be the first signs of grave side effects, but do you reckon he would have told me? Or anyone else, for that matter?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No way. He played the tough cookie, didn't he?"

"Exactly. Only after he passed out right in front of me and I told him he had scared me out of my mind, he admitted that he was not feeling well. Quite frankly, it was much worse than that, so I started to seriously consider the option of dragging him to the science department myself to have that problem checked out. Anyway, we never got that far. He had another spell of dizziness during regular training just one day later, and this time, it was obvious what was causing it."

That's not even all. You are omitting the worst part of it all. The blood. All that blood…

"And what did our friends in the white coats say in that matter?" Once again, it was a very subtle undertone informing Angeal that Sephiroth was not any fonder of Shinra's most valuable department than Genesis was.

"That was quite strange really. You know, it's usually a good feeling to see those science guys being at a loss with something, but not when it's concerning your best friend."

Sephiroth gave him something close to a smile. Not that I would know exactly how that feels like, but I guess I can relate to it well enough.

Right in that moment, their conversation was interrupted. One of those Seconds had obviously lost grip of his sword for a moment, and before Angeal could voice a warning, that SOLDIER's training partner had continued with another attack that sent the weapon flying through the training room. It was a potentially dangerous situation, since this was not a special sword for training purposes, but a real one as it was used in the war.

In the split of a second, Angeal left his current position with an almost unperceivable movement to pick up the sword right after it hit the ground. Holding it out to the shocked SOLDIER who lost it, he stated in slightly dispraising tone: "And that's why I told you to be very careful. This is not a simulation, this is real; and therefore, not paying attention can cost your comrade's life. A good fighter is not only defined by his strength, but also by the way he looks out for others. Is that understood?"

The following silence was broken after just a few moments by a firm "Yes, Sir.", voiced in unison by both involved Seconds.

Sephiroth could not help but be impressed how subordinates automatically accepted Angeal as a leader or instructor, even if they were not separated by several ranks or years of age. The most surprising aspect of this acceptance was that it was neither based on fear or threats, but simply on that aura of superior knowledge and experience that seemed to surround Angeal in moments like this. A natural leader if I ever saw one.

Returning to his friend, Angeal said: "Sorry about that. You presence might have gotten into their heads after all."

"If I'm distracting your students, we should better continue our conversation at a later point."

"Not at all. It's a very good practise for them, because in the heat of a battlefield, they will have to struggle even harder to keep their focus."

After a moment of silence, Angeal continued as if nothing had happened: "So the person in charge of the Science Department was more than confused that day. I only know this because Genesis insisted that I remained present." Because he was too scared to listen to any word they said, and trusted me to make the right decisions. Even if it seemed like an eternity ago, Angeal could still recall Genesis' pale face and the terrified expression in his eyes, although he had tried very hard to appear calm and unimpressed, as usual. "The scientist said according to his files, Gen had received what they call a minimum dose. I got almost one and a half times as much as he did, and I felt great."

"True, but I still fail to see what caused the science guy to be at such a loss..."

"According to him, a minimum dose carries the only risk of being ineffective. Besides, the symptoms Gen was suffering from were clear signs of Mako poisoning. An overdose, you know?"

"Of course I do. I'm familiar with the procedure," Sephiroth tilted his head slightly and gave Angeal an unreadable look. "So we have to conclude that our dear friend seems to be special in more than just one way." He had briefly evaluated telling Angeal that to him, it made all perfect sense. Not for the first time he wondered how much his friend really knew about Genesis' recent accident. Judging from what Genesis had told him, Sephiroth could easily conclude that the main cause had been a Materia-caused injury. Materia was nothing but a different form of Mako, and if Genesis had a low tolerance of that stuff for whatever reason, then Angeal could be right and it was just the same all over. But he kept that thought to himself and changed the topic slightly. "Let's assume for a moment that you are right and that his condition is still not improving and in fact even worse than what everyone assumes. What do you want him to do?"

"To slow down, a least a bit. And since he is not likely to do so as long as he is in Midgar, he should consider filing a holiday request. As far as I know, he was even told so already, but he waived that offer."

"That suggestion sounds very reasonable. I think you should talk to him again. After all, you are the only one he listens to."

"Occasionally, you mean," Angeal returned with a slight hint of irony.

