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Chapter Text

Ever since he was a child, Michael Kaiser was gods chosen emperor. He was born into status, power, royalty, and it should have felt good, amazing even, so why did it all feel so unsatisfying? He was the coveted child prince. If he had something he wanted, he took it, so what did he want?

Kaiser was trying to figure this out himself. His parents said he was destined for greatness on the rare occasion they spoke to him so he had to believe it, but what would greatness even mean? Settling down with a nice princess and living until he died of old age, maybe while ruling the kingdom and keeping everyone happy. But maybe that's not how it works, because from the few conversations he's eavesdropped on between his father and government people, lots of the magic users seem to be really unhappy.

Sometimes Kaiser's parents got really unhappy with each other. Nights where there would be shouting within the castle and the guards didn't bat an eye. One particular night Kaiser heard his father screaming about how useless his mother was, and Kaiser wasn't able to sleep until hours later. Right as he was slipping into unconsciousness he heard the door to his room creak open. He heard gentle foot steps and felt his hair being slowly stroked.

"My sweet child. You were the best gift to ever be given to us." She said softly.

Kaiser's eyes cracked open and when he looked at her, her face was cold, devoid of joy. She looked sick of him.

That incident was almost over a year ago.

That was the last time Kaiser saw his mother.

Kaiser wouldn't have minded too much if it didn't affect his father. His father was always a drinker yet when his mother disappeared there wasn't a time where he didn't have the stem of a wine glass in his hand. To escape his drunken anger Kaiser frequently escaped the castle without anyone noticing.

Today was no different, besides the fact it was his 9th birthday.

*

Kaiser slipped out of his uncomfortable formal wear and stepped into raggedy clothes he found on the street during one of his adventures. They were airy and way better then the stupid clothes he had to wear in front of guests and aristocrats. Kaiser jumped out the window in his oversized room and shivered. It was too cold to be out on christmas but Kaiser wanted to celebrate his birthday and a night of wandering felt appropriate.

There was a big celebration to celebrate his birthday last year with both parents congratulating him, but Kaiser wasn't surprised when he didn't get the same treatment today. At least the kitchen staff gave him extra dessert after supper, they were kind enough to remember.

The air was frigid but welcome to Kaiser who's been stuck in that stifling castle for far too long. He sneaked down the main path leading to the central square of town and spent time looking around, trying to enjoy everything before he was forced to go back. He was taking it all in when something caught his eye. In his peripheral vision he saw a flicker of light coming from a nearby alleyway. He was suspicious but more so intrigued and decided to investigate.

He cautiously crept up the narrow alley and saw the backside of a short purple cloaked figure and light painted the walls once more. When Kaiser took another step forward, he accidentally kicked a pebble and that was enough to alert the figure to his presence. The cloak whipped around as the figure quickly turned to face him.

It was a boy, around the same age as Kaiser with magenta hair and matching round eyes. His eyes were wild with fear and the fire that he held in his hands disappeared, covering the two with darkness. So this is what magic users look like! Kaiser just kept looking at him and the fear on his face quickly vanished being replaced by a warm smile. Kaiser expected him to bow like everyone who saw him, not look at him like that. He didn't know people could make that expression, that they could have this face without trying to be deceptive or forced. To have eyes so filled with love that he was confident enough to share. This feeling was delicious. He wanted it, he wanted more.

Kaiser frowned when the expression on the boy's face was replaced with one of confusion.

"Um- hello, what are you doing here?" His voice was soft, pleasant on the ears.

"Can you do what you were doing before?"

"You mean the fire? I can do illusion magic so it's not real, but it can still make light." He already re-summoned the fake flames in his palm without waiting for an answer.

"I didn't mean the fire, I was talking about that thing. The thing that you did with your face and eyes. Your eyes have that look, that warmth." Kaiser couldn't mask the hunger in his voice and was desperately curious.

The boy tilted his head slightly, as if he was confused, and had that look in his eyes again while Kaiser was internally ecstatic.

"I don't know what you're talking about?- wait why are you even out here?" The boy sounded genuinely concerned.

"It's my birthday, why are you out here?"

"To practice magic," He mumbled, cheeks pink. "Everyone always looks at me funny when I practice magic during the day."

Kaiser nodded and shuddered when a particularly bitter gust of wind blew through. His street clothes might be comfortable but they weren't necessarily warm.

The boy noticed and his eyes widened.

"Hey you better get home soon, it's getting late." Kaiser agreed and realized he needed to get back before someone realizes he's gone. Right as he was about to leave- "Wait, before you go," The boy scrunched up his face like he was concentrating and in an instant, a blue rose appeared in his outstretched hand. "Happy birthday!" When Kaiser tried taking it, his hand went right through it and the boy smiled sheepishly and said something about how he's the only one that can touch illusions.

"Oh by the way, my name's Ness, what's yours?"

"Its Michael Kaiser." Kaiser looked at Ness and his beautiful smile and eyes, and thought about how he'd take it for his own one day. He needed it. He needed more.

With that Kaiser took his cue to leave and attempted to sneak back into the castle.

Even as he jumped into his oversized bed, he couldn't sleep for hours on end. He thought of Ness, and instead of thinking of the blue rose he tried giving as a gift, he thought of the love trapped in those eyes of his. They were the best birthday gifts he possibly could have gotten.

Chapter Text

Ness Pov

10 years later.

Ness darted through the streets, magenta cloak billowing behind him. He could hear the distant yell of guards. Ness slipped into an alleyway and conjured a brick wall behind him, holding his breath. If the guards just tried touching it once he knew it would be over. He heard panting breaths and footsteps behind him.

"I saw him run over this way!"

"Obviously you didn't, its a dead end you fool!"

Ness' heart pounded out of his chest as he heard them rushing past and finally let out a sigh of relief. He readjusted the overflowing basket of bread he held by his side, and phased through another false wall in the alley and found himself in a large room. There were cots lining the floor and a bustle of activity from people all about.

"Guys, I brought rations!" The side conversations quieted down as around 20-30 people lined up in front of Ness.

"Good work out there Ness, did you get spotted?" Isagi said, taking a loaf bread.

"Yeah but I was able to shake the guards - Otoya wait in line like everybody else!" Ness slapped the seemingly floating piece of bread back into the basket and Otoya materialized into thin air next to him.

"Busted," He said with his monotone voice and slunk back into line.

Ness continued to hand out food to his cloaked friends until everyone had enough to last the day.

"Bachira! You can't just give all your food to your squirrels!" Isagi's protests could be heard throughout the room.

"Awww c'mon, they're telling me that their hungry! Besides you'll share with me , won'tcha Yoichi?" Bachira tore off pieces of his bread and fed it to the squirrels that constantly hung around on his arm. His magic allowed him to communicate with animals with was fine and all, until you have woodland critters scurrying around in your clothes when you're trying to sleep.

"Good job you diamond in the rough" Ego said as he placed a hand on Ness' head. He was the one that set this all up and banded all the magic users together. Ever since the new king took control, he outlawed all magic users and forced all of them to be brought directly to him. They were never seen again and Ness shivered at the thought. Everyone in here had someone they lost. Nagi was the most recent one, and Reo was never the same. He sat alone, barely ate, and nights where Ness couldn't sleep he could hear Reo crying. Ness wasn't all that close to Nagi but the loss finally started pushing the magic users into action.

Speaking of, they were having a meeting later that night, Ness being one of the main speakers seeing as he was one of the oldest ones there. He took a shaky breath, thinking about it made him nervous. Everyone else's magic was so much better than his weak illusions, but people still looked up to him, needed him to be strong. Ness slid against a wall to sit down and close his eyes. God he was tired of fighting, the stress. But it wasn't over yet and Ness knew they could finish it. If he was just a little stronger…

"Ness? Ness!" Ness was shaken awake by Isagi and was afraid something terrible happened.

"Where- whats going on?"

"The meeting starts soon, get up!" Ness jumped up and gathered all the scrolls he prepared in advance. He strode across the room with Isagi to where Ego and Anri were standing. Ego looked impatient, but Anri greeted him with a warm smile. Ness didn't know Anri that well but he knew she was incredibly kind. While Ness got settled Ego spoke.

