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Emperor didn’t usually come home early from work.
The house was silent when he opened the door—no sound of the television, no clash of practice weapons in the yard.
Only the faint echo of his own footsteps.
“Nii-san?”
The voice came from the hallway, childish.
Prince appeared with ink still staining his fingers, as if he had been training alone again. His eyes lit up the moment he saw him, and a smile spread across his face.
“You’re home early!”
He shouted, running toward him, happy.
Emperor adjusted his jacket with that automatic air of superiority he wore like a second skin.
“Don’t get too excited.”
Prince smiled anyway.
“So you’re staying?”
A brief silence.
Emperor looked away for a second. Just a second.
“No. I just came to change. I have a meeting.”
Prince blinked, confused.
“A meeting?”
“With friends.”
The word sounded strange in his mouth. Not because he didn’t consider them that, but because he didn’t know how to use it without making it sound like a strategy.
Prince’s shoulders dropped slightly, his smile slowly fading.
“From the team?”
“Not exactly.”
Emperor walked toward his room.
Prince followed him.
“Where are you going?”
“To a sleepover.”
He said it with the same seriousness he would use to announce an important battle..
Prince stopped in his tracks, perplexed.
“A… sleepover? C-can I go!?” His excitement came back instantly.
The question was immediate. No calculation, no pride—just the intention to… enjoy.
Emperor slowly turned around.
“No.”
Prince clenched his fingers, staining them with even more ink.
“W-why not!?”
“It’s not a place for children.”
Prince frowned, then shouted.
“I-I’m not a child!”
“You’re not ready for that kind of environment yet.”
The yellow-haired boy grew childish in his anger, starting to raise his voice.
“Environment of what? Of laughing? Of having friends like you?”
Emperor narrowed his eyes, annoyed.
“Watch your tone.”
“You always choose to leave!” Prince said, then lowered his voice. “You always have something more important..”
The air grew heavy.
Emperor could have said many things; «I need a distraction.», «I need to stop thinking.», «The silence of the house suffocates me sometimes.»
But what came out was:
“A King cannot stay locked inside the castle.”
Prince stared at him.
“W-well I’m your successor, I shouldn’t have to stay here either!”
Low blow.
Emperor felt something uncomfortable in his chest. Irritation, or something worse.
“You’re being dramatic.”
“.. I just wanted to spend time with you.” He lowered his head, as well as his voice, turning softer, more melancholic.
That one hit directly.
No metaphors, no titles.
Emperor looked away again.
“Train more. When you reach my level, you’ll be able to understand my decisions, Prince.”
Prince took a step back, as if he had been shot.
“Not everything is about training.”
Silence.
Emperor picked up his bag.
“Don’t throw a tantrum over this, you’re not a little kid.”
“Now I’m not a kid!? I’m only one when it’s convenient for you!” Prince replied, but his voice no longer had energy. “«The King has commitments.»” he said, using a more ironic tone.
That phrase hurt more coming from him.
Emperor walked past him, stopped for a second, as if he was going to say something.
He didn’t.
The door closed.
Prince was left alone in the hallway.
The house returned to silence.
And this time, it felt bigger.
The house of Squidkid Jr was anything but silent.
From outside, laughter could already be heard, something that sounded like music way too loud, and what was probably Double Egg yelling for no reason.
Emperor adjusted his jacket before ringing the doorbell, not exactly sure why.
Maybe out of habit.
Maybe because Prince’s voice was still echoing in his head.
The door opened before he could knock.
“¡The King has arrived!” Squidkid Jr was there, crooked smile, jacket unbuttoned as always, the cuff on his right ear gleaming under the hallway light, his eyes lighting up when he saw him. “I thought you were going to back out.”
“The King does not regret,” Emperor replied firmly. “He simply reconsiders.”
Squidkid Jr rolled his eyes but raised his hand.
Emperor looked at it for a second.
They high-fived.
And didn’t pull away immediately.
Their fingers slid slightly, an unnecessary brush that lasted a second longer than normal.
Then came the hug.
Quick. Tight. Sincere.
Emperor tensed at first, out of reflex.
But he ended up returning it.
“What a welcoming reception,” he muttered, pulling away first.
“Get used to it, King! This is a palace for relaxing.”