"Maybe it would help if you went with him… When was the last time you had some time off?"

Angeal looked at him for a moment, evaluating what his friend had just proposed. "As much as I fancy the thought of getting away from Midgar, I doubt I will be given the permission."

"Leave that to me. If you convince Genesis, I'll get the permission for both of you. Not too long, five to seven days, but still…"

"You would do that?"

With another cryptic expression, Sephiroth returned: "Why not? But don't get too exited yet, you know how holiday requests work: you hand in a pile of papers and Gaia knows when and if your request will be granted… So you better fill in those forms as soon as possible, and I'll write a supportive statement." Then, out of the blue, he looked up at Angeal and stated calmly: "Besides, you might need a time out just as much as he does. You are not exactly yourself lately either."

"Meaning?"

"I always considered you to be the honest type, outspoken, direct. Why do you tell outsiders about a problem instead of addressing it openly to the person concerned? You haven't talked to Gen like you just did to me, have you?"

He is right. And why is that? Because I'm afraid of his reaction? Because he is not longer 'just' my friend? Because I… he paused, confused and almost scared for a minute, before he carefully retraced the thought, as if to evaluate the sound of the word. Because I love him too much?

~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~

Meanwhile, Genesis was standing at the window again, looking up to the unchanged grey sky. For some reason, he still felt miserable. Come on, stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are so pathetic.

His thoughts drifted again, but in a direction he didn't necessarily like better. A few days ago, some of those scientists had obviously come to the conclusion that a second minor Mako update was necessary; and it was scheduled for later today, only two weeks after the last one. Knowing the negative effects of Mako due to own experiences, Genesis felt this was rather unusual, if not downright strange, yet he did not dare to question that decision. It would be his last visit to the science department for the next months, hopefully. This was the thought he tried to concentrate on.

As soon as he had been given the exact time and date, he had been caught in an inner battle whether or not to tell Angeal about it. On the spur of the moment, he had decided to do so; and almost regretted it instantly when Angeal insisted on rearranging his afternoon schedule for that day. It had taken Genesis a lot of effort to convince him otherwise.

"You promised you won't insist on holding my hand, remember?"

Angeal had just given him a very long, calculating glance, before he accepted with something that came as close to a sigh as he could allow himself: "Ok, but there is one condition: I'll come over to pick you up this time."

Taking a deep breath, Genesis had wanted to refuse that offer, but Angeal had added in a calm, yet very determined voice: "This condition is not negotiable."

"I'll be jiggered. What's my favourite shorty still doing here?"

Genesis did not even turn around, for he recognized the voice instantly. "Shut up, Alex."

The addressed looked at him with amusement rather than anger. Alexander Griffin was a fellow SOLDIER First Class, three years older than Genesis, but only about one and a half inches taller, a fact making it almost ironic that he had chosen to nickname Genesis 'shorty'.

Griffin tended to describe himself as 'just another average blond guy', which was not exactly true, in no way. Quite a few people referred to him as a key figure of the SOLDIER unit, a circumstance he seemed either to ignore or to taunt most of the time. 'I'm not even half as important as people think I am. Just another example of the fact that it's not about what you really know, but about what others think you know.'

On the very first regard, he seemed a person easy to read, outgoing and friendly. But as Genesis had learned pretty soon, that first impression seemed wrong, or at least incomplete when looking closer.

And meanwhile, there had been quite a few opportunities to take such a closer look. Initially, they had first met right after Genesis had joined the SOLDIER unit, but back then, they had hardly exchanged more than few words, until Genesis was promoted to Second Class and therefore earned the right to his own personal quarters. The room he finally ended up with, only partly by choice, was located right at the end of a hallway, making it slightly smaller than the average room, but offered the advantage of just one 'next-door-neighbour'. This person turned out to be Alexander Griffin, who had told Genesis on the very first evening that he insisted on being called 'Alex'. Almost hesitantly, Genesis had offered the option to call him 'Gen' in return. By now, their relation had reached a point where it was not that easy to define. Stating that they were friends would have been too much, yet saying that they were mere acquaintances not enough.

Obviously, Griffin had his own theory in that point. Showing Genesis a bright smile, he announced: "If you greet all your friends like that, it's no wonder that you haven't got any."

