Archive of Our Own

The SOLDIER classroom is a noisy hub-bub of Thirds and younger Seconds. A paper plane flies past Angeal’s face and out of the door he’s just opened. There’s a gasp and a sudden screech of desks being realigned towards the front of the room. Most of the noise immediately dies down, except for one corner where Zack Fair is laughing loudly while his friend Kunsel pulls ineffectively on his sleeve to get his attention.

“And then she said—!”

Kunsel pulls Zack into a headlock before he can finish.

“Hey! Kunsmph!”

Angeal hides the smile that’s trying to form on his face behind the book he’s holding in his hand, as if to display it. He walks quickly to the front of the room and drops it with a bang on the teacher’s desk there.

Zack finally catches sight of him and twists his way out of his friend’s hold to stand up and wave.

“Angeal! Hi! Are you teaching our class today?”

Angeal does his best to keep his voice stern. “That’s right. Please take a seat, Zack. Everyone is waiting on you.”

“Oh! Ok!”

Zack quickly bounds over to his seat, which Angeal notes is on the other side of the room from Kunsel’s. No doubt, the teachers of their classes felt it was wise to separate them. Mostly because of Zack’s tendency to get sidetracked if he has anyone within reach that he can chat with.

Once Zack is seated and looking at Angeal with a bright-eyed expression, Angeal returns his gaze to the rest of the class and appraises each of the young men in turn with a carefully stern look. Once he’s certain that he’s got their attention, he begins.

“Today will be a special topic, one which I hope you will give your full attention. Your usual teacher agrees with me that this needs to be discussed, but asked me to be the one to explain it to you since it’s a matter I have some experience with.”

“Ooh! A special technique?” Zack interrupts.

Angeal gives him a stern look. “Is it your usual habit to interrupt your teacher when they are speaking?”

Zack has enough grace to look abashed. “Uh, no sir, sorry sir.”

Angeal nods magnanimously and returns his attention to the rest of the class, who look like they are one tick away from breaking into excited whispering among themselves, but their eyes snap back from looking at each other to him when his gaze falls on them.

“Now then, it has come to my attention—” and here he lifts up the book again to display it properly, “—that this… book has been making the rounds in your dorms, and that many of you are taking it seriously as an authority on the subject matter therein.”

A hand shoots up. Angeal searches his memory. A new Third named Roche.

“Yes, Roche.”

“Sir! But it has a lot of wisdom, sir! One of the older Seconds swore it was useful to him!”

Angeal hums. “I see. May I ask who this Second was?”

Roche blanches and there’s a rustling as everyone turns to see if he’ll narc on his fellow SOLDIER.

“Uh, I forgot, sir. Sorry, sir.”

Angeal’s brow furrows in disapproval. “You forgot one of your comrades in arms?”

“What? Oh! Of course not! I could never! We are all as brothers here!”

“Indeed.” Angeal agrees. “I should hope that that is how you all feel about any other SOLDIER you should work with. We must all look out for one another both here and on the battlefield. It’s a matter of survival! Out there it is easy to understand why that would be the case, but there are many murky swamps one must deal with here in Midgar as well. Do not let your brotherly spirit wane because the environment seems safe! We must always be on our guard and ready to protect one another— Ahem.”

Angeal suddenly realizes that he’s forgotten himself and fallen into lecture mode. He clears his throat again and adds a cough as if he’s swallowed a bug unintentionally.

“That is to say, I am pleased to see your attitude of brotherhood, but I’m afraid I must warn you not to believe everything anyone tells you, even if they are your senior. Instead, you should think critically about these things, and if there’s someone who has more experience in the matter, then you should ask them for advice.”

Angeal chuckles self-depreciatingly.

“I’m trying to say that I think you should have come to me, since I’m somewhat of an expert in this matter.”

He gives each one of them a sincere look, ending with Zack as he continues speaking.

“I hope that all of you know that you can come to me at any time if you need advice! I consider each of you as one of my comrades. The life of a SOLDIER has many benefits, but it also has many unexpected challenges, and I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

“Aww, Angeal!” Zack gushes.

Angeal smiles warmly at him and returns his benevolent gaze to the rest of the class.

“So, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed that none of you came to me about this, but I’m glad that I’m able to be here today to address all of you about it and answer any questions you may have.”

A bunch of hands shoot up. Angeal huffs a laugh.

“Now, now, let me first say what I have to say about my thoughts on the book, and then if you still have questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.”

The hands go down and Angeal nods approvingly before clearing his throat again.

“Alright, first of all, we need to talk about the main premise of this book. Winking.”

He steps up to the wall at the front of the room and writes in squeaky lines across the top of the whiteboard.

How to Wink at Omegas and Five Other Handy Tips for Being Invited to their Nest!

Step one: Winking

Angeal drops the marker into the marker shelf and returns his gaze to the classroom to see that he has their rapt attention. Good, they’re paying attention.

“May I ask, in what world do you think that it is ever appropriate to wink at an unmated or even a mated omega?” He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms for emphasis.

There’s a shuffling of hesitant feet before Roche raises his hand.

“Yes, Roche?”

“Is it when I’m passing by their car on my motorcycle? Do you think it would be more effective if I was doing a wheelie at that moment?”

Angeal fights the urge to put his hand to his head and massage his temples, but he isn’t able to hide the grimace on his face.

“No, Roche. I don’t believe a wheelie would improve your success or more importantly the appropriateness of the action.”

Zack’s hand shoots up, and Angeal tries to freeze his face into a pleasant expression. He’s a bit afraid of what Zack might be imagining at this moment.

“Yes, Zack.”

“Is it more appropriate if I’m passing by their family as I’m walking through the park? If I also nod and smile at their father and mother, then it’s rude to leave the omega out of my greeting, right?”

Angeal sighs. As a country boy himself, he understands the source of Zack’s confusion.

“It is not considered rude to not greet everyone you see on the street. I know that it would be in a small town, but this is Midgar. Most people are in a hurry to get where they want to go and do not have time for greetings from strangers they neither know nor trust. Besides!” Angeal holds up a finger to forestall whatever Zack was about to say. “In the case of omegas, their families are extremely protective! If you see one walking about with their family, they’re sure to be suspicious of anyone bold enough to greet their child in any manner, but especially if you were to wink at them!”

He returns his gaze to the bulk of the class. “Winking at an omega is never appropriate and will be considered as suspicious by their family! Do not do it! You will only cause yourself trouble! You should never even greet them unless you are being introduced to them for courting purposes!”

He gazes sternly around the room until he notices Kunsel’s hand held at half-height as if he’s unsure whether to ask his question.

Angeal smiles encouragingly at him. “Yes, Kunsel?”

Kunsel clears his throat. “Um, but what about betas? Do we also need to avoid speaking to omegas? Surely we’re not considered a threat to them? What if I have an omega co-worker and need to wink at them to signal a conspiratorial spirit. Is it ok, then?”

Angeal gives him a flat look. “You are a SOLDIER. All SOLDIERs are either alphas or betas, you know that. It’s company policy. Don’t be a smart alec.”

