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“Well you knew it was coming, at least.” It wasn’t like she’d exactly hidden the fact that he’d knocked her up. She’d made it her mission to make herself a pain about the whole thing, from start to finish, if he remembered correctly. Meanwhile it seemed like Nina had no intention of letting him in on the surprise. Because it seemed like Nico had come here all on his own.[break][break]
The little punk seemed to take great pleasure in making Miu fume too. So as Kosei chided her, he shot his…son (that would take getting used to,) a look. “Leave her be. I don’t think you want to get her riled up.”[break][break]
His returning look said that Nico very much did want to do that, but he shrugged in that apathetic teenage way that Enzo wished did not remind him that much more of himself at that age. “Whatever.”[break][break]
Some of the crisis had been averted, thanks to Kosei’s bribery, at least. The group of them seemed to settle—at least until Enzo’s round of questioning began. Kosei shot him warning looks, but he ignored them. They were pertinent questions! And he felt he had a right to ask these sorts of things. He’d just shown up, after all. And again, he wasn’t looking for trouble with his mom.[break][break]
“Yeah, better not be for nothin’.” The boy looked over at Kosei, a brow lifting before he looked away. The snark was obvious. Enzo sighed.[break][break]
He was pretty sure he felt a nerve under his eye jump. “Well, I guess that depends on why you’re here in the first place.” Forget making Miu lose her cool—Nico was about to go toe to toe with him instead.[break][break]
Luckily, he had to divert his attention to pay for a new ticket so that they’d all be allowed access into the park. When he turned back, he handed over the slip to Nico, who took it with another shrug. Enzo fixed them all with a forced grin. “Where to first?”

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[attr="class","text"] Teeth ground down against his knuckles, pressure causing a thrum of pain that was still pale in comparison to the throb of his shoulder. Still, he grinned wide as Kosei complied, fingers hooking against the back of his teeth to drag his face closer. “Good dog,” he taunted, the bite of it blunted from the way the words wheezed from his throat.[break][break]
Enzo yanked his hand loose, spit slick fingers sliding down to trace down the other’s neck. Drifting over the bob of his adam’s apple. The collision of their mouths as impacting as a car crash. The screech and twist of metal as it tangled together into something that couldn’t be rightly separated again. None of it so kind and devoted.[break][break]
All of that force and heat becoming a warped binding agent in the violence of the act.[break][break]
He broke away when Kosei pulled at his clothing, not at all gently, of course. Another hissed noise slipped loose as his arm jostled from the movement. He pulled back, teeth bared as he pushed lightly at the center of the other’s chest to back off. His other palm braced the wall as the spin of vertigo washed over him.[break][break]
A flash of irritation flickered in his eyes as he eyed Kosei, and then finished the work of removing his shirt. A lift of his brow as his gaze moved down to Kosei’s own clothing, and then back up to his face.[break][break]
Ugly color had bloomed across pale skin, filling in the gaps in the tattoo work that crawled up his arm, over his shoulder and chest, then down his side. Angry violet that matched his eyes. Rather than close the distance again, he waited. Expectant. Breath falling in ragged puffs.

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[attr="class","text"] “I don’t know,” he sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose, “At least you were informed long before now.” Enzo, despite every effort to hide it, was a bit natural in caretaking. But that didn’t mean he knew how to grapple with it or adapt to it on the fly.[break][break]
Nico snorted, eyes rolling. “Sure you aren’t, pipsqueak.”[break][break]
Enzo’s eyes cut to the boy in silent warning. The last thing they needed was for Miu to get wound up into a furor of little girl anger. Not before she could be adequately distracted by the cuteness of the girafarig exhibit.[break][break]
He let Kosei placate her best as he could. Had he still be carrying her, he supposed that would have fallen to him. Instead, he was stuck trying to puzzle out why exactly this kid had turned up at the hotel. They should be official, have tests run and all that. But it was like Kosei had said—look at him. It was more than a little undeniable.[break][break]
There were maybe a few traces of his mother in the set of his expression when he wasn’t watching them back. From what Enzo could remember, she’d been just as inclined to the casual nature of their entanglement. And clearly she hadn’t been inclined to inform him of the existence of the boy.[break][break]
Would he have wanted to know back then? Would it have made a difference?[break][break]
Complicated questions that spawned uncertain, complicated answers.[break][break]
Enzo was a selfish creature—fixated on his goals and the agenda he’d built up from nothing alongside Kosei, and then by himself. There was every likelihood that
“Dewford. Nah, she’s not around.” The answer pulled Enzo out of his thoughts. “Does she know you’re out here?” he asked then, adding to Kosei’s line of questioning. Something stubborn and resentful flashed in the boy’s eyes.[break][break]
“Doesn’t matter.”[break][break]
His brows climbed, and he scoffed. “It absolutely matters,” he replied immediately, “The last thing I need is for your mother to think I’ve somehow absconded with you.” As if he had any real way to have devised that sort of scheme. Arceus, was this what he’d been like with his own mother before he’d run off?[break][break]
But that had been completely different. Or so he told himself.[break][break]
The stubborn set to Nico’s jaw, teeth clenching told Enzo he wasn’t about to change his mind. He chanced another glance at Kosei, curious as to whether or not he was experiencing war flashbacks from that stretch of time when they’d been younger and constantly at each other’s throats.

