Hi guys, so I had this idea late one night. Unfortunately, I haven't written properly in years and I just don't have the opportunity to read these days, so like any muscle, unused, my writing and creative talents have withered by a large degree, much to my regret. But I had this idea, and I just had to get this story out of my head. I would appreciate any constructive criticism. It's a slow piece.

Final Fantasy 7 is owned by Square Enix. I do not own the characters or settings. This is a work of fan fiction.

"… A fine SOLDIER… great intelligence! He has won us many victories over the warmongers and rebels in Wutai… Keeping our city, our nation! Safe!"

Sephiroth stood like a statue carved of marble on the stage in Shinra's largest media room. To his left President Shinra boomed into the microphone, "…crushed a rebel base threatening to…" the man continued.

But Sephiroth had tuned most of it out, he had heard them all before; empty words meant to inspire an already willing crowd. They meant nothing to him. He stood with his face passive. The only indication that he was indeed alive and not a statue was the light rise and fall of his chest and the flutter of his eyelashes as he surveyed the crowd in front of him.

"… fearless!" The President continued, picking up gusto. But it was just more meaningless sound to Sephiroth's ears.

He had been standing there for the better part of twenty minutes while the President had roared his praises for the media to hear. First, he'd started with all that Sephiroth had done for the company, then, he talked about how the company had nurtured him, trained him, and made him who he was.

"Our finest achievement…"

The cameras flashed in his face. The crowd was loving it. But Sephiroth's feet were sore and his mind was fatigued and dim feelings wriggled uncomfortably in the deep recesses of his mind. It was not like he was truly tired. No, it was that he had heard these praises a thousand, ten thousand times and, at this point, they were just useless echoes, so impersonal that he himself wondered who this Sephiroth was. It was an odd exhaustion.

"Ruthless… triumphant…" the voice thundered, further and further away, taking all those hollow words with it.

The navy blanket of evening had begun to creep across the sky, pushing the orange glow of the sun deep into the west when Sephiroth finally exited the Shinra building. The speech, thankfully, had been cut short by the crowd who were hungry to hear from the hero himself. He had then been dragged to the microphone and asked about everything from his training regime to his skin care routine. He had answered with practised ease; more worthless, rehearsed words spilling from his tired mouth. Something in him was painfully numb, but something deeper was in agony.

Most of the employees had gone home for the day and the last of the military troops were trudging back to their barracks as Sephiroth sauntered through the Shinra courtyard. It was almost silent now. Almost. But then, in the darkness;

"… it's okay. You don't have to be like the others. So, what if they're stronger? You've got other talents. Better talents…" the voice, soft and too faint for any ears to pick up, save for the SOLDIER's enhanced hearing, was coming from the shadows several meters away from Sephiroth.

He ignored it. It was probably more practised words, cold and removed. He continued to walk until…

"…kind, and compassionate. You're funny and likeable…" Sephiroth's ears pricked up. Whatever words he had ever heard in description of him were nothing like this. He looked towards the source of the voice.

In the fading light, hidden to everyone but a SOLDIER's keen eyes, Sephiroth could see another SOLDIER and a trooper sitting next to each other on a bench at the edge of the courtyard. The trooper, small, even by trooper standards was sitting with his knees up to his chest and his face buried into them. Much to Sephiroth's surprise, the SOLDIER sitting next to him was Genesis. He had one of his gloved hands placed gently on the trooper's shoulder with his head bent towards him. He was speaking consolingly.

Sephiroth stopped walking and stood where he was, in the middle of the courtyard. He stared in astonishment. Not only was he hearing kind and meaningful words, he was hearing them from Genesis. He knew his friend was a good man, eloquent in his speech, even, but he didn't know that he was capable of such comfort. It was… he could barely register the low hum of emotions that moved under the thick blanket of weariness in his head, different from before. Emotions those words had evoked. Warmth.

Genesis looked up from where he was reassuring the trooper, as if he had felt Sephiroth's gaze on him. Sephiroth saw his eyes glow in the dark. Then one of them disappeared momentarily as he winked at his friend and motioned him over with a quick, subtle flick of his head.

Doubly surprised, Sephiroth found himself making his way towards the pair before he had fully registered his actions. Genesis smiled as he approached. He bent down towards the trooper again.

"Cloud, I want you to meet someone" He hummed. The trooper, Cloud, sniffled once and slowly raised his head. He met Sephiroth's eyes.

Sephiroth saw, in slow motion, as Cloud's eyes expanded beyond their natural range and he sprang up in a salute.

It was a pathetic salute, with his tear dampened face and soaked gloves and snot threatening to flush its way onto his upper lip. It also didn't help that the young man gave a large snort, trying to coax his snot back into its proper place within his nose.

A small smile tried crossed Sephiroth's face, but he hid it as he said, evenly "at ease private."

Cloud relaxed slightly but stood standing until Sephiroth took a seat on the far end of the bench and motioned for Cloud to sit down as well.

Hesitantly, Cloud sat down.

"What appears to be the problem, trooper – Cloud?" he asked as Genesis watched them both.

"Nothing, really… sir" Cloud mumbled. Fresh tears started to run down his face "Nothing… really."

If you can't tell–" Sephiroth began sternly, but Genesis cut him off.

"It's okay, you can tell him" it was the same, kind voice that had captured Sephiroth from across the courtyard. Sephiroth felt taken aback, hearing it at such closeness.