Kunsel nods, his mouth twitching as if trying to hide a smile as he rearranges his notebook on his desk. The whole room shuffles anxiously as the SOLDIERs shoot each other looks, but none of them dares to try whispering to one another in range of Angeal’s superior hearing.

It is very clear to everyone what Kunsel is referring to. Shinra forced Angeal’s mate to pretend to be an alpha for the reputation of the company and the fragile egos of potential alpha recruits. (At least, that is the official reason. The real reason is that the higher ups are sexist as fuck). It’s a delicate situation, and Angeal doesn’t appreciate Kunsel bringing it up, even if his intentions were sincere.

He holds back another sigh. He wishes things didn’t have to be this way, but he’s just a SOLDIER, not a policy maker, so all he can do is lead by example.

“As I was saying, there is no appropriate time to wink at any omega you might meet.” He concludes decisively.

Another hand shoots up.

“Yes, Luxiere.”

“Um, sir, but what about when we get our own omega? What about then? Can we wink at our own omega?”

Angeal smiles patiently. “If your omega is amenable to that sort of thing, then yes. You may wink at your own omega, but I would caution you against it unless you’re very clear on what you’re communicating. Omegas are people, just like you and me, and consistent and clear communication is very important for any relationship. But what this book is suggesting is that winking leads naturally to the next step, which is not necessarily the case. Many omegas find winking to be obnoxious and even offensive. They will each have their own sense of humor, so if you are trying to communicate something either humorous or salacious with your winking, you should take your own omega’s personality into account as to what they consider appropriate. I recommend you try communicating with your words first.”

He pauses and surveys the room again. Several alphas are taking notes, and Angeal nods in satisfaction to see it.

“So, have I made myself clear? None of you will try winking at random omegas you see on the street again?”

“Yes, sir!” they chorus.

“No winking! Got it!” Zack gives him a big thumbs up and Angeal can’t help the soft smile that creeps onto his face at his enthusiasm.

He gives Roche a look in turn, since he also seemed confused by this rule, but he is scribbling furiously in his notebook, so Angeal has to assume that some of his admonishment got through.

“Now then,” he continues. “Let’s go ahead and be thorough and talk about the next steps that the book outlines.”

He takes up the marker again and writes: Holding hands on the whiteboard. He taps the marker against the board.

“I think it should be clear by now that this is not appropriate behaviour with any omega who is not a family member, but if you have any questions about that, I’m ready to answer them.”

Roche’s hand shoots up.

“Yes, Roche?”

“Sir! What if there’s a damsel in distress and I need to hold her hand in order to help her over an obstacle?”

Angeal furrows his brow. “What kind of obstacle are we talking about here? Is her family nearby?”

“I was thinking of a puddle, sir.”

Angeal blinks. “A puddle.”

“Yes sir, in cartoons you will see a gentleman offer his hand to a lady in distress in order to help her cross a puddle! I think—”

Angeal holds up his hand. “I’m going to stop you right there. We are talking about real life here, Roche. Not cartoons on television, which I hope you all know feature highly exaggerated situations for dramatic effect! An omega or any young lady you meet is perfectly capable of walking around a puddle—”

“But what if there’s no room to walk around it, sir?” Roche interrupts. “What if it’s super deep and filled with monsters?”

Angeal sighs and palms his face. “If there are monsters involved, you should take care of those first before moving a civilian to safety. I should think that this has already been covered in rescue missions 101?”

“Yes sir, but wouldn’t it be better to move the civilian to safer ground if the ground they are on is crumbling?”

“Oh,” Angeal replies dryly. “So the ground is crumbling now? I see you’ve imagined a very convenient situation for yourself to act the hero.”

“I don’t think the civilian would think it was very convenient, sir.”

Angeal grits his teeth in a friendly smile. “Right. So if you find yourself in a situation where you need to hold someone’s hand in order to save their life, then yes, you may do so, but you should release their hand as soon as possible so you can avoid holding it for an inappropriate length and so that you may get back to your job quickly! The one where you are fighting the monsters.”

Zack’s hand shoots up.

Angeal raises an eyebrow. “Yes, Zack?”

“If I save an omega’s life and they say thank you, is it still inappropriate to wink at them when I say ‘No problem!’?”

Angeal sighs and gives Zack an annoyed look. “Are you still stuck on the winking? I thought we cleared this up.”

“Sorry, I just thought of it! I winked at an old lady the other day who thanked me for stopping a truck for her and she didn’t seem to mind! She even laughed!”

Angeal snorts and shakes his head with a chuckle. “Old ladies are an exception. I’ve never met one who didn’t like being winked at.”

Zack grins and exclaims “Awesome!” before scribbling a note in his notebook.

Angeal turns his gaze to the rest of the room to see Roche’s hand up again.

He tries not to sigh, but it’s hard. “Yes, Roche?”

“How long exactly is too long to hold someone’s hand after saving their life? Can I hold their hand long enough to do a little bow and maybe kiss it?”

“Absolutely not.” Angeal is tired of this subject already and starting to feel irritable. “Release their hand as soon as it is safe to do so and get back to your job of killing monsters! Understood?”

Roche hums sadly, but nods and writes a note in his notebook.

“Anyone else?” Angeal waits a moment, but it appears that he’s made his point clear, so he moves on to writing the next point on the board:

Embracing

“Alright. I think that this should be pretty obviously a no-no for—Zack, put your hand down.”

“But Angeal! What if I’m rescuing them from a burning building?!”

Angeal gives Zack his sternest look. “Zack, this book is not talking about that kind of situation! In a situation where you are performing search and rescue, you should follow the guidelines you have already learned! Set them on their own feet as soon as it is safe to do so, and maintain a polite distance with your body after that.

“This book posits that you can do these things with an omega that you just met at, say, a party at their parent’s house or maybe an arranged dance of some sort! The book is wrong! It is never appropriate to hug any omega who is not a family member, and I hope you should already know that!”

Angeal can hear the irritation lacing his voice and he takes a deep breath to calm himself. After a few deep breaths he sends a rueful smile in Zack’s direction as an apology.

“I get that you are just trying to make sense of something that was given to you as an authority on omega relations and apply it to what you’ve learned as a SOLDIER operative in Shinra, but I’m here today to try to explain to you that you should not take this book seriously as any kind of authority. Understood?”

Zack sheepishly scratches at the back of his head and tilts his head apologetically while giving Angeal a soft smile that somehow makes his eyes appear bigger and sadder. Like a kicked puppy.

Gods damn, but that boy is cute. It makes it really hard for Angeal to stay mad at him. Just seeing that look on his face fills Angeal with disquiet.

“Yeah, I get it Angeal. Sorry, my mind is just racing right now.”

Angeal huffs a doting laugh. “Alright, but it’s like I always tell you, you need to think before you speak or act! It’s especially important for a SOLDIER, since our reaction times are far faster than any normal human’s! That’s why we always put so much emphasis on practicing for any and every situation… so it’s good that you’re asking these questions now while we have the space. I apologize for snapping at you.”

Zack grins at Angeal, his whole body perking up. If he had a tail, it would be wagging.

“It’s alright! I kinda forgot about the book we were discussing. I’ll try to remember that before asking another question!”

