a/n [Written by Johanna for the sixth day of Caesar's Palace's Shipping Week. Uses prompt 'family' from c/p.]
They start as children in the simplest of ways. Walking the short paths from home to school to the market and back, they step in time. They're both whispering 'left, right' as they go, except he's got the two mixed up, and her legs are two short to match his strides.
When they're older, and taller, and no longer told to hold hands to cross the street, they race into town to sign-up together. Cashmere grasps the pen first, after shoving her brother out of the way, and scrawls the little details—age, name, gender, etc—before writing in her brother's information for him. He doesn't bother to check it over; he trusts his sister more than he trusts himself.
There's a battle to see who'll get to volunteer first. It's not organized or regulated, and the majority of it is verbal, and while she can't stop persisting that she's older and it's her destiny to be first, Gloss wins.
She gets her chance the next year, when the stakes are higher, because she can't lose now, not after he's made it through. When it all comes down to it, however, she's not trying for the competition or the thrill or the fame. Her first priority is to come home, where Gloss will stand there waiting, and they'll count steps—baby steps—and march back home.
When they end, it'll be harsh, but they won't leave each others side.