Author: Enide Dear
Warning: Unlike the other Family Bliss ficletts, this one isn't supposed to be funny. It will also contain some hugging and bed-sharing on the Remnants account, but this is not supposed to be interpreted as Remnantcest, although I can, of course, not stop you if you insist. They will be dressed, though.
Pairing: Valenwind, also featuring Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz, but no Remnantcest.
Summary: The Remnants' past comes back to haunt them, and they find common ground with Vincent.
**
"Ta – da!" Cid grinned widely as he swung open the doors to the two new rooms he and Vincent had fixed up. "Yer own rooms! No need ta be cramped up all of ya in the guest room any more."
The Remnants stared at the small but neat rooms, confusion and worry shining through their pale faces. No one said a word.
"Well, don't ya all jest try to thank us at once." Cid grumbled as the silence wore on. "We might drown in such affectionate displays of gratitude."
Yazoo and Loz had turned pleading eyes towards Kadaj, but the youngest Remnant shook his head minutely, took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"Thank you, captain Highwind. And you, mr Valentine. It was….very thoughtful of you and I'm sure we'll….we'll appreciate it. Once we get used to it." The last words seemed directed more to his brothers than to the odd couple that had taken them in.
Cid scowled, apparently disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm, but Vincent nodded.
"The beds are made and ready, so you can sleep in here tonight. We can put away the extra mattresses in the guest room tomorrow."
Yazoo looked like he would panic; he grabbed on to the sleeve of Loz's pyjamas as if he was afraid to let go, but Loz didn't have much comfort to give as he looked ready to cry.
Kadaj took an unsteady breath.
"Oh. Good. Um. Yazoo, you can have the middle room, Loz, you keep the guest room and I'll…I'll take the one furthest away."
"But you…" Yazoo started but a sharp gesture from Kadaj cut him short.
"No. I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Good night, everyone." With stiff motions, Kadaj walked into the little room and closed the door behind him. He'd looked a lot braver going into a hailstorm of bullets.
Yazoo sighed heavily and Loz gave a small, whimpering noise before they too mumbled good night and scuffled into their rooms.
Cid and Vincent exchanged confused looks.
**
The next morning it was three very tired and hollow-eyed Remnants that dragged themselves down for breakfast.
"So, I take it ya didn't sleep very well in yer new rooms." Cid said as Loz almost fell asleep with his head first into the bowl of porridge.
"We just need to adapt, that's all." Kadaj said decisively. "We'll sleep better tonight."
**
But the next morning they looked even more tired, dragging themselves around the house like pale ghosts.
It took quite a lot of food to keep five males content, so Cid and Vincent usually took the old pickup when driving into town for shopping. The rusty old thing seemed to survive purely due to the copious amounts of love that Cid lavished on all things mechanically, and was probably held together more by rust and some sort of machine loyalty than anything else.
The car rattled to a stop in the yard and Cid looked around for some help to carry the groceries inside. He sighed when his gaze fell on the porch.
All three Remnants were fast asleep in the hummock, Yazoo's head leaning on Loz shoulder, Loz head leaning on Yazoo's neck and Kadaj draped over their knees.
"Go away, we're sleeping." Kadaj muttered without opening his eyes as Cid stepped up to frown down at them.
"I can see that. No wonder ya can't sleep at night. Get yer asses up and help me with the food."
Groaning and grumbling the brothers untangled and walked zombie-like over to the car to help.
"Damned punks, sleepin' all day and then they can't sleep at night," Cid grumbled, but Vincent shook his head.
"I don't think it's that easy, chief." He mumbled.
**
Before he went to bed himself that night, Cid checked in on his protégés. Very quietly he opened the door to Kadaj's room and peered in.
Kadaj seemed to be asleep, but it was far from restful. He was tossing and turning in bed, his blanket thrown off and sweat beading on his forehead. Cid contemplated waking him from whatever nightmare was torturing the boy, but decided against it as Kadaj took a long, wobbly breath and seemed to relax a bit. Quietly but concerned, Cid closed the door on him.
The sounds coming from Loz's room made Cid pass by Yazoo's to his elder brother; Loz was crying in his sleep, hugging his pillow tightly. Cid shook his head. What the Hell was wrong here? He was just about to wake Loz up when the screaming started from the room next doors.
Cid ran over to Yazoo's room, threw the door open and hurried over to the bed. Yazoo's eyes were wide open but he didn't seem to recognise the captain; he was tearing at the blanket, screaming in hoarse, panicking bouts.
"Yazoo? Yazoo!" Cid tried to comfort him, but Yazoo threw himself off the bed before Cid could even touch him, scrambled for his huge gun and backed off into a corner, crouching down and clutching the weapon before him in trembling hands. His breathing was shallow and erratically and he still didn't seem quite awake, for all that it was obvious he was terrified.
"Yazoo…it's me, a'right? It's Cid. What's wrong? Let me help ya…" Cid moved slowly towards the shaking, hysterical Remnant, holding out his hands. "Jest lower that gun, and it will be a'right…" Yazoo didn't seem calmed by the words, if anything he seemed to be getting more and more frightened as Cid closed up on him, pressing himself harder and harder into the corner.
