Sephiroth looked out of the window, watching the thick fog that surrounded the tiny cottage in the early sunrise. �Nice weather�,� he mumbled to himself, feeling the cold air seeped through his thin clothes.
Instead of his usual leather ensemble, he wore a pair of black jeans and a dark grey, long-sleeved shirt as a more casual wear. His long hair was still damp from the recent bath; it barely swayed as he strolled into the dining room. He had their breakfast ready on the table, all that�s left was for the children to wake up.
Sephiroth heard a pair of footsteps venturing into the room; turning his head, he saw Yazoo walking into the dining room, donning a pair of grey pyjamas, yawning.
�Mor�ning, Seph,� the boy half-yawned, hands rubbing his eyes sleepily.
Sephiroth smiled a little, �Morning. Are the others still asleep?� The general watched as the seven-years old took his usual seat at the table.
�Kadaj�s trying to wake Loz up. He snores like a dying cow�,� grumbled the child, visibly annoyed from being �assaulted� by the unpleasant sound all night long. The silver-haired swordsman raised his eyebrow. �Really?� The boy nodded heavily, his bright, cat-like eyes were beginning to identify the items on the table. They were mostly trained on the glass of juice in front of him before Sephiroth moved to join him at the table.
�Yazoo, I noticed yesterday��
Sephiroth saw Yazoo looked at him blankly but he knew the boy was nervous. �Well�you surprised me�with your excessive vocabulary, I mean.�
�Oh�� The boy blushed deeply, squirming in his seat as he was unsure on how to explain it. �Where did you learn to speak like that? I know I have never been a bad example-except<i/> for yesterday�,� he quickly added and Yazoo closed his mouth.
�The TV.�
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly at the black box in the living room. �The TV?�
Nod. ��Sorry�� The boy�s cheeks were flaming red by now.
The general tapped his fingers on the table, �No, no. There�s no need to apologize. That can be used to surprise your opponent, given your young age, they won�t expect it coming from you�well�I certainly didn�t.�
Yazoo nodded limply, �I tried to distract them��
Sephiroth stopped, catching the melancholic tone in the small voice. He lifted a hand, reaching out to pat the boy�s shoulder gently, �Yazoo, don�t think too much about it. It�s already been done, don�t dwell in the past.� Suddenly they heard a thump from the bedroom, followed by a chain of muttered curse. By two voices.
��� They looked at each other.
The swordsman dared to question, ��Do the others know�too�?�
�Yeah.� Yazoo nodded with a straight face.
The young general leaned into his chair, seemingly thoughtful. ��I think I need to watch more TV��
Kadaj walked into the room, a sly grin was plastered on his face. He wore a pair of sky blue pyjamas, similarly designed as Yazoo�s. His ears seemed to perk up when he saw Sephiroth sat at the table. �Morning, Seph!� He jogged towards the young swordsman and proceeded to climb into the man�s lap. Sephiroth nodded, allowing the small boy to settle comfortably on his lap. �Where�s Loz?� he asked, staring at the top of the silver head. He didn�t see the older boy came in with Kadaj.
Kadaj leaned heavier against the general�s torso, loving how the man�s strong arms seemed to encase him as they rested by his sides. Sephiroth�s muscles were even more apparent under the thin material. Someday, he would look like that, strong and powerful.
�He�ll come around. He fell from the bed,� the child giggled.
�Again?� Yazoo tilted his head, his eyes shone in mild disbelief. A nod. �He�ll have a concussion eventually if he keeps doing it,� mumbled Sephiroth.
Yazoo shrugged, �I doubt it. Loz has the hardest head.�
Kadaj snickered at that statement and both children shared a knowing smile.
Sephiroth sighed, �I hope he does�for his sake.�
�Aw, man�don�t do that, Kadaj.� The three turned to see Loz walked into the room while rubbing his head. His yellow pyjamas was slightly dishevelled from the night. �Morning, Seph, Yazoo.� The nine-year old took his seat at the table, yawning loudly. �I�m tired�� Loz mumbled as if it wasn�t already obvious, resting his chin on the wooden table.
