A/N: And here it is! Only two or so weeks after the last chapter! –le gasp!- I think I've set a record. Anyway, it's very late, so I haven't had a good deal of time to proof read, so don't shoot me if there are some mistakes. XD

'An Unlikely Prospect'
Chapter IV ~ Confrontations

"From now on, Genesis, don't worry…I'll be with you."

For Gaia's sake, who was she kidding?

When she'd left him last time, she was scheduled for supervision again in two nights, and she had promised him. He was dependent on her next visit, focusing on that event as being something to look forward to, past the horrendous treatment he would receive at Professor Hojo's hands. With such a fractured mentality and uncertain trust, it was critical that she uphold her word.

But of course the fates were conspiring against her. Unforeseen circumstances required that she swap her duty for another night. This was to ensure one of her fellow Turks could complete an urgent mission that had recently surfaced on their scheduled time slot. However, this event was most likely petty coincidence, and she doubted anyone in ShinRa should suspect her. After all, she did alter the security footage captured during her time with Genesis to disguise her interaction…

Just relax. If you cover your footsteps properly, nobody will discover you. Cissnei found herself keeping up this self-talk as she ascended the floors of ShinRa at midnight, watching the elevator numbers slowly tick upwards to sixty seven. She was also fervently praying that Genesis would still be mentally stable by the time she arrived with her pathetic excuse for an apology. After all, she was a week late.

Ding!

As soon as the doors glided open she leapt out, briskly walking down the corridor towards her destination. It was completely silent in the Science Department, and Cissnei was wondering whether or not that was a good thing.

Of course, when she heard his startled cry, she was decided the quiet was a pleasant sign. She turned the corner with haste, worry creeping into her soul as she walked into the laboratory area of the sixty-seventh floor.

"Oh, Genesis…"

As soon as Cissnei saw him, she rushed to his side, seeing him staring up at her with a hollow, frightened expression on his pale face. "I'm so, so sorry…"

Genesis swallowed impulsively, struggling against his shackles in a desperate want to free his arms and embrace her. Luckily, she didn't need his pathetic attempts. She had already drawn him into a tight hug.

"Are you alright? Can I do anything?" Cissnei whispered, hearing him release a choked sob.

"…n-nightmare," he stammered, shivering. "…scared…"

"I've got you," the Turk murmured, gently rubbing his back, "it's okay…"

Genesis buried his face into her shoulder, bitterly thankful that even though he had lost faith in her, she had still come. Her presence in his world of agony was the only thing that was keeping him remotely sane.

"I feel so terrible…for making you wait," Cissnei murmured, closing her eyes as she continued to rub his sweaty back. "The rosters were fumbled around and delayed me by a week."

The rogue SOLDIER didn't muster a worded response, but managed a weak nod into her shoulder. The nightmare of his subconscious had almost faded now, but the dream of mocking voices from his past comrades still lingered in his fractured mind.

"You…are so pathetic."

"Look at you, so weak, so beast-like...so monstrous."

"Stop clinging to her. How foolish to trust so quickly…"

"…a disgrace to all of SOLDIER."

"Such a sad sight, your hope pinned on the enemy herself…"

"You've thrown your dreams, your honour, your dignity… away. You disgust me."

"A-Angeal…" Genesis whispered; his voice broken and shaky. The nightmare-induced words of his childhood friend echoed throughout his hollow consciousness, blurring with the other accusing voices. His situation and his actions, they were truly weak and pathetic…he was meant to be a fighter, a warrior...not…

Cissnei swallowed, already knowing that Genesis was not ready to hear the news of his friend's death. He was far too emotionally unstable and fragile to tolerate it decently. However, she was unaware that currently, he was barely able to tolerate her presence at all, let alone sad news.

Left me for a week…a painted disguise, a devious Turk… These thoughts, feverish and muddled with confusion, clouded Genesis' weary head as he struggled to stay with it. Despite himself he roughly pulled back from Cissnei's embrace, a fierce expression twisting his facial features. He was beyond hope of realising his own actions as the mindlessness of degradation overtook his sense of self.

"Genesis…?" Cissnei watched him with worried eyes, trying to suppress her growing fear. Cautiously, she reached out to touch his shoulder, as if to offer reassurance.

"Don't touch me," he hissed, using whatever maneuverability he had in his hands to shove her backwards. The Turk let out a startled gasp, barely catching herself as she struggled to come to terms with his sudden burst of aggression. As much as she wanted to calm him like she did last time, the way his eyes flashed at her with glowing anger made her think otherwise.

