Afternoon my fellow FF7 fans!
Big thanks for the reviews Moosh, TemariFire, Chrono and Ocena Strex! Alot of wonderful feedback that is much appreciated.
So I really enjoyed writing this chapter and hope you all love it to! and keep feeding my your thoughts.
Over the last few days my head has practically exploded with so many more great ideas for this fic! If only there was a machine that could instantly write out all your ideas into a coherent story and grammar/spell check it immediately... Gosh why is this not a thing yet!? :D
Enjoy!
"Ahhh... feels good to be back" Angeal tuned as he stretched his arm across himself, enjoying the satisfying yet disturbing crack of his left shoulder blade. "Wouldn't you agree Gen?"
The stride of the second class SOLDIER stomping a couple of paces ahead of them didn't miss a beat and no response was made. Sephiroth and Angeal smirked sideways at each other and despite what most would believe, even the sensible and diplomatic Angeal couldn't resist going back in for another go.
"Hey Genesis! I saiiiiiddd! Isn't it nice to be..."
"Piss off Angeal"
Sephiroth chuckled and his older friend shook his head at the back of the Auburn haired man in amusement.
"Owch… and here I was thinking the master of words took pride in his vocabulary"
Genesis raised his middle finger in the air behind him.
"A lumbering oaf such as you is unworthy of my refined diction"
They had just got back from a two week long assignment in Condor forest to deal with the growing infestation of Kimara bugs in the area and it was easy to guess that Genesis' current temperament was due to the fact that his extermination count had not been high enough to beat Sephiroth's. That and the fact they were now setting a direct path to the canteen after the cramped ten hour journey back to Midgar in the back of a truck.
"Come now Angeal, you know Genesis gets angry when he's hungry"
The man chuckled his agreement while briefly nodding his head to a passing third called Killian who was once a cadet in his class.
"Yes. Hungry. Or sleepy. Or cold. Or rained on" Angeal reeled the list off on his fingers.
"Or if anyone commits a fashion or grammar blunder of any sort in his presence" Sephiroth contributed humorously.
"True true… but let's not forget the ultimate crime that really ticks the princess off… seeing a performance of Loveless that is not to her liking"
Genesis pushed open the double doors leading to the SOLDIER's dining hall and turned while holding them open with a calm and composed grin, not taking the bait.
"Then you have much to answer for old man, because this so called 'princess' still managed to slay more Kimara's than you did"
Sephiroth made a hissing 'ooh you just got burned' sound and Genesis took his opportunity to grin victoriously and swing the doors shut in their faces. Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he heard a snigger on the other side. To think they were the same age.
Angeal shoved the doors open again and casually defended himself with a carefree wave of his hand, "hey I'm more than happy to leave the ego competition to you children… especially if it means that I wasn't the one who was up for three days straight hunting Kimara's out in the COLD and the RAIN"
Genesis froze, his composure that had endured surprisingly long finally snapping and Sephiroth could practically envision the man's eye twitching on the other side of his head as a faint aura of heat began to rise off of the fire materia fanatics hands. Genesis had been so desperate to beat Sephiroth this mission that he hadn't slept for 72 hours straight in his struggle to get his kill count up, even venturing out in the pitch black of night to find the vicious insects. Then when they eventually decided to break the news to him that Kimara bugs didn't come out at night, the furious SOLDIER had cut down at least a hundred trees in the process of attacking them with his sword.
"Ahh you know I'm only joking buddy", the twenty-five year old Angeal clapped his smouldering twenty-year old counterpart heavily on the back as he cue jumped in front of Genesis last minute to join the back of the food line before him.
Genesis' hands cooled off. This was simply a part of the ongoing game the trio played amongst themselves, their harmless albeit twisted idea of fun to try and push each other to the edge without taking any real offense. It was one of the great things about their friendship and while it wasn't just Genesis who was the subject of the attacks, he was always the easiest to break. Angeal on the other hand was by far the hardest to get at but two months ago he and Genesis had successfully made the man lose his cool which had felt like a momentous achievement. The memory still had Sephiroth creasing up till this day, especially the part where Genesis pulled out his PHS and landed a perfectly timed victory fanfare tune just as Angeal began storming away.
"Just remember, there's always the next assignment"
Genesis used whatever pride he had left to wave his hand dismissively at the back of the thickly muscled SOLDIER who had stolen his place in line.
"Pfff whatever. I still beat you and if my hands had not been tied behind my back with ridiculous rules, I would have beaten his royal highness over here to. The whole thing was a farce from the get go"
Sephiroth made a scoffing sound in his throat as he too stepped into line behind the stroppy pyromaniac.
"Because allowing you to kill forest monsters with fire magic... that couldn't possibly have gone wrong"
Genesis pivoted his head around and sneered back at him.
