Hello one and all! I have returned from Crete huzaaahh!
Had a really great time, though we were LITERALLY drunk for 7 days straight. They have this nasty ass stuff called Rakki over there and we were doing shots of it for breakfast haha (not to mention those cheap bottles of 80% absinthe nom saiyan?) . Fortunately I probably won't drink now for another year and I do think I need it to be that long :D. Also got upgraded to the super deluxe suite which was a room and balcony covering the entire top floor and equivalent to the size of 11 other rooms in the hotel, no joke! Brilliant holiday. Oh and... MALIAAAAA!
Couldn't wait to get back to writing though and this was a really fun chapter to write, I hope you all like it. I feel pretty pleased with it but considering I have probably pickled my brain and dropped my IQ by a substantial number of points, I won't be surprised if it's actually terrible lol.
Let me know, I love seeing those reviews.
Edit 2.0: After reading this chapter through a couple more times today, I spent a good few hours changing pieces as well as a few additions to make the chapter flow better. So for those who read this yesterday and last night, if you fancy the re-read I think it might be a bit more enjoyable :).
Onwards!
"Emotional morality is suppressed when microphibrilic connectors in the human genome become stantuically imbedded in the vateral chronoclos…"
He sighed.
"Emotional morality is suppressed when microphibrilic connectors in the human genome become stantuically imbedded in the vateral chrono..."
Genesis tapped his foot irritably and for about the seventh time, tried to start again.
"…"
Blinking multiple times at the wall of text blankly the SOLDIER slowly balled his hands into fists.
They weren't even words anymore!
Refraining from hurling the printed copy of one of Hollander's many long-winded publications from his apartment window, the second reclined in his chair and rubbed at his strained eyes with a groan. It was severely late, his brain had gone to mush many hours ago and the more he persevered in reading the infernal document, the more dim-witted he felt himself becoming by the hour. Reading the Professors research literature had a distinct and striking resemblance to being around the man himself. Tiresome, dull and utterly mind-numbing when endured in large quantities.
Genesis gazed disconnectedly at the document being softly illuminated by the stylish lamp sat on his original Gongagan ginwood desk, briefly questioning why he was subjecting himself to this torture.
Guilt.
"Shut up" he snarled quietly, then ran a sleep-deprived hand through his medium length bangs for snapping at himself like a madman.
What did he have to be guilty for? He had given her more than a fair and reasonable opportunity to explain herself. Not to mention he never did report her or get her arrested for treason like he very well should have done. If anything, by only telling her to leave he had done the woman nothing shy of a momentous favour.
Though… he still could not believe she had actually done it.
When Genesis had returned to Shalua Rui's office the next day for round two with the strong-minded doctor, for some reason he had fully expected her to still be there. Few people ever stood up to him the way she had in that elevator, so when he found the room completely empty and cleared out, he couldn't deny that it had been somewhat disappointing. It had also made him feel, for reasons he could not logically fathom and in unsophisticated terms, like the world's biggest asshole.
Of course being an asshole and being worried about other people perceiving him as such had never been a problem in the past, so why was it bothering him now?
He frowned darkly in his chair.
It is because a part of you believes her story might be real and that she was telling the truth.
Genesis felt tempted to verbally chastise himself again for how ridiculous he was being but gave in with a heavy weary sigh instead, arched his neck towards the ceiling and closed his eyes for a brief second. There was no use in trying to pretend otherwise, he doubted himself and he needed to know that he had made the right decision. He needed to know the truth about Shelke, about the Professor and if there were indeed others besides him on the G-Cell program.
Incandescent hazel eyes settled on the literature laying open before him. He also had to accept that he did not have an education in advanced medical science and that attempting to dissect the Professors work for clues was leading him nowhere.
But what else was he to do? It wasn't as if he could exactly approach Hollander and ask the man if he or Hojo were by any chance involved in secret human experimentation and happened to have a kidnapped child about the place. Perhaps he could ask Angeal to get that new Turk girl he was harping on about the other day, or even Veld himself to hack the science department database for him?
No. That would only start more people asking questions, which would be dangerous considering Angeal had an annoying and uncanny skill at extracting information from both him and his silver haired 'frenemy'. He needed to keep this to himself, for now.