From the end of the hallway, a voice was heard.
“THAT’S the outfit you chose!?” Gloves appeared leaning against the wall, arms crossed, shamelessly looking him up and down. “That was trending two seasons ago.”
“Elegance is timeless, peasant,” Emperor replied without losing composure.
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
Double Egg popped his head out from the living room.
“He’s here already? I thought he’d back out at the last minute.”
“Does my presence intimidate you?” Emperor asked.
“Your ego does, mostly.”
A low laugh was heard.
Vintage was sitting on the couch, impeccable as always, holding a glass with something probably far too sophisticated for the rest.
N-Pacer was seated in a corner, a cup of black tea in her hand, observing everything as if analyzing enemy formations.
“Everyone’s here!” Squidkid Jr said, closing the door behind Emperor. “There are snacks of all kinds too! And yes, Double Egg already tried to eat half of them.”
“THAT’S A LIE, BRO!”
“I SAW YOU, BRUH!”
Emperor scanned the place with his eyes.
The atmosphere was… messy. Lively, noisy, energetic.
Very different from his house.
Very different from the silence he had left behind.
“Are you going to stand there like a royal statue or are you coming in?” Squidkid Jr asked, tilting his head.
Emperor lifted his chin.
“Lead the way.”
Squidkid Jr walked ahead, moving with that carelessness that irritated him so much in battle… and that now felt curiously attractive.
Gloves leaned closer to Emperor and lowered his voice.
“If you do anything cringe tonight, I’m telling you.”
“. . I appreciate your unnecessary honesty.”
Double tossed him a bag of snacks.
Emperor caught it effortlessly mid-air.
“Decent reflexes,” Vintage commented, almost approving.
“Of course.”
“Whoa whoa whoa!” Squidkid Jr interrupted, stomping both feet loudly. “Everyone! To my room! We’re doing this properly.”
“«This» is what exactly?” Emperor asked.
Squidkid Jr turned around, walking backward.
“A normal night.”
He said it simply.
As if it were something easy.
Emperor looked at him for a second too long.
Normal.
He wasn’t sure he remembered what that looked like.
But he went in anyway.
And this time, it didn’t feel like a King stepping into enemy territory.
It felt like someone… invited.
Squidkid Jr’s room was a mess… but an «organized» mess (according to him).
Posters slightly crooked, weapons resting against the wall, a mountain of cushions that was clearly going to be used as a projectile at some point in the night.
“Welcome to my humble kingdom!” Squidkid Jr said, spreading his arms.
Emperor raised an eyebrow.
“The concept of «kingdom» here is… questionable.”
“Relax, King! Tonight you’re not competing for territory.”
“I ALWAYS compete for territory.”
Double was already hooking up the TV.
“This screen is ridiculously big..” he said, admiring it. “Karaoke. Now. Anyone who refuses is a coward!”
“That is cheap emotional blackmail,” Vintage commented from the floor, sitting cross-legged.
“Exactly,” replied the Tetra Dualies user.
Gloves was already picking a song.
“If I’m going to do this, I’m going to make it iconic!” the green-haired boy said, excited.
“Make it quick,” N-Pacer said calmly, sipping her tea. “Before someone destroys something.”
The music started.
Double Egg grabbed the microphone first.
He sang terribly, but with absurd confidence.
“THAT’S IT, BRO!” Squidkid Jr shouted, shoving Gloves so he would sing too.
Gloves jumped in dramatically, exaggerating nonexistent vibratos, trying to sing something “fresh.”
The darker-skinned boy sang like he was performing in a stadium.
Between laughter, Double accidentally tripped, knocking over a table where the drinks were—right next to N-Pacer, who had been calmly drinking her black tea.
Half the drinks spilled all over the outfit Gloves had meticulously chosen.
“D-DO YOU CALL THIS FRESH!?” he yelled, complaining like he’d just been shot.
Emperor was watching from a corner, arms crossed.
“Pathetic,” he muttered.
“You’re having fuuuun!” Squidkid Jr said, sitting down next to him.
“No.”
“You’re smiling.”
Emperor immediately stopped smiling.
“.. Optical illusion.”
Squidkid Jr let out a soft laugh.
Vin took the microphone next.
“I refuse to embarrass myself.”
He sang perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Absolute silence when he finished.