"Well perhaps next time we'll make a 'no stupidly oversized swords' rule and see how well you do then pretty boy"
Folding his arms Sephiroth cooly turned his gaze away to remain casually aloof and observe the menu and prices overhead, not that there was any point in doing so, he had no choice in matters pertaining to his diet as it was strictly monitored on his behalf. All his meals were pre-planned and prepared by the science department, not trusting him enough to regulate his own nutrition and enhancing most of what he ate. It was just another one of the many steps Shinra took towards ensuring he became their prized ultimate weapon and the perfect poster boy for the Shinra army. Sephiroth just saw it as one more trivial decision he would otherwise have to make himself taken out of his hands and off of his mind.
But still... 17 gil for a sandwich and a coffee? Even he could see that was extortionate.
"Goddess deliver me, what in Gaia's name is she wearing!?"
Moving his eyes away that were observing the ever-inflating canteen prices with a very thin interest, Sephiroth looked around and frowned at Genesis' melodramatic screech. There were rarely any woman found in the SOLDIER's dining hall and there were none now that he could see.
"I thought the old uniform was bad enough, but this… this has to be some sort of joke"
Finally Sephiroth clocked it and sighed. Genesis was talking about the canteen staff and when Angeal realized this to, he turned around in exhausted disbelief.
"You can't be serious… you cannot tell me you are actually bothered about what the dinner ladies wearing!?"
"I assure you I am and I assure you I can. If I wanted my food served to me by some fat troll that appears to have recently crawled from the Midgar swamp I would go eat in the slums"
Angeal hung his head in resignation and Sephiroth was thankful the Shinra cafeteria staff didn't have Mako enhanced hearing like the rest of the room, not that the opinionated nightmare had made any real effort in keeping a lowered voice.
"No. I am not being made to look at that grey abomination every day for the foreseeable future until our next assignment. This calls for action"
Both men groaned in unison despairingly.
"Not another petition Gen. I beg you"
Sephiroth shuddered at Angeal's very mention of the word 'petition'.
Genesis Rhapsodos petitions to change things around the place that displeased or aggravated him had become both numerous and infamous throughout the Shinra building. They were always horrific and troublesome affairs in which most people signed away out of fear rather than actual support of the policy the SOLDIER was seeking to impose. However for the unfortunate few who were unaware of the man's reputation and refused, most being young cadets and newer members of staff, their howls of terror could be heard day and night racing down the Shinra corridors at regular intervals, screaming about a lunatic who was trying to burn them alive.
It was always the same and once things had escalated far enough it would result in Genesis being called into director Lazard's office for a disciplinary which he and Angeal would have to combine forces to bail him out of just for a 'freedom of speech' petition to be started the very next day.
Sephiroth decided he would wait to threaten Genesis about it later when he wasn't tired from a ten hour road trip and his younger by three months friend wasn't holding up the front of a food cue.
"Can I help sweetie?"
Genesis stepped up to the counter, arms stiffly held down at his sides with an unamused expression on his face.
"Yes. Burn that diabolical uniform you are wearing. It's disgusting"
Sephiroth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and luckily the large woman behind the counter must have thought he was joking because she laughed heartily in response. Genesis however remained silent, pouting moodily at the lady with a hateful squint and things became very awkward very quickly… which coming from Sephiroth was really saying something. Growling Sephiroth booted the side of his combat boot into the back of the stubborn man's calf who snarled back angrily. Sephiroth flashed him a murderous glare and thankfully Genesis relented and moodily mumbled an order of guard-horn steak wraps and Banora apple juice, a highly predictable selection as it was always the first thing the man craved when they got back from a mission.
Once the self-proclaimed poet had trundled off with his food grumbling something about prison under his breath, Sephiroth stepped up to the counter neutrally and was greeted with the familiar look of wide eyed recognition followed by the immediate dashing away and returning of a tray of something that resembled a synthetic looking meatloaf. The elderly plump cafeteria worker wordlessly handed the tray over to him with an apologetic expression which he didn't acknowledge and walked away to join his colleagues.
Striding over to their usual table on the far side of the hall nearest the window, Sephiroth's hearing picked up on Angeal's mouth filled mumbling as he sifted over the newspaper he purchased to catch up on current events.
"..ooks ike hings ish get bad... Wutai"
"Swallow your food first you fucking animal"
Sephiroth stopped as he was about to go sit opposite a disgusted looking Genesis to peer over Angeal's shoulder at the paper with interest.
