A/N: First of all, I want to wish each and everyone out there a Happy Easter, a (belated) Blessed Ostara or just a wonderful day in case you don't celebrate anything these days.
Right next, let me add that you guys still mean the world to me, and that I feel incredibly honoured to have you around. All of you. Thank you so much for your patience and support.
Finally, another update. The reason why it took me so long was on the one hand the usual (work, life, etc.), on the other hand the fact that I was writing two chapters at once, this and the next one (which will be up soon).
The following chapter is rather slow paced, for several reasons. One is that it contains descriptions, reasoning, thoughts and flashbacks. I love flashbacks – almost as much as imagery or dreams – but this is not the only reason why I use them. As you know, this is a story about memories/the past, and their influence on the present. So if I want to show you 'the past', I don't have much choice; I can either let a character talk about it, or use a flashback.
Warning: Hm... None, really. A few implications, not worth mentioning. Unless you have a very vivid imagination ;)
Finally, the dedication:
This chapter goes to a very dear friend of mine and yet another incredibly talented author on this site (commonly known as chibipinkbunny. If you want to check out her award-nominated Zack/Cloud friendship story, it's on my fav-list).
My sweetie-bunny!
(It couldn't be more perfect: Easter, virtual Easter egg (*ties ribbon around chapter*) – and bunny. )
Ever since I met you, you never ceased to amaze me, being such a perfect friend and an incredible writer. Every message, every conversation with you is a gift I treasure endlessly. Thank you, sweetie, for everything.
To start off with the main surprise: If you read through this chapter, you will realize that it is not what I promised you some time ago, but something entirely different. As I mentioned before, this chapter and the next one kinda belong together (I wrote them in one go), and therefore, I was planning for a long time to dedicate not just one of those chapter to you, but both. (Actually, the other part should have been first, but as usual, I changed the order. You know me by now, I guess...)
So here is one chapter for being such an amazing friend, constant supporter, amazing motivator and the best anti-depressive I know.
And really soon, there will be another chapter (the 'interior-design-edition' ;) for everything you had to go through recently, a small cheer-up and a sign of my deep admiration for everything you do.
You'll get far, darling, I just know it!
Finally, sorry that it took me such a long time to get this done, but I wanted it to be as close to perfect as possible. As usual, I think I failed. Hope that it's not the case; otherwise: forgive me!
~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~
Golden-shaded twilight.
Oddly enough, this was the first clear thought that formed on his mind; right after his eyes had opened drowsily to evaluate the surroundings. It was one of those terms Genesis sometimes used when he was in a mellow, poetic mood, and Angeal had no idea if he had come up with that expression all by himself or if he had read it somewhere. It didn't really matter, not to Angeal at least.
Your poetic mind and your eternal love for colours... A close-to-perfect combination.
And it was a suiting term after all. The room was filled with an odd sort of filtered bright light, hinting on the fact that the sun was already high up in the sky, and that drawing the blinds had no effect on it whatsoever. Even dimmed, the rays still created that special kind of glow that couldn't be blocked out entirely by simply closing one's eyes.
Therefore, Angeal finally decided that it was no good. He was not feeling tired enough to go back to sleep, but just as well not awake enough to simply get up and start doing... something. If there was something useful to be done at all, since his inner clock told him it was likely around noon, which meant time for the daily 'lunch-hour-standstill' at the Shinra Company. Besides, he was not expected around until later that day. Business as usual, considering that he had spent the whole night on some dimly lit streets in the sublevel of sector three and only returned to the headquarters at half past six in the morning.
Ignoring that fact, his body had obviously decided that not even five hours of sleep were sufficient; his mind, however, refused to work in the usual efficient way. So for the moment being, he was stuck in some state of aimless drifting, and his thoughts almost automatically circled around his friend again.
My boyfriend, for Gaia's sake. Why do I find it so difficult to get used to that?
Just another one of those questions that still remained unanswered. Angeal had no idea why something inside him occasionally just refused to think of Genesis in a more possessive way, or why he desperately wanted his thoughts to stop as soon as they turned only vaguely into that other direction.
