Sephiroth smiled as his heard the soft patter of bare feet on the stone floor, and then the movement of blankets, as the small form of his adoptive brother scrambled into his bed, snuggling up close to him, and letting out a contented sigh. Carefully, Sephiroth wrapped his arms around the frail form, smiling again as it snuggled even closer to him, letting out a contented humming noise. A stick thin limb reached out and took hold of a lock of Sephiroth's silver hair, whilst the other clung onto a plushie red and black dragon. There was a fifteen year difference between the two brothers. Whilst Sephiroth had just turned eighteen in human terms, the child was barely three. Also, they were of different races. Sephiroth was an elf; the small boy was a demon, and a war orphan from a brutal attack on his settlement.
Sephiroth could remember the first time he had ever laid eyes on the tiny demonling. It had been when his parents had brought him home from the orphanage, a skittish, untrusting and terrified small figure that barely spoke two words together. Sephiroth was the first to gain his trust. He had been on his way home from school, wandering how he could help the tiny demonling feel at home, when he had passed a toy store. Sitting in the front window, had been a dragon plushie. He had brought it without a second thought, knowing his brother would love it. He had been right, the demonling had. That day, Sephiroth had made a tiny friend, and since then, their bond had been unbreakable. His mother and father had been surprised, when Vincent had pottered into the living room, and clambered into his lap, holding Baharmy in his thin arms, before snuggling against him, and eventually dozing off. Sephiroth and his mother, had then spent the night on the sofa, curled up together with the small demonling, and in the morning, Lucrecia had woken up to find Vincent, curled up against her, holding a lock of hair in one hand, and Baharmy in the other.
That morning, the three of them their time playing with one another, bored games and, to Sephiroth's delight, his old train sets. By the end of the day, the entire down stairs of the house, was decked out with train tracks, and trains were running backwards and forwards.
"Oh Vincent…" Sephiroth whispered. "You're the greatest little brother anyone could ask for…I care about you so much…you're so special…" he hugged the demonling even closer. "Even though you accidentally use your demonic powers… even though you can't control your magic powers…even though you sometimes accidentally summon dragons…I still love you…and I always will love you…"
"I love you to Sephy…" the demonling muttered sleepily. "Baharmy loves you to…"
Sephiroth smiled, and closed his eyes, settling down, slowly dozing off, still holding his little brother. He felt so peaceful, so relaxed…and sad that he knew that it would be one of the last nights he would be able to do this. Tomorrow, he would be heading off to university.