Double looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“.. That was unnecessarily good.”
“Unlike you, I don’t waste opportunities.”
“Hey!”
The tension between them lasted exactly three seconds before Squidkid Jr threw a cushion at them.
Tactical error.
Double Egg dodged it.
The cushion hit a table.
A bag of snacks flew in slow motion.
And landed directly on Vintage’s shoulder.
He froze.
Crumbs slowly falling over his impeccable clothes.
Silence.
Gloves was the first to break it.
“HAHAHAHA NOOOO!”
Squidkid Jr fell backward laughing.
Double was pointing like it was the best moment of the year.
Vin looked down.
Then lifted his eyes.
A minimal smile.
Dangerous.
“I will assume,” he said in a controlled voice, “.. that it was an accident.”
“TOTALLY,” Squidkid Jr replied way too fast.
N-Pacer was already handing him a napkin.
“Breathe.”
Emperor was watching everything with a… different expression.
He wasn’t mocking.
He wasn’t criticizing.
He was watching Squidkid Jr laugh.
Really laugh.
Head thrown back, eyes closed, no posture.
And for a second… Emperor forgot the argument from earlier.
“Your turn!” the green-haired boy suddenly said, pointing at him.
“Excuse me?”
“Sing.”
“No.”
“.. Coward,” Double whispered.
Emperor stood up slowly.
“Very well.” He took the microphone. “I will demonstrate how it’s done.”
Squidkid Jr watched him with his elbows on his knees, crooked smile.
“Don’t get nervous now, King.”
The music started.
Emperor didn’t know the lyrics.
But he would never admit that.
He improvised,
changed lines,
invented parts.
It sounded ridiculously dramatic.
Gloves was crying from laughter.
Double Egg recording on his phone.
Vintage covering his face with one hand.
N-Pacer observing as if it were a sociological phenomenon.
Squidkid Jr… wasn’t laughing.
He was watching him.
With something softer.
When the song ended, exaggerated applause followed.
“THAT was a musical crime,” Gloves said.
“Greatness is not always understood,” Emperor replied, handing the microphone back.
Squidkid Jr stepped closer.
“That was awful.”
“.. I know.”
They looked at each other.
One second.
Too long.
Double Egg broke the moment by throwing another snack.
This time Emperor caught it without looking.
“Decent reflexes,” Vin commented again.
“Always,” Emperor replied.
The atmosphere was warm with laughter, movement, and noise.
And without anyone noticing…
An empty bottle sat in the middle of the floor.
The energy started to dip when the karaoke ran out of decent songs.
Double was lying on his back, claiming he had won even though no one was competing.
Gloves was checking his reflection in the dark TV screen.
Vintage had already cleaned his clothes and seemed to have recovered about 70% of his dignity.
N-Pacer remained calm, as if this were some undercover mission.
It was Squidkid Jr who noticed the bottle first.
He picked it up from the floor.
Spun it between his fingers.
“Hey.” Everyone looked at him and that dangerous smile. “Wanna play something for real?”
“Define «for real»,” Vin replied without enthusiasm.
Squidkid Jr placed the bottle in the center.
“Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
Silence.
Gloves reacted first.
“Oh. OH. Okay.”
The spiky-haired boy shot upright.
“You mean the classic?”
“The one and only.”
“Ridiculous,” the Splatling user said instantly.
“Coward,” Squidkid Jr replied without losing his smile.
Vintage looked at him coldly. “I don’t need childish games to demonstrate superiority.”
“Then you shouldn’t have a problem playing.”
N-Pacer intervened calmly:
“It is statistically probable that you will not be paired with anyone you consider… inconvenient.”
Vin sighed.
“Fine. But I do not intend to participate actively.”
“That’s what they all say,” Gloves muttered.
Emperor had remained silent this whole time.
Observing.
Analyzing.
As if it were a combat strategy.
“And what exactly is the objective?” he asked in a controlled tone.
Double grinned.
“You lock yourself in the closet with whoever it lands on.”
“Seven minutes,” Squidkid Jr added.
“And you do whatever you want!” Gloves finished.
Emperor raised an eyebrow.
“Ambiguous.”
“That’s the point,” the darker-skinned boy said.
There was a small silence.
Emperor crossed his arms.