Angeal grimaces. Shit, now he really feels bad. He knows Zack has a strong imagination and often gets sidetracked by hypothetical situations during training. It’s his job to gently guide him into staying focused without squashing that valuable imagination which will be an asset to him in the planning stage of any military operations he’s a part of in the future.

He clears his throat. “Good, glad to hear it. Let’s move on, unless anyone has any further questions?”

There’s a chorus of “No sir!” and he grimaces, hoping he didn’t discourage anyone from asking any lingering questions.

“Are you sure? Now’s your chance.”

He looks around the room. They’re all sitting at attention, but not as stiffly as they would be if they were afraid of him.

“Alright. Moving on.”

He writes on the whiteboard again, this time going ahead and writing the next three steps all at once.

Scenting
Cuddling and Purring
Kissing

He clears his throat again. His cheeks are warm and he hopes he isn’t blushing. It’s a bit embarrassing to be talking about these sorts of things with his colleagues. He reminds himself that they are a lot less experienced than him and need guidance.

“Does anyone have any questions about why these are not appropriate with any omega other than your own omega?”

He waits, but there’s silence. Roche looks thoughtful however, so Angeal figures that he must have something on his mind.

“Roche?”

“Does kissing hands count as inappropriate?”

Didn’t they already cover this?

“Yes, Roche. Absolutely. These sorts of gestures may have been more common in the by-gone days that movies sometimes portray, but nowadays they are not seen as a polite greeting, but as a possessive act, which you should never do with an omega not your own. Do you understand?”

Roche hums thoughtfully. “It’s such a shame to lose such a romantic gesture to time, don’t you think?”

Angeal has a lot of experience with this sort of thought.

“That’s as may be, but we have to live in our own time, and actions have consequences. If you want to engage in romantic gestures when you have your own omega, they may find that sort of thing enjoyable, or they may not. It would probably be best to ask them how they feel about it during your courting phase. It’s always a good idea to make sure your prospective mate is a good match for you.”

“Indeed!” Roche agrees heartily. “Thank you, sir! That’s really thoughtful advice!”

Angeal smiles, pleased that he’s managed to finally connect with Roche in a meaningful way. He clearly should have tried seeing things from the young man’s perspective earlier instead of just getting impatient with his seemingly inane questions.

“Excellent. Are there any other questions?”

He looks around the room, but they all appear to be uninterested in continuing the conversation. Good. He’s ready to be done as well.

“Alright, since—”

The door to the classroom crashes open, bouncing against the wall, and Genesis stands framed in the doorway.

Angeal freezes for a second, unsure of what he’s done wrong this time, but certain from the look in his mate’s eyes that he’s pissed him off somehow.

“Well, well, well.” Genesis’s gaze travels briefly but scornfully about the room before landing on the whiteboard behind Angeal. “I did not believe it possible, but you’re actually teaching this drivel?!”

Angeal pales at the realization that Genesis has misunderstood his purpose here so thoroughly, but before he can even open his mouth, he needs to do a dodge roll to avoid the fireball that Genesis lobs at him. It crashes into the whiteboard, burning a crater-like hole into the middle.

“No! Genesis! That’s not—”

“And now you think you can tell me what to do?! You bastard! I’ll have your balls!”

Angeal dodges another fireball, but he doesn’t have enough room to maneuver as he has to stay at the front of the room to avoid collateral damage to the younger SOLDIERs.

“Everyone out!” He roars “SOLDIERs! Take cover! Retreat!”

As confused as they are by the situation, this is a clear order from a superior officer and they duck down behind their desks before making quick dashes for the doorway not occupied by Genesis. They can’t all get out at once and a part of Angeal’s brain takes note of the pile-up in order to talk to Lazard about it later. These classrooms clearly need bigger doors in case of emergencies.

At least he has more room to maneuver now as he dashes from the front to the back of the classroom barely ahead of Genesis’s fireballs which are coming fast and furiously.

“Genesis, wait! I can explain!”

“Oh indeed! Ever the charmer! I think I’m done listening to the likes of you!”

“No, you’ve misunderstood!”

“Oh? Have I? I saw the evidence for myself, Angeal! Don’t think you can—Nice try, brat!”

Genesis throws Zack off like an annoying puppy and turns to deliver a handful of fire to his face, but Angeal is there to grab Gen’s arm before he can injure the Third.

“Zack! I said, get out!”

“But Angeal!”

“I’ve got this! Go now! Augh!”

Angeal can’t avoid the faceful of fire as Genesis twists in his hold like an eel.

“I’ll get help!” Zack yells as he runs off.

“How sweet.” Genesis sneers. “Your puppy came to your rescue. Maybe you should give him a treat. I bet he’d like that, wouldn’t he?!”

“Gen, I’m begging you to calm down and listen to me, this is—”

“Stop trying to tell me what to do, Angeal! I’ve had it up to here with everyone always treating me as something lesser just because I don’t have a knot! It’s disgusting and despicable and I won’t stand for it! Especially from you! You dare—”

“Gen! It’s not what you think! I was trying to—”

Genesis is clearly not ready to listen to anything Angeal has to say and puts his whole body into a roundhouse kick that sends Angeal through the door of the classroom.

Angeal grunts as the air is knocked out of his lungs, but he still manages to roll to his feet and make a dash for the stairs. If he can’t talk Genesis down, then he needs to find a place with more room than this hallway. Somewhere where he can get some space between them so he can yell his explanation between salvos of fire. Somewhere where there’ll be less collateral damage.

He dashes up the stairway in leaps and bounds, but Genesis is hot on his trail. Neither of them has enough breath for further argument, but occasional comets of heated magic singe his hair and clothes as he attempts to climb the stairs in an unpredictable zigzag manner that won’t make him an easy target.

As usual, Genesis’s mastery over magic is impressive, but he must be running out of—

There’s a sound of breaking glass. Great. He had a magic-refreshing ether bottle on him. Of course he did. Genesis came ready for battle.

“Gen,” Angeal gasps as he takes a moment to catch his breath. He’s one landing above him, which gives him some cover with the cement floor of the stairway. “I promise… I wasn’t—”

“I can’t hear you~ Angie~!”

“Gen, come on. We’re not pups anymo—”

Angeal ducks away with a gasp as Genesis leaps up to join him on his landing and grabs him by the shirt.

“Shut up, Angeal! Didn’t you hear me? I’m done listening to you! I—”

A softly deep voice interjects, “Will you listen to me?”

The hum of steel cleaves the air between Genesis and Angeal, causing them both to jump backwards. Angeal crashes into the cement wall, but Genesis almost topples over the railing into the abyss below, caught only by Sephiroth’s grip on the lapel of his coat.

Genesis grabs Sephiroth’s wrist and rights himself before trying to shake him off, but Sephiroth isn’t moved.

“Let go, Sephiroth! I’m gonna kill him!”

Sephiroth tilts his head thoughtfully. “Then I’ll have to stop you. I owe Angeal my life, you know.”

Genesis grinds his teeth in rage. “This is a matter between mates! You have no right to interfere!”

“Is that so?” Sephiroth answers, but Angeal can see that his wheels are turning. He’s about to say something ridiculous, Angeal is certain of it.

Angeal takes his chance to finally get his explanation out before this conversation gets any more derailed.