"Quiet down, diamonds in the rough we have a lot to get through." The attention became pointed towards the center of the room. "For food duties Isagi can lead a small group tomorrow and steal from the stalls we haven't hit this week. I can give you the chart later." Isagi nodded in acknowledgement as Ego continued. "Lookout duties can be shared between Yukimiya and Otoya due to your thermal vision and invisibility respectively, as usual. Reo can substitute for either of you with his copy ability if you run out of mana. Now, for more serious matters." Everyone in the room felt the tone shift, and it felt like the air got heavier. "I'll leave it to Ness to explain it"

Ness swallowed the knot in his throat and wish he could summon his courage as easily as he could summon illusions. So he had to compromise by doing a little of both.

"Thank you, Ego. Everyone knows about the faceless new king and his cruel ruling of the kingdom. His hatred for magic users is apparent by the fact we've been forced to live in hiding." Ness took a short breath. "We've been too passive, we need to take action. If we can just take out the king we can end this stupid feud." Ness created an illusion version of his map of the castle, magnified five times to make it easier for everyone to see. He was about to explain the rest of the plan when a hand being raised in the crowd stopped him. "Yes Karasu?"

"What would even change if we killed that stupid king? Ya know how those people look at our kind in public? Everyone would just hate magic users more, and those shitty government people would just replace the king." Karasu's disdainful tone could be heard throughout the room and a couple murmurs of agreement met his words.

Ness had prepared for this. "That's why we do this assassination quietly. If we can take him out we can replace the king with one of our own and take over the government. No one knows the real name and face of the king right? So if we silently replace him, and act like the king started being friendlier with magic users, the public would soon follow suit." Silence rippled and Ness thought people would start calling his plan idiotic, but instead it felt like everyone stood still in shocked awe. Okay, Ness could work with this. "To assassinate the king we need to be stealthy. There are options to get into the castle there are entry points here, here, and here" Ness pointed towards his magnified map. "I've been practicing my magic, I can place illusions over a small team, fully concealing us. If we do that we can get inside the castle and end this."

Isagi stepped forward, mouth agape. "Ness… I know your magic is strong but can you really cover us?" Good question.

"I can, I've been honing my skills. December 25th is when we strike. During christmas most of the guards should be worried more about the townspeople and security will be more lax. December 25th will be a turning point in history for all magic users. Together we can do this, all of us.".

No one said a word until Isagi started a slow clap. The room erupted with cheers and clapping and instead of making Ness feel relieved, the noise made him feel the weight of their expectations, and what would happen if they failed. Because if they did, it would be Ness' fault, and he felt like he was shrinking internally, and no one could see how pathetic he really felt.

Chapter Text

December 24, The Night of the Invasion

Ness had tried to get as much rest as he could before the operation yet it felt impossible. Eventually he quietly got from where he was sleeping and slipped out the barrier concealing them from the outside. When he got out he saw Reo, standing on guard. Ness and raised an eyebrow and Reo said,

"Yukimiya needed to save his mana for the mission."

Right. The mission. The mission Ness was leading in just over 3 hours when the clock hit midnight.

"Hey, Reo?"

"Hm?"

"What did it feel like when you lost Nagi?" Ness didn't know where these thoughts were coming from but he wanted to know how that pain felt, just in case- Ness didn't want to think about it.

Reo froze up and Ness realized what a cruel ask it was and was about to stammer out an apology but Reo stopped him.

"It's fine, it's just.. hard." Reo leaned back against the wall. "I found Nagi when we were just kids, when we still had to scavenge around for food to survive. And you know my magical ability allows me to copy someone else's if I touch them, so if I wanted to use magic at all I needed Nagi. Nagi also needed me, his power allowed him to raise skeletons from the earth but controlling them was.. hard. When we both used our powers they were more compliant, and soon we became dependent on each other. "

Reo took a deep breath. "When he got caught, it felt like a piece of me went missing. A piece that I'll never find again. I-I was going to tell him I loved him, Ness. I thought we had more time, I told myself I was going to tell him when our lives were more stable and- I don't know. " He sounded close to tears and the only thing Ness could do was envelop Reo in a gentle embrace. When they broke apart Reo's voice had hardened.

"Let me come,"

"What?"

"Let me come on the mission, you know I'm strong."

"I know, but you have to-"

Reo took both of Ness' hands within his. "Please, this is my last chance to know, if Nagi really is…" They both knew how he would've finished that sentence.

Ness sighed and thought about it. The bigger group would be easier to spot, but the extra firepower seemed to make up for it.

"Okay. You can come with us." Reo didn't say thank you but the look in his eyes said it all.

After a shuddering breath Reo said, "You should get some rest." Ness nodded and slipped back inside the barrier. Ness stepped lightly until he reached his bundle of blankets on the floor. There weren't enough cots for all of the magic users so Ness had offered to sleep on the floor and many followed suit. This time Ness was able to sleep easily, and instead of thinking of the mission ahead, he thought about Reo, and the regrets that plagued him, and how miserable of a life it sounded like.

*

December 24th, Thirty Minutes Until Midnight.

Yukimiya, Reo, Isagi, Anri, and Hiori were lined up outside the barrier. Ness picked them for their different abilities, Anri being able to heal, Isagi's futuresight, or as he likes to call it, metavision, Hiori's ice magic, and Yukimiya's thermal vision. All of them, including Ness stored daggers under their cloaks.

"Okay Isagi, what are the next 10 minutes looking like?" Ness said, rubbing at his own shoulders.

Isagi's blue hair flashed white and his irises were replaced with puzzle pieces for an instant, before his knees buckled and he almost fell to the ground. Isagi couldn't do this excessively, it was a lot of strain of his body and mind, not even thinking about the amount of mana it used.

"We're.. okay. In the next 10 minutes we can get to one of the entrances," Isagi said, his voice almost hoarse.

Ness nodded, he can work with this. He took a breath and tried to visualize a see-through illusion covering the group, and it was a lot harder for more people than it was for just him. As Ness was concentrating, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and it felt easier to create and visualize the illusion, and when he looked to the right he saw Reo, copying his ability and helping him with it. Eventually the group was completely covered, and to outsiders it seemed like no one was there.

The hardest part of the plan was complete and its only just begun.

December 24th, Fifteen Minutes Until Midnight.

The group managed to sneak past the occasional guards and made it to an unprotected window of the castle, where they were supposed to get in. Before they were going to open it Isagi was going to try and use metavision again, which Ness promptly shut down.

"Metavision is a last resort, we can't have you incapacitated Isagi," Ness said with a hushed whisper. Isagi looked miffed but nodded regardless.

As the group climbed through the open window, Yukimiya warned them. "Theres two guards at the end of the corridor." He said, orange eye glowing. They needed to go near the middle of the corridor to cut into a hallway leading into the king's chambers. All their scouting led to this moment.

Knowing that they couldn't be seen, Ness continued down the corridor, yet something was off. It was dark, the only light coming from the moon except the guards' clothing that Ness could see was different from every other guard he's seen. They were wearing a white and dark purple cloak, looking away from his direction, and just as Ness was thinking about it he felt someone stiffen next to him.

"Nagi?" said a voice to the right of him.

"What?"

"Nagi!" Reo broke away from the group and Ness didn't realize how much Reo was helping keep up the illusion because as soon as he left, it shattered, revealing all of them.

Reo rushed forward to make the white cloaked sillohette turn around, and Ness caught a glimpse of the white haired boy with dead eyes and a hardened face. Within an instant Reo was trapped in a dome cage made of bones.

"Nagi what are you?-"

"I've gotten stronger without you, Reo"

The dark purple cloaked figure turned and Ness saw gold teeth and a toothy grin. A mass of purple sludge appeared from thin air, and darted towards Anri while Hiori was forced to hold it back with a giant wall of ice that he conjured. He fell on the floor from the effort and Anri tried helping him up.

Ness was panicking, trying to think of something he could do to help when he saw Isagi next to him, using metavision.

"Ness! I don't have time to explain, you have to go along with what he says!" Isagi shouted over the crackling of ice.

'With, what? Who do I have to listen to?"

"Theres no time, you have to trust me!" In that very instant, a rush of bones and sludge overcame the ice, and trapped them all within the goo. Reo was still stuck in the dome and was looking in disbelief, as if he was seeing Nagi properly for the first time.

No matter how much Ness and the others struggled, they couldn't break the sludge restraints as the toothy grinned figure approached them.

"Fine prizes tonight I see? I'm sure the king would love some new specimens."