'BARBARIC THREATS OF BRUTALITY. TENSIONS CONTINUE TO RISE!: Peaceful attempts of negotiations with the uncivilised nations of Wutai have once again ended in hostilities this week as the local warlord 'Lord Kisagari' makes bloodthirsty threats against innocent diplomats. President Shinra released a statement last night, stating that this kind of behaviour was unacceptable in a modern society and posed a 'very real and very serious' threat to the rest of the world. Now that diplomats are being withdrawn for their own safety, experts fear that the President has exhausted every other means of peaceful resolution and may be left no other choice but to take military action against the warmongering...
Before he could read on any further, Sephiroth felt his senses become alert as footsteps came hurtling towards him from behind but before he could turn a small body crashed against his back and it was all he could do to stop his leathery looking lab meal from falling on Angeal's head.
"SEPHY! YOU'RE BACK!"
A small smile flicked at the corners of his mouth as those two strong little arms he knew well squeezed him tight across the middle.
"Hello Aerith"
"I'm so happy you're back! I've missed you!"
Sephiroth's restrained smile turned into a fully-fledged grin even though Angeal and Genesis were pulling sappy 'awwww' faces at him and pretending to sniff back imaginary tears to mock him. He didn't care, he had missed her to. Fiercely in fact and though he would take it to his grave, the best part of the entire mission for him had been the anticipation during the long truck ride home of seeing the girl again.
"I've only been gone two weeks" he replied lightly, not giving away any sign of the same immense relief he was feeling.
"Fifteen days is longer than two weeks mr and you promised you would find me the moment you got back" Aerith muffled into his back, giving him a dull thud with her fist.
She really was so happy to see him again, life around the place really sucked when Sephiroth was away. She missed their routine together, she missed his company, she missed telling him about her day and battling to find out about his. Dare she say it she even missed his rigid sense of humour.
Sephiroth awkwardly moved to set his tray down and as he turned to face her she was forced to let go of her snuggled grip against him. "I only got back ten minutes ago and unless your timetable has changed in the last two weeks…"
"Fifteen days"
"… you should be in class now"
Aerith was wearing pale blue jeans and her plain white nurses training top with a book filled bag slumped at her feet, she was most definitely supposed to be in class.
The fifteen closing on sixteen year old girl looked up at him with the purest display of joy and excitement in her eyes as she placed her hands firmly on her hips and tilted her face sideways at him.
"I ran out of class when I heard you were back. So what? Are you're going to lecture me about it?"
Sephiroth raised his brow down at the teenage girl fast becoming a woman and folded his arms, rising up to his full height and putting his well-trained 'military commander' face on.
"I don't know. You tell me"
Sephiroth tried to keep a stern face and so did Aerith as she squinted back stubbornly, but neither of them could ever keep it up for long and Aerith soon felt herself breaking until she burst into giggles and shoved him away. The first time he had used that line on her was back when she was seven and it had made her laugh back then as well. It had become something of an endearment between them, well at least to her it had and she was almost sure it had to him too as he unfolded his arms straight to his sides with a teeny hint of a smile. Sephrioth trying not to smile was the best thing ever.
Gaia she really had missed him and Aerith opened her arms wide, bursting to get a real hello from him.
"Sheesh Seph! What's a sister gotta do to get a hug around here!?"
Sephiroth's eyes wandered around the canteen briefly and the Cetra girl rolled her eyes, almost sure she was about to hear the line about how he couldn't because they were in public and it would ruin the precious 'image' he was expected to set. It would only be the fifty millionth time she'd heard it and it was so stupid! I mean gosh! Would a guy showing his sister a bit of love every once in a while really be the end of the world? Why did SOLDIER's seem to act like it was a crime to have a heart at times?
To her surprise and elation however Sephiroth decided not to be a sour Steve for once and turned his hands over down by his sides in the smallest of movements to face his palms up to the sky.
Yay!
Excitedly she leapt into his invitation to hug him, throwing her arms around his neck and using him like a jungle gym to dangle her feet in the air and give him the most enthusiastic cuddle in the world. If it was anyone else she would have been worried about being a heavy lump but she knew her super strong big brother was capable of carrying a hundred fully grown Elphadunks if he wanted to. He supported her weight effortlessly and while he gingerly placed his gloved hands flat against her back, she took the sneaky opportunity to brush the side of her face against his silky long silver hair that had a softness she envied.
"Oi squirt. Do you plan on keeping me waiting much longer?"
Just as Aerith's cheeks had begun to stop hurting from all the wide smiling she was doing they began to ache all over again.
"ANGEAL!"
She dropped out of Seph's hold who she had probably just deafened with her high pitched squawk and bounded over to strangle both her arms around the tall black haired SOLDIER's wide neck as he continued to sit looking down at his paper. Wrapping him in her 'death-grip' Aerith squeezed and squeezed as hard as she possibly could, determined that she was going to get a reaction this time and impress him with her strength. But as always he sat there looking totally unaffected as if she was the exact same eight year old child who had tried to ambush him all those years ago. She was nearly sixteen now! He was totally faking it.