“Genesis! I was not teaching them that book! I was explaining to them why they shouldn’t read it or continue to spread it around! I swear it to you on my life and honor!”

Genesis pauses and Angeal can see that he’s finally gotten through to him, but now Genesis is in the position of being in the wrong. If he admits that he believes Angeal, he’ll look like a fool. So, obviously, he can’t do that.

“Shut up, Angeal! I saw the board! You’re lying.”

“No! Those were just talking points! I was refuting them! Come on, you know me! I wouldn’t teach the pups something like that!”

Genesis scowls and jerks at Sephiroth’s arm again. “If you don’t let go, I will gut you where you stand!” he hisses at Sephiroth, his other hand reaching for his sword, ready to draw it.

Great, so now he’s decided to ignore Angeal. It’s better than trying to kill him, he supposes, but Angeal is worried that Sephiroth will take Genesis’s threat seriously.

Sephiroth grins at Genesis. “I’d like to see you try.”

Genesis bares his fangs right back at Sephiroth, frustration and rage evident in every line of his body. Angeal inserts himself into the space between them facing Genesis, forcing that rage onto himself.

“Hey, there’s no need for that. I’m right here. You can punch me if you want. Sephiroth, let him go.”

Sephiroth gives Angeal a reluctantly incredulous look before releasing Genesis’s wrist. Genesis’s right hook rocks Angeal back on his heels, but he is ready for it and it doesn’t move him.

He places his hand over Genesis’s other hand where it rests on his pommel, stopping him from potentially drawing his sword. “Sephiroth doesn’t know that you’re joking. Let’s not threaten to stab our friend, please.”

“I’m not joking!” Genesis hisses, but he jerks away from Angeal to grip the balcony behind him. “I’m so pissed at you, Angeal! How could you embarrass me like that?! Don’t touch me!”

Angeal does not point out that Genesis embarrassed himself by jumping to conclusions. He also doesn’t back away from Genesis, placing his left hand on his shoulder and his other at his waist and drawing him in for a hug. He does so very slowly to show that he doesn’t intend to force it. Genesis can still push him away if he wants.

But Genesis does not.

Genesis is shaking from the adrenaline as it leaves his brain, and he clings to Angeal with his claws.

“You bastard!”

“It’s ok, Gen. You can be mad at me if you need it. I still love you.”

“Stupid alpha!”

“I know. I am stupid. I should have thought of how it would sound when I put it on the schedule that I would be giving a class on that book. I should have told you my plans first. I’m sorry.”

“You should be sorry!”

“I am. I really am! I was just telling the pups about the importance of communication, but I clearly forgot to apply it to my own life. I’m so sorry, Gen.”

Genesis doesn’t say anything, but his claws rake a promising trail up the back of Angeal’s shirt and he shudders.

Angeal clears his throat. “Ahem, Sephiroth, it’s ok now. You can go.”

Sephiroth’s voice sounds dubious behind him. “He’s still angry. He might still attack you.”

Angeal smiles and shakes his head. “I’m not in any danger—”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you!” Genesis interrupts.

Angeal huffs a laugh and addresses Gen directly. “Do you want him to stay and watch?”

Genesis hesitates. He hesitates! But then he’s pushing Angeal away and Angeal obeys.

Genesis gives Sephiroth an appraising look up and down like he’s never seen him before. Like he’s never stared at his picture and mooned over him while quoting poetry.

“Perhaps another time.” He replies frostily and stalks off in the direction of the nearest door.

Sephiroth watches him go, his slightly creased brow the only thing indicating his confusion.

“We’ll talk later, ok Seph?” Angeal assures him, before hurrying after Genesis who’s holding the door for him impatiently.

…

They don’t talk on their way to their apartments. Genesis still has some anger to work out, so he’s walking ahead at a brisk pace, forcing Angeal to hurry after him. A couple of other Firsts are standing in the hallway chatting, but they stop and stare as they pass.

Angeal nods to them politely, but doesn’t otherwise acknowledge the situation. He can only imagine what they must be thinking about him letting his omega lead him around by the nose, but… as long as Genesis is satisfied in the end, Angeal doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks of their relationship.

He’s proud of his strong-willed mate who doesn’t take shit from anyone and refuses to give up on his dreams, despite everyone else they know indicating by both word and glance that he’s ill-suited for it. Genesis has proven them wrong time and time again. Angeal would even say that Genesis has surpassed him at this point, despite all the factors and people that tried to hold him back.

He deserves to lead.

Genesis heads straight for his own door and turns back to give Angeal a haughty look, only faltering slightly at the doting look Angeal offers in return.

He sniffs and spins on his heel to enter the apartment, forcing Angeal to hurry after him if he wants to catch the door before it closes.

Once inside, Genesis turns to glare at him. “I’m still mad at you, Angeal!”

Angeal smiles, crossing his own arms and leaning against the door nonchalantly. “I know.”

Genesis huffs, getting all worked up all over again by Angeal’s teasing. He pulls off his red jacket and throws it onto his cream couch before stomping into his kitchen to retrieve a bottle of wine.

Angeal doesn’t have a jacket to remove, but he is happy for the opportunity to take his waistguard and harness off, hanging them from the hook reserved for him in Gen’s entryway. The Buster sword has another hook of its own and he’s glad to get the weight of it off his back for a while. He arches his back slightly to stretch it, and he feels something pop.

His own apartment is right next door to Gen’s, but when they’re both in Midgar they spend as much time as they can together, and that usually means he stays the night here. Genesis is not a fan of the bugs that sometimes crawl out of his many houseplants. Which is kind of funny considering that they both grew up in a small country town together. But Genesis has embraced city life far more readily than Angeal.

Angeal looks over the kitchen island to where Genesis is watching him with narrowed eyes as he finishes off his second glass of wine in quick succession.

“Oh indeed, Angeal, make yourself at home! Do you really think I’ll forgive you so easily?”

Angeal smiles at him and sits down on the shoe-bench to slowly start undoing his boot laces like he has all the time in the world. He sighs as they come off and stretches his legs out as he stretches his arms above his head.

“Ahh! Feels so good to take those off!”

He watches out of the corner of his eye as Genesis sets his glass down with exaggerated care and stalks towards him with a thunderous look on his face. Angeal wiggles his socked toes at him in emphasis and raises his face to meet him with a smile.

Genesis leans down and hisses into his face. “You think you’re sooo funny!”

Angeal reaches out and pulls on the hem of Gen’s sweater. “You could be more comfortable too pretty easily, my love,” he replies mildly.

Genesis brushes him off, but Angeal can tell by the way his shoulders relax slightly that he’s running out of steam. He reaches out and takes Genesis gently by the hand.

“Tell me what still troubles you, love?”

Genesis scowls and shakes him off. “Move, you’re taking up all the space on the bench with your flat ass!”

Angeal happily scoots over to make room for Genesis beside him. As soon as Genesis sits down to remove his own boots, Angeal leans into his space, wrapping his arms around him, halting his movement.

“Get off, you big oaf!”

“Hmm, no can do. I’ve caught you in my trap and I intend to keep you.”

