Title: Moving Towards Me
Rating: K+
Summary: As Remnants, some things are lost. Some important things, Kadaj notices.
A/N: Feeling out the SHM some more.
-
The rumbling of their bikes' engines died as they pulled up beside a bar. The city was calmly lit – some windows in high-rise buildings had yet to put their lights out and shops that lined the street remained open for those who drifted in and out. It was just before ten and the bar was aptly named The Blue Lantern for all the lamps in the windows shining out like beacons in the darkness.
Loz was the first of his brothers to dismount and came around the front of the bike, sighing heavily. He looked out towards the blue-black sky and the stars just over the tops of the buildings with shimmering green eyes and a pout that threatened to show itself. He could only hope that his brothers hadn't gotten a good look at his–
"You don't have to cry," Yazoo said softly and Loz frowned at his voice. When he looked over, the long-haired man was leaning forward on his bike, a lazy smile gracing his lips. He said, "We'll find Her soon."
"I'm…" not crying, he wanted to say. But instead, just nodded, too tired to deny that he was on the verge of tears. They had been searching for days with no luck, just their brooding younger brother leading the way, and all Loz wanted right then was to relax and have a drink. He looked past Yazoo to Kadaj who sat on his bike, head turned towards the street in thought. He had been quiet the entire ride into Kalm – not his usual silence but the sort that gave off an air of Don't Touch, Don't Talk, Don't Move A Muscle Towards Me. So Loz didn't, and walked into the building, the sound of laughter and warmth echoing through the night as he opened and shut the door behind him.
Yazoo watched him go and then leaned his head in Kadaj's direction. Don't Touch, Don't Talk wasn't something that Yazoo paid much attention to. If Kadaj truly did not want even Yazoo to speak to him, then when he did, Kadaj would wrap his strong fingers around his brother's thin neck and squeeze. And when he was satisfied, he would let Yazoo go and walk away. Small bruises, little irritations really, were a reasonable price to pay for Kadaj to turn those eyes on him.
"Kadaj," he said.
"Yeah."
His head was still turned; he leant his chin on the palm of his hand and was staring across the street at a woman who sat on a bench there. Yazoo followed his brother's gaze but gave it no mind and continued, "You scare me, Kadaj. If I didn't know better, I'd think you would start to cry too."
Kadaj stiffened but even as Yazoo felt in danger of a smack, he was smirking. Kadaj said, speaking for the first time in almost two days, "See that woman there? See what she has in her arms?"
Yazoo looked again. He squinted his eyes and could just make her out: her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders and her shirt was askew, pushed aside by the suckling baby there in her arms. She looked down into the small child's face with her tired eyes, eyes that had been awake for much too long.
Before Yazoo could ask what about it was so interesting, Kadaj's voice was shaking and he said, "Don't you think it's… unfair? We've gone our whole lives without being so close… so close to Mother. I want…" He paused then and lifted a gloved hand into the air and cupped his hand gently, as gently as if he were the young infant just yards away.
Yazoo dismounted, the swish of his leather coat falling behind him and when Kadaj looked up at him, his eyes were dry. Yazoo placed his hand in Kadaj's and gripped it.
"When you meet Her," he mused, "you'll be rewarded, Kadaj. For having run so far."
Kadaj lowered his gaze and, with a curt nod, dismounted as well. He released Yazoo's hand once on his own two feet and walked past his brother. Yazoo was, of course, the one to always bring the boy back from the edge of insanity, a place where Kadaj's mind often lured him. And each time, though Kadaj owed him some sort of gratitude, he never gave any. He mumbled, "Rewarded, huh? Think I might be too old for it." He opened the door to the bar and walked in.
Yazoo tilted his head once again in the direction of the young mother and she seemed as if she were falling asleep while the infant continued to suckle. He smirked and thought, Maybe not.
-
A/N: To me, Kadaj is a complete mama's-boy, so that's where this was spawned. XD Review?
