igrab
in
grabi_hands
Unbreakable (FFIV: Cecil/Kain/Rosa)
Cecil/Kain/Rosa . Hogwarts!AU . 1,264 words . PG . for the prompt: poltergeist @ hc_bingo . Small children and spiteful ghosts do not mix.
It really was an unfortunate thing, to live in a house with a mischievous old ghost while trying to raise a child. It was all right most of the time - when Cecil and Kain were touring, they brought Ceodore with them, or let him stay with his mother at Hogwarts - but during the holidays, Cecil wandered their old gothic mansion in a constant fear that the poltergeist - he said his name was Namingway, but Rosa had once called him Mopingway and the nickname had stuck - would make Ceodore's young life a small hell.
From what he'd gathered over the years, Mopingway had - after a long series of indecisive adventures - fallen in love with someone who liked pudding, or perhaps was a pudding, it was hard to tell, only to find out that she'd cheated on him. This made him angry and spiteful but also rather pathetically sad sometimes, hence the name. He liked to throw things and read emo love poetry at the top of his voice - Cecil didn't know which was worse.
"You're worried," Rosa said, as she slipped into their room after putting Ceobryn to bed. "What are you worried about?"
Cecil put a bookmark along the spine of his novel and closed it fully. "Mopingway."
"You're worried about him?" That came from Kain, almost completely buried under the covers already, though he had one arm over Cecil's lap and his ponytail was visible snaking out over the pillows. "Tch. Ce's more than a match for him."
"That's easy for you to say," Cecil said with a fretful frown. "You're not six years old."
"No, Kain's right," Rosa interrupted from the other side of the room, where she was removing her hair things. "You worry too much. The wards will let us know if anything's really wrong, and aside from that - he is six. He can handle some bad poetry."
Still, Cecil couldn't shake the sense that something would go wrong. Especially after the following day, spent cheerfully decorating the entire Baron estate in advance of the arrival of their yearly guests. Edge and Rydia were coming in, of course. Yang, his wife, and Ursula. Edward - he'd mentioned something about bringing a date, which would be new and different, but of course she/he was welcome as well. Possibly Cid and Luca. The only one missing was Theodore, Cecil's brother, who was spending the holidays with his new girlfriend's family. Cecil would miss him fiercely, but on the other hand, he was so happy that Theo had a girlfriend that he was willing to forgive anything.
But lots of guests meant lots and lots of decorations, and lots and lots of anxiety about whether or not Mopingway would render all these efforts futile.
December 23rd dawned bright and snowy, and Ceodore, of course, begged his father to run out and play in the snow. He knew better than to ask Kain - Kain liked saying no, probably just for the novelty of it, and Rosa was practical about these things, but Cecil had no willpower regarding his own son and, despite his misgivings, immediately said 'yes' and 'ask the girls if they want to join you' and 'bundle up!' He then retreated to the enormous fireplace, curled up in his favorite armchair with a mug of tea, and tried not to worry his head off.
Cecil's instincts were very good. He didn't always listen to them, but he always ended up regretting that. This time was no different. However, as is the nature with instinct, sometimes the mistake is in the interpretation.
Kain came flying into the room at a dead run, shuddering from head to toe. He then proceeded to crawl into Cecil's lap, forcing him to expand the armchair with magic and relocate his mug to the mantle. Cecil was then free to wind his arms around his lover, murmuring a wordless comfort. The man was shaking.
"What is it?" Cecil finally asked, since Kain apparently wasn't going to tell on his own.
"That... bloody.... thing," he hissed, which was very helpful and all, but Cecil hadn't really expected coherence.
"What thing?" He was very patient. It was a good quality, maybe enough to make up for his utter lack of parental disciplinary skills.
"....Mopingway."
Cecil froze. "Oh.... dear. What did he do? Is Ceo-"
"Ce is fine. He's playing outside, I think. Me, Cecil, he went after me!" Kain shook his fist in a general upstairs direction. "Do you know what that little snot did?"
"N-"
"He set the Bludgers loose in my room."
