Who Says You Can't Go Home
"Family is not about blood, it's about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most"
Chapter 1
It was too stupidly sunny for Terra to be attending his father's funeral. Sunlight streamed into threw the stain-glass windows of the funeral home making beautiful patterns on the carpet. As if to say some higher power took some sick humor in his family's suffering. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he did his best to keep everything from falling apart. He did his best to not step on any toes of those around him. He did his best to not punch a wall and scream at the top of his lungs.
Of course, of course the bastard would die of a stroke before all of his children were grown. Of course, it would happen right when Terra was finally starting to get his life put together. And of course, he would leave all of the responsibility on Terra to clean up the mess.
There wasn't going to be any speeches from family or friends at the precession. Not that it would matter, Eraqus Hart wasn't exactly the most popular man around with his pompous attitude and overly black and white views of the world. Still, Terra loved his father and he knew none of his siblings or himself would be exactly in good shape to give a speech; ranging from the reaction being uncontrollable sobs to a full-on screaming fit with collateral damage around the funeral home.
Terra let himself look to his left where his siblings stood oldest to youngest to see how they were holding up as people went through the line to give each sibling their condolences. Each of them seemed to be taking things ok, at least as ok as one could be expected to take the loss of a parent. Though it wasn't like they didn't have practice. Terra never knew his biological mother, only that he was left on his father's doorstep and after a paternity test, it was confirmed Terra was indeed his son.
He did, however, know his step-mother. His father married the golden-haired beauty when Terra was just seven years old, already having two children of her own the two seemed like a match. Terra didn't think they loved each other, at least not romantically, but they cared about each other and their children enough it worked. Too bad she died when Terra was just twelve-years-old.
Maybe if she was still alive things would have turned out differently.
Terra observed his step-brothers cautiously. Their reactions to their father's passing couldn't have been any more different than night and day.
Ventus and Vanitas were twins by a year. Having about ten months between them and being born just before and after the cut-off dates for school, they always were in the same grade. Ventus was the oldest and looked the most like their mother with his wind-swept blond hair and large sapphire colored eyes. His cheeks were pink and flushed as tears silently streamed down his face but he did his best to accept the condolences with as much grace as an eighteen-year-old could manage. He had only had his birthday a few weeks ago and now his father was gone, he wasn't even graduated yet. It tore at Terra's heartstrings a little to think about it though his face didn't show it.
On the other side of Ventus was Vanitas. Out of all the siblings, he looked the least like everyone. Even Terra could be mistaken for being biologically related to all of them with his matching blue eyes to everyone else. However, Vanitas was the only one to inherit golden eyes and dark hair from his birth father. His skin was tan and his hair was just a wild but it looked less intentional then Ventus' more whimsical, pretty-boy appearance. Vanitas seemed more apathetic to the situation. Shaking the hands as quickly as possible to get them as far away from himself as possible.
After Vanitas started the triplets Sora, Roxas, and Xion. Sora was the oldest out of the set of fifteen-year-olds. He seemed like a strange blend of Ventus and Vanitas. With the same blue eyes that were common in the family, though his hair was an ashy brown instead of blond. He was tan, though Terra suspected that was more from Sora being outside then it being is natural complexion. Though, it was uncanny how he looked like a color variant of Vanitas. Sora didn't try to hide his tears or sobs as people told him they were sorry for his loss. Instead, he wore his heart on his sleeve and made sure everyone knew just how torn up he was about losing his father.
If Sora was a color variation of Vanitas then Roxas was Ventus' doppelgänger. The only way you could ever tell those two apart was by the fact Roxas' hair was more of a dirty blonde then platinum like Ventus. If Terra didn't know better, he would say those two were the twins and not him being a fraternal triplet with Sora and Xion. Roxas though seemed to be having the same reaction to all of this as Terra, which was be a stoic but polite as possible. He didn't cry like Sora or Ventus but he didn't look indifferent Vanitas did.
Xion was not only the only girl out of all of them. But she was also the perfect balance between her father and mother whereas the rest took heavily after one parent or another, she seemed to capture the best features of them both with her mother's flawless pale skin and sparkling blue eye and then their father's lush dark hair. Terra noted that she had cut it short since the last time he saw her but didn't say anything. She was doing her best to keep it together like Ventus though she also let some tears slip out and she was quick to whip them away as they fell.
