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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody	By : DarkSeraphim1 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1315 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or Dirge of Cerberus. I do not profit from the writing and/or posting of this fic. I am just a humble fan paying tribute to another's wonderful creations.

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
Chapter 26
            ‘My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess. Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.’ -Loveless, ACT III
            Cloud lay on the surprisingly soft hospital bed, his eyes glued to the thin white blanket which covered his legs. He plucked at the cheap material, hating the tension that hung thick in the air. He was tired, and a little nauseous, but other than that, there were no ill effects from the blood that had been drawn for Sephiroth earlier that morning. Dr. Hollander still wasn’t sure what type of drug Hojo had used, but so far, it hadn’t made much of a difference. Cloud’s own tainted blood had been enough to stabilize him, already healing whatever internal damage had taken place. Sephiroth would survive.
            His friendship with Zack, on the other hand, he wasn’t so sure about. The other man stood at the room’s only window, while his lover and mentor sat in a chair only feet away. He stole a glance at Angeal Hewley, not surprised to find the man’s gaze locked on his student. He looked down at his lap, twisting his fingers in the blanket, and blurted out, “I’m sorry,” for what must have been the thousandth time that day.
            Zack shifted at the window but didn’t turn around, and Cloud brought his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them in an instinctive, self-protective gesture. He glanced across the large room, to the bed where Sephiroth lay, fighting for his life, and forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t let himself regret the decision he’d made. Sephiroth deserved this second as much as any of them, maybe even a little more, because he’d never been give a choice about anything.
            Genesis was sitting at his bedside, holding his hand as he sat as close as he could without disturbing any of the equipment, his normally arrogant features full of grief. He sensed Cloud’s perusal and looked up, sending him a small, forced smile before turning his gaze to Sephiroth once more. Even as Cloud watched, the proud First laid his head on the bed beside his lover, and Cloud knew that he’d done the right thing. If only he could tell Zack everything, and convince him of that too.
            “How long?”
            The quiet, low-spoken question brought Cloud’s bright blue gaze back to Zack. The other boy had turned around, and was leaning against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. “How long what?” he asked in a quiet voice.
            Zack’s lips flattened with displeasure as he said, “How long were you in Hojo’s lab?”
            Cloud looked away, hugging his knees tighter, as the memories rose up to taunt him. “Four years.”
            “Four years?!” Zack’s arms dropped as he stared at him in shock. “But you’re, like, sixteen! How the hell did Hojo get away with that? Where the fuck was your mother?”
            Cloud flinched visibly. “Twenty-five,” he mumbled miserably.
            “What?”
            Cloud lifted his head and met his eyes evenly. “I’m twenty-five, Zack.”
            The other boy looked poleaxed, and Cloud couldn’t blame him. “I was sixteen when Hojo got ahold of me. I don’t remember much,” mako-green filling his vision, insane laughter, muscular arms which held him through the worst of it, “but I know that I was twenty when I came out. Only I looked. . .I hadn’t aged at all.”
            Cloud shivered and pulled the blanket up around him. “There were two of us who escaped. A. . .friend woke up first, and he got me out. I had mako-poisoning, and he dragged me all over Gaia trying to outrun Shinra. He died to protect me, and all I could do was watch.”
            He gazed up the friend who had died for him with wide, glassy blue eyes. “Shinra killed him. I was practically catatonic, so they didn’t see me as a threat. They shot him down and left us both for dead.” He squeezed his eyes closed as he added, “Only I didn’t die.”
            “Gods, Cloud. . .!” Zack stared at his not-so-young friend with horror. He watched as the boy--the man--he had befriended buried his face in his knees. “Fuck, Spike, I don’t what to say!”
            “I told you it was a long story,” Cloud said, his words muffled.
            Zack sat on his bed hard, jostling the entire frame. “Yeah, no shit.”
            Angeal watched the two boys with grave blue eyes. He didn’t doubt Cloud’s story, not after hearing Dr. Hollander confirm that his blood was compatible to Sephiroth’s, but he knew that there was more. The boy had left something out, and as he watched Cloud lift his head and look at Sephiroth, he had a feeling that knew what that something was.
            “You said that you were twenty when you escaped,” Angeal said in a quiet voice. “If you’re twenty-five now, what have you been doing for five years? Why did you wait so long to find Sephiroth? Why did you enter the SOLDIER and pretend to be cadet now, when you‘ve had five years to do so? What did you hope to gain from this?”
            Cloud’s moisture-filled gaze shot to Sephiroth once again, his voice dying as he realized just how sharp Angeal Hewley truly was. He had hadn’t missed any of the holes in Cloud’s story, and he hadn’t been distracted by the horrible truths as Zack had. Damn, he thought, he was going to have to lie some more, and he was a bad liar.
            So, he’d start with a bit of truth. “I was. . .out of it for a long time. After we escaped Shinra Mansion, we spent a year running from Shinra. The Turks found--almost found--us twice, and the regular army was all over us. We’re lucky we made it as far as we did.”
            “Why wasn’t Sephiroth sent to eliminate you, then?” Angeal jumped in with a typical frown. “He is the best of SOLDIER. He would have been the logical choice.”
            Cloud shook his blond head quickly. “Hojo wouldn’t have wanted him to know that he was attempting to clone him. I-I think he wanted to, well, replace him. Sephiroth was the last person Shinra would have sent for us.”
            Angeal looked to his unconscious friend, then raked a hand through his straight black hair. “And after your friend. . .died?”
            “I wandered for a while.” Cloud’s gaze turned inward as he thought of the long, hot trek through the deserts which separated the mountains from the grasslands outside of Midgar. “I don’t know how long. I’ve never really regained all the memories of that part of my life. I know that I eventually ended up in Midgar. A woman found me at the train station in Sector 7. I was in pretty rough shape. She took me home and nursed me back to health. I spent a few years with her.”
            He thought of Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene with a fond, reminiscent smile. “She had two kids living with her, a boy and a girl, and I made my home there. She ran the bar, and I became a delivery boy. For a while there, life was good.”
            “Why did you leave?” It was Zack who spoke this time, his sky-blue eyes, only shades lighter than Cloud’s own, dark with sympathy. “If life was as great as you say, why didn’t stay?”
            Cloud barely heard him as the room seemed to darken around him. He felt something in mind, something. . .foreign, yet panic never set in. Not Jenova then, he thought distantly. Something else, something. . .more.
            “I need to get up,” he announced suddenly. He pushed the blankets away from and slid his feet to the floor, swaying as his head spun, and the presence loomed closer. “Where are my things?”
            Angeal frowned as Zack rushed around the bed to steady his friend, only to be pushed away. “I need Souba.” Cloud’s voice changed, becoming almost childlike in its stubbornness as he looked impatiently around the room. “Where’s my gear? Where’s First Tsurugi? Where’s Souba?”
            “What the hell is Souba?” Zack asked, both exasperated and alarmed by his friend’s behavior.
            Cloud scowled at him, feeling almost high as his head continued to spin. “It’s his sword, and I need it, Zack.”
            “Alright, alright, I’ll get it.” Zack was halfway across the room before he realized that he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for. “Cloud, what does Souba look like?”
            “It’s a katana,” Cloud responded in a ‘duh’ tone, as though he should have known. “It’s got two blades, it’s attached to First Tsurugi’s harness, and I want it—now.”
            “Okay, I’m on it. I’ll be right back. Sheesh!”
            “Bring me the whole thing!” Cloud found himself yelling after him. He frowned as he stood beside his bed, raised a hand to his head, and wondered what the hell was wrong with him. He wasn’t an aggressive man. He never had been, and yet, he had yelled at Zack and pushed him. A devilish laugh danced through his mind, and he gasped at the words which followed it.
