Chapter Text
Frustration built with every passing second he spent trapped inside his room. Normally, it was the one place in the Regime where Ash could think. The sturdy desk by the window was perfect for paperwork, the shelves neatly organized, the bed in the corner always waiting whenever exhaustion finally caught up to him. Everything had its place. Everything served a purpose and everything was predictable. It was a space he controlled completely.
Today, however, that sense of control had been shattered by a constant stream of noise coming from the courtyard below. Loud voices drifted through the closed window, followed by bursts of laughter that seemed to echo off every wall surrounding the building. At first, Ash had assumed the disturbance would be brief. People passed through the plaza all the time. A conversation here, a joke there, and eventually everyone moved on with their day. But as the minutes stretched into an hour and then another, it became painfully clear that the obnoxious duo had no intention of leaving. They had apparently decided that the Regime's yard was the perfect place to spend their afternoon.
With an irritated sigh, the Leader picked up his pen for what had to be the fourth time. The moment it touched the paper, another laugh floated through the window and shattered whatever concentration he had managed to gather. His hand froze and a few seconds later, the pen found its way back onto the desk. The documents piled in front of him remained untouched, stacked in uneven towers that seemed to grow more intimidating every time he looked at them. Reports waiting for signatures, requests demanding approval, plans requiring review – important work that should have been finished hours ago. Instead, he found himself staring toward the window far more often than the paperwork itself.
And instead of resuming his duties, Ash found himself glaring from the window.
– Bestie! – another cheerful scream came from the courtyard, making the Leader flinch despite expecting it. – You’re literally the best in the entire Regime – the red panda’s voice climbed so high on the last word that Ash was briefly convinced the glass might crack. A moment later, Katie burst into laughter – the sound far softer than Ewron’s, but somehow more distracting, causing the Leader to wince.
Ash couldn't make out what she later said – some quiet muttering followed, then another fit of giggling from both of them.
The man leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand across his face. He should have returned to work – there was no reason for him to care about a conversation happening several floors below his office. Yet instead of focusing on the reports, he found himself replaying Ewron's words over and over in his head – “the best in the entire Regime”. The phrase lodged itself somewhere in his mind and refused to leave. Every repetition seemed to irritate him more than the last. It was ridiculous, really – Katie had done nothing wrong and Ewron hadn't either. They were friends, and friends laughed with each other all the time. There was nothing unusual about it. Nothing worth dwelling on.
And yet his blood still boiled.
His gaze drifted toward the window again, almost against his will. From where he sat, he couldn't see the entire courtyard, only glimpses of movement whenever one of them stepped into view. Even that was enough. He could picture them perfectly – Katie smiled while Ewron talked endlessly about whatever happened to be on his mind. The red panda looked completely comfortable in her presence; long tail swaying happily, the man eager to share every thought the moment it entered his head. The image formed so easily that Ash found himself clenching his jaw.
The worst part wasn't hearing Ewron praise Katie. It wasn't even seeing how close they were. The worst part was understanding exactly why it bothered him. He couldn’t care less about the relations between the members of the Regime as long as they remained loyal – yet whenever it came to the hybrid, he found himself prying too much. Always asking for details, always curious. Whenever the panda brought up a name one too many times the Leader felt his blood boil, loud ringing muffling every single sound.
And even now, when he looked at how the two were nearly jumping from happiness, Ash wished to be at her place.
The realization settled heavily in his chest, impossible to ignore once it surfaced. He wanted to be the person Ewron sought out first whenever something exciting happened – to be the person who received those ridiculous compliments and listened to his endless stories. He wanted to be the one sitting outside in the courtyard while Ewron smiled at him like that. Every laugh drifting through the window served as a reminder that someone else already occupied that position.
It wasn’t that he resented Katie – of course he didn’t – what truly bothered him was that jealousy was unlike himself. What he felt was petty, irrational, and completely useless. There was no reason for him to care this much about where Ewron spent his afternoon or who he considered his favorite person. Yet the feeling persisted anyway, growing stronger each time another burst of laughter echoed through the building.
