Borrowed Time

Tseng is the first thing Genesis sees when he enters the lab. He's slumped over on the sofa, suggesting he fell asleep while sitting up, and Genesis frowns as he walks closer.

"Hm… It seems like all we do is fight," he quietly says as he looks to Tseng and frowns. "Yet… I wonder… Would you break if you ever let anyone inside?"

Then he leans closer and tilts his head while studying Tseng's peaceful expression. "Would your soul be condemned if you ever allowed yourself to be happy?"

With another subtle smile, Genesis runs his fingers through a long strand of hair and studies it. "Or is it Sephiroth's condemnation you fear?"

With a light snort, Genesis straightens up and stares at him with a strange expression. Then he looks around the room as if he's seeing it for the first time.

Harsh fluorescent lighting glares against cracked concrete and dull steel. Random rugs stolen from homes that were abandoned stretch across the floors to make it comfortable for Tseng to walk on. Furniture, paintings, and other decorations are thoughtfully placed to make it look more like a home than the cold sterile lab it is.

Genesis claims he does it for Tseng, but Genesis is the only one who sees it. All the effort he's put into it is superficial at best, and at the end of the day, it's still nothing more than a lab with holding cells. It's cold. It's a prison, and somewhere outside, something threatens whatever plans he has.

"Well," Genesis breathes out before loudly clapping his hands to startle Tseng awake. Then he looks down at the man and smirks with a mildly entertained snort.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Tseng grumbles like he didn't appreciate the disturbance as he sits straight and rubs his eyes, and Genesis stares down at him with a blank expression.

"I found your cat," Genesis lightly says while Tseng mindlessly blinks and Genesis coldly smiles at him. "It's dead." Then he loudly claps his hands again and blurts out, "Tea?"

Tseng dumbly sits on the sofa for a moment while sorting something through his mind as he picks the sleep from his eyes. Then he shakes his head and places his hands on the sofa to push himself up.

"You're unbelievable," he grumbles as he stands while brushing his hair from his face. "You seriously went looking for it just so you could kill it?"

"Yes," Genesis coldly answers, appearing put off by Tseng's accusation. "Now there is nothing to tempt you to wander and break more limbs."

"Other than the temptation to get the hell away from you," Tseng tiredly responds as he carefully walks from the room.

"You're angry," Genesis points out when Tseng makes it to the main door and fruitlessly struggles with the locks he can never get past.

"And you're psychotic," Tseng points out while feeling along the door like he's trying to figure out how the combinations work. Then he smacks his hand against it in frustration and jumps the moment Genesis blocks him in and leans his head on Tseng's shoulder from behind.

"You're never getting out of here," he softly sings while wrapping his arm around Tseng's waist and Tseng grabs his arm to try to push him away, but Genesis jerks him closer and Tseng grunts from the forced action. "And if you did, it wouldn't take me long to find you… I always do."

Then he presses his face into Tseng's neck and deeply inhales while Tseng continues to try to break free of his hold with a look of disgust.

"I know your scent," he whispers, and he snorts while letting go before quickly pushing Tseng into the door.

"You're disgusting."

"And you're toxic," Genesis playfully sings back while Tseng hunches against the door like he's been violated. "Now… tea?"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMNED TEA!" Tseng bellows before turning and pounding on the door to stress what he wants. "I WANT OUT!"

"Over a cat?" Genesis playfully asks as he quickly pulls Tseng from the door and back into his arms to stop him from making too much noise. "You should be thankful I give you the freedom I give to you," he threatens while Tseng tries to writhe free from his hold again. "I could easily confine you to a single room… We could even go back to the drugs, or the collar we used in the cabin… Is that what you want?"

"I'm not yours to do whatever you please with," Tseng grunts while uncomfortably getting stuck in a twisted position in Genesis' arms.

"Oh… but that's where you should consider yourself lucky," Genesis purrs while softly rubbing his nose across Tseng's cheek. "When I think of all the things I could do as I please, you should be thankful I do it in another room."

He outright laughs at Tseng then, and he roughly pushes him into the wall far enough from the door to keep him away from it.

"I wonder though," Genesis purrs as he grabs Tseng's jaw to hold his face still and Tseng grabs his wrist to try to pull it away. "If Valentine were here, would you still be the frigid bastard you are when I'm near?"

"I told you not to talk about him." Tseng warns while Genesis steps closer and pins Tseng's body to the wall with his own.

"Would you let him do whatever he pleased?" Genesis asks. "Is that why you don't like me mentioning his name? Are you afraid the mere mention of it might excite you?

"If he were alive, would you let that filthy animal ravish you like he used to? Would you still let him use you while you pretend to be his nonexistent girlfriend? Even if he were trying to kill you because of what you've turned into?"

Then he leans closer so his lips are almost touching Tseng's. "What would your last thoughts be while his bullet pierces your flesh? Would you still be thinking about how much you loved him and how much you wanted him to love you back?

"Would you be wishing he desired you the way you desired him...? Despite that you don't have the right stuff to offer?" Genesis cruelly asks while nearly kneeing Tseng in the groin when he forcefully pushes his leg between Tseng's to get his message across.

"Agh!" Tseng gasps and grips into Genesis' wrist harder while trying to turn his head away.

"And after everything was said and done, he still wouldn't protect you!" Genesis yells into his face. "You weren't Lucrecia!"

"I'm sick of your mindless bantering," Tseng painfully retorts while squeezing his eyes tight when they betray him by growing slightly watery.

"NO!" Genesis bellows into his face and Tseng jumps. "Sephiroth mistreated you! Your wife mistreated you! Rufus betrayed you. Then you ran into the arms of a scavenging animal who never made the effort to understand you. He also mistreated you, and not one of them ever tried to protect you!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Tseng grunts while still trying to squirm away.

"Really?" Genesis asks. "I'm the one who is protecting you! I'm the one who was always trying to protect you!"

"And what a wonderful job you've done!" Tseng vehemently spits back and suddenly stops struggling.

"Are you accusing me of never trying?"

"I'm accusing you of failing!" Tseng barks and Genesis reactively smacks him across the face.

