Chapter Text
Baby Days
Lightning sighed frustrated that she had fallen for her sisters cute puppy dog eyed look AGAIN. She loved her sister she really did and she swore because of the fact that love was so strong Serah got almost everything over on her or got her to do her more favors than anything else. Though she wasn't half as upset about this one. Getting to see her little nephew was one of the small things she did look forward to. She just wished Serah hadn't guilted her into taking him for the weekend while her and Snow spent some much needed time together, ever since the little boy was born six months ago today, the parents had pretty much never had much of a day without him. However thanks to some encouragement from Snow and Serah's....talent for guilt tripping people Lightning and Fang wound up with the little baby for the weekend. Lightning lay on the floor with the little six month old whom was laying on a blanket as she waved a rattle in front of his face watching him giggle and try and reach for the object and smiled letting him have it once he had grabbed it and started pulling.
“Strong little tyke ain't he?” Lightning looked up from watching the baby that looked so much like his father to see Fang sit in front of them and carefully picked the baby up seeing the rattle drop in the process watching his face scrunch up in a sad pitiful little look as he tried to reach the rattle but soon took an abrupt interest in the Pulsian's wild hair and went to grab for one of the braids making a little protesting noise and soon crying when he couldn't have the wild locks as Fang moved her braids to the side along with the majority of her hair.
“Aw you made him cry.” Lightning teased seeing her give him his rattle watching her shake it a bit as the baby promptly grabbed it making a happy noise and chewed on it. She looked at Lightning giving a satisfied nod and smiled.
Lightning looked surprised a moment. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever see Fang as the motherly type. That was more her own personal area. Having to take care of Serah when their parents died she had to grow up fast so being motherly came sort of natural to her, Fang on the other hand was like a little kid herself. She never thought Fang would even be able to handle the kid as well as she was. Hell she couldn't even believe it was almost time to give the little tyke back. She smiled thinking back to when they had brought him over not but two days ago.
Two days before
Lightning smiled as she walked to the door hearing the constant ringing of the doorbell. Oi ve leave it to Snow to be annoying when it came to getting their attention and as always his knack for bad timing tended to always come through, least she and Fang weren't in the middle of one of their intimate moments. But being Fang had just gotten home from one of tours of the steppe to keep away the more curious monsters from coming into the village and to fight off the more nuisance ones. The woman had come home sore and like always cut up, though it was nothing serious this time. Minor cuts and bruising. She made a mental note to learn to put her car in the garage when it came to her brother in law, as she unlocked the deadbolt and then the doorknob and opened the door looking at the two through the screen door.
“Hey sis.” Snow greeted her in his normally goofy happy tone complete with his goofy wave.
Lightning like normal rolled her eyes and opened the door letting the two in. “Try and keep the noise down, Fang got home a few hours ago and needs her sleep.” She said.
“She just got home? She told me she'd only be a few minutes and then she'd head out, she was one of the last few of us that hadn't gone home.” Snow frowned having remembered the Pulsian saying before he left to head home the night before that she was gonna make one last run with a few of the soldiers before heading home herself.
“She got in about four this morning.” Lightning said.
“She's ok isn't she?” Serah asked worried setting a car seat with their son cooing happily inside down on the coffee table as she slid the canopy and holding bar back and smiled. “There's my baby boy, such a cute smile.” She smiled leaning down and bumped noses with him hearing him giggle.
“Thankfully she only came home with a few bruises and cuts. She said they took care of a few of the nuisance monsters that were getting to close to the village and managed to chase them off. It'll be summer soon, enough.” Lightning frowned.
“Behemoth season.” Snow groaned.
“And when Fang starts getting really reckless.” She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose at the thought of it.
“Well excuse me for wanting to make sure they're a good distance away from the village.” Fang frowned leaning against the frame of the entrance of the staircase running her hand through her hair.
“Hey, there ya are, I was getting worried last night when you didn't send a message saying you got home.” Snow smiled relieved.
“We didn't wake you did we?” Serah frowned.
Fang shook her head a bit and looked at Lightning. “We got aspirin in the bathroom down here? My heads killing me.”
“Mmm, behind the bandages.” she said seeing her give a wave of thanks and walked off to the bathroom.
“You two gonna be ok with him for the weekend?” Snow asked.
“Yeah once Fang actually gets some rest she'll be fine. We can handle him.” Lightning said looking at the boy in the car seat.
“Everything you need is in his diaper bag. Snow help me get his playpen and the base out the car.” Serah said as the two walked outside, Lightning followed after making sure the baby was ok to go help them.
Fang came back into the kitchen a while later gulping down the last bit of her bottled water and saw the infant in his car seat squirming around a bit apparently wanting out and wanting to explore his new surroundings. She looked around and moved the curtain covering one of the windows attached to the side of the door seeing Lightning with Serah and Snow. She heard the infant in the car seat whining at the fact that he couldn't get out of the seat seeing his arms flail a bit as she walked over and sat down on the couch in front of him staring at him and brought the car seat a bit closer as his whines subsided and he looked at her curiously, his large blue eyes blinking cutely.