"Aren't you used to such greetings by now?" Genesis returned, recalling a conversation between Alex and another fellow SOLDIER from about a year ago.

"Oh, Griffin. Still alive, I see? Too bad, I was hoping someone might have impaled you with his sword by the time I got back."

Despite this obvious, pretty harsh insult, Alex had reacted with his trademark smile. Only his eyes had been slightly colder than usual when he returned: "And I told you before, if you want that job done properly, you should do it yourself."

"There are things one should never get used to," Alex replied cryptically. For a second, his expression shifted to almost painfully serious, before it changed back again to a playful smile: "So, did you teach them a lesson?"

"I hope so. But actually, I don't think I got my point across well enough. There are people who could have done much better."

"But most of them are not exactly famous for their Materia skills."

With a gesture of denial, Genesis returned: "You don't need skills for that task. Basics only, every member of SOLDIER could do it with both hands tied on his back."

The blonde showed a knowing smile. "Concentration – image – focus. Repeat at will."

"Exactly. Major difficulties with the focus part, as usual."

"Oh, that's normal for beginners. They are still too excited to concentrate properly. Wait till you have to teach them fancy gestures…" He underlined that statement with an exaggerated movement of the right arm.

Indeed, there was a part of Materia use any layperson would have immediately connected with magic: most people used some sort of gesture when casting a spell, or murmured some almost inaudible lines, a behaviour that reminded of a stage magician performing his tricks. In fact though, it was just an aid to help with focusing, the intense form of concentration necessary to successfully activate and use Materia, like a mantra or a certain repetitive movement in meditation.

"Now that you are back from your holidays, I'll leave that task up to you. How was it, anyway? Did you have a good time?" Genesis continued in a casual tone.

"You could say so. I fought hard enough to get those additional two days off for my sister's wedding. Still, it was totally worth it."

"Sister, half sister or step sister?" Genesis inquired. Considering Alex' complicated family relations, one just never knew.

"Half sister. Same mom, different dad. I showed you some pictures of her two weeks ago, remember?"

"Vaguely. There are too many people in your family, and you keep showing around far too many pictures of them."

In the split of a second, something in Alex' eyes seemed to change, as if their talk had turned from a harmless conversation into something deeper. It was just a single word, yet it was stressed in a way Genesis could not exactly put down: "Jealous?"

~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~

When Angeal had finished his lesson, he decided to use his break to talk to Genesis. Sephiroth had confirmed his offer yet another time before he had left, so what he had to do now was to convince Genesis of their idea. Not an easy thing to do, as Angeal knew quite well how incredibly stubborn his best friend could be, especially when he felt that others were trying to manipulate him.

He found Genesis completely absorbed in a task he would have normally avoided at any cost: sorting out a pile of paper, obviously test results, to put them into alphabetical order. Angeal could not help but wonder briefly if Genesis had thrown a tantrum prior to this, and what that other person involved had done to convince him otherwise.

After simply watching him for a while, Angeal approached closer until he stood right behind him, before he reached past Genesis' slender frame to pick up some of the papers. It was not a mere try to help, in fact it was more a justification to get away with standing that close to him in case anyone would enter the room.

For the split of a second, Genesis had the strong desire to turn around and cling close to Angeal, giving in that strange weakness he had been feeling the entire morning. Yet at the same time, he felt the urge to make a small, almost playful movement to end up standing more at Angeal's side than directly in front of him. Something about the previous situation had made him feel tense, almost nervous, and that change of place, however minor it was, seem to help for some reason. Finally, he turned his head slightly to give Angeal a tiny smile.

Facing Genesis directly for the first time this day, Angeal instantly noticed how tired he looked. Pretty as usual, but still tired, a fact that was underlined by his movements. They seemed reduced, carefully calculated, as if he was lacking his usual energy. Another one of those subtle signs Angeal did not like seeing. Just like that smile. It's adorable, but it's very obviously fake.

While he was still trying to come up with the right words to start the conversation, he absentmindedly reached out for another piece of paper in the very moment Genesis did the same. Their hands touched unexpectedly, and Angeal decided in the mood of the moment not to withdraw his hand, but close it firmly around the smaller one. Just seconds later, their eyes met, too, and Genesis' expression became concentrated, as if he was trying to read Angeal's thoughts. Obviously, he succeeded, because he instantly lowered his glance, freed his hand and continued with his task as if nothing had happened.

