A/N: I'm on a roll with this story now – there's some actual plotline introduced in this chapter. I'm glad Yazoo/Kadaj/Loz are seemingly in character – it's tricky to write about them when they're young. As always, thanks to reviewers, and don't forget to review this chapter!


Ame ni Matte

Wait in the Rain

Chapter 3: Threat

Yazoo was gripping the worn, rough banister with one hand, leaning forwards so that he could see down the stairs towards the lobby. Loz was stood there, in a conversation with Evangeline, fidgeting with his chubby fingers. A warm weight pressed against Yazoo's back, and he turned his head round a little to see Kadaj smiling at him, his small arms wrapping themselves round his older brother in a possessive manner Yazoo had grown used to.

"What's Loz doing, niichan?"

Yazoo smirked. "He's supposed to be asking for a job. It looks quite promising. Evangeline's actually very good at deciphering sniffs and snivels language."

Yazoo received an unexpected kiss on the cheek from the boy behind him. "You're more reliable, niichan, why didn't you ask to help that lady?"

"My job is to look after you, isn't it?" He smiled. Loz headed over to him (throwing a moody look at Kadaj swinging off from Yazoo's shoulders innocently), wiping under his nose with the back of his hand. "How did it go, Loz?"

"She says I can help her around in the lobby, and she'll knock off the fee for our next two nights. I'll be sorting out paperwork. I'll have you know." Loz looked smugly in Kadaj's direction. "Seems the only person who's not being useful is you."

"Leave him, niisan," muttered Yazoo, "he's too young." His fixed his gaze back to the lobby, where his interest really was, to where Dominic was talking to Evangeline, his eyes sweeping the homely room piercingly, not differing at all from Yazoo's own.

"Evangeline also said that…Yazoo? Are you even listening?" Loz looked over to Dominic, and back to his brother. "What's wrong?"

Yazoo watched for a few moments as Dominic flicked through the large book in front of Evangeline. He was running a finger down the page. Yazoo swore he had just seen Dominic's mouth sound out the word 'Gast'.

"…It's nothing, niisan." Yazoo was never fond of lying, and it was rare for him to do so, therefore neither of his brothers suspected anything. On the contrary, Kadaj began to laugh into his ear, clutching him tighter.

"Niichan, you're just tired, you want to sleep?"

Loz lead the way up the stairs back to their room, Yazoo carrying Kadaj on his back. The room they were staying in was only just big enough to fit in three beds, a small bathroom and a dressing table. The carpet was shabby and merely strands of brown in some places, the wallpaper was peeling and the window hadn't been cleaned for so long it looked like that outside was an eternal fog, yet there was something about the place that made Yazoo feel welcome and warm. Perhaps it was because, as far as the three could remember, their 'bedroom' was an intensely white room that echoed every sound, where doors opened to let in figures that were also white, with eyes that seared their hearts with pain so effortlessly. The lab.

Yazoo was so absorbed in his thoughts of the unbearable, that he didn't notice for a few minutes that he was unconsciously getting ready for bed, and both his brothers were snuggled under their quilts. He switched off two lamps, leaving one on to give him enough light to get changed. The springs of his bed groaned despite the weight only being that of a child; Yazoo fluffed up his pillow and sank his head into its warmth, looking up at the stained ceiling. His increasing suspicion of Dominic tarnished his happiness somewhat – it wasn't something he wanted to worry Loz with either, nor did he want to uncover his frightened self to the youngest of the three who relied on him so much.

He pushed back his fringe, annoyed with himself for being unable to sleep. He wanted to be like Loz, to fall asleep in a matter of seconds; he wanted to experience the amazing dreams Kadaj would tell him animatedly in the mornings. He chewed his lower lip, sticking one frightfully skinny arm under his head.

Several hours into the night, Yazoo saw Kadaj roll over rather violently in his bed, making a choked noise – it looked as though he was having a bad dream, but Kadaj could never get comfortable in his sleep. Still, he didn't want to risk leaving little Kadaj prone and vulnerable with the shadowy General that haunted his dreams, so Yazoo dragged himself out of the warmth of his bed, sat by Kadaj, and switched on the lamp. In doing so, Yazoo also unintentionally knocked off an ashtray that sat on the table, where it crashed onto the floor, smashing the silence.

Loz grunted, and one of his feet stuck out the side of his bed haphazardly. Rolling his eyes and wondering how Loz could sleep through anything, Yazoo was met with Kadaj's wide eyes staring at him, reflecting the orange light from the patterned lamp nearby. It was then that Yazoo realised – a second too late – that if Kadaj was having thoughts about Sephiroth, it wasn't a good idea to be woken from his sleep to see someone who looked like him. Yazoo withdrew quickly, but the youngest reached out for him. He gladly returned the hug, laying down next to him.

"…Talk to me, niichan," Kadaj whispered.

"Was he there?" Yazoo refrained from using Sephiroth's name – it was almost a taboo that the three had instinctively decided upon…using his name always stabbed Yazoo with the harsh reality that he was merely a copy of him, nothing more to anyone.