Outside, the two of them dissolved into another round of giggling. Inside, Ash stared down at the unfinished report in front of him, the words blurring together on the page. His pen remained motionless in his hand. The man stared at the same line of text for nearly a minute before realizing he hadn't actually read a single word of it. The report sat open on his desk, abandoned alongside dozens of others, while the voices from the courtyard continued their relentless assault on his concentration.
– No way, Katie, you’re actually incredible! – Ewron's voice rang out again, animated and obnoxiously cheerful.
Katie immediately laughed, and the sound was followed by another round of excited rambling from Ewron. Ash couldn't make out every word, but he didn't need to. The tone alone was enough. They sounded entirely absorbed in one another, perfectly content spending the afternoon together while he sat trapped inside drowning in reports.
For a moment, he simply stared at the pen resting in his palm. Then, very slowly, he set it down on the desk. The room fell silent around him, save for the distant sound of laughter drifting through the window. His gaze shifted toward the courtyard one final time.
He’s had enough.
The chair scraped violently against the floor as he stood. The man didn't bother gathering his papers or organizing the mess he'd left behind. Instead, he strode toward the door with a purpose that would have sent most people running in the opposite direction. The door swung open hard enough to rattle against the wall, and Ash barely slowed as he marched through the corridors. His footsteps echoed through the building, sharp and quick, carrying all the jealousy he had spent the last three hours attempting – and clearly failing – to suppress.
The closer Ash got to the exit, the more clearly he could hear the two.
Ewron was in the middle of some ridiculous story, judging by the dramatic rise and fall of his voice. Katie's laughter punctuated every other sentence, encouraging him to continue. They sounded entirely unaware of the chaos they had caused in the Leader’s mind. Entirely unaware that Ash had accomplished almost nothing all afternoon because of them.
The two sat beside each other on one of the comically large boxes that waited to be unpacked. Both of them sprawled comfortably, Ewron’s fluffy tail resting on Katie’s lap while she gently stroked the fur. A satisfied smile spread on the hybrid’s face, words occasionally breaking into a small, almost inaudible purr. He told his story with such exaggerated enthusiasm that it was actually amusing, and the way Katie managed to match it with her responses, clearly captivated by whatever tale the man was telling.
None of them seemed to notice his arrival.
– Ewron. – Ash’s eye twitched, as he stopped right in front of the duo with his arms crossed. Gloved fingers dug into his own arms to the point he swore they’d tear the fabric beneath. Instantly, the chatter stopped, both freezing. Hours of non stop blabbing put to an end with just one word – as if it sliced through the conversation like a blade.
The red panda turned first. The enormous grin he'd been wearing vanished so quickly it might never have existed at all. Katie straightened slightly, clearly recognizing the angered tone long before either of them processed the expression on Ash's face.
– Hey hey! – Katie greeted in her usual excited tone. – How are you doing, my friend? – she asked, grinning again. Ash raised a brow, that being enough to suggest an end to any small talk the woman had planned on starting.
– Ewron. – he repeated himself, eyes falling back to the red panda.
– Yeah? – the man answered with a relaxed tone, ears flicking slightly, the motion catching Ash’s attention for a mere moment.
– What exactly are you doing? – the Leader asked, frowning. The inquiry earned a confused blink.
– I’m…– Ewron paused for a second, tilting his head slightly. – …Talking? – The confusion in his voice only made Ash more annoyed.
– Talking? – he choked out a breathless laugh, hands falling to the side helplessly. – For the past three hours? –
– Oh. –
– You’ve spent the entire day distracting people who are supposed to work. – Ash scolded. – and somehow you managed to turn the courtyard into your personal meeting spot. –
– Oh.. – the man repeated, scratching his head absentmindedly.
– You have spent the entire afternoon screaming right under my window! – in the corners of his eyes he spotted how Katie, despite the situation, still fiddled with the tip of the puffed up tail.