Genesis rolls his eyes and elbows Angeal in the sternum, knocking the air from his lungs and forcing him to loosen his hold.

“Gods! If only your adoring fans knew how annoying you are!”

Angeal chuckles, and moves to drop to his knees in front of him. “But you still keep me around… I wonder why that is?” He doesn’t wait for an answer as he begins swiftly untying the laces of Gen’s boots.

Genesis’s voice comes from above him haughtily. “I was impulsive in my youth, so here we are.”

The words stab at an insecurity Angeal holds hidden in his heart, but he lets out a breath and looks up to let Gen see the pain on his face. “You don’t mean that.”

Genesis has the grace to look guilty. He knows Angeal’s insecurities as well as his own. He turns his face to the side and mutters. “Maybe a little.”

Angeal breathes through the hurt, letting his hands go still. “If you want me to leave you alone, you can just say so.”

Genesis doesn’t answer, but his expression becomes mournful and Angeal grimaces. This is not going the direction he intended when he started this conversation. He stands up to gather his things, his heart aching. He can only hope that this will be a temporary situation. He doesn’t believe that Genesis would cut him out of his life completely, but life is unpredictable and he doesn’t like to be apart from him when they’re both in town. Spending the night in his own apartment when Genesis is here feels wrong. But if Genesis needs his space, then he’ll have to give it to him.

“Alright, I’ll just—”

He bends down to pick up his boots, but Genesis reaches out to grab his arm.

“That’s not what I meant, Geal! Gods, will you listen to me?”

Angeal freezes, heart soaring with hope. He answers quickly. “Always and forever.”

Genesis huffs in irritation. “Then do it the first time!” He pulls hard on Angeal’s arm, bringing him down to sit beside him.

Angeal waits a minute for him to speak, but it seems that Genesis is having a hard time finding his words. He leans against Genesis’s shoulder.

“I would appreciate it if you listened to me the first time as well Gen. This whole thing could have been avoided.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Gen snaps. “Gods, you’re annoying!”

“Gen,” he admonishes gently.

Genesis grimaces, thinning his lips into a pout and then turning his face to hide it in Angeal’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He mumbles.

Angeal is tempted to tease him by pretending not to be able to hear him, but he abstains, pulling Genesis closer instead. “I know.”

Genesis sighs aggrievedly, but doesn’t reply. They sit there for a few minutes before he speaks again. “I’m doing the cuddling thing, where’s my purring?”

Angeal blinks in confusion. “Hmm? What?”

Genesis lifts his face and gives Angeal an annoyed look. “I said, where’s my purring? Aren’t you supposed to be purring for me right now? According to the experts?” A small, wicked grin forms on his lips.

Angeal chuckles as he realizes what he’s talking about. “Ah yes, the book. Well, I would, but I think you’ve threatened that impulse out of me. Didn’t you say it felt infantilizing?”

Genesis huffs and tosses his red hair, the gem of his earring twinkling as he does so. “That was ages ago! I’ve matured now and I believe in letting one’s urges express themselves freely!” His voice takes on a lecturing tone. “You’ll do yourself harm, Angeal, holding it in like that.”

Angeal smiles, “Ah, so that’s what this was all about. You’ve been wanting to tell me this for a while, but couldn’t think of a way to retract your position without—”

Angeal ducks as Genesis swipes at him with his claws. Genesis stands up to flounce away, but that’s when he discovers that Angeal tied his laces together.

Genesis squawks like a chocobo as he falls, but quickly recovers into a roll.

“Angeal Gillian Hewley!”

Angeal makes a dash for the door, but he made the mistake of leaving Genesis with his bracers. He grunts as a stop spell hits him full force, grinding his movement to a halt.

Genesis rises up like a monster in a horror movie. Angeal thinks it’s impressive the kind of muscle control he has developed in order to be able to do that.

Genesis is in his face, eyes flashing with ire, a fireball wavering in his hand. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t hold this to your face long enough to leave a scar!”

Angeal can’t really speak with his mouth frozen in place. He can only pour his love into his expression and hope for the best.

Genesis glares back at him before flicking him as hard as he can on the forehead. Angeal’s stance was already unstable and he tumbles over, crashing into the wall with no opportunity to catch himself.

“Mmpfh!”

“That’s what you get!” Genesis crows, before sitting himself down prim and proper on the bench to remove his boots, leaving Angeal leaning precariously against the wall.

“I should just leave you there!” Genesis grouses, throwing his own boots at his door to make a satisfying thump.

Angeal wonders if there’s anyone still in the hall to hear it. If so, it will only fuel the rumors about them. Rumors like Genesis abusing him for example. A chuckle forms in his throat at the thought.

“You’re incorrigible!” Genesis growls. “If only the others knew what I deal with on a daily basis!”

Angeal would like to point out to him that he doesn’t play pranks on him daily, but he’s still straining to shrug off the stop spell.

“Ooo uv iht.”

“Do not!” Genesis snaps. “Where in that book did it say you should tease your mate mercilessly, I’d like to know?”

Angeal rolls his eyes. He doesn’t even tease Genesis that much. Only when he needs it to break him out of the grip of whatever emotion has him spiraling.

Oh good, he’s able to move his eyes again. Now, if he can just bend his knee…

Genesis smacks him on the ass and Angeal slides down the rest of the wall to land on the floor.

Angeal rolls his eyes up to give Genesis an encouraging smile.

Genesis throws his hands in the air and stomps towards his kitchen, pulling off his harness as he goes. He pours himself another glass of wine and Angeal can hear him drink it down as quickly as the first two.

A few glasses of wine isn’t enough to get him tipsy anymore, but Genesis swears that it still relaxes him.

Angeal flexes his toes and one of his fingers twitches. Progress.

“I should kick you out and let you cry into your pillow all night, I really should!” Genesis pours himself another glass. “I should let everyone whisper and talk about how “unnatural” I am and how mean I am to you! Is that what you want, Angeal?”

“No.” Angeal manages. He definitely doesn’t want to make things harder for Genesis. That’s the last thing he wants.

“Then why do you aggravate me so? I would really like to know!”

“En…. op.”

“What’s that Angeal? I can’t hear you.”

Angeal rolls his eyes. After he was so restrained earlier too.

He wiggles another finger.

Suddenly, Genesis is kneeling by his head, a full wineglass in his hand. “If you move another inch, I will pour this in your ear.”

Angeal gives him a pleading look. “...ees, En.”

Genesis sighs, his body slumping as the fight goes out of him. “You promise to behave?”

Angeal supposes that he has done more than enough for one night. “...Onor.”

Genesis sighs again and waves his hand, remaining crouched beside Angeal as he slumps onto his back in relief at being freed from the spell.

“Thanks, Gen.”

Genesis doesn’t answer, but stands up and finishes off his fourth or fifth glass of wine. He looks down at Angeal and bites his lip to hide his smile as he pokes at him with his foot.

“Get up. I’m still horny.”

Angeal grins as he jumps to his feet. Genesis sniffs, refusing to be impressed, and sets his glass on the counter next to the empty wine bottle before sashaying down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Angeal hurries after him, grabbing him from behind to lift him off his feet and run him the rest of the way into the bedroom, where he throws him onto the bed.

