The SOLDIER's hands were extraordinarily warm, almost hot, and it came to no surprise to Cloud that they were so. Genesis was the fiery Crimson General of SOLDIER, after all; associating coldness with the man made little sense. Their fingers just brush for a moment as Genesis hands him a mug of hot chocolate, but it's enough for Cloud to take note of that small fact, and be rendered speechless by the kind offering.

"You're probably freezing," Rhapsodos murmured to him. "I notice you out here often. Surely the infantry are issued winter jackets?"

"We are," Cloud replied after a few beats, dumbly staring at the steaming mug in his hands, "But mine got shredded by monsters on my last mission, and I can't afford a replacement." He paused and tried to explain himself, not wanting to sound like a charity case in front of a SOLDIER. "It's—it's really okay, though. I'm from a cold area. It's kind of…nice."

Genesis raised an eyebrow. He was in his usual red leather coat but the bottom half of his face was obscured by a thick, soft-looking scarf. "This is nice?" he echoed, clearly doubtful.

Cloud shrugged. His ears and toes were numb and the wind chill slithered down the back of his uniform and made him shiver, but… this was his break time. He had an hour to finish his lunch and report to his next class. He didn't want to spend it inside, and perched on a low ledge on the ShinRa HQ grounds instead.

"Drink it before it gets cold," the SOLDIER ordered, and swept away without another word. Cloud watched him go and took a careful sip. It burnt his tongue and he stuck it out, exposing it to the harsh cold. It quickly grew numb and he sighed, curling around the warmth of the mug. He really couldn't win.

Cloud had taken to bringing his own mug of hot chocolate out to his usual quiet hour outside. It really made things a lot easier, and it was only a Gil or two in the infantry cafeteria. It wasn't the same quality of whatever that famous First had brought him but it did the trick.

There wasn't much to look at out here; the view was similar to Nibelheim's in that the visibility was very poor during bad weather. The difference was that in Nibelheim it was because of fog, low clouds, and several feet of snow falling, but here the greenish haze of mako pollution just swallowed up any attempt to gaze out far. The view from up on the plate should have been fantastic, but in the middle of winter it was shitty at best.

He didn't spend a whole lot of time looking at it though; he mostly stared into the depths of his mug, frowning at the ways the froth swirled or how his tiny marshmallows gradually melted. He stared at his knees, at the knit blue fabric that he had hated once but had now become such an integral part of his self that the felt a little unsettled without the familiar color nearby. He stared at his boots, crossed at the ankles, legs bent neatly as he sat with his bottom on the cold concrete. They were ratty and wouldn't pass inspections soon, but he just didn't have the Gil. Most of the boys in his regiment were in the same situation though so the points docked would be minimal. That was a relief.

His gaze turned upwards in surprise when a heavy blanket settled over his shoulders one day. He peered upside-down at the same SOLDIER from before—Rhapsodos—whose bangs hung down kind of comically when he was bending over a trooper from behind. He made no move to do anything with it for a moment, and Genesis again gave him an order. "Put the cup down."

Cloud did so, and Genesis pushed opposite corners of the blanket into his hands. Cloud tugged it around himself, and with an impatient tsk Genesis tucked it in around his sides, apparently finding Cloud's attempt lacking. When it was positioned correctly to keep the wind off of Cloud and keep in his body heat he allowed Cloud to pick up his hot chocolate again.

"I can see you, you know," Genesis told him, and pointed at one of the windows way above their heads on the side of the building facing Cloud's little resting spot. "The fact you still do not have a coat bothers me more than it should. I would feel awful knowing an infantryman expired from frostbite outside my office."

Cloud just nodded, and tugged the blanket a little closer around himself. "Ah, Sir…" He didn't technically have to call Genesis Sir because he was in the infantry, not SOLDIER, but Genesis made no attempt to correct him. "Is this yours?"

"It is. I usually keep it in my office for naps, but I think you'll get more use out of it. Don't lose it."

The look the General sent him was stern, and Cloud nodded again, quiet and confused by this show of kindness, and the man sent him a small smile, maybe a smirk, almost fond, before he left again.

Cloud slept with Genesis's blanket on his bed now, and it was significantly better than the thin ones previously regulated to him. One of his bunkmates asked where he got it, sounding jealous, and Cloud told him that his mom had shipped it.

It wasn't thick like a quilt or light like a throw blanket; it was heavy but thin, slightly scratchy but not to the extent of wool. The design was abstract, various rectangles and triangles in shades of red that blossomed out of the center. It seemed hand-made, maybe from a region outside Midgar. He was grateful for it, and happily brought it with him every time he trooped out to his usual spot.