Now isn't that odd? 'That other direction'. I can't even spell it out to myself.
Remorselessly, those thoughts came up anyway, like dark clouds appearing in a summer sky, and he had no control over them whatsoever. Completely illogical, for it seemed to indicate unhappiness about the current status of their relationship, which was not true at all. A lot had happened since Genesis had simply turned and run out the door that fateful night. It had been denial first, acceptance later, and by now, they had reached a level of commitment and affection. Mutual affection. Angeal knew that he should have been satisfied with that development, yet he caught himself wanting even more.
That's just not right...
Yet in the very same moment, he also recalled what Ducane had told him on the evening of the Company Ball: 'You are not holier than holy, Angeal. None of us is. And desire is nothing but human nature. Therefore, the feeling as such is not wrong. The way you somehow consider it inappropriate might be. To cut a long story short: You need to find out what the problem is first, before you can solve it.'
And this was exactly what he had been avoiding successfully ever since had realized that there was a problem at all.
So what is the crucial point here? That I can't think about Genesis in connection with sex because... I feel like I'm degrading him? Or because it is not like me to be so... instinct-driven?
The rational part of his mind could very well see at least half a dozen plausible reasons why their relationship had not advanced to that level so far. Yet... - hell, he hadn't even known there was an emotional part of him, but obviously there was indeed, a part that occasionally behaved as if he had no control over it whatsoever. Sometimes it was almost frightening what a mess of emotions Genesis' presence alone could trigger.
Take last night, for example...
As different as being based at Midgar was from being based at Wutai these days, in one point, it was just the same. There were phases of severe boredom, and phases of extreme pressure interchanging without any fixed pattern or warning. A SOLDIER's life consisted of nothing but missions and assignments, and the gaps in between. Of course those gaps were filled with training and other tasks, but occasionally, they seemed almost empty. Never for long, though.
Every now and then, there were 'not entirely ordinary' situations, a term that translated as 'potentially dangerous'. Shinra sometimes sent SOLDIERs on regular night patrols just to show off their power, but most of the time, night shifts consisted of minor support missions for the regular Army or the police forces. Last night's assignment had been to back up to a special police unit trying to arrest one of those underground drug bosses, a job that could be boring as hell, spending hours waiting for a guy that eventually wouldn't show up, but become extremely dangerous in a matter of seconds.
Genesis had been aware of that. He had been sitting on Angeal's bed while Angeal had prepared his equipment for the mission, acting as normal as possible, still the tension had almost been graspable.
Whenever Genesis was nervous, he tried to mask this feeling by focusing on the next task at hand. In situations like this, where he had nothing else to do, he would absentmindedly start to twist a strand of his hair, or simply play with something. This time, it was the military I.D. tag he was supposed to be wearing. With a tiny movement he was surely not even aware of, he kept spinning the thin metal chain around his fingers, back and forth, in a way that was almost hypnotic. It took Angeal some actual effort to turn away after watching him for a while.
"Well, that's it," he announced, maybe a tad too cheerful. "I guess I have to go now, otherwise they'll leave without me. Would be a real shame, don't you think?"
Genesis immediately let go of his makeshift toy and turned to look at him. For a tiny second, Angeal saw an expression in his eyes that instantly reminded him of their childhood, an expression that basically screamed 'But I don't want you to go'. He knew that Genesis was normally not that emotional about assignments, but if he was feeling on edge for some other reason, he often reacted moody and insecure.
Nevertheless, he got up from the bed and walked over to Angeal. Right in front of him, he stopped, as if he was uncertain what to do now, before he continued with a movement that was maybe as subconscious as the playing before, and moved his left hand over Angeal's chest as if to make sure all the uniform parts were in proper condition. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up at Angeal, who wondered in return if Genesis was aware of that strange power field that had built up between them. It felt like sparkling electricity, like some sort of magnetism. And it was strong, surprisingly strong.
"You..." Genesis started, but that sentence was left unfinished. Just a second later, he turned his head slightly and broke the eye contact.
