Interlude 1: Meet and Greet.
Genesis stood at the entrance to Seventh Heaven. The man had literally been through hell and back. Nothing scared him anymore. Nothing that is, except one Tifa Lockhart.
"Don't worry, she'll like you." Cloud said, attempting to push Genesis into the bar.
"I don't share your certainty." Genesis replied.
"You can't tell me you're really that afraid of her?" Cloud said, almost laughing at Genesis.
"She's a woman, a woman that can hit really hard. I don't hit woman. I've done a lot of things worth being hit for, including abandoning you. Do the math." Genesis replied, though the door was still shut.
"Go on, a lot has happened since then. She'll just be glad that I'm happy about something and that you're the source. Besides, you can't live in the Church forever, trust me, I know I've tried." Cloud said, though he was still amused at the red head's reaction.
It had been 2 months since the fateful meeting in Aerith's church and now Cloud's memories of Genesis were fully intact. There were a lot of painful moments to remember, but underneath them all were the happiest parts of his old life. Tifa could tell that he was becoming lighter, even more so then when he last battled Sephiroth.
She started asking him about it, wanting to encourage whatever it was that actually got the swordsman to smile. She had an inkling that it was a person making Cloud this happy, especially when he would come back with a grin on his face that just wouldn't fade away. She had long ago given up on a relationship with the man when she realized that she treated him more like a son than anything else. There was also the fact that, after Aerith died, he hadn't even looked at anyone else. Whoever this person was, (if it indeed was a person) had to be really special.
Finally she had cornered Cloud and he had promised to introduce her to the source of his new found happiness. Too bad Cloud had told Genesis all about his childhood friend Tifa. That conversation had led to their current situation.
"If I wind up with a broken nose, I am not moving in with you." Genesis said with a stern tone to his voice.
"If you can't even walk into the building, you're not moving in with me." Cloud said, giving Genesis one more nudge. The man finally relented and entered the bar.
"Cloud? Is that you?" He heard a light feminine voice ask.
"It is and I have someone to introduce to you, too." Cloud called back.
"OH!" Tifa said, walking around from the back of the bar with a smile on her face. It immediately fell, as did the glass in her hand, when she laid eyes on Genesis.
"You- you're-" Tifa stammered a bit.
Oh dear Goddess, she recognized him. This was not going to end well.
"This is Genesis Rhapsodos." Cloud said, though it was clear he was a bit nervous at Tifa's reaction, it wasn't what he had expected.
"I know who he is!" She said, a bit of anger in her voice, then caught herself and calmed down a bit.
"I told you," Genesis said, before turning and leaving the bar.
"Genesis," Cloud called, as the man walked out of the bar, Cloud just looked back to Tifa. She at least had the decency to look guilty.
"Cloud, why...why him... do you remember him...what he did?" She was almost pleading with him.
"I remember everything about him. About us, I loved him before and I love him now. I know he did some horrible things. I know he's the one that attacked us outside the reactor and drove Sephiroth to his insanity. I know all of this. I also know that, at that time, he was dying, desperate for a cure and out of his mind. I also know he's still the man I love. Don't make me choose, Tifa, I love you like a sister, but I will follow him." He said with conviction in his voice, before following Genesis out of the bar.
"Oh, Cloud, what have I done." She said, putting her face in her hands.
Cloud found Genesis sitting on top of a nearby building. He quickly scaled the side of the wall, getting a few confused stares as he did so. "That's not fair, you know." Cloud said, sitting next to him.
"I told you she would hate me, there's no place for me with your friends." Genesis sighed.
"She was just surprised, she'll come around." Cloud said, following Genesis's eyes back to the Midgar ruins.
"What about the rest of them? You said she'd likely be the most accepting. If that's the case, I'll be dead before I meet the rest of them." He said, even after all these years he could still be a bit dramatic, it seemed.
"I forget that she acts a lot like my mom sometimes." Cloud admitted. "Besides, I said she's the most accepting that we could talk to right now. I'd introduce you to Vincent, but he's still a bit of a recluse, especially after Deepground."
"Oh yes, he'll love me. Hello, name's Genesis Rhapsodos, oh, did you know it was my DNA they used to make all the Tsviets? Yes, isn't that nice. Oh lovely! Oh, Weiss and Nero, they are like my brothers! Oh, Weiss, he's doing good, I can pass on a message if you like!" Genesis said in a mocking tone.
"Ok, ok, you make all that sound really bad. He understands regrets though, he has a lot of his own. Besides, it's not like you actually ran the Deepground project or tried to summon Omega." Cloud said, "We could try Cid first, if you like, though."