Ness felt a mixture of shock and confusion that another magic users was working for the king.

"You can use magic but you're helping the king? Why!?"

"Plain and simple, the pay is great! See I used to eat out the garbage before the king took me in. All I had to do was work for him and I got a whole set of gold teeth as soon as I asked!" To accentuate his point he grinned wider, showing off the glittering gold. His lanky stature and gaunt eyes were alarming, and Ness couldn't help but think about them, even as the sludge dragged all of them into the throne room. The only exception being Reo, still stuck in his cage, supervised by Nagi.

Ness was restrained in the center of the throne room, companions behind him and when he looked up at the throne his blood ran cold.

December 25th, Midnight.

The cold gaze of a king stared back at him, and even though he's never been seen, Ness swore he'd glimpsed this face in the past. Sharp features, long blond hair, eyes predatory, hungry.

"Don, take the rest of them to the dungeon, I'll handle this one." The kings voice echoed through the huge room.

"Ai ai boss!" Don replied eagerly.

Ness risked a glance behind him and saw his friends being taken away, making him and the king the only ones in the room.

"Do you remember me, Ness?" That confirmed Ness' suspicions and he began racking his brain for anywhere he could have possibly seen this guy before. Hearing his own name come out of the king's mouth was terrifying.

Ness had his eyes lowered and didn't notice the king approaching until he grabbed Ness' chin, forcing eye contact. Those blue eyes felt like they were piercing Ness' soul.

"Oh little Ness, I remember you alright. I remember you like it was yesterday though I suppose today's the ten year anniversary of our meeting. Those eyes are still full of love, they haven't changed have they? Don't you remember me? It's me Michael. Michael Kaiser." He almost crooned and Ness had a vague memory of a cold winter night and a blue rose.

The very same rose was tattooed on the king's neck, and the puzzle pieces started to fit together.

"…You're Kaiser? You've been the king the entire time?" Michael looked delighted at Ness recalling him and gripped his chin tighter.

"Why of course! Now that I've finally found you once more, my work is done. Listen I'm going to give you an option. Your friends are going to rot in the dungeon indefinitely, and you are going to show me those deliciously warm eyes of yours, together with me forever. If you say no, you'll have your tongue cut out and all of your friends publicly hanged of course. So what do you say?" All of this was said with such a cheery tone Ness had a hard time deciphering the words. When he finally did, his eyes widened in fear and his body tensed.

Distantly Ness' mind told him he still had the dagger concealed under his clothing. If he could just get these restraints off- Isagi's words echoed in his head. Right. It makes sense now. According to Isagi he had to go along with this psychopath's plan.

"I'm sorry for lying, saying no was never an option little Ness" Kaiser's words cut across his thoughts. "Now before we get these fiddly restraints off, do you have any weapons you could kill me with?" Ness had to trust Isagi. He silently nodded and Kaiser looked at him with a condescending gaze. "Aw your learning obedience already. You're such a good boy for me Ness." Ness felt his cheeks burn, being addressed like a dog. Kaiser reached inside Ness' cloak and pulled out the dagger. For a terrifying second he thought he would be killed right there, but instead Kaiser licked the tip of the knife, and dragged it across Ness' cheek, not hard enough to break skin. He then thrust the dagger across the sludge restraints, freeing him.

"I have a feeling you and I are going to know each other very well little Ness." Ness swallowed the lump in his throat and realized his plan was crumbling in front of his very eyes. Everything he tried to do, shattered and Ness was forced to deal with the shrapnel.

Chapter Text

Ness was still kneeling on the ground when Kaiser freed him. It took him a little while to remember he could stand, and when he did Kaiser placed a possessive hand on his head. Ness immediately froze, yet it felt less of a threat rather than enjoyment. That bastard was enjoying this!

"Your hair is softer than it looks. I like it." Kaiser sounded weirdly vulnerable and Ness didn't know what to say.

"T-thank you Kaiser." Ness couldn't control his voice breaking.

"Mm, that won't do."

"What?"

"Don't call me that. Too formal, wouldn't you say? Call me something more intimate.. like Michael, or even better Micha." A wide grin was plastered onto Kaiser's face and Ness could see him licking his lips.

"…Okay."

"Say it, I want to hear it come from you."

"Micha." Ness whispered, despising it.

"Ooh it does sound good coming from your pretty little mouth, keep doing that from now on" The interchangeable praise was kind, yet condescending at the same time. But it didn't seem like he was doing it on purpose. It seemed like this was Kaiser's genuine attempt to be… reassuring? Ness couldn't tell.

Ness stood still and waited for instructions, seeing as one wrong move could lead his friends to be hanging in the street.

"Its getting late, I'll show you your room so you can rest. We have a big day tomorrow after all, yet before you go what's your first name?"

"Alexis," he mumbled.

"Well then don't worry 'Lexi tomorrow's the start of your new life with me. I think you'll be able to enjoy it somewhat." Kaiser squeezed Ness' chin and led him by the waist to his new room.

Kaiser closed the door on Ness and he left him alone in the darkness. Ness conjured a flame illusion, illuminating the room to see an incredibly comfortable looking bed with magenta sheets. There was a wardrobe that was filled with different types of clothes, of all different sizes. Ness realized if he was here anyways he might as well change, so he took off his cloak and slipped into a sleep shirt and cotton pants. It was warm, and so was the bed when Ness finally got into it.

He extinguished the fire and was left alone in the dark with his own tumbling thoughts. Now that he wasn't under the constant threat of dying he could be more calm and collected. Except all he could do was burst into tears. Everyone was counting on him, he was so sure his plan would work except now everyone who trusted him was in the dungeon. Ness had no idea what his future would look like now that it was in the hands of this bastard. Even though he thought he could never fall asleep, the stuffed mattress and warm blankets lulled him into unconsciousness, tear stained cheeks gleaming in the darkness.

*

The next time Ness woke, he jumped up in panic, before remembering where he was and how he got there. Right. His friends getting captured. Because of him. Ness felt like crying all over again. When Ness was thinking of what to do he saw the door to his new room burst open.

"Good morning Alexis!" Kaiser said with a bright smirk, turning on the oil lamp Ness didn't see the night before.

"Good morning…"

"See this is what I wanted to talk to you about! You seem so scared of me Alexis, you know I won't hurt you right? After all I don't want those ten years spent looking for you going to waste." Kaiser sounded genuine and Ness didn't know if that was worse.

"You can still hurt my friends," Ness murmured. He didn't know how much power he had in this situation but he had to find out.

"True, yet they're more of a precaution wouldn't you say?" After a pause, Kaiser continued on his path of unpredictability by leaning down, and embracing Ness within a strong grip. "I've missed you, Alexis" he whispered. Again with that weird vulnerability. Ness was frozen and the only thing he could think to do was hug him back. What the hell was going on?? Kaiser broke away and looked at Ness for a little too long, before returning to his cheery facade. "How about I show you the bathroom before we get on with breakfast?" Kaiser didn't wait for an answer and gently prodded Ness to the washroom across from his bedroom. Kaiser closed the door and allowed Ness to collect his thoughts.

The washroom was spacious and reminded Ness about how he hasn't relieved himself since before the start of the botched operation. Ness finished up and washed his hands and his knees buckled from emotional exhaustion. He was so tired of this, yet he forced himself to get up anyway. Ness was definitely having an easier time than Isagi, or any of the others.

Ness met Kaiser outside and let himself be led by the waist into the oversized dinning hall as he was sat down, a napkin placed on his lap. Kaiser pushed in his chair and Ness felt strangely looked after. There was an overflowing amount of bread, fresh fruit, and cheese on the table and Ness' stomach had started to growl. He hasn't seen this much food in a while.

"Go on. Eat."

Ness tentatively added food to his preset plate, and when he started to eat Kaiser smiled. Ness had a sneaking suspicion he was being treated like a pet, yet if he was, it's not like he could do anything about it. It made him feel a new wave of humiliation nonetheless. Kaiser started eating soon after Ness, but he seemed to enjoy watching Ness in fascination rather than paying attention to his food.

After Ness had little left on his plate, Kaiser cleared his throat. "For today's itinerary I think we can get some clothes fitted for you Alexis, seeing as your wardrobe only has a mix match of clothing I thought would look cute on you. I was right by the way. It does look cute," Kaiser said in satisfaction.