Giving in to a strange longing, Angeal reached out as well and started to trace the form of Genesis' cheek with his fingers, before he gently tried to make his friend look at him again. It didn't take much effort. For a moment, neither of them spoke. In fact, Angeal couldn't even think. The only thing he managed was to pull Genesis closer. Even if it was just for a brief moment, he wanted to hold him. So badly...
Angeal forced himself to blink repeatedly. The heat flooding through his veins in that very moment was almost as intense as it had been not even 20 hours ago.
The thing is that dreams are normally better than reality. Ever child knows that. Just in this case...
Ever since he had first fallen for Genesis, he had fantasized about what it would be like to hold him. Really hold him, not just one of those brief, friendly embraces. The imagination alone had been quite promising, but reality turned out to be even better in a way that was simply indescribable.
Will it be the same with those other fantasies I started to have recently...?
And there he was. Yet again. Right at that mental barrier his thoughts were not supposed to cross – but they still did. The memory of Genesis' body close to his own was still too present, too vivid... His heartbeat, his breathing, his scent – all so real, so intoxicating.
Genesis had simply held on to him for a moment, before he finally whispered: "Let me know when you are back, ok?"
It had not broken the spell, only weakened it, to a degree that allowed Angeal to think again. "Precious, that's not a trip to the warzone in Wutai. It's only one of those stupid support missions. Business as usual."
In return, he felt a stir as Genesis freed himself just enough to be able to look up at him again. After one of those incredibly intense glances, he simply repeated his request, and despite that sugar-sweet, almost begging tone, it sounded like an order.
"Honestly, I don't think that's a good idea. It will be early in the morning, and I'd hate to wake you up." He suddenly realized that he was more worried about Genesis' well-being than his own safety. Looking at him from such a short distance, he realized that he looked way more tired than usual.
But stubborn as usual, Genesis had insisted: "I won't sleep anyway until I know that you are safe."
And finally, they had settled for a compromise.
With a slow but decided movement Angeal set up in his bed. If going back to sleep obviously didn't work, getting up seemed to be the only available option. Better than getting lost in thoughts again, thoughts that were tempting, but not leading anywhere.
Before leaving for the shower, he briefly checked his mobile for any calls or messages. There were none, and in a spell of temporary weakness, he could not resist looking up the last received text again. He had looked at it at least a dozen times; still it always created the same warm, fuzzy feeling.
A reply to his previous message stating that he had just returned, simply reading: 'Thanks. SYLMYL & I mean it.'
They both had the habit to shorten whole sentences into acronyms, not only to save time typing them, but also to keep certain things from the eyes of possible observers. The succession of letters Genesis had used translated as 'See you later, miss you lots'. Still, the most important part were the last three words, as they had a special meaning between the two of them.
Reading that message yet again caused an instant, dull pain in his chest. Right in this very minute, he would have given anything to hear Genesis' voice, another desire that was so irrational, so unnecessary... yet at least not completely inappropriate. A glance at the phone display informed him about the time, exactly noon. Finally, he decided that it was worth a shot, and pressed the 'dial' button.
~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~
When it first happened, it took him by complete surprise. Being caught off guard was annoying, even more so because he had actually foreseen that it would come to this. For the last days, Genesis had stopped every now and then to concentrate on his body, to listen almost anxiously for anything that was not normal. Though nothing had really happened so far, ignoring occasional spots of dizziness, it was like watching an explosive device with a damaged timer. You just knew it would go off, but you didn't know when, and you had no idea how bad the results might be.
It had not been a completely voluntary decision to sit alone during his lunch break, but he had been early today, meaning the canteen was not crowded yet, and he had seen no one he had the desire to talk to.
So when it started, he had been a million miles away with his thoughts, focused on something else entirely. He recalled looking down on the not even half empty plate right in front of him, and in this very second, it had felt like his stomach was cramping. It was a sign he knew only too well, and yet it filled him with panic.
At first, he wanted to jump up and run out of the canteen as fast as he could, but then a cold rationality set in.
No, you won't do that. Not in front of all those people. It's too obvious, and you know what kind of comments that would cause, don't you?
Another wave of pain flooded through his body, causing something like a tiny voice in the back of his mind to speak up in weak protest: But...
No 'but'. You will not give in to that weakness. If it's too late already, well, tough luck. But until you reach that point, you can still fight. So come on, get up already.
Genesis forced himself to get up from the chair – slowly – and to walk across the room at normal speed. Every single step was sending echoes of pain through his body, and as soon as he was out of the door, his vision started to blur considerably. For a moment, all he saw were confusing bright spots, and he had to concentrate hard on not passing out. If he had been in any better condition, he would have tried to reach the facilities in the office section, which was virtually dead at this time of the day, but walking down half a dozen other hallways was completely out of question.
Later, he did not even remember how he had managed to take the last steps. The only thing he recalled was that the door handle felt strangely cold, or that his hand felt far too hot, as if he was suffering from a heavy fever. Thankfully enough, the lavatory was like any other public room in the Shinra Company, kept down to the bare necessities, but very clean, virtually spotless. And empty at the moment being. This was more than a small favour; Genesis knew it, because those sickness attacks had gotten him into much worse situations before. But now was not the time to think about it. Even thinking hurt way too much.
With the last remaining bit of strength, he managed to lock the door behind him, before he sunk down to the immaculate white tiled floor. It felt like falling. No power, no hold, no control... just weakness; this terrible, incontrollable weakness...
An almost voiceless sound of pain escaped his lips, which he stifled as good as possible, although there was no need to. He was still alone, a fact he could almost feel, and if anyone should enter, he would hear the sound of the main door first of all. Silently, he prayed for that not to happen. All he wanted was to be alone, to be transferred to some parallel universe until this was over.
Genesis hated being sick with a passion, hated the way his body acted beyond his control, the way his knees would give in and especially the part that would inevitably follow. He loathed throwing up, because it made him feel on the one hand extremely vulnerable, and on the other hand… it was hard to find a good expression, but 'dirty' might be the closest fit available. Yet this time, he tried to tell himself that it was not the worst possible option. Sickness was a nuisance, but it was at least part of a standard pattern. Considering all that had happened recently, it was as if he had been lost in a dark forest, and finally found a familiar path again. He was not out of the wood yet, the surroundings were still dark and scary, but at least he knew where he was going now.
Nothing I haven't been through before. And as long as there is no blood, it can't be that bad...
This was the thought he decided to focus on while leaning against the wall, trying to evaluate if it was over for the moment being and if he could gather up the strength to get up again. And then his phone started to ring.
Speaking of inconvenient...
Being a Shinra employee, one learned soon that just letting a call go through to voicemail was usually not the best option. After all, the state-of-the-art mobile phones issued for all members of the Military department were officially defined as 'command/communication devices', often replacing traditional radio contact outside of official missions. Therefore, getting the phone out and checking the display first of all was an automatic gesture Genesis would have made even half asleep or seriously injured.
With a sigh, he accepted the call. "Hey." A single, effortless syllable.
"Hey." The same in return, a tad more determined, followed by about 30 seconds of silence. It was not an awkward silence though, more a way of savouring each other's company for a while, the sheer untainted satisfaction of being with a person that understood so well that no words were necessary. If they had been face to face, that state would have lasted even longer, but since it was a phone conversation, which by definition depended on talking, Angeal finally added: "Still alive?"
It sounded casual, but Genesis knew that it was in fact supposed to say 'How are you? Still no adverse reactions?' At the moment being, he felt closer to being dead than anything else, but he would be damned if he let Angeal know that. So he raised a counter question: "Already awake? Not even five hours, that must be a new record." The last few words came out a tad too weak before he could help it. Speaking longer sentences made his throat hurt annoyingly much.
Of course Angeal reacted instantly to the change of tone: "As far as I know, the record is around three and a half hours. But are you sure you're ok? You sound so... strange."
"Oh, everything's fine. Bad reception, I guess." He tried to keep his voice down to avoid that echo effect tiled rooms normally had.