"He was smiling at me." Kadaj looked away, laughing nervously. "Kind of freaky really – it makes me wonder what he's smiling about."

"…You shouldn't fear him," replied Yazoo, attempting to sound as calm as possible at the thought of someone as innocent as his brother seeing the General, merely closing his eyes and being face to face with an all-knowing, malicious curl of the lips that were the General's. Yazoo stroked his brother's hair, taking a quick breath at the sound of someone walking past their room.

He was being paranoid, it wasn't as though Dominic was onto them – it was like how Loz had said happily only a few hours ago: that Dominic was being sour because Evangeline was paying more attention to them (especially Kadaj) than her husband.

"What are we doing tomorrow, niichan?" Yazoo looked away from the door, back at Kadaj's orbs gazing up at him from his pillow expectantly.

"Tomorrow…we'll go to that cake shop you saw when we first arrived. I'll treat you whilst we have the opportunity."

"Oh," Kadaj smiled cheekily, "as in whilst we have Loz-Free time?"

Yazoo furrowed his light eyebrows gracelessly, creasing his forehead. "Eh, I was thinking more along the lines that we won't be in this town for too long." Kadaj touched Yazoo's arm carefully, as though afraid of hurting it. Yazoo sat up without thinking when he thought he saw through the small gap under the door, in the light of the corridor outside, something move. And was that a voice he just heard, that belonged to neither him nor his brothers? Kadaj pulled away hesitantly, unspeaking and sitting up in his bed, watching with curious eyes as Yazoo walked over to the door. The middle brother took hold of the cold brass knob.

"Niichan?"

Yazoo pulled the door open slightly, where the light illuminated Loz's bed to reveal a blissfully sleeping figure. Looking out, he could see a wall lamp opposite him, the small flame inside the ornate glass flickering, conducting a dance of shadows across the walls. He could hear more voices, mostly male, but one was unmistakably Evangeline's. And he realised he had just ignored Kadaj.

Yazoo closed the door.

Kadaj was looking at him still, but the curiosity in his eyes had been replaced by something rather unwelcoming. Yazoo gazed back at the youngest brother glaring at him with such a fierce intensity. His teeth were showing.

"…Go wake your brother, Kadaj," Yazoo muttered, pulling on his trousers and shoes. He was anticipating an uncooperative answer, and sure enough, it rang across the room filled with cutting spite.

"Why."

"Don't be like that, Kadaj." Yazoo buttoned his loose cotton shirt. "Do as I say for a minute. I'm going to check on something. And Kadaj…" He looked behind him at the sulking youngster. "Wake him up quietly – don't upset him, okay?" He left the room before he could hear Kadaj launch into complaints, but almost a second after he had closed the door, it opened again.

"Why have you gone funny all of a sudden?" Kadaj was glowering at him with a rage Yazoo could never have. "Ever since I mentioned niisama…you're jealous because niisama cares for me too, you and stupid Loz aren't my only brothers, niisama cares for me more than you do, he wouldn't keep secrets from me, he wouldn't - -"

Yazoo felt something inside of him pang painfully at Kadaj's hurtful words, albeit childish, were a true insight into how vicious and wild he could get, believing blindly a person in his dreams could care more for him than Yazoo himself.

"Quiet, Kadaj," he whispered, "you're being silly. No one cares for you more than Loz and I do."

He looked straight in Kadaj's narrowed eyes with equal coldness. A few seconds later, Kadaj muttered, "I'm coming too." He gave Yazoo a small push, and they crept down the stairs, peering down them to the lobby.

Besides Evangeline and Dominic, there were three men that Yazoo didn't recognise. Kadaj seemed to have forgotten about his and Yazoo's heated dispute only seconds ago, and was now clutching his older brother's shirt sleeve anxiously.

"…I've already called the local orphanages to see if any of them have missing children," Evangeline was saying fiercely, "those children are no problem at all, and I have no idea what makes you think they are dangerous, and heavens, how you even knew they were here in the first place."

"…I rang them," Dominic muttered almost incoherently. "As far as I know Professor Gast didn't have any sons, so I rang up where he worked. Those three – Yazoo, Roz and whatever the last one's called – belong to that research lab."

"Someone else's children you mean?" said Evangeline. One of the three men shifted uncomfortably on his bow-legged feet, mumbling, "…In a way. Either way, we have to take them back."

Yazoo couldn't keep his eyes in focus, and his breathing was becoming ragged and difficult. Kadaj, leaning against him earlier, looked up at him with frightened orbs.

"…I'll wake up Loz." He stumbled up the stairs, and Yazoo could hear him begin to sob. "Stop them, niichan…I don't want to go back."

Yazoo wiped sweat off his forehead and took a few moments to calm down and think. Both his brothers were depending on him, but the thought of the men in white coats, the metallic table, the tubes, the living nightmare of returning to the lab was hindering his thoughts, snatching away his dependable air as a brother, leaving him quite alone on the stairs.


A/N: A plot! Yay! Dominic was meant to be a nice bloke, but I kind of accidentally turned him into a grass. Oh well…next chapter: the three brothers plan an escape! Review please, the button's only a few pixels away…!