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“Stacey, wait!”
Stacey pauses at the sound of Kaito’s voice, he was just supposed to be watching. Making sure Hakaiser - Kaito’s dad - was okay. That it was worth it.
Unfortunately, Kaito is Kaito, and he is stupid, and he is stubborn, and Stacey is only so capable of escaping him.
(He doesn’t want to escape him. Wants to let himself sink into the knowledge of a family that will love him. But he can’t see it - won’t send it, and it’s not his.
It’s Kaito’s, always Kaito’s, and the worst part is, Stacey can’t truly, entirely hate him for it because he is so unendingly nice.)
“What do you want, Zenkaiser?” He asks, not turning around.
“I wanted to thank you,” Kaito says. “Zox didn’t tell us who gave him the info to save Tou-Chan, but it was you, wasn’t it? I can’t think of anyone else it could possibly be.”
So Twokaiser hid his identity…
Why?
“It’s just paying back a debt,” Stacey says, and he mostly believes himself.
“Still,” Kaito says. “Thank you. Yacchan and I are so happy. He’s doing good, too!”
“I don’t care,” Stacey says.
“Yes you do,” Kaito says. “Actually, I have to ask… Stacey, why don’t you come home with me?”
And finally, enough is enough, and Stacey turns to face the human.
“I can’t go back,” he says. “You can, you even have your beloved father. I have no family, a horrible World!”
Kaito blinks.
“Stacey…”
“Yatsude is your grandma,” Stacey says. “You have friends and family and I have nothing! ”
A pause. Oh no. What has Stacey just said?
“It could be yours,” Kaito says. “I want it to be yours. I like you, Stacey. Everyone would be happy to have you there?”
Stacey just kind of. Stares. Fuck Kaito. This impossible man and his neverending belief. Full power non stop to redeem the evil Prince? Is that his plan?
“I kept your dad from you, so I could have Hakaiser,” he says, scoffing. “Your father won’t want to see me.”
“He doesn’t actually remember,” Kaito says, “not really. Mostly he just remembers vague things. I guess that’s better, though.”
It is, actually. Not that Stacey cares.
Probably makes it easier for Yatsude, at least.
Her son doesn’t remember how much he suffered.
(Stacey looked it up, secretly. The things Hakaiser and the pods both did to his brain, to his body…
Stacey is more human than him now, under the skin.)
“I’m not going with you,” Stacey says. “Don’t start a fight.”
“I really don’t want to start a fight, though,” Kaito says. “And I’m to the point where I want to bring you home more than almost anything else in the world.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a good person.”
His smile is damn near unwavering. He’s so damn sure, and yet…
God. He reminds Stacey of his mom. She said he was a kind boy. Of course, she doesn’t know. He sold his body to Ijirude for power and protection, his soul for control, and now all he has is a chance, still, to surpass his father.
Maybe then he can destroy that bastard.
But then, it doesn’t matter. He’s made his choices.
“I’m not,” he says.
“But you could be,” Kaito said, and Stacey doesn’t leave, he finds himself stalking forwards, and he reaches for…
Kaito’s collar, pulling him into a kiss. Why? What?
Kaito lets him .
“Is that a yes?”
Stacey shoves him back. And now, yes, he runs.
Kaito. Why Kaito? What is it about him that makes Stacey want him, want his life, want…
He’s back on Kikaitopia. Miserable.
Is that a yes?
…He wanted to say yes.