The whole situation sucked, but there wasn't anything to be done. Their father was dead and that was the end of the story.
The funeral home owner cleared his throat to let everyone know the funeral was about to start and everyone was quick to scramble to their seats. Terra did his best to not look around at the sea of strangers and the empty chairs that littered the room. Instead, he made his eyes fix on the coffin that was closed at the family request. Terra had sent a text to his siblings while he had been making the arrangements for the funeral and they were all in agreement that they would rather not have an open casket ceremony.
It was probably for the best. He didn't see any of them leaving a rose on his coffin without making a scene. Even as he rose to leave the white bloom on his father's coffin, he fought off the urge to scream at him. That he somehow still managed to control Terra's life even in death. But Terra kept his jaw locked as he placed the flower down then took his seat once more while some girls from the local church sang a few hymns.
…
Terra decided it was also unbearably hot for a funeral. Terra tugged at the collar of his suit as he tried to not die of heat stroke from where he stood under the awning in the summer sun. Ventus had finally lost it now and was full on crying with Sora and Xion, the three of them holding each other close while Roxas looked ready to jump in at the drop of a hat. Vanitas had only rolled his eyes at them and Terra had to stop himself from snapping at his brother.
"He's mourning in his own way," Terra had told himself as he watched the brunettes body language and how he looked like the burial of his father was the most inconvenient thing in the world. It was hard, but Terra did manage.
The process of putting the coffin in the ground wasn't nearly as long as listening to the speeches the local priest and funeral home host had been. Before Terra knew it his father, the man he both loved and hated, was gone from his life. The crowd was starting to disperse now as the guests once more began to chat amongst themselves.
Terra looked around for his siblings, as they had all disappeared just as quickly as the crowd. Sora was with a small group of what Terra assumed was his high school friends. There were two girls, a blonde and a red-head that seemed to be sisters, and a silver-haired boy. All three of them seemed to be doing there best to comfort Sora as he tried to smile reassuringly.
Roxas and Xion were talking to a slightly larger group of what Terra also assumed were high school friends. An impossibly tall boy with flaming red hair that couldn't be natural, another blonde boy, a petite girl with large green eyes, and a larger boy in a basketball jersey: they all seemed to be cracking some jokes to take Xion and Roxas' minds off of the events and it seemed to be working considering the two were laughing.
As Terra walked, he spotted Vanitas under a tree avoiding everyone and clearly waiting for the OK from Terra to leave. They made eye contact and with a sigh, Terra jerked his head to the side letting Vanitas know he was free to go. The dark-haired boy wasted no time jumping up from his spot and making a bee-line for the cemetery entrance. Terra just hoped he would come home for dinner.
Terra could see Ventus now, he was talking with some of the older guests. Likely the people Terra should have been talking to but wasn't because he wasn't sure he would be able to avoid speaking ill of the dead. Ventus was taking everything and strides and for a second Terra could feel a pang of jealousy for how easily his younger brother interacted with people.
"Mr. Hart?" The formal title didn't register with Terra right away. Most of his patients at the hospital called him Terra or Nurse Terra. But after another second of contemplation, Terra realized they were talking to him and turned to see an older man with a long beard.
"Sorry," was all Terra managed to say in response as he looked at the man. The man just gave a slight smile in understanding.
"It's alright my boy, I would understand not being all here today," the man said with a curt nod. "My name is Yen Sid. I'm the principal at the local high school. Though you wouldn't have had me since I believe your brother, Sora, mentioned you went to a private high school the next town over. Your father was a student of mine as well, back when I was just a science teacher."
"Oh," was all that Terra could manage to say in response. He was a little startled to learn Sora talked about him to people, especially the principal of his school. Though he wasn't surprised his father never mentioned the man. His father honestly never really talked much about himself. Though Terra suspected that might be because he would realize how much of a hypocrite he was when he would trash something on TV and then do the same thing himself.
"I'm guessing he never really talked about me?" Terra shook his head to confirm the man's suspicions. "It doesn't really matter I suppose. I just had a few questions for you regarding the children."
