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Genesis was wandering the LOVELESS street, after watching a third-rate play. He was sorely disappointed. Then again, what else could one expect but third-rate play form third-rate actors? The play had shown ACT II and III, as it has always done, and the bad acting, forgetting of lines, horrible accents made Genesis leave halfway in rage, unable to watch the desecration of his play any longer. What a sacrilege to the book! Genesis himself could no doubt act better. Genesis huffed as he strolled, indulging in the poems in the book, reading while he walked.
"When the war-" Genesis began in passion, and shocked to hear the words being spoken somewhere ahead, no, sang. It was carried in the tone of what Genesis imagined it would be, full of longing and despair. Genesis closed his eyes to listen to the beautiful, high notes of the man, clutching the book to his chest as he listened in earnest, feeling the pull within his chest from the inspiring, clear voice.
When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end...
The goddess descends from the sky,
Wings of light and dark spread afar!
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting...
Why, he had never heard the melodious version. He knew it existed once, from one play long ago before his time, but the actors of that time were long gone, and so were the people who heard it. Plus, it was from the prologue which hardly anyone paid attention to, preferring to act the more action-packed II and III with climax. Genesis looked around anxiously to locate the source of perfection. He heard a soft breathing sound and strained his ears to catch the next part.
Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess...
We seek it thus, and take to the sky!
Ripples form on the water's surface.
The wandering soul knows no rest.
He looked up to see a man sitting at a high ledge, looking up at the full moon as he sang softly, legs swinging in the air beneath him. Genesis watched as the man sang from memory, tilting his head back, words falling effortlessly from pale lips as melancholic eyes viewed the night sky. The man swung his hands, did dramatic hand movements as he sang, enjoying himself like a man slightly buzzed on alcohol. Genesis lightly jumped up to sit next to the man, crossing his legs and resting his book on his lap. The other man startled and turned to stare at Genesis in obvious shock at the sudden intrusion. He nearly fell, if not for Genesis's quick reflexes, snaking his arm around his waist to steady him.
Genesis gave his most irresistible smile and leaned in, all charm. "That's a Turk uniform, isn't it? What's your name?"
Genesis was pleasantly surprised by the very slender waist, intelligent blue eyes, long, smooth tresses of red hair, pale, gaping lips, with a cute button nose and a smooth, light complexion.
"I..." The man looked reluctant. "Why should I tell you?" He huffed, as though put out that his alone time was interrupted. He picked up a bottle from his side and drank from it deeply, smacking Genesis's lingering hand away. Genesis could tell it was alcohol from the smell. He wasn't insulted from the action or disgusted with the smell, however. His full lips curved into a smile as he heard the tenor of the man's special voice, unlike the alto he had adopted for the song.
"Hmm," Genesis hummed, seeing that he was disliked. That was rare. Everyone usually fell for his charisma. He suddenly wanted to win this man over, the only man who knew how to sing and emote the poems he loved with perfection. Genesis turned up his charm, fluttering his long eyelashes as he tilted his head innocently. "Well, I was wondering what a handsome man like you was doing alone at night."
It worked, the other man was flattered, all smiles now. "You're Genesis, aren't you?" The man tapped his fingers against the ledge in the rhythm of the poems he sang as he looked at Genesis with curiosity. The man seemed like he was unable to stay still, always looking around, moving his fingers or swinging his legs. Genesis mused that it must have been due to the active nature of being a Turk, always in action.
"That's now very fair, is it? You know my name and I, not yours," Genesis pouted, and the other man chuckled. "I'm absolutely dying to know." Genesis pleaded with his best puppy dog eyes.
Reno had a reputation and image to maintain. No one had ever heard him sing. Everyone thought he liked heavy metal and rock, which he did, but he actually had a taste for the classical as well, not that he would never tell anyone that over his dead body. But now, Genesis caught him in the act. Genesis didn’t seem like the type to snitch, though. And it was pretty easy to find out the name of the infamous Turk, just ask any employee about a red-haired Turk and they'd at least tell you 3 stories of his havoc. Reno supposed it was delaying the inevitable if he did not tell, plus since the man was begging so well, he felt inclined to tell.
"Reno."
"Re...no. Reno," Genesis tested the name on his lips. "Beautiful name." Genesis beamed sincerely at Reno.
Reno smirked. "Do you tell all the ladies that? It sounds beautiful when it falls from your lips." Reno flirted back teasingly. He indeed liked the sound of it, his trashy, simple name sounded so classy all of a sudden.
"Not as beautiful as what you just sang. Where did you learn it from?" Genesis asked, visibly impressed.
Reno blinked awkwardly. "Oh. That. Um, my mother used to sing it. Apparently it's been passed down. Our ancestors were part of a travelling troupe but they weren't very popular, so it died out."
"Ah. Indeed, it was not as popular as it is now," Genesis pursed his lips. "May I ask if it's possible to contact your-"
"Nope, it died out ," Reno re-emphasized, taking another swig.
"You're the last one then, my condolences," Genesis stated the obvious, thinking to himself. Reno looked at him from the corner of his eye, contemplating Genesis. Strange man. Strange, but good looking man. Reno was bisexual anyway, and from rumours, heard Genesis was interested in no one but himself and LOVELESS. Zack had called him a LOVELESS-sexual. They had both laughed like hyenas for minutes. Reno stifled a laugh at that memory.
Genesis had different thoughts.
I've met a miracle. It's a gift from the Goddess.