"…let me help," Cissnei whispered, her expression pleading, "…please…"

"You? Help?" Genesis let out a scornful laugh, his voice resounding against the metal walls. "You've done nothing but deceive me, filthy Turk. How could I be so foolish to trust you so easily? All you ShinRa dogs ever do is dirty work."

"That's not what-"

"Spare me your lies," Genesis snarled, baring his teeth at her. "You were never going to help me…you were just the tool to make me weak, to make me pathetic and useless…"

Cissnei bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions at bay through the ex-SOLDIER's tirade. It's just his degradation…he doesn't mean it…he's not…

"You abandoned me here for a week!" By now, Genesis was shouting, his face twisted with contempt. "A week, in the clutches of this…this hell hole! How could you!"

The Turk sucked in a breath, her defences destroyed at those last cutting words. The only way to conceal her distress was to cover what she could of her face with a shaking hand. She felt so guilty, even when it wasn't her fault…

"I'm sorry, Genesis! I'm…I…"

"Sorry? Is that all you can say!" Genesis was behaving more and more beastlike as the seconds ticked by. His wing was now unfurled, the muscles tense like a predator waiting to pounce. Shortly after he spoke, however, his entire stance quickly began to dissolve. Awkwardly he bent over, clutching his head as agony twisted through him. "Ah-h…"

Uncovering her face, Cissnei stared at him with concern, her eyes reddened from tears. She watched as Genesis trembled like a leaf, the tremors coinciding with his cries of pain. After a minute of this, he let out a final scream, startling the Turk to the point of making her want to hide. Impulsively she scooted backwards, eyes wide in primal fear that his aggression was not yet over.

Painfully, Genesis slowly raised his head to look at her, all evidence of rage absent from expression. His shadowy eyes widened after witnessing her distance from him, and the fright in her tearful eyes.

"…Cissnei?"

The Turk in question swallowed nervously, carefully watching Genesis for any signs of sudden change.

Meanwhile, Genesis was in bitter shock with himself. She looked so frightened of him, her behavior instinctual. W-what had he done? How could he…how could he fall prey to madness so easily? He was such a monster!

"…are you hurt?"

The Turk stared at him in disbelief, finding it difficult to comprehend his sudden change in demeanor. She shook her head mutely at him, trying to calm her racing heart. "…w-what about you? …are you okay?"

"…don't you dare worry about me," Genesis whispered, clenching a chained fist. "Not after what I, the monster…have done to you."

"G-Genesis…" Cissnei stammered quietly, trying to force out the words, "that wasn't you…you didn't mean…"

The rogue SOLDIER turned his face away, bitterly ashamed at the lack of restraint he displayed and of what he was becoming. "You should go. That outburst was my true self."

"No, I-"

"Leave, Cissnei. A monster such as me should not be allowed near a soul like yours. We do not deserve such kindness, and you do not deserve such filth. Stop risking your job, your life, for the likes of-"

"No!"

Cissnei stared at him defiantly, fighting her own instincts to escape the dangerous situation she knew she was putting herself in. Carefully, she edged back towards him, hesitantly placing a hand on his arm. "I promised I would never leave you."

"But-"

"And I'll never break that promise." The more Cissnei spoke, the more she felt her confidence returning. She was the only one with the willingness to show him that he was more than the byproduct of an experiment gone wrong. She knew now, more than ever, that it was her responsibility to show Genesis he was still capable of being loved.

"I…don't want to hurt you, Cissnei," Genesis mumbled, reluctantly giving in to her insistence. He was quite startled, however, when she responded by placing a soft hand on his cheek.

"That alone proves to me that you are no monster," the Turk smiled, gently tracing his face for a few moments. "Despite your actions, now and in the past, I know you've been resisting them when you can."

Genesis turned to look at her, desperately wishing he was free to gesture his appreciation for her support. Instead, he was forced to resort to straining against his shackles again. Fortunately, Cissnei was quick to give him another hug, this time stroking the downy feathers near his shoulder.

"Now," she whispered, forcing away any trepidation she had, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hugging is nice," he mumbled into her shoulder, his voice muffled. The Turk suppressed a tiny smile at his simple, content remark. It wasn't as if she minded giving him this kind of contact; goddess knew how little human affection he had experienced since abandoning ShinRa. Not to mention…he feels kind of…nice.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Cissnei gently pulled backwards from their embrace. However, now that she could observe him calmly, she could clearly notice the shivers running up and down his body. "Are you cold?"