"Of course," Terra said before motioning to some chairs that had been set out for people if they didn't feel like standing. Graciously Yen Sid took his seat and Terra one not far from the man.
"Am I right to assume that you are taking over as the children's guardian?"
"Yes," Terra confirmed. He had practiced this response over and over again when he had bet with a child-service agent just the other day to settle matters concerning where his siblings would be living. He had been in a rage at the idea of giving up his early twenties to raise a bunch of teenagers he had never really been close to but despite his protests, he couldn't bring himself to submit them to foster care. They didn't have any other family for them to stay with and Terra didn't want them to be separated. So, just like he was sure his father knew he would from where ever he was, Terra agreed to become their legal guardian.
"I'll be beginning work at the hospital as a nurse starting next week," Terra continued with the information though the principal didn't ask for it. He was sure the nosey old man would ask anyway. "Dad left enough money that I shouldn't have to worry too much about supporting the six of us on that salary alone though."
Yen Sid nodded as Terra seemed to be more forthcoming with the information then he had originally anticipated. Terra was starting to wonder if maybe he was rambling too much. But as he studied the man some more, the suspected Yen Sid really didn't mind.
"That's good to hear," Yen Sid said finally, interrupting Terra's rambling. "I'm glad to see the kids are taken care of."
Terra nodded then, expecting the conversation to be done then but apparently it wasn't when Yen Sid started to speak again. "I'll be having on of my school councilors talking to them over the course of the year. Just to see how their adjusting though if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Terra said a little taken aback at the initiative the school administrator was showing. It might have been a small community but even he didn't expect them to seek his siblings out without Terra requesting it first. "To be honest I'm not sure how well they would open up to me if anything was wrong but at least they can talk to someone this way."
"I think they missed you more then you give them credit for," was Yen Sid's response though Terra didn't get the chance to reply before Sora came bounding up with a combination of both his group and Xion and Roxas' group. The older man waved Terra good-bye before leaving him alone to deal with the onslaught of teenagers.
"Hey Terra, you mind if we all go out to the movies tonight?" It was Friday and while Terra wanted to say no, that they should be spending time together as a family during this tragedy. He couldn't bring the words to his throat.
"Just be home before midnight," was all Terra could say before the group cheered slightly and they took off together. Terra sighed once more and looked around the area. Almost everyone was gone now, likely going to their homes or to eat with old friends. Terra could now see Ventus making his way over to where he sat and Terra gave him a shaky smile.
"Hey, you doing ok?" Terra asked Ventus who gave a weak smile in return.
"I'll manage," was all Terra got in response, causing him to nod. He wasn't about to pry the emotions out of him; in part, because Terra himself was exhausted now and part because Ventus was allowed to mourn in his own way the same as the rest of them.
"You ready to head home for something to eat?" Terra asked as he stood up. It startled him a little bit just how much taller he still was then Ventus, but then again, their mother hadn't exactly very tall.
"Sure, I'll just get everyone else."
"That won't be necessary, we're the only ones left here."
"Oh?" Ventus asked cocking his head to the side in confusion. "I'm guessing you let the triplets go off with their friends, but where is Vanitas?"
"He looked like a cat being forced to take a bath so I let him take off. It's a small town I'm sure he'll be fine and come home when he wants food." Terra did his best to reassure Ventus but the oldest blonde still looked a little concerned.
"He will come home right?" Terra asked slightly concerned now. He hadn't lived with all of them since he was fourteen-years-old. He really didn't know who they all were now and his father hadn't been very talkative during their brief phone calls. He didn't really know who his siblings hung out with, what they liked to do, or where they liked to go.
"Yeah your right, he'll come home when he wants food," Ventus reassured as the two of them began making their way to the car—an old van their mother had jokingly called the "love van" and Terra guessed it was because the back seats were velvet and could be laid down to a full reclaim to comfortably sleep on or have sex on. As far as Terra knew it had never been used for that purpose but he was likely going to get the interior cleaned anyway. The triplets might not be able to drive yet, but Ventus and Vanitas could (as far as he was aware) and he remembered how resourceful teenagers could be.
"So, what do you want for dinner tonight? Since it looks like its just going to be the two of us." Terra pried open the door of the van and slid in with little effort before starting the engine and buckling up. Ventus was right behind him in the passenger seat.
