"This is Angeal Hewley... distinctly not here. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you when I can. If it's important, Lazard, Genesis, or Sephiroth should know where I am."
"Usually, a mother might pass her daughter her wedding ring for such an occasion. Unfortunately, Missus Hewley looked after two rambunctious boys... but I think she'd have liked for us to have it anyway." Genesis offers, seeing the way Angeal's entire world seems to come down to the ring Genesis cradles gently in his palm. He knows what Gillian meant to his mate. How much he loved her. How much Gillian loved her son too. He really can't imagine a world where Gillian wouldn't want to see her son happy, to see him married and as loved as he could ever be. It's not with any misplaced confidence either. Gillian practically raised Genesis too. He knows.
There's a flicker of worry that laps at the back of his mind, gnawing on his thoughts. Maybe this was too much though, overstepping his bounds. Does it make him some guilty graverobber, offering his mate something like this? Genesis swallows hard, and tries to follow his conviction. He can't have doubts now. Not after the trials and sufferings of all they've been through. Not after everything. He's thought about this for longer than he can rightly quantify, and it came to him as no small decision. Angeal deserves to have back something of the happiness Gillian gave him, and Genesis knows his mate couldn't do it of his own volition. Genesis will bear that guilt instead.
But he's still left kneeling, still not given his answer. He takes in a deep breath. Steady. The faint shake to his whole body doesn't mean anything, right?
"I... I remember so many of those spring nights. How happy your family... our family, was on those special occasions. Don't we deserve that too, Geal? Years and years of celebrating our love. Please...?"
Genesis voice speaks up again, clears away some of the haze wrapped tight around his mind, and Angeal finally remembers to breathe with a sudden sharp inhale. An answer. Right. He needs to give an answer. Even if - even if there are tears starting to slip down his face. When's the last time he cried?
It doesn't matter. He can't get lost down that rabbit hole right now. Instead, with trembling hands, he finally reaches out, his hands sliding around Genesis's own.
"Yeah," he whispers, voice too choked to sound smooth, to sound - put together. More tears, pouring down now, and Angeal closes his eyes. Closes his hands around Genesis's, a delicate cradle like he can maybe finally keep something safe as he raises it up to his forehead, knees slowly crumpling beneath him. Genesis's knuckles feel so warm, there. "Yeah."
And then a wet, wobbly laugh. "Dammit, Genesis... I thought I'd have more time to finish mine."
It's been so long since he's seen Angeal cry, and before he can really think about it, he's watching the way his mate comes down to level with him. Holding his hand, as gentle as can be. He's always loved those hands, strong enough to fell any foe, gentle enough to hold this delicate promise between them. They'll look perfect adorned by this ring.
"Hey," he coos softly, sweetly, even as Angeal's tears seem to inspire some of Genesis' own. He told himself he wouldn't cry here, was so proud he managed this entire proposal without. But the sheer weight from his chest lifted, the joy that fills its place, it's too much to ignore. So there's happy tears wetting the corners of his eyes as he leans into his mate. "When have I ever been known to cooperate with anyone's plans? Least of all yours. Hm, yet we're predictable, aren't we? Of course we'd both have such things in the works... you always could read me like a book."
A measured breath in, but when he exhales, it trembles. But he smiles all the same, even with the tears falling freely now.
"I've always loved that about you. I- I'm so happy," he gusts out, choking on syllables that should be so easy. That he's said a thousand times around his soulmate. "I love you, Angeal. Forever, always, it's us."
"It's us," Angeal agrees, brushing his tear streaked cheek against Genesis's hand. It's hard to put a name to the emotion he's feeling - if there's even only one there, amidst everything swirling about in his breast.
"I was going to do it on ma and pa's anniversary..." Carry on the tradition. Make it a happy event not only between the two of them, but everyone they loved, everyone they cared about. Just like how he was always made to feel like an important part of his own family, how they pulled Genesis in, too.
The Hewley anniversary always felt like so much more than simply the day his father and mother ran off in the middle of the night to badge the judge into letting them marry.
Another breath. He's still not stopped shaking. "I love you, Genesis. I don't have the poetry for it you do, but I love you so much."
"Nothing to say the wedding wouldn't be perfect for the day," Genesis offers, and brings his free hand up to start brushing away those stray tears that wet Angeal's cheeks. He can't help that it doesn't feel like enough, and he ends up kissing them away too.
"I know, beloved. I know. I could never doubt your love. It's always been the very thing that hangs the sun in the sky for me." Leaned in close, Genesis ends up just leaning into Angeal entirely, and wraps his arms around the other's neck. Is it to hide the fact a fresh round of tears starts falling? Maybe.
"Goddess, I can't believe it. We'll be married. I don't know how I let it go this long; just saying it now feels like a dream. And we'll have to tell Seph, and Lazard, and everyone... I'm sure they'll tease us, you know."
