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“That!” A small Joshua exclaimed with an excited giggle while he pointed at yet another toy lying on the floor in his room, seemingly having lost interest in the wooden soldier he was currently holding in his tiny hands. Clive observed his little brother's antics with a bright smile, aware that he couldn't blame Joshua. Chocobos were the best after all, no matter if they were a mere toy or the real deal.
Leaning forwards from where he sat on the floor, he reached out for the well-crafted Chocobo so that he could give it to Joshua, careful to not lean by accident on one of the many objects covering the ground. Once he had secured the desired toy, he returned to his sitting position and offered the Chocobo to Joshua who accepted it eagerly.
His brother moved it up and down while trying to imitate the chirps of the large birds. There was some sort of resemblance in the noises, much to Clive's surprise but one would still need a lot of imagination to consider the sounds Joshua produced as tunes that originated from a real Chocobo. Not that Clive minded the dissonance. His heart was swelling either way from Joshua's cuteness.
Clive has been playing with his brother for hours by now even when he was supposed to continue his lessons and training. However, Joshua was strongly opposed to that, making a great fuss the moment when the tutor came to take his brother away from him. He only calmed down when Clive promised that he would stay longer and continue playing with him.
That was how Clive found himself watching over his baby brother for the remainder of the morning and early noon, but in the back of his head, he knew their time together wouldn't last much longer. After his educational lessons were over, physical exercises under the watch of Commander Murdoch were next on his daily schedule, starting shortly after the sun reached its peak in the skies.
One look outside was enough to tell that Commander Murdoch could appear at any moment, the man's arrival marking the end of their playtime because Clive doubted the gruff man would be impressed if Joshua were to throw another tantrum. Therefore, Clive made the most of the time he had left with his brother before training would start.
However, he didn't expect that the time was already over. A firm knock rang through Joshua's room before the door was opened, revealing the man Clive had been thinking about mere seconds ago.
Commander Murdoch greeted the Rosfield brothers with a small bow of his head before he addressed Clive. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for you to train, Clive.”
The black-haired boy sighed but knew better than to disobey his master. As the oldest son of the Archduke, he had duties to fulfil. He rose to his feet but instead of turning to the commander, he turned to his baby brother and knelt in front of him, patting him on the head and ruffling his soft, aureate hair.
“Clive...” Joshua asked unsure, not understanding why his brother was suddenly about to leave when they had so much fun.
“I'm sorry, Joshua. I have o go now. I'll be back later, promise,” Clive said sympatrically before he stood up again, turned around and stepped towards the exit of the room. He had to make this quick because he knew he couldn't say no to his brother when he looked like a beaten puppy.
However, he didn't expect a pair of tiny hands to grab the fabric of his pants. Startled, Clive looked at what was clinging to his leg, discovering his beloved baby brother standing on his own feet for the first time.
“Joshua... you-” Before he could finish, a loud whimper interrupted him.
“Don't go!” Joshua whimpered, his eyes red and puffy from the tears streaming down his face.
Clive was at a loss for words which left him unresponsive for a brief moment before his instinct took over. He collected his baby brother in his arms and pressed the weeping bundle into his chest, burying his nose into Joshua's aureate hair and inhaling the soft fragrance of cinder.
“Joshua, you... you made your first steps, all on your own... I... I...”
Words failed Clive but it didn't matter. Pure joy overwhelmed his entire being, his heart swelling to its utmost limit from the love he felt for his brother. Needless to say that the training was called off when the news spread throughout the castle that Joshua had done his First Steps.