Sephiroth chuckled, �Guess today�s plan has to be postponed then.� The three jumped in alarm. �No!� Kadaj shook his head rapidly. Loz straightened, �I�m up!� Yazoo merely shook his head at his brothers� antics.
�Seph, you haven�t told us what exactly our plan for today is,� he said, watching the young general curiously. He was excited about the plan but knew how to hide it.
The silver-haired general didn�t answer; instead he leaned back into his seat and looked at the three, a mysterious smile danced in his eyes. �There�ll be time for that later. Now let�s have our breakfast, it�s getting cold.� The children looked disappointed at first but they knew something good would come for those who wait, and Sephiroth always kept true to his promises.
Yazoo reached for his glass of orange juice and slowly sipped it, cringing slightly at the sour taste. Grabbing a freshly baked bun from the middle of the table, he nibbled on the bread slowly, watching the thick mist outside the window with mild interest. Loz poured the still-warm milk over his cereal and began to eat vigorously, occasionally reached out for more cereal and buns.
Kadaj slowly slid down from Sephiroth�s lap, climbing on his own chair to join his brothers. Sephiroth handed him a bun since he couldn�t reach it from his seat and he began munching on it. He watched as the young general sipped his coffee; it was usually black and steamy. The boy often wondered what it�d taste like, the liquid smelled somewhat bitter yet he saw that Sephiroth drank it with no difficulty; his face stayed serene and relaxed.
�Kadaj�s doing it again�� His head snapped towards a snickering Loz.
�What?� he asked, perplexed.
The older boy struggled to control his laughter, �You�re daydreaming and forgot about your bun! See? You dropped it!�
The little boy looked down at his hand, as Loz said, the piece of bread that he just took a few bites from had changed position to lie dejectedly on the floor. He looked at his empty hands blankly before the whole information registered in his mind. �Ow! Geez, Yazoo!� Kadaj looked up to see Yazoo hitting Loz�s head with a spoon, the elder boy raised his arms to defend himself from the onslaught.
�Eat your food,� the longhaired boy hushed, the silverware in his hand was crooked slightly from the impact it made against Loz�s head. He did have a hard head after all. Yazoo�s frown ceased when he turned to face the younger boy with a comforting smile. �Do you want another bread?� he offered sweetly, not wanting the boy to feel uneasy.
Kadaj nodded timidly, cheeks tinged with a slight shade of red, embarrassed that he dropped his bun in his stupor. He heard Sephiroth sip his drink calmly but he knew the older man had his eyes on him. After mumbling his thanks when Yazoo handed him another bun, Kadaj continued watching the mug of hot, black coffee in front of him thoughtfully.
�What�s wrong, Kadaj?�
The child looked up at Sephiroth�s questioning eyes before looking down at the man�s drink again. ��what does it taste like?� he asked innocently. The young general looked down to where the boy�s looking at and smiled. This particular boy was always curious about everything, and mostly about the swordsman himself.
�Would you like to try?� he suggested, it�s better to let the boy experience it himself rather than tell. Kadaj nodded enthusiastically at the offer and Sephiroth pushed the mug towards him. Kadaj put his bun on his plate and grasped the mug with both hands, tilting the heavy ceramic to get a better view of the content. A strange aroma assaulted his nose, bitter yet far from unpleasant. The boy decided that he liked the smell, it had this sense of maturity over it.
�Careful, it�s hot.� Sephiroth watched attentively as Kadaj brought the mug to his lips. The boy took a careful sip from the black liquid and his face immediately scrunched up.
�Ugh�yuck!!�
The silver-haired general couldn�t help but laugh when the boy pushed the mug back at him, a mild, disgusted scowl still on his child-like face. Yazoo and Loz had been watching with interest from their respective seats.
As his chuckle died away, Sephiroth reclaimed his mug, watching the small boy eagerly drank his orange juice to replace the bitter taste in his mouth. �Like it?�
Kadaj pouted slightly, �I don�t know how you can even drink it, Seph. It�s so�ugh� I like the smell though,� mumbled the boy, still downing his sour juice.