He looks stunned for a moment while Tseng quickly covers his cheek as if he can protect himself from the sting. Then he quickly pulls Tseng back and smashes his mouth against the man's only to wind up being slugged across the face, hard, before he quickly throws him to the floor in frustration.

"I take it your friend is back," Tseng numbly mutters while wiping his mouth in disgust after falling to the floor. He remains hunched over and keeps his face hidden.

Genesis stands with his back to him as if he's suddenly numb while wiping a trail of blood from his mouth. Tseng hit him hard enough to cause him to bite his lip and he stares at the smeared blood on his fingertips with an odd expression. Then he slightly turns his head to Tseng's direction while telling him with a strong sense of resolve. "I won't fail you this time."

"There's nothing to fail at," Tseng answers with a broken voice that he tries hard to control. "You've always done an excellent job of failing to see the difference between protecting and controlling."

With a heavy sigh, Genesis slightly turns his head again. Then he smirks. "You go ahead and sulk about your misgivings while you sit there and ask yourself why it bothers you so much whenever I mention Valentine's name, and I'll go and make you a nice, lovely, cup of tea to help soothe your mind when the truth hits you hard enough to realize you were never what Lucrecia was."

When Genesis walks away, Tseng wipes at his eyes and bitterly chokes out, "I can not express in words, how much I detest you."

It stops Genesis in his tracks for a moment, and he soothingly says with his back to him before continuing to the kitchen, "Perhaps we all would have been better off if your father never raped your mother…"

For several hours afterward, Tseng stays in his room while Genesis cleans the place and prepares their dinner. Neither of them says a word to each other until Genesis sets the table and calls to let him know dinner is ready.

"I made your favourite," Genesis quietly says as Tseng reluctantly makes an appearance at the door and stands there like he's contemplating whether he wants to come out or not. Then he puts his head down when Tseng comes to the table and Genesis makes his first attempt at a peace offering.

"For the record," he calmly starts as Tseng reaches for the back of the chair and pulls it out to sit, "I didn't kill the cat. It was dead when I found it, but…" For a moment, Genesis hesitates and grabs Tseng's hand to guide it to the fork. "I thought that maybe… if you were lonely… you might—"

"I don't want to hear it," Tseng curtly states, cutting Genesis off while feeling for the plate, and Genesis frowns at him.

"I know I said some things—"

"I still don't want to hear it," Tseng grumbles before he moves his fork to the food Genesis thoughtfully cut up for him.

"Well…" Genesis breathes out while watching him. Then he bites on his swollen bottom lip and brushes Tseng's hair behind his shoulder so it doesn't fall into his food. "I just wanted you to know that I regret what I said and did."

Tseng merely snorts in disbelief, and Genesis' eyes darken before he pushes a bottle of wine and a glass closer to Tseng, sending mixed messages about his apology. Tseng falters for a moment when he reaches out to feel the familiar shapes of both, and he stiffens.

"You are what you are," Genesis soothingly says when he notices Tseng's apprehension and darkening expression. Then he leans on the table to confide a little closer, "And you can take comfort in knowing I will never try to change you like everyone else has."

"You're full of shit," Tseng bitterly states while keeping his hand on the bottle as he stares blindly ahead. Then he bitterly snickers and shakes his head. "No one has ever tried to change me as much as you have."

"Really?" Genesis mockingly asks as he gets up and stands behind Tseng to place his hands on his shoulders. He lightly massages them and leans closer so his mouth is near his ear. "I have never tried to tell you to be something you're not. I never pretended that you were something you're not. Nor have I ever taken anything away from you," he soothingly whispers. "In fact, if you want to self destruct," he adds as he reaches to Tseng's hand on the bottle and holds his grip over it while pulling it closer, "I will never stand in your way."

Then he guides Tseng's other hand to the glass. "How many of them knew you used to hide liquor so you could drink when no one was watching?" he asks while brushing his lips along Tseng's ear and smiling when Tseng winces, and he guides Tseng to pour some wine into the glass. "How many of them made you feel like you had to lie just so you could enjoy yourself in that sweet moment of drunken oblivion to escape the stress and the truths about things you did and didn't want to know?"

Then he rests his chin on Tseng's shoulder and stares at the bottle after removing his hand. "You are your father's son," he reminds him as if it's a good thing. "You're violent, cruel, and unpredictable. I will never stop you from being the passionate monster you've always been." Then he stands and pats Tseng on the shoulders before walking back to his seat. "Drink up, Daddy's boy. Allow yourself to sink into that familiar dizziness that always made you feel sick and disgusted with yourself."

After that, he leans over the table and pats Tseng's hand as if to console him. "Drink and forget your life ever happened."

"You're a sick son of a bitch," Tseng shakily snickers out. Then he pushes the glass away and grabs the bottle to drink straight from it.

Genesis only smiles at the response as he grabs the glass and takes a sip while watching Tseng's face sour from a taste he's grown unaccustomed to.

"I have no idea what the hell you're up to any more," Tseng admits. "And I'm too tired of your bullshit to care."

"Weiss is back," Genesis factually says as he takes a bite of his dinner and finishes it while watching Tseng's expression.

"Weiss…" Tseng repeats as he carefully sets the bottle down while refusing to let go of it. Then he shakes his head and snickers before taking a larger gulp from the bottle as if the name struck a nerve before asking in a confused tone. "He's the man you claim is hunting me?"

"Yes," Genesis answers after he finishes swallowing. "Do you know who he is?" he curiously asks.

Then he takes another sip and sits back while staring and Tseng and swirling his drink with a smug expression. "I was wondering about it when he seemed intent on thinking I have you hidden somewhere. He seems to know something about you that I know you spent your entire life trying to hide. It made me wonder… Why would the man who abducted me at my weakest moment to hold me prisoner while sadistic scientists experimented on me find you so interesting?" Genesis asks as he watches Tseng take another drink while mindlessly tapping his fork on his plate. "Perhaps… now… we can finally… talk?"

Mako reactor 5 seemed empty when I first arrived. As I walked along the steel platforms illuminated by the greenish hue of mako residue, I tried to clear my mind of what Tseng did to his hand.