Surrendering to his helpless predicament and the headache that was beginning to manifest in his head, Genesis stood up stiffly to retire for the night. He flicked off the lamp sluggishly and exited the pitch black study, his favourite place to read and one that usually brought him relaxation and tranquillity. Padding groggily through the lounge of his modern style apartment he made regretful eye contact with the artistic metalwork clock by a famous sculpture in Junon and cringed. At least it was Saturday and he wouldn't have to get up early for work tomorrow… or technically today, he mentally thanked the goddess for that.
The next thing Genesis Rhapsodos had any interest in seeing was his pillow, so when he noticed his PHS blinking at him from across the room, he very nearly decided to leave it. Begrudgingly deciding otherwise, he retrieved and flicked open the device with thin interest at first but found his attention swiftly hooked when he saw the rather staggering number of missed calls he had from 'Princess'.
Genesis frowned at the truly odd display and opened the lengthy call log for further inspection.
What was Sephiroth doing calling him this late at night?
Before the auburn haired SOLDIER could investigate the log, he jumped slightly as his PHS buzzed into life and vibrated soundlessly through his hand. He answered immediately, refraining from greeting the caller with a typical jibing comment because he knew that with 17 missed calls from Sephiroth, something was up.
"Gene-"
GENESIS! Where have you been damn it!? Why haven't you or Angeal been answering your phones!?
"Well I was reading" he murmured, frowning at the sharp, gritty and unusually crazed sounding voice barking down the line.
Get down here now!
"Down? Down where?"
Please! I told ya' I don't know who she is! I've never seen her!
"Seph? Who's…?"
You're lying.
Ah ah ah! No! I'm not! Believe me if I was selling tail like that ya'd know 'bout it man!
Genesis swallowed, his scrambled brain finally remembering where Sephiroth had gone tonight and where he had taken the youngest member of their group.
... Tail?
Ahhhh! OW! Fuck man! It's j-j-just that… OW! Y-you don't get girls like that 'round 'ere ok! If I had a girl like that on offer! People'd be losing their shit all over town for sure!
"Seph? Who is he referring to? Where's Aerith!? Talk to me!"
A girl? A girl like what!?
AHHHH shit! That hurts! Ya' know what I mean! The girl on ya' phone, she looks like one of them clean innocent types, guys down here love tha-ahhhhh!... Dude! Come on! Surely even you think she's fuckin' gorge-EAAAAAHHHHH!
"Seph! Sephiroth relax! Put the pimp down!"
A long wordless stretch of heavy breathing and whimpering ensued until the sound of footsteps clattered away into the jumble of noisy street traffic that was swirling about in the background.
"Good. Now in controlled coherent sentences my friend, tell me where Aerith is."
… she's... gone... I lost her back at the bar in sector 3.
Genesis who had been slowly inching towards the door, now made a bee line for it, snatching his coat from the counter as he went.
"I'm on my way."
After three long hours of tearing through streets, clubs, brothels, back alleys and other despicable establishments as well as encountering more unsavoury characters then he could comfortably stomach, Sephiroth marched with haste back towards his apartment. He'd got the call from Genesis twenty minutes ago to say he'd found Aerith in sector 7 safe and unharmed and they had agreed to meet back at his place. It was just about time to, he had never been this close to being out of control before and if the array of injuries and murderous threats he had dished out tonight were anything to go by, him being this way was dangerous. He planned to never let it happen again.
Impatiently riding the elevator to the top floor of the complex he stepped out into the marble corridor.
… am I Genny?
For the third time, we are at Sephiroth's apartment.
Hearing her voice he let out the biggest, most intense sigh of relief, relief that quickly turned to anger when he caught a glimpse of Aerith, wrapped in Genesis coat and leaning heavily against the door.
But why are we here!? I have a room you know… and it sucks.
That is in the Shinra building, we cannot afford a member of the science department to see you like this.
Then I could come live with you instead!... it would be so pretty.
Uh sure, we shall discuss that in the morrow.
.. heehee... 'morrow'… you say funny words Gen.
I shall take that as a compliment. For now though I think you should stay here. Sephiroth will only worry otherwise.
No he won't! Sephy doesn't care!
"And what pray tell led you to that conclusion?"
His fellow second and still neatly dolled up sister both looked in his direction until the large pair of glazed looking emerald eyes turned away stubbornly. Sephiroth glanced to Genesis who merely shrugged and the silver SOLDIER felt his temper rise further.
"Aerith. Kindly return Genesis' coat to him. Now."