Sephiroth felt his mouth curve upwards at the boy�s confession, �It has its own specialty. You�ll grow to like it if you drink it everyday.� He had had coffee since he first handled night missions, now he enjoyed it because it kept the work stress away.
�Maybe when I�m older then�,� Kadaj mumbled sourly, still a little �traumatized� by the raw taste of adulthood.
*********
�How much further?�
Sephiroth tilted his head a little to look at the shorthaired boy, mindful of a small ditch on the ground as he swung his legs over it with ease, �Not very far away now��
�It�s so hot! It was so misty this morning before, it got scorching so suddenly!�
Yazoo hopped over a small bush, �Be quiet, Loz. Kadaj�s not complaining.�
�That�s cuz he�s not walking. My feet are killing me!� Loz retorted smartly as he stopped to rub his sore feet for the who-knows-how-many-times-that-morning. Satisfied, he readjusted the sling bag�s strap on his shoulder before he continued walking.
�Seph, I can walk by myself,� said Kadaj, not wanting to become a burden. Moreover, he felt sorry for his older brothers and it�s unfair that he was the only one that wasn�t walking.
The young general shook his head, holding the child more securely with his right arm. �Kadaj, just stay still. The footing�s not very smooth here.� His left arm was free just in case he had to draw his sword out. The jungles were always infested with monsters. Sephiroth occasionally glanced to his sides to make sure the other two boys were following. Finally he saw a clearing in front of them. �We�re here.�
The forest seemed to end where they came to a large plain, green grass stretched wide in front of them with only one, large tree in it. Near the tree, a spring pooled deeply, its water was as clear as sapphire. Multiple kinds of colourful birds were gathered on the tree, singing in a cheerfully harmonious melody. Wild flowers were scattered around the area, adding to the place�s beauty with their vibrant colours and sweetened the gentle breeze with lavish aroma.
It almost looked like a forbidden garden from the fairy tales, miraculously brought into real life.
Yazoo�s eyes widened, his sore shoulder from carrying their lunch basket was forgotten as he set it down, studying nature�s beauty.
Loz reacted more radically, dropping his bag full of their spare clothes and waling into the middle of the clearing, foot-ache forgotten, a wide grin stretched on his face as he fully scanned the area. �Whoa, look at this place!�
Sephiroth carefully set Kadaj down when the child began to squirm in his arms. The boy ran around the place in glee, not believing such beautiful place still existed. The only place he knew and had actually seen was the Midgar city; their cottage in the forest didn�t count. They�d never gone anywhere since they�d settled in the small shelter. He ran to Yazoo�s side where the older boy stood under the tree, looking up at the colourful birds above their head curiously.
�They�re so pretty��
Yazoo looked down to his younger brother. A soft smile curved on his lips before he turned to look up again, silently agreeing with his sibling. He could identify a few species of birds from what he read from the books Sephiroth bought, some of them didn�t initially originate from the area. The birds resumed singing and hopping from branch to branch, oblivious to the children�s keen stares. Feathers floated down like multicoloured snow, swirling and dancing in the tender breeze before some rested on their silver heads.
Yazoo reached out to pick the feather on Kadaj�s head, presenting it in front of the smaller boy�s face with a grin. �Here.�
Kadaj reached up and grasped the long, snowy white feather, his bright eyes seemed to narrow with unreadable thoughts. He held the snow feather in front of his face, studying the fine, white blades with interest. �Can I keep it?� he lifted his face to look at Yazoo. The older boy nodded, �Of course, they have plenty others to make nests with.� Kadaj grinned happily, his eyes seemed to glitter brighter than the sun as he thanked Yazoo and ran towards Sephiroth to show the man his new treasure.
Yazoo chuckled to himself at Kadaj�s happiness. The child was easy to please� sometimes. He continued to stay rooted to the very same spot when his brother left. He lifted his face to resume his study, opening his palm to capture a few soft feathers that floated down.
�Pricelessly beautiful�,� he whispered softly.
