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“You’re going out with Strife tonight, aren’t you?”
The question had Genesis turning away from his wardrobe where he had been searching for something to wear tonight. He wasn’t surprised to see Angeal standing in his doorway, fixing him with a worried look.
He answered his friend as he turned back to what he had been doing, “so what if I am?”
He heard his friend give an exasperated sigh behind him, “he’s far too old for you Genesis!” He exclaimed dramatically.
Genesis rolled his eyes with a scoff, “really Angeal?” He asked, turning to glare at his friend. “I’ve just returned from Wutai, I can date who I want to in my down time.” He stressed, turning away from the other.
If Angeal wanted to push the topic then he would have no qualms about throwing fireballs at the other, he didn’t care about scorch marks in his apartment. They’d add a more personal touch to his decorating.
“But what if he tries to push something on you?” Angeal’s question made red-hot anger spark in his chest.
He turned to his friend, piercing him with a scathing look. “Are you implying that I cannot protect myself?!” He demanded, magic burning his fingertips as his anger ran through him. “Or that our superior officer would do something that I have not agreed to?!”
Angeal flinched away from him, face twisting with chagrin. “That’s not what I meant, Genesis. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Leave before I make you regret opening your mouth!” He snarled at the other, his hand erupting into flames as he glared at his old friend.
Angeal jerked away from his door at the sight of the fire swirling angrily in his hand, panic flashing across his face before he was gone, disappearing somewhere out of Genesis’ field of view.
Genesis spent a few moments trying to calm his anger, taking deep breaths until he could safely disperse the flame wreathing his hand. He shook the hand in a futile attempt to remove the aching feeling of suppressed magic from his limb, gritting his teeth as the sensation travelled up his arm, causing the limb to seize in it’s socket.
He turned back to his wardrobe listlessly flicking through what he had hung up, his earlier enthusiasm missing from his actions.
He clenched his eyes, teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he slumped against the open door, pressing his face against the cool surface. He slammed his palm against the reinforced wood, lifting himself to stand straight.
No, he wasn’t going to let Angeal ruin his night. He was going to go out and have a good time with someone who was genuinely interested in him as a person and not as a slab of meat. He trusted Cloud on the battlefield, why should off it be any different.
He returned his attention to the clothing in front of him, Cloud had said to wear something casual so that was what he was going to do. The man had seen him at his worse in Wutai, he wanted the other to see him in a better light.
He eventually decided on a pair of nice jeans and a magenta button-up under a soft burgundy jumper, the nights had been surprisingly cold for summer so the jumper was a necessity. He took his selection out of the wardrobe and laid it out on his bed, giving it one last look over to ensure that he was happy with it.
It was fine, all he needed now was a quick shower before he changed.
Cloud would be picking him up in a little over an hour, he had plenty of time to get ready.
He was more than ready when Cloud came to pick him up.
Angeal had been avoiding him since their confrontation, remaining quiet on the couch and refusing to look in his direction. Genesis hadn’t care, ignoring Angeal’s despondent figure.
He was not going to let Angeal’s attitude affect his night.
Cloud arrived when he said he would, knocking his door on the hour. Genesis moved across the length of the room before Angeal could move, taking a calming breath before opening the door with a bright smile.
He was very happy that it was Cloud standing in the doorway instead of some other person, he might have actually set someone on fire if that had been the case.
Cloud looked quite handsome, he had pants that clung to his legs and a dark sleeveless vest over a long-sleeved turtleneck. He had a small smile on his own face as he stood in the doorway, looking at Genesis. “Hey,” Cloud greeted. “You look good.”
Genesis felt a flush rise to his cheeks, warmth filling his chest, at the compliment. “Thank you, you as well.” He responded in a soft voice, stepping out into the hallway. “Are we ready to go?”
“Yeah,” Cloud answered, stepping back to avoid encroaching on his space. “I’ve got my bike ready downstairs, it’ll take a bit of time to get us where we’re going though.” He finished with a sheepish grin.
Genesis tried to ignore the way the warmth in his chest leap at the other’s expression. “That’s fine with me,” he reassured the other, following Cloud as the man moved through the corridor. He would be fine travelling on a bike for a while.