"…yeah," he murmured, wishing for the Turks' arms to be wrapped around his shoulders still.

"I'll be right back." The Turk smiled at him before standing up and beginning to search about the room. She hoped that Hojo would not have been indecent enough to discard the SOLDIER's outer garments, but she had her doubts… "Aha!"

Genesis looked at her curiously, seeing her proudly walking back towards him with a familiar bundle of leather in her arms.

"Your coat, dear sir," she bowed, presenting him with his faithful, if tattered, coat. "Although, I'd better help you…"

After a few minutes of struggling, relative success was achieved. Genesis had managed to get his coat on, despite the restrictions of a having a wing to negotiate through the torn leather.

"Better?" Cissnei inquired, seeing him shift about to get more comfortable.

"Much," he replied, the first hints of a smile touching his face. Despite knowing they'd have to remove it again once Cissnei was to leave, he was grateful for her concern.

"One of these days I'll have to get you a warm drink, since you're probably sick of intravenous treatment by now. It's a shame Hojo's probably monitoring the level of chemicals in your bloodstream...better not give you caffeine…" The Turk considered this as she continued to mumble to herself, trying to distract Genesis from his circumstances and humour him a little. The way he looked at her with calmness and slight warmth indicated she was doing a good job.

"That…sounds wonderful," Genesis replied, his throat aching for moisture after over a week of not consuming anything. He hardly noticed the fact that he licked his lips in anticipation of something warm and sweet. Cissnei giggled at this, amused by how he openly expressed his desire for sustenance. It was cute, and kind of childlike.

"…there's a coffee machine a few floors down," Cissnei contemplated, looking thoughtful. "I could, theoretically, leave my post for five minutes, and just happen to return with a cup of decaf."

Genesis looked at her curiously, trying to disguise his longing. "…you'd do that?"

The Turk was already on her feet, giving her legs a dusting from the floor. She gave him a warm smile.

"…how many sugars?"

…so warm, so sweet…mm… Genesis was lost in these incoherent thoughts as he held the coffee cup close to his chest, taking long, slow sips that almost burned his tongue.

Cissnei couldn't help but smile, glad to see him finally enjoying something. Who knew how long it had been since he'd last had a classic cup of ShinRa's coffee.

"Thank you," the former SOLDIER breathed, closing his eyes as he savoured the taste.

"It was my pleasure," the Turk replied, shifting as she sat cross-legged in front of him. It was a miracle the shackles weren't so tight that he couldn't manage a beverage. It would humiliate him even further if she'd had to help him drink. Not that she would've minded, of course…

"Here, have some." Genesis motioned with his head for her to come closer.

"No, no, you enjoy it." Cissnei found herself blushing at his offer, not wishing to steal some of his pleasure. Regardless, she did shift herself a little closer to him.

The ex-SOLDIER was not satisfied with her modesty, and slowly stretched his feathers out to brush her back. "…please?"

She turned to look at him, seeing the longing in his eyes to do something, anything, for her.

"Oh, fine," she huffed, letting a small giggle escape.

"Here." A mostly empty coffee cup was gently pushed into her hands. Carefully, Cissnei raised the beverage to her lips, slowly draining the last portion of decaffeinated coffee. Surprisingly, it was still rather hot.

"You drank this quickly," she murmured, somewhat amused.

"It wasn't that hot."

"I nearly burned myself," Cissnei replied, looking at him curiously as she tried to justify his lack of sensitivity to excess heat. "Are you sure you didn't?"

Genesis didn't reply, his head turned away from her. This lack of response stirred worry within Cissnei, particularly since he was rather fine only seconds ago.

"It's probably the degradation." His words were clipped and short, spoken quietly yet harshly.

The Turk's facial expression turned sympathetic. They had finally reached a point where she could distract him from his grim reality for short periods of time, but it was inevitable that the truth of his circumstances would prevail more often.

"It'll be okay," Cissnei whispered, cautiously touching a hand against his. "I promise."

Genesis nodded mutely, trying to control the primal fear of death raging inside of him. For just a brief moment, he had been able to focus on something else, but even then, reality always interrupted…

"But…there's something I should tell you, Genesis."

He raised his gaze to look at her, questioning in his pale blue eyes. He watched as Cissnei seemed to consider how to word what she wanted to say, her face a mix of anxiety and thought. However, the troubled look that came over her expression seconds later caused his feelings of trepidation to rise.

"I hope it isn't too soon, but if I delay, you may hold it against me," the Turk mumbled, lowering her gaze from his. "It's… about Angeal."

