Yazoo yawned quietly, his eyes refused to open while he stretched his limbs on the soft mattress. Rolling to his right, he rubbed his eyes off the sleepiness and slowly opened them. The room was dim, illuminated with soft, blue light, which could only come from the small lamp above the bed. Blinking a few times, he could see Kadaj slept soundly beside him with Loz�s hand draped around his small shoulder protectively.
Smiling softly, he scooted closer towards the two, running a hand through Kadaj�s short hair, watching the smaller boy sighed at the contact before reaching out to the older boy�s shoulder. Loz stirred slightly before opening his eyes, looking straight at him. Yazoo moved his hand to his face, pressing a finger to his lips as a signal to stay quiet.
Loz nodded lazily, rolling to his back and stretching to get the drowsiness out of his system. Yawning, the boy sat up and he was about to climb off the bed when he stilled, eyes staring past Yazoo�s form. Yazoo arched his brows in confusion when his brother motioned past him but when he turned to look, his face softened.
Sephiroth sat on a chair beside the bed; half of his torso was on the bed, and judging from how relaxed his posture was, the boys assumed the older man was asleep. The young general never snored in his sleep and he was usually a light sleeper, so it sometimes seemed like he didn�t sleep at all.
�When?� Loz kept his voice barely above whisper so only the other boy heard it.
Yazoo�s expression darkened a little, �Before anything could happen��
Loz frowned, his eyes quickly darted towards the sleeping, small form but Yazoo shook his head, saying the boy was unscathed. �We�re lucky��
�Since when?� Yazoo looked at his brother when he scoffed bitterly at that.
�Loz�� There was a mixture of warning and concern in his voice.
�I�m fine, Yazoo�just�my head is killing me�� Loz pressed a hand against his throbbing temple to emphasize his statement.
�Maybe you need to lie down a little bit longer?� suggested the younger boy.
Loz shrugged, �Nah, I need to pee�and my stomach�s growling. What time is it now?� Yazoo directed his gaze towards the closed window; he saw the sky outside was already pitch-black, with not a single star to be seen.
�Don�t know�,� he shrugged, �But I�m hungry too. Better get up and prepare something before they wake up.� The older boy nodded slowly, sliding off the bed easily from his side and heading straight towards the restroom to do his business.
Yazoo�s task was harder though, being settled in between Kadaj and Sephiroth; he opted to climb down from the end of the bed. Carefully placing his hands and feet so he wouldn�t disturb them, he slowly made his way towards the end of the bed.
�Ya�zoo�?�
The boy snapped his head to his right, seeing Kadaj rubbing his eyes before his bright, jade orbs regarded him curiously.
�Hey, morning.�
�Mor�ning�,� the small boy replied groggily, sleepiness still hovered on his lids. Yazoo smiled at the younger boy, moving his hand to pat the boy�s head playfully, �Go back to sleep, Kadaj.�
The smaller boy made a small sound of protest behind his throat, rolling to both sides of the huge mattress to make a stubborn fit until he had the blanket tangled around him, halting his movements. Yazoo kept his chuckle down as he undid the tangle and draped it back on the boy�s form. �Don�t make too much noise, Seph�s sleeping.�
That got Kadaj�s attention, his eyes widened drastically and they followed to where Yazoo pointed at. �Now sleep, Loz and I are going to cook something, okay?�
Kadaj nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still pinned on the long, silver hair attached to a head that rested on the mattress beside him. He heard Loz and Yazoo walked out of the bedroom, their quiet chatters grew faint as they entered the kitchen, which was at the back of the cottage.
Kadaj tried to go back to sleep but failed miserably; his eyes refused to close when they were still fixed on the top of Sephiroth�s head. His heart lit up with joy that washed away any desire he�d had before to sleep. Finally he gave up in calming himself down. Kadaj pushed himself up, scarcely noticing his new attire as he crawled closer towards the sleeping general.
�Seph?�
He could hear Sephiroth�s soft breath blow against his long bangs, gently pushing the silvery strands from his relaxed face. Sitting in front of the man, Kadaj tilted his head to get a better view of Sephiroth�s face.
Half of his face was hidden behind his folded arms. The young general�s eyes were entirely shut, the boy could see the shadows of his long, dark lashes on the man�s pale cheeks. The frown that always decorated the swordsman�s face was still there but it was greatly reduced to a more serene expression in his slumber. Sephiroth�s long stream of silky hair was spilled over his shoulders to the bed and his back like liquid silver, shining with its own ethereal light.
