Date: 2008-12-19 23:56 Subject: FFVII Fic: Karma (1/1) G Security: Public Mood: tired Tags: angeal, crack!fic, fandom: ffvii, genesis, sephiroth

Title: Karma
Author: SkyFire (rabid_plotbunny)

Rating: G
Summary: The consequences of eavesdropping...
Warning: crack!fic
Word Count: 1366

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or any of its characters and no money is being made. :/

It was all Genesis’ idea. It was entirely because of him that the three of them were out walking around Midgar, one amused, one trying not to show how bewildered and embarrassed he was, and the other just about ready to pop.

Well, technically, while it was Genesis who had nagged until the others agreed to go out just to get him to be quiet, it was actually all Zack’s fault.

Really.

Genesis had been walking around the SOLDIER floor trying to find Angeal one day and just happened to find him while he was with the younger man. Zack had been rambling on about this that and the other thing, switching subjects with dizzying speed, jumping from one to the next on only the most strained connections. Angeal had learned how to tune him out long ago, though he took care to make the appropriate ‘I’m listening’ gestures and noises even as the greater majority of his mind focused elsewhere. Genesis hadn’t been around Zack long enough to develop that particular ability and so found himself unconsciously listening in as he waited for the two to go their separate ways.

That was when he heard it, and once he had, there was no way that he was going to let it slide without even trying to mortally embarrass his silver-haired friend.

So, the fact that they were prowling the Midgar city streets was clearly entirely the fault of Angeal’s puppy.

It had been a normal enough stroll at first as they walked away from the Shinra complex. They’d passed by the numerous stores and shops that had sprung up nearby to service the needs of Shinra and its men. They walked until they’d left the commercial sector behind, until what lined the roads were houses and apartment buildings and the occasional park.

It was one of the larger parks that Genesis had decided to drag them off to, one filled with children playing under the careful supervision of their guardians. Swings, slides, boxes filled with sand alternative; all were filled with playing, running, screeching children.

It was Sephiroth who spoke first, after taking in the sights and sounds for a long moment. “What is it you wanted to show us, Genesis?” he asked.

“I overheard Zack talking about something really interesting the other day and I wanted to see if it was true,” the redhead said simply. He ignored Angeal’s groan at the mention of the source of the reason for their being there. “I just wanted to see-“

“Sephiroth! Get that truck out of your mouth right now, young man! You don’t know where it’s been!”

Sephiroth spun around in the direction of the yell, a startled look flashing briefly across his face. Who was yelling at him? Who would dare? And what truck…?

The three SOLDIER-Firsts stared as a harried-looking woman hurried over to the sandbox where a boy of no more than four years sat playing with a few other boys. Or had been, anyway. Right then he seemed content to just sit there, digging at the sand alternative with one shoed foot, absently chewing on the tire of a toy truck that had clearly seen better days. She pulled the truck from his mouth, then pulled a cloth from a pocket in her coat to wipe the small face free of the sand and drool that had appeared there.

“Sephiroth, I told you before. Trucks are for playing, not eating. If you keep chewing on it, I’m going to have to take it away.”

Genesis couldn’t hold back his snickers any more. “I heard it from Zack. ‘Sephiroth’ has been the most popular name for newborns since you came back from Wutai,” he said between chuckles. “Isn’t it cute? A whole bunch of rug-rat Sephiroths! I guess you can’t claim to be the only one with that name anymore, hmm?”

Sephiroth said nothing, but the barely-noticeable crease that appeared between snowy brows spoke volumes about just how disconcerting he found that knowledge.

As they moved down through the residential areas and the parks, they grew used to hearing people yelling at or calling for ‘Sephiroth’. They got quite used to it. Actually, they heard that one name more than they heard all the others combined.

It got to the point where Sephiroth himself barely looked up anymore – just in case it was someone looking for him – and Angeal only seemed vaguely amused. Genesis, however.

Genesis was another story altogether.

While it had been amusing for the first long while, now it was starting to bother him. He was certain he’d heard hundreds of ‘Sephiroth!’s. He’d even heard a couple of ‘Angeal!’s, though he supposed they could have simply been drawn out versions of ‘Angel’.

He hadn’t heard anything even vaguely similar to his own name.

It was starting to really piss him off.

Why didn't anyone else use his name? It was just as good as 'Sephiroth'! No, better than 'Sephiroth'! And it was easy to spell! So why?

Then he heard it.

“Genesis! Genesis, where are you? Genesis! Come on, Mama’s waiting. Genesis!”

A grin spreading across his face, he looked in the direction of the yell. Faltered slightly when he caught sight of the older woman there, but shrugged it off. Shrugging it off, he moved over to her and smiled charmingly. “Can I help you, ma’am?” he asked politely, turning up the old Rhapsodos charm.

“Oh, thank you!” She exclaimed. “I’m so worried; my Genesis got away from me and I can’t seem to find him.”

“My friends and I can help you look,” he offered gallantly.

“Oh, thank you so much! He must be so scared out here all alone. My poor baby! All right, I’ll look over here. You three can look on that side of the yard. He wouldn’t have gotten far; he knows where his bowl is. Don’t forget to check under things! He can be quite sneaky.”

“His bowl?” Genesis didn’t quite know what to think about that. What was so special about a bowl? Then again, he was the same about his copy of Loveless. He would never leave it behind. Shrugging, he started to search, Angeal and Sephiroth helping out half-heartedly, though they seemed to take an evil delight in calling his name as they did.

Then Sephiroth shrieked.

There was no other word for it.

The other Firsts were surprised that their heads didn’t snap off with how fast they turned at that never-before-heard sound. Them their eyes widened an almost comical amount as they caught sight of the panicky hopping, squirming, shrieking dance Sephiroth seemed to be doing as he fought with the buckle holding his coat shut, then ripped the garment off as quickly as he could once it had let go. He stared at the coat with wide blue-green eyes. He was breathing in quick, shallow pants and the skin of his back and right side bore faint scratches.

On the ground, his coat twitched.

Then a tiny nose poked out, followed by a little round head with beady black eyes and almost perfectly rounded ears.

“Genesis! Thank goodness he found you!” the woman exclaimed. She hurried over to Sephiroth’s coat. One slender hand reached into the dark folds and emerged clutching… Genesis, apparently. She slipped a sparkling collar around its neck then patted it, crooning soothingly all the while.

“What is that?” Genesis demanded, pointing.

“This is Genesis, my baby. He’s a ferret.”

“A… ferret.”

“Yes. Thank you so much for helping me find him!”

Genesis said nothing, just turned on his heel and started walking, making a beeline for the Shinra complex. That was it; he’d had more than enough for one day. He manfully tried to ignore Angeal’s deep, rumbling chuckles and Sephiroth’s mostly held-back sounds of mirth, but they only seemed to echo more with every passing moment.

He didn’t know which of them did it or if it was a combined effort on both their parts, but he was absolutely certain that when he found out who had left the tiny collar and leash along with the little bowl and ferret kibble on his desk, there would be hell to pay.

END