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The sooner King forgets, the better, but Enzo doesn’t feel too concerned about him retaining that info. He’s got this air of disinterest to him that suits the hotelier just fine, to be honest. In one ear and out the other? Hopefully so.[break][break]
So long as he can’t miraculously drudge it up later somehow.[break][break]
He laughs, “Gotta say, people don’t usually jump to Kalosian for me, but there’s a first time for everything.”[break][break]
He considers the other man’s words for a moment, gaze fixed on the two girls as Miu continued to chatter enthusiastically. His hands slip into his pockets as he exhales long and slow.[break][break]
“Mm,” it’s a hum of agreement, “Bit too disruptive for my liking, if I’m being honest.” His glance shifts back to King, curious. Kanto, huh? “Worse than Kanto. That’s no small comparison…how wonderful.” Perhaps he and Kosei Kiryu should make some sort of contingency plan.[break][break]
If only for Miu’s sake, but also because he’s somewhat concerned with saving his own skin than actively going to war for a cause that he’s only somewhat entangled with. One of the old dogs now, how sad. He still has teeth, of course, but is it really the same as when he was younger and more vicious? He certainly has more to lose now, that much is certain.

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[attr="class","text"] “Not helping…” he grumbled out of the corner of his mouth. He knew the kid was his spitting image. Thank you, Captain Obvious. For once, he was at a loss. There were no witty remarks or smooth charms to con his way out of the situation.[break][break]
And still, he’d expected Kosei to throw him some sort of bone, some way to help him shake the little punk loose. But of course the traitor cut and ran. Well, sort of, considering he was still standing there with Miu on his shoulders.[break][break]
Nico looked up at the little girl, lazy grin glinting with an edge of antagonism that only worked between kids with an age difference. Upper and lower classmen in school. Siblings.[break][break]
Oooh, what was he supposed to do with that conclusion? Where did this end? With the pair of them actually functioning like siblings? That would imply the kid was here to stay, which, uh…no..? Maybe? Enzo was feeling the stirrings of an oncoming migraine in his temples. Alto Marean curses were muttered in a stream under his breath.[break][break]
“That kid is Nico,” the boy replied, still looking up at Miu, all teeth in his smile. Like looking in a mirror, that smile. “Who’re you, tiny?” Speaking the attribute without affection, but teasing—if by some power of intuition, knowing immediately what might offend the girl.[break][break]
“Yep. Zoo time.” His hand planted between Nico’s shoulders and steered him away, and out the doors. “We’ll figure out what you’re doing here later. First, we need to get to the ferry.”[break][break]
He cast a mutinous eye back at his partner, narrowed and sullen. Traitor, was what it said, I will not forget this.[break][break]
Luckily, the ferry was only a short walk, and the zoo was practically on the other side of the bay. Maybe he could ditch the kid somewhere in the foot traffic? No… he’d just find them again. Ugh. Maybe once they got Miu properly distracted with the girafarig or the grookey exhibits, he and Kosei could actually talk about this…unfortunate turn of events.

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[attr="class","text"] heads up: they’re kinda feral. read at ur discretion?[break][break]