            ‘Hello, Nii-san. Did you miss me?’
            His lips parted with wonder as his legs abruptly gave out. He found himself sprawled on the cold tile floor, clad in nothing but a hospital gown, wearing a stunned smile. “Kadaj!” he whispered, ignoring the hands which struggled to pull him to his feet.
            ‘I can’t stay long, but I wanted you to know that I miss you, and that I’m waiting. Hurry, Nii-san. And bring Souba with you!’
            When Cloud came back to himself, it was to find that he had been tucked back into his bed, and that he was crying. He smiled through his tears as joy as wonder filled his heart to overflowing. Kadaj had managed to reach out to him while he was awake. He glanced over at Sephiroth, who’s own hand twitched spasmodically, and his smile widened. The boys were doing everything that they could to help, in their own unique way, and he wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sephiroth told him later that he had felt them, too.
            “Spike?”
            He looked up to find both Angeal and Zack were staring at him with nearly identical expressions of concern. “I’m fine,” he assured them, wiping his eyes as he spied First Tsurugi’s harness in Zack’s hands. “Thanks, Zack,” he said as he pulled Souba’s scabbard free and set the harness aside. “Kadaj would kill me if I lost Souba.”
            The two dark-haired Firsts shared a veiled glance before looking back at him. Cloud stunned Zack by hugging the sword to him, almost like a kid would with a stuffed animal, or a girl would with a memento from a first crush. “Uh, Cloud?” he questioned hesitantly. “Who’s Kadaj?”
            Everything, Cloud’s heart instantly supplied. “He’s. . .” Cloud ran through all of the possible answers he could give, then settled for a simple version of the truth. “He’s my boyfriend.”
            “Really?” Zack sat on the edge of the bed, his interest peaked, as Cloud hadn’t shown an interest in anyone in the time he’d known him. “So, is he hot?”
            “Zack,” Angeal admonished with a frown, taking a seat beside him.
            Zack leaned his head on his shoulder and looked up at him with innocent blue eyes. “Yes, Angel?”
            Angeal scowled even as he caved, just as Zack had known he would. “You’re a menace, Pup.”
            Cloud laughed just a little at that. He enjoyed seeing his best friend so happy, even as he worried about what would happen once Aerith entered the picture. “Yes, Zack,” he answered belatedly, “he’s hot.”
            Zack broke away from Angeal and leaned towards him eagerly. “So, what’s he look like?” he asked with a grin. “Is he tall, dark, and handsome,” he threw a smoldering look over his shoulder at the man he was describing, “or is he a fiery redhead, like Genesis?”
            “Neither. He, well,” Cloud nodded towards the room’s most important occupant, “he looks a lot like Sephiroth. Only with shorter hair. He was. . .in Nibelheim with me.”
            “Oh.” Zack winced a bit, shooting a helpless look at his mentor. Angeal merely shook his head and put an arm around his shoulders. “Was he the one who-who died?”
            Cloud shook his head quickly. “No, he was one of the other experiments.”
            “Do you. . .know where he is now?”
            Cloud only shrugged, not wanting to mention Junon before Sephiroth did. “Sephiroth’s been helping me look for them.”
            “Them?” Angeal questioned sharply.
            A heavy sigh escaped Gaia’s champion as he explained, “Kadaj has two older brothers, Loz and Yazoo. I didn’t spend as much time with them, so I don’t know them too well, but I can’t imagine anything being able to separate them. They were very close,” he added awkwardly.
            “Well, hell,” Zack said shake of his spiky head, “that sucks.”
            Cloud only laughed a bit raggedly and nudged the bouncy First with his foot. “Thanks, Zack. For everything. And. . .I’m really sorry that I lied to you.”
            Zack’s handsome features took on an uncharacteristically solemn cast as he said, “It’s cool, Spike. I, uh, kinda understand why you did, you know?”
            The door opened, and a fiery head poked through. “Is it safe, yo?”
            Cloud was grateful for the distraction as Genesis raised his head and shot Reno a tired look. “Come in, street-rat. He’s still sleeping.”
            “Asshole,” he greeted amiably as he closed the door and ambled towards him. “His Royal Hotness doin’ okay?”
            “Dr. Hollander thinks so.” Sephiroth’s hand twitched again, and Genesis tightened his hold. “His vitals have evened out, and the internal bleeding’s stopped. All that’s left is for him to wake up.”
            Reno let out a relieved breath as he looked down at the fallen general. “Can I touch his hair, yet?”
            Genesis heard three groans sound from the other side of the room and managed a pale grin. “Sorry, street-rat, but you’ll have to wait until he gives you permission to do that.”
            “Spoilsport.” Reno grabbed the folding chair that Angeal had been using and dragged it across the room. He set it on the opposite side of Sephiroth’s bed and planted his butt in it. “It’s cool, yo. I’ve got time.”
            Genesis only shook his head as he stroked Sephiroth’s hair back from his face with his free hand. “I suppose that Tseng is chomping at the bit to question him,” he said in a low, tense voice.
            “Nah. The Director knows what’s up.” Reno stretched his legs out before him as he added, “He didn’t like Hojo much, either.”
            “Hhmmpphh.” Genesis tossed his red head as he shifted in his own chair. “As soon as Seph’s better, I’m going to find wherever they bury Hojo and piss all over his grave.”
            Reno grinned at that. “Count me in, yo.”
            “Genesis.”
            Genesis glanced over his shoulder, where Angeal was fighting a smile of his own. “Oh, please, tell me that the thought doesn’t appeal to you?”
            “Of course it does.” Angeal brushed his lips over Zack’s forehead and crossed the room. “That still doesn’t make it right, Gen.”
            “Ppfftt. Like I’m worried about that.” He looked back at his lover, who had come so close to death, and shuddered. “I wonder if I could talk Seph into doing it, too?”
            “Now, that I’d pay to see,” Zack joked as he joined them. “His Royal Hotness, whipping it out for all the world to see--Hey!”
            Angeal set a hand on the back of his neck and squeezed gently in warning. “I thought we’d covered this, Zack.”
            “We did, we did,” he said hastily. “That doesn’t mean he’s not hot, Angeal. It just means that I’m not supposed to say that I think so in front of him.”
            He looked down at the sleeping man and said, “I think I’m safe for the moment, babe.”
            “You’d be. . .wrong.”
            “Seph!”
            “Sephiroth!”
            “Shit!”
            Sephiroth’s eyes fluttered opened, their pale green depths pulsing with mako power, and a collective sigh of relief went around the room. “Why are you all looking at me like that?” he asked with gruff wariness.
            “Why are we. . .?” Genesis’ voice trailed off in amazement as he very carefully stood, took a seat on the edge of the bed, and lowered his head to his lover’s chest. “You almost died, Seph. If it wasn’t for Cloud, you would have.”
            Memories filtered into the sleep-heavy morass of his mind, and he uttered a deep sigh even as his hand came up to hold the other man close. “Hojo?” he questioned roughly.
            “Deader than a freakin’ doornail,” Reno promptly supplied.
            A faint smile flirted with the corners of Sephiroth’s lips. “Good,” was all he said in response.
            Angeal gazed at his friend with fond, yet worried blue eyes. “How are you feeling, Seph?”
            “Surprisingly well, all things considered.” Sephiroth sent him a genuine smile before looking down at Genesis. He ran a hand through his fiery tresses as he added, “I believe that now would be a good time to say, ‘I told you so,’.”
            Genesis lifted his head, his beautiful azure eyes swimming with tears, and Sephiroth immediately regretted the attempt at humor. “Genesis?” he questioned hesitantly, unnerved, as he had never before seen his lover weep.