There was a time when we had time. There was a time when we could have argued or fought over what he did, but as the day was going, the opportunity to resolve our differences was no longer an option. It bothered me. It bothered me so much that I was too distracted to see the creature I was approaching.

All I could think about was Tseng and how much I wished he never went to the extremes he went to. His self-destructive nature at the cost of admitting the truth hurt somehow, and I continued walking with my head down until I was suddenly face to face with something I'd never seen before.

Yet, somehow, there was something familiar about it, and I stopped in my tracks to stare at its colourless form like it wasn't initially a threat. It was a creature that didn't belong in our world. It reminded me of something that was part reptile and bird.

Its feet were frog-like with armoured scales covering its birdlike thighs, and its back was hunched and rounded like a turtle's. It was covered in armoured scales, but it had feathers padding its shoulders and cuffing its wrists like a strange outfit. When it turned around, I found myself staring at a face that took me off guard.

Its neck and head reminded me of a turtle peering out from under its shell, but it had a beak like a bird, and a face like…

Angeal?

It couldn't be…

For what felt like several minutes, we stared at each other as if we were trying to figure out what we were looking at. Then without warning, the creature lunged at me to attack.

I don't recall thinking. I just recall reacting. My sword came out and I cast a level 3 ice spell as if it weren't me who was doing it. It was just something I did.

Within seconds, the creature stiffened and howled an ear-piercing shriek before falling to its knees, and with one swift movement, my sword swung across its back before it fell lifelessly to the platform.

Whatever it was, it was dead now. I was standing over it; staring at it like it meant nothing to me. At the same time, its face was all I could focus on. Its face meant more to me than I could fathom. It wasn't the face of a monster. It was the face of a man I once called a friend, a face of a man I confided in several times, and a face of a man that lectured me and gave me advice I never asked for.

Was it him?

Was it Angeal?

Or was it something that looked like him? I couldn't tell as I mindlessly tilted my head and stared at it like I wasn't seeing it as much as I might have been imagining it. A strange lull filled my ears with a woman's voice talking to me in a language I didn't understand as much as I felt its meaning. It felt warm, but equally cold and unfeeling. It was strangely comforting.

It felt like it were telling me nothing mattered, and the feeling ran through my veins like a numbing sensation. I felt so numb and unfeeling that I didn't acknowledge where I was, or why.

It felt like I didn't belong there, or anywhere as much as I did everywhere.

The moment passed though, and I suddenly shook my head as if to clear it while reaching for my phone to call Zack to join me. In a way, I supposed he deserved to know what happened to his friend while I questioned whether he was ever my own friend. He may have always been there for me in the past. He may have even been someone I could lean on from time to time, but in the end, he was nothing more than a monster.

"Once Sector 8 is clear, come to Mako Reactor 5," I told Zack when he answered. I felt nothing while I told him Angeal had been sighted, and I felt nothing when Zack asked me if we were to search for and destroy him. "The army is mobilizing, but there's still time," I said as I stopped walking from the corpse and stared at nothing. "You and I will find them before they do, and…"

"And WHAT?" Zack yelled. I could hear the frustration in his voice, but I couldn't say I shared the same sentiment when I calmly answered.

"Fail to eliminate them."

Zack's excitement beamed through his voice, along with hopeful disbelief at what I said, but I had to admit I had no idea what I was saying as I hung up while his voice gushed through the phone and I continued walking away with an empty feeling.

Angeal made his decision. His fate was made by his actions, but that didn't mean I had to follow along. He chose to stay by the one who was always his friend, and he chose to turn on the rest of us so he and Genesis could become the monsters they must have always been.

Again, it had nothing to do with me, but something told me I was somehow involved.

It seemed simple enough, and it all suddenly made sense. They were what they always were, just like I was, and they hid it well from the rest of us, just like I did from everyone else. They deserved no compassion—not from me, nor from anyone else.

In a small way, I wondered if Zack would eventually realize the cold truth of it all, and then I realized I didn't really care if he did. For all I knew, he was no different from them or me. It was possible that he could eventually turn on me too. All of them—everyone—had the potential to turn into the monsters they really were, even Tseng.

The thought chilled me. It was more numbing than chilling, but the thought of Tseng—what I may have done to him—chilled me nonetheless.

Out of everyone, he seemed to be the only one who was real. Despite all his pretending, he was nasty to the core from the start. He lied, cheated, stole, and killed, and he never pretended that he didn't. He just lured me in like the tonberry he always was, and I found myself unknowingly smirking at the thought.

Was it possible the things I thought I hated about him the most were the things I fell in love with? Was it his lack of honour that had me mesmerized? Was it his cold exterior that had me admiring him? Was it his brutality and lack of regard for everyone around him but his own survival that enchanted me?

How was it that I never realized how much I loved how despicable he was until now? It made me wonder what was wrong with me, despite how fleeting that wonder was. By all that was right or wrong, I suddenly realized how perfectly suited he was for me. His lack of morals strengthened mine. His lack of honesty made me question the lies, and his lack of questioning encouraged me to find the truths.

He was, more or less, my missing half. He was everything I wasn't, and all that nothing turned me into something I never realized was there.

By the time Zack arrived, I had plenty of time to come to terms with the lack of emotions I felt regarding everything. He was surprised to find the creature I'd slain. It appeared he didn't believe what he was seeing as he concluded Genesis wasn't the only one who could be copied. For some reason, it caused me to reminisce over the past. I wound up telling him what happened back in the training room when Genesis attacked Angeal and me.

I explained the scenario like it was happening again, and I went so far as to indulge in what followed with Hollander. It was more like I was reciting it than feeling it as I went over the steps in my head and wondered why I never noticed anything strange about them before.

Was it possible I chose not to?

I wondered if it had something to do with why I chose to ignore the strange circumstances involving Tseng since the mako incident. Or did I simply choose to ignore the circumstances long before that? Maybe it was me I was choosing to ignore. My strange lapses, the strange voice in my head… It had always been there.

Was I choosing to ignore it?

