Work Text:
There's plenty of surprises in store, as Kasimir learns more about the others, but Zillah's protectiveness over her family isn't one of them. It's clear in the way she talks about them, rare as that may be; in the way she says she's in the game to provide for them and seems to mean it, rather than being an excuse to get her hands dirty. Even in the way she starts to grow quietly protective of the others in short time, how being quick to get between them and a threat spreads to making sure the cupboards stay stocked with everyone's favorites and there's wood for the fire.
So when Ethan Bruzaud turns up on their doorstep in a panic, led there by a confused Barnaby who found him pacing outside the shop, it's no surprise to watch Zillah immediately zero in on her cousin.
Lilith having a history with the man who's holding some shady favors over Ethan's head is more of a surprise. Still, between her grudge and Zillah's fury, the plans to scare him right back to the city he came from take shape easily. It should be as easy after that, the three of them out the door and on their way, but the threats to Ethan's children have him shaken, concerned about leaving them unprotected while he goes after the blackmailer directly.
Kasimir's listening with one ear, fixing another cup of tea and satisfied the two of them have this handled between them, when Zillah suggests leaving the kids here while they take care of it.
"We haven't had any problems here. Edvard's set up some kind of security already, and they'll be safe as houses with Kasimir here even if there is trouble."
He half-turns, considering an argument, to see Zillah staring him down already, one eyebrow raised, expression set.
Kasimir holds up his hands, pacifying, and says nothing.
"They'll be well taken care of," Lilith chimes in, instead. She's convincing, comforting and firm in equal measures, and Ethan's hand relaxes a little around the spoon he's been fidgeting with, looking between the two of them.
"If you're sure, Zillah."
"I promise," Zillah answers immediately, and that seems to be the end of arguments on that, from anyone.
Kasimir almost forgets about it, to be honest; not like it's his cousin under attack, and Eleanor has him busy trying to track down some leads that might point them in the right direction. It's tricky to work out, and it keeps his head in his own business for the next week. Long enough that when the sitting room door swings open middle of the day and there's a pair of children there, it takes a second to remember why.
Zillah's leading the way, the smaller of the children on her hip as she glances back over her shoulder to converse. "Right on time," she's saying to Ethan as they charge through. Lilith files in after them, dressed for a job, and, right. That.
He probably should have kept better track of when that was going to happen.
"Ruthie, Phillip," Zillah continues, bouncing the girl on her hip as she addresses both her and the boy that's standing by his father, looking around like he can't decide where to let his eyes settle. "This is Kasimir, here, and back there in the hallway is Edvard. If you need anything while your dad's helping me out today, you can ask them, all right?"
Kasimir glances back towards the hallway, where Edvard looks even more frozen and confused than he currently feels, one hand in his hair and the other around a tool that he seems to have carried with him out of the labs upstairs.
At least Barney's nowhere to be found; Kasimir can't imagine his majesty's any good with children. Whether that's on purpose, either on Barnaby's part or Zillah's, he's not sure, but it still seems to be the better option.
Ethan bends down to offer his own parting words to the children, and Kasimir takes the opportunity to heave himself off the chair he's settled in and move to stand next to Lilith, waiting by the door.
"And how long do you think this is likely to be?" he asks, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"Not very."
"Sure about that?"
"Sure as I can be," Lilith answers quietly, one corner of her mouth curling up in a vicious smile that almost makes him feel bad for the man they're setting off after.
It's as close to a certainty as he's going to get, unpredictable as such circumstances can get. He nods, and Lilith turns away, her attention back to Zillah as she adjusts her satchel and moves to the door. It feels like only a blink before the two of them are ushering Ethan out, Zillah leaning towards him with her voice dropped to a comforting tone as the door swings shut on his last glance back.
And then it's the four of them, standing in the townhouse's front room in momentary silence.