“The King does not shy away from trivial challenges.”
“Then play.”
They sat in a circle.
The bottle in the middle.
The atmosphere was no longer chaotic.
It was expectant.
Double rubbed his hands together.
“I’ll spin first!”
“Of course you will,” the captain of X-Blood muttered ironically.
The bottle spun.
Spun.
Spun.
It stopped.
Pointing at Gloves.
And then at… Double Egg.
Immediate explosion of screams.
“NOOOO!”
“It’s destiny, bro.”
Gloves stood up dramatically.
“If I come out traumatized, I’m suing all of you.”
“Move!” Double said, pushing him toward the closet.
The door closed between laughter.
There were thuds, exaggerated complaints, and a “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” from inside.
N-Pacer drank her tea.
Vintage stared at the ceiling.
Emperor stared at the bottle.
And without meaning to… looked at Squidkid Jr.
Squidkid Jr was already looking at him.
They held eye contact.
One second.
Two.
The closet door burst open.
Gloves came out disheveled, his headphones halfway off his head and his shirt wrinkled. Double’s glasses were scratched, and his coat was noticeably pulled out of place.
“That. Was. The. Worst. Aesthetic. Experience. OF. MY. LIFE.”
Double came out laughing.
“Drama queen.”
“I hate you.”
“Liar!”
Laughter again.
“Next!” Squidkid Jr said, grabbing the bottle.
He placed it in the center.
His fingers lingered on it a second longer.
He spun it.
This time the spinning sound seemed louder.
Slower.
Emperor didn’t look away.
The bottle spun.
Passed N-Pacer.
Vintage.
Double Egg.
It slowed.
Tilted.
Stopped.
Pointing directly at Emperor.
Immediate silence.
The other end…
Squidkid Jr.
No one screamed.
First came that moment where everyone processes it.
Then—
“OOOOOOOOH!” Gloves.
“IT WAS WRITTEN.” Double.
“The King and the rebel..” the green-haired boy added.
Vin said nothing.
Just observed.
N-Pacer analyzed both of their body language.
Squidkid Jr felt heat rise to his face but lifted his chin.
“Looks like you got picked, King.”
Emperor stood up with impeccable calm.
“Do not dramatize.”
But his pulse was slightly faster.
“Scared?” his teammate provoked.
Emperor took a step toward him.
“I do not fear the dark.”
They stood face to face.
Too close.
Double whistled.
Gloves whispered:
“This is going to be cinema.”
Squidkid Jr pointed at the closet with his head.
“After you, Your Majesty.”
Emperor held his gaze.
And for the first time that night…
He didn’t have a prepared answer.
He walked toward the closet.
Squidkid Jr followed.
The door closed.
And the noise of the room stayed outside.
The closet was smaller than it looked.
Dark.
Barely lit by the light seeping in from under the door.
Muffled laughter could be heard outside.
Inside… silence.
Squidkid Jr closed the door softly.
“Well.”
Emperor leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
“Seven minutes are not enough for anything relevant.”
“Always so dramatic.”
Silence again.
They were too close.
There was no real space to maintain dignified distance.
Squidkid Jr shifted slightly, trying to settle between jackets and boxes.
“Hey.”
Emperor looked at him.
“What?”
Squidkid Jr hesitated for a second.
That was already unusual for him.
“Prince texted me.”
The name landed differently.
Emperor tensed slightly.
“Why would my brother have your contact?”
“He got it from me a while ago. After practice.” He shrugged. “He asked what we were doing today.”
Emperor frowned.
“That is not his concern.”
“He was curious.”
“He’s a child.”
“He’s not.”
Silence.
Squidkid Jr lowered his voice.
“.. Did you argue?”
Emperor looked away.
“No.”
“King.”
That time it wasn’t teasing.
It was soft.
“It was nothing relevant.”
“For him it was.”
The words lingered in the darkness.
Emperor exhaled.
“He was just being… insistent.”
“And you?”
“I had plans.”
“Right.”
The answer wasn’t sarcastic.
It was understanding.
Squidkid Jr leaned his back against the opposite wall, but the space was so small his knees almost touched Emperor’s.
“Sometimes…” he began, looking at the floor. “I get mad too when people downplay something that matters to me.”
Emperor looked at him.