"Oh yes, the loudmouth pilot with a temper, he is so going to invite me in for tea before he stabs me through the chest with his Lance." Genesis said, sarcasm clear in his voice.
Cloud just started laughing.
"What's so funny about me being stabbed with a Lance?" Genesis said, giving Cloud a slight glare.
"It's just, TEA!" Cloud about snorted.
"Tea?" Now Genesis was really confused.
"When we first met him, inviting us in for Tea is exactly what he did. Here we are, known terrorist running from Shinra, and he sits us down for tea. I just, it's so damn funny." Cloud laughed some more.
"He seriously invited you in for tea during all that?" Genesis eyed him.
"Yep, and pretty damn adamant that we drink it." Cloud said, wiping a tear from his eye. "He would be a good choice, but there's always Yuffie."
"I'd like to keep my materia, thank you." Genesis snorted.
"Ok, that's fair." Cloud nodded, "We could take a trip to Cosmo Canyon and meet Nanaki."
"Hmm, that might be acceptable." Genesis said, he couldn't think of an argument about why the cat creature would maim him on sight. Plus, it would get him away from Midgar- or Edge rather- and away from Tifa Lockhart.
"Yo, Strife whatcha doing sitting up on top of a building?" Cloud cringed, this is not what he needed.
Cloud just looked down at the obnoxious redhead. "Go away, Reno."
"Oh, come on, ya know you love me and can't live without me." Reno joked.
"Reno, I think you have a date with First Tsurugi." Cloud replied and Genesis scowled, though the Turk apparently couldn't see him.
"Fine, be a damn bird, see if I care." Reno said, then started to scale the building himself.
"Reno, what the hell are you doing?" Cloud asked, looking down at the man.
"Boss has got something he wanted me to talk to you about. I don't feel like yell'n the whole thing." Reno said. He still clung to the side of the building, looking up at Cloud.
Genesis scooted away a slight bit, he was sure there wasn't anything he could do to keep from getting spotted by the Turk, as it was, they usually traveled in pairs and his partner had likely already seen him anyway.
"I'm not coming to work for him. I'm not even working for Reeve, I just deliverer things now." Cloud said a bit sternly.
"Deliverer things and kick Sephiroth's ass when he shows back up." Reno pointed out, still clinging to the side of the building. Normally Cloud would have yelled at him to get his ass up here. But he really just wanted Reno to go away and that wouldn't happen if the man spotted Genesis.
"Sephiroth's not back." Cloud pointed out. There had been signs he had picked up before, but everything seemed peaceful now, though Cloud noted that Genesis tensed at the mention of the silver haired demon.
"No, but these monsters are really mess'n people up. You've had to see how bad they are on your deliver's and what not." Reno pointed out.
"What does your Boss want, Reno?" Cloud said with an annoyed sigh. He wanted Reno to tell him, so he could answer with a 'no'. He had his own shit to deal with, he didn't need Rufus Shinra's shit too.
"He wants you to train people who can handle the monsters. Granted, we can't make SOLDIER's no more, but there ain't a better fighter then you. If you refuse to help, then teach people who can." Reno finally said with seriousness to his voice.
"Reno, I'm no teacher, do you even realize how I learned to fight?" Cloud said, putting his hand on his head.
Genesis was torn between letting the obnoxious redhead know he was here and offering to help. And keeping his silence. While he hadn't been a mentor like Angeal, he had dealt with his far share of cadets and instructions. The idea of teaching others to defend against the monster attacks sounded like a good idea.
Ah, screw it, Reno's partner probably already knew.
"While Cloud may not excel in instruction, I might offer my talents, if your boss would take them." Genesis finally spoke up.
Cloud just glanced over at him, as he heard a crash and a thud, a quick check showed that Reno had fallen off the side of the building.
"What the hell, man!" Reno screamed. "Rhapsodos, what the hell!" He repeated.
"At least you know who he is." Cloud said, almost laughing at Reno.
"That's like totally not fair, yo!" Reno proclaimed, rubbing his backside. "How the hell are you even alive!"
"By the Gift of the Goddess." Was Genesis's cryptic reply. While the play had been complete, sometime its lines still served a purpose.
"We ran into each other in Aerith's church about two months ago, Reno." Cloud supplied as the man scaled the side of the building again.
"That's just crazy." Reno said, slipping up onto the roof proper and getting a good look at the former Crimson Commander. "You look like hell, man."
"You look exactly the same." Genesis replied.