“You want out?” Fang asked waiting to see if he would do anything watching him look around and squirm as he whined soon beginning to cry.
Fang only rolled her eyes and smirked. Etro She thought and looked at the buckle that kept him held in the car seat and carefully unbuckled it carefully sliding his little arms out each side hearing his cries quiet again when he realized he was no longer buckled in Fang looked at the diaper bag sitting beside the table and rummaged around in it seeing a chocobo plush and waved it in front of him hearing a happy squeal and set it beside her on the couch as she reached and carefully lifted him out of the car seat carefully placing him against her chest so his head lay against her shoulder she winced feeling a painful tug at her braids and frowned moving her braids behind her ear and shifted him so he was sitting on her lap and she wiggled the chocobo in front of him seeing him all but grab and and tug it out of her hand and cuddle it.
“Strong for a baby.” Fang mused and shifted him so he was facing her, she held onto his sides gently as he occupied himself with chewing on the chocobo plush.
When Lightning Serah and Snow would come back in Serah frowned noticing the car seat was empty and sighed a bit seeing Fang walk in holding the baby watching him drink some juice from his bottle.
“There you are I got scared a minute there, has he been with you since we went to the car?” Serah asked.
“Guess he has, I got tired of him whining so I took him out the car seat. Been trying to find things to distract him with so he won't tug my hair.” She said and went and sat on the couch with him.
“He didn't cry when you picked him up?” Snow asked.
“Why would he?” Fang asked holding the bottle.
“He hates being held by strangers. He still cries a bit when Lightning holds him.” Snow smiled seeing how content his son was in Fang's arms and walked over kissing his head.
“Nope he didn't cry. I unbuckled him let him sit there a while until he started crying again and picked him up. Had him against my chest until he started tugging at my braid, gave him that chocobo doll to chew on and got his bottle not to long ago....what's his name?”She asked taking the bottle and set it on the table. “Go see daddy.” She said giving him to Snow as Snow smiled and gently pat the boys back.
“Kain.” Snow smiled hearing him burp watching as Serah and Lightning set the playpen up.
Fang frowned some at the name and took that time while the three were absorbed in their tasks to go back upstairs and catch some much needed sleep. When she came back down a few hours later she saw Lightning on the couch asleep Kain in his playpen playing happily with his toys as she shook her head a bit and walked over to the playpen in the corner and rest her hands on the edge of it.
“Wore her out did ya? Guess Lightning does have some patience to be putting up with a baby version of Snow. Not like she can hit you anyway, not her thing to beat on children.” Fang watched him crawl to the edge and sit back and reach up for her as Fang tilted her head to the side.
“I don't want you.” She said bluntly seeing his face scrunch up hearing him whine and soon cry.
Fang sighed some watching him cry a while. Though he wanted her, she wanted nothing to do with him. Wasn't like she hated kids but this one was just encroaching on her private time with Lightning. Honestly why did they have to watch him.
“Let's get something straight kid.” She said seeing him stop crying. “I only took you out of that car seat so you could stretch a bit and get a bottle. Doesn't mean I like you, got it?” She asked raising an eyebrow when he cried again she looked at the various toys in his pen and picked up one waving it in front of his face seeing him still cry.
“Why not just pick him up, he obviously wants you.” Lightning frowned having been woken up by the noise.
“Yeah well I don't want him.” Fang turned and looked at her and promptly walked off going out back to train.
Lightning sighed a bit frowning wondering what was up with Fang and got up walking over to the pen and carefully picked Kain up bouncing him lightly and pat his back to him. For most of the first day that he was in his Aunt's home he spent with Lightning, Fang despite the infant's obvious like for her went ignored and she mostly kept to herself while Lightning took care of him only looking after him if Lightning had errands to run for the day and normally nine times out of ten he slept for that short period of time. The first night went pretty smoothly as everyone slept the night through. Fang however woke up in the middle of the night, and not being able to go back to sleep did what she normally did and went downstairs seeing the playpen in the corner of the living room Kain laying inside it asleep blanket having been kicked off, as he sucked on his pacifier while he slept. Fang walked over almost silently and noticed the little boy shivering a bit and brought the blanket over his little body. She stood and watched him as he slept thinking back to her days back in Oerba.
There was a little baby boy, around Kain's age, like many other children that had either been displaced due to the war or abandoned somehow a six month old baby had wound up on the orphanage's door step. As usual due to their natural talent for helping out with the kids, Vanille and Fang had been put in charge of the little baby. His name, Kain. He was one of the lucky ones he'd been adopted, though because he had been in their care for so long Fang had taken a bit of a liking to him and wanted to adopt him herself. She had caused an uproar with the Matriarch and the village told them that Kain was best left in their care, how he wouldn't do well with anyone else but them. Thanks in part to Vanille Fang managed to let the infant go off with his new family but because of it the incident left a sour taste in her mouth when it came to babies.
As she watched Kain sleep peacefully she shook her head silently scolding herself.
“What the hell do I think I'm doing....come back to haunt me some five eons later?” She asked to one and just watched Kain sleep peacefully.
