It was hot. Unbearable, sweletering heat slowly withering anything that lived or breathed under its oppression. The open windows offered liffe relief, unable to coax in any chance of a passing breeze to soothe the brothers from summer's unrelenting wrath. Loz and Kadaj had long since shed their shirts the night before when the heat wave had first settled, their more modest eldest bared some skin but refused to remove his top completely. Kadaj crept over Yazoo's shoulders, traversing the smooth hills of his chest down to toy at the zipper, slowly coaxing it lower. Long, sharp nails pinched at Kadaj's hand, twisting in a threat to break the skin. Loz let out a pathetic whimper in futile attempt to simmer his brother's tempers. Kadaj wrenched his hand away from Yazoo, licking his wound and casting a menacing glare beneath shimmering hair.
"It's nicer with is off." Kadaj insisted, fanning himself with a nearby newspaper. The youngest Remnant muttered a few choice words and threw the article across the room with an agitated snarl. He was hot and sticky under the stagnant heat, even dunking his head in ice cold water only relieved the symptom for a maximum of five minutes. Yazoo wiped the sweat from his pale brow, feeling around for several hairties to pin up the cascade of silver to relieve his own discomfort. Loz looked helplessly between his siblings, convinced he had to do something before more tempers erupted and someone got injured. He pondered possible solutions to their problem, he knew it wouldn't be long before Kadaj lost it all together and accidently hurt him in his uncontrollable rages. Loz hd to try something, anything. He hated it when his brothers yelled at each other.
"Let's go swimming!" he declared spontaneously. Kadaj's faced scrunched up in disdain.
"Swimming?" A malicious smirk twitched the corner of Kadaj's mouth.
"Yeah." Loz's reply shook, afraid he'd further agitated his dangerous sibling. "I thought it would be nice to cool off since it's so hot." Kadaj began to retort to be cut off abruptly by Yazoo.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea, Loz. Wouldn't you agree, Brother?" He regarded the younger Remnant sternly as if daring him to disagree.
Grudingly, he relented. "Yeah."
When the Remnants arrived they were greeted with the harmonious cacophony of familes spread out on the rolling sands, children kicking up showers of dust as they bolted across the beach after one another. Loz was overjoyed to be out and about with his brothers, all three clad in swim trunk making their way down towards the shore. Kadaj sneered at any young child unfortunate enough to venture close to him. This was rewarded with a glare and a sharp smack to the back of his head until the behavior eventually ceased. The closer to the lack they got the temperature began to a pleasant decline. They were even rewarded with a crossing breeze brushing the heat from their skin.
"Now," Yazoo eyed his breathren as they laid out towels beneath the shadow of trees. "This is quite nice, now isn't it?" he glared at Kadaj for emphasis.
"Yeah." Kadaj admitted. Even he was disarmed by the change in the atmosphere. Without the horrendous heat his nerves unclenched and he began to mellow.
"Thank you for ocming with me Brothers!" Loz took the sunscreen, a strength far too powerful for the sun this region, and squeezed a generous amount over Yazoo's back. He gently rubbed it in, running his finger along the bumps of spine protruding ever-so-slightly from his pettite frame. A soft noise left the elder as he relaxed into Loz's hands.
"You're welcome. Now, be sure to rub it in good." A soft flush tinted the burly man's face and he did as told, carressing the porcelain skin and making him arch.
Kadaj scoffed, shaking his head as he applied his own sunblock. "Devious little snake aren't you?"
Yazoo nodded. "Indeed, but I cannot ever recall the two of you complaining." Kadaj rolled his eyes as Yazoo's foot ran up his leg slowly. It was true, they didn't. No sooner had he finished applying Yazoo's sunscreen Loz joined the children in a mad dash for the lake, instant relief washing over him as he submerged. The pestering heat was nonexistant, a cruel memory, an evil daydream. The only reality was the beautiful chill of the water all around him easing away the stress and relaxing his muscles.
Popping up his head he saw Kadaj not much farther off strolling slowly through the water dragging his fingertips along the surface. He decided not to bother him, Kadaj was probably thinking about something important and he didn't want to upset him. Something brushed against Loz's leg and he jumped, the unidentified swimming object revealing itself as his elder kinsman. Yazoo's slender body flowed effortlessly through thre water, he made everything appear graceful and sophisticated without effort. Rising he smiled and brushed aside Loz's bangs from his face.
"Happy now?" he glanced over at Kadaj, the younger Remnant now entertaining himself by flinging into oncoming waves. Loz nuzzled Yazoo's neck and gave a soft chuckle at Kadaj's antics, the happiest he'd been in a long time. His family was spending time together like normal people. This feel of wholeness made him feel warm and fuzzy and secure and he neevr wanted it to end.
"Yes Brother." he returned Yazoo's warm smile, "very happy."