Genesis doesn’t even squeak. Seemingly expecting the move, he arranges himself into a sultry position as he bounces onto the mattress.

“So Alpha! So strong and untamed!” Gen teases, his eyes lit up with excitement.

Angeal smiles and removes his sweater in one slow, smooth motion, making sure to flex his hard-earned muscles for Gen’s viewing pleasure as he does so.

“So manly,” Gen murmurs, tossing his hair back and sitting up to pull his own sweater off in one economical motion. His own compact muscles flex as he throws it across the room for Angeal to catch.

Angeal dumps both sweaters on Gen’s red armchair and undoes the buckle on his belt and shimmies out of his SOLDIER cargoes, leaving them on the floor and crawling slowly onto the bed in a predatory manner, jumping the last inch forward to make Gen shriek a little in surprise.

Genesis hits him on the shoulder where he’s caging him in, but smiles up at him coyly.

“Help me with my pants, SOLDIER? They seem to be stuck.”

Angeal drops a kiss onto Gen’s bare shoulder and then makes quick work of Gen’s belts while Gen lounges on his elbows. Angeal has to twist and pull the more fitted version of cargoes that Gen prefers to wear in order to get them off.

“I’ve told you before, Gen, these pants are a hazard if you’re injured in the field.”

Genesis rolls his eyes. “If I’m injured enough to need that kind of medical intervention, they're still loose enough to be easily cut off below the crotch. I prefer not to have all that material swishing between my legs when I walk. Though…” Here he smiles angrily at Angeal, “I am thinking of getting some new boots. Something with buckles.”

Angeal smiles back at him. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, love! I think I’d rather have a zipper than buckles, for myself.”

Genesis makes a face. “Zippers aren’t fashionable! Buckles are very in right now.”

Angeal shrugs. “Zippers are more practical for getting them on and off quickly.” He lays down on his side next to Genesis and places his hand on thigh. “But if you want buckles, I’m sure they’ll allow it. Sephiroth has those fancy silver ones on his boots, and far more belts than he needs in order to hold his coat closed. Especially when he could just use the buckles on it.”

Genesis hums in amusement. “Seems like you’ve been paying an awful lot of attention to what Sephiroth is wearing.”

Angeal turns his face away to hide his blush. “Just thinking about the practicalities.”

Genesis rises up and cups his face, bringing his attention back to him. “It’s fine with me if you’re into him. I think it’s cute.”

Angeal grabs Gen’s wrist and uses the leverage to bring him closer to kiss him.

“You’re my mate.” Angeal asserts.

Genesis rolls his eyes. “Yes? And? Therefore? Do you think that your little crush on Sephiroth makes you any less my mate? Do you actually think it’s possible for you to be free of me so easily?”

Angeal can hear the anger creeping into Genesis’s voice and he runs a soothing thumb over his cheekbone towards the earring that sparkles within his hair.

“Of course not. Nor would I want to “free” myself. Your love means everything to me, Genesis.”

“Sun and moon, stars and sky, our love is eternal like heaven's sigh.” Genesis quotes.

“A new poem?”

“There are as many poems as there are sands on the shores, Angeal. You should try reading something other than gardening magazines.”

He presses his body up against Angeal’s and pushes his lips against his, licking Angeal’s fangs.

“Wouldn’t know it the way you carry on.” Angeal mutters, unable to resist the temptation to tease him about his obsession with Loveless. “And I also read cooking and photography magazines. I’m very well read for a SOLDIER.”

Angeal kisses Genesis deeply to forestall a reply, rolling over so that he’s lying on top of him, holding his shoulders down as he puts more of his mind into invading Gen’s mouth and slowly grinds their erections together with a roll of his hips.

Genesis meets his hips and lips with his own, pushing back to maintain contact as he digs his claws into Angeal’s shoulders.

“Hmm,” Gen murmurs, pulling away with a smack. “When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end—” He begins, clearly intending to pay Angeal back for teasing him about the poem with a recitation.

Angeal puts a stop to that by grabbing his tongue with his mouth and sucking hard.

Genesis moans and grabs him by the ass, squeezing and kneading as he returns Angeal’s kiss.

“Seems like my ass is round enough for you now.” Angeal murmurs against Gen’s lips.

Gen growls and slaps it, hard. “It would be rounder if you weren’t always running around after Thirds!”

“I’m just doing my part to make sure the new batch gets a good start. They’re new to all this. Remember how hard it was for us to adjust when we were new SOLDIERs? They just need a little bit of guidance.”

Gen huffs. “We turned out just fine, and we had way less supervision! There’s no need to run yourself ragged looking after pups! We’re important people with important jobs! You should take more missions, like me! How do you expect to be a hero if you miss out on the action?”

Angeal chuckles. “Then I’d be running around trying to keep up with you, love. Either way, I’ll be running, and my ass will be flat.”

Genesis growls and rolls them over so that he’s on top. “Shut up and kiss me!”

Angeal happily obliges. He runs his hands up and down Gen’s sides as he does so, before grabbing his pert ass and pulling him hard against himself, grinding his trapped erection against Gen’s.

Gen’s claws dig into his shoulders and he nips at his lips. “Hurry up and take your undies off!”

They roll apart without another word and quickly divest themselves of the offending garments before sitting up to face each other in bed.

“Do you want me to go on more missions with you, Gen? Lazard seems reluctant to send two Firsts out together, but I bet I could talk him around. Would that satisfy you?”

“The only thing that will satisfy me right now is your fat cock in my pussy!” Genesis states bluntly as he reaches out to stroke his hand over Angeal’s cock.

Angeal grunts at the intensity of the sensations that travel through his body at Gen’s sudden and rough handling.

“Gen. Lube!”

Genesis rolls his eyes. “You’re such a baby! What if we’re on the battlefield someday and we forgot it?”

“We’re not currently on the battlefield, and if we were, I hope we would be more careful not to lower our guard and put ourself into compromising situ—”

His grunt is more of a moan this time as Genesis lowers his head down to take Angeal’s cock head into his mouth.

Genesis bobs his head a few times before lifting his head up to give Angeal a triumphant look.

“You were saying?”

“Uh, no… that’s fine. Continue as you were, SOLDIER.”

Genesis laughs. “That’s what I thought! Imagine we really were on the battlefield. We’ve just made camp and Sephiroth is nearby. Would you be able to remain quiet while I blew you?”

Genesis doesn’t wait for an answer, but dips his head back down to wet Angeal’s cock with his mouth again.

Angeal grits his teeth. “You wouldn’t.”

Genesis pulls off with a pop. A string of saliva still connects them for a moment before snapping. He arches his eyebrows playfully at Angeal.

“Wouldn’t I? How can you be so sure? Maybe I’ll even invite him to watch, as you did earlier.”

Angeal’s brow furrows in confusion for a moment before he realizes what Gen is referring to.

“I was just trying to point out that we weren’t alone. I didn’t mean—”

“Didn’t you? Hmm, I’m not so sure. I bet he’d enjoy watching, don’t you?”

Genesis’s hand lazily pumps Angeal’s spit-slicked cock, and Angeal has to close his eyes and breathe through his nose to keep himself from rutting into his hand. From grabbing him and throwing him down on the bed and having his way with him.