Ness dropped the knife and fork onto his plate and decided to ignore the second half of Kaiser's statement. Ness thought if Kaiser really did care about him, then there was a chance he could say yes to his next request.

"…Before we do that, can I-" Ness took a small breath. "Can I see my companions in the dungeon?"

Kaiser tilted his head, as if he were perplexed at the question. "If I said yes, would it make you happy?"

"What?"

"If I allowed you to see them, would you be happier?" Kaiser could be terrifying in some aspects, but hopelessly oblivious in others, and Ness had to try and take advantage.

"It would make me happy…"

"Perfect! Well I think we have time to go right now. Come along." Kaiser stood, and strode out the dining hall, forcing Ness to stand quickly and catch up.

"We can really go right now?" Ness said, confused while trying to keep pace with Kaiser.

"Of course. Your face used to always look the most delicious when you were happy. Don't worry, I like your eyes when they're fearful too, it's just the emotion on your face when you were content- god it was to die for." Kaiser suddenly stopped in front of a large wooden door. "Wait here."

Ness stopped as he was told, and turned over Kaiser's words while he disappeared within the room. He quickly reappeared, holding a large, thin gift box with a ribbon attached to it.

"Kais-Micha, what is this?"

Kaiser frowned. "It's Christmas. Don't regular people give gifts? Did I get that wrong?" He waved his hand. "Either way it's cold in the dungeon, so you should wear this."

Ness opened the box and saw a deep magenta cloak. The fabric was rich and the cuff of the hood was the same shade of blue as the blue rose tattooed to Kaiser's neck. The fabric was light and warm at the same time. Ness held it in front of him in awe.

"Micha, this is… It's perfect." Ness was almost breathless and was about to let out another compliment when Kaiser grabbed Ness' face in between his palm.

"Mich-?"

"There it is. That's why I've been chasing after you. That look Alexis, god I'm addicted." Kaiser looked like the terrifying king he could be, eyes starving. Ness was stuck in that possessive grip until Kaiser finally let go and decided to wrap the cloak around Ness, helping him put it on. "Lets go, I'll take us to the dungeon." Kaiser took Ness' hand and started walking across the castle. Ness took a moment of deliberation and interlaced their fingers, knowing it would make Kaiser pleased. He was right seeing as the grip tightened. Okay. Ness could make this work.

Kaiser's touch always felt he owned Ness, and Ness was scared that he didn't hate it more than he should.

*

Ness was taken down stone steps, the candles on the wall lighting the way. When they reached the bottom Kaiser let go of Ness' hand because he held it up to his mouth in horror. His friends were all in one big cell, hands bound to the ceiling. They all looked worse for wear except Isagi had a small smile when he saw Ness.

Kaiser was looking at Ness expectantly and Ness realized he was waiting for him to speak.

"Um Micha, can you give us some privacy? Just for a little bit." Kaiser blinked like he didn't even consider it but he quickly recovered.

"Of course Alexis, I'll be waiting," he said smiling, and returning up the stairs.

As soon as he was gone Ness moved closer, mouth agape. Everyone was tied up, except… where was Reo? He wasn't with the rest of the group and Ness' anxiety ramped up.

"What happened to Reo?"

Isagi was the first to speak. "He's fine, just in a different room that Nagi's holding him in"

"Why is he-"

"We don't know," Yukimiya cut in. "Isagi's been using metavision to keep track of what's happening with you and that creep."

"Seems like you've been getting busy Ness. Already on a first name basis I see," Isagi teased.

"Shut up," Ness said, cheeks warm. "I was just following the plan, you told me."

"Speaking of, how are you doing Ness?" Anri's soft voice startled him.

"I'm doing… fine. I think if I keep this up I can get you guys out of here." Ness felt guilty stating his troubles when everyone else is stuck in an actual prison.

"Just keep on going Ness, you could do this," Hiori said calmly.

Ness nodded, Kaiser, is probably getting impatient by now. Ness turned away from his friends and went back up the stairs, his new cloak clinging to him snugly. Ness didn't know if this was a life he'd be forced to live, but he had to, at least for a while. He'd need to figure out a way to release everyone but he didn't know how to that without getting rid of Kaiser.

The worst part was Kaiser's actions didn't seem to reflect the person that he was. He just seemed like someone who didn't know the weight of their decisions. He didn't seem to revel in the hurt he gives others. He just seemed like someone who was used to always getting what he wanted, which made sense with him being born into royalty. Even when Ness wanted to see his friends, Kaiser asked if it would make him happy, like he genuinely didn't know. If he didn't know how to see other people's emotions, it would explain a lot. Ness could try and teach him, but all it would take is one impulsive action from someone willing to make it, to get rid of the only people Ness had ever considered family. He felt resigned, when he saw Kaiser's delighted smile once more, as he held out a hand. Ness would have to tune all of it out, to push through until he was strong enough. He needed to be strong enough to either kill or teach Kaiser what it means to be human. He shuddered, not knowing which would be harder.

Chapter Text

When Ness took Kaiser's hand once more, he didn't take him anywhere. Kaiser just stood there, with Ness' warmth heating up his palm, staring.

"Did that visit make you unhappy Alexis? You seem unhappy, did they say something upsetting? Do you want me to kill them? I can kill them if you want-"

"No!" Ness didn't mean to shout, but he panicked. "I mean, they didn't make me unhappy, I just feel a little tired is all."

Kaiser tilted his head and looked perplexed for a moment. "Well if you're tired," He swept Ness off of his feet and scooped him up in a bridal carry. "Then I'll get you off to bed Alexis." Ness was tired, the adrenaline left him, leaving fatigue in its wake. He didn't have the energy to protest the position he was put in.

Ness got carted off to his bedroom where Kaiser placed him down and tucked him in. Kaiser adjusted the pillows until it was comfortable and Ness watched him with drowsy eyes. Like this, he could almost pretend it was peaceful, domestic even. Kaiser sat on the bed, adding a comfortable warmth. He brushed his thumb against Ness' lips and when Ness closed his eyes he felt a gentle palm graze his forehead. He slipped into a deep sleep, the memory of Kaisers arms around his enveloping him.

*

When Ness next woke he was bleary eyed and confused. The room was covered in a shroud of darkness and there was no window so he couldn't tell what time of day it was. Ness summoned some fire and noticed a plate of food and a scroll next to it. It had neat writing on it that Ness had to squint to read.

Had to go to a meeting, would've brought you but didn't want to disturb your sleep. Got you more food because I thought you would be hungry when you woke up.

Under it was a sloppy looking heart and a professional looking signature. The thoughtfulness of the heart made Ness smile. At least he tried.

Ness inspected the plate of food and saw it was mashed potatoes and steak, something that he looked at in awe. He's never had steak before and it seemed amazing. He took a bite using the knife and fork left under the plate, and had to close his eyes to savor the flavors. It melted in his mouth, being deliciously buttery and juicy at the same time. He scarfed it down quickly, wanting to keep that delicious flavor.

When Ness finished eating he had enough awareness to remember to feel guilty about eating something so good, knowing that Isagi and the others aren't getting the same treatment. Ness crept down from the bed and pulled his cloak tighter around himself.

He slowly opened his door, intent on exploring the castle. It seemed a lot bigger without Kaiser's loud presence inhabiting it, and Ness didn't know if he liked it better with or without him. Ness went into the corridor and based on the orange sun in the windows it was late afternoon. When Ness walked towards the dining hall he saw the basket of bread and fruit still on the table and he had an idea. He took the basket and tried to remember the route to the dungeon. He tried recreating it and walked past Kaisers open door and curiously wanted to check inside his room, but that was for later.

Ness found the door to the dungeon and was about to open it, when he felt something slimy wrap around his wrist. He almost shrieked, ripped his hand away, and whipped around to see the sludge retreating back to its gold-toothed owner.

"Hey little magician boy, you can't be around this part of the castle alone." Don said with a shit eating grin.

"Oh screw off. I was just trying to give my friends some food." Ness didn't know where his anger came from but seeing Don's smug face pushed Ness' building agitation over the edge.

"Careful," Don said, moving closer. "Just because you're Michael's newest toy doesn't make you invincible, little magician." He lost the smile and without it his gaunt eyes became intimidating instead of amused. It seemed like everyone in this castle could go from being content, to being terrifying at the drop of a hat.