– Hey! I wasn’t screaming! – the red panda denied, only to be met with the Leader’s raised eyebrow. It clearly made him reconsider. – I was only talking loudly. –
– You announced that Katie was the greatest person in the entire Regime loudly enough for me to hear every word from my office – Ash accused, sounding far more bothered that he planned on. The said woman made a noise suspiciously close to a laugh before quickly covering her mouth. But unfortunately to her, the sound didn’t go unnoticed, the angered man’s eyes drafting towards her immediately. Katie gave him a quick smile, averting her gaze somewhere else.
Ewron, meanwhile, no longer looked anywhere near scared, the first shock being long over. Now, he looked entirely unimpressed by the interrogation. If anything, he seemed more amused than concerned, leaning back slightly as though Ash had merely interrupted a pleasant conversation rather than marched into the courtyard looking ready to start a fight over something as stupid as jealousy.
– I was just being nice and truthful to my best friend. – he said, completely unapologetic. Ash felt tightness in his chest at the words.
– Be nice somewhere else then. – the Leader mumbled.
– Oh, so that's what this is about? – A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. – The poor, poor Supreme Leader got tired of hearing us? – Ewron teased, the end of his words coming with a faint purr.
Katie cannot be that good at petting, right? Surely anything she can do, he can do better.
– Anyone would be tired. – he huffed.
– Mmhm. – Ewron nodded thoughtfully, though the mischievous glint in his eyes made it clear he wasn't taking the complaint seriously. – Or maybe you just didn't like seeing me spend all afternoon with Katie. –
For a second, Ash’s heart stopped and the man felt as if his entire cover was blown. His mouth fell open, only to close when no words came out – what was he even supposed to say? Deny? Hell, he wished he could deny it – the sight of them two so close; chatting like the bestest friends in the entire world while Katie’s hands moved across the tail that always caught Ash’s attention, bothered him deeply. But of course, the Leader cannot just admit it, it would hurt his reputation and of course, most importantly – his ego.
The man must’ve remained silent for moments too long, as the red panda raised his brows high in amusement.
– Oh my god, that's exactly what it is, isn't it? – he gasped dramatically, which the woman beside him repeated. – You scolded me because you couldn't handle seeing two friends hanging out! –
Ash felt his cheeks burn with growing embarrassment, the yard seemed to spin around them. The sound of his employee giggling faintly at her friends' theories only made the Leader spiral more. Ewron was known to tease, but God – does he know? Or is the annoying panda only trying to make a stupid joke, unaware of its authenticity?
– I’m scolding you because you’ve been obnoxiously loud for three hours straight! – Ash raised his voice, his pulse speeding up uncontrollably.
– Sure. – Katie joined the hybrid in teasing, dragging out the word.
– I did. – he frowned.
– Then why do you sound so offended every time I mention her? Hmm? – Ewron leaned in, hands gripping the edge of the box for balance.
– I do not! – Ash denied, feeling how his cheeks reddened as the red panda’s face suddenly got closer to his own.
Ewron hummed, entirely unconvinced. – Interesting. Because from where I'm standing, it kind of looks like you saw us having fun and decided that simply couldn't be allowed. –
The Leader was speechless, every single word that pushed itself onto his tongue seemed to fade as quickly as it came. All he could do was blankly stare into his Blade’s eyes, watching as his silence only deepened the man’s smile, encouraging him further.
Ewron jumped down the box, standing in front of the taller man.
– Aw, Ash. – He placed a hand over his own chest. – Were you jealous of your Blade? – Katie tried her best not to burst into laughter hearing this, but all the man could focus on right now was the hybrid before him.
He watched how Ewron's grin widened, bright and effortless in a way that immediately made Ash regret looking at him. The curve of his smile softened his features, his eyes crinkling at the corners as amusement danced across his face. Sunlight caught in his hair, turning a few stray strands almost golden, and for a brief, traitorous moment, Ash found himself noticing details he had no business noticing at all. It was unfair, really – how someone so loud, so distracting, so utterly incapable of taking anything seriously could also be so painfully beautiful. The realization only made his irritation worse. The Leader quickly looked away, annoyed not only with the panda, but with himself for even thinking such a thing in the first place.