Kain had his own room. It had a bed in it, which was Kain's way of asserting his independence and trying to pretend that he wasn't just as invested in the relationship as Cecil and Rosa were. He never actually used it - Cecil simply wouldn't let him. It was the opposite of sleeping on the couch - No, Kain, you're not allowed to sleep in your own bed. It's your punishment for trying to assume we don't need you. Again. But aside from the bed, there were Kain-things in the room; spears, brooms, his collector's edition Quidditch things, and whatever clothes he wanted to keep Rosa away from (she liked doing ninja embroidery).
He also had a set of practice Bludgers; not nearly as deadly as the real thing, but able to mimic its behavior and weight when hit. He'd already start to talk about Ceodore practicing with them - to which Cecil had given an emphatic no. If Ceodore even got wind of the existence of those things, he would beg to be allowed to use them. And then Cecil would be helpless.
But apparently, someone else knew they were there, because Mopingway knew a little too much about Baron and, apparently, was as vindictive as he was mopey.
"It's because you were dismissive yesterday," Cecil said reasonably, though he stroked Kain's hair and cuddled for all he was worth.
"You're no help," Kain muttered darkly.
"Did anything break?"
"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," Kain said, but something in his tone made Cecil frown.
"....Darling, what did you break?"
Kain at least had the grace to look guilty about it. "I just - "
But then, Rosa's voice echoed from down the hallway. "Kain Highwind!"
Cecil's hands stilled. "What did you - "
Rosa stomped into the room, and in her hands was the seething, hateful little form of Mopingway - and his tiny arm was cradled in a sling. "This is ridiculous! I know he's a pest but he's a sentient creature, and you're supposed to be setting a good example! Violence is not the answer!!"
Kain tried to hide under Cecil's hand, but Cecil was having none of it. "You just, huh?"
"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," he mumbled.
Eventually, Mopingway's arm healed, Kain's trophies were fixed, and Cecil forgave him - the last before any of the first, unfortunately. Ceodore dragged the whole story out of Mopingway, and somehow, they teamed up and became best friends, united in the goal to steal Kain's practice bludgers. This, at least, Cecil could blame fully on the poltergeist. It was going to be a long holiday, he thought. January could not come soon enough.
It really was an unfortunate thing, to live in a house with a mischievous old ghost while trying to raise a child. It was all right most of the time - when Cecil and Kain were touring, they brought Ceodore with them, or let him stay with his mother at Hogwarts - but during the holidays, Cecil wandered their old gothic mansion in a constant fear that the poltergeist - he said his name was Namingway, but Rosa had once called him Mopingway and the nickname had stuck - would make Ceodore's young life a small hell.
From what he'd gathered over the years, Mopingway had - after a long series of indecisive adventures - fallen in love with someone who liked pudding, or perhaps was a pudding, it was hard to tell, only to find out that she'd cheated on him. This made him angry and spiteful but also rather pathetically sad sometimes, hence the name. He liked to throw things and read emo love poetry at the top of his voice - Cecil didn't know which was worse.
"You're worried," Rosa said, as she slipped into their room after putting Ceobryn to bed. "What are you worried about?"
Cecil put a bookmark along the spine of his novel and closed it fully. "Mopingway."
"You're worried about him?" That came from Kain, almost completely buried under the covers already, though he had one arm over Cecil's lap and his ponytail was visible snaking out over the pillows. "Tch. Ce's more than a match for him."
"That's easy for you to say," Cecil said with a fretful frown. "You're not six years old."
"No, Kain's right," Rosa interrupted from the other side of the room, where she was removing her hair things. "You worry too much. The wards will let us know if anything's really wrong, and aside from that - he is six. He can handle some bad poetry."
Still, Cecil couldn't shake the sense that something would go wrong. Especially after the following day, spent cheerfully decorating the entire Baron estate in advance of the arrival of their yearly guests. Edge and Rydia were coming in, of course. Yang, his wife, and Ursula. Edward - he'd mentioned something about bringing a date, which would be new and different, but of course she/he was welcome as well. Possibly Cid and Luca. The only one missing was Theodore, Cecil's brother, who was spending the holidays with his new girlfriend's family. Cecil would miss him fiercely, but on the other hand, he was so happy that Theo had a girlfriend that he was willing to forgive anything.