When I was done, I found myself standing over the creature again and emptily staring at it. I felt nothing while I assumed they must be in league with Hollander. It seemed like a logical conclusion, and I decided it was time to move on. My mission was to restore the power to the facility and find stolen documents. The creature wasn't part of my mission. It was just another report I was going to have to fill out on a path I was led to investigate, and I subtly smirked at the irony of how it should have been Tseng's job when I walked to the door to continue with my orders.

Nothing was out of sorts in the control room, as far as I could tell. There were no signs of sabotage other than a blown breaker. It was easy to restore, and when I flipped the switch, I closed my eyes and found my head swimming in the strangely familiar sound of it coming back to life. The distant whirring of heavy machines and the sound of electricity traveling through the veins of the reactor felt strangely comforting and familiar. It was like being in a womb as the life around me slowly woke up, and I shook my head again as I walked back out to find Zack still standing over the creature with a dazed look.

"Let's go," I said. We still had to bring the rest of the facility on line, and there was more than one control room according to the blueprints I was given. If I wanted to see Tseng again at all that day, I figured it was best to move as quickly as we could while hoping his day was going better than mine.

"There's supposed to be another control room down here," I mentioned as I led the way down narrow concrete stairs. Our voices were muffled in the stale air that grew thicker the lower we went, and Zack silently followed like he were in a daze. He was unusually quiet as the heavy sound of our boots hit each step and we descended toward an old door that was partially open.

"Is this the last one?" he emptily asked as we drew closer, and I nodded as an answer. We'd already covered the others, and they were all in the same condition. It was nothing but blown breakers, and I supposed we were both silently wondering what could have possibly blown them all at the same time.

Our question was answered when I pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The first thing I noticed was an unusual mess of plugs drawing all the power from the rest of the facility. The power was still alive, and we both stared at them for a moment. The sockets were overflowing with power bars drawing far more power than the facility was designed to accommodate, and there was a strange scent of burned out converters that was noticeable the moment we entered.

Naturally, we both followed them to their source to see what could possibly require so much power only to find the control room had been turned into some sort of makeshift lab. It was converted to support several chambers and consoles with varying functions. I could only assume it must have been Hollander's work, and I silently mused over how much Hojo would have probably disapproved. If he were there, he'd most likely mock Hollander for needing to hide while gloating over the glory of everything Shinra gave him rein over.

It was only amusing to consider for a moment. It quickly fleeted as we approached one of the chambers closest to the second set of a few steps we walked down. It was still active and emitting a greenish glow, suggesting active mako was being fed into whatever was inside. Upon closer inspection, I discovered another creature like the one on the upper levels. It bared Angeal's face and I emptily stared at it.

"A wretched sight…" I airily said. The words came out with no hint of surprise while I wondered what else I could have expected.

Zack, on the other hand, approached the entire scenario with a level of innocence I wasn't sure I could admire. I couldn't even be bothered answering him when he asked if this was where the copies were made. The answer seemed obvious enough to me.

However, I could honestly say I didn't suspect it was the only facility. It seemed somewhat undersized for the number of copies we'd been running into. Not that it mattered. It wasn't my job to speculate. It was my job to do as I was ordered, and I picked up a stack of papers nearby to quickly glance through them.

"These are… highly confidential research documents that Hollander stole," I noted as I flipped through a few more while explaining what we needed to find. "The stolen documents were regarding Project G, 'Degradation,' and 'Ancients.' Some of them may have been left here. Search the area carefully."

Then I continued to flip through the papers while Zack checked the consoles and data streams for more information. For some reason, the papers I was looking at had nothing to do with what we were looking for, but I couldn't put them down. There was something odd about them—something about attempting to learn from Hojo's mistakes with… Valentine?

Valentine…

Isn't that what Tseng's been saying in his sleep ever since the incident in Nibelheim?

With a subtle shake to my head, I silently convinced myself that there was nothing to be concerned about. It was nothing but coincidence, despite that I couldn't stop reading and trying to make sense out of what it was all about.

In the meantime, Zack was discovering more than he bargained for. He was discovering that Project G involved implanting the cells of an Ancient into a human foetus to imbue it with the abilities of the Ancients.

When he dumbly scratched the back of his head and hesitantly breathed out, "Uh…" I turned my attention to him to let him know I may have known more than I let on. I'd been doing my own research.

"It was Hollander's experiment. The result was a normal child, which meant he failed. However…" I trailed off when I read the word 'Valentine' again. This time it was mentioned next to another word that bothered me.

Chaos… It was familiar, somehow. I'd heard it before...

Meanwhile, Zack was learning that the heightened abilities of Soldier members were maintained by a delicate balance of various genetic factors. I could practically sense his brain swelling while he discovered that a change in the balance could only be caused by a 'leak' of genetic information that wasn't possible under normal circumstances. The phenomenon was unique to the Soldier type G, and it was reported as 'The Degradation Phenomenon.'

"I'm feeling woozy," Zack muttered, catching my attention as I answered his silent question.

"It was before Genesis deserted," I told him, and he turned to face me while I explained more of what happened after the incident with Genesis in the training room. I didn't learn most of it until recently, but part of me suspected that I might have always known.

Hojo's strange need to interfere with Tseng and me when he was having an affair with Genesis may have been the reason when I thought back to it. His concern over the two of them was disturbing at best, and I brushed off the nagging question over why he also showed an unusual concern over Tseng and me as well.

He said things that made no sense, and I lightly shook my head while Zack went back to finding more information on the Project of the Ancients.

The team working on the project decided it was an undisputed fact that the life they excavated from the earth was part of the ancient race spoken of in legend. History recorded that they channelled the power of the planet to tear earth asunder, and the scientists started research on creating a mass-producing race with comparable abilities from those unearthed cells. Their primary objective was to significantly reduce the cost of mako excavation.

When Zack concluded that Project G gave birth to Genesis, I went numb. I couldn't deny that Genesis showed clear signs of change. Zack thought I was only pointing out the theory of degradation or copies, but I was thinking of worse things. I was thinking of Tseng. I was thinking about the affair he had with Tseng, and the word, "Abominations," slipped through my lips before I had the chance to stop myself.

It was at that moment Hollander made his appearance. He was surprised to see me, but I wasn't surprised to see him. I half-suspected him to already be there when we arrived, and I wound up stating that I figured I'd find him there.