            The other man merely shook his fiery head and hid his face against his chest once more. He felt Genesis’ slender shoulders shake even as hot moisture began to soak through the cotton of the hospital gown which covered his chest, and he was stunned as he realized that Genesis truly was crying. He pushed himself into a sitting position and pulled the other man onto his lap. Genesis only clung to him and buried his face in his hair, sobbing quietly all the while. He ran his hand over his slender back before hugging him tightly, wanting nothing more than to make this stop. He had seen Genesis in many different moods, but never like this, and he certainly did not like it!
            He glanced helplessly up at Angeal, who only smiled faintly as he ushered Zack and Reno away. A privacy curtain was drawn around them, leaving him alone with a very distraught kitten. He nearly panicked. “Genesis, you have to stop this,” he ordered in his most authoritive voice, hoping that the other man would respond to his commanding officer, if nothing else.
            That only made it worse, the sobs increasing in volume, and Sephiroth’s own eyes began to fill. “Don’t,” he whispered, burying his face in the smooth skin of Genesis’ neck. “Please, Genesis, do not cry. I-I don’t know what to do.”
            Genesis heard his helpless whisper and shuddered violently. He swiped at his eyes as he raised his head, a wobbly smile gracing his lips as Sephiroth gazed at him with distressed green eyes. “You kiss me,” he said, his voice hoarse as he added, “I know I look like shit, but kiss me, anyway.”
            Sephiroth cupped the back of his head in his hands and brought his lips to his. He kissed Genesis with aching tenderness, hoping to soothe his distraught emotions. Genesis, however, was having none of that. He deepened the kiss with typical aggressiveness, his tongue thrusting between his teeth to tangle urgently with his. Sephiroth gave in with a groan, crushing him to him, twisting until he was pressed beneath him. Genesis laughed breathlessly into his mouth, and he found himself smiling as he raised his head.
            “You do not look like ‘shit’, Genesis,” he told the other man with ragged solemnity, gently wiping the moisture from his flushed face with his thumbs. “You are beautiful, kitten, always.”
            “Fuck, but I love you!” Genesis pulled him down to him, not for another kiss, but to merely hold him close. “Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again, Sephiroth. If you do, you won’t have to worry about a crazy fucking scientist trying to kill you, because I’ll be waiting to do it myself!”
            Sephiroth chuckled as he shifted so that he was lying on his side. “And how would you kill me, kitten?” he asked with unconscious condescension.
            Red-rimmed blue eyes narrowed on his as Genesis replied, “By sticking Rapier up your lily-white ass!”
            The chuckles became full-fledged laughter as Sephiroth dropped his head and gathered him close. Genesis huffed and turned his head away, but he was smiling as Sephiroth’s lips found his ear. The other man used lips, teeth, and tongue to play with his silver earring, and Genesis couldn’t halt the breathy moan that escaped his lips.
            “Gods, but I love it when you do that,” he breathed, closing his eyes briefly as lightening arched through him.
            “Mmmm.” Sephiroth placed his teeth around the small hoop at the top of the earring and bit down gently. “Do you, now?”
            Genesis shivered and turned on his side, so that they were lying face-to-face. “You know I do, Seph.” He reached up and smoothed silky silver locks out of his lover’s face. “You know, you’ve never asked me about the earring.”
            Sephiroth heard the unspoken question and smiled as he laid his head on his forearm. “You have never volunteered the information,” he countered with a question of his own.
            “True,” Genesis conceded with a light sigh. “That’s only because I know how insanely jealous you are, deep inside your. . .heart.”
            His hand had crept down Sephiroth’s chest as he spoke, until he was cupping his balls in his palm. He squeezed lightly, and Sephiroth hastily caught his wrist. “Not here,” he murmured, taking his hand and directing it until it tangled in his hair. “Content yourself with this for the time being, kitten.”
            “Oh, if I must.” The sigh was loud, deep, and wholly dramatic this time as Genesis automatically began to play with the gilded moonlit strands. “I bought the earrings years ago, when I still a kid back in Banora. Something about them just caught my eye, and I had to have them. Angeal didn’t understand it, and he certainly didn’t like the idea of me putting holes in my body, but there was just something about them that called to me.”
            He pulled a small section of Sephiroth’s hair over his shoulder and said, “I think that now I know why.”
            One silver brow shot up at that. “And was this before or after you masturbated to my picture?” he asked in a low, curious voice.
            “After.” Genesis smiled crookedly as he gave a half-shrug. “What can I say, Seph. Silver turns me on.”
            Sephiroth blinked, then smiled slowly. “You were not just teasing me, then.”
            It was stated with such certainty that Genesis nearly recanted, but in the end, he gave Sephiroth what he wanted. “No, it happened.” He leaned forward, matched his smile, and whispered, “I found the picture, Seph.”
            The entire length of Sephiroth’s body jerked at the image which flashed through his head, and Genesis uttered a low, evil laugh. “Oh, I can’t wait to get you home, Sephiroth.”
            Sephiroth glanced around their sterile surroundings with something akin to desperation. “Can we not leave, now?”
            A shouted chorus of, “No!” came to his ears, and Sephiroth cringed with embarrassment as he realized that everyone had been privy to the intimate exchange.
            Genesis merely laughed and hugged him to him, allowing him to hide his burning face in his hair. “Why, Angeal Hewley, I’m shocked!” he called out, because one of those voices had definitely been his best friend’s.
            A low, embarrassed groan came to his ears, and he laughed again. “Oh, by the way, Reno would like permission to play with your hair.”
            Sephiroth only shuddered and burrowed more tightly against him, and he tightened his hold on his mortified lover. The Silver Demon of Wutai was so easy to tease, he thought with affection. “Don’t worry, moonbeam. If the street-rat ever touches you without my permission, I’ll break every bone in his scrawny body.”
            ‘Hey, that’s so not cool, yo!”
            When Sephiroth finally lifted his head, it was to find Genesis gazing at him with soft blue eyes. “Welcome back, Seph. We missed you.”
            “Thank you,” he whispered, thinking how odd it was, that he had a family, not only here in Shinra, but on the outside, waiting for him. Monster or not, human or not, he was a very luck man.
            “Now, let me up, and I’ll go get Hollander.” Genesis waited until he had withdrawn his arms to roll out of the bed. He smiled down at him, cocked his head to one side, and said, “And drop the deer-in-the-headlights look, okay? Hollander will never release you if you look at him like that.”
            Sephiroth frowned at him fiercely, and he nodded his red head decisively. “Much better. I’ll be right back.”
            The privacy curtain was swept aside, and Sephiroth directed his frown at those who were openly watching him. Reno and Zack quickly looked away, and Angeal only shrugged and sent him an embarrassed smile. Cloud, who occupied the room’s only other bed, merely nodded his spiky blond head. Sephiroth returned the gesture, knowing that he should thank him, but not wanting to do so in a room full of people. The Ancient had been right, he thought. He did have too much pride.
            He opened his mouth to speak, to humble himself before his nemesis, when he was cut off by what sounded like music. He watched as Cloud scrambled to pull his weapons harness onto his bed, his multi-bladed sword clanking together as he searched it for Gaia only knew what. He pulled out his phone, flipped it open, and the music stopped. Sephiroth believed that it had been the theme song from a film Zack had once dragged him to see. What had it been called? Ah, yes, Mission Impossible.
            Cloud’s expression was one of anticipation bordering on fear, echoing the emotions which raced through him, as he said, “Aer?”
            “My name is Vincent Valentine.” There was a pause. “Nanaki asked me to contact you. You are. . .Cloud?”
            “Yes, yes, I am,” he answered, relaxing as he realized that he didn’t have to deal with that quite yet. “It’s good to hear your voice, Vincent. I’ve been worried about you.”
            Another pause, longer this time. “I. . .know you, don’t I?”