Cid reached out a hand to touch his arm.
A harsh hand grabbed Cid from behind and threw him aside just as the gun went off; the bullet grazed the side of his head when he bounced onto Yazoo's bed as Loz ran past him, followed by Kadaj. Both brothers kneeled quickly by Yazoo's side, threw their arms around him, mumbling softly.
"It's alright now, we're here, we're not going to let them touch you," Kadaj gently removed Velvet Nightmare from Yazoo's uncertain grip; Yazoo didn't fight him though his eyes were still huge and frightened as a deer's. "You are safe with us, remember?"
"Come back, please come back," Loz cried against Yazoo's long hair. "We're not there any longer, you don't have to do this."
Yazoo clambered to them, with a grip so hard it made Cid wince just to see it, but the Remnants didn't protest. Slowly, slowly, guided by the gentle words and strong embraces, Yazoo calmed bit by bit. Very slowly, Kadaj untangled himself from the pile.
"Don't leave me!" Yazoo gasped, clutching for him.
"Hush, it's alright. Loz is here for you. I'll come back in a minute." Kadaj nodded at Loz who effortlessly lifted up Yazoo and carried him over to the bed and lay down with him, pulling the cover over them both. Yazoo held on to his neck in what looked like a death grip, still shaking with fear.
Even in the spotted pyjamas, Kadaj looked a lot older than he was when he turned back to the confused Valenwinds.
"I guess I need to explain," he sighed.
**
"This isn't working." Kadaj said as he sat down by the kitchen table, opposite Cid and Vincent.
"I've noticed. What the hell is wrong?" despite the gruff words it was obvious that Cid was concerned.
"If it wasn't you who had asked, captain, I wouldn't even have tried, but…." Kadaj looked away. "We haven't…we haven't been separated. You know, since the labs."
Both Cid and Vincent tensed; this was the first time any of the Remnants spoke voluntary about their origin. Kadaj absentmindedly twisted a few strands of his hair as he spoke, not really looking at anything.
"Back then, to be alone was to be…exposed. Vulnerable. Especially when sleeping. And they…did things to us." He tore at the hairs. "Mostly to Yazoo, but me as well. And Loz, a few times, but once is too many. We've never really got over that."
"And now yer saying… yer saying yer afraid me or Vince will…hurt ya like that? After everything? Don't ya trust us?"
Kadaj spread his hands in a gesture of helpless frustration.
"Don't you see? We don't *dare* trust anyone. That's what they did to us. We can't trust you like that. Not now. Maybe never."
"Never is a long fucking time…" Cid started, but Vincent interrupted him.
"I know what you mean." In a rare show of affection, the ex-Turk put a gentle hand on Kadaj's pyjamas covered arm. "I understand. We won't try to separate you."
Surprised, Kadaj let the hand rest on his arms for almost three seconds before shrugging it off.
"Good. Because if you try we'll have to leave. And I wouldn't want that, but…"
"The scars go to deep. I understand." Vincent nodded. "Come now, I'll help you move the mattresses back into the guest room. That is alright, isn't it? You don't need to sleep in the same bed?"
"No, that works. As long as we are in one room, one can stay awake and on watch."
"What?" Cid was still trying to get his head around what was happening. "Ya do that?"
"It's worth it," Kadaj shrugged. "We don't need that much sleep anyway. But if all of us need to sleep we'll sleep together. That way no one can sneak up on you and take you away during the night. We'll protect one another. "
"You are very lucky to have your brothers." Vincent sighed, his gaze lost in the distance.
Kadaj gave the gunman a piercing gaze, but nodded slowly.
"I suppose you do know."
"More than I would like to. Come now. The night is running away."
Cid sat dumbfounded by the table, watching them leave, watching Vincent almost put his arm around the youngsters shoulder, but pulling it away with a small shake of his head. With their pale skin and odd eyes and graceful movements, they were eerily alike. Or maybe it was the shadow of old pain that hung over them both, eradicating all differences.
"Damn it," Cid muttered. "Am I the only guy in the world that hasn't been tortured in a laboratory?"
**
Kadaj climbed back into the bed and Yazoo removed one arm to pull him nearer with a harsh move that wasn't like him at all. Kadaj let his brother hold him tight, tight, gently stroking his hair whiles Loz mumbled silly nonsense in Yazoo's ear.
"Will we have to go away now?" Loz asked quietly. "Will we have to leave here?"
"I'm so sorry, Kadaj." Yazoo's eyes were shiny with tears. "It's my fault. I wasn't...strong enough."
"No, no." Kadaj gently stroke away the unshed tears. "We don't have to leave. They'll let us be together. Vincent understands. And captain Highwind...he accepts it."
"But he doesn't understand." Loz sighed as Kadaj shook his head, but Yazoo held them closer.
"Lucky him." He mumbled against Loz chest.