The conversation might have continued if Ash had been interested in hearing excuses, and maybe if he didn’t feel embarrassment burn through his entire body. Unfortunately for Ewron, his patience had already been exhausted several hours ago. Before the other man could launch into another teasing comment, Ash firmly grabbed him by the perked up ear.
Ewron let out a startled yelp in response, hands immediately going to grip Ash’s wrist.
Katie's eyes widened in surprise. She simply stared at Ash's hand holding Ewron by his poor ear, clearly caught off guard by the sudden escalation. The amusement she'd been holding onto vanished almost immediately, replaced by visible concern as she sat up straighter on the box's edge. Her gaze flickered between the two of them, searching Ash's face for some indication of whether he was genuinely angry or merely frustrated.
– Ash...? – she started cautiously, sounding far less certain than before. The man seemed to ignore her completely.
– Ouch, Ash, wait! – Ewron tugged on the hand gripping him, but only regretted it as it only hurt his ear further. – I’m sorry, let me go okay? – he pouted, eyes squinting in pain.
– You can apologize on the way back. – Ash huffed and without another word, began walking back toward the building, dragging his Blade along with him. The effort was almost unnecessary – Ewron was perfectly capable of walking under his own power. Nevertheless, the Leader did not let go of the man, as if fearing the other might simply run away. – We’ve got to talk. – he muttered at some point on their way back.
As they left the courtyard behind, Ash became increasingly aware of the fact that Ewron was no longer sitting beside Katie, laughing with her and giving her his undivided attention. Instead, he was dragged by him, begging him to let go of his ear, his voice filling the space between them. The realization brought with it a quiet sense of satisfaction that Ash was reluctant to examine too closely. After spending the entire afternoon listening to Ewron devote himself to someone else, there was something strangely comforting about having him here instead.
Every complaint, every dramatic remark, every pointless story will be directed at him now. It should have been annoying, by all accounts – it was. Yet despite this, Ash always found himself listening anyway, the tension that had plagued him for hours gradually loosening with every step. The reports were still waiting, the paperwork was still a disaster – but before the Leader can work on them, he has to deal with the insufferable panda. But at least he was beside him and for reasons Ash preferred not to dwell on, that made the walk back inside far more pleasant than it had any right to be.
Only after they stood in his office had he let go of the other's ear, earning a relieved sigh.
– What was this about dude! – Ewron shouted the moment his ear was free. He immediately pressed a hand over it, rubbing the sore spot with exaggerated indignation. – Out of everything, you grabbed my ear, kurwa? –
The office door slammed shut behind them with enough force to make the frame rattle. The sharp crack echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls before dissolving into a heavy, uncomfortable silence that seemed to settle over everything. For a moment, neither of them spoke – Ash certainly didn't. His grip tightened briefly at his side before he turned away from Ewron without offering so much as a glance in his direction. He crossed the office in long, purposeful strides, moving toward his desk as though he had somewhere urgent to be, despite the fact that he had been the one to drag Ewron here in the first place.
Shrugging off his coat, he tossed it onto the back of a chair with considerably more force than necessary, causing the fabric to slide halfway off before catching on one of the chair's corners. The office itself bore all the signs of a day spent buried in work. Papers covered nearly every available surface, spreading across the desk in uneven piles and threatening to spill onto the floor. Reports waited in carefully organized stacks, each one demanding attention that Ash had been unable to give them for most of the afternoon. A half-empty mug sat abandoned near the edge of the desk, the drink inside long since gone cold. The faint scent of ink, paper, and stale tea lingered in the air, familiar and ordinarily comforting. Yet despite the orderly chaos surrounding him, Ash found no relief in the sight. Instead, the clutter seemed only to mirror the irritation simmering beneath his skin, an irritation he had been carrying with him ever since he'd looked out the window and found Ewron once again laughing in the courtyard instead of being where he was supposed to be. Instead of feeling relieved that he'd finally separated them, all he could think about was the image of the two of them sitting together.