"What about him?"

"He…" Cissnei closed her eyes, not wanting to see the former SOLDIER's horror, "…he's dead."

Nothing could have prepared him for those simple, heartbreaking words.

"No…"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, gently rubbing his hand.

"…he…he can't…no!" Genesis jerked his head upright, staring at her with wide, distressed eyes. Cautiously, Cissnei brought herself to meet his panicked gaze, her heart squeezing at the raw emotion that twisted his handsome face.

"…he made Zack do it." Her words were tainted with heavy sadness. "He wanted to die."

The former SOLDIER opened his mouth to speak, but could not form a single word to express his anguished feelings. All that came were pathetic sobs, bitter tears spilling down his pale cheeks.

Cissnei knew that her words were of no use to him right now. Instead, she gently pulled him into an embrace, feeling each and every tremble that shook his weak frame. If there had been an easier way to break the news, by all means, she would have taken it…but that was the problem with death.

"I...I d-did t-this…." Genesis stammered, his voice broken, "…my f-fault…"

"…it's alright," the Turk whispered, gently rubbing the back of his head.

"…no…told him about…P-Project G…said we were… m-monsters." At this statement, his sobs became heavier. "…he suffered…b-because of me…"

"You didn't mean for this to happen," Cissnei replied quietly, trying to ease his guilt.

"…but I…told him the t-truth…to t-tide him over …and it…killed him," Genesis coughed, his tears coming faster. "…oh goddess, it killed him!"

"I know, but you-"

"I-I'm such a monster," he cried, his entire body shaking harder now. "I d-deserve…this fate…"

The female Turk was at a loss, unable to make him see reason. All that came from him now were incoherent mumblings of self-hatred, his entire psyche crumbling at the loss of his only childhood friend. She had hoped for a reaction that was not aggressive, but did not expect the news to crush him this badly. What if…he too wants death…but as punishment? What if he begs me?

"Genesis…" Cissnei's voice was low and worried.

"…s-stop...wasting your t-time on me…" Genesis sobbed into her shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut. "…I…I'm n-not…worth it…"

"Angel," she whispered, gently pulling backwards from their embrace, "look at me."

He couldn't respond, sobs continuing to shake his body. Cissnei swallowed, hesitantly touching her fingers beneath his chin and slowly raising his head to meet her gaze. Before Genesis could protest, she slipped her hand behind his head and pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly for a few moments. When she drew back, the former SOLDIER was stunned, unable to make sense of her actions.

"I would never kiss a monster," she murmured, softly wiping the tears from his angular cheeks.

Genesis looked back at her, their faces still only inches apart. How could she…?

"You are not a beast, Genesis. You are still worth saving." Cissnei stroked his face, daring to show her affections. "Angeal would've wanted that."

He gave a quiet nod, bowing his head away from her gaze in submission.

"…come here," she sighed, gently pulling him in for another hug. "Grieving is expected, but don't hate yourself…please…"

"Alright…" Genesis mumbled into her shoulder, attempting to snuggle closer. Perhaps it would be easier on him if he finally believed what she kept on telling him…she did kiss him, after all…loved him, maybe…

As the minutes ticked by, Cissnei felt his weight more and more as he slowly drifted to sleep, a natural response to the trauma he had experienced since her guard duty had started. It was almost cute, the way his wing relaxed and drooped on the floor…

"I'll be here for a few more hours…" she began, carefully pulling away from their embrace and helping him get comfortable on the floor. "When I need to leave, I'll wake you, and help you out of your coat."

"Mmhm…" the former SOLDIER responded halfheartedly, his eyes barely open. "…thank you…"

The Turk gave him a comforting smile. Once he had closed his pale eyes, she reached out to trace his soft feathers in an attempt to help him sleep. Then, for the next few minutes, she was able to watch him drift into dreamland, away from the nightmares of his reality.

Sweet dreams, dear angel.

A/N: FLUFF ALERT! They've had their first kiss!

…oh crap. Was it too soon? Was it? It was, wasn't it? –panicpanic-

Erm. Anyway. Expect their relationship to sort of…develop, in the coming chapters. –love- I've also introduced an element of conflict here, what with his dramatic mood swings and bouts of degradation-induced seizures…

But we all know Cissnei's just gonna love him and care for him, no matter what happens. :3

I have no idea when I'll have another chapter by, but hopefully within a month. It depends on my silly, silly muse.

I hope you enjoyed! 8D

~ Lioneh