It was weird knowing that Genesis Rhapsodos could see him though. Of course, Cloud didn't think that Genesis stood by his window and watched him, he was a busy man—but the ever-present thought that maybe he was or could did strange things to his mind.

Cloud found himself thinking about the General as he peered out at the greenish fog of the city. He didn't know that much about him, just the usual fanclub stuff. He wasn't a member of Red Leather but had buddies who were. He idolized the man for his fighting ability, sure, but everything he'd ever heard about the SOLDIER told him Genesis was not the type to give random troopers hot chocolate and a personal blanket.

It was a nice surprise.

He also found himself thinking about what it would be like to be watched, at times uncomfortable. His back was to the building, his legs dangling down a ten foot or so drop to the hard earth that was the ShinRa gardens, now dead and barren. They were dead and barren most of the year because nothing grew very much at all around Midgar, but usually there would be a sprout or two for a few weeks during the summer. He thought about Genesis watching him and became hyper-aware of the way he was sitting, the way the wind blew through his hair and messed up his blond spikes, and the way he had the blanket wrapped around himself—if it measured up to the way Genesis had wanted it that one time.

All those thoughts made his cheeks burn dully, and not because of the cold. He chastised himself for letting his imagination run wild, and after a week or so he relaxed. The prickling on the back of his neck went away, fueled entirely by his own whirling mind, he was sure.

But then, to his surprise, Rhapsodos sat down next to him on the ledge on a Thursday, when Cloud's muscles were sorer than usual from his long run in the freezing cold. He had his own mug of hot chocolate in his hand and a can of whipped cream in his other, ungloved.

"Hello," he said simply, and rearranged his legs, one folded over the other at the knee. He shook the can, bit off the cap with his teeth, and sprayed a generous dollop of the cream on top. He put the can down, dropped the cap into his palm, and his eyes cut over to the trooper that was watching him openly.

"You want some?"

"I've never had it," Cloud answered warily, "But, um, sure."

Genesis's mouth twisted and he gestured for Cloud to lean closer. The blond hesitated and the General did it again, impatient. Cloud's eyebrows rose and he opened his mouth when prompted. Genesis sprayed Cloud's mouth full of the stuff, to the point where it was cruelly full—Cloud couldn't close his mouth and had to turn away, trying not to make an absolute mess of himself with a SOLDIER watching.

Behind him Genesis laughed, and by the time Cloud managed to swallow most of it and turn around he was giggling despite himself as well.

They smiled at each other, and tucked into their drinks.

Cloud explained that this was his lunch break, and thanked him again for the blanket. Genesis told him it was indeed handmade, by his mother, who lived in Banora. Cloud immediately tried to offer it back, saying he shouldn't waste it on someone like him. Genesis snorted.

"I hate it when people talk about themselves like that," he responded, "and I have zero remaining attachment to my parents. Please keep it."

He noticed Cloud's expression and his gaze softened. "A word of advice from a SOLDIER to the Infantry. It doesn't matter how shitty you feel about yourself or your performance, or whether you really believe in yourself at all. You must act like you do, and put your whole self into believing your words. If you yourself don't believe you can be the hero, no one else will."

Genesis fell quiet after that, and Cloud mulled over his words. He knew he had a problem with being too hard on himself, Zack told him all the time. The redhead did not seem angry though, and twice more topped up the whipped cream on Cloud's drink, amused that the blond fucking loved it.

When Cloud's break was over they both stood, Genesis helped him fold up the blanket, and he prompted, "See you tomorrow?"

"Yessir!"

By the time another week had gone by Genesis started bringing snacks. Cloud ate them with trembling fingers, his hands darting out from beneath the blanket to snatch up a cookie or pastry, and after the third day of this Genesis let him temporarily borrow his own black leather gloves for the duration of their little lunch dates. He always threatened disembowelment if Cloud got jelly on them that wouldn't come out or powdered sugar inside them somehow, but Cloud was careful, and the threats were always issued with a sly smile that Cloud was starting to understand meant Genesis wasn't serious at all.

It meant quite a bit to Cloud, the gloves, and the food as well. The conversation was the highlight of his day; he didn't have many people to talk to at HQ, only Zack, really, who was busy with his own numerous friends most of the time. Genesis preferred to talk than to listen but Cloud preferred to listen than to talk. When Cloud did talk, though, quietly, clearly confiding in the SOLDIER, speaking to the green Mako fog instead of Genesis's face because his awkwardness wouldn't let him maintain the eye contact the man liked, he always knew Genesis was listening.

