Egor woke to something heavy draped over him.
For a moment, he didn't understand where he was.
Then it hit him.
All of it.
Heat rushed to his face.
The weight turned out to be Klaus's arm.
Careful not to wake him, Egor turned his head—and froze for a second, just looking.
Klaus looked… peaceful.
Too peaceful.
It didn't fit him.
Egor couldn't help himself.
He reached out and brushed a loose strand of black hair away from his cheek—
Klaus's eyes snapped open instantly.
A blink.
Then a slow, lazy smile.
"Morning. Sleep well?"
"Yeah."
"What time is it?"
Klaus rolled onto his back, grabbed his phone, squinted at the screen.
"…Eight-thirty. We should get moving."
"Already?" Egor didn't even try to hide the disappointment.
"Yeah. We've got things to finish before we head back."
Egor's expression darkened.
Klaus caught it—and got it wrong.
"If you don't want to come back, you don't have to," he said. "Honestly, I'd worry less."
"You're such an idiot," Egor snapped, smacking him with a pillow.
He got up abruptly and started pulling on his clothes.
Klaus groaned and shoved the pillow aside.
"What now?"
"After yesterday, that's what you say?" Egor shot back. "You're just—"
Klaus leaned over, caught him by the waistband of his underwear, and yanked him back.
"Stop," he murmured against his neck, arms closing around him.
Egor shivered despite himself.
"How am I supposed to stop? I know I pushed you into this, I know I don't have the right, but—"
Klaus cut him off with a kiss.
When he pulled back, his voice was quieter.
"I wanted it too. Yesterday made that pretty obvious."
Egor hesitated.
"…And now?"
Klaus tilted his head slightly.
"What do you want to happen now?"
Egor frowned, ears turning red.
"I want you not to do that with anyone else," he muttered. "Just me."
Klaus smiled.
"Anything else?"
"For now? That's enough."
"Alright," Klaus said easily. "Just you. And as often as possible."
A beat.
"You're sure?"
Egor slipped out of his arms and went back to getting dressed.
"Stop asking. You already know."
Klaus stayed in bed for a few minutes longer, staring at the ceiling.
The feeling was strange.
Light.
Unfamiliar.
Then he exhaled, pushed himself up, and got dressed.
There was work to do.
If he wanted Egor safe, he needed the crown.
Fast.
Everything else could wait.
And yet—
That feeling wouldn't go away.
That lightness.
That quiet pull.
As he got ready to meet Alexander, a thought kept circling back.
Why had he been suppressing everything for so long?
Didn't this—
make him stronger?
Didn't it feel like he could tear the world apart if he had to?
And protecting someone you—
Loved?
Was it love?
He didn't know.
Yet.
But he intended to find out.
"Don't take too long," Egor muttered, frowning.
He didn't like where Klaus was going.
Didn't like it at all.
But he kept it to himself.
Klaus had too many people orbiting him already.
It wasn't like Egor could fight them all.
Still—
the promise helped.
"Jealous?" Klaus asked, amused.
"As if."
On impulse, Klaus leaned in and kissed him—quick, light—and left.
Egor watched him go, a small, distant smile on his face.
From the kitchen doorway, Pauoka watched too.
And smiled.
For the first time, she felt at ease.
At least for now.
Sasha was already waiting outside, leaning against his car.
"Hey."
"Morning."
"More like afternoon," Sasha said, studying him. "You're in a good mood."
"Am I?" Klaus smirked. "Guess I am."
"Need a ride?"
"I could take a taxi."
"Don't ruin my excuse to spend time with you," Sasha said, getting into the driver's seat.
Klaus shrugged.
"Alright."
They talked on the way.
Casual.
Easy.
Until they reached a worn-down building.
Andrei's place.
Before Klaus got out, Sasha handed him an envelope.
"This is more than I asked for."
"You like blades, don't you?" Sasha said. "Call it a gift. In return—you call me next time you're in the city."
"I'll call you anyway. I owe you."
"I still want you to have something that reminds you of your godfather."
Klaus smiled faintly.
His katana was still back at his uncle's estate.
Until he got it—
he needed something else.
Then another thought hit.
Something for Egor.
After picking up the documents, Klaus went down to the underground arsenal.
He chose a GSh-18.
Light. Compact. Deadly.
Good enough.
Back in the car, he showed Sasha the gun and the ammo.
"A gun?" Sasha raised a brow. "I thought you preferred blades."
"I do. This isn't for me," Klaus said. "It's for someone important."
A pause.
"His safety matters."
Sasha went quiet.
"So you can fall for someone after all," he said softly. "That's… disappointing. But I'm glad too."
A glance.
"Hope he knows how to protect what matters."
"Yeah," Klaus said. "So do I."
After a moment, he spoke again.
"How do you know it's love?"
Sasha blinked.
"That's new. Especially coming from you."
"I'm serious."
Sasha thought for a moment.
"Friendship's a kind of love too," he said. "If you like being around someone but don't miss them when they're gone—that's just liking them."
A pause.
"If you miss them, want to take care of them—that's friendship."
"And if there's more on top of that… something physical… and afterward it feels like nothing else compares—then yeah."
He glanced at him.
"That's love."
Klaus considered it.
"…Then it probably is."
A beat.
"But I might need to confirm that last part a few more times."
Sasha laughed.
"So there's already been a first time."
"Yes."
A pause.
"And I've never felt anything like it."
"Then it's love," Sasha said quietly.
When Klaus got back, Egor had already packed.
In the kitchen, Pauoka had Lilith cooking. The table was overloaded.
"What's all this?"
"I'm seeing my grandchildren off," Pauoka said cheerfully.
"So I'm family now too?"
"Of course. Especially after yesterday."
Egor went red.
Didn't argue.
Klaus let himself relax.
For now.
They ate. Talked. Laughed.
Even Lilith joined in.
After lunch, Klaus took out the unfinished portal.
"The kitchen?" Egor suggested.
Klaus scraped a bit of concrete dust from the wall and sprinkled it over the sphere.
The portal flared open.
"Well," he said. "Time to say goodbye."
"Or 'see you later,'" Pauoka corrected.
"…Yeah."
Egor hugged her first.
Klaus followed—awkward, but sincere.
"See you, Lilith."
"My lord—"
He turned.
She ran up to him—
and kissed him.
Fast.
Desperate.
Everything froze.
Egor moved first.
"You—!" He yanked her back. "And you're just standing there?! I knew it! What did you promise me?"
Furious, he shoved Klaus straight into the portal—
then turned back to Lilith, flushed and shaking.
"He's mine. Got it? Don't ever do that again."
And stepped through after him.
Lilith looked helplessly at Pauoka.
The old woman only smiled faintly.
"Oh, child. My grandson's already got his claws in him. You don't stand a chance."
"But he's a man," Lilith protested. "I could give him more—"
Pauoka shook her head.
"What he really needs," she said quietly, "no one can give him."
A pause.
"Unless he frees himself from it."