*********
Sephiroth and Loz had prepared their lunch on a large cloth, spread over the soft grass by the bank. �Go have a look around, Loz. I�ll take care of things here. And tell your brothers not to wander off too far, this is still a jungle,� Sephiroth while he arranged their plates. Loz nodded excitedly, he was already eager to explore the place. He wasted no time and sprinted to join his younger siblings to explore the exotic place. The silver-haired swordsman smiled and shook his head in amusement. (Children�)
�Seph! Seph, look at what I got!�
Mindfully setting the plate of sandwiches down, he turned around at the slightly frantic call, and Kadaj nearly bumped into him. The child managed to stop before he did though, bending and wheezing to catch his breath. The young boy didn�t look all frantic like his tone earlier implied, furthermore, his eyes seemed to gleam with this joy that Sephiroth almost hadn�t seen for a long time.
The swordsman was curious of what made the little boy to feel so excited. �What�s the rush, Kadaj?� he arched an eyebrow as he inquired, waiting for the boy�s explanation.
Kadaj grinned and proudly lifted his small hand in front of the young general�s face. Uncurling his small fingers, Sephiroth could see a long blade of white feather rested on the boy�s palms. It was purely white that it almost looked like it was glowing.
�Isn�t it pretty? It fell on my head and Yazoo said I could keep it,� Kadaj explained in a rush yet still with a tint of pride in it, clearly happy of his latest possession.
Sephiroth chuckled lightly, �It�s very beautiful, Kadaj. Maybe the birds want you to have it too. Now, it�s�,� he pulled on his long sleeve slightly to look at his watch, ��near 2 o�clock. Are you hungry?� The boy nodded rapidly, automatically kicked off his shoes and moved to sit on the cloth. He tucked the feather inside the empty lunch basket as Sephiroth called for his two older brothers.
Loz and Yazoo came and took their places on the cloth. Loz wiped his brow, his shirt clung to him from perspiration. �It�s really hot,� blurted Loz with a grin. �Seph, can we take a swim later?� he asked the silver-haired general hopefully, his eyes momentarily fleeted towards the spring.
Sephiroth looked to where the boy was aiming at. The crystalline water did look inviting, especially on a hot day like this. The calm surface of the lake reflected the rays of sunlight that fell on it, winking at them as if inviting them to take refuge in the cool water from the scorching heat.
The young general smiled, drawing his left knee up to rest his elbow on it, �Why not? But be warned, the water�s deeper than you think.�
�Don�t worry, I know how to swim!� Loz exclaimed proudly before he noticed Yazoo�s sceptical look. �Well�theoretically� I had practice!�
�Riiiiight�just where was that? In the bathtub?� retorted the long-haired boy blandly, ignoring the older boy�s glare.
Kadaj across him just nodded quietly, drinking his glass of juice. �Loz does spend a lot of time in the bathroom��
�Hey!�
�Alright guys, don�t argue. It�s okay if you don�t know how to swim. I can teach you how,� Sephiroth exclaimed, stopping the fight before it could even begin. Three pairs of bright green eyes looked at him hopefully like he was a deity, obviously excited and awed by the idea.
�Only after you all finish your lunch. It�s not good to swim with an empty stomach.�
The children began to their lunch vigorously, encouraged by his promise. Sephiroth felt a smile dance on his lips, nibbling on his sandwich leisurely as he enjoyed the scenery. It�d been a while since he last visited this place, and it hadn�t changed much. It was still peaceful and the beauty was untouched.
His days in Shin Ra were usually stressful, thus Sephiroth always tried to find the time to escape his hectic life. Ever since the war had ended, he had no big mission except exterminating rampaging monsters and training. Other than this, being rampaging monsters are rare and training was almost unneeded other than maintaining fitness, he�d been stuck behind his desk in his boring office, doing the loads of paperwork that never seemed to end. This garden was the second place he liked to go other than the children�s cottage.