There was nothing delicate or tender to be found there between them. And admittedly, it was better that way. Nothing besotted or pining, though Enzo could probably still place the pieces together. Could intuit that under this outletting of pent up frustration, the Kosei who had kissed him in a drunken stupor, all affectionate and earnest, was still there.[break][break]
But Enzo was selfish. He was selfish and just as fed up and frustrated, and it felt satisfying to lick his wounds this way rather than with a brawl. Though, this wasn’t very far from the mark, either.[break][break]
Nor would he examine his own subconscious thoughts further. The fact that he was closer to caving to this than he ever cared to admit aloud. That Kosei, in all of his rule-obsessed, buttoned up glory had become his own brand of alluring to Enzo. Something waiting to be unwrapped. If only the one time.[break][break]
So he pressed closer, encouraged from the sound that fell from Kosei’s mouth and reverberated through him in turn. Unrelenting despite the dizzying pain from his injury and fatigue of his body to go easier in this. He didn’t know slow, only full tilt[break][break]
The demand coupled with the twist of his shirt sent a thrill humming through him. The force of it caused the immediate desire to obey. Which was something that Enzo could not claim to be accustomed to—not in the least. A muscle in his face twitched, smile stretching toward snide.[break][break]
It was in his best interest to be contrarian, naturally.[break][break]
He made no effort to pull his shirt up over his head. Diminished as the space between them was, his hand snaked upward. Breath heavy between them both, it wasn’t difficult to hook his fingers into Kosei’s mouth, rather than clamp around his jaw. Fingertips pressing against his tongue and then the flat of his teeth and dragging over his bottom lip as he steadied the other’s jaw—really made sure Kosei was looking him in the eye.[break][break]
“Bite me,” he spit back. [break][break]
The derisive words fell, a challenge in the face of an order he felt compelled to cave to. Enzo took orders from no one but himself. (And their superiors, he supposed, but that was a finer detail lost in the heat of the moment.)[break][break]
The sharpness in his stare spoke of defiance, but also betrayed curiosity. A wondering at how far Kosei would push back. And what it would take to make Enzo relinquish his own control.

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Yeeeahhh, I am—but that’s okay. I got lotsa friends! Dad says I’m a….a special beautifly.”[break][break]
“Social beautifly,” Enzo corrects with a laugh, “but special too, yes.”[break][break]
Enzo continues to watch on as Miu chatters with the woman, pleased as punch to interact with just about anyone. It’s not until Remo nudges him that he looks away, and he spots the back of a familiar dark head of hair (that uncannily matches the little girl’s) in the distant crowd. “Ohp, Miu, time to say your byes. I think we should try to nab your dad before he vanishes on us again.”[break][break]
Kayyyy, the girl replies absently, still petting the fidough’s ears gently. Eventually, though, she steps back and curls her hand into the annihilape’s again. Thanks! her smile is bright as she looks up at the woman, and Enzo allows a polite smile of his own to return. “I appreciate that,” he says, head nodding at the little girl in gesture. For humoring her entertainment. “I’m glad we were able to return her to you safely.”

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[attr="class","text"]The last thing Enzo wanted was for Miu (and Kosei) to begin grousing because he was holding them up. It was an inevitable extension of their departure, because it happened every time they attempted to leave the Nimbus with any sort of planned itinerary in mind.[break][break]
But he couldn’t help it! The Nimbus was his baby, the thing he’d poured all of his effort into. The ultimate distraction from the mess his life had become when he’d first got his hands on the building. Long before it had been erected and expanded into what it was now. Back when they had been two little punks trying to make something of themselves, and then just…him.[break][break]
Okay, so he’d needed the distraction and something to fixate on so that he didn’t think about his crippling loneliness (something he was certain to, aha, lovingly heckle Kosei about now.) Sue him.[break][break]
All this to say, it wasn’t much of a surprise that he got held up on the way out the door, but Enzo was trying. He could feel Miu’s messing up the careful part in his hair in her growing impatience. But it certainly wasn’t his fault that his staff, or maybe his partner, was in the business of playing silly little tricks on him.[break][break]
Enzo continued to stare, smile stretched taut. “What? You even pay some kid hanging out to do this?” The careful tailoring of his speech began to slip, trending back toward the rowdy way he’d spent most of his early life speaking in. He forced a laugh, eyes darting between Kosei and his attendant and the kid quickly sauntering up with a sort of lazy indifference that still touted a special sort of self-importance that Enzo willfully attempted to not recognize.[break][break]
Another dry sputter of laughter as he gave them a look. “Ya got me,”he reiterated, but there wasn’t any comfort in the face he was met with. His concierge looked ill, the kid looked smug, and when Kosei turned his attention to Miu, and lifted her off of Enzo’s shoulders, his stomach turned over.[break][break]
‘Sup, Pops.’[break][break]
“Kosei..” he echoed back, out of the corner of his mouth in a tone that said help sos, please say sike right now. Enzo’s stare remained on the boy, no more than probably fourteen. god, that woulda meant he’d been no more than eighteen or nineteen himself when…when.[break][break]
Aw, fuck.[break][break]
Enzo cleared his throat roughly and forced his expression to neutralize as much as he could manage. “There’s no way you’re my kid,” he said after a moment, breezily in an attempt to brush the baby conman off.[break][break]
‘Ma knew you’d say that. Remember her? Nina?’[break][break]
His expression twisted up in thought, “Nope, no Nina’s.” He waved it off, even though his brain immediately scrolled back to the exact face in memory.[break][break]
‘She said you say that too.’ It was annoying that even if he refuted it, there was no denying it. It was like he’d gone through a copy machine and spit out a mini version of himself at that age. Same sandy blond hair, same violet eyes. The same arrogant sharpness in his triumphant smile It’d be easier if he’d favored his mother.[break][break]
Kosei wasn’t gonna let him live this down. Especially after Enzo had loudly boasted about never spawning a surprise child. Numerous times.[break][break]
It was fine, he could handle this. Kid probably wanted something from him. He could deal with it. “Got a name, punk?”[break][break]
‘Nico.’[break][break]
“Well, we’ve got somewhere to be, Nico. Unless you wanna go to the zoo.” He froze, head slowly swiveling toward Kosei like it was on a hinge, his expression blatantly asking Please tell me I didn’t actually just do that, as his eyes went round, smile forced.[break][break]
‘Zoo’s baby shit, but yeah sure. I’ll go.’ The boy drawled, one shoulder shrugging as he looked up and away as if he found the ornate staircase molding more interesting. Intentional indifference, intentional insult. Too late to backpedal now, then. [break][break]