As I walked from the chamber toward him, he made his best attempt to convince me that he was the only one who could stop the degradation process going on with Genesis. Unfortunately, it didn't answer my silent question about what any of it meant for Tseng.

I didn't even realize my hand was already on my sword, ready to slice the man in two since I knew he'd never answer my questions. At best, he'd toy with me. He'd use me like everyone else did. Then he'd discard me when he felt I was no longer useful to him, and I walked closer with a numbing intent to rid him of this world.

Much to my dismay, Genesis was still an obstacle as he descended from above with that accursed wing of his, and he situated himself between Hollander and me. I was taken off guard. I never thought I'd see him again, and if it weren't for Zack, I may have wound up slicing both of them to pieces.

I can't really say if it was courage or stupidity on Zack's part as he ran between the two of us while calling Genesis' name like he thought he could talk some sense into him, but somehow, Genesis' sword still wound up at my throat while he threatened that I'd never take Hollander.

It gave the scientist the perfect opportunity to run like the coward he was, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at Genesis. If he wanted a battle, I was more than ready to give him one. Genesis had no power over me, and I calmly ordered Zack to go after Hollander while defiantly staring Genesis in the eyes.

Once they were gone and Genesis glanced at the door for a brief moment, he returned his attention to me and his sword remained at my throat. It was obvious the battle between us was never finished. There was more to it than met the eye, and it was all starting to unwind as he walked closer to me while reciting those blasted lines from Loveless with false serenity.

"There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess," he chanted while he slowly walked by me and lowered his sword while I closed my eyes. "Hero of the dawn, Healer of the worlds."

"Loveless again?" I mockingly asked, unable to hide how tired I'd grown of it. "You never change." Then I looked upward while keeping my back to him when Genesis explained his theory on what Loveless meant to him.

"Three friends go into battle," he told me while I continued to stare upward as if he couldn't have stopped talking sooner. "One is captured, one flies away, and the one that is left becomes a hero."

Then I looked down and shook my head. It was a common story, and I didn't attempt to hide my thoughts while telling him exactly what I thought of it. Our backs were to each other and his sword was pointing at the ground in a relaxed stance.

"If we were to enact it," he started while I half-listened. "Would I be the one to play the hero, or would you?"

The truth was, I'd had enough. I was tired. All I wanted was to go home. I wanted Tseng to go home with me. I didn't want to keep fighting over something that held no meaning. The fight wasn't worth it. It wasn't with Shinra, or me. It wasn't to prove a point worth proving. It was nothing but vanity and entitlement he was fighting for, and I figured it was time to let it go.

I slightly turned, unable to hide how unimpressed I was, and I held my hands to him while telling him, "It's all yours."

Take it, I thought. Take it all, the nothing that it is, and do with it what you will.

"Indeed," Genesis agreed while keeping his back to me. Then he slowly walked away. "After all, your glory should have been mine."

"How petty," I pointed out, half suspecting it was all over Tseng.

"In hindsight, perhaps," he mused. Then he stopped when he reached the chamber with the creature inside and paused before turning to me.

"Now, what I want most…" he emptily started. It was almost like he was attempting to set my mind at ease, "is the gift of the Goddess."

What Goddess...? I wondered.

When I turned, all I saw was black feathers scattered about where he should have been standing. Other than that, there was no trace he'd ever been there.

The day wasn't over by a long shot. After going back to the Shinra tower in hopes of pursuing my own agenda, which wasn't entirely clear to me at that point, I ran into more clones of Genesis. With sword and magic, I tore through them like they were nothing, and I continued while wishing there weren't so many meaningless obstacles.

In a way, I suppose a part of me was thankful they weren't as challenging as Genesis, but their lack of challenge made me feel like I was wasting my time. They kept coming, and I kept exterminating them like they were nothing but vermin.

Then Zack showed up, adding another obstacle to my agenda. It wasn't just Zack though. It was Angeal who brought him to the tower. He flew Zack in through one of the broken windows, acting like he was the valiant one by overcoming his own obstacles and joining us in a fight that was no longer worth fighting.

They both acted like none of their previous actions ever happened, and they started with the small talk and friendly jibes I no longer cared for while I suspiciously regarded the single white wing attached to Angeal's back. Then he started barking orders at me like it mattered. He felt Genesis was ordered by Hollander to eliminate Hojo, and I merely shrugged like I couldn't have cared less.

"Forget about Hojo," I grumbled while Zack happily ran off to protect him and Angeal commented that I was in my usual mood. He felt I should be protecting the lower floors, and I felt I'd rather be doing something else.

I no longer cared. Killing him would have wasted too much effort, and I decided to comply simply to make my own actions seem less suspicious.

I gathered things got out of hand within the next hour. While I wasted my time dealing with more of the same on the lower levels, Zack got into trouble with another summon raised by Genesis. Luckily, for him, Angeal saved the day by getting involved again, and not once, did Zack question the noticeable changes in Angeal.

The man had a single white wing, suggesting he wasn't exactly what we always thought he was, and I shook my head at the thought while finally making my way to the data room unnoticed.

There had to be something there. Tseng had to know what was already there, and I'd be damned if I didn't know what it was as I locked the door behind me and shut off my PHS only to discover I wasn't the only one making my way to the data room.

It appeared Tseng might have been on his own single-minded mission to do the same.

"Find anything?" he asked as he entered through the other door near the back and locked it behind him. He didn't seem surprised to see me, and I merely looked up for a moment to acknowledge him.

"I just got here," I replied, and he nodded to me as if he were in the same empty space I felt like I was wallowing in.

"I thought I'd never lose them," he muttered as he started skimming the cabinets and boxes as if he had a vague idea what he was looking for. "Hojo had Zack running all over the place," he said with a snicker as he grabbed a box and put it on the table.

Ironically, it appeared to be what I was also looking for. It was full of files from the Science Department, and I slowly walked behind him, placed my hand on his hip, and peered over his shoulder while he quickly glanced down at my hand; then at me.

"You know that's hardly appropriate," he said as he quirked his brow.