Kadaj smiled softly, his fingers idly playing with the strands of silver silk on the bed before he reached out to touch the top of Sephiroth�s head. His small fingers easily disappeared into the thick mass of silver, marveling how soft and delicate each strand was as he gently brushed them to the back of the man�s head.
He almost giggled when the young general moaned into the mattress; his fingers patiently repeated their actions, eliciting the same reaction from the older man.
*********
Small, slender fingers raked their ways into his silver mane, burying themselves amongst the thick, soft strands on his head. He felt them withdraw briefly before they repeated the motion, fingertips brushing gently against his scalp. Years before, he might have jerked at the mere touch to his hair but now he didn�t even want to open his eyes.
The fingers glided deliciously over his scalp, combing his long, silver hair to the back of his head. He moaned softly, feeling content in the simple contact as it expressed the warmth and affection more than words could.
Sephiroth couldn�t help but to purr into the mattress when the fingers reached to the back of his neck and massaged the tense muscles there knowingly. Pleasure surged throughout his body as he relaxed immensely, his eyes felt even heavier to open.
The silver-haired general heard a soft giggle not far in front of his face, the fingers retracted only to settle on top of his head, fiddling with the soft hair lightly. �Seph?� The man smiled into the mattress, recognizing whose voice it was. Lifting his head slightly, Sephiroth slowly cracked his eyes open, his cat-like eyes beginning to focus under his long lashes.
�Good morning�Kadaj.�
The little boy beamed into his face, waited for the young general to straighten up in his seat before he threw himself at the man. Sephiroth smiled at the child�s affection towards him, his arms moved on their own to hug the little boy from years of practice.
�Good morning, Seph,� the boy countered politely, his fingers continued to weave their ways into the long, silky strands behind the man�s neck.
Kadaj had always thought that Sephiroth was their real brother in blood. The young general had not even once kept the secret of their origin from them; he thought the children deserved to know. The swordsman knew how it felt to live on lies and deceit, thus he would never repeat the treatment on the children. Yet the children didn�t despair, they still thought of Sephiroth as a brother and guardian to them all, no matter what the real truth stated. Moreover, they were eternally grateful for Sephiroth�s openness and honesty towards them.
It felt good to be so trusted.
Kadaj buried his face against the crook of Sephiroth�s neck, inhaling the sweet fragrance of wild forest flowers and fresh grass laced with dew in a misty morning that he remembered often lingered over man�s body. The boy never remembered the young general degrading himself with any of the artificial cologne that people usually bought at the stores to conceal their own stench, in fact, he wondered if Sephiroth had ever had any cologne at all. Still, it was better that way, Kadaj loved the natural smell because it reminded him of nature and freedom.
Sephiroth had brought them to this cottage four years ago and this was where they had lived ever since then. It was much more comfortable than the laboratories and more importantly, they were free to live their own lives. He was always there for them when they needed him most, and that was more than enough kindness; more than they had ever received from any man they had come to know.
�Sleep well?�
The boy nodded heartily, �Yeah.�
Sephiroth patted the boy�s back gently, �No dreams?�
�No�� Kadaj was about to answer the question with his cheery tone before he froze, memories from a recent past replayed within his mind, and his green, cat-like eyes widened in shock.
He remembered about their encounter in the forest�about the thugs...every vivid detail rushed within his young mind. A cold shudder ran through his small body, shaking against the older man�s frame. Fear gripped him at what he had done.
He had endangered all of them with his stupidity.
�Kadaj�� Sephiroth could feel the small boy shake against his chest. Kadaj didn�t answer his call, trembling fingers grasping on the thick locks of long, silver hair behind his neck. Sephiroth slowly pried the boy from his neck, holding the small frame just enough to have a look at the young face.
Kadaj had his head bowed as if in shame, the young general could see a single tear streaking down the boy�s cheek. He frowned slightly, not comprehending the sudden change of mood.
�I�m sorry�� Kadaj looked up, tears welled up in his eyes, �I�m sorry�I�� He couldn�t continue with the croak in his voice so he swallowed, squeezing his eyes at the incoming sob. Sephiroth raised his eyebrows in confusion before he realized what the boy meant. He shook his head slowly, a small smile formed on his lips. He could easily guess.
�You�re worried that I�d be angry at you because of what happened?� The boy didn�t reply, bowing his head lower at the guilt. Sephiroth sighed softly, �Don�t be. Nothing bad happened, alright?� The boy sniffed, his body began to quake slightly, �I deserve it�� Sephiroth frowned, the child�s sense of guilt was strong.
�No one deserves that, Kadaj. Especially you. Don�t think like that, ever.� He gave the boy�s shoulders a firm squeeze. �If anyone is to blame for that, it�ll be me. I should�ve come sooner.� Kadaj looked up in surprise.