Ness wasn't paying attention and before he saw it, a tendril of goo hooked itself around the handle of the basket, and brought it to Don, some of the sludge landing on the food.

"Here, I'll send over your gift. I'm sure it would be much appreciated. Now be a good boy and go back to your room."

Somehow, being belittled by Don felt way worse than it did when Kaiser did it. Kaiser's words felt like his genuine attempt to be caring, while Don's were meant to be viciously mocking.

Ness knew nothing good would come from staying and decided that backing away would be the best course of action. He turned away and felt Don's gaze on his back while walking back to his room.

When he finally got out of sight, Kaiser's open door looked too inviting to just ignore. Ness made a decision and quickly entered. The first thing he noticed was the oversized royal blue bed. The second thing he noticed were the hand drawn pictures on the wall of… Ness? It was of him when he was younger, and they looked too professional to be drawn by someone who didn't even know how to draw a heart. It seemed like they were commissioned by someone who had memorized exactly what Ness looked like. Ness' old cloak was also being displayed next to the pictures. He was examining the drawings when he felt arms wrap around his waist and he would've jumped if he wasn't immobilized.

Ness looked back with wide eyes to see Kaiser with an opaque expression.

"Micha! I'm sorry I was just-"

"Its okay." Kaiser turned him around so they could properly hug and Ness stumbled back from the force of the embrace. He tripped and fell back onto the bed, Kaiser never letting go, following him. "I missed you again," he whispered.

Ness let out a small breath that could've been a laugh and said, "It's only been a couple hours Micha."

"I know. I still missed you. You're sleeping here tonight, that's why you came to my room right?" Kaisers low voice felt like it was encasing Ness' mind with its sweetness.

"N- Yes. I did." It didn't occur to Ness at the time but he didn't say this for his own self-preservation, but because he didn't want to see how disappointed Kaiser would be.

"Good. That's good."

They stayed like that for too long and Ness' body was starting to get sore.

"Um. Micha, are you going to get off of me?"

"Not yet. Just a little longer." He murmured, nuzzling into Ness' neck.

Okay. Ness didn't hate when Kaiser was like this. Times like this made Ness stop thinking about his unsure future, and more about the present that's been given to him. The present that was so wildly different from his past that it was hard to reconcile the two. Maybe this present was okay for now. Before he has to slam into a change and pave his own future. Maybe this peace was okay to enjoy. Maybe this peace could be accepted instead of taken for granted. And maybe Ness was allowed to accept it, something he's never been able to do his whole life.

Chapter Text

Kaiser soon got off of him and the lack of weight was jarring for a moment before Kaiser pulled him up so they could both sit on the bed. It was silent for a moment, Ness could even consider it comfortable.

"God that meeting was boring." Kaiser said sighing, leaning his head on Ness' shoulder. "Everyone just kept talking and talking, they're so grating I would've had them executed if I didn't need them."

Ness felt a tick of fear increase but nothing alarming. "Micha, you know you can't do that. Besides, how awful even was it?"

"Everyone just kept picking at me it was so annoying 'How are you gonna address this? Has your stance changed on this?' The only reason I participated in those geezers discussions in the first place was because I needed to put laws in place to help me find you, Alexis. Now that you're here, there's no point" he said, sighing.

Ness brain stumbled on something Kaiser said.

"Wait, you- what laws?"

Kaiser turned to look at Ness, faintly confused. " I thought you knew. You know the ones outlawing all magic users, making sure they were all brought to me. You didn't know?"

"You made all those just to find me!?"

"I mean it was easy. Everyone already disliked magic users I just had to… stoke the flames a little and the kingdom fell into line. But now it doesn't matter, you're with me now," he said, absently rubbing at Ness' chest.

"You…" Ness didn't know how to articulate the storm of emotions that was brewing. All the magic users that went missing over the years, it was all because of Ness? Kaiser just smiled invitingly, waiting for Ness to speak. Ness swallowed. " Can you get rid of those laws now? Now that you've found me?"

"Hm, I'll try but those old fogies would definitely override me. And changing public opinion would be so much work." Kaiser sounded like it was a chore and Ness knew that continuing to pry was dangerous.

Kaiser stretched his arms out and palmed Ness' waist once more. "Seeing as there's still some time before dinner and bed why don't we explore the castle grounds. I think you'd like the fresh air, hm?" The way he said it made it seem less of a suggestion and more of a command, even though Ness knew if he said no, Kaiser would immediately let him stay. Kaiser was already getting up and Ness followed. He'd missed the outside.

Kaiser paced through the winding corridors until he passed through a side door and Ness had to hastily catch up.

Ness blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the sudden sunlight he was bathed in. The castle grounds were a rectangular shaped courtyard, tall walls caging him in. There were more entrances but Ness' eyes were distracted by the mass of red on the other side of the courtyard Entranced, he walked towards it, momentarily forgetting about Kaiser. When he got closer he realized it was around a hundred, perfectly manicured roses. It stood out from the drab coloring of the walls and grass and it was… beautiful.

"This is my favorite part of the castle, beside from you 'Lexi of course." Kaiser's voice startled him but Ness held back his flinch. He let out sigh, and felt the constant stress locked up in his chest loosen slightly. The roses were perfect, but Ness had a foolish idea forming. He didn't know what came over him, but he knew Kaiser would praise him for it. Ness knelt down and grazed the petal of a rose, closed his eyes and focused. He visualized an illusion of a cloth of blue enveloping itself within the rose's petals. When he reopened his eyes, the rose was now a rich royal blue.

Ness looked up at Kaiser with a smile on his face. "Last time you couldn't touch the blue rose I gave you. This one you can feel."

Kaiser's pupils were wide, and his mouth was agape but he wasn't looking at the flower, rather he was looking at Ness. He licked his lips then, and after a second he blinked, as if coming back to himself.

"Its wonderful, Alexis. You really are fantastic."

Ness felt dangerous, and a defiant side of him said "Are you talking about my illusion skills or are you mesmerized by my eyes again?" Ness' smile slightly widened into a grin.

Kaiser stuttered and Ness didn't know why it felt so satisfying to have the unshakable king flustered from his words. "Both are good," He muttered, placing a hand on Ness' hair. "Both are very good." Kaiser absently massaged Ness' scalp, and in turn Ness found it extremely hard to think. He's never been touched this much before. He knew it couldn't have been normal but he didn't have the heart to address it. He probably didn't have a choice in the matter anyway.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ness saw the wings of a black bird land gracefully near him. Kaiser was still rubbing at his head but Ness had the faintest idea the bird was watching him. Black eyes too knowing, too intelligent. His silly musings were cut short when Kaiser pulled him to his feet and the bird flew away from the movement.

"Are you ready to go back inside, 'Lexi?"

"Just another minute." Ness didn't know if this was the only freedom he'd be able to experience for the rest of this time in the castle. He turned away from the rose garden. "Okay. I'm ready." He didn't know how many more days like this he'd have to get through. His self sufficiency was forcibly taken away from him, and it felt like there were zero possible options that could get him out of here.

Yet, as Ness walked back inside, the blue rose stood stubbornly in the garden. A symbol of the impossible.

Chapter Text

After a short dinner of bread rolls and roast chicken, Ness felt like he could ignore the sense of despondency he was feeling earlier, except a new issue arose.

"I can do it myself!" Ness protested.

"Nonsense, I can easily help you," Kaiser said. "Besides, you're mine. I want to see every part of you." Kaiser's voice turned hungrier in a way that made Ness' skin crawl.

Ness hasn't bathed once since he'd arrived at the castle yesterday and Kaiser felt as if he needed to remedy that immediately. Ness was pushed into the restroom and was forced to stand awkwardly as Kaiser ran the water.

When it was running, Kaiser looked at Ness and his eyes narrowed. "Undress."

"It's- I can't."

Kaiser looked at him with what could have been pity and said, "Here, I'll help you with that too." He came closer to Ness and instead of immediately undressing him like he expected, he held his palm on Ness' chest and Ness tensed. "Don't worry," Kaiser murmured. "You're safe."

Ness tried his hardest to believe it.

Kaiser untied and folded Ness' cloak, leaving it on the side, leaving him in his cotton shirt and pants. Ness tried to calm his shallow breaths and didn't even know why he felt so nervous. Kaiser wouldn't hurt him, he knew this, but the amount of trust needed for something like this was challenged by the fact today was the second time in his life Ness' had ever met Kaiser.