For a few heartbeats, Angeal could feel an almost painful anxiety, the sheer hurt of being rejected, but obviously Genesis had foreseen that, too. He made another one of those minimal movements, and in the next second, Angeal could feel the other's body leaning against his own.

With an incredibly soft tone, as if he needed to comfort his friend, Genesis finally spoke first: "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" was all that Angeal managed in return.

"I still have an unbalanced Mako level, they say. After the side effects of today's update wear off, I should be ok."

"We'll see. But I think your current condition is not entirely to blame on your Mako levels," Angeal leaned in a bit closer, carefully, not wanting to risk Genesis retreating. "I'm not saying you are doing bad. Quite the opposite, actually. You improved so fast, in such a short time. But I can't help noticing that you… Well, if you ask me, you are pushing yourself too hard. That's just bound to backfire, sooner or later."

Pretending to focus his attention on the papers in his hand, Genesis asked casually: "Are you trying to tell me something?"

In return, Angeal decided to be bold for once: "Ever thought about that holiday issue again?"

Instantly, Genesis' whole body tensed up. If he rejected an idea or a suggestion, he always did so with every fibre of his being, therefore the disagreement was usually sensible as well as audible. "I told you, I'm not going."

"And if I was to come with you?"

Finally, Genesis looked up at him in surprise.

"You would not spoil my first chance for holidays in such a long time, would you?" Angeal continued in a very calm tone, making it sound like a rhetoric question. Once again, he had no trouble reading Genesis' thoughts; his eyes gave him away far too clearly. Epic win. As easy as that.

The protest was only weak, obviously in the knowledge that Angeal would not have raised that point completely unjustified: "That's not possible, is it?"

"Let's assume for just a minute it was."

Genesis sighed. "What's the point? As much as I hate Midgar, I can enumerate a lot of places that could be even worse... Banora included. Sorry."

Angeal knew pretty well what he was apologizing for. A trip to their hometown would include an obligatory visit not only to Angeal's mother, but also to Genesis' parents. The latter was something he had been avoiding successfully for some years now. Genesis had never been too fond of his parents, and Angeal knew just enough about his best friend's childhood to understand why.

Still, the situation had even gotten worse right after a visit to Banora about four years ago. Angeal had still no idea what exactly had happened between Genesis and his parents (or his father, more likely) and he was too scared to ask, to scared to remember even, because part of what happened that day was entirely beyond a rational explanation.

If I had been just one second later… Sweet Gaia…

He had never dared to ask why his friend had tried to kill himself that day, but afterwards, there had been a silent agreement that it was for the best if Genesis would not return to Banora anytime soon…

Angeal put those haunting thoughts aside and returned: "We don't have to go anywhere near Banora, you know that. The holiday request is not even written yet, and we can't be too sure when it will be grated, but rest assured that if we get the permission, I'll arrange everything else. All you have to do is say 'yes'."

Genesis frowned again. "Angeal, I just don't know…"

"Aw, come on, Gen. Pretty please?"

For a moment, the silence was so intense that it was almost painful. Genesis felt as if his own heartbeat, echoing through his whole body, was audible enough to give him away far too clearly, even before he finally stated: "You are terrible. Ok, you won."

"Is that a promise? For you know, I'll still need your signature on that request form." Strictly spoken, it was not even necessary. As Sephiroth had pointed out earlier, any of their superiors or any member of the Science or Medical Department could have filed a 'Holidays Request due to Health Issues" on Genesis' behalf, but Angeal had argued that giving their friend the chance to sign a standard form himself would be a better option, since it implied own choice rather than order from above.

"Just get me one of those things and I'll sign it for you. Satisfied now?"

"Almost," Angeal whispered, placing his arms around Genesis' waist to pull him even closer for a second.

Genesis did not resist, but pointed out in an equally low voice: "Well, that's all you're going to get right now."

"You said 'right now', which would imply there's a 'later on'. Yet another promise?"

Once again, Genesis turned his head slightly, to be able to look into Angeal's eyes again. Their faces were so close that their lips almost met, when he returned an intoxicatingly sweet "Maybe."