Tease of comfort

Scene 11: Midnight Comfort, Morning Trouble

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Location: Saeki’s Penthouse – 11:47 PM

The house was finally quiet.

Renji had passed out mid-sentence, curled up in bed with one arm around Crocodile King and the other loosely gripping Reo’s sleeve.

Reo sat beside the bed, half-asleep himself, still in a tank top and sweatpants.

Reo (softly): “He always hold on like that?”

Saeki leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed, but his eyes were soft.

Saeki: “He doesn’t like the dark. Never did.”

Reo: “He okay with you leaving him at night?”

A pause.

Saeki: “He used to cry when I did.”

Reo glanced up at him. “You don’t leave anymore, huh.”

Saeki didn’t answer. Just walked over quietly and pulled the blanket up over Renji’s small form.

Saeki: “...He’s not the only one who can’t sleep when I’m gone now.”

Reo turned his face away, pretending to yawn. “Wow. Look at you. Almost sounded like feelings.”

Saeki: “You want me to say it?”

Reo (smirking): “Say what?”

Saeki (deadpan): “Thank you. For staying. For making him smile.”

Reo was stunned for a second.

Then—

Reo: “...You know, for a scary mob boss, you’re dangerously close to being cute.”

Saeki: “You say that again, and I’ll throw you out the window.”

Reo (grinning): “You’d miss me.”

Saeki (mutters): “Unfortunately.”

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Scene 12: New Day, New Enemy

Location: Renji’s Private Academy – 8:13 AM

Reo dropped Renji off at the school gate, handing over his bento with a wink.

Reo: “Don’t trade that for candy again.”

Renji: “No promises!”

Reo turned to leave—

—but he felt it.

Someone watching.

Up on the rooftop of a building across the street, a figure stood—tall, lean, cigarette between two fingers, suit pristine.

A tattoo peeking from under his collar.

Scar across one eye.

???: “So... the demon king has a child.”

The figure exhaled smoke and tapped his earpiece.

???: “He has a lover too. Blond. Talks too much.”

A voice crackled on the other end.

Voice: “Orders?”

???: “Watch him. No killing. Yet.”

The man’s lips curled into a grin.

???: “We’ll break the king by touching what he tries to protect.”

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End of Episode Tease:

Back in the car, Reo glanced into the mirror. He couldn’t shake the feeling.

Renji’s laugh still rang in his ears, but the pit in his stomach grew.

Reo (to himself): “Something’s coming.”

He reached for his gun under the seat.

Reo (softly): “You touch that kid, and I’ll bury you myself.”

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Scene 10: Bullets, Babysitting, and Bickering Like It’s Date Night

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Location: Saeki’s Armory Garage, 10:03 AM

Reo strapped on his custom shoulder holster, checking his knives like he was going grocery shopping—not planning an ambush on an illegal arms trade.

Saeki entered, all sleek black suit, gloves on, and jaw clenched.

Saeki: “You’re bringing that knife set? You’re not slicing onions.”

Reo: “Excuse me, Mr. I-Carry-Four-Guns-To-Brunch. These are emotional support blades.”

Saeki (sighs): “We’re in and out. You cover the back. Stay sharp.”

Reo: “I’m always sharp. You’re the one who almost got shot last time because you were brooding mid-battle.”

Saeki (flat): “I was reloading.”

Reo: “You were emotionally reloading.”

Before Saeki could kill him with a glare, Renji ran in wearing his superhero pajamas, dragging a huge plush crocodile.

Renji: “Reo-nii! Papa! Who’s staying with me today?”

Reo and Saeki exchanged glances.

Then the doorbell rang.

Saeki opened it slowly, revealing—

Takeshi, 19 years old, one of the Yakuza’s new recruits. Nervous. Dressed too formally. Sweating buckets.

Saeki: “...You sure you want to do this, kid?”

Takeshi (voice cracking): “It’s just a child, sir.”

Reo burst out laughing.

Reo: “Famous last words.”

---

Meanwhile, at Home…

Takeshi stood awkwardly in the living room. Renji was silent. Staring. Calculating.

Then he smiled.

Renji: “Wanna see my firecrackers?”

Takeshi: “You mean—like, toy ones, right?”

Renji: “Depends. You got good reflexes?”

Cue a loud pop! from the hallway.

---

Back at the Ambush Site…

Gunfire. Smoke. Chaos. Saeki and Reo moved like a synchronized dance of death—until—

Reo: “Cover me, I’m flanking!”

Saeki: “You’re not flanking—you’re improvising again!”

Reo (yelling): “It’s called adapting, old man!”

Saeki: “I’m twenty-seven!”

Reo: “With the stress level of seventy!”

A grenade went off behind them.

Reo: “That one’s on you, Dad.”

Saeki: “Don’t.”

---

After the Battle...

Covered in soot, bruised but breathing, they returned home.

Inside, the house was chaos. Pillows everywhere. A blanket fort taller than Renji. Takeshi sat in a corner, dead-eyed.

Takeshi: “He asked me to swear loyalty to the Crocodile King. I signed a contract in crayon.”

Renji (cheerfully): “We had a blood pact. Grape juice counts, right?”

Reo dropped his gear and grinned.

Reo: “You know, I think the real war’s in this living room.”

Saeki (quietly): “...We need a real nanny.”

Renji (hugging Saeki’s leg): “Or you could just stay with me forever?”

Saeki looked down at the boy.

Then up at Reo—smirking, battle-worn, domestic chaos radiating off him like cologne.

Saeki: “We’ll see.”