Ness swallowed when his shirt was taken off of him and jolted when Kaiser started thumbing at his bare nipples.

"Shh, so sensitive for me Alexis. I've got you." Ness couldn't suppress the faint whimper in his throat. All of this felt wrong. Kaiser took his pants and needed Ness to step out of them. Finally, he took off Ness' underwear, exposing his limp penis. He brushed the shaft of it briefly and Ness forced himself to not jerk away. Kaiser had a hand at his back and pushed him towards the warm bath. When Ness got in he let out a sigh of relief and immediately felt the tension in his body loosen.

"Better?" Kaiser asked questioningly, kneeling by the tub.

"Better," Ness agreed. The water covering him helped with the shame of being displayed like this. Ness laid back into the tub while Kaiser pinched at his neck and shoulders, causing him to stifle a low groan. Kaiser helped wash his' hair, and slowly Ness started leaning into the touch. He wanted to stop himself, but his need for autonomy was clashing with his need for comfort, and god right now it felt too good to give it up.The warm water was lulling him to sleep as gentle fingers wrapped around his sternum, and just stayed there. It felt like ownership.

Ness' eyes closed and when they reopened Kaiser was staring at him, a lax pleased smile on his face. "See that wasn't so bad 'Lexi. Sometimes you just need to trust me." He sounded like he was enjoying this, looking past the shame and humiliation, and Ness could only nod hesitantly. "Let's get you nice and dried off m'kay?" Kaiser disappeared, presumably to find a towel and Ness let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding, and almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Being forcibly bathed and dried by the person he was trying to assassinate less than 24 hours ago was not something Ness could've expected. He couldn't completely trust Kaiser yet; his impulsiveness and unpredictability made him unreliable. He would never purposely hurt Ness, but Isagi and the others were a different story.

Every time he followed this train of thought he just get caught up within his own head so he decided to stop thinking for now, Kaiser was an amazing distraction at times like this. As if to prove Ness' point, Kaiser reappeared holding a fluffy towel and a fresh set of clothes. Ness' cheeks still burned when he was pulled out of the bath, but for the most part he let himself be dried off and taken care of. The clothes were warm and just added to the already present drowsiness.

Kaiser had a hand around Ness' waist as they walked back to his room, as if he would vanish if they lost contact for even a second. The corridors were all dark now, the sun fully set and the only light coming from the window was from the crescent moon outside. Ness was taken into Kaiser's room and tucked into the bed as Kaiser himself quickly slipped in beside him. The fabric was the same as the cot in his room yet the weight next to him was… welcome. Kaiser held his arms around Ness' waist with precision and the silence that followed was comforting. Right as Ness was about to fall asleep he felt Kaiser's head shift closer. He opened his eyes to Kaiser's lips kissing his forehead and instantly his drowsy trance was replaced by something panicked and confused.

Kaiser sensed it and said, "Did I do that right? I thought normal people kissed each other to show affection." He sounded uncertain, like he was worried he did something wrong.

"Y-Your only supposed to do that with people you really love"

Kaiser seemed relieved and pulled Ness closer. "Good, okay. I did it right."

These words made Kaiser's arms feel more suffocating and Ness didn't know if Kaiser felt the gravity of what he said. Instead of sleeping, Ness wondered if anyone else in Kaiser's life has ever felt this love, and how long he's been feeling this way. Even as he slipped into gentle sleep he wondered if he's been feeling this way for the past 10 years.

Chapter Text

Ness' cracked his eyes open from the beam of sunlight that shone from the courtyard and through the window, lighting Kaiser's room. Ness lie perfectly still, too tired to commit to getting out of bed. Yesterday was absolutely exhausting for his body and mind and okay, his limbs were sore. He turned on his side and saw Kaiser peacefully sleeping next to him. Somehow his face asleep was more intimidating than when he was awake. There was no delighted smile on his face, instead it was cold indifference. It seemed like this was what Kaiser would've looked like when he really stepped into his power and Ness silently felt grateful that he rarely had to deal with that side of him. Ness' eyes caught on Kaiser's closed lips and yesterday's kiss flashed in his mind.

The bed was suddenly searing instead of warm and Ness jolted up.

He was about to step out of bed when a lax arm latched onto his wrist. A sleep mussed voice said, "Stay." Ness was uncertain for a moment, before he laid back down and Kaiser's grip tightened. His eyes were half open, but even partly asleep he had his signature pleased look.

"Micha, we have to get up at some point."

"Five more minutes," he said, warm breath gusting across Ness' face.

Ness shifted closer and Kaiser pushed his thighs until Ness was flush against his chest, and he heard a sigh of contentment. Ness didn't want to give up this warmth. The sound of Kaiser's breathing entangled with his own was strangely soothing, and Ness barely registered that at least ten minutes had passed by now. Soon, he heard a grumble and Kaiser pushed up from the bed, stretching. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Go wash up while I organize breakfast to get sent over," he said, stroking Ness' chest. The touch short circuited his already sluggish brain.

Eventually, Ness was able to follow his instructions, yet when he went into the corridor he felt a little miffed at being pushed away from that comfort, and alternatively shuddering at the fact that he wanted it. But wouldn't anyone if they were treated like that? Treated as if they were the only thing that made someone happy. Treated and touched like they were needed. God it felt addicting.

Ness went to the restroom and tied the folded cloak around himself, Kaiser leaving it the other night. He washed and rubbed his face awake, attempting to dispel the drowsiness. As soon as he re-opened the door he was ambushed by Kaiser who grabbed at his face and hungrily kissed his cheek.

"Good morning! I've always wanted to wake you up like that in the morning, but I forgot so this will have to suffice." Kaiser licked at the corners of his lips as if trying to taste the residue from Ness' skin. He tilted his head. "Are your hands supposed to be on fire right now?"

Ness muttered a curse and shook his hands to de-summon the flames. That definitely wasn't normal.

Kaiser grinned and reached out, fingers finding their customary spot on Ness' waist. He pulled him closer until Ness was leaning on him and led them to the dining hall.

"Are you going to be this clingy every day? Ness mumbled, still nettled from earlier.

"Hm, probably. Does it bother you?"

Ness knew he couldn't answer that, so he let the question hang in the air as he was sat down. There were plates already set with steaming hot omeletes with pieces of cut up sausage on the side. Ness took a bite and closed his eyes. God everything here tasted so damn good.

Kaiser was staring again and Ness realized this was going to be a daily occurence. Well, it could be worse. "Today I have another meeting. I was thinking you could come." He frowned. "Yet I did forget to acquire other formal wear fitted for you."

Ness was thinking of saying no, except what would he even do by himself? And besides, he was interested in seeing all the higher ups that despised magic users so much, that Kaiser thought was a chore to deal with. Ness was lost in thought, and he didn't notice when he was taken back into Kaiser's room as the man himself was scrounging through his wardrobe. He threw a couple pairs of clothes onto the bed and looked satisfied.

"These are some of my old suits, I hope you don't mind." Ness didn't know how he was expected to complain when the clothes looked fancier and more expensive than anything he's ever seen before. "Change, I need to see if they fit," Kaiser said, a hint of power behind his words. Ness went still and Kaiser's eyes were expectant.

Ah.

Of course.

Ness dropped his cloak and pulled off his shirt while Kaiser was watching. His attentiveness was slightly unnerving. Ness hesitated slightly before taking off his pants but he knew there was no way of getting out of this. At least he was still wearing underwear. No matter how small a concession it was he still had to appreciate it. Ness pulled on the white suit pants and felt the stifling fabric and saw why no one wore these all the time, no matter how nice they look. Kaiser helped him with the white suit and suit jacket and when he looked down it felt like someone else was standing in his place. There were royal blue accents on the suit and cuffs and they clashed perfectly with Ness' magenta hair.

"You look… stunning Alexis." Ness picked out awe in his voice and shuffled uncomfortably.

"T-Thank you Micha." He never knew what to do with compliments like these and wanted to just push it down instead.

Soon Kaiser pulled out some more clothes and Ness made a sound of shock when he started taking off his pants. When Kaiser looked up questioningly Ness just swallowed and said, "No, its nothing." Kaiser shirtless had defined abs that paired well with his muscular arms, and Ness told himself he wasn't staring. When he was done changing, he was wearing the same suit as Ness' except it was black and slightly bigger. The blue accents matched Ness' and he didn't know why it made his chest feel warmer. At the thought Ness furtitively checked his hands to make sure he didn't accidentally summon more flames.