            “Yes, Vincent, you know me.” Cloud glanced around him, realized that all eyes were on him, and drew a deep breath. “Has Aerith explained everything to you?”
            “No. The girl is. . .indisposed, at the moment.”
            Fear gripped him as he grasped the PHS tighter. “What do mean?” he asked in a voice that shook. “Is she hurt?”
            There was an odd scrambling sound, and then Nanaki’s voice sounded over the line. “She collapsed a short time ago. Cloud, has something happened to Se-the General?”
            “Yeah,” he said roughly. “Hojo tried to kill him. Why?”
            “I think that Vincent can answer that question better than I.”
            Cloud frowned as the phone passed hands--so to speak--once again. “Vincent, what’s he talking about?”
            “I had a dream,” came the unexpected response. “The pretty one, Yazoo, was holding a man who was very similar to him in appearance. There were two others with him, and they were trying to anchor the man to this world as death approached. I take it they succeeded?”
            “Yes, they succeeded.” So he had been right, Cloud thought with relief. The remnants had been helping Sephiroth. “Sephiroth’s awake now, and I think he’s going to be released from the infirmary soon.”
            A swift intake of breath sounded. “It was Sephiroth who was dying?”
            Cloud winced even as he said, “Yeah, it was.”
            There was a long silence before Vincent asked, “May I. . .speak to him?”
            “Hold on.” Cloud ignored the confused stares of Sephiroth’s friends and family as he crossed the room. He stopped beside his bed and extended his arm. “Vincent wants to talk to you.”
            Sephiroth glanced from him to the phone, reaching out with a suddenly shaking hand to take it. He brought the black PHS to his ear and said, “Vincent Valentine?”
            “Yes,” answered a voice eerily similar to his own. “Sephiroth?”
            He cursed his social inadequacies as he answered with a simple, “Yes.”

            “You are Lucrecia’s son?”
            “Yes.”
            “You are. . .my son?”
            ‘Yes,” he returned, unable to say more, though he longed to.
            “I. . .see. May I speak to Cloud, again?”
            “Of course.” Sephiroth drew the phone away, eying it with regret, before holding it out to his nemesis. “He would like to speak to you.”
            Cloud only nodded, knowing how hard this had to be for both men, and lifted the small phone to his ear. “Vincent.”
            “Cloud.” Talking to Vincent had always been like pulling teeth, but unlike most people, Cloud had all the time in the world to wait for him. “Thank you.”
            “You’re welcome. Are you still in Nibelheim?” he asked as he made his way back to his own bed.
            “Yes. Nanaki said that you would know what to do.”
            Cloud blew a stray strand of blond hair out his face, exasperated as he had always been by his friends’ bewildering faith in him. “As soon as Sephiroth recovers, we’re heading for Junon. The boys you saw with him are there, and we’re going to rescue them.”
            “The pretty one is there?” Vincent’s normally flat monotone rose with a telling excitement. “You are sure?”
            “Yes,” he answered with a small laugh, “I’m sure.”
            “Then, that is where I will go, as well.”
            “Wait.” Cloud climbed back onto his bed and pulled the blanket over his chilled legs before continuing. “Nanaki may or may not want to go with you. That’s his decision. But if you go, you have take Aerith with you.”
            Silence met his ears, and Cloud well imagine the reluctant look on Vincent’s near-perfect features as he looked at the girl in question. “She’s important, Vincent. More than you’ll ever know. If she dies, nothing we do will mean a damned thing. You have to protect her, Vincent. You have to,” he added with fierce emphasis.
            “Very well,” the gunman responded with a sigh. “Nanaki has said that you will be able to explain the odd memories that have been haunting my dreams. Will you do so, now?”
            Dreams, he’d said. Not nightmares. “I’d like nothing more,” he said, trying to control a sudden smile, “but I can’t. I have to be able to touch you to do that.”
            A different kind of silence met his words, and Cloud smile changed, softening with empathy. “I know how you feel, Vincent, but it’s the only way.”
            “We shall see,” came the enigmatic response. “We will begin traveling to Junon as soon the girl—Aerith—awakens. We will see you there.”
            “Wait!”
            Vincent sighed again, the sound conveying his annoyance at the delay, and Cloud hastily explained, “The boys are being held in an underwater research facility. It’s got a huge glass dome, and very little in the way of structural reinforcement. It’s not heavily guarded, but if the bullets start flying, we’re going to need Underwater materia to keep us all from drowning. I need you to get it, and--”
            “Where?” the other man cut in abruptly.
            “That’s where it gets complicated,” Cloud said with a sigh of his own. “You’ll need a Morph materia, and the only place to get it is from a temple that’s on an island just southwest of Fort Condor. That’s to the south of Midgar on the Eastern Cont--”
            “That won’t be necessary, Cloud.”
            Cloud looked at Sephiroth with surprise. “Hold on, Vincent.” He shifted the phone away from his mouth and said, “What do you mean?”
            Sephiroth smiled faintly as he explained, “The researchers in the Materia Room can make--or duplicate--nearly any kind of materia imaginable. I will put in a request for Underwater materia, and have it marked as a top-priority matter. We will have the materia in a matter of days.”
            “Oh.” Cloud blinked as he assimilated the information. That would have been nice to know eight years ago when they’d needed the Underwater materia to fight Emerald Weapon! He pulled the phone towards his mouth and said, “Nevermind. Sephiroth’s going to get it for us. Go ahead and head towards Junon. We’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”
            “Understood.” There was another, longer pause, and then, “Cloud, take care of my son.”
            The line went dead, and Cloud lowered the phone with a profound sense of hope. His bright, glowing blue eyes met Sephiroth’s across the length of the room, and they shared a uncertain, yet happy smile. Screw Gaia, he thought suddenly, the smile widening. They were going to do this, and nothing was going to stop them. Not even an immature, planet-bound goddess. And now, he had a few questions to answer.
            Genesis returned, followed by Dr. Hollander, and Cloud waited while Sephiroth was given a cursory examination. Hollander gave him strict instructions to rest, and informed him that he would be spending the night for observation. When he protested, Genesis merely cut him off and assured the doctor that Sephiroth would follow him instructions--to the letter.
            Once the older man had gone, Cloud prepared himself for a tale that was going to be extremely hard to tell. He glanced at Reno, who saw what his was thinking by his expression and was frantically shaking his head. Sephiroth himself looked tense as he too realized what he intended, but his curt nod conveyed his acquiescence well enough. He looked at Angeal and Zack, who were obviously confused, and knew that it was time. While he couldn’t tell them everything--that would be disastrous--he could tell them enough about Kadaj and his brothers to allay any suspicions they might be harboring.
            So, he’d tell them about what they’d found in Junon, and hope that it would be enough to make them understand what was going to happen. Rufus would take the President’s chair, and he would be at Sephiroth’s side as he fought to make it happen. If nothing else, maybe Angeal would be able to forgive Sephiroth for his less than honorable actions upon his return from the Southern Mountains. He would hate for Sephiroth to lose one of the few people who cared for him. After all, he was only trying to make things better.
            And, he wanted to prepare them for meeting Vincent and Aerith. A little bit truth went a long way, and Gaia knew, they had quite an adventure ahead of them.
            “Zack, Angeal,” he began, “we have a lot to tell you.”
            As both men, SOLDIERs of the highest caliber, focused on him with unwavering intensity, he told a highly censored version of the story that had begun thirty-four years ago in icy caverns of the Northern Crater. He focused only Sephiroth’s remnants--clones, he had to remember to call them that--and what Professor Hojo had done to Lucrecia Crescent and Vincent Valentine. As for the rest. . .Well, that was Sephiroth’s tale to tell, if he ever worked up the courage to. Somehow, Cloud doubted that he ever would.