“You care that much about others’ opinions?”
Squidkid Jr let out a faint laugh.
“Not others’.” He looked at him directly.
“Yours.”
The air grew heavier.
Emperor hadn’t expected that.
“When I lost against Blue Team…” Squidkid Jr continued, “what bothered me most wasn’t losing.” He stepped slightly closer. “It was thinking you’d see me as mediocre.”
Emperor felt something strange in his chest.
It wasn’t pride.
Not exactly.
“.. I have never considered you mediocre.”
Squidkid Jr looked up.
“But careless.”
“Because you are.”
“And you still came.”
Emperor stayed silent.
“Prince said you always have something more important,” Squidkid Jr murmured.
Direct hit.
For the first time that night, Emperor lowered his gaze.
“He doesn’t understand what leading implies yet.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want you to lead him.
Maybe he just wants you to be there.”
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable.
It was honest.
Squidkid Jr stepped a little closer.
Now they were really close.
“You don’t always have to be the King with me.”
Emperor slowly lifted his gaze.
“... I don’t know how to be anything else.”
“You could try.”
The distance between them disappeared without either of them announcing it.
The closet no longer felt small.
Just… intimate.
Squidkid Jr carefully raised his hand.
He hesitated.
Then rested his fingers against the fabric of Emperor’s jacket.
He didn’t push.
Didn’t pull.
Just held it.
Emperor didn’t step back.
His hand lifted, almost by instinct, and stopped at Squidkid Jr’s waist.
Light.
As if he still wasn’t sure he was allowed to.
“You’re not as cold as you pretend,” Squidkid Jr whispered.
“And you’re not as irresponsible as you act.”
A small smile.
Their foreheads nearly touched.
Breaths mixing.
It wasn’t a sudden move.
It wasn’t impulsive.
It was slow.
Warm.
Like they were both testing something fragile.
Squidkid Jr closed the distance first.
The kiss was soft.
Unhurried.
Without challenge.
Emperor responded after a second.
And when he did… it was firm, but not dominating.
His hands adjusted slightly.
Not possessive.
Present.
The world outside felt far away.
The muffled laughter.
The game.
The bottle.
Everything disappeared.
When they pulled apart, it was barely.
Just enough to breathe.
Squidkid Jr smiled faintly.
“That wasn’t very «real»,” he said, almost laughing.
Emperor rested his forehead against his.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Why?”
“Because kings don’t kiss in closets.”
Squidkid Jr let out a soft laugh.
“Then tonight you’re not a King.
You’re something else.”
Emperor looked at him, almost challenging.
He took the darker-skinned boy by the waist and kissed him again. The other returned it, resting his hands on his leader’s shoulders.
Squidkid Jr’s jacket slowly began to slip down, exposing his torso and revealing his sleeveless shirt underneath.
“You really want it, don’t you?” the darker-skinned boy said, taking the other’s chin, smiling. “I’ll teach you—”
A loud knock hit the door from outside.
“TIME!” Double Egg shouted.
They separated quickly, the Blaster user stumbling slightly from the nerves. Emperor cleared his throat, so tense he ended up coughing seriously.
Squidkid Jr buttoned his jacket faster than ever, covering himself.
“I SAID TIME! Planning to stay in there all night?” Double repeated from outside, knocking again. “If you come out traumatized, it’s not my fault.”
Emperor straightened up first.
He put the invisible crown back on.
... Or tried to.
Squidkid Jr still had that small, different smile. Not the teasing one. Not the challenging one.
The soft one.
“Ready, Your Majesty?”
Emperor cleared his throat again.
“.. Behave.”
“No promises.”
The door opened.
Light.
Noise.
Four pairs of eyes.
Immediate silence.
Gloves spoke first.
“…Okay.”
The Tetra Dualies user jumped to his feet.
“WHY ARE YOU TWO SO CALM!?”
“Were you expecting us to come out fighting?” Emperor replied with impeccable calm.
Vintage observed them.
N-Pacer tilted her head slightly.
“Their breathing rates are slightly elevated,” she commented as if analyzing data.
“Are you measuring that?” Squidkid Jr asked.
“It’s evident.”
Gloves stepped closer, narrowing his eyes.
“Something happened.”
“.. We talked,” Emperor said.
