#post-doc

He waited until nightfall, sitting perched on the cliff-face, before making his way into Midgar, unwilling to reveal himself to those that might wish him harm. He spent the hours, attempting to tame the mess of his hair. 

It had grown longer in his sleep, it was past his shoulders now, far longer than he had ever had it. Perhaps the change was for the better though.

He manoeuvred around dilapidated buildings delicately, until he touched down on the dead ground. He tucked his wing away for the moment; the limb folding back into his body as he made his way along ruined streets.

He wondered for hours, it was nearing daylight when he found a building that looked to be in better condition than those surrounding it. He found himself blinking in bewilderment at the interior of the building.

Halfway across the room, the floor had been stripped away, wooden boards replaced by a garden of white and yellow flowers surrounding a pool of crystal clear water.

There were a few broken pews lined up before the start of the garden and stained glass decorated the windows causing Genesis to assume that this had been a church of some kind.

He walked further into the church, enjoying the peaceful feeling the place gave him. He paused when his eyes caught sight of something beyond the pool.

He couldn’t make it out from where he was so he approached cautiously, keeping his senses trained on his surroundings as he went.

He had almost reached the thing when he was finally able to recognise it.

The Buster Sword. His oldest friend’s most treasured possession.

But that couldn’t be true, the blade had been gifted onto Zack Fair; Angeal’s apprentice. What would it be doing here of all places?

The blade looked to be in good condition; free of rust and grime despite where it was. If the Buster Sword was here then where was Fair?

He tried to search his memories of the last time he had seen Fair. He didn’t have the best memory of the time he suffered from degradation but he was sure Fair had been there before he retreated into the underground passages.

And he had...

A panic seized him suddenly, gripping his heart tightly within his chest at the thought. He gripped his arm tightly, shoving the sleeves of his tattered coat up his arm to reveal the pale skin of his arm.

A great sigh of relief left him at the sight of stark, black lettering on his skin. The name stood out boldly on his body, meaning that the worst had not come to pass.

The name was of his most beloved person, though he didn’t deserve the other at all. His beloved had been his every before the degradation poisoned his mind and he had turned against Shinra, leaving him behind.

The last he had seen him, he had been unconscious due to Mako Poisoning and Fair had been taking him to Midgar. His name hadn’t faded though, meaning that he was still alive somewhere.

Genesis felt tears build up in his eyes and was unable to repress them, the relieve filling him simply to great to contain. Sobs raked his form as he stood before the sword clutching his arm to his chest.

He still had a chance to fix things, if his beloved would let him. Genesis wouldn’t blame him if he wanted nothing to do with him anymore after what he had done.

He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps at the entrance of the building, flinching into himself at the future in the entrance. It couldn’t be... what were the odds?

There standing at the door to the church was his beloved, Cloud Strife. He hardly looked different from the last time he had seen the blonde, a bit older yes but beyond that it seemed the little in the other’s general appearance had changed.

Genesis’ heart hurt at the suspicious, weary look Cloud was giving him, noticing how he kept a hand on the hilt of the weapon strapped to his back. He almost flinched again at the cold way in which Cloud spoke to him.

“What are you doing here?” There was a current of barely contained anger in the blonde’s voice as he spoke to him, carving into Genesis’ heart.

“I woke up...” he wanted to say more but was unable to think of anything to tell the other, fear began to rise in his again. Was Cloud going to leave him here?

A harsh, angry noise left Cloud’s throat before he strode to him, each step quick and purposeful until he stood right in front of him.

Genesis wanted to hide anyway from the enraged, bright blue eyes glaring up at him but resisted the urge. Cloud had the right to be angry at him after all, he had caused so much harm then simply hid himself away from the world because of his guilt.

He had driven his two friends to death, then sealed himself away so that he would condemn the man before him. “I’m sorry,” he barely breathed the words, though they were far too true.

He wanted to apologise to Cloud for being to cowardly to face the consequences of his misguided actions, but the words wouldn’t come. tears built in his eyes again, falling to stain his cheeks.

He was expecting an attack of some kind, for Cloud to throw him down upon the ground and demand he never return to this place... He had not expected the smaller to wrap strong arms around him and pull him into a warm embrace.

Genesis broke down then, curling against the smaller frame holding him, burying his face into blonde spikes, soaking the hair beneath him.

Cloud was weeping too, holding him close as if afraid he would run off and disappear again.

He wouldn’t do that to Cloud again, not if it hurt the both of them this way.

They remained that way for what felt like hours, until the tears had dried for the moment, leaving them clinging to each other in the sunlit church.

Cloud pulled back from him, giving Genesis the chance to look him over properly for the first time in years. He had filled out a bit, had gotten his ear pierced and...

His heart clenched at the sight of Cloud’s bare arm, proudly displaying his own name. Before he had covered the words, afraid to admit who his heart was bound too, he had covered his too to respect the younger’s wishes.

To see his name displayed so proudly on his beloved’s skin made his heart fill with joy.

Cloud was giving him a knowing look, having caught what he was staring at. He met the other’s gaze levelly, uncaring to have been caught by his gaze.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” Cloud’s voice was heavy and serious, drawing Genesis’ attention immediately. “Come on, we can talk back home.”

He stood up, keeping a tight grip on Genesis’ hand as he moved towards the entrance. There was a motorcycle waiting outside, most likely Cloud’s.

Genesis felt a stirring of unease at the sight of the machine, he had never done too well with motorcycles. He would have to endure though, he didn’t want Cloud to see the ugliness of his double-jointed wing.

Cloud mounted the bike with the ease of long-familiarity, gesturing for Genesis to get on behind him. He kept a tight grip on Cloud as he started the vehicle, directing them through the ruins.