The clearly drunk brunette being propped up by the door wrapped the oversized coat arms around herself tighter with a pout of defiance and Sephiroth grit his teeth.
"It's err… ok, she can keep…"
"Very well. Thank you for your assistance. Please leave us."
A mildly surprised looking Genesis stepped over and lowered his voice.
"Look I understand why you are infuriated but go easy on her. It's customary for adolescent females to go through this kind of…"
"Thank you. Genesis." Sephiroth interjected dismissively, sternly pronunciating each syllable to emphasise his lack of desire to be counselled.
His jacketless companion rolled his eyes and continued his departure.
"Whatever, I'm too tired for this shit."
Sephiroth let out a short huff after his auburn haired companion and waited until the SOLDIER's footsteps had receded from earshot before folding his arms and levelling his hard gaze onto a gently wobbling Aerith.
"Well then?"
The brunette pursed her lips together, peeked a glance in his direction to see his scolding stare, looked away and twirled a lock of her hair anxiously around her finger, then peeked again.
"What!? Don't looks at me like that Seph!"
"I will 'look' at you however I please until you explain yourself"
"WHA!?" Aerith slurred explosively, attempting to advance towards him with a pointed finger but quickly staggered on heels back into the door. "… what do you want me to say!?"
"How about starting with explaining why you foolishly left my presence and had me tearing through half the city to find you!?" Sephiroth snapped back.
"Well I never asked you to!"
Unfolding his arms, Sephiroth felt his ever rising temper take a dark turn.
"Do you even remotely recognise the amount of danger you have put yourself in tonight?"
"Oh bite me Seph! I had… *hic*.. friends with me! I'm not a child anymore!"
"You could have been kidnapped, killed, or worse you could have been…"
"Whatever! I'm too tired for this sh-"
"Aerith" Sephiroth lowered his voice warningly.
"Look I don't want to talk about it ok!"
Exercising the small degree of patience he had left and recognising the futility in talking to her in the current condition she was in, Sephiroth fished his keys stiffly from his jacket and opened the door to his apartment.
"Hey! Where are you goin'!?... We're not done talking mister!"
"Your drunk Aerith. We will talk in the morning."
"Don't call me that! That's mean!" Aerith shrieked in offense, stumbling after him into the dimly lit room to poke him firmly in the back. "Just because you're a SOLDIER you think you can boss me around and act all mighty and high! Well you'd be the drunk one here if you couldn't cheat! I bet you had lots to drink with those girls at the… at the club!"
Sephiroth paused for a number of seconds before realisation finally dawned on what she was referring to. Twirling quickly on his heels he faced Aerith who was stood in the middle of the room draped in Genesis' red leather coat while discarding his own to the sofa.
"So is that what this is all about!?"
"No" she pouted moodily again.
Becoming exasperated Sephiroth shook his head in annoyance and turned his back on trying to make any sense of tonight's chaos. Leaving to get himself a drink of water and cool off, he made it two steps towards the rarely used kitchen before a loud heavy clunk and a quiet sniff made him stop.
Turning back, his eyes widened to see Aerith slumped in a seated position on the floor with her legs and knees bent awkwardly beneath her.
"… yes… yes it is…"
Sephiroth looked down in confusion, his eyes picking up the glints of moisture in her eyes as she picked miserably at the carpet.
"… Aerith?" he began, experiencing the usual pang of sadness he always got without fail whenever he saw her cry.
"Why?... Why Seph?... Why did you feel you could drink and have fun with them, but… but not with me?"
Aerith close to sobbed each word, alarming him so much with just how broken and hurt she sounded that his simmering fury dissipated almost entirely. No matter how mad he felt or how angry she made him, he never wanted to see Aerith this way, drunk or otherwise.
Sephiroth went over and despite his intense discomfort in handling these sort of situation, he crouched down on his haunches in front of his dearest childhood partner. He had always understood her in the past but as he had been slowly realising over the last few months, that was changing, she was changing and he needed to understand those changes, not confront them.
"Aerith. Is it the drinking or me speaking to those woman that's bothering you?"
He watched through the low to dark lighting as the intoxicated girls cheeks reddened.
"Both… I guess"
He nodded.
"And what was it about me doing those things that upset you?"
"I… don't know" she hiccupped, tears filling her green orbs further, "I want you be me… not them"
Sephiroth frowned at the muddled remark that made no sense but he got the gist of it and continued softly.