“Seven minutes of talking?”
“Dialogue is a powerful tool.”
Double crossed his arms.
“I don’t believe you at all.”
Squidkid Jr dropped back into his spot in the circle, exaggeratedly relaxed.
“You’re just jealous.”
“OF WHAT?”
Vintage spoke for the first time since they came out.
“If something scandalous had occurred, Emperor would not have that expression.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What expression?” the Blaster user asked.
Vin looked at him directly.
“That one.”
Emperor held his gaze without flinching.
“Does something bother you?”
“No.” Vintage rested his chin on his hand. “I merely observe.”
Agent 4 sat back down.
“Okay, I need proof. Squidkid Jr, what did you do?”
Squidkid Jr raised an eyebrow.
“Talk about leadership..? Duh.”
Double almost choked.
“LIAR!”
“Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
Everyone looked at Emperor.
Silence.
Emperor held the tension with the same firmness as in a final battle.
“It was a private conversation. None of your concern.”
Gloves threw himself backward dramatically.
“THAT’S EVEN MORE SUSPICIOUS!”
N-Pacer, calm as ever, added:
“They do not appear uncomfortable. That rules out conflict.”
Vin narrowed his eyes.
“But there was a shift.”
A slight silence followed.
Squidkid Jr felt warmth rise to his neck again.
“Okay, okay, next round,” Double interrupted before anyone dug deeper.
The bottle returned to the center.
But the atmosphere was no longer the same.
Something different was floating there.
A softer current.
Heavier.
Squidkid Jr avoided looking at Emperor.
He managed exactly five seconds.
When their eyes met again…
There was no teasing.
No challenge.
Only that small complicity that hadn’t existed ten minutes ago.
This time, Emperor was the first to look away.
Gloves noticed.
Vintage too.
N-Pacer definitely did.
Not Double Egg, because he was trying to spin the bottle with way too much force.
“If you two start something weird, I want to be informed,” Gloves said out of nowhere.
“Nothing is happening,” Emperor replied.
Too fast.
Squidkid Jr smiled.
“Of course not!”
Vin leaned back against the wall.
“Interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” Double asked.
“Nothing.” A small pause. “Absolutely nothing.”
But his gaze returned to Emperor.
And then to Squidkid Jr.
As if he had already understood something the others hadn’t yet.
Outside the circle, the night continued.
Laughter.
Game.
Noise.
Empty snack plates.
Half-full cups.
Empty drink bottles.
But in the space between two people…
Something had shifted.
And it wasn’t going to unshift.
The sleepover continued.
But something had changed.
Squidkid Jr wasn’t shouting as much anymore.
Emperor wasn’t criticizing as much.
Gloves noticed.
Vintage confirmed it mentally.
N-Pacer simply archived it in her mind.
It was Squidkid Jr who stood up first.
“Aw man! Damn it, you guys ate all the chips! I’ll get more,” he said, getting up.
Emperor looked at him for a second.
“I’ll go too.”
“What a coincidence,” Gloves muttered.
The kitchen was darker, quieter.
The open window let cold air drift in.
Squidkid Jr rested his hands on the edge of the sink.
“They’re staring at you a lot.”
“Let them.”
“Doesn’t it bother you?”
Emperor leaned against the wall, close.
“I did nothing incorrect.”
Squidkid Jr glanced at him sideways.
“Was that «nothing»?”
A small pause.
The distant sound of Double Egg singing badly again.
Emperor stepped closer.
“It wasn’t strategic.”
“And?”
“I don’t usually act without strategy.”
Squidkid Jr smiled softly, blushing slightly.
“You could start doing that.”
The cold air mixed with the warmth between them.
Squidkid Jr lifted his hand, this time without hesitation.
He placed it against Emperor’s chest.
“You don’t have to think so much with me.”
Emperor lowered his gaze to his hand.
Then back to his eyes.
“That’s dangerous.”
“Do I scare you?” he said playfully.
“No.”
But he didn’t sound so certain.
The distance disappeared again.
More natural this time.
More conscious.
Emperor was the one who leaned in first.
The kiss was different from the one in the closet.
More certain.
Slower.
More deliberate.
Squidkid Jr’s hands slid up to his neck.
Emperor’s moved to his waist.
There was no laughter outside.
No game.