If Genesis needs to hide his tears, then all of Angeal's is available for him to do so. He wouldn't dream of giving him any less, and Angeal presses his cheek against that fiery hair of his.
"The same way that we never confessed to Sephiroth for so long either," Angeal says, breath wet when he breathes out again. It nearly feels as though he's drowning, although he can't be too upset at that. Even with the way it dulls his nose.
"And most people who get to know us already think us married."
"We may have been idiots," Genesis admits, huffing out a breathless laugh. Idiots in love, and idiots crushing on their other love together. Regardless, it's love all the way down as far as Genesis thinks. Always love, and it warms his heart.
"I can't deny that. There've been no small measure of people saying such, and if I'm honest... I've never really wanted to correct them. I was always yours, and you mine. I suppose I won't have to worry about it ever again, will I? My husband..." Just saying it, feeling it in his lungs- Genesis holds his mate a little tighter.
My husband. Just hearing those words has something deep in Angeal's chest twist, until it feels as though he might fall apart inside of himself, wrapped up tight in Genesis's voice.
His husband. His husband.
At some point, he thinks he might actually have to lay down to just take all of this in properly. Although speaking of properly - "Kind of skipping the fiance step of this, huh?" Angeal manages, voice getting a little gurgly from the tears that have backslid into his throat. "I thought you'd love to luxuriate over that, instead of skipping everything..."
He can't stop cradling the ring in his hand. The ring he never thought he'd see again. He never thought he'd see anything of his old hometown again, let along his family.
"You know I'm impatient," he laments, still sniffling from all the waterworks. Before this place, he thinks he had a pretty good run of not crying and yet somehow it keeps happening here. Ridiculous.
Well... at least it's a happy cry. He can be thankful of that as he tilts his head to kiss Angeal's raspy throat.
"Besides, it's almost like you've been my fiancé since we were young. 'Boyfriend' never felt like enough from the first day I knew the word. Besides, we haven't planned the wedding date yet. Plenty of time for me tell every soul about my fiancé."
When Angeal thanks him though, Genesis slides his hand beneath Angeal's, cradling the back of his palm.
"She'd be so happy for us, you know. She had to have known from the very beginning we'd end up like this, together."
Since they were young... Angeal chuckles, for all that it feels as though his throat is going to fall apart. "I guess if we think about it all back then... I guess I was the one who proposed first after all, wasn't I? All this time, I've just been working on upgrading a little flower ring."
Something better, something that would last longer, than simple stalk and flowers.
Genesis's hands, as always, burn red hot as they press up against his knuckles, cradle his hands and the treasure in it. Mentioning his mother...
"...I wanted her to be there for our wedding," Angeal finally says quietly. "I thought she would. I thought... we could finish up the war, once, and then that'd be it. I could take you, and Sephiroth, just get it done with." And they'd invite Lazard, and Zack, and all the others that Angeael ever taught or protected...
Genesis knows. Even if the plan hadn’t been something they’d ever really talked about, there was no way either had ever considered their wedding without Gillian there. And if Genesis could have her there now, knew some way, he’d have done it in heartbeat. If only things were so simple - wanting something enough to make it manifest. What’s left to them is memory, and one of the few things Genesis could ask the Peacekeeper to afford them of her.
“I know,” he murmurs, if only to fill the space. “Perhaps the wedding should come on a day special to her. A way she can be with us, to share our happiness with her, even just in spirit.”
"The anniversary." Not even their anniversary, or his parents anniversary. It's just... always been the anniversary. The one that they all celebrated together, the one that mattered more than any holiday.
Hell, sometimes Angeal wondered if it mattered more than his own birthday, in his eyes even if no one else.
He takes in a deep breath, an attempt to center himself, eyes closed. "Ha. I was... actually going to propose to you then. I had it all planned out in my head, assuming I got the rings done with. I'd send you out to the bakery, just like ma used to... Get a big dinner ready for all of us. Propose then."
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There's a flicker of worry that laps at the back of his mind, gnawing on his thoughts. Maybe this was too much though, overstepping his bounds. Does it make him some guilty graverobber, offering his mate something like this? Genesis swallows hard, and tries to follow his conviction. He can't have doubts now. Not after the trials and sufferings of all they've been through. Not after everything. He's thought about this for longer than he can rightly quantify, and it came to him as no small decision. Angeal deserves to have back something of the happiness Gillian gave him, and Genesis knows his mate couldn't do it of his own volition. Genesis will bear that guilt instead.
But he's still left kneeling, still not given his answer. He takes in a deep breath. Steady. The faint shake to his whole body doesn't mean anything, right?
"I... I remember so many of those spring nights. How happy your family... our family, was on those special occasions. Don't we deserve that too, Geal? Years and years of celebrating our love. Please...?"