(Peace and quite�.no interruption�)
A familiar beep shattered his tranquillity. His eyes shot open, seeing three identical pairs looked at him in unison. They had stopped eating when the sound first rang. The beep returned in steady, soft tone. Sephiroth cursed under his breath, he forgot to leave that damned thing at the cottage. ��Sorry.� He dug his back pocket to pull out the black PHS before it could beep the third time. The young general looked at the number and frowned slightly, pressing the answer button before holding it near his ear.
�What?� his voice was curt and cold, the superior tone returned to mask his emotion. The three boys watched the swordsman silently, knowing it was someone from Shin Ra.
�My current location isn�t your prior concern. Why are you contacting me fo� I�m off duty.� They could tell Sephiroth was annoyed from the reception. Yazoo saw Kadaj looked at him questioningly and shook his head slowly, he didn�t want to give false hope. If Sephiroth was forced to leave then, it would hurt the boy�s feelings. Loz kept watching the swordsman�s conversation through the phone, debating with himself whether Sephiroth would return to Midgar for the mission.
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes critically, �What mission? ��Those rebels again? Now?�
Kadaj lowered his sandwich, it was obvious that Sephiroth had to return to Shin Ra. He understood the young general�s work but he couldn�t help but to feel a little down that Sephiroth put his duty first; they were his responsibility too. Today was the first in that month that they had the time to spend together, why must it come to this?
Loz nudged Yazoo�s side gently, his bottom lip pouted to motion towards their youngest brother. The longhaired boy shook his head slowly at him, telling the older boy that he didn�t want to lie. Frustrated at not being able to change the situation, Loz sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, glaring at his wriggling toes.
Sephiroth noticed the boys had become very quiet and the identical glum looks plastered on their young faces. He wasn�t really paying attention to what the person at the end of the line was yapping about, all that concerned him was the kids. He had neglected them for far too long, he needed to spend more time with them. Sephiroth thought he could make up for the times he missed with the boys today�
(What do I mean �thought�? I am and I will.)
He straightened his back and his voice was terse and unfeeling, �No, today I�m off duty.�
The three looked up in shock, surprised that Sephiroth denied his call for them. The young general flashed them a small smile as he reached out to pat Kadaj�s head, causing the young boy to glow with happiness. Yazoo suppressed a giggle that rose to his throat at Kadaj�s beaming face which mirrored Loz�s wide grin. Sephiroth was going to stay with them for the whole day.
�I won�t come back to the base- Yes, apparently I am serious. Just take care of the rebels yourself, Zack, send the Turks in if you have to, I don�t care. I�m not coming.�
He didn�t wait to hear the soldier�s reply as he cut off the connection and threw the mobile inside the empty basket. The swordsman sighed softly as he closed his eyes and rubbed his aching temples. (Even when I�m off duty they won�t leave me alone�)
�Seph?�
He dropped his hand and opened his eyes, immediately being tackled into fierce hugs from the three. The air was knocked out of his lungs in surprise and the next thing he saw was the pure, bright blue sky. It didn�t take long before the young general burst out laughing at the thought that the three small children managed to throw him on his back; Sephiroth could feel the soft grass behind his head and through the thin fabric of his shirt, three pairs of jade, cat-like eyes that currently brimmed with joy stared down at him.
�You�re staying! You�re staying!! You�re staying!!!�
Sephiroth thought he could go deaf if Kadaj didn�t stop chanting near his ear, clinging to his neck like a vice. Yazoo was happily laughing on his torso with Loz grinning cheekily beside him, ruffling the younger boy�s long hair. Yazoo was too happy to slap his brother�s hand away from messing with his fine, silver locks, so he readily returned the treatment.
When his laughter died down into a soft chuckle, Sephiroth wrapped his strong arms around the children lying on his torso. �Should I take this to mean my decision to stay was correct?�
�Yes!� the children chirped in unison, producing another chortle from the older man. He shifted their weight on his torso, smiling at their happy faces, �I�m glad then. What did you guys eat anyway? You�re heavier than you look.�
�Half of it must be Loz,� quipped Kadaj cheekily, earning a playful whack on the head by the said boy.
Sephiroth chuckled again; the tremor shook his body and the children�s. �At least I know you three are eating well. So�where were we?� There was a hint of playfulness in his tone and his eyes were twinkling.