The memory stirred an unpleasant knot of emotions he had spent the entire afternoon trying to ignore, failing miserably each time. Every time he'd glanced out the window, Ewron had been there beside Katie, laughing freely, talking endlessly, giving her the kind of undivided attention that Ash had somehow grown accustomed to receiving himself. It was irrational and embarrassingly selfish, but seeing someone else occupy that place beside him had left him feeling strangely excluded. The longer they sat together, the more the irritation had settled beneath his skin, fueled by a jealousy he refused to acknowledge. He told himself he was annoyed because Ewron was causing Katie to neglect her responsibilities, yet deep down he knew that wasn't the real reason. What bothered him was how easily Ewron seemed content without him there, while Ash had spent the entire day acutely aware of his absence.
Why couldn’t he get over it? Sure, the anger seemed to subside but the envy stayed. He was so jealous it drove him insane – the man wasn’t even the type to be jealous over some random ‘friends’. Sure, their relation was far more intimate than with any of the Regime members – private meetings in the middle of nowhere every other day, their plan to rule this place together. It was something he didn’t have with anyone else.
Sometimes, the Leader felt as if he had no one beside the incredibly infuriating red panda. It was stupid – he was well aware – there was no moment where there wasn’t someone near him. Yet nothing compared to Ewroon’s company.
Across the room, Ewron continued massaging his ear, glaring.
– Seriously, what’s gotten into you? – he demanded. – Could you tell me to come, or take my hand if you really wanted to get touchy? – The idea of holding hands embarrassed the Leader a bit.
– You wouldn’t listen. – Ash mumbled.
– So instead, you decided to just assault me! – Ewroon blamed, and the other man couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose. – My ear hurts now! –
– Good. – he sighed out, lowering himself into the chair.
– Good?! – the red panda repeated, voice pitching high enough to make Ash’s ears hurt as well. He frowned, the fluffed ears moving back in frustration. – Okay, explain yourself. – the hybrid demanded, watching as the other busied himself with rearranging papers that didn’t need it.
– What do you expect me to explain? – the Leader scoffed.
– Why are you acting like this? – the question fell into deafening silence, settling heavily between the two. Ash, as a Leader, shouldn’t be hesitating, searching for an answer. He should be capable of finding a perfect excuse – one that would mask his burning envy.
Instead of ending this pointless conversation with a smart comeback, the man stared at the document before him. Words blurred as he struggled on focusing anything else but the red panda’s watchful gaze, practically feeling the weight of it.
– Well? – the hybrid took a few certain steps closer, stopping right before the desk. His Blade folded his arms and leaned against the wooden surface, crumpling one of the papers in process.
– Your voice is bothersome. – he barked out without much thought. – You spent the entire afternoon outside, barking. – Insults pushed at his tongue.
Finally, Ash made the mistake of looking up – the moment his eyes landed on Ewron, regret hit him immediately. The anger that had been there moments ago was gone. Instead, something softer had taken its place. The red panda's ears had lowered slightly, no longer standing proudly upright as they usually did. His brows were drawn together in a small frown, confusion clouding his features as he searched Ash's face for answers. There was no mockery in his expression, no amusement, no barely concealed laughter waiting to burst free. All there was, was concern.
– Ash. – The way he said his name made something tighten painfully in Ash's chest. – Have I done something? – His voice came quieter than before.
The question was genuine. There was no mockery hidden beneath it, no playful jab waiting to reveal itself. Ewron sounded honestly worried, and somehow that was infinitely worse than being laughed at. Ash could handle teasing, sarcasm, complaints, endless chatter and all the irritating habits that came with Ewron's presence. What he couldn't handle was being looked at like this.
All because his Blade really didn’t know.