"I don't think there is going to be much in the way of food at the house," Ventus admitted as Terra pulled out of the parking lot of the cemetery.
"Then take-out it is? Is the old pizza place still open?"
"You mean Xiggy's?"
"Yeah, that place."
"Yeah, Xigbar still has the place open. Some of the triplet's friends work there, I think they offered for Roxas to start working there when they all turn sixteen in March."
"Cool, I guess I'll order pizza from there then, any preference on what kind."
"Just plain pepperoni for me."
"That sounds good for me too."
The car ride consisted of more awkward silence as the two of them began to make their way back to the house. Neither really knew what to say to one another. Especially Terra. He wanted to ask everything but didn't know where to start. He and Ventus had known each other the longest, they were both at their parents' wedding (So was Vanitas but he was still only 1 at the time where Ventus was 2) and Terra remembered the two of them being close till his mother passed when they were young. Then things just kind of… fell apart. Their father became gruffer and more judgmental without her gentle hand to guide him back to a more level plain of thinking.
"You doing any extra circulars?" Terra finally asked, tired of the silence eating away at the two of them on the drive.
"Not really, I mean I'm in on the student council as a student representative but not really anything else," Ventus admitted and Terra could see him looking out the window when he turned his head slightly to look at his younger brother.
"Still, that's impressive. I played football for my school."
"I know, dad had told us."
Terra was a bit taken back by the news. His dad talked about him? That seemed weird. Terra was sure when he had moved away and they began to grow further apart that his father would kind of, just stop talking about him. He wasn't sure how he felt, learning that wasn't the case.
"Oh," was all Terra could say in response before they pulled up to the house.
The house was pretty impressive from the outside, overlooking a large hillside with no neighbors or houses behind, only a large backyard with spring green grass. It was two stories not counting the basement. On the main floor was the kitchen, dining room, living room, and a room that had been converted into their father's and now Terra's bedroom. When Terra was younger and lived in the house, he slept in the master bedroom on the second floor which was where their dad had slept when their mother was alive. However, he didn't want to sleep in the room by himself so he moved downstairs into what used to be a junk room attached to the dining room.
Now the master bedroom belonged to Ventus and Terra would take their dad's old room. Vanitas slept down the left hall with a bathroom in between the two rooms. On the right hall was three smaller rooms, each one belonging to one of the triplets. The only thing separating the left and right halls was the stairs that lead straight up to the second floor.
It was times like that that Terra was glad for the full bath on the first floor. While Ventus got his own bathroom in the master bedroom, there was only one other full bath that the other four likely had to squabble for. Though Terra guessed one of the triplets would come downstairs to use his bathroom since he will likely be up before any of them.
"I'll go ahead and order the pizza then," Terra said as he pushed open the door.
"Sure," Ventus said looking more forlorn then he had. Terra suspected he was finally feeling the weight of what today meant. "Call me down when it gets here. Though, I think I might eat in my room if that's ok with you."
"Yeah, that's fine," Terra said ruffling Ventus' hair with a small smile. "Just don't make a mess. I don't want to have to call an exterminator."
Ventus let out a snort in response.
"It's Sora you need to worry about that with." Ventus had a hint of a glimmer of amusement in his eyes that Terra remembered from their childhood, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. After he was upstairs and Terra was left alone with his thoughts.
Terra pulled his hands down his face and let out a low groan. He wasn't ready to take care of five teenagers. What the hell had he been thinking to agree to this?
"Whatever," Terra finally said to himself as he headed to the kitchen to make the phone call to the pizza place then the movers about moving his stuff from Departure to Radiant Garden. He was under a crunch time since he only had a week to settle moving before his job started and the kid's summer break ended.
Terra only hoped he didn't kill his siblings or that they didn't kill him.
BRK: Hello, so this is mostly a coming of age story though there will be romance sub-plots in this. I know I want Terra x Aqua and Roxas X Axel but the others I'm still on the fence about. So that's up for debate, between Sora x Kairi, Sora x Kairi x Riku, Riku x Namine, and Namine x Vanitas. Honestly, it's all crazy but like I said I want to make romance the side stories though Aqua will still probably be a major part of this. Just let me know what you think and if this is something I should continue. Until next time, later gators!