The boy moves first, walking towards a table with papers spread out across it curiously. Kasimir considers if he should discourage it, but it's Lilith's studies, nothing criminal as far as he knows. It might be a fright, depending on what she's working on now, but that's about all. Then the girl, Ruthie, moves the other way, coming to stand in front of Kasimir, head tilting as she looks up at him.
"Do you really work with Aunt Zillah?"
The sound seems to snap Edvard out of his frozen state, and he straightens, taking one step back, and another. "Well, I think it looks like you've got this handled, old man, I'd better get back to it."
"Hang on," Kasimir starts, but Edvard's already wheeling around, still tossing out excuses without so much as looking back over his shoulder.
"Left something on in the lab -- shout if you need anything --"
And then he's gone, and Kasimir turns his attention to the girl still shifting in front of him, not so much as glancing away.
"Well?" she asks, a little impatient.
"Yes." For some definition of work, anyway, but it's better to let whatever Zillah and her cousin have told the two of them stand. The last thing Kasimir wants is kids who aren't used to their kind of work and don't know who not to talk to asking questions.
He's not sure what kind of response he's expecting, but it's not the wide grin that splits the girl's face. "Really?" she asks, and then barrels on before he gets a chance to answer again. "Can you fight like her too? I got to watch her once and she taught me a little bit and she says she'll teach me more someday. Do you get to fight with her a lot?"
"I watch her more than I get to fight with her," Kasimir answers, which is also true in its own way, but more important, hopefully enough to deflect any other questions about his own fighting.
It seems to work well enough, because if anything her excitement gets stronger, practically bouncing on her toes, and, well. This might take some creative editing, but he can work with this.
"Why don't I tell you about the time I saw your aunt knock a man out with one blow," he says, moving towards the sofa to sit down with a wide-eyed Ruthie following in tow, and even Phillip looks up from the study he's making of the room at that.
*
Edvard doesn't really intend to spend the whole day in his lab, even after ducking out. They've made an agreement to help Zillah with her family troubles, after all, and he'll do his part. He only needs to take a moment, first, finish up some things and prepare to deal with children.
(He assumes there's been an agreement, anyway. Sometimes the others talk to him and his mind is still in his lab, and it's not the first thing he's arranged to do without realizing he was being asked. It's easier to nod along when it comes up again than question it. He'll end up pulled into it one way or another if they're determined to have his help, no need to prolong the inevitable.)
But what's supposed to be a quick clean-up and a chance to catch his breath leads to remembering something else he meant to get done, and then he gets distracted testing materials for the protective wear he's been working on at Zillah's request, and -- well, time gets away from him. Awareness, too. He all but forgets what's going on until hunger finally draws him downstairs again, only to run into the older of the children, wandering down the hallway on his own.
"Did you need something?"
The boy shrugs. "No."
Edvard waits for more of an answer, peering over the boy's head to see if the girl is following him too. None comes, so after a moment he tries, "Can I help you find something?"
"No."
Still nothing else. "Where's your sister?" he tries, and this time gets a thumb pointed back the way the boy came from.
"She keeps asking questions about Aunt Zillah." The boy doesn't sound annoyed, but still, it only takes a second to follow the line of thinking. Not looking for something, but wandering out of boredom.
Edvard takes a moment to consider all the crime paraphernalia hidden away that could still be found by bored little fingers. That's without counting anything dangerous in his own lab, or in Lilith's research, and who knows what Barnaby has in the room he keeps here, even if he's barely in it.
"How about a snack?" he suggests abruptly, putting his hands out to the side like he can herd the child where he wants him. The boy looks at him, considering, and Edvard smiles widely as he can, hoping to make food sound more enticing than anything else.
He nearly sags in relief when the boy nods and turns around, and follows him back down the hall towards the kitchen.
*
Zillah's limping slightly as she makes her way through the back entrance, careful more for the sake of Ethan helping her move than for her own sake. It's not much compared to some of the knocks she's taken on the job, let alone in the ring, but the concern in his face had settled a bit when she'd agreed to let him help.