Had he woken up in his own personal hell? Did he die in his sleep or something??

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“You got it.” His mouth curves, wry and crooked. The line moves forward by a couple of inches.[break][break]
He’s not really in the business of divulging where he’s actually from. He can count on one hand how many people know he didn’t actually grow up running the streets of Sootopolis.[break][break]
But for once, he humors a complete stranger. Counting on him to forget later more than anything else.[break][break]
“Hoennian. Family came from Alto Mare, though, few generations back.” Half truth, half fib.[break][break]
Arceus, he’s getting old and lazy. Heaven forbid.

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A somewhat delirious laugh followed the retort, low and passed through a wid, thin lipped smile. Only a hint of teeth. Enzo’s darted, scouring Kosei’s expression that fluctuated between anger and resentment and confusion. “No, but I do,” he trilled back in singsong, “you were very expressive. Don’t worry, though, it was only a teensy kiss.” It was the truth, of course, but his words were still meant to goad the other.[break][break]

More, he said without actually saying, give me more. He thought, just then, he might like to devour him whole. Pick his teeth with the bones. He wasn’t romantic, this wasn’t love. Only need.[break][break]

Only need, he emphasized to himself before his thoughts scattered like the light that erupted in his field of vision. Bright, white star bursts.[break][break]

His breath hitched unexpectedly as the insult fell from Kosei’s mouth, in tandem with hands that carved their way up along tender, aching skin. He shivered and almost infuriatingly, a low whine crawled up his throat before he could cut it off. Enzo should have been smarter, should have shoved him off at that point.[break][break]

But instead he was curving into the contact, “I’m the best thing that’s happened to you,” he hissed back, eyes narrowed to violet slivers. It was more for the sake of arguing, breathless and wanting for a means to outlet the frustration pent up in the center of his chest. He didn’t mean it, not really. Even with his inflated sense of self.[break][break]

Both hands rose— a fierce grip that clawed at Kosei’s shirt, then dropped to his hips as Enzo tried to push himself away from the wall where he was pinned. Just to show he could do it, and that he would not be so easily subdued. It wasn’t a means to put space between them, though, as their mouths crashed together again. One of his hands left its perch to clamp firmly against the back of Kosei’s neck.[break][break]

Every movement, each pull of his arm earned the flinch that came from the pain of his sorely abused shoulder joint, and when fingers pressed down on it, Enzo involuntarily bit down on the other’s lip. But he didn’t retreat again, letting every pained noise be swallowed up between them until his breath shook, and his vision blurred. Even then, he didn’t peel himself away[break][break]

It was a foolish idea, this. It was no more than a whim he was chasing (or so he would claim.) Especially when he knew the wayward glances Kosei tried to cover up. When he knew the things Kosei had said that drunken night, and how stupidly earnest his first kiss had been. But this was its own sort of drunkenness— fury and frustration and pain and desire. A cocktail that couldn’t be unsipped.[break][break]

The taste was in his mouth now, and he wouldn’t be able to wash it out.[break][break]

“Bravo ragazzo.” A smug croon, huffed against reddened, bruised lips. For now, Enzo made little effort to even try his hand at that.

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