“Gen, can we please not talk about Sephiroth right now?”

“Why? Is it turning you on? Your dick is very twitchy.”

That’s it! Angeal growls and goes for a grapple that puts Genesis face down on the bed. He mouths over the pressure point at the back of Gen’s neck without putting any real pressure on it.

Genesis is laughing again. Angeal loves to hear it.

“My my, so demanding!” Genesis lifts his hips enticingly, “Gonna take what you need from your sweet submissive omega? Now’s your chance to be a real alpha.”

Angeal growls and pushes Gen’s lower back down to flatten him on the bed before slipping a finger into Gen’s pussy and kissing his way down his spine to his bottom.

“Ah, my gentleman. You don’t need to stretch me out. I’m ready for you, alpha.”

Angeal can tell. Genesis is very wet and his finger squelches obscenely in his fluttering hole. His scent is overpowering. He needs a taste. He licks greedily at the scent glands between Gen’s thighs, licking up both scent and slick. Gen never wears scent blockers on his lower glands, saying that the tape tears at his delicate skin, and Angeal is grateful for the easy access.

He adds another finger into Gen’s tight pussy and licks up over the lips. Genesis moans appreciatively and reaches down to grab at his own dick, working it roughly. Angeal grabs his wrist and pulls his hand away to keep him from coming before he can get inside.

“Ugh, hurry up Angeal! I need to come!”

“In good time.”

Genesis growls and twists under him. “Now, Angeal! Or I’ll make what happened earlier look like a playful spat!”

Angeal inserts another finger and kisses just under Genesis’s cock. “Oh, so now you’re going to try to say you were playing with me earlier? Not trying to murder me?”

“You would have recovered, asshole. And—aaa! Yes! There! Uhn, those Thirds clearly need training for how to react in a surprise attack. I was—ohhhh, harder! I was doing them a service.”

Angeal chuckles and pulls his fingers out. Genesis whines and tries to follow them with his ass, but Angeal has him effectively pinned.

“How generous of you, Gen. I’ll be sure to inform Lazard of your thoughtfulness.”

Genesis grunts and somehow slips out of Angeal’s grasp with a twisting maneuver. “If you survive the next hour! I do believe I made my wishes known to you, dear.”

Genesis grabs one of Angeal’s legs and flips him onto his back before quickly seating himself onto his cock in one swift motion. Angeal grabs his waist as Genesis shudders above him. He always forgets the need to adjust to Angeal’s girth.

For his own part, Angeal needs a moment to adjust to the sudden wet heat surrounding his most sensitive part. He lets out a loud groan. Genesis smiles.

“Music to my ears, alpha. Tell me how beautiful I am.”

Genesis is more than just beautiful. He towers over Angeal like a goddess or a vengeful angel, muscles glistening and flexing, his hair a red halo around his strong yet delicate face.

“More beautiful than gods and angels,” Angeal gasps.

Genesis smiles wickedly. “I suppose I’ll let you live this once, SOLDIER.” And then he begins rising up and down at a speed only a First can follow.

Angeal loses himself in the sensation of it, his eruption building quickly and surely. He can hear himself moaning as he throws his head back and comes hard, his back arching and lifting Genesis who quickly follows after, his hand on his cock as he sprays all over Angeal’s chest and chin. Angeal can feel Genesis’s pussy squeezing around his cock as his knot forms, locking them together.

Genesis moans like a broken instrument and spurts one more time from his reddened cock before collapsing onto Angeal’s chest.

Angeal rolls them onto their side and kisses him.

Genesis kisses him back eagerly for a moment before pulling away to lay his head against Angeal’s heaving chest.

They lie quietly for a few minutes catching their breath and breathing in each other’s scent, and Angeal thinks that Genesis might be about to go to sleep when he speaks up.

“Where are my purrs?”

“Oh… you were serious about that?”

Genesis huffs weakly in anger. “I’m always serious.”

“True.” Angeal replies, and kisses him on his forehead.

It only takes a moment to find the place in his chest where he needs to relax in order to let his purr out, but it comes out strong and loud as if relieved to be released from its cage. Surprisingly, he immediately feels an answering rumble from Genesis.

The purring vibrates through his whole body and soothes the headache that was beginning to form from the earlier stress. He feels like he might go to sleep, but isn’t sure if he can keep up his purring if he does, so he fights to stay awake and enjoy Genesis in his relaxed state.

He looks to see Genesis smiling fondly at him, a soft look on his face. Angeal leans forward to kiss him again, slowly licking and gently pulling at his lips.

They kiss languidly for a minute before Genesis pushes him away with a gentle hand to his chest. Angeal can only move so far, since they are still knot-locked, but he quirks an eyebrow at Genesis who smiles serenely at him.

“So, about Sephiroth.”

Angeal chokes on his purr. It is somehow now stuck in his throat despite originating in his chest, and he coughs harshly several times.

“What about Sephiroth?” He finally manages. He should have known Genesis had an ulterior motive for getting him relaxed.

Genesis hums, letting his own purr reassert itself as he stretches languidly. Angeal is unable to relax with him. He doesn’t intend to continue the earlier conversation, does he? Wasn’t that just to get Angeal worked up? Is Genesis angry with him?

“Angeal, you’re making me feel lonely here. You better start purring!”

He does seem to be a little angry, but not as much as he should be if he’s jealous.

“Gen, you… what…” Angeal sighs and makes an effort to bring his purr back from where it's hiding in his chest.

“That’s better. I’ve been wondering when you’re going to fulfill your promise to me.”

Angeal’s purr stutters. “Which promise?”

Genesis waves a hand breezily. “Oh, you know, the one you made to me after I presented as an omega and tried to kill myself.”

Angeal bites his lip. The fear from that moment clutching once more at his heart. He tries to keep his breathing even, but there’s no doubt that Genesis notices his anxiety, connected as they are.

“I made a lot of promises. I believe I even offered you the moon, if you wanted it. You’re going to have to be more specific, Gen. Unless… that is what you want. What does that have to do with Sephiroth?”

Angeal’s brow furrows. There’s plans for a space program in the works. Does Genesis want them to join it? Surely they don’t need SOLDIERs on the moon! As far as he knows there are no monsters or anything living there for them to fight. Does Genesis feel that the notoriety they would gain would be worth the uneventful flight?

Genesis rolls his eyes. “Silly boy! You promised that we could still follow the plan we made when we thought I was going to be an alpha! The one where we form a pack and share an omega!”

Angeal sputters. “What?! I thought maybe you changed your mind after…”

He doesn’t really want to bring up the hysterectomy Hollander claimed he thought Genesis wanted, and Angeal nearly killed him over. Genesis stopped all talk of packs and family after that for a while. He said that he didn’t want his womb anyway. If Hollander wanted to take him literally then that wasn’t a big deal, but Angeal had been able to tell that Genesis was depressed.

He should have known that Genesis wouldn’t give up on an idea so easily. Maybe this is a good sign. Genesis is growing and healing and wants an omega to complete their pack afterall. Angeal isn’t sure if it would be allowed, but they are Firsts now and gaining notoriety as an important part of Shinra’s powerbase. Maybe they’ll make an exception for them…

“But I still don’t get what that has to do with Sephiroth,” he finishes.

“He could be our third.”

Angeal sputters again. “Sephiroth is an alpha!”

“Are you sure?” Genesis purrs.

“Of course I’m sure! …I mean, it’s hard to get any scent from him, but he shot up like a weed recently! There’s no way an omega would grow that tall!”

“I’m tall,” Genesis points out. “Taller than many alphas!”

“Young alphas! Sure, you’re tall for an omega, but—”

“I’m half an inch shorter than you!” Genesis interrupts angrily.

Angeal sighs and massages his forehead where his headache is coming back. “Ok, point. But Sephiroth is also bulking out a lot recently, which makes it extremely unlikely—”

“You’ve certainly thought a lot about Sephiroth’s designation, but that’s not the point, Angeal!”

Angeal groans. “Ok, then what is the point?”

“I don’t care if Sephiroth is an omega or an alpha! I want him as our third pack member!”

“Gen… there’s no way he’d agree to that! Besides, you said you didn’t want to be the only omega! You said—”

“Forget what I said! I was young and scared. I’m much more mature now.”

“It hasn’t been that many years, Gen.”

“Nonsense! We’ve lived lifetimes with all the battles we’ve survived! I found a grey hair the other day!”

“You said that was the shampoo,” Angeal reasons.

“Angeal… shut up. The point is that I’m older and wiser now. I know what I want!”

“Ok, but what if Sephiroth doesn’t want that? He’s still wary of you sometimes. Just this morning, you threatened to gut him!”

“Pish posh! I wasn’t serious!”

“I thought you were always serious,” Angeal deadpans.

“Angeal! Do you wish to keep your balls? Because I don’t think you need them!”

Genesis has reached a hand down to prick Angeal with his claws, and Angeal makes an abortive move to get away before his cock reminds him that he’s still encased in Gen’s pussy.

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry! You’re extremely mature! Because mature people threaten their friends and lovers when they don’t get their way.”

Genesis ignores Angeal’s sarcasm with a sniff. “So long as we’re on the same page.”

Angeal breathes a sigh of relief as Genesis moves his hand away, even though he was relatively certain that he wouldn’t maim him.

Genesis focuses onto one of Angeal’s nipples, pinching and gently rolling it between his fingers. Angeal feels a frisson of desire travel to his trapped dick and he shivers.

“You’ll never know unless you talk to him, Angeal. I know I’m not the only one who’s interested in him. You talk about him all the time, and there’s no one who knows you better than I.”

“What am I supposed to say?! And why me? Don’t you think we should talk to him together? No, wait, we need to talk about this more first!”

Genesis smiles at him triumphantly. “You see?! You are interested!”

Angeal sighs. “Gen…”

Genesis pouts at him. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time—”

“How many days is that?” Angeal interrupts.

Genesis twists his nipple hard, and Angeal grits his teeth from the pain.

“Years! Angeal! Years!”

“Ok, ok, yeah, your obsession has been clear enough, but I thought it was more of a rivalry thing…”

Genesis sniffs. “I don’t see why it can’t be both.”

Angeal can’t help the weak chuckle that slips out.

Genesis narrows his eyes at him. “You’d better not be laughing at me, dearest.”

Angeal takes Genesis’s hand to forestall anymore nipple torture. “No, of course not, love. Just thinking about how your obsessions never change; they only grow. I guess I should have seen this coming…”

Angeal’s not sure what to say. Is Genesis right? Does he want this? The way his heart jumped when Genesis brought up Sephiroth, he can’t deny that he felt excited. Sephiroth has been on his mind for a long time. He’s always worrying that the younger boy is lonely. Would being pack with them be good for him?

When he thinks of what that might be like, it’s hard to deny the attraction that he feels. That he’s always felt, but held himself back from acknowledging, lest it negatively affect their friendship. Sephiroth has always been a bit (a bit! hah!) standoffish. Even a bit shy. Angeal had to work really hard just to get Sephiroth to accept his friendship!

If anyone had ever asked him if Sephiroth would ever be interested in him a few years ago, he would have laughed at them. But now… just earlier today he had been certain that Sephiroth was about to ask to be included in their pack, so that he had the right to interfere in their argument…

Angeal isn’t even sure where the idea had come from, but he had been sure enough about it that he’d interrupted him and rushed off.

Should he trust his intuition?

“I can hear you thinking from here.” Genesis prompts him.

“Your head is resting on my chest.”

“Oh, interesting, so you do think with your heart instead of your brain!”

Genesis continues before Angeal can think of a reply to that.

“Geal, darling, we both know you want this, so let’s skip the agonizing and make a plan of attack, shall we?”

“A plan of attack? Gen—”

“Yes! I’ve thought a lot about this! You should invite him over to your place for dinner. He’ll accept because he’s eager to spend time with you and eat your superior cooking. Then you lay it out for him. Use the straightforward approach that works best for him. Don’t beat around the bush, Angeal! Then—”

“Gen—”

“I’m not finished, Angeal! Then, I’ll show up with the wine and make sure he knows that I want him too. He’ll be overcome with desire once he realizes that he can have both of us—”

“Genesis, I don’t think an ambush is the best approach—”

“Ah! So you have your own plan in mind? Let’s hear it!”

Angeal grunts and closes his eyes. It’s not that he doesn’t want to invite Sephiroth to be their third. It’s just… how can they go into this so blithely without the assurance that Sephiroth will be interested? Surely they should spend more time together as a trio before springing the idea on him. But how will he convince Genesis to wait for the opportune time?

He sighs.

“Less sighing and more positive thinking, Angeal! I had a vision from the Goddess. We will succeed!”

Angeal opens his eyes to scrutinize Genesis’s face, but finds only sincerity.

“You did?! When?”

“The other night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I’m telling you now!”

Angeal considers the information. If they have Minerva’s blessing, then perhaps…

“Alright, but we should invite him to spar with us both again first. You saw how much he enjoyed himself last time. Then we’ll… invite him to go for a walk to cool down. There’s a place I know where we can slip through the wall to sit on the edge of the plate. He won’t feel as trapped there. Then we can ask him together what he thinks about packs and whether he’d be interested in joining one.”

Genesis smiles and pulls Angeal into a kiss. “See, I knew you’d have a solid plan once you stopped balking and used your head!”

Angeal can feel his purr coming back as he relaxes into Genesis’s kisses. His cock is starting to be interested in finishing what they started earlier as well.

“You know I’d do anything if it would make you happy. Just don’t blame me if it goes horribly.”

Genesis’s purr begins to thread through his own, and Angeal wonders how they’ve been living without this all this time.

“It won’t. I’ll make sure of it. One way or another we’ll convince him, but I don’t think it will be that hard. He’s lonely. He needs us.”

“Oh good.” Angeal murmurs as he rolls Genesis under him and begins making what minimal movements he can with his knot still inflated. “You are considering his feelings in all of this.”

Genesis bites his pec, right over his nipple, which instantly stiffens.

“Of course, darling, I’m capable of being considerate of people’s feelings when they matter.”

Angeal snorts.

“Of course you are, dear.”