Just slightly uneven breathing
And their two bodies pressing close, this time Emperor didn’t hesitate and tugged at Squidkid Jr’s jacket
And—
“Why are you tak—”
The light turned on.
Gloves froze in the doorway.
Silence.
Three eternal seconds.
Emperor stepped back with almost insulting calm.
Squidkid Jr ran a hand through his hair like nothing had happened.
“.. Chips,” Emperor said.
“Yeah… chips and all that…” Squidkid Jr added.
Gloves blinked.
“I… didn’t see anything.”
“You better not have,” Emperor replied.
“Absolutely nothing,” Squidkid Jr repeated.
Gloves slowly closed the door.
“I’m going to pretend that was atmospheric lighting.”
When they were alone again, Squidkid Jr let out a muffled laugh.
“That was close.”
Emperor exhaled.
“Extremely.”
“Regret it?”
Emperor looked at him.
“No.”
A small silence.
Warm.
But the moment broke when from the living room they heard:
“GLOVES IS ACTING WEIRD!”
“I AM NOT ACTING WEIRD!”
Squidkid Jr rested his forehead against Emperor’s shoulder for a second.
“Go back before they get more suspicious.”
“They already are.”
“Then let them suspect properly,” he said, lifting his head to press his lips to his leader’s again.
After a couple seconds, he pulled away.
A complicit smile.
And they went back.
“Alright, enough! Karaoke is dead,” the spiky-haired one used that as an excuse, since his throat hurt. “Let’s do something more fun!”
“That sounds kind of dangerous coming from you…”
“TRUTH OR DARE!”
Vin sighed.
“If someone makes me do something humiliating, I’m leaving.”
“Coward,” Squidkid Jr told him.
Emperor leaned back against one of Squidkid Jr’s cushions.
“Proceed.”
The first round was harmless.
Gloves had to let himself be styled for a minute.
Double had to admit that once he lost to a C rank because he got overconfident.
N-Pacer chose truth and answered everything with precision.
Until—
“Emperor,” Squidkid Jr said. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Have you ever done something impulsively?”
The king frowned, staring at him.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Gloves let out a soft laugh.
“Alright, your turn.”
“Truth or dare, Squidkid Jr?”
“Pfft, dare!”
“Run around your house 10 times.”
Everyone went silent. What for the others was a «public execution» was, for Squidkid Jr, a speed competition.
“FINE, I’LL DO IT!”
He shouted, rushing out of the room immediately.
It took him 32 minutes to finish the 10 laps; when he reached his room he immediately threw up.
Gloves and Double laughed to the point of choking, N-Pacer helped him clean up and slowly regain consciousness.
“I think it’s better… to stop playing this,” the girl argued.
“I’m fine, just leave me alone!” the boy complained.
“Ah, I have another idea!” Double said, pulling out an old deck of cards. “Let’s write something we’d never say out loud, shuffle them, and read them at random.”
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
The cards went around.
Vintage read the first one:
“«Sometimes I get tired of being the responsible one.»” He looked at Emperor; he didn’t react.
N-Pacer read another:
“«I don’t like when someone leaves without explaining why.»”
The darker-skinned boy didn’t look at anyone.
The king didn’t either.
Double Egg read the third, confused:
“«Not everything is strategy.»”
No one needed to ask whose it was.
Emperor leaned back.
“Game over.”
But he didn’t sound annoyed…
He sounded exposed.
“.. Whatever,” Agent 4 said. “AGH, I NEED AIR!”
That simple complaint was enough for everyone to head outside.
The night was cold.
Calmer than they were.
Double started a stupid competition about who could stay longer on the railing.
Gloves pretended he wasn’t participating while clearly competing.
Emperor stepped away from the rest of the group.
Squidkid Jr didn’t take long to approach him.
“You disconnect when it gets personal.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not used to… that.”
“To what?”
“To someone wanting to know.”
It wasn’t a joke.
It wasn’t a defense.
It was honest.
Squidkid Jr didn’t smile this time.
He just stepped closer.
“I do want to know.”
A small pause.
The noise from the others felt distant.
Even Gloves yelling in pain because he fell off the railing and hit his back and left knee.
Emperor exhaled slowly.
“You’re persistent.”
“And you keep coming back.”