Yazoo lifted his head slightly from the swordsman�s chest, pondering on the question, �Umm�about finishing lunch before swimming?�
�Right. Did you?� The three nodded dumbly, not really expecting the general�s next move.
Sephiroth sat up and straightened, keeping the children in his circle of arms. �Seph?!� The silver-haired general flashed a wicked grin at the panicked boys. Kadaj clung to him tighter when he stood, bringing them along. Yazoo held on the man and the smaller boy while Loz tried to wriggle free from the swordsman�s group hug.
�Well, since you all had finished lunch, it�s time to hit the water, isn�t it?�
�Seph, no!� Loz shrieked, finally realizing what the young general intended. Too late though. Sephiroth took a big jump�and the children were left to no option than to hold their breaths�
*********
Wringing the water off his damp silver tresses, he padded into the bedroom with a pair of black silk pyjamas. He removed the damp grey towel from around his neck and draped it over a chair to dry as he plopped on the large bed, sighing in relaxation. His body was tired, but deep down inside, he felt whole and contented.
It�s been a while since he last experienced such joy at being so lenient. Often he found himself thanking whoever it was that made him save the children; they supplied him with unlimited peace of mind. The youngsters were his refuge; he didn�t need to pretend in front of them. With them, he could just be himself.
Sephiroth sighed, letting himself fall backwards on the soft mattress, feeling his damp hair through the thin material of his pyjamas. He was staring at the dull ceiling yet his mind wandered elsewhere, his lips curled into a slight smile. He remembered how he instructed and watched the kids swim earlier. They learned fast, and Loz had already challenged him into a race across the lake.
Of course, how could he refuse?
Although it was obvious he was sure to win, the boy was devoted and the young general couldn�t help but to admire the boy�s commitment. Kadaj and Yazoo waited near the bank to watch the race, their long hair plastered on their foreheads and cheeks though that didn�t conceal their happy grins. Kadaj swam at him and splashed the cool water to his face which drew another string of heartfelt laughter from the young general. Sephiroth flashed the boy a sly smile and countered the assault with powerful strokes, producing a larger splash and completely overpowered the small boy. Due to their little brother�s shrieks of laughter and cries for help, Yazoo and Loz joined in, teaming up with the small boy to counter his splashes.
The whole day consisted of them swimming and playing in the cool spring water. Honestly, he rather spent every day like today, free without anything to worry about. Sephiroth was almost sorry that they had to leave when the sky turned golden with the tint of red in the horizon. The birds too had begun to fly home. Loz whined but concurred nonetheless when he announced their leave and Yazoo had to drag Kadaj out of the water. After changing into dry clothes, they headed home.
He sighed, the day was nearly over. Tomorrow he�d be back in his office, doing the same boring paperwork again. The routine could go on for weeks; he wished he didn�t have to leave this sanctuary�
�Seph?�
His eyes flew open and he immediately saw Kadaj stood at the foot of his bed, clean and clad in his pyjamas. The young general sat up slowly, offering the boy a small smile, �You�re supposed to be in your bed-�
�You�re leaving tomorrow, right?� It was just a timid whisper, but it succeeded in cutting the swordsman�s words. Sephiroth tilted his head slightly, watching how the small boy bowed his head to stare at his twiddling fingers nervously. His leaving must be nagging at the back of the boy�s mind.
��Kadaj�I can�t stay here for long. They�ll get suspicious if I �disappear� for too long�� The boy ducked his head lower in silence. Sephiroth raised his eyebrow; it seemed that something else was bothering the boy as well. �I�ll leave tomorrow morning. Early. So don�t be surprised when you wake up and find that I�m gone. I promise I�ll find more time in the future.�
�Why can�t you quit?� Kadaj lifted his face as he spoke, his eyes glassy yet determined. �You don�t have to work with them. You can find another job and spend more time with us. I don�t care about the money, Seph. We just want you to be around, live together with us,� he whispered softly, ��Just us four�no interruptions��
Sephiroth sighed softly; he knew what the child meant. �If only things were that easy, I would�I would have done that long ago. I�d be more than willing to leave all those and live with you, Yazoo and Loz�� He slid off the bed and knelt in front of the small boy, grasping the small shoulders gently, �But I can�t. They won�t let me go.�
Kadaj looked up to meet the general�s eyes, curiosity danced within the depth of his jade orbs. �Why not?� Sephiroth opened his mouth as if to speak, but decided against it and shook his head slowly. The boy was still too innocent to learn about human�s twisted ways. �Never mind�someday you�ll understand that some things never work the way we want it to be. Now go get some sleep. Don�t think too much,� he ended, stroking the boy�s soft, pale hair gently.