He had no idea how many times Ash had found himself glancing toward the courtyard throughout the afternoon. No idea that every burst of laughter drifting through the office windows had pulled his attention away from whatever report sat in front of him. No idea how irrationally irritated he'd become every time Katie's name surfaced in conversation, or every time he looked outside and found Ewron completely absorbed in somebody else's company. The obliviousness frustrated him. The fact that Ewron could unknowingly occupy so much of his attention while remaining entirely unaware of it felt deeply unfair.
He was completely oblivious to how he made him feel.
It was terrible.
– No. – The answer came out quicker than intended, his voice turning out far more nervous than he’d like, immediately hating the uncertainty in his own voice.
Across from him, Ewron's frown deepened. The concern lingering on his face only grew more obvious as he studied him. He looked strangely still. Usually, Ewron couldn't remain in one place for longer than a few seconds without moving something. His hands would gesture wildly, his ears would twitch, his tail would swish impatiently behind him. Now, however, he simply stood there watching Ash, his long striped tail lazily brushing against the floor while his expression remained fixed with concern.
– Then why are you acting like a… – the sentence died abruptly. Ewroon froze and Ash felt his stomach drop. – Hold up… –
The realization came almost instantly.
Heat flooded his face so fast it almost made him dizzy. His pulse stumbled somewhere in his throat while a wave of nausea rolled through him. Coming to terms with his own feelings had already been humiliating enough. Having Ewron figure them out was infinitely worse.
Across the room, understanding slowly began to settle over the hybrid's features. His eyes widened first, then his ears perked up as if physically reacting to the revelation. His mouth parted slightly while his brows knitted together, the pieces visibly falling into place one after another. Ash watched the process unfold with growing horror.
What truly made him panic was the faint blush spreading across the others cheeks. Subtle, but with how much he’s been staring at his Blade he’s grown accustomed to his features, able to make out any changes.
– You missed me, didn’t you? – The grin that followed was devastating – it appeared slowly, stretching across Ewron's face with unmistakable satisfaction. His eyes brightened immediately, amusement replacing the confusion from moments earlier, and behind him his tail began swaying from side to side in a lazy, pleased rhythm. The movement was almost catlike despite his panda heritage, betraying emotions he clearly wasn't bothering to hide.
Ash's heart nearly stopped – unbeknownst whether it was because of the question or the view before him.
– Stop blabbing nonsense! – The protest came out as an incoherent stutter and unfortunately, that only seemed to delight Ewron further.
The hybrid moved to the other side of the desk, closing the distance between them with alarming confidence. The movement forced Ash to notice details he would've preferred to ignore. The way sunlight caught in strands of reddish-brown hair that framed his face. The freckles scattered across his nose. The excitement dancing openly in his amber eyes.
– You were sitting in your office all day thinking about me. – It wasn't even phrased as a question. Ewron leaned forward slightly, and Ash's brain promptly abandoned him. All coherent thought disappeared the moment his attention snagged on the small fangs peeking from behind the hybrid's grin. They were barely visible, only showing when he smiled particularly wide, but somehow that made them even worse. The fact he found it cute made Ash want to throw himself out of the nearest window.
While the Leader suffered, Ewron looked completely insufferable. Amused, triumphant, and embarrassingly pleased with himself.
The laughter that finally escaped him filled the entire office. Bright and unrestrained, it bounced off the walls and settled into every corner of the room. Ash had heard that laugh hundreds of times before – it should be annoying. Yet as the sound washed over him, he felt the irritation he'd carried throughout the day begin to dissolve. The tension that had been wound tightly around his shoulders loosened. The frustration that had followed him since lunch faded into something lighter, something easier.
Which was perhaps the most infuriating thing of all – Ash should be annoyed, should be angry. But instead, even now, with Ewron laughing directly in his face and undoubtedly gathering enough material to torment him for months, the Leader felt better than he had all afternoon.
And judging by the unbearably smug look spreading across Ewron's face, the idiot had already figured that out too.
Now, all that he had to do was figure out why the said moron made him feel like this. Can’t be too hard, right?