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It doesn't matter. He can't get lost down that rabbit hole right now. Instead, with trembling hands, he finally reaches out, his hands sliding around Genesis's own.
"Yeah," he whispers, voice too choked to sound smooth, to sound - put together. More tears, pouring down now, and Angeal closes his eyes. Closes his hands around Genesis's, a delicate cradle like he can maybe finally keep something safe as he raises it up to his forehead, knees slowly crumpling beneath him. Genesis's knuckles feel so warm, there. "Yeah."
And then a wet, wobbly laugh. "Dammit, Genesis... I thought I'd have more time to finish mine."
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"Hey," he coos softly, sweetly, even as Angeal's tears seem to inspire some of Genesis' own. He told himself he wouldn't cry here, was so proud he managed this entire proposal without. But the sheer weight from his chest lifted, the joy that fills its place, it's too much to ignore. So there's happy tears wetting the corners of his eyes as he leans into his mate. "When have I ever been known to cooperate with anyone's plans? Least of all yours. Hm, yet we're predictable, aren't we? Of course we'd both have such things in the works... you always could read me like a book."
A measured breath in, but when he exhales, it trembles. But he smiles all the same, even with the tears falling freely now.
"I've always loved that about you. I- I'm so happy," he gusts out, choking on syllables that should be so easy. That he's said a thousand times around his soulmate. "I love you, Angeal. Forever, always, it's us."
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"I was going to do it on ma and pa's anniversary..." Carry on the tradition. Make it a happy event not only between the two of them, but everyone they loved, everyone they cared about. Just like how he was always made to feel like an important part of his own family, how they pulled Genesis in, too.
The Hewley anniversary always felt like so much more than simply the day his father and mother ran off in the middle of the night to badge the judge into letting them marry.
Another breath. He's still not stopped shaking. "I love you, Genesis. I don't have the poetry for it you do, but I love you so much."
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"I know, beloved. I know. I could never doubt your love. It's always been the very thing that hangs the sun in the sky for me." Leaned in close, Genesis ends up just leaning into Angeal entirely, and wraps his arms around the other's neck. Is it to hide the fact a fresh round of tears starts falling? Maybe.
"Goddess, I can't believe it. We'll be married. I don't know how I let it go this long; just saying it now feels like a dream. And we'll have to tell Seph, and Lazard, and everyone... I'm sure they'll tease us, you know."
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"The same way that we never confessed to Sephiroth for so long either," Angeal says, breath wet when he breathes out again. It nearly feels as though he's drowning, although he can't be too upset at that. Even with the way it dulls his nose.
"And most people who get to know us already think us married."
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"I can't deny that. There've been no small measure of people saying such, and if I'm honest... I've never really wanted to correct them. I was always yours, and you mine. I suppose I won't have to worry about it ever again, will I? My husband..." Just saying it, feeling it in his lungs- Genesis holds his mate a little tighter.
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His husband. His husband.
At some point, he thinks he might actually have to lay down to just take all of this in properly. Although speaking of properly - "Kind of skipping the fiance step of this, huh?" Angeal manages, voice getting a little gurgly from the tears that have backslid into his throat. "I thought you'd love to luxuriate over that, instead of skipping everything..."
He can't stop cradling the ring in his hand. The ring he never thought he'd see again. He never thought he'd see anything of his old hometown again, let along his family.
"....Gen. Thank you."
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Well... at least it's a happy cry. He can be thankful of that as he tilts his head to kiss Angeal's raspy throat.
"Besides, it's almost like you've been my fiancé since we were young. 'Boyfriend' never felt like enough from the first day I knew the word. Besides, we haven't planned the wedding date yet. Plenty of time for me tell every soul about my fiancé."
When Angeal thanks him though, Genesis slides his hand beneath Angeal's, cradling the back of his palm.
"She'd be so happy for us, you know. She had to have known from the very beginning we'd end up like this, together."
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Something better, something that would last longer, than simple stalk and flowers.
Genesis's hands, as always, burn red hot as they press up against his knuckles, cradle his hands and the treasure in it. Mentioning his mother...
"...I wanted her to be there for our wedding," Angeal finally says quietly. "I thought she would. I thought... we could finish up the war, once, and then that'd be it. I could take you, and Sephiroth, just get it done with." And they'd invite Lazard, and Zack, and all the others that Angeael ever taught or protected...
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“I know,” he murmurs, if only to fill the space. “Perhaps the wedding should come on a day special to her. A way she can be with us, to share our happiness with her, even just in spirit.”
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Hell, sometimes Angeal wondered if it mattered more than his own birthday, in his eyes even if no one else.
He takes in a deep breath, an attempt to center himself, eyes closed. "Ha. I was... actually going to propose to you then. I had it all planned out in my head, assuming I got the rings done with. I'd send you out to the bakery, just like ma used to... Get a big dinner ready for all of us. Propose then."