Kaiser looked at him with a conviction that wasn't fair. "Are you ready to go?" In truth, no he really wasn't. Just wearing the clothing made Ness feel more out of place next to Kaiser, yet he knew he would have to. Ness nodded and took Kaiser's hand when it was offered. Okay, he could do this. At least with somebody else at his side, he felt enough confidence to try.

Chapter Text

Kaiser took Ness to the door leading to the throne room, and turned so they were facing each other. "Okay, just be polite and follow basic etiquette and you should be good. If anyone and I mean anyone is rude to you in there I will make sure they - or at least their family- will be brutally-"

"-I got it." Ness didn't want to hear the rest of that sentence. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone else to come to harm, so he just had to hope nobody would say anything to him.

"Oh right, you also can't reveal that you can use magic or else there might be a mutiny against me and I can't guarantee the safety of you or your friends. Are you ready? I'm ready."

Kaiser pushed open the door before Ness could respond, and instantly they were bathed in light coming from the oversized stained glass windows. The throne room was set up differently to the last time Ness saw it; A long table was set up in front of the throne with various guests who all looked different levels of impatient.

"Finally decided to join us, Kaiser? You're ten minutes late."

"Good things you can't start without me Noa." Kaiser smirked. "Also, I've brought a guest with me, they'll mostly be listening in." He absently gestured towards Ness while crossing to the throne and Ness could only assume to follow.

"Oh? And what should we call this mystery guest?" The one Kaiser referred to as Noa spoke and it took a while for Ness to realize he was being addressed.

"N-Ness." He stammered out. He sat down at the seat next to the throne when Kaiser indicated towards it, and tried to calm his nerves.

"Okay, now that everyone's finally here, we can get started." Noa continued. He seemed like he was the leader of these meetings. "Agriculturally we are thriving due to the good luck we've had during the rain season so the farmers are experiencing a surplus of crops. The only issue being that the surplus means the farmers are complaining how they're getting paid less for their produce."

"Sell the excess to the nearby allied kingdoms," Kaiser said, voice sounding almost bored.

After that Ness tuned in and out of the conversation. He wasn't involved and saw why Kaiser disliked these meetings so much. Ness made sure to be polite however, keeping his posture straight and hands in his lap.

At about an hour into the meeting Ness was tuned back in as a short and stout man they referred to as Buratsuta was speaking.

"We need to allocate more funds to find more of those magic users!" He said waving a grubby first. "We've had 4 local reports of theft this week from food vendors because of them!"

A few murmurs of agreement around the table and Ness squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"We have a little extra in the defense budget for guards and resources. Do you think we need them?" Noa's calm voice pierced through the room.

"Yes! Of course we need them. Those little cloaked freaks have been draining our pockets for years, we need them gone!"

"What makes magic users so different that you have such hatred for them?" The room went silent and Ness surprised even himself when he spoke. He wasn't planning on speaking but the way they were talking about his people was aggravating.

Buratsuta looked shocked but quickly tried to save face. "All of them are thieves! Did you not hear me? They're ruining the economy from how much food they're stealing-"

"That's because you give them no other way to get food!"

At this a tense silence filled the chamber, no one knowing what to say to de-escalate the argument. Ness' blood was boiling, to see the rounded man talking so greedily about money and food while Ness used to have to scavenge to survive most days.

"How about we take a ten minute recess," Kaiser's voice lazily drawled.

The room's silence broke at once, many people getting up from their chairs and stretching and engaging in small talk. Buratsuta stayed seated staring daggers into Ness while he was scowling back. When he wasn't paying attention, a strong hand grabbed his arm and he was dragged back into the entrance to the throne room as Kaiser closed the door behind him.

Kaiser's back was turned so his expression was a mystery and Ness immediately broke out into an apology.

"I'm sorry for speaking out like that Micha, I didn't mean to but-"

"Alexis. That was fucking amazing." Huh? When Kaiser turned around he was sporting a grin that was spread across his entire face. "I hate Buratsuta except every time he speaks all those bobble heads in there agree with him. When you stood up to him I was on the edge of my seat!"

Ness' face flushed because it felt wrong for Kaiser to talk about something he said and act like it was impressive. "I-I was just defending my people. He talked about magic users like they were barely human… It didn't feel so good."

Kaiser slowly took hold of Ness' face, thumbs brushing at his cheeks, staring soulfully into his eyes that he worshipped. It was a surprisingly tender moment that Ness wanted to hold in his hands and keep it close to his chest. Kaiser trying his best attempt at comfort was sweet, and the warmth he offered was welcome. At least it was like this before it was immediately ruined by Kaiser saying, "Do you want me to kill him for you?"

"Micha!"

"Is that a yes or no?" God Kaiser really needed to work on his timing.

"It's a no, like an extreme no."

"Tch, I really wanted a reason to get rid of him," he said, almost regretfully. "However this meeting has proven something positive. You're a good speaker when it comes to defending the magic users because of your personal experience. How about we make a deal? You keep coming to these meetings and keep arguing your case and eventually you should be able to get rid of the laws restricting the magic users. It's a win for me as well because I don't have to do all that tedious work to get it taken down myself. What do you say, 'Lexi?"

Obviously he couldn't refuse. If the magic users were being persecuted for ten years because of him, how could he try and act selfish now? Ness nodded slowly, realizing how much work he would have to do in the future to make his goal a reality.

"Do we have a deal, Alexis?"

"Deal," Ness said, loosely shaking the hand that was offered.

"Perfect." Kaiser smirked and took the opportunity to intertwine their fingers to keep Ness at his side. "Now lets get back in there and show them what my little Alexis can do."

Ness rolled his eyes but it clashed with the slight smile he tried to hide.

He was slowly accepting Kaiser's presence and it's becoming harder and harder to reconcile Kaiser as the same person who hurt his friends when all he is to Ness is supportive and kind. Ness didn't want to look at the future, he wanted to look at the present and currently it was being filled to the brim with Kaiser.

Ness could think about all of it later. Maybe if he kept running away from his thoughts he could outrun the choices he'd soon have to make.

Chapter Text

The rest of the meeting went without incident, neither Buratsuta or Ness speaking out again. They did shoot glares at each other when they sat down however, Ness being unwilling to back down. By the time they were done, it was well into the afternoon, orange sun shining through the stained glass.

After everyone was dismissed, Ness was ushered into the castle by Kaiser, insisting on a late lunch and Ness didn't have the heart to tell him it was basically almost evening. The two of them were walking to the dining hall when Ness heard muddy footsteps behind him and immediately whipped around.

Ness tensed when he saw Don's lanky figure and signature golden grin. God it feels more unnerving the more he shows it.

"Yo, Michael! Have you and your little magician boy been getting along well?" Don was speaking as if Ness wasn't less than two feet in front of him, deliberately provoking him. It seems like the only one he isn't rude to is his precious benefactor. Ness' tongue worked in his mouth while Kaiser turned to face Don, impassive.

"What do you want Don?"

"Nothing much, I just found another fine prize you might want to examine." He pantomimed blowing a whistle and a person restrained by sludge got dragged from around the corner to Kaiser's feet. Ness looked down in horror when he realized it was Karasu. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gagged to prevent the screaming and struggling that would have occurred. "I caught him and his little friend attempting to spy on you from around the outside of the castle. Can I kill them please? I haven't killed anyone since forever ago!" When he mentioned a 'friend', a tendril of sludge pulled out a cage with a black bird cawing, attempting to escape. The very same black bird that Ness was admiring yesterday…

"Do whatever you want with him," Kaiser said absently, with a wave of his hand. "Lets go 'Lexi I am famished." He turned around and attempted to take Ness with him while he stood frozen in place.

"Micha… can't you just let him go?" Don's smile slid off of his face.

"Hm?"

"You don't have to kill him, you could just let him leave." Ness' heart was beating out of his sternum. He doesn't think he could ever get used to how little Kaiser values lives and how flippantly he speaks about them.

"If that's what you want Alexis, I suppose there's no harm in doing so. Don, untie him on the outskirts of town, he should have learned his lesson by now," Kaiser said placidly.