"The doors are locked," I quietly whispered into his ear while skimming over the paper he was holding and placing my chin on his shoulder. The lavender in his hair was subtle, but calming and soothing, and I smiled while he snickered and cleared his throat. "I hardly see you any more."

"I'm hoping it will be over soon," he breathed out with a heavy sigh as he placed the paper down and picked up another for us to skim over. "I'm hoping I can find something that will give us a clue about what's really going on."

"You too?" I emptily asked as I grabbed the next stack of papers and moved beside him while flipping through the pages as he did the same with the stack he was holding.

"Yes," he answered. "The sooner this is over, the sooner we can go home. I've been obsessing over making a nice meal and retiring early for the evening."

"Sounds like a nice obsession," I responded as I paused on a paper and frowned.

Apparently, Lazard went missing and Shinra wanted Tseng to fill in during his absence.

"Leviathan," Tseng tiredly breathed out. "Did you know Shinra thinks Lazard has been funding Hollander's research using the company's money?"

"You're kidding," I flatly responded as I put the paper down and stared at him while adding to what he just found. "It says here, he went missing after going on vacation."

"And it says here," he said before pausing for a moment and staring at the wall. "That they think he's in on it."

"I guess you can't trust anyone," I mused.

"Mm," he nodded. "I never would have suspected him." Then he put the stack of papers down and turned to look at me while I returned his attention. "I should probably ask you how you've been holding up, considering everyone that's involved."

"I've gotten over it," I emptily said while focussing on his tired-looking eyes.

"You're not bothered by it?"

"Not any more," I honestly answered as I stepped closer and placed my hand on the side of his cheek to stroke it with my thumb while he leaned into my touch. "As long as I focus on you…" I said as he closed his eyes like he was resting them, "I feel grounded."

With a light snicker, he placed his hand over mine and pulled me closer so he could put his arms around me. "Glad to know I could help," he joked. Then he admitted, "I could almost say the same about you."

"Oh?"

"Mm," he breathed out as his hold tightened. "You're about the only thing that gets me through the day lately."

"Are you saying you can't stop thinking about me?"

"Don't push it," he muttered as his lips lightly tickled the hairs on my neck before he placed a warm kiss there. "I'm just saying that the sooner I get to spend some real time with you, the better."

"Awww," I teased as I wrapped my arms around him and stroked his hair. "My little tonberry has a soft side after all." Then I placed my lips against his temple and just held him. I wanted to hold him for as long as I could.

After discovering the news about Lazard and not finding much else, I decided I had a bit of time to myself as I scouted the nearby sectors and stood inside one of the Weapon's shops to bide my time.

It was like any other shop. Nothing new or out of the ordinary was on display, and I bartered with the shopkeeper over the cost of having my sword polished. I normally did it myself, but he seemed to think he could talk me into a great deal by throwing in a second sword for my trouble.

"I'm not interested," I said as he examined my sword and nodded. He agreed he had nothing nearly as impressive.

"But I do have something new," he said as he turned his attention to me. "It's probably not your thing, but I'm pretty sure you've never seen anything like it before."

"Pretty sure?" I asked before letting out a heavy sigh and sheathing my sword like I was bored. "If that's the best you can do," I said as I turned to walk out, "I'm pretty sure I'm not interested."

"Wait, wait!" he exclaimed as he bolted by his desk and stood in front of the door. "I'm positive you've never seen anything like it," he pressed.

"Regardless," I breathed out. "You already said it was probably not my thing."

"Well, maybe someone you know might be interested."

"You're wasting my time," I responded as I went to push him aside. "You'd be better off showing it to someone who's interested."

"C'mon…" he pleaded. "Business is really hurting these days. The only people packing are soldiers and grunts, and you guys already have everything you need. Throw a guy a bone here… Maybe if you could just look at it, you can find someone for me that might be interested… I could really use all the help I can get these days. The last thing I wanna do is close shop because of lack of business."

With a heavy sigh, I rolled my eyes at him before closing them to stop myself from slicing him in two for refusing to let me leave. The last thing I wanted was to have some stranger breaking down in front of me because he might be going out of business.

Regardless, I let it slide and figured a few more minutes in his shop wouldn't hurt. "Fine," I breathed out as if I couldn't have been more disinterested. Then I stepped back and turned to his desk while grumbling, "Let's see what you've got."

I had no intention of pitching any sales for him when I agreed to look at his toys, but in the end, I wound up buying it after talking him down to less than half the price he was asking for. After all, it did seem interesting, and I knew just the right person I could give it to.

As I made my way back to the apartment to drop off my new gift, my PHS rang and I frowned when I saw it was Tseng calling me.

"What now?" I muttered under my breath as I stared at it with narrowed eyes. I almost didn't want to answer it, despite that I had nothing against hearing his voice. It was mainly because the way the day was going, he was most-likely calling to bark senseless orders since Shinra had him filling in for Lazard after his disappearance.

Unfortunately, I'd never hear the end of it if I ignored him, and I gritted my teeth while answering with my own agenda before letting him get a word in.

"What do you want?" I asked, unable to hide my agitation. Then I shook my head before I gave him a chance to answer. "Whatever it is, it can wait until I get back from the apartment." I was almost forgetting what it looked like. "Where do you want me to meet you? You can tell me what you want there."

"Nice, Sephiroth," he dryly grumbled. "Give me an ultimatum before finding out what it is I wanted to tell you."

"Chances are it's not important enough to wait for a half hour or so."

"Oh?" he sarcastically asked. "What if I were calling to tell you I was dying? You wouldn't feel that were important?"

"If you were dying, I doubt you'd be the one calling me," I sarcastically responded and almost smiled when I realized he was playing and not calling just to piss me off with more orders. "Anyway, what did you want?"

"I don't feel like telling you if you're not interested," he casually said.

"Well, I am now," I purred, smiling again as I continued walking to the apartment with my new gift snuggly held between my arm and my chest as I held the phone to my ear.

"Wait a minute…" he said as he lowered his voice like he were making a personal call to me, which I had to admit was strange for him even though I appreciated the thought. "You're going to the apartment?"

"Yes," I answered as I turned the corner and stared up at the building. "In about three minutes, I'll be walking into the lobby… why?"

