It was noisy and steamy down below the baths, pipes and tubes and filters everywhere, but no sign of neither personnel nor Remnant. The sound of pumps and hissing water drowned out pretty much everything else as the four males padded barefoot on the metal grin floor. Below was the vast caverns of bubbling, steaming water that once fed up the pipes and cooled was sent out into the baths. But down here it was a hell of sulfur-stink and hot air.
A shadow broke loose from the dark and came rushing against them; Reeve's heart made a hiccup before he realized it was just one of the workers. The man, terrified, clung to Tseng and shouted something in wutainese over the noise, pointing agitated. Tseng's eyes got wide, but he nodded, pushing the man away.
Reeve didn't like this one bit. Oh, he was no coward, but this place was one slippery misstep away from being boiled alive. He wished with all his hear that he could feel Tseng's arm around him, but he was hovering as close to his lover as he dared. The wutai worker was already giving them suspicious glances. Tseng gave him an apologetic glance. In his heart Reeve knew that the Turk wanted to comfort him as well; it was those damn taboos again…
He wasn't worried about Loz, though. As long as Kadaj and Yazoo was relaxed and curious as they were now, there was nothing bad happening to their eldest clone. It was pretty useful, he mused, to be able to use them as indicators for one another.
At the other hand of course it meant that if one of them got angry, then things could escalate out of control in no time.
"Over there!" Tseng hissed and Reeve nodded. There were little mistaking the huge form, but…
"Oh no." Yazoo groaned. "What has he found this time?"
There was something Huge and hairy hanging over Loz's shoulder. Occasionally he patted it, as he moved around, studying the pipes and boilers with interest.
"Hey Loz!" Reeve shouted, just so Tseng wouldn't accidentally scare the enthralled Sephling. He was pretty sure that a frightened Loz was a bad Loz to be around.
"Oh, hi." Loz turned and waved. "Have you seen this? They've used a 3-K filter with added oxygen bubbles to reduce the amount of sulfur in the bathwater. It's real clever! I'd have used a 45 ml transmitter and electrocharges, but this is much better."
"Really?" Interested against his will, Reeve stepped up but Tseng grabbed his hand.
"That," he said pointing at the creature Loz was carrying around like an overgrown kitten," is a Bajang."
"Yeah, I heard some noise so I went down here." Loz beamed with pride and patted the monster. "Isn't it great? Do you think Cid and Vincent will let me keep it?"
"No! No more pets. They've said so already." Kadaj crossed his arms.
"It's a *monster*!" Tseng pointed at the Bajang which looked and horribly embarrassed. "It has razor sharp claws and spits fire!"
"That's alright, we're flameproof." Loz shrugged. "And maybe I can cut the claws?"
The monster whined with desperation.
"You shouldn't tell the Turk things like that, Loz." Kadaj gave him a stern look. "The less he knows about us, the better."
Tears sprung up in Loz's eyes.
"I'm sorry…."
"Don't cry, Loz." Dodging the swipe of a mortally sharp claw with as much concern as if it had been a kitten's paw, Yazoo hugged him. "I'm sure Cid will be *thrilled* when he sees our babysitters have gotten you a new pet." He gave Tseng an utterly insincere look under hooded eyes.
"No!" both Reeve and Tseng said at the same time, Reeve floundering for words even as Tseng added: "It needs to be…released to its natural habitat. I'm sure its family is missing it."
Yazoo pouted as he realized he'd lost the game, because Loz immediately started to walk toward an exit. Reeve could have sworn the monster gave them a pathetically grateful look.
"Clever," he mumbled to Tseng who nodded.
"I learn. Slowly, perhaps, but…I do learn."
They managed to pry the Sephlings away from the engine room but once back amongst the basins, the three youngsters scattered again, wooping with delight as they started to jump in the pools, splashing water and generally making a lot of noise.
Tseng wiped sweat from his brow and seemed to sag a bit.
"Don't they *ever* slow down?" He moaned."How do Cid and Vincent do this?"
"That's mako for you…" Reeve sighed and took pity on his lover. "Come here. I'll ive you a backrub. We can see them perfectly well from over here."
He led Tseng over to a bubble bath and coaxed him down into it. Tseng's back and neck was a mass of knots that Reeve knew for a fact hadn't been there this morning. Diligently he started to rub them out, making the most of the opportunity. Tseng waved an angry hand at the playing Remnants.
"But they are making a mess! This is supposed to be a place of relaxation and contemplation!"
"So? I didn't think you liked Wutai traditions?"
"Not *all * of them, but…mm…that feels really good. I mean, what I mean is, just because some traditions are faulty, doesn't mean they all are. Could you…go a bit lower? Ah, yes, just there…I've always *enjoyed* going to the bathhouse….you are really good at this, you know…"
"I'm sure I can make you enjoy it again." Reeve purred and leaned forward for a kiss, the sight of Tseng's toned, muscular chest getting him carried away.
Someone grabbed Reeve's arm, hard, and yanked him back so bad his head cracked against the tiles of the floor. He barely had time to get his feet beneath him before an angry red face was thrust at his, someone screaming incomprehensible words at him even as another guard showed up and they started to drag him towards the exit.
"I..wait, stop!" he tried, but he couldn't even get a firm footing on the slippery floor. "Look, I'm sorry, alright!"
Tseng was hurrying up of the bath, talking fast in Wutainese, but the guards ignored him.
Kadaj seemed to appear out of nowhere. Suddenly he was just there, a wickedly smiling pale face in front of the guards and a bar of soap in one hand. He dropped the bar, just under the guards foot.
The man slipped, loosing balance, and Kadaj barely bumped him with his shoulder to send him sprawling into a basing of icy cold water. The other guard turned around only to face Yazoo. Who was completely naked, his towel a pile on the floor. The guard blushed and stammered something, dropping Reeve who fell on the floor, and leaned down to get Yazoo the towel. Presenting his ass nicely for Loz's foot. The man fell head first into a mud bath.
"Reeve! Are you alright?" Tseng came running, helping a shaking Reeve up on his feet again.
"Yes I'm…I'm alright…" He managed, clinging to Tseng who held him tightly. "I guess I shouldn't have forgotten about that particular wutai tradition…"
"Fuck that," Tseng said with uncharacteristic profanity between gritted teeth. "That is one wutai tradition I'll be glad to break." He held him closer. "If anyone tries to harm you again, I'll let them know you have Turk with you." Leaning Reeve's face up, he kissed him, hard. "No matter what we do."
"That's better." Yazoo smiled and picked up his towel, wrapping it around himself with no particular hurry. "You need to treat kitty-kitty good. He's a really nice guy."
"He is," Loz affirmed. "Otherwise the kittens wouldn't have liked him."
"So be nice." Kadaj looked over his shoulder. "Oh, Cid and Vincent are back. I guess we should be going."
"I…thank you." Tseng lowered his head. "But this doesn't mean I've forgiven you."
"That is alright." Kadaj shrugged. "It doesn't mean we trust you either."
"Captain Highwind!" Tseng shouted. "Next time we meet…ice creams are on me. As much as they can eat."
"I'll hold ya ta that, Turk!" Cid waved as he started leading his sons away.
Tseng looked around at the bathing area, once more deserted as the guards hurried away, and ran his fingers through Reeve's hair, kissed him tenderly.
"I think I'll take their advice…for once." Tseng led Reeve back to the bubble bath. "After all, I think they might be in good hands, for now."