This treasure he stumbled upon, this unique man with his wonderful voice, was one of the best things that ever happened to him, to hear the melodious version of his sacred book was something he thought he would never be graced in this lifetime to enjoy. He was a fortunate man. Undoubtedly, he was being rewarded for his absolute devotion to the book. Fate allowed him to meet Reno.
Genesis reached a hand to cup a pale, smooth cheek, and Reno was startled again. "Will you sing again?" Genesis asked with a lovestruck face. Reno blinked again at the expression, suddenly embarrassed. He had never had an audience. Not in singing, anyway.
"Please?" Genesis begged, blue eyes searching Reno's.
Reno gulped, suddenly supremely aware of the warm hand caressing his cheek. "Ah, um... I only know the first two poems."
"It's more than I could ask for," Genesis breathed.
Blushing, Reno began singing again, directly in front of Genesis. He looked down most of the time in embarrassment, and when he looked up, he saw Genesis's serious, enraptured face that was watching his every move, catching every note that fell from his lips, he blushed even deeper at the intense stare. However, he held that gaze and continued to sing in a clear, pretty voice that no one who knew Reno knew he had, projecting his voice, seemingly as though making his voice reach the heavens above.
To Genesis anyway. He watched with obvious enjoyment. His pleasured face surely was making Reno feel doubly awkward, but he did not care. He watched Reno fiddle nervously with his thumbs and found the action endearing. He sighed and wanted to hear that voice forever, to melt into a puddle of goo. The voice was so beautiful. Reno was so beautiful, with his bright red hair framing his pale face, the moonlight illuminating his face in such a way that... Genesis sighed again. Reno bit his lip when he was done, jumping down the ledge, eager to flee.
"Wait, Reno!"
Reno looked up, cheeks the colour of his hair from his performance.
"Thank you," Genesis smiled sincerely. "I'll see you around."
"Ah... yeah," Reno squeaked, not used to being thanked. He ran off quickly, disappearing from Genesis's sight.
What an angel. Genesis wanted him all to himself. But Reno was not a music box he could simply buy and keep. No, Reno was a complicated, precious man. Genesis smirked. But it would be worth it. Reno was priceless.
So embarrassing...!
Reno's face was the colour of a tomato. When he went home, and in the morning when he received a single red rose, left there on his desk. And since he was always late, all the other Turks had obviously read the message on the elegant card and were teasing him relentlessly about it.
Reno picked it up with dread and read the beautiful, cursive writing.
"Dear Angel,
The meaning of this one single red rose is that I've fallen for you in first sight. All of my deepest affections are for you.
Your beauty far surpasses that of this rose, but allow me to contend myself to show my appreciation of your perfection with this flower.
Your voice resonates strongly in my mind even now. I don't think I will ever forget your beautiful voice.
Forever in my thoughts,
Genesis Rhapsodos."
"What's this, Reno? Are you sure it wasn't wrongly delivered?" Tseng smirked.
"What voice?" Rude waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Hmm? How loud were you? Is that what you were doing last night?"
"From Rhapsodos no less, the most popular man in SOLDIER amongst females," Tseng continued, that smirk never leaving his face. "And I can tell it's not a prank, that is indeed his handwriting and his style of words."
"Angel," Rude sang.
"Angel," Tseng repeated with amused disbelief. "Our Reno."
"Shut up," Reno pouted. He flipped the card to see "Call Me" with a number, making his heart flip as well. He flipped it back before his fellow Turks saw, preventing them from pressuring him into calling back.
"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Rude poked his partner's flushed cheek.
"You're annoying when it comes to things like this," Reno stuck his tongue out at his partner as he emptied his pen holder and filled it with water from the watercooler, stuffing the rose in there, making a crude vase next to his chocolate basket. He threw the card into a drawer. He wasn't used to being romanced. He either plain fucked or romanced the ladies with flirting. Or he fucked or got fucked men. He had never been flirted with and wooed like this by a man like Rhapsodos. He was honestly at a loss of what to do, but was pretending to be his smug, confident self.
"You guys are just jealous," Reno accused.
"Why would we?" Rude snorted in amusement.
"Cause ya would never get into the General's pants or get flowers from Rhapsodos," Reno grinned shamelessly.
"Reno, you were literally wearing the General's pants because you stole them," Tseng gave him a look, dropping a stack of paperwork on his table.
"Killjoy," Reno pouted as the other two Turks laughed at his expense.
They left him to it, and Reno took the card out again, re-reading it and feeling butterflies in his stomach. Reno pursed his lips, and on impulse, smelt the card. It smelt like roses. Reno shuddered as he thought of those intense blue eyes watching his lips. He felt like some nervous teenage girl. He pushed the card around on the table, contemplating calling Genesis. Then he remembered, he had lost his PHS on his previous mission and hadn't gotten a new one. Unexplainable relief and disappointment filled him at once, making him feel light-headed. An excuse was an excuse. He threw the card into his desk and started to munch on chocolate as a means of distraction.
Still, he found himself staring at that single red rose again. The whole thing just screamed Genesis. He touched the velvety smooth petals and briefly wondered if Genesis's lips felt the same. With a smirk, he tore a petal and ate it.
Hm...Tasted better than I thought.
To his utmost horror, Rude had actually been watching him chew from his desk. Rude smiled at him knowingly and shook his head, returning to his work.
Damn.
Reno slammed his head into his desk, groaning.
...And reached for another petal to nibble on.