He talked about failing the SOLDIER exam a few months previous, at the end of the summer. Sephiroth had been the one to oversee, which compounded on his own dismay at failing his dream—he failed in front of his hero, too. He hadn't gotten out of bed for almost a week, and then Zack had kicked his ass in gear. He was trying to get in gear for the next exam, but it was hard. He felt like he needed this alone time, away from the eyes of his old comrades, now SOLDIER Thirds, who he always felt were watching him.

Something about that story seemed to sit unpleasantly with Genesis but he didn't comment on it, and at the end of that particular day he gave Cloud a brief hug before they departed. Once again Cloud was struck by how warm the man was, the burn of his cheeks nothing compared to the steady furnace that was the man's chest, the warm palm he brushed against the chilly back of Cloud's neck.

"Keep at it," he told him. "SOLDIER doesn't accept quitters."

Cloud was not going to quit.

There was a large snowstorm in the forecast and three days earlier Genesis and Cloud had made plans for it. Genesis had a brief mission to Junon but would return just before it struck. Even Genesis's lovely, warm blanket looked like it was going to be powerless against the winds predicted and several feet of snow (probably a pale green—he kind of couldn't wait to check it out).

As expected he got a message on his PHS just before his lunch break was scheduled. An apartment number. Swallowing nervousness Cloud rode the elevator up higher than he ever had before, and emerged on a floor of apartments belonging to the cream of the crop of SOLDIER. The first door on the right belonged to Sephiroth. Sephiroth. He stared at it for a long moment, dazed, before continuing on.

Genesis was waiting in sweatpants, a SOLDIER tank top, and the fuzziest, warmest looking pair of socks Cloud had ever seen.

"Cloud," Genesis greeted, stepping back to let him in. "Join me."

One entire wall of Genesis's bedroom was window and they peered outside together, awed by the force of the storm. Cloud's morning PT was cancelled outside and they had skipped the class altogether, because SOLDIERs were taking up the gyms, forgoing their usual runs as well. Cloud was praying desperately for a cancellation of his afternoon duties as well. Genesis's apartment was cozy and warm, just like its owner.

They sat on the couches in the living room. Genesis whipped up hot chocolate in a pan, with milk and real chocolate, not instant powder, and Cloud felt brave enough to sneak a bit of the whipped cream on his finger before it was done. Genesis snapped at him and advanced; Cloud made a hasty retreat but the SOLDIER grabbed the back of his uniform and reeled him in.

"The infantry has a thief, hm?" he asked, his mouth curving up in a wicked smile.

Cloud was laughing too hard to play the game. "Y-Yeah," he gasped, "I'm sorry, I—haha, let go—"

Genesis did. They had leftovers of whatever Genesis had made for dinner the night before and talked as they ate, Genesis vaguely about Junon and his objectives there the days previous. Both were glued to their PHSs, waiting for the right notification—and it came with a mere ten minutes left in Cloud's break. A rumble came before the power flickered in the building, then went out entirely.

Genesis hollered, and it spooked Cloud. "Hell yes!" he cried, and a minute later their PHSs beeped with the same message. The strength of the storm had cut out most power in Midgar. Emergency power was on in the building, but Infantry activities were to pause until the next morning. Those out on patrols were to seek shelter or return to HQ promptly. SOLDIER missions would proceed as scheduled, provided one was not taking helicopter or ground transport out of the city.

"I don't have a mission until next week," Genesis told him smugly.

With that weight off Cloud's shoulders he let himself relax, enjoy Genesis's company more. He was, he had found, a very kind man, deep down, even if he didn't like to show it. A lot of the digs he muttered half the time seemed to be for show, and Cloud was learning to let them roll off his back. It was odd that a SOLDIER was even taking the time to talk with him though, someone other than Zack, who he had much more in common with, and who was friends with almost everybody.

"Genesis," Cloud questioned at one point. He liked being able to say 'Genesis' now, and not 'General Rhapsodos.' "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Genesis glanced at the trooper, who had tipped sideways on his couch and was curled up on his side. His eyes were closing sleepily in the almost-darkness of the apartment; the white gale outside did little to illuminate.

"I don't see why not."

"Why do you hang out with me? I mean… don't you have SOLDIERs to be with right now, on a snow day? And on your lunch breaks…"

Genesis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He stared at his feet, fuzzy and blue-striped. "That is a stupid question," he answered, but after a moment actually answered it. "I realized that you were good company, is all, and I am glad you were the recipient of that first cup of hot chocolate. It was supposed to be my 'good deed of the week,'—an Angeal thing." He fell quiet, and Cloud figured that was it, but then he continued. "And I don't. Not really. There are many SOLDIERs I know as acquaintances, but only two or three with which I would willingly spend my free time."