"I'll meet you there," he quickly said. "I'll be there in fifteen." Then before I had the chance to ask him what was going on, he hung up and I found myself staring at my phone in curiosity.

That was odd… I thought. What the hell is that little tonberry up to now?

He peeked my curiosity, and I ran into the bedroom to grab a pen to quickly write something on a card. Then I attached it to the package before hiding it under the bed. If all went well, we'd at least have some playtime together, or so I hoped as I made sure it wasn't in sight and smiled like a kid as I walked out of the room and quickly tossed my coat aside to make myself comfortable while I waited.

I had to make sure nothing looked suspicious or he'd find a way to draw it out of me, and I had no intention of ruining his surprise. So, I grabbed a book and quickly opened it to make it seem like I just came home to relax for a little while.

"We've been given the night off!" he excitedly exclaimed as he walked through the door with a brown paper bag in his arms and smiled at me. It felt like years since I last saw him smile like that, and I did my best to restrain myself while raising my brow and asking, "Oh?"

"Yes," he said as he quickly went into the kitchen to place the bag down before removing his jacket and hanging it. "You won't believe how crazy this day's been," he added as he sat beside me and leaned on me like he couldn't get closer to me soon enough.

"I can only imagine," I said as if I were bored while casually licking my finger to advance to the next page. "Taking Lazard's place must be really exciting for someone as ambitious as you."

Then I winced when he roughly nudged me and snickered. "That's not what I'm talking about," he chastised as he snuggled closer and made himself comfortable by kicking his shoes off and leaving them at the base of the couch. As a result, I subtly smiled and placed my arm around him, thankful to suddenly feel normal amidst all the turmoil of the last few months.

"Hojo had that poor kid running rounds after all those attacks today. He outright refused to believe he was in any danger. Then everything went crazy after the surveillance picked up Angeal helping you guys out and what appeared to be the real Genesis showing up in Hojo's lab while Zack was there. We're not convinced it was the real Genesis though. I half-suspect he may be controlling his clones from the Lifestream."

He rambled on.

"Anyway, Luckily for Zack, Angeal appeared again… He appears to be on our side," he mused as he curiously looked at me. "Did you know anything about that?"

"He showed up," I admitted as I flipped to the next page like I was still bored, despite that Tseng's gushing was a welcome change from everything else going on.

"What are your thoughts?" he asked as he got up and walked to the bag on the table.

"I don't have any," I admitted while he rummaged through it and started pulling the contents out to get them ready for whatever he was planning.

"You must have some input," he argued as he shook his head and I put my book down before turning to look at him.

"I don't trust him," I said as I rested my arm over the back of the sofa and turned to watch him more comfortably. Then I added to my own surprise. "I'm not sure if I ever did."

"I see," he said as he appeared in thought for a moment. Then he turned to me and frowned like he was hoping I'd say more than I always did as I stared at him and frowned over my inability to communicate the way I knew he'd like me to.

"You're angry with me," I concluded as I rested my chin on my arm and he quickly shook his head.

"No," he said as he turned back to the bag. "I don't want to fight with you over nothing right now—we hardly see each other any more," he added as he waved his hand at me. "You don't trust him… you never did… I get it."

"Tseng," I breathed out as I pushed myself up in defeat and walked toward him to put my arms around his waist. Then I quietly asked, "Are you telling me you do trust him?"

"No," he admitted with a quick shrug. "I just thought…" he said before pausing for the right words. "Since he was your friend…"

"I don't think he was ever my friend," I admitted before he turned around and silently studied me as if he were trying to read into what I said. Then he lowered his head and turned back to the items from his bag.

From the looks of it, he had a feast planned for dinner, and I knitted my brows when I noticed everything he'd bought.

There were fresh lobsters, crabs, steaks, potatoes and fresh vegetables, along with what I could only guess were fixings for a salad. Part of me wondered how many people he thought he was feeding that night, but he didn't mention anything about company.

It seemed unlikely he'd ever invite anyone over, considering he never did in the past. Then he answered my silent question by saying something about wanting to celebrate the free night we had and that he hoped he hadn't gone overboard.

"It's just that after our chopper crashed in Modeoheim, I realized how precious our time was together," he casually commented while I blankly stared at him.

"What?"

"Well, we were lucky," he admitted with a shrug, not realizing that I might not have heard anything about it until he just blurted it out like it were no big deal. "Things might not have gone as well, and I'd hate to think the last time I saw you was in the data room… It made me realize that every moment we spend together could very well be our last."

Then he waved his hand at the food on the table and turned to me before suddenly realizing that I may have been overwhelmed with the new information.

"Leviathan," he muttered before sighing and quirking his brow. "You didn't know…"

"No," I admitted as he stepped forward and stroked my bangs from my eyes. "I was told your mission was a success."

"It was," he carelessly said with a quick shrug. Then he took the food to the counter and started preparing it like he didn't just tell me he was nearly killed. "We were lucky we had a good pilot… Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky as we were."

"We?"

"Yes," he awkwardly answered. "Zack, that new recruit… Cloud… I think his name was, and a few other grunts made it without a scratch, but the pilot was fatally injured. There was nothing we could do."

It was typical of him, I supposed, to act like it was ordinary business, and he continued to tell me how they left the crash site to fulfill their orders while preparing dinner. All the while, he did his best to ease my dismay by ignoring it and trying to convince me he was alive and well. Their objective was met and their mission was a success. I should have been happy we were lucky enough to have the precious time we had together, and thanks to that, I was about to partake in a feast fit for kings.

"You realize you could have died," I said in the end. I couldn't get past that part as he set the table and told me to sit down. Apparently, I was making him uncomfortable by the way I was standing and staring at him the entire time.

"Yes," he admitted. "But I didn't."

Tseng had a natural talent when it came to cooking. I never saw him use a cookbook or follow a recipe. He was one of those rare individuals that could taste something for the first time and re-create it like he'd always known how to make it. He loved food, but he hated anything that remotely resembled his native cuisine.

He complained that it all tasted the same to him.