There was no kiss there.
But there was something more dangerous.
Emperor rested his forehead against his for a second.
Just one second.
As if he needed to steady himself.
When they pulled apart, no one in the group had noticed.
But something had already changed.
Over time, the energy lowered on its own.
Double Egg was the first to yawn dramatically.
Gloves started arranging the cushions.
N-Pacer put away her cup.
Vintage checked the time.
“It’s late.”
“Yeah…” Squidkid Jr admitted.
The goodbyes were gradual.
Double Egg bumped fists with everyone.
Gloves gave a quick hug but denied doing it.
N-Pacer inclined her head respectfully.
Vintage stopped in front of Emperor a second longer than necessary.
“Don’t lose focus.”
It wasn’t an accusation.
It was a warning.
Emperor held his gaze.
“I never do.”
Vintage watched him for a second.
Then he nodded and left with Double.
The door closed.
Silence.
Only the two of them remained.
The house felt different without the noise.
More intimate.
More honest.
Emperor started picking up glasses.
“You don’t have to clean,” Squidkid Jr said.
“This is my house too.”
A small pause.
“Thanks for coming.”
“I didn’t come out of obligation.”
Squidkid Jr looked at him.
He knew.
They moved toward the door.
No audience.
No comments.
No witnesses.
The air was colder now.
Emperor lingered for a second at the threshold.
As if he didn’t want to cross it yet.
“Text me when you get home,” the Blaster user said.
“I’m not a child.”
“I’m saying it anyway.”
“I’ll arrive safely.”
“You really make an effort to insist.”
“I make an effort to care.”
Emperor looked at him in a way that was no longer haughty.
Lower.
More real.
“Don’t get used to it.”
“I won’t promise that either.”
A small silence.
Soft.
This time it wasn’t an accidental brush.
It was intentional.
Emperor lifted a hand to Squidkid Jr’s face.
Lightly.
His thumb grazing his cheek.
“You’re troublesome.”
“And you keep coming back anyway,” Squidkid Jr said, almost laughing.
There wasn’t a long kiss.
Just a short one.
Warm.
Calm.
As if they didn’t need to prove anything.
When they pulled apart, Squidkid Jr wasn’t smiling mockingly.
He was smiling… happy.
“Good night, Squidkid Jr.”
“Good night, Emperor.”
Emperor took a step back.
Then another.
But before fully turning away, he looked at him one more time.
And that look said something he didn’t know how to put into words.
It wasn’t “King.”
It wasn’t strategy.
It was staying.
Even if only a little.
The door closed softly.
The house was silent when he returned.
Again.
But different.
Heavier.
He took off his jacket.
Walked down the hallway.
And saw light under Prince’s bedroom door.
He stopped.
Hesitated.
Knocked softly.
“Prince?”
Silence.
Then:
“Come in.”
Prince was sitting on the bed.
Awake.
No ink on his hands this time.
“It’s late,” the younger brother said.
“I know.”
Emperor stayed by the door.
He didn’t know how to begin something that wasn’t an order.
“Did you have fun?”
The question had no sarcasm.
It had something harder.
Emperor thought about the karaoke.
About the closet.
About the kitchen.
About the kiss.
“Yes.”
Prince lowered his gaze.
“I’m glad.”
That hurt more than any reproach.
Emperor stepped further into the room.
“I don’t always choose to leave.” Prince didn’t respond. “I just… don’t know how to stay.”
Silence.
Prince looked up.
“You don’t have to lead me all the time.”
The sentence hit exactly where it needed to.
Emperor looked away, almost frustrated with himself.
“You’re growing.”
“With you or without you.”
It was soft.
But firm.
Emperor took a deep breath.
And awkwardly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Next time… you can come.”
Prince blinked.
“Really?”
“If you behave.”
“I-I will, I promise! Can Laceless come too?! Please!”
A small smile appeared on Emperor’s face, then widened.
“Laceless too.”
Prince smiled as well.
It wasn’t the perfect solution.
But it was something.
Emperor stood after a few minutes.
Before he left, Prince spoke again.
“Do you like him?”
Silence.
Emperor didn’t ask who he meant.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Prince smiled faintly.
“Good night, Nii-san!”
“Good night…”
But when Emperor closed the door…
He didn’t deny anything.