Kadaj slowly nodded, knowing none of them had the right to make the decision. He felt so helpless. ���
Seeing the disappointed look on the boy�s face was too much for the young general; he didn�t want an enjoyable day like today end in such a morose way. (No, I won�t let it.)
�Do you want to spend the night here, Kadaj?�
The boy�s head snapped up, brilliant jade eyes stared at him in a mixture of shock, disbelief and yes, joy� �Can I? Can we?� he asked, glee danced in his eyes, erasing the recent glum expression on his face. At Sephiroth�s comforting nod, the boy jumped and clung to the man�s neck briefly, shrieking in delight. �I�ll go get Yazoo and Loz!� Kadaj announced, pulling himself from the hug. Sephiroth chuckled lightly, �And extra pillows.� The boy grinned cheekily and sprinted towards the other bedroom.
Sephiroth stood up, walking to his bed to make room for the other three children. He had just gathered the comforter in his hands when Kadaj charged into the room noisily, Yazoo and Loz in tow with pillows in their hands. They watched as their smallest brother threw himself on the large bed, grinning cutely at them as he made himself comfortable on the soft mattress.
�Seph, you really don�t mind this?� Yazoo questioned while searching the older man�s face for any sign of annoyance. Sephiroth shook his head with a smile, �Not at all. It�s not like we�ve never shared the same bed before-�
�Sleep over!�
Loz joined Kadaj on the bed after throwing his and the boy�s pillow on the bed, taking his place on the left side of the bed. Kadaj laughed at his big brother�s antics and Loz just grinned sheepishly at him.
Yazoo sighed and shook his head at his older brother�s childish behaviour. �Well, I won�t worry too much then. Loz is very �loud� though��
Sephiroth chuckled, �Yazoo, it�s all right. I was the one who offered to have you all spend the night here. Now, climb on.�
Yazoo smiled brightly and nodded, not wasting any more time in putting his pillow on the mattress before he climbed on it himself. Kadaj stopped rolling on the mattress and let the long-haired boy crawl between him and Loz. He turned to his side to watch Sephiroth stood by the bedside, waiting for the tall man to join them.
After seeing the children were nicely settled on the bed, the young general spread the comforter over them, making sure the thick cloth covered their young forms. After turning off the bedpost light, the room was illuminated in a soft, blue hue by the moonlight, Sephiroth lifted the cover a little and slipped under it from the bedside, taking his usual position on the right side of the bed. He lay there on his back silently for a while before he turned to look at the three kids, his eyes gleamed in the dark, �Now, go to sleep.�
Loz yawned and shuffled under the cover, �Night, Seph.�
Yazoo laid on his side, watching his fingers curled on his pillow before closing his eyes, �Good night, Seph.�
Kadaj cuddled closer to the man�s broad chest, contented to feel the man�s presence nearby. At least they still had tonight. �G�night�Seph.� He could clearly hear the swordsman�s pulse beating calmly against his chest, his breath warming the top of his head.
Sephiroth stretched his arm and draped it over three, remembering that he would leave them again tomorrow morning. �Good night�Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz.�
*********
Yep, there�s something�.�special��..in this chapter�.X3 I�ll let you guys find them yourselves, it�s not really that hard >;3 10 pages, hope you likey! ^__^
����.I need action�yes�.too much cuteyness is turning me into a goo�
Next chap: Zack Alert, people! >XD
~ Divine Star ~