He sniffed haughtily and got up to get himself a glass of wine, now really done talking. Cloud pressed his face into the cushion, unable to stop himself from concluding that this meant he was one of three, possibly four—a person with which Genesis, for whatever reason, wanted to be with. He wasn't sure what he had done to win the man over, but was glad he had.

Cloud fell asleep half an hour later, and Genesis covered him with the borrowed Banora blanket, tucking it in carefully around his sides. When he lifted Cloud's head to slide a pillow from his bed underneath it the blond nuzzled the tiniest bit into his palm. The redhead's fingers tapped thoughtfully against his skull, then slid into the thick blond hair there. They scritched gently once, twice, and then departed.

Cloud told Zack all about his blossoming friendship with Genesis the next time he saw him, and the next day Genesis showed up at their lunch spot more dramatically than usual.

"You didn't say you were friends with Zack Fair."

Cloud shrugged guiltily. "He's my best friend. Sorry. I guess he talked to you?"

"Did he ever," Genesis huffed, and sat next to Cloud. He immediately passed over his warm leather gloves and plucked at the blanket to make sure it was covering the blond up enough. He always seemed content with his usual attire and scarf. "He wants to take us out to dinner tomorrow night. Interested?"

"Hell yeah."

"That's what I like to hear."

Dinner with Zack was so surreal, because his two closest friends, obtained in two totally different ways, and previously kept in such different spheres—were merging. Zack and Genesis knew each other well, that much was obvious. Cloud wondered if Zack was that 'possible third' SOLDIER Genesis didn't mind, because he had a good guess as to the other two were.

The inside of the bar Zack had taken them was toasty warm, and Cloud had not been this happy in a long while.

Genesis Rhapsodos: I'm near your hometown. Look at this shit.

Cloud S: That's a lot of snow. Flight go alright?

Genesis Rhapsodos: It was fine. It is a lot of snow. It swallowed up my entire boot earlier.

Cloud S: Poor boot. : (

Genesis Rhapsodos: I demand you find a way to bring me those socks of mine. Assassinate the President and hijack a truck if you have to. I'll sneak you rations and let you sleep on my cot.

Cloud S: How can I pass up an offer like that? …..

Cloud S: Sorry if this is annoying, just checking in. It's been a few days. You okay?

Genesis R: Fine & healthy. Busy, across en. lines. Will talk later. Thx for checking up on me.

Genesis: Saw a weather report for Midgar—it's cold enough to freeze Shiva's tits off. DON'T FORGET YOUR GLOVES, STRIFE.

Cloud S: I won't. I have gloves. Your blanket too.

Genesis: It's your blanket. But good. I would hate to have to discipline an infantryman for failure to bundle up sufficiently. : )

Cloud S: Wouldn't dream of it, Sir.

When Genesis returned from his mission it took him a day to join Cloud back out at the ledge. He walked with a slight limp and his smile was tired.

"Welcome back," Cloud told him, already waiting, his hands curled around his mug of chocolate.

"Good to be back," the redhead drawled. He sat on the ledge and let out a long sigh, raking a hand through his hair. He caught Cloud's eye and slowly smiled, urged on at the small one the infantryman was sending his way.

"Aren't you cold?" Genesis asked him.

"No," Cloud said. Genesis's trusty blanket was covering him all the way up to his ears, which usually burned red in the chill. "I'm wearing an extra layer under my uniform." He wiggled his fingers, showing off his new gloves. They were hand-me-downs of Zack's, but Cloud liked them quite a bit.

Genesis frowned. "Cloud. Aren't you cold, though?"

Cloud stared. "…Yeah," he breathed.

Genesis raised an arm and Cloud abandoned his cup for the moment, placing it down so he could scoot over the three feet between them. When their thighs pressed together Cloud pushed the blanket over Genesis's shoulder and around him too, so they could share it. Genesis wrapped his arm around Cloud's waist beneath the blanket, tugging him close. He bit at his middle finger to pull off his gloves and cupped Cloud's cheek with his bare skin.

"It is good to be back…" Genesis murmured to him, intimately close.

Cloud closed the distance between them, and despite the chill creeping in through the gaps in the blanket, and despite the few residual snowflakes trapped in Genesis's red lashes, visible from this close up, the blond doubted he had ever been this warm—the low burn spread from Genesis's skin and mouth to the flames licking against Cloud's heart and then back out, enveloping him in something more snug than the heavy blanket around their shoulders.

The hot chocolate eventually froze in its cup, but they just made more.