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            Sephiroth glanced around the now-empty infirmary, unable to prevent a shiver as his enhanced gaze swept over the room. He had always hated the lab, and the nightmares of remembered pain that came with it. Hollander had insisted that he spend the night, for observation purposes, and only Genesis’ loudly voiced agreement had persuaded him to obey.
            He was questioning the decision now, though. He knew that he would get no sleep tonight, not after all that had occurred in the past few days. Genesis had returned him, pledging his love in a way he had never expected, and in doing so had made him whole. He had been able to share a small portion of the truth with the man he loved, as well as with Angeal and Zack, which had lightened the burden of being forced to harbor such a secret, even if only a little. He had battled Hojo, killed him as he longed to do for so many years, and had nearly died in the process. His three remnants, his children, had reached out and held him to this world when he himself had given up hope. And he had been granted the privilege of speaking to his father.
            Sephiroth smiled a bit as he pulled the silver-and-black comforter--which Genesis had insisted on bringing to him--up over his shoulders. While it had not been much of a conversation, the fact that he had heard his father’s voice call him ‘son’ while speaking to Cloud had been enough. It was a beginning, a foundation upon which he soon hoped to build a more permanent relationship. If Vincent could forgive him for all he had done while under Jenova’s sway, then he could certainly forgive the man for his inaction where Lucrecia was concerned. After all, had their situations been reversed, he would have likely done the same. He would have put his love’s wishes before his own, no matter how much it had hurt, if only to see him--her--happy. In that, there were very much alike.
            But it had been odd to listen to Cloud describe his father, especially once it became apparent their friendship was closer than was normal. Gaia’s former champion hadn’t come right out and said that they had been lovers, but all had been able to read between the lines. Then, Zack had asked him if Vincent was as hot as his son, and the tension in the room had been broken by laughter.
            Genesis had been first stunned, then elated, to realize that his father was still alive. Even once the truth of what Hojo had done to him had been revealed, Genesis had responded positively. He hadn’t seemed to view him as a monster, as Sephiroth had feared. He was nervous at the prospect of meeting his lover’s father, but excited as well, and Sephiroth loved him all the more for his enthusiastic acceptance.
            Only when Cloud had began to describe the Ancient had he faltered, and Sephiroth had hastily stepped in. He had simply explained the she was the last Cetra on The Planet, and that she had been helping them search for the boys. While his short explanation had been rather vague, it had been accepted by all. He was not known for his verbosity, after all.
            He had outlined his plan to divide the command of SOLDIER, which had had Zack whooping and hollering and generally making a nuisance of himself. Angeal had merely studied him in silence before complimenting him on the proposal, saying that he would enjoy instructing the 2^nd Class immensely. He hadn’t become angry, nor felt that he was being slighted. Quite the opposite, in fact. Solid, stable Angeal was a teacher at heart, and they all knew it. He would shine in his new position, and he would be loved all the more by those who looked up to him. Angeal was an inspiration to them all.
            Then, he himself had casually mentioned the mass SOLDIER exercise that Lazard had given his consent to only yesterday. Angeal had nodded and immediately began to discuss it the drill, and Sephiroth’s heart had lightened. Even as Genesis had taken his hand and squeezed it just a touch too hard, he had been unable to conceal his smile. He knew that Genesis didn’t want to go. The fiery First wanted to stay and help him fight for their freedom, but Sephiroth had no intention of letting him. He wanted his kitten safe, and he would have his way, whether said kitten liked it or not.
            In the end, Genesis would go, if only to keep Sephiroth from losing his focus in his concern for him, but he would not go quietly. Never quietly. He would fight to the very last, when he had no choice but to acquiesce, but at least he would free from the taint of ‘traitor’ should they fail.
            Not that they would, Sephiroth thought with unconscious arrogance. As many difficulties as he had in other parts of his life, he had always excelled in the art of waging war. While not diplomatic by nature, he was fully capable of subtlety, of stealth, when the occasion called for it. The President would not know what hit him. He would find himself deposed and at the mercy of his only acknowledged son in a matter of moments. It only remained to be seen if Rufus possessed such an emotion when it came to his abusive, murderous, power-hungry sire.
            He heard a noise outside of his room and tensed. He could hear multiple footsteps, and he frowned as he realized that he recognized all three sets. He sat up, grateful for the sleep set that Genesis had also insisted on bringing to him, and waited. He heard a series high beeps before the door slid open, and then they were sneaking through. He waited until the last had crossed the threshold to clear his throat--loudly.
            All three men jumped, one of them letting out an ear-splitting screech, and Sephiroth winced as the sound cut through his skull. He wasn’t quite sure if he should be angry or amused that his lover had decided to take part in this rather juvenile stunt. “You realize that this is against Shinra regulations?”
            There was a snort, and then the lights came on. Genesis stood at the foot of the bed, his hands on his denim-clad hips, one fiery brow arched in challenge. “And?”
            Discretion or valor? “And nothing. I was merely stating a fact.”
            Genesis tossed his head, sending short strands of auburn fire flying, before making an imperious gesture with one bare hand. To Sephiroth’s surprise, the two young men with him scrambled to do his bidding. Zack set up a small folding table next to the bed, while Cloud opened the bag he’d been holding and began to set small cartons with Wutaian symbols on it. Sephiroth tilted his head to one side, admittedly curious, and gazed questioningly at the other man.
            “I thought we’d share a late supper,” Genesis said with a warm smile. “Reno was nice enough to disable the cameras and get the security codes, and Zack and Cloud offered to help me set everything up. So, what do you think?”
            Sephiroth’s own gaze softened on his before he looked at the two young men. Zack was grinning like a fool, while Cloud was smiling in a more sedate way. “Thank you,” he said simply.
            “Yeah, no problem, Seph.” Zack’s sky-blue eyes shot back and forth between he and Genesis as he scratched the back of his spiky head. “We’ll, ah, we’ll be going, now. You two have fun. C’mon, Cloud.”
            Cloud nodded, his own blond spikes swaying, as he followed. As they neared the door, he paused and said, “You’re welcome, Sephiroth.”
            Sephiroth couldn’t stop smiling as the door slid closed behind them. He watched with shining emerald eyes as Genesis, clad in pale blue jeans and a particularly attractive royal-blue button-down shirt, began to open the cartons one by one. Not even the sight of the dreaded chopsticks was enough to extinguish the gratitude that filled his heart.
            “Genesis.”
            “Mmmm?“ The redheaded First laid both set of chopsticks near him and then proceeded to wedge himself between Sephiroth and the table, kicking off his shoes as he did so. He looked at Sephiroth with bright, gleaming azure eyes, and Sephiroth couldn’t stop himself from reaching out.
            He trailed his fingers over the silky arch of the other man’s cheek. “Thank you,” he said simply.
            “You’re welcome,” Genesis returned, his own voice soft. “Now, pick up your chopsticks. You have a lesson to finish.”
            Sephiroth chuckled as he pulled his legs towards him and crossed them. He reached for the hated utensils, holding them the way Genesis had spent so many years trying to teach him to, and reached for the first carton. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said, utterly sincere.
            “Do I?” Genesis’ smile turned smug as he leaned forward and began to root through his food. “I thought you might like the shirt.”
            “Very much so.” The deep blue color only enhanced the pure blue of the other man’s eyes, and Sephiroth wished he would wear it more often. “I know that you hate blue, but. . .it becomes you, Gen. It truly does.”
            “Of course, it does,” Genesis responded with characteristic arrogance. “I look good in anything. Of course, I look even better in nothing, but we’ll talk about that later.”
            Sephiroth chuckled again as the other man pulled a sauce-drenched shrimp out of the carton and held it up. “Now, open up, moonbeam. I’d hate to ruin those very expensive jammies of yours.”