"Well, if your hanging with Strife, you must have gotten over your whole destroy the world thing." Reno said, relaxing a bit
"You can thank Fair for that." Genesis replied, not sure why he was choosing to talk with this Turk. Though Cloud, despite his words to the man, obviously didn't have that big of a problem with him.
Reno hummed a bit ,then asked. "Why are we sit'n on a roof again, yo?"
"You're here to annoy me. I followed Genesis." Cloud supplied, but there was no venom in his voice.
Reno just looked to Genesis for his answer. "Tifa Lockhart."
"Oh!" Reno's face twisted. "Don't blame you dude, that chick's scary."
"See, someone agrees with me." Genesis said, pointing at Reno while looking to Cloud.
"Of course he doesn't think she's scary. That woman's got an overprotective streak a mile wide and it's all directed at Cloud and them orphans." Reno said with a smirk on his face.
"She's not that bad." Cloud defended, even if he had been upset with Tifa because of her reaction to Genesis, she was still one of his best friends.
"Cloud," Reno said with an 'are you serious´ look.
"Alright, maybe she's a little overprotective." He admitted with a smile.
"Eh, anyway, whatever she's upset over, she'll get over it. Especially if you're Cloud's friend. Heck, she even lets me in the bar now!" Reno said, standing and stretching a bit.
"You are not my friend, Reno." Cloud said, shaking his head.
"Keep tell'n yourself that, Blonde, one of us may eventually believe it." Reno said with a smirk. "Anyway, nice to meet you again, Rhapsodos. I'll let the Boss man know about your offer. I'm sure, once the shock wears off, he'll be delighted."
"I'll come too, Reno." Cloud said at the last moment. He really didn't want to leave Genesis alone with Rufus Shinra.
"Well, now I know he'll be thrilled." Reno said, then jumped down off the roof.
"Well, that was interesting." Genesis said, watching the Turk walk off.
"He's annoying, but he did have some good points." Cloud said, turning and holding out his hand for Genesis.
"Like what." Genesis said with an unbelieving tone. He took Cloud's hand anyway and stood.
"She's let him into the bar. If she can forgive him, she can forgive you. She was probably just shocked, we should go talk to her." Cloud insisted.
"Again?" Genesis said, "And what could he have done."
"He dropped the sector 7 plate just to kill us, ended up killing several of our friends and thousands of innocent people. It was all under orders, but he still went through with it. He didn't have insanity as a defense either." Cloud said in all seriousness.
"Wow." Genesis said, rethinking his perspective on the Turk. "I still don't think going back there is a good idea."
"Trust me." Cloud said, Genesis sighed and relented.
They walked back to the bar, this time not announcing themselves. Tifa however heard the door bell. "Sorry, we're not open for another hour or so." She called from the backroom.
"Tifa." Cloud said softly.
"Cloud!" She yelled and ran back out, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She was a black blur as she threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you have to tell that you're sorry." Cloud replied, returning the girl's hug.
Tifa looked up at Genesis, "I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I should have trusted the fact that, if Cloud brought you here, you're trustworthy."
"It's alright, I have doubts about myself most days." Genesis replied, the weight this man carried on his shoulders was obvious to Tifa now.
Some people might say Tifa had a bit of a psychological problem. She couldn't turn orphans away, even if that orphan was damn near 40 years old. "You're welcome to stay here. It's obvious you haven't had a home in some time."
Genesis relaxed a bit and Cloud pulled him further into the bar. "I'm going to show him around and introduce him to the kids, I imagine they're upstairs, doing their homework?"
"That would be correct." Tifa said, "I'll finish up down here. I'll take care of dinner tonight, too."
"Are you sure? That's a lot of work." Cloud said, looking the fighter over.
"I owe it to both of you." Tifa said with a nod.
Cloud wasn't about to argue against that. "Alright, we'll be down in a bit."
Cloud started up the stairs, Genesis close behind. He glanced at the pictures on the wall, seeing if he could place the people Cloud had told him about. The easiest was Yuffie, the Wutaian Princess. As he looked, he realized Cloud had described them all pretty well, they all looked so happy now, did he really have any right in encroach on this life of Cloud's?
Cloud, sensing Genesis's darkening mood, slipped his hand into the redhead's and squeezed. "Everyone deserves happiness, Genesis. Even us." With that he kissed the man lightly on the lips.
Genesis just smiled as Cloud banished his demons.
This is just a little glimpse into what life was like before. This doesn't count as the normal weekly chapter it's a little extra. I'll probably post a few of these in and about the other chapters.
Please review :)