They reached the elevator, stepping inside and descending into the garage level. “Good,” Cloud grinned, “I’m glad you agreed to come.”
He hummed in reply, shifting against the wall of the elevator. “You better give me a good time then,” he responded without thinking, freezing after the words left his mouth.
Great job, not even ten minutes into the date and he had already put his foot in his mouth.
Cloud laughed softly, replying in a teasing tone. “I’ll have to try my best then.” Genesis relaxed at the other’s words, glad that he hadn’t made the elevator ride awkward between them.
They reached the garage with little issue, moving over to Cloud’s bike. They got on the bike and set off their destination, Cloud driving the bike while he pressed against his back.
It was a very enjoyable ride.
Genesis hadn’t been seen what he had been expecting when Cloud asked him out, but what they arrived to had not been it.
They drove several miles out of Midgar until they reached a grass covered hill, occupied by a large tree. Cloud stopped the bike at the foot of the hill and took out a basket Genesis hadn’t noticed before.
He followed the man up to the top of the hill, watching the other pull a blanket out of the basket and spread it out on the grass.
Cloud gestured him forward once the blanket was spread out, waiting for him to settle on the fabric before sitting next to him. “I hope this is ok,” the other said in a sheepish tone. “I wanted,” he watched as Cloud hesitated for a moment before finishing, “I wanted this to be nice.”
Genesis felt the warmth from earlier return, curling pleasantly in his chest. No one had ever gone through so much effort for him.
“I’m sure I’ll enjoy it,” he assured the other with a smile.
Cloud returned the gesture before turning to the basket and pulling out a few items; some candles, a bottle of wine, two glasses and a few containers containing dinner, laying them out between them. Genesis lit the candles without a moment’s thought, holding flame-wreathed fingers to the wicks of the candles until they came alight.
He froze when he realized what he had done, waiting for a comment of some kind from Cloud. None came though, instead the other man was more focused on divvying up food between them.
He relaxed after a moment, a soft breath leaving his throat as Cloud continued to ignore his liberal use of magic.
Cloud handed him a plate and fork once he was done sorting their food, keeping one for himself and taking a bite. Genesis followed his lead and the next few minutes were filled with quiet conversation as they enjoyed the cool night and the good food.
Well, anything was better than the cafeteria food served in Shinra and the rations they had endured in Wutai.
Cloud took his plate from him when he was finished, setting it off to the side with his own plate and leaving them both with only their glasses of wine. The sun had long since set and this far out of Midgar the stars were visible to Genesis’ eyes, sprinkling the sky above them with soft light and familiar patterns.
He felt a warm arm wind around his waist, pulling him into the strong, solid warmth of the other’s side. He rested his head against the shoulder behind him, watching the sky above them.
Cloud’s voice, pitched soft and low broke his thoughts, “back home, we told stories with the stars.” Genesis’ attention was immediately focused on the older SOLDIER, curious to know something about the other’s life before he joined Shinra. “A lot of us couldn’t afford things like books so we made our own stories from what we could see in the night sky.”
“Did you spend a lot of nights outdoors?” He couldn’t help but ask, twisting a bit to fully gaze at the other.
“Sometimes we couldn’t avoid it,” Cloud responded, his features solemn. “It was difficult to live there; we would spend days in the forest sometimes, just trying to get food.”
Genesis felt pity for the other man, he couldn’t imagine what living like that must have been like.
Cloud changed the subject before Genesis could think of something to say. “My favourite stories were the ones we made about the gods,” the other’s voice was quiet, as if sharing something secret and deeply personal, causing shivers to run through Genesis’ frame. “The ones that seemed to change each time we told them.”
“Really?” Genesis asked, tone embarrassingly breathless. He swallowed heavily, returning to his previous position before he continued, “can you tell me one?”
Cloud hummed next to his ear, tightening the grip he had on his waist as he shifted next to him. “I’ll try to remember one for you,” Cloud answered, pausing a few moments before beginning to speak in a tone of voice that Genesis associated with the truly good narrators in theatre.
“Long ago, when the world was still new, everything was encased in an unchanging grey fog…”