Cloud deliberated for a moment. Then "I'm weak and useless at everything I do. I wanted to be a soldier, but I won't ever make it in." A fresh wave of tears rolled down his face.

A slew of practised, hollow words sprang into Sephiroth's mind; "A SOLDIER needs to be highly effective", "A SOLDIER must possess sufficient strength" The sentences stung, even in his head. He had had enough of those words. He flashed a look at Genesis as Cloud brought his knees up and sunk his head into them again. Genesis understood.

"Being in SOLDIER isn't all about waving a sword around and barrelling through your enemies, you know"

That stopped the tears again. Cloud stared at Genesis, waiting for more.

"You have to be clever," Genesis continued "and friendly and charming."

Sephiroth nodded along, unseen, in the background. Clever, friendly, charming. The words coming out of Genesis's mouth seemed so refreshing and… and…filling.

Genesis continued "and it seems you've got that down easily, no?"

Cloud gave a doubtful smile and Genesis caught on quickly.

"Look at you, you're talking to two SOLDIER Firsts! You got the mighty Sephiroth to come over" Genesis's voice lilted warmly, a hint of mirth lacing his words.

Cloud considered this. Sephiroth could see something forming in his head, something important. Something he, Sephiroth, needed too.

They talked for a little while longer until Cloud's tears dried up and he rubbed his eyes, telling them he needed to be back in the barracks. Genesis nodded "Of course. But you'll let me know if you ever want to talk, yes?"

Cloud nodded, giving them both a hope-filled smile before turning towards the barracks.

Genesis and Sephiroth watched him go until the darkness swallowed him up thoroughly enough to hide him from even their enhanced vision.

"So…" Genesis turned towards his friend "I heard you had a media conference." His voice had changed; it had resumed its usual airy formality that it had always had in Sephiroth's presence. Something about it left Sephiroth feeling cold again. His fatigue, briefly forgotten in the company of Cloud, returned twofold.

Unable to speak much, he nodded with his eyes downcast "It was the same as they always are."

Genesis seemed to understand. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

Sephiroth nodded again.

Sephiroth lived relatively close to Shinra headquarters and the silent pair arrived at his home much faster than Sephiroth would have preferred. Oddly, as tired as he was, he didn't particularly fancy being alone.

"Do you… want to come in?" Sephiroth asked as they reached his door. Genesis paused, then nodded.

The living room was cold and Sephiroth turned on the heating as he pulled two meals from the freezer and heated them. Genesis came in to help and together they had dinner in silence.

Yet, as he ate, something was still tossing under the thick blanket of Sephiroth's mind. It had been ever since he had heard those words being spoken in the courtyard, and finally, it burst forth;

"Do you think I have good qualities too?" The question was unexpected for both Sephiroth, as he spoke it, and Genesis.

Genesis looked at him, his face twisting into something Sephiroth could not comprehend.

"Yes, of course you do" Genesis replied slowly, though still in that same airy, brusque voice he had used upon Cloud's departure earlier that evening.

Sephiroth nodded slowly, but that feeling, suppressed for so long, would be contained no further.

"Like what?" Sephiroth asked. There was something, though well hidden, akin to desperation in his voice.

Genesis seemed taken aback. "Let's see… you are… fearless. Intelligent –" He stopped when Sephiroth shook his head. Those words, those hollow words again.

"No, not like that." He said, the hidden desperation threatened to bubble out of him "The President says that all the time. Those words. They're… they're meaningless." They're empty, hollow, detached he thought. The feeling in his chest swelled. He longed for new words. Meaningful words, fulfilling words, words that really told who he was. His heart ached for them "the things you told the trooper – Cloud…"

A look of understanding dawned on Genesis's face. Then his features relaxed and he smiled softly.

"Of course, let's see again… you're…"

Sephiroth waited, a part of him was anxious that the words he would hear would be just as empty as before. That he wasn't good enough for the words he really wanted to hear.

"you're compassionate"

There it was, a new word, a kind word. Something that held importance, something that held meaning.

"loyal to your friends, understanding and respectful"

More words that weren't just sounds. Words that were filled.

"You're not funny, no, not by any stretch of the imagination…"

Sephiroth frowned at that and Genesis burst out laughing.

"but you're trustworthy," he said, wiping away his mirth, "and I would trust you with my life." Genesis's features were soft, and lined with care, just as they had been when he had been talking to the trooper.

Sephiroth nodded slowly. He felt lighter. The fatigue that had plagued him all throughout the conference seemed to be leaving, washed away by something new. By sounds and imageries that were filled with meaning and good. Words that he wanted to be, to own.

"Thank you… Genesis" he managed to mumble.

"We are friends, right?" Genesis returned "rivals, yes, but also friends. Don't be so hasty to trust what the President has to say about you. They are all true of course, you are intelligent and strong and a formidable foe. But you are more than just that. You're human, and you are such a wonderful person." Genesis flashed a grin at his friend.

Sephiroth huffed in response. "Thank you… again, Genesis." He said. Such simple words, such human things, and yet, they meant more to him than the thousand words that the President had thrown his way. These were meaningful words, unrehearsed and raw. The emotions rolling in him quieted, content. He felt, content.

"Any time, friend… just… don't tell Angeal I said so?"

They both laughed at that.