"Yes boss!" Don's smile reappeared but it was tight at the edges. "Whatever you say goes," he murmured under his breath, heaving Karasu along.

Ness waited until he was out of eyeshot to shudder. Don gave him the creeps and unlike Kaiser, he has full awareness of his actions. He knew how awful he was being, but still felt some twisted enjoyment- It was enough to make bile coat the back of Ness' throat.

Also, the fact that Karasu was looking after Ness yesterday made a spark of hope illuminate in his chest. Ego and the others were still out there, there was still help on the outside. Isagi and everyone else in the dungeon had another option when- if Ness failed. But Ness wouldn't fail. If he failed, it would prove himself right, that he really wasn't strong enough to handle this.

*

When Ness and Kaiser set off—for what had to be dinner at this point—Ness noticed a lavish wine bottle being set out on the table.

"What's the special occasion?" Ness murmured, eyeing the bottle as he sat down. It looked more expensive than all the money Ness had ever spent in his lifetime.

Kaiser piled on a generous amount of meat and roast vegetables on Ness' and his own plate before responding. "You've gained a seat on the royal committee. I think that's an achievement worth celebrating" Ness didn't think he deserved it due to the methods used to acquire that seat, but he stayed silent. Kaiser uncorked the wine and poured a large helping into Ness' wine glass yet none for himself.

Ness took a small sip and was internally amazed at the flavors and how good it was. He was able to polish off the glass before he had the self awareness to stop himself, and blushed when Kaiser refilled it with a smile. Yet his own glass was still empty.

"Aren't you going to take some for yourself?" Ness asked, confused.

Kaiser glanced at the empty glass and Ness swore the side of his mouth twitched. "I… don't like myself when I drink," he said finally. An uncomfortable silence washed over the pair while Ness was still processing what he said. It felt weird to hear Kaiser sound like that, for him to be vulnerable, self-doubting. If Ness wasn't sitting across from him, he would've taken his hand just to get that look off his face. Instead, Ness nudged his leg under the table and it seemed to do the trick. Kaiser smilled softly and the rest of the meal was peaceful, enjoyable even.

When Ness was thoroughly stuffed and he finished another two glasses, Kaiser helped him up and held him by the waist to steady him.

"I probably should've warned you how strong it was," Kaiser said with a chuckle. Ness returned his laugh with a loopy smile and realized how nice Kaiser looked when he laughed. He wanted to mention it, but couldn't find the words. The wine made his limbs loose and his stomach pleasantly warm.

Ness barely noticed when they started moving and was confused when they stopped in front of his room.

"Wait why aren't we going to your room?" Ness was trying hard not to slur his words.

Kaiser tilted his head. "I thought that was a one time thing. If you want you can keep sleeping with me however."

Ness' knee jerk response was to say yes, but a part of him cut through the haze and knew he couldn't give up his pride like that. Not yet. Ness slowly shook his head and Kaiser started rubbing at his shoulders.

"Okay," Kaiser said softly. "Okay. Goodnight Alexis." He ended his words with another kiss on Ness' forehead which made him feel weaker than he was already. Ness watched as Kaiser walked away and out of sight.

Ness took a breath and opened the door, attempting to collapse on his bed, yet when he closed the door he almost pissed himself. Nailed onto the door with a sludge spike, lay Karasu's crow, blood still dripping out of its open beak.

The gruesome sight broke him out of his drunken trance and adrenaline coursed through his veins. Underneath the crow were the words written in sludge: Lucky Magician Boy. The adrenaline passed, but with it came borderline fear of how powerful an enemy Don could be.

Ness couldn't do anything for the dead crow right now so he was forced to slip into his bed. Instead of his last thought conscious being full of Kaiser and his care, it was instead filled with Don and his immense power, making Ness' situation impossibly difficult. Ness slipped into a restless sleep, unable to put his mind at ease even with the comfort that Kaiser could offer.

Chapter Text

Kaiser Pov

Kaiser was ecstatic, things were going just as he wanted them to. Ness, oh glorious Alexis Ness has started to become acclimated within his life. His perfect Alexis finally found his owner and it was better than all of Kaiser's fantasies. For 10 years Kaiser has been looking for him, the only thing causing him joy in that time being his fathers death. The death he may or may not have had a hand in. The old rat deserved it, liver failure was going to get to him in the long run anyway, Kaiser just had to… speed up the process a little. A poisoned drink at night, a new coronation in the morning. Monarchy really was a twisted system when you think about it but Kaiser wasn't complaining. At thirteen he gained enough power to fulfill his dream ambition and look where he stood now.

It was a gamble to employ the help of Don Lorenzo and that Nagi Seishiro, but it would've been a waste not to exploit their talents or motivations. Satisfying Lorenzo was easy, all he thought about was money, his greed unmatched. And that Seishiro kid's motives were similar to his own when they were coaxed out of him and judging by what happened on Christmas, their help was necessary or else Kaiser would've been murdered by his poor Alexis. It was funny to think about, in a way.

Kaiser was a little surprised that he hasn't been killed in his sleep since then, but of course his wonderful Alexis would be too soft to do it. Either way Don has been instructed to kill all of Alexis' friends in the dungeon if he ever died, except for the Reo kid. Seishiro was very adamant about that part.

Kaiser never really wanted to kidnap Alexis' friends, but without them he had no motivation to stay, even if keeping them trapped was counterproductive. He needed Alexis to want to stay and it seemed to be working even though he was a bird stuck in a cage. If Kaiser covered up the bars however, Alexis wouldn't be able to tell it was a cage at all.

Kaiser wasn't imagining Alexis' lack of resistance to his words, his touches, and wondered how touch starved he's been growing up. According to Seishiro's info, Alexis was a loner. He was respected in their guild of magic users, but kept to himself and only offered a polite smile when necessary. He wasn't used to intimacy, Kaiser was sure of that and was overjoyed knowing that he would be Alexis' first. He will admit, Kaiser was a stranger to intimacy as well so he didn't exactly know what he was doing, but he's seen enough plays and novels to get the general sense of it.

Kaiser was still obsessed with Alexis' beautiful eyes—how could he not be when they were filled to the brim with warmth?—but he's coming to realize how amazing every other piece of him was. Soft magenta hair that fell silkily under his ministrations, nimble fingers that were too bony for their own good. His voice that raised in pitch when he whimpered. How could Kaiser resist spoiling such a perfect specimen? Kaiser knew he paled in comparison, being a poison that Alexis was forced to drink rather than die of dehydration.

Yet Alexis will continue to drink and drink until he's addicted, until he tastes real water and misses the comforting bitter taste of poison. Kaiser will make sure of it.

*

Today was another successful day in conditioning Alexis. He smiled almost 6 times today and they were able to hold hands again! Twice! Kaiser preferred hand holding over his other forms of touch, seeing as it was reciprocal and they were both actively participating in it. Alexis even had the courage to ask Kaiser to spare the magic user's life, which was a good sign of his increasing confidence. Strong arming him with fear was only necessary in the beginning, but now with him knowing his powerlessness he's becoming increasingly dependent on Kaiser and Kaiser was overjoyed.

The only issue with today was supper.

Kaiser was forced to lie to Alexis when he asked about his refusal to drink. In truth Kaiser has never touched a drop of alcohol in his lifetime. It was an irrational fear to have, yet a small part of him thought he would act just like his father when he drank. And he would never admit it aloud but it terrified him. He would also rather be forced into a slow miserable death than show that side of him to Alexis.

Alexis seemed to enjoy the wine at least; growing up in poverty he probably wasn't used to this kind of treatment and Kaiser felt like he was salivating at all the experiences he could introduce him to. It was also a good sign that Alexis expected to sleep in Kaiser's room tonight, even if he was drunk. Kaiser deliberately took him to his own room to see if there would be any protest, and was satisfied when he saw Alexis' hesitation.

Soon Alexis was going to sleep in Kaiser's room under his own will, the blame for it being placed on himself. And Kaiser will act clueless, like this wasn't something he was working towards this entire time. It was incredibly manipulative, but this method was kinder than torturing him to the brink of insanity until he thinks of nothing but Kaiser as his savior that he worships.

Still, when Kaiser laid on his own bed intending to sleep, his body missed having that warmth next to him. His arms craved holding that weight next to him. He hoped Alexis would hurry up with the whole getting conditioned situation or he might have to choose the other option after all.