"Aerith, what you think you saw, it wasn't what it appeared. I saw one of those females have their alcohol tampered with and was obligated to remove it. I wasn't drinking with them, I didn't even desire to converse with them."
Eyes that were becoming increasingly smudged and panda like, widened and finally shifted up from the floor.
"You… weren't?"
"No" he chuckled lightly, shifting down onto his knee. "And as surprised as I am to say this, I thoroughly enjoyed the part of the evening that we spent together. I thought we had fun."
The emotionally charged sixteen year old who had been gaping is shock the entire time he spoke, erupted abruptly into fast flowing tears and crawled sloppily across the floor in Genesis oversized coat to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face into his shoulder.
"OH SEPH! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" Aerith's breathing hitched and shuddered as she cried violently and dug her nails into his skin. "I'M SORRY! I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY! I-I-I-I… I RUINED IT ALL!"
"It's ok" he responded quietly, closing his eyes briefly and feeling oddly calm compared to how he usually felt in these situations, his hand rubbing small circles on her back instinctively. "It's ok, you didn't ruin anything."
"B-B-BUT… BUT I DID!... I… I…"
"Shhhh" he hushed, bewildering even himself with the comforting sound as it left his lips.
Aerith responded to his tune and settled on pressing her face into his shoulder and letting her muffled sobs play out for all they were worth. After letting her pent up emotions flood out and thoroughly dampen the arm of his t-shirt, Aerith slowly began calming down and then as more time went on, the crying stopped, her body started to relax and then finally droop. The weight of her body began shifting back and forth against his intermittently, the completely drained girls subconscious battling with uncertainty between staying in or dropping out of consciousness. Sephiroth patiently let her decide and to date the only two people he had ever hugged were Professor Gast and the female who's curls were tickling his neck and ear currently, and of all those hugs this was by far the longest of them all.
Just over ten minutes that felt like just over an eternity passed and surprisingly the only discomfort the SOLDIER felt in that time was when he caught the occasional scent of Genesis' cologne as it waft up from the man's coat to intrude on the pleasant flowery spiced smell of Aerith's warm hair. It was a closeness he never imagined himself capable of enduring, let alone enjoying and when the full weight of her body was finally relying on him entirely for support, it was difficult for him to recall how he had been so angry only a short while ago. Angry because of how scared she had made him feel tonight, angry because of the position of helplessness she had placed him in and angry because of how dangerous his response to fear and vulnerability had made him become.
Shifting the weight of his surrogate sister around, Sephiroth positioned his arm around her back and linked the other under the legs of the woman that Aerith had borrowed them from for the night. Being extra careful to reign in his debilitated strength as not to wake her, the silver haired SOLDIER picked the weightless sleeping girl from the floor and carried her across the dark apartment. His gentle restraint however proved unsuccessful and Aerith gasped softly awake midway.
"… Sephy?... Where are we going?"
"You can sleep in my room tonight" he whispered confidently, though on the inside his head panicked with making the suggestion especially while having his hand wrapped around the back of her bare hamstrings. Feeling unsure of whether either were appropriate or if either would freak her out.
A small blush was her only response.
"… where will you sleep?"
"The sofa will suffice."
Aerith nodded and extending one arm awkwardly, Sephiroth twisted open the door to the pitch black room he knew only his eyes could navigate for now.
"Feel free to use anything you like, you know where the bathroom is if you need it. Do you need me to venture to your living quarters for spare clo… Aerith? Are… you alright?"
Crossing the room to place his inebriated guest down, his enhanced senses had felt Aerith's heartbeat progressively quicken with every step he got closer to the bed and it was now thundering at such a rate that even his ears could hear the violent beating. With eyes squeezed shut and frame quaking mildly, she seemed like she was having some sort of fit.
"I-I-I'm ffffine" her voice trembled worse than her limbs.
"… ok" he murmured fearfully, quickly setting her down and now totally sure that he had freaked Aerith out. "Well I'll… speak to you in the morning."
"Wait!"
His urgent attempt at a hasty retreat was stopped with a sudden jerk as a delicate but strong hand latched onto his. He glanced back questioningly but was met with no visible response as Aerith's face was dipped low behind a screen of curls while her chest heaved deeply.
"Is there something…?"