But lots of guests meant lots and lots of decorations, and lots and lots of anxiety about whether or not Mopingway would render all these efforts futile.
December 23rd dawned bright and snowy, and Ceodore, of course, begged his father to run out and play in the snow. He knew better than to ask Kain - Kain liked saying no, probably just for the novelty of it, and Rosa was practical about these things, but Cecil had no willpower regarding his own son and, despite his misgivings, immediately said 'yes' and 'ask the girls if they want to join you' and 'bundle up!' He then retreated to the enormous fireplace, curled up in his favorite armchair with a mug of tea, and tried not to worry his head off.
Cecil's instincts were very good. He didn't always listen to them, but he always ended up regretting that. This time was no different. However, as is the nature with instinct, sometimes the mistake is in the interpretation.
Kain came flying into the room at a dead run, shuddering from head to toe. He then proceeded to crawl into Cecil's lap, forcing him to expand the armchair with magic and relocate his mug to the mantle. Cecil was then free to wind his arms around his lover, murmuring a wordless comfort. The man was shaking.
"What is it?" Cecil finally asked, since Kain apparently wasn't going to tell on his own.
"That... bloody.... thing," he hissed, which was very helpful and all, but Cecil hadn't really expected coherence.
"What thing?" He was very patient. It was a good quality, maybe enough to make up for his utter lack of parental disciplinary skills.
"....Mopingway."
Cecil froze. "Oh.... dear. What did he do? Is Ceo-"
"Ce is fine. He's playing outside, I think. Me, Cecil, he went after me!" Kain shook his fist in a general upstairs direction. "Do you know what that little snot did?"
"N-"
"He set the Bludgers loose in my room."
Kain had his own room. It had a bed in it, which was Kain's way of asserting his independence and trying to pretend that he wasn't just as invested in the relationship as Cecil and Rosa were. He never actually used it - Cecil simply wouldn't let him. It was the opposite of sleeping on the couch - No, Kain, you're not allowed to sleep in your own bed. It's your punishment for trying to assume we don't need you. Again. But aside from the bed, there were Kain-things in the room; spears, brooms, his collector's edition Quidditch things, and whatever clothes he wanted to keep Rosa away from (she liked doing ninja embroidery).
He also had a set of practice Bludgers; not nearly as deadly as the real thing, but able to mimic its behavior and weight when hit. He'd already start to talk about Ceodore practicing with them - to which Cecil had given an emphatic no. If Ceodore even got wind of the existence of those things, he would beg to be allowed to use them. And then Cecil would be helpless.
But apparently, someone else knew they were there, because Mopingway knew a little too much about Baron and, apparently, was as vindictive as he was mopey.
"It's because you were dismissive yesterday," Cecil said reasonably, though he stroked Kain's hair and cuddled for all he was worth.
"You're no help," Kain muttered darkly.
"Did anything break?"
"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," Kain said, but something in his tone made Cecil frown.
"....Darling, what did you break?"
Kain at least had the grace to look guilty about it. "I just - "
But then, Rosa's voice echoed from down the hallway. "Kain Highwind!"
Cecil's hands stilled. "What did you - "
Rosa stomped into the room, and in her hands was the seething, hateful little form of Mopingway - and his tiny arm was cradled in a sling. "This is ridiculous! I know he's a pest but he's a sentient creature, and you're supposed to be setting a good example! Violence is not the answer!!"
Kain tried to hide under Cecil's hand, but Cecil was having none of it. "You just, huh?"
"Nothing that couldn't be fixed," he mumbled.
Eventually, Mopingway's arm healed, Kain's trophies were fixed, and Cecil forgave him - the last before any of the first, unfortunately. Ceodore dragged the whole story out of Mopingway, and somehow, they teamed up and became best friends, united in the goal to steal Kain's practice bludgers. This, at least, Cecil could blame fully on the poltergeist. It was going to be a long holiday, he thought. January could not come soon enough.