�Seph, you didn�t do anything wrong!�
Sephiroth gave him a half-hearted smile, �I promised to come this morning�yet I arrived late in the evening. I�m sorry, Kadaj.�
Kadaj threw himself at the young general again, clinging to the man while shaking his silver head stubbornly, �Brother, you didn�t do anything wrong, you didn�t. You don�t have to apologize.� Sephiroth sighed, rubbing his palm against the thin red cloth on the boy�s back.
�Neither did you, so no more apologizing, all right?� He could feel the boy nod against his shoulder, his small hands still grasping on the thick silver strands. Forgetting the gentle tug on his hair, Sephiroth finally noticed that Yazoo and Loz weren�t in the bed.
�Kadaj, where are Yazoo and Loz?� The young general tilted his head slightly to look at the small child around his neck.
�Kitchen. Cooking,� the boy simply replied, too occupied in fiddling with the silver silk in his hands. He still didn�t let go when the silver-haired swordsman made a move to stand. Knowing what to do from experience, Sephiroth slipped an arm under the boy�s knees and drew the boy close to his chest effortlessly. Kadaj grinned, he loved it when the young general carried him. Sephiroth was so tall and he liked to see things from the man�s point of view�or from the same level at least.
Sephiroth shook his head slowly at the youth�s playfulness, letting a tiny smile show as he carried the boy towards the kitchen.
*********
�Loz, take this inside, I�ll take the rest.� The said boy nodded obediently, walking towards the stove. Grasping the handles of the big pot, he winched slightly before drawing back, rubbing his sore arms. Yazoo noticed his discomfort, �Loz?� The older boy turned his head to look at his concerned brother with a coy smile.
�Don�t worry, Yazoo. I�m fine.� The longer-haired boy seemed cynical at his statement, narrowing his eyes when Loz kept insisting that he was all right. �If you�re feeling uncomfortable, don�t hesitate to tell us, okay?� reminded Yazoo, his eyes still raking over his brother�s bigger form. The boy might look strong in appearance but Yazoo knew he was as tenuous as the rest of them. Loz just looked stronger because he was bigger and older, and because he needed to.
�C�mon, if you�re not feeling well, I can do it myself,� he tried to offer.
�I�m fine, Yazoo. I�ll bring the stew inside, kay?� Loz lifted the pot from the stove and walked towards the dining room to avoid any other argument from his younger brother. Yazoo might be younger than him, but the boy was much more matured than him and Kadaj. And stubborn.
Loz was putting the pot of stew on the table when Sephiroth and Kadaj came in. The boy looked up towards the tall swordsman; at first he was compelled to apologize to the young general about what happened but Sephiroth�s eyes told him to forget it so he kept his mouth shut. His eyes darted towards the small boy in the general�s arm, seeing how Kadaj clung to the man like a baby monkey, and his mouth curved into a cheeky grin at the comparison.
�Hey, monkey! Wear pants, would ya?�
Kadaj turned to face his snickering brother and pouted, �I�m not a monkey!� Loz rubbed his chin as if he was actually considering it. �Well�could�ve fooled me with the way you�re latching to Seph. Let me check for a tail, just to be sure�,� said Loz, his eyes narrowing critically as he walked towards them.
Kadaj squirmed in Sephiroth�s hold, panicked when he saw the devious smile on the older boy�s face. He shrieked when Loz lifted a hand to touch the end of his shirt. �Aah! Aaaahh!!! Seph!!�
Sephiroth chuckled, shifting the small boy to his other arm, away from Loz�s reach. �Loz, stop it before Kadaj actually suffocates me with his grip.� The older boy obeyed, the grin still on his face though. The young general rocked the small boy in his arm a little, �Kadaj, Loz was joking. I know you don�t have a tail,� he patted the boy�s lower back, ��well, not yet anyway-�
�Seph!!!� It was surprising that a young boy as adorable as Kadaj could control his face muscles to scowl so deep.
�Stop teasing,� Kadaj huffed irritably, a tinge of soft pink visible on his cheeks. He still had his hands around the tall man�s neck though, gripping on the soft leather now instead of the Sephiroth�s hair.
Sephiroth smiled, it wasn�t usual for him to but the children always managed to make the stoic general to crack a smile. He shook his head slowly, amusement still playing in his eyes as he set the boy down. The shirt was big enough for it to reach Kadaj�s knee so pants weren�t really necessary.
�I�m wearing Loz�s shirt,� mumbled the small boy, tugging on the red cloth in inspection. Loz shrugged nonchalantly, �I don�t mind. Keep it if you want.�
�But it�s too big,� Kadaj argued, looking at his brother, perplexed.
