THREE FIRSTS

By: Albedosreqium or Soyna

Summary: Angeal and Genesis introduce Sephiroth to Dumbapples for the first time… and a few other firsts as well.

Genre: Friendship

Setting: Before Crisis Core

Rating: PG…

Status: One shot

All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©.

It looked spoiled and rotten. The dull blue colour did not entice him to want to try the horrid-looking piece of fruit.

Genesis and Angeal were staring at him with heavy looks of anticipation. He almost regretted the fact that he had announced that he had never tried any of their hometown fruit.

He watched as Genesis bit into the apple that he carefully collected a few moments earlier by climbing up his family's tree to fetch them all one of the prized fruit. He had been forced to listen to Genesis talk about how he helped nurture the tree and made the best juice in the last fair that he participated in.

He didn't understand why they thought that the tree was a thing of beauty. It looked twisted and warped to him.

"This is the best time of year for them to produce," Genesis announced. "They are sweet in the fall."

Angeal took a bite of his apple as well. He made a humming sound and smiled around his mouthful of food. "Delicious." Juice ran into his beard and he had to brush it away with the back of his hand. "I missed eating these."

Sephiroth frowned at the blue piece of fruit in his hand. He didn't know why it was so important for him to eat such a thing. It was just an apple – an unappetizing-looking one.

Apples were apples. He didn't particularly care for them, so he was quite certain that he was not going to care much about these.

"Come on," Genesis said. "It's not going to poison you. It's not like Hojo touched it."

Angeal took another bite, smaller this time so that the juice didn't run down his chin. "Just take a small bite to see if you like it."

It did sound crisp and it did look juicy.

~but it's blue~

Apples weren't supposed to be blue. They were red, yellow and green, but blue was just not a natural colour for them. He knew that Genesis kept bragging about his award-winning juice, but he did not care - at all - for it. He found the apple juice bitter and it reminded him of the electrolyte drink that he drank on a daily basis as a child.

Genesis chuckled lightly as he finished his apple, throwing his core at the base of the tree and grinding it into the ground with his heel. "Don't be such a wimp, Sephiroth, and take a bite of the damn apple before I shove it down your throat."

"But it's blue," Sephiroth protested.

Angeal took another bite of his piece of fruit and shook his head. "You better get used to the taste. We are eating supper at my parents' tonight and you will be expected to eat her award-winning pie. I don't want you insulting my mother's cooking."

~what's with award-winning food?~

"Blueberries are blue, and you eat those." He turned to see Genesis glaring at him.

Angeal nodded. "You also had that blue cheese and crackers during dinner last night. Just take a bite. It's not noxious." Angeal finished off his apple and followed Genesis' example of throwing the core to the ground and grinding it into the earth.

~what is that about?~

He must have raised his eyebrow or made a curious look because Genesis threw his hands in the air dramatically. "It's not littering."

~great, now I'm going to get a lecture~

"What we don't eat, we will return to the planet. It will allow the seeds to be transferred by the flora and fauna to allow more of the trees to grow and spread from Banora. It will help nourish the soil to allow more apples for us now and for our future generations." Genesis finished with a final flourish of his hands, even though Sephiroth didn't find anything poetic about what he had just said.

"Just take a bite already," Angeal said. "Or he'll start singing and we will both regret that."

Genesis gave Angeal a gentle push. "I will have you know that they offered to let me sing during the last scene in Loveless for the Taurus Troop. They think my voice is wonderful."

Angeal shrugged. "To each their own."

"I sing just fine." Genesis pointed at Angeal and then quickly whirled on Sephiroth, grabbing his wrist that had the blue piece of fruit. "Now, take a bite."

"You know I don't like apples."

"You will like this one."

"It is blue."

"Get over the colour."

"It looks bitter. I don't like bitter."

"For the love of Gaia…" Genesis said, sounding pissed off. Sephiroth expected Genesis to get angry, but he couldn't fathom taking a bite of the bruised fruit. Genesis' face was all flushed and he was expecting a violent reprisal.

He was not expecting the next tactic for Genesis to get him to taste a Banora White apple. He was startled by the strangely soft lips of the redhead pressed against his. They were pressed firmly against his and Genesis brashly pushed his tongue against his lips for entrance.

He had never been kissed by a man before and had never thought Genesis would even want to kiss him. It was… strange.

But he allowed the tongue into his mouth. Something that the women he kissed never did. He was a bit startled at the strange, warm muscle moving in his mouth, but soon found that he wanted to 'taste' more of Genesis.

He tasted sweet.

Genesis pulled away from him with a smug look on his face. He wiped his smirking lips and looked at him. "Taste good?"

Sephiroth just nodded.

Angeal rolled his eyes. "I wish you would have just stuffed the apple down his throat."

"My tongue was easier to get into his mouth," Genesis said. "So. Now you know what the apples taste like. Eat the damn apple so we can go bother Angeal's mother for a piece of pie before dinner."

Angeal crossed his arms. "It never worked when we were kids, why would it work now?"

"I have a lot more charm now," Genesis said and wrapped his arm around both his old friend's waist and Sephiroth as he started to walk toward Angeal's childhood home. "I'm getting quite hungry."

Sephiroth licked his lips. He was quite taken by the taste of the man. He was curious if the apple was as juicy as the kiss. He took a bite of the apple; both men stopped and looked at him.

"So?" both of his friends asked.

He looked between Angeal and Genesis who were looking at him with anxious faces.

"I think Genesis spoiled it," Sephiroth stated.

"What?" Genesis sputtered and pushed him away.

"I think the kiss tasted better."

Angeal shook his head and Sephiroth was quite pleased to see that he had made Genesis blush.

It was a good day for first times.

Well, this was entered in a contest.

I won! Yeah.

I rather like this little short one shot. I hope you, dear reader, did as well.