Miasma

Chapter 8

Two weeks.

Sephiroth hadn't spoken to Genesis-save for the necessities-in two weeks. Standing in the yard squinting against the early morning light, the redhead huffed quietly before shrugging more deeply into the jacket he'd found. He knew, instinctively, that this was what should have been expected. It didn't make it any more pleasant, however, and it didn't make him hate himself less. He regretted his actions, deeply...and he couldn't go back in time and make them go away. There would always be this truth between them...the verity of the dark stain he'd placed so carelessly on their relationship. Truthfully, he was simply glad that the silver-haired ex-SOLDIER hadn't left. It was a testament to the younger man's awareness of their situation, of the fact that both of them knew they couldn't survive very long without the other. In retrospect, it also felt like he had trapped Sephiroth into this, and if he was feeling that way, he couldn't imagine how his formehr comrade felt. He had entertained the idea of leaving for a while, but he couldn't leave their respective chores and surveillance tasks to his companion; it was simply asking too much of him.

Despite the fact that they were barely speaking, they worked well together. Sephiroth rose early out of habit and fed the animals while he cooked breakfast. He was aware that their situations in that respect would have to be reversed eventually when constant physical activity became too much of a strain. For now, he was content to let the green-eyed ex-first do what he wanted. The farm was very low maintenance. The cows kept the grass fairly short, and he quickly learned that moving them from one area of the yard to another was an easy way to make sure that he never had to mow the lawn. There was a barn for them at the rear of the property, and he put them there every night out of habit because it felt like the right thing to do. With the weather warming up, they didn't really need to be brought in from their 'pasture', but he liked the routine and it seemed to warm them to him. He was-so he discovered-very terrible at milking a cow, but he knew from the little he had gleaned from the Hewley farm that it was needed to preserve their health. Several times, he was grateful for his advanced reflexes, or he was very sure he would be missing a significant amount of his face.

The pig was a different story.

As far as muddy creatures went, Genesis had always been somewhat under the impression that that was all pigs were; muddy. In truth, they were also horrendously stubborn and a little bit mean. He named the animal in question Drac because her personality was just about level with several dragons he had fought a long time ago. In truth, he might have to thank her, because she was the main reason the ice had started to thin between him and his partner. A week before, he'd been dragging her to the barn for the night when he slipped in some of the mud that seemed to be constantly dripping from her giant, rotund body and gotten tangled in the length of rope he'd been using to tow her across the yard. Drac had proceeded to drag him the length of the paddock-screaming the entire way-until Sephiroth somehow managed to rescue him. With his lips twitching mightily, the younger man had called him an 'idiot' as he lay on the ground cursing and then practically run back into the house. Seconds later, the redhead was treated to the sounds of his muted howls of laughter. The day after, he was just as cold and impersonal as before, but there was a softness to his eyes that hadn't been there for a long time.

The Chocobo hated him.

Really, hate was too nice a word. The minute it had laid eyes on him it had 'wooby-wooed' itself into a ferocious frenzy and then proceeded to bolt off into the forest. It took Genesis the better part of the day to find it, and then the better part of the night to bring it back. Never, ever in his life had he imagined he would need to play the carer to a monstrous, fluffy yellow animal. But that day, and the days after it, he did. In retrospect, chocobos developed deep emotional bonds with their owners, so it was kind of understandable. What was not understandable was the way it seemed to be lying in wait for him around every corner. Crest rigid, beady eyes nearly burning in their...beadiness, it seemed like he was constantly having to watch his back whenever he stepped out the door. This was also something that was ameliorated by Sephiroth, who eventually got so tired of hearing him bitch that he stomped outside in the middle of the night to deal with it. The former Commander had no idea what he'd said or done, only that there was a lot of avian 'yelling' and then silence and his partner came back in covered with feathers looking like the world was entirely worthy of murder. After that, the Chocobo was content to sit in its paddock and glare hatefully at him while he went about his daily chores. He didn't name it. Because in his opinion, something so entirely insane did not deserve christening.