            “Jammies?” Sephiroth quirked one brow even as he opened his mouth to receive the tasty tidbit. He chewed slowly, enjoying the way it exploded with flavor on his tongue, then swallowed. “You have quite a unique way with words, Genesis.”
            “A little Barnoral colloquialism,” Genesis replied dismissively. “You pick up things like that when you live in a small town.”
            As much as he knew that Genesis hated the down he’d grown up in, Sephiroth himself had always found it charming. “Perhaps, we can both go there, someday,” he found himself saying. “I would like to see more of the town you spent your youth in.”
            Genesis tilted his auburn head to one side, studying him for a long moment, before nodding slowly. “I think that can be arranged,” he said lightly, adding, “I’d like to take the boys there, at least once. I want my parents to meet them, and see for themselves how happy you’ve made me.”
            Sephiroth’s smile was faint as he asked, “They don’t know about me, do they?”
            Regret shaped his lover’s stunning aristocratic features as he shook his head. “My parents have been in denial from day one, Seph. The Goddess knows I’ve never tried to hide what I am, but. . .” his rich voice trailed off as he shrugged. “They’re still waiting for me to meet a nice girl and settle down. They’ve just never been willing to accept that that girl is going to have a cock. Their mistake, not mine.”
            Sephiroth, who had been struggling with a rather large piece of shrimp, dropped it back into the carton in his astonishment. “Genesis,” he began, “that was a rather disturbing image. Perhaps, another description would be more apt?”
            “Oh, I don’t know.” Genesis was studying him again, this time with mock reflection. “You’ve certainly got the hair for it, and you are astoundingly pretty. You’re a little too tall, of course, but as I like that, it’s okay. You’re voice is a little too deep to be feminine, as well, but still. . .You are awfully pretty, Sephiroth.”
            He scowled darkly, not liking the comparison at all, then decided to beat Genesis at his own game. “I could always cut my hair,” he pointed out, suppressing an evil smirk as he did so. “Would that not make me appear more masculine?”
            “Don’t you dare!” Genesis looked genuinely appalled as he threw his chopsticks on the table and lunged for him. He latched on to Sephiroth, who was trying very hard not to laugh, plunging his hands into said hair. “If you ever even think about doing such a thing again, I’ll fucking geld you! Do you understand me?”
            Sephiroth couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. He burst out laughing, juggling the food and the chopsticks as he wrapped his arms around the other man. “Do not worry,” he said, his voice wavering with the force of his mirth. “I would never deprive you of something you value so greatly. The hair stays, Genesis, if only to please you.”
            “It had better!”
            Genesis’ melodic voice rose on that last note, and Sephiroth laughed even harder. As he hugged the other man to him, he managed to drop the chopsticks into the carton and set it aside. He sat back against the uncomfortable metal headboard, settling Genesis against his chest, watching with affectionate green eyes as his lover combed possessive hands through the hair which flowed over his shoulders. He ran his hands over Genesis’ own hair, marveling at the way the fire-imbued tresses clung greedily to fingers.
            He remembered the way Genesis had looked that last, fateful day in Banora, with the wind whipping through his long fiery locks, which had been such a startling contrast to deep black of his leather clothing, and sighed with appreciation. He could understand why Genesis enjoyed his hair so much, when his own fingers had literally itched to touched his. A few strands had even clung to the ebony softness of his wing, and Sephiroth wasn’t ashamed to admit that he had been excited at the sight.
            Of course, everything about Genesis aroused him. He could care less what his lover’s mometic origins were. They didn’t change who he was. Even in his madness, Genesis had been Genesis, as passionate in his hatred as he had ever been in his ardor. Yes, he was doing everything that he could to change future events, to forestall the insanity which had ruined so many lives, but he would never again turn his back on the other man, even if he failed. He would be there for Genesis, sane or no, and he would do everything in his power to please him. Genesis would be happy, no matter what he had to do to assure it.
            “I’ve got something for you.”
            Sephiroth looked down quizzically at the soft-spoken words. Genesis had raised his head and was gazing at him so lovingly that his heart threatened to leap from his chest. “Yes?” he managed, his own voice hoarse with emotion.
            “Yes.” Genesis reached down and shoved his hand into the pocket of his very tight jeans. Sephiroth caught only a glimpse of something silver before Genesis’ hand closed. “Give me your hand.”
            Sephiroth did as he requested, and Genesis set something cool in the center of his palm. “I was going to wait until you got home, but I. . .” his voice trailed off as he removed his hand and curled Sephiroth’s fingers over the unseen object. “I hope you like it, Seph. It cost me a fortune to have it made on such short notice.”
            He opened his hand slowly and couldn’t prevent a quiet gasp. In the center of his palm lay a chain of glittering silver--fashioned out of plated-mythril, if he wasn’t mistaken. And held in place by a very small, very familiar hoop, was the mate to the earring he had never seen Genesis without. He jerked his gaze back to Genesis’, his heart turning over at the crooked smile which greeted him.
            “This is. . .for me?” he asked, his deep voice hushed.
            “Seph, of course, it’s for you,” Genesis returned with affectionate exasperation. “Who else would I give it to?”
            “I-I don’t know.” Sephiroth looked down at the necklace, stunned by the gift, and the implications behind it. “Genesis, I--”
            He broke off, words failing him, hands trembling as he touched a precious, priceless gift he had never expected to receive. “I have no words,” he whispered at last, lifting damp green eyes to the other man’s.
            Genesis’ breath came in hard, and then he was smiling again, his own blue eyes suspiciously bright. “How about ’thank you’?” he teased huskily.
            Wonder filled Sephiroth as he reached out and touched Genesis’ own earring with reverent fingers. “Thank you,” he repeated dutifully, his hand sliding into the other man’s hair as he cupped his face. “I love it, Genesis. I will treasure it always.”
            “Good.” Genesis’ eyes fluttered closed as he leaned into the gentle touch. “I love you, Sephiroth.”
            Sephiroth stroked his cheek with his thumb, his chest tightening in a wholly unnerving way. So, this was what it was like to be loved, he thought with humbled awe. No wonder people were willing to kill to keep it, willing to die to protect it. There was nothing else like it in the world, nothing that could possibly compare. He not only existed, but he belonged, and that could never be measured by physical means.
            Silky auburn lashes rose, and Sephiroth lost himself in a shimmering azure sea. “So blue,” he whispered with fascination, “just like the sky in summer.”
            Genesis flushed with pleasure at the unexpected compliment. “Can I put it on you?” he asked, his hand creeping up to the other man’s.
            Sephiroth nodded slowly, sweeping his hair to one side to facilitate the process. Genesis sat up as he took the necklace in hand, leaning close as he slid the chain around a graceful, powerful neck. He set the clasp--which was supposed to be unbreakable--and pulled back to observe the results.
            “Perfect,” he whispered with satisfaction. No one would ever again question who it was that Sephiroth belonged to. He trailed both hands down the chain, straightening it as he went, before he grasped the pendant in one hand. He gazed at Sephiroth with a pleased expression, then leaned forward to brush his lips over the other man’s. “My moonbeam.”
            Sephiroth smiled faintly at the possessive declaration. “From the moment I first laid eyes upon you, Genesis.”
            Genesis drew a deep, steadying breath as he heard the words that confirmed what he had already known deep down inside. “ Soshite en nichigainai goshujin koneko,” he returned, the foreign words falling hesitantly from his lips. “Did I say it right?”
            And I am your kitten. “Yes,” he answered in a thick, emotion-laden voice, “you said it perfectly.”
            The other man smiled and laid his head on his shoulder, and Sephiroth held him close. “Good,” he murmured on a sigh. “I spent two hours practicing it, so I better have.”
            Sephiroth only smiled as he said, “I don’t know why you hate foreign languages, Gen. You’ve always been good with them.”