"And who's little noodle arms are those?"
"Mine!" Aerith laughed loudly like she always did since she was a little girl.
"Hey Aery Fairy. Been good?"
Angeal leaned back in his seat and put a hand up behind him to return the hug with one arm and as he did so Aerith noticed he had a deep red scratch mark along the underside of his arm that had to of been fairly serious if even his Mako hadn't fully taken care of it yet.
"Good by normal people's standards, probably not by Seph's" Aerith replied and they shared a chuckle together, then she poked his bicep, "and I'll be taking a look at that later"
Angeal waved the back of his hand against her face in a 'whateverish' fashion and Aerith flicked the back of his broad shoulders for trying to act macho and then kissed his cheek.
Sephiroth watched the exchange between his best friend and as good as adopted sister fondly but then he rolled his eyes again when Genesis coincidentally began slurping his Banora apple juice through a straw loudly just as Aerith kissed Angeal's cheek. The man-child was such an attention seeking little bit...
"GENESIS! All three of my favourite people in the whole wide world are back! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!"
Aerith skipped around the table and placed a kiss equal to the one she gave Angeal on the side of the unmoving but quite obviously waiting for it SOLDIER's face. Genesis smirked, he thought he was so clever and subtle.
"So how was it out there? I do worry about you guys when you're gone for such a long time"
Genesis arched his back and stretched his arms overhead lazily to link his hands behind his head.
"It's war. You've either got what it takes to survive or you don't"
Angeal snorted loudly into his newspaper and Sephiroth just snorted, apparently they were at war with the Kimara bugs now.
"You're all so brave" Aerith remarked sincerely as she walked around and stole the seat next to Angeal and opposite Genesis that Sephiroth was finally about to sit it. "I wish I was as brave as you guys"
Sephiroth took his tray of stuff that resembled food back off the table in front of Aerith who looked up at him apologetically and went around to sit on the other side.
"Well... some of us are brave, these two are just stupid" Angeal casually remarked into his paper.
A packet of table salt thrown by Genesis bounced of the man's head and Sephiroth glared from the crown of Angeal's head to look down at the auburn haired man sitting opposite his sister.
"Budge over"
Genesis looked up at him blankly, "there's a seat right…"
"Scooch" Sephiroth grit through his teeth and the walking fire hazard shuffled over in irritation.
"Oooh that reminds me Gen" Aerith chirped and pulled her school bag up onto the table, tucking a lock of pretty fallen curls back to join the long twist of hair spiralling down to her waist as she riffled through its contents.
"I read all of the Loveless you gave me while you were away!" she found and placed said book delicately on the table like it was the Holy Grail. "It was amazing! I especially like the part about the hero of the dawn the most, even though it's so sad. To surrender everything you have to save a world that cannot understand that that is what you are doing and will only hate you for your sacrifice. It's so sad... but it's also really beautiful"
Genesis who was sipping on his drink again, lifted his head slowly in undisguised shock, taking the straw in his mouth with him and accidentally flicking Banora apple juice at the man sat opposite him as it left the carton.
"OI!"
"It… it is one of my most preferred acts also… hero of the dawn, healer of worlds. Dreams of the morrow hath shattered the soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh…"
"Oh Aerith… you don't realize what you've gone and done …" Angeal huffed wiping his eye. "Now we're gonna hear nothing but this drivel out of him for weeks"
Genesis looked up venomously from the book he had practically dived over the table to quote beside Aerith but she hushed the mans rising anger down and patted Genesis on the arm lightly. "Don't you listen to these big meanies. I think it's wonderful that you're so passionate about something, something that isn't just chopping of monster heads"
From the look on Genesis' face, Sephiroth was sure the man was about to declare his undying love for Aerith then and there.
The pair began delving into a Loveless-centric discussion with one another across the table from him and despite his aversion to the piece, Sephiroth strangely found himself absently putting his fork down again. He never thought he would willingly focus on any conversation regarding that infernal literature, but as the bubbly and energetic girl so full of life chattered away about it happily with an ecstatic Genesis, he listened in intently.
It was Aerith's sweet and cheerful nature, it was always so addictive to watch and Sephiroth always realized it that much more after spending time away from her. She was a breath of fresh air around the place and it reflected in how popular and well known she was around the building, even throughout the barracks. It made him feel lucky and somewhat proud that he had somehow earned such a high place in this girls affections. More than anything though, she made him feel deeply glad to be back again and as Aerith's sparkling emerald eyes looked up from Genesis' personal copy of Loveless to briefly catch his gaze, they shared a private smile together. It was his most favourite look in the world and Sephiroth remained convinced that the theory he'd had since he was a child was real. Some kind of magical Cetra powers made it impossible not to love Aerith.