His bemused query was cut short as his arm was forcefully yanked on just as another arm snatched the corner of his shirt buckle and Sephiroth was pulled down by the girl he had known the strong majority of his life. Caught off guard his hand went out to stop from falling on top of her but Aerith grabbed it out, pushed him over and before he knew what was going on, he found himself laying back down in the quilt covers.
"Aerith… what are you…?"
"Do you love me?"
Sephiroth's adrenaline surged and his attempt to get up was quashed as the teenage girl scraped his knee with the tip of her heel to hook her leg over the bottom of his torso and shift her entire body on top of him.
"… what?" he parroted dumbly, too bewildered to react as both his wrists were gripped to the sheets by Aerith and her sparkling but not all together 'with it' emerald eyes locked with his in close proximity.
Hearing his blank response, her eyes firmed and became far more serious and progressively bigger as she leaned her face closer towards his. Sephiroth swallowed at the intense sensation of Aerith's legs clamped either side of his body, the dress she was wearing and everything beneath it pressing further into him.
"I asked… if you love me?"
Her eyes were so close now that with a few more inches, Sephiroth was sure he would feel her breathing on him. His head reasoned that she didn't fully know what she was doing and although he could break his adopted sisters hold with ease and logic told him to do it, he never mustered the senses to do so.
"Aerith. You know I don't feel comfortable saying…"
"I know" she hushed tenderly as if she was comforting a child. "But I want you to say it. I need to hear it. Tell me truthfully… do you love me Seph?"
Silence falling, he and Aerith maintained their respective positions unmoving, him blinking like a gormless moron and her chewing her bottom lip with an expression split between anticipation and anxiety. Put severely on the spot, his brain and everything in the room started spinning, everything except those pure crystal emerald eyes, waiting yearningly for a response. Pretty, mesmerising eyes that once, a long long time ago, seemed too large and owlish on a little girls face. Eyes that always captured his intrigue and now made it take three attempts of opening his mouth before he could speak.
"Yes... you know I do. You're my si…"
His left wrist being loosely restrained was released and Aerith pressed a silencing finger to his lips.
"...mmmmm, that's all I needed."
Leaning across the rest of the paltry distance that remained between them, Aerith reached her face slowly down towards his and the SOLDIER's already racing adrenaline somehow found a way to peak to new limits. Then just when she was close enough that he really could feel her breath on his mouth, she changed course and placed a long lingering kiss to his cheek.
"Good! I love you too."
Breaking the contact with a light hearted giggle and a smile, Aerith climbed off him and Sephiroth got up unsurely while clutching a hand to his chest, his lungs feeling like they were crushed but not from the brunette's meagre weight.
"If… there's nothing else, I bid you goodnight" he nearly croaked, finding himself in dire need to be someplace quiet and alone to gather his composure.
"Oh Sephy, before you go."
The SOLDIER who's chest was literally ready to implode, watched as Aerith propped herself neatly on the edge of the bed, slipped out of Genesis' coat and peered over her shoulder. Her eyes either adjusting to the dark to see him or simply focusing on the luminous glow of his that were casting a calm shade of lime around the room.
"Can you undo my dress?"
He hesitated and felt ready to have a mako-surge induced heart attack, but with no good reason not to oblige the request he shook his head and went over as Aerith shifted the bulk of her hair across her one bare shoulder.
Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure why, but the entire time that he staggered over and pulled the fiddly zipper down the full distance all the way down to the midpoint of her back, he held his breath.
"Nawwwwww, I think I spilled something on Gen's dress! NO! Ooooh I hope it comes out!... Thanks!"
The teenage girl who was suddenly acting completely normal and carefree again, stood up and in an unexpected but all together unjustified panic that she was going to drop her clothes right then and there, Sephiroth made a definitive retreat for the door.
"Goodnight then!"
"Mmmm, are you sure you'll be alright on the sofa?" Aerith inquired tiredly, lifting her foot unsteadily onto the base of the bed to undo the strap of her heel.
"Quite sure!"
"Ok. Night Seph."
Breaking for freedom, oxygen and sanity at last, Sephiroth deftly slipped out of the room and the breath he had been holding tightly in the entire time, crashed out in one big rush of air. With his hand clutched shakily on the handle behind him and panting like he had just gone ten rounds of combat against Genesis and Angeal, Sephiroth stared wide-eyed at the floor.
What in Gaia's name had just happened?
