“Oh, honestly, this is what you consider interior decoration?” scoffs Genesis, his nose scrunched as he peers at the wall clock Sephiroth had put up in the living room. The clock was a simple, understated design—wooden frame, clean lines, nothing flashy—and it ticked quietly as if to avoid Genesis’s wrath. “Although I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much from a man who lived in an empty apartment for more than a decade.”

Instead of letting the comment pass over him like usual, Sephiroth actually deigns to defend his choice of decor. “It’s functional,” he says dismissively, “and serves its purpose.”

“It’s drab, Sephiroth. We’re not running a barracks. A clock should have character.” He gestures towards the space above the mantle as though conjuring some grand vision. “Imagine gold filigree, something far more worthwhile and eye-catching.”

Sephiroth snorts. “This is a house, not the set design for LOVELESS.” He turns to you with a kind smile only reserved for you. “What do you think?” he inquires, reaching out to brush away a speck of dust from your collar. “This is your new home too. Keep it, or let His Majesty turn this into his royal court?”