She managed a small smile and shook her head frowning sighing. Why was she getting attached to something she knew she would have to give back? What the hell was wrong with her? She turned making her back upstairs suddenly feeling tired and walked into hers and Lightning's bedroom and slipped in bed beside Lightning placing an arm around her waist and snuggling close to her until she drifted off to sleep. When she woke up the next morning she frowned seeing Lightning not beside her and brought her hand over her eyes at the sunlight and sat up squinting as she looked around and got out of bed and got dressed wearing her Sari grabbing her belt she made her way downstairs and buckled it as she looked in the living room over in the corner not seeing Kain in his playpen and walked over to it looking inside it. Lightning must have the little brat.
Logic told her the kitchen was the most likely place to look as she made her way there and saw pretty much the cutest scene ever. Lightning looked positively flustered at the fact that Kain didn't seem to want to eat. She leaned against the wall a while watching seeing the pinkette try unsuccessfully to feed the infant.
“Won't eat?” Fang asked.
“No, and I know he's hungry cause his tummy is growling, Serah said he likes being difficult at meal times.” She sighed putting the spoon in the jar of baby food.
“Might not like being fed in that car seat. Hold him.” Fang suggested feeling like she was regret her decision later.
“Hold him?” Lightning asked.
“Sit him in your lap and just hold his sides so he doesn't fall.” She said pulling up a seat as Lightning picked the boy up and sat him in her lap feeling him squirm a bit as he reached for Fang whining.
“Seems he's taken a liking to you, you wanna take him?” She asked
“After he eats.” She said and put a bit of food on the spoon holding it out to him. “Ah.” She said watching him open his mouth as she put the spoon in and pulled it out watching him swallow. “See not so bad is it?” Fang smiled lightly as she fed him the rest of the food and put it on the table and took him sitting him on her lap letting him lay against her arm.
“So how come your so against having him here?” Lightning wondered tilting her head to the side seeing Fang shift him so he sat on her lap and she carefully pulled him up so he was standing and placed him against her chest moving her hair over her shoulder. Lightning smirked a bit at seeing Fang's untamable locks on her shoulder.
“Long story short, baby like him, same name, same age, abandoned on the orphanage's door step Vanille and I were put in charge of him. I took a liking to him, problem was someone came and adopted him.” Fang frowned.
“You wanted to adopt him?” Lighting asked.
“Tried every single little thing I could do to keep the little brat.” Fang sighed looking at Kain and lifted him into the air making a few plane noises hearing him giggle as she lowered him again and held him close a sad look coming over her face. “But in the end, no thanks to 'Nille I had to let him go with his parents. Never saw him again. The one that adopted him....probably took him to Cocoon. I look back now and think maybe it was for the best what with mine and Vanille's focus and everything....I don't know what it is with me and babies but its hard as all hell to not get attached to them. Knowing I have to give him back....” She frowned and looked at Kain seeing him yawn.
“Your going back in your pen young man.” Fang said gently and cradled him walking into the living room carefully placed him in his playpen and brought his blanket over him and stood crossing her arms over chest and felt Lightning's arm around her waist a while later.
“When I heard Snow and Serah named him Kain....the memories came flooding back, thought he'd come back to haunt me some five hundred years later.”
“Mmm...If you want...we can adopt a baby, that way we'll have our own little family.” Lightning said smoothing Fang's hair back.
“They call it the past for a reason sunshine...leave it there.” Fang spoke sadly.
Later on in the day Fang had gotten the chance to spend with Kain, and the baby seemed all the more happier as he played and laughed as Fang lay on her side his little back against her stomach as she waved a toy above his head and lowered it gently booping his head with it and smiled when she saw the curious look on his face when she made the toy disappear and watched him squeal when she made it appear again and let him grab it and play with it.
“Come to see your pitiful care taker one last time?” She mused almost silently and smiled when he looked at her. “You go back to Mommy and daddy tomorrow. Guess I can enjoy the company of a baby for a few hours. Right?” She smiled and hummed a small tune.
Present day
Lightning watched from the couch as Fang placed Kain in his Car seat buckling him in for his ride home. She hated to say bye to him so soon, the weekend seemed to just fly by, But alas Monday was tomorrow and they all had to return to work. Lightning heard the doorbell ring and went to get it. Fang smiled looking at Kain seeing him kick his feet happily and wave his arms.
“Ah.” Kain cooed reaching wanting to be picked him.
“Not this time little runt, you gotta go home soon, least this time I know I'll get to see you again instead of being left to wonder. Behave for your parents ok?” Fang asked knowing he couldn't answer and placed a small kiss on his forehead humming lightly as she watched him fall asleep and slowly stood from her crouched position and went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter waiting a while until she heard Snow and Serah leave out the door and looked out the window in the kitchen watching as Kain was placed in his parents car and Lightning Serah and Snow said their goodbyes and got in the car and drove off. Fang watched until the car disappeared out of sight wiping a tear away and stretched sighing.
“You alright?” Lightning asked.
“Glad he's gone.” Fang smiled.
“That's not what I meant.” Lightning frowned.
“Past is Past Light. Let it stay there.” Fang said and looked out the window knowing things would be ok from now on.