He also didn't like desserts. In all the time I'd known him, I never saw him glance twice at anything sweet. I also never saw him eat anything sweet, despite that he'd sometimes refer to it. Sometimes, he'd suggest something would go great with ice cream or cake, or the odd milkshake here or there, but whenever he was presented with the opportunity to indulge, he'd turn his nose up while stating his mother forced him to eat enough sweets to last him a lifetime.

After a while, I waived it off as his way of keeping lean. It was no secret that he was vain. He put effort into his appearance, and I eventually wrote it off as another one of his odd quirks when it came to vanity.

However, he did offer dessert that night, and when he noted my confusion, he seductively smiled at me and walked to the bedroom, commenting that there was nothing wrong with indulging in a little exercise to work off all that food.

"Oh… That kind of dessert," I purred as I followed him to the bed and he pulled me on top of him while playfully whispering that he hoped neither of us forgot how to enjoy ourselves.

"You're awfully frisky tonight," I purred as he slid my pants off and nodded at me with a smile no man could trust, but what could I say?

I was a sucker for punishment.

After we were done reacquainting ourselves with the finer points of indulgence, his mood turned quiet and reflective. I found myself suddenly wondering if I underperformed while replaying it over in my head, but I couldn't think of anything either of us did wrong.

Like always, it was perfect, but I found myself wondering if maybe he'd been lying to me about what he liked all that time.

Maybe it wasn't as perfect as I thought it was.

"Is everything all right?" I quietly asked while I snuggled behind him and lightly kissed his bare shoulder.

He nodded and heavily sighed. Then he slightly turned to run his eyes over me as if he were studying me.

"Have you been given your next orders yet?" he hesitantly asked.

"No," I answered, and he bit on his bottom lip while turning away from me.

"They're sending you to Nibelheim tomorrow," he breathed out, sounding almost disappointed.

"Oh," I said, not really knowing why it was a big deal.

Then he heavily breathed out while circling the sign of infinity over the sheet in front of him. "I wish you weren't going to Nibelheim tomorrow," he admitted. "You just got back today."

"Ah," I breathed out as I rested my hand on his hip. My little tonberry was missing me already, and I hadn't even left yet. The thought made me smile slightly, and I closed my eyes for a moment while breathing in the scent of lavender and the faint aroma of his cologne. I had no idea if he knew how happy hearing him say something like that made me feel, and I suddenly remembered the package I hid under the bed.

In hopes of lightening his melancholy mood, I told him I had something for him.

He did his best to feign disinterest, but he still asked, "Like what?"

I could tell by his tone that his curiosity was peeked, and I slightly pushed the blankets down to expose more of him in a teasing way. "Something you'll like," I muttered as I turned him onto his back so we could gaze into each other's eyes, and I fanned his beautiful black hair across the pillows so I could admire how beautiful everything about him was.

He was my husband, my betrothed. He'd always be mine, and I started placing gentle kisses along his pale neck to let him know I loved every inch of him, inside and out. Then I smiled to myself when he grumbled that he didn't want to make love again. He insisted his libido wasn't as active as mine, but I already knew that. He was easily exhausted compared to me, and that was another part of him that I loved.

It didn't change the fact that I loved to tease him though, and I playfully responded, "Sometimes, I think you don't have one at all." Then I reached to the floor and pulled out the package while teasing that it wasn't what I meant, "My sour little tonberry."

Tseng quirked his brow and sat up when I handed it to him, and like a child receiving a gift, he ran his hands over the package before settling on the card and giving me a reluctant look that told me he was hoping it wasn't another gift meant to apologize for my unfaithful ways. I quickly shook my head at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

I was also wishing that I never gave him a reason to think that way as he flipped the card over, read it, and then tore it from the string to flick it at me while teasing me about my atrocious handwriting.

"I can't read it," he coldly said. Though I knew he was only playing with me.

He had to protect himself, and I never gave him a reason to think otherwise as I smiled at him and leaned closer while running my hands over his beautiful body. "It says…" I purred as he jumped and tried to stop my playful hands in a way that told me he was only playing too, "Happy Birthday, my sour little tonberry."

Then he playfully bantered that it only said, 'Happy Birthday.'

"I thought you said you couldn't read it," I teased, and I watched him do his best to brush it off with a quick shrug while telling me that his birthday was months ago.

I figured it was just a test. I knew it was the day before, but I wasn't going to take offence. Apparently, neither was he while we playfully bantered about the last time we had the opportunity to spend some time together.

It felt like months, but it was only hours.

Regardless, I watched him open the package while I grumbled that we rarely got to see each other any more. He didn't seem to be paying much attention to me though. He was more interested in studying his strange gift as he ran his hands over the smooth handle woven in pewter and silver like he was astonished.

I couldn't really say if it was good or bad astonishment, but it didn't really matter. I figured it was the thought that mattered.

"What in Leviathan's name…?" he started, almost whispering it as he ran his hand along the grooves becoming more prominent near the sharp end.

"Move your hand away and press the button," I told him as I grinned and watched him jump when he pressed it. Fine blades suddenly protruded from the grooves and quickly spun before disappearing back into the device. It was in an instant. I already knew about it, and at the time, I wasn't really impressed by it, but seeing Tseng's expression made it all worth it.

I couldn't help myself. I had to explain why I got it for him.

Naturally, I left out the part where the merchant practically begged me to take it off his hands. Instead, I embellished. I decided to tell him it reminded me of him, which wasn't too far from the truth. Tseng was also sharp, piercing, and shredding, but he didn't seem too taken with the analogy.

Either way, I found myself snickering at him before placing small kisses along his neck again. I wasn't lying when I said it made me think of him. It was more because he liked rare items, but I figured I'd leave that part out.

"The man that made it called it The Shredder," I muttered while working my way to his collarbone.

"Hm," he muttered, attempting to sound disinterested, but his hitting the button to watch the fine blades fly out again betrayed him. Then he placed it beside him to carry on with his lack of interest while closing his eyes as I worked my way toward his navel. His weak attempts to nudge me away were unconvincing.

So, I continued while he told me to stop and admitted that he wasn't sure if he should be flattered or insulted.

I couldn't say I was really listening to him though. Once I got him into my mouth and felt his hand on my head, I think it was fair to say neither of us cared about anything at that point.