The older boy grinned, patting the smaller boy�s head, �You�ll grow up, Shorty.�
Kadaj growled but he didn�t get a chance to retort when Yazoo walked in with plates in his hands. �Loz, help me set the plates on the table.� Loz nodded and quickly went to help, �Be right there.� Kadaj sniffed the air, �Smells so�delicious. What did you make, Yazoo?� The long-haired boy smiled, �Your favourite. Have a seat.�
�I�ll get the drinks, all of you sit down,� told Sephiroth before he walked into the kitchen. Taking the glasses from the shelf, he heard the boys chattering amongst themselves and he was relieved the recent incident wasn�t their main topic. Sephiroth didn�t want them to dwell in it too much, and he realized the kids seemed to avoid it too.
�Loz, your face is dirty!� He heard a giggle from Kadaj and he could imagine the boy pointing at Loz as mirth sang in his childish voice.
Loz was quick to retort, however, �Ha, lookit yourself, Kadaj! You have dirt in your hair!�
�I�m going to take a bath after this�� Yazoo�s voice sounded the calmest and quietest among them all.
�Yazoo, I�m taking the bathroom first,� Loz announced proudly.
�Hey, not fair! You always get to be the first one!� protested Kadaj.
It seemed that Loz did something non-verbal response before Yazoo blurted in.
�Loz, don�t bully Kadaj. You�re the eldest amongst us, act more mature.�
�Tch, you already did enough for both of us��
True, despite their ages, Sephiroth knew they developed much faster than any normal children, both physically and mentally. He himself had been the same when he was little, so he wasn�t surprised. Brushing the thought away, he returned to the dining room with their drinks. The three boys were silent when he entered, their eyes fixed on him while he arranged their drinks on the table. The children always waited for him before they started eating.
Sephiroth sat down slowly, resting his hands on the table as he scanned each faces, �Let�s eat.�
He wasn�t really hungry, he spent some time watching the children eat before he worked on his plate, just so they won�t feel awkward about him not eating. He watched and listened as the boys talked and ate merrily, all the traces of the earlier incident seemed to vanish from their young minds. Sephiroth offered a few smiles and nods into their �conversation,� already contented just from hearing their voices.
�Seph, do you want more stew?�
He looked up at Yazoo�s question, �No, Yazoo. It�s enough. Thank you. Dinner was wonderful.� The boy smiled shyly at the compliment. �Seph, are you going to spend the night here?� The said man directed his gaze towards Kadaj, seeing the pair of hopeful eyes aimed at him.
That reminded him of the good news he was going to tell them before the incident snatched his attention. Sephiroth nodded curtly, silver hair fell into his face before he brushed them off, �Yes, I believe I am�because I have the whole day off tomorrow.� He could practically feel the whole table cheered at the news. The children were grinning from ear to ear as the effect of the announcement. A day to spend with Sephiroth would be the best day ever.
The silver-haired swordsman realized he was too busy lately, sometimes he could only visit them twice a week�or less. As much as Sephiroth hated to admit, he knew he had grown attached to the kids whom he thought as his own siblings. However the general made sure he put the cold, emotionless mask on when he was around other people, for their own safety. So far none in Shin-Ra knew about their existence and Hojo hadn�t said anything about the explosion in his lab three years ago. They had said it was from Mako leakage, Sephiroth snickered inwardly.
�But what are we going to do tomorrow? I�m bored��
Yazoo didn�t comment on Kadaj�s complaint, he was bored being cooped up in the house as well but he knew it was for their own good. They needed to stay hidden. He looked at Sephiroth who had a thoughtful look in his face at Kadaj�s words.
At last the older man nodded, �How about I bring you to this one place? I�m sure no humans ever go there.�
Loz seemed interested as he leaned nearer to the table, �To where?�
Sephiroth smiled, his eyes shone playfully, �You�ll know it tomorrow�� He almost couldn�t resist the urge to laugh at their anxious faces. The tall man stood up, surveying the table quickly, �Well, if you�re all finished, go take a shower, all of you. I�ll take care of the dishes.�
The young general glanced up at the clock, his commanding tone returned slightly, �I expect you all to be in bed by eleven.�
The children yelped, scurrying in abandoning the table to fulfill the thirty minutes time limit. �Hurry!� �My turn first!� �Mine!� Sephiroth shook his head slowly, chuckling softly as the children hastily disappeared into their bedroom, their shrieks and banters could still be heard even when he carried the dishes towards the kitchen. They are obedient young creatures, and he was truly grateful of that.
*********