Angeal was silent for a minute. Without seeing his face, Genesis had no way to tell if he believed him or not. For a few seconds, he dreaded the question that would follow inevitably: 'Where the hell are you?'
"Anyway, since I most likely won't see you for the rest of the day, I just wanted to make sure you haven't forgotten about our plans for this evening."
"How could I? But..." What to say? His thoughts kept spinning, and he couldn't think of a good excuse for the life of him. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't say you are not coming. I'm looking forward to see you way too much."
Genesis could feel the blood getting in his face. It was rare that Angeal chose to put it that bluntly, and this fact made it hard to try and get out of it.
"But Seph will be there, so you don't exactly need me, do you?"
"Oh come on, Gen, that sounds like you're jealous."
"As a matter fact, I'm not."
"I hope so, because there is absolutely no need. Looking at it rationally, Seph is most likely not into me at all..."
"That's not funny, Angeal."
"Sorry. But even if he was – or anyone else for that matter - you should know by now that my heart is already sold to another person. And you happen to know who that is, don't you?"
What's wrong with you today? Genesis could stop himself just in time before asking the question aloud. It was not supposed to express reproach, just surprise about the fact that Angeal had openly pointed out his feelings for him for the second time in that short conversation.
"Are you still there?" Angeal's voice shifted to slightly worried once again.
"Of course I am." Genesis took a deep breath and tried to fight down the feeling of nausea that had taken hold of him once more. Damn, I have to end that conversation before this starts all over again...
"So what do you reckon for tonight?"
"Ok, count me in."
"Perfect. So, let's say we'll meet at your room? About an hour after your final class?"
"Sounds good. I'll be there anyway." Genesis took another deep breath. His throat felt like blocked, and speaking became more difficult by the minute.
"Ok then. See you later. Oh, and Gen?" A brief break, before Angeal added: "I mean it."
Despite not feeling like it, Genesis couldn't help but to smile. If he had asked 'What exactly?' the answer would have been 'All of the above' or 'Everything I just said'. It was Angeal's way of reminding him that each and every compliment or affectionate statement mentioned in the course of the entire conversation was still valid. Although he had hardly any energy left, Genesis returned a very soft "I mean it, too," before ending the call.
~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~
After having a shower and getting dressed, Angeal felt at least a bit more awake than before. Maybe the previous phone call played a certain role in that, too. Absentmindedly, he reached out for his nightstand to pick up his I.D. tag, the small oval piece of metal that was a standard part of equipment for most Shinra employees, especially for members of the Army and the Turks. It felt surprisingly cold when he closed his hand around it, and right in the next second, he was caught in another memory, much longer ago, but still almost as vivid as the one of last night.
Angeal had known immediately that something was up when he found Dean sitting on his bed with a very concentrated expression on his face that reminded vaguely of shock, with a hint of anger. Still calm, but with a feeling of cautious worry Angeal had realized that his boyfriend had focused all his attention on that small piece of metal affectionately nicknamed "dog tag" amongst soldiers. He had absolutely no idea what had might have caused this tense atmosphere, so he decided to simply ask. "What's wrong?"
Dean did not reply, but held out the tag in an accusing manner, like a lawyer presenting a core piece of evidence.
What an odd situation. Angeal decided to partly ignore it. "Oh come on, it can hardly be the first time you see one of those things. If I'm allowed to remind you: you are wearing one yourself."
In return, Dean slowly shook his head, as if he hadn't even registered Angeal's statement, before inquiring: "Is this your real birth date?"
Although he had still no idea what this was about, Angeal felt hurt. What kind of question was this? Surely not something you expect from the person you were dating for five months. "No, it isn't. I just prefer this to my actual one."
"Angeal, I'm not in the mood for joking…"
"Neither am I. Of course this is my real birth date. It's not like Shinra to issue fake tags, is it?" He realized that his tone had gotten a tad too harsh, and he tried to get his usual composure back when he added: "What's next, are you going to ask me if what is says there is my real name?"
For the first time, Dean raised his eyes to look at him. "So that means you are... 16?"
"That's what it means, I guess. Simple maths. May you have the kindness to tell me what the big deal is?"
"You really don't get it, do you?"
"I'm sorry, but obviously I don't. Why don't you just explain it to me?"
After a brief moment of silence, Dean had obviously decided to calm down a bit. His tone sounded more resigned than angry when he returned: "That means we have an age difference of three years, almost three and a half even. Which translates as: our current relationship is more than inappropriate."
"Strictly spoken, that's the case anyway. According to Shinra's policy, you should not date a fellow member of your unit. As far as I remember, we were both aware of that fact from the very beginning on."
"And it's not like I was happy about it. Still, this issue is bothering me much more."
"Why that? I'm not a minor, and you are not my superior officer. Besides, it's not like I deceived you on purpose. You never asked how old I was, so I assumed it wouldn't matter."
"Well, it obviously matters to me."
Now it was Angeal's turn to shake his head. "Honestly, Dean, I don't get it. It's not like this fact is changing anything. I'm still the same person I was a few minutes ago, and you never considered me immature so far."
"I just believe that missing knowledge does not automatically make wrong things right."
The tone implied an unspoken 'When you are old enough, you will understand', something Angeal hated more than anything else. "And I believe that maturity is not something that comes in figures according to someone's birth date."
Angeal let go of that little piece of metal to break the spell, so suddenly that it dropped to the floor.
This had been our first major argument, and the very issue that supposedly ended our relationship over half a year later. In fact, it was just an excuse, an alibi for all those other things that we simply couldn't get over. But that's how it started. A minor detail. When it came down, it was all about minor details... It always is.
If there was one lesson he had learned from this relationship, it was to watch out for minor details.
So is that the reason why I'm still hesitating to talk to Gen about that little problem of mine? Because I'm secretly afraid that this might be a minor detail that could ruin everything we have?
That sounded plausible. More plausible than any of those other reasons he had come up with so far? Angeal decided that the answer to that question did not matter. With a sudden clarity, he knew what he had to do next: he finally had to talk to Genesis.
Because that's the first step to solving this problem. And because in some odd way, I feel like I'm keeping something from him if I don't let him know how I feel...
~°oOo°oOo°oOo°~
Later, after a few sips of cold water that had still not been sufficient to get rid of that terrible taste in his mouth, Genesis slowly made his way back to the table. He did not feel sick anymore, just empty and tired. His knees, however, were still a bit weak and shaky, but he tried to walk steady as if nothing was wrong. Surprisingly enough, he succeeded. No one seemed to have realized a thing, not a single head turned, not one person cast him a meaningful glance. Everybody continued with whatever they were doing.
When Genesis returned to the place he had left earlier, the seat right opposite had been taken. He sat down, and the blond SOLDIER First Class lifted his head to look at him. For a while, they just exchanged glances, blue eyes carrying a hint of green locked with icy blue eyes that always had slightly obscure expression. Finally, Alexander Griffin said casually, as if he was talking about the weather: "I honestly don't think the food they serve here is that bad…"
Was there a slight undertone informing him this was not just a simple statement, but a hint on the fact that the other knew precisely what had just happened, or were his nerves just playing up? "What are you implying?"
The blond finished another fork of his meal, before voicing a totally innocent: "Who says that I'm implying anything?"
Touché. Genesis should have known, for Alex Griffin had always been that way. If someone complained that his answers were too simple, missing the point or just counter questions, he always returned: "Well, if you don't like my answers, you should learn to ask better questions."
Genesis suddenly remembered walking a few steps with him on the very first morning after they had become room neighbours. They had passed a group of other army members, standing outside the main building, talking and smoking cigarettes. With an almost playful gesture, Alex had reached out to take one man's half smoked cigarette, and finished it on the way over to the other building.
"You smoke?" Genesis asked, slightly irritated.
"Generally no, occasionally yes." Alex returned. "I enjoy all guilty pleasures, at times. You'll find out eventually. See you around, shorty."
He left, and Genesis shook his head in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he muttered, more to himself than to anybody around.
"He likes you," another SOLDIER answered while passing by.
"He likes me?" Genesis inquired, even more confused than before.
"Well, he called you 'shorty'. Alexander Griffin only nicknames people he likes."
The only problem was that even two years later, Genesis had still no idea if 'like' was the right word to define Alex' attitude towards him. For a few moments, they just looked at each other, carefully scanning for any gaps in the other's defence, a silent duel fought with glances instead of swords. The most irritating thing was that Alex showed a nonchalant smile during all of it.
Suddenly, their battle was interrupted. Another SOLDIER has approached them and sat down on the chair next to Alex with a fast movement. Patting the blond on the shoulder, he announced: "Tell me, Alex, who are you sleeping with?"
Without changing his smile, the addressed turned his attention from Genesis to the newcomer. "Why the sudden interest in my love life, Phil? Is there something you didn't tell me about?"
To Genesis' surprise, the other SOLDIER just returned a slight frown. Any other person would have to run for dear life if they made a remark like that about Phil Harvey, a fact Genesis knew from own experience. But then again, Harvey and Griffin had a somehow strange relationship, yet another thing Genesis wasn't certain about yet.
"I'm just wondering how you could possibly know that my alertness level was raised when the official statement wasn't even out yet."
Alex tilted his head like a teacher disappointed with his star pupil. "And the only thing you could think of is that I was messing around with someone? That's pretty pathetic, if you ask me..."
"Well, then give me another good reason."
"Sorry, that's impossible."
For the first time, Harvey seemed to realize that they were not alone at the table. Nodding into Genesis' direction, but without even looking at him, he asked: "And why? Not suitable for minors?"
Obviously he interpreted the following silence the wrong way. Still not even looking at Genesis, he said in a parental tone: "Why don't you go play somewhere else? The grown-ups would like to have a little conversation."
It was a commonly known fact that wounded animals are the most dangerous. Although Genesis did not feel like getting involved in an argument at all, he could not accept this kind of insult. His pride would not allow it. "Well, try and make me." The tone in his voice was almost dangerously calm.
Reacting instantly, Harvey looked at him for the first time and moved a bit closer: "Is that an offer?"
Surprisingly enough, Alex reached out to pull him back. "That's enough. Stop it, Phil. Goddess allmighty, when did you become that obnoxious?"
Shaking off the other's arm almost violently, the addressed just hissed back: "Damn it, Alex, when did you develop a soft spot for losers? Besides, he is a newly-promoted, so he's the lowest in rank here. I can order him around all I want…"
"No you can't. Technically, we are all Firsts here, whether you like it or not; and you are expected to act accordingly."
"And what if I don't?" Harvey replied in a haughty tone. "Try to stop me again, and you are getting yourself into trouble."
"Trouble? I don't think so…" Alex returned with one of his trademark cryptic smiles. "We both know that your position is in much more danger than mine."
"Are you threatening me? That means we are not friends anymore, Griffin."
The smile on Alex' lips disappeared instantly. "If you continue to behave like this, I don't think that I mind… Harvey."
For a few heartbeats, the two just stared at each other, engaged in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Harvey just got up and walked away, swearing very audibly, which Alex simply ignored. He knew he had won, for the moment being at least.
Genesis had no idea what to make out of this situation. Alex had always been friendly towards him, but he had never openly intervened on his behalf before. It was irritating.
Meanwhile, the other SOLDIER continued his meal, seemingly unmoved, before he said casually: "Phil actually isn't a bad guy. Behind all this arrogance, he is a very reliable comrade and a good friend. Or at least he used to be. Some people just can't handle power, it changes them."
"Still, that gives you no right to fight my battles for me." Genesis knew that he was being unfair, but he felt like he had no other choice.
"Did I do that?" Alex looked up at him, his eyes all serious. "You know, shorty, outside of my job, I usually fight for no one but for myself. However, if you insist, I'm sure we'll find a way to get even. Our world is full of battles. And sometimes you need to accept that you can't fight all of them on your own."