            “Yeah, that’s why I need an interpreter every time I have an audience with Godo.”
            “That, kitten, is merely common sense. It is always wise have someone trained in the art of language and observation at your side when dealing with a foreign power. A necessary precaution. Especially, in wartime,” he added.
            Genesis harrumphed, and Sephiroth ran a hand over his side as he asked, “Are there any other phrases or words you would like to learn?” he asked curiously. “I would be more than happy to teach you.”
            “Oh, I don’t know,” Genesis shrugged indolently, his voice a deceptively indifferent drawl, as he answered, “How about, ‘Fuck me hard?’”
            Sephiroth laughed again, the smile turning wicked, as he said, “Fakku ware sobou,” in as suggestive a tone as he could muster.
            The other man repeated the dirty phrase, a gleam entering his azure eyes. “How do I say, ‘Now, Sephiroth!’?”
            Sephiroth gazed down at him with hot green eyes and answered, “Iza, Sephiroth-san!”
            “Oh, I’m going to like this.” Genesis lifted his fiery head, his own smile deliciously evil, as he said, “Now, teach me how to say, ‘Bend over and take it like a man,’.”
            “No.”
            “But Sephiroth,” slim, elegant fingers trailed down his chest and abdomen as he spoke, “I’d make sure you enjoyed it.”
            Sephiroth merely snorted and caught his hand before it could reach its intended destination. “You are not bending me over anything, Genesis.”
            “Hhhmmmpphh.” Genesis eyed him for a long moment, his fine-boned features sulky, before he grudgingly gave way. “Fine, kill my dreams, then.”
            He only shook his head, scattering his overlong hair as he did so. “I did not say you could not take me, kitten.” He pulled the other man up his body, smiling darkly as those lean legs immediately slid around his waist. “You may do whatever you want to me, save for that.”
            Genesis purred as he rocked his hips against the other man’s. “Iza?” he murmured seductively.
            Sephiroth hesitated as he glanced around their sterile surroundings. “You know how I feel about the labs,” he said at last, ignoring the sudden hardening of his body.
            “Yes,” the other man acknowledged with a sigh, “but you can’t leave, and I don’t want to be alone tonight. The apartment seems so. . .so empty without you, Seph.” Those pale blue eyes met and held his, a myriad of emotion shifting in their glowing depths. “Even though they cleaned it, I-I can still smell your blood. I don’t want to go back, not without you. Please, don’t make me.”
            “Genesis,” he breathed, both stunned and moved by the other man’s heartfelt confession. He slid his hands into short strands of auburn fire, pressed his lips to Genesis’, and whispered, “Fakku ware, koneko.”
            Sky-blue eyes, made brilliant by mako and lust, flared brightly as Genesis moved eagerly to comply. Sephiroth followed his guiding hands, moving down until he was prone once more. Genesis rose up above him, the excitement in his eyes at odds with the gentleness of his touch, as he began to undress him. He took his time, in his element as he slid each button from its mooring with agonizing slowness. Sephiroth, never sure how to react during moments such as these, could only lay there and watch with trusting eyes.
            When at last Genesis pushed the silky material open, he made a soft sound of appreciation and began to run his hands over the smooth, muscled skin he’d uncovered. Sephiroth couldn’t help but shift under those soft, tender caresses, moving with them, his heartbeat accelerating as petal-soft lips soon followed. His hands moved of their own accord, coming up to cradle the other man’s head, as Genesis’ beautiful mouth swept over the hard planes of his chest. Sharp teeth closed lightly over one nipple, and he moaned deeply as his back bowed in response.
            Genesis’ own intake of breath sounded he licked the tight pink nub, his body tightening at the other man’s passionate response. Sephiroth held so much of himself back, always afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, that moments like these were something he treasured. He was the only one who had ever touched Sephiroth this way, the only person Sephiroth had trusted enough to give himself to, and Genesis always made sure that that trust was rewarded. No matter how aroused he himself became, he was always sure to keep his touch gentle, never giving in to the urge to simply fuck the other man into sexual oblivion. Sephiroth had been hurt enough in his life, and he would never intentionally do anything to add to it, no matter how hard he had to fight to keep his own self-control.
            He licked and nipped his way across that powerful alabaster chest, curling his tongue around the so-far neglected nipple, and his reward was another moan as Sephiroth’s hands tightened in his hair. “That’s it,” he murmured with sensual encouragement against that hardened peak. “Give yourself to me, moonbeam. Show me how much you like what I’m doing to you.”
            Sephiroth groaned louder as Genesis moved up his body, settling his denim-clad hips over his silk-covered ones. He began to thrust slowly against him, his mouth finding the strong column of Sephiroth’s throat, sucking time to his hips languid movements. Sephiroth dropped one hand to the small of his back, increasing the pressure as the length of Genesis’ erection rubbed enticingly against his own, helpless in his need as he gave his coveted control over to the one he loved. The mouth at his throat slid higher, clever teeth lingering to scrape over the underside of his jaw, and he shuddered violently in response.
            “Genesis!” he gasped, his deep voice hoarse as he massaged the other man’s head. Genesis rocked his hips harder, and he could only thrust against him as his body sought to ease the sweet torment. “I need--”
            Hot lips closed over his own, and his own parted eagerly. Genesis kissed him long and deep, and he found himself groaning against a slick, agile tongue. Genesis’ hands swept down his body as he continued to plunder his mouth, his hands lingering almost teasingly at the waistband of his sleep pants. “I know what you need,” the other man whispered into his mouth, and Sephiroth trembled as the pants were slowly drawn away from his undulating hips.
            Genesis used his feet to the pull the pants from his own, and then he was settling against him once again, rocking against him as one slim hand came up to play at his lips. Sephiroth took those slender, elegant fingers into his mouth and began to suck on them, swirling his own tongue around as he had so often had Genesis do to him. After a few moments, Genesis removed his fingers, his azure eyes catching and holding his own, and slowly lowered his hand.
            Sephiroth tensed instinctively as felt the first gentle, probing touch. Genesis twisted his denim-covered hips against his own, and he found himself forgetting about what those clever fingers were about to do. Genesis’ mouth found his neck once more, his teeth closing over the vulnerable skin where it met his shoulder, and he arched against him as the first finger penetrated him.
            The feeling of being invaded would always be foreign him, Sephiroth thought dimly. The indescribable sensation of his own flesh being stretched, of being probed--even with such overwhelmingly tender care--was something that had always frightened him on a purely instinctual level. And yet, as those slender fingers curved and brushed his prostrate with devastating precision, Sephiroth couldn’t deny that it was something he wanted--something he needed. As his lids dropped to half-cover his blazing emerald eyes, he began to move mindlessly against the sensual touch, pleasure threatening to steal what little was left of his sanity.
            This was what had been missing, Genesis thought as he cooed encouragement to the man writhing beneath him. All these years, as they’d fought and loved and lived their meager lives, something important had been absent. He had known it, even if Sephiroth hadn’t, and the lack of it had begun to take its toll. Reciprocity was important in a long-term relationship. Without it, he had been left feeling as though he were little more than an afterthought, a. . .convenience to the man who already had everything.
            He knew better now, of course. As Sephiroth hands clutched at his hips and silently begged for a fuller union, he thought that he should have always known. He murmured Sephiroth’s name as he shifted over him, drawing back as his own hands moved to fastenings of his shirt. He unbuttoned it with quick, nimble fingers, pulling it from his shoulders and dropping it to bed behind him. He lowered his hands to the waistband of his very confining jeans, slipped the button from its mooring, and dragged the zipper down, all under the heat of Sephiroth’s fiercely glowing green eyes.