The last of that concern breaks into exhausted relief at the sight of Phillip sitting quietly at the small kitchen table, an empty plate to the side and what looks like one of Edvard's attempts to improve on the lanthorn design in front of him. Edvard's across the table, hand hovering as he looks up, as if they've interrupted him mid-explanation.
"Phillip," Ethan starts, and then all but collapses into the chair next to his son, reaching out to pull him into a hug. Zillah watches for a moment, feeling settled at the knowledge that they're safe again, before turning to Edvard instead.
"Where are," she starts, as Lilith closes the door heavily behind them, only to be cut off.
"Shhh," Phillip says, twisting a little in his father's grip before he settles, accepting it. "They're asleep."
Zillah glances at Edvard, who tilts his head towards the door to the hallway. Careful on her achy leg, she makes her way through the hall slowly to the nearby sitting room where it sits open, stopping to take in the view in front of her.
Ruthie is asleep on the sofa, knees tucked up to her chest and nestled into the cushions, a sight Zillah recognizes from time after time her niece has coaxed her to tell her stories until she fell asleep in the middle of them. It's a sweet enough sight on its own, but Zillah's smile only grows on recognizing the way Ruthie's whole body is angled towards Kasimir, who's fallen asleep sitting straight up, bad leg propped on an ottoman, hands folded in front of him and chin tucked into his chest.
She's expecting him to stir as she starts into the room, especially with the way the limp changes how she walks; they've all found Kasimir to be a light sleeper, prone to waking up at even a light tap on his door or a quiet conversation in the hallways outside it. She's not expecting the way he reaches out an arm as he does, blocking Ruthie's small form with a gesture as he blinks himself awake and looks around. It lights something up in her chest, soft and warm.
"Just me," she says softly, and Kasimir's eyes snap to her, looking her up and down even as his posture relaxes, frowning slightly as he notices her limping towards him.
"All right?" he checks, and she nods, settling herself on the arm of the sofa.
"Caught me a little off guard, but they shouldn't be having any more trouble." She reaches out to comb her fingers through Ruthie's hair gently, who stirs and then settles back into sleep. "It looks like Phillip enjoyed himself. How was she?"
"Fine. Wanted to hear all kinds of stories about her aunt beating people up." Kasimir smiles, softer than usual with sleep still lingering in his expression, and the warmth in Zillah's chest blooms that much more. "With appropriate edits, of course."
"I'll trust you on that. You should go get some more sleep. They'll be going home in a few minutes, I think."
"I'm all right."
He settles back into the couch again, one hand coming up to smother a yawn, and Zillah hides her smile by tilting her neck back into a stretch, reaching her arms up towards the ceiling to feel the familiar ache that comes with a job well done. Kasimir is watching her when she twists herself towards him, and after a moment he nods towards the leg she has stretched out and unmoving to one side.
"You should get some rest yourself, take care of that leg. You all right to walk?"
She twists to the other side, and doesn't get a chance to answer before Ethan walks in, Phillip trailing behind him and Lilith following at a distance, distracting them both.
She can see the exhaustion in her cousin's face, the way the relief of all this tension is suddenly hitting him, and it's no surprise when he rushes through his goodbyes, giving her one last quiet thanks and scooping Ruthie up before she even gets a chance to properly wake up. The silence only hangs for a few moments before Kasimir stretches, rubbing a hand over his face and shifting forward.
"Might not be a bad idea, a rest," he admits, setting his leg down carefully before hefting himself off the couch in a familiar motion. Zillah watches him take the couple of steps that bring him in front of her, and then he hesitates unexpectedly, stopping still for a moment before he turns towards her and holds out a hand. "Need help up?"
She's reaching for his hand before she considers mentioning that she doesn't, really. His skin is warm against hers, arm sturdy as she steadies herself between him and the sofa, and she tightens her hold, impulsively, when he makes to let go.
She moves slowly towards the door instead, slackening her grip as she does so he has room to let go, to stay put and let the movement break them apart. It only takes a couple of steps away before he follows instead, letting her lead him towards the hallway, and Zillah smiles.