            Those eyes dropped to the length of his cock as he peeled the heavy material away, a pink tongue appearing to wet sensuous bow lips, and Genesis had to fight a sudden urge to throw himself on the other man and fuck him as hard as he could. “Fuck,” he whispered, his hands shaking as he shifted and maneuvered himself out of the thick denim, “do you know what you do to me? Do you have any idea how much I want you right now?”
            Sephiroth raised heavy silver-green eyes to his, and his heart threatened to burst from his chest. “Yes,” the silver-haired man whispered, reaching out to trail one long, powerful hand down the length of him, “I think I do.”
            Genesis surged into the too-light touch, groaning with disappointment        as his hand fell away. “Goddess, Sephiroth, why did you stop?”
            “Because I don’t want to take you, Genesis,” came the surprising, if uneven response. “I want to be taken.”
            Lust and love rose up inside of him, swirling through his body, through his blood, as he somehow managed to kick the last of his clothing away. Genesis settled over him once more, not quite touching, bracing himself with one hand while the other moved between them. He began to touch himself, the way that he knew Sephiroth liked, as he smeared his own precome over his throbbing cock. Strong thighs came up to hug his hips, and he groaned as he lowered his hand once more. He spread the hot liquid over the other man’s opening, one finger entering again as he prepared him for the coming invasion. Instead of tensing, Sephiroth began to push against him, his inhibitions swept away by the sheer force of his need, and Genesis swallowed hard as he carefully lined himself up.
            “I won’t hurt you,” he heard himself promise as he began to push forward. “I’ll be gentle, Seph, so fucking gentle. . .“
            Sephiroth’s body was tight, and he swallowed a curse as he slowly worked his way inside. Sephiroth’s breath caught, the sound loud and ragged in the quiet room, as he finally slid home. He paused for a few moments, giving Sephiroth’s body time to adjust to his, his own need roaring hotly through his head. It wasn’t until Sephiroth whispered his name and shifted restlessly against him that he began to move.
            He thrust against him slowly, pulling out almost completely before sliding back in. He watched Sephiroth’s face with hot, shining azure eyes, alert for any signs of pain or discomfort. Instead, those angelically perfect features were heavy with passion, his fair skin flushed with it, his beautiful silver-green eyes shimmering with it. It took all of Genesis’ self-control--meager though it was--to keep his movements gentle. No mattress-pounding for Sephiroth, he though with fleeting humor.
            Sephiroth’s hands found his hips, pale fingers tightening almost convulsively, and Genesis shivered in response. “It’s. . .not enough,” the other man whispered, and he blinked with surprise.
            “Seph?” he questioned, stilling as he worried that he’d missed something, and maybe hurt Sephiroth in the process.
            “No, don’t. . .stop.” Sephiroth pushed against him, using his hands to anchor himself, and Genesis couldn’t stop himself from pushing back. “Yes,” the younger man moaned with quiet excitement. “More, Genesis. Just a little. . .more.”
            Genesis realized what he was asking and couldn’t prevent the smirk which shaped his lips. “Like this?” he questioned, drawing back and surging forward, not quite as gentle as before. Sephiroth’s answer was a deep, loud groan of pleasure, and the smirk widened as he began to fuck him in earnest.
            Sephiroth arched his back as he moved against him, matching him thrust for rough thrust, and Genesis could only shudder as pleasure raced through him. The younger man, quiet by nature, was groaning so loudly that Genesis expected the night guard to come in at any fucking moment. Goddess, but he was going to come if Sephiroth didn’t stop doing that!
            And then Sephiroth reached down between them, wrapped a hand around his own straining shaft, and began to pleasure himself. “Oh, fucking hell!” Genesis panted as the sight drove him closer and closer to the edge. Sephiroth never played with himself. He’d spent years trying to get the other man to lower his inhibitions enough to do so in front of him, and here he was, jerking himself off in the middle of some of the hottest sex Genesis had ever had.
            Yeah, he was going to come, alright, Genesis thought with desperation. But, he’d be damned if he was going down alone. He’d take Sephiroth with him if it was the last thing he did. He grasped Sephiroth’s legs, which were sprawled on either side of him, and pulled them up over his shoulders. Sephiroth only smirked up at him, his hand continuing to move up and down his cock, and Genesis returned it tenfold. He angled Sephiroth’s hips, clamped his hands on his thighs to hold him in place, and thrust hard.
            Sephiroth let out a loud, gasping sound as his prostrate was hit with deadly accuracy. His hand never faltered in its sensual movements, but his free hand grasped the coverlet in a desperate hold. He moaned Genesis’ name as he plunged into him, hitting that most sensitive of spots with every rough thrust, and then he was coming, Genesis all he could see as his orgasm pulsed through him with devastating intensity.
            Genesis let out high-pitched, breathy moan, and then he was following him, his hips jerking mindlessly as he filled him. Sephiroth watched with dazed green eyes as the other man slumped over him, releasing his legs and sprawling out between them. He stroked the head that rested on his chest with a tender hand, even as he eased his left from between them. He ignored the sticky mess which clung to it as he hugged the other man close, unable to control the smile which curved his bow lips.
            “Now, that is what I call being taken,” he said, his voice hoarse as Genesis’ lifted stunned blue eyes to his own.
            Genesis blinked a few times, then smiled slowly as his words registered. “You liked that, huh?” he asked smugly.
            Sephiroth chuckled, the sound uneven as his heart continued to race. “Almost as much as you did,” he returned in a teasing vein.
            Genesis snorted even as he laid his cheek over his heart and nuzzled him. “I loved watching you jerk yourself off, Sephiroth. That was fucking hot.”
            “I had hoped you would like it,” Sephiroth admitted, too relaxed to be embarrassed.
            “Oh, I did, moonbeam.” Genesis sighed and then forced his boneless body to move. He braced himself on his hands and pulled out of Sephiroth’s body slowly. “Gods, but you were tight. We don’t do this enough.”
            Sephiroth laughed again as Genesis immediately collapsed on top of him. “We’ll have to change that then, won’t we?” he asked humorously.
            “Oh, hell ya, we will.” Genesis eased himself onto his side, snuggled up to him, and said, “I don’t suppose I could talk you into cleaning us off, could I?”
            Another laugh escaped him at that. “Yes, Genesis, I will take care of it.”
            He brushed his lips over the crown of Genesis’ fiery head and slipped from the bed. He wandered into the small bathroom, found the small, plain white hand towel that rested below the sink, and wet it down. He took the time to wash his own hands and clean himself off before returning to the other room. Genesis was waiting, his crimson hair a stunning contrast to the stark white pillow he had appropriated, his sensual lips curved into a satisfied--if somewhat tired--smile.
            Sephiroth couldn’t resist the impulse to lower his mouth to those luscious lips, even as he set his hand to his assigned task. He wasn’t surprised when Genesis’ cock twitched against his hand, but he was pleased. While he had liked the feeling of Genesis inside of him, it was nothing compared to the excitement that came with being the aggressor during their encounters. As much as he had enjoyed being taken, he was looking forward to returning the favor, preferably as soon as possible.
            His touch changed, becoming softer, more sensual, and triumph filled him as Genesis moaned weakly in response. “S-Seph!” he gasped, his cock hardening as Sephiroth continued to stroke him with the damp cloth. He found himself thrusting into the other man’s touch, even though he had found satisfaction only minutes before. “Oh, Gods, Sephiroth!”
            As Genesis arched into his touch, his name on his lips, Sephiroth was filled with a profound sense of hope. He tossed the rag aside, climbed onto the other man, and took him as he moaned and panted and screamed for it. When it was done, and Genesis was limp in his arms, he held him close and whispered his love. When Genesis did the same in return, he knew that they had come full circle. He would soon have his boys, his father, and his lover with him as he traveled Gaia in search of his future. Life truly did not get any better than that.
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody